Wins on the home diamonds

The B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team picked up their first win of the season by a 6-2 score over visiting Swanville on Friday. They're now 1-10 overall heading into a home Central Minnesota Conferendce doubleheader against Kimball Area (6-2, 4-1 CMC) on Monday that begins at 4 p.m.

I missed on reporting these scores on Thursday night. The Jaguars fastpitch team traveled to Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted for a CMC doubleheader. HL-W-W swept the series with 11-3 and 15-4 (5 innings) wins.

Here's video from the end of the fastpitch game on Friday:


At Elrosa, the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team won the first game of a CMC doubleheader by a 4-0 score over Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted. In game two, the Jaguars led 6-0 through three-and-a-half innings before the Lakers scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth. It ended up being the only inning of the whole night that HL-W-W put points on the scoreboard at Saints Field, as B-B-E won the nightcap by an 8-3 score to improve to 6-1 overall this season. B-B-E's defense allowed just seven hits across both games.

The Jaguars are 5-1 in the CMC and have an important rematch with Paynesville Area next Monday on the road. Since handing the Jaguars their only loss of the season by a 7-2 score, the Bulldogs have gone 3-4 and stand at 3-3 (fourth) in the CMC. B-B-E is in third place in the CMC behind Maple Lake and Pierz, who are both still unbeaten in the CMC at 6-0 and 5-0, respectively.

Here's video from Elrosa in game one of the doubleheader:


At New London-Spicer, the B-B-E Jaguars girls' golf team took second place with a 391. Taking first was Lac qui Parle Valley with a 367. The girls' golf team's next action is on Tuesday, May 2 at Lakeview in Cottonwood.

Central Minnesota Conference baseball scores on April 28:
Pierz 5, Eden Valley-Watkins 0
Pierz 7, Eden Valley-Watkins 0
Maple Lake 7, Holdingford 2
Maple Lake 9, Holdingford 3

Central Minnesota Conference fastpitch scores on April 28:
Pierz 7, EV-W 2
Pierz 5, EV-W 3

Area baseball scores on April 28:
Melrose Area 8, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 3  
Melrose Area 5, A-C-GC 2    
Royalton 12, Browerville/Eagle Valley 1 (5 inn.)
Kimball Area 5, West Central Area 4

Area fastpitch scores on April 28:
Sauk Centre 10, Osakis 9 (8 innings)
Paynesville Area 17, Litchfield 5
Maple Lake 8, Watertown-Mayer 0

Postponements, cancellations galore

The home doubleheader for the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team on Thursday was moved to Friday.

The Sauk Centre track and field meet was cancelled.

At Howard Lake on Thursday, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team lost two games to the Lakers.

State speech!!!

Molly Tengwall is the 2017 Class 1A state speech champion in Storytelling!!! Talk about going out in style. What a terrific way to cap her speech career at B-B-E!

Woo hoo!!!!

Also terrific: Nick Steinhofer ends his speech career by placing eighth in Extemporaneous Speaking. He is the first B-B-E speech team member to make it to the state finals in that category.

More to follow in the next issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice.

State speech

Here's a quick shout out to the three members of the B-B-E speech team who will compete in the Class 1A state meet on Saturday in Apple Valley! Molly Tengwall, Austin Meyer and Nick Steinhofer - we are all immensely proud of you in Jaguar Country!!!

Town hall meeting live stream

The Bonanza Valley Voice will live stream a town hall meeting on opioid usage and health care issues relating to rural Minnesota. The meeting is at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 22 in rural Spicer and is hosted by U.S. Congressman Collin Peterson of Detroit Lakes.

Here's the link to the streaming website: http://citylinktv.com/channel/brooten-bonanza-valley-voice.

Additional information on the town hall meeting is at the West Central Tribune website: http://www.wctrib.com/news/local/4253782-us-rep-peterson-host-bipartisan-meeting-opioid-issues-saturday-pwelc

Thank you to our local advertisers who help pay for this live streaming service!

Boys' golf opens season

The B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team started their 2017 season with a Central Minnesota Conference meet at Pierz. They had a terrific night and took third in a close contest for third place. Just three strokes separated them from first place (182 strokes as a team to 179). Taking first was Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball with a 179. In second was Pierz with a 181, while the Jaguars were one stroke off of the Pioneers with a 182. Ethan Schwinghammer led B-B-E with a 41. The medalist was Nathan Vossen of EV-W/K with a 40.

On Friday the boys' golf team travels to Minnewaska Area for an 18-team invitational. Also Friday, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team hosts Paynesville Area in a CMC contest at 4:30 p.m. On Thursday the Jaguars lost 9-3 and 7-2 in a CMC doubleheader with Eden Valley-Watkins.

(Video) Fastpitch vs. Royalton

Here's video showing Jordyn Steffensen rounding third base and then home after crushing a two-RBI home run over the left field fence in Monday's home game against Royalton.

The B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team is scheduled to host Eden Valley-Watkins on Thursday this week at 4 p.m. for a Central Minnesota Conference doubleheader.

