Saturday, March 22, 2008

Nisswa bakery drawing raves
NISSWA - Rachel's Bakery is combining more than a pinch of marketing flair with pastry skill and small town bakery experience.

BUSINESS NOTES
NISSWA - Cote Family Companies, which owns Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, announced the appointment of Zachary Z. Zoul as president and chief executive officer.

Crow Wing County Board
Meets 9 a.m. Tuesday

FIRES
A house fire was reported about 9:50 p.m. Thursday in Mission Township in the 27000 block of Ridgewood Drive.

BIRTHS
Melinda Richner and Joshua Hruby, Brainerd, a girl, Jamie AnnMarie Hruby, 6 pounds, 14 ounces, March 5, 2008. Grandparents are Mike and Tina Juaire, Brainerd, and Joshua and Nicole Bourassa, Brainerd. Great-grandparents are June and DuWayne Juaire, Brainerd, and the late Carol Hruby.

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

CRIMES
THEFT - Dawn Jillson Thursday reported the theft of a paycheck from an unlocked vehicle on the 600 block of Laurel Street.

BIRTH
Shawn Adsitt and Sunnie Pavlacky, Vadnais Heights, a girl, Josephine Victoria Adsitt, 8 pounds, 7 ounces, Feb. 22, 2008. Grandparents are Sandy Adsitt, Las Vegas, Mitch and Karen Robinson, Chandler, Ariz., and Sonny and Vicky Pavlacky, Pine River.

Pequot Lakes School Board
Meets 7 p.m. Monday

Crosby-Ironton School Board
Meets 7 p.m. March 24

SCHOOL MENUS
Monday B - PB & J Uncrustable, diced pears, milk. L - Cheese filled breadstick, dipping sauce, steamed broccoli, cheese sauce, waffle potatoes.

Habitat informational meetings scheduled
The Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity will conduct several informational/application meetings around the lakes area.

The green movement'
The world is turning green and the Brainerd lakes area is right behind it.

WHAT'S DOING
A bowling benefit is planned for Nathan Huber beginning at 1 p.m. March 30 at Jack's House in Brainerd. Cost for adults is $20; kids ages 5-12 is $12. Price includes three games and shoe rental.

Skip is looking for a winning partner
The time is here for "March Madness." Are you a person who watches every tournament from high school ball through college hoops and roots for your favorite team to win?

SENIOR ACTIVITIES
LAKES AREA SENIOR

Four men escape injury near Perham when truck falls through ice
PERHAM (AP) - The DNR is reminding people to be careful when driving on ice after a pickup truck plunged through a lake near Perham.

Easter egg hunt moved to Gold Medal Arena
The Brainerd Parks and Recreation Department's annual Easter Egg Hunt has been moved to the Gold Medal Arena at the Brainerd Area Civic Center in Brainerd.

CORRECTION
Darien DeRocher of Brainerd, who winters in Arizona, spotted an error in the March 12 This Was Brainerd:

Jon Hassler by the book
Jon Hassler's novels included: "Staggerford" (1977), "Four Miles to Pinecone" (1977), "Simon's Night" (1979), "Jemmy" (1980), "The Love Hunter" (1981), "A Green Journey" (1985), "Grand Opening" (1987), "Dear James" (1993), "Rookery Blues" (1995), "North of Hope" (1996), "The Dean's List" (1998), "My Staggerford Journal" (1999), "The Staggerford Flood" (2002), "Nancy Clancy's Nephew" (2004), "The Staggerford Murders" (2004) and "The New Woman" (2005).

Crosslake special meeting planned Monday
CROSSLAKE - The Crosslake Planning and Zoning Commission/Board of Adjustment will have a special meeting and public hearing with a quorum of the Crosslake City Council at 10 a.m. Monday at city hall.

People Speak event set Tuesday at BHS
Four Brainerd High School students will compete at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the BHS Little Theater in a People Speak event.

Easter bunny needs snowshoes
Easter finery will likely be covered by coats this Sunday as winter refuses to relent to spring.

COMING SUNDAY IN NORTH COUNTRY
It's one of the more eerie and haunting sounds in the Minnesota wild. And it's what drew many of us to the International Wolf Center in Ely on a recent Saturday.

Program fosters early literacy
When it's time to take the little bundle of joy home from St. Joseph's Medical Center, your newborn will be given an early jump start in literacy before leaving the hospital.

