Winter is returning...for a brief blast of snow

While we're all preparing in various ways for another round of winter weather later this week, we can still keep our eyes on spring (and summer) and look forward to what is coming in April and May. Part of what we can look forward to is the beginning of the Elrosa Saints baseball team's 2026 season. I've got more notes to share on that, but I'll leave you by referring to the amateur team's season opener on Sunday, April 26 at Saints Field in Elrosa. The opponent is Lake Henry. They have 2 games scheduled for the following weekend. Let's hope we get some nice weather and the schedule holds! I have a good feeling it will work out, and the season opener should be on April 26.

Fastpitch softball enjoys scrimmage at St. John's University

At the St. John's University Gagliardi Field and Skalicky Seasonal Dome in Collegeville, the B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team traveled east on Saturday to face New London-Spicer in the first annual "Battle of the Bat" scrimmage. This is a new tradition started by head coach Logan Funk while working with Wildcats head coach Jacob Beranek. Max Bats of Brooten generously has donated a wood bat designated as the traveling trophy. It will have the year and score etched onto it each spring.

Coach Funk was thrilled to report that the first score etched on this Max Bats bat will reflect a winning 8-5 score for B-B-E. The Jaguars had just one error.

B-B-E's fastpitch season opener is set for Tuesday, April 9 at home in Brooten at 5 p.m. against MACCRAY.

The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team has a scrimmage on Monday (tomorrow) against Minnewaska Area. The two teams will scrimmage at 1 p.m. in Alexandria at Knute Nelson Field.

Temperatures tomorrow will climb into the mid-60s for the second straight day. It will be a wonderful day to be outside. However, Minnesota's weather gets rough starting on Tuesday, and the forecast looks quite awful as we head into April. Snow and cold is coming on April 2 and April 4. Yuck!

Earthy Elements, LLC, open house in Belgrade

This post is "late to the party" but I wanted to get it out the door even if it's at the last minute.

Business Open House TODAY in Belgrade!
The flower, plant, gift and rock shop called Earthy Elements opened at The Shed in Brooten. Ashley Zimmerle, owner of Earthy Elements, expanded her business last summer after she founded it in 2022. The next step in her business journey was a recent move to Main Street Belgrade. This took place while an expansion in another business is taking place at The Shed (located on Highway 55 East in Brooten)...on the weekend of Valentine's Day, Zimmerle moved her business to 303 Washburn Avenue, Belgrade, to The Boosters building on the north end of main street.

The next step Ashley's got in store is a business open house on Saturday, March 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at her new location. The Earthy Elements open house features flower, plant and prize giveaways. Easter lilies and bulb garden plants. FREE coffee samples. To-go bracelet make and take packes for $15 also available. You're invited to stop by and see the new space in the Booster's building.

See more coverage here at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: EarthyElementsBelgradeOpenHouse.

Speech team concludes regular season; subsections is next

The B-B-E speech team recently completed the regular season with an invitational at Melrose on Saturday, March 21.

Here's Hailey Henderson receiving the Heart and Soul award that afternoon:


Henderson, who is active in the Pope County 4-H organization, is an 8th grader at B-B-E. She competes in the Original Oratory category. At the Central Minnesota Conference meet, held on March 17 at Maple Lake high school, Henderson earned third place.

Some additional speech coverage was posted today at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: BBEspeechatMelrose.

Coming tonight!
The B-B-E Knights of Columbus will host their third and final fish fry of the Lenten season. They serve at the KaDe Shack in Brooten from 5 to 8 p.m with their cash raffle drawing to follow.

Spring sports are underway...track competes indoors

At the St. John's University fieldhouse in Collegeville on Thursday, the B-B-E Jaguars track and field teams competed in the indoor Central Minnesota Conference meet. This is traditionally held in the latter part of March for CMC schools. The lone result I have is from the girls' high jump, where Laken Anderson took second place.

The sports section of this week's newspaper includes one picture from the boys' basketball team banquet that was held last Monday. The picture includes the All-Central Minnesota Conference players on the team. They are Taylor Pieper, Lance Radermacher, Owen Radermacher and Hudson Reed. Additional coverage from the banquet will appear in the March 26 issue.

