Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Subscribing!!

It will be a fantastic journey as we move through 2015 watching all that gets packed into the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper. I already have visions of summertime when Elrosa Saints and Stearns County League baseball coverage gets into full swing.

How to subscribe? Here's the best way right now. (Credit card payments will be an option but probably not until February):

Checks to:
Bonanza Valley Voice

Mailed to:
PO Box 280 (new PO Box is 250)
Brooten, MN 56316

e-mail with any questions is:
lifeinbonanzavalley@gmail.com

Or, of course, cash payments at the office in Brooten.

For subscribers in Swift, Pope, Kandiyohi or Stearns counties: $18 a year

All others: $20 a year anywhere else in the U.S.

Right now you can take advantage of a subscription special that's featured in this week's Jan. 1 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice. I'll post more information on that later.

Have a great, safe New Year's Eve!

Friday, December 26, 2014

(Photo Gallery) Santa Claus visits Elrosa

It's taken almost two weeks to get this going, but slowly an online photo gallery is coming together for the Bonanza Valley Voice.

Close to 50 area kids attended Elrosa's Santa Day on December 13.


Here's a link to see photos from Santa Claus's visit to Elrosa on December 13:
http://bonanzavalley.smugmug.com/2014-BBE-area-events/Santa-Days

In the coming week the photo gallery website will be revamped for easier use.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Christmas greetings from Glenwood

Medical staff at Glacial Ridge Health System in Glenwood.

The Bonanza Valley area is served by a superb nucleus of state-of-the-art health care facilities. They include Glacial Ridge Health System in Glenwood, Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, Douglas County Hospital in Alexandria and CentraCare Health in Sauk Centre and Paynesville.

Federal intervention

It hasn't worked out too well in Chicago...read about what I'm referring to here:
http://conservativetribune.com/michelle-bad-news-chicago

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Sound advice


Santa Claus visits!

The countdown is underway! Here's a sign located outside the Belgrade Hardware Hank store on Tuesday afternoon.


Here's a high-definition video of Santa Claus visiting the Jaguar Kids Connection Christmas program on Monday night this week:

Monday, December 22, 2014

God bless their families

The two New York police officers who were executed on Saturday by a deranged, lunatic Muslim.

Police officers across the U.S. should not be targets of madmen running around with a death wish.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Health care news

While in the future we will get our news room up to speed to provide our own coverage of events such as the open house celebration at Glacial Ridge Health Systems in Glenwood, in this case we will share an article from the Pope County Tribune that's on GRHS's website.

I managed to take in the open house on Dec. 2 but didn't get any photos taken.

The Bonanza Valley area is fortunate to be served by excellent health care systems, including Glenwood's.

http://www.glacialridge.org/glenwood-hospital-expansion-is-complete

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

(Video) Elementary Christmas program


Every student got into the spirit of the program and dressed up in some type of fashion.

Here's video from the B-B-E elementary Christmas program:


And video from the last couple of songs:

An online photo gallery with 70 pictures from the Christmas program will be unveiled here next week. Check back for updates.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Santa Claus visits Sunburg

A little bit of Disney World came to Sunburg with Santa Claus!

Santa Claus had a small army of helpers tonight when he visited Sunburg.
The big crowd that came for Santa Claus in Sunburg filtered into the Kultur Hus for goodies.

Here's video from Sunburg tonight:


I'd say the population of Sunburg at least doubled tonight if not more when Santa Claus and his Kandiyohi County 18-wheel Express swung through town. Once Santa Claus and his helpers (some from Disney World) left town for their next stop, the crowd filtered into the Kultur Hus for treats and great company.
http://www.kulturhus.net

Santa Claus visits Brooten


The afternoon was terrific for Santa Day in Brooten today.

See one of the final horse-drawn wagon rides return to the Brooten American Legion:

The horse-drawn wagon rides were conducted by Horse Power Acres of Holdingford. They were great!

Coming on Sunday: more photos and video from Saturday's activities in Brooten.

Santa Claus visits Elrosa

Here's a glimpse of the great turnout for Santa Claus at the Elrosa Catholic parish center today:

Friday, December 12, 2014

Great turnout

The "Supporting Chief Derrick Bjork" event had a great turnout tonight at the KaDe Shack.

After January 1, fundraising efforts will get underway.

Working on updates

I'm currently trying to update our Bonanza Valley Voice Google-plus page. It's a work in progress! I'm currently having trouble with my Gmail account.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Outstanding conservationists!

The Halls Farm (Allan and Marlene, Mark and Michelle, Chris and Kelly, Kim, Mike and Kelly, and grandchildren) of rural Brooten, Pope County, won the state contest of finalists for the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts' Outstanding Conservationist Award Program.

Of the eight finalists selected from the 89 soil and water districts in Minnesota, the Halls Farm came out on top.

The announcement was made at the MASWCD's 78th annual meeting on Dec. 9 in Bloomington.

The Farmer magazine has provided support for the Outstanding Conservationist awards for more than two decades.

Sixty-four of 89 soil and water districts have nominees who were recognized at the awards luncheon on Tuesday at the Doubletree Hotel.

Santa Claus coming to Elrosa, Brooten and Sunburg!!

Don't miss out on Santa Day in Brooten this Saturday! (December 13) You won't want to miss out on this. From what I have seen throughout the area, this may be the busiest "Santa Day" around.

The B-B-E wrestling club is sponsoring a Candy Cane Dash 5K and 1K. The walk/run starts at 10 a.m., and registration is at Trinity Lutheran Church starting at 9:30 a.m. Kids games will also be held.

A Boy Scouts (B-B-E Troop 66) bake sale is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

**At Jana Mae's, local author Les Graham will sign copies of his book "Jude's Gentle Giants" from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. As I have time, I hope to write a little more about his book between now and Saturday. http://www.janamaes.com/

At the Brooten American Legion building, a free movie showing of "Ice Age - a Mammoth Christmas" starts at 1 p.m.

Santa Claus greets children from 2 to 3 p.m., also at the Legion hall. Each child will receive a bag of treats.

Free sleigh rides by Horse Power Acres will be from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

All week you can register at Brooten Commercial Club business members for a drawing of $300 to $600 in Brooten Bucks. The drawing will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Legion hall. Drawings will be for $20, and if you are present that amount doubles to $40.

A Parade of Lights will be on main street starting at 6 p.m., where floats decorated with Christmas lights will drive by.

The night wraps up with "Christmas caroling by the fire." The campfire and caroling will be at the old Brooten high school parking lot following the parade. S'Mores will be provided.

**Also this Saturday: Santa Claus is in Elrosa at the Parish Center from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and then in Sunburg that night at 5:30 p.m. on main street.

The Kandiyohi County Holiday Express 18-wheeler will bring a terrific show of lights plus the jolly ol' fella to Sunburg.

See you Saturday!


Monday, December 8, 2014

Interesting news for small businesses

Read about it at the National Small Business Association website:
http://www.nsba.biz/?p=8955

The Bonanza Valley region is rich with small businesses and industry who would benefit by provisions in the bill that's referenced in this web article.

"Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (H.R. 5771)"