2004: The Year in Review
New Ulm
August
3 -- Renovations continued at George's Ballroom, where new owner Randy Danielson labored to undo the damage of years of neglect to the New Ulm entertainment landmark.
4 -- President George W. Bush made a campaign trip to Minnesota, stopping near LeSueur and the Quarry in Mankato.
6 -- Local artist Ruth Lindemann was surprised at Cornerstone Coffee when a group of friends arrived to announce she was the 2004 New Ulm Athena Award Winner.
9 -- MnDOT officials announced traffic could soon be routed on the completed portions of the New Ulm Highway 14 reconstruction project.
10 -- A group of concerned business owners and citizens met to organize a grassroots effort to study the potential negative effects of a Wal-Mart Supercenter coming to New Ulm.
12 -- The Brown County Fair opened, with a nod to New Ulm and its 150th anniversary celebration, which was being held the same weekend.
12 -- The first event in New Ulm's 150th Anniversary Celebration weekend was the trimming of the Heritage Tree at the corner of First South and Minnesota Streets. The metal figures placed on the arms of the tree symbolized various aspects of New Ulm's history, from Turner Hall and the New Ulm Battery to education and agriculture.
13 -- The multi-columned Pergola in German Park was turned over to the city as part of the city's 150th anniversary celebration weekend.
14 -- New Ulm celebrated its 150th anniversary with a variety of events, from the dedication of a peace pole at Schonlau Park near the Glockenspiel, to the dedication of a plaque at German Park to the city's founders, Wilhelm Pfaender and Frederick Beinhorn. At a banquet that evening, Marion Pfaender Downs, 90, the only surviving grandchild of Wilhelm Pfaender, captivated the audience with her recollections of her grandparents and the life they lived, and her early years in New Ulm.
15 -- New Ulm completed its anniversary celebration with a concert in Riverside Park by the New Ulm Municipal Band. The concert climaxed with a performance of Tschaikovsky's "1812 Overture" accompanied by the New Ulm Battery and a collection of cannoneers from other Minnesota communities and neighboring states.
17 -- Medallion Cabinetry publicly announced its plans to build a plant in New Ulm. The company would build a plant and employ at least 30 full time employees by Dec. 31, making a capital investment of about $6 million in building and equipment costs.
18 -- The Brown County Sheriff's Office announced it would place its "Most Wanted" list and a tip line on its web site to help gather information about suspects.
20 -- The Brown County Cancer Society held its annual Relay for Life at the Brown County Fairgrounds, walking all night to raise donations for the Cancer Society.
22 -- Martin Luther College students began returning to class as schools in the area began gearing up for the new school year.
23 -- Members of the German Bundestag and other officials, members of the U.S. Congress-Bundestag Seminar hosted by Rep. Gil Gutknecht, traveled to New Ulm for a tour and an evening of entertainment. The dignitaries enjoyed a Turner Ladies stuffed pork chop dinner, a few minutes of speechmaking, and a performance by the Concord Singers and the Heritagefest Narren.
28 -- The Way of the Cross marked its 100th anniversary, with hundreds of worshippers, led by Bishop John C. Nienstedt, processing from the Cathedral to the Way of the Cross near the New Ulm Medical Center.
31 -- The New Ulm City Council acted quickly to approve the JOBZ agreement with Medallion Cabinetry and get the utility extensions to the plant in place.
September
4 -- Riverblast 2004 was held in New Ulm, drawing attention to efforts to cleanup the Minnesota River.
7 -- The New Ulm City Council considered dedicating a downtown historic district, and approved a bid for Dan Hoisington to do the historic survey work needed to make an application for the National Register of Historic Places.
9 -- A study of New Ulm's housing strengths and weaknesses was presented to the public. The study had been commissioned by the New Ulm City Council and the New Ulm Economic Development Authority. The study recommended, among other things, that the city should have more lots for single-family housing, a subdivision for entry-level housing and more units of market-rate rental housing to satisfy the demand for new, contemporary rental units.
