BPHS Grad Named Head Nurse at Hope Residence Lambrecht Wins Title
Volleyball Tigers Finish High at Tourney Page 13
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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIFTH YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, OCTOBER 19, 2016
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NUMBER 42
Council Okays Solar Garden Plans, Construction May Begin in Spring
The Flaherty family of Belle Plaine recently put together a successful fund-raiser for colon cancer, the first of what the family plans as an annual event known as “Hope for the Best Fest.” Each year, the cause for which they raise funds will change. Next year’s effort will aid veterans programs.
B.P.’s Flaherty Family Grateful for Inaugural ‘Hope Fest’ Support
Sitting at a table in a finished shed on their parents’ farm in Faxon Township a few Saturdays back (Oct. 8), Maura Flaherty and her siblings realized they had pulled off something special. Their goal of raising money for a worthy charity had been realized. Now it was time to begin planning next year’s event. The inaugural Hope for the Best Fest had raised about $3,500. To some that might not seem like a lot. But to the Flaherty family, it meant the world. The amount of money raised demonstrated to them there are people who are willing to show they care, that there are people who will lend a helping hand even when it’s not always easy or convenient. “The community was absolutely amazing,” said Maura Flaherty, the youngest of Beth and Jerome Flaherty’s five chil-
dren. About 225 people attended the inaugural ‘Hope’ fund-raiser at the Flaherty family farm on Highway 25 north of Belle Plaine. The event included dinner, a silent auction and music. “I hoped 50 people would show up and we’d make a little bit of money,” she said. “They just came.” The money raised from the inaugural Hope for the Best Fest will go toward the Colon Cancer Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based organization aimed at educating people about colon cancer and promoting awareness and early detection. “I thought it was a good idea and worth everything everyone went through because anything done in the name of a worthy cause is always worth it, especially one that hits so close to home,” Katelyn Flaherty said. Colon cancer is personal to the
Flaherty family. There are three survivors of the disease in the family, including Katelyn. She was diagnosed with the disease at stage 3 in 2014 at age 24. Her son, Amarion, was 1-year-old at the time. The radiation treatments left her unable to have any more children. Today, the disease is in remission. “Some gave and they didn’t even know me, because of family members, because of family friends,” Katelyn Flaherty said. “That is truly amazing. When I found out just how much we raised at Hope for the Best Fest I was in awe. People throughout the city donated money. Businesses donated to the silent auction, it was just unreal. Bringing people together is always nice to fund-raise for
B.P.’s Flaherty (continued on page 4)
B.P. Schools Still Looking for Savings via LED Lighting, Solar
The proposed solar garden the City of Belle Plaine is reviewing for the west end of South Street might not be the community’s lone solar garden in the years to come. The school district is looking to the sun as a means to save money via solar energy. At last Monday’s (Oct. 10) school board workshop and again at Monday’s board business meeting (Oct. 17), Jeff Heine, the Belle Plaine School District’s director of facilities and grounds, updated the board on the latest research the district has performed on cutting its electric costs through solar energy and high-efficiency lights-emitting diodes (LEDs) in classrooms, hallways and offices. The district believes it can save $46,000 annually in
by Dan Ruud The Belle Plaine City Council Monday night unanimously approved a request for an interim use permit to establish a ground-mounted utility scale solar energy system at 1300 South Street West. Also approved was a variance to allow an above ground power line at West South Street in association with the project. The Belle Plaine Planning and Zoning Commission had also recommended approval. Construction of the solar garden is expected to begin next spring and take two to four months to complete. The property is owned by Kim Devine-Johnson, Tammy Devine, Christopher Johnson and Michael Carlson, the former of whom spoke at Monday night’s public hearing and told the council the land has been in her family for over 100 years and that conservation has always been “core to my family.” In July, the council approved the property owners’ request to annex 43.29 acres in Blakeley Township to the city to help pave the way for the solar energy complex. The interim use permit will allow a 5 megawatt solar garden on the approximate 40-acre site, which is located adjacent
to the western boundary of the city limits. Joining the property owners as applicants is Toby Butterfield, representing DG Minnesota CSG 4 LLC, the latter of whom’s parent company is NextEra Energy. It is a Fortune 200 clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $17.5 billion and some 14,300 employees in 27 states and Canada as of yearend 2015. Butterfield, who provided the council with a detailed presentation of the plans for the solar garden during the public hearing, said the solar panels will be mounted to steel racks at a height of approximately 8 feet. The complex will be completely buffered through a mix of fencing and vegetation, and “will only be visible to people on airplanes.” Native grasses and other vegetation will be allowed to grow within the complex. Butterfield added that there could be some 150 employees working at the site at the peak of construction next spring/ early summer, but once completed, the secured site will be basically unmanned. Over 300 feet of West South Street will be upgraded to accommodate the complex, access to which will be the same as the current access to Prairie Oaks Institute, which is also owned by the
