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PARK ORDINANCE PROJECT: County to review policies PAGE 2A
Bottled water on tap in Gem Lake
Festive fall decorations At right: A canine scarecrow named “Tober,” perched on a bale of hay along Washington Square, is among the dozens of Scarecrow Stroll creations currently on display in downtown White Bear Lake. The scarecrow displays were created by local businesses and organizations in conjunction with the Fall Fest celebration.
BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER
ST. PAUL — So far, 15 families in Gem Lake are drinking bottled water, courtesy of the state. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) officials tested 100 private wells in the small community in July and August and discovered 1,4-dioxane at levels exceeding state guidelines in 15 of them. The source of the contamination remains under investigation. At a media briefing Sept. 23 to announce test results, MPCA Assistant Commissioner Kirk Koudelka said the federal government has no drinking water standard for 1,4-dioxane, which prompted the state Department of Health (MDH) to develop its own. That threshold, called the health risk limit, is 1 part per billion (ppb). Most Gem Lake levels were only slightly above the health risk limit, reported Koudelka. Those homes were provided the bottled water. The maximum amount found was 3.3 ppb. "This is a chemical we looked at years ago because of its potential for detection in groundwater," said Jim Kelly, MDH manager of environmental surveillance and assessment. "It has potential to be carcinogenic based on studies in laboratory animals exposed to high concentrations." Gem Lake wasn’t the only community with contaminated wells. Andover’s Red Oaks neighborhood, located near a closed landfill, also showed levels higher than 1 ppb. One well on the neighborhood’s south side contained
Below: Olive Branch Oil and Spice Company owners Janet Richards and Bruce Bushey put the finishing touches on the spooky scarecrow on display in front of their store last week. Find more photos online at presspubs.com.
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St. Jude of the Lake is home to 2 finalists for best teacher through sixth grade. The school has suffered decreased enrollment over the past couple of years, but was able to offer sixth grade to students in 2021 and is planning to add seventh and eighth grade sequentially over the next two years. Ryan, a former fifth grade teacher, switched to teach sixth graders this school year. “They are so excited to be back at school and we have a great curriculum for the sixth graders,” Ryan said.
The readers of the White Bear Press have spoken and the winner of the 2021 Readers’ Choice Best of the Press Contest is St. Jude of the Lake’s sixth-grade teacher Jill Ryan. Second-grade teacher Sarah Sowada of St. Jude of the Lake was also voted a finalist. This is her fifth year at the school. St. Jude of the Lake is a catholic elementary school in Mahtomedi for grades kindergarten
Jill Ryan, 6th grade teacher at St. Jude of the Lake.
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