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CLI-FI: New book club explores climate change PAGE 3

Silver Sobriety opens new options for seniors struggling with addiction

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

STILLWATER — A new, nonclinical rehabilitation service exclusively for seniors recently opened in Stillwater. Peter Oesterreich and Win Miller fi rst discussed the need for a senior-specific recovery program in 2014, and just over a year later they opened their nonprofit, Silver Sobriety, offering their services to the Stillwater and surrounding community.

Previously, Oesterreich worked as a treatment director and counselor at Senior Recovery Center in St. Paul, which made him aware of the enormous gaps in recovery services offered to seniors in the state of Minnesota.

Silver Sobriety moved into its current space on Memorial Avenue on Dec. 1, and is now taking the fi rst steps in getting the program up and running. Oesterreich said that this can be one of the most difficult parts of operating the business.

“You have to kind of know this industry a little bit to know the way it works,” Oesterreich said.

“There’s not much movement at the beginning, it can take six months or longer before they get in the door because there’s just resistance. Nobody comes into treatment recovery services with a very big smile on their face.”

Regardless, senior addiction is a prevalent problem with no easily managed solution. The limited options provided for those with Medicare suggest that there is a large need for programs like Silver Sobriety.

SEE SILVER SOBRIETY, PAGE 12

JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Watershed Technician Emily Schmitz, CLFLWD Board President Jackie Anderson, Washington County Commissioner Fran Miron, Forest Lake Mayor Stev Stegner, Board Member Jon Spence, Board Member Steve Schmaltz, Peterson Companies contractor Curt Peterson, Board member Jackie McNamara and CLFLWD Administrator Mike Kinney stand on the dig site where the Bixby Park wetland will be reformed into an environmentally healthy habitat.

Bixby Park wetland project to reduce phosphorus in water by 206 lbs. per year

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

FOREST LAKE — The Forest Lake water tower was a fitting backdrop for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Clean Water Project in Bixby Park on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Mayor Stev Stegner, Washington County Commissioner Fran Miron, members of the Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District Board and a team of engineers and scientists were present to commemorate the beginning of the project in the midst of a frigid, windy January day.

Bixby Park is a 25-acre, grassy, undeveloped tract of land verging on the Washington County and Chisago County border. Bordered by Interstate 35 and Highway 8, and reachable only by an unpaved road at the very end of Second Avenue NW, it doesn’t appear to be a very significant stretch of land,

especially because from the ground — and in the dead of winter — it appears totally free of water.

A drone operator was present to conduct a flyover surveillance of the area, revealing a low-lying frozen pond in the center. This pond is where all of the water runoff should be going, but thanks to the presence of several deep ditches cut through the land, excess water is bypassing this small but important body of water.

“It’s steep-banked, so water doesn’t get into the natural wetland area,” said CLFLWD Administrator Mike Kinney.

This is a problem, because wetland areas like the ones in Bixby Park serve to filter out harmful pollutants such as nitrates and phosphorus. With the ditches directing water away from this wetland, those chemicals are being channeled directly into larger bodies of water, such as Comfort Lake, the

Sunrise River and the St. Croix River.

The last time the water in Comfort Lake was analyzed, the phosphorus levels were above the state standard of 40 micrograms per liter.

The ditches were first carved when Forest Lake’s population was mainly composed of farming families, who needed water drained away from their fields to provide a healthy crop.

“It’s a former judicial ditch, with the purpose to drain the land for the improvement for farmland use,” Kinney said. “Other than being pasture, the land was never developed. It was abandoned by the two counties.”

City residents have since moved away from farming and have adopted a more suburban lifestyle. Meanwhile, the ditches remained unmaintained and largely forgotten.

SEE BIXBY PARK, PAGE 12

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2

THE LOWDOWN

FEBRUARY 5, 2016 www.presspubs.com

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Suicide increase inspires funeral home to host prevention training

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

FOREST LAKE — When Susan Hutchison, a director at Mattson Funeral Home, noticed an unusual increase in the number of suicides in the area, she reached out to suicide prevention organization Jake’s Hope to organize an educational session.

“We are someone who families would turn to,” Hutchison said. “We would be doing a disservice if we didn’t do education on this.”

Hutchison said that the funeral home has noticed a 50 percent increase in suicide just in the past year.

“We can think of at least 12 last year,” she said. “And the ages involved—it isn’t always teenagers.

Many times it’s midlife and older, which seems kind of surprising.”

Kari Krummel, the marketing director of Jake’s Hope, confirmed that this large increase is a national trend.

“Nationally, it’s been going up,” she said. “The statistics for suicides are about two years behind. About 42,000 people per year in U.S. 2013 statistics, and it just keeps rising every year.

What we believe is that talking about it and getting it out in the open takes away some of that shame and some of that fear can help.”

Invitations to the training session will be extended to organizations such as the school district, police department, fire department, hospitals and medical staff and Scouts. The training is recommended for students in seventh grade and above, and is free and open to anyone interested in learning suicide prevention skills.

“If we filled the building, it would be incredible,” Hutchison said.

Krummel provides QPR—or Question, Persuade, Refer—training to help people recognize and confront indications of suicidal behavior in friends and family. The QPR Institute began teaching this curriculum in 1999. The nationally recognized program teaches the average person how to recognize the signs of someone who may be feeling suicidal.

“It’s kind of likened to CPR, where it’s just kind of a training you’ve learned that you can use sometime in your life,” Krummel said. “You might not know anybody right now, but two years down the road, you might recognize a red flag somewhere and persuade that person to seek help.”

Jake’s Hope is named for a Lindstrom boy, Jake Steuernagel, who committed suicide in 2013. His family formed the nonprofit later that year in his memory. The organization’s QPR instructors — like Krummel — now spend most of their time teaching prevention workshops.

“His parents and several family members started the organization in honor of him to spread the word about mental illness and that it’s okay to ask for help,” Krummel said.

The training she will provide at the upcoming event will include instruction in common signals to watch for as well as what to do next. “[Participants] learn what kinds of questions to ask somebody when they

see the red flags,” Krummel said. “‘Are you thinking of hurting of yourself?’ and things of that nature—being direct and to the point with the person.

Then it’s persuading them to get help right away, and who you refer them to. When they’re at this training, they get all of that, they walk away with a booklet and they get a ton of resources—1-800 numbers, hotlines, Text for Life. That’s a number out there that people in Minnesota can text when they’re feeling depression, which in this day and age is really nice, because if they don’t feel like calling it can sometimes be easier just to send a text.”

Suicide Prevention Resources National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 Canvas Health Crisis Connection: 612-379-6363 / 866-379-6363 TXT4LIFE: www.txt4life.org text “LIFE” to 61222, or text “SUPPORT” to 741741 Krummel said she has received a lot of positive feedback from the people who attend her educational sessions.

“We get a great response from the people who come,” Krummel said. “It brings about so much conversation.

After the training, people just start talking and sharing stories and it really gets the conversation started.”

Hutchison believes this type of event in the community is essential, and sees it as a duty to the Forest Lake community to provide the space needed for suicide prevention education.

“If one evening here can help one person have the answers and to know where to turn, then that makes it worth it,” Hutchison said. “Our goal is to help people in need, and this is definitely a need.”

Jake’s Hope also hosts an annual ice fishing fundraiser on North Center Lake in Center City, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. The event also boasts food, raffles, portable bonfires and family fun.

To learn more about Jake’s Hope and QPR training, visit www.jakeshope1994.com.

IF YOU GO What: Suicide Prevention Training When: Thursday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m.

Where: Mattson Funeral Home, 343 North Shore Dr., Forest Lake

3

Cli-Fi Book Club to hit the libraries this spring

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

STILLWATER — You’ve heard of sci-fi books, but in the St. Croix Valley, the subgenre of climate fiction, or cli-fi, is making an appearance for an environmentally focused monthly book club hosted by ArtReach St. Croix.

“It’s really talking about the works of fiction that start with the assumption that the climate has changed,” said ArtReach Executive Director Heather Rutledge.

“And sometimes that means it’s post-apocalyptic, but not always. The climate and the environment might not even be a central part of the story, but the characters and their relationships to each other and the choices that they make in the book are rooted in the fact that something has shifted.”

Rutledge is organizing the first few meetings of the club, which will host meetings in Stillwater, St. Croix Falls and Prescott.

There are three books planned. After that, Rutledge said, continued meetings depend on the interests of the attendees. Club members will be able to select their own book for a fourth meeting, and clubs may continue to meet and select cli-fi titles to read for as long as they like.

Rutledge said that she has heard a few misconceptions about what readers can expect to find in the cli-fi genre. “[People] think it’s post-apocalyptic, they think it’s speculative, they think that it’s gonna be first and foremost a book about science, but that’s not always the case,” Rutledge said. “And in fact, that’s why we picked the first book for the series — ‘I’m With The Bears’ is a collection of stories by many well-known authors who are already dipping their toes in cli-fi.”

The series of books has been carefully tailored to appeal to inhabitants of the St. Croix Valley.

“The second book that we chose, ‘Flight Behavior,’ we chose very specifically because people around here are talking a lot about pollinators and about migration corridors for birds and butterflies and pollinators that are threatened. So ‘Flight Behavior’ is kind of a cool tie-in to that pollinator partnership.”

With the Big Read coming up in April, it seemed the perfect way for ArtReach to work classic literature into the book list. Hosted throughout the valley by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the Big Read lasts throughout the month, promoting a different work of literature throughout the St. Croix Valley each year. Programming can include visual arts, theater performances and book discussions, as well as other unique events. This year’s theme is “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck.

“Obviously the third book we chose because it’s the Big Read,” Rutledge said.

“People understand that part of our history and the Dust Bowl as prompting a big wave of human migration. It’s a great work of classical American literature, and the themes are so relevant. Even back in the later ’30s, people in Wisconsin and Minnesota were experiencing drought, pressures on their family farms and soil and water erosion. The Washington County Conservation District and the other conservation districts popped up right at the time. It was a matter of preserving the soil and maintaining clean water, and in

GOODREADS.COM

The cli-fi book club will begin with the collection of short stories “I’m with the Bears,” followed by Barbara Kingsolver’s pollinator-conscious “Flight Behavior” and ending with the St. Croix Valley’s Big Read selection, “The Grapes of Wrath.”

IF YOU GO What: First meeting of the St. Croix Cli Fi Book Club When: Tuesday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m.

Where: ArtReach St. Croix, 224 4th St. N, Stillwater First reading selection: “I’m with the Bears” a way it was a matter of national security.

Our ability to have food security was critical, so it’s very relevant.”

Environmental themes have permeated thousands of books. Rutledge said that the name “cli-fi” only gives another dimension to the existence of these themes throughout works of historical and contemporary literature.

“Obviously people have been writing books that count as cli-fi for decades, but this is really a newly recognized subgenre, and there are very few people I’ve ever talked to who have heard the word before.

It’s a fun new way to distinguish books.”

ArtReach will have small lending library on site for club members to borrow books, but the titles are also available at Valley Bookseller, local libraries and online.

“I think fiction is a great way to imagine and experience the future, even if it’s a story about the present or the past,” Rutledge said. “So I hope that people are interested in dipping into this cli-fi book club and seeing what this all about.”

To learn more about the Cli-Fi Book Club and the Big Read, visit www.artreachstcroix.org.

6

THE LOWDOWN

UP NORTH MU DAIKO PERFORMANCE

When: 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 7 Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Blvd., Forest Lake Details: Twin Citiesbased professional taiko drumming ensemble performs a variety of traditional and contemporary works, ranging from traditional taiko repertoire to original pieces composed by members. Free.

Contact: 651-731-1320 or co.washington.mn.us/ library

WYOMING LIBRARY TUESDAY AFTERNOON BOOK CLUB

When: 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9 Where: Wyoming Area Geise Memorial Library, 26855 Forest Blvd., Wyoming Details: Read ‘The Kitchen Boy’ by Robert Alexander and join the discussion. No registration required.

Contact: 651-462-9001

FAMILY VALENTINE’S DAY CARD PARTY

When: 12:30-2 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13 Where: Wyoming Area Geise Memorial Library, 26855 Forest Blvd., Wyoming Details: Free event for kids of all ages to make fun Valentine’s Day cards.

No registration required.

Contact: 651-462-9001

GADGET GURU

When: 1- 2:30 p.m. every other Saturday through March, including Feb. 13 & 27 Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Road N., Forest Lake Details: Do you have a gizmo or gadget that you just can’t grasp?

Hardwood Creek Library’s Gadget Guru can help with a challenging gizmo or gadget. Drop in or sign up for a 15 to 30 minute help session.

Contact: 651-275-7300

VALENTINE’S WEEKEND COMEDY SHOW

When: 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13 Where: Running Aces Harness Park “Laugh Your Ace Off Comedy Club”, 15201 Zurich St., Forest Lake Details: Mark Poolos headlines the show, featuring Mario Hillman and hosted by Jodie Maruska. Tickets $15 in advance, $18 day of show.

Contact: 651-925-4600 or runaces.com

FINE ART SALE

When: 8 a.m.-noon Sunday, Feb. 14 & 21 Where: Hosanna Lutheran Church, 9300 Scandia Trail N., Forest Lake Details: Proceeds

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benefit an upcoming multi-faith Feed My Starving Children event.

Contact: 651-464-5502

THIRD TUESDAY NIGHT ADULT BOOK CLUB

When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 16 Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Road N., Forest Lake Details: Title selected is ‘The Rosie Project’, by Graeme Simsion. Read the book and join the discussion. No advance sign-up necessary.

Contact: 651-275-7300

FEBRUARY 5, 2016

kintera.org

HARDWOOD CREEK COMMUNITY ART SHOW ARTIST RECEPTION

When: 2-4 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 20 Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Blvd., Forest Lake Details: Meet the artists who have artwork on display during the month of February.

Contact: 651-731-1320 or co.washington.mn.us/ library

AARP TAXAIDE

When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Feb. 1 to April 15 When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Where: Forest Hills Wednesday, Feb. 17 Methodist Church, 1790 Where: Hardwood 11th St. SE, Forest Lake Creek Library, 19955 Details: Free tax Forest Road N., Forest preparation for seniors Lake and low-income residents Details: Title selected WHEN: on a fi rst-come, firstis the fi rst half of 1-2:15 p.m. and 2:30-3:45 served basis. Bring a ‘Truman’, by David p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7 photo ID, Social Security G. McCullough. Read card and income, the book and join the WHERE: expense and health discussion. No advance Lake Elmo Park Reinsurance documents sign-up necessary. serve, 1515 Keats Ave. (if obtained through Contact: 651-275-7300 N., Lake Elmo Mnsure).

Contact: aarp.org/ OPENING RECEPTION: money/taxes/aarp_ ‘IMPRESSIONS IN taxaide Bring a photo ID, NATURE’S ELEMENTS’ Social Security card When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. and income, expense Thursday, Feb. 18 and health insurance Where: Hallberg Center OUT EAST documents (if obtained for the Arts, 5521 E. through Mnsure).

