8A
2015
WHITE BEAR/VADNAIS HEIGHTS PRESS
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DECEMBER 30, 2015
MARCH • White Bear Lake Mayor Jo Emerson vetoed the approval of the expansion of White Bear Smiles, but the council then voted 4-1 to override the veto. For the first time in city history, one of the council members cast his vote via Skype. • Leaders announced plans to launch a new charter school. Level Up Academy opened in the fall. The K-8 public charter school is focused on technology-driven individualized learning. The school is located at 2600 E. County Road E (a building shared with Community Vineyard Church). • Dellwood resident Jim Hansen was appointed president of Hill-Murray School in Maplewood. He is an alum of the school and was a teacher and later school board member in the Mahtomedi School District before embarking on a number of business ventures. • The District 624 School Board approved plans to install an artificial turf field at South Campus. The field, made out of recycled plastic, was installed over the summer. District reserves were used to fund the $1.3 million field. Multiple board members cited the expanded potential uses of the field as a primary reason for supporting the expenditure. Previously reserved for only varsity games, the new field is available for use by South Campus physical education classes and by more school teams and community teams. • A house on Shamrock Way in Mahtomedi was destroyed by fire. The three human occupants of the house escaped but multiple pets perished. A GoFundMe page raised over $22,000 for the displaced family. • Mahtomedi resident Dale Johnson was named the 2015 J. Stanley and Doris Hill
53 Years
48 Years
1851 Main Street Centerville, MN 55038 651-426-7688 A house was destroyed and multiple pets died in a fire in Mahtomedi. Legacy Award recipient. The award given by area education foundations honors community service. Johnson, a retired engineer, lead volunteer groups at 3M, chaired the White Bear Lake Park Board, helped establish the Mahtomedi High School FAB Lab, serves on the Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation board and more. • A new owner and managers took the helm of The Village Inn & Stadium. Real estate attorney Richard Morris became the owner. Catherine and Terry Montpetit and Michael Mahmood are running the bar and restaurant. Mahmood managed the establishment from 2006 to 2008 and his family
owned The Lakeside Club. Terry Montpetit owned and managed Monte’s Sports Bar and Grill in Spring Lake Park for about 20 years. • Sewage once again spilled into Mahtomedi’s Lost Lake due to a break in the Metropolitan Council sewer system. A break also occurred in October 2014. The sewer line that was responsible for both leaks has since been replaced. • The Yogurt Bar opened in the Main Street Crossing strip mall. The restaurant not only offers 16 flavors of frozen yogurt and toppings, but also make-your-own paninis and beer and wine.
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47 Years
Dr. Scott Kron Dr. Jason Ross 4706 Banning Ave., White Bear Lake
651-429-3348
42 Years
APRIL • A White Bear Lake native shared about his path to becoming a restaurant mogul. Paul Dzubnar is owner of Green Mill Restaurants. He started as a district manager and worked his way up the corporate ranks while also opening his own franchise restaurants with partners. He also is a partner in Crooked Pint Ale House and Town Hall Brewery. He said his key piece of advice for entrepreneurs is to take calculated risks.
• The school district received a $250,000 grant to support the launch of a new manufacturing program at White Bear Lake Area High School this fall. Area manufacturing business representatives helped develop the curriculum and are providing student work experiences. High-schoolers who complete the new courses can earn credentials from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills. • White Bear Lake Police Department sergeant Phil Henry was promoted to captain in charge of the patrol division, filling a vacancy in the department’s top ranks. • Mahtomedi Public Schools updated its open enrollment policy. As the result of a state mandate, applicants who have siblings already enrolled in the district now have top priority for any openings and children of district staff now have second priority. Any openings that remain are now filled by random selection instead of on a first-come, first-served basis.
651-777-1393 WhiteBearAnimalHospital.com 1909 E County Rd E • White Bear Lake
41 Years
4779 Bloom Ave. White Bear Lake, MN
651-407-1200
41 40 Years Years
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WWJB members at Still H2O in Stillwater.
• Once a month, craft beer enthusiasts from St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church get together in a unique ministry that combines brewing with Bible study. The WWJB Club, which stands for What Would Jesus Brew, was started by pastor Brian Norsman and its mostly male members are home brewers. • A new Anytime Fitness franchise location opened in White Oak Plaza. The gym is open 24-7. • Fifty years ago an abused 3-year-old boy died the same week White Bear Lake was recognized as an All-America City. The death of Dennis Jurgens at the hands of his adoptive mother spawned a TV movie and a book that is still in print. • Austin Bryan Gustafson, 27, was charged with murder after he allegedly smothered his girlfriend’s colicky baby to death in a White Bear Lake apartment in April 2014. The medical examiner also found evidence that the 3-month-old infant had been physically abused.
5051 Stewart Avenue White Bear Lake
Youngsters checked out the new sailboat play structure at the new library.
• The White Bear Lake library reopened after an expansion and total remodel. The new 6,500-square-foot library features a larger community room and new study rooms, teen area, fireplace, children’s play structure, exterior book drop, garden patio and other amenities. The materials collection was expanded and more computers are available, including laptops. • Norman Allen Bachman Jr. was charged with murder and manslaughter 18 years after his wife, Toni Bachman, disappeared from their White Bear Township home. There was evidence that Toni had been killed in the basement of their home, but no proof or confession. The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office decided to finally charge him. • The co-founders of Maritime Heritage Minnesota presented highlights of their findings while diving in White Bear Lake during the summer of 2014. Their favorite find was a judge’s boat belonging to the White Bear Yacht Club.
651-426-2044
35 Years Years 36
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651-770-0603 Principal Dan Schmidt introduced Pamela Johnstone.
• Lincoln Elementary School teacher Pamela Johnstone was named the White Bear Lake teacher of the year. She was on medical leave at the time, recovering from brain surgery to remove a tumor. She returned to teaching fifth grade this fall. She started the school’s Hug-A-Heart initiative that brings together school families in community service three times a year.
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