To the Editor:
Could you please order me the Victoria Gazette and can I get the back issues for 2007?
Ruth Eklund
Waconia, MN 55387

To the Editor:
Last night the BBB held its 2007 Integrity Awards.  I have attached a press release with details of the event and a list of businesses that received the award.  In-cluded are the names of the students who were awarded the BBB Integrity Scholar-ship.  Businesses and students are avail-able for interviews.  Two of the students are brother and sister twins from Mounds View High School and they are very im-pressive.  Let me know if you'd like to set up an interview.
Barb Grieman
Better Business Bureau
St. Paul, Minnesota

To the Editor:
We enjoy reading the Gazette and the sometimes challenge of finding that fish-hook!  You do an excellent job of placing it in unusual spots.  This month I found it easily, though, on the School of the Wise ad.
Shirley Carrier
Waconia, Minnesota

MnDOT Actively Assisting with Hwy 5 Effort
Letter to the Mary Thun, Mayor of Victoria
From Carol Molnau, MN Lt. Gov. and
State Commissioner of Transportation.
Dated: October 12^th, 2007.

Dear Mayor Hershberger Thun,
Thank you for your continued interest in proactive planning for Highway 5 which is very evident in your August 24^th, 2007, letter.
As you correctly state, 49.1 is the sufficiency rating for bridge #6654 which is on Highway 5, just west of County Road 11.  A rating of less than 50 does qualify part of its replacement for federal funds.
In the spring of 2007 we did begin scoping a project to replace the bridge but agreed with your sentiment that the re-placement should wait for the conclusion of the Highway 5 study which is currently underway.
Since the condition ratings for both the bridge superstructure and substructure are "5" and considered safe for traffic, we felt that waiting for the conclusion of the study was acceptable.
MnDOT understands and appreciates that the City of Victoria, along with other local municipalities, Carver County, and the Southwest Corridor Transportation Coalition, have successfully accumulated funds to study the future footprint of the corridor.
As you are aware, MnDOT is actively assisting with this Highway 5 effort by offering technical resources in lieu of a financial contribution to the study.
MnDOT felt it could best help with services such as wetland, historic, and archeological analyses.  We believe these technical services demonstrate that we are committed to partnering in the study and will lead to a timely outcome that would allow MnDOT to move forward with the bridge replacement without sacrificing the safety of our traveling public.
We understand that the first phase of the study is anticipated to take approxi-mately one year.  MnDOT will work closely with the selected contractor, SRF Consulting Group Inc., in addition to Carver County and the local communities, to produce a comprehensive study that de-fines a typical section and location for the new Highway 5 bridge.
As this first phase of the Highway 5 scoping effort concludes, we will reassess our construction program and associated consultant resource budget and determine if planning funds in future years are avail-able toward future phases of the Highway 5 study.
I urge you to continue working with Lynn Clarkowski, South Area Manager on the Highway 5 study and bridge replace-ment efforts.  She can be reached at 651-234-7729.
Sincerely,
Carol Molnau
Commissioner/Lieutenant Governor