13 -- The August Schell Brewery announced an expansion plan focusing on its museum and tourism facilities, including the addition of a rathskeller.
16 -- The Lafayette Charter School celebrated its grand reopening and celebrated its new facilities.
20 -- Broadway reopened to through traffic as a major portion of the Highway 14 reconstruction project in New Ulm was completed for the year.
22 -- A New Ulm student, 16-year-old Nick Mueller, died unexpectedly during a physical education class after suffering an asthma attack.
23 -- Local law enforcement officers arrested 12 people in New Ulm and Mankato as the result of a drug sting operation.
26 -- The Putting Green organizers were preparing for the opening of the environmental adventure park.
27 -- Redwood County authorities were investigating the death of a Morton man whose body was found in the Minnesota River on Saturday, Sept. 25.
29 -- The owner of Brown County Tire responded to persistent rumors that he had sold his property to Wal-Mart with an interview denying the rumor, saying he had rejected two offers from the retailing giant.
October
1 -- The annual Oktoberfest took place at the Holiday Inn in New Ulm.
1 -- A rarely seen Wanda Gag ink and brush of her husband, Earle Marshall Humphreys, was donated to the Brown County Historical Museum. New Ulm native George Glotzbach donated "Nude Man Reclining," an original work by Gag done in 1926 on thin, cream-white paper.
2 -- The annual Cambria Crush grape stomp took place in Morgan Creek Vineyards and Winery.
2 -- An explosion in a farrowing and nursery barn killed about 600 nursery pigs and 20 sows on Gary Kuelbs' farm on the northern edge of Home Township.
5 -- In a long meeting that included approving a development agreement for a 49-unit apartment building and plat approvals for a Marktplatz Mall condominium project, the New Ulm City Council spent most of its time saying no to a neighborhood fence and to a family's request to divide a residential lot.
The City Council went against a New Ulm Planning Commission recommendation to grant Robert Webb a conditional use permit to keep a new fence that was built in the wrong place in a misunderstanding with city officials. The council denied the permit and referred the question of what happens to the fence to the New Ulm Safety Commission.
6 -- Local health services considered restrictions on flu shot recipients, after likely vaccine shortages were announced.
7 -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposal to shift control of a key environmental trust fund away from the legislative process to an appointed public board went too far, said District 21 Sen. Dennis Frederickson, R-New Ulm.
8 -- Schell's Brewery hosted former Minnesota Vikings long-snapper "The Superstar" Mike Morris, Chris Hawkey and the Power Trip Morning Show on The FAN Radio Network.
8 -- Oktoberfest launched into its second weekend.
9 -- Alan Page and other Minnesota Court of Appeals judges met at the Lind House at Center and State Street. Later in the afternoon, they walked downtown and enjoyed Oktoberfest.
9 -- The Brown/West Nicollet Chapter of the Red Cross hosted an open house at its new location at 1215 S. Broadway.
10 -- At a musical jamboree, the year's final event at the Harkin Store, Opal Dewanz of New Ulm who guided visitors to the 1870s general store for 27 years, passed the torch to Ruth Grewe of Gaylord.
12 -- A Brown County jury found Justin Weston, 312 S. German, New Ulm, guilty of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and controlled substance crime in the fourth degree.
13 -- Residents, politicians and Minnesota Department of Transportation officials met at a open house at the Courtland Community Center to take another look at the future of U.S. Highway 14.
13 -- Minnesota legislative candidates, highway contractors, engineers and other agri-business leaders attended a regional transportation meeting at the Holiday Inn.
14 -- After an emotional debate, the District 88 Board of Education agreed to compensate social studies teacher Rob Bute for his financial loss during military service, by granting him 15 days of pay for 2004.
