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“Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
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Monday, April 3, 2017
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Volume 32 Issue 28
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Canton • Chatfield • Fountain • Harmony • Houston • Lanesboro • Mabel • Ostrander • Peterson • Preston • Rushford • Rushford Village • Spring Valley • Whalan • Wykoff
Local man purchases Preston Liquor, becomes his own boss
Left to right, departing owners Jami, Chad, and Rhonda Wangen and new owners Joe and Marsha Lafreniere with daughter Lilly. Photo by Tim Little of his. Lafreniere knows quite things go well, in the future By Tim Little a bit about craft beers and will I’d like to make it a little bigtim@fillmorecountyjournal.com bring that experience to the ger. Other than that...it’s pretty sales floor. He is also a big fan good the way it is,” he said. After driving by Preston Liquor of Harley Davidson motorcy- Initially, Lafreniere plans to run the business by himself for the past year and a half on his cles. way to work at Crenlo in Roch- Despite his inexperience with with occasional assistance from ester and thinking, “I should buy retail, he is eager to take over his wife. “I need to get all the that,” Joe Lafreniere finally “called the reins at Preston Liquor after figures and the finances in order my own bluff,” as he put it, and 19 years doing welding and fab- to see what actually is going on signed an agreement to purchase ricating work at Crenlo. Think- and then I plan to hire outside the liquor store. Lafreniere officially ing about what prompted him help. I just need to know how to purchase the liquor store, many hours I can afford to farm closed the sale on March 27. Lafreniere grew up in Preston, Lafreniere stated,” I just want- out,” he noted. but he, his wife Marsha, and their ed to get out of my job and Lafreniere takes over Preston five-year-old daughter now live in a make my own money instead of Liquor shortly after Governor Dayton signed a bill allowing rural home just north of Har- somebody else’s.” Lafreniere says there’s a lot to Sunday liquor store sales beginmony. Lafreniere says he doesn’t like about Preston Liquor. “It’s ning in July. “I think (Sunday have any direct experience in small, it’s local. It has a pretty sales) will be a good thing,” running a retail liquor opera- good location, in my opinion,” Lafreniere said. “It’ll be another tion, “Other than I really like said Lafreniere. “There are a day to generate income, maybe beer,” he joked. Musing on how lot of seasonal campgrounds not so much in the winter, but he ended up owning a liquor around. Kind of touristy, a lot I think the summer will be a store, he quipped, “If I had to of trout stuff that will bring good money maker some day. take a step into retail it would people through there quite I’m surprised how many of the local people, and the campeither be something to do with often,” Lafreniere added. motorcycles or liquor,” he said, Lafreniere doesn’t plan to noting that both were passions change much at the store. “If See LIQUOR Page 2
Prices Effective April 3rd - 9th, 2017
Longtime automotive hub sold to Rushford brothers By K irsten Zoellner kirsten@fillmorecountyjournal.com
After more than 47 years in business and 55 years in the industry, Larry Dahl is moving on to the next chapter in his life. Proprietor of the long-standing Dahl’s Auto Works in Rushford, Dahl has secured new ownership for the business he fought hard to keep as notable business entity in the community. “Over the years since, we have had a few individuals interested, but nothing serious who I thought would put the effort in and make the business a success,” says Dahl. “I didn’t want to see the business close after all the years it had been in Rushford.” What a time it’s been. “I started working for Morken’s Service in the fall of 1962. I was doing everything from selling
gas and changing oil to tires and cleaning up used cars,” he says. Dahl later attended school for to further his mechanical abilities. Later he went to front end school, aligning cars, pickups, and light mechanical work. Before Christmas 1969, Alton Morken told Dahl and other employees that he was going to close the business at the end of the year. Dahl decided to open a body shop of his own, establishing it a day after New Year’s, 1970. Situated in the old Rushford chick hatchery, he recalls starting out without a single customer. “Stan Hoiland was the first person to give me a repair job. I worked six and seven days a week plus some nights to survive.” The first year was grueling, but at the conclusion, he hadn’t had to shutter See RUSHFORD Page 9
Lt. Governor Smith tours POET By K aren R eisner karen@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Lt. Governor Tina Smith visited POET in Preston on March 24 to learn more about advances and innovations in the production of ethanol and its effect on the economy. With a background in business, Smith was interested in how the state may be a better partner. General Manager Chris Hanson expressed his enthusiasm about the plant’s production of ethanol and related by products and their positive effects on the economy, especially agriculture. Hanson promoted ethanol as beneficial to the environment, engine health, human health, value, national security, the economy, and agriculture. “Ethanol is a clean-burning, high-octane fuel that is produced domestically
Will bE ClosEd APril 16th
from renewable sources.” POET has four ethanol plants in Minnesota and a total of 28 across the midwest. Hanson sees gaining market share as the company’s biggest challenge. POET was the largest company by revenue in South Dakota in 2015. Smith noted that auto manufacturers had predicted problems with the use of ethanol, adding it hasn’t worked out that way. There are now over 600 flex fuel pumps nationwide and 1,100 are expected in the next few years. Hanson has worked at the Preston plant for 12 years and has been general manager for three years. Forty-four people are employed at the Preston See POET Page 8