Forest Lake Lowdown

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AIRPORT TROUBLES: City council rejects MNDOT grant PAGE 24

History is afloat in Admiral D’s new dinner cruiser

SUBMITTED

A new 63-foot dinner cruise vessel will take Admiral D’s visitors out onto White Bear Lake and into the community’s history.

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

WHITE BEAR LAKE — Lakeside restaurant and bar Admiral D’s will revive centuries of lake history with the purchase of a 63-foot dinner cruise vessel, The Admiral.

Owner of Admiral D’s Brian McGoldrick said that it has always planned to include dinner cruises in its long-term plan since the beginning, so the timing was perfect. Excelsior Bay Charters on Lake Minnetonka happened to be selling this vessel, previously known as Summer Wind.

Sara Markoe Hanson from the White Bear Lake Historical Society said that during the heyday of the resort era between 1870 and 1910, ferry boats ran almost like a bus line to popular stops on the lake.

These boats operated from Ramaley Pavilion, near where the VFW now stands.

“They weren’t just for fun,” she said. “They were part of the lake transportation system. There were stops here, stops there, at places like Wildwood Amusement Park. It was rumored to have stopped at some of the resorts, but it’s not totally sure because some of these places had docks that would’ve been too small. It definitely ran from Ramaley’s back and forth to Wildwood. These boats claimed they could hold 100200 passengers. Even if they get 100, they have a goodsized boat; it’s nothing to sneeze at. Often they had two decks; bigger than most of what we see today.”

The Admiral, in comparison, is a skipper liner dinner cruise boat, which can hold up to 80 people, but more comfortably fits 60, McGoldrick said. He did not disclose the purchase price for the vessel, but said that similar boats in new condition can be purchased for up to $1.5 million. Since the boat had a former life as a vessel on Lake Minnetonka, he said the price was less than that, but still “very expensive.”

SEE THE ADMIRAL, PAGE 12

JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Architect Marc DuBois explains elements of redesigns to Forest Lake elementary school to guests at a community open house held March 31.

Forest Lake schools present plans for upgrades, repairs at open house

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

FOREST LAKE – The Forest Lake School District recently presented its plans for facilities improvements through the year 2020 at a community open house, held in the high school media center.

Attendees were able to view the overall plans for the next several years, meet with architects of each of the projects and discuss with various members of the school district. The plans for improvement were made following the passage of a bond referendum that passed Nov. 3, 2015, which promised repairs and upgrades to Forest Lake schools. The open house took place Thursday, March 31.

“We are envisioning what happens with the buildings to follow the bond, and get the community informed about the direction we are going,” said Forest Lake High School Principal Steve Massey.

“One of the challenges is how to meet today’s needs with what the future might look like with emerging technologies and opportunities around education.”

Plans for the future of Forest Lake schools include some major changes. The project will focus on increasing safety and security, upgrading energy efficiency, repairing or replacing roofs, boilers and HVACs, updating classrooms and other general repairs. Some of the biggest changes involve eventually shifting all 9th grade students to the high school building, and all 6-8 students to what is currently Century Junior High. The Southwest building will house Central Learning Center (CLC) services, and the old CLC will be torn down at the very end of the process.

In addition to these projects, the district will be continuing with its use of solar power.

“The genesis of most [the changes] is mechanical upgrades,” said Marc DuBois, an architect with Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates who worked on improvement designs on the elementary schools.

“Some are taking over a whole courtyard for things like HVAC, which is heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The restrooms are also being remodeled to meet accessibility standards and for

general aesthetics. Some of them haven’t been touched since 1954.”

DuBois said that redoing to the parking lots and solving some drainage issues are also in the plans. Entrance security will see a few larger changes, with a vestibule format where guests are not allowed past a second set of doors without going through an office or using an intercom.

The district has also made the decision to shift from open plan classrooms to closed.

“Some currently have an open plan with no hard walls, but it’s not the most conducive learning environment, and it’s not the most secure,” DuBois said. “So we will renovate that, and the plan is still in the works for the perfect balance between security and freedom.”

The redesigns have been working with the district’s solar energy plans in mind, but they do not deal directly with that aspect of development.

Superintendent Linda Madsen SEE UPGRADES AND REPAIRS, PAGE 12

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WWW.STILLWATER.K12.MN.US

A projected image of the front entrance to Brookview Elementary upon completion.

MN DOT

Barge traffic will increase in the next few months.

St. Croix Crossing project resumes bridge deck construction STILLWATER – Construction crews resumed placing pre-cast concrete segments that make up the bridge deck for the new river crossing and the Minnesota approach on March 28. Specifically, crews continued river bridge deck construction at Piers 8 and 9 and began this same construction at Pier 11. By mid-April, they will be placing segments at all five river piers.

The first pre-cast segment was lifted at Pier 11, closer to the Wisconsin shoreline, on March 28. The first eastbound and westbound segments at both Piers 10 and 11 will be placed using a construction method that involves connecting threaded rods to a single segment and lifting it into place from the barge deck using hydraulic jacks.

Boaters will see an increase in

barge traffic on both the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers in 2016. The St. Croix Crossing project is using five barges to transport pre-cast concrete segments that make up the river bridge deck from its Grey Cloud Island casting yard near Cottage Grove to the bridge construction site north of Bayport, Minn. These barges will make frequent trips between destinations, often daily. It is critical that the public be alert and stay back from the barges so everyone remains safe.

For more information, visit the project website at www.dot.state.mn.us/ stcroixcrossing.

From press release

Stillwater breaks ground on new elementary school

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

WOODBURY – The rain held off just long enough for members of the Stillwater school district to pose for a photo at the new site of the district’s latest project, Brookview Elementary. The ceremony took place on Wednesday, March 30. The elementary school will be built to accommodate students after the transfer of Valley Crossing Community School to the South Washington County school district. The Stillwater School Board members and Superintendent Denise Pontrelli were present to commemorate the occasion.

“We’re just so pleased to have a school open in the south end of the district, and we’re looking forward to partnering with our partners in Woodbury and opening in 2017,” Pontrelli said.

An online survey determined the name for the new elementary, which is based on the name of a historic road in the area. The new building will accommodate approximately 450 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and it will also offer a preschool program for four-year-olds. Growth in the southern part of the county resulted in the decision to build the new school in that area, right across from the Woodbury campus of Eagle Brook Church. The school design includes three learning pods determined by grade level, each of which will feature individual classrooms that open up into a larger space.

In addition to the current students at Valley Crossing, some students from Afton-Lakeland and Lake Elmo elementary schools will be redirected to Brookview to alleviate overcrowding.

The day wasn’t totally for celebration—a few parent protesters stood nearby holding “Save Our Schools” posters. Many parents still object to

the BOLD decision and feel that it adds insult to injury that the district is building a new school while it closes three others. The parents said they would have had a better turnout, but the groundbreaking ceremony coincided with the end of the school day. The parents had formulated resolution they planned to present to the school board in an attempt to stay further actions of the BOLD plan until a final decision is reached by the Minnesota Court of Appeals regarding the lawsuit being filed by parent Melissa Douglas.

Despite this opposition, construction on the project is planned to go forward in April. The building will be ready to receive its first class by the 2017-2018 school year. For more information and updates about Brookview Elementary, visit www.stillwater.k12. mn.us/district/building-834/building-brookview-elementary-school.

JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Members of the Stillwater school district gather at the construction site to commemorate the groudbreaking of Brookview Elementary in Woodbury.

JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Rosette Peters, Jeanne Booher and Tracy McGrorty stand nearby the groundbreaking ceremony, protesting the construction of a new school.

APRIL 8, 2016 www.presspubs.com

THE LOWDOWN

UW-River Falls part of renewal of Antarctic collaboration The National Science Foundation has announced that it has renewed a cooperative agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to operate IceCube.

The five-year, $35 million award entails the continued operation and management of the observatory located at NSF’s Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

UW-River Falls is an integral part of this collaboration, overseeing the education and outreach program of this longstanding research effort.

Headquartered at UW-Madison, IceCube includes a staff of nearly 60 scientists, engineers and technicians.

In 2013, the IceCube Collaboration reported the first detection of high-energy cosmic neutrinos, opening a new astronomical vista on the universe and on some of its most violent phenomena. Since its inception 15 years ago, IceCube—centered on a detector array consisting of 5,000 optical sensors frozen in the ice a mile beneath the South Pole—has been administered through UW–Madison, in recent years under the auspices of the Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC).

IceCube was the first scientific instrument to detect very high-energy neutrinos from beyond this solar system, neutrinos with up to a billion times more energy than those observed in conjunction with the 1987 supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Recent reports from the IceCube Collaboration have confirmed the detection of neutrinos from beyond our galaxy.

“All over the world, IceCube is considered the flagship of neutrino astronomy,” notes Olga Botner, the IceCube Collaboration spokesperson and a professor of physics and astronomy at Uppsala University. “IceCube’s discovery of extraterrestrial neutrinos is a major breakthrough and a crucial first step into as yet unexplored parts of our violent universe. It also represents a step towards the realization of a 50-year-old dream—to uncover the cosmic upheavals that create ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, detected at Earth with energies millions of times greater than those achievable by even the most powerful human-made accelerators.”

Neutrinos are nearly massless particles created in nuclear reactions, including some of the most energetic events in the universe. Colliding black holes, the violent cores of galaxies, supernovas, and pulsars are believed by scientists to be accelerating these high-energy particles, many billions of which pass through the Earth every second. Because they have almost no mass and rarely interact with matter, they are excruciatingly difficult to detect and require detectors the size of IceCube, which occupies a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice, to capture the fleeting bursts of light created when the occasional neutrino crashes into another particle.

But the elusive qualities that make neutrinos so hard to detect are also of significant interest to science. Since the particles glide through space unhindered by stars, planets, and the powerful magnetic fields that punctuate the universe, it means they are virtually pristine, and harbor valuable clues about their sources.

DELIA TOSI | WIPAC

UW-River Falls Professor Jim Madsen and UWRF student Laura Moon along with Robert Zill of Northern Illinois University are ready to board a plane at the South Pole.

“Five years ago it was about discovering cosmic neutrinos. Now it’s about doing astronomy and particle physics with them,” notes Halzen of the quest to follow the particles’ tracks back to their sources, a feat yet to be accomplished.

IceCube, among the world’s frontline astrophysical detectors, gathers large data sets from one of the most remote places on Earth and contributes to emerging computational technologies for managing and analyzing novel scientific information.

The collaboration that operates the IceCube observatory is composed of more than 300 researchers from 47 institutions in 12 countries.

