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OFFICIAL
NEWSPAPER FOR
NORWALK COMMUNITY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
4
Norwalk Warriors
Vol. 46 No. 36 Norwalk, Iowa 50211 USPS No. 395-120 Phone 981-0406 emaih news@norwalknewspaper.com Thursday, January 22, 2015
Mayor's
Moment
By Tom Phillips
It is hard to believe that the first year of my term is
over. A lot has happened this year and I thought this
would be a good time to reflect on 2014. This is not a
comprehensive list and if I've left something off, please
forgive me.
• Loffredo - Early in the year, we signed a develop-
ment agreement with Loffredo Fresh Produce to build
a fresh cut facility in Norwalk. At first, Loffredo indi-
cated that they expected to employ up " to 180 full-
time employees. Since opening Produce Innovations in
November, they are closing in on 200 full-time employ-
ees.
• Police Chief- In February, Greg Staples joined our
community as Chief of Police. Greg has had a positive
impact on the force and the community since coming to
Norwalk from Roanoke, VA. Roanoke's loss was cer-
tainly Norwalk's gain.
• O'Leary Celebration of Life Center - A service that
Norwalk really needed was a funeral home. Eric
O'Leary bought the old Apple Tree Daycare Center
building and has remodeled it into a wonderful Cel-
ebration of Life Center. He has included a full-time
flower shop and a large meeting room that can be rented
out for gatherings.
• The Home Show Expo - In July, the Home Show
Expo 2014 debuted'here in Norwalk. We had nearly
12,000 visitors through the home show. There couldn't
be any better publicity for Norwalk and from everything
I've heard during and after the show, the community
got rave reviews from our guests.
• COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services)
Grant - Earlier this year, Chief Staples applied for a
COPS grant and we were awarded a large enough grant
that we can hire an additional police officer and keep
them on staff for at least three years. By the time the
grant ends, our hope is that our budget has grown
enough to keep that officer on staff.
• ICMA Award - This year, Norwalk was awarded
with the International City/County Management Asso-
ciation Program Excellence Award for Community Part-
nership. This is due to the close relationship between
the City and the Norwalk Community School District
and I've been fortunate to be on both sides of this part-
nership.
• Hy-Vee - In November, we signed a development
agreement with Hy-Vee Food Stores, Inc. Right now,
they are slated to build at the southeast comer of Hwy
28 and Colonial Parkway. From what we have been told,
the hope is that construction starts sometime in 2017
and have a Grand Opening in 2018.
• Grants - Including the COPS grant I mentioned
above, Norwalk has received more than $247,000 in
grants and donations in 2014.
• Savings - City staff identified over $98,000 in sav-
ings to reduce the cost of doing business.
• Building Permits - 90 residential and commercial
building permits were issued in 2014 and of those, 73
were for single-family homes.
Looking back at the above list of 2014, it's exciting to
see how much we, the City of Norwalk, have accom-
plished this year.
As we look ahead to 2015, we plan to start the NCIS
infrastructure improvements which include Wakonda
and Holly Drives. Quite a few housing developments
have started in the following areas: Blooming Heights,
Concludedp. 2
John Phillips Insurance Now
State Bank Insurance Services
Pictured, left to right: Sheila Miller, Joe
Photo submitted.
City State Bank is
pleased to announce that it
has acquired John Phillips
Insurance Agency,
Norwalk Insurance Ser-
vices, and is now operated
as City State Bank Insur-
ance Services. Employees,
Candace Ritzler and Shefla
Miller, continue to work at
the insurance agency and
joining the group is Joe
Albrecht, who will be
working with John
Phillips as he transitions to
retirement over the next
several months. Joe has 11
years of insurance indus-
try experience and he and
his wife, Dakota, live in
Norwalk. He was previ-
ously employed with Al-
lied Insurance and most
recently was on the
agency-side of the busi-
ness in central and western
Iowa.
John Phillips has
owned and operated the
business for 35 years and
had been looking for the
right group to transition
the business to. "As I ap-
proached the transition
process for the agency, it
was very important for me
to find a successor that
shared my same ideas for
customer service and sup-
port. I have found that
group in City State Bank
and I am confident the
coupling of the staff and
City State Bank will con-
tinue to provide the excel-
lent products and service
we have been known for."
