The Courier - September 2017 by St. Francis Area Schools

Fall Home & Garden Page 13

Fall Recycling Page 17

September 2017 | Volume 25, Issue 2

Randy Gerdin’s final I Hate When That Happens

I’m FREE. Pick me up and READ ME!

Page 21

I have all sorts of community and school news.

www.the-courier.org | news@isd15.org

The Courier

Independent School District 15 Communications Department St. Francis, Minnesota Serving the communities of Andover, Athens Township, Bethel, East Bethel, Linwood Township, Nowthen, Oak Grove, St. Francis and Stanford Township

November Bond Referendum Katrinna Dodge

Staff Writer

The school board of Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) is proposing an $80 million bond to be voted on November 7, an approximate additional $1.74 annually for the current value of a $200,000 home on current tax rates over a 25-year period. On July 24, ISD 15 administration submitted official paperwork to the Commissioner of Education for the state of Minnesota for Review and Comment. On August 14, the school board approved the

election date, ballot, polling places and absentee voting. Residents of ISD 15 can vote on November 7 between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on the following question: Shall the school board of Independent School District 15 (St. Francis), Minnesota, be authorized to issue general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $80,060,000 for acquisition and betterment of school facilities? Residents can submit absentee ballots starting September 22 at ISD 15’s Central Services Center and at Anoka

Independent School District 15 Community Education Rec Department along with St. Francis High School football players and coaches hosted a Youth Camp for grade K-8 students July 24-27. Junior offensive tackle (pictured left) John Westling mentors a future Saint during an offensive line drill. Submitted photo

County Government Center or vote on November 7 at their precinct polling location: Precinct 1 All territory in ISD 15 located in the Cities of Bethel, St. Francis and Nowthen, and Stanford, Athens and Spencerbrook Townships. Polling Place ISD 15 Central Services Center 4115 Ambassador Blvd. NW St. Francis, MN Precinct 2 All territory in ISD 15 located in Cities of Andover and Oak Grove Polling Place Lifelong Learning Center 18900 Cedar Drive Oak Grove, MN Precinct 3 All territory in ISD 15 located in the City of East Bethel and Linwood Township Polling Place East Bethel Senior Center 2241 221st Avenue NE East Bethel, MN The bond will address deferred maintenance and physical facility needs within existing district facilities; include renovations, additions and site improvements on existing facilities to eliminate portable classrooms, reorganize growing and emerging programs (i.e. special educations), and renovate and update spaces to accommodate 21st Century learning concepts, programmatic and curricular goals; improve security through updating entries to ensure safety and welcoming environments for all district students, staff and community users; and address improvements for onsite Continued On Page 7

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Lisa Rahn

ISD 15 Community Education Director

Independent School District (ISD) 15 is now in year three of its strategic plan, and the commitment and accountability continues. This past spring the core planning team, which first developed the strategic plan, reconvened to review progress made this past year and map out future recommendations. These recommendations were brought to the school board and approved in June. Susan Hintz from Transformation Systems Limited guided the team once again through the planning process. This past year the district focused on and completed the following results statements: 1) Every ISD 15 employee understands the strategic plan. 2) ISD 15 employees understand their role, purpose and value in achieving the mission and mission outcomes. The implementation team led by Nancy Wallace, Ryan Johnson and Lisa Rahn have worked closely with planning teams and the core planning results to identify the focus for 201718 results statements: 1) ISD 15 has a recognizable and consistent brand. 2) ISD 15 employees conduct themselves in a manner that promotes the strategic plan. 3) ISD 15 uses established protocols to support transparent communication to foster trust among all ISD 15 stakeholders. 4) A framework is adopted by ISD 15 to support continuous improvement toward aligning all programs and services with the mission. Teams identified to work on these results statements are dedicated as we continue this critical work. As one of our core value states: “Open exchanges of ideas and communicated planning are integral for continuous improvement.”

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Schools in Action..................................... 2 School Board Highlights........................ 8 Community Education......................... 10 Community & Business........................ 19 Meetings, Events & Benefits................. 24 Sports & Outdoors................................ 25 Life........................................................... 28

September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

Schools in Action Superintendent’s Bulletin Troy Ferguson ISD 15 Superintendent

I would like to begin my message with a big welcome back to the students and staff of Independent School District 15 (ISD 15). I know for some of you, the summer went by too quickly, but I trust you are all eager and ready to begin the 2017-18 school year. We are anticipating another great year and I am pleased to once again report that our school board has decided we will make another attempt at a bond referendum on Tuesday, November 7. As you know, ISD 15 was unsuccessful in our effort to pass a bond last May. I stand by my position that the needs would not go

away if the bond were voted down, and they have not. As a result, the school board and administration in conjunction with our consultant from ICS immediately went to work communicating with our community to gain insight on concerns our public had regarding the May campaign. We listened to you. One concern voiced by many residents who do not have children or grandchildren attending school in our district was, “What’s in it for me?” That’s a fair question and a common one across the state and our nation. There is research that suggests better

schools contribute to better communities. What exactly could that mean to residents without children attending our district? For starters, let’s look at increased home values. Better schools tend to increase the value of the homes and property in their communities. Any realtor would likely concur and a 2016 survey highlighted on realtor.com indicated “half the homebuying population is willing to pay more than their intended budget to get into the right school district and more than half would give up other amenities to do the same.” In addition to increased property values, good schools increase community satisfaction for their residents. Research involving 20,000 people in 26 cities by the Knight Foundation, highlighted in a 2012 article in the Pacific Standard by Emily Badger, indicates “a

strong correlation between community satisfaction and quality schools, and this is true whether they have children attending them or not.” Researchers explained that public schools often can “function as not just educational institutions, but community institutions as well.” Schools are where parents and neighborhoods communicate and get involved creating learning, personal growth and enrichment opportunities for all community members, not just school-aged children. In ISD 15, we believe lifelong learning enriches individuals and creates opportunities. We consider lifelong learners to be everyone from birth to 100 years old and beyond. The economic impact of good schools on a community has been well researched. In The Economic Impact of Good Schools published by the

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U.S Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Eric Hanushek co-authored research with Jens Ruhose and Ludger Woessmann that “shows clearly the economic growth of a state is directly related to the skills of its workforce. And the skills of the workforce are heavily dependent on the state’s schools. Even with considerable mobility of the U.S. population, the majority of students continue to reside in the state where they were educated.” The benefits of a strong and vibrant school district are clear. We are asking our public to approve one question, an $80,060,000 bond, to address critical deferred maintenance and physical facility needs, improve districtwide safety, security and accessibility, and enhance educational spaces and learning environments. The tax impact if approved will increase the current level taxes on the value of a $200,000 home by $1.74 annually over 25 years. ISD 15 leaders and school board members will be in the community, disseminating information on the bond until the November 7 election. Please take time to become informed and seek accurate answers to any questions you have. Visit www.isd15. org/bond or email bond. questions@isd15.org. We are committed to Building Our Future Together.

SFHS 1997 Class Reunion

St. Francis High School class of 1997 will hold their 20 year reunion on Friday, October 6, 7:00-11:00 p.m. in Rockwoods, Otsego. Cost for the evening is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. For more info contact sfhsclassof1997@gmail.com.

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September 2017

Celebrating the mile run Jamie Studnicka

EBCS Community Relations Coordinator

Elementary physical education has evolved and grown since the days when parents look back on their experiences. Many remember their teacher or favorite game. We have fond memories of the parachute and wish we could ride the scooters again. Some look back and wonder how they finished the mile. We participated in these games and activities but never really understood what was the purpose behind them. These games and activities have learning objectives that are directly related to established national standards for elementary physical education. For example the mile run is a great opportunity to build students confidence, determination, teamwork and activity levels. Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) elementary schools use this activity in grades 3-5 while grades K-2 are introduced to half-mile runs. Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America developed national standards for highly effective physical education. The third SHAPE standard states, “The physically literate individual demonstrates the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness.” When preparing for the mile run, students learn about cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance and pacing. They are introduced to the physiological effects and benefits of sustained physical activity. It gives them a better understanding of why they sweat, are out of breath and why their heart is beating fast.

The fourth SHAPE standard states, “The physically literate individual exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.” The mile run offers students an opportunity to help and encourage each other. Classes discuss individual goals and helping each other accomplish their goal. Classes are taught to support each other and celebrate their finish. The mile run is not a race. The focus is not on who finishes first but rather accomplishing individual goals. Almost 10,000 people ran Grandma’s

marathon in Duluth this year. Almost all of them were not competing to win but rather trying to complete personal goals. Finally the fifth SHAPE standard states, “The physically literate individual recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/ or social interaction.” The mile run is a big accomplishment, since it challenges students to experience success outside their comfort zone. Running provides a lifelong activity that will achieve the recommended

60 minutes of vigorous activity per day by the Center for Disease Control. ISD 15 elementary physical education teachers have taken a collaborative approach to establishing guidelines and creating a positive experience. Some classroom teachers run with their classes. Groups of students run together and support each other. Classes develop creative cheers to

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encourage their classmates. Data collected on students’ times is a useful tool brought to professional learning communities (PLCs). The data helps elementary physical education teachers develop, improve and create curriculum. It helps teachers analyze what activities are effective at helping students meet national standards.

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Sara Tramm’s 5th grade class at EBCS celebrates completing the mile run. Photo by Jamie Studnicka

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September 2017

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World-class cutting-edge technology in ISD 15 transportation Jeremy Bolles

Route Specialist

Independent School District 15’s (ISD 15) Transportation Department announces updates for this upcoming school year. The bus fleet has been converted to propane power to increase the efficiency and reduce the costs of providing students with a ride to and from school. Along with the change to propane, the Transportation Department has been using and developing cutting-edge technology to increase safety and efficiency with more family-friendly features. All bus routes are created using VersaTrans Routing and Planning software that takes student address information and translates it into a graphical position on the routing map. Routes are created and students are given a time and a place on the path to school. All routes

File Photo

are displayed graphically on the map then are analyzed and changed in order to be more efficient and balance student loads and times. Bus pick-up and drop-off times are loaded

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into Infinite Campus, the district’s student information system, for access by parents. Each bus is equipped with a camera system that captures high-definition video footage from five cameras. These cameras are aimed at various parts of the bus interior to monitor student and driver behavior. They are also pointed outside of the bus to record what is happening in front of the bus and near the stop arm. The stop arm cameras are specially designed to highlight license plate numbers so that the vehicles and drivers can be identified. The cameras are always on when the bus is powered up and run for a period of time after the bus is turned off. When an incident

occurs, these recordings can be analyzed and shared with school or law enforcement personnel. Along with the cameras, ISD 15 buses are also equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) monitoring devices from Synovia Solutions that not only record and relay the bus’s speed and position, but allow drivers to enter bus data for state and federal reporting. These devices are touch-screen tablets mounted next to the driver to record time, attendance, data to complete their pretrip inspection, fuel and mileage reports. Drivers can even let the GPS guide them through the routes showing turn-by-turn navigation and locations of students. In the transportation office, the buses’ positions are displayed on a large four-by-five-foot screen for immediate access of current and relevant information by office staff. For the past several years, Dean Krause, transportation supervisor, and Jeremy Bolles, route specialist, have been invited to the Synovia Customer Council in Indianapolis, Indiana, to give feedback and help develop product functionality. A few years ago, Krause actually convinced Synovia to develop the navigation feature of the system. Two years ago, ISD 15 piloted this feature and gave feedback to increase the usability of this product. In July, Bolles gave a presentation with Synovia’s founder and

chief developer featuring ISD 15’s use of tablet-based electronic inspection reports. Bolles created a training video for bus drivers and discussed development that would make it more functional for the student transportation industry. Due to ISD 15’s original ideas and feedback, Synovia has expanded its features and functionality that are improving the safety and state-of-the-art of student transportation systems.

For the 2017-18 school year, the ISD 15 Transportation Department is encouraging the use of Here Comes The Bus, a Synovia product. Here Comes the Bus is a free app that illustrates scheduled times for the bus arrival, student’s current bus location and alerts parents when the bus is close to their house. Parents can download Here Comes the Bus and login by following instructions emailed to them or available in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Please contact your child’s school with any questions.

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September 2017

District 15 welcomes new administrative staff Katrinna Dodge

Staff Writer

New assistant principal at St. Francis Middle School In September, parents and students will be seeing a new face at St. Francis Middle School (SFMS) walking through the halls. Shelly Gilmore started working as the assistant principal at SFMS midJuly, replacing Beth LaCoursiere who was promoted to principal. Gilmore hails from Winona and is entering her twentythird year in the education field. She previously worked at the St. Cloud Area School District as a high school health and physical education teacher, health and physical education instructional leader within the curriculum department for three years and assistant principal for two years at Lincoln Elementary School. A ten-member interview team that selected Gilmore consisted of a crosssection of district administration, staff, parents and community members. “The tradition of excellence and areas of growth attracted me to this position,” stated Gilmore. “I believe my skill set will be beneficial at SFMS.” She is excited for the 2017-18 school year and to greet students and parents at Open House on August 28. Gilmore commented, “Everyone is kind, caring and welcoming here.” For the start of the 2017-18 school year, Gilmore worked on student schedules and prepared resources for teachers. “My goal for this year is to build on the successes at SFMS and work on areas of improvement,” commented Gilmore. “I want to create an environment for all students to learn and grow.”

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Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) is pleased to announce Stacy Haider as the transportation supervisor. Haider started on August 14 after Dean Krause’s retirement on August 1. “I am excited to become acclimated to the services that we currently offer for district families and plan for future development,” Haider stated. “We have solid services and programs here,” smiled Haider. “In the future, I would like to expand the driverrider program for those interested in becoming bus drivers.” She brings 27 years of experience working in school transportation to ISD 15. Haider first started as a part-time bus driver for Hunts, later Laidlaw, in 1990, where she was promoted to driver duty safety supervisor in 2000. In 2005, she worked as the safety director in Kottkes’ Training Department before becoming a bus driver for ISD 15 in 2015. “Everyone at ISD 15 has been more than welcoming and supportive,” commented Haider. “For me, this job is close to home. I have kids that attend school here and I want to make sure every parent has a good experience with their kids riding our buses.” In preparation for the school year, Haider hired bus drivers and completed bus routes with her staff. “Our goal is to make parents comfortable with school buses,” said Haider. She encouraged parents to find bus route information in the Parent Portal on Infinite Campus and use the new Here Comes the Bus app that allows parents to track their student’s school bus in real-time.

There is a new face at school board meetings at the cabinet table. For those of you that attend or watch the school board meetings online, you have seen her provide input concerning district budget and finance. Bernice Humnick started as the business services director for Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) in May, replacing Kathy Miller, interim business services director. This position was previously held by Scott Nelson, who retired on March 31. “I have felt welcomed and supported by ISD 15 staff and community members these past few months,” said Humnick. “I am excited to continue forwarding the district’s mission.” During her first three months, Humnick has been working on the annual audit, salary negotiations, preliminary fiscal planning calendar, pupil transportation annual report, reviewing preliminary student counts and making staff adjustments for fall enrollment. She is also completing the CTE actual expense submission, collecting UFARS preliminary data, revising actuals and balance forward for unspent funds in Title I and Title II, and collecting data and information for current levy changes. Humnick recently hired Stacy Haider, transportation supervisor, after Dean Krause’s retirement on August 1.

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Read The Courier The Courier is delivered to ISD 15 residents 11 months of the year. Please call 763-753-7031 if you have not been receiving The Courier. The Courier is available online at www.the-courier.org. Follow on Facebook Follow our official Facebook pages: ISD 15, ISD 15 Courier, ISD 15 Community Ed, ISD 15 Early Childhood. Follow ISD 15 on Twitter & Instagram: ISD_15, ISD15Courier Check out the District’s website at www.isd15.org for news and information about schools, elections, community education and more. Sign up for eNews and news alerts Would you like to receive news and alerts in your email? Sign up at www.isd15.org and click on News & Information under the District tab, then eNews. Infinite Campus Parent Portal For parents with school-age children, the Parent Portal provides emergency messages, absence notifications, nutrition services information, messages from your K-12 principal and teachers. Parents select email, voice or text options to receive information. Tune in to local TV stations For school closings, late starts and other emergency alerts, tune in to local television stations: WCCO 4, KSTP 5, FOX 9, KARE 11.

