White Bear Press

Ukrainian collaboration

Nightclub known as White Bear’s gangster headquarters

BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER

A nightclub on the shores of White Bear Lake was a favorite haunt of the notorious back in the 1930s.

Gangsters like Frank “Jelly” Nash, John Dillinger and Machine Gun Kelly were known to visit the Plantation Night Club, as evidenced by rumored armed guards at the door. Alvin “Creepy” Karpis was another likely visitor, since his gang, Fred and Arthur “Doc” Barker

PAGE 22

Ukrainian medical professionals visit White Bear Lake

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER INTERIM EDITOR

WHITE BEAR LAKE — In the cluttered lab deep in the heart of Century College, an “I Stand With Ukraine” sticker adorns a red toolbox as a delegation of Ukrainian visitors gathers around an odd assortment of brightly colored prosthetic limbs. Century professor Joanna Kenton answers questions as a translator follows her words a beat later in Ukrainian.

These five Ukrainian delegates serve essential roles in Ukraine as the nation’s war with Russia enters its second year. This exchange was made possible through the Open World program organized by the Congressional Office of International Leadership (COIL) and Global Minnesota. Normally, these international exchanges are not so dire. But the conditions have made this program into a stepping stone for Ukrainians and Americans who want to do their all to care for those most impacted by the brutality of war.

“Knowing each other on a human level a bit more not only creates learning, but it creates the possibility for innovation and creates the possibility for all of us as a globe to get along a little bit better and support each other,” said Global Minnesota President Phillip Hansen.

The delegation of five included experts on prosthetics and physical therapy as well as health care policymakers. The group included Olena Kulchytska, advisor to the Minister of Social Policy; Yurii Melnyk, physical therapist; Oleksandr Popenko, technologist and prosthetics

SEE UKRAINIAN DELEGATION, PAGE 11 SEE

23 – 29, 2023

Chicken Breasts

JACKIE BUSSJAEGER Century College student Tatiana Babych, originally from Kiev, Ukraine, converses with the delegates in Ukrainian during their visit to the prosthetics and orthotics lab. Babych is in the second year of her studies and is considering returning to Ukraine one day, where specialists like her will be badly needed.

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Adopt-a-park in Mahtomedi

The city of Mahtomedi seeks volunteers to help with cleanup of local parks and trails through the Adopt-a-Park program. The program is suitable for families, groups of neighbors, friends or co-workers and teens. For more information, contact 651-426-3344.

Canoe storage available

Residents of Mahtomedi can store canoes at Chautauqua Park, Echo Lake Park and Mahtomedi Beach. Applications will be accepted April 1-15 and

can be found at City Hall or at ci.mahtomedi.mn.us.

Meet new friends in 2023 North Suburban Neighbors Club (NSNC) invites prospective members to a Spring Coffee at 10 a.m. April 13 in the Fireside Lounge of the Shoreview Community Center, located at 4580 Victoria St. N., Shoreview.

NSNC is a nonprofit friendship organization for women in the northern suburbs. It provides opportunities for members to become acquainted with others in the area through friendship,

goodwill and fun. NSNC activities include coffees, eating out, programs and events, book club, movies, community service and more. To learn more about NSNC, call 651-247-9601.

Deadline approaches for beautification grants

Project proposals for community beautification grants from the Mahtomedi Garden Club are due April 1. The grants are for garden-related projects in public areas of Mahtomedi, Willernie and adjacent

communities. For more information and to apply, visit mahtomedigardenclub.org.

How to eat smart during National Nutrition Month

BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER INTERIM EDITOR

In a culture that’s always on the go, it can be difficult to make time to focus on nutrition. Occasional indulgent choices sometimes become consistent bad habits, but once in a while, it helps to reevaluate and make an intentional effort to choose healthier food.

National Nutrition Month, which takes place in March, was created in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to encourage the public to make informed food choices and develop healthy lifestyle habits.

Kelly Kunkel, a health education specialist with the University of Minnesota Extension, gave a few tips on how to focus more on nutrition this month.

To start, increasing fruits, vegetables and whole grains are all beneficial ways to improve diet.

“Another thing you often forget about is that with sugar-sweetened beverages, those calories really add up over time. You get an endless amount of pop at restaurant, and the beverage you drink is sometimes higher in sugar and calories than the meal you eat,” Kunkel said.

She also recommended eating at home.

“When you know what’s going into the food, it can be a lot healthier,” she said. “We used to really focus on the meat being the centerpiece, but you can have whole grains or plant-based products as a focus instead, and have meat more as an accompaniment.”

Many Minnesotans grew up learning that the food pyramid was the best way to balance your daily foods and nutrients. These days, recommendations look a little different. MyPlate is the name of the new model recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that can

help you find the right balance in your meals.

MyPlate recommends making half of your plate fruits and vegetables, making half of your grains whole grains, eating varied proteins, and moving to low-fat or fat-free dairy milk or yogurt.

“We don’t eat off of pyramids, we eat off of plates,” Kunkel said. “It helps to make that visual for the consumer. Oftentimes our meals are combinations of food groups, like if we have a stir fry, it doesn’t fall neatly into those categories.”

Nutrition is more than just what you eat—your whole lifestyle is involved. Physical activity is one important element in staying healthy.

It’s good to be aware of snacks and beverages you might consume outside of regular mealtimes, Kunkel said. Some of the lattes and frappuccinos we enjoy are packed with upwards of 500 calories and tons of sugar.

“Calories eaten while standing in front of the TV still count,” Kunkel said. “We can finish a bag of potato chips without realizing we did so. It helps to put it into a bowl or into a cup, so when you’re done, you’re done. A snack is an extension to your meal day, so try to keep it at three meals and three snacks.”

As spring approaches, many are thinking about losing weight in time for the summer season. Dieting can help, but Kunkel advised that people should use their common sense when choosing a diet to follow.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” she said. “Make sure you research the diets you’re planning. I recommend the MyPlate diet; it’s very manageable. The Mediterranean diet is another choice that is wellresearched.”

A diet shouldn’t be prohibitively expensive, Kunkel said, and she

recommends talking with a health provider or dietitian when looking for the best fit for your health.

Probiotics, found in fermented foods, are becoming a popular way to nurture the microbiomes in our stomachs. This area of nutrition is still being researched, but probiotics are thought to help with many stomach and immune conditions. Foods that contain probiotics include sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and yogurt.

“If one type of food is not something you like to eat, try different kinds of fermented foods and serve it with foods that you do like,” Kunkel said. “If you don’t like kombucha by itself, maybe you add mineral water to it. Kimchi might not be something you like on its own, but you do like it in a stir fry. Making a Greek yogurt smoothie with berries and spinach is great way to start the day.”

Eating healthy requires fresh foods, which not every household can afford. There are many community resources, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, to households that face food insecurity. The Minnesota Food HelpLine (1-888-711-1151) can help connect people with resources available to them.

“It costs more to eat healthy, but it’s also an investment in your health,” Kunkel said. “Not everybody has access to the food they need to eat. Eating well shouldn’t be a luxury, it should be something everybody can afford.”

The HelpLine can direct people to community meals and food shelves that keep fresh produce and lean meats in stock. It can also help get them started on receiving SNAP benefits. Communities are also combating food insecurity with initiatives such as community gardens that turn empty lots into places where people

can grow their own produce. Find recipes, information, resources and more this March at www.eatright. org, www.reallifegoodfood.umn.edu, www.hungersolutions.org or www. myplate.gov.

Asian Mango Chicken Wraps

Serves 4

Time to make: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 r ipe mangos (peeled, pitted and diced)

• 1 1 /2 cups chopped roasted chicken breast

• 2 g reen onions (sliced)

• 2 t ablespoons fresh basil (chopped)

• 1 /2 red bell pepper (chopped)

• 1 1 /2 cups shredded Savoy or Napa cabbage

• 2 medium carrots (grated)

• 1 /3 cup fat-free cream cheese

• 3 t ablespoons natural creamy peanut butter (unsalted)

• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

• 4 whole-wheat tortillas (8”)

DIRECTIONS:

1. C ut mangos, vegetables and chicken. Place in a mixing bowl and toss until well mixed.

2. I n a small mixing bowl, whisk together cream cheese, peanut butter, and soy sauce.

3. To assemble: lay out tortillas on a flat surface. On each tortilla, spread 1/4 of cream cheese mixture and top with mango, vegetable and chicken mix. Roll up tightly, tucking in ends of tortilla. Secure with toothpicks.

4. To serve, cut each wrap in half.

5. I f not serving immediately, refrigerate. Wraps keep well overnight.

Recipe from University of Minnesota Extension

Meeting Jimmy Carter I

have fond memories of our 39th president of the United States that goes back to 1977 when he was elected. I was included among six publishers of community weeklies from around the United States to visit with President Carter in the Oval Office to share conditions of the state of the country from a small town perspective.

It was an awesome, almost speechless, experience. I had voted for this president for his fundamental character and Christian principles. He set out to make government competent and compassionate. As we all remember, it was a time of inflation and a difficult time to meet those high expectations.

Another part of our favorite memories includes visiting Plains, GA, while our daughter, Stephanie, spent a year with Habitat for Humanity in nearby Americus, GA. We would visit with Stephanie and go to the president’s church in Plains and sit in on the service as well as his Sunday school class. We were even there on his 70th birthday and had a family picture taken with him.

Jimmy Carter was perhaps most significant following his presidency for his leadership in world peace and conflict mediation throughout the world.

He was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for work to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.

Carter is the author of 32 books, and his wife Rosalynn founded the Carter Center in Atlanta, GA.

It was February 18 this year that President Carter decided to spend his remaining time at his home with his family and receive hospice care at the age of 98.

High school hockey tournament

The Minnesota state boys high school hockey tournament this year was exciting as ever. Mahtomedi won over Warroad 6-5, but it took a double overtime after three periods. Charlie Drage scored with a minute and 20 seconds to go in the third period to tie the game, which brought the teams into overtime.

Jonny Grove made the winning goal in the second overtime. The Zephyrs also won the State Class A title in 2020. Now there is energy and excitement in our basketball programs.

Signs of spring

Potholes are everywhere, the days are longer, and American robins have been spotted but they may not have migrated. The first commercial tow, Niel Deal, arrived in Winona on March 8. This is considered a normal time.

Thank you, Carter

To my surprise, my son’s column recently pointed out my 87th birthday. As a result of that and people’s internet reminders of birthdays, I had a wonderful period of greetings, emails, letters, gifts and calls. It is proof of friendships, Press readership and a community that cares. God is good.

Gasoline prices

Gas prices are creeping up again. That’s part of our inflation problem. I think it’s unfortunate that our government policies are pushing us prematurely to electric vehicles when we have so much oil and natural gas in our country.

It’s an expensive program to get charging stations set up along the highway systems, but even more costly for individuals when they live in apartments and condos. Our automobiles have become more efficient with their engines and reducing weight, thus adding miles per gallon.

I think we should continue to research new energy concepts and phase them in gradually and voluntarily, and not use legislated deadlines like California. The American people aren’t stupid. When they see that it’s practical, they will consider hybrid electric cars and full electric vehicles that can get to 400 plus miles before recharging.

Supporting District 33A Families

various “credits,” a partial elimination of the tax on social security, and fee increases.  I strongly believe we should not be increasing taxes or failing to provide a full elimination of the social security tax when we have a $17.5 billion surplus. Republicans recently released our own “Give It Back” tax plan which provides $13 billion in permanent tax cuts and onetime rebates. Here is what we included in the proposal:

Legislator Lingo Patti Anderson

It is an honor to represent my neighbors in District 33A which includes the cities of Mahtomedi, Willernie, Hugo, Dellwood, Grant and Forest Lake. I look forward to serving you over the next two years, and I hope to hear from you often. I serve on the Taxes and Education Finance Committees, as well as the Legislative Audit Commission, where I chair the Audit Subcommittee. As a small business owner and former State Auditor, I know that Minnesota has a lot of work to do to make our state more friendly to families and job creators.  Minnesota has a $17.5 billion surplus. A surplus of this magnitude shows that government is taking too many of your hard-earned tax dollars. We must return this historic surplus to our families in the form of permanent, meaningful tax cuts including a full elimination of the tax on social security.

As you may know, the Governor is proposing a mix of tax increases, rebate checks,

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• One-time rebate checks using $5 billion of the state’s surplus funds and $3.5 billion for a one-time child tax credit available for two years. The checks are estimated to be $1,250 for single filers, and $2,500 for joint filers.

• Full elimination of the tax on Social Security for a cost of $1.26 billion to provide 472,902 Minnesotans with an average tax reduction of $1,277.

• $3 billion in permanent income tax relief by reducing both the first and second tier rates by 1% each to 4.35% and 5.8%, respectively. Minnesota currently has the second highest starting tax rates in the entire nation, levying a minimum 5.35% tax for the lowest earners. These reforms would provide tax relief to working Minnesotans who can least afford the current rates.

• An adjustment of the homestead market value exclusion, which would give $35 million a year in relief. Now is the time to provide our families with permanent and meaningful tax relief, which is needed when budgets are stretched thin by rising costs of gas, groceries, and energy bills. I hope by the end of session we have provided all Minnesotans with this much needed relief.

I am also pleased to report that I was able to secure additional funding for the trail around White Bear Lake. The project was included in the bonding bill which passed the House at the beginning of March. The Lake Links Trail is an important part of our community, and I am happy that we are one step closer to finishing this project.

I am always here to listen to your concerns and assist in any way I can. Feel free to reach out to me at rep.patti.anderson@ house.mn.gov or by calling me at 651-296-3018. If you are ever in St. Paul, please stop by my office! I look forward to hearing from you as we work this session to return the surplus and support our local community.

Rep. Patti Anderson represents District 33A in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

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About the Town

Gene

Where are the pastors?

All around the country, parents and grandparents have emboldened themselves to speak out at school board meetings regarding the curriculum in the public school system.

When are the pastors going to step up to the plate and speak out to their congregations against abortion, critical race theory and the sexualization of our children?

It is the duty of the church to speak out against all evil and yet the church is silent … history repeats itself.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and author, stood up against Hitler and his Christian overreach. Had all the pastors and churches banned together instead of being fearful for losing their tax-exempt status, Hitler would not have been able to do all of what he did.

