The Sun 02.26.2020 by The Sun

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897

VOL. 122 NO. 30 www.osceolasun.com $1.00

SPORTS: OHS wrestler advances to state. PAGE 13

OHS ﬁshing team captures State title BY RON JASPERSON SPORTS WRITER

The high school winter tournament season is upon us. Soon the WIAA will crown state champions in girls and boys basketball, wrestling and boys and girls hockey. No doubt excitement will be at a fever pitch when the best team in the state captures their respective title. Osceola high school recently got a jump on the winter tournament season. They didn’t perform in front of massive crowds or probably didn’t even work up a sweat. The Chieftains brought home the State ice fishing title. “The ice fishing team at Osceola high school is a unique opportunity for students,” Osceola coach Rick Stewart began. “We have some students that are involved in many areas of school life and some

students who only have this team as their connection to the high school, with others in between. For these kids, winning this State championship is going to be one of the main highlights, if not the highlight, of their high school career. We appreciate all of the support the community has given us.” Stewart is joined by Jacob Meyer as the main coaches for the Chieftains. Several parents, including Josh Pingel, Mike Wallis, Tim Michel, and Dean Nissen, have stepped up to help coach with other parents offering their assistance when they can. The Osceola fishing team competes in about five tournaments every season. You may not think that there would be much strategy going into the State fishing contest. Just go out and catch some big fish, right? Don’t tell the Osceola fishing squad and their coaches that there is no

strategy. “For State we fished lakes in St. Croix, Polk, and Oneida counties,” Stewart began. “We were able to split the team of 12 up into four groups and target different species. The kids came up with an awesome plan to target the different species and they executed to perfection. This was a true team effort from the planning stages through tournament day. This was a great group who is fully dedicated to fishing. They know how to read lakes, study patterns, and fish hard for long periods of time.” How is the State fishing title decided? It varies by the year. This State tournament was a ‘total inches’ tournament. Each team of up to 12 anglers could register their top five each of bass, pike, and walleye. They could also register their SEE FISHING, PAGE 10

A ‘Leap Year elopement’ BY MATT ANDERSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Every four years, February gains an extra day on Leap Year. Some people have fun traditions; others are lucky enough to have a birthday on the extra day. But, for one local couple, this year marks their 2nd anniversary after getting married Feb. 29, 2012. “I’m a math teacher at the middle school in Osceola, so numbers are kind of my thing,” says Kassi Leisch. “So, I always thought that it might be fun to get married on Leap Year day.” Kassi and husband, Ryan, both decided that an extravagant wedding wasn’t for them. Without any previous plans, the

Leisches decided during Christmas vacation they would elope in 2012. “We thought we could make the ‘Leap Year Wedding’ happen, but we only had a couple of months to pull things together,” says Kassi. Once they started looking at a few locations for their special event, they found other countries have specific rules of residency, blood tests and other stipulations. When they found out that Jamaica required them to be there only 48 hours before being married, they knew their destination. “We found a place that provided a wedding planner, an officiant, witnesses – everything we SEE LEAP YEAR, PAGE 10

NEWS 715-294-2314 editor@osceolasun.com

SUBMITTED

Drew Pingel, a member of the Osceola High School ice ﬁshing team, caught a 30” pike in St. Croix County during the state ice ﬁshing tournament.

School outlines case for referendum BY TOM STANGL PUBLISHER

SUBMITTED

Kassi and Ryan will celebrate their second anniversary Feb. 29.

ADVERTISING 715-294-2314 ads@osceolasun.com

PUBLIC NOTICES 715-294-2314 office@osceolasun.com

A group of around 20 citizens attended the first community information meeting concerning the April 7 referendum vote in the Osceola School District. Nearly every person entering the high school auditorium remarked at the small size of the turnout for the meeting. They could all be forgiven for thinking the auditorium was full since it was difficult to find a parking spot. Home basketball and wrestling were where the crowds were on Thursday night. Superintendent Mark Luebker and Business

SUBSCRIPTIONS 715-294-2314 office@osceolasun.com

Manager Lynette Edwards gave a presentation on the reasons for the referendum, the two questions and how the funding would work if the two ballot measures passed. Several questions were fielded from the audience as well. Luebker explained the district operates within revenue limits set by the state which cap the amount the district may receive each year from state aid and property taxes. The revenue limits have been in place since 1993. The law allows the district to ask for voter SEE REFERENDUM, PAGE 10

BREAKING NEWS, UPDATES Whenever, wherever you are! Scan me with your smartphone

THE SUN

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

www.osceolasun.com

Two crashes claim three lives February 21, 2020 Two Dresser young men have died as a result of a on car accident Feb. 21. McKinley Erickson, 16 And Kegan Koshiol, 15, both died as a result of the accident, which occurred on 220th Street a half mile south of Hwy 8, in the Town of St. Croix Falls. According to a release issues Feb. 21 by the Polk County Sheriff, a sport utility vehicle driven by Erickson was northbound on 220th Street when it lost control on icy roadways and entered the east ditch. The vehicle rolled over and struck several trees. EMS arrived shortly after the reported accident and attempted life saving measures. Erickson was declared dead on the scene. Koshiol was air lifted to Regions Hospital where he later died. The report issued by the sheriff indicated both were wearing their seat belts. Icy roadway conditions are likely a factor in this accident, according to the release. Assisting the Polk County Sheriff’s Office with the crash was Lakes Area Ambulance, St. Croix Falls First Responders, St. Croix Falls Fire, St. Croix Falls Police Department, and the Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office. The crash remains under investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

February 23, 2020 On Feb. 23 at approximately 7:05 p.m., Polk County Dispatch received a call of a two vehicle accident on CTH M just north of the Saint Croix/Polk County Line. A Polk County Deputy arrived on scene at 7:11 p.m. to report that there was a northbound truck pulling a trailer had collided with a southbound passenger car. The truck pulling the recreational trailer was occupied by an adult male driver and two adult female passengers. The driver was attempting to make a left hand turn onto East Cedar Lake road. The occupants were uninjured at the scene. The southbound passenger car was driven by an adult female. This vehicle collided with the truck and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor in this incident. Polk County Sheriff’s Department called out their accident reconstruction team to map the scene of the incident. This investigation is on going; names are currently being withheld pending investigation and notification. Assisting the Polk County Sheriff’s Office with the crash was Allied Fire Alden, Allied First Alden, Allied First Garfield, and the New Richmond EMS Services.

SUBMITTED

Osceola mock trial team ﬁnishes season The Osceola Mock Trial team ﬁnished the season 3-1 and made it to regionals. They were top eight out of 40 teams in their division. At the regional in Minneapolis they were not able to qualify for state. Members of the team included Margaret Nalen, Brecken Styles, Emily Jaroscak, Ethan Robinson, Sean Rogers, Zach Solsrud, Aubrey Johnson, Sarah Carlson, Morgan Johnson, Jacob Jensen, Ella DeRosier, Shaw Styles, Morgan Feldt and Sophia Heyer.

giveBIG St. Croix Valley set for April 28 What does it mean to be a part of giveBIG St. Croix Valley? It means being a part of bringing communities and nonprofits together to make a BIG impact. giveBIG St. Croix Valley, an online fundraiser, returns on April 28. This St. Croix Valley wide, online fundraising day is back for its seventh year here in our communities! While giveBIG St. Croix Valley all happens in 24 hours on April 28, your investment will have a long lasting impact in our communities. In the past seven years in the St. Croix Valley re-

2020 Lincoln Day Dinner Saturday, March 7, 2020

BrowƟne Restaurant and Event Center 1361 100th Street • Amery, Wisconsin 54001 ¼ mile North of HWY 8 on CTY RD H 6:00 PM Social Hour - Cash Bar 7:00 PM Dinner 7:45 PM Speakers Cost: $29.00 at the door $19.00 Students age 25 or under

Dinner: Banquet Buīet Style Roast Beef, Roast Turkey,

communities we live and work in.” giveBIG St. Croix Valley is not possible without our amazing individuals coming together with the common goal of wanting to improve and empower each other. This year giveBIG is excited to announce it is expanding to include more non-profits in Pierce, Polk & St. Croix Counties. Ann Searles, Director of United Way, says, “We encourage everyone to give what they can. All donations are a BIG gift to our community. Any individual or business

may donate.” Qualifying 501(3)(c) non-profit organizations, time to register! If you are a qualified non-profit and are looking for ways to expand your reach and raise more dollars in 2020, then giveBIG is for you. Registration is OPEN at www.givebigscv.org. If you have questions about how you can become involved in this amazing community event, or on registration or company sponsorship opportunities, please contact Sara Haase at sara.haase@ givebigscv.org.

Results from spring election BY APRIL ZIEMER EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM

Unofficial results have been released from the Feb. 18, 2020 spring Primary and Special Election. It will be a race of Republican Tom Tiffany versus Democrat Tricia

The Republican Party of Polk County Cordially invites you to aƩend our

gion, giveBIG has raised more than $1.7 million for over 130 nonprofits. “giveBIG St. Croix Valley is focused on more than just the 24 hour of giving,” says director Sara Haase, “Strong communities are created by individuals empowering one another. giveBIG St. Croix Valley gives each individual the chance to become a hero within our community by supporting their favorite causes. What is so unique about giveBIG is the dollars raised in those 24 hours stays here in the St. Croix Valley, directly impacting the very

Zunker on the ballot for the 7th Congressional District. A May 12 special election was ordered after Sean Duffy, who represented the district for almost eight years, stepped down last September. Tiffany beat Jason Church with 1,924 votes over Church’s 1,542.

Zunker beat Lawrence Dale with 1,730 votes over Dale’s 240. May’s winner will have a short term as the seat will be up for election again in November. The Justice of the Supreme Court primary saw Jill Karofsky and Daniel Kelly beating

MARK PEACOCK reads

Snow Job and The Four Dwarfs

out Ed Fallone. Fallone received 427 votes, Karofsky 1,634 and Kelly 3,208 votes. Locally, Steve Warndahl of St. Croix Falls and Lisa Doerr of Cushing came out ahead of Ted Zindars of Luck, for the Polk County Board of Supervisors District 3 race. Zindars received 92 votes, Warndahl 128 and Doerr 211 votes.

Delivering Your Community

(another “mangled” fairy tale)

Fresh LeƩuce Salad, Italian Pasta, Baked Potato, Mixed Vegetable, Dessert, Coīee

Scheduled Speakers include:

• Congressman Candidate RepresentaƟve • State RepresentaƟve Gae MagnaĮci • Both 10th Senate District Candidates Brian Schimming Keynote We asking those that aƩend to consider donaƟng diapers for the Kevin Nicholson’s No BeƩer Friend CorporaƟon Diaper Drive in sizes 4, 5, 6

Paid for by Republican party of Polk County Didi Gilmore Olson, Treasurer Please RSVP by Friday, February 28, 2020 to: Pat Peterson 2004 110th Avenue Dresser, WI 54009 715.755.2644 / gordy-pat@centurytel.net

Next Wednesday, March 4, 2020 12:30 p.m. at the Osceola Senior Center in the Discovery Center, second ﬂoor

Free Admission

Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897 108 Cascade street Osceola, Wisconsin 715-294-2314 715-755-3316

<www.osceolasun.com>

& FEBRUARY 26, 2020

THE SUN

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FEBRUARY 26 Last Wednesday Meal The Last Wednesday Meal for February will be prepared and served by Hope Evangelical Free Church. The meal will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Osceola United Methodist Church. It is a free meal that is open to everyone in the community.

FEBRUARY 27

GriefShare, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the New Life Christian Community, Dresser. New group. FFI: (715) 557-1431.

FEBRUARY 29

Upgrade your skills running a successful business, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Osceola Discovery Center. To register: https://www.myosceolachamber.org.

MARCH 14 Chili feed and bingo Bethany Lutheran Church in Star Prairie will be having a chili feed and bingo from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Bluebird nest box workshop

SHINE meeting SHINE meeting will be at Hope E. Free Church, between Osceola and Dresser, at 9 a.m.

Tuesday

A bluebird nest box workshop is planned at the Ice Age Center, Interstate Park in St. Croix Falls from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Construct your own box. Small fee.

Cocoa Crawl Cocoa Crawl in Osceola, 1 to 5 p.m. Participating businesses will be providing beverages and treats along with specials and drawings.

• Tech help is available at the Wilberg Memorial Public Library in Osceola from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.* • St. Croix Valley MOPS - Moms group meets the first and third Tuesday at New Life Christian Community in Dresser. FFI: stcroixvalleymops@gmail.com.

MARCH 20 Community Coffee The Osceola Police Department will be having Community Coffee at Caribou Coffee from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Stop in and talk with local police officers.

MARCH 25

MARCH 1

Last Wednesday Meal

All you can eat breakfast

The Last Wednesday Meal for February will be prepared and served by Osceola United Methodist Church. The meal will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Osceola United Methodist Church. It is a free meal that is open to everyone in the community.

The Dresser VFW will be having an all you can eat breakfast from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the VFW Hall.

MARCH 3 Rise N’Shine education series Upgrade your skills running a successful business, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Osceola Discovery Center. To register: https://www.myosceolachamber.org.

MARCH 4 Mangled Fairy Tale Mark Peacock will read a mangled fairy tale, “Snow Job and The Four Dwarfs,” at 12:30 p.m. at the Osceola Senior Center. * Free event.

MARCH 5 GriefShare

GriefShare, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the New Life Christian Community, Dresser. New group. FFI: (715) 557-1431.

“Unplanned” movie shown Options for Women/Tri-County will be showing the movie “Unplanned” at the Alliance Church of the Valley in St. Croix Falls at 6:30 p.m. www.WRTL.org/Unplanned

MARCH 7 Used book sale

Friends of the Library Used Book Sale 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Discovery Center, Osceola. Third Avenue entrance.

MARCH 10 Rise N’Shine education series

Delivering Your Community Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897 108 Cascade street Osceola, Wisconsin 715-294-2314 715-755-3316

Club meets the third Monday, 7 p.m. at the Chisago County Government Center in Center City. All abilities are welcome. • The American Legion Post 221 meets the second Monday at 7 p.m. at the Osceola Senior Center. 715294-3822. * • KC Robert F. Kennedy Council 6567 meets the third Monday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Osceola, 7 p.m.

MARCH 27 Community Coffee The Osceola Police Department will be having Community Coffee at Caribou Coffee from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Stop in and talk with local police officers.

ONGOING * The Discovery Center is located at 310 Chieftain St., Osceola, and houses the Osceola Senior Center, Wilberg Memorial Public Library and the Village of Osceola offices.

Monday • Adult crafting on the first Monday of the month, 5:30 p.m. at the Wilberg Memorial Public Library in Osceola. Registration is required. 715-294-2310. * • The Dresser & St. Croix Falls Area VFW Post #4186 meets the third Monday of every month at 2 p.m. at the Dresser VFW Hall. • The Valley Chess Masters Club meets on the second and fourth Monday, 4:30 to 6 p.m., St. Croix Falls Public Library. scflibrary@ stcroixfallslibrary.org. • Read & Review Book Group meets the last Monday at Dresser Library, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. • The St. Croix Valley Camera

Dr. Thomas Hauge

Dr. Casey Chantelois

Dr. Carla Hauge

Wednesday • Book club for adults at Wilberg Memorial Public Library the fourth Wednesday. Books available at the library. FFI: Anne Miller, 715-294-2310. * • Get Lit Book Club, second Wednesday, 6 p.m. at PY’s in Osceola. Stop at the Osceola Public Library for a copy of each month’s book. • Open Mic Night at PY’s Bar & Grill in Osceola, every third Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bring your instrument and participate in an open jam or feature your own music. Call 715-294-3314 for more details. • Osceola Senior Citizens Club meets the first Wednesday of every month at noon in the Senior Center at the Osceola Discovery Center. *

Thursday • Tech help is available at the Wilberg Memorial Public Library in Osceola from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. * • Polk County Democrats meet the second Thursday at the Village Pizzeria in Dresser at 5:30 p.m.

Saturday • Friends of the Osceola Library meets the fourth Saturday at the library at 10:30 a.m. 715-294-2657. * • Friends of the Osceola Library Book Sale, first Saturday, at the Discovery Center in Osceola, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. * • River Valley Stitchers, second Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Senior Center, in the Discovery Center.

Sunday • Times in Which We Live meets the first and third Sunday at the St. Croix Falls Library at 6:30 p.m. 715-755-3473. or email Steve at thekinzers@me.com. • An open song circle meets at the St. Croix Falls Public Library from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Jordan Dittberner

• Ceramic Crowns (1 day crowns) • Oral Surgery (implants) • Cosmetic • Orthodontics (SureSmile) • Family Dentistry • Sleep Apnea Testing and Appliances • In-house Insurance Beneﬁt Program • Now offering Botox

108 Chieftain St. • P.O. Box 159 • Osceola, WI

<www.osceolasun.com>

715-294-2202 • Fax: 715-294-9995 www.haugedentalcare.com

MEETINGS THIS WEEK

WEDNESDAY

SATURDAY

• Osceola TOPS meets at Trinity Lutheran Church. Weigh-in, 7-8:20 a.m., meeting, 8:30-9:30. FFI: 715-755-3123. • Lego Lab, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Dresser Library. • Non-denominational men’s prayer breakfast, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Osceola Community Church, 651329-9535. • Tai Chi, 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Osceola Senior Center. * • St. Croix Falls Rotary Club meets in the French Room at the Dalles House Restaurant, noon. Lunch, business meeting and speaker. Warren White, 715-483-3010 or website at http://scfrotary.org/ • Adult basic education classes at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC). Call 800243-9482 ext. 4257 or visit witc.edu/adult/basicedprogram.htm.

