Vadnais Heights Press by Press Publications

From the garage to the classroom: Auto body careers come full circle at 916

BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR

Nearly 1,000 high school juniors and seniors across 13 school districts can gain a competitive advantage over their peers at the 916 Career and Tech Center located on the East Campus of Century College.

The school offers a variety of programs, including: Information technology, animation and game design; entrepreneurship, travel and social media marketing; cosmetology; construction; welding; criminal justice and law enforcement; dental careers; emergency medical technician; medical careers series and more.

“My goal for all my students, and I think our overall goal for 916 Career and Tech, is to let students come in, do some of this hands-on stuff they think they're interested in, and then rule it out or pursue it,” said Dan Burton, the instructor for the Auto and Auto Body Careers program. “Then they don’t go to a trade school right after high school without knowing what they are getting into … Really having them hone in and experience what that industry is like to allow them to make a better decision of what happens after high school.”

SEE CAREERS, PAGE 11

can be found on page 11.

Foundation of Rancher’s Legacy: Where fine meats and integrity collide

BY ERIK SUCHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

To the average meat lover, the quality of their favorite product comes down to several things, including flavor and texture. At Rancher’s Legacy, they can expect not only to find these aforementioned traits but also integrity from the company that supplies their meat.

Located in Vadnais Heights, Rancher’s Legacy offers thousands of different meats in its portfolio, ready to ship and serve to eager customers. In addition to numerous shapes, thicknesses and sizes, custom blends feature prominently among its roster, made from domestic cuts such as Black Angus, American Wagyu and Piedmontese beef as well as traditional types such as bison and lamb.

“The founding of Ranchers Legacy was initially a premium buyer for the Midwest,” said Jeremy Turnquist, the company’s chief operating officer. “It’s shifted a little bit as we became a more well-known grinder that does more co-packing for premium cattle brands

that are selling throughout the United States.”

Though the company’s original focus was in food service, Rancher’s Legacy has evolved to also include retail. Today, though 75% of the company’s business is rooted in the former, Turnquist said expanding into the latter has enabled customers to become more educated on the details of their products. Additionally, there are plans for the company to distribute its 1-pound “brick” packages to both high-end grocery chains and smaller mom-and-pop shops.

But what is it about Rancher’s Legacy that sets it apart from other meat processing facilities? According to Lundquist, it comes down to quality. The company buys its meat from various harvest facilities throughout the Midwest featuring premium cattle breeds such as Wagyu and Angus, which Lundquist described as “superior” to conventional breeds.

“We listen to our chefs and customers about what they want in the industry, because they’re important

RANCHER’S LEGACY | CONTRIBUTED

Rancher’s Legacy, a meat processing plant located in Vadnais Heights, specializes in

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

Frankie Zoey Aili

Eden Raya Rosie

Local Republicans meet monthly

Those interested in finding out about the Local Republicans group in the White Bear Lake area are invited to attend meetings held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at 4 Deuces Saloon, located at 2222 Fourth Street. To learn more about Local Republicans, go to localrepublicans.org.

Volunteers needed for financial literacy event

Royal Credit Union is seeking approximately 200 volunteers for its Test Drive…Next Stop Reality financial education event on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at White Bear Lake Area High School, 5045 Division Ave. The program gives students hands-on experience in managing a monthly budget and making real-world financial decisions as they explore future careers.

Volunteers assist at various stations that simulate everyday expenses and financial responsibilities. No prior experience is necessary, and all training and materials will be provided on-site and by email one week before the event. Half-day shifts are available. For questions, contact Deb Paulsen, Royal Credit Union’s community financial education coordinator, at debra.paulsen@rcu.org.

Please join us on Small Business Saturday for

Saturday, November 29 10:00 - 11:30

Lake Country Booksellers 4766 Washington Square White

Celebrate small businesses, community on Nov. 29

Small Business Saturday is an annual shopping event held the Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage consumers to support local, independently owned businesses. This year, the event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 29.

The event, launched in 2010 by American Express, has grown into a nationwide effort to spotlight the economic and cultural importance of small businesses. Many participating businesses mark the day with special promotions or neighborhood events to draw customers.

To find participating small businesses near you, visit tinyurl.com/a2zyjrd3.

Pictured: Lion Suzie Bjork, Susie Wahlin, Karen Terry, Carol Meirick, Sandy Sandsness, Sandra Maki, Lion Dave Hunt, Carrie Erlandson, Lion

Farley, Jackie Marino, Patti McCarty, Lion Sue Hunt

FAST BEFORE THE FEAST

When: 7 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 27

(registration opens)

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Where: White Bear Lake County Park, 5050 Lake Ave.

Details: Festive 10K, 5K and Turkey Dash for runners, walkers, families with strollers and leashed dogs. Portion of proceeds benefits hunger relief. Registration information online.

Contact: mmraces.com/fast-before-thefeast

STILLWATER NUTCRACKER

When: 2 and 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28 and 29; 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30

Where: Stillwater Area High School, 5701 Stillwater Blvd.

Details: Family-friendly version of the classic ballet performed by students from St. Croix Ballet. Ticket information online.

Contact: 651-439-2820 or stcroixballet. com

BOOK SIGNING

When: 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 29

Where: Lake Country Booksellers, 4766

Washington Square, White Bear Lake

Details: Author Peg Guilfoyle will sign copies of her book, “An Eye for Joy”. Contact: 651-426-0918

FESTIVAL OF TREES OPEN HOUSE

When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29

Where: White Bear Lake Armory, 2228 4th St.

Details: See more than 30 trees decorated by local businesses and organizations. Photos with Santa, cookes, cocoa and holiday activities. Free. Open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. through Dec. 20. Contact: whitebearhistory.org

ANNUAL CRAFT FAIR AND BAKE SALE

When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1

Where: HealthPartners Community Health Club, 1430 Highway 96 E, White Bear Lake

Details: Local crafters gift items and baked goods.

FREE PARK ENTRY DAY

When: Friday, Nov. 28 and Tuesday, Dec.

Where: All Washington County Parks

Details: Visit any Washington County Park for free the day after Thanksgiving. Contact: co.washington.mn.us/parks

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE

When: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3

Where: White Bear Lake United Methodist Church, 1851 Birch St.

Details: To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-7332767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code WBLUnited.

ANNUAL MAHTOMEDI WOMEN’S LUNCHEON

When: 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 4

Where: Dellwood Country Club, 29 East Highway 96

Details: Join friends and neighbors in the Mahtomedi community for a social hour followed by lunch and entertainment by the Mahtomedi High School choir.

Contact: Cathy at 612-615-3110.

WBCA MEMBER’S EXHIBITION

When: 4-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4

Where: White Bear Center for the Arts, 4971 Long Ave.

Details: See the works of local artists in

the non-juried show. Artist and staff remarks at 7 p.m. Contact: whitebeararts.org

STORYTIME WITH SANTA AT THE FILLEBROWN HOUSE

When: 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9

Where: Fillebrown House, 4735 Lake Ave., White Bear Lake

Details: Children and families can experience old-fashioned Christmas traditions with Santa, complete with cider, cookies and a holiday story. PJ’s wecome. See ticket information online. Contact: whitebearhistory.org

‘ANNIE’

When: Through Dec. 14

Where: Hanifl Performing Arts Center, 4941 Long Ave., White Bear Lake Details: Classic Christmas-time musical featuring the favorite orphan. Ticket information online. Contact: lakeshoreplayers.org

Happy Thanksgiving

Since Amy and I have been living the dream as empty-nesters, we find ourselves sitting across from one another in the mornings and evenings with more time to talk. The past few days we are like two little kids excited about the upcoming holidays in anticipation of our kids coming home for a long break from college.

Publisher’s View

Carter Johnson

I am thankful for the holidays and the traditions that have been passed down. Holidays are pre-scheduled blocks of time to be with family. I still miss all the early Thanksgiving mornings when we would stand in line at Cretin–Derham Hall as we prepared to deliver meals for Bill Foussard's special project, Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels. My father-in-law normally joined me and our two kids as we delivered meals throughout the Twin Cities and suburbs. We never had the same route - sometimes we made deliveries in Hastings and other times our route took us through Saint Paul neighborhoods. One year the kids made bracelets to give out to any kids they saw during the drop. We almost always had good weather. The annual event has wound down due to several factors. I miss that element of Thanksgiving morning.

As we have most years, we will host Thanksgiving at our house with both sets of grandparents. As usual, my mother-in-law will make the turkey and stuffing, and, I'm hoping, her cranberry Jell-O mold. I think I'm the only one who likes it, so I'm grateful she still makes it for me. We will do the potatoes, rutabaga vegetables and some kind of dessert. Our kids actually don't care for turkey. Our friends have the same problem, and have switched their traditional Thanksgiving meal to a steak dinner. Sometimes it makes sense to change up holiday traditions to better meet everyone's desires. Our kids are anxious to be home and reconnect with friends. “Friendsgiving” activities have been planned, and both kids will go to the Gopher-Badger game on Saturday with their respective friend groups. We hope they will spend some time with us, but we may have to wait until they are home for a longer break at Christmas. Not everyone in our community is looking forward to the holidays. Many are suffering or grieving the loss of a loved one, or perhaps a job. We have many wonderful organizations in our community that can help those in need. Churches and food shelves are extra busy this time of year, and businesses, service organizations and individuals hold drives to collect everything from warm coats, mittens, clothing, diapers, toys and more. Churches can also be a source of prayer support and hope.

Hopefully those in a position to be generous with their time and donations will finds ways to help. If you are need, get in touch with your child's school, a local church, the food shelf or even give us a call here at the Press – there are many of us who can help point you in the right direction to make your holidays a little easier. As you gather this Thanksgiving, I pray you and your families will be blessed wherever you are.

Carter Johnson is publisher of Press Publications.

Celebrating student success and community connections

AMovers & Shakers

Dr. Wayne Kazmierczak

s students have settled into their school-year routines, we’re finding many reasons to celebrate success and connection across White Bear Lake Area Schools. At recent School Board meetings, we’ve had the honor of recognizing outstanding student achievements at the state and national levels for success in athletics and activities. Academic accolades have also been highlighted, with more than 130 current students and members of the Class of 2025 being celebrated for their accomplishments in the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Two students also reached the prestigious semifinalist level in the ongoing National Merit Scholarship process, and one of our current students earned a perfect 36 on the ACT – an achievement reached by just 0.22% of test takers nationwide.

Hundreds of students are also gaining valuable hands-on experience through our Career Pathways programs. Last year, students in our automotive program completed 455 Ford ACE High School Automotive Program courses and 36 students earned certification through AllData Automotive Intelligence.

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Carter C. Johnson - Publisher cjohnson@presspubs.com

Shannon Granholm - Managing

Another 36 students achieved ServSafe certification in the Food Service industry, more than 100 students earned First Aid/CPR credentials and 41 students became Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA). These meaningful experiences provide students with practical skills, industry-recognized credentials, and confidence as they prepare for future careers.

Student success is matched by district excellence. For the 25th consecutive year, White Bear Lake Area Schools have earned top honors for financial reporting. The district received both the Government Finance Officers Association’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting and the Association of School Business Officials’ Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting. These awards represent the highest level of recognition for governmental financial transparency and accountability. They reflect the outstanding work of our Finance Department, whose careful stewardship of resources helps maintain the community’s trust.

Our success as a district is built through collaboration and care – qualities that make White Bear such a special place to learn and grow. A recent example of this spirit was on display at one of our middle schools, where a sixth grader who was born without a right hand wanted to learn the violin. Her school nurse and orchestra teacher began researching adaptive solutions

and discovered specifications for a 3D-printed bow holder. They teamed up with a science teacher who is a hobbyist 3D printer and a tech education colleague who specializes in CAD design. After several prototypes and adjustments, the team successfully created two customized devices, allowing the student to play the violin. This story exemplifies the creativity, compassion, and teamwork that define our district.

Community members also play a vital role in supporting and enriching our schools. White Bear Lake Area High School is currently seeking about 200 volunteers for its “Test Drive... Next Stop Reality” event that will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 17. This engaging program helps juniors navigate real-world budgeting and decision-making through interactive stations focused on housing, transportation, childcare, insurance, and more. Those interested can sign up to volunteer through the district’s website.

And finally, as the temperatures drop, we invite our community to stay active and connected by walking the indoor WBLAHS Field House track. Open Monday through Thursday from 6–9 p.m., the track offers a warm, safe, and free space to enjoy some exercise while sharing in the pride of this wonderful community facility.

Go Bears!

Dr. Wayne Kazmierczak is Superintendent of White Bear Lake Area Schools.

WHITE BEAR/VADNAIS HEIGHTS PRESS | LETTER GUIDELINES

four weeks must lapse between publication. Exceptions may be made for rebuttal letters.

• Due to space limitations, letters that don’t address local issues are not guaranteed publication.

• Repeat letters by the same writer about the same subject matter will not be published.

• Submissions containing libelous or derogatory statements will not be published.

• Submissions containing facts not previously published in the Press must be accompanied by factual verification.

• All letters are subject to editing.

• Deadline is 5 p. m., Thursday of the week prior to publication.

• To submit a letter, e-mail it to whitebearnews@presspubs.com, fax it to 651-429-1242 or mail or deliver it to Press Publications, 4779 Bloom Ave., White Bear Lake, MN 55110.

Help by donating, volunteering

Year after year I am so thankful for all the people who help our communities thrive. Volunteers and staff step up in so many ways, offering their time and talent to our local nonprofit organizations. I'm also very appreciative of those who make financial donations; they could not provide their services without you. These organizations need our support year-round. With the winter chill approaching, you can feel the warmth from asking your favorite organizations, "How can I help?" If you are volunteering, you will likely be rewarded with some “feel good” moments and lifelong friendships.

Nor Olson Stillwater

Residents want trail

One of the recent letters to the editor against the Vadnais Heights Greenhaven Drive trail project stated that council members are not listening to the residents. We believe the council is listening. There is support for the trail in the Greenhaven Drive neighborhood. The support may not be as vocal, but we are interested and do care. The trail would connect to existing trails on Centerville and Hwy 96, making a safe loop for walking and biking, all separated from traffic. We currently utilize the existing trails in Vadnais Heights for biking and walking. The proposed trail will allow us to safely visit Greenhaven Park with our young grandchildren. We support the trail on Greenhaven Drive.

