(Video) Musical rehearsal

From a recent rehearsal of the upcoming musical at B-B-E....see more details on page one of this week's Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.

New website!!!

At about 1 o'clock this afternoon our new website went online. Check it out, bookmark the link and visit it often!

http://www.bonanzavalleyvoice.com.

You can subscribe or renew through this website as well:
http://www.bonanzavalleyvoice.com/cgi-bin/htmlos.cgi/0079.4.2290692346414074656/subscribe

The 'parent trap'

A great New York Times column:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/20/opinion/sunday/ross-douthat-the-parent-trap.html?_r=0

Did you know?

Margarine was formulated in 1869 by Hippolyte Mège Mouriès of France in response to Napoleon III's offering of a prize to whoever could succeed at producing a viable low-cost substitute for butter. Mège Mouriès' concoction, which he dubbed oleomargarine, was achieved by adding salty water, milk, and margaric acid to softened beef fat. By the turn of the century, the beef fat in the original recipe had been replaced by vegetable oils. 

In 1886, New York and New Jersey prohibited the manufacture and sale of yellow-colored margarine, and by 1902, 32 U.S. states had enacted such prohibitions against the coloration of the spread. (Folks got around this by mixing yellow food coloring into the white margarine.) In 1950 President Truman repealed the requirement that margarine be offered for sale only in uncolored state, which led to the widespread production of the yellow margarine that has come to be the norm. 

(Video) B-B-E Homecoming Pep Fest games

Here's video from the B-B-E Homecoming Pep Fest held on the afternoon of Friday, October 9:


Don't miss out on all the coverage of the B-B-E Homecoming week in the October 8 and then October 15 issues of the Bonanza Valley Voice.

Noteworthy information about gun crime

From the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/03/us/how-mass-shooters-got-their-guns.html

For anyone who cares:

In 2007, 24-year old Mathew Murry shot and killed two people at the Youth With A Mission training center in Colorado. Later that same day, at the New Life Church, Murray opened fire in the church parking lot, shooting the Works family and Judy Purcell. Murray then entered the building's main foyer where he shot Larry Bourbonnais, hitting him in the forearm. Once inside, Murry didn’t expect to be confronted by  church member  Jeanne Assam with her personally owned concealed weapon pointed at him. After suffering multiple hits from Assam's weapon, Murray fatally shot himself.

http://www.guns.com/2013/06/27/cdc-releases-study-on-gun-violence-with-shocking-results/

(Photo gallery, HD videos) Terrace Mill Fiddlers' Contest

If you missed it, you missed out on a great show!

Here's the link to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper online photo gallery from Sunday's event in Terrace. Photos also appear on page 10 of this week's newspaper issue.
https://bonanzavalley.smugmug.com/2015-BBE-Bonanza-Valley-area-e/Terrace-Mill-Fiddlers-Contest-


Here's some high-definition video from the afternoon...dang, that was fun!!


And more:

Speaking of great local entertainment, below is information about upcoming events at Goat Ridge Brewing Co. in New London:

If you haven't subscribed to the newspaper, please do so! You can drop off a check 24 / 7 at the drop box window at our newspaper office on main street Brooten. Or you can pay online through this secure PayPal link:
http://lifeinbonanzavalley.blogspot.com/2015/01/online-payment-for-subscriptions.html

As of now, we have 223 new subscribers. Two have already been added new this morning! Weekly circulation has shot past 900 in recent weeks, an increase of over 30 percent since January 1.

Coming to Goat Ridge Brewing Co. in New London!!

Choose wisely!

City council - Sept. 28 meeting

Below is the agenda for the Sept. 28 meeting of the Brooten city council:

7:00     Tena Rytel – Geronimo Energy

                        Solar Update and Permitting

7:15     Snow Removal Bid Guidelines and Terms of Contract

7:30     2016 Pavilion Rate Discussion

7:45     Glacial Ridge Health System

                        Agreement to Provide Potable Water

8:00     Approval to pay Northern Lights Display

                        Banners and Lights - $6,861.00

8:15     Old Holiday Wreaths & Banners

8:30     Other

(HD video) Turkey Fest in Swift Falls

Video from the event on Saturday at Brink's Beer Joint...photos are on page 10 of the Bonanza Valley Voice this week.

Next school board meeting

The date has been changed for the Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa school board's September meeting. Instead of September 14, it has been moved back one week to Monday, September 21 at the B-B-E elementary school at 7:30 p.m.

(Video) Irrigation plot tour

Here's a video clip that goes with a story published in the August 27 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper:

Acting like sheep

Food for thought from a Facebook group that focuses mostly on political issues...this is definitely intriguing and shows how hard it is for the collective public to show that they're smarter than your average group of sheep: 

"We share so many stories on this page about corruption in every facet of government, and they receive a small amount of attention. Yet when a story about Josh Duggar having sex with a porn star is shared, it received 10s of thousands of interactions. Which tells me that the problem is not just corrupt legislators and government agents. The problem is the public too, and their inability to focus on information which truly impacts their lives. I'll leave you now so you can get back to watching reality TV."

(HD video) Mini-Dazzlers dance performance

At August Fest on August 8 in Belgrade:

Notice for B-B-E parents of 5th-8th graders

Important information regarding the creation of your 5th-8th grade student's Apple ID:

When the parent email info was initially collected from our system, the first parent/guardian address listed was pulled and sent to Apple. Please be sure to check both email accounts that we have on file (we may have more than one address listed). Please be sure to also check your email's spam, junk, and/or trash folders. If you still did not receive the Apple email, please contact swiechman@bbejaguars.org and our tech staff will look in to it. Do not try to setup your child's Apple ID if you did not receive an email from Apple. Also, on the BBE homepage, there is a blue icon titled 1:1 Device Insurance Protection Plan. This should allow you to make payments online. Thank you for your cooperation and patience in this matter. Note: The first batch of emails were sent on August 13th. Another 30 or so were generated today.

Art Crawl in Terrace!

I am excited to help promote the second annual Upper Chippewa River Art Crawl this Saturday and Sunday, August 22-23. A note about this event is on page two of the Aug. 20 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice.

More information is at the following website: http://www.jeffreysthornton.com/artcrawl.html

School board meeting

The regular monthly Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa school board meeting for August is tonight, Monday, at 7:30 p.m. at the high school auditorium.

If you can't attend the meeting, read all about it in this week's Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.

(HD video) B-B-E children's musical

Here's a short video clip from the musical on Friday night at the high school...photos are on page one and two from this performance in the August 6 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice.

(Video) Live music at FarmFest

This was great to see / hear as I entered the FarmFest grounds on Tuesday morning:

Vacation Bible School program

Here's video you can share with friends and family from the B-B-E Catholic churches Vacation Bible School program on Thursday, July 31 at Sts. Peter and Paul church in Elrosa.


Photos from Vacation Bible School in Elrosa were in and will be in the July 30 and August 6 issues of the Bonanza Valley Voice.

County fair time!

Don't miss the full schedule of the upcoming Pope County Fair in Glenwood...it was printed on page four of this week's Bonanza Valley Voice.

Genius

What can you say, he's a genius:
http://www.forwardprogressives.com/let-explain-donald-trump-absolute-genius

Accidental gun deaths in the U.S.

Irrigation town hall meeting

Irrigation Town Hall Meeting Planned

A town hall meeting focused on irrigation and hosted by area legislators is scheduled for Alexandria on Wednesday, July 29.  It will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Glenwood State Bank building in Alexandria.

“This is an opportunity for irrigators to let us know how new water appropriation rules are impacting them,” said Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck).  “The DNR plays an important role in the permitting process for large volume water users, and they will also be in attendance.”

Other legislators who will be at the meeting include Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and Rep. Denny McNamara (R- Hastings), who is currently serving as chair of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

“This town hall meeting is a great opportunity for constituents to engage in dialog with DNR officials and lawmakers,” Franson said. “We’re looking for ways to make irrigation and well permitting policy more efficient and workable for area farmers.”

Legislation passed in the 2013 session changed how the DNR reviews applications and approves permits for new irrigation wells. “These changes have caused some confusion and time delays in the process,” said Anderson. “This meeting will give area farmers an opportunity to share their experiences in dealing with the permitting process and hopefully offer suggestions on how to make it better and more streamlined.”

The location of the meeting in Alexandria is the second floor community room of the Glenwood State Bank building at 2221 South Broadway St. in Alexandria.  It begins at 8:30 a.m. on July 29.

 “This is an important topic for our area,” Anderson added.  “The Bonanza Valley around Brooten and Belgrade is heavily dependent on irrigation to produce crops.  It’s also one of four pilot areas in the state where the DNR is conducting studies on water sustainability.”

(Photos) Bonanza Valley Days: Day Two

Here's a not-quite-completed photo gallery from day two (Saturday) of the 2015 Bonanza Valley Days in Brooten:
http://bonanzavalley.smugmug.com/2015-BBE-Bonanza-Valley-area-e/Bonanza-Valley-Days-Day-Two/

(Video) 'Romeo and Harriet' in Terrace!

The final night of the show is tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Terrace at the beautiful, historic Terrace Mill theater stage.

Here's the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper photo gallery link with 217 pictures to view or buy:
http://bonanzavalley.smugmug.com/2015-BBE-Bonanza-Valley-area-e/Romeo-and-Harriet-at-Terrace-M

Here's a short video clip from opening night of "Romeo and Harriet" in Terrace last night:

Interesting cartoon

A great read for parents!

Check it out:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/13/how-to-cut-childrens-screen-time-say-no-to-yourself-first/?_r=0

(Video) Bonanza Valley Days grand parade

Here's video from the beginning of the grand parade today:

(Videos) BVD Kiddie Parade, Water Wars

Here's video from one of the Saturday morning events, the Bonanza Valley Days kiddie parade. Fun fact: the kiddie parade was one of the main events in the very first Bonanza Valley Days celebration in Brooten back in the mid-1970s.


And here's a short clip from the Kids' Water Wars:


The Brooten Fire Department did a great job organizing and overseeing this event. Thank you!! The kids really enjoyed it.

Bonanza Valley Days is underway!

A huge turnout of people from the area have descended on Brooten today. We're having a fabulous time at Bonanza Valley Days 2015. Hope you can join us!

