January
Jan. 7
■ A few minutes before midnight on Wednesday, Dec. 31, the area around Clock Tower Park in downtown Annandale filled with more than 200 revelers equipped with party hats and noisemakers to count down the final seconds to 2015 in Annandale’s first New Year’s Eve ball drop.
As the crowd counted down from 10, a lighted disco ball was lowered by hand from the ground with the aid of a pulley. The completion of its journey was greeted with cheers, embraces and a fairly quick departure for most.
■ Officials in Annandale had expected to hear from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development by the end of December if an application for grant funds to improve broadband service was successful, but a decision has been delayed at the state level.
The city is requesting $2.4 million to cover half the expected cost to build a fiber-to-the-home network that would dramatically increase speed and reliability of the city’s Internet.
Last spring the state legislature approved $20 million in available funds for broadband improvements, and Annandale was one of 40 applications submitted for the funds.
■ The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources completed its purchase of the former Bay Club restaurant property shortly before the turn of the year, closing the book on an interesting final quarter of 2014 for the longtime Clearwater Lake establishment.
Vying with the DNR for a purchase of the property were Clearwater Lake cabin owners Mike and Mark Lease of Litchfield, who had planned to reopen the site as a restaurant. The DNR intends to use the property as expanded parking for the nearby boat access.
"We are not planning any major changes or alterations of the site in the near future," said Tim Edgeton of the DNR.
Jan. 14
■ The dismantling of a grand vision that never fully materialized has been evident to drivers on Highway 55 between Annandale and Maple Lake over the past several weeks.
Crews have been busy removing historic steam engines, train cars of various types and other railroad equipment from the property formerly owned by Donald Lind, who passed away at 77 in November of 2013.
Lind had dubbed his collection the Minnesota and Western Railroad Museum.
■ After 14 years on the Annandale City Council, including the past four as mayor, Marlene Young passed her gavel to Dwight "Dewey" Gunnarson and said farewell on Monday, Jan. 5.
Gunnarson, new council member Corey Czycalla and returning councilor Shelly Jonas were simultaneously sworn in, after which Gunnarson called Young forward to accept a plaque recognizing her service to the city.
■ Following the Friday, Dec. 12, meeting of politicians, law enforcement personnel and traffic engineers at Malco, engineers came up with a set of improvements for the CSAH 3-County Road 136 and Highway 55 intersection. In addition, the politicians agreed to write letters of support for a Minnesota Department of Transportation grant application for federal funds that could help build left turn lanes off of Highway 55 at the intersection. MnDOT is seeking $450,000 out of $8 million available in the federal safety fund.
■ Amy Ellestad was recruited to join the South Haven City Council and was sworn into office on Tuesday, Jan. 6.
Jan. 21
■ Ten years to the day – the minute even – that huge waves swept ashore in Thailand and other Indian Ocean countries, killing nearly 230,000 people, the Annandale lake family of Dick and Mary Beth Ebert returned to the island beach where they were vacationing in 2004 when the Dec. 26 tsunami struck.
It was an important anniversary trip for the family, including adult children Bobby, 33, and Michelle, 29. The family reflected on how that day could have been their last, and marveled at the recovery of the islands.
■ A jury trial is expected to begin next month for one of the defendants in the Aug. 22, 2014, disappearance of Christopher Rossing, 25, of Albion Township.
Robert Nuttall, 28, of Hutchinson, has been charged with felony kidnapping.
Nuttall was arrested on Sept. 10, and his girlfriend, 32-year-old Gwen Butcher of Hutchinson, was arrested two days later and charged with felony obstruction of justice. Human bone fragments were found at the couple’s Hutchinson home last October after weeks of searches for Rossing.
■ Jenifer Weyer and Isaac Millner, both Annandale High School juniors, were selected as Annandale’s nominees for the 2015 ExCEL (Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership) award. ExCEL is an award given in recognition to Minnesota high school juniors who participate in school activities, who hold leadership positions in their schools, and work voluntarily in their communities.
Every member school of the Minnesota State High School League is invited to nominate one girl and one boy for the ExCEL Award.
Jan. 28
■ In just two months since a rash of multi-vehicle crashes at the intersection of Highway 55 and CSAH 3-County Road 136 near Malco, a plan has come together and funding has been obtained to make safety improvements. MnDOT has received $400,000 to install left turn lanes on Highway 55 at the intersection in 2016 after a rash of crashes and one fatality.
■ The last barrier to trains passing through town at the new track speed limit of 60 mph was removed last week when Canadian Pacific Railway crews finished installing new crossing arms and lights at Myrtle Drive S.
Canadian Pacific announced last September that the speed limit for trains on the track had been increased from 40 mph to 60 mph in Annandale and South Haven. That speed increase was not immediately apparent in town because trains have been observing the old speed limit of 40 mph until the new safety equipment could be installed.
■ When schools open again this fall Annandale area residents will have an additional option to consider for educating their students.
A new public charter school, the Jane Goodall Environmental Sciences Academy, is currently enrolling students for the 2015-16 year and will be based out of buildings leased at Camp Courage on Cedar Lake. The school intends to open with 100 students in grades six through 12.
February
Feb. 4
■ The city of Annandale’s plan to install a fiber-to-the-home broadband network sustained a blow on Monday, Feb. 2, when officials learned that Annandale did not receive a state grant for $2.4 million as hoped for.
Officials had been optimistic about Annandale’s chances, but the city faced stiff competition from 39 other projects that also applied for $20 million in state grant funds. A total of 17 projects were funded for $19.4 million.
"It’s obviously extremely disappointing," said Mayor Dwight "Dewey" Gunnarson. "We felt that we had one of the best grant applications submitted. Honestly, it’s a slap in the face based on the amount of work that Annandale did to help get that grant program off the ground."
■ The main suspect in the disappearance of Christopher Rossing of Albion Township has now been charged with second-degree murder in addition to kidnapping.
Robert Nuttall, 28, of Hutchinson was slated to stand trial for kidnapping Rossing, with jury selection beginning later this month, but the legal process will now start over in light of the new charge stemming from additional evidence.
■ A simple fishing expedition to Clearwater Lake turned into a wet and chilly outing for a Sartell couple on Tuesday, Jan. 27, but things could have been much worse.
Charles Hansen, 84, was piloting his 2009 Ford F150 pickup out onto Clearwater Lake from the Black Pool boat access on Bayberry Road at about 11:15 a.m. when the truck either fell into a small section of open water or broke through thin ice about 300 yards from the landing.
Fortunately for Hansen and his wife, 83-year-old Mary Esselman, the water was only about three feet deep and the vehicle came to rest on the lake bottom with just a small amount of water in the cab.
Feb. 11
■ Mark Miller, a 1982 graduate of Annandale High School who flourished on the craggy peaks of Colorado as a guide and rescue team guru, died on Friday, Jan. 30. He had been guiding a pair of Europeans on the fourth and final day of an ice climbing expedition in Eureka Canyon near Silverton when the accident occurred. According to reports, he was climbing "off rope" when the section of ice he was on collapsed. Miller fell 800 feet to his death.
■ In the wake of last week’s news that Annandale will not be receiving a state grant to pursue broadband improvements this year, city officials have been considering alternatives and voicing determination to move forward.
"The project is not dead as of yet, it’s just on hold until we can get some further information," said Annandale Mayor Dwight "Dewey" Gunnarson at the council meeting on Monday, Feb. 2. "It’s still an issue that we have to contend with and we have to solve, and we will."
■ A gregarious presence has been conspicuously absent from the produce aisles at The Marketplace grocery store in the past couple of months.
That’s because produce manager Mel Niewind, 76, a favorite of regular customers and staff alike, has retired after 45 years in the grocery business.
