February 8, 2012 Edition
Serving Belle Plaine and Surrounding Communities for Over 131 Years
Around the Area
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St. Thomas
Mass will be offered at the St. Thomas Catholic Church on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 9 a.m. to be officiated by Father James Burns.
Catherine May of rural Le Sueur was a patient at Queen of Peace Hospital several days this past week and has since returned home. She is feeling much better.
Guests at the Vangie Burns home in Le Sueur this past week were her niece, Judy (Kaisershot) and husband, Michael Wadsworth of Monticello and son Michael. They visited and welcomed her in her new home.
Many from this community gathered at the American Legion Club in Le Center on Saturday evening to attend their Annual Steak Fry. Everyone was happy and enjoyed the meal together.
Many members of the Fogarty family attended the services held for Elizabeth Kornder, 85, who had passed away in Belle Plaine. Visitation was held on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 9 a.m. followed by the funeral mass at 11 a.m. The deceased was married to Eugene Kornder and lived in Bloomington with their four children and later moved to Belle Plaine where they purchased and owned the Kornder Berry Farm. Liz was an avid gardener with the help of her family. He oldest son Gene married Rita Fogarty and they had four children, Daniel, Jenny, Jeremiah and Matthew. She is preceded in death by her husband; son and 11 brothers and sisters. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery in Belle Plaine.
Florence Meyer, 98, of Le Sueur passed away on Feb. 1 at the Good Samaritan Home in St. Peter. She was the daughter of Gust and Anna Meger (Mager) of rural Le Sueur where she attended school, worded at the Green Giant Company and was a member of St. Anne's Catholic Church. She married Wilfred Meyer of Le Sueur, was a communion minister and kept records for the St. Anne's Cemetery for many years. She is survived by her son, Dr. Melvin (Joan) Meyer of St. Louis, MO; daughters, Joan Walter of St. Peter and Geraldine (Geri) Meyer of Bloomington; 29 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; sister, Lucille Jentz of Le Sueur; and son-in-law, Raymond Fay of St. Peter. She is preceded in death by her husband, Frank Meyer in 1979; son of Joseph Meyer (who owned and operated the farm in Tyrone Township for many years); by daughter, Norma Fay and son-in-law, Ralph Walter. Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, Feb. 4 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anne's Catholic Church. Visitation was on Friday at Kolden Funeral Home. Interment was in Calvary Cemetery in Le Sueur. Many relatives and friends attended the services.
Kathy (Fogarty) Thomason of Belle Plaine visited her brothers, Tim Fogarty at Henderson, Mark Fogarty of Belle Plaine, and her aunt, Mary Grace O'Brien on Saturday.
Union Hill
St. John’s Catholic Church
Father Dave Barrett andDeacon Bob Wagner
Saturday Evening 8:15 p.m., Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m.
Mass Servers: Gabby Forrester, Nick and Abby Knutson and Lacy Walerius.
Wednesday Mass at 4:30 p.m. followed by Confessions.
Father Dave celebrated the Feast of St. Blase on Sunday by blessing the throats of all who wished at his Masses. We thank Father for that special blessing.
Leah Smith, 5-year-old daughter of Dan and Bridget (Weiers) Smith, and Leah’s cousin, Melanie from Portland, OR, were on a Disney Cruise, departing from Florida with their grandparents, Ken and Sandy Smith.
Ludy Giesen and Gail Giesen spent the weekend with Ludy’s daughter, Shirley and Mike and Max Meyers in Lino Lakes.
Church cleaning, Feb. 11: Jan Weiers, Julie Steen-hoven, Jean Kirscher and Diane Weiers.
Humor Corner:
A grief-stricken man threw himself across a grave and cried bitterly.
“My life, how senseless it is, how worthless is everything because you are gone. If only you hadn’t died, everything would be different.”
A clergyman happened by and to comfort the man he offered a prayer.
He said to the man, “I assume beneath this grave was someone important to you.”
“Yes,” the man moaned, “he was my wife’s first husband.”
Ron and Ray Symanitz are proposing an airpark -- an airport and upscale housing project -- on 160 acres they own in St. Lawrence Township. While the yellow runway markers are in place, the county and brothers are working to reach agreement on the number of houses allowed on the property.
‘Airpark’ in St. Lawrence Twp. Not Yet Ready for Takeoff
by John Mueller
It’s a proposal so new here Scott County staff is especially cautious on what and how much will be recommended for approval. Developers of the proposed Minnesota Valley Air airpark are not yet ready for takeoff.
The Symanitz brothers – Ron and Ray – are proposing an airpark on their 160-acre farm between Highway 169 and Old Highway 169 Boulevard in St. Lawrence Township. The brothers purchased the land for $2.8 million in 2008 from the Harris family.
They are proposing a 2,500-foot-long airstrip and 30 houses, 26 of which are single-family dwellings expected to sell for $500,000 and up, generating an estimated $225,000 in property taxes.
The grass airstrip will eventually be paved. With hangars on the property, the houses will be marketed to people who want the convenience of their small aircraft nearby. The proposal will also offer space for equine enthusiasts, a playground, a ball field and possibly even a small community center for township residents.
But Scott County has concerns. The development will be the county’s first to use the planned unit development (PUD) concept, a development that deals with all elements of the proposal as a whole. There is a small airstrip in Lydia, but it was built without homes surrounding it, said Brad Davis, the county’s planning manager.
The brothers purchased the land and began talking with the county staff before their 2030 comprehensive plan was formally approved. The Symanitz brothers have yet to submit a formal proposal and won’t until reaching an agreement with county staff.
1 Per 40
The county’s 2030 comprehensive plan calls for one lot per 40 acres, a zoning density that permits four houses on their 160 acres.
The county’s plan sets St. Lawrence Township aside for future annexation by Belle Plaine from the southwest and Jordan from the northeast.
Ron Symanitz said the 30 houses on 2 1/2-acre lots are needed to make the $5 million development financially viable. The meeting was aimed at finding ways to increase the number of houses the county will allow.
The 2030 comprehensive plan allows the county to approve additional density if the developer will add elements of public good to the PUD. Those potential elements could include additional road right-of-way along Old Highway 169 Boulevard for a trail and a wider roadway, the park, the possible community center, the runway to relieve pressure on Flying Cloud and Airlake airports, building houses to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and livable and sustainable housing types (single- and multi-family housing types).
Scott County is also concerned about the hydric soils on the north half of the property and the need for a community-based septic system. It wants St. Lawrence Township to oversee and, if necessary, take responsibility for the system.
Concerned over the potential liability, St. Lawrence Township, however, is in no hurry to get into the sewer business. Ted Kornder, township board chairman, said the township doesn’t know anything about forming a subordinate sewer district.
“We’re not saying yes, but we’re not jumping up and down saying no, either,” he said. “We want to know more about what it means and what the requirements are.”
Despite the challenges the new comprehensive plan and land present, Scott County and the Symanitz brothers are still working to find a way to make the development work. County staff met last week, along with the three St. Lawrence Township supervisors and Scott County Commissioner Joe Wagner of Sand Creek Township.
“There are no show-stoppers,” Davis said.
The county, township and Symanitz brothers will continue working toward trying to reach an agreeable outcome. The brothers are planning soil tests to prove the soil on the north half of the property is suitable.
Ron Symanitz said he and his brother will continue working to make the proposal a reality. He looks forward to the day he moves to the airpark.
Area Man Wins Big Bucks on Jeopardy
A Prior Lake man who deals cards at Canterbury Park’s card room won $59,800 on two recently-aired episodes of the TV game show,” Jeopardy.”
Kirby Burnett won two games and finished second in a third on the show taped last November. He won the first game with winnings of $27,600 and $30,200 the second game. Burnett finished second in the third game and received $2,000 for his efforts.
Acknowledging he could have done better, Burnett, 57, also noted he could have done a lot worse on the TV game show. Burnett admits to being a fan of competitive games. He once won $11,000 in a poker tournament and $1,200 in a national chess tournament.
Scott County Board Won’t Send
Inquiry to Other Jurisdiction
by John Mueller
An investigation of an undisclosed complaint against an undisclosed Scott County employee brought by an undisclosed co-worker and costing taxpayers an undisclosed amount of money was the focal point of another heated debate between commissioners Tuesday morning.
“It sounds like we’ve got something to hide,” said Commissioner Joe Wagner of Sand Creek, Belle Plaine’s representative on the county board. Commissioners voted 3-2 against sending an investigation of complaints against Scott County Administrator Gary Shelton to another jurisdiction. Commissioners David Menden of Shakopee and Wagner voted in favor of sending the inquiry to another jurisdiction. Commissioners Tom Wolf of Credit River Township, Jon Ulrich of Savage and Barbara Marschall of Prior Lake favored keeping it in the hands of an independent investigator hired by the county.
Last month, following a 3-2 vote against terminating Administrator Gary Shelton’s contract, Wolf, the board’s chairman, confirmed the complaint is targeted at Shelton. A co-worker brought the allegation of misconduct in a supervisory capacity representing subordinate employees. Ulrich later confirmed what Wolf revealed.
Tuesday’s vote was along the same lines as the Jan. 3 vote, with Wagner and Menden on the short end of the 3-2 decision.
At Tuesday’s board meeting, heeding County Attorney Pat Ciliberto’s advice to adhere to the Minnesota Data Practices Act, Shelton’s name and the specifics of the allegations were never used.
Ciliberto said the investigation began about six weeks ago. Jack Kemme, Scott County’s director of Employee Relations, expects the inquiry will be completed by mid-March.
Kemme said county staff has nothing to do with the actual investigation. His office is only providing telephone numbers and other basic information to the investigator. Commissioners and some county staffers have already been interviewed. When the investigation is complete, commissioners will be presented with the findings of fact and decide how to proceed, Wagner said.
He said if the board decides against any action, “there’s a good chance this could all disappear,” Wagner said.