What’s Happening at Central Square?

by Cheryl Larson, Central Square and Civic Center Executive Director

Stop by the Second Floor Gallery this week to see the exhibit on display by local resident Tom Olejnicak. Tom has recently discovered a new talent for painting and this is his first ever exhibition. The Second Floor Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10-4 and during special events.

Last chance auditions for the children’s Theater production of Pinocchio are being held Tuesday, June 30, 2015 @ 5pm. “Theater by kids for kids” Ages 7–12 for further information, Contact Penny at: pnhaavig@wisperwireless.com or call 320.424.1179

Summer art and craft classes are filling fast. Only ten spots remain available for the July session. Call our office at 320.634.0400 to register today. Classes for kids ages 6-11 on Wednesday morning from 9-12 noon and on Thursday morning for ages 12 to adult. $40 pays for 4 classes and all supplies are included. 

Special thanks to Shopko for the grant funds given to Central Square’s education program. Due to the generosity of Shopko all supplies for our summer art education program have been paid for. Without the generous support of donors such as Shopko we would not be able to bring educational opportunities to the community at such an affordable rate. 

The all school reunion on July 25th (11-5 p.m.) is fast approaching. We are currently planning for an attendance of 500 people. The cost of producing this big party is growing into the thousands of dollars. We are looking for sponsors and donations to help support this event. If there are any community members, alumni or classes who are able to contribute in any way with a donation it would be greatly appreciated.

Every week I like to share some tidbit of information that I like to call “art facts”. This week’s art fact is given by The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. They report that the arts and culture sector is a $699 billion industry, which represents 4.3 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Products—Who would have thought that this is a larger share of the economy than agriculture and transportation. The nonprofit arts industry alone generates $135 billion in economic activity annually that supports 4.1 million jobs and generates $22.3 billion in government revenue. 

Concert Series Season tickets are on sale now. Get your tickets and reserved seating now and save big dollars. By purchasing the season pass you are saving $50 off the regular door ticket price and you get reserved seating. It’s that same as two free shows. Season tickets make great gifts for that person who has everything. Every dollar spent goes back to support arts and entertainment activities in your community. Central Square is a 501-c3 organization and all contributions are tax deductible. See you at Central Square, you’re Community Center!

Bonanza Valley Days 2015!

Here's the poster.

An interesting take on the SCOTUS gay marriage ruling

http://www.guns.com/2015/06/27/supreme-court-ruling-on-gay-marriage-may-pave-way-for-expanded-gun-rights

Armed robber shot dead in Detroit

Sometimes the good guys prevail!!

http://bearingarms.com/restaurant-cook-shoots-armed-robber-protecting-20-lives-detroit/?utm_source=bafbp&utm_medium=fbpage&utm_campaign=baupdate

...and some food for thought:
https://robarguns.com/blog/2015/06/20/why-you-should-want-gun-ownersshooters-as-neighbors

...and more food for thought:
http://www.salon.com/2015/06/18/its_not_about_mental_illness_the_big_lie_that_always_follows_mass_shootings_by_white_males/

Some light humor!

Some great food for thought

A young man went to seek an important position at a large printing company. He passed the initial interview and was going to meet the director for the final interview. The director saw his resume, it was excellent. And asked, 

'- Have you received a scholarship for school?' The boy replied, " No '.
-' It was your father who paid for your studies? '
-' Yes.'- He replied.
-' Where does your father work? '
-' My father is a Blacksmith'

The Director asked the young to show him his hands.
The young man showed a pair of hands soft and perfect.
-' Have you ever helped your parents at their job? '
-' Never, my parents always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, he can do the job better than me.
The director said:
-' I have got a request: When you go home today, go and wash the hands of your father and then come see me tomorrow morning.'

The young felt his chance to get the job was high.

When he returned to his house he asked his father if he would allow him to wash their hands.

His father felt strange, happy, but with mixed feelings and showed their hands to his son. The young 

washed his hands, little by little. It was the first time that he noticed his father's hands were wrinkled and they had so many scars. Some bruises were so painful that his skin shuddered when he touched them.

This was the first time that the young man recognized what it meant for this pair of hands to work every day to be able to pay for his study. The bruises on the hands were the price that he payed for their education, his school activities and his future.

After cleaning his father's hands the young man stood in silence and began to tidy and clean up the workshop. That night, father and son talked for a long time.

The next morning, the young man went to the office of the director.

The Director noticed the tears in the eyes of the young when He asked him: -' Can you tell me what you did and what you learned yesterday at your house?'

The boy replied: -' I washed my father's hands and when I finished I stayed and cleaned his workshop'

' Now I know what it is to appreciate and recognize that without my parents , I would not be who I am today. By helping my father I now realize how difficult and hard it is to do something on my own. I have come to appreciate the importance and the value in helping the family.

The director said, "This is what I look for in my people. I want to hire someone who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the hardship of others to do things, and a person who does not put money as his only goal in life". ' You are hired '.

A child that has been coddled, Protected and usually given him what he wants, develops a mentality of " I have the right ' and will always put himself first, ignoring the efforts of their parents. If we are this type of protective parent are we really showing love or are we destroying our children?

You can give your child a big house, good food, computer classes, watch on a big screen TV. But when you're washing the floor or painting a wall, please let him experience that too. 

