by Julie Ann Madden

An Akron man is bringing an Omaha concept to town. When Vic Krimmel was a contractor in Omaha, Neb., he was part of a volunteer organization that helped the needy and elderly with household repairs and maintenance that they couldn’t do themselves or afford to pay to have done. Volunteer contractors performed their skills at no cost. It could be as simple as changing light bulbs, replacing storm windows with screens, installing a door and weather stripping, fixing a light that doesn’t work, fixing that nagging cabinet door that doesn’t shut quite right or stopping that annoying drip of a leaky faucet. “We would fix things around the house that would make it better for people living in it,” said Krimmel. “My aim is strictly to help the needy, the disabled, the elderly and those on a fixed income,” said Krimmel who moved to Akron five years ago with his wife, Patty. Krimmel is retired after becoming ill 10 years ago with heart problems and later breaking his back. “I’m feeling good again,” said Krimmel, “but I can’t work a regular job.” “You can only watch so much TV,” he said, “and sit so long in front of the computer.” When he lived in Omaha, Krimmel had donated a day a week to that organization. “I got a lot of gratification for voluntarily helping others with my talents,” said Krimmel, adding the volunteer projects were usually handyman-type projects that contractors wouldn’t take time to do. “The most major thing I’ll do is install a door or window,” said Krimmel, who calls his program Akron Westfield Senior Citizen Assistance Program (AWSCAP). “It’s going to help me because I’ll feel good because I helped somebody,” said Krimmel, “and they’ll feel good because the things that worry them will be fixed.” “I’ll supply the tools and the labor,” said Krimmel. “I won’t take any money.” However, Krimmel has teamed up with Martha Morin and Julie Schmitz, both of Akron. The women will form a committee to accept donations to pay for home repair supplies such as new faucets, door locks or handles. People needing this help or wanting more information can either contact Krimmel at 568-9542 or 551-7002 or e-mail him at awscap@hotmail.com. “Your request will be handled confidentially,” said Krimmel. People can also call Martha at 568-2013 or stop by Thorson Drug to learn more about this program. Krimmel is also looking for other volunteers who have some spare time and would like to lend a helping hand to area senior citizens and/or those with special needs. “Get gratification from knowing you can make a difference,” said Krimmel.

by Julie Ann Madden

The 33rd Plymouth County barn quilt was dedicated on Saturday, along with several memorial gifts to the Plymouth County Loess Hills Visitors Center’s Garden in Westfield. The barn quilt was dedicated in memory of the late Councilor Marion Ross, who died unexpectedly this past winter. She loved quilting, especially the Sunbonnet quilt pattern and the color red. The 4’ x 4’ welcome quilt-type barn quilt includes both the Sunbonnet pattern and the color red. Ross was a lifelong resident of Westfield who promoted the community through her work as a library volunteer and city councilor. Other memorial dedications to the garden included: • An Iowa flag, in memory of James Buryanek; • A flowering cherry tree, in memory of Douglas Dreeszen; • A park bench and flowering pear tree, in memory of Wilbur Hasenbank; • An autumn maple tree, in memory of Wesley B. Neal; and • A park bench and Linden tree, in memory of Roland Swanson. Westfield Mayor Bill Hummel welcomed the families and guests who attended the dedication ceremony. More than 50 people attended the event.

Auxiliary seeks community’s help

in gathering items for deployed soldiers

The Albert E. Hoschler American Legion No. 186 Auxiliary is planning to send care packages to area soldiers several times during their deployment. The Auxiliary has set boxes in Akron businesses. People wishing to donate items for the soldiers may place items in the boxes. Auxiliary members will package the items and ship them to the soldiers. As of this date, the Auxiliary has been notified of 13 soldiers who are deployed: Charles Bohr, Sunjo Chang, Roman Eastman, Brad Easton, Brandon Forcier, Jason Jager, Darwin Kluender, Jeremy Koch, Ryan Koch, Joseph Kroll, Jed Mackey, Karl Stodden and Tyler Utesch. Family members are encouraged to give soldiers’ addresses to Auxiliary members. Also, if anyone knows of other deployed soldiers, please contact Auxiliary President Amy Adix at 551-7549 or e-mail us at: akronauxiliary186@yahoo.com. Blue Banners In addition, the Auxiliary is planning a Blue Banner Distribution. In 2003, the local legionnaires rekindled the Blue Banner Program as a tradition and spirit of pride in our military men and women following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and the Unites States declaring war on Iraq. The Blue Star Service Banner was designed and patented in 1917 by World War I Army Capt. Robert L. Queissner of the Fifth Ohio Infantry who had two sons serving on the front lines. This banner quickly became an unofficial symbol of a child in the service. It is an 8 inch by 16 inch white field with a blue star sewn onto a red banner. Today, the Blue Star Service Banners are displayed by families who have a loved one serving in the armed forces, including activated members of the National Guard and Reserves. The banner displayed in a front window shows a family’s pride in their loved one serving in the military and reminds others that preserving America’s freedom demands much. The blue star represents one family member serving in the armed forces. A banner can have up to five stars. A gold star replaces the blue star if that relative is killed or dies in service. This banner was widely used during World War I and II, but was not embraced during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Blue Star Service Banners are still available for each family in the Akron and Westfield area that has a son, daughter, husband or wife serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Commissioner suggests changes to zoning revisions

