The Courier - February 2010

The Couriera division of Independent School District 15 Community Education & Services

4115 Ambassador Boulevard, St . Francis , Minnesota 55070

Wedding & Valentine’s day section, income tax tips, legislatiVe Updates

FebrUary 2010 VolUme 17, issUe 7 WWW.the-coUrier.org

school board meetings

ISD 15 school board meetings: Monday, February 8 and Monday, February 22, 7:00 p.m., Central Services Center, 4115 Ambassador Blvd. NW, St. Francis. The public is also invited to “Dialogue with the School Board” at 6:30 p.m. |

inside

2 schools in action

9 school board highlights

10 community education

12 community & business

15 Wedding & Valentine’s

23 sports & outdoors

25 life

29 classified

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By ToM LArSonstaFF Writer

On January 25, in the early morning hours, St. Francis police officers noticed spray painting on a number of en-trances at St. Francis High School suggesting the pres-ence of a bomb. School admin-istration called a two-hour delay to the start of school be-fore buses were dispatched on their pick-up routes. Area me-dia outlets were notified and information was posted to the district’s web site.

According to school officials, graffiti was written on ex-terior doors and windows around 5:00 a.m. Several of the messages made reference to a bomb and with 1-25-10 as the referenced date. The Ano-ka County Sheriff’s Office, with the help of bomb-sniffing dogs, conducted the sweep of the building before personnel were allowed inside.

Due to the length of time re-quired to search the building with dogs and proceed with security protocol, the school day was cancelled in its en-tirety including evening ac-tivities. More than a dozen police, sheriff, and emergen-cy vehicles surrounded the building and blocked entry into St. Francis High school parking lots.

According to Jay Reker, ISD 15 Human Resources direc-tor and district spokesperson, nothing suspicious was found during the search, and staff was allowed into the building around 10:30 a.m.

In addition to St. Francis High School, St. Francis Middle School, Crossroads School & Vocational Center, and Tran-sition 15 were also cancelled for the day. East Bethel Com-munity School, Cedar Creek Community School, St. Fran-cis Elementary, and the com-

munity education sites at Lifelong Learning Center and Sandhill Center were delayed two hours.

While the threat was at the high school, all secondary sites were affected due to bus routing. Buses are on the road early to bring high school and middle school students in for a 7:25 a.m. start. Those same buses are then rerouted to pick up elementary students for a 9:05 a.m. start.

“Because of the bus rout-ing system we have in place, when we announce a two-hour delay, every school in the district is affected. We do not have the capacity to do a simultaneous pick up of just certain grade groups,” said Superintendent Ed Saxton.

SFHS junior Zach Knutson addressed the school board at the January 25 meeting. Knut-son indicated that students were outraged and disgusted by the acts of a few. “This, for many of us, is our home. We spend seven hours a day in our high school, learning and being involved,” Knutson said. He also went on to say that the incident is not repre-sentative of the student body, and that the vandalism was done by someone who may or may not be a student.

The school closing raised a few communication issues. There was some confusion over the district-wide two-hour delay that was changed to a cancellation for second-ary schools only. In addition, the school closing hot line experienced technical dif-ficulties the morning school officials attempted to post the delay and cancellation messages. The school board requested that the district communications committee review methods for a more timely response. |

District responds to threat at high school

By ToM LArSonstaFF Writer

The school board-approved communications commit-tee has been in operation for the past two years and was recently asked to discuss a campaign to bring students back to District 15. Approxi-mately 600 students who reside within school district boundaries attend other dis-tricts, charter schools, private or parochial schools, or are homeschooled. District 15 is no different than other school districts around the state that tend to swap students from district-to-district for various reasons. The committee has now been charged to work with building principals and others to solicit information from families as to why they left the system. The informa-

Campaign studied to bring back students

continUed on page 2» CAMpAIGn

tion gathered in the weeks ahead will be used to strat-egize a campaign to bring students and families back to their own community school.

“We have a wonderful and well-respected educational system,” said School Board Chair Amy Kelly. “Our class sizes are lower, our test scores are better, our school environment is healthy, and

our technology is growing almost daily. As an example, we will have a SMART Board and document camera in ev-ery classroom by August 1. Our staff is being trained and updated on SMART Board curriculum and techniques that are changing the face of learning. We want the

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By Mae HawkinsiSD 15 buSineSS ServiCeS DireCTor

The state of Minnesota is again looking at school dis-tricts to solve its cash flow is-sues. Per a statute from 1986, M.S. 127A.46, Change in Pay-ment of Aids and Credits, “If the commissioner of manage-ment and budget determines that modifications in the pay-ment schedule would reduce the need for state short-term borrowing, the commissioner shall modify payments to districts.”

How will this proposed delay of state payments to school districts impact ISD 15? Un-less the statute is changed by the legislature, ISD 15 will be exempt from this delay of state payments.

The statute contains a formu-la for calculating the delay of

payments and states that dis-tricts who have less than $350 per pupil in fund balance are exempt from the delay. Two hundred thirty-one of Minne-sota’s 337 districts will not be receiving two state payments in March and one in April from the state. These school districts will either have to do additional cash flow bor-rowing or break investments that they have to meet their payroll and vendor pay-ments for March and April. The state has to pay back the delayed amounts by June 30 and is currently stating that this will be done by May 30.

Last June, the Governor an-nounced a previous shift (de-lay) of state payments. The state used to pay school dis-tricts 90 percent of the school districts state revenues in the current school year and 10 percent up to six months after

ISD 15 exempt from state cash delaysthe school year ended. For the 2009-10 school year, the state revenue payments were shift-ed to 73 percent in the current school and 27 percent up to six months after the school year.

To meet the district’s payment obligations, ISD 15 had to do short term borrowing of $8.5 million and come up with funds to pay $77,917 in interest expense on these unanticipat-ed borrowed funds after cut-ting $5.6 million out of the dis-trict’s budget. To be as frugal as possible, the district delayed borrowing these funds as long as it could. The end result was a lower interest payment.

The school district has not needed to cash flow borrow for the last several school years. |

families that left to take a look at what their commu-nity schools offer in compari-son to where they are going.”

The original purpose of the District Communications Committee was to put into play strategies discussed that would lead to improved com-munication with students, families and the community as a whole. From the Com-munications Committee has come improvements and effi-ciencies on the District 15 web site, the Online in ’09 commu-nications campaign, discus-sions and direction for flow of student and staff accomplish-ments to The Courier and the web site, cooperation with the Office of Teaching and Learn-ing Communications Special-ists, levy campaign ideas and strategies and a flow chart of how information flows and surfaces to the two main com-munications outlets of The Courier and the district web site.

In January, the two district communications committees that currently exist, District Communications and The Of-fice of Teaching and Learning Communications, will merge and focus not only on bring-ing students back to District 15, but will also focus on the effort to look at more and bet-ter ways to communicate to the public. |

From page 1CaMpaign

why is physical education or movement essential for life? Lift your mood

suBMitted By Marty Hennesy, sFMs; yvonne Hanzlik, sFe; ann Merkouris, dape; rowena angell, CCCs/sFHsDiSTriCT 15 phySiCaL eDuCaTion SpeCiaLiSTS

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. We love the chocolates and the flowers, yet our bodies need and also crave exercise. Exercise releases endorphins into our body. These have a calming effect on the body for an extended period of time. Exercise keeps us moving and helps to keep a positive disposition. Even on a cold February day, it is a good idea to get outside for some exercise and fresh air. Ice

skating, skiing or sledding in the snow can improve your attitude and lift your mood.

Topic for next month: Boost the immune system.� |

district 15 bus staff showed their vikings spirit and were kind enough to give each of the students viking gifts. the picture above is a wonderful depiction of viking support! such wonder-ful and caring staff in the district really show what st. Francis is all about—a great community.

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Schools in Action3www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2010

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arctic explorer gives exciting presentationsuBMitted By katie arnoldebCS CommuniTy reLaTionS CoorDinaTor

Students at East Bethel Community School were treated to an exciting presentation given by Arctic explorer Paul Schurke on January 6. He was part of the 1986 team that made a trek to the North Pole.

Schurke told students how the team of eight people, fi ve sleds and 50 Canadian Inuit dogs made the trip to the North Pole. They heard about a dog named Sam who had gotten away from another sled dog team a few years before but eventually joined their group as a lead dog. They marveled at the pink vapor trail the dog’s breath left hanging in the air like a jet stream. The team traveled as far as they could on good weather days, some-times up to 80 miles, at times over open areas of ocean.

Schurke had a PowerPoint presentation with pictures of the trip, team, and dogs. Students were invited to ask questions at the end of the presentation.

Schurke currently lives in Ely, Minn. with his wife and three children, all of whom are involved with dog sledding. |

One of the most used words in the English language the past two years has been “change.” It is an interesting resurgence, but it is not a new concept. Change is an on-go-ing and incremental process that affects everything we do.

With that said, most of us change for one of three rea-sons:

Because we have to

Because we want to

Because we get to

Our community was ad-versely affected on Monday, January 25. Our students at the secondary level (high school, middle school, and Crossroads) missed a full day of instruction. Once again, our community was singled out by a few negatively-be-having individuals, and we became a part of the print and news media.

The fi ve questions of who, what, when, where, and why are still being addressed. The rumor mill is producing and distributing inaccurate infor-mation at an accelerated rate, and it further exacerbates the issue. The change we experi-enced was of the “have to” type.

On occasion, schools must delay or close due to weather conditions. In our district, all school buildings in our system are given the same directive. Our problem was magnifi ed by the fact that it was a high school problem that happened before per-sonnel arrived on Monday. It became a district problem because of the way we trans-port our students. We initi-ated a two-hour late start to assess our options with stu-dent safety as the priority. The law enforcement experts on location could not give an accurate indication on when or if the building would be available on Monday, so we canceled school for our sec-ondary students. Again, this was our choice based on stu-dent safety and on our ability to transport students.

When the school schedule changes for whatever reason, it sets off a chain reaction that requires families to adjust. It is frustrating.

The next change will be the “want to” type. Each crisis situation is different, but it does allow for students, par-ents, and staff to offer sug-gestions for improving our ability to handle diffi cult cir-cumstances. One of the sug-gestions, although not new,

was to explore an instant-messaging service. The dis-trict has looked at programs requiring payment based on student enrollment. This cost structure can reach $15,000 to $20,000 for a district our size.

We will again be looking at instant-messaging options including, but not limited to, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking tools.

It is diffi cult to communicate through the television sta-tions, and, last week, even KARE 11 miscued. On Tues-day, after an eventful Mon-day, I received a phone call at 4:45 a.m. from the assis-tant principal; KARE 11 had mistakenly listed our dis-trict as a two-hour late start. I called several numbers to fi nally fi nd the news room. The change was made, but I know there were people who had seen inaccurate informa-tion.

We are steering people to our web site www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us to get updates and clarifi cations on district mat-ters.

The last change will be the “get to” type. Once we settle on the additional commu-nication tools, community members will have the oppor-tunity to receive more timely and effective announcements related to our system.

“Change” is an everyday issue, and as we work dili-gently to move to a more viral communication model, our hope is that students, parents, and staff continue to share ideas and concerns. |

one-page school calendars available

Independent School District 15 calendars for the 2010-11 school year and 2011-12 school year were adopted by the school board at the Janu-ary 25 meeting. The calendar is in a one-page, easy to use format. Calendars and other ISD 15 forms and publica-tions can be found in several locations on the web site (www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us): under District > Forms & Publications, and on every school’s web page under Forms & Publications. |

JULY 2010

S M T W T F S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

JANUARY 2011

S M T W T F S

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

AUGUST 2010

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

FEBRUARY 2011

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28

SEPTEMBER 2010

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

MARCH 2011

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

OCTOBER 2010

S M T W T F S

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

APRIL 2011

S M T W T F S

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

NOVEMBER 2010

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30

MAY 2011

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

DECEMBER 2010

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

JUNE 2011

S M T W T F S

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5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

2010-11Calendar

Independent School District St. Francis

K-12 not in session, staff on duty

School not in session and staff not on duty

End of Trimester

Final 1/26/10

August 31 Staff Development/District Day

September 1 Staff Development/District Day

2 Staff Development/District Day

3-6 No School - Labor Day Weekend

7 School Begins - 1st Trimester

October 21 No School - Education Minnesota

22 No School - Education Minnesota

November 25 No School - Thanksgiving Break

26 No School - Thanksgiving Break

30 End of 1st Trimester - 57 Days

December 1 No School - District Day

2 2nd Trimester Begins

23 Winter Break Begins

January 3 School Resumes

17 No School - Dist/Staff Dev/P-T-S Conf. Day

February 21 No School - Presidents’ Day

March 3 End of 2nd Trimester - 57 Days

4 No School - District Day

7-11 No School - Spring Break Begins

14 School Resumes, 3rd Trimester Begins

April22-25 No School

May 30 No School - Memorial Day

June 8 End of 3rd Trimester - 58 Days

9 No School - District Day

172 Student Contact Days

4 Parent, Teacher, Student Conf. Days

6 Staff Development

4 District Days

This calendar is subject to mandated or

voluntary closings.

June 7 & 8 will be canceled if

no emergency closings.

The Courier is a monthly publication distributed by Independent School District 15 Community Education & Services.

The publication is delivered at no charge to all residents in Independent School District 15 the first Wednesday of each month. An annual subscription is available for $18 (12 issues). The Courier will be mailed to any address.

Please direct comments, questions, and inquiries to:

The Courier 4115 Ambassador Blvd. NW, St. Francis, MN 55070-9368

Telephone: 763-753-7031

Fax: 763-753-4693

Advertising: 763-753-7032

Billing: 763-753-7031

editor: 763-753-7042

email: [email protected]

Web site: www.the-courier.org

DeaDLine inFormaTion

Deadline for the March 3 issue of The Courier is February 12 or before. Information about advertising—call Janice Audette at 763-753-7032. Information on story or photo submissions—call 763-753-7031.

Check out The Courier online at www.the-courier.org.

Courier STaFF

Publisher Tom Larson

editor Kathleen Miller

Advertising Sales Janice Audette

Graphic Artist Pat Johnson

Staff Writers Alicia Loehlein

Tom Larson

ProductionBinie Bertils

Billing Alicia Loehlein


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By dean HalvorsonCroSSroaDS SChooL maThemaTiCS inSTruCTor, harbor program

Harbor Program stu-dents attending Crossroads School

and Vocational Center re-turned from winter break to discover a new challenge waiting for them in math-ematics class: the game of chess. The Harbor students were asked to put on their critical thinking hats to learn and/or develop their prob-lem solving skills while play-ing the world’s oldest game of skill and strategy.

During a chess game, a player must formulate a plan of at-tack or defense. The formula-tion of a plan entails that the player must not only reflect on how similar problems are solved, but also the player must perform a systematic checking of possible combi-nations of moves to then ar-rive at an evaluation of each line. The process is a mental exercise where pieces are en-visioned to move from square to square, while the player re-flects on the characteristics of the position to finally produce

a move. The math students at Harbor are learning to evalu-ate which moves are best, as well as learning to live with the consequences of their de-cisions. These problem solv-ing skills can be applied by the Harbor students in their day-to-day living.

One of the essential goals of education is to teach children to think critically; students must learn to make reasoned judgments. Chess is an excel-lent tool to demonstrate the theme of critical thinking. Chess also teaches patience, foresight, long-range plan-ning, sportsmanship, and the ability to find alternative solu-tions.

A Harbor student may not develop into the next Bobby Fischer (former world chess champion), but they are im-proving their mathemati-cal and thinking skills. They might even enjoy learning as they play a game!

The Harbor Program is a program for students living in District 15 who, for many reasons, cannot be successful at their regular school of at-tendance.

Check out the advantages of chess in the classroom at www.ctchess.com/index.php?sect=why. |

Crossroads math students are challenged in class with the world’s oldest game—chess. By playing chess, they learn critical thinking and develop problem-solving skills. SubmiTTeD phoTo

By Collin MinsHull SFhS oFFiCe oF SChooL TeChnoLogy, TeChnoLogy inTegraTion SpeCiaLiST

Moodle is how students are taking courses online, not an exotic, Italian food? Students are going to Blabberize in class, and it’s the teacher’s plan? Podcasting is a student project, not a new method of ice fishing? An iPod Touch is helping special education and other students with their reading skills?

Confused? You’re not alone!

These unusual names—Moo-dle, Blabberize, and Podcast-ing—are new, cutting edge, interactive, Internet-based tools called Web 2.0 tools. Web 2.0 tools allow users, in this case students, to cre-ate meaningful educational content for other users (other students) on the Internet. With Internet-based learning tools, students are no longer tied to the schedule of the school day—learning and creating happen any place, any time, and anywhere the student has an internet con-nection!

In an effort to keep pace with rapidly changing, ever in-creasing technology, 20 Dis-trict 15 teachers and admin-istrators attended the 2009 TIES Technology Conference, December 12-15, in Minneap-olis. The district’s Enhancing Education Through Technol-ogy Grant paid for several of the teachers to attend this invaluable conference.

The focus of the conference is to capitalize on this new wave of creative thinking in education and inform and teach educators how to inte-grate technology effectively into the classroom.

District teachers then re-turned to their classrooms to use Web 2.0 tools and other available technology, includ-

ing the unique use of hand-held devices, like the iPod Touch, to allow students to create, collaborate, share, re-search, communicate, and achieve.

“We not only use Moodle ev-eryday in the classroom, but if students miss a lesson, they have the same lesson avail-able online,” says Crossroads science teacher David Berger.

East Bethel Community School fourth grade teacher, Laurel Schurke explains, “At the Ties conference, I went to a session on students lead-ing their own parent/teacher conferences using a SMART Board, so I thought I’d give it a try. My students created their ‘presentations’ for par-ents and are extremely excit-ed to show them off!”

Shari Clark, Cedar Creek Community School fourth grade teacher, notes, “I used the xtranormal.com web site with my students. It is a way to take written work and make it into a movie. I creat-ed a movie the very next day to share with my students so they could see what I learned when I was at the confer-ence.”

“I have now used the student response system (remotes) since attending the confer-ence and students love it!” says high school business teacher Leslie Sworsky. “The TIES Conference provides educators the opportunity to collaborate with other educa-tors and bring back effective strategies they can integrate into their classroom or cur-riculum.”

As students and culture change, teachers need train-ing like the TIES Confer-ence to keep up and deliver instruction that exceeds the unique, 21st century instruc-tional goals set by the federal and state governments. |

you eat Moodle, right?CroSSroaDS SChooL & voCaTionaL CenTer

Adopt-a-CountrysuBMitted By paula JesBergCroSSroaDS SChooL SpeCiaL eDuCaTion TeaCher

On January 20, Crossroads students had the opportunity to learn about up to five dif-ferent countries and cultures during their school day. Each class celebrates “Adopt-a-Country” day by learning about another part of the world.

Mrs. Thurston’s math class adopted Iraq, the birthplace of algebra. While working on algebra problems with 10 variables they dined on humus and tabouli on pita bread. Instead of learning biology, Ms. Murray’s class played “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” with Mexican trivia questions and bingo with Spanish vocabulary. Mr. Studnicka, a physical edu-cation teacher, did a timely lesson on Haiti and the sci-ence of earthquakes. Ms. Flysjo’s math class learned about the culture of the west Africa region and played Mancala. Ms. Schmid taught about India while wearing a sari. In Ms. Jesberg’s class, students watched a hip hop video by Russian teenag-ers who played basketball and performed break danc-ing in clothes with Ameri-can brands like Southpole and Ecko. Only the language was different. In Mr. Libby’s class students ate pizza and learned some Italian words.

In other classes, students learned about Peru, (they eat guinea pigs!), Canada (hock-ey and the metric system), Holland, Japan, Germany, Latvia, Scotland and Nor-way. This is an annual tradi-tion that Crossroads teachers and students look forward to each year. |

searching for the next Bobby Fischer

5www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2010 Schools in Action

ST. FranCiS miDDLe SChooL

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“paws-on” learning in 7th grade language artssuBMitted By JessiCa rowlesSFmS 7Th graDe Language arTS

Dutch and Sandy Reitsma of Buffalo recently visited Mrs. Row-les’ 7th grade Language Arts class with their sled dog team. The visit coincided with students reading the novel, Woodsong, by Gary Paulson; a story about running the Alaskan Iditarod race. The couple brought the team that they train and race with so students could view firsthand the equipment and dogs in-volved in the sport of dog sled mushing. Students were able to ask the Reitsmas questions relating to what they knew about the sport from the novel they had just completed. This was the second time the Reitsmas, have visited Mrs. Rowles’ class. With instruction from Reitsmas students were able to harness a few dogs themselves, as well as put booties on the dog’s feet. Stu-dents thoroughly enjoyed the visit. |

seventh grade students learned what it takes to be involved in the sport of dog sled racing. SubmiTTeD phoToS

on the left, sFMs assistant principal Bobbie Hume (a former lan-guage arts teacher), congratulates pheng lor, from Jacqueline davis’ Core 63 language arts class for correctly spelling a 58 let-ter name of a town in wales. SubmiTTeD phoTo

suBMitted By JaCqueline davisSFmS Core 63 Language arTS

Each year students and teachers spend time trying to get to know

each other. Having some-thing unique to talk about, especially something that will interest the students is not always easy. This fall, as part of my introduction to students, I talked about a trip I had taken where I met a woman from a little village in Wales. Her village is called: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgo-gerychwyrndrobwllllantysil-iogogogoch—the translation is “St. Mary’s church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool and the church of St. Tysilio of the red cave.”

I showed students where this village is on the map and talked about the name—vil-lagers call it “Llanfair” for short. I kiddingly challenged them to learn to spell it—and wrote it on a side board in my room. Well, today one of my students walked into the class and announced he could spell the village name. Pheng Lor is a quiet boy who takes his spelling seriously. He stood at the front of the room and rattled off the 58 letters perfectly. He fell to the floor when he hit the last letter—the class erupted in cheers as everyone congratu-lated him. I heard students talking about it in the hall-way all day—it was one of those movie moments that don’t seem very realistic until you live it in real time.

Last week another class was able to experience this mo-ment when a second student rose to the challenge and suc-cessfully spelled the village name. This student was Trina Miller. Again, all of Miller’s classmates celebrated with her when she spoke the final letter.

Personal goal setting is an im-portant part of the education-al experience; it is a difficult thing to teach. Role models

6th grade students skype with professional artistssuBMitted By daniel BuettnerSFmS arT TeaCher

Sixth grade students in Mr. Buettner’s first trimester art class viewed works of art by professional artist, Karla Wozniak, and were able to talk to the artist about her work during a live video conference. Christopher Griffith from Core 61 (pictured below) used the video conferencing program, Skype, to ask the art-ist questions about her work while she sat comfortably in her painting studio in Brooklyn, New York.

Skype is a software application that allows users to make tele-phone calls over the Internet. |

like Lor and Miller make my job easier. Nothing inspires better than a peer who steps up to the plate, sets the bar high, and demonstrates such pleasure at the challenge. The only pleasure greater than seeing these two exceptional kids share their passion of the written word was watching the celebration and congratu-lations of the other students in sharing in their success. Both were moments of true

community support.

Thanks to Miller and Lor for being a part of Core 63 at St. Francis Middle School, and thank you to all of their classmates who embodied good sportsmanship, friend-ship, and kindness in their participation in their friend’s success with “Llanfairpwllg-wyngyllgogerychwyrndrob-wllllantysiliogogogoch!” Amazing. |

Spelling mastery meets personal goal setting in 6th Grade

SubmiTTeD phoTo


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Core 72 recycling projectsuBMitted By saraH CoMptonSFmS Core 72 SCienCe

Core 72 students under the guidance of Ms. Compton are work-ing to help the middle school keep on top of its recycling needs. Ms. Compton’s Focus Learning class started with taking out Core 72’s recycling earlier this school year, and soon asked if they could take out recycling from other rooms in the building. Now several Core 72 students volunteer their Focus Learning time on Tuesdays to pick up recycling for many of the class-rooms, offices, and teacher areas around the school. In time, Ms. Compton and her students would like to see recycling con-tainers in both the lunchrooms. “Core 72 students are leading by example and creating a stronger community at St. Francis Middle School. It’s also showing that recycling is important and that they can make a difference,” Ms. Compton adds. |

designing the Core 61 sealsuBMitted By JiM HennesySFmS Core 61 SoCiaL STuDieS

Sixth grade students from Core 61 took their knowledge of the creation of the Minnesota State Seal in 1849, and the redesigned version that was adopted in 1983, and created a core seal of their own. These seals were then judged by the students in Core 61 to choose a seal that will represent the core. The activity gave the students a good insight of symbolism and pride. The winning seal will be placed on a T-shirt for every student to wear proudly. |

ST. FranCiS miDDLe SChooL

SubmiTTeD phoTo

ST. FranCiS high SChooL

SFHS students draw bloodBy alysa eriCksonSFhS Career aDviSor

On December 18, a group of 45 students visited Rasmus-sen College in Brooklyn Park to get some hands-on experi-ence in a laboratory. Rasmus-sen College students learn and train for the professions of practical nursing or surgi-cal technicians.

Drawing blood from an ar-tificial arm, administering insulin shots to a demon-stration bag, and applying medical terms while looking at a sheep’s brain were just a few of the activities St, Fran-cis High School (SFHS) stu-dents got to participate in at Rasmussen College. Students took full advantage of the opportunity to speak with professors who have had ex-perience in the medical field before pursuing their passion for teaching.

Surgery Tech Professor Na-dine Bengs shared many amazing stories from her pre-vious ten years in a fast-paced hospital setting as a certified surgical technologist. Now her passion lies with helping students obtain the best skills in school to take with into the work world.

Students were appreciative for the opportunity to visit laboratories and try equip-ment they might use in a future job. SFHS staff in the career center had a great time organizing the trip along with Aanya Finnestad from Rasmussen College. Health teacher Kathy Wei-land jumped on board with recruiting students from Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and her classroom. She added, “It was a great experience for everyone involved.” One stu-dent remarked, “I now know that this is the type of stuff I want to be doing in my ca-reer; I’m so glad I got to come on this trip. I feel very excited about my future.” |

Jazz bands performsuBMitted By Heidi stodolaSFhS DireCTor oF banDS

The St. Francis High School (SFHS) jazz ensembles held their winter concert December 11, which included guest clinician and trumpet soloist Dr. Doug Snapp from Min-

nesota State University, Mankato. Dr. Snapp worked with the two high school jazz bands after school for an hour and a half each in preparation for the concert. The St. Francis Middle School Jazz Band kicked off the evening concert, followed by SFHS Jazz 2, and SFHS Jazz 1. Many students were featured in solos throughout the evening. Cole Dippon (trombone) and Alex Everhart (trumpet) were the featured soloists in Duke El-lington’s Creole Love Call. Dr Snapp was featured in a ballad titled Lost Star. Thank you to the SFHS Band Boosters for spon-soring this year’s clinician.

Jazz Bands 1 and 2 also participated in the Roseville Jazz Blast festival on January 16 on the campus of Northwestern College. Both bands performed and had clinic time with professional jazz musicians. The clinicians also chose outstanding student soloists throughout the day to receive Outstanding Musician-ship awards. The St. Francis winners were: Anastasia Picha (piano), Joey Chismar-Atkinson (drums), Cole Dippon (trom-bone), Alex Everhart (trumpet), Ben Wiita (alto sax), and Kyle Simonson (drums). The day culminated in an evening concert including a youth honors jazz band, the Northwestern College Jazz Band, and the JazzMN Big Band, a professional jazz band based in the Twin Cities. |

High school jazz bands held a winter concert in december to showcase their talents. SubmiTTeD phoTo

STuDenT upDaTeS

emily Delaney has been named recipient of a $750 Maverick Scholarship from Minnesota State University, Mankato for the 2009-10 aca-demic school year. Minnesota State is committed to provid-ing encouragement and op-portunities for those students planning to continue their education. This scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement. Em-ily is the daughter of Tim and Martha Delaney of Cedar.

ConTinueD on page 30» student updates

7www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2010 Schools in Action

Driver’s Education at St. Francis High School

Classroom EduCationRegistration for classroom driver’s education is being

accepted for the 2009-10 school year.If you are 15 years of age or approaching 15, you may register to participate in a 30-hour classroom driver’s

education course offered during the school day. Fee $110.

BEhind-thE-WhEEl driving instruCtion

Six hours of required behind-the-wheel instructionFlexible Scheduling

New VehiclesState of MN Certified Instructors

Fee $225

Applications available at www.communityed15.comor call 763-213-1640 for more information.

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ST. FranCiS high SChooL

suBMitted By al angellSFhS maTh inSTruCTor

Since 2003, the St. Francis High School (SFHS) Math-ematics Department has of-fered three college classes as part of the College in the School program at SFHS.

Students who are eligible for these elective courses have the potential of not only earn-ing high school credit but also college credit through South-west Minnesota State Univer-sity (SMSU) which is located

College math classes available at st. Francis High school

High school HOSA students competeBy Brady MuellerSFhS hoSa STuDenT

On January 7, the Health Occupations Students of Amer-ica (HOSA) group climbed onto the bus to endure an almost three hour bus ride to Eagan. They were head-

ing to Argosy University for the mid-winter competitions. This place was filled with over 300 students; 50 of them were from St. Francis High School (SFHS).

The events ranged from taking tests to display boards. There was a huge range of tests such as: medical terminology, dental terminology, nutrition, and pathophysiology. These are some of the many tests that people took, competing to place in the top numbers. Also there were other categories like HOSA Bowl, which is basically just like Jeopardy. The SFHS team took first place. There was a category called creative problem solving, and one of our teams for this also got first place. The other cat-egories that we participated in were medical photography, job seeking skills, and prepared speaking.

About 20 students placed in at least one event. This is a huge success for the St. Francis HOSA, and they hope to bring these results to the state competitions. The following are the results for SFHS students:

Dental Terminology Second Place Tabatha Barlau

Medical Spelling First Place Nujsaubnusi Vue

Concepts of Health Care Fourth Place Amanda Mogensen

Medical Terminology Third Place Nujsaubnusi VueFourth Place Heather HolzknechtFifth Place Brady Mueller

Nutrition Test First Place Nujsaubnusi VueSecond Place Traona Vang Fourth Place Trevor McQuay,

Billy BertelsFifth Place Ashley Pine,

Brittany Puchalski, Karlie Huebner

Pathophysiology First Place Brittany Eich Second Place Brady Mueller

Medical Photography First Place Kayla Tuttle Third Place Paige Jochum

Job Seeking Skills First Place Nathan Lipinski Second Place Holly Russell

Prepared Speaking Second Place Jakki Thompson

Creative Problem Solving

First Place Kalli Haapoja, Chase McCargar, Amanda Schinzel, Nathan Lipinski

HOSA Bowl First Place Jakki Thompson, Brittany Eich, Ashley Vang, Zach Eich

Fourth Place Brea Squire, Sheldon Beedle, Kalli Haapoja, Amanda Schinzel

Career Health Display Board

First Place Paige Jochum, Karlie Huebner

Fifth Place Kelly Herman, Bailey Hoffman

By andy BarringerSFhS STuDenT

While some students are on the fast track to fail-

ure, others, like the ones in Mr. Lee Erickson’s college al-gebra class, are paving a path of success with hard work and dedication. Erickson is known to some students as the Teacher On Fire. This title comes from the movie Man On Fire. Of course, he fully approves of this name.

Erickson has been teaching college algebra at St. Francis High School for five years. On the morning of a test stu-dents have been coming in early to study. “Since the first day students starting coming in, it has just kept growing and growing,” said Erickson. There have been significant changes in terms of numbers of students that participate, in the past two years specifi-cally. “During the first few years, I could expect six to ten students to show up in the morning. In the past two years, however, the num-bers have really started to increase,” said Erickson. He started making this option available to promote student interest in putting in the time to be successful.

“The original start of this was when the students in my col-lege trigonometry class came in to study on the morning of a test,” said Erickson. Erick-son brings in five different types of juices, granola bars, bananas, soup and other various nutritional snacks for students to eat as they study. The money for these snacks comes straight out of Erick-son’s pocket.

“I really like going in early because I can brush up on the material,” said senior Elliot Olsen. According to the sign in sheet some dedicated stu-dents have arrived as early as 5:38 a.m. to begin studying. Erickson has reported that as many as 61 students have participated on the morning of a test.

When students come in, they have fun while work-

Math room 116 overflows with studentsing in teams and using study guides to fine tune their math skills. “Math test scores have increased with students as well,” said Erickson. Students like senior Jessie Biser agree, “I think going in early and studying definitely helped my scores on the tests.”

Erickson gets to school at 5:00 am each morning. He has been teaching at SFHS for 28 years.

“I love my job. When students come in and want to succeed, it really makes my job worthwhile,” said Erickson. |

students overflow in lee erickson’s classroom from 5:38 a.m. and on, studying for their test in college algebra. students who come in want to succeed, have fun with friends and eat snacks provid-ed by erickson. SubmiTTeD phoTo

ConTinueD on page 30» College MatH


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Clinic Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.Walk-in Urgent Care Hours: Monday-Friday 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Dr. Deidre Daniels, M.D. Mark Shoemaker, PA-C

CeDar Creek CommuniTy SChooL

tradition continued as the specialists at Cedar Creek Community school performed a show for all students the last day before win-ter break. the performance included a taiko drum routine, a sto-ry, a couple of songs, as well as the famous slide show of students here at CCCs. a fun day was had by all!

SubmiTTeD by LinDa Dorman, CCCS muSiC TeaCher

Cedar Creek Community school students are using discovery education to learn about Mexico and spanish in Mrs. Hanson’s fourth grade technology classes. discovery education, new to CCCs this year, allows students to view short, educational videos.

SubmiTTeD by margie hanSon, CCCS TeChnoLogy & maTh SpeCiaLiST

By patriCia norBergCCCS pTo preSiDenT

On January 12 the Ce-dar Creek Communi-ty School PTO spon-

sored Family Reading Night in the media center. CCCS teachers Carol Krupke and Christine Tauer each read

a Fancy Nancy book. There were over 20 students and their parents who partici-pated in this fun event which also included accelerated reading testing and draw-ings for door prizes. This is a terrific opportunity to bring CCCS families together and for parents to listen to their child read a story. Remember

to mark your calendars as the PTO looks forward to seeing you at the next Family Read-ing Night on Tuesday, March 9. The final event for the school year will be Tuesday, April 13. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. and concludes at 7:30 p.m. We hope you can at-tend this fun family event. |

Family Reading Night a success

reading teachers Carol krupke and Christine tauer from Cedar Creek Community school put on their “fancy stuff” and read a couple of Fancy Nancy books by Jane o’Connor to students and their parents on January 12. lori deCourcy will be reading on tuesday, March 9, at 6:00 p.m. and Carol krupke and Christine tauer will be back again on april 13, at 6:00 p.m., the last Fam-ily reading night of the year. accelerated reader testing is also available on those nights.

SubmiTTeD by CaroL krupke, CCCS reaDing TeaCher

winter carnival set for March 20suBMitted By Cedar Creek CoMMunity sCHool pto

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for Saturday, March 20 as Cedar Creek Communi-ty School PTO will hold their annual winter carnival at the school. The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

There are many fun carni-val games for kids to play such as fish pond, ring toss, bingo, goody walk, basket-ball shoot-out, mystery box, sucker pull, moon walks, etc. We typically have 15 to 18 games available, depending on how many volunteers we have assigned to the games.

We’ll also have a silent auc-tion for themed baskets

ConTinueD on page 31» winter Carnival See more Cedar Creek Community School articles on Page 31.

School board meetings are held at the Community Room in the Central Services Center located at 4115 Ambassador Blvd. NW, St. Francis.

Monday,�February�8

Dialogue with School Board 6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m.

Monday,�February�22


Monday,�March�8


Amy Kelly, Chair 763-753-4282

Harry Grams, Vice Chair 763-856-4350

Joe Haag, Clerk 763-753-6298

David Anderson, Director 763-434-9457

Sandy Grams, Director 763-434-7564

Marsha Van Denburgh, Director, 763-753-6653

Mark Vogel, Director 763-213-1237

Email schoolboard@

stfrancis.k12.mn.us

SChooL boarD meeTing SCheDuLe

SChooL boarD memberS

SChooL boarD highLighTS January 11, 2010

By aliCia loeHleinSTaFF wriTer

Oath�of�office�and�officers

Newly elected and re-elected members of the Independent School District 15 School Board took the oath of of-fice. Board chair Amy Kelly delivered the oath to Harry Grams, Marsha Van Den-burgh and David Anderson. In other board business, Amy Kelly was again voted board chair, Joe Haag was voted clerk, Mark Vogel treasurer and Harry Grams vice chair.

East�Bethel�Community�School�Site�Report

East Bethel Community School Principal Angie Scardigli and Technology Integration Specialist Collin Minshull demonstrated the SMART Response interactive assessment system. The tool can be used for testing and review. Questions are presented to the class via a laptop screen projection and students submit answers with a handheld “clicker.” Teachers get immediate feedback and visual displays of results.

Scardigli also talked about the school’s program to im-prove math comprehension. They utilize class wide peer tutoring. Students teach each other math skills in three-week units. Scardigli said the students love the program and are actively engaged in improving their scores.

Crossroads�School�&�Vocational�Center�Site�Report

Brock Libby of Crossroads gave a brief overview of ac-tivities at the school that fo-cus on reading programs, speakers on diversity, and community service such as food drives and the land-scaping program’s wreath and plant sales.

HOSA�Overview

Members of the St. Francis High School Health Occu-

dave andersonsCHool Board perspeCtive

It is Thursday afternoon, my article for The Courier is ready to finalize. My choice for topic should be good because almost all of my recent meetings have included this topic: technology in education within Independent School District 15.

What’s this on the kitchen table? The January issue of The Cou-rier. One quick look at it and then I’ll finish this article. Superin-tendent’s Corner, page 3, yes the topic is technology. I shouldn’t be surprised; technology is one of the most talked about sub-jects in our schools today.

Recently the school board had a presentation on some technol-ogy that is used in our elementary classrooms. The presenta-tion showed the benefits of this learning tool along with the interactive nature of the SMART Board learning process. I have been involved in two recent staff meetings where both admin-istrators and teachers are discussing the use of computer pro-grams (Plato) that can individualize curriculum study guides for students.

These programs can be set up for those individual students who need help in certain curriculum areas. I have listened to teachers who have used SMART Boards and document cam-eras with students who have been difficult to reach with con-ventional educational instruction, but have embraced learning and are making strides in their education by the use of the new tools of technology.

Administrators and teachers have shared stories of fellow staff members who were not very excited about the new technol-ogy programs. Some of these staff are now the ones exclaiming the attributes of these technology tools and are expanding their teaching abilities by utilization of the Internet and other inter-active teaching programs.

One administrator explained it this way, “SMART Boards, doc-ument cameras, and other interactive technology tools are not a replacement for the educational process but rather an enhance-ment for teachers to expand their teaching capabilities.”

This district has planned and worked to integrate technology into our classrooms. Fast forward to Friday and I am with two fellow board members and Superintendent Saxton; we are at-tending the Minnesota School Board Association annual Lead-ership Conference. This year’s theme, “Doing the Right Thing for Kids,” is about making the best decisions for kids—even during difficult financial times.

This is a conference that allows for networking with fellow school board members and administrators from around the state. There were many good work sessions and round-table discussions to share ideas and to relay information from both the federal and state educational departments. Keynote speaker for Friday’s session was Bryan Townsend, a nationally-known humorist who weaves comedy through a serious message.

Townsend’s address, “Making Good Things Happen,” had a resounding theme that was repeated. “Good things don’t hap-pen by accident—it takes people to take the time to plan and then to work hard to make their plans work,” stated Townsend.

This district is full of hard working people—parents, commu-nity members, and employees. District staff and community members are working together to make plans to keep educa-tion a priority for the children in our community. In the words of Pastor Dan Nordin of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in East Bethel, “We all have special gifts and hidden treasures within ourselves. We can all make a difference for the common good.”

Let’s continue to work together, to work our plans for the fu-ture, the future of our kids in Independent School District 15.

School Board Highlights9www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2010

pations Students of Amer-ica student group gave the board an overview of their club. The group has become the largest academic student group at SFHS. They conduct fundraisers and community events throughout the year. The group also has much suc-cess sending representatives to state and national confer-ences.

SChooL boarD highLighTS January 25, 2010

By katHleen MillerSTaFF wriTer

School�closing,�late�start�follow-up

St. Francis police contacted St. Francis High School Prin-cipal Paul Neubauer early Monday, January 25 to report there was graffiti painted on several exterior doors to the school. “Mass bomb 1-25-10” was a message on some of the doors. The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office was called and the investigation division, including canine units, was dispatched. A two-hour delay to the start of the school day was announced. After learning that the in-vestigation team would need more time to clear the build-ing, school was cancelled at the high school. Bussing and

food services provide ser-vices across the district; with the closing of the high school, St. Francis Middle School, Crossroads School, and Tran-sition 15 were also closed for the day. The two-hour delay remained in effect for all K-5 students. After school and evening activities were can-celled. The incident is under investigation by the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office. All ISD 15 students returned to school as scheduled on Tuesday, January 26. Discus-sion regarding the flow of communication to parents, students, and staff was ad-dressed. The discussion will continue at the board level and throughout the district. New methods of communi-cation will be reviewed along with improving the methods that are in place today to bet-ter serve the community.

Two SFHS students ad-dressed the school board dur-ing consideration of visitors. Junior Zachary Knutson, a member of the student coun-cil and the student represen-tative on the Site Manage-ment Council, commended the leadership at the high school. The damage caused to the high school by one or a few individuals result-ing in media attention is not the kind of attention SFHS deserves. Knutson went on to say that SFHS is a great school in a good community and we should continue to keep things in balance. Soph-omore Cameron Ferguson was upset with the mixed messages he was getting. Was school cancelled for the day or was it a two-hour de-lay? The school closing line was not operating correctly, which has been addressed.

State�reporting�to�delay�payments�to�school�districts

Education funding was addressed in several of the reports. Business Office

newly elected and re-elected school board members of indepen-dent school district 15 took the oath of office at the January 11 meeting. pictured above (l-r): Board Chair amy kelly delivers the oath to Harry grams, Marsha van denburgh and david anderson. The Courier phoTo

ConTinueD on page 30» sCHool Board HigHligHts

District 15 eNewskeep up-to-date on the latest district news just by checking your inbox. This free e-newsletter will be sent out 1-2 times per month featuring announcements and highlights from the district, schools, and departments.

Sign up at: www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us Click on: District – District 15 eNews

10 tHe CouRieR | feBRuaRy 2010 WWW.tHe-CouRieR.oRGCommunity Education

Bright BeginningsBright Beginnings in ISD 15 Early ChildhoodCall ECFE at 763-753-7170 for more information or to register for any of the opportunities on this page.Lifelong Learning Center • 18900 Cedar Drive NW, Oak Grove

Thinking about preschool for your child in the 2010-11 school year?

