West Sherburne Tribune

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CELEBRATION OF LIFE TO BE SEPTEMBER 30TH

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE - CELEBRATION OF LIFE DATE WAS INCORRECT IN THE 9/16/17 PAPER A Celebration of Life for Larry will be held SEPT. 30- NOT SEPT. 23!

from 12pm – 5pm at the Tim Hesley residence: 16903 211th Avenue, Big Lake. There will be a short memorial service, lunch, and many stories and memories to share. www.peterson-grimsmochapel.com

Section:

News

By Maggie Newman, Staff Writer

The fenced in play-ground at Liberty Elementary is perfect for pre-school aged children. There is plenty of room for all of the students to play on all of the new play-ground equipment.

Big Lake Hornet Buzz, Prinicpal Caryl Gordy, Early Childhood Cordinator Kelly Kazeck, Community Education Director Brad Schnitzler, Director of Buildings and Grounds Paul Bell and Supt. Steve Westerburg were excited to celebrate the new playgrounds atr Liberty Elementary on Saturday.

Saturday at Liberty Elementry School, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the two new beautiful playgrounds that were built for Big Lake students, ages Pre-K through second grade.The smaller playground is used by the pre-school children who participate in the Little Learners Hive Time program. Hive Time is before and after pre-school childcare for students ages three to five. The playground is age-appropriate and includes a solid yet soft base. All of the equiptment is the perfect size and it is completly fenced in for the little ones to be safe.The larger playground was built with students in kindergarden through second grade in mind. It is very colorful, with slides, monkey bars and a giant sand box. The new play ground equipment is perfect for students to burn off some of the extra energy they have throught out the school day. During the celebration Saturday, Big Lake Community Education Director Brad Schnitzler, welcomed all who attended. Schnitzler thanked the Big Lake Commuity for passing the bond which helpped to fund some of the new equipment. He also thanked the Big Lake Spud Fest Committee for a large donation to help fund a portion of the playground and a few essentials for the ECFE program. Lastly he thanked the ECFE Advisory Committee for their help fundraising ,which was followed by a roud of appluse. Liberty Elementry Principal Caryl Gordy introduced herself and thanked every one for coming out. Buzz, the Hornet masoct, was eagerly awaiting high fives and hugs from all the kids who attended. Kelly Kazeck, Early Childhood cordinator, Paul Bell director of buildings and grounds and Supt. Steve Westerberg were there to help celebrate and were happy about how well it all turned out.

Section:

News

By Gary W. Meyer, Editor

PRINCIPAL CARYL GORDY and boardmembers reviewed the new Big Lake Community Education office in Liberty School. (Photo by Gary W. Meyer)

Big Lake School Board members got a first-hand look at the facilities improvements they’ve been financing over the past several months with a 90-minute tour Monday evening. Accompanied by Ihor Panchenko and Melissa Stein of Wold Architects and Engineers and Supt. Steve Westerberg, they viewed work at Liberty and Independence elementaries and various improvements to athletics facilities.

The improvements have been financed by several million dollars of deferred maintenance bonding for school work and the $9 million athletics bond approved by district residents in the spring of 2016.

First up - the new 15-acre athletic fields at Liberty School. The new five-field athletics layout will accommodate soccer and lacrosse play, beginning in the spring of 2018. A remaining 13-acre parcel located between the fields and 205th Avenue will remain for a possible future new elementary school. It is now rented to area farmer Jim Sanford for crop production. Behind Liberty are several new playground spaces for the students, K-2. A new synthetic rubber tile base to the playground should help prevent scrapes and bruises that come with play. The entry to Liberty this summer underwent a big change, with entries to the Liberty office to the right and to the relocated Big Lake Community Education office to the left. All community education administration is now through the new office.

Early Childhood offices back up to the rear of the community education space. Principal Caryl Gordy explained to the board that Liberty doors are locked at 7:30 a.m. to ensure student safety and a greeter will meet visitors and direct them to their intended office. At Independence Elementary, they viewed the new Secure Entrance, also constructed at Liberty and Big Lake Middle School. The entry to Independence was pushed back to a locked set of doors. Inside the entry, visitors can identify themselves to school staff. (A Secure Entry to BLHS has yet to be constructed; it is intended for this year.)

Supt. Westerberg reported on the near-completion of the $1 million re-roof of a portion of the middle school. He said a portion of Independence Elementary will be re-roofed in 2018 and a portion of BLHS in 2019, and that should complete roofing construction. The new 10-court tennis facility adjacent to BLMS was completed in time for school start and has been used by teams in competition this fall.

On the north side of the athletics complex, the varsity and junior varsity baseball fields, parking lots are awaiting blacktop to be done this fall. Lights have been constructed at the varsity field and a press box remains under construction. The softball complex, off Co. Rd. 43, will have seven fields come spring - one a practice facility and six for competition. Lights have been installed at the four-plex, along with a concession stand-restroom facility. Blacktop to serve the softball complex is also set for this fall.

Supt. Westerberg said extensive irrigation systems have been put in place to serve the entire area. At the high school football field, a new ticket booth-concession stand and restroom building is expected to be completed for the Hornets’ Homecoming football game in early October. Some track and field facilities have been removed from the football field and relocated to the area north of the field. They are expected to have the capacity for BLHS to host large track and field events in the spring. And at the varsity soccer field, a pad was installed this week to accommodate spectator stands. Inside the high school, some reflooring has been done - and the school auditorium is awaiting completion of a new sound and light system that should be activated in time for their first stage production in early October.

Section:

News

By Maggie Newman, Staff Writer

Eathan is having fun playng with all of the toys at the ECFE open house.

Eathan is having fun playng with all of the toys at the ECFE open house.

Rebekah and her four month old son Dawson, are enjoying their visit to the ECFE open house on Saturday.

Addison, who is five, was having a great time doing a art project at the open house.

Big Lake Early Childhood Family Education held their fall open house Saturday following the Liberty playground ribbon cutting ceromony. Children ages birth to five and their families were welcome to join for classroom tours, which included lots of playing, art projects and visiting with friends and teachers. ECFE teachers happily welcomed kids and their parents to join in fun fall activities while visiting the open house. Children also had the chance to put their name in a drawing for fun prizes. Russells on the Lake provided a fruit tray for attendees, and Kwik Trip donated all of the cheese sticks. There is still time to sign up for fall classes, however some are already full. To see all of the great classes the Big Lake ECFE has to offer visit the website www.biglakece.com. Big Lake Early Childhood Coalition will be holding the 2017 Early Childhood Resource Fair, Family Fun Fest Fri., Oct. 13 from 5:30-7:30 pm. This event is free and will offer a lot of fun activities for children, resourses for parents and booths to visit from buisnesses in the Big Lake Community.Further questions, please contact Sarah Fritsch at s.fritsch@biglakeschools.org.

