Archive - Dec 1969

NORTH LIBERTY After two years in the community, DiVentures SCUBA and Swim Center has opened a new facility on West Penn Street in North Liberty. A grand opening and ribbon cutting event was held on Saturday, Nov. 2, for the 8,500-square foot facility, which replaces a much smaller, temporary location in North Liberty.
DiVentures founder Dean Hollis explained the many unique features, and rationale for locating a dive shop in Eastern Iowa.

SOLON– Only one of the two incumbents made it through.
But the votes were spread out amongst all the candidates.
According to unofficial results from the combined Nov. 5 city and school election, only city council candidate Dan O’Neil received a majority (68 percent) in a four-way race for two seats with 344 votes. The race for the second seat was much tighter, with John Farlinger (238 votes) edging our incumbent Shawn Mercer (217) and former council member Kevin Samek (213).

SOLON The City of Solon has gone from selling to buying.
The city, which announced its intention of selling the lot next door to City Hall, is taking ownership of a residential property located in a projected downtown growth area.
At a Nov. 6 regular session, Solon City Council members unanimously approved purchasing 123 East North Street for $140,000.
Mayor Steve Stange said during the meeting the city would raze the existing one-story structure and leave the 60-by-100-foot lot as green space until resold for development as commercial property.

FORT DODGE– Liberty High’s Ashlyn Keeney took the runner-up spot in the Class 4A Girls State Cross Country Meet Saturday, Nov. 2, in Fort Dodge. The speedy sophomore finished the course in 17:44.1, behind Champion Camille Jackson, of Ames, who won in 17:23.9. Keeney’s Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC) rival, Micah Poellet, from Linn-Mar, was fourth in 18:18.9. Keeney was 72nd last year as a freshman in 20:22.8. She won this year’s MVC Super Meet with a 47-second lead over second-place Poellet, and aced her out a week later in the Valley Division Meet.

NORTH LIBERTY– The Liberty High varsity volleyball team moved a step closer to the state tournament with a 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-13) sweep of the Muscatine Muskies Tuesday, Oct. 29, at home, in a Class 5A regional semifinal match.
The Lightning earned a first-round bye with a 32-2 record and were ranked No. 2 in Class 5A by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. The Muskies were unranked and brought a 6-17 record into the contest.