U.S. Bail & Fugitive Enforcement Agent James Cumler is asking the help of the citizens of Anoka and Pine counties.

Daniel Eric Braun and Jake Arvid Neuschawander, who are both wanted on felony drug warrants, are known to frequent the Hinckley area, according to Cumler.

Braun, from the Mora area, is wanted in Isanti County for first-degree felony narcotics.

He is said to be traveling in a newer model Ford Taurus, light blue in color, and frequently visits Grand Casino Hinckley, Cumler said.

Neuschawander, of Coon Rapids, is wanted in Anoka County for second-degree felony narcotics and also frequents the Hinckley area.

According to Cumler, Neuschawander is likely traveling with his girlfriend, “Megan,” in a newer model Ford F150, green in color, with Critical Habitat license plates.

“Both fugitives are considered dangerous and a threat to the safety of the public,” Cumler said.

“They both also are known associates in the same crowd of friends and travel back and forth from the Minneapolis, Fridley, and Coon Rapids area.”

Rewards are being offered to anyone who provides information leading to the apprehension of these men.

Contact Cumler with information at 612-567-3390, or a local law enforcement office at 911.

by Mandy Moran Froemming
Union Editor

Due to a lack of snow the Mayor’s Trail Ride planned for Feb. 11 has been canceled.

The snowmobile ride had already been postponed from its original Jan. 21 date with the hope that winter weather would show up so the ride could go on. Everything was in place for the ride, except for the snow.

This would have been the third annual ride, which attracted 156 snowmobilers last year. They followed the Rum River from the Anoka County Fairgrounds north to St. Francis, with stops at several businesses in Anoka, Andover, St. Francis and Ramsey.

The trail ride is a fund-raiser for groups in Andover, Anoka, Nowthen, Oak Grove, Ramsey and St. Francis. In past years the mayor of each community announced his chosen charity at the end of the ride.

Those who had pre-registered for the ride can contact the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce for a refund. The Chamber can be reached at 763-421-7130 or by e-mail at mail@anokaareachamber.com.

For those who are interested, the Chamber is also willing to keep the registrations on file so participants can be pre-registered for next year.

Mandy Moran Froemming is at editor.anokaunion@ecm-inc.com

by Peter Bodley
Managing Editor

A public open house meeting on Anoka County’s plans to reconstruct University Avenue from County Road 10 to Main Street in Blaine and Coon Rapids will take place Wednesday, Feb. 15, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., at Blaine City Hall, 10801 Town Square Drive N.E.

The project, which begins at University Avenue’s intersection with 109th Avenue/Northdale Boulevard and ends just south of Main Street N.W./125th Avenue N.E., is the final leg in the reconstruction of University Avenue from County Road 10 north to Main Street.

Two prior projects in recent years upgraded University Avenue from 109th Avenue south to County Road 10.

During the open house, the public will be able to discuss the project in an informal manner with officials from the county and the cities of Blaine and Coon Rapids, as well as project consultant, WSB & Associates, Minneapolis.

Maps, drawings and other pertinent information will be available for public inspection at the open house, according to Sharon Montague, WSB & Associates, administrative group coordinator.

With federal funds in hand, the Anoka County Board last year hired WSB to prepare an environmental assessment/environmental assessment worksheet for the project in a contract worth more than $192,000.

According to Jason Orcutt of the Anoka County Highway Department, the proposed project will reconstruct 1.56 miles of University Avenue, which is the border between Coon Rapids and Blaine, to a four-lane divided highway with shoulders, and turn lanes to be installed at all public streets to improve safety and operations.

The traffic signal at 111th Avenue will be reconstructed to connect with 111th Lane and provide a single access point, Orcutt said.

In addition, the existing traffic signals at 117th and 125th avenues will be reconstructed to accommodate two through lanes of traffic, he said.

“The proposed project also includes construction of a pedestrian/bicycle path along both sides of the roadway,” Orcutt said.

At its meeting Jan. 24, the Anoka County Board, on the recommendation of its Public Works Committee, approved a purchase of service agreement with WSB for bridge design services for the project.

Under the contract, which will cost no more than $62,866, the bridge over Sand Creek will be replaced as well as an existing 88-inch span reinforced concrete elliptical pipe at the crossing of County Ditch 39.

According to Doug Fischer, county highway engineer, one of the replacements could be in the form of a box culvert.

Construction of the project is scheduled to start in the spring of 2014.

The county has received $6.4 million in federal funds for the University Avenue project, which is about 80 percent of the estimated project cost of around $8 million, Fischer said.

There will also be cost sharing by the cities of Blaine and Coon Rapids, he said.

Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com

by Eric Hagen
Staff Writer

The East Bethel City Council Jan. 18 heard testimony regarding a beer and a pack of cigarettes being sold to minors during compliance checks at two different businesses.

After some debate, the council fined Blue Ribbons Pine Disc Golf Course $250 for the alcohol sales violation and fined Coon Lake Market $150 for the tobacco violation. Blue Ribbons Pine could face another $250 fine if its employees do not complete a servers training course within 90 days.

Liquor sales violation

Anoka County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Mike Wahl oversaw the alcohol compliance checks. According to Wahl, a 17-year-old female working with him purchased a bottle of Coors Light beer from Richard Jordan on Aug. 31, 2011 at Blue Ribbons Pines.

Jordan’s son Ray Jordan, who owns the Blue Ribbons Pines business, said the family has been running a landscape business and the disc golf course for some time. He said his father has been nice enough to help out.

“We haven’t really talked to him about not serving any underage people or anything like that because he never really was set up to be working behind the counter in the first place. He just kind of stepped in and saw a void, and I saw him filling that void and so it was going just fine,” Ray Jordan said.

Ray Jordan said a positive aspect of this incident is they have a heightened awareness. He said they would be more than willing for their employees to complete the Responsible Beverage Service certification process.

As the person who sold the beer, Richard Jordan was prosecuted by the city’s contracted attorney firm at the Anoka County District Court. Richard Jordan paid a $500 fine and did eight hours of community service.

The council’s role was to decide if the license holder should also be punished with an administrative fine. Because this was a first-time violation, the possible fine could be no more than $500 to the licensee and $250 to the clerk that sold the beer.

