Town Tigers Host Formidable Foes
BPHS Trapshooting Team State Bound
2015 Friends of Education Page 8
Page 14
Page 15
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOURTH YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, JUNE 17, 2015
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 25
Belle Plaine Man, 24, Killed in Early-Morning Crash A Belle Plaine man was killed in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash just after 1 a.m. Saturday after losing control of his motorcycle and hitting a curb at the intersection of Lindsey Lane and Lacy Court. Justin Posusta, 24, was heading north on Lindsey Lane when his motorcycle struck the curb. Posusta was thrown from the motorcycle and hit a tree, suffering fatal blunt-force injuries, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office. He was not wearing a helmet, said Belle Plaine Police Chief Tom Stolee. The crash occurred in a south-
east Belle Plaine residential neighborhood. Posusta’s motorcycle continued through a chain link fence and struck a house, causing minor damage to it, Stolee said. A gas line into the house was struck, causing a small leak. Firefighters responding to the call contained the leak. Police are investigating details related to the cause of the crash. Memorial services will be held tomorrow (Thursday, June 18, 1 p.m.), at Christ Lutheran Church in Glencoe, with interment following in the Glencoe City Cemetery.
Council Agrees to Hiring of New Activities/Recreation Director Rejects Request for Mini-Storage Units Downtown
an employment contract for the city’s portion of the joint agreement with Chad Eischens as the school district’s new activities/ recreation director. Longtime Community Services Director Nelson Ladd is by Dan Ruud retiring at the end of this month The Belle Plaine City Council and the school district, as part Monday night unanimously au- of a restructuring plan, has thorized the mayor to execute changed the title of the posi-
City Community Development Director Chelsea Alger to Resign Belle Plaine Community Development Director Chelsea Alger will resign, effective July 8. Alger was hired by the Belle Plaine City Council on April 1, 2013. She had been the community development director for the city of Norwood Young America. Alger replaced Trisha Rosenfeld, who was Belle Plaine’s community development director since 2006, the same year Alger joined the city of Norwood Young America. Alger explained in her letter of resignation to the city of Belle Plaine that she has accepted
a position as resource development officer with Southwest Minnesota Housing P a r t n e rship, a nonprofit community development corporation. She will do grant
Chelsea Alger
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Man Charged With Felony-Level Assault A Belle Plaine man is in the county jail facing felony-level assault charges after he allegedly “sucker-punched” a man walking away from a downtown establishment early Saturday morning (June 13). Rustin Timothy Oxendale, 26, is charged with third-degree assault. A judge set a bail bond bond at $50,000. The victim, Daniel Meger of New Prague was listed in serious condition yesterday (Tuesday, June 16) morning at Hennepin County Medical Center. Police Chief Tom Stolee said the investigation revealed Meger and Oxendale had little or no interaction during the
evening before Oxendale allegedly punched Meger. According to the criminal complaint, Oxendale was involved in disagreements with several people earlier in the evening at a downtown Belle Plaine bar. Just after 2:15 a.m., as Meger and a group of people walked away from the bar after it closed, the charge states Oxendale ran up behind Meger and punched him in the side of the head. Witnesses told police Meger, 29, collapsed to the ground and was bleeding from his ear, the
Man Charged
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Longtime Belle Plaine Veterans Club Head Dies Longtime Belle Plaine Veterans Club President Maynhardt Bahrke died Thursday. He was 82. Besides president of the Veterans Club, Bahrke was instrumental in the development and construction of Veterans Park in Belle Plaine and its flag dedication program, etc. He was also active with the American Legion Post 144, VFW Post 6202, the Belle Plaine Sports-
man’s Club, Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever and other organizations. In 2008, Bahrke was named Scott County Outstanding Senior Volunteer of the Year. He was recognized for that honor at the county fair. Bahrke was buried with Military Honors involving the Belle Plaine Honor Guard at Oakwood Cemetery this past Sunday. His obituary appears on page 3.
