The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 11

ST Sunday December 21 ,2003 RANDY ESSEX, News, 515-284-8461 FAMOUS IOWANS tics ZUmiws Sunbaij Jk gistcr METROS OWA pfea mm mm wmm The proposal would toughen hiring criteria for reserve officers. Proposal The plan would require reserve officers in Iowa to participate in medical screenings, personality and psychological evaluations, written exams and physical fitness tests that would include sit-ups, push-ups and a 1 run. chief in DeWitt. "You're going to deter volunteers when you start imposing more requirements on them." The proposal calls for medical exams, personality and psychological evaluations, written exams and physical fitness tests that include sit-ups, push-ups and a 1.5-mile run. The rules would apply only to new reserves.

Police departments estimate the tests would cost up to $1,000 per reserve officer, which includes paying full-time officers to supervise while the departments that depend upon them would be shielded from lawsuits, supporters say. But the very people who appear to benefit from the proposal predict it will backfire on them. Higher standards could chase off potential reserve officers and put a financial squeeze on police and sheriff's departments that foot the bill, critics say. "It's already hard enough to get volunteers in today's age," said Gene Ellis, police should we have people out there risking their lives and then risk being a liability for the department?" said Cozi-ahr, who is vice president of the Iowa State Reserve Law Officers Associatioa "It's that minute cost that's a lot cheaper than a lawsuit liability on the department." No law enforcement agencies have been sued for the actions of a reserve officer, Coziahr said. But the potential has come up.

See RESERVES, Page 2B Dec. 30. A decision could come in February. The hiring standards could be a steppingstone to a certification process for reserve officers, said Douglas Cozi-ahr, a Pottawattamie County reserve deputy. "Our concern is that if we cant meet that criteria, BySTACI HUPP REGISTER AMES BUREAU Iowa's volunteer police officers and sheriffs deputies would be forced to meet the same hiring standards as their full-time counterparts under a new proposal that has divided local officials.

Reserve officers stand to gain more public respect, i i 1 them. A state reserve officers group pitched the idea, which Iowa Law Enforcement Academy officials are taking to nearly two dozen police and sheriff's departments this month for feedback. A public hearing at the academy is scheduled photograph for the year. 1 two kittens find comfort atop jSX (31 Des Moines Register v. is' golden retriever who lives 1 1 in it photographers choose a favorite it If on George and Lois Schmid 1 1 iF-iium; rfeiT III en 't January in Iowa, you find warmth where you can.

Here, I I II I 8-year-old farm near Red Oak. Toby often makes such space available for some of the farmyard cats, who help keep him warm, too. Andrea's comments: For years the dogs on my grandfather's farm have let the cats nest on them on cold mornings. The animals have four or five bams to sleep in, but most mornings they will rest in front of the house after their breakfast. For years I tried to get this photo, but every time you would open the door to go outside, they would get up.

This morning I had come to Red Oak to visit mv erandnarente and there thev were. I auiettv ent rmi camera nut of mv car and with a 70-200 BAYARD NEWS GAZETTE Tom Fadden Character actor 1895-1980 In the Christmas movie classic "It's a Wonderful Life," Tom Fadden makes the most of his moments on screen as the bridge tollkeeper. Fadden reacts in amazement as Clarence the angel chats with a disbelieving George Bailey as both dry off from a dunking in the frigid river. In another classic, "Destry Rides Again," the 1939 movie opens with Fadden being cheated in a poker game as Marlene Dietrich distracts him by spilling coffee in his lap. Short, effective movie moments were Fadden's stock in trade.

Mis career spanned about 100 movies. Fadden, the son of a mining engineer, was born in Bayard, where he lived "high up on a hill" in "a big square house" and attended one year of public school. The red-haired, freckle-faced boy trapped skunks along the creek and sold the skins. In a 1940 article he wrote at the request of Bayard newspaper editor Ken Robinson, Fadden recalled putting on shows with his friends, and visiting relatives in the country, especially during winter. When Fadden was 6, the family left for Idaho, Oregon, Colorado and South Dakota.

