Chariton, Iowa Community Web Page ”

  

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Important Addresses:

City of Chariton
115 S. Main Street, Chariton, IA 50049 (641) 774-5991 Fax: (641) 774-4111 (Web Pages)

 Chariton 4th of July Committee  

Chariton Chamber and Development Corp. 104 North Grand, Chariton, IA 50049 (641) 774-4059 (Web Pages)

Chariton Community Schools Information Site   http://www.Chariton.k12.ia.us

The website of the Lucas County Arts Council is www.southerniowaarts.com

 The website of the Lucas County Historical Society is http://chariton-museum.tripod.com/                                     

 

Fall in Chariton pics.

Click for Chariton, Iowa Forecast

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Mary Stierwalt was presented the 2008 Citizen of the Year at the Chariton Chamber and Development Corporation's annual meeting at Carpenter's Hall, July 17th.   Stierwalt, a leader of the Chariton business community,  has worked in many areas of the community over the past years and has established a distinguished and lengthy record in a variety of capacities including working with the Lucas County 4-H, Little League and a host of other educational, community, civic, non-profit and church organizations and activities.  She served 22 years on the Chariton City Council, including seven years as Mayor.  She currently leads the committee responsible for planning the 4th of July celebration in Chariton.    Mary and her late husband, Berns, returned to Chariton in 1962.   They have owned and operated Family Shoe since that time.  Mary has continued in the store since Berns' death in 2004.   Mary expressed appreciation for the award but added that it was not one that was totally hers but rather encompassed the many individuals who she has worked with in various community endeavors throughout the years.   Several members of  Mary's family,  Kirk Stierwalt of Leedey, Oklahoma and Kyle and Julie Stierwalt  and grandchildren Jordan and Harrison Stierwalt of  Tallahassee Florida were present for the presentation. 

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Construction on a new jail for Lucas County will start Spring 2009.  It is expect that it will take approximately 10 months for the project to be completed.   This has been made possible as a result of the City of Chariton and the Lucas County Board of Supervisors agreeing on a plan whereby the former National Guard Armory would be converted into a jail facility.  The unincorporated areas of Lucas County passed a one-cent local option sales tax on April 1, 2008 to fund the project.    The bids for the construction of a new jail were opened and the prices ranged from $3.76 million to $3.657 million.  All bids were above the original total project cost which was not to exceed $2.9 million.  The Board of Supervisors will be making a decision on the best way to proceed.   

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The collection of a hotel/motel tax for Lucas County was approved by voters at a special election on May 5, 2009.    The tax will be 7% of the gross receipts of motels and bread and breakfast facilities  within the county.  If approved, the tax would go in to effect July 21, 2009.  The referendum was proposed by Tourism Lucas County, a division of the Lucas County Chamber of Commerce and Development Corporation.

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Two overhead railroad bridges, one on East Auburn and one on the Blue Grass Road, were closed indefinitely to all but foot traffic, by the Chariton City Council, effective Wednesday, February 5, 2003.  The closings were the result of a negative engineer's report as to the soundness of the two structures.  Options to provide a convenient access to the city will be studied in depth to come up with the best possible solution to the closing of the bridges.  A lane has been rocked to provide a temporary roadway for those families living on the east side of the Auburn Avenue bridge.  Gene Keith, former City Street Supervisor before retiring, has provided the land for this use.  This will save residents having to travel extra miles to get into town.   The Chariton City Council has approved plans and work will begin on the replacement of the Auburn Avenue bridge.  Calhoun-Burns and Associates, a bridge specialty firm has been working with the City Council.  According to a report given to the Council at their regular meeting, September 18, 2006, City Manager Nels Christensen reported that progress is underway and that bid letting will be sometime during 2007.Work has begun on the replacement of the Auburn Avenue bridge.  Depending on the weather, work should be completed around November, 2008.  Completion date will hinge on the weather .  The bridge will be of concrete, a continuous slab with a sidewalk alongside and will span 150 feet.  It will be constructed just south of where the old bridge was.  The concrete pouring on the Auburn Avenue bridge has been completed.    This will allow for the bridge to be ready for use  sometime in the spring of 2009.   The contractor for the bridge is Herberger Construction.  Ideal Ready Mix supplied the concrete and Lucas County Engineer  Todde Folkerts,  along with others from the Lucas County Secondary Roads Department, were on site to test the concrete and make sure all specifications were followed.  The bridge is 153.1 ft in length and 37 feet wide.  

