Forest Lake Times

Boys soccer: Ranger run ends in sectional final

Brad O'Neil — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 18:38:51 +0000

The Rangers finished their season as the Section 7AA runners-up.

The Forest Lake boys soccer team’s impressive run through the Section 7AA playoffs as the No. 7 seed was finally halted in the championship game by top-seeded Duluth East on Tuesday night. The Greyhounds defeated the Rangers 7-1 and will advance to the Class AA state tournament.

“We wanted to have a better showing tonight, but it doesn’t take away from what we did late in the year,” head coach Joe Tomas said.

In the regular season the Rangers had won two games and drawn two more compared with 12 defeats, but they shocked higher-ranked Blaine and Anoka in the two previous rounds to reach the final. Much of that record is attributable to Forest Lake’s membership – unique among Section 7AA teams – in the Suburban East Conference, a league that boasted four of the state’s top ten teams. The Rangers were one of four SEC teams to reach a section final this year.

“Once we got healthy – once we got Sully Eiden back and Ethan Tomas started getting healthier – we knew we could be a dangerous team,” Tomas said. “Even the [Duluth] coach said tonight, ‘you guys aren’t a seven seed.'”

The Greyhounds had finished the regular season with 14 wins, one draw and one defeat to earn the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage for the Section 7AA tournament.

Ethan Tomas advances the ball upfield.

The two teams battled for nearly half an hour without a goal, with each team’s goalkeeper only needing to make one save in that time. Forest Lake’s on-target shot came from the foot of sophomore forward Victor Rizzo, whose curling effort was caught by East goalkeeper Matthew Campbell.

Campbell had very little to do throughout the night, facing only five shots-on-goal while the Greyhounds enjoyed the lion’s share of possession.

The Greyhounds broke through in the 29th minute. Having earned a free kick on the left wing, the ball was played to East’s star midfielder Nolan Friday, who ran toward the endline and played a low pass into the six-yard box. Rangers and Greyhounds moved toward the ball but no one was able to get a foot to it. A Greyhound on the right side of goal touched the ball back into the danger area where Isiah Hendrickson was finally able to touch it into the net.

The Greyhounds would quickly triple their advantage. In the 32nd minute, Seth Hoffman took a corner kick that was headed home by Friday. Two minutes later, Friday made an amazing solo run, evading multiple Ranger defenders before moving into the penalty area and scoring from a wide angle.

“I knew [Friday] could make stuff happen, and that if he got on his game we’d be in trouble,” Tomas said. “We didn’t stay close enough to him throughout the night.”

Friday would complete his hat-trick in the 57th minute, but not before the Greyhounds had scored two prior second-half goals.

Robert Holzchuch (right) tries to dribble around a Greyhound defender, while Breen Eiden provides a passing option.

With a 6-0 lead, East began to cycle in backup players, and the Rangers did likewise. Freshman Isaiah Desel bagged a consolation goal four minutes from the end when he burst past the East defense and launched a chip shot over the charging Campbell. His shot clanged off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net.

“Some of the younger guys came in and were a nice little infusion for us,” Tomas said. “The future is bright. Forest Lake has always had good, aggressive kids but now we’re starting to get some soccer-smart kids. Eight or nine positions on the field are underclassmen.”

East’s Sean Brueninghaus canceled Desel’s strike with a breakaway goal in the 78th minute. Shortly thereafter, the final whistle blew and the award ceremonies commenced, with the Rangers taking home silver medals and a runner-up plaque for the trophy case.

East, for its part, is a deserving champion and state qualifier. The Greyhounds play a highly-skilled and positive form of soccer without recourse to hard fouls, timewasting or other kinds of cynicism. They pick opposing defenses apart with crisp passes and stellar dribbling, and on defense are rarely out of position to make a clean challenge on the ball.

“[East] is going to be a tough out in the state tournament,” Tomas said. “If their midfield plays like they did tonight, they’re going to be dangerous. Hopefully they can represent our section well.”

They will enter the state tournament with an overall record of 17-1-1, having scored 23 goals across the three sectional games while giving up only one. They will join Lakeville North, Apple Valley, Stillwater, Mounds View, Wayzata, Maple Grove and the winner of the yet-to-be-played final in Section 2AA between Prior Lake and Chanhassen.

