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Martenson Real Estate Group Exceeding Expectations since 1996

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PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 9 CIRCLE PINES, MN

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 VOL. 33 NO. 56 www.presspubs.com $1.00

CENTENNIAL GRAD: Defending Boundary Waters PAGE 12

Voters renew existing levy, nix additional questions BY MATT VAUGHN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CIRCLE PINES — Centennial School District voters gave a thumbs up to continuing the current operating levy for the school district but nixed two other ballot questions. Question 1, which entailed extending the existing levy, passed with just over 60 percent of the vote (3,524 votes). The levy will cost the owner of a median-valued $250,000 home $95.57 annually. It generates $1.1 million in operation revenue and is intended primarily to maintain staffing and class sizes. Voters were not willing to add to what they pay already and denied Question 2: 58.4 percent (3,391) of voters cast a “no” vote. The second ques-

SARA MARIE MOORE | QUAD COMMUNITY PRESS

Centennial School District administration and Minnesota Commissioner of Education Brenda Cassellius meet to celebrate Centennial’s Reward Schools and brainstorm how to keep the momentum going. Left to right: Suzy Guthmueller, board member, Brian Dietz, superintendent; Cassellius; Kathy Kaiser, principal; and Scott Johnson, executive director of teaching and learning.

Commissioner visits Centennial, Golden Lake elementaries BY SARA MARIE MOORE STAFF WRITER

CIRCLE PINES —Minnesota Commissioner of Education Brenda Cassellius applauded Centennial Elementary and Golden Lake Elementary schools with a visit Nov. 9. The two schools are the district’s only Title I qualifying schools, and both have received Title I Reward sta-

tus for four years in a row. To qualify for Title I assistance, a school must have 40 percent or more of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Title I assistance brings in more money to fund more educational opportunities for students. To qualify for Title I Reward status a school must be in the top 15 percent of all Title I schools in the state, based on the Multiple Measurements Rating

(MMR), noted Josh Collins, director of communications for the Minnesota Department of Education. The MMR measures schools based on three criteria: MCA scores from third- to fifthgrade students, growth of students compared to previous MCA tests, and reduction in the achievement between

SEE LEVY, PAGE 3

City adopts FEMA flood maps

SEE COMMISSIONER, PAGE 3

Volunteer drivers assist in growing need for transportation BY JOLENE FRID CONTRIBUTING WRITER

LINO LAKES — Anoka County MedLink is making a difference in the lives of seniors and others who are unable to drive. The program is available to seniors 60 and older, veterans and clients of Anoka County. Volunteer drivers pick up passengers at their homes, bring them to medical and social service appointments and return passengers to their homes. Laura Louis, a Lino Lakes resident who grew up here in the 1960s, learned about the

service at an expo and signed up immediately as a volunteer. She was used to bringing her father to his appointments when he became unable to drive, and understood the larger need for the service as a result. “Anoka County has some excellent volunteer programs,” she said. Among them are R.S.V.P, also known as Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, a program that includes senior companionship, tutoring adult learners, filling grocery orders JOLENE FRID | SUBMITTED online and more. Lino Lakes native Laura Louis, volunteer driver for Anoka SEE VOLUNTEER, PAGE 11

BY DEB BARNES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

LINO LAKES — City floodplain maps used to determine whether property owners need flood insurance have entered the 21st century. The Lino Lakes City Council held the first reading of Ordinance No. 10-15 Nov. 9 adopting changes to the floodplain management section of city code. The Federal Emergency Management Administration requires that the city adopt the ordinance by

County MedLink, has driven passengers 7,134 miles this past year.

SEE FEMA FLOOD MAPS, PAGE 3

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