htnewsjan27

January 27, 2011Grey Eagle, Burtrum, St. Rosa, Freeport, Upsala, Albany,

Holdingford, St. Anna, Avon, Swanville, Melrose FREE Publication

Hometown News

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On TheInside...

Harvey Mackay Page 2Obituaries: Thielen, Sabrowsky, Ritter Pages 4-5 Schueler, Wachlar, Knapp Blenker, Douvier Saralee Perel Page 6Notes from the Capitol Page 8Local Municipality Minutes Page 9 Burtrum City, Melrose City

Photo submitted by Michael Pangrac.

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Wednesday •Wing Dings

•Chicken, Ribs & Shrimp BuffetThursday

Homemade ChimichangasFriday Fish Fry

Slow Roasted Prime Rib Available Fri. & Sat.!

Sunday BrunchNoon Specials

Sunday & Monday 4-9 pm: 12 item

Dinner Menu Priced from $9-$11

It’s Going to be a SUPER WEEKEND Feb. 5 & 6. See next week’s ad for details!

Welcome Snowmobilers! Thurs. Night Riders $2 Rail & Longnecks • $1 Taps

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Hometown News

Ad & News DeadlineThe deadline for news and advertising

in the Hometown News is Monday.

Letter to the EditorLetters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone numbers. Letters should be short and to the point. We reserve the right to edit lengthy let-ters. Email to: [email protected].

Published ByJohn and Lori Young

SubscriptionsThe subscription rates for

13 weeks is $15.00 26 weeks is $30.0052 weeks is $60.00

Mail to: Hometown News, 29442 120th St.,

Grey Eagle, MN 56336.

29442 120th St.Grey Eagle, MN 56336Phone: 320-285-2323

Fax: 320-285-5264Website:

www.hometownnews.bizEmail: [email protected]

www.facebook.com/hometownnews

Sales StaffJan Theisen

Cell: 320-333-9774Fax: 320-845-2067

Email: [email protected]

Lori YoungOffice: 320-285-2323Cell: 612-597-2998Fax: 320-285-5264


Free ClassifiedsPersonal Classifieds are free. Limit of 20 words; 25¢ for each additional word. 20 words or less can be emailed. Classifieds over the word limit must be prepaid.Business related Help Wanted, For Rent classifieds are $5.00 for the first 20 words, 25¢ per each additional word.

Mail to: Hometown News, 29442 120th St., Grey Eagle, MN 56336.

email: [email protected]

Card of ThanksCards of Thanks is $2.50 for the first 50 words, 10¢ per each additional word. Must be prepaid.

AnnouncementsAnniversary open house, births, birthday open house, engagements, weddings and obituaries are free of charge for one publication. To have it published twice costs $10. A prestamped, self addressed envelope is required to return photos.

The Hometown News is a weekly publication, which is published and

distributed every Thursday.

• Hometown News • Thursday, January 27, 2011

Upcoming Events

If you have an upcoming event or meeting, please let us know by email: htnews@meltelnet or call 320-285-2323.

JANUARY 27 • Upsala Area Community Center Spe-cial Meeting at 6 p.m.

JANUARY 29 • Sacred Heart School’s 16th Annual Prime & Wine Dinner/Auction starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Freeport Community Cen-ter.

JANUARY 30 • Roving Hillbillies Snowmobile Club 42nd Annual Snowmobile Blessing start-ing at 12 p.m. at St. Rose of Lima Church basement, St. Rosa. See ad on page 9.

FEBRUARY 4 • Pelican Lake Association of St. Anna Annual Fundraiser Dinner starting at 6:00 p.m.

FEBRUARY 5 • Heartland Chapter of the MN Dark-house & Angling Assoc. 7th Annual Ban-quet & Fundraiser starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Freeport Community Center. See ad on page 12.

FEBRUARY 6 • Holy Family School’s Annual Family Carnival from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Seven Do-lors Parish Center, Albany. See ad on page 12. • Albany Legion Smorgasbord Break-fast 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. • 1st Annual Breakfast Theatre from 12-1:30 p.m. at the Upsala Area Schools.

FEBRUARY 10 • American Red Cross from 1-7 p.m. at the Freeport Community Center.

FEBRUARY 20 • New Munich Youth Group Valentine Brunch from 8:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. at New Munich Church basement.

ALCOHOL ANONYMOUS • Meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Grace Alive, Albany.

BURNHAMVILLE TOWNSHIP • Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Burtrum City Hall.

BURTRUM CITY COUNCIL • Meets the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m.

COMMUNITY BUILDERS • Meets the second Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at Eagle’s Crossings.

FREEPORT CITY COUNCIL • Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

GREY EAGLE CITY COUNCIL •Meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.

GREY EAGLE TOWNSHIP •Meets the first Monday of the month at 8 p.m.

ST. ROSA CITY COUNCIL • Meets the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Community Park building.

SWANVILLE CITY COUNCIL • First Tuesday after the first Monday of the month.

SWANVILLE TOWNSHIP • Meets the second Tuesday of the month at 8:30 p.m. at the Swanville Fire Hall.

UPSALA CITY COUNCIL • Meets the second Monday of the month at 7 p.m.

Weekend WeatherSaturday Sunday

Extreme cold. High: 4 Low: -17

Mostly cloudy. High: 17 Low: -3

Temperatures Date High Low 1/19 3 -7 1/20 7 -21 1/21 0 -26 1/22 -3 -18 1/23 -5 -19 1/24 23 10 1/25 18 6

Friday

Snow. High: 28 Low: 9

Press ReleasesPress releases are welcome. They must be emailed to: [email protected].

By Harvey Mack-ay

It’s a great o p p o r t u n i t y , maybe even your dream job. All the stars are lin-ing up -- the com-pany you’ve ad-mired, top-notch staff, terrific ben-efits, ideal loca-tion. You’ve aced the interview, and

you know you’d be a perfect fit. What more could you ask for?

Maybe that’s the wrong question. Maybe you should be asking, what less would you be willing to take?

A 2009 CNN Money report says, “With more than three job seekers for every opening, more workers are having to take significant pay cuts to find em-ployment.”

Current employment figures are not much brighter. Experts predict we will not see job numbers improve to pre-recession levels for at least five years. And even though unemployment ben-efits have been extended, they are no match for a rewarding, fulfilling job.

That’s a message I hear repeatedly as I release the paperback edition of my book, Use Your Head To Get Your Foot in the Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You.

Many are out of work through no fault of their own and can’t afford to wait for the dream job to open. Others discover the jobs they had weren’t right for them -- too much responsibility, too many hours, burnout or philosophical differences. Whatever the reason, plen-ty of qualified people who are looking for jobs have real challenges convincing interviewers that they can work for less and be content.

Shrinking company budgets force managers to get maximum bang for the buck while finding ways to maintain or grow business. Hiring decisions have greater impact when fewer employees must carry the load. A bad hire can be disastrous.

Try to explain to a hiring manager that you are interested in taking a job that includes a pay cut, and a number of questions pop up. Were you overpaid at your last job? Will you jump ship the minute a more lucrative opportunity is presented? Will you be able to survive on a smaller salary? If you are such a bargain, why hasn’t someone else hired

you already? Are you willing to work harder for less money? Do you have some ulterior motive?

Hiring managers look for competent people who are confident in their abili-ties. Your biggest selling point, surpris-ingly, isn’t your price tag.

You have demonstrated that you are flexible, willing to take on a new chal-lenge, bring great experience with you and can’t wait to get started. You are prepared to work as hard as you can to advance the company’s goals. The in-terviewer is starting to wonder why any company would have let you slip away.

The biggest mistake you can make at that point is to show any bitterness about your situation. Instead, seize the day by radiating your most positive face. Your last company’s loss will be your next employer’s gain!

As an astute person, you know that salary negotiations come much later, af-ter you have convinced the interviewer that you are the best candidate for the position. Be honest when you are asked why you are willing to work for less.

• “I know that the market can’t sup-port my previous salary, so I have com-mitted to downsizing my lifestyle. I de-cided having a vacation home was be-coming more work than pleasure.”

• “I love my work and I was sorry when my former company eliminated our department. I am willing to dem-onstrate my ability by working free for 60 days.”

• “My company relocated to an-other state. My wife’s job is here, and we chose not to move our family even though it meant giving up my job.”

When getting a paycheck means taking a pay cut

Central Lakes

ConstructionKen Frieler

320-285-5715

Landscape &

Grey Eagle

Patios, Decks, Retainer Walls, Ceramic Tiling, Remodeling Harvey Mackay continued to pg 3Hours: Tues. - Fri: 11-6; Sat: 9-12

Style ‘n Go 320-285-7780Grey Eagle

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Hometown News • Thursday, January 27, 2011 •

Harvey Mackay continued from page 2• “I know that times are tough ev-

erywhere, and I am willing to help the company move to profitability knowing that the employee contributions will be rewarded at a later time.”

