Belle plaine herald january 14, 2015

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Belle Plaine Dance Invitational Saturday BPHS Honors Ollie Heitkamp

Basketball Teams Absorb Tough Week Page 13

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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOURTH YEAR

BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, JANUARY 14, 2015

75¢ SINGLE COPY

NUMBER 3

City Confident Overpass Project Can Begin This Year Mn/DOT Confirms Full Interchange System Not an Option

by Dan Ruud 2015 is the year the city of Belle Plaine has marked on its calender to begin construction of the proposed bridge over Highway 169 near County Road 3/Meridian Street. Whether it can happen or not remains to be seen. But the city council did not take long into the new year to see to it that the project continues to move forward in time for a fall construction timeline. The bridge was a topic at a workshop session that followed the council’s first regular meeting Several hours after the fire was reported Thursday morning (Jan. 8), Belle Plaine firefighters of the year last Monday night continued to hose down remaining hot spots from a fire in the lower level of Darrell Bieder’s (Jan. 5). house along Union Hill Boulevard. They were hampered by sub-zero temperatures, a lack of City Administrator Holly Kreft reported that “per previeasy access to the fire and water that had to be trucked to the site. ous council direction, staff is moving forward with the necessary steps to have the project bid in the summer of 2015 with construction to start in the fall

Barking Dog, Firefighters Saved Man’s Life in House Fire When firefighters began their work to extinguish a fire at the Bieder farmhouse at 9060 Union Hill Boulevard just before 2 a.m. Thursday morning (Jan. 8), they didn’t know Darrell Milo Bieder lay in an upstairs hallway unconscious and struggling to breathe. Bieder called his son, Chris, at 1:38 a.m. and 9-1-1 two minutes later. The elder Bieder didn’t make it out of the house. A barking dog staying by its owner’s side in the smoke-filled hallway alerted firefighters the house was not empty. Bieder’s wife was out of town.

“We kept hearing the barking dog,” said Belle Plaine Fire Chief Matt Stier. “That alerted us.” Chris Bieder also informed firefighters his father was in the house. He lives near his parents and arrived shortly after firefighters reached the house. Stier sent a two-man crew – firefighters Mike Gau and Tim Hentges – into the upper floor of the house to see if there was anyone upstairs. They found Bieder, 69, unconscious on the hallway floor. Hentges and Gau worked to move Bieder out of the hallway

Former Lutheran Home CEO and Trinity Pastor Dies Former Belle Plaine Lutheran Home President and CEO and Trinity Lutheran Church Pastor Robert Schlicht died Jan. 7 in Glendale, Ariz. He was 83. Pastor Schlicht was president, CEO and pastor of The Lutheran Home Association (TLHA) from 1960-1993. During his tenure with TLHA, Pastor Schlicht: – Acquired the River Falls Campus in Wisconsin. – Conceived and built the Hope Residence in Belle Plaine. – Rebuilt The Lutheran Home:

of 2015 and be completed by summer/fall of 2016.” The current plan, called Alternative 2B, involves the construction of a bridge over Highway 169. However, rather than build it at the point where County Road 3 directly intersects with Highway 169, it would be located a short distance down the southbound lane of Highway 169 with access from West Commerce Drive on the north side of Highway 169 and County Road 3 on the south side. This would not be a full-fledged interchange system with cloverleafs and all, which could cost approximately $15 million. But Alternative 2B would be enough to provide access to potential economic properties on both sides of Highway 169 for less than half of the cost, according to Mayor Mike Pingalore. In response to a recent inquiry by Council Member Paul Chard if a full interchange with full alignment with County Road 3 is a viable option, Kreft’s re-

port to the council stated that the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) is opposed to it. Included in the council’s packet on Jan. 5 was a letter dated Dec. 15, 2014 from Mn/DOT South Area Manager Jon Solberg. “Current traffic volumes in the area do not warrant an additional (full) interchange.” Solberg added that a full access interchange at this location is not consistent with the 20year Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan or the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Policy Plan. “Both these plans are fiscally constrained and a full interchange at this location is currently not funded.” Solberg did not stop there. “A full interchange at this location would violate the in-

