Thank You

July 22, 2015

Thank You Randy Carlson:

I wanted say a special thank you to Randy Carlson. Randy has been an important part of the journalism community in Dodge County. Randy has devoted his career to bringing the news and current events to the readership of the DCI. There passion and dedication will be missed. I also wanted to personally thank Randy for the opportunity to inform the citizens of Mantorville of important news via a published Mayors Article and thank you to the new owner ,Bussler Publishing, for continuing that column going forward. Thank you Randy!

Thank You Volunteers:

There are a few other thank yous I would like to acknowledge as well. Mantorville is blessed with a strong volunteer base and these volunteers make all of our celebrations possible from Stagecoach Days to Marigold Days and Old Fashioned Christmas. The volunteers working on the Marigold Days planning and events have been working extra hard for our 50^th annual celebration this year. There are so many volunteers that if I tried to name them all I know I would leave some important names out. To all of our communities volunteers if you just help out with one event or if your active in many of our events and sub committees let me extend a much deserved THANK YOU! I know too often we don't say it enough but your efforts are noticed and very much appreciated! If you know of someone new to our community that would like to get involved or someone that would like to re-engage with our volunteer base please don't hesitate to have them reach out to me at MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com.

Thank You Students:

There is another group that deserves to be recognized. The Kasson-Mantorville school district is very blessed to have a strong and active student body. From athletic and academic achievements to community voluntarism, our students set a shinning example of the value our young adults can be to our community. Just in the last year we have had students compete in a national science contest, win a softball state title, raise money in partnership with local service based organizations, students have completed their Eagle projects and helped with housing needs by volunteering time during a housing project. I would like to thank all of the students, staff, advisors and parents that have help instill a sense of community pride and ownership in our young adults. Your efforts are why our area is strong and vibrant. One of the ways the two communities of Kasson and Mantorville have shown their appreciation for our students in by designing and installing an athletic achievement sign in both communities. The new Mantorville sign was installed last week at the location of the old faded signs on the west side of 57 on the north side of town.

Opportunities:

The City of Mantorville is looking to fill a vacancy in our street department. The position is responsible for the maintenance of the parks, moving, taking a rotation at the city waste water treatment plant and various other responsibilities that arise out of the day-to-day operation of the city. Those individuals that would be interested in applying are encouraged to fill out an application at city hall by July 31.

The EDA is looking for nominations for the GEM of Mantorville. The deadline for submitting names is August 6^th. The GEM of Mantorville recognizes an individual that has gone above and beyonds the call of duty for the city and our community. Anyone that knows of someone that they feel is deserving of this recognition is encouraged to submit the persons' name to city hall by filling out a nomination form.

The EDA is also looking to fill an open vacancy on the committee. If you have a passion for the economic health of the community, promoting tourism of just want to help make important decisions for the community feel free to submit an application at city hall.

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford, Mayor - City of Mantorville

MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Mid Year City Update

June 15, 2015

I hope everyone had a great fourth of July. A few weeks back we celebrated stage coach days and there are still some great events coming up this summer. The city's next big celebration is Marigold Days.

Fiftieth Marigold Days:

The city is making big plans for our 50^th Marigold Days celebration. We have added more music, more events and more fireworks. What started off as an informal celebration with the donation of some flower seeds has grown to be a large draw during the last few weeks of the summer. Look for more print and media ads as the dates gets closer. Make sure to mark your calendar for September 12 & 13. With a new melodrama, car show, 5K run, fishing contest, pie and ice cream social, flower show, quilt show, antique appraisals, bingo and a lot more there is something for everyone, so plan to attend our 50^th Marigold Days and be sure to check out the live music. A complete list of events, times and musical groups can be found on the committees web site at marigolddays.com.

Mantorville GEM:

The Mantorville EDA is now accepting applications for individuals that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help our community. We award a “GEM of Mantorville” award each year during Marigold Days and we choose the recipients from those names submitted for consideration. Persons interested in submitting an application and nominating a person should contact city hall and obtain a nominating form. Applications are due August 6, so that the EDA can make a selection and get the plaque made in time for presentation at Marigold Days.

