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SPORTS DOME: Could be coming to North Metro PAGE 5

Sunrise Park renovation project to start soon

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This Long-eared Owl, a member of an elusive species that likes to roost in thickly forested areas, was seen in the Maple Island area on the day of the count. See page 3 to read the story.

Bird Count recap: Warm weather, open water

BY NOELLE OLSON EDITOR

the Senior Center and early childhood programs.

The bids are in for the Sunrise Park conversion and renovation project. “This is our last really big project from the 2018 bond referendum,” said Tim Wald, White Bear Lake Area Schools assistant superintendent for finance and operations. “Sunrise Park Middle School will reopen as Mariner Middle School next fall.” Bids were opened Dec. 7. Wald told the members of the school board the bids came in a little bit lower than expected at $24,836,263, about $750,000 under budget. “We’ve learned that renovation projects can oftentimes come with surprises, so we are thinking that there’s a very good possibility we might have to use the extra money ($750,000),” Wald said. “There may be some needs in that building as we dig into it.” Wald said Sunrise Park will be home to the school board and will also house district offices, the transition education center,

Other school board notes: • The school board elected the following members for 2024: Jessica Ellison as chair, Angela Thompson as vice chair, Scott Arcand as clerk and Deborah Sharpee Beloyed as treasurer. • School Board Member Kathleen Daniels will be White Bear Lake Area School’s representative for Intermediate School District 916 Board for 2024. • The School Board recognized students who represented the district at a state or national level during the first meeting of the year. The following students were honored: • Hayden Crawford, 10th grade — Bowling team state tournament participant • Branden Schmid, 10th grade — Bowling team state tournament participant, boys bowling state singles - 5th place, and 1st team All Conference - 3rd Place SEE SCHOOL BOARD, PAGE 10

Dream coming true for late artistic director BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER

A dying wish of the Wildwood Artist Series (WAS) founder was to include a children’s concert as part of the organization’s repertoire. Two days before she died last April, Ellie Bruner learned her dream would come true. Three years in the making, the Kenwood Symphony Orchestra will perform the iconic children’s tale “Peter and the Wolf” as part of the Wildwood series at the Chautauqua Fine Arts Center in Mahtomedi. It was the orchestra’s bassoonist, Ellen Maas, who delivered the happy news last

spring to her good friend Bruner, who was in hospice care at her Grant home. A longtime member of the Kenwood symphony, Maas met Bruner in 2007 when she joined the St. Paul Garden Club. Bruner was president, one of many leadership roles the active volunteer held in groups involving gardening and music. “Ellie was such an inspiring person,” said Maas, who lives in Birchwood. “She founded WAS more than 30 years ago and oversaw its development into an impressive concert series featuring everything from jazz, blues, classical, country and choral. She was a classically

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Outgoing Wildwood Artist Series President Ellie Bruner, right, poses with her successor, Julie Molitor.

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trained opera singer and led the Ravinia children’s summer music program in Chicago before moving to Minnesota in the ’50s. It was always her dream to include a children’s concert.” It was Bruner who chose “Peter and the Wolf,” shared Maas, adding, “There is no better piece to introduce children to orchestra.” Through the two women’s collaboration, a contract was signed and ready to bring the performance to Chautauqua when the pandemic hit. WAS shut down for two years. The third year, schedules did not align, recalled

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