the courier - february 2011

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

4115 Ambassador Boulevard, St . Francis , Minnesota 55070

Wedding & Valentine’s day section, truth in taxation information

february 2011 Volume 18, issue 7 WWW.the-courier.org

school board meetings

ISD 15 school board meetings: Monday, February 14 and Monday, February 28, 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

16 Wedding/Valentine’s

25 sports

27 life

29 classified

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Locker advertising helps cash crunch for district schoolsBy Tom Larsonstaff Writer

In August the Independent School District 15 School Board was presented with an opportunity to garner a new revenue stream for district schools by allowing wrap advertising on

school lockers. The discussion in August and September of 2010 led to a 12-month pilot program and contract with School Media’s Inc. to move forward on this new financial strategy. The contract allows School Media’s Inc. to place advertising on no more than 15 percent of student locker space. In exchange, the lease generates revenue for the district’s general fund. Ads placed must be educational, nutritional or health oriented. This criteria must be adhered to in order to receive placement ap-proval by the school district. Ad placement was completed dur-ing the Education Minnesota Conference Break in October.

ISD 15 was the first school district in the state to venture into this new business endeavor and received a considerable amount of publicity statewide and nationally. Local news me-dia, both written and television, ran stories of cash-starved school districts and new, innovative means of generating reve-nue for which District 15 was interviewed and showcased. Na-tionally, TIME magazine ran a spread in its November 8, 2010 issue about advertising in schools with ISD 15 prominently mentioned, which led to more than a dozen phone calls from superintendents in California, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Connecticut as well as numerous calls and contacts from other Minnesota school districts.

students at Cedar Creek Community school collected water samples from Cedar Creek to observe insect specimens. science curriculum specialist rich rose brought the samples to susan olson’s East Bethel Community school classroom to have students observe and identify water insects using magnifying glasses and microscopes. submitted Photo

By KurT BECKErcurriculum Program suPerVisor

When the class of 2015 enters 9th grade next year, it will be faced with new gradua-tion requirements. To gradu-ate from a Minnesota public high school, a student must meet the state’s course credit requirements along with any additional local requirements, which are established by the school district. When the new Minnesota Academic Science Standards were put into ef-fect by the legislature in May 2010, a change in the state’s graduation requirements was also put into effect.

Beginning with the class of 2015, all students must earn a credit in either physics or chemistry before they are eligible to graduate. This requirement is in addition to the existing state require-

statewide changes in science graduation requirements coming for the class of 2015

ment that students must earn a credit in biology.

This new law, along with the new earth and space science standards, will cause a change in ISD 15’s local graduation requirements. Currently, stu-dents must earn at least six science credits in high school. Students must take a two-trimester 9th grade physical science, where they earn two credits, and they must take a two-trimester biology class,

typically in 10th grade, to earn two more credits. The additional two credits come from elective courses.

The changes begin with the class of 2015. The physical science and biology require-ments will remain the same. However, students will also need to take a two-trimes-ter physics or chemistry class where they earn two

continued on Page 5» rEquirEmEnTs

advertisements placed on lockers in District 15 schools have created national attention as well as revenue for the district. submitted Photo

continued on Page 4» LoCKErs

2 The Courier | February 2011 www.The-Courier.orgSchoolS in Action

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The first graders at Cedar Creek Community School went on a field trip to watch a play based on one of their favorite characters Junie B. Jones. The play was at Stages Theater in Hopkins. The 1st graders were able to enhance their comprehension skills as the book they read came to life on stage. SubmiTTed by Sandra benSon, CCCS CommuniTy relaTionS CoordinaTor

SkillsUSA Annual Ice

Fishing Contest

FundraiserSaturday, February 19

10:00 a.m.-NoonOn Norris LakeGreat Prizes!

Get tickets for $10 at St. Francis Bait & Tackle

This fundraising event will help allow SFHS Skills-USA students to compete with many other participants from many other schools

and programs.

Schools in Action3www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2011

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Having now finished the holi-day season, we are reminded of the things that truly mat-ter to us. We listen to stories that seem to be embellished just a tad more each and ev-ery year. The story told by a grandfather or uncle or even a brother or sister has more de-tail today than it did when it actually happened. That’s the exciting part. The stories are predictable and delightful at the same time.

Retelling or reporting what has happened or will happen is an activity that Americans pursue on a daily basis. The president recently delivered his State of the Union speech. Regardless of which side of the aisle people find them-selves politically, most are interested in the message. It is an interesting phenomena brought to us annually.

Although the State of the Union is important, most of

us communicate even more about issues much closer to home and family. As a su-perintendent of schools, I am asked periodically to report on our district accomplish-ments or perhaps review the vision we are pursuing. Our district has a record, devel-oped over the past 10 years, of working together. Our school board, teachers, and admin-istrators have worked dili-gently to develop a true part-nership focused on student improvement.

