BPHS Boys’ Basketball Team Wins 2 of 3
Girls’ Hoops Team to Seek First Home Win This Friday Page 15
State Dance Photos
Page 2
Page 15
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THIRD YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, FEBRUARY 19, 2014
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 8
Budget Surplus, Bonding Topics State Lawmakers Will Tackle
than agreeing on new spending. W h e n state lawmakers like Rep. Kelby Wo o d a r d , R-Belle Plaine, and There’s an adage veteran state Sen. Kevin lawmakers D a h l e , use to reDFL-Northmind their field, return constituents to St. Paul Tuesday (Feb. 25), a so-called dealing with the surplus is one of short sesthe first but ongoing tasks the two sion is no lawmakers who represent Belle guarantee Plaine will tackle. But that surplus they will – about $1.2 billion according to adjourn as the November forecast – for now early as they exists only on paper, Woodard wish, espesaid. It is based on the expectation cially when revenue is coming in faster than the state has it is being spent. Lawmakers will a budget surplus compared. Cut- receive the latest numbers related ting, it seems, may take less time to state income vs. expenses this
Bullying’ Bill, Minimum Wage, MNsure Will Also Be Addressed
Winter’s Royalty
SnoFest Week at Belle Plaine High School started off with a fresh blanket of about a halffoot of snow, which forced the cancellation of classes on Monday. The school was originally scheduled to have the day off anyway seeing how it was Presidents’ Day. But winter-weather related cancellations earlier this year prompted school officials to cancel that day off, but Old Man Winter changed that with Monday’s early-morning dumping. The school has a number of SnoFest activities planned for the rest of this week, culminating with Saturday night’s dance at the Oak Crest Elementary School gym. This year’s SnoFest royalty are back row, from A classroom experiment comleft, Sam Karl, Chris Holmbeck, Ricky Fogarty and Zach Siegle. In the front row are Amara bines the best of lessons of apMeyer, Kate Savage, Tatiana Boecker, Bryce Schmidt and Jessica Weldon. Missing from the plied science and agriculture, teaching students ways to grow photo is Alex Ernst. more using unconventional methods. The class – plant science – is helping two teams of juniors and seniors learn the best ways by Dan Ruud on page 15). Scott West lost to Simley in to grow vegetables in varying The Scott West wrestling team Scott West, Hutchinson and the state finals in 2011 and styles of soils with different nuwill return to the Minnesota New Prague were each ranked 2012 by scores of 39-16 and trients. Their prize will be team State High School Class 2A in the top seven in the state 36-22, respectively. In both of bragging rights and lunch at the Team Tournament for the sixth entering the tournament. Scott those years, it was Scott West’s end of the school year. time in seven years after recap- West was No. 4, Hutchinson only loss of the season. The competition is to deterturing the Section 2AA cham- No. 6 and New Prague No. 7. Scott West, which has a record mine which team – Team Spinpionship Saturday in Glencoe. At No. 1 in the state is Simley, of 21-2, will enter this year’s ach or Team Lettuce – can grow The top-seeded Panthers, who followed by Foley (2), Scott tournament with three wres- the most of varying types of were knocked out of the section West (3) and Totino-Grace (4). tlers currently ranked No. 1 in vegetables using different soil tournament in the semifinals by Simley had its streak of five the state in Class 2A in their types and watering systems. host Watertown-Mayer a year consecutive state titles broken respective weights – David ago after having won the sec- last year by first-time state Flynn, Zach Siegle and Andrew tion title five years in a row, champion Kasson-Mantorville Fogarty. made certain they weren’t de- by a score of 30-27 in the Class As a team, Scott West has nied in 2014. 2A championship match. But placed everywhere but first in In the quarterfinals Thursday Simley, 23-3, is the favorite for its previous 13 state tournament night at Jordan, Scott West this year’s tournament. Its only appearances. Its highest finishflattened No. 9 seed Delano losses have come against Class es were second in 2005, 2011 64-13. It was on to Glencoe- 3A powers St. Michael-Albert- and 2012, and third in 2004 and Silver Lake High School on ville (twice) and Cambridge- 2008. The Panthers were fourth Saturday for the semifinals and Isanti. In last week’s Section in 2000, fifth in 1996, 2003 and final, where the Panthers wal- 4AA Tournament, Simley out- 2009, and sixth in 2006 and loped No. 4 seed Waconia 46- scored its three opponents (St. 15 before topping No. 2 seed Thomas Academy, St. Paul Scott West Hutchinson 36-22 in the cham- Washington and South St. Paul) (continued on page 7) pionship (see details in article by a combined 198-27.
week. Gov. Mark Dayton received over $2 billion in requests for state bonding money. He’s offered a bonding bill in the neighborhood of $1.2 billion. Woodard said there is general agreement between Republican and DFL leadership in the House and Senate the bonding bill should come in around $850 million. Dahle said the state can afford a larger bonding bill than that, although he expects he’ll support the lower amount. Woodard and Dahle agree on the importance of maintaining infrastructure and the jobs the bonding funds. Woodard and Dahle would both like to see a larger percentage of the bonding bill targeted to roads and bridges. The governor’s proposal includes about 20 percent toward roads and bridges. “It isn’t like they fix themselves,”
Budget
(continued on page 5)
Plant Science Class Leading to Tasty Lessons During FFA Week
Scott West Wins State Berth
Team Lettuce is growing lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes. The plants are growing from oasis blocks that feel like a soft Styrofoam. The containers sit atop a heated mat. The students are watering the plants by hand using 85-degree water from the tilapia tank. The water contains nutrients from the tank. Team Spinach is growing spinach, lettuce and cucumbers. Its plants are growing from seeds planted in fibrous rock wool. The plants are automatically watered using a drip system delivering water from the tilapia tank. The students are also growing strawberries and raspberries
hydroponically, using water filtered through the tank. The students have to pay attention not only to the amount of water their plants receive, but also the levels of nutrients from the fish. Both sets of plants will require adjustments during the course of the competition. If the levels are out of balance, they have to fix it, said Bruce Mathiowetz, ag. educator at Belle Plaine Junior-Senior High School. “The more they grow, the more they get to eat,” he said. Skylar Kotz said the class is
FFA Week
(continued on page 6)
Over a Dozen State Appearances Four Belle Plaine High School seniors took part in their final one-act play competition at Friday’s MSHSL One-Act Play Festival in St. Paul. Between them, they have been a part of more than a dozen BPHS one-act plays performances at state. Included, from left, are Mikhayla Clausen, Jake Hartmann, Aiden Winterfeldt and Catherine Littlepage. They are pictured above in their costumes from this year’s production, “The Drowsy Professor,” which received a starred performance rating at the state festival Friday in St. Paul.
‘The Drowsy Professor’ Earns A Grand Star to Sleep Under
A Rough Winter for Motorists One of the biggest snowfalls of the season on Monday was still taking a toll on some motorists Tuesday morning, as evident of this scene. The driver of the car lost control and landed upside down at the edge of the woods along County Road 40 just east of Highway 25. Belle Plaine emergency crews were at the scene a short time later and the car was eventually removed. The driver was shaken up but not seriously injured.
Kate in St. Paul went as well University in St. Paul. as it possibly could have as the One-Act Belle Plaine High School oneact play group earned another (continued on page 8) starred performance rating at the Minnesota State High School League One-Act Play Festival by Dan Ruud The Drowsy Professor’s Val- at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium entine’s Day date with St. on the campus of St. Catherine
BPHS Play Gets Highest State Honor Possible