SOURCE:  Randy M. Cauthron, Managing Editor, www.spencerdailyreporter.com

The three summer months of June, July and August in 2010 moved into the classification as the second wettest summer on record Tuesday when the numbers surpassed the 1902 three-month total of 22.57 inches. Across the state rain totals average 22.6 inches for the summer so far, and there are still two weeks to go in August.

State Climatologist Harry Hillaker suggested that while the all-time record of 26.83 inches, set back in the dramatic flood year of 1993, is not out of reach, it’s probably not something the state of Iowa needs or wants.

“So far this month we have had an average of 4.29 inches of rain so basically we would have to do that again to catch 1993. I can’t rule it out, but hopefully it won’t happen.”

Statewide, the normal annual rainfall average for these same three months is 13.7 inches.

Much like 1993, several parts of the state have experienced damaging floods and continue to sort through the wreckage resulting from the high water levels associated with the substantial and concentrated rainfalls.

“Flooding is always a little bit more complicated than rain totals,” Hillaker explained. “June was actually the wettest month, but the flooding was minimal. August has actually been the driest month yet, but there has been bad flooding in the Ames, Des Moines and Newton areas. It’s about how concentrated and in what time the rain falls.

“In June rain was a little more evenly distributed across the state. We still had some flooding but not what we saw in northeast Iowa in July, and then central Iowa in August.”

Going back to 1993, Hillaker noted that “It’s still our most widespread flood year. We had significant flooding about everywhere in the state.”

The state climatologist cited two factors that have helped the state deal with the water better than it did in 1993. “The first thing is we had a much drier spring and things weren’t quite as saturated. Things were actually a bit dry in northwest Iowa. We had more room for water than we did in 1993.”

He continued, “The other factor being a much warmer spring and summer than we had in 1993. Every month starting in March has been above normal temperatures, and in 1993 temps were below average dating back to the previous year. There’s been much more evaporation this year.”

Looking ahead, Hillaker said there is more rain in the forecast, which could lead back to the warmer temperatures and high humidity similar to what northwest Iowa experienced last week.

A chance for storms returns tonight and spills into Friday. The weekend looks good with a chance of storms returning early next week.

“Rain is coming back in the forecast Monday night and Tuesday in northwest Iowa. It could get warmer and more humid again, and I see Monday or Tuesday maybe leading back into that phase,” said Hillaker.

“Nobody wants so see another overnight 5-inch rain event, which is what central Iowa saw three nights in a row last week.”

Hillaker said that as far as damage sustained by both crops and property as a result of the weather, it’s probably too early to tell.

source:  Andrea Kemp - Staff Writer, www.dickinsoncountynews.com

s funds continue to roll in for the Mini-Wakan Shelter restoration project, volunteers such as Joe Ulman, a chairperson of the Mini-Wakan Committee, are finding there is nothing small about the community support rallying behind the cause.

Last week, the project was named as a $20,000 beneficiary from the estate of LaVonne Foote, a Lakes area resident and nature lover. On Monday, Ulman learned the project will also be receiving $15,000 from the Dickinson County Endowment.

Now, the project will benefit from an additional matching gift donation from an anonymous donor. Through the stipulations of the project’s most recent gift, contributions to the Mini-Wakan Project received by September 30 will be matched up to a total of $120,000.

“I urge people who have not yet made a donation to ‘SLPA-Mini-Wakan Shelter’ to do so before September 30 so whatever amount they give will be doubled,” Ulman said.

Through his committee work, Ulman has seen the multifaceted community support.

“We particularly appreciated the $500,000 that the Department of Natural Resources has committed to Mini-Wakan, but we’ve also had talents outside of the monetary realm that are tremendous and important,” he said.

Ulman cited businesses including Home Instead Senior Care, host of the Mini-Wakan-anathon on June 5, and Twetten’s Interiors, host of the Home and Garden benefit tour July 31. He also cited artistic donations, including the gifts of musicians during the Opry and the Sami benefit January 24 as well as the creations of local artisans for the upcoming Works of Art for the State Parks fundraiser, to be held August 29.

