Spring Valley EDA

Tools for Economic Growth in Spring Valley, Minnesota.

Chris Hahn

New Kingsland teacher looks to make connections’ with kids

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Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, September 1, 2022.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy 

 

“I’ll be in the elementary side of the school, teaching early childhood special education. I chose to teach early childhood because young children are so fun and happy to work with. I chose to become a teacher because I want to make connections with students and make sure school is a fun and safe place as it was for me,” stated the new Kingsland Elementary School instructor, highlighting that she’s especially ready to go back to preschool after getting her college diploma this spring.

Palkowski shared, “I graduated high school in May of 2018 from Eleva-Strum High School in Wisconsin and graduated from Winona State University this May. This is my first year teaching, so it’s my first school district as well. I have not taught any other subjects, but I was placed in a sixth-grade classroom while student teaching. Before coming to Kingsland, I student-taught in Cochran-Fountain City, Wisconsin, for one semester. I decided to come to Kingsland because it’s in a small community that reminded me of my hometown.”

She looks forward to the first day of school and getting to meet her new students. “I anticipate that I will work well with the fellow Kingsland staff, and I anticipate helping my students learn and grow. Most challenges I anticipate revolve around me being a first-year teacher with lots to learn, but I anticipate sharing many laughs while working with my students. I think the most important thing for children to learn while in school is to find joy and excitement in learning. I hope to make school fun a fun and safe place for my students. I want them to be excited to come to school each day.”

Palkowski currently lives with her boyfriend in Stewartville. “My parents and younger brother live in Wisconsin. I also have an older sister living in California and an older brother living in Colorado. In my spare time, I like to read, go for walks, try new restaurants and attend local events. I hope to attend some sporting events this school year.”

She concluded with enthusiasm, saying, “I am so happy to join the Kingsland community and can’t wait for a great year.”

 

 

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325

Spring Valley discusses 2023 Farmer Street project

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The Spring Valley City Council held a regular meeting on August 8, with all council members present (Mayor Tony Archer, John Dols, Chris Danielson, Luan Ruesink, and Greg Brooks).  City Administrator/Clerk Deb Zimmer participated as well.  No visitors had signed up to address the council.

The council approved Resolution 2022-26, for the Farmer Street/County 8 Improvement Project, which is slated to occur next year.  The street project aims to make improvements on Farmer Street, from west of Section Avenue to the Wastewater Treatment Plant driveway.  The resolution set a public hearing for 6 p.m. at city hall on September 12, for anyone interested in hearing more about the project.  The total expected cost of the project is around $1.68 million, but Deb Zimmer explained, “This is a county/city project… Our cost, when you take out utilities and assessments, is $1.2 million, roughly.  The problem on this still will be assessments, as it was on Fremont.  If you use our normal assessment rate, it comes in about $196 per linear foot.  There are some things we can do… We’ll look at that more on the 31st.”  The council will hold a special meeting on August 31 to discuss budgetary matters.  The council may consider scaling back the scope of the street project, as a means of controlling the costs to citizens living on that street. 

Read the full article by Rich Wicks from the August 15, 2022 Edition of the Fillmore County Journal

From vaudeville to the yellow brick road, Brave Community Theatre celebrates five decades of productions

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From its first production in 1972, “A Roaring ‘20s Scrapbook,” to this year’s “Wizard of Oz,” Brave Community Theatre in Spring Valley has filled five decades with quality community theater.

Debi Neville, the current Brave Community Theatre (BCT) board president is also the founder. She started the community theatre in 1972 when she returned to her hometown after living in Minneapolis. Having studied theater in college, she wanted to bring something she was passionate about to her community. She secured a $250 donation as seed money and her dream grew into a local legacy.

Since that time, countless productions have taken place through the years, from stage performances during town celebrations to Christmas pageants and special events.

 

Click to read the full story by Melissa Vander Plas from August 8, 2022 in the Fillmore County Journal 

Spring Valley unveils Spring Valley Creek Mural – Paint the Town Project

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By Spring Valley EDA – July 19, 2022

 

Steve “Springy” Volkart (owner of S&S Bait Shop), and Andrea Hindt (artist) stand in front of the new Spring Valley Creek Mural in Spring Valley, MN.

There is a colorful new addition welcoming people to downtown Spring Valley! The City of Spring Valley unveiled its new Spring Valley Creek Mural on Monday, July 18th, at the S&S Bait Shop, located at 104 East Main Street in Spring Valley, MN 55975.

The Spring Valley Creek Mural is made possible through a Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) Paint the Town Grant, along with local community support and collaboration. Tim Penny, President of SMIF, addressed the audience at the official unveiling. “The only thing we require for the free paint that we provide is that it has to be collaborative, with lots of community members involved, and you certainly have that!” Penny added, “these murals are a point of community pride, and SMIF is happy to be a small part of that.”   

