News from the week of April 21, 2004
Show attracts crowd
For a second-straight year, pleasant spring weather shined on the Tracy Sportsmen's Show.
A steady stream of people walked through show attractions under sunny, calm skies.
"I'm guessing that we had as many people as last year or maybe a few more," said Robert Gervais, Tracy economic development director. He estimated attendance at 5,500 to 6,000 people, up from the 5,000 to 5,200 crowd estimate of last year. "It was a good show," Gervais said.
No admission was charged, so it was impossible to determine how many people did attend the show.
Final expense and revenue figures had not been computed Tuesday. But Gervais said that the show "will make some money."
This year's show was spread out over a wide area. The Prairie Pavilion was filled with exhibits and an on-going schedule of seminars. The Tracy Hospital Auxiliary served lunch in an upstairs cafeteria.
Morgan Street, in front of the Prairie Pavilion, was filled with boat, ATV, and camper exhibits, food stands, and a rock-climbing challenge. A tent spanning the parking lot across from City Hall was filled with more commercial exhibits. The Saratoga Archery Club staged a shooting demonstration next to the commercial exhibits.
A second tent held the "Brody the Bear" show. Thew open area west of the municipal liquor store was cordoned off for the Fred Scheers Lumberjack Shows.
Gervais said that attendance for the Lumberjack and bear shows was less than expected, with between 600 and 650 paying the $5 and $3 admission charge.
Seventy-four commercial exhibitors were at the show. A craft show in the St. Mary's School gym attracted additional vendors.
More testing okayed for aquatic center
What deficiencies exist at the Tracy Aquatic Center?
What needs to be done to make the aquatic center operational again?
City of Tracy leaders don't yet know the answers to those questions. But they continue their quest for answers.
Last week, Tracy City Council members accepted a recommendation to hire Braun Intertec for another round of tests at the pool, with costs not to exceed $5,552. The Braun testing is to include ground-penetrating radar.
Testing at the pool has been underway since September. At least five different firms have been involved in tests and analysis of the aquatic center—Braun Intertec, Graham Construction, Gremmer & Associates, WJI, and American Leak Detection. The city has retained a Twin Cities attorney to pursue legal claims the city may have against aquatic center contractors and designers.
City Administrator Audrey Koopman said last week that she does not know when the city will receive a definitive report on pool problems and recommended solutions. She does not expect a report at the council's April 26 meeting, but hopes that the information will be available in May.
The $1.8 million aquatic center opened in July of 2002. In the summer of 2003, the aquatic center was leaking large quantities of water. The high water loss caused operating costs to be much higher than expected. A significant amount of cracking in the aquatic center's concrete basins prompted the city to begin testing the structure last fall. Core samples drilled by Braun Intertec showed voids and foreign objects in pool walls.
The City of Tracy hopes to recover monetary damages through a lawsuit to repair or reconstruct the aquatic center.
The aquatic center will not open this summer. But city leaders have expressed hopes that the repairs can be completed in time for the summer of 2005.
'Pete' is honored for double milestone
School technology
plan is approved
The District 417 school board has approved a three-year technology plan for the district, despite reservations by some board members.
The same plan was defeated at the board's March board meeting after board members began discussing whether the district should be buying Macintosh computers or PCs.
Supt. David Marlette told the board last week that the technology plan is generic enough to allow the board to follow either of those paths, and that by approving the plan, the board would not be approving future purchases. All computer purchases, he said, could be brought to the board for approval, and the board could decide whether to buy Macs or PCs at that time.
Board chair Dan Zimansky agreed, noting that the technology plan indicated the number of units to be purchased only. “It's not appropriate not to move forward with the plan because we disagree about the platform,” he said.
Board members Eric Nelson and Ed Carter expressed concerns that the district is consistently buying equipment without a specific curriculum plan tied to it.
Nelson said he felt that it was essentially the board's fault for never laying out a curriculum plan for technology. “The board has never said what the expectation is,” he said. He added that he felt the board should give more thought to all curriculum areas.
“It's not fair to expect them to know what we want if we don't tell them and then just disapprove the plan,” responded board member Eric Fultz.
District technology coordinator Nan Ladehoff told the board that the plan is needed for the district to meet state and federal guidelines. In order to be compliant, she explained, the district must come up with a plan based on state and federal criteria.
“It's an evolving plan,” she said. “There's nothing here that's etched in stone.”
“We can use this as a starting point and then make changes,” said board member Garry Hippe.
Upon taking a vote, the board approved the technology plan on a five to two vote. The plan had previously been voted down by a four to three margin.
Duane Peterson thought that he was attending an informal dinner connected with the Norwegian Mutual Fire Insurance Company's annual meeting.
When he and his wife, Marge, arrived at Mediterranean Restaurant in Tracy, he noticed that some of their family members were there too. But it still didn't dawn on him that the gathering was to honor him for being on the company's board of directors for 50 years.
"I had no idea. I didn't even realize that it had been 50 years," the long-time Tracy businessman said later. "It takes a while for the bells to go off for a Norwegian."
