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Wednesday, November 5, 2014
www.evwvoice.com
Volume 3, No. 44
QUICK HITS
VETERANS DAY
ST. ANTHONY SCHOOL
CORRECTION
Fire salute
being re-run
Steve Thielen
will give keynote
speech at Vets
Day program
Former school demolished in Watkins…
Last week’s edition of
the Voice incorrectly ran
a picture of the Watkins
Ambulance as the Watkins
Fire Department, under its
Fire Prevention Month salute. This week, the page
is being re-run on Page 11
with the correct photos of
the Eden Valley Fire Department and the Watkins
Fire Department.
Election Day
on Tuesday,
Nov. 4
By Laurie Schultz
A general election will be
held nationwide on Tuesday, Nov. 4, with polling
from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In
the City of Eden Valley, residents can vote at city hall,
and in the City of Watkins,
they can vote at the Watkins Village Hall.
Veterans Day
next week
The EV-W Music Departmemt will hold their
19th annual Veterans Day
program on Monday, Nov.
10, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
in the auxiliary gym at EV-W
Secondary School. EV-W
graduate Steve Thielen,
now a lieutenant colonel in
the Army National Guard,
will serve as the guest
speaker. Both the EV-W
band and choir will perform
at the program.
Community members
are being asked to sing in
the program. The second
rehearsal will be held on
Sunday, Nov. 9, from 6:30
to 7 p.m. in the EV-W choir
room. Please enter thru
the south door for practice.
75¢
Eden Valley Watkins
VOICE
103 Stearns Ave. E.,
P.O. Box 7,
Eden Valley, MN 55329
Phone: 320-453-8642
Fax: 320-243-4492
www.evwvoice.com
• Copyright 2014 •
Index
Blotter
Greg Huberty
Highway 55
Manannah News
Book Fair
Public Notices
Sups Corner
Happy Halloween
Pieces of the Past
Bulletin Board
Family Fun Night
Classifieds
Entertainment
Unity Day
State Cross Country
Football Contest
Firefighter Salute
EV-W
grad to
speak at
annual
program
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“In order to honor the sacrifices our veterans have graciously given for us, it is
important that we live our
lives to its fullest potential
and as citizens to always serve
for the greater good of our
community.”
Lieutenant colonel Steve
Thielen plans to base his message around those very words
when he serves as the guest
speaker at the 19th annual
Veterans Day program at
Eden
Valley-Watkins
Secondary School on Monday,
Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m.
Thielen, proud to be an
Eden Valley-Watkins graduate, feels privileged to be the
guest speaker at the annual
program. “There are many
outstanding teachers and
mentors from EV-W who had
a great impact on me,” said
Thielen, a 1989 grad. “Notably
Jay Johnson, Ray Tri, Mike
Novak and Don Kjar.”
His most cherished school
memories are the summer
trip to Germany with Kjar’s
class and playing football for
the EV-W Eagles. “I am glad to
see the exchange program is
still strong at EV-W and that
the EV-W football program
has a state championship in
our legacy,” said Thielen.
He started his military
career as an enlisted soldier
in Company C of the U.S.
Army Reserve, located in
Paynesville. Then he became
an ROTC cadet while attending St. John’s University.
After graduating from St.
John’s, he was commissioned
as an officer in the Army’s
armored branch. While serving as a lieutenant, Thielen
completed armor, airborne,
and Ranger schools. He also
has served as a tank platoon
leader, scout platoon leader,
company executive officer,
and battalion adjutant.
Currently, Thielen is a lieutenant colonel for the Army
National Guard and continues to serve on full-time active
duty. He resides in the Twin
Cities with his family and is
the son of Tess and the late
Lloyd Thielen of Paynesville.
Also at the Veterans Day
program, the EV-W choirs
and bands will perform, and
the EV-W Legion Post #381
and Auxiliary Unit, the
Watkins Legion Post #453, the
Wat-Kim-Valley VFW Post
#5460, and Auxiliary Unit,
and the POW-MIA Honor
Guard will represent the community.
At the program, Thielen
plans to thank everyone for
supporting our veterans, both
past and present. “Being a
veteran is the highest mark of
American citizenship. I am
proud to be among the
American veterans of the
past and present, especially
those from the greater EV-W
community, and my father
Lloyd Thielen,” he said.
Photo by Laurie Schultz
The former St. Anthony School in Watkins, built in 1928, was demolished on Monday, Nov. 3, to make way for a new social center for St. Anthony Catholic Church. A special memorial mass was held at the church on Sunday, Oct. 26, prior to demolition.
EDEN VALLEY WPA
Trees being removed from wetland area
Non-native
species removal
restores natural
habitat
By Brian Haines
Along Highway 55 between
Eden Valley and Paynesville, a
change in scenery has
occurred at the Eden Valley
Waterfowl Production Area.
A popular hunting spot, the
394-acre management area is
undergoing a tree removal
program. In order to lessen
the impact of airborne predators on waterfowl, as well as
restore native environmental
conditions, non-native tree
species are being removed on
Waterfowl Production Areas
Photo by Brian Haines
Non-native trees, such as box elder and buckthorn, have been
removed from the Eden Valley Waterfowl Production Area,
located on Highway 55 west of Eden Valley.
(WPAs) across the tri-county
area.
Scott Glup, project leader
for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, expressed his desire
to undertake more projects
like this. “WPA grassland restoration projects are great
programs that will improve
hunting conditions across
Central Minnesota,” he said.
“Less than two percent of our
native grassland remains, and
they’ve become the most
endangered ecosystems in
Minnesota.”
Glup says tree removal projects have shown positive
results in the past. The project
goals are to remove non-native
trees that are large seed producers such as box elder and
buckthorn. “We take out any
tree that poses a threat to habitat conditions and leave trees
that are native to the area,”
said Glup, who is adamant
that these projects are key to
creating better hunting for
future generations.
Not only does the program
restore prairie habitat, but
EV WPA – see page 3
STATE CHAMPION
Donnay triumphs at Class A cross country…
Photo by Michael Jacobson
Senior Emily Donnay (451) won the Class A state cross country meet at St. Olaf College on Saturday, Nov. 1, becoming the firstever state champion for the EV-W/Kimball cross country team. Her sophomore sister Anna finished third, also earning All State
honors. Turn to Page 9 this week for a recap of the state cross country meet.