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2007 — the year in review |
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Monday, 31 December 2007 |
In Forest Lake, major strides were made in the Headwaters Development project with the opening of the new county library and service center and significant progress in the future of the Forest Lake Sports Center complex.
But road improvements slated for I-35 and W. Broadway Avenue in Forest Lake met delays as Washington County abandoned two years of planning and restarted the process, meaning no major improvements will be made before 2010.
For more on major stories and newsmakers from 2007, read on....
January 4....
Settlement of a lawsuit filed by Duffy Development/HSI against the city of Forest Lake came, bringing a close to a more than a year of a legal battle steaming from denial of a conditional use permit and subdivision for an affordable town home project.
The Wyoming Town Board dealt a blow Xccent, a Wisconsin company bidding to move here, after denying a rezone request due to traffic concerns.... After 33 years of teaching and coaching at Forest Lake High School, Bob Dettmer began serving his term as a legislature in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
January 11....
The price tag to reinstate the Forest Lake High School Marching Band was revealed, costing an estimated $178,000.... Newly elected officials Mayor Stev Stegner and councilman Bo Bogotty were sworn. Stegner defeated incumbent Terry Smith and Bogotty took over for Rick Ashback who did not run for his council seat.
Agents from the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Postal Service executed an arrest warrant for Forest Lake resident Neulan D. Midkiff, 64, a key figure allegedly involved in a multistate bank fraud, or Ponzi scheme.
January 18....
Neulan D. Midkiff and Jerry L. Watkins, 53, were named as co-defendants in a federal grand jury indictment for an alleged bank fraud scheme. Watkins entered a guilty plea to four counts of mail fraud and one count wire fraud. Midkiff was charged with eight counts of mail fraud, seven counts of wire fraud, six counts of money laundering and four counts of willful failure to file tax returns.
Forest Lake’s Affordable Housing Task Force struggles to make progress on a plan with three members walking out of the Jan. 11 meeting.
January 25....
After 93 years downtown, Ersfeld Meats closes up shop, ending family business ties in Forest Lake....A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the harness track and card room in Colmbus City.
A dispute about the cost of water and sewer connect charges between the city and Stars and Strikes was resolved.
February 1....
Forest Lake resident and owner of Doggie Do’s, Tracie Hoppe won a trip to New York City to attend the Westminster Dog Show.... The Forest Lake City Council and Forest Lake Community Center Task Force’s Steering Committee met to discuss plans for a new ice arena/field house.
Officials in Wyoming Township plead with both Chisago City and Stacy to withdraw their annexation requests.
February 8....
Former Forest Lake City Council candidate Barbara Stearns possibly avoided a $5,000 fine and criminal prosecution after failing to return a basic campaign financial report that is required by state law.... The ISD 831 Board of Education agreed to shelf any thoughts of a boundary change for Forest Lake Area Schools in the fall.
February 15....
The controversial topic of roundabouts returns to the Forest Lake City Council agenda, this time with questions about pedestrian safety.... Former Council member Ted Phillips was ordered to pay a $600 administrative fine in a campaign election complaint between current councilman Gary Menne and Phillips.
A new logo for the city of Scandia was selected from the final four entries.... Award-winning artist John House won the grand slam of Minnesota’s DNR wildlife stamp contest.
February 22....
The Columbus City Council denied a plan for the Carlos Avery Wildlife Area for a second time.... Xccent’s rezone request for property located south of the Fairview Medical Center where the Wisconsin company will move to was granted by the Wyoming Town Board.
March 1....
The Forest Lake City Council unanimously voted to approve both the affordable housing task force recommendations and the ice arena/field house agreement.... Washington County decides to step back from the roundabout project after computer models show inconsistencies with the design.
Barb Ovedisch, a teacher at Lino Lakes Elementary for nearly 30 years, died at age 60.
March 8....
It may have looked like a winter wonderland but the almost 2-feet of snow that fell early in the month had quite an impact on schools and city streets.... Plans for road work in Wyoming Township draws residents concerns.
March 15....
Sederholm Finishing in Wyoming was a total loss after warm weather and melting snow caused a major fire. Sunrise Mattress and Premier Marine also received water and smoke damage.
Forest Lake city residents got their first look at the potential $2.2 million Fenway Park Athletic Fields.
March 22....
The Anoka County Board denies the DNR’s plan to acquire some 160 acres of privately owned land in the city of Columbus, adjacent to the Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area. The county board’s denial backs action taken by the Columbus City Council.
The Washington County Historical Society reprints Anna Enquist’s book, Scandia – Then and Now.... Forest Lake native Ken Anderson took home seventh place in the Iditarod Dog Sled Race for his seventh attempt at a win....
March 29....