Section:

News

By Ken Francis, Staff Writer

The Sherburne County Board of Commissioners is looking to establish some sort of policy or guidelines when it comes to funding outside organizations. At a workshop last week, Administrator Steve Taylor presented a list of 21 different organizations that get support from the county each year.

Some were non-profit organizations. Others were “partners” of the county, such as the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC), Minnesota Intergovernmental Association (MICA) and Greater St. Cloud Development Corp. Each of those benefits the county by providing grant opportunities or lobbying services.

There were also organizations that relied on county support to maintain a specific level of services, like the Great River Regional Library and the Sherburne County Historical Society. But other organizations weren’t so clear cut. “Nothing is easy or clean,” said Taylor. “There’s a lot of moving parts.”

Minnesota statutes mandate the county to support some groups, such as the Tri County Humane Society (minimum $4,800). Other statutes allow, but don’t mandate county support. That’s where the board questioned how they determine whether to give support, and if so, how much. Commissioner Tim Dolan pointed to a few organizations, like the Agricultural Society ($32,000 request for 2018), 4-H Camp ($3,000) and the University of Minnesota Extension Office ($129,876) the county has given support to each year.

He said each of those organizations’ primary function involved 4-H. “As it sits right now, those funds are dedicated to a program that serves roughly 350 people,” he said. “That’s not to discredit 4-H or any of the non-profits that we give to. But my position would be right now if the boy scouts or girl scouts came in and asked for $128,000, I’d have a hard time saying that we shouldn’t give it to them.” He said a lot of the statutory guidelines say the county has the option to give support. But there are no guidelines at the county level to make those decisions. “We need to create some type of policy for us to fall back on as a board,” he said. “I don’t want to be in a position of someone coming and asking for money and us having to justify why someone else’s (program) is more important than their’s.”

Commissioner Felix Schmiesing said he looks at the return on the county’s investment as a gauge. “You look at the Council on Aging, there’s a significant return on our investment there,” he said. “We have to be responsible to review them, but I want to be careful we don’t tie our hands.” Dolan agreed there is some return on investment from programs supported by the county, but the funding amounts were arbitrary.

He said in the case of the Extension Office, the county pays to have a staff member. “How are they different from the YMCA, the boys club or girls club?” he asked. “Are we going to fund a staff position for them?”

He said at some point, the board is going to have to make a decision on a new request. “It’s going to happen eventually and we have no way to decide,” he said. He said the county Economic Development Authority (EDA) has a scoring process to determine who is eligible for abatements and how much they receive. But there is nothing similar that directs the board for supporting other organizations.

Taylor said he would do some research with the AMC, the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) and the state auditor’s website to see what information is available on funding guidelines. He said he will come back with some draft policies for the board to discuss further.

Section:

News

Staff Writer

Keon McGarvey

ALYSSA REZAC (12) sets up Haley Newhouse (19) to attack.

        The Hornets hosted Princeton in a five-game volleyball match that had those in attendance on the edge of their seat in a 3-2 loss Tuesday. The first game started with a 6-3 lead for the Hornets, which they later extended 10-6. Alyssa Rezac led the Hornets offense by setting up Emma Pupeza, Hailey Atwood or Haley Newhouse for offensive attacks. The game then tied at 15-15.
The Hornets faced a slight deficit but tied the game again at 21-21. Princeton looked to make the game point with a 24-23 lead over Big Lake. Annika Poe and Makenzie Reiter led the Hornets’ defense, and the game went into the Hornets’ favor with a 25-24 lead with another point needed to win. Poe delivered the game-winning serve for a 26-24 game one victory.
The Hornets started game two with momentum, taking an early 8-4 lead thanks to serves from Poe and Newhouse and offensive attacks by Atwood, Rezac, and Mia Huberty. Ashlyn Mattson took to the court and delivered a couple of serves to add points to the board for the Hornets.
      Atwood and Pupeza kept the offense alive, pulling the Hornets ahead with a 20-15 lead. Big Lake didn’t look back, winning game two 25-18.
Princeton came to life in game three, holding the Hornets to 4-4, 6-6 and 7-7 ties. The Hornet defense started to show some holes, which Princeton capitalized on to take a 17-10 lead. The Hornets responded with four points to close in. Princeton had other plans as they kept their match alive, winning game three 25-16. Game four was another game of many ties, 3-3, 5-5, 8-8, before Princeton started to pull away, 15-10 and later 19-11. The Hornets weren’t about to go down without a fight, closing in 19-18, before stalling and losing game four, 25-18. Tiebreaker game five would start out with the Hornets looking tired and defeated, facing a 13-2 hole with the match point at 15. Coach Brust took a timeout and urged the girls to decide to win. Slowly but surely, the Hornets scored one point after another, making an impressive comeback to lead 14-13 over Princeton. The team and the fans felt a second wind of excitement. Princeton had other plans, however, taking a 15-14 lead over the Hornets, and then finished the job with one final point to edge the Hornets in a 16-14 game five victory. Princeton improves to 8-4 while the Hornets fall to 4-9. The Hornets faced Buffalo Thursday and will take on St. Cloud Tech Monday before returning home to host North Branch Thursday.
     The Hornets hosted Princeton in a five-game volleyball match that had those in attendance on the edge of their seat in a 3-2 loss Tuesday.
The first game started with a 6-3 lead for the Hornets, which they later extended 10-6. Alyssa Rezac led the Hornets offense by setting up Emma Pupeza, Hailey Atwood or Haley Newhouse for offensive attacks. The game then tied at 15-15.
The Hornets faced a slight deficit but tied the game again at 21-21. Princeton looked to make the game point with a 24-23 lead over Big Lake. Annika Poe and Makenzie Reiter led the Hornets’ defense, and the game went into the Hornets’ favor with a 25-24 lead with another point needed to win. Poe delivered the game-winning serve for a 26-24 game one victory.
The Hornets started game two with momentum, taking an early 8-4 lead thanks to serves from Poe and Newhouse and offensive attacks by Atwood, Rezac, and Mia Huberty. Ashlyn Mattson took to the court and delivered a couple of serves to add points to the board for the Hornets.
   Atwood and Pupeza kept the offense alive, pulling the Hornets ahead with a 20-15 lead. Big Lake didn’t look back, winning game two 25-18.
Princeton came to life in game three, holding the Hornets to 4-4, 6-6 and 7-7 ties. The Hornet defense started to show some holes, which Princeton capitalized on to take a 17-10 lead. The Hornets responded with four points to close in. Princeton had other plans as they kept their match alive, winning game three 25-16.
   Game four was another game of many ties, 3-3, 5-5, 8-8, before Princeton started to pull away, 15-10 and later 19-11. The Hornets weren’t about to go down without a fight, closing in 19-18, before stalling and losing game four, 25-18. Tiebreaker game five would start out with the Hornets looking tired and defeated, facing a 13-2 hole with the match point at 15. Coach Brust took a timeout and urged the girls to decide to win. Slowly but surely, the Hornets scored one point after another, making an impressive comeback to lead 14-13 over Princeton. The team and the fans felt a second wind of excitement.
   Princeton had other plans, however, taking a 15-14 lead over the Hornets, and then finished the job with one final point to edge the Hornets in a 16-14 game five victory. Princeton improves to 8-4 while the Hornets fall to 4-9. The Hornets faced Buffalo Thursday and will take on St. Cloud Tech Monday before returning home to host North Branch Thursday.

