LS under boil order

Friday and Saturday, May 24-25, the residents of Lime Springs who purchase water from the town need to boil any water they use for consumption—including brushing their teeth. The new pump at the west well is being installed on Thursday.

Lime Springs Pool will open, but when?

Logan Harden is shipping away at the old caulk at the side drains so new caulk can be added.

By Marcie Klomp

Council members found out on May 7 the Lime Springs Swimming Pool will open this year, but it is hard to say for sure when it will open

City Clerk and co-chair of the Pool & Park Committee Carla Moser said, “Jeff Harden is doing work on the leak. We found out it was caused by the outer edge—the splash grates—and deep cracks in the deep end.”

The good news is these things can be fixed with a special caulk. The bad news is to cure, it needs to be 70 degrees, 24 hours a day for seven days in a row.

Two businesses for price of one

Clerk Theresa Ness and owner Kevin May of Town & Country Locker & Grocery in Lime Springs

By Marcie Klomp

It was over a year that Lime Springs was without a grocery/locker. Lucky for this small town, Kevin May of McIntire saw a business opportunity, took the plunge and opened the two businesses back up.

He jokingly says C US B is the owner. That may be, but he’s the one who has put in all the back-breaking work to get the Town & Country Locker & Grocery open for business.

He gained ownership the end of February 2013. It took about a month to clean and get the grocery part up to code and stocked. Now the doors are open from 8:00-6:00 Monday through Saturday. May is hoping to get the locker part up and running by the first part of June.

Branstad signs bill at banquet

Very seldom does a governor sign a bill other than at the state capitol, but it happened last week at the Howard County Business & Tourism annual meeting. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds were in the area to open the Wilder Business Center at Calmar and made the Expo building their next stop.

House File 533 is an act providing for entrepreneurial education funds for student organizations and clubs and including effective date and applicability provisions. It was presented by Rep. Josh Byrnes on behalf of Crestwood FFA. The organizations is now able to invest money in Lime Springs Beef. Pictured are Branstad, Reynolds, Byrnes, Sen. Mary Jo Wilhelm, student members of FFA, instructor Mike Adams and Supt. John Carver. Each VIP was given one of the pens Branstad used to sign the bill.

Farm Family of Year —Jim Trukas honored by Kiwanis

Lori and Jim Truka

By Marcie Klomp

Howard County has about 303,000 acres, with about 83 percent of that (251,202) in farm land. According to FSA, that translates into 1,533 farms.

Those are all pretty big numbers. That also makes it a pretty big job year after year for Kiwanis of Cresco to choose just one Farm Family of the Year. Many of our local farm families work hard for themselves and their community. Because of their commitment to church, family and land, Jim and Lori Truka of Lime Springs were chosen as Kiwanis Farm Family of the Year for 2013. They were given their award at the FFA Banquet held April 4.

The couple has been on their farm, two miles north of Lidtke Mill, since they were married 31 years ago. It is where they raised their children, crops and animals. Trukas have two children, Michelle and Scott. Michelle is married to Levi Franzen, and the couple has a newborn son, Kael. All live in the Des Moines area.

Jim said, “We lived here and rented it We bought it in 1988.” Three years later they built a new home on the farm.

The young couple was not afraid of work when they started their lives together. Jim was raised on a farm, just west of Lime Springs, and Lori was raised on a dairy farm by Kendallville. Her folks raised exotic birds including ducks, geese and guineas.

Jim compares how things have changed since helping his dad on the family farm. “With Dad, most of the weed control was done by machinery—cultivation. Now it is done by spraying. That has really reduced erosion.”

[Growing up] everybody had beef and dairy cows, a few pigs, chickens, ducks. It was more diversified. We even had hogs until 2008. Now we only have beef.”

The couple raises 50-60 stock cows and usually that many calves. He said raising animals is another way of helping the land. “By maintaining a beef cow herd, we can utilize alfalfa and hay on some of the marginal (thinner soiled) ground.”

Truka also runs a reduced tillage farming operation. “We take care not to farm it so much that it erodes away.” Conservation of the land has become more and more the norm. So has the advancement of technology and machinery, which Jim has seen a lot of in the last 30-40 years.

