Spring Valley EDA

Tools for Economic Growth in Spring Valley, Minnesota.

Chris Hahn

Summertime’s hot at the Spring Valley library

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Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, July 25, 2025.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy

 

Spring Valley’s library board of trustees held its midsummer meeting last Thursday, July 17, providing library director Melissa Vander Plas an opportunity to update them on the summer reading program and upcoming activities.

She stated, “We’ve been having a lot of fun with the summer reading program. We’ve had a lot of kids in and out of the library every day, and we have over 600 hours of reading logged by the kids who have turned in their reading logs. We have storytime on Fridays, and this Friday (July 18), Gene and Jeanette (Ramaker) will be bringing their bounce house.” She wrote in addition, “Our summer reading program has been very well received this year, with 125 youth registered. We are doing reading logs this year, and 66 readers have turned in 196 logs – three hours each – for a total of 588 hours as of July 15. We have hosted two storytimes so far, with 15 kids and their parents attending each. Our Wednesday programs have been very well attended, with the Kingsland School-Age Childcare (SACC) bringing about 40 to 45 kids each week. We have hosted The International Owl Center, Dazzling Dave the Yo-Yo Master, Tales by Terry, Brodini the Magician, Rose Oyamot, Tom the Creature Teacher coming next Wednesday, and then our foam party finale planned for July 30. We have also held three dragon movie showings with several families attending — averaging about 17 to 20 at each. Our popup activities have included putting out puzzles, Connect Four game, a paper chain flag and cornhole, with a few more planned for the rest of the summer.”

Vander Plas continued, “I have been contacted by a Master gardener candidate that would like to create a seed library here at the library. She would gather seeds from various vendors, sort them into envelopes and place them in our display case for people to ‘check out.’ She is seeking the help of the Friends of the Library and other volunteers as well. Staff would simply be responsible for opening the display case when someone would want to take some seeds.”

The trustees then perused the preliminary Spring Valley Public Library (SVPL) budget for 2026, observing that it could change according to how the city chooses to align its overall budget – all city staff wages have increased by 3.5 percent in the city’s budget. The library’s 2024 actual budget was $230,143.60, the 2025 budget was $268,419.44, and its proposed 2026 budget is $281,653.94. Currently, building maintenance and staff annual raises and potential staffing increases have been topics of discussion, as the board included funding for painting the library’s interior – a sum and project that may be deferred if necessary — and approved granting Vander Plas and library assistant Jenni Lovejoy their annual pay raises in separate actions before accepting the preliminary budget.

Friends of SVPL president Sandy Sellner-Wee shared about the Friends’ recent activities to support SVPL’s mission, listing that the Friends had sold ice cream at Fins and Films over the past weekend and planned to be part of Wednesdays on Broadway if the weather finally cooperates, will be at Ag Days and also Oktoberfest, as well as the Spring Valley Area Community Foundation’s (SVACF) final Music in the Park concert slated for Bluff Brothers Brewery this Friday, July 25 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friends members have lent a hand wrangling enthusiastic summer reading program crowds and supervised at movie hours. “We’re a small group, but they’re doing an awesome job,” Sellner-Wee said.

The board expressed its heartfelt appreciation to the community for its generosity, beginning with Gene and Jeanette Ramaker’s donations of books and Gene’s volunteerism. The Friends earned their gratitude for “helping with crowd control and crafts on summer reading program days and supervision of the dragon movies,” and area businesses were recognized for their contributions toward the summer reading program – including Racks and Sunshine Foods for monetary donations, the city of Spring Valley, Pizza Place, the Spring Valley Area Community Foundation, Kwik Trip, Valley Lanes, Casey’s, Jem Movie Theatre, Niagara Cave, Stellar 181 Taphouse and Chateau de Chic. Additionally, the board thanked several donors for their monetary gifts totaling $565 to be deposited in the library’s SELCO Foundation savings account for later expenses.

The trustees typically meet on the third Thursday of each month to manage library business, but as is their usual, they will not have an August meeting – the next meeting is Thursday, Sept. 18 at 6:00 p.m. Upcoming library programs include Tom the Creature Teacher this Wednesday, July 23 at 1:30 – bringing his reptiles and amphibians to the library, a movie this Thursday, July 24 at 2:00 – “DragonKeeper,” and the summer reading program finale foam party on Wednesday, July 30. Later, the library will hold a Willomina Art Studio watercolor class on Sept. 23 at 6:00 p.m.

