Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Newsletter January 2014

MEAD MESSENGER
Village of Mead
 
JANUARY 2014
Volume 10, Issue 1

Happy Holidays from the Village Board of Trustees and employees.  Be Safe!
 
     The Village Office will be closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.   The office may be closed at additional times during the holidays.
 
VILLAGE OF MEAD BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEET DECEMBER 10th
The Village of Mead Board of Trustees met December 10, 2013 at the Village Office. Present were Chair Guyle; Trustees Havelka, Miller, Wielage and Wimer. Also present were Clerk Moline, Utility/Maintenance Supt. Raver, Police Chief Carlson and Library Director Black. Guests present were Ben Day and Jake Vasa.

Guyle was elected Chair. Appointments approved were: Police Chief-Carlson; Clerk/Treasurer-Moline; Utilities/Maintenance Supt.-Raver; Library Director-Black; Attorney-Loren Lindahl; Engineer-Olsson Assoc.; Street Supt.-Julie Ogden, JEO. Approved were: Official Depository-Bank of Mead; Insurance Carrier-Inspro Insurance; 401k Administrator-Retirement Plan Consultants; and Official Newspaper-Wahoo Newspaper. The method of posting meetings was approved as the Bank of Mead, Mead Post Office and Mead Village Office. Appointed to serve on the Common Facility Board were Miller and Wielage; Guyle, Police Chief Carlson and Mary Miller to serve on the Municipal Board of Health; and Guyle, Havelka, Miller, Wimer and Planning Commission Chair Wieble appointed to serve on the Board of Adjustments with Wielage as alternate.

GUESTS: Jake Vasa JEO Consulting Group, inquired about projects to be considered on the One and Six Year Street Plan. Ben Day, Olsson Assoc. reported on the progress at the wastewater lagoon site, presented completed Needs Surveys for the water and sewer departments and process of the water system study.

REPORTS: LIBRARY: Black reported good attendance at the recent "Old Fashioned Christmas".

POLICE REPORT: The monthly police report was reviewed.

CLERK REPORT: Moline reported a delinquent utility account and broken window in the restroom located at the park.
PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT: The November 25 meeting minutes and 2013 Building Permit Report were reviewed. Discussion was held on front yard setbacks in the Single Family and Multiple-family Residential Zoning Districts.

NEW BUSINESS: Action was taken to approve an increase of $20.00 per month flat fee and $.10 for monthly volume charge for sewer usage. First reading of the ordinance to amend will take place at the January 14 meeting. Ord. No. 641, Update Legislative Action, 2013 and Ord. No. 642, Months to Average Sewer Usage Rate (amend from December, January and February to January, February and March) were adopted.

The Meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m.

Mead Community Group Healthy Family Tip of the Month
Learning to be Present with Our Families
By: Renee Trudeau  www.positiveparentingsolutions.com

Cultivating awareness, being fully present for one another, doesn’t mean radically changing our schedules or our lives. It’s more about our intention: How do we want to be when we are together? Spending time together “like you mean it,” is about slowing down, becoming more present, and really connecting from the heart with the amazing people you live with – your tribe.

As you explore how you can show up in your family relationships more present and alive, I encourage you to do so with a sense of playfulness. Then focus on these ways of relating:

• Cultivate curiosity. Take time to get to know your family members; don’t assume you already know everything about them. Crawl into their world and experience what makes them tick. What makes them come alive? Even if you have no interest in what are they “into” right now (whether that’s football, Barbies, or the latest pop band) you can show your interest in them. If you had to introduce your spouse or children to a relative who has passed, how would you describe them?

• Examine your own assumptions. Do you have preconceived ideas about what it’s like to raise a two-year-old or a sixteen-year- old? Often, people live up (or down) to our expectations, and we can get stuck in parenting ruts and habitual ways of interacting. The past is past; don’t miss opportunities to evolve into new ways of being with one another.

• Listen without judgment. Try “dropping history” and listening as if you’re hearing this person for the first time (a favorite practice in our home). Keep communication fresh, open, and new.

