News from the week of June 6, 2001 Headlight Herald - Serving Tracy, Minnesota, since 1880
Big crowd expected for district American Legion convention
Over 200 people are expected this weekend in Tracy for the Seventh District American Legion convention.
The event begins Friday evening with registration from 5-8 p.m. at the American Legion Post. An executive board dinner is also planned Friday evening.
On Saturday, the convention begins at 9 a.m. with the business session. Memorial services are planned at 11 a.m. A Gold Star luncheon is planned at the Tracy Eagles Club at noon.
Business meetings will re-convene at 1 p.m., and are expected to wrap up by mid-afternoon. After the business meetings, a reception will be held for the new district commander and president.
A Legion banquet is set Saturday evening at the Mediterranean Club. Gaylord Keck from the Luverne Veterans' Home will be speaking at the banquet.
Milroy baseball park dedication set June 11
A dedication ceremony for the newly-refurbished Milroy baseball field steps to the plate Monday, June 11.
A representative of the Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation, and possibly a Minnesota Twins player, will be on hand for the festivities. Plans also include baseball games involving local teams.
The field was recently renovated with the help of a $5,000 matching grant from the Minnesota Twins Community Fund, Cargill, Inc., and the Pohlad Family Foundation. The Pohlads are the owners of the Twins baseball team.
Recent renovations included the removal of old chain-link fencing down the right and left-field foul lines and the installation of new black wire mesh fencing with yellow protective piping. The outfield fence was also repaired.
Over $3,000 worth of local “in-kind” volunteer labor and equipment, and $1,900 in local cash contributions, matched the Twins grant.
Sanitary sewer upgrade plans move forward
Tracy City Council members gave engineers a green light last week to proceed with upgrading a sanitary sewer line on the northeast edge of Tracy.
About 5,000 to 6,000 feet of 12-inch pipe will be replaced, starting near the intersection of East Fourth Street and Circle Drive, and heading northeast to the city sewage treatment lagoons. The improvement will be funded with $212,000 in 2% state loan funds left from last summer's sewer separation project.
Engineer Chuck Schwartz said the larger sewer pipe would help alleviate problems that occurred this spring, when a five-inch weekend rain filled the sanitary sewer to capacity. A full sanitary sewer near the outlet caused the city to “bypass” the sanitary sewer at East Fourth and Circle Drive, resulting in sewage being discharged on top of the ground. At the time, Public Works Director Don Polzine said that sump pumps, improperly discharged into the sanitary sewer, had contributed greatly to the overwhelmed sanitary sewer. The city's storm sewer system ran below capacity, even while the sanitary sewer needed to be pumped out.
Schwartz told council members that the undersized sanitary sewer pipe was also contributing to the problem. He said it was possible that there were be some obstructions between Circle Drive and the lagoons.
The engineer said that the 12-inch pipe does not have the needed capacity. He pointed out that at Hollett Street, the city has a 36-inch sanitary sewer pipe, which in turn empties into a 24-inch pipe, and then finally the 12-inch pipe.
The estimated improvement costs, which Schwartz said will be less than $212,000, will include engineering fees and street replacement costs.
FFA achievements earn final salute
A successful year came to a conclusion for Tracy FFA members at the group's annual awards banquet last Tuesday.
The gathering included speakers, entertainment and the presentation of over 150 awards.
To start out the ceremony Greg Tanghe, father of Tracy's 2001 FFA president Alison Tanghe, commenting on the many awards Tracy's FFA chapter always seems to receive.
“Our chapter wins most of these awards because of one man. Paul Skoglund is an advisor and a teacher who goes out of his way to help his students and pushes them to reach higher levels.”
Skoglund responded to Tanghe's complement by giving credit to parents.
“I have always said that good kids come from good families. In this case it is true, all the kids that have enrolled in the FFA program over the years have been fun to work with. I would like to thank the parents for raising such great kids.”
`Spectacular, heart-warming, enthralling...`Peter Pan' was a hit
The Tracy Community Children's Choir did it again.
Some wondered how the choir could match the smash successes of Annie Jr. in 1999 and Wizard of Oz last year. But the choir came through wonderfully with Peter Pan in Neverland, sailing through hectic spring schedules to deliver a swashbuckling musical that brought smiles to even the crustiest old sea dogs.
Spectacular. Heart-warming. Enthralling. Pick your adjective. Peter Pan was a hit.
• • •
The challenges facing directors Ade Miller and Jesse James were considerable.
How do you excite an audience about a musical score that, except for one number, almost no one has ever heard?
How does one breath new pizzazz into a children's story that's as familiar as a nursery rhyme?
How are the energies of 65 grade-schoolers streered clear of disorganized mayhem?
How are children as young as eight-years-old transformed into compelling actresses and actors?
And lastly, how is a bare stage at one end of a basketball court transformed into the magical, mystical world of Neverland?
Was it a pinch of pixie dust that did the trick? A magical potion? Or were the extra early morning practices and an army of volunteers what worked wonders?
Whatever it was, the production came together beautifully.
Circus is coming to Tracy June 23
Step right up! The circus is on its way to Tracy.
The Tracy Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus on Saturday, June 23 at the Tracy Industrial Park, located behind Northstar Modular Homes. Show times are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Chamber Director Bob Gervais said the Tracy Chamber is sponsoring the circus as a fund-raiser. Money raised has not yet been tagged for any specific purpose, he added.
Gervais said it is the first time the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus has been to the area. The show is complete with live animals, as well as elephant and pony rides for kids.
“It's fun for all ages,” Gervais said.
The public is invited to watch the tent raising at about 9 a.m. on the morning of the circus and to stay for a free endangered species show at 10 a.m. and learn about the animal performers in the circus.