The Spring Valley Public Library is located just off Broadway, on Jefferson Street, behind First National Bank. It is open Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 7:00 p.m., Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the first and third Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, log onto the library’s website at www.springvalley.lib.mn.us, call 507-346-2100, or stop in and have a look around.

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

Ribbon Cuttings for four new businesses in Spring Valley

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Originally published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday July 24, 2025. Reprinted with Permission and Gratitude 

 

A Ribbon Cutting Event was held on Saturday, July 12 for four new businesses that have opened inside the 101 South Broadway Avenue building. Currently the main business is Serenity Salon – Hair by Karly. She’s going to keep expanding and hopefully be adding new businesses in the different rooms at the same location.

 

Spring Valley representatives welcome Courtney Gilsdorf in front of her chair of Wild Roots Salon and Spa to the downtown business community. Pictured are Wendy Betts, Tyler Anderson, Gilsdorf, Justin Mlinar, Chris Danielson, and Angie Gensmer.

 

Spring Valley representatives welcome Kaylin’s Beauty Lounge to the downtown business community. Pictured are Tyler Anderson, Alicia O’Connell, Kaylin Thomson of Kaylin’s Beauty Lounge, Wendy Betts, Chris Danielson, Justin Mlinar, and Angie Gensmer. The business, which is undergoing renovation at this time, is located inside the 101 South Broadway Avenue building.

 

Spring Valley representatives welcome Juan-a Have It to the downtown business community. Pictured are Angie Gensmer, Wendy Betts, Justin Mlinar, business owner Juanita Gilbert, Chris Danielson, and Tyler Anderson

 

Spring Valley representatives welcome Green Loop Refillery to the business community. Pictured are Wendy Betts, Chris Danielson, Sarah Kiefer and Annette Kiefer of Green Loop Refillery in front of Justin Mlinar, Angie Gensmer and Tyler Anderson.

Spring Valley Ag Days Parade Route Changed

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Dear Spring Valley Residents,

The Kiwanis Club of Spring Valley would like to inform you that the parade route for the 2025 Spring Valley Ag Days has been revised. The updated route is provided on the reverse side of this notice. We kindly ask that you review the new route on the back of this page and make any necessary adjustments to your seating plans.

Should you have any questions or require further information, please contact Jay Webster with the Kiwanis Club at 507-421-1821.

We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to celebrating with you at the Spring Valley Ag Days parade.

 

Thank you,

 

Kiwanis Club of Spring Valley

 

Spring Valley Kiwanis Club seeking Citizen-of-the-Year nominations

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The Kiwanis Club of Spring Valley is asking the community to nominate an outstanding person to be honored at its’ annual Citizen-of-the-Year program to be held in the fall.

The Kiwanis Citizen-of-the-Year is chosen by the club from nominations received from the public.  Forms can be picked up at Spring Valley City Hall or the Spring Valley Public Library and must be returned to them or mailed to the Kiwanis Club of Spring Valley, P.O. Box 133, Spring Valley, MN 55975, by September 1, to be considered for this years’ nominee.

Last years’ Citizen-of-the-Year was Steve Volkart.

Any monies given to acknowledge the Citizen-of-the-Year selected will be deposited into the Kiwanis Clubs’ Citizen-of-the-Year scholarship fund.

 

Ag Days 6k returns on Saturday, Aug. 16

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Posted July 14, 2025. By David Phillips

Registration is now open for the annual Ag Days 6k run on the paved Spring Valley trail.

Runners start on County Road 8 near the camper parking area east of Spring Valley. They take a turn into the camping area after a short distance and then follow the trail all the way to Willow Park near the pavilion. The 6k race is about 3.72 miles long.

Runners will meet from 7 to 7:40 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, at Willow Park, which is located just east of downtown, for the 8 a.m. race. Runners will board a bus at 7:45 a.m. for a shuttle to the camper parking area on County Road 8. The scenic trail has no intersections with public roads as it crosses over Spring Valley Creek several times and underneath Highway 16. There will be an aid station along the course plus refreshments at the end.

The first 50 people registering for the race will get a custom performance T-shirt.

Registration for the Ag Days 6k run is online with no added fees on the Spring Valley EDA website (springvalleyeda.org). Forms may also be picked up at City Hall. Race day registration begins at 7 a.m., but runners are encouraged to register in advance.

The price for the 6k race is $25 for runners signing up prior to Aug. 1. The price is $30 from Aug. 1 to the day of the race.

Trophies will be awarded to the overall male and female winners in the 6K race as well as for the top three males and females in age groups.

