Mixer Installation project bids set for June 7
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received, publicly opened, and read aloud by representatives of the City of Luverne, Minnesota, at the City Hall, 203 East Main Street, Luverne, Minnesota 56156 in said City at 1:00 PM, on Wednesday, June 7, 2002, for furnishing all work and materials for the Mixer Installation Project, consisting of the following approximate quantities:

External Draft Tube Mixer 1 LS

Proposal forms, contract documents, drawings and specifications as prepared by Toltz, King, Duvall, Anderson and Associates, Inc., are on file for inspection in the office of the City Clerk and in the office of the Engineers, whose address is 1500 Piper Jaffray Plaza, 444 Cedar Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101-2140.

Contractors desiring drawings, specifications and related documents for the purpose of submitting a bid may secure them from the Engineers upon deposit of Thirty-Five Dollars ($35.00) for each set. The deposit for one set of drawings and specifications in good condition within 15 days after the date for the opening of bids. Ten Dollars ($10.00) will be refunded for deposits made to secure more than one set of documents, deposits made to secure documents for subcontractors and material suppliers and also to Contractors who fail to bid. To secure a refund all documents must be returned in good condition within 15 days after the day for the opening of bid.

No bid will be considered unless it is securely sealed in an envelope and filed with the City Clerk prior to the time noted above for the closing of bids.

Each bid must be accompanied by a bid bond or cashier's check payable to the City of Luverne in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the total bid as a guarantee that the bidder, if successful, will enter into a contract with the Owner for the work described in the proposal. This deposit will be subject to forfeiture as provided by law. The deposits for the three lowest bidders will be retained by the Owner until the contract has been awarded and executed but not longer than sixty (60) days. No bid may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days following the bid opening.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive informalities or to award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder, in the best interest of the Owner.

The City Council will consider award of contracts at a regular meeting to be held at June 11, 2002.

Matthew Hylen
City Administrator
(5-16, 5-23, 5-30)

By Sara Strong
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is ready to start its summer project at the Rock County landfill.

The state is spending almost $1 million to revamp the county landfill site to improve its safety for the ground, air and water.

Engineer Pete Fuller said to the Rock County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, "Clean water comes into a landfill and comes out contaminated.... We're going to make it like it's a big lawn."

Starting about June 17, the MPCA will supervise contractors in uncovering the current landfill, consolidating different piles of waste and recovering it to specific requirements. The project will take about 106 days to complete.

By doing this, the slope will actually shed water easier, with the help a special membrane cover that repels water. On top of that membrane is.
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Consolidating landfill areas will create two to three acres of reclaimed land that won't have waste of any kind under it.

Another part of the MPCA's work includes a bigger ditching system to keep water flowing around, instead of through the landfill.

Fuller said the ditching system now is close to adequate, but during times of heavy water flow, it's too small.

The county's landfill is actually at a decent rating for safety risks, but a state program in 1992 puts all closed landfills under the control of the state. That amounts to about 108 landfills.

Rock County's landfill rating is C-16. The "C" falls within an A to D range - A signifying greatest environmental threat and D meaning the least. The "16" is another rating system using numbers between 0 and 100. In that case, 100 signifies the greatest threat.

Along with water issues, the MPCA is taking steps to prevent any methane gas from spreading from the site to the ground or air.

Methane is produced in decomposition and is an explosive gas that seeps through the soil and can damage crops or enter homes through foundations.

A venting system will be installed in the new landfill mound to prevent this from happening.

Even though Rock County's landfill is being managed by the state now, it was in compliance with laws at the time it was actively used and isn't necessarily harming the environment in its current state, according to the MPCA.

By Sara Strong
The Rock County Board Tuesday took action to keep the summer's long-planned for bike trail project going.

Three properties along the upcoming bike path from Blue Mound Avenue to Blue Mounds State Park will be turned over to the county through eminent domain proceedings.

Easement negotiations failed so commissioners acted to keep the project on track, if a bit later than it would be otherwise.

Henning Brothers LLP was the hold out that prompted the eminent domain proceedings. The company wanted a higher dollar offer for its land because of the gravel excavating that takes place there.

Other property owners are Ron and Debra Luettel and Mark and Lori Holtz, who jointly own one property. They weren't against the easement, but had some questions and were waiting to finalize the agreement.

Dean and Jennifer Tofteland are the third property owners and were ready to sign off on the easement.