Councilmember Heidi Moegerle made a motion that the $500 administrative penalty against Blue Ribbons Pines be waived if it provided proof within 90 days that all staff members have completed the Responsible Beverage Service certification process. In addition, she said no more community service was necessary seeing how eight hours had already been completed. The $250 fine against Richard Jordan would also be waived.

Councilmember Steve Voss said he appreciates that Richard Jordan went through the process with the county, but he said license holders must be responsible for their employees’ actions.

“It’s their responsibility to train, their responsibility in terms of sales that the laws are followed,” Voss said. “At least in past councils, the emphasis has been of not selling liquor to kids. This is a 17-year-old person. It’s not like the law changed recently. It’s not like the emphasis hasn’t been there for quite a long time with youth and alcohol and cigarettes.”

Councilmember Robert DeRoche Jr. wanted it put on the record that it is not council’s intent to allow businesses to sell alcohol or cigarettes to minors.

“I think everybody makes a mistake once. I don’t think this gentleman has done this before, and I have reason to believe that Ray is going to be pretty diligent on making sure it doesn’t happen again,” DeRoche said. “I think every case is different. I just don’t see where this was done with malice or intent… I don’t think slapping someone with a $500 fine takes care of the problem.”

Voss said if the council’s intent was to not fine a first-time offender, the ordinance should be changed to reflect this.

Moegerle said the ordinance doesn’t say there has to be zero tolerance. She noted that Richard Jordan immediately took responsibility for his actions. She said if someone tried to cover-up or make excuses for what they did, that would be different.

Mayor Richard Lawrence recommended amending the motion to fine Blue Ribbons Pines $250 immediately and stay the remaining $250 unless the employee training is not completed within 90 days.

“I think we need to have some type of financial impact on this issue because it’s a violation,” Lawrence said.

The rest of the council accepted the amendment, although DeRoche questioned the rationale and whether they were just doing it for the money.

Tobacco sales violation

According to a police report from the sheriff’s office, Julie Ann Schumacher sold a pack of Camel Light cigarettes to a 16-year-old male on Aug. 26 during a compliance check.

The minor reported that Schumacher asked for his identification and he provided it, but she still sold him the cigarettes.

The officer who worked on this case, Chris Fahey, said Schumacher was remorseful. It was a case of her doing the math wrong. A Minnesota driver’s license for a person under 18 years old age does note when the license holder’s 18th birthday is.

DeRoche made a motion to fine the license holder Coon Lake Market $150, which is the city’s standard administrative fee for a first-time violator of the tobacco sales ordinance. Schumacher had already paid a $150 fine after going through the district court criminal proceedings.

DeRoche did not require any community service and did not add any license suspension penalty. The ordinance states that the license could have been suspended up to 20 days for a first-time violator. Up to 10 days could be waived at a rate of two days for each eight hours of community service done for the city.

Eric Hagen is at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com

by Peter Bodley
Managing Editor

Few changes have been made in rates to play the city of Coon Rapids’ Bunker Hills Golf Course in 2012.

The only increases are in the daily fee to play both the regulation 18-hole and nine-hole courses during the week – $2 from $43 to $45 for 18 holes and $1 from $22 to $23 for the nine holes.

But all other fees on the regulation and executive nine-hole courses stay unchanged from 2011, while there is a $5 reduction in the cost for juniors to play the executive nine holes after 4 p.m. from $5 to zero.

The rate is subject to the junior playing with a parent or guardian, according to Tim Anderson, Bunker Hills golf pro/manager.

Rates are also unchanged for ID cards, rental fees for both courses (clubs, power carts, pull cart and range balls) as well as for all charges to play the simulator center.

Likewise, season tickets will remain at their 2011 level for individuals, husband-wife, senior citizen and junior.

To be eligible for season tickets, the person must have held a season pass since 1987.

But there is a decrease for the first 100 people who sign up for an individual membership (Patron Card) – from $2,000 to $1,650.

“Anticipated expenses, as well as course quality and demand at Bunker Hills are taken into consideration when setting the rates,” Anderson said.

According to Anderson, the Patron Card has become the membership base for customer loyalty at Bunker Hills.

“The 2012 rates focus on further cultivating this community of loyal users for the entire facility at Bunker Hills,” Anderson said.

“A slight increase in the public championship rates more closely aligns public rates with comparable golf facilities while providing a deeper discount to Patron Card purchasers.”

The offering of a competitively priced membership for both golf and golf carts caters to the committed, avid golfer, Anderson said.

“Providing complimentary access to junior golfers after 4 p.m. on the executive course with a paid adult should accomplish several facility wide goals,” he said.

According to Anderson, these goals include:

• Promotion of family/community recreational activities.

• Promotion and growth of junior golf initiatives.

• Promotion and growth of beginner/new golfer initiatives.

• Promotion of Bunker Hills Golf Club as a community gathering place.

• Create more activity in the executive course during historically slow periods.

According to Anderson, patron cards and memberships for the 2012 season went on sale Feb. 1.

Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com

by Mandy Moran Froemming
Union Editor

A group charged with coming up for a plan for a new Castle Field has presented its vision to the Anoka City Council.

During a Jan. 23 work session, the council heard from members of the Castle Field Committee, city staff and landscape architects who are proposing a new $1.9 million ball field.

Construction is expected start this spring at the new Anoka High School location, which would relocate the diamond from its longtime home just off Highway 10.

This follows 22 months of meetings between stakeholders that included local baseball clubs that use the field, the city, the Anoka-Hennepin School District and the Anoka American Legion, which originally gave the field to the city back in the 1949.

The project has been moved ahead by the sale of the property to HealthPartners, which plans to build a new medical clinic on the site located near Green Haven Golf Course.

Under the current proposal, construction would begin in late spring or early summer with the possibility of some limited play on the field in the summer of 2013. Official dedication of the field won’t likely take place until the spring of 2014, according to Greg Lee, the city’s public services director and city engineer.

The current ball field design features a variety of amenities including bleacher seating for 250, team dugouts, bullpens and batting cages, a plaza entry to the field, parking and a building that would house concessions, restrooms and storage.

“There’s going to be nothing in the near vicinity that’s going to shine like this one,” said Rick Oehschelager of the Anoka American Legion on the proposed plan for Castle Field.

