Year in Review 2019

As the new year begins, we take a look back at the stories which made headlines in 2019.

by Marianne Gasaway

As we look ahead to a new decade, it is the perfect time to review the last year of this one. From chart-topping businesses to booming events, record weather to records of the past, 2019 has been one for the books. Here are what we consider to be the top stories of 2019:

#1 If you build it, they will come

The Clear Lake City Council bought into the “build it and they will come” philosophy in January and it paid huge dividends for the city in 2019.   The group voted unanimously to spend an estimated $1.7 million to fund the first two phases of improvements to North 32nd Street, north of Highway 122, just east of Interstate 35.

“If we want economic development, it’s not going to be with gravel (road) and no infrastructure,” City Administrator Scott Flory told the Council.  “Proactive is how you land a project.  Reactive is not.”

The preliminary plat for the Courtway Park Subdivision was passed in June by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.  The 64-acre tract of land which formerly was occupied by Andrews Prestresssed Concrete, is located on the north side of State Highway 122 between I-35 and North 32nd Street.

The first project announced for the area was a 31-door terminal and small office for Old Dominion Freight Line.  The $5 million project which will provide five to 10 full-time jobs.  Old Dominion, headquartered in Thomasville, N.C., reported revenue exceeding $4 billion in 2018, according to Forbes.  The business is a “less than truckload” national shipping company.

  The area will be fenced and have room for future expansion.

In August, Clear Lake City leaders gave their unanimous approval to a letter of intent for a potential development agreement supporting a hotel and conference center project in the new Courtway Park subdivision and in October it was announced that a GrandStay Hotel and conference center, along with a Jethro’s BBQ restaurant, will anchor the new Courtway Park development on 5.8 acres east of Interstate 35.

GrandStay Hospitality, based in Minneapolis, Minn., has 34 hotels throughout the Midwest.  Clear Lake will be the third Iowa location for the hotel, joining Ames and Rock Valley.  Approximately one-half of its properties are located in  Minnesota, with others reaching neighboring Wisconsin, Illinois, North and South Dakota, and extending as far west as Oregon and east to Michigan. The Clear Lake property will have 75 guest rooms.  A 5,000 square foot convention center will be located across a courtyard which likely will feature outdoor seating, possible fire pits and other outdoor amenities.

Des Moines based Jethro’s Restaurant will be making its first venture into North Iowa.  It currently has eight locations in the greater Des Moines area and Ames.

Clear Lake’s economic development plan with WillowStream LLC calls for construction of a hotel, conference center and restaurant project of not less than $4.5 million in taxable valuation during years one through four to qualify for a $4 million forgivable loan.  During years five through eight, it would be not less than $5 million taxable. In years eight

through 12, it would be not less than $5.5 million taxable. Not less than 25 full-time equivalent jobs must be produced.

Completion for the hotel and restaurant projects is expected no later than November 2020.

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#2 Teaming up for wellness

Saying they believe the time is right to work together to create a community asset which will provide residents with recreational activities year-round, the Clear Lake School District and City are considering construction of a community health and wellness center.

School Superintendent Doug Gee approached city leaders to gauge their interest in joining forces for a project that would not only benefit students, but all ages in the community.  Gee noted gymnasium space and training facilities are in short supply for the number of activities the school district sponsors. In addition, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department also tries to schedule activities in school gymnasiums, adding to the scheduling load.

The sharing idea received a positive response from the City, especially because several key pieces of such a project are already in place.  That includes the location— school owned property immediately south of the high school wrestling room, weight room and gymnasium.  In addition, infrastructure is already in place, the site is centrally located, and there is a parking lot which could be re-worked to accommodate both school and public traffic.

The wellness center concept will appear on local ballots March 3, 2020.  Residents of the Clear  School District are being asked to approve a $17 million bond which includes funding for not only the proposed community wellness center, but improvements at all school buildings and Lions Field.  The city has verbally committed $700,000 to the project, mostly directed to infrastructure. The city will cover day-to-day operation of the center, including staffing and will be entitled to revenues generated at the facility.  The school will own the building and agree to lease to the city for not less than 25 years.

#3 Mother Nature’s fury

An extended and rarely seen outbreak of extreme cold and dangerous wind chills hit Clear Lake and much of Iowa the last week of January 2019, putting the freeze on normal activities.  The high Jan. 30 was -18, with a wind chill value making the “feels like temperature” as low as -60.

Clear Lake, like other North  Iowa Schools, called off classes for two days. The Clear Lake Senior Center was also closed, as well as a good share of local businesses who didn’t want their employees, or usual customers, to risk being outside.