Preschool Place 15 School Readiness…for families

with children ages 3 to Kindergarten

Helping preschoolers learn and parents be partners in learning

Preschool Place 15 Registration for 2010-11 is coming!

Watch your mail in February for the preschool registration

booklet. Then register by Thursday, February 25 for the

best selection of classes.

The mission of Preschool Place 15 is to provide a safe

environment where your children of all abilities can grow and

experience success and their parents can be partners in learning.

Programming takes place September through May

• Morning and afternoon sessions available

• One, two or three times per week

• Several age specific class options

• Sliding fee scale is available based on family

size and income

• Busing available for some classes

Preschool Place 15 PreviewA time for preschoolers (as of 9/1/10) and their parents

to get a taste of Preschool Place 15. Play a bit, experience

typical classroom activities, talk to teachers, and learn

about curriculum… then you’ll have the information to

decide about registration for the 2010-11 school year.

No sibling care available for younger/older children.

No need to pre-register.

Date: Saturday, February 20

Time: 10:00-11:30 a.m.Location: Lifelong Learning Center

Fee: Free

Do you have a child who will be a Kindergartner this fall?

Be sure they have gone through Early Childhood Screening

Last appointment before fall is March 2. CALL 763-753-7187 NOW for an appointment.Early childhood screening should be done soon after the child’s third birthday. Screening is a FREE, simple check of a young child’s health and development; it does not

determine kindergarten readinessScreening includes: a developmental assessment vision and hearing checks immunization and health review

Call 763-753-7187 now if you have a 3 or 4-year-old child who has not been screened.

Attention All Dads!Beat those long winter weekends and share quality time with your young children. Activities chosen especially for dads and children ages 2-6 years of age to enjoy together.

Dads ‘N Me Saturdays: Roll It, Catch It, Kick ItUse a variety of different sports equipment to participate in these fun and unique activities with your child.Date: Saturday, February 6Time: 9:30-11:00 a.m.Fee: $4 per child; max $12 per

family (limit of 4 children/adult)

Deadline: Thursday, February 4

Dads ’N Me Saturdays: Slice It, Mix It, Shred ItCome and try out your kitchen skills. You’ll even cook your very own snack to have at the end of classDate: Saturday, February 27Time: 9:30-11:00 a.m.Fee: $4 per child; max $12 per

family (limit of 4 children/adult)

Deadline: Thursday, February 25

Celebrating Baby SaturdayA special Celebrating Baby for all those babies born in 2009! If you missed Celebrating Baby when your child was tiny or if you’ve wondered about ECFE, here’s a special bash just for you. Enjoy songs, get helpful hints, and meet others who are parenting a baby.Date: Saturdays, February 20 & 27 Time: 9:45-11:15 a.m.Fee: FREE

Family Fun Morning and NightEarly Childhood Family Education has a variety of times you and your young children can come and play with us!Fee for each event: $4 per child per time; maximum $12 or three punches per family (limit 4 children/adult)Location: Lifelong Learning CenterPop In and PlayTime: 9:30-11:00 a.m.Days: Now-March 23Dates and Themes:February 9: Messy MomentsFebruary 16: I Love You!February 23: In the JungleMarch 2: Family & Friends

Marvelous MondaysTime: 6:30-8:00 p.m.Dates: Mondays, February 8, March 8

April 12

Make Way for Learning: Teddy Bear MathDates: Wednesdays, February 17 & 24Time: 12:45-2:45 p.m.Fee: $8 per child or two punchesBring your favorite bear because we’re going to need them to do our teddy bear math. Count, sort, compare and pattern in this exciting class. This class is for children three to five years of age and is for children only. This class is designed to reinforce early skills that are the building blocks for budding readers, math whizzes and scientists.

Children’s MuseumDate: Friday, March 12Time: Bus leaves LLC at 9:15 a.m.

returns by 1:45 p.m.Fee: $7 per personDeadline: Friday, March 5Two hours of exploration in six play-filled, hands-on galleries! After a brief orientation, you and your child(ren) may explore the museum on your own. Bring a bag lunch which you will eat before getting back on the bus. Fee includes admission and transportation.

For Parents Only!Brain Development and GenderThursday, February 186:30-8:00 p.m.$3 per person/$5 per coupleUnderstanding brain development is key to understanding the differences between boys and girls. By considering early brain development, adults who care for children can discipline effectively, support and respond appropriately, and prepare boys and girls for success in school and life. Presenter: Vicki Thrasher Cronin, licensed parent educator and advocate.Deadline to register for this workshop is Tuesday, February 16.

How many times do I have to tell you?Thursday, February 256:30-8:00 p.m.$3 per person/$5 per coupleDo you find yourself yelling, threatening, and pleading with your children and they still won’t listen to you? This class will explore common barriers often used which discourage communication. Replace the barriers with builders which will promote communication and cooperation. Presenter: Janice Hofshulte, licensed parent educator and college instructorDeadline to register for this workshop is Tuesday, February 23.

We’re Making a Family Connection

Attention All Dads!

Family Connection

ECFE is:• A place for babies

• A place for toddlers

• A place for preschoolers

• A place for all dads, moms

and other relatives in a

parenting role.

See all classes at www.stfrancis.k12.mn.usCall 763-763-7170 for fees and registration information

Plan your year with ECFE!Register now for parents/child classes! New classes beginning now!

Find class offerings in the Learn & Thrive brochure or visit us online at www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us to register for any classes, special events or field trips.

This father and son enjoyed one of the Dads ’N Me Saturdays at the Lifelong Learning Center. SUBMITTED PHOTOThis father and son enjoyed one of the Dads ’N Me Saturdays at This father and son enjoyed one of the Dads ’N Me Saturdays at This father and son enjoyed one of the Dads ’N Me Saturdays at This father and son enjoyed one of the Dads ’N Me Saturdays at This father and son enjoyed one of the Dads ’N Me Saturdays at

Early Childhood Advisory Garage Sale tags go on sale February 8-26 and

March 15 until gone!Garage Sale will be held Saturday, April 10 from

9:00 a.m.-noon at St. Francis ElementaryHere is your opportunity to clean out those closets and make some extra cash and support the early childhood

programs in your community. The Early Childhood Advisory Council will keep 15 percent of sales.

Shop early by volunteering at the sale. Sign up to volunteer when you purchase your sale tags. Questions?

Call Lisa at 763-413-3351 or Cynthia at 763-753-7178

Early Childhood Advisory Council

16th Annual Children’s

Used Clothing & Toy Sale

Community eduCation ContaCt info

director: tom Larson ................................................................763-753-7041

adult Basic education (Ged) .................................................763-753-7190Sandy farder, Coordinator/instructor

adult education & Services ...................................................763-213-1640 drivers education/Behind the Wheel nancy messerschmidt, manager

Communications & district Web Site Kathleen miller ........................................................................763-753-7042

The Courier newspaper ...........................................................763-753-7031Kathleen miller, editor ..........................................................763-753-7042Pat Johnson, Graphics ..........................................................763-753-7025alicia Loehlein, Staff Writer, Billing ..................................763-753-7033Janice audette, advertising ...............................................763-753-7032

facility Scheduling nancy messerschmidt ..........................................................763-213-1589

family education & Services .................................................763-753-7170nancy Wallace, Program Supervisor

Kids Connection theresa antinozzi, manager ..............................................763-213-1616Kids Connection Lifelong Learning Center Site..........763-753-7160Kids Connection St. francis elementary Site ...............763-213-8674

Preschool Place 15 ....................................................................763-753-7170nancy Wallace, Program Supervisor

Rec department diane Guinn, manager .........................................................763-213-1823Heidi antinozzi, Rec assistant ...........................................763-213-1508

Sandhill Center for the arts theresa antinozzi, manager ..............................................763-213-1616

www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us www.the-courier.org

11WWW.tHe-CouRieR.oRG tHe CouRieR | feBRuaRy 2010 Community Education

FITNESS for all!We offer plenty of ways for you to get in shape, so you’ll never be

bored with working out. We have two treadmills, two elliptical trainers, two stationary bikes and a Nautilus four station weight machine.

Relaxed atmosphere – senior citizens are encouraged to attend!

Socialize after your workout in our conference room.

Only $2 per visit and no membership fees

Call today for more information, Theresa at 763.213.1616 or email [email protected]

Fitness 15 • Sandhill Center23820 Dewey StreetBethel, MN 55005

HoursM, W ,F 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. • T, Th 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

23820 dewey Street Bethel, mn 55005

The Sandhill Center Lunch Bunch has a new line-up for winter and spring.

Take a peek at what is coming up next.

Most shows sell out quickly. Reservations must be made prior to the event. Reserve your seat early by calling 763-213-1641 and use your Visa, MasterCard or Discover. Reservations can also be made on the web site at www.communityed15.com.

Or mail your registration to: Lunch Bunchc/o Sandhill Center for the Arts4115 Ambassador Blvd.St. Francis, MN 55070

Groups are welcome!For more information about Sandhill

Center for the Arts, call 763-213-1616.

Sandhill Center for the Arts is a division of ISD 15 Community Education & Services

Sandhill gift ShopArtwork is displayed on a rotating basis, so you never know what you may find.

Open Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Lunch BunchJoin Lunch Bunch at Sandhill Center in the Bethel Cabaret for the monthly catered luncheon

with entertainment from popular artists.

Showtime: 11:00 a.m.Cost: $12

CODA tuesday, february 9

CODA is a saxophone/keyboard duo, con-sisting of Scott Dorff on soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones, and Malcolm Anderson on piano/keyboard. This duo is in its 13th year of performing live in many diverse venues for thousands of people. They continue to compose and arrange music weekly, striving to make each performance unique and pleasurable for their audience.

Next Shows:Tuesday, March 9 Mary HallTuesday, April 13 Red JohnsonTuesday, May 11 Angie Senger

CelebrationsBy Sandy FarderaduLt BaSiC eduCation CooRdinatoR

While many of you were celebrating a variety of win-

ter holidays, my students at Adult Basic Education had additional reasons to rejoice. Already this school year, 13 students have either passed the GED exam or earned their diplomas. Seven of those stu-dents have enrolled in post-secondary programs at local colleges.

In addition, many of our students have demonstrated great progress in their pursuit of heightened academic abil-ity. The majority of our stu-dents need to improve their math skills because without regular use those skills are easily forgotten. Fractions seem to be the nemesis of many adults, but with our one-on-one tutoring, even fractions are quickly and eas-ily mastered.

It is not unusual to see a stu-dent progress from review-ing fractions to working on algebra in just a few weeks. Watching someone’s confi-

dence grow as math comes more and more easily is cer-tainly one of the many re-wards of working with adult learners with strong motiva-tion. Often people who once floundered in high school, now find themselves bet-ter prepared and mentally ready to embrace learning. A program that allows for individualized educational plans certainly creates more confidence and less anxiety in learners.

Some individuals work all day, then come to school for three hours. Some come to school all day, go home to make dinner for their fami-lies, then return to school for our evening class. Some, be-cause of work or family com-mitments, can only make it to school once or twice a week. Because we have such flex-ible hours and attendance requirements, adults can al-ways find some time in their schedules for school. We even have some online programs for study in a variety of areas.

We are enrolling an increas-ing number of adults in our program who are prepar-ing to take college entrance exams or just honing their skills to ensure greater suc-

Pictured are some of the students, staff and volunteers who par-ticipated in the aBe holiday celebration. The management at St. Francis Foods, who consistently demonstrate a true apprecia-tion for the efforts of our adult learners and the adult Basic edu-cation program, contributed a beautiful cake to our event.

SuBmitted PHoto

cess once they get to college. With so many unemployed in our society right now, we also serve some individuals who simply want to improve their basic skills to increase their eligibility for prospective jobs. Whether unemploy-ment provides an unexpect-ed opportunity to register in training classes or college, or creates a need to increase one’s employability, we can help you.

Our students range in age from 16 to 80 and, regardless of the age, all bring some-

thing valuable to the class-room environment. Whether it is life experience, a sense of humor, a gift for inspiring others, or even a great recipe for guacamole, we all tend

to benefit from each other in some way—teachers and students alike. There is defi-nitely a sense of camaraderie that develops among all the students in our classroom. They may be here for differ-ent reasons or with different goals, but all are here to learn and better themselves and their lives.

If you have been considering some type of academic en-richment, we just may have the program you have been seeking. We will happily an-swer any questions you may have about ABE or about our site, specifically. It never hurts to inquire, and you very well may discover an environ-ment in which you and your dreams can flourish.

Call Adult Basic Education at 763-753-7190. Your future is in your hands. |

Community & Business12 the�courier�|�February�2010� www.the-courier.org

3¢ O� Per Gallon of GasAll GradesMust pay inside. Expires 3/2/10. Not good with any other offers. Limit one coupon per visit.

22945 Lake George Blvd. St. Francis

763-753-6848

13725 Crosstown Dr. NWAndover

763-754-2526

NOTICE TO ALL CITY OF ST. FRANCISPROPERTY OWNERS

PER CITY CODE–REMOVE ICE AND SNOW ON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS

WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER ICE AND SNOW HAS CEASED.

PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF ST. FRANCIS

55+ driver improvement Program off ered

Th e Minnesota Highway Safety Center will be off ering a 55+ Driver Improvement Course on the following days:

4-Hour Refresher CourseAnoka Tech College

AnokaFebruary 17–OR– March 24

5:00-9:00p.m.Nowthen Alliance Church

AnokaFebruary 24–OR–March 29

11:30a.m.-3:30p.m.Anoka Senior Center

AnokaMarch 26

1:00-5:00p.m.National Sports Center/

Schwan CenterBlaine

February 1510:00a.m.-2:00p.m.

Trinity Lutheran ChurchSt.Francis

February 25–OR– March 295:30-9:30p.m.

8-Hour Full CourseConnexus Energy

Anoka/RamseyFebruary 10 & 11Noon-4:00p.m.

Andover Senior CenterAnoka/Andover

February 23 & 24 • 5:30-9:30p.m.–OR–

March 30 & 31 • 9:00a.m.-1:00p.m.National Sports Center/

SCHWAN CenterBlaine

February 13•9:00a.m.-6:00p.m.

Th eDriverImprovementcourseisopentothepublic;however,pre-registrationisrequested.AMNHighwaySafety&ResearchCentercertifiedinstructorteachesthisclass.Driversafety,confidenceandcomfort are enhanced by utilizing the most up-to-date researchin the field, including the latest visual scanning and steeringtechniques, anti-lock braking (ABS) skills, airbag information,driverdistraction,roadrageandnewvehicletechnology.Personsage55andolderwhocomplete thecoursequalify fora10%discounton theirauto insurancepremiums for threeyears,accordingtoMinnesotalaw.Firsttimeparticipantsmustcompleteaneight-hourcourse.Repeatpersonsarerequiredtotakeafourhourrefreshercourse.Approximatesavingsof$300.

For more information

or to register call toll free

1-888-234-1294

“Our Quality Will Floor You”

Custom & Prefi nished Hardwood FloorsNew or Remodel

Installation • Sanding • FinishingPoly or Waterbased Urethane

Free Estimates 763.856.6262Bill Nelson Cell 763.753.0770

Custom & Prefi nished Hardwood Floors

Cart to Cupboard is a non-profi t program offering

affordable delivery of groceries, frozen prepared meals, library materials and more to seniors living anywhere

in Isanti County.

If you or someone you know is interested in our services, call 763-552-9222 or

visit www.carttocupboard.com to learn more.

Everyone knows a senior,everyone should know Cart to Cupboard!

This project is funded in part by the Initiative Foundation, a regional foundation; in part under contract with the Central Minnesota Council on Aging as part of the Older Americans Act; and

in part by a Community Service/Community Services Development (CS/SD) Grant from the Department of Human Services (DHS) and supported by AmeriCorps VISTA.

Both hands on the wheel

SuBmITTEd By KrISTI EWENvice�presiDent�oF�sales,�miracle�eXpress�inc.�anD�member�oF�the�minnesota�trucKing�association

Commercial trucking is a critical link between Anoka County and the rest of Min-nesota and the country. Each year, Miracle Express Inc. moves tons of goods throughout our region. De-spite the hundreds of miles logged, trucking is one of the safest transport options.

In fact, truck-related crashes have signifi cantly decreased over the past decade. Data released by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety for 2008 recorded 6.2 percent fewer related crashes com-pared to 2007. In addition, the number of truck-related fatalities dropped from 90 in 2007 to 74 in 2008. That’s nearly an 18 percent decrease in the number of deaths in-volving a large truck in one year.

As a member of the Minne-sota Trucking Association (MTA), our commitment to improving driver safety through education and train-ing has helped make com-mercial truck drivers among the safest drivers on Min-nesota roads. Each year we strive to make Minnesota roads safer and to share the road with other motorists in a responsible way.

In 2010, Miracle Express Inc. is making a commitment to help reduce distracted driv-ing by taking part in the MTA’s year-long, “Keep Both Hands on the Wheel,” cam-paign. We are urging drivers to avoid using hand-held mo-bile devices and to minimize eating while driving, as well as other activities that take their hands off the wheel and their attention off the road.

Road accidents not only cost lives, they directly im-pact family, businesses, and the state through increased insurance and other costs. The trucking industry has an invested interest in each community its drivers pass through, which is why safety remains our fi rst priority. We hope other motorists will join Minnesota truckers in keep-ing both hands on the wheel so we all can reach our desti-nations safely.

A series of Saturday author events at Anoka County LibrarySuBmITTEd By moNICA CAmPBELLanoKa�county�library

Winter Jackets is an annual program encouraging adults to cel-ebrate the simple joys of reading. Helping to celebrate Winter Jackets this year, Anoka County Library will have visits from must-read local authors MaryJanice Davidson, Brian Freeman, and Julie Kramer. These events will be held at the Northtown Library at 2:00 p.m. in a series of Saturdays in February.

Brian Freeman, visiting February 6, is the international best-selling author of psychological suspense novels set in Duluth, featuring detectives Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial. His debut thriller, Immoral, won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel.

Julie Kramer, visiting February 20, is a national award-winning former investigative producer for WCCO-TV, and currently works as a freelance television producer for NBC News. Her fast-paced mysteries feature Riley Spartz, a Minneapolis TV in-vestigative reporter. Her debut novel, Stalking Susan, won the 2009 Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction.

MaryJanice Davidson, visiting February 27, is the creator of the clever and amusing Undead series featuring Betsy Taylor, a 30 year old shoe-lover who wakes up dead after a car accident, and ends up as the queen of a local vampire community. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Davidson also writes the Mermaid Novel series and the Alaskan Royal Family series.

These Saturday author events are free and open to the public. Events are cosponsored by MELSA (Metropolitan Library Ser-vice Association).

For more information about Winter Jackets or these author events, call 763-717-3267 or visit your local Anoka County Li-brary or the web site at www.anoka.lib.mn.us.

St. Francis mayor Jerry Tveit announces Greg Walter of East Bethel as the raffl e winner of a 2010 Polaris snowmobile at the St. Fran-cis Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner held January 22 at The refuge Gold Club in oak Grove. Thank you to the many busi-nesses and members who helped make the evening a success.

THE COURIER�photo

13www.the-courier.org� the�courier�|�February�2010 Community

Life is full of change.Has your insurance kept up?

An outdated policy could mean costly policy gaps or overlaps. To know for sure, call me for a free, no-obligation Personal Insurance Review.

Mary L Dresch Agency3747 Bridge StreetSt. Francis, MN 55070 [email protected]

American Family Life Insurance Company and its SubsidiariesHome Office – Madison, WI 53783www.amfam.com

© 2006 002138 – 3/06

Andover YMCA Community Center15200 Hanson Blvd. 763-230-9622ymcatwincities.org

Fitness, Fun,Friends.Join today.

Meeting Your Comfort NeedsSales • Service • Installation

763-434-8893 21461 Aberdeen Street NE763-413-4665 Fax East Bethel, MN 55011

www.heatingandcoolingsolutions.net

ChildCare Center23256 St. Francis Blvd. NW • St. Francis

763-753-5010 • www.kidscountrychildcare.comProudly accepting Child Care Assistance

Register now and receive the 4th week FREE!

New registrations only, must present ad. Expires 3/2/10.

Oak Ridge Auto Body Inc.

23428 Hwy. 65 NE2 Blks S of CR 24 on Hwy 65

763-434-4772

East Bethel Auto Body Inc.

2817 E. Viking Blvd.Next to E. Bethel Fire Station

763-434-7373

Friendly and dependable serviceCollision speCialists

Recommended by insurance companiesAsk about a free loaner car • Owners John and Lori Buchta

The Minnesota State Legisla-ture is set to convene on Feb-ruary 4. We face a $1.2 billion deficit and a slate of impor-tant issues. Before heading to St. Paul, I wanted to share with you a few thoughts on this session’s top issues.

The budget and the economy are clearly atop the legisla-ture’s priority list. Over the past 40 years, state budgets have grown an average of 20 percent each budget cycle—outpacing measures includ-ing the consumer price index and population growth. It is clear that we cannot keep on this trend, and that steps must be taken to reform and refine state government and government spending. By lis-tening to our citizens, priori-tizing, and partnering com-mon sense with innovation, we can have a government that is responsive, effective, and financially sound.

As we work to solve our bud-get problem, there is agree-ment on all sides for the need to work for job growth and economic development. The past year has presented families and job providers with challenges unlike any-

greetings�From�the�capitalBY tom HackBartH state�rep.�District�48a

thing we have recently ex-perienced. The good news, however, is that several in-dicators show the recovery is underway. At the legislature, we must look for ways to aid that recovery.

From Medtronic to the start-ups on Main Street, Minneso-ta is home to hard-working, forward thinking businesses. Given the right tools, Minne-sotans can achieve renewed economic opportunity and prosperity. Investment incen-tives, research credits, and tax and regulatory relief are just three examples of reforms to help Minnesota job providers and families realize economic recovery and job growth.

Lastly, I want to touch on the environment and natural re-sources. We need smart envi-ronmental policy that gives Minnesotans the opportunity to enjoy our great outdoor experiences while ensuring

the same will be available for generations to come. We also need to prioritize and rethink the regulatory process—work with businesses and farms on fair environmental policy, rather than constrain and then punish them. With common sense as our guide, we can achieve environmen-tal policy that works for all Minnesotans.

The legislature certainly faces a challenging set of issues this session. From our budget to the economy and many other issues, there is much work to be done. But a positive ap-proach can bring a positive outcome. We can achieve the results our state needs and our citizens deserve.

Rep. Hackbarth is the state rep-resentative for House District 48A which includes Elk River, Nowthen, Oak Grove, Bethel and East Bethel.

green�acres�“fixes”�and�the�future�of�family�farms�

For 40 years the Green Acres program ensured that our family farms could continue from generation to genera-tion, safe from rising prop-erty taxes caused by specula-tion, development pressures and runaway land values.

Unexpectedly in 2008, the leg-islature made major changes to the program. Land reclas-sifications chopped up family farms into multiple taxable parcels. This combined with confusing back-tax payment policies precipitated unfore-seen challenges. The pass-ing-on of farm land to future generations became nearly impossible—exactly the op-posite of Green Acres’ origi-nal purpose.

Immediately, local farmers contacted me with stories of the changes ill-effects. Many said they simply would not be able to keep their farms. This year, area residents saw property tax increases of as much as 300 percent, while confusion over the program continued.

The DFL leadership says that they will not take up the Green Acres issue again in 2010, meaning that Green Acres as we have known it for 40 years is over. As it stands today, these are the options outlined by the Min-nesota Department of Rev-enue if your farm is currently enrolled in Green Acres:

Option 1: You may withdraw some or all of your class 2b rural vacant land before May 1, 2010, without any payback of deferred taxes. Your prop-erty will be assessed at its estimated market value for the 2010 assessment for taxes payable in 2011.

Option 2: You may leave some or all of your class 2b rural vacant land enrolled in Green Acres until 2013. Be-fore or at that time, you may enroll the class 2b land in the new Rural Reserve Program without any payback of de-ferred taxes. Class 2b prop-erty that was grandfathered into Green Acres after May 1, 2010, or that is part of an agricultural homestead may be enrolled in the Rural Pre-serve Program beginning with the 2011 assessment for taxes payable in 2012. Please refer to Fact Sheet 15 for ad-ditional information on the Rural Preserve Program.

Option 3: You may leave some or all of your class 2b land in Green Acres. Begin-ning with the 2013 assess-ment, the assessor will re-move all class 2b land from Green Acres and collect three years deferred taxes. That land will be valued at its mar-ket value for the 2013 assess-

legislative�upDateBY roB Eastlund state�rep.�District�17a

ment and beyond.

Even if Green Acres is not brought back on the table in 2010, I am not giving up on protecting our family farm-ers. Alongside rural legisla-tors from both parties, I will continue to do everything I can to protect our family farms and rural landscape. If you need information or as-sistance, there are resources in the county and associations who can help. And as your representative, I will always work on behalf of our rural heritage and shared values.

Resources:Isanti County Assessment Team .................. 763-689-2752

Minnesota Farm Bureau ............... 651-768-2100

Minnesota Farmers Union .................651-639-1223

Rep. Eastlund represents District 17A which includes the cities of Cambridge, Isanti, and North Branch

Time is hopping by and Easter will soon be here. We will feature Lent and Easter services in the

March 3 issue of The Courier.

Please call Janice with your ad information by February 12 at 763-753-7032

or fax to 763-753-4693.

14 the�courier�|�February�2010� www.the-courier.orgCommunity

Saturday, February 2710:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Isanti Intermediate School 101 9th Ave NE - Isanti

FrEE AdmISSIoN - please bring a non-perishable food item for the local food shelf.

Registration Deadline for vendors is Monday, February 15

For more information visit www.isantichamber.comClick on Event Registration

Sponsored by a committee of the Isanti Area Chamber of Commerce

CoMing Soon over 60 exhibitors! door prize drawings

3:00-4:00 p.m.

Seminars every half-hour

Grand Prize drawing

Grades K-8• Smallclasssizes• Musiclessons• Hotlunchprogram• Beforeandafterschoolcare• TransportationprovidedbyIndependent

SchoolDistrict15andreimbursementsforotherdistricts

• Integratedtechnology—newcomputerlabfor2010

• Compareourtuitioncost

Preschool•Ages3-5• Mondays,Wednesdays&Fridays• 8:45-11:45a.m.is$110/mo–or–

8:45a.m.-3:00p.m.is$195/mo• Extendeddaycareavailableuntil5:00p.m.

KinderGarten• ThreefulldaysaweekMonday,Wednesday

&Friday–or–fivefulldaysperweek

Quality Christian Education for Preschool through 8th Grade

OPEn HOusEThursday, February 18

5:00-7:00 p.m.Only 7 miles from Zimmerman,

10 miles from Princeton and St. Francis

7515 269th Avenue NW St. Francis, MN 55070 (rural Crown)

[email protected]

www.zionlutherancrown.com

Fun in the SnowIce fishing LicensesBait TackleRentals HardwareShovels SledsSmall engine Snowblowers and equipment repairBird seed and houses

763-753-1265 Fax 763-753-0350

Main Street • St. Francis

Fun In The Snow

Eagle Garage Door Co.Eagle Garage Door Co.

Residential • CommeRCial • industRial

SpringsCablesOpenersDoors

SpringsCablesOpenersDoors 763-753-2032

my�legislative�eFFortsBY mikE JungBauEr state�sen.�District�48

state�budget�woes�continue

It is a familiar scenario, ac-cording to Minnesota Man-agement and Budget (MMB), the state is facing a $1.2 bil-lion budget deficit for fiscal year 2010-11. This is on top of the $4.5 billion budget Gov-ernor Pawlenty unilaterally balanced at the end of last session through unallotment. To make matters worse MMB predicts the state is facing a whopping $5.4 billion deficit for FY 2012-13 due to ongo-ing expenditures that will ex-ceed incoming revenue by an additional $995 million.

The extended weakness in the U.S. economy is the main cause of our poor budget out-look; however, while it ap-pears that the majority of the recession is over, it will take years for real wages to rise and for businesses to begin rehiring people to the levels of two years ago. Much of the budget deficit (70 percent) is due to a reduction in income tax collections. The only posi-tive cash flow came from

an increase in corporate tax receipts and motor vehicle sales tax receipts likely due to the federal Cash for Clunkers program.

What can we expect this year?

Legislative leaders indicated that they would like to pass a $1 billion bonding bill dur-ing the first few weeks of the session; some are calling it a “jobs bill” because it would fund a lot of construction work across the state. The capitol investment bill is a funding mechanism tradi-tionally used to build and fix buildings around the state from local governments, state agencies, and universi-ties as well as storm damage prevention and wastewater treatment facilities. The main criteria for consideration is that the projects must have regional or statewide signifi-cance.

Minnesota finance officials are considering delaying aid payments to school districts this spring to avoid borrow-ing money to pay operating expenditures. This is on the heals of the $1.8 billion delay in school aid payments Gov-ernor Pawlenty enacted to help balance the budget last year. Delaying payments to schools is nothing more than an accounting gimmick and only perpetuates the prob-lem, forcing schools, in some cases, to borrow money in the short term to cover their expenditures. This is poor public policy and long term school funding changes need to be made.

Minnesota is required by law to balance the budget every two years. Last year the leg-islature did not pass a budget that the governor found ac-ceptable, so he used his statu-tory authority to balance the budget through unalottment. Once again, the use of unal-lotment is only a short term gimmick and does noth-ing to address the structural problems of our budget. It’s likely that legislation will be brought forth to reduce the governor’s statutory author-ity to use unallotment as a budget balancing tool. In addition, legislators will act quickly to try and replace funding for General Assis-

tance Medical Care (GMAC) that was cut last year; howev-er, this program, like many in the health and human services division, increase in cost expo-nentially year after year; this too needs structural change. Health and human services spending has surpassed edu-cation as the most expensive portion of the budget.

Public financing for a new Vikings stadium may have difficulty getting traction this year, in fact, a recent poll sug-gest that 65 percent of Min-nesotans oppose it. However, if a stadium were to be built on bare ground in a place like Anoka County it could offer 10 to 15 years of solid eco-nomic development where none exists today. The proj-ect could be funded entirely by the private sector and the only public dollars used would be for transportation upgrades already scheduled to be completed.

Balancing the budget will be the primary goal of the 2010 session. None of this will be easy, and will likely include cuts and fee increases. Min-nesota’s budget needs to be disassembled and restruc-tured from the ground up otherwise we will be faced with perpetual deficits. It is possible that former Sen. Dick Day’s Racino proposal could be a viable revenue generator. Polling indicates that 68 percent of Minneso-tans support slot machines at Canterbury and Running Aces. Racino could generate up to $125 million a year in revenue.

While partisan politics will be ever present this session, most legislators can agree that Minnesota’s budget is structurally flawed and per-manent solutions are needed.

Sen. Jungbauer is serving his second term in the Minnesota State Senate, serving Anoka, Bethel, Nowthen, Cedar, East Bethel, Elk River, Oak Grove, and Ramsey. He encourages and appreciates constituent input, and can be reached by phone at 651-296-3733; by mail to 121 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55115; by email to [email protected]

cub�scout�packs�167�&�521��would�like�to�announce�a

Pancake Breakfast & silent auction

Date:� saturday,�march�6

time:� 8:00-11:00�am

place:� ham�lake�vFw�� located�at�highway�65�and�� crosstown�boulevard

tickets:� $6.00�per�adult�� $4.00�for�kids�ages�12�&�under

Please join us!The public is

welcome

15www.the-courier.org� the�courier�|�February�2010 Wedding & Valentine’s Day Section

St. Francis Mall • Bridge Street in St. Francis

763-753-4988Hours: Sunday 3:00-10:00 pm • Mon-Thurs 11:00 am-11:00 pm

Fri 11:00-1:00 am • Sat 11:00-12:00 am

EvEryonE’s favoritE Pizz a • DElivEry avail ablE

Buy any large 2 or more item

pizza and get a FREE order of breadsticks

and liter of popExpires 3/2/10. One coupon per order. Good for large size

only. Void with other offers. Eat-in, take-out or delivery. Coupon good at Tasty Pizza in St. Francis.

Buy any large 2 or more item

pizza and get a FREE small (8") single item pizza

and a liter of popExpires 3/2/10. One coupon per order.

Void with other offers. Eat-in, take-out or delivery. Coupon good at Tasty Pizza in St. Francis.

Buy one pizza roll-up and get one pizza roll-up for

½ PriceExpires 3/2/10. One coupon per order. Good for large

dinner size only, must buy two. Void with other offers. Eat-in, take-out or delivery.

Coupon good at Tasty Pizza in St. Francis.

2 single item large pizzas

for only $20

Expires 3/2/10. One coupon per order. Must buy two large pizzas. Void with other offers.

Coupon good at Tasty Pizza in St. Francis.

Party Package!

Buy any ½ rack of ribs for dinner and get the second ½ rack of ribs

for only $5 Expires 3/2/10. One coupon per order. Good for large dinner size only, must buy two. Void with other offers.

Eat-in, take-out or delivery. Coupon good at Tasty Pizza in St. Francis.

try our “tasty” lunch buffEt!

Monday-Friday 11:00 am-2:00 pm

Business expoSunday, February 21

Noon to 6:00 p.m.Blainbrook Hall

11930 Central Ave NE, Blaine

Talk to vendors in the areas of: photography, floral design,

video production, DJ, jewelry, graphic design, printing,

wellness, beauty, financial resources, kitchen tools, home improvement, and more.

Flowers for the first 30

people

Hourly Prize

Drawings

Bridal & Prom Dresses

Sponsored by 763.753.4072

www.augesonphotography.com

Ice Fishing Contest

Saturday, February 6 on Long Lake in Isanti

Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. at Captain’s on Long Lake

$10 cost per pre-drilled holeThe fishing contest will be held inside a roped-off area on Long Lake.

Contest begins at 11:00 a.m. and runs until 2:00 p.m. Largest game fish: $300(mustbeMinnesotaDNRgamefish) Most fish caught: $200(minimum3fishofanyspecies) Smallest game fish: $50(mustbeMinnesotaDNRgamefish) First bullhead: $50

Ice fishing prizes awarded at Captain’s at approximately 3:00 p.m. All money prizes will be issued.

Raffle$1 per ticket First Prize: NewEskimoiceauger Second Prize: EskimoPortableFishHouse Third Prize:4ticketstoMinnesotaTwinshomegame Fourth Prize: $50giftcertificateatCaptain’sonLongLake

TheraffledrawingtobeheldatCaptain’sat3:30p.m.(Need not be present to win)

Drive 5 miles north of St. Francis on Hwy 47, turn right on 277th to Long Lake.

ThisisafundraiserfortheLongLakeImprovementAssociation.

The Isanti County Master Gardeners invite you to the

7th Annual

Saturday, March 68:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

North Isanti Baptist Church • Cambridge, MNPre-registration - $15 • Registration at door - $20

Class sizes are limited, register by Feb. 27 for best selection.

For more information, call 763-689-8253; email to [email protected] or visit

www.extension.umn.edu/county/isantiClasses Vendors

Silent AuctionDoor Prizes

Lunch

Congratulations to Greg Walter of East Bethel, winner of a 2010 Polaris IQ Shift snowmobile raffled off at the St. Francis Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner held January 22. Walter is pictured with his family at Northway Sports where they picked up their new sled. The Chamber held the raffle to celebrate the re-opening of the snowmobile trail through St. Francis along Highway 47.

photo�by�Kerby�scherer,�sFacoc�treasurer

Winter snowshoe explorationSuBmITTEd By NANCy HAuGENsherburne�national�wilDliFe�reFuge

Come explore the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge on snowshoes. Put on your winter jacket and your snow boots and join us for this activity scheduled for Saturday, Febru-ary 27. Snowshoes will be provided. Refuge volunteers experienced with snowshoeing will lead you through the

winter landscape to discover the wonders of nature in winter. If no snow is on the ground, we will take a winter hike. This program is free and open to the public.

The Morning Snowshoe Adventure, scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m., is open for families with children in second grade or older and for adult individuals. The Afternoon Snowshoe Adven-ture begins at 1:00 p.m. and is open for families with children, middle school age and older, and for adult individuals. Each program lasts two hours. Reservations are preferred. Call the refuge at 763-389-3323. Meet at the Old School House on Coun-ty Road 9, 5.5 miles west of U.S. Highway 169. This activity is cosponsored by the refuge and the Friends of Sherburne.

For more information, call 763/389-3323 or visit www.fws.gov/midwest/sherburne.

16 the�courier�|�February�2010� www.the-courier.orgWedding & Valentine’s Day Section

See you at the ISANTI AREA

BUSINESS EXPO Saturday, February 2710:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Isanti Intermediate School101 9th Avenue NE

TentsTables & Chairs

(White & Brown)Mirrored Centerpieces

ArchwaysPodium Speaker System

Dance FloorMoonwalk

Paper & Plastic Products Tablecloths & Skirts

Cloth & PlasticServing & Chafing Dishes

Salad Bar • Grills Champagne Fountains

Portable Bar 100-Cup Coffee Maker

Portable Toilets Wedding Toilets w/Sink

ISANTI RENTAL 763.444.7368 ( R E N T )North of Isanti Hardware Hank

off County Road 5www.isantirental.com

Call now to reserve.

Congratulations!We hear wedding bells

are in your future!We have beautiful grounds with a

picturesque pond for outdoor ceremonies or a perfect place for your

wedding reception!

Banquet facilities hold up to 500 peopleCamping available • Lodging close byFull kitchen, stage and banquet seating

Conveniently located on Hwy. 95 in Cambridge

Isanti County Fair Grounds & Event Center

763.689.2555www.IsantiCountyFair.com • [email protected]

Bring this ad in when you book and receive $50 off the community building rental.

120 East County Rd. 5 Suite 4 Isanti (next to Subway)

763-444-0412Tues-Fri 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Sat 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. www.shopplussizecharisma.vpweb.com

40% Off Mother of the bride dresses

Check out our unique accessories and jewelry too!

First year anniversary—28 days of celebration

28% OFF clothing the whole month of February

A Wedding to RememberWith elegant wedding stationery and accessories by

763-753-27213745 Bridge Street • St. Francis, MN

Gift Certifi cates…

Valentine’s Day

Brides–take the stress out

Naturally Therapeutic Massage and BodyworkLe Ann GieferCertifi ed massage practitioner9 years of experience

763.443.2702 East Bethel/Cedar Home Offi ce

February & March special for fi rst time

clients…Only $35 for one hour of massage

Call today!Specializing in:• Therapeutic• Relaxation Massage• Refl exology • Raindrop Therapy

• Relaxation for women, men by referral please

The St. Francis High School Student Council organized Snow Week January 25-29 for the entire student body and staff . daily festivities included tie-dye day, the “Snowball” game, and spirit day. The week ended on Friday night with the annual Snow Ball dance. At the coronation on Tuesday, a new king and queen were crowned to preside over the week. Seniors Andy Benik and me-lissa Borstner were voted as this year’s royalty. Congratulations to them both. THE CRIER�photo

RJ’s

Catering

Catering with a touch of elegance!30 years of experience…

for all occasionsTo hear more about our

catering services, give us a call Day 763-421-4454Eve 763-856-4333

Tradition states that wedding cakes are to be tiered masterpieces

featuring white cake and white frosting. However, to-day’s modern couples are going in decidedly different directions with their wed-

ding cakes. Often the dessert is as varied and unique as the couple themselves.

Wedding cakes can be created to match couples’ individual styles and tastes, as well as the color scheme of the wed-ding. Shapes and sizes can be mixed and matched depend-ing upon what the bride and groom envision. Working closely with a skilled cake artist can yield a truly excep-

tional confection.

Here are some ideas for em-bellishing wedding cakes and making them mirror the personality of the wedding.

Consider a different shape other than standard round or square tiers. How about something that ties into your theme, such as a sea-shell or a sand castle for a beachside wedding?

There are many decorating styles available and you may not have to go with the traditional buttercream icing. Rolled fondant can be cut and shaped into a variety of embellishments. Talk with the cake designer about his or her special-ties in cake design, and ask to see a look-book of past cakes created. Be sure the person whose work you are reviewing will be the actual person doing your cake.

Consider matching the fl owers in bouquets and table settings on the cake. Skilled decorators can cre-ate sugar or piped fl owers that rival the look of the real thing.

Base the cake on the style of

the bride’s wedding gown. A cake artist may be able to mimic the look of lace, beading, appliques and more. A photo of the gown may be all the inspiration the professional needs.

Who says you need to have vanilla? Today’s cakes come in so many fl avors, including chocolate fudge, banana, carrot, caramel, pumpkin, and so many more. Ask about the cake fl avors and fi lling offerings. Can’t decide? Find out if you can have multiple fl a-vors, where each tier is a different option.

Save your appetite. Consid-er skipping the extensive dessert bar so guests can truly savor your cake.

Modern confections enhance weddings

17www.the-courier.org� the�courier�|�February�2010 Wedding & Valentine’s Day Section

www.captainsonlonglake.comHwy. 47 to 277th Avenue, East to Long Lake and

left to Captain’s, 27821 Bayshore Drive NW763-444-5897

On Saturday, February 6 join us for the

LONG LAKE FISHING CONTEST

Registration at 9:00 a.m. • Contest begins at 11:00Info, call Dave at 763.444.5077

Saturday, March 6 at 2:00 p.m.

8TH ANNUAL ARCTIC PLUNGE

For more info visit: www.arcticplunge.com

Music at Captain’sSaturday, February 6 8:30 p.m. Mason DixonsSunday, February 7 2:00 p.m. Tony JamborSaturday, February 13 8:30 p.m. Three Stooges

Captain’s on Long Lake cordially invites you to their

Bridal Fair“Crystal Reflections”at Captain’s Quarters

Banquet Hallon Sunday, February 21

from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.Free to the public

Participating vendors include:› All Event Tent Rental› Cambridge Floral› Captain’s Catering› Carol Rose Design & Decorating

› Cedar Creek Baking Company

› DanceSport Center› Eva & Assoc.› Hair Mania› Isanti Rental› Jolena AxburgViolinist, Pianist

› My Cake Shoppe› Nelson’s Romantic Garden

› Personal Touch Bridal Agency

› Silpada Jewelry› Spalon Elite› Sue’s Sewing Closet› Sunset Blue Productions

›Wedding Day Sound› Writings On Your Wall

Complimentary Food and Beverages

Vendordrawings

and prizes including

a discount on room

rental from Captain’s

as well as a “Romantic

Dinner for Two” package at Captain’s.

Visit us online at www.captainsonlonglake.com or call Sheri at 612-554-3512 for more information.

