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DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLANNING: Will begin this fall PAGE 10

Chance pen pal pairing lasts half a century

Public forum filled with discontent from parents BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR

our grammar and our English in letter writing and also to learn from another culture,” Severseike explained. She was paired with Carla Heck from Pleasant Lake, Michigan. The two started writing letters in the early ’70s. In the beginning of the relationship they wrote back-

Five speakers were able to voice their opinions on a variety of topics to the school board before the public forum was closed after the allotted 15 minutes were up. Topics included the district’s proposed strategic planning process, masks in schools, equal opportunity for all students and the school board’s authority. First up to speak at the Sept. 27 meeting was Cori Duffy. She thanked the board for not “wasting tax dollars” with Equity Alliance Minnesota and putting the hiring of the equity coordinator position on hold. She then asked the board to vote against the strategic plan update. “The 2016 Strategic Plan had a goal to analyze the achievement gaps and provide accessibility at all levels. Was it successful? I don’t believe so,” Duffy said. “Since undertaking equity work, academic excellence has waned at Centennial. Test results are down, graduation rates are declining and disciplinary actions are trending upwards … Despite good intentions, equity seems to be dragging our students down, not lifting them up and helping them excel. Is this how the achievement gap will be closed? By bringing all achievement down?” Duffy said by the district participating in the achievement and integration (A&I) program, the district would be “essentially replacing what Equity Alliance was trying to do.”

SEE 50 YEARS OF STAMPS, PAGE 8

SEE SCHOOL BOARD, PAGE 9

SUBMITTED

Carla Heck and Mildred Rivera Severseike look back at pictures they have mailed each other throughout the relationship. The two recently met for the ﬁrst time in person, after communicating via letters for nearly 50 years. BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR

Circle Pines resident Mildred Rivera Severseike finally got to meet her pen pal. She’s been writing to her since she was in the fourth grade — almost 50 years ago. Severseike was born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

While in elementary school, her fourth grade teacher was friends with a fourth grade teacher in Michigan, and the two decided to do an exchange of names. Each student was paired with a student in the other teacher’s class. “At my school they were teaching us English, so part of the reason we were doing this pen pal thing was to practice

Sign messages continue to be popular tradition decades later BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR

CENTERVILLE — Since the early ’90s, motorists traveling on Main Street and 20th Avenue have been greeted with a variety of messages: birthday greetings, anniversary wishes, graduation congratulations, event announcements and more. Corner Express owner Todd Steffen explained that when he purchased the

business from his friend John Magill 19 years ago, the community message concept existed — even though back then it was just a small roadside sign. “He started it years back, and we just kind of continued it. We have done it ever since,” Steffen said. “We pride ourselves on being a community store. We are not a franchise, we are not a chain: we are your local convenience store.” Over the years, Steffen said

the business continues to have loyal customers. Some of them have patronized the business since Magill’s ownership. The sign has become a popular place to wish someone a happy birthday or anniversary, announce a community event or invite people to a garage sale. “Some people will take shots at one another up there,” Steffen said. “Anything goes, as long as it's clean and not political.”

The sign changes on almost a daily basis. Steffen estimated that 85 to 90% of the time, the sign has a message posted. “It’s amazing how many people see the message on that sign. That sign is the community, and it always has been,” he said. The sign has also been the bearer of bad news with death announcements. Recently, the sign announced SEE CORNER EXPRESS SIGN, PAGE 2

SUBMITTED

Corner Express owner Todd Steffen changes the store’s sign almost daily. The sign is often used to wish area residents a happy birthday.

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CORNER EXPRESS SIGN: Touches small-town community FROM PAGE 1

John Bergman’s death. “He was a good friend of mine and did a lot of repairs for the shop,” Steffen said. “When we put it (the message) up there, a lot of people didn’t even know. It alerted them to the fact that he had passed.” A recent upgrade to the sign made it even easier to read, as the font is a bit bigger and the message is placed a bit higher. Although Steffen doesn’t necessarily enjoy updating the sign on cold winter days, he said the business will continue to do it to keep the community alerted to what is going on.

“We are able to touch the community with whatever message you have. Centerville still is a small town even with all of the development,” he said. “The roots of the community all still know each other, and it means lot to them to see that so they can call somebody or go on Facebook to wish someone a happy birthday.” If you have a message you would like on the sign, stop in to the store or give them a ring. Perhaps your message will be the next one to greet motorists. Lead Editor Shannon Granholm can be reached at 651-407-1227 or quadnews@ presspubs.com.

CENTENNIAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 12 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING SUMMARY AUGUST 23, 2021 (Abbreviated—full minutes available at www.isd12.org or call 763-7926010 to request a hard copy) LEGAL NOTICE: School Board, Independent School District 12; 4707 North Road, Circle Pines, Minnesota; August 23, 2021. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Guthmueller called the regular meeting RI WKH 6FKRRO %RDUG WR RUGHU DW S P LQ WKH 'LVWULFW 2IÀFH %RDUG 5RRP 2. ROLL CALL 7KH IROORZLQJ PHPEHUV ZHUH SUHVHQW *XWKPXHOOHU H[ RIÀFLR Holmberg, Bettinger, Linser, Knisely, Timm. Member Carlson was absent. 3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Motion to approve the agenda by Knisely, seconded by Bettinger. Vote: 5-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. Chairperson Guthmueller acknowledged approval of the agenda. 4. PUBLIC FORUM: Five citizens addressed the Board. 5. CONSENT ITEMS 5.1. Approval of Minutes: Work Study Session and Regular Board Meeting Minutes of July 12, 2021, Special Board Meeting Minutes of July 20 and July 22, 2021. 5.2. Approval of Monthly Disbursements: Payroll and Accounts Payable Disbursements. 5.3. Personnel: Retirements; Terminations; Resignations; Employment; Change in Employment. 5.4. Gifts to the District. 5.5. Field Trips. 5.6. St. *HQHYLHYH·V 8VH $JUHHPHQW &LW\ RI %ODLQH 6FKRRO 5HVRXUFH 2IÀFHU $JUHHPHQW &LW\ RI /LQR /DNHV 6FKRRO 5HVRXUFH 2IÀcer Agreement. The Superintendent of Schools recommends approval of the consent agenda items as detailed in the enclosures. Motion to approve the consent agenda items as detailed in the enclosures by Timm, seconded by Linser. Vote: 5-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. 6. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 5HVROXWLRQ ² :HOOV )DUJR &HUWLÀFDWH RI ,QFXPEHQF\ 7KH ([HFXWLYH 'LUHFWRU RI %XVLQHVV 6HUYLFHV UHFRPPHQGV DSSURYDO RI WKH &HUWLÀFDWH RI Incumbency Resolution which authorizes a change in authorized signers for the OPEB Trust managed by Wells Fargo. This is required due to recent staff WXUQRYHU 0RWLRQ WR DSSURYH WKH :HOOV )DUJR &HUWLÀFDWH RI ,QFXPEHQF\ 5HVRlution by Bettinger, seconded by Knisely. Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Guthmueller, Bettinger, Linser, Knisely, Timm. Nays: None. Motion carried unanimously. 6.2. Electronic Ticketing & Gate Fee Structure - The High School Director of Athletics and Activities recommends approval of the cost for Season Passes for the 2021-2022 school year. Motion to approve the cost of Season Passes for the 2021-2022 school year by Linser, seconded by Bettinger. Vote: 5-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. 7. SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS 7.1. Back to School Report - Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Mark Grossklaus and 'LUHFWRU RI +XPDQ 5HVRXUFHV 'DQ 0HOGH JDYH D SUHVHQWDWLRQ RQ WKH 'LVWULFW·V Safe Return to School Plan. No School Board Action was required. 7.2. Resolution – Health and Safety Measures for the 2021-2022 School Year - The Board reviewed the Health and Safety Measures Resolution for the 20212022 school year at the Work Study Session prior to the Board Meeting. Administration recommends adoption of the Health and Safety Measures Resolution for the 2021-2022 school year. Motion to adopt the Health and Safety Measures Resolution for the 2021-2022 school year by Bettinger, seconded E\ .QLVHO\ 7KH ERDUG UHFHVVHG DW S P WR FRQÀUP WKDW DQ DPHQGPHQW could be made to the resolution prior to taking the vote. The board reconvened DW S P 0RWLRQ WR DPHQG WKH UHVROXWLRQ WR UHDG WR UHTXLUH PDVNLQJ DOO students 12 and under by Timm, seconded by Linser. Roll call vote – Ayes: Linser, Timm. Nays: Guthmueller, Bettinger, Knisely. Amended motion failed. Roll Call Vote on Health and Safety Measures Health and Safety Measures Resolution for the 2021-2022 motioned by Bettinger, seconded by Knisely – Ayes: Guthmueller, Bettinger, Knisely. Nays: Linser, Timm. Motion carried. 7.3. Approval of 2021 Revised School Board Meeting Schedule - The Board reviewed the draft of the revised 2021 School Board Meeting Schedule at the Work Study Session prior to the Board Meeting. Motion to approve the revised 2021 School Board Meeting Schedule by Linser, seconded by Knisely. Vote: 5-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. &20081,&$7,21 As warranted and DYDLODEOH 6FKRRO %RDUG PHPEHUV ZLOO UHSRUW VLJQLÀFDQW DFWLYLWLHV RI DQG RU DFWLRQV E\ RUJDQL]DWLRQV LQ ZKLFK WKH VFKRRO GLVWULFW KROGV PHPEHUVKLS DQG RU VHUYHV LQ D JRYHUQDQFH FDSDFLW\ &$() ² 0HPEHU %HWWLQJHU UHSRUWHG WKDW WKH *ROI 7RXUQDPHQW UDLVHG RYHU 06%$ ² 0HPEHU *XWKPXHOOHU noted that the virtual advocacy tour is on September 15 at 6:00 p.m. Two of our board members have been nominated to attend Delegate Assembly. 1RUWKHDVW 0HWURSROLWDQ ,QWHUPHGLDWH 6FKRRO 'LVWULFW ² 0HPEHU .QLVHO\ UHSRUWHG WKDW D QHZ ÀQDQFH GLUHFWRU KDV EHHQ KLUHG DQG WKDW WKH &DUHHU 7HFK (GXFDWLRQ 2SHQ +RXVH ZLOO EH KHOG WKH ÀUVW ZHHN RI 6HSWHPEHU Schools for Equity in Education – Member Guthmueller reported that she and Superintendent Holmberg attended a meeting to set the legislative platform. 7KH ÀUVW 6(( PHHWLQJ RI WKH VFKRRO \HDU ZLOO EH KHOG RQ 6HSWHPEHU 9. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 9.1. Dates to Note – Upcoming dates and events in the school district. 10. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT 9.2. Presentations or Items of Business from Staff or Board Members.11. ADJOURN DW S P Motion to adjourn by Knisely, seconded by Linser. Vote: 5-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. Kathryn Timm, School Board Clerk Minutes prepared by Jody Josephson Published one time in the Quad Community Press on October 5, 2021.

CENTENNIAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 12 SCHOOL BOARD WORK STUDY SESSION SUMMARY AUGUST 23, 2021 (Abbreviated—full minutes available at www.isd12.org or call 763-7926010 to request a hard copy) LEGAL NOTICE: School Board, Independent School District 12; 4707 North Road, Circle Pines, Minnesota; August 23, 2021.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Left: The sign read “#ZZSTRONG” for Zach Zarembinkski, after he collapsed during a football game. Zarembinkski grew up in Centerville. At the time, a GoFundMe had raised over $44,000. Right: The sign has also been used to wish area sports teams good luck at state tournaments.

1. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Guthmueller called the Work Study SesVLRQ RI WKH 6FKRRO %RDUG WR RUGHU DW S P LQ WKH 'LVWULFW 2IÀFH %RDUG 5RRP 7KH IROORZLQJ PHPEHUV ZHUH SUHVHQW *XWKPXHOOHU H[ RIÀFLR +ROPEHUJ /LQVer, Knisely, Timm. Member Bettinger arrived at 5:35 p.m. Member Carlson was absent. 2. REVISED 2021 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE Board members reviewed the draft of the revised 2021 School Board Meeting Schedule. 3. BACK TO SCHOOL PLAN Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Mark Grossklaus and Director of Human Resources Dan Melde will JLYH D SUHVHQWDWLRQ RQ WKH 'LVWULFW·V 6DIH 5HWXUQ WR 6FKRRO 3ODQ $ FRS\ RI the presentation is included in board packets. 4. RESOLUTION – HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR The board reviewed the resolution of Health and Safety Measures for the 2021-2022 School Year which will be brought to the board for adoption at the Regular Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. 5. ADJOURN $7 S P 0RWLRQ WR DGMRXUQ E\ Knisely, seconded by Linser. Vote: 5-0-0, motion carried unanimously. Kathryn Timm, School Board Clerk Minutes prepared by Jody Josephson Published one time in the Quad Community Press on October 5, 2021.

CENTENNIAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 12 SCHOOL BOARD WORK STUDY SESSION SUMMARY AUGUST 25, 2021 (Abbreviated—full minutes available at www.isd12.org or call 763-7926010 to request a hard copy) LEGAL NOTICE: School Board, Independent School District 12; 4707 North Road, Circle Pines, Minnesota; August 25, 2021. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Guthmueller called the Work Study SesVLRQ RI WKH 6FKRRO %RDUG WR RUGHU DW S P LQ WKH 'LVWULFW 2IÀFH %RDUG Room. 2. ROLL CALL Clerk Timm called the roll. The following members were SUHVHQW .QLVHO\ *XWKPXHOOHU H[ RIÀFLR +ROPEHUJ &DUOVRQ /LQVHU 7LPP 0HPEHU %HWWLQJHU DUULYHG DW S P 7KH IROORZLQJ PHPEHUV ZHUH DEVHQW None. 3. BOARD RETREAT – BOARD MEMBER CONVERSATION FACILITATED BY GAIL GILMAN OF MSBA Ms. Gilman, MSBA Director of Strategic Planning and Board Leadership, facilitated a discussion of the Centennial School Board Development, Governance, Leadership, Goal Setting and the role of the Superintendent. 4. ADJOURN DW S P 0RWLRQ WR DGMRXUQ E\ Guthmueller, seconded by Timm. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. Kathryn Timm, School Board Clerk Minutes prepared by Jody Josephson Published one time in the Quad Community Press on October 5, 2021.

CENTENNIAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 12 SCHOOL BOARD SPECIAL MEETING SUMMARY SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 (Abbreviated—full minutes available at www.isd12.org or call 763-7926010 to request a hard copy) LEGAL NOTICE: School Board, Independent 6FKRRO 'LVWULFW 1RUWK 5RDG &LUFOH 3LQHV 0LQQHVRWD 6HSWHPEHU 2021. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Guthmueller called the special meeting RI WKH 6FKRRO %RDUG WR RUGHU DW S P LQ WKH 'LVWULFW 2IÀFH %RDUG 5RRP 2. ROLL CALL 7KH IROORZLQJ PHPEHUV ZHUH SUHVHQW *XWKPXHOOHU H[ RIÀFLR Holmberg, Bettinger, Linser, Carlson, Knisely, Timm. The following members were absent: None. 3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Motion to approve the agenda by Linser, seconded by Knisely. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. Chairperson Guthmueller acknowledged approval of the agenda. 4. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 4.1. Approval of CEA Contract - The CEA and the Centennial School Board have reached an agreement on the contract for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 contract years for teachers in the district. The DJUHHPHQW KDV EHHQ UDWLÀHG E\ WKH PHPEHUV RI WKH XQLW 7KH 1HJRWLDWLRQV Committee recommends approval of this agreement. Motion to approve the CEA Contract by Knisely, seconded by Bettinger. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. 4.2 Approval of Food Service Contract - The Centennial Food Service and the Centennial ISD 12 Negotiations Team have reached an agreement on the contract for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 contract years for )RRG 6HUYLFH HPSOR\HHV LQ WKH GLVWULFW 7KH DJUHHPHQW KDV EHHQ UDWLÀHG E\ the members of the unit. The Negotiations Committee recommends approval of this agreement. Motion to approve the Food Service Contract by Timm, seconded by Carlson. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. 5. ADJOURN DW S P Motion to adjourn by Bettinger, seconded by Linser. Vote: 6-0-0. Motion carried unanimously. Kathryn Timm, School Board Clerk Minutes prepared by Jody Josephson Published one time in the Quad Community Press on October 5, 2021.

CITY OF CIRCLE PINES, MINNESOTA PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Circle Pines City Council will meet at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at the Circle Pines City Hall. 7KH SXUSRVH RI WKLV PHHWLQJ ZLOO EH WR UHYLHZ WKH &LW\·V 6WRUP :DWHU 3ROOXWLRQ Prevention Plan. The Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan is a document required by the State and Federal government that outlines how the City will work towards reducing pollution in the rainwater runoff. This Plan will be reviewed at the meeting. Public comment either orally or in written form regarding the plan is encouraged. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, a disabled individual PD\ RQH ZHHN LQ DGYDQFH FRQWDFW &LW\ +DOO E\ SKRQH DW RU

TDD (763) 231-2617; or writing to request reasonable assistance to be able to participate in these proceedings. Patrick Antonen, Clerk of the City of Circle Pines 'DWHG 6HSWHPEHU Published one time in the Quad Community Press on October 5, 2021.

CITY OF CIRCLE PINES, MINNESOTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON IMPROVEMENTS 2022 STREET AND UTILITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the City Council of the City of Circle Pines, Minnesota will meet at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible, Tuesday, October 12, 2021, in the Council Chambers at Circle Pines City Hall, 200 Civic Heights Circle, Circle Pines, Minnesota. The proposed improvements for Stardust Boulevard, Twinkle Terrace, Galaxy Drive, and Twilite Terrace are as follows: replacement of bituminous pavement with subgrade correction, curb and gutter replacement, replacement of sanitary sewer and watermain, and storm sewer improvements. 7KH WRWDO HVWLPDWHG FRVW RI VDLG LPSURYHPHQWV LV The area proposed to be assessed for the foregoing improvements would include properties adjacent to or near the roadway segments described above. A reasonable estimate of the total amount to be assessed, and a description of the methodology used to calculate individual assessments for affected parcels, will be available at the hearing. Failure to give mailed notice or any defects in the notice does not invalidate the proceedings. Written or oral opinion will be considered at the hearing. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, a disabled individual PD\ RQH ZHHN LQ DGYDQFH FRQWDFW FLW\ KDOO E\ SKRQH DW RU 7'' 763-231-2617; or in writing to request reasonable assistance to be able to participate in these proceedings. Patrick Antonen, City Administrator City of Circle Pines Anoka County, Minnesota Dated: September 21, 2021 Published two times in the Quad Community Press on September 28 and October 5, 2021.

CITY OF LINO LAKES NOTICE OF CHARTER COMMISSION OPENINGS The City of Lino Lakes Charter Commission has open positions. The 15-member commission serves as custodians of the City Charter in accordance with state laws, the charter by-laws and rules of the Charter Commission. The Commission meets the second Thursday evening of each quarter at city hall. Any Lino Lakes resident, except current City Council members, who is a TXDOLÀHG YRWHU DQG ZLVKHV WR VHUYH RQ WKH &KDUWHU &RPPLVVLRQ PD\ FDOO /LQR /DNHV &LW\ +DOO DW DQG UHTXHVW DQ DSSOLFDWLRQ RU YLVLW WKH &LW\ website at www.linolakes.us and click on “City Charter and Commission”. Questions regarding the appointment process can be directed to Julie BarWHOO &LW\ &OHUN 7KH GHDGOLQH IRU DSSOLFDWLRQV IRU WKLV \HDU·V DSSRLQWPHQW SURFHVV LV 1RYHPEHU th. Published two times in the Quad Community Press on September 28 and October 5, 2021.

CITY OF LINO LAKES ORDINANCE NO. 09-21 INTERIM ORDINANCE CREATING A MORATORIUM FOR MINI SELF-STORAGE FACILITIES WITHIN THE CITY OF LINO LAKES The City Council of Lino Lakes ordains: Section 1. Purpose and Intent. The purpose and intent of this Ordinance LV WR H[HUFLVH WKH &LW\·V DXWKRULW\ XQGHU 0LQQHVRWD 6WDWXWHV 6XEG 4 by the creation of an interim ordinance which has the effect of creating a moratorium on all mini self-storage facilities in Lino Lakes. Section 2. Preliminary Findings. The City Council hereby makes the IROORZLQJ SUHOLPLQDU\ ÀQGLQJV WR VHUYH DV WKH EDVLV IRU WKH QHFHVVDU\ VWXG\ WR be made during the moratorium, which serve as the reasons why it is in the public interest for the City to declare a moratorium by virtue of this Ordinance: City staff has determined that current regulations do not adequately address and regulate mini and self-storage uses, particularly given the increase in the prevalence of this type of use in metro area suburban communities. $ PRUDWRULXP ZLOO SURYLGH VXIÀFLHQW WLPH IRU WKH &LW\ WR UHYLHZ WKH &LW\·V Zoning Ordinance, and study alternative regulations that might be adopted to adequately address the uses within the moratorium enacted by this ordinance. A moratorium will also ensure that ordinance changes will not need to be expedited and that all issues related to mini and self-storage uses can be completely examined. Section 3. Moratorium: Until the Planning & Zoning Board and City &RXQFLO FRPSOHWH VWXGLHV UHODWHG WR WKH DIRUHPHQWLRQHG ÀQGLQJV WKH &LW\ shall not accept or continue to process any land use applications for mini self-storage facilities. The study period will last no longer than one (1) year from the effective date of this Ordinance, unless further extended by the City in accordance with Minnesota Statutes 462.355, Subd. 4. Section 4. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after 30 days following its passage and publication, in accordance with the City Charter. Passed by the Lino Lakes City Council this 27th day of September, 2021. Rob Rafferty, Mayor. ATTEST: Julianne Bartell, City Clerk. Published one time in the Quad Community Press on October 5, 2021.

OCTOBER 5, 2021

QUAD COMMUNITY PRESS www.presspubs.com

POLICE REPORTS The Lino Lakes Police Department reported the following incidents:

The officers located the vehicle and arrested the driver for driving under the influence.

• A theft was reported in the 100 block of White Pine Road Sept. 21.

• Officers conducted a traffic stop for speeding in the 900 block of Ash Street Sept. 23. Officers smelled the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle and found drug paraphernalia. The driver was issued a citation for the offenses.

• An officer responded to a call of damage to property and a theft from vehicle in the 7400 block of Main Street Sept. 21. The incident is under investigation. • An officer responded to a property damage accident in the 6800 block of Otter Lake Road Sept. 21. One of the drivers was arrested and later charged for fourth-degree DWI. • Officers responded to a property damage crash near the intersection of Lake Drive and 79th Street Sept. 21. The juvenile driver was cited for failure to drive with due care. • Officers responded to a report of a catalytic converter theft in progress in the 400 block of Apollo Drive Sept. 21. The suspects left the scene prior to officer arrival. The investigation is ongoing. • Officers responded to a business in the 7100 block of Otter Lake Road Sept. 22 on a report of suspicious people taking photos of the building. Officers located an individual who gave a false name to officers and had an active warrant. The individual was arrested and transported to jail. • Officers took a report of a fraudulent check and an effort to cash it at a bank in the 600 block of Apollo Drive Sept. 22. The incident is under investigation. • An officer responded to a fi re in an oven in the 6600 block of Sherman Lake Road Sept. 22. Upon arrival, the fi re was out and the fi re department confi rmed using a thermal imaging camera that there was no further fi re threat. • Officers responded to a report of a possibly intoxicated driver in the 800 block of Maple Lane Sept. 22.

