TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 27, 2007
THE COURIER
CAU.THE
COURIER
Questions concerning issues are taken
on a special Courier pho ne I ine at
234-3566
Questions are answered by Courier staff
and staff al Ihe Waterloo Public Libray-
Q. Are the AT&T phone
card prices per minute
going up when calling from
a 319 number to another
319 number?
A It depends whether it is a
pre-paid card or a post-paid
card. According to Amanda
Ray, spokeswoman for
AT&T, federal regulation
changes effective as of June
2006 have made pre-paid
phone cards subject to
access fees, and in-state
access fees are typically
more expensive than state-
to-state fees. Ray said that
effective now, customers
who purchase pre-paid
cards purchased from
AT&Ts Web site "will be
' charged higher rates for in-
state cards in some states."
She added that retailers will
soon stock pre-paid cards
that list these higher rates.
Ray also noted that AT&T
was not the only company
that was affected by the new
regulations, and that it is "an
industry-wide issue."
Post-paid cards have been
subject to these access fees
for some time, so the rates
on these cards should be the
same. . branches.
Q. How many American
service men and women
were killed in Iraq from
Iowa?
A. Rfty-two lowans and
people with ties to Iowa
. have died in Iraq or
Afghanistan from combat,
illness or accident since the
war began in March 2003,
according to the Des
Moines Register.
Q. The Courier stated Rep.
Pat Grassley voted against
the anti-bullying.bill. What
was his rationale for voting
this way?
A. Grassley said he didn't
support the bill because he
didn't feel the categories of
protected students listed in
the bill would cover all stu-
dents. He said schools
already can establish their
own anti-bullying policies
without the law. "The bill
doesn't have any teeth,"
Grassley said.
Q. Did Krispy Kreme of
Cedar Rapids announce a
reason for closing their
Cedar Rapids location? Is
there another Krispy Kreme
located in the state of Iowa,
and what is the closest to •
Waterloo?
A According to an article
on KCRG.com, Krispy
Kreme in Cedar Rapids
closed because customers
were buying their dough-
nuts off site, and this hurt
the business of the store.
Two other Iowa Krispy
Kremes are listed on the
company's Web site. The
closest location store is 93
miles away from Waterloo
in the Des Moines suburb of
Clive. The other Iowa Krispy
Kreme is in Davenport, 113
miles away from Waterloo.
Corrections
A Call the Courier answer
iri Saturday's Courier about
how to order Courier photos
online needs clarifying. The
answer stated that photos
are $25 each. But there
actually is a pricing struc-
ture: A 4x6 is $9.95; a 3x5 is
$8.95. a 5x7 is $12.95, an
8x10 is $18.95 and an 11x14
is $1955.
Ah answer in Saturday's
Call the Courier said that
leap years come every four
years. A caller pointed out
that is riot always true. Cen-
tennial years — ones that
end in 00 —: have the extra
day onty if they are evenly
divisible by 400. For exam-
ple; U>00 and 2QOO were
leap years, but 1900 wasn't,
arid 2100 wont be
Ice storm takes heavy toll on trees
• '- • ' • ' : . ' • ' • . ' : . , - , •
By AMIE STIFFEN
Courier Staff Writer
WATERLOO V A phone kept
ringing in the background as
Drew Collins tried to add up the
calls Planetary Tree Service had
received during the weekend
It was at least 35, he said.
Maybe 50. The final verdict? A
lot
Tve lost track," Collins said
"IVe got people calling and not
even taking estimates. They're
just saying,'Do it'"
The' Evansdale-based tree
removal service normally snow-
plows a little in the winter. How-
ever, this weekend's ice storm and
winds of up to 30 miles per hour
busied its crew of seven mostly in
hardest-hit west Waterloo to
remove trees and branches from
yards, porches, roofs and cars.
"We've had thunderstorms that
knocked down a bunch of trees,
but not this bad that I remem-
ber," said Collins, whose busi-
ness has been open seven years.
"This is probably the worst storm
since IVe been in business."
Others in the tree business
echoed his concerns, but dis-
agreed on the extent of the dam-
age.
Rob Foxen, the third generation
to own Black Hawk Tree Service
in Waterloo, said the freezing-
rain-tumed-blizzard "really was-
n't even that bad of a storm"
when it came to falling tree
"It seemed like more damage
was done on the power lines,
snapping the poles," Foxen said.
While Foxen couldn't recall the
last bad storms, Waterloo city
forester Todd Derifield could.
They were June 17 and June 29,
1993, where the soil became so
saturated from massive down-
pours that trees were "just heav-
ing left and right"
Farmers work round the clock to protect livestock
By MATTHEW WILDE
Courier Staff Writer
HUDSON — Farmers are work-
ing overtime to make sure their
pigs and cattle remain healthy in
the aftermath of one of the worst
winter storms in decades. .