Section:

Sports

Staff Writer

Keon McGarvey

SWIMMERS WARMING UP DURING PRACTICE

        The Big Lake smim and dive team lost a close meet to one of their closest matched conference competitor,s Rogers with a final score of 103-83 last Thursday.
The 200 medley relay team of Cassidy Walsh, Sierra Stromberg, Valerie Childs, and Maria Turk took second. Gabbie Werner won the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:57.93, with teammate McKenna Peterson coming in fifth to score points with a 2:28.20.
Kamryn Robarge came in first for the 200 IM with a time of 2:20.22 and Cassidy Walsh came in fifth with a time of 2:54.50.    The Hornets took third, fourth, and fifth in the 50 freestyle with Maria Turk, Sophia Rondeau, and Ally Helgoe respectively.
Abby Schreifels was the highest scoring Hornet diver, taking second place with a fantastic score of 203.75 and Venessa Dalmedia came in fourth to add more points to the Hornet's score.
   The 100 fly was won by Valerie Childs with a time of 1:04.12 and teammate Grace Thieke came in third with a time of 1:12.05. Kamryn Robarge placed second in the 100 freestyle sprint with a time of 56.29 and Sophia Rondeau added points to the board with a fourth place finish and a time of 1:04.32. In the 500 freestyle, Valerie Childs took first place with a time of 5:53.67 and McKenna Peterson placed fifth with a time of 6:55.29. The 200 free relay team of Grace Thieke, Maria Turk, Kamryn Robarge, and Gabbie Werner placed second.
Gabbie Werner won the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 59.97, breaking her own school record in that event for a second time this season. Katlyn Emerson finished third with a time of 1:11.91 and Grace Thieke finished fourth with a time of 1:15.39 for the Hornet's best event of the night. In the 100 breaststroke Sierra Stromberg finished third with a time of 1:19.03 and Madison Svien finished fifth with a time of 1:34.86. The 400 freestyle relay team of Valerie Childs, Grace Thieke, Sophia Rondeau, and Kamryn Robarge claimed the win and the team of Ally Helgoe, Maria Turk, Cassidy Walsh, and Gabbie Werner finished third, barely missing second place.
Hornets 11th in Maroon and Gold Invite
   Last Saturday the Hornets participated in the Maroon division of the Maroon and Gold Invite at the University of Minnesota, competing against 14 other teams, including Lakeville North and South, Anoka, Maple Grove, and Delano.
The top 16 finishers in each event would score points for their team. Big Lake finished 11th in the meet, just half a point behind Maple Grove with a score of 121.5.Hornets scoring points included Kamryn Robarge placing 12th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:03.22; Gabbie Werner placing second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:11.93. Werner placed second in the 100 fly with a time of 58.88 and Valerie Childs placed 12th with a time of 1:04.88
Kamryn Robarge placed eighth in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 56.48. Venessa Dalmeida was the only Hornet diver to score points, coming in eighth place with a score of 173.70. Diver Abby Schreifels finished 17th, just missing the scoring place.
   Both Hornet freestyle relays took fifth place at the meet. The 200 freestyle relay team of Valerie Childs, Maria Turk, Kamryn Robarge, and Gabbie Werner swam a season-best time of 1:43.47. The 400 freestyle relay team of Taylor Muehlbauer, Valerie Childs, Kamryn Robarge, and Gabbie Werner also swam a season best time of 3:48.26.
   Hornets faced conference and section rivals Monticello Magic Thursday. They host STMA Oct. 5 for Homecoming week.

Section:

Sports

Staff Writer

Ken Francis

QUARTERBACK SPENCER HINRICHS got the offense moving late in the first half against Becker. Big Lake was already down, 30-1 at the time.

          The Big Lake football team lost its third straight game Friday to Becker 37-20. The Hornets, still without injured running back Deandre Hill, had trouble getting their offense on track for most of the first half.
Becker didn’t. They took the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead just seconds into the game. Big Lake moved the ball from their own 29 to the Bulldog 43 on their first possession, with the big play a 17-yard sweep by Trey Teige. But that’s where it stalled, and the Bulldogs took over on downs. The Hornet defense stopped Becker on the next series. But on the punt, Big Lake was called to making contact with the center, giving Becker new life at the Hornet 36. Big Lake had them stopped again, but a keeper on fourth down kep the drive alive. The Bulldogs kicked a field goal three plays later for a 10-0 lead with 3:03 left in the quarter.
         The Hornets went three-and-out on their next possession, then fell behind 17-0 when they missed three tackles and the Bulldogs scored on a 49-yard run. The Hornets couldn’t sustain a drive to get deep into Becker territory, even though they made some good plays at times. On the next series, quarterback Spence Hinrichs hit Devonne Harris with a 12-yard pass to get into Bulldog territory. But that drive ended on an incomplete pass. The Bulldogs came back to score again on a seven-play, 44-yard drive that ended with a four-yard TD run with 5:20 left in the half.
      But there was more to come. After the next Hornet drive stalled at their own 24, the Bulldogs had a long punt return to the Big Lake 34. They scored two plays later for a 30-0 lead with 2:44 left in the half.
The Hornets were still looking to find a way to get their offense moving, and they went to Hinrichs for the answer. Instead of a two-man backfield with a direct snap, the Hornets sent Deon Harris in motion from the wide receiver position and used the quarterback option. Hinrichs responded with keepers of nine yards and 31 yards. A false start brought them back to the 35. But on a fourth-down play action pass, Hinrichs found Hunter Schelinder open for a 32-yard completion. He scored on a keeper on the next play and the conversion made the score 30-8 with 40 seconds left in the half.
       Big Lake used the same offensive strategy to open the second half, with Hinrichs and Deon Harris alternating running plays and confusing the Bulldog linemen. They scored on an 11-play 67-yard drive. The conversion failed, but the Hornets were back in the game, 30-14 with 5:09 left in the third quarter. The excitement for the Big Lake home fans didn’t last long when the Bulldogs returned the kickoff to the Big Lake 34. They scored two plays, and one minute later for a 37-14 lead.
The Hornets were three scores down with 18 minutes left, but still had time to get back in the game again. They did, when Hinrichs hit Devonne Harris in the end zone on a 24-yard play-action pass with 1:49 left in the quarter.
But despite moving the ball well, the Hornets couldn’t pull closer. They forced Becker to punt on the next series, and had a sustained drive that reached the Bulldog 13. But that ended on an incomplete pass on fourth down with under five minutes left. The Bulldogs took over and made three first downs on their way down the field. They ran out the clock for the win. Becker improved to 3-2. The Hornets fell to 2-3 on the season. They host Rocori 7 p.m. Friday.

