Category: The Latest From Forest Lake Times

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Local artist Jessie DeCorsey has finished her live painting of a modern reimagining of the Nativity. The painting, which was completed in the lobby of Willowbrook Church in Forest Lake, will soon be entered in the East Central Regional Arts Council’s IMAGE Art Show. Read more about the painting and DeCorsey’s process and inspiration in the March 9 story “Artist creates contemporary iconography at Willowbrook” or online at tinyurl.com/kwz8bmx.

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Beloved Sister, Aunt, Godmother & FriendMaureen Sullivan, age 80, of Forest Lake, passed away unexpectedly on April 24, 2017.
Preceded in death by parents, Daniel and Louise; twin sister, Marlene Salverda; brothers, Daniel and Timothy; sister, Beverly Stehr; and niece, Joy Salverda.
Survived by siblings, Duane (JoAnn), Myron (Donna), Gary, Ruth, John, Patrick (Cheryl); brother-in-law, Bill Salverda; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral service 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 2 at MUELLER-BIES FUNERAL HOME-ROSEVILLE, 2130 N. Dale St. at County Rd. B. Interment Elmhurst Cemetery. Visitation from 4-8 p.m. Monday and 10-11 a.m. Tuesday. Memorials preferred to Como Friends.
MUELLER-BIES FUNERAL HOME
651-487-2550 www.muellerbies.com

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Six days after a well-attended open house on the Washington County Sheriff’s Office proposal for contract law enforcement in Forest Lake, the City Council voted April 24 to hold a work session and special meeting May 1 to further explore the topic with the hope of making a final decision on the issue. The vote was 3-2 in favor of the setting the meeting, with Councilwoman Mara Bain and Councilman Husnik voting against out of concern that not enough questions about the proposal and contract would be able to be answered before that date.
The Forest Lake City Center was packed during the April 18 open house as community members read information about the proposal and shared their thoughts with council members (read more about the details presented during the open house in the April 20 story “Open house digs into police proposal details” or online at tinyurl.com/krhr5n8). Though residents who

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Precious Husband, Father, Grandfather & FriendDavid Bannick, age 63, of Forest Lake, formerly of St. Paul, entered into the presence of the Lord on April 23, 2017.
Preceded in death by his parents, Matthew and Luella.
Survived by his devoted wife, Diane (nee Perron); children, Shelley (Dan) Hanson, Tracey (Chris) Anderson, Dana (Brian) Wanschura, and Chad (Kortney); adoring grandchildren; siblings, Virgil, Maxine McNamara, James (Mary Beth), and Robert (Shirley); nieces, nephews, and countless friends and family.
Longtime employee of BGK Finishing Systems. David was a Bible scholar who had a passion for sharing and teaching the Gospel.
Funeral service 11 a.m. Friday, April 28 at FIRST EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH, 2696 Hazelwood St., Maplewood. Interment Roselawn Cemetery. Visitation 4-8 p.m. Thursday at MUELLER-BIES FUNERAL HOME-LINO LAKES, 7050 Lake Dr. (Hwy. 23), and from 10-11 a.m. Friday at the church.
MUELLER-BIES 651-784-3390
www.muellerbies.com

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Photo courtesy of TLC Digital Images
Last year, the Forest Lake baseball team finished 20-6, extending its streak of winning seasons to 10, winning a share of the Suburban East Conference trophy and coming within a game of advancing to the state tournament.
Now-graduated pitcher and outfielder Matt Wallner won the Minnesota Mr. Baseball Award as the state’s top player. The successful year even extended to the Rangers’ home ground, Schumacher Field, which was named the state’s best baseball venue last fall. broadstreet.zone(48036);
“We get a lot of support from the youth programs and we have a great tradition that goes way back,” head coach Tal Gravelle said.
Though Wallner is now excelling as a freshman on the Southern Mississippi team, those players who remain from last year’s squad will expect similar success in 2017.
“We have a veteran group: 14 seniors and eight returning letter-winners,” Gravelle said. “We also have plenty of newer guys

