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Warren
Town and County
Norwalk City Council Agenda p. 6
I.
Vol. 45 No. 25 Norwalk, Iowa 50211 USPS No. 395-120 Phone 981-0406 emaih news@norwalknewspaper.com Thursday, November 7, 2013
SCHOOL UPDATES Notes from
f00"00NORWALK fl0f00
By Kate Baldwin , . IlL
Business Manager CITY HALL
Norwalk Community School District
Marketa Oliver, ICMA-CM, SPHR, MPA
Summary of Action Plans the School Board Has Norwalk City Manager
Followed to Determine the Future of School
Property Located at 906 School Avenue 981-0228 exL 234
Below is a chronological summary of the process uti-
lized by the Norwalk School Board to evaluate and de-
termine the future purpose of original school property
and buildings. The "Old School" has served the school
district and community well for nearly 100 years.
Through consolidation, the Norwalk Community
School District has built several new buildings and was
forced to say "good-bye" to a few older school build-"
ings. As time marches, new doors will open and old
doors will close.
The School District has arranged for the contractor
to provide a brick pile that will be located on the south-
west comer of the school property. Community mem-
bers and alumni are invited to salvage bricks from this
stock pile for a-memento. The demolition contractor is
scheduled to start work Monday, Nov. 11. The salvage
brick pile will be available approximately between No-
vember 19 through December 4. I will provide further
updates as I learn more information from the contrac-
tor.
The demolition contractor is DeCarlo Demolition of
260 NE 44th Ave., Des Moines. DeCarlo is a qualified
and experienced demolition contractor that has demol-
ished several old school buildings. They understand the
Concluded p. 12
f
Mayor's
Moment
By Mayor Doug Pierce
k, ..... " j
As you know, Monday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day. That
day is an opportunity for Americans to recognize the
tremendous accomplishments and proud heritage of all
who have worn the uniform of the United States mili-
tary. Throughout our histor millions of Americans
have served in uniform - and many have made the ulti-
mate sacrifice in order to preserve the freedoms enjoyed
by the people of the United States. Veterans have served
with distinction to protect the founding ideals and prin-
ciples of this Nation and to extend those same ideals to
those oppressed by forces of evil.
Like those who wore the uniform before them, today's
Armed Forces continue this proud legacy. As I write
this article, American service men and women - active
and reserve - from every walk of life and a myriad of
backgrounds are se .rving in harm's way. From the moun-
t "ai.ns in Afghanistan to a litany of obscure places around
this globe, they are giving hope to millions that liberty,
justice and a lasting peace are possible and may be
achieved in their lifetime.
A veteran, whether Active Duty, Retired, National
Guard or Reserve, is someone who, at one pofiat in his
life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United
States of America' for an amount up to including his or
her life. That is Commitment and there are too many
folks in this country today who do not understand what
that means. During WW II, 1 in 17 wore the uniform -
Concluded p. 12
Candidate Meet and Greet
There will be a Iolice Chief Candidate meet and greet
at Norwalk City Hall Friday, Nov. 8, from 4:30 until 6
p.m.
Please stop by City Hall on your way home from work
and meet candidates who could become our next Police
Chief.
Norwalk Funeral Home
Now Conducting Business
Eric E. O'Leary is the
Funeral Director for the
new O'Leary Funeral &
Cremation Services, lo-
cated at 1020 Main St. in
Norwalk. Although re-
modeling and construc-
tion are taking place fol-
lov/ing this week's
groundbreaking, O'Leary
is already conducting
business. He conducted
his first Norwalk funeral
Monday, Oct. 28, for David Eric O;Leary
Mineart.
Anative of central Iowa, a funeral home contracting
O'Leary was raised and business, providing re-
educated in Newton, spite care to funeral direc-
where he graduated high tors and owners through-
school and he attended out Iowa, Minnesota and
Des MoinesArea Commu- Michigan. He returned to
nity College. In 1996 he Iowa in 2010 to be near his
earned his Degree in Mor- family and partake in their
tuary Science from daily lives.