Thousands of Northeast Iowa
farms are still without power
today, more than three days after
the lights first went dark- This
could be deadly to livestock since
most farms today rely on electric-
ity to pump water, heat and venti-
late buildings, run milking
machines and automatic feeders.
Tm going on a 24-hour-day
right now" said Brent Hansen on
Monday afternoon, whose family
operates a dairy and milk bottling
business near Hudson.
Hansen's Farm Fresh Dairy is
using a rented, stationary genera-
tor to provide at least partial
power to me farm The family'
owns two generators, but both
suffered mechanical failures. A
nearby dairy farmer, one of the
fortunate producers with power,
let the family borrow his tractor-
powered generator until the rent-
ed unit arrived on Monday.. .
State agriculture officials say
the region's livestock is in relative-
ly good shape since most farms
have portable electric generators
or farmers are sharing them with
each other. However, an undeter-
mined number of. hogs died in
Franklin and Winneshiek coun-
ties due to the weekend storm
when the roofs on two confine-
ment buildings collapsed due to
heavy snow. Farmers in southeast
Iowa also reported to the state a
FEBRUARY 27
1897: Marian Anderson, singer, was bom in
Philadelphia.
The oldest of the three daughters of Annie
and John Anderson,
Marian grew up
with her
CEDAR VALLEY
WATERLOO www.wcfcourier.com CEDARFALLS
A3
STORY TIP? CALL 291-1445 or e-mail nancy.newhoff@wcfcourier.com
'
•/ '
Trees or
branches down?
Here are soirfe options:. '
• Call the city.ln Waterloo, the
Forestry Department will pick up
large brush that has fallen on the
right-of-ways within one to two
weeks, for callers with branches on
thsir cars, they'llrespondquicker. '
City of Waterloo Forestry
Department—29T-437Q
• Haul it yourself. If you're able,
Waste Management is allowing
anyone to bring branches anrj
brush to the compost site east of
Easton Avenue 24 hours a day unit!
Friday Waste Management —
291-4553
• Call a professional. If it's large,
on your own property or touching
a power line, it's best to call
someone who's licensed and
insured Planetary
Tree Service
— 234-2563;
Black Hawk Tree
Service —
433-0138, J^f'^-^*,
MidAmerican .$ ' "
Energy Company
— 800-799-4443.
COURIER Graphic
The city has three forestry
crews and sometimes the street
department out clearing brush RICK CHASE / Courier Staff Photograpfior
along city rights-of-way — Mitch Baruth, front, and Josh Thorpe, top, of Planetary Tree Service, work on the six-hour job of taking
streets, sidewalks and other down a free in the front yard of Dave Knipp on Sunrise Boulevard in Waterloo. The tree was damaged in
byways. Saturday's ice storm.
He hasn't even begun to think
about the 52 parks and golf David Fuchs of Sherman Nurs-
courses. ery in Charles City reported Braley gets hands-on experience with storm
"Including parks, we're figuring "minimal" damage to his young
about a month's worth of work," trees. WATERLOO (AP) - Rep. Braley and neighbors
Derifield said, noting most non- "There's nothing here large Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, used chain saws to remove
emergency callers can expect the enough to damage," said Jack knows firsthand the effect the branch, a spokesman
city to respond within a week to Meyers of Meyers Nursery. "You of the winter storm that top- said.
two weeks. get to those 60-70-foot trees and pled trees and power poles. Braley's family also were
This weekend alone, he's gotten a 30-mile-an-hour wind, that A 40-foot tree branch affected by the storm.
"a couple hundred" calls. hurts them." snapped under the weight A nephew and his family
Those in the tree growing busi- of ice and fell on Braley's lost power to their home
ness came out of the storm none Contact Amie Steffen Waterloo home Saturday, and were staying with rela-
the worse for wear. at (319) 291-1405 or causing minor damage. tives, the spokesman said.
amie.steffen@wcfcaurier.com.
SCOTT MUSSELL/ tractor-powered generator — the
Courier Staff
Photographer most popular among farmers
since there isn't an extra engine to
Jay Hansen,
left, and Dean . maintain — running at his home
Emme check the farm and two stationary gas-
breakers before powered generators at two other
farms keeping hog buildings
powering up a
generator being operating properly.
Since early Saturday morning,
rented by
Hansen Farm Delagardelle figures his tractor
already has consumed more
Fresh Dairy in
Hudson so they than 100 gallons of diesel fuel At
well over $2 a gallon, he will pay
can continue
their milking more for electricity for that one
and bottling generator for a few days than .
operation during most homeowners pay for a few
the power
months.
outage from the However, Delagardelle said the
weekend ice
expense is worth it when it comes
storm. to the health of his animals.
