Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Coming Friday in Sports
Find out what the Brainerd Warriors will have to do to advance to their first state girls' basketball tournament since 1997.
Police blotter
THEFT - The theft of 1,000 pounds of scrap copper was reported Monday at Brainerd Public Utilities, 8027 Highland Scenic Road. The utility requested extra patrol.
Births
Shane Mares and Jessica Schlechter, Motley, a boy, Skyler Shane Mares, 5 pounds, 3 ounces, Feb. 18, 2010.
Coming Wednesday in Sports
Find out if the second-seeded Pequot Lakes Patriots were able to knock off top-seeded, and third-ranked Hawley, in the South Subsection 8-2A girls' basketball final.
Coming Sunday in Outdoor Traditions
Thousands of great gray owls and hundreds of northern hawk owls invaded Minnesota in 2005. To witness the spectacular onslaught, birders from across the U.S., and worldwide, came to Minnesota. But will there ever be an owl gathering that rivals 2005?
Death of rural Brainerd man investigated
The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department is investigating the death of Denver Zapzalka, 27, rural Brainerd.
Smelt fry planned
DEERWOOD - The Deerwood American Legion No. 557 will have a smelt fry from 3:30-7 p.m. Friday.
Police blotter
ARRESTS - At 10:57 p.m. on Saturday officers located a 24-year-old man in violation of his probation inside the Blue Ox Bar, 608 Laurel St. The man resisted arrest and fled on foot for about four blocks before being apprehended. He was arrested on the probation violation, obstructing the legal process and fleeing on foot.
Coming Friday in Sports
Find out what the Brainerd Warriors will have to do to advance to their first state girls' basketball tournament since 1997.
Organizations
Weekly meetings
Winter roundup: Weather most likely to impact pheasant, grouse
It's too early to tell exactly what impact this winter's weather will have on all Minnesota game animals, but DNR wildlife biologists suspect that pheasants and grouse likely will be the species most affected.
You have what it takes!
In life we are provided few situations in which we are rewarded just by walking into a room. Mentoring is one of those.
Support Groups
Weekly meetings
Black belts
Several students of Engum's Academy of Taekwondo recently achieved black belt and advanced black belt degrees.
Frosting morning with steaming cup of coffee
Frosting morning with steaming cup of coffee
Nisswa American Legion members lobby in Washington
Ray DeZurik and Jay Beebe, members of the Nisswa American Legion, were in Washington, D.C., earlier this month lobbying for issues that affect American war veterans and the military.
Chemical dependency
Weekly meetings
Do you like green eggs and ham?
Brainerd Elementary School students recently celebrated Dr. Seuss Day. At Baxter elementary, Junior Achievement third-grade volunteer Tom Pearson joined his student friends Mason Kruse (back) and Tyler Peterson (front) in trying green eggs in celebration of Dr. Seuss.
Warrior Cup
The North Stars team from Brainerd won the Warrior Cup championship.
Mille Lacs area residents complete Blandin Community Leadership Program retreat
In mid-February, 26 area residents from the Mille Lacs area completed a five-day leadership retreat, the first segment of training as part of the Blandin Community Leadership Program.
Quadruple the fun
Wendy Burgstaler of Dean Lake Township in Crow Wing County was surprised last month when one of her sheep gave birth to four lambs - a rare occurrence for Dorset cross sheep. Each lamb weighed more than 10 pounds.
Area briefs
CROSSLAKE - The Crosslake office of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber is kicking off its second year of Crosslake in Bloom that includes a garden contest for businesses and residents and seminars and a luncheon/garden tour.
Bob Johnson Invitational Fish Decoy Competition coming to Brainerd
The National Fish Decoy Association has again chosen Brainerd to host the Bob Johnson Invitation for 2010. The Invitational Fish Decoy Competition is a points qualifying contest for fish decoy carvers for the World Points Competition hosted each spring at the nationals in Perham.
Pets of the Week
For more information on Tex, Tilly or other adoptable pets, visit www.hartpets.org or stop by the shelter.
