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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020 VOL. 124 NO. 13 www.whitebearpress.com $1.00
SNOWMOBILING: Neighbor shares yard for safe trail PAGE 3A
In cold weather, church becomes temporary shelter BY SARA MARIE MOORE EDITOR
WHITE BEAR LAKE — About 20 guests file into Community of Grace Lutheran Church on a bus from St. Paul each evening, back home for the night.
“We are all one or two paychecks away from this happening to us. None of us is above this.” Carol Hennig Church shelter volunteer PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Ice trail traffic report Bryan, Tyler and Brad Starry make their way toward shore after an ice fishing expedition out on White Bear Lake Saturday, Jan. 4. The trio were among a group of anglers trying their luck out on the lake across from the public access area at Bellaire Beach. They reported that the fishing was slow and the ice thickness was between 8 and 10 inches. According to the Minnesota DNR, safety guidelines for new, clear ice are: Under 4” – stay off, 4” – Ice fishing or other activities on foot, 5” – 7” – snowmobile or ATV, 8” – 12” – car and small pickup, 12” – 15” – medium truck. Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe. White ice or “snow ice” is only about half as strong as new clear ice. Double the above thickness guidelines when traveling on white ice.
Climate group makes New Year’s resolutions BY SARA MARIE MOORE EDITOR
Vadnais Heights resident Steve Jorissen retired early so he could raise awareness on climate change. Jorissen, who worked at H.B. Fuller in Vadnais Heights for 30 years and has a Ph.D. in chemistry, is the leader of Northeast Metro Climate Action, a volunteer group that formed about a year ago. “The primary mission is to raise awareness and do outreach within our communities,” Jorissen said. The group has 10 members from White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, Shorev-
Northeast Metro Climate Action members Diane Edson, Bob Hinton, Karol Durdle, Steve Jorissen and Kate Winsor plant trees in White Bear Lake last year.
SEE SHELTER, PAGE 8A
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SEE CLIMATE, PAGE 9A
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The church, located just off Highway 61 in White Bear Lake, hosts Project Home, a traveling shelter, every December. It rotates to other churches across Ramsey County every month of the year. Two churches host each month. Hosting the shelter takes about 200 shifts of volunteers, said church member Lynne Hagen. She volunteers in the evening to prepare snacks, greet the guests and play with the children. Gary Johnson is an overnight host. He ensures the building stays safe overnight and prepares breakfast. He's been volunteering for 10 years and stays overnight at the church many nights each December. “I usually sleep on a couch,” he said, motioning to the couches in the church community-room-turned-shelter, “or a cot, like the guests.” Guests sleep on cots behind partitions in the community room or in other rooms that have been transformed into a temporary shelter. In the morning, the guests are bused to the Project Home Day Center in St. Paul, said Donna Franklin, senior site coordinator. From there, children get on their bus to go to wherever they were attending school before they became homeless. Most shelter clients have children. Parents either go to work or search for jobs at the day center. The day center, located in First Baptist Church downtown St. Paul, was just opened this fall. It provides a place where parents can work toward stability. Meals, laundry and showers are provided on site, and clients are provided with support toward employment and finding stable housing.
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