Quad-City Times from Davenport, Iowa • 14

QUAD-CITY AREA cS4y couhtbcdIs male Municipal Employees union, said those in attendance were overlooking the most crucial part of the equation: the dispatchers who would run the system. "They're the most important resource here," he said, "but they seem to be the last ones to be talked about. Who is going be the employer? Who is going to provide the salaries?" Several aldermen said they are con--cerned that the savings difference jof $265,930 was too great to ignore and suggested the individual city councils vote on -a course of action. Moline will vote in its next session Tuesday, while East will meet Jan. 20.

The Moline aldermen invited each of their East Moline counterparts to attend their session and witness the voting. to lease a building on the south end of their property for $1. The 10-year operational cost for that site was estimated at $314,130 with a savings to both cities of $97,966. For a consolidated Moline site, the cost over 10 years was estimated at $48,200, with a $363,008 savings. "The cause of previous failures of consolidated systems like MetroComm and RICOMM was the perception that one entity controlled it," Etheridge said.

"The airport would be neutral ground." Moline Mayor Stan Leach agreed with that assessment. "One of the hang-ups (with a Moline site) is it would be in Moline and therefore appear to be controlled by Moline," he said. Dino Leone, a representative of the American Federation of State, County and 10-year contract with Marshalltown, Iowa-based Racom Inc. Moline would pay 52 percent and East Moline 48 percent of that cost. The cities then would lease the radio equipment.

They would split annual operational costs at a 65-35 ratio, with Moline paying the most. Each consolidation scenario would save money, Endress said. But the levels of savings would be markedly dissimilar. Endress, Moline Police Chief Steve Etheridge and East Moline Police Chief Gary Sutton said they are strongly in favor of combining the two systems. "We need to do it and we need to do it now," Endress said.

Fiscally, the airport offered the least savings in terms of consolidation, even though airport administrators volunteered ested city officials from five Quad-City area municipalities, including Rock Island, Sil-vis, Barstow and Coal Valley, 111. Moline police Capt. Victor Endress presented cost breakdown figures to the group of 45 in attendance. He offered these separate scenarios: Moline and East Moline individually upgrading their dispatching systems. A consolidated upgrade at the Moline dispatching station.

A consolidated upgrade at Quad-City Airport. Annual operational costs for individual systems for both cities were figured at $33,808 for Moline and $17,772 for East Moline. If consolidation were approved, the cities would pay $2,384,560 to enter into a Dispatching systems might be merged By Jae Bryson QUAD-CITY TIMES The Moline and East Moline city councils met in an historic joint session Thursday night to discuss a $2 million merger of their emergency radio dispatching systems. They assembled at a potential site for a consolidated radio system, the Quad-City Airport. After meeting for more than two hours, council members decided to put the matter to vote at their next sessions.

East Moline Mayor Bill Ward presided over the discussion, which attracted inter- 1 Water woes are concern in Tipton Council will seek grant for new facility. TIPTON, Iowa The Tipton City- Father is charged in shaking 3-month-old boy suffers head injuries 74 By Doug Schorpp QUAD-CITY TIMES MILAN, While Milan police continue to investigate the Nov. 23 homicide of a 9-month-old girl, they also are working on a second, similar case that had a less tragic ending. John R. Cooke, 22, of.

Milan, appeared Thursday in Rock Island County Circuit Court, where Council began the year discussing concerns about the city's drinking water system and regulation of ponds and open burning. Equipment and facilities for the: city's drinking water system are aging and the council voted to apply for a state revolving fund grant for a new drinking water operation center to be built above ground. The present system is in the basement of city hall. Also under consideration is a new water tower on the city's north side with a capacity of 750,000 gallons. Council member Shirley Kepford said several people have complained about open burning in the city.

The possibility of a total ban on burning was discussed as being the easiest to enforce. Council mem-' ber Jerry Murphy said the city would need to address how to dis- he is charged with two counts of aggravated battery of a child. Police arrested him Wednesday for allegedly Mark HagonQUAD-CITY TIMES i Cooke causing serious An effort is under way to preserve the Red Bridge northwest of Morrison, as a foot bridge or bicycle path. End of an era dawns on Red Bridge ri i ji ii j. puac ui leaves aim jcuu waaic uicu nroconlu ic hnrnorl Wo alcn cchH some people burn trash to cut down" thprnctnt thpir trash rpmnvn hut burning of garbage is illegal.

The Petrowsky envisions a bike path from the town out to the Morrison Rockwood State Park, three miles to the north. He has several possibilities in mind for the new road. "I'd like to reroute the road a bit to straighten out the curves and come straight off the hill. I'd like to see a new covered bridge, in an old style. It would meet all the standards of today but look like an old, wooden covered bridge.