Stating your reasons in direct, hon-est terms will mitigate fears that you are looking for a glorified temp job un-til something better comes along. Few companies have been exempt from downsizing or budget reductions. Relat-ing that reality to your personal situation can reassure the interviewer that your expectations are reasonable.

One cautionary note: Don’t apolo-gize for showing interest in a lower-pay-ing job. Your worth can’t be measured

only in dollars.A pay cut may mean a better job,

or the path to one. Keep your options open! When you are less focused on money than on opportunity, you may be pleasantly surprised at how profitable that opportunity can be.

Mackay’s Moral: The difference between survive and thrive is keeping your options alive.

Reprinted with permission from na-tionally syndicated columnist Harvey Mackay, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller “Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive,” and the new book “We Got Fired!...And It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us.”

Call for a FREE Catalog!

Looking to Order Amway Products?

Davis International - Ann Davis320-285-3195 - Grey Eagle, MN

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Browen’s Country Market Grey Eagle, MN (320) 285-2600We accept Visa/ MasterCard,

EBT Card, WicBrowen’s Country Market

DairyCass Clay Swiss Chocolate Milk

1/2 Gal. $2.19Cass Clay Party Dips 12 oz. $1.59

Cass Clay Yogurt 24 oz. $1.99Crystal Farms Grated Parmesan Cheese

8 oz. $2.69Meat

“We have a nice selection of fresh meat at everyday low prices!”

Mn Gold Braunschweiger 11 oz. $1.89Johnsonville Smoked or Cheddi Beef

Brats $2.79 lb.John Morrell Little Smokies 14 oz. $1.99Green Peak Chicken Breast 3 lb. $4.99

Golden Plump Cut Up Chicken Frozen 99¢ lb.

FrozenBanquet Hot & Spicy Wings Heat & Eat

14 oz. $3.59Old Orchard Orange Juice 12 oz. $1.59

Prairie Pastry Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough24 ct. $3.49Grocery

Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix 32 oz. $2.49

Store HoursMon.-Sat. 8 am.-5:30 pm.

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Prior notice appreciated.

Custom Floral Arrangements

Check Out the Tux Website @Jimsformalwear.com“Build a Tux”

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Betty Crocker Bowl Appétit Chicken Vegetable or Pasta Alfredo

2.4 oz. $1.39Our Family Peach Slices

29 oz. $1.69Household/Pets

Baggies Sandwich Bags 150 ct. $1.69Bounty Basic White Paper Towels 99¢

Febreze Air Freshener 9.7 oz. $2.59Charmin Toilet Tissue 6 roll ct. $3.99

Vals Choice Large Dog Biscuits4 lb. $3.69

Purina Moist & Meaty Burger72 oz. $4.99

Pampers Baby Wipes 72 ct. $2.99

Great selection of greeting cardsIncluding “Leanin Tree” $1.49 ea.

WEDDING PACKAGES AVAILABLETUX & FLORALS

General Mills Cheerios WIC 14 oz. $3.99Post Honeycomb Cereal 12.5 oz. $3.99

Ancient Harvest Rotelle Pasta “Gluten Free” 8 oz. $2.29

Creamette Long Spaghetti 16 oz. $1.39Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup 26 oz. $1.99

Our Family Saltine Crackers 16 oz. $1.29Our Family Animal Crackers 12 oz. $1.49Our Family Assorted Cookies 18 oz. $1.59

Our Family Fruit Snacks 6 ct. $1.49Country Time Assorted Hard Candies

14 oz. bag $2.49General Mills Chex Mix 8.75 oz. $1.99Freshleys Chocolate or Powered Mini

Doughnuts 11.5 oz. $1.49Kettle Creek Nacho or White Corn Chips or

Cheese Puffs 10 oz. $1.49Our Family Ketchup 24 oz. $1.29

Gedney Baby Dill Pickles 32 oz. $3.49

Produce Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit

5 lb. bag $2.49Black Berries 6 oz. $1.59

Anjou Pears 89¢ lb.Celery 79¢

Grape Tomatoes pt. $1.29Whole Mushrooms 8 oz. $1.29

Dole Idaho Potatoes 10 lb. $2.89

Wanted:Help us hold our First Annual

PROM DRESS CONSIGNMENT SALE! Have a formal hanging in your closet you’d like to sell? Call us for details. We will only charge a small fee to have them displayed.

Don’t forget those special people you want to say ‘thank you’ to on Valentines Day! -We have fresh flowers, balloons, candy and more!

To Submit a Card of Thanks the cost is $2.50 for the first 50 words, 10¢ for each additional word. MUST BE PREPAID. Mail to:

Hometown News, 29442 120th St., Grey Eagle, MN 56336.

Card of Thanks There are a lot of good people in the world. I have been feeding a friend’s animals, the driveway was blown shut so I had to walk from the road Sunday. While I was feeding, I heard a plow come in and plowed the road. I thought, wow, I don’t have to walk from the road! All because of a nice guy, Chad Johnson. Thank you, sir!

Bill Marty

Senior Dining Menus: Jan. 31 - Feb. 4Albany Grey Eagle & Upsala

MON., JAN. 31: Deviled pork chop, rice pilaf, mixed vegetables, peaches, pudding.

TUE., FEB. 1: Fried steak, whipped potatoes, gravy, cinnamon carrots, ap-plesauce.

WED., FEB. 2: Pork roast w/sau-erkraut, boiled potatoes, gravy, cherry apple pie.

THUR., FEB. 3: Meatloaf, O’Brien potatoes, confetti vegetable salad, sugar cookie.

FRI., FEB. 4: Chili, corn bread w/honey butter, broccoli salad, dessert.

~ The Lighter Side Menu ~MON., JAN. 31: Chicken chili, Ital-

ian lettuce salad, vegetable sticks, din-ner roll, pudding.

TUE., FEB. 1: Chicken Caesar sal-ad, breadstick, applesauce.

WED., FEB. 2: Turkey/bacon/ranch wrap, cream of potato soup, cherry ap-ple pie.

THUR., FEB. 3: Beef/broccoli stir-fry, rice, mandarin orange salad, sugar cookie.

FRI., FEB. 4: Baked potato w/broc-coli/cheese, lettuce salad, breadstick, dessert.

Albany: 320-845-4070

MON., JAN. 31: Fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, stewed toma-toes, cookie.

TUE., FEB. 1: BBQ chicken breast, squash, green beans, gingerbread/top-ping.

WED., FEB. 2: Fish patty, bun, baked beans, garden salad, bar.

THUR., FEB. 3: Lasagna, carrots, applesauce, garlic medallions.

FRI., FEB. 4: Meatloaf, baked po-tato, creamed cabbage, dessert.Grey Eagle Dining Site: 320-285-4481

Upsala Dining Site: 320-573-2335

Dingmann’s LockerCustom Processing

On the Farm ButcheringUpsala, MN: 320-573-2162

Kerzman Construction Co.Building • Remodeling • Additions

Windows • Siding • Roofing

Jeremy: 320-250-7785 Larry: 320-285-7595

REGULAR HOURSFri: 5 PM - 9 PM

Sat: 11 AM - 5 PM; 5 PM - 9 PM Sun: 11 AM - 5 PM

EAGLE MOUNTAIN

President’s Day: Mon., Feb. 21 • 11 AM-5 PM

33861 Breezy Drive Burtrum, MN 56318320-573-2222

www.eaglemountainge.com

Eagle Mountain Snow TubingOnly $10

for 2 Hours of Tubing Fun!

THE JUNCTIONConvenience Store • Bait

Open 7 days a week Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

320-285-2484 • Grey Eagle

Cold Spring Bakery • Schaefer’s MeatsLeanin’ Tree Gift Cards • DVDs

Dave’s Unique Furniture


Verena K. ThielenVerena K.

Thielen, age 95 of Melrose, died Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at the Pine Villa Care Center in Melrose, Minnesota.

Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, January 22 at I m m a c u l a t e C o n c e p t i o n

Catholic Church in New Munich with Rev. Roger Klassen, O.S.B. officiating. Interment was in the parish cemetery.

Verena Katherine Schulzetenberg was born January 22, 1915 in Allerston, Alberta, Canada to Bernard and Rose (Welle) Schulzetenberg. On October 25, 1939 she married Raymond Thielen at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in New Munich. The couple farmed east of Melrose. After Ray’s death in 1981, Verena continued to live on the farm until she moved to town in 1991 and later to Pine Villa in 2006. She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in New Munich, St. Anne’s Christian Women, and the Immaculate Conception Catholic Aid Council. Verena enjoyed baking, canning, cooking, gardening, and taking care of her family.