Eminent domain can be used if the reasoning is to serve a public purpose. A judge will determine in a hearing whether the use is of public purpose and, if so, the county will begin the project.

Payments for the land could take some time to be settled even after eminent domain is established. But even before a value is assessed by three different parties, the county can begin work.

The trail will be paved except for a small portion on the east side of the park. The graveled section of trail will be between the parking area near the quarry and the east-west tree line that connects with County Road 8.

The path is expected to be completed by fall.

By Sara Strong
Luverne's branch office of a high-tech company is carving a place in the Webcasting market.

Netbriefings, with Luverne branch manager Jeff Ernst and marketing specialist Amber Weinkauf, works daily with organizations around the globe.

That is what Ernst said is the beauty of Netbriefings. "Just like people should be able to do [this kind of work] from Luverne, people should be able to use us from anywhere," Ernst said.

When Netbriefings expanded to Luverne, not many people understood the logistics of the company. Essentially, the local office feeds video and audio, live or archived, to clients.

Netbriefings can also archive meetings for large companies that may have employees who need to catch up on material.

Think of Webcasting as a type of broadcasting over computers for specific users.

People who use Netbriefings will probably never enter its office, which is located behind the Brandenburg Gallery in Luverne.

Weinkauf works daily to increase the name recognition anyway. She writes press releases and broad e-mails.

Weinkauf also deals with Internet search engines, bidding for good placement so people looking for services like Netbriefings can easily find the company on the Web.

Netbriefings contracts are a matter of national and even international sales efforts. The World Trade Organization used Netbriefings for a meeting in Qatar, and JVC and American Express are other recognizable companies that contracted with Netbriefings recently.

Even though the company headquarters is still in St. Paul, Ernst said any company growth will likely mean new employees in Luverne.

"We're still growing," Ernst said.

City ties
Netbriefings announced it would locate in Luverne in June 2001 and opened in November.

The city of Luverne approved a $250,000 loan with many attached conditions that council members thought would protect the city.

The minimum employment expectations are five employees by the end of the first year and a target of 35 by the end of the fifth year to the 10th. If the company doesn't come through, the interest rate will increase by 2 percent for the following year.

If Netbriefings never meets its minimum annual employment expectation, the interest rate will rise to 12 percent at the end of the fifth year and remain at 12 until the loan is paid off.

Two years of principal and interest are deferred so the Luverne branch can get on solid footing and concentrate on gaining employees.

Randy Scott stands safely out of range while munitions crews set off an explosion that opens a new quartzite mining operation in his pasture three miles north of Hardwick.

By Lori Ehde
A large explosion set off by 3,500 pounds of ammonia nitrate blasted an opening in a new Rock County quarry Monday morning.

Marcella Scott and her son Randy have signed a 30-year lease with Dunnick Bros. Inc., Prinsburg, to open a quartzite mining operation that will feed area road construction projects.

The quarry, located three miles north of Hardwick about a half mile east of Highway 75, is now the only operating quarry in Rock County.

Randy Scott said the idea for a quarry stemmed from a visit by Dunnick Bros. to the Scotts' gravel pit on other business.

"We got the gravel bid for the Highway 75 project, and they were out here looking at the gravel, so I asked him what he thought about the rock here," Scott said.

Subsequent test borings showed the Scott pasture was rich in a natural resource high in demand by road builders.

According to Harris Dunnick, a partner owner in Dunnick Bros., the Minnesota Department of Transportation is setting more stringent specifications on the type of rock used in asphalt and other road projects.

"A lot of natural gravels do not have as much rock or the quality of rock we need," Dunnick said.
He said product in the Scott pasture fits the bill. "Quartzite or granite is certainly a good quality rock."

The Highway 75 road work between I-90 and Trosky will begin July 1, so work is already in process to build a road to the pasture and to set up a crushing plant on site.

The area permitted for mining is 40 acres. The initial mining for the Highway 75 project will open a hole 35 to 40 feet down, depending on the quality of rock mined.

Roughly 40,000 tons of rock will be mined this year alone.

According to Scott, the quarry will eventually stretch two miles long, a half mile wide and about a mile deep.

Both he and Dunnick Bros. agree the secluded spot in the middle of the pasture is a perfect site for the operation, since it won't be a nuisance to neighbors.

Dunnick added its proximity to the Highway 75 work will be handy. The nearest other quarries are in Jasper and Sioux Falls.

