News from the week of September 27, 2000 Headlight Herald - Serving Tracy, Minnesota, since 1880
Salmons reluctantly resigns as Ford dealer
For the first time in nine decades, the Ford Motor Company is no longer a part of the Tracy business community.
Jeff Salmon, Salmon Motors, reports that he has reluctantly resigned as a Ford dealer. The change is effective Sept. 30.
“This wasn't an easy decision to make. You don't like to just give up a franchise,” said Salmon. But, he said, new corporate policies instituted by Ford have made it financially impossible to continue as a Ford franchise. He said the changes are forcing many other small rural dealers to end their relationships with Ford as well.
The change means that Salmons will no longer sell new Ford and Mercury vehicles, or be a Ford service center for warranty work.
Improvements urged for gym stage
The Fine Arts Council of Tracy (FACT) is urging that electric service and lighting upgrades be considered for the Tracy Area High School stage and gym.
Chris Schons, FACT spokesman, addressed the Tracy Board of Education Monday night. She said wiring and lighting deficiencies in the stage and gym area are potentially hazardous.
"The building was built 30 years ago and we really need to do something about this situation," she said. "The gym is used for so many events, Miss Tracy Pageant, the FFA talent show, prom, elementary family fun night, community theater, the elementary Christmas program and many other events."
George Hebig, Tracy electrical contractor, who assisted with many backstage technical details for the Tracy Children's Choir production of Wizard of Oz last spring, provided the board with specifics.
City streets scheduled for final asphalt layer Friday
A street-paving project is nearing completion in Tracy.
Crews for McLaughlin & Schulz, Marshall, began blacktopping Tracy streets last Wednesday. As of Monday crews had applied an initial bituminous layer to all streets affected by the city's $1.7 million sewer and water improvement project. About 12 blocks of city streets were affected by the work this summer.
The paving crews left town Monday night, but are expected to return Friday to apply a final coat of asphalt. The newly-paved streets are open to traffic.
Streets affected by the paving are: Second Street, from Rowland to Center; Rowland, from Second to Third and Seventh to Eighth; Third, from Rowland to Morgan; Emory and Harvey, from Second to Third; Hollett, from Second to Fourth; Hunter Street.
`Tracy is wonderful'
New State Farm agent & family don't need Rocky Mountain vistas
Not long ago, Connie Sletten was a single woman living in Denver, Colorado. A manager for Oppenheimer Mutual Funds, she loved just about everything about the Mile High City and its spectacular vistas.
Returning the prairie country of Southwest Minnesota where she grew up wasn't remotely in her plans.
Enter Mark Priegnitz, a native of Evergreen, Colorado, and a teacher and coach at Otero Junior College in southern Colorado. His college baseball and football playing days at Wayne State, Nebraska had included brief road trips into the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. Otherwise, beyond a few essential facts like the Twins winning the World Series in '87 and '91, the teacher knew little about Minnesota.
The two met in Colorado and got married. Today they are the proud parents of two young children and are expecting a third.
Plans mapped for yarn shop in downtown Tracy
Monday morning was a day of anticipation for Glenda Johnson of Tracy. Or, you could say, anticipation and lots of hard work.
Johnson, formerly a Tracy state Bank employee, is opening a specialty shop at 125 Third St. in Tracy, right next to the American Media office. "the Yarn Shop" will be stocked and ready to open by the end of October. " As long as we have all of our inventory here by late October, or at least most of it, we'll open at the end of the month."
After 20 years as an employee at Tracy State Bank, Johnson said that it was "time for a change." Even though you may really enjoy what you do for a living, 20 years is a long, long time," she laughs. She also notes that there is a trend in other small towns that seems to be led by women opening specialty shops.
Library transition continues
• Plum Creek system offers access to 6,000 items
One year after joining the Plum Creek Library System, a transition period continues for Tracy Public Library.
All of Tracy Public Library's books are in the process of being logged into the Plum Creek system computerized data base.
While not all of the Tracy Public Library's books have been entered into the system, library patrons are able to get books through the Plum Creek system now. Towns already on the system include the Marshall Lyon County Library, Balaton Branch Library, Tyler Public Library, Windom Public Library, Slayton Public Library, and Pipestone County Library.
The process has been time-consuming, Librarian Vicki Olson said. But she is pleased with the possibilities afforded by the regional system.