Forest Lake Times Progress

Thursday, April 7, 2011 f o r e s T l A k e T i m e s . c o m Vol. 108 No. 47 - $1.00

T w o T h o u s a n d E l e v e n

A s p e c i a l E d i t i o n t o t h e

Forest Lake Times

Power Chair and Scooter Store

comes to Schilling Plaza

Clint RieseStaff Writer

At this time last year, Joel Erickson and Steve Harris had no idea they would be running a busi-ness together. The local men had both previously done the entrepreneur thing and were looking to settle into a more relaxed lifestyle.

Upon finding them-selves working together at a medical supply com-pany last fall, though, the duo quickly realized they were kindred spirits. Mere weeks after becoming co-workers, Erickson and Harris quit and began a new venture.

“I just didn’t want to do it alone,” Erickson said. “I had worked for another company for a year-and-a-half and I had entertained [the thought]. Everybody told me ‘Why don’t you go do this yourself?’ I just didn’t want to do it by my-self.

“Steve kind of brought the passion back to the business and said ‘Let’s go do this.’”

On Jan. 3 they opened Power Chairs and Scooter Store Medical Supply in Schilling Plaza on Highway 97 in Forest Lake.

A Matter of MobilityThe business special-

izes in all aspects of mo-bility assistance. The first step for anyone wonder-ing whether they need a wheelchair, scooter or any other mobility aid is to go through a consulta-tion, which can be done in-home. If it is determined that a product is needed, Erickson and Harris will handle everything from the insurance claim sub-mission to the delivery and set-up. They also are available for maintenance and repair work.

The Power Chairs and Scooter Store team often encounters seniors who are shocked to learn that they are eligible for finan-cial assistance through insurance or government programs. Many times the seniors have been put-ting off the help they need when it does not end up costing them a dime.

“They don’t realize they have a lot of other things available to them,” said Erickson, a Forest Lake High School alum. “All of a sudden they can get out of their apartment again.”

The latest lines of equipment make it easier than ever to do just that. Power chairs are ideal for getting around indoors, while scooters are easy to break down and take places.

“You can go over and

Mobility, freedom the focus of new store

Photo by Clint RieseSteve Harris, Lori Orfei and Joel Erickson are ready and willing to help customers with any type of mobili-ty need. The Schilling Plaza store opened in January.

Jennifer LarsonStaff Writer

Ideas started brew-ing when Sue Larsen saw a sign at The Nest-ing Grounds that it was for sale. As a regular, she didn’t want to see the coffee shop, which offers so much more than a cup of Joe, close.

“I was a customer since the place opened,” Larsen said.

The doors were shut for a handful of weeks until she and co-owner, Scott Kohler, re-opened The Nesting Grounds, 26395 Forest Blvd., in Oc-tober 2010. The couple have resided in Wyoming for nearly 11 years.

Both had never oper-ated a small business; Larsen was in the medi-cal field and Kohler in telecommunications. She said managing the busi-ness is a lot of work but

very rewarding. Like her, Larsen noted

the coffee shop has very loyal customers.

“We have people who come in every day,” Kohler said.

The Nesting Grounds has four employees. The business is open 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sun-day.

One thing Larsen and Kohler have continued is having later hours when there’s entertainment. The Nesting Grounds is also a meeting place for some groups. “We’re also open to hosting other events,” Kohler said.

He says that custom-ers who don’t want to have guests in their home can gather in the shop’s comfortable, friendly environment. WiFi is available, too. For

convenience, there’s also a drive-thru.

In addition to coffee, The Nesting Grounds sells specialty drinks. Any beverage can be made sugar and fat-free, Larsen said.

As for their prices, Kohler said they used the highest product quality from the syrup to coffee beans.

“If you buy a $5 latte it better taste good,” he joked.

If you’re not in the mood for a drink, The Nesting Grounds also has soups, salads, sand-wiches and wraps, and homemade baked goods. “We’ve expanded our menu,” Kohler said. “We’re making every-thing from scratch,” he noted.

It’s not all beverages and food at The Nest-ing Grounds. They also

have boutique items for sale, including salsa and honey made locally, as well as coffee mugs and

jellies. “We do have a little bit

of retail,” Larsen said. To learn more about

the Wyoming business, visit www.nestingground-scoffee.com or call 651-408-8505.

Photo by Jennifer LarsonEmployees Ann, Allie, Barb and Sara are pictured with Nesting Ground owners Scott Kohler and Sue Larsen.

Former ‘regulars’ are new owners of The Nesting Grounds

Tom Rolseth bought downtown store in 1961

Cliff BuchanNews Editor

It’s been 50 years since Tom Rols-eth first turned the key as owner of Rolseth Drug in downtown Forest Lake. Rolseth, a native of Forest Lake, had involvement in the drug store from 1961 through 1985.

Rolseth died in 2003, but his name lives on with the store and so does the tradition that Tom Rolseth built in the business. Owner Jim Garrison and store manager Tom Haas wouldn’t have it any other way.

Although Rolseth has been gone from the business for many years, his influence continues today, Gar-rison and Haas said.

“He was a very good mentor,” Garrison said of Rolseth who hired him as a young pharmacist in 1972. “He always put the patient first.”

As a young man not far removed from college, Garrison said he learned much from his boss and eventual business partner. It was not uncommon for Rolseth to make a pharmacy delivery in the middle of the night and even on Christmas, Garrison said.

“These are very good lessons to learn,” Garrison said of how a busi-ness is run.

Haas was fresh from high school graduation here in 1972 when he walked into the store one day look-ing for a summer job. “I started sweeping floors in 1972,” Haas said.

Perhaps Rolseth had a keen eye for young people interested in the profession, or perhaps he just had a soft heart, the two men agreed.

“He [Rolseth] would do anything for anybody,” Haas said of Rolseth. “He didn’t have to give me a job. He didn’t really need anyone.”

It was much the same for Garri-son and his start in Forest Lake. A native of Edina, Garrison had gradu-ated from the University of Minne-sota College of Pharmacy and was working at Northway Drug in Circle Pines, but wanted something more permanent.

“I needed a job,” Garrison re-called. “I drove through Forest Lake. Saw Rolseth Drug and walked in. A week later I had a job.”

Stayed for GoodIt was a fast transition for Gar-

rison and Haas followed a similar path.

Four years after starting with Rolseth, Garrison was given the

chance to buy in. “I wanted to own a busi-ness,” he said, adding that he learned early in his employment that Rolseth would be a willing seller.

Three years after adding Garrison as a partner, Rolseth be-came a silent partner

as Garrison made plans to open Wyoming Drug. “He [Rolseth] sug-gested we look at Wyoming as an expansion place,” Garrison said.

After getting his feet wet in the summer of 1972 at the store, Haas became convinced that the profes-sion was one he would like. Five years later he earned his degree from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy.

Like Garrison before him, Haas found part-time work at the Circle Pines store and pulled some shifts at the Forest Lake store, as well.

By 1981, with Garrison spending more time in Wyoming, Haas was brought on to run the Forest Lake store. “I never felt I had a home [un-til that point],” Haas said. “I always wanted to work where I lived.”

Coming home also led to a busi-

ness ownership opportunity for Haas. From his early days at the store, Haas and Garrison had be-come friends. In 1995, he joined Gar-rison and Jim’s brother, Bill, in the purchase of Gordy’s Pharmacy in Center City.

Haas continues to hold the lead role in Forest Lake. “He’s a great boss,” Haas says of Garrison. “He lets me run the show. We each do our own thing.”

Garrison couldn’t be happier with the by chance drive through Forest Lake in 1972 and his meeting with Rolseth.

He has continued to see growth in the business. Along with the Wyo-ming and Center City operations, Garrison in 1995 purchased a store in Lindstrom that today operates as Lindstrom Thrifty White.

It has become a family business for the Garrisons. His wife, Karen, is manager at Wyoming where Gar-rison handles regular pharmacy du-ties. Their son and daughter have also joined the business.

Matt Garrison followed his fa-ther through the University of Min-nesota program and is the full-time pharmacist in Lindstrom. Roxanne Garrison Patterson is managing the Lindstrom store.

Rolseth Drug team carries on tradition of business founder

Mobility see page 14A

Rolseth see page 14A

Photo by Cliff BuchanPharmacists Tom Haas, left, and Jim Garrison have been together at Rolseth Drug since 1972. Garrison was a staff pharmacist that year when Haas started work at the store following high school graduation here.

Rolseth

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Berneck-owned center opened

last fall


A new child care facility is up and running in Wyo-ming.

Inspiring Minds Child Care Center, 26263 Forest Blvd., opened on Sept. 13, 2010 in the CU Recovery Building. The center is

owned by Melanie Berneck, who owns the American Family Insurance Agency, located next door in the CU Recovery building (Wyo-ming Business Center).

Becky LeMire is direc-tor of the facility. Lynn LaCasse serves as toddler teacher. Melissa Marr re-cently joined the staff as pre-school teacher.

Inspiring Minds Child Care Center is operating in 3000 square feet of space and is licensed for 35 chil-dren. The center is serving

youngsters ages six weeks to pre-kindergarten.

The center’s pre-school program is designed for children ages 3-5. The pro-gram utilizes Spanish and American Sign Language as teaching components.

The center is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

In opening the facility, Berneck said the strategic location in Wyoming is per-fectly suited for the many area residents living north and east of Wyoming who

make the drive each day on their way to work. Offering a convenient location and a well-run child care facil-ity have been big pluses for the center, now in its sev-enth month of operation.

The new business cel-ebrated its grand opening last fall.

With her two business ventures in Wyoming, Ber-neck is also active in the community and is a leader in the Wyoming Area Busi-ness Association.

Inspiring Minds Child Care Center serving families in Wyoming area

Photo by Cliff BuchanMelanie Berneck, right, and Becky LeMire are the central figures in the operation of Inspiring Minds Child Care Center in the Wyoming Business Center.


For the eighth year in a row, Mattson Funeral Home & Cremation Service in For-est Lake has been recog-nized with a national award. Last October, the Forest Lake funeral home was named as a winner of the 2010 Pursuit of Excellence Award by the National Fu-neral Directors Association.

The award was presented to owners Paul and Susan Hutchison during the Inter-national Convention & Expo in New Orleans, LA.

Only 166 firms from around the world received this designation. The award places Mattson Funeral Home among an elite group of funeral service profes-sionals.

To achieve the Pursuit of Excellence Award, NFDA-member funeral homes must evaluate components of their business against

standards set forth by the program and demonstrate proficiency in key areas of the funeral service profes-sion. Participants are re-quired to fulfill criteria in six categories of achievement that demonstrate commit-ment by the business to the profession.

“Mattson Funeral Home & Cremation Service’s vol-untary participation in the Pursuit of Excellence pro-gram reflects a clear de-termination to exceed the expectations of those they serve,” said NFDA Chief Executive Officer Christine Pepper.

