In Memory of Paul Heuther.  Thank you all once again for your generous memorial to Paul in care of Victoria Fire and Rescue.  They have all set up a time frame for a special thank you.  I'll really be proud to be part of this day.  Through the memorials for Paul, Victoria Fire and Rescue was able to purchase a defibrillator.  That may not sound like a big deal, but it is.  Especially with all the cutbacks, Victoria Rescue would not have been able to do so.  And I know that if Paul had any chance at all, it was in those first few minutes.  Both agencies that I listed in the memorials -- Victoria Fire and Rescue and the Carver County Sheriff's Department -- were there immediately.  And although an A.E.D. (Automatic External Defibrillator) would not have saved his life, it will for sure save the lives of others.
Barb Heuther
Victoria, Minnesota

The Greats.  Just got this picture of the great grandkids. 
That's Taylor, 9; Emily, 1; and Christopher, 10 months.
Ron Holtmeier
Victoria, Minnesota

Learning through Service.  Attached you will find a photo of Cody Kinney of Victoria, a freshman at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.  As part of the new student orientation, approximately 150 new students including Cody performed community service projects in Crookston as part of a service component that we call Meet Crookston Through Service.  Cody worked with a group of students who assisted classroom teachers at Washington Elementary School in Crookston in preparing their classrooms.  We would love it if you could find space in the Victoria Gazette to publish the photo of Cody.  Thanks very much.

Lisa Loegering
Assistant Director of Service Learning
Crookston, Minnesota

Awesome Gymnast.  My daughter Cady is com-peting for Classic Gymnastics in Chanhassen again this year.  I am not the Booster Club Secretary, how-ever.  This year someone else (Kathy Emerson) will be sending you articles about how the Victoria girls did at their meets.
Cady did an awesome job at the 1st State Quali-fier this weekend.  Kathy should be sending you an article, and she said she would leave it up to the parents to get pictures to you, so here is Cady's picture if you can get it in with the article.  Cady is 12 years old and is in seventh grade at Chaska Middle School East.
Kim Nielsen, Victoria, Minnesota

Twelve Cub Scouts from Pack #337, which includes boys from Victoria and Chanhassen, received their Bobcat Badges in October from Cubmaster Mark Edman.  Scouts receiving the badge (l-r):  Front:  Tyler Smithson, Conner Wilson, Nate Simon, Teddy Pernola, Joseph Benson, Nicholas White.  Second:  Devin Edman, Antonio Franceschi, Cole Dawson, Nick Olsen, Matthew Cerjance, Michael Tischer.
Sarah Dale, Victoria, Minnesota

Victoria Lions Support Ridgeview Ambulance.  Members of the Victoria Lions Club have joined a major effort to support Ridgeview Medical Center's Ambulance Service.  The Victoria Lions have donated $5,000 to the project that involves Lions clubs from all over the area.
The funds will be used to help Ridgeview rebuild, or re-chassis, an ambulance.  Ridgeview has eight ambulances and each year at least one of them must be rebuilt due to the age of the ambulance and the mileage.  Rebuilding is much more cost effective than buying a new ambulance every year.
Joe Schmieg, president of the Victoria Lions, said, "For the Victoria Lions as an organization, our whole emphasis is to really benefit the community at large.  And since Ridgeview is a nonprofit hospital and the ambulance is a community wide need that any one of us could require at any time, we're pleased we could be involved."  In addition to the Victoria Lions contribution, 12 other area clubs have supported the project which ,to date, has raised $36,200.
Pictured (l-r):  LeRoy Worm, Victoria Lions Treasurer; Joe Schmieg, Victoria Lions President; Joel Partridge, Ridgeview Paramedic; and Pam Hoese, Ridgeview Paramedic.
Paul David, Ridgeview Medical Center
Waconia, Minnesota

Congratulations, Mom and Dad, on your retirement graduation.  On Saturday, October 2nd, 2004, Stan and Jayne Hamerski of Victoria celebrated and reminisced with family and friends as they retired/graduated from their current business responsibilities at Coldwell Banker Burnet in Chaska.  Stan and Jayne worked for over 20 years in the real estate industry, where they became highly respected and esteemed. 
Mom and Dad, best wishes as you begin a new chapter in your life.  We wish you good health, good times with family and friends, and quality time spent doing the things you enjoy most.  Live well, love much, and laugh often.
With much love and admiration, your children.
Beth Piwnica
Victoria, Minnesota

Birth Announcement.  Josh and Tanya Schmieg of Chaska announce the birth of their daughter Ashlyn Marie who was born at 1:09 a.m. on Oc-tober 5th, 2004, at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee.  Ashlyn weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and was 20 ½" long.  She has blue eyes.  Grandpar-ents are Brad and Donna Wroge of Chaska and Bob and Doris Schmieg of Chaska.  Great grandparents are Ray and Frannie Schmieg of Vic-toria.