563 Area Code

Weeds in sidewalks are responsibility of property owner

Q: In Bettendorf, grass and weeds are growing up through the seams in sidewalks and roadway concrete poured just last summer. Is it not true that Bettendorf residents are required to maintain the city sidewalks and curbing adjacent to their property? If so, how is this being enforced?

— Ken, Bettendorf

A: Bettendorf City Attorney Greg Jager said the city code requires owners of property that abuts a city street to “maintain all property outside the lot and property lines and inside the curb lines upon such public street or streets.” So it is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner to remove weeds or grass growing in the sidewalk.

He said if the concrete was poured recently and the concrete is broken, there may still be a bond in place requiring the contractor to repair the damaged area.

You may contact the city to report the location you mentioned in the question. Code enforcement issues may be reported by calling (563) 344-4064.

Q: A few years back (maybe eight or so) you ran a game that involved giving out clues and having the readers try to find the hidden object (a key) with associated prizes to be given to the finder.  It was such a fun game, and I haven’t read anything about it ever coming back.  Have you entertained the idea about running something like that again?

— Scott, Blue Grass, Iowa

A: You’re referring to the “Keys to the Cities” contest that the Times sponsored in 2001 and 2002. While we don’t have any plans at this point to bring the promotion back, it was a fun and popular game.

The eight-week event provided weekly prizes and a grand prize of $5,000 for people who followed cleverly written clues in each day’s paper to find a key hidden somewhere around the Quad-Cities. The weekly winners then competed in the finals on a Saturday morning to find the final key.

Q: Is there a phone number you can call like the no-call telemarketing list to stop the politicians and the political calls?

— Honey, Eldridge, Iowa

Q: How can we block all of the political calls on our telephone? I am on the no-call list, but was told that political calls are not included. Four times now, we have had calls for a five-minute survey on your political choice. It does not do any good to hang on and wait to give them a piece of your mind because they are all just recordings.

— Alberta, Davenport

A: Although not enforced by law, stoppoliticalcalls.org allows individuals to add themselves to a growing registry.

Area Codes in Iow, Area Code 319, Area Code 563, Area Code 641, Area Code 515, Area Code 712, List of Iowa Area Codes

The complete zip-area code directory

State yellow book

Patterson's elementary education

The Encyclopedia of Michigan 1999