Baseball, Workshop for B.P. Softball Walkers Teams Next Monday Get on a Page 20 RollPages 20, 21 ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTIETH YEAR BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, APRIL 20, 2011 75¢ SINGLE COPY NUMBER 16 Back in The Game A Year Later, Megan Millmann’s Recovery Going Well by John Mueller They remember March 20, 2010 like it was yesterday. A teenager refused to get out of the car and see another doctor. She fi nally gave in after parents fi nally confi ded her physicians feared what they thought was severe mononucleosis was ac- tually cancer. Their fears were true. Thirteen months later, Megan Millmann, daughter of Con- nie and Calvin, is well on her way to recovery from acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She Approximately 30 representatives from surrounding townships attended Monday night’s city spent about eight months on the council meeting, then huddled outside after they were told they would not be able to address eighth fl oor at Children’s Hos- the council about the ambulance fund issue. pital in Minneapolis. She has been to hell and back. Doctors told her parents they Council Turns Away Township were less than a month away from losing Megan. Her fi rst Representatives Wanting to round of chemo began March 23. It made her violently ill and broke down her immune sys- Address Ambulance Fund Issue tem. Several rounds later, she is back where she wants to be – going to Belle Plaine High Mayor Sites Pending Litigation as Reason School and playing center fi eld on the softball team. The out- by Dan Ruud a lot of you have a lot to say spect that.” fi eld gives her space to do what The Belle Plaine City Council about this, but I’d like you to The issue centers around she loves to do. Thirteen months after she was diagnosed with leukemia, Me- had a chamber full of people in respect our (the city’s) process. City Council “I like to run,” she said. gan Millmann is back where she wants to be -- attending class attendance at the start of Mon- We have this legal issue in front of us and we really have to re- (continued on page 6) Through the rigors of chemo- at BPHS and playing softball. day night’s regular meeting but most of the crowd exited after therapy, she slowly improved. school kids deal with. But hav- She was assigned to the B By last fall, Megan was ready Mayor Tim Lies told them there ing faced cancer, the drama of a squad. Megan worked hard to would be no discussion regard- Good Friday Service and to return to school. After trying high school student’s everyday handle the running and physical school on a part-time basis, she ing the ongoing ambulance life is far less important than it training of the fi rst few weeks fund issue between the city and went back full-time a month might have been. of the season. Processional Cancelled before her doctors told her it seven surrounding townships. Softball is one of the things “It would be really easy to say For the fi rst time in many byterian – not to conduct the was OK to do so. Connie said The group, which numbered very important to Megan. She I don’t want to do it. But this years, there will be no Good service this year, partially be- they weren’t surprised. about 30, was there to utilize badly wanted to spend her ju- is really important to her,” said the open public forum that is Friday Processional Service in cause attendance at the service Megan’s hair has grown back. nior year on the varsity. But Belle Plaine. and processional had declined She is looking forward to prom available near the beginning after nearly a year in a hospital According to St. John Luther- greatly in recent years. and fretting over homework, Millmann of every council meeting. But bed fi ghting cancer, Millmann’s an Associate Pastor Mark Lep- The annual service, which the kind of worries most high (continued on page 6) Lies said he was going to make strength wasn’t up to the task. an exception on this particular per, it was mutually agreed by would take place from 1-4 p.m. issue. St. John and the other two host “I know this is going to disap- churches – Our Lady of the Easter point a lot of you, but because Prairie Catholic and First Pres- (continued on page 8) PUC Says ‘No’ -- It Won’t of a threat of litigation, I’m not going to allow any discussion about this ambulance issue,” Area Roads Reopened, Reconsider Route Decision Lies said. “I apologize because by John Mueller changing the numbers of prop- huge towers had not yet been I know this issue is important to Some Remain Closed you. I appreciate your presence Claiming there is no