After eating have them wash the dishes with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you have no money to hire someone to do this it's because you want to love them the right way. No matter how rich you are, you want them to understand. One day your hair will have gray hair, like the father of this young man.

The most important thing is that your child learns to appreciate the effort and to experience the difficulties and learn the ability to work with others to get things done.

Benefit for Julie Ball is Saturday

A free will donation chicken dinner, silent auction and bake sale will be held on Saturday, June 20 at the Padua Pub from 4 to 8 p.m. for Julie Ball of Padua, who was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer earlier this year. 

The benefit will include the dinner, a silent auction from 4 to 6:45 p.m. with winners announced at 7 p.m. plus a bake sale from 4 to 8 p.m. or until goods run out.

The bar will be open with proceeds going to the Pub. Milk, coffee and water are included with the meal. Donations direct to the benefit fund can be mailed to: First State Bank, Julie Ball Benefit Fund, 423 Main St. S., Sauk Centre, MN 56378.

Donations are also accepted online via PayPal at: julieballbenefit@yahoo.com. Please note that any donations, whether goods or money, are not tax deductible.

Thank you for your support! Alisha, Kevin and Randi

Some interesting reading on the school lunch program

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/3/school-nutritionists-to-congress-michelle-obamas-l

My two cents: trying to reason with First Lady Michelle Obama is like talking to a brick wall.

June Dairy Month at Redhead Creamery

Shown is the Redhead Creamery cheese shop, with Lucas and Alise Sjostrom visiting with customers.

The Redhead Creamery is celebrating June Dairy Month with a “not your average book fair” on Tuesday, June 16 from 1 to 4 p.m.  This event includes Usborne Books, a reading corner and a petting farm.

The Redhead Creamery is also excited to host an Open House on Saturday, June 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Summer cheese shop hours are on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. all four days.

Here's a video clip from a stop I made in April during a tour for visitors to Redhead Creamery:

How to get to Redhead Creamery?

From Brooten, turn north onto County Highway 18 (Central Avenue North) and travel north on that road for 5.2 miles. Then turn right onto 310th Street (gravel) and take that for two miles. Then take the first left onto 463rd Avenue. The farm is the first driveway on the left 0.6 miles later.

31535 463rd Avenue, Brooten, MN 56316

www.redheadcreamery.com

info@redheadcreamery.com

Upcoming Belgrade library programs

Root Beer Float Day  – June 8

Children and teens are invited to register for the Summer Reading Program at the Belgrade Public Library and enjoy a root beer float on Monday, June 8, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Celebrate Summer Reading with Paul Spring – June 11

Singer Songwriter Paul Spring will perform at the Belgrade Public Library on Thursday, June 11, 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Children of all ages will enjoy his guitar driven story songs. This concert is funded in part by Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Karaoke Day at the Library – June 15

People of all ages are invited to Karaoke Day at the Belgrade Public Library on Monday, June 15, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Have fun and show off your singing skills with the library’s karaoke machine.

Book Club – June 19

The Belgrade Public Library’s  R.E.A.D. Book Club for adults will meet on Friday, June 19, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Contact the library for book selection and other details. Read the book, then join the group for book discussion.

For further information about library services, call the Belgrade library at 320-254-8842.

Great River Regional Library (GRRL) provides library services at 32 public libraries in Benton, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright Counties. It provides Central Minnesota residents with nearly 1 million books, CDs and DVDs, 250 public computers, programming and information services.

Myrtle Mabee Library • Hours

Mon. 2-5, Wed. 2-5, Thur.10-1 & 2-5, Fri. 2-5 & 6-8, Sat. 9-12.

ASB attains double-digit growth

As American Solutions for Business (American) approaches the end of its fiscal year in June, the company reports a 10 percent increase in invoiced sales over the same 10-month period last year, while the general trend for industry distributors is just over five percent.

Over 95 percent of American’s totals are derived from sales of printed products and promotional items. The print industry realized only a two percent growth in 2014, according to a report from Print Industries of America, a company that specializes in advocacy, education and research for the print industry. However, current trends are showing a more healthy increase in sales of printed products going forward. Growth in the promotional product industry has been stable at six percent per year over the past six years.

Justin Zavadil, Executive Vice President at American, sees the company’s flexibility as a key to its strong growth. “A distributor needs to be able to change directions on a dime in order to fit the customers’ changing needs. This is done through flexibility and innovation. We put the majority of our investment into the technology tools needed to secure enterprise business and to stabilize and grow the large program portion of our business.”

Adapting to stay relevent in the industry, the 34-year-old company is focusing on enhancing its end-user eCommerce experience and fine tuning the purchasing process. American’s eCommerce tools serve to streamline procedures for supply chain and fulfillment as well.

In addition, American has expanded its national footprint by growing it’s sales force. “Because we welcome all business models to the American family,” said Zavadil, “sales teams from across the country are identifying American as a good fit and are reaching out to us.”

American Solutions for Business is an industry-leading distributor of promotional products, print and document solutions, office supplies, eCommerce and marketing solutions. Based in Glenwood, Minnesota, the company employs a staff of nearly 300 employees who support the back office functions for a nationwide sales force. ASB is now employee-owned and serves thousands of clients across North America. Website: www.americanbus.com

Funeral service times

Mildred “Millie” Wendt, age 86 of Glenwood, died Saturday, May 30, 2015 at the Glacial Ridge Hospital in Glenwood.  Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, June 4^th at Chippewa Falls Lutheran Church in Terrace, Minnesota.  Visitation will be from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home in Glenwood and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.  Interment will be in the church cemetery.  Arrangements are with the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood. 

Note: a full obituary is printed in the June 4 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice.

It hurts

The breathtaking cognitive dissonance hurts my brain in Texas...

...OH! And then there's this one...this one is just plain insane:
http://reverbpress.com/news/jim-bob-lied-says-pedophile-former-state-trooper/

...and this! It gets worse:
http://reverbpress.com/news/jim-bob-duggar-supported-killing-people-commit-incest/

(Video) Memorial Day gun salute

Here's video from Monday morning in Brooten:

B-B-E 'Improv' show

Video from a week ago, May 15, at the Terrace Mill Theater, featuring members of the B-B-E theater department:

Dayton's flawed preschool ideas

Problems with Dayton’s ideas from the horse’s mouth (the Minnesota School Board Association):

“In the areas of early education, our school board members prefer state revenue to be committed to school readiness or ECFE, as exists in the Senate or House bill. These are established, public programs that have been proven to prepare targeted at-risk three- and four-year-olds for kindergarten. This has been our consistent message since the beginning of the session.”

Board members have shared their implementation and operational concerns with Governor Dayton’s universal pre-K program. These concerns are as follows:

1. elimination of the school readiness program

2. requiring that four-year olds be in school longer than any other student

3. limited facility resources

4. mandatory class size and staff-to-student ratios

5. parent participation requirements

6. requiring early childhood teachers to be paid comparable to K-12 teachers

7. coordinated professional development with community-based early learning providers

8. requiring school districts to recruit, contract and monitor early childhood programs for fiscal and program quality.

“Given these concerns, it seems premature to move to a new, universal four-year program when two established and effective programs for early childhood education exist.”

• Want more information? Here's the stance of the Minnesota Family Licensed Child Care Association: MLFCCA opposes Universal Preschool.

Universal Preschool is a movement in direct conflict with research that continues to amplify the importance of early childhood play-based learning environments, like family child care, that support children’s interests and natural curiosities with time to explore and experience learning at their individual pace and level of development. 

Universal Preschool does not address the need to fund research that specifically cites in what type of care setting the children who are not prepared for kindergarten have been in order to appropriately target funding.

Based on the current adult-to-child ratio, Universal Preschool will significantly impact the sustainability of the licensed family child care profession, which has lost significant numbers of providers since 2011. 

Universal Preschool will force a market change that will negatively impact and create a financial burden for families seeking care for children birth to three as family child care programs will be forced to raise rates to earn a sustainable operating income.

Agree? Disagree? Either way you can voice your opinion now at:

Office of Governor Mark Dayton

651-201-3400

Submit a message via contact form

http://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/form/

(Photo gallery) Sunburg's Syttende Mai grand parade

Here's the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper photo gallery from the grand parade in Sunburg for their 11th annual Syttende Mai celebration. Some photos will be published in the May 21 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice.

http://bonanzavalley.smugmug.com/2015-BBE-Bonanza-Valley-area-e/Sunburg-Syttenda-Mai-parade

...and here's multiple video clips pieced together to show a good portion of the parade:


It was a great day in Sunburg! Please share this webpage with family and friends if they were unable to make it to Sunburg today.

Soil erosion

I found it important to share this blog post from Jim Van Der Pol, a writer and farmer from the Clara City area.

http://pasturesaplenty.blogspot.com/2015/05/fifty-years.html

I am not impressed

In 2014, Republicans made considerable hay out on the campaign trail in rural Minnesota complaining about the combination of environment and agriculture topics in a House Committee in 2013 by the DFL party. The DFL party made the change for the 2013 session after taking control of the Minnesota House in the 2012 elections.

Fast forward to this week, and the Republicans are doing the same thing the DFL party did in 2013: they combined environment bills and agriculture bills into one omnibus bill.

Boo! I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of hypocrites!

Read all the details here:
http://www.bluestemprairie.com/bluestemprairie/2015/05/mn-house-republicans-were-against-combining-agriculture-environment-before-they-were-for-it.html

Natural gas meeting coming to Brooten

Click on the graphic for best viewing.

Here's all the details...also this advertisement appears in this week's Bonanza Valley Voice on page 10.

A good take on newspaper subscriptions

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/TopStories/Features/The-Next-Generation-of-Subscription-Programs

This fascinates me

http://www.better-ed.org/blog/reading-levels-1908-vs-2014

City council meeting agenda

If you can't attend the meeting, you can read all about the May 11 council meeting in the May 14 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice!