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew.

And then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”

- Martin Niemoller

Annemarie and Jim Foley White Bear Lake

Are laws irrelevant?

In reply to Barbara Clark’s letter, “Freedom For All Americans” (White Bear Press, March 1): The Reproductive Freedom Codification Act (SF70), also known as the “Repealer Act,” will delete several statutes thought to be irrelevant.

Last July, District Court Judge Thomas Gilligan struck down as unconstitutional several statutes providing protection for unborn children. The Reproductive Freedom Codification Act will repeal these laws, preventing legal challenges. Without these laws in effect, there is no restriction on abortion in Minnesota.

Clark mentioned “state-mandated anti-abortion propaganda” as an abortion hindrance. A law required options to abortion to be presented to women. This can be done over the telephone. With information on abortion and its options, e.g., available maternal care and support, a woman can truly make a choice about what to do about her pregnancy. Without this information, a woman is treated as though she cannot think for herself about what is best for her.

Clark mentioned that parental notification will no longer be needed with passage of this bill. According to Minnesota law, a pregnant minor can do what she wants about her

pregnancy. The law only required a parent be informed. A real problem with this issue is who pays for the abortion that the parents don’t know about? Who pays for fixing any complications caused by this abortion? The parents?

Clark did not mention repeal of the “Born Alive Infants Protection Act.” Abortions sometimes produce a living, recognizable human child who may be moving or even making noise, who could grow up and pay taxes. Without this statute, nothing needs to be done to help such an infant survive. Clark did not mention repealing the 1998 statute requiring data be recorded regarding abortions. This is a yearly report by the Minnesota Department of Health, Induced Abortions in Minnesota. The report, made public on July 1, reveals only data on gestational age and demographics on clients seeking abortions. How is collecting data an impediment to procuring an abortion? As taxpayers, shouldn’t we know how many abortions were paid for with our tax dollars?

In my opinion, SF 70 should be aborted.

Cindy Paslawski White Bear Lake

Don’t forget trash haulers

Thanks, LaWayne Leno, for your poetic response to my poem about snowplows. This on two counts: first, if imitation is the highest form of flattery, you must have appreciated my artistic effort on some level. Secondly, after I submitted I had a pang of regret for not recognizing others who serve our community in similar manner, namely “mail crew, cops, fire and ambulance too,” as you so ... ahem ... eloquently said. Thanks for covering those bases. And yes, I heartily commend raises, or at least bonuses, for all, and to prove I put my money where my mouth is, I do try to find ways for annual cash gifts around the holidays.

But our work is not done! We have forgotten to recognize one other important group of people who have perhaps one of the most difficult and thankless jobs of all: our trash drivers! So here is a Haiku in their honor:

Sound of compactor

Lights flash brightly as they come. Trash crew, we thank you.

John Connerton White Bear Township

Deny request for permit

I am calling out to Gov. Walz, Attorney General Ellison and MPCA’s Commissioner Kessler to deny the request for a contested case by Water Gremlin and issue the Air Emissions

Permit. I also ask for the support and attention from our newly elected officials Sen. Gustafson and Rep. Curran.

It has been more than four years since the stipulation agreement was issued to Water Gremlin for decades-long egregious air emissions violations involving the nasty carcinogenic chemical TCE. This includes dramatic under-reporting of their use and incomplete records. The emissions of this awful chemical were present in the air breathed in by the surrounding community for decades. Gross negligence? Intentional misreporting? It’s hard to say with certainty. However, the emissions violations are the basis for 95 lawsuits that were filed against Water Gremlin recently by community members who are ready to prove that their health has been impacted. Although TCE is no longer used, a sister chemical, t-DCE, is. A permit needs to be in place to govern this company’s air emissions. MDH has defined safe and acceptable limits for t-DCE in the draft permit. The drafted permit is strong, but reasonable, for a company that has not proven it can operate safely.

Our government must find a way to issue air permits in a timely manner. Four years is not timely— even if there are extenuating circumstances.

Water Gremlin’s violations got it in hot water with the MPCA, which led to the second largest air emissions fine in the Minnesota’s history ($7M), several administrative orders against the company, remediation, air pollution monitoring, etc.

There have been a lot of people who have worked long hours on a strong permit—yet here we are, over four years after the first stipulation agreement was issued, with no air permit and Water Gremlin is, yet again, contesting the permit.

At this point the agency can:

1. Reject the request for contested case and issue the permit (Yes. Please!)

2. Revise the permit (yet again)

3. Grant the request for contested case (another delay) Please issue the permit as written in February 2023. Do not grant the request for a contested case and delay this process any further. It must be issued ASAP.

Kelly Tapkan White Bear Lake NCCG Board Member

Hold dog owners accountable

I am a homeowner who lives a couple of doors off the dog beach in downtown White Bear Lake. My family has used the Seventh Street swimming beach (adjacent to the dog beach) frequently in the warmer months for seven years now, often

multiple times in a single day. This would be a very long letter if I were to summarize all the times that my toddler children were charged by an unleashed dog barking at them, barring its teeth, snarling, etc. Thankfully, my kids have not been attacked, but we have had many close calls. It’s constant, and it negatively affects our enjoyment of the lake and neighborhood in which we call home. It is only a matter of time before a real tragedy occurs.

That being said, I am a dog lover and I recognize the beach should be a great asset for everyone if rules were followed. I generally like the plan proposed by the city, summarized well in the recent Press article.

Step 1: Install a permanent land fence and water barrier, and put up better signage regarding leash requirements. Step 2: Relocate the dog beach to the other side of the boat launch where it is not adjacent to a family swimming beach. I do hope these changes resolve the issue, for those on both sides of the debate, but I have my doubts.

Lastly, I feel like these proposed changes are Band-Aids for the true issue: dog owners being held accountable. If the city wants to continue limping the issue along, please provide more regular patrol of the beach and deliver much stiffer fines and punishment when dog owners are in violation of laws. And to the dog owners reading this: If you see someone else with their dog off the leash, you are responsible to address it if you wish to keep the beach. It’s on dog owners at this point. I hope dog owners can fix this themselves, before a great feature of the lake is taken away from them.

Jason Sherrett White Bear Lake

Irregular mail delivery

What’s happened to our mail delivery? Since October, our mail delivery has been spotty, at best. Is this a problem citywide, or just in my neighborhood? We’re averaging delivery three days a week, sometimes only two, never six days a week anymore. The post office has not sent out any type of notice informing us of this issue. I wouldn’t even mind so much if it was delivered every other day, but there is no rhyme or reason as to when it will be delivered. We asked back in November and were told that we’d lost our carrier, but that was five months ago. We’ve heard nothing since; in fact, it’s gotten worse recently. I feel that if this is going to be the new normal, we should be notified.

Anne Smith White Bear Lake

Citizens recognized for heroic action

Two White Bear Township citizens received special recognition from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department for their heroic action.

At the start of the township annual meeting March 14, Sgt. Donald Rindal presented awards of excellence to Les Jobst and Daniel Cataldo “for exceptional service to the community.” The two men jumped into action May 13, 2022 to save a life at the risk of their own.

Rindal told the story of how Jobst heard his neighbor scream followed by a loud thud. He ran to her garage and found Jeanne Filkins on the floor gagging to breathe. Her daughter was slumped over in a vehicle. He noticed a strong chemical odor and vents taped over in the garage. He called 911 and yelled for help from Cataldo.

The second neighbor retrieved ventilator masks from his house and they pulled Filkins out, also placing a 5-gallon pail of liquid chemical located near the vehicle into a garbage can. They administered first aid to Filkin, who survived. Her daughter died by suicide.

Filkin nominated the two for the award, noting she is “most grateful to my neighbors for saving my life. I would not be here except for your heroic efforts.” Sgt. Rindal credited their swift actions in response to an emergency for saving a life.

Town Board Supervisors Steve Ruzek and Scott McCune also presented the two residents with an award from the township.

Debra Neutkens

CONTRIBUTED

Supervisor Steve Ruzek, holding microphone, presents township awards to Les Jobst, left, and Daniel Cataldo for their heroism. Supervisor Scott McCune is behind Ruzek and Sgt. Donald Rindal is to right.

WHITE BEAR LAKE POLICE REPORTS

The White Bear Police Department reported the following selected incidents:

• A man was arrested for DWI in the 1800 block of County Road F March 5.

L icense plates were stolen in the 3900 block of Hoffman Road March 5.

• A vehicle window was shattered in the 4900 block of Division Avenue March 5.

• T heft of a vehicle rim occurred overnight March 6 in the 3900 block of Linden Street.

• T heft from a vehicle was reported in the 3100 block of Highland Avenue March 6.

• O fficers assisted the Oakdale Police Department in locating a stolen vehicle March 7 near I-694 and Century Avenue.

• A c atalytic converter was stolen in the 3700 block of Dennis Lane March 7.

• Juveniles were reported for racing scooters near the intersection of Lake Avenue and Second Street March 7.

• O fficers responded to a violation of an order for protection March 7 in the 1600 block of Ninth Street.

• O fficers responded to a complaint of a snowmobile driving around in a park near White Bear Avenue and Orchard Lane March 7.

• A forgery incident reported March 8 in the 2600 block of Sumac Court is being investigated, and a suspect has been identified.

• A vehicle was stolen March 8 in the 1500 block of County Road E, Gem Lake.

• A snow shovel was stolen in the 2300 block of Orchard Lane March 8.

• A neighbor reported a home in the 2100 block of Cedar Avenue was burglarized while the homeowner was away March 8. Officers determined forced entry was made through a rear slider.

• A c atalytic converter was stolen in the 1400 block of Highway 96 March 8.

• A g roup of young people stole approximately $20 of pop, candy and chips from a business in the 3100 block of Century Avenue March 8.

• O fficers responded to a noise complaint in the 3800 block of Oak Terrace March 8.

O fficers assisted in locating a missing person near White Bear Avenue and Buerkle Road March 9.

• F raud was reported in the 4900 block

of Stewart Avenue March 9.

• O fficers responded to a domestic assault incident in the 1600 block of Highway 96 March 9.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported in the 3500 block of Oak Terrace March 9.

• A c atalytic converter was stolen in the 1600 block of Ninth Street March 10.

• F raud was reported in the 1600 block of Birch Lake Avenue March 10.

• A v ictim reported numerous unauthorized transactions on her debit card on or around March 9, mostly occurring at Maplewood Mall.

• O fficers responded to suspicious activity March 11 in the 3900 block of Hoffman Road, the 1900 block of Webber Street, and the 4400 block of Lake Avenue.

• Burglary of a storage unit was reported March 11 in the 1800 block of Buerkle Road.

• A South St. Paul man was arrested on two active warrants following a traffic stop in the 1900 block of County Road D March 11.

• A M aplewood woman was arrested for DWI after officers found her vehicle off the roadway in the 1600 block of Buerkle Road March 12. O fficers responded to a neighbor dispute in the 3800 block of Oak Terrace March 12.

• A W hite Bear Lake man was arrested for violating a no-contact order in the 4800 block of Cook Avenue March 12.

• A man was arrested for assault involving the implied use of a firearm in the 3800 block of Effress Road March 12.

• O fficers assisted in stopping a potential burglary suspect in the 3500 block of Century Avenue March 13.

• Ni neteen 50-foot copper load bank cables were stolen from an unlocked trailer over the weekend of March 11-12 in the 1700 block of Commerce Court.

A c ar was stolen March 14 in the 1500 block of County Road E, Gem Lake.

• Disorderly conduct was reported in the 3500 block of Rooney Place March 14.

• O fficers responded to an incident in the 4900 block of Lake Avenue March 14.

RAMSEY COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORTS

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

Vadnais Heights

• H arassment was reported Feb. 19 in the 300 block of Colleen Drive.

• A M aplewood man, 57, was arrested for assault Feb. 20 in the 3200 block of Highway 61 after Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of two parties fighting in a motor vehicle. After deputies conducted the traffic stop, the male was taken to the law enforcement center, and a female was taken to St. John’s Hospital for treatment of her injuries. The vehicle was towed.

• Residents in the 800 block of County Road D reported receiving a phone scam Feb. 21, during which a person impersonating the CIA threatened to arrest them unless money was sent. The victim went to Western Union to send money to the Dominican Republic, but then thought better of it and canceled the transfer.

• Residents in the 300 block of Bankers Drive reported the tires of their vehicle slashed overnight Feb. 21-22. Unfortunately, no video surveillance footage exists because the outdoor security camera was

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 resident in the 3000 block of East County Line Road was threatened with a citation Feb. 24 if Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies heard one more complaint about their barking dog during quiet hours, which is in violation of Birchwood ordinance 605.022.

Dellwood

• A vehicle was reported off the road in the area of Dellwood Road N. and Quail Road at 9:24 p.m. Feb. 22 during the early hours of a heavy snowstorm.

• C riminal damage to property stemming from a physical altercation was reported at 8:24 p.m. Feb. 24 on Troon Court. Deputies arriving on scene stopped a vehicle occupied by three juvenile males from leaving the area and learned that the friends had gotten into an argument about cell phone videos being taken that resulted in snow being thrown. Deputies warned the youths about taking and sending videos.

Grant

• T hreats were reported Feb. 21 in the 8000 block of 75th Street N.

• D eputies issued a written warning to a motorist in the area of Lake Elmo Avenue N. and Highway 36 on Feb. 24 for displaying tabs that had been expired for a full calendar year.

Mahtomedi

• D eputies conducted a traffic stop at midnight Feb. 20 in the area of Century Avenue and Long Lake Road on a vehicle without license plate lights and with expired registration.

• A n unidentified motorist was arrested at 11:19 p.m. Feb. 21 in the area of Wildwood Road and Birchwood Road for driving after cancellation, after deputies on patrol conducted a traffic stop for

turn signal violation.

• A vehicle parked in the 8000 block of Woodland Court received a citation under the windshield wipers at 1:39 a.m. Feb. 22 for violating the winter parking ordinance, as deputies cruised the city looking for “snowbirds” in advance of the snowplows during the forecasted historic winter storm. Four additional snowbirds were found and cited during the same shift on Maple Street at Mahtomedi Avenue, Dartmoor Road, and on Summit Avenue.

