Ryan Dungey Making More Headlines
Bar-B-Q Days Coin Still Not Found
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Town Tigers Split Two Games Page 19
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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIRST YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, JULY 11, 2012
Mary Ann Gill to Lead Parade by Dan Ruud Mary Ann Gill has rode in the Bar-B-Q Days Parade multiple times on the State Bank of Belle Plaine’s float. After all, she worked at the bank for over four decades and her late husband, Alphonse, often provided the vehicle to pull the float. On Saturday, Gill, who retired from the bank in May of 2011, will be back in the parade, but this time as its grand marshal. One of her long-time co-workers at the bank, Chris Meyer of the chamber of commerce, asked if she would lead the parade. “I said why me? Mary Ann said, adding that she was “very much surprised” by the invitation. “Then Chris said look at all those years you worked for Bar-B-Q Days and helped with all the finances for it.” Mary Ann started working at the State Bank on Feb. 1, 1968, and for the next 43-plus years, performed a number of duties, including bookkeeper, assistant cashier, head teller and Bar-BQ Days finance committee. Before the bank, she worked for Steffen Hardware for 14 years (1954 to 1968). Mary Ann, whose parents were Victor and Dolores Karnitz, grew up on a farm near Blakeley and graduated from
by Karen Swenson, Henderson Independent co-editor The 2012 U.S. Open Sporting Clays Championship will take place at the Caribou Gun Club in rural Le Sueur on July 16-22. Owner Randy Voss has been “a shooter all my life.” His father, Earl Voss, began the gun club in 1953 soon after being diagnosed with polio by putting up one trap field to establish the Voss Gun Club. The club continued its expansion over the years. An avid hunter, Earl was on a hunting trip to Alaska in 1966 when he returned with a trophy caribou. It was after that trip when the name was changed to Caribou Gun Club. Randy took to the gun at an early age and by the time he was 13, he had earned 87 trophies in a year. Breaking records in several states, Randy caught the eye of the U.S. Marksmanship Unit and a month after graduation, Randy was in basic training.
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It’s That Time of Summer Bar-B-Q Days Starts Friday
Belle Plaine High School in 1954. She married Alphonse Gill on Oct. 6, 1962. Alphonse, who grew up in the New Prague area, died last Oct. 31 at the age of 85. Mary Ann still lives in the same house that she and Alphonse built some 50 years
ago at 308 South Cedar Street. Alphonse worked for O’Brien Plumbing and Heating for many years. The couple did not have any children. Mary Ann has one sister, Shirley (Krant), who has
Grand Marshal
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Area Gun Club Hosts U.S. Open Sporting Clays Championship 10 Years of Hard Work Pays Off for Caribou Gun Club
75¢ SINGLE COPY
For three years, he shot all over the country with the U.S. Army Trap Team, earning a gold medal in Seoul, South Korea in 1978 at the Bunker Trap World Championship. Leaving the military in 1979, Randy joined his father at the club. In 1985, they began the Hunting Preserve and by 1987 set up a Sporting Clay course. There are currently four Clay courses covering 210 acres. The present log cabin banquet facility was built in 2001 to serve sporting clay shoots, wildlife banquets, weddings, corporate meetings and other events. It was just over 10 years ago when friends put a bug in Randy’s ear suggesting he bid to host the U.S. Open at his club. From that point on, everything
2012 U.S. Open Sporting Clays Championship
When: July 16-22 Where: Caribou Gun Club, Le Sueur For more Info: call 507514-2036 or online wwwcaribougunclub.com he has invested in at the club has been geared for this event. “It took me that long to put it together. There is a lot of politics involved,” said Randy. Two years ago, Randy and
U.S. Open
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Belle Plaine Man Says U.S. Open is Worth a Shot pete, only his own performance. by John Mueller He’s not worried about how Gary Goodwin sees the U.S. well the other shooters com- Open Sporting Clays Championship as an opportunity too good to pass by. Goodwin, a rural Belle Plaine resident, will be one of hundreds of shooters from the U.S. and abroad competing in a variety of classes and events at the U.S. Open July 16-22 at Caribou Gun Club in rural Le Sueur. The 68-year-old semiretired homebuilder plans to compete in four different events -- the main event, the FITASC, the super sport and 28-gauge competitions. As a member at Caribou Gun Club, Goodwin sees the 2012 event as an event he can’t miss. “It’s in my backyard,” he said. “It probably won’t be back for another 10, 15 years.” Goodwin figures he will fire
Randy Voss is owner of the Caribou Gun Club in Le Sueur.
