Good Neighbor: ‘Best neighbor a person could ever have’
BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
A big presence was missing at this year’s Good Neighbor Days, but that didn’t stop the Hugo Lions and community from honoring a man who many knew as their best neighbor: Mike Loken.
“Mike was just one of those people that was just an amazing individual,” said Judy Wicklander, who nominated Mike for the honor. “He was the best
neighbor a person could ever have.”
Loken, the 2025 Good Neighbor of the Year, passed away Dec. 22, 2024, at age 50, five years after a diagnosis of prostate cancer. He left behind his wife, Nikki, and two children, Ashley, 21, and Zach, 19. Wicklander has lived next to the Lokens since they moved to Hugo’s Diamond Point East neighborhood 13 years ago. She nominated Mike for the Good Neighbor award 10 years ago.
Her letter read, in part, “Mike has shown us what being a ‘good neighbor’ is all about and the importance of friendship in the neighborhood. This unselfish and thoughtful man goes way above and beyond any neighbor we’ve ever had … He is an amazing role model of giving, caring and sharing not just with your family but also your neighbors and your community.”
SEE GOOD NEIGHBOR, PAGE 2
Mud, sweat and grit return for epic challenge
The Twin Cities Tough Mudder will return to Wild Wings of Oneka in Hugo Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29. Competitors will test their grit against miles of winding single-track trails, shoe-sucking mud and all the obstacles they can handle. See more information in this week’s calendar of events on page 3.
Father Greg Esty grew up on St. Paul’s east side and entered seminary in the ninth grade at Nazareth Hall in Roseville, a school that educated students from 1923 to 1970 and is now part of the University of Northwestern-St. Paul campus in Roseville and Arden Hills. After college at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, he left for graduate studies in Rome and was ordained a priest by Pope Paul VI on June 29, 1975.
In 50 years of ministry, Father Esty has served various parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, including St. Stephen in Anoka, St. Helena in Minneapolis, St. Richard in Richfield, and St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Paul Park. In 2012, he accepted the assignment of merging St. John the Baptist in Hugo and St. Genevieve in Centerville. It was a challenging scenario, but not without precedent for Father Esty — he had previously helped guide the merger of three Catholic schools in Richfield.
Known as a respected and respectful man with an open heart and a willingness to listen, Father Esty relied on his TEAM outlook — an acronym meaning Together Everyone Accomplishes More — in achieving the successful merger. He is now in his thirteenth year as pastor of St. Genevieve.
SEE LONGTIME PASTOR, PAGE 7
Father Greg Esty
CONTRIBUTED
Mike Loken is the 2025 Good Neighbor of the Year. He is pictured with his wife, Nikki, and two children, Ashley and Zach.
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
GOOD NEIGHBOR: Leaves behind ‘unselfish’ legacy
When she didn’t hear back, Wicklander assumed the Lions had picked someone else and never renominated him. This year, as Lion Katie Riopel was going through nominations, she stumbled upon the old letter that showed up in her pile of 2025 nominees as if by magic.
“I believe things happen for a reason … Somehow Nikki and the kids must have needed this,” Riopel said.
Wicklander says it was not uncommon for Mike to come over when her husband, Rudy, was working in the yard. “Mike was always there to lend a helping hand,” she recalled. “If Rudy was out mowing the lawn, he would walk over with his blower to blow the grass off the sidewalk.”
Nikki Loken added, “If you were outside working on something, he would end up over at your house helping you, whether you asked for it or not.”
In the winter, Mike Loken was always the first to blow snow in his driveway and his neighbors’, too. “Sometimes we wouldn’t even be up yet, and he would be out there blowing off our driveway and cleaning off our sidewalk,” Wicklander recalled.
Nikki Loken recalled several occasions when her husband was outdoors for a strangely long time. She’d look out the window to find him three doors down blowing snow. “He would go everywhere and do all the neighbors’ around us; that’s the kind of person he was,” she explained.
Even when in pain from radiation and chemotherapy treatments, Mike Loken wouldn’t let it stop him from helping his neighbors. “On the days when he didn’t feel good, he would still go out and help people,” Nikki Loken recalled.
Mike Loken was also well-loved at his work, Xcel Energy, where he was a gas troubleman for more than 20 years. “They respected him and loved him very much at work,” Nikki Loken said. “They called him ‘the great one.’”
Nikki and Ashley Loken rode in the Hugo Good Neighbor Days parade, and Zach Loken joined them for the awards ceremony at which Mike Loken was officially honored.
Managing Editor Shannon Granholm can be reached at 651-407-1227 or whitebearnews@presspubs.com.
The Hugo Lions recently presented awards. Jayne Hurt and Carrie Schwieger
The Hugo Lions also presented scholarships to Grace Conroy, Madisyn Hood, and Addison Mueller from White Bear Lake Area Schools; Benjamin Wespiser, from Centennial Schools; and Skyler Hathaway from Lakes International Language Academy. NAMES
Scott and Peggy Erhardt accept a $600 check from Jennifer Madison, branch manager of Hugo Heartland Credit Union, after winning the 2025 Hugo Good Neighbor Days Golden Spike contest. (See “Hugo couple stumbles upon Golden Spike,” The Citizen, June 12, 2025.)
Mike Loken’s family attends the Hugo Lions award ceremony.
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
Nikki Loken and her daughter Ashley rode in the parade in honor of Mike.
received a Melvin Jones Award, and Chris Clausen received the Lion of the Year Award for 2025.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
ONGOING EVENTS
HUGO SENIOR CITIZENS PLAY ‘500’
When: 12:45 p.m. Thursday, July 3; and the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday of every month
Where: Rice Lake Centre, 6900 137th St. 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 barbconnolly1958@yahoo.com
CRIBBAGE
When: 12:45 p.m. July 7; and the 1st and 4th Monday of every month
Where: Rice Lake Centre, 6900 137th St. N., Hugo
Details: Senior citizens from Hugo and surrounding area are invited to an afternoon of cribbage. Coffee and refreshments served.
Contact: 651-429-4413
BALD EAGLE WATERSKI SHOWS
When: 7 p.m. Thursdays through end of August
Where: Trailside Park, Centerville
Details: Volunteer team of waterskiers performs weekly throughout the summer, and travels throughout Minnesota to perform weekend shows. Contact: baldeaglewaterskishows.net
CURRENT EVENTS
TWIN CITIES TOUGH MUDDER
When: 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29
Where: Wild Wings of Oneka, 14733 Irish Ave. N.
Details: Miles of winding, single-track trails, mud and obstacles. Three-mile, 10-mile and infinity courses. Participant and spectator passes available. Contact: https://toughmudder.com/events/twin-cities
PUZZLING HISTORY: JIGSAW PUZZLE COMPETITION
When: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, June 28
Where: White Bear Lake Armory 2228 Fourth St., White Bear Lake
Details: Grab your friends and family for a fun, lively puzzle competition with a special photo from the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society’s archive. This competition is for teams of four and will feature a 500-piece puzzle. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and
Fourth of FireworksJuly
When: 8-10:30 p.m. Friday, July 4
Where: Memorial Beach, 4980 Lake Ave., White Bear Lake Details: In West Park is the Shoreview Northern Lights Variety Band, followed by a flyover of the WWII North American AT-6 at 8:30 p.m. The night ends with a spectacular fireworks display at 10 p.m.
third place. All teams get to keep their competition puzzle.
Contact: office@whitebearhistory.org or 651-407-5327
MANITOU DAYS ARTISAN AND VENDOR FAIR
When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 28
Where: Hippodrome Ice Arena, 4886 Bloom Ave., White Bear Lake
Details: Shop over 70 booths of Minnesota’s best crafters, artisans, boutiques and vendors. Food trucks on premises.
Contact: 763-269-2166 or sunriseeventsandcraftshows@ gmail.com
MANITOU TRIATHLON
When: 8-11 a.m. Sunday, June 29
Where: White Bear Lake County Park, 5050 Lake Avenue
Details: Participate in a sprint-level or olympic-level triathlon. Barbecue and awards ceremony at the finish line. Custom finisher medals and free professional photography. Contact: judi@mmraces.com or 651-470-1619
DIRECTORY
KEEGAN’S 5K FOR CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS AWARENESS
When: 9-11 a.m. Sunday, June 29
Where: West Park, 2350 11th St., White Bear Lake
Details: Join us for our 13th annual 5K fun walk along White Bear Lake. All proceeds go to Cranio Care Bears, a nonprofit that mails care packages to affected children before their surgeries.
