Elementary Students Raise Big Bucks
Dollars for Scholars Phone-A-Thon Raffle Winner
Belle Plaine Track and Field Teams Defend MRC Indoor Championships Page 15
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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THIRD YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, MARCH 26, 2014
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 13
The Belle Plaine Lions are leading a fund-raising campaign to pay for the construction of a restroom and ticket building. It is to be located at the entrance to the football-track complex across from Oak Crest Elementary School. Image courtesy Behr Design.
Lions Club Heads Campaign to Build Restrooms, Ticket Booth For School Stadium
It was a casualty of keeping costs under control when the Belle Plaine School District built the football-track complex in 2006. Now, a campaign to fund the construction of a building housing permanent restroom and ticket facilities is underway. The chief promoter and fundraiser for the campaign, the Belle Plaine Lions Club, is on a fast track. It hopes any community organization or individuals with funds available to donate will contribute toward the building’s construction. The club’s goal is to complete the project this summer. The plan is to build a 22-foot by 34-foot building at the entrance to the football-track complex on West Commerce Drive, across from Oak Crest Elementary. The building will serve the football-track complex as well as the tennis courts used by elementary and juniorsenior high students, community groups and residents year ‘round. The $58,000 building will replace the temporary restroom facilities that serve fans when Belle Plaine hosts a football game, track meet or tennis match and allow the existing ticket booth be used solely for a concession stand. One of the re-
To Contribute:
Donations for the project can be submitted to State Bank of Belle Plaine (201 Main Street W., Belle Plaine, MN, 56011), CornerStone State Bank (406 Commerce Drive E., Belle Plaine, MN, 56011) or Belle Plaine Lions Club (P.O. Box 94, Belle Plaine, MN 56011). strooms will be open throughout the year for people using the nearby trails and tennis courts on the school campus. Bob Denny, a member of the Lions Club, brought the idea for a permanent facility to the Belle Plaine School Board earlier this year after seeing the complex had only six porta-potties on site to serve up to 2,000 fans when Belle Plaine hosted Jordan at a football game last fall. At the time Denny sought and received the school board’s approval to begin working on replacing the temporary restrooms with a permanent solution, he said the porta-potties were hardly a source of community pride. Directors agreed.
They committed $15,000 to the project. “The initial plans we had were to go with the porta-potties and hopefully building something at some time,” said Superintendent Kelly Smith. He said the Lions Club’s interest is accelerating the timeline slightly. “With the crowds we’ve been having at our football games, it’s an amenity we really need.” Already there is support. The Belle Plaine Chamber of Commerce has committed $3,000 to the project. Denny said Minnesota Valley Electric committed $1,000 through its Operation Round-up. “It’s something we’ve talked about,” Smith said. “I think it’s a project we need to find a way to get done.” Local contractors will be used on the job, he said. “Porta-potties are OK for construction sites,” Denny said. “But this is something we want to put our best foot forward when we invite people into our community.” The project will get a head start this spring when construction students begin assembling walls for the restrooms facility.
Archbishop John Nienstedt offered his blessing upon the new building after Mass Sunday morning. Nienstedt congratulated the congregation and Fr. Michael Kaluza for supporting the project.
Archbishop’s Blessing of OLP’s New Parish Life Center Highlights Day of Celebration
Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church and School’s new Parish Life Center welcomed one of its most important visitors Sunday when Archbishop John Nienstedt brought his blessing after Mass. Following the 10 a.m. service, a large crowd filled the center’s gathering area for the archbishop’s blessing and an open house for the long-awaited building. He congratulated the parish community and thanked Fr. Michael Kaluza, parish leaders and the church’s membership for their efforts in the commitment to and creation of the 13,000-square-foot building. “It was a great celebration and we’re delighted to finally have
the building open,” Fr. Kaluza said. Archbishop Nienstedt toured the facility before Mass. He was greeted on his way into Belle Plaine by an oversized welcome sign at Jim’s Apple Barn along Highway 169 just north of Belle Plaine. The Parish Life Center has six classrooms, offices, an adoration chapel and office space in addition to the gathering area and adjacent coffee serving area. The six classrooms can be split into 12 to serve the religious educational needs of children and adults alike, he said. The building has been in use for several weeks.
Monday (March 24), the old school building was closed and workers began removing asbestos from it in preparation of the razing of the building this summer. McGough Construction of St. Paul performed an assessment of the building there years ago, before OLP decided on building the new Parish Life Center. “The foundation is crumbling. It’s more of a liability than an asset,” he said. The new building and demolition of the old school building represents an approximately $1.8 million project, Fr. Kaluza said. More photos are on page 2.
Lions Club
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Our Lady of the Prairie’s 13,000-square-foot Parish Life Center opened earlier this year. Sunday, the church hosted an open house to celebrate. The project includes abatement of the old school building.
Wagner Weighing Sales Tax Hike to Help Pay For B.P. Overpass
Belle Plaine’s representative on the Scott County Board says he’d rather not support a proThe main house was saved but much of the rest of Steve and Laurie Meger’s farm near Union posed local option ½-cent sales Hill resembled a battle ground following a major fire last Tuesday. tax increase. But if Belle Plaine wants an overpass of Highway 169 near County Road 3, the tax hike may be the best fundThe good news is that no hu- large shed and an unoccupied from Belle Plaine assisted at ing option. man life was lost and the fam- older house on the property. At the scene, including himself for Commissioner Joe Wagner of Sand Creek Township, and the ily’s home was not damaged. least several pigs and one calf other commissioners will conwere also lost. Fire Destroys The bad news is that the propduct a public hearing on the erty surrounding Steve and Firefighters from almost a doz(continued on page 8) proposed tax increase Tuesday Laurie Meger’s farm home on en fire departments, including (April 1, 9:30 a.m.) at the Scott 270th Street West just north of New Prague and Belle Plaine, County Government Center in Union Hill “looks like a battle responded to the blaze, which Shakopee to take input from zone” following a fire last Tues- firefighters said spread rapidly. citizens on the advantages and day (March 18) that destroyed Belle Plaine Fire Chief Todd disadvantages of the proposal several structures, including a Otto said about 20 firefighters
Fire Destroys Buildings, Kills Livestock
and the potential impact the tax might have on funding for county road projects. The board
Sales Tax Hike
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Post-Prom Planning Meeting Next Monday Parents of Belle Plaine High School students who will be attending prom in May and are willing to volunteer some time for the post-prom party are asked to attend a planning meeting on Monday, March 31. It will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the high school commons area. Volunteer opportunities range
from helping decorate to assisting at the party itself to cleaning up afterwards. The post-prom party “is a fun-filled, drug-free event with music, food, games and cash prizes.” The Belle Plaine PostProm Committee is in need of volunteers to make this night a success.