The performance of the IceCube detector has steadily improved and a key goal will be to speed up the analysis of neutrinos of interest in order to quickly alert other observatories. For example, because neutrinos for something like a supernova explosion can arrive at the IceCube detector a few hours before photons, alerts can be quickly sent to other types of observatories.

“With an early warning from neutrino and possibly gravitational wave detectors to all other telescopes, we might have the astronomical event of the 21st century,” says Halzen.

The five-year cooperative agreement begins April 1 and may be renewed for another five-year period if the detector and collaboration continue to operate successfully.

From press release

Hosanna packs in the love with community mobile pack

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER PRESS PUBLICATIONS

FOREST LAKE — The sanctuary of Hosanna Lutheran Church was filled to the brim last weekend with volunteers from around the community who packed meals for the first-ever Lakes Area Feed My Starving Children Mobile Pack event. A packing facility was set up in the Hosanna sanctuary for volunteers to assemble, package and box meals to be sent to children in countries across the world.

The event drew 877 volunteers, which included members of Hosanna's congregation as well as neighbors from Elim Lutheran Church in Scandia and locals interested in helping out.

These groups worked in shifts from Friday night through all day Saturday, and ended with a grand total of 171,072 meals packed for children in impoverished countries. Each meal can feed up to six children, which means Hosanna's efforts will feed 468 kids for one year.

The event was so successful that Hosanna is

JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS already planning to host another mobile pack Volunteers band together across denominations at Hosanna Lutheran in April 2017.

Church to provide meals for starving children.

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2016

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APRIL 8, 2016

Cure for pain mid all of the news coverage about the current epidemic (both locally and nationally) involving prescription pain medicines and heroin, I came across a less publicized historical connection between illegal drug use and pharmaceutical companies that dates back more than 100 years.

According to information I found on a number of websites including History Today, Wikipedia and the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors or FOHBC, I was surprised to discover that heroin was originally created in 1895 by a chemist working for the Bayer pharmaceutics company. Because of high expectations for the drug, the trademark name of Heroin (from the German for heroic) was chosen. In 1898, Angle of word the company began an aggressive marketing campaign and touted their View product for the treatment of a variety Paul Dols of ailments, including bronchitis, tuberculosis and other cough-related illnesses. In 1906, the American Medical Association approved heroin for general use.

You could even purchase a nifty, personally engraved, injection kit at your local pharmacy.

Within 10 years the acceptance and easy accessibility of the drug resulted in approximately 200,000 addicts in New York City. In what was to become the beginning of arrests for drug abuse in the United States, the Harrison Narcotics Act was passed in 1914 as an attempt to stop the abuse of heroin, cocaine and cannabis. On the other end of the spectrum, the same chemist who helped create heroin for Bayer (Heinrich Dreser) was also involved in the creation of ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) for the company. In 1899 under the brand name of Aspirin, the drug was launched by Bayer as a painkiller without any undesirable side effects.

I recall witnessing first-hand some of the negative effects of illicit drug use in the party and music club scene in Minneapolis and eventually came to the conclusion that it was more than just a fashionable pose; instead, many of the people heavily involved in drugs (and alcohol) were honestly struggling with inner demons and coming to terms with difficult pasts. So now, I try not to judge whatever pain and psychological challenges might have pushed someone into substance abuse; however, the situation gets difficult and complicated quickly when an addict’s behavior becomes a threat to themselves and those around them.

I suspect that the majority of us occasionally crave and seek out some form of escape or diversion from everyday life. The truth is, no matter how pleasurable, immersive or even numbing the experience, it will come to a conclusion. Like going to the theater to watch a matinee movie during the day, you’re eventually going to have to resume your life, right where you left off, in the bright, inescapable, light of reality.

The current wave of addiction appears to be directly linked to the use of prescription drugs and the falling price of heroin — the cheaper, illicit, counterpart to pharmaceutical opioids. Perhaps, because the path to addiction now commonly begins with a legal prescription, a recent STAT-Harvard poll survey revealed that one in three Americans blame doctors for the national opioid epidemic. Addressing the issue in a recent article in the Boston Globe magazine and interview on NPR, Dr. Sushrut Jangi said that the majority of doctors are well-intentioned prescribers caught in a web of entangling interests spun over the past two decades. When the powerful narcotic OxyContin was introduced in the mid 1990s, the message of educational campaigns at the time (many driven by pharmaceutical marketing) was that doctors were under treating pain.

Getting to the root cause of the voracious appetite for drugs and alcohol in the U.S. is a daunting and complicated task. One aspect of a potential solution, according to Dr. Jangi, could be the realization and acceptance that pain is an essential part of the healing process.

A

Paul Dols is photojournalist/website editor for Press Publications. He can be reached at 651-407-1238 or photos@presspubs.com.

Reduce food waste: Are you gonna eat that? re you gonna eat that? Some things in life should be automatic, and one of those things is the general practice to minimize food waste. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a jaw-dropping estimate of 40% of the food produced in the US goes to waste. A massive amount of energy and resources goes into food production, and for such a large of the food Movers and portion products to go to is an incredShakers waste ibly costly and Megan Baumler utter lack of efficiency. Agriculture consumes the most amount of water- which is a concern given the droughts that are occurring. If we can reduce food waste, we can increase the efficiency of water use. Food that ends up in landfi lls are a major producer of methane and carbon dioxide - green house gasses. If we can reduce food waste, we can reduce the green house gas emissions that result from the production of that food, and reduce the gasses produced by that food waste as it decomposes in the landfi ll. Reducing food waste promotes a more sustainable food system, and one in which fewer people go hungry.

How can you make practices to reduce food waste become automatic protocol in your life?

A

Plan for meals and buy only what is needed (stick to your list!).

Learn to use what you have, rather than running to the store to pick up non-essentials. Make it a game or a skill to create a meal with what is in your pantry/ refrigerator -you will be surprised at what you can come up with!

Know your food inventory and use it up before it goes bad, otherwise offer food to neighbors/friends. It is often not necessary to use the product before the ‘best by’ or ‘sell by’ date, or even the expiration date. In most instances, the food product is still good beyond these dates, which often indicate when the quality of the product may begin to decline yet is still edible.

To reduce plate waste, be frugal with what you put on your plateyou can always go back for more.

For the food scraps that cannot be helped (cores, skins, hulls, etc.), composting is a wonderful way to dispose of them. Some cities even have composting programs.

Become a fan of leftovers.

Rethink the words ‘I don’t like leftovers’ before you say them the next time. You can repurpose leftovers to make a new meal: use leftover rotisserie chicken for tacos one night, or to top pasta.

Sprinkle leftover cooked/roasted vegetables onto pizza or mash into patties with breadcrumbs and an egg and pan fry. Using up leftovers is a good skill to demonstrate to the young ones in your family so that they grow up to minimize their food waste as well.

Megan Baumler, a White Bear Lake resident, is a registered dietitian (RD) and has her doctorate in nutritional science.

She is an adjunct dietetics professor and has also practiced in the clinical and community settings.

She can be reached at baumlerm@mtmary.edu.

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To have an impact beyond your immediate household, consider joining the Ugly Fruit and Vegetable movement (endfoodwaste.org) to stop the discrimination against the asymmetrical, spotty, discolored fruits and vegetables that often get discarded despite being just as delicious as their supermodel produce counterparts. Within the community, some grocery stores and restaurants donate food that will otherwise go to waste.

Caribou Coffee donates day-old bakery to Meals on Wheels- what a wonderful way to reduce food waste! Do your homework and support the business that have good practices to reduce food waste. Reducing your own food waste will not only save you money-National Geographic estimated a loss of $1,484 to food waste per household per year-but will also reduce the incredible environmental burden of wasted food. To answer the question, “are you gonna eat that?” Yes! If I bought it, if I put it on my plate, if resources were used to produce it, then yes, I’m gonna eat that.

Gene Annis................................ Sports Desk sports@presspubs.com

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UP NORTH 11TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF CULTURES

When: 5:30-8 p.m.

Friday, Apr. 8 Where: Forest Lake Area High School, 6101 Scandia Trl. Details: Free, familyfriendly educational event designed to increase understanding of and appreciation for the many cultures that make up the Forest Lake Area School District.

Activities for all ages, including games, art, storytelling, music, crafts, dance, and food samples. Open to the public.

Contact: hs.forestlake. k12.mn.us

ATTACK ON THE FORT! DAY AT THE WYOMING LIBRARY

When: 12:30 p.m.

Saturday, Apr. 9 Where: Wyoming Area Geise Memorial Library, 26855 Forest Blvd., Wyoming Details: Participants of all ages can build paper forts and popsicle stick catapults, then go to battle. No registration required.

Contact: 651-462-9001

LEGO MANIA!

When: 1:30-3 p.m.

Saturday, Apr. 9 Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Road N., Forest Lake Details: Lego builda-thon for kids ages 6 and up. No registration necessary.

Contact: 651-275-7300 or co.washington.mn.us

www.presspubs.com

ADULT COLORING CLUB

When: 6:30-7:45 p.m.

Wednesday, Apr. 13 Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Rd. N., Forest Lake Details: All supplies provided. Come any time during the meeting. No registration required.

Contact: 651-275-7300

TECH TALKS

When: 7-8 p.m.

Thursday, April 14 Where: Wyoming Area Geise Memorial Library, 26855 Forest Blvd., Wyoming Details: Brief overview of Craigslist followed by hands-on experience.

Registration required.

Contact: 651-462-9001

WINE FOR THE WOLVES

When: 6:30-9 pm Fri., April 15 Where: Vannelli’s by the Lake, Forest Lake Details: Fundraiser for Wildlife Science Center includes dinner, winetasting, silent auction, raffle.

Contact: 651-464-3993 or www.wildlifescience center.org

AMERICAN LEGION SENIOR DANCE

When: 1-4 p.m. Friday, Apr. 15 (and the 3rd Friday of every month) Where: Forest Lake American Legion Post 225, 355 W. Broadway Ave., Forest Lake Details: Enjoy mature music and camaraderie. $6 per person includes lunch.

Contact: 651-464-2600

Details: Comedy show with headliner Isaac Witty, featuring Dave Johnson and hosted by John Russell. Tickets $15 in advance, $18 day of show.

Contact: 651-925-4600 or runaces.com

CHILI COOKOFF

When: 1 p.m. Sunday, April 17 Where: Forest Lake VFW, 556 12th St. SW Details: Entries due in crockpots by noon. Bring non-perishable food item for food shelf.

Contact: 651-464-6827

SENIOR SURF DAY

When: 1-3 p.m.

Tuesday, Apr. 19 Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Rd., N., Forest Lake Details: Seniors with little to no experience with computers can learn computer and internet basics.

