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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2018 VOL. 35 NO. 15 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
NEW DWI LAW: Extends rules to ATVs, motorboats, snowmobiles. PAGE 8
River Grove works to add bus fleet Background
BY NEALY CORCORAN REPORTER
Unhappy with the service and cost of contracted bus service last school year, Marine Area Community School representatives are hoping to purchase a fleet of buses for River Grove Elementary. The school board has approved the purchase and approval to keep the buses on site in Wilder Forest is now before the Town of May Board of Supervisors. River Grove Administrator Drew Goodson, MACS board member Dan Miller and trans-
rie of the East Metro,” said Elissa Cottle, member of the theater's Board of Trustees. Meanwhile, to accommodate for bigger-scale productions such SEE THEATRE, PAGE 2
SEE COUNCIL, PAGE 2
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public hearing for the Aug. 30 plan commission meeting. Following that meeting, the board plans to reconvene to pass or decline the school’s proposal.
SEE BUS FLEET, PAGE 2
Zephyr Theatre to open ‘Twelfth Night’ on St. Croix River BY JANICE COLLOVA PRESS PUBLICATIONS INTERN
The Zephyr Theatre in Stillwater is preparing for an outdoor performance of “Twelfth Night” Aug. 9-14 nightly at 7:30 p.m. This production of one of Shakespeare’s most well-known comedies will perform at the Bayport Marina on 200 Fifth Ave. S. in Bayport, along the shoreline of the St. Croix River. The cast features professional actors who have performed at theaters such as The Guthrie, The Ordway, Children’s Theater Company and Park Square Theatre. The play is being performed during a milestone summer. The Zephyr Theatre recently purchased the former Zephyr Depot building near downtown Stillwater for $2.5 million after an intensive year-and-a-half long capital campaign. Now the theater is raising $4 million to renovate the building and add a 330-seat
JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
A scene from Zephyr Theatre's 2017 outdoor production, "A Midsummer Night's Dream." This year's show will be "Twelfth Night," performed at the Bayport Marina Aug. 9-14.
full-scale auditorium by early 2020. Among renovations include a lobby, a bakery and space for theater classes. The effort is to create a performing arts center of professional caliber. “We can be known as the Guth-
NEWS 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
BY KYLE WEAVER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In June, the City of Scandia was recognized by the League of Minnesota Cities for achieving Step Two of the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. So should the city move on to Step Three? City councilman Bob Hegland didn’t think so. “It brings us no benefit,” Hegland said at last Wednesday’s city council meeting. “I would bet you there is only a small number of people who would even know what it means.” In a report to the Scandia City Council last week, City Administrator Neil Soltis said that to meet the requirements of Step Three, the city needs to undertake an emergency preparedness program; implement or sponsor a sustainability education/outreach program; and revamp the city’s purchasing policy to favor buying only Energy Star compliant appliances and fixtures, and paper products made from at least 30 percent post-consumer recycled materials. With Fire Chief Mike Hinz already implementing his BOLD Emergency Management training, and members of the Friends of Scandia Parks and Trails already doing some educational programming, the first two requirements seem simple enough for the city to meet. That last requirement, though, and its potential costs, drew Hegland’s ire. Hegland questioned whether the city was really getting anything out of the GreenStep program or whether it was just “feel good stuff that isn’t really beneficial.” “I will prophetically tell you that this will cost more and more with time,” Hegland said. Soltis estimated that the city’s supplies of copy paper and other paper products could cost an additional $3,000 to $4,000 annually if such a policy were strictly met. Mayor Christine Maefsky noted, though, that the GreenStep program guideline is for the city to have a purchasing policy, not that it must follow it strictly without regard to cost. Maefsky cited nearby Marine on St. Croix’s policy guidance, which requires that city to purchase sustainable products “when such products are available and financially feasible.” Marine is already a Step Three community. “At this point, the only cost (to the city) is my hour and a half,” Soltis said. Councilman Jim Schneider said he shared some of Hegland’s concerns about future costs, but ultimately backed moving forward. “I’m with Bob on this one,” Schneider said. “I don’t think we’re going to get the benefit out of
After sub-par service from a contracted bus service last year, the board governing Marine Area Community School hopes to buy its own fleet of buses.
portation coordinator Glen Mills attended the town board’s monthly meeting August 2 to discuss the proposal. After discussing the matter, the board set a
For the 2017-2018 school year, MACS contracted Minnesota Central Bus to coordinate transportation for River Grove students. “Due to exorbitant costs, sub-par service and to prevent any errors driving buses on non-approved routes,” the Marine Area Community School Board of Directors developed a committee to buy and operate buses, the representatives reported to the board. The MACS board voted July 25 to approve
Council backs Step Three
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