The cliff line of the Blue Mounds State Park was the site of a Sioux quartzite that operated in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Marcella Scott became a bit nostalgic as she watched the explosion Monday.

"This land has never been tilled," she said. "It's the same now as when the Indians lived here years ago."

But she and Randy agreed it was exciting to witness the beginning of what may well be a productive Rock County industry for years to come.

By Sara Strong
Plans for expanding the Luverne Municipal Airport are again ready for take off.

Lengthening the runway at Quentin Aanenson Field has been on the Airport Board's agenda for nine years, with the first airport layout plan approved in September 1993.

Last time around, there wasn't enough public support to get the project approved, but a modified version will be before the City Council and then up for state and federal approval this summer.

The plan is different from previous efforts.

It affects fewer property owners and starts a new runway instead of just adding on to the existing. The end result would be a new runway 25 feet wider and 1,700 feet longer than the present runway.

The Airport Board doesn't consider having the shortest runway in the state a bragging point. In fact, it says the limited capabilities of the airport should mean something to everyone in the area.

Board Chairman Pat Baustian said, "From a community standpoint, a runway expansion can only help; it cannot hurt."

Businesses like First Farmers and Merchants and the Minnesota Veterans Home have written to the board asking for a longer runway because they use large planes that can't land there.

The hospital is limited to helicopter use because of the short runway as well. Other health care facilities often have larger airplanes that can travel faster and longer distances than helicopters.

Board member Dave Paquette said, "ItÕs not just the existing businesses."

Baustian said, "We're looking to what the future could bring and hope we can lure new businesses with the asset."

Need for the bigger runway isn't coming from individual existing users like some might have thought, Baustian said.

"The runway is fine for people stationed there now," Baustian said.

His views on the importance of a good airport and runway came to light during meetings with the Blandin Community Leadership Program.

There, the list of important elements of infrastructure included education, healthcare, and safety among other things. Also on that list was transportation and Baustian thinks the runway is a part of that infrastructure equation.

The Board also said people should understand that only 10 percent of the project's cost would come from the city of Luverne, the rest is federal money from aviation taxes. There isn't an estimate on the cost of the project because itÕs just in the beginning stages.

Willmar and Redwood Falls are two recent runway projects the board pointed to for regional examples of growth. "If we don't spend [the federal money], someone else will," Baustian said.

Turbulence ahead
The land acquisition portion of the project could take almost nine months to complete. Payments to property owners essentially buy the right to use the airspace above their property.

A sticking point in the last attempt to expand the runway was a nearby township road that would have had to close. (The gravel road south of the airport runs east and west.)

Since the last attempt at expansion, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has said the township road should be closed anyway.

MnDOT said the road should be closed because of its proximity to the current runway in a Jan. 17, 2000, letter.

The Board hopes that the state's findings on the road helps it continue with plans.

After land acquisition, the airport must go through re-zoning at the county level, have an environmental assessment and go through final design and construction preparations.

If the project gets through all those steps, the earliest a longer and wider runway could be constructed is November 2004.

Britz house
The city-owned home on the southwest corner of Main Street and Highway 75 is no longer an option for relocation to the airport.

The home, commonly called the Britz house, was originally slated to be moved to the airport for a future manager to live in.

But further checks into the cost of moving and conditioning the home for permanent residence made the project too costly.

The chimney is collapsing and there are other structural concerns in the home. The home might not draw resident managers because of the interior design and space limitations as well.

The city of Luverne turned down bids for purchasing the home in order to move it to the airport. The highest bid at that time was less than $2,000.

The city hasn't yet discussed what it will do with the house, which is now vacant.

By Lori Ehde
Every day, Sheriff Ron McClure sits at his computer and sees the words "Carrie Nelson homicide" scroll across the screen.

Even a year after the brutal murder of the 20-year-old Blue Mounds State Park employee, the words remain as a screen saver on his computer.

"It's a good reminder," he said. "I'm hoping for a call. We're hoping someone has a change of heart."

At this point, he said, all he has is hope.

He, Rock County investigator Clyde Menning and BCA investigators have been through the case information over and over again.

"Just last month I went out to the scene to walk around - hoping I'd find something we missed," McClure said.

He said the case has been a tragedy for Nelson's loved ones, but it's also taken its toll on local law enforcement.

"Every one of us - the dispatchers and the officers - cares about this," McClure said.

