“Chariton, Iowa Community Web Page ”

  

                                       

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

                                       

 

Fall in Chariton pics.

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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. 

  Chariton Police Chief Jim Baker was appointed, by the Lucas County Board of Supervisors, at their April 4, 2007 meeting, to the position of Lucas County Sheriff.  The position became open as a result of Sheriff Delbert Longley accepting a position with the Iowa Corrections Department as Chief Jail Administrator.  Sheriff Baker had been Chariton's Chief of Police since 1994 and has been with the department since 1977.  Sheriff Baker said that he plans to run for a full 4 year term in the November 2008 election.   Chariton Police Sgt. Jeff Johnson has been appointed as  Chief of Police by Chariton City Manager Nels Christensen.  He has been with the Chariton Police Department for 15 years. 

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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. 

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.  October 25, 2006, Tracy Daugherty Miller, the Chariton Valley Planning and Development  Executive Director, who is administering the project,  reported on the progress of the signage project.   She said, "The project is in the letting stage with the Iowa DOT and the installation of the signs should come in the near future".  There will be signs placed at the entrances to Chariton, at the entrances to Russell and   in Lucas. The Chariton City Council approved a resolution to participate in a small town sign replacement program at their regular council meeting on October 1, 2007..  They will apply for a grant for this program which is a state-funded program  to replace signs in small cities or towns.  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.  Work is progressing on other signs in the Historic Hills Corridor.   

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. 

The remodeling of the second floor of the Vredenburg Center is completed and the Lucas County Health Center has started providing Kids Life services at that location.  There is office space available in the building and inquires should be directed to the LCHC for details. 

   Stratford Homes.  The plant is in full production with an average of 1 1/2 new homes built a week.  Pictures 3/14/2001 (Web Page)

 

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.   County residents have received  letters with their new assigned addresses.  Those  addresses will be certified to the county Postmasters. 

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.  

 

   Welcome letter to Citizens

Old Betsy in Home Coming Parade    

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

     Web Links:

Local Newspaper Web Pages

Help Wanted 

Chariton Volunteer Fire Department

    

 

 

 

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