Laker 5 - July 26, 2021

No. 5 July 26 – August 9, 2021

FREE

HEAD ON DOWN TO HALF MOON LAKE P. 6A

DISCOVER THE ALLURE OF POPLAR LAKE P. 2B

Also Included A BRAND-NEW VISION FOR THE BLACKSMITH SHOP THE MAKING OF A 21ST CENTURY CABIN SAY HI TO THE PUMPKINSEED SUNFISH Sentinel Publications: Amery Free Press, Baldwin Bulletin, Burnett County Sentinel, Country Messenger & Osceola Sun

The Cargo Manifest Galley A BRAND-NEW VISION FOR THE BLACKSMITH SHOP

p. 3A

Riggings THE MAKING OF A 21ST CENTURY CABIN

p. 9A

The days are still long Ok, we are noticing it is getting darker a bit earlier, but we are going to get the most out of summer while we can.

Inside this LAKER, we have features on Half Moon Lake and Poplar Lake.

There’s a look at the Blacksmith Shop Bar & Grill, profile of the Pumpkinseed Sunfish, features on modernizing your cabin and some thoughts on ways to leave a legacy of your cabin to future generations of your family. C.L. Sill offers some sympathy and insight for the musky fisherman.

Enjoy your time at the lake!

Two more LAKERS before summer is done.

The publication dates are as follows:

LAKER #6 Deadline: Wednesday, Aug. 4 Delivery Date: Week of Aug. 9 LAKER #7 Deadline: Wednesday, Aug. 18 Delivery Date: Week of Aug. 23

Port of Call HEAD ON DOWN TO HALF MOON LAKE

Got a comment or a story idea?

Email us at polkcountylaker@ gmail.com

p. 6A

Enjoy the LAKER, and your summer!

Fishery

Tom Stangl, Publisher tstangl@theameryfreepress.com

SAY HI TO THE PUMPKINSEED SUNFISH

p. 10A

Shore Leave DISCOVER THE ALLURE OF POPLAR LAKE

p. 2B 2A

THE LAKER | JULY 26 – AUGUST 9, 2021

p. 9 & 10B

Fishers of Men p. 11B

Cover photo courtesy of Metro Creative Connection

SENTINEL

PU B L I C AT I O N S © 2021 The LAKER is proudly published

by Sentinel Publications , carrying on from Ledger Publications

Galley

A BRAND-NEW VISION FOR THE BLACKSMITH SHOP tions to the area for far longer than that. Though Jeff Debace runs a trucking company in Little Canada during the week, Julia remains in Polk County to run the Blacksmith Shop, and Jeff comes to join her on weekends. Though many previous Blacksmith Shop traditions fell by the wayside in recent years, the Debaces have been quick to bring them back.

“We’ve got [all-you-can-eat] taco night going again [on Fridays], and we’ve got prime rib on Saturday nights,” Jeff said. “We have two cooks in the kitchen, and we make almost everything homemade… we’re in the process of redoing our menu a little bit. It’s pretty much going to be the exact same. Some things have gone up, some things have gone down.

We’re going to take some things [off] that have been a long time on the menu, that people don’t order that much.”

A performance stage, outdoor bar, and a garage-door entrance to the patio are all among the new non-menu additions the Debaces have made to the Blacksmith Shop. Since the stage’s construction, local classic-rock cover band The Studebakers have performed

By Kelly Holm When one thinks about blacksmith shops, they might conjure in their mind an image of a medieval metalworker in a historic village, but at the Blacksmith Shop Bar & Grill in Balsam Lake, the good times that can be had are anything but bygone. As the new year rang in, so too did new leadership come to this decades-old Balsam Lake staple.

“We bought it right before Christmas in 2020,” said Jeff Debace, who owns the Blacksmith Shop with his wife Julia. “We’ve done a lot of improvements, cleaned up a lot… we’ve put a bar outside.

We’ve also put a lot of seating outside, and a stage for entertainment.”

After the previous owner put the property up for sale due to ill health, the Debaces acquired the bar and grill, as well as the attached Fox Creek Gun Club, which they rent out. The Blacksmith Shop Motel, previously affiliated with the restaurant and gun club, now belongs to the past owner’s son.

