Archive - 2013

Date

March 6th

Marilyn Brown

Marilyn Brown of Iowa City passed peacefully from this earth Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, at her home. Memorial services were held March 2 at First Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, with the Rev. Sam Massey officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to First Presbyterian Church or Iowa City Hospice.

Karen Lowman

Karen E. Lowman, 68, of North Liberty, died Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City.
A service celebrating Karen’s life was held March 2 at the First United Church of North Liberty. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Karen’s name can be made to the NICU Gift Fund, UI Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52240, to continue to support the many children she shared her love with. Online condolences can be sent to their family through the web at www.gayandciha.com.

Glenn Swenka

Glenn A. Swenka, 52, of Oxford, passed away Feb. 25, 2013, at UIHC from complications following a courageous battle with a long-term illness. Private family inurnment will be held at a later date. Following a March 2 visitation in Solon, there was a celebration of life in memory of Glenn at the Dawg House in Oxford.
Glenn was born Aug. 24, 1960, the son of Edward and Mary B. (Klima) Swenka. He was raised on the family farm in Oxford, and graduated from Clear Creek Community High School in 1978.

Dorothy Vesely

Dorothy M. Vesely, 76, of Iowa City, died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, at her home.

Walkin'

Barney and his gun

Barney almost shot me by accident, twice.
The year was 1970, and I was working the night shift on the loading dock of the Marshall Fields Department Store in the Woodfield Mall outside of Chicago. I unloaded semi trailers as they arrived and then sorted the packages into two-dozen piles, one each for the drivers who delivered them the next day.

Food For Thought

Bored to death

One of my good neighbors and I were chatting on the phone. You know how that goes– one topic leads to another and, before you know it, you’ve covered everything from recipes to politics, gardening to retirement, the flu epidemic to wind farms. I wish I could record such conversations because they often leave many things unfinished and, if I could follow them through to their conclusions, I’d probably get a month’s worth of columns out of one conversation.

February 27th

Solon robots rule

NORTH LIBERTY– Minions, Raging Infernos and robot Domination.
It sounds like the stuff of the latest blockbuster sci-fi action movie, but it’s really the team names Solon’s robotics students have crafted to intimidate their rivals.
Even the Stale Marshmallows pack a punch when it comes to showing off their engineering acumen. On Jan. 26, Solon middle school and high school students hosted a robotics competition at the North Liberty Community Center to do just that.

Made from scratch, topped with love

Pizza Plus celebrates a milestone birthday in North Liberty

NORTH LIBERTY– Anything that lasts 20 years has a proven track record.
Anyone who has been able to grow and maintain a business in North Liberty for 20 years has accomplished a feat made even more remarkable by the fact that it is a family-owned-and-operated, non-franchise restaurant serving made-from-scratch goodness to the public since 1993.

New class, new trophy, new challenge

Women of Troy return to state tournament after beating City

CEDAR RAPIDS– The West High Women of Troy are going back to the Girls State Basketball Tournament. A decisive 55-42 win over City High Tuesday night at Cedar Rapids Prairie in a Class 5A regional final punched their ticket, and put the ladies on track for their third consecutive tourney appearance.
West led the third meeting this season of the crosstown rivals throughout, edging past 11-10 after the first period and taking a 21-19 lead into the locker room at the half.

Wildlife camp to be held over spring break

Macbride Nature Recreation Area program designed for first through sixth graders

SOLON– Recreational Services will sponsor Chickadee Camp, a wildlife and activity program for first through sixth graders at Macbride Nature Recreation Area over spring break, March 18 through 22.
The fee for the program is $200, and scholarships are available for children of UI faculty, staff and students who qualify. Call 319-335-1371 or email familyservices@uiowa.edu for more information.
The youth camp will provide unique opportunities to study and observe wildlife of the prairies, wetlands and woodlands of Macbride in a late winter setting.