Thursday, September 22, 2011

Volume 95; Number 14

www.bladepublishing.net

A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560

Eagle Valley School Board prepares for levy referendum

By Rin Porter The 2011-2012 school year in the Eagle Valley School District began successfully in the Clarissa building where all grades K-12 are attending classes together for the first time. At their Sept. 12 meeting, members of the Eagle Valley School Board heard from teachers and principals about how excited the students were to be going to school together. Dean of Students Duane Motzko told the board, We had a very good start to the school year. The elementary school has adapted well to the high school being there. High School Principal Barry Johnson said, The loss of our student Aaron Johnson affected everyone. We hosted the funeral, and we modified our workshop schedule to accommodate the grieving process. When the school year began, Students walked into a cool place, a nice place. Our staff did a great job of tweaking things the first week to make everything work. Mr. Johnson said the fall enrollment was 265 students, with three more possibly going to start school in the next few days. Now that school is underway and the renovations to the Clarissa building are complete, the school board is turning its attention toward preparing for the levy referendum on Nov. 8. the proposed referendum, and net increase in property taxes. The services of Ehlers & Associates will cost $2,500. The company, based in St Paul, has wide experience assisting school districts by preparing materials to help voters make informed decisions about levy referenda. In addition to hiring Ehlers & Associates, the school board also scheduled a meeting of its own marketing committee on Sept. 14 to gather ideas for public meetings and other contacts with voters in the eight weeks before the voting takes place on Nov. 8. Suggestions received so far included having teachers volunteer to go door-to-door to talk with voters, putting information on the school district website, sending a mailing to all real estate taxpayers in the district, and identifying a student leader to help spread the word to other students, who could then talk to their parents and friends about the upcoming vote. A final form of levy referendum preparation discussed at the meeting included the possibility of making contact with Doug Thomas, executive director Continued on page 16.

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What do students do after the game?

Zion Lutheran offers post game entertainment to teens

At the Sept. 12 meeting, the board voted to hire Ehlers & Associates to provide financial services to help the district explain to voters the need for the renewal of the operating levy and the impact of the levy referendum on property taxes. Ehlers & Associates will gather data from the district, the county, and the state department of education; estimate the revenue, state aid, and additional tax levies that would result from the referendum election; provide tables to summarize this data; provide graphs comparing the district to other selected districts; and provide tables showing the amount of additional state property tax refund amounts that taxpayers in the district may receive as a result of

Zion Lutheran Church, Browerville, offers students an alternative to partying after home sporting events. Students are treated to pizza and pop and can participate in a number of activites including games and movies. Additional photos page 16. Photos by Tarissa Host.

Reichel arrested at his home

On September 16 deputies arrested Ross Reichel at his residence in Browerville. Jennifer Burton was also arrested for aiding an offender and obstructing the legal process. Charges are pending against both with the Todd County Attorneys Office. On September 6 a Todd County deputy attempted to stop a 2001 Ford F250 on County 89, near County 14 for a stop sign violation and driving after revocation. The driver of the pickup, Ross Reichel, Browerville, led the deputy on a short pursuit which ended in a cornfield. Reichel fled on foot and was not located. Long Prairie Police Department, MN State Patrol, MN DNR, and Douglas County Sheriffs Department assisted in the incident.

Students learn School Bus Safety

Browerville elementary and Christ the King students learned school bus safety lessons from Mike and Jenny Aksamit, Aksamit Transportation, Browerville last week.

WEEKLY WEATHER REPORT

Wed. Sept. 21 Showers/Wind 51/36 Thur. Sept. 22 Partly Cloudy 61/39 Fri. Sept. 23 Partly Cloudy 67/46 Sat. Sept. 24 Sunny 76/51 Sun. Sept. 25 Sunny 81/50 Mon. Sept. 26 Sunny 80/47