News from the week of July 19, 2000 Headlight Herald - Serving Tracy, Minnesota, since 1880
New information causes school board to rethink added elementary post
A June 26, 2000 decision to hire one elementary Full Time Equivalent (a full-time teacher or FTE) was declared out of order by board members at the July 10 meeting of the Tracy Board of Education. Upon review of Robert's Rules of Order, the board determined that the motion was out of order and moved to table the motion.
In light of new information about finances, the issue was tabled indefinitely until an exact student count can be known. Voting to table the issue were Nelson, Carlson, Lancaster and Carter. Voting against the motion were Raymond and Carpenter.
The tabling issue was conceived after a report by Superintendent Rick Clark stating that the current budget did, in fact, allot finances for 40 Balaton transfer students.
Lightning sparks Lake Sarah house blaze
Despite a flash of misfortune last week, John McClure remains optimistic.
"It could have been a lot worse." McClure says of the damage to his Lake Sarah home caused by fire last Tuesday night. "It's a little inconvenience, but I guess that's just how it goes for now."
At 8:10pm Tuesday, July 11, the Slayton and Balaton fire departments responded to a reported fire at the home of John and Sharon McClure down Shady Rest Road on Lake Sarah. The fire departments quickly extinguished the blaze.
Slayton fire department chief Tom Kappes said that the cause of the fire was most likely lightning. Both John and Sharon were home when the bolt struck.
New Key Largo owners want to make people happy
“We walked in the front and said, `We're home!' “ declares Mark Seleskie, new co-owner of Key Largo bar and restaurant. Seleskie and his fiancé, Suzanne Parry recently moved from the Twin Cities to Lake Shetek.
Mark and Suzanne left their Mail Box, ETC. business to get back to their roots in the restaurant business. Sixteen years of owning Dairy Queen franchises, Seleskie said, taught him the value of working with people, and he missed that.
“We've had enough of the Twin Cities. People in the restaurant business are like family, and we needed that,” he said.
Seleskie sought out a place that would offer him a challenge, but also the opportunity to work in a close community. As he discussed the options with his broker, none caught his attention as the little place on Lake Shetek did. Key Largo was on the market only three days when Suzanne and Mark walked in and fell in love with it all.
Saratoga hits bulls eye in hosting state tourney
The annual Minnesota State Archery Field Shoot was held at the Saratoga Archery Club in Amiret this past weekend. Eighty one archers from all over the state competed.
Organizers of the event were pleased with the weekend. Saratoga Archery Club President Todd Nelson said he ehard only positive comments from shooters. "I heard a lot of the guys saying that the shoot was well organized, and was the berst range and shooting ever in Minnesota.
On Saturday, archers shot two rounds consisting of 28 targets followed by one round of 14 targets on Sunday. Highlights of the shoot were the tying of a state record twice and the breaking of a state record by an area club.
Raindrops on roses mean it's time for 61st Tracy UMC flower show
*Local gardeners plan exhibits for 'Ring Around the Rosy'
When Mabel Westphal talks about her colorful flower gardens, ther's a gleam in her eyes.
"My grandmother was into flowers, my fathers was into flowers, my daughters is into flowers. It just kind of comes natural, I guess," the Tracy woman smiles.
Mrs. Westphal is one of dozens of local gardening enthusiasts preparing for the United Methodist Church's 61st annual flower show, Thursday, July 27. Within the next few days, she and others will make final decisions about their entries.
"It's fun," she says. She encourages those who have never exhibited to give it a try.
More details can be obtained by calling 629-4576.
'Good old summertime' hitches pageant players to pioneer dream
Lazy, hazy days of summer?
Not if you are a cast member for in Laura Ingalls-Wilder Fragments of a Dream pageant. For 80 cast and production members, "pageant time" means countless hours of evening and weekend rehearsals. Nine weekend performances in July mean late bedtimes and postponed vacation plans.
Why do they do it?
Three veteran cast members say they love it.
Connie Knott, who plays Caroline Ingalls, Erroll Steffen, who plays Charles Ingalls, and Beth Kleven, who plays the adult Laura and narrates the play, feel the effort is well worth the result.