Quad Community Press

High school takes on ‘A Christmas Carol’

Centennial

at 7 p.m.,

BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR

LINO LAKES — Developer Integrate Properties LLC, continues to make refinements to its plan for the Robinson Sod Farms property. It has presented another concept plan for discussion while it prepares to submit a planned unit development (PUD) development stage plan and preliminary plat.

“We wanted to take this opportunity to come to you as the board and discuss some things to hopefully give the applicant a little more direction … To hopefully give them some more finite information as they are putting their plans together,” City Planner Katie Larsen explained to the Planning and Zoning Board.

The developer is proposing a residential development

to be known as Promenade on approximately 158 acres abutting Main Street (CSAH 14) and Sunset Avenue (CR 53) in the northwest quadrant of the city. The initial concept plan reviewed back in January 2022 proposed 707 units, but the newest iteration of the plan shows 557 units. The developer is proposing a large lake in the

Lexington mayor will pay for recount

BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR

LEXINGTON Mayor Mike Murphy has announced that he will request a recount for the 2022 election results at his cost.

According to the official election results that were canvassed Nov. 17, 818 ballots were cast. Former Lexington Fire Chief Gary Grote won the election with 50.33% of the vote, or 380 votes, compared to Murphy’s 49.27% of the vote, or 372 votes.

“I will be doing a recount at my cost, the reason being is based on the total number of votes; there were 891 ballots returned to the city of Lexington. Of those 891 ballots, the city states that only 818 cast a ballot for mayor; of those 818, only 755 cast a vote for either myself or Mr. Grote or write-in,” Murphy said.

“It is a serious undervote for a contested race, and I just want to be certain of the numbers, that only eight votes separate us.”

Grote commented, “We had an election, we had the results. My opponent does not like the results and is going to do what he wants to do.”

A recount is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Anoka County Government Center in Anoka. The count is expected to take approximately two to four hours. According to Lexington Deputy Clerk Mary Vinzant, the recount is estimated to cost about $1,200. Murphy will pick up that cost unless the result changes or the voting system performance was unacceptable. In that case, the city would need to pick up the bill.

High School (CHS) will perform “A Christmas Carol” Dec. 1-4 at the CHS Performing Arts Center. All performances will be

except for Sunday’s performance at 1 p.m. Pictured above are Riley Eckman as Ghost of Christmas Present; Paxton Wade as Ghost of Christmas Future; and Olivia Hartmann as Ghost of Christmas Past. For tickets, visit chscougs.com/ tickets.

BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR

CIRCLE PINES — As 2023 approaches, the city is reflecting on the completion of the largest investment in the city’s history $40.8 million to be exact.

“In a world where people focus on the negative, I have always believed that we need to lift up the positive when good things happen,” Mayor Dave Bartholomay said. “Our street reconstruction process was a tremendous event … We demonstrated that with some good planning and some sharp people, that we can take on a major effort consistent over time, get it done, do it right and really involve a lot of people.”

Back in 2006, the City Council agreed it was time to start looking at streets and to develop a plan that would address the city’s infrastructure needs, all

while making the financing work. It took a couple of years to get all of that in motion, but the first project kicked off in 2008, and subsequent projects happened every two years. The last one was completed this year.

“It was a classic example of play your work and work your plan,” Bartholomay said.

In total, eight street projects reconstructed 13.26 miles of roadways and cost over $40 million. The city bonded for the projects, and each benefiting property owner ended up paying approximately $4,000 to $5,000.

Jim Klein served as the construction observer (from WSB) from 2012 to 2022. He recalled that in the early rollout years of the plan, there was a lot of opposition, but as the years went by and the projects continued, each one gained more and more support from

residents.

Former Council Member Deb O’Brien said the thing that stood out to her about the projects was that residents were engaged. “Typically, people don’t show up to council meetings, but when we had a street reconstruction project, they showed up,” she said.

Former Council Member Dan Greensweig added, “Our residents understood the importance of preserving our infrastructure; they understood the importance of asking us hard questions and making sure that we sharpened our pencils as much as we could. In the end, they knew what we needed to do to keep this community vibrant … I think that says wonderful things about the people that live here, and it says wonderful things about your (the mayor and council’s) leadership.”

Centennial Utilities Chair and longtime resident Jan Kreminski described the projects as “long-range stewardship.

“To all that made this decadeslong task possible, including our citizens, thank you for a job well done. Moving to the future with these assets now in place is a base for more forwardthinking for this community to build into the 21st century with pride,” he said. “This really is a challenge to the council and the commission to take this stewardship, this mantra that has been given to us by the citizens, and to continue it forward with forward thinking. We have a lot to be thankful for.”

Council Member Matt Percy added, “This is a great example of how things really can work and how they should work. I think there is a lot to be learned from this.”

The city of Circle Pines will now work with WSB on developing a maintenance plan for how to maintain the new roads.

Managing Editor Shannon Granholm can be reached at 651-407-1227

BY THE NUMBERS

Since 2008, the city has spent

$40.8 million

$15.5 million

$6.3 million $5.1 million $4 million $2.5 million

Since 2008, the city has reconstructed

13.26 miles 51,066 feet 29,921 feet

Since 2008,

on all of the street projects on streets on sewer on water on storm sewer on natural gas of roads sewer mains of sewer services

Mayor Dave Bartholomay presents Jim Klein, of WSB, with the Mayor’s Award for Community Leadership for serving as a construction observer on all of the city’s street projects since 2012.

The city of Circle Pines recently celebrated the completion of 14 years of street reconstruction projects with a reception at a City Council meeting. Pictured from WSB, the city’s engineer, are Jay Kennedy and Pete Willenbring, of WSB.

COPS&COURTS

POLICE REPORTS

The Lino Lakes Police Department reported the following incidents:

• An officer received a phone call report of a financial transaction card fraud at a store in the 700 block of Apollo Drive Nov. 15. The incident is under investigation.

• An officer stopped a vehicle for expired registration in the 2200 block of Main Street Nov. 15. The adult female driver was arrested and booked into jail for driving after revocation and providing false information to a police officer, and on an outstanding warrant.

• Officers responded to a property damage report in the 800 block of Birch Street Nov. 15. A caller reported that a group of juveniles was throwing eggs at passing cars, causing damage to a vehicle. The incident was documented, but the suspects are unknown.

• A gas drive-off was reported at a business in the 7000 block of 21st Avenue South Nov. 16. The investigation is ongoing.

• A community service officer assisted a building inspector in writing a citation for zoning violations in the 1100 block of Main Street Nov. 16.

• Officers completed a welfare check

on Town Center Parkway Nov. 16. Officers determined that a domestic assault had taken place, and an adult male was arrested and booked into jail.

• Officers were dispatched to an assault in the 700 block of Town Center Parkway Nov. 16. The incident involved two people and resulted in injuries.

• Officers and the fire division responded to a call for the smell of smoke at a business in the 7600 block of Village Drive Nov. 17. The potential source of the smoke was located, and fire division handled the incident.

• An officer responded to a business parking lot in the 700 block of Apollo Drive Nov. 17 for a vehicle that had a window broken. The investigation is ongoing.

• An officer responded to a report of a civil dispute between a passenger and an Uber driver near Hodgson Road and Lake Drive Nov. 17. The officer was able to help settle the dispute.

• Officers responded to a call of a disorderly student at a school in the 7500 block of Fourth Avenue Nov. 18. A student was later taken to the hospital and charged out of police

Centennial Utilities considers changes to future rates

BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR

CIRCLE PINES — The Centennial Utilities Commission is expected to set utility rates for 2023 in January.

For the past six months, the commission, along with city staff, has worked with Ehlers, the city’s financial adviser, to complete a rate study.

“This is a comprehensive look at all of our utility rates, gas, sewer, water, storm sewer. We haven’t done a rate study in a long time,” explained City Administrator Patrick Antonen.

Nick Anhut, of Ehlers, recently presented the study’s findings to the commission.

“It is a customized approach. We are really looking at the profile of your community and your specific needs to try to devise the best strategy for going forward,” Anhut said. “We evaluate each fund independently to put them all in the best position to make sure that they can be self-sufficient and generate revenues without the need for subsidy from another fund or city participation ...”