Section:

Sports

Staff Writer

Ken Francis

         The Big Lake boys varsity cross country team had its highest ever finish at the Milaca Mega Meet last Saturday. The boys finished fourth overall of 13 teams in the Class 3A race. Matthew Trutna led the Hornets, taking 11th place in 17:46.
Joe Morris finished 26th in 18:17. Tanner Burton placed 38th in 18:33. Ben Morris took 44th in 18:43 and Jake Dickinson was 51st in 18:51. Parker Liebl (69th, 19:17) and Adam Nygaard (84th, 19:44) were Big Lake’s sixth and seventh finishers.
The Hornet boys placed 11th of 50 teams in the JV 5,000 meters. Over 600 runners participated in the event. Big Lake had three runners in the top 100: Nathan Clausing (89th, 19:46), Sam Hart (90th, 19:47) and Noah Johnson (98th, 19:54). The eighth grade boys also took 11th. Ryker Stukenholz had Big Lake’s top finish in 36th in 12:26. The seventh grade boys finished seventh of 24 teams with Kade Layton leading the way in eighth place in 12:01.
         Big Lake did not field a complete girls varsity squad, but split their runners into different grade races. Ellie Murphy led the varsity girls with a 91st place finish in 23:47. Amelia Degen took 70th in the ninth grade race in 25:41. Elle Wertish had the top Hornet finish in the girls 10th grade race in 82nd in 26:36. Chloe Danzl placed 89th in 16:04 in the eighth grade 3200 meters. The boys had another great day in the Foley Stampede Meet Tuesday, taking second in the varsity and JV races and first in the junior high race.
Matthew Trutna took third overall in the varsity race in 16:57, as the Big Lake top five all finished under 18 minutes. Tanner Burton was 11th in 17:38 with Joe Morris a step behind in 12th in 17:39. Ben Morris placed 16th in 17:50. Jake Dickinson took 19th in 17:57.
Parker Liebl (23rd, 18:17) and Adam Nygaard (32nd, 18:34) were the sixth and seventh runners.
      Final team scores were: Mora 58, Big Lake 61, Cathedral 80, Pine City 136, Albany 155, Foley 177, Holdingford 178, Princeton 198, Pierz 218, Milaca 257, Zimmerman 308. Nathan Clausing led the JV boys with a first place finish in 18:29. Logan Johnson took third in 18:35 and Michael Aubol was ninth in 18:48. Kade Layton took the top spot in the junior high 3200 meters in 11:55 as the Hornets edged Cathedral by one point for the title. Ryker Stukenholz placed seventh in 12:25. Ellie Murphy led the varsity girls with her best time of the season, taking 32nd in 22:39. Hailey Dickson was 55th in 2414, followed by Elle Wertish in 56th in 24:42, Ashley Ogren in 57th in 24:47 and Alexis Kluk in 58th in 24:54. Erin Iaquinto (60th, 25:10) and Amelia Degen (62nd, 26:10) were Big Lake’s sixth and seventh finishers.
Josie Parks led the JV girls with a sixth place finish in 24:14. Grace Heider led the junior high girls with a 23rd place finish in 15:43.
       The Hornets run in the Becker Invitational Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Section:

Sports

By Maggie Newman, Staff Writer

President of Flour City Bending Mike Flesch, was busy giving tours at their open house on Tuesday to celebrate manufacturing week.

Brian Shinabarger has been working at Flour City Bending for seven years and takes pride in the products he makes.

Taylor Skelton has been working hard at Flour City Bending for four years.

Manufacturing week, Oct. 1-7 is a celebration of modern manufacturing, meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. Throughout manufacturers week, businesses invite the community to tour and see how modern manufacturing is high-tech and innovative, in a collective effort to educate visitors about manufacturing career opportunities and improve public perceptions of manufacturing.Big Lake has 12 manufacturing businesses including: Classic Glass and Mirror, Custom Turning, Inc., Flour City Bending, Industrial Molded Rubber Products, Paragon Store Fixtures, Arconic Engineering, LISI MEDICAL Remmele, Ultra-Image Powder Coating, Whirl-Air-Flow, Thompson Woodworks, Inc., Cargill and Lupulin Brewing Company.Tuesday, Flour City Bending, Inc. located in the Big Lake Industrial Park held an open house and tour of their facility. People could get a glimpse of what types of products they make and how they make them.

Flour City Bending specializes in tube and pipe bending services for both commercial and industrial markets. Flour City Bending works with diverse types of industries and provides quality services while serving many markets across the United States.In their 30,000 Square Foot building they have numerous capabilities including pipe and tube bending, steel fabrication, roll forming, machining, and welding and additional custom services. Both custom tube bending, push bending and roll forming can be done with square or round pipe or tubing. They also provide six-axis tube laser cutting, powder coating, final assembly and packaging.

Custom tube bending from 1/8” to 6” diameters with radii up to 48”; roll forming up to 2-1/2” schedule 40 pipe, angles, beams, and channels as well.Flour City Bending's extensive list of tooling provides numerous options to support engineers in new product design and prototyping. Their in-house tooling capabilities ensure control of your project from development to production.Types of Industries Flour City Bending serves are agricultural equipment, commercial lawn and garden equipment, construction equipment, transportation, playground equipment, commercial furniture, retail displays and power generation. Flour City Welding has a long history in industrial manufacturing as it was established in 1918. Originally a manufacturer of wagons and trailers with a sideline in welding repairs, their welding expertise opened new business channels. During World War II, the facility was devoted to work for the Navy and maritime activities.

