Home Care In Solon, IA

Ideal Decorating started in Dyersville, then opened stores in Guttenberg and now Solon

SOLON — If you’re looking for a design solution, whether that’s furniture, décor or flooring, the team at Ideal Decorating may be able to help out.

With the flagship store and warehouse for Ideal Decorating is in Dyersville, the business offers everything from mattresses and bedding to area rugs, furniture, artwork, lighting, and flooring, for both residential and commercial spaces.

The team also offers home consultations and free delivery within a 60-mile radius of Dyersville. And it’s just opened a new retail store in downtown Solon.

Beth Gudenkauf, 31, is one of the owners, along with Tommy Dee, Jon Scherbring and Kelly Milbert, whose parents ran the Dyersville business for more than a decade before she took it over in 2014.

The business partnership among the four has grown over the last decade.

“We've built a company that we are really proud of,” Gudenkauf said. “We cherish the fact that we are continuing the legacy in a way that I know our previous owners would be really proud of, too.

“I think what sets us apart from the rest is our outstanding customer service,” she said. “We build relationships with our customers and love to see the final outcome of their projects, whether it's big or small.”

It also has helped the business grow. Just two years into taking over the business, they opened a second location in Guttenberg, along the Mississippi River in Clayton County.

Gudenkauf describes her role as operating manager of the Solon store, which opened March 10.

“I'll help with anything from office work — flooring blueprints, sales, orders, and inventory — to scheduling flooring installs and managing employees,” she said. “I'll spend days getting caught up on orders, flooring estimates, scheduling jobs/deliveries, work on some social media, all while also helping customers as they come in.”

Scherbring also does a little bit of everything, she said.

“He'll help with the overall design and look of the three locations,” she said. “He's great at helping customers pick out furniture and decor and isn't afraid to go a little out of the box with his designs. You'll see him at every furniture and decor market, checking out the new trends and bringing them to life in our stores.”

Milbert handles the finances and will help on the sales floor when needed, Gudenkauf added.

And Dee, she said, “was a big influence in coordinating the Solon project but has also helped with our build-outs at the other locations. He is an owner that will continue to help with the growth in Solon.”

Gudenkauf said when Ideal Decorating was at a point where it wanted to expand, it landed on Solon.

“We saw the growing demographics in that area,” she said. “We also saw a lot of similarities between Solon and Dyersville, which made us believe it was a good fit for us.”

Gudenkauf said she is thankful for the teamwork of the owners, eight full-time employees and a few part-time high school students who help with their schedules allow.

“Every day is different,” she said. “One day I might need to help with a delivery or unloading a truck and the next day I might spend the entire day at my desk.”

That variety is a perk of the job, Gudenkauf said.

“Every customer is different,” she said. “We'll have customers that still have a very traditional style and we'll cater to that and the next one that walks in the door wants a very modern look. We're very accommodating to all the styles that are presented to us.

“You can walk into our locations and get the urban industrial vignettes, as well as a farmhouse vignette right next to it. We have a very collective design group and use that to our advantage when ordering for our showrooms.”

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SOLON, Iowa (KCRG) - A bill making its way through the Iowa legislature aims to support small grocery stores, especially in rural areas.

According to the Center for Rural Affairs, if passed, the bill would set aside about $2 million from the General Fund. That money could then be used for projects that help stores or farm stands keep going, or it could even be used to start up a business.

Sam’s Main Street Market in Solon is a grocery store that could potentially be eligible for some of this money.

Owner Sam Lensing said there are problems he faces running a smaller business.

“Getting the public to accept that you actually are a feasible place to shop and still save money. I think a lot of small stores, small-town stores kind of get that stigma of being overpriced,” said Lensing.

Senate Study Bill 3074 would create a grant and loan program to help locally-owned stores. Businesses could apply for money to support specific projects.

“Maybe they have more ability to store things longer with the freezer space, maybe they have more counter space, or they can do some sort of marketing to help increase the flow of traffic in their business,” said Cynthia Farmer with the Center for Rural Affairs, an organization that supports this bill.

When TV9 described the proposal to Lensing: “That’d be be a real sweet deal to be able to take advantage of something like that.”

