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AUGER FAMILY: Thanks community for moral support PAGE 10A
Game of hockey nets more than fans BY DEBRA NEUTKENS EDITOR
WHITE BEAR LAKE — Hockey season isn’t just about the game. The flow of dollars local tournaments bring to the area is staggering. The White Bear Lake Area Hockey Association shared a report from the state Amateur Sports Commission that tallied up the economic impact of eight tournaments and a fi gure skating show. The total: $1.56 million. And those were just the competitions held at the White Bear Lake Sports Center. The hockey association hosts 14 tournaments a year that draw 100plus teams to the county-owned Vadnais Heights Sports Center and the city-owned White Bear Sports Center. Players, coaches and families travel from outstate and out of state for the games, staying at local hotels and eating and shopping at area businesses. “These tournaments are great for the community and a reason to keep the Sports Center,” noted Kevin McFarlane, association president. The hockey association is a huge supporter of the aging facility, contributing $30,000 to $50,000 every year to offset operating costs. The association also funded a study of the structure, just completed by McKinstry, a Maple Grove consulting fi rm. They’ll be meeting with the account manager at City Hall this week to look at options; one being to add a second sheet of ice. “We’ll have a lot more information very soon,” said McFarlane, noting the association plans a big capital fundraiser once they know the price tag for improvements. One of the largest and oldest associations in the state, White Bear hockey is made up of youth players who attend ISD 624. They are totally self-supporting, points out Chris Olson, a Hugo hockey mom who manages charitable gambling for the group. “All our operating funds come from registration, sponsors’ fees, fundraising and charitable gambling,” she
Lake level trial underway in district court BY DEBRA NEUTKENS EDITOR
ST. PAUL — In her opening statement, the attorney for the plaintiff called White Bear Lake “the canary in the coal mine.” That analogy has been used often to describe what the White Bear Lake Restoration Association (WBLRA) believes is a harbinger of things to come if there isn’t a change in groundwater pumping, a practice the plaintiff believes caused lake level to drop to historic lows. “Decisions we make today will have consequences in the future,” added Counsel Katie Crosby Lehmann in her remarks March 6 to
District Judge Margaret Marrinan on the first day of trial. Four years after filing a lawsuit against the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) alleging a failure to protect White Bear Lake, the WBLRA is having its day in court. The trial is expected to last at least three weeks as witnesses for both sides take the stand at the Ramsey County courthouse. Crosby Lehmann told the judge the DNR accepts that “business as usual is no longer an option,” but refuses to modify (water appropriation) permits. “It is time for a disruption of the status quo,” she said. Photos of Ramsey County beach, closed since 2009, and comparisons
of the Manitou Bridge in 1999 and 2013 were entered into the record with Crosby Lehmann pointing out that the drop in lake level, which hit its lowest point in 2013, was due to groundwater pumping by surrounding municipalities. The plaintiff is not advocating for all wells to be closed, noted Crosby Lehmann. What the plaintiff does want is to cut groundwater pumping by 30 percent (based on 2016 numbers) within five miles of the lake. How would municipalities do that? By banning non-essential water use and imposing fines for non-compliance. SEE LAKE LAWSUIT, PAGE 8A
NEIL CRAIGAN | SUBMITTED
Bears celebrate after buzzer beater A three-pointer at the buzzer from Alexa Molin resulted in a third trip to state for Bears hoopsters. The team out-scored East Ridge 5249 to win the Section 4AAAA title. They face undefeated second-ranked Elk River in the state opener Tuesday, March 14 (after press time). See victory story on page 3B.
SEE HOCKEY’S IMPACT, PAGE 9A
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