Wednesday, July 27, 2005
So what is a baby boomer?
* Baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964.
Homes try to adapt to changing resident needs
The number of nursing home beds in Crow Wing County has remained the same while the population of senior citizens continues to grow.
BABIES NO LONGER
Is Crow Wing County ready to take care of the baby boomers?
Fires
The Brainerd Fire Department at 5:01 p.m. Tuesday responded to a minivan fire on Highway 371 north of Baxter, near Crow Wing Cabinets.
Contact your federal lawmakers
Sen. Mark Dayton
AREA CRIME
THEFT -- Ryan Hartwig, 800 block of North Ninth Street, Monday reported the theft of a bicycle valued at $500.
Bemidji boy stabbed after altercation
CASS LAKE -- A 16-year-old Bemidji boy was taken Saturday to Cass Lake hospital after suffering several stab wounds in the torso during an altercation, reported Cass County Sheriff Randy Fisher.
Fires
The Brainerd Fire Department was called at 2:20 p.m. Monday to a property on Pine Beach Peninsula and at 2:26 p.m. Monday to Brainerd High School for what turned out to be false alarms.
Aitkin County Fair slated Aug. 3-6
AITKIN -- The 115th Aitkin County Fair will run Aug. 3-6 at the Aitkin County Fairgrounds.
Maintaining bonding helps county cash flow
WALKER -- Cass County has tried to maintain an even amount of bonding through the last decade, even in years when there was not a building project under way.
Mail boat runs again
IDEAL TOWNSHIP -- For people spending the summer at their cabins or family resorts along the Whitefish Chain as far back as the 1930s to late 1960s, the late Ben Knebel's wooden mail boat was a lifeline to the outside world.
AREA BRIEFS
HACKENSACK -- Deep Portage Conservation Reserve near Hackensack will conduct naturalist programs from 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Aug. 17.
AREA BRIEFS
CROSBY -- An Unlimited Learning program, "Who Gets the Drumstick?" will offer ways to manage the stress of hosting family get-togethers at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Hallett Community Center in Crosby.
Commissioners again address public lake accesses
PINE RIVER -- The Cass County Board met Monday night to hear views from planning commission, board of adjustment and environmental services committee members on public lake accesses in plats and other water quality control-related issues.
Courthouse building expansion needs aired
WALKER -- Cass County Board members shifted their courthouse building expansion focus from Ah-Gwah-Ching property back to the main courthouse site in downtown Walker during a board work session last Wednesday on capital improvements.
CLC student Chatpaitoon receives $1,000 honor scholarship
Pinchat Chatpaitoon of Pillager, a Central Lakes College student, received a $1,000 scholarship from the international two-year college honor society Phi Theta Kappa.
CLC student Thomas wins $1,000 Coca-Cola scholarship
Katherine "Kat" Thomas of rural Aitkin, a Central Lakes College student, received a $1,000 scholarship from Coca-Cola.
'Kittens' make stop at nature learning center
One bobcat kitten and two lynx kittens were the recent attraction at the Paul Bunyan Nature Learning Center.
Camp ET fun
The Aug. 1-5 Central Lakes College engineering day camp for grades 8-12 will conclude with friendly combat among teams of robot builders. Brian Kohn, CLC engineering and physics instructor, joined a crowd of parents and spectators to enjoy the 2004 showdown that proved worthy of videotaping. Kohn said up to 20 participants can be accommodated at $125 each and will receive lunch during the 9 a.m.-3 p.m. camp period. Deadline to register is Thursday to bkohn@clcmn.edu or 855-8172.
This was Brainerd
JULY 27 - 20 years ago (1985) - Thanks to two "curious" youngsters, a $2,000 computer stolen from the Brainerd Public Library last weekend is back where it belongs. The youngsters, on a stroll near Franklin Junior High School, came upon the computer in an unused storage building.
Bunyan Bowl's lanes no-smoking areas until 6 p.m.
BAXTER -- Michael McFarland, owner of Paul Bunyan Bowl in Baxter, announced Tuesday his bowling lanes will be smoke-free until 6 p.m.
Walseth, Larson to continue their collaboration as United Way co-chairs
Continuing the public-private collaboration they've worked on in their day jobs, Brainerd School Superintendent Jerry Walseth and Kevin Larson, chief executive officer and general manager of Consolidated Telecommunications Co., will serve as co-chairs of the Crow Wing County United Way drive this year.
Heroes at home thanked
Clad in desert camouflage, Capt. Mike Pazdernik said he sees heroes daily in the combat zone of Iraq and again in a small room in Brainerd.
Making officers high-tech carries hefty cost
Soon, a law enforcement officer could stop a suspicious car in Crow Wing County and receive information on the vehicle, see a mug shot of the registered owner and view a criminal history of the driver all by simply touching a computer screen.
Overheard
"I'm surrounded by heroes every day and those heroes are your soldiers."