When we asked what project he might use the money for, he said, “With myself aging, I could use a new jack to unload trucks with...maybe an exterior facelift on the building...there’s always something that’s on the wish list.”

According to Farmer, the bill was about supporting food access in rural areas.

”I actually grew up near Aurora,” she said. “Sometimes the grocery store doesn’t have everything that we’re looking for, and so we make the trip much further away.”

She added that making sure people in rural areas can get nutritious food is also helping ensure these smaller towns survive.

“We want people to stay in the rural communities in Iowa and have the joy of living there and not feel like they’re obligated to move somewhere closer to a town,” said Farmer.

Lensing said his father-in-law started the store around 1975. He believe the Solon community is grateful they’re still there close to 50 years later.

“I think we’re valued more to the community than what we believe ourselves,” said Lensing.

There will be a subcommittee meeting concerning this bill Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. Details on how to virtually join the meeting can be found here.

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SOLON, Ia. — High above Spartan Stadium, printed in large black letters so everyone can see, Solon football’s daily mantra is undeniable.

“Where excellence is tradition.”

The slogan may fit a familiar mold seen throughout programs nationwide, but there are no cliche elements here. A school, a community — and a long list of decorated coaches and alumni — come together to form the Solon brand. The Spartans don’t hope for lengthy postseason runs; they demand them.

Another opportunity for greatness awaits.

Back on championship glory’s doorstep, the 2019 Spartans have a chance to establish themselves as one of Solon’s best. After winning four consecutive titles from 2007-10, the Spartans haven’t appeared in a UNI-Dome finale since. There have been plenty of victories — but no November celebrations. That could change with one more riveting performance in Thursday’s Class 3A title game against Western Dubuque.

“To finally be living this out this many years later is a really special feeling,” said senior wide receiver AJ Coons, who was a Solon ball boy during the Spartans’ four-peat. “We’re just excited for the opportunity to be in the championship game.”

Navigating a long season with lofty expectations can be a daunting task, even if the scores get lopsided at times. Credit Solon’s veteran group for keeping this unit grounded. That’s how you go from anticipating a state title in August to playing for one in November.

A "finish the job" mantra permeated the Solon camp all the way back to preseason workouts. The Spartans' deep senior class wasn’t running from the pain of last year and the campaign before.

Back-to-back undefeated regular seasons crashed hard with playoff despair. In 2017, it was Cedar Rapids Xavier running Solon out of the UNI-Dome in the semifinals. Western Dubuque delivered a similar beatdown in last season’s opening round.

An uptick in focus and preparation took over after that Bobcat loss. Solon knew it had the pieces coming back to end this unfortunate trend. No one was letting this opportunity slip away much too early.

“It starts with senior leadership,” Solon coach Kevin Miller said. “All great football teams have it. Our seniors have done a great job leading by example and setting a standard.

“… It’s one thing to articulate what the standard is. It’s another to provide the example, and that’s what these guys have done. They’ve walked the walk and provided a great opportunity for our juniors to see what it takes to succeed, not just on the practice or playing field but how they conduct themselves in our school and beyond. This senior group has really come a long way. They’ve matured tremendously and completely surrendered to the process.”

Digging into the journey reveals a few pivotal points. As much as coaches love to cruise, there’s lessons to be learned in hurdling adversity before the season is at stake. Solon didn’t have that in 2017 or 2018. Its 20 combined wins those two years came by an average of 34 points. There was no experience with turbulence when things spiraled in the playoffs.

Not this year. An early dogfight against Davenport Assumption sent a September jolt through the Solon squad. Two weeks later, the Spartans saw their mettle tested again in an impressive second-half rally at Washington.

There was no panic then — and there’s been none since, even as things have tightened in the postseason. Two of the Spartans’ three playoff triumphs have come by one score. Prior to that, Solon only had three one-score wins in its last 37 victories spanning three seasons.

“Having those bad plays, we’re just able to shed them off and just keep trucking along,” junior Lucas TePoel said. “We’re thinking about the next play, because that play you’re in is the most important play.”

