Sunday, July 1, 2007

Business Notes
PEQUOT LAKES - Lonesome Cottage Furniture Co., Pequot Lakes, recently announced a promotion and staff additions.

Dispatch upgrading printing quality
A technology upgrade is expected to be fully operational at the Brainerd Dispatch in July and represents the continuation of a $500,000 investment in printing quality.

A chance to grow and learn
Pumpkin plants in neat rows stretched beneath a strong June sun at the Northland Arboretum.

BUSINESS NEWS
The Board of Directors of Lakewood Bank appointed Joel Staehling to the position of president and chief executive officer.

Dispatch job search engine powered by Yahoo! HotJobs
The Dispatch Web site's launch to include a local job search engine powered by Yahoo!'s HotJobs' software is now complete.

BIZ BUZZ
Lonesome Cottage Furniture, Pequot Lakes, acquired Rustic Retreat Furniture of Nisswa.

ACCIDENTS
LITTLE FALLS - A 27-year-old Woodbury man was injured Monday after falling from the ceiling of the Little Falls Chamber of Commerce building.

AGENDAS
Cass County Board

Firefighters respond
The Brainerd Fire Department responded to three calls Friday, including two grass fires.

Gull Chain of Lakes group to meet July 12
The annual membership and social meeting of the Gull Chain of Lakes Association is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on July 12 at 4064 Barrows Point Road, Nisswa. This address is on Mission Road, 2.5 miles south of Nisswa off Highway 371.

Agendas
Brainerd City Council

Faith-based agency helps families deal with children's mental health issues
Bridges of Hope works with area mental health providers to offer immediate mental health evaluations for children and their families. Bridges of Hope links families with an urgent mental health need to an area mental health provider immediately. It also can provide financial assistance for an initial assessment when a child or family is uninsured or underinsured. Bridges will continue to work with the family to get them connected to insurance for any follow-up that is recommended by the therapist.

WHAT'S DOING
Alexis Orth, daughter of Rich and Chris Orth, was recently crowned National American Miss Minnesota Jr. Pre-Teen Cover Girl at the state pageant in Bloomington. She received an official state crown, banner and trophy as well as trophies for National American Miss state finalist, Spirit of America and most ticket sales winner. She received ribbons for her talent entry and most recommendations.

MUCH OBLIGED
As we approach the Fourth of July holiday in a few days, I encourage each one of us to stop and reflect on the solemn meaning behind this important day in our heritage.

Highway 210 construction work set to resume July 9
After a break in construction operations to make way for Fourth of July holiday traffic, work will resume the week of July 9, the Minnesota Department of Transportation reported.

Honks for Hugs
Rachel Converse, receptionist at radio station 3WI, waved to motorists on Washington Street in Brainerd on Friday during the Honks for Hugs fundraiser. Sponsored by the radio station and Brainerd Lakes Huggers, Converse was among several volunteers who were raising money to buy materials for "hugs," which can be filled with water and draped around the neck of a soldier in the Middle East to cool body temperature by up to five degrees. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls

Holman to join Baxter City Council
Todd Holman will join the Baxter City Council.

LOCAL BRIEFS
The Brainerd Community Agriculture Center was selected to receive a grant for the purchase of equine classroom resources.

Fourth of July events
BRAINERD/BAXTER AREA

Battle of the Bands
Stephanie Frenstad, with the band Waiting on Wednesday, sang lead vocals Friday night during the Battle of the Bands at Don Adamson Field. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls

2 Nisswa businesses hit by counterfeiters
Two businesses in Nisswa were scammed by counterfeit travelers checks, each for $500, Sgt. Tim Holmes of the Nisswa Police Department said Friday.

Boy dies in personal watercraft accident
GARRISON - A 14-year-old Chisago City boy was killed Friday after his personal watercraft collided with another personal watercraft operated by a 13-year-old Lino Lakes boy on Crooked Lake near Garrison, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department reported.

This was Brainerd
JULY 1 - 30 years ago (1977) - Mrs. H.C. Henneman, Brainerd, piano teacher, received a lifetime membership in the state and National Music Teachers Association.

