Summer The
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ON THE CREAT RIVER ROAD W.
Vol. 16 JULY/AUGUST 2005 Newsletter of the City of Otsego
Otsego 1estiva i geared up for
oj sacii, I 4 /
fourth year of family fun l�
The fourth annual Otsego Festival will be a full day TITHE GREAT RIVER ROAD 1JJ .4/dip
of activities September 17m, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in
Prairie Park right behind Otsego City Hall. There iamily run & 1tiviti es
will be something to keep everyone in the family gePtember 17 2005
busy with many things to do and good food. The ,Festival tries to make this a day for all ages to enjoy.
The Otsego Festival opens at 10 a.m. with music 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
by"Gracescale"from RiverBridge Community
Church. In the afternoon the bluegrass band,"Long Otsego Prairie Park
Time Gone"and blues group"Armadillo Jump"will
perform. Other events in the pavilion will be the 10:00 festival Opens
Little Miss and Mister Otsego, and Junior Royalty 10:00 Music by Gracescale
pageant. There is a talent show at 4:00. For 11-1:00 Jaycees Punt Pass & Kick Competition
information on the talent show call Kathy Roberts
(295-5372). The pageant requires that you be a 11-2:00 Seooby Doo, Nemo& Sponge Bob visit
resident of Otsego but the talent show is open to 11-3:00 Norse-drawn Wagon Rides
anyone. 11-4:00 Teener the Clown
The large inflatables will be back along with the 11:00 Music b Paul Christian`
petting zoo from last year, the ponies and horsey
drawn wagon rides. This year, next to the VFW 11-12:00 Little Miss & Mr. Otsego Coronation
Bingo, there will be live music in the morning and 12-1:00 Crunch visit
afternoon along with two puppet shows. The classic
car show will be hosted by the Champlin Street Toys 12-4:00 Waltons Hollow Petting Zoo
Car Club. There will be trophies and prizes for the 12-4:00 BINGO
contestants. 12-4:00 J.C's Pony Rides
The food vendors from last year will be back along
with a couple of new additions. There will be visits 12:15-1:00 Chruppets Puppet Show*
from Crunch of the Timberwolves, Sponge Bob, 12:20-1:30 Armadillo Jump — Blues Band
Nemo, and Scooby Doo. 2-2:4-g Chruppets Puppet Show *
Crafters will have sale booths and businesses from
the area will have information about their services, 2-3:20 Long Time Gone — Bluegrass Music
including the Wright County Sheriff and fire trucks. 3-4:00 Music by Rena"
Prairie Oak Church and Otsego Women of Today 4-5:30 Talent Show
will have many games available and there will be a
variety of attractions to keep the whole family busy. 5:30-6:00 Cannary Rose — Rock Band
The Otsego Jaycees will again have a punt and kick 5:30-6:00 Skateboard Demonstration
contest.
The Festival will end with the popular rock band Other activities throughout the day include:
"Cannary Rose"and a skate board demonstration rood Craft Booths
right after the talent show is over. Classic Car Show Games
Admission to the Festival is free. If you have any
*
Large Inflatables Community Info.
questions please call Rose Cassady, 441-8769.E Performances in the gazebo next to the BINGO tent.All other
performances will be held in the large pavilion.
City of Otsego
8899 Nashua Avenue NE
Otsego,MN 55330
(763) 4 Economic Development 1 ' . . )'' '' , , ,
Building Dept.:.:((763)-63)-441-2593
Fax(763)441-8823 Otse o's business conununi continues togrow at
bil:i e:www.ci.Otsego.mn.us
g tY NOTESWeb Site:www.ci.Otsego.mn.us a wonderful pace. There is much activity on the east
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE HOURS side of 101 in what is known as"Water Front East".
Monday through Thursday Here we will most likely see a large retail store with from the
Fridays CLOSE00 a.m.to SED p.m. groceries, several new restaurants and some AA Y
(' )
Fridays
BUILDING DEPT.OFFICE HOURS entertainment type business. On the west side of 101,
Monday through Thursday south of The Bank of Elk River, the city has looked imiiiimimmi
8:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m. by Mayor Larry Fournier
Fridays 8:00 a.m.to noon at several concept plans for an upscale commercial _` .
CITY COUNCIL development. Specifics for this project have not been
Mayor identified yet, but we anticipate seeing final plans early this fall. As we continue to add
Larry Fournier new business to our tax base we all should see our own real-estate taxes hold more
Council Members
Vem Heidner steady as business tend to pay more taxes and require less services. As new information
Dan Scharber comes forward I will continue to share it with you.
