Local news briefs

The Military Order of the Purple Heart invites all members and spouses to a belated George Washington's birthday dinner at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Brainerd VFW Club. Social hour is 5:30 p.m. Those attending may call 829-8067 to make reservations.

Olson authors resolution to help fishing guides get licensed

A resolution urging the U.S. Congress to consider changing the rules regarding fishing and boat guide licensure had its first hearing Monday in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. The resolution, authored by Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, aims to help businesses and resorts by easing the process of obtaining fish and boat guide licenses on Minnesota lakes.

"The leisure and hospitality industry is an $11.2 billion industry in the state of Minnesota each year. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are tied into the industry, and many of those jobs are reliant on our natural resources, including over 500 fishing and recreation guides throughout the state - many of whom operate in my district," Olson said. "The current federal laws governing the licensing of these guides are not applicable to the smaller fishing and recreational vessels that operate on inland lakes in Minnesota. My resolution calls upon Congress to address the inadequacies in the current process and enact legislation requiring the U.S. Coast Guard to develop licensing processes appropriate to smaller vessels operating on inland waters."

The U.S. Coast Guard's qualifications for licensing, called the Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels license, commonly referred to the "six-pack" license, was not designed for most inland lakes or rivers nor for small vessels such as 16- to 20-foot outboard boats, Olson's news release stated. However, the U.S. Coast Guard has made the decision to require all fishing and boat guides to obtain these permits. Difficulty in obtaining these permits has put added strain on small resorts across the state, making it hard for them to legally continue their guide services.

Olson's legislation would call upon Congress to direct the Coast Guard to amend the rules, making the permit and licensing processes more appropriate to smaller vessels operating on inland waters. The current regulations require guides to go through extensive testing and licensure, costing upwards of thousands of dollars to legally obtain license.

The resolution passed unanimously out of the committee and was referred to the Senate Rules Committee before it makes its way to the Senate floor.

Breezy Point woman appointed to state's Council on Disability

Gov. Tim Pawlenty Monday announced the appointment of Pamela Lillehei of Breezy Point to Minnesota's Council on Disability. She was among 14 people who were either appointed or reappointed.

Lillehei is a substitute teacher and English as a second language tutor with the Pequot Lakes Schools. She has a professional background in human resources, where she created and revised employment position descriptions with particular attention to federal disability requirements, and has served as the disability representative on the V.A. Medical Center's Equal Employment Opportunities Council. Lillehei has a master's degree in industrial relations, and has had extensive mediation training. Lillehei replaces Russell Pihlstrom on the Council on Disability as a representative of Region 5 to complete a term that expires on Jan. 3, 2011.

Memorial scholarship fundraiser planned

The Melissa Wooden Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser will be 4-7 p.m. March 26 at the Brainerd Eagles Club. The fundraiser will be a spaghetti dinner and silent auction.

Cost: Ages 8 and older, $7 pre-sale or $8 at the door; ages 4-7, $5; and children 3 and under are free.

All proceeds will go to the CLC Melissa Wooden Scholarship Fund.

Donations may be sent to CLC Foundation, 501 W. College Drive, Brainerd, or online at www.razoo.com/story/melissa-wooden-endowment.

For more information, contact Carol Osborne at 330-9239 or jennavelis@msn.com or Megan Thiesse at 839-1417 or mmt_2009@hotmail.com.