• A suspicious vehicle reported parked at 12:03 a.m. Feb. 23 in the lot of a closed business on Wildwood Road turned out to have been there awhile, as no tracks were seen in the fresh snow. Neither the vehicle nor the license plate number appeared on the National Crime Information Center database. Deputies left the vehicle alone.

• A motorist was cited at 11:51 p.m. Feb. 23 in the area of Wildwood Road and Century Avenue for driving after cancellation.

• A Dunbar Knoll resident reported finding suspicious footsteps in the fresh snow leading to the basement door overnight Feb. 23-24.

D eputies cleared the scene after finding no signs of tampering.

• A Forest Avenue resident reported identity theft Feb. 24.

• A suspicious vehicle fire reported Feb. 24 on Long Lake Road turned out to have been a snow-melting furnace and not a burning car.

Pine Springs

A motorist of undisclosed identity was arrested at 12:07 a.m. Feb. 21 on westbound Highway 36 at Hilton Trail N. for driving after cancellation following a traffic stop for littering and poor driving conduct.

Willernie

A suspicious vehicle reported at 3:06 a.m. Feb. 20 on Kimberly Road turned out to have been from the area and parked legally.

also stolen.

• A Chisago City woman, 42, was arrested for DWI Feb. 23 in the 1000 block of Pondview Court after deputies were dispatched to the scene of a suspicious vehicle. On arrival, deputies found the vehicle running and the person in the driver’s seat sound asleep. The subject woke up long enough to partake in field sobriety tests, all of which she failed. At the patrol station, she refused further testing altogether. Upon being transported to the law enforcement center, she was charged with third-degree DWI test refusal.

• A St. Paul woman, 26, was arrested for domestic- and drug-related offenses at 10:04 p.m. Feb. 25 at the entrance ramp from County Road E to southbound I-35E after deputies on patrol in the area observed a Nissan Rogue stuck in a snowbank at an acute angle and blocking the right turn lane to southbound I-35E. On contact, the driver appeared agitated and animated, and the passenger appeared distraught and crying. But when deputies tried to find out what could be the matter, the driver repeatedly talked over her passenger. With the help of backup deputies arriving on scene, deputies were finally able to

separate the parties. The passenger said her friend was disrespectful towards her when they were in the Walmart and had struck her in the head three or four times when the dispute overflowed into their car. When the passenger tried to call 911, the driver snatched the phone out of her hand and struck her in the head at least 10 more times. The driver has been charged with misdemeanor domestic assault and for interfering with a 911 call.

• A Brooten man, 30, was arrested on multiple Douglas County warrants at 10:42 p.m. Feb. 25 in the 1100 block of County Road D after deputies responded to a report of a criminal damage to property at that location and were clearing the scene for residents. During the operation, they learned the reason for the damaged door frame after they found the suspect hiding in the laundry room. He has also been charged with first-degree burglary. A c atalytic converter was reported stolen at a residence in the 3200 block of Edgerton Street overnight Feb. 27-28.

White Bear Township

• D eputies received a harassment report Feb. 22 in the 2400 block of Fourth Street.

• A resident in the 5700 block of Lake Avenue reported their dog stuck in the frozen ground under a dock Feb. 25. Frozen-in Fido didn’t need to wait for deputies’ arrival before freeing itself on its own.

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEF Officers respond to downtown stabbing

White Bear Lake police officers responded to a report of a stabbing at approximately 2 a.m. March 11 in the parking lot and street in the area of the 2100 block of Fourth Street. A male victim was stabbed multiple times and suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. He went to the hospital and was released.

Two males involved in a physical altercation were detained. According to the WBLPD, it appears the people involved in the interaction did not know each other before the incident. One man, 22, from the south metro, was arrested but released over the weekend without being charged.

The WBLPD is conducting an investigation and charges are pending.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

NATIONAL VIETNAM WAR VETERAN’S DAY

When: 10-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 29

Where: White Bear Senior Center, 2484 E County Rd F

Details: Honor Vietnam veterans and families with a presentation by VFW 1782 Color Guard, Lieutenant Colonel John Nguyen, and the Nathan Hale Daughters of the American Revolution. Free; registration appreciated. Contact: 651-653-3121 or communityservices.isd624.org

VLAWMO GRANT PROGRAM OPEN

HOUSE

When: 6-7 p.m. Thursday, March 23

Where: White Bear Lake City Hall, 4701 Highway 61

Details: Learn about VLAWMO's costshare and other grant programs for your upcoming project for drainage improvement, erosion control, native plantings, and more. Hear about local success stories. Free.

Contact: 651-204-6070 or vlawmo.org

SPRING BOUTIQUE & BAKE SALE

When: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, March 24 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 25

Where: White Bear Senior Center, 2484 E County Rd F

Details: Shop for gifts and handmade items including art, books from

local authors, doll clothes, floral arrangements, home decor, jewelry, kitchen items, and totes.

Contact: 651-653-3121 or communityservices.isd624.org

UPPER MIDWEST SCUBA AND TRAVEL

SHOW

When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, March 25

Where: Mermaid Event Center, 2200 Mounds View Blvd., Mounds View

Details: Event features speakers on Great lakes shipwrecks, a 3-D shipwrecks virtual reality booth, exhibitors, and award lunch. Registration information online. Contact: umsatshow.org

BINGO When: 1:30-3 p.m. Monday, March 27

Where: Mahtomedi District Education Center, 1520 Mahtomedi Ave.

Details: Free afternoon of Bingo with prizes. Drop-in for adults. Contact: communityed.mahtomedi. k12.mn.us

MISS BENSON'S NURSERY SCHOOL

When: 6-7 p.m. Monday, March 27

Where: Online-Zoom

Details: Learn the story of a nursery school that operated in the Fillebrown House. Contact: whitebearhistory.org

NATIONAL VIETNAM WAR VETERAN'S DAY LUNCH

When: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, March 29

Where: VFW Post #1782, 4496 Lake Ave. S., White Bear Lake

Details: Vietnam War veterans and a guest will receive a free lunch. Donations of non-perishable food items accepted.

Contact: 651-426-4944

SPIRIT OF WHITE BEAR LAKE 5K, 5 MILE

RACE

When: 9 a.m. Saturday, April 1

Where: Boatworks Commons, 4495 Lake Ave. S., White Bear Lake

Details: Flat and fast course on paved trail along the lake. Early registration incentives. Proceeds support Strive scholarships for White Bear Lake Area High School students; registration online. Contact: midwestevents.com

A CAPPELLA SHOWCASE

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, April 1

Where: Chautauqua Fine Arts Center, Mahtomedi High School, 8000 75th St. N.

Details: Performances by A Cappella groups from the high school, local colleges, the North Star Chorus, and Lake Country Chorus. Tickets online; free student ticket with adult ticket. Contact: 651-605-1124 or wildwoodartistseries.com

VADNAIS HEIGHTS LIONS BELGIAN

WAFFLE BREAKFAST

When: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, April 3

Where: Vadnais Heights Commons, 655 County Rd. F

Details: Waffle breakfast, Vadnais Fire Dept. open house with fire truck tours, Kidsight vision screening, Can-do Canines, bike raffle, used eyeglasses and hearing aid collection and more.

Contact: cityvadnaisheights.com

“CALENDAR GIRLS”

When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through March 26

Where: Hanifl Performing Arts

Center, 4941 Long Ave., White Bear

Lake Details: Bittersweet comedy performed by Lakeshore Players Theatre. Tickets $10-$30. Contact: 651-478-7427 or lakeshoreplayers.org

WHITE BEAR LAKE CITY COUNCIL NOTES

WHITE BEAR LAKE – City Council took the following action at its March 14 meeting:

• Heard first reading of 2023 fee schedule amendment.

The amended schedule includes fees for recently approved sidewalk cafes. Restaurants will pay $150 for the original permit and $60 for renewals. If the renewal has significant changes, the cost will be $125. Permit violators will be fined $100.

Council Member Bill Walsh is OK with the cost of the original permit, but feels the fee should be zero after that. “We don’t need to charge these guys $60 for the privilege of doing business on the sidewalk. I’ll be leaning that direction next time,” he said. Council will act on the ordinance at its second reading March 28. No one spoke during a public hearing. Approved transfer of copyright agreement for bear logo drawings.

City Manager Lindy Crawford explained that polar bear graphics created by Council Member Dan Jones have become a “popular and recognizable staple” in city branding. The biggest bear, she noted, is on the Centerville Road water tower seen from I-35E. Rights for the drawings will be transferred from Jones to the city to be used for city-related business. Also noted, he is receiving no monetary

compensation for the drawings. Jones abstained from the vote.

• A greed to table a public nuisance and hazardous abatement order for property at 2239 Carlyle Court. Owner Nan Remus is getting assistance from Ramsey County to rehabilitate the property. A county timeline assures trash will be removed by March 31 and work on the property completed by end of August.

Debra Neutkens

PUBLIC NOTICES • PUBLIC NOTICES • PUBLIC NOTICES

OFFICE OF THE MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFICATE

OF ASSUMED NAME

Pursuant to Chapter 333, Minnesota Statutes; the undersigned, who is or will be conducting or transacting a commercial business in the State of Minnesota under an assumed name, hereby certifies:

1. The assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted is:

Saints Exteriors

2. The street address of the principal place of business is or will be: 2007 Co Rd E East White Bear Lake, MN 55110

3. The name and street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name, including any corporation that may be conducting this business.

Saints Exteriors LLC

2007 Co Rd E East White Bear Lake, MN 55110

I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath.

Dated: March 16, 2023

Signed: Marcel Vasquez

Published two times in the White Bear Press on March 22 and 29, 2023.

CITY OF GRANT NOTICE OF HEARING ON IMPROVEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the City Council of Grant will meet at Grant Town Hall on Kimbro Avenue at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. The purpose of the hearing is to consider the making of an improvement to the following paved streets: Honeye Avenue North, 115th Street North & Hillcrest Court North. The project improvement shall include pavement rehabilitation, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Sections 429.011 to 429.111. The estimated cost for this improvement is $511,692. A reasonable estimate of the impact of the assessment will be available at the hearing. The area proposed to be assessed for such improvement includes the properties abutting such streets. Such persons as desire to be heard with reference to the proposed improvement will be heard at this meeting. Written and oral comments will be considered. Persons who require this information in another format should contact the City of Grant at (651) 426-3383 at least 72 hours prior to the public hearing.

Kim Points – City Clerk

Published two times in the White Bear Press on March 15 and 22, 2023.

CITY OF MAHTOMEDI

NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING PROPERTY ASSESSMENT

This may affect your 2024 property taxes.

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Appeal and Equalization of the City of Mahtomedi in Washington County, Minnesota, shall meet at the Mahtomedi City Hall, 600 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi, MN 55115 on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is to determine whether taxable property in the jurisdiction has been properly valued and classified by the assessor, and also to determine whether corrections need to be made.

If you believe the value or classification of your property is incorrect, please contact your assessor’s office to discuss your concerns. If you are still not satisfied with the valuation or classification after discussing it with your assessor, you may appear before the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization. The board shall review the valuation, classification, or both if necessary, and shall correct it as needed. Generally, an appearance before your local board of appeal and equalization is required by law before an appeal can be taken to your County Board of Appeal and Equalization. For more information call the Washington County assessor’s office at 651-430-6175.

Given under my hand this 22nd day of March, 2023.

Jerene Rogers, City Clerk

Published one time in the White Bear Press on March 22, 2023.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 624

WHITE

BEAR LAKE, MN 55110

MINUTES FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Abbreviated Minutes-complete information available from the Superintendent’s office or online at www.isd624.org.

A meeting of the White Bear Lake Area School Board was held on Monday, February 13, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 112 at District Center, 4855 Bloom Avenue, White Bear Lake, MN. This meeting was open to the public and a recording is posted on the website.

PROCEDURAL ITEMS 1) Chair Ellison called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. 2) Roll Call - Present: Beloyed, Daniels, Ellison, Newmaster, Streiff Oji, Thompson, Arcand. Absent: none. Ex-Officio: Dr. Wayne Kazmierczak. 3) Pledge of Allegiance. 4) Newmaster moved and Daniels seconded to approve the agenda as presented. Voice vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. 5) Beloyed moved and Streiff Oji seconded to approve the consent agenda consisting of: a) Minutes for regular Board meeting on January 9, 2023, and January 23, 2023; b) Invoices based upon a random sample, all of which met the standards and guidelines as set by the School Board; c) Correspondence; d) Resolution regarding acceptance of gifts with thank you letters directed to the donors; e) Field trips; f) Resolution regarding personnel items. Roll call vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. PUBLIC

FORUM - Tom Snell. INFORMATION ITEMS 1) Student Recognition - Students in the high school fall musical were recognized and congratulated by Dr. Kazmierczak for earning state recognition. 2) Superintendent’s Report - Lauren Collier, student liaison, spoke about the Winter Dance, the upcoming Boys Basketball game, Valentine’s Day activities, and the Environmental Club bake sale. Dr. Kazmierczak thanked those who attended the Circle Back to North Campus and the Phase 1 Open House events. He gave information about the new Field House walking track opening up to our community members, I Love to Read month and the Black History Month Showcase. He finished by thanking our School Board members for their work during School Board Recognition month. 3) American Indian Parent Advisory Committee Resolution of Concurrence or Nonconcurrence - A report was given on the AIPAC resolution of nonconcurrence. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1) Overview of FY23 Revised Budget and FY24 Projected Budget - Tim Wald, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations and Andi Johnson, Director of Finance presented a revised fiscal year 2022-23 budget. Additionally, a projected budget for fiscal year 2023-24 was presented. The projected budget is used for planning purposes until the preliminary 2023-24 budget is prepared and approved by the Board in June.