• Weight Watchers meets at Hope E. Free Church, Osceola. Weighin, 7:30 a.m. Meeting, 8:15 a.m. Kim, 715-417-0683. • Osceola Running Club meets at Mill Pond Park in Osceola at 7 a.m. Saturdays. Go to www.runosceola.org, Paul Smith at 715-410-6047.

THURSDAY • GriefShare, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the New Life Christian Community, Dresser. Free. Meets weekly through April. FFI: (715) 201-2295. • Free Baby & Me classes from 5 to 6 p.m. at Osceola Medical Center. To register, 715-684-4440. • Dual Recovery Anonymous, 7:15 p.m. at the St. Croix Falls Alano. 715-755-3639. • AA meets at Trinity Lutheran Church, Osceola at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at Peace Lutheran Church, Dresser. • Family Game Night at Dresser Library, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. • Osceola Seniors 500 card group, 12:30 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Osceola Senior Center. *

FRIDAY • AA meets at Trinity Lutheran Church, Osceola at 7 p.m. Topic meeting. • Qigong, 9 a.m. at the Osceola Senior Center.

SUNDAY • Pleasant Lake 4-H Club meets the first Sunday of each month at 4 pm at the Dresser Community Hall. Teri Wallis at 715-566-0802.

MONDAY

• The Voices of the Valley meets at 6:30 p.m. at the ArtBarn in Osceola. This group is for adults with special needs who enjoy singing. 715-4940385. • The Indianhead Barbershop Chorus meets at 7:30 p.m. in the government building in Balsam Lake. 715-483-9202. • Divorce Care Support Group, Grace Church of Osceola, 6:30 p.m. • AA meets at Trinity Lutheran Church in Osceola at 7 p.m. and Osceola United Methodist Church at 7 p.m. • Music and Movement storytime, St. Croix Falls Public Library, 10:15 a.m. • Little’s Storytime at Dresser Library, 10:30 a.m. • Qigong, 9 a.m. at the Osceola Senior Center. *

TUESDAY • Storytime every Tuesday at Wilberg Memorial Public Library, 10:30 a.m. * • AA for women at Trinity Lutheran Church in Osceola, 7 p.m. • Seniors on the Go card group, 12:30-4 p.m an the Osceola Senior Center. * • Storytime, Wilberg Memorial Public Library in Osceola, 10:30 a.m. 715294-2310. *

Enjoy the Sun at home! Subscribe today by calling 715-294-2314 or send $29 (Polk & St. Croix Counties) or $34 (elsewhere) for one year to:

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4 THE SUN

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Paid letters season is here

he 2020 election cycle is in full swing and with its return, you can be sure that many others things will follow. Arguments at the dinner table, irate messages on Facebook and a general increase in blood pressure are all on the way for many households. In addition, endless television commercials, lots of robo calls and emails and many candidate ads popping up in your internet browser can be expected. We will be covering elections in our pages as well, focusing on loraces and giving some general Publisher cal information about regional and national races. We understand Tom Stangl that our job is to sift through the noise, distilling the issues so you can make an informed decision on election day. What this also means is it’s time for a reminder about letters to the editor, especially ones that seek to influence the outcome of an election. Last fall, we implemented a policy that differentiates between political letters and all others. Letters that endorse a candidate or a position on an issue are now considered paid advertising. For years, folks have been making their views known about many issues on our opinion pages. Our local readers have written to us on a number of issues over the years, ranging from abortion to fluoridation to immigration to civil, worker’s or religious rights. We welcome the civil discourse on a wide variety of issues on our pages but recognized political campaigns used our letters section to get the word out about their cause or candidate. The campaigns were able to do this and save their marketing budgets for other forms of media, leveraging the news coverage to reach their target market — you. So, we did what we thought was best. We decided to start charging for letters to the editor. Will we still publish letters complaining about the actions of the school board or city council? Sure will. But if you want others to vote for someone or against a ballot issue, you will need to pay a fee. Not a large fee - $25 for up to 250 words, a dime a word for anything over the 250 word limit. If you feel passionate about your cause or candidate, $25 for a letter shouldn’t be a hardship. Everything else is free game, as long as you meet the word count limits, keep it civil and avoid language that could get anyone sued. Here is the official policy regarding paid endorsement letters to the editor. Paid endorsement letter policy “We accept election letters endorsing or advocating for or against a ballot measure, party or candidate as paid advertising announcements. The fee is $25 minimum for a 250 word letter and 10 cents a word for additional words over 250. Like other letters to the editor, the writer’s name, address and phone number are required. Phone numbers are not published. We have the right to reject letters which don’t meet publishing standards and will determine if the letter qualifies as a paid endorsement. Paid letters will be identified with a label and may or may not appear on the opinion/letters page.” If you have questions or concerns, drop me a line. I am happy to help. As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at tstangl@theameryfreepress. com, telephone 715-268-8101 or write me at P.O. Box 424, Amery, WI, 54001. Thanks for reading I’ll keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.

Active member of

HOW TO REACH US: Our office is located at 108 Cascade Street, Osceola, WI 54020. We are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday. Call: (715) 294-2314, (715) 755-3316, or fax at (715) 7553314. TO SUBSCRIBE: office@osceolasun.com The Sun is mailed to the homes of subscribers for delivery every

THE POSTSCRIPT An awful lot of cheese

y husband, Peter, likes buying in bulk. Peter hates paying shipping fees. He never wants to run out of anything and he loves a bargain. This is why we buy coffee in enormous bags, crackers by the case, nuts and raisins ten pounds at a time, Columnist rice in 20-pound bags, and beans Carrie Classon in 50-pound bags. It is sometimes a little alarming when the boxes arrive. I’m not quite sure how he got this way. Peter was the youngest child of six, but I don’t think his family went through any extraordinary hardship. My mother is the ninth of eleven children raised during the Depression and she buys in modest quantities that last for no more than a week or fit in a small canvas bag—whichever is less. Most recently, Peter decided to start ordering cheese direct from his favorite cheesemaker,

but when he learned what he was going to be charged for shipping he began to fume. “Ha! If I buy $100 at a time, I don’t pay shipping!” Peter announced, looking over the fine print on the cheesemaker’s website. He spoke with Ricky at the cheese shop and Ricky confirmed there would be no shipping charge if Peter just ordered enough cheese. Ricky recommended a nice gouda in addition to the lacy baby swiss Peter is fond of. Peter was delighted. “Doesn’t $100 buy an awful lot of cheese?” I asked. Our house is small and our refrigerator generally filled to capacity. “Oh, it’s not that much…” Peter did the calculations. “It’s only about twenty pounds!” I couldn’t deny that was a good price per pound, but twenty pounds still sounded like an awful lot of cheese. Then things were further complicated. I had used this cheese company to buy birthday presents for my dad and they still had that address on file. Even though Peter made it quite clear this cheese was for us—not my father—we got a phone call from my dad about the time

Peter was expecting his big cheese delivery. “Hey, Peter!” my dad said, “Did you order us a big box of cheese?” “Oh no!” Peter said. My parents, who buy little tiny blocks of cheese which they cut into little tiny slices and serve on little tiny crackers at precisely five o’clock every evening with a small glass of white wine, were understandably taken aback by the arrival of twenty pounds of cheese. “That’s a heck of a lot of cheese! Should we mail it to you?” my dad asked. Peter said they should just eat it and my mother expressed doubt that they would ever eat so much cheese in their lifetime. “Oh! You’ll eat it!” Peter insisted. “That’s an awful lot of cheese!” my mother protested. “We can pick up what you don’t eat next time we see you!” Peter told her, and promptly ordered more cheese. Ricky at the cheese company was appropriately contrite and gave Peter a generous discount on his new order so now we have forty pounds of cheese—twenty here SEE POSTSCRIPT, PAGE 6

LETTER GUIDELINES Letters to the Editor are published with priority given to letters that are concise (400 words or less) and exclusive to our newspaper, from readers in our general distribution area. All letters are subject to editing for grammar and clarity and must contain the undersigned’s full name and their address and daytime telephone number for veriﬁcation. (Addresses and phone numbers will not be printed.) Letter writers must live, work or have another connection to The Sun’s coverage area. Due to space limitations, letters that don’t address local issues are not guaran-

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teed publication. Staff reserves the right to refrain from printing a letter. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Letters may be emailed to: editor@osceolasun.com no later than noon Friday the week preceding publication. The Sun welcomes readers’ suggestions for news stories as well as their comments on stories that have been printed. News releases should be typed and include appropriate contact information. They will be printed as space permits in the ﬁrst issue possible. There are no guarantees that news releases will run.

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Election endorsements The Sun accepts election letters endorsing or advocating for or against a ballot measure, party or candidate as paid advertising announcements. The fee is $25 minimum for up to 250 words and 10¢ each additional word. Like other letters to the editor, the writer’s name, address and phone number are required. Phone numbers are not published. The Sun has the right to reject letters which don’t meet publishing standards and will determine if the letter qualiﬁes as a paid endorsement. Paid letters will be identiﬁed with a label and may or may not appear on the opinion/letters page.

subject to editing and are not guaranteed publication. The Sun (USPS 412-760) is published weekly by Sentinel Publications, 108 Cascade Street, P.O. Box 248, Osceola, WI 54020. Periodicals postage paid at Osceola, WI 54020. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Sun, P.O. Box 248, Osceola, WI 54020.

Tom Stangl, Publisher Matt Anderson, Editor Carrie Larson, Production Manager Eric Buelow, Graphic Design Elise Bourne, Advertising Barb Wetzel, Office Assistant Rick Brandt, Delivery

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

THE SUN

www.osceolasun.com

TO THE EDITOR

YEARS AGO

Going back to my old school As a fan of the band Steely Dan, I often belted out the lyrics, â&#x20AC;&#x153;And, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m never going back . . . to my old school.â&#x20AC;? However, after attending last nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community Information Session on the upcoming 2020 School Referendum at OHS, I felt a need to go back to school as a write-in candidate for the Osceola School Board. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now clear the current Osceola School Board is working toward a 5-year Strategic Plan, yet providing only a two-year snapshot of the proposed budget, tax levy, and underlying assumptions. This makes it very difficult for taxpayers to understand decisions being made on their behalf. Partial transparency doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work. I am proud to be the product of a rural public school system in Somers, CT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; much like Osceola with a total student population of 1,600 students at the time. My public education served me well preparing me for college and a career in business. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now time for me to give back whatever I can to my new hometown and public school system of Osceola. Public schools are clearly an investment in the future. And, like any investment using other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money, the stewards of that money should be completely transparent and open to input from taxpayers. While I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grow up here, I should not be a stranger. In fact, most of my local adventures (and opinions) have been expressed in The SUN. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a frequent contributor to the local paper with

um on factory farms, but shocked that no study was ordered or research to prepare for decisions that need to be made at the end of the moratorium. I was surprised at the seeming ignorance of committee and board members re: issues and dismayed by derisive comments and laughter publicly made, in a formal meeting, made by members toward the DNR in the case of the committee and toward absent board members at the board meeting. I hope that in the future members will be able to be more informed, focus on issues and build respectful cooperative relationships with each other and the organizations they work with. Not to mention keeping the best interests long and short term of our county a priority. I will be considering my voting choices very carefully in April as the present situation doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to function in the best interest of the people of Polk County.

my intermittent column, Business On St. Croix. Just search my name on The SUN website and you will have ample insight as to who I am. Please be sure to vote on April 7, 2020. Bernie Desmarais Osceola (Township) Paid political endorsement

Disappointed in the environmental services committee I know that the governance of a county is a complex and difficult thing. To protect and enhance the lives of the people who live here. Financial responsibilities, environmental responsibilities, many issues and decisions to make. The thing is we rely on our board and its committees to make wise, informed decisions, to respect science and laws. Also I would expect the individuals to respect each other and the electorate. In addition I would expect them to develop good working relationships with other government agencies which we rely on. I am dismayed after my attendance at recent board and environmental services committee meetings. I was incredulous when the environmental services committee chose to recommend limiting winter use on the Stower 14mi trail to snowmobiles only. Common sense says the walkers, hikers, snowshoers, cross country skiers and snow bikers can not be on this narrow trail with powerful fast machines. I was grateful for the moratori-

Mary Weinberg Town of Osceola

Socialism Yes, I could stand to lose a few pounds. However I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want the government to force me on to the Venezuelan weight loss program where Socialism has resulted in food shortages that led to the average Venezuelan losing 25 pounds! When you see that nearly 50% of the Democrats of Nevada support a socialist for President I find that SEE LETTERS, PAGE 8

MOVIE REVIEW Sonic the Hedgehog will entertain the kiddos as well as Sonic fans I know this is going to sound funny at first, but Sonic the Hedgehog is probably the most controversial film that we have in 2020 so far. Back in May 2019, when a trailer was released, it was universally panned. People were up in arms because of what this version of Sonic looked like. Gone was the familiar character model that people who have played the video games for years have grown up with. Instead Sonic was replaced by a creature that tried to look a little too real. Everybody hated it, I mean â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;everybody,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; which is hard to do in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society where nobody agrees with anybody. Jeff Fowler, the director, Contributing took the criticism to heart and in an unusal move, listened to the fans and Writer changed the character model back Paul Backstrom to what people expected. So, did the change make a difference? Is this a good movie? Actually, it is a pretty decent movie. Again, Sonic the Hedgehog is about the iconic video game charac-

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ter from Sega. He teams up with a small-town cop to foil the plans of an evil genius who wants to experiment on Sonic. Fun fact for you: writing duo Josh Miller and Patrick Casey are from the Twin Cities. They do a very nice job of writing a script for a video game movie. This is not Oscar material, but they put together a workable story with believable main characters. Especially for genre, video game movies, which tend to be horribly written and terribly acted, this was a pleasant surprise. The visuals are as good as promised and they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take me out of the movie. Most impressive was Jim Carrey. Holy cow, can this guy still act! As the main villain Dr. Ivo Robotnik, he steals the show with his humor and his energy. Sonic and the cop played by James Marsden were solid performances well. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like the role they gave Tika Sumpter who plays James Marsdenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife in the movie. The writers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give her much of a role and the conflict they set up in the movie for her and Marsdenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characters is weak at best. However, this shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ruin your enjoyment of everything else Sonic and Dr. Robotnik. Just to be on the safe side, I should remind folks that SEE REVIEW, PAGE 6

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President Donald Trump 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.â&#x20AC;˘ Washington, D.C. 20500 Comments: (202) 456-1111 or http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ Switchboard: (202) 456-1414 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax: (202) 456-2461

328 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20515 â&#x20AC;˘ (202) 224-5323 www.ronjohnson.senate.gov

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin 709 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 â&#x20AC;˘ (202) 224-5653 â&#x20AC;˘ (715) 832-8424 www.baldwin.senate.gov/contact

Governor Tony Evers 115 East, State Capitol Bldg. Mailing address: P.O. Box 7863, Madison, WI 53707 â&#x20AC;˘ (608) 266-1212 EversInfo@wisconsin.gov â&#x20AC;˘ www.evers.wis.gov

Rep. Gae Magnafici 28th Assembly District

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50 years ago March 5, 1970 â&#x20AC;˘ Jeff Feske and Larry Taylor, Osceola, were named to the All-Conference wrestling team. â&#x20AC;˘ The Osceola Chieftains basketball team was forced to give up their district title for the ďŹ rst time in two years as they lost their opening tournament game to Unity, 58-48. â&#x20AC;˘ The coaches of the Osceola High School basketball team took the boys of all squads to see the Minnesota-Purdue basketball game at the University gym. â&#x20AC;˘ The Vikings basketball team will play a beneďŹ t game against an area All Star team. The game will be played at the Osceola High School gym and will feature Carl Kussulke, Bill Brown, Allen Page, Charlie West, Paul Dickson, Ed Sharockman, Ersell Mackbee, Dave Osborne and more. â&#x20AC;˘ Mr. and Mrs. Charles Elfstrom were Friday evening callers at the Reuben Swanson home, St. Croix Falls.

