Friday, May 6, 2005
It's not a Dodge Omni
Mark Christofferson owns a vehicle that only came in black with a gray interior. Only 500 were made.
BEST BETS
Before it became Sawyer's favorite phrase on "Lost," "Kiss Me, Kate" was a musical. Pine River-Backus High School music and drama students will refresh your memory with performances 7 p.m. Thursday and Sunday in the school gym in Pine River. Tickets are $5-$7.
ENTERTAINMENT SHORTS
NISSWA -- Grassroots Concerts will conclude its spring season with Bob Bovee and Gail Heil 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Nisswa Community Center.
Music General dancers bring home awards
More than 80 Music General Intensive Line dancers from the Brainerd lakes area attended their first competition April 8-10 at the Hall of Fame Dance Challenge in the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul.
ENTERTAINMENT SHORTS
ONAMIA -- Family-friendly improvisational comedian Sinbad will perform his high-energy set 6 and 9 p.m. June 10 at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs Events & Convention Center north of Onamia.
Schmidt, Beasley earn top honors in CLC Photo Contest
Denny Schmidt of Brainerd gathered eight awards, the most of any entrant, at the 38th Central Lakes College Photo Contest recently.
Upcoming arts and entertainment events
Live music
Aitkin High School pop concert slated Friday
AITKIN The Aitkin High School Concert Choir and Fists of Fury Handbell Choir will present their annual Spring Pop Concert 7:30 p.m. Friday in the school auditorium.
Big 'Star Wars' news for TV buffs
I won't deny it: I'm a pretty big "Star Wars" geek. I was well into my 20s before I stopped collecting the action figures, and that was only because I ran out of room in my parents' basement. So, yeah, I'll be checking out "Revenge of the Sith" about 23 times this summer.
Have kids help cook on Mother's Day
Hats off to all moms!
SCHOOL LUNCH MENUS
Monday B Sausage pancake on a stick, fruit or juice, milk. L Mini corn dogs, macaroni and cheese, green beans, juice bar, milk.
Communicate with your state lawmakers in St. Paul
Rep. Paul Gazelka.
Be alert for termites
If there are a couple of rainy days followed by a hot one, it will be the perfect condition for termites to swarm.
Keep your daffodils dandy
Remove faded flower stalks from daffodils but keep the leaves until they begin to yellow in early June.
New phosphorus lawn fertilizer law in effect
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture reminds homeowners of a new state law restricting the use of lawn fertilizers containing phosphorus.
HOUSING BRIEFS
BAXTER -- Kristine Peterson recently joined Midwest Mortgage and Equity Inc. in Baxter.
New trend in paint
Last summer, Ace Hardware introduced Ace Sensations, billed as the first flat paint to contain Scotchgard to increase washability.
New neighborhood
A new Brainerd housing development offers something for almost everyone.
BUILDING PERMITS
Commercial
Jenn-Air offers new line
Say "buh-bye" to the old stainless steel kitchen. Jenn-Air has just introduced a full line of glass-panel kitchen appliances.
COMING SUNDAY IN NORTH COUNTRY
Columnist Bill Marchel went afield on the first day of the 2005 wild turkey season. Find out if he was successful.
LOCAL BRIEFS
Volunteers support the staff and children in the Fun 'N' Friends and Senior Leader programs, help with community/business projects and have fun while learning positive job skills.
Canine survivor needs home
An arrow found Bow, now Bow needs a loving home.
Troops safely home
Armed with flags and red, white and blue balloons as well as a "Welcome Home Uncle Mike" sign, Kelli Kitzman of Brainerd was surrounded by family and friends as she waited for her fiance, Sgt. Mike Mankowski, to step off the chartered bus Wednesday and into her arms after serving 15 months in Afghanistan.
County pays Koep hotel bill
Mary and Walter Koep's $91.98 hotel bill, accrued after the couple said they were forced from their home because of noise from Crow Wing County's building project, has been paid by the county.
Superintendent is finalist for Colorado position
Little Falls School District Superintendent Sharon Thomas is one of two superintendent finalists in the Colorado Springs School District No. 11, it was learned Wednesday.
POLITICAL NOTES
ST. PAUL -- The Minnesota House Tuesday passed legislation authored by Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker, that would allow silencers to muffle discharges of firearms for natural resource wildlife control. The bill passed 121-1.