Board

ITEMS 1) Arcand moved and Newmaster seconded to approve the action on Name for Middle School. Voice vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. 2) Daniels moved and Streiff Oji seconded to approve the action on the Updated 2022-23 School Year Calendar. Voice vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. 3) Newmaster moved and Arcand seconded to approve the action on Bid for Lincoln Partial Roof Replacement in the amount of $468,850. Roll call vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. 4) Streiff Oji moved and Daniels seconded to approve the action on FY23 Revised Budget. Roll call vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. 5) Daniels moved and Streiff Oji seconded to approve the action on Annual Resolution Directing the Administration to Make Recommendations for Reductions in Programs and Positions and Reasons

Therefore. Roll call vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. 6) Beloyed moved and Thompson seconded to approve the action on Official Depositories for the School District Funds and Authorized Bank Accounts and Signatures. Roll call vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. 7) Daniels moved and Newmaster seconded to approve the action on Property Purchase Agreement for the property described as PID #143022130039 located in the City of White Bear Lake, County of Ramsey, State of Minnesota. The Board authorizes the Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations to sign all documents as necessary to acquire said property. Roll call vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. BOARD FORUM. ADJOURNMENT

- Arcand moved and Newmaster seconded to adjourn the meeting at 6:29 p.m. Voice vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. Submitted by: Angela Thompson, clerk. Published one time in the White Bear Press on March 22, 2023.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 624

WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN 55110

AD FOR BIDS

BALD EAGLE AVENUE - ROAD IMPROVEMENTS

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION

From: Kraus-Anderson Construction Company acting on behalf of White Bear Lake Area Schools (Owner).

Project: White Bear Lake Area High School, Bald Eagle Avenue - Road

Improvements

Key Dates:

Cut-off Date for Questions: Thursday, March 30th, 2023 @ 2:00 PM

Bid Due Date: Thursday, April 6th, 2023 @ 2:00 PM

Method of Delivery: Kraus-Anderson Construction Company has been selected as an Agency Construction Manager by White Bear Lake Area Schools to administer the construction of White Bear Lake Area High School located at 5045 Division Ave, White Bear Lake, MN 55110.

• The overall project consists of Bald Eagle Avenue - Road Improvements.

• The work will be constructed in accordance with the Project Schedule starting summer 2023.

Work Included in this Offering: We are presently soliciting competitive

“Prime Contract Bids” for the following portions of work as defined herein.

All portions of the Work as defined in Section 01 12 10.

Bid Date and Location: Electronic Bids will be received at KA Bid Express Webpage: https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/39702/home free of charge to Contractors. Bids will be received until 2:00pm on April 6th , 2023. Please join us for a Zoom at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/ KAZoomISD624RoadImp

Password: 494440

Bid Security: Each bid shall be accompanied by Bid Security in form of certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond in amount of five (5) percent of Base Bid submitted, made payable to Owner, as guarantee that Bidder will, if awarded, enter into Contract in accordance with Contract Documents and submitted Bid.

QUESTIONS SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO

Questions shall be submitted to Kraus-Anderson Construction Company at the address below on or before the Date indicated above.

AJ Lillesve Kraus-Anderson Construction 501 South Eighth Street Minneapolis, MN 55404

Phone: 612-332-7281

AJ.Lillesve@KrausAnderson.com

Alex Titterud Kraus-Anderson Construction 501 South Eighth Street Minneapolis, MN 55404 Phone: 612-332-7281

Alex.Titterud@KrausAnderson.com

AVAILABILITY OF BIDDING DOCUMENTS Location for Review and Examination: Bidding Documents (Project Manual, Drawings, and other Contract Documents) are available at the locations indicated below for review and examination:

Builder’s Exchanges and Plan Rooms:

MHC Dodge Plans MEDA

3315 Central Avenue 250 Second Avenue South, #106 Hot Springs, AR 71913 Minneapolis, MN 55401

Phone: 501-321-2956 Phone: 612-259-6561 joanna.dahn@mhfi.com planroom@meda.net

Albert Lea Area Builders Exch. ISQFT & AGC Of MN Planroom

2580 Bridge Avenue 525 Park Street, #110 Albert Lea, MN 56007 St. Paul, MN 55103

Phone: 507-373-3938 Phone: 800-364-2059 agcminnesota@isqft.com

Builders Exchange of St. Cloud Mid-Minnesota Builders Exchange 110 – 6th Avenue South 2104 Highway 12 East St.Cloud, MN 56301 Willmar, MN 56201

Phone: 320-252-5832 Phone: 320-235-0279 administration@ stcloudbuildersexchange.com chamber@willmarareachamber.com

Builders Exchange of Rochester Austin Builders Exchange 108 Elton Hills Lane NW 329 N Main Street, Suite 102 Rochester, MN 55901

Examination of the Site: Bidders shall make arrangements with the Construction Manager to visit the project site to obtain first-hand knowledge of existing conditions, including existing utilities and services, obstacles which may be encountered and all other conditions relative to the Work to be performed

OTHER CONDITIONS

Time of Completion: Refer to Section 01 32 10 - Bids shall reflect all costs necessary to meet this schedule requirement.

Owner’s Right to Reject Bids: Owner reserves the right to reject a Bid which is in any way incomplete or irregular or to waive informalities or irregularities in a Bid received, and accept a Bid, which in the Owner’s judgment is in the Owner’s best interests.

Additional Compensation: Contractors shall not receive extra payments for conditions which can be determined by examining the site and the Contract Documents. Published two times in the White Bear Press on March 22 and 29, 2023.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 624

WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN 55110

MINUTES FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Abbreviated Minutes-complete information available from the Superintendent’s office or online at www.isd624.org.

A work session of the White Bear Lake Area School Board was held on Monday, February 27, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 112 at District Center, 4855 Bloom Avenue, White Bear Lake, MN. This meeting was open to the public and a recording is posted on the website. PROCEDURAL ITEMS 1) Call to Order - Chair Ellison called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. 2) Roll Call -

Present: Ellison, Newmaster, Streiff Oji, Thompson, Arcand, Beloyed. Absent: Daniels. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1) Teaching and Learning Update: White Bear Lake Peer Support - Ang Nelson, Principal at WBLAHS - North Campus along with student Peer Helpers presented an update on the White Bear Lake Peer Support program. 2) FY 24-26 Achievement and Integration Plan - Dr. Alison Gillespie, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning and Brenton Shavers, Director of Educational Equity and Achievement discussed the process and progress of White Bear Lake Area School’ FY 24-26 A&I plan. 3)

Overview of North Star Wetland Project - Bryan Bear, Hugo City Administrator and Shayla Denaway, City of Hugo Parks Planner shared information related to the North Star Elementary wetland bank project that will include recreational pedestrian trails on the District’s property. ADJOURNMENT - Arcand moved and Beloyed seconded to adjourn the meeting at 6:36 p.m. Voice vote: Ayes, all. Nays, none. Motion carried. Submitted by: Angela Thompson, clerk. Published one time in the White Bear Press on March 22, 2023.

MAHTOMEDI ISD #832

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Notice is hereby given that Mahtomedi ISD #832 requests proposals for: Group Life, Long Term Disability and Dental Insurance

Specifications will be available from: National Insurance Services 250 South Executive Drive, Suite 300, Brookfield, WI 53005 Phone: 800-627-3660

Proposals are due no later than 11:00 a.m. on April 4th, 2023. Published two times in the White Bear Press on March 15 and 22, 2023.

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: That default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage: DATE OF MORTGAGE: August 14, 2017 ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $308,803.00 MORTGAGOR(S): Scott Newcomb and Krista Newcomb, husband and wife MORTGAGEE: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. acting solely as nominee for Freedom Mortgage Corporation TRANSACTION AGENT: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. MIN#: 100073001002163994 SERVICER: Rushmore Loan Management Services LLC LENDER: Freedom Mortgage Corporation. DATE AND PLACE OF FILING: Ramsey County Minnesota, Registrar of Title, on August 17, 2017, as Document No. T02594553. CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO: 619183 ASSIGNED

TO: U.S. Bank National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee for RMTP Trust, Series 2021 Cottage-TT-V by an Assignment of Mortgage dated 11/14/2022, filed on 11/16/2022 and memorialized as Document No. T02745115. LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: Lots 5 and 6, Block 34, White Bear Beach, Ramsey County, Minnesota; together with the North one-half of the adjoining vacated alley lying between the Southerly extensions across said vacated alley of the West line of said Lot 6 and the East line of said Lot 5. PROPERTY ADDRESS: 2662 STILLWATER ST, WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP, MN 55110 PROPERTY I.D: 12.30.22.41.0057 COUNTY

IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: Ramsey THE AMOUNT CLAIMED

TO BE DUE ON THE MORTGAGE ON THE DATE OF THE NOTICE: Two Hundred Ninety-Three Thousand Eight Hundred Eighty-Seven and 66/100 ($293,887.66) THAT no action or proceeding has been instituted at law to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof; that there has been compliance with all pre-foreclosure notice and acceleration requirements of said mortgage, and/or applicable statutes; PURSUANT, to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows: DATE AND TIME OF SALE: 10:00AM on May 4, 2023 PLACE OF SALE: Ramsey County City Hall, 25 West 4th Street, Suite 150, St. Paul, MN 55102 to pay the debt then secured by said mortgage and taxes, if any actually paid by the mortgagee, on the premises and the costs and disbursements allowed by law. The time allowed by law for redemption by said mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns is 6.00 months from the date of sale. If Mortgage is not reinstated under Minn. Stat. Section580.30 or the property is not redeemed under Minn. Stat. Section580.23, the Mortgagor must vacate the property on or before 11:59 p.m. on November 4, 2023, or the next business day if November 4, 2023 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. “THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.”

Dated: March 15, 2023 U.S. Bank National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee for RMTP Trust, Series

ments.

ANNUAL MEETING RECAP – White Bear Township held its Annual Town Meeting on March 14th. The Annual Town Meeting is true grassroots government where residents in attendance vote to approve a resident to moderate the meeting, the previous year’s meeting minutes, meeting agenda, & preliminary property tax levy. This year’s meeting was moderated by Bob Kermes & had approximately 26 residents in attendance. Two residents of the Township were also honored by both the Sheriff’s Department & the Township for their bravery in saving the life of their neighbor. Residents then received an update on the Town’s finances from the Town Finance Officer, Tom Kelly after which they approved a 2024 preliminary property tax levy of $5,900,000. Finally, residents approved holding the 2024 Annual Town Meeting on March 12 at 7 pm at Heritage Hall. The 2023 Annual Town Meeting can be viewed on the Town’s website (www.whitebeartownship.org).

FREE FIX-IT CLINIC THIS SATURDAY – MARCH 25th – Ramsey County Recycles is once again offering a free fix-it clinic on Saturday, March 25th from 10:30 – 1:30 at the New Brighten Ramsey County Library, 400 10th Street NW, New Brighton. Bring items like small household appliances, clothing, electronics & more. Volunteer fixers will help you to disassemble, troubleshoot & repair your item for free! First come, first served. Items should be carry-in, no oversized items. Please bring any tools or parts that might be helpful to fix your item. For more info or to volunteer, call 651.266.1130 or e-mail FixItClinics@ramseycounty.us.

A bi-weekly section where readers will be informed on subjects of seasonal interest, upcoming events and other timely topics.

WINTER PARKING RESTRICTIONS END ON FRIDAY, MARCH 31ST

– Cars may be parked on Township streets overnight beginning next Friday unless there is a one inch or more snowfall.

CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM SAFETY TIPS – 1) CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area & on every level of the home. 2) For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home so when one sounds, they all sound. 3) Test CO alarms at least once a month, replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 4) If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call 911. 5) If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. 6) Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call 911 from a fresh air location & stay there until emergency personnel arrive. 7) If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow. 8) During & after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove & fireplace are clear of snow. 9) A generator should only be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors & vent openings. 10) Gas or charcoal grills can produce CO — only use outside.

DO YOU TAKE THOSE ONLINE QUIZZES? – Before you take that quiz to find out which Marvel character you are, ask yourself – Do I know who’s gathering this information about me & what they plan on doing with it. Those personality tests, quick surveys &other types of online quizzes ask seemingly harmless questions, but the more information you share the more you risk it being misused. Scammers can do a lot of damage with just a few answers that give away your personal information.

April 9 – Easter Sunday

April 19 – Administrative Professionals Day

April 29 – International Dance Day

Longtime restaurant closing doors

September, so Castellanos said she was surprised to get a letter from the owner telling her to leave. She doesn’t know what his plans are with the space, but apparently the corner will be renovated for something else.

When asked for comment, her landlord responded that “property owners are unable to discuss private leasing matters with the public.”

An empty site a few doors down was offered, according to Castellanos, but the former Carbone’s Pizza space is too small for her needs. Improvements were also stipulated, such as a walkin cooler, new kitchen and approved signage, which would require an investment she didn’t want to make.

Her focus will now be on the new Mahtomedi restaurant and her second location, Red Luna Taco Factory, which opened four years ago in White Bear Township. That location had a slow start, Castellanos said, but it’s picking up. Seasons, on the other hand, is “really slow.”

She doesn’t know if it’s the location or if the community doesn’t like change. “I know people were used to the building’s history. When I bought it, I wasn’t aware of any of that,” Castellanos commented. There is also an issue about an iconic mural in the restaurant that was removed before she got keys to the place. “Evidently the family of the person who painted it wanted the mural back. I had nothing to do with that,” she said.

Casa Lupita, a White Bear Lake staple for 22 years, is closing.

The Mexican restaurant will celebrate its last day May 5, which coincidentally is Cinco de Mayo.

Owner Gabriela Castellanos said the family restaurant is being forced to close, or relocate.

“Our landlord gave us 60 days to vacate this location. It breaks our heart to announce this as we have remained in the same place for so many years,” she wrote in an online post.

Her lease at Birch Lake Square isn’t up until

The restaurateur, who lives in Vadnais Heights, just used her available capital for a sister location in Mahtomedi called Red Luna Seasons. Before purchasing the former Four Seasons at 114 Mahtomedi Ave., she said she approached the strip mall owner about expanding Casa into vacant space next door. “I needed space to grow, but he didn’t want to work with me,” she said. Shortly after she opened in Mahtomedi, Castellanos was informed she had 60 days to vacate the White Bear Lake location.

