Vivian Holl, age 87, of Forest Lake, died peacefully on October 15, 2017.
Preceded in death by husband, Eugene; several siblings. She is survived by son, Ken Holl; grandson, Tom Holl; great-granddaughter, Abbigail Holl; many extended relatives and friends.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at The Church of St. Peter, 1250 South Shore Drive, Forest Lake. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of mass at the church. Interment at Calvary Cemetery.
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.
Category: The Latest From Forest Lake Times
Wyoming joins ranks of GreenStep
Amy Doeun
Wyoming Reporter
The Wyoming City Council voted at Oct. 3 meeting to join the Greenstep initiative. Organization Metro Clean Energy Resource Team Director Diana McKeown gave a short presentation about the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program.broadstreet.zone(48036);
“It is a voluntary program for cities looking at sustainability and best practices,” she said of the group.
GreenStep Cities is a partnership between the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and various other entities, including the League of Minnesota Cities. Currently, approximately 160 cities across Minnesota have joined the GreenStep movement.
“[The cities] are big and small, liberal and conservative, and all over the state,” McKeown said.
Locally, the cities of White Bear Lake, Stacy, Forest Lake and Scandia are already GreenStep Cities.
“It provides a template,” McKeown said of GreenStep’s goals. “You can choose what makes sense for your city. … It provides a framework for a city’s sustainability efforts.”broadstreet.zone(50962);
There are 29 GreenStep practices broken up into five categories: Buildings
New library manager stresses community ownership
Photo by Jason DeMoe New Senior Library Manager Sarah Rosten is settling into her position and promoting the library as a community hub for not only reading, but also learning, making, and doing.
Hardwood Creek Library Senior Director Sarah Rosten, who took on the position in the last week of July when 16-year veteran director Amy Worwa moved to Louisiana, is a big proponent of making the library a community hub. To that effect, she is pushing the notion that the library is “owned” by the community members themselves.
“Everyone owns the library,” Rosten said. “What I mean by that is that we as an institution would be nothing without the support of the community. I want this to be a place that serves everyone in the best way that we can.”broadstreet.zone(48036);
Rosten earned her undergraduate degree in journalism at the University of Minnesota in Duluth. After a short stint as an intern
Art sought for WACAC show
The Wyoming Creative Arts Community is seeking artist submissions for a show that will open Oct. 19 at the Hallberg Center for the Arts. The deadline for entry is Oct. 11 and the show will be on display through Nov. 25. The Black & White art show will feature artwork by regional artists, all in black and white. This exhibit will accept 2D, 3D, literary (performed and written), and musical (performed) works of art. Performed works must relate to the theme, Black & White.
Written literary works must be framed in a gallery format. Framed and hung works of art must be presented in a gallery format, and ready to hang. only wired or sawtooth hanging systems will be accepted. Additional rules for submission are as follows:broadstreet.zone(48036);
• All artwork must be conceived and executed by the submitting artist.
• Artwork should be recent (within the last three years).
• Artwork must be black and
Local author wins Wisconsin book of the year award
Tracy Nelson Maurer’s children’s book “John Deere, That’s Who!” has been named the 2018 Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Book of the Year. Maurer, who grew up near Superior, Wisconsin, and now resides in Forest Lake, has written more than 100 books for children and young adults. The winning book was illustrated by Tim Zeltner and published by Henry Holt.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation hosts the state’s annual Ag in the Classroom book award program to honor titles that educate students about agricultural advancements in technology, efficiency, and productivity.broadstreet.zone(48036);
“John Deere had nothing to do with tractors (he died 30 years before the first one),” Maurer said in a press release. “Turns out, he developed a better plow, and it changed farming and the nation forever.”
Each year, the Ag in the Classroom program holds an essay contest in conjunction with the book of the year for fourth and fifth grade students
Fun run to support Wild River State Park
The Wild River 5K Otter Trotter Run/Walk will be held Oct. 14. with registration ($35 with T-shirt, $25 without) from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. and the race beginning at 10 a.m. at the picnic shelter. Wild River State Park is located at 39797 Park Trail, Center City.