A tree program in Nisswa
Nisswa Elementary School students Samantha Goldberg (left) and Zean Baker held signs during an arbor program Wednesday at Nisswa city park. The students helped plant a large pine tree in the park and will be given trees to plant at home.
This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1985) - Dawn Bender, 17, daughter of Sharon Bender and Ron Bender, both of Brainerd, has been selected as a finalist in the 14th annual Miss Minnesota National teenager pageant.
County commissioners to tour Camp Ripley
WALKER -- The Cass County Board plans to accept Camp Ripley Post Commander Col. Richard Weaver's invitation to tour the camp Aug. 5.
COMING SUNDAY IN HER VOICE
Her Voice features an interview with
This was Brainerd
May 5 - 40 years ago (1965) - In the closest playoff tussle of the 1964-65 Brainerd men's bowling season, Van's Cafe downed Johnson's Dairy Store by 8 pins.
BHS Hall of Fame dinner tickets available
Tickets for this year's Brainerd High School Distinguished Achievement Hall of Fame dinner are available. The dinner will be May 15.
This time, the tears were of joy
This time the tears were shed in joy.
LOCAL BRIEF
The Region Five Development Commission announces the completion of its new Web site at www.regionfive.org.
COMING SUNDAY IN SPORTS
Former Brainerd resident and figure skater Kim Gallant, aka Jawbreaker, is a member of the Silver Bullets roller derby team that plays in the four-team Minnesota Rollergirls league in the Twin Cities.
Sen. Coleman working on plans to make Ripley a mobilization center
Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., said Wednesday he's continuing to work on plans to make Camp Ripley a national mobilization center and consequently keeping soldiers closer to home before their deployment overseas.
LOCAL BRIEFS
A bike safety clinic is planned 10 a.m. Saturday at the Memorial Park parking lot in Brainerd.
BHS grad an online poker big-timer
A 2002 Brainerd High School graduate won the online poker game of his life early Thursday on his computer in his college dorm room, securing his spot amongst professional players at the 2005 World Series of Poker in July.
Shooting hoops
Shane McAllister drove for a layup Thursday at Lowell Elementary School playground in Brainerd.
Overheard
"Wow, it's good to be back. You think about a lot of things while you are gone. And you're back. It's pretty great."
Getting cross:
CROSSLAKE -- During a special session Thursday, the Crosslake City Crosslake was supposed to look at how complaints are handled, but the conversation took a left turn early on.
LOCAL BRIEFS
The Northern Lakes Arthritis Walk will be 10 a.m. May 21 starting at the Paul Bunyan Trailhead parking lot in Baxter.
Obituary policy
Obituary notices are charged at 34 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.
Arvid Greenwalt
Arvid Greenwalt, age 89, went home to his heavenly father on May 4, 2005. He was born on Nov. 23, 1915, in Big Sandy, Mont., to Arthur H. and Agnes (Pifer) Greenwalt.
Carl J. Bloch
AITKIN -- Carl J. Bloch, age 87, of Aitkin, left to be with the Lord May 3, 2005, at the Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.
Florence E. Durham
FERGUS FALLS -- Florence E. Durham, 85, Fergus Falls, formerly of Crosslake, died Tuesday, May 3, 2005, at Lake Region Memorial Hospital in Fergus Falls. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at Crosslake Lutheran Church with the Rev. Kate Bruns officiating. There will be a visitation one hour prior to the service Saturday morning. Interment will be at Pinewood Cemetery in Crosslake.
Ronald Montgomery
MOTLEY -- Ronald Montgomery, age 68, of Motley, died Monday, May 2, 2005, at Mille Lacs Hospital in Onamia. Funeral services will be Friday, May 6, at 11 a.m. at Motley Free Methodist Church with the Rev. Jim Johnson officiating. Friends may visit Thursday, May 5, from 6-8 p.m. at Brenny Funeral Home in Staples and at the church during the hour prior to services on Friday.
Gwen Otteson
BACKUS -- Gwen Otteson, age 85, of Backus, died May 5, 2005, at the Pine River Whispering Pines Nursing Home. Arrangements are pending with the Brenny Funeral Chapel in Baxter.
Lois V. O'Brian
CHASKA -- Lois V. O'Brian, age 91, Chaska, formerly of Nisswa, Minn., died May 1, 2005. Preceded in death by husband, J. Gordon; son and daughter-in-law, Pat and Linda; brothers, Warren and Gordon Lundquist.