“Most of my savings went into Red Luna Seasons, so I don’t have the funds to relocate Casa at this time,” Castellanos said. “It’s a really sad situation for me. Casa was opened by my mother, so it has a sense of nostalgia. When she got sick, I took it over.”

Invasive aquatic weed under control

WHITE BEAR LAKE — Like last year, the watermilfoil news is good. Efforts to keep invasive Eurasian water milfoil at bay are working.

The final assessment report prepared by aquatics expert Steve McComas for the White Bear Lake Conservation District is just released. His findings from last summer indicate herbicide treatments were “generally successful” from the perspective that only a few areas of heavy growth were observed.

Every summer, McComas, owner of St. Paul-based Blue Water Science, surveys the 2,400acre lake for the invasive weed. Last year, he sampled 357 sites, noting “milfoil was fairly widely

distributed.” Areas with the potential to produce heavy growth, or 32.7 acres, were treated.

Two months later, those treatment areas were revisited to assess status, with mostly light to moderate milfoil growth found.

Eurasian watermilfoil was first spotted in White Bear Lake in 1988.

And more good news: McComas saw no sign of starry stonewort after searching three boat launch sites.

A review of water quality was also part of his report to the district.

A summary of seasonal water quality averages from four sample sites, 2005 to 2022, shows transparency has ranged from

3 to 6 meters. Chlorophyll has ranged from 3 to 6 ug/l. Total phosphorus appears to have increased beginning in 2020, but has decreased slightly in the last few years.

Zebra mussels, confirmed in 2014, resulted in improved water clarity from 2017 through 2020. Clarity got worse in 2021 and 2022. McComas said it’s possible zebra mussels have peaked and are declining in White Bear Lake.

Castellanos is hoping that once people start tasting the fresh, authentic food, they will give the restaurant a chance. “People who no longer can go to Casa can come here and enjoy the same food,” she pointed out.

Both locations have liquor licenses; margaritas and imported beer are on the menu.

“At this point, we’re still trying to figure out the fate of Casa Lupita,” Castellanos lamented. “This is something we weren’t expecting.”

A quick search online looks like the shopping center, under new ownership last year, currently has five vacant sites available for lease.

Debra Neutkens

Debra Neutkens

The August 22, 2022 EWM assessment found mostly light to moderate EWM growth.

Developer hopes to create ‘residential anchor’ for intersection

“That would be tough,” he told council. “We’ve never built anything less than three.”

Parking is also a major concern. The concept plan shows 32 stalls, 21 enclosed and 11 on the surface lot. The city’s general parking requirement for medium density housing is two stalls per unit, or 36 spaces.

“We know we have to adequately address parking,” McKilligan said. “The appropriate number of units is key. The city’s future land use plan says 10 to 22 units (on a lot that size). We are trying to strike the right balance.”

As the graphics illustrate, the highest portion of the proposed 18-unit building is limited to that portion immediately adjacent to the corner of E and Bellaire Avenue. The site steps down to a two-story building with low-pitched roof along E and two-story townhomes facing Bellaire. The plan also retains a 25foot vegetative buffer along the property to the east.

McKilligan said they tried to combine the benefits of high density in the northwest corner with a residential area where people want peace and quiet. “We are trying to find a design that justifies two contexts and add vibrance to the area,” he noted.

“is the best I’ve seen for this corner in a long time. Parking is my biggest issue and height is my second biggest issue. I’d like to find a way to get to ‘yes.’”

Other council members were on different sides of the fence. Steve Engstran gave the proposal “a hard ‘no.’ I don’t like the height. I’d rather see it all townhomes or green space,” he said. Bill Walsh “appreciated the applicant embracing the process,” adding, “the concept doesn’t scare me. I like the attempt to transition the height and I look forward to future designs.”

Member Heidi Hughes said she didn’t have a problem the parking or the height. “People park on my street all up and down. Nothing you can bring would be something neighbors would want.”

They looked at different purposes for the property, the developer continued, but other commercial uses have “proven to not attract development in the last 13 years.” What they want to do is “create a residential anchor for the intersection. “That will provide good prospects for the northeast and northwest corners, as well,” McKilligan said.

BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER

WHITE BEAR LAKE – The developer asked for feedback on a plan to turn an abandoned gas station into a housing complex and feedback is what he got.

Called a concept plan review, neighbors and City Council members offered opinions March 14 on the proposal by Element Design-Build that includes a 15unit apartment building and three townhomes on the southeast corner of Bellaire Avenue and County Road E.

The site used to be Petro Gas Station, 2502 County Road E, which served customers since at least 1971. The station’s fuel tanks were removed in 2016 and water service stopped 13 years ago.

Rezoning would be required from B-3, auto oriented, to R-6 for the complex, or medium density residential.

Maximum building height under that category is 35 feet. That’s about 5 feet short since the apartments are 39.6 feet high to accommodate a first-level parking garage.

Height was a point of contention for both residents and Council Member Dan Jones, who said he wouldn’t give an inch over 35 feet. Neighbors speaking during the public hearing, all of whom live on Glen Oaks Avenue, felt the height was not compatible with the area.

Company spokesman Ryan McKilligan, founder and project manager, said the project would not be financially viable at two stories (one story of apartments over the ground level parking garage).

Residents who spoke during a public hearing had concerns with the building’s height, stormwater runoff, parking and loss of trees. First up was Lee Branwall, who said he was speaking for 12 neighbors who are all “strongly against the proposal.” He doesn’t feel the three-story height is compatible with the neighborhood and worries residents will park on Bellaire, which now has “very few cars.”

Ann Koves cited safety issues for children walking to the school bus along Jansen Avenue. “The street is narrow and parking will complicate it,” she said. Resident Chris Greene said he appreciates the architect’s attempt to blend the design with existing homes, “but that doesn’t mean the proposed project is the only way to do that. I hope talents can be applied to making a scaled-back proposal. It’s too many residents in too small a space.”

Weatherman Frank Watson, also a Glen Oaks Avenue resident, likes a scaled-down idea. He encouraged council to “not rush into it. Eventually something will get built there.” He also has concerns about water runoff into Peppertree Pond. “Parking you can beat to death,” Watson said. “They will park on the street.”

City Engineer Paul Kauppi reminded council that parking is allowed on Bellaire but the city has the ability to “no park” any street if there are issues. He also noted that both city and watershed district standards will be met for managing stormwater.

Jones told the residents it’s OK to park on streets. “It’s not a horrid thing,” he said.

Jones pointed out that the intersection has been an issue “for a long, long time. We’re looking at housing and I’m open to rezoning and what they have. This is a good proposal.” He added that he wasn’t promising anything.

Council Member Kevin Edberg said the proposal,

Element Design-Build found the lot through the E Corridor Action Plan. “This intersection is a key part of the corridor redevelopment,” said McKilligan, who attending committee meetings on the corridor. The city’s new review process got their attention, he told council. “Our experience on previous properties is dialog with the community leads to a better outcome. We got a sense of the main things we need to address (through this process) in this development.”

Since the agenda item was just a pre-application review and, by the way, is the first time the process has been used after a recently adopted ordinance, staff did not offer a recommendation nor was formal action taken.

When discussion ended, Mayor Dan Louismet thanked McKilligan for “being guinea pigs in this process,” and told him the objections don’t mean “a hard no. People on the council are receptive. We have an old abandoned gas station and I’d love to see that change. We look forward to continue working with you.”

Three townhomes would be constructed in one rowhouse style on the southwest corner. Surface parking is planned for the remaining southeast corner adjacent to single family homes.

The site now holds an abandoned gas station.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

Fifteen apartment units, five of which are two-bedroom, would be built on the northern half of the 0.67-acre site.

engineer; Olha Shchehliuk, senior resident of the Rehabilitation Department for Patients with Amputated Limbs; and Iryna Tkach, prosthetist and orthotist technician.

Members of the White Bear Lake Rotary Club hosted the delegates during their stay. Each delegate was invited to share some of their experiences at the Rotary Club meeting.

Melnyk described his patient load increasing from 7-8 people a day to 20 or 30. Shchehliuk described the experience of working as a physician in a military hospital as the occupation set in—in her hospital, a baby was delivered during the bombing and shooting by Russian forces. The hospital was destroyed, and the medical staff had to redistribute to other places where they were needed.

“That’s why we are here. We have a lot of experience, but we want to be

better for our patients,” Schchehliuk said.

Russian attacks have targeted many hospitals and medical facilities in Ukraine as a brutal military tactic to weaken morale and display ruthlessness. Thousands of civilians have suffered and been killed since the war began.

“This country is constantly bombarding our cities, they target civilians, they use genocide against people in my country,” Tkach said with the aid of an interpreter. “This is what we have to go through right now. Ukraine currently is fighting not just for its own future but for the future of the entire civilized world. It’s the 21st century, and anti-vessel rockets are not supposed to target civilian houses.”

Each delegate expressed their gratitude for the hospitality of the Rotarians and Minnesotans who have hosted and supported them, and to the many professionals willing to share an open exchange of knowledge.

Fire & Ice returns

Tkach said through an interpreter that it is a great pleasure to see Ukrainian flags on the houses of Americans.

During their stay, the delegates were able to connect with Dr. Yakov Gradinar, a former Ukrainian who now lives in the Twin Cities and has started the Protez Foundation, an organization that serves Ukrainian soldiers wounded in the war.

“The Ukrainian system is overwhelmed right now,” Gradinar said. “It’s very important for us to help as much as we can and bring people over to show them our support and remind our Americans that war is going on. We cannot forget to support and help as much as we can.”

The White Bear Lake Rotary has hosted homestay guests before through this program, but until now, all of the guests were from Russia. It is a strange twist of fate how the tides have turned—Rotarian Greg Bartz commented on how strange it is to have friends still in Russia while the

war rages on. Century College was an important stop for the group, as it is one of only 12 colleges in the U.S. that have a robust prosthetics and orthotics program. The delegates toured the department and met with faculty and students, asking questions in a mix of English and Ukrainian and taking many photos.

During their stay, the delegates also made connections with some of the other premiere medical facilities in Minnesota. In addition to Century College, they were scheduled to see the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, the Limb Lab and Wiggle Your Toes in the Twin Cities and NovaCare Rehabilitation in Crystal.

The hope is that the lines of communication will remain open between these world-class professionals, and that the open exchange will promote progress as both nations fight toward a brighter future.

The Ukrainian delegates share their experiences with the White Bear Lake Rotary club.

White Bear Lake resident Barb Hinrichs helps demonstrate the hands-on nature of the Century College prosthetics and orthotics program. Hinrichs has helped train hundreds of future practitioners in this program.

PHOTOS BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGE

The delegates connected with Roger Wagner, a prosthetic instructor at Century College.

The long running spring tradtition of the Fire &

Chili Cook Off recently returned to the White Bear Boat Works after a three year hiatus because of COVID-19 precautions. Dozens of friends in the boating community gathered to sample a variety of chili recipes. Prizes were awarded to the top three pots of chili.

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An optimistic welcome to spring

Above: Robin Tost introduces her sculpture titled “Ursula Major” during a recent Equinox & Community Day event at the White Bear Center for the Arts. The dedication of the bear sculpture was part of the ongoing NEA Big Read events related to the book “The Bear” by Andrew Krivak.

At right: Some of the recently installed Northern Lights Juried Art Exhibition artwork currently on display in the Ford Family Gallery.

Above: “Bliss” by Kevin Kroeber is among the Northern Lights Juried Art Exhibition artworks currently on display. The community reception and awards ceremony is Thursday, March 30.

At left: Rose McLaughlin carries a turtle plush toy around an indoor labyrinth. Because of the deep snow and stubbornly persistent cold weather, a planned outdoor ceremony in recognition of the spring equinox was brought inside.

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Upcoming events:

Northern Lights

Community Reception

Thursday, March 30, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Celebrate the artwork of the artists featured in the 49th Annual Northern Lights Juried Art exhibition. Hear from the judges and stay for the award ceremony starting at 7 p.m.

By Nicky Torkzadeh

Go Figure! SelfDirected Life Drawing Studio

4 Thursdays, April 6-27, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Have you always wanted to try life drawing? Are you looking for a regular session to get some figure drawing practice in? Try Go Figure, a life drawing class offered by WBCA. For 3 hours every Thursday, you’ll have time for a student-led experience of like-minded artists studying the human form in poses ranging from 3 to 30 minutes.

Beginning/ Intermediate Handbuilding

4 Wednesdays, April 5-26, 6-8:30 p.m.

Looking for fun, freedom and flexibility in clay?

Explore the three ceramic techniques of handbuilding: pinch, slab, and coil building and an understanding of the handbuilding process from start to finish.

There’s a New Bear in Town

Robin Tost is a renowned artist and sculptor who currently resides in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, and grew up right here in White Bear Lake. Her work reuses found objects and pieces of metal, giving new life to these discarded pieces.

Tost is loaning one of her metal sculptures Spirit Bear, also affectionately known as Ursula Major, to White Bear Center for the Arts, which will be displayed temporarily at the art center. For Tost, the process of creating Spirit Bear was inspired by her connection with bears. “I’ve always liked bears,” she said. “I grew up on White Bear Lake, and there are lots of them around where I now live. Occasionally they spend time at my house, destroying my bird feeders and cooling off in my

tiny pond.”

“Ursula Major started when I was flat on my back, recovering from ankle surgery,” Tost said. “I was going crazy with nothing to do,” so she made a small bear out of wadded-up newspaper and masking tape. She took this model to her blacksmith friend who made the frame out of steel rods. Tost then covered this frame with her metal quilting. “This was the first truly round 3-dimensional thing I’d made, and it turned out that every

single piece of the quilting needed its own paper template.”

To ‘sew’ the metal squares on, she poked wire through drilled holes back and forth for every single stitch. “I spent a lot of time with my head inside her frame,” she said.

The sculpture is inspired by spirit bears, which are a rare subspecies of black bear found in British Columbia, and which have white fur.

“I was taken by the fact that they’re genetically the same as my local black bears,” Tost said. “I started thinking about bears in mythologies and lore. They are ubiquitous, often seen as teachers and keepers of knowledge.” You can find Spirit Bear now on display in the atrium of White Bear Center for the Arts, so stop in and say hello!

