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THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2023 VOL. 20 NO. 3 www.readthecitizen.com $1.00
FISHING FUN: Hugo Lions tournament slated for Feb. 11. PAGE 8
Welcome Hockey Fans! HOCKEY DAY MINNESOTA Drop the Puck!
Township hosts four-day hockeyfest this weekend BY RANDY PAULSON STAFF WRITER
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WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP — The biggest event to occur this year in White Bear Township is here. The first puck of Hockey Day Minnesota 2023 drops Thursday evening, and the weekend-long athletic extravaganza will last through Sunday. All the action will take place at Polar Lakes Park, located at 1280 Hammond Road. An estimated 10,000 people are expected to attend the annual hockey event based on ticket sales as of last week. Preparing for Hockey Day has therefore been a massive undertaking, according to White Bear Township Administrator Pat Christopherson. “We’re coordinating our staff and the whole volunteer group that’s been working on this to pull this off. We have
an appreciation for the people who have put a ton of time into this,” Christopherson said. He added that pulling off the logistics for such a large-scale, public-private event is challenging but that Hockey Day 2023 has momentum behind it and people who are completely dedicated to making it a success. Corey Roberts, who’s on the Hockey Day Minnesota 2023 volunteer committee, praised the committee members who have devoted countless hours and resources to making Hockey Day a reality. The committee is chaired by Jon Anderson and Nick Guzzo. “Most of us started as strangers, and came together as a team to pull this off,” Roberts said. He also noted how the tagline for the event is “more than a game.” “This sport is so rooted in the community that it
SEE HOCKEY DAY, PAGES 2-3
Snowmobilers will trade paint at BeaterCross HUGO — Twenty years is a good, respectable age for a snowmobile. It’s broken in and reliable, and can handle a dent here and there. And it’s perfect for the first official BeaterCross snow-
mobile race. Only sleds ages 20 and older are allowed to compete in this event, which will be hosted Jan. 28 by the Hugo Knight Riders Snowmobile Club. The day will feature a series of races in a delightful multitude of classes, in
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addition to food and entertainment. Snowmobiles built in 2002 or earlier are eligible to race. The event hosts, Grant and Erika Whitaker, have previously held informal snowmobile events at their home, but this year’s BeaterCross will take it
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up a notch and open the fun to all members of the community. Event coordinator Andy Michels is a member of the Knight Riders and is involved in coordinating snowmobile SEE BEATERCROSS, PAGE 11
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