Agnes Yanta
LITTLE FALLS -- Agnes Yanta, age 82, of Little Falls, Minn., passed away today, Thursday, May 5, 2005, at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, Minn. Funeral services are pending with the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, Minn.
Florence E. Durham
FERGUS FALLS -- Florence E. Durham, 85, Fergus Falls, formerly of Crosslake, died Tuesday, May 3, 2005, at Lake Region Memorial Hospital in Fergus Falls. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at Crosslake Lutheran Church. There will be a visitation one hour prior to the service Saturday morning. Interment will be at Pinewood Cemetery in Crosslake. Services entrusted to Brenny Funeral Chapel of Crosslake, Minn.
Agnes Schwichtenberg
STAPLES -- Agnes Schwichtenberg, 88, formerly of Waterville, died May 3, 2005, at the Staples Care Center. Private family services will be at a later date with interment at Calvary Cemetery in Waterville.
Lila A. Mortenson
PEQUOT LAKES -- Lila A. Mortenson, age 85, passed away on Wednesday, May 4, 2005, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 7, 2005, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Pequot Lakes, with the Rev. David N. Stevens to officiate. Burial will follow in Our Savior's Cemetery, Pequot Lakes. Visitation will be one hour prior to services Saturday at the church.
Arvid Greenwalt
Arvid Greenwalt, 89, Brainerd, passed away on Wednesday, May 4, 2005, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
VOX POP
Steve Kohls did it again with his great picture of the children driving to the prom in a tractor. I'm sure the tractor cost more than any limo on the road. But the picture is a classic. Way to go, Jeremy and Emily.
OUR OPINION: CASINOS
Watching the Minnesota Legislature wind its peculiar, circuitous way to a conclusion at this time of year is almost always entertaining.
Olson's actions demoralize city staff
First off, I would like to thank one of our council persons for again bringing to our citizen's attention a major concern pertaining to one councilman's unreasonable amount of requests that is truly taking staff time away from doing their normal work to respond to these requests.
Open Forum: A salute to Crow Wing County nurses
On May 6, 2005, the Crow Wing County Health Department and the Minnesota Nurses Association, will begin the celebration of National Nurses Week
Open Forum
It seems some of the Thessalonians were way ahead of the welfare curve and were claiming their alleged right to the fruits of others' labor. That's not the way it works, St. Paul tells them. "For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you." The message is crystal clear and you have to admire the way St. Paul lays it out for those worthless, lazy louts.
OUR OPINION: VETERANS
Few events are more joyous than a soldier's reunion with loved ones. Hugs and smiles demonstrate the tremendous relief felt by family members who had worried and prayed for the safe return of the reservists.
Area bear hunters don't have it easy
Bear hunting is labor intensive. Finding woods in which to hunt is just the start.
RELIGION SHORTS
Stand Your Ground, a men's quartet representing Crown College, will be in concert 7 p.m. Thursday at Grace United Methodist Church on Highway 371, two miles south of Pequot Lakes.
Light of the Lakes Church to hold first worship in new Baxter building
Following years of anticipation, Light of the Lakes Church, which formerly met in school gymnasiums, cafeterias, a photo studio and even a funeral home, finally has a place to call home.
Expanding roles of laity in U.S. will test new pope
INVERNESS, Ill. -- The leadership of Holy Family Catholic Community gathered the other night to discuss parish business. Seventy-five men and women, none of them ordained, shared readings from Isaiah and John. A Latin hymn rose from a baritone in the back row, and everyone joined in.
Special request
Area soldiers serving far from the Brainerd lakes area put in a request for an item from home -- beef jerky.
Meschke wins medal, Cardinals win meet
PARK RAPIDS -- Val Meschke of Pequot Lakes needed a scorecard playoff, but topped Staples-Motley's Cydney Hasselberg for medalist honors Wednesday in the Park Rapids Invitational at Headwaters Golf Course.
Future contenders
Two nights a week, for the last eight months, you can find them running up and down cemetery hill in northeast Brainerd.
Raider teams red-hot going into playoffs
No two teams may be playing better softball and baseball than the teams at Central Lakes College. And it's coming at the best possible time as playoffs get under way this weekend.
Thompson ninth in feature at Alexandria
ALEXANDRIA -- Tommy Thompson of Brainerd finished ninth in the WISSOTA Late Model Feature race Saturday night at Viking Speedway.