Dairy ambassador to be honored March 20 at banquet in Pierz
PIERZ - The Crow Wing County Dairy Princess Banquet will be conducted March 20 at the Pierz Ballroom. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. with a program, coronation and dance to follow. Tickets are available by calling 828-1998 or (320) 277-3897.
Man accused of shooting at man, child
A 22-year-old Cass Lake man arrested following a shooting Thursday in Cass Lake has been charged with attempted murder.
Township elections scheduled Tuesday
Crow Wing County townships will host elections Tuesday.
Board members still cannot find agreement on office space
BAXTER - The Thirty Lakes Watershed District Board was back to having a full membership Monday, but only three managers sat at the board table for the regular monthly meeting.
Board implements new reporting practice
Crow Wing County commissioners reviewed the state auditor's recommendations on per diems Tuesday.
Local news briefs
CROSSLAKE - The Crosslake Subdivision Advisory Committee to the Planning and Zoning Commission/Board of Zoning Adjustment will meet at 8:30 a.m. March 17 in the city council chambers at the Crosslake City Hall.
No agreement
No contract agreement was reached during mediation Tuesday between the Brainerd School District and Education Minnesota Brainerd, the district's teachers' union.
Food stamp use climbs in past year
Food stamp use has increased significantly in the past year, Susan Beck, human services director told Crow Wing County commissioners Tuesday.
Big plans
CROSBY - Something big is in store for youth in the Crosby-Ironton area - 4,000 square feet, to be exact.
March showers?
The calendar says it's just shy of two weeks until spring officially begins but this week's forecast is saying something different.
Missing Wadena man found
A Wadena man missing since Monday was found about 2 p.m. Wednesday in a field about five miles from Wadena.
Board votes to combine treasurer-auditor offices
The Crow Wing County Board Tuesday voted unanimously to combine the offices of county treasurer and auditor.
Authorities seek missing Wadena man
Wadena authorities are asking for the public's help in finding a 76-year-old Wadena man missing since Monday.
'Whatever it takes'
Justin Banks, wearing a hat, smiled as he stood among his fifth-grade classmates at Forestview Middle School Monday in Baxter as many of them wore T-shirts with his name on the back as a way to welcome him to school.
Combining auditor, treasurer offices
Crow Wing County commissioners Tuesday voted unanimously to combine the auditor and treasurer offices.
Oak Lawn Township election results
Oak Lawn Township voters came out to vote Tuesday in the annual township elections. There were 419 votes, compared with only 52 voters last year. There are 1,075 voters in the township.
Brainerd's jobless rate jumps to 19 percent
Brainerd's jobless rate jumped nearly 2 percent in January to reach 19 percent.
This was Brainerd
40 years ago (1970): The campaign to raise $500,000 in pledges toward the building project at St. Joseph's Hospital has reached the halfway point, with the deadline just three days away, said Mayor George Bedard, drive chair. Many solicitors have yet to report back.
Overheard
"They both are very concerned for the district and want to be the best district and do the best for the district. We do have common goals, which is great."
Election filing dates move up
Many would-be political office-holders will have to make their minds up by June 1 this year in order to get on the November ballot. That's just one of the effects of Minnesota's new law moving the date of the primary to the second Tuesday in August. That date will be Aug. 10 this year.
Hey, Brainerd, strike up the band
In 1912, a new bandstand was built in Gregory Park located in the heart of Brainerd.
Overheard
"It was all done backwards."
Board approves repairs for BHS wall
The Brainerd High School pool will be closed for repairs through the summer but school officials are hoping the reconstruction project will provide a "lifetime fix" for continuing moisture problems in the exterior wall of the facility.
This was Brainerd
40 years ago (1970): The question of what is a tolerable length of hair for a Brainerd High school student is now under consideration by the school board. The matter came up when a boy and his parents said they lived in Denver and Minnetonka and his hair was accepted there, but not here.
Ada Langren Shay
BAXTER - Ada Langren Shay, 93, of Baxter, passed away on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Bethany Good Samaritan Village.
