ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIXTH YEAR
ISSUE NUMBER 29
More Bar-B-Q Days Photos
Former B.P. Man On The Lamb
Pages 2 & 12
75¢
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA
12U Softball Team Headed to Natl’s
Page 10
WEDNESDAY PUBLICATION
Page 11
JULY 19, 2017
Olivia Olson Crowned Miss Belle Plaine
Members of “America Needs Fatima” held a rosary and prayer of the park, a group of non-Christians, including Satanists and session Saturday (June 15) at Veterans’ Memorial Park in op- atheists, gathered for a “picnic” in support of the proposed position to the anticipated Satanic memorial honoring the ser- monument. vice and sacrifice of non-religious soldiers. On the other side
B.P. City Council Eliminates Limited Public Forum From Vets’ Memorial Park The fight over memorials to veterans came to an apparent end Monday night when the Belle Plaine City Council eliminated the place where groups could honor them in a city park.
Saturday (July 15), an out-oftown Christian religious group -- “America Needs Fatima” -traveled to Belle Plaine from Wisconsin and was joined by local Christians. Across Veterans’ Memorial Park, a small
City Council OKs Money for Peek Into Community Center Plan Although it’s not exactly a statement the City of Belle Plaine is all-in on a proposal to support a community center on school district property, the city and district are at least willing to pony up the cash to determine if the plan is worth presenting to voters. During a workshop Monday night (June 17), the city council unanimously approved contributing up to $15,000 for its share of funding for architectural drawings and community survey costs on the proposal. The school district has yet to
group supporting the rights of non-Christians, including Satanists and atheists, gathered for a “picnic.” The rallies were apparently in vain as the city council voted Monday (July 17) to eliminate the limited public forum where the memorials were to be placed. The city created the limited public forum in February after weeks of boisterous protests from veterans who argued the presence of a cross on a memorial to a fallen soldier kneeling over the grave of a fallen comrade did not constitute a breach of the separation of church and state in a public park. Unlike the meeting where it was created, the city council unanimously eliminated the
approve its share of similar funding. The unbudgeted funding will go toward the city’s share of generating architectural plans and costs for a community center that could include a field house, fitness/weight training, community/senior room, concession area and possible indoor-outdoor pool. Once those drawings are completed, the Other than a blast of mid-90s district and city could begin to heat and oppressive humidity Saturday afternoon, conditions present them to the public. from the start of festivities FriCommunity Center day evening through Sunday’s fireworks display were down(continued on page 6)
A proposed change to the city’s comprehensive plan and rezoning of land for an apartment building set to charge workforce rents is sitting on
Forum
(continued on page 11)
Olivia Olson was crowned Miss Belle Plaine Sunday afternoon. She said her “heart Royal Court Will be nasium. dropped” when 2016 queen Raat Lutheran Home chel Eliason placed the crown on her head. Friday, Kolacky “My heart was pounding so Days This Weekend fast. I heard her footsteps behind me,” Olson said, recalling She woke up Sunday morn- Eliason walking back-and-forth ing not thinking much about behind the candidates creating what was to come. Olivia Ol- excitement over who would be son had no idea by the end of crowned the next Miss Belle the day, the year to come would Plaine. “I thought about who be much different than she had was going to be crowned, the anticipated. other girls. I would have loved Olson was crowned Miss the outcome either way.” Belle Plaine Sunday afternoon The queens had little time (July 16) at the Bar-B-Q Days Olivia Olson coronation ceremony in the se(continued on page 5) nior high school’s south gym-
Despite Heat, Bar-B-Q Days A Success
Proposed Land Rezoning for Apartment Building Put on Hold Council Waits for Info on Alternative Plan
limited public forum without allowing public discussion. The forum was meant to allow different groups freedom of expression when honoring veterans. Interim City Administrator Dawn Meyer and Mayor Chris Meyer (no relation) decided to place the proposal to eliminate the forum on the city council’s consent agenda Monday after consulting with local veterans. Dawn Meyer said the controversy has limited city staff’s ability to complete tasks. She said city hall received about 300 calls last Wednesday from people opposed to the city’s granting a Satanic group permission to install a memorial
hold after the Belle Plaine City Council rejected a change in the city’s comp. plan but tabled action enacting its decision. The city council wants more information on a potential alternative to Troy Schrom’s plan to build an apartment building on 1.45 acres of vacant land on the city’s east side, at the corner of East State Street and North
Homeowners near the intersection of Aspen Lane and East State Street are concerned about the potential impacts of a an apartment building proposed for this vacant lot.
