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Vivian Holl

Vivian Holl, age 87, of Forest Lake, died peacefully on October 15, 2017.
Preceded in death by husband, Eugene; several siblings. She is survived by son, Ken Holl; grandson, Tom Holl; great-granddaughter, Abbigail Holl; many extended relatives and friends.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at The Church of St. Peter, 1250 South Shore Drive, Forest Lake. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of mass at the church. Interment at Calvary Cemetery.
Online condolences may be made at www.mattsonfuneralhome.com. Cards and memorials may be directed to Mattson Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 343 N. Shore Drive, Forest Lake, MN 55025.

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Chisago County commissioner appointed to National Public Safety Committee

Chisago County Board of Commissioners Chair, Ben Montzka of Stacy, has been appointed to the National Association of Counties Public Safety Steering Committee. This committee works on a national level to improve public safety and the criminal justice system through federal and state legislation and local government action.
“During difficult and uncertain economic times, our government needs to focus on its core responsibilities, such as the safety of our people,” Montzka said in a press release. “The purpose of this committee does just that, and I look forward to working with other county commissioners from across the country to help improve public safety.”broadstreet.zone(48036);
The Public Safety Steering Committee helps develop NACo’s national legislative agenda related to Public Safety, Courts, and Corrections.
Montzka represents the communities of Wyoming and Stacy on the Chisago County Board of Commissioners and can be reached at 651-462-4200 or bjmontz@co.chisago.mn.us.

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Education, insurance among legislative priorities

Bob Dettmer
Guest Columnist
From students to families who purchase their own health insurance, Minnesotans are seeing positive outcomes from the 2017 legislative session—one of the most productive legislative sessions in recent memory.broadstreet.zone(48036);
First, as we’ve entered into cooler weather and another school year, our students and schools are benefiting from a number of meaningful policies passed this year. In total, we invested $1.35 billion in new funding for education, putting more money into every classroom. The Legislature also advanced a number of meaningful reforms to help our schools hire and keep the best teachers in the classroom, overhaul our broken teacher licensure system and improve student learning. And for our littlest learners, we invested more money in proven, targeted early learning programs, including scholarships and school readiness aid.
Next, since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and MNsure, many families, small business owners and citizens who purchase their own insurance have been

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Wyoming joins ranks of GreenStep

Amy Doeun
Wyoming Reporter
The Wyoming City Council voted at Oct. 3 meeting to join the Greenstep initiative. Organization Metro Clean Energy Resource Team Director Diana McKeown gave a short presentation about the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program.broadstreet.zone(48036);
“It is a voluntary program for cities looking at sustainability and best practices,” she said of the group.
GreenStep Cities is a partnership between the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and various other entities, including the League of Minnesota Cities. Currently, approximately 160 cities across Minnesota have joined the GreenStep movement.
“[The cities] are big and small, liberal and conservative, and all over the state,” McKeown said.
Locally, the cities of White Bear Lake, Stacy, Forest Lake and Scandia are already GreenStep Cities.
“It provides a template,” McKeown said of GreenStep’s goals. “You can choose what makes sense for your city. … It provides a framework for a city’s sustainability efforts.”broadstreet.zone(50962);
There are 29 GreenStep practices broken up into five categories: Buildings

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New library manager stresses community ownership

Photo by Jason DeMoe New Senior Library Manager Sarah Rosten is settling into her position and promoting the library as a community hub for not only reading, but also learning, making, and doing.
Hardwood Creek Library Senior Director Sarah Rosten, who took on the position in the last week of July when 16-year veteran director Amy Worwa moved to Louisiana, is a big proponent of making the library a community hub. To that effect, she is pushing the notion that the library is “owned” by the community members themselves.
“Everyone owns the library,” Rosten said. “What I mean by that is that we as an institution would be nothing without the support of the community. I want this to be a place that serves everyone in the best way that we can.”broadstreet.zone(48036);
Rosten earned her undergraduate degree in journalism at the University of Minnesota in Duluth. After a short stint as an intern

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