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September 2017

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Maintain a safe school bus stop School buses are safe modes of transportation for children. Statistics from Transport Canada indicate that transportation by school bus is safer than by passenger car. School buses are large and heavy vehicles that protect riders during collisions. School buses also help keep a greater number of passenger vehicles off of the roads during hightraffic school times. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Courier Contacts Main Phone ��763-753-7031 Advertising ��763-753-7032 Billing ��763-213-1588 Fax ��763-753-4693 Email ��news@isd15.org Website �� www.the-courier.org Like us on Facebook

(NHTSA) says that each year approximately 450,000 public school buses transport 23.5 million children to and from school and school-related activities around the United States. Although safety is enforced while students are on the bus, it is also vital for students to remain safe before they board. Ensuring a safe bus stop requires diligence. Safety starts with students and parents Students are under the authority of the bus driver while they are on the bus. But before they board the bus, students typically are not supervised. Chaperoned bus stops can help deter rowdy actions, particularly at crowded bus stops. Parents can rotate

standing watch and keeping tabs on bus stop behavior. Arrive early at the bus stop Accidents can happen when people are rushing and not paying attention. NHTSA advises getting to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Stand at a safe distance Children should remain no less than six feet away from the curb or roadway while waiting for the bus to arrive. Parents should routinely remind students not to run and play at the bus stop. Lobby for safe bus stop locations District transportation directors are often tasked with choosing school bus stop locations based on local

Address 4115 Ambassador Boulevard NW St. Francis, MN 55070-9368 Publisher Lisa Rahn ��763-753-7048 lisa.rahn@isd15.org Editor Kathleen Miller ��763-753-7042 kathleen.miller@isd15.org

Together

Katrinna Dodge ��763-753-7033 katrinna.dodge@isd15.org

Advertising Representative Sara Yannarelly ��763-753-7032 ads@isd15.org Billing Amy Lindfors ��763-213-1588 amy.lindfors@isd15.org Deadline Information Deadline for the October issue of The Courier is September 8. Delivery For delivery inquiries, call 763-753-7031. Letter to the Editor For the complete Letter to the Editor policy, visit www.the-courier.org. Policies and Pricing Visit www.the-courier.org for policy and pricing information. News Submission Send news and photos/captions to news@isd15.org. Subscriptions The publication is delivered at no charge to all residents in Independent School District 15. The Courier can be mailed to any address for an annual (10 issues) subscription rate of $18. The Courier is a publication prepared and distributed by Independent School District 15 Community Education and paid for with revenues generated by advertising sales.

the route to the bus stop may lie. This includes potential human hazards. According to BusBoss, a school bus routing and tracking company, it’s important for parents to know where registered sex offenders live and ensure kids avoid these homes on the way to the bus stop. Other hazardous areas include spots where drug activity or other illegal behavior occurs. Drive cautiously during school hours Drivers should exercise extra caution and reduce speeds when schools are opening and closing. There will be lots of students on the roads between 8:00-9:00 a.m. and again between 2:00-4:00 p.m. Maintaining school bus safety is of the utmost importance. Students, parents and the school district can work together to make security a priority. Source: Metro Creative Graphics Editorial

Building Our Future

Production Binie Bertils

Pat Johnson ��763-753-7025 pat.johnson@isd15.org

policies and attendance. Only basic requirements may be addressed, such as distance between stops. Parents and community members might be able to offer feedback regarding roads with low traffic volume and spots that offer maximum visibility during all seasons. Minimize street crossings Parents can drop children off on the side of the road where the bus will stop so the kids do not have to cross roadways unattended. Use traffic assistance whenever possible Children who walk to bus stops are urged to walk in crosswalks and on sidewalks and obey traffic controls. Parents can work with their children to find the safest routes to the bus stop, such as on residential streets rather than high-traffic roadways. Familiarize yourself with the route to the bus stop Parents are urged to research the area and know where potential hazards on

Being safe at the bus stop is just as important as staying safe while riding on the school bus. File Photo

Silent Auction & Benefit to Support Rob Lucas & Family Rob Lucas, father of five wonderful children, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. Through this benefit we hope to raise enough money to alleviate medical expenses and create a fund for his children. Join us for food, drinks, music and fellowship. All proceeds from the silent auction and raffle will go to Rob’s children. For more information about the benefit or silent auction, please call: Darin Holmgren - 320-248-5182 Dan Hanken - 320-241-3358 Cory Denney - 320-345-0046 Steve & Nancy Sunderland 612-868-7817 Please make all checks payable to: Benefit for Family of Rob Lucas

Vote November 7

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September 2017

Continued From Page 1

November Bond Referendum traffic flow and pedestrian safety. These components will impact St. Francis High School, St. Francis Middle School, St. Francis Elementary School, East Bethel Community School, Cedar Creek Community School, Crossroads School & Vocational Center and Lifelong Learning Center. A summary of planned renovations per building are: St. Francis High School: upgrade building and field amenities to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), renovate office space, repurpose classrooms, construct a building addition for weights and fitness classroom and create a space for high school gymnastics, repurpose two existing computer labs for collaboration space in the media center,

address deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs throughout the building, and renovate music suites, locker rooms and interior features that will improve accessibility, visitor management, secure entry and more. St. Francis Middle School: modify entrance to create dedicated right-turn lanes in and out of site, reorganize main office to improve security, recapture gyms for physical education purposes, integrate computer labs into media center, address physical deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs, replace outdated interior finishes, construct new music addition, recapture second floor space, create a corridor space for better access to engineering tech computer lab and renovate science rooms, cafeterias and

Family and Consumer Science (FACS) classrooms. St. Francis Elementary School: construct a tenclassroom addition for fourth and fifth grade students currently housed at St. Francis Middle School, create an exploratory lab space, address physical deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs, renovate media center to create core area for fourth and fifth graders, reorganize main office to have a secure entrance and utilize existing space for intervention and special education program growth. East Bethel Community School: construct a fourclassroom addition to eliminate portables, create additional staff and student restrooms, relocate Kids Connection space, reconfigure main office to better meet needs and

Vocational schooling can pave the way to high-paying jobs Many students believe that the next natural step after graduating from high school is to go off to college. Secondary education has become such a common transition that many parents begin saving for college tuition as soon as their children are born. Although college can be the next chapter in a student’s education, many teenagers still choose to attend trade school. Television personality Mike Rowe says the country is in the midst of a skilled labor shortage because workers lack the necessary training to fill the hundreds of thousands of available jobs. Lack of information may drive the notion that trade jobs are nothing more than a backup plan if college doesn’t pan out. However, by realizing that trade jobs, along with short-term vocational training, is a smart investment—and eventually a lucrative career choice—attitudes about trade schools and labor-intensive jobs may shift. A great number of college graduates enter the workforce with degrees that may not help them land jobs. And these students typically carry thousands of dollars in tuition debt. Many college grads are underemployed and working in jobs that aren’t even in their fields of study. Career and technical schools help students develop specialized skills that make graduates immediately marketable in their chosen fields, and trade salaries can be very competitive. The following are some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying trade careers to consider, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Forbes magazine. Construction manager Construction professionals with great organizational and communication skills can enjoy high earning potential as construction managers. Expected growth of this career over the next 10 years is 5 percent. The average income of a construction manager is $87,000. However, with a top-end hourly pay of around

$75 per hour, it’s easy for managers to earn into six figures. Elevator installer and repairer This career is listed as a top-earner. These employees can earn anywhere from $74,000 to $105,000 per year. Elevators are in demand as urban centers increase, so this career has staying potential. Rotary drill operator The oil and gas industry relies on rotary drill operators to extract oil or natural gas from underground sources. Salaries for these jobs can range from $30 to $40 per hour. Dental hygienist Cleaning teeth and inspecting mouths for disease is an important role. Job growth is still hovering around 20 percent, and hygienists can expect to earn up to $98,000.

to create a secure entrance, reconfigure existing media center to create collaboration space and address physical deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs. Cedar Creek Community School: renovate existing room 128 as an exploratory lab space, rework main office to better meet needs and create a secure entrance, reconfigure media center for collaboration space, address physical deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs and update interior finishes within the building. Crossroads School & Vocational Center: create a dedicated secure entry for Saints Academy, rework existing office area for joint use by Crossroads and Saints Academy, create a dedicated student isolation area near main entry and replace minor interior finishes within the facility.

Lifelong Learning Center: create dedicated family restrooms, rework existing kitchen space for storage and kitchenette, replace outdated interior finishes, address physical deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs, renovate rooms for meeting/ conference space, remove existing portables, and renovate existing rooms for nurse and staff resource space. The bond referendum will also construct a small addition to the maintenance building for storage and additional work area, provide additional directional and site signage at all buildings, and have an allowance for updating or replacing furniture and other equipment within the district to improve flexibility in reconfiguring spaces. Contact bond.questions@ isd15.org or Lisa Rahn, director of Community Education, at 763-753-7048 with questions regarding the upcoming bond referendum.

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September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

School Board Highlights School Board Perspective

Mike Starr ISD 15 School Board Member

Building our future together On November 7, the Independent School District 15 school board will be asking voters in our school district to approve a bond in the amount of $80,060,000 to update our school buildings. Frequently asked questions from our voters are, “Why are you asking for a school bond?” and, “How much is this going to raise my property taxes?” To answer the why, all of our school buildings are aging and wearing out. Major improvements to all our facilities are needed to bring them up-to-date to make our students and staff safe and feel proud when they walk into school each day. We currently have 4th and 5th grade

School Board Highlights Katrinna Dodge

Staff writer

July 24, 2017 All members present. K-5 Mathematics Curriculum, Math Expressions The school board of Independent School District 15 passed Math Expressions as the new elementary (kindergarten through grade 5) math curriculum. Math Expressions was originally voted down on June 26 by the school board. Denise Anderson, elementary teacher at St. Francis Elementary School, and Trina Schultz, assistant

students attending class at the middle school. By adding ten classrooms to St. Francis Elementary School, this will bring the K-5 students under one roof. Students and staff will no longer have to walk back and forth between the two locations. East Bethel Community School will no longer have to hold classes in 30-year-old portables; that site will get a four-classroom addition. St. Francis Middle School will get a major makeover, including restrooms, locker rooms and science rooms. Think about what the science rooms were like 35-40 years ago? The existing Family and Consumer Science Room 124 is so outdated, I wonder how students can even cook and prepare meals there. The band and choir rooms have not been updated since I was in choir 45 years ago. With all of our new music programs, which continue to grow

principal, Curriculum & Instruction Data, Assessment and Intervention coordinator, presented on the pilot research on Math Expressions, which included teacher opinion and impact on grades. In the 2016-17 school year, Academic Learning Community (ALC) piloted Math Expressions at St. Francis Elementary School, East Bethel Community School and Cedar Creek Community School. The pilot groups highlighted professional development for staff and the differentiation and problem solving that has increased student comprehension and grades. Math Expressions had support from the ALC and was approved by the American College Testing (ACT) committee. Prior to Anderson

School Board Members

School Board Meeting Schedule

Mike Starr Chairman

School board meetings are held in the Community Room at Central Services Center, located at 4115 Ambassador Blvd. NW, St. Francis.

763-300-9110

Marsha Van Denburgh Vice-Chairwoman 763-753-6653 Barbara Jahnke Clerk 763-753-6846 Rob Schoenrock Treasurer 763-232-7902 Jill Anderson Director

612-270-0415

Amy Kelly Director 763-744-8458 Sean Sullivan Director 763-807-0010 Email: schoolboard@isd15.org

Monday, September 11 & 25 Dialogue with School Board 6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m. Monday, October 9 & 23 Dialogue with School Board 6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m. Monday, November 13 & 28 Dialogue with School Board 6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m. Live streaming and video archives of school board meetings are available at www.isd15.org/sbvideo.

each year, we need to expand our music and choir rooms. St. Francis High School will get 14 major updates. Across the state, machine and welding shops are in high demand to fill job openings. Trade schools and unions are looking for students to fill these high paying jobs. By expanding the welding and machine shop and updating the drafting classroom, we are giving our students the experience needed to prepare them for the work force. All of our schools will have improved front door security, new classroom and hallway walls and ceiling tiles. Major floor cracks in the high school commons and front entrance will also be fixed. To illustrate the proposed improvements, each of our school buildings will have information boards on display, which will be helpful in

and Schultz’s presentation, school board members listened to community opinion in favor of Math Expressions during Consideration of Visitors. The resolution passed 6-1; opposed was Director Marsha Van Denburgh. CPM at Saints Academy & Saints Online The school board approved College Preparatory Mathematics (CPM) for Saints Academy at Crossroads School & Vocational Center. CPM was voted down by the school board on June 26 for implementation districtwide in grades 6-12. The passing of CPM on July 24 makes Saints Academy the only school in Independent School District 15 to teach CPM in its mathematics curriculum. Scott Manni, principal at Saints Academy & Saints Online, and Paula Jo Davis, teacher at Saints Academy, presented on student success learning with CPM. Davis taught 40-45 Algebra II students during the 201617 school year. Twenty-four students traveled to Saints Academy specifically for math. Davis provided student work showing progress and illustrated teacher interaction with students. In trimester two, 86 percent of students passed Algebra II. In trimester three, 90 percent of students passed Algebra II. One-hundred percent of Algebra II students passed and graduated on

answering voters’ questions. As far as property taxes go, all ISD 15 property owners are currently paying school taxes, some of which are scheduled to expire. If the November 7 bond referendum is approved, the estimated tax increase will be approximately $1.74 per year on a current value of a $200,000 home. We need to pass this bond referendum to bring all of our school buildings up-to-date, give our students, staff and community pride in our schools, show that we care about our buildings and that we are achieving our mission to equip all students with the knowledge and skills to empower them to achieve their dreams and full potential while becoming responsible citizens in a dynamic world. For more information, visit the district’s website at www.isd15.org/bond or email to bond.questions@isd15.org.

time. Davis highlighted that Saints Academy has the same essential learning benchmarks as St. Francis High School and students who participated were not learning CPM previously. Manni emphasized that Saints Academy has a dedicated fund for their mathematics program that would cover the approximate cost ($4,000$5,000) to purchase textbooks for geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II. The resolution passed 6-1; opposed was Director Marsha Van Denburgh.

School Board Highlights Katrinna Dodge

Staff writer

August 14, 2017 All members present. Resource Officers The school board of Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) voted on contracting two school resource officers for $136,351 annually, through the City of St. Francis for the 2017-18 school year. Resource officers serve at St. Francis High School (SFHS) and Crossroads School & Vocational Center (CSVC) as intermediaries when contentious situations occur between individuals on school grounds. The board discussed the role of the resource officers contracted time between the two schools and their

availability to students and staff. The two resource officers split their time between SFHS and CSVC. The resolution passed unanimously. Absentee Voting, Polling Places and Special Election Date The school board approved locations for absentee voting, polling places by precinct, official ballot question and election date. On November 7 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., stakeholders within ISD 15 can vote on the following question: Shall the school board of Independent School District 15 (St. Francis), Minnesota, be authorized to issue general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $80,060,000 for acquisition and betterment of school facilities? Absentee voting will take place at the Anoka County Government Center or at ISD 15 Central Services Center in St. Francis. Read more about the bond referendum on page 1. The resolution passed unanimously.

First day of school for students in Independent School District 15 is Tuesday, September 5.

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

September 2017

Student Updates Scholarship recipient Abby Lerom from Anoka, a junior majoring in psychology, has received the Wag Collins Scholarship. The award is among the more than 900 scholarships valued at nearly $1.4 million to be distributed by Bemidji State University Alumni and Foundation for the 2017-18 academic year.

Local students graduate from Bethel University The following area students graduated from Bethel University, St. Paul, following the spring 2017 semester: Anoka Carlie Abel, Bachelor of Arts, Theatre Arts Mariah Abeler, Bachelor of Arts, Social Work Matthew Larson, Bachelor of Science, Applied Physics Asia Matson, Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education, Grade K-6 Grace Watson, Bachelor of Science, Nursing Ramsey Samuel Asfahl, Bachelor of Science, Accounting and Finance Katrina Funder, Bachelor of Arts, Business Jordyn Gustafson, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Maryia Makhnach, Bachelor of Science, Nursing Mariah Welle, Bachelor of Arts, Business St. Francis Daniel Sievert, son of Scott and Yvonne Sievert, Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology Wyoming Ashton Brask, Bachelor of

Arts, Elementary Education Grades K-6 Austin Riedeman, Bachelor of Science, Applied Physics

Local student named to President’s List at Drake University Morgan Sieg of East Bethel was named to the President’s List at Drake University. This academic honor is achieved by earning a straight-A grade point average of 4.0 for the Spring 2017 semester.