Asphalt plant activists continue to pack meetings

Forest Lake Times — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 12:33:27 +0000

Julie Parent
Columbus Reporter

There was standing room only at the Columbus City Council Meeting on Oct. 11. Columbus Public Communications Coordinator Jessica Hughes estimated there were between 150 and 160 people in attendance. Some people were there to protest the Bituminous Roadways. Inc.’s proposal to open an asphalt plant at 13345 and 13363 West Freeway Drive in Columbus, while others, including some Bituminous Roadways employees, were there to show support for the business. This “Triangle” property is located just south of the Interstate 35 split, around two miles south of Running Aces Casino and Racetrack.

Bituminous Roadways is hoping a new facility on the property will produce asphalt for its paving projects within a 15-mile radius, representing an expansion into the north metro for a company that currently has plants in Minneapolis, Inver Grove Heights and Stillwater. Many residents do not feel an asphalt plant would enhance the city or the environment, particularly in the city’s freeway business district, where more commercial development was once envisioned.

Originally, the council agreed to hold a public hearing on the topic on Nov. 1. However, due to a scheduling conflict, the public hearing was rescheduled for Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. during a Planning Commission meeting. The meeting will be held at the Columbus City Hall.

“We will be making changes to the layout of tables and chairs in an effort to accommodate more people, and we will also have an overflow room available,” Hughes said.

Columbus resident Lynnett Carver-Quinn, who also addressed the council during the open forum on Aug. 9, told the council they should stick to their comprehensive plan to develop the city. She said people leave Columbus to go to restaurants and coffee shops and encouraged the council to find businesses Columbus residents want to patronize.

“We do that,” Mayor Dave Povolny said. “Once the [Highway 97] bridge [reconstruction] is done, there will be lots of development.”

“I hope the public hearing will go smoothly,” he added.

Other meetings

In addition to the asphalt plant public hearing, several other hearings and meetings have been scheduled.

On Oct. 24, there will be a hearing at 7 p.m. to discuss special assessments on the three road improvement projects Columbus completed in 2017: 159th Avenue Northeast and Xingu Street Northeast, Furman Street Northeast, and 141st Avenue Northeast.

On Nov. 1, a public hearing to discuss the Conex box regulations will be held during the Planning Commission meeting at 7 p.m.

At the council’s Nov. 8 meeting, there will be a public hearing at 7 p.m. regarding the vacation of drainage and utility easements at the Preiner’s Preserve housing development.

On Nov. 14 and 16, there will be neighborhood meetings for the 2018 road improvement projects. “There are four road improvement projects in total, and two projects will be considered at each neighborhood meeting,” Hughes said.

Nov. 14’s meeting will cover 161st Avenue Northeast, Kwei Street Northeast, Indus Street Northeast, Mackenzie Street, 164th Lane Northeast, Cornell Street Northeast, and Gehrig Street Northeast. Nov. 16’s meeting will cover 162nd Avenue Northeast, 159th Avenue Northeast, Xingu Street Northeast, and 165th Avenue Northeast.

Intersection

On Oct. 11, the council also agreed to start the lengthy process to attempt to put a stoplight or a roundabout at Highway 97 and Hornsby Street. The first step to determine what would keep people the safest at that intersection is to do a traffic impact study. The study costs approximately $16,000.

The rest of the meeting was closed to the public to develop or consider offers or counteroffers for the sale of the city-owned Quad 35 property (northeast and southeast quadrant).

Intoxicated drive-thru arrest highlights local calls

Ryan Howard — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 12:30:37 +0000

The following are some notable local first responder calls from the previous week.

Drinking and drive-thru

A man of an unknown age or hometown was arrested Oct. 14 after allegedly driving drunk in the drive-thru at the Forest Lake McDonald’s.

According to the Forest Lake Police Department, police were called to the restaurant on a report of an intoxicated man. Police arrived and observed a man later identified as Fabian Mack St. Germaine, of an unknown age and residence, allegedly visibly drunk, with bloodshot eyes and a poor sense of balance. Before police arrived, St. Germaine allegedly ran into the side of McDonald’s while in the drive-thru and at one point exited his vehicle to yell profanities at the car behind him. During his arrest, he allegedly resisted officers and scratched one of them hard enough to draw blood from the officer’s hand.