Glenn and Jane Schuster Vadnais Heights

White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation awards 6 Ryan Family Art Grants

The White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation (WBLAEF) recently awarded six Ryan Family Art Grants to elementary school teachers in the White Bear Lake Area School District. The grants totaled over $4,390.

‘Travel through CKLA with Creative Flair’ - Stacy Brodt, Grade 5 educator, Lakeaires Elementary

This yearlong project integrates visual art into every fifth-grade CKLA literacy unit, using creative, hands-on projects to deepen engagement and bring academic content to life. Students will connect learning to real-world experiences through artistic expression—painting, sculpting, designing and writing—while developing critical thinking, creativity and confidence. Projects include Mayan masks, Renaissance art recreations, Shakespeare-inspired fairy crowns, and totem poles, all aligned with literacy themes. The initiative enhances both art and literacy instruction by promoting open-ended exploration, self-expression and joy in learning. It builds connections between history, literature and art while celebrating each student’s creativity.

‘Second Grade Art’ - Megan Majerle, Grade 2 educator, Oneka Elementary

This project will provide

White Bear Lake Area

essential art supplies—oil pastels and tempera paint— to bring more frequent, high-quality art experiences into the second grade classrooms. With age-appropriate materials readily available, teachers can easily integrate art into core lessons, encouraging creativity, collaboration and hands-on learning across the curriculum.

The addition of these supplies will make art instruction more accessible and engaging for all students, supporting artistic expression and enhancing connections to literacy, science and social studies units.

‘I’ve Got Talent’ - Alison Davies, Kindergarten educator, Matoska Elementary

This interdisciplinary IB unit helps students understand how people use the arts to express ideas, emotions and perspectives. Through hands-on exploration of design elements— such as line, color, form and balance—students will create projects that connect visual art to literacy, math, science and social studies. Projects include watercolor paintings, tessellations, 3D sculptures, calligraphy and artist trading cards.

The unit fosters creativity, critical thinking and collaboration as students learn to discuss and analyze their own artwork, peers’ creations and master works that inspire them. By integrating art with storytelling and

design, this project nurtures both artistic and academic growth.

‘Elementary Art Cardboard Cutter’ - Karen Reiland, K-5 Art educator, Willow Lane & Birch Lake Elementary

This project will equip students at two elementary schools with cardboard safety saws, allowing them to independently and safely cut intricate shapes for three-dimensional and relief sculptures. The tools support STEAM and design standards by encouraging creative problem-solving, spatial reasoning and hands-on experimentation in artmaking.

By expanding access to these materials, students will have opportunities to explore engineering and design concepts through sculpture, fostering innovation and confidence in artistic creation for years to come.

‘Northstar Painting/Printmaking Curriculum’ - Chloe Halverson, K-5 Art educator, North Star Elementary

This project will elevate our school’s art curriculum by introducing high-quality painting and printmaking materials that align with state standards and expand creative possibilities for students in grades 3-5. Using acrylic paints, canvases and Gelli plates, students will engage in lessons focused on color theory, layering and artistic expression—developing both technical skill and

creative confidence.

A central fifth grade project will connect art history and self-expression as students study famous painters, explore different styles and create original works inspired by the artists they research. The project promotes deeper artistic understanding, cultural awareness and personal reflection, culminating in a public display of student artwork to celebrate creativity schoolwide.

‘Extension Activities’ - Claudia Medin, Grades 3-4 Multiage Educator, North Star Elementary

This project will support a yearlong, cross-curricular art program in a multiage classroom where students use art to deepen understanding in literacy, science, social studies and social-emotional learning. By connecting creative expression to academic content, students engage multiple forms of thinking and demonstrate learning through visual, hands-on projects.

Throughout the year, students will create pieces such as volcanic paintings to illustrate the rock cycle, stainedglass rose windows inspired by medieval architecture, woven designs tied to Indigenous studies and community art projects based on readalouds like “The Dot.” These activities promote collaboration, creativity and critical thinking while reinforcing core curricular goals.

Church Directory

COPS&COURTS

WHITE BEAR LAKE POLICE REPORTS

The White Bear Lake Police Department reported the following selected incidents:

• Officers responded to a domestic incident in the 2000 block of Spruce Place Nov. 12.

• A vehicle stolen in the 2300 block of Golfview Drive Nov. 12 was found two days later in Maplewood.

• Officers responded to a complaint about roosters in the 3900 block of Van Dyke Street Nov. 12.

• Disorderly conduct was reported in the 2400 block of Floral Drive Nov. 12.

• Harassment among siblings was reported in the 2500 block of Dorothy Avenue Nov. 12.

• Burglary was reported Nov. 13 in the 2100 block of Third Street.

• A resident in the 2500 block of Orchard Lane requested a deer permit Nov. 12.

• Criminal damage to property was reported in the 3900 block of Hoffman Road Nov. 12.

• Officers responded to a barking dog complaint in the 2300 block of Dorothy Avenue Nov. 13.

• A Maple Grove man was arrested for domestic assault in the 3600 block of Hoffman Road Nov. 13.

• A burglary was reported in the 3600 block of Highland Avenue Nov. 13.

A White Bear Lake man was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant on Glen Oaks Drive Nov. 13.

• Burglary was reported in the 3600 block of Hoffman Road Nov. 13.

A woman was served with a trespass notice following a disorderly conduct incident in the 2700 block of County Road E Nov. 13.

• A White Bear Lake woman was arrested for DWI following a traffic stop at Second Street and Highway 61 Nov. 14.

• A vehicle was stolen in the 3900 block of Linden Street Nov. 14 and later recovered in St. Paul.

• A shoplifting incident was reported in the 900 block of Wildwood Road Nov. 14.

• Fraud was reported in the 2100 block of Fourth Street Nov. 14.

• A Robbinsdale man who was found to be impaired and in possession of cocaine following a traffic stop Nov. 15 near Interstates 694 and 35E was arrested on felony drug charges.

• Disorderly conduct was reported in the 2100 block of Fifth Street Nov. 15.

• A dog found in the 2100 block of Camden Court was returned to its owner with a citation Nov. 15.

• Officers responded to a juvenile incident in the 3300 block of Willow Avenue Nov. 16.

• Harassment was reported in the 3900 block of Highway 61 Nov. 17.

• A vehicle was stolen in the 3400 block of Willow Avenue Nov. 17.

• Harassment was reported in the 4600 block of Centerville Road Nov. 17.

• Fraud was reported in the 1900 block of Birch Lake Avenue Nov. 17.

• Officers arrested a Woodbury man on an outstanding warrant in the 1300 block of Highway 96 Nov. 17.

• Suspects have been identified in a theft reported in the 2600 block of County Road E Nov. 17.

Theft from a vehicle was reported in the 3900 block of Linden Street Nov. 18.

• Criminal damage to property was reported in the 3600 block of Hoffman Road Nov. 18.

• Theft from a vehicle and damage was reported in the 3900 block of Hoffman Road Nov. 18.

WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORTS

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reported the following selected calls for service in Birchwood Village, Dellwood, Grant, Mahtomedi, Pine Springs and Willernie:

Birchwood Village

• An eastbound motorist on Hall Avenue at Jay Street was cited Oct. 5 for failing to come to a complete stop at the stop sign. During the stop it became clear that the vehicle’s window tint was darker than allowable by statute. Using their tint-o-meter, Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies determined that only 14% of light penetrated the suspect’s windows, where a minimum of 50% was required. The motorist was cited for the windows, too. Within 20 minutes, the parade of overly tinted vehicles running the stop sign at that intersection numbered three, after two more motorists were cited for the same offenses.

Dellwood

• Theft from a motor vehicle was reported Oct. 4 from Many Levels Road.

• Deputies responding to a welfare check of a juvenile riding a bicycle around Bayhill Road and High Point Road at 1:51 a.m. learned that the youth, 17, was doing cardio training.

Grant

• Deputies were called to the 11000 block of Keats Avenue N. at 9:17 p.m. Oct. 8 to conduct a welfare check on an individual walking down the road making bird calls.

RAMSEY COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORTS

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office reported the following selected incidents in Vadnais Heights and White Bear Township:

Vadnais Heights

• Deputies cited a 61-yearold man from White Bear Lake Oct. 27 for unauthorized use of a parking certificate for the physically disabled in the 800 block of County Road E East.

• Deputies responded Oct. 28 to a report of a violation of a court order in the 100 block of Mayfair Road. Deputies found that the protected party and the suspect left together before their arrival.

• Deputies responded Oct. 28 to a report of theft at a business in the 900 block of County Road E East and issued theft citations to a 57-year-old man from St. Paul, a 48-year-old man from St. Paul and a 20-year-old man from St. Paul after loss prevention employees caught them attempting to steal nearly $500 worth of Air Jordan shoes.

• A 43-year-old woman reported Oct. 29 that someone hit her Toyota Camry the day before while it was parked at a business in the 800 block of County Road E East. The incident is under investigation.

• A 70-year-old woman in the 4000 block of Elmwood Street reported Oct. 29 receiving a call from someone identifying himself as an employee for the Department of Justice who told her she’d been a victim of identity theft, convinced her to withdraw money from

her bank and turn it over to him. The incident is under investigation. A 26-year-old woman from Hugo reported Oct. 30 that she believes someone stole her wallet while she was at a gas station in the 3200 block of Highway 61. The incident is under investigation.

• Deputies responded Oct. 30 to a business in the 800 block of County Road E East after loss prevention employees stopped a woman for shoplifting and she ran out of the store. The incident is under investigation.

• Deputies assisted Roseville police Oct. 31 with a high-risk traffic stop near the intersection of I-35E and I-694 after a traffic stop was made on a vehicle after its driver was reported to have threatened another driver with a handgun. While being questioned, the driver admitted to having a BB gun in the glove box. The case was handled by Roseville police officers.

White Bear Township

• Deputies responded Oct. 26 to a report of an altercation at a gas station in the 2300 block of County Road J East. Deputies spoke to a 21-year-old woman from Bethel, who said she was threatened by two males while putting gas in her vehicle. The incident is under investigation.

• A caller reported Oct. 27 seeing a dog without a collar walking in the road near the intersection of Buffalo Street and Portland Avenue.

Animal control officers responded, but the dog

Mahtomedi

• Deputies were dispatched out on a report of females yelling in a Wildwood Road apartment complex at 10:17 p.m. Oct. 2 and advised them without incident to quiet down. Deputies discovered that the argument had been carried over from a dispute between a male and female at the Walgreen’s store. The female was being verbally aggressive and uncooperative with the deputies who took that first report.

• An accident was reported at the crosswalk on Echo Lake Court and Long Lake Road Oct. 3 after one car stopped for a pedestrian in the crosswalk and the trailing car didn’t.

• After the intersection at Lincolntown Avenue and Robert Street was closed for more than a week to install watermain to serve a new apartment complex at Old Wildwood Road, vehicles were reported Oct. 3 for using the pedestrian/bike-only Streetcar Trail to bypass the closed intersection. Public works employees were directed out to install more effective barriers.

• Deputies were sent out to the scene of a vehicle fire in the 1000 block of Berwick Lane Oct. 3, after the vehicle overheated from the walnuts hidden by squirrels in the engine compartment.

• An Iris Street mom was reported Oct. 4 for stealing her child’s birth certificate. The complainant didn’t know where mom lived, and she would not answer deputies’ phone calls.

Pine Springs

• The driver of a black BMW with dark window tint was cited at 11:47 p.m. Oct. 2 on westbound

was already gone.

• The family of a 92-yearold woman from Naples, Florida, reported Oct. 27 that she’d recently moved to Minnesota, and someone had stolen approximately $50,000 from her account. The incident is under investigation.

• Deputies arrested a 51-year-old man from White Bear Lake Oct. 29 in the 1000 block of Meadowlands Drive for DWI after employees at a local business flagged deputies down to check on him in a car in their parking lot. The man was arrested after performing poorly on standard field sobriety tests.

• A 61-year-old man reported Oct. 30 that someone went into his garage in the 4300 block of Bambi Lane and stole tools. The incident is under investigation.

• Deputies arrested a 35-year-old man from St. Paul Oct. 30 for theft and fleeing a police officer after employees at a grocery store in the 1000 block of Meadowlands Drive caught him attempting to steal more than $125 worth of merchandise before he ran from the scene and was later located and detained.

• Deputies responded Nov. 1 to a dispute between two drivers in the 5900 block of Otter View Circle. Deputies spoke with a 40-year-old man, who told them he was followed home by another driver who threatened to assault him before driving away. The incident is under investigation.

Highway 36 at the Hilton Trail ramp for failure to produce an active or valid Minnesota drivers’ license, following a random computer check. The driver was also unable to provide proof of insurance.

• A Minnesota motorist was cited Oct. 5 on Long Lake Road and Century Avenue for registration violations, following a traffic stop for no visible vehicle registration. Instead, the vehicle displayed an expired Nevada paper temporary license from April 2025 on the front windshield. The registered owner and driver of the vehicle said the DMV line was too long when he tried to register the vehicle after moving to Minnesota, so he just forgot about it.

• Deputies conducted two traffic stops on Oct. 6, citing the driver on Century Avenue and Long Lake Road for undisclosed violations and arresting the driver on Stillwater Road for a harassment restraining order violation.

• A front license plate was reported stolen from a vehicle parked on Long Lake Road on Oct. 7.

• A southbound motorist was issued a written warning for speeding 62 mph in a posted 50 mph zone Oct. 8 on Hilton Trail N. and 72nd Street. A second motorist was cited for expired registration Oct. 8 on Birch Street and Mahtomedi Avenue. A third motorist was cited for four undisclosed offenses at 12:21 a.m. Oct. 9 on Hallam Avenue S.

Willernie

A Stillwater Road business reported a theft from the business on Oct. 6.

Cabin 61 turns neighborhood favorites into wins

BY SHIVAM VASHISHTHA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On a weekday afternoon, the first thing one notices at Cabin 61 isn’t the menu board or the patio string lights — it’s the rhythm. A server slides past with a basket of golden cheese curds that crackle softly as they hit the surface of the table. The grill hisses, a bell rings, a kid points at a towering burger, and a couple on the patio clink iced lemonades. The vibe is familiar, but the momentum is new: Cabin 61 just received three top honors in the Best of the White Bear Press/ Vadnais Heights Press contest — Best Cheese Curds, Best Lunch and Best Hamburger — and landed as finalists for Best Appetizer, Best Outdoor Dining and Best Soup.