NFDA is the world’s larg-est funeral service associa-tion, serving 18,500 individ-ual members who represent more than 9900 funeral homes in the United States and internationally. The NFDA has its headquarters in Brookfield, WI.

Mattson Funeral Home in FL wins national Pursuit of Excellence Award for 8th year

He earns ‘Super Lawyer’ honor;

she is a ‘Rising Star’


Two lawyers with af-filiations to a Forest Lake law firm have claimed top honors in their profes-sion.

Jim Balmer was named Super Lawyer and Stepha-nie Balmer was selected as a Rising Star by the Minnesota Journal of Law & Politics for 2011.

Both father and daugh-ter work at the law firm of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson, Quinn & Beyer. The For-est Lake office is located in the downtown busi-ness district at Suite 301, Town Square Building, 20 N. Lake St.

The Super Lawyer des-ignation is awarded to at-torneys who stand out in their area of concentra-tion.

Rising Star is an hon-or given to lawyers who have been in practice for less than 10 years, or are under the age of 40, and deemed worthy of special recognition by the Min-nesota Journal of Law & Politics.

The latter is given to only 6 percent of attor-neys who meet the crite-ria.

Jim Balmer is certified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Attorneys and the Minnesota State Bar As-sociation. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocacy.

He has been selected as a Minnesota Super Law-yer in the area of personal injury every year since

1998, and is also listed in Best Lawyers in America.

For Stephanie Balmer, an associate attorney at the firm, this is the fifth year in a row that she has been honored as a Rising Star. She specializes in workers’ compensation, personal injury, employ-ment, and social security law, and has been admit-

ted to the bar in both Wis-consin and Minnesota.

In 1975 Jim Balmer co-founded the law firm pres-ently known as Falsani, Balmer, Peterson, Quinn & Beyer. Today, the firm enjoys an extensive prac-tice in personal injury, workers’ compensation, family and criminal law.

Professional honors for local attorneys Jim Balmer, Stephanie Balmer

Jim Balmer Stephanie Balmer

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Legislation would kick off massive

expansion at Columbus park


Minnesota lawmakers last week heard legisla-tion that proposes to add video slot machines at Running Aces Harness Park and Canterbury Park. The so-called “raci-no” idea has been floated for nearly a decade as one way to bring extra money into the state’s coffers. The most common esti-mate has the state’s an-nual take in revenue at $100 million, but Running Aces board member John Derus thinks it could be closer to $200 million.

Considering the state’s multi-billion-dollar deficit, officials at the Columbus track are crossing their fingers that the time for Minnesota racinos has fi-nally arrived.

“We’ve never had a better opportunity, and if we’re successful – and I think we will be – [we] will have another 500 peo-ple working out there and almost double the space,” Derus said.

The park would act swiftly if the bill is passed. According to Running Aces general manager Bob Farinella, a significant ex-

pansion would commence to accommodate an esti-mated 2,000 machines. He figures traffic to the facil-ity could triple, and that the staff would double to about 1,000.

“There is a tremen-dous echo effect in the economy with this sort of thing,” said Derus, who heads up the park’s pro-racino campaign, Min-nesota’s Budget Jackpot. “We have a lot of unem-ployment in our area and this is property tax relief, because when we’re pay-ing more our citizens are paying less. It’s good in so many ways.”

Tough Track for BillRunning Aces feels the

racino push has the back-ing of the people, both locally and state-wide. According to Derus, five local groups have voted to lend their support: the city of Columbus, the North Metro Chamber, the Forest Lake Chamber, Anoka County United and the North Metro Mayors Association.

Local legislators, how-ever, remain cool on the idea. The main argument against racinos is two-fold. First, the changed law would eliminate the exclusivity when it comes to slots at tribal casinos. Secondly, some see the move as an expansion of gambling which will lead to a host of social con-cerns for the nearby com-

munities.Running Aces feels that

racinos would not take the existing business away from tribal casinos. As far as adding to the gaming options at the park here, Derus said, “That genie is out of the bottle. All we’re talking about here is add-ing a different game to the ones we already have. We have horse racing, we have parimutuel betting, we have simulcast bet-ting and we have card bet-ting. This would add ma-chines. So we’re already there.”

With one hand busy with those opposed to racinos, Running Aces is also reaching out its other to Canterbury Park. The Shakopee track had a hand in the bill be-ing considered, while one Running Aces worked on has yet to be introduced. Running Aces has several

issues with the current proposal. Derus said it is unfair in that it calls for a distribution of pooled winnings where Canter-bury horsemen would take home 90 percent.

“There’s no reason in the world money should flow from Running Aces to Canterbury,” Derus said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Running Aces also feels that the tracks should continue to be regulated solely by the racing com-mission and not also by the Minnesota State Lot-tery.

Continued GrowthEven without slots, the

park had a profitable year in 2010, according to Fari-nella, who helped bring the nation’s first racino to

Iowa in 1995.“We have turned the

corner on our ability to generate a profit,” he said. “We’re certainly not at our target goal yet that we anticipated when we opened in 2008 but we’re making very good prog-ress and the ownership is very happy with the prog-ress we’re making.”

Coinciding with the in-stallation of a giant digital sign on the edge of the park’s property facing I-35, Farinella said busi-ness increased in the card room, and revenues from food and beverage sales and private functions were up.

The wagering handle from live horse races re-mained steady from 2009, which Farinella deemed a success given the econ-

omy. The park took a big step in the wagering department as it began simulcasting its races to other venues. There was once again far more stall applications received than the 300 or so spots the track offers at its stables and rents at local farms.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday will remain as race days for the park’s fourth season, which runs from May 31-Aug. 27. The post time is 7 p.m. for each night. Ad-mission is free.

“We anticipate a good turnout of horses again this year and continued growth in the excitement of the race program,” Fari-nella said.

Running Aces bets on racino chances

Photos submittedRunning Aces Harness Park is preparing for its fourth season of horse racing. The season kicks off at the Columbus track on Memorial Day and runs through Aug. 27. Park administrators are going all in to sup-port racino legislation. If approved, the facility would quickly follow with a significant building expansion and hire around 500 new employees. It already boasts a payroll of $17 million.

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Rapid Press Printing and Copy Center, Inc. has been a fixture in Forest Lake for over 20 years. The business is growing by leaps and bounds.

“Business has been very good in 2009 and 2010.” says owner Stev Stegner. “We have contin-ued to grow in this econ-omy.”

Stegner says the growth is attributed to the company’s continual investment in technology and staff. As technology in the printing industry seems to leap forward every year, Rapid Press Printing has taken some risk by investing in the newer technology before their competitors. Hav-ing the newest technol-ogy allows Rapid Press to run printing jobs more ef-ficiently and reduce costs which are passed along to its customers.

Rapid Press Printing

and Copy Center opened an office in downtown North Branch in 2010 and opened in Pine City ear-lier this year.

“We have found that going head to head with our competition has been a very effective market-ing strategy,” Stegner commented. “We bought out one of our competi-tors in North Branch which helped us grow quickly.” The Pine City lo-cation was a natural pro-gression as Rapid Press expands north, he said.

All the locations have

the same core capabili-ties. It is important for our customers to get the same great service, pric-es and print quality at each of the Rapid Press Locations. All employees move between the three locations to keep their attitudes fresh and main-tain production consis-tency.

“The main advantage for our customers is our ability to negotiate prices with our vendors,” Stegn-er said. “We have reduced some of our expenses by as much as 25 percent be-cause of our size and vol-ume, and we gladly pass some of these savings on to our customers.”

Claressa Gorman leads the North Branch team. She has 10 years at Rapid Press Printing and does all the marketing for the North Branch location. Angela Filler has rejoined the Rapid Press team and leads up the Pine City lo-cation.

Rapid Press is still in a growth mode. They are still looking to fill two full time positions.

“Many of our cus-tomers are telling us that business has really picked up in the past few months. It looks like the economy is turning around,” Stegner noted.

Rapid Press partners with their customers to find the most cost ef-fective print solutions. There is more to being a good printer than putting ink on paper.

“If it was just hitting a button marked “PRINT” then I could hire a trained chimpanzee, we hire the most qualified staff and focus on customer ser-vice,” Stegner said.

Being a good corpo-rate citizen is important to the owner. Rapid Press prides itself in being en-vironmentally friendly, they recycle 93 percent of all the waste by weight produced at the shop. Giving back to the com-munity is important, Rapid Press donates to countless events and fund raisers in the com-munities they serve.

Mr. Large $5 Pizza & Wings to offer more choices

rapid press printing of FLexpands to the north

Alumni Garden will

commemorate 50th anniversary


After educating thou-sands of pupils, 2011 marks the 50th group of students to walk the halls of St. Peter’s Catho-lic School in Forest Lake.

There is a lot of excite-ment as the time for an anniversary celebration, planned for Aug. 6-7, nears.

“We’ve been trying to weave it into the school year,” said Principal Ann Laird.

One such example is Paula Cameron’s third grade classroom. She asked her boys and girls to create a piece of artwork in the style of Salvador Dali to com-memorate the Catholic

school’s milestone. Cameron has been

teaching at St. Peter’s since 1978 – the longest of any staff member. A product of the public ed-ucation system, she has only instructed at one other private school.

“I wanted to incorpo-rate my faith with teach-ing,” Cameron said.

Besides the physical changes to the building, as well as the addition of a playground, she noted there have been advanc-es over the last half a century such as SMART Boards.

A Piece of HistoryTo memorialize and

commemorate the 50th anniversary of St. Pe-ter’s, an Alumni Gar-den will be created this spring and summer. It will be located on both sides of the south school entrance.

The garden will in-clude a variety of plants

and flowers, in addi-tion to a path lined with 4-inch by 8-inch en-graved pavers which are available to all alumni, family and friends. Dur-ing the celebration, there will be a blessing and presentation of the out-door space. The pavers cost $40 each.

Early DaysIn September of 1961,

the Sisters of Notre Dame and the St. Peter’s com-munity began a joint ven-ture to educate the area youth. Initially serving 162 children in Grades 2-6, the school now has 320 students in Grades pre-K through 6th.

“It was definitely a community effort to build this school,” Laird said.

To celebrate the mile-stone, she noted the school plans to build an old-fashioned float for Forest Lake’s annual Fourth of July parade.

St. Peter’s Catholic School to celebratea milestone this year

Photo by Jennifer LarsonThird grader Andrew Schumacher created this artwork – based in the style of Salvador Dali – in honor of the 50th anniversary of St. Peter’s Catholic School in Forest Lake. He is pictured with his mom, JoLynn who is a pre-K teacher at the school.

Photo by Jennifer LarsonSince opening in January 2011, the recipe at Mr. Large $5 Pizza & Wings has repeat cus-tomers coming back to the Forest Lake eatery. “We have good pizzas for $5,” says Mike Tel, pictured with wife Buthayna, of a 1-topping. But for $8 get any large, specialty pizza with your choice of crust. And getting rave re-views is something Tel is pleased with, espe-cially when their sauce is made from scratch. “There’s a lot of competition with pizza in For-est Lake,” he said. The menu at Mr. Large $5 Pizza & Wings, 1507 S. Lake St., also includes a Mediterranean flare with a gyro sandwich and Greek salad. And this month, Tel noted they will be adding 10 more unique pizzas which are top secret until then.