Contact: 651-275-7300

THIRD TUESDAY NIGHT ADULT BOOK CLUB

When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Tuesday, Apr. 19 Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Road N., Forest Lake Details: Title selected is ‘The Education of Little Tree, by Forrest Carter. Read the book and join the discussion.

No advance sign-up necessary.

MAN UP AND READ BOOK CLUB

When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Wednesday, Apr. 20 WRITING FAN FICTION Where: Hardwood When: 2-3:30 p.m.

Creek Library, 19955 Saturday, Apr. 16 Forest Road N., Forest Where: Hardwood Lake Creek Library, 19955 BEER FEST Details: Title selected Forest Rd. N., Forest Lake When: 3-6 p.m. is the second half of Details: Re-write a Saturday, Apr. 9 ‘Deliverance’, by James story line. Ages 12+.

Where: Running Aces Dickey. Read the book Registration required.

Casino and Racetrack, and join the discussion.

Contact: 651-275-7300 15201 Running Aces Blvd, No advance sign-up Columbus necessary.

Details: Sample over 50 RUNNING ACES Contact: 651-275-7300 craft and microbrews. $20 COMEDY SHOW admission includes souWhen: 7:30 p.m. venir glass, $10 gaming Saturday, Apr. 16 EGO: THE GOOD AND voucher and chance to THE BAD OF IT Where: Running Aces win prizes. Tickets online ‘Laugh Your Ace Off When: 7 p.m. or $25 day of event.

Comedy Club”, 15201 Wednesday, Apr. 20 Contact: runaces.com Zurich St., Forest Lake Where: Wyoming Area Geise Memorial Library, 26855 Forest Blvd., Wyoming Details: Presenter Mary Jo Meadow Week of March 27 – April 2 discusses how ego develops and becomes Editor’s note: Visit www.presspubs.com to read the full versions of these most-visited stories our self-manager. Part of the Wednesdays @ Wyoming Speaker Series.

Registration required.

1. Drawbridge proposed to White Bear Lake’s Manitou Contact: 651-462-9001 Island. White Bear Press > News (April Fools spoof)

Top 5 at PressPubs.com:

2. Grieving parents find faith in God. Quad Community Press > News 3. Highway 96 construction begins. White Bear Press > News 4. Couple will open Les Mills fitness studio. Quad Community Press > News 5. White Bear Lake man pleads guilty to fatal stabbing.

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See Press Publications’ website www.presspubs.com for stories from the White Bear Press, The Citizen, Vadnais Heights Press, Shoreview Press, Quad Community Press, The Lowdown-Forest Lake Area and The Lowdown- St. Croix Valley Area.

APRIL 8, 2016

SUBMITTED

Lyme Disease: Little Bug Big Problem WHEN: 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Apr. 9 WHERE: Hosanna Lutheran Church, 9300 Scandia Trl., Forest Lake

the Minnesota Lyme Association will gives an informational talk about minimizing the risk of being bitten by a tick and getting a tick-borne illness.

DETAILS: Presenter Ann Myre, a

CONTACT: rgmyre@frontiernet.

Scandia resident and founder on

net

THIRD THURSDAY NIGHT ADULT BOOK CLUB

When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Thursday, Apr. 21 Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Road N., Forest Lake Details: Title selected is ‘Go Set a Watchman’,

by Harper Lee. Read the book and join the discussion. No advance sign-up necessary.

Contact: 651-275-7300

55+ DRIVER IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

When: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday, Apr. 23 Where: Forest Lake Senior Center, 767 SW 4th St., Forest Lake Details: 8-hour 1st time course for seniors who want to learn more about driver safety, new laws and vehicle technology and get a 10% discount on car insurance. $26; registration required.

Contact: 888-234-1294 or mnsafetycenter.org

AARP TAXAIDE

When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and WYOMING LIBRARY THURSDAY EVENING Wednesdays, through BOOK CLUB April 15 Where: Forest Hills When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Methodist Church, 1790 Apr. 21 Where: Wyoming Area 11th St. SE, Forest Lake Details: Free tax Geise Memorial Library, preparation for seniors 26855 Forest Blvd., and low-income residents, Wyoming by appointment only.

Details: Read the Bring a photo ID, book ‘Day After Night’ Social Security card

by Anita Diamant and and income, expense join the discussion. No and health insurance registration required. documents (if obtained Contact: 651-462-9001

through Mnsure).

Contact: 651-675-7126

OUT EAST WOMEN’S BUSINESS BRIDGE

When: 7:45-10 a.m.

Friday, Apr. 8 (and the 2nd Friday of every month) Where: Mallards on the St. Croix, 101 5th Ave. S., Bayport Details: Networking opportunity for women in the Stillwater area. $10 Chamber members; $20 non-members includes light breakfast, coffee and program.

Contact: wbbconnect. com

Contact: greater stillwaterchamber.com/ community-showcase

SECOND SUNDAY SUPPER

When: 5 p.m. Sunday, Apr. 10 Where: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 490 4th St., Bayport Details: Free community meal. All are welcome.

Contact: bethlehemstar.org

UNDERSTANDING THE FAMILY DECISION MAKER – THE DIFFERENT ROLES AND WHY THEY MATTER

When: 4-5 p.m.

Tuesday, Apr. 12 Where: Croixdale, 750 Highway 95, Bayport RED CROSS Details: Learn the BLOOD DRIVE difference between power When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. of attorney, guardianship, Saturday, Apr. 9 health care agent, Where: Culver’s, 1725 conservatorship Market Dr., Stillwater Details: All blood types and others. Light refreshments served. needed.

RSVP appreciated.

Contact: 800 RED Contact: 651-275-4800 CROSS or redcrossblood. org

COMMUNITY SHOWCASE

When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sun., April 10 Where: Stillwater Area High School, 5701 Stillwater Blvd. N., Oak Park Heights Details: Local exhibitors, including home and garden vendors, connect with the community at this event sponsored by the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce.

COMMUNITY LEADER SERIES

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

Wednesday, Apr. 13 Where: Gartner Studios Penthouse, 220 E. Myrtle St., Stillwater Details: Presenter Greg Gartner, Gartner Studios, discusses the topic ‘Go big or go home- thinking big by staying small’. $20/chamber members and $30/non-members includes pizza and salad lunch. Registration required by April 8.

APRIL 8, 2016

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basketball, floor hockey, wiffle ball, play balls and other activities. See website for additional dates and open gyms for toddlers and preschoolers.

Contact: Stillwater. ce.feepay.com

“SWEET CORN” BENEFIT

When: 4-7 p.m.

Saturday, April 23 Where: Bayport American Legion, 263 3rd St. N. Details: Benefit to support Bayport volunteer firefighter Mike Bell and his family.

Spaghetti dinner and silent auction.

Contact: teamsweet corn@yahoo.com

AARP TAXAIDE

SUBMITTED

The New Standards WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 8 WHERE: Chautauqua Fine Arts Center, 8000 75th St. North, Mahtomedi

DETAILS: Jazz trio re-interprets songs from a wide variety of genres.

CONTACT: 651-269-9888 or www. wildwoodartistseries.com

Contact: 651-4394001 or Debbie@ stillwaterchamber.com

ART SHOW RECEPTION

Contact: 651430-0124 or www. valleychamberchorale. org

FARE FOR ALL

When: 5-8 p.m. Friday, Apr. 15 Where: Stillwater Art Guild Gallery River Room, 402 N. Main St. Details: Meet the artists who have works on display, including Paintings, Jewelry, Stained Glass Lamps, Photography, Sculpture and more. Appetizers and beverages served.

Contact: 651-680-0149 or artguildgallery.com

When: 4-6 p.m.

Tuesday, Apr. 19 Where: Stillwater Junior High, 523 W. Marsh St. Details: Open to everyone to purchase fresh fruit, vegetables and frozen meat packages at a discounted price. Cash, credit cards and EBT accepted.

Contact: fareforall.org

COTILLION DANCE CLUB

When: noon-12:40 p.m.

Wednesday, Apr. 20 Details: Dr. Kate Schneider will present on the topic ‘Birth Control 101: What are my options?’. Register online to get link to webinar.

Contact: www. healthpartners localcare.org

When: 5:30-10:30 p.m.

Saturday, Apr. 16 Where: The Heights Hall & Club, 5880 Omaha Ave., Oak Park Heights Details: Ballroom and Latin dancing to live music by Rod Cerar Band. Catered dinner $39 per person. RSVP by Apr. 9 .

Contact: 651-238-7636 or stillwatercotillion@ gmail.com

VALLEY CHAMBER CHORALE: HOPE LIVED

When: 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 16; 3 p.m.

Sunday, April 17 Where: Trinity Lutheran Church, 114 Fourth St. N., Stillwater Details: Concert is a journey through folk music from around the world, with guitars, penny whistles and other ethnic instruments joining the choir.

LUNCH ‘N LEARN WEBINAR

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

When: 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Apr. 21 Where: Boutwell’s Landing, north entrance, 5600 Norwich Pkwy., Oak Park Heights Details: All visitor welcome to hear presentation by Mary Giuliani Stephens, the Mayor of Woodbury, who will speak about the challenges and rewards of working in a traditional male role in city management.

Contact:

When: By appointment, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and 9:30 a.m. to noon Wednesdays, through April 13 Where: Community Thread, 2300 Orleans St. W., Stillwater Details: Free tax preparation for seniors and low-income residents. Bring a photo ID, Social Security card and income, expense and health insurance documents (if obtained through Mnsure).

Contact: 651-439-7434

ACORN ADVENTURES

rootsweb.ancestry. com/~mnscrvcdar/ SaintCroix.html

FRIENDS SPRING USED BOOK SALE AND BOOK DRIVE

When: 10:15 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Apr. 21; 10:15-4:30 p.m. Friday, Apr. 22; and 10:15-3 p.m.

Saturday, Apr. 23 Where: Stillwater Public Library, 224 Third St. N. Details: Thousands of fiction and non-fiction books, children’s books, cookbooks, travel guides, music, movies and more, most at $.50-$1 each.

Contact: 651-261-3655 or stillwaterlibrary.org/ support-the-library/ friends-of-spl

“SLEEPING BEAUTY” BALLET

When: 7 p.m. Friday, April 22; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 23; 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24 Where: Stillwater Area High School Auditorium, 5701 Stillwater Blvd. N. Details: St. Croix Ballet performance; tickets $15.

Contact: 651-439-2820 or www.stcroixballet. com

POWERUP OPEN GYM

When: 6-8:30 p.m.

Friday, Apr. 22 Where: Stillwater Jr. High School, 523 Marsh St. W Details: Free event for families includes access to the pool, weight room, indoor walking,

When: 9:30-11 a.m.

Tuesdays Where: Warner Nature Center, 15375 Norell Ave. N., Marine on St. Croix Details: Class for children ages 1-5 incorporates outdoor and indoor activities around a monthly theme. $15 per session.

