The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 32

i 4B Friday, September 6, 2002 AROUND IOWA The Des Moines Register GC Girls can sue school, Supreme Court rules A trial court had thrown out the students' lawsuit, saying the Cedar Rapids district was immune. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled Thursday that three girls who accused a teacher of improper sexual advances can sue the school district that kept him on its payroll. In a ruling lawyers said may have broad implications for schools throughout the state, the court said the Cedar Rapids school district did not have blanket immunity against such claims. If negligence can be proved in the hiring, retention and supervision of teachers, the district can be liable, the court said. The justices sent the case back to the trial court, which had thrown out the girls' lawsuit, saying the district was immune.

Justice Michael Streit wrote for Heart Friends to hold picnic for children By FRANK SANTIAGO REGISTER STAFF WRITER THE REGISTER'S IOWA NEWS SERVICE Iowa City, la. Heart Friends will host a picnic for children with congenital heart defects and their families Sunday. The picnic will be from noon to 4 p.m. at Shelter No. 11 in City Park.

Paid Memorial Obituary Maurine Kay Sieh Maurine Kay Sieh, age 51 of Jackson, MS, died as the result of a heart attack on August 27 in Mississippi. Maurine enjoyed her 7 years in the academic teaching of nursing. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, a national professional honorary nursing association, and served as Co-Chair of the Nurse Practice Committee while on staff of the world-renowned Menninger Foundation Hospital in Topeka, KS. Maurine was quite accomplished academically and was published in the professional journal Nursing." For the past 5 years, Maurine was a Health Facilities Surveyor for the Mississippi Health Department Licensure and Certification Office. Maurine gave a great deal of time, effort, and money to numerous health-related charities, especially the American Diabetic Association.

At the time of her death, Maurine's family was in the process of relocating to Ames, where her husband Bob serves as an engineer. Maurine was a strong supporter of her children's educations and endeavors. Daughter Jen graduated from her mother's alma mater, Truman State University, 30 years after Maurine. Jen is currently serving in mission work of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. (Hollywood Urban Project.) Son Rob recently completed his Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Vernon and Dorothy Dobson of Leon, IA, and her father-in-law Claudius Sieh. Maurine is survived by her husband of nearly 30 years, Bob Sieh of Ames; son Dr. Robert Carter Sieh, DPT of Los Angeles, CA; daughter Jennifer Clarissa Sieh of Hollywood, CA; brother Ronald Vernon Dobson and wife Fran of Des Moines; mother-in-law Audrey Sieh of Ames; nieces and nephews on both sides of the family; several grand nieces and nephews; and other relatives and many friends. Funeral services and burial were held in Leon. Memorials may be given to the American Diabetic Association.

the court, "As a matter of public policy, surely our Legislature did not intend to allow a school district to hire, retain, or leave unsupervised a teacher with known propensities for child abuse with total immunity." The girls, who were not identified in court documents, sued the school district and Gary Lindsey, the music teacher at Van Buren Middle School in 1995. They settled with Lindsey out of court for an undisclosed amount. According to records, the girls, who were then 8 and 9 years old, alleged Lindsey placed their hands on his pants, hugged them and kissed them. They claimed there had been other incidents of misconduct involving Lindsey, who ISU nutrition center appoints director THE REGISTER'S IOWA NEWS SERVICE Ames, la. Iowa State University's Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition has named a new director.

Paul Flakoll is currently a clinical nutrition biochemist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. His appointment as the new director will be effective Jan. 1. Paid Memorial Obituary Evangeline M. Williamson Evangeline M.

Williamson, 94, of the 600 block of E. 5th Des Moines, died September 3 at the Heather Manor of a heart ailment. Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at McLaren's Chapel with burial at Wallace Cemetery in Wick, Iowa. Mrs.

Williamson was born in Greenleafton, MN and has lived in Des Moines over 50 years. She was an English and Latin teacher at Goodrell Franklin Junior High Schools. She loved to teach Latin. She was a member of Highland Park Presbyterian Church and the Women's group at the church. She is survived by a granddaughter, Whitney Williamson of Springfield, MA and daughter-in-law, Valerie Williamson of Tampa, FL.

She was preceded in death by her husband John A. Williamson and son Jack Curtis Williamson. Visitation will be 4-6 p.m. Friday at McLaren's Chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to Hope College in Holland, Michigan or the Polk County Humane Society.