The race route will lead runners along the Nevers Dam man-made dike, along the west bank of the St. Croix River, next to some native prairie, and will finish along a wooded path that shows some of the past history of the logging industry.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Registration forms can be downloaded at www.friendsofwildriver.org or picked up at the park. All proceeds from the sixth annual event, sponsored by the Friends of Wild River State Park, go to help support park programs. Awards will be given to the top finishers, plus all participants under age 12 will receive a prize.
A park vehicle permit ($7/day or $35/year) is required
Residency issue recalls old local cases
During the special Oct. 2 meeting of the Forest Lake City Council, several residents spoke up and gave reasons why they thought the council should or shouldn’t vote to declare a vacancy in the seat currently held by Michael Freer. In recent weeks, Freer has faced accusations that he’s violating the residency requirements of his position by living outside of Forest Lake and not at the address on his driver’s license. However, he has maintained that he is within the legal guidelines of state statute because he was forced to move out of town temporarily and intends to return. Read more about the details of the two sides’ arguments in the Oct. 5 story, “No change on council after vacancy vote fails.”
Among the residential speakers were a few who spoke about past local residency cases they believed should or shouldn’t serve as precedents to guide the council’s decision on the
Halloween helpers
Submitted photoNHS members have been collecting non-perishable food items every Halloween for over a decade. The items are donated to local food shelves.
As a member of the National Honor Society at Forest Lake Area High School, Renee Holmquist spent Halloween night of her senior year in 2005 going door-to-door collecting non-perishable food items to be donated to local food shelves. Twelve years later, she carries on the tradition not as a student, but as an NHS advisor.
“It never crossed my mind that I would one day be leading an NHS group in this project, much less in my own hometown,” Holmquist said. “I am very glad to see that this tradition has continued on.”broadstreet.zone(48036);
Seventy NHS students will begin going door-to-door Oct. 31 at 5:30 p.m. and will canvas areas throughout the school district.
“Most years, we collect about 2,000 pounds of food,” Holmquist said. “This is probably the one large group
Scandia sets a vision during comprehensive plan review
The Scandia City Council spent its meeting on Wednesday Oct. 4 working through Scandia’s comprehensive plan, a vision-cast requirement that cities in a seven-county area around the metropolitan region must meet. The comprehensive plan addresses the future of the city, including land use and natural resources, transportation, parks and trails, economic opportunities, public and personal utilities, and housing needs. The plan must align with the Metropolitan Council’s regional system in regards to transportation, wastewater services, parks and open space.
Scandia residents received the opportunity to participate in the city’s survey earlier this year, which addresses the issues facing Scandia. The survey’s results were included in the presentation of the comprehensive plan at the work meeting.broadstreet.zone(48036);
It was determined through the discussion and surveys that Scandia’s priorities for the future are life-stage housing, development of trails, and residential and commercial growth.
Part of the comprehensive plan is about making sure there is room for
Anthem furor alters spirit at North Lakes Academy’s Dig Pink Game
Senior libero Marie Russ digs out a ball during the match against Cristo Rey Jesuit.
Sports Editor’s note: Due to the heavy interest and discussion the news brief on this subject has generated, The Times is releasing a preliminary version of the full story. The Times still welcomes input from any person who was present at the game, and contributions received before the next press deadline (Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 12 noon) can be added to the final print version of the story. If you would like to voice an opinion and/or describe what you witnessed, please contact me at (612) 666-1517 or email at brad.oneil@ecm-inc.com.
Dig Pink Nightbroadstreet.zone(48036);
After months of preparation, the North Lakes volleyball team hosted its annual Dig Pink Game fundraiser for breast cancer awareness and research Thursday, Oct. 12. An emotional, highly-charged atmosphere arose when the visiting Cristo Rey Jesuit team knelt in protest while the national anthem