U.S. Postal Service carriers are also subjected to the cold.  According to Clear Lake Postmaster Carl Nedved, the Postmaster General in the nation’s capitol issued direction for weather awareness.  Nedved said he was calling carriers off their routes by 5 p.m. for two days.  Delivery priority was given to packages and letters.

Despite the cold, postal carrier Jason Dennis was in good spirits as he made his rounds.

“I’m getting by with lots of prayers from my wife and layers,” he added.  “I basically have three of everything on.”

After the extreme cold, came snow and wind.  Winter Storm Quiana produced 16-inches of snow and had wind gusts of 40-50 mph.  The weather event started Feb. 21 with light rain, which transformed to freezing rain and eventually snow by that evening.  A snow ban was put into effect and plows were returned to city and county sheds for the safety of operators.

Interstate 35 was closed in north-central Iowa from Ames to the Minnesota border, and continuing to Owatonna, Minn., due to continued whiteout conditions.  A majority of the other highways in north-central Iowa were listed as impassable.  During a three-day span, the Iowa State Patrol responded to 145 crashes and helped more than a thousand stranded motorists.

Clear Lake Police Chief Pete Roth said many people heeded warnings advising against travel.

 “While we didn’t have to rescue stranded motorists, like the Sheriff’s Office and ISP, we did have our share of disabled vehicles (over 30).  We towed and moved around nine vehicles off Highways 18 and 122. The department responded to 94 calls for service during the two-day period.

Ambulances from Belmond and Forest City both found shelter from the storm at the Clear Lake Fire Department Sunday night, as well as staff members who couldn’t get home in the storm.

Justin Birkhofer, a farmer from south of Clear Lake, put in one of the worst nights of his life Saturday.  Birkhofer had cattle on a farm that is several miles from his home, so getting to the livestock was a necessity. He spent the night with the snow-covered cattle in a shed.

According to  State Climatologist of Iowa Justin Glisan, the weekend storm was a record-setter.

Month-to-date accumulation totaled 28.6 inches, which now ranks as the highest February accumulation on record for the Mason City Municipal Airport. (The airport is the closest weather station to Clear Lake/Ventura).  This breaks the 22.7 inch total from 1962.

The 2019 December through February snowfall total stood at 47.1 inches Feb. 25, which is the third highest accumulation behind 2011 (47.2 inches) and 1971 (48.0 inches). The station’s period of record is Jan. 1, 1948 to present day.

#4 Record setting events

Clear Lake’s five-day July 4th celebration was a record-setter, according to Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stacy Doughan.  The celebration kicked off Wednesday night with a few sprinkles, but solid attendance.

Rain disrupted some aspects of the actual July 4th holiday. The Thursday morning parade started under sunny skies, but about an hour into the event it became apparent that a storm was brewing.  Just before 11:15, lightning was visible and Clear Lake police made the call to divert the final 20 or so entries off of Main Avenue and halt the parade.  Prior to its start, thousands along the parade route enjoyed everything from family bands to business floats and, of course, most tossed candy for the kids.

In December, the Chamber held its 25th Christmas By The Lake celebration and by all accounts it was the biggest and best ever.

 “The weather was nice, the crowds were big, the entertainment was great, we had the most entries ever in the lighted parade and there were lines for everything— from Santa to horse and carriage rides.  There was something for everybody.  The committee did a fantastic job,”stated Gene Madson, who has been chairman of the event since its inception.

Santa’s House welcomed more than 520 kids, while across the street at the V.F.W. the Clear Lake C.A.R.E.S. Post Prom Committee was taking photos of families with The Grinch.

#5 What a Wing Ding!

The nation’s eyes were focused on Clear Lake, Iowa for a few brief hours on Friday, Aug. 9, as the Iowa Democratic Party conducted its famous Wing Ding.  Nearly all of the national candidates for President were in attendance, and each was provided with seven-minutes during which they shared their vision, dreams, plans, reactions, and hopes with the crowd of 2,100 people packed in the Surf Ballroom.

Each candidate was looking for that electric spark which would catapult them further along in their campaign marathon.

Several candidates walked through the friendly crowd, taking selfies, addressing questions asked by crowd members, and appeared to genuinely enjoy the casual, “Iowa Nice” picnic and opportunity to meet face to face with party enthusiasts.

Campaign staff members and volunteers began assembling outside of the Surf early on Friday and by 3 p.m. the cheer challenges between rival camps were in full swing.  While some of the candidate’s congregations were quite large, numbering in the hundreds, signs and banners for nearly every candidate were seen in the mix.

#6 Changes at the Chamber

Tim Coffey, president and CEO of the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce announced his retirement from the Chamber effective June 1, 2019.   Coffey served for seven years.  His replacement, Stacy Doughan, has 13 years of leadership, sales and marketing experience at TeamQuest, a HelpSystems company.