Awards don’t happen by accident, especially in a region with longloved eateries and loyal customers. Cabin 61’s rise says something about execution, hospitality and a sense of place. It also shows how quickly a restaurant can earn trust when the small decisions (how the burger holds together, how the curds crunch, how the server remembers a name, etc.) line up with what people already love about eating out around here. Lindsey Carpenter, the co-owner, said, “It is a friendly, local competition, because we know other business owners and we pride ourselves and get excited to see the awards; it’s a big compliment to our staff and our amazing chef.”

Anyone working a lunch rush will tell you: the difference between “good” and “best” lives in the margins. With cheese curds, it’s probably the texture — delicate but sturdy, a batter that stays crisp without turning heavy. With burgers, it’s balance — seasoning that complements, not masks; a sear that holds juices; toppings that enhance without requiring a fork and three napkins to survive. Cabin 61’s versions are straightforward rather than gimmicky, the kind of food that sticks because it delivers the same experience on a Tuesday as it did on

that first busy weekend.

“Our appetizers like the cheese curds are amazing. I usually jump with people that I don’t like cheese curds, but I like ours. There’s something about them which makes them good — they come with a unique spicy jam,” Carpenter added.

Consistency is a theme you hear from the team, but so is warmth. Cabin 61’s hospitality philosophy — described by staff as “welcoming, neighborly, and proud of the little details” — shows up in how the dining room moves.

Servers clock a returning guest and ask, “Patio again?” Food arrives hot, tight, and intact — no leaning towers of toppings, no flabby fries. Operations Manager Daron Close put it this way: “Our service is attentive, warm and friendly, and we treat our guests and staff like family. Janel and our kitchen crew are extremely consistent.”

That consistency and pride in craft extends to ownership as well. As Carpenter emphasized, “I have to promote our chef, Janel, who creates our menu and puts things together just perfectly. We are female-owned, and we are proud of that. She does a fantastic job with our menu, and appetizers are amazing.” In the end, the best neighborhood spots know that dependable comfort rarely goes out of style.

The “Best of” recognition across categories hints at depth, not just a single signature item. Sure, the “Best Appetizer” finalist nod ties naturally to the curds, but it also encourages guests to order shareable plates and stay a little longer. “Best Soup” shows the attention to the quieter corners of the menu — seasonal rotations or a scratch base, perhaps. And the “Best Outdoor Dining” finalist tells you people are coming for more than a bite; they’re here for a feel. On warm evenings, the patio looks like a neighborhood porch: a steady hum of conversation with the lake breeze rolling in.

Seasonality shapes the rhythm at Cabin 61 as much as the menu itself.

“We like to switch up the menu with the seasons,” Carpenter explained, pointing to summer favorites giving way to hearty fall and winter soups made from scratch with brisket, chicken and other rich ingredients. Beyond the kitchen, the vibe shifts too — live acoustic music in the backyard during warm months turns into gatherings around football in the fall. “You just love to be a part of the cabin — if it’s summer, you’re on the deck right by a lake; and if it’s winter, you’re inside getting that Minnesota cabin atmosphere.”

Cabin 61 hasn’t been around for decades like some local staples, yet it’s built loyalty fast. The strategy is not a secret — deliver on the obvious, then over-deliver on the small. Basically, offer a menu that families and friend groups can navigate without a debate club. Keep a pace that feels efficient but never rushed. And when the room gets loud because a Vikings game is tight, let it get loud; people remember the energy as much as the entrée.

“We are called Cabin 61 because we want to give you that cabin feel, the fun rustic atmosphere, right in town, where families get to experience a

unique food selection that you don’t get everywhere,” Carpenter said. Word-ofmouth still matters in a town where a neighbor’s recommendation beats any ad buy, and the restaurant benefits when first-timers leave thinking, “That’s exactly what I wanted.”

Shivam Vashishtha is a contributing writer for Press Publications. He can be reached at news@presspubs.com or 651-407-1200.

Man convicted of sex trafficking 2 victims in Mahtomedi

A Washington County jury has found a Minneapolis man guilty on multiple felony charges related to the sex trafficking and sexual assaults of a 14-year-old girl and a 20-year-old woman.

Billy Ray Wiley, 52, was convicted of two counts of sex trafficking, one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct following a multiagency investigation led by the East Metro Human Trafficking Task Force (EMHTTF). The jury also found aggravating factors that support a sentence above the standard guidelines.

Wiley looked for women and girls in the Twin Cities area, often approaching them near grocery stores or on the street in Minneapolis and St. Paul. He would offer them rides, drugs or money and then drive them to a man’s apartment at Piccadilly Apartments in Mahtomedi.

During the trial, witnesses testified that on June 30, 2025, a 14-year-old girl was seen outside the apartment complex displaying signs of extreme drug intoxication and emotional distress. She was behaving erratically and appeared unable to control her movements. A concerned resident called 911, prompting a response from Washington County Sheriff’s deputies, who then notified EMHTTF.

The girl was brought to St. John’s Hospital, where EMHTTF members—Washington County Sergeant Danelle Erickson and Cottage Grove Detective Jeff Rydeen—interviewed her in the emergency room. She disclosed to them that Wiley had given her crack cocaine and brought her to an apartment where she was sexually and physically assaulted by both Wiley and the other man. Surveillance footage confirmed she was at the apartment with Wiley. A second victim, a 20-year-old woman, reported that Wiley picked her up in Minneapolis on June 28, 2025, and brought her to an apartment, where he physically and sexually assaulted her. He recorded the assault on his phone, and investigators later

recovered the video, ultimately identifying the location as the same Mahtomedi apartment used in the other trafficking incident.

“This case is a horrifying example of a predator preying on the most vulnerable members of our community,” said County Attorney Kevin M. Magnuson. “I truly admire the courage of the two young victims who not only survived these horrific assaults, but also bravely testified at trial — despite being forced to relive their trauma when the defendant, representing himself, cross-examined them in open court.”

“We are extremely fortunate to have the East Metro Human Trafficking Task Force in our community,” Magnuson said. “Their skill, compassion and quick action not only helped bring Wiley to justice but also helped build the trust necessary for these victims to identify additional

victims and then testify so bravely.” Wiley remains in custody at the Washington County Jail, where he is being held without bail pending sentencing. The sentencing hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 7. Michael Lewis, 69, of Mahtomedi, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct. His sentencing hearing is also set for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 7.

Washington County Attorney’s Office

PHOTOS BY DARON CLOSE | CONTRIBUTED

Cabin 61 was voted “the best” in three categories Best Cheese Curds, Best Lunch and Best Hamburger.

Deck the halls with jazz: Local musician’s new album brings fresh holiday vibes

Hugo native Anthony Hotakainen is celebrating the holiday season with the release of his second album, “Singing into Christmas.” He is a graduate of Lakes International Language Academy in Forest Lake and now studies music production at Elon University in North Carolina. Hotakainen has turned his lifelong love of Christmas music and jazz into a joyful collection of original songs and reimagined classics. He began his musical journey in local choirs and community theater productions before discovering a passion for recording and producing. We caught up with Hotakainen to talk about his path to the recording studio, the inspiration behind his new album and what the holidays mean to him.

Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

A. I am a music production student at Elon University in North Carolina. My permanent residence is in Hugo, where I attended Oneka Elementary. During middle school, I performed in several musicals at Children’s Performing Arts in White Bear Lake, where I met quite a few students from Lakes International Language Academy. I decided to go there for high school with all of my new friends. Throughout high school, I developed my passion for music by participating in band and choir, graduating with the John Phillip Sousa Award. Following high school, I received a college scholarship from Sony Music as a part of the Sony Music Group Global Scholars Program. Aside from music, I am an avid bowler and used to bowl with the

White Bear Lake High School team and am still in leagues today.

Q. How did you first get into music?

A. My family signed me up for the church choir at Advent Lutheran Church in Maple Grove when I was in preschool. I then went on to sing at St. Andrews in Mahtomedi throughout high school. During my time at Children’s Performing Arts participating in musical productions, I experimented with recording “cast albums” of our shows and found that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I then went on to record the official soundtrack album for “Jelly Beans the Cheetah and Hope,” a show based on the book by SissyMarySue. I continued my exploration throughout the COVID-19 lockdown by creating my first holiday album titled, “It’s Christmas!”

Q. Tell us a bit about the inspiration behind your new album “Singing into Christmas.” Is this your first album?

A. “Singing into Christmas” is my second solo album. It follows my first holiday record, “It’s Christmas!” (2020). I have always loved Christmas music, and more specifically, jazz. Since starting college, I have added a minor in jazz studies; now a senior, I decided to take this as an opportunity to use my new skills and collaborate with new friends and talented musicians. This album serves as an exploration into arranging, recording and performing in the jazz and pop styles, paired with my favorite genre: Christmas!

Q. What can listeners expect from the album — original songs, reimagined classics, or a mix of both?

A. This is an exciting album! Eight of the tracks are all-new and original. Three of the songs are covers of tunes by White Bear Lake Jazz singer Jennifer Grimm. Two more are special cases, one written by a good friend of mine, Kai Mitchell (KVI) and the other was written in the midst of World War II by Dr. James Venner Cobb Jr. Finally, there are two of my favorite traditional tunes on the album as well, resulting in 14 total songs!

Q. The holidays mean different things to different people. What message or feeling do you hope “Singing into Christmas” brings to listeners this season?

A. To me, the holiday season is about getting together with family and friends. It’s a time to connect

Q. Where can people find the album, and how can they stay updated on your live shows and vinyl release?

A. The album was released Nov. 7 online on all major streaming platforms and is available on vinyl and CD as well. Feel free to message me on social media if you are interested in a physical copy! All of the information about my shows will be posted on my Instagram and FaceBook. You can find me at anthony_hotakainen_music. You can also search https://linktr.ee/Alhota to find direct links to my music.

Q. Any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? I would just like to thank everyone who was a part of this project. So many people had a hand in this, and I could not have done it without them. Thank you so much to everyone who listens, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

Compiled by Shannon Granholm

Soccer: Zephyrs have 3 allconference

Mahtomedi boys soccer had three all-conference picks in seniors Finn Hemenway and Kaden Gagnelius and sophomore Parker Maas. Hemenway, the goalie, had a 1.66 goalsagainst-average and .815 save percentage.

Gagnelius, with 10 goals and four assists, and Maas, with nine goals and three assists, were the top two scorers. The Zephyrs were 9-7-1 overall and 4-3-1 in the Metro East.

Sponsoredby

Frank Watson

FINANCIAL PLANNING

Tips to protect your personal financial information

Identity theft is a very real threat in the digital age. While it once was complicated for criminals to collect personal data, such as identification numbers, emails, phone numbers, and more, the connectivity the internet offers can sometimes make stealing information as easy as clicking a button.

In 2024, the Federal Trade Commission fielded more than 1.1 million reports of identity theft. Credit card fraud was the most common crime. Also, 2024 saw the largest data breaches in history, impacting billions of users and subjecting customers to the potential of having personal data exposed and ultimately exploited.

Although there is no foolproof way to keep personal and financial data safe, people can take several steps to safeguard their information.

· Use strong, unique passwords. Have several different and complex passwords for each online account to prevent a compromised password from providing access to all of the accounts. People can use a password manager to help create and store these unique passwords. The U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency says that strong passwords should be at least 16 characters; feature a random string of mixed-case letters, numbers and symbols; or comprised of a memorable

phrase of four to seven unrelated words, known as a passphrase.

· Use two-factor authentication. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all accounts to add an extra layer of security. This second form of verification often comes by the way of a texted or emailed code that must be entered to log into an account.

· Consider extra security for your credit report. Individuals can contact the three major credit bureaus and

bolster their credit-related security. A fraud alert tells businesses to check with the person before opening a new account to verify if it is really him or her. An initial fraud alert or active duty fraud alert expires in a year, while an extended fraud alert lasts seven years, but requires an FTC identity theft report. A credit freeze is a greater measure of security that keeps others from getting into the credit report at all (with a fraud alert the credit report can still be accessed). That means no one can open a new credit account while

the freeze is in place. It must be lifted each time a person wants to open a new account.

· Protect your identification numbers. Individuals should not carry a Social Security card in a wallet or give out their Social Security Number (Social Insurance Number in Canada) unnecessarily.

· Exercise caution on the phone and when answering emails. Scammers can mislead others by using seemingly legitimate phone numbers or email addresses to solicit information. Always verify the validity of requests before sharing personal information.

· Regularly check accounts. People should double-check all financial accounts periodically for suspicious transactions. Each year individuals are able to request and check a free credit report from Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.

· Use a secured internet connection. To reduce the risk of data being stolen, only review financial information when utilizing a secured (password locked) internet network.

Taking strides to protect personal data is important to safeguard one’s financial security. 846166

Letters toSanta

Please send a copy of your letter to:

The Real Dogs of White Bear Lake

BY RICKA MCNAUGHTON SPECIAL TO THE WHITE BEAR PRESS

A recurring column featuring glimpses into the lives, loves, and everyday dramas of random dogs I meet on walks around the White Bear Lake region.

There are steps you take, stages you go through, things you gradually try, in order to move through the loss of a loved one. When Dale Anderson’s wife passed away 11 years ago, he found it helpful to take long walks with the dog. She’d been his wife’s dog, too. As that dog aged and then passed away, Dale walked on alone. Sometimes 25 miles or more a day, in all. He’d been a runner, once, and could easily have competed in marathons. But never did. What he needed now was another dog to fill yet another hole in his life. He found one through a dog rehoming organization. The dog’s name was Oakley. He was little more than a puppy. Dale felt right away, no question, that this was the dog he wanted. No telling where a feeling like that comes from. It has to mean something, right? But when the two were first introduced, Oakley wasn’t having it, and he ran off in the opposite direction. Dang.

For a different person, that could have soured everything. But with a few minutes to get better acquainted, Oakley settled himself in Dale’s lap. And his look said: Alright, big guy, let’s seal this deal and get out of here. It turned out that taking very long walks is among Oakley’s favorite things to do, and to make his point, he’s not above toting his leash over to Dale to get him going.

