Community

Roberta Rowell, of Mechanicsville, formerly of Solon, was surprised on Saturday, March 12, when her sister and niece, Georgia Dick, of Baltimore, N.Y., and Jennifer Ayers, of Cicero, N.Y., arrived to visit for a few days. They were joined by Marcus Ferreter, of Cedar Rapids, and enjoyed dinner at Ryan’s restaurant in Cedar Rapids on Monday. They went to the Reformatory and the Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa and enjoyed dining at the General Store, in Stone City, where they were joined by Roberta’s daughter and granddaughter Tina Angell and Crystal Wherry, of Anamosa.

TIFFIN– Local businesses may be required to relocate vehicles and equipment if the Tiffin City Council passes an amendment to its zoning ordinance.
Council members unanimously passed the second reading of the amendment last Tuesday, April 5. The amendment, which has both a home occupation and parking component, will most likely affect construction, hauling and excavation companies that use their pri­vate addresses for parking large trucks and storing supplies.

NORTH LIBERTY–After a five-year stint at the Crisis Center of Johnson County, Kaila Rome will join the North Liberty Community Pantry staff as the new executive director.
“We’re excited to have Kaila join [the pantry] to continue its work and build on its successful history,” said Sean Pearl, chair of the board of directors. “She’s a great fit for our innovative pantry.”

North Liberty Leader
TIFFIN– Starting May 1, Johnson County residents who work minimum wage jobs in Tiffin could be earning 15¢ less than those who hold jobs in Iowa City and Coralville.
After months of discussion and several proposals including an age-tiered wage scale, the Tiffin City Council, at last, passed an ordinance rejecting the countywide minimum wage increase of $9.15 per hour. Instead, the city opted for its own municipal $9 minimum wage.

ELY– A newly formed Ely committee doesn’t expect people to memorize the name behind the acronym. It just wants people to join in on the conversation.
The Community, Cultural, Recreational, Educational and Civic (CCREC) committee met for the first time in March 2015 and has toyed with the idea of a new community center since.
“We’re just a small group of folks brainstorming through the whole process,” said committee chair Bob Mreen. Community involvement at this point is low, he noted, but anyone is welcome to attend meetings. Six people currently make up the group.