WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
VOL. 120 NO. 33 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: SCF Addie McCurdy named Player of the Year. PAGE 11
Candidates Forum to be held
Library’s ‘100 Women’ campaign nears goal BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Posted high on the wall of the Osceola Public Library: 105 sheets of paper, 8 ½ by 11, most bearing a picture of a woman flexing her bicep as she rolls the sleeve of her work shirt. Her jaw is set, eyes resolute. A red kerchief with white polka dots is tied at the top of her head. “We Can Do It!” she exclaims. It’s an iconic World-WarII-era poster, the work of artist J. Howard Miller. At last count, the string of images represented 90 contributions of $1,000 each to the future Discovery Center library. Each gift is made in honor of a woman — whether the donor, a daughter, mother or friend — whose name will be memorialized on a bookshelf at the new library. And each gift has been doubled through matching funds, helping the “100 Women, 100 Bookshelves” drive approach its $210,000 fundraising goal. (After starting the drive, the goal was extended to 105 donors to make use of new matching funds.) The drive, which allows contributors to pay over
Three community organizations are teaming up to provide a public forum for Village of Osceola voters. The four candidates vying for three open seats on the Osceola Village Board, Jeromy Buberl, Bruce Gilliland, Deb Rose and Jen Spiegel, will participate in a question-and-answer forum on Wednesday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Large Group Instruction Room at Osceola High School. The forum will be moderated by The Osceola Sun staff, including Publisher Tom Stangl and Editor Suzanne Lindgren. The Osceola Chamber of Commerce and the Osceola Lions Club are also co-sponsoring the event and will provide free coffee and cookies for attendees. A live broadcast of the event, via Facebook, is also planned. The non-partisan election for Osceola Village Board and other local and statewide offices will take place on April 3.
SUZANNE LINDGREN | THE SUN
Donors to the 100 Women, 100 Bookshelves campaign gathered outside the library March 2. They shared enthusiasm for the coming Discovery Center and the bookshelf dedication project.
time as a way to make the contribution more affordable, is a powerful demonstration of community support for the in-progress building project. Donors gathered at the library in the first days of March to mark their participation with a photograph. Several spoke with enthusiasm about the dedica-
Influenza still in Polk County The Influenza season is slowing down in many parts of the United States. However, Wisconsin and Minnesota are still experiencing high levels of influenza like illness including Polk County and the surrounding area, according to the Polk County Health Department. The high levels of Influenza-like illness will likely continue for the next several weeks and hospitalizations for the “flu” may also occur, according to a press release the county health department sent last week. The Polk County Health Department’s message continues to be that Influenza vaccination is the best way to protect yourself from the “flu.” “It’s not too late,” the press release said. “If you have not gotten your flu shot yet there is still time and vaccine is available.” There are a few ways to get the flu shot. • Call your provider and request a nurse only visit to receive the flu shot. • Contact Polk County Health Department at 715-485-8500 to schedule an appointment. The department still has influenza vaccine in stock. • Or check with a local pharmacy to see if they provide “flu” shots. To prevent the spread of illness, consider these steps: • Wash your hands thoroughly and often; • Cover your cough; • Stay home if you are sick. NEWS 715-294-2314 editor@osceolasun.com
tion project and their excitement for the new library. “It was an opportunity to help with something I’m passionate about,” said Michele Merritt, a former member of the library board. “And it’s about legacy. This will go down to my daughter. I want her to see that giving is a good thing.”
Another donor was stirred to give by the notion of potential. “I’m always inspired by the creation of possibility,” said Jennifer Lutz. “It’s more than physical possibility. I’ve always loved reading and books, and wanted to be part of creating SEE CAMPAIGN, PAGE 17
Small steps, big dreams Apprenticeship program lets teens explore BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Seventeen-year-old Julia Sandberg has always been drawn to the kitchen. She taught herself to cook at home but, through an apprenticeship at the Watershed Cafe, has expanded her skill set. Carter Rasmuson, another apprentice at the popular Osceola restaurant, jokes that he’d been working with his parents since age 12 and finally decided to get credit for it. The joke works best if you know that his parents, Rita and Steve Rasmuson, were restaurant industry veterans even before they opened the Watershed in 2014. Sandberg and Rasmuson, both 17 years old and seniors at Osceola High School, work at the cafe through the school’s Youth ApprenADVERTISING 715-294-2314 sales@osceolasun.com
SUMMER KELLY
From left, Youth Apprenticeship coordinator and OHS teacher Amy Krenz, participant Carter Rasmuson, Watershed Cafe co-owner Rita Rasmuson and participant Julia Sandberg. The two teens are expanding their skills at the Watershed Cafe.
ticeship Program. The elective program gives students a chance to explore a potential career path while earning credit toward graduation, and seems to be reaching new heights under the guidance of Osceola High School teacher Amy Krenz. PUBLIC NOTICES 715-294-2314 sales@osceolasun.com
“The ideal dream is to connect students to a career path and local employers so they can try it out and get valuable experience,” Krenz explained. “It’s trying to bridge the gap between school and the working world and make the transition a little more seamless.”
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Students are allowed one to two hours away from the school building each day, accumulating 450 hours in their first year of the program and 900 by the end of their second. This year, 12 OHS students are enrolled in SEE PROGRAM, PAGE 2
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