2 | November 2011 | The Olmsted County Business Connection. For Advertising Information Please Call 507-288-5201.
Dustless. Odorless. Done in a day.
For $1 per sq. foot our hardwood floor renewal process will restore and
protect your home’s greatest asset.
Call Today for Free Estimate • 507.366.2833 (507.366.BUFF) • www.buffandcoat.com
$1 Per Square FootCall today for a FREE
in-home estimate!
507.366.2833(507.366.BUFF)
www.buffandcoat.com
Offer not valid with any other offers or discounts.
Expires December 14, 2011.
A Slice of the Holidays...ALL YEAR LONG!
304 1st Ave. SW • 507.282.8669www.bilottispizza.com
Buy $100 in Gift Certificates, get a
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Buy $50 in Gift Certificates, Get a
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• Football • Baseball• Hockey
Top of the line - Sewn on - Heavy weightRetails for $11900
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Food Cards Fun It’s what we do!TJ Max Plaza • 1340 Salem Rd. SW
Rochester, MN • 507-280-6800
We Have THem!Just in time for the holidaysauthentic Reebok On Field Jerseys
Men’s, Women’s, and Children’s Sizes
The Olmsted County Business Connection. For Advertising Information Please Call 507-288-5201. | November 2011 | 3
Gift Cards Available!
Hair • Skin • Nails
We represent Bumble and Bumble
products.
One coupon per client. Expires 12/31/11.
507.424.33222665 Commerce Drive NW, Rochester
(West Circle Location)
www.raessalon.com
We Promise You an Experience You’ll Never Forget
$20 OFFMicro Derm or Micro PeelOne coupon per client. Expires 12/31/11.
$15 OFFAny Chemical Service
Chemical Peel, Hair Color or Perm
25% OFFAll Services (New Clients Only)One coupon per client. Expires 12/31/11.
MasterCard, Visa, Discover, Debit
Visit our website for a demo of Rotobrush cleaning!
www.dust-doctors.comLicensed, Bonded & Insured
Commercial • Residential
Benefits you may experience from cleaning your ducts: • Fewer asthma, allergy & cold symptoms • Cleaner furniture & carpets • Fresher smelling house • Eliminates dust mites, pollen & pet dander
507.322.3843Free video inspection
with Rotobrush upgrade!
Air Duct Cleaning
Fireplace Cleaning • Chimney Cleaning Dryer Vent Cleaning
Exceptional!
Expires Dec. 14, 2011
Expires Dec. 14, 2011
Expires Dec. 14, 2011
All Work GuArAnteed
Call for a FREE Estimate
AIR DUCT CLEANING
4 | November 2011 | The Olmsted County Business Connection. For Advertising Information Please Call 507-288-5201.
Specializing in custom fitting for
every ability!
Buy $10000 worth of gift cards and receive a $2500 Gift Card
FREE! Expires 12/31/11.
Hillcrest Shopping Center1642 Highway 52 North • 507-529-0223www.rochesterindoorgolfcenter.com
“Everything for the golfer for less, always!”
Check out our holiday gift bag!
Chinese RestaurantDine In or Take Out
Miracle Mile Shopping Center507.281.1813 or 507.281.1787
Sky Dragon Buffet
Chinese RestaurantDine In Or Take Out
Sky Dragon Buffet
Buy 1 Meal at menu price
Get 2nd half priceW/ Purchase of 2 Soft DrinksIncludes lunch, dinner or to go orders. One coupon per group. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Must present coupon. Second meal equal
or lesser value. Expires December 14, 2011.
Locally Owned Family Business
Now Three Generations of Quality Craftmanship
• Featuring Furniture made in Minnesota •
www.furniturebylogans.com • Crossroads Center, Rochester, MN • 507-282-6806
The Olmsted County Business Connection. For Advertising Information Please Call 507-288-5201. | November 2011 | 5
P r i n t i n g S o l u t i o n S
P E r F E C t g l o S S Y
507.398.9115www.perfectglossy.com
$ A group of men were think-
ing about building a place for
their kids to practice racing
Go Karts when they stum-
bled upon a business venture.
Instead of traveling to Cresco
or other places, why not have a
track right in Fillmore County
where people could race, or pay
to come see others race?
Canton already had a perfect
area located right on the edge
of town, in a spot that has
plenty of room for the track,
the pits, some bleachers, and
places for spectators to set up
their own seats. It’s right on the
highway, and seemed a good
central location. The idea for
Canton Speedway was taking
shape. According to Mike Kelly, it
has been a joint effort to turn
this idea into a reality. He has
been working together with
Tony Severson, Ben Gravos,
Brian Gjere, and others, all of
them putting money, time, and
energy into the project.
Right now their kids race
in Cresco every other Sun-
day. They plan to have Canton
Speedway run on the opposite
Sundays through the summer.
The plan is to have races be
an afternoon family event for
everyone.
“The kids can start racing at
age five,” said Kelly. “And there
are people in their mid-60s still
racing.” Go Karts come in different
shapes and sizes, as well as dif-
ferent price ranges. “You can
spend as much as you want,”
said Gravos.
According to Kelly, a basic
Go Kart can be found for
under $1,000, and it goes up
from there, depending on how
fancy you want it. And they
are not slow, either. Kelly’s son
Jared said they can go anywhere
from 20-60 miles per hour.
Go Kart racing is not just for
boys. Kelly said there are many
girls who race, and the oldest
person they know racing Go
Karts is a woman in her early
60’s. A lot of work has gone into
the project already, and they
still have a lot of work to do.
Kelly said the Canton City
Canton Speedway to attract
Go Karts racers to region
Schools cannot
do it alone
page 5
Technology in
my life
page 6
Spring Valley
looks at grant
surveys
page 9
Chatfield moves
ordinance
forward
page 19
For the second time in two
years, the Rushford area Cham-
ber of Commerce has hosted an
informal town-hall style Meet the
Candidates forum. The Sunday
night event, October 23, held at
the R-p High School Theater, saw
nearly 60 in attendance to hear
the details of six candidates ‘bids
for council or mayoral seats. The
Journal’s own editor-in-Chief,
Jason Sethre, served as moderator
for the event for a second time.
Two candidates will vie for
the position of Rushford’s mayor.
Chris Hallum, currently in his
first term as mayor, will face
off against former councilor Jim
Wolter. Four others are seek-
ing two four-year council terms,
including incumbent Robert
Dahl, who is running for a sec-
ond term. also seeking the posi-
tion are Roger Colbenson, who
sought council seat last election,
coming in third, former mayor
Les Ladewig, who seeks re-elec-
tion after being ousted by vot-
ers in 2009, and Valencia gad-
dis, who is seeking her first-ever
council seat. The top two of these
four will be elected.
The night’s agenda was thor-
oughly scripted by the chamber
and included an introduction and
conclusion by each candidate and
four questions for the candidates,
drawn from four categories, with
one question per category. New
this year, the candidates also
fielded two open questions from
the audience. all questions, both
written and open, were allowed
only from property tax payers
of the city and had a limited
response time from candidates.
The four selected categories
were: City’s Fiscal Budget, eco-
nomic Development, Commu-
nity Quality of Life Issues, and
Rushford Chamber
hosts “Meet the
Candidates” forum
See CANDIDATES Page 2
The county board approved the
purchase of new survey equipment
for the Highway Department at the
state contract price, $72,022.64, at
the board’s October 25 meeting.
Lead Accounting Technician
Pam Schroeder, Highway, detailed
the reasons to go with Trimble
Equipment through Frontier Preci-
sion at the state contract price. It
is the vendor and equipment the
department has worked with in
the past, so more training shouldn’t
be required, and it will be compat-
ible with current software. As this
equipment is used by 80 percent
of Minnesota counties and the Fill-
more County Survey office, infor-
mation will be interchangeable.
Trimble equipment will provide
an extended range for hard to reach
or unsafe targets, which makes it
work better in the county’s bluff
areas. Batteries are interchangeable
when recharging is needed, reduc-
New survey equipment for
the highway department
See COUNTY Page 16
Pictured above is the future location for Canton Speedway.
See GO KART Page 17
Weekly Edition M
onday, October 31, 2011 Volume 27 Issue 6
7th grade Falcons
undefeated
page 17
Canton Chatfield Fountain Harmony Lanesboro Mabel Ostrander Peterson Preston Rushford Rushford Village Spring Valley Whalan Wykoff
B K Z
B K r
B J W
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Lounge
N H B o . 24!
