Belle plaine herald march 15, 2017

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BELLE PLAINE’S ST. PATRICK’S CELEBRATION:

SATURDAY MARCH 18 MASS @ NOON • PARADE @ 1 PM

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIXTH YEAR

Second Quarter Honor Roll

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BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, march 15, 2017

Shamrock Medallion Found

75¢ SINGLE COPY

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NUMBER 11

Belle Plaine School Board Eyes Facilities Investments LED Lighting, Softball Complex On Board’s Radar

Expecting to reap savings that will cover the cost of the investment over time, the Belle Plaine School District is considering spending up to $740,000 on high-efficiency interior lighting in the next year or two. Monday night (March 13) in a workshop, the school board unanimously agreed staff should continue researching a plan to install high-efficiency lightemitting diode (LED) lighting in all used classrooms and gymnasiums in the district’s four buildings. The district’s plan is to issue an alternative facility bond up to $740,000 for up to 15 years, said Chuck Keller, the district’s business manager. Jeff Heine, the district’s director of facilities and grounds, wants to see the work done this summer as long as all the bids and estimates are in line with the district’s plans and budget for the project. Keller said the district’s expectation is that the savings in electricity will cover the annual bond payments. The district spends about $125,000 a year

on electricity, he said. Over 15 years, the alternative facility bond would cost the district an estimated $62,000 in principal and interest annually. The district had the Center for Energy & Environment, (CEE), an arm of Xcel Energy, perform an audit of the district’s electricity usage earlier this year. With that information, two firms – Cedar Creek of Coon Rapids and TruNorth of Edina -- offered bids on potential hardware and installation for the retrofitting. Cedar Creek’s bid was just over $688,300 while TruNorth’s bid was $806,658. With rebates, Cedar Creek’s bid is just under $601,000. TruNorth’s bid, with rebates, is just over $718,700. The LED lighting is expected to be more efficient and last longer than the fluorescent tubes and fixtures in the district’s four buildings. Heine noted the savings to the district would be greater when staff time for changing fluorescent tubes and fixtures is added to the equation. LED drivers are expected to last 15 to 20 years. Fluorescent lighting ballasts are expected to last 10 to 12 years, Heine said. Director Joe Vandermark suggested visiting another school where the LED lighting has been installed or having the

LED lighting installed in one classroom for the board to see the potential impact. Heine said he has held off changing large numbers of light fixtures because the fluorescent lights are nearing the end of their anticipated life span. Director Terry Kahle wants to see all the lighting up and running as soon as possible. He said lights not working gives visitors a poor impression of Belle Plaine’s facilities. The lighting would also come with controls to allow greater flexibility and efficiency. It would allow lights to be adjusted for greater intensity in rooms where more light is needed or less light in rooms Pictured in the front are this year’s Miss Shamrock candidates. They are, from left, Abigail Siegle, Jessica Prader and Aryanna Mulroy. Pictured in the back, from left, are Irish Lads with more available lighting. District staff will continue to Jack Piche, Tyler O’Brien and Drew Spellman. Missing from the photo is Jack Fogarty. work with contractors to make sure the estimates are solid. The board expects to address the issue at an upcoming business man, son of Mike and Tracy meeting, Keller said. Spellman. Ball Field The emcee for the post-parade Improvement program is Heidi Piche, daughThe school board also dister of one of the grand marshals cussed at Monday’s workshop Actual St. Patrick’s Day is this be judged. of the parade (Jeanette Gloege). a proposal to improve the dis- Friday but in Belle Plaine that There are three Miss Sham- Heidi, who was born and trict’s softball complex at Oak will be the appetizer for the rock candidates. They are Belle raised in Belle Plaine, works at Crest Elementary School in a main celebration that will take Plaine High School juniors Ary- Ameriprise Financial in Minanna Mulroy, daughter of Pat- neapolis. similar manner to which it im- place on Saturday. proved the weight room at the Saturday’s Festivities will rick and Charlotte Mulroy; Jes- Following the post-parade start with the noon Mass at sica Prader, daughter of Scott high school. program downtown, the local Our Lady of the Prairie Catho- and Vicki Prader; and Abigail Ancient Order of Hibernians School Board lic Church. Parade participants Siegle, daughter of Jeff and Shamrock Division will spon(continued on page 16) will lineup outside the church Melissa Siegle. Miss Shamrock sor a traditional Irish music after the mass and commence will receive $500 and the prinband and dancers at Neisen’s their march through downtown cesses $100. Corner Bar Rustic Room downat about 1 p.m. Among those Last year, Rachel Fahey and town from 3-5 p.m. participating in the Mass will Lauren Murphy were simulProviding the music will be be the K of C Grand Knights. taneously crowned Co-Miss Broken Spoke, a Twin CitiesMembers of the Twin Cities Shamrocks. They will crown based Irish music ensemble. is critical to help us do our jobs. Metro Pipe Band will perform their replacement at Saturday’s They will play a wide range of at the mass and the parade. post-parade program. We’re ready to listen.” lively traditional Iris instrumenThe series of meetings begins They will also perform in vari- This year’s Irish Lads are Jack tal tunes and Irish songs. at 8 a.m. at the Elko New Market ous downtown establishments Fogarty, son of Emmett and Public Library (110 J. Roberts following the post-parade pro- Karen Fogarty; Tyler O’Brien, Broken Spoke won the best new Irish Band award at the Way). Draheim and Vogel will gram. son of Pat and Linda O’Brien; make their way to New Prague The individual/clan with the Jack Piche, son of Jason and 2011 Minnesota Irish Fest and at 10 a.m. to meet with citizens most unique Celtic Cross will Heidi Piche; and Drew Spell- will be joined by a group of Irish dancers. at New Prague City Hall (118 win $100. Each cross entry will Central Ave. N.). They’ll be at Le Center City Hall (10 W. Tyrone St.) at noon and Le Sueur City Hall (203 2nd Street S.) at 2 p.m. before their 4 p.m. meeting with residents in Belle Plaine at the community library, 125 Main Street W. For more information, contact the offices of Draheim at (651) 296-1279 or Vogel at (651) 296-7065.