• Officers responded to a large group of juveniles in the 1400 block of Osprey Court being disorderly Sept. 23. One juvenile shot a BB gun at a vehicle. One juvenile was charged for multiple offenses and the other juveniles were sent home. • An officer stopped a vehicle for speeding in the 300 block of Main Street Sept. 24. The driver was subsequently cited for possessing marijuana in a motor vehicle and drug paraphernalia. • Officers responded to a residence for a domestic situation Sept. 24. One person was arrested for domestic assault. • An officer took a complaint of a dog bite in the 8200 block of 20th Avenue Sept. 25. The incident was documented, and the investigation is ongoing. • An officer responded to a report of juveniles throwing toilet paper on a tree in the 7900 block of Joseph Court Sept. 26. The officer checked the area and was unable to locate the individuals involved. • Officers responded to a call of a possible impaired driver swerving all over the roadway in the 8300 block of I-35W Sept. 26. The vehicle was located and stopped by the officers, and the driver was arrested for second-degree DWI. A passenger was also arrested on outstanding warrants. • Officers responded to a report of a male passed out on a park bench with a young child in the 200 block

after cancellation inimical to public safety.

of Apple Lane Sept. 26. The male was trespassed from the property and the child was released to a care provider. • An officer responded to the intersection of County Road J and Centerville Road on a report of a male trying to fi ght someone in a vehicle Sept. 26. The male went into another city, and the officer assisted the other law enforcement agency in searching for the male. The male was never located. • Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 2100 block of Ada Drive Sept. 26 regarding a theft of a motor vehicle. The investigation is ongoing. • An officer spoke with a resident in the 7100 block of Grey Squirrel Road Sept. 27 who reported their animal was shot with a pellet gun while it was outside. It is unknown at this time who injured the animal. The investigation is ongoing.

• Officers were dispatched to the 9300 block of Lexington Avenue in Lexington Sept. 22 on a theft report. There are no suspects at this time. • Officers conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Lake Drive and Albert Avenue in Lexington Sept. 22. A male driver and female passenger were subsequently arrested for driving

• Suspicious activity was reported in the 3800 block of Minuteman Lane in Lexington Sept. 23. • Officers responded to a phone call report of a burglary in the 40 block of Center Road in Circle Pines Sept. 23. Upon investigation, it was determined to be a burglary of an unoccupied, unattached garage. The estimated loss is $2,000. • An officer was dispatched to Central Street in Circle Pines Sept. 23 for a property damage hitand-run accident. The officer was unable to locate any suspects.

• Officers responded to a call of a person trying to pass a forged check at a bank in the 7400 block of Village Drive Sept. 27. Officers located the suspect, who will be charged with check forgery. A passenger in the vehicle was also arrested and booked into jail on an outstanding warrant. The Centennial Lakes Police Department reported the following incidents:

• Officers were dispatched to Lexington Memorial Park Sept. 22 on a report of two vehicles driving on the ballfields, which were recently redone. Police subsequently located the vehicles and identified two juvenile suspects. The damage is estimated at 1,320. Charges are pending.

• Officers were dispatched to a license plate theft in the 7200 block of Twin Lakes Avenue in Centerville Sept. 26. • Police were dispatched to the 6900 block of Lamotte Drive in Centerville Sept. 26 on a report of a male threatening people. The call ended up being related to a Ramsey County call from an incident at Centerville Road and County Road J. • An officer conducted a traffic stop in the area of Main Street and Centerville Road Sept. 27. The driver had a suspended license, no insurance and had failed to transfer the title. Citations were issued and the vehicle was towed from the scene. • Police responded to the 3900 block of Restwood Road in Lexington Sept. 28 for a civil dispute between neighbors regarding a furnace.

Living Waters Lutheran Church (ELCA)

Church Directory

865 Birch Street Lino Lakes, MN 55014 (651) 481-0220 livingwaterslutheran.org

Find the church that ﬁts your needs

Worship Sunday 10am Wednesday 6:30pm Wednesday Faith Exploration for all ages starts Sept. 15th

St. Mark Lutheran Church

1 North Road, Circle Pines 763-784-2558 “Growing Together in God’s Love to Serve Others”

Saturday at 5:00 pm

www.mystjoes.me

“Because we’re in this together.”

Church is not a place; it is who we are. Once we realize this, we can be the church anywhere.

Sunday at 8:30 am and 10:00 am 171 Elm Street • Lino Lakes, MN • 651-784-3015

Sunday Mornings:

Pastor Mollie Dvorak • stmarkcp.org – ELCA

Service times are subject to change during the coronavirus crisis. Contact your local church or check church web sites for service time and online service information.

for Together Times

3860 Flowerfield Rd, Circle Pines togetherplacechurch.org | facebook.com/togetherplacechurch

709775

Mass Times:

OUR SAVIOR S LUTHERAN CHURCH

in person 8:30 & 10:30 am Visit our website to streamline worship services

709771

We are Open!

TOGETHER Family Worship PLACE Sunday 10:00 AM CHURCH … Call 763-784-1607

Worship with us virtually and in person! NEW worship time: Sundays at 9:30am Education/Fellowship Time: Sundays at 10:45 All Are Welcome! stmarkcp.org

9185 North Lexington Ave. | 763-784-1971 | oursavioronline.org

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e had unbelievable subscription support during last year’s government lockdown. At a time when local business advertising – the mainstay of community newspaper revenue – dwindled because so many local businesses were forced to close temporarily or permanently in some cases, our readers stepped up with their subscriptions to bridge the gap. Thank you! Many of our long time readers know that twice a year we ask for support with a subscription. Most critically, subscriptions help us employ professional journalists who provide our readers rich, relevant, local content. Your subscription also helps offset rising costs, such as vehicles for delivery, health care costs for employees, and utilities so we can heat our workplace and keep the lights on. The cost of our raw materials is projected to go up 5-15% this year. Technology is an ever-changing, ongoing investment for every business and organization. During the pandemic we had an all-time high in Quad Community Press readers who subscribed. Though we suffered huge losses in our inserts (pre-printed advertising) Publisher’s revenue, we did not have any layoffs or cut hours of our staff. As we move into fall, we View need help to keep up our paid subscriptions and meet our goal to be sustainable. For all of Carter Johnson the information you get throughout the year that you can’t find anywhere else, this is a dd l good deal. Interestingly, many of our newspaper colleagues have also seen increased support during the pandemic. The common thread was it was local news that has kept us informed. Perhaps especially in times of uncertainty, people simply appreciate knowing they can count on the local journalists who produce new local content. When you want to know what is going on in your community, we have your back. With all that said, we are asking you our readers for support again with your hometown newspaper with a subscription. Why subscribe to something that you already get for free? Simply put, if no one subscribes, we can’t provide the product. We are among a few newspapers nationally utilizing the hybrid model of providing our product to everyone in the community who wants it and then asking for voluntary subscription. Most “free” papers have had to move to full subscription. If you are an online news junkie, you know most news outlets require a payment after a couple of page views or to access the stories you really want to read. Paying for unique locally written content that is created by the hard working full time staff at our newspapers is needed. If in the past few weeks you have read something in this paper that was beneficial to your family or life in our community, I am asking you to subscribe today. Fill out the envelope or flyer that is in our newspaper, subscribe online at presspubs. com, or call our office at 651-407-1200. With your support you will receive full online access, a coupon sheet for great deals at local businesses and will also be entered into a drawing for $250 in local gift cards. Thank you to our supporters who have been with us through the ups and downs. Thank you to our subscribers who help us continue providing local news to our great communities.

Notes of thanks A call came in this week from a reader who wanted to thank our reporter for the detailed coverage of a city council meeting. I thanked her for taking the time to call. We get a lot of positive feedback from readers, but often people who take the time to call do it because they are upset about something. It is wonderful to know when someone appreciates and benefits from our coverage of local meetings and events. Our staff gets beat up at times with criticism; it’s great to get the compliments, too. We find ourselves in the midst of election season and many hot topics are being debated through letters to the editor. As readers in the community share their opinions through the forum provided by our editorial pages, I ask you to be civil. We can have passionate disagreements but there are lines that should not to be crossed. Occasionally we suggest readers make a few changes to ensure letters meet our guidelines. Very rarely we hold a letter, and the only reason we would do that is if it clearly does not meet our guidelines. We are essentially following the same guidelines and not censoring letters to the editor simply because our team disagrees with the opinion or those we find distasteful. In these times and especially during the election, letters are increasingly nasty. We want readers to engage in dialogue about important topics through our opinion pages, but please, do it with some civility.

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f your family is like mine, 4 p.m. comes around and the question gets yelled up the stairs “Hey mom, what’s for dinner?” My usual response, passed down from my mother, is “food.” Of course, that’s when the moaning and groaning ensues, and I must get down to the business of determining what food I will be serving. When you’re thinking about food, the library probably isn’t the fi rst place that comes to mind, but Anoka County Library has Movers & ideas and inspiration Shakers to fi ll your plate every Mary Healy night of the week. Check out a cookbook to flip through for meal planning or find cookbooks in eBook format using our Libby app. The app also gives access to quite a selection of cooking magazines including, “Taste,”

“Cook’s Illustrated,” and the ever-popular “Taste of Home.” Our newest online resource, A to Z Food America, is a database with recipes from every region and state in the United States. It contains recipes in six food categories including appetizers, soups, salads, bread, main course, desserts, snacks, and beverages. If you enjoy the history of food, A to Z also provides articles on the history of different foods, food advertising, food inventions and food trivia. The Centennial Library in Circle Pines offers monthly cooking demonstrations in our IQ Kitchen for kids, adults and families. Library staff enjoy showcasing new recipes and participants enjoy taste testing the results. Check the library online calendar at anokacounty.libcal.com for the latest class offerings. Here are a couple of recommended titles to whet your appetite for what the library can offer in your quest to get dinner on the table: • “The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners: Easy,

Foolproof Recipes for Your Air Fryer” by Laurie Fleming. • “Everyday Dinners: Real Life Recipes to Set Your Family Up for a Week of Success” by Jessica Merchant. • “The Secret Ingredient Cookbook: 125 FamilyFriendly Recipes with Surprisingly Tasty Twists” by Kelly Senyei. • “The No-Fuss Family Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Everyday Life” by Ryan Scott. • “The 30-Minute Cooking from Frozen Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes That Will Save You Time and Money –– No Pre-Thawing Required!” by Carole Jones. If you’re looking for speciﬁc kinds of recipes, or want tailored suggestions to ﬁt your dietary needs, give us a call or submit a request through our Librarian Recommends form at anokacountylibrary. org for personalized reading recommendations. Mary Healy is a librarian and branch manager at the Centennial Library located in Circle Pines.

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Call upon God to inspire us to shine

y two most favorite months of the year are April and October! While their traits are pretty much opposites, they signal to me a visual metaphor of Paschal Mystery the dying and rising of Christ. In this autumn time its apple and pumpkin season… both colorful reminders of the fruit of the labors of our farmers and orchard growers. I am especially grateful to them this year as we have moved through drought conditions to have some tasty Pastor fruit! Grateful too for the change Ponderings in temperatures as we are now in the midst of the crisp season of Barb Uschold autumn, with the colorful hues of f lora and the falling of leaves. Anderson These remind us of the ways in which we are called to notice the presence of God all around us. It is fairly easy when the colored leaves are vibrant, however, when we start to notice the barren trees or bushes around us we realize just how much we must work to continue to

view the presence of God beside us. These falling leaves signal a kind of death, a letting go as the leaves fall and the final fruits are picked. It is at this time of the year that we must reach into ourselves and call upon God to enter into our lives even more fully so that the bright light of Christ, continues to shine within us even as the days get shorter and shorter, darker and darker. We can trust the dark, because we know the promise of the Paschal Mystery— Christ’s death and rising again to new life! The presence of community will sustain us as we pray through Advent, Christmas, Lent and then Easter in April! As the days get shorter this is the time when we most need to call upon God to inspire us to shine—to do something colorful and vibrant…maybe this is the time we most need to share our gifts with the people around us. How will you answer the call to serve? How will you share your light with others? Barb Uschold Anderson is the director of pastoral care at St. Joseph of the Lakes Catholic Church is Lino Lakes.