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Radiant Tan is new name for business

on TH-97


As a local couple with a business in Forest Lake, why stay connected to a national franchise? That’s what Liz and Lee DeBeau concluded last spring when they hung a new sign on their store front.

They are the owners of Radiant Tan, Suite 4A in the Schilling Plaza, 255 Highway 97. In May of last year they ended their national franchise agreement with Planet Beach and went indepen-dent with a new name but much the same operation.

“It’s a better situation for us,” Liz DeBeau said. “We wanted independence and more freedom.”

The name change is the only major change in the Radiant Tan operation, said Liz DeBeau who man-ages the business with her daughter, Paige DeBeau. “We still have the same great services and the same great staff,” Liz De-Beau added.

As an independent tanning and spa salon, Radiant Tan is better po-sitioned to offer more spe-cials and product lines not previously available, the management team said.

The move to indepen-dent status came in the fourth of year of business for the DeBeaus. The sa-lon opened on July 1, 2006

and made the switch offi-cial on May 1, 2010.

In addition to the De-Beaus, the spa and tan-ning salon is staffed by three other employees: Miranda Clemens, Cayla Oswald and Emma Hase-man.

Radiant Tan is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 to 7 on Friday, 9 to 6 on Satur-day and 10 to 6 on Sunday. Sunday is a big spa day as Radiant Ran has Spa Sun-day which gives clients a triple treat of a 20 minute aqua massage, a hydra-tion system treatment and a tanning session. The Spa Sunday one-hour package comes with a special Sun-day rate, too.

Radiant Tan continues to offer four stations in

the spa area which in-cludes the hydration sys-tem offering a steam bath and aroma therapy, the stand-up Mystic Tan sta-tion to provide spray-on

tan, and the aqua massage unit to provide a full body massage for fully clothed guests.

The salon also contin-ues to have eight UV tan-

ning beds, two of which are stand-up units. The tanning beds offered by Radiant Tan provide a wide range of tanning ser-vices.

Forest Lake tanning, spa center goes independent

Beth Marolt, Lori Anafarta


Two licensed family therapists have teamed to lease office space in For-est Lake for counseling practices.

Lori Anafarta, a li-censed associate marriage and family therapist, is in charge of Beyond Diagno-sis Counseling. Beth Ma-rolt, also a licensed asso-ciate marriage and family therapist, directs Healing

Through Change.The two area women —

Marolt is from Lino Lakes and Anafarta is from For-est Lake — opened their family practices in June of 2010 at 344 SW 1st Ave., directly south of US Bank.

The Forest Lake office is the primary location for the two practices, but a satellite office is available in Woodbury/St. Paul. The two are seeing clients in Forest Lake on a regular 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekday schedule, but are avail-able for evening family ap-pointments.

Anafarta and Marolt

joined the family counsel-ing profession after rais-ing families and moving on to new career fields and interests in life.

The two met during a graduate program at St. Mary’s University of Min-nesota in Minneapolis where they were pursuing master’s degrees in mar-riage and family therapy. Both earned undergradu-ate degrees with back-grounds in business and psychology before putting careers aside for family raising.

With their two respec-tive practices, they are

drawing from challenging life experiences as they deal with clients. Marolt and Anafarta decided to open an office in Forest Lake as it is a growing community and they saw the need for expanded mental health services in the area. The two are ex-cited about the growth of their Forest Lake location and are looking forward to expanding services to meet a variety of needs in the area.

Beyond Diagnosis Counseling and Healing Through Change offer counseling for individuals, couples, children and fam-ilies. Crisis counseling is another service available through both practices.

While they are indepen-dent practices, the two professionals will share their skills. The two will lead group discussions on a variety of family therapy topics that are offered in the evening to accommo-date individuals and fami-lies.

After opening last sum-mer, the two practices celebrated their opening with an open house this past October.

More information can be found online at: www.BeyondDiagnosisCounsel-ing.com and www.heal-ingthroughchangecoun-seling.com.

2 family therapists open FL practices in June of 2010

Photo by Cliff BuchanBeth Marolt, right, and Lori Anafarta are the heads of Healing Through Change and Beyond Diagnosis Counseling that opened at 344 SW 1st Avenue last June.

Photo by Cliff BuchanLiz and Paige DeBeau, the mother-daughter team that manages Radiant Tan, are pictured in front of the shop’s display of tanning products. The business opened on July 6, 2006 under the Planet Beach franchise tag.

Terry Sager the owner since 2009


A home well suited for his business. That’s how Terry Sager describes the new location for Stone Cel-lar Wine and Spirits.

On March 31, Sager re-located the bottle shop to a 3300 square foot bay at 838 S. Lake St. in the Lake Shoppes, next door to Treasure Trove. The Sager-owned business was previously located a block north at 708 S. Lake St.

After buying the liquor store in 2009, Sager said he concluded that the 5000 square feet of space in the leased facility was far more than he needed to operate the store under his business plan.

“This will really help us

in that area,” he said of the inventory plan that he will have at the new location. “I’m excited about the new location.”

Sager and his two em-ployees began the move the last weekend of March and the store was ready for business on March 31.

Sager has been in the food and liquor business since 1990. After some early work at the Tin Cup in St. Paul, Sager was in-volved in the ownership of Sager’s Liquors in Hugo and Centerville for a num-ber of years.

He owned and operated Kelly’s Bar in Centerville until 2009 when he pur-chased Stone Cellar Wine and Spirits.

Photo by Cliff BuchanMicro brewery beer prod-ucts remain a good seller at Stone Cellar Wine and Spirits in Forest Lake.

Stone Cellar Wine and Spirits finds new home at the Lake Shoppes in Forest Lake

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Osceola Medical Center pleased with reception

When the new Scandia Medical Clinic opened last fall in the Hawkinson Busi-ness Park, its leaders knew there was enthusiasm for it in the community.

What wasn’t expected was just how great that reception wound end up be-ing. Now they know.

“We were really impressed with the enthusiasm we saw for this clinic when we talked to city and community lead-ers a couple of years ago,” according to Jeff Meyer, chief executive officer of the Wisconsin-based Osceola Medical Center.

“Even now, the enthusiasm hasn’t let up.”

After time spent planning and a de-lay during the initial economic down-turn, the clinic opened to rave reviews last November. Its open house – falling on the coldest day of the fall at the time – still drew scores of well wishers, in-cluding representatives and rigs from Scandia Fire and Rescue and the Marine Ambulance Service.

“Objectively,” said Rob Dybvig, MD, medical director at OMC, “the clinic has exceeded its projections, but in reality, we’ve been so well received that in six short months, we’ve already grown to the point of adding a third physician.

“We are very happy to be here and are enjoying the chance of becoming part of the Scandia community,” Dybvig said.

About the ClinicThe clinic, which opened just before

Thanksgiving with two physicians at 21150 Ozark Court N., offers complete family medicine, basic lab services and X-ray procedures.

“Our intent is to provide high qual-ity, home-town medical care and ac-cess to specialty services nearby such as orthopedics, cardiology, pulmonary and ophthalmology to the families in the Scandia and surrounding communi-ties,” according to Linda Moore, direc-tor of clinic services at OMC.

Drs. Greg Mattson and Bonnie Rohr started with the clinic last fall; Mattson, MD, is Scandia’s full-time physician and Rohr, MD, is at the Scandia location one day a week. (Rohr also has clinic hours

in Osceola.)Both family

medicine physi-cians will also see hospital pa-tients at OMC.

Coming on board in April is

Kevin Nepsund, MD, a well-known fam-ily physician in the area who is return-ing to OMC to practice in Scandia.

Scandia clinic is located behind the post office, next to Salon Belleza. It’s part of OMC, a Level IV trauma center in Osceola, WI.

Just two years ago, the 79-year-old medical center itself moved into a new facility to meet growth needs from throughout the area. Now comes expan-sion west into Minnesota and Scandia

“The Scandia Clinic is a natural fit into a community looking for the kinds of services we can provide,” Meyer said.

“Our home-town approach to medi-cal care and the warm reception we’ve received makes this a perfect fit.”

Photos SubmittedBefore and after views of the new office space in the Hawkinson Business Park for the Scandia Medical Clinic which is part of the Osceola Medical Center, Osceola, WI. Two doctors on staff now with a third coming in April.

Scandia Medical Clinic greeted with open arms

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progress

Photo by Cliff BuchanWide shopping aisles in the grocery have been well received by shoppers who enjoy the products in the new Walmart market area.

FL store expands by 53,000 sq. ft.,

adds 130 jobs


More products. More services. More jobs.

All have resulted from the expansion project at Walmart in Forest Lake that was completed last August. It took three years of planning and 14 months of construction, but when the store un-veiled its new format last August, it had been ex-panded by 54,000 square feet. It was also an expan-sion that required 130 new employees, pushing the store’s total labor force to just under 450 as-sociates.

The expanded Walmart now covers more than 183,000 square feet of space.

Walmart in Forest Lake now features a full line of groceries.

The expanded store has a complete bakery and dairy, frozen foods, meat department, pro-duce department and an in-house deli. An organic food line is also featured.

The grocery is housed in new space constructed on the north end of the building at 200 SW 12th St.

2010 a Big YearThe expansion was

finished last year as Walmart celebrated its 15th anniversary in For-est Lake.

Along with the grocery expansion, the project last year included an in-

terior refurbishing and redesign that provide new space and remod-eled store locations for the photo lab, electron-ics, pharmacy, health and beauty, optical, customer service center and the garden center.

A new location for the in-store Subway shop was also provided.

With more space avail-able, inventory expan-sions also followed for the store’s merchandise lines.

The store now features three major entrance points on the east side of the building with the main entry to the market area on the north end. Expanded parking with a redesigned driveway from SW 12th Street also followed with the 2010 project.

Duane Nelson, the man who opened the store in 1995, continues as man-ager. He is one of 25 em-ployees who have been with Walmart here since the store opened.

The store celebrated its grand opening on Aug. 18, 2010.

As part of the event, the Walmart Foundation presented $8500 in grants to charitable organiza-tions in Forest Lake.

That is in keeping with the Walmart commitment to the community, Nelson said.

Through the Walmart Foundation, the store each year donates more than $30,000 to area char-itable organizations that serve needs in the com-munity.

2010 was a big year for Walmart expansion in FL

Pet food store now next to Keys Cafe

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet—Minnesota-based pet food and sup-ply retailer—has a new home in Forest Lake at 1960 W. Broadway Ave. in the Broadway West Retail Center.

Even though the move was short, the new loca-tion enhances the For-est Lake Chuck & Don’s customer shopping ex-perience, offering bet-ter visibility and access while providing the same exceptional customer ex-perience Forest Lake resi-dents have received in the past.

“Forest Lake store man-ager Dianne Huntington and her knowledgeable staff are eager to serve both new and returning customers at the new

location,” says Chuck & Don’s founder Chuck An-derson.

Chuck & Don’s advo-cates responsible pet ownership and commits to its mission of enriching the lives of pets by pro-viding the best products, services and education for its customers. In 2010, Chuck & Don’s facilitated the donation of more than $160,000 to animal-related causes, making a positive difference in the communities in which it operates—including the Forest Lake community where it hosts adoption events and provides fun and informative events on a regular basis.

Store EventsUpcoming Forest Lake

events include:•Saturday, April 9, 11

a.m. – 5 p.m. Animal com-municating session with nationally-known animal communicator Teri Ann Lapsey. Appointments re-quired.

•Saturday, April 16, 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Pug meet and greet with the Midwest Pug Rescue where pet lovers can learn all about pugs and obtain adoption information.

•Thursday, May 19 through Sunday, May 22, Chuck & Don’s will be hosting a four-day 21st anniversary celebration

and everyone is invited in for the festivities!

Forest Lake Chuck & Don’s is at the forefront of pet supply retailers offer-ing brand name, specialty, and hard-to-find pet foods and supplies for dogs, cats, small animals, birds, reptiles, and aquatic crea-tures. A unique shopping experience awaits For-est Lake customers and leashed pets alike with knowledgeable staff, ex-tensive offerings, exclu-sive lines, locally spon-sored events and clinics, and a variety of ways to save at all locations. For-est Lake customers can sign up for a free “Friends of Chuck®” rewards pro-gram which includes the quarterly Barkin’ Mews® newsletter (packed full of coupons), a rebate on purchases from the past quarter and many addi-tional benefits.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet was founded by Charles “Chuck” An-derson and Don Tauer who met through their involvement in owning, training and showing Ger-man shepherds, golden retrievers, schipperkes, border collies and mixed breeds.

The first location opened in Eagan, in 1990 with the mission to be the local destination pet supply store with excel-lent customer service and a wide selection of products. There are now 15 locations in the metro and outlying areas of the Twin Cities in Minnesota and one location in Den-ver, CO with three more stores set to open before the end of the year.

For more information about Chuck & Don’s vis-it http://chuckanddons.com/

Chuck & Don’s moves west of I-35 in FL

Photo SubmittedA peek inside at the new Chuck & Don’s location next door to Keys Cafe west of I-35 in Forest Lake.

123 Years

Faith LutheranChurch

faithfl.org886 North Shore Drive

Forest Lake

651-464-3323

109 Years

Landmark Insurance

232 South Lake St.Forest Lake

651-464-3332

108 YearsECM Publishers, Inc.

18 years in Forest Lake Publishing, Printing,

Distributing

Forest Lake Timesforestlaketimes.comSt. Croix Valley Peach

57 years Forest Lake

ECM Post Review136 years North Branch

880 SW 15th St.Forest Lake

651-464-4601

106 Years

St. Peter’s Catholic Church

stpeterfl.org1250 South Shore Dr.

Forest Lake

651-982-2200

97 Years

First State Bank of

Wyoming

26741 Felton Ave.Wyoming

651-462-7611

these area businesses have provided you with 3,007+ years of sales & service

DOWN THR0UGH THE YEARS

66 Years

Forest Lake VFWPost 4210

www.vfwpost4210.com

556 SW 12th St.Forest Lake

651-464-6827

61 YearsForest Lake

Area Athletic

Association(FLAAA)

“Supporting Youth” 5530 206th St. N.

Forest LakeFLAAA.org

651-982-2857

57 Years

Olson’s Sewer Service &

Olson Excavating Service

17638 Lyons St.Forest Lake

651-464-2082

56 Years(in franchise)

32 years Forest Lake

Carbone’sPizza

Lake ShoppesForest Lake

651-464-7570

55 Years

Dan’s Towing

75 SW 5th Ave.Forest Lake

651-464-5551

49 Years

SunriseFiberglass

Corp.

5175 260th St. SW.Wyoming

651-462-5313

47 Years

Birchwood HealthCare Center, Inc.

birchwoodseniorliving.com604 NE 1st St.Forest Lake

651-464-5600

47 Years

ForestLake

Sanitation

Forest Lake

651-464-2321

46 Years

Walker Plumbing Company,

Inc.24049 Irish Ave.

Forest Lake

651-462-5534

48 Years

Gold Dusters Jewelry

608 South Lake Street Forest Lake

651-464-4442

37 Years

Thomco Carpet, Inc.

www.ThomcoCarpet.com

968 South Lake St. Forest Lake

651-464-2405

37 Years

Waldoch Crafts &CustomCenter

13821 Lake Drive Forest Lake

651-464-3215

36 Years

Forest Lake

Travel

20 North Lake St. Town Square Forest Lake

651-464-5092

36 Years

Tired Iron Collision

Center

21438 Forest Blvd. N. Forest Lake

651-464-4540

35 Years23 years in Forest Lake

Lakes Transmission

Service

43 SW 6th St. Forest Lake

651-464-8285

32 Years

Wyoming Drug

26710 Forest Blvd.

Wyoming

651-462-2082

31 Years

Forest Lake Dental Lab,

Inc.

255 Hwy. 97, Suite 8B Forest Lake

651-464-7207

31 Years

Lakes Dental Clinic

Dr. Stensrud • Dr. Goodein Dr. Ruther • Dr. Pink

lakesdentalclinic.com956 West Broadway (Across from Perkins)

Forest Lake

651-464-7277

31 Years

Waldoch Sports

www.WaldochSports.com

13824 Lake Drive

Columbus

651-464-5776

27 Years19 years in Forest Lake

Abra Auto Body

& Glassabraauto.com

238 19th St. S.W. Forest Lake

651-464-3979

26 Years

Perkins

1155 West Broadway

Forest Lake

651-464-3270

25 Years

Wine & Roses

Liquors, Inc.“Where Your Party Begins”

1107 South Lake St.

Forest Lake

651-464-7130

25 Years

Forest Lake Motor Sports

I-35 & Hwy 97 Forest Lake

651-464-3135

31 Years

Wyoming Family Dental

Dr. Scott TimmonsDr. Chad Rasmussen

5023 E., Viking Blvd. Wyoming

651-462-5150

24 Years

Affordable Muffler


651-464-1860

A – Thursday, April 7, 2011 – Forest Lake Times www.forestlaketimes.com Thursday, April 7, 2011 – Forest Lake Times – Page 9A



97 Years

First Service Agency

26357 Forest Blvd(Hwy. 61)Wyoming

651-462-4712

92 YearsSecurity State

Bank of Marine on St. Croix/Scandia

Chisago Lakes Forest Lake

Member FDIC

651-433-2424 651-433-2265 651-257-4141 651-464-1033

89 Years

Reub’s Tire Shop

308 North Lake St.Forest Lake

651-464-2245

84 Years

Forest Lake Chiropractic

Clinic P.A.Dr. David J. Lewis

591 North Shore Dr.Forest Lake

651-464-2133

55 Years

Holiday Station- Stores

5 Convenient Locations

Forest Lake

651-464-2673

55 Years

Carousel Hair Care

We care enough to do our best

633 South Lake St.Forest Lake

651-464-3331

52 Years

LakesGas Co.

lakesgas.com655 South Lake St.

Forest Lake

651-464-3345

50 Years

St. Peter’s Catholic

Elementary School

1250 South Shore Dr.Forest Lake

651-982-2215

50 Years

RolsethDrug


651-464-2114

46 Years

Anderson Masonry,

Inc.7349 North Shore Trail

Forest Lake Carroll

651-464-7741Andy

651-466-0229

40 Years

Stewie’sSubmarineSandwiches

Same Great Subs

804 South Lake St Forest Lake

651-464-5889

38 Years

Chris Sauro Insurance

Agency

5305 E. Viking Bldg. Wyoming

651-462-1212

37 Years

Dr. Leo C. Sinna D.D.S. M.S.D.

Specialist in Orthodontics

sinnagroup.com1068 South Lake St.

Forest Lake

651-464-6988

37 Years

Joe’s Refrigeration & Appliance

Service

55 N.W. 7th St. Forest Lake

651-464-6378

33 Years

South Shore

Veterinary Hospital

380 W. Broadway

Forest Lake

651-464-4210

32 Years

Shadow Creek

Stablesshadowcreekstable.com

6150 202 St. N. Forest Lake

651-464-8270

32 Years

SRC Recycling

Center

6320 E. Viking Blvd. Wyoming

651-462-1099

35 Years

Masquers Theater

PO Box 446 Forest Lake

651-464-5823

30 Years

Music Connection(Musical Instruments

& Sound Systems)

connectwithmusic.com

77 8th Ave. S. W. Forest Lake

651-464-5252

28 Years

Abba Trophy


abbatrophy.com

651-464-8094

27 Years

Buys Chiropractic

Dr. Joel Buys

7661 Lake Drive

Lino Lakes

651-784-4423

28 Years

Forest Lake’s Nandool Kennels

6907 West Broadway Forest Lake

651-464-7040

32 Years

Yellow Bus Children’s & Misses Shoppe


651-464-2112

96 Years

Tolzmann Painting

Quality is a

family tradition

for three generations

Wyoming

651-462-2404

24 Years

Old Log Cabin

9726 Scandia Tr. Forest Lake

651-433-5646

29 Years

Good Plumbing Hot Water Heating

John L. Sullivan

651-464-5572

24 Years

Northwoods Optics

20 North Lake StTown Square Building

Forest Lake

northwoodsoptics.com

651-464-4824

23 Years

Rapid Press


rapidpressprinting.com

651-464-6200651-464-2645

(Fax)

22 Years

PetstylesWhere your pet is one of the family!

petstylesmn.com


651-464-6996

22 Years

Cornerstone Pub & Prime“Our Prime Rib has no equal”

In the Heart of

WyomingHwy, 61

651-462-1211

www.forestlaketimes.com� Thursday,�April�7,�2011�–�Forest�Lake�Times�–�Page�9A

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19 Years

Montzka Legal

ServicesAttorneys at Law

5305 East Viking Blvd.

Suite 201Wyoming

651-462-4200

18 Years15 years Patrick Growe

Edward Jones Investments

Patrick Groweedwardjones.com 255 Hwy 97, Ste 7A

Forest Lake

651-464-0309

17 Years

Village Inn Restaurant

4848 Viking Blvd.

Wyoming

651-462-2669

13 YearsDr. Greg Koch,

Dr. Greg Harvey, Dr. G. Rankin Patet,

Dr. Deb WyniaDentists

1068 South Lake St.Suite 209

Forest Lake

651-464-2248

13 Years

Fairview Lakes

Medical Centerfairview.org

5200 Fairview Blvd. Wyoming

651-982-7000

11 YearsServing area 35 years

Forestland Nurseries

20001 Forest Blvd Forest Lake

651-464-7038

9 Years

CUB Foods

2013 W. Broadway Ave.

Forest Lake

651-982-4511

If you would like to have your business included in

Down Through the Years next year, please contact

Carol or Steve at 651-464-4601

8 Years

Tasty Asia Take Out

26685 Faxton Ave.Wyoming

651-462-1200

8 Years

Carley’s Jelly JarCafé &

Catering59 South Lake Street

Forest Lake

651-464-0791

9 YearsPatriot Bank

Minnesota

pbminn.com19810 Headwaters Blvd. N.

