Press Publications 4779 Bloom Avenue White Bear Lake, MN 55110
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 9 CIRCLE PINES, MN
FOR POSTAL CUSTOMER
7111 21st Avenue N • Centerville, MN
651.762.9440 Equal Housing Lender
THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2020
664332
MidWestOne.com
VOL. 17 NO. 17 readthecitizen.com $1.00
D OVI -1
9
C
GARAGE FIRE: Leaves Hugo home total loss PAGE 7
Teens struggle to find summer jobs in pandemic BY ELIZABETH CALLEN SHOREVIEW EDITOR
Sunflowers in bloom
Part-time jobs, particularly in the summer, have long been a rite of passage for teenagers. These days, however, fewer and fewer of them are spending their vacations working. Though youth employment rates saw a modest improvement in recent years, any gains they might have seen this summer have since been dashed by COVID-19. Twenty years ago, about half of American teenagers held jobs, according to the Pew Research Center. But in the decade following the 2008 financial crash, when low-skilled, entry-level jobs were suddenly few and far between, that figure hovered around 25%. In recent years, summer teen
LEANN MICHAEL | SUBMITTED
Area photographer LeAnn Michael stopped by All Good Organics in Lino Lakes to purchase some sweet corn and couldn’t resist the opportunity to photograph the blooming sunflowers. See more photos on page 16.
SEE YOUTH JOBS, PAGE 8
Sweet Infusion Bakery: Love put into every creation From the age of 3, Lino Lakes resident Chelle Schmidt could often be found in front of a television watching cooking shows. At the age of 10, she knew she wanted to own a bakery one day. “I have always known that I wanted to work with desserts,” she said. Schmidt attended pastry school outside of Washington, D.C., and graduated in 2007 at the age of 19. For many years she worked for other companies, big and small, to learn everything she could before she decided to go out on her own. “I just couldn’t work underneath
OOF NEW R S! NT DISCOU
someone else anymore,” she said. “I didn’t agree with how they did things, and I wanted to have more creative freedom.” A little over a year ago, she launched her in-home business, Sweet Infusion Bakery. Schmidt specializes in wedding cakes and French pastries, but she also makes specialty cupcakes, cookies, cake pops and more. “Pretty much anything someone wants to order, I can create,” she said. “I really can make anything you can think of.” Schmidt loves the job because she enjoys working with her hands. She also enjoys “creating a masterpiece” and seeing the customer’s reaction to her creation. One thing that makes
Schmidt unique she says is the time and care that she puts into every single order she receives. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes, I won’t charge you extra for it. I put everything I have into every single item that I make.” Back when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and parents found themselves working from home while trying to keep the kids busy, Schmidt came up with an idea to deliver baking kits. “Everyone I saw online was complaining; they didn’t know what they were going to do and didn’t know how to handle their kids and work, so I wanted to make SEE SWEET INFUSION, PAGE 9
AllCityAgency.com
We’ve teamed up with to offer you great value and coverage
NEVER SHOP FOR INSURANCE AGAIN!
Don’t Wait Until Your Current Policy Expires
TM
Atlas l Insurance Broker of the Year
(651) 484-1213 NEWS 651-407-1227 citizennews@presspubs.com
SUBMITTED
Chelle Schmidt started her own in-home bakery business a little over a year ago after she worked for many other companies, big and small for several years.
ADVERTISING 651-407-1200 marketing@presspubs.com
Independent Insurance Agent
CLASSIFIED 651-407-1250 classified@presspubs.com
CIRCULATION 651-407-1234 circ@presspubs.com
Call Us Today For a Free Quote!! PRODUCTION 651-407-1239 artmanager@presspubs.com
660031
BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR