royalton city newsletterf29ae369... · of bowlus. 25 years in 1991, five acres was donated to...

Royalton City

Newsletter

City of Royalton Volume 16 Issue 1

January / February

After months of planning

and asking for donations

from the following local

businesses: Platte River

Insurance Agency; Ron

Gertken, SBC Building

Systems, Lund Dock and

Lift, Royalton Lumber and

Hardware, Majaski’s Ma-

chine Shop, Doug Luepke

Trophies, 10 Spot Bar

and Lounge, Scottie’s Log

Bar, American Family

I n s u r a n c e ; S a r a h

Wilczek, Buds to Blos-

soms, Pine Country bank,

Alley Cuts, Royalton Fire

Department and the

Royalton Lions Club, a

new Royalton Tradition

was started. On Decem-

ber 5, 2015, at 6:00

p.m. the lights on a Scotch

Fare For All,

a local food

program cre-

ated to make fresh fruits,

vegetables and frozen

meats more affordable

for local families now has

monthly distribution in both

Little Falls and in St. Jo-

seph. Fare For All is open

to everyone. Fare For All,

sells packages of fresh

produce and frozen meat

at 33 locations throughout

Minnesota. With prices

ranging from $10 to $25

per package. The pro-

gram has no income re-

quirements or forms to

complete. “Many families

have been forced to cut

back on fresh produce and

lean meats because of ever

shrinking food budgets.

The program is designed to

help make affordable,

healthy foods available to

those families-especially

during the holiday season,

“ said Scott Weatherhead,

the Program Manager for

Fare For All. The Little

Falls distribution is the first

Monday of each month

from 3:30 to 5:30 at Be-

thel Lutheran Church, lo-

cated at 901 Broadway

West. Upcoming dates for

this location is February 1,

and March 7. St Joseph

distributes on Mondays as

well, from 3:30 to 5:30 at

the Resurrection Lutheran

Church, located at 610

Cty Rd 2 next to the water

tower. Upcoming dates

for this location are Jan

11, Feb 8, March 14. For

additional dates and a

map of the Fare For All

locations, go to: http://

www.fareforall.org or find

them on Facebook. If you

have questions feel free to

contact Fare For All at

1-800-582-4291.

This article was submitted by

Scott Weatherhead, program

manger

“Fare For All” has new locations

Christmas on the Platte was a Success!

Planning and Zoning

Applicants needed

3

100 Years Ago 5

Library News 6

Pictures needed 7

Parking ordinance 8

Free Throw

contest winners

10

Volleyball

Fundraiser

11

Inside this issue:

Special points of interest:

Jan 18 Dr. Martin Luther King

Day City Offices Closed

Feb 6 Girl Scout Cookies

available

Feb 14 Valentine’s Day

Feb 16 Presidents’ Day

City Offices Closed

This institution is proud

to be an equal

opportunity

Continued on page 4

From the Mayor Thanks to

e v e r y o n e

who came to

the first an-

nual Christ-

mas on the

Platte and a

special thank you to Leah Walberg

for organizing the event. The

weather co-operated allowing over

200 people to gather in the park to

enjoy food, music and visit with

friends.

In December, the Council approved

fire service contracts for Bellevue

and Langola Townships. Our fire

and rescue department cover all of

Bellevue Township and 8 sections of

Langola.

The budget for 2016 was adopted

at our December meeting. Budgets

are guidelines for the city to use to

help plan and prioritize city services.

Each department puts together a

proposed budget and then the en-

tire budget – income and expenses

– is examined line by line until the

council and staff is in agreement on

the numbers. It is a long process, but

it works for us.

2015 was a busy year for the City.

In January we learned that the Min-

nesota Pollution Control Agency re-

quired the city to start its aerated

sewer ponds and in April we re-

ceived bids for well #4 and water

treatment plant. The aerated ponds

use more electricity so that needed

to be included in the 2016 budget.

We bonded to do the well and wa-

ter treatment project and our debt

service payments also needed to be

included.