On the other side, though, is a Western Dubuque squad just as daunting. The Bobcats’ 12 victories have come by an average of 28-plus points, including five straight by more than three touchdowns. Numerous pieces are back from 2018’s runner-up team that demolished Solon in the first round.

It’s a different team, sure. But the Spartans haven’t forgotten that sour feeling.

No one will be satisfied with anything but perfection. Forget that Solon is 3A’s smallest school, nearly half the size of Western Dubuque. The Spartans — and everyone who is or has been associated with the program — aren’t ones to settle. Coming this far doesn’t cut it.

“We’re nine years removed from being in our last title game,” Miller said. “Being in 3A has been a little bit different, there’s no doubt about it. Being in 2A, we were one of the larger schools and had great athletes and great teams. Jumping up to 3A has provided us with a different challenge. Every week, you’ve got to bring it. There’s depth and teams are two-platooning. There are just a lot of things you discount when you’re playing 2A football.

“So this is pretty meaningful. We won it in 2010 when we first jumped up to 3A but now — nine years removed — to have this opportunity and to see how this has developed over the span of the last 10 years of being in 3A is pretty special. It’s just extremely gratifying and rewarding.”

Excellence is expected. It’s on these Spartans to add to the tradition.

“Where excellence is tradition,” Coons said, “that’s just what we try to live by every day.”

Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.

Benton Community School District voters say ‘no’ to $48.5 million school bond referendum for projects, including new elementary school

Grace King

Voters in Solon and Iowa Valley school districts said “yes” Tuesday to school bond referendums that will fund facility improvements.

A $25.5 million bond referendum in the Solon Community School District will fund improvements to Lakeview Elementary School, an expansion of its intermediate school and construction of a multipurpose indoor activity center.

In Iowa Valley, a $10.6 million bond referendum will provide funds to renovate, repair, remodel, improve and furnish the existing elementary and junior-senior high school buildings.

A bond requires 60 percent majority vote to pass.

Benton residents vote ‘no’

Benton Community School District residents voted “no” to a $48.5 million school bond referendum that would have funded school improvement projects, including building a new elementary school in Van Horne.

Residents opposed the bond for Benton schools Tuesday with 64 percent voting against the measure and 65 percent voting against a levy to pay the principal of the bond. This was the first bond to be proposed in the district in 44 years. The last bond referendum was approved in 1979 and took the school district 10 tries to get passed by voters, Benton Community Superintendent Pamela Ewell said.

The district can’t wait another 10 years to fund needed improvement projects in the district, Ewell said.

“People misunderstand the gravity of what we’re trying to do,” she said. “The issues we took forward on the referendum are still present and our vision for a quality education for our kids still is strong.”

Other possible funding options include sales tax dollars for urgent improvement needs at Atkins Elementary and the high school and middle school or another general obligation bond referendum in the fall. Ewell said sales tax dollars can’t fund the “large capital improvement” projects the district needs.

The school board will look at survey data regarding the bond referendum and make a decision on how to proceed, Ewell said.

The bond issue would have increased property taxes by $4.05 per $1,000 of taxable value. The district’s tax levy currently is $9.70, one of the lowest in the Grant Wood Area Education Agency region.

Solon approves $25.5 million bond

The bond referendum approved by Solon voters will fund an expansion to Solon Intermediate School, including adding seven general education classrooms, one special education classroom, one project-based learning room and a gym. The intermediate school was built in 2017 and designed for an additional wing to be added when necessary. The project is estimated to cost $9 million to $10 million.

The referendum passed with 65 percent of residents voting in favor.

The tax rate, which is $16.28 per $1,000 of taxable valuation, will not increase.

Once the intermediate school expansion is complete, third-graders will be moved in to the intermediate school to join the fourth- and fifth-graders. This will make more room at Lakeview Elementary School for improvements to be made and for future students, Solon Superintendent Davis Eidahl said.

“We’re all excited and very appreciative of our community for seeing the need and supporting the need,” Eidahl said.

The district still is considering a location for a new multipurpose indoor activity facility, which was proposed under the bond referendum and could be completed within the next three years, Eidahl said. The facility will have turf flooring that can be used for baseball, softball, soccer, golf, marching band, archery and other activities. The middle school property would be a potential site for the $4 million project.

