‘Superhero’ Blood More Grad Drive Photos Page 4
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIXTH YEAR
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Tigers Run Their Way To State
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, june 7, 2017
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NUMBER 23
OLP Asks City to Reject Satanic Memorial in Park City Says It Can’t Pick and Choose
A request to reject a satanic group’s plan to place a memorial to veterans in the limited public forum area of Veterans’ Memorial Park has the City of Belle Plaine sticking to its position, since it can’t subjectively pick and choose which groups may or may not place monuments in the area. Fr. Brian Lynch of Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church asked the Belle Plaine City Council Monday evening (June 5) during the public forum portion of the public meeting to reject a satanic group’s plans to place a memorial to veterans in the limited public forum area. Because the group’s request meets the city’s regulations for monuments in the area, it was granted a permit to place a commemorative memorial to veterans in the limited public forum area, said City Administrator Mike Votca. The city doesn’t know when the memorial will be placed. Lynch cited a fear of potential for harm to children of Belle Plaine. Theistic Satanists wor-
ship the powerful enemy of God. Atheistic Satanists use Satan as a symbol of “the rejection of moral authorities and the constraints on human behavior these authorities teach and support,” Lynch told the city council. Lynch said the monument “may” also attract preexisting Satanists to Belle Plaine as a place for their theistic Satanic rituals. Lynch noted Belle Plaine City Code addresses “nuisances, offenses and restrictions.” Ordinance 400.01 states the city can’t allow a person or group to engage in “offensive, obscene or abusive language.” He said the Satanic group’s monument “will display language offensive to the people of Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church.” Fr. Lynch also said the Satanic group’s anticipated activities will violate city code by participating in acts against the decency and public morals of the community. But the council declined Fr. Lunch’s request, noting the rules governing the limited public forum. Mayor Chris Meyer said if the city rejects the Satanic
City Council
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Popular Downtown German Day Cookout Set for June 16 Hoping to take advantage of some of German Days’ more popular events, the Belle Plaine community festival is being condensed to a single day (Friday, June 16) highlighted by the community cookout and street dance featuring Johnny Holm. The 35th annual cookout begins at 5 p.m. Participating businesses will be offering free samples of various foods along downtown sidewalks. The downtown event also includes a pedal-pull for children beginning with registration at 4:30 p.m. and competition at 5 p.m. Other attractions include face painting and pony rides. The Bar-B-Q Days royalty will
be introduced at 6 p.m. along with the coronation of the German Day queen and princesses. A superhero run begins at 6:45 p.m. from Townsend Park. Participants are encouraged to dress as their favorite superhero. The Johnny Holm Band will take the stage at 8 p.m. for a street dance. German Days was scaled back to a one-day event to attract more people to downtown Belle Plaine on a single evening. It replaces a two-day event that included a tractor pull and professional wrestling. Plans are being discussed for a fall festival in October.
Ridgeview hosted a ribbon-cutting event at its new Ridgeview Belle Plaine Clinic Thursday, June 1, 2017. Pictured above (from left) are Sara Aulizia, director of construction and real estate management, Ridgeview Medical Center; Jeff Nelson, vice chairman, Ridgeview Medical Center Board of Directors; Matt Burrow, president, Catalyst Construction; Jon Buggy, principal, RSP Architects; John Prondzinski, vice president,
Ridgeview Medical Center; Robert Stevens, president and CEO, Ridgeview Medical Center; Chris Meyer, mayor of Belle Plaine; Michael Klatt, president and CEO, The Lutheran Home Association; Michael Phelps, chief operating officer, Ridgeview Medical Center; Mike Lano, M.D., Ridgeview Belle Plaine Clinic, and Milton Fong, M.D., Ridgeview Belle Plaine Clinic.
Two years after discussions on a new clinic in Belle Plaine, Ridgeview Medical Center opened the clinic for business Monday morning. The clinic includes primary care, family practice physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners seeing patients. First Choice Pharmacy is also serving patients. After last week’s ribbon-cutting, the 18 health care professionals and office staff at the facility were getting down to business helping patients. “It’s been two years of planning, discussion, construction and opening. It’s been a complex project with many moving parts,” said Bob Stevens, president and CEO of Ridgeview Medical Center. “It’s been a lot to get to this stage, but we’re very excited to open in Belle Plaine.” The clinic is part of an overall campus that includes independent living housing through The Lutheran Home Association. The campus is about 102,000 square feet. The clinic is 13,555 square feet, and part of an $8 million investment in the health
to open its urgent care service. Once open, patients in need of urgent care can stop in Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. By the end of August, orthopedic care will be available at the clinic from doctors working with Twin Cities Orthopedics. The clinic is also home to Ridgeview Rehab Specialties, a rehab. service that includes physical therapy and athletic training services. A locally-
Ridgeview’s New Belle Plaine Clinic Open for Business campus that Ridgeview is making to serving Belle Plaine and area residents, Stevens said. The activity at the clinic at the corner of Meridian Street and West Commerce Drive is only expected to increase as Ridgeview increases the level of care to Belle Plaine and area residents. By September, OB-GYN services will be available at the Ridgeview Belle Plaine Clinic. By September, the clinic plans
based program, “Shape It Up Fitness - Belle Plaine,” will also be based at the clinic. Classes in yoga and exercise fitness will be available from Megan VanEyll. Besides the independent living component, the campus will also have a coffee shop that will
Clinic Open
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New B.P. Pool Manager Aims to Keep a Good Thing Goin’ Growing up, Katie Murphy spent a lot of time at the community pool, though it wasn’t in Belle Plaine. Murphy knows how much children and families enjoy spending time at Belle Plaine Community Pool. Murphy worked as a lifeguard at the pool for five summers. Now, after a year in training as the pool’s manager-to-be, she oversees the pool’s operations on a day-to-day basis as the
Katie Murphy is the new manager of the Belle Plaine Community Pool. manager. She spent last year able in her new role and has learning from her predecessor, great trust in a staff with many returnees. “This seems like a Jackie Hillstrom. Public Works Superintendent really good fit for me,” Murphy Al Fahey knew Hillstrom would said. be moving on after the 2016 She maintained her certificaseason, so he selected Murphy, tion as a lifeguard, but has more with city council approval, as to do than work shifts overseeHillstrom’s successor. Fahey ing the pool. Murphy’s role inwas impressed by Murphy’s cludes scheduling the team of commitment to the pool and its 35 lifeguards (regularly schedstaff. As a former lifeguard, she uled as subs) at the pool and worked an extra shift whenever making sure the operation runs smoothly. an opening couldn’t be filled. “Katie stepped up to the plate ‘A Great Team ...’ anytime a shift was open. That Most of the lifeguards have shows leadership,” Fahey said. Having graduated from MinPool Manager nesota State University, Manka(continued on page 4) to last month with a degree in recreation, park and leisure Belle Plaine High School’s Class of 2017 graduated Sunday in the classroom and in activities. More photos from the grad- services, Murphy is right where from the school’s South Gymnasium. The class is known for uation ceremony are on Page 2. she wants to be. She is comfortits unique approach to life and the successes students enjoyed
Graduation Day