Victoria Gazette - From the Editor - Victoria Mn Newspaper

Weinzierl

Jewelers

Victoria’s Corner Bar. Nightly Specials and Menus. 952-443-9944

8 First Street in Waconia. 952-442-2885

942-443-2078

Funeral Home & Cremation Services

952-474-9595

Pediatric Rehabilitation Clinic.

Occupational Therapy. Speech Therapy.

952-443-9888

Huber

City of Lakes & Parks 952-443-2363

“Trees Are Our Roots”

8099 Bavaria Rd * Victoria * 952-443-2990

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The Scoop

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After more than one hour at the Coldest Ever Fishing Contest in Victoria, my camera froze up and stopped functioning. That has never happened before in all my life -- and that's a big timespan considering I saved up for my very first camera with 500 popsicle coupons when I was only ten years old. It's an even bigger deal considering I've only missed one or two of the Victoria Ice Fishing Contests in these last 30 years of that popular event.

As usual, I tried to keep my camera warm, holding it snuggly or rubbing it between my mittens when it wasn't in use, and therefore I was surprised it froze up.

The screen message said: "Needs fresh battery pack." Of course, I had already installed a fully charged fresh battery pack -- I don't leave home without that insurance -- and so the only answer to the malfunction is the Coldest Ever Fishing Contest in Victoria.

Then, when we got back up to the parking lot behind the Victoria House, we couldn't unlock our car doors. Allan and I each have our own fob, and neither of them would unlock the doors for us. There we stood alone together in the Coldest Ever Parking Lot in Victoria.

Allan rubbed his fob with mittened hands and blew on it and finally stuck it under his armpit. The armpit unlocked our car doors and we could go home. I suspect it was another frozen battery.

***

I remember the very first Victoria Ice Fishing Contest and how hard the few of us worked to pull it off. Darel Geske was the President of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce 30 years ago. Marvin Storms chaired the event and his wife Marie was a hardworking spouse at his side. We served hamburgers, "with or without onions," chili, hotdogs, and hot coffee. Yours Truly solicited prizes galore from area businesses for the continuous drawings on the lake and then gave the event mountains of free press, as I continue to do to this day.

After a few years, we appreciated the Victoria Fire Department taking over the whole works. They continue to do an outstanding professional job. Thank you, Victoria Firefighters, for bringing life to Victoria in the middle of the Deep Freeze every year. It is really fun!

I dug out some photos of that First Annual for "Remember When" on page 29 this month. Seems like only yesterday.

***

You'll see in the City Scoop pages this month that another City of Victoria employee has resigned. That's three bright stars that stopped shining in Victoria in three short months. Back in the days of Shakespeare, the saying went like this: "Something's rotten in the State of Denmark."

***

There were two items on my calendar for the evening of February 20th and instead of flipping a coin about which to attend, I opted to stay home altogether. There's nothing so wonderful as staying home in the bleak midwinter.

But I still got the news for you! I watched the video of the Carver County Board of Commissioners meeting and listened intently to the many Victoria residents who got up to speak against the yard waste site proposed to be their next door neighbor.

The Victoria residents spoke well, each of them highlighting different reasons for the dump not to be placed at the intersection of Bavaria Road and 82nd Street. They were articulate, kind, and persuasive good speakers, one better than the next. I am proud to call them fellow residents of Victoria, and I agree with them that we shouldn't be dumped on. I hope the county commissioners will take Victoria -- and the Golden Rule -- seriously. Read about it on page 15.

Then I emailed Ann Mahnke, one of our fine City of Victoria staff who is still with us, and asked her about the open house at the Victoria Recreation Center that evening of February 20th. The focus was the preliminary design and planning for Lake Wassermann Park. Read about it on page 20.

***

We've been seeing some very good movies, but I don't have enough space left here to elaborate. And besides that, I've got to hang it up right this very minute because we're on our way to another movie! Yes, I love good movies. I love good stories. I love good writing. I love writing. I love the Gazette. I love Victoria. I love my family and friends. And in the Spirit of St. Patrick . . .

May those who love us love us,

and those who don't love us,

may God turn their hearts.

And if He doesn't turn their hearts,

may He turn their ankles,

so that we will know them

by their limping.