Local students selected to University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Dean’s List The following students have been named to the 2017 spring semester Dean’s List at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the university announced today. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student must complete 12 or more letter-graded credits while attaining a 3.66 grade point average. Anoka Artem Anderson, Senior, College of Design Travis Bengtson, Senior, College of Liberal Arts Stephen Edstrom, Senior, College of Liberal Arts Hunter Enkhaus, Sophomore, Col. of Educ./ Human Development Nicholas Florentius, Non Degree, Col. of Continuing Education Olivia Hoff, Senior, College of Liberal Arts Alden Jaakola, Sophomore, College of Design Baker LaMotte, Freshman,

Col. of Food, Agr. & Nat. Res. Sci. Elijah Uecker, Sophomore, College of Liberal Arts Bethel Broderick Johnson, Freshman, College of Liberal Arts Jazmine Spitzer, Sophomore, College of Liberal Arts Cedar Alee Hueffmeier-Kunshier, Junior, College of Biological Sciences John Waukey, Senior, College of Liberal Arts East Bethel Andrew Fritz, Junior, College of Sci. and Engineering Mitchell Greene, Junior, College of Liberal Arts Nowthen Sery Johnson, Senior, College of Biological Sciences Alec Paquin, Senior, College of Liberal Arts Oak Grove Lorenzo Castanon, Senior, College of Biological Sciences Kiya Deuel, Senior, College of Sci and Engineering Kenneth Niemeyer, Junior, College of Liberal Arts Shannyn Telander, Senior, College of Liberal Arts Ramsey Jacob Christy, Senior, College of Sci. and Engineering Riley Dirkes, Junior, Col. of Educ./Human Development Kaia Dock, Senior, Col. of Educ./Human Development Abigail Eilertson, Junior, College of Design Breck Hickman, Senior, College of Liberal Arts Jenna Johnson, Junior, Col. of Food, Agr. & Nat. Res. Sci. Heidi Larson, Sophomore, College of Biological Sciences Tyler Leuwer, Junior, College

Did you know? Teachers provide many things to their students. In addition to an education, support and guidance, many teachers also feel compelled to enhance their classrooms with supplies they’ve purchased out-of-pocket. According to a poll of 1,500 teachers conducted by the educational resource Edutopia, 93 percent of teachers feel obligated or somewhat obligated

of Sci. and Engineering Robert Licari, Junior, College of Sci. and Engineering Emily Magnan, Junior, College of Liberal Arts Jacob Schroeder, Senior, College of Biological Sciences Mariya Taberko, Senior, College of Liberal Arts Robert Tanner, Senior, College of Sci. and Engineering Shawna Thieschafer, Junior, Col. of Educ./Human Development Alina Vorobyova, Junior, College of Liberal Arts Mikala Weishair, Non Degree, Col. of Continuing Education St. Francis Megan McMahon, Senior, Col. of Food., Agr. & Nat. Res. Sci. Wyoming Ian Marabella, Senior, College of Sci. and Engineering Antonio Rubio, Non Degree, Col. of Continuing Education Leeah Schuhwerck, Senior, College of Liberal Arts

UW-Madison announces spring graduates More than 7,000 students received degrees during the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s spring commencement ceremonies, May 11-12 The ceremony for doctoral and medical professional

graduates was May 11 at the Kohl Center, bachelor’s, master’s and law graduates received their degrees May 12 at Camp Randall. For more information about UWMadison, visit www.wisc.edu. Anoka Haley Mejia, College of Letters and Science, Bachelor of Science, Biology Ramsey Stella Duong, College of Ag. & Life Science, Bachelor of Science, Genetics Madison Schiller, College of Letters and Science, Bachelor of Arts-Journalism, Journalism

Local students graduate from University of Wisconsin-Stout The following students from the area graduated in May 2017 from University of WisconsinStout in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Anoka Trent Goodrich, B.S. Health Wellness & Fitness Isabella Nordahl, B.S. Applied Math & Computer Sci. Cedar Brenna Veenstra, B.F.A. Graph Des. & Interact Media Wyoming Wesley Ericson, B.S. Computer Engineering Logan Graham, B.S. Psychology

Midwest Family Counseling, P.A.

Individual – Relationship – Adolescent – Adult – Child

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St. Francis Forest Lake Lighthouse Building Franklin Building 23038 Rum River Blvd. NW 69 North Lake Street BHP – Preferred One – UCare – MHCP

Bruce W. Barton, M.Div., M.A., LMFT, LP to buy school supplies for their classrooms with their own money. The Education Market Association says that virtually all teachers wind up paying out-of-pocket for supplies. The amounts spent annually can be upwards of $1,000 per teacher. In addition, not all of the teachers funding supplies work in low-income districts. A report published in early 2016 by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities found that many states now provide less financial support per student than they did before the recession took hold roughly nine years ago. Districts forced to work under tight budgets are increasingly outsourcing the costs of supplies to parents. When parents fail to provide supplies, teachers are bearing the brunt of the costs to avoid seeing their students go without necessary resources.

Fall bowling

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 Friday Afternoon Youth  Friday Mixed Couples (short season)

 Saturday Mixed Couples (every other Saturday)

 Sunday Open to Your Fun League

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3085 Bridge Street • St. Francis • 763-753-4011 • 11:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.

September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

Community Education Community Education welcomes new Adult Basic Education coordinator Lisa Rahn

Director of ISD 15 Community Education

Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) Community Education is pleased to announce the new Adult Basic Education (ABE) coordinator and teacher, Tammi Bernard. Bernard graduated from Metropolitan State University where she received a bachelor of arts in ethnic studies. She received her masters from the University of Minnesota. Bernard comes to ISD 15 from ISD 191 Burnsville-Eagan-Savage, where she was an adult education teacher for eight years and program manager for three years. “I am excited to have the opportunity to continue to help adult learners at ISD 15 in my new position as adult education instructor/coordinator,” said Bernard. Bernard has had the privilege to work with and help adult

Community Education Directory Community Education Director............................................................... 763-753-7048 Adult Basic Education (GED)...................................................................... 763-753-7190 Adult Enrichment & Rec................................................................................ 763-213-1640 Communications/The Courier.................................................................. 763-753-7031 Youth Enrichment • Grades K-5................................................................ 763-213-1616 Districtwide Youth • Grades 7-12............................................................. 763-213-1640 Driver Education/Behind the Wheel..................................................... 763-213-1640 Early Childhood Family Education.......................................................... 763-753-7170 Early Childhood Screening.......................................................................... 763-753-7187 Facility Scheduling............................................................................................ 763-213-1589 Kids Connection/Just 4 Kids Program Supervisor..................................................................................... 763-213-1616 Cedar Creek Community School Site............................................... 763-753-7160 East Bethel Community School Site.................................................. 763-213-8921 Lifelong Learning Center Site................................................................ 763-753-7199 St. Francis Elementary School Site..................................................... 763-213-8674 Preschool Place 15/School Readiness.................................................. 763-753-7170 Rec Department................................................................................................. 763-213-1823 www.isd15.org • www.the-courier.org • www.communityed15.com

Fitness for all!

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l Trainers +Treadmills + Elliptica + Stationary Bikes hine + Nautilus Weight Mac

Contact ISD 15 Adult on at Community Educati

763-213-1640

for more informatio

learners achieve their education and career goals for the past 21 years. “When adult learners decide to prepare for their GED or college or to improve their English language skills, they often experience anxiety and face barriers,” she commented. “Our program in ABE is designed to ease those fears and help them achieve their dreams and full potential.” Bernard has two adult children and two granddaughters who will be two years old this fall. She can speak conversational Spanish and loves learning languages and about other cultures. In her free time, Bernard enjoys golfing and has finally stopped chunking the ball (most of the time)! Please feel free to stop and visit Bernard at the Adult Basic Education center located at the Lifelong Learning Center; her first day will be August 28. “I look forward to being a part of the ISD 15 team!” added Bernard.

Jenny Dupre, Early Childhood Family Education

Importance of play “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood,” a quote by Fred Rogers. When children build, they learn: ■ To build muscles ■ Hand-eye coordination ■ About special relationships ■ To compare size and shapes ■ To plan, implement and change ■ To work with peers When children use imaginative play, they learn: ■ About decision making ■ To imitate people they know ■ To express emotions

■ To develop their five senses ■ To explore expressive language ■ About role playing When children explore music, they learn: ■ About rhythms and tone ■ To improve memory skills ■ To identify new language patterns ■ To express themselves through creative movement, instruments and singing When children play at the playground or outside, they learn: ■ To develop muscle strength ■ About their environment including nature and science ■ To release energy and use

Convenient

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Education

Classroom Education Registration for classroom driver education is being accepted for the 2017-18 school year. Classroom driver education information available on the website.

Behind-the-Wheel Driving Instruction Six hours of required behind-the-wheel instruction Flexible scheduling

Sandhill Center • 23820 Dewey Street • Bethel

Monday-Thursday, 8:30-11:30 a.m. & 1:00-4:00 p.m. Friday Closed

Submitted Photo

Hot Topic

instruction at St. Francis High School

Fitness 15

Tammi Bernard, Adult Basic Education Coordinator

State of Minnesota certified instructors Fee $260

Applications available at www.communityed15.com or call 763-213-1640 for more information. Sponsored by ISD 15 Community Education

their imagination ■ To build strength and balance When children explore art, writing and drawing, they learn: ■ Hand-eye coordination ■ Fine motor and pencil grip ■ To experiment with media ■ About designing and implementing a plan When children play games or do puzzles, they learn: ■ Hand-eye coordination ■ To take turns with others ■ The relationship between chance and strategy ■ Beginning number sense ■ To understand sequence and patterns

Have a concern about your child?

Are you concerned about your child’s development, speech or behavior? If your child is under three years of age, call 763753-7172 to reach Independent School District 15 Help Me Grow services. If your child is at least three years of age and not yet in kindergarten, ISD 15 Early Childhood Screening is the first step in confirming any concerns you have. Call for an appointment at 763-753-7187.

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

September 2017

Adult Community Education Nancy Messerschmidt, Program Manager

Classes & Events

New Trip! Autumn in the City This fun tour will begin with a professional tour guide joining us for a narrated tour of Minneapolis. Enjoy the fall colors as you ride along the River Road, stop at Minnehaha Falls and the Sculpture Gardens. The guide will share information about the history and culture of Minneapolis on this riding tour. Patrick’s Bakery and Café at Bachman’s will provide a soup and sandwich lunch that includes a pastry for dessert! There will be time to shop at Bachman’s after lunch. We will be traveling via deluxe motorcoach with our neighbors from Braham. #AE18112 1 Session Date: Saturday, October 7 Time: Depart 9:00 a.m. from St. Francis High School; approx. return 4:30 p.m. Fee: $68 Register online at www.communityed15.com. By Phone when you call 763-213-1640.

Before and after school childcare Program Sites Cedar Creek Community School East Bethel Community School St. Francis Elementary School Lifelong Learning Center Kids Connection is a comprehensive childcare program for children in kindergarten through grade 5 that provides a safe, fun experience and offers families a variety of childcare options. The program is open 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hours include before and after school programs and full day programs on non-school days. Questions? Call Chris at 763-213-1616 or Lori at 763-213-1641 communityed15.com/kc

23820 Dewey Street Bethel, MN 55005 Enjoy top entertainment by popular local artists at the monthly Lunch Bunch shows. Make sure to register early, most shows will sell out! Lunch Bunch is located at Sandhill Center in Bethel. Doors open: 10:30 a.m. Lunch served: 11:00 a.m. Showtime: 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Cost: $20 Seating is on first-come, first-served basis. For reservations, call

763-213-1640

or register online at www. communityed15.org.

Angie Senger & Joe Chock Tuesday, September 12 Course: #LB171 This talented duo are once again bringing their entertaining talent to you in September at Sandhill Center. Angie Senger is a national award-winning songwriter, entertainer, who has been busy in and around Minnesota for many years, as well as Mesa, Arizona. Featured regularly on RFD-TV, she also moderates a weekly radio show dedicated to songwriters. Joe Chock is a gifted pedal steel player and will join Senger. Chock also excels at playing the dobro, lead guitar, as well as singing energetic rock-a-billy songs. When these two great friends put their talent on the same stage, you will not be disappointed. Expect a tour through the greats of the Opry and an original or two from this awardwinning songwriter.

Strength In class you will use dumbbells/hand weights and resistance bands to strengthen muscles, improve bone density, and increase your metabolism. Class is for seniors or active older adults. Day: Monday Time: 8:00-8:45 am Instructor: Cathie Hagford Fee: $2 per class, no registration required (class is not eligible for insurance reimbursement)

Line Dancing

Just 4 Kids is a childcare option for children who are 3 years of age by September 1, 2017 to kindergarten entrance. Children participate in various activities in a safe, well-supervised environment. Extended childcare options are available at: • Cedar Creek Community School, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Preschoolers who attend Just 4 Kids will be bused to the Lifelong Learning Center (LLC) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at no fee. • St. Francis Elementary School, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Preschoolers who attend Just 4 Kids will remain at St. Francis Elementary School. If preschoolers are attending Preschool Place 15, they will be bused to LLC at no cost. Customize your childcare arrangements! Before and after preschool, daily and weekly rates are available for Just 4 Kids. Call 763-213-1641 for more information.

Have fun and move to the music through a variety of exercises designed to increase muscular strength, range of movement and activities for daily living. This is an excellent class for those just beginning in line dance as well as the more experienced line dancers! Day: Thursday Time: 10:00-11:00 am Instructor: Ginger Anderson Fee: $2 per class, no registration required (class is not eligible for insurance reimbursement)

SilverSneakers® Yoga

SilverSneakers® Yoga will move your whole body through a complete series of seated and standing yoga poses. Chair support is offered to safely perform a variety of seated and standing postures designed to increase flexibility, balance and range of movement. Restorative breathing exercises and final relaxation will promote stress reduction and mental clarity. Days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday Time: 9:00-10:00 am Instructor: Cathie Hagford Fee: Free to SilverSneakers® and Silver & Fit® members $2 per class for non-members, no registration required

SilverSneakers® Classic

Have fun and move to the music through a variety of exercises designed to increase muscular strength, range of movement and activities for daily living. Hand–held weights, elastic tubing with handles and a SilverSneakers® ball are offered for resistance. A chair is available if needed for seated or standing support. Days: Wednesday, Friday Time: 8:00-8:45 am Instructor: Cathie Hagford Fee: Free to SilverSneakers® and Silver & Fit® members $2 per class for non-member, no registration required

Fitness 15 We offer plenty of ways for you to get in shape, so you’ll never be bored with working out. We have two treadmills, two elliptical trainers, two stationary bikes and a Nautilus four-station weight machine. Relaxed atmosphere—senior citizens are encouraged to attend! Socialize after your workout in our conference room. Days: Monday-Thursday Times: 8:30-11:30 am 1:00-4:00 pm Fee: $2 per visit, no registration required (no membership fees)

Sandhill is a Silver & Fit qualified center. For more information on the Healthways SilverSneakers Fitness Program or the Sandhill Center, please call 763-213-1640. To see if you qualify as a Silver & Fit member or a SilverSneakers member, please contact your insurance company.

September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

Bright Beginnings in ISD 15 Early Childhood 763-753-7170

Call ECFE at for more information or to register for any of the opportunities on this page. Lifelong Learning Center • 18900 Cedar Drive NW, Oak Grove • Online at www.isd15.org/ecfe Follow ISD 15 Early Childhood on Facebook to stay in the know and connect with other parents.

NEW!

Learn & Thrive brochure now available with all of the ECFE parent/child classes for the 2017-18 school year!

Calling all Preschoolers! It’s time for preschool to begin! The 2017-18 Preschool Place 15 preschool year is beginning on September 13.

Limited number of spots still available so register NOW! } Morning, afternoon and evening sessions available } One, two, three times per week } Two-hour to Classes are also two-and-a-half-hour sessions available for two-year} Most classes are age specific olds and very young } Free or reduced tuition and three-year-olds fees based on family size and Independent School District income 15 Early Childhood Family The curriculum of Preschool Place Education is offering 15 focuses on social skills and early Preschool Place 15 at the literacy development. Mathematical Lifelong Learning Center in thinking, scientific thinking, social Oak Grove. studies, the arts and physical development are also part of the curriculum. Environments are designed to enhance and expand children’s understanding of the world as they direct their own play. Teachers facilitate the child’s learning; they guide and encourage independent learning in each child.

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For more information on classes and to register, visit www.isd15.org or call 763-753-7170

What is Early Family Childhood Education (ECFE)? A place for babies A place for toddlers A place for preschoolers A place for all dads, moms and other relatives in a parenting role ECFE is a place where parents and young children learn and play together and can meet other families with young children. We are one of nearly 350 in the state of Minnesota offered through school districts. We believe all families deserve support, information and opportunities to be involved in their children’s learning. We recognize that parents are the first and most important teachers of their children. ECFE provides information on getting ready for school, discipline, child development, communication and growing together as a family.

What happens at weekly ECFE parent/child sessions? Time together: Parents and children explore a variety of activities planned by a licensed early childhood teacher. Time for play: Children practice and discover their own capabilities by experimenting with materials, playing with other children and trying out toys appropriate for their age. Time for parents: While the children are busy playing, you have an opportunity to meet with other parents and gain support. A licensed parent educator will lead the group and share information about parenting issues, child development and resources. Most baby and young toddler classes have discussion in the early childhood classroom; older classes separate to a nearby room when appropriate for the group.

Early Childhood Screening Do you have a child who is three or four years old? Have they been through Early Childhood Screening? Early Childhood Screening should be completed after the child’s third birthday. Screening is a free, simple check of a young child’s health and development; it does not determine kindergarten readiness. Screening includes a development assessment, vision and hearing checks, immunization and health review. Call 763-753-7187 if you currently have a 3 or 4-year-old child who has not been screened. Safety

Fall Early Childhood Events Spookley the Square Pumpkin at Stages Theatre in Hopkins Spookley the Square Pumpkin sprouts up in this musical with imaginative puppetry. Spookley is teased by all the other pumpkins because of his shape. Discover with your child how Spookley learns about his own worth. Based on the book The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin. Date: Friday, October 6 Time: Bus leaves LLC at 8:45 a.m. and returns by 1:00 p.m. Fee: $12 per person Deadline to register is noon on September 21

Fall Fun Fest Bring the family and enjoy fun activities designed especially for your family by the Early Childhood Advisory Council. Petting zoo, face-painting, Book Brook, Pumpkin Bowling and much more! Play in the inflatable jumper! There will also be a fun photo opportunity, so bring your camera! Date: Saturday, October 7 Time: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Fee: $3 per child, max of $7 per family plus a non-perishable food item

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Early Childhood Family Education A division of ISD 15 Community Education www.isd15.org 763-753-7170

An early childhood teacher will schedule a visit with you and your baby in your home or at the Lifelong Learning Center. Information about the joys and struggles of being a parent, infant milestones and development, Early Childhood Family Education and community resources will be shared with you. Call Jenny at 763-753-7196 or email infant.visits@isd15.org for more information.

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September 2017

Fall Home & Garden Master Gardener

Poppy Irwin Isanti county master gardener

Seed saving Saving seeds from your own garden is economical and easy. Select seeds from vigorous, healthy plants with ripe produce from open-pollinated varieties rather than hybrid varieties. Hybrid vegetable and flower plants are products of crosses between two different varieties. Even if the hybrid plants produce viable seeds, the plants grown from these seeds will be a completely new combination of the good and bad traits of the original plant. Open-pollinated plants, such as tomatoes, peas, peppers and beans, are good choices for seed saving because they are self-pollinating. Open-pollinated varieties may be heirlooms—plants that are varieties that have usually been passed down from one generation to the next, keeping the seeds the same as the original plant. An example of openpollinating plants is vine crops. Insects pollinate vine crops such as cucumbers, melons, squash, gourds and pumpkins. These types of plants may be cross-pollinated from one variety to another. The current crop will not be affected but seeds that have been cross-pollinated will produce fruit unlike the original parent plant and is often inferior.

For seeds that are embedded in pulp, try to harvest the seeds from fully ripened produce on a sunny day after the dew has dried from the plants. Cut open the produce, remove all pulp and fiber from the seeds and place them on a screen, newspaper or paper plate to dry indoors. If you plant only one vine crop you can save the seeds and be reasonably sure your plants the following year will be the same as the parent plant. However, if you have close neighbors who plant different vine crops, the neighborhood bees may have crosspollinated them. Bean, pepper and pea seeds are the easiest to save. For peppers, leave the peppers on the plant until they are fully ripe and start to wrinkle. Remove the seeds from the pepper and spread them out to dry indoors. For pea and bean seeds, allow the fruit to stay on the plant until they become dry and start to turn brown, rattling inside the pods. This may take about a month after you would normally harvest the peas or beans for eating or canning. Pick the pods from the plants and spread them out indoors

Peppers, Kentucky Wonder pole beans and squash seeds. Photo by Poppy Irwin

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to dry for at least two weeks before shelling. You can also save the seeds in their pods until the next spring. Once you have dried your seeds, store them in tightly sealed glass containers or individual paper packets. Keep seeds cool and dry. Be sure to label and date your seeds so you know what is in each packet or jar the following year. For more information, visit Isanti County Master Gardeners website at isanticountymastergardeners. com/ or at www.extension.umn.edu. Contact the Isanti County Master Gardeners at 763-689-8254. Follow Isanti County Master Gardeners on Facebook to stay updated on events and gardening tips.

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Business Spotlight – Professional Exteriors, Inc. KATRINNA DODGE STAFF WRITER

Brad Hildreth grew up on a roof. In his youth, Hildreth was not playing video games over the summer. Instead, he was helping his father installing shingles over 15 feet above the ground. This family trade evolved into a company in 2007, Professional Exteriors, Inc. (PEI). PEI originally started as an install company and then expanded to retail, exterior and interior remodeling for residential and commercial structures. PEI’s decade of experience has led them to be adept at remodeling and assisting homeowners through insurance claims when replacing roofing, siding, windows, interior water damage and more. “We are well-rounded on the insurance and

retail process,” stated Hildreth, owner of Professional Exteriors. “We specialize with the insurance process and when a customer hires us, they hire us to take care of their headache.” With fifteen seasoned sales and office team members and 20 specialized active crew members, PEI can tackle any exterior or interior contracting needs. Professional Exteriors works with commercial and residential owners in remodeling and renovating buildings, from kitchens, bathrooms, siding and windows to roofing. Recognizable projects in the area include the roof on Route 65 Pub & Grub, Professional Exteriors, Inc. completed the siding, roof and ball field buildings in East windows on Steve Tait’s garage and house in East Bethel. Bethel and RL Automotive. Submitted Photo “We have a lot of experience behind us,” Hildreth affirmed. “If we “Customers prefer to go with Professional Exteriors don’t have the answer to your problem, over some of our competitors because we are a local we can get you the answer. We work company and well known for good reasons.” with very knowledgeable people and “We are recognized easily with our name and are good at problem solving.” logo,” said Hildreth. “We put out yard signs so the In 2017, PEI is celebrating its tencommunity sees jobs we are working on. We have year anniversary by offering $250 off been referred by the city’s building inspector to any project over $2,500, excluding homeowners because of the quality of our work.” insurance claims. The company has a PEI is an active member of the community from separate offer of zero percent interest donations and employment to advertising. They have up to 18 months. PEI offers free donated food and clothing and assisted with building inspections, includes insurance claims, projects with North Anoka County Emergency and estimates for non-insurance claims. (NACE) foodshelf over the years. This past summer, With all the storms this past summer, PEI sponsored the Cambridge-Isanti Safety Camp, what a better year to celebrate with the Multihousing Association golf tournament and the PEI team! Linwood Lake Association. During the holiday season, This local business calls the city of PEI has annually donated to local city halls and Toys East Bethel its home, where PEI has 4 Tots. Professional Exteriors also offers a scholarship developed a symbiotic relationship program for high school and college graduates of with the community. The majority of customers. Besides supporting local non-profits, business received is from residents public schools and individuals, PEI purchases material Professional Exteriors, Inc. team gathered August 7 to prepare for the in the area, with an eighty percent from other neighboring businesses for their projects. busy week ahead. Pictured (L-R) Tim O’Neil, Randy Asher, Brad Hildreth, referral rate. “There is a strong support “We support our community,” stated Hildreth. “A lot Tom Lindblom, Craig Hildreth, Gary Robideau, Sarah Hildreth and Jaclyn of local companies in this area,” said of work comes from the community and we always try Janssen. Not pictured are Mike Hildreth, Shane Orthmann, Grant Hoska, Jaclyn Janssen, administrative assistant. to give back.” Jason Lundeen, Scott Tilbury and Justin Robideau.

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September 2017

Fresh on the Farm

Sharon Johnson Minnesota Fresh Farm

Preserving the fruits of summer As the hot days of summer turn into the sweet, crisp days of September, you may find yourself with a picnic table full of tomatoes from your garden or boxes of cucumbers that keep on coming from the tiny seedlings you planted in spring. Vegetable farmers anticipate this time of year, too, and plant extra tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers to supply a long list of customers who are eager to preserve food for enjoyment in the winter. In the later decades of the last century, the tradition of home food preservation was nearly lost. Recently this craft has been making a rebound as grandparents spend a few hours teaching grandchildren how to pack a little love in each jar of pickles, spaghetti sauce or jam. Adult siblings and friends gather on fall weekends to make pints of salsa for gift-giving at Christmas. Millennial parents have a heightened interest in

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knowing exactly what is eaten by their little ones, so they turn to home food preservation to ensure that their children have wholesome food year-round. If you want to start preserving food from your garden or from the farmers market, a good resource is Ball® Blue Book® Guide to Preserving. This book provides information about equipment and step-by-step instructions for several preservation methods. Included are over 500 recipes for canning, pickling, dehydrating and freezing food. University of Minnesota Extension is another great source of information about food preservation. Visit their website or call the AnswerLine at 1-800-854-1678 for answers about cooking, canning and freezing food. After you have found the recipes to use, make sure you have all the equipment and ingredients you need. Freezing food is the least complicated method, only requiring simple freezer containers or bags and the food to be frozen. Canning and pickling will require jars, lids and rings, a funnel, a jar rack and a large pot. Depending on your recipe, you may need vinegar, sugar, canning salt or pickling spices in addition to your main ingredient. Make a list of what you need and double-check that you have everything before starting your day of canning.

File Photo

September is a great time to put up food for the winter. The kitchen is cooler and the pace of life slows down in the months between summer vacations and the holiday season. As you sit down to a delicious meal with homemade pickles, a main dish made with your own tomatoes and a dessert using fruit preserves this winter, you will be thankful for the few hours spent in preserving the fruits of summer.

Neighborhood Safety Network

Mowing the lawn is a weekend summertime ritual for many, but File Photo this routine task requires some careful consideration about safety. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates between 2014 and 2016 an average of 36,000 people were treated each year in hospital emergency rooms for mower injuries. Avoid mower mishaps by following our safety tips below. Mowing safety tips: ■ Never allow children to ride on mowers as passengers ■ Keep children off the lawn while mowing ■ Pick up potential flying objects such as stones and toys before you start mowing ■ Do not pull a mower backward or ride it in reverse unless absolutely necessary. If you do mow backwards, carefully look for children behind you ■ Dress properly. Wear substantial shoes, long pants and closefitting clothes. You may want eye or hearing protection For more information visit the US Consumer Product Safety Commission-Neighborhood Safety Network at nsn@cpsc.gov.

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Anoka County Farm Bureau holds annual meeting and presents Farm Family of the Year award Juanita Reed-Boniface

Anoka County Farm Bureau

Anoka County Farm Bureau held their annual meeting recently at Majestic Oaks Golf Course. Guests included elected officials, Anoka County’s Farm Family of the Year, County extension staff, County Extension Committee members, District Farm Bureau representatives and insurance agents. Doug Ohman, Pioneer Photography, was the featured speaker. Through photographs and histories, attendees were taken on a rural journey around Anoka County and Minnesota, exploring the significance of the greatest of all rural icons, the barn.

Highlight of the evening was recognition of Anoka County’s Farm Family of the Year, Jim and Sally Myers, owners of Cedar Creek Honey in Andover. The Myers have been beekeepers for the past nine years. They enjoyed the bee exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair and decided it was time to start raising their own bees. The Myers started Cedar Creek Honey with three hives and have grown their operation to more than 25. Many of the hives are kept on their property in Andover, but others are located on places such as Dehn’s Farms in Andover to help with the pollination of crops. These hives produce approximately

1,800 pounds of honey a year which they sell at many festivals in the area including Oak Grove’s Acorn Day, Andover Fun Fest and Anoka’s River Fest. They also sell their product at farmers markets in Andover and at 3M. Customers also visit their home to purchase honey. The Myers’ sons, John and Dave, help out during the honey harvest and daughtersin-law, Heather and Angela, along with granddaughter Amanda, help sell the Myers’ honey at area events. Jim Myers is a certified master beekeeper from the University of Nebraska and a former member of the board of directors of the Minnesota

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Sally and John Myers were presented the Anoka County Farm Family of the Year award at the annual Anoka County Farm Bureau meeting. Pictured (L-R) are, Juanita Reed-Boniface, Farm Bureau Vice-President, Angela Myers, Wes Myers, Jim Myers, Avery Myers, Amanda Myers, Sally Myers, John Myers, Heather Myers and Doug Lawrence, Anoka Farm Bureau President. Submitted Photo

Hobby Beekeepers Association. He teaches bee keeping locally and gives presentations on bees and other pollinators to area schools, clubs and organizations, including: the Isaac Walton League, local garden clubs and the Anoka County Master Gardeners. A leader in the Andover Pollinator Awareness Project, he gives talks on the subject at the YMCA and other places throughout the area. During the summer Jim and Sally Myers invite groups of home schooled children to their home to learn about bees, native bees, pollinators and pollinator friendly gardening. In addition to these talks, he has collected thousands of seeds from his property that he packages and hands out at his talks and events, including the Pollinator Party in Andover, which he helps organize, and Andover’s Arbor Day

celebration. The Myers make and sell hives, Jim Myers also mentors new beekeepers. He serves as a honey judge and volunteer at the Minnesota State Fair honey booth. At the Anoka County Farm Bureau’s annual meeting elected officials were introduced and each gave a brief statement. Legislators in attendance were representatives Peggy Scott, Erin Koegel, Nolan West, Melissa Hortman and Abigail Whelan. County Commissioners attending were Rhonda Sivarajah, Mike Gamache and Scott Schulte. President Doug Lawrence presided over the business meeting. Dick Boniface gave the invocation. Juanita Reed-Boniface gave the annual report of activities. District Director Fran Miron Continued On Page 18

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September 2017

Fall Recycling County program improves recycling at area businesses Maggie Yauk

Anoka County Administration

Recycling could save your business money and it is the right thing to do. Anoka County has a business assistance and grant program to help businesses do just that. The business assistance program, available to any business in Anoka County, consists of a contract with the Minnesota Waste Wise Foundation—an arm of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce—to provide on-site technical help and written recommendations. The business assistance program also provides free signs on and around recycling and trash bins, and up to $10,000 in grant funding to purchase recycling and organic collection bins, supplies or equipment. This helps in reducing barriers for businesses to recycle more. One example of a business that has received assistance is Neighbor Stop, a convenience store with three locations in Anoka County. The stores are now diverting approximately 30,420 pounds of recycling from their waste stream annually. Other area businesses

such as Key Air, Coborn’s in Ramsey, and Culver’s Restaurant in Anoka have realized cost savings from the technical assistance offered by modifying practices and increasing recycling. Recycling more creates a business tax advantage; recyclables are not subject to the 17 percent state tax such as a dumpster of garbage. By recycling more, businesses may be able to

reduce the container size or frequency of trash collection, saving on state solid waste taxes. To learn more and to sign up for the free non-regulatory site assessment by Minnesota Waste Wise experts, ongoing technical assistance and grant funding, go to AnokaCounty. us/recycle or call Minnesota Waste Wise directly at 651292-4662.

Gather your recyclables and join us for Fall Recycling Day! Saturday, September 16 8:00 a.m.-12:00 P.M. @ The Public Works Garage 815 Viking Blvd. NW

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Electronics Household Electronics Small...............................Unlimited items $5 Medium .................................... First item $5 Unlimited items $10 Large Electronics (Office).........First item $10 Unlimited items $20 Computer (Laptop or Tower)................ FREE Monitor.................................................... $15 ea Treadmill .................................................. $5 ea Television (19" or smaller)..................... $20 ea (20-29") ................................................ $30 ea (30" and larger)................................... $40 ea (Projection & Wood Console).......... $50 ea Bulbs Fluorescent bulbs (4’ and up)................. $1 ea HIDS bulbs................................................ $2 ea Appliances** Small Appliances...................................... $5 ea Normal Appliances (Washer, Dryer, Refrigerator etc.)................................. $10 ea Small Freon Items (Window Air Conditioner, Dehumidifier).............. $15 ea Gas Refrigerators (Ammonia or LP).......................min $75 ea ** Appliances should be free of food and debris, not compacted. No commercial appliances.

St. Francis Recycle Fall Event Hosted by LePage and Sons

Saturday, September 16 9:00 a.m.-Noon 23602 University Ave NW Bethel, MN 55005 763-757-7100

Furniture Mattress.................................................... $25 ea Small Furniture (Lazy Boy, Chair)....... $30 ea Couch....................................................... $40 ea Hide-A-Bed............................................. $50 ea Lawn Equipment ...................... $5 each, Tractors $10 ea Tires Tires................ $5 ea / if attached to rim $6 ea Semi Tires ................................................ $10 ea Items Collected for

FREE • Scrap metal (Freimuth Enterprises) • Computer hard drives/disk drives, cables, circuit boards • Cell phones, ink jet cartridges and rechargeable batteries (East Bethel Royalty) • Used or new fishing rods and reels (East Bethel Royalty for Fishing For Life) • Used oil and oil filters (East Side Oil) • Used bicycles • Automotive batteries, used eyeglasses/ hearing aids, laser cartridges and food shelf donations (Cedar/East Bethel Lions/Lioness) • Worn and torn flags for proper disposal

September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

Continued From Page 16

Farm Bureau brought greetings. District Program Leader Dennis Sabel commended the organization for their strong leadership and size and scope of programs completed. “Even though the county membership is small, Anoka County is one of the most active counties in my district.” He stated, they maximize their resources and talents.” A unanimous ballot was cast to elect the following officers for 2018: Doug Lawrence, president, Charlen Padula,vice-president and directors Dick Boniface, Juanita ReedBoniface, JoAnn Lawrence and Paula Mohrp. Kathryn Sabel serves as the organization’s secretary/office manager.