Osterud-Winter Foundation Trustee, Sue Kolling, shared that “one year ago, Steve Tammel and Springy (Steve Volkart, Owner of S&S Bait Shop) were standing right here during the Ag Days fishing contest. Steve looks at the wall and says, Springy, you need a mural! A year later, we have our mural!” Kolling added that she “can’t say enough about the community collaboration on this project. It has been amazing,” and offered a challenge to the community to develop the next project to let people know that Spring Valley is a great place to live.

Spring Valley Area Community Foundation Board Member Dave Foster also addressed the audience. He thanked the project partners and said the Foundation was “very pleased to be a part of this project.”

The Spring Valley Creek Mural is an 8′ x 16′ painting designed by local artist Andrea Hindt and painted with the help of community volunteers. Over the last few weeks, the mural has slowly taken shape indoors at the Spring Valley Community Center, where people could catch a glimpse of the work in progress at different community center events. The completed mural is displayed on the side of the S&S Bait Shop. It is visible to people crossing Spring Creek into Spring Valley’s Historic Downtown from the east on Fillmore County Road 1.

The QR Code allows visitors to learn more about the elements in the mural that share the story of Spring Valley.

“There are still a few things I need to touch up,” says artist Andrea Hindt, “including adding the spots on the trout. I hope to get that done by this Wednesday for our Wednesdays on Broadway event.”

People are encouraged to scan a QR code added to the mural’s bottom right corner. The QR code directs people to the mural’s story, the various pieces of Spring Valley’s story that it incorporates, and a list of community partners who helped make it possible.

SMIF’s Paint the Town Grant is awarded to communities of less than 10,000 residents for projects that, among other things, will have a positive visual impact on the community. Projects require volunteer participation for at least 50% of the work. Chris Hahn, Economic Development Authority Director for Spring Valley, notes, “We were incredibly fortunate to have support from the Spring Valley Area Community Foundation, the Osterud-Winter Foundation, Spring Valley Public Library, Kiwanis Club, our local Ace Hardware, S&S Bait Shop, and all of the community members who donated their time, energy, and talents on this project.”

Questions regarding the Spring Valley Creek Mural should be directed to Spring Valley EDA Director Chris Hahn via email at director@springvalleyeda.org or call 612-327-9729.

Kingsland Public Schools Invites Southeast Minnesota to Informational Open House

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 11, 2022:   KINGSLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS INVITES SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA COMMUNITIES TO INFORMATIONAL OPEN HOUSE – HOW DO PUBLICSCHOOLS AND SCHOOL BOARDS WORK FOR YOU? 

 

Kingsland Public Schools is proud to host a FREE informational and educational open house for communities in Southeast Minnesota! How does a school district work for you? How does a board of education work for you? These are questions most community members in every district have and we have invited Bruce Klaehn, retired superintendent, to answer them for you?

Bruce had a 41-year career in education; 13 as a teacher, 9 as an elementary school principal, and 19 as a superintendent. He spent 9 years at the helm in Grand Meadow and retired from Dover-Eyota Public Schools after 10 years as superintendent. Bruce has helped numerous districts throughout Minnesota since with providing leadership training and more.

Topics of interest include: Finances including referendums, budgets/funding, taxes/levy & aide, explaining data privacy, authorities in education including federal/state/local school board governance, curricula, roles of your school board, roles of your superintendent, how you can be involved and so much more!

As community members, we understand it can be overwhelming, confusing, or even misunderstood how our public schools operate or what exactly our school board’s authority is. We also understand that ALL communities have a common interest and passion – providing the best education for its students. This is why Kingsland is inviting all community members in Southeast Minnesota to attend, we are in it together!

When: Wednesday, July 20th, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Where: 124 N. Broadway Avenue, Spring Valley, MN 55975

Enjoy beautiful Wednesdays on Broadway in beautiful downtown Spring Valley from 5pm-8pm while you visit! Food, vendors, shopping, live music, drinks, and a great time.

Media Inquiries: Contact Scott Klavetter – 507.272.0555 or klavetter.scott@kingsland2137.org

Community Inquiries: Contact Jackie Horsman – 507.261.5479 or horsman.jackie@kingsland2137.org

Kingsland discusses gym roof replacement

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Due to the Independence Day holiday, the Kingsland School Board met on July 6 for their monthly “work session.” Superintendent Scott Klavetter highlighted the list of staffing updates, which includes new hires Abagail Palkowski (elementary sped teacher), Nathan Carolan (building and grounds director), Collin Boekhoff (elementary teacher), and John Pereda (high school guidance counselor). It was noted that Mike Johnson is retiring from his bus driver position, and Lindsey Gries will be on maternity leave.

Klavetter reported on the gym roof storm damage repair situation. He reported, “The roof was turned in to insurance in early March, with the assumption that the damage was done, as you recall, back in those December storms… We have had multiple roofing companies look at the gym roof over the past couple weeks, and the consensus is that the gym roof will need to be replaced before winter.” He went on to explain that he’s had to push back with the insurance company, because their initial assessment was that the damage was simply due to normal wear and tear due to aging, rather than storm damage. He said the roofing professionals who have examined the roof said there are clear indicators of storm damage, so the insurance should cover the loss. Klavetter will continue communication with the insurance company to “take a second look.”