Each year as part of the budget

process we review the water, sewer

and garbage funds. These funds are

called Enterprise Funds and are like

separate businesses for the city. No

tax dollars are used to cover the

costs incurred to supply these ser-

vices. Starting the aerated ponds

and adding a new well and water

treatment plant increased the cost of

operation and added another debt

service payment. It also means an

increase in water and sewer user

fees. We connected with the Mid-

west Assistance Program to help us

determine the best way to set rates

that were fair and equitable for all

users. The program is a free service

to the city and it provides a rate

study to help us determine the best

model to cover the cost of operation.

I was curious about the cost of bot-

tled water versus the cost of city tap

water and found a website http://

yourwaterfilterguide.com/bottled-

water-vs-tap/ (June 8, 2015) that

answered some of my questions. The

article stated that a 16.9 oz. bottle

of water typically costs over $1.

There are 128 oz. in a gallon, which

equals over $7.50 per gallon. And

that’s just for drinking. Tap water is

for drinking, washing dishes, bath-

ing and doing laundry! Our water

rate is $25.50 up to 2500 gallons

and then $5/1000 gallons above

that. 2016 will be another busy

year for the City and our Council

looks forward to serving you.

Royalton City Newsletter

Local Comparison

1 Gal of City Water= $.01

1 20oz Bottle of water $0.99

I Gal of water = $6.34

1 Gal of Unleaded Gas =$1.79

1 20oz bottle of Pepsi=$2.02

1 Gal of 2% Milk= $2.79

http://yourwaterfilterguide.com/bottled-water-vs-tap/



If you would like to advertise in the City

Newsletter please con-tact Leah at City Hall 320-584-5900 or

email [email protected] for more information.

Hawthorn Street which passes

along the High School and runs

North. Those two streets are county

roads and they need to be ad-

dressed with the

county and the

state. There will

be a public hear-

ing on February

2, 2016 at

7:15p.m. in the

Royalton City

Hal l Counc i l

chambers to address the concerns

of the public.

There have been a few concerns

coming into the City office about

speeding vehicles within the Royal-

ton city limits. With the direction of

the city council, they are working

with the Planning and Zoning com-

mittee and local law enforcement

to address the speeding ordinance.

The council is looking into changing

the city streets from 30 mph to 25

mph. However, the areas that

have been addressed with the

most concern are Birch Street and

City Council is considering changing the speed limit

Volume 16 Issue 1

community, such as Ordinance # 52,

Public Parks, this was set up to allow

the patrons of the city to enjoy what

the city has to offer in the many

parks that we have. The Planning

and Zoning Committee will also

work with new businesses that may

come into town and they have

worked with the Royalton School

system to make sure the addition

goes as planned. If you are inter-

ested in learning more about be-

coming a member, please contact

City Hall at 320-584-5900.

Looking for Planning and Zoning Committee Members

The Planning and Zoning Committee

is looking for two new members to

join the team. The Committee is

made up of local residents who

would like to have a chance to help

the City of Royalton develop a safe

community and promote growth

within the city borders. They are the

ones who see things that may need

to change for the better in the town

or they are informed by other resi-

dents who may have concerns as

well. In the past year, these mem-

bers have established many differ-

ent ordinances that have helped the

www.MnTreasureCity.com

letter, and have a chance to win a

bag of prizes. Just call, email, or

drop a note at City Hall of what

page the object is on in this news-

letter. Be sure to include your name

Volume 16 Issue 1

Christmas on the Platte pine in Memorial Park were lit thanks

to the local residents Andy Dancer,

Russ and Carla Gerads, Nolan and

Wyatt Gerads, and Scott and Leah

Walberg. 3,000 white LED lights pur-

chased from Buckman Hardware were

strung around the tree. On that warm

December night with a little bit of

snow on the ground, almost 200 com-

munity members were able to enjoy

the Hot Dogs provided by the Royal-

ton Lions Club and cookies donated

from the members of the Royalton

Senior Club and sip hot beverages

donated from Creative Catering. The

children were able to enjoy the park

in the evening and dance to the Christ-

mas music provided by Shaggy’s DJ

Service and visit with Santa. With fire

pits located in the park, residents

were able to gather around and enjoy

the warmth of the fire and converse

with their neighbors. “When I envi-

sioned this celebration last December,

I didn’t know what to expect. I

wanted the community to be able to

come together and enjoy the evening

instead of being locked up in the

homes during the cold winter months.

