The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 16

Page 2B Wednesday, February 19, 2003 AROUND IOWA Military memorial work moves ahead Datme Iowa From Register staff and news services Fort Des Moines Memorial Park WHAT: Organizers hope to open the $20 million Fort Des Moines Memorial Park in July 2004. The park will honor the Army's first officer candidate class open to African-American men in 1917 and the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps that was formed at the park in 1942. Renovation of two buildings began in 2000 and is close to completion. DONATIONS: Supporters have raised $1 3 million of the park's cost and are seeking donations. Contributions can be sent to the nonprofit group at Fort Des Moines Memorial, P.O.

Box 35395, Des Moines, IA 50315 FOR INFORMATION: Visit the Web site: www.fortdesmoines.org Taxpayers to help cover soybean plant's debts Taxpayers will pick up the tab for money owed by a bankrupt soybean processing plant. Union County officials in 1997 approved a tax increment financing agreement for the development of CF Processing, operated separately from Crestland Cooperative. Property taxes collected from the value of the plant were intended to pay back the county for its cost of the project. The plant has not paid property taxes since March 2001. Crestland Cooperative filed for bankruptcy later that year.

The county issued $4 million in general obligation bonds, and the city paid $1 million for street and sewer improvements. Board of Supervisors Chairman Don Irelan said the county will pay $563,000 this year toward the bonds. County property taxes will increase by $1.64 assessed value to make future payments. Creston Mayor Larry Wy nn said city property taxes will increase by 42 cents per $1,000 to cover the plant's debts. A commemorative and educational park in Des Moines honors the Army's first officer candidate class open to blacks.

By DEANNA TRUMAN-COOK REGISTER STAFF WRITER When World War II broke out, Luther H. Smith seized the opportunity to prove that it was drive and not race that determined what a person could achieve. "It was the beginning of racial integration over the skies of Europe," said Smith, 82, a Des Moines native who lives in Villanova, Pa. Smith one of 12 Iowans who completed the Negro Pilot Training Program at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama because no white air base would take them flew 133 missions protecting bomber planes. Robert V.

Morris, founder of the Fort Des Moines Memorial Park, wants to preserve the rich military history of black Iowans by building a $20 million commemorative and educational park that will open in July 2004. "It will be a living military history park," Morris said. Soldiers dressed in military gear of the different eras will give tours of the park, which will have artifacts, documents and interactive movies. Renovation of two buildings in the 4.6-acre park, which is located at Fort Des Moines, began in 2000. Moines for the same reason, he said.

Both were successes that helped curb racial and gender discrimination. "Fort Des Moines is America's greatest memorial to black and women soldiers," Morris said. When planning for the park, he decided to include the history of Iowa's Tuskegee fighter pilots. The Tuskegee Airmen became famous for their 200 missions escorting bomber planes without the loss of a single bomber. "It became quite a legend in World War Smith said.

"Don't try to attack bombers escorted by those red-tail Mustangs or you'll get shot down." The airmen proved they were equal to their white counterparts, Smith said, though they weren't treated as equals in the military. To honor Iowa's Tuskegee Airmen, a fiberglass shell P-51D Mustang will be mounted at the new entrance of the Iowa Air Tribute to heroes: An artist's rendering shows the Iowa Tuskegee Airmen Memorial honoring black fighter pilots. National Guard 132nd Fighter Wing on the north side of the Des Moines International Airport this summer. "The legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen provides the type of inspiration and guidance that is good for all of our young people today regardless of their background and ethnicity," Smith said. Supporters have raised $13 million in private and public money, and most of the work on the two buildings has been completed.

Organizers are collecting arti-facts to incorpo- BLACK rand ri0iJTH $7 million 'neef ed to complete Through Friday, work. The Des Moines In 1997, Morris Register will began working publish an article with others to each day in create the park to different sections honor the Ar-for Black History my's first officer Month. candidate class open to African-American men. The class was started at Fort Des Moines in 1917. The class was deliberately formed in Iowa so that no one would notice the outcome, Morris said.

The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in 1942 began at Fort Des limit east to the Floyd County line; Iowa Highway 107 from Clear Lake's southern city limits to the Franklin County line, excluding Meservey and Thornton; $1,206,940. CLINTON COUNTY: 4.92 miles; Iowa Highway 956 from the Scott County line north to the southern city limits of DeWitt; and from the northern city limits of DeWitt to the junction of U.S. Highway 61; $841 ,000. ELDRIDGE: 3.09 miles; Iowa Highway 956 from the northern to the southern city limits; $695,000. LEE COUNTY: 2.05 miles; Two segments of Iowa Highway 289 (formerly U.S.

61). Segment one extends from 280th Street north 0.75 mile. Segment two extends from its junction with realigned U.S. 61 near 263rd Avenue southwest 1.3 miles; $316,000. LENOX: 1.02 miles; Iowa Highway 49 from the northern to southern city limits; $246,060.