Although this journey started in 2001, the efficacy and in-novation was enhanced ex-ponentially on September 30, 2005. That was the day Gov-ernor Pawlenty broadcast his

radio show from St. Francis Middle School and awarded $1,555,580 to our district to support our jointly-created Q-Comp program. For the past six years, we have continued to fine-tune a program that has been recognized nation-ally, as well as across the state.

Our district was asked to present at a conference last October. The conference was in Washington, DC and was underwritten by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This gathering afforded us the opportunity to meet several innovative educators from various regions of the United States and a contingency from South Africa. It was exciting, informational, and reassur-ing. Our model is working and working well.

Recently, United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was in Lakeville visiting schools. When a national education official visits our state, it is worth noting. As I watched the news and listened to Representative John Kline and Secretary

Duncan interact, I began to anticipate my upcoming visit to Colorado.

On February 15, at the re-quest of Secretary Duncan, four members from the ISD 15 community will be presenting at a conference on advancing student achievement through labor-management collabora-tion in Denver, Colorado. The team, consisting of our teach-ers union president Jim Hen-nesy, our student performance improvement coordinator Randy Keillor, our school board vice chairman Harry Grams, and myself will be presenting at the conference.

To be one of only 10 districts selected nationwide is hum-

bling. At the same time, it is a fantastic opportunity to share the decade of growth we have just concluded along with our vision for the future.

Our story is the result of con-sistent effort by all parties to keep the focus on student achievement. The strength of this system, created and de-veloped by today’s leaders, will be judged by the ability to pass the leadership torch and the focus on work ethic to the professionals who follow.

That process will unfold over the next three to five years. With updates in The Courier, I’ll keep you posted. No doubt I will do a post-Colorado re-view this spring. |

Financial aid help for post secondary educationSuBmiTTEd By Jill SaloSFhS CounSelor

Financial Aid Night is for high school juniors and seniors and their parents who would like to learn more about the financial aid process. Valerie Knopp, from the financial aid office at St. Cloud State Uni-versity, will discuss the differ-ences between scholarships, grants and loans and review the process and procedure for filling out the Free Applica-tion for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The night is a must-attend for parents of senior students who plan to attend college. The event is sched-uled for Thursday, February 3, 7:00 p.m. at the St. Francis High School in the Perform-ing Arts Center. |

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]

Website: www.the-courier.org

Courier STaFFPublisher

Tom Larson

editor Kathleen Miller

Advertising Sales Janice Audette

Graphic Artists Pat Johnson

Alicia Loehlein

Staff Writers Tom Larson

ProductionBinie Bertils

Billing Alicia Loehlein Amy Lindfors

deadline inFormaTion

Deadline for the March 2 issue of The Courier is on or before February 11, unless other arrangements are made. Information about advertising—call Janice Audette at 763-753-7032. Information on article or photo submissions—call 763-753-7031.

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


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Students attend field trips to alaska, ohio and Virginia

This year has kicked off with more than 200 Independent School District 15 students in grades 2, 3, 5 and 8 taking vir-tual field trips to Ohio, Vir-ginia, Ontario, and Alaska. These classrooms used the TANDBERG video confer-encing cameras to connect to the LEARNnco Educational Services in Ohio, The Mari-ners’ Museum in Virginia, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Ontario, and Kigluait Educa-tional Adventures in Alaska.

Eighth grade earth science teacher Mark Woodard kicked off the virtual field trips on January 12 with an or-ganization called LEARNnco (a division of the North Cen-tral Ohio Educational Service Center) for a session called Everyday Geology. The pre-senter used his energetic style and interactive activi-ties to demonstrate the cause of earthquakes, the creation of volcanoes, rocks, and min-erals, and the process and power of erosion. Student re-sponse was overwhelmingly positive. One student pro-claimed, “We should do one of these every day!” This was a highly engaging review for Woodard’s students of their current unit on plate tecton-ics and a previous unit on rocks and minerals.

In January, each of the 5th grade classes at St. Francis Elementary participated in a video conferencing session called Age of Exploration provided by The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News,

Virginia, the largest maritime museum in the United States The presenters focused on European countries’ pursuit of spices around the world that drove them to explore unknown oceans. Part of the interaction was giving students a chance to see, touch, and smell some of these spices as the presenter talked. Student participation was extremely high in every class, and most students were thrilled to have been a part of the session. As part of the so-cial studies standards, the 5th graders had been studying explorers, so this session was a great review of what they had learned as well as a tre-mendous experience to learn something new.