"In confinements you have to
keep the air moving," he said,
limited amount of calving deaths
Livestock experts said animals by," Hinrichs said. referring to the buildup of poten-
due to cold buildings without can go about 12 hours without He purchased a generator in tially dangerous fumes. "It would
electricity. water and several days without the early 1980s, following a storm be a total disaster (without gener-
"If you have a generator you're
food. Cows being milked can't go that left the farm without power ators)."
in pretty good shape. If you don't, quite as long. for several days. A neighbor was State ag officials said they are
you're not," said .Caleb Hunter,
But even though most farms kind enough to share a generator receiving reports of producers
Iowa Department of Agriculture have a generator, it's nowhere then, but the experience was needing generators to provide
and Land Stewardship near business as usual Morning enough to convince him to buy power to buildings and water
spokesman. and evening chores, especially on his own. supplies. Producers needing gen-
Unlike decades ago when the dairy farms, that normally would Hinrichs didn't like spending erators should call the Center for
wind pumped water and animals take a few hours are taking twice thousands of dollars on a piece Agriculture Security at (515) 281-
were fed by hand on small fami- as long. Due to the amount of of equipment that's rarely used, 5798.
ly farms, today's larger operations power needed to run equipment, but he said if cows don't get Producers who have suffered
rely on electricity. Owning a gen- farmers can only do one or two milked in a timely fashion, it can livestock deaths or other emer-
erator is a necessity, farmers say. tasks at a time instead of several. ruin an animals' mammary sys- gencies should call their local
Keeping automatic watering Dairy farmers like the Hansens tem. sheriff's office or emergency
and reeding systems on is the and Dwight Hinrichs of Tripoli "A lot of farmers don't have a management agency or the agri-
only way to satisfy thirsty and have to milk and then feed ani- huge investment like dairy cattle, culture desk at the State Emer-
hungry animals in many cases. mals. The Hansens also have to (a generator) is like an insurance gency Operations center at (515)
Making sure ventilation fans and figure in processing and bottling policy," Hinrichs added. 323-4267.
heaters are working is also criti- milk, which takes plenty of power Keeping farms in power, at least
cal for the health of livestock in as well partially, will hit farmers hard in Contact Matthew Wilde
confinement buildings that are "It takes twice as long to do the pocket book. Tom Dela- at (319) 291-1579 or
buttoned up tight in the winter. everything ... but we're getting gardelle of rural Dunkerton has a matt.wilde@wcfcouner.com.
mother and sisters in her grandmother's 300 contestants. She debuted with the because she was btack. However, Anderson
house after her father's early death. Philharmonic later that year, but left for
rose above it all and continued to perform
Anderson began singing as a toddler. Her Europe soon after, when it had become clear beautifully.
talent was obvious and herjoy in singing led that racism in the United States was prevent- In January 1955 at the age of 57, she
her to join the Union Baptist Church junior ing her from developing her craft. became the first permanent African-American
choir at the tender age of 6. She scrubbed She received rave reviews after her London member of the Metropolitan Opera Co., and
floors to pay for her first formal singing debut in 1930, and then toured the Continent,
performed the role of Ulrica in Verdi's "Un
lessons/and her incredible voice led the performing in Italy, Austria, Germany and Ballo" in Maschera at her debut there.
members.of the choir to help raise money so Scandinavia. With the support of Europe's . Anderson won numerous awards through-
she could further her training. The music community behind her, Anderson
out the years — the Presidential Medat of
Philadelphia Choral Society also gave benefit returned to the United States to perform in Freedom in 1963, the National Arts Medal in
performances to raise money so that Ander- 1935. She became the first black person to 1988, and a lifetime achievement award from.
son would be able to study with renowned perform in the White House, at the invitation the Grammys in 1991, to name but a few.
voice coaches Agnes Reifsnyder and of President Franklin D. and Eleanor Anderson died at the home of her nephew
. Giuseppe Boghetti. Roosevelt. in Portland, Ore., on April 8,1993.
.When she was 28, Boghetti entered her in Stiil, she faced unabated racism in some
the New York Philharmonic's voice competi- quarters. In one notable incident in 1939, she v 1ffr Charlotte Ray, first black fernafe
tion, where she won first place in a field of was denied the use of a concert hall simply
lawyer, graduated Harvard University _
! B t S A OAHI GRFN C O U R I F R I IBRJWAN
CEaSSSSSI liYmcmlxTJiiii Klark Histnn