Football Tigers Suffer SeasonEnding Loss
BPHS to Present Fall Play
Page 13
Janessa Meuleners Runs to Fourth-Place Finish at State Page 12
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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THIRD YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, NOVEMBER 5, 2014
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NUMBER 45
Council Okays Land Purchase for Future Bridge Right-of-Way Approves Preparation of Report for 2015 Street Project
The BPHS volleyball team was joined on the floor by members of the student-body cheering section following Saturday night’s Section 2AA championship victory.
Tigers State Bound
by Dan Ruud The Belle Plaine City Council Monday night approved a pair of land purchase agreements totaling over $320,000. The first is with Eric and Lisa May for the acquisition of 702 South Meridian Street for $277,000 for replacement housing and relocation costs. The property will be part of
the right-of-way for the future overpass near the intersection of Highway 169 and County Road 3/Meridian Street. The Mays accepted the offer with the condition that permit fees for their replacement housing location be waived, which the council approved during a closed session on Oct. 20. City Administrator Holly Kreft reported that the Mays intend to close on the purchase of their replacement housing location on Nov. 21 and they have requested a closing with the city before then. The purchase agreement states that the Mays have until Dec. 20 to vacate the their current property.
Additional costs to the city will included the demolition of the existing house and legal fees. All funds for the purchase will come from the city’s capital and transportation funds. The second purchase agreement approved is with Waugh Properties LLC of Chanhassen for the acquisition of 100 South Meridian Street, which is the vacant lot at the intersection of Main and Meridian Streets. By a 3-2 vote on Oct. 20, the council authorized staff to prepare the purchase agreement for the property for $45,000.
City Council
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Koniarski Helped Transform Will Play Unseeded Rocori 7 p.m. County From Rural to Bustling He was worried the Bloomthe opportunity to meet several Thursday at Xcel Energy Center ington Ferry Bridge would not presidents and other dignitarby Dan Ruud For the second year in a row, the Belle Plaine High School volleyball team bested KenyonWanamingo in four sets in the Section 2AA championship at Gustavus Adolphus College (GAC) in St. Peter Saturday night. The victory earned Belle Plaine, which had defeated Glencoe-Silver Lake and Jordan earlier in the week, its third straight trip to the state tournament. The Tigers, 22-10 on the season, received the No. 3 seed and will take on unseeded Rocori (25-5) 7 p.m. this Thursday at Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. The winner will play the winner between No. 2 seed and three-time defending state Class 2A champion Marshall (23-9) and Thief River
Falls (23-9) 7 p.m. Friday. The upper bracket quarterfinals have No. 1 seed Stewartville (27-6) against Mora (26-5) and No. 4 seed Concordia Academy-Roseville (26-7) taking on No. 5 seed Maple Lake (27-5). Although Belle Plaine has the most losses of any team in the tournament, it was able to reel in the No. 3 seed because a number of those losses came in elite tournaments against highly-ranked teams from all three classes. The Tigers also recently welcomed back their top hitter and all-stater Mariena Hayden, who was out most of the regular season with a back injury. The Tigers’ highest finish ever at state was in 2005 when they placed third. They were
Local Volunteers Sought for Homeless Shelter Program The faith communities of the Belle Plane area will be hosting homeless families from Scott and Carver County for the week beginning Dec. 7 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine. According to volunteer Shannon Bergs, Families Moving Forward Southwest is a shelter program of Beacon Interfaith Collaborative who, working through local churches, provide shelter to families in crisis. During the week, the families are provided sleeping spaces on church property, evening meals and breakfast. Each day the families travel to the program center in Prior Lake, where they spend the day working with Beacon staff who help them look for housing, search
for jobs and address other issues contributing to the family being in crisis. Bergs stated that the Belle Plaine Fireman’s Relief Association and Women’s Auxiliary have agreed to play a significant role in the December effort. “It’s what they do,” said Bergs. “Every day they help people in crisis without ever asking who they are or how they got there.” Bergs added that they still need volunteers and are hopeful other local groups and organizations will join the faith communities in serving this very real need that exists in our area. Interested persons are urged to contact Bergs or any of the local churches for ways to become involved.
be funded, built and opened before he left office. Former Commissioner Bill Koniarski worked too long and hard not to see years of work approved for the benefit of Scottt County. Koniarski of Belle Plaine, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 29 at Kingsway Retirement Living in Belle Plaine. Funeral services were Saturday (Nov. 1) at St. John Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine. He was 91. His public life included de2014 State Class 2A cades of service to his township and Scott County. It started as Volleyball Schedule an elected Belle Plaine Township supervisor. Koniarski later Thursday served 32 years as a county 5 p.m. Stewartville (27-6) vs. Mora commissioner, frequently running without opposition. He (26-5). served several consecutive Concordia Academy-Roseville (26-7) vs. Maple Lake (27-5). 7 p.m. Marshall (23-9) vs. Thief River Falls (23-9). Belle Plaine (22-10) vs. Rocori (25-5). Friday 5 p.m. Stewartville/Mora winner vs. Maple Lake/Marshall winner. Thursday’s two losing teams will play in the consolation round at this time). 7 p.m. Marshall/Thief River Falls winner vs. Belle Plaine/Rocori winner. (Thursday’s two losing teams will play in the consolation round at this time). Saturday 11 a.m. Consolation championship 1 p.m. Third Place 3 p.m. Championship
fourth in 2012 as well as 1985 and 2000. They were consolation champions last year and in 2001. They did not place in 1999. Thursday’s Class 2A quarterfinals will be played at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. (see tournament schedule below). The cost for a single session is $14 for adults and $9 for students. Daily passes can be purchased for $22 and $15, respectively.
Volleyball
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years as county board chairman. While serving as county commissioner, Koniarski was elected president of the Minnesota Association of Counties. He also led the National Association of Counties. Koniarski had
ies. He received an invitation from Vice President Spiro Agnew to be present for the launch of Apollo 11 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the summer of 1969. He was instrumental in the construction of the Bloomington Ferry Bridge after years of lobbying in Washington, D.C. to win funding for the bridge. He tirelessly worked with city and county officials on both sides of the Minnesota River to plan and approve the ferry bridge. He once told his granddaughter, Abigail Sirek of New Prague, “I did a lot of lobby-
Koniarski
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Since September, a crew from ADS Concrete Lifting of St. Peter used “mudjacking” -- high pressure to place a blend of sand, fine gravel, limestone and water beneath portions of downtown sidewalks that have settled along water and sewer lines. The mixture helps level uneven sidewalks. The process is much less expensive than replacing the sidewalks.
‘Mudjacking’ Fixes Sidewalk Settling, Saves Downtown Business Owners Headaches
A Steady Flow
Belle Plaine election officials reported a steady flow of voters during the initial hours of Tuesday’s General Election at Belle Plaine City Hall Tuesday morning. Voting ended at 8 p.m. Local and area election results can be found at belleplaineherald.com.
In previous years, the settling of soil along sewer and water lines beneath downtown sidewalks was a problem that caused headaches for business owners. A simple process was recently completed that will save money and serve as an easy long-term solution. It’s called, “mudjacking.” Ever hear of it? Not many folks have.
The settling of soil along sew- crete. er and water lines under down- Two years ago, Al Fahey, the town sidewalks was a head- city’s Public Works superintenache for the city. The settling dent, suggested using “mudsidewalk created uneven spots ‘Mudjacking’ were water sat, seeped into the (continued on page 8) ground and contributed to the settling. Making a bad situation worse, the settling sidewalks contributed to the occasional trip of people walking along the con-