Brooten City Council

Regular Meeting

May 11, 2015  

7:00  Chief Paul Wegner

          Introduction of Belgrade Officer Jen Grubbs

April 2015 Police Report

          

7:15  Approval of Amendment to Airport Maintenance and

                        Operations Grant Agreement   

                   

7:30  MPCA Pond Permit – Change to General Permit

7:45 Summer Rec Director

          Justin Brower

8:00 Building Permit – Charlene & Kent Coners

8:15 Approval of April Minutes

      Approval of Bills  

8:30 Other

(Video) Spring concert

Fifth and sixth grade students performing on Wednesday, May 5:

Online payments for subscriptions

Here's the link to visit the webpage where you can subscribe to the Bonanza Valley Voice through a secure Paypal website:
http://lifeinbonanzavalley.blogspot.com/2015/01/online-payment-for-subscriptions.html

Free skin cancer screening scheduled

A limited number of free skin cancer screenings by board-certified dermatologists will be offered Monday, May 4 and Tuesday, May 5 at CentraCare Clinic – Health Plaza, 1900 CentraCare Circle. Interested participants must call (320) 229-4924 for an appointment time. No walk-ins will be accepted. 

This 18th annual CentraCare Clinic screening coincides with National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology and CentraCare Clinic. 

The American Academy of Dermatology is coordinating this national effort to raise awareness of skin cancer.

• Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States.

• Current estimates are that one in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime.

• Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is the most common cancer for 25- to 29-year-olds.

The Academy’s national detection and prevention program is being launched May 4, which has been designated “Melanoma Monday,” to raise awareness of malignant melanoma and urge Americans to regularly examine their skin for signs of serious forms of skin cancer. 

Skin self-examinations consist of periodically looking over your body for any changes in the size, color, shape or texture of a mole, the development of a new mole or any other unusual changes in the skin.  Any of these signs should be reported to your doctor right away. 

“With melanoma, early detection is the key. Patients can watch their skin, and if there are visible changes they should be checked by their health care provider,” said Christina Anderson, M.D., dermatologist with CentraCare Clinic.

An interesting column in the Echo Press

Here's Echo Press sports editor Eric Morken talking about the laws regarding use of technology in hunting:
http://www.echopress.com/outdoors/3728740-teaching-moment-turkey-woods

Terrific Grand March!

Kinlee Swanson and Jordan Wosmek in a James Bond pose.

Here's a short video clip from the grand march:

A great-looking crew of Jaguar wrestlers shown after Grand March was complete.

It couldn't have been more perfect. A day after it rained and rained and rained (very needed rain), the B-B-E Prom Grand March was held under sunny skies, hardly a bit of wind and temperatures hovering around 55 degrees. Yeah, a bit on the chilly side, but we had no complaints in Jaguar Country! Besides, that's what the heater's for - whether prom couples showed up in trucks, cars, semi tractors or farm tractors!

(Video) Redhead Creamery

Here's Lucas Sjostrom giving a tour to customers and visitors at the Redhead Creamery on April 18 in rural Brooten:

Parenting 101

Here's a great read at Watchdog.org.

http://watchdog.org/213619/free-range-parents-rights

Hiring environment for teenagers picks up

Job prospects for Minnesota teenagers have improved considerably since the recession, with the average unemployment rate for young people ages 16 to 19 falling to 11.4 percent in 2014, according to figures from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

While the teenage unemployment rate was well above the 4 percent unemployment rate for all age groups on average in the state in 2014, the new figures are an improvement from teen jobless rates that surged to more than 20 percent during the recession. The average unemployment rate for Minnesota teens was 16.7 percent as recently as 2013.

In 2014, about 122,000 teenagers were working and another 16,000 were actively seeking work in Minnesota, according to DEED figures.

“Prospects for teenagers finding jobs this summer are better than in recent years, primarily because of an improving economy and tighter labor market,” said Oriane Casale of DEED’s Labor Market Information Office. “With strong employment growth in both the retail and the accommodation and food service sectors in March, this might be a great summer for teens in Minnesota to get some work experience and earn their first paychecks.”

The 11.3 percent unemployment rate for Minnesota teens ranked sixth nationally, with only Montana, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska having lower unemployment rates for that age group.

Minnesota has the seventh-highest labor force participation rate in the country for teenagers at 48.5 percent. Nationally, the teen labor force participation rate is about 33 percent.

Based on the latest (2013) third quarter data – the time of year when teen employment is the highest – teens were most likely to work in accommodation and food services. About 35 percent of employed teenagers worked in that sector during the period.

Other major employment sectors for teens included retail trade (23 percent of teen jobs), health care and social assistance (7 percent), arts, entertainment and recreation (7 percent) and public administration (5 percent).

On average, teens earned $663 during the quarter at jobs that DEED tracks. Many employed teens worked in less formal jobs that DEED does not track, such as babysitting or lawn mowing.

Relative to the overall population, teen unemployment is still high. The teen jobless rate was more than triple the unemployment rate for any age group over 25 in the state in 2014.

DEED offers services and programs to help teens find work. The agency’s MinnesotaWorks.net job bank lists nearly 84,000 jobs, many of them suitable for teenagers. Job opportunities also are available through DEED’s youth employment, training and education programs.

DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and our services, visit us at http://mn.gov/deed/ . Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/mndeed .

Farming "small"

This was very intriguing!

http://civileats.com/2015/04/21/earn-a-good-living-without-a-tractor-a-market-gardener-tells-you-how/

(Video) Padua Pub St. Patrick's Day parade

The video clip is a month old, but it's still quite entertaining:

Opening for the season!