For the gas utility, the first recommendation is to charge all residential users a fixed monthly amount. Currently, customers that reside outside of Circle Pines (Lino Lakes and Blaine) but are served by the utility, are charged a surcharge. Ehlers recommends increasing the meter charge from $11.50 a month to $15 in 2023 with subsequent increases of 9% in 2024 and 2025, 8% in 2026 and 5% increases each year from 2027 to 2031. Anhut said with those increases, the gas utility would achieve self-sufficiency by 2030.

Although the customers that don’t reside in Circle Pines won’t

notice the increase as much because they are used to the surcharges, Circle Pines residents will feel the increase a bit more.

For water, Ehlers is recommending some changes to the tiered system for residential users.

“We are proposing to tighten those tiers to better align them and to encourage some water conservation,” Anhut explained.

“We don’t think this is going to have a large impact on your user classes, but it would tighten it up and it will provide a more meaningful signal in the summer months when they do choose to water more.”

In addition, Ehlers recommends increasing the flat rate by 3% in 2023 for both commercial and residential users. For sewer, the study recommends converting from a tiered rate system to a flat rate, and subsequent increases to that fee from 2024 through 2031.

For stormwater, the study found that the utility needs to increase its revenues by 25% in 2023 in order to help pay for a planned $150,000 pond excavation project.

For single-family homes, Ehlers recommends increasing the fee from $8 to $10 a month in 2023, with another $1 increase in 2024 and 5% increases in subsequent years.

It’s important to note that the commission can review the study and its recommendations annually and make any changes it deems necessary. “This is a gradual approach. You can review the previous year … and decide to increase or decrease depending on new circumstances,” Anhut said.

Managing Editor Shannon Granholm can be reached at 651-4071227 or quadnews@presspubs.com.

custody for disorderly conduct.

• A community service officer received a request for extra patrol regarding construction vehicles driving too fast in the area of Chestnut Street and 21st Avenue South Nov. 18. The request was forwarded to patrol officers.

• Damage to property was reported at a residence on Century Trail Nov. 18. The investigation is ongoing.

• Officers responded to a two-vehicle accident in the 500 block of Main Street Nov. 20. The occupants of the vehicles were treated for minor injuries by ambulance staff, and fire personnel assisted with roadway cleanup and traffic direction.

• A resident in the 800 block of Orange Street was issued a citation for a barking dog Nov. 20. .

The Centennial Lakes Police Department reported the following incidents:

Officers responded to the intersection of Lake Drive and Pointcross Drive in Circle Pines Nov. 16 for a property damage accident.

• A mail theft was reported in the 30 block of Indian Hills Drive in Circle Pines Nov. 17.

• Police received a call regarding a suspicious vehicle sitting in a business parking lot in the 7100 block of 21st Avenue North in Centerville Nov. 18.

• Officers received a phone call from a resident in the 3800 block of Minuteman Lane in Lexington Nov. 20 regarding a disturbing TikTok video with an unknown location.

• Officers located an unconscious adult male in a vehicle in the area of 21st Avenue and Main Street in Centerville Nov. 20. The male was subsequently arrested for DWI.

• Police responded to a garage fire in the 60 block of Circle Drive in Circle Pines Nov. 20.

• Officers received a suspicious activity report in the 0 block of Hillcrest Lane in Circle Pines Nov. 22. Upon investigation, officers located a video of a male suspect running from an open garage in the area. Nothing appeared to be stolen.

• Police were dispatched to the 8900 block of Syndicate Avenue in Lexington Nov. 22 on report of a fire. Officers located and extinguished the fire, which was determined to be started intentionally. The fire is under investigation.

Avoid tragedy by talking with kids about ice safety

An early cold snap means some lakes and ponds across Minnesota are begin ning to freeze. However, this ice isn’t safe to walk on, and the water underneath is dangerously cold.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds everyone to be extremely cautious around the water and, with children at home, to talk with them about the risks of cold water and ice.

While ice is never 100% safe, ice in the early stages of formation is particularly dangerous. Falls through the ice or into open water at this time of year can turn tragic quickly, and each year result in serious injuries or deaths.

Parents and guardians need to be espe cially vigilant about watching kids and ensuring children’s innate curiosity about the water and ice doesn’t put them at risk.

“Kids, and people who haven’t experi enced winter in Minnesota, may not have enough knowledge to mitigate the risks associated with cold water and early ice,” said Col. Rodmen Smith, DNR Enforce ment Division director. “Talk to your kids, talk to your neighbors—we all have a role to play in keeping people safe as the

winter season gets underway.”

Anyone who recreates on the ice should wait until there’s at least 4 inches of new, clear ice before walking out onto it. Other tips for staying safe around cold water and on the ice include:

Wearing a foam life jacket or flotation suit.

• Not going out alone—and letting some one know about trip plans and expected return time.

• Carrying ice picks, rope, an ice chisel and tape measure.

• Checking ice thickness at regular inter vals; conditions can change quickly.

• Bringing a cell phone or personal loca tor beacon.

• Inquiring about conditions and known hazards with local experts before head ing out.

For more information about staying safe on the ice, including thickness recommen dations for various types of activities, see mndnr.gov/icesafety. For more informa tion about surviving a fall into cold water, see mndnr.gov/coldwater.

Waiting Child

Submitted

Ronald,13, is friendly, playful, and inquisitive. He enjoys telling jokes, making connections with others and asking questions to get to know them better. Ronald likes listening to music and some of his favorite artists are Michael Jackson, Prince, and Queen. If a Michael Jackson or Prince song comes on, you will see likely see him dancing and singing along. Ronald likes playing basketball and video games, assembling LEGO sets, playing on the playground, and building things. When Ronald takes things apart, he really tries to understand why the thing works or is put together the way that it is. He is also interested in magic and spending time outdoors. Ronald would like to be a police officer when he gets older. His favorite colors are blue and green, and his favorite food is pizza. He also really likes McDonald’s and Culver’s. Following adoption, Ronald would need to maintain contact with his brother and other birth family members. Only Minnesota families are being considered at this time.

Department of Natural Resources

Big C reoccurs

IHAVE BEEN told that men wholive long enough will get prostate cancer. The experts have even charted it. At the age of 50 you will have a 50% chance, at 60 years old a 60 % chance, at 70 years old a 70% chance, and so on. I n 2004 at the age of 68, my PSA was climbing. The family doctor wasn’t concerned. After conversations with a good friend Stan Bakke of White Bear Lake, he advised me to check into Mayo Clinic.

We did that and on Dec. 28, 2004 I had a radical prostatectomy at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Rochester. Dr. Segura, the surgeon, told me after the surgery some cancer cells had escaped and they may manifest themselves in the future.

F ive years later, the PSA started to climb and I had radiation treatments at Minnesota Oncology in Maplewood. The PSA dropped dramatically. I was good for another five years when it started to climb again. The Mayo team recommended that I get a Lupron injection every 4-6 months and again the PSA went down to under 1.

T he following September my PSA went from 1 to 6 in four months. The rule of thumb is if it doubles in a year you need to give it serious attention. In October I had a Choline PET scan and an MRI at Mayo. It was clear the cancer had come alive in the lymph nodes in my lower abdomen. After consulting with Dr. Choo in oncology and Dr. Kwon, an immunologist at Mayo, it was recommended I start a series of 25 radiation treatments and this time begin taking an Xtandi capsule for a period of time until the PSA drops to an acceptable level.

W hy do I share this in a community newspaper column? Men can be fearful of dealing with health issues. When this first occurred, I wrote three columns and I had men coming into my office to discuss their situation and what they might expect. Some of them said their wives wondered why they were going to a newspaper publisher for medical answers. A lot of times doctors have not gone through the experience. I thought the more I could explain, the more helpful it might be.

Little did I know the column would travel worldwide through different sales and industry representatives. Many of them told me how they made copies of my columns and shared it with friends who were having similar experiences.

So that’s why this column is a reminder to men that you don’t have to die from prostate cancer if you take care of it early.

Over the last 20 years there have been a lot of advances in treatments and especially in robotic surgery that was just being tested when I had my prostatectomy. New drugs have also become available.

I want to be an encourager and recommend that men tackle the issue immediately when they know about it. Some hospitals in the world today treat it by freezing and some by radiation only.

Do we ever clear cancer from our bodies? Yes, I think there are some instances where it’s true, but I also think that cancer has ways to outlive various treatments. Am I an authority on it? Not at all.