Feb. 18
Area anglers turned out in large numbers for the 32nd annual South Haven Sportsman’s Club fishing contest on Lake Francis on Saturday, Feb. 14. Despite a high temperature of just 5 degrees and a brisk wind that made for a chilly afternoon on the lake, those in
attendance seemed to be enjoying themselves.
■ About 50 residents, along with city and township officials, gathered in Montrose to provide comments, air frustrations and ask questions about the proposed Aurora Solar Project on Thursday, Feb. 12.
The $250 million project is expected to include construction of up to 24 solar arrays across the state. Three proposed for Wright County include a 6-megawatt Corinna Township location just beyond Annandale city limits, an 8.5-MW Buffalo Township site and a 4-MW site near Montrose.
■ The former Thayer Inn on Highway 55 in Annandale, which has been empty since 2010 when owner Sharon Gammel closed her bed and breakfast after 17 years in business, has been sold.
Realtor Bruce McAlpin of Edina Realty confirmed the sale last week, but definite details about the buyer and plans for the building were not available. It is possible, McAlpin said, that the building could become another bed and breakfast.
Feb. 25
■ The Annandale community had a chance to say goodbye to the 1922 portion of the Annandale Middle School on Saturday, Feb. 21.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. an estimated 200 area residents and former students strolled through the three-story building that housed students from 1923 to 2013. The open house was hosted by Superintendent Steve Niklaus and his wife Sandy, who greeted guests and answered many questions.
"The building holds countless memories for the thousands of students who attended school there for three-plus generations, Niklaus said. "It also holds great memories for the hundreds of staff members who worked with those students there. The memories will never be demolished."
■ After one big construction project, a few exotic meals and 10 memorable days in a foreign culture, a dozen members of the Silver Creek Community Church returned home last month from Ecuador.
The church of about 70 members was founded in the 1890s, but the trip to build a roof section over a school courtyard in the city of La Concordia from Jan. 14 to 24 was the church’s first foray into the international mission field.
■ The enrollment period for the new Jane Goodall Environmental Sciences Academy closed last Thursday, Feb. 18, and demand to attend the new charter school based at Camp Courage exceeded the number of places available.
Founding board member Bob DeBoer of Maple Lake said the school intends to open with 100 students in grades six through 12, and about 125 students from 25 different communities have signed up to attend.
March
March 4
■ Matt Bergstrom of Annandale has built an 8,000-square foot rink in 62-by-125-foot dimensions with boards from old community rinks in Maple Lake and Albertville in his backyard. The Bergstrom rink is in its eighth season.
■ For the second time in less than a year, fire has destroyed a dwelling at 10389 Highway 24 near Clearwater Lake.
Annandale firefighters were called out to a structure fire shortly before 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and arrived to find a guest house behind the main home – which burned down last May - engulfed in flames.
One man who was living in the guest house at the time escaped from the building with a dog, and there were no injuries.
■ After last month’s news that the city of Annandale did not receive grant funds to pursue its own fiber network, city council members and staff said time was needed to reassess the situation and formulate a new plan of action.
This week the key element of that re-evaluation effort is taking place, as the city will be meeting with the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development determine why the city’s application did not score high enough to be one of the 17 projects awarded funding out of 40 projects submitted.
In addition, the city council held a special meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24, and approved hiring the firm Flaherty and Hood to provide legislative services to Annandale for the remainder of the 2015 session.
March 11
■ After a rare find, a long restoration effort and a popular appearance with his watercraft at the Minneapolis Boat Show in January, rare boat owner and enthusiast Joe Lepley is wondering if a loose gathering of aquatic classics could become a reality in the Heart of the Lakes.
Lepley, a former president of the Greater Lake Sylvia Association, purchased a 14-foot 1950 Globe Mastercraft Deluxe Runabout in the spring of 2013 and had it restored over nearly two years.
■ A small group of city officials and representatives went to St. Paul last week to hear an explanation of how Annandale’s bid for broadband grant funds came up short.
"We didn’t get out of it what we hoped, but we did get what we expected," he said. "DEED cannot come right out and say, ‘You guys got a bad rap, the industry influenced what the law said and how we were going to choose it.’ But that’s certainly the indication that we got from it … Unless the language for next year is changed we’ll end up getting the same result."
■ Trains blocking the railroad crossings in South Haven for long periods of time are not a new problem, but fire chief Ken "Oscar" Laney asked that the city council address the issue with the railroad again last week.
"One of these days somebody is going to die because we can’t get across the tracks," he told council members, adding that the Main Street crossing was blocked for five hours recently. "It’s ridiculous."
March 18
■ ISIS terrorists arrived at the hotel, fired a rocket-propelled grenade into the entrance, then stormed inside shooting AK-47 assault rifles.
Matt McAlpin of Annandale should have been standing in the lobby at that moment, but thanks to his driver arriving 10 minutes late to pick him up for a meeting that morning, he and a pair of co-workers were just entering the hotel complex by car as the attack began to unfold.
McAlpin, 43, a 1990 graduate of Annandale High School and the son of Mike and Kathy McAlpin, works for Team Exlog-Crucible, a security and logistics contracting firm that was based at the Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli, Libya, at the time of the attack around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27. He survived, though a co-worker was killed.
■ What is Annandale all about, and what does the city want to become known for in the next 50 years?
Mayor Dwight "Dewey" Gunnarson posed those questions to the rest of the city council at the end of its regular meeting earlier this month, then proposed that the council look into forming a strategic plan that can help guide everyday decisions for the next half century.
■ Jim Martin of Annandale, who is blind, is a popular tutor at Annandale Elementary School. He helps students with math by using an abacus.
March 25
■ Figuring that defense in depth is the best strategy to keep aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels out of Wright County lakes, county officials are providing funding to place inspectors at most boat access locations this summer.
"The whole point of the inspectors is to get a presence across the entire county. It’s like herd protection – if one lake gets zebra mussels then basically all the lakes are at risk," said Joe Jacobs of the Wright County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Strategy and funding is one thing, but implementing an effective inspection program is another. In order to get that blanket of inspectors established and operating effectively, the SWCD is contracting with Anchor Dock and Lift of Annandale.
■ A grand jury that convened on Wednesday, March 11, has found probable cause to indict two suspects on additional charges in the disappearance and presumed death of Christopher Rossing, 25, of Albion Township.
The primary suspect in Rossing’s death, Robert Nuttall, 28, of Hutchinson, has now faces first-degree murder, and second-degree murder (with intent) charges.
The grand jury also indicted Nuttall’s girlfriend, Gwen Butcher, 33, of Hutchinson, on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, aiding and abetting kidnapping to facilitate felony or flight, and obstructing the investigation after the fact.
■ At the Annandale School Board meeting Thursday, March 19, district administrators presented to the board $447,133 in potential cuts for the 2015-16 school year.
Board members had directed Superintendent Steve Niklaus to create a list of $250,000 of possible reductions for the 2015-16 school year to offset a potential deficit of $490,000.
April
April 1
■ The saga of the 1922 school building came to an end last week as contractors from Veit, after taking several days to carefully separate the building from the newer portion of the middle school, razed most of the structure in a matter of hours on Thursday afternoon, March 26.
It was an abrupt, definitive end to the years-old question of what to do with the vacant structure. As the demolition came to an end last week numerous passersby stopped in vehicles along Cherry Avenue or arrived on foot to watch the demise of the building where many spent at least a portion of their school careers.
After 93 years, the building once deemed "second to none in the county" was no more.
■ A guiding hand in Annandale’s telecommunications history was lost on Wednesday, March 18, when Gene South, 67, died in New Mexico.
South, an Annandale resident who moved from Oklahoma to serve as the CEO and general manager of Lakedale Telephone Company around 1993, was an important figure not only for local customers, but also was active at the national level.