Contact: 651-747-3650 or sites.google.com/site/keegans5kforcranioawareness
SCOUT AND COMMUNITY BIKE RIDE
When: 6-7:15 p.m. Monday, June 30
Where: St. Genevieve Parish Community Center, 6995 Centerville Road, Centerville
Details: For this fun, relaxed evening bike ride with local Cub Scouts and community members, all ages and skill levels are welcome. Don’t forget your helmet and water bottle as the group bikes around Centerville Lake. A break with cold treats available at Centerville Beach playground.
Contact: info@cubpack432.com
BOAT PARADE
When: 1-3 p.m. Friday, July 4
Where: Mahtomedi Beach, 1045 Park Ave., Mahtomedi
Details: Decorate your boat, play patriotic music and celebrate our community and country in the annual Fourth of July boat parade.
Contact: angela@redseaglass.com or 651-271-6334
GREENHORN WEDNESDAY SERIES BASS TOURNAMENT
When: 4-9 p.m., Wednesday, July 9
Where: Bald Eagle Lake, 5589 Hugo Road, White Bear Township.
Details: Approximately 50 entrants participate as part of the Twin-Cities-based nonprofit Bass fishing league. Contact: greenhornbasstour2011@gmail.com
Phone and Internet Discounts Available to CenturyLink Customers
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission designated CenturyLink as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier within its service area for universal service purposes. CenturyLink’s basic local service rates for residential voice lines are $16.32-$33.50 per month and business services are $34.61-$60.89 per month. Specific rates will be provided upon request.
CenturyLink participates in the Lifeline program, which makes residential telephone or qualifying broadband service more affordable to eligible low-income individuals and families. Eligible customers may qualify for Lifeline discounts of $5.25/month for voice or bundled voice service or $9.25/month for qualifying broadband or broadband bundles. Residents who live on federally recognized Tribal Lands may qualify for additional Tribal benefits if they participate in certain additional federal eligibility programs. The Lifeline discount is available for only one telephone or qualifying broadband service per household, which can be either a wireline or wireless service. Broadband speeds must be at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload to qualify. A household is defined as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Services are not transferable, and only eligible consumers may enroll in these programs. Consumers who willfully make false statements to obtain these discounts can be punished by fine or imprisonment and can be barred from these programs.
If you live in a CenturyLink service area, visit https://www.centurylink.com/aboutus/comm unity/community-development/lifeline.html for additional information about applying for these programs or call 1-800-201-4099 with questions.
Master of my craft, 6 years of writing
For the past two years, I have been working towards receiving a master’s degree in creative writing, editing and publishing.
In May, all my hard work and late-night writing sessions finally paid off. I am extremely grateful to say that I now hold a master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas (UST).
Madeline’s Mail
Dolby
Going into college, I originally planned on majoring in business and receiving a minor in Spanish. After taking a micro economics class my first semester, I knew that the business world was not for me. I found staring at different graphs multiple times a week boring and a bit dull. At the same time, I was also taking an introductory English class. I found myself looking forward to attending the class and talking about the books we read for that week. Part of the course was writing two stories: One about a personal event that shaped your life and one about an immersive experience. I loved writing those stories and they came so easily to me.
I like to think that I have always been a creative person. Growing up I would write stories in my diary, on my iPod touch and on the family computer in the basement. When we would go on a road trip, I would bring at least two books to read or would daydream about stories I could write when I was an adult. Over the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, I made the decision to change my major from business to English-creative writing. My parents were nervous when I told them. They were worried that I would struggle finding a job out of college. We had multiple conversations about my future. I told them I wanted to become a book editor and broke down my future plans. It seemed to ease their worries.
When my senior year rolled around, I knew that I wanted to continue my education. After meeting with the graduate coordinator and the program director for the English department, it seemed right to continue my education at UST. I loved the professors within the department. I loved the campus. I loved my cohort. And they said I would have a guaranteed spot in the program since I attended my undergrad at the university, and they knew my writing was strong.
I took my first graduate class in the fall of 2023. It was an adjustment from attending undergraduate classes full time. My classes were one night a week from 6-9 p.m. I would get home close to 10 p.m. I struggled that first semester to balance a full-time job and being a full-time graduate student, but I quickly found my grove after completing my first finals week. One thing that I enjoyed the most about graduate school was my cohort. There were three girls in the program that I had in almost every class over the two years. We formed a pretty tight-knit group. Before every class, we met up at the same spot to talk about our weekends or how our week was going. The four of us now have a text chain to keep in touch.
Attending graduation felt surreal and I had a sense of déjà vu considering I had graduated only two years prior. But this time felt different. Maybe it was because I was not walking alone, but my sister was too. She received a master’s degree in nursing. And I could not be prouder of her.
The past six years have felt a bit surreal; I am excited to see what my future holds, and I am very excited to be done with homework!
Editor Madeline Dolby can be reached at 651-431-1226 or quadnews@presspubs.com.
IDo something, big or small
am writing this five days after Representative Melissa Hoffman and her husband
Mark were murdered in their Brooklyn Park home, and Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot multiple times in their Champlin home.
Movers
& Shakers
Michelle Koch
Melissa was a Blaine High School graduate. Her family has been a fixture in the north metro for decades. She was a Girl Scout leader, a church volunteer, a lawyer, a dog lover, a public servant, she was the best of us, no matter your political views.
A politically motivated assassination took place just twenty minutes from our community. On top of the other war, violence and ugliness in the headlines, it’s easy to feel like the future is a dumpster fire.
For me, it feels overwhelming. Remember when going to Northtown didn’t make you question if it was safe? When looking at Facebook was relaxing? What world is this?
It’s ours and we have to do better. If not for ourselves, then
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for our kids.
Sophie and Colin Hortman, the children of the Hoffmans, released a statement after their parents’ deaths, offering ways to honor their memory:
• Plant a tree.
• Visit a local park and enjoy its amenities, especially a bike trail.
• Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any dog will do.
• Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.
• Bake something, bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.
• Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.
• Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace. Their statement also included this:
“Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents’ memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.”
They are so right. Do some -
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thing, big or small.
Circle Pines Mayor Dave Bartholomay also shared a hopeful message on social media following this tragedy:
“…we will somehow find a way to work together and overcome our differences enough to move Minnesota (and America) forward. It won’t be easy and it won’t be quick, but it will indeed happen if we all put the work in.”
“If we all” - that’s the key. This isn’t one side or the other. It isn’t red or blue. It’s all of us, looking for our shared humanity.
If you’re looking for a place to start, I’d suggest two things:
• Scroll less. The time we spend on our phones isn’t healthy, productive or joy-producing. Our devices are dividing us.
• Volunteer in your community. Spend some of your precious time doing good in the world. Reach out to me if you need help finding an opportunity. It can feel like the world is on fire. But imagine each of us as a garden hose. You can’t put out a fire across the world, but you can water your lawn, and maybe your neighbor’s, too. Collectively, little by little, we calm the flames.
Michelle Koch is the president of the Centennial Area Chamber.
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Madeline
Changing weather
In Lieu of a Town Hall Meeting
One of the joys of living in Minnesota is our four distinct seasons. I like to joke that once we start getting tired of a season, it changes and we get a new one!
MDAN ads to run ONE TIME, the
Pastor’s Ponderings
Tim Heinecke
We are familiar with how the weather keeps fluctuating. While our unpredictable weather can complicate our outdoor plans, it is also a vivid reminder that we are not in control.
While our weather may seem random at
COUNTY BRIEF
times from our point of view, there is thankfully Someone who is in charge: God!
After the Great Flood, God told Noah, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
(Genesis 8:22)
God is faithfully in charge of everything, including the weather. Even when unpleasant weather or storms come our way, our God continues to be faithful and right by our side through it all!
Tim Heinecke is the pastor at New Life Church – Lutheran in Hugo.
