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ISANTI-CHISAGO THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016 VOL. 110 NO. 18 www.countystar.com
RECORD-BREAKING DAY: Two Cambridge-Isanti track records set. PAGE 10 REC
Legion honors veterans with new park BY KATHY TOMLINSON NEWS@COUNTYSTAR.COM
Ten years ago Clark Swanson, Former Cambridge American Legion Post Commander, had a vision of a place where veterans and their family and friends could gather in a tranquil setting to reflect on the sacrifice of our veterans. Since then, that dream has taken shape with the recent purchase of a property in Cambridge on
South Birch Street. The park has been an evolving idea according to Swanson. He and his wife, Annette, have had the opportunity to visit many memorial parks across Minnesota, taking note of ideas on design and location. Armed with these ideas, they began the search for a piece of property for the park. After appearing at a City Council meeting with his plans, he received a call from
Mrs. John Larson. She told him that she may have a property that would meet the park’s needs. Her husband was a veteran, and she told Swanson, “I think John would like this.” The property proved to be a perfect location, and the Legion made the purchase for $12,000. HONORING THE MEMORY OF VETERANS Plans for the park have been SEE HONOR, PAGE 8
SUBMITTED
The proposed design for the memorial park includes a granite wall of veterans’ names that can be submitted by family members for inclusion.
YMCA costs, funding options still unknown BY LORI ZABEL NEWS@COUNTYSTAR.COM
LORI ZABEL | COUNTY STAR
No need to be afraid of a nurse
A handful of less than one dozen citizens showed up at the May 2 Cambridge city council meeting to hear a presentation about a possible collaboration to bring a YMCA to Cambridge. Actual details of what a potential facility would cost and how it would be paid for have yet to be thoroughly studied. A series of steps must first be followed before these details can be determined. Anita Lancello Bydlon, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development, and Pat Connelly, Director of Real Estate, appeared on behalf of YMCA Twin Cities with a PowerPoint presentation covering the history and community benefits of a YMCA facility. Bydlon emphasized the programs offered for all ages from babies to senior citizens, including childcare, health and fitness, swimming, kids’ and teens’ programs in sports, arts, science, leadership training and youth camps.
Anoka-Ramsey Community College RN student Rachel Souther greeted J. Davis, a young guest at the school’s Student Nursing Health Fair April 30 in Cambridge. For more photos of the fair and 5k Run/Walk see page 2.
SEE YMCA, PAGE 5
Efforts to reduce drunk driving rewarded BY BILL STICKELS III NEWS@COUNTYSTAR.COM
According to a survey released by USA Today, Minnesota ranks as one of the least dangerous states in the country for drunken driving. Leading the charge in the effort to keep DWI incidents low is a pair of local elected officials – Tenth
Judicial District Judge James E. Dehn and Pine County Attorney Reese Fredrickson. For their efforts, the two were recently presented with separate awards by different organizations. PUBLIC LEADERSHIP On April 20, Judge Jim Dehn was awarded the Universi-
ty of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies’ Distinguished Public Leadership Award for his work in reducing drunk driving in Minnesota. “As a judge, I am often witness to the devastation drunk driving can cause,” said Dehn. “I’ve spent a large part of my career working to reduce drunk driving in our commu-
nity and prevent even more families from seeing a loved one killed or seriously hurt by a drunk driver. I am honored to receive this award, and share it with the many individuals and organizations in our community that are working on smart, innovative approaches to keep drunk drivers off the road.” Judge Dehn has gained na-
tional recognition for his innovative approach on the bench in curbing drunk driving. According to the Minnesota Judicial Branch Director of Communications and Public Affairs Beau Berentson, “Judge Dehn became the first judge in the nation to put multiple-repeat DWI SEE DWI, PAGE 5
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