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VOL. 124 NO. 39 www.whitebearpress.com $1.00
VIRTUAL MEMORIAL: New way to hold a funeral PAGE 14
How many people use Lake Avenue trail? Now we know WHITE BEAR LAKE — Think the Mark Sather Trail is a popular place to stroll and bike? That was confirmed using a special counter placed at Shady Lane and Lake Avenue from May 12 to June 14. An average of 1,140 people a day used the trail along White Bear Lake during that timeframe. The most popular day of the week was Thursday. The special study was conducted by Ingrid Schneider, a University of Minnesota Forest Resources professor who borrowed an Eco-Counter from MnDOT to better understand trail usage. During the period people were counted, 24,562 pedestrians, a daily average of 722, and 14,196 bicyclists, a daily average of 418, used the trail. "The data hints at the huge demand for places to safely walk and bike and the importance to complete South Shore Boulevard," said Mike Brooks, co-chairman of Lake Links, the advocacy group working to finish a trail around White Bear Lake. "Certainly the re-arrangement of Lake Avenue into the Lake Avenue we know today is forever cast into history as a visionary moment for this community." Schneider focuses on the human dimensions of natural resource management in her research. She also happens to live in Mahtomedi and is a supporter of Lake Links, added Brooks, who reviewed the tally results.
Fresh location for farmers market Visitors check out the vendors at the White Bear Lake Farmers Market in the parking lot the West side of Clark Street. The market, normally located on Washington Avenue, was moved as part of the downtown adaptations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The market, one of the oldest in the Twin Cities area, runs Fridays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
SEE LAKE AVE. TRAIL, PAGE 11
Expanding arts district draws donor support Thanks to generous donors, the White Bear Center for the Arts is doubling in size, allowing for more programming and more parking. Benefactors of the arts, who at this point remain anonymous, purchased four residential properties fronting Division Avenue on behalf of the center, located at 4971 Long Ave., to allow expansion west. The timing was right. Homeowners near North Campus High School were interested in selling when the art center was interested in buying. One property had already been purchased to expand the center’s parking lot. Then neighbors to the
north approached the nonprofit’s executive director, also expressing interest in selling. “It was a unique opportunity to secure property for future expansion,” noted Suzi Hudson, who heads the WBCA. “We pushed pause on the parking lot so we could rethink whether it was the right spot now that these properties opened up to develop the campus.” A fourth property became available right after the school bond referendum passed last fall. Two of the homes have already been demolished. One house was moved to Pine City. The addresses involved are 4953, 4962, 4970 and 4980 Division Avenue. SEE ARTS CENTER, PAGE 10
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