WEEKLY WAG Faline’s foster report begins, “She is the sweetest dog we’ve ever had.” Faline is a 1 1/2-year-old Labrador/pointer mix. She weighs about 50 pounds and is very social with people and with other dogs. However, she is a bit of an attention-seeker, so may do best as an only pet. A forever home with a fenced backyard may also be best, as running and exploring is in her blood. She loves her toys but views each as a challenge to see how fast she can destroy it. She’s also been known to grab a shoe from time to time. But Faline is very treat and food-motivated, so with some continued manners training and quality time, she is sure to learn right from wrong quickly. After a full day of running, exploring and saving her family from “evil” toys, Faline likes to snuggle up to her people for some attention and a nap. If you are interested in adopting Faline and would like to learn more about her, please fill out an application at ruffstartrescue.org. Once your application is received, Ruff Start Rescue will contact you as soon as possible.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Helpful policeman I need to thank the Lino Lakes officer who helped me get to my sister's home. He pulled me over but I was grateful. He asked me for the address I was aiming for and I followed him. That's the mark of a helpful policeman. Lyndy Werdin Webster (Lino Lakes visitor)

A reactive response As a parent of three young children in elementary school and a board certified nurse practitioner, I am deeply concerned with how Centennial School District has and continues to handle COVID in our schools. The mitigation efforts that have been proposed and implemented by our superintendent, board members and COVID team do not follow the current guidance by The American Academy of Pediatrics, Minnesota Department of Health or the CDC. Because of this, our schools are seeing some of the highest percentages of COVID rates compared to our neighboring school districts. All but two of these neighboring school districts have some sort of mask requirement in place for their schools. Centennial does not and will not require any type of mask for staff or students until a certain percentage of students in the building test positive or are out with COVID symptoms. I'll reiterate, this is a REACTIVE response, not a PROACTIVE

response, and impacts not only the physical health of these students, but the mental, social and emotional health and their learning. Leaving the choice to parents is not science-based or good public health. We know more now than we did a year ago. We know that mask wearing helps prevent the spread of COVID and helps to keep our kids in school. Wearing a mask is not a political statement, but a show of solidarity and that we care for our neighbor and their well-being, too. This isn't about making angry and loud parents happy. This is about protecting our kids, our vulnerable population and keeping our kids safe during a time when many don't have a choice. The board and superintendent have a choice and have the power to make a difference here, but they aren't changing anything despite our dramatic rise in COVID cases in our schools. Choice doesn't trump safety. Especially when your choice is to deny science and act recklessly, and especially when it impacts me, my family and our entire community. Our kids deserve better. They deserve empathy, compassion, and people who are more interested in their safety than protecting power and privilege. Katie Brula Blaine

Enough is enough My heart breaks over our broken Centennial School District and other

schools in surrounding areas. I was dumbfounded Monday at the school board member rolling her eyes at a passionate parent’s concern in the already restrictive public forum the board has implemented. I am angered at an administration who continues to deny transparency most recently in not providing the FOIA documentation requested months ago. I am stunned by teachers who ask elementary students what “pronoun” they wish go by or the high school teacher who was quoted saying “the way our government works is that race determines how much money you get/make.” I am saddened for teachers and staff who are afraid to speak out against the current tenets being required by the district for fear of reprimand or worse. I am frustrated and concerned for those parents and community members who do not speak out or are just ignorant of the situation. I am adamant in believing that enough is enough! Instruction of values and social justice belong in the home, not in the school! The business of the Centennial School Board, administration and staff is to focus its attention on how to address and correct the dropping academic scores and lower graduate numbers (reflected on Minnesota Department of Education’s website) as well as the lack of its fiscal accountability and responsibility to public constituents. Don’t ask me for levy dollars again,

COUNTY BRIEFS Anoka County license and passport centers closed Oct. 11 All Anoka County License Centers and Passport Centers will be closed Monday, Oct. 11, for staff training. Locations will reopen Tuesday, Oct. 12, at the normal business hours.

Friends of Anoka County Library to host book sale The Friends of Anoka County Library will hold its first-ever book sale to benefit all Anoka County Library branches from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, and Saturday, Nov. 13, at the Centennial Library in Circle Pines. (There will be a pre-sale for Friends of Anoka County Library members from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11.) Volunteers are needed for set-up, sale and teardown. Friends of the Anoka County Library will be accepting donations of current or popular books in good-to-excellent condition throughout October. For more information about branch drop-offs, email friendsofanokacolib@gmail.com.

Anoka County participates in 911 dispatcher career fair Anoka County is partnering with a dozen other emergency service providers around the metro to host a free 911 dispatcher career fair 3 to 7 pm. Oct. 6 at the Ramsey County Library, 2180 Hamline Ave. N., Roseville. There is a need for dispatchers across the metro, and this fair is a great opportunity to learn about the

field. In Anoka County, dispatchers answer 911 and non-emergency calls for all the county’s residents, and they provide dispatch services for the county’s 11 law enforcement agencies and 17 fire departments. Dispatchers make a difference in people’s lives almost every day, and they’re essential for maintaining public safety in our communities. For more information about Anoka County’s Emergency Communications Department, call 763-324-4760. To learn more about 911 dispatching, visit anokacounty.us/4081/Careers.

Anoka County approves flat 2022 preliminary property tax levy The Anoka County Board of Commissioners has approved a flat preliminary property tax levy. The 2022 proposed budget reflects the priorities of the county to provide safe roads and eliminate congestion; work with residents to improve their lives; protect and serve the community in a manner that preserves public trust; attract and retain an engaged, skilled county staff; and provide clear, accurate and effective information to residents and staff about county initiatives. The county’s truth in taxation meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 2. Details about that meeting will be posted on the county’s website, anokacounty.us. Commissioners will approve the final levy and budget during its 9:30 a.m. Dec. 3 regular meeting. The levy can be reduced prior to final approval, but it cannot increase.

you abused the large tax dollars already levied with your purchase of social justice and politically affi liated organizational training! Don’t ask me to vote for you if you have supported the current tenets, policies and programs that are being advocated in the district! Don’t expect me to be quiet, because the time for quiet is over! Parents of Centennial, complacency must stop! Talk to your kids about what happens in their classroom. Investigate curriculum, the district’s hidden messaging and resources on ISD12 website. Get involved in committees working on the new Strategic Plan. Run for school board positions in 2022; there will be three seats open. Stand up, speak out and make a difference! Deborah Dahlberg Circle Pines

Need masks in schools I urge the Centennial School Board and administration to follow the guidance of the CDC and MDH and require masking in our elementary schools. Our numbers are proving that the back-to-school plan is not working. Behind every number on the COVID dashboard is a sick child, teacher or staff member. The numbers are rising — our kids and community are getting sick. Andrea Franko Lino Lakes

Top 5 at PressPubs.com: Week of September 19 – 25, 2021 Editor’s note: Visit www.presspubs.com to read the full versions of these most-visited stories

1. Patriotic Kenny: You can’t miss the scooter. White Bear Press > News 2. White Bear school board: No masks, no public forum. White Bear Press > News 3. Brewery/taproom leaving downtown White Bear Lake. White Bear Press > News hindrance The best time to take in your 4. Help or hinderance? hummingbird feeders. Quad Press > News

5. Results in for community survey, district looks ahead. Quad Press > News

See Press Publications’ website www.presspubs.com for stories from the White Bear Press, The Citizen, Vadnais Heights Press, Shoreview Press, Quad Community Press, The Lowdown-Forest Lake Area and The Lowdown-St. Croix Valley Area.

AND OUTDOORS

6 QUAD COMMUNITY PRESS

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OCTOBER 5, 2021

Cougars triumph twice after 1st loss to Crimson BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR

Before last week, the Centennial girls soccer team had outscored 10 opponents 51 to four. Then the Cougars ran into the roughest part of the schedule by far — four straight opponents with a combined record of 37-10-7. Last Tuesday, the No. 2 ranked Cougars were jolted from the unbeaten ranks by Maple Grove, 2-1, at home. The No. 5 Crimson are 10-1-2. The Cougars (12-1) regrouped, scraping out 1-0 victories over Champlin Park (7-4-3) on Thursday evening and No. 4 Stillwater (10-2-1) on Saturday evening, both on the road. “Maple Grove vs. Centennial is always a tough rival game,” Cougar coach Christa Carlson said. “Both teams played their hearts out. Either team could have won.”

BRUCE STRAND | SUBMITTED

Tatum Trettel of Centennial races across midfield with the ball against Maple Grove’s Bri Sullivan (14) and Helene Gates. Other Cougars are Sydney Kubes (5) and Madelyn Skalicky.

The coach had similar reactions to the next two games as well: “Could have gone either way.”

Their next outing will be Tuesday at No. 7 Rogers (10-2-1). They’ll host Osseo on Friday, 5 p.m. in the conference finale.

Centennial leads the Northwest Suburban by a halfpoint entering the final week with a 10-1 mark, followed

by Maple Grove at 9-0-1 and Rogers at 8-2-1. Maple Grove’s Laura Zimmerman got the gamewinner in the 74th minute, battling a Cougar defender for possession of the ball for 20 yards before punching it into the corner of the net. Quinn Omar scored for the Crimson in the fi rst half. Addi Van Zee got the equalizer in the 44th minute, redirecting a brisk crossing pass from Marisa Frost. Tatum Trettel delivered the lone goal in both victories this week. The senior forward scored in the 43rd minute against Champlin Park and in the 53rd minute, assisted by Lauren Ahles, against Stillwater. The defensive back line holding fi rm consisted of McKenna Monson, Sydney Kubes, Caroline Lauinger and Avery Littlefield, with Jordan Metz in the nets.

SPORTS BRIEFS Elena Hoecke 13 in the tournament. Passing the ball capably were Hoecke (2.75), Ingrid Noha (2.35), Mattie Peterson (2.27) and Marley Baland (2.19). Ashlyn McClellan provided 40 assists and Noah 31. Petersen led with 49 digs and eight aces. Noha made seven aces and Koslowski six. Earlier in the week, the Cougars lost two conference matches. First-place Rogers (17-2) thumped the Cougars 25-17, 25-12, 25-8 on Tuesday. Andover (11-6) held them off 25-17, 23-25, 25-21, 25-17 on Thursday.

Boys soccer: Cougars lose to No. 1 Crimson (in OT) and Rebels

BRUCE STRAND | SUBMITTED

Ingrid Noha (8) and Linaya Swenson (14), shown blocking here in a previous match, are two of the starters for the 11-6 Cougars.

Volleyball: Cougars are champs of home invitational

CENTENNIAL FOOTBALL Chase Granzow, Centennial’s agile defensive end, was a key factor in the Cougars’ 6-0 upset of Wayzata last week. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior sacked the quarterback twice and made three tackles-for-loss to help the Cougars limit the Trojans to 153 net yards. He boomed two punts for a 43.5 yard average. “Chase is a big kid, and he can run, too,” said coach Mike Diggins, citing 4.8 to 4.9 times in the 40. “He’s a really tough player. He’s also our tight end.” In baseball, Granzow made all-conference last spring, hitting .364 with three homers and posting a 3.16 ERA on the mound.

Girls cross country: Cougars 2nd at Osseo meet The Centennial girls placed second among 13 teams at the Osseo Invitational on Thursday despite having nobody in the top 13. Top three teams at Elm Creek Park Reserve were Maple Grove with 50, Centennial 95 and Osseo 137. For the Cougars, Abby Wood placed 14th (20:30), Julia Zalewski 16th (20:39), Kylie Nelson 17th (20:46), Emma Magnuson 22nd (21:05) and Tatum Liebke 26th (21:22). Individual winner was Armstrong’s Caitlyn Osanal in 19:30.

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Boys cross country: Cougars 5th of 22 at Osseo meet

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Centennial captured the championship of its own tournament on Saturday, improving to 11-6 for the season. The Cougars vanquished Burnsville 26-24, 25-22; St. Francis 2513, 25-18; Virginia 25-17, 25-14; and, in the finals, toppled Holy Angels 20-25, 2624, 16-14. Holy Angels has a 15-2 record.