According to Dale’s fitness apps, his total steps in the seven-year period ending in 2023 could have taken him around the circumference of the earth. Oakley was part of that. Dale is now 82-years-old. The day before I met up with this pair, they had walked an aggregate of 8 miles together.

Oakley is a mix of Shitzu, Yorkshire Terrier and Silky Terrier. He quickly figured out the lay of his new life. Never once had an “accident.” Had no exceptional demands or inconvenient habits. Oakley much enjoys his lap

time with Dale, and also, on occasion, his “alone time,” when he’ll go lie down in another room and have deep dog thoughts, or alertly monitor the comings and goings of any critters outdoors. This he can do inside by scent alone.

More than one person has suggested that Oakley has a certain “movie character” vibe. There’s a bit of the original “Benji,” from the 1974 Disney movie, for those who remember. Also essence of Ewok, from the “Star Wars” franchise. But Dale and Oakley have written their own script. It has not involved dramatic acts of scruffy derring-do, or comically plucky fights with invading Star Troopers. Their script has been about the art of the long game — and navigating life’s inevitable shake-ups. But also, it would make a pretty good love story.

Ricka McNaughton (rickamcnaughton.com) is a writer living in White Bear Lake, MN.

Support Journalism with the new 2025 White Bear Lake keepsake ornament. All proceeds will be donated to local school journalism programs.

to pick up at

RICKA MCNAUGHTON | PRESS PUBLICATIONS Dale Anderson with Oakley.

THANKSGIVING: White Bear Lake Area students share their favorite foods

CAREERS: Unique partnership highlights opportunitites in skilled trade

The 916 Career and Tech Center is a part of an intermediate school district, Northeast Metro 916, that serves nearly 5,000 students through programming that includes career and technical education, special education services, area learning centers and care and treatment. Member districts include White Bear Lake, Mahtomedi, Stillwater, Forest Lake, Mounds View and Centennial.

Burton, a graduate of the program himself, has worked at 916 for six years. The Blaine resident attended trade school and went into the auto body industry for about five years before going back to school to get a marketing degree. He worked in that industry until the economy crashed in 2008. “I started teaching, just thinking I’d do it for a couple months … and I wound up here,” he explained. He eventually went back to grad school for a degree in education and took over the program from his former instructor after he retired. He recently discovered WrenchWay, an online community dedicated to promoting and improving careers in the automotive and diesel industry. WrenchWay recently joined forces with the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), the ASE Education Foundation to promote “School Assist,” which connects vehicle service employers and schools in finding classroom resources and creating the workforce pipeline of the future of the industry.

Jessica Weaver, who is just about to start her fourth year of teaching auto

body collision technology at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC), has used the platform to find internship sites for students and guest speakers for her classroom. She says she hopped on WrenchWay to see if one of her requests had been filled and stumbled upon Burton’s request for a female perspective in the industry. “I thought ‘I can do that’,” Weaver said. Burton says he wanted to provide another perspective because he is seeing more female students interested in the industry. “Every year, it seems like I get another one on top of what I had the year prior,” he said. “They have really taken a liking to auto body and welding ... They are really able to hone in on the fine details of auto body, painting and welding. Some of my best welders have been females.”

There are currently 66 students enrolled in the program Burton oversees. Of those, five of them are female. “Five years ago, I had zero females,” Burton recalled.

Weaver went to DCTC in 2006 and graduated from the auto body program in 2008. She spent several years in the industry. A couple of years before her former instructor was set to retire, he convinced her to substitute for his class with the hopes that she would like it enough to be his replacement.

“This has been something I've worked for for 15 years. Now that I’m here, I love it,” she said.

About twice a year, Weaver travels beyond the walls of DCTC to a recruiting event in hopes of showing a different perspective. She enjoys seeing students not only experience those “light bulb”

moments but also instills in them that it is okay to make mistakes.

“It's fun for me to find something that has nothing to do with auto body and relate it back and they go, ‘Oh, I get it’ because they have already been through that,” Weaver explained. “I love telling all my students, ‘I expect you to make mistakes. No mistake that you make will get you into huge trouble unless it's dangerous,’ but we learn more from our mistakes than we do from getting it right the first time.”

For more information about the 916 Career and Tech Center, visit https:// careertech.916schools.org/o/careertech. Managing Editor Shannon Granholm can be reached at 651-407-1227 or whitebearnews@presspubs.com.

Jessia Weaver, an instructor at Dakota County Techincal College, recently visited the 916 Career and Tech Center at Century College.

PHOTOS BY SHANNON GRANHOLM | PRESS PUBLICATIONS 916 Career and Tech Center students learn about what goes into autobody work.

Minnco Credit Union hosts Angel Tree

Minnco Credit Union, located at 3625 Talmage Circle, Suite 102 in Vadnais Heights, is trying to make the holidays merrier for those in need. Visit the virtual Angel Tree or in-branch Angel Tree, select an individual or family from the list, then purchase and wrap presents for them. Gifts must be returned to a Minnco location by Saturday, Dec. 13. Visit minnco.com or email angeltree@ minnco.com for more information.

Sip & Shop event set for Dec. 4 in Vadnais Heights

The Joy Erickson Real Estate Team will host a Client Appreciation & Community Sip & Shop event from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at Vadnais Commons, 655 East County Road F. The free, community-focused gathering invites guests to browse local vendors and enjoy an afternoon of holiday shopping and refreshments. The event is open to the public.

City and Lions Club to host annual Toy and Food Drive

The city and the Lions Club Foundation will host its annual Toy and Food Drive from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Vadnais Heights Commons. The event will benefit low-income residents by providing nonperishable food, toys or age-appropriate items for older children.

Residents can drop off donations at City Hall on weekdays through Monday, Dec. 15. Barrel collections will also be available at Frandsen Bank

and Trust, F&M Bank, Minnco Credit Union and Old Clover Inn during regular business hours. If donating by check, residents should make it payable to the Vadnais Heights Lions Club Foundation and mail it to V.H. Lions Food/Toy Drive, 800 East County Road E, or drop it off at City Hall. Those interested in donating online can do so at givemn.org/organization/ vadnaisheights-lions-club-foundation. Those with questions can contact Tim McGladdery at 651-280-0747. The Vadnais Heights Commons is located at 655 East County Road F.

PUBLIC NOTICES • PUBLIC NOTICES • PUBLIC NOTICES

RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA

OFFICE OF THE COUNTY MANAGER

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MINUTES

NOVEMBER 4, 2025

The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners met in regular session at 9:02 a.m. with the following members present: Jebens-Singh, McGuire, McMurtrey, Miller, Moran, Xiong, and Chair Ortega. Commissioner Moran was excused. Also present were Ling Becker, County Manager, and Jada Lewis, Civil Division Director, Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.

AGENDA of November 4, 2025 was presented for approval. Motion by Miller, seconded by Xiong. Unanimously approved.

MINUTES of October 21, 2025 were presented for approval. Motion by McGuire, seconded by Miller. Unanimously approved.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Read by Commissioner Moran.

PROCLAMATION

Policy & Planning – Proclamation: Native American Heritage Month. Presented by Commissioner Miller. Discussion can be found on archived video.

ORDINANCE PROCEDURE

Finance – 2026 Capital Improvement Program Bond Ordinance – Waive Second Reading and Hold Public Hearing. Motion by Ortega, seconded by McGuire. Unanimously approved. (B2025-199)

ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS

Board of Commissioners – Appointment to the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District. Motion by Moran, seconded by McGuire. Unanimously approved. (B2025-200)

Board of Commissioners – Appointments to the Valley Branch Watershed District Board of Managers. Motion by Moran, seconded by McGuire. Unanimously approved. (B2025-201)

Board of Commissioners – Appointment to the Ramsey County Extension Committee. Motion by Moran, seconded by McGuire. Unanimously approved. (B2025-202)

Communications & Public Relations, Property Management – Rename Metro Square to Ramsey County Government Center. Motion by Moran, seconded by McGuire. Unanimously approved. (B2025-203)

Board of Commissioners – Appointment to the Rice Creek Watershed District. Motion by Jebens-Singh, seconded by Xiong. Unanimously approved. (B2025-204)

Sheriff’s Office – 2026 Salary Rate for the Ramsey County Sheriff. Motion by Xiong, seconded by McMurtrey. Unanimously approved. (B2025-205) INFORMATION County Manager’s Office – Food and Infant Nutrition Support in Response to the Federal Shutdown. For information and discussion only. Presented by County Manager Ling Becker. Discussion can be found on archived video.

COUNTY CONNECTIONS

Presented by County Manager, Ling Becker. Discussion can be found on archived video.

OUTSIDE BOARD AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

Discussion can be found on archived video.

BOARD CHAIR UPDATE

Presented by Chair Ortega. Discussion can be found on archived video.

ADJOURNMENT

Chair Ortega declared the meeting adjourned at 10:28 a.m. Published one time in the Vadnais Heights Press on November 26, 2025.

RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA OFFICE OF THE COUNTY MANAGER

ORDINANCE:

RAMSEY COUNTY 2026 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BOND

On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners adopted the following Ordinance (B2025-216). Motion by Xiong, second by Jebens-Singh; Ayes – 6; Nays – 0 OFFICIAL SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BONDS IN AN AGGREGATE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $31,500,000

This ordinance authorizes the issuance of bonds, notes, or other obligations, in one or more series in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $31,500,000 for capital improvement needs. ORDINANCE NO. B2025-216

AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BONDS IN AN AGGREGATE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $31,500,000

A. WHEREAS, since 1989, Ramsey County, Minnesota (the “County”), has issued bonds to finance capital improvements identified in a capital improvement plan developed with citizen participation; and

B. WHEREAS, the Home Rule Charter of the County (the “Home Rule Charter”) is a desirable source of authority for the issuance of such bonds; and

C. WHEREAS, the County’s proposed capital improvement budget for 2026 contemplates undertaking capital improvements financed in part by bonds, notes or other obligations, in one or more series, in an estimated aggregate amount of $31,500,000; and NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF RAMSEY DOES ORDAIN as follows:

1. Authorization of Bonds - The bonding and borrowing of money by the issuance of general obligation bonds, notes or other obligations, in one or more series from time to time as needed, in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $31,500,000 plus the amount of any premium paid with respect thereto (the “Bonds”) is hereby authorized to finance (1) the costs of improvements set forth in the 2026 capital improvement budget of the County, as approved and amended; (2) the costs of any other improvements set forth in the County’s capital improvement budgets of any year and any other capital expenditures authorized by the County, to the extent proceeds of the Bonds are not expended on improvements set forth in the 2026 capital improvement budget, as approved and amended. The amount authorized under this Ordinance is in addition to amounts previously authorized under prior ordinances of the County.

2. Bonding Procedure and Terms - The Bonds shall be scheduled for sale and awarded for sale by resolutions. The specific amount, maturities, interest rates and other terms and conditions of the Bonds and covenants with respect to the Bonds shall be set or made by resolution.

3. Taxes - The Bonds shall be general obligations to which the full faith

and credit and taxing powers of the County are pledged. The Bonds may also be paid from interest earnings on the debt service account, and from any other moneys appropriated by the County Board. The taxes levied for the payment of the Bonds shall not limit or reduce the ability of the County to levy taxes for the payment of the costs of other capital improvements or obligations issued to finance the payment of such costs.

4. Authorization of Refunding Bonds - The bonding or borrowing of money by the issuance of bonds or other obligations to refund the Bonds is hereby authorized on the same basis as set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 of Ordinance No. 93-292, authorizing the refunding of bonds issued prior to November 6, 1992.Further proceedings to schedule such refunding bonds for sale, to set the terms and conditions thereof, to make covenants with respect thereto and to award the sale thereof may be, and are hereby authorized to be, done or taken by resolution.

5. Referendum Upon Petition - This ordinance is subject to the ordinance procedure of the County’s Home Rule Charter, including the holding of a referendum if a sufficient petition is filed within forty-five (45) days after its publication. Among other conditions to be met, a sufficient petition must be signed by registered voters of the County equal in number to ten percent (10%) of those who voted in the County for the office of President of the United States in the last general election. Published one time in the Vadnais Heights Press on November 26, 2025.

RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA PUBLIC NOTICE

SOLICITATION OPPORTUNITIES

Ramsey County releases solicitation opportunities on DemandStar as an alternative method of public notice pursuant to Section 331A.03 of the Minnesota Statutes. Individuals may go to the “How to Contract with Ramsey County” section of the “Doing Business with Ramsey County” webpage at ramseycounty.us/ContractWithRamsey to access registration information. If you are new to DemandStar, please follow the DemandStar registration instructions on the “How to Contract with Ramsey County” webpage. Access to all Ramsey County documents is free if the instructions that are posted are followed. You may call 651-266-8072 or email ProcurementTeam@ ramseycounty.us if you need assistance.

Ramsey County is accepting only electronic Request for Bids (RFBs) responses submitted through DemandStar. Public openings are conducted digitally, as a video conference. See the link above for details. To view current solicitations, please go to: https://bit.ly/3W8XWan

Published one time in the Vadnais Heights Press on November 26, 2025.

STATE OF MINNESOTA, COUNTY OF RAMSEY DISTRICT COURT, SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FILE NO. 62-PR-25-810 CASE TYPE: INFORMAL PROBATE NOTICE OF INFORMAL APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE (WITHOUT A WILL)

Estate of Ronald Thomas Swenson, Decedent TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

Notice is hereby given that an Amended Application filed on October 20, 2025 for informal appointment of personal representative has been filed with the Court. No will has been presented for probate. The Amended Application has been granted.

Notice is also given that the Probate Registrar has informally appointed the following: Angela Christine Swenson, 1004 South Oak Street, Lake City, MN 55401, as Personal Representative of the Estate of the Decedent. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as Personal Representative or may object to the appointment of the Personal Representative. Unless objections are filed pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 524.3607, and the court otherwise orders, the Personal Representative has full power to administer the Estate, including, after 30 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate.

Laura J. Stevens, Probate Registrar

Michael F. Upton, Court Administrator

Date: October 23, 2025

Attorney for Personal Representative

WILLIAM L BODENSTEINER

Attorney License No.: 149093

202 West Oakland Avenue

Austin MN 55912

Telephone: 507-437-7686

E-Mail: william@bodensteinerlaw.com

Published two times in the Vadnais Heights Press on November 19 and 26, 2025.