■ When news recently broke about the owner of a winery in Napa Valley, Calif., chasing and shooting an investor to death in his vineyard, then leading police on a vehicle chase before turning the gun on himself, former Anchor Dock and Lift owner Don Nelson didn’t think much about it.
But a past employee called attention to the fact that the shooter, 47-year-old Robert Dahl, was a former customer and cabin owner on Cedar Lake who had caused Nelson some trouble in 2009.
The unnerving thing about the killing of the investor and subsequent suicide, to Nelson, was that it occurred under similar circumstances as those that took place in Annandale, though the disputed amount of money was much different.
"Fortunately I caught him on a good day," said Nelson.
April 8
■ This week marks the 150th anniversary of Civil War’s essential end on Thursday, April 9, and while that national milestone may seem far removed from present-day Annandale, a pair of men who shed their blood on the war’s distant battlefields now lie at rest in the appropriately (but coincidentally) named Union Cemetery between Annandale and South Haven.
Pvt. John Donahue of the 67th Pennsylvania Infantry and Sgt. Clark Foster of the 37th New York Infantry served at different times and places in the war, then lived out their remaining days in the Annandale area and were buried in the same small plot of ground.
■ Pernille Rauff, a 17-year-old girl from Denmark, is Annandale High School’s foreign exchange student this year. After spending an orientation week in New York City, Rauff arrived Aug. 21, 2014, and will return to Denmark on June 10.
Rauff comes to Annandale from Aars, Denmark. Aars was established in 1300 in the northern part of Denmark. The population is about 9,000 people.
■ Volunteering at Minnesota Pioneer Park has been a natural and fulfilling second occupation for Carol Weir, considering her parents helped get the Annandale museum started in 1972.
She’s hoping, however, that a few more volunteers will turn out to help run the show when school tours begin later this month.
During a typical year 1,600 to 1,800 students from 30 to 40 different schools visit the park, where they are met by volunteers in period dress who help explain the artifacts and buildings.
April 15
■ Annandale area residents learned early this year that the Minnesota Department of Transportation is planning to install left turn lanes on Highway 55 at the CSAH 3 and County Road 136 intersection near Malco in response to a rash of crashes last fall, including one incident that resulted in the death of Sue Williams, 52, of Annandale.
Last week Tom Dumont, a district traffic engineer with MnDOT, confirmed that the agency is looking into the possibility of installing traffic lights at the intersection as well.
■ A reward is being offered for information leading to the identification of the person or people responsible for setting a fire at a high school equipment shed early Sunday morning, April 5.
The building, about 100 feet by 30 feet in size, contained most of the equipment for the track and field team, including the high jump and pole vault landing pads. There was also some equipment for football and phy ed, along with a Bobcat and other maintenance equipment. The financial loss is close to $200,000.
■ Thanks to some maneuvering in the Minnesota Legislature, hopes have been rekindled that funding for a broadband project in Annandale could possibly still be received this year.
State Rep. Joe McDonald (R-Delano) has introduced a bill in the Legislature’s Job Growth and Energy Affordability committee that would provide $2 million in funds for a "demonstration project" that would include wire-line broadband service that is part of a public-private partnership.
After testimony from McDonald, Annandale Mayor Dwight "Dewey" Gunnarson, City Administrator Kelly Hinnenkamp and the city’s lobbyist Dan Dorman before the committee last Tuesday night, April 7, the committee decided to include the project in its list of appropriations.
April 22
■ A third major engineering step necessary for bringing a new recreation park to Annandale has been completed – a grading, drainage and erosion control plan – and a potential first phase of construction has been identified that includes an access road from the high school, a "pinwheel" design of four youth ball fields centered by a concession stand, and tennis courts along with a parking area.
■ As he discussed how to survive if a shooting should ever occur in Annandale’s City Council meeting room, Police Chief Jeff Herr paused in his address to councilors earlier this month.
"I would have never guessed in a million years, guys, that we’d be talking about this stuff," he said.
After gunfire erupted during a January council meeting in New Hope, however, there was no question that such training is relevant and necessary. In recent weeks the Annandale Police Department has conducted active shooter training sessions at all three Annandale schools and at city hall.
■ The Annandale robotics team, the AnnDroids, competed at the 2015 Minnesota 10,000 Lakes Regional competition on Friday and Saturday, April 3 and 4, at the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena. The team finished 29th out of 53 teams in pool play. This was an improvement from last year when the team placed 52nd out of 63 teams.
April 29
■ From radio and television airwaves to the pages of a popular Persian Gulf magazine, Rose Thelen of Clearwater recently spent time working to influence and change a culture that at best ignores – and at worst encourages – domestic violence in the Middle East.
The former Wright County commissioner and founder of the Gender Violence Institute traveled to Kuwait with the aid of the U.S. embassy March 22 to 27 to participate in the "Social Welfare – Current Issues" conference put on by the Women’s Research and Study Center at Kuwait University.
■ Prior to this year’s high school prom a number of couples, past and present, shared their views on prom, stories from their experiences and information on what sort of expense is involved with the evening.
■ Discussion is continuing on how exactly to help pave the way for a non-profit outpatient treatment center to set up shop in South Haven.
Members of the South Haven City Council discussed the matter with Brian Asleson of Wright County during their meeting earlier this month, and it appears that a property sales juggling act might be the answer. Serenity Path specializes in providing treatment options for those struggling with addiction in rural areas that don’t have easy access to treatment centers.
May
May 6
■ A new chapter in the Thayer Hotel’s storied history began after Renewal Development purchased the property early this year.
Though it remains unclear exactly how the building will be used, Paul Bertelson of Renewal Development said the deteriorating exterior will receive a facelift this summer.
Bertelson, from Minneapolis, said he has kept an eye on the Thayer building from afar for the past 10 to 15 years. He has been familiar with the 1895 structure since its days as a hotel.
■ Safety improvements have been expected at the Highway 55 and CSAH 3 intersection since early this year, but last week Tom Dumont, a district traffic engineer with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, explained that MnDOT has obtained an unspecified amount of additional funding that will allow traffic lights to be installed along with the left turn lanes on Highway 55 that were previously planned for.
"In the last 12 months there were eight crashes at this intersection, five of which are correctable (right angle-left turn crashes) with a traffic signal installation," said Dumont.
■ Annandale’s Julie Gohman has written and published her first book, entitled "10 Sacred Questions for Every Woman."
Gohman’s book is based on the research she did for her Ph.D. thesis about womens’ development.
May 13
■ After nearly three decades of striving to provide a peaceful, hospitable refuge to others at Clare’s Well southwest of Annandale, the three Franciscan Sisters who operate the retreat center are ready to see what the next stage of life holds.
Carol Schmit, 76, Jan Kilian, 78, and Paula Pohlman, 87, are preparing to move to a rental home near Annandale while Dan and Joan Pauly-Schneider of Maple Lake are getting ready to move to the farm, which will transition from Clare’s Well to Wellsprings Farm this summer.
■ In recent post-recession years the pace of new home building in Annandale has remained tepid, but Annandale City Council members hope a new incentive program could help spur fresh growth.
In response, the council spent part of its meeting on Monday, May 4, considering and ultimately approving the implementation of a housing incentive program that would waive the $6,900 fee for sewer and water access charges in new housing.
■ The Heart of the Lakes was a bustling destination last weekend, with the fishing opener arriving on Saturday, May 9.
Clearwater Lake was a
particularly busy place, as boat access parking lots were packed with trailers and watercraft. Bright sun and cool temperatures marked the day, with a steady breeze and temperatures at or below 50 degrees in the morning hours. Bait shops reported steady traffic, and the roads were filled with boats on trailers shuttling between lakes.
May 20
■ Seventy years after the end of World War II, Willard Leinonen can still recall the humorous incidents, moments of action and long spells of heat and boredom that comprised life aboard a destroyer escort in the Pacific during the war’s final campaigns.
When Annandale area veterans and members of the public gather for the annual Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 25, Leinonen, 90, will have the distinction of being one of the few veterans from the Second World War remaining.
■ The overall economy is healthy and slowly improving, but the shadow of the Great Recession continues to factor into the thinking and actions of consumers and businesses.
St. Cloud State University economist King Banaian shared that summary during and after a presentation to the Annandale Area Chamber of Commerce and the Wright County Economic Development Partnership at Classic Hall on Wednesday, May 13.
■ Anyone driving along Highway 55 likely noticed a large excavation project a few miles east of Annandale in the past couple of months. Now that it is finished, area watershed officials and Cedar Lake property owners are hoping to see an improvement in the lake’s water quality.
The Clearwater River Watershed District has been working toward that end since 2006, but the latest addition of a limestone rock filter to the creek connecting Cedar and Swartout lakes is a significant step in reducing the amount of phosphorous in Cedar Lake.
May 27
■ A new spark of hope that Annandale could obtain a solution to its poor broadband service grew to a flame last week before being abruptly doused with a bucket of cold water.
A $2 million earmark was packaged into a jobs and energy omnibus bill which was passed at literally the last possible minute – 11:54 p.m. in the Senate and 11:59 p.m. in the House – before the Legislature adjourned on Monday, May 18.
With that demonstration project at the cusp of fruition, Governor Mark Dayton vetoed the omnibus bill on Saturday, May 23, at least temporarily snuffing out Annandale’s best second chance to remedy its slow, unreliable broadband system run by Windstream after a bid for funding through the Border to Border Broadband grant program also failed earlier this year.
■ Members of the Annandale High School Class of 2015 will receive their diplomas this Friday, May 29, and the paths they plan to take after school range from studying engineering, meteorology and medicine to working in various trades or serving in the military. The commencement ceremony for 105 seniors will take place at 7 p.m. in the high school gym.
■ Bailey Kovall, a 2009 Annandale High School graduate is serving her second 10-month term with the National Civilian Community Corps.
"The program sounded like a perfect fit for me, a new direction and purpose for my life," Kovall said. "It was a great way to travel, a chance to give back to the communities in our country, and serve with organizations I had only heard of on television."
June
June 3
■ Estimated costs for the proposed Annandale Recreational Facility have now been obtained, and Annandale School Board members heard the numbers for the first time during their meeting on Tuesday, May 26. A plan presented by engineer Jared Voge of Bolton and Menk would have a total estimated price tag of $8.8 million.
■ Plans to place one large solar array near Annandale and others at about 20 additional sites around Minnesota received approval from the state last week.
The 100-megawatt, $250 million Aurora Solar Project was granted a site permit by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Thursday, May 28, giving the green light to what will become the largest solar project in Minnesota.
That approval did not come without extensive discussion about the 70-acre, 6-MW Annandale site by PUC commissioners during a 2.5-hour deliberation, but commissioners ultimately decided there were no serious issues with the Annandale location despite an objection from the city that it could impede future growth.
■ A counselor, a teacher and a cook have decided it is time to hang it up and retire. Annandale High School counselor Jim Lipsiea, elementary teacher Ruth Bahe and middle school cook Pat Mauer have given over 85 combined years of service to Annandale School District 876.
June 10
■ Annandale business owners and residents shouldn’t hold their breath while hoping that a $2 million broadband earmark is approved in the Minnesota Legislature’s upcoming special session.
"The governor’s office just said the bill is an earmark and we need to be part of the competitive process," said Mayor Dwight "Dewey" Gunnarson.
■ One week after Minnesota Public Utilities Commissioners spent considerable time deciding to include an Annandale location in a site permit for the statewide $250-million Aurora Solar Project, Annandale City Council members and city staff were contemplating whether the city should appeal that decision.
Corinna Township supervisors, despite numerous concerns voiced earlier in the process, have decided not to contest the PUC’s decision.
■ Seven Annandale High School students earned a trip to compete at the Business Professionals of America 2015 National Leadership Conference in Anaheim California, May 6 to May 10.
Kara Condon, Jenifer Weyer, Carter Diers, Sam Gohman, Zach Wrobbel, Josh Tracy and Hailey Manninen were among over 5,000 high school students from across the country who made the trip to Anaheim.
June 17
■ Efforts to obtain earmark funding for a broadband improvement project that likely would have helped Annandale ultimately fell short after the Minnesota Legislature’s special session concluded on Saturday, June 13.
Gov. Mark Dayton had singled out the earmark as one of the reasons for his veto of the jobs and energy omnibus bill in May, and succeeded in stripping that $2 million provision from the bill before its final approval.
"It’s no big surprise, but it is disappointing," Annandale Mayor Dwight "Dewey" Gunnarson said of the earmark’s demise.
■ It’s the time of year when high school graduates are contemplating their next step in life. Tucker Pearson of South Haven not only has a different route forward marked out than any of the recent Annandale graduates his age, he also has taken a different path to get there.
Last month Pearson, the son of Russ and Betsy Pearson, graduated as the valedictorian of his 104-member class at Riverside Military Academy in Gainsville, Georgia. He will attend the United States Military Academy at West Point for college.
■ A miserably cold and wet spring in 2013 led to record late ice-outs on some area lakes. Last spring contributed to a new record for the wettest six months to start a year in the Twin Cities region.
Both were tough years for area farmers to plant a healthy crop, and some were obligated to fall back on crop insurance as fields remained unplanted, so this year’s tamer weather has come as a relief.
June 24
■ Nicole Wilke, the Annandale-Maple Lake Community Education director, has taken a similar position in the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District. Wilke’s last day in Annandale was Thursday, June 18, and she will assume her new position Wednesday, July 1.
Wilke has been with the Annandale School District just short of 15 years, starting in August of 2000. Initially, Wilke was an assistant to director Mark Casey.
"Hiring Nicole will be the best decision Sauk Rapids ever made," said former Annandale director Mark Casey.
■ Superintendent Steve Niklaus discussed enrollment at the school district. The high point in the school’s history came in 1997 and 1998 when there were 1,950 students enrolled, and the most recent academic year ended with 1,720 enrolled. The highest student populations were the result of children from the Baby Boomer generation.
Niklaus said there was a measurable drop in birth rates during the Great Recession, so while the district has had to consider closing some of its lower elementary grades to enrollment since the opening of the new school Niklaus anticipates a dip in the preschool ages for the next few years.
The new elementary has been a draw, Niklaus said, with over 200 students open enrolling to Annandale, many from the north.
■ In a joint meeting, members of the city council and school board agreed that the proposed recreation park was a priority for both government bodies and voiced support for the effort.
July
July 1
■ Annandale area residents, and many hailing from greater distances, have the opportunity to carry on a tradition that began 126 years ago this week.
Fourth of July festivities begin Wednesday, July 1, continuing Annandale’s signature celebration that began just one year after the city’s incorporation in 1889.
■ One might not expect many new tricks from a celebration that is 126 years old, but after the success of last year’s offshore fireworks launch a few individuals set about to make that Fourth of July feature permanent.
The work of Jim Raymond, Mitch Wicker, Joe Haller and Jeff Herr work will be evident when this year’s show launches from a 24-by-30-foot floating platform about 500 feet out from the city park on Pleasant Lake.
■ Officer Pete Standafer, Annandale’s School Resource Officer, reviewed highlights of his first year on the job with the Annandale School Board on Monday, June 22.
"I have observed Pete from a distance and have seen how well he interacts with both students and staff," Superintendent Steve Niklaus said. "It all comes down to hiring the right person and that was the result this year. The work Pete has done in his first year provides us with a foundation we can build on."
July 8
■ One-hundred and twenty-six years after its first Fourth of July celebration all the gears of Annandale’s event tend to turn smoothly, and the past week’s festivities were no exception.