Enrollment

I just read in the Kerkhoven Banner that K-12 enrollment stands at 685, according to an article published in the April 20 issue. That number is very close to the last enrollment numbers I saw for MACCRAY and also West Central Area.

Meanwhile, B-B-E's enrollment is just over 600. The latest figures I saw showed that the K-12 enrollment is just 605.

Concessions at the track meet

Today's home track and field meet will have concessions that features grilling and food offered by the B-B-E Music Boosters. The track meet starts at 4 o'clock.

(Video) B-B-E spring concert

Shown are the 10 seniors in this year's senior high band at B-B-E.

 A marvelous spring band and choir concert was held tonight at the B-B-E high school. During the concert, the band and choir directors both took the opportunity to recognize the senior members of the music program.

Here's a short video clip that shows the two seniors in this year's senior high choir being recognized for their contributions to the music program at B-B-E. Following that is one of the songs performed in tonight's spring band and choir concert.


In sports news...the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team lost to Royalton tonight on the home diamond by a 9-6 score.

As always, read more in this week's Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.

(Video) From the archives...Handel's "Messiah"

Here's archive video from April 4, 2010 at East Norway Lake Lutheran church in rural New London. Featured is the joint Norway Lake Parish choir, as they sing Messiah by George Frideric Handel.


The sun was shining across the Bonanza Valley for most of the day today. It was a glorious Easter! Spring is here, finally.

Here's some fun facts about Handel's Messiah: https://www.bsomusic.org/stories/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-handels-messiah.aspx.

In local news, Monday, April 17 will be very busy with a home fastpitch game at 4 p.m. (elementary diamond) against Royalton, the 7th-12th grade band and choir concert at 7 p.m. and then a school board meeting at 7:30 p.m. The varsity fastpitch game will be aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood.

Dormant for awhile - here's sports updates

On Tuesday this week, the No. 19-ranked (Class 1A) B-B-E Jaguars baseball team lost 7-2 in their Central Minnesota Conference opener to No. 7-ranked (Class 2A) Paynesville Area. The game was the home opener for B-B-E.

Also on Tuesday, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team lost 6-2 at Paynesville Area in their CMC opener.

On Thursday this week, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team lost 7-6 at Browerville/Eagle Valley in a sub-section match up. The Jaguars led 6-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning in a game that was played at the Clarissa diamond.

Don't forget the spring band and choir concert on Monday at the B-B-E high school! It starts at 7 p.m.

(Video) Farm machinery auction in Sunburg

Actually it was a consignment auction held in Sunburg...on Saturday, April 1. Here's a little video from that day. The sun was shining! Where did it go?

The spring and summer auction season is underway across the Bonanza Valley area.

While I've got your attention, I wanted to give a little shout out to Goat Ridge Brewing Co. in New London and tell you about their upcoming two-year anniversary celebration this Saturday, April 15. You can see more details in last week's and this week's Bonanza Valley Voice. (Page 10 last week)

Lunch shaming

Bravo to New Mexico for this move!
http://www.thedailymeal.com/new-mexico-bans-schools-from-lunch-shaming-students-meal-plan-debt/4917

Section speech

B-B-E's 2017 state entrants in speech.

The B-B-E speech team landed eight members in the Section 5A finals today! Three of them punched tickets to the state meet: Austin Meyer, Nick Steinhofer and Molly Tengwall.

Congratulations!!!

Overall, B-B-E had eight team members compete in the section finals round. Read more in the upcoming issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.

Season openers

The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team beat Hancock 13-3 on Friday in their season opener. Meanwhile, at Upsala, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team lost 8-4 in their season opener.

Morris track and field meet

I have not had time to fully comb through the results from this Tuesday's (April 4) track and field meet in Morris. However, I did take a glance late Tuesday night and saw that junior Kyle Felling won the 100, 200 and 400 open races and also took third place in the long jump.

I also saw that the girls' 4x100 relay team took second place out of 10 squads.

Very cool!!!

Today the B-B-E Jaguars track and field teams are competing at the Minnewaska meet. I will be unable to attend due to health reasons. I am hoping to get up to speed next Tuesday for a home baseball game.

Packed gymnasium

PHOTO BY SHARI MAHIGAB

The gymnasium was packed at Watertown-Mayer high school for the Mass of Christian Burial of Joe Traen, wrestling coach and phy. ed. teacher in Watertown since 1989 and in Brooten from 1983 to 1989. This week's Bonanza Valley Voice will have a feature story on the life of Coach Traen. ##TraenStrong

Remembering Coach Joe Traen

This was stated by a Watertown-Mayer community member, and it is well worth sharing. Let there be no doubt how great of a man Coach Joe Traen was!

"As the head wrestling coach, he taught young men how to be great men first, how to value family time, do well in school and then be an athlete....all in that order of importance."

http://www.bonanzavalleyvoice.com/story/2017/03/09/news/coach-joe-traen-obituary/435.html