Centennial’s vibrant youth baseball/softball group in 65th year

BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR

The Centennial Lakes Little League Association is marking its 65th season of operation this summer. And since 2021, the group has partnered with the Centennial Lakes Fast-Pitch Association after enacting the merger of two competing local softball groups.

Pat Mahr has been the association leader for 35 years, starting in 1989 when the previous guy left due to a dispute.

“His daughter Jessica was playing at the time and he didn’t want the program to fold,” said Chris Reff, one of eight board members. “Pat jumped in, not really understanding how big things would ever get.”

Here’s how big it got: the baseball association now has 48 teams with 582 kids, and the softball association has 27 teams with 255 kids, for a total of 75 teams and 837 kids playing ball.

“I planned to do it just that one year, and now I’ve been here 35 years. A lot has changed. We had maybe 20 teams total back then,” mused Mahr, who, with Jessica, coached a T-Ball team with his twin grand-daughters last summer.

Mahr is a daily fixture at Lexington Memorial in the summer, and works practically every day in the winter on association projects as well, Reff said.

Softball is played mostly at Lexington

Fields and Sunrise Park. Baseball is played on fields through the four cities: Carl Eck/Lions, Lexington Memorial, Rice Lake, La Motte and Sunrise. “We have so many teams now, it’s a difficult process to schedule all,” said Reff. “A great problem to have.”

Baseball teams usually play two evenings per week. Softball has double-headers twice a week with 65-minute time limits. There’s also occasional weekend tournaments. The kids also practice two evenings a week during the season. They start practicing in mid-March.

The massive organization is funded by registration fees, donations and

Public Safety Briefs

Two pilots are thankful to be alive after two separate incidents in Anoka County.

The first incident happened around 2 p.m. Saturday, July 8 near 125th Avenue NE and Legacy Creek Parkway in the city of Blaine. The plane was on its way from the Cambridge Airport to the Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie when the pilot decided to make a stop at the Anoka County Airport in Blaine after experiencing low oil pressure. The pilot was not able to make it to the airport, but landed on the roadway safely. The pilot, who was flying a Cessna 172, was not injured and the plane didn’t sustain any damage.

The second incident happened around 8 p.m. that same day. The Lino Lakes Public Safety Department received calls of an aircraft incident on the east side of Lino Lakes. Officers and firefighters arrived to find a lightweight experimental aircraft that had set down into a large holding pond near a residential area. The pilot was the lone occupant and was not injured. There were also no injuries to anyone else in the area and no other property was damaged.

The investigation into both incidents are underway.

Lino fire hosts live burn training

The Lino Lakes Fire Department recently hosted a live burn training on a home that was set to be demolished.

The live fire training exercises were designed to provide the firefighters conditions that are very similar to responding to an actual home fire. The firefighters used the tactics they would deploy on a house fire to gain control and extinguish the fire. Once that was accomplished, they ventilated the smoke from the structure and practiced searching for victims.

“This was a golden opportunity for our agency and our neighbors to be able to train in real fire conditions,” said Dan L’Allier, deputy director of Public Safety-Fire Division.

Several neighboring agencies also participated in the training including: The Centennial Fire District, Hugo Fire Department, Ham Lake Fire Department, East Bethel Fire Department, Bethel Fire Department and the Oak Grove Fire Department. Allina EMS also provided stand-by during the training.

House fire guts home

LINO LAKES — A Lino Lakes family is safe and a Gofundme account has been created following a fire that gutted the Mikel and Jenny Roe home July 3.

At 12:19 p.m., the Lino Lakes Public Safety Fire Division, along with, the Centennial Fire District, Spring Lake Park, Blaine, Mounds View Fire Department were dispatched to the home in the 700 block of Country Lakes Drive.

Upon arrival, the home was fully engulfed in fire. The first arriving crews were able to slow the spread of the fire, but due to the extreme heat, a second alarm was called. This brought Lexington Fire and Lake Johanna Fire Departments to the scene. Due to the heat, it made difficult work for firefighters.

The family was able to evacuate the home safely before fire crews arrived. One of the family cats was not able to be located by fire crews. Luckily, the family was able to locate the cat, and it is doing well. All fire crews were clear from the scene by 4:20 p.m.

In addition to the fire crews, the Centennial Lakes Police Department, Allina EMS and Lino Lakes Public Works responded to the scene.

According to a Gofundme that was set up for the family, the fire also destroyed two cars. The Gofundme can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y3mbmf4f .

Ongoing Events

CIRCLE LEX FARMERS MARKET

When: 3-7 p.m. Wednesdays, June 14Oct. 4

Where: Back parking lot, Lexington Municipal Liquor Store, 4139 Woodland Rd.

Details: Open air market with local vegetables, crafters, and baked goods. Rain or shine.

Contact: 612-272-3386

CENTERVILLE MAIN STREET MARKET

When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursdays, July

6-Aug. 10

Where: 1721 West View Ave., next to Centerville Elementary

Details: Items made by local artisans, produce, live music, and food trucks. Stay to watch Bald Eagle Water Ski Show.

Current Events

'SOUVENIR '

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 14; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 15; 2 p.m. Sunday, July 16

Community Briefs

Postage prices, subscription rates increase

For the second time this year, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is raising rates.

Effective this month, First class mail prices are increasing 4.8% to 66 cents, postcards are up by 6% to 51 cents and periodical postage is increasing 8.8% for Within County newspapers and 8.1% for Outside County newspapers.

This hike is the fifth increase since early 2019, when a Forever stamp cost 50 cents. The higher postage prices haven’t come without criticism, however, with some postal experts pointing out that customers are paying more while getting less for their money.

That’s because the 10-year plan has slowed the post office’s delivery standard for mail to six days, down from its prior goal of three-day delivery to any destination within the U.S. And the series of price hikes means that the cost of a postage stamp has soared much higher than inflation, which has jumped 20% in the same period, accord-

FILE

Where: Lakeshore Players Theatre, 4941 Long Ave., White Bear Lake

Details: Performers tell the fictional story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a wealthy eccentric who suffered under the delusion that she was a great soprano when she was in fact tone-deaf. Ticket information online.

Contact: 651-478-7427 or lakeshoreplayers.org

SQUARE DANCING LESSONS

When: 6-7:45 p.m. Tuesday, July 18

Where: White Bear Lake Library, 2150 2nd St.

Details: Ar-Dale Dancers teach the basics of square dancing. Solos, couples, and families welcome. Casual attire. Contact: Rick, 651-208-5807

'PATIO DE CASA' COMMUNITY RECEPTION

When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 13

Where: White Bear Center for the Arts, 4971 Long Ave.

Details: Visit with artist Edson Rosas and view the exhibition on display through Aug. 19.

Contact: 651-407-0597 or whitebeararts. org

Meditation Series: Heartfulness

When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 13, 20 and 27

Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Rd. N., Forest Lake

Details: Explore the benefits of meditation with guided chair yoga nd breathing techniques. Ages 15+. Registration required. Contact: 651-275-7300 or washcolib.org

Summer Friday and Student Art Sale

When: Noon-3 p.m. Friday, July 14

Where: White Bear Center for the Arts,

4971 Long Ave.

Details: Lawn games, live music, and WBCA students selling artwork outdoors.

Contact: 651-407-0597 or whitebeararts. org

SUMMER COMMUNITY DAY

When: 1-3 p.m. Saturday, July 15

Where: White Bear Center for the Arts, 4971 Long Ave.

Details: Art demos, make-and-take projects, live music, and student art sale.

Contact: 651-407-0597, whitebeararts.org

FETE DES LACS

When: Through July 16

Where: Centerville

Details: week-long community festival includes live music, vendor market, bike ride, water ski show, kids activities, Bingo, kickball and cornhole tournaments, car show, parade, concessions and beer tent, fireworks show, and more. See website for schedule of events and locations. Contact: fetedeslacs.org conditions online at www.health.state. mn.us/people/cannabis/patients/conditions.html. To become a patient in the medical cannabis program, a person must be certified by a participating health care practitioner for at least one qualifying medical condition. More information on enrolling in the medical cannabis program is available online at www.health.state.mn.us/people/cannabis/patients/registration.html. ing to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Minnesota’s Medical Cannabis program begins accepting certified IBS, OCD patients

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has added irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to the list of qualifying medical conditions for participation in Minnesota’s medical cannabis program. Patients certified by a participat- ing health care practitioner as having either of these conditions can buy medical cannabis at a medical cannabis dispensary starting Aug. 1, 2023.’

The two new conditions were approved last year during MDH’s annual petition and public comment process. Research has shown that people who suffer from these conditions can see benefits from using medical cannabis to treat their symptoms. With the two newest additions, the medical cannabis program now has 19 qualifying medical conditions.

People interested in the program can see the full list of qualifying medical

Foundation will host annual golf tournament

The Centennial Area Education Foundation will host its third annual golf tournament from 12:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8 at Majestic Oaks Golf Club, located at 701 Bunker Lake Blvd., Ham Lake. Registration includes: 18-holes, dinner and awards, surprise competitions along the course, party carts, and more. Raffle tickets may also be purchased for the chance to win prizes. Registration deadline is Aug. 4. To register, or for more information,

“Because we’re in this together.”