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POSTAL PATRON
“Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
R-P’s Mikayla Crawford
pages
12-13
Whalan resolves zoning questions page
11
Monday, December 21, 2015
County reviews 2016 budget page
15
Wykoff Plant deadline set page
22
Volume 31 Issue 13
Spring Valley picks hauler page
24
Canton • Chatfield • Fountain • Harmony • Houston • Lanesboro • Mabel • Ostrander • Peterson • Preston • Rushford • Rushford Village • Spring Valley • Whalan • Wykoff
A beauty shop for your car
Boots & Badges has gone to press By Jason Sethre jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com
“It’s been put to bed,” as we say in the printing industry. After nearly 13 months of what can best be described as a community-wide project, Boots & Badges: Honoring Fillmore County Veterans has been sent to press. It’s not every day that a hardcover, perfect-bound book including over 3,400 local Veterans, their pictures, and their stories goes to press. This is a special occasion in which the entire Journal staff, Fillmore County Veteran Service Office, VFW and American Legion posts, historical societies throughout Fillmore County, readers, and supporters should feel proud of their accomplishment. This book has captured pieces of local military history dat-
New Year’s Eve 7am-9pm New Year’s Day 8am-6pm Don and Dorrie Besse will make your car look its best and provide a clean, protected storage environment for your stuff. Photo by Karen Reisner By K aren R eisner Service Plus and all things con- compartment and the trunk. sidered, it seemed like the right Don said a car can come in karen@fillmorecountyjournal.com time for them and the buyers. looking sad and leave looking Don and Dorrie Besse love The auto detailing business is good. Detailing a car is not as cars. In July of 2014 they sold open Monday by appointment, expensive as some people think. the business they owned for Tuesday through Thursday 9-5, A hand wash which includes nearly 30 years, Preston Service Friday 9-12, closed noon to 1. detailing the tires and cleanPlus. Don worked there for 42 Don expects he isn’t working ing the inside of the car doors years and Dorrie for about 30 even half the time compared to costs $19.95. Vacuuming of the inside, dashboard cleaning, and years. The couple has worked what he did. well together over the years and They are very experienced in washing the inside of the wincontinue to do so in their new detailing cars, with 30 years of dows can be added on. One businesses “Besse Mini Storage practice after hours at their old tip offered by Dorrie, towels and Auto Detailing”, located business. How much sprucing washed with fabric softener will south of Preston along High- up the car owner wants is up streak the windows. Dorrie says way 52 across from Fillmore to the owner and dependent on contact us (507) 765-2471 and County Resource Recovery how much one wants to spend. we will go over your concerns It can range from the simple and keep your car in better Center. They are certainly not retired, removal of a stain on a seat shape. but do have a lighter schedule. to a complete overhaul of the Your car will be in good There were offers to buy Preston inside, cleaning of the engine See BESSE Page 17
Christmas Eve 7am-4pm Closed Christmas Day
ing back to the War of 1812, including generations of those who have served their country. As interested contributors of this book brought in pictures to scan, there were many stories shared. These are the stories of our local Veterans. A project of this nature is exhausting, exciting and enlightening all at the same time. Attention to detail has always been a high priority, since we know this will be treasured by those who have an ancestral connection with the book. And, quite frankly, that’s why this book has taken so long to assemble. When we started this project in November 2014, we had hoped to send it to press by September 4, 2015. As we assessed the enormous volume of photos and stories, we realized that initial goal was See BOOTS Page 20
Rushford Village hearing brings out the public By K irsten Zoellner kirsten@fillmorecountyjournal.com
The city of Rushford Village now has the legal authority to move to the next step in a proposed street improvement project. Following the well-attended December 9 public hearing, the council passed a resolution which gives the city the power to do the project, but does not commit the city to proceeding. The proposed project looks to address bringing the city’s paved roadways back to good and maintainable condition. Following detailed roadway mapping and a study by engineers from Bolton & Menk, it was determined the city was falling behind in keep-
ing up street condition. The city attempted a similarly bonded project in 2013, of up to $1.3 million, but it was defeated by petition. The city acknowledges it’s had to spend $300,000 in the last two years on repairs and maintenance it could afford, but now, the remaining streets are still estimated at $1.2 million due to inflation and further deterioration. Option 1 for 2016 Pavement Management Improvements calls for overlay of the following streets: Nordic Court, Plummer Street (from Darr Avenue to the end), Whitmore Street (from Prospect Street to Goodrich Avenue), and Hillview Drive. See HEARING Page 3