Belle Plaine Man
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The peak of summer has arrived and with it comes Belle Plaine’s 54th annual Bar-B-Q Days celebration this Friday through Sunday. Most food and beverages in the park will cost the same as last year, according to Chamber of Commerce Director Carrie Traxler, who is in her second year as chair of Bar-B-Q Days. The festival’s namesake sandwich will cost $3.50. The Beer Garden will again feature Miller Lite (strong), which will remain $3 per glass and $12 for pitchers ($10 refill). Also on sale will be Leine’s Summer Shandy and Mike’s Hard Lemonade, both of which will cost $4 ($14 pitchers/$12 refill). The St. Paul Osmund Drum and Bugle Corps and High Hats Polka of Prior Lake are among the new features signed up for Saturday’s parade. Volunteers will be pushing grocery carts along the parade route collecting non-perishable food items. Parade watchers can bring as much food as they want to donate. All items collected will go to the Belle Plaine Food Shelf downtown. All profits from Bar-B-Q Days are used for community projects. For more information on this weekend’s festivities, call the Belle Plaine Chamber of Commerce at 952-873-4295.
business Friday evening and stay open during much of the festival. The Minnesota Valley Riders Horse Show begins at 7 p.m. in the fields behind Chatfield Elementary School (off Park Street). The Charlie Moore Polka Band will perform at the Gazebo from 6-8 p.m., followed by Tyler Pautsch from 7-9 p.m. and Honey Wagon (original group) from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
launch Saturday’s festivities. Registration will start at 7:30 a.m. at the Belle Plaine District Center on South Willow Street. The race will start there at 8:45 a.m. and also end there. The 5K Bull Run, registration for which also begins at 7:30 a.m., will start shortly after the Kid’s Fun Run. The Bull Run will also begin and end at the district center. The Horseshoe Tournament will be held in the park with registration starting at 8:30 a.m. The Parade will follow its
The Kid’s Fun Run will
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Saturday’s Events
Bar-B-Q Days
Friday’s Events
The Beef Stand and Beer Garden will open at 4:30 p.m. and the Carnival at 6:30 p.m. The Bingo Tent will also do
100-Degree Temps Move On Mother Nature has turned down the thermostat for a few days but will likely be turning it back up a notch or two in time for Bar-B-Q Days. The good news is that this weekend’s temperatures should not challenge the near-record breaking heat of last week. According to the National Weather Service, last Friday’s official high of 102 degrees was 2 degrees short of the record for July 6. The temperature in the Twin Cities also reached triple digits (101) on July 4, making 2012 the first year since 1988 to experience more than one 100degree day. The record is 1936 when the mercury reached the century mark on nine days. This weekend’s Bar-B-Q Days forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-80s on Friday and upper 80s to low 90s on Friday and Saturday. There is a slight risk of a thunderstorm all three days.
Kyeanna Pickar to Crown New Miss Belle Plaine Sunday by Dan Ruud Last July, Kyeanna Pickar was the first ever to be crowned Miss Belle Plaine before becoming a senior in high school. One year later, the now BPHS graduate will crown her replacement, who for the first time ever will come from a group of girls who all just completed their junior year in high school. It was decided in 2011 to open the Bar-B-Q Days Queen Coronation to juniors and seniors. Starting this year, candidates can be juniors only. Organizers of the coronation had stated that the royalty candidates and parents had suggested that candidates should run for Bar-B-Q Days royalty the summer after their junior
year instead of after they graduate. The reason for the change is that royal court members who are in their senior year in high school will likely have an easier time making it to all the parades and other events than a freshman in college. “I think it was a great idea,” Pickar said. “It makes it easier on the girls being at home already instead of having to come home weekends. It’s a good switch.” Pickar, who was a “A” honor student in high school and active member of the drama club, will become increasingly busy
Miss Belle Plaine
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Planning and Zoning Recommends Approval of New Belle Plaine Chiropractic Building The Belle Plaine Planning and Zoning Commission Monday night voted unanimously to recommend to the city council approval of a nonconforming expansion permit for a new Belle Plaine Chiropractic building at 200 West Main Street downtown. The request is by Dr. Todd and Connie Meeker, who plan to demolish their existing building and build new. The estimated cost of the project is $350,000. The proposed new building would be larger than the existing one. It would be located on
the front property line and approximately 1 1/2 feet from the eastern property line. The city council will address the issue at a public hearing shortly after 6 p.m. next Monday. Planning and zoning held three other public hearings Monday, including Robbie Williams’ request for a special home occupation permit to operate an auto repair services business from his detached garage at 200 South Elk Street. Commissioners recommended approval. Also recommended for approval was a request by Rob
and Kari Kraemer for a nonconforming expansion permit to allow the construction of a deck to encroach the western property line by 13 feet at 714 West Main Street. The commission decided to table a request by Chris Meyer for an after-the-fact variance request to allow an accessory structure to remain within the utility easement area at 108 Oakwood Drive.