Viking Blvd., Wyoming 3RD ANNUAL ‘THE Contact: 651-439-7434 Details: Collaborative OLDER THE BETTER’ exhibit expressing VINTAGE SNOWMOBILE creativity in stone, glass, EVENT ST. CROIX VALLEY wood, metal, clay and When: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. RUNNERS-TRAINING other earthly materials.

RUNS Saturday, Feb. 6 Contact: Where: Withrow When: 8 a.m. Saturday wyomingcreativearts.org Ballroom & Event Center, mornings 12169 Keystone Ave. N., Where: Meet at Brown’s Creek Park, Neal Ave. and THIRD THURSDAY NIGHT Withrow Details: See old sleds McKusick Rd. ADULT BOOK CLUB and support the Stillwater Details: Group is When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Snowmobile Club. Free looking for runners Thursday, Feb. 18 admission for spectators. planning to run a Where: Hardwood $5 entry fee per sled. marathon to join them on Creek Library, 19955 Noon-1 p.m. sled ride. long runs.

Forest Road N., Forest Trophies, cash raffle Contact: Lake and door prizes. Food scvalleyrunners@gmail.

Details: Title selected com is ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’, and drinks available for

by Robert Galbraith. Read purchase.

Contact: stillwater the book and join the STOMP OUT DIABETES snowmobileclub.org discussion. No advance When: 6-7:30 p.m. sign-up necessary.

Tuesday, Feb. 9 Contact: 651-275-7300 Where: Stillwater TAKE YOUR CHILD TO Medical Group Specialty THE LIBRARY DAY Clinic, 1500 Curve Crest WYOMING LIBRARY When: 10-11:30 a.m.

Blvd., Stillwater THURSDAY EVENING Saturday, Feb. 6 Details: Lakeview BOOK CLUB Where: Stillwater When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Public Library, 224 Third Hospital diabetes and nutrition educators St. N. Feb. 18 discuss steps to reduce Details: “Favorite Where: Wyoming Area risk of type 2 diabetes.

Geise Memorial Library, book” project with $20, advance registration ArtStart at 10:30 a.m.

26855 Forest Blvd., required.

Make a bookmark, give Wyoming Contact: 651-430-8715 the prize wheel a spin, Details: Read ‘The or lakeviewhealth.org/ try our scavenger hunt, Spirit Catches You sign up for a library card classes and You Fall Down’ and check out books. No

by Anne Fadiman and registration is required. PRESCHOOL STORYTIME join the discussion. No Contact: 651-275-4338 x AND VALENTINE CRAFT registration required.

Contact: 651-462-9001 111 or stillwaterlibrary.

When: 10:30-11:30 a.m. org Wednesday, Feb. 10 Where: Stillwater FOREST LAKE ROTARY Public Library, storytime CLUB WINTER PLUNGE AARP TAXAIDE When: Noon Saturday, When: By appointment, room, 224 Third St. N. Details: Children up Feb. 20 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to kindergarten age can Where: Lakeside Park, Mondays and Tuesdays make a ‘love’-themed Forest Lake and 9:30 a.m. to noon craft following preschool Details: Plungers Wednesdays, Feb. 8 storytime. Presented by jump into Forest Lake through April 13 Stillwater ECFE. and raise money for Where: Community Contact: 651-275-4338 or local organizations.

Thread, 2300 Orleans St. stillwaterlibrary.org Participants must be 10 W., Stillwater years or older and raise Details: Free tax Learning Table $75 in pledges. preparation for seniors Contact: winterplunge. and low-income residents. Luncheon

MAN UP AND READ BOOK CLUB

SUBMITTEDD

Snowshoe Lessons DETAILS:

Experience snowshoeing, led by a naturalist from Warner Nature Center. $5 per person includes rental. Ages 9 and up. Registration required.

When: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10 Where: The Loft at Studio J, 214 Main St., Stillwater Details: Local business leaders share success stories; this month’s guest speaker is Judd Sather.

Chamber-sponsored event is open to the public; preregistration mandatory.

Early-bird registration $20/members, $30/nonmembers by 1/31.

Contact: greater stillwaterchamber.com

GET PAST YOUR FEAR OF THE BLANK PAGE

CONTACT:

651-430-8370

profits. Stop by for a few minutes of the whole time. No registration necessary. Supervision required for children 12 and under.

Contact: 651-439-7434 or communitythreadmn.org

WINTER BLIZZARD BLAST

When: 1-5 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13 Where: Warner Nature Center, 15375 Norell Ave. N., Marine on St. Croix Details: Families can explore forest and prairies on a guided snowshoe hike, kicksled on Terrapin Lake, play games on ice and enjoy hot cocoa and s’mores around a fi re. $5/adults; $3/children 3-12; 2 and under free. Pay at the door.

Contact: 651-433-2427 x 10

When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 10 Where: Stillwater Public Library, 224 Third St. N. Details: Be guided through proven exercises to break through writer’s block by an instructor who has been there.

Contact: 651-275-4338 or VALENTINE’S DAY stillwaterlibrary.org BRUNCH When: 9 a.m.-noon, Sunday, Feb. 14 SELLING OR BUYING A BUSINESS Where: Stillwater Elks Lodge #179, 5880 Omaha When: 11 a.m.-noon Ave. N., Oak Park Heights Thursday, Feb. 11 Where: Anderson Legal Details: Breakfast casseroles, pancakes and Services, 226 Myrtle St. more. $10/adults; $5/ E., Stillwater Details: Free seminar children.

Contact: 651-439-5276 to learn about selling or buying a business.

Registration required.

SECOND SUNDAY Contact: 651SUPPER 439-4001 or greater When: 5 p.m. Sunday, stillwaterchamber.com Feb. 14 Where: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 490 4th CONNECT THE DOTS St., Bayport When: 10 a.m.-noon Details: Free.

Saturday, Feb. 13 community meal includes Where: Community Thread, 2300 Orleans St. Turkey chili, breadsticks and dessert. All are W., Stillwater welcome.

Details: CommunityContact: wide event for volunteers bethlehemstar.org of all ages, especially families, to teach the value of volunteerism to children and assemble supplies for local non-

FEBRUARY 5, 2016

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activities, and garden goodies for tasting. No registration necessary; donations appreciated.

Contact: parks. co.ramsey.mn.us/ tamarack

KEEPING THE CABIN/ FARM IN THE FAMILY

When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 8 Where: District Education Center, room 103, 1520 Mahtomedi Ave., Mahtomedi Details: Learn how to keep your cabin, farm or business in the family without creating a family conflict. Randy Rhealt will discuss ways to ensure your children receive equal inheritance, the impact of taxes and how to properly position your assets for the next generation.

Contact: Mahtomedicomed.com

FILE | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Bear’ly Open WHEN:

Noon Saturday, Feb. 6

WHERE:

Ramsey Beach, White Bear Lake

DETAILS:

Annual golf on ice

event benefits the White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf.

Open to all ages. 18hole course, hospitality tent, food and entertainment. Official Winter Carnival event.

Community dance is

CONVERSATIONS OF THE All mystery enthusiasts welcome.

VALLEY When: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 17 Where: The Grand Banquet Center, 301 S. 2nd St., Stillwater Details: Todd Streeter presents on the topic, ‘Change-Friend or Foe? That Depends on your Spectrum in Life’. $17 includes lunch and program, and must be paid in advance. Part of the public affairs luncheon series sponsored by the St. Croix Valley Foundation.

Contact: scvfoundation. org/conversations-of-thevalley

LUNCH ‘N LEARN WEBINAR

When: 12-12:40 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 17 Details: McKenze Maiers, Physical Therapist, discusses strategies to prevent running injuries including key exercises, training, footwear, and running mechanics.