Dan & Molly Thompson612.501.8165 or 763.439.4521www.blackfoxphotography.com

Offi cial St. Francis Ambassador Photographer

Wedding • Seniors • Family • Pets & More

CreativeWEDDING CAKESWe strive to make your cake not only a

beautiful, one-of-a-kind creation, but delicious as well.

Wedding Cakes • Grooms’ CakesShowers • Birthdays • Cupcake Towers

See me at Captain’s on the Lake for their Bridal Fair on Sunday, February 21.

Cedar Creek Baking Co., Inc.763-753-9696

Cherise Foley 22001 Lake George Blvd., Anoka

StarrLITE MusicMike Starr, DJ

763.753.74963215 217th Ave NW

Oak Grove, MN 55303www.starrlitemusic.com

Weddings • Private Parties Corporate Functions

Rum River Viola & Violin Studio

Year-Round Lessons Private Teacher Viola & Violin

Weddings and Bridal Events�

Beth Guck Teacher, Violist, Violinist5218 171st Avenue NW

Andover, MN

[email protected]

Many people, men and wom-en alike, are on the prowl for unusual and memorable ways to propose marriage to their loved ones. The propos-al can be simple, with just the two of you and a few props, or it can be based on an elab-orate scheme requiring com-plex planning and numerous accomplices.

The key to a successful, out-of-the-ordinary marriage proposal is the element of surprise, so fi tting a proposal into “normal” or everyday activities helps to keep your intended off guard. Here are some ideas that may inspire you to create an enduring and treasured memory for decades to come.

Public performances

If you’re feeling brave and are fairly sure the answer will be “yes,” consider pop-ping the question in front of hundreds, if not thousands of onlookers. Ask while at the movies, on

the big screen! Most movie theaters have repeating ad-vertising slides before the previews that can be pur-chased. If you’re sports fans, let

the scoreboard do the talk-ing or make arrangements with the public address

announcer at a sporting event. Skywriting or a plane fl y-

ing a banner is an old-fash-ioned and romantic way to propose. You can both have an intimate and private marriage proposal, while still proclaiming your love to the world. Hang up a series of signs

along the road your loved one regularly travels on their way to work or school, proclaiming your love and spelling out your intentions while you wait by the last sign with a ring.

The game of love

Take a chance and make your big move during a quiet eve-ning of playing games or solving puzzles. Purchase a blank jigsaw

puzzle and be creative. Work on the puzzle togeth-er with the ring ready the moment all the pieces fall

into place. A game of charades with

family or a few close friends is a perfect way to pop the question without your partner ever seeing it coming. “Four words, the fi rst word sounds like...” There are different ways

to spell it out using Scrab-ble tiles. Secretly pick out the right letters ahead of time and spill those spe-cial words from your tray, just as your partner reaches into the bag of tiles and pulls out a box containing the ring.

The great outdoors

Being outside, spending time together relaxing and shar-ing a common interest may be the perfect moment to sur-prise the one you love with the big question. While out fi shing, sailing

or at the beach, let your partner discover a bottle you prepared with your proposal message tucked inside. If golf is your game, have

an accomplice ahead of you, hiding the ring at the 18th hole. When your in-tended reaches into the cup to retrieve their ball, you’ll be ready with those four magic words, “Will you marry me?”

Making memories—unique ways to pop the question

Valentine’s Day by the numbers1,198: Number of United States locations producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2005. California led the way, followed closely by Pennsylvania.

$411 million: � e combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut � owers in 2006 for all � ower-producing operations with $100,000 or more in sales. (Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service)

2.2 million: � e number of marriages that take place in the United States annually. � at equals roughly 5,900 a day.

120: � e number of single men in their 20s for every 100 women of the same age.

14: Number of United States places to live with “love”in their name: Loveland, Colorado; Lovejoy, Georgia; Loves Park, Illinois; Lovington, Illinois; Lovelock, Nevada; Loving, New Mexico; Lovington, New Mexico; Love Valley, North Carolina; Loveland, Ohio; Loveland Park, Ohio; Love County, Oklahoma; Loveland, Oklahoma.; Lovelady, Texas; Loving County, Texas.

18 the�courier�|�February�2010� www.the-courier.orgWedding & Valentine’s Day Section

612-805-8838

TENTRENTALS

Tables/Chairs, Etc.Graduation • Reunion • Birthday • Wedding • Parties

NE I G H B O R H O O D BA R & GR I L L

23212 St. Francis Boulevard, St. Francis

763-213-0894

SERVING BREAKFAST

Wednesday-Thursday 6-11 am

Friday, Saturday & now Sunday

6 am-Noon

WEEKLY PROMOTIONSSUNDAYWe’re your new NASCAR Headquarters

MONDAYTexas Hold ’Em w/ Chippy Poker ....... 7 pm

TUESDAYBar Bingo .................. 7 pm

WEDNESDAYCribbage .................. 7 pmLuck of the Draw Darts ............8:30 pmKaraoke ....... 9 pm to 1 am

THURSDAYLive Trivia .................. 7 pm

THURSDAY THRU SATURDAYDJ Troy ........ 9 pm to 1 am

DAILY Food and Drink Specials

Valentine’sDinner Saturday, February 13

and Sunday, February 14

Three course à la carte style dining including your choice of

steak and lobster or prime rib.

St. Francis American Legion

Post 6223073 Bridge street • st. Francis

763-753-4234

Monday-FridayStarting at 11:00 a.m.

daily Lunch Specials

Wednesday 5:00-8:00 p.m.mexican Night

Fridays 8:30 p.m.Karaoke with Highland

Reception hall rentalNo cost to nonprofit organizations

Meat Raffle Friday 6:00 p.m. until gone

Sundays at 4:00 p.m.Little Horses - Now Playing

NEW Pull Tabs WeeklyGiving back to community

Charitable Gambling License #A-01520-003

Join us at St. Francis American Legion

All-U-Can-Eat Fish Fry

Every Friday 6:00-8:00 p.m.$8 per plate

Call today for info!

SWEETHEART NIGHT OUT!Send the kids to us and enjoy

a night out!Enjoy some time alone, catch a movie or have a nice

dinner out, when you drop your kids off with us!

Who: Boys and girls ages 2 and upWhen: Saturday, February 13Time: 6:00-11:00 pmCost: 1 child $25, each additional child is $10

(Non-member cost is $5 more)

What will we do?There will be open gym, snacks, crafts, movie,

games and much more!

763.444.4222 23815 Johnson Street • East Bethelwww.gymnasticsgalaxy.com

North Anoka County Emergency Foodshelf and Clothing ClosetBy JoANNE yACKELnace�Director

The mission of the North Anoka County Emergen-cy (NACE) Foodshelf and Clothing Closet is to provide food and clothing to those in need through the generosity of our community.

The NACE Foodshelf and Clothing Closet met the 2009 holiday season with the shelves full, thanks to your concern and generosity. From someone stopping in just wanting to give a little some-thing to families giving in lieu of their own gift exchanges, to civic and faith communities fulfi lling their missions, to businesses generously giving back to the community, much food and many dollars came in. Once again we were able to give away an additional 25 pounds of holiday food, including a turkey, to each family served in November and December. A total of 361 families were served 46,877 pounds of food.

Some reminders and sugges-tions for 2010:

If you are hosting or attend-ing a Super Bowl party on Sunday, February 7, please consider matching the food and money you put toward your event to NACE. If you pick up a bag of groceries

for a party, pack another bag for the foodshelf, or if you spend $25 on snacks, send $25 to NACE.

March is Minnesota Food-share month. This is an excellent time to host a food/fi nancial drive as we have several opportunities to receive matching dona-tions. Please encourage your church, community groups, and favorite busi-nesses to participate.

Planned gifts such as wills, trusts, stocks, and life in-surance can help secure the future of NACE. Consider discussing these options with your fi nancial adviser. Gifts to NACE are tax de-ductible.

NACE has served as a re-source and stepping stone for those in need in our com-munity since 1985. To ensure the Foodshelf and Clothing Closet will be here for our neighbors as long as there is a need, please continue to give generously!

Hours of distribution are:

Monday 9:00 a.m.-noon

Tuesday by appointment only 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Wednesday 1:00-4:30 p.m.

For more information, call 763-434-7685.

Have a case of the winter blahs? Check out these Community Ed classesMake Czech Kolaches

Learn how to make kolach-es—a marvelous egg-rich, slightly sweet, yeast dough traditionally fi lled with fruit mixtures such as apricot, cot-tage cheese, poppy seed, or prune.

#AE110108 1 Session Date: Saturday, February 27 Time: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Fee: $24

Thai Cuisine

We’ll begin with fresh Viet-namese summer rolls and end with crispy banana frit-ters served with ice cream, and have a delicious meal in between.

#AE110112 1 Session Date: Thursday, February 25 Time: 6:00-9:30 p.m. Fee: $30

Fishing Rod Building

Build a fi shing rod from the ground up. You may choose a spinning, bait casting, or Muskie rod. Rod kits are purchased at class from the instructor. A spinning or bait cast rod is $75 for a 6x6 inch mid/light walleye rod; muskie rod is $100 for 7x6 inch, or $135 for 8x6 inch, $25 for ice fi shing rod.

#AE110121 1 Session Date: Saturday, February 20 Time: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Fee: $15

Registration Information

To learn more about these and other Community Ed classes, call 763-213-1640. Classes listed take place at St. Francis High School.

To register online, visit com-munityed15.com and use your Visa, MasterCard or Discover to register.

To register by phone, have your credit card ready when you call 763-213-1640.

19www.the-courier.org� the�courier�|�February�2010 Community

We Deliver Premium Pizza to You! Hwy 47 & Pederson Drive • St. Francis, MN

763-753-4577

Valentine’s Day SpeCIalenjoy 2 pasta Dinners

Spaghetti, Rigatoni or Fettuccine 2 salads and 2 beverages

only $1999

Valid on Dine-In St. Francis Mansetti’s OnlyNot valid with any other specials or coupons.

763-753-4577 • Good only 2/14/10

$300 Off any X-large pizza 2 or more toppings

St. Francis Mansetti’s OnlyNot valid with any other specials or coupons.

763-753-4577 • Expires 3/2/10

$150 Off any pasta Dinner Featuring lasagna, Chicken alfredo, Rigatoni or SpaghettiValid on Dine-In St. Francis Mansetti’s OnlyNot valid with any other specials or coupons.

763-753-4577 • Expires 3/2/10

NEW online ordering at www.mansettis-pizza.com

Heart Shaped pizzaMedium 2 topping pizza plus 2 piece cheese bread Only

$1699Good February 8-14, 2010.

KaRaOKe NIGHTSaturday, February 20 • 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Acoustic Karaoke with Michael CampbellCheck him out at: Singalongwithmichael.com

12th Annual

Fish FryFridays, February 19, 26,

March 5, 12, 19, 264:30-7:00 p.m.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic ChurchCorner of County Roads 5 and 23 in Isanti

The Isanti Knights of Columbus will be serving up their All You Care To Eat Fish Fry Dinner.

On the menu: Alaskan Pollock, potatoes, vegetables, coleslaw, dessert, and coffee/milk.

Cost: Adults $8; Children 6-12 years $4; Children 5 and under FREE

Come join us for fish and fellowship.

Broasted Chicken DinnerSt. Francis American Legion 3073 Bridge Street, St. Francis763-753-4234Sponsored by the St. Francis American Legion Auxiliary Unit 622

Tuesdays 5-8 p.m.

Every Friday night during Lent February 19, 26 & March 5, 12, 19, 26, 5:00-6:45 p.m. Choice of all-you-can-eat fish and potato -OR- pasta dish

with vegetable, dessert, beverageAdults $8 (16 and up); Kids $3 (ages 7-15); 6 and under Free

Stations of the Cross, Fridays at 7:00 p.m.

Church of St. Patrickof Cedar Creek

19921 Nightingale Street NW • Oak Grove763-753-2011 • www.st-patricks.org

Crown Christian School has a new teacher. mrs. Kelli LaVoie teaches grades 5-7. She is a december 2008 graduate of Concordia university, St. Paul.

submitteD�photo

By ELAINE GroSSmANmorning�light��montessori�school

Both the morning and af-ternoon classes of Morning Light Montessori School in Oak Grove collected money to purchase material for mit-tens and scarves. Many of the children did chores at home to earn money and then sewed the mittens and scarves to donate to the homeless in Anoka County. The children (ranging in age from 2½ years to 6 years) dec-orated their mitten tree with 32 pairs of the homemade mittens.

Helping children to learn about the world, reflect upon it, and giving them opportu-nities to serve are awesome experiences. The children show extreme compassion and love to be able to make a difference.

These 17 children will be planting a garden this spring, including planting rows for the hungry.

Students from the morning class at morning Light montessori School are, front row (L-r): Isaiah rubin, Harlee Finnvik, Emma dubois, Annika Froiland; back row (L-r): Sophia Brenteson, Gun-nar Froiland, ryan roessler, and Joshua rubin.

submitteD�photos

Students from the afternoon class at morning Light montessori School are, front row (L-r): Chloe dowd, Kyla Hyovalti, makenzie Bernard; back row (L-r): Elysia Kjellberg, Kaylee dagenais, Haellie opp, and drake dagenais.

Book teaches children positive valuesSuBmITTEd By JoHN WIrTH program�coorDinator�oF�ambassaDor�company

Many six-year-olds have re-ceived a beautifully bound book about positive charac-ter-building traits titled, My Favorite Book. The book is delightfully illustrated in full color and is organized into multiple stories concerned with teaching positive citi-zenship values to youngsters.

The core character building traits covered include the importance of family, taking personal responsibility, kind-ness and compassion, coop-eration, honesty, gratitude, self-respect, and respect of others.

My Favorite Book published by Goodwill Publishers is be-ing distributed to over 45,000 children in 254 Minnesota communities this year. Dis-tribution in the community was assisted by St. Francis Elementary and Trinity Lu-theran School.

Local businesses sponsoring the distribution include Kids Country Childcare, North-land Screw Products, Inc., Opp Family Chiropractic, P.A., King’s County Market of St. Francis, and Goodrich Pharmacy.

History comes alive at the Anoka County Library

Ever wonder what life was like for a fur trader or voyageur in the

1800s? You can find out when George Nelson, a fur trade clerk who was born in 1786 and died in 1859, is brought to life by a costumed actor. You’ll learn about Nelson’s career, his life in the Great Lakes Region, and the impor-tance of wild rice to the fur trade. The performance will be on Saturday, February 20, at 10:30 a.m. at the Crooked Lake Branch Library. The library is located at 11440 Crooked Lake Blvd. in Coon Rapids.

The Minnesota Historical Society History Players used Nelson’s daily journals to create this unique 50 minute program aimed especially for students in grades 1-8. Ev-eryone is welcome to attend the program. MELSA and the Anoka County Library are proud to present this glimpse into the life of fur traders.

“This is a great way to en-gage young people and teach them about an important time in Minnesota history,” said Anoka County Commis-sioner Scott LeDoux.

For more information about this program and the Anoka County Library please go to www.anoka.lib.mn.us.

Students learn at an early age to help others

Advertise your business in the Spring Home

Improvement center section in the coming months.

Call Janice at 763-753-7032 for more information.

20 the�courier�|�February�2010� www.the-courier.orgCommunity

letters�to�the�eDitor letters�to�the�eDitor�policy

The Courier reserves the right to reject any letter submitted and edit letters for clarity, length, and grammar.

Be timely—visit www.the-courier.org for deadline information.

include contact information—include your full name, title (optional), city, and daytime phone number. Unsigned letters or those submitted without a phone number will not be considered.

Be clear & concise—make one main point in 200 words or less.

Be accurate—letters that are factually inaccurate will not be printed.

Be considerate—only one letter per author every 60 days. Regular contributors should submit letters on varied subjects. Letters by the same author that reiterate opinions previously expressed may not be published. Writers must either live within District 15 or be writing about an issue specific to our coverage area.

submissions—letters can be sent by email to [email protected], by U.S. mail to The Courier, 4115 Ambassador Blvd., St. Francis, MN 55070, or by fax to 763-753-4693.

other—thank-you letters that relate to a public event, organization, or official are not considered letters to the editor. Contact the editor regarding submitting that information.

Viewpoints expressed in a letter to the editor do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Independent School District 15 or The Courier staff.

Kindergarten Round-up at

Trinity Lutheran School

Tuesday, February 23 at 7:00 p.m.Trinity Lutheran School of St. Francis will hold its kindergarten

round-up in the kindergarten room. Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Dee Porisch will explain the curriculum to parents and walk them through a typical day in class. Principal Ken Koch will talk about administrative items such as immunization requirements,

school fees, and schedules.

Parents may bring their children with them and child care will be provided by Trinity School upper grade students for the formal

part of the meeting which will take about one hour. Children will be invited to explore the classroom, Mrs. Porisch

and Mr. Koch will remain to answer questions.

This is an informational meeting and parents are under no obligation to enroll at Trinity School if they attend. Enrollment

forms will be available for parents if they choose Trinity for their child’s education.

✞ Sharing the Caring Christ ✞

Trinity Lutheran School3812 229th Avenue NW • St. Francis, MN 55070

763-753-1234 • www.TrinityLutheranSchoolSF.org

Jennings, DeWan & Anderson, LLC

A Full Service Law Firm practicing in the areas ofBusiness, Real Estate, Personal Injury, Auto Accidents and Death Claims, Divorce and Family Law, Criminal, DWI, Probate, and Estate Planning.

– Title Insurance Agents –

Joseph W. Anderson, SF ‘68Certified Real Property Law Specialist

Mark N. Jennings

Daniel P. DeWanFamily and Civil Law Mediator

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763-753-3028

oak Grove resident wins raffle prizeSuBmITTEd By dEBBIE HoFFmAN ANd mArIE HINToNminnesota�state�lottery

Lisa Nelson of Oak Grove won a $100,000 Minnesota Million-aire Raffle prize from the drawing on January 1. She claimed the prize at lottery headquarters in Roseville on January 4. Nel-son said that she likes to play the Minnesota Millionaire raffle game because it offers good odds and that when she checked her ticket, she was hoping to win any of the 150 possible priz-es. She was thrilled to see that her ticket matched the winning number 164155, worth $100,000.

“I had my husband and then my son come and look at the ticket to verify it,” Nelson recalled. “I knew I had to sign it, but I couldn’t sign it at first because my hands were shaking so much.”

Stop-N-Shop, located at 22945 Lake George Boulevard in St. Francis, sold Nelson’s winning ticket. This store has been a very lucky spot for raffle players. In addition to Nelson’s $100,000 winning ticket, the store sold one of this year’s $25,000 winning tickets (claimed by Brandon Bright of East Bethel) and one of last year’s $1 million winning tickets (claimed by Oak Grove resident, Lindsey Iskierka).

The Minnesota Millionaire Raffle game launched on November 3, 2009 and only 500,000 tickets were available. The game sold out on December 23. Each $10 ticket featured a unique six-digit number. Lottery players must be 18 years of age or older. Please play responsibly. If you or someone you know needs help with a gambling problem, call 1-800-333-HOPE.

On December 27, 2009 our family lost our home to fire. All we had left was the clothes on our backs, our vehicles, and most importantly, each other. In the last month, we have received so many donations of clothes, toys for our children, cash and gift cards. The outpouring of support from our community and the staff at Independent School District 15 has been overwhelm-ing. My husband, Brad, and I grew up in St. Francis, gradu-ated from St. Francis High School, and are now raising our boys here. There is nowhere else in the world we would rather be. Thanks doesn’t seem to be enough for everything all of you have done for us. We are eternally grateful.

A very special thank you to Brigit Kelly, the St. Francis Fire Department, and surrounding area fire departments for all your donations. Fire trucks delivered gifts to us on New Year’s Eve—that is something our seven-year-old son Matthew will never forget.

To all our dear friends in the community—thank you. You have wrapped your arms around us in our time of need. What a great family we have here in “Frannytown.”

We have an exceptional group of people who work for the school district. To my co-workers/family at ISD 15—I’m so thankful for you; your generosity and well wishes will be held in my heart forever.

We are in the process of rebuilding our lives, and we give thanks every day for each and every one of you.

rACHEL HEINEN ANd FAmILy: BrAdLEy, mATTHEW, ANdrEWoaK�grove�resiDents

“Love is a transforming power that can lift a whole community to new horizons.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Anoka County sheriff will lead minnesota Sheriff’s AssociationSuBmITTEd By THE ANoKA CouNTy SHErIFF’S oFFICE

Anoka County Sheriff Bruce Andersohn has been elected presi-

dent of the Minnesota Sher-iffs’ Association.

As president, Andersohn will represent the 87 Minnesota county sheriffs, endorsing and proposing legislation within the state that will al-low sheriffs to effectively car-ry out their duties and also by opposing legislation that diminishes their role. Ander-sohn also will be working in Washington to advance leg-islation and represent Min-nesota sheriffs at the federal level. The Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association was formed in 1885.

“It is an honor to be elected by your colleagues and rep-resent the interests of 87 sher-iffs within the State of Minne-sota,” say Sheriff Andersohn.

Andersohn has been the Ano-ka County sheriff since 2002; his term as association presi-dent lasts through 2010.

Anoka County Extension Staff and Dollar Works Volunteers will present a free Dollars into Sense class on Tuesday, March 16 at 10 am at the Bunker Hills Activities

Center (550 Bunker Lake Blvd., Andover) and again at 7:00 p.m. at the Blaine Human Services Center

(1201 89th Ave, Blaine). To register, call University of Minnesota Extension, Anoka County, at 763-755-1280

at least three days prior to the class you wish to attend. Classes will cover budgeting and address credit issues,

tracking expenses, making a spending plan, goal setting and how to get help.