Streets:

Many of you have asked about the status of 5^th street and Golf View Court. Both of these streets have experienced accelerated deterioration and have thus been updated in the construction priority. In both cases the sub-structure of the road has failed. Our engineering staff has evaluated the road condition and presented a plan that calls for the complete re-building of both roads. The city engineers are currently working on detail design plans for each and we will address these roads in the spring. There was not ample time to create the plans, find a construction crew and still fit the reconstruction into this season. The city staff has been informed that they should try and keep the holes patched as best they can until we can rebuilt the roads next spring.

EDA:

The Mantorville Economic Development Authority (EDA) has a vacancy. The EDA is the organization that makes recommendations to the city regarding tourism, the allocation of the Rochester Sales tax money and how to grow business within Mantorville. Anyone interested in helping the city and the EDA make these types of decisions can apply for the open seat on the EDA by filling out an application at city hall.

AT&T

The city and AT&T have a lease agreement that gives AT&T the right to build a small shelter to house it's electronics and to place several cellular antennas on top of our water tower. The original lease was a two year “options” lease which gives them the ability to build and install the cell “site”. AT&T has pulled a building permit however, has not yet started construction. The city received a request from AT&T to extend their two year lease option. The city has signed the extension of this agreement and the EDA as well as the Chamber of commerce are drafting a letter of support to encourage the completion of this project. When the city receives additional information regarding the construction of the cell site, we will make that information known.

Employee Evaluations:

The city evaluates all of it's employees on an annual basis. Occasionally we get feedback from sub-committee members on the performance of our staff but we only rarely receive feedback from the community. Anyone that would like to share an opportunity for improvement or a “job well done” observation may send their comments to me. I will form an aggregate community section and consider your input while the personnel committee reviews each employees performance this year. You can send email observations to MantorvilleMayor@GMail.Com.

Please feel free to visit my blog and comment on this or other articles. Check back frequently because I will post survey questions from time to time to gather input from the community. You may also send your questions or observations to my email address or as always feel free to stop me when you see me around town and share your thoughts about our community.

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford, Mayor - City of Mantorville
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Happy Fourth of July!

July 1, 2015

I wanted to say thank you to all of our volunteers that have worked so hard on the Stage Coach Days celebration. The committee has spent many hours over the past year, they have added a few events to the celebration and their effort paid off again on a well executed plan. KTTC was in town with a camera crew and had an article during the news highlighting our celebration. I hope many of you had the opportunity to see this on the news. Thank you everyone that helped out with this event! I also wanted to thank everyone that took part in our event by dressing up in period attire, this truly makes the Mantorville experience unique and this is an area I continue to get many complements on from our visitors.

During the weekend I had the opportunity to speak to many of you and some of you mentioned areas hat needs the cities attention, we will be following up on those issues and thank you for taking the time to discuss your concerns and observations with me.

This coming weekend our nation celebrates it's birthday. I hope everyone is able to enjoy the weather, watch some fireworks and celebrate our nations independence. If during this weekend you see a member of our Armed services, remember to say Thank You for it is the soldier not the poet that has given us the first amendment and it is the solder that has paid for our freedom with his blood.

During our July 4^th celebration I encourage you to look up the story behind the Star Spangled Banner, the story is about incredible bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. The American forces were greatly outnumbered and out gunned and faced a determined foe. Baltimore was the next city in the British targets and the only thing in their way was Fort McHenry. The fort had a huge flag flying that could been seen for miles. While held prisoner by the British Scott Keys (the author of the Star Spangled Banner) watched the flag over the fort fly during an intense battle. What Keys did not know, watching from a distance, was the efforts of the brave soldiers to continually restore the flag during the fight. The story of Fort McHenry is just one of thousands, perhaps millions, of bravery and courage our service personnel have endured in the name of Freedom and Liberty! We as citizens owe it to them to keep these stories alive, remember their names and sacrifices and to ensure we only elect those that will honor and respect the values and principals for which we have fought for over more than 200 years. So as you watch the fireworks this fourth of July and see the “Rockets Red Glare” during the fireworks show think of the original “Rockets Red Glare” and keep all of our brave service men and women in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you again to everyone that is helping make our nation and our community a great place to live. God bless and have a great Fourth of July everyone!

