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SENIOR HEALTH FAIR: Will showcase health and wellness in north metro PAGE 11
25 years later, memories remain
State Fair surprise: Local veteran receives new ride
BY LORETTA HARDING CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Voters checking their ballots thoroughly during the Nov. 3 general election will notice an item at the very bottom on the backside of their ballots. That item will ask the following question: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to increase the funding going to all school districts from the permanent school fund, which is a fund that supports school districts without raising individual income or property taxes, effective July 1, 2027?” Voters will be asked to fill in the “Yes” oval or the “No” oval. Not filling in either oval will be a vote for the “No” column. Here is a little history to help voters make up their minds on this important question before they head to the polls. When Minnesota became a state in 1858, the federal government granted millions of acres of land to the State of Minnesota for the use of its public schools. A fund called the Permanent School Fund (PSF) was created from the proceeds of land sales and leases, which were then invested and reinvested. This fund shares its earnings twice a year with every public school district and charter school in the state, based on student enrollment. Since 1858, the fund has been managed by members of the State Board of Investment, who invest the money in stocks and bonds to make the fund grow in value. Wise investment will make both the principal and the dividends received by schools become more valuable. Over time, careful management has helped the PSF grow to more than $2.3 billion in 2025. In 2010, the PSF was $675 million. The membership of the State Board of Investment, as specified in the Minnesota Constitution Article XI, is SEE PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND, PAGE 11
CONTRIBUTED
Former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Blake Griebenow, a White Bear Lake resident and Mahtomedi High School graduate, is the proud owner of a new Bronco Sport.
BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
Still learning how to tell my 9/11 story BY BROOKE HENNESSEY SPECIAL TO THE PRESS
Twenty-five years ago, Brooke Hennessey was a college student living just blocks from the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan when the events of Sept. 11, 2001, changed her life forever. Today, Hennessey calls Brooke Hennessey White Bear Lake graduated home, where she from NYU in lives with her May 2003. husband, Joe, and their two sons. A graduate of New York University, Hennessey built a career in the wine industry and
has worked as a professional voice-over actor for more than a decade. But her most enduring connection to that September morning is a story she has carried with her for 25 years. It’s a story of survival, survivor’s guilt, resilience and, ultimately, healing. As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, Hennessey reflects on what it meant to live through that day as a young New Yorker and what it means now to tell that story to a new generation.
My story
The smell of banana bread. That’s what my childhood smelled like. I grew up in a
Former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Blake Griebenow was invited to attend the Minnesota State Fair for Military Appreciation Day. He thought he was going to be recognized for his service, but little did he know he would not only be honored for his years of service, but he would get to drive home in a 2026 Bronco Sport. “I thought I was just going to go on stage, they say something about my service, I get a clap, I maybe say something and that was that. I get a day off, maybe some fair food,” Griebenow said. The White Bear Lake resident was invited up onto the stage and after talking about his service, Apple Autos told him they had some “additional surprises” for him. They pointed to a Bronco decked out with messages of support and thanks, like “Thank you for your service”; “I am me because of you”; and “God bless.” “I was like, wait, you are giving me this vehicle? I was completely flabbergasted,” Griebenow recalled. Griebenow grew up in Dellwood and graduated from Mahtomedi High School in 2010. He joined the Army in 2011 because he wanted feel like he was truly a part of a community. “I had a rough upbringing, so I never felt like I really had a family. I saw the military, and I thought, ‘Wow, those
SEE BROOKE HENNESSEY, PAGE 6
Smarter downsizing starts here.
CO O P E R AT I V E OA K M A R S H
SEE STATE FAIR SURPRISE, PAGE 12
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Amendment asks voters to boost school funding
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