The Debaces originate from the Twin Cities area, but have owned a cabin on Bone Lake for 17 years, and have had connec-

Contributed

CONTINUED ON 4A

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Galley BLACKSMITH SHOP | FROM 3A Contributed A variety of food offerings can be found at the bar.

on the patio, and will come back to play on Labor Day weekend during the Fox Creek Gun Club’s “Turkey Shoot” event. Jeff Debace says he’s planning to host more athletic events at the Blacksmith property in the future.

“We’re in the process of [setting up] a volleyball tournament and a [bean] bag tournament,” he said. “We have pool leagues, and we’re going to try to get a volleyball league next summer.”

And even though the Blacksmith Shop Bar & Grill may no longer be officially associated with the motel that shares its name, the connection is still there under two new owners.

Bar patrons are just a few hundred yards from the motel, if they’ve drank too much to drive home, and fishermen who stay at the motel will often take their meals at the bar and grill.

Conveniently located near several popular lakes and right along the snowmobile trail, the Blacksmith Shop is smack dab in the middle of its community, and contributes to it in any way it can. The Debaces have become restaurant owners and grandparents within the past few months, and they’re not finished making their mark yet.

“We’re thinking about putting in a wroughtiron fence with flowers around the whole patio,” Jeff said. “We’re still not done!” ■

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Port of Call

HEAD ON DOWN TO HALF MOON LAKE

By Kelly Holm If you gaze upon an aerial view of Polk County’s Half Moon Lake, it quickly becomes clear that it definitely lives up to its name.

Located near Milltown, this sliver-shaped lake encompasses 550 acres and has a maximum depth of 60 feet.

The first European settlers to make their home around Half Moon Lake did so just over 110 years ago, in 1910. Norwegian immigrants Carl Christopher Leopold Voss and Dorthea Voss bought 40 acres of land around the lake, which was valued for its timber potential. Though the Voss family had been wealthy in Europe, Carl lost his money on a building venture in Norway, and thus they were forced to try their chances across the Atlantic, sailing state-

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side on borrowed money.

After a few years of staying with relatives in Barron County and trying to make a living as a tradesman in St. Paul, the homesick Carl, while exploring lakes in the Polk County area, decided Half Moon reminded him of the Norwegian landscapes he used to know and would be an ideal locale to indulge his fishing hobby. That sealed the deal for him to choose Half Moon Lake as his new home.

His 40-acre purchase over a century ago cost $800— still a bargain even when considering inflation.

Now, some of Carl and Dorthea Voss’s descendants still live around Half Moon Lake and the Milltown area to tell the tale of how the community evolved.

Though rumors of gangster activity and previous landmarks like the Half Moon Dance Hall are long

THE LAKER | JULY 26 – AUGUST 9, 2021

Contributed Half Moon Lake offers some beautiful vistas.

gone, they are still remembered by those who grew up alongside the community itself. Just as it was over a century ago, fishing

is still an ever-popular pastime for lake-goers. Largemouth bass are plentiful in Half Moon’s waters, and panfish, northern pike and walleye

Port of Call are all swimming about as well. Through Harder Creek, Half Moon Lake is connected to Balsam Lake, ultimately flowing to the St. Croix River by way of Lake Wapogasset and the Apple River.

“There is a wetland complex that is still part of [Half Moon Lake] to its west side,” said Polk County Water Quality Specialist Colton Sorensen.

Like many other lakes within Polk County, Half Moon Lake contains several invasive species, though not yet to the extent that they are a major threat to the lake’s ecosystem.

“It’s got the bandit mystery snail, the Chinese mystery snail, curly leaf pondweed and rusty crayfish,” Sorensen said. “[Curly leaf pondweed] can get extremely bad in shallow waters. Half Moon is a deeper lake, so you don’t have to worry too much there, but it can overtake the shallow areas, so it’s

Contributed Early settler Carl Voss was reminded of Norway at Half Moon Lake.

very important to keep an eye on. Rusty crayfish can also affect the plant community, as well as disrupting the food chain.”