Worsham College of Mor- O'Leary believes in
tuary Science in Wheeling, honoring and celebrating a
IL'Following college life well lived. During the
last two decades he ha
O'Leary returned to New- provided exceptional fu-
ton and completed his fu- neral service .throughhon-
neral director apprentice- esty, integrity, trust and
ship and license require- attention to detail, He is
ments under the direction here to honor, your loved
of Harold Reese. During ones' lives and has chosen
. this time he learned com- Norwalk as a community
passion for the families to fulfill a lifelong goal of
served, as well as invalu- having his own Funeral
able funeral home man- Home & Celebration of
agement skills. In the fall Life Center. Here family
of 2000 he continued his and friends can come to-
career at Ochiltree Funeral gether to Remember time
Service in Winterset. spent together, to Cel-
In 2002 O'Leary became ebrate a life full of memo-
a managing-partner at ries and to Heal the sorrow
Haley Funeral Directors in of their loss.
Southfield, MI. There, he He is a member of the
was successful in manag- Norwalk Chamber of
ing and growing a funeral Commerce; Norwalk Li-
home business. In the ons Club; St. John Catho-
summer of 2009 he started
Concluded p. 5
,rt
Observing Veterans Day
Leon Wilson III
By Sally Huntoon
Veterans Day is Mon-
day, Nov. 11. It is a time we
all should remember those
who have served in our
country's military in the
past, as well as those who
are currently'protecting
our nation. A number of
area families have been in
various branches of the
United States Armed Forc-
es throughout the years.
The Wilsons are one such
Norwalk family serving at
this time.
Leon Wilson IL who re-
sides in Lakewood, is a
1982 graduate of Norwalk
High School and a Retired
Lieutenant Colonel in the
U.S. Army. He is proud
that four of his children are
following his footsteps by
enlisting to serve. Leon
Wilson III is a 2007 NHS
graduate and is in the
Army. Daughters, Julia, a
2009 NHS graduate and
Kathleena, a 2011 NHS
graduate, are both in the
Navy. Son Cristopher will
graduate from NHS in
2014 and is scheduled to
leave in July for Ft. Ben-
ning, GA to begin his ser-
vice in the Army.
Leon Wilson III is cur-
rently serving in southern
Afghanistan. His father
received a letter in July
from William G. Jacobs IL
Lieutenant Colonel U.S.
Army, commending the
young man for doing ex-
tremely well on his first
deployment conducting
combat operations. The
letter stated that when the
Special Forces Mechanic
left Afghanistan, Wilson
volunteered to serve as the
VSP's De Facto Mechanic.
"Wilson's background
working on engines made
him invaluable. He has
single-handedly kept the
VSP's generators up and
Julia Wilson
Kathleena Wilson
running. He worked hard
for hours on end, without
complaint, to rebuild the
VSP's generator that runs
the Chow Hall and Living
Quarters. Without his dil-
igent hard work, the VSP
would have been a very
miserable place to live,"
wrote Jacobs.
In August the Norwalk
father received a letter
from Bryan D. Jones, Cap-
tain, Infantry Command- ""
ing. He, too, compliment-
ed the younger Wilson
stating, "Leon's mechani=
cal has proven indispens-
able in keeping the camp
and its vehicles operation-
al." He further stated,
"The heart and soul of the
American foot soldier re-
mains intact and inviola-
ble. The men that fought in
the trenches of World War
I, stormed the beaches of
Normandy and slogged
through the jungles of ,qm
Vietnam are the same men
that are patrolling the
mountain passes and riv-
er valleys of Afghanistan
today."
Following are the ad-
dresses of the three Wil-
sons currently serving
their country: Julia Wilson,
Ship 14, USS Arizona, DIV
273, 3410 Sailor Dr., Great
Lakes, IL 60088-3510;
Kathleena Wilson, USS
Ronald Reagan (CVN 76),
Deck/lst, FPO AP 96616;
Leon Wilson III, TU Tri- dB
dent, VSP Shajoy/FB Bal-
lard, APO AE 09383.