Types of firepits for your backyard oasis Outdoor entertaining areas are popular among homeowners and firepits are one of the most sought-after additions to such spaces. In fact, a 2016 survey from the American Society of Landscape Architects found that fireplaces and firepits were the most popular outdoor design element. Various firepit styles are available to homeowners who want to add to their backyards, and choosing the right type may come down to budget. Wood firepit As the name suggests, wood firepits burn wood, which may appeal to homeowners who already have woodburning fireplaces inside their homes. Because they don’t require homeowners to tap into gas lines, wood firepits are

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generally easy to set up and install and many homeowners prefer the aesthetic appeal of crackling wood and flames that’s synonymous with wood firepits. Gas firepit Gas firepits are touted for their convenience. Upon being connected to a gas source, gas firepits provide fire at the click of a switch. Gas firepits are also appreciated for their safety, as there is little or no risk that flames from gas firepits will grow too large and become difficult to control. Gas fire tables Gas fire tables might be ideal for those homeowners whose sense of decor favors more modern looks. Gas fire tables come in a variety of shapes and sizes and, like gas firepits, there’s no need to struggle with lighting a fire or carrying firewood. Tabletop firepits Homeowners, condominium or apartment dwellers with limited backyard space may want to consider the convenience of tabletop firepits. Restaurants may use tabletop firepits in their outdoor seating areas because they provide warmth and ambiance without taking up much space. Tabletop firepits fueled by gas will not need to be connected to a gas source, which may appeal to consumers who want something that’s simple as well as small. Fire urns While they might not technically qualify as firepits, fire urns provide a similar effect as firepits. Fire urns are typically gas-powered and may be an ideal choice for homeowners who are looking for a unique, awe-inspiring feature. Source: Metro Creative Graphics Editorial

Homeowner education for septic systems Julie Blomquist UM Extension-Anoka County

Are you a homeowner? Do you have a septic system? Are you interested in saving money? Would you like to protect your family’s environment and the natural environment? Homeowners wanting to better understand, operate and maintain their septic systems will want to attend a Homeowner Education for Septic Systems program being presented by the University of Minnesota Extension. You will learn how to keep your septic system operating properly—when to pump, how to protect it from freezing and more. This two-hour program will be held Tuesday, October 3, and Monday, March 12, 2018, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at Bunker Hills Activities Center, 550 Bunker Lake Boulevard NW, Andover; two miles west of Highway 65 on Bunker Lake Boulevard. The cost to attend is $10. You will receive the University of Minnesota Extension Septic System Owner’s Guide at the class. Pre-registration is required. Find the flyer and registration form online at http://z.umn.edu/ssclass. If you have any questions or want to request the flyer and registration form, call the University of Minnesota Extension, Anoka County at 763-324-3495. Presentation of this program is partially covered by an Anoka County Ag Preserves Grant and is presented by Valerie Prax, retired extension educator.

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September 2017

Community & Business Andover Public Safety Day Robbie Bartholomew

City of Andover

The City of Andover is holding Public Safety Day on Saturday, September 23, 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Andover Community Center, northwest parking lot and/or fieldhouse. Participating organizations and demonstrations include the Anoka County Sheriff ’s Office, kitchen fire demonstration trailer, car extrication demonstration, Life Link helicopter, Minnesota State Patrol, Allina emergency medical technicians and ambulance, Minnesota National Guard, the National Fire Protection Association’s Sparky the Fire Dog, Remember When, Heart Safe and more.

transform your inner A huge thank you to the St. Francis Police Department and St. Francis Fire Department for stopping by Deer Creek Park on National Night Out, August 1. Everyone stayed cool by enjoying free ice cream sundaes. The kids loved being sprayed by the fire hose. Photo submitted by Jennifer Deburh

Presentation on Impact of Climate Change on Global Health Chuck Prentice

Anoka Area Climate Action

On Tuesday, September 12 at 7:00 p.m., there will be a presentation about the Impact of Climate Change on Global Health at Faith Lutheran Church, 11115 Hanson Boulevard in Coon Rapids. Guest speaker for the event will be Dr. Phillip K. Peterson. Dr. Peterson is a Professor of Medicine Emeritus, University of Minnesota Medical School. He is a past director of the Infectious Diseases and International Medicine Division at the University of

Minnesota Medical Center and Hennepin County Medical Center. In this presentation, Dr. Peterson will discuss current climate change in an historical context, highlight its impact on human health and make a case for why we need to ramp up science and technology initiatives to limit climate change— the future of our grandchildren clearly depends upon it! This event is sponsored by Faith Lutheran Church and Anoka Area Climate Action. For more information, call 612-965-8284.

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September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

St. Francis Night to Unite a success Lori Roberts

St. Francis Police Department Administrative Assistant

On behalf of the St. Francis Police Department (SFPD), we sincerely thank all the individuals and organizations who participated in our Night to Unite event. National Night Out provides an opportunity for the entire community to unite to raise awareness about public safety and to help promote the Neighborhood Watch Program. The following attended our event: ■ Allina Air Link and North Memorial Air Care ■ Sparky and the St. Francis Fire Department ■ Allina Ambulance ■ Jump City provided a bouncy house for the kids ■ Army National Guards provided a rock climbing wall ■ St. Francis Baptist Church brought their Praise Pantry ■ Block captains came to support the Neighborhood Watch program ■ SFPD had squads for people to climb in and they gave rides on the Reserves ATV ■ Fire and police also visited local Neighborhood Watch parties

We had a busy successful and fun event and want to thank everyone for coming and showing their community support. (Right) Sparky from the St. Francis Fire Department greeted community members at Night to Unite on August 1. (Below) The St. Francis Police Department had a helicopter visit from North Memorial Air Care at Night to Unite on August 1.

Submitted Photos

St. Francis Area Chamber of Commerce

For more information or to become a member: 763-438-5163 • www.stfrancischamber.org • chamber@stfrancischamber.org

Thank You to All Pioneer Days

Sponsors and Volunteers Ambassador Level $1,000+ Blaine City Festival Chops Inc. City of St. Francis King’s County Market St. Francis Bottle Shop St. Francis Lions Club Pioneer Level $500+ Barna, Guzy & Steffen, LTD. Farmer’s Insurance – Vann Rogers Agency Hakanson Anderson Highland Money Management, Inc. St. Francis McDonald’s Rum River Level $250+ Connexus Energy Minuteman Press – Ham Lake Re/Max Results – Michelle Anderson Rensch, Becker, Carlson & Ackerman, DDS, PA Rum River Tree Farm St. Francis Physical Therapy Tidbits of the North Metro Area Heritage Level $100+ Dusty’s Drain Cleaning Northland Screw Products, Inc. Patriot Lanes Bar and Grill Temperature Specialists, Inc. Thirty-One Gifts – Jaycie Leistico

Community Pride Level Casey’s General Store Highland Money Management, Inc. Mansetti’s Pizza & Pasta NACE Foodshelf Re/Max Results – Michelle Anderson St. Francis Bottle Shop St. Francis Physical Therapy St. Francis Subway St. Francis True Value Hardware Virtual Reality Arcade Pioneer Days Volunteers Ashley Vang Becky Mehregan Carol Ann Novak Casey’s General Store David Johnson Elizabeth Oleson Hannah Bartell Jacquie Goedel Leora Ann Kittleson Living Hope Evangelical Church Liz Fairbanks Mao Lee Mary, Opp Family Chiropractic Sarah Udvig Shelly Kaunzner Travis Zandlo Vic Bennett

St. Francis Area Chamber of Commerce Upcoming Events

Business Trick-or-Treat Monday, October 31 3:00-5:00 p.m.

A list and map of participating businesses will be available on the Chamber website, www.stfrancischamber.org. If you are a Chamber member and would like to participate, call 763-438-5163 or email chamber@stfrancischamber.org.

Monthly Networking Meetings 2nd Wednesday of each month 8:00 a.m. at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in St. Francis Meetings are open to the public.

Monthly Board Meetings

3rd Wednesday of each month 11:00 a.m. at the St. Francis Community Center 23340 Cree Street, St. Francis

Night at the Museum Anoka County Historical Society

Anoka—Halloween Capital September 20 and October 11 Anoka Halloween goodies are collected all over the world. Talk Halloween and get an up-close look at ACHS’s exclusive collection of Anoka Halloween memorabilia on these special, spooky evenings. Murder Mystery September 27 It’s a who-done-it night! Become detectives, interrogate suspects or try to get away with murder at ACHS’s inaugural murder mystery dinners. Character sheets will be given prior to dinners and special awards presented throughout the night to celebrate excellence in investigation, evasion or creativity. The Mad Hatter October 18 It’s a who-done-it-night at the Mad Hatter restaurant! Become detectives at the brink of WWI aboard a ship sailing for England. Interrogate suspects—or try to get away with murder! Character sheets will be given to participants prior to the event. Just want to watch the fun? No problem, reserve your place among the action but with no active role in the story. Tickets are $50. Sponsored by the Weaver family. Events begin at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m. For more information on these functions and ACHS, visit achs@anokacountyhistory.org or call 763-421-0600. ACHS is located at 2135 N 3rd Avenue in Anoka.

St. Francis Area Chamber of Commerce Members Ace Solid Waste, Inc. Advanced Automotive Care, Inc. Advanced Roofing & Siding, Inc. American Family Insurance - Mary Dresch Anoka Hennepin Credit Union Anoka Ramsey Community College Anytime Fitness Barna, Guzy & Steffen, LTD Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bolton and Menk, Inc. BTO Signs Captain’s Lakeside Grille Casey’s General Store Cell Only Central Heating & Cooling, LLC City of St. Francis Collision 2000 Connexus Energy County Market King’s County Market Crown Electric, Inc. Custom Catering Dairy Queen/Orange Julius Destination Academy Dugout Bar and Grill ECM Publishers, Inc. Edward Jones Investments Elaine M. Mustari, CPA Farmers Insurance Vann Rogers Agency, LLC Freedom Strategy Group Goldstar Kennels & Suites Goodrich Pharmacy Hakanson Anderson Hidden Haven Golf Club Highland Money Management, Inc. Insite Contracting, Inc. Isanti Retail Meats, LLC ISD 15 - The Courier Lakeside Cabinets and Woodworking, LLC Mansetti’s Pizza & Pasta

McDonald’s Minnesota Star Realty Minuteman Press - Ham Lake North Anoka County Emergency Foodshelf North Anoka Plumbing, Inc. Northstar Outdoors, Inc. Nowthen Plumbing Opp Family Chiropractic, P.A. Patriot Lanes Bar & Grill Premier Specialties Printing Unlimited / Skyline Graphics Re/Max Results - Larry D. Anderson Re/Max Results - Michelle Anderson Revolayer Systems Rum River Tree Farm Sara Sauer C.P.A., LLC St. Francis Bottle Shop St. Francis Collision & Glass St. Francis Dental Care, P.A. St. Francis Fire Department St. Francis Insurance Agency, Inc. St. Francis Lions St. Francis Physical Therapy St. Francis True Value Hardware St. Francis United Methodist Church St. Francis Veterinary Clinic Steve’s Collision Subway - Oak Grove Subway - St. Francis T & W Adventures TC Net-Works, Inc. That Other Thrift Store The Bridge The Oaks of Lake George The Ponds Golf Course & Restaurant The Refuge Golf Club & Restaurant Trinity Lutheran Church & School Village Bank Virtual Reality Arcade

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

September 2017

Gerdin announces retirement. I hate when that happens. Kathleen Miller

Editor, The Courier

We’ve all said, “I hate when that happens” now and again for various reasons, but after writing a column for The Courier for 24+ years, Randy Gerdin of Gerdin Auto & Tire in St. Francis has come to make the phrase his trademark. When I joined the staff 23 years ago, Randy was already an established columnist. His version of “I hate when that happens” as it pertains to cars and trucks resonates with anyone who owns a vehicle. Nothing is worse then when our check engine light comes on, which was the topic of Randy’s first column decades ago. After learning of the sale of his business and submitting his last column, Randy recently stopped in our office for a visit. I had looked through our archives and found his first column in the February 1994 issue. Over the years, The Courier has had a number of columnists, but none have been around as long as Randy. He set the bar high for those to follow. Like clockwork, Randy would write his column and submit it with a friendly, “Here you go.” All of us working on

Randy Gerdin stopped by The Courier office on August 10 to say so long. Pictured (L-R) are: Pat Johnson, Kathleen Miller, Randy Gerdin, Sarah Yannarelly and Katrinna Dodge. The Courier Photo

The Courier over the years truly appreciate his reliable contributions and feel we all know a little more about our own vehicles, thanks to Randy’s wisdom. The Courier’s first issue was published October 1993 and according to Tom Larson, director of Community Education in Independent School District

15 (ISD 15) at the time, The Courier (originally Community Courier) was a result of a goal set by the Community Education Advisory Council. Its purpose “has always been and will continue to be to provide quality communication about city, county, school and community activities.” Having Randy on board as a regular contributor in the early years was a great addition. “Randy is a wonderful community man and local business owner that continually provided quality auto repair work for many of us in the community as well as involved himself in the community. His location was close to where a lot of [ISD 15] staff worked and he catered to that customer with easy-to-get quality. I wish him well in the next chapter of his career and life,” commented Larson, on hearing of the sale of Gerdin Auto & Tire. Be sure to read Randy’s final column in this issue. And to Randy, we can’t thank you enough for all your years of contributing to The Courier. Who knows? Maybe our paths will cross again. And to any of our loyal advertisers, the invitation stands—if you would like to write a column for The Courier, please contact me; we have an opening.

I Hate When That Happens

Randy Gerdin ASE certified technician, Gerdin Auto & Tire Owner

Change, change, change It is hard to believe that I have been in the car fixin’ biz for almost 40 years. I remember when working with my dad, all he would let me do is hold the trouble light so he could get a better view of what he was doing. After I graduated from St. Francis High School in 1974, I went into the U.S. Army. I thought I wanted to go into the medical field, so I became a medical lab technician. The best thing I learned from that experience was, “I don’t want to do that for a living.” Dad called me about six months before I was discharged from the Army and asked if I wanted to go into the auto repair business with him. He was going to build a brand new automotive shop with gas pumps and all. After a few days, I called him back and told him I would. So in October of 1977, we opened Gerdin Auto Service Inc. in the small town of Bethel. Fast forward. Along came school, marriage, kids and then my dad passed away from cancer in 1988. Change was going on all the time. In the automotive business, this was the era when we went from points and carburetors to electronic ignition and fuel injection. We bought an old tow truck when the police approached us to get into the 24-hour towing business and we started towing for the city and the county. It was also the beginning of the franchise tire and auto repair chains making their way into the market. We had to learn to adapt to changes and challenges along the way.

In 1998 we opened a second store in St. Francis, and with the support of the community, we ran two stores. In 2007 when the financial downturn hit, we made the tough decision to close our Bethel store. That location is where I grew up and learned the trade. Bethel is where my dad and I worked together—we had some great times and some rough times, but the change needed to happen. We consolidated to St. Francis and it was a great move for us. We grew and became more comfortable in our St. Francis location. Gerdin’s still has a majority of the same staff. For example, Allan has worked for us for over 34 years. I have made many great friends over the years. We have also lost many friends; 40 years of life takes its natural toll. And now another change. Last September, I started talking with a long-time friend who also was in the tire and auto biz. I remember the first time I met with him in

person—a cold Saturday in October at the shop. It seemed somewhat odd, yet familiar, as he, his wife and I walked around the shop. All the paperwork, negotiating and really truly considering the sale of my business took quite a bit of time. After all the meetings with bankers, attorneys and lots of prayer, we finally closed the sale on July 27. I am so very pleased and proud to announce that Bill and Jodie Norling of PTL Tire & Auto in Ham Lake are the new owners of Gerdin Auto & Tire. The Norlings, along with three of their grown children, have taken ownership of our shop and the towing operations. Over the months, I have come to know the family and I could not, in my wildest dreams, have picked better people to sell the business to. They have kept our staff and I know they will treat everyone fairly and honestly. Norlings already have a great business located in Ham Lake and I know they will do a great job of

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taking care of our staff and our customers. Please stop in and meet them. They are anxious to meet you and get to know the community. I would also like to thank all of my customers, vendors and, of course, the greatest staff ever. Many folks have been surprised when I have told them the news. “I think 40 years is long enough,” my reply has been.

“Time to hand it over to the next generation.” Thanks also to The Courier, for allowing me to share my thoughts and experiences in the paper over the last 20 years. Thank you to the many readers of my column. It has been really fun and I hope to see you around as we are out and about. I Love When That Happens!

