10th annual Chain of Giving boasts new theme, venue

BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR

The Chain of Lakes Rotary is switching things up for its 10th annual Chain of Giving fundraiser.

The event is slated for 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May

6. Historically, the event has been held in March at Infinite Campus in Blaine, but this year the event will be held in May at the new Peder Pedersen Pavilion, which is located in Lions Volunteer Park in Hugo.

“We wanted to try something different,” explained Rotary President Patrick Antonen.

Upcoming Games

The Lino Lakes Police Department reported the following incidents:

• An officer responded to a report of a stolen trailer from a business in the 500 block of Lilac Street April 18. The investigation is ongoing

• An officer received information regarding potential neglect of a vulnerable adult in the 700 block of Town Center Parkway April 18. The investigation is ongoing.

• Officers responded to a report of individuals throwing rocks out of an apartment window in the 700 block of Town Center Parkway April 18. An officer made contact with the involved juveniles and spoke to them about their conduct.

• Officers responded to a possible grass fire in the 500 block of Apollo Drive April 18. Upon investigation, officers found the fire to be an attended recreational fire.

• An officer stopped a vehicle for displaying expired registration in the area of Main Street and I-35E April 18. The adult male driver was arrested and charged with fourth-degree DWI and alcohol content 0.08 or more within two hours.

• An officer took a report regarding damage to a cityowned vehicle in the 1700 block of Birch Street April 19.

• An officer responded to a report of a student possibly planning to bring a firearm to school in the 400 block of Elm Street April 19. The investigation is ongoing.

• A resident voiced a complaint of passing on the shoulder in the 7700 block of Lake Drive April 20. The resident requested extra patrol and the information was passed on to officers.

• Officers responded to a report of a possible vehicle submerged in the water after a caller in the 7400 block of Main Street reported seeing headlights April 20. Upon arrival, the lights were found to be coming from a fishing boat.

• An officer located a vehicle involved in a possible fraud in

Public Safety Briefs

Grass fire burns 65 acres

The Lino Lakes Public Safety Department responded to a large grass fire in a field northeast of Holly Drive N. and County Road J (Ash Street) at 3:12 p.m. Tuesday, April 25.

Public Safety Director John Swenson said it is estimated that the fire burned approximately 65 acres.

Lino Lakes Public Safety was assisted by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forestry (helicopter, fixed wing and ground fire suppression resources) as well as the Centennial Fire District, Spring Lake Park-BlaineMounds View, Hugo, Forest Lake and Lake Jo- another city in the 2000 block of Main Street April 21. The officer stopped the vehicle and identified all parties in the vehicle. The officer then relayed the information to the investigating agency.

• An officer responded to a gas station in the 7000 block of 21st Avenue South on a report of a theft of gasoline April 22. The officer was able to subsequently locate the driver, who denied intentionally leaving without paying. Charges are pending until the officer can view the video of the incident.

• An officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for traffic violations on I-35E near Lake Drive NE April 23. The male driver showed signs of impairment and was arrested for third-degree DWI.

• An officer documented an incident involving damage to city property in the 1600 block of Birch Street April 23.

• Officers responded to a call of a male in possession of stolen property in the 700 block of Town Center Parkway April 23. The property was recovered and the male was charged.

• An officer took a phone call report from a resident in the 8000 block of Rondeau Lake Road West who reported he was the victim of identity theft April 24. The incident is under investigation.

• Officers responded to a report of disorderly juveniles at a gas station in the 7500 block of Lake Drive April 24. The juveniles were gone upon arrival, and police assistance was declined by staff.

• An officer took a report for damage to property at the Rookery Activity Center April 24. The incident is under investigation.

The Centennial Lakes Police Department reported the following incidents:

• Officers received a report of harassment from the 9100 block of Lexington Avenue April 19.

• Police responded to a motor vehicle crash at the intersec - tion of Park Drive West and North Road NE in Circle Pines April 19. orative is hosting a free substance use community resource event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, located at 13301 Hanson Blvd. NW, Andover. hanna fire departments. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the DNR.

• Suspicious activity was reported in the 400 block of Keith Road in Circle Pines April 19.

• Officers located a suspected stolen vehicle in the 8700 block of Syndicate Avenue in Lexington April 19.

• Officers responded to the 2000 block of Main Street in Centerville April 21 for a property damage crash.

• Police responded to the 2000 block of Main Street in Centerville on a report of a counterfeit bill April 21.

• An officer observed a vehicle travelling well above the posted speed limit in the 7300 block of Main Street in Centerville April 21. The vehicle was ultimately stopped, and the driver was issued a speeding citation.

• Police responded to the 9000 block of South Highway Drive in Lexington April 22 on report of multiple assaults.

• An officer observed a traffic violation at the intersection of Lake Drive and Lexington Avenue in Lexington April 22. The vehicle was subsequently stopped and the male driver was arrested for fourth-degree DWI.

• One individual was arrested for domestic assault in Lexington April 23.

• Stolen property was reported in the 8900 block of Pascal Avenue in Lexington April 23.