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford, Mayor - City of Mantorville
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Open for Business part 2a

Open for Business part 2a

This next weekend is stage coach days. This is the weekend that used to be called Old Tyme Days and is a great Mantorville tradition. The city is once again organizing the kiddie tractor pull as well as other fun family friendly events. I encourage everyone to come down and look around during the weekend.

In my first two parts of the open for business series I highlighted our revolving loan program and looked at some of the efforts the city and the EDA are taking to encourage new business opportunities within our community. My third part will provide details on the tax abatement program the city and EDA are offering to our business community. I have also mentioned that there were a few businesses that have started or are expanding in our community. I wanted to share some good news from one of our businesses. I was invited to a ground breaking ceremony for creative change. The Bergs are expanding their operation  with a new addition. I have attached a picture of the ground breaking ceremony.

This is just one example of how an existing business is making our community stronger by continuing to invest in our area. Help me in congratulating the Bergs on the success of growing their business and continuing to make Mantorville a great place to live and run a business. I have a few other businesses that I would like to highlight in future articles. If you have just started or expanded a business I would like to talk you about your business needs and highlight your business in a future article.

Remember that this weekend is Stagecoach days I hope everyone has an opportunity to come down and enjoy the activities and I hope to see all of you at one of the many events. Again congratulations to the Bergs.

Yours in service
Chuck Bradford

Open For Business (part 2)

                                                                                                                                          May 26, 2015

I hope everyone was able to enjoy the Memorial Day holiday this year. As I mentioned in my last article the City and the EDA are both working on trying to attract new businesses to our community as well as retain and support our existing businesses. I mentioned that the EDA has a revolving loan program and the City and EDA are setting up a tax abatement program.

I wanted to provide some additional details on our revolving loan program. The EDA has a grant that is a 51% / 49% grant match. The Mantorville EDA does not get the money until after we make a loan up to the maximum of what the grant dollars that were allocated. This means that it is in the City's best interest to make these loans so that we can increase the amount of dollars we have available to provide economic growth within our community.

We setup our program to utilize the expertise of lending professionals and then we provide additional funding at a discounted rate after we get an opinion from a lending source. We have worked with the local bank here in Mantorville extensively and they are aware of how our program works. We can work with other institutions as well.

Our standard process (yes we do make custom processes) is that we assume that the applicant applies for business funding from both a bank and the EDA. Both the bank and the city will have a “security interest” in the loan with the bank being the higher priority of the two. The bank will determine the fair market rate for the loan that the business is applying for and the EDA will set our rate around 1.5% to 2% below the banks rate. The EDA loan has a shorter term than that of the bank and also contains a final ballon payment. However, there is not a penalty for early repayment and in fact there are financial incentives for early repayment.

To qualify for these loans a business needs to meet the following criteria:
The effort needs to be a commercial project
The EDA needs to determine that the project is fiscally viable
That the plan fits within our community and the plan for our city
The project will need to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act where appropriate
and
The project / business needs to be located within Mantorville proper.

This is a great program and a couple of our businesses have already taken advantage of this discounted rate. In order to get more information or to start the application process you can pick up a form at city hall or talk to our local bank.

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford, Mayor - City of Mantorville
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Open for Business (Part 1)

May 20, 2015

The City of Mantorville has some good news. The city has had two new businesses join our community, we created a revolving loan program and are in the process of setting up a tax abatement program. The Mantorville Economic Development Authority has already made a couple of business loans to help our businesses thrive. In addition to providing incentives to our existing businesses, the City of Mantorville has some R1 land that is actively being marketed and building permits from are up from the previous year.

