White Bear Press

Page 1

Press Publications 4779 Bloom Avenue White Bear Lake, MN 55110 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 9 CIRCLE PINES, MN

Accepting new patients! 2300 Hwy 96, WBL 651-429-5354

Lundfamilydentistry.com

727101

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022 VOL. 126 NO. 18 www.whitebearpress.com $1.00

PUBLIC NOTICES: City budget, variance requests, and more PAGE 13A

Couple’s love story gets some help from fate

INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE PHOTO

Max Nelson, Mahtomedi senior, has competed in two World Cups and is now headed for the Paralympics.

Mahtomedi skier headed for Paralympics

The well-traveled Rappas visit Sedona, Arizona, in early 2020. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

CORINNE STREMMEL STAFF WRITER

Their missed connection turned into 63 years of marriage. Bernard and Diane Rappa, who now reside in Grant, have one of those love stories that make us wonder about the power of fate.

The pair originally met during their freshman year while they attended college in Chicago. “I remember walking down the street with my buddy and seeing this girl, and I asked him, ‘Do you know that gal?’ and luckily, he did,” Bernard Rappa said. Their first date was on a chilly day, as Rappa recalls. He had asked

Diane out to the local jukebox club across the street where song requests cost just a nickel. “I was just smitten with her blue-green eyes and that infectious smile,” Rappa said. Diane and Bernard dated for two years, going to pizza parlors and driving around in Bernard’s Ford

BRUCE STRAND CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Max Nelson, the Mahtomedi athlete who’s placed first and second in his conference Nordic ski meets despite being nearly blind, has been chosen for Team USA in the Paralympic Games coming up in March in China.

SEE LOVE STORY, PAGE 8A

SEE MAX NELSON, PAGE 8A

Sign stirs controversy in ‘scenic, tranquil & a little quirky’ village A resident’s contentious sign, “Let’s Go Brandon,” is down now, but don’t be surprised if it reappears. Birchwood resident James Nelson, who is not a fan of President Joe Biden, believes he has the constitutional right to display the sign, even if others find it offensive. The city disagrees.

For those who don’t know, the political slogan painted on his sign is a euphemism against Biden that got its start at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. A sportscaster interviewing NASCAR driver Brandon Brown last October misheard a chant from the crowd, which wasn’t “Let’s Go Brandon,” but a much more vulgar phrase, “F--- Joe Biden.” Right-wing conservatives started using

the G-rated phrase to show party support. In Nelson’s case, the sign represents his displeasure with Biden’s southern border policies and the administration’s strategies toward China. Erected in his front yard sometime late November, the controversial sign drew chuckles from some and distaste from others. Resident(s) complained to City Hall.

• Family Owned and Operated • Dealership level service with personal feel! • Full service Foreign & Domestic Auto Repair.

> > > www.podstire.com < < <

BEST OF THE PRESS

Ryan & Nicole Podewils OPEN: Monday – Friday • 8am-6pm NEWS 651-407-1230 whitebearnews@presspubs.com

Pod’s is your one stop shop for all your automotive needs. We offer full service auto repair, vehicle accessories and automotive detailing!

City code in Birchwood Village — described as scenic, tranquil & a little quirky on its website — clearly states that complaints first be resolved by “polite contact” between residents. If that does not correct the situation, or if someone prefers to skip that step, a complaint may be filed on a city form identifying the persons or properties SEE SIGN CONTROVERSY, PAGE 9A

CELEBRATING 26 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE WHITE BEAR AREA

3634 Scheuneman Rd. • White Bear Lake, MN • (651) 426-4640 ADVERTISING 651-407-1200 marketing@presspubs.com

CIRCULATION 651-407-1234 circ@presspubs.com

DEBRA NEUTKENS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

This anonymous “gift” showed up at James Nelson’s door a few weeks ago. Inside the book titled “The Politics Industry” was a typed note “from your neighbor” that said the sign was “disheartening and reflects poorly upon you and Birchwood.”

FEBRUARY SPECIALS! Oil Change & Tire Rotation

$

24

Any Service -Up to-

90 $ 40 OFF

WB *Based on 10% of service. Some restrictions may apply. Exp. 2/28/22 Up to 5 quarts semi synthetic oil. Most cars and light WBC105 trucks. Some restrictions may apply. Exp. 2/28/22

3634 Scheuneman Rd. • White Bear Lake • 651-426-4640

CLASSIFIED 651-407-1250 classified@presspubs.com

PRODUCTION 651-407-1239 artmanager@presspubs.com

727415

BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.