Register online.

Contact: www. healthpartners localcare. org

MOVING TARGET MYSTERY BOOK CLUB

When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 17 Where: Stillwater Public Library, 224 Third St. N. Details: Group members read individual titles of their choice based on the theme, setting, or topic selected by the group at the end of each meeting.

Contact: 651-275-4338 or stillwaterlibrary.org

ULTIMATE GIRL’S NIGHT OUT

When: 5-8 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 18 and every third Thursday of the month Where: Afton House Inn, 3291 St. Croix Trail S., Afton Details: Wine Tasting at Swirl Wine Bar, halfprice appetizers, unique jewelry and accessories from area artisans.

Contact: 651-436-8883 or aftonhouseinn.com

HOPE RESTORED

When: 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 20 Where: Trinity Lutheran Church, 114 Fourth St. N., Stillwater Details: Performance titled ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy-from Darkness into Light’ features the area’s finest instrumentalists along with the choir.

Contact: 651430-0124 or www. valleychamberchorale.org

NEIGHBORHOODS NEARBY

at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5 at the White Bear Country Inn.

CONTACT:

bearlyopen.org

blues, swing, R & B, and original tunes, sponsored by the Wildwood Artist Series. Tickets $20/adults; $15/seniors; $12/students.

Contact: 651-269-9888 or wildwoodartistseries.com

SPARKLE PARADE

When: 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6 Where: Ramsey Beach, White Bear Lake Details: Parade celebrates the opening day of the Art Shanty Projects on White Bear Lake. Wear sparkly clothing and outerwear. All ages, under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Contact: 651-407-0597 or whitebeararts.org

ART SHANTY PROJECT ON WHITE BEAR LAKE

When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays, Feb. 6-28 Where: White Bear Lake Details: Artists create shanties on the frozen lake to showcase art, from knitting to science to karaoke. Free and open to the public.

Contact: artshantyprojects.org

DROP-IN DISCOVERIES: BONES, FEATHERS AND FUR When: 10 a.m.-noon

PAT DONAHUE AND THE Saturday, Feb. 6 PRAIRIE ALL STARS WITH Where: Tamarack BUTCH THOMPSON Nature Center, 5287 Otter When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5 Where: Chautauqua Fine Arts Center, 8000 75th St. N., Mahtomedi Details: Evening of

Lake Rd., White Bear Township Details: Stop by for up-close visits with live animals, touchable artifacts, drop-in

PSEO INFORMATION NIGHT

When: 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9 Where: Century College, East Campus, Lincoln Mall, 3300 Century Ave. N. Details: High school sophomores, juniors and seniors can learn how to earn free college credits while in high school.

Session covers, program guidelines, admission requirements, application process and FAQ’s.

Register online.

Contact: century.edu/ events

‘AGNES OF GOD’

When: 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 11, Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13 Where: Century College West Theatre Details: Story of a novice nun who gives birth to a child brings religion, belief and psychology to the forefront.

Contact: 651-747-4059 or century.edu

IPHONE-TOP TEN TIPS

When: 6-7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 11 Where: Centennial High School East, room 102, 4881 101st Ln., Circle Pines Details: Learn to block unwanted callers, share location with others, increase battery life and more. Registration required; $15.

Contact: 763-792-6000 isd12.org/communityeducation

THE LOWDOWN

PHEASANTS ON ICE

When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13; registration at 8:30 a.m.

Where: Lake George, 3100 217th Ave. NW, Oak Grove Details: 1st Annual ice fishing derby hosted

by Anoka County Pheasants Forever. Prizes guaranteed to 40th place.

Tickets $25/adults, $10 kids 12 and under.

Contact: anokapf.org or jwnewps@gmail.com

PARENT-CHILD SNOWSHOE TREK

When: 10-11:30 a.m.

Monday, Feb. 15 Where: Tamarack Nature Center, 5287 Otter Lake Rd., White Bear Township Details: Go off-trail on snowshoes with a naturalist, follow animal tracks and discover hidden homes beneath the snow. For children ages 4 and up with a parent. $12.38/parent-child pair; $6 snowshoe rental.

Registration required.

Contact: parks. co.ramsey.mn.us/ tamarack

MINDFULNESS CLASS

When: 6-7 p.m.

Tuesdays, Feb. 16-Mar. 8 Where: Northeast Youth & Family Services, 1280 North Birch Lake Blvd., White Bear Lake Details: Learn how being in a state of active, open attention on the present can reduce anxiety, increase focus and improve relationships with yourself and people around you. $40 for the series.

Contact: 651-429-8544 or nyfs.org

SOLAR POWER HOUR PRESENTATION

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16 Where: White Bear Lake City Hall, 4701 Highway 61 Details: Discover the benefits of solar energy for your business, home or farm. One-hour presentation discusses solar market trends, describes the basic components of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, outlines the evaluation process for installing solar PV, and introduces incentive options and

When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 12 Where: Shoreview Community Center, 4580 Victoria St. N. Details: Kids can dress up and bring a special adult to the dance. DJ, crafts, and treats. $6/ resident; $7/non-resident.

Contact: 651-4904750 or shoreview communtycenter.com

economic benefits.

Contact: whitebearlake. org

MINNESOTA HOME & PATIO SHOW

When: 2-8 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 18; noon8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20; and 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 21 Where: Saint Paul RiverCentre Details: Nearly 300 local and national exhibitors offer creative solutions for all home project needs, both inside and outside the home. Admission $9/ adults; $5/seniors and military; $2.50 children 6-12; 5 and under free.

Contact” 763-755-8111 or homeandpatioshow.com

FINANCIAL LITERACY WORKSHOP

When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 18 Where: Washington County Workforce Center, 2150 Radio Dr., Woodbury Details: Learn about budgeting, credit management, and debt reduction. Registration required.

Contact: 651-603-5881 or mn.gov/deed/job-seekers

TASTE OF SHOREVIEW

When: 5-9 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 18 Where: Shoreview Community Center, 4580 Victoria St. N. Details: 6th Annual Fundraiser kicks off the 2016 Slice of Shoreview events. Evening includes sampling of food from Shoreview area restaurants, wine tasting, raffles, live auction and more. Advance tickets $20 or $35 for two; $25 each or $40 for two at the door.

Contact: sliceofshoreview.com

SCC ORIENTATION SESSION

When: 7-8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 18 Where: Suburban Community Channels, 2460 East County Rd. F, White Bear Lake Details: Free class tells all about public access and how to be involved as a viewer, volunteer or producer.

Contact: 651-747-3830 or rwcable.com

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FEBRUARY 5, 2016

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Stillwater Area Foundation announces grant awards JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

National Commander Dale Barnett, seated on the far right, compliments Mary Jo York on her chocolate turtle dessert recipe. The Commander’s tour stayed overnight in Forest Lake prior to the breakfast, and Post 225 provided snacks and refreshments.

Post 225 dishes up breakfast for National Commander

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

FOREST LAKE – American Legion Post 225 received the honor of hosting American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett for a hearty breakfast on Monday, Feb. 1. The National Commander is the leader of the American Legion, and the last time Post 225 hosted this important guest was in 1997. His visit to Forest Lake will be his first stop on a statewide tour of Minnesota Legion posts.

Commander Dale Barnett is the current National Commander. Each commander is elected for a one-year term, and Barnett, of Douglasville, Georgia, was chosen for office on Sept.

3, 2015. He served as an army infantry officer from 1974-1996, and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He was the battalion executive officer of the Second Battalion, 18th Infantry during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1990-1991.

