Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2018 VOL. 120 NO. 51 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: Braves ready for big weekend. PAGE 2
Liquor license goes to new restaurant, Mangos BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
The Osceola Village Board last Tuesday awarded the village’s sole available liquor license to Christian Orosz, a restaurateur with plans to open a Southern cuisine eatery, Mangos, at the corner of Cascade Street and Second Avenue. The decision, which came after a closed-session discussion, received immediate criticism from Tom O’Shaughnessy, a building owner associated with a bar down the street. “It’s pitiful,” O’Shaughnessy remarked as he left the room, questioning whether the board had applied the same standards for Orosz as Rumor Has It owner Dana Schone. Schone was denied a liquor license in April. The board based both decisions in part on background checks by the Osceola Police Department. Schone and Orosz have different but comparable records, including one disorderly conduct
conviction each. Osceola Police Chief Ron Pedrys said he used similar methods to check the backgrounds of both applicants. “I don’t make the decision on whether they get the license,” he told The Sun. “We do a background check and give a recommendation to the board. We heard a lot more negative things when we were doing the background check for Rumor Has It. Also, when we did the background check [for Orosz] there were no open cases for this individual.” In Schone’s case, a pending disorderly conduct charge was dismissed shortly before the board denied her license. Village President Gary Beckmann defended the board’s choice, saying the decision was impartial. “I was proud of the board members in closed session,” he said. “There were no biases expressed. I thought they did their due diligence and were open and honest in discussing it.” According to Beckmann, a law that SEE LICENSE, PAGE 13
SUZANNE LINDGREN | THE SUN
An unlit “open” sign and “help wanted” sign hang in the window of the future Mangos restaurant at Cascade Street and Second Avenue.
Results in for Osceola school district survey BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Results are in for a survey of taxpayers in the Osceola school district conducted in May. The survey asked residents to weigh in on the district’s operational funding, facility maintenance and the future of the elementary school building. Just over half of the 772 who completed the survey were parents of students in the district. About one-fifth were employees of the district.
Operational Referendum Thirty-four percent of respondents said they would definitely support a levy increase of $1.4 million per year to maintain current programs and services for three years. The hypothetical increase would in turn increase property taxes by an estimated $84 per $100,000. Another 28 percent said they would probably support such an increase; 13 percent were undecided and 25 percent not in support.
With 34 percent of residents definitely in support of an operational levy increase and 28 percent probably in support, about 62 percent of respondents are favorable to the idea.
NEWS 715-294-2314 editor@osceolasun.com
Residents who are not parents or employees of the district were least supportive of the idea, with 48 percent in favor, 11 percent undecided and 41 percent opposed. Infrastructure and maintenance The survey also asked if the district should pursue a capital referendum to address infrastructure and maintenance
needs. Sue Peterson, the School Perceptions consultant who presented the data, reported that there is some support for the $8 million in projects, but a little over a third of respondents said they would need more information before heading to the polls. “Your community SEE SURVEY, PAGE 2
A slight minority of residents said they would support a referendum for infrastructure and maintenance spending. More than a third were unsure or needed more information.
ADVERTISING 715-294-2314 sales@osceolasun.com
PUBLIC NOTICES 715-294-2314 sales@osceolasun.com
What’s ‘up’ at the library?
It seems pretty much everything is “up” at the Osceola Public Library these days as it keeps bucking trends. This time it’s by significantly increasing circulation year after year. Circulation – that’s the number of materials lent out to patrons – is the standard tracking measurement that determines a library’s vigor. With a 1.5 percent increase over last year, and with steady increases month-to-month, OPL is clearly robust. Library Director Kelly McBride credits the impressive growth to a number of factors. “Osceola families are involved in and committed to well-rounded learning. It’s more than reading books, it’s taking part in activities and programs that foster learning and connectivity.” Case in point: nearly 200 kids are participating in OPL’s Summer Learning Program, which kicked off on June 2 in conjunction with Rhubarb Days. But it isn’t only kids’ usage that’s setting records. Three out of every four village residents have library cards – and they’re using them. OPL’s patron visits last year totaled 38,454. Adults, too, find the OPL experience about more than books. Classes and activities are offered on diverse subjects: meditation, technology, birds, bees, floral arranging and cake decorating, to name but a few. Patrons can also get individual technology support from ready and able staffers. With so much good news coming out of the library, can there be a down side? “Yes, we’re severely limited by our current space,” states McBride. “With so many kids participating in summer learning and other activities, we rely on good weather to expand our walls outdoors. Rainy days present a serious challenge in our cramped building. Nor is there space to enlarge our collections. We process hundreds of orders every week that have to come from other libraries in our network. We are fortunate to be a part of a wonderful sharing consortium, and our patrons are very patient.” But, she adds, “It’d be SEE LIBRARY, PAGE 13
SUBSCRIPTIONS 715-294-2314 office@osceolasun.com
BREAKING NEWS, UPDATES Whenever, wherever you are! Scan me with your smartphone