T he bottom line is to get more than one opinion. Take an action, don’t delay. Be thankful for the advancement of medicine.

Our bodies were created by our Heavenly Father as living temples. The Holy Spirit can provide comfort and healing. The Bible is filled with many promises. Give thanks for every experience. It will build your endurance.

Thank You: ‘Look forward to returning to normal life’

Ihave been blessed and honored to represent and serve this state and community in the Minnesota Senate for twelve years.

Running for public office never crossed my mind – never. I have always been a passionate believer in freedom, liberty and empowering people. And I have always been passionate and cared deeply about this state and country. That is probably why some friends asked me to run in 2010.

I hadn’t been to the Capitol since the fourth grade. From the first day when I was sitting in the Senate chamber during orientation, I was overwhelmed and awed. The Capitol is a magnificent and beautiful building; a gem in this state. The building inspires as much as the quotes on the walls. You cannot read the quotes and serve in that building without

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feeling a deep sense of respect and purpose, and being inspired to do good.

During my time in the Senate, I had the opportunity to meet amazing people and learn amazing things. The noise and messy business of politics clouds memories and creates obstacles. Nonetheless, working together we did accomplish good things for the community and state.

P rotecting White Bear Lake and groundwater, banning cancer-causing chemicals, creating and protecting jobs in Hugo, making significant progress for kids with Dyslexia, and improving the way we teach reading. Just as important, we provided funding to begin addressing the dangers of too much screen time and social media for kids.

A s tax chair, we passed the first middle-class tax cut in years, began to lower taxes on social security income, and gave relief to farmers and small businesses. As K-12 education chair, we passed the biggest mandate-free funding increase in ten years and worked to empower parents and educators. Working together we stopped the

disastrous, unpopular bus line to White Bear Lake. Finally, I authored and passed legislation to protect kids and lemonade stands from overzealous government regulations.

A ll of that said, it can be a tough job and there were times when you question your own sanity; “is it worth the price?” It takes a toll on your family; they feel it and bear the weight and stress as well. We live in the community, and not behind gates and walls.

T he level of discontent in the community is, to say the least, unsettling. But that is human nature I suppose. There is still a lot of beauty in this world and many reasons to be grateful – a newborn baby, a sunset on the lake on a summer evening, an old bookstore, or an old pub.

T hank you! I was blessed to serve for 12 years. I made a lot of friends and we accomplished a lot. I look forward to returning to a normal life with my family.

G od’s peace and blessings to all of you!

Roger Chamberlain served as the Minnesota Senator for District 38. He did not win re-election to represent District 36.

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Gene Johnson is publisher emeritus of Press Publications.

About the Town Gene Johnson

WEEKLY WAG

Petunia, or Tunie, as she is called by her foster, is a sweet, gentle, young lady who is looking for a permanent Velcro friend.

Tunie is a 2-yearold Staffordshire terrier/bull terrier mix. She weighs about 65 pounds, loves everyone she meets and is social with other dogs.

Tunie knows her basic commands and is obedient and eager to please. She loves her people and wants to be around them at all times. Additionally, Tunie loves her squeaky toys and is very self-entertaining when her people are busy. But when you’re not busy and if you’re up for the challenge, Tunie likes a good tugrope competition, too.

While on walks, small critters like squirrels and rabbits are her triggers, and

she likes to chase cats, so continued training and a home with no cats may be best. If you are looking for an affectionate, intelligent, sweet companion, then Tunie is waiting for you.

If you are interested in learning more about Petunia or adopting her, please fill out an application at www. ruffstartrescue.org. Once your application is received, Ruff Start Rescue will contact you as soon as possible.

CHURCH BRIEFS

Rice Creek Covenant Church collects over 1K

shoeboxes

Rice Creek Covenant Church in Lino Lakes has collected 1,035 shoeboxes for its annual Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child brings Christmas joy to children all around the world by providing shoeboxes filled with small gifts (quality toys, school supplies and personal care items).

In the 10 years that Rice Creek Covenant Church has been a drop-off site, it has collected over 7,300 shoeboxes to be distributed to children worldwide. In 2022, Operation Christmas Child aims to collect 11 million shoeboxes to be distributed to children in more than 170 countries.

St. Mark will host lutefisk dinner

St. Mark Lutheran Church will host a lutefisk dinner at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. The meal will include Swedish meatballs, potatoes, lefse and more. Tickets are available in the church office or online at www.stmarkcp.org. Tickets are $25 per adult; kids (12 and under) get in free. For more information, call 763-784-2558.

CONTRIBUTED

Boy Scout Troop #232 helps to load, transport and unload 71 cartons of shoeboxes for the next leg of their

12; 4707 North Road,

School Board, Independent School

Pines, Minnesota; October 3, 2022. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Guthmueller called the Work Study Ses sion to order at 5:32 p.m. in the District Office Board Room. 2. ROLL CALL The following members were present: ex-officio Holmberg, Guthmueller, Timm, Vollbrecht, Linser. Member Bettinger was absent. Member Knisely arrived at 5:34 p.m. 2. REVIEW BOARD GOVERNANCE PLAN The board reviewed the 3 Year Governance Plan.

will be brought forward for a first reading at the October 17 board meeting. ADJOURN at 6:44 p.m.

Sue Linser, School Board Clerk

Minutes prepared by Jody Josephson Published one time in the Quad Community Press on November 29, 2022.

CENTENNIAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 12 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING SUMMARY OCTOBER 17, 2022

(Abbreviated—full minutes available at www.isd12.org or call 763-792-6010 to request a hard copy) LEGAL NOTICE: School Board, Independent School District 12; 4707 North Road, Circle Pines, Minnesota; October 17, 2022.

3. SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION DRAFT The board reviewed the draft of the Superintendent Evaluation form. Members were asked to further review the draft and submit comments, questions and suggestions for revisions to Chair Guthmueller before the November Work Study Session. 4. BOARD AGENDA SETTING PROTOCOLS The board reviewed the draft of the agenda setting protocols document. 5. REVIEW/ DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC PROCEDURES The board reviewed current pro cedures for public forum. Suggestion was made by Director Knisely to change the name to Public Comment. There was discussion about livestreaming of Work Sessions and whether or not to livestream the Public Comment por tion of the meetings.

6.

BOARD POLICIES WITH SUBSTANTIVE UPDATES

Superintendent Holmberg gave a quick overview of the policies which will be brought forward for a first reading at the October 17 board meeting. Discus sion of policies will continue at the November Work Session. 7. 200 SERIES POLICIES The board reviewed the following policies: #208 Development of Policies, #209 Code of Ethics, and #210 Conflict of Interest. These policies

SPORTS BRIEFS

Education foundation hosts alumni basketball tournament

The Centennial Area Education Foundation (CAEF) is teaming up with the Centennial High School (CHS) basketball teams, Alumni Association and Chain of Lakes Rotary Club to host the first Centennial alumni basketball tournament on Saturday, Dec. 17, in the CHS West Gym. There will be two coed divisions, competitive and recreational. Teams should plan to register by Dec. 3 to guarantee team entry. Concessions and merchandise will be available for purchase during the tournament and general admission for spectators is free. For more information, or to register, visit caefoundation.org.

Cougar icemen beat Stillwater in opener

Two shorthanded goals by Peyton Blair helped the Centennial Cougars win their boys hockey opener over Stillwater 5-2 three Friday evening. Also scoring were Drake Ramirez (power play), Harper Searles and

1. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Guthmueller called the Regular Meeting of the School Board to order at 6:30 p.m. in the District Office Board Room. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL The following members were pres ent: Guthmueller, ex-officio Holmberg, Bettinger, Vollbrecht, Timm, Knisely, Linser. The following members were absent: None. 4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Motion to approve the agenda by Knisely, seconded by Timm. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. 5. RECOGNITIONS/PRESENTATIONS Robotics Team Demonstration. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT None. 7. CONSENT ITEMS 7.1. Approval of Minutes. 7.2. Approval of Monthly Disbursements. 7.3. Personnel: Retirements, Resignations, Employment, Unpaid Leaves of Absence, Teacher Lane Changes. 7.4. Field Trips. 7.5. Systems Accountabil ity Committee Roster & Meeting Schedule. The Superintendent of Schools recommends approval of the Consent Agenda Items as detailed in the enclo sures. Motion to approve the Consent Agenda Items by Vollbrecht, seconded by Bettinger. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. 8. RESOURCE MAN

Palmer Lemay. Goalie Gavin Schahn stopped 20 of 22 shots. Blair and Searles each made three assists. For Stillwater, Ty Tuccito and Blake Vanek had the goals.