STATE OF MINNESOTA, COUNTY OF RAMSEY DISTRICT COURT, SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT PROBATE COURT DIVISION

COURT FILE NO. 62-PR-25-962

NOTICE OF REMOTE HEARING ON PETITION FOR FORMAL PROBATE OF WILL, APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Joseph R. Becker, a/k/a Joseph Richard Becker, Decedent

NOTICE is given that on Wednesday, December 31, 2025 from 3:15 p.m until 3:30 p.m. a hearing using remote technology will be held by this Court for the formal probate of aninstrument purporting to be the Decedent’s last will dated November 13, 2023 (“Will”), and forthe appointment of Theresa Kilgore, whose address is 13840 Geneva Avenue North, Hugo,Minnesota, 55038, as personal representative of the Estate of the Decedent in an unsupervised administration. Information on how to participate in the remote hearing can be obtained by calling the Court at 651-266-8145.

Any objections to the Petition or Will must be filed with the Court prior to or raised at the hearing. If proper and if no objections are filed or raised, the personal representative will be appointed with full power to administer the estate including the power to collect all assets, to pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, to sell real estate and personal property, and to do all

necessary acts for the estate. If objections are filed, another hearing may be scheduled.

Any charitable beneficiary may request notice of the probate proceeding be given to the attorney general pursuant to Minnesota Statute Section 501B.41, Subdivision 5. NOTICE SHALL BE GIVEN by publishing this Notice as provided by law and by mailing a copy of this Notice at least 14 days prior to the hearing date to all interested persons and persons who

Date: November 7, 2025

Michael Upton, Court Administrator BY: Benjamin Linker, Deputy Court Administrator

Attorney for Petitioner

John P. Ahlgren Ahlgren Law Office, LLC

One North Lake Street Mora, MN 5505

Attorney License No: l2039X Telephone: (320) 679-1754 FAX: (320) 679-1378

Email: john@ahlgrenlawoffice.com

Published two times in the Vadnais Heights Press on November 19 and 26, 2025.

STATE OF MINNESOTA, COUNTY OF RAMSEY DISTRICT COURT, SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FILE NO. 62-PR-25-906

CASE TYPE: INFORMAL PROBATE NOTICE OF INFORMAL APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS (WITHOUT A WILL)

In re the Estate of John Edgar Byrd, a/k/a John E.Byrd, Decedent TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS:

Notice is hereby given that an Amended Application filed on October 31, 2025 for informal appointment of personal representative has been filed with the Court. No will has been presented for probate. The Amended Application has been granted. Notice is also given that the Probate Registrar has informally appointed the following: Melissa Jean Byrd, 2893 Knox Avenue South, Apt. 417, Minneapolis, MN 55408, as Personal Representative of the Estate of the Decedent. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as Personal Representative or may object to the appointment of the Personal Representative. Unless objections are filed pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 524.3607, and the court otherwise orders, the Personal Representative has full power to administer the Estate, including, after 30 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate. Notice is also given that, subject to Minn. Stat. § 524.3-801, all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the Personal Representative or to the Court Administrator within four (4) months after the date of this Notice, or the claims will be barred.

Laura J. Stevens, Probate Registrar

Michael F. Upton, Court Administrator

Date: November 13, 2025.

Published two times in the Vadnais Heights Press on November 26 and December 3, 2025.

STATE OF MINNESOTA, COUNTY OF RAMSEY DISTRICT COURT, SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FILE NO. 62-PR-25-900

CASE TYPE: INFORMAL PROBATE

NOTICE OF INFORMAL PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In re the Estate of Shirley Marie Smith, a/k/a Shirley M. Smith and Shirley Smith, Decedent TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS:

Notice is hereby given that an Amended Application filed on November 17, 2025 at 2:38 p.m. for informal probate of the above-named Decedent’s Last Will dated May 10, 2019 (“Will”) has been filed with the Court, and the Amended Application has been granted.

Notice is also given that the Probate Registrar has informally appointed the following: Anita Mills, 2216 6th Street East, Saint Paul, MN 55119 as personal representative of the Estate of the Decedent. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as personal representative or may object to the appointment of the personal representative. Unless objections are filed pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 524.3-607, and the court otherwise orders, the personal representative has full power to administer the Estate, including, after 30 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate.

Any objections to the probate of the Will, or to the appointment of the personal representative, must be filed with this court, and will be heard by the court after the filing of an appropriate petition and proper notice of hearing. Notice is also given that, subject to Minn. Stat. § 524.3-801, all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the personal representative or to the Court Administrator within four (4) months after the date of this Notice, or the claims will be barred.

Laura J. Stevens, Probate Registrar

Michael F. Upton, Court Administrator

Date: November 17, 2025

Attorney for Personal Representative

KATIE CHRISTINA HANSON

Attorney License No.: 386738

Bloomgren Hanson Legal PLLC

903 Mainstreet, Suite A, Hopkins MN 55343

Telephone: 952-406-8221

E-Mail: katie@bloomgrenhanson.com

Published two times in the Vadnais Heights Press on November 26 and December 3, 2025.

1. Sara

2. This year’s Main Street ornaments are flying off the shelves! Several businesses are still selling them including: Press Publications, Oldies & Goodies, Affinity for Quilts, White Bear Lake Historical Society, White Bear Lake Legion, Goodthings Gift, The Women Collective , Hazel & Goose and Salon 4862. Shannon Granholm, Press Publications

3. Just before school buses arrived, these deer were enjoying the new garden at Lincoln Elementary. They ventured through the playground, too, before moving on for the day. — Laurel Smith, contributed

Here

Thank

Roelofs

Markoe Hanson, Allison Lincoln, Judi Fluger, Nicole Verdugo and Dan Jones, of the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, deliver a Christmas tree to the Fillebrown House for the holiday season. Carter Johnson, contributed

SPORTS PREVIEWS

BEARS // WHITE BEAR LAKE BOYS BASKETBALL

White Bear Lake’s best player returns from a 14-12 team. The Bears are building around Colin Piper, 6-foot-8 senior who averaged 15.2 points and 9.8 rebounds.

“Colin’s presence in the paint, his competitiveness, and his commitment to doing things the right way set the standard for everyone in the gym,” coach Aaron Turner said. “Joining Colin is a bounce of new guys, a fresh group bringing energy, length, and hunger to compete at a high level.”

The coaching staff is focused on building connection, trust and selfless play as “the heartbeat” of this year’s group, he said.

BEARS // WHITE BEAR LAKE GIRLS BASKETBALL

Returning starters from last year’s 20-11, state tournament team are senior guard Chloe Theissen (9.8 points per game) and senior forward Maddy Thompson (3.9).

“We have six seniors who will be the core of our team,” said coach Jeremy Post, also referring to guard Marin Peterson, forward Sophie Menier, forward Chloe Tocko and center Freya Sanders. Tocko is recovering from a torn ACL and they hope to have her back by January.

“Maddy and Chloe (Theissen) are the two kids that contributed the most last year and will have a bigger role this year,” Post said. “Sophie and Marin also got significant minutes and will be counted on in a much bigger way this year.”

After that, several young players will be counted upon to complement the senior group.

“There is a lot to figure out this year,” Post assessed. “It is a great group of kids who work together very well and want to over achieve together. Where that takes us, I guess we will find out.”

BEARS // WHITE BEAR LAKE SWIMMING & DIVING

White Bear Lake senior captains are Luke Hilgers and Finnian McVeigh, who will bring “strong leadership to the team,” said coach Jake Mueller. Another key swimmer is senior Benedict Hoefer, who has finished in the top eight twice at sectionals.

Other returning on varsity are junior Lincoln Medin and diver Miles Cork; sophomores Dylan Allshouse, Ridley Dittler, Vicente Ordas Bonnet, and Alex Sells; freshman Gideon Aune and Joe Bibeau; and eighth-graders Joseph Schwartz, Oskar Swenson, and Sam Tarau.

“This group of swimmers and divers give the team a strong foundation,” Mueller said, “and we hope to add more athletes to give the team some depth, something we really haven’t had in the past.”

BEARS // WHITE BEAR LAKE BOYS HOCKEY

Most of White Bear Lake’s squad returns from a Bears team that was 16-8-3 overall and 12-3-1 in the conference for third place.

Leading veterans are sophomore forward Nash Roed (11 goals, 14 assists) and senior defenseman Tanner Olsen (16 assists).

Riley Helmberger is back for his senior season at goalie along with junior defensemen Zac Baay, Rian Marquardt and Gavin Veneruzzo. Returning at forwards are seniors Tyler Lalonde and Magnus Benz and juniors Liam Maloy, Hunter Doroff, Lucas Larsen and Logan Docken.

Sophomores Max Butters, Lucas Austin, Lukas Mork and Gavin Wippler are ready to step in and contribute, coach Chris Anderson said.

“I really like our depth and size up front. Doroff, Benz, Larsen and Docken should all have a breakout year and really help score goals,” Anderson assessed. “Our D-Corp will be very solid once again with four of the six back. Our goal is to play Friday night at the state tournament.”

BEARS

Leading veterans from last year’s 7-171 team are senior forward Madelyn Lee (14 goals, 16 assists) and junior goalie Macie Marston (.876 save percentage).

Coaches are Jeanette Bealke and Claudia Verkerke.

Others back who played every game are seniors Carlie Griffin, Ashley Peltier, Ava Maas, Olivia Simpkins, Grace Laszlo, Lauren Elias, Kayla Helmberger and Kylee Lehman; juniors Paige Downey (five goals, five

and Kendall

and freshman

Also seeing action this year are Sydney

White Bear Lake Alpine is looking forward to another exciting season, said coach Frederick Feirn. The Bears have three past state qualifiers: Cooper Feirn and Josie Guidinger went to state last year and Angus Levins the year before. They are senior captains. Leyla Tice, a junior, is also a captain.

“We have a solid group of young racers returning from last season. They were very competitive on our sectional and invitational teams,” coach Feirn said.

Other girls in the lineup will be freshmen Skyler Kasten, Ava Clausen, and Kinley Cox, and eighth-graders Hazel Yung and Abby Zarambo. Other boys in the lineup are juniors Trevor Klier, Dino Gonzalez-Hoffan, and Drew Dewitt and sophomore Logan Steinbrink.

The team has a long history of foreign students on the team, Feirn noted, and this year they have athletes from Spain, Belgium, France and The Netherlands.

Coach Doug Cran reports the kids have decided to buckle down. “Many of the skiers spent a portion of their summer engaged in Nordic specific training along with training for their fall sports. I am encouraged in what I am seeing after the first week of practice.”

The primary goal for both teams is to move up to midconference and mid-section - or better.

The girls key members are senior captains Lydia Moore, Irene Bakke, and Grace Reeves and sophomore Brigid McVeigh, said Cran. He expects strong performances from seniors Kiera Keene, Izzy Treft, and Jessica Thompson, junior Addie Roberts, sophomore Mariam Zewdie and eighth-grader Anna Rogers “due to the work they put in.”

The boys lineup is led by senior captain Joe Rogers and junior captains Cason Juergens and James Bowen. Cran expects strong showings from seniors Carter Long, Dylan McMormick, and Joe Karls; sophomores Ben Rogers, Lachlan Ellison, Seth Vlieger, and Ben Miller; and freshmen Parker Wolfe and Sam Nowak.

The girls squad also has a bevy of young talent, Cran said, and the boys squad has some good depth. He says he is looking forward so see how those skiers develop their skills.

BEARS // WHITE BEAR LAKE ALPINE SKI

// WHITE BEAR LAKE GIRLS HOCKEY

assists), Lyla Beck,

Roeser;

Olive Holvig.

Beissler, Isabelle Meiers, Elaina Hosfield, Allie Casemore, Claire Downey, and Haylee Anderson.

BEARS // WHITE BEAR LAKE NORDIC SKI

SPORTS PREVIEWS

BEARS // WHITE BEAR LAKE GYMNASTICS

Sarah Crist takes over as head coach after five years assisting Kelly Rivers, who retired.

Her lineup is headed by two all-arounders in their fourth season, junior Taylynne McMahon and sophomore Grace Mueller, both with “a strong set of varsity-level skills on all four events,” the coach assessed. Harlie Peloquin, sophomore, limited to bars last year (ankle injury) has been cleared for all four events.

Vying for spots in the lineup are senior Stella Otto, junior Arianna Minor, back after

two injury-plagued seasons, sophomore Madeline Conroy, sophomore Maddy Erickson, and eighth-grader Brielle Running. Captains are Otto, McMahon and Erickson. Four girls new to the team are sophomore Mira McQuay, freshman Liv Johnson, and eighth-graders Aryanna Hawes and Adrienne Klecker.

“It would be nice to have a few girls qualify for state,” said Crist, “but mostly I just want their hard work to pay off and for them to be proud of themselves and their efforts regardless of he outcome.”

BEARS // WHITE BEAR LAKE WRESTLING

“White Bear Lake wrestling enters the 2024–25 season with confidence, continuity, and a full year’s worth of cultural transformation behind us,” reports second-year coach Jeffrey Isaac.

“Last season marked a turning point for our program — a 98 percent end-of-season approval rating from our athletes, the highest among all WBLAHS athletic programs.”

The Bears, 7-11 record (2-7 in conference) last year, have experienced leadership and an established system of “how we train, prepare and compete,” said the coach. “Both our boys and girls programs are prepared to battle through a demanding schedule, fearless and relentless, all the way to the final Saturday of February.”

Mahtomedi has averaged 19 wins over the last six years and last year’s 20-9 slate was typical. Coach Aneshia Fisher says they’ll aim for another 20win season, even though last year’s top scorer transferred to Hill-Murray.

Junior guards Grace Prose and Berkley Blaisdell averaged 12 and 8.2 points respectively last year. “Both had outstanding AAU seasons, so we look forward to having their growth impact our team,” said Fisher. Another junior, Delaney Dumermuth, is back after a shoulder injury last year.

“We moved up a seventh grader, Mira Nelson, and an eighth-grader, Lucy Peer, who we think will have a positive impact this season.”