by Julie Ann Madden

At the first reading of the proposed amendment to the 2008 Revised Union County Zoning Ordinance Aug. 24, three changes were requested by Commissioner Ross Jordan. First, he asked his fellow commissioners to consider requiring landowners’ sign an affidavit acknowledging that they know that their tenant or prospective buyer is applying for a Conditional Use Permit and agree with it. Second, Jordan requested the same requirement for Variance requests. Third, he suggested under the Building Site Plan of the Conditional Use Permit that the Planning & Zoning Board make the decision about waiving the requirement of a Building Site Plan instead of the Planning Director, which is Dennis Henze. Union County residents had informed both the Planning & Zoning Board and Commissioners that the 2008 Revised Union County Zoning Ordinance was not followed when a Conditional Use Permit was issued to Sean Brady of Vermillion, S.D., to build a bar on the former Garryowen church property on South Dakota Highway 48, west of Spink. The ordinance, as it currently stands, allows only landowners to apply for a Conditional Use Permit but Planning Director Dennis Henze had allowed Brady, who was just the prospective buyer of the property at the time, to make the application and then the Planning & Zoning Board had approved the permit. In the proposed amendment, anyone can apply for a Conditional Use Permit or Variance on any property. However, the applicant must include the property owner’s name and address information. There is nothing requiring notification of the landowner that someone is making these applications on his or her properties. A Union County resident had suggested these changes at the Planning & Zoning Board’s public hearing on the matter. By having an affidavit from the landowner, “this prevents future challenges from these things,” said Jordan. “Instead of just having the owners’ information, have them sign an affidavit that they agree with the process.” “I think it’s a little stronger when we get into challenges,” he added. “If someone has an option to buy, who’s the owner,” asked Commissioner Milton Ustad. “The landowner still owns it,” explained Jordan. “The option-to buy guy is the one who’ll be doing the application.” “A lot of times an owner might not know (an application has been made),” said South Eastern Council of Governments Senior Community Planner Toby Brown, who wrote the proposed amendment. “The difficulty is rounding up the signatures at the back end of it but it’s not our problem.” “It’s more transparent,” said Commission Chairman Doyle Karpen. Adding this affidavit is not to protect the landowners, stated Union County States Attorney Jerry Miller. “It’s for transparency,” responded Jordan, “and to have the landowner involved in the process.” Jordan used his own previous managerial experiences for the third request. He is a former Dakota Dunes Golf Course manager. “As someone who worked for boards before,” said Jordan “I believe it’s the board’s job to protect employees. When we put an exception in the hands of an employee rather than a board, we leave the employee exposed…if we make it the Planning & Zoning Board’s decision, we protect the employee. It’s important we do not set the employee up to fail.” “(As a manager) my job is to follow, implement directions of the board,” he explained. “That’s typical of what an employee’s position should be. I implement board policy. I don’t create board policy.” “That’s a good point,” said Karpen. “That’s what the board’s for.” “It’s not to take power away (from an employee),” said Jordan. “It’s to protect him. He’s had enough abuse over the last two years as is.” “It eliminates (people’s) ability to challenge,” he added. Brown suggested eliminating the whole Building Site Plan exception language, and have every applicant create a building site plan with all 12 requirements. Although Karpen wasn’t sure all 12 were necessary such as the one that requires landscaping and trees, Jordan pointed out that the applicant could say he or she wasn’t doing landscaping in the site plan, and the Planning & Zoning Board could agree or disagree and require landscaping when they set the final conditions for a Conditional Use Permit. Brown will rewrite those parts of the amendment incorporating the landowner’s affidavit and omitting the Building Site Plan exception. Then commission will hold the second reading of this ordinance amendment at their Sept. 7 meeting. It’s possible more changes could be made at that meeting as well as the third reading waived and the amendments approved.