In the plan presented to the city council, the project was broken down financially into two phases. The first would be the playing field, bleachers and infrastructure with a price tag of $1.5 million.

The second phase includes the building located underneath the bleachers, which would house concessions, restroom and storage, which is estimated to cost just over $400,000.

“We’ve looked at how much each piece of the puzzle costs and how we bring them all together,” said landscape architect Jay Pomeroy. His firm Anderson, Johnson Associates was contracted by the city to design the ball field.

Councilmember Jeff Weaver commended both city staff and committee members for their approach.

“You’ve got the entire community taking ownership of this project,” said Weaver. “That has gone really well.”

According to Weaver, there are plans in place to recognize both the history of Castle Field and some of the people who were influential in the local baseball community.

“We will make sure that history stays alive and well and nobody forgets those names,” said Weaver.

To date, an official plan to pay for the ball field has not been approved by the council, although there is general agreement by the city and the Legion that the $1.2 million proceeds from the sale of the current Castle Field site to HealthPartners will be earmarked for the project, said City Manager Tim Cruikshank.

The city will likely also contribute an additional $340,000 needed for construction of the playing field to go ahead.

This leaves a gap of approximately $410,000, or the cost of the building that will house concessions, storage and restrooms, for which a funding source will need to be found.

“The financing pieces may not all be in place, but this will be an asset to our whole city,” said Councilmember Steve Schmidt.

According to Lee, the building will be bid separately a couple of months later than the rest of the ball field. This will allow the city to get to work on construction of Castle Field and buy it some time to attract funding for the concessions building.

Cruikshank said there have already been meetings about a capital fund-raising campaign that will look to attract in-kind donations of construction materials and services, along with general fund-raising.

The land for the new ballpark is being donated by the Anoka-Hennepin School District. At this time, the district doesn’t have a value calculated for that property.

“We’re still working some of that out,” said Chuck Holden, chief operations officer for the school district, on the final mapping and space needs for the project. “But the value of eight to 10 acres along Seventh Avenue is pretty significant.”

There is also a group working to create a non-profit organization to lessen the financial burden to the city in the relocation, construction and maintenance of a city-owned baseball facility. Tax-exempt status would allow for fund-raising contributions to be tax deductible.

“All of the parties that have a vested interest will be on the board (of directors) with some members of the community at large,” said Scott Baumgartner, a member of the Castle Field Committee. Baumgartner, an attorney, is also working on drafting articles of incorporation for this non-profit organization.

According to Baumgartner, this organization would also govern many aspects of the field once it is open to play, including field maintenance and usage, scheduling, managing concessions and treasury work.

“This would be a good vehicle to ensure Castle Field remains a nice field into the future,” he said.

The council will be asked to order the plans and specifications of the Castle Field project at its Feb. 6 meeting. The site plan will also be up for review by the planning commission in March. Later that month the council will then authorize those plans and go out for bids, which will be awarded on April 19, said Lee.

Mandy Moran Froemming is at editor.anokaunion@ecm-inc.com

by Eric Hagen
Staff Writer

Ann Blake of Andover and her sister Jean were enjoying an afternoon of shopping and walking in the Arbor Lakes commercial district in Maple Grove on Jan. 31. They were standing at the corner of Elm Creek Boulevard and Hemlock Lane when a vehicle jumped the curb, hit and killed Ann, according to a statement from Blake’s family. She never even saw it coming.

Ann worked nights as a cashier for Cub Foods in Coon Rapids and her two children are still in school, the family said. Jean lives in the west metro, so the sisters would sometimes meet in Maple Grove for shopping, lunch or to take a walk for exercise. Tuesday, Jan. 31 was a perfect day for walking outside because it was exceptionally warm for a Minnesota winter day. Ann also did not have to pick her son up from school to bring him to Autism therapy sessions until 2:30 p.m.

The family said Ann and Jean were walking along Elm Creek Boulevard toward the new water park east of Hemlock Lane.

Maple Grove Police Capt. Keith Terlinden told the Osseo-Maple Grove Press & News that officers were called to the intersection of Elm Creek Boulevard and Hemlock Lane at 11:46 p.m.

The suspect driver was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police are determining if alcohol was involved in the accident, according to Terlinden.

The Blake family endured another tragedy just four months ago when Ann’s husband Dan Blake died after a 10-month battle with cancer. According to her family, Ann’s life revolved around making sure that her 12-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, would have the kind of nurturing and care they needed. Her son has Autism, and the family said she was able to obtain respite care support that allowed her to work, pay the bills and keep the family together after her husband passed away.

Family members, neighbors and friends are currently caring for the children. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred for benefit of the The Blake Children Fund. This fund has been set up in the care of Grace Lutheran Church, 13655 Round Lake Blvd. N.W., in Andover, MN 55304-3659.

“Ann was a high energy person whose friends and neighbors have called the activity director,” a family statement said. “She was always looking for family-type activities for parents and children. She was active in her church and community and was recognized as an advocate for children with Autism.”

Eric Hagen is at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com

by Tammy Sakry
Staff Writer

With the results of their experiments neatly prepared, more than Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 600 students converged on Blaine High School for the annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Fair Jan. 28.

More than 600 students from 10 Anoka-Hennepin School District schools came to Blaine High School Jan. 28 to discuss their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) projects, their theories and the results. Photo by Tammy Sakry

It is the biggest STEM fair in the state, said Gary Alexander, Coon Rapids High School science teacher.

More than 10 school were represented, said Kevin Molohon, Champlin High School teacher.

The following Anoka-Hennepin School District students who participated in the Jan. 28 STEM Fair won top finisher recognition and were awarded a Naval Science Award for the project they entered.

According to Molohon, the Navy awards a certificate and a medal to the top finishers in grades six through eight.

And for the top finishers in grades nine through 12, the Navy awards a certificate, a medal and a $50 Staples gift certificate, he said.

