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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIFTH YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, JULY 27, 2016
NUMBER 30
75¢ SINGLE COPY
Ridgeview Gets Another Extension of Closing Date for Property Purchase
Belle Plaine’s Angela and Jeremy Kalal have two cars in their driveway ready for Saturday’s Scott County Fair Demolition Derby at 7 p.m. in the grandstand. The two teachers are veteran demo derby drivers.
by Dan Ruud For the third time in nine months, the Belle Plaine City Council Monday night unanimously granted a request by Ridgeview Medical Center for an extension of the closing date for the property purchase agreement it has with the city. Last August, the council okayed the execution of the purchase agreement, which was $1 for city-owned land at the northwest corner of Highway 169 and County Road 3/Meridian Street. The original closing date was Dec. 1, 2015.
Due to ongoing discussions with The Lutheran Home Association regarding a partnership in an expanded project (a senior housing complex added to the health clinic), the council last November agreed to extend the deadline for the closing date to May 1. In March of this year, the council, at Ridgeview’s request for the same reason, extended the closing date to Aug. 1, which as a result of this past Monday’s action now extends it to Oct. 1. “Ridgeview has requested an additional extension to the clos-
ing in order to finalize plans from The Lutheran Home Association for senior living as part of the project and to finalize documents associated with the development,” states the newest resolution. Three weeks ago (July 5), the council voted 3-2 to approve a replat and amended planned unit development for Ridgeview the Heath Campus. The replat includes a new lot that will create the potential to transfer fee ownership of the lot
Ridgeview
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B.P. Couple Ready for Saturday’s Scott County Fair Demo Derby
In about a month, they’ll be standing in front of students, teaching them important lessons. The organized calm of their classrooms is a stark contrast to this weekend when Angela and Jeremy Kalal will be crashing their cars as hard and as often as they can into their fellow competitors. Angela Kalal teaches fourth grade at Oak Crest Elementary School in Belle Plaine. Her husband, Jeremy, teaches junior high science in New Prague. Saturday night (July 30, 7 p.m.) at the Scott County Fairgrounds Grandstand, the duo will be more concerned about strategies for minimizing the damage to their cars while inflicting maximum damage to others. Lesson plans can wait. “You drive as fast as you can to crash into someone,” Jeremy said. “There’s nothing like it.” The husband-wife duo enjoys good-natured competition, both against the other demolition derby drivers and each other. Angela knows she has won as many trophies as her husband if the sledgehammer for the hardest hit delivered during last year’s powder puff demo derby is counted. Jeremy knows his last trophy, which sits in their son Cooper’s bedroom,
is slightly larger than Angela’s biggest trophy. “It’s all about the trophy,” Angela said sarcastically. She admits she doesn’t like to do things she’s not good at. “I’m very competitive.” Angela has won the powder puff class twice at the Scott County Fair and twice at the Le Sueur County Fair. Jeremy will be driving a 1976 Dodge Saturday night. Angela’s entry is a ’74 Chrysler Imperial. The couple has no significant attachment to Mopar vehicles. In a sport where finding suitable vehicles to reduce to hulks of twisted steel and sheet metal is becoming increasingly difficult, they stick with vehicles where parts can be switched from one year’s car to another. Angela’s father, Randy Jabs, organized and officiated demolition derbies at the county fair for several years. He and friends build demo derby cars in the shop at their home in Jordan. Angela and Jeremy both grew up in Jordan. Angela entered her first demo derby at 15. She’s entered about a dozen demo derbies over the past 18 years. Her father and uncle, Ken, built her first car.
‘Scared Out of My Mind.’