10th Annual

Waterfowl Banquet Thursday, September 14 5:30-6:30 p.m. Social Hour 6:30 p.m. Dinner

The banquet will be held at St. Francis American Legion Post 622 3073 Bridge Street, St. Francis Contact Stew for more information 763-753-6230

All dollars raised stay in Minnesota! Great Food - Hunting Themed Raffles

Paying too much for home insurance? St. Francis Insurance Agency Gary Zimmerman

763-753-3595 • glzsales@aol.com Across from St. Francis High School

Contact me today to discuss your needs, review your current policy or get a free rate quote. Home Auto Recreation Business Risk

September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

East Bethel News

Steven Voss Mayor, City of East Bethel

Getting heard “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” “Those who speak the loudest get heard.” “Having friends in high places.” All attitudes regarding getting problems solved. My personal favorite is, “It pays to know someone at City Hall.” Which is about as close to the truth as you can get. In East Bethel, every resident should feel that they have a friend in city hall to help get problems resolved. All it takes is a call or an email. Every one of our city staff is dedicated to serving our residents. This is not just their job, it is their way to serve the public and their community. If you ever feel that you are not getting satisfactory service from our staff, please do not hesitate to contact any of your council members. As Mayor, the primary reason I serve our community is to help our residents solve issues. I know my fellow council members share this feeling. We also host a public forum in the first part of each city council meeting to allow residents to present matters directly to the whole council. If you have a problem or an issue, please let us know. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Economic Growth The stock market is up, unemployment continues to be low and consumer confidence is reported as high. All indicators that our economy continues its upward improvement over the last several years. We are starting to see the signs of economic improvement in East Bethel. We are on a pace of approving over

50 new building permits in 2017, which is over 50 percent more than approved permits last year and 200 percent more than approved building permits in 2014. There are also several commercial, light industrial and multi-family housing projects in various stages of planning and implementation. One such project is a significant expansion of an existing employer on the east side of Highway 65, across from the theater. The city is working with all of the businesses in this part of the corridor to provide water and sewer infrastructure, along with a needed road reconstruction for Central Avenue. The city has been meeting with these business owners regarding this important project that significantly improves the image and vitality of this existing business district. Although it is important that we approach these projects with careful evaluation, consideration and deliberation, it is exciting that economic opportunities appear to be coming to our city. Stay tuned! Recycling With the support of our staff, the City of East Bethel has already exceeded our 2017 recycling goal for the third year in a row! Thank you everyone for improving recycling in our community. On the last Saturday of the month, our Recycling Center on Viking Boulevard is open, 9:00 a.m.-noon to accept larger recyclable items. We also have a permanent steel recycling bin, used oil collection, glass, aluminum and cardboard collection bins open 24 hours a day. Fall Recycling Day is September 16 at the Ice Arena,

9:00 a.m.-noon where we accept a wider variety of recyclable items (some for a nominal fee). Please see the city web site for a list of accepted items. The Roads That We Have This summer, asphalt overlay and shoulder improvement projects were made to East Bethel Boulevard (CR 15), 229th Avenue (CR 24), and 237th Avenue (CR 24). These projects were completed by the Anoka Highway Department. The city has completed seal coating of over five miles of city streets and numerous other repairs this summer. Our roads staff continues to provide patching and spot repairs as needed throughout the city. We rely on our residents to inform the maintenance department about problems with their road. If you see a road maintenance issue in your neighborhood, please call city hall to report a concern—our city staff is here to serve. On behalf of the East Bethel City Council, I wish you a wonderful and safe September.

Announcing Instagram Stay connected with Independent School District 15 by connecting with us on Instagram! Follow ISD_15 to keep up-to-date on district happenings. Stay connected with The Courier by connecting with us on Instagram! Follow isd15courier to keep up-to-date on local news.

Financial Focus

Blake Cheeley Edward Jones Financial Advisor

Stay calm on the investment roller coaster Profit from 40 years of experience.

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23306 Cree Street NW Suite 102 St. Francis, MN 55070 763-753-2988 Member SIPC

www.edwardjones.com

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Unless you live near an amusement park that does a lot of advertising, you probably didn’t know that Aug. 16 is National Roller Coaster Day. Actual roller coasters provide people with thrills. But as an investor, how can you stay calm on the roller coaster of the financial markets? Here are some suggestions: Know what’s in front of you. If you’ve ever ridden a roller coaster in the dark, you may find it scarier than if you boarded it in daylight—after all, it can be unsettling not to know where you’re going. The same can be said about investing: If you have no idea what’s in front of you, you might find the journey unnerving—and if that happens, you could make panicky decisions, which are usually bad ones. So prepare for the inevitable market volatility, it’s a normal part of the investment landscape. Buckle up. When you’re on a roller coaster, you need to buckle your seat belt or use a restraint. You want to have the excitement of the ride, but you certainly don’t want to take unnecessary risks. You can enjoy some of the excitement of investing without incurring more risk than you are comfortable with, too. One way to lower your risk level is to diversify across a range of investments—stocks, bonds, government securities, and so on. That way, if a market downturn primarily affects just one type of investment, you’ll have some protection. However, although diversification can reduce the impact of volatility on your portfolio, it can’t protect against all losses or guarantee a profit.

Choose a strategy for the journey. Different people have different ways of handling a roller coaster ride. Some like to throw their hands up, enjoying the feeling of abandon, while others hold on tightly to the bar in front of them. When you invest, you also need a strategy that works for you, and the best one may be the simplest: buy quality investments and hold them for the long term. How long is long term? It could be 10, 20, 30 years or more. Famed investor Warren Buffet says his favorite holding period is forever. If you’ve chosen a mix of quality investments appropriate for your risk tolerance, you may be able to hold them until either your goals change or the investments themselves undergo some transformation. Stay for the whole ride. When you hop on a roller coaster, you’ve got no choice—you’re staying until the ride is over. As an investor, though, you can exit the investment world whenever you like. But if you take a time out from investing every time the market drops, you risk still being out of the market when it rallies—and the early stages of a rally are often when the biggest gains occur. Furthermore, if you keep investing during a down market, you’ll be buying shares when their price has dropped, which means your dollars can go further and you’ll be following one of the basic rules of investing, Buy low. You can’t take out all the twists and turns of the investment road, but by following the above suggestions, you can help make the ride less stressful and possibly more rewarding.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

September 2017

Construction Electrician program achieves 100 percent placement rate Melissa Priebe

Anoka Technical College

The Construction Electrician program at Anoka Technical College secured a 100 percent placement rate in 2017, with every student from the program obtaining an apprenticeship in the skilled trade. The program has a history of placing students at quality commercial and residential electric companies, as well as with IBEW Local 292 – Minneapolis Electrical Workers. The skills taught in the program are in such high demand that there is often a waiting list to get in the program.

studies by mastering the basics and learning electrical theory. Training in large labs on campus that are built to mimic the wooden structure inside a house or a business, is where students get hands-on experience. They begin with residential electrician training, then advance to commercial training. Students practice electrical wiring, using motors and controls, reading blueprints and plans, all while learning about regulations and safety measures on the job. Along the way, students also study algebra and trigonometry, and hone their communications skills.

Graduates of the program are placed in apprenticeships with companies and organizations in the region. After earning the two-year diploma and meeting requirements, students can shave one year off the length of their apprenticeships and increase their chances of higher earnings when they enter the field. Recently, eight students earned positions with City View Electric, a company that has a long-standing relationship with Anoka Tech. Mike Nelson, who serves as vice president and is a 1981 graduate of Anoka Tech, consistently hires Anoka Tech graduates. “The students have been good workers,” said Nelson. “These young adults have a good work ethic, strong

mechanical aptitude and some of them bring a history of working in skilled trades from their families.” Because of his interest in the Construction Electrician program, Nelson joined the advisory board this year. His role has given him more insight into how hard Anoka Technical College works to provide in-demand skills to students considering technical trades. “Anoka Tech is very dedicated to graduating students with the skills they need to get ahead,” said Nelson. For more information about the Construction Electrician program at Anoka Technical College, visit AnokaTech.edu/ ProgramsCourses/EngManufTech ConstructionElectrician.aspx.

Free Dollars Into Sense Class

Submitted Photo

“The Construction Electrician program is successful because of our dedicated faculty,” said Vice President Elaina Bleifield. “The faculty work closely with students to ensure they have the essential skills to be ready to enter the workforce.” Students in the program begin their

“The main goal is when they graduate from the program, they are competent, and they have the skills they need to hit the ground running,” said Instructor Brian Schelkoph. “We have an excellent college rigor within our program that allows our students to meet or exceed our expectations.”

Kraig Domogalla

The University of Minnesota Extension, Anoka County will present a free Dollars Into Sense class on Thursdays, October 12, 10-11:30 a.m., November 9, 6:00-7:30 p.m. and December 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m. at the Anoka County Human Services Center (1201 89th Avenue, Blaine). Class will cover tracking expenses, putting together a spending plan, goal setting, credit and where to get additional help/resources. To register, call University of Minnesota Extension, Anoka County at 763-324-3495 at least three days prior to the class.

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Saturday, October 14 • 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Cambridge-Isanti High School Gym Find us on Facebook: @North65Chamber ATTN EXHIBITORS: Booth registration open until October 2, 2017 Scan here for info and to register

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Contact North 65 Chamber of Commerce North65Chamber.com 763-689-2505 Info@North65Chamber.com

Buy with confidence. Sell with success!

Cassie Clem Realtor®

612-213-9403 clemhomes@gmail.com www.cassandraclemhomes.com 23624 St. Francis Blvd. NW, Suite 5 St. Francis, MN 55070

September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

Meetings, Benefits & Events St. Francis Lions Presents: Area Chamber of Commerce AA/NA St. Francis Area Chamber of AA/NA Meeting at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Killebrew Disc Golf Classic Commerce Board meeting is September Church in East Bethel. NA on Mondays at Come one come all! Don’t miss this day of fun and feasting while testing your Disc Golf skills and competing to win a $1,000 prize. The event will be held Saturday, September 30 at the Vision Quest Disc Golf Course, 855 Sims Road NW in Oak Grove. Listen to live music, play beanbag games or visit the barn animals. Stop at the wagon for refreshments, feast on brats or fill up at the potato bar. For more information, call Tim Holen at 763-753-1265.

NACE Foodshelf StriXe Out Hunger Join NACE Foodshelf on October 13, 6:00-9:00 p.m., Ham Lake Lanes for StriXe Out Hunger, a fun night of bowling, silent auction, big board, raffle, costume contest and so much more! For tickets or more information, please call NACE at 763-434-7685 All proceeds benefit the NACE Foodshelf.

ISD 15 School Board ISD 15 SCHOOL Board Meetings: September 11 & 25 Dialogue with School Board 6:30 p.m., Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m. and October 9 & 23 Dialogue with School Board 6:30 p.m., Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m. at Central Services Center, Community Room, 4115 Ambassador Boulevard NW, St. Francis.

City & Township Meetings Andover City Council Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover 763-755-5100 Bethel City Council Meets 1st & 3rd Thursday, 7:00 p.m. 23820 Dewey Street, Bethel, 763-434-4366 Nowthen City Council Meets 2nd Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. 19800 Nowthen Boulevard NW, Nowthen 763-441-1347 East Bethel City Council Meets 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. 2241 221st Avenue NE, East Bethel 763-367-7840 Oak Grove City Council Meets 2nd & last Monday 7:00 p.m. 19900 Nightingale Street NW, Oak Grove 763-404-7000 St. Francis City Council Meets 1st & 3rd Monday, 6:00 p.m. ISD 15 Central Services Center, St. Francis 763-753-2630 Stanford Township Board Meets 1st Monday, 7:00 p.m. 5050 261st Avenue NW, Isanti, 763-444-6370

20, 11:00 a.m. at the St. Francis Community Center, 23340 Cree Street, St. Francis. Meetings are open to the public. Visit our www.stfrancischamber.org or call 763438-5163 for more information. North 65 Chamber of Commerce. For more information about the North 65 Chamber visit www.north65chamber.com. East Bethel Chamber of Commerce Board meeting is September 26, 8:009:00 a.m. at Aggressive Hydraulics, 18800 Ulysses Street NE, Cedar. Visit www.eastbethelchamber.com for more information. Ham Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors meeting is September 20, 9:00 a.m. at 21st Century Bank, 17635 Central Avenue NE, Ham Lake. Visit www.hamlakechamber for location and more information.

American Legion American Legion Auxiliary Unit 622 – St. Francis General membership meets on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. All members of the auxiliary are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 763-753-4234. American Legion Post 622 – St. Francis General membership meets the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. All members of the post are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 763-753-4234.

Health & Fitness New East Bethel TOPS weight loss support group meeting. Meeting held at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 1450 237th Avenue NE, East Bethel, Mondays at 5:30 p.m. Visitors are welcome to their first meeting free of charge with no obligation. Tops Chapter MN #1774 Meets every Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m. at the St. Francis Community Center, 23340 Cree Street N. TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly and is a weight loss support group. Check out a meeting or visit www.tops.org. Long Lake Lutheran Church Invites you to join us for GriefShare Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. Free. We are located five miles north of St. Francis on Hwy. 47. For more information please contact Sharon Sudeith at 763-444-4483 or visit www.longlakeluth.org. For general information on the GriefShare program, visit www.griefshare.org. GriefShare grief recovery support group: Meets at First Baptist Church in St. Francis each Wednesday beginning October 4, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Child care is provided through 6th grade. The church is located 22940 St. Francis Blvd. NW. GriefShare is a 14-week program to provide help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend. For more information, call Mike or Sharon at 763-4420401 or visit GriefShare.org.

7:00 p.m., AA on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., NA on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. AA Meets at Long Lake Lutheran Church, 5 miles north of St. Francis on Hwy. 47, Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.

Jobs!

Independent School District 15 is looking for the following: Custodians, Educational Assistants, Nutrition Services, Bus Drivers and Substitutes. Please visit www.isd15.org and click on employment. Find your next job with MinnesotaJobs.com! We’ve been helping connect employers and job seekers for over 20 years. Visit our site to find your next job. We have employers with immediate openings for Direct Support Professionals, CDL Drivers, Machinists/ Tool Designers and much, much more. No registration necessary! Simply search and apply. Go to minnesotajobs.com to get started today!

Lions/Lioness CEDAR/EAST BETHEL LIONESS CLUB Meets the first Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at Maxx’s Restaurant & Bar on Hwy. 65. For membership information call Yvonne Johnson, 763-434-6985. We Serve! CEDAR/EAST BETHEL LIONS CLUB Meets bimonthly, first and third Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., at Maxx’s Restaurant & Bar on Hwy. 65. Call Judy Ricke at 763-226-4893. Oak Grove Lions club Meet every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at Oak Grove City Hall, 7:00 p.m., adjourning at 8:00 p.m. For more information, call Lion Mark Silvernagel at 763-753-2215. NOWTHEN LIONS CLUB Are you looking to serve in your community of Nowthen? Meet new friends? Have a lot of fun? Come join the Nowthen Lions Club! The Nowthen Lions meet at Nowthen City Hall on the first Thursday of the month for the board meeting and on the third Thursday of the month for the membership meeting. Please email nowthenlions@yahoo.com. St. Francis Lioness Club Meets monthly. First Wednesday, administrative board and third Wednesday, general membership meeting at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held at St. Francis City Hall, 23340 Cree Street. For more information, call Mary Madden at 763-444-5020 or Cheryl Eldstrom at 763-753-4602 or email bluesage51@ gmail.com. St. Francis Lions Club Meets three times during the month at the St. Francis American Legion. First Wednesday board meeting; second Wednesday regular business meeting; fourth Wednesday social and program. All meetings start at 7:00 p.m. and adjourn at 8:15 p.m. Call Lion Kevin Schuldt for more information at 763-7531205 or visit www.stfrancismn.lionwap.org.

Business Edward Jones Coffee Club meets the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 8:00 a.m. at Bridge Street Coffee, 3122 Viking Blvd., Oak Grove.

Seniors Oak Grove Seniors Meet the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Oak Grove City Hall at noon for a potluck and short business meeting. Bingo follows each business meeting. For information about the club and events, call Marion Schulz at 763-444-5652. St. Francis Seniors Life is good when you can make new friends, get out and enjoy the multitude of activities that our community has to offer. We meet the first and third Thursday of each month at St. Francis City Hall Meeting Room, 23340 Cree Street NW, St. Francis. Social time and lunch begins at noon, with the meeting beginning at 1:00 p.m. and games until 3:00 p.m. We play cards, bingo, scrabble, cribbage, go on trips, lunch outings, have picnics and stay active as we get older. Come and see what we are about. Call President Ray Steinke at 763-753-1871. East Bethel Seniors Dances are held 1:00-4:00 p.m. Cost is $6, lunch included. The Friday, September 1 dance will have old time music played by Jerry Bierschbach. Entertainment for October 6 will be by Michael Elsenpeter. All are welcome to our Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, September 10, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Serving pancakes, French toast, sausage, juice, coffee and choice of egg, 50¢ per egg. Cost for breakfast is $5 for adults and $2 for children under 10. Are you 55 or older? Come and enjoy some companionship. All are welcome. Seniors meet the third Thursday of each month for a business meeting and catered noon lunch, 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.; second Wednesday of each month is crafts, 9:00 a.m.-noon with potluck at noon; fourth Wednesday is crafts only, 9:00 a.m.-noon. Cribbage once a month, call Barb for date/ time at 763-434-6179. We also go on tours, etc. Rent the Senior Center, call Dennis at 763-434-9244. Join East Bethel Seniors for $10 a year and receive a monthly newsletter. The East Bethel Senior Center is located one mile east of Highway 65 on 221st Avenue in East Bethel.

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September 2017

Sports & Outdoors Local youth bats for All American Central National Jessie Husby

Parent

Cam Husby, 12, of Oak Grove was selected for the 2017 United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) All American Central National team to play in the All American games held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Kissimmee, Florida, in August. USSSA has teams from eight regions across the United States (Far West, Northwest, Central, Midwest, Northeast, Cam Husby Submitted Photo Atlantic, Great Lakes, and Southeast). Each region holds multiple showcase events to select the top players in each region for their team. Participants are evaluated on hitting, running, throwing, fielding, pitching or catching. Husby attended a showcase in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 9. Each region has an American team and a National team. Only 28 players are selected at each age group to represent the Central region. The states in the Central region consist of Iowa, Kansas, Michigan (UP), Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Husby was one of two Minnesotans chosen at the 12U level. Husby is a seventh-grade student at St. Francis Middle School and plays on the 12AAA team for St. Francis Travel Ball. He is a utility player which plays pitcher, catcher and various positions. His passion for baseball and hard work ethic earned him his spot on the USSSA All American Team. On August 7, all teams and their families attended an opening ceremony to announce each team. The team was able to practice together for two hours and then games began the next day. The Central National 12U team won their first three games in pool play and were seeded number two out of 16 teams going into bracket play. They won their first bracket game versus the Northwest region coming back to win in extra innings after being down 2-9 in the fourth inning. They lost their second game in bracket play to the Far West team who were seeded number one. The 12U Central 763-586-0038 National team took third place on the National side. Husby felt honored to represent his hometown and the state of Minnesota at the games. He created many memories and new friendships.

