Football Tigers Stay Unbeaten; Big Clash Tonight
Ryan Dungey, Lindsay Siegle Get Engaged
BPHS Girls’ Cross Country Team Wins MRC Championship Page 15
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Page 15
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SECOND YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, OCTOBER 16, 2013
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NUMBER 42
School Board Weighing Plan for Co-op Adaptive Sports Teams Bob Denny Pitches Plan for Permanent Restrooms at Football-Track Complex This winter and next spring, Belle Plaine High School students could have teammates from New Prague, Jordan and Tri-City United schools in adaptive floor hockey and softball. The Belle Plaine School Board is weighing potential participation by special education students on adaptive teams this winter and spring. The board informally gave the go-ahead at Monday’s board workshop for more study on the issue and indicated support to bring it to the Oct. 28 school board meeting for formal consideration. Superintendent Kelly Smith said there are about five or six junior and senior high school students who are both interested
and qualified for the proposed cooperative teams. He said the district has fielded some requests from potentially interested parents. New Prague has been interested in a cooperative participation agreement with Belle Plaine for a few years, but only if BPHS was able to commit students. Having an agreement with New Prague but no participation from BPHS students would push New Prague into Class AA for competition against larger suburban schools. “I think it’s a win-win because New Prague has been struggling (for participants),” Smith said. Belle Plaine’s participation in the two programs is not included in the budget. The district’s informal estimate for transporting participants during the winter and spring seasons is $7,625. It would be cut in half if sharing transportation costs with Jordan. Student would pay an activity fee -- $375 for floor hockey $370 for softball -- like other students, Smith told the board.
Other issues could include staffing for special education students who have a dedicated para-professional working with them during the day. Smith said the opportunity for students to participate in a team setting justifies consideration of the cooperative effort with TriCity United, New Prague and Jordan.
A Permanent Facility
The board heard an initial proposal for a permanent restroom and ticket facility at the football-track complex. Smith told the board Bob Denny, a community member and member of the Lions Club, is proposing raising the money to build a permanent facility that would replace the rented PortaPotties at the football facility. Denny recalls listening to people carp about long lines After finishing in 99th place in Saturday’s half-marathon, Jeff Miller of Blaine got on bended to use temporary facilities at knee and asked his girlfriend, Amy Hauck, also of Blaine to marry him. She said yes. the Tigers’ home game against Jordan. “There were six Porta-Potties
School Board
(continued on page 6)
Bill and Dawn Halverson and their daughters Leilani (left) and Shayna are looking forward to Saturday’s chili cook-off at Oak Crest Elementary School. Members of the Wizardz, the girls participate in Special Olympics. They both participate in volleyball, swimming, bocce ball and bowling.
Cook-Off Makes State Events Memorable for B.P.’s ‘Wizardz’ Shayna and Leilani Halverson love chili and competing with their friends in Special Olympics events. Saturday at Oak Crest Elementary School, chili and Special Olympics will be inseparable. The girls – the adopted daughters of Dawn and Bill Halverson of Belle Plaine – are members of the Wizardz, a Special Olympics team that also includes athletes from Jordan, New Prague and the surrounding area. Mom helps coach and dad is a team volunteer. The Wizardz and their families will benefit from the talents of chefs competing in the Second Annual Special Olympics Chili Cook-Off Saturday (Oct. 19, 4-7:30 p.m.), at Oak Crest Elementary School in Belle Plaine. The benefit chili cook-off is a fund-raiser to help fund the Wizardz’s lodging and expenses at spring, summer and fall state Special Olympics competitions. Both girls – students at Belle
Plaine Junior High School – participate in volleyball, swimming, bocce ball and bowling. They were members of the state championship Special Olympics volleyball team last summer. “Our athletes are always together practicing and practicing and practicing,” Dawn Halverson said. The fund-raiser is especially helpful to families with multiple athletes participating in different activities. “Being able to spend time together at the hotel gives them some time for fun activities. They have a good time and nobody’s there to judge them.” The benefit chili cook-off is the brainchild of Scott Parks, a chef from Jordan. He came up with the idea last year. Parks had little trouble drawing volunteers from chefs in the Minneapolis Chapter of the American Culinary Federation who want to lend their talents to a good cause. “The support we’ve received
has been almost overwhelm-
Cook-Off
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Overnight Rain One of Month’s Top Soakers
If this is a dry time of the year, Monday night’s rainfall did little to dry out fields and lawns. Belle Plaine and the surrounding area received 1¼ inches Monday evening into Tuesday with additional rainfall expected later this week. The overnight rainfall bumped October’s total precipitation to 2.88 inches, said Ewald Gruetzmacher, a Belle Plaine Township farmer. Though some are talking about a killing frost Thursday, the National Weather Service’s forecast says tomorrow’s low in Belle Plaine will be 38 degrees and Friday’s low is predicted at 35 degrees.
Scenic Byway Races Feature Four New Winners and One Marriage Proposal Dan Ruud Most runners in Saturday’s third annual Scenic Byway Half-Marathon in Belle Plaine had no expectations of winning the race. Many just wanted to finish it in the best time possible and enjoy some October foliage along the way. Jeff Miller of Blaine was one of those runners, but he had a lot more on his mind than what his time would be. Every stride he took along the scenic route made him that much closer to the finish line. Once there, he would go down on bended knee to the song “Marry You” by Bruno Mars, which Doug Krohn of Anderson Race Management had ready to play on the speakers as Miller crossed the finish line carrying a bouquet of roses, which a friend had ready to hand to him just blocks from the finish line. “I had this planned for about three months,” said Miller, referring to his marriage proposal to a stunned but happy Amy Hauck, also of Blaine. And the answer was YES. Although they have been dating for only about nine months, Miller had enough confidence that Hauck would say “yes” to where he had no fear of popping the question in public. Miller, who finished the halfmarathon in 99th place with a time of 2:15:10, is the director of academics at Pine Technical College in Pine City. Hauck is an accounting assistant at Renewable Products Marketing Group in Shakopee. Although no wedding date was set at the finish line, Miller did jokingly say “January in Acapulco.” At least the thought is out there. Meanwhile, the first male and female to cross the finish line in Saturday’s 5K race have been married for over 15 years. Kevin Weisner, 52, of Minneapolis, was the overall winner in a time of 19:42. Wife Tammy (Domeier) was fourth overall in 21:30. The next female to cross the finish line was Anna Sexton, also of Minneapolis, in a sixthbest overall time of 22:28. The second-place male finisher was Joseph Murphy of Henderson in 21:05, followed
Jeff Miller of Blaine finished Saturday’s half-marathon carrying a bouquet of roses, which he presented to his girlfriend Amy Hauck, who accepted his marriage proposal at the finish line.
Races
(continued on page 9) At a water station at the intersection of Sibley County roads 5 and 6, Belle Plaine Junior-Senior High School students took a creative approach to encouraging weary runners in Saturday’s half-marathon.