Month: December 2022

I hope you have the happiest of holidays and that you are able to spend time with loved ones. In the new year, I look forward to fighting for the interests and rights of the people of Minnesota’s 7th district with a Republican majority in the House. I am so grateful for all the amazing communities I serve and will continue to represent you faithfully in Washington. 

God bless you,

Michelle Fischbach
Member of  Congress

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The Crookston Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) met on Thursday morning for a regular meeting inside the Crookston Inn in the Northshore Room.

After the Call to Order, the bureau began the meeting by reviewing and approving their meeting minutes on November 16 and Treasurer Jess Bengtson’s report for the bills payable. Bengtson reported that they received a lodging tax check for October on December 12 for $6,366.10 and had paid $783.67 for Nell DeBoer’s payroll, a $250 ad for a website advertisement on KROX, and $24.54 for the bureau’s consumer cellular. They were currently waiting for two potential withdrawals of $2,475 to KVLY for their final bill for summer commercials and $3,000 to Ox Cart Days for marking grants. They were currently waiting for another $250 purchase for another ad on KROX, $89 for a monthly advertisement on Wisconsin Media, $74 for their Post Office Box, and $141.67 for reimbursements to Nell DeBoer, giving them a total monthly expense of $783.67. The bureau approved the minutes and report unanimously.

Payroll Accountability

The bureau then heard a payroll accountability from Interim Coordinator Nell DeBoer. The bureau saw that their Lodging Tax for October was $6,227.69, which was $3,801.22 less than what they had received last year. Bureau Vice Chair Bob Magsam noted that October was usually high with the sugarbeet harvest but voiced his pleasure in it being consistent with the recent month’s tax comparison of around $6,000.

QuickBooks

The bureau then heard a report from Treasurer Jess Bengtson on their QuickBooks, to which she reported they were scheduled to be ready by the beginning of the year.

Marketing Crookston to Crookston

Magsam then gave a recap of a presentation he gave the Crookston Rotary and Lions. Magsam explained he had made a presentation with DeBoer to tell them the goals of the bureau and some of their plans for 2023 and form potential partnerships with them for future events.

Magsam continued with a recap of a meeting he had with Crookston Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mark Landa, where he gave the same presentation but had gone further into discussions about partnerships for future events to help get out-of-town people to visit and stay in Crookston. One event he had in mind was an upcoming hockey tournament scheduled for Friday, March 3, to Sunday, March 5, to help get out-of-town people to visit and stay in Crookston. “With the CVB, we’re only allowed to do certain things, and we cannot be the host of an event such as that. So, we felt our side of the table on this is to make partnerships and go out and try to figure out who can do what to enhance and show everybody what our community is about and try and promote the local businesses and things of that nature,” CVB Chair Bob Magsam explained. “We’ve been spreading the word with those service clubs, and we sat down with the Chamber of Commerce director and had some good discussions and a little bit in detail of that event, but just a general conversation with Mark and the Chamber as far as how we can really start to work together again.”
Magsam explained he had also done the same publicly by having an appearance on KROX’s Valley Talk on December 6.

UMC Marketing Class Update

The bureau then heard from Bengtson on a recap of the UMC’s Marketing Class update when they met with them on December 12. Bengtson reported she had met with six UMC marketing students to offer many suggestions for the CVB could target people in their younger age group. She explained they mainly were using social media to help spread the word about restaurants and attractions in Crookston and creating marketing suggestions for 2023 and ways to use them. One idea they had was using National holidays like National Cookie Day to highlight local businesses visitors could visit to celebrate the day. Magsam mentioned there were talks of a potential internship UMC could offer students with the CVB, which he and other members believed was a great idea for the bureau to help recent graduates and college students get jobs and build connections. “There is nothing concrete in the works by any means, but it’s been a great conversation about what maybe could happen in the future. They have some great tools to put in our toolbox with the marketing side out there and the classes they have. It would be a great collaboration between the community being the CVB, and the university,” Bob Magsam explained. “We both could utilize each other for positive good for our community. Hopefully, good things will come, and more discussions will be had in 2023, but I think we’re headed in the right direction.”