"We truly couldn’t be more pleased with the way things went," said event chair John Volden.
Blue skies and mild temperatures helped get things started off right Wednesday, July 1, through Friday, July 3, and while the heat rose into the upper 80s and the humidity climbed over the weekend, conditions were still fairly comfortable for the 100-plus unit parade on the morning of the Fourth.
■ Petty Brothers Old Fashion Meat Market expects to open a new location this fall, occupying a long-vacant building on Highway 55.
Owners Bob and Tom Petty closed on the building at 320 Elm Street East (Highway 55) on Thursday, June 25. The building is next to the soon-to-open Spilled Grain Brewhouse, and many Annandale residents will remember the site as the former home of Tom Thumb, which went out of business in 2004.
"We have outgrown our present location and are really excited about the new location," Bob Petty said.
■ As anyone who wears glasses or contacts knows, receiving the gift of corrected vision can be life changing.
Dr. Terrence Tancabel has been sharing that gift with Annandale area residents for decades, and also has made several mission trips abroad to perform eye care in areas of the world where, due to poverty, corrected vision cannot be taken for granted.
His most recent trip last fall was to the Philippines, a new destination that expanded the reach of his volunteer work.
July 15
■ The city of Annandale is asking the state to reconsider its approval of a 70-acre, 6-megawatt solar facility in Corinna Township.
City council members made the decision after a 20-minute closed meeting during their regular gathering on Monday, July 6.
"The city council has decided to file a motion for reconsideration-rehearing because it feels that the (Public Utilities Commission) did not have an accurate understanding of the city’s position, or of the impact of the solar farm on development in that area," said a prepared statement released by the city the following day.
■ Half a year after the Annandale City Council began discussing the need to re-examine its guidelines for the Main Street canopies, council members approved hiring an architect to help examine potential options on Monday, July 6.
Councilor David Burd, a Main Street business owner, brought the matter to the council in December and it has been discussed intermittently since then. The primary issue has been a need to update the canopy ordinance in place.
■ Annandale is not a typical destination for large conventions, but that’s exactly what it will become this weekend when the Studebaker Drivers Club descends on the Heart of the Lakes for its Upper Mississippi Valley Zone Meet.
Event chairman Ed Skomoroh said he expects about 150 people and around 80 vehicles from as far away as California to attend. The zone itself includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Kansas and South Dakota.
July 22
■ Dan Fasching was swimming in a shallow, sandy area of Clearwater Lake known to some as "Clamtopia" on Sunday, July 5, when he stepped on something sharp.
When he reached down into about three feet of water investigate, he pulled up a native clam with what appeared to be a zebra mussel attached to it. A DNR investigation team of about half a dozen members came out to comb different areas of the lake on both Wednesday, July 8, and Monday, July 13, and turned up eight additional zebra mussels at clamtopia and at another location about one mile to the east.
According to Christine Jurek of the DNR, it is likely that the zebra mussels found were transported there overland by attaching to boats, docks or other lake equipment, and might have been in the lake for two or three years already.
"Clearwater is such a hub, such a highly trafficked lake that it’s going to dramatically increase the risk to the other area lakes," said Jefferson Bishop, owner of Anchor Dock and Lift and coordinator of a countywide boat access monitoring plan.
■ More than 700 athletes and over 600 volunteers enjoyed ideal weather during the 30th annual Heart of the Lakes Triathlon on Sunday, July 19.
"We got a perfect day for it," said women’s long course winner Christina Roberts of St. Louis Park. "I’ve been out here a few other days when it’s just been so steamy, but the breeze was pretty helpful today."
With the temperature around 70 degrees at the start, low humidity and a light breeze ripping the water, athletes had comfortable conditions for the swim. The breeze became more of a factor outside of town, but did not hamper bikers much.
July 29
■ The city of Annandale’s petition for reconsideration regarding the proposed Aurora solar facility was filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission last week, providing more details about the city council’s reasons for opposing the project.
A loose grouping of those reasons include expense already incurred for overbuilding infrastructure in anticipation of future development in that area, the belief that the array will hinder development and the opinion that the commissioners did not properly understand Annandale’s position when they debated and ultimately approved the Annandale site.
■ Raising children with autism presents a wide array of challenges, but Kelly (Carlson) Korpela of South Haven is doing all she can to deal with those situations successfully.
Among those efforts was her completion of the nine-month Partners in Policymaking course in May, a program designed by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities.
"I cannot express enough how grateful I am to have (taken) the class," said Korpela, a 1996 Annandale High School graduate. "I encourage anyone with a child with a disability or an adult with a disability to apply for this class."
■ Ben Weeres, a 2008 Annandale High School graduate, recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with a medical degree.
Weeres attended medical school from 2010 to 2015, doing most of his classroom work at Duluth and most of the clerkships at various hospitals in the Twin Cities.
"I remember having an interest in medicine as far back as my junior year of high school," Weeres said.
August
Aug. 5
■ The Annandale School Board has set a special meeting for 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, to decide whether to ask the voters of Independent School District 876 to approve a levy of $4 million for the initial construction costs of the Annandale Area Recreational Park.
■ Annandale’s decision to resist the state-permitted construction of a solar facility just outside its city limits became a national news story last week, but also encountered opposition.
An article produced by Tom Steward of Watchdog.org Minnesota Bureau on the matter was linked to by Wall Street Journal columnist James Taranto, and the same article – however fleetingly in the world of online media – was posted on the home page of Fox News’ website for national consumption.
Publicity aside, Annandale’s request that the Public Utilities Commission reconsider its approval of a site permit for the solar project was contested when the solar entity behind the project submitted its response on Wednesday, July 29. A final PUC decision on the matter is expected at an unspecified future date.
■ Over the past 10 years Annandale has built an art crawl tradition, but things are changing in 2015. This year the art crawl has been taken on by the Annandale Area Chamber of Commerce’s Downtown Committee, and it will be held on Saturday, Aug. 8.
"The date was changed to try to appeal to some of the summer traffic that Annandale gets," said event organizer Anastacia Schnabel. "We’re having it on the weekend instead of a week night to just try to draw the biggest crowd we can into downtown. We want to appeal to as many people as we possibly can."
Aug. 12
■ The 11th annual Annandale Art Crawl made the transition from autumn weekday evenings to a summer Saturday afternoon on Aug. 8. Turnout for the event was good, and a number of new attractions like a magician and activities for kids at Clock Tower Park were well-received.
■ The South Haven Municipal Liquor Store is closed indefinitely after torrential rains left four feet of water in its basement on Saturday, July 18.
The water rose over electrical outlets, damaged the furnace and water heater and submerged the boiler and glycol system. It short-circuited condensers, and rendered thousands of dollars of the store’s basement hard liquor inventory – which had been bolstered in preparation for South Haven Days the following weekend – technically contaminated.
■ After seven years of serving individuals with mental health needs, the Annandale Intensive Residential Treatment facility will be closing at the end of the month. Opened in late 2007 amid a statewide movement away from large regional psychiatric centers toward smaller community and family-oriented sites, the Annandale facility has had a checkered career.
Three primary reasons for closing were liability associated with providing the services, a change in the state funding formula that has led to insufficient revenue, and the difficulty of finding and retaining qualified staff.
Aug. 19
■ The Annandale School Board met Monday, Aug. 17, and unanimously approved a resolution to hold a referendum election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, asking school district voters to approve $4 million for the initial construction costs of the proposed Annandale Area Recreation Park.
■ After nearly two years of discussion, action and counteraction, a final decision on whether or not a large solar array will be constructed near Annandale’s city limits could be handed down this week. And if a recommendation from Minnesota Public Utilities Commission staff is any indication, the city of Annandale may be pleased with the result.
PUC commissioners will be considering the city of Annandale’s request for reconsideration on Thursday, Aug. 20.