Contact: 651-433-2427 or warnernaturecenter. org

ST. CROIX VALLEY RUNNERS-TRAINING RUNS

When: 8 a.m. Saturday mornings Where: Meet at Brown’s Creek Park, Neal Ave. and McKusick Rd. Details: Group is looking for runners planning to run a marathon to join them on long runs.

Contact: scvalley runners@gmail.com

NEIGHBORHOODS NEARBY

THE LOWDOWN

HISTORICAL SOCIETY SCRAPBOOKING CROP

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

Saturday, Apr. 9 Where: White Bear Lake Armory, 2228 4th St. Details: Work on a scrapbook or craft of choice with friends. $30/members; $35/nonmembers includes donuts & coffee, lunch, dinner, snacks, door prizes and more. Proceeds benefit the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society.

Contact: 651-407-5327 or whitebearhistory.org

LOWERTOWN POP MINNESOTA MAKERS MARKET

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

Saturday, Apr. 9 Where: Union Depot, St. Paul Details: More than 56 local artisans and craftspeople including brewers, bakers, distillers, artists and musicians showcase their items. Advance tickets $10 or $15 at the door; children 5 and under free.

Contact: lowertown pop.com

HOME LANDSCAPING AND GARDEN FAIR

When: 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Saturday, Apr. 9 Where: Bunker Hills Activity Center, 550 Bunker Lake Blvd., Andover Details: Event includes speakers on a variety of topics and is sponsored by the Anoka County Master Gardener Program. Registration required. $25 by Apr. 1; $30 late registration/ walk-in. Bag lunches available.

Contact: 763-755-1280 or anokamaster gardeners.org

10TH ANNUAL FIVE16 FILM FESTIVAL

When: 7 p.m. Monday, Apr. 11 Where: University of Northwestern, Maranatha Hall Details: Film festival features student-made short fi lms. Free and open to the public.

Contact: 651-286-7759 or unwsp.edu

Protect: P Protect: rotect:

When: 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Apr. 9 Where: Mahtomedi Middle School, room 275 Details: Kids 11+ can learn how to supervise children and infants and perform basic childcare skills. $97; registration required.

Contact: community ed.mahtomedi.k12.mn

‘ABOUT BOATING SAFETY’ COURSE

When: 6-9 p.m.

Fridays & 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Saturdays, Apr. 15/16, May 20/21 & June 24/25 Where: St. Croix Marine, 16 First St., Hudson, Wis. Details: The Hudson Flotilla of the United Stated Coast Guard Auxillary offers this 8-hour course on the fundamentals of boating and safety. Completion satisfies the Wis. and Minn. operatior requirements for both boats and personal watercraft.

Contact: 612-418-0929 or trevorcroteau@aol. com

GREATER TWIN CITIES YOUTH SYMPHONIES CONCERT

When: 4 p.m. Saturday, Apr. 16 Where: St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Rd., Mahtomedi Details: Orchestral performance by youth ages 8-18. Free and open

WHAT’S HAPPENING GUIDELINES Anyone in the community may send us news of an upcoming local event. The calendar is reserved for secular community events in or adjacent to Press Publication’s coverage area. Priority is given to free or affordable events that are likely to appeal to a broad audience. Due to space limitations, there is no guarantee whether, when or for how long submissions will be published. Submissions are subject to editing.

Please include date, time, location, cost, brief details, and contact information for each event submission. Submission deadline is Wednesday prior to the following weeks’ publication.

Call 651-407-1226 with questions.

Email: calendar@ presspubs.com Mail: Press Publications Attn: Calendar 4779 Bloom Ave. White Bear Lake, MN 55110

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THE LOWDOWN

The Forest Lake Police Department reported the following incidents: • An unidentified victim drowned in a pond at an address at Appaloosa Avenue N. at 7:05 p.m. March 27. Police arrived and assisted the victim’s son in removing the victim from the water.

Police performed CPR. The victim was transported to Regions Hospital; his spouse, on the scene, reported that the man had gone into the backyard to clean up and may have had a heart-related issue.

• Police responded to a property damage report at a location on the 900 block of North Shore Drive at

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8:28 a.m. March 27.

The incident appeared to be a hit-and-run crash; a mailbox had been damaged and parts of the car were left behind. The parts were from a red Buick LeSabre.

Police searched the area but found no vehicle with consistent damage. They will continue looking for a vehicle matching the description.

• An employee reported that a couple of customers were out of control at a business on the 300 block of South Street SW at 9:08 p.m. March 26. Police arrived and spoke to two employees, who reported that two females attempted to

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APRIL 8, 2016

return several items spoke with the New he fled the 1600 block citation for attempting to the service desk Richmond, Wisconsin West Orleans residence to escape motor without a receipt. One Police Department by jumping out a vehicle tax when of the suspects stated and found that the second story window she was stopped that she ran a day care suspect and the alleged at 3:44 a.m. March near the 300 block of that had been damaged victim have some type 23. Officers found the Greeley Street S. at in a fi re, which is of ongoing dispute, victim, a 40-year-old 8 p.m. March 22. The why she had to return and similar incidents Stillwater woman, vehicle was stopped the items. When she had been reported who said that the male because officers presented her yellow in the past. The case party assaulted her by saw it displayed paper and photo ID, the is currently under slamming her head up 2015 registration. information did not investigation. against a wall. While While attempting to match and it appeared • At 2 p.m. March 21, speaking with her, catch up, the officer that the identification a Stillwater man officers heard the man believed the driver had been altered. reported that his jump out the window was intentionally The staff refused to unlocked, unattached from another room. A attempting to elude complete the return, garage had been K-9 unit responded to him. She was stopped and one the suspects entered overnight. assist, but the suspect on Greeley after she began screaming $1,000 worth of items, was not located. The had driven around at and threatening including a pair of suspect will be charged the block. She had the employees. The skis, a speaker, a drill, by formal complaint no insurance and suspects left the store. a bottle of bourbon and a warrant was expressed no intention Police were not able to and a boat spotlight, requested. to properly register the identify them. had been stolen. Police • A 32-year-old St. Paul vehicle.

• An assault was reported • A 26-year-old Wisconsin currently have no man was arrested on the 900 block of suspects. on an outstanding woman was arrested 12th Street SW at felony warrant on a warrant for DWI Other 10:33 p.m. March 22. for fifth-degree out of Hennepin County The victim appeared controlled substance at 1:05 a.m. March • In the area of Owens to be injured and the possession. He was 23. Officers were and Myrtle Street at residence showed cited for driving after initially called to the 5:35 p.m. March 21, a signs of a struggle. The suspension and taken area of Fifth Street 17-year-old Woodbury victim refused medical to jail on the county and Myrtle because woman reported a road treatment, but allowed warrant. a vehicle was parked rage incident. While a medical evaluation. on the curb, and the at the intersection, He thought he knew driver appeared to be another motorist Theft his attacker, but wasn’t passed out. The woman • At 1:20 p.m. March started mocking her completely sure. He was not intoxicated, for smoking cigarettes.

21, a 30-year-old refused transportation but said that she was After he pulled away, Wisconsin resident and refused to pursue tired and had pulled she decided she would with no permanent charges. over to sleep. Officers follow the motorist. address reported that determined that she When the person who his vehicle had been The Stillwater Police had an active warrant mocked her pulled stolen. He had been Where Department reported the and transported her over, she decided to driven to the hospital following incidents: to Washington County pull over as well. She in his vehicle by a Jail. confronted the man, friend, who then drove who made several off with his vehicle.

Arrest/Citation • A 42-year-old Inver remarks about her The complainant Grove Heights man • A 23-year-old Stillwater smoking, including had not seen his was charged with woman received a Where something to the effect friend since. Police domestic assault after gross misdemeanor of “You might as well put a bullet in your cigarette and smoke it.” She believed this to be a threat and called police. Police informed Where her that she should not have followed the man and confronted him, and the incident was her own responsibility.

• Police received a report of harassment at 6 p.m.

March 21 from the 700 Where block of Martha Street S. The complainant called and said that while on a walk in the area, an unknown Where vehicle pulled up next to him. A female driver began shouting something about beating up a friend.

The complainant had no idea what they were talking about, and eventually the vehicle drove away.

After the complainant talked with police, it is believed the incident could be related to an incident that occurred two years ago, when the complainant had been assaulted in downtown Stillwater.

• A 60-year-old Stillwater man reported that a laptop was taken from his vehicle in the parking lot of Cub Foods at 7:03 p.m.

March 25. He called back later and said he had located the laptop, which was still in his office.

Volunteers Wanted!

Want to be a part of the NORTHEAST METRO EXPO?

We are looking for people who would like to volunteer on May 1st, 2016 11am-4pm Please call Patty Steele at 651-407-1213 for more details.

& APRIL 8, 2016

www.readthelowdown.com

THE LOWDOWN

First-ever Partnership Party a success

SCHOOL BRIEFS

SUBMITTED

Honest Magician visits ECFE More than 90 people recently attended a Forest Lake Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) family fun night with Nick the Honest Magician. The event was one of several ECFE-sponsored events to help involve parents and families support their child’s growth and development.

Historical Society scholarships available The Washington County Historical Society is offering a scholarship for post-secondary education.

The scholarship is available to graduating seniors enrolled in a Washington County high school or a student in a college or university program currently residing in Washington County [as a permanent resident] who is focusing on history, American studies, architecture or a history-related field of study.

Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and must be a member of WCHS or have an immediate family member(s) who are members of the organization. The goal of the Washington County Historical Society Scholarship program is to encourage historic preservation and interpretation and to encourage students to study history by providing financial assistance in the form of an educational scholarship. All applications must be received by April 30 and the recipient(s) will be notified by May 15. To receive an application, please contact your high school councilor office or the Washington County Historical Society at 651439-5956 or information@wchsmn.org, or visit www.wchsmn.org for information and application forms.

Congresswoman announces art competition Congresswoman Betty McCollum

invited high school students in Minnesota’s Fourth Congressional District to participate in the 2016 Congressional Art Competition. Submissions are due Friday, April 15 by 6 p.m. The contest is open to all high school students either attending school or residing in the Fourth Congressional District, which includes Washington County. In addition to the display of their artwork in the U.S. Capitol, the winner will also receive two free airline tickets to Washington, D. C. to attend the exhibit’s opening. Runners-up will be displayed in Congresswoman McCollum’s offices in St. Paul and in Washington, D. C. New this year, the Fourth District Congressional Art Competition will be a destination in the 2016 St. Paul Art Crawl. All entries will be displayed in an exhibit at the Landmark Gallery in the Schmidt Artist Lofts the weekend of the Art Crawl (April 22 – April 24).