The person on the receiving end of St. Germaine’s alleged verbal abuse in the drive-thru was given a free meal by McDonald’s.

Garage fire

The Forest Lake Fire Department responded to a garage fire at 19650 Fenway Ave. N. around 3:30 a.m. Oct. 17. When firefighters arrived, the garage was fully engulfed in flame, but firefighters kept it from spreading. The garage was used to keep chickens, and it was unknown at press time if any chickens were killed in fire. No humans were harmed, and firefighters left around 6:45 a.m.

Arrest at Walmart

A call about a possible shoplifter turned into an arrest for an unrelated crime the afternoon of Oct. 15 at the Forest Lake Walmart.

According to the Forest Lake Police Department, police received a call from a Walmart employee that a man was behaving suspiciously at the Walmart and may have been opening packages in the store with a knife. When an officer arrived, he was told that employees believed he had eventually paid for all of the items in his bags, but after the officer spoke with the man, Justin Lash Peterson, 38, of Ham Lake, he realized that there was an active Anoka County warrant for Peterson’s arrest. Upon Peterson’s arrest, 1.5 grams of methamphetamine and some prescription pills were allegedly found on his person.

Stolen vehicle

Sometime either the night of Oct. 12 or the morning of Oct. 13, a 2003 extended cab Ford F250 was stolen from the lot of Lakeside Auto Glass, according to Forest Lake Police. The $6,500 vehicle is silver and has a chip guard along the bottom of the vehicle and over the wheel wells. The keys were not in the vehicle, but one other vehicle at the business was broken into the same night, and it appeared that someone had attempted to hotwire it.

Community Calendar for October 19, 2017

Jason DeMoe — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 11:54:51 +0000

FOREST LAKE
Blood donation
The Red Cross will be hosting a blood donation event Oct. 19 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Peter Catholic Church, 1250 S. Shore Drive.
Maniac magician
Kevin “The Maniac Magician” Hall will perform at the Forest Lake VFW Oct. 21 as part of a Forest Lake Masons’ event to honor Mike Schultz winning the Hiram Award. The event is open to the public and will feature a social hour at 6 p.m., a prime rib dinner ($40) at 7 p.m., and the magician show at 8 p.m. Tickets must be purchased by Oct. 14 and are available at the VFW at 556 12th St. SW or by calling Rodney at 612-875-1449.
Food distribution
Forest Hills Church, 1790 11th St. SE, is hosting a food distribution on Oct. 21 from 8 to 11 a.m. This is a distribution site of Ruby’s Pantry. A $20 donation is requested to pay for transportation and distribution expenses. Minor car repairs can be arranged for by contacting 651-464-2561 to obtain an application.
Trunk or treat
Faith Lutheran Church, 886 N. Shore Dr., will host a trunk-or-treat event Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will include dinner, games, crafts, trick-or-treating, and a Halloween concert. The dinner is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and will cost $6 for adults and $4 for children. Those three years of age of less get in free. Games and crafts will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m., trick-or-treating will happen from 6 to 7 p.m., and spooky music will be played from 7 to 7:30 p.m.
Tip a cop
The Forest Lake Police Department will host a tip a cop event at Famous Dave’s from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26. Police officers will serve food and bus tables. All tips given will go toward funding for Special Olympics.
Cancer benefit
A fundraiser to support Anne Banan in her fight against breast cancer will be held Oct. 29 from noon to 5 p.m. at 556 12th St. SW featuring food, drinks, games and a silent auction. Tickets are $5 for kids and $10 for adults.
LINWOOD
School forest fundraiser
Linwood Elementary School is selling Metro Dining Cards for $25 that provide coupons and discounts at over 166 local restaurants. The deals are good once a month for 12 months. The funds raised help pay for programs related to school forest education and activities. They will be available at the school during regular hours through the end of October at 21900 Typo Creek Dr.
WYOMING
Blood drive
A Wyoming community blood drive will be held Oct. 24 from 1 to 7 p.m. at city hall, 26885 Forest Blvd. Sign up online at mbc.org/searchdrives with sponsor code 4446, or contact Tommie at 651-332-7162 or thollingsworth@mbc.org.
CHISAGO CITY
Halloween story time
Kids ages 3-12 can join the Chisago Lakes Area Library staff for stories, pumpkin decorating, and a costume parade during Halloween story time from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Chisago Lakes Area Library, 11754 302nd St. This program is sponsored by the Chisago Lakes Area Friends of the Library.
EAST BETHEL
Pancake breakfast
The East Bethel seniors will host a pancake breakfast featuring pancakes, french toast, sausage, coffee, and juice from 8:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 20 at the community center one mile east of Highway 65 on 221 Ave. The cost is $5 for adults and $2 for kids less than 10 years of age.
Senior Dance
The East Bethel seniors will host a dance from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 27 at the community center one mile east of Highway 65 on 221 Ave. The cost is $6 and includes lunch. The featured performer is Dick Szyplinski.
Senior Dance
The East Bethel seniors will host a dance from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 3 at the community center one mile east of Highway 65 on 221 Ave. The cost is $6 and includes lunch. The featured performer is Jim Armstrong.
Senior Dance
The East Bethel seniors will host a dance from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 1 at the community center one mile east of Highway 65 on 221 Ave. The cost is $6 and includes lunch. The featured performer is Wes Miller.

