By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the June 3 regular meeting, the Bagley City Council filled the vacant city clerk position and the one vacant seat on the council. Former councilmember Janett Bennett was the only citizen to submit interest in filling the vacancy and was unanimously approved by the council.  She was sworn in by Mayor Glen Foresman and immediately sat with the rest of the council.

Regarding the clerk vacancy, Mayor Foresman said he feels the city needs to offer a higher wage to attract and keep someone in the role. He said the previous wage was $16.25 per hour, but he suggested $25, or at least something in the $21-$23 range.

Some council members questioned the need for that large of an increase. Foresman said because the position is part-time, the higher wage will help make the pay “a livable wage.” After discussion, the council approved a motion to start the new clerk at $22 hourly, with a 90-day review. Lexee Bonus was the sole vote against.

Next, the council discussed the regular work hours that should be expected of the city clerk position, once it is filled.

“I want to leave those flexible for now,” Foresman said,

“Well, I don’t want to leave them flexible for now. It’s not up to you, it’s up to the council,” council member Deanna Gibson replied.

Foresman said the hours need to be what will best fit the needs of the city, and there was discussion about what an ideal schedule would look like. The consensus was that after training is completed, the clerk would be expected to work 20 hours per week, and that a regular schedule should be followed, including some evening and/or weekend hours so that citizens can access the office after usual work hours.

Cynthia Mansker was the only applicant for the clerk position, and she voiced a willingness to work with the wage and hours expectations the council had discussed. She explained that she’d be available on or after June 17. The council unanimously voted to hire Mansker.

Mayor Foresman stated that the city’s garbage hauler, Stone Trucking, had apparently not been paid for the past six months and is owed $9,055.24. Foresman said he didn’t know why that hadn’t been paid, but he is taking care of the oversight and thanked Stone Trucking for continuing to serve the city’s needs.

Scott Richardson brought up a discussion for all in attendance regarding the city’s warning siren. He asked the council and other citizens if they feel the city should have one siren sound that is used for tornado and straight-line wind emergencies, or if there should be a separate siren sound for each.

Some citizens and council members advocated for a different sound or siren length for each of the two situations so citizens would know the difference. Others said one standard siren sound and length should be used for either situation. There was no vote or clear consensus, but slightly more support for the “one standard sound” scenario. It was suggested that the siren be activated when a tornado is confirmed and/or when straight-line winds are expected to reach 70 mph. Richardson said he would take these suggestions to the fire department meeting on June 4 to discuss.

Citizens and councilmembers discussed the lack of adequate drainage of water in the city following recent heavy rains. The city will check to see if dredging of the creek or tiling or any other solution would be affordable and effective.

The next regular meeting of the council will be Monday, July 1 at 6 p.m. The public is welcome.

Special to the Times Vedette

Members of the Guthrie Center Fire Department and their spouses assembled 300 sack lunches on May 31 that were to be donated to those affected by the Greenfield tornado. Several members of  the department then took the lunches and drinks to Greenfield to distribute to anyone who wanted one. 

 

Daniel and Nicole Bean opened their firearm sales, repairs, customizations and accessories business on Feb. 10.

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times

One of the newest businesses in Guthrie Center is Bean Armory at 310 State St. Owners Daniel and Nicole Bean recently shared their story.

Nicole is a native of Guthrie Center, while Daniel is originally from Florida. Daniel recalls that he’s been around guns his entire life.

“I’ve been cleaning guns and working on guns since…well, my grandfather had me doing it at 5 years old,” Daniel said.

After operating a gun repair service out of the couple’s home, Daniel realized it was time to take the plunge and open a store downtown. Since there were no similar stores within a 45-minute drive, the couple felt the store would draw enough customers to be profitable. Bean Armory opened on Feb. 10, 2024, and had a grand opening/ribbon cutting on March 13. According to the couple, business has been steady.

 

“At our grand opening, we were wall to wall here for about four straight hours,” Daniel said. “It was really nice.”

The store sells a wide variety of guns, including handguns, revolvers, shotguns, rifles, and more. A wide variety of ammunition and gun accessories are in stock, as well as other items, including T-shirts, novelties and purses. Daniel pointed out that some of the American Darling purses are specially designed “concealed carry” purses that have a holster built-in to hold a handgun for those with such a permit.

Although the Beans try to keep plenty of inventory on hand, they realize that one store can’t have everything that customers may ask for. 

“People are surprised at how much inventory we have,” Daniel said. “And then, if you want something we don’t have, I will order it for you.”

In addition to the items for sale, Daniel also offers repair service.

“I’ve got an AS degree in Firearm Technology, and I’ve been doing my gunsmithing for over a year,” Daniel said. “I got my FFL in 2022 and then started doing my gunsmithing, and then we decided to open up a store.”

 

Nicole pointed out that Daniel can do almost anything needed on guns of any type.

“I think some people have been surprised at the extent of the gunsmithing that Daniel can do. It’s not just cleaning and repairing but full-on refurbishments,” she said.

Running a store requires putting in plenty of hours, and Daniel doesn’t shy away from that.

“I’m here from about 8:30 in the morning until about 6:30 at night, five nights a week,” Daniel said. “I get 10,000 steps in a day working here.”

As the shop has become more well known, customers have arrived from near and far.

“I’ve had people from Grimes, Audubon, Carroll, Adair — all around, actually,” Daniel said.

But, he admits not everyone realizes yet that there is a gun store in Guthrie Center, and that led to one humorous encounter caused by the name “Bean.”

“We had a group of ladies come in, thinking we were a coffee shop,” Daniel said.

Daniel enjoys the challenge of working on whatever a customer may want done, and the Beans strive for customer satisfaction in every situation.

“The oldest gun I’ve worked on was a pre-World War II double-barreled shotgun. I put 40 hours of research into trying to find the parts,” Daniel said.

Looking ahead, the Beans plan to continue expanding and fine-tuning their inventory to meet the needs of their customers.

“We’re getting new guns on pretty much a weekly basis,” Nicole said. “We’re your one-stop shop for all your firearm sales, repairs, customizations and accessories.”

Knowing that hunting season will likely be a busy time at the shop, Daniel encourages customers to plan ahead for any purchases or gunsmithing, so he can have everyone ready for when they plan to hunt. The Beans also plan to partner with others in the community to offer gun safety and hunting safety instruction.

Nicole and Daniel’s philosophy is to cater to every level of hunter and gun owner, from beginners to experts. 

“The only dumb question is the one you don’t ask,” Daniel said. n

By Shane Goodman | Times Vedette

The Guthrie Center Farmers Market kicked off its season Saturday from 9-11 a.m. on N. Fourth Street in downtown Guthrie Center. The next market will be Saturday, June 15. For information on being a vendor, contact Krissy Swensen with Main Street Guthrie Center at guthriefarmersmarket@gmail.com.