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HEADLINES FOR JULY 3, 2009 |
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Celebrations coming up for the Fourth of July
The Fourth of July water-ski and boat parades at Lake Pulaski in Buffalo take place on Saturday, July 4. The annual water-ski parade begins at noon, and the decorated boat and pontoon parade starts at 1 p.m.
Everyone is asked to gather in front of the Pat and Theresa Sweeney home. For the water-ski parade, gather just before noon, and for the boat and pontoon parade, gather just before 1 p.m. The starting point is on the northeastern side of the lake at 1701 Sunset Cove. Look for balloons on a boat lift with a blue cover.
The Sweeneys are new parade officials this year, but they were popular participants last year when they had Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and John McCain lookalikes in their boat.
The water parades have always had a patriotic theme, and many lake residents set up lawn chairs to watch the red, white and blue water-skiers, boats and pontoons go by on the water.
Huge dry land celebrations are planned in Annandale and Delano. See more on those below:
ANNANDALE
The 120th annual Fourth of July Celebration in Annandale includes a Carnival that opens Wednesday, July 1 at 6 p.m. and runs throughout the celebration.
On Thursday, July 2, Minnesota All-State and High School Musicians will entertain you with Jazz Music from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the City Park on a portable stage by the lake. “Route 55,” a local jazz band, performs from 8-9 p.m.
On Friday, July 3, enjoy a Pork Chop Dinner from 4:30-7:30 p.m. in the City Park Pavilion. Pie in the Park takes place from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
The Annandale High School Jazz Band performs from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the City Park, and the Annandale Community Band plays from 7-8 p.m.
A Boat Parade will begin at 7 p.m. and conclude near the city beach on Pleasant Lake at approximately 8 p.m.
On Saturday, July 4, the Fourth of July Parade begins at 10 a.m.
Annandale’s Queen Coronation takes place at 7 p.m. in the City Park.
A spectacular fireworks display begins at dusk in the City Park.
New this year, a Water Ski Show on Pleasant Lake is taking place at 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 5.
Minnesota Pioneer Park in Annandale offers an Independence Day Old West Extravaganza Saturday and Sunday, July 4-5. Enjoy bluegrass music, great food and refreshments and some street theater offered by the Old West Society of Minnesota. You can also see a buffalo hunters’ camp and other displays. The Minnesota Fast Draw Club will stage a competition, as well.
Admission is $5 (less for children and seniors). For more information, call 320-274-8489.
DELANO
Broadcast meteorologist Mike Lynch of WCCO Radio will be the grand marshal for this year’s Delano Fourth of July Parade on Saturday, July 4 at 10:30 a.m.
A stargazing show will be part of Lynch’s visit to Delano during the Fourth of July Celebration Friday, July 3 at 10 p.m. at the Delano High School football field.
This year, the festival will be celebrated Wednesday through Saturday, July 1-4. Ball games and a carnival will be part of the fun.
The culmination of the festival occurs on the Fourth. It begins with a parade in the morning. Fourth of July Committee Chairman Jack Lynch said that in 2008, an alternate parade route was used due to road construction, but in 2009 the route is going back to what it had been in previously years.
“The parade route is going back to what it was,” Lynch said. “It’ll start on Elm Avenue, head west to Third Street, south to Railroad Avenue, then west to River Street by the Delano Post Office, then north on River Street to Central Park,” Lynch explained.
After the 10:30 a.m. parade, people head to the park to take in one of the live bands and save a spot for the evening’s main event, one of the most stunning fireworks displays around.
Bands for the 2009 celebration include The Deep Fried Tweeters, Wednesday, July 1 from 7 to 11 p.m.; Hairball, Thursday, July 2 from 8 p.m. to midnight; Butch Automatic, Friday, July 3 from 8 p.m. to midnight; the Marv Nissel Band, Saturday, July 4 from 1 to 3 p.m.; and High Noon, Saturday, July 4 from 8 p.m. to midnight.
A 5K race will also be brought back after taking a one-year break in 2008. The 25th annual race will start on St Peter Ave., near the Delano Crossings Shopping Center, at 9:45 a.m. Saturday and wind its way along the parade route down to Central Park.