Another invasive species that has been detected in and around Half Moon Lake is the yellow iris. Around 10 yellow iris plants were found in Half Moon’s waters last year, and the lake association is willing to spend up to

$4000 per year to remove the invasive plant.

“Yellow iris is kind of a terrestrial plant, but it grows on the very edges of lakes,” Sorensen said.

Half Moon Lake does not currently possess a harvester but does maintain an active Clean Boats Clean Waters program.

An extensive collection of remembrances from past and present residents of

Ellen Butler Purchased for its timber, relaxation is now king at Half Moon.

the lake can be found on its website, HalfMoonLake. net, in Martha C. McMahon’s

“Memories of Half Moon Lake” booklet, which is downloadable as a PDF. ■

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THE LAKER | JULY 26 – AUGUST 9, 2021

Riggings

THE MAKING OF A 21ST CENTURY CABIN love a tree house? If your vegetation supports it, constructing a “mini-cabin” might add the perfect touch to a childhood visit to the cabin. Choose mature, sturdy trees like maples or oaks to provide support, with branches at least eight inches thick.

The tree house’s platform should be built close to or around the trunk, or possibly encompassing more than one tree, if there are multiple suitable trees in close proximity to one another. It is important that the construction does not impede tree growth, so create gaps between the tree and your material that are narrow enough to prevent falling accidents, but wide enough to not choke the tree.

By Kelly Holm Purchasing a cabin is one thing, but transforming it into your ideal rest and relaxation retreat is another. No matter its level of insulation or furnishing, there are always projects you can take on, and improvements you can tackle, in order to make your lake house truly a home.

If you’re itching to modernize your cabin, but are unsure where or how to begin, here are a few ideas…

A fire pit or fire table Whether you’re in the mood for toasting marshmallows or a romantic evening gazing up at the stars, a roaring fire is a quintessential aspect of any lakeshore cabin experience. A fire pit or fire table can be pre-ordered or assembled DIY, but local regulations and utility line placement must be considered before choosing a location for one.

Additionally, there are a number of stylistic concerns you’ll want to consider, in order to determine what would be the best fit for your yard.

Round or square, brick or concrete, portable or permanent— there are plenty of options for you to choose from.

Pest control No one wants to return to their

© Adobe Stock

cabin after a winter away, only to find animal droppings on the floor, teeth marks in the furniture, and mice in the cupboard chowing down on that wedge of cheese you forgot about. When you’re closing up shop for the fall, taking care of the pipes and double-checking all the locks might take prominence over certain precautions against vermin, but there are steps you might not have considered that can lessen the chance of unwelcome tenants waiting for you in the spring. Don’t

Welcome to beautiful Balsam Lake, a village living in natural harmony.

Established in 1905 the Village of Balsam Lake rests on the southwest shore of Balsam Lake in one of the most prime tourist locations of northwest Wisconsin. Whether you are looking to relax or take part in a wide variety of activities, both on and off shore, the Village of Balsam Lake is the place for you! The Village is nestled on the largest lake in the area, (2,054 acres), which is teeming with ¿sh to satisfy the most avid of anglers.

The unique shoreline stretches 65 miles and the lake is dotted with picturesque islands and bays. Fine Dining and casual eateries abound and over 50 businesses provide a vast array of services.

wait until the end of summer to begin experimenting with a new type of mulch, for example— it’s great at attracting bugs and other small critters to your lawn. Trimming trees and bushes close to your cabin will also help block a common entrance for varmint. Caulk any gaps in your roofing, and consider a chimney cover if you don’t want rats taking advantage of Santa’s doorway.