1208 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515 â&#x20AC;˘ (202) 225-3365 or 502 2nd St., Suite 202, Hudson, WI 54016 â&#x20AC;˘ (715) 808-8160 duffy.house.gov/

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20 years ago Feb. 23, 2000 â&#x20AC;˘ On Feb. 17 Standing Cedars Land Conservancy closed on a 90-acre parcel of land known as the Tewksbury property. It will join the 1,116 acre Englewood property in the Town of Farmington. â&#x20AC;˘ Sara McGuiggan and Jake Luangrath of Osceola were among 37 young people from Wisconsin and Minnesota to participate in the People to People Student Ambassador program. â&#x20AC;˘ Doug Wynveen was named president of The RiverBank, taking over the position held by Craig Danielson. â&#x20AC;˘ Winners in the Osceola Medical Center poster contest were Myles Deiss, R.J. Lowney, Amanda Brockman, Sandy Lindell, Jenna Degner and Toni Brown. Brown took top honors. â&#x20AC;˘ Molly McCurdy of Osceola, a student at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn., will spend spring break on a shortterm mission outreach to Venezuela. 30 years ago Feb. 21, 1990 â&#x20AC;˘ Two families petitioned for the transfer of property from the Osceola School District to

the Somerset School District were denied by the Osceola School Board. â&#x20AC;˘ Jon Olson, Andrea Rud and Johannes VanderBent, all of Osceola, were named to the Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s List at University of Wisconsin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; River Falls. â&#x20AC;˘ Chris Kriesel of Osceola was named to the Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s List at the University of Minnesota. â&#x20AC;˘ A son, Brent Joseph, was born Feb. 12, to Jean and William Lundgren, Osceola. â&#x20AC;˘ Rochelle Callin has been appointed receptionist at Northwire in Osceola. â&#x20AC;˘ Colleen Nelson and Greg Swanson were married Oct. 14, 1989, at Zion Lutheran Church in East Farmington. â&#x20AC;˘ Osceola High School FFA officers include Jim Berg, parliamentarian, John Newman, president; Ted Neumann, vice president; Tim Neumann, treasurer; Marty Roettger, sentinel; Brian Getschel, secretary and Darron Nelson, reporter. â&#x20AC;˘ Pvt. Steven E. Anderson has completed an army motor transport operator course at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Congressman Sean Duffy 7th Congressional District

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10 years ago Feb. 24, 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ Osceola High School student Avery Bundgaard and St. Croix Falls student Gabby Nuckles were named Rotary Student of the Month. â&#x20AC;˘ Congressman Dave Obey was in Osceola to be briefed in Polarisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; use of $4.48 million in federal earmark funding. The money is to be used to produce four-wheel drive vehicles for the militaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use. â&#x20AC;˘ A series of street banners, a new logo and slogan for Osceola were unveiled this week at a public ceremony. â&#x20AC;˘ Osceola High School FFA received at $2,500 grant from AgStar to update equipment in the high school greenhouse. â&#x20AC;˘ Osceola High School powerlifters qualiďŹ ed for state. Lifters included Bridget Hinz, Kim Sol, Mariah Hamm, Ryan Schoenborn, Trever Foss, Ben Peterson and Donald Carufel.

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P.O. Box 8952 â&#x20AC;˘ Madison, WI 53708 (608) 267-2365 or 1-888-534-0028 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax (608) 282-3628 Rep.Magnafici@legis.wisconsin.gov

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THE SUN

FEBRUARY 26, 2020 www.osceolasun.com

REVIEW: Sonic entertains FROM PAGE 5

this is a video game movie, so if you don’t like Sonic the Hedgehog or are not a fan of video game movies in general, I wouldn’t go to the movie. Overall, I would give this movie a B- (A Good Movie). For a video game movie, this one is pretty good. It felt like Miller and Casey did a good job of using elements that kids would like as well as keep their parents entertained. I was impressed that this movie did not feel over top or was not underwhelming. The reason I think the movie turned out so good was because of Jim Carrey’s performance. It was like watching vintage Jim Carrey when he burst onto film, he is funny, engaging, and has a ton of energy. I am happy to report the visuals which were very controversial have been fixed and that also reminds us that we are in a Sonic movie. If you are looking for a kid’s movie that gives you, the parent, a little nostalgia from playing Sonic video games, give this movie a try. I even wouldn’t be mad if they made a sequel. Sonic the Hedgehog is rated PG for action, some violence, rude humor and brief mild language. It was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Patrick Casey and Josh Miller both who were raised in Minnesota. Sonic the Hedgehog stars Ben Schwartz, James Marsden and Jim Carrey.

POSTSCRIPT: A lot of cheese FROM PAGE 4

and twenty in storage with my parents. I suspect this situation gives Peter a further feeling of security. And, while I do shake my head from time to time, I also note that I have never once run out of coffee since I married Peter. We always have plenty of beans and rice to eat and now, I

am quite certain, we will never run short of cheese. In a chaotic world filled with unknowns, uncertainties, and nearly constant change, it’s good to know we’ve got the essentials covered. Till next time, Carrie Carrie Classon’s memoir is called, “Blue Yarn.” Learn more at CarrieClasson.com.

Correction In last week’s edition of The Sun the pull out on the front page of the paper said, ‘The board of ducation has committed to a zero dollar total tax increase for the next two years with the passage of both referendums.’ Lynette Edwards Osceola School District Business Manager It should have said: The board of education has committed to a zero dollar total tax increase for the next two years with the passage of both referendums.’ Lynette Edwards Osceola School District Business Manager

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POLK COUNTY EDC Fiber ib is i an important i part of our economic diet

dmittedly, I am not a history buff. In fact, a recent trip to Madison to visit with legislators made it abundantly clear that I should have payed more attention in my History and Civics classes in high school. But that story will have to wait for another article. Do you realize that it was 1882 the first Columnist when homes in the US had electricity? A Terry Hauer full 45 years later Executive Director in 1927, only half of the homes in the US were wired for electricity.

In comparison, the first broadband was available in the year 2000. And by 2007 half of all internet users possessed a broadband connection. Broadband internet access is the modern-day equivalent to electricity, telephone, and water/sewer services. All of our local Polk County internet providers have stepped up to expand networks throughout the county. And they are doing it with relative lightning speed in comparison to 1927. It’s a big investment of time and resources. It involves many steps including applying for grants, getting legal approvals and working in close collaboration with both government and businesses. But the payoff for our local economy and community is tremendous. Polk County has achieved both the Broadband and Telecommuter

Forward designation from the state of Wisconsin. These designations are important to the people living and working here, but also to those looking to move their family, or start a business here. Over 75% of the county has access to 25 mbps or higher service. This can be as much of a deciding factor for families and business these days as the availability of other essential utilities. Great job Polk County! As our communities and businesses continue to invest in fiber and other broadband resources, Polk County becomes even more attractive for individuals, families, educational facilities and businesses that are looking to leave the high-cost and congested metropolitan areas for the life-style, beauty, educational and career opportunities Polk County has to offer.

together to address the issues facing our state, and over 90% of the bills passed in the legislature have passed with bipartisan support. I’m particularly proud of the tax cuts we’ve passed for the middle class this session. In June, the legislature passed a middle class tax cut with the biennial budget. Although the Governor vetoed a similar tax cut prior to the passage of the budget, I applauded him for signing this tax cut into law. On Thursday, the Assembly passed another middle class tax cut paid for by the state’s surplus revenues. The taxpayers are responsible for this surplus. I’m glad my Assembly colleagues agreed that the proper use for this money was to return it to them, and that this surplus was effectively over-taxation. This tax cut will

save the average filer $106, and a portion of the surplus will be used to pay down the state’s debts. By law, a portion of this surplus will also go the state’s rainy day fund, which is projected to approach $1 billion this year. This recent tax cut will now go to Governor Evers. I hope he will see that this surplus belongs to the taxpayers and that he will sign this bill into law. At the conclusion of this legislative session the State of Wisconsin’s finances are strong. This is not an accident. It is the result of responsible spending and prudent taxes over the last nine years by the legislature. I’m proud of the accomplishments the legislature has had this session while keeping taxes low and returning money to the taxpayers.

28TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT R t i a surplus Returning l to the taxpayers responsible for it

n Thursday, the State Assembly held its last scheduled floor session for the 2019-2021 legislative session. Over the past year, the Assembly has passed legislation to increase funding for broadband access, address the drug epidemic, provide record funding for our schools, increase 28th transparency in District healthcare pricing, much more. Gae Magnaﬁci and We’ve worked

Committee gives green light to Stower additions BY APRIL ZIEMER EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS. COM

One week after Toole Design gave their Master Plan Draft presentation concerning the Stower Seven Lakes State Trail (SSLST) to Polk County’s Environmental Committee (ESC), it has been decided to move forward with allowing additional users to the trail. Public comments were heard from those in favor of additional uses and from those who wish for the SSLST to remain as it is. Amery Administrator/ Clerk-Treasurer Patty Bjorklund read comments to the committee from Amery Mayor Paul Isakson. “We have been marketing Amery as a source of two state trail heads, one is nonmotorized and the other is motorized. That brings in a more diverse group of people to Amery and Polk County to enjoy silent and motorized sports. As Polk County moves forward with its own bicycle and pedestrian plan, the need to connect the SSLST will become apparent and will be a major source of silent sport tourism in the future. It is also a starting

point for Polk County to establish a comprehensive countryside bicycle and pedestrian plan. Please consider keeping SSLT as is for the future of tourism. The SSLST planning process is moving forward too fast and should be included in the overall bicycle and pedestrian plan for Polk County. The Stower is a community amenity for every resident, no matter their age or ability. Someone who enjoys the trail for five minutes sitting on a bench is no less important than someone who takes a Sunday drive on country roads,” said Bjorklund on behalf of Isakson. Dan Draxler spoke on behalf of the Friends of the SSLST. “We remain an advocate for and believe the best use of the trail is to keep it nonmotorized as it is today. It is best for trail, best for the communities along the trail as well as the citizens,” said Draxler. He said they find it to be the safest of all of the options provided on the Master Draft. He held up stacks of papers with written comments provided at a July 2018 session pertaining to the trail. The largest stack he held up, he said were comments

about wanting the trail to stay nonmotorized. He held up a smaller stack with comments he said were in favor of motorizing. He said at that time there were only two comments in favor of horses being allowed on the trail. “We think this is a fair representation of citizens of Polk County and what their beliefs are,” he said. He said he spent most of his career in economic development work and has been interested in the discussion about the economic impact of the various user groups. “Snowmobile trails in the last 10 years have been open a average of five or six weeks a year. Two of those years, the trails have been open one to two weeks a year. I think we need to consider the cost/benefit analysis of investing dollars for a short season,” said Draxler. He pointed out Hayward as an example of a community that sees large economic impact from nonmotorized sports and Danbury as an area that despite having a motorized trail, does not have a lot of economic activity. He said, “The biggest challenge our employers have in Polk County is being able

to attract and retain employees. My generation is retiring. We are being replaced by millennials. Economic data will tell you millennials do not value motorized motor sports to the extent my generation does. If we are going to attract and retain those kids in this county, we need to keep the SSLST nonmotorized.” On the other side, comments from those in support of snowmobiles on the trail came from attendees. Dale Gunderson of the St. Croix Falls Snowmobile Club said they were in favor of sleds on the trail, as did Bob Knutson who lives along the SSLST in Amery. Knutson said not only was he in favor of snowmobiles on the trail, but horses as well. Ben Elfelt, Polk County Parks and Trails Coordinator shared with the committee that emails had come through to Polk County staff in the past week since the unveiling of the Draft Master Plan. He said 127 emails came in in favor of not allowing snowmobiles on any portion of the corridor. SEE STOWER, PAGE 15

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

THE SUN

www.osceolasun.com

WEEKLY MEDITATION

OBITUARIES

Kegan Michael Koshiol Kegan Michael Koshiol was born on Nov. 29, 2004, in Land O’ Lakes, Fla. He and his ffamily moved back tto Wisconsin in 22010. Kegan was a ffreshman at St. Croix F Falls High School w where he participated iin wrestling, cross c country, track, choir, a and performed in the sschool play. Kegan lived life to tthe fullest and had a v very kind, loving soul w with an infectious ssmile that lit up any rroom. The words “I love you” meant a lot to Kegan and he made sure he told everyone how much he loved them when saying goodbye or goodnight before bed. He easily and instantly made friends everywhere he went and flirting with the ladies was a specialty. Family doesn’t mean blood, it’s who you chose to love and embrace in your circle and Kegan had a big circle. His Bonus Family was just as important to him as his biological family. He enjoyed Sunday afternoons and holidays with Cooper and Tate and always kept everyone entertained. Kegan enjoyed everything outdoors from

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a day at the lake to riding snowmobile, dirt bikes, 4-wheelers or tractors. If it had an engine Kegan could quickly figure out how to operate it. He shared a love of hunting with his brother Kyle and enjoyed watching and talking sports with his brother, Kevin. Kegan had a very special relationship with his Bonus Dad and mentor Michael Ward. He looked forward to waking up at 4 a.m. to go bear hunting and sharing some nap time on warm fall days in the deer stand, which was the only time the stand was quiet. Kegan was preceded in death by his grandfather. Jim Loughlin and is survived by his loving family, parents. Greg and Sharon Koshiol; brothers, Kevin and Kyle (Makayla Parks). grandparents, Bob and Joyce Koshiol, Joanne Loughlin, Stan and Nancy Hanson; uncles, BJ Burrows (Marlene), Karl Koshiol, Gene Koshiol (Yvette) and cousins, Kimberly (Abe), Taylor, D.C., Godparents Marvin and Marsha Gray. A memorial service will be at 7 p.m., Feb. 25, at the St. Croix Falls High School with visitation from 6-7 p.m. An additional memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 26, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Taylors Falls, Minn., with visitation one hour prior to the service at church. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the family. Arrangements by the Grandstrand Funeral Home in Osceola. Condolences may be expressed online at www.grandstrandfh.com

NAMI offers class NAMI Barron County invites family members and friends of individuals living with a mental illness to get valuable information about the illness and how it affects the family and others interacting with the individual. The Family to Family class will be held at Amery Hospital & Clinic Conference rooms ABC from 6:00-8:30

p.m. Tuesday evenings beginning March 3. There is no cost to take the class but the information is invaluable. As materials need to be ordered pre-registration is necessary and seating is limited to 15 people. Contact Dana at 715-4910432 or e-mail dana.zimmerman73@gmail.com for more information.

Aaron Rodgers religion podcast fact check BY MATT HAYTON CEDAR BEND CHURCH

Recently, Aaron Rodgers sat down with his girlfriend, former professional racecar driver, Danica Patrick, on her podcast to discuss religion. The outcome of that conversation was Rodgers providing the narrative on why he left Christianity after growing up in the faith. A quick Google search should locate the podcast if you have not seen it, which I recently did with my four kids so that we could discuss it as a family. Aaron makes three statements that I would like to respond to: #1. Rule and regulations and binary systems don’t resonate with me. #2. Only 144,000 are going to Heaven. #3. I don’t know how you can believe in a God who wants to condemn most of the planet to a fiery hell. First of all, I am a huge Green Bay Packers fan. And I love watching Aaron Rodgers play football. If you also happen to be a Packers fan and have children, I highly recommend going to Packers training camp, if never have been– in my opinion, it’s the best fan experience in professional sports, but I digress. I love Aaron Rodgers, the player; however, I do take issue with some of his statements that I believe are inaccurate. #1. Christianity is not binary. It is “tertiary.” Meaning that it has three parts. Yes. Christianity says there

is right and wrong, but what makes Christianity unique is the Christ part. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…” It is this scandalous grace that says Jesus came and died for our sins to pay for our punishment of doing wrong and provide us with grace instead— that is the hallmark for us who choose to follow Jesus. #2. To say that only 144,000 people are going to Heaven is inaccurate and takes the verse that Aaron is referring to, Revelation 7:4— entirely out of context. This verse is understood by all significant Bible scholars to have two logical interpretations: one, it is either a real number of Israelites that will turn back to God when Christ returns or, two, it is symbolic- since much of the book of Revelation is understood to be filled with imagery and symbolism. Skipping down a few verses, Revelation 7:9-10 gives us a picture of what Heaven will be like – there will be a great multitude of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue enjoying eternity together. #3. God does not want to condemn most of His creation. This simply is not true. In fact, 1 Timothy 2:4 tells the exact opposite: God wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. My encouragement to you is the same thing that I tell my kids – seek and then, as this verse says – understand the truth. What I think about God doesn’t matter; neither does what Aaron Rodgers thinks. All that really matters is what is true, and that is up for you to decide.