“The girls stepped it up to another level,” said coach Jackie RehbeinManthey. “We’ve been struggling with unforced errors. On Saturday, we were hitting in the positives, putting the ball away, and blocking balls pretty well.” The Cougars as usual got kills all around the dial with Cassie Sosinski logging 21, Andi Koslowski 20, Linaya Swenson 17, Annie Richtsmeier 15 and

Unbeaten, top-ranked Maple Grove repelled Centennial’s upset bid 3-2 in overtime last Tuesday evening at Cougar Field. The Cougars then got humbled by Champlin Park 5-0 there Thursday. Maple Grove (12-0) scored twice on penalty kicks, both by Chris Frantz, one in each half. Aaron Badillo got the gamewinner in the second 10-minute overtime. For the Cougars, Garrett Andersen booted one goal and assisted on Dominic Trejo’s goal. Most of the action was in front of Centennial’s goal with Isaac Verke making 10 saves. The Cougars (7-4-1) were blanked for the first time this season by Champlin Park, which scored four second-half goals. The Cougars had allowed just seven goals in 11 games previously. In the Northwest Suburban, Maple Grove is 11-0, Champlin Park 10-1, Rogers 6-4-0, Centennial 6-4-1, and Park Center 6-4-1. The Cougars will finish conference play this week against Rogers and Osseo.

The Centennial boys placed fifth among 22 teams in the Osseo Invitational on Thursday. Top five teams at Elm Creek Park Reserve were Northwest

Nighthawks (a co-op for home-schooled kids) with 97, Maple Grove 110, Blaine 116, Parnassus Prep 122 and Centennial 130. Jonathan Pattie led Centennial in sixth place (16:43) while PJ Marshall was 15th (17:30), Aiden Sherer 16th (17:31), Jacob Podratz 42nd (18:09) and Evan Pouliot 54th (18:23). Individual winner was Belle Plaine’s Emmett Terres in 15:30.

Swimming: Armstrong tips Cougars Robbinsdale Armstrong out-stroked Centennial 99-87 on Thursday evening in the Cougars’ pool. Winning events for the Cougars (1-3) were Jaden Ruegsegger (50 freestyle, 25.43), Kathryn Woelfel (diving, 226.45), Calla Kamish (backstroke, 1:03.13), and the medley relay of Kamish, Laura Zebell, Raylynn Robeck and Ruegsegger (1:59.36). Placing second were Zebell (breaststroke), Rylie McCulloch (diving), Kamish (200 free), Robeck (IM), Lauren Kajer (butterfly) and Ruegsegger (100 free). Armstrong double winners were Zoe Bresnahan (200 free, butterfly) and Olivia Kehn (100 free, breaststroke).

Local runners at TC Marathon listed Seventeen runners from the Quad area were among the 3,192 who finished the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday. This was the 39th edition of the race from Lake Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis to the Capitol in St. Paul. It was not held last year due to the pandemic, and the field was limited to half the normal number this year. Following are the local runners in alphabetical order. Lino Lakes Scott Anderson, 54, 4:37:34 Zachary Beddow, 22, 3:31:34 Adam Bennett, 37, 3:21:57 Zachary Berg, 33, 3:40:44 Herb Byun, 77, 4:57:39 Adele Hanson, 26, 5:04:58 Noah Korba, 40, 5:05:17 Megan Lenz, 27, 3:42:47 Elizabeth Springer, 28, 5:07:10 Tou Cher Yang, 40, 5:37:32 Circle Pines Christine Dumke, 42, 4:47:35 Matthew Hockert, 24, 3:56:51 Kenton Pagel, 32, 3:46:46 Christopher Pouliot, 45, 3:58:29 Shawn Schmidt, 49, 4:32:00 Molly Schowalter, 35, 4:34:48 Lexington Anna Carlson, 48, 5:08:25 Bruce Strand

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Encore: Cougars topple No. 2 Wayzata 6-0 BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR

Perhaps amazing themselves a bit, the Centennial Cougars posted their second straight upset of a highly-ranked team last Friday. Once again riding their shut-down defense, the Cougars (3-2) foiled No. 2 Wayzata 6-0 at the Trojans’ homecoming. “Wayzata has four Division I players. They are loaded,” marveled Cougar coach Mike Diggins. “I would not want to play them again.” Centennial’s last two games with Wayzata were playoff losses of 45-0 in 2018 and 38-21 in 2019. This game bore no similarity. The Cougars stopped Wayzata (4-1) on the fi rst series of the game, then marched 75 yards in 11 plays, capped by Lance Nielsen’s five-yard run on an option play. Their extra point kick was blocked. That would be only points in the game. Neither team moved the ball much in the second quarter. In the third quarter, the Cougars launched an eight-minute drive that ended with a fumble at the Trojan 20. Remarkably, Wayzata had the ball just once in the whole second half. After recovering the Cougar fumble, the Trojans, overlapping the third and fourth quarters, drove 70 yards to the Centennial 10. That drive was stopped by a Reese Neudahl interception at the four-yard line. Will Quick broke up the pass and Neudahl was

JON NAMYST (NAMYSTPHOTOGRAPHY.COM) (NAMYSTPHOTOGRAPHYCOM) | SUBMITTED

Lance Nielsen skips into the end zone in the first quarter with the game’s lone score.

there to pick it off. Six minutes remained, but the Cougars held the ball until time expired, kneeling at midfield to end the game.

“We were on our own four, and we were able to run out the clock,” Diggins said. “So I was real proud of our offense for that.”

A week earlier, Centennial handed Maple Grove, then ranked No. 5, its lone loss 21-7. The Cougars have played four Top 10 teams in

the fi rst five weeks and have a 2-2 record against them. Remaining on the schedule are Blaine (3-2), Minnetonka (4-1) and No. 8 Woodbury (4-1). The Cougars held Wayzata to 106 yards rushing and 47 passing. Julian Diedrich carried 21 times for 73 yards. Ryan Harvey completed seven of 11 passes for 47 yards. Leading tacklers were Isaiah Ward with nine (four solo) and Chase Granzow with seven, including two sacks. While the Cougars were held to six points, they kept possession nicely by gaining 179 yards on 37 rushes. Lance Liu gained 97 in 20 carries, Nielsen 41 in four carries and Dan O’Neill 29 in three carries. O’Neill had a 30-yard run and Nielsen had a 28-yard run. Meanwhile, they passed just three times, with Daylen Cummings completing two, for minus three yards. “We intended to pass about 20 times, but we could not hold their line back,” Diggins said. “But our line did open up some good holes in our running game.” While single-score games are pretty rare, Centennial has had more than their share, beating St. MichaelAlbertville in 2019 and Anoka in 2014, and losing to Edina in 2017 and Champlin Park in 2016, all by 7-0 scores. The Cougars started to get some respect over the weekend. The Star-Tribune placed them No. 5 in its Metro Top 10 announced Sunday.

CENTENNIAL SCHOOL BOARD SNIPPETS • Parents continue to share their discontent with the school board and district at board meetings during public forum. (See full story on pages 1 and 9.) • For $1,000, the Centennial School District will be a member of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD) for this year. • For 2022 and 2023, the district’s dental provider will be Delta Dental. Back in September, insurance committee members and the district’s insurance agent, Arthur Gallagher, reviewed proposals from Delta Dental and Guardian, and recommended approval of Delta Dental’s proposal. Every five years, school districts are required by state statute to market non-medical group insurance contracts. The board has also approved the medical and dental insurance rates and plan structure. In September, the insurance committee met to review current claims and plan performance of the self-insured medical and dental funds. The committee reviewed renewal projections based on claims, administration fees and trends, and recommended increases of 6% for the medical HSA plan, 9% for the medical copay plan and a 0% increase for the dental plan. The increases will be effective Jan. 1, 2022, for the 2022 calendar year. • A truth in taxation hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6. The board has approved

the proposed 2021 payable 2022 property tax levy. State statute requires school districts certify proposed property taxes by Sept. 30. Executive Director of Business Services Patrick Chaffey explained that proposed levies for school districts carry the option of levying the maximum versus a specific amount due to continuing updates by the Department of Education. The maximum option protects school districts whose levies may increase; levying a specific dollar amount would restrict the ability for increases. At the time of the last school board meeting, the district was projecting a 0.5% increase, which may be mitigated a bit due to tax base growth, Chaffey said. • The district has negotiated three (administrative assistant, Kids Club and paraprofessional) contracts for 2021-22 and 2022-23. • The district has revised its equal educational opportunity and equal employment opportunity policies to identify the name/position, office address, phone number and email address for the Title IX and Section 504 coordinators. The district also added information to the policies for how students, parents and employees can fi le a grievance. The additions were recommended through the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) audit process last year and required to be complete by Nov. 1. Human Resources Director Dan Melde explained that the board

may need to approve more policy revisions later this year in an effort to keep policies aligned with the Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA). • The board has officially given district administration the okay to move forward with both the strategic planning process this fall and an achievement and integration (A&I) plan through the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) for implementation in the 2022-23 school year. The board has also decided to postpone hiring for the equity coordinator position and to not move forward with an equity audit or joint powers agreement with Equity Alliance Minnesota. (See full story on page 10.) • Melde provided a COVID update at the last school board meeting Sept. 27. “We are defi nitely seeing an increase in cases across our schools and in our classrooms. We are constantly monitoring buildings very closely … and having conversations about potential next steps,” he said. As Melde was providing an update, there was a brief interruption from meeting attendees with booing. One parent could be heard asking, “Why are you going over COVID cases?” Melde explained the district is always looking to make necessary updates to mitigation strategies in an effort to control spread. “Our end goal is this: we want to keep

kids in school. That’s our bottomline goal,” he said. “We want to keep kids and staff safe. We want to keep them here. Nobody wants to send anyone home, and so that is our impetus behind every decision we make, is to try to keep as many students as we can here in school learning and to make sure that everyone is safe and that the spread does not occur.” School Board Member Stephanie Carlson requested the district’s COVID team consider making changes to the mask policy. Currently, the district recommends, but does not mandate, that all students, staff and visitors wear masks while in school. In addition, the district requires masks for students and staff in a school that is at or above the 5% COVID-19 positivity rate; or when there is one or more cases in pre-K through sixth grade. “Maybe consider making the masking a little bit more consistent or clear, instead of just by classroom or building,” Carlson said. “ I’m really concerned about the rate that it is going up. I’d like that to be taken into consideration.” The next school board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18, in the district office. Shannon Granholm

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50 YEARS OF STAMPS: Longtime pen pals finally meet in person FROM PAGE 1

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will be us someday.” Around five months ago, Heck contacted Severseike via text message and informed her that she was planning a fall trip to Chicago and was thinking about making a stop in Minneapolis. On Sept. 18, they met each other for the fi rst time in a hotel lobby in Minneapolis. “I was so nervous,” Severseike recalled. “I told my husband on the way there, ‘I feel like I’m going on a fi rst date or something.’” After a long embrace, the two sat down, in the company of their husbands, Jeff and Larry, and reminisced about the long friendship and looked at old letters and photos they had sent each other over the years. After that, the Severseikes took the Hecks on a tour of Minneapolis. They visited the Sculpture Garden, Basilica of St. Mary, Saint Anthony Falls, Stone Arch Bridge and Minnehaha Falls, all while teaching them some history of Minnesota. “We were being ourselves; it didn't feel uptight at all. It felt like we were really both interested in each other, and we were just amazed at the similarities that our lives have had,” Severseike said. “I guess the teachers did a good pairing.” Heck added, “We both grew to be the same type of person. We have the same family and faith values, we are both down-to-earth. We always focus on looking at the best side of any situation.” Jeff and

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Larry also got along really well and enjoyed the experience. “It felt so warm and wonderful. It was such a perfect day,” Heck said. When asked why it took so many years to meet each other in person, Severseike said they were both so busy with their own lives and focused on raising their children. Now that their children are grown, their schedules are a bit more flexible these days. It will not take another 50 years for them to meet for a second time. “We are going to see each other again,” Severseike said. Until next time, they will stay connected via their yearly Christmas letters and perhaps try out FaceTime or Zoom. Lead Editor Shannon Granholm can be reached at 651-407-1227 or quadnews@presspubs.com.

