News from the week of March 15, 2006
Three to be inducted into 'Wall of Fame'
Banquet tickets are on sale
The Tracy Area Public Schools’ American Education Banquet will take place Thursday, March 30.
The American Education Banquet is a time when the achievements of students, teachers, and alumni are recognized. The teachers of the year at Tracy Area High School and Tracy Elementary School and inductees into the Wall of Fame are recognized.
This year, three men will be inducted into the Wall of Fame. They are:
James Keul, a 1962 Tracy graduate and newspaper publisher in Jackson.
Ron McDaniel, a 1968 graduate who is involved in grain marketing and forecasting.
Dennis Morgan, a singer/songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee.
The banquet, which will be held at Shetek Bend, Banquet, Bar & Grill, begins at 6:30 p.m. on March 30. Tickets are $8 and are available at the Tracy Area High School and Tracy Elementary School offices, and the Tracy Chamber office.
Dressed to kill
Tootsies primp for pageant spoof
Who will it be?
Contestants have been announced for the 2006 Tracy Miss Tootsie pageant. They are:
Curly Sue (Mike Carlson), Bonita Radiolosky (Charlie Snyder), Red Baroness (Steve Schenkoske), Queen Antoinette (Derek Flann), Anita Pinn (Cole Cooreman), Shetiquia Bends (Drew Hebig), Kiki Poundalotte (Keith Peterson), Dani Poundalotte (Kim Daniels), Ivannah Krasch (Mark Priegnitz),
The blushing beautifies will display their talents Friday, March 24, 7:30 p.m., on the Tracy Area High School gym stage. The tongue-in-cheek beauty pageant spoof is a fund-raiser for the Fine Arts Council of Tracy.
Directors Ade Miller and Jeff “Jesse” James report that the contestants are each working hard on a talent presentation, and learning physical fitness and poise and appearance routines.
“It should be a lot of fun,” Miller comments.
Advance adult tickets are on sale at John’s Drug for $6, and $3 for children in sixth grade and under.
Sportsmen's Show planning on target
Two-day event at high school is 5 weeks away
Final details are falling into place for the Tracy Area Sportsmen’s Show, April 22-23.
“It’s going well,” said Kayla Hussong, Tracy Area Chamber of Commerce manager. “We are trying to get commitments from our last exhibitors.” Last year, just over 60 exhibitors were at the show. This year, Hussong adds, “we’re shooting for 75.”
Now in its third year, the Tracy Sportsmen’s Show has established itself as the largest outdoors event in Southwest Minnesota. More than 5,000 people attended the show in each of its first two years.
This year’s show has a new location and an expanded time format.
The 2006 show is a two-day, Saturday-Sunday event. In its first two years, the sportsmen’s show was only a Saturday event.
Tracy Area High School is the location for this year’s show, rather than the downtown Veterans’ Memorial Center. A gun show is planned at the Veterans Center.
Hussong says that the high school location will have the advantage of more space for both indoor and outdoor attractions. The gun show, although not directly affiliated with the sportsmen’s show, will help attract additional people to the event, she feels.
Free show
The sportsmen’s show will follow much the same formula that proved successful in past years.
There is no admission charge. People can look at exhibits, listen to speakers and watch demonstrations at no charge.
Tony Dean, nationally-known fishing expert, heads a list of speakers that also includes deer hunter Bill Hesselgrave, dog trainer Jeff Berthelsen, Muskie angler Libby Hoene, and wilderness guide Steve Nelson.
Jim Meger, six-time Pheasants Forever “Artist of the Year,” will an exhibition of his work.
A host of outdoor and indoor booths will feature products and services ranging from hunting and fishing to camping and recreation.
The Fred Scheers Lumberjack Show is one of he few events that will have a charge.
Harley Davidson prize
A new Harley Davidson Sportster 883 motorcycle is the grand prize of a sportsmen’s show raffle. The $9,000 bike is one of six prizes that will be given away in a drawing at the conclusion of the show. The other prizes are:
• A $2,000 fishing trip for up to four people at Border View Lodge.
• A James Meger print.
• $1,000 trip to Randall’s Resort or $750 cash.
• Quick Stand B-Hut with 4x4 steel base.
• $1,000 Southwest Tour & Travel Package.
Sportsmen’s show committee members are selling raffle tickets at $20 each. Committee members include: Bryan Hillger, Dale Johnson, Deb Schenkoske, Dennis and Judy Alexander, Garry Hippe, Joe DeSchepper, Keith Lubben, Dr. Mark Evers, Matt Loftness, Leon and Sue Mumm, Bruce Eliason, Kirk Boerboom, Ron Koopman, JoAnn Biren.
Multiple city garbage proposals expected
Administrator Audrey Koopman expects as many as “four or five” proposals for the City of Tracy’s residential and commercial garbage disposal service.
Koopman, reporting to city council members Monday, said that five parties have requested information on the city’s “request for proposals” for a new garbage contract. Proposals are to be submitted by March 20.
Council members decided to allow time at their March 27 meeting for businesses to make presentations and field questions.
The city’s current contract with Ritter’s Sanitary Service Inc. expires June 30.
Diver will assist with tower cleaning
The Tracy water tower is scheduled to be cleaned inside and out this year.
Tracy City Council members accepted two proposals to clean the 500,000-gallon tower Monday night. Water Tower Clean & Coat, Inc., of Bode, WI, will scrub up the exterior for $3,800. Liquid Engineering—a Billings, MT firm that does business in 49 states—will clean the interior for $2,895.
This will be the second time the exterior of the 1991 tower has been cleaned, but the first time for the interior.
No down time for the tower is expected. A scuba diner using underwater equipment that can suck up accumulated sediment, sand or “flocculated material” on the bottom of the reservoir will do the interior cleaning. The diver can also identify and repair any problems on the tower’s interior surface.
Students impress at prestigious forensics league tournament
Six Tracy Area High School speech students made an impressive showing at the Southern Minnesota Chapter of the National Forensics League Tournament in Eagan.
Senior Brad Lanoue and junior Celia Brockway advanced to the semi-final round in the dramatic duo category. The top 12 duo teams out of 24 made it into semi-finals. Junior Jessica Mason made it into semi-finals in the humorous category. The top 12 humorous competitors out of 20 made it into semifinals.
Sophomore Rachel Stobb just missed the semi-final round postings by three points in the dramatic interpretation category. Senior Danielle Thooft also competed in this category. Dramatic Interpretation was the largest category with 38 competitors. Freshman Skylar Carlson also competed at the tournament in the humorous interpretation category.
Tracy was the only Class A school to compete at the prestigious tournament and place two competitors in semi-final rounds. The students competed against the top teams in the state, such as Eagan, Lakeville North, Lakeville South, Bloomington Jefferson, Eden Prairie, Mankato East, Benilde–St. Margaret’s, Rosemount, Edina, and Marshall. Eagan High School consistently places in the top 16 at the national tournament in the humorous and dramatic duo categories out of over 500 competitors nation wide.
In order to compete in the National Forensics League tournament, the school must be an N.F.L. member and the competitors must have earned points in order to compete. The students earn points by participating and accumulating individual rankings at tournaments. The purpose of the tournament is to attract the best competitors in Minnesota and send the top speakers at the tourney to the national tournament where the speakers will compete with others from across the nation. This June the national tournament will be held in Dallas Texas.
Coach Tamara Purrington said participation at this tournament could not have happened without the support of the Tracy Area School administration, parents and the Tracy, Milroy, and Balaton communities.