Public Safety model ‘no longer functional’
BY MADELINE DOLBY EDITOR
LINO LAKES — At this time, according to Jack Serier, a police service specialist with Citygate Consultants, the current model for the Lino Lakes Public Safety Department is no longer functional due to the lack of police personnel participation.
“Based on the history and nature of the Public Safety Department, this is no longer a functional, operational field model for the city of Lino Lakes,” Serier said at a City Council workshop.
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Winterfest celebrates Quad community
BY MADELINE DOLBY EDITOR
The first-ever Winterfest, a Quad communitywide celebration is underway. This celebration of winter features events that will run this week through Saturday, Feb. 15. A wide range of activities will get residents out to enjoy the winter season and support local businesses.
The event is hosted by the Centennial Area Chamber along with local businesses, civic organizations and Anoka County.
“The chamber’s goal is to build a sense of community throughout our Centennial community with a ‘lots of love’ theme celebrating winter,” said Centennial Area Chamber President Michelle Koch.
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WINTERFEST : ‘Lots of love’ theme
FROM PAGE 1
A medallion hunt began yesterday, Feb. 10. Daily clues are provided daily on the chamber’s social media (https://www.facebook.com/ CentennialAreaChamber). The person who finds the medallion will receive a $500 cash prize.
On Thursday, Feb. 13, a Winterfest Puzzle Challenge will be held at the Centennial Middle School.
The Centerville Lions Club will host its annual ice fishing contest beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, on Centerville Lake.
Residents will be able to take a candlelight walk on the trail behind The Rookery, located in Lino lakes, from 4 to 7 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. Koch noted that area children will be responsible for making the 500 paper lanterns that will light the trail.
Throughout Winterfest, there will also be a Hot Drink Tour. Area residents will be able to purchase a punch card on the chamber’s website, visit local establishments and be entered into a drawing to win a prize.
Koch added that local businesses will also have paper hearts where residents can write down what they love about the community. Businesses will display the hearts during the week to showcase that there is much to love about the Quad community.
The weeklong celebration will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 15, at a skate and sled night hosted by the city of Centerville. The activities will run from 6 to 9 p.m. at Laurie LaMotte Memorial Park. Wargo Nature Center will provide kicksleds, snowshoes and
WINTERFEST EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
• Wednesday, Feb. 12 to Sunday, Feb. 16: Local business Hot Drink Tour
• 5:45-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13: Winterfest Puzzle Competition, Centennial Middle School
• 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13: Storytime at Centennial Library in Circle Pines
• 4-7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14: Luminary Walk, The Rookery in Lino Lakes
• Saturday, Feb. 15: Centerville Lions Ice Fishing Contest
• 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15: Centerville Skate & Sled Night, Laurie LaMotte Memorial Park
fat tire bikes for participants to use.
“I’ve lived in this area my entire life,” said Koch. “We don’t have a central downtown or one event that brings everyone together. The chamber wanted to do something to build some community spirit and encourage residents to check out all the atrea has to offer.”
More information about the celebration can be found online at quadchamber.org.
Madeline Dolby is editor of the Quad Community Press. She can be reached at 651-431-1226 or quadnews@ presspubs.com.
SP TTEDAROUND
TOWN
Send us your photos for possible inclusion in Spotted Around Town. Please email your best shot to quadnews@presspubs.com. Please include information about when and where it was taken and who is in the photo.
WEEKLY WAG
Meet Rudolph. From his very handsome and romantic photo, you could call him Rudolph Valentino, the famous silent movie star dubbed the Latin Lover, but “Rudy” suits him just fine. Rudy is a 2-yearold Labrador retriever/pit bull terrier mix. He weighs about 50 pounds and is housetrained and crate-trained. Rudy is social with other dogs and is gentle with cats. He would do well as a pet addition. He is also very friendly with everyone he meets, and he loves
kids. Rudy is active and likes to play. He would do very well in a loving forever home with a securely fenced yard where he can roam, run and explore. When he’s not playing, Rudy is a snuggler. He would do best in a home where someone is around more than away. He loves his people, and he would love to find a forever family that will walk him and run him and take him on adventures. Rudy arrived at Ruff Start Rescue from a local shelter. If you are interested in learning more about Rudolph or adopting him, please fill out an application at www.ruffstartrescue.org. Once your application is received, Ruff Start Rescue will contact you as soon as possible.
To speed up registration the day of the event pre-register with Venmo!
1. Lino Lakes Fire Chief Dan L’Allier spoke with sixth and seventh grade students from St. Peter Catholic School about how he serves the community as a fire chief and paramedic. — Contributed 2. A heart is drawn into the snow to celebrate Valentine’s Day at the Centennial Library, located in Circle Pines. — Shannon Granholm, Press Publications
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Centerville Lions 40th Annual Ice Fishing Contest
When: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 15
Where: Centerville Lake
Details:
Contact: e-clubhouse.org/sites/centerville
ONGOING EVENTS
LIVE TRIVIA
When: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays
Where: Lino Lakes American Legion Post 566, 7731 Lake Drive
Details: General knowledge trivia. No limit on team sizes. Every player will receive a raffle ticket for a drawing to win a free drink. The top three teams will earn a gift card, and the last place team wins a “mini trophy.”