Fisher said the Zephyrs expect to contend for conference and section titles.

“What we lack in age and experience, our youth and fearlessness will make up for,” she said. “From there we have a ton of returning sophomores and a really great group of freshmen.”

ZEPHYRS // MAHTOMEDI BOYS BASKETBALL

Powered by a trio who averaged a composite 42 points per game last year, Mahtomedi has a good chance to improve on last year’s solid 18-10 season.

Senior guard Mark Graff scored 19.2 points per game, junior 6-foot-7 forward Willie Roelofs 16.5 ppg, and senior guard Noah Carlson 7.2 ppg.

Mahtomedi/Roseville has a new head coach, Bob Sherry. Top scorers back are senior Taylor Elm (11 points), freshman Megan Packer (11 points) and senior Lauren Eggleston (10 points). Other returning skaters who played in every game are senior Olivia Hartman, junior Evelyn McMahon and freshman Adele Stoehr. The new goalie is junior Aleeya Osoria.

ZEPHYRS // MAHTOMEDI BOYS HOCKEY

Most of the squad is back from last year’s 11-17-2 team that reached state. Team strengths are “experience and work ethic,” said coach Jeff Poeschl. Goals are “to be playing our best hockey in February and March.”

The top two scorers are back: senior Devin O’Donnell (12 goals, 18 assists) and sophomore Brock Gutterman (9-12), along with allconference goalie Jackson Chesak, a senior.

Captains are DeZelar, Fuerst and Cody Loida. Also in the mix are senior Henry Sampair and sophomores Vinny Redpath and Tommy Boe. CONTRIBUTED

Coach Keith Newman has lined up a “very competitive” schedule to build confidence for the playoffs. “We will have strong chemistry and will build on a strong defense that helped us last year.”

Andrew Russell and Myles Flaherty saw action every game last year and have “great potential to help on the inside,” Newman said. Perimeter players coming off good JV seasons are Lawson DeGezelle, Mo Mouachepao, Chase BenningSwanson and Gavin Bifulk, with freshman Joey Wright also in the mix.

// MAHTOMEDI WRESTLING

The

title as a freshman. Also back from last year’s section lineup are Colton Zins, Mac Schultz, Owen Eigen, Henry Johnson, Samuel White and Dawson Dubac.

Coached by Matt Oswald, the Zephyrs were 4-5 in the Metro East last year and won 15 matches overall.

Returning all-conference boys are junior Tristan Moen and freshman India Kane. Another letterman is sophomore heavyweight Jake Simpkins. On the “watch list” are junior Donovin Wolfram and freshman Landyn McChesney. There’s a deep freshman group coming up, Isaac said.

Returning all-conference girls are seniors Jinet Demanou (third place at state), Andrea Smith and Calli Lacktorin, and junior Isabelle Kane.

Brock Gutterman

Other lettermen back are seniors Cody Loida (4-14, all-conference), Brayden Fuerst, Kaden Gagnelius, Blake Loida, Julian Cisek, and Easton DeZelar (0-4); juniors Will Seevers (7-9), Trevor Rogosheske (1-10), Zach Zins (4-5), Henrik Buckley, and Cael Brummel (2-3); and sophomore Ryker Dunbar (2-12).

The team has a solid turnout of 35 kids signed up. The captains are Annika Winke, Isabel Vipond, Rachel Brings, William (Liam) MacChesney, and Abraham Jansen.

Ethan Albrecht is their most accomplished skier. Other returning letter winners are Mason Mahmood, Jessica Aufderhar, Amber Becker, Julia Clayton, Giada Garrity, and Claire Lane.

“We have a community atmosphere; the older skiers are great at helping the younger skiers learn to ski,” reports Lily Engebretson, the coach along with David Bridges.

“We plan to welcome and teach new skills to our younger skiers. We would like to be first or second in our conference races for boys and girls. Ethan Albrecht should place very high in conference, sections, and state.”

A few lettermen return to the Zephyr boys team, coach Lisa Gacek reports, led by junior captain Edwin Henderson. The girls will be led by senior captain Maddie Ruppel. Two other captains are seniors Grace McCarthy and Brianna Hilton. “We have a few middle school athletes joining this year with some race background,” Gacek said. “We are looking forward to their contributions.”

Mahtomedi is always a strong conference and section contender under longtime coach Debbie Driscoll.

They have six returning allconference gymnasts: seniors Addi Eitel and Lucy Otto, and sophomores Adele Schroeder, Cassia Hartman, Lily Bush, and Margo Bruner. Other returning letter winners are senior Keely Bohm, junior Isabelle Carle, and freshman Ava DeZelar. Captains are Bohm, Eitel and Otto.

Driscoll praised her team for their “motivation to increase the difficulty of their routine, setting goals, and striving to improve … They are a talented, fun group to work with.”

ZEPHYRS // MAHTOMEDI GIRLS BASKETBALL

ZEPHYRS // MAHTOMEDI ALPINE SKI

ZEPHYRS // MAHTOMEDI GYMNASTICS

ZEPHYRS // MAHTOMEDI GIRLS HOCKEY

Aidan Carlson, a two-time state entrant, heads the Mahtomedi lineup. Carlson, a senior signed by MN StateMankato, was section champion and placed fourth in the state at 121 pounds last year with a 42-9 record.

Zephyrs have a second state qualifier in sophomore Alex Boex, who won the Section 4AA 172-pound

ZEPHYRS // MAHTOMEDI NORDIC SKI

ZEPHYRS

Berkley Blaisdell

Ethan Albrecht

Lucy Otto

CONTRIBUTED Jinet Demanou

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New shelter offers lifeline for exploited youth

BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR

As of Dec. 1, Corrie’s House will open its doors to up to six youth, ages 12-17, who are at risk of or have experienced sexual exploitation. Corrie’s House is the first Department of Human Services (DHS) licensed shelter and group residential program in the Twin Cities, and likely the only one in the state to offer crisis and longterm care for both genders.

Efforts to establish Corrie's House began in 2017.

“We have been working for almost eight years to get to this point. It's very complex to open a home, especially for minors. There are hundreds of pages of policies and procedures that have to be submitted and approved by the DHS, and for good reason,” explained Executive Director Renée Boehme.

For the past several years, the Corrie’s House staff conducted countless hours of research not only to understand the issue of sex trafficking but to also look at what services exist around the state and what gaps they could help fill.

“What we learned was there’s very little that existed compared to the need. The need is so high for youth who are in this situation,” Boehme explained. “They

BY THE NUMBERS

About 40% Over 50% 13 34,000+ of sex trafficking cases involve minors of exploited adults were first trafficked as children the average age of a child who is trafficked advertisements posted online for sex in the Twin Cities in six months

have complex trauma from it. It really requires specialized care to understand how to meet them where they are and help them back on the road to recovery emotionally, mentally, as well as to address the barriers that they may have been facing that make it really hard to exit.”

According to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, Minneapolis is one of the top locations in the U.S. for child sex trafficking. A six-month study by local prosecutors found more than 34,000 advertisements posted online for sex in the Twin Cities. But sex trafficking is not just a Twin Cities problem. Trafficking affects people from all parts of Minnesota.

“People think it is not happening here … They think it is a city problem,” Boehme said. “But with the internet now, and with phones, there are no boundaries.”

Approximately 10 years ago,

SOURCE: MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE

Boehme says it happened to someone who lived on her street. A young girl was being trafficked while living at home, and her parents had no idea anything was going on until she attempted to take her own life.

“Luckily, she didn't succeed, and then the parents were able to get her help … It took a couple of years for her, but she had two loving parents with resources to help her. Today she has got her college degree, she's married and she's got a little baby and she's thriving,” she recalled. “I was able to see the trauma and the devastation to her family and to her, but I was also able to see the resilience and where her life is now, and how happy she is, and I thought every youth deserves that opportunity of people who care about them and can get them the help they need.”

SEE CORRIE’S HOUSE, PAGE 20

S E R V I C E D

That’s where Corrie’s House comes in. The home, nestled in a residential area of Oakdale, will offer a safe and stable place that is trauma-informed and victim-centered. The wrap-around services include case management, individual and group therapy, chemical dependency counseling, educational programming, physical health care needs, mental health support, life skills learning, job skills development and employment opportunities, as well as survivor services, family reunification counseling and support.

“We are trying to give them a voice for the first time in their lives,” Boehme said. “Our hope is that by the time they leave, they are empowered with the skills to continue forward.”

Program Director Jodi Bond added, “It is really about choice, choice, choice for them… giving back their autonomy and their choices since they have been so controlled,” she said.

Bond was hired in September. She was five months into retirement after working in Ramsey County Corrections for 35 years when she heard about the position.

“I just felt it was a calling. This has always been my heart work,” Bond said. “I feel like my entire career has led me to this point … There is such a demand for places like Corrie’s House to open up to help these youth who have been so traumatized.”

The six-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot home is equipped with a “thrive” room where survivors can meet with social workers or decompress; a living room, kitchen, laundry room, “zen den” and therapeutic gardens.

Bond says she not only wanted to help transform the lives of youth but also wanted to be a part of mentoring staff who have a passion for what they do. “It's really, really hard, and it takes a special person, and so to be that manager that really promotes their self-care and work-life balance and understands secondary trauma and how to be able to take care of yourself so you can come your whole self to work each day.”

Come Dec. 1, there will likely be several applications on their desks. “We were told day one we would have 75 to 80 applications on day one,” Boehme explained. Her hope is that the community becomes more informed on the issue, understands that it is not just a “city” issue and develops a compassion for the youth.

“I look at these youth as the most vulnerable and exploited population of our time. The only way we can help solve this is to get informed so that we can help prevent it and then understand

the difficult circumstances these kids are under,” she said.

“No little girl or boy dreams at night that this is what they want to do. They don’t wake up in the morning and say, ‘Gosh, this is what I want to do for a living.’ They are forced into it. They are manipulated … So, if they don't have somebody in their corner fighting for them, it's almost impossible to get out of it.”

For more information about Corrie’s House, visit https://corrieshouse.org.

Managing Editor Shannon Granholm can be reached at 651-407-1227 or whitebearnews@presspubs.com.

The Newspaper shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of the advertisement. The Newspaper shall not be liable or responsible for any error in any advertisement except to give the Advertiser credit for so much of the space occupied by the advertisement as is materially affected by the error; credit shall be by refund or republication of the advertisement at the election of the Newspaper. Such credit shall not be given for more than one incorrect insertion unless the Publisher is notified in writing of the error before the repetition of the insertion. When the Advertiser wishes to correct or change copy submitted as a "proof," the Newspaper shall not be liable for the changes or corrections unless they are received by the Newspaper within a reasonable length of time before the deadline for publication. If an advertisement is requested to run after copy deadline, the Newspaper will not honor an adjustment request if an error occurs. No specific page or position shall be guaranteed. The Advertiser or Agency shall indemnify the Newspaper for any attorney 's fees incurred in defending against claims, pay any judgments against the Newspaper, and pay associated expenses and losses that are caused by the publication of any advertisement submitted by or published at the direction of the Advertiser or Agency, including claims for libel, copyright infringement, and invasion of privacy. LIABILITY DISCLAIMER INDEMNIFICATION:

Suzanne Schradle (nee Snipes)

many care givers at Ebenezer Arbors at Ridges, Minnesota Hospice, and all those who supported her and enriched her life.

Suzie passed away on November 19 at the age of 93 with her family by her side. She was born in St. Paul, MN and was married to Dick Schradle for 51 years until he passed in 2006. They spent their life together living on the shores of White Bear Lake. They are survived by two children, David (Janis) Schradle of Romeo, MI and Cincy (Paul Stearns) Schradle of Eagan, MN; eight grandchildren, Kristin (Mike) Murray, Patrick (Lauren) Schradle, Kate Owens, Dr. Kara (Rich McVay) Schradle, James Schradle, Kirk (Becca) Ney, Cooper Stearns, Naomi (Navroz) Stearns; and ten great grandchildren: Olivia, Jane, Eleanor and Penelope Murray; Brooklyn, Brody, Luke and Taylor Schradle; Lily and Isla Ney. We will all miss her optimistic outlook and can-do spirit.

Suzie attended Visitation Convent High School and University of Minnesota where she was chapter president of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. It was at the University where she met Dick. Suzie was both an active volunteer and a DIYer before it was fashionable. She preferred to do tasks herself and loved sharing her talents with others. As an adult she learned French. She took her family on a memorable French adventure that would shape all their futures, not only by instilling a love of travel, but also by broadening their worldview and their place in it. Everyone knew Suzie was always happy to have you pop in for a coffee, glass of wine and, of course, Jack Daniels.

We want to extend a special thank you to the

Service to be held at St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church, 1st and Clark Street, White Bear Lake on Saturday, December 6, at 4:00 p.m. followed by a further celebration of her life at Manitou Grill in White Bear. In lieu of flowers, consider donations to Twin Cities Public Television, Allina Foundation, or the charity of your choice. For further details visit muellermemorial.com

Dale William Lorey

Age 82, passed away November 5, 2025, in Fort Mohave, Arizona, after a long battle with health challenges.

Born in Michigan, Dale was the second of nine children. He served honorably in the U.S. Navy from 1960 to 1964, stationed in Honolulu aboard the USS Taylor and USS John S. McCain. He was a proud Commander of the Hugo, MN American Legion Post 620, where he championed veterans and civic service.

In 1996, Dale met his third wife Rita, and together they spent 29 years serving the Hugo, MN community before relocating to Arizona.

He is survived by his loving wife, Rita Lorey; children Summer (Lorey) Benoit, Christopher Lorey, Kristi Zamrzla; 9 grandchildren; 3 greatgrandchildren; 3 brothers, 3 sisters and many more cherished family and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Hugo, MN, spring 2026. Details to follow.

Pictured are Corrie’s House Program Director Jodi Bond (left) and Executive Director Renée Boehme. PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

Corrie’s House recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony. The shelter will open its doors Dec. 1 to youth, ages 12-17, who are at risk or have experienced sexual exploitation.

andArts Culture

EMERGING ARTIST: KAIDEN SCHREINER

BY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER

An actor performs, yet a hurdle that many actors must clear is learning how to adjust their performance depending on their audience.