At East Bethel Community School, Staci Winter’s 3rd grade classroom also con-nected with the North Cen-

tral Ohio Educational Service Center on January 19 for a science session titled Sound. Winter’s students participat-ed in several hands-on exper-iments that illustrated the sci-ence of sound and how this affects the world around us. The students also did an ac-tivity to imagine their world if they could not hear sounds. It was a very engaging ses-sion and Winter’s students learned a great deal through their exciting interaction with presenter Andy Campbell.

Stephanie Schollman took her St. Francis Elementary 2nd graders on a virtual field trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, On-tario, Canada, on January 21 for an interactive session ti-tled Insects in Winter. Where do bugs go when it gets cold? How do they survive? Do they eat? How do insects’ winter survival skills com-pare to other animals? These questions and many others were addressed in this highly

interactive and engaging ses-sion. Covering the science standards on insects may never have been this much fun!

In the last video conference connection of January, Jessica Rowles, a middle school lan-guage arts teacher, connected her 7th grade classroom with Kigluait Educational Adven-tures in Talkeetna, Alaska, on January 24 for a session called Mushing Alaska. The session focused on the ne-cessity of using dogsleds in the challenging environment of Alaska. During the con-nection, students took a vir-tual sled ride and even got to “meet” some of the dogs. This was a fantastic experi-ence for Rowles’ students as they have been reading Gary Paulsen’s book, Woodsong, in which dog sledding plays a critical role in the story.

Some video conferencing sessions can be a bit pricey, but all of these sessions have

been generously funded through a grant received by East Central Minnesota Edu-cational Cable Cooperative, the technology consortium of which ISD 15 is a member.

These video conference ses-sions have allowed students to travel virtually or bring guest experts into their class-rooms—or both! And listen-ing to student feedback, there is no doubt that each of these sessions has made personal and academic impact that will not be quickly forgotten. |

Stephanie Schollman’s St. Francis Elementary 2nd graders took a virtual field trip to the royal Bo-tanical Gardens in Burlington, ontario, Canada. The interactive session focused on what insects do in the winter. SubmiTTed phoTo

From page 1loCkErS

The first quarterly payment of $20,000 was received at the end of January. Not all of the 15 percent of the available space has been sold as this project is also new to School Media’s. According to Mae Hawkins, ISD 15 Director of Business Affairs, “The antici-pated revenue to the school district if all 15 percent of the space available was used would bring in over $200,000; however, our current projec-tions with the ads current-ly placed should bring in $100,000.”

New and additional ads will be placed in early February as the new round of sales and placement takes place. Cur-rently the secondary school sites have a total of 24 ads and the three elementary schools have 17 ads placed evenly at each elementary.

Here are several of the current ad sponsors: Schmitt Music, Cub Foods —Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables, Avery Den-nison school supplies, Dun-woody College of Technolo-gy, Minnesota Timberwolves, HealthPartners, Minnesota Department of Education public service ad—Buckle Up When Driving, Underwa-ter Adventures Aquarium, Hennepin County Medical—brain injury message.

The ISD 15 School Board will review the pilot project this fall and determine if the proj-ect will continue. |

5www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2011 SchoolS in Action

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High school expands industrial tech programSuBmiTTEd By kaTHlEEn millErSTaFF wriTer

Unlike most schools in the state that have cut indus-trial tech programs due to budget issues, St. Francis High School has made a significant investment into

its program. Students are being trained for jobs in machining, welding, fabrication, engineering, and auto body. Much of the equipment has been donated by a number of private business-es that have pitched in with specific grants and gifts of special-ized tools and equipment.

Bill Hudson, WCCO-TV news reporter, recently visited St. Francis High School to report on the manufacturing programs offered to students. Manufacturing has already recovered about half the jobs lost during the recent financial crisis and has a bright outlook as it is one of the fastest growing sectors of Minnesota’s economy. There are good paying career oppor-tunities available that require highly skilled technical workers.

Brent Stavig, industrial technology teacher at St. Francis High School, states that metal technology is the prerequisite class in the program. The class is open to all high school students, grades 9-12. Stavig teaches 12 sections, which comes to about 300 students per year, so the interest is there.

Stavig added that he has been receiving calls and visits from a variety of companies interested in hiring students as interns. Many offer tuition reimbursement programs to help pay for post-secondary education. Stavig is happy to recommend stu-dents for these opportunities.

Visit www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us, click on the industrial tech news story; the link to view the WCCO video is included in the story. |

additional credits. Because the new earth and space sci-ence standards don’t fit into an existing course, students in the class of 2015 and be-yond will also need to take a one-trimester earth and space science class where they will earn one credit. Students in the class of 2015 and beyond will need to earn a total of seven science credits in or-der to meet local graduation standards.

