Press Publications 4779 Bloom Avenue White Bear Lake, MN 55110 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 9 CIRCLE PINES, MN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 VOL. 120 NO. 23 www.presspubs.com $1.00
CANINE PHOTOGRAPHER: Captures four-legged friends PAGE 7A
New assistant city manager named
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Student archers aim for nationals
The city of White Bear Lake has a new assistant manager. He is Rick Juba, a Blue Earth native who most recently was city administrator in Oak Grove. “There was a strong pool of candidates,” said City Manager Ellen Richter, who vacated the position when she was promoted in December. “We were pleasantly surprised with the number of applications.” A field of about 45 was narrowed first to eight and then three candidates in the final interview. The management team at City Hall was part of the process and felt Juba was the clear frontrunner. “Rick is very bright and talented and has a broad range of experiences,” Richter said. “He is someone who comes across with strong character and a personality that will fit well in our community. He’ll be a great fit to the team.” Juba graduated cum laude in 2006 from St. Cloud University with a degree in community development. He started in Oak Grove as an associate planner in 2007 and when the city drastically downsized its staff from 11 to three, he was appointed administrator. Richter used the words “community and values” several times in describing Juba’s attributes, things she feels are important to the job. His father and grandfather ran a grocery store in the small southern Minnesota town of Blue Earth so the family is “very community oriented,” she said. Juba is married to Rachel Juba, who happens to be Hugo’s city planner. The couple has two young children. Obliged by contract to give 30 days notice, Juba won’t start in his new position until May 9.
Maddie Chaplin and Calvin Denker fire off a volley of arrows at targets during a recent White Bear Lake Area High School Archery Team practice in the cafeteria at north campus. Find more photos and a story about the team on Page 8A.
Debra Neutkens
Garden club helps germinate new library collection BY DEBRA NEUTKENS EDITOR
Library patrons can access a new collection at Ramsey County’s White Bear Lake branch. Only it’s not books. Unique to the metro area, the library is offering a collection of seeds. Branch Manager Therese Sonnek said the White Bear Lake garden club approached her about starting a seed library, one of maybe two in the state. “It’s basically a seed loan program,” Sonnek said. “I have heard of them; there is one in Duluth, and they are popping up around the country. We think it’s a great way for the community to get actively involved in gardening.” No experience is necessary in starting the seeds, which come from
nongenetically modified (GMO) herbs, flowers, vegetables and native plants. The seeds are sorted according to difficulty level, Sonnek pointed out, not to grow, but to collect. The idea is to propagate the seed catalog, which requires returning collected seeds in the fall. “The seed library will not succeed unless people bring seeds back,” she said. A master gardener was on hand at the library’s “rope-cutting (versus ribbon-cutting) ceremony” April 2 to unveil the new seed area and describe how to start the plants, along with basics about seed collection. In the fall, another program is planned on how to collect the seeds and prepare them for the following year. The current inventory has seeds
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Horticulturalist Pam Larson Frink explains the basics of how to use the new seed library during a presentation at the White Bear Lake library Saturday, April 2.
SEE SEED LIBRARY, PAGE 9A
3001 Hwy 61 N., Maplewood, MN 55109
651-483-2601 • www.venburgtire.com See Us for More Details
NEWS 651-407-1233 whitebearnews@presspubs.com
ADVERTISING 651-407-1200 marketing@presspubs.com
CIRCULATION 651-407-1234 ppcirc@presspubs.com
CLASSIFIED 651-407-1250 classified@presspubs.com
PRODUCTION 651-407-1239 ppcomp@presspubs.com