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
Every Burger that is sold
$1 is donated
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015
to White Bear Lake Hockey
VOL. 120 NO. 1 www.presspubs.com $1.00
NEW OFFICERS: WBL Police Department vacancies filled PAGE 2A
Tinkering with tubes and transistors BY DEBRA NEUTKENS REGIONAL EDITOR
A visit to the back room of Associated Electronics Service is like a step back in time. Every nook and cranny is crammed with old stereos, unwanted TVs, VCRs and other obsolete electronics gathering dust. There are old posters of Jesse Ventura and Jimi Hendrix. File cabinets along one wall are stuffed with service manuals that date back to the ’50s. "In a way they're worthless and in a way they're priceless," observed owner Dan Jensen, who has been a TV repairman since 1978. He's the only one left in White Bear Lake. "TV and stereo repair is mostly what we did in the old days, but people don't fix their televisions anymore," Jensen said. "I can't even find parts for most of them." It's a different story for the old stuff. Jensen has boxes upon boxes of repair parts for vintage radios and TVs that are valuable, but will probably never be used. Most of the parts were left to him by former owner Harry Osterkamp, who hired Jensen out of votech school. The business was known as Associated TV & Appliance Service then. Vintage equipment like stereo gear and guitar amplifiers is more repairable and there are still people who want to fix that stuff, Jensen said. He has turntables awaiting his attention, a red eight-track player and boom box were dropped off for repair and there are the reel-to-reel and cassette decks sitting on willget-to later shelves. Jensen speculates that nostalgia is the reason he's SEE TV REPAIRMAN, PAGE 9A
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Vintage tubes, televisions and a variety of other electronic devices surround Dan Jensen, inset photo, as he works on a circuit board in the backroom at Associated Electronics Service in White Bear Lake.
Legislator ‘sensitive’ to lake’s plight BY DEBRA NEUTKENS REGIONAL EDITOR
VADNAIS HEIGHTS — The state's Senate majority leader is confident the region's ailing lake will get a piece of the $1 billion bonding bill to fund augmentation. But there are ifs: it doesn't cost too much and it appears sustainable. Sen. Tom Bakk, a Democrat from Cook, said the Legislature likes to make decisions that are sustainable. It was a word he used repeatedly during an Oct. 28 meeting at the Fairfield Inn with members of the White Bear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Mille Lacs Lake walleye problem is a good example. "We did not hold a special session because there is no easy Band-Aid solution there," Bakk said. "We could restock the lake with fish only to find a few years later, we again have a crisis. The Legislature wanted to take a more thoughtful process to figure long-term sustainability of the issue." It's a good parallel to what's going on at White Bear Lake, the senator said. Bakk noted he's familiar with the challenges White Bear Lake faces, adding, he's "very sensitive to that.” "I'm committed to helping you find a solution. I live on a
lake (Vermillion). My dock is only 44 feet long. I've seen some of the docks on White Bear Lake and I can only imagine how painful that is." Not that getting the funding will be a slam dunk. "Things come hard at the Legislature," said Bakk, who has served at the Capitol since 1994. "Our system is designed to be that way. There is a constant process of educating people on issues because of the amount of turnover, which is part of the reason it's so hard to get things done." In introducing Bakk at the chamber meeting, Sen. Chuck SEE MAJORITY LEADER, PAGE 9A
DEBRA NEUTKENS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Sens. Chuck Wiger, left, and Tom Bakk spoke at a White Bear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce meeting Oct. 28 on lake level and augmentation.
“IF WE PLEASE YOU, TELL OTHERS. IF NOT, TELL US.”
HOURS: MON - FRI 7-6 • SAT 7:30-2 • SUN CLOSED
Are you ready for the snow? 651-483-2601 www.venburgtire.com
Service • Tires • Wheels • Oil Changes NEWS 651-407-1233 whitebearnews@presspubs.com
3001 Hwy 61 N. Maplewood, MN 55109
ADVERTISING 651-407-1200 marketing@presspubs.com
CIRCULATION 651-407-1234 ppcirc@presspubs.com
Cooper Weather-Master S/T2 winter tire designed for drivers looking for excellent traction on snow and ice. CLASSIFIED 651-407-1250 classified@presspubs.com
PRODUCTION 651-407-1239 ppcomp@presspubs.com