WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
VOL. 119 NO. 14 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: Osceola football’s win streak comes to an end. PAGE 12
Remembering Millie Addy and John Schillberg Pillars of the community BY JESSICA ANDERSON INTERIM EDITOR
John Schillberg grew up in northern Osceola on the family farm. This was 91 acres of land that he later donated to the village and which became what is now Schillberg Park. He and his wife Martha played a large role in developing much of the northern
Schillberg
Addy
part of town as well. The Osceola railway was one of John’s passions and he worked to share it with others. Andrew Tighe from the Minnesota TransportaSEE PILLARS, PAGE 16
Daylight Saving Time ends Remember to turn your clocks back one hour before you go to bed Saturday night.
Library Trustee wins state wide award BY JESSICA ANDERSON INTERIM EDITOR
The Wisconsin Library Association recently awarded Geraldine Anderson, a board member for the Dresser Library, Library Trustee of the Year. The award ceremony took place over the weekend, where Tiffany Meyer, a previous director for the Dresser library, accepted the award on Anderson’s behalf. In honor of this special recognition, friends of Anderson had many things to share about her. Linda Bowitz, an assistant at the Dresser library and who completed the
Geraldine Anderson
application to nominate Anderson for the award, knows her not only from working together at the library, but also through Anderson’s previous extensive work as a teacher. “I first met Geraldine when she was a first grade teacher at Osceola Elementary. She was my son’s first grade teacher and she got that little
boy to love reading and books and libraries. That was her mission and she was good at it.” In more recent years Bowitz has worked closely with Anderson in service to the Dresser library. Bowitz stated “I’ve been there for seven years and I’ve enjoyed the whole library experience and part of that is due to Geraldine, she has an amazing insight into reading and people. She goes out to local businesses and raises a lot of money for the local reading program.” Recently some health issues have hindered Anderson traveling about, but Bowitz said “she just tackles them by phone.” Dresser Village Board member Grace Bjorklund said of Anderson, “I’ve known Geraldine for many, many years
and worked with her husband. She was a great school teacher for many years, a really great resident, mother, and teacher. The library is her passion, she is just so deserving of this award.” On Oct. 27 Meyer spoke about Anderson at the WLA Conference Awards and Honors Reception in Milwaukee when accepting the award on her behalf. “I had the pleasure of working with Geraldine Anderson for 2 1/2 years as director of the Dresser Public Library. During that time, we worked closely on a variety of projects to revitalize the library, and I saw firsthand her commitment to libraries, to education and to her community. SEE ANDERSON, PAGE 17
Proposed budget for Osceola School District BY LAURIE SABATA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The impact of the new Stillwater Bridge is already being felt in the southwestern portion of the county, as evidenced at the regular meeting of the Osceola school board Wednesday evening. During discussion over the 2016-2017 budget, the board approved the certified levy that will be submitted for the villages of Osceola and Dresser, as well as townships within the Osceola school district. The townships of Alden and Osceola carried the majority of the total tax levy, at 28.8 and 24.5 percent respectively. However, that may change in future years upon completion of the new bridge at Stillwater, Minn. Equalized value of property in the Town of Farmington has already increased by 6.86 percent and equalized property values in Somerset
Township have jumped by almost 12%. District-wide, equalized value increased by 5.61 percent, allowing for a property tax levy of $7.9 million dollars for the school district. Overall, the school district will experience a deficit of approximately $86,000 for the 2016-17 budget, with expenditures of $18,337,925 and anticipated revenue of 18,252,198. Expenditures increased by .7% over last year’s budget, and although there will be deficit spending in the upcoming budget, this practice is “still within school district policies,” according to School Superintendant Mark Luebker. The proposed budget, as approved by the board, includes a $600,000 early bond payment to Fund 39 debt service. The early payment will save the district between $16,000 and
YOUR Home
Trick or Treat
Preschool children enjoyed Trick or Treating at local businesses in Osceola on Friday.
SEE SCHOOL, PAGE 18
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