They began hot bending sand packed pipe for ocean going tankers with in-house designed bending equipment. Their welding and bending expertise lead to postwar contracts for the manufacture of soybean oil extraction and grain handling equipment. Flour City was known nationally for know-how in hard facing the expellers of the extract from soybeans so the equipment lasted twice as long.With their experience and knowledge, they were also famous in the highly specialized repair and maintenance of boilers. Re-tubing boilers, pipe fabricating for power plants, and pipe bending were also major services. Since 1970, they began specializing in production tube bending and general metal fabrication.In 2004, under new ownership, the company name was changed to Flour City Bending, Inc. They are poised to carry on Flour City’s long-time reputation of providing the highest quality components, assemblies, and customer service. Flour City Bending takes pride in exceeding their customers’ expectations from start to finish, initial contact through delivery and product performance. For questions about products or services call Flour City Bending at 763-262-PIPE (7473).

Section:

News

By Maggie Newman, Staff Writer

Paul Springer from Smoke-N-Grillen BBQ explainied to Mary Beth Anderson what his “pork bombs” ingredients included.

Tom and Lori Kampa, posed for a picture with Aaron and Kristen Morrison from team Ribbed For Her Pleasure.

Happily tasting the many variations of food.

BEYOND THE YELLOW RIBBON team Scott Kolstad, Lee Spitzengel and Greg Green had a very busy day making a variety of items for event-goers to try.

Air Force veteran Michael Bray, displayed three of the tribute saddle he created, while at the Ribs and Rides Event at Tootsies Tavern.

Ribs N Rides for the Ribbon’s 2nd Annual BBQ Cook-Off and Bike Rally took place Saturday, at Tootsies tavern in Big Lake. It was a beautiful day for a motorcycle ride and some excellent ribs, among all the other delicious samples to eat! Starting at 10 am, 37 bikes and 50+ riders took off from Tootsie when they rode to Waverly, Victoria and Delano, returning to Tootsies around 2:30 p.m..Each team prepared an hors d’oeuvres before the rib portion of the event, which began at 3 pm. Some of the samples including smoked lasagna, pork bombs, pork mac and cheese, bacon scallops and jalapeno peppers, to name a few.

For five dollars, event- goers could sample three ribs from any team and a variety of appetizes from each team as well. Extra tickets were available to purchase for rib enthusiasts to try as many ribs as desired.New this year, teams were welcomed to participate in the chicken and unique eats category. There was a silent auction with a variety of items. All the proceeds from the event will go to benefit Big Lake Beyond the Yellow Ribbon!Some of the unique eats included, beef tongue, salmon with peach and goat cheese, pork mac and cheese, and waffles with Spam. just to name a few. Event-goer, Julie Killan said the team, Ribbed For Her Pleasure “had the best pork chips ever,” and everywhere one looked, folks were smiling and happy to be helping a noble cause.

The Beyond the Yellow Ribbon team had a stunning variety of unique eats. The team was made up of three men, Greg Green, Lee Spitzengel and Scott Kolstad. To impress the judges in the unique eats category, they came up with four different samples, one from each branch of the military. For the Army, they made wild boar and buffalo which they called ground pounders. For the Navy, they made blackened squid, which was called the Navy squid. For the Air Force, they made quail breast which was called Flyboy and for the Marines, they made smokes whiskey which came in a very small mason jar called a jar head. Categories for the judging were, ribs (judged and people’s choice), chicken (judged) and unique eats (judged).

Cash awards and trophies were awarded to teams in all four categories. Winners for the event were: Grand champion Grill Team Six. Ribs: First place was The Rollin Smoke Show, second was Grill Team Six and third was R&B BBQ. Winners in the chicken category were: First place, Smokin Eggheads, second place was Saucy SINderella and third place was Grill Team Six. Winners in the unique eat category were: First place R&B BBQ, second place, Smokin Eggheads and third place was Grill Team Six. People's Choice was awarded to: first place, Smokin Big, second place, Grill Team Six and third was Ribbed Pleasure.The Big Lake Beyond the Yellow Ribbon would like the thank everyone that planned, competed, donated, and participated in the second annual Ribs N Rides event.

Section:

News

Staff Writer

Keon McGarvey

Homecoming Queen Candidates: Grace Thieke, Maria Turk, Leah Merten, Anissa Moos, Kayla Donais

Homecoming King Candidates: Alexander Prom, Max Nelson, Matthew Chuba, Luke Hettler, Korty Atkinson.

Buzz the HorneT shows off the new cheer uniform during the pep fest on Monday.

Cheerleading squad does a routine during the pep fest on Monday.

Head football coach Nick Keenan dances to "Single Ladies" after being dressed by the football captains during the pepfest on Monday.

Teacher Loren Holthaus dances after being dressed up by the volleyball captains during the pepfest on Monday.

Enjolie Vang has her head shaven by high school principal Angela Folch in honor of friends with cancer and in recognition of cancer awareness on Tuesday.

Seniors Ashley Nelson and Grace Thieke act charades as part of the high school's version of "Hollywood Game Night" on Tuesday. Karissa Welle on the mic.

Photo Feature 10-7-17

Section:

News

Gary W. Meyer, Editor

BRIAN KOSLOFSKY, new director at Wright Technical Center, met with the Big Lake Board of Education last week. (Photo by Gary W. Meyer)

Brian Koslofsky, new executive director of the Wright Technical Center, met the Big Lake Board of Education last week, explaining their role in continuing a strong vocational program for students in Big Lake and seven area school districts. “The trades remain in need of technical educated students,” he said. “The program really depends on the students’ interests.” Big Lake has been a big member of the Wright Tech Center over the years, with students enrolled in many of their 12 core programs.

Of 661 students attending classes at Wright, Big Lake has 59, behind Buffalo, 235, Monticello, 90 and STMA 89. Other schools and students include Annandale 54, Delano 37, Howard Lake-Waverly 12 and Wright Learning center, 15. Nineteen of Big Lake’s students this year are enrolled in law enforcement classes. Construction trades, auto tech and health sciences have good representations, too. He invited board members to tour the facility with other boards from area schools Oct. 24 and 26.

Koslofsky has 33 years of education experience, with about half that in the classroom in technical trades. He pointed to the recent BLHS Youth Apprentice Fair as an important starting point to get more students involved in the trades, as 22 various vendors from around the region met with about 600 students - then many of their parents - one afternoon. How lucrative are the trades, he asked? He spoke with one injection molding business in the area recently, and they have high school graduates, with appropriate backgrounds, starting at $25 per hour. His brochure noted the extreme need for technical students advancing to trades careers.

