UI Dentistry Building gets $62 million facelift: Daily Iowan Reader, June 26

UI Dentistry building undergoing major renovations

Students, faculty, and patients at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry are getting new digs as part of a major renovation project. The dental science building has not been renovated at this scale since its construction in 1973.

UI College of Dentistry Dean David Johnsen said the building has needed work for a while.

“The purpose of the building is to engage patients, students, colleagues, and the state as a whole, and the renovations contribute to this,” he said.

The renovations are part of a major $62 million renovation project, including the new 33,000-square-foot patient care addition, improved research labs and simulation clinic.

Officials recently increased the pre-dentistry program’s class size from 71 students to 80, Johnsen said.

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Local gardeners promote natural pest control

When it comes to getting rid of bugs, local experts say going natural is the best choice.

Master gardener Joanne Leach shared her knowledge about natural pest control with a group of local gardeners Monday at Earth Source Gardens, an event hosted by New Pioneer Co-Op.

Leach, who has been a master gardener for 15 years, said that insects can often benefit the garden through pollination, recycling and eating other harmful insects. 

“Insects are an integral part of a complicated food chain  … when it’s out of balance that’s when you notice the pests in your garden,” she said.

Leach suggested several techniques to help curb pests such as row covers, bird and deer netting, companion plants and home-made sprays using natural ingredients such as garlic.

While pesticides are often used by farmers because they are more economically feasible, Leach said the home gardener can easily avoid pests and pesticides.

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Some students question Hawk Alert effectiveness

Several University of Iowa students reportedly did not receive the June 22 Hawk Alert, and UI Police officials say inaccurate contact information could have led to the confusion. 

Chuck Green, the assistant vice president for the UI police, said the Hawk Alert sent out Thursday night was the first one in which he was notified of students not receiving it.

“I’m not sure why they didn’t receive it,” he said, adding he had only received two emails from students expressing concern about not getting the alert. “I know there were a couple people who said they did not. I would advise [those] who did not receive one to go to the website.”

UI Police spoke with Information Technology Services and Green told The Daily Iowan if someone did not get the alert and has their information updated, they should contact technology officials themselves.

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Local carousel operator tells story of love for the carnival

There are things one learns as a carousel operator. Bryon Young has learned them. 

He knows offhand, for instance, that the Coral Ridge Mall, where the carousel resides, was founded on July 29, 1998. He knows each fiberglass animal in the carousel’s vibrant menagerie is the end product of 100 hours of hand-painting, and that the mall’s carousel has 1,372 iridescent lights — he knows, because he’s counted them.

Young just waved his hand, downplaying the magnitude of the task. 

“See, all you have to do is count one section and multiply by 12,” he said.

Young, 68, also knows his customers’ faces, and their families’ names. He knows who is moving to Oklahoma soon and who is out of school for the summer. He knows the most popular animal on the carousel is an impressive turquoise sea dragon with fins and scales. He reasons this must be true, because its paint has been worn away with heavy use. 

But of course, Young also knows this because it’s just the type of thing one learns working at a carousel for six years.

He inquired about the carousel’s music during a shopping trip, and became one of the mall’s part-time carousel operators in Thanksgiving 2006. He now owns several soundtracks of the creaky band organ melodies himself, from the 40s and early 50s.

As early as 1950, carnival rides were a part of Young’s daily life.

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Four Iowa City churches compete, raise money for Crisis Center

What started last summer as a friendly competition between three local churches to donate as many food items as possible to the Johnson County Crisis Center has become an annual event and has expanded this year to include more churches.  

This year, four Iowa City churches are involved in the competition to see which of their Vacation Bible School programs can donate the most food items to the Johnson County Crisis Center Food Bank’s Thanksgiving in July summer food drive initiative.

Beth Ritter Ruback, the communications and development director at the Crisis Center, said friendly competitions like this are great for bringing in donations and can be a big boost to community-wide food drives.  

Read more here.

Iowa football adds three more 2013 recruits

Kickoff for the 2012 Iowa football is still 67 days away, but Iowa's coaching staff has been busy on the recruiting trails. Three more high school players made verbal commitments with the Hawkeyes on Sunday, according to Scout.com, including the first in-state recruits of the 2013 recruiting class.

 Trevon Young — Young is a 6-4, 220-pound linebacker from Lincoln High School in Des Moines. Young is ranked is a two-star recruit according to Scout.com. Young recorded 47 solo tackles - five for loss - and recovered two fumbles during the 2011 season. Offensively, Young also racked up 170 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver. Defensive line coach Reese Morgan Young successfully recruited Young, who also had offers from Iowa State and South Dakota State. 

Ike Boettger — Boettger is a 6-5, 220-pound athlete from Cedar Falls High School. Boettger was also recruited by Coach Morgan and will likely fill one of the tight end slots when he arrives on campus. Boettger threw for 750 yards and 9 touchdowns during his junior year as the backup quarterback at Cedar Falls High. Boettger is unranked and didn't have any other scholarship offers, but he’ll likely joins Feretnz's list of former quarterbacks who go on to play a different position for the Hawkeyes.

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City High baseball capitalizes early, defeats Dubuque

The City High Little Hawks won the opener of a double-header over Dubuque Wahlert, 11-3, on Monday night. City High gained an early 5-run advantage over the Golden Eagles with a string of quality first-inning at bats. 

The five-run cushion was more than enough for starting sophomore pitcher Mitch Wieland and the stingy Little Hawk defense — City held the lead for the entire game.

Dubuque starting pitcher Kyle Leubka threw a shaky one-third of an inning to start the game. The hurler walked six, and 5 runs crossed the plate — with the lone hit coming in the form of a bunt single. The Little Hawk hitters tried to jump on  Leubka’s off-speed deliveries but fought through the count time and time again to safely reach base.

Read more here.