Saturday, March 8, 2008

A TOUR OF ECOTOURISM
Doug Keran of Central Lakes College in Brainerd is featured in the second edition of the 342-page "They Teach That In College!" published by College and Career Press of Chicago.

LF company continues rapid growth
Atomic Learning of Little Falls continues to report rapid growth.

BUSINESS NEWS
AITKIN - The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians announced it selected Dr. Timothy Arnold and Dr. Jeff Ehnstrom, both from the family practice staff of Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin, as two of six finalists for its 2008 Family Physician of the Year award.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES
LAKES AREA SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER

SCHOOL MENUS
Brainerd

AGENDAS
Section A

LOCAL BRIEFS
RE/MAX Lakes Area Realty sales associates from the Nisswa and Crosslake offices were recently recognized for outstanding achievements in 2007 in the RE/MAX North Central Region.

Retooled retreats reap results
BAXTER - Kuepers Inc. of Baxter recently won two awards from the Minnesota Associated Builders and Contractors at the 2007 Awards of Excellence in Construction banquet.

WHAT'S DOING
A benefit dinner to be hosted in remembrance of Barry Aasen's life is planned for 3-8 p.m. March 15 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in east Brainerd near J.C. Penney.

MUCH OBLIGED
The Ron Herbote family would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support in helping to make this benefit a success:

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
Volunteer Opportunities for March 2008

Busy Bess looking for energetic Kinship partner
The waiting list at Kinship Partners has undergone an extreme change. Thankfully, in the Brainerd area we no longer have children on the waiting list who have been waiting over a year for a partner. We are in the process of adding children on a weekly basis, though, so our need for adult partners never seems to go away. At this point, we even have a few adults waiting for a partner; but because we try to make a good match taking interests, needs and location into consideration, these adults aren't necessarily the best partners for the kids currently on our waiting list.

ADULT VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
Hometown: Solvay, New York. Has lived in Brainerd the past 38 years.

YOUTH VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
Hometown: Brainerd.

EDUCATION = JOBS
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's roundtable discussion on manufacturing Thursday almost turned into an education seminar, as the governor stressed the importance aligning the work force with the needs of manufacturers during his visit to Wausau Paper in Brainerd.

District considering ways to make walking to school safer for students
While many students living one mile or less from school will be forced to walk to school next fall due to budget cuts, the Brainerd School District is attempting to make it a safe walk.

Five more teachers have to go
Five more Brainerd teachers will be placed on unrequested leave, joining the 57 probationary teachers who will lose their jobs due to budget reductions, the Brainerd School Board Curriculum Committee learned Thursday.

This was Brainerd
40 years ago (1968) - A once-a-week boxing program for youngsters in the 10-to-13 age group will be held at the YMCA starting 7 p.m. Thursday. Serving as instructors will be John Sundby and Mike Herron.

Crosby area residents pack meeting on sex offender moving to Trommald
CROSBY - A week after learning a Level 3 sex offender would be moving to Trommald, more than 70 Cuyuna Range residents got a chance Thursday to learn the facts and speak their minds about his release.

Fair inventor
Forestview Middle School fifth-grader Marissa Knopf displayed her invention, the Toothinator, during the Inventor's Fair Thursday at the middle school. Her science teacher, Owen Trout, guided 110 fifth-graders with research and practicality of the inventions before the displays went up Thursday. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls

Girls' hockey team might join with LF
The Brainerd High School girls' hockey team may become a Brainerd-Little Falls team next year, but it's unclear if the cooperative agreement will take place next year if hockey is one of the athletic programs cut next fall.

This was Brainerd
MARCH 9

LOCAL BRIEFS
The State Patrol along with other Minnesota law enforcement agencies will be stepping up patrols for St. Patrick's Day weekend.

Man killed in ATV accident
A 21-year-old man from the Twin Cities metro area was killed Saturday in an all-terrain vehicle accident on Birchdale Road, north of Baxter, near Brainerd International Raceway.

Wadena man charged for allegedly shooting pellet gun at buses
WADENA (AP) - A 19-year-old Wadena man has been charged with three counts of assault for allegedy firing a pellet-type gun a school buses.

Koering will serve as lone Republican on bonding committee
Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley, was the lone Republican chosen to serve on the joint Conference Committee that will decide the fate of the Legislature's bonding bill.

Plan ahead to spring ahead
Spring ahead and lose sleep.

COMING WEDNESDAY
A listening session is planned Tuesday at

COMING TUESDAY
Learn about St. Patrick's Day parades and events planned in Brainerd and Crosslake.

Brainerd spreading the word
Brainerd school administrators, board members and some parents have traveled to St. Paul this legislative session to testify at various committee hearings, sharing stories about the school district's financial struggles.

