B.P. Man Riding His Passion of Bikes for Two
Bar-B-Q Days Coin Hunt Continues
St. Lawrence Woman Brings Hilltop to Life Page 17
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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIRST YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, JULY 4, 2012
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 27
Grant Application Not Submitted Acting Mayor Expresses Dissatisfaction at ‘Oversight’
Over
Head High on the Fourth of July
It’s looking a lot like August on some farms in St. Lawrence Township and elsewhere in the Belle Plaine area. Pictured here are members of the Tom and Lynne Jeurissen family, whose farm is located on County Road 66 about one-half mile from Highway 169. Tom Jeurissen said some fields are further along than his, some of which were planted April 12. Jeurissen, who planted his corn on April 26, said he expects his field(s) to be in the full tasseling stage very soon, especially if the area gets a shot of rain this week. Jeurissen’s father, Hubie Jeurissen, pictured on the far left, said “everything is a month ahead of schedule.” The Jeurissens acknowledged that not all fields in the area are doing so well, especially those that were planted late and/or received hail damage last month. Pictured to the right of Hubie are Lynne, Adam, Andrea and Tom Jeurissen. This photo was taken late Monday afternoon as record temperatures for July 2 were topping out near 100 degrees. “This would be a nice time for a rain,” Tom Jeurissen said.
Disagreement on Job Description Costs Two Staffers Their Jobs Smith: ‘We’re Terminating Two Good Employees’
by John Mueller A difference of opinion between the Belle Plaine School District and its teachers’ union over the qualifications needed for two media center/technology positions has cost two staffers their jobs. Last week, the Belle Plaine School Board eliminated the two para-professional positions and then terminated the employment of the two employees -- Allison Mereness and Joe Ploetz.
“We’re terminating two good employees,” Smith said. “They’ve done a very good job.” Though hired as para-professionals to work in media centers at Oak Crest and Chatfield elementary schools, they are both licensed teachers. Superintendent Kelly Smith said they were hired knowing the job qualifications and pay was based on para-professional work, regardless of their respective licenses. Mereness and Ploetz were paid $12.02 per hour for seven hours a day, 1,295 hours during the school year. After the June 25 school board meeting, Smith said the issue is an unusual, one borne of a difference of opinion between the
Union
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by Dan Ruud Last Tuesday’s (June 26) deadline for the city to submit a grant application to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) came and went without the city submitting the application. That deadline was eight days after the Belle Plaine City Council gave staff the authorization to prepare and submit the application for the grant, funds from which (if approved) would have went toward helping fund an overpass at Highway 169 and County Road 3/Meridian Street with access to 169. Just a few weeks earlier, the city’s application for a Minnesota Transportation Economic Development Program (TED)
grant to help fund the same proposed project was denied. On April 16, the council authorized an expenditure not to exceed $9,950 for the city engineering firm of Bolton and Menk to develop and submit the application for the TED grant. City Engineer Joe Duncan on June 18 said much of the information gathered and processed for that application would be used in the DEED application, with some modifications. However, the DEED application did not make it to the state. “The application for DEED funds was not submitted due to requirements for funding,” City Administrator David Murphy reported to the council Monday night. “When the application was presented to the council
(on June 18), the full requirements from the city for funding from the city were not fully realized by staff. The application requires that the council pass a resolution committing to the cost share and to identify where funds will come from. Staff will do our best to not allow this to happen again in the future.” That explanation did not satisfy Council Member Cary Coop, who served as acting mayor for vacationing Mayor Tim Lies at Monday night’s city council meeting. Coop was a major supporter of allowing staff to apply for the grant at the June 18 meeting. “I see this (failure to submit the
Grant Application (continued on page 16)
Council Reviews Latest Offer from Township on Belle Plaine Trail Issue by Dan Ruud The middle of summer is almost here and the Belle Plaine City Council and Belle Plaine Township Board are continuing to try and find a middle ground in regards to the overall responsibility of the Belle Plaine Trail, which is in need of repair from end to end. The council on June 18 voted to award the bid for the improvement of the road that has been shared by the city and Belle Plaine Township for many years. But the awarding of the bid was only for the city’s share of the road. The issue, which has been debated between the council and township officials (and attorneys for both sides) for much
of 2012, has not been resolved, although the council did award the bid to Chard Tiling of Belle Plaine to pave the city’s portion of the project, which includes some 1,777 feet of the eastern end of the road. That’s a little less than half the length of the entire stretch. The bid was for $128,114, which the city would pay approximately one-half of for its share of the road. What will come of the rest of the road was left up in the air. The township had offered the city (by way of a resolution) a payment of $65,000, representing the township’s proportionate share of reconstruction costs, engineering and future maintenance of the Belle Plaine Trail.
