Saturday, August 15, 2020

Exeter Village Board Discusses Sewer Issues

 

Exeter Village Board met on Tuesday, August 4 at 7 p.m. at the Village office.

The board approved the minutes and invoices before moving on to the regular agenda items.

Chairman Alan Michl noted that the village “will save roughly $49,000 by refinancing the pool bonds.”

The board reviewed the one and six year road plan.  They noted a few corrections, “every block we get adds to our funding from the state,” according to Michl.

Village Cleck Becky Erdkamp noted that there were two property owners that haven’t paid their assessments from the last pavement.

In the absence of Village Maintenance Supervisor John Mueller, Michl explained that there had been some sewer issues on the west side of town due to tree roots.  The board reviewed an estimate for a foam root killer to be pumped in the sewer in one third of the village and approved a three year plan to deal with the tree roots in the sewer. The bid was for $7084.00 per year for three years which would come out of the sewer fund.

Clerk Erdkamp explained that the copier lease expires soon.  Currently the village leases a copier for $42 a month with a per copy cost, a new lease would be $100 per month with a lower charge per copy.  She noted that there is no cost for ink or toner with either plan.

The board briefly discussed the bid they received for a new camera surveillance system and tabled any action on the cameras.

Clerk Becky Erdkamp  reported that sales tax for May was $7737.18 and keno for June was $132.12.  She noted that the building inspector will be here in the next few weeks to look at the properties the city has marked to condemn.  One of the four properties on the list was sold and Clerk Erdkamp will contact the new owner about the condition of the property.

She informed the board that she will be working on the budget this month.  The pool is scheduled to close on August 12.  She presented a complaint from a resident about ag and construction equipment that has been parked in a residential area for several years.  The board asked her to contact the village attorney to get advice on how the situation should be handled.

The board scheduled the next meeting for Wed September 9 at 7 p.m.

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Exeter-Milligan Update: View from the Front Office

 

Over the past few months, I have found myself sitting out on the front porch in my rocking chair, reading a book and enjoying the sounds.  I reminisced about one of our neighbors where I grew up in MN.  Not a night went by that Charlie wasn’t sitting in his lawn chair (more like lying down) enjoying the nice evening, listening to the MN Twins on the radio.  I never understood how someone could just sit there, night after night, doing absolutely nothing.  But now I get it…Charlie had it all figured out.  There is nothing more relaxing than sitting outside, enjoying a good book and just listening...to the birds, to the wind, to life. 

It also seems we have all lost our way.  The world is in such a different place now than it was back on March 1st.  At the start of 2020 we were worried and focused on how COIVD-19 was “ruining” our lives.  As we start getting back to “normal”, something else takes its place and now we have other things to worry about.

Life was so much simpler back when I was a kid.  We didn’t have to worry about what was being said on social media. We played baseball during the day and most of our parents didn’t come to the games - we were just tickled to play ball.  We tubed down the river and I am sure there were many other things we did that we were glad our parents never knew we did. At night, the biggest problems we faced were where we would play kick-the-can or who was bringing the bug spray to fend off Minnesota’s state bird - the mosquito.  As I age, I worry about the world where my grandchildren will live.  At times, I worry about the world where  my children live.  I’m afraid that my grandchildren will never get to experience many of the things we took for granted.  Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn’t be better to go back to a simpler form of life, the kind of life where we took the time to be a good neighbor, we took the time to live life to its fullest. We took the time to be like Charlie - to sit on the chair, listen to a game on radio and enjoy what nature (and life) had to offer. 

So, don’t be surprised when you drive by and see a guy enjoying a late summer evening in his rocking chair with a big smile on his face.  It’s just me, conjuring up an old memory of Charlie, sitting in his lawn chair, under the big redwood trees, listening to the Twins on WCCO radio and laughing at all the neighborhood kids as someone yells “1-2-3 on Jean over by the propane tank!”

Throwback Thursday




Week of August 10

Kelsey Moore, Tyler Manning and Amanda Dinneen, represented Exeter at the 2010 Nebraska Girls and Boys State Convention.  They gave a report to the Exeter Legion and Auxiliary members on their experiences.

Fillmore County voters spoke a loud YES to the new hospital in the special election on Tuesday, August 10th. The unofficial results of the election were a resounding 1200+ yes versus 415 no votes.

With the positive outcome on the election, voters can expect to see quick movement as the Hospital Board works with landowners to acquire the land and start construction.

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Exeter G.F.W.C.Woman's Club Makes Fabric Masks For School

Bonnie Cudaback delivered the masks the Exeter G.F.W.C. Woman’s club made for the Exeter-Milligan school district to Superintendent Paul Sheffield (right).

 

 

Exeter-Milligan school is looking to start the school year soon and will do so with all of the students and staff sporting masks.  These custom made masks were produced by the GFWC Exeter Woman’s Club.

Woman’s Club member Bonnie Cudaback had the idea as their a way to help the school, “It was just a service to the school.  I contacted Paul (Sheffield) in June or July and asked if I could make masks because I thought it would be a way of helping them start school.” 

  Several more of her fellow Woman’s Club members joined her.  Some members did the cutting, while others ironed and sewed.

Initially, Cudaback explained, Sheffield requested a thousand masks. The club was able to produce 532 for the district and is now making them for the bus drivers.  They made several different sizes to fit preschool students, kindergarten through third graders along with larger sizes.

The district was thrilled with the donation the Woman’s Club made to the district, “We thank the Exeter Woman's Club for taking the time to make over 500 masks for our students to use.  Our goal is to be proactive to keep our students and communities healthy.  Working with the Women's Club will help us meet this goal plus ties into our theme of Better Together!”

The other members who participated in the project were Agnes Loukota, Reba Toothman, Karen Chapman, Elaine Oldehoeft, Suzanne Johnson, and Peggy Warner.

Members contributed the fabric out of their personal stash and the only expense they had was for elastic which they purchased online.  Some of the masks were made using bread ties for nose pieces which community members donated while some were made using metal nose pieces purchased online.

For Woman’s Club members, this project fit perfectly in with their mission, “dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.”

 

 

Monday, August 10, 2020

Exeter Aquatic Center to End Season on Aug 12

The Exeter Aquatic Center will have it's final day of the season on Aug 12.