Wednesday, July 2, 2008
POLICE BLOTTER
INVESTIGATION - Cited a 27-year-old man for indecent conduct at 1:29 a.m. Tuesday after he urinated in the alley behind the 700 block of Laurel Street. The man was arrested and housed at the Crow Wing County Jail after he told officers he wouldn't pay the citation.
POLICE BLOTTER
BURGLARIES - Sharon Klein, 200 block of Southwest Fourth Street, Sunday reported her apartment broken into.
Two arrested for burglaries in Wadena, Cass counties
PINE RIVER - Two people have been arrested following a string of burglaries in Wadena and Cass counties.
No public transit on Independence Day
Brainerd and Crow Wing Public Transit (Dial-a-Ride) will not operate Friday in observance of Independence Day.
Correction
A Page 6A courts listing in Sunday's Dispatch incorrectly stated Kenneth Charles Stachowski, 45, Crosby, was sentenced recently in Crow Wing County District Court for gross misdemeanor DWI. The court listing should have stated Stachowski was sentenced for gross misdemeanor driving after license cancellation.
BIRTH
Jason and Laura Melin, Deerwood, a boy, Alexander Jason, 5 pounds, 10 ounces, June 12, 2008. Grandparents are Larry and Jane Lockwood, and Tom and Val Melin. Great-grandparents are Dorothy Lockwood, Isabel Melin and Orvus and Aileen Benitt.
CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY
923 Oak Street Temple Baptist Church (Soup Kitchen)
PBSBA and DNR: Another team effort
Call them trailblazers.
Baby raccoons, and a wildlife manager, in a box
Someone picked up a problem the other day and dropped it in the lap of the DNR wildlife manager at New Ulm. He pondered the problem, a rock on one side of him, a hard place on the other.
Tournament champs
The 10-U Baxter traveling baseball team, sponsored by Dondelinger and Northland Cabin Care, won the Bemidji Tournament June 22. After losing its first game 11-3 to Bemidji 11-U, Baxter defeated Bemidji 10-U twice, 8-7 and 5-1, and Park Rapids 17-0 to capture the championship.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Do you have a treasured photo? Send us your favorite family photographs, including a brief description of the photo and when it was taken, for possible publication in the Neighbors section. Submit your recent photos to: kathi.nagorski@ brainerddispatch.com or drop them off at the Dispatch.
Staples-Motley 6th-grade girls win state crown
ST. JOSEPH - The Staples-Motley sixth grade girls' basketball team ended its season June 8 at the College of St. Benedict by winning the Pacesetter state tournament.
LOCAL BRIEFS
New officers of the Baxter Lions Club were recently introduced:
PETS OF THE WEEK
Mura is a 4-month-old female shepherd mix puppy. She has a long, fluffy coat and a calm, sweet demeanor. Brainerd Dispatch/ Heidi Lake
ORGANIZATIONS
Brainerd Jaycees
SUPPORT GROUPS
Lakes Area Ecumenical Bereavement
Soldiers and family
Face-painting, a rock-climbing wall, a balloon send-off, caricature-drawings, a barbeque dinner and a Chinook helicopter flyover were among the many activities offered to soldiers and their families at Camp Ripley's Soldier and Family Appreciation Day on June 21. Free performances by the 2008 Army Soldier Show and Texas country-singer Katie Rae Davis also were featured.
Spring slippers
Do you have a recent scenic picture that shows the beauty of the lakes area? Send it to photos@brainerddispatch.com for possible publication in the Neighbors section. Be sure to include your name, where you are from, a brief description of the photo and when and where it was taken.
'I knew he was the one'
I got Jackson from Heartland Animal Rescue Team in May 2003. He was in the back room because HART had no more space in the cat room. There were only three cats back there, and when I went up to his cage, he climbed up and licked my finger. I knew he was the one.
Aitkin County Fair to kick off July 9
The 118th annual Aitkin County Fair is planned July 9-12 at the Aitkin County Fairgrounds.