Survivors include her children, Norman

(Dee) Thielen of Mounds View, Dennis Thielen of Melrose, Paul (Mary) Thielen of Melrose, Marilyn (Dave) Weber of Melrose, Marvin (Judy) Thielen of Melrose, and Leon Thielen of Melrose; 15 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters, Ed (Lorraine) Schulzetenberg of Melrose, Joe (Jean) Schulzetenberg of Freeport, Evelyn (Ken) Cook of Bellevue, Washington, Doris (Cyril) Braegelmann of Melrose, and Alice (Al) Mayers of Eagan; sisters-in-law, Lydia Schulzetenberg of Melrose and Marion Schulzetenberg of Melrose; and brother-in-law, Joe Berscheit of Melrose.

Verena was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond Thielen on June 9, 1981; parents; nine month old twins, Lois Thielen on March 6, 1952 and Lyle Thielen on March 13, 1952; sisters and brothers, Caroline Mareck, Urban Schulzetenberg, Roman Schulzetenberg, Rita Hinnenkamp, and Frances Berscheit.

Serving as casket bearers were Brandon English, Chad Thielen, Tony Weber, Mark Lund, Jennifer Middendorf, Rhonda Carrico, Laura Haehn, and Stacy Thielen. Cross bearer was Janelle Dees and scripture bearer was Sara Janorschke. Mass servers were Brian Thielen and Verena Weber. Lectors were Kelly Thielen and Lori Burg. Special music was by Missy Winter.

Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.

Obituaries

Thomas W. SabrowskyServices celebrating the life of Thomas W.

Sabrowsky, age 57, of Albany, were held Mon-day, January 24 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Albany. Burial was in the church cemetery. Tom died unexpectedly on Friday, January 21, 2011 at the St. Cloud Hospital from an illness.

Tom was born February 27, 1953 in St. Cloud to Arnold and Louise (Hamann) Sa-browsky. He has lived in the Albany area all of his life. He was a farmer in Albany and he previously was the Fertilizer Manager for the Cenex in Albany. Tom married Janice Ayer

in October, 1990. They later divorced. Tom was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Albany.

Tom is survived by his mother, Louise Sabrowsky, Albany; his brothers and sisters; John (Judy Woitalla) Sabrowsky, Albany; Tim (Lisa) Sabrowsky, Mounds View; Susan (Roger) Thompson, Oakdale and Dayna Klein, Northfield.

Tom is preceded in death by his father, Arnold Sabrowsky and his ex-wife, Janice Sa-browsky.

Three Private Meeting Rooms Available Handling Groups of 20-150

Call for Info & Reservations

Kitchen Restaurant Hours:Monday - Thursday: 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Friday & Sunday: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

320-845-2168

1 Block off I-94 Albany Exit1004 Shamrock Lane • Albany

Family RestaurantSTUBBY’S TAVERN

MONDAY: VALUE MEAL $5.25TUESDAY: CHICKEN FRY (All You Can Eat)

4:30 - 9 p.m. $6.50 • Senior Price $6.00 • Kids 8 & under: $3.00

WEDNESDAY: BBQ RIBS $8.99(All You Can Eat)

THURSDAY: SPAGHETTI $6.50(All You Can Eat)

FRIDAY: FISH FRY $7.25 (All You Can Eat) SATURDAY: 8 oz. Sirloin Steak & Shrimp

$12.99SUNDAY: 3 MEAT SMORGASBORD $7.50

FULL BEEF COMMERCIAL: $5.991/2 ORDER: $3.25

• WEEKLY SPECIALS •

ALL STARSSPORTS BAR & GRILL

St. Rosa • 320-836-2154

Wednesday NightBroasted Chicken

All You Can Eat • With All The Fixings$6.75Serving from

4:30 to 9:30 PM

Saturday,Jan. 29 • 9 PMDJ Shawn Wolbeck

Friday Night Meat Raffle Starting at 7 PM

All Stars Survivor Challenge Starting in Feb.!

Clarence SchuelerThe Mass of

Christian burial, celebrating the life of Clarence “ C l a r e y ” Schueler, age 88 of Holdingford, was held Wednesday, January 26 at St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Holdingford.

Burial was in the parish cemetery. Clarence passed away Friday afternoon, January 21, 2011 at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

Clarence was born January 1, 1923 in St. Paul to Herman and Lillian (Gerads) Schueler. He attended elementary and high school in St. Paul. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corp from 1943- 1946. Clarence married Lucille Scepaniak on August 20, 1947 at St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Holdingford. He worked 39 years at Holdingford elementary and high school as a custodial engineer, 17 years

as a bus driver and was Holdingford City Clerk for many years. He was an avid fisherman and duck hunter. He enjoyed home gardening and family camping trips at Scenic State Park in the Big Fork area. Clarey was a member of St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church and a devoted member of the church choir for over fifty years. He also was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Holdingford VFW and the Stearns County Historical Society.

Clarence is survived by his children, Carol, (Glen) Greener, Albany; Peggy Schueler, Colorado Springs, CO; Jerry (Kathy) Schueler, Holdingford; and Nancy (Danial) Bieniek, Holdingford. He is also survived by his grandchildren; Jackie, Beth, Mike, Emily, Tim, Laura, Liana, Jon, Lindsey, Gabrielle, Benjamin and Luke and great-grandchildren, Kaydance, Jenna and Alexis. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lucy in 1990, his parents, Herman and Lillian Schueler, his brothers, Frank Schueler and Ben Schueler and his sisters, Irene Saturnini and Mary DeLadi.

Frederick J. WachlarS e r v i c e s

celebrating the life of Frederick J Wachlar, f o r m e r l y F r e d e r i c k Wachlarowicz, age 90 of Albany, will be 11:00 AM Thursday, January 27 at the Miller-

Carlin-Brenny Funeral Home Chapel in Albany. Burial will be in the Seven Dolors Cemetery. Frederick passed away Saturday, January 22, 2011.

Fred was born November 8, 1920

in Little Falls to Michael and Elizabeth (Turchin) Wachlarowicz. He married Corinne Erickson on May 15, 1947 in Excellsior, MN. Fred owned Industrial Machinery Service, which was a nationwide business. He was a member of the Seven Dolors Catholic Church.

Fred is survived by his cousins, John Wachlarowicz & Elizabeth (Wachlarowicz) Bonitz; brother-in-law, Raymond Erickson & sister-in-law, Evelyn (DeCarlo) Erickson; nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

Fred is preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Corinne “Connie”, and his brother, Casimir “Cal” Walchlarowicz.

Donald J. RitterDonald J.

“Don” Ritter, age 77 of Grey Eagle, died Thursday, January 20, 2011 at the Pine Villa Care Center in Melrose, Minnesota.

Mass of Christian Burial was Monday, January 24, 2011 at St. Joseph’s Catholic

Church in Grey Eagle with Rev. Ronald Dockendorf officiating. Interment was in St. Bernard’s cemetery in Ward Springs.

Donald Jerome Ritter was born August 16, 1933 in Ward Springs, Minnesota to Peter and Laura (Knoll) Ritter. He was united in marriage to Doraine Douvier on October 23, 1954 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Melrose. Don worked for Frigidaire in St. Cloud for over 30 years.

He was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Grey Eagle. Don enjoyed the peace and tranquility that the outdoors provided while cutting wood.

Survivors include his wife, Doraine Ritter of Grey Eagle; sons, Lonnie (Nancy) Ritter of Grey Eagle and Mike Ritter of Grey Eagle; 14 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren; sisters, Mary (George) Dumas of Blaine, Josephine Huhne of Mounds View, and Monica (Warren) Schrier of Apache Wells, Arizona.

Donald was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Pamela Smith; daughter-in-law, Bonnie Ritter; brothers, Duane Ritter, Harvey Ritter, and DelRoy Ritter; and sister, Rena Beach.

Serving as casket bearers were Tim Ritter, Travis Ritter, Tyler Ritter, Josh Ritter, Andy Ritter, and Cody Ritter. Cross bearer was Chris Ritter and scripture bearer was Tiffany Ritter.

Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Grey Eagle.

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Monday's: $4.95 1/2 Nacho

Tuesday’s: $1.50 6 oz. Burger Night

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Robert KnappMass of

Christian Burial, celebrating the life of Robert “Snapper” Knapp, age 58 of Avon, will be 11:00 AM Saturday, January 29 at the Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Albany. Burial will be in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery, Little

Falls. Bob passed away Sunday, January 23, 2011 at the St. Cloud Hospital.

There will be a visitation from 4-8:00 PM Friday and again after 10:00 AM Saturday at the Seven Dolors Church gathering space. Seven Dolors Parish prayers will be at 4:30 PM Friday.