For more information on either event, contact Dave Phillips at 507-346-2368.

The annual 1k free kids run, called the Little Husker, will also take place on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 9:30 a.m. The race, sponsored by the Spring Valley Area Community Foundation, is free of charge. The routes for various ages are on the trail at Willow Park. For information, check the EDA website, springvalleyeda.org.

 

Click Here for Online Registration and Sign-up information

or 

Download the paper registration form here

 

Top Hat Classics dealership now open at Matt’s Body Shop

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Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, June,12 2025.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy

Greg Melartin’s taken a shine to chrome, and oh, the smiles it’s going to polish up.

“They’re for putting a smile on people’s faces. Some belong behind glass to preserve them for future generations, but the majority of them should be driven. The cars I’m buying and selling are nice, but they are drivers – something you can get in and enjoy the day driving them,” stated Melartin, proprietor of Matt’s Body Shop…and now of Top Hat Classics, a classic car dealership open at his collision and repair shop on the very north edge of Spring Valley, where he specializes in “classics, unique vehicles, motorcycles, cars, fun toys…I also buy and sell classic campers…anything cool and old, like the canned ham campers.”

There’s never been any doubt that Melartin would eventually trade in cars and vehicular curiosities he has effectually lost track of how many vehicles he’s personally bought and sold since he was old enough to steer and accelerate, estimating it at “about 50 now,” but his fascination with chrome, a near-heaven and holy whitewalls experience, began when he was a kid living in a trailer park. His mother’s friend Dave owned a vintage car, the fanciest thing he’d ever seen. It sparked in him a compulsion to tinker, to aspire toward repairing things – even taking his mom’s toaster and other appliances apart – to have the chance to put them back together, to overhaul and create. “It was like a 1932 or 1933 Plymouth my mom’s friend had, and he came to the trailer court we were living in, and from that moment, I was hooked.”

The shadetree dismantler went into the service, became a veteran who moved to New Jersey upon completing his commitment, then became a guy who needed to come home to Minnesota where his mother and grandparents were, and he worked in construction and other fields, but he was always a guy looking for a place to take apart a transmission or stick another magnetic parts tray. Matt’s Body Shop went on the market in late 2020, and Melartin bought it from Chris Czapiewski in March 2021, planning to make it efficient and self-sufficient enough that he could oversee operations and work on what he felt he ought to when necessary to sustain his tinkering habit or expand his business to include new endeavors. “The body shop was set up so that it could operate on its own, that all parts of it were occupied by mechanics, body people and customer service that could do what they need to do, and also, last winter, because it was so warm, there weren’t as many deer collisions to work on, so that meant that I needed to find something to do. This idea to have a dealership has always been in the back of my mind, but to actually get it off the ground…it’s been a year or two since.”

Melartin is always shopping for new wheels because that’s what he’s always done. He even once bought a car and traded it nearly the next day – and there was a cheeseburger and fries written into the deal. To spend an afternoon scrolling through car listings on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist is to him like taking a day to go to a car show, minus the gas money. “I like to find cars on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, through word of mouth. If somebody’s looking for something specific, I can look for it for them. I try to find cars that are mechanically sound and have minimal rust. There are some special cars that I would get that are non-runners, but for the most part, I want running, driving vehicles. It’s easier to make more people smile with a running classic vehicle.”

He’d eventually like to add a pole barn as extra storage for the body shop and a place to stow a few classic cars, because the current arrangement finds his classics parked either next to the body shop or out on the yard. “I’d like to have maybe 15 cars. I’ve always wanted to put an additional pole barn here…I don’t want to have hundreds of cars. I’d like to keep it so that I can still manage the body shop, but this is something for me to do. My business is set up so that other people can handle it, but I like buying, selling, negotiating – that’s why I set up a dealership.” He quipped, “We are a one-stop, full mechanical and collision services shop. We also have full toy services.”

The adventure, for Melartin, lies in “meeting people and making deals.” “I like that people like talking about their cars, their dreams, their stories. A lot of people buy cars because they have memories tied to a vehicle that belonged to their grandparents, parents, aunts or uncles. I’ve sold a couple of bikes so far, and I sold a 1954 Ford F250 to a 20-year-old girl who was smiling from ear to ear.”

Top Hat Classics is located at Matt’s Body Shop on the north edge of Spring Valley. For more information, stop at the body shop, log onto the Matt’s Facebook page, or call 507-346-2161 and ask for Greg.

 

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