In up coming articles I would like to highlight our two new businesses. I would like to welcome them to our community and once I confirm that they would like to be highlighted and get more details about their business I will include a summary.I will also include additional information about the Tax Abatement program and the requirements for applying for this tax relief. I encourage any existing or new business that is looking at expanding their business in Mantorville to speak with the EDA regarding a low interest revolving loan.

I have additional information available on my Mayors Blog located at MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com and will occasionally conduct surveys on various topics the city is currently considering like ATV use within the city, city celebrations and business incentive offers. The city and the EDA is currently working with the University of Minnesota and a couple of other state organizations regarding plans for Riverside park and the use of the Rochester sales tax money. Keep and eye on my blog for new surveys and feel free to leave a comment once you visit my blog as well.

The City has been working with the City of Kasson on a combined waste water treatment plant. The city was hoping for a 2015 project start date. In order for the project to start, the City of Mantorville as well as The City of Kasson needs to be ready and both cities need to get the blessing on our plans from the Minnesota Pollution Control Administration. After a recent briefing we now understand that the new tentative plans are for a summer of 2016 ground breaking.

Next Monday is Memorial day, the day we take time to remember those that have served all of us so that we may have the freedoms, rights and lifestyle we have. During our extra day off it is important to keep our armed forces personnel in your thoughts and prayers. The city is decorated with our flags and many of my neighbors have the Kasson-Mantorville flags flying in their yards.

The City of Mantorville is now accepting applications for Park Board commissioners as well as EDA commissioners. Those individuals interested in serving their community on one of these sub-committees are encouraged to fill out an application at city hall. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about either one of these committees.

The weekend of the June 27^th is Mantorville's annual “Stage Coach Days” (formerly “Old Tyme Days) and will take place downtown with several fun events planned throughout the weekend. If you have not attend this celebration in the past I encourage you to come down and explore some of the events and activities.

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford, Mayor - City of Mantorville
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

I told them it would never fit....

For the What the heck photo of the week we have a winner!

Defiantly will post more info as I get it!

Welcome Mayor Johnson

February 23, 2015

The City Council has been busy working with our sub-committees looking at new ways to draw businesses to Mantorville and how to best serve our existing businesses. The EDA has worked on a Tax Abatement policy which the city has reviewed. This program will allow for some of the “city based” taxes to be phased in over time providing an incentive for businesses to locate in Mantorville. The EDA also has a revolving loan program with below market rates for new or existing businesses. Both of these programs are aimed at attracting new businesses as well as helping existing businesses grow and add additional employment opportunities within or community.

I have spoken with many of you regarding a structure within our community that many feel is a health hazard. I am happy to report that the city has been able to work through the legal system and we have addressed the issue and have had the structure demolished. This will allow the land to be built on and returned to being a viable property.

The newly elected Mayor of Kasson and I had an opportunity to meet a few weeks ago. We discussed many issues during our conversation. I was encouraged to find out that we have many similar views on some common grounds that I feel we can work together on to strengthen both communities. We each shared with the other some of the plans for each city as well and upcoming projects. Some of the items we discussed were the status of both old schools, the server project, the library, trails, Fire Department purchases and the school addition. I appreciated the time Mayor Johnson took to share his views with me and allow me to share mine. I am looking forward to a continued productive relation with the City of Kasson and congratulate Mayor Johnson on his election.

The EDA has finalized the logo that they feel best represents the city. The EDA is now asking “other groups” to provide input on the new design and we continue to look at tag lines and how the new image would be applied to various collaterals. As the City gets closer to finalizing our plans with the new identity, we will share present the complete package to the city council as well as our citizens for final approval.

Remember to travel prepared, with these wind chill levels that are predicted for the next week exposed skin can freeze extremely quickly. Drive a little more careful on the icy roads, dress warmly and remember to have some “emergency” supplies just in case you need them. Don’t let the cold keep you from enjoying the snow we do have however, just make sure to keep warm.


Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,
Mayor - City of Mantorville
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

State of The City 2015

January 04, 2015

 

Happy New Years Everyone! 2014 was a busy year for the City. The city is currently looking for someone to take over our Waste Water Managers position that opened up when Dave Leth retired at the end of the year. We also hired a new part time assistant clerk and had two council members that chose to retire. The park board built the new Dog Park and AT&T took the first step in the construction process and pulled a building permit for the equipment building for the “cell tower” that will generate revenue for the city. The city completed the long awaited 7^th street project as well as some drainage projects in the North West  portion of town. The City of Mantorville hosted the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) regional meeting last fall and I was able to share with the league some of our cities successes as well as hear additional ideas that we maybe able to employ here. The Mantorville EDA is currently in the final stages of our branding project, an effort that will help promote Mantorville and draw people to our community. Thanks to one of our Eagle scouts the city has a nice new flag pole display and now has a home for both our Fire Department flag as well as an Missing In Action flag, Thanks Anthony. January of last year we saw three other young men reach the rank of Eagle Scout as well, Mr. Asche, Mr. Brent and Mr. Ness, congratulations to all four of you on your achievement.

The City of Mantorville held its “AA-“ S&P rating with a note of “No Change Expected” after a review of our financial standing and account balances. Mantorville is on solid financial grounds and is poised to be in a very strong position going forward.

Keeping the promise

The City is allowed to charge up to 1% of the taxable market value of a home. If the City were to charge the entire 1%, our “advertised levy rate” would be “100%” of that 1%. In other words a house with a taxable market value of  $100,000 would be tax by the City in the amount of $1,000. In 2014 the City Council lower our rate below the rate off any of the previous three years. The City passed a “1%” levy DECREASE. The City Council chose to freeze the levy at last years rate for 2015. This means that for the last four years, Mantorville has not raised our tax rate. In order to put this figure in perspective, I have included a table below that illustrates the tax levy amounts and levy rates for the last seven years.

Tax Year	Levy Amount	Levy Rate
2009	$406,611	56%
2010	$414,743	57%
2011	$423,037	63%
2012	$427,268	73%
2013	$427,268	73%
2014	$422,995	72%
2015	$424,525	72%

                                   Historical Tax Levy information for Mantorville

The City was able to freeze our tax levy for this year while at the same time finalizing plans for the large sewer project to begin.

Waste Water Treatment Project

The City is looking forward to the construction of the new waste water line between Kasson and Mantorville. This project has been in the works for several years now and the City is hopeful we can break ground this summer. More information is available on my blog in the May 6 and March 1 2013 articles. My blog is located at www.MayorBradford.BlogSpot.Com. The project is estimated to cost around $2 million dollars.

City Hall Updates

The City Hall and Fire Hall building is in need of some fixes and updates. We are currently in the process of determining what amount of work we can do internally and what work needs to be hired out. The city is planning on looking at this project for 2015, but may have to push it to 2016 depending on other pressing project needs during the construction season this year.

The Best is Yet to Come

The New Year brings new opportunities, new challenges and new friends. As we say good-bye to 2014 and hello to 2015, we are optimistic about what the future brings for the City and our citizens. We look forward to completing our planned projects and making plans for the projects that are still on the drawing board. On behalf of the City and myself, let me extend a heartfelt “Thank You” to everyone that attended a City meeting this past year, wrote a letter to the council and provided recommendation or guidance during our decision process. Your input is more valuable than you know and we truly do appreciate your time and efforts. I also wanted to say thank you to all of our neighbors that have volunteered either in a formal way on one of our subcommittees or in an informal way on one of our projects, so much of the character of Mantorville would be very different without your contributions, THANK YOU!

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,

Mayor - City of Mantorville
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Merry Christmas

December 22, 2014

Friday the city held a retirement party for Dave Leth who has served the City of Mantorville for over 28 years. Dave started working with the cities waste water with our previous plant, has been instrumental in maintaining our current plant. Dave has also been involved with the planning and transition to our new plant. While Dave's official last full time day with the city is December 31, Dave has agreed to help with the transition of new staff personnel. In recognition of Dave's dedication, passion and professionalism I presented Dave with a plaque on behalf of the city at his retirement party. Dave can be seen receiving his plaque in the picture below. Remember to thank and congratulate Dave if you see him around town. THANKS DAVE AND CONGRATULATIONS!

Photo : Rhonda Rhodes

In November we remembered our veterans with an observance of veterans day and in December we will celebrate Christmas. Our veterans made sacrifices for our freedom and our nation and Jesus made a sacrifice for our salvation. I feel that this is the true meaning of Christmas, giving of ones self for the benefit of others. Some of us ring bells, others cook for a neighbor while others make an extra contribution to their favorite charity. No mater what you choose to do to “serve others” remember to keep Christmas in your heart. Rejoice in what we have been given by others and remember our freedom and salvation are precious gifts that are not free but have already been paid for by others.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and have a safe and happy new year!

Chuck Bradford,
Mayor – City of Mantorville
http://mayorbradford.blogspot.com

Budgets and Taxation

December 01, 2014

This past week we celebrated our tradition of giving thanks for all the blessings we have in our lives. I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. With thanksgiving behind us, we now look to Christmas and the new year. December also brings the need to close out the current year and make plans for the next. In January I will have my traditional state of the city article however, I wanted to update everyone on some of the items I have been asked about recently.

Next year we will see some changes in the membership of the city council. Jim Maxson is retiring after four years of service. Jim has been a valued member of the council and his input will be missed. I presented Jim with a certificate of appreciation that can be seen on my blog. Please remember to thank Jim for his service as he transitions into his new role as a liaison with the city. Council member Barb Ballard is also retiring at the end of they year. Barb served out a two year vacancy. I presented Barb with a certificate as well to thank her for her service and dedication to the city.

The cellular antenna that AT&T wants to install on our water tower is still on track and they have applied for all the necessary building permits. I know they would like to have the new antenna in place as soon as possible and I will continue to work with them on this project.

There is a property in town that has been identified as a health hazard. We are working with our new legal team and hope to have a resolution to this situation by spring. I had hoped to have had a resolution to this situation before now; however, there have been some significant road blocks that have been encountered while working through the necessary legal process. I assure you this remains on our “radar” and we will take action as soon as we are able.

The city council is in the process of initializing our budget for 2015 and we have our truth in taxation meeting next monday in the city council chambers during our regular meeting which starts at 6:30pm. Everyone that is interested in presenting ideas for consideration for our budget is encouraged to attend the meeting or submit written ideas to city hall. The city will have to have a finalized budget before the end of the year.

The city has completed some street projects as well as a couple of drainage projects this past year. During the budgeting process for next year the city council is looking at what projects will need to be addressed next as well as continuing to work towards our waste water treatment project. Anyone that feels there is a need for a follow up or additional work to complete this years projects, please forward those concerns to city hall or myself.

The city is currently engaged in some legal actions. You may see some public notices regarding these activities. While I am not at liberty to discuss on going litigation I wanted to inform you that we are working with the court system to insure everyone's interest is best served.

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,
Mayor – City of Mantorville
http://mayorbradford.blogspot.com

Council Member Ballard to retire

Council member Ballard  decided not to seek reelection for 2015. Barb has been on the council for two years and has been very passionate and diligent in her duties to the council. Her energy and commitment to the city will be missed in the council chambers.

Thanks you Barb for your energy, passion and determined spirit.
I have attached a copy of the certificate of appreciation I gave to Barb tonight at our council meeting. The entire council and myself signed the certificate for Barb.

Jim Maxson Resigns

Council Member Jim Maxson has resigned from his newly elected position for next year. Jim ran unopposed this year; however, situations have come up that Jim feels require his attention away from the council chambers. Jim has been a solid contributor and will be missed on the council. I presented a certificate of appreciation to Jim tonight at our council meeting and I have attached a copy of that recognition below. Please make sure to thank Jim if you run into him around town. Jim will be working as a liaison for the city to help us get information out to our citizens and solicit information and concerns from our citizens.

Thank you again Jim!

The entire council and myself signed the certificate above.

Happy Thanksgiving

                                                       November 24, 2014

I am a member of a Toastmasters group. Recently in one of our meeting the topic for the day was, “What are you thankful for?” This was suppose to be an impromptu question that each person was expected to respond to within a 2 minute time frame. One person got up and said I don’t really have anything I'm thankful for. I expected them to tell us about some resent tragedy or some other horrible event in their lives. No, this person went on to say their live is very ordinary and not really anything to be thankful for. I reflected on their comments for a period of time and I thought there are at least a dozen things this person should be thankful for, I know I have at least that many!

We live in the land of the free because of the brave! I am thankful for all my fellow countrymen that have volunteered in our armed services. We are one of the few counties in the world were military service is voluntary and yet we have one of the strongest militaries on the planet. I am thankful for all of our men and women that have served or are currently serving in the defense of our freedom!

When Abby and I were first married we were so happy together and that happiness grew through out the years. I didn't think we could be any more happy than we were; then, Spencer our son came into our lives and I am so thankful and happy that we were blessed with this gift!

I am thankful for the freedoms that were fought so hard for that each one of us enjoy simply by living in this nation. One of the most cherished freedoms we have is the freedom to worship as we see fit. I am grateful to God not only for the blessing we each have in our personal lives, but the blessings we have as a nation and a state.

On November 4 of this year my neighbors asked me to serve as your Mayor again for two more years. I am so grateful to all of my friends and neighbors for your continued support and trust in my leadership. Thank you.

Finally, I am so grateful for all the friends and family that have chosen to share their lives and experiences with Abby, Spencer and myself their support and friendship are so very important to me!

As we gather this week with our family and friends I challenge each one of us to look for that someone or something we are grateful for that has made a large impact in our lives and one that we often just assume will always be there. Often the things that are truly the most important to us are the people that we forget to say “Thank You” to and to remember when we are giving thanks this time of year.

Let me conclude by saying a special thank you again to of all brave men and women in the armed services. We owe each of you a debt that can never be repaid, nor words express enough our gratitude and respect that we all have for each of you. I know I can never say nor do enough to thank you for your service so let me simply just say “THANK YOU, and God Bless!” May God watch over you and protect you and bring you home safely!

Yours in service,

Chuck

Happy Veterans Day

Thank you to everyone that voted last Tuesday I appreciate your continued support and confidence in my leadership. I also wanted to thank Don Swanson for his willingness to serve and run for Mantorville's Mayor. I also wanted to thank everyone that took the time to cast your vote, with out your participation, free elections do not work. Last Tuesday we engaged in a very special process that is very unique in the history of man, the process that allows the governed the ability to have a voice in whom is allowed to preform the task of governing. Speaking of free elections, we are celebrating veterans day this week.

I was recently corrected when I wished someone a happy veterans day. They asked me why I would say happy veterans day. I responded because I am happy that we live in a country that inspires such dedication that we are able to fully staff our military with volunteers. I am happy that because of our veterans, our children will grow up in a free nation and I am happy because it is the veteran that has given us the freedom to live our lives as we see fit. I am happy and honored that our great nation is blessed with such patriots as our veterans. This veterans day and ,every day, keep our brave men and women in your thoughts and prayers. We honor our brave veterans on this special day and please remember to take all the veterans in your life and pray for our brave men and women who are still in harms way to return safely to the family and loved ones. To all of our friends, relatives and neighbors that are serving, have served or are getting ready to serve, THANK YOU and God Bless!

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford, Mayor - City of Mantorville
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com