A tree house

An outdoor shower “What?” you might be thinking, as your mind conjures up images (and smells) of isolated outhouses and pioneer families emptying chamber pots. But despite the bad rap, an outdoor shower can come in handy when you’re right on the water’s edge. You’ll be able to get cleaned up immediately after exiting the lake, and there’ll be less mud and sand tracked into the house. And, of course, the indoor bathroom will still be there for when you get up in the middle of the night. ■

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Fishery

SAY HI TO THE PUMPKINSEED SUNFISH their nests in shallow, sandy areas. The male pumpkinseed is hell-bent on defending his nest, and this activity means prime time for fishing. Meanwhile, the female is chilling out in deeper waters, waiting for a suitable male to approach her— that is, unless a fisherman gets to her first. When ice fishing in the winter, pumpkinseeds probably won’t be your primary catch. They’ll feast on insect larvae during this time, but otherwise are fairly inactive.

By Kelly Holm Covered in iridescent, multicolored scales, the freshwater pumpkinseed sunfish brings to mind the titular character from Marcus Pfister’s 1992 children’s book Rainbow Fish.

And indeed, the pumpkinseed is a lucrative catch for anglers who are in that book’s age demographic.

As a small, shallow-dwelling fish that averages about 4 inches in length, it is an ideal target for children who are wading into the world of fishing for the first time. From its distinctive appearance to its mouth-watering flavor, the pumpkinseed truly offers everyone something to appreciate.

Identification Facts Though the pumpkinseed’s relatives in the sunfish family— like crappies, bluegill and bass— also possess shiny, shimmering scales, the pumpkinseed’s colors are arguably the brightest and most diverse of all. Its yellow-orange belly is the only unicolored spot on its body, and its brown sides are dappled with its distinctive colorful scales, as well as dark or wavy stripes. Pumpkin-

How to catch pumpkinseed sunfish

Contributed

seeds may strongly resemble their bluegill cousins, with whom they can reproduce, but bluegills have more visible stripes, and pumpkinseeds’ black gill covers have a crimson sliver on them that bluegills do not possess.

Where to find pumpkinseed sunfish Pumpkinseeds like to make their home in cool, shallow waters like the glacial lakes of northern

Wisconsin, but their native range is broad and stocking has spread them all across the United States.

Their favorite habitats are usually thick with aquatic vegetation, and they tend to stick around the same place as home territory: even when they’re captured, if they’re released in the same lake, they’ll most likely gravitate back toward the very place where they were caught.

Juveniles tend to congre-

gate nearer to shore, while mature pumpkinseeds are more apt to venture into deeper waters.

When to find pumpkinseed sunfish It’s open season for pumpkinseed sunfish all year round, but spring and summer are when a fisherman is most likely to catch a bite. With the summer solstice comes spawning season, and male pumpkinseeds will construct

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They are truly one of the most accessible fish in Wisconsin waters, no matter your age or level of experience. You don’t need to splurge on a new boat or high-tech fishing gear in order to catch one. Rather, cane poles and a standard rod and reel should do the trick just fine. They aren’t picky about bait: worms, insects and artificial lures are all quite enticing to pumpkinseeds.

For more information on all things pumpkinseed sunfish, consult the Wisconsin DNR. ■

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THE LAKER | JULY 26 – AUGUST 9, 2021

No. 5 July 26 – August 9, 2021

LAKE R

FREE

Section B

Photo courtesy of Mike Sine

Sentinel Publications: Amery Free Press, Baldwin Bulletin, Burnett County Sentinel, Country Messenger & Osceola Sun

Port of Call

DISCOVER THE ALLURE OF POPLAR LAKE

By Kelly Holm Not far from St. Croix Falls lies a serene, solitary 117-acre body of water known as Poplar Lake. Located east of Dresser, it is surrounded by 70 parcels of land and is populated by around 45 shoreline residents, but boasts no organized lake association or protection and rehabilitation district. However, it still remains a picturesque spot for a rejuvenating day of boating, kayaking or swimming.

With a maximum depth of 34 feet, Poplar Lake offers a happy medium between some of the deepest, busiest lakes in the Polk County area and some of the shallower, reedier ones. In Poplar Lake, you can expect to find panfish and largemouth bass in abundant quantities, and northern pike and walleye have a presence as well. Whether you’re in the mood to canoe or spin around on a jet ski, you can do it all from Poplar Lake’s public boat

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Though it has no formal lake association or protection and rehabilitation district, Poplar Lake still has a group of local volunteers who have taken it upon themselves to monitor the lake’s water quality for the past 32 years. Invasive species like curly leaf pondweed, narrow leaf cattails, Chinese mystery snails and yellow iris have been detected within the lake.