In addition to all of the credit requirements in science and other subject areas, there are also state assessment gradu-ation requirements. As the spring Minnesota Compre-hensive Assessments (MCA) and the Graduation Required Assessments for Diploma (GRAD) tests approach, we are reminded that today’s high school student is con-tinuously held to a higher standard in order to gradu-ate. The staff of Independent School District 15 has done a fantastic job of ensuring that graduates meet and exceed those higher standards.

The change in graduation standards, requested by the Minnesota Department of Education, will be voted upon at the February 14 ISD 15 School Board meeting. |

From page 1rEquirEmEnTS

ST. FranCiS high SChool

Congratulations to alex Everhart and alex Gray for advancing to the quarterfinal round at the minnesota debate Teachers asso-ciation State public Forum Championships January 7-8 in Blaine. Everhart and Gray finished the preliminary round with a 5-1 re-cord, good enough to earn them the fourth seed. in the quarter-final round, they lost on a 2-1 decision to a team from Eastview High School in apple Valley. Everhart and Gray has also qualified for this year’s national debate tournament to be held this June in dallas, Texas. SubmiTTed by STeVen J. FeTzik, SFhS debaTe CoaCh

Testing informationmCas are in april

By Jill SaloSFhS CounSelor

Students in grades 9, 10 and 11 will be taking the Min-nesota Comprehensive As-sessments on Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13. These tests are required by the state of Minnesota in or-der to graduate. Ninth grad-ers will be taking the writing test, tenth graders will be taking the reading test and juniors are taking the math test. All students who are testing should remember to bring a non-mechanical, #2 pencil and juniors should remember to bring a calcula-tor. As always, please make sure that students get a good night’s rest and eat a healthy breakfast. |

Students at St. Francis High School learn a variety of skills on equipment donated by area businesses. SubmiTTed phoTo

Subscribe to

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Visit www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us

Go to your school’s page and click on eNews.

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The Amazon Explorers planning trip to PeruSuBmiTTEd By karEn oldEnBorGparenT

Eleven students from St. Francis High School (SFHS) will have a unique opportunity to visit Peru in the summer of 2011. The trip is co-hosted by EcoTeach and Environmen-

tal Expeditions. Theses two organizations bring students and teachers to Peru for ecological expeditions that focus on con-servation work, authentic cultural exchange, and guided ex-ploration. Calling themselves the Amazon Explorers, the high school students will be lead by two SFHS teachers, DC Randle and Lydia Scheiber. Randle is a wildlife management and natu-ral history teacher of Minnesota and a contributing researcher to the Amazon Center for Tropical Studies primarily studying herbivory and leaf-tagging. Scheiber is a world language teach-er whose proficiency in Spanish will allow the group to better connect with the native community.

While on the trip, students plan to participate in the scientific work being conducted by Randle and other contributing scien-tists. Studies will relate to animals, insects, amphibians, soils, and plants while ascending over 115 feet on a one-quarter mile Rainforest canopy walkway—one of the few of its kind in the world.

Scheiber will assist students with their Spanish speaking skills while they live in a native village. Students will also be con-ducting a variety of service projects, such as building or refur-bishing schools and dwellings for the Yagua community.

A spaghetti dinner/silent auction fundraiser is being organized with all proceeds going directly to the student travelers to help offset trip costs. It will be held at the St. Francis American Le-gion Post 622, 3073 Bridge Street on Saturday, February 26, 5:00-8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. |

19 help 1,600SuBmiTTEd By JoE FrEdriCkSon SFmS CommuniTy relaTionS CoordinaTor

Remember how busy the holiday season was? Shop-ping to do, gifts to purchase and wrap, as well as guests to prepare for and entertain. Despite those busy and hectic times, 19 students from the middle school offered to help make the holidays merry and bright for the less fortunate. The students teamed up with an organization called the Anoka Christmas Commit-tee. The committee provided food and Christmas gifts to individuals and families who are unable to adequately provide for themselves. All of the recipients are Anoka County residents.

The all-volunteer committee has seen its list of people in need grow over the years. Help was needed. The mid-dle school students from Core 82 stepped forward to do just that at the Anoka Ar-mory. When they first walked into the building, they saw large piles of food which had been donated by individuals, civic groups, and businesses. Students had to sort food, gather it into shopping carts,

ST. FranCiS middle SChool


Trap Club•Trapclubisaspringsport—watchforregistrationinFebruary.OpentoSFHSstudentsgrades9-12.

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in the spirit of Christmas, St. Francis middle School students vol-unteered to sort donated food into bags for distribution to ano-ka County residents. SubmiTTed phoTo

and place it into paper bags so it could be distributed. Patience was needed at first as directions were explained and jobs divided among the students. The students were amazing! No job was too dif-ficult or mundane. Each stu-dent pitched in to eagerly do what was needed.