The deadline for the march issue of The Courier is February 12.

21www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2010 Realty/Business

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Getting your vehicle serviced and repaired can be a chal-lenge. There are so many mes-sages in the media. Various manufacturers have all kinds of different warranties. If you purchase a new vehicle all the different programs can be overwhelming. They say that with the economy like it is, this may be the time to buy that new car if you really need one.

Being in the auto repair indus-try, I still think “it’s cheaper to keep her.” Most people these days are realizing the same (much to the dismay of the car manufacturers). The aver-age age and mileage of the ve-hicles on the road continues to go up a bit each year. Vehicles are so much better than they were even 10 years ago.

If you want to get the most out of your current vehicles, just take care of them. I have seen this over and over again. We have for years made rec-ommendations to drivers on what their vehicles need and at what intervals. It only makes sense. It’s like your body. If you take care of it and do the preventive care, chanc-es are you will have a better quality of life into your senior years.

I have had high blood pres-sure for years. I know if I go to the gym like I am supposed to, my blood pressure goes down. We all know these things. It’s common sense. I, like many others, know what to do but fail to do it.

I remember recently we had made a recommendation to someone that they should re-place the timing belt in their car. The vehicle had 88,000 miles on it. The manufacturer recommends it be replaced at 90,000.

Well, the driver put if off and, lo and behold, around 97,000 miles the belt broke. The pis-tons and valves got out of time and collided, and many of the engine valves were bent. So now the vehicle is disabled and the cost of repair has quadrupled.

Another example: we in-stalled a set of tires on a vehi-cle and found a loose tie-rod end on the steering linkage. We explained the consequenc-es of delaying the repair, but the driver decided not to take care of it. Now the vehicle has been driven 11,000 miles and the front tires have signifi cant wear, due to a loose front end part. The tie-rod end has got-ten even worse and is likely to be a signifi cant safety issue.

I could go on and on. I also could report many stories of people who have done their maintenance on schedule and have had very trouble free driving. Remember, when your vehicle breaks down, it not only costs more but can

be a serious inconvenience to life. In many cases the incon-venience is a bigger problem than the money.

In addition, I feel that hav-ing a professional shop that you know and trust is para-mount. Like your doctor, they are looking out for your best interest. I feel it is best to fi nd a shop and stick with them. Don’t be running all over, looking for the best deal, or whoever has a coupon. Most professional shops these days have computers that can track your vehicles’ histories; they know your vehicle like your doctor knows you. Your doc-tor has all your medical re-cords in one place. He knows your history. This is a very valuable thing.

I believe that auto repair, like going to your medical doctor, is not a commodity. You can buy things in a lot of places, the price may vary greatly and the value of that service most likely will refl ect the cost. There still is no such thing as a free lunch. I hate when that happens.

evenTS, FundraiSerS, beneFiTS

Saturday, February 6

Long Lake Improvement As-sociation Ice Fishing Contest at Captain’s on Long Lake. Registration is at 9:00 a.m., contest begins at 11:00. See ad on page 17.

Nowthen Lions will hold their 1st Annual Ice Fishing Contest on East Twin Lake, registration begins at 9:00 a.m. and the contest starts at 11:00 on February 6.

Sunday, February 21

Business Expo at Blainbrook Hall, 11930 Central Avenue NE in Blaine from noon until 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 27

Isanti Area Business Expo, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. will be held in the Isanti Intermedi-ate School, 101 9th Avenue NE, Isanti.

Sunday, February 28

The Augsburg College Gos-pel Praise Jazz Ensemble will perform at Our Sav-iour’s Lutheran Church in East Bethel for two worship services at 9:15 and 10:45 a.m.

Saturday, March 6

Join us for the 8th Annual Arctic Plunge. Over the past seven years the Arctic Plunge has raised over $83,000. Some of the benefi ciaries of this money have been the Isanti Fire Department, Isanti County Safety Rescue, Isanti Area Food Shelves, Children Come First and local church-es who assist homeless fami-lies. For more information or to participate, visit www.arcticplunge.com.

The Isanti County Master Gardeners invite people to come to the 7th Annual Burst into Spring Garden-ing Event from 8:00 a.m. un-til 3:30 p.m. at North Isanti Baptist Church, Cambridge. For more information, call 763-689-8253 or go to www.extension.umn.edu/county/isanti.

Saturday, April 10

The ISD 15 Early Childhood Family Education Advisory Council will hold their 16th Annual Children’s Used Clothing & Toy Sale at St. Francis Elementary, 9:00 a.m.-noon on Saturday, April 10. For information on how to sell your items, please call Lisa at 763-413-3351 or Cyn-thia at 763-753-7178.

Saturday, April 17

The St. Francis Area Chamber of Commerce and ISD 15 Community Education & Services presents the 3rd Annual Spring Community Expo, Saturday, April 17, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at St. Francis High School, 3325 Bridge Street in St. Francis. For more information about the event visit www.stfrancischamber.org.

22 The Courier | February 2010 www.The-Courier.orgBusiness/Income Tax Tips

FTM Tax & Accounting

James A. Jensen

Business Phone: 763-444-4856 Fax: 763-444-4513

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Sara D. Sauer, C.P.A.

Elaine M. Mustari, C.P.A.

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Email: [email protected] site: www.Sauer-Mustari-CPAs.com

ExpEriEncEd incomE Tax prEparaTion Call Jolynn at 763.434.2343

to schedule your appointment Appointments Available 7 Days a Week 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

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Walk-ins Welcome

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Specializing in accounting and taxes for closely-held and family-owned businesses since 1974. Tax Season Office Hours: January 25-April 15 Monday,Tuesday,Thursday 8:00a.m.-8:00p.m. WednesdayandFriday 8:00a.m.-4:30p.m. Saturday 8:00a.m.-Noon

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Submitted by tracy SlepicaSannerud, SavareSe & aSSoCiaTeS, P.a.

Below are 2009-10 tax up-dates and extensions:

2010 Mileage Rates

Business Mileage = .50 cents/mileCharitable Mileage = .14 cents/mileMedical/Moving Mileage = .24 cents/mile

Making Work Pay Credit

For 2009 and 2010, subject to income limits, credit is 6.2 percent of a taxpayer’s earned income with a maxi-mum credit of $800 for a mar-ried/filing joint and $400 for other taxpayers. Nonresident aliens and individuals who are already claimed as a de-pendent are not eligible for the credit.

tax tips: 2009-10 tax updates and extensions

NEW Vehicle Income Tax Deduction

For purchases made Febru-ary 16, 2009-January 1, 2010: This applies to a new car, light truck or motorcycle with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) rating of not more than 8,500 pounds, or a new motor home. Subject to in-come limitations not allowed by Minnesota.

New Refundable Motor Fuel Credit

There is a new refundable “motor fuel credit” of $25 available to low income tax-payers. In order to claim the credit a Minnesota individu-al income tax return must be filed. To qualify the taxpayer must be at least 18 years old, not a dependent and a U.S. citizen with a Minnesota tax-able income below the dol-lar threshold for their filing status: Married filing joint - $33,220, Single - $22,730, Head of Household - $27,980.

Order Employment Posters for Free

To order current employment posters go to the following web sites: Minnesota: www.dli.mn.gov/LS/Posters.aspFederal: www.dol.gov/osbp/sbrefa/poster/matrix.htm. The federal site has a link that will allow you to evalu-ate what posters are required for a company based on the information you submit.

Submitted by dana HoenigScHmidtST. FranCiS area women oF Today

Celebrating 60 years of Min-nesota women’s service, growth and fellowship was the theme of the Minnesota Women of Today’s Winter State Convention held Janu-ary 29-31 in Minneapolis.

The 60-year-old organization is comprised of 83 chapters constituting over 1,600 mem-bers from across the state.

This year the organization made a major donation to

minnesota Women of today celebrate 60 years of servicethe Shriners Hospitals, this year’s statewide project at the convention, while also conducting a used book sale designated for the First Book charity.

Both donations are projected to be valued in the thou-sands of dollars range, add-ing to the over $1 million in charitable donations from the Minnesota Women of To-day over the past four years, along with countless volun-teer hours.

Special guest at the conven-

tion was Sue Dionne, presi-dent of the United States Women of Today. Awards were presented to three out-standing persons with de-velopmental challenges and three outstanding young adults, as well as a Women Who Impact award.

Presiding over the convention was 2009-10 Minnesota Wom-en of Today State President Jen Kinzer of Aitkin, a Women of Today member who cites the group’s ideals of service, growth and fellowship as mo-tivators in her life.

For further information, con-tact the Minnesota Women of Today Chapter Service Center, Box 232, Anoka, MN 55303; phone 763.421.4718; email [email protected]. For more information about the St. Francis Area Women of Today, visit http://sfwt.tri-pod.com/ or call Dana at 763-753-5010

need a copy of your federal tax return?There are two easy and con-venient options for getting copies of your federal tax re-turn information—tax return transcripts and tax account transcripts—by phone or by mail.

Request transcripts by calling 1-800-829-1040, or order by mail using IRS Form 4506T (Request for Transcript of Tax Return). There is no charge for transcripts. Allow two weeks for delivery.

A tax return transcript shows most line items from your tax return (Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ) as it was originally filed, including any accompa-nying forms and schedules. It does not reflect any changes you, your representative or the IRS made after the return was filed.

A tax account transcript shows any later adjustments either you or the IRS made after the tax return was filed. This transcript shows basic data, including marital sta-tus, type of return filed, ad-justed gross income and tax-able income.

Valerie L. TempCertified Public Accountant

Accounting and Income Tax ServicesOffered Year-Round for Individuals and Businesses

763-753-5521Serving the St. Francis area since 1987

Sports & Outdoors23www.the-courier.org the courier | February 2010

sodervilleAthletic

AssociAtionRegistration for the 2010

season for all in-house baseball leagues and all in-house and traveling

fastpitch softball leagues will be in FebRuaRy.SAA has programs available for boys

and girls ages 5 and up. Register online February 1-28 at www.soderville.org

using a credit card.

The following walk in registration dates are available at the Saa building at

15633 Highway 65 Ne, Ham Lake:

Saturday, February 20 • 9:00 a.m.-Noon

Thursday, February 25 • 5:00-9:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 27 • 9:00 a.m.-Noon

If you have any questions please call us at 763-413-3555 or send an email to

[email protected].

St. Francis Youth Baseball

Association Information on registration and

tryouts coming soon. Visit the association web site www.stfrancisbaseball.org

or see the March Courier for details.

St. Francis Youth Baseball Association provides a competitive baseball experience for players age 9-14

who reside in Independent School District 15. The season starts in April

and ends later in July. A normal schedule consists of two league

games a week in the evening within a 20 mile radius of St. Francis,

plus three weekend tournaments during the season.

Questions? Board member contact information is on the web

site or call, Luke at 763-923-4278 or Kevin at 763-213-1340.

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St. Francis gymnastics team continues successful seasonSubmitted by michelle KeenanSFhS gymnaSticS coach

The St. Francis High School gymnastics team is having an-other successful year thanks to the addition of many tal-ented athletes and the expe-rience and consistency of re-

members of the St. Francis high School gymnastics team front row (l-R): mackenzie Walsh, lindsey langer, amanda Pett, autumn lefever, taylor denny; back row: lindsey Schultz, Kassie Ratker, mackenzie Wander, tiera Salitros, Jade lefever, celine eide, alex dziuk, alicia bristlin, christina brand, and Katie bownik. Submitted photo

turning athletes. On January 7, the Saints hosted North Branch in a conference duel. In the varsity competition, senior Amanda Pett lead the way winning the all-around, vault, bars, and floor. The var-sity team scored 134.175 giv-ing them the record of 3-0 in the North Suburban Confer-ence. The junior varsity team also won the meet with a score of 122.15; seventh grad-er Jade Lefever won the vault, senior Taylor Denny won the uneven bars, and freshman Katie Bownik won the beams, floor, and all-around.

On January 11, the Saints hosted St. Louis Park and Princeton during Parent Ap-preciation Night. The Saints varsity won the meet with a score of 135.05. In the var-sity meet, the Saints were once again lead by Pett who won bars, beam, floor and all-around. Junior, Lindsey Schultz won the vault with a score of 9.250. Amanda Pett scored a 9.525 on the uneven bars which placed her in the top five in Star Tribune Honor Roll.

On January 16, the Saints trav-eled to the Lakeville North Invitational. This meet hosted the top teams in the state. The gymnastics team finished a difficult meet with a score of 132.10.

On January 21, the team trav-eled to Chisago Lakes which promised to be a competitive meet. Chisago Lakes was the only team in the conference scoring similar to the Saints. The Saints came out fighting and continued their unde-feated conference season in

a close meet with a score of 138.2 to 137.975. The team hit five for five beam routines to seal the win starting with Alicia Bristlin. It was the first time in four years of coaching that Coach Michelle Keenan has seen anything like that happen. “It was fun to see the

girls make their beam rou-tines. It isn’t very often that you see all five girls stay on the beam. It definitely validat-ed what the girls have been working on so hard in the gym,” she said. Amanda Pett won vault with a near perfect score of 9.3; she also tied for first place on the floor and won the all-around. Lindsey Schultz won the beam with a score of 8.9. The junior varsity team also won the meet.

The Saints gymnastics team is currently 5-0 in the confer-ence and will continue their drive for their fourth North Suburban Conference title as the take on St. Anthony and Irondale in the upcoming weeks. They will recognize the seniors at their final home meet against Irondale on Feb-ruary 4 at 6:30 p.m. The Saints will complete their season at the Section 7AA Tournament at Forest Lake High School on February 19 at 5:00 p.m.

24 the courier | February 2010 www.the-courier.orgSports & Outdoors

North Metro Soccer Association RecReational PRogRam SPRing/SummeR 2010Registration Now-March 1

Ages 4-11 (as of 8/1/2009) Monday/Wednesday ages 4 & 5 (U6 co-ed division)

and 8 & 9 (U10 division)Tuesday/Thursday ages 6-7 (U8 division) and

10 & 11 (U12 division)

Ages 12-17 (as of 8/1/2009) Tuesday/Thursday recreational co-ed program

The recreational program will stress basic soccer fundamentals. Practices held on one night and game on the other. Each team consists of a coach and 10-14 players. Andover, East Bethel, Oak Grove and St. Francis fields will be utilized, with north and south divisions. Season begins in late April and ends on June 26 with the Jamboree. Special requests will be taken into consideration.

Co-CoachesPlease consider volunteering to be a co-coach. You will be making a big difference for youth and your child by volunteering with NMSA. New training opportunities for 2010 will assist and support you. Please check the volunteer box to coach when you register. Thank You

Recreational (U6-U12) uniform included .....................$80Recreational (U13-U18) uniform included ...................$60

Walk-In Registration & Questions Answered Thursday, February 11 6:00-8:00 p.m. Oak Grove City Hall

Saturday, February 20 10:00 a.m.-Noon Oakview Middle School 15400 Hanson Blvd., Andover

Mail-In Registration North Metro Soccer Assoc. PO Box 250 Cedar, MN 55011-0250

Registration forms are available at all city halls in the area. There will be a $20 late fee for registrations if post marked after March 1.

See web site for more details: www.northmetrosoccer.org

Online RegistRatiOn

Go to northmetrosoccer.org

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MN GlassAssociation

For all your Automotive Repairs & Maintenance

21388 Johnson Street NE, 1 block W of Hwy. 65 & Sims Rd. in East BethelMonday-Friday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. 763-413-3445

the St. Francis high School dance team attended an invitational event January 16 at duluth marshall. the junior varsity team placed first in the junior varsity high kick. the varsity team placed second in the varsity high kick category. Submitted photo

Submitted by natalie JohnSonSno-ghoStS

Over the course of 2009 the Sno-Ghosts snow-mobile club has donated just over 247 pounds of food and $895 from the club and its mem-bers to help North Anoka County Emergency Food Shelf (NACE) continue to help serving the community.

At each monthly meeting members bring food and/or cash to be donated to NACE.

For more information about NACE, please con-tact [email protected] or call 763-434-7685.

For more information about the Sno-Ghosts, visit www.sno-ghosts.com or contact Natalie Johnson, Secretary 763-753-1575.

Local snowmobile club donates to food shelf

Submitted by JenniFeR FinKanoka county parkS

Imagine yourself on a brisk winter evening, enjoying the brilliant light of a full moon, the smell of fresh snow, the feel of a brisk wind, and the sight of Minnesota wildlife. Sound like fun?

If so, the Anoka County Parks

anoka county Parks presents Ski by the light of the moon event

of all ages and cross-country skiing abilities. Limited sup-plies of skis are available for rental. The program includes food, skiing, and refresh-ments. Pre-registration is required. Register online at www.anokacountyparks.com or call 651-429-8007. The cost is $12/adult and $8/child (plus tax).

Date: Saturday, February 27

Time: 6:00-9:00 p.m.Location: Bunker Hills

Campground Visitor Center, Coon Rapids

For information on this and other Anoka County Parks & Recreation events, call 651-429-8007 or visit www.anoka-countyparks.com.

and Recreation Department invites you to join us for an evening “Ski by the Light of the Moon” outing followed by dinner around a cozy fire-place.

This event is open to people

For many Minnesotans there is nothing like walking on a frozen lake, carving a hole and pulling up an elusive fish from the depths below. When word gets out that there’s a good fish bite on a lake, ice anglers descend on the spot. Often that pristine environ-ment becomes littered with bottles, cans, cigarette butts, or worse.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conservation officers say the biggest problem is identify-ing the perpetrators.

“Lakes are normally ringed by fish houses this time of year so conservation officers find it challenging to iden-tify who is leaving trash on a lake,” said Capt. Ken Soring, DNR Enforcement northeast regional manager in Grand Rapids. “Another factor is the wind, which makes it difficult to prove where the trash came from. And we just don’t have enough conserva-tion officers to thoroughly enforce litter laws.”

Litter is a petty misdemeanor criminal charge with a fine of up to $300.

minnesota dnR talks trashConservation officers also have Solid Waste Civil Cita-tion authority. These civil citations are “by the pound” or “by the cubic foot” penal-ties, and since they are not criminal charges, they don’t require proof beyond a rea-sonable doubt. The person suspected of littering must pay the penalty and clean up the mess.

Conservation officers on Lake Mille Lacs utilize a blaze or-ange “notice” door tag with a label pasted on the back that essentially asks people to take their litter and blocking materials with them. Officers place the tag on fish houses, especially those that have lit-ter around them. The tag also mentions the statute and po-tential penalty for violating the law.

“Officers will be document-ing houses that have litter around them or look like they may be abandoned,” said Lt. Rita Frenzel, Lake Mille Lacs District Enforcement super-visor. “Given the size of Mille Lacs and the number of hous-es, this may be somewhat hit and miss. But we will be dili-

gent in pursuing litter cases.” She noted officers will also be talking to resort owners about removing blocking material and remnants of ice bridges discarded on lakes.

The DNR offers the following tips to keep Minnesota wa-terways clean:

}Set an example for others, especially children, by not littering.

}Properly dispose of tangled fishing line to prevent wild-life from being trapped and injured.

}It is unlawful to dispose of ice fishing shacks any-where in the state. Check with local refuse provider or landfill for disposal.

}Litter is a costly problem that we all end up paying for to keep our roadways, parks, and waterways clean. The act of littering not only hurts our pock-etbooks, but it also causes harm to our environment in many ways.

}Keep a litter bag or trash container in your fish house, dark house, or shel-ter.

Secure trash container covers to prevent wind or animals from spreading litter.

}Cover and secure any ve-hicle, truck, or trailer carry-ing refuse.

}When visiting any recre-ation area, make sure to leave the area clean for the next person to enjoy.

Life & Classified25www.the-courier.org the courier | February 2010

Round LakeDentaL

Complete Family DentistryOpen Evenings

Nitrous Oxide Available • Cosmetic Dentistry Dr. Thomas Swenson

763-427-028513841 Round Lake Blvd. NW • Andover

2 Minutes N of Hwy 10 on Round Lake Blvd.

ST. FRANCIS CHIROPRACTIC OFFICEKendall W. Goodian, D.C.

3220 bridge Street • Suite 107 • St. Francis

chiropractic orthopedistSpecializing in Sports, Industrial and Auto Accident Injuries

call 763-753-1277 for an appointmentLocated in the St. Francis Mall 3/09

763-421-014113855 Round Lake BLvd. nW

andoveR, Mn 55304

VSP ProVider

HouRs: Mon, THuRs, FRi 8:30-5:30 Tues, Wed 8:30-8:00

MedicaL directory

Our SaviOur’S Lutheran ChurCh

Worship With Us Sundays at 8:00, 9:15, and 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday Power Up services at 6:30 p.m.

Join Us For… Divorce Support, AA/NA Meetings,

Men’s Groups, Women’s Groups, Family Events, Creative Stamping, Quilting+ so much more.

19001 Jackson Street NE • East Bethel, MN 55011West County Road 22 south on Jackson Street

763-434-6117 email: [email protected] • www.oursaviourslc.org

eC

La

Jeffrey W. Williams, O.D.

Alicia M. Yates, O.D.

S F St. FrancisEyecare

23168 St. Francis Boulevard #300 • St. Francis

Call 763.753.6019 to schedule your appointment

See us for all your eye care needs… contacts, glasses, comprehensive eye exam, adjustments and repair.

Providers for EyeMed, VSP, Medica, BCBS, HealthPartners, Preferred

One, Davis Vision, and many more.

