BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 VOL. 57 NO. 15 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
BUS DRIVER APPRECIATION: See a salute to area bus drivers. P32
Whitcraft heads to Washington
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin invited retired educator Diane Whitcraft from Webster, to join her for President Trump’s State of the Union address last week. Diane has Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and had been taking the same medication for more than 23 years. The price of her prescription therapy jumped year after year, and her out of pocket costs were threatening to drain her savings. In 2017, knowing she could no longer afford her medication, Diane made the heart-wrenching decision to stop taking it. “Drug companies received huge corporate tax breaks from President Trump but they continue to stick Americans with skyrocketing prescription drug prices,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’ve heard from countless Wisconsinites like Diane who can’t afford the medicine they have relied on for years. They want Washington to act and it is past time for President Trump to keep his promise to work with Congress on real legislative solutions. We need to help Wisconsin families get the SEE TAMMY BALDWIN, PAGE 2
Board votes to send resolution to County regarding motorized vehicles on trail JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
KASSIE MULLINS | SENTINEL
What a catch! (More pictures on Pg. 15)
Siren Village Hall was packed with citizens wanting to voice their opinion on the possible opening of the Gandy Dancer Trail to motorized vehicles, ATVs and UTVs, in the summer. The board voted 5-1 in favor of the resolution to open the trail and that will be sent to the County Board of Supervisors. The resolution states that the village supports opening the trail to ATVs and UTVs in the summer, when the trail is primarily used for quiet sports. The decision will ultimately be b made at the County level. C Trustee Rudy Mothes was the M o only opposing v vote and truste Jim Pearson ee w not at the was m meeting. There w an amendwas m ment made to t resolution the t that stated mot torized vehicles JONATHAN RICHIE | SENTINEL should not be Village President Dave Alden. wider than 50 inches. Village President Dave Alden announced at the beginning of the meeting that public
Dominic Frazier proudly displayed this monster early Saturday morning during the Grantsburg American legion Ice Fishing Contest on Big Wood Lake.
SEE VILLAGE BOARD, PAGE 2
‘Bittersweet’ ending for Burnett Garden Club JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
After 30 years of planting gardens and beautifying parts of Grantsburg, the Burnett Garden Club officially disbanded this year. “It is really bittersweet that the club had to disband,” Founding member Kris
Henning said. “The reason is mainly declining participation. Over the last few years, we’ve had trouble getting active members to join.” Henning noted the same thing is happening to a lot of organizations in the community. They used to get 15-20 members present at the meetings and last year they struggled to
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get six members to attend. “People are busy with other things and our members are getting older,” she said. “We’ve been a part of this community for a long time, so it’s difficult but the right thing to do.” The club unofficially began when Jenni Pacyga, who owned Wood River Floral at the time, held a gardening
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class through Community Education in Grantsburg. There were so many attendees they figured they could start a club. Their first official meeting was held in Henning’s kitchen in November 1988. The group was affiliated with the Minnesota State Horticultural Society and in the spring of 1989, they went to the Grants-
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burg village board looking for approval to plant a garden at the Grantsburg sign out on 70 as you’re coming into town. “They allowed us to do it and that’s how it all got started,” Henning said. “It was our first project.” Over the years the club got SEE GARDEN CLUB, PAGE 2
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