A pivotal moment for the Lake Links Trail

segments still lack a definite plan: 1) a 0.8 mile stretch along State Highway 96 on the north side of the lake and 2) a 1.5-mile segment along State Highway 244 through Dellwood. These final trail segments are the most complex and demanding of any around the lake. What makes them so difficult is that each highway corridor has unique right-of-way, road alignment and speed considerations that are best resolved in parallel with the fitting of a trail.

Movers & Shakers

Mike Brooks

For the past six years, the Lake Links Association—a nonprofit organization composed of residents of Birchwood Village, Dellwood, Mahtomedi, White Bear Lake and White Bear Township— has motivated the region to complete the vision of a safe walking and biking route around White Bear Lake. While the Association worked with legislators to secure $9.84 million in state funding, it has simultaneously advocated for collaboration across local, county and state government to complete the regionally significant mobility project.

If you’ve been out and about enjoying summertime fun in the area, you’ve likely been on completed segments of the trail in White Bear Lake, Mahtomedi and Birchwood. When the 1.5- mile-long South Shore Boulevard stretch opens in early July, 76 percent of the trail around White Bear Lake will be in place! We are so close.

To complete a safe route around the lake two final

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The Lake Links Association has been encouraging stakeholders on both projects to put their heads together and figure out how get the job done. Things took a step in the right direction June 12 when Washington County hosted a meeting with 26 representatives from Ramsey County, Washington County, MnDOT, Dellwood, White Bear Lake, White Bear Township, Mahtomedi and the Lake Links Association to discuss obstacles and opportunities.

The two-hour meeting allowed participants to get in the same room and share their thoughts on how to proceed. A primary takeaway from the meeting is that MnDOT, Ramsey County and Washington County have deeper skill-sets, experience and staffs than our local governments to resolve the interrelated issues impeding implementation. While no implementation decisions were made, all units of government agreed the region cannot the waste the opportunity and generous state funding. Everyone in attendance left the meeting agreeing to continue talking to realize the longenvisioned safe route around the lake.

Lake Links would like to thank Washington County for hosting this initial roundtable, as well as all who attended and expressed their commitment to safety and implementing these final two segments of the Lake Links Trail. Special recognition is also due to State Rep. Patti Anderson of Dellwood who engaged other local legislators and together successfully obtained additional funding and time to complete the Highway 244 and Highway 96 segments. It is the collective persistence and commitment being demonstrated that will bring us to the day we can celebrate safe nonmotorized travel in and through all of our lakeside communities.

To learn more and sign up for updates, visit lakelinks.net.

Mike Brooks, Chair, Lake Links Association

VADNAIS HEIGHTS PRESS | LETTER GUIDELINES

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Memories of Grasshoppers

The recent articles about the Grasshoppers teen band brought back memories. In late 1967, I was a U.S. Marine in Vietnam and I supported the ROK Marines. My brother Tim mailed me one 45 rpm record, as mentioned in the articles. With nothing to play it on, I approached the Korean radio station nearby and they played both sides on the air. All I could understand from their intro was “American rock and roll.”

Fast forward — I’ve been preparing taxes for AARP TaxAide Services since I retired from 3M. One of my senior taxpayers had an address near Tom Acheson’s house. I asked about that, and one thing led to another — she said, “I remember that band rehearsing in Acheson’s garage and that hearse parked in front of their house.”

It’s truly a small world, and I have great memories from the ’60s and battle of the bands in the Armory.

Dave Black Hugo

Make your voice heard

I’d like to respond to two recent letters to the editor regarding opinions that both our current president and vice president are unfit to serve. I have yet to see any fact-based evidence that President Biden has “serious cognitive issues.” Biden is daily garnering endorsements from major organizations for his re-election bid and is making no move to swap out his VP. Yes, he’s old. But the volume of work he does daily makes a much younger me tired.

Regarding VP Harris: Being vice president is a bit like being the mother of the groom. The expectation is that they will smile and support the president in all things. The weightiest expectations are breaking Senate ties, attending state funerals on behalf of the nation, and sitting quietly behind the president during the State of the Union address—with a smile pasted on their face, no matter how windy the speech. I challenge anyone to recall—without the aid of Google—extraordinary feats accomplished by a VP in recent history. But what a VP can do is wield a lot of soft power and say things that the president cannot. That she is “ill-equipped” to handle the office of president ignores the reality of her educational background: she served as the Attorney General of California and was a competent U.S. senator. Her politics may not be your cup of tea, but she’s clearly capable of performing in high office.

