Sunday, January 25, 2009

After a little interruption, NE Brainerd store back in business
Highway 25 Liquor reopened Tuesday after a minivan drove through the building, causing extensive damage, a few days before Christmas.

Steel, aluminum donations help college programs
The welding program at Central Lakes College in Brainerd received steel valued at more than $9,000 from two area businesses, Clow Stamping of Merrifield and Graphics Packaging of Crosby.

Magazine recognizes Hackensack towing service operator
HACKENSACK - Tim Rudolph, owner of Pro-Tow Auto Care at Hackensack, is a 2008 recipient of American Towman magazine's Order of Towman Cross medal.

CLC Regional Advisory Committee hosts first meeting
The new Central Lakes College Regional Advisory Committee convened Jan. 15 in the Rosenmeier Room on the Brainerd campus.

BUSINESS NOTES
Katie Roberts, originally from the Mankato area, has been named family service worker at Bridges of Hope, a faith-based nonprofit organization that helps families in need by providing parent support services and by connecting them to area social service, mental health and faith community resources.

Cass court
WALKER - The following appeared recently in Cass County District Court:

POLICE BLOTTER
FIRE - Brian Jensen Thursday reported a vehicle was on fire at 8:45 p.m. in a driveway on the 17,900 block of Cattail Court in Emily. The Emily Fire Department was called.

Pine River-Backus I.S.D. No. 2174
Meets 5 p.m. Monday

Emergency crews praised
I am writing this letter because I cannot keep up with the cards, flowers, gifts, favors, food and prayers that have been sent to me since Dec. 9. All of you mean so much to me and I appreciate what you have done.

Let's put the men in mentoring
Kinship Partners needs male mentors! The majority of the children on our waiting list are boys waiting for a male mentor. Research shows that today boys outnumber girls in learning disorders, dropout rates, violence, stuttering, obesity, gambling and video game fixations, school suspensions, hyperactivity, low grades and general disengagement.

WHAT'S DOING
BAXTER - GriefShare support group will begin a new series at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 at Lakewood Evangelical Free Church in Baxter.

Brainerd students to compete in spelling bee
BAXTER - The Brainerd School District Spelling Bee for sixth- through eighth-graders will be at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Forestview Middle School in Baxter.

Heart center planned here
A Brainerd Lakes Heart and Vascular Center is being planned as an addition to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.

COMING MONDAY
A lakes area snowmobile legacy, thought to be forgotten, has renewed life in Crosby.

It's the event, not catching fish, that lures some anglers to Gull Lake
If you were looking for Gary Whiteman's crew, and this was just another ice fishing contest, it would be fairly easy to spot the bunch. Just look for the big crowd.

Polar Plunge set for March 7
BREEZY POINT - The fourth annual Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics will begin at 1 p.m. on March 7 at Breezy Point Resort at the Marina.

Oberstar to attend meeting on use of center
Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., will attend a public meeting later this week where the possibility of expanding health care programs for area veterans will be discussed.

Colorful fans
A colorful contingent of Pequot Lakes fans attended the Patriots' game against the Crosby-Ironton Rangers Friday in Crosby. Pequot won 56-51.

Marching onto the ice
No doubt keeping warm by thinking about the fish they would catch, anglers started marching onto the frozen Gull Lake Saturday morning. By 9 a.m. it was still only 18 below.

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1989) - American Indian stereotypes that are being phased out in the Brainerd School District are the subject of a lawsuit by the MCLU. The school board last spring set a three-year changeover to replace the Indian logo.

String of fish house break-ins reported
Thieves have broken into and damaged a number of fish houses on North Long Lake and stolen thousands of dollars of equipment and electronics, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department reported.

Nisswa man wins fishing contest
The results of the Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza are in and Zachary Bailey of Nisswa took first place with a 5.98 pound walleye.

COMING MONDAY IN SPORTS
Brainerd and Sauk Rapids coaches and players will battle on the hardcourt for something other than a conference win.