“It is truly a rich community support that Mini-Wakan is receiving,” Ulman said.

For more information on the monetary progress of the fundraising project, visitwww.miniwakan.theslpa.org.

To donate to the matching funds:

Send tax-deductible donations marked “matching funds” to:

The Spirit Lake Protective Association

Mini-Wakan Shelter

P.O. Box 95

Spirit Lake, IA 51360.

Works of Art for the State Parks

This fundraising event will take place at Gull Point State Park Lodge on Sunday, August 29, 2010, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Featuring a brunch buffet, champagne tasting, live music, the event will host talks from history experts and art auctions. Donated by their creators, all the artworks offered at the silent and live auctions are inspired by the Lakes Area. The paintings and other offered works of art are on display in the north window at Evans Clothing in Olde Towne Spirit Lake.

Tax deductible table sponsorship of $200 for a table for 4 and $400 for a table for 8 is limited. A $25 individual ticket does not guarantee a table, but offers the opportunity to take part in the food, fun and auctions.

Contact Deidre Rosenboom to reserve table sponsorship by e-mail:deidre.rosenboom@me.com. All tickets are available for purchase at the Wine Bar, 139 Broadway Street in Arnolds Park, Iowa. Individual $25 tickets can be purchased at the customer service counter at Hy-Vee on Highway 9 in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

About the Mini-Wakan Project

Along with rebuilding and renovating the Mini-Wakan shelterhouse, the goal of the Mini-Wakan Project is to raise enough money to provide an endowment fund for the Mini-Wakan shelterhouse and Gull Point Lodge to cover major repairs in the future. Because Mini-Wakan State Park is owned by the State of Iowa, the shelter house restoration project is not eligible for REAP grants, Vision Iowa grants, or Federal grants. If a tree were to topple onto Gull Point Lodge today, money to repair the damage would have to be appropriated from Iowa’s general fund.

About the Mini-Wakan Committee

Since 2007, the Spirit Lake Protective Association’s Mini-Wakan Committee has spearheaded the fundraising efforts for Mini-Wakan and Gull Point. To date, $750,000 has been raised through grants, pledges and outright gifts. An additional $250,000 is needed to meet the $1 million goal and provide endowments for both shelters.

Information courtesy of the Mini-Wakan Committee

(Undated)– Projects to develop renewable energy systems and to assist farmers, ranchers and small businesses in rural areas in making energy efficiency improvements to their operations are getting some federal funding.

U.S. Senator Tom Harkin says 3.6 million dollars in loan guarantees and 2.9 million in grants will be coming to 61 Iowa farms in 26 Iowa counties, including Clay, Plymouth and Sioux in northwest Iowa.

Harkin is a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds agriculture and energy initiatives.

source:  www.exploreokoboji.com

Source:  www.dickinsoncountynews.com  Andrea Kemp - Staff Writer

Dickinson County environmental organizations will get a boost with the estate distribution of a Lakes area nature lover.

Local organizations including the Dickinson County Nature Center, Lakeside Labs, the Spirit Lake Library and the Mini-Wakan Shelter House were the recipients of monies of LaVonne Foote, whose $4.5 million estate allocations were announced late last week.

About LaVonne Foote

Foote was born April 20, 1916, in Storm Lake, and united in marriage to Dale Foote in April of 1936. The couple owned and operated several small businesses in Paullina, including a watch repair shop. For several years, LaVonne was the only licensed female watch repairer in the state. She also owned and operated the Paullina Dress Shoppe for two decades.

In 1969, the couple moved to the Lakes, residing on Big Spirit Lake. LaVonne, an avid nature lover, was a charter member of the Northern Iowa Prairie Chapter of the Audubon Society, earning the nickname of “the bird lady.”

Foote passed away July 3, 2010, at Hilltop Care Center at the age of 94.