What we're looking at is federal funding for timber structures." Petrowsky has talked to state officials who he said are receptive to the idea. There are only about five covered bridges in Illinois, so a new one could be a tourist draw. Approval of landowners in the path is necessary, and he is talking to them now. "There's a lot to put together to make this gel, but we hope to start work this year," he said. Vehicles wait their turn to cross the bridge just before or just after the 90-degree turn on the south side, resulting in many near-misses.

The bridge crosses the Rock Creek to resume Crosby Road north of the city. "First noted use of the Red Bridge being used to cross the creek was on July 6, 187C," local historian Curt Gronner said. "It was mentioned in reference to the J.S. Zook lime kiln. The quarry is still there, right by it.

There used to be a resort out that road, called Boyers Spring, where there was a real nice spring across from the stone house." The bridge was replaced in the early 1900s with a pony-truss bridge, but Gronner believes the stone foundation is the original. Partly in recognition of its historic value, Petrowsky wants to save the bridge. "We could leave it in place as a bike path," he said. "I'd like to see it taken over privately or by the park service." County hopes to save span for bike path By Julie Belschner QUAD-CITY TIMES Clinton Bureau MORRISON, 111. For many years, it.

was the route for people and horses on their way to Boyers Spring Resort or the nearby stagecoach road, then for bicycles and vehicles to the state park. But the old bridge, simply called the Red Bridge, is coming to the end of its days. Whiteside County Engineer Peter Petrowsky said a new route will bypass the pony-truss bridge. "It's substandard," he said. "Let's put it this way it's too narrow." CU1U pVliC VVlXilllCCL with the council for further discus1' sion before an ordinance is considered.

Kepford also said someone expressed concern about a pond in the city that has no fence around it She suggested an ordinance may be needed and a permit required before construction, but Murphy thought the city's swimming pool ordinance is sufficient to address the nond at the Rill Kohl residence. which is 10-12 feet deep. City Manager Gus Glaser will contact Kohl about the hazard. Helen Smith Clinton swears in 2 new police officers head injuries to his infant son, who since has been released from a hospital. Authorities allege that Cook caused the injuries by violently shaking the boy on two separate occasions.

Police Capt. Steve Doyle said 3-month-old Jordan Cooke was taken Dec. 19 to Trinity Medical Center-West Campus, Rock Island, after an emergency 911 call of a child having trouble breathing was received. "The call came in about 6:30 a.m.," Doyle said. "The ambulance crew did some work to help (the infant) breathe and he was transported to Trinity West." He said there were no bruises or marks on the boy's body to make hospital authorities suspicious at the time.

But the child was transported later that day to St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria, 111., in critical condition. Further examinations there revealed head injuries consistent with what is known as Shaken Baby Syndrome. Illinois State Police and Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS, personnel conducted interviews and an investigation that concluded with Cooke's arrest. He was being held in the Rock Island County Jail on $100,000 bond.

In court, prosecutors said the alleged abuse occurred two separate times Dec. 3 and 19. Doyle said the baby appears to have recovered fully and that DCFS has placed the child in the custody of the boy's mother or grandmother. He said the boy's mother was not home either time and not involved in either shaking incident. Meanwhile, Doyle said police still are awaiting full autopsy results in the Nov.

23 beating death of Nicole E. Lesley-Krakliow, the 9-month-old Milan girl who died of head trauma. Her death was determined to be a homicide, but no arrests have been made. Police have said they expect to make an arrest after getting those results. Police say the girl's mother, Laura Lesley, and her live-in boyfriend, who they have not identified, were in their apartment when they called 911 at 3:44 a.m.

Nov. 23 and reported Nicole was having trouble breathing. She died later that day at Trinity West. CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING In case you haven't already disposed of your Christmas tree, here's a look at the schedules and guidelines for evergreen tree collections around the Quad-City area: Doty Clinton within the next two months. Humes, 23, is a Clinton native who will put his college degree on hold while he attends the academy and finishes his yearlong probation with the department.

The 10 remaining hours for his police science degree from Hawkeye Institute of Technology in Waterloo will be paid for by the police department. "I've always been interested in this," he said. "I really wanted a job where I can make a difference. I don't want to retire in 20 or 30 years without having done something important. "I wanted a job that is unique.

I've tried a lot of different jobs, but nothing's even come close to this." He was a Boy Scout in elementary school and a basketball player in high school, and still keeps in shape by run-'ning and lifting weights. He also likes to fish and has a cat named Puff. He served his internship here last summer and said the time solidified his beliefs and proved he would like working with the people here. In five years? "Street crime is interesting to me," he said. "I wouldn't mind getting into the Task Force or on the Tact Team." tion, Police Chief Gene Beinke explained.

