Gazette Daily News Podcast: Wednesday, May 15, 2024

– Cedar Rapids schools back to the drawing board on Harrison Elementary plans

– Here’s how Cedar Rapids is working to address Hy-Vee’s closure of First Avenue store

– ‘Swine Republic’ makes Library of Congress’ ‘Great Reads’ list

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Episode Transcript

Welcome to the Wednesday, May 15 edition of the Gazette Daily News Podcast. I’m Bailey Cichon. This will be the final episode of this podcast. At the end of this episode, I’ll share how you can continue to get your daily news fix from The Gazette. First, here’s your news briefing.

The Cedar Rapids Community School District is returning to the drawing board on the future of Harrison and Madison elementary schools. This comes after over 9,000 residents responded to a survey commissioned by the district to yield insight into why voters did not support last November’s $220 million bond referendum. The survey results will also guide a new facility planning process.

Last year, the school board voted to close Harrison and combine attendance zones with Madison with plans to build a new school on the Harrison site by 2025. Since then, the decision has been put on hold.

According to the survey, one of the reasons people voted “no” on the bond was because they opposed closing and demolishing Harrison, which was not a part of the proposed referendum. About 42 percent of those who took the survey said this was one of their primary reasons.

Another survey question asked what advice respondents would give the district regarding Harrison. About 21 percent said to replace Harrison with a new school on the same site. Thirty-five percent said to renovate and expand Harrison. Finally, 22 percent say they would support either option.

According to survey data, the number one reason voters said “no” to the $220 million bond referendum was because it was too expensive and the tax impact was too large.

The Cedar Rapids school board reflected on this data. At a Monday Cedar Rapids school board meeting, board members unanimously moved to authorize the superintendent to have alternative proposals for the two elementary schools to present to the school board for further consideration.

School board President Cindy Garlock said she would like more information on the cost difference between building a new school on the site and renovating the existing school building and adding an addition.

Garlock said the board initially decided to build a new school on the Harrison site because the Northwest Neighborhood Association wants to keep a school in the neighborhood.

Vice president David Tominsky agreed and said quote, “Even though Harrison wasn’t on the bond, it seems it did have an impact. As we do a little more digging, we’ll realize the lack of trust is maybe bundled into that. There’s lots of work for this district to do without a doubt. I’m excited about the path forward.” end quote.

Next, Cedar Rapids city officials and local stakeholders are studying options to fill the grocery store and pharmacy vacancy created when the First Avenue Hy-Vee closes June 23.

While City Manager Jeff Pomeranz told city council Tuesday the city is still talking with Hy-Vee, it is also looking to potentially recruit another grocer or create nonprofit partnerships. The goal is to ensure residents in the densely populated Wellington Heights and Mound View neighborhoods will continue to have access to food and medicine.

Pomeranz said after Hy-Vee alerted city officials last May that it was considering closing the store when its lease expired, the city met with representatives of the property owner to look at options to keep Hy-Vee there. The First Avenue Hy-Vee store opened in 2002 after the city dedicated a $915,000 incentive package to replace a small, rundown Hy-Vee store nearby.

The city wasn’t directly involved in Hy-Vee’s lease negotiation with the property owner. Although, representatives of the owner had assured city officials in November that Hy-Vee had signed a five-year lease extension. On May 9, Hy-Vee informed Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell of the closure. O’Donnell said the city will find a solution. There’s a proposal from Matthew 25, for example, to form a nonprofit consortium that would provided needed services.

Additionally, at Wednesday afternoon’s Development Committee, the city will launch its process to draft a First Avenue East micro plan. The city will take ideas from these discussions to Hy-Vee to ask the company to help the city lessen the blow of the store’s closure.

Pomeranz said options may include how Hy-Vee could offer transportation to ensure the neighborhoods can access groceries.

Pomeranz said quote, “That’s owed to the residents that have supported this store.” end quote.

Next, the Library of Congress has named Chris Jones’ book “Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality” to a list of 56 “Great Reads” for 2024. Jones’ book has become a quote unquote “unexpected hit” across the state, according to the Library of Congress’ Center for the Book affiliate in Iowa, which is based in Ames.

The book contains 69 essays, many of which appeared on a University of Iowa blog he started writing in 2015. Some essay titles include “Fifty Shades of Brown”, “Cropaganda” and “Take this Stream and Shove it”.

His most-read essay is “Iowa’s Real Population” which got over 7,000 page views after it was first published in March 2019. The essay takes the amount of manure from Iowa farm animals and converts it into what would be produced by a human population. The map shows that Iowa watersheds have enough manure to match the human populations of New York City, Paris and Los Angeles.

Since 2002, Centers for the Book across the country choose one adult book and one children’s book from each state and territory to celebrate at the Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. each year. This year’s festival is Aug. 24 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

This year, the children’s book chosen for Iowa is “Ten Beautiful Things” by Molly Beth Griffin and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga. The story’s theme is changing perspectives and chronicles Lily and her grandmother’s search for ten beautiful things during a long car ride to Iowa and Lilly’s new home with her grandmother.

Find the full stories featured in this episode linked in this episode’s description.

Now let’s take a look at the weather in Cedar Rapids. Today it will be partly cloudy. Expect a high of 76 and a low of 57. Thursday expect rain.

As we come to a close on our final episode, The Gazette wants you to know how you can get the latest local headlines. You can do that by subscribing to our Daily News Briefing newsletter. The Gazette's On Iowa Politics podcast and newsletter are also great ways to keep up with all local and state political news. Or head to thegazette.com to get all the latest headlines.

Thank you for listening to the Gazette Daily News Podcast. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com