Nature Center hosts Foote estate announcement

During an Aug. 12 reading of the appointments of Foote’s estate at the Dickinson County Nature Center, David Van Buskirk, a nephew of Foote, explained how his aunt was able to bequeath such a high tally to local organizations.

“What a lot of people probably don’t know about Dale and LaVonne is that they lived a very frugal lifestyle — they lived during the Depression — and they watched their money very carefully and had invested very early in their marriage,” Van Buskirk said. “LaVonne, when Dale passed away, took on those investments and she was in many ways, a very shrewd investor. She had some help from some friends along the way and she feels very prideful in this and she is sharing a vast majority of that estate with local organizations and charities.”

Local organizations see bulk of Foote estate donations

While Foote donated the bulk of her remaining assets locally, many national organizations, including the Salvation Army, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and the Red Cross, also received money from the estate.

Foote named a $20,000 donation to the Mini-Wakan Shelter House restoration project, a contribution with a matching donor. Lakeside Laboratory received $100,000, and Lakes Regional Health Care was furnished with $250,000.

The Dickinson County Nature Center received $200,000, and, according to Van Buskirk, Foote “also named the Nature Center as one of four recipients of monies that are left after all her distributions,” potentially doubling her initial contribution.

Foote donated to two separate statewide environmental organizations, contributing $1 million each to the Iowa Nature Conservancy and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation “to be used solely for the purposes of Nature Conservancy in Dickinson County in the state of Iowa,” according to Van Buskirk.

While Foote’s contributions had a large focus on the community’s nature organizations, her estate also named several educational organizations as beneficiaries — with a few stipulations attached.

The Spirit Lake School System was gifted a $300,000 scholarship fund. Recipients of the scholarship fund are expected to repay 50 percent of the amount received within four years of graduation.

“She believed a lot … in that people need to carry a lot of their own burden,” Van Buskirk said.

The Spirit Lake Public Library received $100,000 from the estate, but, as Van Buskirk read from the will of the late Foote, the monies are “for purposes the (library) board of trustees deems appropriate with the hope that the city of Spirit Lake will not reduce its appropriations to the library.”

Beneficiaries react

Many representatives of local organizations benefiting from the Foote estate learned of their gifts with both shock and gratitude

“I just think we’re incredibly blessed to have people in our community with the mindset to bequeath these resources to such a broad range of organizations for the good of the county,” said Pam Jordan, Dickinson County Supervisor and member of the Nature Center Board. “This comes to the Nature Center at a time when we can really use it. I’m just very grateful to LaVonne Foote.”

Peter van der Linden, executive director of Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, is glad his organization can benefit from the generosity of a fellow local nature lover.

“We were not expecting the bequest from LaVonne, so it was a very pleasant surprise,” van der Linden said. “We will use her gift in a way that benefits our community and is consistent with her interest in nature and conservation.”

Estate timeline

Van Buskirk said the local organizations benefiting from the donations of the LaFoote estate, which is being represented by attorney Lonnie Saunders, will start to see funds after the estate is settled, a process which will take at least three months.

Local LaFoote Estate Beneficiaries

* Mini-Wakan Shelter House Restoration Project — $20,000

* Lakeside Laboratories — $100,000

* Spirit Lake Public Library — $100,000

* Prairie Lakes Audubon Society — $100,000

* Dickinson County Nature Center — $200,000 (with potential for additional estate funds)

* Lakes Regional Healthcare — $250,000

* Spirit Lake High School (Scholarship Fund) — $300,000

* Iowa Nature Conservancy — $1 million*

* Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation — $1 million*

(Des Moines)– Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Richard Leopold is resigning to take a job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Minnesota.

Leopold will become the Midwest Assistant Regional Director for Science Applications, with a tentative start date of September 12th. He had been state DNR Director since January 2007.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius says Leopold’s background with conservation agencies and non-government groups made him right for the job.

Leopold says he’s been negotiating with federal officials for eight months.

His departure got mixed reviews, with the Nature Conservancy praising him but Senator Dennis Black of Lynnville saying Leopold didn’t reach out enough to farm groups or the legislature.