HUGO
Spooky fall harvest
Fall family-friendly activities will be held at Woodloch Stables, 5696 170th St., through Oct. 29 on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $6 per person. The event will incldue smores, hot dogs, haunted trail in the woods (not scary), bouncy house, corn pit, hay maze, game stations, and a campfire. Face painting, hay rides, and pony rides will be available for an additional fee.
Woods of terror
There will be a 30-45 minute walk through the haunted woods at Woodloch Stables. 5696 170th St., through Oct. 31 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 6:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday The event is suitable for ages 14 and older, and the cost is $20 per person. Parking is $5 per vehicle. The event will also feature a zombie shoot with paintballs and concessions on site.
LINDSTROM
Clothing event
The Sharing Shop, a clothing store located at Lakes Free Church, 29620 Olinda Trail, is having its Fall Clothing Event Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon and 5 to 7 p.m., and Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon. Sharing Shop employees have gathered gently used clothing for men, women and children suitable for fall and winter. A small fee of 10 cents per clothing item and 25 cents for jackets, snowpants, boots and shoes will be charged. To learn more, call Lakes Free Church at 651-257-2677 or visit www.lakesfree.org.
LINO LAKES
Equinox exploration
Celebrate the arrival of autumn with an evening stroll around Heritage Lab Oct. 20 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at 7732 Main St. Guests will see the effects of the changing season in forest, marsh, and prairie, and keep an eye out for wildlife. The walk will wind down just as the sun is setting. Pre-registration is required, and the cost is $5 per person. To register or for more information, call 763-324-3350 or visit anokacountyparks.com.
MARINE ON ST. CROIX
Falloween festival
The Minnesota DNR will host a fall festival at William O‘Brien State Park, 19074 St Croix Trail, Oct. 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. Those choosing to camp are invited to decorate their campsite. There will be different judging categories with prizes. Kids can trick or treat in the campground when the judging begins. Site judging and trick or treating will start at 6 p.m. Sites that are willing to participate in the trick or treating will have orange pumpkin cards on their site posts. Pre-carved or painted pumpkins, costumes, different ages, and pets will be judged at the large picnic shelter in the picnic grounds at 7 p.m. At 7:30 p.m. a storyteller will share some tales around the campfire. Mild stories will take place early and spookier stories will be told later as the night goes on. A marshmallow roast will end this evening in the park.
STILLWATER
DAR meeting
The St. Croix River Valley chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will meet Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 609 5th St. S. The guest speaker, Jennifer Revoir, will educate guests about the making of textiles.
Apple fest
Aamodt’s Apple Farm, 6428 Manning Ave., will host an apple fest through Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day featuring hay wagon rides, a kids train, apple picking, an apple goods shop, John Deere tractor trikes, and cider tastings.