LuVerne D. Letendre
LuVerne D. Letendre, age 84, of Brainerd, passed away Friday, March 5, 2010, at her home with her family by her side after suffering from emphysema and cancer.
Sister Rose Marie Larkin
DULUTH - Sister Rose Marie Larkin, OSB, 95, died at St. Mary's Medical Center on Sunday, March 7, 2010.
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.
Lesley Taylor
RANDALL - Lesley Taylor, age 83, of Randall, passed away at his home on Saturday, March 6, 2010. Arrangements are pending with the Brenny Funeral Home in Randall.
Richard A. Benge
MOTLEY - Richard A. Benge, age 78, of Motley, passed away on March 5, 2010.
Jeanne Gramer
CROOKSTON - Jeanne Gramer, 83, of Crookston, Minn., passed away Saturday, March 6, 2010, at the MeritCare Hospital in Fargo, N.D.
Elsie Ahrens
MOTLEY - Elsie Viola Rue Ahrens, age 103, of Motley, died Saturday, March 6, 2010.
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.
JoAnne Brekke
PILLAGER - JoAnne Brekke, age 73, of Pillager, passed away at her home on Tuesday, March 2, 2010.
Robert C. Seaman
EAST GULL LAKE - Robert C. Seaman, 84, of East Gull Lake, Minn., passed away on Monday, March 8, 2010, at The Lodge at Summer Oaks in Burnsville, surrounded by his beloved family after a courageous 23-month fight with pancreatic cancer.
Jerry O. Lomax
Jerry Oneal Lomax, age 74, resident of Brainerd, died Monday, March 8, 2010, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd. He was born to the late Albert and Ludie (Sanford) Lomax. He married Johnnie Owens in Chicago; they had two children, Heidi and Kevin. Jerry worked as a manufacturer in the Chicago area the majority of his life.
Ada Shay
BAXTER - Ada Shay, 93, of Baxter, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.
Denver Zapzalka
Denver M. Zapzalka, age 27, resident of Brainerd, died Sunday, March 7, 2010, at his home.
Denver M. Zapzalka
Denver M. Zapzalka, age 27, resident of Brainerd, died Sunday, March 7, 2010, at his home.
Vox Pop
I must write to refute the recent letters from people who are totally uninformed about the duties of a teacher. Most teachers spend countless hours of their free time. I taught for 30 years and worked 400-800 extra hours a year. I could write pages on the duties of a teacher which the critic might not consider: record keeping, test writing, paper correcting, lesson planning, taking classes, studying, attending meetings/conferences (I once attended 77 one year), teaching 150 students each day and myriad more.
Guest column: It's time to thank teachers
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was quoted by Newark's mayor last week.
Open Forum: Crosslake employees were doing their job
I am in total disagreement with the Vox Pop writer who recently commented on the attendance of Crosslake city employees at a recent subdivision advisory committee meeting. There is an issue being discussed by that advisory group that could have a serious, negative impact on future city programs. Those employees were doing their job. They were there to listen and gather information concerning the potential loss of income to the city.
Other opinion: Education
The list of finalists for coveted Race to the Top dollars is not as exclusive as Education Secretary Arne Duncan suggested that it would be. Nearly one-third of those applying for the coveted education dollars were picked, and some states with sorry educational policies (such as New York) managed to get on the list. It's a far cry from the "very, very high bar" promised by Mr. Duncan - but what really matters is the choice of the winners. There are enough finalists with refreshingly strong proposals that we still have hope that Mr. Duncan will deliver on his promise of rewarding only the best of the best.
Open Forum: Corruption in D.C. is easy to see
Isn't it odd and sadly funny that Congress is watering at their collective mouths like Pavlov's dog over the Toyota accelerator debacle? All in the name of public safety, don't you know.
