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Trees, pleasebroadstreet.zone(48036);
What happened to my trees? I returned home July 10 to find that two of my mature trees had been drastically trimmed. If I assume that this was done by the city of a Forest Lake, I would have appreciated some sort of notice of the necessity. There are no power lines or
Category: The Latest From Forest Lake Times
Lenora “Sis” Bradshaw
Lenora “Sis” Bradshaw, age 74 of Forest Lake passed away on July 24, 2017. Preceded in death by parents John and Theora Halstead, siblings Bud and Mary Lee Murphy, and son-in-law Scott Sabo. Survived by husband Jim, daughter Barb Sabo, son Tim, granddaughter Erin Sabo, brother Johnny and other relatives and friends. Celebration of Life will be at The Blacksmith Lounge Hugo, MN August 5th, 1pm to 4pm. Please no flowers.
Damchik leaves legacy of public service
File photo Dick Damchik counted the Forest Lake Town Board, the Forest Lake Planning Commission, the Forest Lake – Comfort Lake Watershed District and the Forest Lake Area Athletic Association among the many organizations on which he served.
Forest Lake lost a long-standing civil servant this month when Richard “Dick” Damchik, 85, died July 12. Damchik served on multiple governmental boards throughout his time in Forest Lake, most notably as a member of the Forest Lake Township Board from 1976 through 1998.
“I think he really wanted to make sure that people were treated fairly,” said Dick Tschida, who served with Damchik for more than 15 years after Tschida’s own election to the Town Board in 1981. “A lot of people thought he was too rough and too tough, but they didn’t know him. He had a big heart.”broadstreet.zone(48036);
Dick Damchik was raised in St. Paul, but in 1969, he moved his family
Alleged stalker now accused of child porn possession
The Forest Lake man who was charged earlier this summer with stalking and a sex crime related to hidden sexual videos he made of a former neighbor has now also been accused of possessing child pornography.
Alan Douglas Running, 69, made his first appearance July 3 for two charges of possessing an illegal pornographic work. According to court records, child pornography was allegedly found on one or more of Running’s electronic devices as police investigated him for the stalking and sex crime charges (read more about those in the June 29 story “Man charged with stalking, sex crime” or online here).broadstreet.zone(48036);
After obtaining a search warrant for Running’s devices in April, investigators allegedly found more than 100,000 “graphic images,” records state, much of it adult pornography (not including the surreptitious videos Running made of his former neighbor). However, they also found two instances of what appeared be girls under the age of
Joy Carol Autey
Joy Autey, age 73, of Wyoming, MN, passed away peacefully at home on July 23, 2017.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Theodore; daughter, Jo Ellen; and grandson, Timothy.
She is survived by her sons, John (Heather) and Theodore (Dawn) and grandchildren, Jessica, Brandon, Cordelia, Duncan, and Henry.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, July 28, 2017 at Crossroads Covenant Church, 17445 Notre Dame St., Forest Lake, MN. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m., Thursday, at Mattson Funeral Home, 343 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake; continuing one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery on Monday. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Give the Kids the World.
A positive (fidget) spin
Submitted photoColumbus Elementary student Jake Kane never leaves the house without a fidget spinner in his pocket.
Foot tapping, thumb twiddling, and finger drumming can all be considered ways to stave off boredom and occupy time. Those techniques, however, may now be considered outdated thanks to a new craze: fidget spinners.
“It keeps him occupied at times when he otherwise might be complaining about being bored,” John Kane said of his 7-year-old son Jake. “It keeps him busy, but it’s a good kind of busy.”broadstreet.zone(48036);
Fidget spinners, or toys that consist of a bearing in the center of a multi-lobed structure made from metal or plastic designed to spin along the axis, began to rise in popularity in April 2017, when there was a spike in Google searches for the term. By May, some variety of fidget spinner occupied the top 20 spots on Amazon’s list of best-selling toys.
“I don’t know why I
Scholarships awarded
Submitted photo
Thirty scholarships worth $1,000 each were awarded to area high school seniors by the Scandia-Marine Lions Club on July 13. Pictured are the recipients plus the scholarship committee members. The committee is chaired by Bonnie Olson. One veteran was given a scholarship to Century College.
Family Pathways earns underwear honor
Family Pathways was recently chosen as the recipient of the 2017 NARTS Community Service Event winner for their “Project Underwearness.” This project provided local area residents in crisis with new underwear.
Each year, hundreds of thrift and resale owners and managers come together for the National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores conference. This year the gathering was held in Minneapolis. As part of the conference, attendees are offered an opportunity to give back to the community that is hosting the meeting. This year’s campaign entailed collecting and donating new under garments for women, men, and children. Underwear is something most people take for granted. So many people are surprised to know that new underwear is at the top of a wish list for many families in crisis. When you are struggling to put food on the table or gas in your car, new underwear is often a luxury.
Dawn Rachel Soltis
Loving Mom, Daughter, Teacher and FriendDawn Soltis, age 48 of Chisago City, passed away unexpectedly on July 20, 2017.
Dawn was a beloved teacher at Forest Lake High School where she worked with students and faculty with her service dog, Muppet, by her side. She was an incredible soul who touched many lives.
Dawn is preceded in death by father, David William; grandparents, John and Viola, Ralph and Margaret Palas; aunt, Sandra; fur baby, Bamm.
She is survived by son, Gray David; mother, Linda (David) Causton; brother, John; fur babies, Buffy and Muppet; many aunts, other family members and incredibly loving friends.
A Celebration of Dawn’s Life will be 2 p.m. Saturday, August 5th with visitation beginning at 12 Noon until time of service at Roberts Family Life Celebration Home, 555 SW Centennial Dr., Forest Lake. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Roberts Family Life Celebration Home to help defray costs.
Scandia school holds annual exhibition
Scandia Elementary held its third annual Sixth Grade Exhibition on June 1. As part of the IB Primary Years Program structure, students in their final year of the program are required to carry out an extended, in-depth, collaborative project that involves students working closely together to conduct an inquiry into a real-life issue or problem.
This year’s Central Idea, or main topic for exploration, was, “Interconnected societal decisions impact the world.” Students researched topics related to this concept including ethics, leadership, social justice, innovation, teamwork, problem solving, cultural awareness, environmental literacy, health and wellness, and safety, and security.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Each student group presented their research to the entire school, their families, and even special guests such as State Representative Bob Dettmer, Scandia Mayor Christine Maefsky, Scandia Administrator Neil Soltis, and Forest Lake Area Schools school board Member Karen Morehead.