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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2022 VOL. 126 NO. 21 www.whitebearpress.com $1.00
PUBLIC SAFETY: Man perishes in Mahtomedi house fire PAGE 6
Purple Line: Council hits pause to get message wording right BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER
WHITE BEAR LAKE — A strongly worded message informing the Metropolitan Council the city does not want its rapid transit buses was tabled rather than risk a no vote that would have killed a resolution opposing the project. One by one, City Council members gave reasons why they did or did not support the Purple Line, formerly the Rush Line bus rapid transit (BRT) project. The 15-mile line will bring 89 buses a day to White Bear Lake from St. Paul with 21 stops in between. A split vote was apparent when members Bill Walsh and Heidi Hughes stated they supported the resolution and Dan Jones and Kevin Edberg opposed it. Member Steve Engstran remained to state his inclination toward the controversial bus line. Aware that he was the “swing vote,” Engstran said he could not support the
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Front row seat at the Northern Lights exhibit Gallery Director Danielle Cezanne and volunteer Laurel O’Gorman work on the placement of carved wood chair sculpture by Seth Peter during the Ford Family Gallery installation of the Northern Lights 48th Annual Juried Art Exhibition that is opening this week at the White Bear Center for the Arts. Find more photos and information about the upcoming exhibit on page 14.
SEE PURPLE LINE, PAGE 10
Familiar voice welcomes McDonald’s patrons BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER
There’s a reason daytime regulars recognize the voice at the Highway 61 McDonald’s drive-thru. Kevyn Cardinal has been working the window for 35 years. An unabashed “people person,” Cardinal started at the location in ‘87, four years after the restaurant opened in ‘83, which is also the year he graduated from White Bear Lake High School. The teamwork involved in keeping customers happy appeals to Cardinal, who said he “likes doing my part” in the fast-paced restaurant environment. He knows many of the customers, who in turn know him and order “the
usual” when they realize it’s Cardinal on the intercom. Restaurant owners Christina and Terry McBride say they work hard to retain good employees like Cardinal by offering benefits like 401Ks, health insurance and flexible hours. Despite the pandemic and familiar hiring struggles voiced by other businesses, they are fully staffed at 45, including son Seamus, a junior at South Campus. They also have an older son, John, who attends University of St. Thomas. “We try to take care of our employees,” Terry said. The Lino Lakes couple purchased the franchise in October after waiting
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Restaurant owners Christina and Terry McBride say they work hard to retain good employees like Kevyn Cardinal. The Lino Lakes couple purchased the franchise in October after waiting 15 years for the opportunity.
SEE MCDONALD’S, PAGE 11
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