BPHS Triple A, ExCEL Winners Announced
Letters to Editor Plentiful This Week
Scott West Wrestlers Come Up Big Page 11
Page 4
Page 2
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIXTH YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, january 25, 2017
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 4
Council Considers Possible Land Exchange With School District An ongoing proposal between the Belle Plaine City Council and Belle Plaine School District continued last Tuesday night when the council held a workshop to discuss a potential land swap between the two entities. Belle Plaine City Administrator Mike Votca reported that there have been discussions with School Superintendent Ryan Laager and other school staff regarding the proposal, which would involve transferring the city’s property that is currently used as ice skating and hockey rinks, to the school district in exchange for district land formerly used as tennis
courts. This city’s new land (the old tennis courts) would be used for a future expansion of the municipal swimming pool. The potential swap sites, which adjoin each other, are located next to the high school along Market Street. The council directed staff to file an application for an administrative subdivision and transfer of the land, a process that could take several months. Votca reported that it’s not fully known yet what the cost of the transfer is expected to be, but that it could be covered from within the currently allocated
budget. Community Development Director Cynthia Smith Strack said the process as a whole is still preliminary, and that should the land swap go through, it won’t be until after more details are ironed out. The city currently maintains the ice rinks and dog park, the latter of which is operated during the summer within the hockey rink. The current surface condition of the tennis courts is such that they can’t be used for playing tennis. The district constructed new tennis courts at its athletic
City Council
(continued on page 12)
One-Act Play in Pursuit of 13th Star Public Performance This Thursday Night
by Dan Ruud The 2017 Belle Plaine High School one-act play group has the challenge of trying to match last year’s play that won a section championship and earned a star rating at state. But like a dozen other BPHS one-act play groups that faced the same challenge, the group’s goal is to do just that. This year’s play, “Radium Cure for the Broken Hearted,” is the story of a young girl who comes to a rural town in the early 1900s and finds it difficult to fit in. The townsfolk consider
this outsider odd and refuse to treat her kindly, reflecting the intolerance and small-mindedness of that time and place. When a traveling medicine show comes to town, the young girl drinks a radium-infused elixir. Under its influence, the girl’s past comes back to haunt her, leading to dire consequences. Belle Plaine is attempting to make its 13th appearance at the Minnesota State One-Act Play Festival in St. Paul. The group earned its 12th starred rating in program history at state with its 2016 production of “Anatomy of Gray.” The school earned previous star ratings at state in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2007,
Teresa Wentworth prepared her hair for a dress rehearsal Thursday at the Performing Arts Center.
2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. This year’s cast consists of senior Lauren Murphy (Mary), junior Cody Klipple (Simon), junior Gabrielle Malecha (Ms. Whitley), eighth-grader Kadence Bran de Leon (Maggie), freshman Dylan May (Doc Jasper), senior Noah Ellingsworth (Sheriff Jackson), sophomore Neil Bigaouette (Gray), junior Hunter Meyer (Caleb), senior Jonah Meyer (Bloodgood), junior Taylor Cote (Rachel), senior Hannah Burmeister (Sarah Slocumb), freshman Katie Piampiano (Susannah), senior Taylor Thompson (Ismene), senior Rachel Fahey (Beauty), senior Teresa Wentworth (Hope), sophomore Siri Kuhn (Mind), freshman Kylee Santovi (Innocence) and sophomore Hunter Schmidt (Father). The sound and lights crew are seniors Hayden Cody and John Franck. Approximately 40 students attended cast tryouts before 18 were selected to be in this year’s play. Tony Hartmann, who is in his 14th year as a director of Belle Plaine’s one-act play, was a codirector for a number of years with Peter Jacobson, who is on a leave of absence to teach in India. Last year, Carol HannonOrr, who was no stranger to the program, joined Hartmann as a codirector. This year, another person who is no stranger to the program,
One-Act Play
(continued on page 2)
Terry Buesgens (foreground), Ben Gregory (back left) and Emmett Luetmer (back right) were among a group that made 500 wooden crosses for people to display on private property as a show of support for Belle Plaine veterans.
B.P. Citizens Supporting Vets and Memorial are Fighting Mad The Belle Plaine City Council’s decision last week to remove a Latin cross from a memorial in Veterans Memorial Park to fallen Belle Plaine soldiers has veterans and some residents steaming mad and willing to stand up for what they believe in. Their angst was directed at a local citizen, the organization that requested the removal of the cross from public property and the city council that acquiesced to the group’s request the cross be removed. The uproar was caused by the city council’s order that the cross be removed following a closed session between the council and City Attorney Bob Vose on Jan. 3. Last Monday (Jan. 16), Mayor Chris Meyer and City Administrator Mike Votca met with representatives of Belle Plaine veterans groups, who begrudgingly accepted the council’s directive that the Latin cross be removed from a memorial. “We didn’t have any option the way they said it,” said Larry Ruehling, commander of Belle
Plaine’s VFW post. “They’re caught between either we do it (remove the cross) or we get sued. It’s a very sad thing.” The following day, the cross was carefully removed from the memorial made by the late-Joe Gregory, a U.S. Marine who fought in the South Pacific during World War II and was part of the occupation force in Japan after the war. Gregory created the memorial to honor those who served and died for their country. The memorial was installed last August. Gregory, who operated Joe’s Service in Belle Plaine for many years, donated the memorial to Belle Plaine’s veterans before his death last fall. “As reported, this issue was first brought to the attention of the city in August of 2016,” said Meyer. “In the months that followed, numerous amounts of time were spent by the city attorney, city staff and the previous mayor and council with additional resources provided by the League of Minnesota Insurance Trust researching and compiling information. Many questions were asked, different scenarios considered – all with the goal of providing the needed information available for determining a decision in the best interest of Belle Plaine. The main piece of information that was brought forward was that legal
action involving this type of issue is not covered by the city insurance coverage and would fall 100 percent back onto the taxpayers of this community. Some of the research looked at the possibility of donating or selling part of the land to the veterans, which also proved to be something that would most likely end up in litigation as shown by previous case law determination and again fell outside the policy coverages.” News that the council decided to have the cross removed from the memorial spread quickly among Belle Plaine’s veterans and their supporters.
St. Patrick’s Planning Meeting Jan. 26
Red Cross Hosting Blood Drive at B.P. Vets Club
The Belle Plaine St. Patrick’s Committee will hold its next planning meeting for this year’s celebration on Thursday (Jan. 26) at Neisen’s Corner Bar downtown. All committee members and bar/restaurant owners are asked to attend. It begins at 5:30 p.m. This year’s celebration will take place Saturday, March 18. Queen Candidates Sought All Belle Plaine girls who are a junior in high school are invited to be a 2017 Miss Shamrock queen candidate. For more inBelle Plaine’s 2017 one-act play cast and crew are back row, from left, Cody Klipple, Taylor Thompson, Jonah Meyer, Kadence formation, call Jeanette Gloege Bran de Leon and Neil Bigaouette. In the middle row are John Franck (crew), Noah Ellingsworth, Lauren Murphy, Hunter at 873-6684 or 612-501-8529. Meyer, Hannah Burmeister, Gabrielle Malecha, Taylor Cote, Katie Piampiano and Hayden Cody (crew). In the front row are Dylan May, Teresa Wentworth, Siri Kuhn, Kylee Santovi, Rachel Fahey and Hunter Schmidt.
Wooden Crosses
Unhappy with the council’s decision, Terry Buesgens, Gregory’s son-in-law, decided to make 500 wooden crosses at his shop in Belle Plaine Township. He was assisted by a group of others that included Ben Gregory, Emmett Luetmer, Tony O’Brien, Matt and Joe Ruehling. On Thursday (Jan. 19), people supporting the veterans gathered downtown and received wooden crosses. The crosses were distributed at no cost to anyone who’d take them and display them on private prop-
Veteran’s Display (continued on page 12)
The American Red Cross Bloodmobile will be in Belle Plaine Wednesday (Feb. 1) at the Vets Club downtown. Appointments are available from 1-7 p.m. The Vets Club is at 221 Meridian Street N. Call 1-800-733-2767 to make an appointment.