“The thing with curly leaf, is it actually has an over summerizing structure that helps it start growing in the winter under the ice, so it’s the first thing up and doesn’t allow anything else to grow where it is, so it’s very important to have concerns for it,” Polk County Water Quality Specialist Colton Sorensen said. “Yellow iris can spread as well, and narrow leaf cattail— it’s more common than native cattail, almost.”

The lake is located directly south of Menards in St. Croix Falls, and has a sandy, mucky bottom. It is particularly noted for its water clarity. “[The depth] drops off pretty quick, actually,” Sorensen said. “Except for the bay, which is nice if you’re swimming.” ■

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THE LAKER | JULY 26 – AUGUST 9, 2021

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The Ropes

THE FISH OF 10,000 MENTAL BREAKDOWNS

By C.L. Sill I hate musky fishing.

My Dad and brother quite enjoy it, which gives them a super majority in our fishing congress. I’ve been dragged along unwillingly on many a musky mission, and always end up curled in the bottom of the boat with my eyes closed reciting lines from “The Shining.”

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

I’ve never caught one.

Even worse, my brother’s never caught one, and somehow he’s still content to stand on the deck and cast, and cast and cast — and cast.

I lack that kind of patience, but what I’m really missing is the intensity that’s required. Musky fishermen are addicts in every sense of the word, and I just never developed a taste for mainlining that toothy heroin.

Theoretically I see the appeal. Musky is the king of fresh water, and we’re blessed to live in the prom-

Contributed Erich Kertzscher with one of his catches. It's musky hunting, not fishing, according to Kertzscher.

ise land. But the return on investment just isn’t there for me. I’m more than happy to put in less work for the more mainstream reward of northern pike.

I always appreciate a

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I’ve got several myself, and I really admire the relentless pursuit of musky fisherman to get their fix.

Erich Kertzscher has been obsessed with musk-

ies for over 30 years. The Scandia, Minn. native started chasing them in the late 80s, and said it’s a mistake to even refer to the pursuit as fishing.

“It’s musky hunting,” he

For over 39 years

said. “Not fishing.”

Kertzscher talks about muskies like an 8-year-old who just finished his fourth bowl of captain crunch.

His intensity knows no bounds. He speaks fast, jumping back and forth in the timeline of stories of fish caught and fish lost.

He’s an expert in his craft, and hopelessly addicted to it. He tells me there should be a 12-step program for musky fisherman, and I agree.

“You’ve got alcoholics,” he said. “And then musky fisherman.”

Kertzscher fishes conventional tackle, focusing primarily on traditional lures like bucktails and suicks. The former is possibly the most traditional musky lure of all time.

They’re an oversized inline spinner, with one or two blades on top that work as both a visual and auditory attractant.

“They’re the crème de la crème of baits, everybody always falls back to the CONTINUED ON 8B

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The Ropes MUSKY FISHING | FROM 5B bucktails,” Kertzscher said.

“The reason they’re so successful is the thump in the water they make. That’s the attractant, the fish feel the vibrations.”

Kertzscher’s obsession is well represented by his lure library. Boxes and boxes of bucktails, suicks, plastics and everything in-between line compartments in his boat and his garage. They’re not cheap, and Kertzscher’s wife Wendy has to lightheartedly remind him to slow down from time to time.

The dualistic model of passion states there are two kinds of passion, harmonious and obsessive.

They’re pretty self-explanatory. Harmonious passion creates stimulating and fulfilling experiences that improve your life. Obsessive passions can control your life and detract from your happiness.

Neuropsychologist Dr. Theo Tsaousides broke down the specifics of harmonious and obsessive passion in a two-part es-

Contributed Kertzscher continues to hunt musky after 35 years.

say for Psychology Today magazine.

“Passion has a bright and a dark side,” he said. “Just like falling in love with a person can turn into an obsession, so can falling in love with what you do.

