Saturday, March 28, 2009
Nortech reports net sales of $27 million
Nortech Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: NSYS) recently reported net sales of $27 million for the fourth quarter, which ended Dec. 31, compared with net sales of $29.3 million for fourth quarter of 2007.
Their job is a blast
A Pequot Lakes business is now part of an international company that has provided fireworks displays for such landmark venues as New Year's Eve in Time Square.
BUSINESS NOTES
Jen Billington was named Project New Hope program director.
Opportunities are found in job losses
A lot of adages come to mind with a job loss, but a repeated theme emerging last week was the one about one door closing and another opening.
BIZ BUZZ: Refrigeration firm converts space into offices, showroom
Mid-State Refrdgeration heating and air conditioning, Baxter, built a sheet metal shop in the back last fall.
Fires
An awning at Affinity Credit Union caught fire about 9:47 p.m. Friday when a light overheated and sparked the fire.
Senior calendar
LAKES AREA SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER
Police blotter
Brainerd police
BIRTHS
Natasha Kuhn and Andy Fry, a boy, Harley Edward Kuhn, 6 pounds, 15 ounces, March 3, 2009. Grandparents are Danny Kuhn, Brainerd, Shelly Kuhn, Seattle, Tim and Shandolynn Fry, Baxter, Gordon and Delores Berg, Brainerd, and Al and Darlene Kuhn, Brainerd.
POLICE BLOTTER
THEFTS - Darlene Johanson, 21000 block of Lake Road, Irondale, Friday reported vehicles broken into that were parked outside their home.
WHAT'S DOING
Ray's Promenaders will dance at 7:30 p.m. Friday with Plus dancing and 8-10 p.m. with mainstream dancing at the Franklin Arts Center. Tom Allen will be the caller with Amwegs hosting for hat night.
Local housing briefs
Diane Pogatchnik, Jody Fischer, Andrea Hillan, Jamie Magness, Scott Axel, Sunny Redding and David Grell of Keller Williams Realty Brainerd Lakes attended Keller Williams Realty's annual convention in Orlando, Fla.
RAINHARVEST
All the rain that fell on the Brainerd lakes area this week will have to go somewhere, as will melting snow.
MUCH OBLIGED
I think we should have pride in our communities for organizing the six buses headed for the Fargo/Moorhead area for flood relief. In a little less than 48 hours, we managed to get 350 people on board to help our neighbors to the west.
You can fulfill Evan's birthday wish
Do you remember the feelings of birthday anticipation you experienced as a child? Well, for many waiting Kinship Partner children, the real birthday wish is not for material goods or a big party, but for a mentor. Evan is one of the 40 children on the waiting list. He is celebrating his 8th birthday this summer.
A bargain for readers
Rick Jackson (top) and crew looked through books Friday at the Friends of the Library spring used book sale. The three-day sale benefits and is held at the Brainerd Public Library.
Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
Overheard
I'm a swimmer, but not that good a swimmer.
REPORTERS' NOTEBOOK: FLOODING
By noon Friday, the rising Red River had reached the sandbag dike in former Brainerd resident Kim (Rabehl) Kainz's backyard in Oakport Township near Moorhead and water extended around the house and across the driveway. Her children's trampoline in the backyard was submerged in water.
Local briefs
The Brainerd Charter Commission will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Brainerd City Hall conference room.
Olson bill would restructure state's environmental agencies
Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, introduced a bill last week that would restructure the way Minnesota delivers environmental conservation services and funding.
Olson's legislation for a revolving loan fund passes panel unanimously
A proposal for a revolving loan fund, initiated by Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, passed unanimously Friday in Business Industry and Jobs Committee in Minnesota Senate.
Supreme court justice who served on canvassing board to speak at CLC
Minnesota Supreme Court Justice G. Barry Anderson, a member of the state canvassing board that addressed Minnesota's 2008 U.S. Senate seat recount, will speak to students from 3 to 4:50 p.m. April 21 in the E-354 lecture hall at the Brainerd campus of Central Lakes College.