Devine-Johnson family. During the 2-4 month construction period, Butterfield said they expect some 300 trucks to pass up and down South Street. Belle Plaine Community Development Director Cynthia Smith-Strack said affected residential property owners will be notified beforehand about the construction schedule and the anticipated number of trucks per day, and who to contact for more information or complaints. Butterfield said the generation tie lines (power lines) associated with the project “will be designed, built and owned by Xcel Energy.” Rob Davis, representing Fresh Energy, told the council Monday night that the price of solar energy has gone down considerably in recent years, providing subscribers with additional savings. He added that the environmentally-friendly site can be an excellent habitat for pollinators. Dave Edberg, a nearby property owner to where the complex will be built, was the only person other than Devine-Johnson or solar garden development representatives to address the
Council
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Jordan Father-Son Electrocuted Sunday in Tragic Farm Accident
A father and his son working on the farm were killed Sunday (Oct. 16) morning when the auger they were moving accidently hit an overhead power line, electrocuting the two men. The two men -- Travis Hentges, 25, and his father, Mark, 53 -- were working on the 20800 block of Xanadu Avenue in Sand Creek Township. The power line running along Xanadu Avenue was rated to carry 7,200 volts, said Scott County Sheriff Luke Hennen. The accident occurred at approximately 10:11
a.m. A family member found the two unresponsive men and called 9-1-1. Deputies initiated CPR and defibrillation on both men. Despite resuscitation efforts, Mark Hentges was pronounced dead at the scene. Travis Hentges was flown to Hennepin County Medical Center by an air ambulance, where he was later pronounced dead, said Sheriff Luke Hennen. “It is with a heavy heart that I can confirm that this incident
took the lives of two of our residents,” Hennen said. “Clearly, this is a tragedy for their families as well as the entire community.” Visitation for both men is Friday (Oct. 21), 3-8 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jordan and 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday (Oct. 22) at the church. Mass of Christian burial for both men is Saturday, Oct. 22, 11 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.
electric costs using the LEDs rather than old-school fluorescent tubes, Heine said. That cost doesn’t include the cost of changing the fluorescent bulbs and components. The LEDs are rated for 25 years, Heine said. The district spent about $253,000 in electric costs last year, in part to the cold spring. The district budgeted $250,000 in electricity costs for the 201617 school year. The LEDs are the first phase of a two-step plan to save money. Heine is hoping to come to the school board early next year with a proposed contract for replacing the fluorescent lights in district buildings. The work could be done when school is not in session, even during overnight hours. The proposal also calls for
high-efficiency dimmers and sensors to shut the lights off when space is not being used, Heine said. The second phase of the plan involves placing solar photo voltanic panels atop the roofs of some or all of the district’s buildings. The proposal is still being researched, Heine said. The school district hopes it would be able to generate enough electricity to significantly reduce or eliminate the amount of energy it would need to purchase from Xcel Energy. If the solar panels can generate more electricity than the district uses, it would place power back on the regional grid and be paid for the power, Heine said. The district hopes the savings from switching to solar power to pay for the new equipment in three to five years,” said Superintendent Ryan Laager. The district needs to make sure the buildings can handle the weight of the panels. It also has needs the flexibility to have the learn more about the local re- panels moved for a roof repair source for victims of domestic project. The district expects the violence in Scott and Carver panels would not be conspicucounties, and enjoy some reB.P. Schools freshments while chatting with our elected officials and candi(continued on page 7) dates. For more information, contact 952-873-4214 during business hours or e-mail info@svabw. org or visit www.svabw.org.
Southern Valley to Hold Open House This Friday Southern Valley Alliance for Battered Women in Belle Plaine will hold an open house for local, state and federal elected officials, candidates and community members from 2-4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21. SVABW is located at 551 East Park Street in Belle Plaine. Take a tour of the facility,
Fire Prevention Week Oak Crest Elementary School students met with Belle Plaine firefighters last week during “Fire Prevention Week.” The students learned about ways to prevent fires and what to do to help the firefighters in case a fire starts at their house. They also got an up-close look at equipment firefighters bring to the scene of a fire call.