Ethel M. Hagen
LITTLE FALLS - Ethel M. Hagen, 95-year-old resident of Little Falls, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, at St. Otto's Care Center in Little Falls. Funeral services for Ethel M. Hagen will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Bethel Lutheran Church in Little Falls with the Rev. Blaine MacNeil officiating. Burial will be in the Darling Cemetery. Friends may call Sunday from 4-7 p.m. at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls and Monday one hour prior to the service at Bethel Lutheran Church. Arrangements are with the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls.

Evelyn L. Miller
MOTLEY - Evelyn L. Miller, 87, Motley, passed away Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, at St. Cloud Hospital. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Motley with Father Gregory Mastey officiating. Interment will be in the Motley Public Cemetery. Wake services will be from 5-7 p.m. Sunday with rosary at 6:30 p.m. at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Motley. Also friends may gather for one hour prior to services at the church on Monday.

Diane M. Proulx
MERRIFIELD - Diane Marie Proulx, 63, Merrifield, died Jan. 13, 2009, at St. Cloud Hospital.

David Siefke
PEQUOT LAKES - Services for David Siefke, 80, of Pequot Lakes, will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, at the Kline Funeral Home in Pequot Lakes. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Sunday at the Kline Funeral Home in Pequot Lakes and one hour prior to the service on Monday. Burial will be in the Pequot Lakes City Cemetery. David passed away Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, at the Whispering Pines Nursing Home in Pine River.

Ida Kirk
STAPLES - Ida Kirk, age 82, of Staples, passed away early Thursday morning, Jan. 22, 2009, at the Lakewood Care Center. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Staples with the Rev. Lauren Germann officiating. Interment will be in Evergreen Hill Cemetery at Staples. Visitation will be from 4:30 until 7:30 p.m. Sunday with prayers/rosary at 7 p.m. at the Brenny Funeral Chapel of Staples. Friends may also gather for one hour prior to services at the funeral chapel on Monday.

John E. Nelson
John Edison Nelson, 78, resident of Brainerd, died Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, at his home. He was born Feb. 28, 1930, in Palisade, Minn.

Alta M. Blakesley
AITKIN - Alta May Blakesley, age 87, of Aitkin, died Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, at Aitkin, Minn.

Dorothy A. Parkki
TAMARACK - Dorothy A. Parkki, age 93, of Tamarack, died Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, at the Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet, Minn.

OUR OPINION: RESERVES
One mark of leadership is to see opportunities where others see only signs of despair.

Open Forum: Israeli leaders bolster their popularity
I'm sick of hearing damage to Israeli houses equated with the annihilation of entire neighborhoods and their inhabitants. The news media seems to qualify every mention of the destruction wrought by Israel upon the Palestinian people by mentioning property damage in remote Israeli settlements. Similarly the 13 Israeli deaths are portrayed as an equitable tit for tat to the 1,300 recorded Palestinian deaths in this latest campaign of terror. If news media were required to give equal coverage to each individual Palestinian killed as is given to each Israeli casualty, there would be no room for commercial breaks on the nightly news and the rainforests of western Canada would be wiped out in supplying extra pages to newspapers.

VOX POP
If the county commissioners get per diem in the county why don't regular county employees? Why do the commissioners get pay raises when other county employees' wages are frozen and laid off? Oh, that's right, the top takes care of the top and doesn't care about the people under them. Keep up the good work and maybe we'll be the first county that has commissioners but no county employees. How arrogant and self-serving you people are!

Keeping roads on ice
The road was barely visible through the blowing snow. On each side, tiny shacks were encased in winter's tight grip. All were dark and lonely.

Engagement announced - Whitney Fry and Rory Thune
Whitney Fry and Rory Thune announce their engagement. Parents are Tim and Shandolynn Fry, Baxter, and Ronda and Dave Glende, Brainerd, and John and Linda Thune, Brainerd. A June wedding is planned at the bride's home on White Sand Lake in Baxter.

90th birthday - Earl W. Carlson
Earl W. Carlson will celebrate his 90th birthday with an open house from 2-4 p.m. Feb. 1 in the 200 dining room at Woodland Acres Apartments, 200 Buffalo Hills Lane, Brainerd.