Entries may be mailed or dropped off at the St. Paul office in the Blair Arcade Building at 165 Western Avenue North, Suite 17 Saint Paul, MN 55102. To learn more and read the complete rules, visit http://www.mccollum.house.gov/ serving-you/art-competition. Teachers and students are encouraged to contact Liz De La Torre in Congresswoman McCollum’s office at 651-224-9191 or Liz. DeLaTorre@mail.house.gov with any questions.

STILLWATER – Stillwater nonprofit the Partnership Plan, which raises money for schools, recently hosted its first Partnership Party, which replaced the former title of the event, Jeans & Jewels. The Partnership Plan called the party “a huge success.” Donors and attendees were able to devote nearly $75,000 to enrichment in Stillwater Area Public Schools. If you weren't there—or even if you were—you can watch the video that was shown that evening at www.stillwater.wistia.com/ medias/3pe5mkox2b?blm_aid=23169.

It's a snapshot of what the Partnership Plan does to help teachers provide wonder in the classroom. More information about the Partnership Party can be found at www.partnershipplan.org/ the-partnership-party/?blm_aid=23169.

The Partnership Plan also recently announced the winners of its annual Partnership Awards.

Each year, the Partnership Plan offers these awards to eight individuals who are teachers, staff and employees, who exemplify excellence. These winners include Jean Marie Ulland (Oak Park Elementary), Holly Yehlik (Rutherford Elementary), Nancy Bader (Stillwater Area High School), Julie Vanderstappen (Oakland Junior High School), retirees Jane Dickinson and Mary Jo Tein, Julie Balfanz (Stillwater Junior High School) and Deb Krongard (Andersen Elementary). Each Partnership Award recipient designates a $1,000 grant from The Partnership Plan to the

SUBMITTED

New Partnership Party emcee Chris Shaffer with Jeans & Jewels emcee emeritus Lee Valsvik. Both are Stillwater alums.

building of his or her choice.

A banquet will be held on Monday, April 25 to honor this year's winners.

The event takes place 5:30 p.m. at Lake Elmo Inn Event Center and is open to the public, with a cost of $35. To register, visit the Partnership Plan website at www.partnershipplan.org/partnership-awards/?blm_aid=23169.

From press release

SUBMITTED

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Per Toyota Motor Sale USA 2015

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Ethan had a busy and productive state Class AA meet for the Stillwater boys’ swim and dive team. The junior placed 11th in the 200 freestyle, eighth in the 100 backstroke, and swam a leg on the 400 freestyle relay outfit that placed sixth. The Ponies finished sixth as a team.

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THE LOWDOWN

APRIL 8, 2016 www.presspubs.com

MELISSA BAUS | PHOTOGRAPHY & GRAPHICS

Chamber Ambassadors, Board members, volunteers and supporters celebrated with Win Miller and Peter Oesterreich at a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of Silver Sobriety.

Chamber celebrates opening of new nonprofit STILLWATER — The Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of Silver Sobriety, a new nonprofit organization, with a ribbon-cutting on Feb. 25 in Oak Park Heights.

In late 2014, Peter Oesterreich and Win Miller discussed their inspiration to address the lack of affordable and targeted addiction recovery services for older adults. As the result of these discussions, Silver Sobriety was born: an innovative and accessible recovery model, targeted to an underserved demographic (ages 50 and older), and available at a lesser cost than any existing recovery services currently available in the Twin Cities. It opened for business Dec. 1, 2015.

Peter’s five years of experience as treatment director and counselor of Senior Recovery Center in St. Paul prepared him for this important and specialized work with seniors. Win Miller is currently a certified executive coach working specifically with executives in recovery, has served on the boards of

multiple nonprofits, and holds an MBA from Harvard University.

The Silver Sobriety program is nonmedical, utilizes 12-step facilitation, and includes ongoing sessions with a licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC). The program is six months in length and takes place three days per week from 9:30-11:30 at Silver Sobriety’s offices located near Stillwater Area High School.

“We focus on reducing barriers — this increases the likelihood of sustained recovery,” Oesterreich said.

“Every part of our program is designed to improve outcomes compared to other options available to people over 50. If needed, we can provide transportation to/from our office, lunch is provided to strengthen the sense of community, and the slower pace of our program is fitting for seniors.”

For more information, visit www. silversobriety.com or call 651-890-2498.

From press release

White Bear Montessori School is

COMING HOME

A COMMUNITY REUNION AND FUNDRAISING EVENT CELEBRATING

Saturday April 23rd 6:30pm-10pm All are welcome to attend this very special event!

ANNOUNCING BILLY MCLAUGHLIN as our featured guest performer and speaker at our 45th Celebration Tickets are $45 per person and can be purchased online at www.wbms.org

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 4821 BLOOM AVE, WHITE BEAR LAKE

JACKIE BUSSJAEGER |PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Unperturbed muskrats at Big Marine Last fall I had my bright red solo canoe parked alongside an active muskrat pushup, or mound, south of the county park on Big Marine Lake. The muskrats were unperturbed as I watched Woods their winter preparations. and Water That they don’t see, hear or even smell Notebook acutely is conventionJim al wisdom, but they had to know I was Mortwedt there. In approaching, I glided up silently and watched, not 10 feet away.

Officialdom had been watching, too.

A number of push-ups were marked by lath stakes and orange plastic streamers. I eventually decided to test the temerity of these creatures and dropped my paddle with a splash, thinking they would certainly dive. No! The one I was watching kept feeding, rear end submerged. I got no more obnoxious and decided it was time to leave them alone.

You see these muskrat mounds in quiet, shallow waters all over Washington County and, for that matter, in much of North America. The muskrat rarely becomes a pest; they adapt and go their own way.

I’m of two minds about muskrat attractiveness. That tail of a rodent is off-putting, I admit. Humans might be wired to feel revulsion at the sight of rodents. We see a rat, we think bubonic plague. But a muskrat is not a rat.

I can’t resist telling—however briefly—my own nightmare rat story.

Working on a farm as a kid, I walked into the small feed room of a chicken house. It was midnight. When reaching around for the string light switch, I felt something touching me here and there. I finally pulled the light string and the floor was black with rats! And they were jumping up like popcorn.

So with that kind of baggage, I wonder if I can be fair to any rodent. But I find myself liking the muskrat. So this morning, in the fi rst week of spring, I’m headed for Big Marine again to have a look at the muskrats and see what I can learn. I’m doubly hamstrung though; I’ll have no canoe, only binoculars, and I will have my dog, Zipper. No serious wildlife observer would take a golden retriever on such a mission, but I’m fond of comedy.

I walk down a muddy trail along the lake to a spit of land—spent shotgun shells all over—where I’m hoping to see a mound. I see only one and it is close to shore. There were others above waterline last fall, but they’re not to be seen now. Winter took a toll.

There’s a steady 15 mph wind out of the north on the lake, with whitecaps, but much quieter back here in a bay. There’s thin ice surrounding the one muskrat mound I do see; it’s not marked, and I spot a telltale trail of bubbles under ice! That’s a fair—if not certain—sign of muskrat activity.

I take it as a victory. I don’t trap, but I

know trappers feel they’re onto something when they see a small series of bubbles.

But now Zipper has seen Canada geese and is demanding attention.

Whoa! I walk her out of sight of the geese and she quiets. The dog has a visceral dislike of fowl.

Muskrats can have multiple litters in a year. A female can have three dozen offspring in some places and seasons. (Just refer to the Captain and Tennilles’s improbable 1976 hit “Muskrat Love”). Usually, two litters are the norm in Washington County, I think. Some years, maybe three.

Average litter size is five and gestation is a little less than a month. It’s breeding time now and adults do disperse for that. They can live in burrows as well as mounds, the DNR says. Adults weigh maybe four pounds and grow as long as 20 inches.

These animals don’t store food, unlike their distant relatives, the beaver. But they’ll do well on roots, grass, grubs and freshwater clams, if available. Like the beaver, they have self-sharpening teeth, but they don’t fell trees and their mounds aren’t nearly the structure a beaver lodge is.

Today might be some evidence of that.

The above-water profi le of the mounds I saw last fall here is greatly diminished.

Sometimes, I’ve read, muskrats will cohabit for a while with beaver. But the relationship will be put to an end by the beaver if there’s crowding.

Only muskrat and beaver, amongst all mammals, can count the water as primary habitat, including underwater entrances to their homes. But how about the otter and mink and fisher, you say? They do spend extensive time in the water, but still less than the muskrat. A muskrat can stay underwater for up to 10 minutes. Few species rival that.

Mink are abundant in Minnesota, but nocturnal. It’s rare to spot one. They are the chief predator of the muskrat. Members of the weasel family are very competent killers. Coyote tracks can be seen around muskrat mounds on winter ice and eagles will swoop down on a swimming muskrat. Fox, too, are predators.

I’ve seen muskrat in urban and dirty waters. They don’t seem to absolutely require clean water. It’s bad PR for them.

Humans are predators, too. Muskrat trapper hats are part of the official winter uniform of Canada’s Mounties.

And I can’t say it was muskrat fur, but I remember a Wisconsin trooper who helped me out one snowy day when I plowed into the ditch years back. His trapper hat was probably muskrat fur, though I didn’t think to ask him!

Anyway, the late March trip to Big Marine wasn’t a bust. I saw those muskrat bubbles. Maybe it was more a draw than a win. No hike taken in the right frame of mind is ever a complete bust. But you can’t count on keeping your focus or nailing the mission. Zipper did just fi ne. We had the park to ourselves. I’ll be back before summer with a canoe and open a new chapter in muskrat watching.

APRIL 8, 2016

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UPGRADES AND REPAIRS: Forest Lake looks forward FROM PAGE 1

said that staff and other members of the Forest Lake district visited other schools, such as the new high school in Alexandria, to get specific ideas for some of the upgrades. They also visited the Fab Lab in Mahtomedi, and investigated different flooring options for science classrooms and gym spaces. Madsen said that inspiration for the look and feel of the redesigned space can come from anywhere; she said that any time she’s been out in public and noticed that a room or space was particularly comfortable, she would consider it as a possibility.

“Let’s try to replicate this with a school,” Madsen said. “We can look at the space in a new way, and for a lot of it, it’s not very expensive.”

Changes will affect every building in the district, which includes eight elementary schools, the Area Learning Center, the Central Learning Center, the junior high schools and Forest Lake Area High School.

“It’s exciting that every building is being touched,” Madsen said. “Other bonds were very specific about particular changes, but they weren’t very successful.

This way the physical space will be better for kids, a lot of the seventh through ninth graders [at the current Century building] can just walk across the street [to the high school] for some of their classes, and it doesn’t duplicate things. It’s more equitable.”

