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By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
The Minnesota State Senate Bonding Committee visited Waldorf November 28 to discuss potentially providing nearly $4 million for various city projects.
The stop was one of many statewide for the bonding committee, which allocated 20 minutes per visit. While on site, senators acquire information to help determine where to dedicate funds from the state’s upcoming bonding. Every two years legislators pass a statewide bonding bill which allocates money for various projects. In 2022, more than $1.5 billion was allocated. The rebuild of Tink Larson Field in Waseca, for example, was made possible when the construction received last-minute placement on the project list.
The city of Waldorf is seeking $7.4 million from state and federal sources to build a new public safety building and complete its “Phase 2 project.”
The Phase 1 project amounted to $15 million over three years and included replacing city storm sewer, sanitary sewer and water lines, refurbishing the water tower, building a new sanitary pond system and drainfield, and repairing or replacing some roadways and sidewalks.
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By Melissa Dunn
Staff Writer
Nearly 350 people enjoyed the vocal and instrumental sounds of the season at the second annual Home for the Holidays concerts featuring NRHEG graduates Gavin Berg, Adam Moen and Eva Wayne, which took place at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Richland last Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. The event, sponsored by the New Richland Area Foundation, brought in over 7,000 dollars to benefit needs in the area.
Berg, a 2002 graduate of NRHEG, is an accomplished keyboard player currently serving as organist at Westwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park. Moen, a 2008 graduate, has performed in numerous productions at the Ordway and Guthrie theaters and took the weekend off from his role in "Jersey Boys" at Chanhassen Dinner Theater. Wayne is a 2023 graduate and currently attends the University of St. Thomas, majoring in Business Law & Compliance.
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$100,000 in damage from past flooding
Stennes shares problem with Waseca County
By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
New Richland area resident Paul Stennes, 96, has been looking for answers since 2015.
Based on what Stennes told Waseca County commissioners during their 8 a.m. work session on Nov. 21, a heavy rainstorm that year caused flooding in a storage building on his property–one whose floor was about two feet above surrounding terrain and which stood in a location that had never previously experienced flooding. As rainwater pooled, levels inside the building reached an estimated three feet in depth.
Stored in the shed was a collection of vintage snowmobiles, most of which had been in operating condition. All were covered by water, and their engines ruined. Also covered in water were a number of vehicle motors, a number of vintage tractors, and a nearly new lawnmower. Adding insult to injury, a number of barrels holding oil were raised and tipped, leaving residue on many surfaces.
Stennes did not have flood insurance on the property, since it had never, in the many years he had owned it, been subject to flooding. Essentially, everything–Stennes says roughly $100,000 worth of machines and equipment–was a loss.
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Proceeds go to New Richland Area Foundation
By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
New Richland residents are in for a treat; Adam Moen and Gavin Berg are scheduled to perform for a New Richland Foundation fundraiser that will have folks flocking to Trinity Lutheran Church Dec. 9 and 10.
“The NRHEG community is where we learned to sing and to play instruments,” says Adam Moen. “It gave us a foundation for everything that’s followed.”
“People talk about how it takes a village to raise a child,” observes Gavin Berg. “Well, this is our village. The people here are always with us because they’re part of who we are.”
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By MARK BERNARD
Staff Writer
Harvest 2023 is history for most and like last year, brought about far better than anticipated yields especially on the corn side. Uncertainty was the name of the growing season until harvest began. Soybean yields were respectable in most cases but not generally on a par with 2022. Corn yields surprised a lot of us. One was in amazement once yields began to trickle in. Where did the yields come from given the rainfall that just never seemed to come in July and August?
We made the most of what we had for moisture. We went into the winter last fall very dry. Winter started early and we received about the usual amount of snowfall. However, the frost depth remained shallow or nonexistent where the ground was snow-covered throughout much of the winter. The snowfall also contained a higher-than-normal moisture content. When the opportunity was there for the snow to melt and seep into the soil, that’s exactly what it did. The snow cover was gone in mid-March and even though precipitation for March and April was below normal, it added enough moisture to get the crop out of the blocks in good shape. Warm temps in mid-April had everyone giddy. A few planted corn prior to that and were rewarded, this time. The temps turned cold and rainfall after that delayed planting into the first week in May.
Most made great headway and were done planting corn when the rain started the afternoon of May 5th. Depending on location, much of the area received between 6” – 14” of rain over a ten-day period. Large areas of corn were underwater where the rainfall ponded. Some of the soybeans that were planted suffered a similar fate. By the end of May, anywhere from 20% - 25% of the corn had to be replanted. What appeared to be a nice start similar to last year had suddenly deteriorated into a potential crop insurance claim. Or had it?