They’re cleaning out Athletic Park.

With the Minnesota River reaching flood stage in Chaska on Tuesday, and the crest not expected to occur until next Wednesday, it seems all but certain that Athletic Park will get wet in the days ahead.

“The initial games for the [Chaska] Cubs probably won’t be there,” City Administrator Matt Podhradsky told the council Monday night, adding that the high school likely wouldn’t be able to utilize the baseball field either.

By Cliff Johnson & Mark W. Olson

For years, casual conversation in Carver has included speculation about where the future city hall will reside: downtown in a new or remodeled building; in the soon-to-be-abandoned water-treatment plant; or “up on the hill,” near the County Road 11 and Highway 212 intersection.

Suddenly, those casual conversations have become urgent, thanks to a proposed Carver County Community Development Agency development on County Road 11 and Ironwood Drive.

After a wintry traffic accident left its 25-year-old fire engine out of service, the city of Carver is now on the hunt for a new truck. But it won’t come cheap. A new rescue fire engine could cost taxpayers up to a half million dollars.

On March 1, the Carver City Council moved to solicit bids for a replacement fire truck. Whether they buy new or buy used, will depend on what kind of bids they get back, Mayor Jim Weygand said. A new truck, ranging from $450,000 to $500,000 would raise the taxes on a $250,000 home by $22.

With one eye on the sky and one on the state’s rivers, flood forecasters are on the lookout for a messy spring.

“A wet fall and heavy winter snow indicate a potential for flooding in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota,” stated a press release from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

By Cliff Johnson

City Administrator Jim Elmquist’s last day was Jan. 29. After seven years with the city of Carver, Elmquist left to take an administrator job with Dodge County, in southeast Minnesota. The city hopes to fill the vacancy by April 1.

The newspaper asked him a few questions before he left for his new job, which he starts on Feb. 1

Q: What were some of the high points of your tenure as city administrator?

A:

The Carver Lions and Carver Parks & Recreation are co-sponsoring the “Soggy Bottom Open” Saturday, Jan. 23.

The event is a golf tourney in the snow, and for ages 12 and up. (Under 18 years requires parent/guardian supervision.)

To compete, a press release advises participants to “bring one golf club, hockey stick, or whatever else you would like to hit a tennis ball with, on our 18-hole snow-golf course.”

The course will set up at Riverside Park, 300 Main Street East in Carver. Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m., with a noon start.

Last week’s snowstorm added an exclamation point a year that was already sludgy. Instead of barreling ahead, everyone was holed-up, waiting for the storm to pass.

Long gone are the days when Chaska was growing by a thousand people a year and houses were popping up like spring dandelions.

Instead, everyone – residents, politicians, business owners – were all coming to grips with the fact that cash just isn’t flowing into the coffers like it used to.

By Cliff Johnson

At first the stable was empty. Then came lights and trees and straw and snow. Then the characters in the nativity scene at St. Nicholas Church in Carver began arriving, two at first, then several more.

It is the hope of parish members that the nativity scene will feature at least 12 near-life sized refurbished and professionally painted figures by Christmas Eve.