OFFICIAL
NEWSPAPER FOR
NORWALK COMMUNITY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
' i 7 :s,/E S T (.;~ ,} T =~ 8 T
:'~E~ r..L'!. ,,~,,~ 98584-228b
,iii
- - . it,-,iiif,,itiii
it"i, Iill,;, ,iiit ,ii i
"- ~b,,,,
Norwalk warriors
Vol. 44 No. 42 Norwalk, Iowa 50211 USPS No. 305-120 Phone 981-0406 emaih news@norwalknewspaper.com Thursday, March 7, 2013
LorNOrwalk Student 1
Education Foundation
Activities and Events
i Miller, President
Wine .... Chocolates ..... Cheeses ....... FUN!
Come celebrate Norwalk Student Education
Foundation's 3rd Annual "Tastes for Education" event
Friday, April 5, from 6-8 p.m. at the Wright Place in
Norwalk.
We will be sampling wines, beers, cheeses and choco-
lates while celebrating education in Norwalk. Local
business supporters have provided the facility and all
food and beverage products to the Foundation without
charge, so that all proceeds from admission will go di-
rectly to scholarships and grants for the upcoming year.
For admission and other information, go to
www.norwalkstudentfoundation.org or visit the link on
Facebook or on the Norwalk Schools website or call Lori
Miller, 515-953-3126.
A
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Norwalk City Hall
Thursday, March 7, 2013
6:30 p.m.
This is a tentative Agenda onl) which is subject to
change. The final City Council Agenda will be posted
at the Norwalk City Hall at least 24 hours prior to
commencement of the meeting.
1. Call to order at 6:30 p.m.
2. Approval of Agenda
3. Presentation
4. Approval of Minutes - February 21, 2013 Regular
Council Meeting
5. Mayor - Welcome of guests and public comment, 3
minute limit, no action
6. Consent Agenda A. Expenditures
B. Proclamation designating April as Child
Abuse Prevention Month
7. Hearings, Ordinances and Resolutions
A. Public Hearing and adoption of the City of
Norwalk budget for fiscal year 2013-2014
B. Public Hearing and consideration of Resolu-
tion approving development agreement with O&A En-
terprise, LLC, authorizing annual appropriation of tax
increment payments and pledging certain tax increment
revenues to the-payment of the agreement (in an amount
not to exceed $50,000)
C. Consideration and first reading of a proposed
Ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances of the City
of Norwalk, Iowa, 2008 waking changes to the Com-
munity Development fees
D. Consideration and first reading of a pro-
posed Ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances of
the City of Norwalk, Iowa, 2008, Chapter 136, pertain-
ing to snow, ice and accumulations from public side-
walks
8. Current Business
9. Reports-Mayor; Murillo, Curtis, Delker, Leto,
Sylvester; City Manager; City Clerk; Community De-
velopment Director; Director of Planning and Building;
Public Works Director; Police Chief; Fire Chief; Parks &
Recreation Director; Library Director
10. Adjournment,
begins at 2 a.m.
Sunday, March 10!
I I
f
walk
By Mayor Doug Pierce
I have received some calls and emails in regards to
Warren County's pursuit of an entertainment center that
would include a casino. I know that this is a "hot but-
ton" for some, so I wanted to address where we are at
with this process.
In order for a casino to be located anywhere in War,
ren County, a gaming referendum m.ust first be passed
by a county-wide vote. That is currently planned to
happen on May 7, 2013 if there is enough petition sig-
natures obtained in support of having a referendum.
That "enough" would be approximately 2,600 signatures
as it takes a number equal to or greater than 10% of the
number who voted in the last election. If enough signa-
tures are obtained to put the referendum on the ballot
and the vote passes, the next step would be for a gam-
ing license to be applied for with the Iowa Gaming Com-
mission and they determine if a license will be given.
Because a proposition of this nature always gener-
ates a lot of questions, we are going to have a Town Hall/
Open House meeting some time during the last week
of March. This meeting will provide lots of information
as to the proposed location, complex's architecture, jobs
created, revenues for the city, county, schools, non-profit
organizations and potential property tax reductions. By
law, a city cannot provide a gaming facility any incen-
tives or tax abatements for them to build. We will also
have data as to the facts on the regulations that casinos
are required to comply with making them a very self-
sufficient operation and minimal impact on the city.
