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“Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
A reason to celebrate Pages 12-17
“Best Tasting Water” in SE MN page
Monday, March 23, 2015
Preston hears NTC update
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page
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R-P revisits old issues page
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Volume 30 Issue 26
Canton supports state funding page
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Canton l Chatfield l Fountain l Harmony l Lanesboro l Mabel l Ostrander l Peterson l Preston l Rushford l Rushford Village l Spring Valley l Whalan l Wykoff
Who will be the next District 1 Commissioner? Lynn Ketelsen to speak at Q & A with candidates vying for open Fillmore County District 1 Commissioner seat on March 31, 2015. Of 11,930 registered voters in all five districts of Fillmore County, District 1 has the most number of registered voters -- at 2,650. The question remains: How many voters will show up on election day? Michael Holzer
Mitch Lentz
Karen Reisner
About Michael: I am 67 years old. I am married and have been for 47 years. I have 3 sons: Richard, 42, Nathan, 36, and Jonathon, 34. I have seven grandchildren, ages 17 years to eight mos. Michael Holzer I live in Wykoff and have lived near or in Wykoff since July of 1969. I am a college graduate. I graduated from Winona State in 1969. I taught school for 35 years, coached football for 29 years, and was athletic director 2 years. I have been a 4-H leader, served on the County Extension Committee, Church Council, and was Board of Appeal and Equalization Certified. I am presently an AARP Driver Safety instructor, Lions member, and serve on the Wykoff Zoning Commission and Wykoff Veterans Memorial Committee. I have served as Lions President two terms, Wykoff City Council 12 years, Wykoff Mayor eight years, Vice-chair Wykoff Zoning Commission, Co-chair Wykoff Veterans Committee, and was fortunate enough to coach two State Championship football teams for Kingsland in 1995 and 2002. Why are you seeking to be elected for the Fillmore County District 1 commissioner seat? I am running because I have an interest in this county and its people. I grew up here and raised my children here. I feel my expe-
About Mitch: I’m 55 years old. I am married to Roberta (Bert) Aarsvold of Chatfield for 34 years, who is employed as a kindergarten teacher. We have two sons: Michael, 31, and Mitch Lentz Thomas, 29. Both currently reside in Fillmore County. I have 2 wonderful grandchildren: Skylar, 6 and Landon, 5 months. We live on the family farm that I purchased from my parents, Jerry and Polly. Our beef farm, Lentz Family Farm, has four generations actively engaged in farming. I have been actively engaged in farming my entire life. I graduated from Spring Valley public schools, with Undergraduate course work at Concordia University, and graduate course work St. Mary’s University. I have been a resident of Fillmore County for 50 years and I have been employed at IBM for 35 years, currently in management. I have volunteered for 4-H, Youth Sports, Mentorplace, Engineer Week, Take a Child to work, IBM EMT / First responder 10 years, MN Dept. of Transportation roadside clean up, Minnesota Junior Heifer Classic - a Nonprofit organization that promoted youth and development in showing and caring for their show calf or cow.
About Karen: At 62 years of age, my husband Dennis and I have been married 42 years, tying the knot shortly after his return from Vietnam. Our only child, Sp r i n g r e c e n t l y Karen Reisner turned 40. I have a BA from the University of Wisc. Together we purchased a dairy farm near Pine Island in 1975 where we bred and developed a herd of registered Holsteins. We eventually marketed breeding stock worldwide. For about six years after retiring from farming in 1996, we delivered mostly motor homes and travel trailers across the country. We scheduled deliveries to coincide with opportunities to volunteer for a week or more at a time at many National Parks and National Forests country- wide. We share a passion for nature and the back country. We chose to retire in Fillmore County and found our home in Chatfield Township while on a trip to Iowa to visit my mother in 2002. Why are you seeking to be elected for the Fillmore County District 1 commissioner seat? I have an interest in all levels of politics and keep current. For over 10 years I have observed and reported on the county board and other local government entities for the Fillmore
See HOLZER Page 2
See LENTZ Page 3
See REISNER Page 3
Quality Counts…
Preston Area Community Foundation dinner By Barb Jeffers barb@fillmorecountyjournal.com
On the evening of Monday, March 23, 2015 guests attending the Preston Area Community Foundation (PACF) annual dinner and auction will have the pleasure of listening to guest speaker Lynn Ketelsen, Farm Director for the Linder Farm Network. Ketelsen’s broadcasts are heard on over 40 radio stations in Minnesota and Iowa with complete farm information each day, according to his biography on the Linder Farm Network website linderfarmnetwork.com. He is also a regular contributor on “This Week in Agribusiness with Orion Samuelson” nationwide
on RFD-TV, and is Farm Director for KEYC TV in Mankato, Minn. Ketelsen was named 2005 “Farm Broadcaster of the Year” in the United States by the National Association of Farm Broadcasters, has been named the nation’s top ag communicator four times, and has been recognized for his reporting by such groups as the National Corn Growers, American Soybean Association, and the National AgriMarketing Association. Additionally, Ketelsen has served as President of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters and has traveled to all 50 states and many counSee PACF Page 8
Mabel-Canton to update school’s boiler system By H annah Wingert hannah@fillmorecountyjournal.com
The Mabel-Canton Board of Education met for their regular meeting on March 17, 2015 at 7 p.m. All board members were present. The minutes from the February 17th, 2015 meeting were reviewed and approved by the board with only one minor change. Chairperson Cristal Adkins noted that Minnesota’s graduation rates are continuing to rise and are currently at 81%. The dedication of those that work in the education system and the support of community members in the state of Minnesota can be attributed to the rising
So Does Every Penny.
numbers. The board wished to thank the Mabel Business Association for hosting the “Dueling Pianos” event held on March 14. There was a huge show of support from the community for the event and the donations and proceeds will benefit the school district. Superintendent Jennifer Backer attended the event and was blown away by the community’s support for the school district. She said she is very thankful to be a part of a district that takes care of its kids so well. The board approved unpaid leave of absence for Tricia Soiney on March 26-27, 2015 and for Lisa Halverson on April 20-21, See BOILER SYSTEM Page 11
Prices Effective March 23rd-March 29th, 2015