Here's the playing of the National Anthem and the starter introductions before the playoff game a little past two weeks ago in Underwood:


More to come.

The B-B-E speech team competed at the Melrose Invitational on Saturday. That consumed about 3 hours of my afternoon/evening. The team is preparing for the Sub-Section 5A-West meet, which is on April 10 at New London-Spicer high school.

The Brooten city council meeting agenda for their upcoming Monday meeting has been posted: BrootenCouncilAgenda.

An exciting business Open House is coming to Belgrade on March 28

This is one you'll want to mark your calendars for! Last spring (2025), the flower, plant, gift and rock shop called Earthy Elements opened at The Shed in Brooten. Ashley Zimmerle, owner of Earthy Elements, expanded her business last summer after she founded it in 2022. The next step in her business journey was a recent move to Main Street Belgrade. This took place while an expansion in another business is taking place at The Shed (located on Highway 55 East in Brooten)...on the weekend of Valentine's Day, Zimmerle moved her business to 303 Washburn Avenue, Belgrade, to The Boosters building on the north end of main street.

The next step Ashley's got in store is a business open house on Saturday, March 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at her new location. The Earthy Elements open house features flower, plant and prize giveaways. Easter lilies and bulb garden plants. FREE coffee samples. To-go bracelet make and take packes for $15 also available. You're invited to stop by and see the new space in the Booster's building.

Ashley is excited for upcoming special events and holidays including Easter (just on the horizon) and also B-B-E's prom (Saturday, May 2). Soon after prom is Mother's Day, and that's soon followed by the Memorial Day weekend. Ashley got off to a great start with Early Elements expanding in Brooten, and her business will continue growing on main street Belgrade. Today, I learned she'll be able to work hand-in-hand with Mary Solbreken and Rustic Designs Flower Farm of Burbank Township. That's another terrific small business we can be proud of right in our backyard!

The business website for Earthy Elements is http://www.earthyelementsmn.com. Mary's website for Rustic Designs Flower Farm is https://www.rusticdesignsflowerfarm.com.

In sports news...
I lost track of the late-winter college basketball games. The last I was plugged in to that, Abby Berge's MSU-Moorhead Dragons team was in a tight ball game in the NSIC playoffs. Berge is a 2023 B-B-E graduate and was a junior for the Dragons.

In the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference playoffs, the University of Minnesota-Morris Cougars lost on a buzzer-beater to Bethany Lutheran in the UMAC championship game. B-B-E's Kaden Pieper, also a 2023 graduate, was a junior on that squad. He ended up as the team's second-leading scorer for UMM, who should compete for a conference title again next year. They were regular season runners-up in the UMAC this year with an 8-4 record.

As for spring sports, I know of B-B-E's Gannon Walsh (Class of 2022) playing for the University of Minnesota-Crookston men's golf team. He's currently ranked 58th in the NCAA Division II Central Region. As a team, Walsh's Golden Eagles is ranked No. 11 in the Central Region. UM-Crookston's spring season begins next Monday and Tuesday at the NSIC Preview in Smithsville, Missouri.

Here's a video featuring tip-off and the opening minute of the playoff game at Underwood:


That was two weeks ago.

Sunshine is gaining strength, but it's still cold out! and CHICK DAYS in Regal is underway

The full sunshine feels incredible today, even as the temperatures hover in the upper single digits across the Bonanza Valley area.

The Belgrade city council meets tonight, and their meeting agenda can be found at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper's editor's blog: https://lifeinbonanzavalley.blogspot.com.

It's time to advertise CHICK DAYS in Regal!
Jerry Fischbach, the kind-hearted, down-to-earth Regal Elevator owner, is promoting Chick Days for the 2026 season. Regal Elevator is now offering discounts on all chicks and chick feed. Supply your own eggs! Call for livestock feed AND pet feed at Regal Elevator; phone number 320-243-4220. Website: http://www.regalelevator.com.