COUNTRY
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2020
Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
VOL. 37 NO. 15 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
NEWS : Mayoral races in Marine on St. Croix and Scandia. PAGE 11
Flood control options in Bliss debated BY KYLE WEAVER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
two concerns: the first being mixed support from impacted neighbors for paying a $7,000-$8,000 assessment and from township residents for the township portion of the assessment. The second concern was the impact of the coronavirus on the ability of taxpayers to make their tax payments in future. Similar concerns were expressed at last month’s meeting.
Two temporary patches to a much larger problem are on the table in Scandia’s Bliss neighborhood. The Scandia City Council considered two options last week to address flooding in the Layton Avenue area with costs of $47,175 for one and $9,265 for the other. The council took no action on either option. City Engineer Ryan Goodman cautioned that either fix would be temporary, and somewhat local, solutions because flooding issues are prevalent throughout the entire neighborhood and a much larger fix is necessary. “We drew up two options, when we could have drawn up several,” Goodman said. Goodman said development and land use choices made by property owners and the city council have compounded the problem. Bigger houses, bigger lawns, seasonal cabins becoming full-time residences and fewer natural surfaces all contribute to more water run-off. “This has been something that’s been going on and on for a few years,” Goodman said. According to a study by the city’s engineering firm, Bolton & Menk, completed in late 2019, preliminary cost estimates to fully address flooding in the entire neighborhood were estimated at around $430,000. A stream of funding for that larger project, though, doesn’t yet appear to be available. With the Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed
SEE TOWNSHIP, PAGE 2
SEE COUNCIL, PAGE 2
DAN JOHNSON
Mickey Dupont (right) ready to catch a student during a routine from the Flying Colors Trapeze performances August 7.
Acrobatics help children become more self-confident BY DAN JOHNSON STAFF WRITER
What do the words “flexus,” “birdie,” and “cutaway” have in common? All three describe tricks that trapeze artists perform. Trapeze vocabulary is extensive, and rightfully so. Delicate leaps, precision timing, and all sorts of stunts come together to form an entertaining and complex aerial dance. Students at Flying Colors Trapeze know both the difficulty and the reward
of aerial acrobatics. During week-long trapeze summer camps, youths can learn the basics of circus performances. Sherri Mann, the director of Flying Colors, got the trapeze setup fifteen years ago and hosted small clubs for trapeze hobbyists. In 2016, Mann had shifted her focus to empower young people with self-confidence and freedom by teaching them trapeze. Flying Colors Trapeze became partners with the Girl Scouts to host daytime camps for scouts to earn circus-related badges. They also provide training
courses for adults and run special camps focused on personal development. But this year, of course, things are a little different thanks to COVID-19. “Life is life,” she said, explaining her first thoughts when COVID-19 caused businesses to shut down. “‘Roll with it.’ That was my reaction. See what happens.” All of the June activities were canceled to keep the community safe. So were the adult retreats and any other event that SEE TRAPEZE, PAGE 3
Township supervisors delay Panorama stormwater project BY LESLIE MACKENZIE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
After several months of discussion, a decision was reached at the August 6 meeting of the May Township Board of Supervisors to delay the Panorama stormwater project. The combined road and stormwater infrastructure project had an estimated cost of $360,000, of which a third would have come from the Marine-Big Carnelian
Watershed District, a third from residents adjacent to the project, and a third from the May Township budget. A decision was needed at the August meeting in order for the Watershed District to be able to apply for its share of the project funds through a Clean Water Fund grant, due August 17. Watershed administrator, Mike Isensee, explained that the grants are available every year but that the grant-making process is
very competitive and funding has been declining. Township engineer, Katie Koscielak, reported on the cost of materials. Asphalt prices are highly favorable for the project right now. “It is hard to imagine a scenario where it could be less than what is being currently looked at,” she said. The cost of concrete needed for the concrete pipe is expected to rise. The Supervisors expressed
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