COUNTRY
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017
Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
VOL. 34 NO. 14 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
EXPANSION, RENOVATION: Scandia Elementary. PAGE 6
Marine on St. Croix willow tree declared biggest
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Mud Hens prevail The Mud Hens won the SCVAA 4th grade baseball championship on Sunday, July 15, prevailing over the Iron Pigs in the championship game. The Mud Hens proudly represented their home schools of Marine Elementary and Withrow Elementary. Playing for the Mud Hens: Josh Emison, Wyatt Och, Jack Corbett, Gabe Gibbs, Charlie Engstrom, Mason Simonet, Davis Rolstad, Carson Flynn, Luca Wieland, Martin Weiss, Nicholas Clark, Karsten Schmitt and James Kalmon. The Mud Hens were coached by Matt Flynn and Brian Clark, assisted by base coaches Mike Engstrom, Stephanie LeGros and Connor Simonet. It was a hard-fought journey to victory. “The boys were runners-up in third grade,” said Tom Corbett, father of Jack Corbett. “They were down to their last strike a couple times in an earlier tournament game and never gave up.”
if we continue on this course, that we’ll have a small or large disaster of some kind. … I think anybody would say that’s a lot of people in a small space, and there’s not a lot of room to move.” The city spends between $13,000 SEE FIREWORKS, PAGE 9
SEE WILLOW, PAGE 2
BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
MAX HAYNES | MXFOTOS.COM
This year’s fireworks display in Marine on St. Croix reportedly drew the largest crowd yet, prompting questions of whether the show has outgrown the small city’s capacity to host it.
people who took part: firemen, ambulance people, it takes a lot of people to do this kind of thing. … “I’m trying to be very objective about this,” he continued, “but my opinion is that the event has outgrown the space and the ability of the city to really manage the crowds. I feel that one of these days,
NEWS 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
BY GREG SEITZ REPRINTED FROM STCROIX360.COM
Last winter, forester John Goodfellow and a crew of volunteers counted the trees along the streets of Marine on St. Croix. All 925 of them. They froze their fingers recording the species and size in a digital database. The volunteers were assessing the value of the “urban forest” and helping prepare for its future. The city is using the information to plan planting, maintenance, and is seeking “Tree City” certification from the Arbor Day Foundation. Goodfellow is a St. Croix Master Watershed Steward and the Urban Forestry Plan was his Capstone Project for the program. Most of the trees were spruce or ash (there were at least 37 species total), but one sprawling black willow (Salix nigra) caught Goodfellow’s eye. The tree wasn’t just big, it was huge. After measuring the circumference of its trunk, its height, and the spread of its canopy, he suspected it was a record-breaking specimen of black willow. Twenty-six feet around at the base, the giant water-loving tree was growing in front of a house about 150 yards from the St. Croix River. A trickle of spring water flows through the ditch, over its roots. (Because it is located on private property, the exact location will not be disclosed.) “It is filled with birdsong in the springtime and orioles use it to build dramatically high, swinging nests,” says tree neighbor Ann Kirn. On a frigid January day, Goodfellow returned to the tree to measure it again. It was leafless but still shaggy, sprouting twigs and branches every which way. And it was still really big. He submitted an application to have it declared the largest black willow in the state. In June, state forester Jennifer Teegarden took measurements for the Department of Natural Resources and confirmed it: The tree is the largest known example of the species in the state. It has now been added to Minnesota’s official Big Tree Registry. To make the list, trees are awarded points based on a formula: Circumference in inches + height in feet + 25 percent of the crown spread
As fireworks celebration grows, Marine contemplates risks and rewards After an estimated 15,000 people attended Marine on St. Croix’s annual July 3 fireworks display, residents and elected leaders are reflecting on the future of the event. Resident Gordon Maltby has raised a series of questions he hopes the city will ask itself about the event, leading with, “Has the scope and scale of the fireworks presentation on July 3 outgrown the size of our town?” Councilman Bill Miller invited members of the Marine on St. Croix Fan, Supporter & Booster Group page on Facebook to comment on several of Maltby’s questions regarding public safety, cost, benefits and whether the event has become too large for the town. In response, many offered praise for the celebration. Others suggested tips for crowd management, public safety and minimizing litter. One manager of a downtown business said that their success depends on the influx of customers drawn to the celebration. The discussion continued at Marine’s city council meeting, July 13. “It was a great fireworks,” Maltby said to the council and meeting attendees. “Thank you to all the
ANN KIRN
Jennifer Teegarden of the MN DNR takes official measurements.
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