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“Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
Rushford Village discusses land sales; road work page
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Lanesboro now offers EV charging page
Monday, August 27, 2018
R-P approves sale of Peterson site
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Fire hydrants and Kernza page
Volume 33 Issue 49
Mabel-Canton volunteers really clean up
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Canton • Chatfield • Fountain • Harmony • Houston • Lanesboro • Mabel • Ostrander • Peterson • Preston • Rushford • Rushford Village • Spring Valley • Whalan • Wykoff
Little Huskers invade Willow Park Chatfield Schools welcomes new elementary principal By M ary A llen mary@fillmorecountyjournal.com
At the August 20 Chatfield School Board Meeting all board members were present, along with Superintendent Harris, Lorri Lowrey, administrative assistant; and Business Manager Karyl Lyon. No board members had reports to give. Superintendent Harris first welcomed the new elementary principal, Shane McBroom to the school district. He stated that they were very happy to have him on board. Shane had previously been the elementary principal in St. Charles. Under construction updates, school is still on track to open as scheduled but there will be some areas that will need to be finished in early September. One project that is being held up is the front entry A throng of young runners sprint from the start line. By R ich Wicks rich@fillmorecountyjournal.com
the event to be free and fun. The idea of T-shirts and medals for participants was discussed; we decided to ask for sponsorship to help cover the cost.” She said board members had expected to see about 30-60 kids for the initial kids run, but over 160 registered that first year. Since the event was such a success right away, very few changes have been made, and it now draws around 250 participants per year. The event requires around $2,500 to put on, and roughly 125 volunteer hours go into making everything run smoothly. When asked who volunteers, Deb Zimmer stated, “Board members and their family and friends, along See LITTLE HUSKERS Page 9
See PRINCIPAL Page 8
Kingsland sets operating levy By R ich Wicks rich@fillmorecountyjournal.com
The Kingsland School Board worked on deciding upon a new Operating Levy amount during their regular board meeting on August 20. All board members were present (Doug Plaehn, Ann Oeltjen, Heather Betts, Leah Stier, Jackie Horsman, Tiffany Mundfrom, and Superintendent James Hecimovich. The board discussed possibly sending a two-question referendum to voters, with the first question essentially renewing the current amount, and the second asking for the increase needed. Tiffany Mundfrom asked, “Have we ever been able to pass a two-question measure?” Douh Plaehn said no, to which Horsman chuckled,
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“Well, thanks for your candor.” Mundfrom then said she prefers simply a one-question referendum, asking for the amount Kingsland truly needs; Horsman agreed. The board discussed the balancing act of asking for enough to cover costs, without putting an unfair burden on taxpayers. Horsman stated, “It’s hard because what I think we all want, and what’s attainable, are two different things… And that’s what makes it difficult. First and foremost, you have to try to come up with something that you feel you can get the community to support.” After discussion, the board voted unanimously to accept the new operating levy amount See LEVY Page 14
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As part of the annual Ag Days in Spring Valley, the Little Huskers 1K Run has attracted throngs of young athletes from the local area and beyond, and that was certainly the case again on August 8. This year marked the sixth annual Little Huskers event, and the weather was ideal. The kids’ run is held in Willow Park, following the conclusion of the 6K run. The 1K is for runners 12 years of age or younger, and this year saw roughly 260 registered runners. Each participant received a personalized racing “bib” number, T-shirt, refreshments following the run, and most importantly, a medal. Runners were grouped
and started by age group, with the youngest (two- and threeyear-olds) running a shorter course. The event is free and noncompetitive, but it was clearly a “win-win” situation, based upon the many smiling faces among the participants and spectators. The event is organized by the Spring Valley Area Community Foundation (SVACF), and three Foundation board members (Wendy Thon, Gina Jahn, and Deb Zimmer) gave their thoughts on what makes the event so popular. Asked how the event originated, Thon answered, “During a board meeting we discussed doing something during Ag Days, and Steve Harder came up with the idea of doing a fun run for the kids. We wanted
Photo by Rich Wicks
because of a miscalculation of the grade coming from the building. The architect will be on site next Tuesday to review this concern and work on a solution. The pay equity report that was not in compliance in March has now been approved by the state with the updated job classifications. Mr. Harris thanked Karyl Lyon for the assistance and guidance in this process. There were two annual readings of district policies and first and second readings of policies that Harris addressed. Jerry Chase reiterated that all staff be especially aware of policy 524 Internet Acceptable Use and Safety Policy. Principal Randy Paulson gave an update for changes this year in the high school. Ninth and