Five queen candidates have stepped forward to vie for the chance to represent Delano in the upcoming year. Current royalty will crown their successors during coronation ceremonies Friday, July 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the Delano Middle School auditorium.
For more information, visit www.delano4th.com
Wright Technical Center getting turned around with new addition, parking lot
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The footings for the new addition at the Wright Technical Center are being put in place. The addition, which is on the east side of the building, will include the new front entrance facing 3rd Ave. A new parking lot is being constructed, as well. The Highway 25 side of the building will eventually be the back side of the facility. |
The back of the Wright Technical Center is becoming the front, and the front is becoming the back. Work is underway on a 17,000-square-foot addition and a new parking lot.
A new roadway will be constructed from 3rd Ave. N.E. to the new parking lot, which is being constructed on the east end of the building and will have a bus turnaround and 59 parking spaces.
Work on the addition and the parking lot is expected to be completed in December. Julie Warner, director of the WTC, said a move into the addition will likely take place gradually. There will be plenty of time to adjust to the new arrangement before school starts in the fall of 2010.
The addition will include five classrooms, a new front office and a new front entrance. Once the new parking lot and the roadway from 3rd Ave. are completed, access to Highway 25 on the west end of the building will be closed.
Warner explained that the State Transportation Department has plans to improve Highway 25, and the improvement will likely involve the elimination of some of the accesses along the roadway.
Heavy equipment has been used for excavation work between the WTC facility and 3rd Ave. in preparation for constructing the new parking lot and its roadway. A large four-acre grassy area will remain when the project is completed. Warner said talks with the Buffalo Community Middle School have included the possibility of using the open area for soccer or other outdoor activities.
The new entrance at the WTC will be situated at the northeast corner of the addition.
The project was brought about by a need to expand the medical careers program and the engineering program. The new classrooms will include two science rooms for biology and physical science (such as chemistry and physics). There will also be a large classroom with enough space to seat 50 students. This large room could be used at times by the automotive program, which has 50 students, and the cosmetology program, which has around 40 students, when they need some classroom time outside their shop and salon areas.
The new parking lot will eliminate the need for students to park at the Buffalo Community Middle School.
The total cost of the project, $2.72 million, is being paid by the WTC’s eight member school districts. Financing involves a lease levy. All the school boards have agreed to it, Warner said.
She added that project comes at a time when paying for a 1998 addition is being completed. This means that while the taxpayers of the eight member school districts are paying for the new project, they will not see a tax increase because of it.
Ebert Construction of Corcoran is the contractor for the project. Loberg Electric of Buffalo is a subcontractor.
St. Michael girl rescues drowning teen
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Karissa Larsen (left), Jon Capes and Callie Crane were all smiles Sunday, June 28 at Fair Haven Mill county park, where the girls rescued him Capes three days earlier. The girls are holding St. Christopher medals from Capes and his mother, Leah Trottier. (Photo courtesy of Chuck Sterling, Annandale Advocate) |
Fortunately for Jon Capes, a student from Kimball High School, 11-year-old Callie Crane of St. Michael, and a friend Karissa Larsen, were nearby when Capes had trouble staying afloat at the Fairhaven Mill last Thursday, June 25.
According to a recent KARE 11 News report, Capes, 17, was enjoying the popular swimming pond, which is often referred to as the “Mill Dam.” He found himself in deep water, and he does not know how to swim.
Crane saw Capes go under and swam over to him. Struggling to get to the surface, Capes accidentally pushed Crane under. She broke free, and then as Capes continued to struggle and was sinking, Crane came back, swam underwater, grabbed Capes around the ribs and brought him up. Crane, who is quite a bit smaller than Capes, grabbed his hair and headed for shore. Fishermen in a nearby boat helped get the boy to the shore.
Capes was having trouble breathing because his lungs apparently had some water in them. Crane pushed on the boy’s stomach twice and recalled later that he “barfed up algae and sea weed and green gooey stuff.”
Crane, who recently completed the fifth grade, and others who helped save Capes, including Larsen, were called “angels sent from above” by Capes’ mother.