Donate end-of-year school supplies
Washington County is collecting used school supplies for a swap that will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug.6. Drop off donations through Aug. 2 during open hours at the Washington County Environmental Center in Forest Lake or Woodbury. Donations should be gently used items that students would normally discard at the end of the school year, such as pencils, pens, markers, crayons, notebooks, lined or graph paper, calculators, backpacks, scissors, rulers, protractors, erasers, glue sticks, watercolor paints, pencil cases, pencil sharpeners, three-ring binders and pocket folders. For more information, contact Public Health and Environment at 651-430-6655.
Liz
Here is a partial list of my concerns I would respectfully ask Representative Stauber to address if he were to hold a Town Hall. These concerns include both Congressional actions, or inaction, and Trump administration actions.
• The Trump administration is defunding cancer and other health research.
• Congress is defunding green energy and stifling green energy research and innovation, increasing energy costs and stifling green energy businesses.
• The Trump administration is defunding NOAA and firing staff and stopping climate research and access to data.
• The Trump administration is defunding National Parks and firing staff causing access loss and increasing safety risks.
• The Trump administration is defunding university research and science leading to stifling of innovation and causing scientists to leave for other countries.
• Trump is ignoring judicial oversight and threatening judges. Sections of the Big Bogus Bill curtail judicial oversight.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a non-scientist, incompetent conspiracy theorist spreading misinformation.
• Russell Vought openly intends to traumatize government workers and Trump is requiring loyalty statements for his agenda from government employees.
• Trump is using the Office of the Presidency for financial gain for himself, his family and his businesses.
• Trump ordered the Department of Justice to investigate nonprofits that do not support his agenda.
• Saying you support law enforcement when you elected and support a convicted felon who pardoned insurrectionists that killed and injured law enforcement officers and destroyed millions in public property.
• Both Congress and the Trump administration are fast tracking resource development while deregulating and lowering standards of air and water pollution. I look forward to Representative Stauber addressing these issues, if not in person, then in an editorial response.
Will Perry Hugo
Coloring Contest
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Return completed coloring page to Press Publications at 4779 Bloom Ave, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 Mail or drop off by July 9, 2025 for a chance to win a $25 Pizza Man gift card. Thank you for participating!
COPS&COURTS
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reported the following calls for service in Hugo:
• Suspicious noises reported coming from a trailer in the 15000 block of Forest Blvd. N. at 12:18 a.m. May 3 turned out to be a man moving a snowblower.
• A motor vehicle was reported for hitting and damaging a county traffic sign near Ingersoll Avenue and 122nd Street N. at 12:29 p.m. May 3.
• After deputies responded to a scene of people yelling at juveniles on bikes at 5:32 p.m. May 4 in the 14000 block of Mercantile Drive N., the person yelling at the youths was mailed a citation for disturbing the peace.
• Deputies spoke to four juveniles on bikes playing on and around a dumpster in the 14000 block of Mercantile Drive at 6:07 p.m. May 5 about the safety issues involved with playing in garbage. As a result, the youngsters returned some previously removed items to the dumpster.
• Two hours later, at 8:03 p.m. May 5, deputies were dispatched to the 4000 block of 165th Street N. following a report of juveniles trespassing on private property. They found and spoke to the youths and later spoke to the parents of each youth to advise them they would be receiving written warnings in the mail. And that apparently put a stop to juvenile hijinks for the week of May 4-10.
• Deputies on routine patrol in the 12000 block of Farnham Ave. at 6:34 a.m. May 6 watched a vehicle roar through a solid red light as oncom-
ing traffic southbound on Forest Boulevard N. at 130th Street travelled through the intersection on a solid green light. The motorist was issued a traffic citation.
• An eastbound motorist driving the wrong way in the westbound lane of Frenchman Road was pulled over in the 14000 block of Forest Blvd. N. at 11:56 a.m. May 6. During the traffic stop, it became clear the driver was impaired. The motorist was arrested for DWI.
• An employee in the 14000 block of Forest Blvd. N. requested an escort to her vehicle when she got off work at 5 p.m. May 7, after she had been followed from Lino Lakes to her place of employment by an angry male driver. When the complainant had arrived at work at 1:10 p.m. that day, she saw the male’s vehicle parked in an adjacent lot. The employee told deputies she had done nothing to give the driver a case of road rage and that her co-workers captured the vehicle’s license plate number.
• A resident in the 9000 block of 152nd Street N. at 8:55 a.m. May 8 reported a vehicle for traveling approximately four feet into the ditch to hit his mailbox. The vehicle broke the post and knocked the mailbox off the post.
• A resident in the 15000 block of Foster Drive N. at 12:48 p.m. May 8 reported receiving a suspicious phone call from a male claiming to be a U.S. Marshal and advising her she had two warrants for her arrest. The caller told the complainant that the warrants were $6,000 each, for a total of $12,000, and that he would meet her at the Washington County Courthouse in Stillwater to take custody of the fine payment. The complainant said she knew it was a scam and hung up on the male.
• A resident in the 13000 block of Europa Trail N. at 1:50 p.m. May 8 reported being harassed by her former neighbor’s mother, who recorded her by cell phone. The com-
plainant asked the suspect to stop, but she wouldn’t. The complainant wanted the incident documented because she planned to take out a harassment restraining order.
• A resident in the 5000 block of 141st St. N. at 10:27 p.m. May 8 reported a bear on his property, eating birdseed and wrecking his feeders.
• A resident in the 15000 block of Forest Blvd. N. at 6:06 a.m. May 9 reported receiving a phone call from a man claiming she stole his credit card number and saying he was going to sue her. After the complainant denied the allegation, deputies contacted the man, who stated he was scammed by a company using the complainant’s phone number.
• A resident in the 16000 block of Jeffrey Ave. N. at 8:07 p.m. May 9 reported lending a trailer to the buyer of his hot tub. After the trailer was used to transport the hot tub to its new residence, the trailer was never returned. It looks like the hot tub did not come with a free trailer, after all.
• Deputies reached out to Hugo Public Works at 7:56 a.m. May 10 to dispose of a dead fish found in the 6000 block of 175th St. N.
• A wallet was reported stolen from the 4000 block of Frenchman Road at 6:48 p.m. May 10.
• A motorcycle was reported stolen at 7:26 p.m. May 10 from a restaurant in the 17000 block of Forest Blvd. N. while the owner was inside.
• A suspicious occupied vehicle parked at the side of the road in the 14000 block of Irish Ave. N. at 4:15 p.m. May 11 turned out to be agate hunters. Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies advised the rockhounds to drive down the road and leave their vehicle in the parking lot to keep the roadway clear.
• When deputies arrived in the 16000 block of Ingersoll Ave. N. at 9:44 p.m. May 11 on a burglary-in-progress report, they were met by the resident outside the house, who advised them an activated Roomba had run into a door frame, causing the suspicious noise.
• Deputies will answer all calls related to suspicious activity. However, at 8:52 p.m. May 12 deputies took a suspicious vehicle report from the 6000 block of 151st St. N. Afterward, the complainants could not explain why they thought the lawfully parked and unoccupied vehicle was suspicious.
• A resident in the 12000 block of Ingersoll Ave. N. said she reported herself at 9:56 p.m. May 12 for her bright house lights before the neighbor across the lake could do so. That neighbor had sent the complainant a message saying she was upset about the house lights and threatening to report her to the city. Deputies advised the complainant that in no way did her lights appear to be any sort of nuisance.
• The St. Cloud Police Department at 2:41 a.m. May 13 recovered a motorcycle reported stolen May 10 from outside a restaurant in the 17000 block of Forest Blvd. N.
• A suspicious vehicle with out-ofstate plates reported parked overnight May 12-13 in the 6000 block of 151st St. N. turned out to belong to a traveling pest control vendor on a job. Deputies found the vendor’s valid driver’s license status and no outstanding warrants.
• A lawn mower was reported stolen at 2:07 p.m. May 13 from the 5000 block of 147th St. N.
• A juvenile reported for having a firearm in a vehicle on Victor Path at 6:16 p.m. May 13 turned out to
have a Nerf gun.
• A resident in the 12000 block of Everton Circle reported not being able to get into his house at 8:42 p.m. May 13 because of a power outage. He wanted deputies to recommend a locksmith.
