Trinity Students in Giving Mood
Scott County Board Approves Levy, Budget and Raises Page 4
BPHS Winter Sports Teams in Pre-Holiday Rush Pages 14, 15
Page 2
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SECOND YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, DECEMBER 18, 2013
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 51
Council Okays Rate Increases, Four Speak at Public Hearing by Dan Ruud The Belle Plaine City Council held its final regular meeting of 2013 Monday night, during which it unanimously approved significant increases to how much its citizens will pay for water and sewer services starting Jan. 1. The base fee for water will go up 15 percent and the usage fee 36 percent. Fixed sewer and usage rates are will increase by 15 and 32 percent, respectively. The projected total residential monthly utility bill for the city average of 4,000-gallon usage will increase from approximately $43.52 this year to $54.13 (only includes water and sewer, no other charges). Similar hikes are possible for 2015 through 2018. Four people spoke at the public hearing that preceded the council’s action. The first was Matt Haefner, who said he understands the need to increase Mackenzie Murphy and her little brother Michael of Belle Plaine were among the 100 or so rates but that “36 percent is agchildren who dropped in on Santa Claus at his house this past Friday and Saturday. The lines gressive.” were short both days and Santa is hoping for more visitors when he returns to his new Belle Gary Ludvig also used the Plaine house this Friday from 5-7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Santa will be giving away candy canes and coloring books to all of his downtown visitors. The newly constructed house is located on the vacant lot at the intersection of Main and Meridian streets downtown (see other photo on page 2).
Santa to be Back in His House Friday and Saturday
word “aggressive” in summarizing the rate increases, as did Dan Witt and Kristin Werner. “I’m in agreement with the rest of them – 36 percent – wow,” Witt said. “At 36 percent, we’re going to have to stop doing laundry. I feel this will be a hardship to a lot of people. “Thirty-six percent sounds ridiculous,” Werner said. After closing the public hearing, Council Member Gary Trost said that although he’s normally against such increases, he explained that the city’s water and sewer funds are “close to zero and we have to pay our bills.” He added that the costs of water- and sewerrelated equipment and facilities has gone up considerably in recent years. “If we raised it (water and sewer fees) 100 percent, we’d still be cheaper than New Prague,” Trost said. “We may have to raise it 36 percent again next year if things don’t change.” Mayor Mike Pingalore said
the increases are “unfortunate” but that the council is doing “what’s in the best interest of the city” in terms of providing the best possible services in the years to come. “We’re working hard to make sure that we continue to have a great city,” he added. According to a recent report by the city’s financial advising firm, Abdo, Eick & Meyers, the city’s water fund has decreased steadily every year since 2006 and needs to be replenished. “The fund has not had sufficient revenues to cover its operations in the prior three years,” states the report. “The suggested scenario (rate increases) allows the city to slowly work toward positive operational revenue in order to cover debt and operational expenditures as well as building cash reserves for future years.” The report adds that the above
City Council
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Holy Family Christmas Show Dec. 22
OK Corral Shuts Down Almost exactly one year after undergoing new ownership and a renovation, the OK Corral on Highway 169 between Belle Plaine and Jordan has closed. Totenhagen, who purchased the restaurant and bar business from Gus Khwice, had leased the building from longtime owner Dick Ames, as did Khwice. Ames, could not be reached for comment on what his plans may be for the now vacant building. The only public statement made by the OK Corral came on its Facebook page, dated Dec. 11. “We’ll the rumors are true! It is with GREAT REGRET that we must close the OK Corral. Thank you to all those who supported us over the last year. We just couldn’t get enough people to support us. It’s a big place and we needed many more guests to be successful. We will miss all the new friends we made while
in Jordan. I have to apologize to all the bands we had scheduled in the next few months. Hopefully, they will find another place to play.” Totenhagen and his staff expressed enthusiasm in the days leading to the grand reopening of the business last December. Totenhagen had remodelled the interior of the building, including a new stage for live music. The sudden closing came the same week the OK Corral got what it wanted from the Scott County Planning Advisory Commission last Monday night. OK Corral had been operating for months in apparent violation of a county sign ordinance prohibiting dynamic electronic messages on signage. The commission recommended approval of the restaurant’s request for an amendment to the county ordinance be granted. The county board was expected to give the amendment final approval this week.