Your passions can cross the line into obsessions, and instead of becoming a source of joy they turn into a source of misery.”

As we advance down

the rabbit hole of any hobby, our brains create strong urges to take part in our chosen activity, not dissimilar from urges created by substance abuse.

“Because of our brain circuitry, these strong urges are hard to resist and they tend to have faster, easier, and louder access to the part of our brain that generates action,” Tsaousides said. “This means that as

soon as you feel the urge to run, blog, play the guitar, or whatever else your heart desires in the moment, you will start engaging in the activity as if you were hypnotized.”

Kertzscher seems to sit squarely in the harmonious camp. There’s pure, unadulterated joy in his eyes when he talks about musky fishing, and anyone who can maintain that kind of optimistic happiness after 30 years is supremely admirable.

“I’ve been doing it for so long it’s pretty natural for me now,” he said. “Although I did do inventory of all my gear this year just for fun, and it made me step back and go, holy crap I’ve got a lot of stuff.”

The easiest way to justify how much gear you’ve collected in any hobby is to compare your stash to people who have even more, and Kertzscher plays that card effectively.

“I’ve got seven musky rods, and the buddy I fish with has more than that,”

he said. “He’ll lay them out on his bed and it’s like dude, you’re sick.”

Kertzscher said he averages around 50 casts an hour when he fishes, and typically spends around five to six hours on the water per outing. Let’s lean conservative and call it five. That’s 250 casts per trip. He fishes at least once a week from musky opener in May until the ice pushes him off the water.

Again we’ll round down and say he gets in five full months of fishing — June through October, or around 22 weeks. That’s 5,500 casts per season. Do that every year for 35 years and you come to a grand total of 192,500 casts.

Repeat after me — “Hello, my name is Erich, and I’m a musky fisherman.”

C.L. Sill can be reached at thewingbeat@gmail.com or on Instagram @thewingbeat ■

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LEAVING A LAKESIDE LEGACY

By Kelly Holm Estate planning can be stressful enough as it is. After all, who wants to think about dying, especially when you’re just trying to read a magazine about lake country life? But when you’re enjoying a weekend at the lake with your family— making trips out on the boat, cooking hot dogs over an open fire pit, and sharing laughs over locally-sourced wine late into the night— you can’t help but wonder if someday, perhaps a hundred years from now, your descendants will still own this very cabin, sharing those same laughs and smiling in the same way you do. Perhaps, in August of 2121, your great-granddaughter will be fishing off of a dock that has hopefully been replaced several times within the last century, but is located in the same spot that your dock is today. Perhaps, on that far-off date, a descendant of the fish you caught yesterday will tug on your great-granddaughter’s line.

But in order to make that a reality, you’ll need to secure the fate of your cabin when planning your estate. There are a number of complications that can arise with regard to the matter of shared ownership, and there’s no time like the present to smooth out these legal wrinkles. If you have only one child, or only one child who is interested in inheriting your cabin, that’s one concern you can check off your to-do list (or rather, bucket list). The direct transfer of ownership can take many forms, including: Joint tenancy with rights of survivorship.

OLSON SEWER 2083 100th St. Luck, WI 54853

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Here, multiple people have equal ownership rights to a property, and one individual cannot sell or mortgage it without the others’ permission. When one owner dies, their surviving co-owners automatically inherit their share, without the transfer going through probate

court and without the ability to will the property to new heirs.

Retained life estate. The sole owner of the estate will continue to be so for the duration of their lifetime, and upon their death, the property will be bequeathed to the remainder interest holder as delineated in the estate plan.

Tenants in common. Multiple people have not-necessarily-equal ownership interests in one property. When one owner dies, there are no rights of survivorship, so their share in the property will not automatically go to the other owners. Unless barred from doing so by the legal agreement, that owner can bequeath their interest to an outside party.