Forest Lake

651-464-0168

4 YearsServing area 15 years

Forestland Landscaping

Inc.

Forest Lake

651-775-6203

3 months

Wilcox Motors

321 19th St. SW Forest Lake

651-236-6377

A

We look forward to the the great changes 2011 will bring to our community and area businesses

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Änyo is Swedish for ‘anew’


Amy Olmsted has owned a few hair salons over her 20 year career as a styl-ist with her latest solo shop located at 14750 Oak Hill Rd., N. in Scandia.

She opened the doors to Änyo Sa-lon – across the street from Elim Lu-theran Church – last May. Nestled in a the small Scandinavian town, the salon takes its name from the Swedish word Änyo which means "anew."

That term could refer to a new sa-lon or look, Olmsted said of the play on words.

“Clients get 1-on-1 attention because

it’s a one chair salon,” Olmsted said.Olmsted and her husband, James,

have lived in Scandia for two years. Af-ter high school, she decided to make hair her chosen field and attended the Aveda Institute, formerly Horst. Olm-sted worked at a Rocco Altobelli’s as a color tech and at Horst as a stylist for the first year.

Wanting more intense education, she went to Vidal Sassoon in Santa Monica, CA, to take an advance cut-ting course. Olmsted loved the experi-ence and the upper hand the training gave her.

Shortly after that she opened her first Aveda salon – ACO – in Mahto-medi. Olmsted owned that shop be-fore selling it to an employee. She then started a new venture, JAPA, in Stillwater and was eventually bought out.

Olmsted has very loyal clients who are traveling for her services. Howev-er, a new base is very pleased to have Olmsted, with her high-end salon, in Scandia.

“They had been driving and are happy to not be anymore,” she said of the locals.

Precision cutting is were Olmsted excels. She does not use hot tools – flat or curling irons – because Olm-sted is of the philosophy that the cut should allow the client ease when re-styling the hair after her shears have been through their locks.

Services she offers is cuts and col-or. Olmsted does not do perms. The shop also carries Aveda products.

Änyo Salon is exclusive in that it’s open Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday by appointment only; no walk-ins.

High-end salon opensits doors in Scandia

Photo by Jennifer LarsonWith 20 years in the field, Amy Olm-sted opened Änyo Salon, 14750 Oak Hill Rd. N., in Scandia last May.

Artisan bread made fresh everyday

Photo by Jennifer LarsonThe amount of products Minnesota Bread Company, 843 W. Broadway Ave., is rising as the Forest Lake business is under new ownership. “We’ve beefed up the retail,” said Shawn Dolan. He purchased the store in December 2010. Pictured with him are Mark St. Sauver and Bob Ro-driguez. “We’re the new owners,” Dolan said. Their handmade artisan bread contains no trans fat, additives or preservatives, lard shortening, sugar, eggs or milk. That’s one reason the product freezes so well, he noted. “Everything is made fresh on site everyday,” Dolan said. Their breads are vegan-friendly and low in sodium. Minnesota Bread Company has a weekly schedule of when certain varieties are made. For more in-formation and store hours, visit www.mnbreadco.com.

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Club gets extensive makeover


If any workout warriors have taken the winter off, they might not recognize Forest Lake’s Anytime Fit-ness when they walk in for their spring tune-up. The club in the Northland Mall got a quarter-million dollar facelift around the turn of the year, complete with new equipment.

The interior features new paint and carpets, and each cardio machine is equipped with a televi-sion.

Even the physical lay-out has been upgraded. A couple offices were knocked out to create more floor space for members, who are now welcomed by an inviting new entryway.

“The reception for the remodeling has been fan-tastic,” said owner Brad Jackomino. “Pretty much universally, people really like the way it turned out.

Another key addition is a computerized, private workout system available around the clock to all members. It offers sev-eral fitness classes which are projected on a big screen in the back class-room.

“Of everything we’ve done, that Fitness on Re-quest has been a home run,” said Jackomino. “People just absolutely love the flexibility of do-ing state-of-the-art class-es whenever they want.”

The 11,000-square-foot facility has more upgrades on the way. A notoriously bumpy park-ing lot will be repaved this spring, and the gym will be the first tenant to get a brand new exterior planned eventually for the whole mall.

Anytime Fitness is lo-cated at 1432 S. Lake St.

Photo by Clint RieseAnytime Fitness has a new look. Owner Brad Jack-omino and employee Tracy Angelo stand in front of a mural which is part of a large interior re-design. The club also has all-new cardio and weight machines.

No time like now at Anytime Fitness

Diner to open for dinner


Imagine the quintessen-tial hometown diner: rea-sonable prices, breakfast classics served at lunch and a loyal crew of regu-lars meeting for a cup of joe at the crack of dawn. In Forest Lake, that role is played by the Jelly Jar Café. Walk in and you are bound to feel as welcomed as any spot in town.

“Technically we open at 6:30, but all our regu-lars are here at quarter to six. We think they have their own key,” joked co-owner Frank Montbriand. “They’re here and the coffee’s made and they’re playing cribbage before we get here.”

Montbriand and Ross Tappe purchased the downtown eatery in No-vember and plan to main-tain its tradition. Their first move, in fact, represents the small-town charm customers appreciate. Re-named after Tappe’s new granddaughter, the restau-rant is officially known as Carly’s Jelly Jar Café and Catering. (Carly’s picture adorns the cash register.)

Customers can still get old favorites such as eggs Benedict and biscuits and gravy at 59 S. Lake St., but the new owners are sprin-kling in a few changes. The Jelly Jar will be open for dinner starting April

26. It will stay open until 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Accordingly, the menu will expand to include heartier entrees such as ribs and pork chops. Dessert options will be added, including a pie display.

Tappe and Montbriand incorporated new lunch options in January. The changes centered around sandwiches and wraps and burgers. All the meat is prepared on site, from ham to roast and corned beef.

“We’ve got the best reu-ben around,” Montbriand said. “If you like reubens, you’ll love ours.”

Montbriand is the head chef and has an extensive cooking background at upscale venues in Minne-apolis.

“Frank makes every-thing from scratch,” Tappe said. “From the pancakes to the sauces to the gravy, everything’s made home-made.”

The Jelly Jar will be open on Easter for the first time on April 24. An expansive buffet will greet holiday diners. The three-station spread will include four meats and offer breakfast and lunch choices. It will cost under $10, in keeping with the owners’ pricing philoso-phy. The pair have a run-ning joke about offering a $4 foot-long sub and a six-hour energy drink.

“We keep prices lower than what they probably should be but we keep

them affordable,” Tappe said.

Boost from SpringTappe and Montbriand

had both left the food business and were work-ing together at a 9-to-5 job in Maple Grove last year when they discovered a common interest in open-ing a deli-type of restau-rant. Tappe heard that the Jelly Jar might be coming up for sale through a for-mer business associate and they came to visit it last fall. The deal came to-gether fast, and the Jelly Jar stayed open continu-ously through the switch.

The change went into effect Nov. 28, and the new owners kept the same staff in place at the 77-seat establishment.

“At first when you have a change, there’s a little

complaining and stuff, but we really haven’t lost anyone,” Tappe said. “And a lot of our customers go south for the winter, and they’re starting to come back to, and that’s easier when you have all the same employees back to greet them.”

With the longer hours of operation ahead, the staff will expand by three to 15. Tappe and Montbri-and know that any restau-rant venture has its risks, but they feel business can only improve as win-ter gives way to warmth and the downtown comes alive.

“We got here in Novem-ber and there was snow on the beach already,” said Tappe. “We haven’t seen Forest Lake thawed out.”

New owners spice up Jelly Jar

Photo by Clint RieseNew owners Frank Montbriand (left) and Ross Tappe relax after a lunch shift with Tracie Janke, who has been with the Jelly Jar since it opened in 2004.

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Many clients of Timeless Ele-ments come to the Med Spa & La-ser Center to renew themselves, which is exactly what the Forest Lake business did when it moved in October 2010.

The relaxing, yet inviting space continues at the new location, 608 S. Lake St. And it wasn’t just a change to the store front.

Timeless Elements Med Spa & Laser Center also doubled in size from 1,300-square feet at its pre-vious site along US-61. According to owner Lesa Thompson-Stegner, it took three months to build out 2,800-square feet.

In addition, the new location gave Timeless Elements more visibility, helping to increase the number of walk-ins the Med Spa & Laser Center sees.

“We were just outgrowing our space,” Thompson-Stegner says of their former space which is now occupied by Forest Lake Embroi-dery.

With the new space came a chance to add four more treat-ment rooms for a total of seven, an opportunity to display the prod-ucts they carry, and hiring a nail technician.

Timeless Elements Med Spa & Laser Center offers non-invasive, non-surgical skin and body treat-ments and anti-aging therapies. Services include: laser hair remov-al, Botox, chemical peels, derma fillers, microdermabrasion, photo facial rejuvenation, fractional re-surfacing, and treatments for acne and scars, as well as age/brown spots. Others are massage ther-apy, waxing, customized facials, medical grade skincare products and makeup. Also offered are medical skin consultations, spa packages, and gift certificates are available.

Spray tan is new to Timeless Elements. Thompson-Stegner said the service is a great alternative for people who want color without the sun damage.

“It’s focusing on a healthy tan,” she said.

The Med Spa & Laser Center is hosting an event on Friday, April 22 which includes a half-priced chemical peel that is medical, not salon, grade.

“They’ll have more dramatic ef-fects,” Thompson-Stegner said.

She noted there are a limited number of appointments available the day of the event. Food and beverages will be served as well. Representatives from Skin Medica and Clarisonic Facial will be on hand to offer consultations and demonstrations to clients.

Thompson-Stegner said it was standing room only when over 250 guests attended the grand open-ing of Timeless Elements at its new location in November 2010. Their old site wasn’t large enough to have that kind of turn out.

“Now we can accommodate more people,” Thompson-Stegner said.

To book an appointment at Timeless Elements Med Spa & La-ser Center, call 651-464-6444. Visit www.TEMedSpa.com for more in-formation about their services.

Timeless Elements doubles itssize with new location on Lake St.

Photo by CM Photographics The staff at Timeless Elements Med Spa & Laser Center are now providing services at a new location, 608 S. Lake St.

Radio Shack moves west of

freeway


A well-established For-est Lake business got a clean look and a new lo-cation in 2010. After a 30-year run in the Northland Mall, Radio Shack can now be found in the Mar-ketPlace Shopping Center on the west side of the freeway.