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1988) -=A $500 donation from the Brainerd Area Senior Citizen Center to "Geritol Frolics" was sweet music to Everett Nelson, a Frolics orchestra member who played "Let me Serenade You" on his violin.

It's clear these are no longer the 1950s
In terms of social capital, a little effort appears to go a long way.

COMING SUNDAY IN SPORTS
The Dispatch sports department unveils the All-Area girls' basketball team and the top female player of the year.

COMING MONDAY
Crossing Arts Alliance Photographer of the Year Joey Halvorson has shot photos her whole life, but she doesn't want to do it professionally. She wants to keep it fun.

He was a great storyteller'
Jon Hassler, a respected author known to many in Brainerd as kind and brilliant, died early Thursday at age 74. He wrote his first and most famous novel, 1977's "Staggerford," while living on North Eighth Street in Brainerd and teaching English at Brainerd Community College, now known as Central Lakes College.

Communities are losers if service clubs decline
They may sound like members of the wild kingdom, but social clubs like the Elks, Moose, Lions are heavily involved in charitable causes.

COMING THURSDAY IN SPORTS
Can the Crosby-Ironton Rangers remain unbeaten? Will the .500 Little Falls Flyers advance? C-I (30-0) plays Rockford (28-2) at noon Wednesday and LF (14-14) meets St. Thomas Academy (22-6) at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Both games are at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.

Fire damages Deerwood business
DEERWOOD - A fire was reported at Deerwood Cabinets and Lumber Saturday causing an estimated $20,000 in damage, the Deerwood Fire Department reported.

Ex-colleague Plut touched by Hassler's novels, friendship
Jon Hassler once said "I don't write as a cure-all, I write to tell a story," but he acknowledged that his novels touched many readers.

Minnesota Nice traced to our roots
So just where does that Minnesota Nice come from? The clue may be in the family tree.

Public's help is sought in finding missing LF woman
LITTLE FALLS - The Morrison County Sheriff's Department is seeking the public's help in finding a 20-year-old woman missing since mid-February.

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1988) - Brainerd got its first lightning and thunder of the spring season this morning when several bolts brightened the sky between 9 and 10 a.m. Scattered thunderstorms and hail followed the storm.

Remembering Jon Hassler
"He was a very, very special gentleman. He always had that gleam in his eye and I always got a kick out of that. It was part of his charm."

COMING SUNDAY IN BUSINESS/MONEY
A new Nisswa business aims to please the taste buds with breads, rolls, pastries, cakes and cookies.

A man with a gun causes stir in Pillager
PILLAGER - A man dressed in camouflage and walking in Pillager with what appeared to be an assault rifle raised a few heartbeats Friday morning.

Larry J. Garthe
Larry J. Garthe, age 51, of Brainerd, passed away on March 21, 2008, at St. Joseph's Medical Center. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Brenny Funeral Chapel of Baxter.

Ronald Dyer
AITKIN - Ronald Dyer, 64, of Aitkin, died Thursday, March 19, 2008, at his residence. Funeral arrangements are pending with Sorensen-Root-Thompson Funeral Home, Aitkin.

Jon F. Hassler
MINNEAPOLIS - Jon F. Hassler, age 74, of Minneapolis, died Thursday, March 20, 2008.

Erick S. Splettstoeszer
IRONTON - Erick Stanley Splettstoeszer, age 72, of Ironton, died on March 15, 2008, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.

Rose Chadwick
PINE RIVER - Rose Chadwick, age 72, of Pine River, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, March 20, 2008. She was born Aug. 17, 1935, in Lakefield, Minn., to Michael and Clara Tulenchik. Her smile and laughter will be missed by all who knew her.

Walter Norman
PINE RIVER - Walter Norman, age 86, of Pine River, passed away Thursday, March 20, 2008, at his home. He was born Dec. 13, 1921, in Pine River to Elis and Anna Norman.

Rita A. Reis
LITTLE FALLS - Rita A. Reis, age 81, of Little Falls, passed away Wednesday, March 19, 2008, at her residence in Little Falls, Minn.

MOVING A NATION
It may have begun as an exercise in political damage control, but Barack Obama's speech in Philadelphia on "A More Perfect Union" was that rarity in American political discourse: a serious discussion of racial division, distrust and demonization. Whether or not the speech defuses the controversy about some crackpot comments by Obama's longtime pastor, it redefines our national conversation about race and politics and lays down a challenge to the cynical use of the "race card."