Paid Memorial Obituary Diane After graduating from Drake Law School Diane Tvrdik lost her courageous battle with cancer on August 31 at the age of 56. The body has been cremated. A Memorial to Life on September 7 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at 4532 Fairview Pleasant Hill, IA. Diane was born on June 2, 1946 in Kansas City, KS.

After many moves during her early childhood, her family settled in Alexandria, MN, where she graduated from high school. On March 29, 1965, she married longtime sweetheart Cole (Colin) Tvrdik. They both attended St. Cloud State University. Cole graduated in 1971 and Diane graduated in 1975, each with teaching degrees.

Their only child, Steven, was born in 1976. Diane worked at General Electric Company in Carroll, IA from 1975 to 1985. During that time she also worked at the Des Moines Area Community College teaching English as a Foreign Language. It was then that she decided to pursue a long-time dream and return to college. Her interest in the problems of the poor and her enthusiasm for dialogue led her to Drake Law School.

While at Drake, she worked for a small law firm which specialized in personal injury law. Diane also returned to Carroll during her second summer at law school to intern with the Carroll County Attorney's office. It was there that she became interested in prosecution. She also maintained her desire to teach, and taught while attending Drake at Des Moines Area Community College, Des Moines campus, in the paralegal department. EVELYN DeMOSS resigned from the school.

"The administrative act of hiring, retaining and supervising an individual teacher does not involve the careful balancing of competing interests, risks and said Streit. "It is merely a choice Cedar Rapids DES MOINES 5 0 Miles 200 made by the school district to offer or not offer a position of employment within the district to a particular individual." Anne Updegraff, a Cedar Rapids lawyer who represented the girls, applauded the court's findings. "This is an important case because the court is saying school districts don't have blanket immunity," she said. "When a school district hires someone dangerous to children, it shouldn't be allowed to hide behind a legal doctrine." Cedar Rapids lawyer Michael Novak, attorney for the district, said the court had indicated that the immunity question "will be looked at on a -case basis" by the courts. "There was no evidence that anyone from the school district had any knowledge of any wrongdoing by Lindsey involving these three girls," he said.

"I don't think the ruling is going to have any great impact," he said. "School districts don't make personnel decisions based on whether or not there's potential liability. They make decision based on personnel issues." In other rulings, the high court: Revoked the law license Curtis A. Bell, former treasurer of the Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association, a not-for-profit organization in Des Moines. An ethics panel found that Bell made two "I am sick in my heart and, if arson was the cause, furious." Robert Waller Author, others offer help for bridge BRIDGE, from Page 1B cars.

Welch again asked the public for help including anyone from out of state who might have been visiting that evening. A passer-by noticed the bridge on fire Tuesday night. State and local investigators quickly determined it was arson. Thursday, county officials were mulling their options as Waller and other bridge lovers offered their help phone DES MOINES e-mail. Winterset Many directed 0 Miles 200 Madison over the and by were to the County Chamber of Commerce from Iowa, Texas, Washington, D.C., and beyond.

"(There have) been quite a few," said Don Menken, chamber executive director. "I got one from the Netherlands. He was offering his prayers, and if there was a fund, he wanted to donate." There is no official fund to rebuild the bridge or an estimate of what such a project would cost. The county owns the bridges. Bob Weeks, chairman of the county supervisors, said the county planned a public meeting Monday at the park where Cedar Bridge once spanned Cedar Creek.

Weeks said officials hope to decide then whether the bridge should be rebuilt, how much it would cost and who would be responsible for collecting donations. County tax money would not be used, he said. The number of people stopping to see the blackened frame of Cedar Bridge had dwindled by Thursday. What's left of the bridge will remain in place slumping in the creek at least until next week's meeting. County officials are taking measurements to make sure they can replicate the bridge, Weeks said.

Arson Hotline GARY REGISTER Have information? Madison County Sheriff Paul Welch on Thursday shows media the Arson Hotline, 1-800-532-1459. Author speaks A statement by Robert James Waller, author of "The Bridges of Madison I am sick in my heart and, if arson was the cause, furious. I have lost an old dear friend with whom I spent many quiet hours. I have offered a reward of $10,000 for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible. If the bridge is to be rebuilt, I will also help in that effort, though that fine old structure never can truly be replaced.

