Mayor Bonnie Rietz invited Gov.

Friday, January 26, 2001

Mayor Bonnie Rietz invited Gov. Jesse Ventura to four upcoming events in each season of the year 2001: ground breaking for the Murphy Creek housing project, SPAMTown USA festival, the opening of the SPAM Museum and Christmas in the City.

Rietz went on to present Ventura with a box of Hormel products and a special key to the city, which was considerably larger than the one usually given to persons of note by the Austin’s mayor.

Ventura said he has "received a few keys to cities, but they never work in anything," which brought laughter from the individuals present.

Senior Vice President, External Affairs and General Counsel for Hormel Foods Corp. Mahlon Schneider introduced Mayor Rietz and acknowledged the fine work of Hormel’s Quality Improvement and Safety Committee employees, some of whom were present at the gathering.

"Hormel is the only Fortune 500 company in rural Minnesota," Schneider said.

Ventura, who had been in this city during the last days of his campaign, said it is "always a pleasure to visit Austin."