This event turned out better than I had

hoped, with it being the first time the

City of Royalton would see an event

like this. I want to thank everyone for

coming out and enjoying the night. I

am looking forward to

seeing everyone next

year and years to

come. I hope that this

event will grow with

the city and have

families look forward

to it each year.” Leah

320-310-1321 www.BrendasFundraising.com

The Winner Is …Pat Vannurden

and phone number; and you will

be put into the drawing. 320-584

-5900

[email protected]

The Hidden Object for the Jan/Feb

Newsletter is:

Happy New Year!

Pat Vannurden’s name was drawn

out of the many people who found

the poinsettia in the last newsletter.

Find the hidden object in this news-

Nolan Gerads was picked from a hat to turn

the lights on for the first Christmas on the Platte

celebration.

A LOOK BACK AT OUR HOME TOWN

100 years In July 1916 the

Platte Dam and bridge were washed out by heavy rains. They were located on the south end

of town at the end of Driftwood Street South. They were never

rebuilt.

90 years In February of 1926

the Holy Trinity Catholic Church

will purchase 3 acres of land on the north end of town for a new

cemetery. The old cemetery was located on the west side of the rail road tracks. All graves were

moved a few years later. April of 1926 The First National

Bank of Royalton closed due to depleted funds. It will reopen a

year later under a new name and directors. The people will

lose all money they had in the

bieck the son of Frank Bobieck of Bowlus.

25 years In 1991, five acres

was donated to Royalton for the

McGonagle Park and 14 Christ-mas decorations were pur-

chased.

10 years April 2006, Lee

Popp was hired as part time

public works Assistant. At the end of the year he will become

supervisor.

5 years Solar panels will be

installed on the roof of City Hall and the Splash Park shelter will

be completed by the Lions Club.


50 Years Ago

40 Years Ago

By Barb Gangl

Museum Director

bank.

80 years In February of 1936

the new gymnasium at the school was completed. This is

the gym in the Elementary school now. It was built using

the WPA program. The stage is the original to the project.

75 years In January of 1941

construction started and was completed May 1 when our pub-

lic library was opened. This too was a WPA project with the Royalton Women Study Club

raising all funds. This was lo-cated on the corner by the fire

hall. December 7, 1941 will mark the

75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor and it will mark the death anni-

versary of 26 year old James Bo-

Library News

Some folks think that winter in Minnesota is a season to be toler-ated, something to simply en-dure. If you are included in that mindset, the 2016 Winter Read-ing Program is tailor made for you. The 2016 theme is MinneS-NOWta: Read Away the Winter. The program will begin on Janu-ary 2 and continue through Feb-ruary 29, 2016. This program is for adults and teens (6th grade

and up). Once again the highly c o v e t e d G R R L mugs will

be included in the prize list. In-formation about the program can be found on the GRRL web-site or from librarians at any of the GRRL locations. Visit the library to see the 2016 mug de-sign and sign up for the pro-gram.

Do you need creative ideas for your home, your family or for the upcoming holidays? Explore the world of Pinterest. Join li-brarian Ariel Kirst for informa-tion on using Pinterest. For adults and teens. Limit 10. Reg-istration required. This program will be on Wednesday, Febru-ary 3 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Children are invited to cele-brate Valentine’s Day with sto-ries, a craft and snacks on Thursday, February 11 from 4:00 to 4:45p.m. This story-time is for children ages 3 to 10 years old. There is a limit of 10. Regis-tration is required.


By Linda Mueller

The library will be CLOSED on Monday, January 18 to ob-serve Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Monday, February 15 to observe Presidents’ Day.

The telephone number for the Royalton Public Library is 320.584.8151. The library is lo-cated at 12 North Birch Street in the city office building. The Great River Regional Library website is www.griver.org.

Don’t Forget to do

something special this year for

your Valentine.

Sunday,

February 14

50 years- November 1966,

we lost Joe Holdvogt while

fighting one of the biggest fires

Royalton has seen. We are

looking for pictures of that fire

but mostly we would like a pic-

ture of Joe.