City State Bank Insur-
ance Services continues to
offer Auto, Home, Health,
Life, Farm, Ranch, Busi-
Albrecht, John Phillips and Candace Ritzler.
ness, Group Life, Groupbon Cutting taking place at
Health, Bond, Commercial 4:30 p.m. City State Bank
Business, Inlmd Marine, Insurance Services is lo=
Liability and more. cated at 1037 Sunset Drive
Join them Thursday, in Norwalk and can be
Feb. 5, for an Open House reached at 515-981-0434.
from 4-6 p.m. with the Rib-
Grief Support
Linn Grove
Methodist Group to Meet
O'Leary Celebration of
Movie Night Life Center is offering a
Members of Linn Grovegrief support group begin-
United Methodist Church ning Monda) Feb. 2, from
will host a special showing 7-8:30 p.m.
of the movie "God's Not The grief support group
Dead" Saturday, Jan. 24, at will meet each Monday for
7 p.m. at the church, 7483 four weeks and will be
50th Ave. in Prole. held at O'Leary's. It is free
Admission is free of of charge and open to any
charge. Free popcorn' and individual grieving the
beverage wil! also be pro- loss of a family niember or
vide& friend. Everyone is wel-
The public is welcomecome.
to attend. O'Leary staff members,
Karen Krehlik and Jeanne
Yordi, will facilitate the
Lions Club Bingo group and will explore
Norwalk Parks and Reccommon grief issues such
and Norwalk Lions Club as coping skills, loneliness,
sponsor Family Bingo anger, "normal" grief and
night at the Norwalk Pub- lifestyle change.
lic Library. It will be held Registration is encour-
Sunday, Feb. I from 5-7 aged, but not required.
p.m. Contact O'Leary Celebra-
Bring a snack to share, tion of Life Center at 981-
Bingo cards are one for 25 0700 for more information
cents or three for 50 cents, or to register.
Find These Legal Notices
Inside This Issue.
NORWALK COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
• Minutes of January 12, 2015 Meeting
CITY OF CUMMING
• Notice of Meeting 7 p.m. January 26, 2015
WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF
• Four Sherif£s Sales
Annual Chamber
Banquet
The 24th Annual
Norwalk Area Chamber
Awards Banquet will be
held Friday, Jan. 30, at
Echo Valley Country Club,
3150 Echo Valley Dr.
Community leaders
who will be receiving hon-
ors include the following:
Norwalk Lions Club, Busi-
ness of the Year; Brooke
Pulliam, Chamber Mem-
ber of the Year; Brad
Miller, Citizen of the Year;
Janna Brown, Teacher of
the Year, and Sebastian
Capp, Student of the Year.
Social hour begins at 6
p.m. followed by dinner at
7 p.m. Tickets are $40 per
person and $310 per table
of eight. The event is open
to the public.
RSVP no later than Fri-
Jan. 23, to the Cham-
ber office at 981-0619 or
email NorwalkChamber
@msn.com.
KC Pork
Dinner, Dance
Every year the Knights
of Columbus at St. John's
Catholic Church put on a
pork loin dinner and
dance. This year the dinner _,4..,
will be Saturday evening,
Feb. 14, at St. John's Parish
Hall in Norwalk.
Dinner tickets are $20
per person and include
automatic entry for the
door prize featuring a
large flat screen LED TV.
In addition, there will be
50/50 tickets sold for $25
and a live and silent auc-
tion. All the proceeds will
be awarded to local high
school seniors in the form
of $1,000 college scholar-
ships.
To purchase tickets, call
Eric O'Leary at 515-981-
0700 or St. John Catholic
Church Office at 515-981-
4855. Tickets for the dinner
and 50/50 are also avail-
able from any Knights of
Columbus Member, the
church office or O'Leary s
Flowers for Every Occa-
sion in Norwalk.
Business and indi-
vidual donations for the
silent and live auction are
accepted. If you can con-
tribute, call St. John's office
at 515-981-4855.
,¢