14 -- As part of training at the Brown County Fairgrounds, K-9 officers and their four-legged partners from police departments around the state searched cars and buildings; chased decoys; ran past, jumped over and crawled under obstacles; and practiced under simulated gunfire.
15 -- A crew from a Washington, D.C. preservation firm completed the restoration of the 32-foot copper sheath statue of Hermann.
15 -- The New Ulm Heritage Preservation Commission officially handed out the plaques marking the city's first local landmark district, South Broadway.
18 -- Students in Kevin Kluis' fourth-grade class heard the story of a one-room school in southwestern Minnesota.
18 -- Kellie Dunn's New Ulm High School freshmen history class students began interviewing veterans as part of a Veteran History Project initiated by the Brown County Veteran's Council, the Brown County Historical Society and local veterans organizations.
19 -- The City Council stayed action on Bob Webb's out-of-compliance fence for a review of the city's fence ordinance and gutted a proposed dog-and-cat leash law so it applies only to the city's bike trail.
21 -- Some notes and letters from senators, city officials and German dignitaries that were to go in a copper box sealed inside the statue of Hermann were read at a special event at Turner Hall.
23 -- For the first time since the 32-foot statue of Hermann was taken down off its pedestal two years ago, anyone who was curious to see what Hermann the German looks like after his $320,000 makeover got the chance to satisfy their curiosities free of charge.
24 -- Many parishioners, neighbors and former students came through the old St. Mary's school to remember and say goodbye before the school's demolition.
26 -- The District 88 Board of Education approved designs for new ventilation systems in Jefferson and Washington Elementary schools. Unlike the traditional systems in place now, the new systems are dual-duct, with a separate duct feeding fresh air into each classroom.
27 -- The League of Women Voters' candidate forum took place in the Public Library.
30 -- Several dozen St. Mary's and Sleepy Eye High School students spent the night under blankets in cardboard boxes, to bring awareness to the plight of the homeless and collect blankets and financial donations for the needy.
November
1 -- Due to heavy rainfall last week in areas to the northwest of New Ulm, the Minnesota River reached 791.95 ft, according to New Ulm Assistant City Manager Tom MacAulay. River flood stage at Riverside Park in New Ulm is 796 ft.
1 -- A group, self-described as "Concerned Citizens," requested that the council consider placing a temporary moratorium on "large-scale commercial developments and rezoning requests."
2 -- Brown County saw a 91.4 percent voter turnout, and a total of 13,937 votes were recorded by staff in the Brown County Auditor-Treasurer's Office by midnight.
2 -- Rep. Brad Finstad won re-election in House District 21B. The Associated Press called the election in Finstad's favor at midnight, with Finstad leading DFL challenger Joe Eckstein by a 60 percent to 40 percent margin, with about 75 percent of the precincts counted.
2 -- Dan Beranek defeated challenger Ben Thompson in the race for New Ulm Councilor-at-Large. Beranek received over 63 percent of the vote from the city's eight precincts. Thompson's vote total was just over 25 percent.
2 -- Four incumbents were headed for re-election to four-year terms on the District 88 Board of Education, in the board's only contested race. The vote counts were: Carol Ackerson, 7,368; Dr. Mark Burkhart, 8,090; Susan Nierengarten, 6,337; and Sheldon Rieke, 7,311. A fifth candidate, challenger JoAnn Vertetis, won 4,361 votes and did not gain a seat.
3 -- DFLer Ruth Johnson staged a come-from-behind rally to defeat Rep. Howard Swenson in House of Representatives District 23A, counts showed. Swenson had built an early lead based on votes from rural precincts, initially suggesting that Swenson had won. Around midnight on election night, the St. Peter results overwhelmed Swenson's lead.
4 -- A group of New Ulm community leaders toured affordable housing projects in Nicollet and St. Peter. City officials, bankers, realtors and landowners learned how affordable housing projects were created in the two growing Nicollet County communities.
4 -- Sophie Muchow, 107, died at the Winthrop Good Samaritan Center.
