Mayor's death top story of 2000

NEW ULM -- The people of New Ulm loved they mayor, Bert Schapekahm, and his death in May was judged the top news story of 2000.

The story selection was done by a survey of employees in all departments of The Journal, not just the newsroom.

Schapekahm had been battling cancer for the past year, a battle that took him away from the mayoral duties he loved so well.

Schapekahm, a 35-year veteran of the New Ulm Police Department, had been elected mayor by one of the city's largest margins ever in 1994. He threw himself into the job with fervor, turning the largely ceremonial position into a full-time job. He was known for keeping daily office hours at City Hall. Schapekahm was New Ulm's representative on a number of regional boards, and had worked hard to successfully bring New Ulm to the state Department of Transportation's attention when it talked about widening and improving Highway 14 from Rochester to Mankato.

Ten days before his death, Schapekahm was honored by the New Ulm Rotary Club with its Service To Mankind award.

Schapekahm's death drew international attention. As a police sergeant, Schapekahm had created a friendship and an exchange program between local law enforcement and the police department in Bersenbruck. An officer from Bersenbruck attended Schapekahm's funeral. He was also well known to officials in Ulm and Neu Ulm, Germany, who sent their condolences.

Schapekahm was buried in the New Ulm Police uniform he loved so well, and his funeral was attended by people who remembered him well as a mayor and police officer, but also as a friend.

In the other Top Ten Stories of the year, taxes and referendums led the list.

2. The story judged second in importance for the year was District 88's unsuccessful attempt to pass a tax levy referendum in May. The District had already cut $500,000 in spending from the district's budget and hoped the passage of the referemdum, which would have raised about $1.5 million the first year, would prevent more cuts.

The mail-in ballot was soundly defeated by district voters, forcing the district to leave in place many of the cuts it had already made, and making the school board and administration prepare for more cuts in the upcoming school year.

3. The City of New Ulm fared better in its effort to pass a sales tax levy referendum in November. The half-percent municipal sales tax will be used to fund $9 million in new construction and improvements for the city's Park and Rec Department. Among the improvements are a new double-sheet ice arena and community center at the Brown County Fairgrounds, and the conversion of Vogel Arena into a community gymnasium. The New Ulm Senior Citizens Center will also be expanded and will include area for arts and crafts.

The referendum passed by an overwhelming margin.

4. Late in 1999, Coborn's, Inc., owner of the Cash Wise Store in New Ulm, announced it was purchasing the Randall's store in New Ulm from Super Valu. After keeping both stores in operation, Coborn's announced that it will combine the two stores into one in the coming year, after expanding its facility at the current Cash Wise site. The combination of the two stores will reduce the number of full-scale grocery stores in New Ulm from three to two.

5. The DM&E's plans to extend and improve its rail line has created concern along the line, and New Ulm's concerns were raised when the National Surface Transportation Board, in its report on the DM&E project, called for moving a proposed rail staging yard from near Mankato and Minneopa State Park to a site along Shag Road on the southern outskirts of New Ulm. The plan is drawing criticism from people living along Shag Road, a rustic residential neighborhood close to farm fields and the Minnesota River. A rail yard in their neighborhood would harm the quiet atmosphere, damage property values and pose environmental threats to the river, they say.

6. The District 88 budget cut plans drew its biggest attention in the fall, when the district changed its in-town school busing policy. Before the refrendum failed in May, the district school board had voted to extend its busing boundaries to two-miles from school. Students who live closer now have to walk.

The school board delayed the start of the new busing policy until October, to allow proponents of the former busing boundaries to raise the $100,000 needed to keep the busing program as it was for the school year. The fundraising effort, hampered by lack of time and a central organization, raised only about $35,000, and the new busing policy went into effect in October.

7. For several years New Ulm has been looking for room for residential expansion. One of the prime areas is land owned by the Diocese of New Ulm on the north end of the city. After several years of studying the question, the Diocese began working with the city to create a plan for the development of residential lots in the area. The development will open up more area to building projects in the years ahead.

8. The city's development work also included a $1 million expansion of North Highland Avenue, an important piece of the city's transportation and development plan. The project was largely completed in the past year.

9. Fifth Judicial District Judge Terri Stoneburner, seated at the Brown County Courthouse, was picked by Gov. Jesse Ventura to fill a vacancy on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Local attorney John R. Rodenberg was selected to fill Stoneburner's position.

10. Bishop Raymond Lucker, only the second bishop of the New Ulm Diocese, announced his plans in July to retire before his mandatory retirement in February 2002. Lucker had been treated for cancer last year, and while the treatment was successful, he said he felt it would be best for him to retire now and accelerate the process of finding a successor. In November, the Vatican announced it was accepting his resignation, effective immediately.

Lucker will be remembered as a bishop who worked to involve Catholics more in the practical dealings of their church. He was also noted as a liberal thinker among bishops, espousing such ideas as the ordination of married men, and increasing the role of women in the church. He was among the first in the nation to address the shortage of priests by appointing parish administrators.

The process for finding his successor could take a year.

Honorable Mentions

Among the other stories considered for the top ten list are:

-- The expansion of competition in the telecommunication industry in New Ulm, with NU Telelcom, Inc., beefing up its internet service and adding digital quality cable TV service, and Time-Warner Cable, the city's cable TV provider, adding high-speed internet service in the city.

-- The upcoming retirement of City Manager Richard Salvati.

-- Other commercial developments, such as the building of a Microtel Motel that is going on, and the building of a new facility for MTS.

-- And, while the Top Ten News list didn't include sporting events, the success of Sleepy Eye High School teams this year drew some write-in votes, and is certainly deserving of mention. The Indians won two state championships this past year, the state Class A Baseball title in June, and the State Class A Football title in November.