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VOL. 125 NO. 26 www.whitebearpress.com $1.00
ONE HIGH SCHOOL: Plans for mega-expansion unveiled PAGE 8
Nordic champ sets sights high
Nuptials gone awry: Coping with COVID-19 BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR
Molly and Chris Seven weeks before Molly Lund and Chris Kieger were supposed to say “I do,” everything turned upside down. Lund grew up in Hugo and Kieger in White Bear Lake. They are both White Bear Lake grads (2009 and 2008, respectively). They became engaged in August 2020. Lund is a site manager for Kids Club at Rice Lake Elementary School in Lino Lakes, and Kieger is a document control specialist at Sensata Technologies in White Bear Lake. The couple was planning to get married at a small ceremony at a resort up north on April 30. In March, they found out they would need to cancel and start their venue search all over again. SEE PANDEMIC WEDDINGS, PAGE 14 LAND OF 10,000 10 000 PHOTOS | SUBMITTED
Molly Lund and Chris Kieger will get married April 30 despite a last minute change of plans.
BY THE NUMBERS
81%
82%
2 in 3
36%
feel the pandemic has changed their expectations for their wedding
said that living through the pandemic has made them want to marry their significant other more
couples had to postpone their wedding due to COVID-19
of couples decided to still have their wedding during the pandemic
47%
23%
of couples are of couples are still planning to downsize planning to host a their guest list destination wedding
BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
How can an athlete who’s nearly blind participate in three high school sports and become a conference champion in one of them? Meet Max Nelson, a very determined Mahtomedi junior, and his extended support group. Nelson recently completed the Nordic Ski season as the No. 1 individual in the Metro East Conference. He missed sectionals to ski in Europe with Team USA ParaOlympics. He’s also in cross-country and track at Mahtomedi High School. “Max is an incredible athlete, with one of best work ethics ever seen,” said Brianna McIntyre, Zephyr coach. “He is incredibly helpful to the other kids. Even though he can’t see very well, he’s always asking if he can help with things.” Nelson is blind in his left eye and almost blind in his right. In full daylight, he can see bright colors and general shapes. But with the help of a guide, he’s been in Nordic skiing since age 7. “It’s my life. I love skiing. It also relieves stress from school,” said Nelson, adding that he will likely make it a lifetime activity. “My teammates, my family and my coaches are very supportive.” Nelson is “guided” by a skier in front of him wearing a headset to shout instructions to Max. The instructions are blared at him from a boombox-like speaker
Source: 2020 American Wedding Study from brides.com
SEE NORDIC CHAMP, PAGE 10
Theater receives generous gift from Johnson & Johnson matriarch Lake at 70 Dellwood Ave. Lakeshore Players Theatre immediately listed the home for sale, as it is against the organization’s gift policy to own physical property. The value of the house will be determined once the real estate has been sold. Funds will be used in myriad ways to help the organization. Lakeshore Players Theatre Executive Director Rob Thomas said, “final decisions about (the donation) will be made once the house sells and we know how much we’re working with, but the money derived from the sale will be focused on ensuring a stable future for Lakeshore Players Theatre for decades to come.” Johnson included the 68-year-old arts
organization in her will through the gift of Legacy Giving, which designates causes one cares about to receive money, stock, securities or property upon one’s death. While this monumental gift is one of the largest in Lakeshore Players Theatre’s history, Thomas noted that donations from the public are still vital for the theater to continue operating and providing programming for the community. The theater will continue to fundraise to ensure creative and sustainable growth. Anyone interested in legacy giving can contact Development Manager Elena Glass at 651-429-2316 or email elena@lakeshoreplayers.org. SUBMITTED
SEE JOHNSON GIFT, PAGE 15
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WHITE BEAR LAKE — In early 2021, Lakeshore Players Theatre was notified it had acquired the former lake home of longtime donor and friend of the performing arts institution, Betty Wold Johnson. Johnson, who died last May at age 99, was a Minnesota native whose affinity for the performing arts was evident in her philanthropical work, which included a major capital campaign contribution to build Lakeshore Players’ new home at the Hanifl Performing Arts Center. Now her love of the performing arts will live on through her substantial legacy gift, read a press release from the theater. The Dellwood home is situated on the northeast side of White Bear