Doug Lindner

SOLON– City council members agreed to prime the pump.
A splash pad committee is seeking to raise over a half-million dollars for a municipal water playground at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area, and the city has agreed to contribute $500 to help boost upcoming fundraising efforts.
The decision was made at the city council’s June 15 meeting.
The volunteer effort dates back to a 2012 survey of residents conducted by the Solon Parks and Recreation Commission seeking guidance for possible capital park improvements.

SOLON– If a proposed rule change goes into effect, alcohol will no longer be allowed at the Lake Macbride State Park beach.
But the process for approval is such that it may be October 2017 before the recommended changes take effect.
At a meeting Thursday, June 9, members of the Iowa Natural Resources Commission voted to approve a notice of intended action to amend the administrative rules governing state parks.

NEWPORT– There used to be a village of Newport along the road halfway between Solon and Iowa City.
St. Mary’s Church of Newport is just west on Newport Road, and if funds for its preservation are not raised, it may soon become a memory from the distant past, too.
The 130-year-old structure no longer serves a Catholic congregation as it did for the first 110 years of its existence. Even its role as a precinct polling place has fallen along the wayside.
The church bell, added in 1891, now tolls only a few times a year to mark the consecrated nuptials of a just-wedded couple.

SOLON– The vision for outdoor dining on Solon’s Main Street came into a little sharper focus at a May 4 city council meeting, but it’s still a little blurry around the edges.
In March, Red Vespa Pizzeria and Wine Bar owners Aziz and Angie Longou asked the city to consider allowing seasonal outdoor service by leasing a Main Street parking spot in front of their business.
In April, council members agreed and directed city staff to develop guidelines to allow sidewalk and street seating for Main Street eateries.

SOLON– It’s all about that Spartan pride.
It would cost just shy of $10,000 to add a Spartan logo and a black stripe to the Solon water tower.
And, that’s what rural Solon resident Alan Harrington has proposed to the Solon City Council.
Their response?
Sounds great if you have the cash.
“Do they have the money to pay for it up front?” asked council member Mark Krall.
Back in March, council members approved spending an extra $9,800 to enhance the lettering on the city’s water tower when it’s painted later this year.