Maus relishes judgeship
It was a standing courtroom only Friday as former Cass County attorney Earl Maus was sworn in as a Ninth Judicial District Court judge by Chief Judge Jon Maturi at the Crow Wing County Judicial Center in Brainerd.

A sense of connectedness'
In the lakes area, residents are ready to volunteer, regularly attend religious services and generously open their checkbooks.

Brainerd taking cause to St. Paul
Brainerd's day at the Capitol has been scheduled for April 1 - and that's no April Fools' Day joke.

Fifty Lakes woman found dead Friday
FIFTY LAKES - An elderly woman was found dead Friday at the 40,000 block of Sunset View Lane in Fifty Lakes, reported the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department.

COMING MONDAY IN EVERYDAY PEOPLE
Athletic trainer Lara Parkin tends to the needs of Brainerd High School athletes and members of the Brainerd Blue Thunder.

Marjorie M. Nemes
Marjorie M. Nemes, age 93, of Brainerd, died on March 5, 2008, at the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby. She was born on Aug. 10, 1914, in Ortonville, Minn., to Paul and Melvia (Refseth) Lundgren.

Obituary policy
Obituary notices are charged at 40 cents a word, exclusive of the first 125 words, which are free. A $10 fee is charged for a half-column photograph. To place an obituary in the Dispatch, consult the funeral home handling arrangements.

Ramona Bond
HACKENSACK - Ramona Bond, age 59, of Hackensack, passed away Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at her home. She was born June 4, 1948, in Wadena to William and Olga Schwartz.

Sabino A. Bruno
Sabino A. Bruno, of Brained, died Friday, March 7, 2008, at his home. Arrangements are pending with the Brenny Funeral Chapel of Brainerd/Baxter.

Robert Wayne Anderson
Robert Wayne Anderson, 81, Brainerd, passed away Friday, March 7, 2008, at the St. Cloud Veteran's Administration Medical Center in St. Cloud., Minn.

Catherine Lois Smith
Catherine Lois Smith, age 94, resident of Edgewood Vista Senior Living in Brainerd, died Wednesday, March 5, 2008. Catherine was born in Chicago, Ill., April 5, 1913, to Luther and Bertha (Pratte) Cresswell. She married Loren Smith at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Chicago on Jan. 28, 1935. While her husband Loren served in the military, including the Battle of the Bulge during World War II, Catherine worked at Douglas Aircraft in Chicago, soldering electric connections in bombers.

Mabel E. Sundstrom
LITTLE FALLS - Mabel E. Sundstrom, a 79-year-old resident of Little Falls, passed away Friday, March 7, 2008, at the Albany Area Hospital. Funeral services for Mabel E. Sundstrom will be held Monday, March 10, at First Lutheran Church in Little Falls with the Rev. David Sperstad officiating. Burial will be in the Oakland Cemetery. Friends may call Sunday from 4-7 p.m. at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls and Monday for one hour prior to the service at First Lutheran Church.

LeRoy E. Bellefeuille
DEERWOOD - LeRoy Everett Bellefeuille, age 66 of Deerwood, died on Friday, March 7, 2008, at the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby. He was born on March 31,1941, in Little Falls to Everett and Lotus (Grennier) Bellefeuille. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a member of the Myrin-James American Legion Post No. 443, Ironton.

Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, age 94, of Brainerd, died Wednesday, March 5, 2008. Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Sherry and Ed Koehler.

Thomas Joseph Adair
BACKUS - Thomas Joseph Adair died March 6, 2008, after a courageous four year battle with cancer. Born April 30, 1940, in Oelwein, Iowa, he resided in Backus for the past 15 years on family owned property on Rice Lake. He loved fishing and the northern Minnesota lakes area. Tom was an avid bible student and spent much time helping others appreciate God's promise of everlasting life on a paradise earth as found in his word the Bible.

Harold W. Thorvig
LONGVILLE - Harold W. Thorvig, age 95 of Longville, passed away Wednesday, March 5, 2008. Harold and his wife, Rose, retired to their lake home on Island Lake near Longville in 1978, where they enjoyed the solitude, fishing, family and friends. Harold will be missed by everyone he has left behind.

John P. Belinski
MINNEAPOLIS - John P. Belinski, age 89, of Minneapolis, formerly of Little Falls, Minn., passed away Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at Northridge Care Center in New Hope, Minn. Arrangements are pending with Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls.

VOX POP
So kids need structure, routine and a place to hang out? Sounds like they need a home. Do you remember home? A mom - and a dad - married - to each other - living together - in the same house? You know. A home. Parents - it's not just about having kids and turning them loose in the community. You need to give them a home.

What do you think?
On our Web site, www.brainerddispatch.com, readers may participate in forums at brainerd.dispatch.com/forums.

OUR OPINION: PACKERS
Let's give the devil his due. Even diehard Minnesota Vikings fans have to acknowledge that retiring Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre will go down as one of the all-time great NFL quarterbacks.