Yes, Peterson really is of Norwegian descent. His Scandinavian bloodline could have been one reason that Ben Olson, a retired farmer who lived between Garvin and Balaton, asked Peterson to take his place on the board in 1954. He became board president in 1974, a position he has held for 30 straight years.
A Garvin native and a 1943 graduate of Tracy High School, Peterson started his insurance career in 1947 when he opened an office in Garvin. He expanded into real estate in 1975 after buying the Bill Rupp Agency in Tracy. In 1993, he sold out the insurance segment of the Peterson Agency to the Knakmuhs Agency of Walnut Grove. The real estate part of his business was sold to the Knakmuhs Agency in 2002. He continues to handle real estate work for the Knakmuhs Agency.
The Norwegian Mutual Fire was always one of the Peterson Agency's main carriers.
"It's a township mutual that does business in a nine county area," Peterson said.
The descendents of Norwegian emigrants started the company in Cottonwood 125 years ago.
"We are one of the largest township mutuals in the state," Peterson explained. "It's been very stable. We've been able to take care of people, keep our rates reasonable, and add a little bit to the surplus each year."
Peterson, now 78, marvels had how quickly the years have passed. When he joined the company's board of directors, he remembers being always one of the youngest people at meetings. The pendulum gradually shifted. Now he's one of the most senior people at company gatherings.
Peterson plans to step down from the board when his term as president expires next year.
"It's been good," Peterson said. Over the years, he said, he and Marge have developed many friendships through the organization. As for the recognition given to him by the company, Peterson isn't sure what the fuss is about.
"If you are going to put something in the paper, don't make me out to be some kind of a hero," he said modestly. "I was just in the right place at the right time. I'm still 'Pete' when you meet me on the street."
School technology plan is approved
The District 417 school board has approved a three-year technology plan for the district, despite reservations by some board members.
The same plan was defeated at the board's March board meeting after board members began discussing whether the district should be buying Macintosh computers or PCs.
Supt. David Marlette told the board last week that the technology plan is generic enough to allow the board to follow either of those paths, and that by approving the plan, the board would not be approving future purchases. All computer purchases, he said, could be brought to the board for approval, and the board could decide whether to buy Macs or PCs at that time.
Board chair Dan Zimansky agreed, noting that the technology plan indicated the number of units to be purchased only. “It's not appropriate not to move forward with the plan because we disagree about the platform,” he said.
Board members Eric Nelson and Ed Carter expressed concerns that the district is consistently buying equipment without a specific curriculum plan tied to it.
Nelson said he felt that it was essentially the board's fault for never laying out a curriculum plan for technology. “The board has never said what the expectation is,” he said. He added that he felt the board should give more thought to all curriculum areas.
“It's not fair to expect them to know what we want if we don't tell them and then just disapprove the plan,” responded board member Eric Fultz.
District technology coordinator Nan Ladehoff told the board that the plan is needed for the district to meet state and federal guidelines. In order to be compliant, she explained, the district must come up with a plan based on state and federal criteria.
“It's an evolving plan,” she said. “There's nothing here that's etched in stone.”
“We can use this as a starting point and then make changes,” said board member Garry Hippe.
Upon taking a vote, the board approved the technology plan on a five to two vote. The plan had previously been voted down by a four to three margin.
School doors will be replaced
The Tracy Area Public Schools board of education has approved phase one of a four-year door replacement project at both schools.
The board approved a base bid of $43,219 from Doom & Cuypers, Inc. of Marshall for phase one of the project. This phase includes the replacement of doors on the east and north sides of the high school. Entry doors will be replaced to the east corridors, boys' and girls' locker rooms, the shop area and the storage area by the locker rooms. The main entrance doors on the north side of the high school will also be replaced.
Plans are in place to replace the remainder of the high school entry doors next year, and to replace the doors at the elementary school the following two years.
Supt. David Marlette said the door replacement is much needed. The current doors have been in place since the schools were built. The doors are leaky and create security problems, he said.
The new entry doors will not include push-button handicapped-accessible technology, but will be wired so that this option can be added later.
The board took an initial look at the capital outlay requests for the 2004-2005 school year. Marlette asked for direction on how much money the district wants to spend on capital outlay projects.
A total of $603,562 is available in the district's capital outlay fund. Fixed expenses, which the school is obligated to pay, will account for $518,365 of that money. Of that, $275,000 will go toward payment for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning project.
Another $70,000 is needed to complete roof repairs at Tracy Elementary, leaving only about $15,000 for other capital outlay requests. In order to meet all of the capital outlay requests, the district would have to subsidize $261,378 from the district reserve. The district does have about $1 million available in reserve.
Marlette will bring a prioritized request list to the May board meeting, and the board will further consider whether or not to subsidize the capital outlay requests.
Trip to Europe described as 'awesome,' 'incredible'
Thirteen Tracy Area High School students recently returned from a two-week study trip to France and Spain. Stuents were Emily Rayman, Steph Hebig, Cassidy Eastman, Jason Morin, Ryan Stobb, Anders Davidson, Megan Anderson, Kasey Loeslie, Emily Miller and Mollie Goltz. Instructor Shorty Engel accompanied the students.