“I think it’s definitely a really nice location, right between Starbucks and Jimmy Johns,” said store manager Kris Miller. “The parking lot’s always full, so people have to see us here.”

“The Shack” opened at 2009 West Broadway, Suite 800 at the end of last March. The 2,500-square-foot space used to be home to 2nd Wind Exer-cise.

Though the new Radio Shack is about the same size as before, workers are excited to have a storefront out in the open rather than inside a mall.

“Definitely for expo-sure purposes, it’s more open,” Miller said. “It’s a lot brighter. The name on the front of the store and having some windows here definitely draws at-tention.”

Plus, a more efficient layout allows the store to carry deeper prod-uct lines. Video games and consoles are new to the business. It also has doubled its collection to carry the full line of small electrical components. Such components and specialized cables are among products that can-not be found anywhere else in town, Miller said.

Radio Shack is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon-day through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

electronics store enjoys new shack

Photo by Clint RieseRadio Shack had a 30-year run at Northland Mall be-fore moving to the MarketPlace Shopping Center in 2010.

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progressA

pick up your grandma at her assisted living, take the scooter down in the eleva-tor, you put her in the car, put that thing in the trunk in 30 seconds, go meet the family in the park for a picnic and she’s scoot-ing around all day,” said Harris, a longtime Scandia resident. “It happens all the time.”

Seeing such scenes play out is what led the pair to run their own business in the field. Erickson will al-ways remember helping Howard, an elderly man who swore he did not need any assistance until he finally tried out a power-chair. Within minutes, he was playing with his dog outside for the first time in ages.

“Every time I tell it I think to myself, ‘Hey, we just gave this guy his life back,’” Erickson said. “He was really stubborn about it, but realized just in that hour we spent with him that we changed his life.”

The same scenario hap-pens when the two go to assisted living homes and let the residents try out the equipment. Once one person breaks the ice, the rest feel comfortable seek-ing out assistance.

“People feel stigmatized because they need a pow-erchair or wheelchair, but it’s just a mobility aid,” said Harris. “Unless you go to work barefoot, if you got shoes, you’ve got a mobil-ity aid. Unless you walk to work, you’ve got a mobility aid.”

Supply Side in Demand

The other side of Power Chairs and Scooter Store focuses medical supplies. The business has access to nearly any product imagin-able.

“People are happy they don’t have to drive to the Cities to get their medical supplies because we have over 10,000 items we can get at our fingertips within the next day,” Harris said.

Much of the store’s ac-cessory products, such as bath safety equipment or a line of shoes designed spe-cifically for diabetics, cater to the type of customers who need mobility assis-tance. The owners also re-port a number of younger customers who come in after injuries looking for wraps, shower boots or first aid gear.

Erickson and Harris are bullish on the medical sup-ply side of their business, as there is high demand for products that customers need on a monthly basis.

Hitting Full StridePower Chairs and Scoot-

er Store last month passed its certification from Medi-care. That is the main hur-dle for start-up businesses, as Medicare covers most of the sales in the field. With that certification in hand, the staff of four will expand as the store hits full stride.

“It’s a big, big milestone in this business,” said Har-ris. “It’s all we focused on.”

All, that is, besides get-ting their new venture off the ground. They trans-formed the former Family Pathways space into an el-egant store complete with a wood floor and fireplace. The pair leaned on their strengths, as Harris took on the renovations while Erickson handled the pa-perwork required to start the business.

Four months in, both are pleased they took the leap of faith.

“We’ve had our dose of reality from being in busi-ness before and we saw the advantage of having a part-ner and it’s just worked out really well,” Harris said.

With the certification process over, Power Chairs and Scooter Store appears to be in for the long haul. That is good for the com-munity, the owners said, because 10,000 people are

Deep FL HistoryHaas and Garri-

son see no reason to change the format that has made the down-town store successful even with the arrival in the community of oth-er national drug store firms and big box phar-macies.

The store continues to build its stock on quality and personal service from its phar-macy and a variety store operation that includes quality gifts, greeting cards and gen-eral merchandise.

As Rolseth Drug cel-ebrates its 50th anni-versary, Garrison and

Haas salute the store’s even longer history.

Tom Rolseth joined what was Petersen Drug in 1951 after re-turning from World War II duty and earning his college degree. He bought out Richie Pe-tersen 10 years later.

The business actu-ally dates to 1933. Pe-tersen on Jan. 9, 1933 filled his first prescrip-tion written by Dr. G.M. Ruggles of Forest Lake.

The store has ex-isted in two locations. For the early years, the drug store was at 95 N. Lake Street. Garrison moved the business to 107 N. Lake St. in 1987 when the much larger building once used by Hart Drug opened.

Rolseth Drug - team carries on -------Mobility, freedom the focus of new store


No matter where it’s loca-tion will be in the years to come, Lake Area Bank has a long-term commitment to Forest Lake.

“Either way, we’ll be on one side of the road or the other,” said Mark Campbell, president and chief operat-ing officer.

Plans to move from their existing location at 91 S. Lake St. remain on hold after last year’s reconstruction proj-ect. Around four years ago, the bank purchased a parcel on the southwest corner of Lake Street and Broadway Avenue with the intent to construct a new branch.

The bank was the only property impacted by in-

stallation of the downtown roundabout that the city of Forest Lake was unable to settle without legal recourse.

Lake Area’s strip was ac-quired through eminent do-main which allows the city to legally “quick take” for pub-lic purposes. A petition was filed in Washington County District Court to begin the proceedings, and three com-missioners who have no interest in the matter were appointed to hear both sides within one year from April 2010.

Although Campbell has no direct involvement, he said the bank’s shareholders are in negotiations with the city.

“I think we’re getting closer to some resolution,” Campbell said, noting it’s been a friendly process.

Lake Area Bank to stay in Forest Lake long-termprojected to join Medicare

each day for the next 20 years.

Such businesses will be in harder to find, Erickson and Harris added, as gov-ernmental restrictions con-tinue to increase.

“It’s complicated and with the cuts with the gov-ernment and everything there are going to be less and less people that will be doing this, and we’ll be one of them,” Harris said. “We are determined, we’re com-mitted, we’re going to be here for our customers.”

Power Chairs and Scoot-er Store Medical Supply is located in Suite 7B of the Schilling Plaza, 225 High-way 97. It is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and by ap-pointment on Saturday.

from page 1A from page 1A


progress

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Come for the Products, Stay for the Service.

Lindberg says move will help bank keep pace

with city


As a hometown guy with a strong sense of community pride, it didn’t take long for Jim Lindberg to conclude that a reloca-tion for the Scandia office of Security State Bank of Marine was a good thing.

Come early June, the public will serve the re-sults as the bank moved to its space in the Scan-dia Plaza. The bank will move from its current 2000-square-foot office to a new 2500-square foot of-fice that is being added on the east end of the build-ing, now owned by How-ard and Emily Stegner.

It will be a move that speaks positively to Scan-dia the community and the bank as a growing business, added Lindberg, the bank’s chief executive officer who is based at the Scandia office.

“I really like the idea of this building location and its new design,” Lindberg said. “I like the visibility.”

The move will come as the bank approaches the 20th anniversary of open-ing the Scandia office. That came in 1992 and the bank has continued to show positive growth pat-terns, Lindberg said.

“Scandia has been good to us,” Lindberg said. “It’s our commitment to the area.”

With the new and larg-er office, Lindberg says

the bank and its sister operation, Security State Insurance Agency, will be able to provide even bet-ter service to the public.

The bank will have a larger drive-through bank-ing center, a larger vault with more safe deposit boxes and an office design that is better suited to the needs of a community bank, Lindberg adds.

Tami Higgins will con-tinue as office manager for Security State Bank of Ma-rine, Scandia, while Sandy Addyman is the bank’s mortgage loan officer. The bank and insurance agency staff numbers five on a regular basis, but other bank officers also work shifts in Scandia as needed.

Lindberg says the goal of the Security State Bank of Marine is to be a strong supporter of commerce in the communities that it serves. He adds that the bank is pleased to be operating in Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, Forest Lake and Lindstrom.

“Our bank is really ex-cited about what is hap-pening in the locations that we serve,” Lindberg said.

Lindberg says the bank has performed well dur-ing the past two years of a tough economy. He looks at the expansion as a smart move even as the economy continues to re-cover.

When times are slow, he says, it is wise to think about the future and make expansion moves as a way to prepare for the future. “We’ll be ready for it,” Lindberg says.

Photo by Cliff BuchanSecurity State Bank of Marine CEO Jim Lindberg, center is flanked by the Scandia office team of, left to right, Tami Higgins, Mary Ablan, Sandy Addyman, Lynn Sandager and Joann Buse. They are gathered around an artist’s rendering which shows the new look of the Scandia Plaza complex.

Scandia bank will move to new home in Scandia Plaza

David Purdy, president of Wealth Management Midwest, 20 N. Lake St., downtown Forest Lake, was recently recognized in Orlando, FL, as a top financial advisor and named to the LPL Finan-cial Patriot’s Club.

This distinction is based on a ranking of all registered advisors sup-ported by LPL Financial, the nation’s largest inde-pendent broker-dealer, and is awarded to less than six percent of the firm’s more than 12,000 advisors nationwide.

“We congratulate Dave Purdy for achieving this prestigious recognition, which is based on how successful advisors are in growing their businesses by delivering services and solutions to their clients,” said Bill Dwyer, president of National Sales and Mar-keting for LPL Financial.

“We believe members of the Patriot’s Club are among the premier finan-cial advisors in our indus-

try. They serve as trusted resources and counselors for their clients and their communities.”

For more than 23 years, Purdy and Wealth Management Midwest have been providing cli-ents with access to inde-pendent financial plan-ning services, unbiased investment advice and as-set management services.

He has business offices downtown in the Town Square Building.

Dave Purdy

Dave Purdy honored in Orlando as a top financial advisor by LPL Financial

2nd campus now in 3rd year,

growing


Pastor Mike Hasel-tine had a hunch “real church” would take hold in Chisago City.

When Maranatha As-sembly of God Church was asked to step in and help a struggling congregation three years ago, Pastor Haseltine liked the idea.

He had been a youth pas-tor at what was Faith As-sembly for just under two

years in the early 1980s and liked the community and the church.

“We did this before in North Branch,” he said. Maranatha Assembly of God helped launch the Abundant Life Church in North Branch where Pas-tor Mike’s brother, Kevin Haseltine has moved as senior pastor for the now fully independent congre-gation.

When Assembly of God district officials ap-pproached Maranatha to take over the Chisago City

worship facility in 2009, Faith Assembly, which was formed in the mid 1960s, was seeing aver-

age Sunday attendance of 25. That was in August of 2009.

Not yet two years as an official second campus, the Chisago Lakes Cam-pus has made remarkable growth, Pastor Mike said. As spring 2011 unfolds, the church has seen its av-erage Sunday attendance grow to 100 with Sunday School classes seeing many area children.