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CORRECTED: The print edition of this story omitted hurdler Chloe Foster from the list of returning Rangers who qualified for the state meet last season.
In 2016 the Rangers qualified a large contingent of athletes to the Class AA state track and field championships: The girls finished eighth while the boys placed 18th.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Remy Brisbois
However, most of the Rangers who contributed to those totals were seniors, including Division I signees Emma Benner and Pat Kasl.
Of 13 combined qualifiers, only four have not graduated: senior sprinter and jumper Remy Brisbois, junior pole vaulter and sprinter Jenna Parent, sophomore sprinter Madeline Dolby and hurdler Chloe Foster.
The Rangers return many athletes who came close to advancement. Sophomore pole vaulter Sofia Dodge has been clearing the same heights as Parent this year. Eighth-grader Amelea Hauer is a middle distance phenom who has already beaten one of the girls who blocked her path to state in the

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Each of the last two years, the Forest Lake girls golf team has won both the Suburban East Conference and Section 7AAA championships. At the Class AAA state championships, the Rangers finished sixth as a team in 2015 and moved up to second in 2016, with only Edina ahead of them.
Photo courtesy of TLC Digital ImagesThe Rangers lost three of their state players from last year, but return a strong group that will be favored to make a third trip to the championship.broadstreet.zone(48036);
“My top three are returning,” head coach Andrea Brischke said. “We’re extremely excited about the year.”
From the state team, seniors Maddy Messin and Hannah Kohls are back, as is junior Maija Tanberg, the reigning SEC champion.
The 2016 junior varsity team dominated its opposition, providing Brischke with plenty of options for filling the varsity openings.
Early favorites to contend for varsity places include senior Emily Edstrom, senior Anna Schmidke, sophomore

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Photo courtesy of TLC Digital Images
The Forest Lake boys golf team is always one of the Suburban East Conference’s best: In the previous 12 years of head coach John Buck’s tenure, the Rangers have never finished lower than fourth in the league and have won the championship five times.
“We’re always able to be in the running for the conference and sectional titles,” Buck said. “Our conference is always tough.”broadstreet.zone(48036);
2016 was something of a down year for the team, placing fourth in the SEC and third in the section. For the first time since Buck took charge of the team, no Ranger advanced to the state tournament.
As they look to reverse their fortunes in 2017, the Rangers will rely on three seniors for leadership. Derek Odland and Jared Hunt played on the sectional roster last year. Nick Mogren was the best player on the JV team a year ago and will

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Photo by Brad Asplund
In their last go-around as members of the Eastern Minnesota Athletic Conference last year, the North Lakes Academy softball team won the conference title.
This year, the Huskies will not only move to a new league – the Twin Cities Athletic Conference – but also to a new home, the Columbus City Fields.broadstreet.zone(48036);
“We’re very excited to have a new partnership with one of our supporting communities,” head coach Christopher Stewart said.
Many of the Huskies’ old EMAC rivals also made the move to the TCAC, so the schedule will feel familiar.
The new home field, however, will bring a few exciting opportunities. The Huskies will not only serve as hosts for the first-ever TCAC tournament in mid-May, but they will also host their own all-day tournament this Saturday, April 22, another program first.
The tournament, which begins at 10 a.m., will see the Huskies matched against St. Paul Humboldt, Chesterton

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Photo by Brad Asplund
The North Lakes Academy baseball team only won one game in 2016. The Huskies will look to increase that number as they contend with their first season in the Twin Cities Athletic Conference – though, unlike with some other sports, that move will give the Huskies a schedule that will be largely unchanged from years past, featuring familiar opponents like Liberty Classical, Nova Classical, and PACT Charter.
“We’re looking to improve this year,” first-year head coach Forrest Florczak said. “We have a couple of guys returning who are looking pretty solid, and some young guys coming up who are looking sharper and sharper every day.”broadstreet.zone(48036);
Senior pitcher and infielder Jeremy Knutson, who has committed to play college ball for Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, will be the key player on this year’s team.
“He’s been hitting it hard in the offseason, putting more velocity on his fastball,” Florczak

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