PAGE 8 -- THE OBSERVER -- THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020 THE OBSERVER -- THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020 -- PAGE 9

Thursday afternoon, May 14, Manning native and Nashville country recording artist Brad Morgan com-pleted a �Front Porch Tour� to 14 of WESCO industries� houses in Denison. Morgan and the residentspracticed social distancing as he sang for about 15 minutes at each location, and all involved determinedthat the tour was a success. One of the excited Brad Morgan fans was Vail native Melissa Adams (in leftphoto above), who enjoyed listening to the performance and who was proud to receive the singer�sautograph (in right photo). She described the mini-concert as �awesome� and reported, �I had a reallygreat time listening to him, and I would like for him to come again!�

WESCO�s Marketing Assistant Manager Sara Woerdehoff noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has beena stressful time both for the program�s 140 clients and the 120 employees who are providing care. Sincethe clients have not been leaving their homes except for periodic short trips to destinations such asYellowsmoke, Swan Lake and Prairie Rose, the idea was to find someone who would travel from house tohouse to do a �mini show� at each location while maintaining a safe distance in order to break up themonotony they are currently experiencing while being �cooped up.� Woerdehoff said they were glad thatMorgan was willing to do the Front Porch Tour to provide �a little slice of normalcy� during the pandemic.

USDA Crop and Weather ReportWeekend rains were welcomed across state

From Nashville to WESCOfor Thursday �Porch Tour�

Despite the pandemic, the 2020 Cen-sus is underway and more than half thehouseholds across America have alreadyresponded. More are responding everyday, and those who haven�t respondedare encouraged to do so, online, by phoneor by mailing responses.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak,the U.S. Census Bureau has adjusted2020 Census operations in order to:

� Protect the health and safety of theAmerican public and Census Bureauemployees.

� Implement guidance from Federal,State, and local authorities regardingCOVID-19.

� Ensure a complete and accuratecount of all communities.

Guidance issued by the Office ofManagement and Budget and the Officeof Personnel Management has given Fed-eral agencies guidelines to resume opera-tions on a epidemiologically sound, data-driven basis, adhering to the latest Fed-eral, State and Local guidance. The Cen-sus Bureau continues to monitor thechanging conditions at the State and Lo-

Residents urged to respond to 2020 censuscal level and will update its planned startdates for selected operations and in se-lected states, consulting with appropri-ate officials.

Information provided daily to theCensus Bureau from FEMA, as well asState and Local authorities, will be usedto guide Census Bureau decisions on tim-ing. As a result, selected field operationswill resume on a phased schedule on ageographic basis.

Under the adjusted 2020 Census op-erational plan, the Census Bureau is con-ducting a series of preparatory activi-ties so they are fully ready to resumefield activities as they continue to ad-vance the mission of the 2020 Census toensure a complete and accurate count.

The Regional census offices in bothIowa and Nebraska resumed its activi-ties this week.

In-person activities, including enu-meration, office work, and processing ac-tivities, will always incorporate the mostcurrent guidance from authorities to en-sure the health and safety of staff andthe public.

Census Responses as of This WeekNational Response Rate -- 59.6%Iowa -- 66.4% (3rd Nationally)Carroll County, Iowa -- 70.3%

City of Arcadia -- 76.3%City of Breda -- 68.0%

City of Carroll -- 72.1%City of Coon Rapids -- 66.4%

City of Dedham -- 67.9%City of Glidden -- 65.6%

City of Lanesboro -- 15.1%City of Lidderdale -- 12.6%City of Manning -- 68.4%City of Ralston -- 50.0%

City of Templeton -- 82.2%(196th Nationally - Top 1%)

City of Willey -- 58.8%Crawford County, Iowa -- 70.3%

City of Arion -- 69.4%City of Aspinwall -- 58.3%

City of Charter Oak -- 59.1%City of Deloit -- 53.0%

City of Denison -- 61.2%City of Dow City -- 57.7%

City of Kiron -- 66.0%City of Manilla -- 61.9%City of Ricketts -- 12.1%City of Schleswig -- 66.8%

City of Vail -- 60.6%City of Westside -- 80.3%

funders together to support communityhealth projects needing potentially higherlevels of funding and collaboration.�Breda�s grant was for an area of theFoundation�s programs �providing readilyavailable and accessible opportunities forall residents to engage in physical activ-ity.�

In informing the Breda committee oftheir success in the grant program, GinaRooney, Foundation Manager, com-mented, � We commend you for your com-mitment to the health of your communityand the individuals that will benefit fromthis great project.�

Pietig noted, �The City of Breda andcommunity is extremely grateful to theWellmark Foundation for this grant. Thepool and park is very important and mean-ingful to the community, so this grant willgo a long way towards helping us pre-serve the pool.�

The project description outlines thedeficiencies in the pool, a landmark in the

Breda Pool awarded $100,000 grant from Wellmark Foundation programBREDA POOL GRANTContinued from page 1

Vail Pool sells property, dissolvesThe Vail Swimming Pool Association

held one last meeting Monday night, May18, to officially vote on selling the swim-ming pool property to the Vail VolunteerFire Department and dissolve the organi-zation.

The Association had advertised forbids on the property for the past twomonths, and a bid from the Fire Depart-ment was the only one received by theApril 30 deadline.

The Pool has attained the legal ser-vices of Adam Ullrich, Esq., and MillerAbstracting of Denison to draw up thenecessary legal documents to transferownership of the property to the FireDepartment before the Association�sproperty insurance expires on May 27.

