FREE PRESS AMERY
1892 - 2017
125 YEARS STRONG
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017
VOL. 123 NO. 26 www.theameryfreepress.com $1.00
VETERANS DAY: Jarchow speaks at annual community event PAGE 18
Lawsuit alleges Polk County violated meeting procedures regarding trail BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
There wasn’t much to go on. A vague parts book. A few pictures. “I’m a hands on guy, I like fi xing and repairing things.” From his heated hangar, Isakson spent six years putting the puzzle together. He points to parts of the wings
A recent legal development will likely shift debate about whether or not to allow motorized vehicles on the Stower Seven Lakes State Trail (SSLST) onto the back burner for months or even years to come. A lawsuit fi led against Polk County on Nov. 7 by Amery resident Peter Henry alleges that the Polk County Board of Supervisors violated their own procedural rules on Oct. 17 in order to approve a partnership document with the DNR—a document which included language that left the door open to motorized use, specifically snowmobiles. Henry is suing to make that document and its resulting impact null and void. The basis of the lawsuit revolves around Polk County’s own operating ‘Rules of Order,’ known as ordinance 17-16. The Polk County Board approved ordinance 17-16 more than a year ago as a set of laws that dictate how the board must operate. Those laws state that any resolution in need of funding must state an amount and source of funding and then be reviewed by the General Committee, which takes up fiscal matters. As stated within the rules, the requirement is in place to protect the financial interests of the public. When the full board took up the matter of Resolution 59-17 (A revised Memorandum of Understanding that makes Polk County the
SEE FLY PAGE 2A
SEE LAWSUIT PAGE 2A
JESSICA DE LA CRUZ | AMERY FREE PRESS
Amery’s Paul Isakson stands next to a 1936 J2 ‘Cub’ that he rebuilt by hand. He recently earned two awards for the project at a meeting of the Antique Aircraft Association.
Born to fly—Isakson awarded for airplane restoration BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
Paul Isakson says that in 1936, Taylor Aircraft Company only made about 1500 of its J2 ‘Cub’ aircraft. There’s less than 100 still flying today, and one of them belongs to him.
Isakson came across the skeleton of his airplane in 2009. It was in pieces, and had passed through several owners as it moved from storage to storage. “Actually, it was very complete. I was very surprised the instruments were still there and everything,” he says.
Health workers call for action on key health risks BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Mental health. Substance abuse. Obesity. Three of Polk County’s most pernicious health problems topped the list of priorities for communitywide health improvement in “Healthy Polk County 2020,” a plan released last week.
The plan’s authors — a team with members from the county’s health department, Osceola Medical Center, St. Croix Regional Medical Center, and Amery Hospital and Clinic — hope to spur residents and organizations to address Polk County’s worst health issues with a focus on prevention. The three priority areas were established in response to surveys and other data gathered during a recent
community health assessment. Mental Health According to “Healthy Polk County 2020,” self-harm is the second highest cause of hospitalization in Polk County. The suicide rate, 23 per 100,000, is nearly double the state rate of 13 per 100,000. The rate of suicide spiked in 2015 and again in 2017, according to authors of the report. In an effort to help Polk County res-
idents address psychological troubles, health workers plan to distribute a directory of mental health services, and work with schools and the public to prevent suicide and reduce the stigma around it. Key campaigns include youth screening and “Stop Abusive Messaging” programs in schools, and “Question, Persuade, Refer” (QPR), “Make It OK” and “Zero Suicide” SEE HEALTH PAGE 8A
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