I took a quick trip through the 2006 issues of The Argus on December 21, thinking it would give me some fodder for this column, and I was right.
At first I couldnít remember much of what had happened. But 2006 had some fascinating events, in a small town way, which is what we are and what I like.
St. Peterís Church in Hokah celebrated a huge addition, and St. Nicholas Church in Freeburg suffered a less desirable fate.
Founderís Day in Caledonia faltered a bit, then took on a head of steam with engineer Noel Brenza at the throttle. She seems to have enough energy to light up a city or two. (Maybe Caledonia could use her for those power outages.) By the end of the year Caledonia had a new celebration called Winter Wonderland, and it was a great success by everyoneís standards.
The Justin Meyer story came to a sad but not unexpected end. I wonít say more, other than I am glad it is over, although it really isnít over for the families on both sides of the tragedy.
Zoning issues jumped off the pages. Scott Sannessí feedlot was denied and denied and finally approved in a modified form. A ìhunting preserveî was approved by the planning commission and then barely by the county board. Everyone worried about what if a deer escaped, and then guess what happened? (It escaped from a holding pen, not the hunting preserve, which hasnít been built yet.) The deer is still on the loose. Hey, Iíll have something to write about in 2007.
The criminal justice center made headlines too, and will continue to do so this year as it moves forward. Look for a petition to be filed from people who want to see it put to a referendum. If that occurs, the project could go back to square one.
Jared Solum made the news in 2006 too. The Spring Grove man sold his house and 8.63 acres to Matthew Solum, which puts it out of compliance with a county zoning ordinance of one house per 40 acres in agricultural districts. This story disappeared because it is in the hands of attorneys, but I wouldnít be surprised to see it surface again, just as we will see more complaining about county zoning ordinances. Could the two be related?
I was impressed with the generosity of Robert Botcher, who gave 40 beautiful acres of land to Houston County in February. He didnít sell it for $3,000 an acre, as he could have. He gave it to the county so anyone could have free run of it. He particularly would like to see it used by school kids. He didnít want publicity either. I donít know Mr. Botcher, but I admire him.
Speaking of land values, we reported in June that waste land prices had risen 7,230 percent over the past 10 years. And our tax statements reflect that. Ouch.
There was good and bad business news. Fastenal grew and Sagebrush was sold. More businesses relocated to Highway 44/76, leaving downtown Caledonia a little emptier. Main Street businesses spruced up the outside of the buildings with newly painted facades. The city looks beautiful.
The county airport is getting gas pumps, a well, and bathrooms, as the first leg of a big airport improvement plan. Look for that story to continue in the coming years.
There were a lot of inspiring people in the paper too. How can you not admire Ardell Lien for sailing around the world to raise awareness for organ donations? He has one himself, a new heart. I found inspiration in other people too: Selma Voight and her woven rugs, Bernie Pieper and his running, Lea McEvilley and her sheep, Clarence Eikens and his wood projects. Thatís just the tip of the iceberg. We are surrounded by good people. Thatís the favorite part of my job, getting to meet folks like that.
Iím leaving a lot of things unmentioned here: blood drives, hay sales, corn harvests, skulls in Spring Grove basements, candlelight skiing, elections (wow, what a change there), Brownsvilleís ìjunk,î Charlie Rollins, George the mannequin.
Weíll publish a year-in-review photo page in the next two weeks of the paper that may capture a few more things. Probably not much more though. Time marches on, as they say, and if you are like me, you look forward and not back.
Thanks for reading The Argus. Your ideas are always welcome. Happy New Year.

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Caledonia Argus
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P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475

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