Washington County has a new program to help small businesses. Earlier this year the Economic Development Authority of Washington County approved an agreement with the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping small businesses succeed.
The agreement with MCCD has made available to any citizen of Washington County the organization’s Open to Business program, which offers a variety of advising services to anyone who either runs or is interested in running a small business.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Washington County is home to nearly 18,000 self-employed or non-employer businesses.
“That’s a significant number of small business here in the county,” Washington County Economic Development Director Chris Eng said. “That’s the backbone of our economy.”
“The county board and the cities got together and said, ‘We need to do something to help our existing businesses continue to grow and be successful and help them thrive,’” Eng said. That discussion led to a contact with MCCD
Category: The Latest From Forest Lake Times
Up high and up close
Forest Lake firefighters inspect a silo that caught fire the morning of Oct. 10 at 11529 Mayberry Trail N. in Marine on St. Croix. The Marine and Scandia fire departments responded to the fire after a call around 8:30 a.m., and Forest Lake responded for mutual aid. No one was injured.
Caffeine and conversation
Submitted photosbroadstreet.zone(48036);
Members of the Forest Lake Police Department met with community members at the Forest Lake Starbucks Oct. 4 for the department’s Coffee with a Cop event.
Carol Jean Hegstrom (Williams)
September 2, 1944 – October 5, 2017
Carol was 73 when she passed away at home surrounded by the family she so loved.
She worked as a chef for 35+ years, was a lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary, a President of the American Legion Auxiliary, and a drill team member.
Preceded in death by her father Walter; mother Theresa; brothers Roy, Randy, Raymond, Rodney; sister Patricia; nephew Anthony; nieces Jodi and Melisa.
Survived by her loving husband of 37 years Keith; children, Lisa (Doug), David (Megan), John (Maggie), Jason (Jeni), Keith (Heidi), Laurie; grandchildren, Angela (Jonathan), Skyler (Stephanie), Jaysa (Jacob), Lana, Luke, Aria, Dylan, Haylee, Mason, Parker, Samuel; great-grandchildren, Christian, Evan, Jonathan, Abigail, Harper; sisters, Dorothy and Cathy (Clayton); brothers, Robert (Jill), Richard (Judy), Roland (Darla), Ronald (Connie), Rickie (Cathy), Walter (Cathy), Stephen (Lori); brothers-in-law Butch, Dennis, Warren (Sue); sisters-in-law Sheila, Kathy, Joanne; and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
A Celebration of Life
Jack H. Kwiatkowski
Jack Hans Kwiatkowski, age 70, of Forest Lake, MN passed away on October 7, 2017 surrounded by loving family. Preceded in death by parents, Chester and Dagny Kwiatkowski and infant son, Tony. Survived by wife, Diane; and children, Brian (Heather) Kwiatkowski, Jill (Paul) Krongard, Scott (Lisa) Swenson and Todd Swenson; six Grandchildren and one Great Grandchild; brothers, Chester (Mary) Kwiatkowski, Larry (Suzy) Kwiatkowski; and numerous extended family.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 3:00 p.m., Friday, October 13, 2017 at Mattson Funeral Home 343 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake, MN 55025. A gathering of family and friends will be held one hour prior to the celebration at the funeral home. Online condolences may be made at www.mattsonfuneralhome.com. Cards and memorials may be directed to Mattson Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 343 N. Shore Drive, Forest Lake, MN 55025.
ESR honors Disability Employment Awareness Month
ESR, Inc. recently announced its participation in National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. This year’s theme is “Inclusion Drives Innovation.”
The history of National Disability Employment Awareness Month traces back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the word “physically” was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.broadstreet.zone(48036);
“Americans of all abilities must have access to good, safe jobs,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta said in a press release. “Smart employers know that
Orlo “Jim” Hursh
Orlo “Jim” Hursh, age 82 of Scandia, Minnesota, passed away peacefully while hunting for turkeys on Sunday, October 8, 2017.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Marie; sister, Karen Houle.
He is survived by his children, Kimberly (James) Anderson, Jeffery, Tammi (Steve) Malmer; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; sister, Kathleen Isaacson; brother, Joel (Marilyn) Hursh; many nieces, nephews and other extended family.
A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, October 16, 2017 at Mattson Funeral Home, 343 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake. The family will greet friends one hour prior to the celebration at the funeral home. Interment at Elim Lutheran Cemetery, Scandia, Minnesota. Online condolences may be made at www.mattsonfuneralhome.com. Cards and memorials may be directed to Mattson Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 343 N. Shore Drive, Forest Lake, MN 55025.
Masquers to stage largest show in 10 years
Photo by Jason DeMoeIan Lexvold, Josh Wollan, and Lydia Selby work out a dance routine in preparation for the upcoming Masquers production of “The Happy Elf.”
What started as an idea dreamed up in the mind of Dance Tech owner Robin Lind has ballooned into a major stage production the likes of which the Masquers Theatre Company has not seen in over a decade.
“Robin knew that her dancers don’t really get to experience being a part of a full-blown musical, so she found a show called ‘The Happy Elf’ that featured a lot of dancers and got in touch with [Masquers board member] Rachel [Lexvold], and then Rachel (who also directs the show) brought it to the full board, and it kind of took off from there,” Masquers president Ian Lexvold said.broadstreet.zone(48036);
“Dance Tech competition dancers are required to be in the show, and any student taking a Dance Tech class was
What’s new at sea?
Ted Blank
Travel Columnist
Cruising is one of the most popular types of vacations for Americans. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, over 12 million Americans have cruised during the last decade. Some cruise lines boast a repeat factor of over 90 percent, meaning that once guests have traveled with them, they come back for more. As the 2018 cruise booking season starts to ramp up, I’m going to take a look this week at some cruise options that many travelers haven’t considered for themselves.broadstreet.zone(48036);
There’s no doubt that traditional, megaship cruises are popular. With passenger capacities of 5,000 or more, these behemoths of the seas offer hundreds of thousands of passengers each year a chance to escape the winter blues, enjoy onboard activities like rock climbing or Broadway-type shows, and spend a bit of time ashore. Attractive pricing, easy access from major U.S. ports, and a broad range of onboard activities
One wild weenie
Photo by Jason DeMoe
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile made a pit stop at the Forest Lake Walmart Sept. 29. Oscar Mayer’s official “hot doggers” handed out weenie whistles, played hot dog trivia, and gave guests a tour of the inside of their ride.