Scott West Gets Top Seed for Section Team Tourney
B.P. Firefighters to Climb Stairway to Dollars Page 2
Boys’ Hoops Team Conquers Titans Page 15
Page 14
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THIRD YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, FEBRUARY 12, 2014
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 7
Traffic Light Control System to be Constructed and Flashing This Spring
State Lawmakers Offer Updates Belle Plaine’s state lawmakers -- Sen. Kevin Dahle, DFL-Northfield, and Rep. Kelby Woodard, R-Belle Plaine, met with area residents for a town hall meeting Saturday at the Belle Plaine Library. The update and discussion included expectations of the bonding bill and what will likely happen when lawmakers return to a short session Feb. 25, spending on a Vikings’ stadium in the wake of personal seat license amounts released last week, various ideas on tax relief and positions on topics like when school districts should start the school year. The two lawmakers held similar town hall meetings in Le Sueur, New Prague and Elko New Market Saturday.
Belle Plaine City Engineer Joe Duncan reports that the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) has scheduled April 21 as the start date for the construction of a four-way traffic light control system at the intersection of East Main Street/Highway 25 and Old Highway 169 Boulevard in Belle Plaine. The completion date is May 16. Meanwhile, thanks to the bid coming in well below the construction estimate, the city’s 20 percent share of the overall construction cost has decreased from $61,208.57 to $42,492.49, according to Duncan. Four bids were received for the construction work earlier this winter, the lowest being from Granite Ledge Electrical Contractors, Inc. of Foreston in the amount of $170,625, which
Duncan said is over 30 percent below the estimate. In a letter last year from Gregory Kern of Mn/DOT Metro Signal Design, the total cost of the system’s construction, as well as design and administrative work, was estimated at $298,188. The $170,625 bid submitted by Granite Ledge Electrical Contractors was for construction costs only. Mn/ DOT will pay for 80 percent of the project’s cost. Once the signal system is in place, Mn/DOT will be responsible for its operation and performing “major” maintenance functions, including the emergency vehicle preemption system and replacing equipment when needed. The city will be responsible for “minor” maintenance items, including re-lamping and cleaning the
system. The city will also be responsible for 100 percent of power costs, including connection fees and monthly power charges associated with the signal luminaries. The intersection is located next to the west ramps of the Highway 169 interchange. The traffic light control system to be installed there will replace the existing four-way stop signs. There is currently no traffic signal system in place in Belle Plaine. The traffic light control signal system is part of Mn/DOT’s overall plan for the interchange, which was constructed and opened several years ago. The agreement stated that when Mn/DOT determines a traffic signal system is deemed warranted, it will be installed. The city of Belle Plaine was not a proponent of the project.
City, Chamber Hold Awards Night The city of Belle Plaine and Chamber of Commerce once again teamed up to hold Belle Plaine’s annual Dinner and Awards Night last Tuesday at the Borough Bowl Banquet Room. Josh Selbrade of Coborn’s became the 2014 president of the chamber of commerce, taking over for Karl Kolden of Kolden Funeral Home. The new vice president is Lynzi Kleist of
Genesis Town & Country/ Hardware Hank. Those recognized for becoming new businesses in Belle Plaine in 2013 were Waddell & Reed Financial Advisors, Main Street Donuts and Deli and Legacy & Nutrition. New ownership and management plaques went to Home Town Inn and Suites and Kolden Funeral Home. Those recognized for improve-
ments and or expansions to their buildings were Sparetime Tavern, North American Safety, Genesis Town & County/Hardware Hank, Cambria, Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church and School, Main Street Donuts and Deli, Belle Plaine Chiropractic and Wellness Center, Salon 129, Brad’s Barber Shop, Andy’s Bar and Grill, Annie’s Cafe, and Waddell & Reed FiSeven seniors on the BPHS dance team will be ending their high school dance careers at Target nancial Advisors. Center this Saturday. They are, from left, Bryce Schmidt, Hannah Johnson, Bree Sisell, Lexi Stauffacher, Ashley Morrison, Megan Schumacher and Tessa Olson.
