FREE PRESS MESSENGER AMERY
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ELECTION: Special ‘Meet the candidates’ section PAGE 7A
Syrup, shredding, COUNTRY and giant pumpkins to highlight Serving Croix, Scandia, May Township AmeryMarine-on-St. Spring Show
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BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
The Amery Ice Arena will be alive this activity this Friday and Saturday, as vendors from throughout the Amery area gather together for the 13th annual Amery Spring Show. The Amery Free Press invites the public to attend this highly anticipated community gathering, held this year on Friday, April 1 from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For the price of just a non-perishable food item or $2 donation to the food pantry, show-goers can visit with more than 40 area vendors, and enjoy a variety of presentations, including free document shredding from Bremer Bank. Aspiring gardeners may want to attend Friday evening to enjoy demonstrations from two local gardening experts. Fritz Coulter will discuss the Amery Community Garden project at 5:30, and Joe Ailts will give his best advice on growing giant pumpkins at 6:30. The Amery High School band will give two performances for Saturday’s attendees at 11 and 12:30. And you won’t want to miss Larry Loverude’s demonstration on making maple syrup at 1:30. Food will be available throughout the twoday event provided by Amery Hockey Association. And funds raised will be presented to the Amery Area Food Pantry on Saturday at 4 p.m.
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George Griffin with one of his airplanes in the 1970s. Griffin, who served as Amery mayor for 12 years, spearheaded the effort to create the present day airport. He died March 14 at the age of 94.
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Griffin remembered as Amery’s top promoter BY TOM STANGL TSTANGL@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
Former Amery Mayor and businessman George Griffin, who died March 14 at the age of 94, is remembered as a great businessman and tireless advocate for his community and the telephone industry. According to former Amery Free Press editor Jerry Sondreal
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“George was one of the greatest Amery boosters of all time. He stood out in every arena he entered.” Griffin served as Mayor of Amery from 1962-1973, working to promote economic development. He also was an active proponent and developer of the Amery Airport. George did all of this while working in the family business from 1943 until 2015.
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Griffin joined the Amery Telephone Company, after returning home from World War II, where he served in the Navy. He started working as a new line installer working his way to be an installer and repairman who also maintained the switchboards. In 1950 he became the plant superintendent, and in 1955 was elected President of the Board of Directors. He
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R Clear Lake’s Ridgeview Senior Housing plans 2.2 million expansion BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
living facility in Northern Wisconsin. Ridgeview has everything you might expect from senior living—handicap accessibility, group activities, meals on wheels and pharmacy delivery, and more. But with on-site amenities like attached and detached garages, a woodshop, craft room, fitness center, whirlpool tub, salon, group dining hall, and rentable guest suite—it almost feels like an all-inclusive resort. Ridgeview offers spacious, modern one
and two bedroom units, and even a few two-bathroom units, each with its own privately controlled furnace, ample closet space, and washer and dryer. The biggest difference? The units aren’t just rented. They’re an alternative to traditional home ownership, equity included, minus the maintenance and upkeep. Residents can purchase part or all of the equity in one of four unit layouts, and earn 0.5 percent interest on that equity. They pay a min-
THE SUN One of the area’s most unique and successful senior-living facilities is expanding for the second time in ten years, and for good reason. Clear Lake’s Ridgeview Apartments is an independent living facility for those 55 and over, but it’s not like any other senior facility in the area. In fact, it’s not like any other independent
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
SEE GRIFFIN PAGE 2A
imum monthly maintenance fee that decreases with the amount of equity purchased, and that covers just about everything including maintenance, water/sewer, garbage, heat, electricity and cable T.V. When a resident leaves, they take 90 percent of that equity back out with them, whether they stay three years, or thirty. The facility has no income restrictions, but those who meet certain guidelines may qualify for SEE RIDGEVIEW PAGE 2A
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