White Bear Press

Page 1

Press Publications 4779 Bloom Avenue White Bear Lake, MN 55110 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 9 CIRCLE PINES, MN

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2017 VOL. 121 NO. 16 www.presspubs.com $1.00

FORMER MAYOR: Hospitalized with rare illness PAGE 2A

Dog beach no longer walk in the park BY DEBRA NEUTKENS EDITOR

PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Flying in for a splashdown Above: White Bear Lake Fire Department Captain Ron Hawkins leaps above the hole in the ice before hitting the frigid water during the annual Polar Plunge benefit for the Special Olympics Saturday, Jan. 28 on White Bear Lake. At right: A member of the Hipp Chix team makes a splash before quickly scrambling out of the lake. According to the plungemn.org website, more than 1,000 participants raised $190,421 during the benefit event presented by law enforcement. Top individual fund raiser was Chad Sauer and top corporation was Polaris. Find more photos online in the gallery at presspubs.com.

WHITE BEAR LAKE — After reviewing the thick stack of emails and letters, both pro and con, the Park Advisory Commission will recommend closure of the popular dog beach at the Feb. 28 City Council meeting. The vote to close the park on White Bear Lake was unanimous at the commission's Jan. 19 meeting. Commission Chairman Bill Ganzlin said the written feedback was significant after neighbors and park users were invited to voice their concerns. Park members read them all, plus made several site visits to the dog park last summer to see the area for themselves. "We looked at the main use of Matoska Park and it became apparent that the size of the space initially set up for the exercise area was too small," Ganzlin said. "The first priority given the small amount of shoreline is marina use and, secondly, the swimming area. We voted to recommend to the council the dog exercise area be discontinued." That said, Ganzlin added that the commission is supportive of areas to exercise dogs. "We have several areas available to both residents and nonresidents that offer plenty of space for dogs to swim and SEE DOG BEACH, PAGE 9A

Treatment program pulls out addiction by its roots BY SARA MARIE MOORE VADNAIS HEIGHTS EDITOR

MINNEAPOLIS — Jessica Sampair, 31, a White Bear Lake native, was on her way to pick up drugs from a Mexican cartel when her life took a turn for the better. It all started in the back of a cop car. “I was going to go pick up a lot of drugs from the Mexicans and on my way, I got pulled over and they found a dirty pipe I didn't know was there,” Sampair remembered. While awaiting sentencing in Washington County jail, Sampair mentally prepared herself to go back to prison. She had recently spent over three years in prison and had made progress to get her life on track, even completing a dental technician degree.

But one month before she got out, her mom died. “I was so hopeful … and then my mom gets cancer and dies,” she said. An aunt in White Bear Lake took her in for several months, but Sampair soon found herself back on drugs. Sampair's drug addiction started when her father died by suicide when she was a tween growing up by Yost Park in White Bear Lake. Her mom started drinking to deal with the grief. “By 12, I was smoking weed all around White Bear Lake,” Sampair remembered. When she was 13, an uncle shot meth into her arm. “I got kicked out of high school — South Campus — in 11th grade because I was just out of control,” she SEE DRUG TREATMENT, PAGE 8A

SARA MARIE MOORE | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Jessica Sampair, 31, a White Bear Lake native, has found a new life through Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge’s drug and alcohol treatment program.

NOW A FULL-SERVICE TIRE & AUTOMOTIVE SHOP!

New look! Same Great Service

M-F 7AM-6PM • SAT 7:30AM-2PM • CLOSED SUN 3001 Hwy 61 N., Maplewood, MN

651-483-2601• www.venburgtire.com

NEWS 651-407-1233 whitebearnews@presspubs.com

ADVERTISING 651-407-1200 marketing@presspubs.com

CIRCULATION 651-407-1234 ppcirc@presspubs.com

CLASSIFIED 651-407-1250 classified@presspubs.com

PRODUCTION 651-407-1239 ppcomp@presspubs.com


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.