GUEST COLUMN
A recent letter, written by a colleague on the Brainerd Library Board, denounced Mayor Wallin for his choices to that board. For purposes of clarification, both the letter writer and I were appointed by Mayor Wallin. My colleague asserts that the mayor puts friendship over qualification in making his appointments. Mayor Wallin has been elected and re-elected as councilman and now as mayor for over 30 years. Obviously, his supporters exceed his detractors. His leadership of the city has been ratified over and over by the voters. If there were any substance to my colleague's assertion, clearly Mayor Wallin has a large pool of citizens from which to choose.

Open Forum
This is in regards to the Vox Pop comment on Sunday. I'm not a teacher or employee of the school district and I am very offended by this remark. This person attacked early out days saying teachers are using them as "coffee and gossip" time. Further, teachers only work part-time?

Open Forum: What do we do when gas costs $10 a gallon?
We hear occasionally that we need an energy plan for the nation and there are occasional bursts of rhetoric usually blaming each other for no progress. That time is past. We need to hear what to do when gas hits $10 a gallon. You don't believe that it will happen? Well every time oil goes up in value the dollar goes down, if we don't use so much then the price should fall except that if we don't buy it someone else will. There is a finite amount of oil in the world. Those that own the supply know that. They are realizing that they are in the driver's seat, if they sell too cheap they are left with a dry hole and nothing to show for it. The oil companies are not patriotic they are just companies. Out to make as much as they can for their stockholders. Our present administration gave these corporations a large amount of money to develop alternative sources of energy, a dumb idea, as they are making huge profits with the status quo, I'm afraid that the money was poorly spent however I'm not closely tied to the oil companies and I don't make lots of money from my so called blind trust, also I don't have a lot of friends and family invested and working in oil if I did maybe I would feel differently. However I would hope that if I was in opposition of trust that I would do the honorable thing which is what is best for my country.

OUR OPINION: SCHOOLS
Win, lose or draw, Brainerd School District residents owe a debt of gratitude to the volunteers who have stepped forward to seek funding for the athletics and other activities that have been endangered by the defeat of the Nov. 6 school referendum.

Wanted: DNR watercraft inspector interns - in Brainerd
The DNR is seeking watercraft inspector interns for the upcoming boating season.

A bit of sunshine in winter that doesn't want to end
This winter doesn't want to end.

MINNESOTA FISHING REPORT
Note: The season for many species of note - walleye, sauger, northern pike and largemouth and smallmouth bass - ended Feb. 24 on inland waters. The seasons for species such as panfish and perch are continuous.

DARK DAYS?
The challenges - and allure - were mapped out. Literally.

25th anniversary -Kevin and Karen Kronbeck
Kevin and Karen Kronbeck, Baxter, recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They were married March 4, 1983.

KYLE AND GRETCHEN SMITH
Gretchen Hanley and Kyle Smith were married Nov. 8, 2007, in a sunset ceremony on the beaches of South Africa.

Wedding planned -Mary P. Harten and Brian R. Brown
Mary P. Harten and Brian R. Brown announce their engagement. Parents are the late Bob and Dorothy Killingsworth, and Bob and Nancy Brown, Dewey, Ariz. A May 17 wedding is planned at Breezy Point Chapel.

Engagement announced - Lisa Moore and Brent Stark
Lisa Moore and Brent Stark announce their engagement. Parents are Richard and Melinda Skogerson, Kirkland, Wash., and Larry and Caroline Stark, Nisswa. A July 19 wedding is planned in Seattle.

Four generations - Duy
Four generations recently gathered were Eric Duy, newborn son; Nathan Duy, toddler son; Heather (Nelson) Duy, mother; Bradley Nelson, grandfather; and Clarence Nelson, great-grandfather.

50th anniversary - Dan and Laura Shipman
Dan and Laura Shipman, Brainerd, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Monday. They were married March 10, 1958, in Brainerd.

Wedding planned - Jennifer Gondringer and John Larson
Jennifer Gondringer and John Larson announce their engagement. Parents are Ken and Linda Gondringer, Brainerd, and John and Char Larson, Crosby. A May 17 wedding is planned at Cascade United Methodist Church.

Four generations - Cabral
Four generations recently gathered were Nicole Marie Cabral, daughter; Tina Cabral, mother; Donald Kuzyk, grandfather; and Bonnie Kuzyk, great-grandmother.

NATHAN AND NICOLE BLASING
Nicole Barg and Nathan Blasing were married Dec. 1, 2007, at Cathedral of our Lady of the Rosary in Duluth.

Mark and Jennifer Hinsz
Jennifer Bruchhof and Mark Hinsz were married Sept. 22, 2007, at St. Francis Church in Brainerd with Deacon Mike Koechler officiating.