And the positive note, Pastor Mike says, is that most of those coming to worship at 10963 Lake Blvd. (US-8) in Chisago City, are new church mem-bers. Only a couple of fam-ilies have switched to the Chisago Lakes Campus from the Forest Lake Cam-pus, 24799, Forest Blvd. (US-61), Wyoming.

The church has been built with the same phi-losophy and principles that have made the Forest Lake church successful, said Pastor Mike and Pas-tor Bill Hedley, the lead minister in Chisago City who spent seven years at the Forest Lake Campus as youth pastor.

“That’s what makes the difference,” Pastor Mike says of the growth in Chisago City. “We try to create the same atmo-sphere here. The same philosophy that built the Forest Lake church.”

Pastor Haseltine gives much of the credit to Pas-tor Bill, who like Pastor Mike, is a Forest Lake na-tive who has found his calling with Maranatha. “Pastor Bill is the guy,” the senior pastor said.

They agree that the area residents who are coming to worship in Chisago City are searching

for “real church.”

Many BenefitsThe church leaders

see many benefits from having two locations. The churches operate on their own schedules, but draw on the strengths of both. Both share in staff strengths and resources and members of both lo-cations intermix to work on joint projects.

For the April produc-tion of “Witness Messiah,” about a dozen members of the Chisago Lakes Cam-pus will be featured in the cast.

The expansion is also giving staff members more growth opportunities. Pastor Bill is one example as he is able to take on new responsibilities and a larger leadership role.

“It gives us the oppor-

tunity for others to min-ister,” Pastor Mike says. “This is a wonderful prov-ing ground.”

Both locations offer Wednesday night services at 6:30 p.m. The Forest Lake Campus has Sunday services at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. while the Chisago Lakes Campus has a 10 a.m. Sunday service. A second 8 a.m. service will be offered in Chisago City through Easter.

Many ChangesFor Pastor Mike, the

move to Chisago City is another growth step that has helped the congrega-tion continue to expand its mission.

And it is quite different from December of 1981 when Pastor Mike left his youth duties in Chisago City to join his father,

Doug Haseltine, to start Maranatha.

There were 18 people in attendance when the church had its meeting worship service in Doug’s home in early 1982. Today, at its new and modern facility in Wyoming just north of the Forest Lake border, Sunday worship services welcome 900 people.

The Forest Lake Cam-pus has been expanded once to accommodate the growth and provide classroom space for a new church school. The school is now serving 100 stu-dents in pre-kindergarten classes through grade 4.

The church will cele-brate its 30th anniversary this December.

progressA – Thursday, April 7, 2011 – Forest Lake Times www.forestlaketimes.com

Maranatha’s ‘real church’ takes hold in Chisago City

Photos by Cliff BuchanPastor Bill Hedley at the pulpit of the Chisago Lakes Campus in Chisago City.

Pastor Mike Haseltine and Pastor Bill Hedley are pictured outside the church on US-8 in Chisago City.


After two years of work-ing together as groom-

ers at Chuck and Don’s Pet Food Outlet in Forest Lake, Andrea Johnson and Marie Mottaz felt they had something good going.

When the pet food store announced last year they would move to the Keys Cafe complex west of I-35 here, it didn’t take long for Mottaz and Johnson to craft their own business plan. There wouldn’t be room in the new Chuck and Don’s location, so the two women struck out on their own.

The result was M.A. & P.A.W.S., 955 W. Broad-way Ave., two doors west of their former location. They opened their new salon last November in space that had once been leased by Enterprise.

“We had built up a good cliental,” Mottaz said of the past two years and pet grooming. “We didn’t want to lose them.”

In their two years of grooming in Forest Lake, Johnson and Mottaz said the Forest Lake public and pet owners have been great. “There is nothing like the Forest Lake cli-ental — great dogs, great

people,” Mottaz said.The co-owners have 16

years of combined dog grooming experience in their resumes, including 10 years by Mottaz.

They are using that ex-perience to build a busi-ness that puts animals first. “Our focus is on qual-ity, not quantity,” Mottaz said.

Johnson says the groomers work hard to build a relationship with the animals they groom and their owners. While it is important to keep the animal looking nice, the groomers are also animal advocates, always keep-ing an eye open for poten-tial health risk or issues that the owners may have missed.

In fact, Mottaz says, recently Johnson’s keen eye to potential health problems helped save two dogs that may otherwise have died.

The two groomers are the two that own-ers and animals will see in most cases, One part-time groomer comes in as needed, but Johnson and Mottaz are the mainstays.

The shop is usually staffed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but regular hours are by appointment, meaning the groomers will work to help meet the needs of their clients.

“If people need us at eight o’clock in the eve-ning, we’re open,” John-son says. And that is a pledge they keep seven days a week.

The new location is working out well and the owners continue to look for ways to promote their business. A web site (www.maandpawspetgrooming.com) is under construc-tion and should be in op-eration this spring. Online booking will become avail-able at that point.

The shop is offering a nail trimming special for dogs and cats the first Sunday of the month un-less that Sunday falls on a holiday. Between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the shop offers a nail trimming special for just $5.

For more information, call 651-464-9878.

Move to new location came in

early 2010


After 17 years of manning an office in downtown Forest Lake, the Edina Realty team has moved west, but only a short distance.

In early 2010, Edina Realty relocated to 555 W. Broadway Ave. The company is leasing 1500 square feet of space in the building after op-erating in roughly 3000 square feet of space in the Towers, 107 N. Lake St.

“It was time for something new,” said Edina office manager Jacquie Krismer who has been at the helm of the company for 18 years in Forest Lake. “It’s been a positive move for us.”

Krismer is in charge of the Forest Lake and North Branch offices for Edina Realty. The Forest Lake office has 12 sales agents this spring while 15 are working in the North Branch market.

In the new office lo-cation in Forest Lake, Krismer believes the company is well pre-pared to provide ser-vice for clients and

agents. Many agents to-day are mobile, but still enjoy spending time in the office, she said.

Krismer is also opti-mistic that down time for the real estate mar-ket is about to turn pos-itive. She has statistics to prove it.

Sales this January and February were up over 2010’s monthly totals, she said. For all of last year, sales grew 20 percent of 2009, she said. “2009 was a tough year,” Krismer said.

She believes the real estate market will con-tinue to improve. Once home value stabilizes and starts to increase, sales of traditional

homes will improve, she said. She is also seeing improvement in private short sales and agents continue to work with properties in foreclosure.

Krismer says one of the strengths of the Forest Lake office is the professional team of agents that work this area. And she should know.

Krismer has spent 31 years of work in the real estate market. Pri-or to joining Edina Re-alty 18 years ago, she worked 13 years for Century 21 Johnson & Associates and Broker Corbett Johnson.

Dog groomers find their spot on Broadway

Photo by Cliff BuchanAndrea Johnson, left, and Marie Mottaz, flank Ruby, the star of Pat Bettendorf’s book, “Ruby’s Tale.” Ruby will have her nails trimmed only at M.A. & P.A.W.S. dog grooming salon in Forest Lake.

Photo by Cliff BuchanEdina Realty manager Jacquie Krismer, right, and office ad-ministrator Kathie Seiler in the new company office at 555 W. Broadway Ave.

Edina Realty finds home on Broadway in Forest Lake

M.A. & P.A.W.S owned by Marie Mottaz, Andrea Johnson


progress

Randy Wilcox purchased

Chrysler property in 2010


It will be a joyous time this spring when Wilcox Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram in Forest Lake cel-ebrates its grand opening.

Veteran Twin Cities business owner Randy Wilcox acquired the deal-ership at 321 SW 19th St. last year and opened for business on Feb. 1 after an extensive remodeling and refurbishing effort. The dealership’s soft opening came in January.

“The timing for this dealership couldn’t get better,” said Wilcox gen-eral manager Dan Dunn. The new Forest Lake deal-ership is providing jobs and needed vehicle sales and service to the area at a time when vastly im-proved cars and trucks are being made in Ameri-ca, Dunn said.

After Wilcox acquired the property last October, he spent the fall and early winter getting the facility ready to spring back into life. The building had been vacant for more than two years.

Today, the facility is as if brand new with all new office furnishings and new equipment in the service department. A fully auto-matic car wash is also in operation.

During the early months of 2011, the Wil-cox dealership has slowly built its inventory and is adding staff as needed. The inventory of new and used vehicles on the lot continues to grow and is now in excess of 150 units,

Dunn said. Dunn predicts it will

be a big year for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products. Many of the new vehicles have been redesigned in-side and out with a fresh look. Detroit is back on the map as a major auto builder, Dunn said.

Both the Dodge Jour-ney and Dodge Durango,

along with the Jeep Chero-kee, are three models that will catch a car buyer’s eye, Dunn said.

For Dunn, 2011 marks his 19th year in the auto-mobile business. He is a resident of Stillwater and is very familiar with the Forest Lake area and its potential business market.

The StaffAs general manager

in the Forest Lake store, Dunn will assist business owner Randy Wilcox and Wilcox’s son, Matthew, who is company vice-pres-ident.

Both Matthew Wilcox and Dunn have duties in North Branch, as well, at the Wilcox-owned Central Motors which is growing and eyeing expansion in that Chisago County com-munity. A new location for the North Branch dealer-ship is being contemplat-ed for later this year.

At the Forest Lake op-eration, the management team is in place. Dunn said Cory Kyllonen is the service department man-ager. Joe Gingerelli is the new car manager with Dan Olson in charge of used car sales.

Brian Stevens has been hired as parts manager. D.J. Bruce is the dealer-ship’s business manager.

Dunn said he is optimis-tic for a strong first year for the dealership which has sat idle for just over two years, but was at one time one of the leading Chrysler stores in Minne-sota.

“The market is here,” Dunn said this winter. “It’s [the Forest Lake area] a very strong market.”

Wilcox Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram is open 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 to 6 on Friday and Saturday.

The Wilcox family has been a major force to the metro area business scene for many years. Randy Wilcox has owned Bix Pro-duce for the past 30 years and continues to spend time with that business while working in the auto-mobile dealerships.

Wilcox dealership finds solid market in Forest Lake area

Photos by Cliff BuchanForest Lake’s newest vehicle option is at 321 SW 19th St. Randy Wilcox bought the facility last year and turned the empty lot into a gleaming home for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles.

From the Green to the Lake, Italian

restaurant remains popular


A former Forest Lake restaurateur has returned to the business to restore one of the most visible locations in the heart of town. Ron Vannelli, along with his wife and son, opened Vannelli’s on the Lake just off the round-about downtown last May.

The building at 55 S. Lake St. has cycled through a handful of es-tablishments in recent years that functioned pri-marily as bars and night-clubs. Most recently, it housed Average Joe’s En-tertainment Center, which closed last January.

Enter Vannelli. In 1990, he opened Vannelli’s on the Green next to Castle-wood Golf Course. The restaurant served Italian specialties with an elegant touch, and he is following a similar pattern with the new venture, Vannelli’s by the Lake.

