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Vol. 17 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 Newsletter of the City of Otsego
Vote Nov. 7 „,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,t,,,„e
Elections will be held Tuesday, November
7th. Polls open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. All
Otsego residents vote at Otsego City Hall,
8899 Nashua Avenue NE, Otsego, MN. ; .
If voters are unable to get to their polling 'v '
place on Election Day, they can vote by
absentee ballot 30 days prior through the :"� \\\, -k.s.'.; ;;- '-'" /
,
Wright County Auditor. Forms are available
on the Wright County web site [www.co. �'
wright.mn.us/department/audtreas/election] or '� 0. ; '�
contact them by phone 763-682-7578.
Voters can register at the polls on Election . -.
Day with proper identification. The federal
Help America Vote Act(HAVA) requires you
to provide your Minnesota driver's license `»mow w
number or Minnesota identification card
number on your voter registration application.
If you don't have a Minnesota driver's license Otsego City Clerk Judy Hudson demonstrates the new AutoMARK voting machine
or ID, then you must provide the last four which allows voters with disabilities to vote privately and independently.The machine
digits of your Social Security Number. You is designed for voters who are blind, have poor eyesight,cannot hold a pen,or have
will also need further proof of where you live other difficulties marking a paper ballot. It has a screen that can enlarge text and
headphones so blind voters can hear the ballot instead of reading it. Voters mark with
if the address on your identification is not a touch screen,touch pad or can use a sip/puff tube portal if they require it.
current.
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`-- ,, ... ` , ;y The 2006 Otsego Festival was held with
',„A' „ ',. ., great success September 16`h.
' ' s” . .� � According to Festival Chair Rose Cassady,
",.. 3 , * r , crowds were estimated even higher than last
*"' year with 4,000 to 5,000 enjoying a day of
e i family activities. "Although the weather
4 _ i, looked like it was going to put a damper on
� , / ,^
1. t < the Festival, around 11 a.m. the crowds
r 1 i 9 ~` 1 starting coming and kept pretty steady all
-',, f day," according to Cassady.
F '�' She especially wants to thank everyone who
t ;. 11 attended as well as event sponsors vendors
� _ ;; participating business and community
ys < ,.m: e; rte,., a �»�".'4";;' '''''''''3.. '''.44'-'141 ¢ r''' .'''''' -4''*1
The 2006 Otsego festival opened with a flag ceremony by the Wright County organizations, volunteers, city maintenance
Mounted Patrol and Honor Guard and the Rogers/Elk River VFW Honor Guard. and office staff. See page 4 for more Festival
pictures.
City of Otsego
8899 Nashua Avenue NE
Otsego, MN 55330 .41d/.a <41.�,. a' a) < , ,1.a
Budget time
(763)441-4414 � '°
Building Dept.: (763)-441-2593
Fax(763)441-8823 NOTES
Email:cityhall@ci.Otsego.mn.us 2007
Web Site:www.ci.Otsego.mn.us from the
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE HOURS As our city's tax base expands
Monday through Thursday with new commercial and MAYOR
8:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m.
Fridays CLOSED industrial business, it becomes
BUILDING DEPT.OFFICE HOURS easier to provide the essential by Mayor Larry Fournier
Monday through Thursday services needed in our city. The
8:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m. cost to provide services such as police protection, fire protection,
Fridays 8:00 a.m.to noon
CITY COUNCIL-Meets 2"d&4"Mon.,6:30 p.m.* maintaining roads, and maintaining parks and trails continues to
Mayor:Larry Fournier increase. These increases are due to the need to expand the service
Council Members and reflect the normalprice increases for goods and services. With
Vern Heidner
Dan Scharber our expanded tax base the cost per tax payer has gone down. I
Jessica
Mark Thorst d Stockamp expect that the city's portion of your 2007 tax bill to go down.
CITY STAFF Your City Council has done a good job meeting the needs of our
Mike Robertson,City Administrator city while holding the line on taxes.
Judy Hudson,City Clerk/Zoning Administrator
Karee Rowell,Deputy Clerk You will be able to review our city's budget anytime at City Hall
Kathy Grover,Bookkeeper or at the Truth in Taxation meetings in December. Otsego is a great
Brad Belair,Public Works Supervisor g g
Tim Roche!,Building Official place to live. I look forward to seeing all of you at City Hall on
PLANNING&ZONING-Meets 1,I&3'd Mon.,7:00 p.m.* Election Day November 7`h.
Richard Nichols,Chair
Pam Black,Vice Chair
Tom Darkenwald
Tammie Fallon Vote at City Hall
Doug Hackman
Jim hs
DAll Otsego residents vote at Otsego CityHall, 8899 Nashua Ave.
Davidid Thompson g g
Troy Watring,iu alternate Directions to City Hall from the west: From Co. Rd. 19, go east on Co.
John Thelen,2nd alternate Rd. 39 for 2.5 miles to Nashua Ave. Go south 0.8 mile on Nashua. City
PARKS&RECREATION-Meets 2nd Wed.,7:00 p.m.*
Aaron Stritesky,Chair Hall is on the right.
Mike Brumm,Vice Chair Directions to City Hall from the east: From Hwy 101, go west on Co.
Rose Cassady Rd. 39 for 1.7 miles to Nashua Ave. Go south 0.8 mile on Nashua. City
Beverly Kumar
Russ Langer Hall is on the right.