During the course of his service, he has received The Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (two awards), Kuwait Liberation

The Forest Lake Police Department reported the following incidents:

Theft • A burglary was reported from the Pizza Man on Broadway Avenue on Jan. 24. The business was broken into on the previous Thursday morning.

Police reviewed security camera footage, which showed two suspects prying the door on the north side of the business to gain access. The suspects were both white males wearing jeans with dark jackets with a

Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge and Pathfinder Badge.

Barnett arrived in Forest Lake the night before the breakfast. Members of Post 225 brought snacks and refreshments to his hotel for his tour to share.

“They were wonderful, they gave us a very nice welcome to Minnesota,” Barnett said.

Chief among Barnett’s concerns as National Commander is ensuring that veterans are able to get the health care they need.

“We work hard to make sure veterans get the best healthcare in the world,” Barnett said. He said that one issue that keeps coming up is the time that it takes for appeals, and much if it is because of a disconnect in military medical records.

“We’re focused on the interface with the Department of Defense with electronic medical records,” he said. “There’s sometimes a little bit of a problem with the Department of Defense and the Veteran’s Association talking with each other. Sometimes it takes a player like the American Legion to bring them both to the table.”

He toured other Minnesota Legion posts through Feb. 4, visiting Princeton, Little Falls, Morris, Litchfield, Delano, Hutchinson, Wells, Adams, Stewartville, Preston and Winona.

“I’m extremely proud with Minnesota for the amount of recruiting they’ve

hood. The suspects were seen approaching the cash register and going through cupboards. The owner did not believe anything was missing, but the cash drawer did appear to be damaged.

The police are continuing their investigation.

Other • A suspicious male was reported on the 900 block of Eighth Street W on Jan. 24. A complainant reported that his mother arrived at the location and as she entered the building, heard footsteps behind

&

her and noticed an unknown male looking into her vehicle’s windows and pulling on the door handles. The woman yelled at him, and the suspect fled.

He was described as wearing a gray hoodie and being 5’10” tall. Officers checked the area but were unable to find locate the suspect.

The Stillwater Police Department reported the following incidents:

Arrest/Citation • A motor vehicle accident was reported at Pine Street E and

done,” he said. “I think they have a great opportunity to get ahead. We’re actually growing as an organization.”

Many Post 225 veterans were thrilled to meet and have their photo taken with the leader of their organization. Barnett is known for bringing attention to the Legion and its mission through his Veteran Awareness walks. After the breakfast, he said he was excited for members of the Legion to take him out to the lake to do one of these awareness walks.

“This will be my first time in my awareness walks where I’ll be walking on water!” he said.

Meanwhile, the American Legion is ramping up its efforts to raise funds for its annual Fourth of July celebration.

The Legion has already raised $3,000 for the parade and fireworks at its spaghetti dinner and silent auction. However, it needs to raise $17,000 more to complete funding for the event. On Saturday, Feb. 6, it will be hosting a Brew Fest and Chili Cook-off, with beers from 12 brewers and more than 10 kinds of chili to sample.

There will also be a drawing for a 40-inch television. Wristbands cost $20, and the Legion will be hosting more fundraising events for the Fourth of July celebration in the coming months. To find out more about these events, visit the Legion website at www.post225.com.

The Stillwater Area Foundation has announced the recipients of its most recent competitive grant program. This winter, the Stillwater Area Foundation awarded $7,000 to four organizations in the Stillwater area through its competitive grants program.

EVOLVE Adoption and Family Services received $2,500 to train social workers in a program called Wise Up and implement its practices in Kids Connect for adopted/foster children in the Stillwater area. Silver Sobriety received $2,500 to start up chemical dependency services for older adults.

Canvas Health received $1,000 for hiring a staff person for the Homeless Youth Outreach Program. Community Thread received $1,000 for hiring a new staff person for a chore service program for the elderly.

“Our competitive grants are meant to enhance the quality of life for Stillwater area residents,” said Maria Reamer, chairperson of the Stillwater Area Foundation Board. “Since our founding in 2010, we have been working to build and grow an endowment fund, which will address our community’s changing needs for years to come.”

The Stillwater Area Foundation provides donors with the opportunity to add to or create funds for causes that are closest to their hearts. The advantage of these funds is their mission is unchanging, yet they remain current and flexible. No one can guess tomorrow’s issues or know which organizations can best address those issues at that time. However, through the Foundation’s endowment and the competitive grant program, the Stillwater Area Foundation places grant dollars in the most capable hands at the right time, in perpetuity.

“We live in a wonderful community, and we are fortunate that we have committed and generous donors who imagine an even better Stillwater,” Reamer said. “It is a real honor to put our donors’ dollars to work in our community through these grants.”

From press release

Broadway Street S at 1:50 a.m. on Jan. 22.

A citation was issued to the driver of the vehicle for not having a valid Minnesota driver’s license.

• Police issued a speeding ticket to a driver who was speeding at 80 mph in a 50 mph area on Myrtle Lane W on Jan. 22.

• Police booked an individual with a second degree DWI and hit-and-run on Myrtle Street W at 7:38 p.m. on Jan. 24.

Theft • A vehicle was reported

stolen at 7:38 p.m. from Orleans Street W on Jan. 18.

• Police were called to investigate the report of a theft from Rick’s 36 Automotive Service on Tower Drive. The theft occurred at 9:23 a.m. on Jan. 20.

• A theft was reported at Linden Street W at 10:15 a.m. on Jan. 20.

• A misdemeanor theft occurred at Echo Lane N at 9:21 p.m. on Jan. 20.

•

•

•

•

Other • Police received a report of fraud from an address on Bayberry

Avenue at 12:45 p.m. on Jan. 21.

Police performed a property retrieval at an address on 62nd Street N at 7:47 p.m. on Jan. 21.

The police located an item of property that had been missing at River Rats on Second Street N on Jan. 22.

Police received a report of suspicious activity at the Kwik Trip on Settlers Way at 10:45 p.m. on Jan. 22.

Police were called to investigate an incident of malicious mischief at a location on Rutherford Road at 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 23.

AND OUTDOORS

FEBRUARY 5, 2016

www.readthelowdown.com

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Forest Lake Swim/Dive advance to state meet The Forest Lake Rangers returned to the Northdale Middle School Pool and defended their Section 7AA True Team Title this past Saturday, earning the right to advance to the True Team State Meet next Saturday at the University of Minnesota's Aquatics Center. This is the third year in a row the Rangers have captured the Section 7AA True Team title. Special congratulations go out to the Ranger 200 Freestyle and 400 Freestyle Relay teams of Duncan Johnson, Brad Youngquist, Wyatt Thompson and Ben Chatwin for setting new Section 7AA True Team meet records in those two relay events. Their 200 freestyle relay record of 1:29.42 and 400 freestyle record of 3:17.97 are now the new "Bars of Excellence" in the Section 7AA True Team Meet for 2017.

TARA THOMPSON | SUBMITTED

Above: Forest Lake swimmers and divers pose for a team photo.

Right: The Top Relay Team with their medals. New TT Section records in the 200 & 400 Free Relays. From left to right: sophomore Ben Chatwin, junior Wyatt Thompson, senior Brad Younquist and junior Duncan Johnson.

Submitted by Coach Joe Mau 7 ATT Relay 1_Mau: The Top Relay with Coach Joe Mau right after the race.

Catch of the Week

Stillwater grad recruited to play for the Twins STILLWATER – Stillwater High School grad Mike Strong was recently recruited to play for the Twins. He spent the weekend at TwinsFest 2016, the team’s annual fundraiser, signing autographs and socializing with new fans.