Cougars nipped by Chaska 6057 in hoops opener

Despite torrid three-point shooting, the Centennial Cougars lost their girls basketball opener to No. 5 ranked Chaska 60-57 on Saturday at Hamline. The No. 13 Cougars kept it close by shooting 10-for-21 outside the arc, but lost at the free throw line, going 7-for-17 while Chaska was 9-for-14. Jordan Metz tallied 14 points, Marisa Frost 11 and Emma Walsh nine, each of them 3-for-5 on three’s. Macey Littlefield also scored nine points. Chaska was led by Ashley Schuelke with 18 points and Kennedy Sanders with 13. The Cougars led 51-45 but the Hawks rallied due to effective defensive pressure.

Bruce Strand

CALENDAR BRIEF

Centennial Fire District hosts Santa parades

The Centennial Fire District will once again hold its Santa Parades in Circle Pines and Centerville. The Circle Pines parade is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, and the Centerville parade will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. To participate, have any nonperishable

and new, unwrapped toys you would like to donate ready. As Santa makes his way through your neighborhood, say hello, and firefighters will grab the donations. If you are unavailable during the parade, place donations by your mailbox with a sign that reads “Santa Parade donation.”

All donations will be given to the Centennial Community Food Shelf.

AGEMENT 8.1. Acknowledgement of Contributions Resolution – Motion to adopt the Acknowledgement of Contribution Resolution by Linser, seconded by Knisely. Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Guthmueller, Bettinger, Vollbrecht, Timm, Knisely, Linser. Nays: None. Motion carried unanimously. 8.2. Staffing/Stu dent Enrollment Update – October 2022. Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Mark Grossklaus reported that the official student enrollment count for October 1, 2022 was 6,536. Staff count for the 2022-2023 school year is 301 compared to 290 for the 2021-2022 school year. No School Board action is required. 8.3. Alpine Skiing Cooperative Agreement with Spring Lake Park - Motion to approve the Alpine Skiing Cooperative Agreement Proposal for 2022-2023 between Centennial High School and Spring Lake Park High School by Timm, seconded by Linser. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimous ly. 8.4. Addition of Positions to Schedule B – Motion to approve the addition of positions to Schedule B of the Teacher’s Contract by Knisely, seconded by Bettinger. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. 9. SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS 9.1. Adoption of Policies with Substantive Updates - Motion to adopt the policies with substantive updates by Vollbrecht seconded by Linser. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. 10.0 COMMUNICATION As warranted and available, School Board members will report significant activities of and/ or actions by organizations in which the school district holds membership and/ or serves in a governance capacity. 10.1. AMSD. 10.2. CAEF. 10.3. MSBA. 10.4. NE Metro 916. 10.5. SEE. 10.6. District Committee Reports. 11. SU PERINTENDENT REPORT 12. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 12.1. Dates To Note – Upcoming dates and events in the school district. 13. ADJOURN Mo tion to adjourn by Bettinger, seconded by Knisely. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. Adjourn at 7:35 p.m.

Sue Linser, School Board Clerk

Minutes prepared by Jody Josephson

Published one time in the Quad Community Press on November 29, 2022.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

ONGOING EVENTS

CRIBBAGE

When: 12:45 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28; the 4th Monday of every month

Where: Rice Lake Centre, 6900 137th Street N.

Details: Senior citizens from Hugo and surrounding area are invited to an afternoon of cribbage. Coffee and refreshments served.

Contact: 651-429-4413

DROP-IN 55+ FITNESS CLASSES

When: 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays

Where: Rice Lake Centre, east end of Hugo Public Works building, 6900 137th Street N.

Details: Free fitness classes for Hugoarea adults 55+ by Live 2B Healthy. Class designed for seniors to help improve balance, strength, and flexibility in a group setting. Periodic fitness tests so participants can track their progress.

Contact: Barb @ 651-592-0369 or barbconnolly1958@yahoo.com

CURRENT EVENTS

'A CHRISTMAS STORY'

When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 18. 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 and Friday, Dec. 9; 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5

Where: Hanifl Performing Arts Center, 4941 Long Ave., White Bear Lake

Details: Holiday favorite performed by Lakeshore Players Theatre. Tickets $10-$30.

Contact: 651-478-7427 or lakeshoreplayers.org

HOMETOWN

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

When: through Dec. 31

Where: Downtown Stillwater

Details: Free family events happening every weekend through Dec. kick-off with Black Friday shopping deals at downtown shops and restaurants; also include Wintertime in Stillwater Lights Show, costumed Victorian carolers, caroling Biercycle tours, holiday tea events, horse-drawn wagon rides, photos with Santa, New Years Eve ball drop, and more. See schedule and details online.

Contact : DiscoverStillwater.com/ events

ST. PAUL HIKING CLUB

When: 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11

Where: Festival Foods, 2671 E. County Rd. E, White Bear Lake

Details: Hike around Century College, through two cemeteries, and on residential streets, Treats follow at Donatelli's.

Contact: stpaulhike.com

'HOLIDAY INN'

When: 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 1-24

Where: The Zephyr Theatre, 601 N. Main St., Stillwater

Details: Irving Berlin's classic musical on stage. Reserved seating; Cash bar. Contact: stillwaterzephyrtheatre.org

SANTA’S TRAIN SHOP

When: First three weekends in Dec. Where: Minnesota Transportation Museum, Jackson Street Roundhouse, 193 Pennsylvania Ave., St. Paul

Details: Music, vendors, games, snacks, caboose rides and Santa. Reservations required. Contact: trainride.org

MEMBERS' EXHIBITION RECEPTION AND HOLIDAY PARTY

When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec.1 Where: White Bear Center for the Arts, 4971 Long Ave. Details: View works on display, visit with artists, and listen to live music. Free with registration. Contact: whitebeararts.org

TWINKLE PARTY AND CITY TREE LIGHTING

When: 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 Where: Lowell Park, Stillwater Details : Celebrate the lighting of the tree with twinkle lights and visit with Santa, followed by music and fireworks. Free family event. Contact: DiscoverStillwater.com/ events

HOMETOWN HOLIDAY

When: Saturday, Dec. 3

Where: Forest Lake City Center and Lakeside Memorial Park

Details: Annual community event with family-friendly activities and tree lighting. Contact: ci.forest-lake.mn.us/283/ Hometown-Holiday

SANTA'S FIRE ENGINE PARADE

When: 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5 throughout neighborhoods in Circle Pines, or 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 throughout neighborhoods in Centerville.

Details: To participate, have any nonperishable and new, unwrapped toys you would like to donate ready. As Santa makes his way through your neighborhood, say hello, and firefighters will grab the donations. If you are unavailable during the parade, place donations by your mailbox with a sign that reads “Santa Parade donation.” All donations will be given to the Centennial Community Food Shelf. Contact: (651) 792-7900

LAPTOP FOR BEGINNERS

When: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec.

6 Where: Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Rd. N., Forest Lake Details: Hands-on introduction to using a laptop computer. Laptops provided or bring your own. Registration not required. Contact: 651-275-7300 or washcolib.org

FILE

The Centennial Fire District Santa Parades is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 5 in Circle Pines and Saturday, Dec. 10 in Centerville. See listing for more details.

ROBINSON SOD FARMS: Proposed development given new name

center of the development as well as many stormwater ponds.

Larsen explained the three main things she wanted to discuss further with the board were lot size and lot depths, PUD public benefits and the transition from the Carl Street neighborhood to the larger singlefamily lots in the development.

The concept plan proposes 55-foot, 65-foot and 75-foot-wide lots with varying lot depths. Larsen said city staff would like to see a minimum lot of size and depth established. For example, in the Watermark development, lot depths for the 55-, 65and 75-foot lots are all 130 feet deep, with the exception of some 120-foot lot depths on properties that abut open space. For comparison, the city’s standard R-1, single-family residential district requires 80-foot lot widths and 135-foot lot depths. The R-2, twofamily residential district requires a 60-foot lot width and 125-foot lot depth.