Contact: (651) 783-0055
HUGO SENIOR CLUB
When: 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17; the 3rd Monday of every month
Where: Rice Lake Centre, 6900 137th Street N. Details: Monthly meeting includes planning for future activities, followed by afternoon of games. Coffee and refreshments served.
Contact: 651-592-0369 or barbconnolly1958@yahoo.com
CURRENT EVENTS
WINTERFEST
When: Wednesday, Feb. 12- Sunday, Feb. 16
Where: Activities will take place in Centerville, Lino Lakes, Lexington and Circle Pines
Details: A wide range of activities to get residents out to enjoy winter and support local businesses. Contact: www.quadareachamber.org/
LUNCH WITH A NATURALIST: URBAN FOXES & COYOTES
When: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12
Where: Wargo Nature Center, 7701 Main St., Lino Lakes
Details: Free naturalist-led program for those 50+. May include trail hike. Registration not required; equipment provided.
Contact: 763-324-3350 or anokacountyparks.com
COURTNEY BURTON WITH COURT’S IN SESSION
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15
Where: Hanifl Performing Arts Center, White Bear Lake
Details: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with classic love songs and music of a bygone era performed with a contemporary spirit. Ticket information online. Contact: lakeshoreplayers.org
WINTER WILDLIFE TRACKING SERIES
When: 10 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15
Where: Wargo Nature Center, 7701 Main St., Lino Lakes Details: Uncover the journey of an animal by the track, trails and signs they leave behind. Registration required. Contact: 763-324-3350 or anokacountyparks.com
TAMARACK NATURE CENTER PHOTO CLUB
When: 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Feb. 15
Where: Tamarack Nature Center, 5287 Otter Lake Road, White Bear Lake Details: Share and discuss photography images in this private club. All experience levels welcome. Contact: tncphotoclubinfo@gmail.com
WINE CHEESE AND SOME CHOCOLATE
When: Noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15
Where: 7 Vines Vineyard, Dellwood
Details: Tasting journey of wines paired with local cheeses and sweets. Tickets online. Contact: 7vinesvineyard.com
RECYCLING SATURDAY
When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15
Where: Lino Park, 7850 Lake Dr., Lino Lakes
Details: Lino Lakes residents will be able to get recycles appliances, electrics, furniture and more. Paper shredding will also be available.
Contact: recyclingintern@linolakes.us.
GALENTINE’S DAY – GIRLS NIGHT OUT
When: 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13
Where: Downtown White Bear Lake
Details: Evening of shopping, dining and Bingo at participating businesses. Contact: downtownwhitebearlake.com
CENTERVILLE ANNUAL SKATE/SLED NIGHT
When: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15
Where: Laurie LaMotte Memorial Park, 6970 LaMotte Dr., Centerville
Details: Free popcorn, bonfire, hot cocoa and the use of Wargo Nature Center’s snowshoes and kick sleds. Bring your own skates and sleds. Contact: centervillemn.com
Saturday at 4:30 pm Parish Community Center 6995 Centerville Rd, Centerville Sunday at 8:30 am St. John’s Site 14383 Forest Blvd N, Hugo
Sunday at 10:30 am Parish Community Center 6995 Centerville Rd, Centerville www.stgens.org 651‐429‐7937
Paying attention
Recently I’ve noticed the resurgence of the term “gaslighting.” The phrase has been around as long as I can remember and currently it appears that a wide spectrum of age groups are using it, maybe not even knowing how it originated. The way I interpret gaslighting is that someone is attempting to make you doubt the reality of what you’re seeing and even your own sanity through skillful manipulation.
An online search showed the origin to be a 1938 British stage play adapted into a 1940 film in the UK, followed by a 1944 American movie version starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. The film — about a husband using lies and manipulation, including secretly brightening and dimming the lights of their home, to make his wife doubt her sanity so that he can steal from her — helped make the term a part of the vernacular. Merriam-Webster defines gaslighting as deception of one’s memory, perception of reality, or mental stability. While it has remained, in varying degrees, a part of conversations and popular culture throughout the decades, a Google Trends graph shows a dramatic increase of usage starting in 2016. I also noticed the term being used online in relation to domestic abuse. I heard it used most recently a couple of weeks ago when a convicted participant in the 2021 capital riot declined a presidential pardon. She was quoted on a variety of news outlets saying that she pleaded guilty because she was guilty and accepting a pardon would also serve to contribute to their “gaslighting and false narrative.”
There was a time in the not too distant past that you could reasonably believe that what you were seeing in a photograph was an accurate depiction of reality. With the sophisticated advancements in photo manipulation now accessible to almost anyone with a camera phone, this is no longer the norm.
My training and professional experience with photography started with film processing and making darkroom prints while I was still a teenager, followed by the transition from manual to autofocus cameras, digital imaging and the introduction of Photoshop. Much has changed over the years but I believe the fundamentals of good photojournalism and ethical editorial standards followed here at the Press still apply. A recent On Point radio broadcast and online article at wbur.org posed the question: Does a picture prove anything anymore? The guests included Isaac Reynolds, a group product manager for Pixel Camera at Google and Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California and Co-founder and chief science officer at GetReal Labs, which develops techniques to detect manipulated media. The discussion with the host included the observation that powerful, easily accessible photo editing tools can unleash both wild creativity and wild lies. Interviewed separately, the guests offered contrasting points of view. Reynolds put a positive spin on the latest technology, saying that the tools for altering and cleaning up background distractions and people from images on the most current phones help users produce a photo that better matches their memories. Looking at the impact of photography in broader terms, Fahid said that, “Photography is not just about honeymoon photos. It is about our shared sense of reality in the world.” Addressing concerns about the spread of misinformation he added, “it’s not just the photo that’s being manipulated, the goal is to manipulate someone’s understanding of reality.” He also noticed a possible throwback to authenticity after seeing students on campus using (non digital) Polaroid film cameras.