'It takes all of us to be survivors'
RACE FOR THE CURE | A STORY OF SURVIVAL

Getting ready to boogie
As far as Rahj White is concerned, disco isn't dead. You just have to look a little harder to find it.

Firewood restriction issued for Fourth
Firewood movement restrictions are now in place in Minnesota to prevent the importation of forest insects such as the emerald ash borer, which has devastated trees in Canada and several Midwest states.

Overheard
"The first race I came to after being diagnosed and seeing the couple thousand people that were there, I felt they were all there for me. ... We still need to keep racing and we need to keep fighting."

James F. Elg
James Frederick Elg, age 60, passed away June 28, 2007, at his home after a short but courageous battle with cancer. James was born on Aug. 26, 1946, in Virginia, Minn., to Evald and Doris (Ilse) Elg

Clifford 'Cliff' Danielson
CROSBY - Clifford "Cliff" F. Danielson was born on Aug. 28, 1938, in Duluth, Minn. He was raised in Superior, Wis. He died at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center, Crosby, Minn., on Monday, May 28, 2007. Cliff loved cars and collecting cars, listening to oldies music. He liked a good thunderstorm and was very much a people person.

Dwaine Hollingsworth
MERRIFIELD - Dwaine Hollingsworth, Merrifield, 65, passed away on Friday, June 29, 2007, at home. He was born April 10, 1942, in Merrifield to Clayton and Lillian (Karge) Hollingsworth. He was united in marriage to Patricia Lord March 11, 1962, in Brainerd. Dwaine worked for the city of Brainerd Parks and Recreation Department until he retired in 1999. He enjoyed spending time with family, fishing and hunting.

Karen A. Fiedler
LITTLE FALLS - Karen A. Fiedler, 55-year-old resident of Little Falls, Minn., passed away Friday, July 29, 2007, at St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minn. Arrangements are pending with the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls.

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.

What do you think?
Write us a letter or send us an e-mail

VOX POP
Please be careful with your campfires, grills and fireworks. We don't need any fires here. It is very dry.

OUR OPINION: SUPREME COURT
The widely diverse writers whose words appear on this Commentary page, including the editorialists, the columnists and the Open Forum writers, all share one trait. They're all big supporters of free speech. Our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech allows us to speak out on public issues, praise or condemn our leaders or vent on the noise of Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Open Forum
Based on the information in the article that you had in the June 27 issue of your paper, we are all in serious trouble. We are over-taxed!

WAPOA's hard work pays off
Thirty-seven years after its inception, the Whitefish Area Property Owners Association is recognized as the best property owners association in Minnesota.

Boaters must do their part to prevent spread of exotic species
The DNR reminds watercraft users to check their watercrafts when launching and landing this year. You might see a volunteer inspector at a public access checking trailers for weeds. Boat's livewells will be checked too - no, not for fish, but for exotic species.

Redtails? At today's prices, they should be called goldtails
Last week I wrote about our guides and how each has a different approach to fishing. That was mainly in regard to live bait rigging. But what about how you hook those leeches, nightcrawlers and minnows? Where and how? And how fast should you move when bait is hooked in a particular way?

Night bite comes on strong as days get hot
Tired of fighting the fishing crowds? Looking for a way to beat the heat? Looking for the walleye of your dreams?

Sedge, grass look alike but belong to different families
Sometimes there are so many sensational scenes taking place in nature that I don't know which to write about. Should the topic be loons and chicks, geese and goslings, skippers and swallowtails, spittlebugs and spiders, basking turtles and bogs, showy lady slippers and sedges or bird songs?

80th birthday
Janet Meyer will celebrate her 80th birthday with an open house from 2-6 p.m. July 7 at Randy and Bonnie Powers' home in Brainerd. The event will be hosted by her children.

Finch-Larson
Sarah Finch and Matt Larson were married Feb. 24, 2007, in Ponce Inlet Beach, Fla.

Selter-Schultz
Lisa Selter and Bill Schultz announce their engagement. Parents are the late Michael and Christine Loew and Jack and Alice Schultz, Nisswa. An Aug. 18 wedding is planned at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Pequot Lakes.

Studniski-Rothstein
Sara Studniski and Nathan Rothstein announce their engagement. Parents are Gretchen and Rick Studniski, Rogers, and Cathy and Denny Rothstein, Pierz. A November wedding is planned.