He explained, “When I was in FFA, those going into farming were the majority, with a few advancing on to the ag sciences and ag technology. Now it’s the exact opposite with a few going into farming and most going into ag science and ag technology.”

He sees the trend to continue of fewer and larger farms, which, he says, “Is hard on small-town communities.”

Jim appreciates his time in FFA. “It stressed record-keeping, and the advisors were ag oriented.”

FFA, along with the couple’s upbringing, helped shape them into good stewards of the land and givers rather than takers.

Lori has worked at Cresco Bank & Trust for 14 years. The couple has volunteered at many community activities—in Lime Springs as well as Cresco. They have helped at Sweet Corn Days and at the flight breakfast in Cresco. Both attend Notre Dame Parish, where they are Eucharistic ministers. Jim is also chairman of the church council and lector. He is chairman of the board of Howard County Mutual Insurance.

As for the couple’s success in their business and personal lives, Jim says, “It was trial and error—and still is.” He added it was a lot more error. That may be, but many times error or mistakes build character, and Jim and Lori Truka have proven they have lots of that.

April showers bring . . . lots of water

This pole north of town was busted and needed to be replaced on April 10, after high winds, with gusts up to 85 mph, hit the area.

By Marcie Klomp

Mother Nature let loose the rains, then pulled back the reins for spring! She has not disappointed in showing that spring weather in the Midwest can change at the drop of a hat. In the past week-and-a-half, Howard County has been hit with snow, sleet, hail, wind, thunder and lightning and seven inches of rain.

A few days at the beginning of April were warm enough to melt some of the snow piles around town. Then came April showers, starting the evening of the ninth, when over three inches fell. Coming with the rain were sleet, hail and wind. At the Law Enforcement Center in Cresco, wind gusts of 85 mph were recorded. Those gusts sent a couple of vehicles into the ditch on Highway 63.

Vinegar and Honey —Secret to life says 100-year old Floyd Foote

Floyd Foote reminisces about living to be 100.

By Marcie Klomp

For 55 years Floyd Foote has mixed two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (It has to be apple cider vinegar.) and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of water. That is the recipe Doc Buresh gave him long ago for aches and pains. It must work because Foote is in remarkable shape for a man a century old!

Some wisdom of his own is to heat the concoction in the microwave to dissolve the honey before drinking it. “It’s not the best tasting,” he warned.

Who can dispute his secret that he shares with anyone who will listen . . . that is if they can keep up with him!? “I usually walk one to three miles every day. From Monday to Thursday of this week I walked eight miles. If I’m tired, I don’t walk.”

Foote now lives at Cresco Care Center, but for 91 years he lived at the same place just two miles north of Davis Corners on the family farm.

Grassley accepts invite to Crestwood

By Marcie Klomp

Every year, Sen. Charles Grassley visits all 99 counties in Iowa. He has done that since he was elected to office in 1980. Thanks to the enterprise of a sophomore from Elma, Kim Weigel, Grassley had his largest crowd ever for his annual meeting in Howard County.

Safety of kids comes first —How-Winn buses traveling on hard surface roads only

These are small ruts compared with some area residents are dealing with this spring.

By Marcie Klomp

This is one of the worst years for gravel roads the area has seen in a very long time. Howard-Winneshiek Transportation Director Bill Kosters said, “I’ve never seen this in the 40 or so years I’ve been [in the area].”

Some of the country roads have been washed out and repaired, with some areas down to dirt. All of them are soft and dangerous to travel. Kosters talked with a gentleman over 90-years old who has never seen the gravel roads like they are. He even remembers how bad they were when cars first started driving on them.

Because of this, Howard-Winneshiek School District has determined buses will travel on hard-surface roads only until further notice. Supt. John Carver stated, “Safety is of the highest importance when it comes to our students.”

Bear and rabbit and coon Fish and Game Club’s Wild Game Feed on Saturday

Strap on the feed bag! It’s time for the 19th annual FREE Wild Game Feed, sponsored by the Lime Springs/Chester Fish and Game Club. The potluck dinner will be Saturday, March 16.