Preliminary Design Engineer Lowell Flaten gave a presentation last night to the Litchfield City Council regarding the 2024 Highway 12 resurfacing project. It will stretch from Davis Avenue in Litchfield to Cokato.
The portion of Highway 12 from Litchfield to Darwin will include mill and overlay, and the portion from Darwin to Cokato includes concrete paving. The project will begin after Litchfield’s Watercade celebration in July of 2024 and will continue through October. The detour will include Highways 34, 11 and 21 in Meeker County and Wright County Road 3.
The Litchfield City Council approved of a variance request for John & Lesli Mueller at 408 North Gilman Avenue regarding a setback for a garage addition, and approved of a site plan for Miller Automotive for an addition of a 3600-square-foot building. Council member Sara Miller excused herself for discussion and a vote on the Miller Automotive site plan.
The Council agreed to have the administration look at design build firms to address structural issues – such as stucco cracking – at the Litchfield Public Library. The Council approved of a motion to have City Administrator Dave Czoik, City Attorney Mark Wood and Mayor Ron Dingmann meet with officials from Shady’s to discuss their proposal for purchasing the restaurant at the golf club.
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners set a public hearing for July 18th regarding the 5-year capital improvement plan. County Administrator Andrew Letson says the hearing is regarding bonds not to exceed $6,775,000. The Board also approved of letters of engagement for Dorsey & Whitney as bond counsel, and PFM Financial Advisors as bond consultant.
The Commissioners held a public hearing to gather comments on the implementation of a drone program for the Sheriff’s Office. A drone will be used by the Sheriff’s Office in accordance with Minnesota statute and Meeker County Sheriff’s Office policy.
The Commissioners approved of a quote from KNOWiNK of St. Louis, Missouri for an iPad polling equipment upgrade for $11,505. The Board awarded the 2023 Meeker County pavement markings contract to KAMCO of Dassel for $126,117.40; and approved a quote of $23,748.10 to Pro Maintenance of Hutchinson for concrete floor sealing at the Litchfield Transportation Building. Public Works Director Phil Schmalz presented the annual highway report, County Auditor Barb Loch presented the taxes collected/uncollected mid-year report, and members of Central MN Jobs & Training Services presented their annual report.
The Board approved of a conditional use permit for John Hulsing for a landscaping project on Collinwood Lake; approved of a conditional use permit for Kenneth Ness for a shoreline project on Big Swan Lake; and approved of a preliminary plat application for Birdwing Second Addition in Greenleaf Township for Richard & Elisabeth Carlson.
In the consent agenda, the Meeker County Board approved of the $5,535 state boat & water safety grant contract; approved of assessment contracts for 2024 through 2027 with various townships and cities in Meeker County; approved of adding Alex Parlato as an alternate to the Central Minnesota Emergency Service Board Committee; and approved of hosting and professional services agreements with Counties Providing Technology. The Meeker County Commissioners also approved of a letter to the Public Utilities Commission regarding concerns about the proposed Xcel Energy transmission line which would go across parts of Meeker County.
The Songs of Summer Festival is coming up at the Litchfield Civic Arena on August 18th, and that date will also mark the starting weekend of the State Amateur Baseball Tournament in Litchfield. The Litchfield Baseball Association is also getting prepared for its Town Ball Tour Night on June 28th.
Sarah Jones says the June 28th event will include pork chops served by Bruce Hamm, Meeker County dairy princesses serving ice cream, the Watercade Royalty, a petting zoo, a performance by the Litchfield High School marching band at 6:45 p.m. and booths with the Songs of Summer Festival Committee and the Litchfield Downtown Council. She says it would be a great night for people to check out the improvements at Optimist Park.
Jones says the start of the State Amateur Baseball Tournament will overlap with the Songs of Summer Festival on August 18th at the Litchfield Civic Arena, but they are working together to provide parking spots and shuttle services in the northeast part of Litchfield.
Paulette Liestman says they have a lot of vendors coming to the Songs of Summer Festival on August 18th. She says they’re hoping to be able to have the event outdoors this year and there will be lots of great music.
Liestman says they will be selling raffle tickets during the Litchfield Watercade Art-in-the-Park event on July 8th. She says they will be ready to announce soon who the grant recipients will be for this year’s Songs of Summer Festival.
Having lived her whole life on a farm in the presence of animals, planting, gardening, cooking and writing, Julianne Johnson could not help but pull together a collection of her favorite recipes along with stories about her feathered and furry friends. The former Grove City resident has just released a book titled “Food, Feathers and Fur – Cooking and Critters from the Farm at Cricket Meadow” – published by Archway Publishing.
The collection of essays and recipes gives a glimpse into Johnson’s experiences at country living with a variety of birds and animals and savoring the bounty of the annual harvest from the garden, field and forest combined with some of her favorite – tried and true – kitchen delights.
Johnson says this is a homey and cozy collection of writings about rural life, gardening and wildlife surrounded by pets and kids from a lifelong country dweller. She says it is pure honesty and a marriage of the ugly truth interspersed with sprinkles of beauty.
Johnson says she hopes readers will see how much joy can be taken in the very simplest of things, how honest a friend a pet can be and how the cycles of the seasons provide newness and hope. For more details about “Food, Feathers and Fur,” go to archwaypublishing.com. The book is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.