Greg Drees, a DNR commissioner from Arnolds Park, tells KUOO news he was just as surprised as anyone else upon learning of Leopold’s resignation. Drees says Leopold was able to accomplish a lot during his stint as DNR Director, calling him a “good leader”.

Drees says having Leopold as DNR director was important for the Iowa Great Lakes, as he was already familiar with the various issues and nuances of the area, after having served previously as Dickinson County Naturalist.

Drees says Leopold called him shortly before the announcement was made public.

source: www.exploreokoboji.com

(Okoboji)– A number of local organizations got some unexpected good news this (Thursday) afternoon.

It was announced in a brief ceremony at the Dickinson County Nature Center that a local woman who passed away last year has left behind some four and-a-half million dollars in bequests through her estate.

David Vanbuskirke, a nephew of Lavonne Foote who lived many years with her husband Dale on Big Spirit Lake before he passed away in 1982, announced the gifts.

The local organizations received bequests and the amounts are as follows:

The Mini Wakan Shelter House project: $20,000
Lakeside Lab $100,000
Spirit Lake Public Library $100,000
Lakes Regional Healthcare $250,000
Spirit Lake Community Schools (for scholarships) $300,000
Dickinson County Nature Center: atleast $200,000 (possibly up to $500,000)
Iowa Nature Conservancy (for projects in Dickinson county): $1,000,000
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (for suitable projects in Dickinson county): $1,000,000
Northern Iowa Prairie Lakes Audubon Society: $10,000 (restricted); $100,000 (unrestricted).

Vanbuskirke tells KUOO news the awards are a direct testimony to the love Lavonne had of the area. She grew up in the Storm Lake and Alta areas.

Lavonne was 94 when she passed away.

source:  www.exploreokoboji.com

(Des Moines)– The Environmental Protection Agency has approved Iowa’s list of impaired waters, a step that will help the state’s Department of Natural Resources set its priorities for improving water quality in coming years.

EPA Administrator Karl Brooks says it’s an important first step toward reducing sources of water pollution in the state and ensuring cleaner water for Iowa residents.

Iowa’s list added 183 bodies of water to previous lists and removed 54, bringing the total number of impaired waters in the state to 434.

Locally, Big Spirit Lake and Center Lake are new additions to the list. A portion of Mill Creek was removed.

Local bodies of water that remain on the impaired list include portions of the Little Sioux, the West Fork of the Little Sioux, the Des Moines and the Ocheyedan Rivers, along with Emerson Bay of West Lake Okoboji, Lost Island Lake and Silver Lake.

source:  www.exploreokoboji.com

(Arnolds Park)– This year’s Walleye Weekend in the Iowa Great Lakes raised more than 20-thousand dollars for the Iowa Easter Seals Society.

Jen Johnson, Program Director for the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, presented a check to the organization last Thursday in the amount of $20,362.

The chamber thanks all the anglers, corporate sponsors, DNR, bait shops and chamber businesses who helped make this year’s event another success.

This marked the 28th year for Walleye Weekend.

source:  www.exploreokoboji.com

(Spirit Lake)– This past July will go on the record books as being one of the wettest ever in the Iowa Great Lakes.

According to records compiled here at the KUOO studios, 7.53 inches of rain fell in July. That compares with 6.21 inches in July of 1993, which saw severe flooding in the Iowa Great Lakes. That was due largely however to extremely heavy rains that also fell in May and June that year.

source:  www.exploreokoboji.com

(Des Moines)– Governor Chet Culver says President Barack Obama has authorized a Presidential Disaster Declaration for 32 Iowa counties affected by flooding and severe storms since June 1st.

The declaration provides federal funding to rebuild roads and bridges and other public facilities and help cover the cost of debris removal or emergency work during the storms.

The counties can apply for public assistance program funding.

Counties in northwest Iowa that received the Presidential designation include Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, and Palo Alto. Dickinson county did NOTmake the list.

source: www.exploreokoboji.com