CHURCH LISTINGS ALLIANCE CHURCH OF THE VALLEY 1259 Hwy. 35 South, St. Croix Falls 715-483-1100 www.stcroixalliance.com Lead Pastor Jeff Naegelen Co-Lead Pastor Chris Folkestad SUNDAY: Worship 10 a.m. ———————— ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH East Farmington Rev. Joseph Madanu SUNDAY: Mass at 9 a.m. ———————— BETHANY LUTHERAN Star Prairie Pastor Dan Pennington (715) 248-3730 blcsp@frontiernet.net SUNDAY: Traditional Worship 8 a.m. Contemporary Worship 9:30 a.m. ———————— BETHESDA LUTHERAN LCMC 1947 110th Ave. Dresser Sand Lake 715-755-2562 www.bethesdalutheran.ws Pastor Peter Rimmereid Associate Pastor Scott Adkins SUNDAY: Contemporary/Traditional worship, 9 a.m ———————— CEDARBEND CHURCH P.O. BOX 414, Osceola Matt Hayton connect@cedarbendchurch.com SUNDAY: Worship, 10:30 a.m. at Osceola High School Auditorium. CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH 150 Fifth Street Marine on St. Croix, Minn. Pastor Joel Martin 651-433-3222 SUNDAY: Worship 8:15 & 9:45 a.m. ———————— EL SALEM/TWIN FALLS CHRISTIAN CENTER Six miles east of Dresser on Co. Rd. F, 1751 100th Ave. Pastor Darryl R. Olson

715 755 3113 715-755-3113 SUNDAY: Morning worship 10:30 a.m. Evening service 6 p.m. ———————— EUREKA BAPTIST CHURCH 2393 210th Ave., St. Croix Falls Pastor Seth Brickley 715-483-9464 SUNDAY: Worship Service 10 a.m. ———————— FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 661A West Street Taylors Falls, MN 55084 651-465-6792 www.firstbaptisttaylorsfalls.com Dr. Kevin Schumann, Pastor SUNDAY: Worship 10.15 a.m. ———————— FIRST EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN 561 Chestnut St. Taylors Falls, Minn. SUNDAY: Worship 9 a.m. ———————— FIRST PRESBYTERIAN 719 Nevada St. St. Croix Falls Reverend David Maghakian 715-483-3550 (office) SUNDAY: Church Service 10 a.m. ———————— GRACE CHURCH – OSCEOLA Pastor Mark Barlow 722 Seminole Ave. Osceola 715-417-0752 SUNDAY: Worship Service, 10 a.m. ———————— GRACE BEREAN FELLOWSHIP 421 4th Street, Centuria Duane Gallentine, Pastor 715-755-2523 FRIDAY and SUNDAY KJV Bible Study/Fellowship ———————— GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH Nye Area/Wisconsin Synod 2098 70th Avenue Pastor Nile Merseth SUNDAY: Worship 9 a.m. ———————— HOLY CROSS ORTHODOX

CHRISTIAN CHURCH Meeting at Zion Lutheran Church 28005 Old Towne Road Chisago Lakes, Minn. 651-260-5100 www.holyx.net Fr. Bill Neumann, pastor SUNDAY: Worship 9:30 a.m. ———————— HOLY TRINITY ORTHODOX CHURCH 523 First Street, Clayton 715-948-2203 Father Christopher Wojcik SUNDAY: Liturgy 9:30 a.m. ———————— HOPE EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH 933 248th Street, one mile north of Osceola on Highway 35 Pastor Nate Roschen 715-294-2112 • www.hefc.org SUNDAY: Worship 10 a.m. ———————— JOURNEY CHURCH 131 Broadway, Amery www.journeychurch.city office@journeychurch.city 715-268-2223 THURSDAY: Latino Bible Study 5 p.m. SUNDAY: Worship Service 9 a.m. ———————— NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY Non-denominational 201 State Hwy. 35, Dresser Pastor Tony Minell, 715-417-1982 galatiansii20@yahoo.com Church office: 715-417-0945 SUNDAY: Worship Service 9:30 a.m. ———————— NEW WINE COMMUNITY CHURCH 309 5th Street, Centuria Pastor Scott Petznick (715) 338-8912 Worship 10 a.m. ———————— OSCEOLA COMMUNITY CHURCH 2492 Education Drive, Osceola Larry Mederich

l it h h www.osceolacommunitychurch.org SATURDAY: 6 p.m. SUNDAY: Worship 9 a.m. OSCEOLA MEDICAL CENTER SPIRITUAL CARE 2600 65th Avenue, Osceola https: myomc.org/wellness/ spiritual-care 715-294-2111 Chapel open daily for meditation. ———————— OSCEOLA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 306 River Street, Osceola P.O. Box 447 Pastor Jack Starr 715-755-2275 osceolaunitedmethodistchurch@gmail.com SUNDAY: Worship 10 a.m. Coffee Fellowship, 11 a.m. ———————— PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA), 2355 Clark Rd., Dresser 715-755-2515• plcdresser.org Pastor Melissa Carmack Find us on Facebook! peace@centurytel.net SUNDAY: Worship, 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. ———————— PRAIRIEVIEW COVENANT CHURCH OF NEW RICHMOND 1396 210th Ave. 2 miles north of New Richmond on Hwy. 65 Pastor Rudy King 715-248-0600 SUNDAY: Worship 10 a.m. ———————— REDEEMER EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH Wisconsin Synod Corner of Adams & Louisiana St. Croix Falls Rev. Timothy Blauert 715-483-3401 SUNDAY: Worship 9:15 a.m. ———————— RIVER VALLEY CHRISTIAN CHURCH LIGHTHOUSE 1289 160th Street

St C i F ll Wi i St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin 715-483-5378 Pastor Jonah Fetzer SUNDAY: Worship 10 a.m. ———————— ST. ANNE PARISH 139 Church Hill Road Somerset, WI 54025 715-247-3310 Rev. Joseph Madanu SATURDAY: Mass 5 p.m. SUNDAY: Mass 8 and 10 a.m. ———————— ST. CROIX FALLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Upper St. Croix Parish 300 North Adams Street St. Croix Falls 715-483-9494 churches@centurytel.net umstcroixfallswolfcreek.org Pastor Ran Yoo Pastor Kooko Kim Sunday services 10 a.m. ———————— ST. CROIX UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP 201 N. Adams, St. Croix Falls www.scuuf.org Rev. Kelli Clement SUNDAY: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sunday 10 a.m. ———————— ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CATHOLIC CHURCH Franconia, MN 651-465-7345 www.stfrancisfranconia.org Fr. John Drees SUNDAY: Mass 9:15 a.m. ———————— ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC Osceola Rev. Joseph Madanu 715-294-2243 SATURDAY: Mass at 4 p.m. SUNDAY: Latin Mass, 8:30 a.m. Mass at 11a.m. ———————— ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC 490 Bench Street

T l F ll Minnesota Mi t Taylors Falls, 651-465-7345 www.stjosephtaylorsfalls.org Fr. John Drees SATURDAY: 5:30 p.m. Vigil SUNDAY: Mass 7:30 and 11 a.m. ———————— SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNOD 140 Madison Street St. Croix Falls Pastor Mark Schoen 715-483-1186 SUNDAY: Worship Services 9 a.m. ———————— TRINITY EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH (WELS) 300 Seminole Ave., (Ct H M) Osceola 715-294-2828 • www.trinityosceola.com Pastor David Rosenow (920-645-7526) SUNDAY: Worship 9 a.m. • Wed. 7 p.m. Bible Class, Sunday, 10:30 a.m. ———————— TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH OF GARFIELD 1578 85th Ave., Amery Pastor Lori Peper 715-268-9577 SUNDAY: Worship Service 9:30 a.m. ———————— WEST IMMANUEL LUTHERAN (ELCA), 447 180th St., Osceola www.westimmanuel.org Interim Pastor Matt Saarem SUNDAY: Worship Services, 9:30 a.m. ———————— WORD OF LIFE FELLOWSHIP Cliff Bjork, (651) 465-7373 366 Bench St., Taylors Falls, Minn. SUNDAY: Worship Service 10 a.m. ———————— ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH (Wisconsin Synod) East Farmington Pastor William Brassow (715) 294-3489 THURSDAY: Worship, 4:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Worship, 10:30 a.m.

These Church listings are sponsored by the following concerned and responsible businesses and industries. They deserve your continued support and patronage! 108 Cascade Osceola www osceolasun com www.osceolasun.com

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8 THE SUN

FEBRUARY 26, 2020 www.osceolasun.com

OBITUARIES

Mckinley James Erickson

Aaron Alan Bracht

Mckinley James Erickson, son of Rich and Kate Erickson, brother to Autumn, Mallory and Mitchel. B Born June 3, 2003, and died iin a tragic accident on Feb. 221, 2020. Mckinley was a driven a athlete with a humble soul a and a kind heart. He was c charismatic and made time ffor everyone. He helped a anyone he could and always o offered a smile. His spirit w will always be remembered a and his presence missed. A memorial service will ttake place at 7 p.m. on Feb. 225, at the St. Croix Falls H High School Gymnasium with a visitation one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family. Arrangements are being handled by Grandstrand Funeral Home in Osceola. www.grandstrandfh.com

Aaron Alan Bracht of Somerset died Feb. 13, 2020. He was 45. Aaron was born May 2, 11974, in St. Paul, Minn., to A Alan Bracht and Connie R Rudd. Aaron moved to St. C Croix Falls at a young age. H He graduated from St. Croix F Falls High School in 1992. A After high school, Aaron sstarted working in the m metal fabrication industry; w which he continued for his e entire career. In 1996, Aaro on’s first daughter, Andrea S Shoemaker, was born. He w welcomed his second daughtter, Payton Bracht, in 2004. In 2007, Aaron moved to Somerset where he continued to reside. Aaron loved spending time with family and friends, cooking/grilling, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, music, bringing smiles to people’s faces and the Packers. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Roy Bracht, Ray Chaplinski and Barb Chaplinski; and uncle, Steve Chaplinski. Aaron is survived by his daughters, Andrea Shoemaker and Payton Bracht; father Alan Bracht; mother, Connie (Eric) Rud; sister, Crystal (Tim) Lusk; nephews, Tim Lusk Jr. and Gavin Lusk; niece, Tadjah Lusk; girlfriend, Cathy Morelli; grandmother, Sylvia Bracht; special extended family, Hannah Gervers, Dalton Morelli, Logan Morelli, Katrina Couillard, Sebastian Couillard, and Ashley Lukes; also many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Funeral Services were Feb. 23 at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Dresser. Arrangements by the Grandstrand Funeral Home in Osceola. Condolences may be expressed online at www.grandstrandfh.com.

STEM class offered Boys and girls in grades 5-8 are invited to UWEau Claire – Barron County on March 14 for STEM Saturday, where fascinating activities and handson experiences foster interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This amazing day will be led by UW faculty—Ph.D mega-minded scientists ready to have fun. The day will be filled with exciting activities exploring the awesome opportunities in STEM fields. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Commons at UWEC-Barron County, 1800 College Drive, Rice Lake. Programming runs from 10 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. There is a small fee and includes lunch. For more information or to register, visit uwec. ly/barronce or call 715-836-3636.

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DUELING PIANOS March 7

Dinner: 6 pm - 10 pm Show: 8 pm - 12 am

Reserved Seats $45.00

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The only way to reserve a table is with the purchase of the Dinner Package which includes your choice of entree, soup or salad, potato, vegetable and homemade hot dinner rolls! LIMITED SEATING, RESERVE your time slot TODAY*! NO REFUNDS. (*Tables are opened up to general admission if guests do not arrive within 30 minutes of reservation time.) General admission $25.00 (at the door). No advance purchase available and subject to availability. SHOW TYPICALLY SELLS OUT PRIOR TO EVENT. River Valley Inn & Suites (715-294-4060) will also be offering exclusive rates for the Dueling Pianos event. Give the discount code “Tippy Canoes” when booking the reservation.

1020 N CASCADE ST, OSCEOLA, WI 1.715.294.4777 | TIPPYCANOES.COM OSCEOLA, WI

LETTERS: Socialism is bad FROM PAGE 5

very scary! I wish the Democrats would read more history. They would see that socialist Hitler was responsible for between 11 million and 12 million noncombatant deaths, while socialist Stalin was responsible for at least 6 million, and as many as 9 million of “foreseeable” deaths caused by deportation, starvation, and incarceration in concentration camps. Then we have the big winner socialist Mao was responsible for 70 million deaths in peacetime—“more than any other twentieth-century leader.” See how the Democrats fight education vouchers so black and brown students are trapped in failing socialist public schools. Now they talk about forgiving college debt that will result in all education being socialized and the government control of all education. The Democrats all seem to favor what they call “Medicare for All” which is really socialized medicine where a bureaucrat decides

what treatments you get, where you get the treatment and by whom and when (sounds like the VA to me). Do you want a bureaucrat to tell you Grandma isn’t worth fixing her broken hip, she can lie there on pain killers until she dies? Please ask them which countries with socialized medicine would they copy? Then you can compare wait times for care, quality of care and innovation. Currently 95% of the new drugs come from the old USA. I hope the Republicans would follow the Singapore model to improve our health care. We also see the Democrats want more gun control for law abiding citizens. How much tyranny do they plan to impose on us that they fear us having arms to resist? I hope the Democrats will see that Socialism will end improvement from innovation, will tax us all equally into poverty and lead to our enslavement to the government. Terry Guanella Amery

Thank you to our Sponsors! 2020 Big Lake Fishing Tournament

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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Two charged in Osceola drug bust BY APRIL ZIEMER EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM

A search warrant executed at an Osceola home by the Polk County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office, St. Croix Valley Drug Task Force and Osceola Police D Department r resulted in m multiple c charges for M Marlaina J. T Tibbetts, 33 a Sara A. and S Schaar-DuTibbetts bois, 36. According t a probable to c cause report f from the P Polk County S Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s O ce, Feb. Offi 1 2020, 13, SSchaar-Dubois h D b i authorities arrived at 124 Hialeah Street in the Village of Osceola where inside they located Tibbetts, Schaar-Dubois and several juveniles. In the living room, a purse was found, within the reach of the children in the residence, which contained two large baggies containing 131 grams of meth, similar to the size of a softball; two baggies of suspected marijuana, a digital scale with residue and a credit card bearing Tibbettsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; name. Tibbetts denied having any knowledge of the purse. Tibbetts allegedly had been living in the basement area of the residence. Additional items related to drug use were found in the basement including a digital scale with suspected meth residue, which was located inside a laundry basket of clothing in a bedroom believed to be occupied by her juvenile son. Also discovered in a dresser drawer was a urine box and packet for fake synthetic urine and documents bearing Tibbetts name on them. In the corner of the basement and near one of the beds was a partially broken meth pipe. Inside the attached garage of the residence an additional bag which contained a small amount of suspected meth, more

POLK COUNTY MARRIAGE LICENSES Devon Charles Chandler of Apple River and Alicia Meredith Ash of Amery are to be married February 20, 2020.

items of drug paraphernalia including another digital scale with residue and a bong with suspected methamphetamine liquid residue. Meth and paraphernalia were located 24 inches off the ground of the area. Schaar-Dubois was interviewed and denied ownership of the purse. She said an area had been set up behind a partition in the garage that she referred to as her â&#x20AC;&#x153;art studio.â&#x20AC;? The drugs and paraphernalia found in the garage were located in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;art studioâ&#x20AC;? area. Schaar-Dubois allegedly said she regularly uses meth in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;art studioâ&#x20AC;? and had last used it that morning. She said she never allows drugs â&#x20AC;&#x153;into the houseâ&#x20AC;? and that children are not allowed to go into the garage. During the interview she allegedly stated that the number of children in the house could be â&#x20AC;&#x153;overwhelmingâ&#x20AC;? at times. She agreed with law enforcement that she was not able to have constant monitoring over who accessed the attached garage and that it was entirely possible for one of the children to gain access to the garage while she and/or Tibbetts were otherwise occupied. Tibbetts has been charged with two counts of Class C felony possess

PUBLIC NOTICES STATE OF WISCONSIN CIRCUIT COURT POLK COUNTY AMENDED NOTICE TO CREDITORS (Informal Administration) Case No. 19PR89 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF -RKQ (GZDUG +RĂ&#x20AC;DQG PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: 1. An application for informal adPLQLVWUDWLRQ ZDV ÂżOHG 7KH GHFHGHQW ZLWK GDWH RI ELUWK $XJXVW DQG GDWH RI GHDWK )HEUXDU\ ZDV GRPLFLOHG LQ 3RON &RXQW\ 6WDWH RI :LVFRQVLQ ZLWK D PDLOLQJ DGGUHVV RI WK $YHQXH 2VFHROD :, $OO LQWHUHVWHG SHUVRQV ZDLYHG QRWLFH 7KH GHDGOLQH IRU ÂżOLQJ D FODLP DJDLQVW WKH GHFHGHQWÂśV HVWDWH LV 0D\ $ FODLP PD\ EH ÂżOHG DW WKH 3RON &RXQW\ &RXUWKRXVH %DOVDP /DNH :, 5RRP -HQHOO / $QGHUVRQ 3UREDWH 5HJLVWUDU 5RGOL %HVNDU 1HXKDXV 0XUUD\ 3OHWFKHU 6& 1RUWK 0DLQ 6WUHHW 5LYHU )DOOV :, %DU 6F :1$;/3

NOTICE TOWN OF FARMINGTON REGULAR MEETING CHANGE The regular monthly meeting for the Town of Farmington will be changed to Monday, March 9, 2020, beginning at 7:00 pm, at the Town Hall in Farmington. Debbie Swanson, Clerk/Treasurer

with intent-amphetamine (>50g), Class D felony possess with intent-amphetamine(>10-50g), Class I felony maintain drug trafficking place, Class I Felony neglecting a child (harm did not occur and child under 6 years or disability), two counts of misdemeanor neglecting a child (specified harm did not occur), misdemeanor possess THC (marijuana) party to a crime and misdemeanor possess drug paraphernalia, party to a crime. All charges filed against Tibbetts have a penalty enhancer attached for a repeat offender. Schaar-Dubois has been charged with Class I felony maintain drug trafficking place, Class I felony possession of methamphetamine, two counts of Class I felony neglecting a child (harm did not occur and child under 6 years or disability), misdemeanor neglecting a child, and misdemeanor possess drug paraphernalia.