40 years- Forty years ago,

1976, our country celebrated

our bicentennial and Royalton

had a parade and a carnival

downtown with rides. Does any-

one have pictures of that? We

are trying to remember if there

was a Ferris wheel. There were

posters and advance tickets for

the rides. Do you have any of

those?

Our final project at the mo-

ment is the Splash Park. We are

Volume 16 Issue 1

THE MUSEUM IS WORKING ON PROJECTS AND WE NEED YOUR HELP

trying to get pictures and sto-

ries of the project from the be-

ginning to the end of the

Splash Park. If you have pic-

tures and/or written accounts

please send them to City Hall

so we can make copies.

First Response

The Royalton First Responder team

is accepting applications for First

Responder positions at City Hall.

Applicants must be at least 18

years of age and live within 3

mile radius of the fire hall. Appli-

cations are available at the

Royalton City Hall, 12 N Birch

Street.

This past month the Royalton First

Response team held elections for

officers. Congratulations to the

following: Karen Dubbin; Presi-

dent, Ted VanHove; Vice Presi-

dent, Becky Yackel; Secretary/

Treasurer, Krisina VanHove; Train-

ing Officer. You will all do a fine

job this coming year.

Valentine’s Day Every Day

For a sweetheart or a friend

There’s just no better way

To show how much you care for

them

Then a gift on Valentine’s Day

It doesn’t have to be expensive

A simple card will do

As long as you put your heart into it

And show that it’s really from you.

Share love with family or with

friends

Tell them in your own way

Let them know you really care

Make every day Valentine’s Day

As the snow continues

to fall, I would like to

remind everyone of Royalton’s

Winter parking restrictions. As

stated in Ordinance #3 section 4:

When snow has accumulated to a

depth that requires plowing and/

or removal; all vehicles including

trailers parked and/or standing on

city streets and alleys in the City of

Royalton shall be towed to an im-

pound lot at owners

expense. As de-

scribed in Ordinance

#3 section 5: Year

round parking, No

vehicle or trailer shall

be parked on City of

Royalton streets or

speed limit is 15 MPH. The driver

yields the right of way to all on

coming traffic which constitutes an

immediate hazard.

For further information regarding

our parking and snowmobile ordi-

nances, or to pick up a Snowmobile

trail map, please feel free to stop

by City Hall or go to the city web-

site www.royaltonmn.com

Lastly slow down take your time

on icy roads and remember

texting while driving is illegal.

From the Royalton Police Department


alleys for over 48 consecutive

hours. No vehicle shall park on the

wrong side of the street (face

against traffic). Only vehicles ex-

empt from this section are all emer-

gency vehicles, city work vehicles

or delivery vehicles. No vehicle or

trailer shall be parked on the grass

between the street and the resi-

dence. Vehicles in violation of this

order may be towed at owner’s

expense. No vehicle or trailer shall

be left unattended and without

permission on Royalton City prop-

erty for over 48 consecutive hours.

Snowmobiles, just a reminder that

you need to stay on the side of the

road way and not on Sidewalks,

ditches or peoples yards. The

Texting while driving is Illegal.

It has already been a week since the

new year of 2016 has started. In

that first week most people will set a

resolution that they would like to

achieve in this new year. However,

by now the excitement of setting

those goals is starting to wear off. I

know, it happens to the best of us,

but don’t let the excitement of a

“New Year’s Resolution” wear off.

Here are a few ideas and pointers to

help achive your goals. Whatever

you decide to do, make sure you are

happy with yourself and what you

are trying to obtain. If you are not

happy with it, change it, there is noth-

ing worse then having that feeling of

“I have to because..”

Good Luck and Happy

New Year, 2016 will be

Great!

New Year’s Resolutions

Volume 16 Issue 1

All your favorites are coming back!

Pre-Sale Starts January 25.

Cookies will be available February 6 through

March 19th. Contact Leah at 320-224-2204 or

Gretchen 551-580-1834 if you would like to place an order

Thanks-A Lot, Cranberry Citrus Crisps, Lemon-

ades, Shortbreads, Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Pat-

ties, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Sandwich

Accomplish the Incomplete – If you still feel that the resolutions you made last year and abandoned midway are worth a second shot, give it another chance! Realistic Resolutions – Instead of weav-ing dreams in the air, make a resolution that would have significance in and add a meaning to your life.