Imagine Art Youth Summer Camp has a Fresh Format

This June through August, White Bear Center for the Arts is offering youth art programs known as “Imagine Art.” These classes, taught by local professional artists, are for all students in grades 2-12.

and so much more. Brand new Intergenerational Fridays finish off every Imagine Art camp week, with hands-on projects, storytelling, movement, and art gallery-themed activities for kids and their families. For students in grades 9-12, WBCA is offering teen pottery classes throughout the summer with classes like Luminary Forms and Character Sculptures, among others, for a fun summer full of clay.

“My son has benefited tremendously from Imagine Art classes at WBCA,” parent Amber Guetebier said. “Every summer, they are a creative touchpoint for him to express himself and be exposed to new points of view, artistic and otherwise. His uniqueness is celebrated, something every kid should have a chance to be part of.”

Learn more and register for these classes at whitebeararts.org

Students can take week-long camps, offered as either full or half days Monday through Thursday, and explore painting, sculpture, writing, the outdoors,

WBCA is excited and fortunate to be a part of the Minnesota Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP) for a second year, offered

through the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. This program provides stipends to cover the cost of tuition for low-income students in grades 3-11 to attend Imagine Art summer classes for youth. Any family that qualifies for free/ reduced lunch, or is able to demonstrate the State standards of financial eligibility, may receive up to $1000 in Imagine Art scholarships.

Alternatively to the state program, WBCA is able to offer up to three scholarships per student over the summer for anyone who needs them. Critical philanthropic support from the Joan and Oliver Washburn Family Fund as well as the estate of Diane Roth ensured Imagine Art remained accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Find more information and browse Imagine Art classes go to WhiteBearArts.org/imagine-art.

“Ursula Major”

CHURCH BRIEFS Presentation in time for Passover

The Salvation Army will host a presentation, “Christ in the Passover,” by Simon Stout of the organization Jews for Jesus at 6 p.m. Monday, March 27. The event is free and all are welcome to attend.

The event will be held at Lakewood Worship Center, 2080 Woodlynn Avenue, Maplewood. For more information, call 651-779-9177.

Mark calendar for Living Stations of the Cross Servants of the Cross, a Catholic nonprofit organization comprised of youth and families from local parishes, will reenact the Passion of Jesus Christ in the 24th annual Living Stations of the Cross at three locations on Good Friday, April 7. Programs will be held at noon at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1725 Kennard Street, Maplewood; at 3 p.m. at St. Jude of the Lake, 700 Mahtomedi Avenue, Mahtomedi; and at 7 p.m. at

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Cajeta Coffee brings Mexican flair downtown

Coffee connoisseurs have a new spot to try in downtown White Bear Lake. Cajeta Coffee opened its doors this week in the Avalon Mall, 2179 Fourth St. The Mexican Coffee shop offers Mexican breakfast, lunch and specialty drinks along with typical coffee shop favorites.

Business hours are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, contact cajetacoffee@gmail.com.

Nautical Bowls to open in April

Katie and Adam Stowell are bringing a new açaí bowl restaurant franchise, Nautical Bowls, to White Bear Lake. Nautical Bowls, a Minnesota-based açaí concept, features superfood bowls that are glutenfree, dairy-free, soy-free and plant-based. They are made with organic, all-natural ingredients. Nautical Bowls is scheduled to open

Church of St. Peter, 2600 N. Margaret Street, North St. Paul.

Events are free, but a freewill offering is welcome. Those unable to attend can watch a video presentation of the program at servantsofthecrossmn.com.

Last chance to catch a Fish Fry

St. Pius X will host it’s final Lenten Fish Fry this Friday, March 24 from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

St. Pius provides fried or baked fish, baked potato, cole slaw, pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, rolls, dessert and beverage. The cost is $17 adults, $15 seniors, $7 children 12 and under, and 5 and under free. Diners may eat at the church or pick up a meal curbside in the northeast parking lot.

St. Pius X is located at 3878 Highland Ave., White Bear Lake. For more information, call 651-429-5337 or visit churchofstpiusx.org.

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Husband and wife team Juan Hernandez and Catalina Morales opened Cajeta Coffee this week in White Bear Lake.

in April at 4717 Highway 61 N. Follow @ nauticalbowlswhitebearlake for grand opening details.

Slight increase proposed for next year’s tax levy

estimated at $350,000 based on the township’s 10year capital improvement plan. A 12% increase was budgeted for public safety, including contracts with the sheriff’s department and White Bear Lake Fire, and $40,000 was allocated for tree removals due to emerald ash borer.

According to Kelly, if the town’s tax capacity remains the same at $19 million in 2023, tax rate would be 28.56% compared to 26%. “That means if a home did not change in market value, we would see a township property tax increase of $4.50 to $10 per month on homes valued between $200,000 and $400,000.”

Home value notices are mailed in spring. “That number, if you don’t appeal to the county, is what is used to calculate your 2024 property taxes,” Kelly noted. “People don’t associate the notice of value with the taxes they’ll pay. There is a disconnect. By the time taxes are finalized in fall, it’s too late.”

WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP — Like it is every year, the proposed 2024 tax levy is a “worst-case scenario.”

Finance Director Tom Kelly made that clear at the start of the township’s March 14 annual meeting.

“We use conservative revenues and worst-case expenditures,” said Kelly, who also reminded residents that the levy can go lower but cannot exceed the number approved at the meeting.

Without further ado, Kelly proposed a $5,901,288 levy, a 2.1% increase over the 2023 preliminary levy. The property tax levy includes a debt service levy

of $513,000. That is only a 1.15% increase.

A revenue item added to the 2024 budget that wasn’t available this year includes $21,000 in animal and rental license renewals that the township doesn’t receive in odd years. Expenditure changes include a wage increase of 4% for union employees and more money budgeted for recruiting summer help for street and park maintenance.

It’s too early to know how much health insurance will increase, but Kelly plugged in an 18% increase. Personnel services increased $118,000, or 7% from the 2023 budget. The park improvements budget is

Businesses may lose license for failed compliance checks

BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER

WHITE BEAR LAKE — Two establishments selling THC products, prohibited in the city, will have to wait and see if their business license is renewed.

The city has a 12-month moratorium prohibiting the sale of THC products, enacted last September after the Legislature legalized sale of edible, low-dose products July 1. The moratorium gives staff time to research the products and decide if it’s something the city wants to regulate.

The two businesses, MNJ Tobacco and Nothing But Hemp, failed separate compliance checks by White Bear police in November and again in early March.

According to City Attorney Troy Gilchrist, a criminal case is ongoing for those in violation that, he speculates, will take months to reach conclusion due to backlog.

In the meantime, City Council members agreed March 14 to withhold approval to renew those businesses’ licenses until the next meeting.

Member Bill Walsh was ready to strike the two from the renewal process altogether. “I think we have the grounds to do it,” he stated. “They are flaunting the moratorium and waiting for the Legislature to fix the law they passed.” The councilman thinks those businesses would rather pay a misdemeanor fine to the courts as a cost of doing business.

Walsh warned that he’ll be ready to move forward to strike

the two businesses from the annual renewal list at the next meeting.

Member Dan Jones felt suspension was warranted, at a minimum, until action is taken. “They thumbed their nose,” he said. “We need to back businesses that are doing what they should be doing.”

The attorney recommended continuing a motion to deny to the March 28 meeting so businesses have an opportunity to be heard. “Procedurally, that is more defensible if you’re considering denial,” Gilchrist said.

Mayor Dan Louismet pointed out there is time before licenses expire March 31 to take further action. “I echo Jones. It makes me exceptionally mad. We’re looking at six pages of businesses selling tobacco, alcohol, charitable gambling, all are complying with the law. That’s what we want. That’s how we have a civilized society. Except two have openly flaunted the law.”

City licenses have a one-year term that runs every April 1 to March 31.

The list for which the mayor was referring also included businesses not seeking liquor license renewal: Stadium Sports Bar and Grill (torn down); JJ’s Bierstube (now the Little Village Pub); Birch Lake Liquor (out of business); and White Bear Amstar (torn down for a new car wash).

Pagoda Restaurant and The Waters of White Bear Lake will no longer offer alcoholic beverages so are not renewing their liquor licenses.

Hollihan’s Pub, owned by City Club LLC, was not responsive to the city’s attempts to contact them regarding business license renewal or required fire inspection. Therefore, staff did not include them in the recommendation for renewal.

New owners are taking over Washington Square Bar & Grill and are undergoing a background check. The liquor license will be renewed upon clearance from the police department.

Included in the report by City Manager Lindy Crawford were results of two annual alcohol compliance checks by the police department. Three businesses failed a first check: Carbone’s Pizza, Brickhouse Food & Drink and Burger Bar, and were each issued an administrative citation. Follow-up was conducted to ensure a procedure is in place for verifying age of purchasers and consequences for a failed check. It has been the council’s practice to consider action against an establishment that has a second failure within 12 months. There were no failures the second time.

Of 24 tobacco places checked for compliance, six failed a first time; none failed a second.

Crawford also reported a business that does not have permission to stay open until 2 a.m. Special licenses are required for late closure; three of four in the city have the proper license. Asked which one was not in compliance, Crawford said “White Bear Bar. That was discovered after a police incident last weekend,” she added.

He expects increases in home value to be less significant than last year due to higher interest rates. “But expect some type of increase.”

A motion by a resident to reduce the amount budgeted for health insurance by $1,288 was approved, rounding down the proposed levy to an even $5.9 million.

The final budget and property tax levy will be approved at the township’s Dec. 5 meeting.

Debra Neutkens

This breakdown compares the preliminary levy in 2023 to the proposed 2024 levy.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

This bar chart illustrates how the final tax levy has historically been lower than the proposed amount.

OBITUARIES

Age 82

James Lemon

Of White Bear Lake

Preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Dorothea; mother-in-law Virginia Reed; brother Tom; sisters Carol Jensen, Jan Johnson and 2 great-granddaughters.

Survived by loving wife of 64 years, Susan; sons Doug (Kim), Jeff (Nancy), Brian (Tanya); sisters-inlaw Earline Lemon, and Sally Amrhien; brotherin-law Tom Johnson; 14 grandchildren, 26 greatgrandchildren; nieces, nephews and God children. Memorial Service will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, March 25, 2023 at ST. STEPHEN LUTHERAN CHURCH, 1965 East County Road E, White Bear Lake with visitation one hour before service. Memorials preferred to St. Stephen Lutheran Church. Arrangements with Honsa Family Funeral Home, 651-429-6172.

Cynthia “Cindy” Senarighi

Cynthia “Cindy”

Senarighi, 68, of White Bear Lake, passed away on March 4, 2023 after a battle with cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Joan Goepfert; and sister, Jill Carlson. She is survived by her husband, Greg; children, Adam (Kelsie) and Rachel; grandchildren, Jack and Addy; brother, Scott (Kathy) Goepfert; and other nieces; nephews; family and friends. Cindy was a Registered Nurse for 25 years before she decided to pursue her Master’s degree and transitioned to a Pastor at St. Andrew’s Lutheran church for 8 years. She also was cofounder and CEO of Yogadevotion, a faith-based yoga company, since 1999. She enjoyed spending her time walking the lake and watching birds, she was most particular to hummingbirds. She loved spending time camping with her family in Washburn, WI and especially loved her grandma’s great adventures with her grandchildren. Cindy will be greatly missed. A memorial service will be held at 11:30 AM on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at St. Andrews Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Rd, Mahtomedi, MN, with visitation from 10:30 AM until the time of the service. Light reception to follow. Memorial service will be live-streamed for those who cannot join in person; link can be found on Mueller Memorial website. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to the White Bear Food Shelf. Mueller Memorial- White Bear Lake, www. muellermemorial.com, 651-774-9797

Charles William Goins

Born 2/14/1930 - Died

3/14/2023

Charles William Goins, known throughout his 93 years as Bill Goins, passed peacefully in Wyoming, Minnesota.

Bill was residing in a Veterans Foster Group Home after spending time at the VA Medical Center in December of 2022. He was the youngest son of N. W. ( Walter ) Goins Sr. and Blanche Walker Goins of the St. Paul Rondo community and later White Bear Township.

He was a graduate of Macalester College and served in the United States Army as a Military Police Officer stationed at the Presidio during the Korean Conflict. He left St. Paul as a young man for New York City where he worked as a professional photographer and on Wall Street. He returned to Minnesota in 1990 where he has resided both with family and independently.

He is survived by his nieces, Doris Shannon Scott and Claire Goins Meyer, and nephews N. Walter Goins, III and Albert T. Goins, Sr. and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews and innumerable friends and extended family members.

Bill bequeathed his remains to the University of Minnesota‘s Medical School Anatomical Bequest Program. Any memorial service will be held in the future.

Robert Alivishes Powers

28 June 1924 - 24

February 2023

Bob was born a year after his parents, Robert and Norah and his brother, Tom, traveled across the Atlantic immigrating from Ireland. They arrived at Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship “Cedric.” Bob’s father was a thoroughbred horse trainer from County Cork seeking a better future for his young family, settling in Hopkins, Minnesota

Growing up during the Great Depression instilled many lifelong character traits and values: discipline, hard work. resilience, perseverance, humility, respect of the flag and a steadfast unwavering faith which encompassed his life to the end.

Bob would ride his pony, “Blueberry”, to St Joseph’s grade school in Hopkins to attend school and to serve mass. As Bob grew older, he accompanied his father to local and regional horse shows, often participating in cross country events against Army Calvary officers stationed at Fort Snelling. While attending one event, Bob first met Zandra Morton, who at that time was a nationally recognized equestrian as a young teen, and in the years to follow, an Olympic hopeful.

World War II was underway in 1942 when Bob graduated from high school and he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After completing basic training Bob was selected to serve as a member of the elite 3rd Marine Raider battalion and subsequently the 4th Marines. He saw combat in Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Guam. It would be on Okinawa that he would receive a battlefield commission and was awarded the Navy Cross, one month shy of his 21st birthday. To date Bob remains one of the youngest noncommissioned recipients. With the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August 1945, Bob’s 4th Marines were part of the first American combat troops to arrive in Japan There they dismantled artillery on Futtsu Cape, liberated allied troops from prison camps, and would witness firsthand the surrender on Tokyo Bay. His experiences are chronicled at the WWII Museum in New Orleans, the Marine Raider Museum in Quantico Virginia and in Patrick O’ Donnell’s Book, “Into the Rising Sun.”

