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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers polarized about Purple Line PAGE 5A
Miss Shamrock continues legacy her parents started BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
Although her time wearing the crown will soon be over, Zophia Raleigh has no plans to stop exploring her cultural identity and spreading Irish cheer. Raleigh, a Blaine resident, is the daughter of Rep. Donald Raleigh (R-Blaine) and Marnie Ochs-Raleigh. Raleigh is the only Miss Shamrock since the St. Patrick’s Day Association began in 1967 to hold the title for two years (2020-21). She has also been deemed the grand marshal of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in St. Paul. “She has been a true champ through a lot of firsts for our association and has handled the role gracefully during her tenure,” said St. Patrick’s Association President Katie Martin. She explained that the 2020 parade and Miss Shamrock season looked very different because of the pandemic, so Raleigh was asked to commit to another year of service as Miss Shamrock. She gladly accepted. Raleigh is a 2016 graduate of Centennial High School. She attended the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and majored in agriculture. For three years, she has worked as a transportation and logistics business analyst for Cargill. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in business analytics at the University of St. Thomas. While at the University of Minnesota, Raleigh studied
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PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Zophia Raleigh, daughter of Rep. Donald Raleigh (R-Blaine) and Marnie OchsRaleigh, will be the Grand Marshal of the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day parade in St. Paul.
abroad at the University of Limerick in Ireland. “I absolutely loved it. I got to connect with my cultural roots and see family that I had never met before,” Raleigh recalled. “When I came back, I wanted to continue not only exploring my cultural identity but also be able to give back to a community that for so many years had supported us. Raleigh applied to be Miss Shamrock. Each year the association invites Irish women 21-and-over to become Miss Shamrock Princesses. The princesses spend six weeks together selling buttons and spreading Irish cheer. The
BY THE NUMBERS 6 years since the parade was started by the St. Patrick’s Association the association’s goal to $1,500 distribute to local causes annually
Purple Line pendulum swings in favor of opposition
princesses and Miss Shamrock spend the remainder of the year visiting area parades and festivals as representatives of the association. Miss Shamrock is chosen by the members of the association and is crowned just in time for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Raleigh estimates that she has well over 500 hours invested into the crown at this point. “Truthfully, what I love is being able to continue the legacy that my parents started, giving back and volunteering; and being a member of the community is the most important part. It’s what societies are built on. It’s what keeps your neighbors healthy and strong and ensures that the future generation of kids are being raised in an atmosphere that will set them up to achieve long-term success.” A DNA test revealed that Raleigh is about 57% Irish. However, if you count English bloodlines, that percentage gets closer to 70%. In fact, the name Raleigh means “Fawn Valley” in Irish. Her family is originally from Waterford, Ireland. As grand marshal, Raleigh will set the pace of this year’s parade. “I will just be another person there that is there enjoying the crowd and sharing what it means to be an Irish person, an American and, most of all, a Minnesotan in our community,” she said. One thing to note about this year’s parade is that the route
BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER
WHITE BEAR LAKE — The message to the Metropolitan Council is clear: The city does not want Purple Line buses entering its “jurisdictional boundaries.” A City Council majority passed the resolution opposing the electric bus rapid transit service (BRT), formerly Rush Line, after an original version was tabled. Council Member Steve Engstran, the swing vote on the contentious issue, objected to language in an earlier resolution, moving the matter to March 8 to give time for a do-over. Before the 3-2 vote, Engstran, Ward 5, thanked Mayor Dan Louismet for rewriting the resolution. The mayor said he took Engstran’s comments “to heart” and felt revisions still meet the basic goal of telling Met Council that White Bear Lake opposes the Purple Line. Council Member Bill Walsh made the motion to approve, noting the new version is “still strong” and “more to the point.” Council members Dan Jones and Kevin Edberg stuck to their previous positions regarding the rapid transit line and voted “no” to sending Met Council the message. Anti-Purple Line residents present for the vote applauded after the resolution passed. Fran SEE PURPLE LINE, PAGE 9A
SEE MISS SHAMROCK, PAGE 9A
weeks the amount of time princesses spend fundraising selling buttons and spreading Irish cheer the prize you could win by purchasing a button
DEBRA NEUTKENS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
These No Rush Line BRT fans on a stick were available as guests entered the council chamber. One resident joked that the fans would be needed for those “bringing the heat.”
21 the minimum age to be considered for Miss Shamrock
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