FREE PRESS AMERY
1892 - 2017
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
125 YEARS STRONG
VOL. 122 NO. 55 www.theameryfrepress.com $1.00
TRIPLE CROWN: Amery wrestler brings home three national titles PAGE 15
Town of Osceola voices support for motor-free Stower Amery to consider a similar resolution BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
first thing Monday morning. Happy Monday. “I’ve never seen it this bad, even after a holiday,” he says. Freer spent at least an hour cleaning up what Amery residents had left on the ground. Freer says one problem isn’t necessarily that we don’t have enough containers, but that people fi ll up
After voting last week to open several stretches of township road to all-terrain vehicles, the Osceola Town Board weighed in in favor of keeping such vehicles off the Stower Seven Lakes State Trail. However, the matter is not finalized. The decision on whether ATVs, UTVs or snowmobiles will be allowed on the trail is up to the Polk County Board. Board members are considering a resolution that, if approved, would start a process to make the trail “multi-use” as called for in the Stower’s original master plan. A 2008 court ruling had limited use on the 14-mile trail to bike and foot traffic, including fat bikes, snowshoes and cross-country skis in winter. Wisconsin law has since changed, rendering that ruling obsolete and opening the possibility for a mixed-use trail. Last week, ATV and snowmobile riders encouraged Osceola board members to support allowing motorized vehicles on the trail, which runs from rural Osceola to Amery. Bikers and hikers asked the board to support keeping current limitations in place. Off-road vehicle enthusiasts argued that the trail is underused. Opening it to motorized vehicles would increase traffic,
SEE WASTE PAGE TWO
SEE TRAIL PAGE TWO
JESSICA DE LA CRUZ | AMERY FREE PRESS
Polk County Recycling Manager Nick Freer sorts through what’s been left by Amery residents from Thursday to Monday at Amery’s Cattail Trailhead. Freer says they replace each of Amery’s four large bins daily during their four day work week, Monday through Thursday. It’s estimated that as much as half of what is being dropped off is not recyclable, creating a mountain of work and waste.
Amery’s debris dilemma BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
There’s a lot of good news when it comes to recycling in Amery. We, as a community, generate more recyclables than any municipality county wide, by far, according Polk County Recycling Manager Nick Freer. That’s the good news. But the bad?
Believe it or not, Amery’s four containers are emptied on a daily basis—except on holidays and weekends according to Freer. County recycling staff work four ten-hour days per week. After dropping off four empty recycling bins Thursday, Freer arrived to four stuffed and overflowing containers along with mountains of messy, stacked-up trash and recyclables—
Local kids cook up winning healthy recipes BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
Recipes from five St. Croix Valley youth made the final cut in a healthy recipe contest recently sponsored by PowerUp, a local healthy eating initiative from HealthPartners that’s geared toward kids and families. Among them, two are from Amery. The five recipes were cooked and served up for judging by adults and kids alike during two differ-
ent events, one in Stillwater, and another at Amery’s Hungry Turtle Innstitute on June 29. All five of the recipes received favorable praise during Amery’s judging event. In keeping with PowerUp’s healthy-eating initiative, each of the recipes had to include at least one fruit or vegetable. Some included many more. Entries were judged in areas like taste, appearance, and creativity. After the final results, first place was awarded to Cody Zizzo from Mahtomedi, with his hearty vege-
table soup called ‘Wham Bam Veggie Slam.’ Second place went to Lucy Feuerhelm of Ellsworth with her tasty vegetable mix called ‘Chickpea Chop Chop.’ Third place was awarded to ‘Sassy St. Croix Summer Salad’ by Hanna Lauer of Stillwater. Tied for the position of runner up for the entire St. Croix River Valley, two Amery kids both made recipes that you’ll want to try. Tiffanni Schlusser created a sandwich called SEE RECIPES PAGE 31
Playing fall sports? Schedule back-to-school exams for your kids now. Get sports forms signed and be ready for the first practice. amerymedicalcenter.org
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