Robert was born June 28, 1952 to loving parents, John and Loretta (Klein) Knapp. Bob was the third of four boys. He attended Holy Family Grade School in Albany, MN (1966). At age 14, Bob won recognition for his skillful use of the bow and arrow while taking down his first of many deer from a stand in Camp Ripley,

MN. During high school Bob excelled in pole vaulting and is fondly remembered for his love of all things outdoors. Bob graduated from Albany High School in 1970. On August 8, 1972, Bob was drafted into the US Army and served most of his service in New Mexico in the Military Police. Following his active duty, Bob enrolled at the University of Minnesota Crookston, studying Natural Resources and Soil and Wildlife Conservation. For many years, Bob resided at his home on Pelican Lake in St. Anna where he spent much time surrounded by his passions: hunting, fishing, and nature. Bob lived his whole life in the Albany/Avon area and had many life long friends. Bob will be deeply missed by both family and friends.

Welcomed in death by his father, John Knapp and sister-in-law, Mary (Broker) Knapp. Bob is survived by his mother, Loretta Knapp, Albany; brothers, Dennis Knapp, Avon; Thomas Knapp, St. Cloud; and Mark Knapp, Brooklyn Park. He is also survived by his niece, Ann (Allen) O’Donnell; nephews, John (Alexia, Matthew) Knapp, Stephen (Lindsey) Knapp and his nephew and Godson, Robert Knapp.

Irene A. BlenkerIrene A.

Blenker, age 84 of Albany, died Friday, January 21, 2011 at her home in Albany, Minnesota.

Mass of Christian Burial was Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at Seven Dolors Catholic Church

in Albany. Interment was in the parish cemetery.

Irene Alvina Kortenbusch was born March 3, 1926 in Melrose, Minnesota to Anton and Angeline (Spaeth) Kortenbusch. She was united in marriage to Andrew Blenker on October 3, 1950 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Melrose. Irene lived on the family farm near Albany for the past 60 years and truly loved being a farmer’s wife and partner.

She was a member of Seven Dolors Catholic Church, St. Ann’s Society, Christian Mothers, and the Albany American Legion Auxiliary Post

482. Irene enjoyed quilting, sewing, embroidery, and travelling.

Survivors include her husband, Andrew Blenker of Albany; children, Florian (Barbara) Blenker of Albany, Doris (Tim) Kahlhamer of Avon, and Diane (Joseph) Braun of St. Joseph; grandchildren, Adam (Rachel), Amy (Shahzad), Michelle (Jude), Maggie, Kyle, Vincent, and Amelia; six great-grandchildren; and sisters, Martha Ruehle of St. Cloud, Ermalinda “Erma” Bautch of St. Cloud, and Marcella “Pete” Hinnenkamp of Melrose.

Irene was preceded in death by her parents, Anton and Angeline Kortenbusch; brothers and sisters, Dorothy, Albert, Anthony, Philomena, Arnold, Adeline, and Leo.

Serving as casket bearers were Adam Blenker, Amy Blenker, Michelle Henningsgaard, Maggie Blenker, Kyle Braun and Vincent Kahlhamer. Cross bearer was Amelia Kahlhamer and scripture bearer was Maria Blenker.

Hubert R. DouvierHubert R.

“Hub” Douvier, age 85 of Sauk Centre, formerly of Melrose passed away Saturday, January 22, 2011 at St. Michael’s Nursing Home in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

M e m o r i a l Mass of Christian

Burial was held Tuesday, January 25 at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Sauk Centre with Rev. Andrew Marthaler officiated and Rev. James Statz concelebrating. Inurnment followed in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Melrose, Minnesota.

Hubert Richard Douvier was born July 13, 1925 in Holding Township, Stearns County, Minnesota to John and Katherine (Wolbeck) Douvier. Hub worked in masonry and was employed

by Carstens Industries in Melrose for many years. He was a long-time resident of Melrose but for the last five years, he called Getty Street Assisted Living in Sauk Centre home. Hub was a jack of all trades and loved to tinker. He enjoyed going to rummage sales, fixing old engines and lawn mowers, and driving in the country.

Survivors include his brother, Harold (Audrey) Douvier of Sauk Centre; sisters, Monica Stiever of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Regina Pirkl of St. Joseph, and Doraine Ritter of Grey Eagle; sisters-in-law, Beatty Douvier of Melrose and Evelyn Douvier of Glenwood; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Katherine Douvier; brothers, Gilbert and Tony Douvier; and brothers-in-law Frank Stiever, Robert Pirkl, and Donny Ritter.

Serving as urn bearer was Laurie Borgerding and cross bearer was Cindy Berscheit.

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UpStage Players to Perform HarveyThe Upsala UpStage Players will

perform Harvey in the Upsala School Auditorium February 4-6. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Harvey, a comedy written in 1943 by Mary Chase, gives a peek into the life of Elwood P. Dowd (Larry John-son), a middle-aged man whose best friend is a 6-foot-tall white rabbit named Harvey - whom only Elwood can see. Elwood’s sister Veta (Pam Schoon) and niece Myrtle (Hannah Knudtson) have had enough embarrassment and decide to have Elwood committed at the local sanitarium. A misunderstanding on the part of the staff (Josh Knudtson, Glory Knudtson and Andrew Swanson) forces Veta into treatment instead. After her re-lease, Veta is more determined than ever

that Elwood, and Harvey, must be put away. Getting rid of Harvey, physically and emotionally, turns out to be more difficult than Veta had planned.

The show, directed by Chantelle Frie, also features Rob Schumer, Randy Borash, Steve Hansen, Leonice Prokott, Mary Frie, and Lisa Hansen. Tickets are available at the door. The goal of the UpStage Players is to provide enter-tainment and exposure to the arts in the community. Ticket sale profits are used to make donations to arts-related pro-grams within the Upsala School District and fund scholarships for graduating se-niors pursuing arts related careers.

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Community Snapshots EMAIL US YOUR PHOTOS! • [email protected]

Saralee continued to pg 7

Kutter Insurance Agency

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By Saralee PerelMost psy-

chologists be-lieve that in order to move on after a loss, we need to say good-bye first. I never believed that, even when I was a practic-

ing psychotherapist. But I didn’t impose my opinion on my patients. Who could possibly know what’s best for someone when it comes to losing a loved one?

Helen Keller wrote, “What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose. For all that we love deeply be-comes a part of us.”

The subject of loss came up when I sold all my possessions that had any worth. Like many people, I’m having money problems. It’s OK. Things are just things. A psychiatrist once said to me, “We don’t own anything. We just

No reason to say Good-byeborrow it while we’re here.”

However, I felt a profound sense of sadness when I sold one particular item.

My favorite aunt died in her thirties. She left me her beautiful cameo ring. I wore it all the time. It symbolized a lov-ing connection with this woman of many wonders.

Helene Kassen was a lover of life. People in my conservative family made fun of her behind her back by calling her a farmer. She dressed the way she want-ed, wearing long flowing plaid skirts when tailored suits were the style. She’d laugh heartily with her head thrown way back. She’d sit on the floor with her legs never demurely placed.

If there were rules that she consid-ered pointless, she did not follow them. Uncomfortable high heels? Forget it. Blouses fitted and tight? Nope. Plates that match for a dinner party? Never. Putting on sophisticated airs to meet other peoples’ standards? No way.

Though it was customary to be ad-

dressed as “aunt,” Helene wanted me to call her by her first name. I could talk about anything with her, without feeling judged.

She gave her cameo to me on her last day, while I was sitting on her hospi-tal bed. Barely able to speak, she whis-pered, “This is my favorite ring. I want my favorite young woman to have it.”

“I will always wear it and cherish it,” I said, tearfully. “Just like I will al-ways cherish you.” I gently lifted her head so she could sip a little water. Her lips were so dry. While she sipped, I kissed her forehead.

The cameo embodied our extraordi-nary bond. And now it was gone.

While talking with my dear friend, Nancy, I cried when I explained I had sold the cameo. “Helene would be so disappointed in me that I sold her trea-sured ring.”

Nancy helped me enormously. “He-lene loved you. She never judged you. And she wouldn’t now. She’d be so

happy knowing that she is helping you.” She added, “Your bond with this incred-ible woman still exists whether you’re wearing her ring or not.”

Because of Nancy, I realized that there is nothing that will ever, ever take away my years with Helene. Those years remain. They cannot be erased. She is an essential part of my history. And our his-tories make us who we are today.

Selling a ring cannot sever an ever-lasting bond. Helene has taught me and will continue to teach me how to live. I am the person that I am today because of her. She is a part of me and always will be.

I often ask myself, “What would Helene advise?” Her answers would be wise, warm and accepting. I can hear her saying, “If you spend today upset about something that may or may not happen tomorrow, then you’ve lost all of today.”

She still guides me by saying, “Who cares?” to many situations where others’ opinions truly don’t matter. Her corporal being is no longer on this earth but her emotional being is still here.

Now, I’m not sure if the following is a coincidence or not.