This was Brainerd
40 years ago (1969) - Municipal Court Judge Darrell Sears has denied a motion by the defense to dismiss the case against Roland Fischer, Nisswa, who is charged with failure to send his 9-year-old daughter to school.
Overheard
Even as we face an economic crisis which demands our constant focus, forces of nature can also intervene in ways that create other crises to which we must respond - and respond urgently.
'A prayer answered'
Former Brainerd resident, Kim (Rabehl) Kainz, of Oakport Township near Moorhead, said Thursday afternoon she was breathing a sign of relief after volunteers, from Brainerd ironically, helped her family increase the dike protecting her home.
Thrift Store is in need of donations
The Brainerd Salvation Army Thrift Store is in dire need of donations. Furniture, household items, knick-knacks and clothing are being accepted Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
V-Day events planned Saturday and April 4-5
For 11 years, V-Day fundraisers have worked to end domestic and sexual violence.
This was Brainerd
40 years ago (1969): Girls' basketball, which is considered by some to be the coming thing in Minnesota sports, was on display yesterday when Brainerd traveled to C-I, losing by a score of 31-13.
'Wonderful people' pitch in to help Staples family threatened by flooding
As the Crow Wing River rose near their Staples home, the Hausmans began to suspect their permanent dike wouldn't be enough.
Ice jam threatens area homes
PILLAGER - An ice jam Thursday on the Crow Wing River between Pillager and Motley backed water from an already swollen river into dozens of residences.
Elderly evacuated from Moorhead expected at hospital here
Thirty long-term care patients were evacuated from their home at Eventide Care Center in Moorhead Thursday because of flooding and they may soon be calling Brainerd home for an undetermined amount of time.
Moorhead patients evacuated to Brainerd
Thirty long-term care patients evacuated from a Moorhead senior living facility began arriving at St. Joseph's Medical Center around 11:30 p.m. Thursday night, hospital officials said Friday.
Lawrence M. Roscoe
Lawrence M. Roscoe, age 66, rural Brainerd resident, died at his home Wednesday, March 25, 2009.
Esther Sowada
LITTLE FALLS - Esther Sowada, age 88, of Little Falls, Minn., and formerly of Fort Ripley, Minn., died Tuesday, March 24, 2009, at St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls, Minn.
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.
Ida J. Wedin
ALEXANDRIA - Ida Jane (Thiers) Wedin, 97-year-old resident of Alexandria, Minn., formerly of Upsala, Minn., died Monday, March 23, 2009. Services will be Monday, March 30 at 2 p.m. at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Upsala, Minn. Friends may call from noon-2 p.m. on Monday at the church on Monday.
Marilyn Mahling
RANDALL - Marilyn Mahling, 81, of Randall, died Wednesday, March 25, 2009, at St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls, Minn.
Earl Parker
Earl Parker, 92, of Brainerd, died Friday, March 27, 2009, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd, Minn., surrounded by his family. Services for Earl will be 11 a.m. Monday, March 30 at the Brenny Funeral Chapel in Baxter with Pastor Lilja Behr officiating.
Tim A. Andrews
Tim Anthony Andrews, 53, Brainerd, died Wednesday, March 25, 2009, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village. Tim was born March 29, 1955, in Crosby to Marie and Earl Andrews. He grew up in Crosby and graduated from Crosby-Ironton High School in 1973. He worked for Brainerd Regional Human Service Center for more than 15 years.
Marilyn Mahling
RANDALL - Marilyn Mahling, 81, of Randall, died Wednesday, March 25, 2009, at St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls, Minn. Services for Marilyn will be 11 a.m. Monday, March 30, 2009, at the St. James Catholic Church in Randall. There will be a visitation Sunday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. at the Brenny Funeral Chapel of Randall. Interment will follow services at St. James Catholic Cemetery.
Tim A. Andrews
Tim A. Andrews, 53, Brainerd, passed away Wednesday, March 25, 2009, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.
Charles Westin
STAPLES - Charles "Chuck" Westin, age 81, of Staples, passed away Friday morning, March 27, 2009, at Lakewood Health System Hospital in Staples, Minn.
Lillian Thompson
Lillian Thompson, 102, formerly of Tamarack, Minn., passed away peacefully at Woodland Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd, Minn. on March 26, 2009.
Lawrence M. Roscoe
Lawrence M. Roscoe, age 66, rural Brainerd resident, died at his home Wednesday, March 25, 2009. Mr. Roscoe was born in Brainerd Nov. 30, 1942, to Lawrence H. and Sylvia A. (Hill) Roscoe.
Sadie M. Brill
FORT RIPLEY - Sadie M. Brill, 100-year-old resident of Fort Ripley, passed away Tuesday, March 24, 2009, at her home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, March 30, at 11 a.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church in Belle Prairie. Visitation will be Sunday from 4-8 p.m. at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls and Saturday from 10 a.m. until the Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church in Belle Prairie.
Anne Alsop
NISSWA - Anne Alsop, formerly of Nisswa, died Tuesday, March 3, 2009, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where she and her husband Carroll (1915-2003) had lived since 2003.
Dorothy I. Reider
GARRISON - Dorothy Irene Reider, age 78, of Garrison, died on March 27, 2009, at the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby.
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.
Lillian Thompson
Lillian Thompson, 102, formerly of Tamarack, Minn., passed away Thursday, March 26, 2009, at Woodland Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd. Arrangements are pending with Brenny Funeral Chapel of Baxter.
The Big Idea: Close military bases
Looking to cut fat from the federal budget? Consider closing some of the 1,000 military bases the United States maintains abroad.
Our opinion: Never on Sunday?
As much as frenzied Minnesotans might yearn for the slower paced days of the 1930s and 1940s, we doubt they'd really like to go back to those days when Sunday was a day of rest - whether one liked it or not. Department stores, gas stations, grocery stores all shut down on Sundays in that era. Commerce was conducted Monday through Saturday or it wasn't conducted at all.
Obama needs some FDR magic
President Barack Obama's $3.55-trillion budget tackles the nation's highest priorities while promising to cut deficits in the long run. Breathtakingly bold and refreshingly honest, the budget speaks louder than words about Obama's confident leadership. But, alas, it only makes more acute the challenge he faces.
VOX POP
This is a message regarding Brainerd basketball. What do you expect? For the past 10 years, we've been going in the same direction - downhill.
Open Forum
A March 22, 2009 Dispatch cartoon showed a witch doctor being former President G.W. Bush's science adviser. The "mainstream press" has always been highly offended that Pres. Bush had the audacity to allow his carefully considered moral convictions influence his official, as well as personal, decisions. His prohibition of federal funding of embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) was seen as elevating pagan superstition above modern science, or else as an unconstitutional conflict of church and state. The fact is that Mr. Bush's decision was guided by his principled conviction that ESCR necessarily involves the destruction of human life. It was not based on religious superstition, but rather on solid scientific research that had already produced cures for several diseases.
Open Forum
This letter is to the president of the U.S.A. and the vice president of the U.S.A. and all the Democrats. How to stimulate the economy:
OUR OPINION: PARKING
It's hard to find fault with the Brainerd City Council's recent decision to deny the Brainerd School District an extension until 2014 to build a parking lot for the Washington Education Services Building.
Meet the Challenge
Talking with Jim Kalkofen, you get the feeling this isn't your run-of-the-mill first-year fishing tournament.
Still waiting for spring to fling
Spring is here and I have witnessed some signs, but a morning like this (17 degrees) doesn't do much for the spring spirits.
OUTDOORS NOTES
The Minnesota Sportsmen's Extravaganza is scheduled Saturday at Lake Region Christian School in Baxter.
25th anniversary
Jan and Darrell Otness, Brainerd, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with their children. They were married March 31, 1984.
Snyder-Rach
Erica Snyder and Jeremy Rach announce their engagement. Parents are Tammy and Mike Snyder, Wadena, and Nancy and Harry Rach Jr., Verndale. An Aug. 29 wedding is planned at St. John's Lutheran Church in Wadena.
Gangestad-Yaunick
Jessica Gangestad and Brandon Yaunick announce their engagement. Parents are Einar Gangestad, Brainerd, and Dawn Barnett, Brainerd, and Jim and Lana Yaunick, Brainerd. A May 23 wedding is planned in Brainerd.
50th anniversary
Frank and Sandy (Larson) Strange, Warrens, Wis., will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house from 1-4 p.m. April 4 at St. Mathias Park Pavilion, St. Mathias Rd., Brainerd. No gifts please. They were married March 28, 1959.
Hickman-Pahl
Suzie Marie Hickman and Scott Lee Pahl announce their engagement. Parents are Don and Judi Hendrickson, Brainerd, and the late Bob Hickman, and Sharon Pahl, Hawley, and the late Orlin Pahl. A May 30 wedding is planned.
Brainerd lakes area churches
Brainerd lakes area churches
Church news
PINE RIVER - Christian comedian and illusionist Geoff Williams will be performing a show at 6:30 p.m. April 4 at The Warehouse in Pine River.
Dinh MVP of girls' hockey team
Goaltender Nhi Dinh was named the most valuable player of the Brainerd/Little Falls Flying Warriors girls' hockey team at its banquet Thursday.
SCOREBOARD
Area events
HONORABLE MENTION
Lauren Landrus, Aitkin
Dispatch All-Area Girls' Basketball Team: An area who's who
The Aitkin Gobblers landed three players on this year's Brainerd Dispatch All-Area Girls' Basketball Team.
Dispatch girls' basketball players of the year
Wins were celebrated when Sara Hoge and Emily Mehr first started wearing varsity uniforms.
Thesing, Capers named to All-CLC hoops team
Senior point guard Emily Thesing and freshman post KB Capers were named to the All-Central Lakes Conference girls' basketball team.
Multi-faceted Hoge leads Rangers
Mark Hoge is a hybrid point guard-forward-center.
Statistics, standings
Total points
State tournament is Raiders' goal
In 2008 the Central Lakes College Raiders baseball team won 11 of 36 games, eight more than the year before.
Scoreboard
Area events
Brainerd Special Olympians compete
Athletes who attend Brainerd Public Schools competed in the Area 5 Special Olympics swim meet March 25 at Little Falls.
Local sports shorts
Jared Anderson was named the most valuable member of the Brainerd Warrior boys' swimming and diving team at its banquet Tuesday.
State forecast for S.D.
Blizzard watch much of west through northeast sunday night into monday night...
State forecast for N.D.
Flood warnings south central through eastern north dakota through
State forecast for Iowa
Winter storm warning this afternoon and tonight for for southeast
State forecast for Iowa
Today...Partly cloudy. Scattered flurries in the morning north.
Wisconsin state forecast
Winter storm warning for portions of southeast wisconsin tonight into sunday morning...
Fargo doesn't need any more rain
Fargo doesn't need any more rain
State forecast for Minnesota
Today...Partly cloudy. Light snow possible along lake superior.
State forecast for S.D.
Today...Decreasing clouds. Breezy southeast. Highs in the 20s northwest and northeast...To lower to mid 30s elsewhere.
State forecast for N.D.
Flood warning most of state through at least friday...
It's spring somewhere
Weather drawing by Lauren Dockendorf in the Baxter third grade of Ms. Hemstad.
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Partly to mostly cloudy. A slight chance of snow showers north. Highs in the 30s to low 40s.
State forecast for Minnesota
Today...Mostly cloudy east. Scattered flurries northeast.