Marketing Meeting Budget

Magsam then gave a report on the bureau’s marketing budget meeting that was held on December 7. He noted that the primary budget item would be marketing with new and local media outlets with all different forms of advertisement for media outlets like KROX, iNewz, the Crookston Times, and bigger forms of media like Hulu to help broaden the horizon of advertising the city and bureau. Magsam reported that at the end of the meeting, the group felt it was important to meet again and make another decision on advertising with ongoing partners and felt after crunching the numbers, 35% of their budget should be set aside for outside marketing used to promote Crookston in different forms, such as digital, live stream, radio, and television, but their annual commitment would remain the same.

Visitor’s Guide

The bureau then discussions on its Visitor’s Guides. Magsam reported that there was some information on the guide’s events calendar had been incorrect, which they needed to fix, but was happy to see that people were reading them. Jess Bengston reported that many college students had seen it and said they liked the guide as it taught them things about the towns they never knew about. Magsam also reported that Travis Oliver and his Community Projects class at the Crookston High School had finished the bureau’s logo signs and visitor guide brochure holders and sent out press releases and photos to RBJ’s the Crookston Library, KROX, and the Crookston Rotary Club. Magsam explained the sign and brochure rack had been delivered to CHEDA for the entryway, and another was set to be delivered to the Crookston Sports Center.

What Brings You to Crookston

The bureau then began recapping November’s “What Brings You to Crookston” results. DeBoer reported that 201 people had come to Crookston for work, seven for the UMC’s horseshow, 90 for UMC visits, campus tours, and sports events, 48 for winter sports (hockey, basketball, and wrestling), 35 had come in for hunting, four for weddings or baby showers, 32 for concerts in Grand Forks, four for the bird counting events, and two had stayed due to Bad Weather.

Thief River Falls request

The bureau then began a discussion about their request for referrals from Thief River Falls. Laurie Stahlecker reported she had gotten a call from AmericInn Manger Cory Dallager about Thief River Falls hotels always being full. She explained that Thief River Falls had advertised hotels in East Grand Forks but not Crookstons’ during the recent Thief River Falls Amateur Hockey Association (TRFAHA) hockey tournaments. After they had reached out to Visit Thief River Falls, she reported they had received confirmation from Executive Director Amanda Hughes that they would begin advertisements of Crookston’s hotels for future hockey events.

2023 Budget Proposal

The bureau then heard from Magsam and Dean Adams on the budget proposal. He reported that they had made some changes to their proposed incomes, with them raising their expected lodging tax from $45,500 to $65,000. However, this was much higher as they had a total revenue of $67,764.42. For their General and Administrative expenses, they had planned to raise the payment of the Part-time Tourism Director from $10,800 a year to $12,000. Other changes included raising their Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance from $750 to $1,500, but they had only spent $1,363, for a total of $12,497.47, which decreased $2,829 from their proposed budget of $15,326 for 2023. For their Marketing and Promotion expenses, they used $1,367 for it and $64.67 for marketing postage. They had also spent $13,470.28 in the production of their Visitors Guides and $7,970.21 for Advertising on the regional media outlets and across the state. These additions made their total expenses for Marketing $30,915.43. This gave them a total expense amount of $44,916 with an income of $45,500 which gave them a net income of $584. However, several members of the bureau believed they could spend more of the money they received from their Marketing grants to improve their marketing purposes and, after much discussion, agreed to raise their expenses for it from $12,000 to $20,000, which raised their proposed expenses total for 2023 of $83,426. “We had some funds in reserve, which is stuff that built up over COVID, so our budget group felt that certainly, our due diligence of that lodging tax money is to spend it and spend it in a way to market Crookston,” Bob Magsam explained. “We are taking some of that reserve money that increased what our projected income is for 2023. We’ll offset that and get out there and advertise quite a bit.” The bureau approved the budget proposal unanimously.