In the immediate future, changes will not have a large effect on students or their parents, Massey said.

The first stage of the work, which mostly focuses on upgrades to school parking lots, will be completed over the summer, while school is out.

“There may be some parking changes next year, but nothing too big,” Massey said.

To learn more about the ongoing facilities projects, visit www.flaschools.org/Page/1573.

JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Forest Lake Area High School Principal Steve Massey (left) discusses upcoming changes for students in the 2015-2020 facilities improvements plan.

THE ADMIRAL: Dinner cruises revive history on the lake FROM PAGE 1

McGoldrick wants to incorporate pieces of White Bear Lake history into each cruise, and has approached the White Bear Lake Historical Society about tailoring the cruises to have a historical emphasis.

“There will be a historical theme to it,” McGoldrick said. “We’ll work with the historical society and make sure that the captain is well versed in White Bear history.”

These historical touches are still in their beginning stages, but Hanson said that incorporating historical photos as part of the décor has been discussed.

She also mentioned another notable fact of the resort era that could be included into the boat’s route.

“Along Lake Avenue, and with the water as low as it is this becomes somewhat more apparent, there is a drop-off, and that drop-off was actually manmade,” Hanson said. “They had it dredged out so that steamers could pull up, put orchestras onboard, and cruise along the shore so the people who were staying at the resorts could enjoy the music. It wasn’t just a glacier or whatever [that caused the drop-off], and that takes us back a hundred years.”

The historical society offers boat tours of its own in this area, but the

SUBMITTED

Admiral will be one more way for White Bear visitors to connect with its history.

“We aren’t exactly a Breezy Point today, but that’s really where our roots came from, and we’re actually Minne-

SUBMITTED

sota’s first big resort town,” Hanson said. “We don’t always remember that part of our history.”

The Admiral is currently stored in Bay City, Wisconsin on the St. Croix River, but will soon be transferred to its new home on White Bear Lake. It was refurbished a few years ago, and McGoldrick said The Admiral is in like-new condition.

The boat will set out on its maiden voyage on Mother’s Day, May 8, for a dessert cruise. McGoldrick said that plans are already in place for a beer tasting cruise in partnership with Big Wood Brewery as part of the Manitou Days celebrations.

When not in use, The Admiral will stay docked at Docks of White Bear Lake.

SUBMITTED

APRIL 8, 2016

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FILE | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

The Croix Chordsmen, directed by Matthew Hall.

Croix Chordsmen celebrate 65 years

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER STAFF WRITER

STILLWATER – The Croix Chordsmen, a male chorus comprised of residents from all over the St. Croix Valley, recently presented its 65th anniversary concert. The performance took place at Stillwater High School, with two showings on Saturday, April 2.

The Chordsmen, under the direction of Matt Hall, performed some of their traditional tunes, as well as some newer material. Several of the group’s star quartets stepped out to perform separate numbers, and the show featured guest performances from the groups Vintage Mix and St. Croix Crossing.

This concert was a celebration of the chorus’s long history in the St. Croix Valley, and began with some of the oldest numbers, according to Hall.

“It’s really about keeping the integrity and history of the chorus, and connecting with former members,” Hall said. “‘The Old Songs’ are how we start every rehearsal; it’s a barbershop tradition.”

In preparation for the show, members of the group searched through decades worth of historical photographs and records to trace the history of their chorus. One of these showed Moody Chevrolet Garage in River Falls, where the group was founded on the second floor in Moose Hall. The group first began in 1951, when locals from River Falls, Wisconsin received a temporary charter for a barbershop chapter in February. The group went through a number of name changes and even received national attention on The Today Show. The group moved its rehearsals to Hudson in 1956, and came to its current base in Stillwater in 1968.

The Croix Chordsmen started off the performance and handed the stage over to the first guest performers.

Vintage Mix is a not only a quartet, but a group of 15-year-old quadruplets from Waukesha, Wisconsin who have been singing barbershop together for the last several years. Singers from the Croix Chordsmen saw a performance by this group when they visited Reno this past January for the Barbershop Harmony Society Midwinter Convention, and decided to invite the young singers to a performance of their own.

“It’s a huge benefit to have that nice generational gap,” Hall said.

Vintage Mix presented favorites such as “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” Following that performance, the highly humorous and terrifically tuned

SUBMITTED

Above: A photo of the chorus in 1963.

Below: In 1957, the barbershop group that is known today as the Croix Chordsmen sang on NBC’s The Today Show, broadcast from Lake Calhoun.

St. Croix Crossing quartet took the stage to play a singing game show with the audience and deliver old-fashioned tunes as well as some newer numbers, such as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Hall said that the Chordsmen had invited St. Croix Crossing to sing with them in the past, but it hadn’t worked out until this performance.

This quartet will sing at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts later in the month, along with the Great Northern Union Chorus and the Totino-Grace Show Choir.

The show ended with the Chordmen’s traditional finale, “Keep the Whole World Singing,” for which they were joined onstage by St. Croix Crossing, Vintage Mix and barbershop singers from the audience.

The Croix Chordsmen are always looking for new singers, and invite those interested to join their regular 7 p.m. Tuesday night rehearsals at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Meanwhile, the group will prepare to sing in the barbershop Division Contest in Mankato next month. To learn more, visit www.stcroixvalleychapter.com.

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BUSINESS BRIEFS

MELISSA BAUS PHOTOGRAPHY & GRAPHICS

Chamber celebrates opening of counseling business

Skincare business opens in Stillwater

Chamber Ambassadors, friends and supporters cut the ribbon with Beth Ryland to celebrate the opening of Beth Ryland Therapy, LLC.

Chamber Ambassadors joined Jill Thomas and her young family to celebrate the opening of Rodan + Fields in the Stillwater area.

The Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of new business, Beth Ryland Therapy, LLC with a ribbon cutting on March 16 in Stillwater. Beth Ryland Therapy, LLC provides counseling services to individuals and couples with a focus on improving communication, reducing conflict and increasing connection and intimacy. Beth opened her Stillwater location in September 2015 because of the need for specialized counseling services locally.

“Healthy relationships and healthy intimacy go hand in hand,” said Beth Ryland. “When you and your partner are in sync, your relationship is strong. You feel strong and supported. I help couples

MELISSA BAUS PHOTOGRAPHY & GRAPHICS

improve their connection and bring the spark back or overhaul more substantial relationship issues to help clients rescue the relationship that’s most important to them. I provide hope and that is what I love about this work.”

Beth Ryland Therapy is the only counseling service in the area that offers specialized talk therapy to couples with intimacy concerns. Her services include individual counseling, couples counseling, sex therapy and premarital counseling. Office hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, by appointment only.

The business is located at 118 Chestnut Street E, Stillwater and can be reached at 651-400-7240. For more information, visit www.bethryland.com.

The Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce celebrated new business consultant Jill Thomas with Rodan + Fields at Reve’ Bistro with a ribbon cutting on March 2. Rodan + Fields offers multiple skincare product lines by the doctors who created ProActiv.

Options include products for sun damage/age spots, anti-aging, sensitive skin and the premium acne line in the U.S. only available through consultants. Jill Thomas recently dedicated herself fully to this business after an 18-year career in healthcare in January 2016.

“I am fortunate to have the Doctors who created ProActiv as my business partners,” she said. “I run my business

off my phone and computer, around my small children, in part-time hours out of my home. Since I do not carry inventory, all skincare products and tools are mailed to your doorstep and come with a 60 day money back guarantee. The Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce is a wonderful group of people supporting each other’s businesses and families and I am excited to be a part of this Chamber.”

New preferred customers who say they learned of her business through the chamber will receive an extra 20 percent off through the month of April. To learn more, visit www. jillthomas.myrandf.com or call 612965-5455.

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PREVIEW APRIL 8, 2016

FOREST LAKE - RANGERS BASEBALL TAL GREVELLE SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 11, 4:30pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field Apr 13, 4:30pm @ CretinDerham Hall High School Apr 15, 6:00pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field Apr 18, 4:30pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field Apr 20, 6:30pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field Apr 22, 4:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Apr 25, 4:30pm @ White Bear Lake Area High School - SC Apr 27, 6:00pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field Apr 29, 4:30pm @ Royal Baseball Stadium, Woodbury MAY May 2, 4:30pm @ East Ridge - Field Gold 30 May 4, 4:30pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field May 6, 430pm @ Roseville Area High School May 9, 7:00pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field May 11, 4:30pm @ Mounds View High School May 13, 4:30pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field May 16, 4:30pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field May 18, 4:30pm @ Granville Smith Field May 21, 12:30pm @ Northwestern College May 23, 7:00pm @ Castle Field, Anoka May 25, 7:00pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field Coach did not respond by press time.

FOREST LAKE - RANGERS SOFTBALL SEAN HALL SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 8, TBD @ Forest Lake Fenway Athletic Fields Apr 11, 4:15pm @ Forest Lake High School Apr 13, 4:15pm @ Charlie Whitbred Field Apr 15, 4:15pm @ Forest Lake High School Apr 18, 4:15pm @ Fairview Softball Complex Apr 20, 4:15pm @ Forest Lake High School Apr 22, 4:15pm @ Rice Creek Park Apr 25, TBD Apr 27, 4:15pm @ Forest Lake High School Apr 29, 4:15pm @ White Bear Lake Area High School - SC MAY May 2, 4:15pm @ Forest Lake High School May 4, 4:15pm @ Stillwater Area High School May 6, 4:15pm @ Forest Lake High School May 7, 1:00pm @ East Ridge - Field Black 35 May 9, 4:15pm @ Forest Lake High School May 11, TBD May 12, 7:00pm @ Forest Lake High School May 13, 4:15pm @ Cretin-Derham Hall High School May 16, 4:15pm @ Forest Lake High School Q: What do you think will be your team’s greatest strengths this season? Feel free to mention overall strengths and/or talented individuals.

A: We should have a very good balanced team overall. We should be good at everything but still need to improve in all areas of the game.

Seniors Megan Hultgren and Maddie Romines should lead the way with strong juniors Mia Schmidtke, Amanda Gemuenden & Kayla Madison. Sophomore pitcher Megan Baniecke has the opportunity to be something very special in the circle!

Q: Who are your captains?

A: Maddie Romines & Megan Hultgren Q: What competition are you most looking forward to, and why?

A: We are also very excited to start conference play.

Q: Any special events or fundraisers readers should know about?

A: Looking forward to the Ranger Classic on April 8th and 9th at Fenway where we have a

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very strong field (Forest Lake, Rogers, Bloomington Jefferson, Rosemount, Chanhassen, Champlin Park, Hastings, Rice Lake, WI). We are also very excited to start conference play.