Anywa),, I hope that you will attend the information
meeting later this month and get all the facts so that
you can make an informed decision.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Early Deadline For Newspaper
Deadline for the Thursday, March 21 issue of this
newspaper will be noon Thursda) March 14. The news-
paper staff will be sending the newspaper to the printer
early Frida) March 15. Equipment will be moving to
the new location Friday afternoon and over the week-
end.
Deadline for the Thursday, March 28 issue will be
noon Frida) March 22.
Rescheduled Class At Library
The Compassionate Conversations: Advanced Direc-
tives Class at the Norwalk Easter Public Library has been
rescheduled for Saturday, March 16, from 10:30 to 11:30
a.m. The event was rescheduled due to weather.
Eric D: Johnson, Chaplain, Manager of Pastoral Ser-
vices for Iowa Health Des Moines, will present the pro-
gram on organ donation, ethical wills and memorial
planning. Pre-register at the Library or by emailing to
mkjohnson@norwalk.iowa.gov.
Saturday, March 16, at 9 a.m. is the free monthly com-
puter class.
NORWALK POLICE CHIEF
Ed Kuhl
Nctrwalk Police Officers were called by school offi-
cials about 7:48 a.m., Monda) Feb. 25, to investigate a
possible gun at the Norwalk Public High School. The
weapon was seized and a 16-year-old juvenile male was
taken into custody and charged with having a firearm
on school property. School Officials immediately took
steps to notify officers, secure the facility, isolate the
individual and recover the weapon. The weapon was
subsequently recovered in a locked vehicle in the school
parking lot. The charge is a class "D" felony under the
Iowa code and carries a possible five-year imprisonment
and up to a $7,000 fine. The matter is currently under
investigation and has been referred to the Warren
County Attorney. The key elements to school safety and
to preventing a potential tragedy were present in this
case. Those same elements have helped us to interdict
other weapons in the past, before they found their way
into our schools. Those elements include an atmosphere
that fosters students being involved in the safety of their
schools and concerned parents interacting with those
students. Our well-trained school staff encourages stu-
dents and parents to report such information immedi-
ately. We are fortunate that our District has good proce-
dures and trains in partnership with Public Safety for
the most thoughtful and effective response to potential
violence. Certainly secure facilities, police officers in the
schools and sound procedures are critical, but the in-
volvement of students and parents has proven abso-
lutely critical to successfully prevent such incidents.
Going forward with this partnership provides us the
best means to keep our community one of the safest in
Iowa. Thank you again for your support.
One Date Change For Warrior Cafe
Andy Mogle, instructor for students working in the
Norwalk High School Warrior Cafe, has announced one
date change for the 2013 lunch schedule. Lunch for Fri-
day, March 15, has been changed to Thursday, March
14.
The menu for that day is Salmon Wellington,
Fettuccine Alfredo, Pulled Pork Sandwich, Chicken and
Puff Pastry, Chicken Parmesan, Citrus Glazed Bacon
Wrapped Pork Loin, Pasta and Mixed Peppers, Chicken
Cordon Bleu and Smoked Chicken.
The Warrior Cafe is open to the general public as well
as school staff. Sealing times for the public are from 11:30
a.m. until I p.m. The meal price is $6.50 and includes a
choice of beverage, salad/soup, entree with appropri-
ate side dishes and dessert.
Reservations can be made by calling Mogle at
Norwalk High School 981-4201 ext. 3115 or by email at
amogle@norwalk.k12.ia.us.
Parks and Rec Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Norwalk Parks and Recreation Department will
sponsor the annual Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt Satur-
day, March 30, from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. at the Norwalk-
McAninch Sports Complex on Wright Road.
The program is designed for children under the age
of 13. An adult must accompany all children. Registra-
tion is Monday, March 11, through Friday, March 22.
Families will be required to bring their own flash-
light. Flashlight size is limited to no larger than two "D"
cell batteries. The cost per family is $12.19 for Norwalk
residents and $14.02 for non-residents.
In the event of inclement weather, the hunt will be
held at Oviatt Elementary.