Sixty-seven percent of employeers report a moderate to severe shortage of available skilled workers - and 56% of employers anticipate the shortage of skilled workers to get worse in the next three to five years. Finally, 85% of youth apprentice graduates are offered jobs by their employers at the end of their training.

School Numbers Down

Finance Mgr. Angie Manuel, though heartened by the fact Big Lake has lost only one percent of its student population from last year, reported a continuing out-migration. She had budgeted for a three percent loss of students. Big Lake Schools welcomed eight new students in September, while 18 went elsewhere. Of the 18 leaving, five were previously enrolled at Big Lake. The others lived in the district, but were pursuing education elsewhere.

Personnel Actions

The board about a dozen staffers during September, while agreeing to resignations with seven others. Hired were Paul Anderson, grounds maintenance supervisor, Nolan Ball, Trisha Bauer, Sara Burfeind, Cindy Gardner, Danielle McClure, Emily Schlegel, Scott Kelly, Kara Vedder-Miller and Tamara Wehye, cafeteria recess monitors; Melissa Fleige. education assistant at Independence; Kristen Holm-Guith, health assistant at Liberty; Becky Schmidt, education assistant at Liberty.

Resigned were Elizabeth Bowen, school teachers; Laura Cry-Bond, Catherine Dicky and Mirta Ortega, cafeteria recess monitors; Julie Gilman, Kids Club assistant; Angela McCormack, head Knowledge Bowl coach; and Sara Rinderknecht, education assistant at Liberty.

School Gifts

The board accepted cash and supplies gifts from several district individuals and organizations, including $4,000 from Big Lake Spud Fest, for middle school activities fee reductions; Kimberly Born, $700 for additional cheerleading safety mats; and $1,000 from the Eddy Family Foundation, for Community Education students in need.

Section:

News

By Gary W. Meyer, Editor

SHANA DECKARD, district parent who questioned students’ admissions to the EXCEL Program.

DAVID WATTS, Solar 1 representative, meeting with the Big Lake Board of Education last week. (Photos by Gary W. Meyer)

The Big Lake Board of Education last week gave its approval to the first induction of graduates to the BLHS Hall of Fame, and will recognize them at their 2018 graduation. The Hall of Fame will be comprised of two inductees annually; graduates who have gone on to distinction in their careers. Instructors Loren Holthaus and Joe Hartel met with the board for 20 minutes, explaining the intent of the Hall of Fame and where persons may access application forms. They said the program should be operational by the end of October.

“We want to recognize the former students who have lived ‘The Hornet Way’ during their time after graduation,” said Hartel. “Anybody can nominate another person.” Criteria for nomination are that: 1. They be a graduate of BLHS, five years after leaving school; 2. They can be alive or deceased; 3. They have a proven record of leadership in their community. Forms must be submitted to the induction committee by March 1 of each year.

Other information and application forms will be made available on the district website and in The Tribune. The teachers have designed the local Hall of Fame following visits to several other schools having one in place, including Becker, St. Cloud Tech, Little Falls and Monticello. At graduation, new inductees will be recognized at a social and given a plaque in recognition of them. They will also be recognized at the commencement service. Larger plaques will be hung on the wall outside the principal’s office at the high school. Should nominees not be selected for induction, their applications will be held by the committee for review (and possible induction) in future years.

Solar 1 Contract

David Watts of US Solar met with the board and secured conditional approval of an Xcel Energy electricity contract for the next 25 years; a contract that will assure the district a specific electrical rate even if the annual rates to other users goes up. This would affect only BLHS and BLMS, as the two elementary schools are served by Connexus. It could save the district up to $3,122,789 over the 25-year term; first year savings would be $10,173. Watts’ firm has enrolled several districts in the program, to include Becker, Sartell, Robbinsdale, Orono, Hopkins and Watertown-Mayer. “There are no up-front costs, no escalators,” said Watts. The agreement is pending final attorney review for the school.

Concerned Parent

During open forum at the meeting, Shana Deckard, parent of a middle school student, expressed her concern for the procedure in which her daughter was omitted from two EXCEL Programs this year. Her daughter had tested in the 90th percentile in recent tests, but was denied admittance to two of four classes applied for. “I wrote to the PTA. There was never one notification... of stipulations,” she said. “I always saw Big Lake as an excellent district, but we are failing our students. “I am not a very happy parent right now. “How are other students treated? Changes (in the program) should be reported to parents.” There was no response from district administrators nor the board at the meeting.

Supt. Steve Westerberg addressed the issue after the meeting, saying there are four EXCEL programs for middle school and two programs for high school students, all year-long programs. These programs are designed to provide more educational challenges than mainstream classes. And yes, student admittance is based on past student achievements. “The EXCEL Program is under review at this time,” he said. “How it’s presented and how we’re hitting the target (for accepting students.”

Section:

News

By Ken Francis, Staff Writer

It happened earlier this week without much fanfare. The 1/2% local option sales tax went into effect Oct. 1 in Wright County. The tax was approved June 1 by the Wright County Board of Commissioners, and is in effect until Dec. 31, 2022, or until revenues raised are efficient to cover the identified transportation improvements, whichever occurs first.

Chances are highly unlikely the tax will expire before 2022. Based on projections, the tax will raise between $5 million and $6 million a year. The county has already identified 16 projects with a price tag of $78 million, and of the 513 miles of roads in the county, it is estimated 300 miles do not meet current standards for shoulder width and safe inslope design.

When the board voted to pass the tax, they based their decision, in part, on the amount of money the county needed to raise to make progress on all the road improvements required in the county over the next 15 to 20 years. The county needs $6 million a year for pavement preservation on 25 to 30 miles of roads, $6 million a year to reconstruct and expand one to four miles of roads and $1.5 million a year for bridge and safety improvements. The options included doing nothing and continue to fall behind, raise property taxes, or implement a local option sales tax. To raise approximately $6 million a year, the county would have to increase the levy by 10%, which equates to about $70 per household for a typical residential property valued at $200,000, or $366 a year for a business valued at $500,000.

The sales tax is estimated to cost about $48 per year for a medium income household because between 20% and 30% of the revenue would come from non-residents making purchases within the county. The board also based its decision on the fact that 33% of Minnesota counties have already implemented a local options sales tax for transportation because historically, the state has not come through with enough funding. At the June 1 meeting before the vote, Commissioner Michael Potter said, “More and more counties are adopting this because they all have the same bad taste in their mouth about how the legislature dealt with this.” The tax covers most items where state sales tax can be collected.