MILLS COUNTY: 7.83 miles; Iowa FEB. 22-23 AT THE ALL NEW GIGANTIC VARIED INDUSTRIES BLDG. IOWA STATE FAIRGROUNDS DES MOINES, IOWA Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.

10 a.m.-4 p.m. $4 ADMISSION Anyone 10 and under is FREE IBRING THIS AO TO SHOW FOB $1.00 OFF ONE ADMISSION Callahtn Promotion, he. (563) 652-4529 for Classic fun Cities, counties take ownership of some roads State roads transferred Ownership of the following state highways will be transferred to cities and counties under action taken Tuesday by the Iowa Transportation Commission. The list includes the local government, the mileage, the road, and the state payment. BLACK HAWK COUNTY: 1.59 miles; Iowa Highway 263 (old U.S.

Highway 20) trom the Grundy County line to a junction with relocated U.S. Highway 20. Grundy County will perform rehabilitation work, and the state will reimburse Black Hawk County $6,000 for future lighting work. CEDAR RAPIDS: 3.93 miles: Iowa Highway 965 from 120th Street north to 76th Avenue Southwest within the city; $736,800. CERR0 GORDO COUNTY: 21 miles: Iowa Highway 122 from Mason City's eastern city Join mm Highway 385 from U.S.

34 southwest to Pacific Junction; Iowa Highway 949 from U.S. 34 northwest to Glenwood; and Iowa Highway 978 from Iowa Highway 385 southwest to Interstate Highway 29; $1 ,980,000. MUSCATINE COUNTY: 2.19 miles; Iowa Highway 373 from Fruitland Road southwest to Muscatine Slough; three segments of Iowa Highway 421 northwest of the City of Muscatine in Muscatine County; $260,230. PACIFIC JUNCTION: 0.55 mile; Iowa Highway 385 within the city from Front Street east to the city's eastern limits; $1 10.000. PALMER: 0.4 mile; Iowa Highway 315 within the city from the west city limits to the route's end: $30,000.

PLAINFIELD: 0.72 mile; U.S. Highway 218 from the southern to northern city limits; $175,100. PLOVER: 0.40 mile; Iowa Highway 195 from the western city limits east to the route's end; $23,000. POCAHONTAS COUNTY: 6.28 miles; Iowa Highway 195 from Iowa Highway 4 east to Plover; Iowa Highway 315 from Iowa Highway 4 east to Palmer; $490,890. SCOn COUNTY: 8.76 miles; Iowa Highway 956 from County Road F-55 to the southern city limits of Eldridge, and from the northern city limits of Eldridge to the Clinton County line, $1,703,000.

TAYLOR COUNTY: 20.7 miles; Iowa Highway 49 from Iowa Highway 2 northeast to the Adams County line, excluding Lenox; $4,732,401. WASHINGTON COUNTY: 17.34 miles; Iowa Highway 923 in several segments from just south of Crawfordsville north to near Riverside; Iowa Highway 936 from Iowa Highway 923 west and south to Iowa Highway 92; $5,906,001. in routing! REGISTER FILE PHOTO Morris agrees. "Black America has received tons ot opportunities due to their participation in the military, he said. Smith hopes that the black mili tary history of Iowa will give youth "an absolute intense desire to achieve." Reporter Deanna Truman-Cook can be reached at (515) 284-8065 or dtrumandinreg.coni Motorists should see improve ments over the next few years on most of the roads being assumed by cities and counties, Fichtner said.

All of these roads had been low priorities for state highway engineers, and local government officials generally will place more im portance in seeing that they are well maintained, although specific maintenance policies will vary from one county to another, he said. One of the longest stretches ap proved Tuesday involves 21 miles of Iowa Highway 49 that will be taken over by Taylor County in southwest Iowa in exchange for $4.7 million. The segment extends from Iowa Highway 2 northeast to the Adams County line, not in cluding Lenox. In Cerro Gordo County, 21 miles of state roads will be transferred to the county for 12 million. The deal includes Iowa Highway 122 from Mason City's east corporate limits east to the Floyd County line.

In addition, Iowa Highway 107 will be transferred from the south corporate limits of Clear Lake to the Franklin County line, excluding Meservey and Thornton. The county agreed to maintain Iowa 107 within the two cities until those roads are transferred to each city. The vast majority of city and county officials who approached state officials were able to negotiate a transfer of ownership, said Kevin Mahoney, head of the state's highway division. 'What we looked at was what would be an appropriate business decision," he said. Some state payments will be made immediately to local governments, while others will be stretched over two to three years, said Iowa DOT Director Mark Wandro.