The current administration has passed, through bipartisan efforts, considerable and significant legislation. The American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS & Science Act and progress in lowering health care and drug costs, will all make American lives better.

I completely understand that probably half of the readers of this letter won’t agree with me, and that’s totally okay. I just want to say out loud that our current president is no doddering old fool, and that his second in command has not turned in an “embarrassing performance” to date. I do have criticisms of the current administration, an inherent right in a democracy—and like many, I do wish for younger candidates in 2024. But we have who we vote for, so make your voice heard.

Lisa Golden Schroeder Dellwood

Response to capitol recap

While I enjoyed reading the Capitol recap, I was surprised at Rep. Elliott Engen’s statement on this past legislative session, in which he claims he “provided mental health support for students” in accordance with his original campaign promise to put Minnesotans first and make education a priority. He takes pride in his co-authorization of the Student Mental Health Hotline Accessibility Act, which requires student identification cards to have a mental health crisis line phone number printed on the back. This bill comes across as performative and fails to address the root causes of students’ declining mental health.

What Rep. Engen does not disclose in his summary is that he voted against HF2497, a bill which would put money toward providing student mental health personnel and prohibit racially insensitive practices toward Indigenous history in schools; bill H5, which provides all students with school lunches regardless of income; and bill HF444, which would help fund the Homeless Youth Act. When students are poor, hungry, and discriminated against, their mental health will suffer.

Students don’t need crisis numbers on the back of their IDs, they need legislators who will prioritize their needs and protect their rights.

Julia Covert White Bear Lake

Response to “Propaganda” letter

I would like to respond to Brett Malone’s letter on March 29, “Pushing Propaganda,” which criticized a previous letter by the Foleys, “Where are the Pastors?” Mr. Malone was upset that the Press published the Foley’s letter, stating it was ignorant propaganda and they were pushing their beliefs on others. It appears he agrees with canceling speech that he doesn’t like.

Does Mr. Malone understand what made America great? Do our schools teach the Bill of Rights anymore? The First Amendment (first because of its importance): “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Other forms of government, like Marxism, Communism and Naziism, do not allow freedom of speech. Is that what Mr. Malone wants in America, select people in power to dictate our thoughts and words? That is not American, that is not freedom from government tyranny. I have the right to talk about God and Jesus Christ just like every other American without being canceled.

Nancy Johnson Vadnais Heights

Air quality alerts more frequent

Recent local headlines read, “Twin Cities saw its worst air quality on record,” “St. Paul has worst air quality in the US,” “Minnesotans should prepare for more bad air,” “Air quality alert reached Red Level across the whole state.” These are apocalypticsounding headlines like in the movies, but this is real life and we’re living through it.

My granddaughters had their softball games canceled, along with many other outdoor activities on that awful smoke-filled Wednesday. When they asked why the air was so smoky, I wondered how to explain that past generations ignored the science on climate change, argued endlessly rather than doing the right thing, didn’t hold polluters responsible (and still don’t) and abused Mother Earth’s resources. We love our children and grandchildren, but have selfishly saddled their future with our pollution.

None of us can escape the reality of breathing the “extremely unhealthy” air, which leads to cardiovascular and respiratory problems. Air quality alerts will continue to become more frequent and more severe as wildfires become more intensive due to hotter and dryer weather caused by climate change.

So—what do we do? We must hold our elected leaders to a higher standard to deal with climate change at an accelerated pace and hold them accountable for execution of policy changes. We need systemic change in local/state and federal policies. This past legislative session, our state legislators did pass a historic climate bill and now they need to execute it. We need to support them in this.

Our local elected leaders should also be addressing climate change at an accelerated pace by joining Green Step Cities; declaring a Climate Emergency (so that all decisions are made with climate change in mind); developing climate resiliency plans; and creating and supporting environmental commissions and green teams. These are just some ideas, and all of us need to do our part as our lives and future generations depend on it.

Judy Lissick Vadnais Heights

Putin’s Excuse

The foreign policy commentariat has wondered aloud how to get Russia and Vladimir Putin out of Ukraine without acceding to his illegal territorial ambitions in Ukraine.

