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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020
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VOL. 17 NO. 26 www.readthecitizen.com $1.00
SANTA LETTERS: Kids say the darndest things PAGES 8-9
New concept proposed for downtown
Holiday lights contest see pages 12-13 for more details
BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Press Publications is thrilled to bring our readers its first-ever holiday lights contest. We received more than 20 entries from the Quad area, Hugo, White Bear Lake, White Bear Township, Mahtomedi, Vadnais Heights, Shoreview, Stillwater and more. See pages 12-13 for photos and a list of entries in this year’s contest.
HUGO — The Cattle House Grill proposal for Egg Lake’s western shore is no more, but a new concept has been proposed. The City Council has approved a purchase agreement, subject to review by the city attorney and financial adviser, for the city-owned property across Highway 61 from City Hall. Denny Trooien, of Dennis Properties LLC, would like to develop the property along the lake with uses such as a restaurant, retail and office. The Economic Development Authority (EDA) has agreed that the concept generally meets the development criteria the city has for the property and directed city staff to negotiate a purchase agreement for $1 with Mr. Trooien, which the council approved Dec. 7. The Cattle House Grill, which was the vision of Tony Harmening, was previously proposed as a concept for the site. Harmening fi rst presented a concept to the EDA in August 2019 and again with a revised concept in October 2019. The council approved the purchase agreement in November 2019 and the planned unit development and site plan in May 2020. At that time, Harmening said construction would not begin until the pandemic was over. Community Development Director Rachel Juba explained that the purchase agreement was terminated by both parties in July because of a lack of financing for the project. Trooien presented his concept to the EDA SEE DOWNTOWN, PAGE 7
Adelaide Landing making memories this holiday season HUGO — One residential development in Hugo has really spruced up its holiday decorations — not only to spread the joy of the season, but to assist the local food shelf. Chris DuFresne, president of the Hugo Good Neighbors Food Shelf, is one of the masterminds behind the effort within Adelaide Landing, located north of 130th Street and immediately east of Hwy. 61 in Hugo. “My wife, Amie, and I were trying
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said. “We posted on our neighborhood Facebook page to see if people would be interested, and we had a resounding response.” Jason Strate and his wife, Sarah, decided to participate in the neighborhood holiday decorating project because it seemed like a great opportunity to “be obnoxious” with their yard. Jason said he wanted to decorate around the theme “Die Hard” so he could convince everyone that it really is a Christmas movie. After SEE ADELAIDE LANDING, PAGE 19
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Santa (Howie Johnson, food shelf volunteer) and his elf, Sarah Strate, strolled through the Adelaide Landing display earlier this month.
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to think of something to do for the holidays that could give people something to do during the season that is safe with the pandemic going on,” he explained. DuFresne said that last Easter, they challenged their neighbors to fi nd all 12 eggs scattered throughout their neighborhood. After finding each egg, participants had to scan a QR code that would direct them to a trivia question. The fi rst person to fi nd all 12 eggs won an Amazon gift card. “The neighborhood had a blast, so we thought about ways to make it work for the Christmas season,” he
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BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR