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Ellendale City Council
By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher
After several years of not holding elections, the Ellendale Fire Department broke with tradition this year. The result is a new assistant chief, Joel Adams.
Chief Logan Busho was-reelected, as were the other department officers, and Busho was at the Thursday, March 12 meeting of the Ellendale City Council to get the approval for Adams.
“Overall, he’s been a big part of our department this past year,” said Busho. “We think he would be a good fit.”
The measure passed 4-0, with Mayor Russ Goette absent. Scott Groth served as acting mayor. Councilpersons Steve Engel, Duane Goebel and Steph Kibler were there, as were acting city clerk Kim Zimprich, Adams, Tyler Pederson of the fire department and Eric Haefner, an engineer with the firm Bolten & Menk.
The council approved amended minutes to clarify how much the city is contributing to the kitchen project at the fire hall. The amount is $12,000 annually for a total of $36,000.
Busho brought some bad news about the department’s tanker truck that was struck on the interstate last winter. It seems the truck was already rusted enough that the insurance company won’t fully compensate for repairs. The truck went in for estimates last week, as did another fire department truck.
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Tenneson family takes folks through the process
WHAT’S IN THERE? — Jamie Tenneson lifts the lid on a maple syrup bucket, so children can sample the fresh sap as it drips from the tree at The Evergreens on Sat., March 7. (Star Eagle photo by Melanie Piltingsrud)
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Staff Writer
What major event happens between Valentine's Day and Easter? No, not Washington's birthday. Nor Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, nor even St. Patrick's Day. The event is syruping time!
The Tenneson family of The Evergreens Christmas tree farm took advantage of the cool nights and warming days to host Backyard Maple Syruping, a family friendly event, held on Saturday, March 7, showing visitors how to tap their own maple trees, and boil the sap down to make maple syrup.
The event began in an outbuilding at The Evergreens. Visitors, many of whom were children, sat on rows of benches and chairs as Jamie Tenneson explained the structure of a tree, and why sap runs in maple trees in late winter/early spring.
Tennyson said, “I drive through town and see people's houses with big maple trees in the front of their yards, and they could be getting the sap every spring, and boiling it down to make really yummy maple syrup. It's pretty easy to do, but a lot of people just don't know how to do it.
“Plants and trees are unique,” Tenneson explained, “because they can just stand out in the sun. When they're hungry, they use the sunshine to make food in their leaves, and it makes sugar. In Minnesota, where it gets cold in the winter, and the trees lose their leaves, they send that sap down to the roots, and it stays down there all winter long.” When it's still below freezing at night, but the days begin to warm in the spring, trees send their sap upward from the roots.
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Please note that due to the situation at hand throughout the United States, the New Richland Area Foundation and the Waseca Area Foundation grant applications deadline will be extended to April 15, 2020.
Application guidelines are found along with the application form on the WAF website at www.wasecaareafoundation.org and the City of New Richland website at www.cityofnewrichlandmn.com. Please use the same form for all grant requests and note which fund your request applies to on the form.
Your application must be emailed to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or sent to Waseca Area Foundation, Attn: Amy Potter, 501 East Elm Ave, Central Building, Waseca, Mn. 56093. Or contact Gail Schmidt of the NRAF.
Applications must be in the WAF office by or before April 15, 2020 to be considered for grants.
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Minnesota parents and students received something of an unexpected spring break this week, except this one isn’t any fun.
Gov. Tim Walz’s ordered that all schools must shutter through March 27, at least, in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19, the highly contagious disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The move leaves more than 850,000 Minnesota students out of the classroom and more than 135,000 school employees out of work.
For parents, there were immediate questions regarding how to keep students learning despite the classroom hiatus. Several parents pitched questions and ideas for keeping kids learning amid the coronavirus outbreak. The parents offered their insights in MPR News’ parenting Facebook group, Raising Kids in Minnesota.
Here are some ideas from the MPR News audience and elsewhere to continue learning from home:
Story time to work on reading skills
Of course, reading to kids the old-fashioned way works great. But if work or working from home gets in the way, parents can outsource story time to the internet. Storyline has free videos of storytelling pros reading new and classic tales. Scholastic has remote reading curriculums for students of all ages, organized by grade level. The International Children’s Digital Library has kids’ books in multiple languages.
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MnDOT unveils plans for project scheduled to begin in May
Starting next fall, there will be no more need for motorcyclists to avoid Hwy. 30 west of New Richland.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation uveiled plans last week for 21 miles of resurfacing Hwy. 30 from New Richland to Mapleton. Detours will be in place. Construction is slated to begin in May and be wrapped up in October.
About this project
This project includes resurfacing 21 miles of Hwy. 30 from the intersection of Hwy. 22 to the west limits of New Richland, replacement of two bridges (box culverts) over Boot Creek near New Richland, lining several culverts, adding lighting at county road intersections, upgrade guardrail as necessary and add aggregate to shoulders.