Ascension Bodyworks is looking for people who want to achieve higher ground.

Our disciplines are: Kettlebell FunctionalBodyFitness YogaFit✦Pilates Taijitsu(AuthenticJapaneseMartialArt)

19580 Tamarack Street Cedar, MN 55011Upstairs level of

Carl Hanson Drywall

Visit www.ascensionbodyworks.com

or call 763-267-2198

Burst Into Spring horticultural daySubmitted by Holly AnderSoniSanti county MaSter gardener

The Isanti County Master Gardeners are hosting their 7th annual Burst Into Spring horticultural event on Saturday, March 6, 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the North Isanti Baptist

Church, 2248 313th Avenue NE in Cambridge.

The theme for this year’s event is Back To The Basics. Pre-reg-istration is encouraged, classes fill up fast. The cost is $15 per person until February 26 or $20 at the door.

Join the Isanti County Master Gardeners for a day of fun and learning! There will be a keynote presentation by Jean Larson, University of Minnesota Program Manager for the Center of Therapeutic Horticulture.

There is plenty to do for gardeners with spring fever, classes on various gardening topics, vendors, information booths, lunch, door prizes, and silent auction.

For more information, contact the Isanti County Extension Of-fice, call 763-689-8253; e-mail to [email protected], or visit www.extension.umn.edu/county/isanti. |

by lilliAn levinern, LSn, ae-c, iSd 15 heaLth Service departMent

What is Asthma? Asthma is a chronic disease with three key features: } Swelling of the airways (in-

flammation)} Mucous production} Tightening of the muscles

around the airways

This results in an increased irritability of the airways. It is not a psychological disease.

Chronic disease means that while it often looks like it goes away for awhile, the inflammation of the air pas-sages remains present all of the time. However, in some instances, this inflammation may go unnoticed for long periods of time. As long as the air passages are inflamed, asthma can flare up at any time.

Asthma symptoms can vary from hour to hour and day to day.

During normal breathing, air flows freely in and out of the lungs. During an “asthma ep-isode,” the linings of the air-ways swell, muscles around the airways tighten and mu-cus clogs the tiny airways, making breathing difficult. The airways become overly responsive (twitchy), some-times resulting in wheezing, coughing, breathlessness, or tightness in the chest.

To understand how an asth-ma episode feels, put a nar-row straw in your mouth, and while holding your nose shut, breath in and out. The inability to pull enough air in through the small straw causes the sensation of panic and desperation.

Common symptoms of asth-ma include:} Coughing} Wheezing (high pitched

sound heard when breath-ing out)

} Shortness of breath} Breathlessness} Chest pain} Tightness in the chest} Difficulty breathing

During an asthma episode, a child may feel that they can’t inhale enough air, but actu-ally their lungs are having trouble exhaling. The wheez-ing or whistling sound that is heard results from air mov-ing through swollen, nar-rowed, mucus-plugged air-ways. Coughing is the body’s natural response to try to rid the lungs of mucus and open the airways. The outcome is a child with an “asthma episode” or flare-up of symp-toms.

Children with asthma may be allergic or sensitive to al-lergens, irritants, and/or vi-ral and bacterial infections. Each child with asthma may react to a different set of fac-tors. These are called asthma triggers.

About six to eight percent of children who have asthma have food allergies that can trigger asthma symptoms.

Asthma can be controlled! Asthma can usually be man-aged with the right medica-tions and modifications to the home and/or environment. Students with asthma should

be able to live healthy, active lives without symptoms.

Goals for children who have asthma:} Good asthma control (no

asthma symptoms)} Optimal school perfor-

mance and attendance} Normal levels of physical

activity} Asthma triggers mini-

mized/avoided} Acceptance by classmates} Accessible asthma action

plan} Student and family goals

are met |

Asthma tidbit

Sickness have you worn down?Worried about colds/flu affecting your family?Call today to see how chiropractic can keep you

at work and your kids in school!

Offering

Massage Therapy with Savannah

HagenbeckTuesday through

Saturday 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Opp FamilyChiropractic P.A.

23168 St. Francis Blvd., Ste 600 next to County Market

763-213-0615Open Monday through Friday, Saturday by appointment.

Specializing in Sports & Family CareCertified in Pediatric Care

Accepting ALL major insurances www.oppfamilychiropractic.com

eaSt betheL Senior eventS

Senior Dance

Come dance with us, we know how to have fun! Dances are from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Tony Jambor will be the musical entertainment on Monday, February 15. Music for the Friday, March 5 dance will be played by Jerry Bier-schbach. The cost is $5 and lunch is included.

Pancake Breakfast

All are welcome to the East Bethel Seniors Pancake Break-fast on Sunday, February 14, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Kookie’s pan-cakes, French toast, sausage, juice, coffee, and scrambled eggs, additional 50¢ per egg. Cost for breakfast is $4 for adults and $2 for children age 10 and under.

All events are held at the East Bethel Senior Commu-nity Center located one mile east of Highway 65 on 221st Avenue in East Bethel for the dance or pancake breakfast. |

26 the courier | February 2010 www.the-courier.orgLife

birthS

Annabell Josephine Bauer was born on January 13 at Cambridge Medical Center. She weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces and was 18½ inches long. Proud parents are Eliz-abeth (Gerads) and Joseph Bauer of Brooklyn Center. Annabell is welcomed by big sister Melanie (4).

Elizabeth Corrine Woolcott was born on January 14 at Cambridge Medical Cen-ter. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 20 inches long. Proud parents are Ron and Dawn Woolcott of Cedar. Elizabeth is welcomed by siblings Tiffany (12), Jacinda (10) and Harley Mae (3) and grandparents Ron Woolcott of St. Francis and Darcy and Carol Black of Mora.

Jared Adam Carlson was born on January 17 at Cam-bridge Medical Center. He weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces and 22 inches long. Proud parents are Curt and Jennifer Carlson of East Bethel. Jared is welcomed by his big sister Alissa (6). |

Isanti Physical Therapy

Enterprise Ave. NW side of Hwy 65

763-444-8680Andover Physical

TherapyAndover

Downtown Center

763-433-8108

St. Francis Physical Therapy

St. Francis Mall

763-753-8804Ham Lake Physical

Therapy18415 NE Hwy. 65 • Cedar

½ mile south of East Bethel Theatres on Hwy. 65

763-413-0880

PhysicalTheraPy

All insurances accepted!

Sunday Services9:45 & 11:00 a.m.

Contemporary Service in the gym

9:45 a.m. Sunday School 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

Service in the Sanctuary

Wednesdays6:45 p.m. Youth Group

6:45 p.m. Kids’ AWANA Club 7:00 p.m. Bible Study & Prayer

Call for more information or additional Bible studies or

small groups

19653 Nowthen Boulevard NW, Anoka, MN 55303Intersection of CR 5 & 22 in Nowthen

For more information call 763-441-1600www.nowthenalliance.org

engageMentS

len and nancy messerschmidt, oak Grove, and Conrad and vicki roal, tonka bay, are pleased to announce the engagement of their children, lindsey Jo messerschmidt and Adam Conrad roal.lindsey is a 2001 graduate of St. Francis High School and a 2005 graduate of the university of St. thomas. She is employed as a financial analyst at General mills in Golden valley. Adam is a 2001 graduate of minnetonka High School and a 2005 graduate of the university of Wisconsin/madison. He is employed as a financial analyst at Supervalu in eden Prairie. Adam and lindsey will be married in an outdoor ceremony on July 23, 2010. SubMitted photo

John and Pam velasco along with robin and Joey Anderson joy-ously announce the engagement of their children, mary eliza-beth velasco to Seth benning Anderson. mary is a 2006 gradu-ate from St. Francis High School and will graduate from bethel university this may with a degree in biochemistry and a Spanish minor. Seth is a 2005 graduate from St. Francis High School and will graduate from bethel university in may with degrees in phys-ics, engineering science, and a math minor from the university of minnesota with a degree in civil engineering. An August 2010 wedding is being planned. SubMitted photo

minnesota dentists provide free care for childrenSubmitted by the minneSotadepartment of education

For the eighth consecutive year, Minnesota dentists are provid-ing free dental care to less fortunate children February 5 and 6.

The Minnesota Dental Association is sponsoring the outreach. The free care will be offered at nearly 200 locations statewide. Organizers say 3,000 appointment slots are available, and they hope to raise that to 5,000.

Dr. Robert Templeton, president of the association, says volun-teer dentists are trying to close the gap at a time when govern-ment programs for families have been cut.

The Give Kids a Smile program is open to patients under the age of 18.

Appointments can be made by calling United Way at 211 or the statewide toll-free number, 800-543-7709. A list of participating clinics is available at mndental.org. |

FiLe photo

27www.the-courier.org the courier | February 2010 Life

St. Francis United Methodist Church3914-229th Avenue • St. Francis, MN

(Across from St. Francis Elementary and right by the hockey rink)stfrancis-umc.org 763-753-2273

God always loves youAnd we would love to grow

in God’s love with you.Sunday School for all ages 9:15 a.m.

Worship 10:30 a.m.

Long Lake Lutheran Churchwww.longlakeluth.org� ELCASunday Worship� 8:00�&�10:30�a.m.Sunday�School� 9:15�a.m.

Located�on�Hwy.�47�south�of�CR�5,�six�miles�north�of�St.�FrancisCall�church�office�at�763-444-5315�for�more�info.

Long�Lake�Lutheran�congregation��begins�its�Lenten�Journey,�themed�

Sources of Spiritual Strength, on�Ash�Wednesday,�February�17.

Soup�suppers�at�5:30�p.m.�and�Lenten�Worship�at�7:00�p.m.�will�begin�February�24�and�continue�each�Wednesday,�March�3,�10,�17,�24�until�Holy�Week.

Everyone is welcome!

A 55+ rental housing community offering comfort and convenience at an affordable rate

21202 Old Lake George Blvd., Oak Grove, MN 55303

Less than 5 minutes from St. Francis and 15 minutes to Riverdale in Coon Rapids.

Call 763-753-8385 for more information

Living HopeEvangelical Free Church

www.LivingHopeEFC.org

763.753.1718

Sundays at10:00 a.m.

St. FrancisHigh School Auditorium

Fill your “sponges” with exercise, not couch potatoes!

Right now you must be thinking, “What is this guy talking about?” Well, now is the time of year when everyone is in full hibernation mode and exercise is the last thing on your mind. Many people love to make New Year’s resolutions to eat less, exercise more and lose weight. Unfortunately, most will set their goals too high to achieve or just lack the moti-vation to even give it a legitimate try and quit before getting started.

Well, I am proposing a new motivational fac-tor—your sponge(s). “What are you talking about Blake?” Our sponges are our kids. No matter how much they deny it, they model themselves after Mom and Dad by observing us and absorbing (like a sponge) everything they see us do from day one. They get their temper, sense of humor, eating habits, work ethic, and even their laziness from us. In the winter, it gets dark out so early that our bodies go into shutdown mode early and all we want to do is sit on the couch, snack and watch television until

bedtime. Our kids see that and soak it up.

My proposition is not just to exercise in front of our kids for them to observe, but to exercise with them. Not only will it get you and your kids active, but it is a wonderful bonding experience. When I get home at night I am usually hungry and often tired, but I usually turn into a human jungle gym for my two, four, and six year olds for at least a half-hour before I get to eat, and it is the best part of my day.

When it is warmer outside, throw on your snow gear and go sledding, build a snowman, have a friendly snowball fight or just go for a walk with your kids. When it is too cold outside, go to the health club or open gym at the local community recreation center, or even turn on the Wii and play it with your kids. The important thing is to do something active for 30 minutes or more at least three to four times a week and, when possible, do it with your kids. Do this regularly, and soon you will begin to see the benefits of exercise (increased metabolism, increased energy and endurance, mood stabilization, weight loss/muscle tone gain to name a few). You will not regret it. Now quit reading and go fill up your sponges!

SpinaL coLuMn by blake butler, pt phySicaL therapiSt St. FranciS phySicaL therapy

Fitness & fat lossSubmitted by nAnCy meSSerSCHmidtaduLt coMMunity education coordinator

Workout with a NETA Cer-tified Personal Trainer and achieve the fitness level you have always wanted!

This program is for anyone who is looking for an afford-able way to get into the best shape of your life. From be-ginners to advanced, you will not be overwhelmed or hindered.

Sessions will include cardio-vascular, resistance and flex-ibility training. Each session will begin with a fitness eval-uation and workout design.

Sessions will be held in the St. Francis High School fit-ness room, which is equipped with a wide range of cardio equipment, weight machines and free weights, which will all be incorporated into this program.

Days: Monday/Wednesday

Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m.Location: St. Francis High

SchoolInstructor: Sherri Ortman,

CPTFee: $50

#AE110141A 8 SessionsDates: March 1-31

#AE110141B 8 SessionsDates: April 5-28

#AE110141C 8 SessionsDates: May 3-26

Questions or registration? Call Adult Community Edu-cation at 763-213-1640. Reg-ister now at www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us. |

FiLe photo

Submitted by Kim FrAGodtour Saviour’S Lutheran church

Gospel Praise Jazz ensemble will perform at our Saviour’s luther-an Church on Sunday, February 28 at two worship services. SubMitted photo

The Augsburg College Gospel Praise Jazz Ensemble will per-form at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in East Bethel on Sun-day, February 28 at the 9:15 and 10:45 a.m. worship services

Gospel Praise is a vibrant ensemble that combines a 20-member jazz band with eight vocalists. Under the direction of Robert Stacke, the dynamic group performs a range of music from tra-ditional gospel tunes to African-American jazz standards and Jamaican reggae to Native American songs.

Zachary Sommer performs with the Augsburg Gospel Praise Jazz Ensemble and is a member at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church.

Gospel Praise was founded by Stacke, Augsburg’s director of bands and music department chair, in 1990 to allow the college to spread its mission throughout the Twin Cities and Minnesota and to encourage an appreciation for world music.

The group has performed for over 20,000 people over the past two years including Jane Fonda and Hillary Clinton. Gospel Praise has been featured at three Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Youth Gatherings, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis and for the King of Norway.

Students in Gospel Praise rehearse and perform side-by-side with some of the best jazz and gospel musicians in the Upper Midwest, many of whom are Augsburg alumni. Stacke empha-sizes the importance of professional concert etiquette for all students participating in the shows including sound checks, recording sessions, and live performances. |

Augsburg College Gospel Praise to visit Our Saviour’s

28 the courier | February 2010 www.the-courier.orgLife

Faith LiStingS

Abundant life Alliance Church3840 197th Avenue NW

Oak Grove • 763-753-0284www.AbundantLife4U.org

bethel Community Church23860 Dewey Street NW

Bethel • 763-434-9834

Catholic Church of St. Patrick19921 Nightingale Street NW

Oak Grove • 763-753-2011www.st-patricks.org

Cedar united methodist Church17541 Jefferson Street NEHam Lake • 763-434-7463

www.cedarumc.com

Cross of Hope lutheran Church5730-179th Lane NW

Ramsey • 763-753-2057www.crossofhope.net

Family of Christ lutheran Church & Christian Pre-School16345 Polk Street NE

Ham Lake • 763-434-7337www.foclutheran.org

First baptist Church & Christian School K–12

22940 St. Francis BoulevardSt. Francis • 763-753-1230www.fbcsaintfrancis.com

Hope evangelical lutheran Church16180 Round Lake Boulevard

Andover • 763-421-8434www.hopeluth.net

living Hope evangelical Free ChurchSt. Francis High School

PO Box 264St. Francis • 763-753-1718www.livinghopeefc.org

long lake lutheran Church3921 277th Avenue NW

Isanti • 763-444-5315www.longlakeluth.org

meadow Creek Church3037 Bunker Lake Boulevard

Andover • 763-427-4543www.meadowcreekchurch.org

new life Church17261 St. Francis Boulevard NW

Ramsey • 763-421-0166www.newlifemn.org

nowthen Alliance Church19653 Nowthen Boulevard

Anoka • 763-441-1600www.nowthenalliance.org

our Saviour’s lutheran Church19001 Jackson Street NE

East Bethel • 763-434-6117www.oursaviourslc.org

St. Andrew lutheran Church1450 237th Avenue NE

(Hwy. 65 & 237th Avenue)East Bethel • 763-434-7146

www.standrewlutheran-eastbethel.org

St. Francis united methodist Church3914 229th Avenue NW

St. Francis • 763-753-2273www.stfrancis-umc.org

trinity lutheran Church, School and latchkey/Childcare

3812 229th Avenue NWSt. Francis • 763-753-1234

www.trinitysf.org

West bethel united methodist Church

1233 221st Avenue NECedar • 763-434-6451

All are welcome to join us for Sunday Worship Services at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School and Bible Classes at 9:15 a.m.

Join us for our Lenten Services as we focus on the theme:

“Christ in the Passover” every Wednesday beginning February 17 through

March 24. Services are at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Chili/Soup Suppers served in our Family Center from 4:30-7:00 p.m. Free will donation.

TrinityLutheranChurch,School,andLatchkey/Childcare229th&AmbassadorBoulevard

St.Francis,MNPhone763-753-1234•www.trinitysf.org

IN OAK GROVE CROSSING3154 Viking Boulevard NW

Oak Grove

763-753-533626 Years of Experience

Complete Family DentalCare in a Relaxed

Atmosphere 8/09

Dr. Thomas John Knox

D.D.S.

New Patients

Welcome!

18975 Lake George Boulevard

1/4 mile south of Cty. Rd. 22 on Cty. Rd. 9

763-753-5717www.newlifeoakgrove.org

Nursery Provided

Starting Ash Wednesday, February 17 and

continuing every Wednesday in Lent6:00-6:45 p.m. Soup Supper

6:45 p.m. Worship

Sunday Worship Services9:00 a.m.

Sunday School and Adult Study

10:30 a.m.

We are called to Invite, Ignite, and Excite

others about Jesus!Come join us and

invite a friend!

GRISÉ CHIROPRACTICDiane M. Grisé, D.C.3158 Viking Blvd. NWCedar, MN 55011763-753-0993Oak Grove Crossing Mall

Open Mon-Wed-Thurs 9:00 am-6:00 pm • Tues-Fri 9:00 am-Noon

Therapeutic Massage by LuAnn Smith C.M.T.

Hours by appointment • Gift certifi cates available

Submitted by mAureen berGmAnntrinity Lutheran SchooL

Students at Trinity Lutheran School wrote a short note tell-ing of fond memories or spe-cial thoughts of Mr. William Dunk, their principal who re-tired last June. The notes are on display on a special bulle-tin board in memory of Dunk who passed away January 5. The students wanted to show the respect that they had for their former principal.

Dunk was the fi rst principal at Trinity Lutheran School. He was a teacher and prin-cipal for 29 years. He always visited classrooms in the morning before school be-gan to say, “Good morning.” He had a birthday card on the desks of students as they arrived to school on their special day, and he was usu-ally outside as students left at the end of the day, asking how their day went. Along with the big job of being

trinity lutheran students remember Principal dunk

both principal and teacher, he took care of many little things such as making sure tables were in place at lunch and chairs were set up in neat rows for an assembly. He was a teacher and friend to many in our community. To those who attend Trinity Lutheran Church, he was the organist and always sat in the same chair at Bible class. Dunk also taught the adult Bible class on Wednesday evenings. He

was a regular at events held at Trinity, be it a special musi-cal, sports event, fundraiser, or potluck dinner, where you would fi nd him visiting with others.

It was with great sadness on December 17, that staff and students at Trinity Lu-theran School heard he was diagnosed with cancer. On December 21, Dunk called to tell us he was not well enough to attend the Christ-mas musical that evening. A

quick decision was made to bus students to his house and sing the musical to him. The students stood in his front yard and sang while Dunk sat outside his front door and listened with a smile.

This was the last time the chil-dren saw that smile. Dunk was called home to heaven on January 5, 2010.

Mr. Dunk is no longer walk-ing the halls at Trinity Lu-theran School, but he will not be forgotten. |

Former trinity lutheran School Principal William dunk passed away in early January. Students wrote about mr. dunk and created a bulletin board as a memorial to him. SubMitted photo

29www.the-courier.org� the�courier�|�February�2010 Classified

Next ISD 15 SCHOOL BOarD MeetINgS are: February 8 Dialogue with School Board 6:30 p.m., Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m.; February 22 Dialogue with School Board 6:30 p.m., Organizational Meeting 7:00 p.m. at Central Services Center, Community Room, 4115 Ambassador Blvd., St. Francis.

St. FraNCIS area CHaMBer OF COMMerCe next board of directors monthly meeting is February 17 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Francis Community Center, next to St. Francis City Hall. Visit www.stfrancischamber.org for more information.

St. FraNCIS JayCeeS will meet on the third Friday of every month during the fall, winter and spring months at 7:00 p.m. at the St. Francis City Community Center, located on 23340 Cree Street. For info, visit our web site at www.stfrancisjaycees.org. Walk-ins welcome.

tOpS CHapter MN #1774 meets every Wed. morning at 9:30 a.m. at the St. Francis Community Center next to city hall. TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly and is a weight loss support group. Come check us out on Wed. mornings or visit www.tops.org.

St. FraNCIS area WOMeN OF tODay meet the 1st Tuesday of the month at St. Francis City Hall. 6:30 p.m. is social time with the meeting starting at 7:00 p.m. For more information about the Women of Today, visit us at www.mnwt.org or call Dana at 763-753-5010.