Planning and Zoning Board

Member Perry Laden said he would be more comfortable sticking with the 130-foot lot depth as opposed to allowing some smaller lot depths abutting open space. “I understand there are a lot of different things we can do to improve price points, but I’d rather see that we have bigger lots than smaller lots, which I think is echoed by a lot of residents in the city.”

Chair Michael Root said he liked this concept plan better than the previous one, but was still skeptical on lot sizes, particularly the 55-footwide lot.

In terms of public benefit, Larsen explained the commission could consider asking the developer to create a stronger greenway/trail corridor, creating a tot lot and dog park area within the townhome area of the development and requiring higher architectural standards.

Board Member Nathan Vojtech said he would like to see some lots eliminated so that there could be a public park/lake access. “We already

have a private lake in that area that no one can really see unless you have a lot there,” he said. “It would be great to give every resident a shot at seeing that water other than just when you are driving by between houses.”

Although several of the commissioners agreed architecture standards are important, they weren’t sure whether that was a big enough benefit to allow for lot size flexibility and a PUD.

As for the transition from Promenade to the abutting Car Street neighborhood, Larsen said city staff would require the larger (75-foot-wide lots) be incorporated in the southeast quadrant of the development to provide more of a natural transition from the existing larger, rural lots in the Carl Street neighborhood.

Several Carl Street residents attended the meeting to share their thoughts with the commission.

“We are not here to fight the development; we are just here to help shape it. Being Carl Street and Air Park residents, we really don’t want to see our street impacted,” Randy Rennaker said. “Why are we creating a neighborhood that is going to benefit those folks (new residents), make it easier for them to get around town at the expense of folks who have been here, paying taxes, enriching the community?”

Bonnie Bigler said as the developer is preparing these plans, she, as well as the other Carl Street residents, would like to see the new development not connect to Carl Street.

Larsen explained that although that possible connection will be discussed in the future, the focus of the concept plan discussion was lot sizes and depths, PUD public benefits and the transition from the Carl Street neighborhood to the development.

The developer is working on revising some of the plans before submittal of the PUD development stage plan and preliminary plat.

651-4071227 or quadnews@presspubs.com.

Managing Editor Shannon Granholm can be reached at

Fentanyl test strips aim to save lives

BY NOELLE OLSON SHOREVIEW PRESS EDITOR

Fentanyl test strips are a harm-reduction tool to pre vent a drug overdose and are legal to possess, carry and distribute in Minnesota.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, fen tanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is used medically to treat severe pain. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is driving an increase in drug overdose deaths, both nation ally and in Minnesota.

Overdose deaths in Minne sota involving synthetic opi oids, including fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, increased by 81% — 298 to 539 deaths — from 2019 to 2020.

Ramsey County Public Health has a syringe-ex change program at Clinic 555, located at 555 Cedar St. in St. Paul, where individuals can get free fentanyl strips.

“I really believe these test strips are saving lives,” said Jessie Saavedra, opioid pre vention coordinator for Ram sey County Public Health. “People are taking time and slowing down by checking their drugs and are not in a rush to do them.”

Saavedra started working in the syringe exchange pro gram at Clinic 555 in 2018.

“At that time we were giv ing them out, but very scarce

ly,” he said, “mainly because we weren't seeing fentanyl in the streets as much as we started to see in 2019 and 2020.”

According to Saavedra, in 2021 more people were ask ing for fentanyl test strips at Clinic 555 because they knew fentanyl was beginning to show up in more of the drugs they were using.

“Most of the drugs that are being sold on the street are laced with fentanyl and, unfortunately, when they are using the drugs, they are getting used to the fentanyl,” Saavedra said. “That's what's so scary about this, and that's why having these fentanyl test strips as a harm-reduc tion tool is helpful. It's not the answer, of course, but it's just another tool.”

Saavedra noted that xyla zine, a drug used as a horse or cattle tranquilizer, is becom ing more common.

“It's not as prevalent here in Minnesota as it is in Chica go or Pennsylvania, but it is here,” Saavedra said. “If you're using fentanyl cut with xylazine, it makes the fentanyl last longer. It's a totally different kind of high and it makes you pass out. And the worst part is that Narcan (overdose reversal medication) is not effective on xylazine.”

He continued, “The parti cles are so small in fentanyl and xylazine that it doesn't take much to overdose on.”

Saavedra said he estimates that Clinic 555 distributes approximately four to five packs per day. “If you see 30

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION | CONTRIBUTED

people, probably 90% of those individuals are going to take the test strips.”

Fentanyl test strips detect the presence in both opioids and nonopioids, but may not detect all fentanyl. Their accuracy is dependent on how people use the test strip.

“They are not as accurate as they could be, but they are if you use them right,” Saave dra said. “For example, if someone is using a baggie to put their dope in and they're only testing the right side of the baggie, the fentanyl could be on the left side of the baggie.”

According to Saavedra, fentanyl test strips are being developed to be more accu rate. “Hopefully, when that new technology comes out, it's the same cost or cheaper, and

we can get those out to indi viduals just like we're doing now,” he said.

“If we could give out magic pills to get everybody to stop using, that would be ideal,” Saavedra said. “Access to treatment and access to care is the number one thing that is the best tool for anybody.”

The 555 Clinic is open from 1 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Free fentanyl test strips can also be accessed from one of the providers listed below:

• Steve Rummler Hope Net work, https://steverummler hopenetwork.org/.

• Rainbow Health Syringe Service Program, https:// rainbowhealth.org/commu nity-resources/syringe-ex change/.

• North Point Health and Wellness Syringe Service Program, https://www.north pointhealth.org/harm-reduc tion-testing-services.

Laura Perkins, public information manager for the Washington County Sher iff's Office, said Washington County does not distribute free fentanyl test strips at this time.

Anoka County Communica tions Director Erik Thorson said he is not aware of any or ganization in Anoka County providing free test strips.

Centennial Fire District Firefighters will be hosting the Santa Parade on Monday, December 5th this year. Santa leaves the Station at 5:30 pm. To participate, have any non-perishable food and new, unwrapped toys you would like to donate ready and, as Santa makes his way through your neighborhood, come out to visit us and put your food and toys in the truck! Santa will have treats for the kids along the route. If you won’t be available during the time Santa visits your neighborhood, simply leave your food donation by your mailbox with a label that reads “Santa Parade Donation” and Santa will pick it up on his way. All donations will go to the Centennial Commu nity Food Shelf that serves residents of Blaine, Lexington, Circle Pines, Lino Lakes and Centerville. We look forward to seeing you all along the parade route. See maps below for approximate times Santa will be on your street.

COUGARS // CENTENNIAL ALPINE SKIING

PairedwithSpringLakePark

Coach — Derrick Taylor

Assistants — Chris Wise, Danielle Dziedzic

Last year — Girls 3rd in conference, boys 8th

Returning starters, boys — Seniors: Eli Berg (captain), Jackson Copiskey (captain); Juniors: Bruce Johnson (captain), Tyler McDew, Seth Semmler; Sophomore: Daniel Schooley; 8th-grader: Griffey Lofgren

In the mix, boys — Sophomores: Levi Struve, Devon Cunning ham

Returning starters, girls — Senior: Brooke Halverson (captain); Juniors: Annie Trettel (captain), Katie Toensing (captain), Emily Stokkeland; Freshman: Jordin Flohaug In the mix, girls — Senior: Kalli Halatsis; Sophomores: Gwen Halverson, Sofia Anderson

Fast facts — Flohaug qualified for state last year. Flohaug and Halverson were all-conference; The girls varsity graduat ed five starters and the boys four starters.

New pairing — Centennial has a co-op with Spring Lake Park for the first time. Owen Crandall, SLP senior, is a key addition, with years of experience on the Trollhaugen D Team.

Coach says — “One of our biggest strengths is the support we give each other, on and off the hill. Alpine skiing is a unique sport in that we must travel at least an hour to every practice and competition – sometimes three hours each way. We spend a lot of time together on the team bus, chair-lifts, and ski hills. Race nights are often quite cold. Our team does a great job supporting every athlete, from varsity to junior varsity. We consider ourselves a ski family.”

