Page Twelve N/Warren Town and County News
Thursday, September 26, 2013
[ BUSINESS
REMINDER: Solid Waste Collection
Changes in Norwalk
Starting in October, Metro Waste Authority will administer the garbage collection
contract for the City of Norwalk and ASI will collect the garbage. This means new
collection days, hew and different sized carts and different large and extra item stick-
ers.
Garbage, Recycling and Yard Waste Collection: Will your day change to Tues-
day? Effective October 1, residents living WEST (or on :the west side) of Hwy 28/
Sunset Drive will have collection for all three services (trash, recycling and Compost
It!) Tuesday instead of Wednesday. Residents living EAST (or on the east side) of
Highway 28/Sunset Drive will continue to be collected Wednesday.
New Garbage Carts: What size will you receive? In mid- to late-October, resi-
dents will receive new, tan garbage carts. Carts can be viewed at City Hall, Norwalk
Easter Public Library and Scott's Foods. The new carts are available in two sizes, 96-
gallon and 48-gallon. These are the same sizes as the green Curb It! recycling carts.
New Garbage Carts: When will mine arrive? New garbage carts will be deliv-
ered October 22 or 23, whichever day is your collection day. Residents should set out
their old carts (with their garbage in it) on their collection day and LEAVE THE OLD
CART AT THE CURB after it is emptied. Crews will be around that day to collect the
old carts.
1 f"
REX IEW 1
Students Recognized for Outstanding Achievement
During the September 5City Council meeting, two Norwalk students were recog-
nized for their outstanding achievement. Below is the description of both awards
and their photos are included.
Certificate of Excellence - Presented to Mitchell Phipps on behalf of the City of
Norwalk for his outstanding community leadership, setting a great example for his
peers and for his willingness to go "above and beyond" to make a difference in
Norwalk.
Celebrate Open Government October 3
Members of the public, the media, local and state government and University of
Iowa officials will participate in a day of special events dealing with a free press and
open government October 3 at the University of Iowa. The events are open 'to the
public.
The first event is a meeting of the new Iowa Public Information Board at 10 a.m. in
the Senate Chamber of the Old Capitol. The board, created by the Iowa Legislature,
became operational in July of this year and exists to help inform the public, local
governments and the media about issues related to Iowa's Open Records and Open
Meetings Laws and to provide enforcement of those laws.
At I p.m., the Iowa Freedom of Information Council (IFOIC) will hold its Annual
Meeting in the Iowa Theater located in the U of I's Memorial Union. For decades, the
IFOIC, a coalition of journalists, librarians, educators, lawyers and other Iowans, has
been the chief advocate for protecting access to open meetings and open records in
the state. It has also spearheaded related projects such' as allowing cameras in the
courtroom.
At 2 p.m,, there will be a two-session symposium co-sponsored by the University
of Iowa and the Iowa Public Information Board moderated by Senator Liz Mathis of
Cedar Rapids. From 2-3 p.m., the symposium will focus on "Transparency at the
University of Iowa." Leading the discussion will be Annette Schulte, editor of the
Cedar Rapids Gazette, and Mark Braun, U of I vice president for external relations
and chief of staff for U of I President Sally Mason. Access to.public information has
been in the news at all of the Regents institutions in the past year and the Regents
recently adopted a set of recommendations from a special Transparency Task Force.
From 3-4 p.m., a panel will discuss "Transparency in the Digital Age." The Iowa
Open Meetings and Open Records Laws were written decades before widespread
use of the Internet and social media. The panel will discuss how this new technology
has impacted the ability of Iowans to know about the activities of their elected offi-
cials. Panelists will include: U of I Law Professor Arthur Bonfield; U of I student
Kristen East; Zack Kucharski of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, and U of I Journalism
Associate Professor Stephen Berry.
The day will be capped with a 5:30 p.m. reception and 6:30 p.m. banquet in the
West Ballroom of the Clarion Hotel Highlander Conference Center presented by the
Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism featuring guest speaker Andy Hall of
WisconsinWatch.org and several special recognition awards.
Tickets to the banquet are $50. All other events are open to the public at no charge.
Mayor Doug Pierce (left), Mitchell Phipps and Parks & Recreation Director Nancy
Kuehl.
Certificate of Achievement - Presented to Briley Sodergren on behalf of the City
of Norwalk for her fifth place finish at the Hershey National Track Meet in the Soft-
ball Throw and for being the first person from Norwalk to make it to Nationals AND
place in the 20 year history of this program.
People planning to attend are urged to register to enable the presenting organiza- :
tions to properly prepare for the day. To register, go to www.inanews.com. Mayor Doug Pierce (left), Briley Sodergren and Parks & Recreation Director Nancy
Kuehl. Photos submitted.
AZA Grants
The Association of Zoos
& Aquariums (AZA) has
announced that Blank Park
Zoo was granted accredi-
tation by AZA's indepen-
dent Accreditation Com-
mission.
"By meeting Associa-
tion of Zoos and Aquari-
ums Accreditation Stan-
dards, Blank Park Zoo sets
itself apart as one of the
top zoos in the world,"
said AZA President and
CEO Jim Maddy. "The
Blank Park Zoo is a leader
in the care and conserva-
tion of wildlife and in edu-
cating people about the
natural world."
To be accredited, Blank
Park Zoo unde.rwent a
thorough review to ensure
it has and will continue to
meet rising standards,
which include animal care,
Accreditation to Blank Park Zoo
veterinary programs, con-
servation, education and
safety. AZA requires zoos
and aquariums to success-
fully complete this rigor-
ous accreditation process
every five years in order to
be members of the Asso-
ciation.
The accreditation pro-
cess includes a detailed
application and a meticu-
lous on-site inspection by
a team of trained zoo and
aquarium professionals.
The inspecting team ob-
serves all aspects of the
institution's operation, in-
cluding animal care;
keeper training; safety for
visitors, staff and animals;
educational programs;
conservation efforts; vet-
erinary programs; finan-
cial stability; risk manage-
ment; visitor services; and
other areas. Finally, top
officials are interviewed at
a formal hearing of AZA's
independent Accredita-
tion Commission, after
which accreditation is
granted, tabled, or denied.
Any institution that is de-
nied may reapply one year
after the Commission's
decision is made.
LIBRARY HOURS
Monday - Thursday
10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday & Saturday
10 a.m. - 5 p.m:
Sund%; 1 - 5 p.m.
Closed Sundayg
(Memorial Day-Labor Day)
A day to celebrate democracy and bring together
Iowa's leading advocates for open government
and the rights pf a free press.
I For more information and to register visit
www.INAnews.com
J
All events open to the public.
/]
i
Available! j
[--V
I j
L t: 7'30"!Pro =_] 1
Our Services Include:
- Tires (Sales &
Repair)
• Car, Truck, Lawn,
Ag, Commercial &
RV
e Lube/011 Filter
• Shocks/Struts
• Exhaust
• Alignment
• Electrical 8,
Diagnostic Work
e Flushes
• A/C Checks &
Repairs
• And Much MOREl
www. norwa Ikti recenter.com
1010 Sunset Dr., Hwy. 28
Norwalk, IA 50211
(515) 981-4522