VOX POP
I was so moved by the articles the kids wrote, "What is an American?," especially Katie Gillson's. With all the negativity in the world right now over even small things, it's easy to forget just how lucky and blessed we are to even get to live an American life as an adult too. It brought tears to my eyes to realize that I've been feeling ungrateful and to read something children wrote and to "wake up and feel blessed and thankful."

MOMENT OF TRUTH
Sen. Barack Obama's mission in Philadelphia Tuesday was to put the controversy over inflammatory statements made by the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., his spiritual mentor and pastor for 20 years, behind him. But Mr. Obama, D-Ill., went deeper than that. He used his address as a teachable moment, one in which he addressed the pain, anger and frustration of generations of blacks and whites head-on - and offered a vision of how those experiences could be surmounted, if not forgotten. It was a compelling answer both to the challenge presented by his pastor's comments and to the growing role of race in the presidential campaign.

McCain misses a chance in Iraq
WASHINGTON - These are salad days for John McCain, touring world capitals with his buddies Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, meeting foreign leaders and returning to Washington with his nomination secure and polls confirming that he is well positioned to challenge either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

Open Forum: Legislation protects illegal aliens
Did you know that Minneapolis and St. Paul have sanctuary policies that prevent their police officers from asking about immigration status or enforcing our immigration laws? Did you know that these sanctuary policies are allowing illegal aliens to freely enjoy YOUR benefits without fear of deportation? Did you know that such policies cause huge criminal, legal, financial problems that degrade your life as legitimate Minnesotans? The recent school bus crash in Cottonwood should have been a grim wake up call to our legislators to reverse this irresponsible and misguided mind set.

He is risen
Matthew 28:1-10 (RSV)

OTHER OPINION: Mortgages
It must pain Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., formerly the chief executive of one of Wall Street's biggest investment banks, to call for more government regulation of lenders and their facilitators. And yet that's what the sub-prime mortgage meltdown and credit crunch have forced him to do.

Brainerd/Nisswa area
Eurolarvae and small jigs are triggering sunfish at Nisswa Lake, Round Lake, and North Long Lake in 6 to 15 feet of water. The best crappie reports are coming from 14 to 34 feet of water during the evening hours on Round and Gull. Most small lakes now are producing panfish at different times of the day.

The Howling
ELY - The novice wolf-callers stopped and listened in the darkness. Soon, from the not-so-distant distance, an eerie howl pierced the silence. Then another. And another.

Enjoying alone time - with a lot of fish
If you are a fisherman or fisherwoman, you probably have your special fishing spots.

Applications due by May 2 for bull moose, bear hunts
Hunters seeking a permit for this fall's bull-only moose hunt must apply by Friday, May 2, to be included in the lottery.

40th anniversary - Doug and Linda Hamilton
Doug and Linda Hamilton will celebrate their 40th wedding aniversary with an open house from 2-5 p.m. March 29 at the Brainerd American Legion. The event will be hosted by their children. No gifts please. They were married March 23, 1968.

Dave and Danielle Kavanaugh
Danielle Ball and Dave Kavanaugh were married Oct. 20, 2007, outside at The Pavilion at Cragun's Legacy Golf Course with Judge David TenEyck officiating.

Five generations - Horn
Five generations recently gathered were Morgan Kylee Johnson, daughter; Bailey Horn, mother; Jason Horn, grandfather; Patricia Horn, great-grandmother; and Henry Peck, great-great-grandfather.

Wedding planned - Kristin Albrecht and David Christensen
Kristin Albrecht and David Christensen announce their engagement. Parents are Tom and Karen Albrecht, Brainerd, and Richard and Eileen Christensen, St. Paul. An April 12 wedding is planned at Central Park in Woodbury.

JON AND JODI FOLK
Jodi Heishman and Jon Folk were married Nov. 3, 2007, at the Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa with the Rev. Joan Gunderman officiating.

Four generations - Dosh
Marie Kraklau recently celebrated her 94th birthday with her family including newborn great-granddaughter, Mackenzie Marie Dosh; great-grandson, Tanner Dosh; grandson, David Dosh; daughter, Barbara Dosh; and Barbara's daughter-in-law, Julie Dosh.

60th anniversary - Jack and Lilly Keprios
Jack and Lilly Keprios, Pine River, recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They were married March 20, 1948.

ADAM AND CHRISTINA JOHNSON
Christina Petersen and Adam Johnson were married Feb. 29, 2008, in Brainerd with Ruth Mayor officiating.

Wedding planned - Brianna Erickson and Mitchel Kahlstorf
Brianna Erickson and Mitchel Kahlstorf announce their engagement. Parents are Joel and Brenda Erickson, Pine River, and Blaine and Melony Butler, Deer Creek. An April 12 wedding is planned in Fergus Falls.

Wedding planned - Katrina "Kati" Hanson and Justin Hubbard
Katrina "Kati" Hanson and Justin Hubbard announce their engagement. Parents are Brian Hanson and Valeri Diller, Brainerd, and Larry Hubbard and Lori Hubbard, Rochester. An April 19 wedding is planned at the Lakewood Evangelical Free Church.

Jesus is our true legacy
"C.C.C." or "W.P.A.?"

Evangelist Norman Stevens to speak in Deerwood
DEERWOOD - Evangelist Norman Stevens will be speaking at Deerwood Baptist Church at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. for Easter Sunday services and also 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.

Prayer shed is just start of a Catholic campus
The first phase of what could be a sprawling Catholic campus north of Baxter started Monday with a groundbreaking ceremony.

Final statistics and standings
Points

Scoreboard
college baseball

Flyers to face St. Thomas, again
The Little Falls Flyers and St. Thomas Academy Cadets are forming an interesting postseason rivalry.

Area events
high school athletics

Brainerd's Rudbeck honored
Brainerd Warriors Ethan Rudbeck was named to the Wells Fargo Adapted Floor Hockey All-Tournament Team.

DISPATCH ALL-AREA TEAM
Pillager's first girl to score 1,000 career points.

Brainerd's Pickar ends career on top
Two time Minnesota state high school champion, five total state appearances, three Section 8-3A championships, a 149-25 career record with 57 pins and Brainerd High School career leader in victories and team points.

AREA SHORTS
Tickets for Wednesday's Class 2A state boys' basketball quarterfinal game between Crosby-Ironton and Rockford at Mariucci Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis will be on sale from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday in the Ranger Gymnasium at the Crosby-Ironton High School.

Team concept keyed CLC run
The goal of every coach in a team sport is to take a group of individuals athletes and mold them into a team.

Thomsen, Abrahamson win
LAKE GENEVA, Wis., - Cody Thomsen of Nisswa, on his Arctic Cat, and Kylie Abrahamson of Merrifield, on her Polaris, won finals Sunday in the Nielsen Enterprises Grand Finale, the season finale of the World Power Sports National Tour last weekend

Eastman will return to coach Raiders
In life adversity often plays a crucial role in defining an individual's character. In sports adversity can produce the difference between a team rallying together against it or falling apart beneath it.

Tesdahl's unselfish play has C-I at state
Bryce Tesdahl is already the all-time leading scorer in Crosby-Ironton basketball history.

Pequot back in power, Aitkin on the rise
Overachieved.

Smart star - Sheley's intelligent defense led Tigers to conference title
This week Taylor Sheley cruised the Caribbean.

Brainerd's Etterman wins all-around at Rising Stars invite
Braienrd's Katy Etterman won with the level 8 all-around champion with a 36.9 by winning the balance beam and placing second on both the uneven bars and the floor at last weekend's Rising Stars Gymnastics Invitational in North St. Paul.

Wisconsin state forecast
Winter storm warning today much of southern wisconsin...

State forecast for Iowa
.Today...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly cloudy.

State forecast for Iowa
...Winter storm warning far northeast until 7 pm cdt...

State forecast for North Dakota
.Today...Mostly cloudy with a chance of light rain or snow central

State forecast for South Dakota
Winter storm warning far northeast south dakota through friday evening...

State forecast for South Dakota
Saturday...Mostly cloudy and cold. Chance of light snow or rain...Mainly east or west. Highs from the mid 30s east to the lower 40s south central.

Clouds and sun
Weather drawing by Austyn Allord of Mrs. Collins' second-grade class at Whittier school.

But isn't this spring?
Weather drawing by Hannah Northburg in the Lowell fourth grade of Mr. Meyers.

State forecast for North Dakota
...Heavy snow warning and snow advisory far southeast until 4pm

Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Partly or mostly cloudy. A slight chance of light snow far northwest. Highs in the mid 30s.

State forecast for Minnesota
...Winter storm warning parts of the central and southeast today...

State forecast for Minnesota
.Today...Cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning northwest. Scattered