Monitor Progress – Resolve this year to monitor how far you are holding on to your commitment – it will help you to hang on.

Quit an Addiction – It will not take you anywhere good, trust us. If it does you no good, why stick to it? If needed, seek help of support groups or professionals. If you have the will, you shall find the way.

Back to School – Learning has no age. Pick up where you left off.

Fit in Fitness – Secure a future with fewer trips to the doctor – exercise. Select a regime you can stick to. A group activity may add the element of fun to the routine. Lose some flab. But don’t set any strict target, for then the chances are you may get de-motivated and quit.

Soak up New Skills – Learning some-thing new and interesting is always fun and a value addition too.

Healthy Hogging – Think before you put any morsel in your mouth. Occa-sional indulgence should be there.

Lose the Loan – Pay off any debt you may have and feel light at heart.

Sack Stress – This sounds easier than it actually is, and there is no magic tip. You have to find your own haven.

For more ideas 123NewYear.com

$4 A box

There hasn’t been anything exciting

with the Royalton Fire Department

during these past couple of months,

but when it comes to the fire depart-

ment it is a good thing. Just a re-

minder to everyone, to please make

sure your house number is visible

from the road. It is important to

make it visible for any emergency

personnel who may need to find

your home. It could lead to more

time wasted trying to find you than

being able to help you. Also a re-

minder to help keep the fire hy-

drants clear of snow during these

Free Throw Contest Winners The Holy Trinity Knights

of Columbus Council

#13398 hosted their

annual Free Throw Con-

test on January 3rd. This

is an international contest put on by

the Catholic family fraternity.

The winners for this year’s local con-

test are by age group:

9 yr Girls 1st=Hannah Kruger

10 yr Girls 1st=Marizza Lenz

11yr Girls 1st=Rachel Cekella

12 yr Girls 1st=Aubrey Kruger

13 yr Girls 1st=None

14 yr Girls 1st=Morgan Wagner

9 yr Boys 1st=James Ring

10 yr Boys 1st=Cal Ollman

11 yr Boys 1st=Tyler Swenson

12 yr Boys 1st=Wyatt Koroll

13 yr Boys 1st= Zachary Cekalla

14 yr Boys 1st=None

Each contestant was allowed 15 free

throws in the contests. Ties were set-

tled by successive rounds of 5 free

throws per contestant until a winner

emerged.

Each of these winners will compete in

the district competition to be held in

February with location and times yet

to be determined. These contestants

will have an eye toward moving onto

state and international levels.

winter months.

The Fire Department elections took

place this past month for officers.

Nate Bellefeuille is still currently

your Fire Chief and

Joel Newman is the

Assistant Fire Chief.

The Captains are

Adam Hellickson and

Jake Klosowski .

Sean Flahave is the

training officer while

Bill Tieman is the

Safety officer and

Steven Bishop was

elected as Secretary. Congratula-

tions to them all, you will do a fine

job protecting the city and surround-

ing townships.

Hot Fire Department News


Volume 16 Issue 1

WHO: Co-Ed Volleyball teams of 6 (Will have Upper and Lower Brackets – indicate which bracket on registration form.)

DATE: Saturday March 12th 2016

WHERE: Royalton High School Gym(s)

TIME: 9:00am-?(Will text or email each captain start time)

ENTRY FEE: $100 (50% payout)

DEADLINE TO REGISTER: Monday March 7th

Any questions call or text Carla: (320)360-6490

CO-ED VOLLEYBALL

FUNDRAISER TOURNAMENT

All proceeds go for additional equipment at ROYALTON COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT

REGISTRATION FORM

Team Name/Sponsor: __________________________________________________

Upper Bracket: ____________________ Lower Bracket: _____________________

Team Captain: ________________________________________________________

Email Address: ________________________________________________________

Cell Phone: ___________________________________________________________

Send registration and payment to (checks can be made payable to Royalton Splash Park):

Carla Gerads

330 North Hickory Street

Royalton MN 56373

Keep this and hang it inside your cupboard!


royalton city newsletterf29ae369... · of bowlus. 25 years in 1991, five acres was donated to...

Documents