I’m personally coming to the realization that in order to deal with the considerable emotional and psychological power of gaslighting techniques, we need to be extra vigilant and use and support the credible resources we have available to get to the truth, no matter what sort of skillfully created alternative versions of reality are being presented as distractions.
Paul Dols is photojournalist/website editor for Press Publications. He can be reached at 651-407-1238 or photos@presspubs.com.
Manufactured housing parks, rent on the rise
In Minnesota and across the country, our neighbors in manufactured housing are under threat.
Legislator’s Lingo Matt Norris
Private equity firms are buying parks and hiking rents. Some of our neighbors have lost their homes. Others are filled with worry as they cut back on groceries or medicines to pay their lot rent. I’ve made tackling this issue the top priority of my second term in the Minnesota House, and for good reason. My House district covering the southern two-thirds of Blaine and Lexington contains about 1,900 units of manufactured housing. That’s more than any House district across the state!
To understand the issue, it helps to know how manufactured home parks work. In most parks, the residents own their homes, but they rent the land underneath them from the owner of the park. And while the houses are sometimes called “mobile homes,” they’re not easy to move, especially after they’ve been sitting in one place for more than a few years.
That’s part of what makes manufactured home parks such an easy target for private equity
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firms. Unlike an apartment where renters can relatively easily move to a new building if the rent gets too high, manufactured homeowners are often forced to choose between finding a way to pay rent or walking away from the equity in their homes.
This is not something that happened by chance. There’s been an intentional strategy among corporations to buy up manufactured home parks. In fact, there are even national conferences promoting the profits to be made in manufactured housing and providing guidance on how to buy parks. In 2024, at least 90% of the parks sold in Minnesota were purchased by out-of-state real estate investment trusts or private equity firms.
One of the parks owned by private equity is in my district, Blaine International Village at Highway 65 and 105th Ave. For years, the park was owned by a local businessman. When one resident moved into the park in 2012, the rent was $405 for a doublewide. In 10 years under the previous owner, rent increased a total of $75 to $480.
That all changed in 2021 when a private equity firm bought the park. In three years under private equity, rent increased $209 to $689 per month!
Another resident said that next year, the rent increases since 2021 under private equity will be larger than the rent increases in 25 years under the previous owner combined.
And these residents would face a tough time selling their home, even if they wanted to. That’s because management is reportedly charging new residents lot rent of $880 – 1,000 per month plus a required $200 per month lawn maintenance fee. Contrast this with a park owned by a resident cooperative just down Highway 65 in Fridley. While the private equity park has seen monthly rent increases of $50-60 every year, the resident-owned park has increased monthly rent $5-6 per year while building a new community center/storm shelter.
Now, I don’t mind businesses making a fair profit. But just like big drug companies making huge profits off life-saving medicine, I believe our society has a duty to step in when people are making excessive profits off essentials like housing.
That’s why I will be leading a group of representatives and senators in introducing a bill to protect residents. It will cap rent increases at a reasonable amount, enhance penalties for owners that break state law, and make it easier for residents to buy their parks.
Together, we can make sure manufactured housing remains a terrific source of affordable homes in our community and across the state!
State Rep. Matt Norris represents District 32B.
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Angle of View
Paul Dols
Circle Pines teen charged in assault at basketball game
Ayub Mohamed Ali, 19, of Circle Pines has been charged in connection with the attack on a Fridley High School basketball player during a varsity game at Cooper High School in New Hope.
Authorities from the New Hope Police Department arrested Ali for the Jan. 28 attack, along with four others. According to the criminal complaint, the teenagers have been charged with second-degree
SCHOOL BRIEF
assault with a dangerous weapon and second-degree riot.
Charges allege that the group attacked a Fridley player who was on the bench during the game between the Fridley Tigers and Robbinsdale Cooper Hawks boys’ basketball teams. According to the criminal complaint, the victim was struck on top of the head with a metal tire iron and attacked with punches; the assailants also attempted to stab him with a knife. The game was postponed following the attack.
Centennial hosts spring college fair
Centennial High School will host a spring college fair from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, in the West Gym. Students may visit with representatives from regional colleges, universities, community colleges and technical colleges. This event is open to all parents and students in any grade level as well as members of the Centennial community.
Centennial High School is located at 4757 North Road, Circle Pines.
COUNTY BRIEFS
Donations accepted for multiple county departments
The Anoka County Board of Commissioners accepted multiple donations made to various county organizations. The Anoka County Library will receive a donation of approximately $4,639. The Anoka County Veteran Services Department will receive a donation of $690 following board approval.
A donation made by Safe Haven Foster Shoppe for children served by the county who are in protective services or foster care was also accepted by the board. Donations included 96 placement packs filled with essentials such as socks, clothing, shoes, jackets, blankets and more.