The city of Wyoming and Wyoming Township reject an annexation dispute settlement offer from Chisago City.... A cashier at the SuperAmerica on west Broadway Ave. was assaulted when a gunman made off with cash after robbing the convienence store.
Dr. Brenda Pfeiffer, owner of Pfeiffer Chiropratic in Wyoming, is the lead plantiff in a federal class action lawsuit that charges the U.S. Department of Education with illegally charging many student loan holders with late fees and interest payments.
April 5....
The first plan approvals clear the city of Forest Lake officials for a 50,000 square foot expansion to Wal-Mart, making it a SuperCenter in 2008.... Several new commerical and small business projects are on the city radar in 2007 such as a new strip mall, restaurant and possible assisted living complex.
The year 2007 was a milestone for the Waldoch Farm in Lino Lakes, marking the fourth generation of the family business.
April 12....
The Citizen’s for Responsible Growth in Forest Lake asked the city council to table the topic of the Wal-Mart expansion project after filing a petition to study the SuperCenter property.
The city of Forest Lake’s Economic Development Authority board focuses on the downtown vision, targeting both directions of 2nd Ave.... A new fire truck arrives in Linwood Township.
April 19....
An explosion at All Safe in the Wyoming Industrial Park injured one man at the facility, which performs routine maintenance on cylinders.... William O’Brien State Park recently began its prescribed burn program.
Volunteers set out to raise the $34,000 needed to fund the local Fourth of July celebration.
April 26....
Wal-Mart got the green light from the Forest Lake City Council to proceed with the expansion project. The Environmental Quality Board denied the Citizens for Responsible Growth in Forest Lake petition that a study be conducted on the impact of a SuperCenter.
Gammelgarden Museum welcomed a special guest when Gunnar Lund, the Swedish Ambassador to the United States, visited Scandia.... For the sake of public safety, the Forest Lake City Council denied extending bar closing time to 2 a.m.... The first phase of a project at Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming opens. The former Willows on the Water is demolished to make room for The Lakehouse, a restaurant.
May 3....
Several property owners attend the city of Forest Lake’s Board of Appeal and Equalization hearing to protest 2008 valuations.... The Rush Line Corridor gained federal support as most in Washington, DC see the need for public transit.
A concert segment of The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra was devoted to the late Forest Lake Mayor Jim Gessell, who died in August 2006 after a short fight with cancer.
May 10....
A proposal for Chisago County to lease land adjacent to the waste water plant to put in two ball fields was nixed.... A retirement dream became a nightmare for Wyoming couple Gordy and Phyllis Holtz, who lost their home, after a series of investment programs turned out to be bogus.
The American Legion Post 225 is closer to raising the funds for the annual Fourth of July celebration with the drive collecting $11,000 todate.
May 17....
The city of Forest Lake is in the preliminary planning stages of constructing a new public safety/fire and rescue building that could accomodate the growing community through 2020.... Forest Lake police arrested Matthew A. Scofield, Richfield, who was linked to a pair of crimes in the city.
Six new solar-powered lighted buoys puchased by the Forest Lake Lake Association were installed.
May 24....
Amanda Berglund, a 14-year old girl from Scandia, was killed in a traffic accident in May Township.... District 17 Sen. Rick Olseen, DFL-Harris is the only elected lawmaker serving the Forest Lake area to support the smoking ban.
Three men were taken into custody on probable cause felony burglary at Winnick Suppy after hearing the barks from canine cop Matrix.
May 31....
State funding may force Forest Lake Area Schools to make cuts in the range of $2 million for 2008-2009.... Drawings of what the new Children’s Memorial Healing Garden at Calvary Cemetery in Forest Lake were revealed during the St. Peter’s mass on Memorial Day.
Forest Lake police officers arrested Peter Charles Kath of Centerville after the motorist fleed a Safe & Sober stop in Hugo.
June 7....
A lack of funding threatens the Teen Center that has created a community of friends and changed futures.... Not even the threatening skies above could stop area residents from enjoying the Forest Lake Park Board’s Arts in the Park kick-off program.
The Linwood Town Board discusses cemetery changes regarding burial plots.
June 14....
Neil Mattson was honored in May for 50 years of service as a funeral home director.... Ross Allen Pihl, a former manager at Lake Area Bank in Forest Lake, will appear in court accused of embezzling nearly $35,000 during the four plus years he worked there.
Fund raising efforts for the Fourth of July celebration nears the $34,000 mark with the drive collecting $21,000 to date....
June 21....
CNH Architects and Heinen Construction, currently working on the former bowling alley site, presented their latest plans for the dilapidated bowling alley building to the Forest Lake City Council.... The Columbus City Council unanimously voted to collect liquidated damages from EnComm in the amount of $13,500 in response to Pumphouse No. 1 not being completed by the target date.
