WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
VOL. 120 NO. 36 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: Osceola track takes top spot at New Richmond. PAGE 10
Community rushes to Crystal Ball’s aid during barn fire BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Area fire departments, passers by and locals rushed to Crystal Ball Farms Organic Dairy in Osceola last Thursday to help mitigate the damage of a barn fire. Although the barn burned to the ground, creamery manager Jessi Fouks said the outcome would have been worse if a passerby had not stopped to alert her to the fire. “He came running into the creamery and said, ‘Did you know the barn is on fire?’” recalled Fouks, who called 911 and started bringing cows out of the barn. She reported that all but two of the farm’s 83 cows survived. Osceola Fire and Rescue answered the initial call of a barn fire, and paged Dresser-Osceola-Garfield Fire for mutual aid. “Obviously the barn had a head start against us,” said Osceola Fire Chief Don Stark. “It was burning pretty well when we arrived. We were able to cut the fire off from entering the
Civil Conversations Project comes to St. Croix Valley Discussion planned for Osceola
could be milked later. People were parked on both sides of the highway for a half mile. It shows the community’s willingness to help.” Fouks offered gratitude to everyone who stopped to help gather the cows, reporting Friday afternoon that all but two or three of the younger stock
Osceola will play host city to one of three events meant to bring listening to the forefront of potentially contentious conversations. ArtReach St. Croix chose this year’s NEA Big Read selection, “Into the Beautiful North,” just as conversations about immigration were reaching fever pitch in our region and in the nation. “We chose to discuss Urrea’s book as the divides our nation is facing are becoming glaringly clear,” says Traci Post, a member of ArtReach’s Literary Arts Committee who was involved in choosing the 2018 title. “We knew Urrea’s work would give us a unique opportunity to facilitate listening session and conversations within our own communities at a time when it seems we need them most.” The conversations are meant to illuminate the people behind and beyond political positions. “Public life is bigger than political life,” says Krista Tippett, host of the national radio broadcast and podcast On Being. “Public life includes all of our disciplines and endeavors, including ourselves as citizens and professional people and neighbors and parents and
SEE FIRE, PAGE 2
SEE PROJECT, PAGE 2
ERIC BUELOW | THE SUN
Area fire departments responded to a call of a barn fire at Crystal Ball Farms last Thursday, March 29.
milking department and the store.” They called in Somerset Fire and Rescue for more water and paged the St. Croix Falls Fire Department for addition help, Stark reported. “The biggest thing was the community support,” Stark said. “I was in awe with the number of people who showed up to corral the animals and get them into an area where they
Osceola sixth graders design dream homes BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
What does a sixth grader’s dream home look like? Odds are there’s plenty of space for a trampoline. And a pool. Or maybe an indoor basketball hoop and home theater. That’s if the floor plans by sixth graders in Andrew Dyer’s architectural floor plans class are any indication. In the class, new this year, Osceola Middle School students learned the elements and principles of good home design, then created architectural floor plans using an online design program. “Students follow a logical progression determining the overall shape of the house and then move on to lay out the interior, imagining that they are moving through the space as they add rooms and walls,” Dyer explained. “Once
the structure is in place, students then add doors and windows making sure that their interior space is functional and aesthetically pleasing.” Form follows function as students add floor and wall surfaces that reflect each room’s use. They might choose tile for the bathroom floor, for example, and carpet for the living room. After that, students can choose paint colors, wallpaper, furniture and appliances. And to the exterior: lawns, patios, driveways, maybe even a pasture for horses. “During this whole process, students are able to view their projects in three dimensions to help them visualize what it would be like to actually live and move through their dream homes,” Dyer reported. “The final step of the design process is to share their work with their classmates, explaining their design
NEWS 715-294-2314 editor@osceolasun.com
intent and receiving feedback that will help them to revise and improve their final designs.” Dyer also shared some of the students’ floor plans with architects and designers at Nelson, a global design firm based in downtown Minneapolis. Deryn Coppernoll, Abby Williams and Addison Uddin all submitted 2-D and 3-D color prints of their designs for review. “The designers there used their real world experience and took time to comment and give constructive feedback for our students to consider and grow from,” Dyer said. “This was a little intimidating, but ultimately an exciting opportunity for all of the students involved.” The pros pointed out elements of thoughtful design. “The garage by the kitchen is great for
ADVERTISING 715-294-2314 sales@osceolasun.com
SUBMITTED
Abby Williams, Addison Uddin and Deryn Coppernoll submitted a 2-D and 3-D color prints of their designs for review by professional architects and designers at Nelson, a global design firm based in downtown Minneapolis.
bringing in groceries,” one said of Coppernoll’s floor plan. “Really efficient use of space. No halls will also make the cost less,” another commended Williams. They also encouraged
PUBLIC NOTICES 715-294-2314 sales@osceolasun.com
the students’ more inventive choices. “Amazing indoor game space,” one commented to Uddin. “I want to play basketball inside too.” “Indoor pool! I want it!” another raved to Williams.
SUBSCRIPTIONS 715-294-2314 office@osceolasun.com
The class, Dyer reported, has been simultaneously fun and challenging, prompting some middle school students to consider a potential career in architecture.
BREAKING NEWS, UPDATES Whenever, wherever you are! Scan me with your smartphone