Caledonia Argus

Hereís to a new year: Local folks share their thoughts on 2002, dreams for 2003

Posted: 12/30/02

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

At the national level, the picture looked rather bleak in 2002ñ a constant bear market on Wall Street, heightened security from coast to coast, an unproductive hunt for the worldís most notorious terrorist. But in one small corner of the country, tucked among towering limestone bluffs, remote from the foul realities and pernicious trivialities of a year in which the evening news began to more and more resemble a debriefing session in the Pentagonís War Room, it was business as usual. And good business, at that.

Caledonia, all in all, had a fruitful year, what with the opening of the new high school, the retrofit at the former high school, and the construction of the new community center. Old traditions and time-honored local color were steady as ever, and the blue chips of life in Caledonia remained a perennial perqñ the world-class sweet rolls from the bakery, the early morning confabs at The Redwood, the Friday night theatrics of the CHS football team. Across the globe in 2002, the banshee screamed and the harpies hummed and the men with big guns formulated a plan of attack, but in Caledonia, the song remained the same.

Remembering 2002 and anticipating 2003, several area residents shared their thoughts with The Argus.

Randi Vick

As a member of Caledoniaís City Council, which played no small role in the construction of the Four Seasons Community Center, Randi Vick saw 2002 as a triumph; as an earnest Vikings fan, 2002 left something to be desired.

ìThe community center is wonderful, and thereís a lot of people that canít wait for it to open,î Vick said. ìItís an asset to the communityñ thereís a lot of weddings and events that go on, and itís kind of nice to have a community building like that.î

In 2003, she noted, ìI wish that the Vikings will play better.î

Caledonia life in the new millennium, she added, is still an optimal place to raise a family and run a business.

ìItís a good place to live, taxes are low, and itís still growing,î she said.

Kris Wedl

Co-owner of Good Times restaurant and pub, Kris Wedl had a positive year business-wise.

ìBusiness is good and the customers are great,î Wedl said. ìWe love the people here and weíve made some wonderful friends. Iím proud of our employeesñ weíve had some great people and weíve kind of bonded with those kids whoíve worked for us.î

Overall, she added, Caledonia businesses are enjoying successñ ìthe growth is there, the people are there, the ability is there, the knowledge is there.î

On a down note, Wedl noted, 2002 saw the passing of many close friends, which made the year an emotional trial at times. ìI hated 2002 because we lost too many people,î she said, ìtoo many people died, good people from Caledonia.î

2003, she thinks, will be an interesting year in terms of technological innovation. ìTechnology was fun and weíve come to depend more and more on it,î she said, ìand you wonder what role itíll play in 2003.î

Bob Klug

From an agricultural perspective, 2002 hopefully paved the way for a highly profitable 2003, said Bob Klug of Caledonia Implement.

ìItís going to have to be a better year than this year,î Klug noted. ìThe mood of farmers coming out of 2002 is not very good, since cash flow is very short and livestock prices were down. Thereís still an awful lot of money being made on the product, but it isnít going to farmers. It was a tough year, but I think itíll be back up, maybe the second half of next year. I think 2003 will be a little better.î

Despite the erratic shifts in the market, Klug added, farming in Caledonia remains a fulfilling endeavor. ìIím going to keep going, Iíve been here all my life and the farmers here are wonderful people,î he said. ìBut youíre starting to change a little bit of the way you farmñ in a high-tech industry, thereís always lots of changes.î

Aside from farming, Klug mentioned that the general temperament of the people of Caledonia makes it an inviting place to live. The atmosphere is on the whole quite affable, and heís still impressed when visitors are taken aback with the friendliness of area residents. ìPeople that come to visit, they say everybody waves to you, everybody says ëhií.î

Chuck Gavin

The Caledonia Volunteer Fire Department responded to over 60 calls in the past year, and Fire Chief Chuck Gavin was proud of the valor and dedication of his men. Down to just 26 firefighters for a time, the department saw a boost in its numbers, now touting 32 men.

ìWeíre a strong department and Iím proud of the men,î Gavin said. ìWe were busy as ever this year, and new equipment and new trucks have been a major asset to our success.î

The department received a $5000 grant from the Arlin Falck Foundation in late 2002, and the money will go towards purchasing new gear in 2003. ìWeíre looking forward to some new personal protective gear; some of the stuff we have now is 20 years old,î Gavin noted.

Gavin looks forward to working with other area fire departments, so as to maximize the number of men at each call. ìWeíre going to try and work with surrounding chiefs for better communicationsñ if we need them, theyíll know what to do, and if they need us, weíll know what to do.î

Marla Burns

The first year in the remodeled Caledonia Public Library has been a fun and rewarding experience, said library director Marla Burns.

ìItís a very user-friendly library,î Burns commented. ìPeople walk in and theyíre in awe of all the room and how nice it looks.î

Except for a certain local news reporter who hounds her with requests for obscure literature and pilfers handfuls of Tootsie Rolls when sheís not looking, patrons of the library have been a pleasant lot, utilizing the many resources the library has to offer. Full internet access, 70-plus magazine subscriptions, and 18 million items to access through the online catalog are among the services available to library-goers.

ìItís going extremely well,î Burns said. ìItís kind of a service to the community that we wish more people would take advantage of.î

Heard around town

ï Quillinís IGA management: ì2002 was a good year for businessñ customers are friendly and easygoing, and thereís not as many problems as youíd have in La Crosse.î

ï Bruce Bulman, ISD #299 school board: ìCompletion of the new elementary school is what I'm looking forward to. People are really going to be impressed with the changes.î

ï Cindy Goetzinger, Merchants Bank: ìIt would be nice to see some new businesses in town and some commercial development.î

ï Ted Hanson, CHS student: ìIn 2003, I hope Caledonia gets a movie theater and a pizza place, and beats Fillmore in basketball by 20 points.î

ï Heath Dienger, Caledonia Police: ìIn 2002, the city of Caledonia experienced many changes. A new high school, renovation of the old high school, the beginning of a new community center and a new youth center. In 2003, I hope to see the citizens utilize these facilities and grow closer to each other.î

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