COUNTRY
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2019
Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
VOL. 36 NO. 11 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
SCENE AROUND TOWN: Summertime in Messenger territory, in photos . PAGE 6
Watershed district board names administrator CONTRIBUTED CMSC WATERSHED DISTRICT
ROSSETTO: GRAHAM TOLBERT
Michael Rossetto
COURTESY LOOSE MUSIC
Frankie Lee
Square Lake fest announces lineup BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
Square Lake Film and Music Festival organizers have released the lineup for this year’s event, August 10. The roster features a wealth of regional talent and the festival’s first “Sky Score.”
Sky Score If the stars are out, the evening promises a special highlight. Banjoist Mike
Rossetto of Spaghetti Western String Co. and Unarmed Forces will perform the festival’s first "Sky Score," an original composition to accompany watching the night sky. Through a partnership with the Minnesota Astronomical Society, the audience will see live footage of Saturn, Jupiter and the moon projected from on-site telescopes. Astronomer Dave Johnson will be on hand to direct the ‘scopes, pending cooperation of clear skies.
Frankie Lee and regional talent Singer-songwriter Frankie Lee and a full band will perform Lee’s recently released album, “Stillwater,” accompanied by 8mm films from the Stillwater and St. Croix Valley. The footage was captured in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s by photographer John Runk. Lee's album is receiving international acclaim, and festivalgoers will be the SEE LINEUP, PAGE 2
Salt levels rising in Minnesota BY ANGIE HONG EAST METRO WATER
As chloride concentrations continue to rise in lakes, rivers and groundwater around Minnesota, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is working with partners to develop a Statewide Chloride Management Plan that will help to keep residents’ freshwater resources, well … fresh. Chloride (salt) concentrations have been increasing in the Minnesota, St. Croix, and Mississippi rivers since 1985. The MPCA’s most recent water monitoring data show that 50 water bodies around the state – that’s 221 river
miles and 1,400 acres of lakes – have accumulated so much chloride that they are now toxic to fish and aquatic life. While most people are familiar with the harmful impacts of winter road salt, it turns out there are also several other significant ways that chloride makes its way into our environment. Some surprising culprits include water softener salt, agricultural fertilizer, manure, industrial discharges from factories, and dust suppressants applied to dirt and gravel roads. In fact, a 2019 report by the University of Minnesota estimates that 65% of all chloride discharged into lakes and rivers by wastewa-
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Many are familiar with the impacts of winter road salt, but there are several other ways that chloride makes its way into the natural world.
ter treatment plants (136,000 tons of chloride annually) comes from water softeners. Chloride is a tricky pollutant because it persists in the
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environment and cannot be filtered out with practices such as rain gardens, buffer
PUBLIC NOTICES 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
At its meeting on Wednesday, June 12, the Board of Managers of the Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District announced the hiring of Mike Isensee as district administrator. Isensee will be leaving his current position as an employee of the Isensee Washington Conservation District, and as the administrator of the Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization. Prior to coming to the Washington Conservation District, Isensee worked for the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District for nine years. Current CMSCWD Administrator Jim Shaver told the board of his intent to retire in September of 2018. Since then, the Board has explored several options to manage the operations of the district. In May, a board committee interviewed five candidates for the position. “It was a strong applicant pool, but in the end, Mike’s combination of technical skills dealing with storm water and his familiarity with local issues was the best fit for our watershed,” Board President Wade Johnson said. Isensee lives with his wife and two children in Minneapolis. He is also pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at Metropolitan State University. Mike will start with the Watershed on July 5, working with current administrator Shaver until July 31. The board of managers thanked Administrator Shaver on behalf of the district, citizens and watershed partners for his 11 years of service protecting and improving local water resources.
SEE SALT, PAGE 2
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