Anoka County Library kitchen collection expands
The Anoka County Library Our Kitchen Collection will now include induction cooking kits due to a new partnership with Sustainable Resources Center (SRC) that can be checked out. The collection also includes bakeware and kitchen gadgets. Induction stoves are an alternative to gas and electric stoves due to their health benefits and energy efficiency. SRC is the first to launch an induction cooking program in Minnesota.
The Anoka County Library is located at 707 County Road 10 NE, Blaine. To see a full list of kitchen products available, go to https://tinyurl.com/wenc6yb.
Lino Lakes police place signs around thin ice
On the weekend of Jan. 30, a Lino Lakes police officer was on patrol when they came across a vehicle that had gone through the ice on Centerville Lake. According to the Lino Lakes Police Department, this is the second vehicle to go through the ice this winter. Officers have placed cones and signs in the area where there is thin ice.
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MUELLER-BIES
CONTRIBUTED
Lino Lakes police officers have placed cones and signs where there is thin ice on Centerville Lake.
SAFETY DEPARTMENT: Recommendations
FROM PAGE 1
In 2014, Lino Lakes officially left the Centennial Fire District, which consisted of the cities of Lino Lakes, Circle Pines and Centerville. Then in 2016, the city rolled out its current model for the Public Safety Department. The model presented was similar to the New Brighton Department of Public Safety, which at the time required its members to be cross-trained as police officers and firefighters.
As of last month, according to Serier, only four members of the department were cross-trained. These members included the public safety director, the police captain, one sergeant and one officer.
Serier broke down the various roles within the police department, discussed recommendations and provided comments on where the department is strong.
“You’ve got a very good patrol,” he said. “They (officers) are very much interested in making sure they deliver a high quality of service to the people in this community. You should feel very good about that.”
Serier added that the current model the city has in place for the patrol unit utilization is good. Response time was also a positive. Serier raised concerns, however, in regard to the investigation units and staffing.
“This unit, when fully staffed, has got their work cut out for them,” Serier explained. “There are some staffing concerns around it. We see that the number of cases per officer, and sergeant, as they go through their work life is at the edge. They’re so overwhelmed as far as their work volume.”
Currently, the investigations unit consists of one sergeant and three detectives. In 2024, the unit handled 335 criminal cases, a 5% increase from 2023. The unit uses a shared spreadsheet to handle case management. Serier said this does not align with industrywide best practices.
Serier provided a recommendation to help with case management. He suggested that the unit move away from the spreadsheet model and move to a case
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management software system that will help with intake and case disposition.
Overall, Citygate recommended that the city should abandon the combined public safety model, restore a dedicated chief of police position and cease using the deputy director of police and the captain positions. Instead, he recommended the city transition to a twolieutenant model, where they report to the chief of police. Serier said that one lieutenant would help with operations and a second lieutenant would primarily do investigations and administrative services, including training.
“One of the things we found when analyzing schedules was also that there was a need for 24-hour supervision,” he added. “In a suburban/urban environment, it is best practice to have 24-hour supervision. Right now, there is about a four-hour period overnight that there is not police supervision.”
Serier said this issue can be mediated by making changes to schedules or changing the number of sergeants in the department.
Another recommendation included reassigning the emergency manager role from the police department to the fire administration and having three people within the department receive their emergency management certification through the state of Minnesota.
Fire Department
According to Landon Stallings, fire and EMS specialist with Citygate Consultants, the current fire crew staffing model is very fragile and inconsistent. Currently, the fire department has 22 paid on-call personnel and nine part-time firefighters. Low staffing and the geography of the city has led to long response times. Stallings noted that while the paid on-call group is dedicated, it is undersized.
According to Stallings, service demand metrics indicate a need for 24-hour minimum service, and the coverage provided by the two current fire stations is limited.
He provided multiple recommendations that included using a fire chief who reports to the city administrator. He also recommended elimination of the deputy public safety director position. Stallings also recommended
that a full-time training battalion chief, a full-time support services/ city disaster preparedness battalion chief, a part-time office support employee and three chiefs be added to staff to help with 24-hour incident command.
Another recommendation was to have two fire stations that included a combination of career and paid on-call personnel to strengthen speed and the weight of response times. Stallings recommended that each fire engine be able to be equipped with a captain, engineer and one paid on-call firefighter. This would require the city to hire 12 new career staff, plus relief.
Mayor Rob Rafferty and Interim City Administrator David Pecchia shared their thoughts.
“It is clear that we need to update our public safety structure and provide resources to both departments to meet the current needs, and the future needs, for public safety in Lino Lakes,” said Pecchia. “We’ve began the separation of the two departments.”
Pecchia added that multiple meetings have been scheduled with the Anoka County Emergency Management, the police department and the fire department. He also said that four new officers will join the department this summer. They will start patrol at the beginning of fall.
Rafferty raised a question regarding the 2025 budget and what the impact of adding new staff to the departments would have on it.
“If we’re trying to get to a level of meeting the recommendations that have been (put) before us, fulltime police, as well as those that are talked about in fire, are those things we try to amend with the budget for 2025 so that we can get there?” he asked.
Serier said that, based on his understanding, Citygate will provide a three-year plan on how the budget will be impacted each year as the two departments are built out. In April, Citygate will have a final report. It has yet to be determined when the report will be presented to the City Council and city staff.