FOREST LAKE - RANGERS GIRLS LACROSSE KRISTA SEIPEL SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 22, 7:00pm @ Roseville Area High School Apr 25, 7:15pm @ FLHS Varsity Stadium Apr 27, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School Apr 29, 7:15pm @ FLHS Varsity Stadium Apr 30, 10:30am @ Mound Westonka High School MAY May 2, 7:15pm @ FLHS Varsity Stadium May 4, 7:00pm @ Wolfpack Stadium May 6, 6:30pm @ Irondale High School May 7, 11:15am @ FLHS Varsity Stadium May 9, 7:15pm @ FLHS Varsity Stadium May 11, 7:00pm @ White Bear Lake Area High School - SC May 16-TBD May 18-TBD @ Roseville High School May 20-7:30pm @ Duluth East High School May 23-7:15pm @ FLHS Varsity Stadium Coach did not respond by press time.

FOREST LAKE - RANGERS BOYS TRACK & FIELD PAUL KENDRICK SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 9, TBD @ MSU-Mankato Apr 20, 3:30pm @ White Bear Lake Area High School Apr 26, 3:30pm @ Roseville Area High School MAY May 3, 4:00pm @ Chisago Lakes High School May 7, 9:00am @ Rochester Mayo High School May 24, 2:45am @ East Ridge - Raptors Nest Stadium May 26, 3:45am @ East Ridge - Raptors Nest Stadium JUNE Jun 1, 11:00am @ Grand Rapids High School Jun 4, 11:00am @ Grand Rapids High School Coach did not respond by press time.

FOREST LAKE - RANGERS BOYS TENNIS GREG PATCHIN SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 8, 4:00pm @ Forest Lake Area High School Apr 19, 3:30pm @ Roseville Area High School Apr 21, 3:30pm @ Mounds View High School Apr 26, 3:30pm @ Forest Lake High School Apr 28, 3:30pm @ Forest Lake High School Apr 30, 9:00am @ St. Paul Harding High School MAY May 3, 3:30pm @ Cretin-Derham Hall High School May 10, 3:30pm @ Woodbury High School May 12, 3:30pm @ Forest Lake High School May 14, 3:30pm @ Elk River High School May 20, 4:15pm @ Duluth East High School Coach did not respond by press time.

THE LOWDOWN

FOREST LAKE - RANGERS GIRLS TRACK & FIELD DEVIN SWANBERG SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 9, TBD @ MSU-Mankato Apr 12, 3:45pm @ Roseville Area High School Apr 16, 10:00am @ St. Francis High School Apr 19, 3:45pm @ Mounds View High School Apr 23, 9:00am @ Lakeville - North Apr 26, 3:00pm @ Roseville Area High School Apr 28, 4:00pm @ Cambridge-Isanti High School Apr 30, 11:00am @ Hopkins High School MAY May 6, 5:00pm @ Stillwater High School May 21, 10:00am @ St. Francis High School May 24, 2:45m @ East Ridge - Raptors Nest Stadium May 26, 3:45m @ East Ridge - Raptors Nest Stadium JUNE Jun 1, 11:00am @ Grand Rapids High School Jun 4, 11:00am @ Grand Rapids High School Q: What do you think will be your team’s greatest strengths this season? Feel free to mention overall strengths and/or talented individuals.

A: This is the most complete team we have had in years, we return all but one conference scorer.

The distance crew is lead by Senior all-state runner Emma Benner.who was also conference Champion in 1600 and 3200. Regan Duffy, Caroline Schoessow and Amanda Forliti will be looked at to compliment Emma in the 1600 and 3200.

Regan was an All-Conference Runner last year and Caroline and Amanda were All-Conference Honorable Mention. Abby Jungwirth and Jen Valley will be important in all three jumping events(high, long and triple). Abby was a state participant and all-conference jumper, Jen was also an All-Conference Jumper. Jenny Thill anchors the sprint crew and is the 100 meter school record holder and part of the 4x200 school record team that ran at state last year that also includes Maddy Dolby, Kassity Swanson and Jenna Parent. The throws are a growing area for our team and they will be lead by Senior Gena Baklund (committing to Bemidji) who looks to move up the All Time list in the discus. The team returns 6 state participants, and 16 All-Conference or All-Conference Honorable mention athletes Q: Who are your captains?

A: Emma Benner (Committing to Purdue), Abby Jungwirth (Committing to St Cloud), Kassity Swanson, Jenny Thill (Committed to South Dakota State) Q: What competition are you most looking forward to, and why?

A: True Team State, we had our highest finish ever last year and we want to be top 3 this year. SEC Conference Meet, we haven’t won in ten plus years and this group of seniors wants to go out Conference Champs.The 7AA Section Meet, we are three-time defending champs and the seniors want to make it four in a row.

Q: Any special events or fundraisers readers should know about?

A: Bagging groceries April 17th at cub foods in Forest Lake.

FOREST LAKE - RANGERS BOYS LACROSSE ALEX TUURI SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 23-1:00pm @ Simley Apr 25-7:00pm @ Woodbury High School

15

Apr 27-7:00pm @ Forest Lake High School Apr 30-3:00pm @ FLHS Varsity Stadium MAY May 2-7:00pm @ East Ridge - Raptors Nest Stadium May 4-7:15pm @ FLHS Varsity Stadium May 9-6:30pm @ Mounds View High School May 11-7:15pm @ Forest Lake High School May 16-7:15pm @ FLHS Varsity Stadium May 18-7:15pm @ Forest Lake High School May 20-7:00pm @ Duluth Denfeld High School May 23-7:00pm @ Cretin-Derham Hall High School May 25-7:15pm @ FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field Coach did not respond by press time.

FOREST LAKE - RANGERS BOYS GOLF JOHN BUCK SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 8, 8:30am @ Trappers Turn Apr 9, 8:30am @ Trappers Turn Apr 12, 2:00pm @ Prestwick Golf Club Apr 14, 2:00pm @ Bunker Hills Golf Course Apr 18, 2:00pm @ River Oaks Golf Course Apr 25, 12:00pm @ Dellwood Hills Golf Club Apr 26, 7:30pm @ Edinburgh USA Golf Course Apr 30, 11:30am @ Edinburgh USA Golf Course MAY May 2, 11:30am @ North Oaks Golf Club May 7, 3:00pm @ Forest Hills Golf Course May 10, 1:00pm @ Golf at the Legends May 12, 1:00pm @ St. Cloud Country Club May 16, 2:30pm @ White Bear Yacht Club May 20, 1:00pm @ Bemidji Town & Country Club May 21, 1:00pm @ Headwaters Country Club May 23, 2:30pm @ Forest Hills Golf Course May 24, 12:00pm @ Indian Hills Golf Course May 26, 8:30am @ The Pines / Grand View Lodge Q: What do you think will be your team’s greatest strengths this season? Feel free to mention overall strengths and/or talented individuals.

A: We have 5 returning starters from last years team that finished 4th in the SEC and lost the section title by one shot. Seniors Jack Kluge, and Sam Cartford were all conference performers last year and senior Chase Mouch was honorable mention. Easton Jacobson is also a returning senior starter and senior Dylan Tanberg was a solid JV player last year. Junior Derek Odland was another all conference performer and qualified for the state meet last year as a sophomore.

We should have good depth with some other sophomores and juniors who will be vying for spots and pushing our top players for playing time.

Q: Who are your captains?

A: I have not named captains because all of my seniors are capable leaders and they understand my expectations. I expect all of them to act like captains.

Q: What competition are you most looking forward to, and why?

A: We always look forward to our conference events, because the competition and courses we get to play are outstanding. We always look forward to section play because we expect to compete for an opportunity to represent section 7 at the state meet.

Q: Any special events or fundraisers readers should know about?

A: We have a fund raiser golf event on Sunday May 15th at 1:00 at Tanners Brook GC and we would love to have teams or individuals sign up by contacting Tanners Brook.

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PREVIEW THE LOWDOWN

FOREST LAKE - RANGERS GIRLS GOLF

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STILLWATER - PONIES SOFTBALL

ANDREA BRISCHKE SCHEDULE

BOB BEEDLE SCHEDULE

ARPIL Apr 18, 1:30pm @ Blaine TPC Apr 20, 2:30pm @ Tanners Brook Golf Course Apr 25, 3:30pm @ White Bear Yacht Club Apr 26, 2:30pm @ River Oaks Golf Course Apr 29, TBD @ Bunker Hills Golf Course Apr 30, TBD @ Bunker Hills Golf Course MAY May 2, 3:00pm @ Midland Hills Golf Club May 4, 11:30am @ Tanner’s Brook Golf Course May 5, 2:00pm @ Willingers County Club May 9, 3:00pm @ North Oaks Golf Club May 10, 3:00pm @ Prestwick Golf Course May 11, 1:00pm @ Troy Burne Golf Club May 12, 9:00am @ St. Cloud Country Club May 16, 3:00pm @ Stillwater Country Club May 18, 3:00pm @ Highland National Golf Course May 19, 8:00am @ Oak Glen May 23, 2:30pm @ White Bear Yacht Club JUNE Jun 2, 8:00am @ Grand National Golf Club Jun 14, TBD @ Bunker Hills Golf Course Jun 15, TBD @ Bunker Hills Golf Course

APRIL Apr 11, 4:15pm @ Fairview Softball Complex Apr 13, 4:15pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field SB Varsity 1 Apr 15, 4:15pm @ Forest Lake High School Apr 20, 4:15pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field SB Varsity 1 Apr 21, 4:15pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field SB Varsity 1 Apr 22, TBD @ North - McKnight Fields Apr 22, 4:15pm @ North - Ojibway Park Field 1 Apr 27, 4:15pm @ North - Stillwater Area High School Field SB Varsity 1 Apr 29, 4:15pm @ Rice Creek Park Apr 30, 1:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field SB Varsity 1 MAY May 2, 4:15pm @ East Ridge - Field Black 35 May 4, 4:15pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field SB Varsity 1 May 7, 1:00pm @ Cretin-Derham Hall High School May 9, 4:15pm @ White Bear Lake Area High School - SC May 11, 4:15pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field SB Varsity 1 May 13, 4:15pm @ Charlie Whitbred Field May 16, 4:15pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field SB Varsity 1

Q: What do you think will be your team’s greatest strengths this season? Feel free to mention overall strengths and/or talented individuals.

A: Experience, depth & knowledge of the game will be our biggest strengths again this season.

I have five returning varsity players that are all extremely talented and have played together now on varsity for 3 years. I also, (I think) have one of the strongest Junior Varsity teams and those girls are ready to step up and help at any moment. My Seniors Kate Schaaf & Heather Claussen will lead the way along with Juniors Maddy Messin & Hannah Kohls and Sophomore Maija Tanberg. With coming off a Suburban East Conference Championship, Section Championship and State appearance, we’re looking to start out strong again and try to repeat and have a better finish at State.