legiti- erties impacted to support of taken. here and just the fact you’re As the level of the swollen Tuesday. mate reason to change its de- its plans for a river crossing Wolter also contended re- here tells me enough. I know Minnesota River slowly de- Highway 22 Still Closed cision, the Minnesota Public as the process unfolded. They consideration was warranted clines, some area roadways are Utilities Commission (PUC) also claim crossing the river because the towers and line Highway 22 between Mankato City-Wide Garage reopening and some remain and St. Peter is expected to re- rejected Belle Plaine area resi- west of Belle Plaine will have a will require an expanded right closed. dents’ requested the agency re- negative impact on more prime of way rather than the amount Sale This Week main closed until early-May as farmland and potential residen- In Blakeley, the river crossing Mn/DOT works on emergency consider its Feb. 3 decision that CapX originally stated in its recently reopened. approves the CapX high-volt- tial development land bordering application. Because the lines Belle Plaine’s annual City- repairs because of a washout age transmission line cross the Belle Plaine’s city limits in the crossing the river can’t be co- Wide Spring Garage Sale Days Highway 19 from Highway from overland fl ooding near Minnesota River west of Belle city’s orderly annexation area. located on the same towers, the will take place Friday and Sat- 169 to Henderson opened yes- Kasota. Plaine. About 20 Belle Plaine area wider right-of-way is needed urday. terday afternoon (April 19). It Chard Tiling of Belle Plaine concerned residents attended for the 345-kilovolt line to run Maps showing the locations of has been closed since March 20 was awarded the emergen- Supporters of the request for because of fl ooding. reconsideration contend the the hearing in St. Paul. The adjacent to the existing 69-kilo- many of the sales can be down- cy contract with a bid of crossing near of Belle Plaine commission chairperson did volt line across the river. loaded at www.belleplainemn. Locally, Scott County Road 9 $153,383.61 and plans to begin adversely impacts more occu- not allow them to speak. She also claimed the towers in com. They are also be available in Jordan and Highway 101 in work Friday (April 22), weather pied properties and costs more Vicki Wolter, a Faxon Town- Belle Plaine would not be less at Village Market Foods and Shakopee remain closed as of permitting. than the proposed route that ship resident who lives about a accessible to service crews in Cenex. included a river crossing north half-mile from the power line the event of fl ooding. of Le Sueur. CapX claimed at corridor, also argues the river Wolter also argued for recon- the Feb. 3 hearing the numbers crossing near of Belle Plaine is sideration claiming CapX is of properties impacted by the uncertain since Great River En- moving ahead with plans for proposed line will be “about ergy staff admitted at the Feb. 3 the high-voltage line without the same” whether it crosses PUC meeting they don’t know consideration of the ongoing the river west of Belle Plaine or if the soils will support the foot- study on the proposed impact north of Le Sueur. ings needed for the huge tow- Opponents of the Belle Plaine ers. Dan Lesher of Great River PUC crossing criticize CapX for Energy said soil borings for the (continued on page 19) 104 Apply for Police Offi cer Opening Belle Plaine Police Chief this week. Interviews will take on the local force for most of Tom Stolee said 104 applica- place in early May. about 15 years. tions were received for the full- Following background checks Besides hiring a full-time time police offi cer job in Belle and physical psychological entry-level police offi cer, the Plaine. The deadline to apply tests, Stolee hopes to have the council’s vote last month also was April 1. actual hiring of the top candi- allows for promoting internally Stolee said he recently fi n- date approved by the city coun- Olsen’s replacement as the de- ished reviewing the applica- cil on May 16. partment’s investigator. tions, six of which have been Following considerable de- According to Stolee, the cur- selected as fi nalists. He plans to bate, the council voted 4-2 on rent salary, including ben- Planting Preparation mail letters to those individuals March 21 to approve the hiring efi ts, for a police offi cer at of a replacement for Sergeant step 1 of the city’s pay scale is Jesse Buesgens applied anhydrous amonia to a farm fi eld along Stoppelmann Boulevard in Rick Olsen, who resigned ef- $74,498.50.