A year of heartache, hope, hard work, victory and goodbyes

2017 year of heartache, hope, hard work, victory and goodbyes

1. Schuelke’s death rocks community

Classmates and community members were hit hard with the tragic news that 2017 Minneota graduate Donnie Schuelke was killed in a one-vehicle rollover on June 25. According to a report, Schuelke, 18, was driving home from a rodeo that he attended in Clear Lake, SD, an event also attended by several other Minneota students. Instead of spending the night in Clear Lake as some of the students did, Schuelke decided to make the trip back home alone in his 1995 Ford Explorer.

According to a Minnesota State Patrol report, Schuelke was driving west off the roadway to the north and his vehicle entered the ditch before rolling over. Although the airbag deployed in the Explorer, Schuelke was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Minneota Public School administrators brought in a five-member crisis service team to help students and parents cope with the tragedy.

Schuelke was living with his parents, Donald III and Julie, as well as his triplet younger brothers Logan, Josh and Carter on a farm two miles south of Minneota.

“He was always so happy,” said Justin Buysse, a close friend of Schuelke’s since first grade. “He lived life to the fullest.” Schuelke was involved in numerous activities, including 4-H, FFA, Knowledge Bowl, robotics and baseball.

He was planning to attend the University of Minnesota-Duluth to study Biochemistry. Schuelke was well liked by everyone in town and the surrounding communities who got to know him through his various activities. “Everyone who met him was better for it,” said William Delaney, Schuelke’s FFA advisor for three years. “He touched everyone in a positive way. He always put everyone ahead of himself.”

Tributes to Schuelke went on for months after his death, including the baseball team retiring his number during a ceremony, a memorial poster at the Lyon County Fair in Marshall, and even a tribute at the Minnesota State Fair.

“He had a lot of loves,” said Minneota Superintendent Dan Deitte. “There wasn’t just one path for him. He was very well-rounded.”

2. School referendum passes

The $5.25 million Minneota school referendum passed on Aug. 22 by a margin of 62.8 percent. The bond issue voted on was for much-needed repairs to the elementary school, renovations to the locker room areas and the addition of new restrooms. The school board presented a nine-week series of articles explaining all the issues of concern through public meetings, informational articles in the Mascot, website, social media, and blogs.

“We were very pleased and very happy,” said School Board Chairman Dawn Van Keulen about the voting results. There were 1,518 registered voters and 111 of the votes were cast by absentee ballots. Of those, 675 voted for the bond issue and 251 voted against. The estimated time period for the completion of the projects is April-Aug. 2018. If the projects are not all completed by Aug. 2018, they will be completed in the summer of 2019. The high school, including the competition gymnasium and locker rooms were built in 1957 and no major improvements have been done to those areas in over 60 years.

The elementary school was built in 1950, expanded in 1961, and has not had any major improvements done over the past 65 years.

3. Minneota continues to rebuild

Just when it seemed like the Minneota business district was slowly becoming empty and lonely, new businesses began popping up like dandelions in the spring. And more are on the way.

Bubba’s Bar was sold and transformed into City Hall Bar and Grill, with the empty lot next to it in the process of becoming a much-needed downtown restaurant. The bar area itself was renovated inside and now the outside of the bar and restaurant have recently followed suit. After Bill Ufkin sold his longtime furniture and appliance store, it left three of his four buildings standing empty on the west side of Jefferson Street. One by one, the buildings were sold and new businesses have moved in or are planning to in the near future.

Fit 24, owned by Nathan and Cari Pohlen, is a new fitness center that opened in 2017 and has been getting good reviews.

“ONE MORE TIME of the Parish of St. Edward” opened on July 1 in the former MGT building on First Street. The store is run like a thrift store in which all items are donated. All proceeds from sales of merchandise at the thrift store goes to funding the St. Edward’s school and church.

A new woodworking shop will be opening soon in another of the empty former Ufkin buildings. Randy DeVries of Marshall, who purchased the building on March 20, will call his business “Randy’s Woodworking Shop” DeVries currently works full time as a commercial contractor in Marshall.

Shirley Gladis purchased one of the buildings and turned it into a thrift-type store called “This and That Recreated” in which she takes used items purchased from garage sales or thrift stores and cleans and repairs them before re-selling them.

Ufkin retained the other building for his own appliance repair shop. The former library building on the corner of First and Jefferson Streets is rumored to being in the process of possibly being sold and turned into a flooring business. Land on the south side of Highway 68 on the west edge of town was sold to Dollar General, which plans to begin breaking ground for a new store in the spring of 2018.

Even a Farmer’s Market was held this past year for the first time in many years. Vendors sold fresh vegetables, as well as homemade items such as honey, jams, pickles, salsa and more. The market was held in the City Hall parking lot and became more popular each week. Farmers Coop Association (FCA) also added a 20’ by 48’ greenhouse on the east side of its lot on the corner of East Lyon and Jackson Street.

The FCA Greenhouse opened in mid-April. We can’t wait to see what 2018 brings.

4. Windmills popping up all over

For anyone traveling from Minneota to Tyler recently, it’s hard not to notice the abundance of wind turbines sprouting like weeds. These 80-meter towers with 54-meter blades look like giant fans.

These turbines are part of the Red Pine Wind Project that was developed out of the EDF Renewable Energy regional office in Minneapolis. The area that was included this past year with the installation of over 40 wind turbines is from Minneota to Ivanhoe south of Highway 19, north of Arco and down to Tyler. Each wind turbine can generate 2.0 megawatts of power.

These multiple wind turbines within a specific location are referred to as “wind farms”. This particular wind farm will eventually be fitted with 100, 2.0 megawatts turbines within Lincoln County, or 200 total megawatts.

Approximately 180 landowners are participating in the Red Pine Wind Project with many of them hosting turbines. Over 34,000 acres are signed into this project. Wind turbines convert kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical power. The mechanical power can then be used for things such as pumping water or grinding grain. Or, the generator can convert this mechanical power into electricity.

5. Fink takes on legislature at State Capitol

Jim Fink has been on a mission for many years attempting to raise enough funds for his “dream” project of having Veterans Park memorial paver area improved. He attempted to get Lyon County Commissioners to donate toward the project, but an antiquated statute passed in 1919 prohibited Minnesota counties from allocating funds for veteran memorials unless they were situated within the county seat. Fink was determined to change all that.

In order to make his dream become a reality and amass the estimated $150,000 needed for the park project, he went to the State Capitol and spoke to the House of Representatives in St. Paul.

“I was a little nervous,” said Fink, who has been the Legion Commander here for nine years. “I didn’t have anything prepared. I just spoke off the top of my head.”

Rep. Chris Swedzinski (R-Ghent) authored the bill Fink was trying to introduce into law. The House unanimously passed the bill, 125-0. The bill was then also passed by a Senate sub-committee hearing for the Veterans Military Affairs Finance and Policy Commission on Feb. 9, and then moved on to the Senate floor for a vote and was passed in March.

Eventually, the bill made it to Governor Mark Dayton’s desk and he approved it in late March. The statute now allows all Minnesota counties to allocate funds for such memorials and statues. Lyon County Commissioners are now authorized to allocate all or a portion of the $40,000 that Fink had originally requested for his memorial project.

6. New mayor, council members sworn in

Minneota’s new mayor, John Rolbiecki, and new council members Travis Gillund and Amber Rodas were sworn into their new positions on Jan. 9, 2017. In addition to those three newcomers, Jerry Teigland was the lone city council incumbent as Mary Johnson resigned from her council position.

Former councilman Tim Koppien was approved to fill the Johnson’s position. Koppien, who previously had been on the board but was defeated during the recent election, had the next most votes in the past election In his first time running for office, Rolbiecki defeated two-time incumbent Bill Ufkin in the election by a vote of 469 to 217. In Taunton, Mike Breyfogle was re-elected mayor.

Council members elected were Shannon Brewers and Rusty Rhymer. Gary Crowley of Ghent won his bid for Lyon County Commissioner over Joel Dahl of Cottonwood by a vote of 1,584-988. Minneota Police Chief Bill Bolt won a seat on the Minneota School Board, joining incumbents Dan Longtin and Terri Myhre, who were re-elected top their seats on the board.

7. Dalagers sell business, retire

Everyone in town knows Chuck and Linda Dalager. After all, the couple has owned and operated Dalager’s, a gas and grocery store, for 30 years. The Dalagers decided to sell their business that has been in the family since 1960 when his parents, Chester and Evelyn, first owned it.

The business was purchased by Jeff and Erica Vierstraete in November. After learning the ropes from the Dalagers, the Vierstraetes officially took control of the business located on North Madison Street on Jan. 1.

Dalager becomes the third longtime businessman to sell off his establishment and retire, following Bill Ufkin’s furniture and appliance store last year, and Bob DePestel selling his bar known as “Bubba’s Bar”. Chuck Dalager pumped gas at the station when his parents owned it.

“That was back in the day when we would pump gas, check the oil and wash the windshield for the customer, Dalager noted. “The young kids today don’t realize it was like that years ago.” The Dalagers are excited that they will have more time now to spend with their seven grandchildren.

8. William Delaney retires, search for replacement

Minneota teacher William Delaney was named the Minnesota Region V High School Agriculture Teacher of the Year by his peers. He announced he was retiring as the ag teacher and FFA Advistor and his resignation set off a year-long search for his replacement. Delaney has taught or been an administrator for 39 years in Canby, Perham, Lake Benton, Chokio-Alberta, Milroy, Ivanhoe and Minneota has brought the FFA together for the first time and had it moving in a positive position. He taught for three years in Minneota.

Aside from teaching in Minneota, Delaney also was the clay target coach and his retirement brought a need to fill that position as well. He retired as a teacher upon completion of the 2016-17 school year.

Combination Ag Teacher/FFA Advisor is a position difficult to fill. Graduates don’t usually have experience in both and are demanding huge salaries and other compensations. After a year of searching, and coming down to the wire, the School Administration announced Minneota resident Matt Buysse would take over the positions. Buysse, who was working for Laleman Construction, grew up on a farm and had a college degree although not in this field. He was granted by the state the chance to teacher while he worked on the degree.

To help out, the school board hired a former member of the Minneota FFA, Garrett Moorse to help Buysse as an FFA advisor. And, after a long search they hired teacher Kent Williams as the clay target coach.

Students rallied to honor Delaney with a motorcycle ride in his honor. Delaney is an avid motorcycle buff.

9. More gold for Minneota FCCLA

It seems that every year LeaAnne Bot’s FCCLA girls hit the jackpot at the national convention and bring home some gold medals.

The 2017 class didn’t disappoint either. But for the first time ever, a Minneota team earned first place overall among all the gold medal winners. Tara Thooft and Natalie Bot, both sophomores at Minneota, captured the coveted award in the Entrepreneurship category at the FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) STAR Award Nationals in July in Nashville, TN. Over 7,600 individuals competed at the national competition.

Minneota had 15 teams place in the top 10 in a category. Thooft and Bot have been best friends for many years and have also competed together in speech competitions. The FCCLA project garnered the highest accolades in the nation.

It was a cupcake business called “Mad Batter”, a derivation of the Alice in Wonderland character, Mad Hatter. Teams in the Entrepreneurship category were required by judges to keep records on inventory, cost of supplies, market value, pricing, advertising and more.

10. Broadband service expanded

Broadband service was expanded to 1,029 unserved households, 29 unserved businesses, and 11 unserved community institutions in Porter, Taunton, Minneota, Ghent and Canby of Yellow Medicine and Lyon counties in early January 2017. “This is a major advancement in internet service for our area and all across Minnesota,” said Rep. Chris Swedzinki (R-Ghent) following the announcement.

“So much of what we do today is web-based, yet too many pockets of unreliable service exist.” Midcontinent Communications, which serves our area, will improve service levels for 100 percent of the homes and businesses to the aforementioned areas. The total eligible project costs were $1.6 million, with a $976,000 local match. Approximately $32 million of the $35 million in grants were targeted toward unserved areas of the state, ensuring that broadband grants are going to the communities that need it most. Ghent, Minneota and Taunton have been wired for the new service and Midcontinent is in the procress of hooking up customers in the area.

BUBBLING UNDER:

•Minneota back to two-principal school After several years with one principal overseeing both the elementary and high school students, Minneota returned to a two-principal school. Jeremy Frie had been acting as both principals, but suggested a need for an additional principal due to an increased workload and additional duties. Curriculum Director Jen Mahan-Deitte was named the elementary principal, while Frie continued as high school principal for grades 7-12.

“We’re not asking to add any dollar amounts at all,” Frie noted at the time. Board member Bill Bolt made the motion to adopt the traditional model of having two principals; one for high school and one for elementary students. The motion passed unanimously. Since Frie arrived as K-12 principal four years ago, Minneota Schools have undergone many changes, including the extensive expansion and addition of programs. Frie is also the Community Education director.

•Vikings on YouTube: Minneota switched from its previous live-streaming of athletic games on CUBE and aired those contests on YouTube. Links were made available on the high school websites as they were previously. The reason for the change was to give viewers better quality video and less lag time.

•Anderson, Stassen top teachers: Heather Anderson and Sarah Stassen were each nominated by Minneota Public Schools for the 2017 Minneota Teacher of the Year. Anderson teaches 8th and 10th grade English, as well as College Now courses. She has been a teacher for 12 years, including the last five in Minneota. Stassen, a third-grade teacher, is in her 16th year as a teacher.

•Yost's Minneota book out: Dana Yost, a native of Minneota, unveiled his new book “1940 – Journal of a Midwestern Town, Story of an Era” in February at the Minneota Public Library. The book intertwines people of Minneota with events, culture and every-day life with state, national and international events. A good crowd showed up for Yost’s presentation and book signing.

•Pohlen ExCEL winner: Alex Pohlen was unaware of what the ExCEL Award involved until he was one of 36 state winners of the award as a junior last year. ExCEL (Excellent in Community, Education and Leadership) is a unique recognition program designed exclusively for Minnesota High School juniors who are active in school activities, leadership qualities and volunteer work within the community. He is the son of Nathan and Cari Pohlen. Winners of the award were selected by an independent panel of judges from schools throughout the state. Winners were recognized on KSTC-TV during the broadcasts of the 2017 winter sports tournaments.

•Myrvik named Activities Director: Matt Myrvik had his title at Minneota Public Schools changed from part-time Athletic Director to full-time Activities Director in March. It was determined that there was too much work for a part-time athletic director, so the duties of care and maintenance of the outdoor facilities were added to the job to create a full-time position and the name of the position was changed. Myrvik is also the offensive coordinator of the Minneota football team.

•Speech team improves: The Minnesota Speech Team, coached by Kim Gades, steadily improved throughout the season. In a busy week of competition in early March in which there were five meets in eight days, Minneota had seven individual champions, 10 runners-up, nine third-place, four fourth, five fifths, one sixth, and five merit ribbons. The teams also placed second, third and fifth in three of those meets. The team also had four entries that involved six individuals into the state meet; Cole Bot and Nick Bot in Duo, Brenden Kimpe in Extemporaneous Speaking, Sean Dilley in Informative, and Tara Thooft and Natalie Bot in Duo. Gades was selected as the Region 3 Coach of the Year.

•Mascot's double impact: The Mascot improved its website to give readers its news faster and in a more timely fashion throughout the week, similar to a daily newspaper, instead of just once a week as in the past. Many readers gave the new website high praise. Mascot Publisher Byron Higgin called the former website “outdated and getting more difficult to maneuver and place information”. The latest concept the Mascot introduced to its website was the E-edition, which places the entire weekly edition of the Mascot online and available to subscribers.

•Bot named Honorary Survivor: Ruth Bot, a five-year breast cancer survivor, was chosen to be one of the Honorary Survivors for the 2017 Lyon County Relay for Life. The event took place on June 16 at the Red Baron Arena and Expo in Marshall. Bot, a longtime teacher at Minneota, delivered an inspiring message to those attending the Relay for Life event, telling them to “Be strong, courageous and don’t lose faith”.