This makes Strong the second Stillwater grad to play on the Twins, following the

*A

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University. Strong previously played for the Milwaukee Brewers, and moved on to the Miami Marlins before the Twins acquired him in January.

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success of threetime All-Star Glen Perkins.

Strong joined the team as a left-handed relief pitcher.

Originally from Afton, Strong attended high school in Stillwater, going on play two years at Iowa Western Community College and then one season at Oklahoma State

Jackson and his Stillwater boys’ hockey team are red hot, and Jackson has been a catalyst of the offense. The senior forward had a goal and a pair of assists in a victory over Hill-Murray, and four goals and an assist in a rout of East Ridge.

Jackson was All Conference 2014-2015.

Suburban East Forward of the year 20142015. Stillwater MVP 2014-2015, Scored school record 23 goals 2014-2015, Played in State tournament 2013-2014. Jackson maintains a GPA of 3.6.

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FEBRUARY 5, 2016 www.presspubs.com

Youth Bureau teaches small engine repair skills in new social enterprise

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

FOREST LAKE — Lakes Area Youth Service Bureau recently announced that its new Tried and True Small Engine program, an innovative social enterprise business, is seeking youth participants. Youth are invited to fix small engines that have been donated, under the supervision of a professional mechanic. The engines will be sold to support the program and other LAYSB programs.

“It’s a combination of a program and a business,” said LAYSB Community Justice Program Manager Matt Howard. “It’s a business that’s trying to solve social problems, and all of the profits will go toward funding the nonprofit, which is either Tried and True LLC, or the LAYSB.” The program is currently seeking applicants, putting the information out to local school districts and shop teachers to find students that may be interested in the position.

“We’re looking for 15-year-olds and up who have a little bit of experience, and who have an interest in mechanics or engines,” Howard said. “We’re looking for kids with aptitude or interest as a way for them to gain real-world, handson experience in running a small business.”

LAYSB is working with several local businesses as partners to the operation.

Plans first began for the small engine shop nearly two years ago, Howard said.

“It’s been a long process,” he said. “[Chisago County’s] Sheriff Duncan and Executive Director Jeanne Walz and I attended four separate full-day sessions from the Initiative Foundation. It was a training process and also a vetting process.”

LAYSB presented its idea for a student repair shop, fulfilling the foundation’s definition of the term “social enterprise” in that the proposal must solve a problem and meet a community need that isn’t already being met.

“We received $10,000 to basically be seed money to get the whole thing started, because there’s legal paperwork involved, there’s graphic design ...” Howard said. “It’s amazing how fast

MATT HOWARD | SUBMITTED

Matt Howard, center, with the owners of Forest Lake Small Engine, Rod Rathburn and Mark Werlein.

you can spend money when you’re trying to get a business up and running.”

Local partners include businesses such as Forest Lake Small Engine Repair, which donates engines, and Bee Line Towing in Wyoming, which provides the space for the shop. “[These businesses are] not an actual part in it, but they are a partner. They give donations, they might possibly sell some of our repairs in front of their buildings. We don’t do repair for customers, but do fix up engines for sale,” Howard said.

The enterprise is meant to foster a community relationship between similar businesses in the Forest Lake area, rather than drawing business away from other services.

“You need to solve a problem and

meet a need that isn’t already being met,” Howard said. “We didn’t want to get into the business space of people who are already trying to make a living there, so we tried to get into a niche that wasn’t filled, which was the recycling of used equipment.”

Howard referred to Forest Lake Small Engine as an example.

“So they’re what they would call a participating, supporting business partner,” he said. “They will send machines our way when they can, and they’ll post a donation poster for us and allow their customers to see that as an option. Then when we have people who come to us and say ‘Will you repair our machine?’, we’ll say, ‘No, but we know some great businesses that do,’ and can point them to one of those businesses.”

The enterprise also solves a number of youth unemployment and job experience issues.

Jim Goserud, the owner of Goserud’s Small Engine Service in North Branch, will take a direct role as a supervisor and mentor to the youth who participate in the program.

“We’ll take three at a time for a threemonth session of time,” Howard said.

“We actually do an interview process.

We want them to feel like they’re apprenticing under our professional mechanic and really learn the trade, perhaps go to a tech school or maybe work their way into a shop somewhere.”

Howard and LAYSB are in the process of interviewing the first round of applicants for the program. He said that the lease for the space begins Feb. 1, and that participants could be working in the shop by the middle of the month.

Meanwhile, Tried and True is purchasing the equipment and tools it will need in anticipation of the shop’s opening.

Youth who participate will spend time in shop from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“Their responsibilities include everything from diagnosing equipment to ordering parts to fixing machines to preparing the machines for sale,” Howard said. “So taking pictures, listing things and taking part in the whole process of decision-making on whether a machine is worth selling or whether it needs to be scrapped and recycled. They will follow the mechanic and learn how to make a small engine repair business work.”

Howard said that the business had considered providing nominal compensation to the youth participants, but that it would be difficult to do while the program is just starting out.

“Right now we’re not in a position to be able to do that,” Howard said.

“If we begin to do better than break even, then we probably will institute stipends. There’s always the possibility if the business does well that we could start bringing youth in as part-time jobs, but we don’t want to jump the gun ‘til we’ve proved the concept.”

To learn more about Tried and True Small Engine Repair, or to apply, visit web.ysblakesarea.org.

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BIXBY PARK: Watershed district breaks ground on clean water project FROM PAGE 1

Jackie Anderson, president of the CLFLWD Board of Managers, said that this problem first rose to her attention in 1990 when a farmer reported problems with flooding on his farmland.

At the time, the Forest Lake Water Management Organization attempted to remedy the problem, but did not have the adequate resources to tackle such a big project.

The group was eventually dissolved, but the Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District came into existence in 1998 as a much broader entity, with the adequate funding and manpower to begin planning solutions to the issue.

The district hired the engineering firm Emmons and Olivier Resources Inc. (EOR) to design a project that addressed the water channeling issue. Kinney said that the purpose of the project is twofold: to reduce flooding and reduce phosphorus in downstream flows.

The firm will level off the berm that prevents the water from draining into the wetland, and in its place install a porous filter berm.

“We’ll build layers of porous materials, which absorb nitrates and phosphorus. It’s a lightweight filtering aggregate,” said EOR biologist Jason Naber.

Large quantities of phosphorus cause a decrease in dissolved oxygen in water supplies and make it difficult for aquatic life to survive. The alterations created by this project are predicted to remove 206 pounds of phosphorus from the water each year. The ultimate goal is to reduce the phosphorus concentration to 30 micrograms per liter, to resemble pre-development conditions above and beyond the state standard, which would result in reduced algae growth, a healthier ecosystem and safer water for recreation.

“We’re basically following a principle that is trying to mimic nature,” said EOR engineer and COO Cecilio Olivier.

However, to achieve this, the annual quantity of phosphorus removed must eventually reach 395 pounds. For now, the project takes the first step toward attaining this goal. In 2017, the board anticipates beginning the vegetation management phase of the project, which will restore the area to a more biologically natural condition.

Digging will begin in early February. Anderson said the Bixby Park project is only the beginning of a much larger initiative, which will operate step by step in the coming years to continue to enhance the water quality within the district. The board plans to review the effectiveness of the project sometime in spring or early summer, and in the future anticipates applying its efforts to three or four other major wetlands in the area.

For more information about the Bixby Park project or other Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District clean water projects, visit www.clflwd.org.

:JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Above: Biologist Jason Naber illustrates the planned changes on a map of the Bixby Park wetland.

Below: CLFLWD Administrator Mike Kinney speaks at the official groundbreaking.