St. Francis football is making its mark Brent Swaggert

SFHS Head Football Coach

St. Francis Youth Football Camp Continues to Grow Independent School District 15 Community Education Rec Department along with St. Francis High School football players and coaches hosted a Youth Camp for grades K-8 July 24-27 at the St. Francis Middle School complex. Over 100 youth participated in the four-day event where 40 high school players mentored the future Saints through individual and team drills. Thank you to all for participating and best of luck in the upcoming season! Community Clean-Up Day Planned for Saturday, October 14 The St. Francis High School football team will be hosting the first annual Community CleanUp Day on Saturday, October 14, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. The Saints football team is looking to help community members and give back to the community that supports athletics and activities throughout Independent School District 15 (ISD 15). If you are an ISD 15 community member and would like a helping hand with landscaping, raking, heavy lifting or other general yard work, please contact Annemarie Lindenfelser at 763-245-2650 or email the SF Football Booster Club at sfgridclub@ gmail.com. Senior running backs T.J. Hoglund and Luke Lipinski lead future Saints through individual drills.

Submitted Photo

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September 2017

St. Francis High School Sports September Home Schedule Cross Country-Varsity September 14 4:00 p.m. Invitational at The Ponds Golf Course Football-Varsity September 1 7:00 p.m. Sauk Rapids-Rice High School September 15 7:00 p.m. Monticello High School Soccer-Boys Varsity September 12 7:00 p.m. North Branch High School September 16 1:00 p.m. Elk River September 21 7:00 p.m. Princeton High School September 28 5:00 p.m. Monticello High School Soccer-Boys Junior Varsity September 12 5:00 p.m. North Branch High School September 16 11:00 p.m. Elk River September 21 5:00 p.m. Princeton High School September 28 7:00 p.m. Monticello High School Soccer-Girls Varsity September 14 7:00 p.m. Saint Michael-Albertville September 19 7:00 p.m. Rogers High School September 20 7:00 p.m. Andover High School September 25 7:00 p.m. Big Lake High School September 28 7:00 p.m. Monticello High School Soccer-Girls Junior Varsity September 14 5:00 p.m. Saint Michael-Albertville September 19 5:00 p.m. Rogers High School September 20 5:00 p.m. Andover High School September 25 5:00 p.m. Big Lake High School September 28 5:00 p.m. Monticello High School Tennis-Girls Varsity September 7 4:00 p.m. Buffalo High School September 11 4:00 p.m. North Branch High School September 21 4:00 p.m. Rogers High School September 23 8:45 a.m. St. Francis High School Invitational September 26 4:00 p.m. Chisago Lakes High School September 28 4:00 p.m. Big Lake High School Tennis-Girls Junior Varsity September 5 4:00 p.m. Saint Michael-Albertville September 12 4:00 p.m. Cambridge-Isanti September 14 4:00 p.m. Princeton High School September 19 4:00 p.m. Monticello High School Volleyball-Varsity September 7 7:00 p.m. Princeton High School September 14 7:00 p.m. North Branch High School September 21 7:00 p.m. Cambridge-Isanti September 28 7:00 p.m. Monticello High School Volleyball-Junior Varsity September 7 5:30 p.m. Princeton High School September 14 5:30 p.m. North Branch High School September 21 5:30 p.m. Cambridge-Isanti September 28 5:30 p.m. Monticello High School

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16U Saints received Youth 1st award Sharon Bergman

Coach, 16U St. Francis Saints

The Mankato Area Girls Fastpitch Association in partnership with Youth 1st Inc., The Walser Foundation, Federated Insurance, Jostens, Pearson, Cashwise, Bennerotte & Associates and the Minnesota Twins Community Fund selected the 16U St. Francis Saints Softball Team as the recipient of a Youth 1st Team Award for their outstanding sportsmanship during the 2017 Rising Star Tournament. The Youth 1st Team Award recognizes positive behavior from players, coaches and everyone associated with the team (parents, fans and spectators). “We are placing the emphasis on how you play the game, which is ultimately more important than if you win or lose,” said Mark Arjes, founder and director of Youth 1st Inc. “It has become increasingly difficult to get coaches and officials for youth sports because of the abuse that they take during games. We believe it is time to model and encourage values-based actions, creating what we call a Conduct 1st environment where the focus is on the kids,

Mark Arjes presented 16U St. Francis Saints with the Youth 1st Team Award for outstanding sportsmanship during the 2017 Rising Star Tournament. Pictured back row (L-R) Arjes from Youth 1st Inc., Coach Sharon Bergman, Jenna Vandecar, Marlis Green, Lizzy Pechovnik, Kylie Bergman, Coach Chelsey Leiffring, Jim Ruid (board president); front row, Sydney Green, Madison Rothbauer, Cheyenne Cox, Julia Parr, Kenna Packard, Angel Wright. Not pictured Kristin Nathe and Kiley Murschel.

Submitted Photo

St. Francis Boys & Girls Grades 4-8

Traveling Basketball Tryouts Sunday, September 17

Early bird registration by Friday, September 1, cost is $320 Register after Friday, September 1, cost is $345

Tryout Times

´ Third graders are encouraged to try out. ´ A $100 check made out to SFBA MUST be brought to tryouts.

5th Grade • 3:45-4:55 p.m.

The check will only be cashed if you do not volunteer. ´ For more information, visit www.sfbaonline.com.

We Are In Need Of Coaches

If interested, please fill out a coach’s application online. You do not need to have a child in the program to coach.

Free Estimates!

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St. Francis High School

competitive energies are kept in check and officials and opponents are respected.” About Youth 1st, Inc.: The Youth 1st Team Award was created by working with the umpires and tournament directors. The umpire provided a team selection vote after each game during the tournament based on the conduct and sportsmanship exhibited by coaches, players and fans. Teams with a positive selection to game ratio of 80 percent or higher are recognized as Youth 1st Teams. Teams are presented with a Team plaque and certificates PLUS tickets for all players and coaches to attend and be recognized at an upcoming Minnesota Twins home game at Target Field. The mission of Youth 1st is to connect Conduct, Character and Community through values-based youth development. Youth 1st is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in March of 2010, headquartered in Owatonna. Youth 1st is an official Playball! Minnesota Partner For more information, please visit www.youth1st.com.

4th Grade • 2:30-3:40 p.m. 6th Grade • 5:00-6:10 p.m. 7th Grade • 6:15-7:25 p.m. 8th Grade • 7:30-8:40 p.m.

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September 2017

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve celebrates 75th anniversary Stephanie Xenos

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve

The University of Minnesota’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (CCESR) marks a milestone by celebrating its 75th year, Saturday, September 9. The public is invited to come to the station for an afternoon of tours of experiments and environments, youth activities and more from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. It’s a little known fact outside scientific circles, but one of the best-known sites in the world for studying how nature works is located less than an hour north of Minneapolis. For 75 years, top ecologists have made seminal discoveries at CCESR with field-shaping results that continue to contribute to our understanding of how human

activities are altering the diversity of plants and animals, and how people depend on this biodiversity. The modern science of ecosystem ecology was conceived by a graduate student who collected data at a lake at CCESR in the 1940s. The first automatic animaltracking system was invented by University of Minnesota scientists working at the research station. Long-term research on prescribed burns for savannas began here in the 1960s and continues today. Experiments launched in the 1980s and ’90s helped establish modern ecological theory including the central role of biodiversity in the functioning of ecosystems. “The 75th anniversary offers

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge September tours & events Jessica Nelson

Visitor Services Specialist, Sherburne NWR

Wildflower Tour Saturday, September 9 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Meet your guide at the Refuge Headquarters for a car caravan tour! Refuge Headquarters is located five miles west of Highway 169 on Sherburne County Road 9. Please reserve your spot. Bird Tour Saturday, September 16 8:00-11:00 a.m. Meet your guide at the Oak Savanna Learning Center (OSLC) for a hiking bird tour! The OSLC is just past the Refuge Headquarters on Sherburne County Road 9. Please reserve your spot.

24th Annual Wildlife Festival Saturday, September 30 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and Friends of Sherburne invite you to their 24th Annual Wildlife Festival to celebrate education through raptor and art presentations, hands-on booths along the trails, food and a silent auction. Go to The Courier Online Articles to learn more. Please contact 763-389-3323 or sherburne@fws.gov with your name, number in your group and contact information to reserve your spot or for questions. Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is located at 17076 293rd Avenue NW in Zimmerman.

St. Francis

Auto Parts Local one stop auto parts store with over 100,000 in stock parts and nationwide parts locating. Family Run Business Open 5 Days A Week — Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. 763-753-4698 4140 St. Francis Blvd., just south of town on Hwy 47

an opportunity to reflect on the success of our long-term ecological research program, which made Cedar Creek a world leader in research on nutrients, biodiversity loss and climate change,” says Forest Isbell, associate director of the research station. “It is also a chance to look forward as we work to identify sustainable solutions to environmental challenges.” Ongoing projects include

studies of biodiversity—the number of different species living in an area, from the tiniest bacteria to the largest animals and most massive trees—as well as large-scale experiments focused on how environmental changes are affecting the globe. About Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve CCESR covers a nine-squaremile area in East Bethel. It is the site of some of the world’s

longest running experiments, which are determining how ecosystems are responding to fertilization, biodiversity loss and climate change. Minnesota lies at the juncture of three great biomes of North America: Northern Conifer Forest, Eastern Deciduous Forest and Tallgrass Prairie. Cedar Creek contains flora and fauna of all three, as well as wetlands, lakes and, of course, the creek after which it is named.

St. Francis Youth Hockey

Learn to Skate Learn to Play Sessions

The St. Francis Youth Hockey Association is offering their annual learn to skate/learn to play clinics for boys and girls. Each session will be 30-45 minutes in length.

Learn to Skate

Absolutely NO prior skating skills required. At the end of the session, the goal for your new skater is to skate independently. Open to all ages.

Learn to Play

This program is an introduction to hockey for a new skater. Hockey gear is encouraged and available free to use for this program. Open to all ages.

Fall Session:

Sundays October 1, 8 (Tentative), 15, 22, 20 29

Winter Session I:

Sundays November 12, 19; December 3, 10, 17

Winter Session II: Sundays January 7, 14, 21, 28

Times will be in the late afternoon/ early evening and published prior to each session. Location: East Bethel Ice Arena Cost: $35 for each session

on For more informati e or to register onlin

www.sfyha.com n to Skate)

click on Lear (Click on TEAMS, then

September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

Life Alexandra House announces free workshops and support groups Tina Bronson

Alexandra House Communications Marketing Director

Alexandra House offers several educational workshops and support groups to help survivors cope with the confusion, anger and fear often experienced after episodes of sexual assault and domestic violence. All workshops and groups are held at Alexandra House, Blaine. For more

information or to register, call 763-656-1366; also visit alexandrahouse.org. Coffee & Conversations Tuesdays, September 5, 12, 19, 26, 10:00-11:00 a.m. Topics include finances and budgeting, resume writing, healthy relationships and more. Please register. More than Survivors: Healing Arts Support Group Tuesdays, September 5, 12,

Saturday, October 21

9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. 6 foot space rental $10 (limit 2) Wanted Cost will offset a wide range of Crafters, Artists, advertising and promotion. Quilters, Hobbyists Hurry! Space is limited.

Display and vend your talents. Refreshments available throughout the day.

Please join in on the fun!

19, 26, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Find support while using the creative arts to relax and connect to one’s thoughts and

Book Club News Julie Maurer

Community Book Club

We are a community book club that meets the first Tuesday of the month at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 1450 237th Avenue NE in East Bethel (the little gray church at Cooper’s Corner). There are no membership dues or enrollment fee. However, we may ask for donations to help offset the cost of utilities, etc., at the church. At each meeting, a member volunteers to bring five book titles to present at the next meeting. We choose one book from those five to read in two months. For more information, please call Julie at 763-434-9143 or June at 763-434-3132. Here are the details for our next two meetings: Tuesday, September 5 at 6:30 p.m. Book: Dear Mr. Knightly by Katherine Reay Tuesday, October 3 at 6:30 p.m. Book: 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works—A True Story by Dan Harris 3220 Bridge Street, Suite 107 in the St. Francis Mall

Call

763-753-1277

Deadline to register is September 15 Contact the church office 763-444-5315 or visit longlakeluth.org for registration form and more information.

Long Lake Lutheran Church

Free Games & Win Prizes! More!

Free Live Music!

Food Trucks!

for an Appointment

Kendall W. Goodian, D.C. Chiropractic Orthopedist

3921 277th Ave NW, Isanti, MN, about 5 miles north of St. Francis

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feelings. Please register. Self-Esteem Support Group Wednesdays, September 6, 13, 20, 27, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

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Hang out with us before the block party at the church! Service @ 10:30 a.m. 6443 Norris Lake Rd Nowthen

Not Free, Prices Vary by Vendor

! y t r a P Block

St. Francis Sponsored by:

Sunday, September 17 12:00-3:00 p.m.

Rain or Shine

A Life-Giving Church

6443 Norris Lake Road, Nowthen 763-753-2134 www.SFBRDIGE.ORG Info@SFBRIDGE.org

St. Francis Mall Parking Lot

(Intersection of Bridge Street & Lake George Blvd.)

Join us Sunday Mornings! 10:30 A.M. Service

For women who are seeking support in building self-esteem and exploring personal worth and value. Please register. On Our Way – For Women 50+ Thursdays, September 7, 14, 21, 28, 10:00-11:30 a.m. For 50+ who are survivors of abuse. Please register. Support and Healing Group for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Thursdays, September 7, 14, 21, 28, 6:30-8:00 p.m. For adult women who are ready to explore their personal healing process and find hope. Please register. Mindfulness & Meditation Fridays, September 8, 15, 22, 29, 10:00-11:00 a.m. Learn about meditation as it relates to self-care and emotional health. Please register.

Births Hailey Corrine Johnson was born on July 13, 2017, at Cambridge Medical Center to Aerial Shuree Johnson and Kenneth Herbert Johnson of Isanti. She weighed seven pounds, fifteen ounces and was 21 inches long. Hailey was welcomed by siblings Wyatte, Makayla and Liam. Proud grandparents are Dawn and Kipp Frederiksen and Gordy and Gail Johnson. Addison Catherine Stenger was born on July 28, 2017, at Cambridge Medical Center to Amber Jorgenson and Joshua Stenger of Isanti. She weighed five pounds, eight ounces and was 19½ inches long. Addison was welcomed by older brother Connor. Proud grandparents are Gerri Stenger of Isanti, Catherine Jorgenson of Amery, WI and Gregg Stenger of Nevis. Kennedy Joelle Marie Sweeney was born on August 3, 2017, at Cambridge Medical Center to Jenette and Tony Sweeney of Oak Grove. Kennedy weighed seven pounds, two ounces and was 20 inches long. Kennedy was welcomed by sister Hallie. Proud grandparents are Jane Reopelle of Princeton, Maike and Lily Sweeney of St. Anthony, Christi Sweeney of Little Canada, Stella Reopelle of Princeton and Bob Ponder of St. Francis.

