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THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023 VOL. 20 NO. 7 www.readthecitizen.com $1.00
WEDDING SHOW: Attend 38th annual event this Sunday PAGE 16
Taylor completes Centerville council BY LORETTA HARDING CONTRIBUTING WRITER
JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Phil Jenni stands on the future site of a brand new animal care facility in Grant.
Wildlife rehab center to construct animal nursery in Grant but they do need a lot of space— and a historic farm property in Grant is just the place for a young creature to grow up. Phil Jenni is the former director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (WRC), but now spearheads development of this secondary campus. A capital campaign is planned for summer of 2023, and the project is expected to break ground before the end of the year.
The Roseville campus has been in urgent need of more space for years. It was constructed in 2002 with the expectation of 10,000 patients, but by 2019 the facility was hosting more than 15,000 and still receiving new cases. At its busiest, the WRC takes in up to 250 animals in a single day. “Seventy percent of our patients come in during the
Generous community aims to restore schoolhouse
SEE WILDLIFE REHAB, PAGE 7
BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER INTERIM EDITOR
WILDLIFE REHABILITATION CENTER | CONTRIBUTED
Baby animal season is right around the corner. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is the biggest wild animal rescue in Minnesota, and will soon be expanding its operation to care for more baby animals.
HUGO — If it takes a village to raise a child, it might take a village to restore a schoolhouse as well. Luckily, the people of Hugo are up to the task as they set their sights on transforming the Hopkins Schoolhouse from dilapidated eyesore to treasured community space. It will be a long road, but Hugo citizens are up for the challenge. Liz Cinqueonce is one of the Hugo residents working to establish a new nonprofit to manage the restoration of the property into what will eventually become the Hopkins Schoolhouse and Heritage Center. The timeline for the restoration is estimated at 6-8 years, hopefully pairing the 2028 centennial celebration of the building with its grand opening. SEE SCHOOLHOUSE, PAGE 14
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GRANT – Many a compassionate Twin Cities local has taken a wounded or helpless animal to the helping hands of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Roseville. Some of these animal patients are sick or injured and require a lot of medical care, but a lot of them are just babies found far from the care of their wild parents. These growing animals don’t need a lot of medical attention,
The Centerville City Council is whole again, after her new fellow council members voted 2-1 to appoint Dr. Raye Taylor to the seat left vacant by Michelle Lakso. She assumed office on March 9 and will serve through 2024, unless council holds a special election prior to the November 2024 election. Mayor D. Love and the other council members said they were pleased with the four candidates who came forward, and thanked each of them. “We couldn’t lose,” Love said. “Great people came forward. But it was time the council made the decision to fill the seat, because you never know what might happen.” The appointment came almost two months after Lakso formally submitted her resignation on Jan. 11. At first, council talked about trying to have Lakso’s replacement seated within a month. But the thoughtful approach turned out to be beneficial, because it allowed more candidates to apply for the position, Council Member Russ Koski said. “It really mattered that we took our time to talk about this,” Love said. “I was ready to move forward a while ago, but I’ve had time to think.”