Local Group is What It’s All Quacked Up to be
Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High Honor Roll
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Belle Plaine Girls Win First MRC Game Page 17
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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOURTH YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, FEBRUARY 18, 2015
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 8
Proposal Could Help Sun Warm Belle Plaine Homes Year-Round by Dan Ruud What some say could be the next big thing when it comes to saving energy and improving air quality has come knocking on Belle Plaine’s door – and the city has agreed to at least listen to what the solicitor has to say. City Administrator Holly Kreft reported this month that as a result of recent changes to Minnesota legislation regrading solar energy, the city has received a number of inquiries regarding the installation of a solar garden in Belle Plaine. Some of those contacting Belle Plaine had already done some research locally. Kreft said Members of the Scott West wrestling team celebrated with the section championship trophy staff has met with SolarStone, a Saturday night at Mankato East High School. It was the Panthers’ 15th section title in the 25- Minnesota-based company, and Ecoplexus, a Colorado-based year history of the program. company. Both have expressed
Tiebreaker Decides Outcome
interest in property of five to 50 acres with a lease term of up to 30 years. They are interested in public property and possibly private land as well. One area that has been singled out is the decommissioned ponds adjacent to the city’s wastewater treatment facility. Both also asked if the city would be interested in becoming a subscriber. Community Solar Garden legislation was passed into law and signed by Gov. Mark Dayton as part of the Solar Energy Jobs Act in 2013. These projects have also been authorized in other states, most notably in Xcel Energy’s service area in Colorado. Some Minnesota power cooperatives have built solar gardens for their members to join.
If a solar garden is built in Belle Plaine, any electricity consumer in Xcel Energy’s territory can participate. Some of the whats and hows of community solar gardens include: – You can produce solar power without having to install panels on your home or business. – A community solar garden is a large solar array where many people can purchase subscriptions to clean, solar energy generation, right in their community. – Delivers reliable solar power to the electric grid. – Anyone with an electric bill –
Proposal
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Scott West Advances to State
by Dan Ruud When the scoreboard read 3131 after the last of 14 matches was wrestled in the Section 2AA Team Championship Valentine’s Night at Mankato East High School, one team and its fans were about to have their hearts broken. When Scott West coach Darren Ripley began celebrating and a relieved Scott West cheering section followed suit, it was New Prague whose hearts were broken as it was determined that Scott West would represent the section at next week’s state team tournament byway of tiebreaker criteria (most technical falls). Scott West had two and New Prague one. A technical fall is declared when a wrestler takes a 15-point lead over his opponent. While the Panthers were celebrating, a number of Trojans wrestlers and fans were visibly disappointed. New Prague had earned the top seed after having beaten Scott West 32-31 (no tiebreaker needed) a couple of weeks earlier in Belle Plaine.
Scott West, the No. 2 seed, which beat No. 7 seed TriCity United 54-18 in Thursday night’s quarterfinals in Belle Plaine, disposed of No. 3 seed Waconia 39-25 in Saturday’s semifinals in Mankato. Less than 30 minutes later, New Prague and Scott West were going at it on center mat in what was a tensely-fought Valentine’s Night battle (see details in article on page 17). Scott West, 15-2 on the season, will return to the Minnesota State High School Class 2A Team Tournament for the seventh time in eight years next Thursday at Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. The program, a combination of wrestlers from Belle Plaine and Jordan high schools, has now qualified as a team for state 15 times in its 25-year history. For the fourth year in a row, next week’s state team tournament will take place in one day (Thursday). The top four teams have been seeded 1 through 5. Perham received the fifth seed and the other three teams ran-
domly drew to determine which of the top three seeded teams they will face in the quarterfinals. The top four seeds in the tournament (in order and records in parenthesis) are defending state champion Simley (26-5), Albert Lea (33-1), Scott West (15-2) and Totino-Grace (15-8). The rest of the field consists of Perham (25-3), Foley (26-5), Worthington (21-6) and Milaca/ Faith Christian (24-8). Scott West will square off against Milaca/Faith Christian in the first round (see tourney match ups and schedule below). Scott West also faced Milaca in the quarterfinals of last year’s state tournament, winning 4027. The Panthers then defeated Foley 30-23 before losing to Simley 33-21 in the championship. Scott West also lost to Simley in the state finals in 2011 and 2012 by scores of 39-16 and
Tiebreaker
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Belle Plaine’s 2014-15 FFA officers are, from left, Emily Smith (secretary/reporter), Sam Schmidt (president), Megan Glisczinski (treasurer/sentinel) and Caitlyn Schoon (vice president).
BPHS Observing FFA Week Pancake Breakfast This Sunday
Having no classes on Presidents Day Monday did not keep some 30 Belle Plaine High School FFA members from kicking off National FFA Week with a trip to Chanhassen to help prepare food kits for the Feed My Starving Children organization, which provides meals to underprivileged children around the world. On Tuesday, FFA members went to Oak Crest Elementary
School to speak to fifth-graders about different types of soils. Today (Wednesday), they will speak to fourth-graders about the fruit and vegetable industries and make pumpkin pies. On Thursday, they will talk to third-graders about seeds and how they grow. On Friday, they will visit with sixth-graders and make ice cream for them and their teachers. FFA Week at BPHS will conclude Sunday with the annual Pancake and Sausage Breakfast at the school from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The public is invited
to attend. The cost is $7 for adults, $5 for kids ages 5-12 and $2 for kids age 4 and under. Proceeds, which will be supplemented by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, will benefit Camp Courage.
Three Belle Plaine FFA Members Win Regional Competitions
Belle Plaine FFA members
FFA Week
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Belle Plaine Couple Has Unscheduled, Special Delivery Police, Fire, Ambulance, Dispatchers Lending Helping Hand
A Good Showing for Cyber Tigers The Belle Plaine Cyber Tigers, the junior-senior high school’s robotics team, enjoyed an impressive showing at a practice event that included about 20 metro area school teams Saturday morning at Eagan High School. Cyber Tigers Advisor Jeff Heine said the team’s robot performed as well as any of the robots entered by more experienced teams from larger schools. The difference, he said, is the experience of BPHS driver tandems, like Caitlin Preusser (above) and Ellen Kreeger, and the team’s strategy for “Recycle Rush,” a recycling-themed game played by two teams working together, known as alliances. Robots score points by stacking totes on scoring platforms, capping those stacks with recycling containers, and properly disposing of soft Styrofoam pool noodles (representing litter). The Cyber Tigers are preparing for the sectional competition April 3-4 at Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.
It wasn’t supposed to work out this way. Lindsay and Blake Foster of Belle Plaine had the arrival of their first child planned down to a level of detail Mother Nature would allow. But as luck would have it, the Belle Plaine’s couple’s son was born at home, not in the hospital, with the help of Scott County dispatchers, Belle Plaine police, firefighters and a Ridgeview Ambulance crew. The Fosters were planning Bowdyn Garin Foster’s arrival for this month. Monday (Feb. 2), Lindsay was scheduled for a doctor’s appointment at 11:40
a.m. at St. Francis Regional around 7 with an uncomfortMedical Center in Shakopee. able feeling. “It was a feeling Bowdyn arrived about 35 minSpecial Delivery utes before the appointment. (continued on page 8) Lindsay woke up that morning
Blake and Lindsay Foster welcomed their first child, Bowdyn Garin, into the world Monday, Feb. 2. The child was born at home, shortly before Lindsay was due at the doctor’s office for a checkup.