Holy Family Academy in rural Belle Plaine will present “A Classical Christmas” on Dec. 22 at the Performing Arts Center in Belle Plaine. The presentation will include songs from “Handel’s Messiah.” Students, alumni and chapel members will perform the songs. The program will begin with a silent auction at 5:30 p.m. with items donated from many local merchants. The presentation will then follow at 6:30 p.m. The silent auction will conclude at 9 p.m. A bake sale of Christmas goodies will also be available for all to enjoy. Holy Family Academy is a private Catholic school. It currently has 18 students in grades K–12. Holy Family Academy was established and has been part of the Belle Plaine community since 1991. The Academy coops with Belle Plaine High School for most of its extracurricular activities. Come and enjoy an evening of wonderful singing and entertainment. There will be no admission for this event. Refreshments will be served after the program.
Register Now for Home Holiday Lighting Contest You can sign up now to enter the Belle Plaine Rotary Club’s Holiday Home Lighting Contest. Judging will take place the weekend of Dec. 20-22 and winners will be announced in the Herald on Dec. 25, including photographs of the top decorated homes. Prizes will also be awarded, for which the Rotary is seeking contributions from local business and organizations. To have your home placed on the list for judging, contact Diane Skelley at 952-873-2467.
Mitchell and Matthew Nelson along with Belle Plaine Choir Director Cheryl Gorton will perform Friday, 10 a.m., at Mall of America in the mall’s large rotunda. A BPHS senior, Matthew (left) recalls the jitters he felt when he first sang before a large audience at the mall.
Holiday Performance Friday at MOA Will Test Singers’ Nerves
Megamall Unlike Most any Venue BPHS Choir Performed In
Gorton, the choir director at the junior-senior high school. The younger Nelson admits he’s not yet comfortable enough to stand out front singing solo. The Nelsons and the rest of choir members will face the large crowds that watch and listen to school choirs perform while shopping at the Mall of America Friday morning. The performance will mark the fourth time the Belle Plaine Choir has traveled to Bloomington to perform at the state’s largest and the nation’s secondlargest shopping mall. “It’s like a concert, but a lot bigger,” Mitchell Nelson said. The first time he performed at the mall, the elder Nelson wondered if the hundreds of people sitting watching and the hundreds more walking the mall’s corridors or watching from various levels overlooking the rotunda would notice if he made a mistake. He took advantage of the anonymity he enjoyed standing on stage in a mall bigger than anything he’d ever seen before.
Mitchell Nelson recalls the jitters he felt the first time he looked out into the audience watching the Belle Plaine Choir perform at the Mall of America. It was unlike any experience the BPHS senior had experienced before. There were thousands of spectators and unlike any concert he’d performed in before at the school, Nelson knew almost nobody. That was in 2010. Today, Nelson is a senior and his younger brother, Matthew, is the ninth-grader who’ll get his first look at the MOA crowd when the choirs from Belle Plaine Junior-Senior High School performs Friday morning, 10-11 a.m., in the Mall of America’s large rotunda under the big screen and trees. The Nelsons both sing in the bass section. Mitchell sings low Sage Advice bass and Matthew sings higher Mitchell Nelson recalls the bass. Mitchell is more than talented enough to sing solo more experienced choir mempieces. Matthew is also talented bers encouraging him to relax, enough to sing solo, said Cheryl not worry about the audience or
the setting and enjoy the experience. He tried to, but concedes he was still on edge. “You feel like if you make a mistake, everybody will see you. But they don’t. Nobody there knows you. Half of the people there don’t even know where Belle Plaine is,” Nelson said. “The best thing you can do is don’t over-think it.” The senior will offer is younger brother similar advice -“don’t over-think it.” He expects his younger brother will endure the same kind of jitters he felt back in 2010. Matthew Nelson plans to take advantage of his brother’s experience. Once on the risers, he’ll try and focus more on the other members of the choir and Gorton’s direction rather than letting his eyes and focus roam around the cavernous setting. “I haven’t been nervous much in concerts in the gym before. I’ve heard this is a lot different,” the ninth-grader said. Both Nelsons have participated in sporting events before. Singing in a choir is different. Unlike baseball or football games, you’re facing the
Choir
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