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News from the week of February 16, 2000

 

March 24 hearing set for new automated garbage service plan

Is an automated garbage service on the horizon for the City of Tracy?

Maybe, maybe not.

Tracy City Council members decided Monday to set a March 24 public hearing to consider changes in the city's existing garbage hauling contract. The changes are sought by Steve Larson of Larson Services, Tracy.

Larson proposes to provide automatic-tipping containers to Tracy residential customers in one of three sizes: 15-gallon, 60-gallon, and 90-gallon. Monthly charges for curbside pickup would be: $11.28, $14.33, and $19.33. Alley service would continue to be available for $1 a month.

The wheeled containers, designed to be hydraulically lifted and tipped into the back of a garbage truck, have been offered to the city free of charge. In exchange for the new containers, Larson is asking for a three-year extension of the current exclusive hauling contract with the city. The city's current five-year garbage contract runs until June 30, 2003. Larson has said an extension is necessary to recover the costs of the new containers. Headlight Herald - Serving Tracy, Minnesota, since 1880


Twisters take center stage at state

The Tracy Area High School Twister Dance Team performs under the big-city lights of Williams Arena Friday.

The dance team performs in the Class A jazz funk state preliminaries that begin at 12:30pm Friday. Class A jazz funk finals begin at 4:30pm.

The Twisters qualified for state competition by placing fourth in jazz funk Section 2A dance competition in Tracy Saturday. The top four teams qualified for state. The Twisters missed the cut in high kick competition.


New Prairie View resident has job worth woofing about

Some say it's a doggone shame that Harley had to be kicked out of the Prairie View Nursing Home.

But no one's barking about Harley's expulsion, now that a saucer-eyed female named Murphy is wagging her way up and down Prairie View's corridors.

"It's only her first day, but so far she seems to be working out pretty well," said Tim Byrne, Prairie View administrator, Monday afternoon.

Murphy is a six-year-old brown and white-spotted beagle. Hopes are the lop-eared canine will be permanently adopted as Prairie View's in-house mascot and pet.

Pets in nursing homes, Byrne explained, are a growing trend.

"The residents seem to enjoy being around animals."


College courses will be a part of the curriculum at Tracy Area High School next year.

In a presentation to the school board on Monday night, High School Principal John Rokke called the classes a "major curriculum enhancement." He said the classes are geared toward students who want to earn college credits while remaining in a high school environment.

College electives offered next fall will include: speech and American literature, psychology, economics, math, drawing, English, computer and Spanish. Through an arrangement with Southwest State University in Marshall called the "Challenge Program," high school instructors will teach the courses. The courses, Rokke said, are not tied to the college's time frame. A semester course, for example, might be taught for two semesters with additional material added to fill in curriculum gaps needed by the high school students.

Instructors involved in the program are: LeAnn Thooft, Steve Jones, Randy McIntire, Joe Kemp, Pam Marsh and Amy Larsen.

Cost to the district per class is $1,800. The principal said he felt it was a good investment because it would meet the needs of students who might otherwise leave the district to enroll in classes at the college under the post secondary enrollment option.


Council hears upbeat report about Tracy airport usage

Usage at the Tracy Municipal Airport is on the upswing, Pastor Homer Dobson reported to Tracy City Council members Monday.

Yankton, Sioux Falls, and Watertown, South Dakota, Rochester, Maple Lake, Eden Prairie, Mankato and Anoka are a few of the cities where planes have flown from into Tracy over the past six weeks, Dobson reported.

"These individuals all came to take care of business in Tracy," he said. Some of the biggest airport users, he said, are medical specialists seeing patients in Tracy.

The airport commission chairman said, "local flights have picked up considerably in the past three years."

Invariably, he said, visitors are impressed with the Tracy airport.

Willima Bond, executive vice president for the Minnesota Pharmacists Association, commented about a Feb. 13 flight from the Twin Cities into Tracy in a letter sent to the council.

"I had a very good experience flying to Tracy. The airport certainly puts your lovely community "on the map"—aviation chart that is—and puts you in a class by yourself compared to similar-sized towns in your area.


Wizard of Oz cast announced

Excitement and enthusiasm are the buzz words as practice gets underway for the Community Children's Choir spring production of The Wizard of Oz.

The cast list for the musical was announced last week. All 75 members of the group will be on stage several times and have at least two costume changes. The logistics involved in casting for the musical, said director Ade Miller, were challenging. Assisting her with the selection process was Jeff James, high school English instructor.

The show will open on Friday evening, April 14 with two additional performances set for April 15 and 16 in the high school gymnasium.