Here are the 2012 STEM Fair top finishers:

Brady Clarke, Anoka Middle School for the Arts, Fred Moore campus

Logan Zwack, Andover High School

Mariah Mullen, Blaine High School

Hanna Stratton, Blaine High School

Austen Lambert, Jackson Middle School

Angela Ramsdell, Jackson Middle School

Caleb Watkins, Champlin Park High School

Kelsey Wood and Jessica Kelley, Champlin Park High School

Tammy Sakry is at tammy.sakry@ecm-inc.com

by Eric Hagen
Staff Writer

At its Jan. 17 meeting, the Ham Lake City Council addressed a number of road project issues that its roads commission had discussed Jan. 12.

Some of the issues included reconstructing streets in the Hastings Hill neighborhood, doing a bituminous overlay of streets in the Livgard Acres neighborhood, accepting an almost $175,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to construct the Johnson Street service road on the northwest corner of Highway 65-Crosstown Boulevard and approving bituminous overlay projects for several other streets.

Constructing a new service road on the northwest corner of Highway 65-Crosstown Boulevard will be one of the bigger projects Ham Lake will take on in 2012. The project, including construction and engineering, is estimated to cost $395,441.10. City Engineer Tom Collins estimates the city costs will be $70,341.64. The city’s Municipal State Aid (MSA) fund, which is dollars that come from MnDOT through the state gas tax, will kick in an estimated $150,409.05. The Cooperative Agreement Grant from MnDOT closes the funding gap.

The new service road will head north from Crosstown Boulevard and cut east to connect to the existing service road. This segment will be reconstructed and end in a cul-de-sac before it reaches Crosstown Boulevard. The old service road lost its access to Crosstown Boulevard when Anoka County reconstructed the Highway 65-Crosstown Boulevard intersection a couple of years ago. The county was concerned about the proximity of the old service road’s access to the intersection.

Debates between the majority property owner Ron Braastad and the city on issues such as road alignment issues delayed the service road project. The city constructed a temporary road that had access to Crosstown Boulevard to help out the businesses on that corner that lost the old access. This segment will be gone once the new service road is open.

While this project is going on, Ulysses Street south of Crosstown Boulevard will be reconstructed. According to Collins, this is slated to cost approximately $74,000. This amount is included in the estimated project costs of about $395,000, but MnDOT’s Cooperative Agreement Grant will not cover any of the Ulysses Street costs.

Another sizable 2012 project will be bituminous overlays in three different areas with an estimated cost of $389,114.69. Of this total, $232,202.17 will come from MnDOT funds submitted to the city’s MSA account. This will be for the overlay of 149th Avenue from Naples Street to Lexington Avenue. Cities receive MSA dollars from MnDOT every year based on how many miles of designated state aid roads they have. State aid roads must be designed to handle heavier amounts of traffic. MSA funds can be used by cities for roads they designated as state aid roads. This segment of 149th Avenue is a state aid road.

The remaining $156,912.52 of the 2012 overlay project will be to overlay streets within the Homestead Estates development and to overlay the parking lot used for the public works department and tennis courts. The Homestead Estates portion of this total amount is about $104,000.

The Hastings Hill reconstruction and Livgard Acres overlay projects are being bid together because they are located by each other. The Hastings Hill portion is estimated to cost $215,751.33 while the Livgard Acres project may cost $23,968.50.

The Hastings Hill streets are 23.73 feet wide and will be widened to 24 feet, according to Collins. These streets were constructed in 1989. The existing bituminous will be reclaimed and used in the new road to save costs, according to Collins. The Livgard Acres streets were constructed in 1994. An overlay is meant to prolong the life of a road before a more expensive reconstruction is necessary. Construction on both these projects will take place from March through October.

Collins noted that the city will keep any leftover bituminous millings for use as a surfacing material for unpaved roads that need new millings. The council voted to use this year’s leftover millings on portions of Baltimore Street and 166th Avenue.

Eric Hagen is at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com

by Sue Austreng
Staff Writer

They formed hypotheses.

Morris Bye Elementary School gymnasium was transformed Jan. 24 from a basketball court to a laboratory when 70 third, fourth and fifth graders displayed science fair projects. Photo by Sue Austreng

They conducted experiments and recorded results.

They came to conclusions.

Determined to find definitive answers to questions like “Which combination will make the brownies rise higher?” “How long does it take to grow a stalactite?” and “What are the deadliest and most common forms of cancer?” 70 Morris Bye Elementary School, Coon Rapids, students elected to participate in the school’s annual science fair.

The school’s gymnasium was transformed from a basketball court to a laboratory when the school’s third-, fourth- and fifth-graders set up shop, displaying science fair projects and describing their experiments to judges.

Students’ parents and other family members were invited to inspect the displays and students received participatory medals that evening.

Participation in the science fair is a volunteer activity, not required to pass the grade, but encouraged as a practical method of applying lessons learned in the classroom.

Each student who took part in Morris Bye’s science fair received a participatory medal after conducting research and gathering data, displaying their project and describing to judges the purpose and result of their experiments, and answering pointed questions.

Judges (students at Anoka-Ramsey Community College) evaluated each student’s project, awarding points in each of five categories: attractiveness (of the display), purpose, procedures, methods and data presentation.

High scoring student projects earned the young scientists blue ribbons. Others earned red or white ribbons depending on their score on the judges’ sheets.

“It really pleases me to see how many kids – on their own – did these nice projects. We had 70 students do science fair projects this year. That’s impressive,” said Wendell Martin, fourth-grade science/social studies teacher and teacher leader for Morris Bye’s science fair.

Martin also emphasized that the science fair isn’t a competition and ribbons are awarded simply to give students a mark to try and beat next year.

“I’m trying to encourage competition for the students with themselves. If a student gets a red ribbon this year, I want that student to try to get a blue ribbon next year,” Martin said.

“I want to build that excitement for science. I’m trying to build that interest up and go with it.”

Principal Janel Wahlin thanked parents for their support of the science fair and told families gathered in the gymnasium-turned-laboratory, “We hope to continue this year after year as a tradition here at Morris Bye.”

To date, the Morris Bye Science Fair has been an annual tradition for almost 20 years, said Martin.

“We’re one of the only elementary schools in the district that have an annual science fair and these kids really like it,” he said. “They really do well.”

According to Martin, five Morris Bye students took their projects to the STEM Fair, staged at Blaine High School Jan. 28.

“This kids have an excitement for science and they’re learning lessons that they will use well into their lifetimes,” said Martin.