The money will come from a state fund normally used for repairing highway pavement. Reporter William Petroskl can be reached at (515) 284-8547 or bpetroskldmreg.coni Now is YOUR chance to see the band named 1967 Most Listened To Band in America Motorists are expected to see improvements in the highways, which have been low priorities. By WILLIAM PETR0SKI REGISTER STAFF WRITER Ames, la. The Iowa Transportation Commission has agreed to pay about $35 million to cities and counties throughout Iowa that have agreed to assume ownership of 152 miles of lightly traveled state highways. The commission has endorsed the deals over the past three months, with the largest transfer approved Tuesday when 103 miles of roads were swapped for 19.5 million in state payments.

The state money is being paid to local governments to place the roads into a good state of repair. The Department of Transportation over the past three years had tried to encourage cities and counties to voluntarily accept ownership of little-used state roads, contending state spending should be targeted for more-heavily traveled highways. In some instances, the unwanted roads were once major state highways that now run parallel to new four-lane state expressways. Until recently, city and county engineers had mostly rejected the offers, contending the state roads would be a financial burden to local governments. Marshall County Engineer Royce Fichtner, lobbyist for the Iowa County Engineers Association, said Tuesday that some local officials recently decided to reconsider because the Iowa Legislature has been studying bills that would shift more than 1,000 miles of state highways to city and county road systems.

"A lot of counties felt that they could get a better deal transferring now than the amount of money they would get under the legislation," Fichtner said. Slander lawsuit upheld, but another dismissed A slander lawsuit against a former Davenport mayor and an alderman will continue, but a suit against another alderman was dismissed by a judge who said calling a critic "a freaking crazy woman" doesn't constitute slander. Judge David Schoenthaler refused to dismiss former Mayor Phil Yerington from a slander suit filed by Niky Bowles. He ruled that Yerington's public reference to her as "evil," a "poison" and a "cancer" were specific enough that a jury should decide whether she was harmed. Bowles had spoken out against the city's River Renaissance development.

She called the ruling "music to my ears." Alderman Tom Engelmann is accused of calling Bowles a "liar" during a March 2001 meeting. Alderman Bob McGivern was dismissed from the case. He was accused of calling Bowles "a freaking crazy woman." The ruling stated that McGivern's remarks were mere namealling. Bowles has appealed that ruling. Winters, Payne win City Council seats Two Fort Dodge men won seats on the City Council in a special election Tuesday night.

In the 2nd Ward, Dennis O'Farrell, a former city councilman and county supervisor, was defeated by Chad Winters, 269-79. In the 3rd Ward, Dan Pavne won over Brett Lauinger, 267-235. They will fill the unexpired terms of Greg Nolting and Jim Gill, who were elected Webster County supervisors last November. Man faces charge of HIV transmission An Iowa Citv man has been charged with felonv transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Adam Donald Musser, 22, is being held in the Johnson Countv Jail without bond and faces up to zo years in prison.

Musser allegedly had sex with an individual twice in April, according to North Liberty police. Friends of Musser later told the individual that Musser is HIV-positive, court records say. Musser allegedly admitted he had HIV when he was arrested, according to court records. Man, 19, pleads guilty school-bombing plot A former West Burlington High School student accused of planning to bomb his school prom in April has deaded guiltv of nosspssins' bomb-making materials. Prosecutors agreed to dron charges of possession of an explo sive device and witness tampering against Christopher Todd, 19.

Todd faces up to five vears in Drison when he's sentenced March 24. Todd was arrested ADril 19 when police found giuroowder. a Dirje and a journal that described plans ior me bombing. Todd later was arrested again for alleged witness tamnering. Police say Todd, a high school senior, made phone calls and wrote notes to classmates in an attpmnt tn influence their testimony.

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Earn extra entries by earning Players Club Points and by rated table play! Feb. 22nd Classic Car Giveaway! (All drawings are held at 8pm.) See you soon! fee! 5 V'Tf" "1 Si 1-35 South, exit 34 Osceola, IA IakesideS (casino) New grant standards State transportation officials in Ames agreed Tuesday to require businesses to provide better wages to qualify for certain state road improvement grants. WHAT'S NEW: The Iowa Transportation Commission approved a change in its criteria for the Revitalize Iowa's Sound Economy program. The new standards apply to so-called "immediate opportunity" grants, in which a business seeks state money for road improvements or a railroad spur while planning to open a new business or to expand an existing business. WAGES: Under the new rules, which will take effect in May, businesses must pay wages at 100 percent of the average of local prevailing wage rates.

Until now, businesses would qualify if they paid 75 percent of the average local prevailing wage. COMMENT: "Everyone is talking about increasing the wealth of Iowans with the investments of public dollars," said Tom Alter of Cedar Rapids, commission chairman. "This seems to be a small way of helping." Management reserves the right to change or cancel promotiona at any time. Tickets are non-refundable. Guests must be 21 years ot age or older to attend Lakeside Casino Entertainment events.

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