Several exchanges from the Scott County legislators’ forum Jan. 23 did not make it out of my notes and into last week’s North Scott Press. A busy week and a full paper. It felt like property taxes and energy needs, top of mind for many readers, deserved the column-inches. more

Feb. 5, 1986: Eldridge city administrator Don Sandor announced he would resign to take a similar position in Waverly. Sandor had served as administrator since 1982, and his announcement came as a surprise to members of the city council. He said it was a very hard decision to make. “Things are going well here, and no one was pushing me to leave. Waverly offers me experience I couldn’t get here, although the experience I acquired in Eldridge will go a long way to ensure a successful career in city management.” more

Lancer Productions prides itself on providing an educational experience for its students. And one of the ways the staff tries to do that is by giving the cast and crew an opportunity to work with different directors. That’s been true for Children’s Theatre, as three years ago, North Scott alum Nate Curlott joined the directing staff with his partner, Leiren Jackson. more

At the beginning of every Walcott City Council meeting, members of the public are asked to introduce themselves. Sometimes this is a bit of a joke. At more than one meeting, I have been the only member of the public there. more

Jan. 31, 2001: Lancer Productions was preparing to present “West Side Story” as its winter musical. Daniel Kelchen and Kendra Wulf were cast as the star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria. The show would also feature adults in the cast, a first for Lancer Productions. These included Randy Denner as Officer Krupke, Tom Goodall as Doc, Steve Parmley as Glad Hand and Frank Wood as Lt. Shrank. more

There’s a thing writers sometimes do when they’re not sure about something they’re working on. Maybe they feel like they’re being too emotional, or they’ve strayed away from the topic, or whatever. So, stick it in a drawer for 24 hours. more

Jan. 21, 1976: Eldridge officials were caught off guard when Caterpillar executives announced they had filed for voluntary annexation into Davenport for the Mount Joy plant. Eldridge and Davenport city officials had signed a 10-year moratorium on annexation in 1966, and the Caterpillar request seemed to herald an end to that agreement. Eldridge said it was cautiously proceeding to determine the city’s options, which could include a legal challenge. It was estimated that the Eldridge Fire Department could lose 50% of its tax base if the annexation was approved, and there were plenty of other uncertainties for the city. However, company officials said the North Scott School District would not be impacted, since the plant was entirely within the boundaries of the district. more

Property taxes. Out here, almost everyone pays them, because almost everyone owns. They are about as exciting as a trip to the dentist. Yet both are essential, or you end up with rotten teeth and rotten roads. more

Jan. 13, 2021: Steve and Michele Lindle sold their business, Steve’s Auto Sales in McCausland, to their daughter, Heidi Holst, and grandson, Brady Ernst. The Lindles had owned business for 50 years and said the time was right for them to retire. Longtime employees Mike Gross and Lloyd Claussen planned to stay on at Steve’s. “I’m looking forward to building on what’s already established, and to continue something that’s been so successful and has had such a good reputation,” said Ernst. “I feel so blessed to be able to be taking it over,” added Holst. more

Travel has its dignities and indignities. I spent the night of Dec. 29 on the Lake Shore Limited passing through Rochester, Buffalo, Erie, and Cleveland, on the way back to Iowa from Burlington, Vermont. From my railcar window I watched the swirls and eddies of lake-effect snow lit orange by streetlamps. Around me everyone had done what they could to get comfortable: reclined their chairs or lain across tray tables, twisted their legs and opened their mouths. We rattled without privacy towards the new year. more

Jan. 10, 2001: North Scott superintendent Dr. Pat DeLuca announced he would retire, effective June 30. He had been hired in 1987 as the fifth superintendent of schools and would be the second longest tenured upon his retirement, behind Melvin Heiler, who served for more than 16 years. DeLuca said he made his decision the previous spring, and told the board he intended to fulfill his current contract during his annual evaluation in April of 2000. “My tenure in the school district is one I will always remember and cherish,” he wrote in his resignation letter. “The district has given me the opportunity to grow as a professional and a person. As Mary Ann (his wife) and I have said so many times, ‘It doesn’t get any better than this.’ I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have lived and worked with the adults and students of the North Scott Community School District.” more

Ten years ago, a team of geologists sent one-seat planes on a magnetic-radiometric survey of the farm counties of northeast Iowa. They were searching for rare earth elements (REEs) in the Precambrian basement rock, or craton, which lies buried 2,000 feet beneath the surface. What they found were rings of iron-rich minerals known as layered mafic intrusions. more

Jan. 3, 2001: The LeClaire Ambulance Service was suspended for failing to comply with an agreement with the Iowa Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. The service had already been under probation for allegedly failing to respond to some calls, but the suspension came following an investigation involving a heart attack victim in Bettendorf. The LeClaire Ambulance reportedly took 23 minutes to respond, rather than dispatching another ambulance service closer to the patient’s location. Ambulance officials began an appeal process, but in the meantime, Medic EMS would respond to calls. LeClaire Ambulance officials said that would likely increase response times, because Medic was not familiar with their area. more

Spend too much time thinking about something, worse, trying to pin it down in writing, and you risk losing it. Words are an excellent way to communicate something to others but a very poor way of communicating something to yourself. Try and you introduce a whole mess of confusion; you replace your experience of something with a shadow of your experience. more

Dec. 29, 2010: While Scott County had a white Christmas, it came at the cost of a Christmas Eve snowstorm that dumped nearly seven inches of snow in the area. Many families had to adjust holiday plans due to treacherous driving conditions. more

It’s a busy time of year, getting ready for the holidays at home and end-of-the-year projects at work, but I had a few stray thoughts I wanted to empty out of my notebook this week. more

Dec. 20, 2000: Twenty-one Alan Shepard Elementary School students were briefly hospitalized after a bus they were riding in slipped off an icy road and overturned near Cody and East LeClaire Road. The driver encountered a snowplow and attempted to move further over to the side of the roadway when the accident occurred. Another bus driver, who happened to be nearby, as well as residents in the area helped evacuate students from the overturned bus as the Eldridge Fire Department and Medic EMS responded. The students were all taken to the hospital for evaluation, though no serious injuries were reported. School counselors also visited with the students at the hospital to help calm some nerves and fears. District officials said they were pleased with the response from the driver and emergency personnel. more

My brother turned 21 last Wednesday and I bought him a set of whiskey tumblers. He can now drink legally, which means he ought to start drinking civilly.  more

Dec. 10, 1975: The 55,000-gallon water tower that had stood in the center of Eldridge since 1929 was dismantled and moved. The tower was purchased by the Davenport YMCA and would be used for reserve storage at Camp Abe Lincoln. more

Dec. 4, 1985: A post-Thanksgiving winter storm left motorists stranded along Interstate 80. As the snow flew, aided by strong winds, Calvary United Methodist Church in Walcott opened its doors as an overnight sanctuary. The Walcott Fire Department helped lead motorists into town, and food was supplied by the Iowa 80 Truckstop, with blankets and other supplies donated by church members. Nearly 300 people packed into the church for the night. more