• Deputies cited two motorists on Oneka Parkway N. within an hour for failing to stop at a posted stop sign in the area. The first driver was cited at 9:09 p.m. at Falcon Circle N., and the second at 9:49 p.m. at 159th Street N. A third motorist was cited at 5:47 p.m. May 16 on Oneka Parkway N. and 147th Street N. for failing to “even slightly attempt” to stop at the stop signs at the intersection of Oneka Parkway and Farnham Avenue.
• A resident in the 5000 block of 128th St. N. at 2:17 p.m. May 15 reported being on the phone with someone when the voice of a third party broke in and told her to call 911 for an emergency. She did. It is unknown where the emergency notification took deputies.
• A harasser was reported at 3:58 p.m. May 15 for making an excessive number of phone calls to his ex-partner in the 15000 block of Glenbrook Ave. N. Deputies mailed a citation to the suspect.
• A resident in the 13000 block of Flay Ave. at 4:09 p.m. May 15 reported receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be from Customs Enforcement and demanding money. Unsure whether the call was real or phony, the complainant didn’t send any money.
• A motorist was cited at 5:59 p.m. May 17 on Forest Boulevard N. and 170th Street N. for cellphone use while driving after deputies initiated a traffic stop based on erratic driving. The driver admitted to being on her phone. An infant was in the back seat of the vehicle.
• A motorist speeding along Oneka Parkway N. and Frenchman Road was arrested for DWI at 10:04 p.m. May 17, after deputies pulled the vehicle over for going 75 mph in a posted 50 mph zone. When deputies contacted the driver, they noticed signs of impairment and requested the driver submit to standardized field sobriety testing. The results of the tests produced a blood alcohol content of .1. Inside the vehicle were three children.
• A motorist speeding 45 mph in a 35 mph zone at 4:32 p.m. May 17 on Forest Boulevard N. and 147th Street was cited for driving after revocation and failure to provide proof of insurance, following a traffic stop for speeding and an obstructed license plate. A second motorist was cited at 6:09 p.m. that day on Victor Hugo Boulevard N. and Elmcrest Avenue for a hands-free violation.
Loretta Harding
LONGTIME PASTOR: ‘He’s a real asset to the parish’
“I really believe in communication and synodality,” said Father Esty, who said he works to build relationships between people, “talking with each other and not to each other.”
Father Esty said he sees the role of the Catholic Church as nourishing the faith — being not so much a museum for saints as a hospital for sinners. People can choose to nourish either faith or fear in life, he said. If people nourish faith, Father Esty said, fears will diminish; whereas if people nourish fears, faith will diminish. Paraphrasing from the Gospel of John 14:27, he said, “do not let your hearts be fearful.”
With strong currents of individualism and narcissism in the world, Father Esty said, one organization with great sway is the universal Catholic Church.
Father Esty said a portrait at St. Genevieve of the late Pope Francis offering a thumbs-up reflects his feeling that today’s Catholics are living during a good time in Church history, with good popes.
“I love being here,” said Father Esty, who said he is grateful for his supportive parish community. “I love being a priest, and, health permitting, I can continue as part of the TEAM.”
“Father Greg has been so wonderful and welcoming,” said Susie Irlbeck, the parish business administrator and a
parishioner for 28 years. “He’s a real asset to the parish.”
Festivities to mark the 50th anniversary of Father Esty’s ordination are planned for the weekend of June 28-29. There will be an open house and a picnic served at the Parish Community Center at St. Genevieve after the 4:30 p.m. Mass on June 28 and after the 10:30 a.m. Mass on June 29. A breakfast will be served after the 8:30 a.m. Mass June 29 at the parish’s St. John site.
Press Publications has been granted permission to run this article that originally ran in The Catholic Spirit.
Father Greg Esty 50th anniversary celebration :
What: Father Greg Etsy 50th anniversary celebration When: June 28-29
Details: An open house and a picnic served at the Parish Community Center at St. Genevieve after the 4:30 p.m. Mass on June 28 and after the 10:30 a.m. Mass on June 29. A breakfast will be served after the 8:30 a.m. Mass June 29 at the parish’s St. John site.
‘Unsung heroes’ compete in North Star Lineman’s Rodeo
BY TYLER QUATTRIN PRESS INTERN
Sixty Xcel Energy lineworkers from across five states showcased their skills in the company’s inaugural North Star Lineman’s Rodeo on June 20.
The competition celebrated the trade and gave families of lineworkers an opportunity to see linework in action.
Once the announcer by the name of “Spiker” kicked off the competition, judges observed lineworkers scale poles in under two minutes with raw eggs in their mouths, rescue life-sized dummies in simulated emergencies and work in teams to replace high-voltage equipment. All events were timed and scored on both speed and accuracy.
Held at Xcel Energy’s Hugo Training Center, the rodeo featured 18 teams and 60 Xcel lineworkers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Colorado. It also served as a regional qualifier for the International Lineman’s Rodeo Oct. 15-18 in Kansas City.
The winner of the rodeo advancing to the national competition was Team 16 from Wisconsin: Andy Uthoff, Cory Hestekin and Riley Cade.
“A rodeo, traditionally, is cowboys out on the range, coming in and demonstrating the skills and competing and honing and showing how effective they are,” said Todd Connor, Xcel’s senior vice president of electric distribution.
“Our linemen are out in the field every day, restoring power for our customers. This is an opportunity for them to come and show each other what their skills are, compete in a friendly space and really just drive that camaraderie and to celebrate what the linemen do as heroes for us and for our communities,” Connor said.
Most spectators were family members of lineworkers, and many competitors said the chance to show their work to loved ones was a highlight.
“My wife, we’ve been married for five years, so she sees me come and go all times of the day and night. So, I think it’ll be good for (my family) to see what
dad’s doing when he’s gone,” Xcel lineworker Christopher Hicks said before competing.
The first lineman’s rodeo in the U.S. was held in 1984, Xcel Executive Michael Lamb said to the crowd while introducing the competition. The company’s last rodeo in the Upper Midwest took place 25 years ago. Annual rodeos have been held in Colorado and Texas since then.
Safety was a constant theme throughout the day. Though competition included a timed element, Xcel leadership, participants and judges all emphasized that safety takes priority in linework.
the profession’s value.
Mike Schoephoerster, a retired lineworker who was a judge, said getting to the ground safely was the most important aspect of the competition.
Additionally, he said, competitors were evaluated on a point system by how smoothly they transitioned their belts, how they communicated with the ground and how well they handled their tools. All while racing against the clock.
The event also aimed to serve as a recognition of
“It’s a humble profession, but the impact that they have on our lives every day is amazing. It’s profound, and it’s an unsung hero day in and day out. It’s where the concept of first responders and construction work comes together to serve our communities constantly,” Connor said.
Tyler Quattrin is an intern for Press Publications. He can be reached at intern2@presspubs.com or 651407-1200.
Dr. Jason P. Ross
Dr. Ellen D. Jacobson Dr. Kali Hildebrand
PHOTOS BYTYLER QUATTRIN | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Sixty Xcel Energy lineworkers form five states competed in the Northstar lineman’s rodeo June 20 at Xcel Energy’s Training Center in Hugo.
Pictured (from left) are Michael Lamb, executive vice president and chief delivery officer of Xcel; Bob Frenzel, chairman president and CEO of Xcel; and “Spiker” the announcer.
Lineworkers show off their skills while competing for bragging rights.
andArts Culture2025
EMERGING ARTIST: PEYTON EK
TBY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER
echnically, recent White Bear Lake graduate Peyton Ek composes mixed-media art—but that term doesn’t quite define her work. Instead, she juxtaposes seemingly disparate materials into striking pieces—a method called stylistic disunity. One of Ek’s compositions, for instance, is a 2D acrylic painting of a couple’s breakup with red yarn layered on top symbolizing “The Red Thread of Fate” from Chinese and Japanese mythology. Her piece, “On the Shore She Sits,” which won a Silver Key Scholastic Art Award last March, used a technique called photobashing, in which the artist merges a photograph with another medium, blending them into one work.
“That is a photo that I took in Florida of an ocean, and I photobashed it to have it
be the background,” Ek described. “This piece, it’s how I felt back then, the girl in the ocean. … But she is basically walking away from that side of herself, ‘I’m not gonna let these waves hit me. I'm going to finally take my life in its own stride.”
That stride includes a computer science major when Ek attends University of
Minnesota Twin Cities this fall. While some may consider this choice surprising for an artist, Ek plans to use her degree to make indie video games.
