By Sara Strong
After 12 years, Luverne Utilities Coordinator Red Arndt is still working to get Lewis and Clark Rural Water System to southwest Minnesota.
"ItÕs a political ballgame right now. We've just got to play along until we can get the money and build it," he said to the Luverne City Council Tuesday.
Arndt is hopeful that $7 million in federal funds will come to the project by October. Lewis and Clark had hoped for $12 million.
The entire finished product of the system Ñ which will provide the region, including 22 communities and rural water systems, better quality water and a larger quantity of water - will cost about $362 million.
Federal funds will take on 80 percent of the cost with participating communities and the state splitting the remainder.
If the state doesn't come through with its portion, however, users have to absorb the difference.
Right now Luverne's portion will be a total of $1.3 million, or $36,000 this year for a federal funds match. Councilman David Hauge said he's worried that the state's budget deficits could effect the project in its funding from the state.
Arndt said, "We need to get the money or we'll have to come up with it."
The state's share this year is $108,000.
So far, two test wells are running and a third is being bid for the labor and installation.
RCRW is allotted 300,000 gallons a day from Lewis and Clark, and Luverne is allotted 750,000 gallons a day, or half of what it expects to use at high capacity. Water could reach Rock County by 2011.
Friends of the Library
With the library looking forward to its book sale today, Friday and Saturday, Friends of the Library President Dolly Remme updated the Luverne City Council on its organization Tuesday.
Last year's book sale generated $1,094 for Friends of the Library. The group purchased chairs, tables and a podium for the new community room and video and audio books for adults and juniors.
Friends of the Library continues to be proud of Luverne resident Carole Olson's book "Rock-a-Bye Baby Reader," of which it sold 500 at regular price and 1,500 at cost to the Rock County Collaborative to give to all new parents in the county.
Olson's book continues to get statewide attention from preschool and children's groups.
Among its other interests, Friends of the Library is also concerned with supporting regional authors. "We try to keep books by people in this area in the library," Remme said.