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Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Number 14 • Volume 134
Albany City Council reviews North Park improvements ATKINSON TO TALK ABOUT SPACE MISSIONS BOOK AT MELROSE LIBRARY
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 best ... pg. 10
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COMMUNITY COVERAGE 127 YEARS
with humor
400 Block update MAP COURTESY CITY OF ALBANY A three-phase master planning approach is being used to suggest future improvements to Albany’s North Park. This preliminary layout has been reviewed by the Albany City Council and Albany Park Board and was developed with input and suggestions from Friends of the North Park, a community group.
Melrose Stages Inc. presents ‘Sister Act the Musical’ this week BY CAROL MOORMAN STAFF WRITER
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uint Swedenburg loves hear-
Six pickleball courts, dog park, ing people laugh. There will be plenty of that this week when connecting interior trail proposed Melrose Stages, Inc., presents “Sister Act in sun firstwas phase of master planning As the starting to rise Monday, Commercial the Musical” April 13-16 at the Marit Elliott Contractors Company workers from Melrose were in- Performing Arts Center in Melrose. BY TIM HENNAGIR | STAFF WRITER side the Lisa’s On Main building working on securing Swedenburg plays Curtis Jackson, who the west wall. PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN Albany city leaders have reviewed the first phase of suggested improvements for Albany’s largest park. Council members learned more about North Park preliminary park master plans at their April 5 meeting. Six pickleball courts, a dog park and connecting pedestrian trail on the northern shore of North Lake were forwarded to the council by the three-member Albany Park Board after its March 29 meeting. A workshop meeting to discuss proposed phased planning improvements was conducted March 20.
he calls the “main thug and ringleader,” depicting the seriousness of a thug with humor thrown in. “I love to hear people laugh, whether or not there is always something funny,” this experienced Sauk Centre actor said. “Sometimes you can pick people (in the audience) out, like Rox Behnen. She had a memorable laugh.”
Musical page 3
PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN
Deloris Van Cartier, played by Pam Rue (center), and her dancers, Amber Roerick (left) and Kaylee Bueckers, sing “Fabulous Baby” April 6 during a “Sister Act the Musical” practice at the Marit Elliott Performing Arts Center in Melrose. The scene is set in a Philadelphia nightclub.
exciting experience
Improvements page 4
Melrose PUC recognized for providing exceptional reliable service One of 16 power utilities earning distinction BY CAROL MOORMAN | STAFF WRITER
Melrose Public Utilities is one of 16 public power utilities, that are members of Missouri River Energy Services, along with one associate member, that have earned national recognition for achieving exceptional electric reliability in 2022. The recognition comes from the American Public Power Association, a trade group representing more than 2,000 not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities. APPA helps electric utilities track power outage and restoration data through its subscription-based eReliability Tracker service. Once per year, APPA’s reliability team compares this data to national statistics tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for all types of electric utilities. Other local MRES members recognized are in Alexandria, Barnesville, Ortonville, Staples, Detroit Lakes, Hutchinson, Marshall, Moorhead, Sauk Centre, Willmar and Worthington, all in Minnesota; Atlantic and Rock Rapids in Iowa; and Pierre and Watertown in South Dakota, and MRES associate in Olivia.
PUC page 3
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Albany robotics team headed to Houston for international competition BY HERMAN LENSING STAFF WRITER
April 19 has become a red-letter day for the Albany Area High School robotics team and Coach Isaac Skalsky. They will celebrate it in Houston, Texas, competing in the 2023 For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology robotics competition. “We qualified in Grand Forks, North Dakota, March 11. Our next competition will be in April at the FIRST international tournament in Houston,” said Skalsky, who is coaching the team for a second year. The 14-member team was in the second place alliance in Grand Forks, competing against 53 teams. They were given about eight weeks to build a robot that could perform prescribed tasks in a FIRST Charged-Up competition arena. Skills and knowledge in machining, engineering, coding and fundraising were
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Albany Area High School robotics team members – Cole Thesing (front, from left) Cameron Smith, Carter Ricard and Logan Goebel; (middle, from left) coach Isaac Skalsky, Theresa Kalthoff, Chloe Hoppe, Makaela Zierden and Aiden Schroeder; and (back, from left) Greta Shofner, Gavin Thompson, Aidan Brown, Donovan Notch and Ethan Bubna – gather around their robot March 11 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The students earned a runner up finish and an invitation to the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology international robotics competition April 19 in Houston, Texas. Not pictured Chase Rajkowski.
needed. “There is something for build the robot from scratch. from a video game controleverybody,” Skalsky said. You have to learn how to tell ler.” Robotics page 4 “You pretty much have to it what to do and control it
PUBLIC NOTICES Melrose Township Property Assessments Notice .................... pg. 7 Albany Area Schools Reg. Board Meeting Agenda .................. pg. 7 Albany Township Annual Road Inspection.............................. pg. 7 Avon Township Notice of Road Inspection .............................. pg. 7 Summons............................................................................... pg. 7 Holding Township .................................................................. pg. 7 City of Holdingford Public Hearing Noitce .............................. pg. 7
BIRTHS page 3 Amari Jennifer Bueckers Deluca Dawn Kociemba Amary Elizabeth Ortiz
OBITUARIES page 4 Herbert S. Gerads Donald P. Hemmesch Claudia Rae Mewes Mildred H. Nienaber
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