The city received a substantial endorsement last week when PUC staff members reviewing the case issued a recommendation to the commissioners to grant Annandale’s request for reconsideration and shut down development of the site.
■ The 2015 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments results were released Thursday, July 30. Annandale Independent School District 876 continues to outscore the state averages in math, reading and science.
■ One month after she was crowned Miss Annandale, Brooke Brower is already a veteran of four parades, an art crawl, a princess party and more. That busy schedule has helped establish her new identity as Annandale’s foremost ambassador.
"It didn’t sink in until our first event. I was like, ‘Am I actually Miss Annandale?’" said Brower with a laugh. "It’s really fun."
Brower will be a senior at Annandale High School this fall. She was crowned on the Fourth of July along with princesses Haylee Liestman and Cassy Stiller out of 12 total candidates, the largest field in years.
Aug. 26
■ There is a light at the end of Annandale’s long, dark broadband tunnel.
Midcontinent Communications plans to construct a new broadband network in town and possibly to portions of the surrounding lakes next year.
In nearly every way, that development is the solution to the area’s problems with slow speeds and outages on the Windstream network, according to Mayor Dwight "Dewey" Gunnarson, and eliminates financial risks associated with a city-owned network.
■ If the construction of a large solar array near Annandale is to be stopped because of concerns about how the facility could affect the city’s growth, a second effort will have to be made.
Despite a recommendation from Minnesota Public Utilities staff to grant Annandale’s petition for reconsideration, four commissioners unanimously voted to deny the city’s petition on Thursday, Aug. 20. The city council had been hoping that the commissioners would reconsider their May 28 decision to issue a permit for the 6-megawatt, 70-acre site bordered by 70th Street and Klever Avenue just south of Minnesota Pioneer Park.
■ When the Annandale School Board recently called for a $4 million referendum to begin construction of the proposed Annandale Area Recreation Park, board members made their action contingent on city council approval of a plan to cover ongoing operating expenses.
During a special meeting on Friday, Aug. 21, council members discussed the project and ultimately gave their unanimous approval for that plan, paving the way for school district residents to cast their votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
September
Sept. 2
■ When it comes to college readiness, Annandale High School students are generally on par with their peers around the state according to ACT test results released last week by the Minnesota Department of Education.
And that’s saying something, because for the 10th year in a row Minnesota posted the highest average score in the nation among states where at least 50 percent of the graduating class took the test.
The average composite score posted by a Minnesota student who graduated in 2015 was 22.7 out of a possible 36, while the average score for an Annandale student was a shade lower at 22.4. The average score across the nation was 21.
■ Annandale School Board members learned that a proposed solar project will not be pursued by the district during their regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 24.
Superintendent Steve Niklaus informed the board that the district would not complete a lease agreement with New Energy Equity for what had been a potential solar array on the old sod fields on the south side of the schools.
Niklaus said that signing the agreement would not be "the neighborly thing to do."
■ Students returned to class this week, but a different sort of instruction was taking place inside Annandale High School on Saturday, Aug. 22, when scores of police, firefighters and emergency medical services personnel gathered to hone their response to unthinkable but not unprecedented mass shooter or bomb blast situations.
A total of 10 law enforcement agencies and 15 fire or medical agencies from around the state participated in the intense training, which focuses on getting medical responders inside to treat and remove victims from a scene as quickly as possible while police contain or eliminate the threat.
Sept. 9
■ The Minnesota Department of Education released the Multiple Measurement Ratings for Minnesota schools on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Annandale Elementary School received an MMR rating of 67.73 percent and a Focus Rating of 82.04 percent. Those results put the school onto the 2015-16 "Celebration Eligible" list.
In 2014 Annandale received an MMR of 65.25 percent and a Focus Rating of 74.19 percent.
■ Despite regular rain showers throughout the month of August and into September, the reconstruction of Cherry Avenue and a number of surrounding streets generally remains on schedule. Weather has delayed the timeline a bit, but the overall finish date remains valid.
■ River of Life Church is celebrating a reset this weekend after changing names, bringing on a new pastor and establishing a new worship format unique to the Annandale area.
The church, located on Norway Drive between China King and O’Brothers Wine & Spirits, was formerly known as Eagles Grove Church, and was a plant of River of Life Church in Cold Spring.
After Pastor Jason Pence departed last September, however, it was eventually decided that Eagles Grove would become a second campus to its parent church rather than a more independent plant and would assume the same River of Life name. Sermons will be on a television screen from the Cold Spring location.
Sept. 16
■ The owners of Annandale’s Spilled Grain Brewhouse started planning in the summer of 2014 and on Thursday, July 23, they opened for their first night of business.
Owners Dan and Nikki Seaberg, Josh and Anna Hart, Dave and Reyna Hartley and Jacob and Anastacia Schnabel have put hundreds of hours into getting the business located at 300 Elm Street up and running.
So far the venture seems to be a successful one. Jacob Schnabel estimates that since they opened July 23 they have served nearly 8,000 customers.
■ As it turns out, the question of whether or not Annandale will become the site of a large solar array is far from settled.
After a closed session with city attorney Sue Kadlec that lasted about half an hour during the regular council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, Annandale City Council members reopened the meeting and announced that the city will be lodging an appeal with the Minnesota Court of Appeals to stop construction of the 70-acre, 6-megawatt array.
That action followed on the heels of a ruling by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Thursday, Aug. 20, that denied the city’s request for reconsideration.
■ There were no answers about the fate of the South Haven municipal liquor store last week, but city council members did outline the beginning stages of a path forward during a public information gathering on Thursday, Sept. 10.
About 35 residents gathered and learned that before any decision is made about whether to close or reopen the muni, the first order of business is to demolish the attached city-owned building on the south side of the liquor store.
Sept. 23
■ Homecoming King Sterling Weinzetl and Queen Hannah Miller were crowned at Annandale High School’s coronation ceremony on Monday, Sept. 21.
■ Six new members have been added to the Cardinal Athletic Foundation’s Hall of Fame, and the inductees will be recognized during halftime of the 7 p.m. Homecoming football game Friday, Sept. 25.
The 2015 inductees include Tim Ledwein, 1989 AHS graduate; Brad Fobbe, 1990 AHS graduate; and the members of the 1980 girls 4×100 relay team, including Jackie Horn Becker, 1983 AHS graduate; Lisa Horn Poll, 1981 AHS graduate; Tina Nelson Chapman, 1982 AHS graduate; and Julie Alberg Barrett, 1983 AHS graduate.
■ A former Annandale High School baseball player and longtime member of the Maple Lake Lakers amateur team is making a second career for himself as a designer and manufacturer of wood bats.
Marcus Zahn, a 2003 AHS graduate, began producing his own line of bats in March after starting Meridian Baseball Company.
Sept. 30
■ Up to 40 volunteers searched various points around Lake John on Saturday, Sept. 26, to see if zebra mussels first reported on the north shore of the lake last week have established a larger foothold.
"I guess the takeaway is that zebra mussels are widespread in the lake and that no management options are feasible," said Christine Jurek of the DNR.
■ This Saturday, Oct. 3, will be the final day of the season for the Annandale Farmers Market. The morning will wrap up the market’s eighth successful year.
The market was started by Amy Sparks and Sue Thwing, in conjunction with the Discover Downtown Committee, as a way to attract traffic to the downtown. Many of the downtown businesses have been pleased with the increase in Saturday morning business.
■ After years of belt-tightening and delays over replacing employees, the preliminary county levy and budget for 2016 include – by Wright County’s standards – significant increases.
The Wright County Board of Commissioners approved the draft levy and budget at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
The draft budget was set at $110,309,723, a 4.1-percent increase over 2015. The draft certified levy, the portion of the budget paid through resident property taxes, was set at $55,432,065, an increase of 4.7-percent.