Third-place effort
The Lakes Area Youth Soccer Association's U-14 girls finished third recently in a Fargo tournament. Sarah Fransen (front left), Brooke Taylor, Hannah Hennen, Molly Palm, Emily Beltran, Karlie Nelson, Mikaela Boyd, Abigail Palmer, Ange Sausen (back left), Rachel Ford, Emily Dumbeck, Alesha Belisle, Allison Kosobud, coach Sara Rojas, Brooke Nelson, Madi Hastings and Sarah Fairbanks.
Costly spectacle
Visitors to the Brainerd lakes area will find out Friday why Brainerd has been dubbed "Minnesota's Fourth of July Capital."
Costs of extending utilities along 210 north discussed
The potential for extending water and sewer north along Highway 210 could aid future growth in the city of Brainerd.
CALENDAR OF FUN ON 4TH
BRAINERD/BAXTER
Three file for vacant board seat
Crow Wing County's open District 1 seat prompted three candidates to file Tuesday on the first day of filing for county, state legislative and judicial seats.
County engineer to seek bids for road improvements
WALKER Cass County Engineer David Enblom obtained board approval Tuesday to seek bids or quotes to make improvements on short stretches of a few roads.
FIREWORKS AND THE 4TH
NEW YORK - Shawn O'Dierno's rescued Doberman was a certified therapy dog who could help soothe patients and tolerated the sounds of dropped hospital equipment, loud arguments or crying visitors. But while Reid coped with the stress of a hospital room, he couldn't handle fireworks.
Red, white and Blues
They might as well be called the Blues Family. Our local Blues Brothers tribute band - a staple in the Brainerd and Nisswa parades for 15 years - is a collection of 15 friends and relatives who stumbled upon a great excuse to see each other every Fourth of July.
This was Brainerd
JULY 1 - 80 years ago (1928) - A new firm under the management of Clifton Richards and Miles Hall has entered the confectionery business on the corner of Kingwood Street and Sixth Street opposite from the Standard Oil station.
This was Brainerd
100 years ago (1908) - Mons Mahlum has been improving the appearance of his place on North Broadway by trimming up the trees. Many other north side places could be improved in the same manner.
Overheard
"It's like eating an elephant - you've got to eat it one bite at a time."
Cass facing $1M shortfall, votes layoffs
WALKER - The Cass County Board voted Tuesday to lay off five employees effective immediately as a beginning for budget cuts designed to offset an anticipated $1 million shortfall.
On birthday, Rep. Howes gets party endorsement
It was the perfect birthday president for a veteran politician.
Correction
The name of Dianna Kiehlbauch, a member of the Blues Brother band, was spelled incorrectly in a Page 6A cutline in Tuesday's paper.
Miss Brainerd Lakes pageant offers early start on festivities
Antje Anderson, one of the contestants participating in Saturday's Miss Brainerd Lakes Scholarship Program, performed a lyrical dance to Elisa's "Dancing" at Tornstrom Auditorium in Brainerd. Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
Ward, Doty file
Two first-term DFLers, who were elected to the Minnesota House in 2006, filed for re-election Tuesday.
LOCAL BRIEFS
The following are the results of the MCA-II results for Crosby-Ironton seventh-, eighth-, 10th- and 11th-grades, which were inadvertently omitted in Monday's paper:
LF-based Guard unit builds outposts for new Iraq strategy
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Building outposts in dangerous neighborhoods in Iraq has been a Minnesota National Guard unit's mission for the past eight months.
BHS principal accepts post in Brazil
Erich Heise, Brainerd High School principal, is heading to Brazil.
Arena panel breaks the ice
While Minnesota Hockey Camp skaters pushed through drills on the ice below, members of the newly formed arena oversight committee held their first meeting in an upstairs conference room Monday at the Brainerd Area Civic Center.
Legacy of help
Rita Beard was 18 when she learned she had diabetes.
LOCAL BRIEFS
There's a reason Brainerd residents did a lot of lawn mowing and swatted mosquitoes last month. The DNR's Brainerd area forestry office reported that June saw 7.5 inches of rain, compared to a 10-year average of 5.22 inches.
Diabetes is silent disease; be aware of signs
The American Diabetes Association reports many people are unaware they have diabetes until they develop one of its complications.
Missing Nisswa woman returns to her home
A 71-year-old Nisswa woman who had been reported missing Saturday night when she didn't return to her Gull Lake home from the Twin Cities returned home late Sunday night.