Iowa Valley approves $10.6 million bond

Voters in the Iowa Valley Community School District approved a $10.6 million bond referendum with 73 percent voting in favor of the measure.

The bond issue would increase property taxes by $4.05 per thousand dollars of taxable value. The current tax rate is $11.97. A homeowner with a home valued at $200,000 would see an increase to $437.94 in school property taxes a year, or $36.50 a month. A homeowner with a home valued at $100,000 would see an increase to $209.15 a year in school property taxes, or $17.43 a month.

The bond would enable the district to update and remodel its existing career and technical education shop and classroom at Iowa Valley Junior-Senior High School in Marengo. It also would fund construction of a secure entryway at the junior-senior high school.

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CEDAR FALLS, Ia. — The cruel reality sports often reveal is there aren’t enough happy endings to go around. Teams that feel they’ve earned one, and maybe even deserve one, don’t always get one. And that can be hard to stomach.

So it goes for Solon’s 2019 bunch, a talented, veteran unit that brought football glory back to a community that yearns for every ounce — but had to settle for postgame tears Thursday night inside the UNI-Dome. Despite a season full of unforgettable memories, there the Spartans were, lining the path back to the visitors’ locker room with pain and sorrow.

It’s a tough final scene, not a defining image.

“To me,” Solon coach Kevin Miller said after the Spartans' 37-17 loss to Western Dubuque in the Class 3A final, “these kids are successful because of the things they’ve done — not only in our program but within our school. I define that as success in my mind.”

Solon, with its undefeated ledger and championship dreams, didn’t trek to Cedar Falls for anything other than a celebration. That’s how a program with five state titles, including an emphatic late 2000s four-peat, operates.

Even if it’d take an essentially flawless gameplan to topple mighty Western Dubuque, so be it — that’s what the Spartans planned to deliver.

Such a situation, though, doesn’t offer much room for error.

Against a program with bigger numbers, a deeper roster and no signs of slowing down, Solon had to be sharper Thursday night than it had been all season. Field goals, fumbles and little defensive resistance aren’t upset ingredients.

The Spartans bookended the game with end-zone visits, but in between didn’t feature much positivity. Western Dubuque scored 37 of the next 40 points after Solon jumped out to a 7-0 advantage. AJ Coons’ night-ending knee injury was another dismal twist.

“AJ and I have been friends since kindergarten,” quarterback Cam Miller said, “and to see him go out like that was terrible. He’s had a hell of a career here, and my heart bleeds for him that it had to end like that.

“But I feel confident we impacted Solon football.”

This group certainly did, even as much as Thursday’s outcome stung. A decorated senior class saw the varsity squad go 41-5 during its Solon tenure, while helping the Spartans back to championship’s doorstep for the first time since 2010. The on-field action flourished as did the off-field relationships. The standard of excellence Solon articulates in all areas was undoubtedly met.

Miller, Coons and wide receiver transfer Jace Andregg highlight the group — not just for their football futures but respected demeanors as well. You won’t find many Iowa high school rosters with three Division I skill players, all of whom lead with no ego involved.

This trio will remain in familiar circles. With North Dakota State and South Dakota State set to visit Northern Iowa next season, all three Valley commits will play football in this state again soon enough. Expect the Solon community to remain latched on to their athletic journeys.

“I’ve had a lot of fun playing here, especially with Cam and AJ,” said Andregg, the UNI commit who transferred from Cedar Rapids Prairie last offseason. With them going their separate ways, same as me, when we come across each other, it’s going to be bittersweet just because all the things we went through. It will be really nice to see them, and we’ll definitely still stay in contact.”

Those meetups will likely include recollections of the many glowing memories, not the agony of Thursday evening.

Not everyone gets a grand finale, and these Spartans will have to live with that. It doesn’t mean Solon’s impact won’t reverberate for years to come.

“I’d just like to say I’m proud of our team,” Kevin Miller said. “I think coming into the season, we knew we had a pretty good team with some pieces. But this team really came together. They transformed themselves into a really competitive football team because of our senior leadership. It wasn’t always pretty, but once they surrendered to the process, this team really took off.

“In my opinion we achieved a great deal.”

Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.