Commissioner David Menden opened the discussion indicating he wanted to protect county staff and keep them out of the inquiry.
“I do not want any Scott County employee, including those in Employee Relations, overseeing or controlling any part of this investigation,” Menden said in his request for board action. “Wouldn’t you want a neutral party telling us what to do?”
Lezlie Vermillion, the county’s deputy administrator sitting in for Shelton, said the county’s Employee Relations department is stellar with professionalism above reproach.
The county won’t identify the firm handling the inquiry or the cost. “It seems to me it has been farmed out already,” Ulrich said.
Menden said he’s heard rumors of the employee who filed the complaint being brow-beaten by elected officials he did not name. The comment drew a sharp retort from Marschall.
“How do you know that is true?” Marschall said. “An investigator will decide that.”
Wagner argued in favor of sending the complaint to another county, just as the Scott County did when Wagner was investigated late last year for alleged illegal conduct related to an investigation of information on a complaint against his sister-in-law’s daycare he learned from county staff. Wagner was cleared of criminal wrongdoing.
Ciliberto said the complaint against Shelton is a civil one and the inquiry of Wagner’s behavior was a potential criminal matter. The criminal matter necessitated sending it to another county for investigation, he said.
The inquiry is the first complaint of employee misconduct it has ever sent to an independent investigator. Wolf asked what other county would want to handle the matter.
“I wouldn’t want any part of this,” he said.
Tuesday’s board action came after last week’s workshop in which, following the conclusion of the board’s agenda, Menden said he had a few additional things he wanted to discuss. He began stating staff was free to leave the meeting room if they chose. But Wolf, who raised a concern about a possible violation of the open meeting law by discussing a topic not on the workshop’s agenda, cut off Menden. Ciliberto said commissioners could discuss any topic they like, but could not make formal decisions in a workshop setting.
Wolf abruptly adjourned the workshop.
Members of WWDD -- a group of Belle Plaine and area residents -- will jump into Hallett’s Pond in St. Peter Saturday during the Polar Plunge, a fund-raiser for Special Olympics. The team includes, from left, Amy Berger, Marie Ykema, Amber Stier and Shawn Olson. The rest of the team includes Danika Traut, Emily Holberg, Amber Robeck, Denise Harriers, Amy Letsen and Matt Priester.
Stier is ‘Rookie’ on Team of
Special Olympics Polar Plungers
by John Mueller
She’s not certain what it feels like to jump into a shallow pond covered with ice but intends to find out. Saturday afternoon, Amber Stier will experience what teammates describe as “an incredible adrenalin rush.”
Stier is a rookie jumper on Team WWDD, a group of Belle Plaine and area residents participating in the Special Olympics Polar Plunge. She and her teammates will begin jumping into Hallett’s Pond in St. Peter Feb. 11, 1 p.m. The pond is located west of Highway 169 between West Union and Julien streets.
Stier and the other jumpers must raise at least $75 for the privilege of jumping into a frigid pond. WWDD is selling homemade necklaces to augment individual pledges. Donations can also be made online at www.plungemn.org/findplungerteam
The other team members are Danika Traut, Amy Berger, Emily Holberg, Shawn Olson, Marie Ykema, Amber Robeck, Denise Harriers, Amy Letsen and Matt Priester. The group expects to top $1,000 in donations for Special Olympics.
Some members of WWDD jumpers plan to jump into Lake Calhoun March 3.
A group of Belle Plaine police officers -- Investigator Terry Stier (no relation), Patrolman Brian Vycital and Chief Tom Stolee -- will also be among the local and area residents taking the plunge Saturday in St. Peter.
Why Not Jump?
“It’s for a very good cause,” said Stier, a Belle Plaine native who lives in Jordan. “It’s cold water. Who wouldn’t want to jump into cold water with ice on it?”
The team members who have taken the plunge say the feeling of jumping into a near-frozen pond is almost indescribable. “It just takes your breath way,” said WWDD jumper Marie Ykema.
As a rookie jumper, Stier is relying on the advice of more experienced WWDD jumpers. She knows to dress lightly. Heavier clothing, once soaked, takes longer to dry out. It keeps jumpers colder longer after they climb out of the frigid water. Stier plans on wearing the team’s pink WWDD T-shirt over a swimsuit. Even though there will be plenty of tailgating and other events to make the benefit event fun, she plans to avoid adult beverages before she jumps.
“Alcohol thins out your blood,” Berger said.
A year ago, the WWDD’s rookies entered the water holding hands, taking the plunge as a group, Ykema said. “That way, we went in together,” she said.
This year, the team’s first-timers will jump first.
Berger, a former Belle Plaine resident, said participating in a Polar Plunge was on her bucket list until she made her first jump a few years back. Berger has overcome a physical disability, using braces on her legs to help her walk. The divers in the water were especially concerned about Berger’s ability to get out of the water.
“She is the most inspirational person I know,” Ykema said.
Stier knows not to even think about backing out.
“There’s no way I’d back out,” Stier said. “I’d never hear the end of it if I did.”