Kathryn Roberts
Peter Torresani
Rob Miller,alternate
HERITAGE PRESERVATION-Meets 4th Thurs.,7:00 p.m.* _ P ,— I 1
Ron Black,Chair —.0.„
Lilia Rousselet ft°
Jon Stander • • .• 1 .7 miles N
Chris Wilson w 2.5 miles •• 1 �,�
POLICE COMMISSION-Meets 2nd Tues.,6:30 p.m.* a ant
+w •• • • • w �•y E
Thomas Carter,Chair rrW Q r�
Sandra Michaelson > i z 85TH ST. S
Edgar Pearsall o Citi/ Hal Q
Cherisse Rushmeier = °o
Jeff Stimac I
Jane Theisen,Vice Chair (ui z
Joel Torkelson I a
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*All meetings are open to the public.Call City Hall to confirm 4(8 I 0 ® Q
times if you plan to attend.Agendas and minutes are ® '471i/LLE.
I w
available on the city's web site. 94 J 03
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VIEWOT EGO /
The Otsego View is Otsego's bi-monthly newsletter.
°.>NE`�."R'��,°
Jacquie Rognli,Editor J
Correspondence should be sent to Otsego City Hall.
Contains 50%recycled pre-consumer materials.
0
Door to door sales require license
istorical
Solicitors, peddlers and transient merchants in Otsego may only operate with
a city issued license. They must wear some type of identification conspicuously •
"`
showing their name and the organization for which they are soliciting or ' h'l I h is
peddling and they must carry their city and/or county issued license or
registration certificate when conducting the business or activity.
A copy of the city ordinance can be found on the city website or obtained A farming
at City Hall during business hours. Violation of the ordinance is a
misdemeanor.� community
Communit Ore anization News
By 1880, nearly all the land in
. � � Otsego had been claimed and the
' w population had risen to 740 people.
R+. .L z ' According to census records, most
Ea ' ,: - ' people in Otsego earned their living
,. i, ," x w as farmers from 1880 to 1910.
�4 '} - During those farm years, 79 to 91
p , '= t. F,' _' 4 percent of Otsego's residents listed
wir ,� ": �, their occupation as farmers.
3 + Settlers came from New England,
rr ,- _ ' x,. • other parts of Minnesota, eastern
' � ,�` -,, "- ,. Canada, other states and Europe to
clear the Big Woods and raise wheat.
�- When prices dropped in 1878, they
diversified their crops and began
"� dairying.
Otsego Women of Today adopt School Knoll Park. The 1910 census provides the
Otsego Women of Today following information for Wright
Otsego Women of Today is an organization of service, growth and County:
fellowship. The organization has adopted School Knoll Park, worked with Average value of all property,per
the Otsego Festival Committee the last three years in coordinating the Otsego farm: $7,321.00
Junior Royalty program, coordinated a Women's Health Expo, Candidate Average value of land and buildings:
Forums, and numerous social activities. Meetings are currently held the third $6,203.00
Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. Contact Annette Dehmer at 612-310-7015 Average value of land per acre:
or Lori Schmidt, 612-810-6069 for more information. $44.89
Otsego Jaycees 85%of farms operated by owners
The Otsego Jaycees were featured on a recent KARE-11 broadcast 49%American-born
reporting on their volunteer members delivering food to victims of the 51% foreign-born
Rogers tornado. Joining the Otsego Jaycees is an opportunity to meet people, Principle crops: corn, wheat,
make friends and develop leadership and management skills. Contact Jeromy barley, flax,potatoes,oats, timothy
Sell(612)919-0803.,##-,
and alfalfa.
Otsego Great River Riders As they became more prosperous,
Have fun in the snow! Otsego Great River Riders Snowmobile Club is getting some owners registered names for
ready for the winter season that will be soon be here. They are in the process of their farms:
organizing this season's meetings,rides and activities. Membership forms are Hazel Hurst Farm-C.E. LaPlant
{ available on line at the club's web site[http://www.ogrr.us]or contact Pat Hilden
763-274-0229.The club supports and encourages responsible snowmobiling in Oak Grove Farm-A. Thorp
our community. Woodland(Woodlawn)Farm-
Otsego Lions Edson Washburn
Otsego Lions was at the Otsego Festival selling Hamburgers and Information from Otsego, The
Hotdogs as one of their fund raisers to serve the needs of Otsego. Family Farm Years, 1880 to 1910,
They also collected about a dozen pair of eye glasses that will be Otsego Heritage Preservation
cleaned, marked and bagged to send to other countries to those that Commission 2002.
need glasses and can't get them. Meetings are the third Tuesday, 7:00 '
at Rockwoods. The public is welcome to come.
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The fifth annual Otsego Festival was held September 16,2006.
rh Communitygroups,churches,businesses and lots of volunteers made it
ha•
successful day of music,entertainment and family fun activities.
Next year's festival is scheduled for September 15, 2007. Contact
Rose Cassady (763-441-8769)to help make plans for another
entertaining event.
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Otsego Festival Chair Rose Cassady kept things running smoothly. �� � � � � � *i
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Otsego Lions Club volunteers dealt with windy conditions.
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The petting zoo was one of the activities enjoyed by families. � ,
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Vendors lined the trail at Otsego Prairie"Park.
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' The Otsego Heritage Preservation Commission provided information
Over 100 classic cars were exhibited at the festival. and sold copies of their Otsego history books.