It is a loss of one part of our American Heritage. At Francesca's House in rural Madison County, where parts of the 1995 movie based on Waller's book were filmed, a collection jar had $15 Thursday morning. Madison County residents were hoping more would come from people who helped make the bridges famous, including Waller, movie stars Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep, and Oprah Winfrey, who taped a show at the bridge. Neither Eastwood, Streep nor Winfrey had contacted the chamber Thursday, and none was available for comment. Reporter Mark Siebert can be reached at (515) 284-8127 or Want to Find out what's showing and log on to see a DesMoinesRegister.com movie? click on Entertainment GOODE GREENHOUSES A Family Growing Together Since 1905 FALL MUMS FALL $5.99 ea.

DECORATIONS 2 gal pots Good for Outside Great for Fall Color Inside Decorating Fall Bulbs Scott's New Flags Have Great Arrived GRASS SEED Selection lowa State FOLIAGE and lowa Shipment PLANTS FLAGS SIGNS 4" to 12" pots Great to Spruce Up the WHIRLYBIRDS House or Office Goode Greenhouses 1050 NE 50th Ave Hours SHOWPLACE Des Moines, IA 50313 Closed Mon-Sat Sun. 8-5 262-6504 withdrawals totaling $11,000 from the group's account and put the money in his personal account. "The nature of Bell's ethical violations is very serious indeed," the court said. Upheld a Louisa County ruling that rejected the state's claim to Keg Island, a 128-acre uninhabited island on the Mississippi River also claimed by Burlington Basket Co. The company, according to court records, periodically harvested lumber from the island to use in its basket-making business.

After discussing the history of the river's course between Iowa and Illinois, the court said, "We agree with the trial court that the state has not proved it acquired sovereign title to Keg Island when Iowa joined the Union in 1846." Reporter Frank Santiago can be reached at (515) 284-8528 or Shrinking budgets cut aid for child care By CLARK KAUFFMAN REGISTER STAFF WRITER Iowa and other states are responding to shrinking budgets by cutting child-care assistance to working parents, according to a new report from the Children's Defense Fund. The nonprofit organization says the cuts are adding thousands of children to waiting lists for day care and are jeopardizing parents' ability to maintain employment. Currently, Iowa is one of three states the others being Alabama and Missouri where a family of three earning $21,000 a year or more is ineligible for child-care assistance. That $21,000 cap would be exceeded by a single wage -earner in a paying $10.10 per hour. It's estimated that 40 percent of Iowans earned $10 an hour or less in 2000.

The Childrens Defense Fund also reports that Iowa has reduced state aid to child -care referral agencies by 17 percent. Almost half of all states are reducing the amount of federal welfare money devoted to child care because of declining federal revenue for child care. has made deep cuts in after-school programs, New Mexico has restricted eligibility for child-care assistance, and West Virginia increased parents' co-payments for child care by 50 percent. "Congress must seize the opportunity to reverse this growing child-care crisis," said Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Childrens Defense Fund. "Parents should not have to choose between their job and the care and safety of their children." The latest census data indicate nearly 16 million children under age 13 are living in low-income working families that may need child care.

The federal government's Child Care and Development Block Grant programs provide assistance for 2.2 million children. Reporter Clark Kauffman can be reached at (515) 284-8233 or Psychology program at of I wins award THE REGISTER'S IOWA NEWS SERVICE Iowa City, la. The University of Iowa's school psychology program has won the American Psychological Association Suinn Minority Achievement Award for 2002. The award recognizes excellence in recruiting and ethnic minority students. Ames Evelyn DeMoss, 79, of Ames died Tuesday at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines of complications of heart surgery.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Stevens Memorial Chapel in Ames, with burial at Story Memorial Gardens Cemetery there. Mrs. DeMoss had lived in Ames all her life. She was a member of Bethesda Lutheran Church and Women of the Moose Lodge 520.

She enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening, writing stories and poetry, and had been published in Readers Digest, Healthways and Cappers Weekly. She is survived by two daughters, Lynn Beach and Karen Epstein, both of Ames; two sons, Roy Jr. of Ames and Gary of Des Moines; a brother, Harold Mesenbrink of Ames; a sister, Jeanie Klundt of Billings, nine grandchildren; and 10 greatgrandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy Sr. Memorial contributions may be made to her church.

