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“Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month PAGES
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Meet the candidates PAGE
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Monday, October 21, 2019
Lanesboro continues Rushford recaps to prepare for project financial planning PAGE
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Volume 35 Issue 6
Whalan hears request for memorial bench PAGE
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Canton • Chatfield • Fountain • Harmony • Houston • Lanesboro • Mabel • Ostrander • Peterson • Preston • Rushford • Rushford Village • Spring Valley • Whalan • Wykoff
Filthy 50 bike race celebrates Chatfield recognizes a remarkable citizen first year in Lanesboro BY K AREN R EISNER
karen@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Riders get ready for the race at the starting line. BY H ANNAH WINGERT hannah@fillmorecountyjournal.com
“Race it and set a record. Ride it and take in the beauty. Either way, get filthy,” Trenton Raygor quoted. He was referring to the Filthy 50 bike race that took place in Lanesboro on October 12. This was the bike ride’s seventh consecutive year, but the first in Lanesboro. The previous six were held in Stewartville where Raygor grew up and his parents still live. Trenton’s dad, Joel was actually the inspiration for the Filthy 50 and still plays a big part in the event along with Trenton’s brother Jackson. After a bout with cancer, Joel was told by his doctor that he needed to get back into shape so he dusted his bike off and hit the gravel
Photo courtesy of Jake Langmade, Mediacore
roads around Stewartville with his sons and a friend. Several years later, they completed a 100 mile bike ride on the gravel roads and began talking about how much fun it would be to give other bike riders the same type of experience. So they put together a route and planned a BBQ in Joel’s backyard before putting it out on social media to see if anyone was interested. By the next day, 174 people had responded, and Trenton knew they were onto something. Joel’s backyard wasn’t equipped for such a large crowd, and so he began talking to business owners around Stewartville to figure out how to hold the event. Two hundred eight people showed up that first year. “It was fantastic,” Trenton said. He received numerous requests
from the riders to make it an annual event, and the Filthy 50 was officially born. Five hundred people attended the next year, 800 the year after that, and by the fourth year, 1,000 people signed up. In just seven years, the popularity of the Filthy 50 has been widespread with riders flying in from all over the country and even Spain to participate this year. Some are high-caliber racers that are there to compete, while others are there for the scenery and the experience. “You can approach Filthy any way you want to,” Trenton commented. “Fall colors are definitely an attraction and one of the reasons we do it this time of year,” he said, adding that doing it so late See FILTHY 50 Page 14 ➤
At the October 14 Chatfield City Council meeting Mayor Russ Smith read a proclamation honoring one of the city’s own, Betty Lou Balcome. Smith listed the many contributions of leadership and service Balcome gave to the city over her lifetime. Betty Lou was one of the original fruitcake bakers of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church and she continued to do that for over 50 years. She supported her congregation, playing the organ, for over 70 years. Betty Lou, as a teacher, touched the lives of thousands of students in the Chatfield school district. She volunteered at the Tourist Information Center since the inception of the center. Through her work and the volunteering of her time she contributed to the high quality of life in the Chosen Valley. Betty Lou thanked everyone for the recognition, saying, “I love meeting people; this is super duper.” A response to concerned tax payers A letter to the editor recently appearing in the Chatfield News
was signed by 26 Chatfield citizens. It expressed their disappointment in the city council’s unanimous approval of a preliminary levy, reflecting an 8.47% increase. Mayor Smith explained he researched other cities, mentioned in the letter to the editor, at the state demographer office. He compared the increase or decrease in the number of households in several nearby cities to the percent increase in their preliminary levies. The data for the increase in the number of households was from 2017-2018. Chatfield had the greatest growth by far with 17 additional households. He explained that the percent of levy increase doesn’t mean an individual’s property taxes will increase by that amount. With more households in Chatfield the total levy will be spread over more property owners. Smith said he appreciated the letter and the thought that was put into it, stating that it was “good to see community involvement.” Councilor Paul Novotny said he agreed that property taxes are expensive. Everything costs more every single year. What do you See REMARKABLE Page 2 ➤
Mabel-Canton to recognize North Winn connection BY R ICH WICKS rich@fillmorecountyjournal.com
The Mabel-Canton School Board met in regular session on October 15. All members were present (Mark Wiedemann, Jason Marquardt, Traci Livingood, Chris Miller, Principal Michelle Weidemann, high school Secretary Lynette Donald,
Business Manager Aimee Lake, Superintendent Gary Kuphal, Diane Wilder, Board chair Cristal Adkins and Chris Loppnow). The board heard an appeal from Phil Richert, who spoke of the history of students from northern Winneshiek County coming across the border to See NORTH WINN Page 13 ➤