Representatives from Lucas County Tourism met with the Chariton City Council   recently with an entrance sign proposal for the City of Chariton.  The council voted to send a letter of approval of participation in this program.  The Chariton Valley Tourism Region is promoting a coordinated entrance sign program for each community in the nine counties area.  The counties are Appanoose, Clarke, Davis, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello and Wayne.  This area has been named   the Historic Hills Corridor.  The logo to be used is part of a new tourism campaign to highlight the beautiful drives along Highway 34 and Highway 2 in Southern Iowa.  The Historic Hills Advisory Group have received  a Transportation Enhancement funds grant.   Six replacement signs are slated to be put up at the entrances to Chariton.     Work was completed on the new CHARITON signs recently.  They are a very nice addition.   

At their last meeting, members of the Historic Hills Initiative recommended that  all communities in the Chariton Valley Tourism Region promote the planting of red bud trees hoping to expand on the success of the red bud plantings that have been promoted by the Chariton Chamber of Commerce the past few years.   It is felt this has been a very successful program coupled with the many trees at Red Haw State Park and has been an effective tourism tool.   They are hoping this mass planting would provide an incentive for visitors to visit the area. 

   Stratford Homes Update ~  Stratford Homes Models and Sales Office are open Mon-Fri from 8-4:30 pm and on weekends by appointment.  You can call the office 641 774-8828 or toll free 866 774 8828 to schedule an appointment during daily hours of operation. Debra Storm is the Stratford Homes Sales Coordinator in Chariton.  The office/model homes are located at 1000 South 1st Street.       
Stratford Homes Model Homes will be open during Ragbrai, Wednesday, July 22 from 8-4:30 pm.  Please call if you have any questions.

   See the Vredenburg - Chariton Family Aquatic Center and the ribbon cutting ceremony.     Pool Project Pictures!!! 

The Chariton City Council, Chariton Park and Recreation Board, the Swimming Pool Committee, and the Chariton Recreation Department have put together and endorsed the following list of items that they would like to see added to the new aquatic facility and Bingham Park if funds were available. Early planning discussions included some of these items in the pool design, but they were eliminated in order to trim overall project costs. See Details.

The E911 system has been placed into service.   According to Project Manager, Tim McGee, the system has been 99% correct.  All City of Chariton residents will use the address they have been using with the exception of those who have been receiving their mail on a rural route.  Those residents will now use their street address as their official address.  The E911 Service Board has certified all rural addresses.   

The Department of Natural Resources Trumpeter Swan Restoration Team has released a pair of flightless swans  in the Northwest Park Pond as part of a cooperative effort between the City of Chariton, Lucas County Development Corporation, Hy-Vee, Mike Hunter and the Lucas County Conservation Board.  A total of five cygnets, baby swans, were born at the park in the month of June, 2007.  Two survived the first week or two after birth and those two were captured in late September and taken to Sue Oviats Pond south of Boone for the winter.  There they will make acquaintance with other young swans and hopefully they will find mates.  According to Iowa DNR Wildlife Technician, Dave Hoffman, the young swans will be released all over the state during the spring of 2008.   At least one of the cygnets will be brought back and released at one of the wetlands in Lucas County.  Another swan from another part of the state will be released here also.    One adult male and one female adult swans remain at Northwest Park.   Hopefully, next June, there will be more cygnets born to the remaining adult swans.  

 

anahot1.gif (1620 bytes)   Welcome letter to Citizens

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Old Betsy in Home Coming Parade    

Chariton Merchants Locator         4th of July Committee         Local Endorsement          Request for Information                                                           

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Local Newspaper Web Pages

Help Wanted 

Chariton Volunteer Fire Department

    

 

 

 

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Chariton Community Home Page Created and Maintained by City of Chariton.  If you have any comments or suggestions please email me.  Thanks for visiting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Last updated   05/15/09 06:51 PM