October
Oct. 7
■ The planned reconstruction of County State Aid Highway 3 north of Highway 55 to where it meets CSAH 2 on the way to Fair Haven has been delayed.
That road work had been set to take place alongside the redesign of the intersection at Highway 55 and CSAH 3 near Malco next year, which has seen a rash of crashes over the past 12 months.
The addition of dedicated left turn lanes and a traffic control signal to Highway 55, which is a state project, will still occur 2016.
■ Lynda D’Heilly has traveled a dark path since losing her sight, but two years after brain surgery to remove a benign tumor destroyed her vision she is about to graduate from a school for the blind with renewed confidence in her ability to navigate everyday life.
And she has secured a nice honor for the school along the way. D’Heilly’s essay about her loss of sight and the aid rendered by Vision Loss Resources of Minneapolis earned the school special recognition from the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities in July.
■ The ninth annual Fourscore and More Reunion was held at Camp Friendship on Thursday, Oct. 1. The event was for all Annandale High School alumni who graduated on or before 1953, and the event’s largest turnout yet
included 145 former students.
The oldest representative was Ken Rudolph from the class of 1936. Rudolph and Art Geisinger, 1940, spoke about memories from their school days, and the gathering also heard from current students Grace Chamberlin and Jacob Johnson, who along with Superintendent Steve Niklaus passed out bricks from the 1922 school after the program.
Oct. 14
■ Coming as it did after years of broadband improvement efforts that culminated in an unfulfilled plan to build a city-owned fiber network, Midcontinent representative Dan Nelson’s closing comment must have been music to the ears of the Annandale City Council members on Monday night, Oct. 5.
"We’re coming to Annandale on our own nickel, and we’re very glad to be doing that," Nelson said.
Nelson, the director of governmental affairs for Midcontinent, along with several other Midcontinent officials, attended last week’s council meeting to establish relationships and share information about the high-speed network they plan to build in Annandale next year at an estimated cost of $2.2 million.
■ One year after fragments of human bones and teeth were found at the Hutchinson property of Robert Nuttall and Gwen Butcher, Nuttall has admitted to felony unintentional murder in the death of Christopher Rossing, 25, of Albion Township.
Nuttall, 29, of Hutchinson, entered a guilty plea to that charge on Friday, Oct. 9, the same day that a jury trial was scheduled to begin.
Wright County Attorney Tom Kelly said the settlement, which is expected to result in a 20-year prison sentence, was less than satisfactory, but the available evidence simply didn’t ensure the successful prosecution of more serious charges against Nuttall.
■ A decisive step toward answering the question of whether the South Haven Municipal Liquor Store can recover from a July flood could be taken as soon as this week, as the city council cleared the way for demolition to begin on an adjacent building during its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
The council approved a bid from DRC Inc. to demolish the deteriorating building attached the south side of the liquor store and bar at a cost of $35,200.
Oct. 21
■ After a wet construction season, paving on the Cherry Avenue reconstruction project and other nearby streets was scheduled for completion on Monday, Oct. 19.
While October has been comparatively dry, wet soil from earlier rains did delay the complete paving of Cherry Avenue between Highway 55 and Highway 24.
■ For more than two decades, Earl Baker has ferried students to and from the Annandale Schools, carried sports teams to their places of competition and earned the trust and respect of his riders along the way.
He has been the bearer of good luck for Cardinals teams marching through the playoffs. He once rode out a tornado that caught him and his bus load of cross country runners in the open near Cokato. And earlier this month, at the age of 81, Baker decided to leave his bus driving days in the rearview mirror after 23 years with M&M Bus Service.
"We’re sure going to miss him," said Shari Danziesen of M&M. "He’s been a great asset for many years."
■ Since 2009 the members of St. Ignatius Catholic Church have been developing and nurturing a relationship with the members of St. Vincent-Ferrer, a church located in Pacuan on Negroes Island in the Philippines.
Led by Dawn Schaefer Stumpf, a five-member team from St. Ignatius left on July 13 for the church’s fifth visit to the Philippines and the first trip taken since former St. Ignatius priest Father Victor Valencia was transfered to another parish in July 2014.
Oct. 28
■ The South Haven Municipal Liquor Store has cleared the first hurdle on the path toward potentially reopening.
It did so by surviving the demolition of a long-vacant, city-owned building that was attached to the south side of the liquor store and bar. The two buildings shared a brick and concrete wall that had no steel reinforcing rods.
The demolition took place on Monday, Oct. 19, and by Wednesday, Oct. 21, contractor DRC Inc. had removed the rubble and completed the backfilling of the building’s basement.
■ In the month since zebra mussels were discovered in Lake John, Blue Water Science out of St. Paul has produced a report that sheds light on the lake’s current condition and how the mussels could affect the lake in the future.
Steve McComas, who is the founder of Blue Water Science and is well known around the Twin Cities metro as the "Lake Detective," predicts that the zebra mussel population in Lake John will see moderate growth for the next three to six years, at which point algae concentrations that the mussels feed on could be reduced, leading to a limited food supply and decreased mussel population.
"However, when their population decreases then the algae concentration will come back," said McComas. "Then the zebra mussels will increase and filter feed on the algae again. Eventually it will reach some type of equilibrium, but it’s hard to say how long that will take."
■ Annandale firefighters were busy last week, responding to three fires.
The first destroyed an abandoned home south of town, and there was a second a smaller but more serious incident at Camelot Apartments on Cedar Street downtown. Finally, there was also a truck fire outside of town on Friday afternoon, Oct. 23.
November
Nov. 4
■ A man who lived one block away from Annandale Middle School for the past eight years has been arrested on child pornography charges and identified as "a person of interest" in the 1989 disappearance of Jacob Wetterling from St. Joseph.
Daniel Heinrich, 52, was taken into custody by agents from the FBI, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office and the Annandale police on Wednesday evening, Oct. 28. He is charged with five counts of possessing and receiving child pornography, and is being held in Sherburne County.
A press conference announcing the arrest and possible Wetterling connection was held on Thursday, Oct. 29, setting off extensive statewide news coverage of the event.
■ Residents near Danny Heinrich’s Myrtle Avenue home painted different pictures of what Heinrich was like as a neighbor after news broke that he was a person of interest in the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling last Thursday, Oct. 29.
Some said he was loud, vulgar and obnoxious, while others said he was friendly enough but mostly kept to himself and revealed little about his past.
Nov. 11
■ After more than a decade of planning and multiple referendums, talk of Annandale’s inadequate recreational facilties will soon be consigned to the past.
Annandale School District voters spoke decisively in support of a $4 million referendum to construct the first phase of the proposed Annandale Area Recreation Park on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The measure passed with 1,045 "yes" votes and 669 "no" votes, a 61-39 percent margin out of 1,714 total votes.
■ It has been a long road to the passage of last week’s referendum that will allow construction of the Annandale Area Recreation Park, but now that funding is available to start the project a whole new process is beginning.
"It’s like coaches say, celebrate the victory for one day and then it’s back to work," said Annandale City Council member and project supporter David Burd. "We have to get back together and start figuring things out."
■ Saying that evidence collected at Daniel Heinrich’s Annandale home created a "chilling context" and that his release on bail would be a "danger to the community," U.S. District Court Judge Tony Leung ordered Heinrich to remain in custody without bail on Wednesday, Nov. 4, in St. Paul.
Leung also determined after a 90-minute hearing that investigators have enough probable cause to continue pursuing five charges against Heinrich of possessing and receiving child pornography, according to news reports.
Heinrich, 52, who has lived in Annandale for about eight years, was arrested by agents from the FBI, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office and the Annandale Police Department on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Nov. 18
■ During 2013 and 2014 area farmers faced historic challenges from weather, but longtime Albion Township farmer Larry Hoffman had a more positive superlative to report during this year’s harvest season.