City of Buffalo taking steps to save money due to unallottments
By Ed DuBois
The City of Buffalo is getting prepared for the “unallottments” carried out by Gov. Tim Pawlenty. City Administrator Merton Auger said local government aid (LGA) from the state has been shrinking significantly over the past four years, and now it is shrinking further, both in 2009 and in 2010.
Buffalo’s LGA was over $1 million four years ago, Auger said. In 2009, following a cut at the end of 2008, an unallottment of $168,166 is reducing the city’s LGA to $469,435. An even larger unallottment of $388,023 will knock the city’s 2010 LGA down to $145,907.
Steps being taken to make up for the loss of revenue from the state include freezing salaries and wages. City employees are being asked to take unpaid leaves of absence. Positions that have opened up are not being filled. There are three unfilled positions so far, a police officer position, an airport manager position and a sewer and water position. Existing staff are being asked to fill in as best they can.
Auger added that the city’s part-time summer help has been reduced to about half the usual number.
Meanwhile, planning is underway to deal with 2010. Staff are looking at more ways to save money, and discussions with the City Council are coming up.
“The state has put their burden onto local governments,” Auger said. “All staff are doing all they can to reduce expenses. They are watching every penny. They are doing good work.”
He added some disappointment that the Governor and the Legislature could not work together better.
“Good leaders find compromises,” he commented.
Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of the current situation is a question involving what happens in the 2010 legislative session.
“This could all happen again,” Auger said.
County to offer no-fee computer recycling
By Ed DuBois
An opportunity to recycle old, unwanted computers at no cost to you is being offered by Wright County on Wednesday, July 29.
The event is taking place at the Wright County Compost and Recycling Facility along CSAH 37 in southwestern Monticello Township from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The county conducted a similar event last year during which about 1,400 televisions were collected for recycling. This year, the focus is on computers, but televisions will be accepted, as well.
A $20 fee is being waived. The county is covering the cost of having the computers and televisions recycled by using SCORE funds, which are provided to counties for waste management and recycling purposes. The total cost could be up around $20,000 if the participation is as high as last year.
In other business:
TRANSPORTATION
The Board reviewed a June 22 Transportation Committee of the Whole meeting. Rumble strips were a main topic. The county commissioners decided to try sealcoating the rumble strips in several areas to test its effect on lessening the noise created when vehicle tires run over the strips. Many residents along CSAH 35 between Buffalo and St. Michael have objected to the noise from this safety measure. County Highway Engineer Wayne Fingalson mentioned that Michigan and Missouri are going statewide with rumble strips.
The committee also discussed future plans for Kadler Ave. in Otsego. The roadway could someday become a main route from I-94 to a new bridge over the Mississippi River into Sherburne County.
A discussion about the speed limit along CSAH 37 near Maple Lake High School took place.
Work has been underway on traffic lights at Highway 55 and CSAH 12 on the west side of Buffalo. The project involves establishing a “whistle-free zone” at the railroad crossing.
Work on new traffic lights at Highway 55 and Co. Rd. 134 near Menard’s and Kwik Trip in Buffalo is almost complete.
Traffic lights are being planned for Highway 25 and Co. Rd. 138 near the County Public Works Building on the north side of Buffalo. This intersection is along the route to the new county jail. The County Board could be acting on this project in the near future.
The county is selling a lot called the McNamara property along CSAH 19 in St. Michael.
Efforts to sell the Chouinard property near the new CSAH 22 bridge in St. Michael continue.
CENSUS
Ryan Dolan from the Minnesota State Demographic Center came to the board meeting to talk to the commissioners about the 2010 Census. He said the census will involve just ten questions this time around.
Dolan also said the 2010 Census could determine whether Minnesota continues to have eight seats in Congress or it drops down to seven. Minnesota has been a leader in census response, and an effort is underway to once again count as many people as possible.
The county can help by establishing a Complete Count Committee to help promote the census.
More information is available at www.census.gov/2010census .
Redistricting is expected to take place in 2011.
MISC.
