Dick Blechinger is seeking his fifth term on council for the village of Muenster in the upcoming October 24 municipal elections.The retired teacher has spent most of his adult life in Muenster, raising four children and teaching at Muenster School. He is still active as a substitute teacher occasionally, does a little hobby farming, and says he enjoys being involved in the community.Blechinger decided to run again for another term "because we are going through an exciting time with growth and development in Muenster.""Many new people are moving in," he said, "and there is new development in the area. We're developing lots, and we're also working on a commercial area downtown. People were asking if there would be some place to set up businesses."Of the village's expansion and growth, Blechinger says that the current council wants to keep things going the way they are. They recently did extensive work to the village's water infrastructure to allow for the expansion and growth in the two subdivisions located west of the village's centre.However, there is one area where he feels dynamics have dwindled in the village over the years, and that is a place or vehicle for members of the community to become involved. "We used to have groups - active groups that would keep our community centre going," Blechinger said. "So newcomers would come in, and we'd put them on a group if they wanted to and that way they would meet people in the community."Now, he says he thinks people who are moving in are having a hard time getting involved."I wish we had a place where people can meet more, like a café - a place where people would drop in and meet each other."