Sue Austreng is at sue.austreng@ecm-inc.com

by Eric Hagen
Staff Writer

Instead of selling popcorn, baked goods or having a car wash, Cub Scout Pack 508 of Ham Lake invited over a dozen area businesses and individuals to compete against each other in a Pinewood Derby race at McKinley Elementary School Saturday.

The competitors watch the Pinewood Derby vehicles going down the track. Four vehicles went during each race. Photo by Eric Hagen

Carl Ganter of Andover works at American Family Insurance in Blaine. He and his 86-year-old father John Ganter worked on a Pinewood Derby car 30 years ago when Carl was a Cub Scout. They recently spent a few hours designing and making a Pinewood Derby car out of a block of wood to compete against 13 other teams.

The competition among the 14 adult teams included some good natured ribbing, but this race was not about pride. It was to make sure that young boys could continue to be Cub Scouts at an affordable rate.

The approximately $1,000 raised from this inaugural Pinewood Derby race for local businesses and friends of Pack 508 will be used to replace a portable six- by three-foot bridge used in ceremonies when Cub Scouts advance from a Tiger Cub to a Wolf Cub or a Cub Scout advances to a Boy Scout.

In these ceremonies, the advancing Scouts walk across the bridge to their new group, according to Dennis Fallon, leader of Pack 508.

Fallon said he also wants each den within Pack 508 to have flags that can be used to practice proper flag etiquette.

It costs Pack 508 about $50 per child each year for various activities, including the Pinewood Derby, he said. For those who join in kindergarten, the annual fee for the first two years is $20. For those who join in first grade, the annual fee for first grade through fifth grade is $40.

Fund-raisers are typical for organizations seeking to close a funding gap, but Fallon wanted to do something unique, so the idea for the adult Pinewood Derby race came about.

“The thing I’m most proud of is to hear they can keep fees low so every child that wants to participate can,” Carl Ganter said.

Jay Benton of Benton Builders in Blaine and his son Joshua Benton of Josh’s Home Delivery in Coon Rapids are both alumni of Cub Scout Pack 508. Jay has a grandson, Jakob Adams. who is now in Pack 508. Jay and Joshua remember how fun it was to build Pinewood Derby cars when Joshua was a Cub Scout, so they jumped at the opportunity to do it again.

Cub Scout Pack 508 held its annual Pinewood Derby race at McKinley Elementary School in Ham Lake Saturday. Later in the afternoon, 14 adult teams got the opportunity to race against each other for an inaugural fund-raising event for the pack. Photo by Eric Hagen

The Benton’s Pinewood Derby car resembles the real Lincoln-Mercury vehicle they have been restoring together and plan to race in Brainerd.

Tom Hauwiller of Abra Auto Body and Mark Soderquist of New Market were a couple of other Cub Scout veterans who came back to race.

The kindergarten Cub Scouts chose the Justice Brothers car designed by Gillund Enterprises as their favorite. The fastest car was designed by Dr. Tony Lawther of Essentials of Life Chiropractic in Andover.

A fun aspect of this event was it gave the Cub Scout alumni opportunities to try out designs they may have mulled over for decades, Fallon said.

“I just wanted to make it like a sleek looking race car, but obviously that didn’t work the best,” Carl Ganter said. He loved seeing the different designs.

One of his favorites was the Ham Lake Fire Department making a vehicle that looked like a fire engine, Ganter said.

It even had a siren, but this feature had to be taken out after the first race because judges found out the vehicle was overweight because of the battery that operated the siren.

Each business that participated received a plaque which contained two pegs that their Pinewood Derby car could sit on. Fallon said this would be a visual reminder for clients that these businesses support the Scouting program and it could be a good ice breaker if the client was involved in Cub Scouts.

“This is an opportunity for us to reach out to local businesses and have local businesses reach out to us and build a sense of community and support each other as we build a program,” Fallon said.

Eric Hagen is at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com

by Eric Hagen
Staff Writer

Three local residents have been arraigned in Anoka County District Court on felony burglary charges.

Cody Ray Stamnes, 2764 132nd Lane N.W., Coon Rapids, was charged with felony theft and receiving stolen property counts, while Ramsey residents Christopher Robert Bartlett and Dylan James Jensen, who both live at 5590 148th Lane N.W., were each charged with one felony count of receiving stolen property. All three are 18 years old.

Investigator Ben Rossum of the Ramsey Police Department said this was a complex case because there were two burglarized homes and the suspects sold the items at multiple pawn shops.

According to the criminal complaint, the Ramsey Police Department was notified on July 2, 2011 of a burglary at a Ramsey home. The homeowner claimed that three silver coins, a silver ring, a gold necklace, two gold bracelets and a large amount of change had been stolen from her residence. She suspected four men, which allegedly included Bartlett, Jensen and Stamnes.

The names of these men were given to local pawn shops. July 7, 2011, the Anoka Pawn America called police alleging that Bartlett, Jensen and a juvenile female were attempting to sell stolen jewelry.

Ramsey police responded and found these three at the store. They said two other men were just outside the store. One of them was Stamnes.

Rossum told the Anoka County Union that the suspects denied stealing anything other than silver coins from the Ramsey home. These coins were recovered, but none of the other alleged stolen property has been found, he said.

According to the complaint, Bartlett said in a post-Miranda statement that they were attempting to sell jewelry they stole from an Andover home July 7, 2011. He identified the home and the homeowner confirmed she had missing jewelry.

The 12 pieces of jewelry stolen from this Andover home were recovered, Rossum said.

According to the owner’s estimate, this jewelry had a value of $6,510.

Bartlett alleged in his statement that Stamnes and another man stole the jewelry from the Andover home.

Rossum said the other man was not charged because he pleaded guilty to another burglary case he was involved with in exchange for charges in this case being dropped.

Bartlett allegedly said he drove this man, Jensen and the juvenile female to the Andover residence to meet Stamnes, who was already at the residence.

Bartlett alleged he, Jensen and the juvenile female remained in the car while the other two entered the house. They came out about 10 minutes later and allegedly showed them several pieces of jewelry, saying they had stolen it from the home.

According to Bartlett’s statement, he drove to pawn shops in Anoka, Champlin and Coon Rapids with these four people in the vehicle to pawn the stolen items.

