COUNTRY
Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017 VOL. 34 NO. 5 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
SCHOOL CLOSURES: Supreme court declined to review. PAGE 2
Summer of Science & Stories BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
The Marine Community Library will launch innovative summer programming this year with its Kids’ Summer of Science & Stories. The River Readers’ Science and Art Camp filled up quickly, according to Ruth Willius, a board member and children’s programming coordinator at the library. Participants in the weeklong morning camp will search for insects in ponds and fields, and study the lives of butterflies, birds and other animals. The library calls it a “unique opportunity to SEE LIBRARY, PAGE 2
SUZANNE LINDGREN | COUNTRY MESSENGER
Paul Richtman, a Washington County master gardener, offers advice to residents of Scandia’s Oakhill Cottages as they plan gardens for new raised beds on the property.
Gardens grow at Oakhill Cottages BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
Master gardeners visited Scandia’s Oakhill Cottages in mid May to advise residents of the senior-living flats who were planning gardens for new raised beds on the property. “Remember to pay attention to where the sun is,” master gardener Susan Young cautioned the gardeners gathered beneath a tent on the drizzly day. “You don’t want your tall plants shading your shorter plants.” The fenced, eight-bed community garden consists of a mix of ground level raised beds and elevated beds, which minimize stooping and bending. The project could be the seed of a new model for similar properties, according to Chris Johnson, one of four Washington County master gardeners who have volunteered continued support for
the cottage gardeners. “Hopefully we’ll learn a lot from this and be able to expand the idea,” Johnson said. “We have high hopes for the project.” He noted that there is potential for 4-H members to become involved, too. “It would give an opportunity for the elderly to mentor the young and for the young to share some of their expertise,” he said. “One of the hopes is to bring the generations together.” The idea for the garden was Janie O’Connor’s. She had noticed a dearth of garden space shortly after moving to the cottages in 2012. “In 2013 I called the management company and said I’d love a garden,” she recalled. Washington County’s Community Development Agency (CDA), which owns the 40-unit Oakhill Cottage property and several others throughout Washington
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County, told O’Connor she’d have to wait. They had a list of improvements on the property they had to make first. Last year, Bill Lightner of the CDA called O’Connor to tell her they were ready to get to work. “By that time my garden needs were met,” explained O’Connor, who had started a garden on another property. She helped move the project forward anyway. “It’s been a few years coming,” Lightner concurred, noting that the project was made possible by Statewide Health Improvement (SHIP) dollars and CDA capital improvement funds. Tony Holt, a resident of the cottages getting his start gardening at 79 years old, seemed pleased with the gardens. “Come back later this summer and see what’s growing,” he smiled.
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SUBMITTED
A promotional poster for the Kids’ Summer of Science & Stories. This year’s innovative science and art camp filled up quickly.
‘Wisdom isn’t Rocket Science’ Stern finishes book three of four BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
Marine author Judy Stern has completed the third of four books in her “Teachings of Mother Earth” series. “Wisdom isn’t Rocket Science” follows “Think Inside the Circle” and “Everything SUBSCRIPTIONS 651-433-3845 office@osceolasun.com
Stern
has a Spirit” in Stern’s quest to understand differences in philosophy between traditional SEE AUTHOR, PAGE 2
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