Vennelag Lodge 1-546, of Sons of Norway, will meet on Aug. 15 at the Lindstrom Community Center, 13292 Sylvan Ave. The board of directors will meet at 6:30 p.m., and the general meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Meetings begin with the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the U.S. and Norwegian national anthems.
At 7:30 p.m., after the business meeting, guest Jon Pederson will speak about the Norway House, located in Minneapolis, and why it is so important to Americans of Norwegian descent. Pederson is expected to argue for the need for the Norway House if future generations are going to be informed and engaged in Norwegian-American heritage.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Anyone who is interested in their Norwegian-American heritage is encouraged to attend this meeting. Guests are always welcome at the Vennelag meetings as membership is not a requirement.
Category: The Latest From Forest Lake Times
Backpack drive supports kids in need
Lake Area Bank is currently holding a backpack drive to collect school supplies for children in need. Each bank location, including in Forest Lake at 91 South Lake St., will collect new supplies through Aug. 11 for donation to the Wilder Foundation in St. Paul. These supplies will be distributed to children in the program to begin the school year with basic tools needed to be successful students.
Donated items can be dropped off at any Lake Area Bank location including Forest Lake, White Bear Lake, Stillwater, Hugo, and Lindstrom. Items can also be dropped at Lake Area Mortgage in Shoreview. For details of the campaign along with a list of school supply needs, visit www.lakeareabank.com.
School Board approves bond and levy ballot questions
On Aug. 3, the Forest Lake Area School Board approved ballot questions for a $750 per pupil operating levy increase and a $9 million arts and athletics facilities bond, both of which will go to the voters on Nov. 7 of this year.
The board heard details regarding a survey of 500 residents performed by the Morris Leatherman Company concerning whether or not a levy or bond would be supported by the community, and the information was enough to convince board members that both measures had a chance for approval.broadstreet.zone(48036);
“Forest Lake is a great place to survey, as we see only a 3 percent non-response rate compared to the industry average of 25,” Morris Leatherman Company president Bill Morris said during the meeting. “Our results show that there is no stop sign on anything. We found that a referendum is definitely doable if carefully orchestrated. It will, however, be more of
Changing lives with reading, math tutors
The Minnesota Reading Corps and Math Corps need 2,000 full- and part-time tutors to meet their goals of helping all Minnesota children become proficient readers by the end of third grade and proficient math students by the end of eighth grade.
Bloomington’s Robert Mowatt is one of 1,700 tutors who enabled 30,000 struggling readers and math students to improve their skills in Minnesota last year.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Mowatt has overcome an amazing personal struggle to become a tutor. After 40-plus years of a corrections career, he retired, only to suffer a stroke six years ago, losing his ability to read.
“The only word I could read was ‘the,’” he said.
After nine months of rehabilitation, his reading ability returned, and he realized more than ever the importance of reading.
He heard about Minnesota Reading Corps and its success. He applied, went through the interview, passed the background check and was assigned to Hillcrest Elementary School in Bloomington,
Bluegrass to be featured at Arts in the Park
The Roe Family Singers, billed as a good-time, old-time, hillbilly band from the Mississippi-headwaters community of Kirkwood Hollow, will perform at Lakeside Memorial Park as part of the Forest Lake Arts in the Park series Aug. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. Led by wife and husband Kim Roe (Best Female Vocalist, City Pages/Village Voice) and Quillan Roe, the band blends characteristic old-time sound with rock and roll urgency and influence.
Joined by as many as seven musicians, and featuring banjo, autoharp, guitar, and washboard, the band and family of fans have been regularly filling the Minneapolis 331 Club every Monday night since 2005. In 2010, the band opened for both Doc Watson and Del McCoury, each playing at the Cedar Cultural Center; the Grascals at the MBOTMA Winter Bluegrass Weekend; and Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur at the National Jug Band Jubilee in Louisville. In 2011, the band was awarded
Elizabeth “Betty” J. Pliscott
Betty Pliscott, age 90, of Forest Lake, passed away peacefully at her home on August 4, 2017.
Preceded in death by husband, Raymond; daughter, Joanne Schroeder; grandson, Andrew Carlson. Survived by children, Cindy (Tim) Larson, Diane (Bruce) Peterson, Cathy (Dave) Pesola, Gary (Sonja), Sharon (Ron) Weber, Edward, Raymond (Tammie), Penny (Mitch Carlson), Thomas, Roxanne (Gary) Simons, Duane, Mark (Kristina); 41 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Betty’s Life 12 Noon Wednesday, August 9th with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 28005 Old Towne Road, Chisago City. Interment South Green Lake Cemetery.
Gerald “Jerry” Thoeny
Loving Husband, Dad, Grandpa & Brother Jerry Thoeny, age 77, of Forest Lake, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Aug. 4, 2017.
Jerry was a member of Laborer’s Union Local 132 for 55 years. He will certainly be missed by all.
Preceded in death by his parents; brother, Jim.
Survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Dorothy; children, Kim and Keith; grandson, Justin Leroux; sister, Nancy Tahl; nieces, Megan and Anna Tahl.
Visitation 5-8 p.m. Thurs., Aug. 10th at Roberts Family Life Celebration Home, 555 SW Centennial Dr., Forest Lake. Funeral Service 11 a.m. Fri., Aug. 11th with visitation beginning one hour prior at Faith Lutheran Church, 886 N Shore Dr., Forest Lake. Interment at Scandinavian Cemetery, Forest Lake. all. Preceded in death by his parents; brother, Jim. Survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Dorothy; children, Kim & Keith; grandson, Justin Leroux; sister, Nancy Tahl; nieces, Megan & Anna Tahl.
Council moves forward on police evaluation
The Forest Lake city-police reconciliation and analysis process took another step at the City Council’s July 24 meeting, when the council approved the selection of a firm to provide an organizational and staffing evaluation of the Police Department.
Obtaining a consultant to offer analysis and feedback on Police Department operations was one of the tenets of the contract agreement the city reached with police labor unions in May. The contract effectively ended the city’s early 2017 exploration of using contract law enforcement services instead of the Police Department. In addition to analyzing how the department functions and is staffed now, City Administrator Aaron Parrish said, the evaluation could help the city come up with a methodology for handling future changes in the number of proposed police staff.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Contrary to the suggestion of a post being passed around on social media in the days following the meeting, the evaluation was not initiated by
Backing the blue
Jamie Anderson, Shane Vogts, Irelynnd Marsh and Preston Marsh, all residents of Forest Lake, were on the Broadway bridge the evening of July 29 to participate in a local police support rally. Anderson’s brother-in-law (and Vogts’s uncle), Deputy Christopher Dewey was shot in the line of duty in 2009 and died of those injuries in 2010.
Regional Happpenings
COLUMBUS
Grand opening
Total Family Chiropractic will host a grand reopening event Aug. 3 from 2 to 4 p.m. at 15226 W. Freeway Dr. Ice cream will be available.
WYOMING
Zoomobile
The MN Zoomobile will come to the Wyoming Library Aug. 3 at 1:30 p.m. Guests can experience a variety of live animals native to Minnesota and learn about ecological concepts unique to the state. Doors will open no earlier than 10 minutes before the program. For more information, visit ecrlib.org.
EAST BETHEL
Senior Dance
The East Bethel seniors will host a dance from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 4 at the community center one mile east of Highway 65 on 221 Avenue. Cost is $6 and includes lunch. The featured performer is Jim Armstrong.
WYOMING
Food program
Linwood Covenant Church, 6565 Viking Blvd. NE, will host a “Manna Market” food program on the second Thursday of every month with registration beginning at 5 p.m. This program rescues food from grocery