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651-289-4300 2008 County Road E at White Bear Avenue
White Bear Lake, White Bear Township, Mahtomedi, Hugo, Birchwood, Dellwood, Willernie, Gem Lake, Pine Springs & Grant
VOLUME 119 115 NUMBER 36 26
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Alien species cover art a collaboration
Glance
by Debra Neutkens Regional Editor
Marketfest anniversary
WHITE BEAR LAKE — A new brochure about an alien species invasion is hot off the press. The White Bear Lake Conservation District has published "Alien Invaders! Zebra Mussels They Came To Invade White Bear Lake" for area residents, boaters and lakeshore property owners. The cover art is something district board member Scott Costello cooked up with help from his daughter Kimberly, a graphic designer who works in the pet products industry. "We wanted something flashy and fun that would be eye-catching in a brochure rack or at a counter at the bait shop," Costello said. "The idea was to take a clip from a 1950s sci-fi movie poster and replace the flying saucers with zebra
This week’s Marketfest (6-9 p.m. July 9 in downtown White Bear Lake) will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the festival. Grandma’s Bakery, with volunteer helpers, is giving out 3,000 cupcakes. Past and present Marketfest volunteers are invited to stop by the cupcake tent at 6:15 p.m. to pose for a group photo. This week’s live music is from Soul Mates and Wildcat Combo.
Upcoming events See page 6A for more info on the following upcoming events and many more: Como Zoo comes to the White Bear Lake Library, a bluegrass band performs at the Wildwood library, a fiddler/singer performs in Birchwood, and the Cruisin’ for St. Jude motorcycle ride and pig roast.
mussels." The conservation district is mailing copies to more than 400 people who own lakeshore property and distributing the rest in information kiosks, at Marketfest and to those who wish to display the brochure. It is also on the district website: www.wblcd.org. A true-or-false section and frequently asked questions about the invasive mussels are included in the brochure, as well as where to find more information. Tips on how to protect boat motors from getting clogged and damaged are also provided. The White Bear resident said the project originated after zebra mussels were newly discovered in the lake. "The conservation district had a unique opportunity for an educational outreach effort to everyone around the lake. Since so much aquatic invasive species information is focused on
boats and trailers, it occurred to me that lakeshore dwellers may not realize that they, too, have a role to play in keeping zebra mussels from spreading beyond our lake. The infestation in White Bear Lake marks a major new foothold for zebra mussels in the east metro area, putting all the other lakes in Ramsey and Washington counties at risk. People want to know what this infestation means for our lake." Costello noted the district received a small grant from Ramsey County for the project. He also worked with the Department of Natural Resources to get the interpretation of state law correct and the agency reviewed an early draft. "It is the WBLCD's brochure, however, not an official DNR brochure," he added. "It is specific to the situation in 2015 in White Bear Lake."
Mussels/see page 7A
– Submitted graphic
A father-daughter duo created the cover for the WBLCD’s new zebra mussel brochure.
Two nonprofits move to vacant car dealership
Road work Bellaire Avenue is closed to through traffic between County Road E and South Shore Boulevard. The road is being repaved and will be closed for approximately two weeks.
by Kristine Goodrich Editor
Public notices See pages 2B and 3B for public notices, including a Gem Lake special meeting and a public hearing regarding the proposal to extend water service to its business district.
Weather Tidbits
Week of July 8 - 14, 2015 Weather tidbit: Jerome, the honey guy at the local farmers market, remarks that bees prefer 80º temperatures with light rainfalls. Heavy rains wash the nectar from the Àowers that bees enjoy to make honey.
Year Ago this week: Cool weather continues to dominate July 2014 as high temperatures for ¿ve of the seven days are in the 70’s, with a high on July 14th’s of only 65º. Rainfall totaled nearly an inch for the week.
Weekly Averages High Low %Sun PCP 83° 64° 74% 1.18” (More weather on sports page)
GEM LAKE —Two area nonprofits serving adults with disabilities are moving into a longvacant building off Highway 61. Newtrax and PAI now share a 22,000-square-foot building that once was a car dealership. Barnett KIA is leasing the building and parking areas on the north end of its property east of 61 and north of County Road E. Newtax is moving from its quarters within the Merrick Inc. facility in Vadnais Heights. The PAI administrative office is moving from a rented space off White Bear Parkway. Newtrax provides transportation and IT
services to PAI (formerly known as Phoenix Alternatives Inc.) and to Merrick Inc. Both organizations provide day programs and employment opportunities for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Newtrax was incorporated as a nonprofit in 2011 as leaders of Merrick and PAI were searching for cost savings in the wake of government funding reductions. "It seemed to make a lot of sense to collaborate and create some efficiencies," said Newtrax Executive Director Mike Greenbaum, who previously was Merrick's finance and development director.
Newtrax/see page 7A
- Photo by Paul Dols
Aerial perspective White Bear Lake Fire Department EMT Danielle Ducharme and Lieutenant/ EMT Dave Peterson enjoy a cool breeze and the view from the top of an extended fire truck ladder high above the crowd gathered in downtown White Bear Lake during Marketfest Thursday, July 3.
Home builder relates to Aesop’s Fables
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by Debra Neutkens Regional Editor Like Aesop, longtime home builder Leonard Pratt loves to tell a story. One of his favorites relates to Pratt Homes' upscale single-family development in Hugo called Fable Hill. In a not-so-far-away place more than a decade ago, there lived a man named Maurice "Mac" McCollar. He was a chiropractor in White Bear Lake who owned 80 acres of fields, woods and wetlands. "We sat down in his stucco home on a hill overlooking Bald Eagle Lake and he asked me if I was related to a Nancy Pratt? I said, 'Would it matter if I was?'
– Photo by Debra Neutkens
Len Pratt stands on the site of Fable Hill’s next phase. Behind him is Clearwater Creek Park Preserve, which will be accessed by trail from the neighborhood. I did have an Aunt Nancy," Pratt recalled. "Mac showed me the original deed of transfer from President (Franklin) Pierce to Nancy Pratt when Minnesota was
still a territory. I don't know if I'm related, but we got off to a good start." Pratt didn't know McCollar had cancer when he bought the property for
future development. McCollar died in 2008 at the age of 72. "We got to talking about how his farm was on a hill and how the topography was unusual in Hugo. The farm was really special to him," Pratt said. "This is a story about the hill, so I called it Fable Hill." A couple years ago, Pratt even commissioned a dramatist to write a play whose performance he hosted at Aspire Park in Fable Hill. It was based on — what else? Aesop's Fables. The current story has not yet ended. Phase four of the development gets underway this month, only with a different demographic in mind. This time, Pratt's signature homes will be built for
empty nesters age 55 and older who are ready for a change. The $500,000, one-level patio homes planned for the next chapter come with three-car garages and grounds maintained by an association. They are similar to Pratt's sold-out Creekside Villas in Victor Gardens that averaged $477,600. "I've been doing this empty nester stuff a long time," said Pratt, who has been in business with his brother since 1973. "I understand that band of buyers. They're downsizing and getting things conveniently oriented, minimizing steps and making it easier to live. Gravity gets us all."
Fable Hill/see page 9A
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