DELANO, MN - Delano City Council will meet in special work session Tuesday night (tonight) at 7 p.m. at the Delano City Hall. Agenda items include a concept drawing for a sculpture walk, fundraising by the Delano Athletic Club, the Central Park master plan, riverbank restoration program and grant application, and the downtown Rivertown commercial building. The council will also discuss the northwest business park, consider a proclamation for congenital heart disease week, review the agenda for a boards and commissions forum set for Thursday, Feb. 2, and consider a resolution authorizing a grant application for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources community forests grant.

DELANO, MN - The Citizens League, in partnership with the Bush Foundation, is hosting a community workshop, Common Cents, at Delano City Hall Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.
The event will be hosted by Delano Area Chamber of Commerce (DACC) Governmental Affairs Committee. The topic will be balancing the state budget. The workshop will be presented free of charge.
These workshops create a non-partisan space where Minnesotans learn, share, and discuss the enormous state budget challenges. To RSVP or for more information, call (763) 972-6756.

Delano chamber reviews strategic plan for 2012
At its first meeting of the year Jan. 19 at the Delano Theater, Delano Area Chamber of Commerce President Ryan Gueningsman of the Delano Herald Journal reviewed the chamber’s strategic plan for 2012 and introduced the board of directors for the year.
The board consists of Gueningsman, Vice President Kristin Nelson of My BodyShop Fitness Center, Treasurer Jeanne Matter of Matter Reuter CPAs, Secretary Rayme Bernick of Stahlke Bus Service, past president Adam Kleve, Will Haack of Sparrow Properties, Dr. Kelly Thompson of Thompson Chiropractic, John Tackaberry of Star West Chevrolet-Honda Sports, and Calvin Brandt of Calbrandt, Inc. Kim Larson is the chamber’s management assistant.
Each of the chamber’s six committee chairpersons spoke about their committees’ successes from 2011 and presented plans for this year. The six committees are business development, economic development, government affairs, membership, ambassadors, and task force.
Jim Janzen of the Delano Athletic Club also presented an update on improvements being made to the Central Park baseball field, and Lloyd Griep spoke about an informational meeting set for that same night regarding board members for the Delano Foundation.
Upcoming chamber events include the power lunch Wednesday, Jan. 25 at Mucho Amigo at noon, Good Evening Delano at Thompson Chiropractic Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m., and the chamber’s next general meeting Thursday, Feb. 16 at noon at the Delano American Legion.
Montrose Waverly chamber discusses upcoming events
Members of the Montrose-Waverly Chamber of Commerce met Jan. 12 and noted several upcoming events in which the chamber is involved.
It noted the fifth-annual health fair, being sponsored by Montrose Chiropractic, is set for Saturday, Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Montrose Community Center. Free admission is offered with a donation to the local food shelf.
Another event coming up will be to support Montrose Days, and will be a night of comedy with Glen Everhart Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Bison Creek Event Center in Buffalo. Seating begins at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., and the show begins at 7 p.m. Reserved seats are $30 and premier reserved seats are $45. A second show is also being offered at 9 p.m.
A community spaghetti dinner is also set to take place Friday, Jan. 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Montrose Elementary School to benefit the Montrose Suzuki Kids string instruction program.
Chamber members also noted the upcoming retirement of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted principal Mike Day, business questions and chamber correspondence, and discussed the May craft and community fair.
Watertown chamber discusses a variety of issues at first meeting
The Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce met Jan. 18 for its first meeting of the year, with President Jim May congratulating Frontier Communications as the chamber’s 2011 business of the year and Scott Cassidy as the chamber’s 2011 member of the year.
Hosting a street dance during Rails to Trails was discussed, as was restructuring of some of the chamber’s committees. Guest Lynda Boudreau from Congressman John Kline’s office was at the meeting and also spoke about some of the constituent services available through her office. Committee updates were also presented, with the next chamber meeting being set for Wednesday, Feb. 15 at B’s on the River for the state of the city address.