City Confident

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to the deck and a waiting ladder. Stier said six to eight firefighters helped bring Bieder, still unconscious but breathing, down the ladder to waiting medical help. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center. Thursday, Bieder was listed in critical but stable condition, Stier said. His condition improved Friday and over the weekend. Monday, it was listed as satisfactory. “Today was the first time he was up and walking on his own,” Chris Bieder said. “He’s Dr. Heidi Skonseng, left, is joined by office workers Pamm Egan, center, and Annalee Balk at doing better.” But Monday night, Bieder was the recently-opened Southwest Eye Care in Belle Plaine. Not pictured is Dr. Chad Dockter. having trouble breathing. Doctors reinstalled a tube to help him breathe, his son said. Southwest Eye Care, a full- gust following the death of Dr. provide eye exams, treatment The fire began in the lower service optometry practice with Jeffrey McGuire. Southwest of eye diseases and eye infeclevel of the 100-plus-year-old farmhouse, in an underground offices in Chaska, Norwood Eye Care eventually decided tions. Pamm Egan and Annalee room beyond the walls of the Young America, Glencoe, to open an office of its own in Balk, who live in Belle Plaine, also work in the office. farmhouse. It started near a Hutchinson and Minnetonka, Belle Plaine. wood burner, Stier said. Fire- has added Belle Plaine to its Southwest Eye Care began in Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 fighters found plenty of wood list of locations, having opened Chaska in August of 2005 and p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursfor the wood burner nearby, this month in the BP Commons has continued to expand since day and Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 complex just south of Highway then. Its doctors work with all p.m. Wednesday and by apfuel for the flames. age groups. pointments on Saturday. The fire was under control by 169 (741 Enterprise Drive). Southwest Eye Care started The office doctors for Belle To schedule an appointment, 4 a.m. and the damage was contained to the lower level of the seeing former patients of Olde Plaine are Chad Dockter and call 952-495-6070. You can World Optical office in Belle Heidi Skonseng, both of whom also visit www.southwesteyefarmhouse, Stier said. Plaine, which closed in Aucare.net for more information.

Belle Plaine. – Authored Care of the Soul, a book about the history of TLHA. – Dedicated Kingsway Retirement Living in Belle Plaine. – Spent two years as president of the American College of Healthcare Administrators. – Authored Cost Accounting in Long Term Care, which led to nationwide speaking engageHeavy Equipment ments. But to fully extinguish the fire, Pastor Schlicht was also pas- firefighters needed better access tor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Belle Plain from 1959-1976. Barking Dog His obituary appears on page (continued on page 9) 3.

Southwest Eye Care Opens in Belle Plaine

Mike Ludvik Named Chairman of Belle Plaine School Board in 2015

Replacing Bigaouette, O’Brien Takes Oath of Office

The Belle Plaine School Board returned to work Monday evening with its annual reorganizational meeting. In the wake of Matt Bigaouette’s resignation from the board to focus more time on family and work, Director Mike Ludvik was named the board’s chairman for 2015. Ludvik has served as the school board’s acting chairman for the last B.P. School Board Chairman Mike Ludvik welcomed Tracy month of 2014. Tracy O’Brien was appointed O’Brien to the board after she took the oath of office Monday to fill the final year of Bigaou- evening during the board’s annual organizational meeting. ette’s term. She was sworn-in named the board’s vice chair- Directors Giesen, Vandermark Monday evening (Jan. 12). person. Dan Giesen was named and Dan Gardner are all starting Board member Matt Lenz was the school board’s clerk and Joe their second year on the school board. Vandermark its treasurer. Belle Plaine firefighters Tim Hentges (left) and Mike Gau found Darrell Bieder, unconscious Ludvik has been a board After increasing its annual but still breathing, on an upstairs hallway floor of his farmhouse along Union Hill Boulevard member since 2011. Lenz is beMike Ludvik early Thursday morning. Bieder was overcome by smoke from a fire in the lower level of the ginning his eighth year on the (continued on page 5) 100-plus-year-old farmhouse. Belle Plaine School Board.


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Belle plaine herald january 14, 2015 by Belle Plaine Herald - Issuu