“We had an idea for what we wanted to do that was different from what they were doing before, kind of what we did the first time around,” he said. “Segregating off some pri-vate dining, making it a little more upscale while still keeping the bar atmo-sphere. It’s kind of a com-bination.”

Back on the SceneAfter nine years away

from the local food scene, Vannelli’s son, Nick, con-vinced him to take on the challenge of restoring the luster to the massive building on the lake. Both

knew it would be a chal-lenge, especially with the roundabout construction slated to take place right outside the front door last summer.

“He wanted to try it,” Vannelli said. “It’s a tough business, especially in this economy. [But] this was kind of a unique situ-ation. They were looking for someone to come into this facility, so it kind of worked out for both of us.”

The family renovated much of the facility, includ-ing a complete make-over of the front reception area. They felt it was crucial to make use of the entire building, which includes a large banquet room, a small meeting room, a din-ing room which seats 120 and a bar which accom-modates 110.

There is also a base-ment with darts and boc-ce ball that is rented out for private parties. A new sound system and lighting are on display when Van-

nelli’s hosts bands a few times per month.

The menu retains the Italian feel from Vannelli’s on the Green and boasts about 25 pasta and pizza offerings. It also features some American clas-sics, including Vannelli’s renowned charbroiled prime rib.

The walk-in lunch crowd is still a little sparse, but Vannelli has secured several weekly functions including the Forest Lake Rotary Club. At night, all-you-can-eat crab legs are served up on Wednesday, while a Mexi-can chef spices up Tues-day. The restaurant has started a Friday fish fry. Sundays bring a brunch in the morning and a pasta/pizza buffet at night.

Vannelli is expecting a stronger spring with con-struction over and the res-taurant’s legs beneath it.

“There were some ques-tion marks as to what we were doing [opening when we did]. But I think we’re

seeing some progress,” he said, noting an abundance of wedding banquets on the schedule.

Warmer weather will allow for outdoor dining, which was a huge hit last summer. The staff will jump from around 50 to 70 in peak season.

Downtown Implications

Vannelli knows his lo-cation has been as up-and-down as any in the Broadway-Lake corridor, but feels his restaurant is here to stay. He hopes it can be part of a downtown renaissance.

“It’s about trying to get a new image for downtown Forest Lake,” he said. “Get people back downtown and hopefully some reno-vations will start to occur with other buildings up and down the street.

“I think eventually it will happen, it’s just tough times. People get attract-ed, it’s amazing how they are just attracted to the lake and downtown.”

Vannelli’s spices up downtown

Photo by Clint RieseRon Vannelli’s second restaurant venture in Forest Lake has taken him down-town. Vannelli’s by the Lake offers Italian favorites in an upscale atmosphere.

Nature’s Image, From the Heart,

WEHOP have common purpose


A downtown commer-cial building took on an interesting format last fall. Nature’s Image has operated out of 95 SW 8th Ave. for 16 years. In October, two other busi-nesses opened on either side of Nature’s Image to create a mini-mall type of feel.

The three share more than just a roof, however. Nature’s Image, From the Heart Bible and Books and WEHOP–The Secret Place are owned by a group of friends who see the joint venture as an outlet for sharing their Christian faith.

“They are ministries which happen to be in business, as opposed to businesses which hap-pen to give to ministry,” said building owner Ron Hammes in an October interview.

The businesses oper-ate around a concept of shared space and customers. The owners hope to attract custom-ers who can come to the building for more than one purpose. They also hope to befriend cus-tomers and spend time with them in fellowship.

The neighbors are planning several commu-nity events for the spring and summer. Children’s activities may range from storytimes to arts/crafts. They will host a premiere screening of a new VeggieTales movie, ’Twas the Night Before Easter, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 9. Admission to the com-munity event is free.

Nature’s Image Owner Finds New

NicheThe original resident

of the building, Nature’s Image, continues to offer high-end custom fram-ing. It also houses a gal-lery of wildlife and reli-gious art.

Owner Ben Oliver will put an interesting spin on the faith focus with the April 30 opening of Lakes Trading Company, a gun shop he will run out of a current back room adjacent to the frame shop. Hammes, the previous owner of Nature’s Image, ran a gun shop of his own at the fa-cility for a few years.

Oliver said it will pro-vide needed revenue and attract more people to the complex.

“There’s going to be a lot of traffic for that spe-cifically,” he said.

The shop will have a buy/sell/trade format and also conduct con-signment sales. Oliver will offer conceal/car-ry and hunter’s safety

classes.“I’m an avid hunter,

I love guns,” he said. “I have the time here, espe-cially during the summer when it’s slower in the framing business...I get to have two businesses open at the same time, no extra rent.”

The gun shop will be open in the afternoons, while Nature’s Image will keep its regular business hours.

For more information, see www.naturesimage-gallery.com.

Tis the Season for Bookstore

The west end of the building is where Barb Nowicki calls home for her bookstore.

From the Heart made the move from Lake Street because of the opportunity for shared business, but she has also been pleased with a slightly bigger sales floor for her lines of Christian books, music, jewelry and gifts.

“Spring is very busy with all of the special oc-casions: Easter and First Communion, Confirma-tion, Mother’s Day, grad-uation, Father’s Day. It all kind of comes together at once,” she said. “It’s very busy, and that’s why we want people to know that we didn’t close, we just moved.”

For more information, see www.fromtheheart-bible.com.

WEHOP a Place for Prayer

WEHOP, which stands for Worshipping, Equip-ping House of Prayer, took off last fall as an extension of a previous entity. The Secret Place began in 2008 as a prayer room in the same build-ing. Owner Kerry Liebelt felt called to expand the place of prayer with a structured organization offering worship and faith-based classes.

Regular attendees come from congrega-tions throughout the area. Liebelt stresses that WEHOP is a sup-plement to attending church, not a replace-ment for it. Primarily, it is simply a place for people of faith to come together. The local pastors group has held several of their recent monthly meetings there.

“Our heart is to see people of faith really begin to understand the importance of that time with the Lord, that time of prayer,” he said. “There’s the private prayer in their own little prayer closet, there’s the time of prayer in their own churches, then there’s also the reality of coming together as a community in the place of prayer. And that’s real-ly what this place is for.”

For more informa-tion, see www.thesecret-place.org.

It’s about faith at Eighth Ave. complex

Photo by Clint RieseBen Oliver, Barb Nowicki and Kerry Liebelt work in a spirit of sharing at 95 SW 8th St. They use their businesses – Nature’s Image, From the Heart and WE-HOP-The Secret Place – as an outreach of their faith.

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FL photographer opens studio


Kali Anderson knew from early on just what she wanted to do in life.

“In junior high I started really getting into photo-graphing everything,” she said. “The camera never left my hand, and by my sophomore year I had talk-ed my folks into building a dark room in my basement. Then I spent so much time there throughout high school.”

Once it came time for Forest Lake High School’s Class of 2005 to have se-nior portraits taken, her resolve was cemented.

“A lot of my friends couldn’t afford these pic-ture packages...so I took their pictures,” she said. “I just thought it was some-thing that everyone should have, so I became a pho-tographer to help those people, mainly.”

Fast forward a few more years, and the 23-year-old is one certainly one of the youngest, most enthusi-astic business owners in town. Anderson opened

her own downtown studio, KJ Ande Photography, in October.

Significant renovations turned the building at 169 Lake St. North into an el-egant working space.

The studio is a first for Anderson, but her busi-ness is not brand new. She began working from her home in 2007, operating as Clicks Photography. The goal was always to find a permanent, professional headquarters at which to showcase her work.

“I worked very hard and saved a lot,” she said. “This is my life, this is where I want to be. I wanted to have a studio and I finally got it, so I feel pretty lucky.”

Anderson has trouble picking what kind of pho-tography she most pre-fers. She is inclined to say senior portraits, because she loves seeing teenagers come out of their shells. But then again, she really loves the beauty and free-dom available to her at weddings. Then there is the joy of watching new-borns get a little older each time they come to her stu-dio.

“I just love what I do,” Anderson said. “I love help-ing people.”

She has plenty of experi-ence and training, no mat-ter the setting or assign-ment. Anderson graduated from Central Lakes College in Staples after studying photography for two years. Then she completed in-ternships with profession-al photographers in South Carolina and Illinois.

She picked up business skills and tricks of the pho-tography trade, but never strayed from her plan to come home. The former president of the Youth Ad-visory Board says she is committed to this commu-nity and hopes to take on leadership positions.

“I love the Forest Lake area. I really do,” she said. “I want to give back to For-est Lake what Forest Lake’s given to me.”

Now that she is up and running, Anderson is hold-ing true to the values that inspired her to go into the profession.

“I’m not going to be the photographer that’s going to charge $80 for a 5x7 print, I just don’t see the point in it,” she said. “I want people to enjoy my work and I want to capture their memories.”

For more information, see www.kjande.com.

Anderson comes home as young professional

Photo by Clint RieseKali Anderson, a 2005 FLHS grad, pictures herself going places in town. The KJ Ande Photography owner recently opened her downtown studio.

Relocation brings upgrades for FL

Embroidery


Forest Lake Embroi-dery has been in town since 1999, and a recent change of location has it set up to succeed for more years to come. Owner Lynda Baker now runs her shop at 368 Lake Street S., in the build-ing which used to house Timeless Elements.

“We’re starting to see new accounts with the new exposure,” Baker said. “People are finding us. A new location will do that for you.”

Forest Lake Embroi-dery had been in the Park Place building since 2004, but business started to slip as access was lim-ited during this summer’s road construction. Just in time, the new spot be-came available. About a month after closing down in Park Place, the busi-ness was up and running on Lake Street.

“It just didn’t happen the way we had planned it, but we were lucky enough this opened up when it did so we were able to reopen,” said Bak-er, the owner since 2007.

The new space is slight-ly smaller, but still has a showroom in front filled with Forest Lake Ranger gear of all sorts.

“We don’t have a large retail floor anymore, but we never really needed it in the first place, since we do so much custom work,” Baker said, not-ing that over half of her orders come from small businesses.

The new shop also has many advantages. The storefront has high visibil-ity in a busy part of town.

The move also neces-sitated some changes for the better. The previous equipment would not have fit in the back rooms, so Baker purchased new-er, more compact embroi-dery machines. The up-grades turn out products

faster and can handle sev-eral projects at once.

The business offers embroidery, screen print-ing and heat press im-printing. It handles ap-parel such as T-shirts and sweatshirts, as well as jerseys and hats and even accessories such as equipment bags. Non-customized items such as sports socks, belts and headbands are also avail-able.

Single-item to large-scale orders are usually turned around within a week. A wide range of Ranger gear is available for immediate purchase.

Forest Lake Embroi-dery is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Good time for a change

Photo by Clint RieseLynda Baker shows off some of the updated equip-ment at Forest Lake Embroidery. The store moved to 368 Lake St. S. last fall.

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