A staple of the Brooten community, the Chuckwagon drive-in, will open for the season next Monday.

Cool!!!!

A good story on the "Local Food" movement

http://wcfcourier.com/news/opinion/columnists/local-food-means-real-rural-development/article_62c32760-8764-5205-b56e-dba9fffbd230.html

Technology article

I thought this was interesting and worth the time to read it:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-04-07/news-corp-s-1-billion-plan-to-overhaul-education-is-riddled-with-failures

Funeral announcement

Doris L. Knutson

January 1, 1921 – March 31, 2015

Doris L. Knutson, age 94 of Brooten, died Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at the Glacial Ridge Hospital in Glenwood.  Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 4^th at South Lake Johanna Lutheran Church in rural Brooten with Pastor Bryant Kaden officiating.  Visitation will be held on Friday, from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home in Brooten and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be in the South Lake Johanna Lutheran Cemetery.  Arrangements are with the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Brooten,  

www.hoplinfuneralhome.com

Vicious, vicious politics

It doesn't get much dirtier than this. Wow! Some politicians like Ted Cruz and those who hang out with them have no shame or soul:

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/after-vicious-smear-campaign-ted-cruz-adviser-two-missouri-gop-officials-commit

Perfect storm

A perfect storm of illness that's hit our home has led to the closing of the newspaper office for Monday, March 30.

Good reading on an agriculture topic

Check it out:
https://hewittfarmsinc.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/the-buffer-strip-controversy-debunked

And don't miss the "town hall" story in this week's Bonanza Valley Voice starting on page one.

Sunburg Commercial Club

The Sunburg Commercial Club will meet for a regular meeting at 7 p.m. tonight at the Sunburg Community Center.

Town hall meeting in New London

State Senator Lyle Koenen of Clara City and State Representative Dave Baker of Willmar will host a town hall meeting with the public in New London on Saturday, March 21. The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at McKale's Family Restaurant at 10 Ash Street NE.

On an unrelated note: a video from the Padua Pub's St. Patrick's Day parade will be uploaded this weekend for viewing.

Human Foosball in Elrosa

Participating in the human foosball was a workout for everyone involved!

Here's some video from one of the "human foosball" games in Elrosa on Saturday. It was a fundraiser event for Harvest for Hunger sponsored by CHS Prairie Lakes of Elrosa.


It's what I call "good, clean fun!"

Town Hall meeting coming to New London

Senator Koenen to Hold Town Hall Meeting

Senator Lyle Koenen (DFL-Clara City) will join Representative Dave Baker in hosting a listening session to take place from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday, March 21 at McKale’s Family Restaurant in New London. The meeting will afford the legislators the opportunity to speak with residents of District 17 about the current 2015 Legislative Session.

“I look forward to meeting with my constituents and Rep. Baker for a morning of conversation on what matters most to Minnesota families and businesses.” said Sen. Koenen. “Meetings like this allow us to listen, learn, inform, and work together toward a shared objective: making our communities the best they can be.”

What: Town Hall Meeting

Who: Sen. Lyle Koenen, Rep. Dave Baker

When: 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday, March 21

Where: McKale’s Family Restaurant, 10 Ash Street NE, New London, MN 56273

  

For more information, please contact Jennifer Orr at 651-296-2156.

Welcome Class of 2028!!

Let's work for a big incoming kindergarten class for next year at B-B-E!

Job Openings in Glenwood

Learn more about the Glenwood Retirement Village at www.grvillage.org. Applications can be found there as well.

An interesting article from NPR

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2015/03/11/392183832/why-some-schools-serve-local-food-and-others-cant-or-wont?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150312

Billy McLaughlin coming to Central Square in Glenwood

Billy McLaughlin and special guests will be in Concert on Friday, March 27, 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Cultural and Civic Center, 105 2nd Avenue NE in Glenwood.

We invite you to see an inspirational performer with a wonderful message. Billy McLaughlin is recognized internationally as a world-class guitarist, Emmy Award winning composer and inspirational keynote speaker who has appeared on Billboard’s Top-Ten Chart. McLaughlin has 14 CD releases, 3 National Campus Entertainer of the Year Awards, 5 Minnesota Music Awards and his 

decades of national concert touring earned him the Hall of Fame Achievement Award.

But in 1999 McLaughlin vanished from sight as his career crumbled due to a little-known neuro-muscular disorder, Focal Dystonia. After suffering several years without a cure or even a diagnosis, this right-handed guitarist em-barked on an unlikely attempt to regain his career by re-learning his instrument left-handed! His remarkable comeback is captured in a documentary film, Changing Keys, and a concert film called Coming Back Alive.

Now serving as Ambassador for Awareness for the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, 

McLaughlin is the winner of the 2010 Public Leadership in Neurology Award and resides in his home state of Minnesota where he is proudly raising two boys.

Contact Central Square for advance sales at 320.634.0400. Please see our website at www.centralsquare.org for more information.

What on earth is wrong with this country?

This is in the United States of America:

http://www.naturalnews.com/037209_children_at_play_parents_criminalization.html

Mike's Market in Brooten!

Read more about the opening of Mike's Market in Brooten this week in the Bonanza Valley Voice.

Front page.