State-mandated review of sex offenders creates budget woes
The Crow Wing County Jail budget is stretched as prisoners are boarded in jails outside the county and medical expenses for inmates increase, but it was costs associated with sex offenders that had the county board incensed.
CORRECTION
On Page 8C Sunday, Michael Valesano's name was misspelled in the list of Franklin Junior High School students who made the "B" honor roll.
Local brief
Westgate Mall will host Family Safety Day from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday. There will be booths inside and outside the mall.
Commissioners continue to struggle with resort standards
If there were hopes Monday of finalizing the new resort standards in Crow Wing County's zoning ordinance in a special meeting, they were not fulfilled.
'Hungry Cyclist' visits Brainerd
He spent two days staying with a religious cult in upstate New York and slept Monday night in a tent alongside the Mississippi River near Aitkin.
Overheard
"I know the folks back on Earth must feel pretty good right now."
More like football weather
Riley Fussy (left) was among fans dressed for the unseasonably cool weather Tuesday as they watched the Baxter team compete in the Cal Ripken baseball Midwest Plains Regional tournament at Oscar Kristofferson Park in Baxter. See Sports for game story and more photographs.
Local briefs
Civil Air Patrol cadets from as far as Missouri attended a weeklong Minnesota Wing Flight Academy in powered or glider flight in Mankato.
Ex-union leader saw split coming
For 40 years Ken Zelinske's work ethic and a union job helped him take home a respectable paycheck.
Change leaves county seniors with a problem
An unexpected change in a state program aimed at senior citizens could leave them with just a few weeks to seek new places to live.
Letters urge more study of Wal-Mart site
Letter writers to the Little Falls City Council are calling for more study of the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter site in Little Falls.
Parkinson's sidelines Walz
Dale Walz wants to set the record straight.
Survey rule attracts flak
Now that property owners are dealing with Crow Wing County's newly revised ordinances, one new rule is raising blood pressures.
County backs down on surveys
After nearly 100 people turned out to address the county's recent requirement, the Crow Wing County Board voted Tuesday to establish an immediate moratorium on its newly enacted ordinance requiring surveys for permits in the shoreland zone.
Baxter's plans for Cypress discussed
Two Crow Wing County Board members said it is clear Baxter is moving ahead with its Cypress Drive connection through the former golf course and that may be the best solution after all.
LOCAL BRIEF
Central Lakes College's Business and Industry Center, which temporarily was relocated last week when asbestos was discovered in the boiler room, is back in its east wing offices.
Michael C. Pankratz
LITTLE FALLS -- Michael C. Pankratz, age 37, of Little Falls, Minn., passed away Sunday, July 24, 2005, at St. Cloud Hospital.
B.J. Valentine
LITTLE FALLS -- B. J. (Bernice Jean) Valentine, age 73, a resident of Little Falls, Minn., recently passed away.
Ernest P. Svenvold
PILLAGER -- Ernest P. Svenvold, age 90, of Pillager, died Sunday, July 24, 2005, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd. Memorial services will be Friday, July 29, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Pillager, with the Rev. Bob Osell officiating. Interment will be at Wildwood Cemetery in Pillager.
Martin Messerschmidt
NEW SALEM, N.D. -- Martin William (Carkhuff) Messerschmidt, 57, New Salem, N.D., died Thursday, July 21, 2005, in a Bismarck hospital. Funeral services were held Monday, July 25, 2005, at Perry Funeral Home, Mandan, N.D. Burial will take place at a later date.
Earl Furzland
STAPLES -- Earl James Furzland, 68, Staples, formerly of Princeton, died Friday, July 22, at his home in Staples.
C. Louise Westbrook
C. Louise (Falde) Westbrook, 88, Brainerd, passed away on Monday, July 25, 2005, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.
Betty D. Bartholomaus
CROSBY -- Betty D. Bartholomaus, of Crosby, formerly of Mora, Minn., died on Thursday, July 21, 2005, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. She was 77 years old.
Wendy Jo Van Vorst
PINE RIVER -- Wendy Jo Van Vorst, age 52, of Pine River, passed away Monday, July 25, 2005, at her home. She was born June 2, 1953, in Minneapolis to Glenn and Donna (Ernst) Wiggins.
Elsie M. Engel
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Elsie M. (Doshan) Engel, 82, Colorado Springs, Colo., died July 23, 2005, at the Cuyuna Regional Care Center, after a lengthy illness. There will be no services here. Interment will be in Colorado Springs, Colo.
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.
Jean Schueppert
Jean Winifred Schueppert, 87, passed away Saturday, July 23, in Bemidji. Mrs. Schueppert had resided at Birch Haven Village in Bemidji since March, when she moved from Brainerd, Minn., following the death of her husband of 61 years.
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.
Eva E. Struthers
Eva E. Struthers, age 92, of Brainerd, died Monday, July 18, 2005, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd. Funeral services will be Saturday, July 30, at 11 a.m. at Park United Methodist Church with the Rev. Rory Swenson officiating.
Vox Pop
Who are the brilliant educated people who figured out the parking spaces at the post office? You gave us less parking spaces and more inconvenience. You put the paper stands where there should be parking spaces. Around the corner from the right-hand stop sign should be handicapped parking because it's closest to the front doors. Why is there not handicapped parking spaces there? Better yet, sell the building for office spaces or something useful and build a post office in Baxter where ... they have more room for diagonal parking.
Correction/clarification
A Dispatch headline on an Open Forum in Sunday's paper incorrectly listed the time of a Crow Wing County Board meeting. The meeting, which will deal with a planning and zoning ordinance, is at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Open Forum
One has to feel a little sorry for George Bush. He declared war on terrorists. Then he attacked Afghanistan, probably a good move. However it was a small country with no oil. So he and his friends were looking for a bigger war with oil. We had done a quick number on Iraq a few years ago, so let's go back. Some of the excuses didn't play so well and the propaganda needed some shoring up, so if you disagreed you were fair game. However releasing the name of an American spy is treason. Remember back to those classes in basic giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Some people skipped that part of life, so they plead ignorant. but in war time treason has a penalty, death penalty.
Open Forum
What does it take to be qualified to serve on the highest court in the land? Just take a look at the resume' of Judge John Roberts, President Bush's selection to replace the retiring Sandra Day O'Connor.
What do you think?
Write us a letter or send us an e-mail
What do you think?
Write us a letter or send us an e-mail
Baxter falls in final
In a match up of familiar foes, Tradition Mortgage Baxter's championship run came to a halt Tuesday morning when the Sikeston, Mo., All-Stars defeated the hometown team 10-0 in the championship game of the Midwest Plains Regional 10-and-under tournament.
Baxter dispatches North Dakota team
The Tradition Mortgage Baxter 10-and-under team returned to old habits Tuesday morning as it defeated the Dickinson, N.D., Mustangs 15-2 in a four inning blowout.
Golfers leave Pine Meadows for greener pastures
Pine Meadows Golf Course sits in Baxter like a scorched desert, baked yellow from the sun and lack of maintenance.
Scoreboard
Baseball
GOLF SHORTS
The Pillager Sports Boosters golf tournament is noon Aug. 7 at the Legacy Courses at Cragun's.
Tower Mortgage on top at Legacy Courses again
Tower Mortgage regained the top spot of the men's golf league July 21 by knocking out Thelen Heating 30.5 to 13.5 at the Legacy Courses at Cragun's.
SPORTS SHORTS
Athletes interested in participating in fall sports at Pillager High School, and the parents, are asked to attend a meeting 7 p.m. Monday in the high school gym. All forms will be provided.
Blue Thunder split with Duluth
A half game was all that separated the Brainerd Blue Thunder from the second place Duluth Huskies in the North Division as both teams entered a key doubleheader Tuesday at Mills Field.
Scoreboard
Baseball
Fergus Falls grad signs at CLC
Derek Harris, captain of the Fergus Falls High School boys' golf team, on Monday signed a national letter of intent to play for Central Lakes College in Brainerd, which won the national championship in June.
Erasing the indecision
What do you do when that "in-between" yardage comes into play?
Missouri team blanks Baxter; Series hopes still alive
The Sikeston, Mo., All-Stars have proven throughout the Cal Ripken Midwest Plains Regional tournament that they know how to put a plethora of runs on the scoreboard.
Upcoming sporting events
Tuesday
Upcoming sporting events in the Brainerd lakes area:
Wednesday
SPORTS SHORTS
Phil Markert, Lake Shore, set two Minnesota Masters State Records in the 70-74 age group at the Star of the North State Games in St. Cloud June 18. Markert completed clean and jerk lifts of 56 and 60 to set the records.
State forecast for N.D.
Today...Partly cloudy. Isolated morning showers far southwest.
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Partly to mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms ending south and east. Highs mainly in the 70s.
Tubing fun
Weather drawing by Samantha Strong of Mrs. Brenny's third grade class at Baxter school.
Rain helps the flowers
Weather drawing by JoAnna Miles in the Lowell fifth grade of Mrs. Gardner. (Is this case maybe it should be "Gardener.")
State forecast for Minnesota
Today...Partly cloudy. Isolated rain showers northeast this
State forecast for Iowa
Today...Mostly sunny. Highs in the 70s.
State forecast for Iowa
Today...Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms
State forecast for Minnesota
Today...Increasing clouds with a slight chance of showers and
State forecast for S.D.
Today...Clear skies becoming partly cloudy north. Mostly sunny south. Areas of fog early southwest. Slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms north. Highs 75 to 85.
State forecast for N.D.
Today...Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms...
State forecast for S.D.
Tuesday...Cloudy west...Partly cloudy east. Scattered showers west. Highs in the upper 60s and lower 70s.
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...A few sprinkles central and south early...Otherwise partly cloudy. Highs in the 70s.