Nancy and I get together for what

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America Reads Volunteer, Karen Allen, enjoys reading with Jolaineah Waltman’s Kindergarten Class at Swanville Elementary School.

Deadline for Next Thursday’s Paper is Monday, Jan. 31

The highway crew was busy last Friday morning blowing back the snowbanks along Highway 28 near Grey Eagle. Photo by Lori Young.


Minnesota Through The Lens: Submitted by Richard Ohmann

To submit a nature photo for Minnesota Through The Lens, email it in it’s original (large) size to [email protected].

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Aunt Helene on left (woman in column) Aunt Anita and my mother Blanche Perel.

Saralee continued from page 6we call “floor parties.” I could talk about anything with her, without feeling judged. She is wise, warm and accept-ing.

When I walk in her door, I take off my shoes, toss my coat somewhere and lay around on the floor with her while we dig into turkey, lettuce and tomato subs. No plates. The wrappers the subs come in do the trick. We usually drip to-mato juice on our clothes. But we don’t care. We’re not wearing what’s in style. We’re wearing loose comfy clothes.

Nancy wears what she wants. High heels? Forget it. Blouses fitted and tight? Nope. Would Nancy put on sophisticat-ed airs to meet other peoples’ standards? No way.

The night after I shipped the ring, I sat alone, closed my eyes and said, “Thank you, Nancy, for helping me see that my connection with Helene is alive. Thank you Helene, for helping me pay my bills. I will never say good-bye to you because you will always be a part of me. Thank you for blessing my life.”

And so, as I see it now, Helene’s presence is with me, in my personal-ity, my outlook, my choices . . . and in Nancy.

Award-winning columnist/novelist, Saralee Perel, welcomes e-mails at [email protected] or via her website: www.saraleeperel.com. She also wel-comes friends on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SaraleePerel.

S w a n v i l l e Jr/Sr High is proud to an-nounce Courtney Sieben as the January Student of the Month for 10-12th grades. Courtney is the daughter of Mark and Deb Sieben. Her hobbies include scrap-booking and snowboarding.

Courtney’s future plans are to go to col-lege.

Courtney has been involved in Vol-leyball 7-11 grades, Ice Skating 2nd-11th grades, and Softball 7-11th grades, band 5th grade to current, drama 7-11th grades and is currently a new member of National Honor Society. Courtney was also a Junior High Student of the Month in 7th grade. Her advice for other stu-dents is to work hard and it will pay off in the end.

Kerie Thoma, Activities Director and Varsity Volleyball Coach states, “I have had the pleasure of coaching Court-ney for the last three years in Volleyball and in that time she has portrayed an excellent work ethic, great attitude, fun spirit and she is dedicated to what she is doing. The leadership that comes out in her is very encouraging towards others around her. She is very outgoing and is not afraid to state what is on her mind. Courtney is also dedicated in the class-room as well. She is a very hard worker and getting good grades are a very high priority to her. She has been one of our

Swanville Sr. High Student of the Monthleaders academically on the Volleyball team. It has been a great honor getting to know and work with Courtney and she is very deserving of this award. Congratu-lations Courtney!”

Char Bzdok, science teacher com-ments “Courtney is very deserving of this award! I have had a wonderful op-portunity working with Courtney ever since she was in seventh grade. I have had Courtney in one or more of my sci-ence classes for the past several years and have also coached her in volley-ball and softball. Courtney also serves on Healthy Community Collaborative as well as being a member of National Honor Society. Courtney is a wonderful young woman who has many strengths. She has a great work ethic both in the classroom and on the court or field. I am also very grateful that Courtney is my teacher’s assistant. I rely on her for many of my daily tasks and she does a wonderful job and is very reliable! Thank you Courtney for all the help and all the fun times we have had the past several years.”

The Upsala FFA chapter is hosting a Donkey Basketball game on Tuesday, February 8th 2011. Watch as people ride on top of donkeys and play basketball! This event is great, fun-filled family en-tertainment.

This will take place at the Upsala

Upsala FFA to host Donkey Basketball

The Upsala Community Develop-ment Commission announced the win-ners of the 2010 Upsala Christmas Lighting Contest. First place was award-ed to Leonice Prokott. Second place went to Don Clear. Delroy Kiley took third place.

Upsala Lighting Contest winners

Area School old gym immediately af-ter the girl’s basketball game that night which will be right around 8:30 p.m. There will be concessions. The mem-bers will be selling advance tickets. or tickets at the door. This event is fun for the whole family and is a great way to have fun.

Richard Horn, LTDCertified Public Accountant

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Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. -Mark Twain

Notes from the Capitol By State Rep. Paul Anderson

To the sur-prise of many long-time Capi-tal observers, R e p u b l i c a n s introduced bud-get reduction legislation last week that, if en-acted, would trim about one billion dollars of state spending. In years past, bills

having a direct impact on spending usu-ally waited until after the February bud-get forecast was released. Immediately after the press conference announcing the new measure, reaction was swift and expected. Gov. Dayton said he wants a complete package and urged lawmakers to hold off on budget bills until later next month when he proposes his budget.

But, overall, this measure basically puts last year’s unallotments into per-manent statute. It reduces the deficit by removing $840 million in automatic increases set to go into effect next year.

Among those things affected is funding for the Legislature and the constitutional offices, in addition to making permanent the elimination of the Political Contribu-tion Refund program that in the past has helped subsidize political campaigns.

Supporters of the bills also say that Local Government Aid (LGA) will be held at its current level, while anoth-er facet of local aid, the Market Value Homestead Credit, is actually being in-creased by $20 million through 2013. The homestead credit is a direct benefit to homeowners that reduces their prop-erty taxes by having the state pay a por-tion of that tax.

Although some towns and cities would receive slightly less in LGA un-der this proposal, the bigger concern is keeping the total amount of state mon-ey reserved for local aid payments the same. It’s expected the funding formula will be looked at during session, and it’s my hope that we can reverse the changes made in ’08 that saw larger amounts be-ing sent to the so-called “older suburbs” in the metro area.

Attended an interesting luncheon in

Thought for the week:

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St. Paul Jan. 19 when the Dept. of Agri-culture hosted a visiting trade delegation from the Peoples’ Republic of China. Gov. Dayton addressed the group, which numbered around 75, about 15 of whom were from China. As the Governor gave his address, he would speak a few sen-tences and then back away from the podium to allow room for a translator to step up to the mike and translate his words into Chinese. The group’s next stop was Chicago, where it was expected the visitors would sign a major purchase agreement for American soybeans.

Another key piece of legislation had its first hearing Jan. 20 in the Environ-ment, Energy, and Natural Resources Committee. It’s HF 1, which is aimed at streamlining the permitting process that businesses go through when proposing a new project. One of the elements of the bill establishes a goal of having environ-mental and resource management per-mits either issued or denied within 150

days of the submission of a completed permit application. If not done within that time frame, reports must be submit-ted giving the reasons why the deadline was not met and steps to be taken to complete action on the application. An-other aspect of the bill takes the judicial appeal process directly to the Court of Appeals instead of going first to district court. Highway engineers from four northwestern Minnesota counties testi-fied and all spoke in favor of the new legislation. One talked of a relatively small ditch project in his county being appealed and having to spend well over one hundred thousand dollars in court defending the case.

Rep. Anderson encourages constitu-ents to contact his new office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at [email protected]. To contact An-derson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.

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Continued to Pg 10

Local Municipality MinutesDecember 9 Special Joint Meet-ing with the Utilities Commission, the December 9 Regular Meeting, and the December 16 Special Joint Meeting with the Utilities Commis-sion. A motion was made by Ms. Mayers, seconded by Mr. Christen-son and unanimously carried to ap-prove the minutes as submitted.

b) Donations Resolutions: 1) Resolution No. 2011-1: Donations in the amount of $100 each from VFW Post 7050, CentraCare Health Systems-Melrose, Melrose Lions, Grove Township, Central Minne-sota Credit Union, St. Rosa Lions Club, Greenwald Lions, American Legion Post #101, the City of New Munich, and the City of St. Rosa, and donations in the amount of $250 From Freeport Bancshares, Inc., and the Minnesota Dark House & Angling Association-Heartland Chapter, towards the Melrose Am-bulance Department; 2) Resolution No. 2011-2: Donation in the amount of $100 from the Melrose Senior Center for the Tri-Cap Bus Service; 3) Resolution No. 2011-4: Donation in the amount of $782.81 from the Melrose Fire Relief Association for the Melrose Fire Department ladder truck.