Section:

News

By Gary W. Meyer Editor

Readers (those of you old enough) remember the intro line to the popular TV series Superman of the 1950’s. “It’s a bird, it’s a plane - it’s Superman!” Chief Joel Scharf suggests there may be a 2017’s rendition of it if he gets council approval to put a drone in the skies. Scharf met with the Big Lake City Council during workshop session last week and outlined his plans for that innovation - an unmanned aerial vehicle. He reported to the council the use of AUVs has evolved to be an important public safety tool. Their costs have dramatically increased and their abilities have become more refined. He’s proposing it be added to his department arsenal to do several functions:

1. It would be used in search and rescue of vulnerable or missing persons; 2. Damage evaluation following a disaster; 3. Crime scene documentation; 4. Critical incident management; and 5. Officer safety during dangerous incidents. As importantly, Scharf stressed it would take minutes to get a drone into the air, whereas they now wait 40 minutes for a law enforcement helicopter to arrive on scene. He also said it would serve as a shared resource for all governmental entities within the city.

Scharf stressed drone use in covering private properties would only be in effect with a court order or during an immediate search or rescue. “There would be no intrusion on property without a court-ordered paperwork,” he said. Reaction of some members of the council was positive. “Go for it,” suggested Mayor Raeanne Danielowski. “Awesome,” said Scharf.

He reported the drone propgram would cost about $10,000 for the purchase of the unit and training for eight officers. Spud Fest has already donated $4,800 to get the program off the ground. Formal approval of the drone system is expected at an upcoming council meeting.

Home Occupations

The council also informally ratified several proposed changes by the city planning and zoning commission to their home occupation ordinance. The conditional use permit (CUP) will be phased out and replaced with the interim use permit (IUP). The IUP, they feel, will give stronger city control over home occupations that may have slipped through in years past. They approved four conditions prohibiting activities from such occupations, gleaned from an existing Elk River City ordinance.

They include

1. Those consituting a fire hazard, adversely affecting neighboring property values or a nuisance;

2. Adversely impact governmental facilities and services, including roads, utilities systems and protective services;

3. Adversely affect sensitive environmental features;

4. Involve the use of hazardous materials or activities.

A fifth element of the Elk River ordinance not acccepted was to eliminate gun repair and or sales. That proposal will come up for adoption at an upcoming eouncil meeting. The council did not agree with a request by City Administrator Clay Wilfarht for the city to join the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, due to costs. First year cost of $4,270 would grow to a fourth year cost of $17,080. The coalition serves as a lobbying group for city concerns at the Minnesota Legislature.

Department Reports

At their regular meeting following the workshop, the council heard reports from two departments. Lake Liquors Mgr. Greg Zurkey reported July customer count was 17,371, up by 2,016 over the same time in 2016. Sales as of July 31 were $3,014,373, up by $193,000 over the same time a year ago. Gross profit was $42,000. Average sale per customer was $26.06, up by 33 cents over a year ago.

Hanna Klimmek, community development director, reported 88 permits granted for single family homes. LGI, the firm building homes on the south side, reported they would do about six homes a month during winter. Her department has done 1,718 inspections so far this year, compared with 1,101 in 2016. Several residents have inquired about a tour of the city wastewater treatment plant. Those interested in a tour should contact Wilfahrt or Mike Goebel, public works director, 263-2268.

Section:

News

By Maggie Newman, Staff Writer

Firefighter’s Pete’s Pumpkin Patch has been a large attraction to the Big Lake Fire Dept.’s open house for years. However, Firefighter Pete Ahrens will retire Sunday and unfortunately so will the pumpkin patch. Many event-goers thanked Pete and his wife Gayle for the many years they have grown and donated pumpkins for the event.

There was a great turnout at the 2017 Big Lake Firefighters open house Sunday.

Kelly Vnuk took control of the hose during the firefighters open house. Kelly and his family have been coming to the event for many years and enjoy all of the demonstrations and activities.

The kitchen fire demonstration showed attendees what not to do during a kitchen fire and the amount of damage it could cause.

North Memorial flew in their helicopter for event-goers to see and sit in.

The weather Sunday was perfect for the Big Lake Fire Department open house. Every year the department holds one of the most attended open houses in the state. From 11am until 2 pm event-goers were welcomed to education demonstration as well as free food, give aways and lots of fun!Fire truck rides are always a hit, and no matter how long the line is, parents are willing to wait it out for their kids to have a ride in the fire truck. The fire trucks went non-stop giving rides from the time the open house started untill the very end.

There were plenty of demonstrations throughout the event including a kitchen fire. Firefighters had a makeshift kitchen with a grease fire in a pan on the stove. After asking the crowd what they should, and should not do during a kitchen fire, they poured a glass of water on it, which caused a huge ball of flame to erupt. Onlookers were amazed at how much damaged was caused to the kitchen. Firefighters said, "never pour water on a grease fire and instead get a fire extinguisher or call the fire department."

Connexus Energy gave a demonstration on power lines and electricity throughout the home. One of the demonstrations resembled a child flying a kite, and as it flew into the power line it caused a massive transfer of electricity which traveled down the string leading to almost certain death. It was a very educational and a great reminder to all how powerful and dangerous electricity is.

Big Lake Police Sergeant Matt Hayen and K-9 Bruno gave a demonstration, showing the crowd Brunos obedience and his powerful ability to take down suspects. North Memorial Medical and MN State Troopers had helicopters to check out and sit in, as well as an ambulance from Centra Care. Kids who attended the event received a card and after getting at least three stamps on it, they were welcomed to pick out a pumpkin from firefighter Pete’s Pumpkin Patch. Big Lake Fire Chief Paul Nemes said the open house was very well attended and that they gave away around 1,100 pumpkins. While kids were at the different stations they got information regarding first aid, trains, electricity and fires.

There were lots of giveaways, including key chains, stickers, firefighter hats, coloring books, candy and more! There was a bounce house and kids could hold the fire hose while aiming at a small house fire. The Big Lake Ambassadors provided face paintings through out the afternoon and besides all of the fun activities event goers received free pizza, water and popcorn. Nemes said there was good participation and a lot of good feed back regarding the demonstrations.

Section:

News

Gary W. Meyer, Editor

CORRIE SCOTT, Big Lake Farmers Market manager.

Big Lake City Hall staff will be on call to answer the public - only they’re going to be doing it earlier in the day. The Big Lake City Council Wednesday approved a change in City Hall hours, moving them 30 minutes ahead in the day, from 8 a.m. to a 4:30 p.m. closing. They have had 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours in the past. Finance Director Deb Wegeleben reported there have been very few visits to their counter after 4:30 p.m., nor have there been many calls. Moving the hours up by 30 minutes they feel, will be more beneficial to the public. She reported staff would still have the capability to extend City Hall hours to 5 p.m. during the summer months to accommodate the busy building season and yearly Lakeside parking passes.

Farmers Market

Corrie Scott, Farmers Market manager, gave her year-end report to the council, saying there were great advances during the 2017 season, which ran from June through September. They had 28 vendors during the year, with an average of 15 per Wednesday evening. They received $8,200 in grants from local groups to defray expenses. They integrated Music at the Market to help families “hang out more,” she said.

The Power of Produce program, for kids aged four to 12, will be expanded to ages three to 12 in 2018. Kids get a $2 token to spent at the market. This year, 674 children received tokens. The program helps instill purchasing of quality foods for the children. She reported they had a lot of volunteers, including CentraCare, the Big Lake Library, Master Garden, ECFE, the food shelf, Great River Spine and Sport and Coborns. They plan to bring back food vendor trucks in 2018 and are considering an indoor winter market.

Home Occupations

The council followed up on its recent discussion, opting to revamp its home occupation ordinance by requiring interim use permits rather than conditional use permits. IUPs would go with the permit holders and not be transferable. Most of their occupation requirements will follow closely those of Elk River City. Details can be found on the city website.

In Other Action

In other action, the council:

* Approved another rental for the open space north of City Hall at $1,900 for 2018 with Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church;

* Noted receipt of $2,000 from the Sherburne County Agricultural Society to the fire department for capital items;

* Noted the receipt of $4,000 from the Eddy Family Foundation to the fire department for turnout gear and uniforms.

Section:

News

(Submitted Article)

Kristin Demery, Kendra Roehl and Julie (Brotzler) Fisk, who grew up in Big Lake. are three friends whose lives are intertwined as writers, speakers, wives, moms and world-changers. They believe in the immense power of authentic community and of intentionally living one’s faith out loud through simple acts of kindness. Find more from them at theruthexperience.com, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Central Minnesotan residents Kristin Demery, Julie Fisk, and Kendra Roehl set out to answer the question: What would happen if you and your family committed to doing one act of kindness each day for a year? The answer to that question is revealed in their new devotional, The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional: 365 Inspiring Ideas to Reveal, Give, and Find God’s Love, releasing next month from Tyndale House Publishers.

“Our world—from social media to politics to everyday life—could definitely use more kindness,” said coauthor Kendra Roehl. “As moms, we saw the bullying that happens in schools, in communities and even online, and wanted to show our kids a different way.” With that in mind, the three women embarked on a year-long journey to incorporate kind acts into each day. From simple things like rounding up stray carts to put back in the corral at the grocery store or placing extra quarters on laundromat machines, to volunteering with nonprofits or intentionally reaching out to neighbors, the women strove to do a kind act each day for a year.

“As Christians, we believe that biblical kindness is really akin to Authors mercy,” said Julie Fisk, another coauthor. “Showing mercy means loving other people where they are at, and that’s what we’re trying to do.” The devotional invites readers to make kindness a part of their life, home, and soul. With a combination of biblical wisdom and inspirational personal stories, readers are encouraged to see why God calls people to show kindness, what it means to live a life of generosity, and how they can incorporate kindness into their everyday routine (and teach it to kids) with tons of simple, easy-to-do ideas.

“Making kindness a habit in our home has changed us in ways I never could have anticipated,” said Kristin Demery, the third author in the trio. “Instead of feeling paralyzed by the challenges we see in the world around us, our kids are learning how to be empowered to step in and help. That, to me, has made the biggest impact on our family.”

Section:

News

By Gary W. Meyer, Editor

DICK BITTNER, original member of the Big Eagle Lake Improvement Association, enjoyed the surroundings at their annual fundraiser Friday at The Friendly Buffalo. Dick is still active on the board, serving as walleye stocking director for the group.

WINE TASTERS. Meeting for a sip of wine and some friendly conversation were Eagle Lake and Big Lake residents, from bottom left, Penny Byle, Ed Pietso, Steve Kloeppel and Karen Reines. (Photos by Gary w. Meyer)

Lake Liquors’ fall wine fest at The Friendly Buffalo teamed up with a partner this year - the Big Eagle Lake Improvement Association - and they jointly held a successful evening showing wines and raising funds for the lake group.

Attendance estimated at 160 turned out to taste wines and beers, have a hot snack and enter games for the benefit of the lake association. Over $12,000 was raised for the BELIA, which will use the proceeds for invasive weed control, walleye stocking and education of residents, reports Treasurer George Wallin of the group. “The fourth annual fundraiser is usually held on the first Friday night in October,” Wallin said. “But this one proved to be the most successful in terms of attendance, fundraising and comments from patrons.” The “spirits tasting” extravaganza, the 22 vendors, and over 50 auction items donated by local businesses and fun games and drawings kept the attention of the attendees throughout the evening.

Many event-goers pulled out a ten-spot to enter a raffle drawing for a one week stay in Casa Del Vista, Costa Rica, courtesy of two BELIA members. By mid-evening, 197 tickets had been sold for that drawing alone. Winner of the week trip vacation was Susan Iverson. Wallin says the BELIA plans to deliver notes of appreciation to all donors and wishes to thank those turning out.

Greg Zulkey, manager of Lake Liquors, felt the turnout was very good and had a positive response to the design of the evening. He appreciated the work of staff and the 22 vendors who turned out to provide lots of wines for tasting and the entertainment. “This was a good partner with Eagle Lake,” he said. Lake Liquors plans their annual spring wine tasting, too.

Section:

News

LARRY MERLE HESLEY - UPDATE ON CELEBRATION OF LIFE WILL BE SEPT.30TH NOT 23RD

New playground sets making kids smile 9-23-17

Big Lake board gets tour of new school facilities

ECFE Open House brings in lots of families

County looking at funding policy

Netters lose to Princeton in nailbiter 9-30-17

Royals top Hornet swimmers 9-30-17

Hornets lose to Bulldogs, 37-20. 9-39-17

Boys continue strong XC season. 9-30-17

Celebrating Manufacturer’s Week - Flour City Bending hosts tours 10-7-17

2nd Ribs N Rides a big hit 10-7-17

BLHS Homecoming 10-7-17

New tech center head meets Big Lakers 10-7-17

BLHS Hall of Fame planned for graduation 10-7-17

Wright County sales tax now in effect 10-7-17

Drone in the sights of police department 10-7-17

Fire Week - And a great turnout! 10-14-17

City hall staff moving hours up by 30 minutes 10-14-17

An Act Of Kindness. Each day of the year. 10-14-17

Lake Liquors, BELIA, team up for big night 10-14-17