“I lost my mom at an early age …” Ek shared. “Ever since that, I wanted to help kids that were in a similar situation to me.” Ek found both escapism and understanding in independently produced role-playing video games like Omori, a game in which players heal the mental trauma of the main character by fighting metaphorical monsters.
“Seeing how the characters reacted and how realistic it felt, it gave me a better understanding of how I felt back then. I want to create something like that,” Ek explained.
To progress towards her goal, Ek is designing facial-tracking models, technology used for 3D character animation in film and television as well as digital avatars in social media.
“I have a [social media] channel,” Ek said. “I wanted to put my all into it … I came across 3D models, and I was like, ‘I bet I could do that.’ A bunch of people said I
TAKE A CHANCE ON WHITE BEAR’S ‘MAMMA MIA’
BY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Odelis Garcia Anderson, who directs White Bear Lake Area Middle Schools’ spring musical, is debuting an all-ages community theater program with “Mamma Mia” this July—the all-ages part will just have to wait until next year.
“We’ve been trying to figure out how to start it, how to do it. This year, I was like, ‘It’s either now or never,’” Anderson explained. With help from Technical Director Jeff Willey and Director of Community Services Timothy Mauer, Anderson began planning the inaugural show.
“It was going to be a 16+ show, including adults,” Anderson recalled. “We were looking like, ‘What shows would attract people to not only want to be in it …
but what shows would sell tickets? At the end of the day, that’s what’s going to pay for our sets and our costumes.”
Anderson and Willey decided to apply for the rights to “Mamma Mia” because of its broad age appeal, catchy music and modern-day costumes. They received approval with a condition, however: No adults.
“It’s going on tour next year,” Anderson explained, “so they’re not approving it for community theater. … We could do it, but not have anyone older than 18.”
Anderson then narrowed the show to ages 14-18, feeling that it could serve as a transitional experience for the younger performers.
“Mamma Mia” will also be a transitional experience for recent graduate Yahaira Nok-Chiclana, who played Elle Woods in White Bear’s production of “Legally Blonde” last fall. Here, Nok-
Chiclana will play Donna Sheridan, Meryl Streep’s role in the movie version.
“I really wanted to branch out … to go after things that are unfamiliar and new,” said Nok-Chiclana. “Summer productions in White Bear Lake—we haven’t done them in a long time.”
Because Nok-Chiclana is much younger than her character, she asked her own mother on how to approach the role.
“[Moms] are so underappreciated, and they’re so much more than their connection to children,” NokChiclana stated. “Mothers are themselves first, and they sacrifice so much, and that goes overlooked. I really want that to be put into Donna Sheridan. She has so much to say, and so much to give.”
Anderson believes the same can be said of the theater community in White
Bear Lake. When asked if she believed “Mamma Mia’s” rehearsal schedule conflicted with summer shows or camps at other theaters, Anderson said no.
“They do shows for middle school and high school during the school year, so it’s just creating opportunities for kids …” Garcia said. “We really hope that the community comes to support, so we can keep growing this program and keep providing opportunities for more kids, and hopefully, in the future, adults too.”
White Bear Lake Area Community Services and Recreation’s production of “Mamma Mia” runs July 24-27 at the Performing Arts Center (Door A), 5045 Division Ave. More information will be available at communityservices.isd624. org closer to the show dates.
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON HENNEPIN ARTS’ ‘SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE’
BY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Every year, Hennepin Arts’ Spotlight Education Program evaluates high-school musicals and plays across the state of Minnesota. From a pool of over 8,000 students, Hennepin Arts selects 24 as triple threats, actors who receive concentrated professional guidance before performing at the Spotlight Showcase in June. Additionally, the program selects six technicians as student career pathway leaders. They, too, receive specialized mentorship before assisting the technical director in running the Spotlight Showcase. This year, Hennepin Arts chose White Bear Lake graduating senior Yahaira Nok-Chiclana as a Triple Threat and graduating senior Jacob Pasiuk as a
Student Career Pathway leader, the first in White Bear history. Both have previously been featured on this page as Emerging Artists.
“I feel so accomplished,” NokChiclana commented. “In middle school and at the beginning of high school, I really thought I was getting roles, getting these achievements out of luck. … I’ve realized that no, I worked hard. I actually have talent, and I have something to say, and I have something to give people. I shouldn’t shy away from that.”
Nok-Chiclana also felt strong support and connection from both her fellow finalists and Hennepin Arts’ specialists.
“We grew so close in such a short amount of time … I worked with so many cool people,” Nok-Chiclana exclaimed. “It really takes people who see you to make you realize you love
something so much.”
Pasiuk, meanwhile, felt trusted.
“Ari Koehnen Sweeney, she’s the vice president of education there … One thing that she emphasized was that [those among] Student Career Pathways are leaders. Hennepin Arts wanted us to have the same information as the actual production crew members,” Pasiuk explained.
Pasiuk also got to design projections for the show, a technique with which he wasn’t as familiar. Additionally, he got to experience the technical director’s process, so Pasiuk is finding out which approaches to technical theater he likes.
Ultimately, though, Pasiuk feels gratified to have been chosen for the experience. “I’m proud to be the first in White Bear history,” he beamed. “I hope not the last—there are some good rising artists.”
was going insane, and they said, ‘No, that’s too much work.’ So I took that, and I was like, ‘You know what? Now I have to do it.’” Ek’s marriage of art and computer science seems to parallel her stylistic disunity aesthetic. When asked why she felt compelled to work in such a space, Ek replied, “Art isn’t just one thing. … Let’s add this, let’s add that—instead of sticking to one thing.”
To watch Ek’s YouTube content, visit youtube.com/@peynut.
REGISTRATION NOW
OPEN FOR THEATER SUMMER CAMPS
All camps take place at Hanifl Performing Arts Center, 4941 Long Ave., White Bear Lake YOU CAN’T STOP THE BEAT DANCE CAMP
Grades: 8-12
Dates: 1-4 p.m. July 14-18
Details: This concentrated, weeklong workshop is designed for high-school students who are passionate about musical theatre and dance. Develop valuable performance skills and stage experience to nail choreography at future auditions. More information at lakeshoreplayers.org/theatreeducation.
CATERPILLAR CAMP: A VERY HUNGRY ADVENTURE
Grades: K-2
Dates: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. July 21-25
Details: Join us for a whimsical journey through the world of Eric Carle's beloved story. Campers will develop their creativity and imagination, build confidence in performing and learn about the life cycle of a butterfly—perfect for budding artists and performers. More information at lakeshoreplayers.org/theatre-education.
NO PLACE LIKE SHIZ: A ‘WICKED’ UNDER CONSTRUCTION CAMP
Grades: 7-12
Dates: 1-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, July 21-Aug. 8
Details: This three-week intensive camp empowers young artists to create an original theatrical piece from the ground up. Through collaborative exercises, improvisation and creative brainstorming, students will develop and perform a unique and exciting show on the final day of the camp, inspired by the worlds of ‘Wicked’ and ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ More information at lakeshoreplayers.org/ theatre-education.
ADVENTURES IN CANDYLAND
Grades: K-2
Dates: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Aug. 4-8
Details: Journey through the Peppermint Forest and cross the Gumdrop Pass in this weeklong adventure through CandyLand. Students will spend time reading books, telling stories and creating characters. Friends and family are invited for a special showcase at the end of the week. More information at childrensperformingartsmn. org/programs.
Peyton Ek
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
“On the Shore She Sits,” by Peyton Ek, won a Scholastic Silver Key this year and uses “photobashing,” a technique that blends photographs with another art mediums such as drawing.
Peyton Ek’s piece about learning to accept her mother’s ghost, titled “The Love of Grief,” layers character cutouts that go beyond the canvas.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
The basics of financial literacy
A financial safety net can help people navigate the ups and downs of life. Developing that safety net requires a measure of financial literacy that anyone can nurture.
What is financial literacy?
The United States Department of Education defines financial literacy as an understanding of how to earn, manage and invest money. That recognition can increase the chances that individuals make sound financial decisions, thus setting them up for long-term success and stability.
What makes financial literacy so important?