Madeline Dolby is editor of the Quad Community Press. She can be reached at 651-431-1226 or quadnews@presspubs.com.
The Centennial Lakes Police Department reports the following selected incidents:
• Police conducted a traffic stop Jan. 30 at the intersection of Pointcross Drive and North Road in Circle Pines.
• Officers were dispatched Jan. 31 to a noise complaint in the 40 block of Center Road in Circle Pines.
• Officers responded to a phone call regarding a stolen license plate Feb. 1 in the 30 block of Village Parkway in Circle Pines. The plate has been recovered. No known suspects at this time.
• Police observed a vehicle Feb. 2 in a parking lot after hours in the 6900 block of Dupre Road in Centerville. The occupants were advised of park hours.
The Lino Lakes Police Department reports the following selected incidents:
• An officer took a harassment report Jan. 28 in the 6500 block of Sherman Lake Road. The officer provided the complainant advice on how to handle the problem.
• An officer responded to a call of a fire under a deck Jan. 28 in the 6700 block of Black Duck Drive. The officer worked to extinguish the fire until the Lino Lakes Fire Department arrived.
• Officers responded to a report of suspicious activity involving juveniles Jan. 28 in the 600 block of Prairie Flower Road. Officers located the juveniles and determined no crime had occurred. The parents were notified of the police contact.
• An officer was dispatched on a report of suspicious activity Jan. 29 in the 1000 block of Evergreen Trail. The officer did not locate any problems.
• Officers conducted tobacco compliance checks Jan. 29 in the 600 block of Town Center Parkway. All of the establishments passed the compliance checks.
• An officer received information from two plain-clothes officers of a possible impaired driver Jan. 29 in the 400 block of Arrowhead Drive. The driver was stopped and subsequently arrested for DWI.
• An officer received a phone call regarding child custody exchanges Jan. 29 in the 600 block of Town Center Parkway. The questions were answered, and no further action was needed.
• A community service officer was dispatched to a dumping complaint Jan. 30 in the 0 block of Leonard Avenue. The situation was resolved.
• An officer took a threat report Jan. 30 in the 7500 block of Woods Edge Boulevard. The officer documented the statements and determined no crime had occurred.
• An officer took a report of missing medication from a care facility Jan. 30 in the 700 block of Town Center Parkway. An investigation is ongoing.
• An officer and the fire division responded to a report of an illegal burn Jan. 30 in the 7000 block of Sunrise Drive. The homeowner put out the fire and was given a warning.
• Officers conducted a traffic stop Jan. 31 at the intersection of Interstate 35W and Lake Drive. The driver was issued a citation.
• An officer conducted a traffic stop and arrested a male driver for driving after cancellation inimical to public safety Jan. 31 at the intersection of Interstate 35W and Lake Drive. The male was
arrested and booked at the Anoka County Jail.
• A community service officer was dispatched to a no-tag request Jan. 31 in the 7900 block of Joseph Court. The situation was resolved.
• An officer, along with fire personnel, responded to a report of a gas odor at a residence Jan. 31 in the 300 block of Arrowhead Drive. Fire personnel located the source, ventilated the home and there were no further problems.
• An officer located an individual in a park after hours Jan. 31 in the 0 block of County Parkway E. The officer advised the individual of the ordinance and they cooperated and left. No further problems were reported.
• An officer responded to a report of a runaway juvenile Feb. 1 in the 7300 block of Forest Lane. The juvenile was located and returned home. No further problems.
• An officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with expired registration and no taillights Feb. 1 in the 7800 block of Lake Drive. The adult male driver was identified and found to have a cancelled driver’s license. The driver fled from officers in a motor vehicle and a warrant was later issued for his arrest.
• Officers responded to a report of a possible accident Feb.1 at the intersection of Birch Street and Hodgson Road. The officer learned the driver of the suspect vehicle had fled the scene.
• Officers responded to a noise complaint Feb. 1 in the 700 block of Town Center Parkway. Officers spoke with the subject of the complaint, who said they would keep the noise down.
• Officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle Feb. 2 in the
8000 block of Bluebill Lane. Officers investigated and found no crime was occurring and there were no problems.
• An officer responded to a report of an animal complaint Feb. 2 in the 6300 block of Hodgson Road. The officer was unable to locate the animals.
• An officer responded to a call of a found dog Feb. 2 at the intersection of Glenview Avenue and Glenview Lane. The officer attempted to identify the owner but was unsuccessful. The dog was taken to a local animal care center.
• Officers responded to a grass fire Feb 2 in the 7300 block of Interstate 35E. While on scene of the fire, a motor vehicle accident occurred. The fire was extinguished, and the State Patrol handled the accident.
• Officers responded to an address after the vehicle of a trespassed party was found on a property Feb. 2 in the 6600 block of Centerville Road. Officers were unable to contact the trespassed party and are investigating the incident.
• Officers conducted a warrant attempt Feb. 3 in the 2100 block of Itasca Circle. The male was arrested and booked at jail.
• An officer responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident Feb. 3 at the intersection of Main Street and Elmcrest Avenue N. The officer documented the statements of the drivers and both vehicles were driven from the scene.
• An officer received information of a possible threat Feb. 3 in the 2200 block of Tart Lake Road. The incident was investigated, and the proper agencies were notified.
