White Bear Press

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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, JULY 6, 2016 VOL. 120 NO. 38 www.presspubs.com $1.00

WATER WALK: Raises funds for global water crises PAGE 3A

Ancient marker tree topples along Lake Avenue BY DEBRA NEUTKENS EDITOR

A massive oak surrendered its spot in rainsoaked soil along Lake Avenue earlier this month and fell to the ground. A neighbor of the property owners told them he heard a loud crack followed by a slow, soft swish as the tree toppled. The bur oak resided on the lake side of land owned by Dick and Liz Hiniker, who live west of the Fillebrown House. Thought to be at least two centuries old, this wasn’t just any tree. A twisted, horizontal branch stood out among its features; something a local historian explains was likely a “marker” used by the Dakota. There’s no way to know for sure, but Birchwood resident Mary Jane LaVigne is fairly certain the tree’s deformed limb is indicative of manmade meddling. “The Dakota people used trees to mark significant places in the landscape,” LaVigne said. “We know White Bear Lake was an important place for Dakota and the tree certainly had the provocative look of a tree that was altered, as they often did.” LaVigne, who has a particular interest in the area’s indigenous people, said marker trees are well described in areas along the Mississippi River and were first reported in what is now the state of Illinois. In a book by Cheri Register called “The Big

PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Ducky fashion show

Representing Good Things, Rachel Kothe displays an ensemble that includes an inflatable rubber ducky as she walks along a red carpet in downtown White Bear Lake during the Bear-Hair, Wear & Fare Business Showcase Thursday, June 30. The event was conducted like a fashion show and allowed area businesses the opportunity to showcase their products to the sizable crowd attending Marketfest. Find more photos at presspubs.com.

SEE MARKER TREE, PAGE 9A

Dog park users plead case BY DEBRA NEUTKENS EDITOR

DEBRA NEUTKENS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Dogs and their humans swim and wade June 29 at a beach designated just for them on White Bear Lake. Users worry neighbor complaints will alter the unique park.

WHITE BEAR LAKE — Dog lovers both support and oppose the Seventh Street beach that caters to canines. One resident in the opposition camp, Matthew Hughes, lives across Lake Avenue from the park and wants it moved. Hughes said he is a dog lover who laid on the garage floor and wept when his dog died. In fact, he said it twice to City Council members at their June 28 meeting; evidently, to emphasize that he is a dog person. “But I am also a kid lover, who has four young children,” Hughes added. “I fear for them. The city has a potential accident waiting to happen.” It was Hughes’ wife Heidi who raised concerns to staff last month about dogs off leash at the park and its encroachment on the swimming beach. Heidi Hughes contends that dogs should have their

fun, but not at the expense of families, children and recreational park users who want to get their canoes in the water without being chased. For the most part, though, people who went to the podium praised the park, pointing out that both dogs and owners are highly sociable and respectful of the boundaries. The pet swimming area, many noted, is so muddy that only a dog owner would slog through it. Established in 2007 as a formal dog swimming area, the beach is between Sixth and Seventh Streets along Lake Avenue. When the ordinance was adopted to allow an exercise area for dogs, three areas were designated: Lakewood Hills, Varney Lake and the waterfront at Matoska Park between the boat ramp and Seventh Street as indicated by signs posted by the city. No one really uses Varney Lake due to its poor water quality and Lakewood Hills is used by a few SEE DOG PARK, PAGE 8A

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