Running Aces recently announced the 2017 live racing schedule with the Minnesota Racing Commission’s approval. The upcoming schedule will feature a few key changes to the growing racing product by extending the calendar length of the meet by racing three days a week instead of four.
“In 2017, we look to build upon the foundation our successes in previous seasons,” Running Aces Director of Simulcasting Ben Blum said in a press release. “These efforts focus mainly on the safety of our horsemen while offering additional racing opportunities and competitive fields to our local fans and throughout the simulcast market.”broadstreet.zone(48036);
The 2017 Running Aces race season will run 52 days. The season will be extended three weeks into September to better accommodate those traveling from other states and extend the season for local horsemen and race fans.
Live racing will open May 20 and will run through Sept. 16. Races will run Tuesdays at
Category: The Latest From Forest Lake Times
The casual dismissal of bureaucracy
The members of the Forest Lake City Council are frustrated, and they have every right to be.
Last month, the council told the Minnesota Department of Transportation that it wasn’t sure about giving municipal consent on a new design for the U.S. Highway 8 bridge in Forest Lake. It wasn’t that they thought the bridge rebuild was unnecessary. It wasn’t even that they disliked the design itself. Instead, they felt their requests for changes to the project that would make it more beneficial for local residents were being ignored.broadstreet.zone(48036);
One could make the argument, perhaps, that MnDOT’s original project scope for its I-35 resurfacing and bridge rebuild project was fine the way it was. It would be a hard sell in some cases – the department’s stubborn refusal to expand the Highway 97 bridge, for example, must seem ridiculous to the thousands of commuters who jam its narrow corridor every day –
Lake Area Bank’s Mitten Drive exceeds goal
During the holiday season, Lake Area Bank organized its second annual Mitten Drive collecting new winter-wear items and monetary donations for local children and young adults in need. The response from the community, customers and staff was immediate. By the third week of a five-week campaign, the bank had already reached its goal of collecting 500 items or the monetary equivalent. The final results were 559 donated winter-wear items in addition to $613 for purchasing further items. Donations will be distributed to disadvantaged youth through the Hats & Mittens organization.
Student News
Skylah Irene Rachel of Scandia has earned a spot on the dean’s list at Iowa State University.
Rachel Baniecke and Amanda Bieman, Forest Lake, and Chelsie Bethke, Ethan Herzog, Amanda Hill, Samantha Moe, and Joseph Steinman, Wyoming, earned spots on the dean’s list at North Dakota State University.
Spencer Hifschulte-Beck of Wyoming and Riley Schilling of Forest Lake earned spots on the dean’s list at Marquette University.
Patricia “Pat” L. Retherford
Patricia “Pat” Louise Retherford, age 68 of North Branch, passed away Dec. 18, 2016 from a stroke.
Pat was born May 12, 1948 in St. Paul to parents, Henry and Katherine (Holtzbauer) Pojanowski. She graduated from Forest Lake High School in 1966. She married Larry Retherford on June 18, 1966 and they had 50 wonderful years together. She worked for Superior Engineering as an Operator and Quality Control. She loved donating her time to St. Gregory the Catholic Church in North Branch. Pat loved spending time with her family, especially with her many grandchildren and great-grandchild. Pat helped many people in life and also in death. She was a donor, and she was able to donate her liver, and both kidneys to three recipients, she was also able to donate her heart and lungs to the U of M and her eyes to the Lions Eye Bank.
She is preceded in death
Jeffrey C. Krasean
Loving Husband, Dad, Grandpa, BrotherJeffrey Krasean, age 76 of Forest Lake, passed away at home surrounded by family on Jan. 22, 2017.
Preceded in death by parents, George and Iris; grandson, Quinn.
Survived by beloved wife, Pat; sons, Eric (Mary), Kip (Sonja), Brendan (Jill), Patrick (Cassie); grandchildren, Gus, Ellie, Johan, Brendan, Anja, Veronica, Beatrice; siblings, George (Gail), Becky Palda (Dave), Marsha (Dave) Hovland, Roy (Nancy); many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
A Celebration of Jeff’s Life will be held 4-7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30th at Roberts Family Life Celebration Home, 555 SW Centennial Dr., Forest Lake. Jeff was the founder of the Philippine Project, so in lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to POPKids.org.
Robert James Kunshier
Robert Kunshier, age 94 of Forest Lake, passed away peacefully with family around him on January 21, 2017.
He was born January 25, 1922, to Andrew James and Lenore (Sevigny) Kunshier in Forest Lake, MN. He married Hiladore Kloss of Waite Park, MN on September 11, 1948. He was a postal worker, retiring in 1977. He was a member of the American Postal Workers Union, a 60 year, Lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4210, Forest Lake, and American Legion Post 225, Forest Lake, MN.
Robert served in the United States Army during WWII from 1941-45. He was a proud member of the 34th Infantry Division of the Red Bulls, and one of the last two surviving members of 150 young men deployed from the unit in Stillwater, MN. The 34th Unit was the first US Army Division deployed to Europe in WWII. He went first to Lisnaskea, Northern Ireland,
Elizabeth Mae Pastohr
Elizabeth Mae Pastohr, age 73, of Forest Lake, passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family on January 21, 2017.
She is survived by her children, Rick (Rachel) Gierke, Karin Gierke, Bill Gierke, Cindi (Daren) Johnson; grandchildren, Elena, Sam, Anna, and Jacob Gierke, Kenah and Brady Johnson; sister, Diane (Paul) Myers.
Funeral services were held Monday at Faith Lutheran Church. Interment at Oak Park Cemetery. Memorials are preferred to Florida Exotic Bird Sanctuary, Inc., c/o Bob Cook, 8933 Casper Avenue, Hudson, FL 34667.
Chisago County OKs tax increase
With the 2017 property tax levy, the Chisago County Board of Commissioners is breaking the cycle of flat property tax levies or decreases.
By a 4-1 vote Dec. 7, the board approved the 2017 county budget and levy. Commissioner Lora Walker was the lone member of the board to vote against the action.broadstreet.zone(48036);
The property tax levy next year will be a 3.3 percent increase, due in part to the upcoming construction of the county’s new jail. The total budget is a balanced $63.48 million.
However, even with the increase, the board has been able to keep property taxes low over an extended period of time. Over the last eight years, there have only been two years with levy increases, and there were two years with levy decreases. The average levy increase since 2009 is 0.7 percent.
“Our per capita levy has gone down precipitously since 2008,” Chisago County Administrator Bruce Messelt said. “We
Century Junior High students selected to compete in Student Innovation Challenge
Four students from Century Junior High were selected to compete in the Student Innovation Challenge from Jan. 11 to 13 at the during the Minnesota School Boards Association Leadership Conference. Sponsored by the DLR Group, an architecture firm based in Kansas, the Student Innovation Challenge is a competition where students from three to four middle/high schools take part in multi-day, real-world problem solving and project-based learning event.
In the month leading up to the conference, students are given a global challenge and then mentored by DLR Group experts and a teacher to think about how they can potentially address their challenge. There are no limits on utilizing outside resources, like corporate and local leaders, to help the students in researching possible outcomes.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Upon their arrival to the Minneapolis Convention Center, the students spent an entire day working on solutions to their challenge while also being given an additional challenge that encompasses all