Lino Lakes designs public works facility
BY MADELINE DOLBY EDITOR
A design for a new Lino Lakes Public Works facility is in the works after council approved a professional service contract with Oertel Architects to complete the project.
The existing public works facility is located at 1189 Main Street in Lino Lakes and was built in 1971. The site includes former City Hall offices, several pre-engineered metal buildings, sheds and mobile buildings.
“Over the past 10 years, the city has been evaluating the construction of a new public works facility to replace the existing facility,” said Community Development Director Michael Grochala. “That building was originally
constructed in 1971 and has picked up a few pieces over the years, but it is in need of retirement in order to meet our current and future needs of the city.”
Oertel was responsible for the design of other public works facilities in the area, such as the Hugo Public Works facility that was completed four years ago. In collaboration with WSB, the city’s engineering firm, the company is also helping design the Lino Lakes water treatment facility that is set to be completed in 2027.
According to Grochala, it is anticipated that the new facility will include community meeting space to accommodate election precinct operations, senior events and educational and training functions.
Through February and March, the firm will define the building and site design requirements. There will also be opportunities for city staff and stakeholders to provide feedback on the design of the facilities throughout the process. A final set of documents will be presented to the city between September 2025 and February 2026 for review. The expected budget for this project is approximately $16.4 million. The building and facilities fund will fund the project. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2027 or winter 2028.
Madeline Dolby is editor of the Quad Community Press. She can be reached at 651-431-1226 or quadnews@presspubs.com.
• A representative from WSB presented a preliminary design to the City Council and city staff, on behalf of Anoka County, for the reconstruction of Sunset Avenue from Apollo Drive to Main Street. The current concept includes roundabouts at Lilac Street and 121st Avenue NE in Blaine. The Bradley Street access, located south of Lilac Street, is proposed to be eliminated. Construction is predicted to begin in spring 2027 and last through the fall. An open house will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the Rookery, 7690 Village Drive, for residents to learn more about the project.
• Tom Hoffman, the city’s environmental coordinator, provided the council with the findings from the North Oaks mixed-use development environmental assessment worksheet (EAW). An EAW determines if there are significant environmental impacts with a proposed development. It covers various topics, such as traffic, land use, soil, visual and more. According to Hoffman, the city received comments from four government agencies: Anoka County, the Metropolitan Council, the Minnesota DNR and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Comments did not suggest a need for an environmental impact statement (EIS).
The next City Council work session will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, at City Hall, followed by a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Madeline Dolby
See presspubs.com for more awards Press Publications received at MNA.
Press Publications takes home 5 newspaper association awards
Press Publications has received five awards from the Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA) as a part of the 20232024 Better Newspaper Contest (BNC).
Every year, dailies and non-dailies with circulations from 1,500 to over 10,000 from all over the state enter the contest. The contest is made up of several categories in the areas of advertising, stories, breaking news, investigative reporting, design, photography, sports and more.
The 2023-2024 contest had nearly 4,000 entries. Winners were recently honored at the BNC Awards Gala during the 158th annual MNA Convention & Trade Show at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn Park.
The White Bear Press and The Citizen received awards. The White Bear Press earned a first place in the General Excellence category. The award recognizes “balanced excellence of a newspaper as a whole.” Judges consider quality of news coverage, advertising, classifieds, editorial pages and the overall appearance of the newspaper.
Judges commented, “All of the entries were great, but the White Bear Press just stood out to me. There is a nice balance of pages and the story arrangement on the pages made them easy to read. The Letter to the Editor page was outstanding and the ad creation I thought was outstanding. I especially liked the Vineyard/Brewery
CONSTRUCTION BRIEF
Guide. Well done, folks!”
The White Bear Press also received third place in the Special Section category for two of its special sections, one on the unified White Bear Lake Area High School and the other on the new public safety facility.
In the Website category, Press Publications earned third place. Judges commented that the website was “very attractive.”
Staff Writer Erik Suchy received third place in the Human Interest Story – News Feature category for his story, “Searching for Nathan Edberg: 25 years later.” Judges commented, “An excellent choice to feature a cold case update. People are drawn to these stories for so many reasons. Great use of background and detail.”
Managing Editor Shannon Granholm received third place in the Social Issues Story category for her article titled, “Faces of fentanyl: Commemorating the lives lost,” which ran in The Citizen and other publications.
Judges commented, “This problem needs to be in the public eye more often. And the problem in prisons continue to increase. Wonderful writing. Please keep the public up to date on this national problem that is destroying so many.” For more information about the MNA or BNC, visit https://mna.org.
Roundabout to be constructed at Main Street, Sunset Avenue
Anoka County, in partnership with the cities of Blaine and Lino Lakes, has entered a contract agreement with WSB for improvements to be made at the intersection of Main Street and Sunset Avenue in the cities of Blaine and Lino Lakes. The plans include construction of a single-lane roundabout to address safety for motorists and pedestrians. The plans also show improvements to the storm sewer drainage system. The project will be funded through a combination of funds, such as transportation advancement account funds, Blaine/Lino Lakes municipal state aid street funds and local funds.
