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WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW: One season wraps, another begins PAGES 2B-5B

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The 15-mile bus rapid transit route has 21 proposed stops along a corridor from St. Paul to White Bear Lake.

Attempt to pause Purple Line fails BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER

WHITE BEAR LAKE — An effort to formally ask the Metropolitan Council to "pause" all planning for the Purple Line, formerly known as Rush Line, failed last week. Council Member Bill Walsh introduced the resolution Nov. 23 requesting Met Council temporarily stop activity related to the almost half-billion-dollar project until completion of a University of Minnesota study on the pandemic's impact on public transportation. The 2021 Legislature directed the Department of Transportation to arrange for a study by the U of M's Center for Transportation Studies that looks at COVID-19's impact on ridership numbers, revenue and expenditures and longterm impacts. Results are due to the Legislature by Feb. 1, 2023. Walsh told council members all he's asking is to stop the bus rapid transit project until the numbers are available. "If ridership numbers are there, the project goes forward. If not, it should stop," he said. Council Member Kevin Edberg asked Walsh what he meant by the word "pause?" Walsh replied, "It means we're listening to the people we represent. Their message is to stop the whole project. This is a compromise." Edberg, acting as council chair in the absence of the mayor, said he didn't come to the same conclusion. "The state does not give the city authority to pause," he maintained. "This is not our project. We won't do the funding. It ain't our

PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

The face of a viking and a waterskiing otter can be seen behind chainsaw artist Aya Blaine on scaffolding near the top of the cottonwood tree she is carving near the Cabin 61 restaurant.

When it comes to chainsaw carving, wood matters World-class chainsaw artist Aya Blaine is turning an enormous cottonwood into a remarkable piece of art at Cabin 61. The top of the tree was removed by restaurant owners after a huge branch crashed onto the outdoor deck. Arborists were consulted to see if the decaying tree, appreciated for the shade it provided, could be saved. The answer was no. Still, owners of the Hoffman Road restaurant, formerly The Little Bar, felt the giant trunk could be turned into a sculpture for the enjoyment of backyard

patrons. So the search was on for an accomplished carver. They found Blaine online. The fact she was female was a bonus, since the restaurant owners are women. A contract was struck and the Japanese-born artist threw her nine chainsaws and carving tools into her car and drove to White Bear Lake from upstate New York. Blaine originally thought the project would take about 10 days. Her stay was extended, however, after she discovered that cottonwood is a challenging tree

to carve. The wood is fibrous and stringy and extremely hard on her chains. "It's very tricky and very tough," said the artist, who has competed in chainsaw carving contests around the world. Blaine grew up in Osaka, Japan, studying art and design in high school. She started carving 17 years ago in her native country but decided the United States had more demand for her art and moved to Pennsylvania in 2009 with her then-husband, an American, who SEE CHAINSAW CARVING, PAGE 9A

SEE PURPLE LINE, PAGE 8A

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