More than 1,600 residents in Anoka County were on the receiving end of the hard work and generosity of the Anoka Christmas Com-

mittee. Our middle school students helped make the holidays a bit brighter and merry for many. Thank you to Heather Barrett, Kristin Hane, April Cheney, Zach Lachinski, Kendra Barck, Mi-chelle Hansen, April Rheault, Tarra Edstrom, Taylor Wal-lenberg, Jacob Boyer, Sam Burville, Justis Johnson, Shane Uthe, Daniel Trueman, Kylie Walsh, Courtney Resn-ikoff, Elana Klasons, Blake Woitel, and Kiana Schultz! |

Jordan Tradewell has been named recipient of a $2,500 Maverick Scholarship from Minnesota State University, Mankato for the 2011-12 aca-demic school year. Minnesota State Mankato is committed to providing encouragement and opportunities for those students planning to continue their education. This scholar-ship is awarded to students who demonstrate outstand-ing academic achievement. Jordan is the son of John and Shelly Tradewell of Cedar.

Melissa Craft has been named recipient of a $1,000 Maverick Scholarship from Minnesota State University, Mankato. This scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding ac-ademic achievement. Melissa is the daughter of Todd and Joni Craft of Andover.

Blake Richner has been named to the fall quarter dean’s list at Dunwoody Col-lege of Technology in Min-neapolis. 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. Blake is a 2008 graduate of St. Francis High School and is in the engineer-ing, drafting and design pro-gram at Dunwoody and will graduate in June. Blake is the son of Dennis and Kari Rich-ner of Andover.

Yvonne Comtois, freshman in music/liberal arts from St. Francis, is a member of the Bemidji State Campus Activi-ties Board. The group gath-ers to plan dances, concerts, coffeehouses, Homecoming, trips, special events and oth-er activities directed toward advancing the quality of stu-dent life on campus.

Kayla Doebbeling has been accepted for admission at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato. Kayla is the daugh-ter of David and Michele Doebbeling of Oak Grove. She is currently a senior at St. Francis High School. |

STudenT updaTeS

SuBmiTTEd By Sandra BEnSonCCCS CommuniTy relaTionS CoordinaTor

January was Share the Art month at Ultimate Martial

Arts & Fitness (UMA). Many of the students at Cedar Creek Community School are also students of UMA and wanted to share what they have learned with their

teacher and fellow students.

UMA karate instructor John Olson came into the Kin-dergarten Plus classrooms of Lori Allard and Sandra Benson at CCCS to speak to students about safety and the valuable benefits of training in martial arts. Olson talked to the children about using karate to defend, not to fight. He also discussed “stranger danger” and how to run, yell and tell if a stranger tries to approach them.

Community involvement is an important aspect of the martial arts. Many students have been training in the mar-tial arts for years, making the world a better place. These students are proud of their achievements and UMA feels that everyone else should see what they have done so that they can learn from it also. |

Middle School TrackTrack & Field is so much more than just running. Come and experience what it has to offer. This spring track season will include hurdles, relays, throws, long jump, high jump, running events and more.Grades: 6ththrough8thgradestudentsDates: Monday,TuesdayandThursdays

April14throughMay19Registration: OpensonlineMarch15

Classislimitedto90

T-BallA fun, non-competitive league to teach young children the basic skills of T-Ball. Coaching will be done by parent volunteers. There will be no umpires or scores kept. This is a co-ed league.Ages: 4-6Dates: Mondays&Wednesdays

StartingMay4Registration: OpensonlineMarch15

SoftballCoach Pitch League—A fun beginners level of slow pitch softball to introduce fundamentals and the game of softball.Ages: Girlsages6-8andages9-10Dates: Tuesdays&Thursdays


BaseballCoach Pitch League—A fun beginners level of baseball to introduce fundamentals and the game of baseball.Ages: Boysages6-8andages9-10Dates: Tuesdays&Thursdays


Register Onlinewww.communityed15.comContactDianeGuinn,Managerformoreinfo

763-213-1823 Rec Departmentis a division of ISD 15 Community Education & Services

From The reC deparTmenT

Looking ahead to Spring 2011 activities

7www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2011 SchoolS in Action

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

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

NOw OFFeriNg Traditional 2.5 Hour Preschool Classes8:30-11:00 a.m. for 3 & 4-year olds

2 day or 3 day classes available at $15 per day

SuBmiTTEd By paula JESBErGCroSSroadS TeaCher

On a cold Thurs-day evening in December, stu-dents, parents, Bar None staff, school staff and others involved in the lives of stu-dents gathered at Crossroads to celebrate the first part of the school year. Cross-roads has always had an annual awards night in May. Because so many students who start the school year leave Crossroads by May, staff de-cided to also have an awards night in December.

Guests were served cake and hot apple cider in the mul-tipurpose room which was decorated by students with snowflakes and other winter symbols. Wreaths that were

made by the landscaping class and poinsettias were given away as door prizes. Dave Molde, a musically-tal-ented Crossroads custodian, entertained the crowd with his guitar and original music.

Every student received an award that was presented by their homeroom teacher and

CroSSroadS SChool & VoCaTional CenTer

inaugural december awards night

dave molde entertains students, families and staff at Crossroads’ awards night. SubmiTTed phoTo

Driver’s Education at St. Francis High School

Classroom EduCationRegistration for classroom driver’s education is being accepted for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years.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.

Sponsored by ISD 15 Community Education & Services

The day before winter break, a tradition was continued at Cedar Creek Community School—the CCCS specialists perform for the entire student body. The show consisted of an opening act by our newest addition, rich rose, as well as all the other specialists. They were all dynamite. after the story, The Giving Tree, led by Christine Tauer, we had special music by our men’s Chorus: ira Fie-delman, John Vonarx and rich rose. we ended our time together with everybody’s favorite—the slide show of all our wonderful students. a great time was had by all!SubmiTTed by Sandra benSon, CCCS CommuniTy relaTionS CoordinaTor

Cedar Creek CommuniTy SChool

educational assistant. The awards typified an aspect of character or achievement that the student exhibited such as diligence, leadership, respect or excellence in a subject area. School staff wrote personal notes of congratulations on the awards. Three students who are transitioning to the mainstream received SFHS Saints T-shirts. The student who sold the most wreaths was recognized with a pro-fessional salesman’s order book. Student council mem-bers were awarded pins for their service in the food drive, Adopt-a-Family for Christmas, and other events. The next awards night will be held on May 12. |

Students give martial arts demonstration

ultimate martial arts & Fitness karate instructor, John olson vis-ited CCCS kindergarten plus classes to demonstrate martial arts and its benefits. The demonstration was performed with CCCS students that take instruction at uma. SubmiTTed phoTo

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 Theresa today for more information 763.213.1616 or email [email protected]

Fitness 15 • Sandhill Center23820 Dewey StreetBethel, MN 55005

Summer HourSMonday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.


English Language Learners you are invited to attend the

ISD 15 Adult Basic Education program!Independent School District 15 Adult Basic Education offers

FREE English classes for students of all levels from beginners through advanced.

You will improve your speaking, reading, writing and listening skills.

Please come to register ANYTIME during the following days and times, no appointment required:

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Morning 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

ELL Instruction

Noon-3:00 p.m.

ELL Instruction

9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

ELL Instruction

9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

Study Lab

Evening 5:00-8:00 p.m.

ELL Instruction

5:00-8:00 p.m.

Study Lab

5:00-8:00 p.m.

Study Lab

Closed

Independent School District 15 Adult Basic Education (ABE)18900 Cedar Drive, Oak Grove, MN 55011

763-753-7190ABE is a division of Independent School District 15 Community Education & Services

MIDwEST FaMIly COuNSElINg, P.a.

Individual – Relationship Adolescent – Adult

Day – Evening Appointments

763-753-945923038 Rum River Boulevard, St. Francis

By St. Francis High School

Bruce w. Barton, M.Div., M.a., lMFT, lP

Village Bank

Bridge Street

Rum

Riv

er B

oule

vard

Midwest FamilyCounseling

9

SF High School

Kindergarten Registration is just around the corner!Kindergarten registration postcards have been mailed out to homes informing parents of registration locations. If you have not received a postcard or if your child will not be attending kindergarten during the 2011-12 school year, please contact Becky Madson in ISD 15 Central Services Center at 763.753.7049. Your child’s elementary school is determined by your home address. If your child will be riding the bus from a different address due to childcare, please call the Transportation Department at 763.753.7080 to determine if there will be an elementary school placement change.

Registrations will take place at the school your child will attend on these evenings:

Cedar Creek Community School East Bethel Community School

St. Francis Elementary February 22 & 24 • 5:00-6:30 p.m.

The registration packet will be available online after February 1 at www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us

If you do not have Internet access, you may pick up the registration forms at any of the following sites:• St. Francis Elementary ...................... 22919 St. Francis Blvd.• Cedar Creek Community School .............21108 Polk St. NE• East Bethel Community School ................21210 Polk St. NE• Lifelong Learning Center .....................18900 Cedar Dr. NW• ISD 15 Central Services Center ......4115 Ambassador Blvd.

Kindergarten Entrance AgeThe entrance age for kindergarten students is five years on or before September 1. Early admission is not encouraged. To have your child considered for early entrance requires a specific process which takes 60 to 90

days to complete. For further information, contact the elementary principal of your child’s school.Independent School District 15 • St. Francis

First trimester Eagle pride assemblySuBmiTTEd By CaSSiE SCHmollebCS 4Th grade TeaCher

The first Eagle Pride Assem-bly for the 2010-11 school year at East Bethel Commu-nity School was held on De-cember 21. The Eagle Pride Assembly showcases those students who have gone above and beyond the expec-tations of showing respect for themselves, community and others. Each student who earned the most eagle feathers in their grade was congratulated with a T-shirt designed by a 5th grader.

New to the assembly this year was a performance by the third graders lead by Chris-tine Peterson. They displayed their singing and danc-ing skills as entertainment throughout the assembly. |

Sister classrooms formed between michele mozzetti’s 2nd grade from Cedar Creek Community School and Susan olson’s 2nd grade from East Bethel Community School when CCCS temporar-ily lost their electricity for a couple of hours one morning in the fall. mozzetti’s class was invited to olson’s class play of arthur’s Thanksgiving. Both classes enjoyed the time they spent together the morning in october and then during the play in november. Both classrooms look forward to getting together for future activities. SubmiTTed phoTo

East Bethel Community School held its first annual talent show december 20. Talents ranged from vocal performances to magicians, gymnasts, dancers, and pianists. Even some of the EBCS staff showed their flair for the dance.

SubmiTTed by CaSSie SChmoll, ebCS 4Th grade TeaCher

eaST beThel CommuniTy SChool

on december 21 East Bethel Community School held its first trimester Eagle pride as-sembly. (Left) a student dis-plays the winning T-shirt de-sign. Eagle pride recognizes students that go above expec-tations in showing respect for themselves and others. SubmiTTed phoToS

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

monday, February 14

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

monday, February 28


monday, march 14


Amy Kelly, Chairwoman 763-753-4282

Harry Grams, Vice Chairman 763-856-4350

Joe Haag, Clerk 763-753-6298

Mark Vogel, Treasurer 763-213-1237

David Anderson, Director 763-434-9457

Sandy Grams, Director 763-434-7564

Marsha Van Denburgh, Director, 763-753-6653

Email schoolboard@

stfrancis.k12.mn.us

SChool board meeTing SChedule

SChool board memberS

amy kEllySCHool Board pErSpECTiVE

In October of 2010, Bill and Melinda Gates funded a confer-ence at Rutgers University in Washington, DC. Six school dis-tricts were chosen nationwide and Independent School District 15 was one of them. The theme of the conference was creating union-management partnerships to improve public school sys-tems. District 15 was chosen because we have placed an empha-sis on teacher quality which includes professional development, teacher evaluations and teacher mentoring programs that focus on student performance.

On February 15-16, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, is hosting a conference in Denver, Colorado. Ten school dis-tricts were chosen nationwide and again District 15 was asked to participate. The goal of the conference is to shine a national spotlight on effective labor management relationships that lead to improved outcomes for students. ISD 15 will share how we have developed a labor management relationship and how we have used it to improve student performance.

As I talk to school board members from across the state, the main concern seems to be the evaluations and ensuring they are accurate and consistent. What ISD 15 has been able to accom-plish is a process that includes a Teacher Academy, teacher men-tors, and an evaluation process that gives teachers additional tools to become successful and competent teachers and benefits not only the teachers but the students of District 15.

I am proud of what this district has accomplished. ISD 15 is pav-ing the way to a school system that enhances the teacher profes-sion and now other school districts are wanting to follow. |

SChool board highlighTS January 10, 2011

By JaniCE audETTESTaFF wriTer

All board members present.

School Board Election of officers

Acting Chairwoman Amy Kelly called for nominations for all positions for the school board. The following were elected to serve.

School Board Chairwoman, Amy KellySchool Board Clerk, Joe HaagSchool Board Treasurer, Mark VogelSchool Board Vice Chairman, Harry Grams

Consideration of visitors

Community parents, Ms. Schroeder and Ms. Pettman addressed the Board regard-ing their concerns with spe-cial needs students and the Kids Connection program. The Board Communications Committee will review their concerns and report back to the parents and full Board.

St. Francis High School stu-dent representative Alex Everhart provided the stu-dent report. The St. Francis High School Jazz Band will attend the Roseville Jazz Blast January 15. This is also the first year of Show Choir. The All-District Band Festival will be January 23.

