The Quasquicentennial

Committee would like

your family histories

from 1982 to the present

for a new book, or if you

weren’t in the last book,

you need to start from

scratch.

Valentine dinners

are being offered from

Akron Jo’s Cafe and Hole ‘N The Wall.

Check out the Hometowner’s

Valentine Contest Deadline for entering is Feb. 8 by 5 p.m.

The Plymouth County Pheasants Forever are holding their banquet March 3 at the Le Mars Convention Center.

Help the American Cancer Society by participating in Daffodil

Days. A bunch of daffodils contains approximately 10 daffodils. To order daffodils contact Dee Watson at 568-3181. Orders must be in by Feb. 15 with delivery March 5. Money raised supports the Society’s lifesaving work in research, education, advocacy, and patient services.

For the third year in a row, The Akron Hometowner received the General Excellence Award for newspapers with circulations of 1,100 and less at the Iowa Newspaper Foundation Better Newspaper Contest, which was held Feb. 2 in Des Moines. The General Excellence Award is given to the newspaper that accumulates the most points in its circulation category of the contest. The

There will be no private hearing on Feb. 15 regarding Akron-Westfield Head Football Coach Craig Parkinson’s coaching contract. At 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, the Akron-Westfield School Board

held a special school board meeting. After going into closed session and discussing the matter with the school board’s attorney, Drew Bracken of Des Moines for 30 minutes via speaker phone, the board took action in open session. Board Member Kirk Banks made a motion, stating: “I move

we accept Craig Parkinson’s resignation from his teaching and coaching duties, effective at the

end of the 2006-2007 school year and that we approve an offer of early retirement benefits for Craig

Parkinson due to unique circumstances justifying a one-time grant of such benefits.” Board Member Janet Willer seconded the motion. The vote was five affirmative, one abstaining with Board Member Phil Parks being absent from this meeting. The affirmative votes were cast by Board President Jim Black and Board Members Kevin DeRocher, Roger Oetken, Kirk Banks and Janet Willer. Board Member Gordy Johnson abstained from casting a vote. In addition to the A-W School

Board, Board Secretary Jodi Thompson, Superintendent Ron Flynn, Principals Cathy Bobier and Derek Briggs and Greater Hoyt School Board Members Greg Heeren, Lynn Johnson and Lance

Nielsen attended this meeting. Parkinson was not present.

Akron-Westfield traveled to Rock Valley Tuesday, Jan. 30 for a double dual with Rock Valley and Woodbury Central. A-W beat Rock Valley 47-22. Winners for A-W were Tyler Schneider by a technical fall. Brody Verschoor won by a pin and Joe Sievert also had a technical fall. Other pin winners were John Sievert, Doug Loutsch, David Hecht and despite his injury Dave Ericson finished his match to win by a pin. The A-W wrestlers got stuck by Woodbury Central 50-21. The Wildcats came ready to roll and roll they did. Tyler Schneider, Joe Sievert and David Hecht all won by falls. David Ericson got hurt in a Rock Valley match. Ericson got hit under the eye to open up a cut. Ericson had to have four stitches to close the cut but has been cleared to start practice again on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Sectionals are Saturday, Feb. 10 at Rock Rapids Central Lyon High School starting at “High Noon!”

The Akron-Westfield Westerner boys were the hosts Saturday evening Feb. 3 and hosted it well. A-W came out on top 52- 30. A-W broke out to a 17-13

first quarter lead and never trailed throughout the entire affair. It would have been wider but my wife’s nephew blew another layup. A-W played good defense and rebounded very well. They really worked hard under the boards. A-W was led by three players in double figures and they were evenly balanced. Mike Oetken had 14; Justin Koch 11;

Eric Eskra, 12 and Derek Appley

had nine. Chris Day led A-H with eight.