NRHEG Star Eagle

137 Years Serving the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Area
Newspaper of Record for NRHEG School District
Newspaper of Record for Waseca County, MN
PO Box 248 • New Richland, MN 56072

507-463-8112
email: steagle@hickorytech.net
Published every Thursday
Yearly Subscription: Waseca, Steele, and Freeborn counties: $52
Minnesota $57 • Out of state $64

The Ellendale Community Action Group will have nomination forms out this coming week for the 2019 Ellendale Days “Unsung Hero” at several area businesses.

Area residents are encouraged to nominate someone who lives in the Ellendale area (both city or country), and who has done a lot of volunteer work in the community area in recent years. Perhaps they have done a random act of kindness for others and they love our community and want to make it a better place to live for everyone.

The winner of this contest will be named and honored at the 2019 Ellendale Days Summer Celebration kick-off event on Friday evening June 21 during the ECAG Bingo event at the Ellendale Community Building and they will be riding in Ellendale Days Parade the following afternoon.

All forms must be completed and turned in to any ECAG member or to the site where the form was picked up by May 31. The nomination forms will be at the following businesses in Ellendale: First National Bank, Floor 4-U, Steve’s Meat Market, Lerberg’s Foods, and the Ellendale Municipal Liquor Store. The final decision of this year’s “Unsung Hero” will be made by the members of the ECAG.

The Ellendale Community Action Group (ECAG) is a non-profit organization made up of Ellendale area community volunteers who are making differences both small and large to make Ellendale “the best there is to be” for all younger and older citizens. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Ellendale Community Center and new members are always welcome.

Ellendale City Council

By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher

The Ellendale City Council held its first meeting of the month Thursday, April 11. All council members and mayor Russ Goette were there. No visitors were present.

Some of the most interesting discussion came in the waning moments of a long meeting, when Goette suggested tax breaks for those building new homes in Ellendale.

“It’s delayed gratification,” he said. “We’re waiting 10 years to get full taxes. I think it’s something we need to do to encourage construction. Two or three new houses a year just won’t cut it.”

No action was taken at this time.

Municipal Liquor Store manager Ralph Diaz gave his monthly report.

Diaz said the bar received a surprise inspection from the health department, resulting in nine mostly minor violations. The most serious, preparing food from scratch, requires the Muni to purchase a license costing an additional $140. The council approved it. Diaz said the inspector will be back in six months.

Diaz requested $150 to cover the cost for a Muni pool team to compete in a year-end tournament in Rochester. It was approved.

 The NRHEG Building Referendum, addressing a long list of needed and deferred improvements in the District facilities and curriculum, was put to the vote Tuesday, April 9, and passed 696-420, 62 percent in favor. 

“The release of the $9.1 million will directly impact our ability to provide safe and enhanced learning spaces for students throughout the District,” said Supt. Dale Carlson in a recent statement on the District’s website.

The school bond referendum is the result of over a year’s work by engineering firm ISG, the NRHEG Board of Education, and a special Board-created Facilities Task Force of staff, administration, and community citizens, who studied the September 2017 Facilities Survey and developed an organized plan for building and resource improvements. The plan was priced and prioritized by the ISG and the Task Force and then submitted to the public through a community survey with the help of School Perceptions, Inc. Survey results told the Board which projects were most important to district taxpayers and how much they were willing to pay.

“Thank you to the many residents who voted,” said Carlson.  “As the District continues forward with next steps, we will be sharing the process and updates with the community.”

For continuing updates, read the Star Eagle and visit the school’s website at nrheg.k12.mn.us.

St. Peter Lutheran Church of Otisco will hold a Polka Service May 5 at 10:30 a.m. at the Waseca American Legion.

Hymns will be sung in polka and waltz time, with music proviced by Chuck Thiel and his Jolly Ranchers. The spoken word will be delivered by Pastor Scott Williams.

A pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw, calico beans and assorted bars will be served following the service. Cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children 10 and under. There will be a bake sale before and after the service.

See the ad on Page 3.

New Richland City Council

By JESSICA LUTGENS
Staff Writer

PeopleService, Maintenance Dept. and care center reports were presented during the New Richland City Council’s second meeting of the month on Monday, March 25, following the approval of the agenda and consent agenda items. Councilperson Jason Casey was absent.

Brad Field presented the PeopleService report, noting that treatment and lab results were normal in February. Residents are reminded that discharging sump pumps into the sanitary sewers is illegal, and doing so causes major issues with the sanitary sewers by placing stress and wear and tear on the collection system piping as well as pumps and treatment units at the wastewater treatment facility. For residents using sump pumps, all efforts should be made to direct water from the pumps out to their curbs as soon as possible.

Field stated that smoke testing will likely be done again on the sewer system to determine sources of surface water inflow and infiltration. The testing was performed last year and is a free service that will hopefully help to alleviate water issues residents in town continue to have. The report was approved.