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Upcoming school traffic patterns yield concerns BY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Hugo Road—from Bald Eagle Regional Park’s boat launch to County Road J—the speed limit is 40 mph, even though nearly every road around it has a speed of 30 mph. “The residents are concerned … It does feel like you’re going way too fast over there,” says White Bear Township resident Stephanie Chase, whose parents’ and grandmother’s house lies just behind the park. “It gives people a reason to speed further south in the residential area.” Town Administrator Patrick Christopherson agrees: “[Drivers are] ripping up speed as they are coming up through the clear area, and by the time they get down to where it tightens up and there’s more homes, they’re full blast at that point.” Such driving behavior could spell disaster. “That little stretch is straight, but the rest of the road is curvy. In the winter, that’s very dangerous,” explains Chase. “Some of those driveways are blind.” The White Bear Township board is concerned because of an anticipated spike in traffic starting this fall. Town Supervisor Steve Ruzek said he thinks it is going to become more of an issue. “The major traffic from the new school is coming from the north … They are going to come down Highway 61 until they find out
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Front row seats to summer season Hart family members optimized their enjoyment of one of the fleeting days of summer by lining up a group of chairs in the water at Memorial Beach in White Bear Lake. They were enjoying a reunion with some family members visiting from Alaska, who commented that the cooler temperatures, closer to the normal September average, reminded them of a typical summer day in Alaska.
SEE TRAFFIC PATTERNS, PAGE 20
Picnic to be held for Ukrainian exchange students BY ERIK SUCHY STAFF WRITER
A picnic will be held to welcome 15 Ukrainian exchange students to the White Bear Lake area on Friday, Aug. 16, at 11:30 a.m. at West Park in White Bear Lake. The picnic is a collaboration between the White Bear Lake Rotary Club and YouLEAD, a Minnesotabased leadership, engagement and development program. YouLEAD is a program within Global Synergy Group, a nonprofit founded by Irina Fursman. Fursman, who moved to Minnesota from Ukraine in 2002, saw a need to create civic engagement
between Minnesota and Ukranian residents. This passion led to her creating the Global Synergy Group, a nonprofit organization that supports Ukraine - Minnesota community to community exchange programs, in 2012. The organization currently has three Civic Leadership Engagement and Development exchange visits, and four Youth Civic Leadership Engagement and Development exchanges to and from Ukraine. The YouLEAD program selects Ukrainian students and extends an invitation to them to come to Minnesota for one month. While here, students learn about the state’s culture, government, health care
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“The trip opened me to the world in new ways. I saw how people live on another continent, and felt their lives on my own.” Kateryna Muzyka, Former participant
SEE UKRAINIAN, PAGE 14
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developing skills to help post-war Ukraine redevelop and heal and providing a mental health break to youth experiencing trauma from war. The students will stay in different homes in White Bear Lake, Mahtomedi, Saint Paul, Maplewood and Brooklyn Park, hosted by local volunteers. Fursman is optimistic about what the students will learn from their stay. “I hope they see that ordinary people are here to invest time and resources into supporting them as future leaders,” said Fursman. “I want them to feel appreciative for the experiences they
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system, and other elements to help them develop learning and leadership skills. The 2024 program also has a particular focus on developing future leaders to replace those lost in war,
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