• Officers responded to a property damage accident at the intersection of Main Street and 20th Avenue in Centerville April 24. Upon investigation, officers found that a white Dodge truck rear-ended a postal delivery truck as it was stopped on Main Street. There were no injuries.

• Suspicious activity was reported on Center Road in Circle Pines April 24. A caller advised police that an unknown suspect tried the doors on his vehicle before being scared off. Nothing was found to be missing.

“At this time we do not believe this was deliberately set,” Swenson said.

Free substance use event planned for May

The Anoka County Chemical Health Collab-

All community members are invited to this educational event, which will focus on the substance abuse epidemic and community wellness. Prevention and assistance resources will be available at the event to those who are struggling or who have loved ones who are struggling with addiction. A vaping presentation will be held at 11 a.m. and a naloxone (used to treat opioid overdoses) training will be held at noon.

Lino Lakes City Council Snippets

• The city has reached an agreement with AFSCME, Local No. 2454, for 2023 and 2024. The agreement was reached after four meetings. It includes a 3% wage increase and a 0.75% market adjustment for both years. An agreement that mirrors the union employees’ agreement was also reached for the nonunion employees.

• The city of Lino Lakes will participate in the multistate settlements relating to the opioid supply chain. The state of Minnesota and numerous Minnesota cities and counties are engaged in nationwide civil litigation against opioid supply chain participants related to the opioid crisis. The Minnesota Attorney General has signed on to multistate settlement agreements with several opioid supply chain participants, but those settlement agreements are still subject to sign-on by local governments and final agreement by the companies and approval by the courts. Settlements have been reached with opioid manufacturers Teva Pharmaceuticals and Allergan, and retail pharmacy chains Walmart, CVS and Walgreens. Awards are dependent on participation by both litigating and nonlitigating local governments and could exceed $235 million over 15 years for Minnesota. To maximize the money coming to Minnesota, all cities with populations over 10,000 are being asked to sign on to these settlements.

• The city plans to sell its 1994 Chevrolet S-10 to the Scandia Valley Fire Department for $15,000. The truck, which is outfitted with wildland fire suppression equipment, is no longer needed by the city since it now has a UTV.

• Allina Ambulance will continue to pay the city $700 per month to house an ambulance at Fire Station No. 1 through May 31, 2026.

• The city will pay $47,313 to Midwest Landscapes to plant 91 boulevard trees; 51 of those trees will be installed on residential lots and 40 trees will replace trees that were removed due to emerald ash borer, other pests and storm damage.

The city requires new boulevard trees to be planted in all new residential subdivisions in accordance with Chapter

Circle Pines City Council Snippets

1007.043 (17), the landscaping section of the Zoning Ordinance. Both the Environmental Board and the City Council have also supported replacing boulevard trees that die in order to maintain the many benefits that trees provide to the community.

The trees planted for new residential properties are purchased with developer funds collected as part of development agreements. The replacements for trees that die are purchased with city forestry funds. Each spring, city staff members coordinate tree plantings to ensure that the trees and planting methods used meet city standards to ensure high-quality plantings will maximize the benefits provided by trees while minimizing long-term maintenance costs.

The next City Council meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 8, at City Hall. There will also be a work session immediately beforehand at 6 p.m. in the Community Room.

• Two seniors at Centennial High School will receive scholarships from Centennial Utilities. First-place winner Zachary Embacher will receive $2,000 and second-place winner Maxwell Lesch will receive $1,000.

• The City Council will likely pass Ordinance No. 162, which regulates cannabinoid products, at its next meeting. City Administrator Patrick Antonen explained that the ordinance is closely modeled after the city of Lexington’s ordinance, which will make it easier for the Centennial Lakes Police Department to enforce in both cities.

City Council Member Steve McChesney wondered whether the city should pause and wait for the matter to play out at the state level. Antonen explained that the ordinance was needed for the interim.

“The goal of this ordinance is to set up a licensing structure. Once the state law comes through, we will have to modify our process to fit state statute,” Antonen explained. “It is kind of the Wild West right now … we don’t have any regulation. Under current licensing, McDonalds could be selling it.”

Council Member Dean Goldberg said he would like to see stiffer penalty fines. Antonen said he would do some research before bringing the ordinance back for consideration.

• By 2024 or 2025, the city could progress to step 3 of the GreenStep Cities program, which helps cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals.

• A reminder to residents that leaf pickup is scheduled for Saturday, May 6.

• The city’s curbside organics recycling program now has over 100 users. Antonen said the program continues to grow and be successful.

The city is working to install two Level 2 charging stations for electric vehicles at City Hall. The charging stations are expected to cost $21,708, which will be funded via a grant the city received.

• Approximately $6,000 of $12,000 remains available to residents who want to install a water sense toilet or smart irrigation controller. More information and an application is available on the city’s website.

• The city’s employee handbook has received some “significant updates,” mainly from changes in state statutes and recommendations from the League of Minnesota Cities. Antonen explained that the last major updates to the handbook were made in 2015.

The next City Council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, at City Hall.

Shannon Granholm