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The Forest Lake Finance Committee met July 25 (after press time) for a preliminary discussion about the city’s 2018 budget. The City Council has scheduled budget discussion workshops for each Wednesday in August at 6:30 p.m., though if the council feels the budget and levy have been discussed adequately after a few meetings, it may not end up meeting on every Wednesday. The workshops are held prior to the council’s vote to set a preliminary levy and budget in September. Once the preliminary levy is set, it cannot increase from that number through the remaining budget deliberations. The final levy and budget will be approved in December.

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A team of FLAAA softball coaches met a team of Forest Lake Police officers and firefighters in a pair of softball games at Fenway Park July 13. The coaches claimed victory in both contests, which were played as part of the FLAAA Community Get Together festivities. The community raised $278 toward Fenway Fields renovations, and the Forest Lake Police Relief Association contributed $222 to bring the total to an even $500.

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The Forest Lake American Legion Post 225 baseball team finished as the runners-up in the Division 1, Sub-State 8 tournament, falling just short in its bid to return to the state tournament.
Seeded No. 3 in the nine-team bracket, Forest Lake opened play on July 19 by dominating the Burnsville Pythons 17-2 in seven innings at CHS Field in St. Paul.broadstreet.zone(48036);
The remainder of the tournament was played on the campus of White Bear Lake High School. Forest Lake fell into the elimination bracket after losing 10-1 to Stillwater in the semifinals on July 20.
Forest Lake staved off elimination three times in two days, knocking out Lino Lakes 5-4 in 11 innings July 21 and White Bear Lake (8-4) and top-seeded Tri-City Red (20-9) on July 22.
Needing to beat Stillwater twice to claim the sub-state crown, Forest Lake failed in its first attempt 7-2 on July 23 to end its run.
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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced July 27 that zebra mussels have been found in Comfort Lake near Wyoming. Bill Keilty, longtime Comfort Lake resident and a board member on the Comfort Lakes Association, confirmed that the zebra mussels found only affected Comfort Lake, not Little Comfort Lake.
The CLA first got word of a possible mussel infestation shortly after July 4, when a lakeshore owner took a picture of a small creature she thought might be a zebra mussel and sent it to Keilty.broadstreet.zone(48036);
“I looked at it and I said, ‘It (doesn’t) look like a zebra mussel,’ but then we shared it with the Watershed ,” Keilty said, referring to the Comfort Lake – Forest Lake Watershed District. “They in turn shared it with (lake scientist) Steve McComas and the DNR, and they thought it was.”
In late July, he said, McComas and the DNR were out on the lake

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Forest Lake police have dealt with a burglary and a couple of thefts recently.
A burglary occurred around 9 a.m. July 19 at Stone Cellar Wine and Spirits. A swift investigation led to the arrest of a juvenile teenage male the next day. He was charged with third-degree burglary and gross misdemeanor damage to property. Police did not disclose what the teen stole before press time.broadstreet.zone(48036);
On July 21, police were informed that a vehicle had been stolen from Koppy Motors overnight. The vehicle is a silver 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer with the license number 631-PWE.
Also on July 21, the Forest Lake Sprint store reported that eight phones and an iPad, worth a combined $6,670, were stolen from the safe in the back of the store. The case is under investigation, and the police have suspects.

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Photo by Jason DeMoeSchool bus safety contest competitors Becky Devine, Karisa Larson, Darcy Overland and Earl Nelson pose with the trophies brought home from the state event in Arden Hills and the national competition in Indianapolis.
Three years ago, Forest Lake Area Schools sent a team of bus drivers to the “Minnesota School Bus Road-eo” at Arden Hills. That year, and every year since, the district has seen at least one driver earn a trip to the national competition. The competitors all agree that it wouldn’t be possible without a lot of team spirit.
“I don’t even feel like the trophies are mine, but rather that they belong to all of us,” said bus driver Karina Larson, who earned a first-place finish at state and a second-place finish at nationals. “Without the support of my team and all of the bus drivers here in Forest Lake, this would never have been possible.”broadstreet.zone(48036);
Larson,

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Photo by Mike Walker / Rex Features
A rotating schedule of bird hikes will be in Washington County Parks in 2017, with the next one from 9 to 10 a.m. Aug. 5 at Big Marine Park Reserve. Guests can meet at the playground and park at the playground lot.
This program will help interested parties learn to identify the birds that call the St. Croix Valley home and contribute to citizen science data collection by completing bird count surveys with the guide. The surveys collected will assist the county’s natural resources team and related work in conjunction with the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund grant.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Additional one-hour guided hikes will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. Sept. 9 at St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park, Oct. 14 at Big Marine Park Reserve, Nov. 18 at Pine Point Park, and Dec. 9 at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. For Washington County park locations, visit www.co.washington.mn.us/parks. Under

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