The Crookston Visitor’s Bureau’s next meeting will be on Thursday, January 12, in the Crookston Inn Ballroom. 

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The Crookston Police Department is strong urging no travel within the Crookston city limits, especially on the north end of town.  They have responded to numerous calls for people stuck in snowbanks throughout town, especially on the north end along Fisher Avenue and its tributaries.

The post CROOKSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT URGING NO TRAVEL IN TOWN, ESPECIALLY ON NORTH END appeared first on KROX.

English Version on top – Spanish Version on the bottom

Ofelia “Katty” Canamar, 63, of Crookston, MN, entered Heaven’s gates on Monday evening, December 19, 2022, with her family by her side.

She was born to the late Jose Oyervides Hinojosa and Casimira Trevino Cantu, who currently resides in Jonesboro, AR, on December 14, 1959, in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She was the sixth child of ten children. In 1984, she immigrated to the United States making Texas her first new home.

In 1992, Ofelia moved to Crookston, MN, where she put down roots with her husband, Pablo, and six children. She worked as a housekeeper at Mount St. Benedict of Crookston for 20 years. Ofelia was a devoted wife and mother as well as an active member of the Apostolic Assembly Church. She loved spending time in her kitchen, creating delicious meals and pastries for her family. Not only did Ofelia lovingly feed her family, but also she shared her love of cooking with her church community, where she cooked for the congregation and often sold tamales to help raise funds for the church.

Ofelia is survived by her husband, Pablo Canamar and six children: Katty Zachariah, of St. Michael, MN; Ruth Navarro, of West Fargo, ND; Noemi Canamar of Fargo, ND; Eli Pruneda of Crookston, MN; Pablo Jr. Canamar of Crookston, and Israel Canamar of Moorhead, MN; She is also survived by fourteen grandchildren.  Ofelia was preceded in death by her loving father, Jose Oyervides Hinojosa in 1991.

The funeral will take place at 11 a.m. at the Apostolic Assembly Church in Crookston, MN, on December 29. The family wishes to thank those who have extended financial and emotional support for Ofelia during her final days. Ofelia’s service will be a celebration of her life, so the family asks that in honor of Ofelia that you refrain from wearing all black to the funeral.

— — —

Spanish Version –

Ofelia “Katty” Canamar, de 63 años, de Crookston, MN, entró por las puertas del cielo el lunes 19 de diciembre de 2022 por la noche, con su familia a su lado.

Ella nació del difunto José Oyervides Hinojosa y Casimira Treviño Cantú, quien actualmente reside en Jonesboro, AR, el 14 de diciembre de 1959, en Nuevo León, México. Fue la sexta hija de diez hijos. En 1984, emigró a los Estados Unidos y convirtió a Texas en su primer hogar nuevo.

En 1992, Ofelia se mudó a Crookston, MN, donde echó raíces con su esposo, Pablo, y sus seis hijos. Trabajó como ama de llaves en Mount St. Benedict of Crookston durante 20 años. Ofelia fue una devota esposa y madre, así como un miembro activo de la Iglesia Asamblea Apostólica. Le encantaba pasar tiempo en su cocina, creando deliciosas comidas y pasteles para su familia. Ofelia no solo alimentó amorosamente a su familia, sino que también compartió su amor por la cocina con la comunidad de su iglesia, donde cocinaba para la congregación y con frecuencia vendía tamales para ayudar a recaudar fondos para la iglesia.

A Ofelia le sobreviven su esposo, Pablo Canamar y seis hijos: Katty Zachariah, de St. Michael, MN; Ruth Navarro, de West Fargo, Dakota del Norte; Noemí Canamar de Fargo, Dakota del Norte; Eli Pruneda de Crookston, MN; Pablo Jr. Canamar de Crookston e Israel Canamar de Moorhead, MN; También le sobreviven catorce nietos. Ofelia fue precedida en la muerte por su amado padre, José Oyervides Hinojosa en 1991.