CLASSIFIEDS
MD A
6692 or natasha.northrop@sta te.mn.us
PUBLIC NOTICE
CITY OF LINO LAKES ANOKA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
am local time. Immediately following expiration of the time for receiving bids, representatives of the City of Lino Lakes will publicly view Bids at an online Bid opening meeting. Those interested in viewing the online Bid opening are welcome to join the meeting by logging on to https://zoom.us/join or calling 301.715.8592 and entering Meeting ID 999 0994 8522 and Passcode 793931. The as-read online Bid results will be available at www.questcdn.com following the Bid opening. The Project includes the furnishing of all labor and materials for the construction complete in-place, of the following approximate quantities: 0.3 ACRE Clearing/Grubbing
2,600 S Y Remove Bituminous Pavement (all types)
1,400 L F Remove and Replace Concrete Curb and Gutter
3,000 C Y Excavation (all types)
2,000 C Y Select Granular Embankment (CV) 1,000 TON Bituminous Pavement (all types) 900 L F 8” – 10” PVC Sanitary Sewer
L F 15” RCP Storm Sewer
L F 6” – 12” PVC Watermain
1 L S Signal System
1.5 ACRE Restoration
1,800 L F Striping – Multi Comp (all types)
1 L S Miscellaneous Structures (Remove Basement Material and Seal Well Shaft)
The provisions of MINN. STAT. 16C.285 Responsible Contractor are imposed as a requirement of this contract. All bidders and persons or companies providing a response/submission to the Advertisement for Bids of the City of Lino Lakes shall comply with the provisions of the statute. Information and Bidding Documents for the Project can be found at www. questcdn.com. Bidding Documents may be downloaded from the website for a nonrefundable fee of $55 by inputting Quest project #9523715 on the website’s Project Search page.
The website will be updated periodically with addenda, lists of registered plan holders, reports, and other information relevant to submitting a Bid for the Project. All official notifications, addenda, and other Bidding Documents will be offered only through the website www.questcdn.com. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for Bidding Documents, including addenda, if any, obtained from other sources. Bids will only be accepted via the electronic bidding service through QuestCDN.
The City Council reserves the right to reject any and all Bids and to waive any Bids received without explanation. No Bid may be withdrawn for a period of 60 days. For all further requirements regarding Bid submittal, qualifications, procedures, and contract award, refer to the Instructions to Bidders that are included in the Bidding Documents.
DATED: February 5, 2025 BY THE ORDER OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Michael Grochala
Community Development Director, Lino Lakes, MN
Published two times in the Quad Community Press on February 11 and 18, 2025.
SPORTS BRIEFS
BOYS HOCKEY
Joey Hemr tallied all three goals as Centennial (7-14) beat White Bear Lake 3-2 on Tuesday evening and netted two more goals Thursday in a 4-3 win over Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids (SLP/CR) 4-3, both at home. Blaine cooled down the Cougars (8-15) on Saturday 2-0. Hemr, junior forward, scored twice in the second period against the Bears (13-5-3) and got the hat trick with a short-handed goal in the third. Easton Cody made 37 saves for the Cougars. Centennial rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat SLP/CR with goals by Nick Carls, Cooper Hehir and Hemr. Hemr now has 10 goals for the season. Easton made 31 saves.
GIRLS HOCKEY
Centennial/Spring Lake Park, 24-2 and topseeded in Section 5AA, beat Mounds View/Irondale 10-1 Saturday, advancing to the semifinals Tuesday against North Wright County, 5 p.m., at Roseville. The finals will be Friday at 7 p.m. Maple Grove faces Champlin Park/Coon Rapids in the other semifinal. Grace Laager netted three goals, Teagan Kulenkamp and Mia Sutch two each, and Annabelle Buccicone, Katie Ball and Erica Maida one each. The No. 3 ranked Coiugars won 3-1 over No. 7 Woodbury (21-2-2) on Tuesday, on goals by Larson, Ball and Lillian Renslow and 27 saves by Kaia Wieland, in the regular season finale.
GYMNASTICS
Maple Grove edged Centennial 129.30 to 127.75 in the final dual meet Thursday. Micheala Oslund of the Cougars was first all-around with 36.90 points and won all four events: vault (9.225), bars (9.125), beam (9.20) and floor (9.35)
BOYS BASKETBALL
Centennial lost to Blaine 79-69 last Monday and to defending state champion Totino-Grace (T-G) 75-42 on Wednesday, both at home. Jackson Driessen pumped in 35 points against Blaine (10-8) and Tristan Hanson added 19. Driessen had 19 against T-G. Centennial is 10-11 overall and 4-9 in the Northwest Suburban Conference.
E R V I C E D I R E C T O R Y
Cougar dance team earns state trip
The Centennial Dance Team (CDT) will compete in the state meet after placing second in Jazz and third in High Kick in the Section 3AAA meet on Saturday at Bloomington Kennedy. The top three teams advance to state, slated for Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15 at Target Center. The CDT is coached by Sarah Austin. Blaine placed third in Jazz and second in Kick.
Cougar girls pull out 2 close conference wins
BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
A 37-point game by Autumn McCall, a game-winning shot by Sydney Schmitz and contributions by several others helped the Centennial girls basketball pull out two close conference games last week.
McCall, 6-2 senior, powered the Cougars (13-8) past Blaine 62-58 there, shooting11-for-21 on field goals and 12for-16 on free shots. She had seven rebounds and three assists. Amelia Delmedico added 10 points. Abby Mathews sank two clutch free shots. Mara Holle led Blaine (10-11) with 17 points.