The Forest Lake City Council considers the outdoor entertainment ordinance as business owners would like to see number of permits increased but the city is concerned about public safety and noise.... A yearling black bear that roamed the Clear Lake area in Forest Lake this spring was killed.
June 28....
American Legion Post 225 drive to raise $34,000 for the Fourth of July celebration was surpassed, bringing the total to just under $36,000.... Forest Lake City Councilman Bo Bogotty’s voting status over the 2 a.m. bar closing will receive legal opinion.
The Washington County Board of Commissioners voted to build a new public library in Forest Lake to be open in September.... Lakeside Park beach infested with “swimmer’s itch.”
July 5....
Wyoming Mayor Sheldon Anderson announced the city would provide $8500 in funding to enable the ISD 831 CommunityEducation-sponsored Teen Center to remain open. Anderson challenged other communities to do their part in keeping the teen center open.
Fast action by fire, police and ambulance personnel helped save two children from a burning home in Forest Lake. Bruce Wightman, deputy fire chief in Forest Lake, went inside the burning mobile home to find the two children.
Forest Lake residents were told by MnDOT that TH-97 from US-61 to I-35 would be closed for the next month due to construction.
July 12....
Aviation pioneer and Forest Lake Airport owner Tom Doherty died at age 89.
Forest Lake City Council dealt with a raft of complaints regarding parade route spectator locations for the Fourth of July parade. Council passed a motion to ban the placement of chairs and blankets along the parade route before sunrise on the day of the parade.
July 19....
The Masquers Theatre production of “Beauty and the Beast” was greeted with positive reviews.... Greg Loushine, a Forest Lake High School graduate, was home to share his story of work with helping people return to their home in the New Orleans suburb of St. Bernard Parish.
A settlement agreement was reached in an ownership dispute involving Stars and Strikes Entertainment Center in Wyoming.
July 26....
Bill Streeter, a recently retired and popular coach and teacher in Forest Lake, died suddenly at age 57... Eleven candidates filed for election to the ISD 831 School Board.
Police in Forest Lake handed out 57 traffic tickets to motorist who refused to obey road closure signs on TH-97 between US-61 and I-35. Motorists were driving around barricades....The Minnesota Court of Appeals announced it would hear all petitions in the annexation-merger debate in Wyoming Township. The ruling was a setback to leaders of the city of Wyoming and Wyoming Township who have an agreement in place to merge the two communities.
August 2....
Forest Lake’s Relay for Life was ready for its big fund-raising effort this week.... Becka Ollmann, Wyoming, landed a role in the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre production of “Les Miserables.”
With $160,000 raised to date, the Forest Lake Area Athletic Association unveiled its design for the new Forest Lake Sports Center that will be built on the community center site in Forest Lake.
August 9
“Running Aces” is now the official name for the harness track and card club that is being built in Columbus City and scheduled to open in April 2008...VFW Post 4210 announced it would honor Iraqi War veterans with a special program.
The Forest Lake Relay for Life collected $208,000 for the American Cancer Society....An election lawsuit filed by Mayor Stev Stegner over citizen allegations made against him in the 2006 campaign was dismissed by an administrative law judge.
August 16....
The city of Wyoming and Wyoming Township announced they would the Minnesota Supreme Court to hear their appeal of the annexation ruling handed down by the court of appeals...The city of Forest Lake selected its new logo following a public campaign....The fifth annual Youth Service Bureau Golf Tournament at Castlewood Golf Course raised $3100 to support the agency.
August 23....
After 108 years of doing business in Forest Lake, Stock Building Supply, formerly Inter-State Lumber, announced it was closed its yard. A downturn in the national building industry was blamed for the decision...Linwood Township officials agreed to once again study the possibility of building a new town hall.
A legal fight continued to simmer over mayoral election campaign tactics used against Mayor Stev Stegner who was elected by Forest Lake voters.... In a budget matter, Stegner said the city’s proposed budget and tax plan for 2008 needs to be lowered.
August 30....
Three people were hurt in a crash with an ambulance from Wisconsin on US-8 at Pioneer Road.... Ann Miron of Hugo was crowned Princess Kay of the Milky Way on the eve of the Minnesota State Fair... Plans were previewed for Forest Hills Farm development on Third Lake. The property was owned and nurtured for 50 years by the late Kenneth Johnson.
September 6....
Forest Lake opened the fall gridiron season with a downer, losing to powerful Cretin-Derham Hall, 56-7... Forest Lake High School senior Nora Nolden volunteered at the CHS Miracle of Birth Center at the Minnesota State Fair... Tuesday, Sept. 4 marked the opening of school for the 2007-2008 term.
