Posted: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 12:00 am
On May 25, the night of the Parkersburg/ Dunkerton tornado, what was the title of the Star Trek episode that aired on FOX at midnight?
A: According to KFXA, that episode was No. 071, "Whom Gods Destroy."
Q. Who is the contractor for the two schools being built now in Waterloo, and the for the next one to be built?
A. Larson Construction of Independence is the contractor for Logan Middle School and Kittrell Elementary School. No contract has been awarded yet for McKinstry Elementary School. That is expected to happen Monday.
Q. What do they plan to do with the Washburn School property now that the school is torn down?
A. The Washburn site appeared on a list of Waterloo Community Schools properties whose fate will be decided in coming years. The list was compiled as part of an administration plan to balance the 2008-09 budget,
Q. What is the state average pay for teachers in Iowa?
A. As of 2005-06, the average pay of teachers in Iowa's public schools was $42,486, according to a report released in December 2007 by the National Education Association. Iowa's teacher salaries were ranked 39th highest among 50 states and the District of Columbia. The national average was $50,924.
Q. How is it possible for students to skip grades in the Waterloo School System?
A. This sometimes occurs with the most gifted students in the district's Expanded Learning Program. Mary Meier, the district's coordinator of supplemental programs, said in a January Courier story that students are considered for this depending on their social and emotional maturity. Others are accelerated in a single subject.
Q: How come when I call Waterloo Sewer Systems at 291-4553 there is no answer? Even the answering machine is off.
A: Our best guess is you need skinnier fingers or bigger buttons on your phone. A call to Waterloo Sewer Systems at (319) 291-4553 yielded an answer. A receptionist noted that the line was manned 24-hours a day, and in the rare event someone was not available to answer the phone, incoming calls would be forwarded to an answering machine.
Q. How can the Courier print a headline on the front page "Iowa cheers California rule legalizing gay marriage" when most of the state is against this?
A. Most of the article was devoted to Iowans who praised the decision. But the caller has a point. "Some Iowans cheer" or "Iowa activists cheer" would have been more accurate.