The majority of the council was fine with the resolution up to that point. What it was opposed to is the part of the resolution that states “payment of the $65,000 is contingent upon the city executing an annexation agreement of all incorporated portions of Belle Plaine Trail, resulting in the entire roadway between Highway 169 and Ashford Way being entirely within the jurisdiction of the city and thereby becoming a city street.” Mayor Tim Lies, citing future maintenance costs, said he would not support the annexa-
Belle Plaine Trail (continued on page 8)
Belle Plaine, Scott County Among Metro’s Highest in Foreclosures With a year-to-date foreclosure rate nearly double the statewide average (1.0 percent vs. 0.5 percent), Scott County communities are among Minnesota’s hardest hit in the housing crisis. Scott joins metro-area counties Anoka, Washington and Hennepin with year-to-date foreclosures rates breaking the 1 percent mark. According to a Minnesota 2020 report, Belle Plaine saw 41 of its more than 3,000 houses foreclosed on so far this year. That’s on top of several years of housing issues. But Scott County Deputy Sheriff Duane Jirik, whose department helps oversee foreclosures in the county, said he has the city of Belle Plaine down for 30 foreclosures (as of Friday). “I’m assuming they (Min-
nesota 2020) may be taking into account the addresses for Belle Plaine that are in Sibley and Carver counties also,” Jirik said. When discussing exurban and suburban foreclosures, Minnesota 2020 says one aspect that is often overlooked is the dramatic rise in homelessness. Across the metro area, homelessness, especially among adolescents, is at an all-time high and growing. Though foreclosures vary across the state and metro area, policy action is needed to stabilize Minnesota families and communities, especially because homelessness spills over into schools. It could have longterm impacts on the economic achievement gap and a cycle of poverty. According to the 2020 report, keeping families in their
Foreclosures
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Business was brisk Saturday at the Bake Shop, the downtown Shop’s owners, Jami and Mark Kruschke, operated the busiBelle Plaine bakery. Chris Hazzard and Alex Kruschke were ness for over a decade. But without a buyer, Saturday was the busy helping customers throughout the morning. The Bake bakery’s last day.
Downtown’s Bake Shop Closes by Dan Ruud There will be no freshly-baked goods to be bought in downtown Belle Plaine until further notice, if ever. The Bake Shop, which has been owned and operated by Mark and Jami Kruschke since Dec. 1, 2001, shut its doors possibly for good at the close of business on Saturday. Jamie Kruschke said the only way the business will reopen is if a buyer steps forward to purchase it. So far, nothing appears imminent. “Most likely today (Saturday) was our last business day. Thank you for the 10 1/2 years,” stated
the Kruschkes on The Bake Shop’s Facebook page. “We have appreciated your business and friendship and being part of your celebrations, births, confirmations, graduations, birthdays and weddings . . . Thank you for letting us be part of your day! Blessings to everyone – we will miss you but will see you around town.” The Kruschkes purchased the business from Tom and Valerie Peterson, who had operated it under the name Starlight Bakery for a number of years. Prior to that, downtown’s longtime pastry establishment (same location) was called Don’s
Bakery. In the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s, it was known as the Belle Plaine Bakery operated by Peter Mahoney. “Closing a business that has been in place there for 60 or 70 years is very hard on our hearts. It’s very emotional,” Kruschke said on Tuesday. Kruschke said the decision to get out of the baking business wasn’t made overnight. She said she and Mark have had the building on the market for six years. She added that she has not been as involved in the operation of the business as much these days because she also teaches middle school. She also
said that Mark has for some time wanted to try something new. Kruschke acknowledged that increased competition in recent years from Kwik Trip and Coborn’s did not help business. “The economy and competition have been an impact,” she said. The Bake Shop was the second downtown business to close in a little over a week. Mystic Journey, a health and wellness business that was operated by Sarah Jaeger on the 100 block of North Meridian Street for four years, closed the previous week.