With one notable exception, (President Trump), American officials have understood that Putin violated the fundamental tenet of the post-World War framework for peace—indeed, the very raison d’être for the United Nations and its Security Council where Russia has a permanent seat.

The use of force to accomplish territorial goals or objectives is expressly and explicitly prohibited by international law and the UN Charter.

Yet, instead of a weeklong blitzkrieg resulting in the capitulation of Ukraine, Putin faced an uphill embarrassing slog against a determined Ukraine people.

Moreover, Zelenskyy has been supported by President Biden and the NATO alliance that Putin held in scorn a few short years ago.

The Zelenskyy-Biden partnership is reminiscent of Churchill and FDR—Biden, like Roosevelt, understands the geopolitical limitations on how and where he can help Zelenskyy—and nevertheless has made it clear to Putin that American support is enduring.

Yet, the nagging question remains: how to get Putin to leave the ground he knows he cannot control or conquer.

This is a puzzle inside an insoluble labyrinth stuck under an enigma. But, maybe we now have an answer.

The answer—which requires Putin to save both his face and his political skin—might appear in the recent “insurrection” by the head of the Wagner Group, Mr. Yevgeniy Prigozhin.

This insurrection by Prigozhin (whether manufactured or not) gives Mr. Putin a ready-made excuse to hastily retreat to Russia in an effort to use his failed military to shore up the home front against the maverick leader of the Wagner mercenaries.

Putin can claim that due to circumstances beyond his immediate control, the military action (or whatever his current euphemism is) must cease until he can punish the “insurrectionists” at home. Just the right excuse for an autocrat who bit off more than he could possibly ever chew.

And just the way to get him out of Ukraine.

Albert Turner Goins,Sr. White Bear Lake

Response to Brunzell letter

Dear Mr. Brunzell, Jr.: As we read your letter to the editor we had to remind ourselves that we all have the right to our opinion.

We were just curious as to what you were trying to accomplish with your letter regarding how you feel about President Trump that hasn’t already been said before.

Have you ever thought about running for office to make a difference in this world, or praying for our nation to come up with solutions that are so desperately needed?

God is our only hope, and may He bless you abundantly.

God bless America!

Thursday, June 29, 2023

6 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Rain or Shine!

Downtown White Bear Lake www.marketfestwbl.com

Theme Week: Ave for the Arts sponsored by Lakeshore Players & Children’s Performing Arts

Gazebo Stage

Salsa del Soul, sponsored by Saputo

7:00 Intermission - White Bear Drum Line

3rd Street Stage

American Bootleg

7:15 Intermission – Mahtomedi Zephyr Jazz Ensemble

Marketfest runs Thursdays, June 15-July 27, ‘23

Featuring live music, children’s games and activities, pony rides, a classic car show, and 180+ vendors, FREE admission

Sponsors: Kowalski’s Markets, White Bear Mitsubishi, Timberline Roofing, City of White Bear Lake, White Bear Lake Main Street

White Bear Lake Police Reports

The White Bear Police Department reported the following selected incidents:

A vehicle was stolen in the 4700 block of Lake Avenue June 14.

• T heft from a vehicle was reported in the 2300 block of Seventh Street June 14.

• A vehicle was tampered with in the 2300 block of Fifth Street June 14. Disorderly conduct was reported June 14 in the 1900 block of Oak Knoll Drive and the 2300 block of Lakeaires Blvd.

• T heft from a vehicle was reported June 14 in the 4900 block of Johnson Avenue and the 4300 block of Lake Avenue S.

• A c atalytic converter was stolen in the 4600 block of White Bear Parkway June 14.

• F ive juvenile males fled officers in the 1600 block of Birch Lake Avenue June 14 after being spotted on the roof of a school.

• T heft was reported in the 2400 block of Orchard Lane.

• O fficers mediated an argument between a father and son in the 2600 block of Sumac Ridge June 15.

• A d river was cited for failing to yield after hitting a bicyclist at the intersection of County Road E and Auger Avenue June 15. The bike was snapped in half from the impact, and the cyclist was transported to the hospital via ambulance.

• A Facebook scam was reported in the 4000 block of White Bear Avenue June 15.

• O fficers responded to a report of a man yelling obscenities in the 4900 block of Campanaro Lane June 15. The man admitted to arguing with his girlfriend whom he is breaking up with, and the parties agreed to remain civil for the night.

• A vehicle was stolen in the 2100 block of Third Street June 16.

• T heft was reported in the 1900 block of Orchard Lane June 16.

• Disorderly conduct was reported in the 2300 block of Circle Drive June 16.

• H arassment was reported in the 1800 block of Cedar Avenue June 16.

• O fficers responding to a weapons complaint in the 2700 block of Cedar Avenue June 16 briefly detained a male who was seen in possession of a handgun along with two other males in the driveway. It was determined the weapon was an Airsoft rifle and the residents of the address were advised of the complaint.

• T heft from a vehicle was reported in the area of Stewart Avenue and Sixth Street June 16.

O fficers responded to a noise complaint at a graduation party in the 2500 block of Orchard Road just as it was winding down June 16.

• T heft was reported in the 2600 block of South Shore Blvd. June 16.

• F ireworks were reported throughout the night June 17 near the area of McKnight Road and Interstate 694.

• O fficers assisted in trespassing a man from a business in the 3100 block of Century Avenue, and then arrested him for a warrant June 17.

• A d isorderly conduct incident was reported in the 2100 block of Division Court June 17.

• A juvenile runaway was located in the 4700 block of Highway 61 June 17.

• O fficers are investigating following a report of dogs fighting in the 2200 block of Floral Drive June 17.

• C riminal damage to property was reported in the 3600 block of Auger Lane June 17.

• O fficers mediated a family dispute in the 3400 block of Michael Avenue June 18.

• A residential burglary was reported in the 3600 block of Hoffman Road June 18.

• A W hite Bear Township man was arrested for felony domestic assault in the 4400 block of Lake Avenue S. June 18.

• O fficers responded to noise complaints June 18 in the 3400 block of Savannah Avenue and the 3100 block of McKnight Road.

• T heft from a vehicle in an underground garage in the 4700 block of Centerville Road was reported June 19.

• T heft of cash was reported in the 1900 block of Webber Street June 19.

• O fficers mediated a verbal domestic argument in the 4700 block of Centerville Road June 19.

L ottery tickets were stolen in the 2000 block of County Road E June 19.

• O fficers mediated a dispute in the 3100 block of Karth Road June 19.

• O fficers mediated a verbal domestic incident in the 2600 block of Roth Place June 20.

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office reported the following selected incidents in Vadnais Heights and White Bear Township:

Vadnais Heights

• R amsey County Sheriff’s Office deputies played catch-and-release with an unidentified person May 22 in the 3500 block of Vadnais Center Drive, after they responded to a vehicle lock-out and discovered the person had a gross misdemeanor warrant out on him from Hennepin County. However, the person was released because the Ramsey County jail is not accepting out-ofcounty warrants. After the vehicle was unlocked, deputies advised the individual to contact Hennepin County to reschedule a court date.

• A Cambridge motorcyclist reported being involved in a hit-and-run accident with a red Ford Focus May 23 at the Rice Street and I-694 roundabouts, which left his bike damaged. The driver of the Ford Focus said he would meet the complainant at a nearby business parking lot to exchange insurance information, but proceeded to drive off from the location, the complainant said.

• A Vadnais Heights woman, 62, was arrested at 11:33 p.m. May 23 in the 800 block of County Road D for assault, after she came after her neighbor’s friend with a butcher knife. The suspect brandished the knife after ordering the neighbor to make her a pizza and went after her when the pizza wasn’t personally delivered to her apartment. The neighbor’s friend stepped between the two woman and shoved the attacker over a nearby couch in buttocks-over-teakettle fashion.

WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORTS

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reported the following selected incidents in Birchwood, Dellwood, Grant, Mahtomedi, Pine Springs and Willernie:

Birchwood

• A n escalation of the ongoing dispute between neighbors on Birchwood Avenue was reported May 24, after one of them on May 6 reported a string of decorative lights along his fence was cut.

• A Birchwood Avenue resident reported property damage caused by toilet papering at 1:39 a.m. May 28. An abandoned vehicle found near the residence contained toilet paper and water balloons in its trunk. The culpable juveniles were located and advised to clean up the mess and get rid of the water balloons.

• T he landlord of a Cedar Street property was reported by its current tenant for arriving at the residence at 8:33 p.m. June 1 and wanting to speak with the current occupant. The two parties are former in-laws. The landlord agreed to leave the scene in an Uber without incident.

Grant

• On May 22, a resident in the 10000 block of 75th Street N. reported his ex-spouse for not being equitable in their 50/50 child custody arrangement.

Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies advised the complainant that the matter was a civil issue and that the pair needed to speak with a judge. Two days later, the complainant reported a tow truck dropped off a vehicle at his residence and a dispute ensued over its purchase price. When deputies were again called out to the scene to act as referee, they again advised the complainant that the conflict was a civil issue for the small claims court. Both parties acknowledged that they understood the process.

The assailant told deputies she thought her knife attack was completely reasonable because, after all, her neighbor had served her burnt popcorn when she wanted fresh.

A t ri-county alert was issued just after midnight May 24 after a St. Paul woman reported her purse stolen from her employee cart at the Walmart in the 800 block of County Road E. An unauthorized transaction was made at the nearby Speedway station before the victim could cancel her cards.

• T he MGM liquor store in the 1000 block of Highway 96 on May 24 reported two males for concealing four bottles of liquor, worth $150, and leaving the store without paying for them.

• L akeridge Liquors in the 100 block of Vadnais Blvd. reported a male quickly leaving the store May 25 with an $8.75 bottle of liquor he didn’t pay for after his credit card was declined.

A resident in the 4300 block of Greenhaven Court reported a package stolen after he received notice of its delivery at 8:18 p.m. May 25. Video surveillance showed a male taking the package at 6:37 a.m. May 26. Mail from seven White Bear Lake addresses were also reported found May 26 in the front yard of an address in the 4300 block of Greenhaven Court.

• A St. Paul man reported tools valued at $5,000 stolen from the bed of his pickup truck May 26 while he was shopping at the Target in the 900 block of County Road E..

White Bear Township

• A Stacy man, 57, was mailed a citation May 23 for misdemeanor theft from the Cub Foods in the 1000

• A motorist was cited May 30 on northbound Jamaca Avenue N. at Dellwood Road N. for failure to provide proof of insurance, following a traffic stop for displaying tabs that expired in June 2022. A verbal warning was issued for the tardy tabs.

Mahtomedi

• A n unidentified motorist was cited at 12:47 a.m. May 21 on Hilton Trail N. at 69th Street N. for driving after suspension, after deputies conducted a traffic stop for poor driving conduct. Another driver was issued a written warning at 3:19 a.m. May 21 in the area of Wildwood Road and Old Wildwood Road for driving after revocation, following a traffic stop for failure to display the passenger side headlight.

• T wo training motorcycles were reported stolen overnight May 23-24 from their storage trailer on the Century College campus in the 3000 block of Century Avenue.

A brother on Ridge Way reported his sister for being on his property May 24 and talking to his child without permission. Deputies sent a trespass notification to the sister.

A motorist of undisclosed identity was arrested for DWI at 10:31 p.m. May 25 on Birchwood Road, after deputies initiated a traffic stop for failure to signal a turn.

• T heft from an unlocked vehicle was reported May 26 in the 1000 block of Mahtomedi Avenue.

• A juvenile was cited May 27 for operating a gas-powered 98cc minibike on the roadway in the 1000 block of Park Avenue. The bike had been seized several times prior for the same offense, and is now impounded at Stillwater Towing.

Pine Springs block of Meadowlands Drive after surveillance video showed him entering the store and stealing $281.79 worth of merchandise.

A male riding a bicycle on the freeway was reported May 25 on southbound I-694 over Highway 36.

• A heavily damaged vehicle was found abandoned May 24 in the area of Whitaker and Margaret Streets and towed, after attempts to reach the registered owner were unsuccessful.

• A M aplewood man reported a person for throwing a tool at his car May 25 in the area of Otter Lake Road and Highway 96. After noting that he didn’t see the person who threw the tool, deputies advised the complainant to contact his insurance company.

• Teachers on playground duty May 26 in the 1400 block of County Road H2 reported that students who were playing found two live rounds mixed into some wood chips. After the students turned the rounds over to their teachers, deputies checked the area for additional items, and the teachers requested extra patrols.