PINE CITY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 VOL. 133 NO. 41 www.pinecitymn.com $1.00
ADVANTAGE DRAGONS: Dragon tennis seeded second going into Sub-Sections. P10
City takes stand against expanding liquor sales BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
The members of the Pine City Council have approved a resolution opposing the sale of beer, wine and liquor by retail businesses. At the Oct. 6 meeting of the city council, Lara Smetana, manager of the city’s Voyageur Bottle Shop municipal liquor store, said that legislation has been proposed to open up statewide alcohol sales to all grocery and convenience stores. The Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association believes the issue will be pushed hard in the next legislative session. “We want to be able to go to our legislators and say, ‘This is not a good idea,’” Smetana said. The resolution states that opening up alcohol sales, “could potentially subject our community’s youth and at risk adults to uncontrolled access to alcoholic beverages, which could subsequently lead to underage consumption and/or excessive drinking leading to increased policing and public health costs.” “That’s one of the reasons why municipal liquor stores got in the business to start out with – to con-
‘That’s one of the reasons why municipal liquor stores got in the business to start out with – to control the sale of alcohol ... If somebody comes in that’s questionable, we’re not going to sell to them.’ Lara Smetana Voyageur Bottle Shop trol the sale of alcohol,” Smetana said. “We’re not like a mom and pop store that needs to make every single buck. If somebody comes in that’s questionable, we’re not going to sell to them.” Council Member Steve Ovick noted that he used to check on alcohol sales compliance during the many years he worked in the Pine County Sheriff’s Office. SEE LIQUOR, PAGE 18
Truck crashes on Highway 70 STAFF REPORT NEWS@PINECITYMN.COM LANCE FURBER | THE PIONEER
Skyborne serve Keyara Berube takes flight on a serve at the Oct. 4 match against the Eagles. More sports on Page 10.
A truck driver was injured in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 70 on Oct. 6. The Minnesota State Patrol reports that at 5:54 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6 a Freightliner truck
driven by Jon Simon Preston, 23, of Isanti was heading eastbound on Highway 70 at Raspberry Road west of Interstate 35. According to the state patrol, Preston overcorrected and rolled the truck into the north ditch. Preston received what were
described as non-life threatening injuries in the crash and was hospitalized. Road conditions were reported to be dry at the time of the crash and alcohol was not a factor.
Advance Design celebrates growth BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
A sunny fall day was the perfect chance to celebrate all the good things that have happened with Advance Design & Systems over the past few years. Workers from their new Vadnais Heights facility joined
their Pine City staff for a Pedal Pub adventure around Pine City before dinner at Pizza Pub. “They’ve been working hard,” said Dave Crawford, president of Advance Design. “It’s nice to get out and do something – get both facilities MIKE GAINOR | THE PIONEER
SEE ADVANCE DESIGN, PAGE 18
The staff of Advance Design & Systems came together in Pine City to celebrate a year of success.
Coldwell Banker Pro IV Realty is proud to announce that Jana Harshman from Pine City has joined our Real Estate Team of Professionals. Jana has received extensive training only given through Coldwell Banker Pro IV Realty. The training has given Jana the necessary tools to represent you in your Real Estate transactions. In prior experience, Jana has found herself enjoying Customer Service interaction and a problem solver. Jana likes the process of Real Estate and she looks forward to making your buying or selling of a home an enjoyable experience. You can call Jana direct at 320-279-3048 or you can email her at jana@realhomepro.com. According to Janet Wiener, the Broker/Owner for Coldwell Banker Pro IV Realty, “This is an exciting and busy time in Real Estate and we are very fortunate to have an Agent like Jana Harshman join our team. I know that Jana will excel at helping you to have an enjoyable Customer Experience.” CLASSIFIED ADS 320-629-6771 mel@countystar.com
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