The first senior recital at 4 p.m. will showcase Kaynen Harris and Stephanie Larson of Coon Rapids High School, Haley Moser of St. Francis High School, Karina Radin of Wayzata High School and Maia Walter of Legacy Christian Academy.

At the 7 p.m. senior recital, performers are Taylor Plotz, Emily Ringold, Gianna Schiller and Emma Youngquist of Anoka High School and Elyssa Eull of St. Michael-Albertville High School.

There will be three additional recitals – Saturday, May 19 at 1 and 5 p.m. at Cedar Rock Church in Coon Rapids and 1 p.m. Sunday, May 20 at Lord of Life Lutheran Church.

Students in recital at Lord of Life May 20 at 1 p.m. are Lexi Bergevin, Leah Pickhardt and Breanna Kolasa of Anoka High School, Isaac Quick and Courtney Von Vett of Coon Rapids High School and Sabrina Flugel of St. Francis High School.

Performing May 19 at Cedar Rock Church at 1 p.m. are Grace Baldus of Anoka Middle School for the Arts, Taylor Bender and Megan Fischer of Oak View Middle School, Katylin Henslin and Catherine Swenson of Jackson Middle School, Madelyne Sorenson of VandenBerg Middle School in Elk River and Cali Weddle of Legacy Christian Academy.

In concert at 5 p.m. May 19 at Cedar Rock Church are Molly Hayes, Mikaela Moen, Kaelin Morse, Brianna LaZerte and Anna Ostendorf of Anoka High School.

Song repertoire includes the musical theater, opera, oratorio, art songs, folk songs, popular music and contemporary Christian music.

Accompanists for the recitals are Malcolm Anderson and Heather MacLaughlin.

The public is welcome to attend.

Julia Wittrock and her state and national DECA trophies.

Wittrock placed third in competition at the international DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) competition in Salt Lake City, Utah, earlier this month.

“Julia is just the fifth DECA member in the history of Coon Rapids High School DECA to place either first, second or third at international competition,” said teacher Blake Bodenburg, DECA coordinator.

“That’s quite an accomplishment.”

Ironically, Wittrock qualified for international competition by placing second, not first, at the state event.

But she finished ahead of the student who was first in the state DECA competition. He did not even make the international finals.

From a field of 160 students from all over the world competing in the professional selling category, Wittrock had to finish in the top two of her preliminary flight to be among final round of 16 students, which she did.

Then she had to make her professional selling presentation before another judge in the final round.

According to Bodenburg, the competition had students selling language learning software to a pharmaceutical company that was expanding overseas in Brazil, Canada ad Mexico.

The top 10 were called on stage at the awards session and Wittrock was awarded the third-place trophy; she was also recognized as having a top 10 written test score in the event.

Earlier that evening, Wittrock was awarded a $1,000 national DECA scholarship, Bodenburg said.

“This was Julia’s fourth national conference and final DECA competition,” he said.

“She ends her high school career as one of the most decorated Coon Rapids High School DECA members ever.”

It was her older sister Angela’s involvement in DECA in her senior year that prompted Wittrock to join the DECA program her freshman year.

“Angela had a really good experience in the DECA program,” Wittrock said.

“I wanted to see what it was like and I have really enjoyed it, too,” she said.

According to Wittrock, what she has liked about DECA is the opportunity to meet a lot of new people and other students in the state, country and the world, as well as more students at Coon Rapids High School than she otherwise would have done.

“We have a common goal of giving back to the community,” Wittrock said.

This has included DECA-sponsored fund-raisers for charities like fashion shows and car washes, she said.

In addition, DECA has also provided her with a lot of leadership opportunities, Wittrock said.

In her junior year, Wittrock was president of the Coon Rapids DECA chapter and this year, she was elected a state DECA vice president.

Her internships through the DECA program have involved working at the school store, which is operated by the DECA students.

In fact, she is in charge of the store this school year.

The store sells healthy foods and beverages, apparel and school supplies, Wittrock said.

Another reason Wittrock has enjoyed the DECA program is that she really likes to compete, she said. “I like to do my best,” Wittrock said.

Indeed, Wittrock enjoyed success in state competition as a freshman, sophomore and junior, qualifying for international competition all three years.

At state, she was third in two events in fashion merchandising as a freshman, fifth in fashion merchandising her sophomore year and took first place her junior year in role playing, Wittrock said.

But she did not enjoy success at the international level until this year.

She made some changes in her professional selling presentation in the two months between state and international competition based on the comments she had received from the judges at the state level, according to Wittrock.

“I got a lot of good ideas from the judges,” Wittrock said.

But Wittrock went into the international event with the goal of “just hoping to do my best” without any great aspirations of making the finals, she said.

“There was a lot of really tough competition,” Wittrock said.

Students from all over the country as well as from Europe, South America and Asia compete at the international DECA event.

Wittrock’s professional selling category involved role playing before a judge who acts a buyer as well as a written test.

There can be three judges or one judge depending on the competition, but in Salt Lake City, there was only one judge in each case – preliminaries and finals.

They were not only different people, but different in how they approached the judging session, Wittrock said.

The judge for the preliminaries was more passive and did not ask many questions, but the judge in the finals was much more interactive because he had experience as a buyer for a pharmaceutical company, she said.

“You have to adapt to the type of judge you have,” Wittrock said.

And there was little time to make changes in her presentation between the preliminaries and finals, she said.

The scores from the written test scores and presentation were combined to determine the finalists.

“I was so excited,” Wittrock said when she was announced as a finalist. “I ran down to the stage.”

Then she had only 20 minutes to prepare for the finals presentation as she was the first of the finalists to go before the judge.

“I felt comfortable,” Wittrock said. “I don’t think I could have done much better.”

The presentation lasted 15 minutes with five minutes set aside for questions from the judge.

But after making their presentations, Wittrock and the other finalists had to wait over two hours for the awards ceremony to find out how they had fared.

Wittrock was even more excited when her name was announced as the third-place winner, she said.

“I was so happy and had a really big smile on my face,” Wittrock said.

“I was surprised, but it was so cool and I feel really proud of what I have accomplished because it’s something I have worked hard on for a long time.”

Wittrock graduates from Coon Rapids High School June 1 and plans to attend Wheaton College, which is located just outside Chicago, Ill., this fall to major in business/economics and possibly physics as well.

Her goal is a business career as either an entrepreneur or salesperson, Wittrock said.

Besides her involvement in DECA, Wittrock has been a member of the National Honor Society both her junior and senior years and is co-president of the school’s Amnesty International chapter.

Outside of school, she is active in her church, Redeemer Lutheran, which has campuses in Coon Rapids and Fridley.

According to Bodenburg, in her four years in the DECA program, Wittrock has “done really, really well.”

As a freshman, Bodenburg said that Wittrock was a “very sharp student,” but in the years since, she has developed leadership skills and with a great deal of positive energy, she has become a leader at the school.

Attending the DECA leadership academy provided Wittrock with the skills to become a leader and she has applied those skills, challenging herself to do even better and taking on more responsibilities, he said.

“She has passion, drive and energy that she brings to every aspect of DECA and other areas and she has enjoyed great success,” Bodenburg said.

“She is a wonderful young lady.”

Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com

Per a change in state statute, written notice must now be sent to probationary teachers regarding non renewal and termination of pay and fringe benefits by June 1.

Tenured teachers’ date of notification relating to being placed on an unrequested leave of absence remains at June 30.

A probationary period of employment is defined in Minnesota as a teacher with three consecutive years of teaching in a single Minnesota school district.

The two separate resolutions, one for probationary teachers and a second for the tenured teachers, were passed without discussion.

Superintendent Jeff Ronneberg, in an interview later, said a handful of District 16 teachers (about four or five) were not renewed because they were working on a variance. By law the district needs to repost those positions.

Still others’ contracts were terminated because of a lack of student participation and reduction in programming, because they were long-term substitutes or because their performance did not meet the needs of the district, according to Ryan Stromberg, director of human resources.

“None of these (non renewals) were a result of budget reductions,” Ronneberg said.

The board also voted to place tenured teacher Katherine Sylvester on unrequested leave of absence without pay or fringe benefits. Sylvester, an employee of the district since 1998, is a 1.0 FTE teacher in Family and Consumer Sciences at District 16’s Learning Alternatives Community School.

Ronneberg said in an e-mail to the Life, “Each year staffing adjustments are necessary based on student enrollments, particularly in elective courses. That is the case with Kathy, unfortunately. The position is not being renewed as a result of there not being enough students who registered for those courses to offer them.”

Also, Bruce Botten’s 1.0 FTE contract was reduced by 0.2 to a 0.8 FTE because student registrations are down for next year, according to Ronneberg. Botten, a District 16 employee since 1980, teaches in the industrial technology program at Spring Lake Park High School.

“It’s never fun to let people go,” Ronneberg said in the interview. “The good news is this year there were no budget reductions that led to any staff reductions.”

Some of the probationary teachers could be hired back sometime this summer, according to Ronneberg.

Probationary teachers

Probationary teachers whose contracts were terminated are:

Peter Atakpu, high school/Learning Alternatives, .6 FTE, math teacher; Darcy Brodt, Northpoint .5 FTE, elementary classroom; Kimberly Dahlin-Jones, Woodcrest .5 FTE, early childhood special education ; Alexis Dickey, high school, 1.0 FTE, English Language Learners; Cynthia Gjerde, Westwood Middle School, 1.0 FTE, special education; Ann Grossklaus, Woodcrest .5 FTE, elementary classroom long-term substitute; Lindsey Hanson, Woodcrest 1.0 FTE, elementary classroom.

Benjamin Havelka, Westwood Middle School 1.0 FTE, special education; Gretchen Hintze, high school 1.0 FTE, English teacher; Breanna Johnson, Westwood Intermediate .5 FTE, basic skills teacher; Heather Kittridge, Woodcrest 1.0 FTE, special education – ECSE; Joshua Koopmeiners, Westwood Intermediate .2 FTE, band teacher; Elizabeth Krueger, Woodcrest 1.0 FTE, psychologist intern; Domenic Martini, Westwood Middle School 1.0 FTE, social studies teacher; Taryn McGovern, Northpointe 1.0 FTE, special education.

Jolynn McIntyre, Northpointe 1.0 FTE, English Language Learners; Benjamin Poupard, high school .4 FTE, social studies teacher; Jessica Rojas, Westwood Intermediate 1.0 FTE, elementary classroom; Lindsey Schmidt, Northpointe 1.0 FTE, elementary classroom LTS.

Meghan Settingsgard, Park Terrace 1.0 FTE, special education; Madeline Shadduck, Northpointe 1.0 FTE, English Language Learners LTS; Kipton Sneen, Westwood Middle School 1.0 FTE, elementary classroom; Mary Strohmayer, Woodcrest 1.0 FTE, elementary classroom LTS; Betsy Vielgut, Park Terrace 1.0 FTE, elementary classroom; Jenna Weisser, Westwood Intermediate 1.0 FTE, elementary classroom; and Amanda Wheeler, Northpointe 1.0 FTE, elementary classroom.

The contracts are terminated at the close of the 2011-12 school year.

Elyse Kaner is at elyse.kaner@ecm-inc.com

The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature drum and dance performances, artisan demonstrations, craft vendors and Native American food.

A total of six continuing education units (CEUs) will be awarded.

For more details, contact Anoka-Hennepin Indian Education Program at 763-506-1280

Drumheart, an all-women percussion group, provided music for walkers in the Mental Wellness Campaign for Anoka County’s third annual 5K Walk for Mental Illness Saturday at the Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park.

The Mental Wellness Campaign of Anoka County-sponsored event took place at Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park.

And with some 150 people taking part, it was by far the largest turnout in the the first three years of the event.

Proceeds from the walk go to public outreach activities of the Mental Wellness Campaign for Anoka County nonprofit organization, which is run by a board of consumers, service providers and community leaders.

Bill Pinsonnault, retired director of Anoka County’s social service and mental health department and one of the founders of the Mental Wellness Campaign for Anoka County, presented a short program in the regional park’s performance pavilion prior to the walk.

According to Pinsonnault, the mental wellness campaign’s goal is to not only eliminate the stigma mental illness, but also ensure that it is treated like any other primary disease.

“For too long, there has been shame, guilt, character defining and social prejudice associated with mental illness,” Pinsonnault said.

It is very important that mental health becomes visible and not a silent killer, he said.

According to Pinsonnault, 85 to 95 percent of individuals who have mental illness are in recovery – it is estimated that one in four people will suffer from mental illness in their lifetime.

“Not so long ago, people were afraid to talk about the big ‘C’ – cancer,” Pinsonnault said.

And 20 years ago, no one would use the word “breast” in association with cancer, he said.

Now the Walk for the Cure for breast cancer draws tens of thousands of people each year, Pinsonault said.

The goal is that in a few years, thousands will walk for mental illness, he said.

The Mental Wellness Campaign for Anoka County, in conjunction with Anoka County, has been hosting a series of public forums, Let’s Talk About It Anoka County, where young people have been talking about their experiences with mental health issues, Pinsonnault said.

“They have shown it is cool to talk about it,” he said.

“They are stepping out of the darkness into the light.”

“It’s about hope, recovery, joy and reaching potential.”

Prior to the start of the walk, Tammy Ferguson of Connexus Energy, past president of the Mental Wellness Campaign for Anoka County, led participants in stretching exercises.

And during the walk – the route took participants round Cenaiko Lake – there was musical encouragement from Drumheart, an all-women drum ensemble from the The Women’s Drum Center in St. Paul.

Event sponsors included Allina Foundation, UCare, Connexus Energy, Allegra Printing, Nystrom and Associates, Rev. Richard Townsend-Anderson, Village Bank, Volunteers of America, Rupala Counseling and Family Innovations.

Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com

This map shows anticipated 2012-2013 residential housing development in the northeastern section of Blaine. Blaine GIS graphic

An overview of the city’s current residential lot inventory and pending development proposals were part of a 2012-2013 residential preview presented May 10.

“We anticipate a fair amount of development, particularly residential lots, in the next several months,” said Bryan Schafer, community development director.

According to Schafer, 1,597 homes were built in Blaine from 2007 to the end of 2011. The city is averaging 320 new homes per year.

Of that total, 1,076 were detached single-famly homes, about 68 percent at 215 per year. To date this year, the city has issued 100 home permits.

Ninety-two of those permits are for single-family detached homes. The city’s single-family detached lot inventory peaked in 2006 at 1,350 lots, a six-year supply.

In early 2008, the lot inventory dipped to 1,100 lots, a five-year supply. Seven hundred lots were available in fall 2010, a two to three year supply, Schafer said.

Earlier this month, the lot inventory stood at 360, a one-and-a-half year’s supply.

While pressure for new residential development is coming from increased sales, Schafer said last week only 132 single-family lots have been created in Blaine since the end of 2007.

Approximately 40 percent of the single-family lot inventory is located in The Lakes, Blaine’s 1,080-acre comprehensively planned community. The single-family lot percentage mentioned by Schafer is not available to national builders.

Schafer said probable 2012-2013 residential development includes 585 single-family and 548 attached homes within five developments in northeast Blaine.

He specifically mentioned Woodland Village, Paxmar’s Finn Farm development, Legacy Creek North, Harpers Street North and Glenn Meadows as growth projects to watch.

“All of the builders we’ve talked to have indicated this spring is the best we’ve had since the housing recession started,” he said. “It’s dramatically different than last year.”

According to Schafer, Woodland Village is expected to add 85 single-family and 68 attached homes, Paxmar 120 single-family and 480 attached homes, Legacy Creek North 180 single-family homes, Harpers Street North 70 single-family homes and Glenn Meadows 130 single-family homes to the market.

During May 10 workshop, councilmembers spent the most their discussion time reviewing Paxmar’s Finn Farm development and land use plan.

“We’ve only just touched the surface [with this project]. Their goal is to have a plan approved so they can start work in 2013,” Schafer said.

Paxmar’s land use plan includes about 35 acres of commercial, he said. “It’s commercial around the edges, and high density, medium and low density housing in spots,” Schafer said.

Councilmember Dave Clark asked Schafer what was going to happen to the Finn Farm barn, which was built in 1926 and remains as a historic Blaine landmark.

“Short of a [policy] sea change on the council regarding that issue, we are asking for it to be removed, or we’ll tell them it’s up to them to remove it,” Schafer said.

Councilmember Katherine Kolb asked if the barn could be salvaged. She has previously expressed strong feelings against losing the barn to any development.

Councilmember Russ Herbst offered a possible preservation solution in response to Kolb’s query.

He mentioning saving an agricultural outbuilding on the Finn Farm site.

“They used to use that smaller structure with a rounded roof as the creamery,” Herbst said. “They would store the milk in there until they shipped it out to the dairy. They remodeled the inside to make a one-bedroom with a loft and a kitchen and that’s still in pretty good shape.”

Councilmember Dick Swanson suggested moving the farm building to the nearby Lexington Athletic Complex for possible use as a park building.

Clark requested city staff research the cost of moving the building mentioned by Herbst. “If we are going to move it, I don’t where else you could move it that would make any type of logical sense,” Clark said. “It would have to be in proximity to Finn Farm.

“I’d also like staff to look at the possibility of getting one of the weather vanes off the barn and donating it to the Blaine Historical Society, [while] checking with North Metro TV to see if they could do a video.”

City Manager Clark Arneson told the council if the building was moved and reused, one problem would be bringing the structure up to current city code.

Kolb suggested historical or cultural grants for funding. “Maybe that’s an alternative,” she said. “It could house our historical society and be multipurpose.”

Tim Hennagir is at tim.hennagir@ecm-inc.com

Miss Coon Rapids Samantha Phillippi (left) and Miss Minnesota Outstanding Teen Bailey Wachholz demonstrate their bean bag tossing skills at Lilli Putt Saturday.

The event was at the Lilli Putt Entertainment Center on Coon Rapids Boulevard.

Bean bag toss teams competed for prizes with first- , second- and third-place finishers winning cash.

Among those taking part in the event were Miss Coon Rapids 2012 Samantha Phillippi, who will be competing in the Miss Minnesota Scholarship Pageant in June; 2011 Miss Coon Rapids Megan Ehlert; and Miss Minnesota Outstanding Teen Bailey Wachholz, who traveled from her home in Nisswa to Coon Rapids for the event.

Proceeds from the entry fee of $30 per team plus a raffle will go to support scholarships for the young women competing for the Miss Coon Rapids title.

In addition, there were cash prizes with the purchase of $5 tickets and prizes were also given away from donated items to the tournament.

“We had such a great turn out that the event started at 11 a.m. and went until 6 p.m.,” Phillippi posted on her blog on her website.

The winners of the tournament and the 50-50 donated their cash prizes back to the pageant.

Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com

The Ramsey City Council will consider a ordinance amendment June 12 that could allow residents to use ATVs and golf carts on city streets to get around town. The proposed ordinance will address the use and regulations as well as penalties for using the non-traditional road vehicles.

ATVs and golf carts will not be allowed in city ditches, easements and walking trails, nor will they be allowed on county roads or ditches, said Police Chief Jim Way.

If the proposed ordinance passes, ATV riders will have to follow the same regulations as motorcycle riders.

If they are under 18, they have to wear a helmet, have a valid driver’s licences and insurance, Way said.

The ATVs will also have to be registered with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), he said.

The rules of the road will also apply to golf cart drivers if the ordinance passes.

Golf carts will be able to cross county roads to get to another city street, but they will not be able to drive on the county roads, Way said.

And there will no loading up the carts with extra people allowed.

The carts can only carry what they were designed for or officers will be issuing tickets, Way said.

While all cart drivers will have to have a current driver’s licence and insurance, it has yet to be determined what additional equipment may be needed on the cart.

Some cities that allow golf carts on the roads require them to have seat belts, mirrors and horns. The Ramsey council has not discussed the requirements yet, Way said.

According to state statute, the golf carts will have to display a slow moving caution sign on them.

If approved, the ordinance will also require ATV and golf cart drivers who want to drive on the roads to get a city permit.

The price of the permit has also not been determined yet, Way said.

When introduced on a 5-1 vote at the May 8 city council meeting, Councilmember Sarah Strommen said she could not support it.

This gives her some heartburn because of the potential conflict it could cause with the other vehicles on the road, she said.

Strommen said she feels the proposed ordinance could cause confusion on what is required, safety requirements and who will have the right of way.

“I don’t think it will be clear for people reading it,” she said.

This will change the rules of the road and there will be the potential for a serious accident. It could have tragic consequences, Strommen said.

Having the ability to use ATVs and golf carts on the roads is something he has pushed for three years, said Mayor Bob Ramsey.

“I am encouraging this. I think it’s a good thing for Ramsey,” he said.

“(This) is about liberty for me. It’s about options. We talk about multimodal transportation and transit and this is just another way of getting around.”

Ramsey would encourage the county look into opening up the shoulders of the county roads to allow people to get where they are going in the city, including the COR, he said.

Tammy Sakry is at tammy.sakry@ecm-inc.com

That’s when filings open for the various offices – federal, state, county and some cities – that will be on the ballot at the Nov. 6 general election.

Minnesota Senate and House districts in Anoka County.

The filing period begins at 8 a.m. May 22 and runs through 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, except for Monday, May 28 when government offices will be closed for the Memorial Day weekend.

This particular filing period is only for offices for which there will be a primary election Tuesday, Aug. 14.

And where candidates file depends on where they live and for which office they are filing.

Federal offices on the state election ballot this year, besides the presidential race, are 10 presidential electors, U.S. Senator (incumbent is Sen. Amy Klobuchar) and all six U.S. House members in Minnesota.

Three of those House districts cover parts of Anoka County.

District 3, where Republican Erik Paulsen is incumbent, includes all of the city of Coon Rapids within its boundaries, while District 5, where DFLer Keith Ellison is the incumbent, covers Columbia Heights, Fridley, Hilltop and Spring Lake Park as well as the city of Minneapolis.

The remainder of Anoka County is in the 6th District where Republican Michele Bachmann is the incumbent congresswoman.

Candidates for those offices file at the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office in St. Paul.

For the Minnesota Senate and House as well as judicial offices (Minnesota Supreme Court, Minnesota Court of Appeals and 10th Judicial District), candidates can either file at the Secretary of State’s office or in the county where they live.

Anoka County commissioner districts.

As a result of redistricting earlier this year, all Minnesota Senate and House seats will be on the 2012 general election ballot.

Senate districts affecting Anoka County communities are 31, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 41; House districts impacting county communities are 31A, 31B, 35A, 35B, 36A, 36B, 37A, 37B, 38A, 41A and 41B.

Judicial offices on the ballot are the Minnesota Supreme Court chief justice and two associate justice seats, two court of appeal judges and 11 judges in the 10th Judicial District, which includes Anoka County.

Candidates for the six Anoka County Board seats that will be on the 2012 ballot file at the Anoka County Government Center.

They are districts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7; there will be no election this year in District 4 following approval of the new redistricting map.

The elections in districts 1, 2, 3 and 6 will be for four-year terms, while the district 5 and 7 elections are for two-year terms.

Three Anoka Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor positions will be on the ballot, too – 1, 2 and 5.

Filings in four Anoka County cities – Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids and Ramsey – also open Tuesday and run through June 5.

In Anoka the offices of mayor and two city councilmembers are on the ballot this year. There will be an Aug. 14 primary if more than two candidates file for mayor and/or if more than four candidates for the two at-large council seats.

The other three cities have wards where if more than two candidates file in each ward, a primary election is triggered. The same is true when the offices of mayor and councilmember at-large are on the ballot.

In Blaine, the offices of mayor and councilmembers in wards 1, 2 and 3 will be on the ballot.

In Coon Rapids, offices up for election this year are councilmembers in wards 1, 2 and 4 as well as at-large.

On the Ramsey ballot will be the offices of mayor, councilmember at-large and councilmembers in wards 2 and 4.

Candidates for city offices file at their respective city halls.

Peter Bodley is at peter.bodley@ecm-inc.com

To the Editor:

Sadly another chapter in Anoka history is closed.

Paul Pierce Jr. and I were a team at 1500 South Ferry Street starting in 1952. He’d tease I was the head housekeeper much to my chagrin. In truth I had a lot of help.

At the Pierce we had Red Feather guests as well as Anoka Community Concert artists.

Off stage their costumes hung in our rooms, closets and baths. Our piano was privileged to have a New York performer rehearse while I prepared our family dinner. Memories abound.

Paul was a gracious, kind and fine gentleman. Truly created in God’s image.

On Thursday before his death we spoke. He asked if I was coming to Texas. Sunday he was dead. I was in Anoka where he should have been.

Goodbye dear friend. Love shouldn’t die.

Shirley Pierce
Fort Myers, FL

Run-walk fund-raiser

To the Editor:

Anoka County 4-H’s second annual 5K fun Run/walk fund-raiser was a success.

On April 28 over 120 runners and walkers came out for the event which was held on the beautiful trails of the Bunker Hills Regional Park.

We would like to thank all the participants for their support as well as the local businesses, 4-H volunteers and 4-H alumni who made this event possible.

Grateful thanks to the following businesses for their generous donations: ABC Newspapers, ACE Solid Waste, Acme Comedy Club, American Investors Bank & Mortgage, Andover Lanes, Anytime Fitness, Becker Furniture World, Bernatello’s, Billy’s Bar & Grill, Bunker Beach Water Park, Caribou Coffee, Cedar/East Bethel Lions, Chilli’s, Chubby’s, Coburn’s, Connexus Energy, Costco, County Market, Cub Foods, Days Inn Hotel & Conference Center, Dickey’s Barbecue, Dominoes, Fleet Farm, Grand Casino, Great Clips, Ham Lake Lions, Hidden Haven, Home Depot, Hong Kong Delight, Jam Hops, LA Fitness, Leeann Chin, Lifeway Foods, Lyric Arts Company Main Street Stage, Mall of America Management Office, Menards, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Minnesota Vikings, North Suburban Healthcare, Nowthen Plumbing, Old Log Theater, Papa Murphy’s, Personal Care Dentistry, Dr. Walter Hunt, Road ID, Sam’s Club, Shoreview Community Center, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Staples, Subway, Walmart, Which Wich and Wild Mountain.

Young people have over 1,900 hours of unstructured and unsupervised time each year (equal to a full-time job).

4-H effectively provides opportunities for youth to explore their interests and find ways to contribute, especially during out of school time hours.

Proceeds raised at this event will support Anoka County 4-H programs and scholarships for nearly 700 4-H members.

For more information on 4-H in Anoka County, visit www.extension.umn.edu/county/anoka anoka or call 763-755-1280.

Anna Gilbertson
4-H program coordinator, University of Minnesota Extension, Anoka County

Congratulations to Jackie Roehl, whose family lives in St. Louis Park, on being named Teacher of the Year by Education Minnesota.

There are, of course, many teachers deserving of the honor, among the 300 who were nominated.

Of the 10 finalists, eight teach in schools in the Twin Cities suburban and exurban communities.

This is a tribute to communities who know the number one obligation is to give every student an opportunity for a quality education.

Experts agree that the mark of a good school system above all is the quality of the teachers, like Roehl, who change their teaching methods to respond to the diversity of cultural backgrounds in their classrooms.

Roehl is doing all she can in her classroom to reduce the racial achievement gap by among other things, grouping students so they can help one another learn.

Moreover, she instructs teachers to respond to the diversity and culture of their students, enabling them to be better teachers.

Lately teachers are saying their morale is down.

Celebrating the achievements of teachers and recognizing the value of the teaching profession is long overdue.

It would be fitting if Edina service clubs would go out of their way to celebrate having a Teacher of the Year, comparable to how they might recognize the athletic coach of the year.

At the same time, communities with finalists should recognize the quality of their teachers in some special way.

Perhaps Rotary clubs and chambers of commerce could take the lead this fall as a new school year starts.

This newspaper company salutes the following finalists from our region:

Charles Anderson, O.H. Anderson Elementary School, Mahtomedi.

Ryan Canton, St. Michael-Albertville Middle School West.

Bruce Danielson, Cambridge-Isanti High School.

Robyn Dettling Madson, Forest Lake High School.

Neil Eerdmans, Oxbow Creek Elementary School, Champlin, Anoka-Hennepin School District.

Greg Goddard, St. Louis Park High School.

Joe Meyer, Eagle Ridge Junior High School, Savage, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District.

Editor’s note: Don Heinzman is editorial writer for ECM Publishers Inc.

Tom Nash seemingly has it made. He’s a retired British spy.  He lives on the Cote D’Azur, the French Riviera, hobnobs with artists and writers and expatriates like Gerald and Sara Murphy. His reckless days as a secret agent seem well behind him and he’s so confident that he’s out of thewoods he leaves his Beretta revolver locked up in a desk drawer.

Then one night someone tries to kill him. Who might that be. It’s 1935 and the world is working its way to another war, with Nazis and Communists and everything in between plying their spycraft in the most unlikely places.

It’s all told in “House of the Haunted,” by Mark Mills (Random House, $26). Mills, who lives in Oxford, England, won the British Crème Writers’ Association Memorial Dagger award for his first novel, “Amagansett.”

It’s easy to see why after a romp through “House of the Haunted” as Mills mixes history with espionage.

For an inexpensive trip to one of Wisconsin’s premier tourist sites, read “The Baileys Harbor Bird and Booyah Club,” by Dave Crehore (University of Wisconsin Press, $19.95). Crehore, a longtime resident of northeastern Wisconsin and retired writer and photogapher for  the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has captured the spirit of Door County in fictional form.

Although his new book reads like a documentary of the goings on in Door County in the off- as well as the on-season, it’s actually made up of characters created by Crehore.  The focal point is the courtship, marriage and life of George and Helen O’Malley, who grew up in Door County, moved on to Chicago, then returned to their natal place upon retirement.

When they were kids the hordes of tourists had not discovered Door County, so the O’Malleys were shocked to learn of the current real estate values and found they couldn’t afford to buy a conventional retirement home.  Instead, they purchased an abandoned tavern on an obscure lake called “Coot” and settle in for the duration of their lives.

Of course they have neighbors, like Hans Berge, a psychiatrist from Chicago and “Bump” Olson who makes his living pumping septic tanks. The various neighbors have beer parties, Thanksgiving potlucks, eat pizza topped with codfish, attend class reunions and generally have a swell time, angle to catch Marilyn “a buxom eight-pound smallmouth bass.”

Crehore’s book gave me a welcome taste of what life is like in that beautiful neighborhood when the tourists leave and return to Chicago where they belong.

Editor’s note: Dave Wood is a past vice-president of the National Book Critics Circle. 

Funeral service for Gerald A. Bares, 58, Blaine, took place May 12 at Methven-Taylor Funeral Home, Anoka. Rev, James Pennington officiated.

Bares died following a battle with cancer. He was born Sept. 22, 1953.

He is survived by his wife, Linda; son, Richard (Steven) Bares-Passow; sisters, Mona (Lew) Hotchkiss, Margie (Lenny) Koerner; brother, Fred (Cheryl); and many other family members and friends.

Arrangements were by Methven-Taylor Funeral Home, Anoka Chapel.

Robert Bianchi-Rossi

Funeral service for Robert Bianchi-Rossi, 68, Coon Rapids, took place May 12 at Church of the Epiphany, Coon Rapids.

Bianchi-Rossi died May 8. He owned and operated Bianchi-Rossi Tours, Inc. for 26 years.

He is survived by his wife, Melanie; sons, James (Lisa), Corey (Amy), Tony; and grandchildren, Courtney, Cassie, Alexa, Blake.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and one brother.

Arrangements were by Washburn-McReavy Coon Rapids Chapel.

Delores Duggan

Memorial service for Delores June Duggan (Cybyske), 82, took place May 12 at Methven-Taylor Funeral Home, Anoka.

Duggan died April 28. She was born Oct. 30, 1929 to Aloysius and Mary Cybyske.

She is survived by brother, Loren (Mary) Cybyske; sister, Loretta (Tom) Wolfe; in-laws, Gary and Ruth Meitz, Chuck Duggan, Mary Ann Duggan; children, Diane Rickey, Jim and Donna Duggan, Tim Duggan, Colleen Bronson, Roxanne and Steve Petron; grandchildren, Jeremy (Brandi) Rickey, Adam Rickey, Ashley (Mike) Aulwes, Stacy Duggan, Brittany Duggan, Amber (Bill) Gregory, Brandon Eakman, Seth Petron, Tyler Petron, Samantha Petron, Christopher Duggan, Matthew Duggan, Ryan Spilman and Leah (Christopher) Sandretzky; great-grandchildren, Skyler, Aaliyah and Emily Rickey, Taylin and Tanaya Rickey, Mary Duggan, Isabella Gregory, Riley Eakman, Lily, Elizabeth, Christopher Jr. and Oakley Sandretzky; and many nieces, nephews and longtime friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Aloysius and Mary Cybyske; brother, Aloysius Jr.; and sister-in-law, Donna Cybyske.

Arrangements were by Methven-Taylor Funeral Home Anoka Chapel.

Rosella Filosi

Funeral service for Rosella Elizabeth Filosi, 85, Coon Rapids, took place May 16 at Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Home, Anoka. Deacon Dominic Ehrmantraut officiated.

Filosi died May 11. She was born Dec. 14, 1926 in Little Falls to Jules and Regina (Millette) St. Onge and was a retired home health aide.

She is survived by her children, Frank and Audrey; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jules and Regina St. Onge; sisters, Irene and Angeline; and brothers, Steve and Lloyd.

Interment was at Calvary Cemetery, Anoka. Arrangements were by Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Home, Anoka.

Charles Fimian

Memorial service for Charles Fimian, 82, Blaine and Scottsdale, Ariz., took place May 5 at Cedar United Methodist Church, Ham Lake.

Fimian died April 30 of cancer. He was born in Nelson, Wis., and served with the U.S. Marines in the Korean and Vietnam wars, retiring from the Marine Corps as a colonel after 26 years of service. Subsequently, he worked as a professor and academic adviser for another 15 years at Arizona State University.

He is survived by his wife, Pat Scharr-Fimian; three children; three stepchildren; seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; one great-great grandson; half-sister, Doris Dick; and half-brother, John Ambuehl.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Joan McCune.

Arrangements were by Kozlak-Radulovich Blaine Chapel.

Lorraine Hostetler

Funeral service for Lorraine A. Hostetler, 84, Andover, formerly of Anoka, took place May 17 at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, Anoka. Rev. Nathan LaLiberte officiated.

Hostetler died May 12. She was born Sept. 4, 1927 in Anoka to Harry and Genevieve (Ramacher) Bennett. She was an active member of the community, serving two terms as mayor of Anoka as well as a councilmember and in other community organizations.

She is survived by her children, Sandy (Steve) Thorsen, Mike (Condello), Linda (Steve) Sexton and Lisa (Brian) O’Donnell; grandchildren, David (Angela) Thorsen, Katrina (Tom) Develice, Jason (Brenda) Hostetler, Krista Hostetler, Carra (Brian) Carr, John and Matthew Sexton, Caitlin and Derek O’Donnell; great-grandchildren, Connor, Devin, Mason, Madalynn and Garrett; siblings, Mary Lou (Bud) Sage and Dick (Helen) Bennett; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Don; parents; and brother, Dick Bennett.

Pallbearers were Thomas Develice, Jason Hostetler, John and Matthew Sexton, David Thorsen and Derek O’Donnell.

Interment was at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Arrangements were by Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Home, Anoka.

Lucille Lemke

Funeral service for Lucille Lemke, 71, Spring Lake Park, took place May 11 at Gearhart Funeral Home, Coon Rapids.

Lemke died May 8. She was born Nov. 30, 1940 in Underwood.

Interment was at Morningside Memorial Gardens, Coon Rapids. Arrangements were by Gearhart Funeral Home, Coon Rapids.

Nicole Lindsey

Visitation for Nicole M. Lindsey, 29, East Bethel, took place May 12 at Strike Funeral Home – Isanti Chapel.

Lindsey died May 7 in an auto accident in East Bethel. She was born July 29, 1982 in Terre Haute, Ind., to Charles and Sandra (Sharibok) Lindsey and graduated from St. Francis High School in 2000.

She is survived by her parents, Chuck and Sandy Lindsey of Isanti; sisters, Wendy (Bradley) Holz of Braham, Loreen Lindsey (Jeff Johnson) of Bethel; nieces, Amanda (Matt) Heling and their daughter Madison of Jacksonville, N.C., and Kristina Holz of Braham; boyfriend, Chris Averbeck of East Bethel, and other relatives and friends.

Arrangements were by Strike Funeral Home – Isanti Chapel.

Susan Niznick

Memorial service for Susan Lee Niznick, 64, Fridley and Mesa, Ariz., took place May 12 at Church of St. Timothy, Blaine.

Niznick died following a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was a retired 25-year employee of Prudential.

She is survived by her husband, Frank; daughters, Kim (Mark) Storey, Rachelle (Pat) Revering; grandchildren, Nate, Alyssa and Nick; brothers, Douglas (Laurie) Robertson, David (Pam) Robertson, Larry (Cindy) Robertson; and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Marv and Phyllis Robertson; and niece, Jessica Robertson.

Arrangements were by Washburn-McReavy Coon Rapids Chapel.

Lucille Peterson

Memorial service for Lucille Jeanette (Holst) Peterson, 94, southern Isanti County, will take place at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, May 19) at St. Francis Methodist Church. Rev. Diane Nelson will officiate.

Peterson died Jan. 12 at Grace Pointe Crossing Gables East, Cambridge. She was born April 23, 1917 in northern Anoka County to Fred and Mary Holst, graduated from St. Francis High School in 1935 and was a former school teacher, teaching grades one through eight in a one-room school in Burns Township. She was a 4-H leader for the Stanford Stars 4-H Club and taught Sunday School at St. Francis United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her daughter, Diane (Thomas) Beck of Waconia; daughter-in-law, Cora Clark Peterson of Isanti; nine grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren; eight great-great grandchildren; one niece; and many extended family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Arlo; father, Fred Holst: mother Mary Sweigard Holst Peterson; stepfather, Edward T. Peterson; son, Elroy Peterson; great-grandson, Matthew Palmer; brother, Frederick Holst of Anoka County; and sister, Clara Holst Schake Blake of Border.

Arrangements are by of Strike Funeral Home – Isanti Chapel.

Kenneth Pitts

Private service for Kenneth E. Pitts, 87, Rogers, formerly of Anoka, has taken place.

Pitts died on May 8 from Alzheimer’s.

He is survived by his daughter, Cindy (John) Hitt of Maple Grove; grandsons, Erik and Kevin Hitt; brother, Russ (Dee) Pitts of Fort Worth, Texas; and nieces, nephews and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol; and son, Ken.

Arrangements were by Cremation Society of Minnesota.

Margaret Ross

Funeral service for Margaret Ann Ross, 92, Burnsville, will take place Sunday, May 20, 1:30 p.m., at Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Home, Anoka. Deacon Dean Ehrmantraut will officiate.

Ross died May 1 at Augustana Home of Apple Valley. She was born Nov. 7, 1919 in St. Paul to Douglas Von Herr and Anna Wilson (Van Kleeck) Wright.

She is survived by her husband, James; sons, Christopher (Marilyn) Nowicki and Michael Ross; grandchildren, Lisa Nowicki, Jocelyn Nelson and Nicholas Nowicki; sister, Roxanne Wright Kane; niece, Julie Kane (Jim) Pfitziner; nephew, Riley (Sarah) Kane; and Roxanna (William) Hanna.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Douglas and Anna Wright; and sister, Nancy Wright Hardy.

Arrangements are by Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Home, Anoka.

Richard Smith

Funeral service for Richard H. Smith, 69, Fridley, took place May 11 at Church of the Epiphany, Coon Rapids.

Smith died May 5. He was employed as Cerny Associates, then at Johnson-Smith Architects as a partner until his retirement in 1999.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Lynn; children, Kristin (Ryan) Bemis and Matthew; grandchildren, Madison, Morgan, Jaina and Ethan; sisters, Marge Schnuafer and Marlene Schaeffer; and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Margaret; and brothers, Gene and Robert.

Arrangements were by Washburn-McReavy Coon Rapids Chapel.

Sharon Stoller

Funeral service for Sharon Lois Stoller, 53, Salem, Conn., formerly of Anoka, took place May 15 at Zion Lutheran Church, Anoka. Rev. Connie Tiede officiated.

Stoller died May 7 at Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, R.I. She was born Aug. 23, 1958 in Minneapolis to Kenneth Alvin and Lois Elaine (Larson) Bjerke and was a health care coordinator at Walmart.

She is survived by her husband, William “Bill;” son, Kenneth and fiancee Sara Prien; parents, Lois and Kenneth Bjerke; brothers, Steven, Bruce (Sherry) and Brian (Tracy); and nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Bruce and Brian Bjerke, Tom, William and Chad Larson and Pat Connell.

Interment was at Selijord Cemetery, Clearbrook. Arrangements were by Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Home, Anoka.

The stock exchange on Wall Street—that started out in 1817 bearing the name New York Stock and Exchange Board and since 1863 the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)—is not the oldest in North America. An exchange started operating in Philadelphia one year earlier. In both cities trading was initially only in bonds issued by the young United States. Banks and insurance companies followed. The construction of canals and roads increased the number of shares on offer. The second stock exchange in New York, the American Stock Exchange (Amex), was founded during the Civil War. Coincidently NYSE, which purchased Amex in 2008, announced last week that it is discontinuing the historic name, “American Stock Exchange.”

The longest chapters in stock exchange history have been written in Europe. In Central and South America the first stock exchanges were not set up until the second half of the 19th century. Until fairly recently these were of modest size, with the exception of the “Bolsa de Comercio de Buenos Aires.” The Johannesburg Stock Exchange was established in 1887 in order to make capital available to exploit the rich gold fields of Witwatersrand. The Sydney stock exchange dates from 1871 and reflected the demand for capital of the rapidly developing continent of Australia.

Asia’s stock exchanges are very new, except for those of Tokyo and Bombay. The latter was set up in 1860, when India saw much speculative activity involving cotton prior to the American Civil War. The Tokyo bourse dates from 1878. In the last decades of the 19th century, Japan underwent rapid industrialization which accelerated the development of its stock exchange. Today, the Tokyo Stock Exchange is one of the most important stock markets worldwide.

The Shanghai Stock and Hong Kong Stock exchanges have become extremely important over the past 10 years. The Shanghai was re-established in 1990 and is the world’s fifth largest. The Hong Kong exchange was established in 1891 and is the world’s sixth largest.

The growth of stock exchanges has been linked to the issue of new shares by new companies. In the 19th century many stock markets expanded in line with railroad companies. During the early 20th century steel and automobile concerns were responsible for stock exchange growth. Nowadays microelectronics, the computer industry and medical and health care companies and Internet-based companies are the ones driving new listings on the world’s stock exchanges. Other lines of business such as clearing trades, providing data and trading in derivatives are important to the big time world exchange operators.

The business that started out in the alleys and fish markets has now evolved into a mix of humans on trading floors, electronic trading in the digital world and the intense mergers and globalization of the world’s stock exchanges. Charles Geisst, in his book “Wall Street: A History,” sums up the corners of Wall and Broad quite nicely: Wall Street’s history has reflected an extraordinary growth that has paralleled the fortunes of the United States… Its short comings are often blamed for all sorts of economic ills while its normal, everyday functions are taken for granted. But it is that curious mix which has evolved over the years into the history of modern American finance.” As JP Morgan once said, “stocks will fluctuate”—that is a well known fact by the folks who work at the Big Board, located at 11 Wall St.

Quote of the Week: “One of the first—and hardest—lessons that individuals must learn if they want to be successful traders or investors is how little they know—and how much they actually need to understand—about the complex and often illogical world of financial market.”—Michael J. Panzner.

Bart Ward is the chief executive officer of Ward & Co. Ltd. an Anoka based registered investment advisor – specializing in the management of stock and bond portfolios in companies which are listed on the NYSE.

Anoka 12, Humboldt 9. Sounds like a City League score doesn’t it? But no teams of the City League ever made that many runs on so few errors. The heavy hitting of both teams was in a great part responsible for the large score.

To begin with, Allison was not in his usual form, for he was somewhat inclined to put the ball beyond the reach of the batter and four of the six passes resulted in runs. The heavy hitting of his teammates, kept defense away, and three hits by Stubby himself, made up to a great extent for the runs he allowed.

– 100 years ago, May 22, 1912

Henry Aye manager of liquor store

The city commission met Monday and considered applications for manager of the new liquor store. After balloting and careful consideration, Henry Aye was named for the position.

An amendment to ordinance 200 was presented and passed. This ordinance regulated the sale of 3.2 non-intoxicating liquor and set certain hours and fees. The hours were changed and the fee on off sale was made $45 instead of $50.

– 75 years ago, May 19, 1937

Nursing home will be built in near future

Construction of Anoka Nursing Home, Inc., at Franklin Lane and Fremont will begin “very soon,” Max Schwartzman, builder of the home said Wednesday.

The structure will be a $200,000 62-bed home. Construction for the home received approval from the City Commission two weeks ago.

Monday night the City Commission approved a 10 foot setback on Franklin lane for the building.

– 50 years ago, May 18, 1962

Anoka dumps Roseville for a second time

For the second time this season, Monday afternoon, Anoka defeated highly touted Roseville.

Wrapping up its North Suburban record at 9-5–tied for second with Coon Rapids–Anoka rode the combined pitching of Kyle Haring and Greg Swenson to a 4-2 win. Haring tossed the first three innings before Swenson made his first appearance of the season in relief to pick up the win.

– 25 years ago, May 22, 1987

• Compiled by Kelly Johnson

Editor’s note: “Looking Back” is reprinted exactly as the items first appeared.

The Northeast Orchestra will play in concert Sunday, May 20. The group continues its 40th anniversary celebration, this time with a concert titled “Down by the Riverside.” File photo, submitted

Sunday, May 20 the group performs in concert with a “Down by the Riverside” theme. Jeffrey Stirling directs.

As a special bonus, bass-baritone Jon Nordstrom will sing with the orchestra. He’ll perform such songs as Jerome Kern’s “Ol’ Man River” and selections from Aaron Copland’s music.

Other pieces to be performed for the afternoon are: Bedrich Smetana’s “The Moldau,” George Butterworth’s “The Banks of Green Willow,” Johann Strauss Jr.’s “Beautiful Blue Danube” and Ferde Grofé’s “Mississippi Suite.”

A group of seven League of Women Voters members started Northeast Orchestra 40 years ago when the women decided to come together to play music in their homes. It soon outgrew their living rooms and was billed in its early stages as a chamber orchestra. The orchestra is now a full-blown group with about 65 members. The group rehearses weekly Friday mornings from September through May in Fridley.

The Northeast Orchestra presents “Down by the Riverside,” Sunday May 20, 3 p.m. Voluntary donations welcome, Church of St. William, 6120 Fifth St. N.E., Fridley. For more information visit www.neorch.org.

Early Saturday morning, an eager golfer tees off on the seventh, Green Haven club house shining through the trees to the west. Photo by Sue Austreng

Larry Norland, director of golf for Green Haven, described several celebratory events scheduled for the coming months.

Next Saturday (May 26) people can play a round of golf for the same price that was charged on opening day in 1937 – 40 cents for 18 holes; 25 cents for nine holes. To schedule a tee time, call 763-576-2970.

Later this fall, a special gathering of members of Green Haven’s Men’s Club will take place to celebrate that club’s existence and its impact on Minnesota golf.

A Celebrate Anoka Golf Tournament will be held Sept. 10.

Several members of the Minnesota Golf Association are expected to participate in the Past Presidents Tournament.

“This course is so beautiful, and it’s been part of Anoka for so long, it’s really something to be celebrated,” Norland said.

A gleam in the golfers’ eyes

“At one time, Green Haven was not even a gleam in anybody’s eye,” ABC Newspapers’ late publisher Arch Pease wrote in a Jan. 27, 1989 Anoka County Union article commemorating the course’s 50th year.

A long and winding road led to what would become Green Haven Golf Course.

A fashionable foursome practices putting near Green Haven’s club house, circa 1940s. Photo courtesy of Dick Bennett

Anoka’s first golf course was located on property now known as Goodrich Field with the first tee in the neighborhood of the entrance of the Anoka junior high school on Fourth Avenue. Several fairways crossed each other “making for an interesting, but very hazardous layout,” Pease wrote.

Anoka’s second golf course was called Parker’s Golf Course and was laid out on property owned by Sam Parker, laid out on the former Akin property at the foot of Third Avenue and west to the Rum River.

The third golf course in the area was the L.O. Jacob Golf Course, or “Jake’s Course,” as it was affectionately called by some. That course stood where Mississippi Elementary School now stands.

“This course was popularized by many of the good golfers of the area and the first Anoka Men’s Golf Club was formed here,” Pease wrote.

Jake’s Course closed in 1936 and Anoka’s now-75 year old course opened the fall of 1937.

Pease said Green Haven was built on the sand plain on the western side of the city of Anoka “where some people said no golf course could ever be built.”

But sure enough it was built and as the new course neared completion, a Name the Course Contest was announced with a season’s free play awarded to the lucky winner.

After reviewing more than 100 entries, the Name the Course committee chose the name Green Haven, a name submitted by Clara Wickstrom, “who was also a very fine golfer,” according to Arch Pease.

When Green Haven opened in the fall of 1937 – a full two years after breaking ground, designing fairways and bunkers, and sinking holes in grassy manicured greens – it was just a nine-hole course.

But golf wasn’t the only diversion practiced on the property. There were grounds for lawn bowling, an area set aside for trap and skeet shooting, and a rifle and pistol range where the 18th fairway is now.

Green Haven grows

It wasn’t until 1958, when the Men’s Club purchased land from the railroad and gave it to the city, that the back nine was developed and Green Haven became an 18-hole championship golf course.

Golfing at Green Haven carries rich history steeped in tradition, and since Green Haven opened back in 1937, the fairways and greens have welcomed golfers from miles beyond the historic city where it rests.

“All of the other golf courses didn’t show up until the ‘60s and ‘70s. If you played golf, this was the place,” Norland said.

Of course, Green Haven also entices its hometown golfers to the links.

“Anyone around the age of 40 who lives here has played here,” Norland said.

Among established groups golfing at Green Haven Golf Course is the Men’s Club, established in 1928 and boasting some 275 members.

“At its peak there were something like 400 members and it was an exclusive club, requiring recommendation and an initiation fee before you could join,” Norland said.

There are also two Ladies Clubs, the morning club with a more competitive flair to it, and the evening club for the more relaxed lady golfers.

Anoka High School’s boys’ and girls’ golf teams practice at Green Haven, and the course hosts several annual tournaments including the Celebrate Anoka Golf Tournament, the Past Presidents Tournament, the Halloween Tournament, the Tournament of Champions and the Club Championship.

Also, at the great urging and direction of Jack Campbell, long-time Anoka High School basketball coach and athletic director, Green Haven for many, many years hosted the annual State of Minnesota Junior Chamber of Commerce Tournament (also known as the Minnesota State Jaycees Tournament).

“This is a great tournament course because there are not a lot of thick woods or grasses,” Norland said. “It plays pretty quick.”

And Norland reports an average of 33,000 rounds of golf played every year at Green Haven.

“It’s one of the top four or five 18-hole courses in the state,” Norland said.

For more information about Green Haven (located at 2800 Greenhaven Road, Anoka) or to schedule a tee time, look for them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/greenhavengolfcourse) or call 763-576-2970.

Editor’s note: Legend has it that when Anoka’s golf course was first named it was called Green Haven. Later the words were combined and it was known as Greenhaven, but Norland said, in order to honor its history, the official name of the golf course was recently reverted back to the original, two-word name, Green Haven.

Sue Austreng is at
sue.austreng@ecm-inc.com

Click on image to view slideshow

Click on image to view slideshow

This is the transmission line route in East Bethel that the planning commission approved May 8. It is exactly what Great River Energy brought to the city in December 2008 before changing the route in subsequent months.

The Maple Grove wholesale power company, which is working on this project on behalf of Connexus Energy and East Central Energy, may be closer to a resolution on a route.

The East Bethel Planning Commission May 8 approved the portion of the route that would go through its own city but heard from plenty of people in Linwood Township as well because a portion of the route is along Sunset Road, which is the border for the two communities.

The East Bethel City Council will take up the matter Wednesday night (May 16). An update on the council’s decision will be posted on the ABC Newspapers website (www.abcnewspapers.com).

If the council approves the route, this could lead to GRE dropping its lawsuit against the city of East Bethel for denying a previous route, and Athens and Linwood townships could vote on the route.

This has been far from an easy process, several members of the planning commission told residents who were sitting shoulder to shoulder in the council chambers May 8 for a public hearing on what is being referred to as Route I-1. One commissioner said that the portion of the route in East Bethel is exactly the same as it was when GRE senior field representative Peter Schaub presented a route proposal to the council Dec. 3, 2008.

The route in that December 2008 proposal and the most recent proposal enters East Bethel along Durant Street, cuts east on Fawn Lake Drive on the north side of Fish Lake and then cuts south on Sunset Road before entering Linwood Township along the 229th Avenue corridor.

However, GRE in subsequent months greatly altered the route without the city’s knowledge, according to councilmembers and city staff in May 2009. The newly proposed route would have impacted East Bethel far more than the previously route. It would have cut south on Hastings Street from the Athens Township border, went east along 237th Avenue, Gopher Drive and 229th Avenue before going into Linwood Township. This route would later become known as Route A.

Much has happened over the past three years. The city developed a new ordinance to detail how transmission line projects would be reviewed, the council in June 2011 denied GRE’s application for a route called Route A, GRE filed a lawsuit against East Bethel in Anoka County District Court in August 2011 and the city, townships and GRE have subsequently been having mediation sessions to come to a route resolution. The new Route I-1 is what came out of this.

According to Planning Commissioner Eldon Holmes, he and two other members of the planning commission were on the transmission line work group formed in September 2010 and have spent countless hours reviewing different route proposals that GRE looked at.

Tanner Belfany was on the roads commission at the time and Lou Cornicelli served as a resident at large. Both were subsequently appointed to the commission after applying for vacancies that opened up.

Holmes said that cost was only one issue the work group looked at. It also looked at how natural resources, people and archeological sites would be impacted, for example.

One key statistic that the commissioners looked at was they counted 76 East Bethel homes that would be along Route A, which GRE had applied for last year. On the other hand, there would be 33 East Bethel homes along Route I-1. Information on how many Athens and Linwood townships homes are along either of these routes was not available before this story went to press.

“The city of East Bethel has fought for the best of the community,” Holmes said. “There is always going to be someone that isn’t happy. I wouldn’t like it in my yard.”

Holmes made these comments after a 92-year-old resident, Ann Jones, raised concerns about losing trees along the heavily forested Sunset Road. She has lived on that property for 41 years and has red pines that are 40 to 50 years old.

“I just can’t simply understand what’s going on,” she said. “I was always very proud of East Bethel. I always thought it was a great place. I just don’t know what to think now.” Her comments drew applause.

Holmes said she should be proud of East Bethel because it fought for the residents.

Schaub said Route I-1 is the second least expensive route. Route A would have been the cheapest. Route I-1 traverses 10.5 miles in all three communities. Route A would have been 10.4 miles long.

According to Schaub, GRE only has cost estimates, but estimated that Route I-1 could be about $300,000 more expensive than Route A. Increased costs directly impact GRE, but Schaub said it does ultimately go back to the customers of the 28 electrical companies GRE works with throughout the state.

Becky Knisley said she and her husband moved to East Bethel to be in a rural area. She knows they need electricity, but she wonders why the city denied Route A. In her mind, the city turned it down because some neighbors were screaming about it. She said you expect power lines on county roads, but not rural residential streets like Sunset Road.

Knisley said the map that came in the mail with the May 8 public hearing notification was “pathetic” because it was difficult to read, they did not see other proposed routes and there was no historical context on how the route got to this point.

“Just thinking about it makes me very sad and disappointed and upset,” said Lucinda Johnson, who lives along Fawn Lake Drive in East Bethel.

Eric Hagen is at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com