POLK COUNTY ARRESTS Kevin D. Strenke, 36, Luck, was arrested February 7 for operating a vehicle without consent (party to a crime) and obstruction. Ashley Lynn Monn, 22, Balsam Lake, was arrested February 7 for operating a vehicle without consent, theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and obstruction. Coby Lee Russell, 18, Frederic, was arrested February 8 for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. Jacob Ronald Lewis, 33, Forest Lake, MN, was arrested February 8 for possession of drug paraphernalia and a probation hold. Steven Michael Unrein, 42, Balsam Lake, was arrested February 9 for domestic disorderly conduct, domestic battery and a probation hold. Marlaina J. Tibbetts, 33, Osceola, was arrested February 13 for a probation hold, possession of methamphetamine with intent (party to a crime), possession of marijuana (party to a crime) and child neglect. Sarah Ann Schaar-Dubois, 36, Osceola, was arrested February 13 for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia,

PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR ALCOHOL RETAIL SALES Pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 125 the following have ÂżOHG DSSOLFDWLRQ ZLWK WKH 9LOODJH Clerk for alcohol retail sales OLFHQVHV LQ WKH 9LOODJH RI 2Vceola, Polk County, Wisconsin. These applications will be conVLGHUHG DW WKH 0DUFK WK 5HJXODU 9LOODJH %RDUG 0HHWLQJ WR EH KHOG DW 9LOODJH +DOO ORFDWHG DW &KLHIWDLQ 6WUHHW DW S P Class B Beer & Class B Liquor

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PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CIRCULATE A PETITION OF DETACHMENT PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the undersigned Owners of the Properties will petition the Village of Osceola and the Town of Osceola for an Order to detach the following described real estate from the Village of Osceola and it will then become a part of the Town of Osceola. A parcel of land located in Outlot 79 of the Outlot Plat of the Village of Osceola (Part of the NW 1/4 NE 1/4, Section 26, Township 33 North, Range 19 West) and located in part of Outlot 9 of the Outlot Plat of the Village of Osceola, (SW 1/4 SE 1/4, Section 23, Township 33 North, Range 19 West), Polk County, WI. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that this Property is owned in its entirety by, and they are the only two residents Dated this 18th Day of February, 2020 By: Chris Vant By: Marta Vant /RW RI &HUWLÂżHG 6XUYH\ Map recorded in Vol. 23 CSM Page 71 as Doc. 716379, located in the SW-SE, Sec. 23, T33N, R19W, Village of Osceola, Polk County, WI. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that this Property is owned in its HQWLUHW\ E\ 6WHYHQ 9ROG DQG he is the only one resident. Dated this 18th Day of FebruDU\ %\ 6WHYHQ 9ROG

/RW RI &HUWLÂżHG 6XUYH\ Map recorded in Vol. 22 CSM Page 70 as Doc. 702244, located in the SW-SE, Sec. 23, T33N, R19W and in the NE-NE, Sec. 26, T33N, R19W, Village of Osceola, Polk County, WI. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that this Property is owned in its entirety by Jordan and Julia Mederich, and they are the only two residents. Dated this 18th Day of February, 2020 By: Jordan Mederich By: Julia Mederich A parcel of land located in Outlots 9 and 79 of the Village of Osceola, EXCEPT those described in Vol. 387, Page 08, as Doc. No. 371529: in Vol. 480, Page 723, as Doc. No. 435259, and in Vol. 486, Page 903; said Outlot 9 being located in the SW1/4 of SE1/4 of Sec. 23, T33N, R19W, and said Outlot 79 being located in the NW1/4 of NE1/4 of Sec. 26, T33N, R19W. EXCEPT: Lot (1) RI &HUWLÂżHG 6XUYH\ 0DS UHFRUGed in Vol. 22 CSM Page 70 as Doc. 702244, EXCEPT: Lot (2) RI &HUWLÂżHG 6XUYH\ 0DS UHFRUGed in Vol. 23 CSM Page 71 as Doc. 716379, Polk County, WI. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that this Property is owned in its entirety by Beth Hansen, and she is the only one resident. Dated this 18th Day of February, 2020. By: Beth Hansen 30Sc WNAXLP

maintaining a drug house and child neglect. Jamen Anthony Goodale, 23, Stacy, MN, was arrested February 13 for operating without ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consent, driving too fast for conditions and operating without a license. Orlin Rufino Perez Molina, 31, Osceola, was arrested February 14 for misdemeanor domestic battery. Kristy Ann Wilber, 42, Neopit, was arrested February 15 for a Brown County WI warrant, two Waukesha County WI warrants, a Department of Corrections warrant and resisting/obstructing an officer. Richard W. Rohan, 66, Frederic, was arrested February 16 for domestic disorderly conduct.

Jason Matthew Fenton, 29, Luck, was arrested February 12 for a Department of Corrections warrant. Kyle David Rufsholm, 32, Siren, was arrested February 13 for contempt/ failure to pay and probation hold. Lorne (Hank) James Jackson, 30, Danbury, was arrested February 12 for a probation hold. Mark Allan Leverty, 28, Balsam Lake, was arrested February 14 for failure to appear. Damien Donald Strenke, 19, Turtle Lake, was arrested February 14 for a probation hold. Alicia Dawm Paukstat, 30, Luck, was arrested February 16 for OWI (2nd), operating while suspended, failure to obey officer and a bond violation.

PUBLIC NOTICES STATE OF WISCONSIN CIRCUIT COURT POLK COUNTY CASE NUMBER: 2019CV000284 CASE TYPE: OTHER â&#x20AC;&#x201C; REAL ESTATE CASE CODE: 30405 Earl Allen Mork, Plaintiff, Polk County, Involuntary Plaintiff, -vsThe estate of Henry Cooper Oakey, Defendant. The heirs of Minnie Oakey, Defendant. NOTICE OF MOTION TO CORRECT LEGAL DESCRIPTON AND TRANSFER PROPERTY TO: Polk County, Malia Theresa Malone, Polk County Corporation Counsel, 1005 West Main Street, Suite 100, Balsam Lake, WI 54810-4404. To: The estate of Henry Cooper Oakey The heirs of Minnie Oakey %H QRWLÂżHG WKDW WKH 3ODLQWLII Earl Allen Mork (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;?), by his attorney Rory E. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan, shall move the court, the Honorable Jeffery L. Anderson presiding, pursuant to Wis. Stat. Â§ 847.07, at the Polk County Justice Center, 1005 West Main Street, Suite 300, Balsam Lake, WI 54810 on March 6th, 2020 at 12.45 pm, for a judgement in this matter, correcting the legal description of Lot 3 FRQWDLQHG LQ D FHUWLÂżHG VXUYH\ map dated July 24th, 1964 and received for recording with the Polk County Register of Deeds LQ YROXPH RI &HUWLÂżHG 6XUYH\ Maps, page 61, as document number 306690 and, consequently, transferring to Plaintiff the following-described parcel of land: Part of the SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 1, T32N, R18W, Town of Alden, Polk County, Wisconsin, including part of /RW RI D &HUWLÂżHG 6XUYH\ 0DS recorded in Volume 1 Page 61 of said maps as Document no. 306690 more particularly described as follows: Commencing at the East 1/4 corner of said Section 1; thence along the East-West 1/4 line of Section 1, N 86Â°35â&#x20AC;&#x2122;27â&#x20AC;?W a distance of 1627.32 feet; Thence N03Â°24â&#x20AC;&#x2122;33â&#x20AC;?E a distance of 361.07 feet to the southeasterly line of Lot 3 of VDLG &HUWLÂżHG 6XUYH\ 0DS Thence along the southeasterly line of said Lot 3, N52Â°38â&#x20AC;&#x2122;15â&#x20AC;?E a distance of 94.98 feet to the point of beginning; Thence, N41Â°14â&#x20AC;&#x2122;06â&#x20AC;?W a distance of 149.11 feet to the south right of way of County

Road â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kâ&#x20AC;?; Thence along said right of way, N89Â°05â&#x20AC;&#x2122;48â&#x20AC;?W a distance of 42.00 feet; Thence, N04Â°13â&#x20AC;&#x2122;46â&#x20AC;?E a distance of 66.11 feet to the north right of way of County Road â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kâ&#x20AC;? and the beginning of a meander line on the southerly shore of Big Lake; Thence, the following being along said right of way and said meander line, S89Â°05â&#x20AC;&#x2122;48â&#x20AC;?E a distance of 43.87 feet; Thence N86Â°55â&#x20AC;&#x2122;37â&#x20AC;?E a distance of 72.51 feet; Thence easterly along the arc of a curve, concave northerly, a distance of 36.76 feet, said curve having a radius of 394.14 feet a chord which bears N84Â°15â&#x20AC;&#x2122;18â&#x20AC;?E a distance of 36.75 feet; Thence leaving said right of way and said meander line, S19Â°43â&#x20AC;&#x2122;01â&#x20AC;?E a distance of 67.11 feet; Thence, S16Â°07â&#x20AC;&#x2122;29â&#x20AC;?E a distance of 78.30 feet along the centerline of 180th street; Thence, S52Â°38â&#x20AC;&#x2122;15â&#x20AC;?W a distance of 77.78 feet to the point of beginning. Including all lands lying between the above described meander line and the shore of Big Lake between a line that bears N04Â°13â&#x20AC;&#x2122;46â&#x20AC;?E from the beginning of said meander line and a line that bears N19Â°43â&#x20AC;&#x2122;01â&#x20AC;?W from the end of said meander line. Containing 0.52 Acres, more or less. Subject to the right of way for County Road â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kâ&#x20AC;? and 180th/ Street within the above described property and subject to all easements, restrictions and covenants of record. The motion and its supporting GRFXPHQWDWLRQ VKDOO EH ÂżOHG in advance of the hearing and Plaintiff shall rely on those anticipated pleadings and on the arguments and evidence presented at the hearing. A copy of the motion and the supporting documentation may be obtained either from the court, whose address is Polk County Justice Center, 1005 West Main Street, Suite 300, Balsam Lake, WI 54810 or from Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorney, whose address is 219 N. Main Street, River Falls, WI 54022. Dated this 17th day of February, 2020. Rodli, Beskar, Neuhaus, Murray & Pletcher, S.C., 219 North Main Street, P.O. Box 138, River Falls, WI 54767. /s/ Rory E. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan Rory E. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan Attorneys for Plaintiffs Wisconsin State Bar No. 1088644 T: (715) 425-7281 F: (715) 425-7586 rory@rodlibeskar.com28-30Sc WNAXLP

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REFERENDUM: Three meetings before vote FROM PAGE 1

SUBMITTED

Good Time Charlie talent show Osceola High School held their annual Good Time Charlie talent show during Wellness Week. Aaron Schmidt, Zeke Lowney and Ryan Leidle performed “Your Man,” by Josh Turner.

FISHING: OHS team wins state tournament FROM PAGE 1

top 10 each of crappie, perch, and bluegill for total length score. “We were the only team in the state to register all 45 fish,” a proud Stewart said. “That was the main goal we had going into tournament day and a huge accomplishment for the team.” The State tournament was originally scheduled to be in the Eagle River area but due to some unsafe conditions the WIFA Board of Directors decided to move the State championship to any public waters in the state of Wisconsin. “This brought a new challenge to the tournament because every school was fishing their home waters,” Stewart said. Osceola claimed the top spot with a total of 578.5 inches of fish, far exceeding second place finisher DC Everest of Schofield who ended the day with 523.5 inches. Drummond placed third,

Appleton East fourth and Prairie Farm fifth. A total of 64 teams were entered in the State competition. Defending State champion Pulaski finished 24th. The winning Chieftain anglers included Lance Wallis, Adam Mallin, Colton Wilmot, Nick Nissen, Eli Sirek, Dawson Rosenow, Brock Studer, Kaden Pingel, Drew Pingel, Coby Heimbach, Kolten Heimbach, and Nick Kremer. The alternate was Max Michel. “I’m so happy that Osceola has this club and that we get to compete all across Wisconsin to fish,” Kolten Heimbach said. “I like this club because we get to learn new lakes and have more opportunities to catch new species and fish with amazing people. The tournaments are super fun and we fish some of the biggest waters in Wisconsin.”

approval to exceed the limits. Voters in the Osceola School District turned down two prior attempts to exceed revenue limits, triggering a 2017 law that “freezes” the per pupil aid. The district is one of four in the state that is frozen below the state low ceiling of $9,700. If question one is passed, the district’s per pupil aid increases from $9,564 to $10,000, bringing in an estimated $400,000 in new revenue annually. Luebker told the audience between 57 and 58 percent of the district’s revenues come from the state with the remainder coming from local property taxes. After the failure of the past two referendums, Luebker says the district has adjusted by not replacing staff and increasing class sizes in lower elementary grades where possible. Luebker said in some grades the district has six sections and has gone to five sections with class sizes of 18-25, which is where survey respondents believe the district should be in class sizes. Luebker says the district has a positive open enrollment, with more

students entering the district from neighboring schools than leaving. The district’s current debt levy is ending, giving the school the opportunity to pass the two ballot measures and keep the total levy at $8,864,614. One of the measures is a $1 million operational referendum for two years to pay for educational programming and curriculum, transportation and safety and staffing. The second measure is a $10 million loan for facility needs that will be repaid over four years. Luebker says the district currently has about $15 million in needs for the district’s four buildings. The needs were pared down to $10 million and would be paid for by the second ballot question. The projects on the $10 million list are for the intermediate, middle and high school buildings. A couple of the questions from the audience were about the elementary school, the oldest of the four buildings in the district. None of the projects scheduled included the elementary school. Luebker was asked if the district was planning to do a separate project

LEAP YEAR: Couple celebrates second anniversary FROM PAGE 1

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to replace or remodel the elementary school after the four year, $10 million loan was repaid. He responded that a 2013 feasibility study showed the building would need $12-$13 million in repairs to be lived in for the next 20 -25 years. It was suggested by an audience member that it could be viewed as the district ignoring the building for it to decay to the point a new one will be required. Other questions and concerns were about transparency in the process and the need to be “more straight forward than the village (of Osceola) did with the Discovery Center.” Luebker had the attendees write down their questions so they (and the answers) can be included on the district’s website in the referendum section’s frequently asked questions (FAQs). The three remaining community informational meetings are: March 3, 6:30 p.m., Osceola High School Auditorium; March 16, 6:30 p.m., Osceola Intermediate School Auditorium and March 30, 6:30 p.m., Osceola Intermediate School Auditorium.

needed,” Kassi says. “We told almost no one. I told my principal to get time off and we told one friend, but that was it, and off we went.” Not every wedding can go perfectly, of course, and a snowday in Osceola almost broke their secret. “It kind of made it challenging,” Kassi says. “There were a lot of people wondering why I wasn’t answering my phone or answering messages. Some were even saying, ‘Sorry you won’t get your Leap Year wedding this year, maybe in four years!’’ After they eloped, Kassi and Ryan decided to let everyone back home in on the special day, but they were met with some skepticism. “Not many people believed us,” Kassi laughed. “I even had a few ignored phone calls because it was an out of country call.” After the wedding, and trying to let everyone in on their adventure, the Leischs enjoyed a typical Jamaican honeymoon before coming home. Now, technically coming up on their eighth year of marriage, Kassi and Ryan have had to decide how to celebrate their wedding outside of a Leap Year. “It depends on who you ask,” says

Kassi. “It ends up in a fun little argument. I’ll say we should do it the day before and Ryan will say it’s too early, and he’ll say we should do it the day after and then I say that we missed it! So, we just say, ‘whenever.’” Staying on the casual side of things, Kassi and Ryan have a rather relaxing Leap Year anniversary planned. “I said I wanted to test drive a car and go out for lunch,” says Kassi. “We have three kids, so we don’t like to stay out too late anymore.” Though this year is a bit more casual, the Leischs were treated to a trip through a sales promotion Kassi took part in, but the destination would surprise them. “I knew Jamaica was the destination, but ironically enough, we ended up at the exact same location as our wedding,” Kassi says. “Once they gave us all the itinerary I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re going to the same resort! And, nine months later we had a baby!” She laughed. This year, Ryan and Kassi won’t have to decide which day they should celebrate their anniversary. After eight happy years of marriage, the Lesich’s will finally be able to celebrate their second official Leap Year Anniversary.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY Blake Flettre of St. Croix Falls graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in accounting on Dec. 20. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES The following students were named to the fall

semester Dean’s List. Osceola: Kristi Getschel, Mattea Johnson, Mikayla Peper. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN –OSHKOSH Ella Durand of Star Prairie was named to the fall semester Dean’s List. MINNESOTA STATE MANKATO The following students

were named to the Academic High Honor and Honor lists (Dean’s lists) for the past fall semester. Dresser: Grace Ulrich, Honor List; Isabelle Ulrich, High Honor List. Osceola: Mariah Gaglio, Honor List; Jackson Lalim, Honor List; Skylar Samples, Honor List.

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Osceola sets sights on tournament play BY RON JASPERSON SPORTS WRITER

JO JASPERSON | THE SUN

Senior Blake Slater surveys the court looking for a crack in the Amery defense. Osceola defeated the Warriors in a game played in Amery.

Good week for Chieftain boys basketball team BY RON JASPERSON SPORTS WRITER

Tournament season is knocking on the door for the Osceola Chieftains and the rest of the Wisconsin high school teams. It is never too late to hone your skills, even for teams that have had disappointing seasons so far. You never know when you can be the spoiler in the tournament. How many upsets can you pull off? Wins have been hard to come by for the Osceola Chieftain boys basketball team but they have been in a lot of games that they just couldn’t finish. In recent weeks there have been more signs of improvement for Osceola. Last week the Chieftains knocked off the Amery Warriors for the second time this season and then played Baldwin-Woodville tough before fading in the second half. “I thought our boys did a great job against Amery,” Osceola coach Jacob Meyer said. “We focused on working inside to the outside on offense and because of that we got better looks from the 3-point line and shot over 50% from outside the arc.” Osceola never trailed in the game played on the Warriors’ home court.