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and-forth frequently. “It was fun to write to someone and fi nd out about each other,” Severseike said. “In the beginning, it was more about learning each other's cultures and learning about what life was like over there and over here, whereas later it was more of ‘What are you doing now? How's your family? What's the new thing that happened in your life this year?’” She added, “Kudos to teachers. Teachers do things that impact students for the rest of their lives … It is nice to see friendship and positivity in this world. I learned about another culture. I practiced my English. I made a friend. These are all good things.” Heck said, “I loved learning about Puerto Rico and her culture, that was added bonus. It was a way to learn something about another part of the country that we had no idea about.” Throughout their high school and college years, the communication became less frequent as their lives got busier. They never lost contact with each other and always made sure to exchange addresses any time they moved. Heck recalled living in Mexico for a few years, and Severseike happened to save one of Heck’s letters from that time. Severseike also held onto letters over the years that had important milestones in them, like one where Heck shared the news that she was expecting a baby. Severseike eventually moved to the U.S. to attend Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. There she met her husband, Jeff, who was from Minnesota. Both women got married shortly after college and started to have families of their own. For the past decade or so the two have mainly kept in contact via handwritten Christmas letters and photographs with yearly updates. As technology evolved and connecting became easier with the advent to email, text messages and social media, the two preferred to keep communicating via letters. “When you write a letter, your handwriting is part of you. It’s so personal. I enjoy writing … When I really want to express my heart, I handwrite because I feel like that’s me,” Severseike explained. “There is nothing like new stationery, a new pen and writing your thoughts out to a friend.” Heck added, “It takes the right kind of people. You need to be a person that is committed to the other person in kind of a unique way … You have to value it.” The thought of meeting in person has always been in the back of both of their minds. In fact, several years ago, Severseike sent a newspaper article to Heck about two longtime pen pals who were finally able to meet in person. Severseike said, “Maybe this

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SCHOOL BOARD: Parents voice opinions FROM PAGE 1

She said, “Did you not hear parents earlier this year? They do not want programs that create division within our schools based on race or any other category. The truth is, most of us want high rigor and academic excellence for all kids in all subjects based on a curriculum, which is accurate and true.” While Duffy was speaking, a couple of times audience members started cheering and clapping. Once Duffy’s time was up at the podium, School Board Chair Suzy Guthmuller reminded attendees that there shouldn’t be any clapping during public forum. “That’s not what we are here for. I know that you want to show support for your colleagues, but that is not what we are doing in this public meeting tonight. So please refrain from shouting and clapping.” Toni Schmidt used her three minutes at the podium to talk about COVID-19 mandates. “Before COVID, did you ever wonder about the person’s medical status at the grocery store? Did you ever wonder if the person serving your food was HIV-positive? If the answer is no, then what are we doing here?” she asked. “We as parents do not co-parent with the school and we do not coparent with the government. No one has the right to tell anyone what they should and should not put on their bodies. What happened to my body, my choice, or is that only okay when it pertains to certain narratives?” Schmidt added that for 10 years she has run in-home child care and she has left the decision to mask children up to parents. “Why did I give them that option? Because it is not my place to choose,” she said. “Throughout the entire process, not a single person in my care became ill. Children get sick, we all get sick. That is how we build our immune system.” Lori Gosselin also shared her opinion on masks. Gosselin is a mother of two children in the district and a frontline health care worker at a hospital. “I was against the Back to School Plan in September of 2020. I still strongly believe that our children should have been in school all year, full time last year. There is a lot of blame I could place on our government, members in this room, school officials, but I won’t,” she said. “The reason why I won’t is because when push came to shove, I allowed it to happen. I allowed bureaucrats to place the burden of a pandemic on my kids. And to be honest, I will never forgive myself for it … Only time will tell the lasting damage last year caused.” Gosselin added that she contracted COVID last November at work, regardless of all the personal

protective equipment (PPE) she was required to wear. She explained that she became very ill very quickly due to an autoimmune disorder, but that neither her husband or children were affected. Gosselin was unable to finish her comments, as her allotted three minutes were up. Leslie Larson shared her thoughts on the district considering a joint powers agreement with Equity Alliance last spring. “Thankfully, we the people showed up, spoke up and stopped the movement forward with an expensive investment with an outside source into the lives of our children … You, the school board, were so eager to jump in, to vote yes. Before learning the truth, you were ready to spend school funding that we do not have, our money, without our consent to do it,” she said. “Your eagerness to act on such a large scale is concerning and makes us parents wonder what will come next. We now know that we must be diligent and observant of your sneaky actions to protect our kids.” She then shared an experience her ninth-grade daughter recently had with a teacher. “Centennial is better than this inaccurate and divisive teaching,” she explained. She questioned why some news channels could be streamed using school Chromebooks, while others could not. Larson was not able to fi nish her comments, as her time was up. Last up to the podium was Kristin Thompson, who wanted to talk about equal opportunity for all students. “I’m speaking on behalf of families whose children are exempt from wearing face coverings, parents being told that their kid on an IEP (individualized education plan) with a face covering exemption will be segregated from their peers and staff,” she said. “Children with social emotional goals on their IEP, which is a legal document, how are you going to work on social interaction if the child is segregated by himself? It is not happening in the district where I work, so why is it happening at this one? This forces parents to find alternative education for their children.” She questioned why the school board required that an additional form be fi lled out and signed off by a doctor. “I’m here to tell you that you don’t have the authority to make families fi ll out additional paperwork to prove to you that their child has a medical exemption or any other accommodation due to their medical, development or history. The medical letter suffices …” Larson’s comments were cut short after the three minutes elapsed, and the public forum was closed.

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District strategic planning will begin this fall identified eight goals. Holmberg explained that the process would include both a strategic planning team and stakeholder focus groups. The plan will identify a mission, vision and strategic directions/ goals. School Board Chair Suzy Guthmueller explained that it was time for the district to update its strategic plan, as it is five years old. Districts usually update their plans every three to five years. “Us doing a strategic plan means we are going to be involving the community like we have in the past. We are going to be involving staff, students …” she said. “We will come up with strategies again that are good for our schools, student achievement and moving our students forward.” School Board Director Stephanie Carlson said she would like to make sure the district is purposeful in selecting members of the focus groups. “We need to make sure that the focus groups involved in our strategic planning include representatives from all of the diverse populations that we serve in our district so that we make sure we get everyone’s voice in the matter,” she said. “I hope that

BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR

The Centennial School Board has given its blessing for district administration to begin not only the strategic planning process but also the achievement and integration (A&I) plan. Both plans are recommendations from Interim Superintendent Jeff Holmberg, provided after the district surveyed students, staff and families about school culture last spring. The school board reviewed the survey results at the last work session and officially authorized district staff to begin the process for a new strategic plan and to develop an A&I plan at the Sept. 27 meeting. (For more information about the survey, see “Results in for community survey, district looks ahead” in the Sept. 21 issue.) As a part of Holmberg’s recommendations, the board also decided to postpone the hiring of the equity coordinator position and not move forward with a joint powers agreement with Equity Alliance Minnesota and an equity audit. The district last implemented a strategic plan back in 2016 that

we can think of a very thoughtful way of how to reach out to the different populations within our community.” The district will also start to develop an A&I plan through the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). According to MDE, the purpose of the A&I program is to pursue racial and economic integration, increase student achievement, create equitable educational opportunities and reduce academic disparities based on students’ diverse racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds in Minnesota public schools. “We are one of the only school districts around that are not taking advantage of this opportunity,” Guthmueller explained. A&I revenue is 70% state aid and 30% local levy. (For more information, visit https://education. mn.gov/mde/dse/acint.) The plan requires that the district form a partnership with a neighboring district. School board members had questions about what that partnership would entail, and if Centennial would lose some control over the plan if another partner is involved. Holmberg explained that each

district has its own plan; however, districts can combine efforts where it makes sense, such as professional development opportunities or student activities. School Board Director Tom Knisely said the district’s efforts need to be focused on high achievement and high academic standards. “I want all students to have success, and I think it is important that we identify those that feel left out, or those who are not enjoying success, and fi nd out the reasons why,” he said. “I’m not comfortable with anything that doesn’t focus on academic achievement.” The strategic planning process will kick off this fall and likely be complete this January or February. As for the A&I plan, that will be developed for the 2022-23 school year. Both plans will have many checkpoints along the way, and eventually require board approval. The A&I plan will also need to be approved by MDE. Lead Editor Shannon Granholm can be reached at 651-407-1227 or quadnews@presspubs.com.

Eagle project considered ‘a dream come true’ BY ABE WINTER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When it came time to choose a project to gain Eagle Scout status, CJ Sherer didn’t hesitate. The 15-year-old sophomore at Centennial High School is an active member of Rice Creek Covenant Church, which he selected as the beneficiary of his work. “I knew I wanted to do something for this church,” Sherer said. “I just thought of ways to accommodate a good portion of our congregation.” But instead of providing one, two, perhaps three benches to get things started, Sherer opted for a bigger plan. That meant 15 — yes, 15 — benches on the lawn behind the church. “I think the mulch and benches look good together,” the teenager said.

“I think it turned out pretty good.” Sherer remembers joining Cub Scouts as a fi rst grader. Today, he continues to be active in his fi fth year as a Boy Scout. “I think it’s really helped me,” he said of his Scout years. “I’ve made a lot of friends and I’ve learned a lot of life skills.” The benches were put together at Hope Academy in Minneapolis after the design was obtained online. Family members provided considerable help and contributions, much of it from the congregation of the Lino Lakes church, which paid for all the items needed for the project. This past Sunday, CJ played the drums during the weekly service while his mother Jenny and younger brother Aiden led the singing of the

hymns. Kyle Sherer, CJ’s father, is the chairman of the church’s council. He provided the Scripture reading at the service. Meanwhile, Rice Creek Covenant Pastor Toni Schwabe calls the project “a dream come true, because we have an amazing spot of nature that we weren’t using.” She believes it will be a popular spot in the community in the future. “Now we’re excited to offer this space to the community to use for personal quiet space, small weddings and more,” Pastor Toni said. “We’re just very grateful.” Abe Winter is a contributing writer for Press Publications. He can be reached by emailing news@ presspubs.com or calling 651-407-1200.

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Pastor Toni Schwabe is all smiles as she stands beside CJ Sherer in front of the 15 benches he constructed as his Eagle Scout project.

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OCTOBER 5, 2021

QUAD COMMUNITY PRESS www.presspubs.com

LEXINGTON CITY COUNCIL SNIPPETS

CHARTS SUBMITTED

This table displays the estimated top customers, and a sample of annual charges based on a range of quarterly rates.