5 -- A photography exhibition, opened at the Kiesling House, grouping 11 different artists from Mankato, New Ulm, Northfield, Willmar and Minnetonka. The show's 55 photographs represented many different kinds of photography, from black-and-white to color and from portraits to landscapes to abstracts to montages.
6 -- Classical violinist Clifford Brunzell, New Ulm's Menagerie youth singing group, trombonist Earl Schmidt, the late concertina master Jerry Schuft, saxophonist Jerry Kadlec and country singer Marvin Rainwater, were inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame at the 16th annual induction ceremony at the German Rivers rooms of the New Ulm Holiday Inn.
6 -- The first Women's Expo and Craft Fair was held at Jefferson Elementary School Saturday morning. The expo was a fundraiser for the Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) program.
7 -- The New Ulm Public Utilities reported that revenues through August, at $21,571,191, were running $1.4 million ahead of budgeted revenue for the eight-month period. Meanwhile, the utility's bottom line showed a total of $923,889 which represents a shortfall of $46,171 from budget.
8 -- Several dozen Dakota people marched through New Ulm Monday during a 150-mile commemorative march through southern Minnesota, marking the events of the Dakota Conflict of 1862.
9 -- In an effort to spur development of more affordable housing, the New Ulm Economic Development Authority unanimously approved the allocation of $500 for a matching Community Planning Grant with the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership. The grant helps the creation of housing projects for first-time home buyers who are often renting housing but seek to own their own home.
9 -- A crowd of 200 people cheered Hermann the German's return to his post. The statue and the monument were recently restored after city officials realized the extent of the statue's deterioration. The restoration project cost nearly $1.2 million.
10 -- World War II Navy veteran Harold Hippert recalled his service, on the eve of Veterans Day.
10 -- The first construction season of the two-year, $8 million U.S. Highway 14 reconstruction project in New Ulm was "substantially complete" for this year, Project Engineer Robert Williams of Minnesota Department of Transportation reported.
11 -- Two Lower Sioux Community police officers and a landlord with property in Olivia and Redwood Falls relayed meth-related issues at a public seminar at Jackpot Junction Hotel and Casino.
13 -- New Ulm-born former Hollywood actress Kathryn Adams Doty, of Mankato, who later became an author, talked to fans from as far away as Colorado following her film festival at the New Ulm Community Center.
13 -- More than $350,000 had been committed to the Turner Hall capital campaign project but more than $1 million more was needed, officials said, as the New Ulm Turnverein celebrated its 148th anniversary with Stiftungsfest and an annual meeting.
14 --A hands-on, youth benefit recycling program began at the Hy-Vee Food Store parking lot. The New Ulm High School Band joined the New Ulm Area Youth Council, Waste Management and Hy-Vee at the event.
15 -- New Ulm's schools celebrated their selection as the 2004 New Ulm Chamber of Commerce Industry/Business of the Year. The Chamber's Industry/Business of the Year celebration at the Holiday Inn was short on speeches, but each school was represented by students providing musical entertainment.
15 -- College students debated the pros and cons of having Wal-Mart in town.
16 -- Placing a moratorium, in effect, on pursuing a moratorium to keep out a Wal-Mart Supercenter, the New Ulm City Council asked staff to determine if the city is prepared to deal with a 225,000-square-foot retail facility inside or adjacent to city limits.
16 -- After decades in storage and time in a Minneapolis conservation shop, the latest batch of woodcuts, charcoal drawings and watercolors by this city's most famous artist, Wanda Gag, were opened for inspection by city officials and restoration committee members.
17 -- The City Council debated what changes should be made to its fence ordinance to make it more understandable and easier to enforce, after delaying the execution of a council order that a fence recently built on Bob Webb's residential property violated the ordinance and should be removed.
18 -- The Board of Education approved an audit by Peterson and Co., P.A., of Mankato that said that District 88 financial statements for 2003-2004 accurately reflect the financial state of the district.
19 -- Parishioners, neighbors and passers-by stopped, cameras and camcorders in hand, to catch a last glimpse of the old St. Mary's Convent on Minnesota Street, as a demolition crew tore into the 81-year old convent.
20 -- Thunderous cannon fire at the New Ulm Armory saluted Lt. Col. Paul Conery, new commander of the headquarters battery of the First Battalion of the Army's 125th Field Artillery.
21 -- Demolition of St. Mary's School building began with removal of its bell, cross, statue of St. Mary, namestone, cornerstone and the cross medallions near the top of its face.
22 -- Thirty-eight of the 94 responses from New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce members to a poll concerning the issue of Wal-Mart coming to New Ulm favored the world's largest mass merchandiser. Twenty-eight members opposed Wal-Mart, and 27 said they were neutral on the subject. There was one "other" response.
23 -- Sally Mielke, cook at the Kaiserhoff restaurant, retired after 53 years on the job.
25 -- People of varying ages and means queued up at St. Mary's Catholic Church Thanksgiving Day for the traditional community dinner.
25 -- A Thanksgiving buffet at George's Ballroom was cancelled because of alleged asbestos issues.
26 -- A 21-year-old Pewaukee, Wis., man, Derek W. Manke, died at the scene of a two-vehicle, head-on accident on Highway 15 at the east edge of town.
27 -- The New Ulm Park and Recreation Department proposed very few significant changes in its fee schedule for 2005.
28 -- Raymond and Myrtle Gehrke were guests of honor at a celebration of their 70th wedding anniversary in the dining room at Winthrop Good Samaritan Center.
29 -- One of Minnesota's oldest residents, Elsie Palmer, 110, originally of Fairfax, died at Divine Providence Community Home, under two months short of her 111th birthday.
30 -- Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg heard arguments in a lawsuit stemming from the sale of Minnesota Corn Processors in Marshall to ag giant Archer Daniels Midland.
The class-action suit, on behalf of 5,500 farmers, claimed ADM paid millions of dollars to the Marshall, Minn., corn plant's chief executive officer and other executives for a deal that cheated farmers.
30 -- Several contracts that comprise a large part of Brown County's social services budget were approved by the Brown County Board, bringing the county's 2005 budget into focus.
December
1 -- Firefighters from New Ulm and area towns converged on the Associated Milk Producers, Inc. butter plant to fight one of the largest fires in recent history. Teams from New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Courtland and Lafayette fought the blaze late into the evening. The intense fire consumed half the roof. The 30 workers in the butter-packaging plant were evacuated safely.
2 -- The consequences of the damaging fire at the AMPI butter plant remained uncertain, officials of Associated Milk Producers, Inc. said. The blaze demolished two large coolers used to chill the butter, shutting down the entire operation. Those coolers comprised about one-fourth of the 90,000-square foot facility. The fire also destroyed an older portion of the building's roof. Firefighters sprayed about one million gallons of water and 650 gallons of foam on the fire.
3 -- Federal and state officials traveled to New Ulm to view the damages at the Associated Milk Producers, Inc. butter plant and pledge their help in helping the cooperative recover from the fire. First District Rep. Gil Gutknecht, accompanied by Steve Wenzel, Minnesota director of the US Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, brought assurances to AMPI officers and employees that the federal government would do whatever it could to help AMPI recover and rebuild the plant in New Ulm. Gov. Tim Pawlenty flew into town later in the day with similar assurances.
4 -- City and fire department officials in New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Courtland and Lafayette were assessing whether or not the firefighting gear used to combat the blaze in the AMPI butter plant was still serviceable. The blaze coated many pieces of protective gear like pants and coats and thousands of feet of fire hose and radios. It may have even found its way into parts of fire engines.
5 -- Workers continued to remove mounds of mud, dirt, ash and butter from the AMPI fire scene. AMPI General Manager Mark Furth said the plant will be able to bring some of its 130 employees back to work to help with cleanup. However, he said there are no answers as to how many would be able to return to AMPI and when they would be coming back.