Bartlett alleged that Stamnes and the other man who was not charged asked Jensen to sell the jewelry at the Anoka Pawn America because they had both been refused for selling stolen property in the past.

Jensen gave a non-custodial statement to police in which he alleged Stamnes offered him two packs of cigarettes to sell the jewelry at Anoka Pawn America and he agreed even though he knew the property had been stolen.

Stamnes allegedly told police in a post-Miranda statement that he observed the other man (who was not charged) exiting the upstairs bedroom where the jewelry had been kept.

He alledgedly denied stealing any jewelry from the Andover home but admitted he attempted to sell the jewelry after they left and sold jewelry at pawn shops in Anoka on June 28 and June 29, 2011.

To help recover stolen jewerly, Rossum said it is a good idea to take pictures of it and be able to specifically identify it. Saying a gold necklace has been stolen is not specific enough, he said.

Eric Hagen is at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com

by Peter Bodley
Managing Editor

Bayer HealthCare has expanded its presence in Coon Rapids.

And the expansion project received a financial boost from the Coon Rapids City Council and Coon Rapids Economic Development Authority (EDA) in the form of grants totaling $340,000.

According to Marc Nevinski, city of Coon Rapids community development director, the expanded facility is called Bayer Interventional.

The project approved by the city included renewing the lease at its current 50,000 square-foot building on Evergreen Boulevard and upgrading its equipment there as well as moving into and renovating a large area of unused space at the north end of the Honeywell building, which is on Evergreen Boulevard.

“It’s very impressive,” said Nevinski, who attended an open house at the new facility last month.

“I felt like I was in Silicon Valley. It’s very modern.”

According a Bayer HealthCare press release, the new, expanded facility is for its interventional franchise within its medical care’s radiology and interventional business.

“The new facility features new research and development laboratories as well as manufacturing clean rooms,” the press release states.

“The interventional franchise discovers, markets and manufactures therapeutic medical devices for the treatment of vascular occlusions.”

This expansion nearly doubles Bayer HealthCare’s infrastructure in Minnesota, home of its interventional franchise, and provides room for future growth in the cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease device lines, according to Alan Main, president of Bayer HealthCare’s medical care business, which includes the radiology and interventional and diabetes care businesses of Bayer HealthCare.

The new building comprises roughly 80,000 square feet of space, Main said in the press release.

“Scientists and research technicians are now working in new laboratory space and the company plans to use new clean rooms to expand production of Cotavance®, a drug-eluting balloon for the treatment of peripheral artery disease presently approved for use in the European Union, as the company introduces it into additional markets,” he said.

Bayer HealthCare’s connection to Coon Rapids dates back to 2008 when a Bayer subsidiary, MEDRAD, acquired Possis Medical, which had been located in Evergreen Business Park for many years.

Before the $5 million expansion project, the company operated out of what was the Possis building on Evergreen Boulevard, as well as two smaller plants totaling 25,000 square feet, on Springbrook Drive, also in Evergreen Business Park, said Matt Brown, city community development specialist, when he presented the grant proposal to the council and EDA last year.

Under the agreement with the city for the grants, Bayer HealthCare, which currently employs 220 people in Coon Rapids, will add 30 to 45 new jobs in the next two years.

According to Brown, this is the first phase of a proposed two-phase project with Bayer planning a second-phase expansion worth some $3 million later this year, which would add even more jobs.

To provide financial assistance, the city used a financing tool put in place by the 2010 Minnesota Legislature, Brown said.

The Legislature approved a temporary provision to the tax increment financing (TIF) law allowing the use of cash balances in TIF districts for loans and assistance for any project that creates jobs, including construction jobs, he said.

In August 2010, the council changed the budgets of two TIF districts to free up money for this purpose.

The Legislature put a cap on the use of the TIF dollars – projects receiving assistance had to begin by July 1, 2011 and the money had to be spent by Dec. 31, 2011, according to Brown.

But in the 2012 session, the Legislature extended the program another year, providing the project receiving the TIF dollars has started by July 1 this year and is completed by Dec. 31, 2012, Brown said.

The financial assistance by the city to Bayer provided a $300,000 grant plus up to $40,000 to offset building permit fees, all using the TIF cash balances.

“This project did exactly what the financing tool was designed to do – expand and retain business in Coon Rapids and create new jobs,” Nevinski said.

Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG, is one of the world’s leading companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany.

The company combines the global activities of the animal health, consumer care, medical care and pharmaceuticals divisions.

Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide, according to its website.

Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 55,700 employees (Dec. 31, 2010) and is represented in more than 100 countries. For more information go to www.bayerhealthcare.com.

Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com

by Eric Hagen
Staff Writer

To bring the community closer together, the East Bethel Economic Development Authority (EDA) is considering following a path many other communities have followed by starting a farmers market.

Farmers markets can include many types of products such as produce, flowers, crafts, jams and jellies, honey and much more. This photo was taken last year at the Andover farmers market. File photo by Eric Hagen

At its last meeting on Jan. 18, the EDA unanimously approved a $600 budget to enroll in two farmers market organizations and to begin research and marketing efforts, according to City Planner Stephanie Hanson.

“It’s a great way to bring the community together,” Hanson said.

It is known that people like to buy fresh produce, she said.

According to Councilmember Heidi Moegerle, who serves as president of the EDA, people also like to know that the produce is locally grown.

“It’s an excellent idea,” said EDA member Mike Conner of having a farmers market in East Bethel. “I’m very supportive of it and hope it happens sooner rather than later.”

It has yet to be determined when an East Bethel farmers market would begin, where it would be located or what would be sold there, according to Hanson. With the EDA’s approval to join the Minnesota Farmers Market Association for $70 per year and Minnesota Grown for $20 per year, it can find out which vendors are out there and start the planning process.

There are many different approaches to take. Hanson talked with the cities of Blaine, Champlin, Isanti, Maple Grove, Princeton, Ramsey and Zimmerman along with the two organizations and the Anoka County Growers Association to ask what it takes to host a market.

City Administrator Jack Davis said having a community farmers market gets back to the city’s goal of branding and marketing East Bethel to prospective businesses.

