Dakota county officials following Washington County ballot issue closely By Randy Roberts, Star-Gazette managing editor A referendum on the November ballot in Washington County may result in the preservation of open space and natural areas in Denmark Township.

Thanks to the efforts of Washington County Citizens for Green Space, the issue was approved this year for the Nov. 7 ballot.

The referendum, if approved, would allow the county voluntary purchase of development rights from property owners who agree to keep their land undeveloped within a corridor that has been determined as green space.

Much of Denmark Township is included in the green space. If the issue passes, landowners within the green areas can apply for the program in which they are paid an amount equal to approximately equal to the market value of their property minus the value of the open space being made available. It will be a one-time offer.

Approval of the referendum would result in Washington County authorizing the issuance and sale of about $13 million in general obligation bonds. The funds would then be used strictly to acquire and manage conservation easements and other interests in property in order to establish the green space corridor.

“People come here for the atmosphere and the character,” said Matt Mega, a member of the Washington County Citizens for Green Space. “We want to keep all the land in private ownership.”… 40 Years Ago HASTINGS STAR October 9, 1980 Etter relocation funding may become a reality by AL SHAFFER, staff writer Although many doubt that the $10 million project necessary to solve the sand and flood problem in Etter will ever come to pass, there is at least a glimmer of hope that Etter residents will be offered an alternative solution to their problem.

According to Joyce Simon, community development specialist for the Dakota County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA), steps are being taken to help residents in the area relocate.

The first of these steps was taken this week when the HRA drafted a letter to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officials in an attempt to identify the problems and make them aware that help is needed.

It is like a “preapplication stage,” Simon explained. This is following a tour HUD officials made of the area on July 7… 56 Years Ago HASTINGS GAZETTE October 15, 1964 Power Line Through Area To St. Louis Easements are reportedly being sought in the area this week for a power line that is to extend from Northern States Power Co.’s Newport station to St. Louis, Mo.

Farmers near Cottage Grove and Point Douglas told the Gazette that they had been contacted this week about 240-foot easements through their properties. They said one line is to be strung along one side of the easement, with the possibility of a second line along the other side of the easement at some future time.

Wherever the line makes a bend, a 70-foot tower will be constructed, one of the men said. The distance between spans is to be 900 feet.

Work on the project “may start next year.” The men said they were told. Purpose of the line is to facilitate “borrowing electricity” when loads in certain areas become heavier than usual. 110 Years Ago STILLWATER MESSENGER October 15, 1910 Brief Mention Short Mention of News in General Wm. M. May was confined to his home for two weeks on account of sickness.

Geo. DeCurtis left this week for Portland, Oregon. He will work in a rug factory.

Max Kolliner is home from a several weeks’ business trip in northern Minnesota.

Reports from Charley Travis are not very favorable. He is still in a precarious condition.

News of Scandanavia (old country updates for those far away from home!) Principal happenings of the week in the Scandinavian countries Denmark Locals The international oceanographic union, representing nine countries in Europe, has just held a conference in Copenhagen.

A time saving way of writing addresses on envelopes has been invented by a Dane. The old way is to put each envelope into the typewriter before writing on it. This takes up much time. The new way is to have the envelopes stick together like one sheet. After the addresses are written the envelopes are torn apart along rows of perforations cut across the sheet between the envelopes.

Edited and Published Weekly by the Inmates of the Minnesota State Prison (in Stillwater) Our Motto: “It is never too late to mend.”

October 13, 1910 The Mantle of Respectability An Essay on How It May be Obtained and Maintained in Any Community Paper read before the Chautauqua Circle.

I have been asked several times lately, “What do you know about Respectability?” Well, I could only say just what an onlooker can know of any game; perhaps no more than the players, but at any rate as an outsider I can offer a purely disinterested and impartial opinion and one at which no one of my hearers who may feel that they are entitled to the mantle of Respectability, will, I trust, take offense…. 130 Years Ago STILLWATER MESSENGER October 4, 1890 Local Updates H. P. Barclay returned Saturday from a pleasant sojourn in Helena.

The elevator is again running, having resumed opera- tions last Tuesday.

D. L. Burlingham returned Tuesday from a visit of seven weeks in the effete east.

The family of Andrew Erickson leave today for West Duluth, their future home.

There will be a meeting of the Independent club this evening at opera house hall.

The farmer’s alliance will hold a meeting at the courthouse next Monday at 10 a.m.

The members of the French Catholic church will give an oyster supper this evening from 5:30 to 9 at Music Hall. 150 Years Ago STILLWATER MESSENGER December 16, 1870 Volume XVI, No. 15 CHANGE OF NAME In accordance with the expressed wishes of many of our patrons, and our own preferences, we this week resume the name “Stillwater Messenger” under which this paper was started in 1856, and which it bore for twelve years.

THE NEW ERA.

With the fast approaching opening of railroad communication between Stillwater and the outside world a new era will dawn upon our city. Stillwater has grown to its present proportions without railroads. The life of a place back from a railroad is essentially different from that of a railroad town. There may be as much real energy and business talent in the former as in the latter, but there is not such an appearance of active life upon the surface. The locomotive seems to inspire the people of the towns through which it passes with its own rush and noisy energy. The rattle of a train of cars drives the echoes out of all the sleepy hollows and wakes up all the vim and enterprise that a community possesses.

Territorial Dispatch 163 Years Ago THE STILLWATER MESSENGER Volume 2, Number 4, A. J. Van Vorhes, Editor Motto: Be Just and Fear Not. Let All the ends thou aims’t at be thy Country’s, thy God’s, and Truth’s.

Great Yield.

The St. Anthony Express tells one, which, were we not so well acquainted with the great producing capacity of Minnesota, we should hardly believe: In the early part of summer, Capt. Gilbert had his garden destroyed by the Grasshoppers, and on the 2d of July he re-planted it, merely for the sake of experiment, as he did not expect anything would mature. Among the rest he planted one winter squash seed, and the following is a true record of its growth, as kept by him:—Planted the 2d of July, commenced running the 15th, first blossom appeared on the 26th, ripe and harvested Sept. 30th, the date of the first frosts sufficiently severe to kill the vines, thus making only sixty-five days from the appearance of the first blossom to the time when the crop was secured. The seed produced ten squashes, the largest weighing 44 pounds, and the smallest twenty-three, and the weight of the whole 285 ½ pounds. The vine weighed 553 lbs., and its estimated length was 4,000 feet. The vine measured, at the surface 7 ¼ inches in circumference. Has potatoes in his garden, planted on the 16th of July, with the tops still as green as they ever were, and with every prospect of their proving an abundant crop. Now let any country beat this—that can.

Among the candidates up for the state election: Alexander Ramsey of Ramsey County, for Governor.