Community thanks Theeler for service

by Julie Ann Madden

It’s been either 36 or 37 years that Akron residents have been able to count on Firefighter Steve Theeler saving their properties and lives. On April 1, Theeler retired from the Akron Fire Department. “Fire-fighting is a young man’s game,” said Theeler. “It’s not an older man’s job.” “It was time to retire,” he said. “It was getting to be where I couldn’t do a lot of it any more. It was just time.” “I wasn’t tired of it,” said Theeler. “I enjoyed it and wish I could still do it.” It’s a rewarding job, he said. “I love the camaraderie,” said Theeler. “Everybody on the fire department is like family. We’re all brothers and sisters or fathers and sons.” “It’s just the greatest thing in the world,” he said. I like helping out the town of Akron. I always have.” “There’s been some good times,” said Theeler. “There’s been some bad times.” “If you can save somebody’s house or save somebody’s life, it is a good time,” he said. “Thankfully, there were a lot more good times than there were bad times. "One of his worst fire-fighting memories is not being able to save everyone. His best memories are of when people come up to him on the street and thank him for doing the fire-fighting service. “People appreciate what you do,” said Theeler, adding it was that way the whole time he was on the Akron Fire Department. “This whole town was behind the fire department. They still are.” Many times he’s been in towns that do not support their firefighters, he said. “Nobody supports their fire departments like this town does.” “We’re strictly volunteer,” said Theeler. “We strictly go on tax money and whatever we get in for donations.” Akron firefighters host only two benefits: a Firemen’s Dance in May and a Steak Fry in September. This year’s Steak Fry is Sept. 18. “The worst part of being a firefighter is I missed a lot of meals,” said Theeler, “and I missed a lot of my kids’ plays and sporting events.” Our families put up with us being firefighters, he said, especially firemen’s wives. “We get up in the middle of the night,” he said, “and we keep waking them up.” “The wives don’t gripe about it,” said Theeler, adding his wife, Kay, was no exception. “I think it’s a wonderful thing that their wives support them.” Back in 1971 when Theeler joined the Akron Fire Department, there wasn’t a pager system. Four firefighters were called when there was a fire call. Their wives got up with them and began calling the other firefighters to alert them of the fire while the first four headed out to the fire. It took two firemen to open the door at the Akron Fire Station, which set on the now vacant lot south of the city’s electric substation at the west end of Reed Street. The department only had two trucks -- pumpers. The first two firemen drove the trucks to the fires, and the rest drove their personal vehicles, said Theeler, adding the department still has the red pumper truck. There was little training provided for firefighters at the time. Now, the Akron Fire Department has two pumpers, two tankers, two grass rigs, a rescue unit and a new fire station -- the second new fire station since Theeler started. Before its current location, the fire station was located just south of Maynard’s Foods. “We have one of the best equipped fire departments for a town this size,” said Theeler, adding the department has the Jaws of Life equipment -- almost anything a firefighter wants, it is there. His favorite piece of equipment is the grass rig. Before the department had them, the firefighters had to walk out into fields and the Loess Hills to fight grass fires. They walked using “slappers,” which were rubber on a pole, or a shovel, rake or anything else they had along. Today, they ride in the grass rig. More importantly, the local firefighters are one of the best trained departments I’ve ever seen, said Theeler. Now, everyone has to complete the Firefighter I training to be a firefighter. The department offers training sessions at its monthly meetings. When he started there were only a dozen or so firefighters. Today, Akron has 25. “I enjoyed it,” said Theeler. “That’s why I got on.” “I enjoyed the people I worked with on it and enjoyed helping people,” he said. “The reason I got off was I couldn’t help people any more. I just couldn’t do it (physically).” “I thank the department for the dinner they gave me and all the cards and gifts I got from my friends and firemen. I appreciate that.” Theeler plans to spend more time with his wife and his children and grandchildren and maybe do some more golfing and a little bit of fishing. “I’ll get to go to my grandsons’ games and my granddaughters’ dances,” said Theeler. Theeler began with the Akron Fire Department in 1971. At that time, all firefighters had to live within the city limits. When he and Kay moved to the country a couple of years later, he resigned his position. When they moved back to Akron in 1977, Theeler joined the department again. He served as fire chief from 1998 - 2002 and as assistant chief from 2002 - 2009. The Theelers have two sons: Wayne and his wife, Rachel of Le Mars; and Brad and his wife, Maureen of Akron. The have five grandchildren: Andrew, Johanna, Elizabeth, Alesia and Daniel. Theeler is a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Akron and is employed at Bomgaars in Hawarden. He also served in the U.S. Navy from 1965 to 1969.