By Robert Williams

Editor

The 2023 Turkey Days chairs and theme were announced, along with speeches by Mayor Mark Flemmer, City Administrator Stephanie Poegel and CornerStone board member Karen Pifher Thursday, March 16, during the Frazee Community Club’s annual meeting at the Event Center.

Club president Brikker Ware emceed the event introducing each speaker and talking about club activities, as well as memberships. One key note from Ware’s presentation was the Community Club’s need for more members and volunteers to keep all the events the club organizes going, especially younger people.

“We’re looking for younger couples to really get active again and we can pass the reins to them,” said Ware.

Turkey Days is scheduled for the last full weekend in July and headed up by co-chairs Brittany Wake and vice chair Tabiatha Branden. This year’s theme is Under the Sea in 2023. More Turkey Days information, sign-ups, along with community club info can be found at www.frazeecommunityclub.com.

Mayor Mark Flemmer discussed all the positive things going in Frazee, including the coming railway quiet zone and improvements being made at the post office. In 2022, the plan was trying to get the post office to move, but after discussions between Flemmer and the postal service the decision was made that it will stay in its current location.

Clean up will be coming to the corner of the block in approximately a month, pending weather, with the removal of the Sanders and former Seip structures.

“We’ve been working hard to get that corner cleaned up a bit,” said Flemmer.

Also mentioned were the future Dental Access clinic and Wannigan Regional Park.

Flemmer also stressed the need for volunteers with both the city and the community club.

“If it wasn’t for the volunteers of this town we would be doing not so well here,” he said.

City Admin Stephanie Poegel introduced herself and gave a short review of her career background. Poegel has been working for the city since early December.

“It’s been a great experience, so far,” Poegel said.

Pifher recapped some history about how Cornerstone Community and Youth Center came to fruition, along with a recap of all the recent upgrades there and a timeline for the construction of the bistro upstairs at the former Methodist church.

June 1 is the target date for completion of the bistro, retail coffee and gift shop and entertainment venue upstairs. The future bistro will highlight local foods from area farms and businesses in Frazee like Ketter’s Meat Market.

The downstairs youth center is already open and served 126 kids in February.

Also discussed was the many donations and fundraising that have given the center a strong financial base, along with the business plan of both portions of the center to provide a secure, fiscal future.

Tours are available, along with rental opportunities of both spaces. More information is available at www.cornerstonefrazee.org or CornerStone: Frazee Community and Youth Project on Facebook.

CornerStone has a new executive director, Mackenzie Hamm of Frazee, who will be featured in next week’s Forum.