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Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Number 07 • Volume 134
Polish pride
Melrose researching policing options ... pg. 3 Hiltner happy to carry on legacy ... pg. 7 ‘A Team’ has first baby boy in 2017 ... pg. 16 Gymnasts scoring with the culture, best ... pg. 10heritage Bieniek honored for sharing Polish-American BY CAROL MOORMAN STAFF WRITER
Jon Bieniek has fond memories of his homeland, Dabrówka Dolna, Poland; of walking in the garden at his ancestor’s farm during his first trip in September of 1984. “I was so emotional,” he said Feb. 8 sitting in the kitchen of his rural Holdingford home. On the table is
400 Block update
a box of yellowed letters from relatives in Poland. Bieniek is proud of his Polish heritage. He has spent a good portion of his 84 years sharing the Polish culture and language, including translating which led to one of his 16 trips to Poland. In recognition of his contribution to the Polish-American community in Minnesota, Bieniek was the recipient of the Polish-American Cultural Institute of Minnesota honorary award presented Jan. 28 during the Bal Karnawalowy, an annual carnival ball, at Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville. Bieniek’s roots go back to grandparents, Vincent and Paulina (Yeager) Bieniek who
As the sun was starting to rise Monday, Commercial Contractors Company workers from Melrose were inside the Lisa’s On Main building working on securing the west wall. PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN
Avon council approves water, sewer rate increase
Fund deficits total $181,000, last increase was 2018 BY TIM HENNAGIR STAFF WRITER
Avon residential and commercial users will be paying more for water and sewer this spring. City leaders voted 4-1 earlier this month to change rates, the first hike in four years. Councilor Mark Schulzetenberge voted against increases during a Feb. 6 meeting. March utility bills will ints clude a notice about the 37 cents per 1,000 gallons increase for or water. Sewer rates will increase se se $2.29 per 1,000 gallons increase and are scheduled to become efffective in May. rk City administrator and clerk Jodi Austing-Traut reported the he city has a $175,000 sewer fund nd deficit. “You have to look out for or the best interests of the city,” said id ng Councilor Doug Schaefer during council discussion. “You can’t n’t run this fund in the red.” ng Councilor Katie Reiling agreed.
Avon council page 3
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immigrated to the United States in 1882 from Poland, with relatives eventually homesteading near Holdingford. Bieniek’s home farm is two miles “as the crow flies” from where he lives in rural Holdingford, he said. It is where Bieniek and his first wife, Phyllis Mary Lichy, raised their three children, Danial, ATKINSON Michelle andTO TALK Gregory. After Phyllis Mary passedSPACE ABOUT away in 2005, he remarried PhyllisBOOK AT MISSIONS Anne Husted in 2008, and he travelsLIBRARY MELROSE between her home in Brooklyn Park pg. 6 and his home near Holdingford. Bieniek talks about the river running through Holdingford, and if a person travels west of the river most people have German ancestry Melrose Stages Inc. and east of the river people have Pol- depicts strength of ish ancestry. “So the farm I was raised on, I community theater can go 360 degrees and all surrounding farms are Polish farms with the BY CAROL MOORMAN exception of two German farms,” he STAFF WRITER said. A farm boy, Bieniek appreciThe Town and Country ates his parents sending him to St. John’s Prep School, mainly because Players have been performing they thought he might become a spring comedies and musicals since 1969, mainly in Melrose, priest. COMMUNITY COVERAGE 127 YEARS they have toured doing although dinner theaters. The Sauk River Bieniek page 3 Players have performed summer musicals, at first on stages in Melrose and Sauk Centre, more than 40 years. These two community thePHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN John Bieniek, on Feb. 8 in his rural ater groups are now under one Holdingford home, reads a letter name – Melrose Stages Inc. Thedated 1987, written in Polish, from his ater enthusiasts Marit Elliott, second cousin who lived near Andrew Engel, Audrey Hiltner, his homeland of Dabrówka Nancy Jeske and Calli Mayers Dolna, Poland. The box in are on the board of directors. front of him is filled with “We want people to know correspondence from his it’s live theater, and our theater Polish relatives. is in Melrose, even though we pull people from all over for the cast, crew and audience,” Elliott said, Feb. 8, explaining the new name. She said there were a few reasons for the name change, which included the long process of Melrose Stages, Inc. attaining non-profit status. “If you are a non-profit you can apply for grants and accept donations,” she said. Elliott explained the largest cost often is a royalty paid to a production company for the rights to put on the play or musical, with a portion going to the writer of the production. “Most of the time it’s $3,000 to $4,000,” she said. It can be less and it can be more, especially if it is a newer play or musical. The royalty fee is determined by the number of performances, seats in the theater and tickets sold. The royalty must be paid and a contract signed before advertising for the production can begin. Elliott said just because a theater group seeks rights to perform a play or musical doesn’t mean they will receive it. “If a professional theater is doing, like ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ around the time you are, they won’t give you the rights,” she said. “That’s happened to us a couple of times.” Elliott said contacts have been signe signed for this April’s S Melrose Stages, Inc., musical “Sister Act.” Act Auditions will be 7-10 p.m., M Monday, Feb. 20, and Tuesday, Fe Feb. 21, with call back at 8 p.m., W Wednesday, Feb. 22, all at the M Marit Elliott PerformCe ing Arts Center in Melrose. The show will be performed April 13-16. Auditio Auditions for the summer production of “Beauty and the Beast” will be in mid-May with PHOTO BY HERMAN LENSING performanc in July. performances
Hitting the stage with a new name
Dynamic Husk s
Holdingford High School’s second place trophy is held high by Hannah Kuklok (front, from left), Jada Mosey and Annie Supan; while Makenna Fielder (back, left) and other kick team members display victory signs Feb. 11 during the Section 2A dance competition at Melrose Area Public Schools in Melrose. The Huskers jazz team placed second and also advanced to state. More photos and an article can be found on page 8.
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PUBLIC NOTICES • Probate Notice - Schuur - pg. 6 • Mortgage Foreclosure - pg. 6 • City of Avon Hearing on Assessments - pg. 6 • City of Melrose Public Hearing on Variance - pg. 6 • Spring Hill Township Notice - pg. 6 • Avon Township Notice - pg. 6 • City of Albany Notice of Drainage and Utility Easement Vacation - pg. 6 • Melrose Township Notice of Annual Meeting and Election- pg. 6 • Notice of Juvenile Hearing - pg. 6
Melrose Stages page 3
OBITUARIES page 4 Jason L. Anderson Irene M. Braun Roger H. Rehkamp
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