After Amery tied the game at two each the Chieftains ran off seven straight points and never looked back. By halftime OHS had put up 36 points on the offensive end and made life tough for the Warriors on defense. “I thought our boys play pretty physical on the defense end,” Meyer noted. “This is something that we have been focusing on the past couple of games. We were able to create quite a few turnovers on defense that led to transition points for us. It was great to see our guys scoring in transition.” Ashton Measner led the balanced Chieftain scoring with 13 points, Josh Mork added nine and Colin Krentz eight. A total of 12 Chieftains hit the scoring column. Osceola oftentimes gets a spark on both ends of the court from junior Jacob Hall. Hall is usually the shortest player on the court but doesn’t let size affect his play. “I feel like I am quicker than most of the players we play against, so I just use that to my advantage to get by my defender and create a shot for myself or a teammate,” Hall said. “Otherwise I just always try to do what I’m SEE OHS BBB, PAGE 23

The Osceola Chieftain girls basketball finished the conference portion of their season with a couple of tough assignments. First, Osceola was on the road against the Middle Border conference’s top team, the Prescott Cardinals. Then the Chieftains turned their attention to the third place team in the MBC, the Amery Warriors. Although Osceola came up on the short end of both games they played pretty good basketball against some stellar competition. “We played one of our better games of the season down in Prescott,” Osceola coach Mike Haase said. “It was by no means perfect, or the result we wanted, but we challenged a very good team.” Besides being the top team in the conference Prescott is rated as the 10th best team in the entire state. The Cardinals jumped out to a 10 point lead at 14-4 early in the contest but Osceola had come to play. The Chieftains got into bonus early in the first half and cut into the deficit by

converting free throws. With Prescott leading 24-12 Osceola finished the half on a 7-1 run to run the score to 25-19 at the break. The Chieftain run was fueled by baskets by Ellie Gillespie and Arial Branum capped off by a long 3-pointer launched by Emily Fox Prescott built their lead to as many as 13 points in the second half but could not put Osceola away. Then the Chieftains fought back and gave the Cardinals a scare. “We grabbed the momentum when Mallory Johnson hit a three from the corner, followed by an Emily Fox three on the very next possession, and then an Alexis See 3-pointer two possessions later made the score 40-44 with seven minutes to play,” Haase said. Osceola hung tough for a couple more minutes before Prescott went on a 15-0 run to decide the outcome. “Our defense is what kept us in this game,” Haase noted. “Kaili Bradway was tasked with guarding Isabella Lenz and did an excellent job. Several fans, even some from

JO JASPERSON | THE SUN

Chieftain sophomore Alexis See works against Warrior defender Anna Ganje during Osceola’s trip to play against border rival Amery. The Warriors defeated the Chieftains to complete MBC play and now the teams begin WIAA Regional play.

Prescott, commented about her defense after the game. Emily Fox led the Osceola scoring with 16 points

followed by Hattie Fox with 13. Johnson ended the game with seven for SEE OHS GBB, PAGE 23

Osceola hosts WIAA Sectional wrestling BY RON JASPERSON SPORTS WRITER

It is hard enough putting together a wrestling meet when there are eight teams involved, such as the Middle Border conference meet. Osceola hosted a huge meet last week when 26 teams came together at the WIAA Sectional meet where the top three wrestlers in each weight division earned the right to compete in Madison at the State meet this weekend. After the final match was wrestled the team from Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro was crowned Sectional champion. Middle Border conference teams Ellsworth and Amery finished second and third respectively. MBC member Baldwin-Woodville finished fifth while Osceola was 19th. “I mentioned last week that our Regional was tough,” Osceola coach Nate Demulling said. “Well, our Sectional was very tough

JO JASPERSON | THE SUN

Senior Aaron Schmidt wrestled for the last time as a Chieftain in the Sectional meet held in Osceola. OHS junior Thomas Oswald placed third in the 113 pound division and will wrestle at the State meet this coming weekend.

too. I think I counted 15 wrestlers advancing to State from the MBC so wrestling is good in our area.” Osceola had four athletes compete at Sectionals with the highlight being junior Thomas Oswald (113 pounds) earning third place overall thus extending his season to the State meet. Oswald began his day with a 4-0 decision over Logan Trautt of Northwestern. Oswald then lost in

the semi-final match to Tanner Anderson from Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro. Anderson went on to capture the top spot in the 113 pound division. Oswald then defeated Alexander Nitz from Stanley-Boyd/Owen-Withee in a match determined in overtime. He then claimed at least third place when he defeated Luke Blanchard of Bloomer/Colfax by a score of 9-6. Oswald lost

in his match for second place to Ashton Ackman from Spencer/Columbus Catholic. Oswald will wrestle at State beginning Thursday with a match against Wyatt Kaczrowski of Seymour. Kaczrowski will carry a 40-3 overall record into State while Oswald is 39-6. Osceola’s Lucas Sedivy lost in his opening match at 120 pounds in SecSEE OHS WRESTLING, PAGE 23

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020 www.osceolasun.com

SCOREBOARD OHS BOYS BASKETBALL

SHARON WAMPFLER | THE SUN

Saint sophomore Jordan Lee drives to the basket when the Saints against Somerset.

SHARON WAMPFLER | THE SUN

Saint Kullan Parks was honored after reaching the milestone of 600 career rebounds.

Saints win streak snapped at 21, turn focus to playoffs

Saints try at West Lakeland conference title denied

When and Where: Feb. 18 at St. Croix Falls. Outcome: St. Croix Falls 72, Somerset 35 (non-conference) Summary: The Saints ended the season with a 7-0 record against Middle Border conference teams by defeating the Somerset Spartans by 37 points. The only MBC team that St. Croix Falls did not play was the New Richmond Tigers. Highlights: SCF had four players in double ﬁgures in scoring and 10 different Saints had at least one point. Olivia Miron led the way followed by Emily McCurdy with 14 and Lucia Neuman and Brianna McCurdy with a dozen each. Comments: “It was a great night for all the girls to be able to play,” St. Croix Falls coach Angie Maternowsky said. “We are always excited to play a Middle Border conference team. It’s a little more physical game. Good experience for all the girls.” When and Where: Feb. 20 at St. Croix Falls Outcome: Clear Lake 46, St. Croix Falls 39 (non-conference) Summary: It was a match between an immovable object against an irresistible force. St. Croix Falls came into the non-conference game with Clear Lake with a 21-0 record while the Warriors were undefeated at 20-0. Something had to give. The Saints held on to a 19-15 halftime lead but then Clear Lake’s offense began to roll and the Warriors pulled away to a 46-39 decision. Highlights: Emily McCurdy scored 16 points to lead the SCF scoring but the offensive story of the game belonged to the Warriors’ Madison Zimmer. Zimmer hit four shots from behind the arc

BY COACH CHAD HALL

SEE SCF GBB, PAGE 23

When and Where: Feb. 17 at Luck. Outcome: Luck 73, St. Croix Falls 68. Summary: St. Croix Falls was denied the chance of sharing the West Lakeland conference title when they lost a close contest to the Luck Cardinals in Luck. SCF had defeated Luck in overtime the previous week in a game held in St. Croix Falls. When and Where: Feb. 18 at Barron Outcome: St. Croix Falls 63, Barron 48. Summary: The Saints shook off the disappointment of the loss to Luck the previous night and defeated Barron in a non-conference contest. When and Where: Feb. 20 at St. Croix Falls Outcome: St. Croix Falls 66, Cameron 57 Summary: SCF made it two straight wins with another non-conference decision, this time over the Cameron Comets. What this Means: St. Croix Falls ended the West Lakeland conference contests with an 8-4 record good for third place. Unity earned the top spot with a 10-2 record followed by Luck at 9-3. The Saints now have an overall record of 16-5. Upcoming: The Saints will close out their regular season schedule on Feb. 27 when they host Turtle Lake in a non-conference contest. SCF earned the 3-seed in the upcoming WIAA Regional tournament and will host the winner of the game between Bloomer (6-seed) and Spooner (11-seed). The Saints will play on March 6.

Project wingspan

n the United States one third of all agricultural crop production depends on pollinators. They include bees, beetles, bumblebees, butterflies, wasps, some animals and flies. Those may not be a favorite of yours but they are vital to our survival. Imagine walking into a grocery store tomorrow and being told by the grocer that they can no longer get 1/3 of the food you had on your grocery list. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), fruit and vegetable growers in every state, in this case Pennsylvania, can attest to the importance of pollinators and are Wild River promoting habitat because their lives and survival have a direct correlaTrails tion to our lives and our survival Jim Bennett because we have to eat.

Project Wingspan is the best plan I’ve seen and last year became based right here in Wisconsin and will be moving into Minnesota this year. I became aware of all this last weekend when I met Amber Barnes at Pheasant Fest, a large sportsman show in the Minneapolis Convention Center. Barnes is the Wildlife Conservation Ecologist for the Great Lakes Region that includes 6 other states. Her enthusiasm and recognition of the importance of protecting our pollinators brought their plan into focus for me and gave me new insight to bring this vital story and discourse to you. “We are looking to create a pollinator partnership with public land managers and private landowners who are committed to the long term conservation of pollinators, their habitat in what we have named Project Wingspan!” said Barnes. SEE BENNETT, PAGE 19

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Chieftain Boys Basketball Osceola at Amery (unofficial) February 18, 2020 Osceola Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F TP Hall 2 0 0 0 1 4 Jensen 2 0 0 0 3 4 G Slater 0 2 0 0 3 6 Schultz 2 0 0 0 3 4 Mork 3 1 0 0 2 9 B Slater 1 0 0 0 2 2 Maxon 1 1 3 3 0 8 DeRoeck 0 1 0 0 3 3 Daly 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ulrich 1 0 0 0 0 2 Krentz 4 0 0 0 3 8 Measner 5 1 0 3 1 13 Smith 0 1 0 0 0 3 Totals 21 7 3 6 22 66 Amery Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F TP Julson 1 0 1 3 1 3 Melberg 1 0 0 0 0 2 Sowell 2 1 1 2 0 8 White 1 0 0 4 0 2 Flanum 0 0 1 3 0 1 Frederick 1 0 0 2 0 2 Lepak 2 0 2 5 3 6 Oft 3 0 0 0 1 6 Luchtnburg 3 0 3 4 3 9 Moulton 0 0 0 2 0 0 Kurschnski 2 0 0 0 2 4 Totals 16 1 8 25 10 43 Score by Halves 1 2 Final OHS 36 30 66 AHS 16 27 43 Chieftain Boys Basketball Baldwin-Woodville at Osceola (unofficial) February 20, 2020 Baldwin-Woodville Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F TP Ofstie 4 1 1 1 1 12 Roemhild 3 2 0 0 0 12 Lokker 0 0 0 0 1 0 Thompson 1 0 0 0 2 2 Nilssen 4 1 0 0 2 11 Weyer 4 0 0 0 0 8 Karau 2 0 0 0 0 4 Bensen 2 1 0 0 1 7 Lee 0 0 0 0 2 0 Albrightsn 0 0 0 0 2 0 Meyers 0 0 0 0 1 0 Clausen 1 0 0 0 0 2 Totals 21 5 1 1 12 58 Osceola Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F TP Hall 1 0 0 0 1 2 Jensen 0 2 0 2 0 6 G Slater 0 0 0 0 1 0 Schultz 0 0 0 0 3 0 Johnson 0 0 0 2 0 0 Mork 1 2 0 0 3 8 B Slater 1 0 3 3 1 5 Maxon 2 0 0 0 0 4 DeRoeck 0 1 0 0 0 3 Daly 0 0 0 0 1 0 Krentz 1 0 2 2 0 4 Measner 3 0 1 1 0 7 Totals 9 5 6 10 10 39 Score by Halves 1 2 Final BWHS 24 32 58 OHS 24 14 39 Middle Border Conference Boys Basketball Standings February 22, 2020 Team Conf. Overall New Richmond 12-1 18-2 Prescott 12-1 17-4 St. Croix Central 8-5 15-6 Somerset 8-5 13-8 Baldwin-Woodville 7-6 12-9 Ellsworth 3-10 7-14 Osceola 2-11 3-16 Amery 0-13 0-21 Scores February 18 Osceola 66, Amery 43 New Richmond 78, Baldwin-Woodville 57 Somerset 68, Ellsworth 60 Prescott 74, St. Croix Central 48 February 20 Baldwin-Woodville 58, Osceola 39 February 21 Prescott 77, Amery 46 St. Croix Central 61, Somerset 58 New Richmond 95, Ellsworth 61

SCF BOYS BASKETBALL West Lakeland Boys Basketball Standings February 22, 2020 Team Conf. Overall Unity 10-2 16-3 Luck 9-3 14-5 St. Croix Falls 8-4 16-5 Grantsburg 7-5 11-9 Webster 4-8 9-11 Siren 2-10 5-14 Frederic 2-10 5-15 Scores February 17 Luck 73, St. Croix Falls 68 Birchwood 80, Siren 67 (non-conference) February 18 St. Croix Falls 63, Barron 48 (non-conference) Frederic 49, Solon Springs 44 (non-conference) Cameron 76, Grantsburg 62 (non-conference) February 20 St. Croix Falls 66, Cameron 57 (non-conference) February 21

Unity 59, Grantsburg 50 Luck 89, Cameron 86 (non-conference) Cumberland 56, Webster 36 (non-conference)

OHS GIRLS BASKETBALL Chieftain Girls Basketball Osceola at Prescott (unofficial) February 18, 2020 Osceola Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F TP J Wright 1 0 0 0 3 2 Bradway 2 0 0 0 1 4 Gillespie 1 0 2 2 5 4 E Fox 5 2 0 0 3 16 H Fox 3 1 4 4 4 13 Johnson 1 1 2 2 4 7 See 0 1 0 0 0 3 Totals 13 5 8 8 20 49 Prescott Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F TP Goehring 1 0 0 0 0 2 Matzek 1 0 0 0 3 2 Rieken 2 0 2 2 0 6 Benck 3 0 2 3 1 8 Boatman 2 0 4 6 3 8 Dalman 9 0 3 6 1 21 Lenz 6 0 5 6 4 17 Johnson 0 0 2 2 1 2 Totals 24 0 18 25 13 66 Score by Halves 1 2 Final OHS 19 30 49 PHS 25 41 66 Chieftain Girls Basketball Osceola at Amery (unofficial) February 20, 2020 Osceola Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F TP J Wright 1 0 0 0 3 2 Bradway 0 0 0 0 4 0 Gillespie 0 0 0 0 4 0 E Fox 0 2 3 3 1 9 H Fox 5 0 3 7 4 13 Kremer 0 0 0 0 1 0 Johnson 0 1 0 2 2 3 Branum 0 0 0 0 2 0 See 0 1 0 0 2 3 Totals 6 4 6 12 23 30 Amery Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F TP Granica 0 1 2 4 1 5 Monson 0 2 1 4 1 7 Mo Brotzel 0 2 0 0 2 6 Engbrtson 4 0 3 4 3 11 Waalen 3 0 1 3 0 7 Ganje 1 0 0 0 2 2 Bottlofson 0 0 0 2 0 0 Schmidt 6 0 10 13 3 22 Totals 14 5 17 30 12 60 Score by Halves 1 2 Final OHS 7 23 30 AHS 25 35 60 Middle Border Conference Girls Basketball Standings FINAL Regular Season Team Conf. Overall Prescott 14-0 19-3 New Richmond 11-3 17-5 Amery 10-4 16-6 Somerset 7-7 10-12 Ellsworth 5-9 8-14 Baldwin-Woodville 4-10 6-16 Osceola 3-11 7-15 St. Croix Central 2-12 2-20 Scores February 17 Amery 69, Boyceville 31 (non-conference) Durand 60, Baldwin-Woodville 55 (non-conference) February 18 Prescott 66, Osceola 49 St. Croix Falls 72, Somerset 35 (non-conference) River Falls 64, Ellsworth 46 (non-conference) February 20 Amery 60, Osceola 30 Somerset 47, Baldwin-Woodville 41 St. Croix Central 56, Ellsworth 48 Prescott 62, New Richmond 51

SCF GIRLS BASKETBALL Saints Girls Basketball Somerset at St. Croix Falls (unofficial) February 18, 2020 Somerset Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F Anderson 0 1 0 0 0 RGaitwski 2 1 0 0 2 Hoff 0 0 0 0 1 Leccie 1 0 2 2 4 Paulson 0 0 2 2 3 HGaitwski 2 0 2 2 1 Schactner 1 0 4 6 2 McGeehan 1 0 0 1 0 Goldstein 1 0 0 0 2 Rivard 0 1 0 0 2 Totals 8 3 10 13 17 St. Croix Falls Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F K Miron 2 0 0 1 3 Neuman 3 2 0 0 2 S Edwards 1 0 0 0 0 Larson 1 0 2 2 3 Lee 1 0 0 0 0 EMcCurdy 4 1 3 3 2 BMcCurdy 4 1 1 1 1 O Miron 7 0 2 6 2 A Edwards 2 0 1 3 1 Cooper 0 0 1 2 2 Totals 25 4 10 18 16 Score by Halves 1 2 Final SHS 15 20 35

TP 3 7 0 4 6 6 6 2 2 3 35 TP 4 12 2 4 2 14 12 16 5 1 72

SEE SCOREBOARD, PAGE 22

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

THE SUN

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SUBMITTED

KC free throw contest MADDY STENSVEN

Winners from the Osceola Knights of Columbus free throw contest on Jan. 26 were Lucy Hahn, Jacob Haase and Kylie McNutt. They are pictured with KC youth directorJim Steffen.

Saints junior Bennett Bergman qualiﬁed for the state wrestling tournament.