• Play together! Schedule time to be together engaged in fun activities. For some families, this is no problem. For others, it doesn’t always come naturally and may feel forced at first. Persevere. Be silly and have fun together, which encourages a playful way of relating in general; it can add a beautiful levity and lightness when challenging situations arise. Do what’s simple and easy: visit your twelve-year-old’s secret underground cave behind your home or simply wrestle on the floor.

• Get advice. Loving families are made, not born. Not sure how your seven-year-old is wired? Finding it hard to communicate with your hormone-addled teenager? To start, pick up a copy of Nurture by Nature by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger or The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.

• Express appreciation often. Let your spouse and children know you want to be with them, that you value and appreciate time with them, and that you enjoy spending time together. Let them know how special it is for you.

Consider this: As families, we will spend much more time together as adults than in a parent/child dynamic, so as parents we should ask, “What kind of adult am I raising, and who is this person I’ll be hanging out with for the next fifty years?” Taking time to really connect with and understand our family members can often be challenging, but the rewards are well worth it!
 
Join us for our next meeting January 14th at 7:00p.m. in the High School Commons .
 

 VILLAGE OF MEAD UPCOMING MEETINGS

Village Board:  Tuesday, January 14, 6:00pm
Planning Comm:  Monday, January 27, 7:30pm
Library Board:  Wednesday, January 15, 7:00pm
Fire and Rescue:  Monday, January 13, 7:30pm

The Village Board and Planning Commission meet at the Village Office, Library Board at the Library and Fire and Rescue at the Fire Station.

 MEAD DUMP CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

The Mead dump will be closed until further notice.  The contractors are currently laying pipe from the wastewater plant to the new lagoons through the dump.  Signs will be posted when the dump will reopen. 
 
Thank you for your cooperation during this important project.


 NEW GUIDELINE FOR SNOW REMOVAL
 
Please be aware that the Board of Trustees has approved a new code for snow removal.  After a snowfall of two (2”) inches or more it shall be unlawful to park or stand any vehicle on any street within the Village of Mead until the street has been cleared.  CODE 5-311
 
Any vehicle parked in violation of any traffic regulations or any vehicle parked so as to obstruct the free movement of traffic or to cause a traffic hazard, or any vehicle parked on any street or alley obstructing the removal of snow may be immediately removed upon order of the Police Department.  CODE 5-304
 
All sidewalks within the municipality shall be cleaned within twenty-four (24) hours after the cessation of the storm.  CODE  8-201


 Community Church Services

ALMA LUTHERAN  219 W Fifth St.
www.almalutheran.com / 402-624-3015
 
Worship - 8:30 am - first Sunday of the month
9:15 am - Sunday School for all ages
10:30 am - all other Sundays
PANERA BREAD, JANUARY 11,
10-11 AM,  in the church basement, FREE TO ALL

 
EVANGELICAL COVENANT  1540 Co Rd 10
Ec34720@windstream.net / 402-624-6125

 9:00 am  Coffee & visiting
10:00 am  Worship service (grade school age children dismissed for Kids Alive @ 10:30, nursery available during the service)
 
Weekly Schedule
Wednesday
6:00 pm  Dinner 4 Change (free to everyone)
7:00 pm  Life Group / Bible Study
ST. JAMES CATHOLIC  213 E. Eighth St.
sjamescatholicchurch.com / 402-624-3555
 
5:30 pm  Saturday Vigil
9:00 am  Sunday Mass
 
Weekly Schedule
7:00 am  Daily Mass - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
8:00 am  Daily Mass - Saturday, when scheduled
 WASTEWATER PROJECT FINANCING
Financial support for the new Wastewater Lagoons has been discussed by the Board of Trustees. 
 
Purchase of the land for the lagoons was financed by General Obligation Bonds.
 
Construction, engineering and attorney fees are being financed with two grants and a low interest loan from DEQ.  User fees will be used to repay the loan.  Consideration of the user fee rates are being held at the regular board meetings of the Board of Trustees.  Proposed are an increase of $20.00 base fee and $.10 volume charge per month. The board meets the second Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m.