Treasurer Joyce Kock reported thePool has approximately $1,000 on hand,with all bills paid, and since the liabilityinsurance premium was paid until Octo-ber, a refund will be received from thatpolicy.

The Fire Department had offered$3,500 for the pool property, and the PoolBoard agreed to contribute any excessfunds after their expenses were paid backto the fire department. Upon the recom-mendation of Ullrich as the Association�slawyer, they decided not to exchange anymoney in the transfer unless the expensesended up to be higher than the money thePool had on hand.

Eugene Mohr of the Vail Fire Depart-ment reported that the Department plansto clean up the property and take the poolout as soon as possible because of the li-ability issues which might arise. The build-ing will be kept and utilized for storage,he said, but the property, located adjacentto the current fire station, could be usedfor an expansion the station or construc-tion of a new facility if needed in the fu-ture as the structure of fire districts inCrawford County change in future years.

Nineteen people were on hand at theCommunity Center for the meeting, anda total of 30 signatures were collected toapprove the motion made by Betty

Schwery and seconded by Jeanne Haw-ley to sell the property and to dissolve theAssociation.

Those on hand credited the pool boardmembers -- Joyce Kock, Angela Wittrockand Diane Schurke -- for their hard workand offered a round of applause.

Breda community since 1967, and ex-plains how, with the proposed work, thepool structure�s life will be extended fora minimum of 25 years and it will provide�seasonal activity options to residents ofall ages living in and near the commu-nity.�

However, to take advantage of thefunds for this valuable community project,the grant amount must be matched on adollar-for-dollar basis by September 4,2020. Fifty percent of the match can bein-kind gifts and services, and the remain-ing 50 percent must be cash.

The grant match, Pietig explained,�can be done through other grants and/orlocal donations. We are already lookingat other grants and will be starting thelocal fundraising process in the near fu-ture, as well as looking into other financ-ing options.�

In surveying area residents and poolusers last year to chart a course of actionfor the project, the feasibility questionsrelated to fundraising potential, the CityCouncil and the capital committee set

what they felt was a realistic goal of rais-ing $500,000 through grants and com-munity donations in addition to the$150,000 in local option sales tax alreadyallocated to the project. Breda businessowners, current residents, and former resi-dents will be key partners to reach theproject goals.

Once the Wellmark Foundation re-

ceives verification of the matching fundsbeing successfully raised, the grant checkwill be sent to Breda in mid-September,and the City has until December 31, 2022,to complete the project and spend thegrant dollars. Pietig said it is hoped therenovations will actually start in mid-August this year and should be com-pleted by June 1, 2021, so that the

newly-renovated facility will be avail-able for a full summer of swimming nextyear.

Rooney concluded, �We are delightedin the work you are doing in Iowa to cre-ate an environment which encouragesphysical activity for all. We look forwardto the impact this project will have on gen-erations to come.�

In releasing the weekly Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report, IowaSecretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on Monday that weekend rainsacross the state were very welcome.

�Late last week, a portion of Iowa was deemed �abnormally dry� by the U.S.Drought Monitor. Much of the state experienced cooler temperatures and rain overthe weekend, which helped mitigate dryness concerns and impacts on emerging cornand soybeans,� said Secretary Naig. �With the recent rainfall, and temperatures thatare expected to warm up throughout the week, crops should get a boost in the field.�

There were 4.3 days suitable for field work during the week ending May 17,2020, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Windy daysmade spraying weeds difficult, but planting continued prior to most of Iowa receivingrain in the latter half of the week.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 2% very short, 7% short, 78% adequate and 13%surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1% very short, 6% short, 83% adequate and10% surplus.

Iowa farmers have planted 96% of the expected corn crop, nearly a monthahead of last year and almost 3 weeks ahead of the 5-year average. Only SouthwestIowa has over 10% remaining to be planted. Corn emergence improved to 62%,almost double that of the previous week. The soybean crop moved to 86% planted,also nearly a month ahead of last year and 3 weeks ahead of average. Farmers inthe northern one-third of the State have less than 10% of their soybeans left to plant.One-fourth of the soybean crop has emerged. Seeding of the oat crop is virtuallycomplete, with 91% emerged. Oat condition rated 80% good to excellent.

Hay condition rated 71% good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 62% goodto excellent. Warmer temperatures would help improve growth in pastures and hayfields. Livestock conditions continue to be good with little to no stress reported.

In the Preliminary Weather Summary by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologistwith the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, unseasonably coolconditions persisted across Iowa during the reporting period, though temperatureswere not as cold as the previous week. Temperatures were generally four to eightdegrees below normal with the statewide average temperature of 54.4 degrees

Strong to severe storms formed during the evening hours of May 14 acrosscentral Iowa with multiple reports of hail and straight-line winds; a three-inch-sizedhail stone was reported in New Virginia (Warren County). Two-day rainfall totals at7 a.m. on Friday (15th) showed nearly 40 stations reporting over two inches; half ofthe state�s rain gauges observed at least 0.63 inch with a statewide average rainfallof 0.84 inch. Ottumwa Industrial Airport (Wapello County) reported 4.43 inches,breaking its rainfall record for the date as well as tying its existing May daily record,set in 1993. Gordo County) reported 2.25 inches while Ringsted (Emmet County)observed 2.43 inches. The statewide average rain total was 0.86 inch.

With more rain falling across large areas of the state on Saturday and Sunday,weekly rain totals ranged from 0.16 inch in Sioux City (Woodbury County) to 5.14inches at Ottumwa Industrial Airport (Wapello County). The statewide weekly averageprecipitation was 1.71 inches while the normal is 1.05 inches.