The benefits of financial literacy are not limited to theoretical notions such as the ability to understand money makes individuals more likely to make sound decisions regarding their finances. Indeed, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) notes that financial literacy has been proven to produce positive results. In its National Financial Capability Study released in 2022, the FINRA found that respondents who exhibited higher financial literacy were
more likely to make ends meet than those without such knowledge. Sixty-five% of respondents with higher financial literacy were able to set aside three months' of emergency funds at higher levels than respondents with lower literacy levels. The study also linked financial literacy to long-term stability, as more than half of respondents (52 %) with higher financial
literacy calculated their retirement savings needs, an important step that fewer than one in three (29 percent) with lower literacy levels had taken.
What are some additional benefits of financial literacy?
Individuals are often confronted with a host of options when making financial
decisions. That includes choices regarding bank accounts and credit cards, which are two variables related to financial literacy that individuals encounter every day. Individuals with financial literacy can pick a bank account that most suits their needs, whether that's standard accounts like checking and savings or something more unique like a high-yield savings account. Knowledge of financial basics also can prepare individuals to choose the right credit card, which can be a more difficult decision than choosing a bank account given the number of different cards available. Low-APR, no-APR, travel rewards, cash-back cards, and balance transfer cards are some of the options consumers can choose from when picking a credit card. Financial literacy increases the chances consumers pick the card that best suits their short- and long-term needs. Financial literacy can help people navigate challenges that periodically arise during the course of everyone's life. Taking time to learn some financial basics can set people up for long-term economic health.
Washington County Sheriff will not seek third term
Washington County Sheriff Dan Starry announced that he will not seek a third term in the fall of 2026. Starry joined the sheriff’s department as a deputy in 1993 and has served as sheriff since 2017.
“I am grateful for the opportunity that the citizens of Washington County have afforded me,” said Starry. “Serving you has been an honor and a privilege—thank you! The unwavering support from residents, business leaders, and elected officials in Washington County has been a cornerstone for our law enforcement community. This support has fueled our determination and dedication to ensuring the safety of everyone who lives, works, or visits here. Our success is because of our committed professionals at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, who provide exemplary service every day of the year.”
Starry’s term as sheriff will end in January 2027.
Sheriff’s office accepts camera and forensic equipment donations
The Washington County Board of Commissioners has approved a donation of camera and forensic equipment valued at $13,592 from OUR Rescue to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The donation will support investigations to protect children from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. The East Metro Human Trafficking Task Force will use the cameras to conduct various operations. The forensic equipment will be used to acquire evidence and data from cell phones and other digital devices in real time.
OUR Rescue is a nonprofit that collaborates with law enforcement agencies both in the U.S. and abroad to protect children from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. The donation from OUR Rescue is part of its commitment to empowering domestic law enforcement agencies by providing tools, training and technology to enhance their abilities to combat child exploitation.
Sheriff’s
Office purchasing software for telecommunicator training
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is purchasing a new tool to help train and support its public safety telecommunicators in the Emergency Communications Response Center.
The County Board of Commissioners approved a five-year contract with GovWorx, not to exceed $175,000, to purchase CommsCoach. CommsCoach
CONTRIBUTED
Dan Starry
is a software application enhanced by Artificial Intelligence. It’s designed to support public safety telecommunicator development through real-time performance feedback, skill-building prompts, and scenario-based coaching.
By integrating CommsCoach, the ECRC aims to elevate training quality, promote employee development, reduce performance-related errors, and increase caller satisfaction and responder safety. This tool will also support supervisor efficiency by streamlining coaching documentation and follow-up.
CommsCoach integrates with call-taking and computer-aided dispatch systems to deliver:
• Real-time micro coaching during live emergency calls
• Skill tracking and trend analysis that identify performance strengths and improvement areas across individuals and teams
• Scenario replay and training reinforcement
• Alignment with national standards
The decision to implement CommsCoach follows a thorough vetting process involving the Information Technology Department, the County Attorney’s Office, and the Office of Administration.
Woman pulled from White Bear Lake
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the east side of White Bear Lake at 2:27 p.m. on Sunday, June 22 on reports of a female under water who had yet to resurface. It was reported that Beverly Rodriguez, 40, of Woodbury fell into the water from a boat and was under the water for approximately 40 minutes.
The fire/rescue dive team assisted in locating Rodriguez who was transported to Regions Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased.
The water death investigation is being conducted by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Rodriguez has also been identified as a sergeant with the Metro Transit Police.
Celebrations
70th Wedding Anniversary
Juel & Betty Austring married in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada on July 9, 1955. They’ve made their home in White Bear Lake for the last 62 years. They’ve raised three daughters—Judy Friesen, Cheryl Brunkow, and Susan Fleck, and have three son-in-laws. They were blessed with 11 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. To celebrate their long union, an open house is being held on Saturday, July 19, from 1-3pm at North Haven Church, 2240 15th Ave. E., North St. Paul.
Strike Zone Sports opens second facility in Hugo
BY CJ WRZESIEN PRESS INTERN
In fall 2014, Sara Moulton helped open a 3,000-square-foot batting cage and softball facility in Eagan. Now, more than a decade later, Strike Zone Sports is expanding to Hugo.
The original facility has grown to 6000 square feet, and with that growth, Moulton and Co-owner Sam Macken received requests to open another facility. The pair sought space in the White Bear Lake area.
Then an opportunity in a different location presented itself.
“One of our clients built a pole shed on their land for his daughters to practice in,” Moulton said. He suggested that Strike Zone open on his property. Moulton and Macken rented the two-cage facility, and the second Strike Zone
facility opened earlier this month.
Moulton named Stillwater native and former Division I player Allison Benning as Hugo’s lead instructor. Benning recently graduated from the University of North Florida after winning Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) awards including ASUN Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year.
“She’s been around softball her whole life,” Moulton said. “But she was one of our Strike Zone kids since she was little, so she grew up learning from us.”
Moulton had a distinguished collegiate and professional softball career of her own. She grew up in Eagan before playing for the University of Minnesota and eventually being drafted to play professionally for the Chicago Bandits of National Professional Fastpitch. After hanging
PUBLIC NOTICE
CITY OF HUGO PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING
The Hugo Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, July 10th, 2025 at 7:00 pm at Hugo City Hall to consider the following requests: The minor subdivision request from Barton Guthrie, 8991 130th Street North, Hugo, MN 55038. The request is to subdivide a 40-acre parcel into a 30-acre parcel and a 10-acre parcel. The property generally located south of 130th Street North, east of Irish Avenue North, and west of Jody Avenue North.
The property legally described the Northwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 35, Township 31, Range 21, Washington County, Minnesota. Full legal description available at Hugo City Hall.
Amendments to Chapter 90, Article VI. – REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC USES AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, Section 90-227 Fences. The purpose of the proposed amendments is to codify requirements for placing fences within drainage and utility easements.
Anyone wishing to comment on any request can be heard at this time.
Please call Max Gort, Associate Planner at 651-762-6311 if you have any questions or comments on the application and would like to participate in the meeting.
Max Gort, Associate Planner Published one time in The Citizen on June 26, 2025.
up her spikes, Moulton returned to Minnesota and partnered with her former Gopher teammate Macken to open the first Strike Zone, giving players a place to train during winter.
“Growing up in Eagan, we didn’t have many places to practice in the winter time,” Moulton said. “So, my dad tried to set something up in the basement and it didn’t last long.” She also remembers begging the janitors to keep the gym open after basketball practices to let her pitch.
Moulton said she has seen indoor training take off as a way for players to stay busy and keep up with competition in warmer climates. The business draws players from not only the east metro, but also Iowa and the Dakotas for instruction and training.
With the new facility in Hugo, Moulton hopes to continue enabling softball players to train in hopes of playing at the next level. This year, 22 seniors who signed letters of intent to play in college are training at Strike Zone-its largest class yet.
“I wanted to do something that was going to help the next generation of softball players,” Moulton said. “And I’m just so proud that I can still live out my passion.”
CJ Wrzesien is an intern for Press Publications. He can be reached at intern1@presspubs. com or 651-407-1200.
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
Strike Zone Sports now has a Hugo location. Pictured are Strike Zone staff Allison Benning and Avery Muellner along with sisters Lexi Kaplan (back) and Lucy Kaplan (front) at the first Hugo lesson. Strike Zone Sports is located at 12128 Hilo Ct. N.