Grateful for the GI Bill, Bob enrolled at the College of St. Thomas living in the barracks with other returning veterans, the site of today’s St. Paul Seminary. While at St. Thomas Bob was a member of the track team and Tiger Club graduating in 1949 with a degree in Political Science and Spanish.

Soon thereafter, with tensions escalating in Korea, he was recalled to active duty and accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant/ rifle platoon commander, 7th Marines. His platoon was part of the Inchon Landing and the Chosin Reservoir. It was here that Bob was awarded his third Purple Heart.

Back stateside he married Zandra and soon would welcome: Tom, Pam, Norah and Wil. They lived in the Como Park area in St Paul and in 1967 purchased a 90-acre hobby farm in Hugo where they lived until 2004.

Bob would enjoy a successful 39-year career with St Paul Companies in addition to completing his law degree at William Mitchell Law School in 1959. Bob was active on the board of the YMCA where he was a member for 65 years and participated in the loaned executive program for the United Way of St. Paul.

Bob remained in the Marine Reserves serving as a commanding officer of the 26th Rifle Company at Fort Snelling, officially retiring from the US Marine Corps as a Captain after 20 years.

Throughout the years, Bob and Zandra remained active in local and national horse shows both as judges and stewards. Bob was granted his judges card in 1963 and steward’s card in 1967 officiating at over 150 horse shows throughout the US and Canada for the next 40 years. He was a founding member of the Minnesota Hunter and Jumper Association, and the Tri State Horseman Association.

Upon retirement at 70, he returned to his alma mater and received his MBA in1998.

Retirement also provided both he and Zandra time to pursue their love of cycling, swimming, and running and they soon became fixtures on the local and national triathlon circuits. Zandra would often be seen riding the cycling course prior to their competitions to provide Bob with valuable course tips. He competed in 226 triathlons over the years, his last competition was at the age of 91,

having amassed 5 national championships for his age group and entry to the world finals.

Bob passed away peacefully after being blessed with an incredible life.

He is survived by his devoted children and family: Tom and his wife, Diane of Hugo, Minnesota; Pam Keeler of Plymouth, Minnesota; Norah Gondeck and her husband Chris of Wayzata, Minnesota and William and his wife Megan of Bonny Doon, California. Grandchildren: Tom Powers, Ben Powers (Michelle), Sam Gondeck (Erin) Meredith Keeler, Charlie Gondeck (Sarah) Simon Gondeck, Sevy Gondeck and Maggie Keeler and great grandson, Lenny Powers, his brother Daniel and wife Toni. He is preceded in death by his beloved Zandra, his parents, and brothers Thomas and James.

Mass of Christian Burial and interment will be held privately for the family. The family requests expressions of sympathy be directed to: St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 4690 Bald Eagle Avenue, White Bear Lake, MN, 55110

“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished; that will be the beginning”

Louis L ’Amour

Alice Ann Carlson

Age 89 of White Bear

Lake

Our beloved Mom passed away on March 15, 2023 and is in the presence of Jesus face to face. Preceded in death by her husband Roger, her parents Harry and Louise Peterson and baby brother Lawrie Peterson. Survived by precious children

Amy (Richard) Doherty, Lori (Jeffrey) Summers, Peter (Katherine) and James (Casandra); 12 grandchildren; 10 greatgrandchildren. We honor Alice’s life full of great faith, ferment prayer, amazing creativity, wonderful generosity and unconditional love. Funeral service, Friday, March 24, 2023 at 11:00 AM at AMAZING GRACE ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH, 1237 Earl Street, St. Paul with visitation one hour before the service. Interment Union Cemetery, Maplewood. www.honsafamilyfuneral.com – 651-429-6172

Jane M. Miller

Age 86 Of White Bear Lake.

Survived by children Sue (Ron), Val (Link), Chris, Carolyn (Jon), Jeff, Michele (Brian). Visitation took place March 19th at Honsa Family Funeral Home.

Sandberg Funeral & Cremation Service

Sandberg Funeral & Cremation Service

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“Dedicated To Those We Serve”

GREAT DANE – gray w/black spots - seen frequently in WBTwnsh p near St Mary's of th e Lake Cemetary on Stillwater Street. If you've lost your dog or kn ow about th is do g, please ca ll Rebecca 651-605-5812

362 Miscellaneous 362 Miscellaneous

Imag ine cruising the St Croix River this spring in a 25.5' Bayliner Cruiser. The Saratoga will make memories! Grill steaks or impossible burgers, the sky is the limit!

Boat has Refri gerator Sink Grill, 2 batter ies, Marine radio, hardtop, full canvas,new power 26 0hp, 5.7 MerCruiser $7500. Located at Wolf's Marina in Stillwater Must se ll due to ski accident

612-599-1729

Mark your Calendar

ANNUAL SPRING BOUTIQUE & BAKE SALE

Friday, March24: 9am - 7pm

Saturday, March 25: 9am - 4pm

White Bear Area Senior Center 2484 East County Rd F, WBL

All Items are handmade

405 Moving Sale

MOVING SALE!

Jo in our Assembly Team in V.H. at Snuggle Me Or ganic. Hiring PT M-F Flexible Hrs. Send Resume to: becky@snugglemeorganic.com

City of Hugo Position Vacancy Notice

SEASONAL PUBLIC WORKS POSITION.

The City of Hugo is currently accepting applications for a seasonal public works employee. This position is responsible for assisting the public works department in a wide variety of tasks including: park, street and utilities maintenance. This position will exist from May through September and will not exceed 40 hours per week. The rate of pay is $16 per hour. Applicants must have a valid Minnesota driver’s license and be at least 18 years of age.

Applications are available at City Hall, 14669 Fitzgerald Av. N., Hugo, MN 55038, 651-762-6301 or on the City’s web site at www.ci.hugo.mn.us. Applications must be completed and returned to City Hall by 4:00 p.m., March 24, 2023.

PRESS

Staff Writer

Press Publications in White Bear Lake is seeking a staff writer to join its award-winning team. As a staff writer-reporter you will be responsible for coordinating editorial content and layout for our newspapers, website and social media pages. In addition to writing stories, the job will require attending meetings, taking photographs, assisting with the layout process, coordinating, writing occasional editorial columns and maintaining a positive relationship with the community at large. We are looking for a candidate who is an efficient writer, passionate about local community news and great at time managment. Candidates should have a degree in journalism (or a related field) and have relevant experience. To apply, please send resume, cover letter and three writing samples to quadnews@presspubs.com.

Scrap meta l appliance pick up 65 1-329-0815

WANTED:

Guaranteed

FROM BOATWORKS APARTMENT BUILDING, WHITE BEAR LAKE

Must sell by Feb. 20th! Call or Txt Nicki: 651-261-7340

FROM

Must sell by Feb. 20th! Call or Txt Nicki: 651-261-7340

651-261-7340

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY all real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Ho using Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preferen ce, limitation or discriminat ion based on race co lo r, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or nationa l origin, or an intention, to make any such preferen ce limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 livin g with parents or legal custod ians; pregnant women and peop le securing cusody of children under 18. This newspaper will not kn owingly acept any ad vertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers ar e hereby informed that all dw ellings advertised in this newsp ap er are available on an equal oppor tunity basis To complain of discrimination call HUD toll free: 1-800-669-9777. The toll-free number for hearing impaired is 1-800-927-92 75

Side Chair – Very good condition. $100

THE BEST PLACE YOU’LL EVER WORK!

Now hiring:

The City of Mahtomedi has openings for up to (4) full time Seasonal Maintenance Worker positions. All positions are for 67 days. Duties include assisting the Public Works Department with street, water, sewer, and park maintenance. Must have a High School diploma or GED, the ability to lift/move 25-100 Lbs., be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license. The pay range is from $16.00/hr. to $18.00/ hr. depending on qualifications. Applications will be taken until positions are filled. Applications can be obtained at City Hall, 600 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi, MN 55115 or at its website at HYPERLINK "http://www.ci.mahtomedi.mm.us" www. ci.mahtomedi.mn.us. Mahtomedi is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• Recreation Staff

• Park Maintenance Staff

• Building Supervisor

Learn more and apply at CityofRoseville.com/jobs

Weather Tidbits Brought to you by WeathermanWatson.com

I think this past weekend’s low morning temperatures, in the single digits, may have been the last of the season. We always have that last one cold spell in March and I think that was it. Many people will be happy to hear this. There’s still a lot of snow on the ground. In my yard alone it varies from 13-19”. The upper air flow is featuring more Pacific flow for this period so we should enjoy temperatures near normal. It will feel wonderful.

Nature note: Mike B. says the pan fish in Bald Eagle Lake are keeping him busy. Brain A. says he’s been tapping his maple trees.

SEASONAL MAINTENANCE WORKERS POSITIONS

White Bear Township is accepting applications for Seasonal Maintenance

Worker positions to assist in routine maintenance work including, but not limited to, the following: general maintenance of parks, streets, water, storm water, sanitary sewer, etc. Up to 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday, 7 am to 3:30 pm (subject to change between Memorial Day – Labor Day).

Salary range from $14.00 /hour to $18.00/hour depending on qualifications. A valid driver’s license with a good driving record is essential. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and be able to pass pre-employment drug screening.

Applications are available Monday –Friday, 7 am – 4:30 pm, at Township Administrative Office, 1281 Hammond Road, White Bear Township, MN 55110 or online at www.whitebeartownship.org.

Application deadline: Open until positions filled.

District sets achievement and integration plan

BY NOELLE OLSON SHOREVIEW PRESS EDITOR

White Bear Lake Area Schools (WBLAS) was notified by the Minnesota Department of Education that it has a racially identifiable school — Willow Lane Elementary.

Districts with racially identifiable schools are required to convene a community collaboration council to assist in developing integration goals and to identify ways of creating increased opportunities for integration at those schools.

Brenton Shavers, director of educational equity and achievement, said the purpose of the achievement and integration plan is to provide racial and economic integration within communities, increase student achievement, create equitable educational opportunities and reduce academic disparities based on students’ diverse racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds in schools.

“The goal is to increase economic and racial integration to reduce achievement disparities and increase access to effective and diverse teachers,” Shavers said. “This plan will go through the 2025-26 school year.”

SCHOOL NEWS

Teachers receive Glasrud Family Fellowships

The White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation (WBLAEF) recently awarded six Glasrud Family Fellowships to teachers in the White Bear Lake Area School District, totaling $15,000. Fellowships are awarded to teachers to pursue professional development. Maggie Skatrud, North Star Elementary speechlanguage pathologist, will travel to the Dominican Republic to listen to hands-on presentations, visit historical and cultural sites and interact with people and local languages. The focus of the program is to “enhance the ability to serve children from any culture and language background.” Traci

Indlecoffer, Lincoln Elementary first grade teacher, will travel to Helsinki, Finland, to participate in a teacher-shadowing experience through Visit EDUfinn. She will

Shavers said goal number one is for the graduation rate for White Bear Lake area schools’ American Indian students to increase from 80% in 2019 to 96% in 2026. Another goal is that the percentage of White Bear Lake Area High School Latinx and Black students who take 12 college credits will increase from 18% in 2022 to 35% in 2026.

“This is also an integration goal, and (it) falls with our world’s best workforce, with all students ready for college and career readiness,” Shavers said. “And the last goal, White Bear Lake Area Schools will increase BIPOC (Black, Black, Indigenous, People of Color) staff from 4%, which was in 2022, to 7% in 2026, which is approximately 15 additional staff members.”

One goal for Willow Lane Elementary is that third grade students’ proficiency in the NCA reading assessment will increase from 43.5% to 68.1% in 2026. Another goal is that confidence and leadership skills will increase by 30% as reported by pre- and post-test surveys.

Strategies for Willow Lane Elementary are as follows:

• C ontinued implementation of literacy work, including LETRS and standards-based learning framework.

observe and interact with Finnish teachers and students in primary schools and meet with a pedagogical expert. Todd Weinhold, Sunrise Park Middle School Orchestra 6-8 director, has been selected to guest direct the Association for Music in International School’s High School Honor Orchestra at the American School of Madrid. The orchestra is composed of students across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Amber Rustand and Calli Moreau, Central Middle School, will attend the BARR National Conference in Palm Springs, California. This will provide a team approach to learn strategies and resources to find solutions for students who are struggling. Jenna Vollmer, Normandy Park Education Center - Early Childhood Special Education, will travel to Perth and Kinross, Scotland, to work with Claire Warden (educational consultant) who developed the approach of nature pedagogy, which

• Evidence-based, culturally responsive and affirming instruction. Using formative data to celebrate progress and adjust instruction based on student needs.

• P rofessional development for leaders, educators and staff.

Enhanced parent and family partnership opportunities using an equitable family engagement framework.

• Staff affinity support groups to assist in the retention of a racially diverse staff.

Enhancement of Freedom School summer programming.

According to Shavers, the WBLAS administration, including Shavers, educational equity specialists, the student, family and community coordinator, and the American Indian Education Program (AIEP) coordinator will partner closely with the American Indian Parent Advisory Council (AIPAC) to ensure that the district partner with outside agencies to provide culturally relevant family and community engagement activities and academic supports to increase student success

teaches that children learn best through outdoor preschools, as they are able to learn from their own learning experiences. Denise Callen, Sunrise Park and Central Middle Schools Spanish eighth grade, will travel to Villahermosa, Mexico, where she will teach martial arts in Spanish.

St. Jude students earn top honors in zoo program

Students from Jill Ryan and Ivy Hunt’s classes at St. Jude of the Lake Catholic School earned the Zookeeper Award, Flint Hills Innovation Award and the Conservation Award for the Minnesota Zoo’s ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge. The Minnesota Zoo program is a yearlong project that challenges elementary, middle and high school students from across Minnesota to develop solutions for real zoo-based scenarios and share their ideas in a final presentation.

inside and outside of the classroom. Other school board action:

• Accepted the overall bid for the District Security Upgrade Package No. 4. Oneka Elementary School, Otter Lake Elementary and the District Grounds and Maintenance Building will be getting a security update. The board approved the bid from LVC for $767,679.

