NEXT CLUB MEETING

  The next meeting of the Optimist Club of Treynor is planned at 7:20 a.m. Saturday morning October 14, 2006 at the Treynor Community Center.  KEITH DENTON HAS arranged for Melissa Head to speak about reconstruction in Iraq.  All members are encouraged to bring a guest. 

 

REPORT OF RECENT CLUB MEETING

  At the Club meeting on 10/5 there were 22 members and two guests present.  President GARY GUTTAU opened the meeting by leading the pledge.  DALE WILLENBORG offered a devotional prayer.

  The 50/50 was awarded to KEVIN UNDERWOOD.  The attendance pot was awarded to BILL VORTHMANN, but it was not collected.

  TERESA FAHRENKRUG put a dollar in the Youth Fund to recognize her nephew being on the Riverside High School homecoming court.  LES HARVEY added a dollar to comment on the pride he felt riding the club float in the homecoming parade.  He was joined on the float by MILLI HARVEY, JERYL UNDERWOOD, and GERALD FORRISTALL.

  Pres. GUTTAU expressed thanks to the float builders who helped him—JOHN KLEIN, RICHARD VORTHMANN, DALE WILLENBORG, JOHN SCHMITT, CHAD GUTTAU, and LARRY KRAMER.  Special thanks to Rock Hard Motors of Treynor for providing a truck to pull the club float in the parade.  KLEIN was also active distributing red beads to youth in the parade.  The beads resulted from a donation by No Frills of Council Bluffs.

  Pres. GUTTAU also thanked the many workers who helped with parking and the football gate for the homecoming game.  These included KATHY and JOHN SCHMITT, ARLYN NORRIS, DALE WILLENBORG, GARY FUNKHOUSER, BOB HIBBARD, and LARRY KRAMER as well as Pres. GUTTAU.

  LES HARVEY announced the next can and bottle sorting at the Can Kennel would be on the 18^th at 6 p.m.  We will be helping the Silver-Keg Feeders 4-H at that time.

  DALE WILLENBORG noted the program underway until the end of December whereby HyVee purchase receipts can be turned into the Treynor schools for their benefit.

  Pres. GUTTAU announced the Zone meeting at Underwood on Monday and invited members to attend.

  JEFF JORGENSEN stated the Treynor Cub Scout Pack had registered over eighty cubs and needs volunteers to work with the den groups.  He suggested that since our club sponsors the cup pack, we should consider ways that the volunteer leaders could be recognized for all their efforts.

  Pres. GUTTAU passed around a worker sign up sheet for the upcoming Punt, Pass, and Kick activity after school this coming Thursday.  About fifteen helpers are needed to efficiently conduct the activity which will be held behind the high school on the softball field.  All youth from ages 8 to 13 are welcome and there is no cost to participants.

  Larry Kramer encouraged members to plan to attend the charter presentation banquet at Lamoni and to car pool for the trip.

 

COUNCIL BLUFFS POLICE CHIEF SPEAKS

  Keith Mehlin has been Chief of the Council Bluffs Police Department for six years and on the police force for over thirty years.  Mehlin spoke about the city police department operations and interaction with other area law enforcement agencies.  There currently are 107 working in the police department, Mehlin noted.  The force is led by four captains, four lieutenant captains, and twelve sergeants.  There are about fifteen detectives working on 30-40 cases per month.  Mehlin stated the uniform officers are the greatest contingent of the department, and there is a narcotics section, a bomb squad, a tactical operations squad, a traffic unit, and a crime scene investigation unit within the department.  The department receives an average of 65,000 calls per year, mostly due to disturbances and suspicious behavior.  Mehlin stated that Meth use was the greatest problem leading to criminal behavior.  While the local production labs are fewer due to state laws, there is a great amount of Meth imported into the area.  Relatively few local law enforcement problems stem from casino activity as most of the participants are not from Council Bluffs.  There are increasing gang activities in Council Bluffs according to Mehlin.  He encouraged a greater awareness of citizens.  Property crimes and domestic abuse are predominant problems.  Mehlin stated that domestic terrorism is more a concern of local law enforcement than foreign terrorism.  Federal funding for preparations to counteract terrorism have been drastically cut due to the cost of the military effort in Iraq.  Mehlin said the department keeps a presence of uniform officers in local schools.  Mehlin noted the department budget has been impacted by increasing health benefit costs and this has resulted in restrictions on the size of the police force.  There is great cooperation among law enforcement agencies-local, county, state, and federal.  Mehlin is a member of the Metro Chiefs Association encompassing the region around Omaha.  Mehlin said the department is working with the county to upgrade the radio communication system that is over 30 years old and obsolete.  A new system would facilitate communication between different law enforcement units.   

 

CALENDAR

October Can Collections for Silver-Keg 4-H Club

Oct. 12    Punt, Pass and Kick activity, High School Soft Ball Field, 3:45 p.m.

Oct. 14    1^st Quarter Iowa District Optimist Conference, Des Moines, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Oct. 14    Club meeting, program Melissa Head

Oct. 18    Can and bottle sorting, 6 p.m.

Oct. 21    Club meeting, program by Julie Buckelew

Oct. 28    Club meeting, program by Gregory Minter

Oct. 28    Lamoni Optimist Club Charter Presentation Banquet, .6:30 p.m., Lamoni Community Center

Nov.  1     Can and bottle sorting, 6 p.m.

November Can Collections for Honor Band.

 

Birthdays

10/17  Marsha Underwood,  10/29  Bill Vorthmann

Anniversaries

10/17  Dennis White

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