#7 Veterans Memorial dedicated

Veteran’s Day held special meaning for members of Clear Lake V.F.W. Post 4868 and its Auxiliary.  The Clear Lake community joined in dedicating the Lake Area Veterans Monument at the post.

The effort to create a local memorial dated back to 2009, when $2,000 in seed money was given.  A Veterans Trust Fund was established in 2011.

Memorial Committee Chairman Eldon C. Vine addressed a room filled to capacity at the Main Avenue post at the dedication.  Vine, a Marine Corps veteran who served in the Korean War, volunteered to lead the veterans memorial effort after the unexpected passing of David Theiss in March.

Five hundred names were etched on black marble slabs mounted on the outside of the post building in the first phase of the project.  An additional 18 names were added later and more will follow after the next signup deadline in March 2020.

#8 Business celebrates history, looks to future

To meet customer needs with new products and services, Woodford Lumber and Home announced mid-year that its  retail offices would be moving in 2020. Manager Darle Hoshaw explained more room is needed to provide all of the products and services requested by customers.  The new location at 1800 7th Ave. N.  has more retail and warehouse space and easier access because of its proximity to the highway. The building formerly housed Superior Lumber, which closed its doors in May.

Woodford Lumber Company was started in 1869 at its present location at 210 N. 4th St. A 150th anniversary open house will be celebrated at the current location in August.

#9 National award winners

The owners of a Clear Lake homegrown— make that ‘home-brewed’ business— were named as one of the nation’s top small business persons of the year.

Brad and Angie Barber, founders of Cabin Coffee, were named as Iowa’s 2019 SBA Small Business Persons of the Year.  They were invited to attend ceremonies in Washington, D.C. on May 5-6 where they were honored with their individual award.

The Barbers started Cabin Coffee in 2002 with a single retail location in Clear Lake and have steadily and sustainably grown Cabin Coffee over the last 17 years, going from a start-up business with no employees to having sales of $5.5 million and 140 employees in 2017.

  Over the last three years alone, Cabin Coffee has added over 35 employees and sales have increased by $1.8 million.

In 2003, the Barbers saw the potential for franchising and utilized the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program for assistance in getting their franchise plans off the ground. Now, in addition to two successful company-owned stores in Iowa, there are 15 Cabin Coffee franchises throughout the United States, with more to open.

The Barbers have also utilized SBA financing to help build their dream. They used a 7(a) loan for the second company-owned location in Mason City in 2009 and an SBA 504 loan in 2017 to construct the company’s new dedicated distribution and franchise support center in Clear Lake.

#10 Walking the Walk

In September, One Vision celebrated 50 years since the creation of its benefit walk by successfully meeting its $50,000 goal for the event and topping the $2 million mark in the walk’s history.

Dennis Higgins, of Mason City, participated in the very first 10-mile walk when he was 15 and again completed the 10 miles this year.  He, along with David McCartney, from Charles City, addressed the hundred who spent much of the walk day in City Park for the One Vision celebration.  Higgins and McCartney were both high school students when they were invited to attend a dinner meeting with other North Iowa teenagers at the Holiday Inn in Mason City.  After enjoying dinner, Don Boyer was introduced as the guest speaker.  Boyer was the first executive director of a local group trying to establish a local home for adults with disabilities.  It was known as Handicap Village.   Higgins told the audience Boyer made a huge impact on him and inspired him to not only become involved with the first “youth march,” but to support its mission through the years.

In that first year marchers walked 10-miles.  One group traveled from Mason City to Clear Lake City Park, while another walked from Garner to the park.  Marchers were asked to get “contracts” with sponsors pledging dollars for miles walked.   Newspaper accounts of that first march estimated 1,500 marches in 85-degree heat, raising approximately $12,000.

In 2019, the walk followed a course beginning at City Park and looping the downtown.

John Severtson, former executive director of One Vision, then known as Opportunity Village, also participated in the walk along with his wife, Jana.  Severtson said although he did not participate in the first youth march, he remembers the event.  It was held the same weekend he introduced Jana to his family.  He remembers passing the walkers as they were returning to Luther College that afternoon.  The Severtsons eventually made Clear Lake their home in 1983 when John accepted the position of development director at the Village.  Since that time they have participated in the walk, they said.

Unlike the first year, the 2019 event also included foosball teams competing, online fundraising and a letter campaign to raise funds for One Vision.   This year all funds raised were directed to One Vision Employment Solutions.

One Vision Chief Development Officer Mike Mahaffey said approximately $1,900 is needed in charitable support to cover reimbursement shortfalls for each person One Vision helps find employment.

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