Editor’s note: Due to technical difficulties, the last City Council meeting was not recorded. • MSA Professional Services Inc. recently presented its fi ndings for a stormwater utility feasibility study to the council. The city requested MSA review its current stormwater utility rates and structure and recommend potential alternatives to support the city’s evolving stormwater program. Currently, the city of Lexington uses a fl at-rate structure, which means it charges each parcel a

fl at rate. The advantage of that structure is that both start-up and ongoing utility administration costs are low. However, a disadvantage is that the charge does not reflect stormwater program use. MSA found there would be some benefits for the city to transition to an equivalent residential unit (ERU) based structure. The ERU size is determined by calculating the average amount of impervious area for all residential parcels in the community. Non-residential parcels pay a fee based on the ratio

This table lists the number of parcels assigned to each land use classification and the number of ERUs associated with each type.

of impervious area on the parcel relative to the impervious area of the ERU. Undeveloped properties (with no impervious area) typically pay only a small amount for administration of the utility. An ERU-based structure would shift the burden of the cost from the residential properties to non-residential properties, which traditionally are higher contributors to the stormwater infrastructure. The council has not taken any action on changing utility rate structures, but is expected to do so

before the end of 2021. • The Lexington Fire Department has been granted permission by the council to purchase up to $25,000 in needed equipment at the 2021 Fire Chiefs Convention next month. • Gracepoint Family Dentistry, located at 9300 Lexington Ave., has been authorized to keep doing business in the city for another year. The next City Council meeting will be at 7 p.m., Oct. 7 at City Hall. Shannon Granholm

LINO LAKES CITY COUNCIL SNIPPETS

• The council has appointed Lindsay Buchmeier and Jonathan Parsons to the two vacant seats on the Environmental Board. The two will fi ll the open terms through Dec. 31, when the council will have the option of reappointing them in January for a three-year term running through Dec. 31, 2024. • The Knights of Columbus will host a raffle for a fundraising event for educational scholarships on Saturday, Jan. 8, at St. Joseph of the Lakes Catholic Church. The council approved an exempt permit for lawful gambling at its Sept. 27 meeting. • Over 50 election judges for the 2021 general election have been appointed. Lino Lakes will conduct a municipal election to elect a mayor and two council members Nov. 2. • A truth in taxation hearing has been set for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13. The council adopted the preliminary 2021 levy (collectible 2022) Sept. 27. The proposed preliminary tax levy of $11,869,044 represents a $727,229 (or 6.53%) increase over the 2020-21 tax levy. Over the last year, the city’s net tax capacity value has grown by an estimated 5.63 %. The levy is estimated to result in a city tax rate of 40.373% for 2022, a slight increase from the 2021 tax rate of 40.109%. The preliminary levy represents the city’s maximum levy. The fi nal levy may be decreased, but the preliminary levy cannot be raised when it is adopted in December. Mayor Rob Rafferty said, “A lot of work has gone into this. We have had several meetings. Staff has really worked hard to get the numbers where they are at and there is still room for improvement.” For more information on the preliminary levy, visit the city’s website at linolakes.us. • The city has canceled two debt service levies— general obligation improvement bonds Series 2013A and general obligation capital note Series 2016A. State law requires the county to levy the amount originally certified and scheduled, unless the taxing authority passes a resolution canceling the debt service levy. Finance Director Hannah Lynch explained that adequate resources are available and the levies are not needed.

• Starting Oct. 18, Shelby Bonczek will be the city’s newest police officer. Her starting hourly rate of pay will be $35.85, the fi rst step of six in the union wage schedule. • Paid-on-call (POC) fi refi ghters participating in the Statewide Volunteer Firefi ghter Retirement Plan (SVFRP) are now eligible to receive $7,000 per year of service instead of $5,000, after the council approved an increase in benefit level. The previous benefit level was established back in 2014. Funding of the SVFRP is from existing fi re state aid and investment earnings; increasing the benefit level will not require a municipal contribution. • The council has approved a resolution that authorizes the allocation of fi re state aid to cover employer contribution to the PERA Police and Fire Plan. Minnesota Statute 477B.041 was amended during the 2021 legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Walz allowing municipalities in Minnesota that provide fi re services with a combination department (fi re services provided with POC and full-time fi re personnel) to petition for reimbursement for pension costs paid by the municipality for fulltime staff. Prior to this law, municipalities that utilized POC fi refi ghters to provide fi re services were not able to seek any funding for pension costs paid by the municipality for full-time fi re personnel. • There will now be a one-year moratorium for mini self-storage facilities. The Planning and Zoning Board has discussed a potential need for additional regulations related to mini selfstorage facilities in the past, and city staff has recently received inquiries from developers wanting to construct more of these facilities. Larsen said city staff needs some time to review the city’s current requirements and make necessary updates/changes. • The bill for the Northeast Drainage Area Improvement Project has now gone up by $17,333. The council approved change order No. 1 Sept. 27. The project is approaching completion and included a new stormwater conveyance system from the east side of 20th Avenue to Peltier Lake. The project provides a surface water outlet for the entire 1,300acre northeast drainage area in conformance with the city’s Comprehensive Surface Water Management Plan. City Engineer Diane Hankee explained

that during construction, poor soils were encountered at the crossing of 20th Avenue (CSAH 54). Anoka County required a longer taper from the bottom of the pipe excavation trench, which resulted in additional earthwork, subgrade preparation and street restoration. The design change also required that CSAH 54 be closed, so a more complicated detour plan was needed to route traffic over to Highway 61. The next City Council meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11, at City Hall. There will also be a work session immediately beforehand at 6 p.m. in the community room. Shannon Granholm

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713959

• The city of Lino Lakes, along with many other cities nationwide, have proclaimed October National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

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OCTOBER 5, 2021

Press Publications suggests that you be aware of advertisers requesting payment for shipping merchandise. Confirm and verify all contact resources prior to sending any money. Take caution when responding to text messages that are not local numbers.

18 Thank You May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be Adored, Glorified, Loved & Preserved throughout the world, now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, please pray for me. Saint Jude, Worker of Miracles, please pray for me. Saint Jude, Helper of the Hopeless, please pray for us. Amen. Say 9 X a day for 9 days & promise to publish. God Bless. BG

19 Piano Lessons

369

362

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• Employment • Employment • Employment • North Oaks News, a monthly newspaper, is looking for a contract writer, reporter or editor. Will train. Call Noelle at 651-407-1229 or email shoreviewnews @presspubs.com

WANTED: ALL 1970S MOTORCYCLES Running or not. Titled or not. Cash in exchange. Sell now while prices are high! Call Dan at 612/7202142 We Buy Vinyl Records Lps, 45s, Stereo Equip We make house calls by appointment. White Bear Lake Records 4775 Banning Ave,WBL wblrecords.com 651-224-4947

Lunchroom Servers Mounds View Public Schools Lunch program looking for people to serve children lunch and clean up. M-F. No weekends or holidays. Summers off. Work when your kids are at school. Free lunch. $15-$21/hour. Call 651-621-6024 or apply online at Moundsviewschools. org/employment

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ON SITE - REAL ESTATE AUCTION DONATE YOUR CAR Friday Oct 15th, 1pm. truck or boat to HerSelling No Reserve! itage For The Blind. 78 Acres, Eagle Lake, Free 3-day vacation, MN (Mankato) Blue tax deductible, free Earth County. towing, all paperwork Excellent Soil Ratings, taken care of 844/220future development 9501 potential. www.JokelaAuction.com Do you know someLOOKING FOR 218/538-6508 David L one who can weld? ASSISTED LIVING Veo Realty Want to work for a memory care, or inde#20303087 local business? Call pendent living? A Noble Welding 651- Place for Mom simpli426-1511 fies the process of finding senior living at no cost to your family. Garage Sales Call 888/715-1720 today! Free Items Annual Rummage Sale THE COVID CRISIS Free pick up for Fri Oct 8, 9am-3pm donated small furn/HH has cost us all someSat Oct 9, 9am-noon items to Church Store thing. Many have lost $2 Bag jobs and financial 651-430-0011 St John in the security. Have $10K Wilderness Church Kimball Piano - Mah- In Debt? Credit Cards. 2175 1st St, WBL Medical Bills. Car tomedi. Perfect piano Loans. Call National for any student or Debt Relief! We can adult wishing to learn • Employment • to play piano providing help! Get a FREE debt relief quote: Call years of enjoyment in 844/205-5439 your home. (651) The Cordes PlaybyEar Method- Piano Tuning Since1973 426-4274

Fa 2021 Fal 2 20 202 Fa 2021 Fal Fall 2 Fall 20 202 Boutiques B Bo Bou Bout Bouti Boutiq Boutiqu Boutique B Bo Bou Bout Bouti Boutiq Boutiqu Boutique Boutiques

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300-4362.

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Metal Finisher Minimum 1 year experience preferred. Must have the skill and ability to use various ﬁnishing hand tools Grinding, Blending and Sanding of Aluminum/ Steel/Stainless Steels. Willing to train the right candidate who is Dependable, mechanically inclined, has an eye for quality and is willing to learn.

Applewood Hills Golf Course Located at the 11840 60th St. N White Bear Lake Flower Shop Stillwater, MN 55082 3550 Hoffman Road W (corner of Hwy 36 & Manning Ave) White Bear Lake, MN 55110

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TOWN AND COUNTRY COOPERATIVE at Finley ND is seeking a qualified General Manager. A multi-location energy cooperative with sales of $22 million. This financially sound cooperative is located in east central ND. A background in energy, finance, communication, and personnel management is desired. Deadline is October 29th. Send resume to: Larry Fuller, 5213 Shoal Drive, Bismarck ND 58503, Email: larry.fuller@midco.net

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N. Suburban grounds maintenance company has opportunities for full & part time seasonal & year round positions. Both entry level & experienced people encouraged to apply! $15 - $20/hr with hiring bonus incentives. Guaranteed winter salary for FT Staff. Also in search of licensed pesticide applicator for potential lead position with negotiable pay. For more information & to schedule an interview please call Bill at 651-490-9755 or email amilawn@aol.com

Full-time or Part-time Laborer/Driver Starting at $16-20/Hr

OCTOBER 5, 2021

QUAD COMMUNITY PRESS www.presspubs.com

• Employment • Employment • Employment • Employment • Employment • Employment • Employment •

Now Hiring Administrative Assistant Part Time, Mon. & Tues., 7:55am-5:05pm Press Publications publishes 6 community newspapers, magazines and coupon books, serving White Bear Lake and surrounding communities. Our publications bring news of school events, government, business, politics, and social events to local residents. Desired Skills & Experience: High school diploma required. Ability to interact well with a broad base of internal and external clients, both in person, telephone and written communication. Reliable, responsible, and dependable in fulﬁlling obligations.Strong attention to detail and the ability to organize, prioritize, and multi task effectively. User of Microsoft Office suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, as well as Microsoft Office.

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OCTOBER 5, 2021

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QUAD COMMUNITY PRESS

HUGO SENIOR CITIZENS PLAY “500”

HARVEST FEST AND GIANT PUMPKIN WEIGH-OFF

When: 12:45 p.m. Oct. 7 & 21; the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month Where: Rice Lake Centre, east end of Hugo Public Works building, 6900 137th Street N. Details: Games begin at 12:45 p.m. Refreshments and coffee served. All senior citizens from the area invited. Contact: 651-592-0369 or barbconnelly1958@yahoo. com

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9 and Sunday, Oct. 10 Where: Lowell Park and Riverfront Gazebo, downtown Stillwater Details: Community festival featuring giant pumpkin weigh-off, pumpkin drop, pumpkin regatta,, on the St. Croix, live music, beer and wine garden, chili cook off, vendor market, and kids activities. Contact: harvestfeststillwater.com

WOLF HOWL When: 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8 Where: Wildlife Science Center, 22830 Sunrise Rd. NE, Stacy Details: Sit around a bonfi re and learn about the center's resident wolves, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, lynx and raptors. All ages outdoor event. Contact: 651-464-3993 or wildlifesciencecenter.org

BELWIN CONSERVANCY 50TH CELEBRATION When: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9 Where: Belwin Conservancy, 1553 Stagecoach Trail S., Afton Details: All lands will be open to the public for a day of outdoor activities, naturalist hikes, artistled events and performances and celebratory gathering. Free. Contact: belwin.org

TONIC SOL FA When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9 Where: Lakeshore Players, 4841 Long Ave., White Bear Lake Details: Minnesota's ground-breaking a cappella ensemble kicks off Season 69 of LPT's Concert Series. Tickets $27/general admission; $32/VIP. Contact: lakeshoreplayers.org

JENNIFER GRIMM & JOE CRUZ When: 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10 Where: Chautauqua Fine Arts Center, Mahtomedi High School, 8000 75th St. N. Details: Wildwood Artist Series presents an intimate concert as the local duo performs favorites and new originals. Tickets $25/adult; $20/seniors; $15/students. Contact: 651-605-1124 or wildwoodartistseries.com

WBCA BOOK CLUB When: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11 Where: White Bear Center for the Arts, 4971 Long Ave. Details: Join writer MJ LaVigne for a discussion about the haunting novel “The Seed Keeper” by Diane Wilson, which follows a Dakota family’s struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters most. Free with registration. Contact: whitebeararts.org

