The Manning Municipal Light Plant completed its 55th year in 1992. The Utility has increased its usage from the first year total of 951,109 kilowatt hours and collections of $35,146.78 to 29,373,191 kilowatt hours and collections of $1;359,252.00 in 1991. The Utility has Ag Processing, Inc. as its largest customer, using 51 % of our kilowatt hours and being 41 % of our total collections.

The Electric Utility is a total underground system. In 1992 a new substation was started to be installed along with Northwest Iowa Power

Coop (NIPCO) of LeMars, Iowa. The switch station is located in the industrial area on the western edge of the city limits. The NIPCO switch station will give Manning a second supply line. The line is tied 1n with Corn Belt Power of Humboldt, Iowa. The completed project will cost a total of $325,000.00.

In the past few years the Utility has been replacing the current mercury street lights with the new state ruled high pressure sodium lights.

The Utility has been working with the Main Street Committee to improve the electrical underground system and street lights on Main Street. This project is not to be done for a few years, but when it is, the street lights will be the older and shorter style to go along with the German theme of Main Street.

In 1982, the Electric Utility installed and now operates the second municipally owned Cable TV System in the State of Iowa. Currently there are 10 Municipal Systems'-now in the State of Iowa. The Cable TV is an underground system. It started service on the 7th of August 1982 with a total of 245 customers. The customers received 16 channels at a cost of $9.50. The system has grown to its present 590 customers, receiving 23 channels at a cost of $12.50. Two movie channels are also available bringing the cost to $29.00 a month for 27 channels. The current Cable TV System currently services 88% of the homes in the City of Manning.

The Board of Trustees currently are: Duane Monson, since 1985, current Chairman of the Board; Gib Phillips, since 1986; Eddie Fischer, since 1967.

Trustee Eddie Fischer will be completing his 25th year as a trustee of the Manning Municipal Light Plant in December 1992.

Current employees are: Gerald Beck, Manager, with Utility since 1959; Verl Wurr, Line Foreman, with Utility since 1955; Keith Pfannkuch, Plant Operator, with Utility since 1971; Joni Warner, Secretary, with Utility since 1986.

The Gas Department celebrated 30 years of service to the Manning community in October of 1991. In the fall of 1992, the Gas Department expanded with a pipeline to Templeton, Iowa.

Gas revenue for 1991 was $1,212,869.00 in comparison to 1980's revenue of $82,705.46. A total of 460,985.7 MCF's were used by an estimated 673 customers in 1991. The totals for 1980 were 628 customers with usage of 31,165.0 MCF's. Much of the increase in gas usage can be attributed to Ag Processing.

Current personnel are: Ken Spies - since 1965; Errol Wegner - since 1974; Dorothy Grundmeier since 1976; Myron Bogatzke - since 1982; Jean Behrens - since 1988.

Current Board Members are: AI Rix, Larry Hansen, Ron Coiling.

Water for the town of Manning is drawn from four 50-foot wells located within the city limits. The water is tested for many impurities and is treated with chloride and fluoride. It is very hard and has a high iron content. While this gives the water a good taste, it creates problems in the mains and for homeowners. Manning residents consume about 200,000 gallons of water per day.

The waste water is treated at a municipal plant located southwest of the city park past the baseball field. Because of high state and federal standards mandated for waste water, the plant underwent extensive improvement in 1986. In addition to the installation of two new final clarifiers, the whole plant was rehabilitated. After treatment, waste water is discharged into the Nishnabotna River.

Recycling

"Archie" Lonnie Rowedder

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The Manning Public Library has been in its present location (310 Main Street) since March of 1982. The Library had previously been located in the east end of the City Hall offices, but was crowded and had to leave to make space for the gas office. The new location was purchased from Dr. Phillip Myer and opened its doors after extensive remodeling by city crews and volunteers.

The Library also contains a Community Room, used by many in the area for meetings, the memorabilia from the 1981 Centennial, a photograph collection of Manning in its early days, and a portion of the Holstein Fresian Museum.

The Library has issued around 900 family cards to those in the area as well as the residents of the Quakerdale facility. The Library participates in the State Open Access Program. This allows people with a card from Manning to use any of the participating 500 libraries.

Volumes total around 13,500 and the Library subscribes to 25 magazines. Many of the tapes shown on local cable channel 2 are also housed at the Library. VCR, slide projector, overhead projector, and screen are available to the public through the Library for a small rental fee.

Although the library is small in size, its users are not limited to what is on the shelves. Because of the limited amount of space, it is not always feasible to keep up with current nonfiction and fiction materials. The Library is part of the State Regional Library System and is served by the Northwest Regional Library out of Sioux City. A microfiche at the Library lists many of the titles of books in the region that can be checked out by ordering through the Manning Library. Memorial gifts are also a welcomed way to add to the Library collection.

Fredda Hinz retired from the Manning Library in January of 1989 after 43 years of service. Her portrait hangs inside the doorway and was painted by Des Moines artist Virginia MicKunus, daughter of Amos Lee, former Manning superintendent of schools. A charcoal sketch by Lou Polking Roach, Manning High School class of 1955, also hangs in the front of the library.

Ging Hudson and Harriet Gross worked as assistant librarians during the 1980's. Sheila Joseph, wife of Rev. Sushil Joseph of the Methodist Church, was hired to replace Fredda Hinz and filled the position until May of 1990 when the Josephs moved to Cherokee. Mari Jahn worked as summer librarian that year until Renee Pfannkuch was hired as librarian in August of 1990. Millicent Wiese also helps with library duties.

Board members for 1992 are as follows: Jean Hudson; Joan Hornberger, JoAnn Karsten, Donna Mullen, and Mary Stangl.

1913 - Rober-Wehrman installed a steam heating plant in their store. The three heating stoves were replaced with radiators.

Ten years ago, in 1981, the postmaster was Kenny Fogleman. The first class postage stamp was 22 cents. Manning had two full time rural routes. Rural route one was carried by Walter Lage and rural route two was carried by Ken Jensen, who is still carrying that route. The office had substitutes for each rural route. Manning also had one full time city carrier, Willy Hoffman, and a part time city carrier, Ron Odendahl. Back up carrier was Steve McCollum and a full time clerk was Bob Johnson.

That was the crew until 1984 when Willy retired from full time city carrier. Then Ron Odendahl and Steve McCollum moved up in positions and Kevin Boyens was hired. Also a new PTF clerk, Charol Zinke, was hired. The postage stamp remained at 22 cents.

1985 was another employee shake-up in the office. PTF clerk transferred out and Ken Ahrenholtz was hired as PTF clerk. The cost of the postage stamp went up to 25 cents in March and postmaster Ken Fogleman retired in March. The position of postmaster was run by an officer in charge (O.I.C.), Rita Houston, for a few months. New postmaster, Bruce Hamilton, was installed in October. Bob Johnson left the postal system this year. Ken Ahrenholtz was promoted to clerk position which was, by this time, reduced to a part time position. The Manning office was lowered to a level 15 this year. It had previously been an 18. The office level is calculated on revenue and number of deliveries. Both figures had gone down.

1986 - Kevin Boyens, the PTF carrier, transferred out to Spencer. Iowa, so Tom Sporrer was hired as PTF, and also as the back up for the small route or south Manning city carrier. Postage cost remained at 25 cents. By this time the PTF clerk and one of the PTF carriers was covered by only one person.

1987 - Some changes in the lobby included: a stamp machine being installed; a copier machine was discussed; an electric door lock was installed; the window hours were reduced; the window was closed for one hour over the noon hour. Stamps continued at 25 cents.

1988 - Steve McCollum transferred out to Denison so Leonard Sextro was hired as PTF carrier and clerk

1989 - Not much change occurred in the postal system.

1990 - Bruce Hamilton took a position in Sac City so Manning was open again for a new postmaster. Office was managed by officer in charge, Roxann Campbell, postmaster from Irwin. Ken Ahrenholtz was installed as postmaster in August of 1990 and stamps went up to 29 cents in February of 1991.

The last 10 years in the Manning post office have shown a lot of employee changes. There are only two employees left that have been there over 10 years. The price of the postage stamps

changed two times, from 22 cents to 29 cents.

1981-1991 has seen a lot of changes in how mail is handled before it gets to the Manning Post Office. The system is going more to automation in sorting of the mail. This results in reduced number of employees. Ten years ago there were 10 or 11 employees; in 1992 there are 6 - to do the same amount of work. The system has also started an Express Mail system and Priority Mail in addition to the normal first class, 2nd class, etc. as a service to meet the demands of the public.