Paranormal investigations to be discussed at Warden’s House Museum

Jason DeMoe — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 11:45:17 +0000

Johnsdale Paranormal Group

On Oct. 28, the Johnsdale Paranormal Group will host its fifth annual “Paranormal Investigations: Techniques and Theories” program at the Warden’s House Museum in Stillwater, 602 N. Main St. The group members will host encore presentations at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. Each time slot will feature the same program and will last about 75 minutes. Tickets are $5 and available at www.wchsmn.org or in person at the museum. Limited day-of tickets will be made available.

During the public presentation, group founder Justin Miner and his co-investigators will delve into the audio and video recorded evidence they have collected from reportedly haunted locales such as the Louis Smith Tainter House in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and the Warden’s House itself. They will explain the state-of-the-art equipment, theories, and techniques used during a ghost hunt.

A special VIP experience is available and will include reserved seating at the 7 p.m. presentation and a chance to assist in the set-up, collection and review of an active case. The cost for participating in the ghost hunt is $60 per person and limited to 10 participants. Tickets are available at www.wchsmn.org.

Contact Gibson Stanton at gibson.wchsmn@gmail.com or at 651-439-5956 for more information regarding these events.

Songwriters in the Round event to be held Nov. 9

Jason DeMoe — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 11:24:51 +0000

The Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community will host another Songwriters in the Round event Nov. 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. featuring Ben Cook-Feltz, Dave Cofell, and Gray Nollet.

Ben Cook-Feltz is an Iowa-raised, Minneapolis-based singer, songwriter, drummer and self-taught pianist. Combining observational, sometimes quirky lyrics with melodies that hearken back to the classic sounds of the 60s and 70s, Cook-Feltz has been entertaining audiences throughout the Midwest playing solo, with his crackerjack band, and backing up regional talent. His most recent record, “She Doesn’t Believe Me”, was released in October 2015. Visit www.bencookfeltz.com/home for more information.

Gray Nollet has been writing and performing since the age of 8. She started out performing with her dad. She grew up on folk and indie music as well as her dad’s writing. She attends a performing arts school in St. Paul for theater and playwriting, where she has developed a strong relationship with poetry, words and writing. Nollett plays guitar, piano, and ukulele. Look for her EP titled “Summer Boy” at soundcloud.com/user-568951970.

Dave Cofell was raised in Collegeville, where he began baritone ukulele lessons at the age of 7. As soon as Cofell’s fingers were long enough, he moved up to a full-size guitar and started writing his own songs. Cofell graduated from St. John’s University with a degree in Fine Arts. Cofell has been voted “The Best Original Musician in Central Minnesota” four years in a row (Gannett) and performs more than 200 shows a year and tours both nationally and internationally. Cofell has three full-length albums of original music available on CD and is currently working on his fourth. His third CD titled, “A Thousand Shades of Blue” was released in 2016. Visit www.davecofell.com for more information.

Winchester history discussed at Civil War roundtable

Jason DeMoe — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 11:16:32 +0000

Oliver Winchester

On Oct. 23, the St. Croix Valley Civil War Roundtable will feature guest speaker Larry Ahlman, who will speak about Oliver Winchester in the Civil War.

Meetings are held at Stillwater’s Lowell Inn, 102 2nd St N. Meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner served at 6 p.m. The program starts at 7 p.m. Guests can make dinner reservations in advance by mailing a check for $23 per person payable to SCVCWRT to Steve Anderson, 903 Third St., Hudson, WI 54016, by calling Steve at 715-386-1268, or by emailing a reservation to rossandhaines@comcast.net. Reservations must be received by the Friday preceding a meeting. With no reservation, the cost of a dinner will be $28.

Ahlman has been associated with firearms his whole life. He grew up in the family business, Ahlman’s Gun Shop, located in Morristown. Today, he is the owner of this company, which has been operating nearly 75 years and is the largest gun dealer in the Midwest. In addition to his voluminous knowledge of guns, he is also an author. He has written several books and is probably best known for his “Mittens” character. His books have brought him national recognition as an author, and he has received national awards for his writing.