Wedding planned -Lindsey Kiffmeyer and Jason Vojtasek
Lindsey Kiffmeyer and Jason Vojtasek announce their engagement. Parents are Lisa Kiffmeyer, Brainerd, and Ron and Jenny Kiffmeyer, Baxter, and Joe and Bobbi Jo Vojtasek, Bruce, Wis. An April 26 wedding is planned at First Lutheran Church.

Engagement announced - Megan Arvig and Matt Ehrichs
Megan Arvig and Matt Ehrichs announce their engagement. Parents are Linda Hurst, Breezy Point, and Mike Arvig, Pequot Lakes, and Brent and Renai Ehrichs, Moorhead. An April 2009 wedding is planned.

'We want to point people to God'
The Brainerd lakes area seems to be fertile ground for planting churches.

CHURCH NEWS
HILLMAN - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hillman, will host a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Patriots underdogs against Crookston
One was almost a guaranteed lock. The other a bit of a surprise.

Ostrowski wins juniors
Brainerd's Kenzey Ostrowski had the fastest girls' time in the 14-15-year-old division as the Ski Gull Alpine Team participated in the Northland Junior Series Finals Race at Mt. DuLac on March 2.

Flyers pound BHS
LITTLE FALLS - On Jan. 24, the Little Falls Flyers traveled to Brainerd and came away on the short end of an 89-77 score.

Crookston plays like top-ranked team, bumps Patriots for title
BEMIDJI - This time the Crookston Pirates would not be denied.

Flyers advance to 1A consolation final
MINNEAPOLIS - The Little Falls Flyers scored four first-period goals and went on to defeat the Blake School 5-0 in the consolation semifinals of the Class 1A boys' hockey tournament Thursday at Mariucci Arena.

Sendoff for Raiders' hoops teams Monday
A sendoff for Central Lakes College basketball teams, both of whom are playing in national tournaments, is scheduled at 11:50 a.m. Monday in the north parking lot at CLC.

C-I finishes perfect regular season
CROSBY - The Crosby-Ironton Rangers completed a 26-0 season for the first time in school history with a 98-46 victory over Aitkin in boys' basketball Friday night.

Waytashek finds home on the Flyers' first line
From one to 43. From junior varsity to first line. From obscurity to distinguishable.

AREA SHORTS
Starting times for the St. Cloud Tech at Brainerd Warriors boys' basketball games Saturday are earlier than usual.

Brainerd girls had a great run
COLLEGEVILLE - Four Brainerd Warrior senior starters gave it everything they had in the final game of their careers Friday.

Tough task ahead
The St. Cloud Tech Tigers are ranked seventh in Class 4A girls' basketball.

Robin Soukup's scoring sends Pequot to finals
Robin Soukup plays the French horn and is a member of Students Against Drunk Driving, Youth as Resources and 4H.

WPSA returns to BIR as season nears conclusion
Each summer during the NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, professional drag racers known nationwide compete in a four-day event that attracts thousands of spectators.

Tech sinks Warriors at foul line
COLLEGEVILLE - When Emily Thesing fouled out the Brainerd Warriors offense virtually followed her to the sideline.

Scoreboard
Area events

Ex-Indy driver Johnson back in the saddle at BIR
Brainerd International Raceway and Resort president and CEO Jed Copham announced Friday the addition of Herm Johnson to the track staff.

Staley rolls a 299
Ginny Staley was running on adrenaline.

Ward, Patriots edge Cardinals
PEQUOT LAKES - Pequot Lakes eked out a 72-68 Mid-State Conference basketball victory over Staples-Motley on Thursday behind 22 points from Michael Ward.

The igloo
Weather drawing by Tanner DeRosier of the Olson/Morgan second-grade class at Garfield school.

State forecast for South Dakota
Today...Partly cloudy west. Mostly cloudy with a chance of light snow east. Highs from the upper 20s northeast to mid to upper 40s west.

State forecast for N.D.
Today...Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy in

Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Partly cloudy. Some lake effect snow showers near lake michigan. Highs from the mid teens north to the low 20s south.

State forecast for S.D.
Today...Partly cloudy west to mostly sunny east. Highs around 10 far northeast to near 40 far southwest.

State forecast for North Dakota
.Today...Becoming partly cloudy west and central. Mostly cloudy east

Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. Highs from around 10 northwest and west...To the low 20s southeast.

State forecast for Iowa
.Today...Partly cloudy. A chance of light snow or flurries this

State forecast for Minnesota
Today...Sunny. Highs around 10.

State forecast for Minnesota
.Today...Snow likely north and central. Snow accumulation from 1

State forecast for Iowa
Near record lows tonight over portions of central iowa...

Still standing
Weather drawing by Erin Stout of the Olson/Morgan second-grade class at Garfield school.