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In 1975, Eldridge City Council members, recognizing that their meetings which sometimes lasted until 11:30 at night were way too long, made a decision to offload discussion of utility details by creating a separate utility board. The town was a third of its current population then, but growing rapidly. more
I’m working on a story for next month. And it’s kind of an unbelievable story, although what I’m about to tell you might seem unremarkable. So you’ll just have to trust me for now. But I did want you to meet two characters. more
March 13, 1974: A group of Eldridge residents said they planned to fight the U.S. Department of Transportation’s plan to abandon the Milwaukee Railroad spur from Bettendorf to Mount Joy and Eldridge. “The economic impact of its loss could be very serious,” wrote the North Scott Industrial Development Board. The Milwaukee Railroad said it also planned to fight the DOT on the matter. more
Four years ago this week, on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, voters of Eldridge and the North Scott School District, in separate measures, gave thumbs up to funding a YMCA in Eldridge. The taxpayers would build it, and the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley would run it. more
March 6, 1974: The North Scott School District purchased 13 acres of land in Park View for $26,000. While the site had been eyed for an elementary school in the past, the land purchase did not guarantee a school would be built there. Any construction would require a bond referendum. more
If you were asked to write a 500-word essay about our hometown, Eldridge, what would you say? Perhaps something like this: more
Feb. 27, 1974: An effort was underway to establish an ambulance service in Eldridge, the city council learned. The proposed service would be part of a countywide network, including the LeClaire Ambulance and newly established services in Buffalo and Durant. Areas outside of Davenport were currently serviced by a private company, M&M Ambulance Service. Mike Hunt of LeClaire showed the council an outline of a program that would provide ambulance service to all Scott County residents in a maximum 15-minute response time. more
Back in January, I bought tickets the first day they were available for the Feb. 14 Broadway production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and the pre-show buffet at the Adler in downtown Davenport. more
Congratulations, readers! more
Feb. 22, 1984: Students at John Glenn Elementary School were enjoying working on the new school computer. It was purchased for $3,000 with funds raised by the PTO at the recent school carnival and raffle. more
Feb. 13, 1974: The North Scott wrestling team would compete in the sectional tournament in the AAA class – the largest in the state –for the first time. The tournament would be held at Bettendorf High School, with Davenport West and Davenport Central also competing. more
Feb. 10, 1999: The North Scott School District formed a Y2K committee to study whether computer systems would need to be upgraded in order to properly function starting Jan. 1, 2000. more
This one hurts. more
For 32 years, from 1971-2003, I was The NSP's reporter at almost every school board meeting. During that time, I observed who were the leaders, the followers and just a few who were in it for the glory. The common denominator, however, was that decisions were made in support of "what's good for kids." more
In 1969, a pioneering initiative took root in the Davenport-Bettendorf area, shaping the local landscape of civic engagement and discourse for decades to come. The Legislative Forum, an event that transcended political affiliations, owes its inception to Mary Ross, then the President of the Davenport-Bettendorf Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and a dedicated member of the League of Women Voters. Since its humble beginnings, the forum has evolved into a testament to the community's commitment to open dialogue and informed citizenship. more
I was surprised to read recently that the city of Eldridge is receiving proposals for civil engineering services. The engineer they had – Greg Schaapveld with Shive-Hattery – in my book, was darned good. I base this not only on personal friendship through Rotary, but results. Greg, of Park View, is a guy who clearly knows what he's doing and applies the oid adage, "measure twice, cut once." more
Jan. 30, 19741: The North Scott School Board heard a preliminary proposal for a six-classroom elementary school to be constructed in Park View. The 6,000 square foot building was suggested to help reduce overcrowding at the existing elementary schools. The proposal suggested a possible lease agreement, where another party would pay for construction and the district would rent the property. more
Davenport Republicans joined party members in McCausland, Princeton, Walcott and LeClaire to drive former President Donald Trump’s domination of Scott County’s Jan. 15 caucuses. more
Jan. 25, 1984: The Park View Owners Association and volunteer organizations gifted the North Scott School District a blacktopped basketball court at Neil Armstrong Elementary School. The Owners Association pledged $4,500 for blacktopping, with an additional $1,500 to come through fundraisers at Biddy Basketball games. The Park View Jaycees said they would also kick in if fundraising fell short. more
Who says you can’t go home again? more
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