2023 Year In Review: June

JUNE

Kimball Community Ed Students, staff, and family members from the Kimball area experienced an incredible trip to Alaska in early June through WorldStrides Educational Travel and Experiences company. The group from Kimball was made up of four staff members, six additional adults, and 19 students.

Eden Valley Area Chamber was pleased to announce a new business to main street Eden Valley. They held a ribbon cutting Thursday, June 1, for American Family Insurance with Tiffany Press as Agent.

The Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball track/field teams went to the MSHSL State track and field championships at St. Michael-Albertville, held June 8-10. The 2023 EV-W/K Girls’ Track Team received a fire department escort send-off on their way to the State Tournament, from Eden Valley, then Watkins, then Kimball fire departments. And a “welcome home” celebration was held for the team, again with fire department escorts, Sunday evening at the KAHS track/football field.

There was a good turnout Tuesday evening, June 6, at Powder Ridge for the open house held by Xcel Energy. Xcel presented maps of proposed routes for a 150-to-180-mile high-voltage transmission line between Becker and Lyon County in southern Minnesota, and to answer questions of local landowners about the proposed project.

Jack’s of Watkins held a grand opening of its new and improved convenience store on June 10 in Watkins.

Facing a 4-shot deficit heading into Day 2 of the Section 6AA Tournament, K/EV-W junior Avery Maus shot a personal best 78 to leapfrog into the 2023 Girl’s State Golf Tournament on June 13-14 in Jordan, Minn. 

2023 Valley Daze Grand Marshal was a familiar face to many. Bruce Kiehn had been the Eden Valley-Watkins Secondary Principal since 2002 (and EV-W Elementary teacher for several years before that). Except for four years as an elementary principal at ACGC (from 1998-2002), Kiehn spent his entire educational career at EV-W. He has been very hands-on, making the effort to know each and every student to pass through the high school doors. He has been present at sporting events, concerts, and more. That’s a good many student and family and community interactions over 34 years, so he may well be the best-known and most-recognized Valley Daze grand marshal in some time.

Lois Peters of Pearl Lake scored a hole-in-one at Kimball Golf Club during a recent couples event. She did it with a seven-wood on the 102-yard par-3 hole #3, a very challenging hole requiring a shot over a gully to a small elevated and sloped green.

K/EV-W junior Avery Maus made her family, her friends, her school mates, and her hometown, proud of her performance at the 2023 Girl’s State Golf Tournament recently. The tournament took place at the Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan on June 13-14. Avery shot a 96 in Round 1 and a 100 in Round 2.

St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kimball hosted an open house Sunday, July 9, in honor of Rev. David S. Milz’s retirement after 29 years of service to the church.

Fair Haven Old Settlers celebrated their 97th annual Old Settlers Day on June 24.

Departures

Lester “Les” Gutknecht, 92, of Fair Haven; June 7, 2023

John “JP” Pelzer, 82, of South Haven; June 12, 2023

Terry Smith, 62, of South Haven; June 17, 2023

Allen Simmons, 72, of Watkins; June 29, 2023

Celebrations

Janet Robinson 80th birthday celebration, June 27

Mary and Harvey Hinz 50th anniversary, June 30