Flyers get the best of Wolverines
LITTLE FALLS -- Flyer No. 1 singles player Jerry Vu scored a 6-1, 6-1 win as the Little Falls Flyers tennis team cruised to a 6-1 win over the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines on Thursday.
SPORTS SHORTS
Nine individuals and one relay had honor roll performances (top 15 in school history) for the Brainerd Warrior girls in a dual track and field meet Tuesday at Little Falls.
Apollo upsets BHS before playoffs
About the best thing the Brainerd Warriors baseball team can do is head to Friday's Princeton tournament and forget they played the previously winless St. Cloud Apollo Eagles.
Pierz girls state-bound
PIERZ -- Pierz's Kaitlyn Jensen captured first place in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles as well as the long jump to lead the Pioneers girls' track and field team to a first place finish at the Section 7, Class 1A True Team meet Thursday.
BHS Smith no-hits St. Cloud Apollo
ST. CLOUD -- After hitting the first over the fence home run at a Brainerd home game Tuesday, Hilary Smith one upped herself and tossed a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts as the Warriors beat St. Cloud Apollo 4-0 Thursday in a Central Lakes Conference softball game.
A quick return
BARROWS -- A Wissota Modified clicked off an unofficial lap time of 17.66 seconds Saturday in North Central Speedway's opener as the class returned to NCS after a several-year absence.
Dragovich, Weitnauer medalists in Aitkin win
DEERWOOD -- Aitkin's Jake Dragovich and Mike Weitnauer shared medalist honors and the Gobblers defeated Onamia in a Great River Conference boys' golf meet Wednesday at Cuyuna Country Club.
Boyer repeats as invitational champion
BREEZY POINT -- Tom Boyer did what no other area boys' golfer could do Wednesday.
Upcoming sporting events in the Brainerd lakes area:
THURSDAY
Detroit Lakes sweeps Pequot
PEQUOT LAKES -- Chris Johnson was 2-for-3 with a double in game one and Bryce Szymanski allowed no earned runs in game two, but the Pequot Lakes Patriots lost a pair of Mid-State Conference baseball games 11-3, 3-2 to Detroit Lakes Tuesday.
No one has been hotter than Holbrook
No hitter has been hotter than Kyle Holbrook in the first seven games of the season for the Brainerd Warriors baseball team.
Section preview has Brainerd in seventh place
OTTERTAIL -- Megan Owens shot a 96 to lead the Brainerd Warriors girls' golf team to seventh Wednesday in a Presection 8, Class 2A Invitational at Thumper Pond.
Scoreboard
Baseball
Pohlkamp, Pierz topple B-B-E
BELGRADE -- Tina Pohlkamp went 4-for-6 with three RBI and teammates Amber Welle and Kelly Medek added three hits apiece as the Pierz Pioneers plowed past the Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Jaguars 15-8 in Central Minnesota Conference play Thursday.
Johnson fans 16 in Verndale win
VERNDALE -- Isaac Johnson pitched a three-hit, complete game with 16 strikeouts for the Verndale Pirates in a 6-2 triumph over the New York Mills Eagles Thursday.
State forecast for Iowa
.Today...Partly sunny north...Partly cloudy south and east. A
Playing tag
Weather drawing by Emily Danielson of Mrs. Brenny's third grade class at Baxter school.
Sunny day
Weather drawing by Hayley Sinner of Mrs. West's fifth grade class at Garfield school.
State forecast for S.D.
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. A slight chance of late afternoon thunderstorms southwest and northeast corners. Highs in the 70s to lower 80s.
State forecast for Minnesota
.Today...Mostly sunny in the morning...Then becoming partly
State forecast for Iowa
Today...Partly cloudy. Scattered sprinkles north this morning.
State forecast for South Dakota
Today...Partly to mostly cloudy. Becoming breezy. Scattered showers and thunderstorms...Especially in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s to lower 80s.
State forecast for Minnesota
Today...Partly cloudy. Breezy east. Slight chance of showers east
State forecast for N.D.
Today...Mostly sunny west. Partly to mostly cloudy east. A
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Increasing clouds with a chance for showers and thunderstorms northwest. Partly cloudy south and east. Highs from the 60s north and east to the mid 70s west.
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Patchy morning fog northwest...Otherwise partly cloudy. A chance for showers or thunderstorms elsewhere. Highs in the middle 60s north and far east to around 80 west.
SENIOR ACTIVITIES
Lakes Area Senior Activity Center