ELI AND LISA LOVEN
Lisa Schultz and Eli Loven were married Sept. 12, 2008, at Immaculate Heart Catholic Church in Crosslake with Father Dennis Hoffman officiating.

Wedding planned - Lisa G. Thesing and Kyle T. Hawkinson
Lisa G. Thesing and Kyle T. Hawkinson announce their engagement. Parents are Ray and Dorothy Levno, Brainerd, and Harry Hawkinson, Minneapolis, and the late Doris Hawkinson. A March 28 wedding is planned at First Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park.

50th anniversary - Del and Bobbie (Weygand) Seehafer
Del and Bobbie (Weygand) Seehafer, Fort Ripley, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their children and grandchildren in the Twin Cities. They were married Jan. 24, 1959, in St. Mathias.

Flying Warriors fire 26 more shots, lose
When you outshoot an opponent 41-15 you would expect the team with 41 shots would win.

Levi falls off sled
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) -Snowmobiler Levi LaVallee from Longville followed through with his plan to attempt the double back flip, landing the stunt - sort of - Friday in the Winter X Games.

CLC to offer baseball camps
The Central Lakes College baseball program will offer winter camps for pitching, hitting and catching for players in grades 9-12 in the CLC gym.

Area events
Girls basketball

Warrior boys win again, girls second
LUTSEN - Brainerd Warriors Alpine skiing teams continued to roll Thursday as the boys' team won the Moose Mountain Invite and the girls' team was second behind Duluth East.

Warriors win rematch
The Brainerd Warriors and Alexandria met on Friday for a rematch of their thrilling game earlier in the season, which was won by the Cardinals 79-73.

Patriots effective when it counts
CROSBY - It's rare for a team that commits 34 turnovers and attempts 23 fewer shots to win a basketball game.

Staples-Motley defeats Pillager
STAPLES - Caitlin Robinson scored 14 points, nine from beyond the arc, to lead the Staples-Motley Cardinals past the Pillager Pioneers 53-45 in non-conference action Friday.

Thelen paving way for LF Nordic team
It's Jackie Thelen's turn to pilot the seventh-ranked Flyers.

Flyers silence the Storm
LITTLE FALLS - Fifty-eight seconds was all it took for the Little Falls Flyers' Cody Bue to pin his opponent and pick up his 100th career win to help the Flyers' route the Sauk Rapids Storm 59-12 in Central Lakes Conference Friday.

A win at 112 has become standard in Aitkin
Keith Wasserzieher sits tied for fifth place on the Aitkin Gobblers' all-time wins list.

Warriors bounce back
Any concerns about whether the Brainerd Warriors would show any aftereffects of Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss to Moorhead were quickly dispelled a day later.

JV boys' hockey ties
The Brainerd Warriors and St. Cloud Apollo tied 2-2 in junior varsity boys' hockey Friday.

Aces WERE wild
The Alexandria Aces Basketball Performance Team made a stop Thursday in Brainerd. The team, skilled in basketball spinning, synchronized dribbling, tumbling and other amazing feats, performed early in the day at Riverside School and again at the halftime show at the Brainerd High School basketball game. Members of the team range from ages 5 to 12 and have performed at many sporting events, including NBA and NCAA games.

W-DC tops New York Mills
NEW YORK MILLS - Donny Tabery lead Wadena-Deer Creek with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in a 72-36 non-conference victory over New York Mills Friday.

State forecast for South Dakota
Wind chill advisory far east this morning...

State forecast for North Dakota
...Wind chill advisory north central and east today...

Hooray for snow
Weather drawing by Mia Sam in the Lowell class of Jan Wilcox.

State forecast for Minnesota
...Wind chill advisory through this afternoon northwest...Through

State forecast for Iowa
.Today...Sunny...Becoming partly cloudy late in the afternoon. Highs

Wisconsin state forecast
Wind chill advisory this morning for all but far southeast wisconsin...