Me later said he had spent some of his early years on a horse ranch in Wyoming. The Faddens then moved to Omaha, where young Tom completed his education at Creighton University. By 1914 he had joined an Omaha stock company. Later, the lean and lanky actor traveled the vaudeville circuit to gain acting experience. He moved on to Broadway, appearing in more than 25 plays from 1921 to 1939.

He appeared in the original productions of "Nocturne" (1925), "Elmer Gantry" (1928), "The Petrified Forest" (1935) and "Our Town" (1938) as the milkman. The next year, the "Our Town" cast was in Hollywood to make the movie version, but Fadden missed out because he was filming "Congo Maisie." In 1941 he had a good role in "Shepherd of the Hills" with John Wayne. And in the 1945 musical version of "State Fair," Fadden is on screen briefly as the farmhand who maneuvers Blue Boy the hog into a truck for his ride to Des Moines. Later, Fadden also proved a steady television performer, appearing as Eben Kent, father of Clark Kent, on "The Adventures of Superman" in 1952. Fadden had many parts in TV westerns, and had a recurring role as Ben Miller, first on "Petticoat Junction" and then on its popular spinoff series "Green Acres." Fadden was first married to Genevieve Bartolocci, an actress who gave up her career after appearing with Fadden in a London production of "The Butter and Egg Man." He and second wife Jane lived at Carmel, in the late 1960s.

She survived him after his death in Vero Beach, Fla. Tom Longden Deaths 4B, 5B Weather 6B 0 1 1 An 1 Qi mm was able to get about eight frames before the cats jumped off. The photo was picked up and went out on the national are a wire. George and Lois got letters from people as far away as California and even a few phone calls telling them how Melendez much they enjoyed the photo of their animals. It was even picked as the photo of the week on the MSNBC Web site.

When people find out I took this photo they tell me: "Hey, we have that photo on our fridge." It is fun to see so many people enjoying it. II Pilot stressed safety, kin say IDs niece indicates weather was a key in Wednesday's crash near Brooklyn, and 'we have peace with By ERIN JORDAN REGISTER STAFF WRITER The Lawson family, which lost three of its members in a plane crash Wednesday evening, says Dan Lawson was a safe pilot. Dan was the safest flier. Tracy Lawson, 24, of Altoona, said of her uncle. The investigators told us his flight bag and log were as meticulous as they could be." Dan Lawson, 54, of Chan dler, piloted the plane that crashed about 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday in a cornfield south of Brooklyn. Also in the plane were Larry Lawson, 55, of Altoona, Dan's brother and Tracy's father; Lisa Lawson, 25, of Valladolid, Spain, Larry's daughter; and Jose Garcia Alonso, 30, of Manquillos, Spain, Lisa boyfriend. Examiner's report All four died from multiple blunt force injuries suffered in the crash, the state medical examiner's office reported Friday. It was a real concern whether they suffered. Perhaps it was better that it was all one How," Tracy Lawson said.

"It was the weather. We have peace with that." Brooklyn farmer Art Kuntz found the six-seat Piper PA-32 about 9.30 a.m. Thursday. Investigators have spoken with the Lawsons about the crash, and family members are absorbing the information at their own pace, Tracy Lawson said. The National Transportation and Safety Board, which is leading the investigation, said it should have a preliminary report early this week.

The Lawsons have relatives coming from all over the United States for Monday's memorial service for Dan, Larry and Lisa, Tracy Law-son said. A joint service is planned for 1 pm Monday at the Lutheran Church of the Cross in Altoona. Visitation will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the church. Firefighters' luncheon The Altoona Fire Department, for which Larry volunteered for 28 years, is hosting a luncheon at the fire station after the funeral.

"We get all these calls from people we've never met, but whose lives were touched by our family. It's really comforting," Tracy Lawson said. One example was the school bus driver from Dan and Larry's childhood who called to express his sympathy, she said. Reports? Erin Jordan cm reached It (319) 351-6527 or lordanddmreg torn Iowans' kindnesses amaze Martensdale fire victims Hit ff ANDREA MELENDEZTHE REGISTER Toby, an mobile cement mixers that sell worldwide, always does it up nicely at the annual party. There was a dinner.