Speaking of marketing, Hanson said the communities she talked with said the most important component of a successful farmers market is advertising.

East Bethel staff found out that city-run markets are becoming increasingly popular because they can be an economic boost to the local community and they strengthen the sense of community.

Conner prefers the city not use its limited staff resources on organizing and managing the farmers market, preferring that a private group with the resources and experience to manage a farmers market take this on.

Some cities do not run their own farmers market. The St. Paul Farmers Market puts on about two dozen markets throughout the metro area, including such north metro spots as Andover, Hugo and Roseville.

The Andover farmers market takes place on Tuesday afternoons from early May through late October in the Grace Lutheran Church parking lot near the busy intersection of Bunker Lake and Round Lake boulevards.

The parking lot is full every day, said Kris Miller, secretary at Grace Lutheran Church.

Miller thinks the Andover farmers market is a great thing because people are getting fresh produce grown locally and they can meet new people or catch up with friends. One man from the church will bring out ice water on a hot day for thirsty shoppers.

“It’s a meeting place for people,” Miller said. “We get calls from people all the time thanking us for having this. It’s such a great community outreach for people. I love it.”

Moegerle said the city of East Bethel would likely operate the farmers market at first, but a private entity could take over in the future. Booster Day is not organized by the city but by a 501(c)(4) civic group of volunteers, according to Davis. The city provides the park space and the public works crew to help with the set-up and tear-down.

Hanson said the market may start out small in its first year and grow in subsequent years. Whether the market would have a specific product focus remains to be seen, but Hanson assumes there will be a mixture of local produce, crafts and flowers.

The specifics for East Bethel are still being formed, however.

Eric Hagen is at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com

Click image to view Photos of the Week for Feb. 3, 2012

by Eric Hagen
Staff Writer

The sixth annual Snowbowl is set for Saturday, Feb. 11 at Ham Lake Park.

Skijoring, a dog sled race and dog sled pulling are the dog theme competitions that take place at the Ham Lake Snowbowl. File photo by Eric Hagen

A new requirement this year is that almost every person needs to have a $3 Snowbowl button to attend the event. Children ages five or under get in free, according to Chris Mickman, chairperson of the Ham Lake Snowbowl Committee. Snowbowl buttons can be purchased from most of the businesses in Ham Lake. Volunteers will be at the park the day of the event selling buttons.

This year’s button was designed by Ellie Talbot, a fourth-grade student at McKinley Elementary School.

A button will get a parking space, admission to the Snowbowl and one free guess on when the metal Snowbowl sculpture will fall through the ice for a chance to win $500. Additional guesses can be purchased for $2 each or buy eight guesses for $10. The sculpture will be on display at the event.

The Snowbowl has seen some brutal cold and windy weather and beautiful sunshine throughout its previous five years. The lead-up to this Snowbowl is the warmest it has ever been, Mickman said.

Nevertheless, Mickman said there is plenty of snow to put on the event and there are once again many fun activities for people to enjoy.

The medallion hunt will kick off the festivities. The first clue will be released Monday, Feb. 6 on the Ham Lake Area Chamber of Commerce’s website (www.hamlakecc.org), at the Holtz Garden Center and at Ham Lake City Hall.

All events will be at Ham Lake Park, which is located on the north side of 153rd Avenue about a mile east of Highway 65.

Anyone interested in watching the snow sculptures take shape are invited out to stop by Ham Lake Park from noon to 11 p.m. Friday,

Feb. 10. A DJ will be there from about 6 to 10 p.m. Refreshments will be available.

This year’s Snowbowl button was designed by Ellie Talbot, a fourth-grade student at McKinley Elementary School. Courtesy of Ham Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

An 11-hour broomball tournament from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. marks the start and end of this year’s Snowbowl. There are many races or activities to watch or take part in during the day, which are all listed below. A large tent will give guests a place to warm up and find out more about local businesses in the business expo. Food and beverages will be sold by vendors.

Saturday, Feb. 11 schedule

• 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Broomball tournament

• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Snow golf

• 10 a.m.: Skijoring race

• 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Helicopter rides (weather permitting)

• 10:30 a.m.to 3 p.m.: Sled dog rides

•11 a.m.: Sled dog races

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Ice fishing contest

• Noon: Dog pull competition

• 12:30 p.m.: Vintage snowmobile expo

• 2:30 p.m.: Snow sculpture judging

• 2:45 p.m.: Final awards presentation

Eric Hagen is at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com

by Mandy Moran Froemming
Union Editor

The Anoka Police Department has issued a crime alert following a robbery at a downtown jewelry store.

Police suspect the men in these photos to be responsible for robbing Dan Gould Jewelers on Jan. 19. Photo courtesy of the Anoka Police Department

Dan Gould Jewelers, located at 120 E. Main St., was robbed by four men during in the middle of the night Jan. 19.

Police were able to obtain video from the jewelry store’s surveillance system, showing the four men they suspect are responsible for the robbery.

The men smashed a window to gain entry to the store and then smashed display cases to get access to the jewelry. Police report the suspects were inside the store for less than a minute.

These men were also in the jewelry store the previous day, according to the jewelry store’s staff, and were seen on surveillance video. Still photos from the video have been released as part of the alert in an effort to capture the suspects.

According to Capt. Scott Nolan of the Anoka Police Department, police think the same group may have robbed an Anoka pawn shop back in December 2011 and believe the Gould’s break-in is connected to two jewelry store robberies in Wayzata that took place in November 2011 and Jan. 25.

Police ask that if business staff recognize these men in their store, they call 911. If the suspects leave before police arrive, people are asked to try to find out their vehicle type and license number, if they can do so safely.

Employees should also be on the lookout for suspicious behavior.

“If someone comes into a store and they are asking inappropriate questions, or something doesn’t seem right, they should call police,” said Nolan.

If you have information about this crime, you are asked to contact Investigator Tom Schneider at 763-576-2817.

Police are also reaching out the community through the Anoka Police Department’s Facebook page, where photos of the suspects are posted.

Mandy Moran Froemming is at editor.anokaunion@ecm-inc.com

by Sue Austreng
Staff Writer

With energetic renditions of “Jubilate,” “Colors of America,” “Puttin’ On the Ritz” and more, the Blaine Cluster Honors Choir thrilled local audiences last week.