In other actions, the Board:
* increased the Sheriff’s Office rate charged for special detail/outside employment (such as funeral escorts) from $40 an hour to $45 an hour;
* accepted a committee recommendation to begin the process of increasing the jail fee for prisoners transferred from other counties (at their own request) from $70 a day to $80 a day, and set the fee for boarding prisoners from other counties at $55 a day;
* awarded a contract for a CSAH 6 reconstruction project to low bidder Dennis Fehn Construction of Albertville at $2.38 million, which is 29 percent below the estimate for the project (Federal funds are covering 80 percent of the cost);
* approved the continuation of a $15,105 JABG Grant agreement for Court Services and also approved a $12,281 Byrne Grant for juvenile after care services; and
* received a report on a May 30 county auction, which netted $53,489.
BHS student heading to Boys Nation in D.C.
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Boys State Director Mike Bredeck (left) poses with Boys Nation selectee Graham Wyatt (right) of Buffalo. |
Buffalo High School student Graham Wyatt has been selected for the American Legion Boys Nation event in Washington, D.C.
Wyatt, 17, is one of 98 high school student representatives throughout the U.S. chosen to attend Boys Nation. He is one of two delegates selected from Minnesota, based on leadership skills, academic record and activity at American Legion Boys State.
The week-long Boys Nation program introduces the participants, who are called senators, to the structure and function of the federal government while combining lectures and forums with visitations to federal agencies, institutions, memorials and historical spots in and around Washington, D.C.
The event takes place at Marymount University, Arlington, VA, with daily trips to Washington, D.C., July 17-25.
The young men taking part in Boys Nation could be the future of politics in the United States. This program is designed to inspire a strong devotion to America while providing a practical view of federal government procedures. Many of the current great leaders of our country are Boys Nation alumni, according to the American Legion.
The Boys Nation program provides a week of government training in Washington, D.C, comprised of lectures and forums with visits to federal agencies, institutions, memorials and historical sites. Valuable experience of the political process is gained through the organization of party conventions, the introduction and debate on bills and resolutions, and the election of an American Legion Boys Nation President and Vice President.
Each American Legion Boys Nation delegate represents his home state as a senator. The senators caucus at the beginning of the session and organize into committees and conduct hearings on bills, allowing delegates to learn the proper methods and regulations followed by the U.S. Senate. In addition, federal legislators, representatives of national distinction, traditionally including the U.S. President, participate in the activities at the American Legion Boys Nation program. Former graduates of the program include former U.S. President Bill Clinton and U.S. Senator Max Baucus, MT.
Graham’s parents are David Wyatt and Leigh Cohen Wyatt.
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Buffalo family moves to island for unique experience
In the summer of 2006, the Hermes family of Buffalo was given an opportunity to take part in a unique two-year experience and accepted the offer. Despite the hardships they faced, the family believes the journey has enriched their lives.
Richard Hermes, who owns his own law firm in town, was offered a two-year job as the public defender for the State of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia, which is a country consisting of hundreds of small islands located south of Guam. Richard accepted the job and moved to Yap with his wife Cindy and their four youngest children, Jillian, Chuck, Tony and Chris.
“Life experience is why we did it,” Richard said, “to show our children that there are a lot of different people out there and a lot of different experiences.”
The family’s older children (they have seven in all) stayed behind at the family’s home in Buffalo. Daughter Jillian moved with the family for their first six months, then came back to Buffalo to finish her senior year of high school and one semester of college before reconnecting with her family in Yap for the final six months on the island.
Twins Chuck and Tony Hermes, who graduated from BHS in June, spent their sophomore and junior years in Yap. Younger-brother Chris spent his eighth and ninth grade years on the island. The children were home schooled during their time away because the school system in Yap was much less advanced than in the U.S. and the children would have fallen behind their American peers.
“We were home schooled at the elementary level, so it wasn’t bad,” Chuck said.
While in Yap, the Hermes family lived within walking distance of the main town of Colonia, Yap’s capitol. The town included a couple small shops, a bank, and a grocery store. There was no movie theater and no fast food restaurants on the island. Movies could be rented, but were often old and scratched.
The island, which was only 16 miles long, included lots of jungle life where wild pigs and wild dogs could be found. Chuck said life in Yap was very different than in the United States. While the Hermes three bedroom, two bathroom apartment came complete with air conditioning and a full kitchen, many locals did not even have electricity because of the high cost. For locals, food was cooked over an open fire and meals were eaten outdoors. Minimum wage on the island was a mere $1.27, and homes were often made of bamboo and leaves.
Food was sometimes hard to come by as the island didn’t have all the necessities. Boats came to the island twice a month — once carrying frozen foods and once carrying fresh foods. Beef was hard to come by and was usually 75 percent lean or worse.
“Going to Yap was really hard because of the culture shock,” Chuck said. “We didn’t know what was there or not there.”
Micronesia includes four states which all have multiple islands. In Richard’s role as public defender, he traveled to several different islands. Yap had very little crime and only about 100 court cases a year. He also traveled to Chuuk and Truk once a month. He said those were very third-world areas with terrible crime and disease. Richard also had to get used to a different government that included a fourth branch — Tribal Councils. Those Tribal Councils would handle the bulk of the minor issues on the island and could overrule the other three branches of government.
Richard’s trips to the other islands were also a time for the family to get items they couldn’t find on Yap, including meats and cheeses. Richard would travel with a cooler and bring the items back.
“You can get by, you can make things work,” Cindy said.
Yap had dial-up internet and Asian television with some American channels, but the boys generally spent their time outdoors exploring the island.
“You really learn to live without and it’s really OK,” Cindy said. “We think that these are necessities and we don’t remember what necessities really are.”
In Yap, the native language is Yapese but many of the residents speak English as a second language, which made the transition a little easier for the Hermes family. Also helping them feel more at home was a group of American Peace Corps Volunteers that were stationed on the island. The Peace Corps members lived with local Yapese families and were able to show the Hermes family about the local culture.
Those Peace Corps members became like brothers and sisters to the Hermes boys and some, who were back in the U.S., traveled to Buffalo in June to attend Chuck and Tony’s high school graduation.
The Hermes boys are active in sports, but said there weren’t a lot of organized sports in Yap. Basketball was the most popular sport, but was one that the Hermes’ brothers weren’t active in. The island’s sports complex had been wrecked in a typhoon in 2004, but the island had a small weight room and a worn-out track. Chuck said they tried to organize a baseball league while they were there, but it fell through.
“I think our kids have changed in that they’re more open to meeting new people,” Richard said.
The most popular activity for Chuck and Tony was scuba diving and snorkeling, which kept them cool in the tropical climate where temperatures were around 85-90 degrees year round. Chris has an ear issue that doesn’t allow him to scuba dive, but he also enjoyed his time on the island.
Chuck and Tony both completed their Eagle Scout projects while in Yap. Tony refinished the island’s weight room at the sports complex. He imported vinyl to recover the weight benches, cleaned and painted the facility, and set up instruction manuals to demonstrate how to use the equipment.
Chuck worked in one of the southern villages that had stone money, which are large donut-shaped disks carved out of limestone and weigh as much as four tons. The value of a specific stone is based not only on its size and craftsmanship, but also on the history of the stone. If many people — or no one at all — died when the specific stone was transported, the value of the stone increases. Chuck’s project was to clear out paths that went around the stone money, and to build a bridge over a river to connect two paths. Yap is popular for scuba diving and the new bridge and path system helped with tourism in Yap as guests were better able to see the stone money.
While there, the family joined in the annual Yap Day (their independence day) festivities one year and even wore the traditional dress, which is brightly-colored loin cloths for men, and grass or woven hibiscus skirts for women.
Early in their stay, the boys came across an abandoned puppy that they took in and named Tiki. Chuck said having the dog helped them get through the difficult transition to island living.
“The first six months were really tough,” Chuck said. “Now I look back and I’m glad I did it. I would like to go back and visit for a month or so.”
The family returned to Buffalo last August, allowing Chuck and Tony to finish their senior year of high school at home. Richard said he would strongly consider doing something like this again in the future if the opportunity presented itself.
“I would encourage anybody in any profession to give it a try,” he said. “We met some wonderful people.”
“Americans are sometimes afraid to go to a different country, but over there travel between countries is as common as travel between states,” Cindy said. “I think Americans are afraid to go outside their box.”
For more information about the Federated States of Micronesia and Yap, visit www.visit-fsm.org .