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Dec. 20 — at Wild Mountain

Thursday, Jan. 5 — at Wild Mountain

Thursday, Jan. 12 — at Trollhaugen

Thursday, Jan. 19 — at Wild Mountain

Thursday, Jan. 26 — at Trollhaugen Tuesday, Feb. 7 — section at TBA

COUGARS // CENTENNIAL BASKETBALL

// GIRLS

Coach — Jamie Sobolik

Assistants — Dani Edwards, Jermaine Wiley

Last year — 19-12 overall, 15-4 conference, section champions

Returning starters — Junior: Marisa Frost (captain) ... Sophomore: Autumn McCall (post)

Other letterwinners — Seniors: Macey Littlefield (guard, cap tain), Megan Stacy (guard, captain), KJ Tharp (center), Emma Walsh (guard), Kati Anderson (guard), Maddie Skalicky (guard); Juniors: Jordan Metz (guard), Aspen Gray (guard)

In the mix — Sophomore: Emma Thompson (guard); Fresh man: Kate Lee (guard)

Fast facts — Top scorers back are Frost (10.5), who made all-conference, and McCall (7.5); Stacy is sidelined with a knee injury

Coach says — “We saw some of our younger players make great strikes the second half of last season, giving us a spark for this season. Summer action showed we can once again compete for conference and section championships …. We have all-around players who are unselfish. We are seeing a lot of team chemistry that we struggled with early last season.”

Coach — Spencer Waldvogel

Assistants — Matt Gallagher, Matt Watson, Chris Kamrath, Cory Reisdorfer, Dave Hem mesch, Collin Anderson, Drew Metz

Last year — 7-20 overall, 4-15 conference

Returning starter — Junior: Ty Burgoon (guard, captain) Other lettermen — Seniors: Jesse Simso (guard), Henry Pirner (guard, captain); Juniors: Timmy Ball (forward, captain), Will Quick (guard), Randolph Cooper (guard), Josh Lee (forward), Luke Gunderman (guard); Sophomores: Jack Dagostino (guard), Jackson Driessen (guard), Jacob Hosfield (forward)

Coach says — “Our goal is always to compete for 36 minutes. Playing hard and playing together … We took a step forward last season. With our team being as young as it is, we need to keep building our culture and foundation …. This will be one of the more athletic teams we’ve had. This group’s basketball IQ is also very high … We’ll need a few guys to step up and play bigger than they are. We have athletes who are up for the challenge.”

SCHEDULE

Saturday, Dec. 3 — Woodbury

Thursday, Dec. 8 — at Cambridge-Isanti

Tuesday, Dec. 13 — Rogers

Thursday, Dec. 15 — Osseo

Friday, Dec. 16 — North St. Paul

Tuesday, Dec. 20 — at Roseville

Thursday, Dec. 22 — at Forest Lake

Friday, Dec. 30 — at Brainerd

Friday, Jan. 6 — at Blaine

Tuesday, Jan. 10 — Champlin Park

Thursday, Jan. 12 — at Maple Grove

Tuesday, Jan. 17 — Park Center

Friday, Jan. 20 — at Andover

Tuesday, Jan. 24 — Anoka

Thursday, Jan. 26 — Coon Rapids

Monday, Jan. 30 — at Elk River

Wednesday, Feb. 1 — at Champlin Park

Tuesday, Feb. 7 — Maple Grove

Thursday, Feb. 9 — at Spring Lake Park

Wednesday, Feb. 15 — at Anoka

Friday, Feb. 17 — Blaine

Tuesday, Feb. 21 — at Coon Rapids

Thursday, Feb. 23 — Andover

SCHEDULE

Saturday, Nov. 26 — Chaska (at Hamline) Tuesday, Nov. 29 — Lakeville North Friday, Dec. 2 — at Stillwater Tuesday, Dec. 6 — Totino-Grace Friday, Dec. 9 — Armstrong Tuesday, Dec. 13 — at Rogers Thursday, Dec. 15 — at Osseo Tuesday, Dec. 20 — White Bear Lake Thursday, Dec. 22 — at Forest Lake Wednesday, Dec.28 — Eagan (at Eastview) Thursday, Dec. 29 — TBD at Eastview Friday, Jan. 6 — Blaine

Tuesday, Jan. 10 — at Champlin Park Thursday, Jan. 12 — Maple Grove Tuesday, Jan. 17 — at Park Center Friday, Jan. 20 — Andover Tuesday, Jan. 24 — at Anoka Thursday, Jan. 26 — at Coon Rapids Monday, Jan. 30 — Elk River Wednesday, Feb. 1 — Champlin Park Tuesday, Feb. 7 — at Maple Grove Thursday, Feb. 9 — Spring Lake Park Wednesday, Feb. 15 — Anoka Friday, Feb. 17 — at Blaine Tuesday, Feb. 21 — Coon Rapids Thursday, Feb. 23 — at Andover

Friday, Feb. 24 — at Duluth East

Tuesday, Feb. 28 — at Totino-Grace Friday, March 3 — at Armstrong

Sophomore

Jess Nesen Captains — seniors Adyson Janacek and Ashlyn Macoskey

SPORTS PREVIEWS

COUGARS // CENTENNIAL HOCKEY // GIRLS

PairedwithSpringLakePark

Coach — Sean Molin

Last year — 18-9-1 overall, 6-4-1 conference, section runner-up

Returning starters — Seniors: Lauren O’Ha ra (forward), Callie Cody (forward), Hannah Thompson (defense), Ella O’Hearn (forward), Anna Jarpey (defense); Juniors: Kaitlin Groess (goalie), Noelle Hemr (forward), Ellie Newpower (defense); Sophomores: Alexis Larsen (defense), Teagan Kulenkamp (forward); Freshmen: Katie Ball (for ward); 8th grader: Jaycee Chatleain (forward), Grace Laager (forward)

In the mix — Junior: Sophie Shimabukuro (forward); Soph omore: Elsa Oberg (forward); Freshman: Paige Clauson (forward); 8th grader: Madeline Wolter (forward); 7th grader: Annabelle Buccicone (defense)

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Nov. 29 — at Wayzata

Saturday, Dec. 3 — Armstrong/Cooper

Tuesday, Dec. 6 — at Anoka

Thursday, Dec. 8 — Mounds View

Tuesday, Dec. 13 — Champlin Park/Coon Rapids

Saturday, Dec. 17 — Rogers

Tuesday, Dec. 27 — Gentry Academy (at Breck)

Wednesday, Dec. 28 — Rogers (at Breck)

Thursday, Dec. 29 — Breck (at Breck)

Thursday, Jan. 5 — East Ridge

Tuesday, Jan. 10 — Osseo/Park Center

Saturday, Jan. 14 — at Rogers

Tuesday, Jan. 17 — at Maple Grove

Thursday, Jan. 19 — Cretin-Derham Hall

Tuesday, Jan. 24 — at Andover

Saturday, Jan. 28 — at St. Michael-Albertville

Tuesday, Jan. 31 — at Elk River

Thursday, Feb. 2 — at White Bear Lake

Saturday, Feb. 4 — at Blake

COUGARS // CENTENNIAL SWIMMING

Last year — 7th in conference, 5th in section

Leaders — Seniors: Max Scheurer, George Atkinson, and Tyler Celotta are captains; Scheurer placed 6th in the state in breaststroke and was all-conference; Atkinson and Ben Condon (a senior) had strong section meets and should build on that; Alex Larkin (a junior) will contribute to a couple relay teams that could make state.

Coach says — “This is going to be a fun season. I see us chal lenging to be one of the top teams in conference and sections … With 45-plus members, depth will be our strength … We have some very talented young swimmers.”

Diving coach — Lee Raihle, who started his coaching career at CHS years ago, is back on the staff and should be a big help, said Crawford: “I think he is the best dive coach in the state. He has great experience coaching many top state contenders over the years.”