45th anniversary
Curtis and Diana Fox, Brainerd, recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary with a dinner with their family. A future trip is planned. They were married June 29, 1962, in Brainerd.

Four generations
Four generations recently gathered were Fayth Joelle Conner, daughter; Amanda (Fox) Conner, mother, Baxter; Janet (Larson) Fox, grandmother, Burnsville; and Mervin Larson, great-grandfather, Brainerd.

70th birthday
LaVerne Chisholm will celebrate his 70th birthday with an open house from 1-4 p.m. July 7 at the Green Lantern. The event will be hosted by his children.

Halverson-Morris
Erin Halverson and David Morris were married April 14, 2007, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Brainerd with Pastor Mark Skinner officiating.

65th anniversary
Marcel and Margaret (Sullivan) Pikula, Brainerd, will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary with a vow renewal ceremony at 11:15 a.m. Mass at St. Francis Catholic Church with an open house to follow from 2-5 p.m. July 8 at their home, 1803 S. Eighth St. , near Bane Park in Brainerd. No gifts please.

Hanske-Christenson
Angela Jean Hanske and Erik Walden Christenson were married Dec. 30, 2006, at Salem Lutheran Church in Deerwood with Pastor David Anderson officiating.

65th anniversary
Chet and Bettie Snyder will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on July 3. They were married in Lakehurst, N.J.

80th birthday
Joyce (Haglin) Sutton will celebrate her 80th birthday with an open house from 1-4 p.m. July 8 at the Koinonia Center at First Lutheran Church in Brainerd. Because Joyce was born on July 4, guests are asked to wear red, white and blue. No gifts please.

40th anniversary
James and Connie Boileau, Brainerd, will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on Sunday with their family. They were married July 1, 1967, in Brainerd.

Stranne heads to nationals
Kelly Stranne's horse, Slick, may be four years older than she is, but that didn't prevent the 13-year-old Pine River girl and 17-year-old brownish-black thoroughbred quarterhorse from winning the state championship in barrel racing and placing fourth in poles, qualifying them for nationals.

Scoreboard
Area events

Lightning hit their way past Miners
Tony Parrish had two hits, including a two-run home run to propel the Lakes Area Lightning past the Cuyuna Range Miners 7-4 Friday at Mills Field.

Softball tourney features bands, cookout
After the Fourth of July fireworks are extinguished and sparklers are stored away until next year, 36 teams from the five-state area will descend upon Memorial Park in Brainerd July 6-8 for the 28th Annual Brainerd Men's Invitational softball tournament.

Blue Thunder "Support our Troops" day July 2
The Blue Thunder and the Mills family are sponsoring "Support our Troops" day July 2 at Mills Field for their game against the Duluth Huskies. All veterans and active military personnel and their families are invited.

Golf
34th Annual Golf Classic

Bertha-Hewitt sweeps Staples-Motley
BERTHA - The Bertha-Hewitt Legion baseball team was able to sneak away with a 9-8 game-one victory and followed that up with an 8-6 win in the second game to sweep a doubleheader from Staples-Motley Friday.

Augustinack hopes to leave others in his wake
He's topped snowboards, skateboards and probably a 2x4, but five years ago when Tony Augustinack received his first wakeboard a career was born.

Rochester blanks Brainerd 7-0
ROCHESTER - Starting pitcher Craig Fritsch scattered four hits over eight strong innings of work, striking out eight and walking just two to help the Rochester Honkers blank the Brainerd Blue Thunder 7-0 Friday in a Northwoods League game.

Beach time
Weather drawing by Katie Duarte of Ms. Hemstad's third-grade class at Baxter school.

State forecast for Iowa
Today...Partly sunny. Highs 75 south to 84 northwest.

Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Partly cloudy. Highs from the mid 70s north to around 80 in the south. Cooler near the great lakes.

State forecast for Minnesota
Today...Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers north.

State forecast for S.D.
Today...Mostly sunny. A slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms northwest and black hills. Highs in the 80s east to the 90s west except upper 70s far northeast.

State forecast for N.D.
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. A slight chance of thunderstorms