COUNTRY
Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2018 VOL. 35 NO. 24 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
DISCOVERY OF THE AMERICAS: This week in history. PAGE 6
Council hears report on stormwater pond failure BY KYLE WEAVER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SUZANNE LINDGREN | COUNTRY MESSENGER
Cinnamon Bun Day The Gammelgarden Museum, Lions Club and City of Scandia celebrated Sweden's National Cinnamon Bun Day with cinnamon buns at the intersection of Oakhill Road and Olinda Trail.
Forgiveness illuminated in ‘Risking Light’
What exactly happened and who is responsible were the two core questions. The answers are still pending. Following the failure of a stormwater containment system late last month at the site of the former Zavoral gravel mine east of the Highway 95/97 intersection, the Scandia City Council last week asked for a report on the situation from Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District and representatives of BHE Renewables, which operates the solar facility now onsite.
“We obviously have a lot of examination and study to do to determine what happened,” said Jim Shaver, administrator of the watershed district, which issued stormwater permits for the site. Shaver is coordinating the efforts of the Washington Conservation District, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, BHE Renewables, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the railroad, the city and others to try to determine what went wrong and what mitigation might be necessary going forward. “We have to look back at the process,” Shaver
SEE COUNCIL, PAGE 2 BY NEALY CORCORAN REPORTER
About 160 packed the Marine Community Library last Thursday, October 4, for the start of the fifth season of the Marine Documentary Film Night. Hosted by Gayle Knudson and Paul Creager of the Marine Film Society, the evening featured the documentary “Risking Light” directed by Stillwater native Dawn Mikkelson. Mikkelson attended Stillwater High School and learned editing while working with the school newspaper. She graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in political science and women’s studies, then began her career as news reporter. She went on to pursue long-form documentaries. “I had always found inspiration in people’s stories,” Mikkelson said, “but after 15 years of working with documentary films which typically feature stories based on profound trauma, I was feeling jaded by what we do to each other and how we hurt one another.” Compelled by the idea of forgiveness, she decided to focus on stories of hope. “Risking Light” explores three different real-life stories of forgiveness. Viewers are introduced to Mary Johnson and O’Shea Israel from Minneapolis, Debra Hocking from Bruny Island,
Australia, and Kilong Ung of Cambodia. Johnson is the mother of a murdered son. O’Shae, who was 16 years old at the time, killed her son and served time in prison for the crime. Hocking is considered a member of the “Stolen Generation.” As a result of Australia’s child
ed from his home, separated from his family and tortured as a child slave. Khmer Rouge is responsible for killing 2 million Cambodians including both of Ung’s parents and 50 of his relatives. The film inspires audiences to examine another side of the human experience. Its deeply emotional stories challenge
In May Township, take caution with major landscaping BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
viewers’ capacity for compassion, but show that healing can come through the path of forgiveness. This documentary screening was special. Following the film, Mary Johnson and O’Shae Israel
May Township officials shared a warning last week to residents considering major landscape changes. If excavating and grading run afoul of the Wetland Conservation Act, mandatory restoration can become costly, quickly. The advice was given as the board discussed the unenviable situation of a couple whose landscaping efforts violated the act, apparently without them knowing. Noting that the issue seems to come up every couple years, board member John Pazlar suggested the board take a more active role in warning residents of the potential consequences. “I wonder if there’s [a way] to say, ‘Hey folks, be aware that if you’re going to do any substantial grading don’t just follow what your excavator says, because those guys have demonstrated in the past that they’ll do the work even if they know it might be a violation.” He also mulled the board’s options for reaching out to excavators directly. “We could craft a letter to excavators to say,
SEE DOCUMENTARY, PAGE 2
SEE MAY TOWNSHIP, PAGE 6
PAUL CREAGER | MARINE FILM SOCIETY
Viewers at the kick off to season five of the Marine Documentary Film Night had an opportunity to ask two of the film’s featured sources, Mary Johnson and O’Shea Israel, questions about their story.
removal policy, the government was granted power to remove aboriginal children from their families. She survived years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse with her foster family. In 1975, at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, Ung was evacuat-
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