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Mr. Baseball finalist heads Bear awards after 17-8 season
BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
White Bear Lake has four all-conference picks, including a Mr. Baseball finalist, and five honorable mentions after their best season in 20 years with a 17-8 record, third place in the Suburban East with a 13-5 record, The Bears were runner-up in Section 4AAAA and Ryan Fitzpatrick was voted section coach of the year by peers. Blake Eckerle, senior catcher and pitcher, was one of eight senior finalists for Mr. Baseball. The Utah recruit hit .455 with 35 hits, eight doubles, four triples, 23 runs, 16 RBI’s, 17 walks, seven steals, and a .558 on-base average. He was 5-0 on the mound with a 1.02 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 41 innings. His career batting totals for three seasons were a .412 average, 91 hits, two homers, and 56 runs.
Also all-SEC were first baseman Kevin Zollinger, second baseman Tyler Allshouse, and center fielder/pitcher Evan Newlander, all seniors. Getting honorable mentions were seniors Owen Farrington, Owen Mortimer, Isaiah Weber, and Jace Lombardi, and sophomore Jackson Kolb. All-section honors went to Eckerle, Weber, Farrington and senior outfielder Jonny Wong. Zollinger led the Bears in RBI’s with 27 while hitting .300 with 21 hits, 10 doubles, 16 runs and 18 walks. Allshouse hit .317 with 23 RBI’s and 10 runs, Farrington hit .295 with 23 hits, 20 RBI’s, 10 runs and one homer, Weber hit .275 with 22 hits, 17 RBI’s, 11 runs, five doubles and two triples, and Wong hit .273 with 18 hits, one homer and 15 runs. On the mound, Kolb had a 3-2 record, 1.75 ERA, and 50 strikeouts in 36 innings. Newlander was 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 35.7 innings. Mortimer was 2-1 with a 3.27 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 25.7 innings. Those three and Eckerle were the main pitchers. Miles Oklobzija, sophomore, pitched in eight games with one win and a 3.73 ERA in 15 innings, while hitting .304 in 23 at-bats.
Upcoming Games
June 24 - 29 Louisville Bats July 1 - 6 Gwinnet Stripers
Bear alum helps Michigan win NCAA gymnastics title
BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
Charlie Larson of White Bear Lake was a member of Michigan’s NCAA gymnastics championship team this year. The former Bears diver, 22, is a standout on floor exercise for the Wolverines, due to his extensive background in tumbling.
Michigan won the NCAA meet at home in Ann Arbor.
“It felt like destiny to bring it (the title) home, at home. I think everyone knew in their bones that we were gonna win,” said Larson. It was Michigan’s seventh NCAA crown but first since 2014. They ended a five-year reign by Stanford, which finished a close second, with Oklahoma third. There are 15 men’s gymnastics teams in the NCAA.
The 5-foot-5, 140-pound athlete placed first on floor in most of Michigan’s meets and posted the top score in the country in the regular season. He was not at his best in the NCAA, dealing with an ankle sprain that made it painful to stick landings. He usually competed in vault also, winning the event in one meet, but did just floor at the NCAA due to the ankle.
He placed seventh, with two teammates fifth and sixth. But he gritted his teeth and stuck the dismount, worth a bonus tenth of a point.
“If I had not stuck that dismount, we would not have won. It’s crazy how our win came down to every single tenth … That’s what made our win so exciting. It was a fight to the very end. We gave every ounce
of ourselves.”
Another highlight, Larson said, was their win over Nebraska that clinched the championship of the Big Ten, which has five NCAA teams. He got his 14.85 score, the nation’s best for the season, in that meet.
During high school, Larson competed with the USA Trampoline and Tumbling Team, helping them place fourth in world meets in 2019 and 2021. He was a diver on the Bears swimming team for two years. He made all-conference but couldn’t compete in sectionals because there was a tumbling meet the same weekend.
Larson was headed for Oklahoma in 2022 but during vault warm-ups at U.S. artistic nationals, he tore
his MCL and broke his tibia. That required multiple surgeries and interrupted his career.
Last year, Larson had an excellent season with the University of Minnesota club team. He won floor exercise at the club national meet, helping the Gophers nab the team championship. For another chance to compete in the NCAA, Larson transferred from Minnesota to Michigan last fall.
Interestingly, he is not the only alumni of Lakeaires Elementary and White Bear Lake Area High School to win an NCAA championship this season. Lily Pederson, an Oklahoma freshman, helped the Sooners capture the women’s title. She was featured in the April 30 edition of the Press.
Larson’s floor routine has eight total skills and lasts a minute and a half. The goal, he explained, is to maximize difficulties while maintaining near-perfect execution. “Layout skills are my specialty,” said Larson, who throws several high-difficulty double layout flips.
“Each routine is very different from the next, which is what makes gymnastics so exciting to me,” he said. “Everyone can show off their unique skills and add their personal flare … I love to express myself in my routine, even if that means just adding a flick of my hands or even a wink.”
Majoring in biology with a goal of becoming a dietician, Larson has two more years of eligibility. His last college season will be 2027. “However, I plan to stay until 2028 to train for the Los Angeles Olympics,” he said.
Hughes caps 2nd pro season in league finals with Ottawa
BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
Gabbie Hughes, former Centennial and UM-Duluth hockey star, has completed two seasons with the Ottawa Charge in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). She played in the league championship series against the Minnesota Frost that ended May 27.
Minnesota defeated Ottawa three games to one in a hard-fought series with all four games going to overtime and ending in the same score, 2-1.
Hughes was fourth on the team in scoring with five goals and 11 assists. They were 14-12-4 in the regular season, then reached the playoff finals beating Montreal three games to one.
The PWHL, in its second year, has six teams. The others are Boston, New York and Toronto. The league will expand by two teams, Seattle and Vancouver.
Hughes, 25, is one of four players the Charge chose to protect in the expansion draft. In two seasons, she has logged 14 goals and 14 assists in 53 games. She was one of three players named Stars of the Week on May 19 when she assisted on the lone goal in a 1-0 playoff win over Montreal. She logged three assists in the eight playoff games.
Ottawa’s average attendance was 6,888 fans. The league average was 7,365.
Hughes was featured in the Ottawa Citizen just before the series against Minnesota. She was looking forward to games 3 and 4 in Minnesota when 60 relatives would be on hand. They follow all the games, she said, and after each, “I have about 100 messages to go through. It’s great. We do it for Wild games, too.”
Hughes was also hoping to get noticed by officials of Team USA while they pick the roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. She has played for two Team USA gold-medal winning teams, the U18 team in 2017 and the World Cup team in 2023.
The article noted that Hughes is a key factor in the Charge’s defensive zone that shut down Montreal, and that Charge fans started a chant of “Hughesss, Hughessss” in recognition of that. Hughes commented that when she hears the chant, “I can’t help but just smile ear to ear. It’s just so cool.”
The website Fangirl featured “five fun facts” about Hughes — that she was born into hockey, following her dad and older brother; that she’s living outside Minnesota for the first time; that she’s an avid fisherman at the family’s cabin; that she’s involved in mental health awareness as co-founder of a group called “Sophie’s Squad” and that she and college roommates split a $50 fee to adopt a fluffy orange cat named Rex.
There are five former UMD Bulldogs on the Charge and Hughes rooms with two of them. She shuttles between Ottawa and Lino Lakes between seasons, while working hockey camps and clinics. She was a special education major at UMD and that career is on hold. At Centennial, Hughes tallied 153 goals and 133 assists in 121 games and led the Cougars to the state finals as a senior (they lost to Edina). She was a Miss Hockey finalist. At UM-Duluth, she logged 92 goals and 133 assists in 165 games. She had a huge junior season with 59 goals in 40 games (2021-22) and was one of three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award.
CONTRIBUTED
Gabbie Hughes plays for the Ottawa Charge in the PWHL after stellar careers with Centennial and the University of Minnesota - Duluth.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CONTRIBUTED Charlie Larson in action in floor exercise at the NCAA meet.
July
July 5 Red, White & Sangria!
July 6 Acoustic Sunday: Billy Johnson 1-4 pm Dancing Dragonfly Winery
July 6 Red, White & Sangria! 11 am-5 pm St. Croix Vineyards
July 6 Music: Gary LaRue 2-5 pm 7 Vines Vineyard
July 9 Gary LaRue & Band 7 Vines Vineyard -ticketed event
July 9 Cribbage 6 pm Rustic Roots Winery
July 10 Trivia Night 6:30-8 pm Dancing Dragonfly Winery
July 10 Music: Sarah VanValkenburg 5-8 pm Belle Ame Vineyard
July 11 Soccer Shots 5-7 pm Belle Ame Vineyard
July 13
July 13
July 16
Acoustic Sunday: Locklin’ Road 1-4 pm
Dancing Dragonfly Winery
Music: Josh Quinn 2-5 pm 7 Vines Vineyard
Music: Jennifer Grimm 4:30-7:00 pm 7 Vines Vineyard and Joe Cruz
July 17 Music: Noah Burnett 5-8 pm Belle Ame Vineyard
July 17
July 18
Farmers/Artisans Market/Music 4-7 pm Rustic Roots Winery
Soccer Shots 5-8 pm Belle Ame Vineyard
July 18 Art at the Winery 6-8:30 pm Dancing Dragonfly Winery -floral arranging
July 18
July 19
Dueling Pianos in the Pergola! 6-9 pm 7 Vines Vineyard
Wicked Wine Run-Tickets sold St. Croix Vineyards through Wicked Wine run
July 20 Vine & Vinyasa 9-10 am Belle Ame Vineyard
July 20
Acoustic Sunday: Tim Fast 1-4 pm
Dancing Dragonfly Winery
July 20 Music: Steve Poynter 2-5 pm 7 Vines Vineyard
July 22 Billy McLaughlin 7 pm 7 Vines Vineyard -ticketed event
July 23 Cribbage 6pm Rustic Roots Winery
July 24 Trivia Night 6:30-8 pm Dancing Dragonfly Winery
July 24 Music: Maddie Forsythe 5-8 pm Belle Ame Vineyard
July 25 Dueling Pianos/events tent 6:30-9 pm Rustic Roots Winery
July 25 Music: Lori Lofstrom 5-8 pm 7 Vines Vineyard
July 25
July 26
Soccer Shots 5-7 pm Belle Ame Vineyard
Comedy Night w/Marge Rowan 6-9 pm
Dancing Dragonfly Winery And Chad Filley
July 26 Music: Tim Cheesebrow 2-5 pm 7 Vines Vineyard
July 27
Wine/books: 11 am-3 pm Rustic Roots Winery
Book fair for grown-ups
July 27 Acoustic Sunday: Vinnie Rose 1-4 pm
Dancing Dragonfly Winery
July 27 Wine & Canvas Paint & Sip 3-6 pm St. Croix Vineyards
Tickets through Wine & Canvas
July 31 Music: Noah Burnett 5-8 pm Belle Ame Vineyard
‘A Culture of Pots 2025’ brings Minnesota’s iconic pottery tour to WBCA Upcoming events
Sandcastles & Creatures
Building Contest
Memorial Beach, White Bear Lake
Saturday, June 21, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Get out your buckets and shovels and head to Memorial Beach for Manitou Days to build your own sandcastle or creature and see who comes out on top!
Midsummer Art Fest
White Bear Center for the Arts
Friday, July 18, 12:00-6:00 PM
Art, community, and music all come together for Midsummer Art Fest at White Bear Center for the Arts. Shop from WBCA students and teaching artists at the art sale. Make something new at interactive art stations. Or, if you’re competing in WBCA’s Into Nature Plein Air Competition, pick up your lanyard, bring your paints, and capture the scene.
Typically spread across a 43-mile stretch down the St. Croix River Valley, select pots from Minnesota’s 33rd Annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour now congregate at White Bear Center for the Arts’ Ford Family Gallery for “A Culture of Pots 2025.” On view this summer, this curated pottery exhibit brings the energy of an openair, grassroots art experience into a single, thoughtfully designed space.
With white walls, soft lighting and more than 200 ceramic vessels from almost 70 pottery tour artists, plus a striking wooden structure to hold them, the result is an exhibition that reflects not only the aesthetic range of the potters but also the deep sense of community and craftsmanship that supports it.
Originally inspired by the 2017 exhibition at the Weisman Art Museum, WBCA’s exhibit borrows both its name and spirit. Now in its 33rd year, the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour is among the most respected studio pottery events in the country. The tour draws thousands of visitors to seven host studios scattered across the St. Croix River Valley. But in the calm of a gallery setting, it takes on a new dimension.
Lakeshore Summer Camp: No Place Like Shiz
The Hanifl Performing Arts Center
July 21-August 8, 1:00-4:00 PM
This three-week camp empowers 7th-12th grade students to create an original Wicked & Wizard of Ozthemed theatrical piece from the ground up through collaborative exercises, improvisation, and creative brainstorming.
Lakeshore Summer Camp: Caterpillar Camp
The Hanifl Performing Arts Center
July 21-July 25, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
In this “Very Hungry Adventure,” Campers will develop their creativity and imagination, build confidence in performing, learn about the life cycle of a butterfly, and have a whole lot of fun! This camp is perfect for budding performers who love to sing, dance, and play!
“The flow is about creating an environment similar to the outdoor experience of the annual pottery tour, but taking it indoors to a gallery setting,” WBCA Exhibitions Manager and show curator, Karna Holub, said. “With over 200 pieces, the challenge was how to elevate each collection as equally as possible.” Facing you as you enter the gallery, and impossible to ignore as it holds dozens of ceramic pieces, is a large wooden structure designed by WBCA Resident Artist and cocurator, Kyle Frederickson. Built from reclaimed wood, the structure anchors the exhibition both visually and symbolically, calling back to the tour’s rustic aesthetic.
“It will be amazing to see the work of this year’s potters all displayed in one gallery,” said Linda Christensen, one of the tour’s longtime potters and host. “As hosts, we are unable to get around to see the other studios, so this will be a great opportunity.” The spirit of pottery,
Linda said, has deep roots in the St. Croix Valley. Pottery has been made in the region since the Oneota period, dating back to 900 A.D. Shell-tempered clay vessels were once shaped by hands along the same river banks where Christensen and her peers now work. The modern studio pottery movement here began in the 1950s, when Warren MacKenzie settled in the area. The rest of the eventual original pottery tour hosts, including Linda, followed, all arriving by the 1970s. Together, they built not only a thriving scene but a mission to give back.
“It has been important for the tour to quietly foster pottery culture,” Linda said. “A Culture of Pots 2025” channels that philosophy, showcasing the diversity in technique and aesthetic from the tour’s artists. Some work in porcelain, others in stoneware or earthenware. Some fire with gas, others with wood. The unifying theme? Usefulness.
apprenticeships, some in universities, some are selftaught. Some come from other mediums entirely.”
The exhibition at WBCA reflects this, offering viewers more than just beautiful objects but an introduction to modern ceramics. Compared to the 1950s or 1970s when ceramicists had “minimal influence,” according to Linda, potters these days are exposed to everything digitally, so this exhibition will “tell a story of diversity of style,” she hinted.
Karna had a similar request: “When you view each piece, keep in mind that this is one concept—to make a pot, vessel, or plate out of the same medium of clay, and from that concept over 200 interpretations have emerged through color, form, shape, and texture.” For her, the exhibition is also personal. “At WBCA, we have a rapidly growing clay program,” she said. “I’ve recently taken pottery classes, and immediately noticed a ‘culture’ of potters in the studios. Support, encouragement, laughter, and loyalty are a few words that come to mind. I can only imagine that the potters from the St. Croix Pottery Tour also have that same sense of community.”
That community is the thread that runs through everything in “A Culture of Pots 2025,” connecting the creation of the first Oneota pots to the freshly-glazed mugs in the Tour. While the tour’s open-air spontaneity can’t be fully recreated indoors, the exhibition offers something new: A chance to slow down and connect with the hands that shaped each form.
“A Culture of Pots 2025” is on view through July 25 at White Bear Center for the Arts. For more information, visit whitebeararts.org.
You can find a full list of classes in WBCA’s quarterly printed catalog and online at WhiteBearArts.org/ classes.
“There is no one aesthetic other than the concept of useful pottery,” Linda said. “All of the participants come with their own histories—some were trained in
Photos By Morgan Pearson | Contributed