Aspen Lane owned by the Fogarty family trust. Schrom had requested the city change its comprehensive plan and ordinance to rezone the property from industrial-commercial to multi-family mixed housing. He planned to build a 24-unit
Land Rezoning (continued on page 4)
right pleasant during last weekend’s 59th Bar-B-Q Days festivities. The only blemish in the weather was Saturday’s mid90s high-60s dewpoint humidity which pushed the feels-like temperature into triple digits. The heat may have played a role in lower-than-usual sales in the beer garden and beef stand. “Other than the heat, the weather was great. The parade was very well attended,” said Jean Murphy, Belle Plaine Festivals and Events’ coordinator. The beef stand had total sales of $31,786.25 compared to $38,226.17 last year. Sandwiches cost $3.50 apiece, the same as in recent years. The beer garden, where the cost of most beverages was similar to last year, had sales totalling $57,362.25, which was up from $48,180.50 last year. The totals for this year are preliminary gross sales and do not yet have all of the expenses calculated to determine profits. Beef Sales Friday $9,310.50 Saturday $12,177.45 Sunday $10,298.30 2017 Total $31,786.25 2016 Total $38,226.17 Beer Garden Sales Friday $13,577.00 Saturday $28,173.00 Sunday $15,612.25 2017 Total $57,362.25 2016 Total $48,180.50 Carnival Ride Sales 2016 Total $61,936.00 2017 Total $63,230.00 Saturday’s parade again attracted well over 100 entrants, the grand marshal for which
was Mary and John Stier. Olivia Olson was crowned Miss Belle Plaine at Sunday’s Coronation in the BPHS south gymnasium (see separate story).
Horse Show Results
Friday evening’s Minnesota Valley Riders’ horse show attracted a number of riders from across the area competing in 10 different competitions. This year’s winners were: Costume Class: Riley Ebert on Angel (magician and trick bunny). Open Driving: Madison Deile driving Spirit. Open Walk/Trot: Lori Taylor on Stitch. Lead Line: Mason McConnell on RLC Catalina Rojo. Western Pleasure: Victoria Larson on Bettin’ With Pennies. Egg and Spoon: Maria Larson on Can’t Cash My Checks. Open Barrels: Alix Vandervoort on Tucker. Surprise Class 11 and Under: Jessie Sullivan on Dancer. Surprise Class: Hadley Weydert on Rein.
Bull Run Results
Saturday (June 15) started out pleasant but runners were aware hot, humid, weather was on the way after noon. The BarB-Q Days drew 250 runners to the five-kilometer event and 90 runners to the children’s run. The top male and female finishers in the 5K are both high school students. Belle Plaine’s Drew Hastings finished the 5K run in 18 minutes, 21 seconds, just ahead of St. Peter’s Bailey Moore (18 minutes, 22 sec-
onds). Both runners compete on their respective high school teams. Hastings is 14, two years Moore’s junior. May Krause, 18, recorded the only other sub-19 minute time at 18 minutes, 48 seconds. The first female finisher was 16-year-old Victoria Flores of Le Sueur, who finished in a time of 20:53, 4 seconds off last year’s time. Bryce Malchow, 11, won the Kids’ Fun Run in 3:05. Autumn Malchow, the first girl to finish the youth run, finished four seconds later. She took fifth. Bull Run/Top Males Overall – Drew Hastings. 14 and under – Hastings, Emmett Gerres and Sean Weckman. 15-19 – Bailey Moore, May Krause and Josh Pichotta. 20-29 – Jerry Kornder, Cody Polowski and Adam Michel. 30-39 – Nathan Schultz, Brad Pederson and Pat Schultz. 40-49 – Jason Schultz, Brian Jamison and Greg Loeding. 50-59 – Tom Bachman, Andy Pichotta and Joe Murphy. 60-69 – Roger Bzrdak, Dennis Murphy and Mark Siemon. 70-plus – Don Behnke, Bill Kruschke and Tom Jamison. Top Females Overall – Victoria Flores. 14 and under – Malina Koepp, Lizzy Schmidt and Sara Karline. 15-19 – Victoria Flores, Cassie
Bar-B-Q Days
(continued on page 12)