•Bot's Community Service Award: The Minneota Rotary Club bestowed its Community Service Award on Rick and Ruth Bot in early July. Rick is in his fifth year as Rotary President, while his wife has been a teacher at Minneota for 38 years. The couple has been involved in a myriad of activities that serve their community and other for many years.

•Ufkin inducted into Rotary Hall: Virgil Ufkin was inducted into the Rotary Heritage and History International Fellowship Hall of Fame in early July. Ufkin, a longtime former businessman in Minneota, was honored for serving the Rotary for over 50 years of service (now 64 years) to the Rotary. Ufkin became a charter member of the Rotary on Feb. 9, 1954. He assisted in the development and construction of the Minneota Manor Health Care Center, where he now resides. He also promoted the establishment of the community swimming pool.

•Firemen save barns: Facing darkness and high winds in the early morning hours of June 10, Minneota firemen bravely fought and saved several barns on the Guy Jeremiason farm. Entering a burning hog barn, firemen were able to knock down the fire and save half of that barn, as well as four other accompanying barns on the property. Around 30 sows and 300 piglets perished in what was termed an “electrical” fire. The Jeremiason hog operation is among the largest in the area with nearly 3,000 sows and 4,000 piglets at the time of the fire. Because of the large operation, electric outlets run 24 hours per day.

•Higgin in Vietnam documentary: Mascot Publisher Byron Higgin was among several area veterans interviewed for a PBS documentary on the Vietnam War. The documentary was a 10-part, 18-hour series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novich. The part involving Higgin was aired on Sept. 17. The Vietnam War documentary features testimony from nearly 100 witnesses, including Americans who fought in the war. Higgin was a Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) in Vietnam and carried a 15-pound radio on his back and had to maintain constant communications with every platoon in his unit. Higgin also recounted his days in the war with a descriptive and informative speech during the local Veteran’s Day celebration at the high school.

•Video aids in nabbing robbers: Surveillance videos from a pair of local businesses assisted the Minneota Police Department is dealing with three robberies in town. Minneota Building Materials, Gislason’s Hardware and Bauer Automotive were all victims of the forced-entry burglaries in the early morning hours of Aug. 27. Cash registers were forced open and money taken in two of the businesses. Video cameras captured two men in the vicinity at the time the breaking and entering of businesses occurred. Police Chief Bill Bolt urged other businesses to set up video surveillance systems and security alarms to help prevent or assist in any future crimes.

•Minneotans help Harvey’ victims: Minneota did its part in helping victims of Hurricane Harvey, collecting over $20,000 to assist those families that lost their homes, vehicles and belongings in the summer storm. The local relief effort raised over $6,000 during Boxelder Bug Days through donations and from local churches. Of that amount, $4,000 was matched from the Hope Lutheran Church Mission Endowment Fund. That $10,000 was then matched by Thrivent Financial, giving Minneota a total of $20,000.

•Gregor seriously injured: Pam Gregor of Minneota was seriously injured during a head-on collision Oct. 28 on Highway 23 west of Richmond. Jim Klug, a passenger in Gregor’s 2010 GMC Terrain, was also injured in the accident. A 2003 Chevy Trailblazer driven by Eric Stein of Willmar was traveling eastbound on Highway 23 and crossed the center line and hit Gregor’s vehicle, according to a Minnesota State Patrol report. Gregor receive life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Klug, Stein and his wife Crystal Stein were all taken to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Gregor’s condition has been steadily improving since the accident.

•DePestel injured in fall: Bob “Bubba” DePestel, who owned Bubba’s Bar for many years before selling it last year, was seriously injured when he fell approximately 15 feet from a deer stand while hunting two miles south of Minneota on Nov. 4. DePestel suffered a broken collarbone, collapsed lung and a hematoma on his lung had to be surgically removed at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. He was later transferred to the Minneota Manor to recover from his injuries.

•Guttormssons purchase outdoor store: Eric Guttormsson of Taunton is the new CEO of Clarkfield Outdoors which was purchased by the Guttormsson family from longtime businessman Berdette Schoep. The company, which fully manufactures outdoor clothing among other items, was started by Schoep 35 years ago with six employees. The company now employs 22 people. Schoep will continue as president and maintain an office in the downtown Clarkfield business for two years before officially retiring.