Other opinion: Mideast
The Obama administration appears near to a diplomatic achievement it expected long ago: the relaunch of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. It will be a modest start - not a big conference or a convocation to Camp David but "proximity talks" in which envoy George J. Mitchell will shuttle between the two camps. This is, in one sense, a step backward for Israeli-Palestinian relations, since the two sides have been talking directly to each other, off and on, since 1991. But Mr. Mitchell says he hopes his brokering will quickly lead to direct talks, and the administration believes that even this stunted process will be better than none at all.
Scoreboard
Area events
Staples-Motley wins subsection title over Benson
MORRIS - Nikki Pearson and Jasmine McGillvray pitched in 14 points each as the top-seeded Staples-Motley Cardinals edged out the second-seeded Benson Braves 57-53 in the West Subsection 6-2A championship game Tuesday night at the University of Minnesota-Morris.
Warriors advance to state with 7-1 win
Brock Saatzer netted three goals and Richard Volkmuth scored his first goal of the season in a 7-1 Brainerd Warriors win over Burnsville-Farmington-Lakeville in a state play-in game Tuesday at Riverside Elementary School in Brainerd.
Area boys' basketball
PINE RIVER - Jordan Ackerman scored a game-high 29 points to help the eighth-seeded Pine River-Backus Tigers eliminate No. 9 Browerville 60-44 in a West Subsection 5-1A opening-round game Monday.
Kornbaum leads Flyers into semis
LITTLE FALLS - Dan Kornbaum scored 29 points and the second-seeded Little Falls Flyers routed the No. 7 Sauk Rapids Storm 83-50 in the Section 8-3A quarterfinals Tuesday night.
Abrahamson races to another victory
Kylie Abrahamson of Merrifield drove a Polaris to victory in the Pro Women's division in the ISOC national snocross event last weekend at Hayward, Wis.
Scoreboard
Area events
Tyner invited to NCAA Track and Field Championships
Air Force Academy junior Justin Tyner of Brainerd was picked by the NCAA Division I selection committee to compete in this weekend's NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Hutchison, Stone win age divisions
Rian Hutchison and Alex Stone skied to first-place finishes Sunday as Ski Gull hosted the Northland Junior Race Finals for the first time.
Vandeputte, Greening, Huston lead Brothers Motorsports team
C.J. Vandeputte, Ryan Greening and Ryan Huston of the Brothers Motorsports/Arctic Cat Racing Team in Brainerd capped successful seasons in the final USCC Cross Country Snowmobile Racing event of the season Saturday at Warroad.
Local sports shorts
Brainerd will host Burnsville at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Riverside Elementary in a North Division play-in game.
Hawley hangs on against Patriots
WADENA - The hole was dug too deep, too early.
Warriors season Buffalo-ed
The Brainerd Warriors played tenacious defense but couldn't score consistently and suffered a 37-33 loss against the host Buffalo Bison in the quarterfinals of the Section 8-4A tournament Tuesday.
Cardinals, Pequot fight for girls' basketball subsection titles
The Mid-State Conference will get a chance to show just how good it is Tuesday.
Don't forget your umbrella
Weather drawing by Rebecca Opsteen in the Lowell Elementary School second grade of Mrs. Holbrook.
State forecast for N.D.
Dense fog advisory all but far eastern and southeast north
State forecast for Wisconsin
Dense fog advisory for all of southern wisconsin and most of east central wisconsin until tuesday morning...
State forecast for S.D.
Dense fog advisory southeast tonight...
State forecast for S.D.
Dense fog advisory west through tuesday morning...
State forecast for N.D.
Wednesday...Cloudy with areas of fog. Snow west. Periods of
State forecast for Iowa
Tuesday...Cloudy...Rain. Showers and isolated thunderstorms south
State forecast for Wisconsin
Wednesday...Cloudy. Light rain likely north. Light rain likely south in the morning with a chance of rain south in the afternoon. Areas of fog south and east. Highs mainly in the 40s...Except in the low 50s far south.
State forecast for Minnesota
Wednesday...Cloudy. Rain likely central and south. A chance of rain
State forecast for Minnesota
Dense fog advisory south central and southeast minnesota through
State forecast for Iowa
Wednesday...Areas of fog in the morning with a slight chance of