Saints wrestle with heavy hearts

STOWER: Committee gives green light to additions FROM PAGE 6

BY COACH JOE RAYGOR

St. Croix Falls lost a part of their school, community and wrestling program last Friday when McKinley Erickson and Kegan Koshiol tragically lost their lives in a car accident. “This horrendous ordeal has brought perspective on this program,” St. Croix Falls coach Joe Raygor said. “The SCF wrestling program will forever miss Kegan Koshiol and McKinley Erickson and will always honor them by giving max effort in all factions. The community has been struck with a horrible ordeal.” When and Where: Feb. 18 at Cumberland Outcome: St. Croix Falls 66, Boyceville 9 (Team Sectional Semi-Final) Highlights: The Saints won 10 of 12 matches that were contested and also received a pair of forfeits on their way to a big win over Boyceville in the Team Sectional semi-ﬁnal. Kaden Clark (106), Luke Thaemert (113) Sam Glenna (132), Kole Marko (145), Graidy Guggisberg (160), James Kemp (170), McKinley Erickson (195) and Kyle Zehm (220) all secured Saints’ wins by pinning their adversary. Comments: “The kids displayed a conﬁdence that carried throughout the entire dual,” Raygor said. “I was proud of James Kemp getting a huge win at 170 pounds against a tough opponent.” When and Where: Feb. 18 at Cumberland Outcome: Stratford 43, St. Croix Falls 30 (Team Sectional Final) Highlights: SCF found tough going against a powerful Stratford team. The Saints got a pin by Tanner Gaffey (285) and decision wins by Marko and Bennett Bergman to go along with receiving a trio of forfeits. Comments: “Against Stratford we didn’t

wrestle our best,” Raygor said. “I measure the team’s success on the amount of ﬁght displayed. We simply didn’t ﬁght at a rate that SCF wrestling needs to display. Hats off to Stratford though, they were the better team and are coached very well. We will learn from our mistakes and use those lessons to improve. Losses are hard to handle but teach you more in the long run. My biggest adjustments are going to be applied in mental toughness training and strength training. We must get stronger in the weight room to compete with the top tier schools in the state.” When and Where: Feb. 22 at Edgar. Outcome: St. Croix Falls, wrestling with heavy hearts due to the tragic accident from the day before, placed third in the team standings behind Stratford and Cadott at the Sectional meet held in Edgar. Highlights: The Saints brought eight wrestlers to compete at the WIAA Sectionals. Thaemert, Mason Will (120), Marko, Bergmann and Gaffey all advanced to the State tournament. Comments: “As a coaching staff we encouraged the wrestlers to compete but gave them a choice to travel to Edgar or not,” Raygor said. “Overall, we took eight wrestlers down there and every single kid tried their best. Everybody rallied behind each other and focused on giving the most effort possible. We’re beyond proud of how brave these kids are.” Upcoming: The WIAA individual high school State championship starts on Thursday,” Raygor said. “Tanner Gaffey and Kole Marko won’t wrestle until Friday morning. Luke Thaemert, Mason Will, and Bennett Bergmann will wrestle Thursday evening.”

Homeschoolers host EiE program

A local homeschool organization will be hosting an Excellence in Education (EiE) event and have invited local community leaders to attend. The EiE event is designed to show off the hard work of Classical Conversations’ students and to demonstrate the classical model of education to local leaders. The EiE event will be hosted by the St Croix Valley Community on March 3, 2020 at New Life Christian Community Church, Dresser. The EiE program should begin at noon and

last about 30 minutes. Younger children will recite history, science, math, Latin, and timeline memory work, and older students will demonstrate cartography skills and explain the work they have been preparing for their upcoming mock trial. Local leaders invited to this event include local government officials, business owners, city councilmen, church pastors, Chamber of Commerce officers, and families who are interested in learning about the classical model of education.

The short program will be followed by a luncheon. The St Croix Valley Classical Conversations Community has invited the community leaders to stay for lunch with CC families and served by the older students.

One email was sent in favor of not allowing snowmobiles on any portion of the corridor, but widen shoulders between State Highway 46 and County Highway C. 2,877 emails were sent in support of allowing snowmobiles on the entire corridor with no changes to existing trail surface width. Three emails came in support of allowing snowmobiles on a portion of the corridor on separate and shared trails. 83 were sent in support of not allowing equestrians on any portion of the corridor. 20 were sent in favor of allowing equestrians on the entire corridor with no changes to existing trail surface width. Two emails were sent in favor of Allow equestrians on the corridor on separate trails. Committee member Doug Route read from Page 34 of the Draft

Master Plan and said, “Snowmobilers spend twice as much as bicyclists and four times more than cross-country skiers per trip (see Figure 2). However, it is also important to note the average length of season for snowmobiling in Polk County has been four weeks during the past 10 years. To take economic advantage of this short season, it is important to provide a clear, seamless network connection for snowmobilers to make trips through the western side of Amery.” He said he sees that as connecting all three trails together so you can ride all the way across Polk County. “They talk about bicyclists and equestrians having a problem. I don’t see why those problems can’t be worked out. I don’t like the term that one is being displaced. If one biker is being displaced- right at this point in time 100 percent of snowmobiles and

equestrians are being displaced. I think all trails should be common use for everyone,” Route said. Committee members commented they agreed with Route’s words and after listening to public comments and the information on email correspondence from Efelt, they voted unanimously to move forward with allowing snowmobiles and horses on the trail. Polk County staff advised the committee that a new Master Draft will have to be drawn up including information on speed limits and special event permits for the SSLST. A public hearing will also be slated to take place on the matter before the committee sends the Draft to the entire Polk County Board of Supervisors to be approved. If approved by the board, it will be forwarded on to the DNR to ultimately accept.

Schachtner wins award Senator Patty Schachtner (D- Somerset) was awarded with the Jerome Henning Legislator Award by the Wisconsin School Counselor Association. The Jerome Henning Legislator Award is given out each year to recognize those members of the legislature who have made significant contributions to the school counseling profession. Senator Schachtner was chosen for her work supporting K-12 educa-

tion, mental health, and post-secondary education. “As a former school-based healthcare provider, I have a unique respect for the work of our state’s school counselors. They are so critical to the mental health and academic success of our students and I am always proud to stand with them and promote policies that support their efforts,” said Senator Schachtner.

School District of Osceola Employment Head Cook- Osceola High school - Full time school year Looking for a team member to join our school nutrition team! Responsible for the overall operation of the School Breakfast Program & Nat’l School Lunch Program for the Osceola High School. Oversee & work cooperatively with staff of 4 to maintain food safety/ sanitation & provide excellent customer service! Responsible for daily meal preparation, inventory management, food ordering, delivery & acceptance of food/supplies, occasional catering for school events. Looking for a team member with above average leadership, collaboration, written and oral communication skills.

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Requirements: Serv Safe Certified and/or Food Manager Certificate. School Food service experience preferred. Ability to work with Microsoft Office Applications/ Google saavy . Ability to lift up to 5o lbs. Hours-6-1:45pm Submit employment application located our homepage www.osceola.k12.wi.us and search under employment. For questions please contact 715-294-4140. School District of Osceola is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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RISE N’ SHINE Series at Osceola Discovery Center, 8:30 a.m.

ALL YOU CAN EAT breakfast at Dresser VFW Hall, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m

Mark Peacock will read a mangled fairy tale at the Osceola Senior Center, 12:30 p.m.

GriefShare, 6:30 p.m. at New Life Christian Community, Dresser. THE MOVIE Unplanned will be shown at the Alliance Church of the Valley, 6:30 p.m.

USED BOOK sale, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Discovery Center, Osceola.

CHILI FEED at Bethany Lutheran Church, Star Prairie, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. BLUEBIRD nest box workshop at Interstate Park, St. Croix Falls, 1:30 p.m.

RISE N’ SHINE Series at Osceola Discovery Center, 8:30 a.m.

OHS TRACK scrimmage at St. Croix Central High School.

LAST WEDNESDAY Meal at Osceola United Methodist Church, 5:30 p.m.

OSCEOLA POLICE will be having Community Coffee at Caribou Coffee in Osceola from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

OHS TRACK at UW-River Falls Knowles Center. OHS SOCCER vs. Amery, 5 p.m.

The Community Calendar is brought to you by these ﬁne area businesses:

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WIFA STATE ICE FISHING

CHAMPIONS Osceola High School

Congratulations! This page is sponsored by these fine area businesses: Amery Hospital & Clinic Baribeau Implement Bill’s Ace Hardware Boss Equipment Carlson SV MidWestOne Bank Core Products Crystal Ball Farms Culligan

Dick’s Fresh Market Falls Orthodontics Grandstrand Funeral Home Hauge Dental Johnson Motors Marketplace Foods Northwire Osceola Auto Sales & Service Osceola Veterinary Service Polaris Industries

Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperatives Re/Max Synergy – Candi Mueller Royal Oaks St. Croix Regional Medical Center Dr. Steven B. Schletty Scott’s Tire SF Insurance Group The Sun Newspaper 3 Arrows Coffee Company

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CONFERENCE

CHAMPIONS St. Croix Falls Girls Basketball

Dick’s Fresh Market Falls Orthodontics Grandstrand Funeral Home Hauge Dental Johnson Motors Marketplace Foods Northwire Osceola Auto Sales & Service Osceola Veterinary Service Polaris Industries

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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Lent starts on Wednesday

BENNETT: Pollinators are vital to our survival FROM PAGE 15

“We are a grant funded and reaching out for people who are committed to enhancing their land for monarch butterflies (down 50% in numbers), rusty patched bumble bees (down 90% in numbers and the Minnesota State Insect) as well as other imperiled pollinators. We are asking anyone interested who are public or private land stewards to participate in a preliminary online survey to identify habitat areas (minimum of 1 acre) across the land.” Barnes added, “We are looking to

connect volunteer groups identify vital wild flowers and plants to collect seed as a first step. They would then be redirected to work with a coordinator on the various projects. It’s all about planning, preparing and becoming part of the team with those hosting the trainings, later on their own, for the same end goal--preserving precious habitat.” As Barnes put it, “Regardless of where your interest lays, it’s the animal, the pollinator that is more important. It’s all about the resource, the habitat that supports all of us. That habitat is crucial for

our well being and our way of life we have right now.” What can you do to get started? Barnes said to visit this link to complete the online survey: http:// www.pollinator.org/wingspan/ survey or you can e-mail Elizzabeth Kaufman at ek@pollinator. org to learn more. Jim Bennett is an outdoorsman who lives and worked in the St. Croix River Valley and can be reached at jamesbennett24@gmail. com

HOROSCOPES

ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, you are seeking success but are frustrated by a lack of results. Explore some new ways to approach your goals, and your mood can improve. TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, sometimes the road you are traveling on has an unexpected detour. Rather than get frustrated by the situation, enjoy the new scenery that comes along the way. GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, the more research you do, the more secure you will feel with your decisions. You may have to delve a little further into a decision in the days to come. CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Your career is about to take a unique turn, Cancer. However, you may have to devote some more of your personal time

to be able to handle the new responsibilities. LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 Whatever problems have cropped up around the house can be easily remedied, Leo. There is no need to stress about them. Instead, get a new perspective. VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Friendly and approachable is what you need to be this week, Virgo. Someone may be watching you carefully, and you need to be mindful of perceptions. LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, you’re all revved up and ready to go but really have no solid destination. Don’t fret. Some inspiration will soon come to you and guide your path. SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Pay attention to all of the small details, as they help

complete the bigger picture, Scorpio. This involves dotting every “i” and crossing every “t.” Follow up on all loose ends. SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, express how you are feeling, even if all of your beliefs aren’t popular with everyone. Don’t worry; there are many people who are in your corner. CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 Don’t be intimidated by other people who think they have all of the answers. Be bold and your assertive attitude will soon lead to positive results. AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Taking each day as it comes without thinking too much about where you are going could be a great strategy right now, Aquarius. Overthinking things could be a recipe for trouble.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 It is one thing to have big ideas, but quite another to put plans into action, Pisces. You are ready to step up this week and make things happen. FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS FEBRUARY 23 Josh Gad, Actor (39) FEBRUARY 24 Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Boxer (43) FEBRUARY 25 Sean Astin, Actor (49) FEBRUARY 26 CL, Rapper (29) FEBRUARY 27 Josh Groban, Singer (39) FEBRUARY 28 Patrick Monahan, Singer (51) FEBRUARY 29 Cam Ward, Athlete (36)

CLUES ACROSS 1. Stain one’s hands 7. Subdivision 10. A passage to be performed slow 12. Invests in little enterprises 13. Medians 14. Member of the giraffe family 15. Makes official 16. Choose in an election 17. Hill or rocky peak 18. Member of an ancient Iranian people 19. Crest of a hill 21. Small, faint constellation 22. Cultivated from crops that yield oil 27. The ancient Egyptian sun god 28. Hollywood tough guy 33. Chinese drums 34. Merits 36. Indicates center 37. Increases motor speed 38. Mentally ﬁt 39. BBQ favorite 40. Wings 41. Female parents 44. Marks left from wounds 45. Soften by soaking in liquid 48. They resist authority (slang) 49. Formats 50. Many subconsciousnesses 51. Vogues

CLUES DOWN 1. Mental object 2. Blackbird 3. Undergarments 4. Old cloth 5. One from Utah 6. Greek goddess of the dawn 7. Become less intense

8. Developed to readiness 9. Defunct phone company 10. About Freemason 11. Taking everything into account 12. Famed Czech engineer 14. Impress into silence 17. Boxing term

18. Marketplaces 20. Pounds per square inch 23. Locomotives 24. Short musical composition 25. Football position (abbr.) 26. Heavyhearted 29. Denotes particular region 30. Famed NHLer 31. Ingested too much 32. Formulates 35. Sino-Soviet block (abbr.)

36. Broad, shallow craters 38. Thick cuts 40. Breezed through 41. Breakfast is one 42. “Rule, Britannia” composer 43. Periodicals (slang) 44. Indian title of respect 45. More (Spanish) 46. Creation 47. A loud utterance

ebruary 26 is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent. The observance ends Thursday, April 9 on Holy Thursday. Lent is a Christian ritual representing the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. Lent is a time when catholic Christians give up something--a sacrifice. Many abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays. Some also give up things like sugar, alcohol, or something that means a lot to them. A research firm to the restauindustry found that 24 percent Wild Chow rant of people who eat out observe Lent. Seafood sales also jump up 20 Lisa Erickson percent as well. From restaurant menus to school lunches, it is normal to see fish or vegetarian offerings on Fridays. Think of fish frys on Fridays and tuna melts or fish sticks in school lunch programs. Even if you don’t observe or celebrate Lent, trying some new recipes with fish or seafood is a win. If you’re not a fan of salmon, you can substitute crab meat or tuna. Modern Salmon Hot dish 3 cups wide egg noodles, partially cooked 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup celery, sliced 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 1 carrot, sliced 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced 1/2 onion, diced 1/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp each salt and ground black pepper 2 ½ cups whole milk 1 Tbsp mild Dijon mustard 12-15 ounces canned salmon (tuna or crab meat can be substituted) 1 cup frozen peas, thawed 12 oz mild cheddar cheese, shredded, divided—reserving ½ cup for top 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated fine 1/2 tsp paprika 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 Tbsp butter, melted Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking oil and set aside. Cook the noodles according to package directions, removing 3-4 minutes before recommended cook time is finished. Drain, and set aside. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, and onion. Cook until vegetables are tender; about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly add milk and cook, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Stir in Dijon mustard. Remove from heat and add salmon, peas, noodles and cheddar cheese, reserving ½ cup for the top. Pour mixture into the prepared dish. In a small bowl, combine panko, Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle remaining cheddar over the top of the hot dish. Sprinkle the panko/cheese mixture over the cheddar cheese. Bake casserole for 30 minutes, uncovered, or until heated through and the top is golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Lisa Erickson is a food columnist who loves adventure and food. You can find more recipes at www. wild-chow.com or email her at wildchowrecipes@ gmail.com.

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715-294-2500 715-755-2500

522 Northeast Avenue Dresser, WI 54009 715-755-2511

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Place an ad in the BUSINESS DIRECTORY 715-294-2314 715-755-3316

A referral based networking group in the upper St. Croix Valley providing networking for professionals in a wide variety of industries.

PHONE: 715-294-2314 | FAX: 715-755-3314

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

THE SUN

www.osceolasun.com

102

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Notices

Services

For Sale

Thanks St. Jude for prayers answered.

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Problems with your car insurance? Tickets? Accidents? Been canceled? Call Noah Insurance for help at 715-294-2017.

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Erickson piano service. Bryan Erickson Tuning-RegulationRepair 715-463-5958 \ 507-475-2584

RESUMES copied for free if you have been laid off and looking for work. Stop in at The Sun, 108 Cascade, Osceola.