Schmitz, who missed the Blaine game with illness, gave the Cougars a 60-59 win at Totino-Grace on Wednesday. She got the ball on the blocks
and launched a turnaround shot over a defender that banked cleanly through the cords with 10 seconds left. McCall made a mid-court steal with four seconds left to seal it.
McCall had 16 points, Schmitz 12 points in limited minutes and Kate Lee and Clare Pullman had eight points each.
“We had a lot of things motivating us at Blaine,” said Coach Jamie Sobolik. “Section and conference opponent, cross town rival, coming off a bad loss to Armstrong last week, and then getting the news that Sydney Schmitz was home ill.”
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Caleb Nelson
Alpine Skiing February 11, 2025
Caleb Nelson, junior Alpine captain for Centennial/Spring Lake, qualified for the state meet set for Tuesday at Giants Ridge. Caleb earned his spot by placing sixth among 120 boys at the Section 7 meet. Nelson also placed sixth in the Northwest Suburban Conference season standings to repeat as all-conference. “Caleb is one of the hardest working athletes in our sport,” Coach Derrick Taylor said. “He lifts weights and stretches most mornings throughout the season at the high school. He loves going fast, and he is clicked into his skis whenever possible.”
Akpan (27-0) earns state trip in wrestling
Nora Akpan, Centennial junior, advanced to the girls state wrestling tournament by capturing the 130-pound championship on Friday/ Saturday in Section 3/4 at Redwood Falls. Akpan remained unbeaten at 27-0 by winning her matches 17-1, 13-2, 17-2, and, in the finals, 17-1. She will compete in the state tournament March 1 at Xcel Energy Center. She placed third at state last year.
Alaina Franco won four of six matches, all by pin, and placed third at 148 pounds. Peyton Corbin
SWIMMING
Several players contributed both games.
“Everybody sees the numbers Autumn puts up but we have a number of unsung heroes,” said Sobolik. In the two games, Amelia Delmedico had 14 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists; Kate Lee 12 points and 13 rebounds; Pullman 10 rebounds, seven assists, and her eight points at T-G; and Matthews 13 points, subbing for Schmitz. Ava Taylor had five points at Blaine.
Sydney Sears made their lone 3-pointer at T-G.
Elk River defeated Centennial 98-88 in the duel for the Northwest Suburban Conference championship on Thursday evening in Elk River. The Elks and Cougars each won their half of the conference and met for the overall title. “The boys really showed up and had some great performances, but we came up a little short,” Coach Pete Crawford said. The Cougars won the medley relay with Caleb Cregan, Benno Schuhbauer, Grant Page and Joseph Murray (1:41.51), and the 200 freestyle relay with Celotta, Isaac Nguyen, Jacob Digre and Murray (1:32.03). Celotta won the breaststroke (1:05.01), Murray won the 50 freestyle (22.69), and Blake Thorson won diving (186.10) with Elijah Manthei second. Also placing second were Benno Schuhbauer (200 free), Grant Page (100 free) and Cregan (backstroke).The Cougars finished 5-1 in dual meets. Next is Section 7AA starting Feb. 27.
WRESTLING
Centennial closed the regular season with two strong matches, losing 39-28 to No. 4 ranked Mounds View on Thursday and beating Coon Rapids 50-21 on Friday evening. Winning against Mounds View (25-1) were Evan Boesch (11-3), Jack Grygelko (pin), Parker Leiter (pin), Jack Ruegesegger (pin), and Tyler Cook (pin). Getting pins against Coon Rapids were Boesch, Grygelko, Logan Fu, Ben Johnson, Reugesegger, and Tyler Cook, while Parker Leiter won 13-11 and Andrew Person by tech fall. The Cougars finished 11-1 in the Northwest Suburban Conference for second place behind Anoka. They take a 22-6 overall record into Section 4AAA Friday at Roseville.
BRUCE STRAND | CONTRIBUTED
Kate Lee lined up a free shot at Totino-Grace.
won three of five matches and placed fourth at 124.
Bruce Strand
BRUCE STRAND | CONTRIBUTED
Nora Akpan is shown here during a home meet.
Bruce Strand FROM PAGE 9
Guns and Hoses charity hockey game takes place in Blaine
The ninth annual Guns and Hoses Charity Hockey Game will take place at the Blaine Super Rink, 1850 150th St. NE, at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21. The hockey game pits law enforcement officers (guns) against firefighters (hoses) from Anoka County and surrounding counties.
Proceeds from the event will go to The Front Line Foundation (TFLF) to assist in supporting Minnesota’s 60,000 first responders. TFLF supports law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and members of the National Guard across Minnesota and grants financial support to the families of first responders who have died in the line of duty.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www. thefrontlinemn.org.
Centennial Area Chamber lunch and learn
The Centennial Area Chamber will host a lunch and learn from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20 at Kelly’s Korner in Centerville. Learn the eight steps to network by guest speaker Angela Obert, franchise owner of Network in Action.
Obert helps business owners
and decisionmakers crate strong and enduring relationships. Her focus is in cultivating an environment where members support one another, enabling their businesses to thrive and grow.
Registration is required through the chamber’s website. Kelly’s Korner is located at 7098 Centerville Road, Centerville.
