COUNTRY
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016
Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
VOL. 33 NO. 17 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
RAMP TO FREEDOM: Lions help local resident. PAGE 6
Scandia voters face experienced choices BY KYLE WEAVER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SUZANNE LINDGREN | COUNTRY MESSENGER
An unattended train idles behind homes near the track’s Norell Avenue crossing.
Idling engines raise ruckus in May BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
For years, Deb and Wiley Simonet loved living next to the Canadian National Railway line. “We have a grandson who just loves trains,” says Deb. “We thought it was great.” “Yeah, ‘Come and see the train!’” adds Wiley. “We had no idea,” Deb finishes. As they speak, the sound of a train engine is audible through the closed windows of their May Township home. And today is a good day, according to the Simonets. There’s only one engine idling on the tracks behind their house
and, relatively speaking, it’s a quiet one. The engine cars didn’t always park and idle in back of their house, which sits near the railroad’s crossing at Norell Avenue. “It used to come intermittently,” says Deb, thinking back a few years. “Once a month it would sit back there, then a couple times a month.” By late fall of 2013, the train was parking behind their house, engine running, almost every day. Deb remembers calling to request that conductors park elsewhere during deer hunting season — her son made a habit of hunting there. “I told her when it was going to
be, and I don’t know if it was on purpose or not, but some days the train didn’t come and other days it came later,” she recalls. After that, the low rumble of train engines — accompanied by clacks, clangs and the occasional long whistle — again became routine. “You spend all these years where it’s nice and peaceful and quiet, and then boom,” says Deb. “It’s quite a shock. At first you think it might be temporary.” But it wasn’t. Deb called Canadian National (CN) six months later and again six months after SEE TRAINS, PAGE 2
Scandia voters will choose between a host of experienced candidates on the Nov. 2 ballots. With election filings having closed Aug. 16, there are two candidates for mayor and six candidates for two four-year terms on the city council. For mayor, incumbent Randall Simonson will be challenged by Christine Maefsky, the city’s planning commission chair. Both Simonson and Maefsky have considerable experience in city politics. Simonson, a U.S. Air Force retiree, has served as mayor since 2010 and is seeking his fourth term. Maefsky, a co-owner of the Poplar Hills Dairy Goat Farm, has been on the city’s planning commission for nine years, serving as chair for the last three years. Most of the six council candidates are also veterans of city politics. Seeking election are Chris Ness, Steve Kronmiller, Lisa Crum, Robert Pilz,
Susan Rodsjo and Jan Hogle. Incumbent Chris Ness is seeking his second full term on the council after having been appointed to the council in 2010, then winning re-election in 2012. Ness, a car salesman in White Bear Lake, served for several years on the planning commission and chaired the commission for a number of years. Both Rodsjo and Hogle are likewise former planning commission members and own businesses in the city. Hogle holds a doctorate degree in instructional technology and is the webmaster of her family’s farm business, Twin Pine Farm on Lofton Avenue. Rodsjo is a marketing consultant who owns and operates Granlia Place, a co-working space, on Olinda Trail in downtown Scandia. She also served on the city’s 2010 comprehensive plan committee and helped develop the city’s architectural guidelines for SEE ELECTIONS, PAGE 6
A superior bike adventure BY JESSICA ANDERSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A summer road trip is something most of us daydream about while at work. When the weather is gorgeous and you’ve got a full tank of gas, the thought has probably crossed your mind. It’s a fantastic way to see the land and meet new people, regardless of the exact mode of travel. But for those who want to see a little more of their environment and connect with more people, taking a motorcycle is the way to go. Motorcyclists are a tight-knit community and tend to look out for one another and share stories, even for those
SUBMITTED
Jeff Anderson and Dodi Anderson
who don’t formally ride in groups. Tips and tricks of the best views, places NEWS 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
to stop and grab a bite, or simply roads that are the most fun for riding are ADVERTISING 651-433-3845 sales@osceolasun.com
Oldfield Ave. solar project approved, but begrudgingly
frequently shared, leading to the creation of established and celebrated motorcycle routes. A route leading around Lake Superior is probably the most famous in this region; there is a website dedicated to helping connect those interested with previous accounts, packing lists and local resources to turn to while on the road. This summer Scandia Public Works employee Jeff Anderson and his wife, Dodi Anderson, who also happen to be my parents, did just this. They took a week early in August to drive their 2001 Kawasaki Voyager XII around the lake.
A vote for approval is one thing. Words of approval are another. The Scandia City Council last week voted to approve Ameresco/Greenmark Solar’s conditional use permit for a five-megawatt solar farm on 40 acres near Oldfield Avenue. The council’s discussion, though, made it clear their approval was given begrudgingly. “This was applied for before we could really get this screening thing down,” councilman Jim
SEE ADVENTURE, PAGE 5
SEE COUNCIL, PAGE 9
PUBLIC NOTICES 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
BY KYLE WEAVER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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