SCHEDULE

Saturday, Dec. 10 — conference relays at Anoka

Thursday, Dec. 15 — at Anoka

Saturday, Dec. 17 — Coon Rapids Invitational

Thursday, Jan. 5 — at Champlin Park

Thursday, Jan. 12 — Osseo

Thursday, Jan. 19 — at Andover

Thursday, Jan. 26 — Maple Grove

Tuesday, Jan. 31 — NWSC crossover, TBD

Thursday, Feb. 2 — NWSC crossover, TBD

2022

COUGARS // CENTENNIAL HOCKEY // BOYS

Coach — Ritch Menne (12th year)

Assistants — Varsity: Gary Tolkinen, Scott Kranz, Chris Johnson; JV: Jim Allen, Cole Gooder, Dave Bakken; Goalies: Ryan Dop; Strength: Hallie Hemric; Special assistant: Steve Kanner

Last year — 18-6-3 overall, 9-4-2 conference

Returning starters —Seniors: Peyton Blair (forward, captain), Drake Ramirez (forward, captain), Brock Carls (forward), Palmer LeMay (forward), Casey Coenen (forward), Anders Wessman (forward), Sam Menne (defense), Hayden Frank (defense), Avery Clarner (defense); Juniors: Austin Petersen (defense, captain), Harper Searles (forward, captain), Gavin Schahn (goalie)

In the mix — Juniors: Kellen Krumwiede (forward), Tanner Graczyk (forward), Alex Clampitt (forward), Heath Nelson (forward), Ty Escobedo (defense), Jake Robinson (defense), Logan Adams (defense), Maverick Harper (defense); Sopho more: Caleb Kink (defense); Freshman: Nick Carls (forward) Fast facts — Blair and Searles were all-conference ; Top scorers back are Blair (24 goals, 26 assists), Searles (19-28), and Ramirez (11-12); Nine of first 10 games are a home Coach says — “Very high expectation for this team, and the Xcel is always the goal. We return a lot of top-end players with very high standards. Work ethic will dictate what kind of season we have. A lot of players want to prove how good they and how good this team can be. It’s gonna be really fun to watch.”

SCHEDULE

Thursday, Dec. 1 — Totino-Grace Saturday, Dec. 3 — White Bear Lake

Tuesday, Dec. 6 — Blaine

Saturday, Dec. 10 — Hermantown Tuesday, Dec. 13 — at Duluth East Friday, Dec. 16 — Roseau Tuesday, Dec. 20 — Maple Grove Thursday, Dec. 22 — Champlin Park Thursday, Jan. 5 — at Spring Lake Park Saturday, Jan. 7 — Coon Rapids Thursday, Jan. 12 — at Andover Saturday, Jan. 14 — at Blaine Thursday, Jan. 19 — at Armstrong/Cooper Saturday, Jan. 21 — Rogers

Thursday, Jan. 26 — at Champlin Park Saturday, Jan. 28 — at Maple Grove Thursday, Feb. 2 — at Osseo Saturday, Feb. 4 at Anoka Tuesday, Feb. 7 — at Mounds View Thursday Feb. 9 — Elk River Saturday, Feb. 11 — Rosemount Tuesday, Feb. 14 — Blake Thursday, Feb. 16 — Andover

Coach — Chase Steffen Assistants — Jack Bergeland, Mike Williams, John Bergeland, Isaiah Bettinger, Luke Breun ing, Jeff Hackett, Eric Hotakainen, Kalhea Jolly, Tony Larson, John Noll

Last year — 10-23 overall, 1-6 conference

Returning stars — Seniors: Owen Hackett (captain), Malachi Thoennes (captain), Jaden Ruegsegger; Juniors: Luke Timko (captain), Marcus Whiting, Joe Streff; Sophomores: Evan Just, Luke Metcalf, Alhaji Harris; Freshmen: Andrew Person, Dylan Larson, Tyler Cook

In the mix — Senior: Ade Flaschberger; Junior: Melvin Wallace; Sophomore: Jade Lilly; Freshmen: Logan Fu, Ayden Krone; Seventh grade: Ian Shelstad, Parker Leiter, Ryan Hansen

Fast facts — Hackett, Timko were all-conference; Timko was a state qualifier; Thoennes will miss the season with a knee injury but serve as a captain

Girls program — The Cougars have 10 girls, double last year’s total, with four girls tournaments on the schedule. The staff now has a female coach, Kalhea Jolly, to lead them. Ruegseg ger was HWT champion in the first-ever girls state tournament last year. Another senior leader is Flaschberger.

Coach says — “We will have a full lineup for the first time in several years. We were competitive in a lot of our duals last season, even though we started down 12 points. Our room is full of new wrestlers and good athletes … We have multiple wrestlers with a shot to make the state tournament. Luke Timko, our returning state entrant, will do an excellent job as captain helping others …. Evan Just, Marcus Whiting, Joe Streff, and Owen Hackett are multiple-year starters and will have a huge impact … Freshmen Andrew Person, Tyler Cook, and Dylan Larson all put in a ton of time on the mat and in the weight room.”

SCHEDULE

Saturday, Dec. 3 — St. Michael-Albertville tournament

Thursday, Dec. 8 — Blaine

Saturday, Dec. 10 — Hastings girls tournament

Friday, Dec. 16 — Pequot Lakes tournament

Saturday, Dec. 17 — Pequot Lakes tournament

Saturday, Dec. 17 — Hopkins girls tournament

Wednesday, Dec. 21 — at Irondale (also North, Tartan)

Thursday, Jan. 5 — at Champlin Park (also Chanhassen, Chaska)

Saturday, Jan. 7 — Buffalo tournament

Thursday, Jan. 12 — at East Ridge (also Mounds View)

Saturday, Jan. 14 — Zumbrota-Mazeppa tournament

Thursday, Jan. 19 — at Elk River (also Totino-Grace)

Saturday, Jan. 21 — Bloomington Kennedy tournament

Saturday, Jan. 21 — Sibley East girls tournament

Wednesday, Jan. 25 — at Anoka

Thursday, Jan. 26 — at Roseville (also Mounds View, North)

Saturday, Jan. 27 — Maple Grove, Coon Rapids

Thursday, Feb. 2 — Andover

Saturday, Feb. 4 — Pine Island girls tournament

Tuesday, Feb. 7 — at White Bear Lake (also Mahtomedi, Tartan)

Coach — Pete Crawford

Assistants — Kevin Setterholm, Lee Raihle (diving), Greg Belting (volunteer)

PUBLIC WORKS MAINTENANCE WORKER FULL TIME POSITION AVAILABLE

White Bear Township, in Suburban Ramsey County, is accepting applications for a Full Time Public Works Maintenance Worker position. Re sponsibilities include, but are not limited to water, sewer, streets, parks, buildings, and equipment op eration and maintenance activities. Applicants must be able to obtain a Class B CDL driver’s license, with air brake and tanker endorsements, within 6 months of employment and have a good driving record. Starting wage is $27.48/hr plus benefits. The application and complete job description is available for pickup at the Township office located at 1281 Hammond Road, White Bear Township, Min nesota 55110, or by calling 651.747.2750, or on the Township’s website at www.whitebeartownship.org.

Applications will be accepted until 4:30 p.m., Friday, December 16, 2022.

Love Driving? Care about people?

We have a job for YOU!!

Looking for Full-time and PartTime Drivers to provide group ride transportation for adults with disabilities and other community members.

Located in WBL. Paid Training. No special licenses needed, just a valid MN Driver’s License, a kind heart and willingness to learn.

Contact Patti at preber@newtrax.org or 651-846-9303

Now Hiring

Desired Skills & Experience:

High school diploma required.

Ability to interact well with a broad base of internal and external cli ents, both in person, telephone and written communication. Reliable, responsible, and dependable in fulfilling obligations.Strong attention to detail and the ability to organize, prioritize, and multi task effec tively. User of Microsoft Office suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, as well as Microsoft Office.

Please send resume to:

4779 Bloom Avenue

White Bear Lake, MN 55110 or email resume to: ppinfo@presspubs.com

Are

an inspired writer looking for an opportunity to generate creative issue-based and feature-based articles for a Twin Cities area newspaper, as well as looking for additional income. Press Publications is looking for a part-time independent contractor to research for and produce monthly articles along with arts and entertainment features for our news-magazine hybrid publication. Candidate should have photography and/or graphics skills. Please contact Patty Steele at Press Publications, 651-407-1213, or marketing@presspubs.com

PARTS RUNNER - SHOP HELPER

IMMEDIATE - Full-Time employment opportunity with great benefits for a parts runner / shop helper at our Lino Lakes facility.DAYTIME HOURSIMMEDIATE OPENINGS Emergency Apparatus Maintenance, Inc provides full service and repair of fire apparatus, ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Due to our rapid growth and expansion we are looking for professional, reliable parts runner and shop helper to join our team.

Job Requirements: Pre-employment physical and drug screen required. Good driving record. Must have a Class B CDL license.