St. Pat’s Events Saturday

Prize to Go to Person/Clan With Most Unique Celtic Cross

Sen. Draheim, Rep. Vogel Plan Town Hall Meeting Series Lawmakers Will be in B.P. Saturday

Belle Plaine and area residents living in Senate District 20 and House District 20A interested in the legislative business of Minnesota can attend a series of town hall meetings Saturday (March 18) co-hosted by Sen. Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake, and Rep. Bob Vogel, RElko New Market. The two state lawmakers will be in Belle Plaine at 4 p.m. The meetings will take place in Elko New Market, New Prague, Le Center, Le Sueur

and Belle Plaine. Citizens will have an opportunity to discuss with Draheim and Vogel a wide variety of issues regarding the current legislative session, from the state budget to health care, taxes, and more. “These town hall meetings will be good opportunities to talk about what has transpired during the first couple months of the 2017 legislative session and also preview some of the issues expected to come to the forefront the rest of the way,” said Vogel. “Voters in Le Sueur and Scott counties trusted Rep. Vogel and I to be their voices at the capitol,” Draheim said. “The feedback we receive at these forums

The grand marshals of Saturday’s parade will be the Sullivan sisters. Next to the statue of St. Patrick at OLP Church are, from left, Jeanette Gloege, Theresa “Tilly” Sullivan and Joan Hartmann.

Sullivan Sisters to Lead Parade

Chef Chris Delivers Taher Food Service Regional Chef Chris Murray was at Chatfield Elementary School Thursday (March 9) making decorated cakes and brownies for students to enjoy and Friday at Belle Plaine Junior-Senior High School where he made matriciana, an Italian pasta. Taher sends its regional chefs to area schools it serves to try special meals for students. The matriciana was well received and will be added to the school’s ongoing menu.

by Dan Ruud Céad Mile Fáilte, Irish for “a hundred thousand welcomes,” is what Belle Plaine St. Patrick’s celebration organizers are wishing for this Saturday on downtown streets and establishments. Well, 100,000 is a stretch but there will be plenty of Irish welcoming taking place Saturday, three for sure being the Sullivan sisters – Joan Hartmann, Jeanette Gloege and Theresa “Tilly” Sullivan. The trio will be grand marshals of the parade

of clans, bagpipers and royalty, which will begin following the noon Mass at Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church and continue through downtown. The three Irish Catholics, all of whom have visited their ancestral homeland once, asked that their photo for this article be taken at OLP Church next to the statue of St. Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland. The Sullivan sisters, graduates of Belle Plaine High School, are no strangers to St. Patrick’s

observances in Belle Plaine. Jeanette has been one of the event’s key organizers for a few decades and still is. Before her, older sister Joan was a member of the committee that organized the first Mass for the celebration. The Sullivan sisters’ parents,

Sullivan Sisters (continued on page 16)


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