STEVEN RINEHART Des Moines Steven Scot Rinehart, 44, of the 1600 block of Hickman Road died of cancer Wednesday at home. The body was cremated, and memorial services will be at 6 p.m. today at Gatchel United Methodist Church, of which he was a member. Mr. Rinehart was born in Spirit Lake and had lived in Lake Mills, Newton and Eldora before moving to Des Moines 14 years ago.

He had worked for the state of lowa at Workforce Development. He was a gourmet cook and an avid Green Bay Packers and Cubs fan. He is survived by two daughters, Lisa Rinehart Tschetter of Des Moines and Ginie Rinehart of San Gabriel, a son, William of San Gabriel; his parents, Virginia and George Rinehart of Des Moines; two sisters, Cindy Wright of Eldora and Lori Rinehart of Des Moines; and his grandmother, Hazel Rinehart of Albia. Memorial contributions may be made to Mercy Hospice or his church. DEBORAH DAVEY Indianola Deborah K.

Davey, 36, of Indianola died of cancer Wednesday at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Indianola Community Church in Indianola, with burial at Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery there. Mrs. Davey was born in Des Moines and had lived in Ackworth before moving to Indianola in 1990.

She was a homemaker, a child-care provider and a branch adviser with Longaberger Basket Co. She was a member of Milo United Methodist Church and enjoyed crafts and collecting Longaberger baskets. She is survived by her husband, Garrett; three sons, Jarrin, Brennan and Trevor, all at home; her mother, Shirley Page of Ackworth; and two brothers, Larry McKinney of Indianola and Dean McKinney of Des Moines. Friends may call after 2 p.m. today at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola, where the family will be present from 6 to 8 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Deborah K. Davey Memorial Fund. JESSE ZEPEDA Des Moines Jesse T. Zepeda, 57, of the 2100 block of Southeast Virginia Avenue died of a liver ailment Wednesday at home. The body was cremated, and memorial services will be at 1 p.m.

Saturday at Hamilton's Funeral Home. Mr. Zepeda had lived in Des Moines all his life. He was a retired barber and enjoyed dancing. He is survived by a son, Eric, and a brother, Floyd Gilbert, both of Des Moines; two grandchildren; and a -grandchild.

GLEN McWILLIAMS Parker, Colo. Turdik in 1988 she became a Child Support Recovery Attorney, serving seven counties, including Carroll. In 1989, she moved to Des Moines to accept a position as Administrative Law Judge and Mediator with the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board, where she worked until her retirement in May, 2002. She continued her interest in teaching and combined that with her expertise in labor law. She taught Labor Relations for Upper lowa University at its Des Moines campus for many years.

Diane was also a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for eight years. In that position, she was able to assist the juvenile court in resolving child abuse cases. Her prior experiences at General Electric, along with her knowledge of the law assisted in her work as a teacher, mediator, and administrative law judge, all the jobs she loved so much. After her son graduated from high school in 1995, and with the General Electric plant closing in 1998, the family bought an acreage in Pleasant Hill where st she and Cole could pursue their mutual passion for gardening. She also continued her interest in the arts of stained glass creation and quilting.

She is survived by her husband Cole and son Steven; father H.B. Cassida and sisters-in-law Gen, Audrey and Sandra, their spouses and children and her many friends. She was preceded in death by her mother Marie. Memorial contributions for the Diane Tvrdik Scholarship Fund, Upper Iowa University, may be sent to the Wells Fargo Bank, 1055 NE 56th, Pleasant Hill, IA 50327. Glen Heaton McWilliams, 91, of Parker, died of a respiratory ailment there Wednesday.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Adams Funeral Home in Ames, with burial at Linn Grove Cemetery in Linn Grove. Mr. McWilliams was born in Mystic and had lived in Des Moines many years before moving to Arizona in 1972. He moved to Colorado in 1997.

He was a retired union painter and a Navy veteran. He enjoyed painting, yard work and building birdhouses. He is survived by his wife, Viola; three daughters, Faith Aarestad of Cumberland, Glenda Pearson of Cedar Rapids and Anna Ostermann of Parker; four sons, Harold of Minneapolis, Glen and John, both of St. Petersburg, and Robert of Des Moines; a sister, Eva Mae Kirshbaum of Linn Grove; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. TOP From CARPET CLEANING and FURNITURE CLEANING It's a jungle down here, There carpet cleaning extraction Steamatic Steamatic's is just a the can methods.

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