A disc jockey played music. There was karaoke, so people sang. They danced. Then it came time for the door prizes. The names of all 120 Cemen Tech employees go into a bucket and about 30 prizes are given away.

It's nice stuff. People look forward to it. The first prize of the night was a nice, heavy, plush blanket. Somebody reached into the bucket and pulled out the name. Steve Salmons.

He got his blanket and everybody applauded. Good for Steve, they said. Second prize. A DVDVCR player. Steve Salmons.

You know where this is going, right? So did Steve and everybody else in the room. "I figured out pretty fast the thing was rigged," he said. The bucket was full of little pieces of paper. Every one had Steve's name on it. Pots and pans.

Steve Salmons. Twenty-seven-inch color TV. Steve Salmons. "It was incredible," he said. Probably $1,000 in prizes and every one went to the See CARLSON, Page 5B Personally thanked: President Bush presented Spc.

Joe Gottschalk with a Purple Heart at Walter Reed Hospital. President presents medal to Iowa soldier Indianola, la. It was a 15-rninute drive from the Cemen Tech plant in Indianola, where Steve Salmons works, to his home in Martensdale. Which is about the length of time it takes for a fire to wipe out an apartment building on a day like Nov. 12.

Remember Nov. 12? It was one of those spectacularly windy days that hits every few years, a day when 60 mph gusts blasting through a burning building make a firefighter's job impossible. There was no way to save the Martensdale building where four families had apartments, so Steve stood with everybody else and watched. "It was pretty much gone by the time I got there," said the 39-year-old Steve. "There were firemen there from Martensdale, Indianola and Norwalk.

They never had a chance to get it out with that kind of wind." Steve and his wife, LorL lost everything that day. Thank God nobody was home and nobody got hurt," Lori said. "But we had nothing. The only clothes were what we wore to work that day." The Red Cross provided the Salmons with clothing vouchers, helping them get by as they moved in with Lori's mother. Lori's employer, Westview Care Center in WHITE HOUSE PHOTO asked where he was from, what his military job was, how he was feeling and how he was being treated.

"He thanked me for serving the country and doing my job. It was an experience I'll never forget," Gottschalk said Friday. Gottschalk's mother, Alice Rodgers of Tipton, and father, Dale Gottschalk of Rapid City, S.D., were there for the presentation. Gottschalk was wounded in an ambush of an Army convoy in Iraq on Nov. 29.

Another Iowa soldier, Sgt. Aaron SisseL 23, also of Tipton, was killed in the attack. "We'd grown up together our whole lives. It was like losing another family member," Gottschalk said. He said the convoy was See MEDAL, Page 4B J0HXCRLS0.VS IOWA Indianola, wrote a check for $1,000 out of the company's Christmas fund.

And Richard Allbee, head of the company that owns the care center, wrote a personal check for $500. At Cemen Tech, where Steve had worked barely five weeks, they passed the hat. The people who worked alongside Steve on the production floor came up with $895. The office staff donated $245. That wasnt all," Steve said.

"People started bringing in things for us from home. It was amazing how much they brought." Then, about a week ago, it was time for the company's Christmas party at the Indianola Country Club. "We made sure Steve and his wife were going to be there," said Mike Rozga, Cemen Tech's regional sales manager. They said they would. We wanted to help them have a nice Christmas." Cemen Tech, which makes Spc.

Joe Gottschalk was wounded in an ambush of an Army convoy in Iraq. ASSOCIATED PRESS An Iowa soldier wounded in Iraq said he received an early Christmas present when President George W. Bush presented him with a Purple Heart. Spc. Joe Gottschalk, 24, of Tipton is recovering from a head wound at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington.

President Bush visited him there Thursday and presented him with the medal honoring soldiers wounded in battle. Gottschalk told The Cedar Rapids Gazette in a telephone interview that the president.