352

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Director, Technology Services Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College WITC Campus Locations: Ashland, New Richmond, Superior Shell Lake – Administrative Office Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is seeking applications from qualified candidates in interest of the fulltime position of Director, Technology Services. This position can be housed at the following campus locations: Ashland, New Richmond, and Superior or at the Shell Lake – Administrative Office. Accountable for defining and delivering IT strategy and capabilities across the College. This includes data analytics and business intelligence, development and support, infrastructure, security and technical services. The position is responsible for giving oversight and direction to IT and business leaders on strategy, standards, and opportunities for shared services and economies of scale. Is a key contributor to the College’s strategy and planning process and responsible both for IT operations and for technology and digital innovation. It is critical for the Director to build strong and productive relationships with all business unit leaders, acting as a true partner and making IT a business enabler. For a complete job description, list of qualifications, and to apply: Visit our website at: https://www.witc.edu/about-witc/employment

Deadline to apply: March 2, 2020 WITC is an Equal Opportunity/Access/ Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer and Educator TTY 711

To place an ad call: 715-294-2314

www.osceolasun.com

Home/Office THE SUN HAS YOUR office supplies – File folders, labels, register and other tapes, envelopes of many sizes, copy paper by ream or sheet and much more. Let us help you today, 108 Cascade, Osceola. 715-294-2314.

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Responsibilities include building delivery loads, operating forklift, unloading trucks, delivering materials COUNTER SALESPERSON SALES to job sites, assisting customers in yard,COUNTER maintaining yard in a clean and organized fashion, inventory counts, and other duties assigned while observing all safety rules and regulations. A successful candidate will have a clean driving record, capable of lifting 80 pounds, ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment, strong organizational and communication skills, problem solver with an eagerness to learn, and a good team player with an excellent customer service attitude.

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Responsibilities include providing prompt, quality service to all customers and assist in maintaining store in an attractive, well-displayed condition. Job duties include greeting and assisting customers with their purchases, working the cash register, mixing paint, ordering stock and special-order merchandise, receiving incoming orders, restocking shelves, setting up store displays, assisting with store events, answering phones, maintaining cleanliness of store, and any other assigned duty. Candidate should be customer service focused with a positive, energetic attitude that is able to multi-task in a fast-paced environment. Prefer someone experienced with computers and the building/hardware industry. Willing to train the right person. Submit your resume in person or online to: Lampert Lumber, Attn: Richard Smith 201 Keller Ave S., Amery, WI 54001 rsmith@LampertLumber.com Application deadline is March 2020. All positions will require a background check and drug screening.

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22 THE SUN

FEBRUARY 26, 2020 www.osceolasun.com

SCOREBOARD: Osceola High School/St. Croix Falls High School athletic results FROM PAGE 14 SCFHS

33 39 72 Saints Girls Basketball Clear Lake at St. Croix Falls (unofﬁcial) February 20, 2020 Clear Lake Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F TP MaRosen 2 0 2 5 4 6 J Rosen 2 0 0 3 1 4 L Rosen 0 0 0 0 1 0 Zimmer 2 4 9 10 3 25 MadRosen 5 0 1 2 3 11 Vangsness 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 11 4 12 20 13 46 St. Croix Falls Individuals 2’s 3’s FTM FTA F TP K Miron 0 0 0 0 4 0 Neuman 1 2 0 0 4 8 Larson 2 0 0 0 0 4 EMcCurdy 3 2 4 4 4 16

BMcCurdy 0 0 0 0 1 0 O Miron 3 0 3 8 4 9 A Edwards 1 0 0 0 3 2 Cooper 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 10 4 7 12 21 39 Score by Halves 1 2 Final CLHS 15 31 46 SCFHS 19 20 39 West Lakeland Girls Basketball Standings FINAL Regular Season Team Conf. Overall St. Croix Falls 12-0 21-1 Unity 10-2 18-3 Siren 5-7 13-7 Luck 5-7 10-12 Frederic 4-8 8-14 Grantsburg 3-9 10-12 Webster 3-9 7-15 Scores February 17 Drummond 41, Frederic 32 (non-con-

ference) February 18 St. Croix Falls 72, Somerset 35 (non-conference) Solon Springs 42, Frederic 38 (non-conference) Siren 58, Washburn 34 (non-conference) Grantsburg 37, Cameron 30 (non-conference) February 20 Clear Lake 46, St. Croix Falls 39 (non-conference) Webster 64, Winter 37 (non-conference) Unity 66, Prairie Farm 57 (non-conference) Grantsburg 63, Turtle Lake 48 (non-conference) Frederic 50, Clayton 29 (non-conference) Luck 33, Northwood 30 (non-conference) Siren 64, Shell Lake 59 (non-conference)

February 21 Unity 65, Grantsburg 25

SCF WRESTLING St. Croix Falls Wrestling February 18, 2020 at Cumberland Team Sectionals – Semi-Finals St. Croix Falls (S) 66, Boyceville (B) 9 Wgt Summary 120 Mason Will (S) def. (B), Forfeit 126 Nate Stuart (B) def. Devyn Rode (S), Dec 11-4 132 Sam Glenna (S) def. Peyton Ponath (B), Fall 3:10 138 Zack Clark (S) def. Ira Bialzik (B), Dec 6-1 145 Kole Marko (S) def. Jacob Granley (B), Fall 1:23 152 Bennett Bergmann (S) def. Tyler Dormanen (B), Dec 2-1 160 Graidy Guggisberg (S) def. Preston Coombs (B), Fall 3:18

170 James Kemp (S) def. Nick Hillman (B), Fall 5:13 182 Trett Joles (B) def. Calan Leahy (S), Fall 1:39 195 McKinley Erickson (S) def. Josh Marzofka (B), Fall 0:29 220 Kyle Zehm (S) def. Keegan Plemon (B), Fall 1:26 285 Tanner Gaffey (S) def. (B), Forfeit 106 Kaden Clark (S) def. Emma Gruenhagen (B), Fall 4:58 113 Luke Thaemert (S) def. Brice Evenson (B), Fall 1:28

(SCF), Fall 0:35 138 Elijah Lucio (S) def. Zack Clark (SCF), Maj 10-0 145 Kole Marko (SCF) def. Gavin Kirsch (S), Dec 6-2 152 Bennett Bergmann (SCF) def. Konner Stuttgen (S), Dec 5-2 160 Jacob Heiden (S) def. Graidy Guggisberg (SCF), Fall 2:44 170 Hunter Ford (S) def. James Kemp (SCF), DQ 182 Devin Dennee (S) def. Calan Leahy (SCF), Fall 0:52 195 Raife Smart (S) def. McKinley Erickson (SCF), Dec 4-3 220 Trevor Dennee (S) def. Kyle Zehm (SCF), Fall 1:18 285 Tanner Gaffey (SCF) def. Cole Marten (S), Fall 3:13 106 Luke Thaemert (SCF) def. (S), Forfeit 113 Kaden Clark (SCF) def. (S), Forfeit 120 Mason Will (SCF) def. (S), Forfeit

St. Croix Falls Wrestling February 18, 2020 at Cumberland Team Sectionals – Finals Stratford (S) 43, St. Croix Falls (SCF) 30 Wgt Summary 126 Gavin Drexler (S) def. Devyn Rode (SCF), Fall 0:19 132 Max Schwabe (S) def. Sam Glenna

...and thinking about inventions.

We’re studying problems...

Newspaper Fun! www.readingclubfun.com

Kids: color stuff in!

Have you ever invented anything? Inventors notice a problem, then figure out a way to fix it. Sometimes inventors have a brand new idea and sometimes they combine other people’s ideas with their own. Please excuse me now. It’s time to practice my “Ollie.”

Inventors Change Our Lives! 3

fingerp

rinting

1 Read the clues to fill in the puzzle: 6 read e ing phon l 1. Thomas Edison developed over 1,000 inventions. He l e c 5 is most famous for the light bulb, but he also invented airplan the ________ ________, which has become popular again. e 2. A team of inventors working for the U.S. Department of Defense created tor the Global ________ System, a tool to find your way using satellites! detec lens 3. Marie Curie was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize. Her work helped us to 8 understand ________ and the effects of X-rays. She has an element named after her – Curium. ty ctivi a o i 4. Louis Braille, blinded in an accident at three years old, created a system of ________ rad and writing by using raised dots that people could feel with their fingers. 7 5. Orville and Wilbur Wright owned a bicycle shop. They experimented with flying machines. Their plane (trial flights at Kitty Hawk, N.C.) was the basis for the _________ we have today. 10 p eanuts 6. Francis Robbins Upton helped to keep us safe from fire by inventing the smoke ________. r 7. Alec Jeffreys changed the court system when he invented DNA ________. aye d pl r o 9 With this invention, guilt or innocence were much easier to prove! c re p 8. Leonardo da Vinci, the artist who painted the Mona Lisa, was also arac teleph ning hut one positio talented at sculpting, engineering and inventing. He had ideas for a e A B CDE helicopter, a ________ and a diving suit. 12 9. Martin Cooper improved on the invention of Alexander Graham Bell with the ________, widely used to communicate today. 11. (continued) He had trouble seeing so he 10. George Washington Carver was born into slavery, but he became a designed a ________ for eyeglasses that 11 botanist who developed over 300 uses for ________ and many ideas helped him see near and far. for sweet potatoes and pecans. 12. Alexander Graham Bell, whose mother and wife were deaf, created the 11. Ben Franklin was known for experimenting and inventing many things. ________ and worked on other inventions that help people communicate.

Inventions We Love!

Find and circle these words in the puzzle:

Match each clue about an inventor to the invention we love: 1. Samuel Born invented a machine that inserted the sticks into 2. Rose Totino invented a dough product for frozen 3. Pedro Flores mass produced a toy on a string called a 4. Robert Patch, at 6 years old, designed a toy 5. Ralph Baer invented the first home video game console and 6. George Ferris designed this giant fun ride called the Ferris 7. Frank Epperson, who at age 11 found a fruit soda and stirring stick he left outside to be frozen, invented the 8. Alan Ollie Gelfand developed the “Ollie,” a leap into the air on a 9. Ruth Wakefield put chocolate bits into her cookie dough, creating 10. Curt Jones invented a snack by flash freezing beads of

t it!

o I’ve g

The lightbulb is so important to us that we even use a picture of a lightbulb to show a thought is a “great idea.”

A. yo-yo B. pizza C. wheel D. game E. truck F. chocolate chip cookies G. Popsicle ® H. lollipops I. ice cream J. skateboard

Who invented balloons? Who invented the Mylar ® ones? ® A small “R” inside a circle shows that this item is a “registered” product. This mark protects the inventor.

C H O C O L A T E C H I P C O O K I E S

P M P M A N J S T P Y I I D M O O P X I

O W W S Z I V M B S Y C Q U E A A L G Q

T H O K Z T O N P A E Z Y I J I Q A H A

Y E E A I O S O I C C P O F I Q M C S P

C E U L P P P P R Q B O V G E R D P T

N L F O M I C E V P S Q Y N B D B B O R

E A H Q L L A V M A A I O E Y N F W L U

M P D L F M H B W L P T B O S B G O A C

U Z O G H P J N A I S M A I N F U V I K

I L B H R P O P S I C L E K I I O U U C

L W M J E A M P N A D R A O B E T A K S

SEE ANSWERS, PAGE 23

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

THE SUN

www.osceolasun.com

OHS GBB: Girls set sights on tournament play

OHS BBB: Osceola loses to Baldwin-Woodville

netting 22 total points with 10 of them coming from the free throw line. Hattie Fox led Osceola with 13 points followed by Emily Fox with nine. Osceola now turns their attention to WIAA Regional play. The Chiefs hope to pull off some upsets and prolong their season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our regular season didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go as we hoped but we are putting that behind us and using the playoffs as a fresh start,â&#x20AC;? Bradway said.

FROM PAGE 13

the Chieftains. Osceola started well at Amery with a trey by Emily Fox and a deuce by Hattie Fox lifting the Chieftains to a 5-2 lead. Then the Chieftains went ice cold and could not buy a basket. The Warriors took charge during Osceolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offensive power outage and took control of the game. Ella Schmidt was a force inside

FROM PAGE 13

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Otherwise I just always try to do what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m supposed to do and then size doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really affect me because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been the shortest player and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m used to it.â&#x20AC;? Osceola played the Baldwin-Woodville Blackhawks to a stalemate in the first half before running out of gas after the break. The teams went into intermission with two dozen points. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a tale of two halves,â&#x20AC;? Meyer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought our boys played one of the better halves we have played all year long. We continued to play offense from the inside to the outside and we shot really well from the outside and managed to get some buckets on the blocks as well. Defensively we played very physical and intense in the first half. I think we did a great job of

OHS WRESTLING: Sectional in Osceola took a lead into the third period before losing. He faced an incredibly strong and tough opponent. He did everything right and stuck to the game plan we had for him, it just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work out and he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a wrestle-back. Carlson had the toughest opponent in his bracket in the opening round and then faced another tough wrestler in the wrestle-back. He battled too but gave up a lead in the final few seconds.â&#x20AC;? Schmidt was the only senior who had advanced to Sectionals for Osceola. He talked about what the wrestling program has done for him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wrestling has taught me great work ethic, discipline, physical and mental toughness,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My coaches, teammates, community and family had a huge impact on my individual accomplishments and the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success throughout the years. I will never forget the impact wrestling has had on me and the opportunity to be a Chieftain wrestler.â&#x20AC;?

FROM PAGE 13

als to Cole Nelson of Ellsworth. Senior Aaron Schmidt finished his Osceola wrestling career with a loss in the 145 pound weight division to Zeke Sigmund of Medford. Sigmund went on to qualify for State with a third place finish. Chieftain Nick Carlson had a very tough draw in his 195 pound weight division. He lost in his opening match to eventual champion Bryce Burns of Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro. Carlson then lost a decision to Carter Grewe from Abbotsford/Colby who went on to place third and qualify for State. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Overall we wrestled tough but the chips didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fall the way we wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve liked in all the matches,â&#x20AC;? Demulling said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oswald had another gritty performance battling through a tough bracket to earn his trip to Madison. So did Sedivy, although he came up short and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a wrestle-back. Schmidt wrestled hard and even

SCF GBB: Girls win streak ends at 21, focus on playoffs FROM PAGE 14

on eight attempts, added a pair of deuces and went 9-of-10 from the charity stripe to ďŹ nish the game with 25 points. Comments: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The conference crossover game was between two undefeated teams (St. Croix Falls from the West Lakeland and Clear Lake from the Central Lakeland conference),â&#x20AC;? Maternowsky said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It became a good learning experience for us. We did not do the little things we needed to do to win. Too many forced passes and lack of rebounding.â&#x20AC;? What this Means: St. Croix Falls ďŹ nished their regular season undefeated in West Lakeland conference play with a 12-0 record. The Saints ďŹ nished 21-1 overall and will now begin Regional action where they are the top seed. Upcoming: St. Croix Falls gets a bye in the ďŹ rst

Ice Dam Removal Low Pressure Steam Insured Reasonable Pricing Credit Cards Accepted

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Apply in person at our Osceola ofĂ&#x20AC;ce location, 651 State Road 35.

715-294-4060 or 888-791-0022

For further information call 715-294-2748

info@osceolarivervalleyinn.com

Six Steps to Invention 1. Notice a problem. 2. Think of a way to fix the problem. 3. Create a model of your idea. 4. Show and share your first model with others. 5. Make your model better by listening to what others tell you. 6. Finish your invention and have fun using it!

C H O C O L A T E C H I P C O O K I E S

P M P M A N J S T P Y I I D M O O P X I

O W W S Z I V M B S Y C Q U E A A L G Q

T H O K Z T O N P A E Z Y I J I Q A H A

Y E E A I O S O I C C P O F I Q M C S P

C E U L P P P P R Q B O V G E R D P T

N L F O M I C E V P S Q Y N B D B B O R

E A H Q L L A V M A A I O E Y N F W L U

M P D L F M H B W L P T B O S B G O A C

U Z O G H P J N A I S M A I N F U V I K

I L B H R P O P S I C L E K I I O U U C

L W M J E A M P N A D R A O B E T A K S

Inventions We Love! Match-up answers:

1. H, 2. B, 3. A, 4. E, 5. D, 6. C, 7. G, 8. J, 9. F, 10. I

7 F

A D

Send resume and writing clips to Tom Stangl, Publisher The Sun P.O. Box 248, Osceola, WI 54020 Email: tstangl@theameryfreepress.com

Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township

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Created by Annimills ÂŠ 2020

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Applicants should send cover letter, resume and writing clips to:

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The Sun is seeking a freelance reporter to help report the news of our community. If you have a knack for seeing beyond the obvious and a well-developed sense of curiosity and enjoy sharing stories, this might be a great ďŹ t for you.

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EDITOR 2

round of action in the WIAA Regional playoffs. The Saints will entertain the winner of the game between the Baldwin-Woodville Blackhawks (8seed) and the Osceola Chieftains (9-seed) on Feb. 28. St. Croix Falls defeated both teams this season in non-conference action. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Playoffs are this week,â&#x20AC;? Maternowsky said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are going to step up our game and work harder in practice to mentally prepare for our future games.â&#x20AC;?

COUNTRY

Inventors Change Our Lives! 1

frustrating Baldwin and we limited their second chance possession by not allowing too many offensive rebounds.â&#x20AC;? Baldwin-Woodville took control of the game in the second half and outscored the Chieftains 32-14 to win going away 58-39. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The second half was a different story for us,â&#x20AC;? Meyer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I credit Baldwinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s press for that. I thought we did a good job of breaking their initial press but it rushed our offense and forced us to take contested shots early in the possession. On the defensive side we did not sustain the intensity that we played with in the first half. I think our boys would welcome a third opportunity against Baldwin in the playoffs should the opportunity present itself.â&#x20AC;? Mork was the leading Osceola scorer with eight points followed by Measner with seven.

A B CDE

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THE SUN

FEBRUARY 26, 2020 www.osceolasun.com

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