Q: Who are your captains?

A: My Captains are Seniors Kate Schaaf and Heather Claussen Q: What competition are you most looking forward to, and why?

A: I’m looking forward to our conference matches and of course sections. We want to defend our Championship in both and I know the team is very focused and determined to do that. I’m also looking forward to playing in a new Invite called the Preview Golf Tournament. There will be a lot of the top teams in the state so it’ll be fun to see where we stack up with the best.

Q: Any special events or fundraisers readers should know about?

A: We have our Forest Lake Girls and Boys Golf Fundraiser Tournament on Sunday, May 15th, 2015 at Tanners Brook Golf Course. Anyone interested in getting a team together please contact Andrea at: 651-464-2300

SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW COMPILED BY GENE ANNIS & KRISSY ZAREMBINSKI

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Q: What do you think will be your team’s greatest strengths this season? Feel free to mention overall strengths and/or talented individuals.

A: Strengths: Over-all defense and experience.

All but one player will be a two year starter.

Expectations: We expect to compete for the Suburban East Conference title. Last season, four losses were good enough for the conference title.

Q: Who are your captains?

A: Natalie Ingram, Lauren Greeder Q: What competition are you most looking forward to, and why?

A: Conference: 1. Woodbury: They return their pitching and catcher and graduate only two from last year’s section champions. 2. Park: They return most players from last year’s conference championship team. 3. Forest Lake: Always one of the top contenders in the conference. 4: Roseville: They have strong pitching.

Section: 1. Woodbury: Section champions with a lot of strength returning. 2. North: Section runner-up with everyone returning. 3 or 4: Stillwater and Roseville: Both will be strong by the time sections roll around.

STILLWATER - PONIES BASEBALL MIKE PARKER SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 11, 4:30pm @ Granville Smith Field Apr 15, 4:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field BB Varsity 1 Apr 18, 4:30pm @ Mounds View High School Apr 20, 4:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field BB Varsity 1 Apr 22, 4:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field BB Varsity 1 Apr 23, 8:00am @ Vets Park Apr 23, 9:00am @ Minnetonka High School Apr 25, 4:30am @ Roseville Area High School

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Apr 27, 4:30am @ Royal Baseball Stadium Apr 29, 4:30am @ White Bear Lake Area High School - SC Apr 30, 3:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field BB Varsity 1 MAY May 2, 4:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field BB Varsity 1 May 4, 4:30pm @ Spring Lake Park High School May 6, 4:30pm @ Cretin-Derham Hall High School May 9, 4:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field BB Varsity 1 May 11, 4:30pm @ East Ridge - Field Gold 30 May 13, 4:30pm @ East Ridge - FLHS Schumacher Baseball Field May 16, 4:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field BB Varsity 1 May 18, 4:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field BB Varsity 1 May 20, 4:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Field BB Varsity 1 Coach did not respond by press time.

STILLWATER - PONIES GIRLS LACROSSE RICK REIDT SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 9, 3:00pm @ BenildeSt. Margaret’s School Apr 12, 4:00pm @ Park High School Apr 16, 7:00pm @ Stillwater High School Apr 21, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School Pony Stadium Apr 25, 7:00pm @ Cretin-Derham Hall High School Apr 27, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School Pony Stadium MAY May 2, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School Pony Stadium May 6, 7:00pm @ Farmington High School May 9, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School Pony Stadium May 11, 7:00pm @ Wolfpack Stadium May 16, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School Pony Stadium May 18, 7:00pm @ White Bear Lake Area High School - SC May 20, 7:00pm @ Carroll University May 21, 12:00pm @ Carroll University May 23, 7:00pm @ Roseville Area High School May 25, 4:30pm @ Breck School Anderson Ice Arena Q: What do you think will be your team’s greatest strengths this season? Feel free to mention overall strengths and/or talented individuals.

A: Our team’s greatest strength is that we have a number of experienced players returning this spring who started in some or all of our 2015 games or played a key role in the 2015 State Tournament, including: Carly Fedorowski (12, 2015 State Tournament All Tournament Team, 2015 All Conference Honorable Mention), Caitlyn Carter (12, 2015 All Conference Honorable Mention), Olivia Konigson (11, 2015 All Conference Honorable Mention), Natalie Crepeau (12, 2015 All Conference Honorable Mention), Sara Stickler (12, 2015 All Conference Honorable Mention), Tree Riesdorf (12), Sam Houle (12, 2015 All Conference Honorable Mention) and goalie Katie Lottsfeldt (12, 2015 All State and All Conference). We have a large number to 2015 JV and B team players who will be competing for varsity spots. Our JV program has not lost a game in the last 6 consecutive seasons and has consistently prepared our younger team members for varsity level competition.

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Q: Who are your captains?

A: Sara Stickler, Katie Lottsfeldt, Sam Houle, Megan McGuire Q: What competition are you most looking forward to, and why?

A: We look forward to all of our Suburban East Conference games as our team has developed positive, fun and competitive relationships the coaches and players of the other conference teams over the last 8 years. We also look forward to traveling to Milwaukee to play Wisconsin’s State Champion Arrowhead. Our team will play a strong non-conference schedule against Prior Lake, Lakeville North, Farmington and Breck.

Q: Any special events or fundraisers readers should know about?

A:Our team and fans will participate in a fundraising event at Buffalo Wild Wings on 4/11.

We also have a Taco Feed fundraising event scheduled at Lift Bridge.

STILLWATER - PONIES BOYS LACROSSE TOM HOWE SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 14, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School Apr 20, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School Apr 23, 1:00pm @ Hill-Murray Stadium Apr 25, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School Apr 27, 7:15pm @ Forest Lake High School MAY May 2, 7:00pm @ Woodbury High School May 6, 7:00pm @ Duluth Denfeld High School May 9, 7:00pm @ East Ridge - Raptors Nest Stadium May 11, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School May 16, 6:30pm @ Mounds View High School May 18, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School May 23, 7:00pm @ Stillwater Junior High School May 25, 7:00pm @ Tartan High School Coach did not respond by press time.

STILLWATER - PONIES BOYS TENNIS DAVE KAHL SCHEDULE APRIL Apr 12, 3:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Apr 16, 9:00am @ Stillwater Area High School Apr 19, 3:30pm @ Stillwater Area High School Apr 21, 3:30pm @ Park High School Apr 26, 3:30pm @ White Bear Lake Area High School - SC Apr 28, 4:00pm @ Stillwater Area High School MAY May 3, 3:30pm @ Mounds View High School May 6, 3:00pm @ Eau Claire Memorial High School May 7, 9:00am @ Eau Claire Memorial High School May 10, 9:00am @ Stillwater Area High School Coach did not respond by press time.

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White Bear Lake man pleads guilty to fatal stabbing ST. PAUL — Joseph James Derks of White Bear Lake pleaded guilty March 28 to a fatal stabbing last summer.

Derks, 22, will face sentencing in Ramsey County District Court on May 10. A jury trial scheduled April 10 was canceled.

Derks pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing Robert Darren Olson, 47, a family friend, inside a house on Crown Hill Court Aug. 6. Olson was reportedly choking his brother, and Derks stabbed him multiple times in the back because he wouldn't let go, according to the criminal complaint.

Derks also accidentally stabbed his brother in the process.

The complaint reports that Derks told police he had stabbed Olson in the back of the head and thought

he had killed him. Officers found Olson in a pool of blood in a house basement. He was found with a weak pulse but died before paramedics arrived. He had a large wound across the back of his head and neck, as well as smaller cuts across his neck and back.

Court records show Derks has prior misdemeanor convictions for theft, marijuana possession, underage consumption and obstructing the legal process.

Olson also had a criminal history, including convictions for burglary, vehicle theft and drug sale and possession. He also was convicted of aiding and abetting murder, but the conviction was later overturned.

Sara Marie Moore

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Bees are misunderstood creatures, but very important to the natural world.

Understanding bees When I was a kid I never much liked bees of any kind. I must have been in first grade when we had bought the neighbors’ farm after they had either passed away or retired. We tossed Wild River out old stuff from the house onto a pile out Trails back to burn. One item was an old mattress Jim Bennett full of bumblebees.

Grabbing a large stick, I declared war on those bumblebees and starting smacking that mattress. They were easy to smash at first as a few guard bees came forth in single file. But then the horde became irritated and they came out by the score, including the king of the bees that looked to be about the size of a church league softball. It was time to retreat.

As I looked over my shoulder and saw the GIANT BEE hot on my trail, I shifted gears and took off at warp speed. Thinking I had either outrun the monster bee or that it lost my trail, I stopped. Bad decision. In fact, the big bad bee kept up with me, and as I turned it attacked. I can’t remember how many times I was stung but I knew when I was beaten. Retreat!!

Some 60 years later I now have a better understanding of bumblebees and honeybees and know how important they are to us. I also have learned how much they are suffering and how their numbers are depleted. Without bees, we would lose 9 out of 10 crop species that provide 90 percent of food worldwide.

Bumblebees and honeybees are vital to pollination of crops, apples, flowers and vegetable gardens and more. If you enjoy a good steak you should thank bees for pollinating the alfalfa cows graze on. Almost all of the food we eat

is grown as a result of bees’ pollination.

Not long ago I read a report of a massive bumblebee die off. Bees were covering a parking lot, all dead or dying.

Some said it looked like rain coming down and it lasted several days. It seems a pesticide company had sprayed a powerful insecticide to protect linden trees from aphids, but the bees didn’t read the sign telling them to stay away.

Around 50,000 bees died — around 300 colonies. The deadly pesticides are a new family of toxic chemicals called neonicotinoids, or “neonics” for short.

These pesticides are highly toxic.

Experts argue that this toxic chemical application is unnecessary and uneconomic.

Another reason our bees are dying is the expansion of genetically modified soybeans and corn, something that much of the world is trying to stop, but not here. Those plants offer no sustaining food for bees, and chemicals sprayed on them can travel up to 20 miles before they even begin to disperse. That means that our children, pets and you and I are breathing them in almost daily. And then we wonder why cancer rates are rising in all of us, especially children!

Being over 65 years old, I can remember when bees were everywhere and all the plants in my parents’ garden got pollinated. I also remember when cancer in children was rare and people died from old age. This year I am going to set out a brightly colored plate with sugar water to feed honeybees and bumblebees. They might need a life-giving snack to complete the task God designed them to do — help feed us!

Jim Bennett is an outdoorsman who lives and worked in the St. Croix River Valley and can be reached at jamesbennett24@gmail.com

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