WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2019
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
VOL. 121 NO. 50 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: Danielson golfs well in Blaine. PAGE 10
Frac debate fractures Farmington
Does baseball need to change? ‘The Twins’ manager eats avocado toast. How do we get Gen Z people up here, what do we have to do?.’
BY KELLY HOLM CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Garth Olson President, Braves Board of Directors
Dozens of residents crowded into Farmington’s town hall July 1 to voice and listen to concerns regarding the future of frac sand mining at the limestone quarry and gravel pit. A few even peered in from outside through the open window as many of the same themes explored at Osceola’s board meeting last month resurfaced. Chief among these was North 40 Resources acquisition of the property from Rybak in January, with a plan to mine 400,000 to 500,000 tons of material this year and possibly more in the future. This is a dramatic increase from Rybak, which mined 150,000 tons per year. Additionally, North 40 is now mining for silica sand, also known as “frac sand” for its intended use in hydraulic fracturing.
BY KELLY HOLM CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Few pastimes seem more quintessentially American than baseball. The sport has been a source of livelihood in the United States for nearly two centuries, energizing the populace through times of war and peace. The Osceola Braves, originally established in 1943 and based at Oakey
Park since the 1950s, enjoyed their biggest glory days in the decade after the Second World War, according to Board of Directors President Garth Olson. “After World War Two ended… [small-town] baseball took off,” Olson said. “That was really the heyday, because it was just SEE BASEBALL, PAGE 8
SEE FARMINGTON, PAGE 9
Fab Lab fundraising falls short CONTRIBUTED MILL POND LEARNING FOUNDATION
“I’ve been a seamstress all my life,” she said, but “I have, up until this point, just made costumes for my dachshunds.” She was recruited to lend her talents to the production after working at the concession booth last summer. A fellow newcomer to the ArtBarn is the director herself. A resident of Fargo, N.D., Dobbins is AirBnBing it in Osceola for the summer, thanks to
The concept of creating a Fab Lab in Osceola, with tools and training opportunities geared toward the manufacturing sector, seemed to be a sound solution for meeting work force needs and retention. However, it has not generated the financial support needed for the project. “Thanks to a small group of visionaries, we were able to raise two-thirds of the dollars needed,” said campaign chair Mark Kravik when presenting fundraising totals to the Mill Pond Learning Foundation Board of Directors last month. But fundraising potential for the remaining one-third doesn’t appear to be in the foreseeable future. After much discussion, weighing financial facts and timeline requirements of the EDA grant, the MPLF Board of Directors voted unanimously to forego further fundraising efforts for the Fab Lab at this point. President Timm Johnson spoke for the Board stating, “We feel it would not be wise to proceed without having all the necessary funds to complete the project.” Kravik expressed disappointment
SEE ARTBARN, PAGE 8
SEE FAB LAB, PAGE 9
COURTESY GABRIELLE FORD
Cast members prepare to perform “The Little Mermaid,” which opens July 11.
Journey ‘Under the Sea’ with ArtBarn BY KELLY HOLM CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Disney’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid,” starring Halle Bailey, is still more than a year away. If you cannot wait that long, catch ArtBarn’s adaptation of the classic “tail” on stage beginning July 11. Directed by Jennifer Dobbins, the play features a cast of 31, playing 57 characters and wearing 64 costumes. Every garment was designed by OHS
teacher Laurelai Kreuzer, and many are handmade by her as well. “We have everything from billowy sailor shirts to little black maids’ dresses to all the sea critters,” Kreuzer said. “At present, I have a blowfish in my kitchen sink.” As tech week drew nearer, Kreuzer got up to sew early in the morning and continued late into the night, all the while teaching summer school in between. Believe it or not, this is her first time costuming for the stage.
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