Belle Plaine, Area Republicans Back BPHS Seniors Have At Least Johnson, Ortman at GOP Caucus DFLers Back Hike in Minimum Wage
Belle Plaine and area Republicans supported Jeff Johnson to face DFL Gov. Mark Dayton at the GOP caucus Tuesday (Feb. 4) at Oak Crest Elementary. In straw polling, Johnson finished with 11 of the 33 votes cast at the caucus. He finished ahead of “undecided” which was the choice of eight cau-
cus participants. Across Scott County, Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville, won the most GOP support. Across Minnesota, Republicans at caucuses liked Marty Siefert, a former state lawmaker, the most in the non-binding straw polls. Thompson and Johnson respectively came in second and third statewide. Republicans at the Belle Plaine caucus also picked State Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, as their pick to take on Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat in the fall. Resolutions passed at the GOP
caucus included support allowing businesses, if they wish, to be open Sundays. The resolution if ultimately approved and passed into law, would allow businesses not traditionally open Sundays – notably car dealerships and liquor stores or sales in other retail outlets – to be open at the pleasure of ownership.
One Big Dance Left in Them
by Dan Ruud What started out as “Just for Kix” youth dance classes in Belle Plaine has continued to evolve over the years and will peak (and end) this Saturday when a number of Belle Plaine High School seniors conclude their high school dance careers on the big floor at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. DFLers Meet At the DFL caucus at the Belle The Belle Plaine High School Plaine District Center, Demo- “Explosion” dance team will compete in the Minnesota State Caucus Class 2A High Kick competi(continued on page 8) tion at approximately 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon. It will be
Belle Plaine’s second ever appearance at the state meet, the first being in 2009. Head coach Kathi Stauffacher, who is coaching her last season, has been with the BPHS dance program since its inception. “We started in 2000 as a community education program to see if it would take off and if the interest would be there,” she said. “In 2004, we joined the Minnesota State High School League and at that time our school size warranted us to be in Class 1A (the smaller schools).” It wasn’t until the year after Belle Plaine’s last trip to state that Hannah Johnson, Bryce Schmidt and Lexi Stauffach-
er joined the varsity team as eighth-graders. Before that, they danced in the junior high program and the local dance studio – Just for Kix. Today, they’re seniors with at least one big dance left in them, possibly two if they can crack the top six in the first round of Saturday afternoon’s 12-team Class 2A high kick competition. Johnson, who qualified individually for the state golf tournament last spring and was the school’s homecoming queen in the fall, is a five-year varsity high kick team member and two-year jazz team member.
Big Dance
(continued on page 7)
BPHS One-Act Play and Dance Teams to Compete in State Meets
Borough Riders Hold Event Over 75 people showed up for a Belle Plaine Borough Riders Snowmobile Club event at club President Dave Juerrisen’s property near the former Hot Spot fuel station on Sunday. The purpose of the event was to bring more awareness to the club, which is always seeking more members. Sunday’s event included a raffle and Arctic Cat Kitty Cat rides for the children, as well as displays of present day and antique snowmobiles. Hot dogs and hot cocoa were also served. “It was a very brisk day but we had a good turnout and are looking forward to doing it again next year,” said Becky Wessels, the club’s events coordinator. More information about the Borough Riders Snowmobile Club can be found on its Facebook page. You can also call Jeurrisen at 952-686-8816 if you’re interested in joining.
As was the case in 2009, Belle Plaine High School performers will have both Minneapolis and St. Paul covered this week. On Friday, Belle Plaine’s one-act play group will take its section championship act “The Drowsy Professor” to the state Class 1A festival at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium on the College of St. Catherine campus in St. Paul. Belle Plaine’s performance is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. On Saturday, the BPHS “Explosion” dance team will participate in the state Class 2A high kick competition at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. The team is scheduled to perform at approximately 3 p.m. Fan busses are available for students in grades 7-12 at a cost
of $5 per rider. The bus for oneact play will depart at about noon Friday and return by 6:30 p.m. The cost for a ticket to one-act play is $10. The bus for the state dance meet Saturday will leave about 12:40 p.m. and return by 6 p.m. The cost for a ticket to the dance meet is $9. For more information, call the BPHS Activities Office at 8732412. The BPHS one-act play group will seek its 11th starred performance rating (the highest honor achievable) in 21 years
State Meets
(continued on page 6)