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WEEKLY WEATHER REPORT

A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Volume 98; Number 3

www.bladepublishing.net

staff@bladepublishing.net

75

Browerville Council learns detailsof 2014 Inprovement Project

Todd County Historical Society

celebrates 85 years

By Rin Porter

Whether you own acres of ever-

greens or simply look across the

street at someone elses dying pinetree, you are no doubt wondering

why so many of these trees are

dead and dying this spring.

We wondered too. We looked

for information from the DNR

Central Region Insect and Disease

Specialist, Ryan Blaedow, and

checked the DNR website, and a

few other sources, and here is

what we learned:

Red (Norway) Pines: On the

dead and dying pines, youll see

orange/brown needles on most of

the branches and no new shoots or

needles developing in the bud tips.

These symptoms are caused by a

combination of last years severedrought and the drought from

2011 as well, plus the attack of

pine bark beetles. The DNR web-

site reported that a recent aerial

survey found nearly 50 red pine

plantations with discolored, dead,

and dying crowns (tree tops) in

Sherburne and Isanti counties. To

determine whether your red pines

are infested with bark beetles, first

look at the top half of any tree with

discolored needles. If this tree has

bark beetles, the top branches are

dead and do not have any new

growth. Cut down one of the dis-

colored trees and check for bark

beetle activity in the thin innerbark between the outer bark and

the wood. If you see eggs, grubs,

or immature and mature beetles,

then your tree is infested and

could threaten nearby red pines

within 1/4 mile.

The DNR recommends cutting

down dead and dying pines in

backyards, along roadsides, and in

windbreaks. Get rid of the treetops and branches by chipping,

burning, burying, or otherwise

destroying them. The logs should

be debarked, chipped, burned, or

removed from the property within

three weeks of cutting down the

trees. If you do not get rid of the

logs, you are making things worse

for the remaining pines. Next, for

any remaining healthy trees, use a

soaker hose to irrigate the root

systems for the rest of the summer.

This is especially important if

rainfall is below average.

Spruce Trees: On infected

spruce trees, you will see some of

the following symptoms: (1) defoli-ation of the upper crown of trees

less than 15 feet tall, (2) insect

remnants, empty pupal cases, (3)

discolored current and/or older

needles; the entire tree looking tan

to pink in July and August, (4)

appearance of dried up needles

and twigs, (5) egg cases and mites

on branches, (6) some or most of

the older, infected needles turning

brown or purple, then falling off,

(7) red needles with or without

wilted shoots, turning brown from

the tip toward the base.

A professional forester should

be consulted to determine which of

several insects, fungal diseases, orother conditions have attacked

your spruce trees. Some trees can

be saved with the application of

the correct miticide or insecticide

as recommended by the forester.

Why are the pine trees

(and spruce) dying?

Many pine and spruce trees around Todd County look

like the ones in this aerial photo taken from a DNR web

site.

By Venus King

Kent Louwagie from Bolton &

Menk, Inc the city of Browerville's

onsulting Engineers gave a

reliminary Engineering Report

n the 2014 Improvement project

or the city of Browerville at the

uly city council meeting,

Wednesday July 10. This project,

he proposed street and utility

mprovement project along Hwy 71

Main Street) in Browerville, willxtend from Drayer Creek in the

outh to Harris Creek at the north

nd of Browerville. Also included in

he project are 5th Street from the

lley west of Hwy 71 to the storm

ewer outlet east of Railroad

venue and the alley east of Hwy

1 from 4th Street to 5th Street.

he proposed improvements will

nclude sanitary sewer, water-

main, storm sewer, street lights

nd sidewalk areas.

This project will be accom-

lished under a Cooperative

greement with MnDOT. MnDOT

ill be the lead in the project and

ill be responsible for the designnd construction of the storm

ewer, street, sidewalk and street

ghting. Bolton & Menk as city

ngineers will design the sanitary

sewer and watermain reconstruc-

tion along with additional work on

adjacent city streets and these

plans would be inserted into the

MnDOTs plan set. Some of the

changes that people will see, above

ground, are 8 ft wide sidewalks

from 4th street to 8th street, some

new fire hydrants and new street

lights.

The breakdown of participation

of cost are; Street removals &Construction Driving lanes -

State costs 100%; Parking Lanes -

State 90%,10% city costs; Curb and

Sidewalk State costs 100%,

Street Lighting 50% state costs

for MnDOT standard lights and

50% cost for city; Storm Sewer

100% State within Hwy 71 right of

way, Sanitary Sewer 100% city

costs and Watermain 100% City

costs. Storm sewer costs outside of

How 71 right of way (5th street

east of 71) is split based on con-

tributing flows which are currently

estimated at 10% state costs and

90% city costs. Storm sewer on 5th

Street west of Hwy 71 will be 100%City costs. The total estimated cost

of this project is projected to be

$3,527,970. Of this figure the

states portion will be $2,555,600

and the city's portion will only be

$972,370. Because the city agreeed

to participate in the improvements

while the state is improving Hwy

71 there is a great savings to the

residents of Browerville. Council

members have accepted and

approved the Preliminary

Engineering Report and have also

set a date for the Public Hearing.

This Public Hearing will take place

at the Browerville CommunityCenter Thursday August 8, 2013

to begin at 7 pm.

Other action taken by the coun-

cil was the acceptance of the $815

donation from Dan's Prize for the

Browerville Fire Department. This

is part of the proceeds from their

Golf Tournament. Also accepted a

$750 donation for the Fire

Department from the Jerry

Steinmetz family.

The Ambulance Department

reported that the new lift cot will

be installed next week. Athank you

note was revceived from Christ the

King Church for the use of the con-

cession stand at Motzko's Field.They also thanked the community

for their support.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:05

pm.

Continued on page 12.

By Rin Porter

According to its website, the

Todd County Historical Society is

85 years old this year. The Todd

County Historical Society was

organized in 1928 as the Old

Settlers Association. The firstofficers elected were: George W.

Johnson, Clarissa, President;

F.A. Zappe, Philbrook, Vice

President; Raymond A. Lee,

Long Prairie, Secretary-

Treasurer.

In 1929, the Log Cabin, one of

the future homes for the Society,

was built at the Todd County

Fairgrounds. At that time, the

building was first opened to the

public for viewing historical dis-

plays, during the three days of

the fair.

In 1937 the name of the organ-

ization was changed from The

Old Settlers Association to TheTodd County Historical Society.

Later, the Historical Society

Museum was moved to the

Courthouse Building and then to

the former Hart Press building.

This room at the Todd County Museum depicts an early

chool room. Continued on page 12.