A motion was made by Ms. Klasen, seconded by Ms. Mayers and unanimously carried to adopt the donation resolutions.

c) Consideration was given to approving the City Clerk to enter into a contract with the St. Cloud Technical College for Firefighter II Training for members of the Mel-rose Fire Department. The cost of the course is $3,500 plus cost of books as needed at $100 per set. A portion of the costs will be paid through grant funding. A motion was made by Mr. Christenson, sec-onded by Ms. Mayers and unani-mously carried to approve the City Clerk executing the contract with St. Cloud Technical College.

d) The Council and Utilities Commission at the December 9 Special Joint Meeting approved a 2% COLA adjustment for the non-union employees for 2011. The Po-lice Union Contract (LELS) includ-ed a “me too” clause which provides that they be given any wage adjust-ment or benefit that exceeds what was included in their 2010-2012 contract. A Memo of Understand-ing (MOU) has been signed by the LELS Union Representative, Union Steward, Assistant City Adminis-trator and Mayor Vogel. Formal action approving extending the 2% increase to the LELS was taken on December 9, 2010. A motion was made by Mr. Finken, seconded by Mr. Klasen and unanimously car-ried to approve the MOU.

The Council then held a public hearing on the request of Jason Brix Properties LLC, DBA Sudz Bar Inc. for On & Off Sale Intoxicating Li-quor Licenses. The public hearing is requested under City Code Chap-ter 113 Liquor Regulations, which require a public hearing before granting a new license or the trans-fer of a license. The Assistant City

Burtrum CityJanuary 3, 2011

The meeting of the Burtrum City Council was called to order on Monday, January 3, 2011 at 7 p.m. by Mayor Allen. All members an-swered roll call.

Minutes of the December meeting were read and approved on a motion by Clara Taft and sec-onded by Anna Payne. Upon vote motion carried.

The finance report was read and approved on a motion by Ron Strassburg and seconded by Jenny Ahrendt. Upon vote motion car-ried. Checks number 6817 thru 6825 were approved for payment on a motion by Anna Payne and seconded by Clara Taft. Upon vote motion carried.

There was no old business.Under new business the May-

or, all the council members and the Clerk will work on the follow-ing committees: Law and Order, Street and Village Property, Weed Inspections, Building Permits and Finance.

Being no further business, mo-tion to adjourn the meeting was made by Jenny Ahrendt and sec-onded by Clara Taft. Upon vote motion carried.

These are unapproved min-utes.

Dorothy Strassburg, Clerk

Melrose CityJanuary 6, 2011

The Melrose City Council met in a Regular Meeting on Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at the Melrose City Center pursuant to due notice being given thereof. Present were Council Members Joe Finken, Dick Christenson, Jenny Mayers and Tony Klasen, Mayor Tim Vogel, and Assistant City Administrator/Treasurer Karen Thostenson. The Assistant City Administrator called the meeting to order. Also in attendance were several American Government stu-dents from the Melrose Area Public High School. The Council then re-cited the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Assistant City Adminis-trator administered the Oaths of Office to Mayor Tim Vogel, who was elected to a four-year term, and Council Members Joe Finken and Dick Christenson who were re-elected and elected, respectively, to the City Council in November of 2010 for four-year terms.

Mayor Vogel then presided over the meeting. He made a few comments prior to proceeding with the meeting and encouraged input, comments and debate by all the Council Members.

A motion was made by Mr. Klasen, seconded by Ms. Mayers and unanimously carried to ap-prove the agenda as submitted. The following items were considered for approval under the Consent Agenda:

a) The minutes from the Council December 2 Special Joint Meeting with the Utilities Commis-sion, December 2 Special Meeting,

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Administrator/Treasurer presented the Affidavit of Publication of the hearing notice which was published in the Melrose Beacon on Decem-ber 25, 1010. Jason Brix, CEO of Jason Brix Properties, Inc. was on hand to any questions the Council may have. The Council welcomed Mr. Brix into the Melrose business community and wished him well.

There being no public input, the hearing was closed.

Public Works Director John Harren reported that Water/Waste-water Supervisor Scott Gilbertson completed the annual Wellhead Protection Program Evaluation and has submitted the report to the De-partment of Health. This evaluation will be presented to the Utilities Commission at their January 10, 2010 meeting. The report is on file at the City Center.

Consideration was given to the request that the Intoxicating Liquor License (License #5 – On Sale and Off Sale) issued to Earl R. Wiehoff DBA Earl’s Bar be transferred from the current owner, Earl Wiehoff, to Jason Brix Properties LLC DBA Sudz Bar Inc. Effective January 6, 2011. A background investigation on Jason Brix was completed by the Police Department and nothing was found that would prohibit transfer-ring the license. It was noted that Minnesota law requires cities to ob-tain proof that all licensees provide workers’ compensation insurance for their employees, and the City must obtain licensees’ social secu-rity numbers and Minnesota and federal tax identification numbers for the Department of Revenue’s use. All these documents have been received. It was noted that approval of the license should be contingent upon receipt of the necessary certif-icates of insurance as to dram shop and general liability coverage.

A motion was made by Mr. Finken, seconded by Ms. Mayers and unanimously carried to approve the transfer of License #5: On Sale and Off Sale from Earl R. Wiehoff DBA Earls’ Bar to Jason Brix Prop-erties LLC DBA Sudz Bar Inc. ef-fective January 6, 2011 contingent upon receipt of the necessary cer-tificates of insurance.

Consideration was then given to the following appointments: A motion was made by Mr. Klasen, seconded by Ms. Mayers and unanimously carried to appoint Mr. Finken as Acting Mayor for 2011.

Mayor Vogel stated that in 2010, Dymoke Law Office PA was appointed to serve as the City At-torneys for general matters. Corre-spondence had been received from Dymoke Law Office, PA seeking re-appointment for 2011 with the rate of pay to remain at $100 per hour, with the following items applying: a) Statements are to be detailed and include the time spent on each item;

b) City Attorney to attend Council meetings with only the first hour of each meeting being charged at the $50 per hour flat rate and all additional minutes, hours etc. to be non-chargeable;

c) City Attorney to attend Board/Commission, or special

meetings upon request with only the first hour of each meeting being charged at the $50 per hour flat rate and all additional minutes, hours, etc. to be non-chargeable.

d) The hourly rate to be $100 per hour for general matters;

e) Legal costs for special items to be negotiated with an hourly rate and the total cost not to exceed a set amount. Statements for special items to be submitted monthly;

f) Copies of statements to be submitted to the Council for their review;

g) The Department Heads, with the exception of the Police Department, are to go through the City Administrator before contact-ing the City Attorney.

The Council, at its August 19, 2010 meeting, approved the Pros-ecution Service Agreement with Attorney Robert Pottratz effective from January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2012, with the pay to be the same as the City Attorney.

A motion was made by Mr. Finken, seconded by Mr. Chris-tenson and unanimously carried to appoint Dymoke Law Office PA to handle general matters for 2011 with the rate of pay to be $100 per hour, and that the above-stated recommended items apply, effec-tive January 1, 2011-December 31, 2011.

Mayor Vogel requested that before considering appointments to the Utilities Commission, some discussion be held as to the merits of expanding the Commission from a three-member board to a five-member board. Mr. Christenson inquired how long the Commission had operated as a three-member board, and was informed that it ap-pears this has been the case since the creation of the Commission over 100 years ago. It was pointed out that staff had researched this re-quest and found that as per Minne-sota Statues 412.341, the commis-sion shall consist of three members

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appointed by the council with no more than one member being cho-sen from the council membership. Staff stated that in order to expand the commission, special legislation is necessary. Also discussed were the pros and cons of expanding the board. Mayor Vogel requested that the Council give further thought to this issue and it be placed on the Council’s January 20 agenda for further discussion and direction. The Utilities Commission to also discuss this issue at their January 10 meeting and provide input to the Council prior to the next meeting. This was agreeable to the Coun-cil; however, it was determined to make the appointments to fill the three-member board at this time.

Ralph Wiehoff’s term on the Commission is expiring and he has chosen not to reapply. Applications for appointment were received from Eric Seanger and Wayne Senst. After discussion of both ap-plicants’ good qualifications, a mo-tion was made by Mr. Finken and seconded by Ms. Mayers to appoint Mr. Seanger to the Utilities Com-mission for a three-year term. A roll call vote was recorded as follows: For: Council Members Finken, Mayers, Klasen and Christenson; Against: None; Abstain: Mayor Vogel due to conflict of interest.

Next discussed was appoint-ing a Council Representative for a one-year term to the Utilities Com-mission. Mr. Christenson and Mr. Finken expressed interest in being appointed. After some discussion, a motion was made by Mr. Klasen and seconded by Ms. Mayers to ap-point Mr. Christenson to the Utili-ties Commission for a one-year term. A roll call vote was recorded as follows: For: Council Members Klasen, Mayers, Finken and Chris-tenson; Against: None; Abstain: Mayor Vogel due to conflict of in-terest.