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Nov. 19
Book Your
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With the rising cost of fuel, as well as a vision for downtown Rochester containing a more limited number of parking spac-es for a growing number of jobs, alternative modes of transporta-tion are being explored to bring the city into the future. In April of this year, the Mid-
west High Speed Rail Alliance, a Chicago-based rail advocacy group, adjusted their vision for a proposed high speed rail line from Chicago to the Twin Cities to go through Rochester instead of along the Mississippi River as previously planned. “Our goal is to make centers of
excellence in the Midwest acces-sible to the regional, national, and international community,” said Rick Harnish, the associa-tion’s executive director. “Roch-
ester, with its first-rate medical community, is certainly one of the centers.” In the next two to three
years, the Olmsted County Rail Authority will look to begin forming a service development plan, containing the fourth fea-sibility study in the last 10 years to determine how successful a high speed rail line between Rochester and the Twin Cit-ies would be. The plan would begin with an environmental study during its first six to eight months to do a cost analysis in order to find the most advanta-geous placement of the passenger line, which would not share the corridor with freight rail. One of the reasons that the route along the Mississippi River was given up was due to a simple environ-mental observation that the hills and varying soil densities of this landscape could not support a
high-speed rail line. The rail line would be Min-nesota’s first high-speed connec-tion, traveling at speeds between
150 and 220 miles per hour. This would cut a commute between Rochester and the Twin Cities down to between 20 or 30 min-
utes. “This is a transformative proj-ect,” said Chuck Michael, project manager at ZipRail, the brand for the proposed high speed rail project. “It will change the way people look at where they live and where they work.” Rochester is very unique in
its economic and transportation
patterns. There are thousands more jobs in Rochester than there are men, women, and chil-dren. Approximately 40,000 people commute to Rochester each business day. These com-muters, along with a conserva-tive estimate of 12,000 patients a day at the Mayo Clinic, make thoughtful planning of trans-portation and infrastructure a necessity. The Mayo Clinic currently
runs 42 buses per day to trans-port employees to and from the
Twin Cities and communities surrounding Rochester. With the Clinic expecting to continue to grow, employ more people, and renew the fabric of down-town Rochester along with the arrival of the University of Min-nesota, finding a place to park all of the employees, patients, and students will be unlikely and not cost-effective. The Downtown
Master Plan, adopted by the city of Rochester in the last year, calls for even less available park-ing downtown than is presently there. “The incentive is two-fold,” said Olmsted County Commis-sioner Ken Brown. “First, we want to get people to Rochester. Second, we don’t want the cars because we can’t park them.” It is a common view that it is best to live near your place of employment. Commuters are feeling the pinch of the cost of gasoline, which has often approached $4 a gallon in recent years. When looking for a place to plan conferences, or receive medical care, one consideration
Rochester’s silver bullet?
See ZIPRAIL Page 6 Comment on this article at www.olmstedcountyjournal.com
By Nate [email protected]
Keep an open mind
PAge 4
FEMA fnding impasse means frustrationPAge 10
Law enforcement contract for Dover/EyotaPAge 15
Byron raises storm water utility feesPAge 14
Tee it upwhile you can!
PAge 17
Weekly Edition Wednesday, September 28, 2011 Volume 1 Issue 26
OLMSTED COUNTY
Byron l Chatfield l Dover l Eyota l Oronoco l Pine Island l Rochester l Stewartville
TEE OFFSpEcialS
www.olmstedcountyjournal.com
“Olmsted County’s Largest Local Newspaper With Over 62,000 Copies Distributed Every Week”
Seal-CoatingFloor Coating
Deck Maintenance
Save 10% OFFOn These Company ServicesSee Page 2 to Find Out How!
Polytek Surface Coatings
Graphic Source: www.goziprail.org
Wabasha Motel has room rates that are especially appealing to those who want some extra cash to order that special bottle of wine with dinner, or those who just want a quiet, cozy place to catch some zzzz’s without costly added frills.
Our Cabin and Downtown Flat give guests the option of staying in a more stylish, contemporary setting with kitchens to do their own cooking.
And finally, our RV Park offers guests a quiet, peaceful place to stay as they explore the many attractions of Wabasha and the surrounding area.
Places you absolutely must see and experience in & near Wabasha, Minnesota.
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or bring your own!
