PINE CITY
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1 , 2018 VOL. 133 NO. 44 www.pinecitymn.com $1.00
DRAGONS MAKE STATE: Adams heads to State for tennis, Ryan and Steele in cross-country. P10
Community garden seeks to expand BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
The volunteers behind the Pine City Community Garden are planning to make some changes, including expansion of the garden area, adding raised beds and a patio, and putting a six-foot chain link fence around the entire garden space. Several community gardeners came before the Pine City Council to discuss the changes. Terry Salmela, Pine County Master Gardener coordinator for University of Minnesota Extension noted
PHOTO PROVIDED
The Pine Technical and Community College Trap Team took third in the state this year – their first ever year competing. Team members include Ethan Christiansen, Zane Focher, Ryan Kloetzer, Andrew Nalty, Curtis Olson, Jordan Pierce, Bradley Pietsch, Logan Rademacher, Jubal Schmidt, Jordan Schoenborn, Brian Swedzinski, Nick Wegner and coach Chris Peeler.
PTCC Trap Team targets fun in victorious 1st season BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
The Pine Technical and Community College Trap Team has started off with a bang. In their very first season they’ve already shown teams around the state that they’re a force to be reckoned with. Chris Peeler, coach of the PTCC Trap Team, said trap has been growing as a sport in Minnesota high schools for the past few years, and that this naturally spurred interest at the state’s two-year colleges. “This is a sport that anyone can be competitive in or just have fun,” Peeler said. He said Minnesota Collegiate Athletic Conference started a state-wide league in 2017. “Last year was five schools,” he said. “This year there were nine schools. Next year, it sounds like nearly all the two-year colleges in the state are going to have a team competing in this. It’s crazy – it’s so much fun.” Peeler– a gunsmithing instructor at PTCC – has been shooting trap for a long time, “just for
Parkk Rapids Par Raapids
Nevis is
fun,” he said. He has helped build a winning program coaching trap at Becker High School, and said it felt good to help organize a team at PTCC. “It has really been a seamless transition,” he said. He said the team found great support at Wings North in the Pine City area as they got going in their seven-week season. The other schools in their conference were Lake Region State College, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, and Northland Community and Technical College. “We were one of the smaller colleges that did it,” he said. “We ended up winning our conference pretty handily.” The team then headed to Grand Rapids where they competed in the state tournament. When the smoke cleared and the scores were tallied, the PTCC team found they had taken third in the state – only eight targets out of first. SEE TRAP, PAGE 16
or apply online at NorthwoodsBank.com and click “Loans”.
NEWS 320-629-6771 editor@pinecitymn.com
SEE GARDEN, PAGE 16
Schools take step toward educational redesign BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
The Pine City School District is looking for community volunteers to help them get tomorrow’s students ready for the careers of the future. “We are looking at a redesign of our high school,” said Pine City Schools Superintendent Annette Freiheit. “Not physical structure change, but what would be best for a 21st century learning environment.” Freiheit, speaking at a recent Pine City Area Chamber of Commerce event, said that community members are invited to work hand-in-hand with school staff and school board members to develop “Portrait of a Pine City Graduate.” This “Portrait” would look into the kinds of skills and qualities that students will need to succeed in 2020 and beyond. “Our kids are in a different world,” Freiheit said. “They’re going to go into a workforce that ... we have
‘ Over 50 percent of the jobs aren’t even invented right now. We want our kids to be prepared for that.’ Annette Freiheit Superintendent no clue what it is going to be like. Over 50 percent of the jobs aren’t even invented right now. We want our kids to be prepared for that.” Freiheit said that the work of the “Portrait” design team would be incorporated into the creation of the new educational structure for the high school. Freiheit said that Pine City schools are looking at the innovations made by the Alexandria school system, and considering it as a model. “They designed an academy approach,” she said. SEE SCHOOLS, PAGE 16
Looking for a MORTGAGE?
Pine P City
Call 320-629-5000 to talk to one of our lenders
CLASSIFIED ADS 320-629-6771 mel@countystar.com
that the community garden has now been active for 10 years in a city-owned lot just south of Challeen Park on 3rd Street SE, and that the 35 volunteers of the Pine County Master Gardeners program are very involved in maintaining it. This year, gardeners were unable to till and plant the community garden in that location due to the sewer and water work going on down at the Snake River. Instead,they set up demonstration garden beds at the water tower.
ADVERTISING 320-629-6771 tahsha@pinecitymn.com
PUBLIC NOTICES 320-629-6771 publicnotices@pinecitymn.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS 320-629-6771 ads@pinecitymn.com
BREAKING NEWS, UPDATES Whenever, wherever you are! Scan me with your smartphone