LUNCH WITH A NATURALIST When: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12 Where: Wargo Nature Center, 7701 Main St., Lino Lakes Details: Monthly presentation on nature topics for

adults 50+. Learn to identify prairie plant seeds and get experience harvesting on Oct. session. Free; no registration required. Contact: 763-324-3350 or anokacountyparks.com

FALL FESTIVAL When: 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 Where: Wargo Nature Center, 7701 Main St., Lino Lakes Details: Pioneer games, cider press, and self-guided nature activities. Contact: 763-324-3350 or anokacountyparks.com

CRIBBAGE When: 12:45 p.m. Monday, Oct 25; the 4th Monday of every month Where: Rice Lake Centre, east end of Hugo Public Works building, 6900 137th Street N. Details: Senior citizens from Hugo and surrounding area are invited to an afternoon of cribbage. Coffee and refreshments served. Contact: 651-429-4413

LITTLE GOBLINS COSTUME PARTY When: 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 Where: Wargo Nature Center, 7701 Main St., Lino Lakes Details: Carnival games, crafts, flashlight hike for kids 8 and under. Contact: 763-324-3350 or anokacountyparks.com

HALLOWEEN HUSTLE When: 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 Where: Centerville Elementary, 1721 Westview Rd. Details: Dress in costume for a 5K run on the loop trail. All ages. Fundraiser for the Angel Fund and Alumni Scholarship Fund. Contact: isd12.org

Fall: Celebrate the season by visiting area apple orchards

Pine Tree Apple Orchard Pine Tree Apple Orchard is located near Pine Tree Lake in Dellwood. The first apple trees were planted in 1904. Art and Dickey Jacobson purchased the orchard in 1958. The orchard is located at 450 Apple Orchard Road. The large orchard spans more than 300 acres. In 1963, the Jacobsons purchased an additional orchard in Preston. The orchard is currently growing 25 varieties of apples. A full list can be found on the website at pinetreeappleorchard.com. Apple season, which starts in mid August, lasts all the way through March. Starting in September, Pine Tree Apple Orchard offers a variety of entertainment, including pony rides, wagon rides, a corn maze and pick-your-own pumpkins. In addition to apples, there are bakery products, fresh cider, gifts and more on offer. The salesroom building is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Outdoor activities have different hours. See pinetreeappleorchard.com for more information.

Applecrest Orchards Applecrest Orchards is located at 7306 24th Ave. N. in Hugo, right on the border of Lino Lakes. It has been around since 1985 and had a few different owners. Current owners Chris and Shelli Ellis purchased the orchard in November 2019. The 10 1/2-acre property boasts about 1,400 trees surrounding an 1884 farmhouse. Starting in August, the orchard is open from 2-6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the weekends, or by appointment. Food trucks are often on site every weekend during the fall season. Apples and some other goods and produce from Applecrest Orchards are also sold at area farmers markets. For more information, visit www. applecrestorchards.com.

Aamondt’s Apple Farm Aamodt’s Apple Farm is located at 6428 Manning Ave. N. in Stillwater. Founded by Thor and Lucille Aamodt, it has been family owned since 1948. The orchard is open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Aamodt’s does offer pick-your-own apples for in-season apples. They also have a large barn where visitors may purchase homemade goods as well as gifts. Traditionally, Aamdot’s has offered a variety of fun outdoor

family activities, but some activities may be on hold due to COVID-19. It’s best to check the website, aadmodtsapplefarm. com, before your visit. Aamodt’s Apple Farm also offers its very own Thor’s Hard Cider, named after its founder. The alcoholic beverage is made from freshpressed, full-strength, locally grown apples with no preservatives. The whole process happens at the orchard and the apples are all grown, harvested, pressed and brewed at Aamodt’s Apple Farm. The drink is available for purchase by the glass or bottle in several different varieties. It is also sold at The Velveteen, Cozzie’s Tavern and Grill, Mad Capper and Whitey’s Bar. Aamodt’s is located next to Saint Croix Vineyards, so orchard guests may also stroll through the vineyards and enjoy wine tasting.

Sunnybrook Apple Orchard Sunnybrook Apple Orchard is a newer orchard founded in 2016. Orchard proprietors harvested their fi rst crop of apples in 2018 and the orchard has plans to expand over time. It is located at 9085 Jeffrey Boulevard North in Stillwater. The orchard is open from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Honeycrsip, SweeTan-

go and Zestar apples are currently in stock. It's best to visit the website at sunnybrookappleorchard.com before visiting to see which varieties are in stock. The orchard also offers pumpkins, squash and gourds. Guests also have the option to order online for pick up at the orcahrd. Visit the website to fi nd out more.

Victoria Valley Orchard Victoria Valley Orchard is located at 4304 Victoria Street N. in Shoreview. It has been serving the Twin Cities area with fresh, local produce since 1966, when it was opened by Don and Molly Papenheim. The orchard offers 21 varieties of apples, as well as unpasteurized honey, pumpkins, frozen

SHELLI ELLIS | SUBMITTED

The North Metro has an abundance of apple orchards for residents to visit this fall season.

apple pies and frozen apple crisps. While the orchard does not offer pick-yourown apples, guests are invited to walk through the rows and rows of

apple trees. The orchard is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. More information can be found at victoriavalleyorchard.com.

Waiting Child Michael,16, can be a very outgoing, talkative teen. Once he gets to know someone, he loves interacting and having long conversations. He can be sarcastic at times and has a great sense of humor - there is never a dull moment with Michael! He is bright, creative, inquisitive and loves to ask questions. Michael likes to have fun, try new things, and is fun to be around. Some of Michael’s interests include tinkering/ taking things apart and putting them back together, playing on the computer or watching videos/playing video games, being outdoors, fishing, being on the water and being creative! Michael loves his independence and social time with friends via gaming systems. A family who could find balance between being active and enjoying days at home would be ideal. Michael would benefit from parents who can provide structure, patience, understanding, flexibility and fun. Following adoption, Michael would need to maintain contact with his siblings. Submitted by MN Adopt, a state organization whose vision is to have zero kids waiting for permanent loving families, and mission to find and strengthen Minnesota adoptive, foster care and kinship families. To learn more, go to www.mnadopt.org.

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The mornings have a crispness in the air that signals the fall season is upon us. What better way to celebrate the new season than visiting some local apple orchards? There are several in the area that offer different varieties of apples, produce and other goods, as well as entertainment.

QUAD COMMUNITY PRESS

OCTOBER 5, 2021 www.presspubs.com

Circle Pines author’s debut novel comes as a surprise The Quad Community Press recently asked Circle Pines resident Dennis Dorgan about his debut novel, “The Narcissism of Small Differences.”

Q. Tell us a little about yourself. A. A few years ago, I retired from a life of working with private and government agencies that took on the heart-rending issues confronting poor persons in our country: domestic violence, homelessness, hunger, unemployment and systemic racism. So, instead of working on the Great American Novel, I wrote shiploads of funding proposals, reports and similar documents. They steered millions of dollars to legal aid and other organizations that help low-income families and communities. It was important work. For the last 18 years, Debra and I have lived happily on the shores of Golden Lake in Circle Pines. We currently share our space with Finnegan, the Wonder-Dog, and an invisible water sprite that keeps plugging new characters into my psyche.

Q. How many novels have you written? A. This is my debut novel and it came as quite a surprise. By that I mean that when I started writing, I had no idea it would be a novel. But, as lots of writers have learned, once the characters take over, there’s no controlling what the fi nal work might be.

Q. What inspired you to write “The Narcissism of Small Differences? A. I suppose the seeds of this thing were planted several years ago when my friend Gianna Pomata gave me a copy of Seamus Heaney’s “Door Into The Dark,” a book of poems that were, of course, quite dark. From it an idea took hold of the poet as the guardian of that peculiar door. Years later, when I sat down to write what was intended to be a science fiction short story, that image of a mystical poet-guardian kept asserting itself. It was a short leap from the poet to Conor Delaney, the protagonist of “Narcissism.”

Q. Provide a brief overview of the main characters and plot. A. “The Narcissism of Small Differences” is a noir detective novel about the unseen, but guiding influences of the subconscious mind, history and culture. It's also, as the title implies, a story about how insignificant the differences are between human beings, even for the defenders of law and order, and those who live in the world outside of it. There are a couple of other

Oktoberfest Booya Bash Saturday, Oct. 16, 11 am Pull Tabs w/ Meat Raffle at 2 pm! Lino Lakes American Legion Post 566 7731 Lake Dr., Lino Lakes 651-783-0055 #00002

Circle Pines resident Dennis Dorgan’s “The Narcissism of Small Differences” will come out Oct. 18.

important themes, but you did say, “brief,” didn’t you? A few characters: • Conor Delaney, CEO of Delphi Investigations & Research. • Grandmother Raven, an Ojibwe Midewikwe, who heals a traumatized 10-year-old Delaney. • Mel Thorogood, Assistant Police Chief, Delaney’s friend. • Mackey Stately, City’s Crime Boss, friend of Delaney. • Evelyn Rose, Mackey’s business manager. • Camille Bennett, former love interest of Delaney. • Dr. Phil, former Jesuit priest, carney barker and murderer, a permanent resident of the state hospital for the criminally insane. Friend of Delaney. A few plot points: • Delaney discovers that what the police believe to be a serial killing spree is really a distraction to create a climate of fear and chaos. Its real purpose is to draw attention away from something far more ominous: A play for power orchestrated by a psychopathic, Machiavellian, narcissist. • The plot is fi rmly grounded in St. Paul, Minnesota, and offers a twisted history of the city. However, at times the action shifts to the Grand Portage Reservation, Tulsa, Kansas City, St. Peter, Minnesota, and St. Petersburg, Russia. • Your readers should know that, while this is a book about ideas, it’s also a fast-paced police procedural with plenty of humor sprinkled throughout. But, in the end, this is still the story of Conor Delaney, a man who can see into the dark.

Q. What do you hope readers will gain from the story?

Booya by

S.A.L.

715932

(Sons of American Legion)

A. First, and quite importantly, I hope they are entertained. Books aren’t all that different from TV, movies, your local magician or stand-up comedian. I’m hoping this book will transport the reader into another world; one she or he is happy to visit. Second, I hope the book helps the reader to think about same key ideas. Like, what keeps us, as individuals, communities or nations, from

BUILDING YOUR TRUST SINCE 1959

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Dennis Dorgan

overcoming those small differences that divide us? Third, and I’ll quit with this, I hope the reader will gain an appreciation for the degree to which we are controlled by forces largely out of our control. We are all prisoners of history, culture and our all-too-fallible memory. On that last item: as individuals, our sense of who we are and our place in the world is determined by our memories. But memories fall into one of three categories: real, altered and invented. And of these three, the real are far less than one-third of the total. That’s why eye-witness testimony is viewed as so unreliable in courts of law.

Q. Who are your favorite authors? A. Being a fan of Irish literature, Yeats and Joyce, of course. I think Joyce Carol Oates is phenomenal. I admire Raymond Chandler for his determination to make literature less pretentious and more universal, Stephen Ambrose for making history come alive and Walter Mosley because he writes the best detective fiction there is. Finally, I like Hampton Sides because he knows how to build a roaring good adventure tale from historical, non-fiction sources. My favorite local writer? That’s a close call, but John Sanford never disappoints.

Q. Where can Press readers ﬁnd your books? A. At their local bookstores, I hope. If not there, they can get it through the Big Two, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Q. Do you have any plans for future works? A. I’ve started on another novel that I think will feature many of the characters from “Narcissism.” I’m loath to say anything more than that because I just don’t know what the characters may have in mind, yet. The fi rst draft of “Narcissism” was nothing like the fourth and fi nal draft.

IF YOU GO What: Open house/book launch When: 4-8 p.m. Oct. 18 Where: 25 West Golden Lake Road, Circle Pines Details: The community is invited to celebrate the official launch date for Dennis Dorgan’s “The Narcissism of Small Differences.”

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