The Council then considered appointing one member for a four-

year term on the Planning & Zon-ing Commission. Jeanne Kraemer is seeking reappointment and Cher-yl Breth is seeking appointment. A motion was made by Mr. Klasen, seconded by Mr. Christenson and unanimously carried to reappoint Ms. Kraemer to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a four-year term. Mayor Vogel then reap-pointed Mr. Klasen as the Council’s representative on the Planning and Zoning Commission for a one-year term. A motion was made by Ms. Mayers, seconded by Mr. Finken and carried to concur with the ap-pointment.

Mayor Seanger then appointed Jerome Duevel, who was a member of the Community Opportunities Committee, to the Melrose Area Development Authority (MADA) for a six-year term. Richard Horn, whose term was expiring, chose not to reapply. An application had also been received from Cheryl Breth. The Council concurred with the ap-pointment.

Mayor Vogel also reappointed Ms. Mayers as the Council repre-sentative on MADA for a one-year term. The Council concurred with this appointment.

Mayor Vogel reappointed Nancy Roering to the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) for a five-year term. The Council concurred with the reappointment. An application had also been re-ceived from Cheryl Breth.

Mayor Vogel reappointed Streets/Parks Supervisor Mark Maus as the Assistant Weed In-spector for 2011. The Council con-curred with this appointment.

Mayor Vogel reappointed Streets/Parks Supervisor Maus as the City Forester for 2011. The Council concurred with this ap-pointment.

Mayor Vogel reappointed the Melrose Police Department as the City Animal Control Officer for

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2011. The Council concurred with this appointment.

Under City Personnel Policy #32: Grievance Procedure, the Ap-pointing Authority shall appoint a Grievance Representative, and the Council and Utilities Com-mission have agreed to make this appointment on an annual basis. Mayor Vogel noted that the Utili-ties Commission will designate their Grievance Representative for 2011 at their January 10 Regular Meeting. For 2010, Joe Finken was the Council representative and Utilities Commission Member Lyle Olmscheid was the Commission representative. A motion was made by Mr. Klasen, seconded by Ms. Mayers and carried to reappoint Mr. Finken to serve as the Council Grievance Representative for 2011.

Consideration was also given to appointing two members to the Ad Hoc Labor & Personnel Com-mittee for future labor discus-sions. In 2010, Mayor Seanger and Council Member Jenny Mayers served as Council Representatives for this committee and Lyle Olm-scheid served as the Commission representative. The Utilities Com-mission will designate their Com-mittee representative for 2011 at their January 10 Regular Meeting. Ms. Mayers and Mr. Christenson expressed interest in being ap-pointed. A motion was then made by Mr. Finken and seconded by Mr. Klasen to appoint Ms. Mayers and Mr. Christenson to serve as Coun-cil representatives on the Ad Hoc Labor & Personnel Committee for 2011.A roll call vote was recorded as follows: For: Council Members Finken, Klasen, Mayers and Chris-tenson; Against: None; Abstain: Mayor Vogel due to conflict of in-terest.

Consideration was next given to the designation of an Animal Shelter for 2011. A motion was made by Mr. Christenson, second-ed by Mr. Klasen and unanimously carried to designate the Minnesota Veterinary Associates, Inc. as the Animal Shelter for 2011.

Consideration was given to proposed Resolution No. 2011-03, Resolution Designating Offi-cial Depository and Supplemental Depositories for City Funds. This resolution designates the deposito-ries of City funds for 2011 and in-cludes: US Bank–Melrose, Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union, and Freeport State Bank–Melrose. The Assistant City Administrator/Treasurer was also given the au-thority to name additional deposi-tories for the deposit of funds in 2011.

Mr. Christenson introduced Resolution No. 2011-03, Resolu-tion Designating Official Deposi-tory and Supplemental Deposito-ries for City Funds. Also, for the purpose of being certain that all funds in financial institutions will be insured, the Assistant City Ad-

ministrator/Treasurer shall have the authority pursuant to Minne-sota Statutes 118A.02, Subd. 1, to name depositories for the deposit of funds so as to make certain that all City funds are either insured or collateral has been pledged by the depository as security, as permitted by M.S., Chapter 118A. The motion was seconded by Ms. Mayers with a roll call vote recorded as follows: For: Council Members Christen-son, Mayers, Finken, Klasen and Mayor. A copy of the resolution is on file in the City Administration Office.

Mayor Vogel reported that at the Council’s August 19, 2010 meeting, action was taken appoint-ing Dr. Dante Beretta as interim medical director during Dr. Carl Melling’s leave of absence. The Ambulance Coordinator is now recommending that Dr. Beretta be appointed as Ambulance Medi-cal Director. A motion was made by Ms. Mayers, seconded by Mr. Klasen and unanimously carried to appoint Dr. Beretta as the Ambu-lance Medical Director.

At the Council’s February 18, 2010 meeting, approval was given to enter into a cost-sharing agree-ment between the City of Melrose and Stearns County for CSAH im-provements between Trunk High-way in Meire Grove and County Road 173 in the City of Melrose. The estimated cost of the project was $7,544.38; the final pay request is in the amount of $4,344.67 and is less a 5% retainage. A motion was made by Mr. Klasen, seconded by Mr. Christenson and unanimously carried to approve the pay request in the amount of $4,344.67.

The Council and Utilities Commission, at their December 16, 2010 Special Joint Meeting, took action approving the interview process for all seven finalists that met the minimum qualifications for the City Administrator position. First round interview dates were tentatively set for January 10 and/or 11. Human Resource Techni-cian Diane Gruber has contacted all seven candidates; however, one of the individuals has elected not to continue as a candidate for the position. six remaining candidates are: Brian Beeman, Michael Bre-thorst, John Harren, James Mogen, Dale Powers, and Brenda Thomes. The Council then discussed sched-uling a date and time to hold the interviews. It was the consensus to begin the interviews at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 10, and that they all be held on this day. The required notice to be posted as there would be a quorum of both the council and commission present for the in-terviews.

The Council also discussed the potential dates of January 21 and/or 22 for second round inter-views along with the possibility of a community reception for those candidates chosen for a second and possibly third interview. A second

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set of questions be prepared for the second round of interviews; how-ever, it would be best to draft these questions after the first round of interviews has been completed as questions may generate from after these interviews are conducted.

It was the consensus of the Council that the community recep-tion be held on Saturday, January 22 from 1:00 a.m. to noon, and that the second round of interviews begin at 1:00 p.m. The public was invited to come and meet the City Administrator candidates at the re-ception.

The Council then discussed scheduling the annual meeting with area township and city officials re-garding the proposed 2012 budgets for the Fire and Ambulance Depart-ments. The Assistant City Admin-istrator/Treasurer recommended that this meeting be scheduled for Thursday, February 17 at about 7:00 p.m. at the Fire and Ambu-lance Station. The proposed 2012 budget information will be present-ed to the Council at their January 20 meeting. The contracts between the City and area townships and cities require the City to hold this meeting annually.

After discussion, it was agreed to schedule the meeting with the cities and townships for Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.

Mayor Vogel then requested Council consideration to publica-tion of the agenda available on the City’s website, checking with DTV if they could be aired on their bul-letin board, having copies available at the City Center, etc. A motion was then made by Mr. Klasen, seconded by Mr. Christenson and unanimously carried to publish and/or post the agenda in the places suggested.

Mayor Vogel noted that he would also like the Council to con-sider including an open forum on each agenda. Planning & Develop-ment Director Gary Walz reported that the Stearns County Board of Commissioners have had an open forum as part of their agenda for quite some time and it has worked well for them. The Council was in agreement that this could be a very good addition to the agenda. Staff was directed to obtain additional information on the concept, and the Council was requested to give fur-ther thought to potential parameters to be established, and the issue to be placed on the Council’s January 20 agenda for further discussion.

The following informational items were then reviewed: a) Correspondence from Charter Communications regarding pricing changes.

b) The City has received the 2010 property/casualty dividend in the amount of $18,217 from the League of Minnesota Cities Insur-ance Trust (LMCIT). The City’s share of the dividend is deter-mined by premiums paid, years in the program, etc. The dividend is

split – $6,271 General and $11,946 Utilities.

c) Utilities Commission’s No-vember 9 Regular Meeting min-utes.

d) The following is a list of up-coming schools and/or conferenc-es: 1) 2011 Leadership Conference for Newly Elected Officials: Janu-ary 7-8, 2011, Nisswa. Registration fee: $285 per person. Attending:

Mayor Vogel and Council Mem-ber Christenson; 2) 2011 Leader-ship Conference for Experienced Officials: February 25-26, 2011, Brooklyn Center. Registration fee: $220 per person. Attending: Coun-cil Member Mayers.

e) The following purchases do not require Council approval but are presented as informational items: 1) Marco: General Fund, Administra-

tion. Two computers to replace 8-10 year old computers experiencing issues, $1,938.33. Costs are shared between the General & Utilities funds.