Excellent Benefits: medical/dental/life insurance, Holiday/Vacation pay and a HUGE retirement plan. Also, uniforms provided.

Go to our website to apply, www.eamservice.com or call (651) 786-4463

Council tables action to suspend, revoke day care license

BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR

LEXINGTON — At its next meeting Dec.1, the City Council will likely decide whether it wants to revoke, suspend or approve a license for Little Rabbit’s Hole day care.

A city license for the day care, locat ed at 9012 Griggs Ave., was approved back in May. Now, city staff and its at torney are recommending the council either suspend the license and develop some conditions under which it could be reinstated, or revoke it.

“The purpose of having a city license in the first place is so that the city can maintain order, can inspect its businesses and make sure that they are legally compliant, “ said City Attorney Kurt Glaser. “In this case, the applicant applied for a business license to run a child care license back in May and has been given the opportunity since May to become compliant to actually get that busi ness operating. The bottom line here is that they are unable to obtain their permit (from the state of Minnesota/ Department of Human Services (DHS) to operate as a child care licensed facility.”

Back in May when the business applied for the license, a background check revealed that the business had previously operated at a site in Apple Valley that was permanently closed. According to the DHS website, the business had a few violations (facility, staff qualifications, staff training) in July 2021, which were eventually corrected. The website also lists the license status as “pending reopening” as of November 2021.

Glaser explained that although the applicant, Abdilahi Botan, has made some progress with DHS in terms of obtaining a license, to date a license has not been issued. We have a pretty large amount of documentation that Mary (Vinzant, deputy city clerk) put together, which goes into detail of all the things they have done, but all the things that they are not compliant as of yet,” Glaser said. “DHS has pretty specific education and background requirements. Those are pretty indepth, and a little outside the purview of the city to be able to manage that.”

For that reason, Glaser recommend

ed the City Council either revoke or suspend the license. Although the op tions are similar, Glaser noted that if a license was revoked, it would allow the city more opportunity to perform a “deeper reinspection” than if the license were simply suspended. Of course, another option for the council is to take no action.

Vinzant said when Botan applied for the city license, he said he had a current license and was simply doing a transfer from Apple Valley to Lex ington. In May, he indicated that they would be fully operational and open in seven or eight weeks. Vinzant said the city license was pushed through “in good faith,” but every attempt to contact Botan for updates and neces sary documentation was unsuccess ful.

Botan told the City Council when he applied for the city license, he was never told that there was a timeframe he needed to work within. He said he was hoping to open the business back in July but ran into some hic cups with DHS. Now, he says DHS is coming for the final inspection Nov. 30. If the business passes, he hopes to open Dec. 5.

“I’ve opened two or three day cares before,” he said. “The quickest one I

did was about nine months. You can not open a day care in less than six months, I’ve never seen that. It’s very hard to get that done.”

He explained that he thought the process to transfer an existing license from the Apple Valley location to the new location in Lexington wouldn’t be as complicated as receiving a new license. He said he is planning to have up to six classrooms with a capacity of 95 children, whereas the Apple Valley location only had three classrooms and 30 children. “It’s a big jump. We need to do so many things that we haven’t done before,” he explained.

As to why the license was “put on hold,” Botan said he did that himself back in November 2021 in preparation for the move, that it wasn’t DHS for violations.

“I’m doing my best to open. There are so many things we have to think of for each classroom,” he said. “Ev erything is almost there. I never ex pected to be here or in this position.” He added that he would improve his communication with the city going forward.

Nick Alkhatib, who works for a management consultant company representing Little Rabbit’s Hole, spoke in the business’ defense. “They

have made progress over the last six months, that’s huge in the industry we are talking about. It’s not like they are opening a coffee shop or a little café on this site,” he said. “The timing for this meeting should be at least six months from now if you guys want to be fair. I don’t think (the license) should be revoked or even suspended, because they are in no way beyond the time frame that it takes to get stuff like this done.”

Mayor Mike Murphy said, “The business has been sitting in our community for months looking like a blighted building. The grass has not been cut, the backyard looks com pletely disastrous, the toys are rotting and that is not exactly what we want for our community. We have had zero communication with Mr. Botan despite several outreaches to him.” He added, “We are here to figure out if this is a legitimate business that is actually going to open up in our com munity, or if it is going to sit like this for another nine months.”

City Administrator Bill Petracek said the biggest problem he sees right now is the lack of communication.

“If this is the kind of business you are going to run, even if you do get this open, we are probably going to be at the same type of hearing even after you open the business, because we have got to have the place looking nice and it’s starting to look run down

We are trying to make this commu nity look nice, and you are right (off of) Lake Drive there.”

Council Member Brandon Winge said he didn’t see any reason to take action on the license pending the DHS inspection. “I don’t think there is anything nefarious going on. I think it was just taking time, and you were bad at letting her (Vinzant) know what was happening and because of previous experiences, we started thinking now this is going to take two years of a building sitting there being run down,” he said.

The council ultimately decided to table the item to Dec. 1.

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Managing Editor Shannon Gran holm can be reached at

or quadnews@presspubs.com.

CONTRIBUTED

The Lexington City Council is expected to decide at its next meeting (Dec.1) whether Little Rabbit’s Hole day care’s license should be suspended, revoked or reinstated.

Cougars volleyball leaders, honors listed

BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR

The Centennial volleyball team that placed fifth in the state tournament had three players named to the allNorthwest Suburban Conference team and five honorable mentions. The Cougars were 27-5 overall and 6-2 in conference.

Named all-NWSC were senior libero Mattie Petersen, senior outside hitter Andi Koslowski, and freshman middle hitter Elena Hoecke. It was Petersen’s second all-conference award. Getting honorable mentions, all seniors, were hitters Ingrid Noha and Cassi Sosinski, setter Ash McClellan and defensive specialist Ashley Friedman.

Team awards went to Hoecke (Most Outstanding), Koslowski (Offensive Threat), Petersen (Best Hustle and Best Defense), McClellan (Best

Server), and Friedman and senior Makayla Speed (Most Improved). Team leaders were as follows: Kills: Koslowski 311, Hoecke 283, Sosinski 201, Noha 99, Speed 68,

Cougar skaters clip Rangers, Elks, CPCR

Centennial/Spring Lake Park has won four straight games after an opening loss to No. 5 Maple Grove. The No. 9 Cougars outscored their last three opponents 14-3.

The Cougars beat the Forest Lake 4-1 Rangers at home Nov. 17. Katie

Ball, Jaycee Chatleain, Lauren O’Hara and Ella O’Hearn punched in the goals, Sophie Shimabukuro supplied two assists, and goalie Anna Peterson stopped 22 shots.

Against Elk River in a 3-1 win at home Nov. 19, O’Hara and Alexis Larson scored on power plays and Chatleain even strength, all within seven and a half minutes in the second period. Kaitlin Groess made 27 saves.

O’Hara and Noelle Hemr each pumped in three goals in a 7-1 win over Champlin Park/Coon in Coon Rapids on Nov. 22. Grace Laager closed the scoring on a power play, and Groess made 22 saves.

Bruce Strand

McClellan 63. Assists : McClellan 672 assists, Riley Diebes 178. Aces: Hoecke 62, McClellan 46, Noha 32, Petersen 31. Serve percentage: McClellan .961, Friedman .928, Noha .917, Koslowski

.916. Digs: Petersen 417, Noha 250, Koslowski 246, McClellan 188, Sosinski 167. Blocks: Hoecke 72, Speed 60, Sosinski 42, Koslowski 30

the nets for nine goals in the Cougars’ first four games, leading them to a 4-1 start.

“Lauren is 5-foot-11 and has an elite shot and finishing ability,” said coach Sean Molin. “She is smart and strong. She gets points on shots, one-timers, tips and dekes.” O’Hara got her first three goals in eighth grade and entered her senior year currently has 58 goals and 57 assists.

O’Hara has signed with the Minnesota Gophers and will be the first Cougar to play for them.

Lauren O’Hara

BRUCE STRAND | CONTRIBUTED

Cougar kill leader Andi Koslowski celebrated a game-ending kill at the state tournament with (from left) Ingrid Noha, Ash McClellan, Elena Hoecke and Ashley Friedman.

JON NAYMST/NAMYSTPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

| CONTRIBUTED

Noelle Hemr, shown here in an earlier game, notched three goals against Champlin Park/Coon Rapids.