At the meeting on Oct. 23, Ahlman will talk about the history of the repeating rifle and the efforts of Oliver Winchester to introduce this technological breakthrough to the Union army.

Oliver Winchester was a Boston shirt maker, but in 1857 he made an investment that would change the tactics of warfare forever. In that year, he bought a failing company from Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson: the Volvanic Repeating Arms Co. He named his new company the New Haven Arms Company and hired a man by the name of Benjamin Tyler Henry as his shop foreman. It was Henry whose 1860 patent modified the repeater designs of others to provide Winchester’s rifle greater reliability and fire power.

The basic design of the Henry rifle would eventually become “The rifle that won the West” –- the Winchester Model 1873 lever-action rifle. But during the Civil War, Winchester was able to sell fewer than 1,800 of its Henry repeating rifles to the Union Army.

New library manager stresses community ownership

Jason DeMoe — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 12:45:57 +0000

Photo by Jason DeMoe
New Senior Library Manager Sarah Rosten is settling into her position and promoting the library as a community hub for not only reading, but also learning, making, and doing.

Hardwood Creek Library Senior Director Sarah Rosten, who took on the position in the last week of July when 16-year veteran director Amy Worwa moved to Louisiana, is a big proponent of making the library a community hub. To that effect, she is pushing the notion that the library is “owned” by the community members themselves.

“Everyone owns the library,” Rosten said. “What I mean by that is that we as an institution would be nothing without the support of the community. I want this to be a place that serves everyone in the best way that we can.”

Rosten earned her undergraduate degree in journalism at the University of Minnesota in Duluth. After a short stint as an intern at the Duluth News Tribune, she realized that newspaper work was not her true passion. While attending university, however, she did a work study at the library and fell in love. She then traveled to New York to attend Syracuse University, where she earned her masters degree in Library Sciences. From there, she moved back to Minnesota and worked as a substitute librarian in Hennepin County for two years and as an associate librarian in Carver County for two years. She then moved on to the Hardwood Creek Library in Forest Lake, where she spent four years as a youth services director.

“I always knew that when I got into library work that I wanted to take it as far as I could,” she said. “Working with the Washington County library system has been great, as I have been afforded many leadership opportunities, and I am very excited to be stepping into this new role.”

One concern that Rosten had regarding her transition was moving from co-worker to boss. Those fears, however, were soon assuaged.

“The transition has been amazing because we have such a great staff here,” she said. “Everyone has been very supportive, and we all really work well together as a team.”

Rosten’s main job duties include talking to staff, planning programs, and engaging in new opportunities.

“One idea that we are currently implementing is bringing the library to our community members,” she said. “We hosted a pop-up library event featuring books and an opportunity for community members to sign up for a library card at the most recent farmers market, and it went well. We are looking at setting up at some Arts in the Park events next summer. Also, this program would work well at senior centers. There are several different ideas were looking at for this.”

Regarding what the library does well, Rosten says she is proud of a top-notch collection, of how her team is able to connect with the community through arts programming, and how the library plays host to a wide variety of events for all ages.

“We plan to improve our digital services offerings, empower people with technology, improve accessibility, and let people know that a library is no longer just a quiet place, but rather a hub where community members can learn, make, and do.”

Wyoming joins ranks of GreenStep

Forest Lake Times — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 12:31:08 +0000

Amy Doeun
Wyoming Reporter

The Wyoming City Council voted at Oct. 3 meeting to join the Greenstep initiative. Organization Metro Clean Energy Resource Team Director Diana McKeown gave a short presentation about the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program.

“It is a voluntary program for cities looking at sustainability and best practices,” she said of the group.

GreenStep Cities is a partnership between the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and various other entities, including the League of Minnesota Cities. Currently, approximately 160 cities across Minnesota have joined the GreenStep movement.

“[The cities] are big and small, liberal and conservative, and all over the state,” McKeown said.

Locally, the cities of White Bear Lake, Stacy, Forest Lake and Scandia are already GreenStep Cities.

“It provides a template,” McKeown said of GreenStep’s goals. “You can choose what makes sense for your city. … It provides a framework for a city’s sustainability efforts.”

