TAOPI – A joint ventures agreement – Prairie Visions – made between the cities of LeRoy, Taopi, Adams and Rose Creek a decade ago, remains strong today.

Saturday, June 24, 2000

TAOPI – A joint ventures agreement – Prairie Visions – made between the cities of LeRoy, Taopi, Adams and Rose Creek a decade ago, remains strong today.

Now entering its eleventh year of promoting the quality of life in the four communities and rural areas around, Prairie Visions has become a model for other rural areas who want to remain viable both economically and aesthetically into the future.

"Ghost town" is not in the vocabulary of any member of Prairie Visions.

An example of the organization at its best came last Thursday night, when it held a "meet and eat" meeting in the Taopi City Park.

It was a potluck supper, and volunteers each brought a dish to pass.

Taopi Mayor Jim Kiefer and other local residents served as hosts.

When the official business was concluded, members played bingo. The prize: an official year 2000 Shooting Star Trail Bike Ride T-shirt.

But, it is sometimes difficult to tell official business from unofficial business at a Prairie Visions meeting.

So willing are they to help each other and so low-keyed in doing it that the organization seems to have turned work into fun.

Bike ride July 8

Dale and Phyllis VanDenover reported on the Shooting Star Trail Bike Ride scheduled for July 8.

The event will be sponsored jointly by Prairie Visions and the Southern Minnesota Bike Club and it will be held in the midst of Rose Creek’s new and expanded Fun Days celebration July 7-9.

There will be 17-, 30- and 50-mile routes, plus a 6-mile "cheaters ride."

The purpose of the ride is to offer bicyclists an opportunity to indulge in their passion.

Another purpose is to showcase the lush prairie countryside of Mower County, including some of the route for the Shooting Star Recreation Trail from LeRoy to Austin along abandoned railroad right-of-way.

According to the VanDenovers, helmets are required for the ride, which begins 8:30 a.m. July 8 in the parking lot at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Rose Creek.

The VanDenovers made a pitch for volunteers, and the show of hands demonstrated how supportive the organization’s volunteers are of the event.

Lake Louise damages

Shawn Donais, manger at Lake Louise State Park outside LeRoy, told how two late-spring rainstorms caused damages in the park.

Donais estimated the damages at $7,000. The total, however, does not include damages to the dam, according to Donais.

Meanwhile, the Shooting Star trail section from the LeRoy city limits into the park suffered an estimated $35,000 damages when two sections were washed out by flood waters.

That total was included in Bob Nelson’s estimate of total damages from the twin rainstorms in the county. Nelson, the Austin-Mower County emergency preparedness director, has surveyed municipalities and townships and determined at least $562,600 in damages occurred to the county’s roads and bridges, as well as other public places.

Gov. Jesse Ventura has declared Mower and seven other southeastern Minnesota counties disaster areas as a result of the flooding in mid-May and early June.

Governor Ventura is asking the federal government to cover 75 percent of the $5,999,000 in damages with the state paying 15 percent and local governments providing 10 percent.

The area receives 5-7 inches rainfall May 17 and an equal amount May 31. Since that time, early June rainfalls have fallen on water-saturated ground with more expected this weekend.

According to Donais, Lake Louise State Park also suffered the loss of a popular foot bridge that will have to be replaced.

Donais asked the Prairie Visions volunteers to ask area farmers for their field rock to use to bolster the area around the dam made prone to more damages by the steady rainfall and high waters.

Farmers market

Eileen Evans reported on the success of the farmers market venture by Prairie Visions at LeRoy.

Strawberries were the most popular item of the debut of the farmers market.

Eileen Hutchins, president of Prairie Visions, issued to plea to members to invite gardeners and others to deliver items to the farmers market and Evans observed, "People are really looking forward to it each week."

Millennium Trail

Marjie Meier isn’t quite certain, but the Shooting Star trail may be one of the first 50 trails in the nation honored by first lady Hillary Clinton.

Prairie Visions received the proclamation and certificate designating the Shooting Star trail for honor.

The recognition program was undertaken to recognize coalitions to connect communities, reintroduce Americans to the landscape and make it possible to access nature as well as helping to understand and celebrate history and culture.

Taopi’s 125th

Mayor Kiefer also told the visitors about plans for the August 26, 125th anniversary celebration for Taopi.

A day-long celebration is being planned.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has granted permission for a parade using a portion of Highway 56 which runs through the community.

A box social auction was held at the Chief Taopi Bar, which netted $5,200 for the community’s celebration fund.