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September 2017

Cambridge-Isanti School Garden—a community effort Katie Walker

Isanti County Master Gardener

It all started with a dream to build a school garden that serves the needs of a high school classroom and the surrounding community. As a Family and Consumer Science (FACS) Teacher at Cambridge-Isanti High School (CIHS), I always thought about having an accessible garden for students to grow produce and learn to cook the produce they grew themselves. When that idea became a reality two years ago, it was a synthesis of talent and hard work. Many people, organizations and students contributed to make the garden grow. The idea of a school garden became a project when I met Melissa Carstensen, a state health improvement program coordinator for Isanti County Public Health. After several conversations, Melissa and I decided to take our chances in starting a garden. We applied for funding for Neighborhood Health Connections Grant through the Allina Health System. With great surprise, we received the grant! We formed important

partnerships and one was with the Isanti County Master Gardener Program. The Master Gardeners are essential when guiding us along each step in developing the garden. Other groups we collaborated with included CIHS staff and students, Adventure Center Program students and teachers, the local Lions Club, Isanti County Public Health, Isanti County Parks, Family Pathways and Isanti County Food Shelves, Four Seasons Garden Group, and the Senior Activity Center-Friendship Café, as well as community members, local businesses and our own family members. With local support we began by locating a garden site essential for good growth. We worked closely with school district building and grounds staff in finding a remarkable site—a large open area south of the high school with nearby parking and handicap accessible concrete entrance. The tillable space for gardening is 50 feet by 80 feet. Our next step was designing a secure fence, which was important to keep wildlife out and produce and supplies safe. Our garden fence was

Faith Listings Abundant Life Alliance Church 3840 197th Avenue NW Oak Grove • 763-753-0284 www.AbundantLife4U.org

Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church 19001 Jackson Street NE East Bethel • 763-434-6117 www.oursaviourslc.org

Bethel Community Church 23860 Dewey Street NW Bethel • 763-434-9834 www.bethelschurch.org

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church 207 Whiskey Road NW Isanti • 763-444-4035 www.stelizabeth-isanti.org

Cedar United Methodist Church 17541 Jefferson Street NE Ham Lake • 763-434-7463 www.cedarumc.org Elim Baptist Church 114 Dahlin Street SE Isanti • 763-444-9221 www.elimistani.org Immanuel Church (OPC) 15036 Round Lake Boulevard NW Andover • 763-210-5846 www.immanuelchurchopc.org Living Hope Evangelical Free Church 23038 Rum River Boulevard NW St. Francis • 763-753-1718 www.LivingHopeEFC.org Long Lake Lutheran Church 3921 277th Avenue NW Isanti • 763-444-5315 www.longlakeluth.org New Life Church - Oak Grove 18975 Lake George Boulevard NW Oak Grove • 763-753-5717 www.newlifeoakgrove.org New Life Church 17261 St. Francis Boulevard NW Ramsey • 763-421-0166 www.newlifemn.org

designed by John Nordin, Master Gardener, and built by an energetic group of students, community members and CIHS staff. It took about three days to complete the fence. As a part of our handicapped accessibility goal, we installed wooden raised beds. These beds were placed on the large concrete slab within our garden gate to be planted and maintained by the summer special education program. Students grew flowers, vegetables and herbs. During the school year, students in FACS classes planted a portion of the garden. One obstacle to a school garden is, “who runs the garden all summer?” Our plan was to have volunteers maintain and water the garden and develop a sharecropping program. We looked to sharecrop with organizations affiliated with community outreach programs and would be willing to work with students. The sharecroppers agreed to donate 50 percent of their produce to the high school and keep the other half for their organization. Thank you to Isanti County Master Gardeners, Isanti County

Public Health, Lion’s Club and SACS for maintaining the garden this summer. Making the garden a success has been a group effort. The CIHS construction trades class built our garden shed and the art program held a garden sign contest. The FACS classes planted and harvested produce to be used for cooking. Finally, Don Soler built sharecropper plot sign holders to identify crops and sharecropper’s information. He also refurbished the bench in our Angel Garden, a memorial garden outside the fenced area. The educational component of the school garden is

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limitless. In addition to the FACS program and special education participation, this past summer we held garden lessons for the CambridgeIsanti Adventure Center students to learn gardening, teamwork and cooking. The successes of our harvests are spectacular! In addition to using produce in the classroom, we donate over 500 pounds of food annually to local families in our community. To volunteer or for more information, contact Katie Walker at 763-689-3401 or Melissa Carstensen at 763-689-8265. Bring in this ad for

1000 off Any

exam

Offer expires 9/30/17. One coupon per customer, per visit. Not valid with any other offers.

“We treat your pets like our own”

St. Francis Veterinary Clinic 763-444-9359

Two miles north of St. Francis on Highway 47 Visit us on the web at www.sfvetclinic.com

St. Andrew Lutheran Church 1450 237th Avenue NE East Bethel • 763-434-7146 www.standreweb.org St. Francis United Methodist Church 3914 229th Avenue NW St. Francis • 763-753-2273 www.stfrancis-umc.com St. Patrick Catholic Church 19921 Nightingale Street NW Oak Grove • 763-753-2011 www.st-patricks.org The Bridge Church 6443 Norris Lake Road Nowthen • 763-516-5995 Services 10:30 a.m. Trinity Lutheran Church, School and Childcare 3812 229th Avenue NW St. Francis • 763-753-1234 www.trinitysf.org West Bethel United Methodist Church 1233 221st Avenue NE Cedar • 763-434-6451

h Annua Charity Car Show!

Register your ride now in one of our 8 classes and earn a chance to win any one of our door prizes worth over $2000, earn bragging rights, win trophies, play games, enjoy other local events and more! ALL FOR CHARITY!!

September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

Pet Corner

Dr. Amy Morgan Oak Grove Animal Hospital, Owner

Question My dog just had a seizure. What’s the best way to handle that? Answer When your dog is having a seizure, it’s helpful to time the episode using a watch with a second hand or use the stopwatch feature on your phone. You want to know the amount of time that they are out of control of normal movement. Also make note of how long it takes after the seizure to return to normal. It’s often only a few minutes. Make sure they’re in a place where they won’t tumble down or bump into things. It’s usually best if they’re on the floor. Don’t try to hold or cuddle your dog. They are too disoriented to react normally and you may get hurt. It may be helpful to use a blanket or comforter over them to keep them from banging their head or hurting their legs. Don’t put your hands near the mouth during a seizure since they often have uncontrollable chomping movements. Don’t allow children or other pets near them during a seizure. They often urinate or defecate or hypersalivate during a seizure. Allow your dog to recover without interference. Wait until they’re ready to come to you before you interact closely with them. Their brain needs to recover from the excessive electrical stimulation before they recognize their family and their surroundings completely. Some dogs get very sleepy after a seizure. Allow them to sleep; they usually wake up from their nap feeling normal again. Contact your veterinarian after the seizure is over. Depending on how long it lasted and how severe it was, they may want to see your dog right away or they may suggest just keeping track of when it happened and how long it lasted for future reference. Occasionally dogs have one single seizure in their lifetime but more often once they start, they occur with some regularity and eventually need medication. Let your veterinarian know if your dog’s seizure frequency becomes, on average, more often than once a month or if the involuntary movement part of the seizure lasts longer than three minutes. Generally, dogs who have seizures can be very successfully managed and live a normal life. In support of

100% of the

Registration NOW OPEN!

Saturday, October 14 • 10:00 a.m. Rum River North County Park

23100 Rum River Blvd. NW, St. Francis (West of St. Francis High School)

Online registration available at www.physicaltherapyptc.com Expires 9/30/17

proceeds and donations collected at this event will go to Citizens Supporting Our Armed Forces. Last year, $2,680 was raised and over 500 donation items collected. This year’s goal is to raise $4,000 and collect over 700 donation items for CSOAF.

Or register at on day of the event. Registration: early $17, day of $25 (Children 5 and younger are free)

Expires 9/30/17

X1001

Per Gallon All Grades of Gas

Valid on cash transactions only, must pay inside St. Francis County Market. Not good with other offers. Limit one per visit. Expires 9/30/17

Anoka County Library’s (ACL) Board of Trustees unanimously approved the selection of Leo A. Daly as the architect for the design of the expansion and remodel of the 6,300-square foot Centennial Library, located at 100 Civic Heights Circle in Circle Pines. Construction is expected to begin on the building in fall 2018 and be completed in spring 2019. The current Centennial Library building opened in November 1985. In 2016, Centennial Library had more than 95,000 visits and circulated more than 177,000 items. The library is part of a civic campus that now includes a playground, community garden, and connections to biking and walking trails leading to Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve. “This project aims to reinvent what a public library can aspire to be,” said Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah, chair, Anoka County Board. “In an ever-changing world of information, libraries play an increasingly vital role in the lives of people who live and work in our communities.” Reorienting itself to meet increasing demands for flexible spaces, the new environment will reflect the evolving nature of 21st century libraries. It will include dynamic and high-tech elements, fun and engaging spaces for kids, and collaborative and creative spaces for groups to work together in a variety of configurations. Visit anokacountylibrary.org for more information and to track progress of Centennial Library’s building program.

Our Saviour’s

Lutheran Church & Preschool “Reaching Out With A Voice Of Hope”

Join us!

Sunday Worship • 8:30 & 10:00 a.m.

Fall Fun Fest

Sunday, September 10 Food, fun and games for all!

19001 Jackson Street NE • East Bethel West County Road 22 and south on Jackson Street For information call 763-434-6117 or visit our website at www.oursaviourslc.org • email to: oslc@oursaviourslc.org Pastors Dan Nordin, Maria Pederson, Deacon Glenndy Ose

Check out our Grab ’N Go case filled with breakfast sandwiches, deli sandwiches, wraps, fruit, vegetables, sushi, yogurt parfaits, salads and more!

Valid on cash transactions only, must pay inside St. Francis County Market. Not good with other offers. Limit one per visit. Expires 9/30/17

Express Gasolines

Maggie Snow

Anoka County Library

So many reasons to shop at County Market Express…

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Express Gasolines

Per Gallon All Grades of Gas

Library board approves architect for Centennial Library Expansion

ELCA

www.kingscountymarket.com 23122 St. Francis Boulevard NW St. Francis 763-753-3334 Open Seven Days A Week Monday-Saturday 5:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Sunday 6:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

Let your light shine Ella Roberts

September 2017

Library Friends in Isanti Parade and Jubilee Day Gerald Golden

New Life Church

Friends of the Isanti Area Library

On July 19, ten members from New Life Church, located in Oak Grove, journeyed to Minneapolis to stay with Urban Immersion for three nights. Through service retreats and poverty and privilege trainings, the Urban Immersion program creates a deeper understanding of the complexities of poverty through team building activities and critical reflection. Each church was assigned a different task each day. The New Life group had the opportunity to paint the house of an older gentlemen who could no longer do it himself. Through the heat and an unfortunate meeting with bees, they were able to finish the job in seven hours. The next day they headed to Feed My Starving Children to pack food for the hungry and Arc Thrift Store to help organize all of their donated clothes that will eventually go to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Friends of the Isanti Area Library (FIAL) participated in the Isanti Jubilee Parade on July 6. Volunteers walked and waved to the enthusiastic crowds. Carrying their banners were Paul and Martha Bergley, Mike Lilliefors, Susi and Joseph McCune and Lynn True. Mike Peterson drove the van, which was decorated to resemble an elephant. Stovepipe hats and elephant noses were quite a hit—even though they were pretty warm to wear on such a hot day! The FIAL booth on Jubilee Kids Day was a great success. In addition to selling Deluxe Totes, FIAL T-shirts, stovepipe hats and used books, kids could play a token game to win a new book (or a candy consolation prize). Elephant noses like those worn in the parade were popular, too. The Isanti Friends are grateful to everyone who stopped by their booth to learn more about the ECRL Outreach Library located in Isanti City Hall. Many people were surprised to hear that all books we sell are donated by community members, and that we had 3,000 items in our

last Annual Book Sale in February! Book Sale and other announcements are available at IsantiLibrary.org. FIAL always welcome new members to their monthly planning meetings. For more information or to donate books, DVD movies, or audiobooks contact Susi at IsantiLibrary.org or 763-444-4585.

Friends of the Isanti Area Library had a creative float to inspire imagination. Pictured (L-R) Martha Bergley, Lynn True, Mike Lilliefors, Joseph Wangen and Susi McCune. Submitted Photo

Rally Sunday Every night after getting back to the center from volunteering, each church gathered for evening programming. Here they participated in group discussions on charity, justice and how people become poor. They also participated in a simulation game relating to real life expenses people face on a daily basis. To put it all in perspective a guest speaker told her story about her family living in dangerous conditions surrounded by poverty, drugs and abuse. To end the trip, they reflected on everything they learned and how they can educate people about their experience. By sharing their faith and leaving with a great gratitude, they left changed to hopefully make a difference in their communities.

Ask Fido:

What makes Fido’s your favorite home away from home?

“Easy. Four free walks a day, every day I’m here!”

More personal care boarding perks:

10% Off for new Grooming Customers!

• $18 per day plus a multi dog discount • Pick-up/drop-off 365 days a year • 24 hour on-site care • Maintaining Fido’s routine of pottying outside—we’re not in the business of starting bad habits • Free medication administration

Sunday, September 10

Worship times 8:00 & 9:30 a.m. Register for Sunday School—two years old through 5th grade, Confirmation and High School Youth Group. Service and learning opportunity expo.

All Breed Professional Dog Grooming and Personal Care Boarding Day and Evening Appointments

763-213-8143 www.fidosbarber.com

All are welcome!

Garage Sale September 7&8 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Proceeds benefit LLLC 2018 youth trips.

Long Lake Lutheran Church Join us each Sunday for worship and fellowship 8:00 & 9:30 a.m. Wednesday Service 6:00 p.m.

Continue to use flea and tick preventatives through the fall!

Fido’s Barber Shop 19847 Orchid St. NW, Oak Grove

763-753-6336 • www.oakgrovevet.net 19035 Lake George Boulevard NW Oak Grove, MN 55303 Amy Morgan, D.V.M. Lisa Johnson, D.V.M. Kaija Youngner, D.V.M. Dawn Price, D.V.M. Shantel Julius, D.V.M.

Located 5 miles north of St. Francis on Highway 47 3921 277th Avenue NW, Isanti, MN 55040 763-444-5315 • www.longlakeluth.org

September 2017

The Courier | www.the-courier.org

St. Patrick’s CountryFest coming soon Janice Audette

St. Patrick CountryFest Committee

It is almost time for CountryFest, the largest party in north Anoka County! CountryFest promises to be bigger and better than ever. The event is held at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Oak Grove September 8-10. CountryFest kicks off Friday, September 8, with the Youth Block Party from 8:00-11:00 p.m. for all middle school and high school youth. D.J. Bill will return to entertain, along with gaga ball, a bonfire, pizza and the chance to win some great prizes. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. New this year will be Bob FM on site both days. On Saturday, September 9, the 5K Run/Walk for all

ages starts at 9:00 a.m. All 5K participants will receive a T-shirt, refreshments and a chance to win prizes. Awards will be given for the overall men and women winners. Registration information is available at www.st-patricks. org/countryfest. The main festival starts at noon on Saturday with amazing food, free selected children’s games, inflatables, bingo and the silent auction. The Country Store will have fresh produce, homemade baked goods, crafts and more. Don’t miss Remembering the King featuring Steve Marcio; A Touch of Magic at 1:00 p.m. and balloon sculptures at 3:30 p.m. The fourth annual BBQ RibFest contest takes place Saturday afternoon. Contestants will be tempting

and enjoy the headliner, Shane Martin Band from 7:00 until 11:00 p.m. The fireworks show begins at 9:15 p.m. On Sunday, September 10, CountryFest opens at 10:00 a.m., right after 9:00 a.m. Mass. The Classic Car Show begins at noon and runs until 4:00 p.m. The 7th annual quilt auction begins on Sunday at 12:45 p.m. and will offer a selection of 35-40 quilts in an array of colors, designs and sizes. Many hours are spent sewing fabrics together in unique patterns, then machine quilted with intricate designs. These quilts really need to be seen up close to appreciate the workmanship. The quilts will be displayed all day Saturday and prior to the auction on Sunday, so come early and pick out your favorite before the bidding begins. All

everyone in Oak Grove with the mouth-watering scent of ribs cooking to perfection. Ribs will be ready for sale by 6:05 p.m. following the 5:00 p.m. Mass. Judges will name the winners at 8:30 p.m. We are looking for more contestants who want to show off their grilling skills—all are welcome to participate! If you are interested in competing in the rib contest, contact Chad Lashinski at 612-991-7004 or email chad@chadlashinski. com. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners. Be sure to enter the raffle drawing for a chance to win $10,000 cash and other prizes. In the social hall you can bid on hundreds of silent auction treasures all weekend. Stay for dinner on Saturday, try the ribs or many other menu favorites,

Don’t Miss It!

quilts can also be viewed prior to CountryFest on the website. Final bids for your favorites at the silent auction must be made by 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. Activities wrap up with the raffle drawing on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. Purchase your tickets to be a lucky winner of the $10,000 grand prize, $2,000 second place and $1,000 third place, and along with $500, $400, $300, and four $100 winners. Also, there will be many other prizes raffled hourly during the weekend. We look forward to seeing you at CountryFest at St. Patrick Catholic Church. For more information, visit www. stpatricks.org/countryfest or call 763-753-2011.

St. Patrick CountryFest!

September 8-9-10 Friday, September 8

Win over

14,000

in cash & prizes ❋ Children’s Games & Prizes ❋ Breakfast Burrito Saturday & Sunday ❋ Fireworks Saturday ❋ 4th Annual RibFest Contestants wanted— win cash (Grand Prize $1,000) and bragging rights. Call 612-991-7004.

Pig Picks! Remembering the King Saturday, 1:00 p.m. Shane Martin Band Saturday, 7:00 p.m. BBQ RibFest Contest Saturday, Ribs for Sale

Saturday, September 9

9:00 a.m. 5K Run/Walk for all ages see website for registration information Noon Raffles, food, bingo, silent auction, FREE children’s games and a lot more fun 1:00 p.m. Remembering the King featuring Steve Marcio 3:30 p.m. Touch of Magic & balloon sculptures 5:00 p.m. Mass 6:05 p.m. BBQ RibFest Contest Ribs for sale until gone. Prizes awarded at 7:30 p.m. 7:00-11:00 p.m. Shane Martin Band 9:15 p.m. Fireworks Display

Sunday, September 10 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. Mass 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Raffles, food, silent auction, FREE children’s games and a lot more fun Noon-4:00 p.m. Classic Car Show 12:45 p.m. 7th Annual Quilt Auction view quilts on the church website prior to CountryFest 3:00 p.m. Silent auction closes 4:00 p.m. Raffle drawing

Is On Site

8:00-11:00 p.m. Youth Block Party – Gaga ball, pizza, prizes, games, bonfire, grand prize drawing and more. Advance $10, at door $15

19921 Nightingale Street NW • Oak Grove • www.st-patricks.org • 763-753-2011

Over 35 Quilts!