As we have done each year for some time now, here is a review of some of the changes that have happened in area businesses during the past year.
Watkins:
Ag Venture Feed & Seed: In November 2016, Patti Schaefer was hired as the General Manager of Ag Venture Feed & Seed in Watkins. She is in charge of managing day-to-day operations and overseeing many new initiatives as well as those that are already in place.
Backyard Garden Creations: In September 2016, Jean Reinert made her dream of having a retail shop come true. She sells items hand-crafted herself and other talented people. She had already retired her daycare business, and transformed that area into a welcoming retail space. Her dining room is now an area for classes where groups can make signs, one of the products for which Jean is famous.
Broken Wheel Farms: Dale and Mary Loch retired their farm, Broken Wheel Farms, in August 2016. Much of the land, all of the horse equipment, and the horse training facility were sold at auction. They kept the home and a few acres. Raising Scottie dogs has replaced horses, where each dog now has its own heated stall in the horse barn.
Ertl Hardware Hank: A warehouse building behind the main building of Ertl Hardware was destroyed in the July 11 tornado that hit Watkins last year. Everything inside it was damaged or destroyed. The building has since been rebuilt.
Hilltop Health Care Center: On the north end of town, Hilltop received a last swipe of the July 11 tornado as it returned to the sky. Several apartments in the new Garden View Apartments had roof damage and suffered water damage in the torrential rains that followed. All residents were evacuated, by school buses and family members, temporarily; most were returned by the next morning.
Keek?Äôs: Colin Kuechle and his wife Drea opened a new restaurant in Watkins in May 2016. The name ?ÄúKeek?Äôs?Äù is short for Kuechle. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Colin works wonders with everything he cooks. Stone-oven pizzas are their specialty; and they now offer frozen pizzas you can bake at home. You?Äôll always find burgers and other sandwiches on the menu, as well as daily specials like lasagne or fish and chips. They serve beer and wine, and desserts too. They are open seven days a week, and now serve brunch items Saturdays and Sundays.
Kramer Electric: The Kramer Electric building on the south side of Highway 55 was the first Watkins building struck by the July 11 tornado. It pretty much imploded. Friends, neighbors, and strangers were on-site almost immediately helping to pick up the pieces in the aftermath. In the days that followed, Kramer Electric was busy helping their neighbors get their electricity back; the tornado had ripped powerlines away from some buildings in Watkins. Within a month, the building was replaced, but Kramer Electric employees didn?Äôt skip a beat, working for their customers throughout that summer.
Kuechle Bros. Farm: On the north end of town, Kuechle Bros. Farm took a hit as the tornado left town. One farm building imploded, and several others were damaged. All during harvest season, the piles of corrugated steel grew along the edges of fields as more pieces were found.
Mies Outland: On July 23, 2016, Mies Outland held a re-opening date under the umbrella for the all-new and whole ?Äúlargest Polaris dealer on earth.?Äù The previous owner, Mike Bistrow, had decided to retire after 40 years in business, and sold the entire Polaris dealership to Mies Outland. Mies Outland opened a new store in St. Cloud. It offers a great selection of Polaris, Slingshot, and Yamaha equipment. They also have a full service department to assist people in any way possible. The new store is located
2 miles south of St. Cloud on Highway 10, in addition to the existing store on Highway 55 in Watkins.
Red Goat Bar & Grill: After being closed and up for sale for a few months, Mike Lease and The Lease Group purchased the Red Goat; his son Chris manages it. They are keeping the Red Goat brand going. They no longer sell pizza, but they have added flatbreads to the menu. They have a variety of other foods including salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, dinner items, and desserts.
Stein?Äôs Thriftway Foods: The July 11 tornado left Stein?Äôs without power for several hours; all of their frozen and refrigerated product had to be discarded. Owners Cindy and Ed Stein were Grand Marshals in Kraut ?ÄôN Wurst parade August 6.
St. Anthony Church: Sufficient funds were raised to complete construction of the new Parish Center. Although already used for Alayna Ertl?Äôs birthday/Halloween party, and for Robert Donnay?Äôs funeral lunch, the Parish Center was officially dedicated Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, with Bishop John LeVoir.
Watkins Fire Department: On October 17, 2016, the Watkins Fire Department gathered together to complete training for their brand new fire truck. This was almost a reward for the heroic work they did following the July 11 tornado that swiped through Watkins last year.
Watkins House: The building was purchased by Trevor Bakken and Jeff Johnson who gutted the 1920s building and built 14 rooms with five bathrooms in the two-story building. It is designed to provide assisted living as needed for residents, including laundry and meals. The Watkins House opening was delayed several months, but they are now accepting rentals.