Thirteen-year-old Kaiden Schreiner, of White Bear Lake has been performing in front of a camera since he was two months old, with modeling work, TV commercials for Target and Walgreens and a role in “American Crime Story” under his belt. This winter, though, marks the first time Kaiden has performed in front of a live audience.

CONTRIBUTED

As a cast member of Children’s Theatre Company’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Schreiner is on stage in front of a 700-seat auditorium.

Though “The Grinch” is Schreiner’s first theatrical role, his on-camera performances

have helped prepare him. “You have to be really confident in front of a camera,” he explained. “You cannot be nervous, like, at all. They’ll think ‘You might not do a really good job at this.’” Schreiner also believes performing arts can help young people overcome social anxiety. “When you’re working with a team, you get to really know the people. If you have social anxiety you eventually start clicking with everybody, and you don’t have it anymore.”

Still, live theater has been a transition for Schreiner. “It’s a lot different,” Schreiner described. “For modeling, you’re only in front of a couple directors and maybe a

couple of people that help out with props. But in theater, there’s just a lot more people, a lot more going on.” Schreiner also pointed out that shooting a scene and staging a scene are different. “For modeling, you really just have to look at a camera and take a couple pictures or film a couple scenes—then you have to redo it over and over again. But then, if you’re in a play, there’s no redos.”

The one-and-done nature of live performance is why Schreiner believes people should see Children’s Theater Company production of “The Grinch.” “People, they’ll watch Christmas movies, but eventually, (the same version) gets boring. So come see live versions of things,” Schreiner exclaimed. “I just feel like it’s a lot cooler to see that instead of staring at a screen.”

Going forward, Schreiner plans to audition in more theater productions. “I might start doing my local theater,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong—I love Children’s Theatre, and I love doing plays here. I love coming to see them too!”

“Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas” runs now through Jan. 4, 2026. For tickets and more details, visit childrenstheatre.org.

‘FROZEN’ HEATS UP AT CHILDREN’S PERFORMING

BY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Cast members of Children’s Performing Arts’ upcoming production of “Frozen JR.” had seen the 2013 Disney movie, about Elsa, a wayward princess with uncontrollable icy magic powers and her sister, Princess Anna, who must bring her home. The cast members did not know, however, how different the stage version would be.

Those differences made eighth-grader Brayden Walsh reexamine what he thought he knew about his character, Kristoff, an iceman who aids Princess Anna on her journey, eventually becoming her love interest. “When I was a kid, I

BY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER

White Bear Lake Area High School’s new Performing Arts Center (PAC) has state-of-the-art technological capabilities, allowing students to put on incredible shows. But it also allows the school to host incredible traveling shows.

Case in point, Lakeshore Players will be presenting Lightwire Theater’s “A Very Electric Christmas” on the PAC stage next month. An “America’s Got Talent” standout, Lightwire Theater has performed across the globe for over a decade, receiving praise from CBS Sunday Morning, TV Guide and

thought his goal was to get with Anna, but that’s not really his goal … He’s kind of like Han Solo,” Walsh explained. “The only time you see you him really emotional or caring is when they’re getting chased by wolves or whatnot, and his sleigh—he really puts it all into him and his stuff.”

Of course, Kristoff makes an exception for his reindeer, Sven, whom tenth grader Layla Lee plays in this production. Her character occasionally speaks in the stage version, whereas Sven is non-verbal in the movie.

“Kristoff talked for me in the movie, but in the musical, he’s the only one who can understand me,” Lee explained. Interacting with other characters requires

Lee to rely on facial expressions and body language. Since performing for a live audience is different than performing for a camera, Lee has had to be more exaggerated in her movements. “I don’t think there’s a line of too much in theater,” she stated. “Having fun with a character brings a lot of joy to the audience.”

That joy is the reason eighthgrader Avalyn Kelly, who plays Princess Anna, believes people should see this production. “It’s just a really, really fun show,” she said. She also thinks those who attend will be surprised and delighted by the differences from the movie. “There’s different orders of things, and, of course, everyone plays the characters

BroadwayWorld. They have chosen White Bear Lake as their next tour stop.

“We were looking or an opportunity to be able to present something and to collaborate with the new White Bear Performing Arts Center,” said Lakeshore Players’ Managing Director Megan Pence, motioning out her office window

to the PAC two blocks away. “We’re so close.”

Pence added that the Hanifl stage is currently hosting “Annie,” while White Bear’s PAC would otherwise sit empty between the fall musical and winter one-act. Additionally, Pence explained that the bigger venue now lets White Bear attract traveling tours who

ARTS

differently,” stated Kelly. “They added some songs, took some from other songs—it’s a lot different than the movie.”

Sixth grader Henry Knutson, this production’s Olaf, a sentient snowman whom Elsa creates, also believes the differences make this show a must-see. “You could listen to a song in here, or maybe a bit of a scene that you never thought of,” Knutson said. “So a one-chance opportunity, or you’ve got to wait until, like, I don’t know, Broadway.”

Children’s Performing Arts’ production of “Frozen JR.” runs Dec. 5-7 and Dec. 12-14 at LILA Upper School, 19850 Fenway Ave., Forest Lake. For tickets and further details, visit childrensperformingartsmn.org.

can only afford a brief stop. It also provides a closer alternative for northeast metro residents than seeing a show in downtown Minneapolis.

“You totally can. You can absolutely do that, but we have we have great facilities here so let's take advantage of them,” Pence said before adding, “Also, there’s usually free parking.”

Pence believe Lightwire Theater’s “A Very Electric Christmas” will appeal to families looking for a holiday attraction that puts a different spin on tradition. The show takes place mostly in the dark, with electroluminescent wiring outlining enormous puppets. The Lightwire puppeteers will

then tell the story of Max, a bird blown off course to the North Pole. Max’s magical journey will feature music from Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey and the Nutcracker Suite.

“It’s going to be a really nice outing for a family,” Pence said. “It’s going to be a really fun show and will open us up to other opportunities of collaborating together in the future.”

Lakeshore Players presents Lightwire Theater’s “A Very Electric Christmas” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, at the White Bear Lake Area Performing Arts Center, 5040 Division St. For tickets and further details, visit lakeshoreplayers.org.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR WINTER THEATER CLASSES

All classes take place at Hanifl Performing Arts Center, 4941 Long Ave., White Bear Lake. To register, visit childrensperformingartsmn. org/classes-workshops

SATURDAY MORNING DROP-IN

Grades: K-2

Dates: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Saturdays, Dec. 13, Jan. 24 and Feb. 21

Details: Classes focus on creative play and fostering imagination. Each week, students will read books, play games, do crafts and create characters.

PIZZA PERFORMANCE POP UPS

Grades: 6-12

Dates: 6-9 p.m. Saturdays Dec. 13, Jan. 24 and Feb. 21

Details: Students will come together for socializing and pizza, then break into groups to work on scenes assigned to them. At the end of the night, all students will get to perform for each other.

DECEMBER EVENTS

‘ANNIE’

Location: Hanifl Performing Arts Center, 4941 Long Ave., White Bear Lake

Dates: Now through Dec. 14

Details: Little orphan Annie is given the chance of a lifetime when she’s invited to spend Christmas at the mansion of billionaire Oliver Warbucks in 1930s New York. Full of iconic songs, Annie is a joyful holiday tradition the whole family will love. Tickets and availability can be found at lakeshoreplayers.org.

FESTIVAL OF TREES

Location: White Bear Lake Armory, 2228 Fourth St., White Bear Lake

Dates: 10 a.m-3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays now until Dec. 20

Details: See who in the area has the best tree decorating skills at the Festival of Trees. On Dec. 6 and 13, we’ll be offering cocoa, fun holiday treats and activities—even a possible sighting of Santa himself.

PJS WITH SANTA

Location: Vadnais Heights Commons, 655 E. County Road F, Vadnais Heights

Dates: 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5

Details: Games, treats and photos with Santa. Parents must accompany children throughout the event. Wear pajamas if you like; cameras are encouraged. Optional donations—unopened toys, non-perishable food items or money—will be collected for the Vadnais Heights Lions Toy/ Food Drive.

Kaiden Schreiner

GLEN STUBBE PHOTOGRAPHY

How a billboard helped to transform weeds into prairie

BY ANGIE HONG SPECIAL TO THE PRESS

It was a beautiful November day when we stop out to visit Wendy Stone at Migiziwazison, a small 20-acre oasis in Grant where she and husband Mark Rutkiewicz have lovingly tended the land for three decades. During today’s visit, the couple is excited to begin seeding a new prairie and to share a successful, chemical-free strategy for eradicating invasive round leaf (oriental) bittersweet.

The land here was once part of a larger 240-acre farm that was established in the 1860s. Today, the restored farmhouse and barn are surrounded by a patchwork of micro habitats – wet meadow, restored prairie, old pine plantation, and woods.

“Every time we cut down a diseased pine, oriental bittersweet comes up in its place,” Wendy explains. “The birds spread the berries, leaving a huge seed bed below each tree. We’ve learned that a very hot fire will kill off the bittersweet, but a standard prairie burn won’t get hot enough.”

We arrive at a large, rectangular, open patch of land where she and Mark have assembled a collection of tools – light rakes, a broad fork, and a walk behind broadcast spreader – as well as several bags of prairie seed. “We spent three years trying to get rid of the bittersweet here before we finally found a solution,” she says. Smiling, she reaches down and unfolds a giant swath of black plastic fabric that is lying on the ground. An enormous face – larger than lifesmiles back at us from the cloth. It is an old billboard, previously used to advertise Raising Cane’s Chicken.

Round leaf bittersweet is an invasive woody vine, native to China, Korea, and Japan, that was introduced to North America in the mid-1860s as an ornamental shrub.

The vines girdle and smother trees and out-compete our indigenous American bittersweet, making it a formidable foe in our Minnesota woodlands. In an attempt to eradicate bittersweet from their soon-to-be prairie, Wendy and Mark had tried killing it off with a low-heat fire, digging up the roots, and smothering it with a large blue tarp. All efforts proved unsuccessful.

Finally, Wendy found a website online where you can order old

billboards to reuse. “It was cheaper to buy two billboards than one large blue tarp,” she says, “and the fabric is longer-lasting and does a better job of blocking out sunlight.” Once the billboards arrived, it was a relatively simple two-step process. First, they laid the billboards out face-down on top of the area they hoped to clear and let them sit for a couple of months. Mid-summer, they lifted the fabric and gave the weeds a couple of weeks to begin re-growing. Then, they mowed down the weeds and put the billboards back down again. Two months later when they pulled up the fabric again, the earth beneath was smooth and ready to plant, without any signs of bittersweet, thistle, or other invasive species.

As we talk, Mark uses the broad fork to begin lightly loosening the soil to prepare it for planting. “It’s important not to disturb the soil structure too much,” Wendy cautions. “We just want a light touch to help the seeds reach the soil.” She pulls out three bags of seed mix from Prairie Moon Nursery, labeled “DeerResistant”, “Battle the Buckthorn,” and “Classic Prairie,” and uses the broadcast spreader to begin laying seed. At the very end, she walks

COLLEGE ATHLETE UPDATES

Lauren Eckerle of White Bear Lake capped her career at soccer power South Dakota State earning first-team All-Summit League honors, helping the Jackrabbits win the conference title and post a 12-2-6 overall record. The 5-foot-6 defender played a teamhigh 1,770 minutes on a unit that held opponents to 15 goals in 20 games, and notched a goal and five assists. A three-year starter and captain, she made the conference all-academic list all three years. Eckerle starred in soccer, basketball and track with the Bears.

Jenna Maloy, South Dakota State soccer freshman forward from White Bear Lake, stepped right into the starting lineup and was named to the All-Summit League second team. She notched six goals and three assists for the 12-2-6 Jackrabbits. Maloy was Class 3A Miss Soccer for the Bears in 2024 and holds the school record with 73 career goals.

Katelyn Beulke, the 2022 Class 2A Miss Soccer for Mahtomedi, missed her junior season at South Dakota State with a knee injury. She led them in goals (nine) and points (21) last year.

Cory Bohmert, St. John’s sophomore back from Mahtomedi, ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns in a 63-21 win over St. Olaf on Nov. 15, his first game back after missing five with a broken collarbone. Bohmert

across the whole area, tapping the ground lightly with a rake to help the seeds find a home in the soil. “I’m not raking it. I’m bouncing it,” she cautions. “This is where I see most people messing up when they plant.”

A few minutes later, the seeds are spread and the work is done. The only task left is to rest for the winter and let Mother Nature take it from here.

To learn more about round leaf bittersweet and managing invasive species in Washington County, visit www.mnwcd.org/invasive-plants.

To learn about Migiziwazison, a nonprofit foundation with Indigenous teachings, focused on land restoration, reclamation, and grassroots efforts to promote a sustainable future, visit migizifoundation.org.

Angie Hong coordinates the East Metro Water Education Program, a local government partnership with 30 members in Chisago, Isanti and Washington Counties - www.mnwcd. org/emwrep. Contact her at 651-7962210 or angie.hong@mnwcd.org.

has 372 yards and six touchdowns in five games for the Johnnies, who finished the regular season 9-1 and will host Monmouth (Illinois) in the playoffs Nov. 29. Bohmert rushed for 2,400 yards as a senior at Mahtomedi. Mahtomedi’s Alex Mahoney, Nick Rollinger and Will Harris were defensive starters for St. Olaf, which finished 4-6. Mahoney, sophomore safety, made 45 tackles. He was MIAC Defensive Player of the Week after sparking a 17-16 win over Concordia-Moorhead on Sept. 20 with eight tackles, a forced fumble and interception. That was their first win over the Cobbers since 2011. Rollinger, junior defensive back, notched 26 tackles and three pass breakups. Harris, junior linebacker, had 19 tackles and two pass breakups. The Oles experienced tragedy as teammate Matthew Lee was shot to death in September. He was an innocent bystander in an attempted robbery in St. Paul. Lee was Rollinger’s roomate.

Naomi Rediger recently made the women's rowing team (Division 1) at the University of Iowa as a walk-on. Rediger is a 2025 graduate of White Bear Lake Area High School and a former White Bear Press newspaper carrier.

Wendy Stone discovered that old billboards can be used as a chemical-free approach to managing invasive species.