Lower right: Drone surveys have assisted in identifying the best way to reroute water to ensure that it is purified by passing through the wetland.

SILVER SOBRIETY: Stillwater business provides recovery service for seniors FROM PAGE 1

PETER OESTERREICH | SUBMITTED

Silver Sobriety recently received a social services grant from the Stillwater Area Foundation for $2,500. From left to right: Lee Valsvik, Tom Triplett, Peter Oesterreich, Win Miller, Dr. Ned Windmiller, Gregg Brooksbank, Maria Reamer.

“The whole reason behind starting it up is because the system is broken,” Oesterreich said. “This comes from my experience at the Senior Recovery Center, of how difficult it is if you’re a senior to get through the barriers of accessing treatment.”

Oesterreich said that only hospital-based senior recovery programs are covered by Medicare, and only two of those exist in the entire state. St. Cloud’s hospital facility still maintains this program, but the only other location, Fairview Hospital in Minneapolis, recently stopped accepting Medicare for its senior chemical dependency programs. In addition to this limited access, Oesterreich also described the difficulty

of the process involved in simply getting accepted into such a program.

“For Medicare, their requirements are unbelievably stringent,” Oesterreich said. “If you want to get into a senior program, first you have to have a psychologist refer you, and then after that you have to meet with a clinical social worker, and then you can get into the treatment process and get assessed and get treated.”

He added that assessments are often conducted by interns, rather than experienced professionals. Added to that, the wait list for treatment can present yet another challenge.

“It’s crazy because it takes quite some time,” Oesterreich said. “Fairview said

they were five weeks out, but now they don’t even do it. The reason I dwell on that is because this is commonplace; for seniors there is just nothing out there.”

There are other options for addiction recovery, but Oesterreich noted that they are not aimed specifically toward seniors.

“If you’re on Medicare, your options are almost zero in order to get age-specific treatment, which is what seniors need. If you’re 65 and in a group with a 25-year-old who has methamphetamine addiction, the choice of drug is different, the age is different,” he said.

Silver Sobriety’s mission is to present the same resources and options in an all-senior group environment.

“Our whole program is based on a model that is focused on not just being age-specific, but also trying to get people connected within their age group,” Oesterreich said. “It’s kind a of peer-to-peer model. Seniors who are drinking are often isolated, and they need to get out of that.”

Seniors who participate in the program will go through a 24-week individualized curriculum, which will include group meetings, education sessions and guest speakers.

The program costs $4,500, and is more affordable than similar programs offered elsewhere. The group meets three days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and transportation can be provided by request.

He said that the program model is

The National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence (NCADD) predicts that by 2020 the number of people needing alcohol and drug counseling will double among persons aged 50 or older. Between 2000 and 2008, substance abuse treatment admissions among those aged 50 years or older increased by 70 percent, while the overall 50+ population grew by only 21 percent. much like a program in Wayzata called The Retreat.

“It’s a nonmedical, nonclinical model,” he said. “So we are more of a recovery service program than we are a treatment program. We are not licensed by the state, and that’s because of the insurance issues, but our program is run by licensed alcohol and drug counselors, so [participants] also meet with their counselor once a week.”

For more information about Silver Sobriety and its services, visit www. silversobriety.org, or call 651-890-2498.

Silver Sobriety is located at 5630 Memorial Ave. N, Stillwater.

FEBRUARY 5, 2016

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THE LOWDOWN

13

2016 Stillwater Sampler raises funds for music in Lake Elmo Elementary

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

STILLWATER – A crowd of nearly 200 attended the 9th annual Stillwater Sampler fundraising event, hosted by the Stillwater Rotary on Friday, Jan. 29.

Many Stillwater restaurants were present to bring some of their tastiest dishes for guests to sample.

Vendors included Acapulco, Grand Pizza, Joseph’s Restaurant, Lions Mane, LoLo, Lowell Inn, Marx Fusion Bistro, Pub 112, Reve Bistro and Bar, Sarah’s Tipsy Pies, Scheel’s Catering, The Daily Grind Espresso Cafe, The Green Room, Water Street Inn and Charlie’s Restaurant. The event also included an auction hosted

by Rotary member Peter Clements, with prizes such as a wall of wine, a whisky collection, custom crafts and more.

Stillwater Sampler is the Rotary’s only fundraising event, which collects money for initiatives that benefit the community. In the past eight years, the Stillwater Sampler event has raised more than $160,000 for community causes. This year, the major recipient was a pilot program at Lake Elmo Elementary called Music Means More. The three-year program, which begins at a kindergarten level, incorporates music-centered activities directly into school curriculum.

Director of Lakeview Health System and Rotary member Rex Cattanach served on the committee that chose to partner with Lake Elmo Elementary for this project.

“The Rotary member interest came in part from people on the committee who had exposure to music programs in the district.” Cattanach said the the real impetus to get the Rotary involved came when the group had the opportunity to hear a speaker from MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis.

“We became interested in their message about music and achievement, and we knew that the district would be building from a source of strength, especially given how the demographic of the school has changed in the past few years,” Cattanach said.

Cattanach said that there are 18 different languages spoken by students at Lake Elmo, and that 34% of the student population is composed of racial minorities.

The district has also noticed an alarming increase in the achievement gap, according to Lake Elmo Elementary Principal Stephen Gorde, who spoke during the event. He said that the at-risk population within the school has increased from a one in four to a one in three ratio just within the last few years.

“Achievement gaps exist where there are opportunity gaps,” he said.

Most schools attempt to combat achievement gaps with increased schooling in core subjects, Gorde said.

However, he believes that in doing so, schools are sacrificing the element of learning that inspires and engages students in their studies.

“What is often left behind in a rush to create achievement are these things that engage and inspire our students,” he said. With the implementation of the Music Means More program, Gorde said that the hope is that students “will expose a world that is too often unfortunately shut down to them.”

The program works by incorporating elements of music into the regular classroom: everything from watching educational performances to singing out daily reading materials.

“It’s music as a modality to connect kids to school and to connect their families,” Cattanach said.

Engaging parents as primary educators is another goal of the program. He said that kids are often sent home with projects that can involve the whole family, such as constructing an instrument out of different materials. Cattanach said that musical ensembles from Stillwater High School have also been involved, visiting classrooms and giving performances for the kindergarteners involved in the program.

Gorde said that progress may look slow on the outside, but that the eventual effects of the program will be well worth the effort, giving students a passion for school and learning.

“If you come back next year, we’re still going to have our sleeves rolled up and we’re still going to be working hard,” he said. “I believe our children are worthy of this investment and then some.”

To learn more about Stillwater Rotary, visit www. stillwaterrotary.org.

JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Top: Guests sample local restaurant fare, enjoy complimentary wine and listen to music performed by several Stillwater high school students, all while raising money for a new music program at Lake Elmo Elementary.

Middle: A young music student from Lake Elmo Elementary performs Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” on flute, accompanied by her teacher.

Left: Jose Delgado and Tony Sanches of Acapulco present tacos on homemade tortillas.

Right: Rotary member Peter Clements auctions off prizes at Stillwater Sampler.

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JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Above: A brigade of tiny snowmen were created for the same contest, boasting colored ice globes and the advantage of strength in numbers.

Left: A large dragon hatches out of a snow egg. This snow sculpture was created for Scandia’s Vinterfest Snow Sculpture Contest. Vinterfest took place on the weekend of Jan. 29-30.

Scandia Vinterfest snow sculptures

SCHOOL BRIEFS Students win poster contest Two Forest Lake students entered and won this year’s Lions Club Drug Awareness Poster Contest. Summer Schwinter won first place and Shayla Moser won third place.