September 13....
ISD 831 reported a decline of 172 students as school opened for the 2007-2008 year. K-12 enrollment was set at 7159.... Over the opposition of Mayor Stev Stegner, the Forest Lake City Council set a proposed tax levy of $6.8 million, an increase of 9.9 percent over the levy for 2007.
John Hastings, founder of Pinehaven Tree Farm in Wyoming and a retired Northwest Airlines pilot, died at age 83.... The Forest Lake High School tennis team was off to a good start at 5-0.
September 20...
Columbus was all set for the celebration of its 150th year in conjunction with Anoka County’s 150th year... In Chisgao Lake Township, the Ironhorse Central Railroad Museum announced plans for two days of steam train rides.... With a 5 percent voter turnout, candidates Bill Bresin, Dan Kieger, Joe Grafft, Rob Rapheal, Dick Tschida, John Freed, Linda Nanko Yeager and Jim Banta survived the school board primary election.
September 27....
A 21-7 victory over Woodbury elevated the Ranger football team to 2-2 on the season...The Ranger volleyball team continued its hot streak, pushing its fall record to 10-1.
The Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation announced it would provide a $250,000 grant to the Forest Lake Area Athletic Association Forest Lake Sports Center capital fund-raising drive. It is the largest single contribution to date for the project.
October 4....
Deborah Anderson, a co-founder of the ALC program and a teacher in the district for 19 years, died at age 52... Good construction weather this fall has the Running Aces Harness Park ahead of schedule.
October 11....
A strong year continued for the Ranger volleyball team as the club ran its record to 17-2... The history of the Wyoming Fire Department is documented during the annual National Fire Prevention Week observance... Malcolm Morley, who was involved in a number of business ventures in Forest Lake for 50 years, died at age 81.
October 18....
Tom LaBarre, a city councilman in Wyoming, and a neighbor were tagged for disorderly conduct following a neighborhood dispute... Forest Lake’s Kourtini Lind earns a series of dance titles and announces plans to move to Los Angeles where she will continue her dance career. VFW Post 4210 announced plans for its Fishapalooza fishing contest in February.
October 25....
The Washington County HRA and Walker Elder Care Services went before Forest Lake City Council to review plans for the construction of 270 units of senior housing in the Headwaters Development in Forest Lake.
November 1....
The Forest Lake High School boy’s cross team qualified for an appearance in the 2007 state meet.... Forest Lake was ousted by Andover in the first round of the Section 7AAAAA football playoffs.... ISD 831 voters prepared to go to the polls in the Nov. 6 school board election.
November 8....
Incumbents Dan Kieger, Rob Rapheal, Joe Grafft and Bill Bresin won reelection in the Nov. 6 school board vote... Grand opening festivities were completed at the new Washington County Service Center and Library in the Headwaters Development... Area firefighters found a 300-acre blaze in the Carlos Avery Wildlife Management area between Wyoming and Linwood.... The Ranger volleyball team carried a 23-5 record into the section finals only to fall to Andover and not make the state tourney.
November 15....
Veterans in the area were honored during a Veteran’s Day program in Forest Lake... Future road plans for SW 12th St. in Forest Lake were previewed in a report to the city council... Wyoming Mayor was hit with a temporary restraining order by Councilman Gary Menne who said he and his family had been threatened by the mayor.
November 22....
In a pair of Thanksgiving stories, Pete Hegseth’s work with Vets for Freedom and Will Mitchell’s duty in the Peace Corps was covered. Both are Forest Lake graduates... Police seized $1.2 million in counterfeit money orders and cash in Forest Lake that have links to an international fraud scheme.
November 29....
Forest Lake City Council said it would take applications for an interim appointment to fill Bo Bogotty’s seat while he recovers from a stroke... A Chisago County judge threw out Councilman Gary Menne’s request for a restraining order against Mayor Sheldon Anderson, saying the allegations were not proven.
December 6....
Fund-raising for the Forest Lake Sports Center complex is halfway home as the Forest Lake Area Athletic Association reported it has $600,000 in hand.... The four-period day at Forest Lake High School is on the way out, under a plan proposed to the ISD 831 School Board.
December 13....
Forest Lake City Council trimmed some $400,000 from its operating budget and agreed to suspend the lake weed harvesting program for 2008, saving some $66,000 in city spending... St. John’s Lutheran Church Pastor Ed Wheatley of Stacy announced plans for a Dec. 26 departure of a mission trip by bus to the Gulf Coast region.
December 20....
The ISD 831 School Board approved a 13.6 percent hike in the district’s property tax levy for taxes to be collected in 2008.
December 27....
Forest Lake Firefighter Joe Houle was honored by the department and the city for his 50 years of work with the volunteer fire department.
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