Fun Fest organizers ready for party
Looks like the New Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce has delivered on its promises to offer and new and improved Fun Fest to the community.
Now all they need is a little luck with the weather (not the 100-degree stuff like we all suffered through last year) and the community celebration should be a success.
The entertainment this year is top-notch, with no cover charge at the gate (thanks to some kind sponsors for those events). The cover charge was a huge complaint for those attending last year's concerts, and the food and beverage sellers suffered greatly as a result.
The parade (which has been moved to 6:30 p.m. Saturday night) promises to offer more this year than last. More marching bands is a huge plus for the event, and was only made possible with the move to Saturday night rather than Sunday afternoon (which competed with other area parades).
The jury is still out on the parade route, which will follow Knowles all the way down to Pamida. It's a long was for groups to march, and the wide roadway down where it turns into a divided highway could be an issue for people watching from the opposite side of the street.
The weather looks promising. The line-up looks good. Now show up and have some fun. This is the community's celebration, and everyone should take part in some way.
Posted by: jeffholmquist on 7/12/2007 at 3:11 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Landfill fix will include city water service
The city of New Richmond will provide city water to the households affected by contaminated water near the old community landfill.
The clean-water solution has been a long time coming, but the fix will occur relatively quickly from this point forward. City officials say water should be extended to most of the impacted homes by the end of the summer.
Steps will also be taken to stop the future spread of the contamination.
If you're a homeowner with contaminated water, what do you think of the plan? Others, what are your thoughts on the expensive project?
Posted by: jeffholmquist on 4/20/2007 at 9:52 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Red letter day -- Referendum passes
It was a red-letter day for New Richmond on April 3. That's when voters approved a $93 million building referendum that will upgrade and improve facilities in the district.
The margin of victory was a pleasant surprise for many. Had it been much closer, the detractors would have fuel for debating the "true will of the people." Now, the message is clear. New Richmond District residents, at least a strong majority of them, recognize the need for extra space and improved buildings.
Now the district and its School Board will be up to its eye balls in building plans and the details that go along with such projects. If they thought meetings during the past four years were long, wait until they start talking about the fine details. Makes you shudder.
On a side note, the boo-birds in the stands have taken me to task for living in the Osceola School District and my alleged orchestration of the approval of the referendum. The two printed editorials were written by me, but the stance and tone of each editorial was set by the news staff members who live in New Richmond and pay property tax here. Those editorials are meant to represent the "stand" of the newspaper as a whole, not the opinion of just one individual.
Additionally, I admit that I have always been a supporter of schools and improved facilities. In my 14 years in the Osceola district, I backed and voted for two new buildings and facility additions. I have also happily paid the corresponding taxes associated with those new buildings. While I admit to openly supporting new schools in New Richmond, I never used my position to influence Tuesday's vote in either direction. I truly believed it was up to the voters who live here and pay taxes here to decide one way or the other, and they did. I did not refuse the publication of any letters to the editor from either the "Vote No" nor the "Vote Yes" group. I gave prime play of both positive and negative letters during the course of the debate. The blog posts on our Web site ran fairly freely, although I admit I had to take down a few comments because they were personal attacks, and not sticking to the subject at hand. I will continue to monitor comments on our blogs and articles, and if anyone (especially those who hide behind anonymous blog names) can't fight fair, their comments will not be allowed.
Now we should all get on with the pressing business at hand. I'll admit it -- it will be a joy not to have to write about the battle over new schools and land for years to come.
Posted by: jeffholmquist on 4/5/2007 at 9:46 AM | Comments (9) | Permalink
New Richmond referendum approaches
Superintendent Morrie Veilleux was on hand Monday at the New Richmond Rotary Club meeting. He provided quite a bit of information about the upcoming April 3 referendum in New Richmond.
Among the interesting figures he presented was the fact that, if voters had approved the $54 million referendum two years ago, the tax impact would have dropped singificantly over the past two years due to the sharp rise in the district's valuation.
The same holds true today. It will never be cheaper to do what needs to be done in terms of school facilities. And if growth continues at rates similar to recent years, the figures being used for tax impact will drop as the years progress.
What's your take on the whole situation? Does the fact that the referendum's tax impact is phased in over four years make it more palatable?
Posted by: jeffholmquist on 3/21/2007 at 10:53 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
The big melt begins
I can't wait for spring. The melt began in earnest on Thursday as the sun came out and began to work its magic on the snow.
Even though the late-arriving winter was welcome in late 2006, with the recent snow it seems like winter is dragging on (even though it really hasn't.)
I'm ready for some time on the deck, grilling and the return of a multitude of birds singing in the morning.
What's your favorite thing about spring? Or would you rather winter hang on just a bit longer?
Posted by: jeffholmquist on 3/8/2007 at 4:00 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink