Three BPHS Students Sign College Letters of Intent
Randy Carlson Begins New Coaching Era
Page 19
Page 19
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIRST YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, NOVEMBER 21, 2012
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 47
Chamber Businesses to Flip the Switch on Holiday Events Next Week
Volunteers at First Presbyterian Church in Belle Plaine recently assembled and shipped out 672 shoeboxes containing gifts for Operation Christmas Child.
Belle Plaine Church Makes Christmas a Big Operation
children to work helping those in need. They assembled and shipped out 17 shoeboxes filled with gifts. Last week, the church’s children and adults gathered to finish packing 672 boxes to send Almost a decade ago, it was to Operation Christmas Child, a a Sunday school program that multinational program operated put First Presbyterian Church’s by Samaritan’s Purse. It aims to
First Presbyterian Gets an Early Start on Christmas
send out millions of boxes to impoverished people in Africa, Asia and other Third World countries. A group from First Presbyterian Church of Belle Plaine recently wrapped up the effort,
Christmas
(continued on page 5)
Making Thanksgiving Thankful Belle Plaine Food Shelf volunteers -- (from left) Walt Lehtimen, Pat Ollhoff and Tom Bartholomew -- helped pack and hand out between 20 and 25 boxes of food, including a 12-pound turkey, for Thanksgiving Day meals Tuesday at the downtown food shelf. They’ll do the same for holiday meals at Christmas and Easter.
In lieu of a Holiday Tree Lighting, the Belle Plaine Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Holiday Business Lighting Contest in hopes of lighting up the entire city of Belle Plaine. The Holiday season in Belle Plaine will begin next Thursday (Nov. 29) at Townsend Park with the season’s first visit from Santa. There will also be cookies, cider and a drawing for 10 turkeys donated by Coborn’s. This is the date when all committed businesses will “flip the switch” on their Holiday lights. Holiday decorations and lights must be completed and turned on by participating businesses by the close of business on Nov. 29. Please do not turn your Holiday lights on prior to this date. The contest will run until Dec. 12 The residents of Belle Plaine will determine the winning businesses. Postcards listing the participating businesses will be mailed to all households and businesses in the 56011 zip code. For each postcard vote cast, the chamber will donate $1 to the Belle Plaine Food Shelf. In addition, the voter will be entered into a drawing for one of twenty $25 Belle Plaine Bucks prizes. Also on the postcard will be advertising for the entire weekend’s holiday events. Postcards will be mailed Nov. 24. The prizes for the contest are $500, $200 and $100 for first through third place, respectively. In addition, all businesses participating in the Holiday Lighting Contest will also be included in a Shop Local Promotion. Residents will receive additional entries into the drawing for Belle Plaine Bucks by making purchases or completing transactions at the participating businesses. A Shop Local Promotion will run the same time as the Business Lighting Contest (Nov. 29 to Dec. 12). Businesses must participate in the Business Holiday Lighting Contest in order to participate in the Shop Local Promotion. For more information, contact Carrie Traxler at the chamber at 952-873-4295 or bellepln@ frontiernet.net.
City Receives Check, Still Hasn’t Holiday Express Dec. 1 The annual Holiday Express, Decided What to Spend it On sponsored by the chamber, by Dan Ruud When it comes to approving agenda items, one of the biggest no-brainers in Belle Plaine City Council history was there for the taking Monday night as it unanimously approved a resolution to accept a cash donation of $150,000 from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC). In fact, City Administrator David Murphy said the city already has the check in hand;
now the council must decide what to spend it on. In a press release sent earlier this fall, the SMSC announced that it is providing $900,000 in grants to neighboring governments. The tribe is giving $150,000 each to Scott County and the cities of Belle Plaine, Jordan, Prior Lake, Savage and Shakopee. Specifically, the grants are for the benefit of local residents as determined by each govern-
mental unit. “I am pleased to inform you that the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) is offering the city of Belle Plaine an intergovernmental grant in the amount of $150,000 to be used for capital projects for the benefit of city residents as determined by the city,” stated Tribal Chair Charlie Vig in a
Early Childhood Family Education and PTO, will take place Saturday, Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at Chatfield Elementary School. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there to visit with kids. There will also be crafts and more.
At Santa’s Store, children can holiday shop for their family and friends. Gifts will be available for purchase (up to $5). Featured will be merchandise from local businesses. Santa’s helpers will assist younger shoppers while parents wait for them in the hallway. Holiday Express attendees can donate an unwrapped gift or cash donation to Southern Valley Alliance for a child or mother.
For more information, contact Carrie Traxler at the chamber office at 952-873-4295.
Jingle Bell Bowling
On Sunday, Dec. 2, the public is invited to participate in the Borough Bowl’s annual Jingle Bell Bowling. The cost is $1 per game and it will take place
Chamber
(continued on page 2)
Fall Photo Contest Winner Jarrod Schoenecker was the winner of the Herald’s Fall Photo Contest. He said the photo is of “a bright moonlight shining to show the vibrant fall colors on my family farm west of New Prague.” Schoenecker’s photo received 123 “likes” on the Herald’s Facebook page. More about Schoenecker’s photo and the publishing of the other top photos in the contest appear on page 20.
City Council, German Days Committee Still Can’t Get on Same Page by Dan Ruud A few times this year the German Days Committee has tried to obtain a charitable gambling premises permit from the Belle Plaine City Council and each attempt so far has failed. The latest was Monday night when the council voted 5-1 to
deny the committee’s request to operate charitable gambling at Andy’s Bar and Grill at 114 North Meridian Street downtown. That vote came two weeks af-
City Council
(continued on page 8)
Check
(continued on page 8)
B.P. Cop Arrested for DWI
A Belle Plaine police officer was arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) early Tuesday morning. Officer Bryan Michael Pasek was stopped by a state trooper on Highway 169, between Jordan and Belle Plaine at 2:26 a.m. He was allegedly traveling at 96 mph in a 65 mph zone before being stopped, according
to Lt. Eric Roeske, a state patrol spokesperson. After a portable breath test indicated a bloodalcohol concentration of .17 – more than twice the legal limit -- Pasek, 32, was arrested and booked into the Scott County Jail for third-degree DWI, a gross-misdemeanor. In a prepared statement Tuesday, City Administrator David Murphy said, besides the legal process, the matter will be dealt with in accordance with the city’s union contract with its officers in Law Enforcement La-
bor Services (LELS), the city’s employee personnel handbook and procedures of the police department. This is not the first time Pasek has been arrested for DWI. In the fall of 2003, he was arrested by Scott County sheriff’s deputies and charged with grossmisdemeanor DWI, a charge that was later reduced to a misdemeanor. He reportedly paid a $1,025 fine, served 100 hours of community service and was suspended without pay for three days.
Just Like Early September Freshman Luke Narveson and senior Nick Eliason, both of whom represented Belle Plaine on the all-conference football team this fall, took advantage of Monday’s 60-degree weather to toss the football around on the school grounds as if it was summertime. Temperatures dipped some on Tuesday but are expected to climb back into the lower 60s today (Wednesday).