Small-town feel in a growing city

If you live in or near Centerville, it’s easy to recognize the changes which are quickly occurring. Our small city is thriving and growing. For some, this new growth is exciting; it represents many years of planning and waiting. The new growth represents an even greater opportunity to develop and provide amenities to those who proudly call Centerville home.

Movers & Shakers

D. Love

Many of us feel excited, while others may feel apprehensive, but Centerville has the tradition, character, and people to allow for growth while maintaining the feel of a small town. Centerville is a place where growth as well as warmth and safety are abounding. We are a city which strives to diversify its tax base while also making the single-family homeowner feel pride and ownership in their city. Centerville is a place you can safely raise a family and run a successful business. Centerville fully embodies the motto of “Stronger Together.”

I’ve seen people investing in our community by getting involved.

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Openings and opportunities remain available. While you are sharing your skills and abilities, you have the chance to grow by interacting and seeing other talented people in action. Members of our Parks and Recreation committee as well as our Centerville Lions Club work hard to organize events throughout the year to bring people together and attendance has been phenomenal. Events such as Fete de Lacs with a parade through town, Music in the Park, Movie in the Park, Skate Nights, Water Ski Shows, Main Street Market, Christmas in the Park and even the Annual Ice Fishing contest and others are events near and dear to Centerville.

Getting to know your neighbors is a key element of maintaining the small-town feel. I see Centerville residents frequently stopping to greet one another. It’s a regular occurrence to see neighbors pulling garbage cans up to homes of vacationing neighbors or calling to remind each other of open garage doors. I’ve seen citizens working to clear storm drains, shoveling out fire hydrants and digging out mailboxes to help one another. I’ve come across members of the community volunteering to pick-up trash or picking up random pieces blowing in the wind. It has been so fun to see neighborhood gatherings such as Night to Unite, Chili cook-offs and Food Truck nights. I’ve felt the warmth of neighbors celebrating good times together as well as supporting each other through difficult times.

We have a fantastic trail system, which invites families to go for walks and greet others along the way. We are able to enjoy each other’s gardens, trees, and landscaping. It’s fun to see kids riding bikes, sledding, building snowmen and playing in the parks. In the summertime, it’s hard to ignore the smell of grilling which fills the area. Seeing neighbors wave at each other with a warm smile as they drive by on the road is a common site, only found in small towns like ours.

As I think about small towns of the past, members of the community purchased their goods in the local shops and utilized local trades people to complete jobs they couldn’t do themselves. Families attended high school sporting events and had great pride in their local schools.

As I look at Centerville, I see a growing city while I also see neighbors and people with pride in their homes and their community. The key element to maintaining the small-town feel is the people, it is you.

D. Love is the mayor of Centerville.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Social Security Tax

Heather has lied once – a whopper of a lie! How many more times will she break her promise to voters of District 36 (and other Minnesotans)? I urge all voters in the District to contact Senator Gustafson and urge her to reconsider her vote and work with Republicans in the Minnesota Senate to repeal this unfair take on senior citizens. It is the right thing to do if she truly cares about families.

Aaron Frederickson Lino Lakes

Solar co-op to host free solar event at Blaine brewery

BLAINE — The Twin Cities Area Solar Co-op is underway; more than 50 residents have signed up. The group will host a free Solar 101 at Invictus Brewing—a solar-powered brewery—in Blaine on Feb. 21 for anyone interested in learning more about the solar co-op.

The solar co-op is a partnership between nonprofit group Solar United Neighbors (SUN), the city of Coon Rapids, Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, the city of Minneapolis Sustainability Division and the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society. Co-op members recently selected Minnesota-based installer iSolar to serve members of the group through a competitive bidding process.

Nature center will be open 5 days a week

Wargo Nature Center may soon be open to the public one extra day a week, as the county considers increased administrative hours for Wargo employees. Previously, the center was open Tuesdays through Fridays; this change would allow the center to be open to the public on Mondays as well.

Surplus funds will go toward new play equipment

In addition to the new entrance road and accessibility improvements, Wargo Nature Center will soon receive some new playground equipment. Anoka County initially received a $931,569 grant in bond funds for the entrance road, but bids came in lower than expected and the project was completed $150,000 under budget. In 2021, the county requested a scope expansion to include work to address slope stabilization and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access to the Nature Play Area. That project was quoted out and will be completed sometime in 2023. Quotes were again under budget, so the county has again requested another scope expansion to include the purchase and installation of nature play equipment and other outdoor play equipment for Wargo Nature Center.

Split parcel lands on Centennial side

A split parcel property located in Lino Lakes that fell within both the White Bear Lake and Centennial School districts has been realigned to fall entirely into the Centennial District. Students currently residing on the property

The co-op is free to join and open to homeowners and business owners in the larger Twin Cities metro area, including all of Anoka and Sherburne counties.

Solar United Neighbors expands access to solar by educating Minnesotans about the benefits of distributed solar energy, helping them organize group solar installations and strengthening Minnesota solar policies and its community of solar supporters.

The co-op is open to new members until April 30. Twin Cities area residents interested in joining the co-op can sign up at solarunitedneighbors.org/twincities.

Co-op members may also be able to use the solar tax credit for rooftop solar, thanks to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022. The IRA increases the tax credit to 30% and extends it for an-

Saturday at 4:30 pm Parish Community Center

6995 Centerville Rd, Centerville

Sunday at 8:30 am St. John’s Site

14383 Forest Blvd N, Hugo

Sunday at 10:30 am Parish Community Center in the Watermark development currently attend Centennial schools, and the measure was quickly passed by the Anoka County Board. Both school districts and the state Commissioner of Education will be notified of the change in district boundaries.

Improvements planned for County Road J

A well-traveled corridor where County Road J meets I-35E is in need of improvements, which a partnership of local governments are seeking through the state of Minnesota’s Corridors of Commerce funding. For the past two years, Ramsey County has been working in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Anoka County, the city of Lino Lakes, the city of North Oaks and White Bear Township to develop a preferred layout, complete an environmental analysis and prepare final plans for the interchange improvement project.

The newly introduced Corridors of Commerce program has made approximately $100 million of funding available for eligible projects in the metro area. If secured, this funding would help to cover construction costs on projects classified as capacity improvement projects or freight improvement projects. The County Road J/I-35E project meets the criteria for this funding.

other 10 years, while also expanding other clean energy incentives like home battery storage. These credits make solar and electrification more affordable than ever.

The solar co-op is free to join. Joining the co-op is not a commitment to purchase panels. By going solar as a group and choosing a single installer, members can save on the cost of going solar and have the support of fellow group members and solar experts at Solar United Neighbors.

When: Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m. Where: Invictus Brewing, 2025 105th Ave NE, Blaine, MN 55449

Details: https://www. solarunitedneighbors.org/ events/category/co-op-event/ am Fellowship

Join

NEWS

Blue Heron Elementary School teacher Meaghan Burns has been named to the Anoka County Library Board, representing District 3 as recommended by Commissioner Jeff Reinert. Her term will end Dec. 31, 2025. IN THE

Saturday

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Focus on your heart!

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

• Prioritizing your heart can help you avoid severe illness. People with poor cardiovascular health are also at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

• Self-care is heart-health care.

• Get to know #OurHearts! Learn what a healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and blood sugar level is for you and how they impact your risk for heart disease.

Take Action Towards Better Heart Health

• Maintain positive, close relationships.

• Increase your physical activity.

• Get quality sleep and reduce stress.

• Stop smoking. Social supports can help you quit.

• Maintain a healthy weight.

of heart disease can be prevented.

— American Heart Association

Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet

A healthy diet low in sodium and saturated fat is key to heart disease prevention. Try the highly rated Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan:

• Eat vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Eat fish, poultry, beans, nuts, vegetable oils and fat-free or lowfat dairy products.

• Limit foods high in saturated fat and sodium.

• Limit sugar and other sweeteners. Going out to eat or ordering takeout? Some tips: Nix all-you-can-eat meals.

• Split a meal.

• If you get fast food, ask for a salad instead of fries, and don’t get the “deluxe” sandwich. Bring a salad or veggie side dish to fill up on to your next potluck.

(This information is from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website. For more information: nhlbi.nih.gov)

Tax Laws Have Changed!

Lexington City Council Snippets

• A proposed ordinance is in the works regarding native landscapes. According to City Administrator Bill Petracek, the main premise behind the ordinance is to regulate property owners' use of native grass seed for landscaping so as not to create a yard filled with weeds. The ordinance is very specific as to what type of seed can be used as native grass landscaping. It must meet certain dimensional requirements on a property plan in order for the city to issue a zoning permit. A second reading of the proposed ordinance will take place at a future City Council meeting.

The Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) is one of the best kept secrets around expanded to benefit more businesses. Even if you received a PPP loan, you can federal Covid-19 benefit for up to $26,000 per employee why That’s scratch from business every analyze We thousands of businesses like yours claim hundreds of dollars in ERTC funds.

• The City Council has signed off for the Minnesota State High School Section 4AAA softball tournament to be held on Wednesday, May 24; Thursday, May 25; Tuesday, May 30; and Thursday, June 1 at Lincoln Memorial Park.

• A penalty order from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was tabled until a City Council meeting in March.

Book a free, no obligation phone call with the expert lawyers and accountants at Easy Tax Credits today!

The next City Council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at City Hall.

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