"It’s the best crop of my lifetime," he said. "It’s beautiful. It’s kind of fun that way."
■ With each passing year, the ranks of veterans who fought in World War II become thinner.
When Annandale Middle School held its annual Veterans Day program on Wednesday, Nov. 11, there were two men on stage who could claim that distinction. Willard Leinonen of Annandale plied the Pacific in a destroyer escort, and Clint Fladland, 94, of St. Cloud was a Marine fighter pilot flying an F4U Corsair.
■ There are still some unknowns regarding South Haven’s Municipal Liquor Store, but one thing is certain after a public information meeting held Thursday night, Nov. 12 - the city is getting out of the liquor business.
Council members unanimously agreed to cut ties with the liquor store and bar, which has been closed since flooding in mid-July ruined equipment, damaged inventory and left the building structurally compromised.
Nov. 25
■ Annandale students presented "Disney’s The Little Mermaid" over the weekend. Nicole Kotila played Ariel, Coltan Forner played King Triton and Isaac Millner played Prince Eric.
■ The Camp Friendship Auxiliary is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Longtime members reflecting on the milestone include Karen Larson, Lorraine Miller, Aloys Olson, Ruth Gruys, Beverly Lindgren and Muriel Rudolph.
■ As the weather cools and the internal compass of area snowbirds begins to swing south, Jim Ledwein of Annandale is looking forward to getting back into the woodcarving workshop at his retirement community in Arizona.
Annandale residents may recognize Ledwein’s name as one of the local artists featured in the annual art crawl, and anyone who has stopped by the library during the summer months has probably noticed a few of his incredibly intricate, award-winning carvings on display.
December
Dec. 2
■ Discussions are underway to set up a joint powers agreement for the Annandale Recreation Park between the city of Annandale and Independent School District 876, Superintendent Steve Niklaus announced at the Monday, Nov. 23, school board meeting.
The joint powers agreement would establish a new entity to perform services concerning the Annandale Recreation Park on behalf of the city and the school district.
The entity will be administered by a joint board comprised of two representatives from the city of Annandale and two representatives from Annandale School District 876.
■ About 100 people came out for a community tree lighting ceremony on Saturday evening, Nov. 28, at Clock Tower Park. The event included speeches from Mayor Dwight ‘Dewey’ Gunnarson, chamber president Jeremy Wheeler and Vicki Morgan from ACT. There were also Christmas carols sung by volunteers from St. John’s Lutheran Church.
■ Whether sewing, spinning yarn or painting murals, Sue Thwing’s artistic ability has long been recognized around the Annandale area.
Earlier this year, however, the Annandale resident’s work was also displayed to an international audience.
A wool vest crafted by Thwing and first displayed at the "Deep Roots" fiber-textile art exhibit in Dassel in March and April was chosen by exhibit organizer and Finnish native Anita Jain to appear in a second exhibit at the Craft Museum of Finland over the summer months.
Dec. 9
■ South Haven City Council members approved a tax levy and budget for 2016, and also took steps to attempt a sale of the municipal liquor store building during their meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
As for the financial matters, the city’s property tax levy will rise 5 percent next year, increasing the total amount of revenue collected from $114,270 this year to $119,984. That levy amount is unchanged from the preliminary levy that the council approved in September.
■ Ten years after establishing a sister church relationship with a Catholic parish in Matamba, Tanzania, St. John’s Lutheran Church of Annandale is looking to make sure that relationship can stay strong into the future, even as the number of face-to-face visits between the churches may diminish.
Mona Volden, chair of the church’s committee for Matamba, and Terry Jensen, who along with her husband Mark helped forge the relationship in 2005, visited Matamba from Aug. 23 to Sept. 9. It was Volden’s third trip to Tanzania, and Jensen’s 13th. The focus of this year’s mission was to gauge progress, deliver school uniforms and messages from sponsors, and establish additional connections that will make the relationship sustainable.
■ Annandale will be a festive place on Saturday, Dec. 12, as the Main Street Holiday event and the Canadian Pacific Holiday train will combine to create numerous attractions.
The day will begin with a Santa Fun Run at 1 p.m. downtown, followed by an afternoon of live music, horse-drawn trolley rides, appearances by Santa and a parade at 5 p.m. with lighted units.
Dec. 16
■ Annandale was a holiday hotspot on Saturday, Dec. 12, as the Main Street Holiday event filled the
downtown with visitors during the afternoon and the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train arrived in the evening, when it was enjoyed by thousands. The train event, in conjunction with Anchor Dock and Lift’s annual fundraiser, raised over $30,645 in funds for the
Annandale Food Shelf, along with over 1,500 pounds of food. "We prefer to get the cash because we can buy exactly what we need," said food shelf president Ed Skomoroh. "It was a very, very successful event."
■ One of the more remarkable moments among long-term efforts to build a recreation park in Annandale came in mid-August when the Annandale School Board held a special meeting to consider calling for a November referendum.
Prior to the board’s vote, citizen park committee member Jack Driste stood up and said that if a vote was held and approved by residents, he would donate $200,000 to the project. Why did Driste publicly commit himself to such a large donation?
"Because I really believe in this park," he said in an interview last week.
■ Annandale lost a true entrepreneur on Tuesday, Dec. 1, when Bernard "Bud" Garthe died at the age of 62.
Few, if any, local people can claim to have created and opened as many businesses as Garthe did. While best known as the founder of Bernatello’s Pizza, Garthe opened many businesses before and after Bernatello’s.
Dec. 23
■ The weight of federal charges against Daniel Heinrich increased five-fold last week when a grand jury indicted him on 25 counts of possessing and receiving child pornography.
Heinrich, 52, was arrested at his home in Annandale on Oct. 28 and charged by criminal complaint with five counts of possessing and receiving child pornography.
The day after his arrest officials from Stearns County, the FBI, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the U.S. Attorney’s Office named Heinrich a "person of interest" in the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling.
■ The second defendant in the 2014 kidnapping and murder of Christopher Rossing has pleaded guilty and will be officially sentenced next month.
Gwen Butcher, 33, of Hutchinson is expected to serve one year in local jail and be sentenced to 20 years of probation for felony aiding an offender by obstructing an investigation. If she breaks her conditions of probation, she will be jailed for more than six years.
Butcher is the girlfriend of Robert Nuttall, 29, of Hutchinson who pleaded guilty to felony unintentional murder in October and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
■ In just one week’s time, Annandale Elementary students raised $5,461.36 in a fundraising event they called Change-for-Change.
The effort was headed up by the five fifth-grade classes at Annandale Elementary, and the money will go toward a pair of worthy causes. Half will be donated to Annandale Elementary cook Kelli Deters, who is battling cancer and has undergone costly treatments, and the other half will sponsor three students in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, allowing them to attend school for a full year.
Dec. 30
■ Anyone curious about the legacy of former Annandale Mayor Wally Houle need look no further than the Main Street canopies and the Thayer Hotel.
Houle died Sunday, Sept. 20, at Quiet Oaks Hospice Home in St. Augusta at the age of 84.
Though his two terms as mayor occurred more than 35 years ago, from 1977 to 1980, he left an enduring mark on the town in more ways than one.
■ There may be some who enjoy vicariously celebrating the turn of the year through a television screen while watching a symbolic ball drop in some faraway city, but for those who would rather take to the streets and participate in the real thing, downtown Annandale is the place to be this New Year’s Eve.
Annandale’s second annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop will take place at Clock Tower Park in Annandale on Thursday, Dec. 31.
■ The Annandale School Board met Tuesday, Dec. 22, for its final meeting of 2015. The board met on Tuesday instead of the usual Monday in order for board members to attend the Tunes and Treats jazz concert.
During the meeting the board approved a property tax levy for 2016 of $5,060,093. The 2016 levy represents an increase of 5.2 percent over taxes payable in 2015.