VILLAGE OF MEAD
312 S. Vine St., P.O. Box 46
Mead, NE 68041-0046
Phone:  (402) 624-2495
Fax:  (402) 624-2024
E-mail:  meadclerk1@hotmail.com
Web:  www.meadnebraska.net

Gary Guyle, Chairman
Shawn Havelka, Trustee
Adam Miller, Trustee
Richard Wielage, Trustee
Rod Wimer, Trustee
 
June Moline, Clerk/Treas.  624-2495
Nick Raver, Ut/Mnt. Supt.  443-9688
Jerry Carlson, Police Chief  443-6846
Nancy Black, Librarian  624-6605
Nick Raver, Fire Chief 443-9688

MEAD LIBRARY NEWS by Nancy Black
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS!  The Mead Public Library wishes everyone a wonderful holiday season.
 
We have lots of Christmas books for children and adults.  Are you looking for a good holiday movie to watch? Come to the library and "check out" our selection!
 
The Mead Public Library will be CLOSED on December 24th and 25th, we will also be closed on December 31st and January 1st for the holidays with family.
 
On December 8th the library hosted about 30 guests to our "Old Fashioned Christmas Event".  Fun was had by all, snowflakes were decorated with glitter, stories were read by Mrs. Carlson and Mrs. Santa Claus.  Mr. & Mrs. Claus were the special guests of the evening and wonderful cookies were enjoyed by children and adults alike.
 
We hope you will be able to join us for the annual Library Spaghetti Feed at Mead High School on January 25th at 4:00 p.m. during the basketball games.  This fundraiser benefits the library programs and other needs of the library, thanks to the “Friends of the Library” organization.  See you there!
 
Don't forget to join us at the Mead Public Library every Tuesday 4:00 - 4:30 and Saturday 11:30 - NOON for HOLIDAY STORYTIME!!!  We will be creating holiday crafts following the story and of course snacks!  See YOU at Storytime!!!
 
Nov./Dec. New Materials:

“The Animal Book” by Steve Jenkins; “Edith The Cat Who Ate the Elm Tree” by Roz Young; “Last of the Amazons” by Steven Pressfield; “Venus Rising” by Pamela Hill; “Lucrezia Borgia and The Mother of Poisons” by Roberta Gellis; “The Queen in Winter” (short stories) by multiple authors; “Apologizing to Dogs” by Joe Coomer; “The Gypsies Never Came” by Stephen Roos; “The Jesus You Can't Ignore” by John MacArthur; “Chicks Kick Butt” (short stories) by multiple authors (donation;) “MacCallister, The Eagles Legacy” by William W. Johnstone (donation); “The Last Gunfighter: Reprisal” by William W. Johnstone (donation); “The Influence Game” by Stephanie Vance (donation); “The Runaway Mummy” by Michael Rex (donation); “Junkyard Dogs” and “The Dark Horse” both by Craig Johnson; “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck” by Jeff Kinney; “Starry Night” by Debbie Macomber; “Bella Maura” by Dawn Dyson (donation); “Journey to the Christmas Star” (DVD); “Elf-Man” (DVD); “Journey to Rainbow Island” by Christie Hsiao (donation); “Story's End” by Marissa Burt; Lego Chima-#1 “The Legend Begins”, #2 “Eris to the Rescue”, #3 “Cragger's Revenge”; “Turbo” (DVD); “Man of Steel” (DVD); “A Country Christmas” (DVD); “NickToons Christmas” (DVD); “The Christmas Town” by Elyse Douglas; “The Spirit of Christmas” by Dana Corbit (donation); “The Christmas Cookie Collection” by Lori Wilde; “Christmas on Main Street” by various authors; “A Christmas Goodnight” by Nola Buck.
 
Thank you to members of the Mead Fire / Rescue Department for assisting Santa Claus on his visit to Mead on December 18th.  Santa took time to stop at Mead Elementary School and Mead Public Library.
 
A special thanks to Santa for taking time to stop at Mead.  See you next year!
 

FIRST STREET TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE
 
    Due to construction of the wastewater lagoon project it will be necessary to close First Street from Co Rd 10 west to either Pine Street or Spruce Street. This is required to maintain the removal of waste and will require pumping from the manhole that is located in the middle of First Street.
    Closing will be sometime in January (unless weather moves the date back).  The timeframe indicated is approximately 2 weeks, but please be aware it could be more or less.  Notices will be posted at the Village Office, Bank of Mead, Post Office and Country Store as the date nears.