Trusts. One person, a grantor, entrusts another person, a trustee, with the title to a property so that the trustee can maintain that property for the benefit of the grantor’s intended beneficiaries. A trust that is created by a will and goes into effect upon the grantor’s death is known as a testamentary trust. Trusts can be irrevocable— meaning that their terms cannot be altered or canceled without the beneficiary’s consent— or revocable— meaning that the grantor retains the power to alter or cancel the trust’s terms. In United States law, all trusts are presumed irrevocable unless the grantor explicitly defines it as revocable, with the exception of California, Oklahoma and Texas, where the opposite is true. A revocable trust becomes irrevocable upon the grantor’s death. ■

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PERFECT BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

By Lisa Erickson Wild Chow

I’ll take a little muffin top over Yuckins any day.

I could use a little muffin top. Not the kind around my belly—the kind that goes in my mouth and is full of blueberries.

Do you ever get those strange cravings that won’t go away until you’ve eaten what you’re craving?

Last week, I was craving blueberry muffins with a crumbly topping slathered in melted butter. I tried making cookies, cake and ice cream topping. Nothing satisfied. I wanted blueberry muffins.

I used to make muffins biweekly. When my kids were young, I’d make them for breakfast or as an after-school snack (confession: that’s what happens when you make them for yourself at 10 a.m. and you’re the only one home).

You’d think muffins were easy to make. No, they are not. I’ve made my share of bad batches of muffins over the years. I was always trying to replicate the box muffin mix I grew up eating occasionally for Sunday brunch. Remember the one with the tiny can of mushy wild blueberries that would turn the batter gray if you stirred it too much?

My early experiments turned out muffins that tasted like cupcakes; way too sweet and decadent to be called a muffin. Other times, they were too healthy to be called a muffin. My kids called those yuckins.

This recipe is all about the blueberries. There is no lemon, almonds, oatmeal or orange juice

added—nothing to hide any imperfections or make the muffins taste better. The only imperfection is these can have is a large muffin top. I think they’re perfect!

Small wild blueberries are the best for muffins.

Large fresh ones will sink to the bottom.

Make sure your blueberries are the wild frozen variety. They will have more “blueberry” flavor and they’re smaller. Big fresh berries have a tendency to create big sinkholes in your muffin.

Plus, why would you waste a fresh tasty berry in a muffin? Also, make sure your baking powder is fresh. If the baking powder is stale your muffins will be flat and not have a nice dome on top—the added streusel can weigh the top down. Baking powder and baking soda should be replaced every 4-5 months. Keep the berries frozen until you are ready to add them to the batter.

Big Beautiful Blueberry Crumb Muffins Makes 12 regular size or 6 large 1 1/3 cups flour 1 ½ tsp baking powder 1/3 tsp salt ½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly ¾ cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg, room temperature 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Contributed

1 cup frozen wild blueberries For the topping: ¾ cup flour ¾ cup brown sugar 1/3 cup butter, softened ¼ tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla Plus, more butter for serving Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a muffin tin by buttering and dusting with a light dusting of flour; set aside.

For the topping: In a small bowl, combine, flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the butter and vanilla. Mix with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Squeeze mixture to form small clumps and set aside.

For the muffins: In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk mixture. Stir just until combined. Quickly stir in the frozen blueberries and Spoon into the prepared muffin tin. Top each muffin with crumb topping. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Top each muffin with a small pat of butter. Serve warm. ■

Fishers of Men East Balsam Baptist Church Sunday Worship 9:00 A.M. Join us in person or online at www.eastbalsam.org

Faith Lutheran Church Sunday Worship 9:30 am

Pastor Diane Norstad 715-485-3800 County Road I and Mill Street, Balsam Lake

A hearty Welcome - Come as you are!

Georgetown Lutheran Church Sunday Services 10:30 am

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Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church 507 Main Street Balsam Lake (715) 405-2245

Saturday Mass 6:00 p.m.

Sunday Mass 8:30 a.m.

St. Joseph Catholic Church 1050 Keller Ave. N. Amery (715) 268-7717

Saturday Mass 4:00 p.m.

Sunday Mass 10:30 a.m.

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WELCOME Live Music Line-Up Friday, July 30 • 6-10

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Open Daily at 11 a.m. • 1301-105th Ave (County Rd C) • Amery 715-268-8572 12B

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