What a terrific achievement! The town has been without a grocery store since February 2014. We only have to look down the road a little ways to the southeast to see a much bigger town, New London, struggling with trying to restart their own grocery store. They have been without a grocery store since 2009. (Ouch)

B-B-E Area Jaycees cook-off is March 28

Mark your calendars and support the B-B-E Area Jaycees and the B-B-E Food Shelf while having a great time to boot!

Click on the graphic for best viewing.

Another angle on U.S. education

An Educational Culture: The Right Angle on Education

by Dr. Gary Welton

The basic problem with America’s educational system is not that college is too expensive. Nor is the basic problem that public school teachers are underpaid or that educators are poorly trained. The basic problem with America’s educational system today is that far too many children are given the implicit message at home that education is not a priority. “Perhaps the nerds and the geeks need these educational skills, but in our home, they just are not that important.”

Our schools face a huge challenge today, because the educational message that teachers are trying to inculcate into their students is far too often dismissed at home. If you live in a subculture where education is not valued, it is unlikely you will come to value your own educational opportunities. We cannot expect our schools to inculcate values of learning when there is little to no reinforcement at home.

The reality of life is that education and learning is not always fun. I was, and still am, an eager learner; nevertheless, some topics were uninteresting and seemed pointless when I first learned them. Some things are not intuitive; being sick and missing math class the day we were introduced to right angles, I was totally confused the day I returned to school. I could not figure out whether a right angle was the opposite of a left angle or the opposite of a wrong angle. That, of course, was an easy fix with a few questions that evening around the dinner table—an easy fix because my parents and my older siblings cared about education.

The college opportunity was not available to my father-in-law, but one of his primary goals in life was to enable his children to be college graduates. In order to fund this educational goal, he worked a factory job in addition to farming his own property. He only liked one of these jobs, but he worked them both, because he wanted to make sure his children had every educational opportunity. In “Look Homeward, Angel,” Thomas Wolfe says, “He loved a farm better than anything in the world except a school.” My father-in-law communicated that value to his children.

My father-in-law saw both of his children succeed in college, and recently celebrated the diplomas of all four of his grandchildren. He fostered an educational culture in which education was important. His children and grandchildren were motivated by his own continuing love of learning.

President Obama has sought to increase the number of college graduates in America, and is currently proposing that the federal and state governments pay the tuition for community college students. As Michael Horn recently stated in a CNN column, however, community colleges have not been particularly successful (only 22 percent of students complete their two-year degree within three years and 28 percent within four years), in spite of the fact that tuition is already heavily subsidized. He concludes that 60 percent of tuition is already covered by federal, state, and local programs, and, for needy students, the remaining 40 percent is entirely covered by Pell Grants.

Horn argues that providing free tuition will not fix the educational system. Indeed, the problem begins in American homes. When parents and caregivers communicate that education provides access to jobs and opportunities, and when parents demonstrate that college tuition is high on their list of priorities, students will come to value their educational opportunities. President Obama’s current proposal will not fix the problem unless the core issue of educational value becomes the focus.

If we want to improve our educational system, creating an educational culture is the essential and right angle.

--Dr. Gary L. Welton is assistant dean for institutional assessment, professor of psychology at Grove City College, and a contributor to The Center for Vision & Values. He is a recipient of a major research grant from the Templeton Foundation to investigate positive youth development.

Health insurance brings Tax Day surprise for some

by State Representative Paul Anderson

Some Minnesotans who received a subsidy last year to help cover the cost of their health insurance may be in for a surprise when they file their tax return for 2014. At least one constituent reported to me that they must pay several hundred dollars of additional tax to cover the subsidy they received from the federal government to defray the cost of insurance. To be fair, this is not a problem brought on by the troubled MnSure exchange in Minnesota. It has to do with incomes that turned out to be underestimated, which resulted in subsidies received that were too large.

Back when folks signed up for health coverage and the associated subsidies for last year, 2013 incomes were used to determine the level of subsidy. However, if the actual income for 2014 increased by a certain level, it changed or eliminated the subsidy amount people were entitled to receive. That’s the reason why some will have to pay income tax on that subsidy, although they had no idea this might happen. And even if they knew, it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, to get back into the MnSure system to make a change in income, which would have also resulted in a lower subsidy and higher health insurance premiums.

In addition, an announcement late last week from Washington told of an error in sending out tax information to nearly one million Americans. It’s a new form called 1095-A, and it goes to all who received a subsidy to help with the cost of health insurance. This situation also serves as a strong message illustrating the new and complicated link between health care law and taxes. Nationally, it’s estimated the wrong information was sent out to one in five of those who received subsidies. The information represents a tax reporting error on the government’s part that will slow down the filing season, especially for those who file early in hopes of receiving a refund.

***

I attended the opening of a new exhibit on space flight at the Science Museum of Minnesota last Thursday evening in St. Paul. On hand to mark the occasion was Col. Mike Fossum, an astronaut who spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station and has walked in space on seven separate occasions. He gave an excellent speech and then opened the floor to questions from the audience. One of the questions pertained to motivating today’s kids to get more involved in activities that might increase their interest in space exploration. I thought Col. Fossum’s answer was excellent when he said that kids should be “unplugged” from their video games and cell phones, and that they should spend more time outside, playing and looking up at the stars above them.