Submitted photo
The 2017 Forest Lake Area high School Homecoming royal court includes Ben Miller, Joey Jankowski, Freddy Amaya, Max Carlson, Nick Willcocks, Paige Parrucci, Olivia Gadberry, Grace VanBergen, Clara Olson, and Angie Dimitrov.
Category: The Latest From Forest Lake Times
Happy anniversary, charter schools
Passionate responses from parents help explain why the number of Minnesota students attending charter public schools has grown from fewer than 100 in 1992 to more than 50,000 this year, the 25th anniversary of the first charter opening. Their views, plus constructive responses from some districts, help demonstrate why this growing movement has bipartisan state and national support.
Referring to the PiM Arts Charter in Eden Prairie, Ed Wilms pointed out that, “The transformation we saw in him from a kid who ate his lunch in the bathroom stall so he didn’t have to talk with anyone to having the lead role in the school musical his senior year was incredible.” Though his three sons are “dramatically different,” Wilms said the school served each of them well.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Kelley Zender, a parent of three children at DaVinci Charter in Ham Lake wrote, “From the moment my children and I walked into DaVinci, we
Wyoming woman is ‘The Corn Lady’
Photo by Noelle OlsonJoe and Lynn Zerwas stand in front of the Corn Lady stand in Rush City.
Noelle Olson
ECM Post Review
There are a lot of corn stands around, but not many have been around for 30 years.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Wyoming resident Lynn Zerwas, known as “The Corn Lady,” started her stand in Pine City during the Reagan Administration and currently is selling corn, fresh fruit and vegetables at the Dollar General store parking lot in Rush City.
The stand offers corn, peaches, potatoes, onions, beets, cucumbers, carrots and other fresh produce from The Green Barn in Isanti.
“The earliest that I’ve sold corn during the season was July 9,” Lynn said. “But I usually start around the 18th. It depends on when it’s ready, and I don’t want the corn until it is the way people like it.”
This is the first year Lynn has put her stand in Rush City. Her husband Joe comes with
Staging a great time in Wyoming
Jameson Tessling of Wyoming bad a blast trying out several different inflatables during Stagecoach Days Sept. 16.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Grace Jensen of Wyoming took a turn at the “Kids Can Be Artists, Too” event, hosted by the Wyoming Creative Arts Community.
Nolan Wojciechowski was inspired by ketchup and mustard when he got his hair decorated at Stagecoach Days in Wyoming.
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Wyoming Elementary recognized as Sustained Exemplar PBIS school
Wyoming Elementary was selected and recognized as a 2017 Sustained Exemplar Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports School at the State of Minnesota Summer Institute. Wyoming Elementary presented at the State of Minnesota Summer Institute around their journey and work with PBIS and have diligently been implementing the PBIS structure the past three years.
This recognition, according to the Minnesota PBIS website, “is to identify and recognize exemplar schools that have completed the PBIS implementation and are continuing to achieving positive student outcomes by sustaining school-wide PBIS with fidelity.” The PBIS system helps schools change their environment and climate to a more positive and uplifting tone, demonstrating and educating students on what is expected of them in each situation they encounter. These include interactions between students and their peers, students and staff members, and many other situational encounters they will have throughout the day. It is the staff’s responsibility to clearly identify
Wyoming rolls out the red carpet for students
Wyoming Elementary, in an effort to let each student and staff member know how important they are, welcomed back students with a red carpet event on Aug. 21. A “Wildcat” greeting was waiting for each student as they pulled into the parking lot with teachers holding up welcome back signs.
The main entrance to the school held a balloon arch, a red carpet walk-way was rolled out, and lots of music was played as each family entered the building. As part of the event, a ROAR pep-fest was hosted the same day with a slide show presenting all the students and staff with summer photos.
American Pickers to film in Minnesota
Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are returning to Minnesota to film episodes of the hit series “American Pickers” throughout the region in October.
“American Pickers” is a documentary series that explores the world of antique “picking.” The show follows Wolfe and Fritz, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them. As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Wolfe and Fritz are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items. The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Wolf and Fritz have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years
New round of residency allegations surface
Editor’s note: Since this story broke later in the evening, The Times was not able to speak to multiple people involved in this story the evening that the story broke. The Times expects to speak with more people involved in the story on Sept. 26 and will update the story as soon as possible.
A Forest Lake resident addressed the Forest Lake City Council during its Sept. 25 meeting and made new claims regarding the residency of Councilman Michael Freer. This residency issue was first brought up during a regular council meeting in August, after being the subject of rumors in town for several months (learn more in the story “Council butts heads over residency request”).broadstreet.zone(48036);
During the open forum section of the meeting, resident Matt Arntzen said that he’d learned that Freer’s given Forest Lake address was a home on 4th Avenue Southwest. He brought pictures to the meeting that he
Diana Lynn Parson
Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and sisterDiana Lynn (Houle) Parson, age 62 of Forest Lake, was greeted in heaven by parents Gene and Lorraine Houle, mother and father-in-law Jim and Alice Parson and brother-in-law Doug Spielman on Sept. 23, 2017.
She was a cherished and beloved wife to her husband of 31 years, Jeffrey; mother of Travis (Kim) Parson and Kristi Parson; grandma to Easton and Cayden Parson; sister to Michele (Craig) Smith; sister-in-law to Steve Parson, Cindy Spielman and Jeannie (Mark) Meinert; and adored by her nieces and nephews.
Diana fought breast cancer three times with dignity, courage, humor, and most of all, love for her family and friends.
Celebration of Life Thursday, Sept. 28th at 3 p.m. at Pine Haven Farm, 28186 Kettle River Blvd. N., Wyoming MN 55092. Food will be served. Kid friendly venue. Memorials preferred to Parson Family.
Steve J. Bergum
Loving Husband, Dad, Grandpa, Son, Brother, UncleSteve J. Bergum, age 45 of Blaine, formerly of Forest Lake, passed away peacefully and courageously in the arms of the Lord on Sept. 22, 2017.
Steve enjoyed hiking, camping, and woodworking. He took pleasure in participating in his men’s church group.
Survived by wife, Amy; children, Meghan, Avrey, Sidney, Ashley (Shawn) Galbreth, Jordan Johnson; grandchildren, Evvalynn, Miles and Allie Galbreth; parents, Gerald and Ann Marie; siblings, Mark (Kim), Michelle (Joe) Blasius, Bruce (Sherri); mother-in-law, Linda Wood; father-in-law, Robert (Connie) Miller; sister-in-law, Natlie (Chad) Trembley; brother-in-law, Robert (Sarah) Miller; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
A Celebration of Steve’s Life will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27th with visitation beginning one hour prior at Grace Fellowship Church, 8601 101st Ave. N, Brooklyn Park. Interment at Constance Free Church Cemetery, Andover.