COUNTRY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2019
Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
VOL. 35 NO. 50 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
MASTER WATER STEWARDS WANTED: Area residents encouraged to apply. PAGE 6
Minnesota farm income hits historic low CONTRIBUTED UM EXTENSION
COURTESY GAYLE KNUTSON
Gayle Knutson’s film, “The Wagon,” will be shown this weekend at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival.
Marine filmmaker’s latest premieres at film festival BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
A Marine on St. Croix filmmaker’s short film will premiere this weekend at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival. Gayle Knutson’s film, “The Wagon,” will be shown in a collection of short films dubbed “Passing the Torch.” The event is sold out. Shot in and around Marine in fall 2017, “The Wagon” tells the story of an aunt and niece living in a weathered houseboat on the St. Croix River. Claire, an optimistic adult with Down syndrome, saves money for a red wagon as Frances discovers she cannot
shelter her niece from harsh realities of life. “Claire and Frances are two vagabond women dealing with personal challenges in a world that ignores ‘their kind,’” Knutson writes in her director’s statement. Knutson wrote the film’s story, which was adapted for the screen by Wenonah Wilms. Knutson also produced and directed the film. “I find it particularly powerful,” she said, “to reach that point in a story when the audience knows the outcome, but the protagonist has yet to reach that same realization. It becomes a voyeuristic moment that allows the audience
to focus on how the characters will react to their situation.” The film stars Jamie Brewer of “American Horror Story” as Claire, Bruce Bohne of “Fargo” as shopkeeper Charlie, and Jen Blagen of “Dragonfly” as Aunt Frances. “I’m excited to share this story with a broader audience and give them a chance to experience a slice of life that may be unfamiliar territory.” To see where the film is headed next, follow “The Wagon” on Twitter @thewagonmovie, Instagram: @thewagonmovie or www. thewagonmovie.com.
After adjusting for inflation, Minnesota farms earned the lowest median farm income in the past 23 years of data tracked by University of Minnesota Extension and agricultural Centers of Excellence within Minnesota State. In 2018, the reported median net income was $26,055, down 8 percent from the previous year. Farmers in the lowest 20 percent reported losing nearly $72,000. The analysis examined data from 2,209 participants in farm business management programs, as well as 101 members of the Southwest Minnesota Farm Business Management Association. Participating producers represent approximately 10 percent of Minnesota’s commercial farmers. Notably, the number of participating dairy farms decreased by 15 percent in 2018, largely reflecting the number of participating dairies that sold their herds. “We don’t have consistent numbers that go back that far, but it is very likely that 2018 was the lowest income year for Minnesota farms since the early 1980s,” said Dale Nordquist of the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota. “That said, the previous five years were not much better, so many Minnesota farms have had a string of low-income years and that has both financial and emotional impacts.” The economic pain was widespread. The median producer in all four of Minnesota’s primary agricultural products earned a net farm income of less than $31,000. “It’s important to understand that these are small businesses that don’t pay themselves a salary, so that net farm income reflects what they made from the farm to feed their families,” added Nordquist, who is also an Extension ag economist. On a more positive note, farm balance sheets did not deteriorate substantially from previous years. The average farm’s debtSEE INCOME, PAGE 2
Study asserts Scandia staffers may be underpaid BY KYLE WEAVER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Compared to their peers in the area, most Scandia city employees might be underpaid. That was the preliminary conclusion the Scandia City Council heard last week about a Classification and Compensation Study being conducted by Baker Tilly, formerly Springsted Inc., a human relations consulting
firm. The study examined the actual job responsibilities of each of the city’s nine employees and compared them against the existing job descriptions for each employee. The study then compared salaries of employees in similar roles in 23 cities in the region, including Centerville, Chisago City and Lindstrom. The council authorized the study last year to address potential pay equity issues
NEWS 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
and to provide city staff with updated job descriptions, some of which haven’t been revised in a decade. In particular, the study found that the city’s public works director and city administrator were the most underpaid of all city staff. According to one part of the study, the public works director’s wages fell 41.87 percent below the midpoint of the comparable market rate, while the city administrator’s
ADVERTISING 651-433-3845 ads@osceolasun.com
wages landed 28.25 percent below the midpoint. Across the board, the firm recommended three options for adjusting the staff pay ranges, with the minimum adjustment of an $18,857 increase for the two employees who currently fall below the minimum comparable pay ranges; and up to $68,081 for across-the-board increases, taking into account each employee’s years of service. A full executive summary
PUBLIC NOTICES 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS 651-433-3845 office@osceolasun.com
of the study is still pending. In the short term, City Administrator Neil Soltis, who is retiring in May, suggested that the council could have a discussion with its recruitment firm to address the pay rate for the soon-to-be-hired administrator. As for the rest of the city staff, “that may be a 2020 budget discussion,” Soltis said. SEE COUNCIL, PAGE 9
BREAKING NEWS, UPDATES Whenever, wherever you are! Scan me with your smartphone