“They built me a fresh car, forged my name,” she said. Demo drivers back then had to be at least 16. “It just looked fun. I was scared out of my mind.” Angela recalls her first time in a car waiting for the demo derby to begin. She was so nervous she could hardly keep her foot on the car’s throttle. Angela was hit and took a deep breath. She then hit someone and had to take an even deeper breath. From that point on, she Over 100 adults and children took a break from the heat and stifling humidity Friday (July 22) was fine. Today, Angela said the pre- to enjoy the Belle Plaine Community Pool’s annual drive-in movie night. “Finding Nemo” was derby jitters are more about ex- the evening’s feature film. The annual event featured free popcorn for attendees. citement than fear. There was really no doubt that one day she would compete in a demo derby. “I grew up around the garage,” she said. “It was not a question of if I would be in a demo derby, it was when.” She has competed against ergy Project Manager Toby A ribbon-cutting ceremony for her sisters, Dana, Amanda and Fortune 200 Butterfield, it states that “we the opening of the Enterprise Missy, over the years. Her best Company Knocking plan to bring both the petition Drive overpass will take place memory of those derbies? (signed by all four property today Wednesday at 3 p.m. The “I beat ‘em,” Angela said. on City’s Door owners) and interim use permit public is invited to attend. “This is probably the only thing before the city council at the Parking will be permitted by Dan Ruud At the request of four property same time, so that if the per- along Commerce Drive. In case Demo Derby owners, the Belle Plaine City mit is denied we can have the of inclement weather, the cer(continued on page 9) Council has unanimously ap- annexation process stopped as emony will be held this Thursproved the annexation of 43.29 well, although we don’t antici- day at 3 p.m. acres in Blakeley Township to pate that outcome.” Last September, S.M. Hentges the city to help pave the way for Through a partnership with and Sons of Jordan was awardXcel Energy, the solar com- ed the project at the low bid of a solar energy complex. The site abuts the city limits plex could potentially provide $3,179,966.84, which was over of Belle Plaine at its western subscribers with reductions in $1.2 million below the city enboundary. The property owners their energy bills, while at the gineer’s construction estimate are Kimberly Devine-Johnson, same time providing more en- of $4,387,703. Christopher Johnson, Tammy vironmentally-friendly energy, Devine and Michael Carlson. which is the main focus of the They want to annex the prop- property owners. erty to Belle Plaine because at A solar garden is a solar electhis time solar gardens are not tric array with multiple subOpen House to permitted uses on the site be- scribers connected to the utility grid. The subscribers may cause it is zoned as an urban Recognize service boundary, which is a purchase a portion of the power growth boundary that limits de- produced by the array and re- Henrietta Stiles’ ceive a credit on their electric velopment in rural areas. 100th Birthday The annexation is proposed bill. to accommodate a 5 megawatt Utility customers within the utility scale solar energy system solar garden’s service area, in- Local resident Henrietta Stiles to be built by NextEra Energy. cluding residences, businesses, grew-up in the historic HoopHouse, It is a Fortune 200 clean energy local governments, non-profits er-Bowler-Hillstrom which is on the property where and faith-based organizations company with consolidated revthe Belle Plaine Farmers Marenues of approximately $17.5 can all subscribe. billion and some 14,300 em- Following a public hearing ket is held. In recognition of ployees in 27 states and Canada on June 20, the council unani- Henrietta’s 100th birthday, the Belle Plaine Historical Society as of year-end 2015. mously approved an ordinance will be hosting a reception for Belle Plaine Community De- that provides for solar energy Henrietta at the house today velopment Director Cynthia systems as accessory and prin- (Wednesday) from 4:30 to 5:30 Smith-Strack reported that a cipal uses in certain zoning p.m. joint planning board comprised classifications within the city. The house will be open for Workers hustled to complete the new 4-H building at the Scott County Fairgrounds Tuesday of township, city and county of- The ordinance also assigns tours during the hours of the ficials for the Blakeley Orderly (July 26). The new building might be ready for use during the county fair’s five-day run (July Annexation Area met on July specific performance standards Belle Plaine Farmers Market to potential solar energy pro27-31), which begins today. If it is not ready, 4-Hers will be serving food from the adjacent 11 to review the annexation viders. Previous city land-use today as well. Be sure to come red building. The old building’s canopy was moved to the spectator area adjacent to the north request and recommended that controls did not address solar down to congratulate Henrietta, Belle Plaine’s native centurion. horse show ring to provide much-needed shade. The Scott County Fair will have truck-and- the city and township approve (or wind) energy systems. tractor pulls in the grandstand tonight (July 27) and tomorrow night, motocross racing Friday it. The Blakeley Town Board Community Solar Garden leg(July 29) and demolition derby Saturday night. There will be live music throughout the fair, is expected to give its stamp of islation was passed into law and stunt bike shows and animal shows during its five-day run. The popular Miracle of Birth approval at an upcoming meet- signed by Gov. Mark Dayton as Center will again be in the dairy barn. The Scott County Fairgrounds is located at 7151 190th ing. part of the Solar Energy Jobs In a letter from NextEra En- Act in 2013. Street W., northeast of Belle Plaine in St. Lawrence Township.
4-H Building Might be Ready for County Fair’s Opener
Drive-in Movie Night at the B.P. Pool
Annexation Okayed for Bridge to Proposed Solar Energy Complex Near City Limits Open Today