tion to activities and recreation director, meaning Eischens will also assume the duties of current Activities Director Mindy (Sparby) Chevalier, who will become assistant principal. Representatives from the city and school district interviewed eight candidates and the consensus of the group was to offer the position to Eischens, who has been the activities director for New Ulm High School the past four years. City Administrator Holly Kreft reported that Eischens has “a diverse background, including grant writing and is a former council member.” The two-year contract calls for Eischens to make $65,000 the first year and $78,950 the second year. The city’s share of paying Eischens’ salary the first year will be $20,804.50, which is less than the current contract of $23,229 based on the city’s 30 percent share of community education through the joint powers agreement with the school district. In other business Monday night, the council denied Scott Schmidt’s request to construct two mini-storage units on the vacant parcels located on the southeast corner of Court Street and North Meridian Street downtown. The council’s action came after the local planning commission recommended denial. Schmidt, who owns the vacant parcels, said he thinks the storage units would be a good fit for the location and could act as a buffer zone of sorts between downtown and the nearby residential units. He said tenants of nearby apartment complexes could potentially use the units for storage. Two other individuals spoke in favor of Schmidt’s request – Mike Gau and Mike Urista – both indicating that the storage units would be a good, lowimpact fit for the site. But Mayor Mike Pingalore read a letter from Planning Commissioner Anthony Hetzel outlining the commission’s recommendation for denial. Among the reasons were: – Mini-storage facilities are not permitted uses in either the R-7 or B-3 districts. – No other city in Scott County allows mini-storage facilities in commercial or residential districts. – In applicant Schmidt’s home
City Council
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This year’s German Days queen candidates are back row, from left, Katelyn Schmit, Breanna Valentin and Donna Underferth. In the front row are Alexis Davis, Emily Smith and Abby Meger.
German Days Start Friday rolling with the Kids Pedal Pull at 11 a.m. Starting at the same time will be a Bean Bag Tournament. The Parade will start at 1 p.m., which will be followed by the Queen Coronation and a Sauerkraut Eating Contest. The MN Minn-eRods take to the street at about 2 p.m. There are six queen candidates. They are Alexis Davis, daughter of Mark and Kris Davis; Donna Underferth, daughter of Scott and Dawn Underferth; Abby Meger, daughter of Mary Sue and Jerry Meger; Emily Smith, daughter of Bob and Dorene Smith; Breanna Valentin, daughter of Candi Valentin and John Coops; and Katelyn Schmit, daughter of Jay and Lori Schmit. The reigning Belle Plaine German Days royal court are Queen Alyssa Meierbachtol, First Princess Amelia Kahle, Second Princess Karlee Becker and Third Princess Alyssa Wentworth. The first bell for the Professional Wrestling event to be held in the ring on Meridian Saturday’s events will begin Street will sound at 6:30 p.m.
Belle Plaine’s 33rd annual German Days festivities will begin this Friday evening, kicking off on the tasty side with the Merchants Downtown Community Cookout along Main and Meridian streets. It begins at 5 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m. or until the food is gone, whichever comes first. Also Friday evening will be the Classic Car Roll-In downtown. For more information or to register, call R/T Garage at 952-356-4969. There will also be Bounce Houses for the kids and more Friday and Saturday. Later in the night Friday there will be live music in six bars. Each bar will have punch cards available (one per person) that will qualify you to win $100, $200 and $500 prizes. Your card must be punched at all six bars of the “Kraut Krawl” to be entered in the midnight drawing. You must be present to win.
Saturday’s Events
There will also be ATA Martial Arts demonstrations. The popular band The Shaw Brothers will start performing at 8:30 p.m.
Introduction of Bar-B-Q Days Queen Candidates
This weekend’s German Days celebration will also include the introduction of this year’s 12 Bar-B-Q Days queen candidates. Included are: Maggie Applegarth, daughter of Bruce and Vanessa Applegarth (Natural Fitness); Nicole Bauleke, daughter of Ann Rybus and Kevin Bauleke(Kingsway Retirement Living); Cassidy Burkman, daughter of Jeff and Robin Burkman (Chestnut Realty/Mary Stier); Alexis Doucette, daughter of Kate Pauly and Darren Doucette (The Canopy Group); Kayla Fahey, daughter of Billy Joe and Brenda Fahey (Sponsor Southwest Eye Care); Ally
German Days
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Jim and Kathy Lange Grand Marshals of Parade
If a you have a hunch you’ve seen this headline before, it’s right. It’s the same one that appeared in the July 14, 2010 Belle Plaine Herald just three days prior to that year’s BarB-Q Days Parade, which was grand marshaled by Jim and Kathy Lange. They’ll be back at it for this Saturday’s German Days Parade. Lange, who is vice president of the German Days Committee, was asked by the other committee members, including President John Mahoney, if he and Kathy would lead this Saturday’s German Days Parade, and he accepted. Lange said both sets of his grandparents came from Germany during the World War I era to avoid the draft. They settled in central Minnesota and
Grand Marshals
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