T he White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation has awarded six Glasrud Grants to the school district. Recipients of the grants are Traci Indlecoffer, first grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School; Todd Weinhold orchestra teacher at Sunrise Park Middle School; Denise Callen, Spanish teacher at Sunrise Park and Central Middle Schools; Jenna Vollmer, early childhood special education teacher at Normandy Park Education Center; Amber Rustand and Calli Moreau of Central Middle School; and Maggie Skatrud, speech and language pathologist at North Star Elementary.

Oneka Elementary is proud to honor fifth grader Kiki Thiam as our Academic Achiever! Kiki consistently goes above and beyond in everything she does and works for excellence in all academic areas. Her motivation to learn, dedication to putting in maximum effort, and her drive to always find new challenges leads to her success. Kiki is a leader and role model. Kiki plays the violin, is creative, loves to read and write, and is a member of the White Bear Lake YMCA Mariners swim team. Her focus, determination, and positive attitude will lead Kiki to great things!

PLANTATION: Prohibition-era night club once graced White Bear’s shoreline

of light outside, and inside containing a spacious dancing pavilion, the fruition of a beautiful dream in which nothing even to the smallest details has been forgotten or overlooked. The terra cotta color scheme is heightened by myriads of colored lights, baskets of flowers along the wall and graceful hanging chandeliers, while the slightly arched ceiling suggests the ‘grand salon’ of a gigantic Atlantic liner.”

At the end of 1927 and for a short time, it was known as the New Pershing Inn. Bands were brought in from Chicago and elsewhere. They served a chicken supper for $4 per plate and stayed open until 3 a.m.

“That (late hour) seemed intense for that time period, but it was the roaring ’20s,” Hanson said. “We don’t know what happened, but the business went back to the Ramaley family in 1928 and became the White Bear Castle.” Ads in the White Bear Press promoted bands for the Castle like Walt and His Hoodlums and Mel and his Harmony Bears. Larry Johnson was manager. People may remember him as manager of the Sandbar and Beach Tavern.

So, were there armed men at the door? “That has always perplexed me,” Hanson said. “Over the years, people reported guards at the door with tommy guns. Some say, ‘No, it wasn’t like that, my parents went there every Saturday night’. It probably depended on who was inside. If someone like John Dillinger was there, there were probably guards at the door.”

Black weekly newspaper called the St. Paul Recorder contained for-rent ads for the Plantation.

In 1946, three ex-GIs purchased the building and turned it into the Plantation Playhouse. The community theater seated 400, with plays performed by University of Minnesota students. Tickets cost $1.50. It lasted three seasons.

and their mother, Kate, aka “Ma” Barker, stayed nearby in Bald Eagle (1932) and Dellwood (1933) cottages.

“The area became a haven for gangsters,” according to Sara Hanson, executive director of the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society. “They would check in at the Plantation to see who was in town and if any big jobs were being planned.”

The reason for their indifference, Hanson explained, was a public policy adopted by St. Paul Police Chief John O’Connor. “He had a layover agreement. Gangsters would be safe as long as they behaved. They had to check in at the police station and promise not to commit crimes.”

Advertised as the “Finest and Coolest Ballroom in the Midwest,” the Plantation opened July 2, 1930. Hanson presented some history of the popular club and how it catered to the “underworld of the Midwest” in a virtual lecture last month.

The property, in the vicinity of Lions Park today, originated as Ramaley’s Boat Works. When owner J.E. Ramaley moved the family’s boat building operation to Lake Minnetonka, the old boathouse turned into a dance hall. Later that year, the building was demolished and replaced with Ramaley’s Winter Garden, a $50,000 dance hall and gambling parlor with parking for 300 cars.

The White Bear Press in 1926 described the building this way: “. . . a fairylike stucco structure in Spanish style, adorned with flags and a blaze

In 1930, right before the Fourth of July, the Plantation opened with an invitation-only premier party and music provided by an orchestra from New York. “The sign was really high and really big. We think it was meant to be seen across Goose Lake by Hwy. 61,” Hanson pointed out. The manager was Ben Harris, whom Hanson said associated with gangsters.

Again, the Press described the club’s remodeled interior: “Beautiful trees spread their branches, forming a canopy and creating a bower of foliage. The check room is a splendid replica of an old shed, in one corner of the plantation.”

KSTP radio was connected and music broadcast for half an hour each evening, five nights a week.

Machine Gun Kelly was a likely patron, since he rented an apartment at the nearby Flats. Now the site of the veterans fishing pier next to the VFW, the Flats had six units. The society has oral history from a woman who realized to her dismay that the neighbor who took her husband fishing was Kelly.

Liquor was not supposed to be served at the Plantation — it was Prohibition, after all — but patrons brought in bootlegged booze with the club providing setups. Gambling was also against the law.

Business started to decline rapidly after the heyday of the early ’30s.

“The Depression was in full swing; Prohibition was repealed, and the power of the gangsters started to fade,” Hanson said. Harris left the Plantation at the end of 1933. The next year, he was charged with operating a roulette wheel at the club and spent 90 days in the workhouse.

Another rebirth happened in 1950 when Arthur Allen purchased the property, dismantling most of the main structure. He remodeled the building into a drive-in restaurant named Plantation Boat Livery & Drive-In. A White Bear Press ad in 1954 promoted a menu of chicken in a basket, steak sandwiches, hamburgers and fries, and dairy dip claiming, “Every Bite A Delight.” Allen also rented out boats purchased from Amundson Boat Works. The business closed in 1959.

Interestingly, White Bear Township organized in 1858 on land where the club sat, Hanson said. The city of White Bear Lake bought the property in 1974 and demolished the remaining structure that same year. The Plantation by the lake was history.

The Plantation became a hangout for many types of gangsters. In the book by Cynthia Vadnais, “Looking Back on White Bear Lake,” it was noted that gangsters felt safe in White Bear Lake, “partying uproariously at local nightclubs,” much to the ire of FBI head J. Edgar Hoover.

Not quite done, J. E. Ramaley reopened the Plantation in 1935 as a venue for barn dances. Families were welcome, and admission was 35 cents. The building remained open sporadically in the late ’30s, even offering it rent-free. In 1941, the club developed a different reputation. A

Town Board minutes from May 2, 1932, reveal that $20 permits were issued to Ben Harris for the dance hall, tobacco sales and soft drink sales. He showed up every year to apply for the permits.

Machine Gun Kelly rented an apartment at the Flats on White Bear Lake.

J.D. and Sarah Ramaley built this house on Lincoln Avenue in 1886. It later served as a funeral home and is now a private residence.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED Frank Nash, a gangster out of Oklahoma, frequented the Plantation in 1931. It was reported he won $6,000 in gambling one night. Gangster photos are rare with the exception of mug shots. He was a member of the Karpis-Barker gang.

The Plantation was located between Goose and White Bear Lake next to Cottage Park. Note that Goose was completely dry in this 1932 aerial photo. Hay was harvested from the lake bed.

The Les Hite Orchestra played at the former Plantation in 1941. St. Paul was not integrated then, so it was not common to have an all-Black group.

The Ramaley Boat Works family built the White Bear steamer in 1902, piloted by his son J.E. “Gene”. J.D. was a successful caterer and bakery owner in St. Paul.

Catherine and Walter Pichler, married in 1935, met at the Plantation. It’s believed Walter was a bouncer and Catherine was a pianist.

This rare photo shows the interior of the Plantation in the early ‘30s.

The historical society is looking for information confirming authenticity of this token.

Bears nip East Ridge for first state trip in 23 years

In the same bracket were No. 2 Lakeville North vs. Buffalo. In the other bracket were No. 1 Park Center vs. Andover and No. 4 Minnetonka vs. No. 5 Eastview. Semifinals will be 6 and 8 p.m. Thursday, with finals Saturday, 8 p.m. Consolation games will be 10 a.m. and noon Wednesday.

Jack Janicki led the No. 11 ranked Bears past the No. 6 ranked Raptors with 23 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Wyatt Hawks sank two clinching free shots and totaled 11 points and nine rebounds. Jeremy Kolb notched nine points, Jack Misgen eight points and six rebounds, and Sawyer Collins and Zach Nelson three points each.

In the other seven sections, all the No. 1 seeds won. “We were the only exception,” said Burke, cheerily.  East Ridge (22-7) beat the Bears 60-55 an 75-63 in conference play, thus the top seed. The Bears edged No. 3 Stillwater 52-50 in the semifinals.

for the season. “I just went up and made the shots.”

The availability of the 6-foot-8 Hawks was crucial for the Bears, after an illness sidelined him for the first section game and limited his time in the second game.

BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS WRITER

White Bear Lake has a state tournament boys basketball team for the first time since 2000. The Bears edged top-seeded East Ridge 57-55 for the Section 4AAAA championship at Hastings to advance to the big show.

“It was a great night. What a fun game,” said coach Gregory Burke. “This group has played together since childhood. It’s great for them. Great for the community, too. It’s been a long time. We’ve seen the hockey teams and girls basketball get to state, and now we have a boys team going. I think the girls last year, placing third in the state, really motivated the guys.”

The Bears (21-7) faced No. 3 seed Wayzata in the state tournament Tuesday at Target Center. See results online at presspubs.com.

Liner, Kedrowski Mahtomedi’s Triple A picks

“We felt like we didn’t give our best shot the first two times we played East Ridge,” Janicki said. “It was less about them and more about us, doing the little things right and staying positive.”

This was the biggest game of their lives after growing and playing together for many years. “Our mindset was to just go out and compete,” Janicki said. “Enjoy the moment, and stay even-keeled through good and bad. We knew we had a really good chance at doing something special the whole year.”

It was close all the way. East Ridge had three players with 14 points each: Alex Mattes, Parker Wellmann, and Charlie Bern.

The Bears took a seven-point lead. The Raptors surged within 55-53 in the final minute. The Bears missed a free shot with 10 seconds left but Hawks snagged the rebound, got fouled, and hit both free shots for a 57-53 lead. The Raptors got their last basket just before the buzzer.

“It was nerve-wracking, but we had the lead, and my coach and teammates had confidence in me,” said Hawks, who’s made about two-thirds of his freebies

“We never directly found out what (the illness) was,” Hawks said. “I had to take a week off to not give it to my teammates. I was over the sickness, but my endurance was still a little off. I had to sub out more often. I was really tired against Stillwater. It was better against East Ridge.”

White Bear Lake had not won more than one playoff game since 2000, usually losing in the first round. They did get one playoff win last year. So, advancing to state after 23 years is something to savor.

“It’s very exciting,” Hawks said. “We’ve all been friends forever and always working for this opportunity. It’s a great feeling.”

Janicki said he’ll be “excited to see the White Bear Lake community in downtown Minneapolis” rooting for the Bears.

Mahtomedi’s bid halted by torrid Totino-Grace

BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS WRITER

Probably the best basketball team that ever grew up in Mahtomedi was no match for reigning state champion TotinoGrace when they met for the Section 4AAA title.

The Fridley private school’s assemblage of metro area talent pummeled the Zephyrs 77-46 at Stillwater High School. Mahtomedi, hoping for an upset to earn the school’s third state tourney trip, finished 25-4. They were ranked sixth in the state.

and Will Underwood 13 for the Zephyrs, each closing a 1,000 point career. Cole Armitage was next with five points as the long, athletic, deep Eagles lineup seldom permitted an uncontested shot.

For Totino-Grace, 6-foot-9 senior Patrick Bath scored 15 points and swept off 14 rebounds, while 6-foot-4 sophomore guard Tyler Wagner hit 15 points (on five 3-point shots), 6-foot-5 senior wing Tommy Humphries 14 points, 6-foot-1 junior guard Zy’lerre Stewart 11 points, and 6-foot-4 senior guard Taison Chatman eight points. Chatman

is committed to Ohio State, and Humphries to Furman University. Bath is weighing multiple offers.

The Zephyrs thought they had a shot at Totino-Grace after racking up 25 wins this season. But the Eagles, now top-seeded in the state tournament, were too hot to handle.

“We had an incredible season with a group of guys that excelled playing but also had a great impact on our community,” said Newman.

Greta Liner and Kai Kedrowski are Mahtomedi’s nominees this year for the Triple A Award, a Minnesota State High School League program honoring seniors for achievement in arts, academics and athletics.

Liner has five letters each in cross country and Nordic ski and two so far in track, has gone to state twice in cross country and ran her first marathon last November in Madison, Wisconsin. She plays trumpet in band groups and was named to the Minnesota Band Directors Association honor roll. She carries a

weighted 4.048 GPA

Kedrowki has lettered four years in Alpine ski. He plays euphonium for the Wind Ensemble and trombone for Jazz and Pep bands. His GPA is 3.5 and he recently received the Evans Scholarship award. He was a member of the Real World Design Challenge team that won a merit award at a  national meet.

Liner hasn’t confirmed her college yet, but plans to major in finance and minor in music. Kedrowski will attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and major in computer science.

“We had a very tough time getting shots against their strong defense,” Zephyr coach Keith Newman said. “Their length is obvious and always difficult to deal with, but their intensity was off the charts. They will be tough for anyone going forward if they play like that.”

Totino-Grace, 21-8, against a schedule of mostly Class 4A teams with some out-of-state powers added in, will try repeat its Class 3A crown this week.

The Eagles took a quick 13-1 lead on 6-for-7 shooting including two dunks. Mahtomedi pulled within 13-9 with Owen Carlson notching a 3-point shot, a three-point play and a midrange jumper. That would be Mahtomedi’s best shot at the Eagles, who responded with 17 straight points for a 30-9 lead. It was 39-14 at halftime.

Carlson scored 16 points

BRENNAN SCHACHTNER

Jack Janicki held the section trophy aloft while the Bears and their schoolmates celebrated.

LISA SIDDONS Wyatt Hawks sank two free throws with 10 seconds left to give the Bears a four-point lead.

Owen Carlson made a 3-point play on this underhand layup early in the game against Totino-Grace.

Greta Liner Kai Kedrowski