COUNTRY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019
Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
VOL. 35 NO. 49 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
'IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES': Gathering will promote, celebrate St. Croix watershed. PAGE 11
City of Marine will discuss school property BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
The Marine on St. Croix City Council has planned a public meeting to discuss future uses for the elementary school building and property. Plans for the meeting were made after an announcement from the River Grove school board that the campus will remain in May Township’s Wilder
Forest for at least three more years. A Feb. 27 letter from the charter school’s authorizer, the Minnesota Guild, strongly recommended staying at Wilder through the term of the fiveyear lease, which ends June 30, 2022. The City of Marine plans to close on the purchase of the school property in early May. “Given the now longer time frame, the city believes it is prudent to con-
sider additional, alternative uses for the Marine Elementary building and property,” city leaders wrote in the spring newsletter. “We want to provide the opportunity to more fully understand this information and engage in a community discussion […]. We invite all citizens to bring ideas of possible uses of the building and property.”
Owl’s tale latest in raptor recovery series BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Hunting can be dangerous for predator and prey alike. Take it from Greta, a great horned owl. Focused on capturing a meal one night, Greta did not see or hear a train speeding into her path of flight. She was hit, but in a recovery that children’s book author Christie Gove-Berg called “miraculous,” Greta survived the crash and was eventually released back into the wild. Now the owl is the subject of Gove-Berg’s third raptor recovery book. Stories in the series are based on true tales of injury and rehabilitation. The first, “Esther the Eaglet,” featured a young eagle found near Osceola by Gove-Berg’s parents, Peter and Mary Gove. The second, “Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon,” told the story of a Virginia peregrine. After an injury left her with only one
SEE CYCLING GROUP, PAGE 2
SEE PRINCIPAL, PAGE 2
story through newfound contacts at the wildlife center. “I was talking with the director of education at the Wildlife Center of Virginia,” she
recalled. “I said, ‘We need to do one more,’ and we both agreed owl. There’s something mystical or mysterious SEE BOOK, PAGE 2
Scandia Rocks and Rolls: Cycling group hosts geology ride Cycling Scandia, a newly formed non-profit organization, will host a 15-mile bike ride through the rolling hills of Scandia on June 1. Dale Setterholm, local resident and U of M geologist, will take the riders on a 15-mile course
with five stops for descriptions of significant geological features. Informational guide packets will be available so cyclists can follow along. Admission is charged. Some geological sites are at the bottom of hills and some at the top, so cyclists should be prepared for a few challenging hills. This a no-drop ride for cyclists 18 and older. Helmets are manda-
NEWS 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
Scandia Principal earns professional leadership award
tory and cyclists are responsible for their own equipment. Safety vests well be provided by Cycling Scandia and available for purchase. The tour has two start times: 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Interested cyclists can choose best time by signing up through the internet
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CONTRIBUTED CYCLING SCANDIA
When: April 27, 10:30 a.m. Where: Marine Village Hall (121 Judd Street) Details: Marine residents invited to discuss potential future uses of elementary school building and property.
The Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association (MESPA) recognized Julie Greiman, principal of Scandia Elementary IB World School, with the 2019 MESPA Division Leadership Achievement Award for MESPA’s East Suburban Division. Principals are responsible for a school’s instructional culture and resource leadership. The award honors principals whose exemplary leadership and sustained efforts have made noteworthy contributions to the operation of effective school learning programs — improving education in their communities and their profession. Greiman was recognized by colleagues statewide on February 7 at the “MESPYs,” a celebration during the annual statewide convention of Minnesota’s elementary and middle-level principals. Greiman summed up her educational philosophy in a quote: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” — Martin Luther King Jr. Greiman was nominated by Kenny Newby, principal at Forest Lake Elementary and president elect of MESPA’s East Suburban Division. Of her most significant career Greiman accomplishments, Greiman wrote, “It is difficult to choose three significant accomplishments after spending 14 years at Scandia Elementary IB World School. Each day has its own special moments. However, when our staff decided to embark on the journey to become an IB World School in 2011 that was a very significant turning point in our school’s history. We were awarded full accreditation in 2015 as an IB World School and have embraced the framework as a Primary Years Program school ever since. “In 2017, Scandia began a yearlong total building renovation as part of Forest Lake Area Schools’ ‘Re-Shaping Opportunities for Success’ bond project. Throughout the project I was involved with countless meetings and planning sessions including moving half of our building into the other half of the building for demolition while school was in session. It was a tremendous learning opportunity and it has been very
“Greta the Great Horned Owl” is the third book in Christie Gove-Berg’s raptor recovery series.
eye, Maggie became an educational bird at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Upon finishing Maggie’s tale, GoveBerg found her next
MARINE SCHOOL PROPERTY PUBLIC MEETING
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