The Lowdown is direct-mailed to homes in Washington County and zip code 55092. It can also be found at more than 100 rack locations! If you know someone who would like to receive it, they can ‘Say Yes!’ online at www.readthelowdown.com or by calling 651.407.1247.

Success for Ranger Debate Sara de Sobrino and Kelli Frederickson were named All-Conference debaters at the State Tournament at the University of Minnesota on Jan. 15.

Sara de Sobrino was named All-State. Alex Biedny, Lily Pope, Summer Schwintek, Sara Burger and Victoria Cebulla all received conference Honorable Mentions. Lincoln-Douglas debaters tied for top in the conference and Public Forum debaters came in second by one point. Added together, Ranger Debate was Conference Champion.

Workshop helps parents of children with mental illness Transitions is a free workshop offered by NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to help parents to assist young adult children living with a mental illness. The workshop helps parents gain tools to prepare their teen or young adult for independence, learn about special education, employment, college, transportation, life skills and housing. It includes helpful tips for living with young adults who aren’t ready to leave the nest. A Transitions workshop will be held on Feb. 23, from 6:308:30 p.m., at the Mounds View Community Center, 5394 Edgewood Drive, in Mounds View. Registration is requested. Please contact NAMI at 651-645-2948 or go to namihelps.org.

FEBRUARY 5, 2016

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Reel talk

Don’t Miss!

Good

Worth a Look

Brought to you by WeathermanWatson.com Frank Watson is a local Meteorologist who operates a weather station in White Bear Lake. Weather data and observation are from his weather station and trips around the area. Frank can be found on the internet at WeathermanWatson.com.

“THE 5TH WAVE”

— Gargantuan plot holes dominate this silly, ridiculous, disappointing, far-fetched, star-dotted (Maria Belo and Ron Livingston), 112-minute, sci-fi thriller in which an Ohio high school student (Chloë Grace Moretz) goes in search of her younger brother (Zackary Arthur) with the help of a man (Alex Roe) who saved her life when an army colonel (Liev Schreiber) takes him to a military base with other children in preparation for the fifth wave of alien attacks.

“DIRTY GRANDPA” (R) [CRUDE SEXUAL CONTENT THROUGHOUT, GRAPHIC NUDITY, AND LANGUAGE AND DRUG USE.] — Foul language and crude

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Fri

Feb.

5

7:28 5:26

Sat

Feb.

6

7:27 5:27

Sun

Feb.

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7:26 5:28

Mon

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7:24 5:30

Tue

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7:23 5:31

Wed

Feb.

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7:21

Thu

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11

7:20 5:34

5:33

WEATHER TIDBIT WEEKLY AVERAGES February outlook: Above normal temperatures. Snowfall FEB. 5 -FEB. 10, 2016 above normal. February normals: High 29.9º Low 12.7º.

High 27° Snowfall 8”. Astro note: February 6, Venus and Mercury Low 10° south of moon before sunrise. %Sun 53% PCP 0.16” YEAR AGO THIS WEEK After a mild January that caused many metro ice rinks to close, they reopened this week. February 7 the high reached 37°, warmest day of the month.

Crossword

humor dominate this unfunny, groan-inducing, vulgar, star-dotted (Dermot Mulroney, Aubrey Plaza, Danny Glover, Jason Mantzoukas and Zoey Deutch), 102-minute comedy in which a corporate lawyer (Zac Efron) in Atlanta, who is engaged to a beautiful blonde (Julianne Hough), reluctantly agrees to take his recently widowed, horny grandfather (Robert DeNiro) to Florida where he desperately tries to get laid after no sex in 15 years.

Fun Fact

Just like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue is different.

Did you know?

The lemurs on the island of Madagascar have 2 tongues.

“KUNG FU PANDA 3” (PG) [MARTIAL ARTS ACTION AND SOME MILD RUDE HUMOR.]

— When an evil general (voiceover by J.K. Simmons) returns from the spirit world to steal as much chi as possible from the many friends (voiceovers by Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, David Cross and Randall Duk Kim) of the Dragon Warrior (voiceover by Jack Black) and threatens his newly found panda father (voiceover by Bryan Cranston) and his adopted goose father (voiceover by James Hong) in this entertaining, colorful, family-oriented, 3-D, 95-minute animated comedy, the lovable, dumpling-eating panda quickly begins teaching kung fu to the rolling-loving pandas (voiceover by Kate Hudson, et al.) and his tiger friend (voiceover by Angelina Jolie) in preparation for a fight while trying to find his own chi.

“RIDE ALONG 2” (PG-13) [SEQUENCES OF VIOLENCE, SEXUAL CONTENT, LANGUAGE, AND SOME DRUG MATERIAL.]

— A wacky, sporadically funny, predictable, star-studded (Bruce McGill, Tika Sumpter, Tyrese Gibson, Sherri Shepherd and T.I.), 102-minute comedy in which a clumsy, rookie Atlanta cop (Kevin Hart) and a seasoned detective (Ice Cube) head to Miami to interview a computer hacker (Ken Jeong) and end up trying to take down with a local cop (Olivia Munn) and a well-respected, wealthy businessman (Benjamin Bratt) who is into dealing drugs, laundering money and murdering innocent people who get in his way.

WENDY SCHADEWALD The preceding films were reviewed by Wendy Schadewald, who has been a Twin Cities film critic since 1986. To see more of her film reviews, log on to www.shortredheadreelreviews.com.

Sudoku CLUES ACROSS

1. Color properties 5. Arabian greeting 10. Frozen spike 12. Levels 14. Tear down social stiffness 16. Rapper Hammer’s initials 18. Midway between E and SE 19. Shooting marble 20. Edward __, British composer 22. Largest English dictionary (abbr.)

23. Cygnus’ brightest star 25. Goidelic language of Ireland 26. Midway between N and NE 27. Auditory organ 28. Last month (abbr.)

30. Indicated horsepower (abbr.)

31. Mediation council 33. Aussie crocodile hunter 35. Sylvan deity 37. Clears or tidies 38. In a way, emerges 40. Whimper 41. G. Gershwin’s brother 42. Begetter 44. Seated 45. Old world, new 48. Girls 50. “Song of triumph” 52. A covering for the head 53. Attack 55. Norwegian krone 56. Coach Parseghian 57. No good 58. Task that is simple 63. A way to move on 65. In a way, advanced 66. Loses weight 67. Shift sails

CLUES DOWN

1. Go quickly 2. Fiddler crabs 3. Cervid 4. Gundog

©1986 through 2016 by Wendy Schadewald

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Weather tidbits

Forget it

(PG-13) [VIOLENCE AND DESTRUCTION, SOME SCI-FI THEMATIC ELEMENTS, LANGUAGE, AND BRIEF TEEN PARTYING.]

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5. Gushed forth 6. Caliph 7. Shoe cord 8. Give extreme unction to 9. Of I 10. “A Doll’s House” author 11. Documents certifying authority 13. Drunk 15. Principal ethnic group of China 17. Crinkled fabrics 18. Longest division of geological time 21. Pancake 23. Small pat 24. A garden plot 27. Strayed 29. Surgical instrument 32. No. French river 34. Modern 35. Now called Ho Chi Minh City 36. Set into a specific format 39. Exhaust 40. Individual 43. Moves rhythmically to music 44. D. Lamour “Road” picture costume 46. Having earlike appendages 47. Certified public accountant 49. Outermost part of a flower 51. Supplement with difficulty 54. Plains Indian tent (alt. sp.)

59. Electronic warfare-support measures 60. Displaying a fairylike aspect 61. Taxi 62. They __ 64. Syrian pound

“Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back.“ -Oscar Wilde

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