BLADC funding approved for this year, but will reviewed in 2009 talks
BAXTER - The Brainerd Lakes Area Development Corp. will receive funding from Baxter for 2008, but 2009 funding will be reviewed in budget discussions.
Fun and games during the Right Friends Picnic at the Confidence Learning Center
Lonnie MacFarlane of Aitkin worked his way under the limbo pole Monday during the Right Friends Picnic at the Confidence Learning Center. The picnic is part of the Fourth of July festivities in the Lakes Area. Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
Backyard fireworks gain power and popularity
For backyard patriots, the rockets available this Fourth of July are flashier, more creative and louder than ever before.
Overheard
"Many consumers have moved on."
Lorena Kristofferson
Lorena Kristofferson, 93, lifelong resident of Brainerd/Baxter area, passed away Saturday, June 28, 2008. Lorena was born on Feb. 17, 1915, in Brainerd, to Carl and Emilie (Roxberg) Fryklind.
Randy G. Brittan
CROSSLAKE - Randy Gene Brittan, 52, of Crosslake, Minn., formerly of Maple Grove, Minn., went to be with Jesus on Saturday June 28, 2008, after a short battle with lung cancer.
Josephine Matten
Josephine Matten, 69, Brainerd, passed away Saturday, June 28, 2008, at her home in Brainerd. She was born in Kildeer, N.D., on April 18, 1939, to Martin and Susan Ann (Leiss) Bosch.
Elizabeth Larson
BROOKLYN PARK - Elizabeth "Betty" Larson, age 84, of Brooklyn Park, passed away June 29, 2008.
Marilyn Torkelson
BAXTER - Marilyn Torkelson, age 83, resident of Baxter, Minn., former longtime resident of Channahon, Ill., died Friday, June 27, 2008, in Brainerd. She was born Sept. 7, 1924, in Yorkville, Ill., to Barney and Anna (Fatland) Enger.
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.
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.
Leonard E. Bauer
AITKIN - Leonard E. Bauer, 86, of Aitkin, died Monday, June 30, 2008, at Riverwood Healthcare Center, Aitkin.
Hillar Pilli
BAXTER - Hillar Pilli, 80, of Baxter, died at his home, June 30, 2008. Services for Hillar will be noon Thursday, July 3, 2008, at the Lakewood Chapel in Minneapolis. Friends may gather one hour prior services. Arrangements have been entrusted to Brenny Funeral Chapel of Baxter.
Virginia S. Briggs
TUCSON, Ariz. - Virginia S. Briggs, age 73, resident of Tucson, Ariz., formerly of Nisswa, died Thursday, June 26, 2008, in Tucson.
Paul A. Kummet
PRINCETON - Paul Andrew Kummet, 40, Princeton, died of natural causes on Friday, June 27, 2008, at Elk River, Minn.
What do you think?
The Brainerd Dispatch welcomes letters on recent articles and current issues. Letters should include the writer's full name, city and a phone number (for verification only). Letters are limited to 300 words. Only one letter per person per week.
VOX POP
Thursday I read the front page article about the Little Falls shooting. When I got to the continuation on Page 6 and read, "He ordered that the American Flag fly at half-staff for three days." I was shocked and offended.
Education's failed funding system
A recent Open Forum writer totally missed the point when he dismissed legislative efforts to provide comprehensive funding reform for Minnesota schools, although he is is correct when he says the current school funding system doesn't meet today's needs.
Open Forum
I knew there would be spin to take the oil problem off the Democratic door step. Let's stick to the facts.
OUR OPINION: FOURTH OF JULY
Nothing says summer quite as well as an old-fashioned extended Fourth of July weekend. For those lucky enough to enjoy a day off, it's a noisy, sun-soaked, red, white and blue extravaganza. And those people lucky enough to be in the Brainerd-Baxter area for the next few weeks will find activities to suit just about any taste.
Open Forum
A delightful young lady from beautiful Pine River was excited to see some good news on the front page of the Dispatch for a change. It somewhat offset the June 22 headline that read: "Ex-aide says Bush must blame himself for mistrust." The ensuing article told of how an incompetent malcontent told a large panel of incompetent congresspersons that he had a book for sale and that stabbing President Bush in the back was what Bush deserved. Other than that, Scott McClellan had little or no knowledge that would advance the House Judiciary Committee's probe into the leak of CIA file clerk, Valerie Plame's identity. The headline led you to believe that late-breaking and shocking news was being provided when in fact the Plame flame had died out months ago.