Jessica
Mark Thorsted Stockamp Otsego's festival, "The great Otsego get together"will be held on Saturday
CITY STAFF September 17`h. It has been a huge success in the past and promises to be even better
Mike Robertson,City Administrator this year. I look forward to seeing all of you there. Enjoy the remainder of our summer
Judy Hudson,City Clerk/Zoning and let's make it our safest summer ever.w-,
Administrator
Karee Rowell,Deputy Clerk
Kathy Grover,Bookkeeper
Brad Belair,Public Works Supervisor Summer intern works for Otsego
Tim Rochel,Building Official
PLANNING&ZONING
Richard Nichols,Chair
Pam Black,Vice Chair ________
Tom Darkenwald
Tammie Fallon .
Doug Hackman
Jim Kolles
David Thompson 414
•
Troy Watring, 1 alternate
John Thelen,2nd alternate e
PARKS&RECREATION # t - ——
k
Aaron Stritesky,Chair 1 ; , p•, • -ii
Mike Brumm,Vice Chair + % ' l • �" °
Rose Cassady � , . - N '
Virginia Duran 4 .I •: ;, ' , ,� ,�
Russ Langer • .
. �,'* ; `
Kathryn Roberts •, �
Peter Torresani a-4t ri L1t. t
PRESERVATION "" ,„...„.. ,--
HERITAGE
Ron Black,Chair t�: � ` .G
Jeannine S.Christensen l
Carla Ransom
Lilia Rousselet A',
Joy Swenson .-.:--„,,.' ,.ar.,r-. •#
Chris Wilson
POLICE COMMISSION
Thomas Carter,ChairIL aimommomm-- -„.,
Philip Larson
Alvin McClure
Sandra Michaelson
Edgar Pearsall Minnesota State University Mankato graduate student, Patrick Waletzko is spending this summer
Jane Theisen,Vice Chair
Rudy Thibodeau,Secretary working as an intern for Otsego. Waletzko earned his BA in Political Science from Minnesota
State University Bemidji and is currently working on a joint masters degree in urban studies and
OTSEGO�`�j administration from Mankato. He has been concentrating on emergency management in Otsego
v v as well as personnel policies, adopt a park and budget. He has"a huge interest in local
The Otsego View is a bi-monthly government"and is really enjoying the experience of getting to see how it works first hand.
newsletter for the city of Otsego. Waletzko plans to continue part time with the city in the fall as he continues to take courses for
Jacquie , or
Correspondence should besent to his degree and works on his maters plan paper on emergency management. ,•_,
s Otsego City Hall.
OF Contains 50%recycled pre-
. consumer materials.
0
Lilies bloom at Lily Pond istoByJacquie Rognli ri cal
Old fashioned day lilies have been in bloom these recent
ighlights residents in the rn rt sehot summer days in the Lily Pond area of Otsego. In April1992, volunteers from Otsego Vision and the Otsegor.
Jaycees planted hundreds of them on the shore of the pond forms show``Lily Pond"as the post office for
on the south side of County Road 39 and west of Kadler
:41
Avenue. Otsego Vision was a group of volunteers westepaof Otgo.
organized to build community recognition and pride The following excerpt is from an article in the
June/July 1992 edition of The Otsego View.
to Otsego.
al accounts from the 19th century describe a "Otsego Vision decided to bring lilies back to the
pond on the River Road(now Co. Rd. 39) as area by planting day lilies between the road and the
blooming with beautiful lilies. The area centered on pond. While not an historical restoration of the lilies
River Road and Lily Pond Lane (now Kadler Ave.) that once grew in the water, the committee felt it
became known as Lily Pond. The area was also a would be similar in spirit and offer a picturesque sight
speculative town called Bedford, but Lily Pond was for people as they travel the western part of Otsego.
the name that stuck. When my family moved to The Lily Pond property is owned by Milton
Otsego Township in 1983, most long-time residents Shelquist, who, along with the Wright County
continued to call Kadler Ave. "Lily Pond Lane " not Highway Department, gave permission to use the right
yet ready to accept the new street names established of way between the road and the pond.".
by Wright County.
In 1870, land on the northwest corner was dedicated i.:
for the Lily Pond School and a framed building was v `. -1 - '" ,i *
used there until it burned in 1913.
On the northeast corner,the Methodist Episcopal
Church held its first services in 1906. After the school G " +
burned, classes were held in the church until the new
school was completed in 1914.
The church was torn down in the mid-1930s. The "d;'
school has been completely remodeled into a family '_`'
home today. '
Baker's Ferry was established by Caleb Fulton
Baker in 1857 on his farm about a quarter mile east of
,
Kadler Ave. There is currently a Mississippi River
boat landing at the north end of Kadler Ave.
