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HOLIDAY LIGHTS CONTEST: See information inside on how to enter. PAGE 12
State considers Lino Y for temporary testing site
Warm, windy temps make slow start for Minnesota deer season
BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR
LINO LAKES — Quad area residents who find themselves in need of a COVID-19 test may soon have another option nearby. Community Development Director Michael Grochala explained that the city has been approached by both the Y as well as the state on a proposal to utilize the vacant YMCA building as a COVID-19 testing site. He said the state would like to lease the property through February 2021, with a possible extension into early summer. The state anticipates the facility would administer about 500-800 tests a day. The Lino Y announced it would not reopen its fitness and well-being center in July and has been going through the “reimagine” process with LES Architects and a steering committee to ultimately recommend programming and operating models. The current executive order in place by Gov. Tim Walz also limits what activities can go on at that facility currently. Grochala explained that if the City Council was in agreement, it would offer consent to the project as long as certain conditions were met including: 1) agreement that the existing deed restrictions continue to be in effect and 2) during the term of the lease the city is allowed access to the building for purposes of completing the consultant analysis. The city is in the process of hiring a consultant to do its own “reimagine”
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Opening weekend deer harvests were lower than average due to warm temperatures. BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
This year’s hunting season had more than a few unexpected variables, but among the most unusual was the weather conditions of the rifle season opener. Temperatures hovered in the 60s and 70s during the weekend of Nov. 7-9. Combined with high winds, hunters did not see many deer during opening weekend. According to Minnesota DNR Big Game Program Leader Barbara Keller, the fi rst two days
of opening weekend usually have the highest harvest numbers of the season. “Those two days were 14 percent less harvestwise compared to last year, but during that latter half of fi rearms deer season, we were able to make up the difference,” Keller said. The latest data from the DNR website reports 157,126 total deer harvested this year, with a little more than half of that number being mature male deer. Special seasons are ongoing in other parts
of the state, and so far are on par with last year’s harvest numbers.
Hunting during COVID-19 Although it was unclear whether safety precautions related to COVID-19 would affect the 2020 hunting season, Keller said she was unaware of any significant effects on this year’s harvest. The number of licenses purchased was about the same as last year, but Keller did notice that many SEE DEER SEASON, PAGE 6
SEE TESTING SITE, PAGE 12
This Old Horse takes over Mel-O-Dee Stables Mel-O-Dee Stables is now home to This Old Horse. Mel-O-Dee Stables, located at 13151 Elmcrest Ave. N. in Hugo, has operated as a full-service equine facility since 1971. The 40-acre farm has indoor/outdoor boarding options as well as indoor and outdoor riding arenas. The past 13 months has seen a number of changes at the facility. Last December, Reins of Love founder Cynthia Marx moved her operation from Isanti to Mel-O-
Dee Stables. Reins of Love provides refuge and rehabilitation for abused equine, as well as riding lessons and therapy services. In March, Mel-O-Dee Stables owner Donna Meline passed away at the age of 90. The property was given to Jeff Carpenter, a Forest Lake Building contractor who had worked for Meline and her husband Howard as a youth and, as co-manager, had helped her keep the stables afloat during the recent recession.
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