Bronco, Pony all-star rosters announced
The Brainerd Parks and Recreation Department will host its Midsummer Classics on Monday at Bane Park.
Woodchucks chuck Thunder
About the last thing the Brainerd Blue Thunder wanted to do was open a crucial 10-game home stand with a losing effort.
GOLF SHORTS
Cragun's eighth annual University of Minnesota golf event is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. July 11 at the Legacy Courses at Cragun's.
Eyes on the game
Spencer Beto handled his tall bottle of root beer without taking his eyes off the Blue Thunder baseball game Tuesday at Mills Field. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
Brainerd sweeps Sauk Rapids
Alex Rohde's solo home run helped the Brainerd VFW baseball team to defeat Sauk Rapids 6-2 in the first game of a doubleheader Monday.
Kahl's home run lifts Pierz
ROYALTON - Mark Kahl was 2-for-4 with a solo home run and three RBIs to power the Pierz Legion team past Royalton 8-1 Tuesday.
Aitkin, Bemidji split pair
AITKIN - The Aitkin River Hawks and the Bemidji Blue Ox split an Itasca League amateur baseball doubleheader Sunday.
SCOREBOARD
Area events
S-M takes two from Menahga
STAPLES - Staples-Motley swept a VFW baseball doubleheader from Menahga on Monday.
Class always in session for Seiffert
Summer school is not punishment for Michael Seiffert.
AREA SHORTS
The first Brainerd Downhill Drags Soap Box Derby of the season took place Saturday at the Brainerd Area Civic Center parking lot.
Whitefish women's invitational played
The Whitefish women's 18-hole league invitational golf tournament was played June 25 with 86 players participating.
Schaible helps Nisswa split
LITTLE FALLS - Kyle Schaible pitched a complete game as Nisswa defeated Little Falls 8-4 in the second game of a Legion baseball doubleheader Monday.
Big sixth inning lets Blue Thunder snap losing streak
It didn't happen without a struggle but the Brainerd Blue Thunder's longest losing streak of the season has finally ended.
Former Warrior Valesano is Outstate defensive MVP
Mike Valesano had a performance worthy of an all-star.
Rohde's homer sparks sophs
Alex Rohde hit a three-run homer in the fifth to snap a 5-5 tie and help the Brainerd sophomore VFW baseball team to an 8-6 victory over Sartell in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday.
Brainerd, Nisswa split
NISSWA - The Brainerd and Nisswa Legion teams split a double-header Tuesday as Brainerd took the first game 11-10 in eight innings while Nisswa won the second 10-2.
Halverson Law Office grabs Legacy men's lead
Halverson Law Office vaulted past Edward Jones for first place in the Legacy Men's Golf League at Cragun's Resort.
Scoreboard
Area events
State forecast for S.D.
Today...Sunny...Then becoming partly cloudy. A slight chance of thunderstorms west. Breezy southeast. Highs in the upper 80s to mid 90s.
State forecast for N.D.
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. A slight chance of thunderstorms
State forecast for Iowa
Today...Sunny. Highs 80 to 90.
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...A chance of showers and thunderstorms this morning. Mostly cloudy northwest with thunderstorms likely southeast this afternoon. Highs from the mid 70s north to the upper 80s far southwest.
State forecast for Minnesota
Today...Mostly sunny. Slight chance of thunderstorms far north in
State forecast for S.D.
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. A chance of thunderstorms far south and west. Highs in the 70s to around 80.
State forecast for N.D.
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. A slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms.
State forecast for Iowa
Today...Partly cloudy. A chance of thunderstorms northwest.
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s.
State forecast for Minnesota
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. A chance showers and
Boom! Crash!
Weather drawing by Gretchen Brau of the Mrs. Smith/Mrs. Hunter second-grade class at Riverside school.
I love July!
Weather drawing by Gabrielle Speliopoulos of Mrs. Gessell's first-grade class at Riverside school.