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News from the week of March 29, 2000 Headlight Herald - Serving Tracy, Minnesota, since 1880

 

International Day promises `trip around world'

An international flavor is sure to spice up Tracy Area High School Friday, March 31.

International Day activities, based on the theme “Make the Connection,” are planned from 4 to 7 p.m. at the high school. The event promises a chance to learn about cultures from around the world, meet new people, and sample international cuisine. The public is invited to attend.

More than 20 high school and college foreign exchange students will attend. France, Norway, Napal Malaysia, India, Cameroon, Iran Japan, Italy, Brazil, Columbia, Switzerland, Chile, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands are among the counties that will be represented.

“We've got a lot of activities planned,” said Mary Malmberg, one of the International Day organizers. “It's going to be fun day, part educational and part social.”

Special guests are 17 high school AFS exchange students spending the year in the region, and as well as foreign-born students attending Dakota State University, the University of Minnesota, and South Dakota State University.


Dental Health Center plans April 5 re-opening after fire

The Tracy Dental Health Center plans to reopen next week, as clean-up efforts continue in the wake of a Saturday fire.

Firemen were called to the downtown Tracy clinic at 10:45 p.m. Saturday. Fire damaged a rear storage area. Smoke damage was sustained throughout the office.

No one was in the dental office at the time of the fire. Iverson said the fire damaged no patient records.

“We are very fortunate that the firemen got there when they did. They really contained it quickly.”

The Dental Health Center is located at 150 Third Street. Drs. Don Waletzko and Randy Johnson, both of Marshall, practice at the center.


Baby pool liner surfaces as test for swimming pool

Can modest improvements postpone the day when the City of Tracy is faced with spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace the Sebastian Park swimming pool?

City leaders hope the answer is “yes.”

Tracy City Council members unanimously accepted a staff recommendation to spend $8,100 to install a new liner in the baby pool Monday night. If the PVC liner performs well, a similar liner could be installed next year in the big pool.

“If this works, this will buy us some time to decide what we want to do (with the pool),” said City Administrator Audrey Koopman.

The 49-year-old Sebastian Park pool has been a growing community concern. Dedicated in 1951, the pool is one of the oldest outdoor facilities in Minnesota. Already well past the normal life expectancy for an outdoor pool, how much longer the pool will last has become an open question. In recent years, both the baby and main pools have experienced water leakage problems, and swimmers have complained about rough, jagged surfaces in the pool.


Ruling gives green light to city sewer bid

The City of Tracy's $1.5 million sewer and water improvement project has a green light to proceed.

A legal challenge earlier this month had prevented the city from awarding a construction. But a Lyon County District Court ruling last week had removed that red light.

With Judge Harrelson ruling in the city's favor, Tracy City Council officially approved awarding the contract to Scott Olson Digging. Work is likely to begin in late May or early June. The city faces an Oct. 31 state deadline to complete the work.


Speech team is No. 1

TAHS squad ends decade-long Minneota run

Tracy Area High School won its first district-level speech title in at least 15 years Saturday.

The Tracy thespians dominated the six-school field to win the Sub-Section 11A speech tournament held at Dawson. The Panther team dethroned Minneota, which had reigned as sub-section or district speech champion throughout the 1990s.

The 36-member Tracy team outpaced the field with 90 points. Minneota was a distant second with 55 points. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton was third.

This year's championship marked a continued improvement in the TAHS speech program. Last year, the team was fourth at sub-section. In 1998 TAHS finished sixth.


Tracy garbage changes okayed

Petition, letters & comments show wide range of public opinions

Uniform, wheeled-garbage containers are on the horizon for City of Tracy residents.

On a 4-3 vote Monday, city council members approved a plan that will provide new 65-gallon containers for all Tracy residential garbage customers. The hard-plastic containers, with attached lids, are designed to be tipped automatically into a sanitation truck.

Also approved by the council vote was a three-year extension of the city's present garbage contract with Ritter's Sanitary Service of Marshall. The contract, which was set to expire June 30, 2003, was extended to 2006. The council also accepted a proposal to eliminate an existing clause that allows Ritter's to request a rate increase when operating expenses (fuel and insurance) increase more than 10%. The council vote also accepted a proposal that eliminates cost-of-living increases during the three-year extension period.

Once the changes go into effect, Tracy customers will pay $14.33 a month for weekly curbside pickup of the new 65-gallon cans. (The 65-gallon containers were previously described as being 60-gallon sized). Customers now pay $14.33 for 30-gallon weekly curbside service.