The Blaine Cluster Honors Choir performed Jan. 27 at Andover Elementary School, one stop in its tour of nine Anoka-Hennepin schools last week. Photo courtesy of Cathy Yseth

The honors choir is made up of 94 auditioned singers from Sand Creek, Andover, Eisenhower, Johnsville, Jefferson, Madison, McKinley and University Avenue elementary schools.

Over the course of 10 weeks, the talented young voices rehearsed at Northdale Middle School under the direction of Cathy Yseth, Eisenhower Elementary School music specialist.

On Jan. 25 and 27, the honors choir toured each of its own home schools, voicing a crescendo when they took the stage at Blaine High School for an evening concert Jan. 26.

The list of songs the group performed included “Jubilate” by Dave and Jean Perry; “Now is the Month of Maying” by Thomas Morley; “Cross the Wide Missouri” arranged by Don Besig and Nancy Price; “Colors of America” by Jill Gallina; “Erie Canal” arranged by Robert DeCormier; “Des Colores” arranged by Mark Weston; “Elijah Rock” arranged by Roger Emerson; “Puttin’ On the Ritz” by Irving Berlin; and “Young People of the World” by local composer Glen Everhart.

“The principals from the elementary schools help support the group with funding, but the students pay a $25 tuition to be in the group,” Yseth said.

“(The choir members) are very talented and it has been a pleasure to be their director,” said Yseth, who enjoys her first year as director of the honors choir, following in the talented footsteps of Carolyn Kennedy, music specialist at Sand Creek, who directed the group for the past dozen years.

Student director for the group is Valerie Krych. Mary Powell serves as accompanist and Amy Moore is the group’s flutist while Kristin Rode serves as choir manager.

Sue Austreng is at sue.austreng@ecm-inc.com

by Peter Bodley
Managing Editor

Peace Lutheran Church, Coon Rapids, hosts its annual health and wellness fair Saturday, Feb. 4, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be special presentations, displays and activities, book swap (bring and book, take a book), door prize drawings and a chili lunch will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The emphasis of the health and wellness fair is on the body, mind, heart and soul of both children and adults.

The special presentations, which will have time for questions, include:

• Brenda Montei on “Preventing Type 2 Diabetes with a Healthy Lifestyle.”

• Julie Fike, who will make a presentation called “Stump the Pharmacist,” tips to avoid medication errors.

To donate books for the book swap call Mary Berg at 763-755-2291 or Rev. Valerie Brown Greenly at the church office at 763-757-4459.

Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com

By Elyse Kaner
Staff Writer

Spring Lake Park District 16 has become more energy-use savvy and, so far, has avoided costs of $22,000 for utility expenses.

Andrew Dahmen, energy efficiency coordinator Ann Arney, Romail Ahmed, Samatha Boss and Moises Garcia-Martinez of Northpoint Elementary School last year participated in a comparison experiment of voltage output from small appliances. The lesson was meant to teach wise use of energy. File photo by Elyse Kaner

The district in October 2010 entered a behavior-based Schools for Energy Efficiency (SEE) program designed to offer low and no cost strategies to reduce energy usage. The program involves training building managers and kids how daily use of energy resources can make a difference.

“The SEE program has been a positive experience as we identify and implement ways we can change behaviors and improve operations across the district to save energy and avoid the costs of higher energy use,” Superintendent Jeff Ronneberg said.

The district in October 2010 partnered with Hallberg Engineering’s SEE with a goal of establishing a specialized energy program and improving management of human, financial and physical energy resources.

The numbers for the third quarter are now in. From January 2011 to September 2011 since the tracking of energy use began in the district as part of the program, District 16 has avoided costs for overall gas and electric usage by more than $22,000, according to Ann Arney, SEE program energy efficiency coordinator.

“Spring Lake Park District 16 has done phenomenally well,” Arney said. “They’re really succeeding at this program.”

Strategies

So what strategies have the district implemented as participants in the program?

•An energy policy is in place that calls for keeping building temperatures between 68 to 70 degrees in the winter and between 76 and 78 degrees in the warmer months.

• Buildings have de-lamped. Using a light meter, SEE has measured the amount of lumens in district buildings. Light bulbs have been removed in over lit areas. The bulbs are removed systematically in a pattern. In doing so, SEE stays within guidelines for learning, according to Arney. “The most important thing is to keep a healthy and safe environment for students,” she said.

• Northpoint Elementary School last year held an Earth Day event teaching K-3 students about energy efficiency. Energy-use trainers hooked up small appliances, a hair dryer for example, to a light and watt meter to discover how much energy it used. They also pedaled a human powered generator in an effort to light a bulb. They found the compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb required less energy (and pedaling) than the incandescent bulb.

• Westwood Middle School’s student council has produced an energy awareness video. The story is about energy super heros who find wasted energy and save the school. The focus is on helping students learn how to save energy.

• Repositionable notes (with adhesive) in some buildings are used as motivators. A “wow” sticker is positive reinforcement for students or staff who remembered to turn off lights or computers. An “oops” sticker might be placed on a leaky faucet.

• A Girl Scout troop at Westwood Intermediate School is planning this month to conduct an energy audit of the building in an effort to earn a bronze award. They will share their findings with the administration.

Since 2002, the SEE program has been implemented in more than 700 buildings in the United States, according to Arney.

“Most importantly, the behavior changes of students and staff have an impact beyond the walls of the school to our daily lives,” Ronneberg said.

The SEE program was initially developed by Hallberg Engineering of White Bear Lake. It came about as a result of requests from school districts seeking a way to reduce energy costs without spending large amounts of money on improvements. The program now operates independently as Energy Efficiency Programs, Inc., but continues to collaborate with technical experts at Hallberg Engineering to provide energy saving solutions, according to the SEE program’s website.

The program operates on a five-year plan. After five years, districts have the option of joining an alumni club. They can choose in a la carte fashion, to continue the relationship with an energy-saving consultant or to use the company’s utility tracking, for instance.

“The district (16) has embraced it,” Arney said about the SEE Program. “I think those $22,000 in nine months shows it and those numbers keep showing up.”

Elyse Kaner is at elyse.kaner@ecm-inc.com