A post office existed in Lily Pond for some time. Lily Pond Church
William D. Hamlet was postmaster. The 1870 census
Tons of dirt Otsego Clean Up Month
Contractors are working on installing the Otsego residents took advantage of Clean Up Month
infrastructure of utilities, streets and building pads in the by taking 365 loads of stuff to the Elk River Landfill
Otsego Waterfront East development on the east side of during the month of May. Last year was the first time the
Highway 101 at County Road 39. A number of pads are city partnered with the landfill for Otsego Clean Up
already set for the Main Street area, including the area Month. There were 433 loads in 2004...w
for MGM Liquor which will be the first business on the
right and south of Main Street. ..... Snowmobile club re-organizing
Holiday Inn & Wild Woods The Otsego Great River Riders Snowmobile Club is
Waterpark opening soon organizing again. The club will promote this family
Otsego Holiday Inn&Wild Woods Waterpark is activity in our community as well as be involved in
current trail maintenance,trail development, family
hoping to open in August and has planned a grand outings. The club is hoping to provide education for
opening celebration for September 23-25. The hotel will Otsego youths about snowmobile safety.
offer full service to business clients with conference If you are interested in membership and helping
areas well as serving as a leisure destination for families. the club get started again in our community, contact
The hotel will have 125 guest rooms, meeting rooms, Kathy Pederson at 763-274-0715 or Pat Hilden at
arcade room, waterpark and a bar and grill. ..w 763-274-0229. w..
O
Road closed, but businesses are open
Entrance to businesses at the northwest corner
of Parrish Avenue and County Road 39 will
always be open during road construction on that
corner. City water, sanitary sewer and storm
sewer are getting installed and the service road
configuration has been redesigned to include
more parking and landscaping for a smooth flow418*-
of traffic to access businesses. As construction ••.. ROAD
work moves from one end to the other, there will -i - CLOSED
.. . •IM110ct._
always be a route to businesses by means of -.�.��, „�►
r` _
either the service road or Park Avenue. EQ•1131 1Ttr.
Besides work on the infrastructure,
remodeling and new construction will also be
taking place at the corner. In
The former Rainbows Day Care building has
been remodeled and is getting a new parking lot.
Pam Guiney, Julie Geddis, Jeannie Childs and
Tiffany Nielsen-Tschritter are opening Leaps &
Bounds learning center, offering
developmentally appropriate care and learning
for children from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. They plan to open in early September and are currently accepting enrollments.
Call 763-441-6644 or view the website(www.myleapsandbounds.com) for more information.
A new building getting added to the corner will be Otsego Tire and Auto, a licensed Goodyear dealer, operated by
Mike Sultany. There are also plans for a building with a coffee shop/bakery with drive through, an insurance agency, a
flower shop and available lease space for up to two other users.
Some current businesses also plan to do some remodeling. Tim Phillips of the Riverview Liquorette is preparing plans
for a modernization to his existing building. Also as part of the project, Rudy Thibodeau of Godfather's plans the
addition of a drive through window and a redecorating project.
Other businesses on the Otsego corner are Nicole's Finishing Touch Salon, Amvet Animal Hospital, Citi Financial,
P.S. Dance Studio and Fun City amusement center.
PUBLIC SAFETY BITS
Address displays required McGruff House
All buildings in Otsego are required to display their Volunteers are still being sought for safe houses in the
assigned address in numerals at least four inches high and McGruff House program in Otsego. A volunteer would be
clearly visible from the street. The United States Postal someone who is home on a regular basis mornings and
Service also dictates that every curbside mailbox must afternoons, completes an application and submits to a
clearly display addresses. background check. Contact Jane Theisen(763-441-7059)
The city has recently received complaints from workers for more information.
who reported no addresses were visible when they were CITY MEETINGS
trying to locate utilities and had safety concerns that they
would be unable to notify homeowners if a problem MEETING DAYS TIME
developed. Emergency personnel also need clearly marked City Council 2nd&4th Mon. 6:30 pm
addresses when responding to 911 calls. Planning &Zoning 1st&3rd Mon. 7:00 pm
Drug awareness project Police Commission 2nd Tues. 7:00 pm
The Otsego Police Commission is working with Parks&Recreation 2^d Wed. 7:00 pm
Methamphetamine Education and Drug Awareness Heritage Preservation 4th Thurs. 7:00 pm
(MEADA) Coalition of Wright County to inform people •Submit City Council agenda items seven working days prior to meetings.
in the community about the dangers the dangers of drugs, •To be placed on the Planning Commission agenda,submit completed
with its major focus on methamphetamine. MEADA forms&information 15 working days prior to meetings.
•All meetings are open to the public.Please call City Hall to confirm times if
utilizes families, school personnel, law enforcement, you plan to attend.
county agencies and the faith community to create zero •Agendas and minutes are available on the city's web site:
tolerance for chemical use within the county. www.ci.Otsego.mn.us.