6 -- Justin Patrick Allen Weston, 19, of New Ulm, convicted of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine following a jury trial in Brown County District Court, was sentenced to serve time in a state prison.
7 -- In a marathon session, New Ulm's city councilors punished six of seven establishments whose employees were caught up in a compliance-check sting in January.
The council also rejected all bids for its library accessibility remodeling project, because bids came in at around double the $654,000 estimate made by Kagermeier Oleson Hobbie architects of Mankato.
8 -- Susan and Peter Rothmeier's plans for developing a 50.23-acre tract that surrounds an 8-acre lake in northwest New Ulm ran afoul of the city's comprehensive plan. The issue was whether the Rothmeiers must designate 5 acres in the development for a city park. After considerable debate, the council gave the matter to the Park and Recreation Commission for further study of the park issue.
9 -- Ongoing mold issues in New Ulm's public school buildings would require a big hike in the district's annual tax levy, District 88 officials said. The district proposed a $1.77 million levy increase because of the costs of the mold and mildew removal and the replacement of heating and ventilation systems.
9 -- The Main Ingredient, a restaurant, deli and kitchen store, opened at 209 N. Minnesota, in the building that formerly housed the Edelweiss Flower Haus.
10 -- A week and a half after the AMPI butter plant fire, the cooperative's officials continued gathering information and weighing their options about the future.
While an assistant State Fire Marshal put the preliminary damage at around $14 million, Mark Furth, General Manager of Associated Milk Producers corporate office, said he still had not heard an official damage figure from the cooperative's insurers, and the cooperative still had not made a decision on the future of the plant.
13 -- After considerable discussion, the Park and Recreation Commission voted to recommend the City Council approve a 1.4-acre, playground-only, "mini-park" for the proposed Lakeside Village Addition in northwest New Ulm. The commission did not want to put the burden of providing 5 acres for a park on Susan and Peter Rothmeier who are developing the 50.23-acre addition with 94 lots for both accessible and market-level home owners.
14 -- Brown County commissioners voted for a 4 percent tax hike, bringing the county's final 2005 levy to roughly $8.2 million.
15 -- A Nicollet public school $8.1 million referendum passed by a significant two-thirds margin. The referendum, which will add 50,000 new square feet to the Nicollet Public School campus, passed 472 to 243.
16 -- The District 88 Board of Education approved a $2.85 million settlement with five contractors allegedly responsible for defective 1997 and 1998 construction. Design professionals Wold and BKBM settled their part of the case for $1.6 million. Minnetonka Plumbing, Paape Energy Services and Diamond Energy jointly settled for $1.25 million. Several contractors involved in the suit did not settle. They are set to go to trial in April 2005.
16 -- Even though the city attorney said the city would have little or no legal leg to stand on in keeping Wal-Mart out of New Ulm, three City Council members attending an informational meeting kept the possibility of a moratorium on so-called "big box" retail operations alive.
17 -- New Ulm High School SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and staff donated more items than ever during a holiday food and clothing drive for the needy Dec. 1-15, the group said.
18 -- Roger Matz, former publisher of The Journal who is credited with expanding the paper's scope, died in a Rochester hospital after a two-year battle with lung cancer.
20 -- The District 88 school board voted to reduce the 2005 tax levy by $1,023,451. The reduction was made possible by a $2.85 million settlement with several contractors in a lawsuit that stemmed from the 2001 discovery of mold in schools.
21 -- The New Ulm City Council approved a $13,673,066 budget for 2005, to be partially funded by a $4,313,700 property tax levy.
21 -- Brown County commissioners approved the annual agreement between that county and the University of Minnesota extension service. Under the new agreement, Brown County will keep its local 4-H program coordinator and share its ag educator with Nicollet County on a 50-50 basis.