A motion was made by Mr. Finken, seconded by Mr. Klasen and unanimously carried that the meeting be adjourned at 7:50 p.m.

Patricia Haase, City Clerk

The 2011 legislative ses-sion is under-way! I would like to express how honored I am to represent and serve the resi-dents of District 11 for another term and thank you all for your support this past election cycle. I am looking for-

ward to working for you throughout the 2011 session by focusing on government living within its means, putting Minne-sotans back to work and streamlining government services. Here is an update from the past three weeks:

Job creation: Senate File 1 was in-troduced last week with the intention of creating lasting jobs in Minnesota. Min-nesota’s combined federal and state tax rate rank third highest in the world. The bill reduces the business tax rate by 50% over 6 years. This will help promote Minnesota and get jobs coming back to our state. Also, the bill will streamline environmental permitting and make it easier for businesses to grow. This does not mean our environmental standards will be reduced in any way. It will just make sure the process is transparent, clear and timely.

Leading by example: One of our first actions in the Senate this year was slashing our daily per diem by ten per-cent. Minnesotans are hurting during these tough economic times. Our state government cannot keep asking for more funds while the rest of us are not seeing any increases in pay and in some cases are seeing pay reductions. I felt it was necessary to lead by example and I strongly supported the reductions. The measure saved the state nearly $100,000. While this does not solve our $6.2 bil-lion deficit, it does set the tone for the legislative session. State government must live within its means.

Electronic benefit transfer (EBT) debit card/welfare reform: Govern-ment living within its means includes efficient use of Minnesotans tax dollars. Recent news has shown that the current use of EBT cards are in some cases be-ing abused. I believe that some people truly need the help from the government during hard times in their lives. How-ever, it is not fair for hardworking tax-

payers to have their dollars be abused by people trying to scam the system. I have introduced a bill that will close the loop-holes and bring some accountability to the EBT program.

My bill requires participants to live in Minnesota for at least 3 months. The bill also prohibits cardholders from pur-chasing alcohol, tobacco, candy, dietary supplements and soft drinks. There were also several people that would with-draw cash from the card and spend it on items such as drugs and tattoos. I felt that discontinuing EBT cardholders’ ability to withdraw cash at ATMs would help eliminate this problem and make sure people are buying approved goods. Also, all newly issued cards would have a photo ID on it to prevent fraud. I be-lieve that these reforms will not hinder social services but make sure people who need help are getting it and people who want to scam and waste taxpayer dollars are no longer able to abuse it.

Phase one budget solution: Sen-ate Republicans introduced the “Early Action” budget bill (SF60) that cuts a whopping $1 billion of the budget defi-cit. The bill cuts spending for state agen-cies by $200 million in the current bud-get, makes various one-time reductions permanent and reduces the long-term deficit by another $840 million. The re-mainder of the reductions in the measure are continuations of reductions and non-increases, most of which were approved by the DFL-controlled legislature last year, including holding Local Govern-ment Aid (LGA) at current levels while leaving the current formula in place. This is a strong bill. It is fiscally respon-sible, defines our priorities, and protects education- all while forcing government to live within its means. Committee hearings are set to commence soon.

Next week: Hearings will continue on the budget and our jobs creation bill as main priorities. The Senate Energy, Utility & Telecommunications Com-mittee will begin hearings on a plan to lift the 17-year ban on permitting new nuclear power plants.

Thanks for taking the time to read my update and please feel free to contact me with your questions and comments.

State Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen en-courages and appreciates constituent input, and can be reached at 651-297-8063, by mail at 132D State Office Build-ing, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155, or via email at [email protected].

2011 Legislative weeks 1-3, in review


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Budget Reductions: Your local school district along with a significant number of school districts across the state are faced with making very diffi-cult budget decisions; this week’s col-umn will summarize the situation, op-tions and timeline.

What is the Problem? 1) Declin-ing enrollment: We have approximately 100 students in the senior class and an-ticipate about 70 incoming Kindergarten students. This results in a drop in rev-enue of roughly $200,000.

2) Expiration of federal stimu-lus money: We receive approximately $200,000 in the Education Jobs Fund from the federal government during the current school year; this money will not be available next year.

3) We have been deficit spending and using our reserves the past year in the amount of approximately $600,000.

When you add it up, we have an ap-proximate $1,000,000 budget gap for 2011-12.

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1-18-11Upsala 68 • Onamia 24

Halftime score: U-32 • Onamia-13Upsala stats: Melissa George: 1 reb;

Sadie Welinski: 2 pts; Aimee Pelzer: 16 pts, 5 reb, 7 assists, 5 steals, 1 block; Brooke Lampert: 8 pts, 2 reb, 5 assists; Kimmy Mrozek: 21 pts, 5 reb, 5 assists, 7 steals; Kaitlyn Wuebkers: 6 pts, 5 reb, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks; Brianna Westrich: 3 pts, 7 reb, 1 assist, 3 steals; Tracy Herzog: 4 pts, 6 reb, 1 assist, 4 steals, 2 blocks; Donna Ripplinger: 2 as-sists, 1 steal; Makenna Peterson: 8 pts, 4 reb, 1 assist; Alissa Zehrer: 1 reb.

1-20-11Upsala 64 • Royalton 45

Halftime score: U-35 • R-16Upsala stats: Aimee Pelzer: 19 pts,

8 reb, 11 assists, 4 steals; Brooke Lam-pert: 11 pts, 7 assists, 3 steals; Kimmy Mrozek: 13 pts, 6 reb, 2 assists, 4 steals; Kaitlyn Wuebkers: 4 pts, 2 reb, 1 assist, 3 steals; Brianna Westrich: 4 pts, 4 reb, 1 assist, 1 steal; Tracy Herzog: 11 pts, 8 reb, 4 assist, 2 steals, 1 block; Don-na Ripplinger: 2 steals, 1 block; Dawn Evoniuk: 1 reb, 1 assist; Makenna Peter-son: 2 reb, 2 steals; Alissa Zehrer: 2 pts, 1 reb; Amanda Wuebkers: 3 reb.

11-25-11Upsala 59 • Bertha Hewitt 46

Halftime Score: U- 36 • BH- 25Upsala Stats: Aimee Pelzer: 23

pts , 11 reb, 4 assists, 9 steals; Kim-my Mrozek: 17 pts, 11 reb, 3 assists, 3 steals; Kaitlyn Wuebkers: 8 pts, 5 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; Brooke Lampert: 4 pts, 1 reb, 4 assists, 5 steals; Tracy Herzog: 2 pts, 6 reb, 2 assists; Alissa Zehrer: 2 pts.

The cardinals are 16-0 and are ranked no.7 in Class 1A.

Melrose LibraryFamily Movie Night: Mondays, Jan.

31, Feb. 28, Mar. 28, Apr. 25, May 23 from 6-7:45 p.m. for all ages. All the mov-ies selected are family friendly and a pop-corn snack will be provided. Bring your own beverage, no registration required.

Paul Imholte: Monday, Feb. 7, 7-8:00 p.m. A concert by Musical Stringman Paul Imholte who can play nearly a dozen string instruments, including the hammered dul-cimer, auto harp, guitar, violin and more. A native of Minnesota, Paul is an accom-plished musician, singer, songwriter and composer. No registration required.

Upsala LibraryBook Arts with Marie Olofsdot-

ter: Tuesday, February 1, 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Upsala Elementary Media Center for all ages. Young children should be ac-companied by an adult to assist with scis-sors. Anyone who loves scrapbooking and journaling will love this workshop. Make your own hardcover accordion style book using book board, watercolor paper and handmade papers from different corners of the world. Olofsdotter received train-ing in art history and sculpture in Sweden. She also studied theatrical clowning and mask theater before moving to the United States. She is the author and illustrator of several picture books and has received Minnesota Book Award, a Midwest Book Achievement Award and other honors. The attendance limit is 30 and preregistra-tion is required.

Local Library Events


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Social Hour 4:30 p.m. • Dinner 6:30 p.m.

Chicken & Ham Dinner Ages 12 and up: Pre Sales $10.00 • $12.00 at the door

Ages 6-11: Pre Sales $5.00 • $6.00 at the doorChildren 5 years & under eat FREE

Entertainment James Wedgwood

Comic VentriloquistPublic is invited!

Do not need to be a member.

7th Annual Banquet & Fundraiser

Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011Freeport Community Center

Holy Family School's Annual Family Carnival

Sunday, February 6, 2011 • 11 am - 3:00 pmSeven Dolors Parish Center, Albany

Raffle • Individual Raffles • Carnival GamesFood (serving 11 am - 3 pm)

Silent Auction (11 am - 3 pm)

Fun for all • Everyone Welcome

Formerly the Golden Eagle

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Super Bowl Party Feb. 6th

Free Chili During the Game!

Come Meet the New Owner!!

~ Opening February 1st ~D.J.

Feb. 5th

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