El funeral tendrá lugar a las 11 a. m. en la Iglesia Asamblea Apostólica en Crookston, MN, el 29 de diciembre. La familia desea agradecer a quienes brindaron apoyo financiero y emocional a Ofelia durante sus últimos días. El servicio de Ofelia será una celebración de su vida, por lo que la familia le pide que, en honor a Ofelia, se abstenga de vestir todo de negro en el funeral.

The post Ofelia “Katty” Canamar – Obit (English and Spanish obits) appeared first on KROX.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office wants to advise travelers that with the current blizzard, visibility is reduced across most of West Polk County. Some of the Polk County roads are starting to drift and become impassable. Stay home if you do not need to travel. If you are traveling and come up to a drift that crosses the road do not go through it as there might be someone already stuck in the drift,
or you may become stuck yourself. Please stay safe.

You can also get updates from the MN DOT 511 webpage 511mn.org for State Roads.

The post POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ADVISE RESIDENTS ABOUT TRAVELING IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS appeared first on KROX.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I’d like to take a moment during this busy week to extend a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from my family to yours! This season is such a special one, and I hope that you will make many lasting memories with family and friends over the next couple weeks.

Please remember those who are going through tough times this holiday season. I would encourage you to give back to your community, whether you give of your time by volunteering or donating to your local charity or food shelf. The Christmas season always reminds me that we can accomplish much more together than we can on our own.

Whether you are traveling this Christmas or staying in the area, drive safely and have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! May it bring many blessings to your family and friends!

Sincerely,

Deb Kiel

The post REPRESENTATIVE DEB KIEL WISHES YOU MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR appeared first on KROX.

The Crookston Fire Department is bringing back its Hydrant Hero (formerly known as Adopt-A-Hydrant) to ask residents to keep fire hydrants clear of snow and ice in the event of a fire.

Crookston Firefighter Garrett Bengtson noted that firefighters must have clear and easy access to the fire hydrants as it gets them to start fighting fires immediately rather than taking several minutes clearing it out when time is critical. “It’s a really important thing, especially with the amount of snow we recently got last week here. I know on the north end specifically, there’s a lot of hydrants under a lot of ice,” Garrett Bengston explained. “A fire doubles in size every thirty seconds, and it can take us five minutes to fully clear a hydrant to get somebody to put a hose on it and start extinguishing any fire we have. It helps us out a lot. If there was a situation in your neighborhood, it’s valuable time that we can get in and start getting to work instead of having to dig out a hydrant.” To ensure the path to a fire hydrant is clear, the department asks for residents to clear a perimeter of about three feet around the hydrant and a clear path from the street to the hydrant.

The Fire Department welcomes individuals, groups, and businesses to adopt their local hydrants and has already started placing flyers giving more information about how they can adopt one now. “You can sign up through email at cfd@crookston.mn.us and put your name and address and what hydrant you would like. There will also be Hydrant Hero sheets at local businesses, I’m getting around to dropping them off, and with that, there will be a QR code with a hydrant map on there. You can also find them on Facebook, and I will be getting them on the Crookston website (ckn.mn/hydrant), where you can see the map of the hydrants and be able to give us the information that you’re looking for to allow us to get on there and show that you have adopted it.” Some shops people can get the sheets at include Northern Lumber and Hardware Hanks, with more planned to be given at other high-visibility businesses.

The program is already well underway, as Bengston said they have already received applications for hydrants and seen several hydrants cleared already. Along with adopting a hydrant, the Fire Department will recognize those who have adopted hydrants with a Hydrant Hero every two weeks. “Every two weeks, we’ll have a can with names of everyone who has a hydrant, then we’ll let them know,” Bengston explained. “We’ll get a picture with you and the first couple that signs for the program. We have plastic signs you can put up in your yard saying you’re a Hydrant Hero.”

You can sign up for the program today by emailing the Crookston Fire Department at cfd@crookston.mn.us, and if you have any questions about the program, you can call the Crookston Fire Department at 218-281-4584. Stay tuned to KROX to hear more about the Hydrant Hero Program on Valley Talk on Monday, December 26, at 10:45 a.m. on KROX.

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