There are 29 GreenStep practices broken up into five categories: Buildings and lighting, land use, transportation, environmental management and economic development – all designed to help cities ask whether their practices make sense from a sustainability standpoint.

“This ties in with everything else we are doing: Lighting study, parks and trails, going through our water meters – everything we are pulling together as we move forward,” Councilman Don Waller said. “When grants come up, there is help with grant writing. In my opinion, it would be good to look into going forward.”

Councilwoman Linda Nanko-Yeager asked about the staff hour requirements.

“There is not time required,” McKeown said. “You go at your own pace, and you get credit for what you have already done.”

Wyoming would be a category B city in the program, with 12 best practices to complete to be compliant with the program’s guidelines.

“What cities are finding more and more is as they are trying to attract millennials, businesses, economic development; they are looking for accountability,” McKeown said. “There is recognition. Once you do your inventory, you might find you are already at step 2, and you are just getting credit for what you have already done.”

“Businesses are looking for it, and it is something we should look into,” City Administrator Robb Linwood said. “I contacted Hamline University, and they have two grad students that would do a lot of the leg work if we decide to kick off this. One works for the city of Bloomington already. They would be unpaid. Both are capable.”

“The county has made this a priority and we are just following suit,” Waller said. The resolution to join the program was passed unanimously.

Education, insurance among legislative priorities

Forest Lake Times — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 12:27:48 +0000

Bob Dettmer
Guest Columnist

From students to families who purchase their own health insurance, Minnesotans are seeing positive outcomes from the 2017 legislative session—one of the most productive legislative sessions in recent memory.

First, as we’ve entered into cooler weather and another school year, our students and schools are benefiting from a number of meaningful policies passed this year. In total, we invested $1.35 billion in new funding for education, putting more money into every classroom. The Legislature also advanced a number of meaningful reforms to help our schools hire and keep the best teachers in the classroom, overhaul our broken teacher licensure system and improve student learning. And for our littlest learners, we invested more money in proven, targeted early learning programs, including scholarships and school readiness aid.

Next, since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and MNsure, many families, small business owners and citizens who purchase their own insurance have been hurt by year after year of skyrocketing double-digit premium increases. Republicans led the way on this issue this session, securing a 25 percent premium reduction for this year and passing a reinsurance program to bring stability to our individual market. The good news is that because of those meaningful reforms, when 2018 individual market insurance rates were released earlier this month, rates actually decreased for many or were held steady for next year. That’s a huge turnaround from the nearly 60 percent increase we saw just last year. While there is still more work to be done to address affordability and accessibility in our health care market, reforms at the state-level this year were a positive step in the right direction.

Third, for the hardworking taxpayers of our state, the Legislature passed a comprehensive, middle-class tax relief package that will help everyone from families with young children to retirees. Highlights from the $650 million tax bill include a first-in-the-nation tax credit for student loan debt, tax reductions for seniors who pay state income tax on their benefits, modifications to the child and dependent care credit, and property tax exemptions for local businesses. Republicans prioritized meaningful, middle-class tax relief this session, and our legislation helps hardworking taxpayers across the state keep more of their hard-earned money.

To address our statewide infrastructure needs, the Legislature made the largest investment in our transportation infrastructure in more than a decade this session without asking Minnesota drivers to pay more at the pump. I also spearheaded legislation to fund the new I-35 and Highway 97 bridge interchange in Columbus, an important local transportation project in our area.
In addition, the Legislature passed a number of key initiatives to improve and expand veterans programs, provided new funding to address terrorism recruitment and sex trafficking prevention, and froze tuition at two- and four-year Minnesota State campuses for the 2018-19 school year.

In all, the 2017 legislative session will go down as one of the most productive in recent memory. There was negotiation and bipartisan cooperation on a number of Minnesotans’ shared priorities including meaningful middle-class tax relief, education, transportation and health care. I am proud of the good things that we accomplished this year for residents in our community and across the state.

It’s an honor and privilege to represent you at the Capitol, and I will continue to work on issues important to the people and priorities of our community.

Bob Dettmer is Minnesota’s District 39A Representative. He can be reached at 651-296-4124 or rep.bob.dettmer@house.mn.