COUNTRY
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017 VOL. 33 NO. 51 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
SCANDIA CREAMERY: Owners considering expansion. PAGE 7
Pine Needles artists selected for 2017 residency A novelist, a painter, and a sculptor will live and work at the St. Croix River cabin this summer. Three artists have been selected to live and work at the St. Croix Watershed Research Station’s historic Pine Needles cabin this summer. They will each spend two to four weeks at the cabin on the banks of the Wild & Scenic St. Croix River. Since 2001, the program has welcomed 40 artists and writers and has provided dedicated time and space for participants to pursue artistic interests. It also lets artists interact with Research Station scientists and the community, informing their creative process. The Research Station is the field research station of the Science Museum of Minnesota. The 2017 artists-in-residence are Sarah Stonich (Minneapolis), Elizabeth Belz (Grand Marais, Minn.) and Karlyn Eckman (St. Paul). Sarah Stonich is the author of several novels, including “The Ice Chorus” and “These Granite Islands.” Her memoir “Shelter: Off The Grid in the Mostly Magnetic
‘War on Science’ wins Minnesota Book Award BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
A May Township author was recognized with a 2017 Minnesota Book Award in early April. Shawn Otto, who won the General Nonfiction category for “The War on Science: Who’s Waging It, Why It Matters, What We Can Do About It,” said he hopes the award helps bring attention to a concerning trend: the diminishing influence of facts and scientific findings on political decisions. The implications are
SHELLY MOSMAN
Otto
not just theoretical, Otto argues in “The War on Science.” The founding principle of SEE AWARD, PAGE 18
‘Cycling Scandia’ wants YOU
Sarah Stonich
North,” won the NEMBA award and has been re-issued in paperback by the University of Minnesota Press. Her novel “Vacationland” was a Minnesota Book Award finalist and has been
a selected community read by nearly a dozen Midwestern cities. First in a trilogy set at a remote resort in Northern Minnesota border country, “Vacationland” will be followed this spring
by “Laurentian Divide.” Stonich will continue work on the final piece of this trilogy, “Watershed,” during her residency. SEE ARTISTS, PAGE 2
Details coming into focus for Grove Elementary BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
Hiring has begun for Grove Elementary and the school board is working to have a lease agreement signed in early May, bringing details into focus for the coming school year. Kristina Smitten, chair of the Marine Area Community School (MACS) Board, announced that candidates for the teacher and administrator positions have been “exceptional.” “I sat in on the second round of interviews and I was stunned and excited about the quality of can-
didates and the enthusiasm they have,” said Smitten at the board’s April 15 meeting. “I’m pinching myself at how great these folks are.” The board started extending offers last week and, as of Saturday, had not had any declined. Smitten said the hiring committee expected interviews to continue through April 29, after which they hoped to have all positions filled. It will be the end of a time-consuming process. Smitten thanked members of the hiring committee for the hours spent vetting applications, interviewing candidates
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and touring them around the anticipated campus in the Wilder Forest. “It’s a different school setting,” Smitten said of the tours, “We want to make sure (prospective teachers) are comfortable.” The board also reviewed a draft of the lease agreement between the Marine Area Community School and the Wilder Foundation. “Our hope is to get this buttoned up shortly so that after we, hopefully, have May Town Board approval the lease can go into
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The founders of Cycling Scandia, a project dedicated to making Scandia a destination for cyclists, are looking for enthusiastic people to join their cause. They aim to increase economic development in Scandia while maintaining the rural quality of life. “The Scandia City Council recently approved our efforts to create a bike environment that results in increased cyclist traffic to Scandia, having potential for economic impact as a bike destination,” explained Cycling Scandia founders Janie O’Connor and Marlys Johnson. They noted that it’s a good time to invest in cycling. The Gateway Trail, a paved trail that currently runs from St. Paul to northern Stillwater Township, is scheduled to come to Scandia in the next six to seven years. “We will certainly see an increase in cycle traffic and it would benefit us to be ready,” said O’Connor. As they get started on Cycling Scandia, Johnson and O’Connor need volunteers for their core team to help with the following: • Designing publicity materials (Promos, survey etc.) • Hospitality for cyclists who come to town (Bike fixit station, water, toilet, gathering place.) • Business owner with interest in cyclist traffic • Grant writing • Bike safety • 2018 event (possible bike tour) • Bike routes and maps • 501 c 3 Non profit status • Gateway Trail
Those interested in recreational bicycling, businesses that support it and a healthy community, please contact Janie at 651 481-3152 or janie.oconnor@me.com, or Marlys at 651 433-2558 or karlandmar@frontiernet.net.
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