1106 Hiawatha Dr. E.Wabasha, MN 55981
866-565-9932651-565-9932
1106 Hiawatha Dr. E.Wabasha, MN 55981
866-565-9932651-565-9932
The Mississippi River-Watch the barges & boats on the main channel and explore the scenic backwaters by canoe or kayak.The National Eagle Center-After you’ve seen the live eagles there, go out and see them in the wild!Arrowhead Bluff Museum-Indian & pioneer artifacts, wildlife exhibits, and an extensive knowledge of our Wabasha area history. The Wabasha County Historical Museum- If you want even more history, this is the place to be. L.A.R.K. Toys- Be a kid again! Buy toys, eat ice cream, and ride the carousel featuring 19 hand-carved fantasy creatures!SVJ Creative Designs- Decorate your garden or yard with elegant or fun concrete statuary.Cofffee Mill Golf- 18 holes with breathtaking views from both the clubhouse and along the course. Check out the pro shop, dine at the Chippewa Grille, and watch your favorite team on their big screen TVs!Coffee Mill Ski & Snowboard- Extra long slopes and three terrain parks. A quality ski & snowboard experience!“Under the Bridge”-FREE Summer concerts - every Friday night at 7pm.Wind Whisper West- Beautiful Japanese wedding kimonos - take one of these pieces of fine art home with you!
BIG SAVINGS
Until December 31, 2011, buy any product from Perfect Glossy and take
20% of purchase price
to use toward an advertisement in the
Fillmore County Journal or Olmsted County Journal.
Advertisement must run by March 31, 2012.
Attention: Business ownersMaximize Your Advertising!
Call Dan today to arrange a one-on-one consultation
507.398.9115
PoliticiansGrocery StoresLive Theatre Productions
One favorable price includes complete layout, design, printing and shipping! No surprise costs.
We have helped many organizationsChurchesRestaurantsHotels & MotelsCampgrounds
MunicipalitiesAssisted Living Centers Indoor & Outdoor Recreation
6 | November 2011 | The Olmsted County Business Connection. For Advertising Information Please Call 507-288-5201.
2 Rooms & Hallway$89
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507-765-2704 or 877-282-0647
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Only 12.8% of all
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That means 87.2% of all Rochester businesses don’t have a website.
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The Preferred Package•Domain registration•Hosting services•Website design•Unlimited e-mail accounts•Website updates included•Search engine optimization•Website analytics reports•Social media guidance -Facebook, YouTube, MySpace & more•Website features include: -blogging, video, photo galleries, slideshows, e-commerce and more!•Free debut of website in the Olmsted County Journal
Contact SMG Web Design for more information
507-765-2704 or 877-282-0647
www.smgwebdesign.com
Only 12.8% of all
Rochester businesses have a website.
That means 87.2% of all Rochester businesses don’t have a website.
Let us help!
The Preferred Package•Domain registration•Hosting services•Website design•Unlimited e-mail accounts•Website updates included•Search engine optimization•Website analytics reports•Social media guidance -Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and more•TackleBox -user-friendly management tool•Website features include: -blogging, video, photo galleries, slideshows, e-commerce and more!•Free debut of website
All of this for as low as $500/year
Now Offering ~ Social Media Management•Setup and social media site management to reach your target audience•Including the top social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Myspace and more!
SMGDesignW
eb
Only 12.8% of all
Olmsted County businesses have a website.
That means 87.2% of all Olmsted County businesses
don’t have a website.
Let us help!
Contact SMG Web Design for more information
507-765-2704 or 877-282-0647
www.smgwebdesign.com
The Olmsted County Business Connection. For Advertising Information Please Call 507-288-5201. | November 2011 | 7
1203 2nd Street SW (Across from St. Mary’s)282-6572 • www.canadianhonker.com
Flown straight from Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba.
We prepare it 3 different ways....Parmesan Encrusted, Broiled
and Batter Fried.
Stop in and try this 10 year tradition
For a limited timeCanadian Honker will be offering
Fresh Canadian Walleye
Served 11am-10pm 7 days a week
2950 41st St. NW • 507-252-5000
Ashley’sor shop www.myashleys.com
May not be combined with other offers including coupons and promotional merchandise. Not valid on Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, gift card purchases, postage stamps, past purchases, Vera Bradley, Chamilia and Miche Bag. No
photo copies. Coupon good November 25-27, 2011.
40% OFF One Item
www.olmstedcountyjournal.com/the-oc
Reach 64,000 Households with
ONE AD
For advertising information please call 507-288-5201
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