Bruce Strand

SPORTS

Melissa Doyle, local hockey ref, will work Olympic Games

BY BRUCE STRAND SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR

Melissa Doyle, former White Bear Lake, HillMurray and Gustavus Adolphus skater, will participate in the upcoming Winter Olympics, officiating the women’s hockey games.

An official for 18 years, at all levels, starting with White Bear Lake youth hockey, Doyle is one of 12 referees and 10 lines-persons chosen for the 2026 Olympics in Italy.

“Being selected for the Olympics is a special honor and a dream come true. The pool of female officials from around the world is very strong and deep,” stated Doyle, who grew up in White Bear Lake and still lives here.

“The group of selected officials work premiere leagues in their respective countries and about half have prior Olympic experience. All of the North Americans work the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and some have the hopes to work in the NHL.”

Doyle, 33, has been wearing the ref’s stripes since age 12 while also playing on championship teams.

“I started officiating hockey with my Dad and brother,” Doyle said. “It was something we could do together, and an opportunity to stay connected to, and give back to, the game.”

She has done youth hockey for 18 years, high school for ten years, Division 1 and 3 college for nine years, professional for eight years, and international for eight years. She’s working in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League. (“Yes, that means five different rulebooks to keep straight!”)

NAMES IN THE NEWS

Jayden Schmidt , an eighth grader at Central Middle School, recently completed 100 laps in the PACER fitness test. The PACER Test (progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run) is a fitness challenge designed to measure aerobic capacity in students of all fitness levels.

Since its introduction in the 1980s, the PACER Test has been a cornerstone of physical education programs worldwide. It was created to shift the focus away from highpressure fitness benchmarks and instead encourage personal progress, inclusivity and a positive attitude toward physical activity. A typical “good score” for a male ages 10-13 is 40 to 70 laps. A score of 100 laps is considered an “elite-level” score.

Another summer of dashed hopes and expectations. After six beautiful golden eggs, that included one successful renesting, we ended up with a chickless summer. We are optimistic that 2026 will bring a season of multiple hatches and precious Loon moments. March is just around the corner.

CONTRIBUTED

Melissa Doyle follows the action in a USA vs. Canada show-

And now the Winter Olympics, Feb. 6-22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

“There is so much history and tradition surrounding the Olympic Games and they are only held every four years,” she reflected. “Everyone involved puts their best effort forward to represent their country on a world stage.”

Doyle was a member of White Bear Lake’s 2005 U12A state championship team and the 2006 U14A state runner-up. “From our U12A roster of 16 players, eight of us went on to play at the NCAA level,” she noted. That included Olympians Hannah Brandt (USA) and Marissa Brandt (Korea).

Doyle skated for Hill-Murray, made all-conference at forward three times, and was the school’s Athena winner (top senior girl athlete). Her college team was Gustavus Adolphus. She helped the Gusties reach

Jayden Schmidt

Division III Final Four three times and made allMIAC. She also played lacrosse for both the Pioneers and the Gusties.

Away from the rinks, Doyle works for a medical device company as a clinical research nurse. She majored in Biology and Nursing at Gustavus. Those were the only four years she was not an official.

“After graduation from college, I got back into officiating and expanded my schedule to include high school and college,” she said. “It was around this time that I reset my goals to include International hockey, with the ultimate goal being to skate at the Olympics.”

In 2018 she was licensed as an International Ice Hockey Federation referee and sent to Scotland to work her first IIHF tournament. For the IIHF, she has worked in South Korea, the Youth Olympics in Switzerland, Women's World Championships in Utica, NY, and Czechia, and the Olympic Qualifiers in Japan.

After the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she was one of 100 officials world wide informed that they were being considered for the Milan Olympics. The process was “stressful and grueling at times,” but she learned a lot, developed great friendships, saw parts of the world and experienced new cultures.

She has worked the NCAA Frozen Four, Hockey Day Minnesota, the USA vs Canada duels, youth and high school state championships, and the PWHL, including the first Minnesota Frost game before a sold-out Xcel Center crowd.

“I also would like to encourage others to get involved in officiating,” Doyle said. “I serve as a co-director of Female Officiating Development for Minnesota Hockey. We are always looking for good candidates to get into officiating.”

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Marin Peterson

White Bear Lake Soccer November 26, 2025

Marin Peterson, White Bear Lake soccer third-year center back, was named to the all-Suburban East team, capping a strong three-year career. The 5-foot-9 senior helped the Bears post a 12-4-2 record, 7-2-1 in conference this year, and reach section finals for the third straight year. She has played in state tournaments in soccer in 10th grade and basketball in 11th grade. “Marin has anchored our back line for the past three seasons, rarely leaving the field,” said John Dierkhising, co-coach. “This past season, Marin stepped up her offensive contributions by becoming a threat on offensive corners, scoring four goals. Her ability to win the ball with her head, both offensively and defensively, stands out.”

info@4seasonsairwbl.com

November 2025

Loon Chronicles X: Hope springs eternal

Another cliffhanger of a summer for the Loons on WBL! The Peninsula and Cove pairs arrived in late March, immediately claimed their territories, and got down to the business of setting up shop on their nests. By the second week of April, the Peninsula parents were on their nest, sharing nesting duties and tending two eggs. Things were more challenging in the Cove, which had become Canada goose central. The Cove parents were unable to liberate their artificial nest from the geese and had no choice but to settle for an abandoned goose nest, tucked away in the bulrushes. Everything appeared to be right on schedule, with anticipated hatch dates in mid-May. On May 13, the Peninsula pair had the first chick, which we spotted riding on papa’s back, while mama tended the remaining egg. We enjoyed watching tender exchanges between the parents and their new chick, including watching the chick pop out from under papa’s wing, trying to make its first call. The next morning started with huge storms and winds gusting to 30 mph. The wind and rain were too much for the chick, which was later found washed up on

shore. The parents abandoned the nest in the storm, leaving the remaining, no longer viable, egg behind. On May 28, the Cove parents welcomed their first chick, Charlie. The Eagles must have had their eye on the Loon nest, because later that day the Eagles started divebombing the nest, causing the parents and Charlie to abandon the nest and leave the Cove. The second chick never made it. Everyone enjoyed watching Charlie and his parents for the next ten days, until he ultimately was taken by a predator. The Cove parents ran out of time to renest. The Peninsula parents successfully renested, after surviving a challenge from a younger male. Unfortunately, predators, most likely Herons, destroyed both eggs. The third pair, often spotted near the Birchwood shore, did not take to the Birchwood nest. It may take one more year. The hat trick hatch that we had hoped for was not meant to be. Despite the emptiness of not having chicks to follow, the remaining Loons managed to entertain and delight observers with their water dances, courtship antics, territorial squabbles, and acrobatics. We welcomed several juveniles

and sub-adults from neighboring lakes. The older molting Loons from up north spent time with the younger Loons, before moving on to their next destination. In early November, I spotted a juvenile Loon in the middle of the lake battling huge waves. Hopefully, the stragglers have moved on and are making their way south. Len and I look forward to returning to Lake Jocassee, SC, in March to study Loon behaviors and migration patterns. Len will continue to research and inquire about available artificial nest modifications designed to protect against predators. We want to thank our Loon Whisperer crew: Shannon, Brad, Jody, Erik, Carolyn, Dave, and Betsy, whose insights, shared observations, and help with the nests have been invaluable. Finally, a special thank you to Mary Peterson, at the White Bear Press, whose talent, patience, and creative eye make the Loon Chronicles possible. Fingers remain crossed for a hat trick hatch in 2026.

Ellen Maas

ELLEN MAAS | CONTRIBUTED

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL! March-

down.

Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corporation presents awards

WB SENIOR CENTERREGISTRATION REQUIRED - 651-653-3121

The Senior Center has moved to: WBLAS District Service Center at Sunrise Park, 2399 Cedar Avenue, WBL. Call to register for classes 651-653-3121. All classes held at the White Bear Area Senior Center unless otherwise indicated.

The White Bear Area Senior Center has moved to WBLAS District Service Center at Sunrise Park, 2399 Cedar Avenue, WBL. Call to register for classes 651653-3121. All classes held at the Senior Center unless otherwise indicated.

55+ Driver Safety, $35: In Person: Dec 11, 12-4 pm Online: Dec 4, 9 am-1pm Chair Yoga: Mon, Dec 1-22, 10-10:45am, $30 Practical Chat GPT Training for Everyone: Dec 2, 12-1:30 pm, $28, Online Glass Mosaic: Candle Lantern or Table Lamp: Dec 2 & 9, 6-9pm, $40+fee

Dec 3, 6:30-8:30, $40 Design Your Own Modern Estate Plan: Dec 4, 10Dec 9- 30, 12-12:45pm, Strength Machine Workout/65+: Dec 10- 31, 11-

Dec 16, 12-3:30pm, Easy Ethiopian/ Eritrean Cooking: Dec 17, 6:30Everything You Want to Know About Medicare:

Canva for Awesome Beginners: Dec 18, 12-1 pm, $28, Online

FootCare Clinic: 30-minute appointment, $55, Call to schedule: 651-653-3121

Meals on Wheels: Hot or Frozen meals delivered Mon-Fri. If you are interested, know of someone who may need meals,call 651-653-3123.

MAHTOMEDI COMMUNITY EDUCATION

ADULT ACTIVITIES AT THE MAHTOMEDI DISTRICT EDUCATION CENTER (DEC) 1520 MAHTOMEDI AVENUE

All activities are held at the DEC unless otherwise noted.

Mondays: Mahjong - FREE 1-3 pm Bingo - FREE. Monday, December 22nd 1:30-3 pm Tuesdays: Cribbage - FREE 1-3 pm Wednesdays: Bridge - FREE 12:30-3:30 pm Thursdays: 500 Cards - FREE 12:30-3 pm Fridays: Games - FREE 12:30-3 pm; Bridge - FREE 1-3 pm; Book Club - FREE 2nd Friday, 10-11:30 am

The following requires registration:mahtomedi. ce.eleyo.com or call 651-407-2018

REGISTRATION OPENS DECEMBER 9th Zumba

Gold - $85. Fridays, January 9th-March 6th, 9-9:45 am How to Play Bridge: Beginners - $65. Mondays, January 12th-March 16th, 9-11 am Strength and Balance (55+) - $139. Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 20th-March 5th, 1:15-2 pm Seated Yoga (55+) - $139. Fridays, January

20th-March 5th, 2:15-3 pm Both above are free for SilverSneakers, RenewActive, OnePass, or Silver&Fit. Women Who Walk - FREE. Thursdays, January 22nd-May 7th, 9-10 am Sourdough 101 - $75. Thursday, January 29th, 6-8:30 pm, Mahtomedi High School

Donuts and Doormats - $55. Friday, February 6th, 5:30-7 pm, Mahtomedi High School Stitch and Sip - $59. Sunday, February 8th, 2-4 pm, Big Wood Brewery Paddle Up! Pickleball Basics - $99. Tuesdays, February 10th-March 3rd, 6-7 pm Foundation for Retirement - $49. 1 Guest Included, 6-8:30 pm Thursdays, February 19th and 26th or Tuesdays, March 17th and 31st Day Trip: Afton House Mystery Luncheon - $110. Thursday, February 19th, 10:15 am-2:15 pm, Gladstone Community Center 55+ Defensive Driving Class - $35. Virtual - Thursday, February 26th, 9 am-1 pm Virtual - Tuesday, March 24th, 5-9 pm In-Person - Wednesday, May 20th, 1-5 pm

LYNGBLOMSTEN COMMUNITY SERVICES: Provided by Lyngblomsten Community Services, The Gathering is an enrichment program that provides brain-stimulating activities for adults living with memory loss and four hours of respite for their family caregivers. Participants are able to attend the program up to 3 days a week at the Lyngblomsten campus in Lino Lakes (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/ or Thursdays). To learn more, contact Lisa Brown at (651) 632-5320 or caregiving@lyngblomsten.org.

We help you get back to living. Every step of the way.

Meet with a Caregiver Social Worker for personalized support. Are you caring for an older adult and feeling stressed or overwhelmed? You don’t have to do it alone. Schedule a meeting with Lisa Brown, MSW, LISW, Caregiver Social Worker, for personalized support and resources to help you navigate caregiving challenges. Topics you could discuss with her include dementia communication strategies, navigating family dynamics, respite care options, and self-care. In-person appointments are available on Tuesdays, 8:30 AM–1:30 PM, at Lyngblomsten at Lino Lakes (6070 Blanchard Blvd., Lino Lakes) and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 8:30 AM–1:30 PM, at Lyngblomsten at Como Park (1415 Almond Ave., St. Paul). Lisa also can meet virtually or over the phone. To schedule a time, call (651) 632-5320 or email caregiving@ lyngblomsten.org

Therapy services at Cerenity White Bear Lake help you return to what you do best. Our combination of highly trained compassionate staff and the most innovative care in the area make our community your best choice for professional therapy services.

• Aquatic Therapy

• Occupational Therapy

• Physical Therapy

• Speech Pathology Call today to schedule a tour: 651-232-1847

In-Person Memory Loss Caregiver Support Group (new time): Family and friends caring for someone experiencing Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia are welcome. The group meets at 10:30 AM the 4th Tuesday of each month at Lyngblomsten at Lino Lakes (6070 Blanchard Blvd., Lino Lakes) and is facilitated by Lisa Brown, MSW, LISW. Registration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. To register, contact Lisa at (651) 632-5320 or caregiving@lyngblomsten.org. Lyngblomsten Community Services is supported in part by gifts made to the Lyngblomsten Foundation and is funded under an award with Trellis as part of the Older Americans Act.

SPICY MEATBALL PHOTOGRAPHY | CONTRIBUTED

The Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corporation (VHEDC) held its annual dinner Nov. 13.

Pictured in the top left photo (from left) are Keith Warner Standard of Excellence Award: Royal Credit Union, Ed Jambor; Community Partnership Award: City of Vadnais Heights, Kevin Watson; and Inclusive Employer Champion Award: Innovize, Ethel Garcia.

Also pictured is VHEDC Executive Director Liz Moscatelli (top middle) and Nolan Wall, Katherine DollKanne, Jim Hauth, Kelly Jozwowski, Phillip Lundquist, Mayor Mike Krachmer, Kevin Watson, Jerry Moynagh, Kaylin Clement and Erik Goebel (bottom left).