Oak grOve SeNIOrS meet the 2nd Wed. of the month at noon for potluck and a short business meeting, 4th Wed. of the month at noon for a kitchen help’s choice and short business meeting. BINGO follows each business meeting. For information about the club and events, call Harry Bearl at 763-753-2973.

St. FraNCIS SeNIOrS If you are 55 or older, come join us for some fun at the St. Francis American Legion. We meet on the 1st & 3rd Thurs. of each month, from noon to 3:00 p.m. For more information call President Ray Steinke at 763-753-1871.

aMerICaN LegION pOSt 622 – St. Francis General membership meet monthly, the 2nd Thurs. at 7:00 p.m. All members of the post are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information call 763-753-4234.

aMerICaN LegION auxILIary uNIt 622 St. Francis General membership meets monthly, on the 3rd Thurs. of the month at 7:00 p.m. All members of the auxiliary are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information call 763-753-4234.

St. FraNCIS DFL COuNty uNIt 17 meets on the 3rd Thurs. of each month at St. Francis High School at 7:00 p.m. For more information, call Ray Steinke at 763-753-1871.

eaSt BetHeL SeNIOrS meet 3rd Thurs. of the month, 10:30 a.m. for business meeting and noon for lunch. 2nd Wed. is crafts, 9:00 a.m.-noon w/potluck at noon, cards and games until 2:45 p.m., celebrate birthdays of the month at 3:00 p.m. 4th Wed. crafts, 9:00 a.m.-noon, cards and games from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. followed by coffee and treats. Pancake Breakfast is held 2nd Sun. of each month, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Dance the 1st Fri. of every month, 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the center. Center is available for rent. For information, contact Mary Henrickson at 763-434-5274. All seniors are welcome to join; only $7 per year.

BNI – reFerraLS uNLIMIteD Meets every Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. at the St. Francis Community Center, next to St. Francis city hall. For more information check www.bni-mn.com.

NOWtHeN LIONS CLuB board meeting is 1st Thurs. of month at 6:30 p.m.; general meeting 3rd Thurs. of the month at 7:30 p.m. both at Nowthen City Hall. For more information please call Lion Judy at 763-753-6962.

LIONeSS CLuB-St. FraNCIS meets monthly. 1st Wed., administrative board, and 3rd Wed., general membership meeting at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are held at St. Francis City Hall. For more information call Jean Schuldt at 763-753-1205 or Illa Torgerson at 763-753-2002.

LIONS CLuB - St. FraNCIS meets three times during the month at the St. Francis American Legion. 1st Wed. board meeting; 2nd Wed. regular business meeting; 4th Wed. social & program. All meetings start at 7:00 p.m. and adjourn at 8:15 p.m. Call Lion Brian Heichel for more information at 763-753-4415.

Oak grOve LIONS meet every 2nd and 4th Tues. of each month at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call Lion Tim Newell at 763-753-4492 after 6:30 p.m.

LIONS CLuB-CeDar/eaSt BetHeL meets bimonthly, 1st and 3rd Tues., 7:00 p.m., at the Ham Lake VFW. Call Gary Larson at 763-434-9423.

CeDar/ eaSt BetHeL LIONeSS CLuB meet every second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at Lioness Yvonne Johnson’s. Phone 763-434-6985.

Have a meeting or event you would like listed? Call 763-753-7031 or visit www.the-courier.org for more info.

council�&��township�Meetings

Andover City CouncilMeets 1st & 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m.

1685 Crosstown Blvd. NWAndover, MN • 763-755-5100

Bethel City CouncilMeets 1st & 3rd Thursday 7:00 p.m.

165 Main St. • P.O. Box 64 Bethel, MN • 763-434-4366

Nowthen City CouncilMeets 2nd Tuesday 7:30 p.m.

19800 Nowthen Blvd. Anoka, MN • 763-441-1347

East Bethel City CouncilMeets 1st & 3rd Wednesday

7:30 p.m.2241 • 221st Ave. NE

East Bethel, MN • 763-367-7840

Oak Grove City CouncilMeets 2nd Monday 7:00 &

last Monday 7:00 p.m.19900 Nightingale St. NW

Oak Grove, MN • 763-404-7000

St. Francis City CouncilMeets 1st & 3rd Monday 6:00 p.m.

ISD 15 District OfficeSt. Francis, MN • 763-753-2630

Stanford Town BoardMeets 1st Monday 7:00 p.m.

Co. Rd. 8 (261st Ave NW)Isanti, MN • 763-444-6370

The Courier

area�Meetings�&�events

Onlinewww.the-courier.org

24-hours�a�day�

By Phone763-753-7031

Monday-Friday�|�8:00-4:00�p.m.

In Person4115 Ambassador Blvd. NW

Monday-Friday�|�8:00-4:00�p.m.

By MailThe Courier

4115 Ambassador Blvd. NW St. Francis, MN 55070

Classified AdsFirst 10 words FREE, each additional word is 25¢. Email addresses may be considered as two words.

Meetings & EventsFirst 5 lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.00Each additional line . . . . . .$1.50Payment is due when placing an ad.

Place Your Classified Ad, Meeting or Event

ChildCareST. FrANCiS LiCeNSed dAyCAre has�openings�with�reasonable�rates.�i�provide�the�one-on-one�attention�that� your� child� deserves,� christina,�763-258-7282.

KidS CouNTry ChiLdCAre CeNTer, st.� Francis,� has� openings�for� all� ages.� tour� today,� earn� Free�care,�763-753-5010.

PreSChooL CAre�for�children�3+�only.�Daily�schedule�with�preschool�curriculum� and� activities.� associ-ates�degree�in�early�childhood.�call�763-213-1028.

ST. FrANCiS LiCeNSed dAyCAre�has�openings�6:30�a.m.�to�6:00�p.m.��First�week�1/2�off�with�enrollment.�please� call� ann� for� more� informa-tion:�763-213-8467.

ChildCareoPeNiNgS For SChooL Age KidS ANd PreSChooLerS� 1/2�off� first� week.� st.� Francis� elemen-tary� and�trinity� school.� Food� pro-gram� provided.� very� fun� and�loving� environment.� For� more� in-formation� call� lisa:� 763-434-8090�or�763-458-1948.�1st�and�2nd�shift�openings!�references�are�available.

ST. FrANCiS LiCeNSed dAy-CAre� all� ages� welcome,� daily� ac-tivities�and�crafts,�fenced�yard,�food�program,� east� bethel� community�school,�sara�763-753-0021.�

oAK grove licensed�daycare,� full�or�part�time�openings,�Jen�763-753-1026.

PreCiouS TiMeS LeArNiNg CeNTer in� st.� Francis–call� today,�enrolling�all�ages,�763-753-4656.

FitnessKeTTLeBeLL, yogA-FiT� and�personal� fitness� training� classes�starting� soon.� call� 763-267-2198�or�visit�our�web�site�at�www.ascen-sionbodyworks.com.

For leaseSPACe For LeASe� 5,238� square�foot� office/warehouse� space� with�hwy.� 47� frontage� in� st.� Francis,��763-753-6116.

serviCes PiANo TuNiNg - �violin,�piano,�and�guitar� lessons� -� Michael,� 763-219-4883,�[email protected].

PeT NAiL TriMS�by�cleo’s�c&c,�$4,�763-434-8997.

Temperature Sensing For Today… and Tomorrow.

TemperaTure SpecialiSTS, inc.3175 Bridge Street NW

St. Francis, MN 55070-9612

763-753-2974 • FAX 763-753-5401 • 800-272-5709

manuFacTurer OF reSiSTance TemperaTure SenSOrS

We accept applications for employment and offer on-the-job training

1/07

Anoka County Parks and Recreation

Now HiriNg Summer SeaSoNal Staff

We are currently hiring for lifeguards, park rangers, park maintenance workers, guest service staff, mowing crew, golf

course attendants and maintenance and starter rangers.

View job descriptions and apply online at

www.anokacounty.us/jobs Students, adults and seniors encouraged to apply.

More information – please call 763-757-3920 An Affirmative Action Employer/EOE

Let classified ads work for you!The next issue of

The Courier will be delivered on March 3. Deadline for classified

ads is February 22.

The first ten words are

FREE!A classified form is available online at

www.the-courier.org or in our office.

Call 763-753-7031 for more

information.

Issue DeaDlIne DelIvery2010

March 2/12/10 3/3/10april 3/19/10 4/7/10May 4/16/10 5/5/10June 5/15/10 6/2/10July 6/18/10 7/7/10

30 the�courier�|�February�2010� www.the-courier.orgMarketplace

Affordable lifestyle choices for seniors with the

comfort of community!All Denominations Welcome

Assisted Living•AssistedLivingandMemoryCare

apartmentsavailable

•24hourhomecarestaff

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Independent Senior Housing

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In 2009, St. Francis residents recycled over 460 tons at curbside.

recycling�is�now�easier�with�simple�sort�recycling.�you�no�longer�need�to�sort�items.�Just�place�them�all�in�the�large�roll-off�container�

provided�by�your�hauler.�if�you�have�any�questions�about�what�is�acceptable�or�would�like�to�start�a�new�service,�call�your�hauler:�

Ace Solid Waste 763-427-3110Allied Waste 763-784-2104

2010Goal630

Tons 44 Tons

Recycled in December

Service & Parts20145 St. Francis Blvd.

Nowthen

763-753-2310 MSSCSA

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$500 Off Any Service

Good until 3/2/10. Not valid with any other coupon. Must show coupon at time of service.

✃

“We treat your pets like our own”

St. Francis Veterinary Clinic763-444-9359

Doctors on staff Dr. Tracey ThomasDr. Jill HergenraderDr. Kelly PawlentyDr. Steve Kivisto

Two miles north of St. Francis on Highway 47Visit us on the web at www.sfvetclinic.com

•Smallanimalmedicine,surgeryanddentistry•Freeinitialpuppyandkittenexams•Earlymorningdropoffavailablebyappointment•Eveningappointments•HeartwormandLymetesting•MicrochippetID

FroM�page�9SChOOl BOArd hiGhliGhTS

»Director Mae Hawkins reported that the state is again looking at deferring payments to school districts. The statute contains a formula for calculating the delay of

payments and states that districts who have less than $350 per pupil in fund balance are exempt from the delay. ISD 15 would be exempt. In Minnesota, 231 of 337 school districts will not be receiving two state payments in March and April from the state. These school districts will either have to do additional cash flow borrowing or break investments that they have to meet their payroll and vendor payments for March and April. Unless the statute is changed by the legislature, ISD 15 will be exempt from this delay of state payments.

Last June, the Governor announced a previous shift (delay) of state payments. The state used to pay school districts 90 percent of the school districts state revenues in the current school year and 10 percent up to six months after the school year ended. For the 2009-10 school year, the state revenue payments were shifted to 73 percent in the current school and 27 percent up to six months after the school year. To meet the district’s payment obligations, ISD 15 had to do short term borrowing of $8.5 mil-lion and come up with funds to pay $77,917 in interest on these un-anticipated borrowed funds after cutting $5.6 million out of the district’s budget. To be as frugal as possible, the district de-layed borrowing these funds as long as it could. The end result was a lower interest payment.

Web site

Communications Manager Kathleen Miller presented high-lights of the improved district web site that went live at the end of October 2009. The district staff directory, calendars that are dynamic and can be customized by the user, and news archival were a few of the highlights. Information of number of visitors, bounce rate, and site usage were also presented. A spike in vis-its occurred on Monday, January 25, when ISD 15 declared the two-hour delay and school closing. |

FroM�page�7COllEGE MATh

»in Marshall. The pro-gram that incorporates the SFHS College in

the Schools program is called College NOW. Information about this program can be found on-line at www.smsu.edu/Academics/Challenge-Program. Since SMSU be-longs to the state university system; the credits a student earns are then transferable to any public or private col-lege or university in Minne-sota and many out-of-state schools. Here are some topics concerning this program:

Eligibility

For a student to be eligible for a college math class at SFHS, the student must be a junior in the top third of their class or a senior in the top half of their class. In addi-tion, each student must also satisfy course pre-requisites. Pre-requisites and course outlines can be found on-line at http://stfrancis.rcurricu-lumtoday.com/login. Click on the Public View button.

Courses offered

}College trigonometry, 3 credits, one trimester in length

}College algebra, 3 credits, one trimester in length

}College calculus, 5 credits, two trimesters in length

College liaison

Each math instructor who teaches a college course must have at least 15 years of teach-ing experience and a master’s degree. Once accepted, each instructor then works with a college professor at SMSU to create a course syllabus and outline. The professor and the instructor meet two to three times per year to dis-cuss teaching and grading strategies. SMSU also offers an annual workshop for the instructors of all the schools within the College Now pro-gram to meet and share their experiences with the goal of bettering the course that is taught locally and mirroring the college experience.

Rigor

The college courses taught through the SFHS math de-

partment tend to be more rigorous than the typical high school math class. Students can expect to put more indi-vidual time into homework and projects with these class-es. In many cases, students are not aware of the extra commitment required to be successful in one of these classes. To address this, ad-ditional instruction is given during the college algebra course on how to study math-ematics to be successful. Also, on a weekly basis, class time is set aside for “office hours” where students can receive individual time with the in-structor to help with comple-tion of homework or make-up work due to an absence.

Additional information

With registration on the horizon, parents and their students can get additional information about this pro-gram from the on-line links given above or by contacting the instructors directly:

}Lee Erickson, math depart-ment peer leader; college algebra & trigonometry in-structor, 763-213-1559

}Al Angell, college calculus instructor, 763-213-1604 |

FroM�page�6STudENT updATES

»Brent Molitor, son of Janet and Dale Molitor of Cedar was named

to the Dunwoody College of Technology, fall quarter 2009 Dean’s List. Students named to the Dean’s List are recog-nized for outstanding aca-demic achievement by earn-ing a 3.5 grade point average or higher in 12 or more cred-its for the quarter. Molitor, a 2008 graduate of St. Francis High School is in the Engi-neering, Drafting & Design Technology Program at Dun-woody and will graduate in June, 2010.

When shopping area businesses tell them you saw their ad in The Courier.

Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall an-nounces Lindsey parlow, St. Francis, has earned high hon-ors for achievement during the fall semester of study. She is named to the Dean’s List. Students with a 3.8-4.0 (A) average earn “High Honors” recognition.

Blake richner, son of Kari and Dennis Richner of Ando-ver was named to the Dun-woody College of Technol-ogy, fall quarter 2009 Dean’s List. Students named to the Dean’s List are recognized for outstanding academic achievement by earning a 3.5 grade point average or high-

er in 12 or more credits for the quarter. Richner, a 2008 graduate of St. Francis High School is in the Machine Trades Program at Dun-woody and will graduate in June, 2010.

Nicholas yatckoske, of Wyo-ming, Minn., was named to the Dean’s List at Hamline University for the fall term of the 2009-10 academic year. Members of the Dean’s List achieve a grade point aver-age of 3.50 or higher on a 4.00 scale. Yatckoske, who is majoring in chemistry, is a graduate of St. Francis High School and is the son of Bruce and Gayle Yatckoske. |

31www.the-courier.org� the�courier�|�February�2010 Marketplace

East Bethel Theatres is located at 187th Avenue & Highway 65

in East Bethel

THE DIGITAL THE DIGITAL THE DIGITAL 3D3D3D3D3D3DMOVIE EXPERIENCEMOVIE EXPERIENCEMOVIE EXPERIENCE

Latest movie information call 651-777-FILM or 651-777-3456

$2 more for a

3D movie experience

Bargain Tuesday Nights

Only speci� ed movies for a lesser

ticket price

Daily Matinees before 5:30 p.m.

Advance Ticket Sales

Full medical, dental, laboratory and surgical services for pets

763-753-6336cty.�rd.�22�&�cty.�rd.�9� amy�Morgan,�D.v.M.oak�grove,�Mn�55011� lisa�Johnson,�D.v.M.

February is Dental Health Month!Call for a FREE dental

check up during February.

Fido’s Barber Shop19847 Orchid St. NW, Oak Grove

All Breed ProfessionalDog Grooming and

Personal Care BoardingDay and Evening Appointments

763-213-8143

If your pet could talk, he would

insist on…Pickup and

delivery now available

Dogs and cats welcome

Open 7 days a week

By appointment only

$5 O� Full Grooming

763-753-5450 Limit one o� er per family. Not valid with any other

coupons or o� ers. Expires: 3/2/10

$50 O� Training



$3 O� Boarding per Night



763.753.54506560 Norris Lake Road

Elk River, MN 55330 (Nowthen)www.goldstarkennelsofmn.com

C2-

10

C2-

10

C2-

10

ceDar�creeK�coMMunity�school

A special thank you goes to Cedar Creek Community School Student Council members from 3rd, 4th and 5th grade for all of your hard work selling pie-in-the-Eye tickets this year. pie-in-the-Eye is an annual tradition that has been happening at Cedar Creek since the school opened. Students are able to purchase tickets for a drawing that allows them to place a plate of whipped cream, a “pie”, in the face of other student council members or the principal darin hahn or Assistant principal Jill Kelly. The profi ts from the sale of tickets each year are used to benefi t the students at CCCS. This year, the students were able to raise a total of $570.82. A portion of the money that was raised was used to purchase warm winter clothing for students in need, and the remainder of the money will be used to purchase new games and activities for the game cart that students use during indoor recess. Thank you all for another successful year! pictured are student council members before pie on the left and after pie on the right.� subMitteD�by�ira�FieDelMan,�cccs�school�social�worKer

BY pATriCiA NOrBErGcccs�pto�presiDent

The CCCS PTO combined with the building fund, Q-Comp and capital spending dollars, have contributed funds during the 2009-10 school year for the purchase of technology equipment. The fi rst purchase allowed the school to install 23 speakers into the learning spaces/classrooms which work in tandem with the 23 projectors so that instructional me-dia can be seen and heard effectively by our students. Both of these pieces of equipment were mounted in the ceiling to protect and preserve their use and quality.

The second and fi nal purchase involved the CCCS PTO making another contribution to help the building complete their K-5 class-room technology investment of 15 document cameras, mounted speakers and projectors.

With the installation of this equipment, the use of an overhead projector has come to an end because the document camera is a tool that allows our teachers to enhance an activ-ity or lesson plan by allowing them to pres-ent items on the screen for the entire class to see. In addition, this will reduce the amount of copying a teacher has to do (thus, reducing those costs) and no more transparencies which will wear out over a period of time. Examples of its many uses include: the display of notes,

a book, or other documents; display photo or images; having the teacher or student utilize ABC tiles to spell words; show and tell; stu-dents can share and discuss their homework assignments or projects with the class; demon-strating activities/techniques for art; display math problem solving; teachers can project a quiz or test for the students to take and many other uses.

Overall, this investment has proven to be successful and exciting for the students and teachers. For the student, it’s far more engag-ing and they gain a better learning experience. For the teachers, they’ve found it to be more convenient, a time-saver, and allow those stu-dents who are more “visual learners” to see text, items or demonstrations in a much larger scale.

With the few special skills needed to utilize the equipment, this investment in our technology at CCCS has been rewarding for the students and faculty. |

FroM�page�8WiNTEr CArNiVAl

»collected by each class-room and raffl e draw-ings throughout the

carnival will also be held.

The PTO will also sell food during the carnival including pizza, taco in a bag, nachos, cotton candy, slushies and popcorn. Please note, game/food tickets and raffl e tickets are available for purchase the day of the carnival.

Volunteers are needed. If you’re 14 years or older and

interested in volunteering, please call Michele Brese at 763-213-8860 or Patricia Norberg at 612-747-0129. We need approximately 85-90 volunteers the day of the car-nival and 10-15 volunteers on March 19 for setup which is scheduled for 6:00-8:00 p.m. We had a great group of stu-dents from St. Francis High School who volunteered last year and we hope to see a group of students volunteer-ing the day of the carnival day. Volunteers can select from two shifts, 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. or 12:45-3:30 p.m. |

Technology equipment purchased

February is I Love To Read Month… CCCS has many activities

planned to enhance reading throughout the month.

Read with your children every day!

32 the�courier�|�February�2010� www.the-courier.org

21250 Yellow Pine StreetOak Grove, Minnesota

MEMBERSHIPS NOW AVAILABLEMembership With Cart Without Cart

Individual $1,799 $1,349Couples $2,999 $2,349Senior 60 & Up $1,099 $ 649Senior Couple $1,999 $1,349Junior 17 & Under* $ 189College 18-21** $ 269

Senior memberships will be able to play anytime on weekdays and after 1:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays from May 15 through September 15. Before and after listed date members can play anytime.* Weekdays before 8:00 a.m. and holidays after 2:00 p.m. only with an adult, all season.** Weekdays before 10:00 a.m. and weekends and holidays after 2:00 p.m., all season.

PLAYING INFORMATIONAvailability for our

Wednesday Night Ladies League

Applications now being taken for Refuge Men’s ClubThe Men’s Club plays Thursday evenings and also on weekends for programmed events

For more information, contact us at 763-753-8383Information can also be found on our web site: www.refugegolfclub.com

Wedding ReceptionsYour wedding day should be perfect. Trust us to make certain it is, with a friendly and professional staff that is eager to assist you. Our beautiful new clubhouse features a large dance fl oor, linens, skirting, centerpieces and all the special items you need for your wedding.

Our quaint gazebo, which settles on a lush green lawn surrounded by beautiful mature trees and seasonal fl owers, is a wonderful setting for your wedding ceremony or renewal of vows.

For pricing and availability, please contact our Banquet Coordinator, Susan at 763-753-8383 or email her at [email protected].

Our quaint gazebo, which settles on a lush green lawn surrounded by beautiful

The Courier - February 2010

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