The rookies will be with a partner for a minimum of 16 weeks. After about eight months, they'll be on their own. Beinke said the vacancies are cyclical and now these new hires will all reach retirement age at the same time. He hopes, though, that the cycle won't repeat itself until the second decade of the 21st century "In high school, I was involved in a traffic accident," said Doty, who grew up in Albany, 111., and lives in Cascade. "I had an opportunity then to talk to officers, and I was really interested in this.

I took a couple of classes in college and decided to pursue it." Doty, 22, has a bachelor's degree in law enforcement from Western Illinois University in Macomb. He interned in Clinton last summer and when he heard the department here was hiring, he filled out an application. "I'll like getting out and working with people," he said. In five years? "I hope to be in some special area like investigations." Doty likes to hunt and fish when he has the time. He and his wife, Kathy, have a cat named Drake.

They plan to move to Hires bring force closer to full strength By Julie Belschner QUAD-CITY TIMES Clinton Bureau CLINTON, Iowa As part of a continuing effort to bring the Clinton Police Department up to its full strength of 49, two more new officers were sworn in this week. Four officers who were hired in September recently returned from the police academy in Des Moines. Now it is turn for Tim Doty and Don Humes to leave for the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy on Jan. 19. Doty and Humes will return from the academy in April and will hit the streets, lowering the average age of the force even more.

The additions create a department with more than one-third of the officers with five years of experience or less and an average age of about 40. Thirty members have been born since 1960. The department pairs each of the new rookies with four experienced officers, giving each a good balance and evalua Humes Bettendorf: The city will provide free Christmas tree pickup until Jan. 17 on residents' regular trash collection day. Decorations, stands and plastic bags should be removed.

The city offers a drop-off site at the north end of the parking lot at the Maintenance Center, 4403 Devil's Glen Road. Davenport: The city will pick up Christmas trees free at the curb regular refuse collection days. Tags.1 or stickers are not required. Trees also can be dropped off at the Corrv--' post Facility, 2707 Railroad from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Do not dump "1 trees at Northwest or Ridgeview parks. East Moline: Trees were to be 2 colected on residents' first regular garbage collection day after New Year's. Moline: The city began picking up trees Monday. Rock Island; Trees will continue to be picked up on regular garbage collection days through today. Ornaments and tree stands should be removed.

Buffalo, Iowa: Call the city's public works department at (319) 381-3530 and it will chip them for free Eldridge, Iowa: Unbagged trees" were fo be Dirked nn on rpnular ml. Columbus Junction benefactor leaves behind a legacy 6 6 $1 million gift will help build school By Lee Johnson FOR THE TIMES Private donations of that sort don't happen very often." DAN WILSON Former Columbus Junction mayor Wilson said the city was fortunate to have people such as Mrs. Roundy. "Private donations of that sort don't happen very often." The Rev. Walden Paige of Columbus Junction United Methodist Church said the Roundys' many friends were the childless couple's family.

"As her friends have supported her and given so much, she and Beryl have shared back with them and the Columbus community," he said. (tee Johnson is a reporter for the Muscatine Journal.) Dan Wilson, a recent Columbus Junction mayor, said the Roundys believed in their hometown and were grateful for what they had received from their neighbors. "Their comment to me was 'The community has always been good to us and we want to give something The challenge gift to the school system was significant. The district has twice gone to the voters for approval of a bond issue to expand and twice has been rejected. The $1 million is one-quarter the total cost of the latest bond proposal.

milestones and fell a little short on the other. She died at home last Friday, only a month after her 90th birthday Last month, she and her husband, Beryl, announced a $1 million challenge gift to the Columbus Junction Community School District to help build a new school building. That was just the latest in a long string of generous gifts to the community. During the late 1970s, the Roundys, who owned the Econ-O-Mart in Columbus Junction and grocery stores in several nearby towns, donated the land on which the Columbus Junction XJedical lection days. LeClaire, Iowa: Trees will be picked up through Jan.

15 with stick- ers for $1.50 each. "i Long Grove, Iowa: Trees were rp-be picked up curbside by the city. Scott County: The Scott County Conservation no longer accepts trees: at the recycling stations at West Lake or Scott Count, parks. COLUMBUS JCT. When Sime Roundy was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, Sue Johnson was worried.

Roundy reassured her she wasn't going anywhere soon. "What do those doctors know? I'm going to see the age of 90, and I'm going to see the year 2000," she told her friend. RouVrly made it to one oiithose Facility now sits. They also were major contributors to the American Legion Hall built in 1991, and their recent $100,000 gift kicked off the Columbus Junction library fund-raising campaign,.