"Every time someone calls the tip line, you're hoping that's going to be the call we've been waiting for. Every time someone calls and insists on speaking with either me or Clyde, we hope that's going to be the call."

He said he knows for himself the department has done everything it can for the case, but he'd feel better if it were solved.

"When you have something with this much trauma to it, it doesn't just affect law enforcement, it affects the whole community," he said.

"It puts doubt in their minds. It can happen in any community.... It really did happen here."

While the case hasn't presented any productive developments, McClure said he hasn't given up hope.

"All we can do is appeal to the community. If someone wants to talk about something they forgot to mention earlier, it's not too late."

Learning to live with the pain
What's been a frustrating year for law enforcement has been an unbearable one for Nelson's parents.

"It's been a terrible year," said Stan Nelson, Hills. "Every day I wake up and it's right there in front of me. It's not something that goes away ... it just won't. You just live with it. Every day something happens that brings up her memory, and the tears come."

He spent the anniversary of Carrie's death with his other daughter, Katie, and Michael Kellen, who had been engaged to Carrie.

They planted flowers on her grave in Flowerfield Cemetery, just down the road from Nelson's acreage, and they planted a willow tree on his yard in her memory.

He still pins on the tattered orange ribbon he first wore during the initial days following his daughter's death.

Nelson said he's frustrated no one has been held accountable for his daughter's death, and at this point, he feels helpless to do anything about it.

"You just want people to remember her. She was such a sweet girl - kind and compassionate," he said. "You think about every little thing you wish you'd done with her that you didn't do and you regret."

He said everyone should be aware of violence and do what they can to diffuse situations before they cause heartache.

"Raise your children to be gentle people," he said. "We need to do everything we can to preclude this kind of suffering."

Carrie's mother, Nan Karr-Kaufenberg, spent the anniversary of her daughterÕs death in a secluded cabin in the quiet north woods of Minnesota.

"It's been a horrible year," she said. "I know it's going to continue to be a nightmare for the rest of my life."

She said it doesn't help to know her daughter's murderer has not been arrested.

"She was such a sweet, innocent person, and we need to find the person or persons who did this. She didn't deserve it."

Kaufenberg said she has found comfort in community support, and she's pleased about the wildflower garden the Blue Mounds State Park is planning in her memory.

The garden, which will be supported by memorials in NelsonÕs name, will be planted near the Interpretive Center.

BCA hopes reinstated reward will prompt call
While the family grieves, state and local investigators continue to search for Nelson's assailant.

"We have looked at more than 500 leads, we've talked to more than 700 different people," said Paul Soppeland of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

"We have obtained DNA from 250 separate people. (including park employees and campers). We do not have any solid information as to who may have done this."

Soppeland said law enforcement is still looking for the money bags stolen at the scene and for the person who was wearing the watch found at the scene. They are also seeking information about a white car that was seen leaving the park.

He said the $50,000 reward money offered by Spotlight on Crime expired last year, but in honor of the anniversary of her death, it's been reinstated for a month.

The reward will go to any person that contributes information that leads to an arrest. The tip line is 283-1301.

He said he's as frustrated as the local sheriff's department by the case.

"Apparently we should have had this solved long ago, because everyone has all these facts that turn out to not be facts," Soppeland said of rumors.

"There was a large contingency of BCA investigators down there working round the clock, seven days a week for the first few months after the murder.

"These guys have hundreds of years of experience between them investigating homicides.
"So, yes, this is frustrating to us."

He said he hopes the reinstated reward will help.

"I still have optimism that we will get this case solved," he said. "We're hoping it will bring the one lead that will help us. We don't need a lot of calls. We just need the one call from someone out there who knows something about this case."

Luverne sixth grader Daniel Hup and Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center resident Virgil Thompson chat about various topics Friday after a special program for National Nursing Home Week. The two were paired up through the Adopt a Grandparent program.

Photo by Sara Strong

Stan Nelson, Hills, spent the anniversary of his daughter's murder planting flowers on her grave in Flowerfield Cemetery near Hills. He cut each of the wooden dolphins adorning the fence that circles the grave. Carrie's headstone is scheduled to be delivered in time for Memorial Day. Among other things, it will say,"...From the little girl with the golden curls to the young woman with the beautiful smile, you added light to our lives.....We miss you Carrie." Story inside.

Photo by Lori Ehde