Superintendent Ed Saxton re-ceived a complimentary email acknowledging two St. Fran-cis students at the state debate tournament in Blaine: Alex Everhart and Alex Gray. He also received positive com-munication for SFHS Princi-pal Paul Neubauer’s support of the Industrial Technology Department and the chopper class at the high school. Sax-ton reported on Amy Wor-den’s work on the Academic Stretch kindergarten program to expand learning. Saxton attended EBCS and read to kindergarten students in De-cember. 21st Century pro-gramming has begun to pro-vide additional learning in a online format. The budgeting process is moving along but more to do before complete. Saxton gave his performance goals to the School Board and requested input or concerns.

School Board reports

David Anderson and Amy Kelly attended the Oakland Area Learning Center meet-ing and requested a report on outward migration of stu-dents. Marsha Van Denburgh attended the Safety Commit-tee meeting. Joe Haag attend-ed Site Management Council meeting at Cedar Creek Com-munity School. Sandy Grams asked about filling the hu-man resources position and requested to be on the inter-view committee. Mark Vogel attended the 8th grade jazz

band concert. Harry Grams attended the Career Ladder committee meeting.

SChool board highlighTS January 24, 2011

By paT JoHnSonSTaFF wriTer

School board member Sandy Grams was not in attendance.

Site report - Cedar Creek Community School (CCCS)

CCCS Assistant Principal Jill Kelly reported on their build-ing goals. Emphasis has been placed on technology and how it helps students and staff. All classrooms have SMART Boards, projectors, speakers and document cam-eras. There is also an iPad lab. Smart Touch computers are helping special education stu-dents learn by object manipu-lation on the screen. Staff has access to a TANDBERG cam-era that allows them to video conference with people across the country and around the world.

By spring, CCCS will meet or exceed Northwest Evaluation Association scores. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) meet-ings are being held through email, freeing up time that had been allotted for face-to-face meetings. That time is now being used for staff development. Student data meetings are pinpointing stu-dents most at risk.

Consideration of visitors

Beth Anderson, St. Francis El-ementary (SFE) Community Relations Coordinator, gave an update on what is happen-ing in their building. Teachers Susan Hoefs, Karen Holsten, Meri Humphrey and Diane Krocak-Peterson coordinated an after-school art program that culminated with an art show, musical entertainment and potluck supper.

Kindergarten students from SFE studied the story, The Hat, by Jan Brett, about a hedge-hog. They walked over to St. Francis Middle School and visited Sarah Compton’s sci-ence class were they met Pan-dora the hedgehog. It was a great experience for the stu-dents.

SFE Technology teacher Diane Krocak-Peterson, TIES Excep-tional Teacher Award winner, has been giving instruction in classrooms on how to use iPads.

St. Francis High School Span-ish teacher Jyl Dieckhaus and student Travis Beck reported on their three-week trip to Guatemala last summer. Beck narrated a PowerPoint pre-sentation from the trip. The students spent most of their time around the city of Quet-zaltengo experiencing the lan-guage and culture. They got a chance to visit a school, teach some English, and play soccer and basketball with the Gua-

temalan students.

Student report

Alex Everhart touched on the St. Francis High School Bas-ketball Coaches vs. Cancer Week that empowers basket-ball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. This year’s efforts will benefit the Tracy Ramacher family. Ramacher is under-going treatment for a brain tumor. The student council is also raising funds during the week of January 24-29 and their efforts will go to Make a Wish Foundation.

Superintendent report

Superintendent Ed Saxton, Technology Coordinator Co-rey Tramm, Technology In-tegration Specialist Collin Minshull and 21st Century Coordinator Susan Bayer at-tended a meeting on digital content library.

Independent School District 15 was invited to present at a national conference on educa-tion in Colorado the second week in February.

Kindergarten Stretch began January 24. Students in the program will receive an addi-tional 85 hours of instruction.

The superintendent’s goals were viewed by the school board and approved.

dialogue with the School Board

A SFHS parent had concerns over school spirit, especially at sporting events. School board member Dave Ander-son suggested the parent meet with high school admin-istration on the subject. They were in agreement.

School Board reports

School Board members Dave Anderson, Harry Grams and School Board Chairwoman Amy Kelly attended the Min-nesota School Boards Associa-tion Conference. They partici-pated in various sessions such as statewide assessments and standards, and school budget-ing and funding.

Grams and Kelly commented on the positive news story that WCCO Channel 4 aired on the SFHS manufacturing technology program taught by Brent Stavig.

annual Taip report

Greg Gilbertson, Targeted Ac-ademic Intervention Program coordinator, summarized the year. There are three goals for the program: academic, data collection and special educa-tion referrals. For the third year running they have met all three of their goals. The special education referrals have steadily declined from 62 in the 2008-09 school year to only nine this year so far. TAIP teachers have been tar-geting the needs of each stu-dent and work with regular classroom teachers to exhaust all possibilities before signing a referral. |

School Board Highlights9www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2011

independent School dis-trict 15 School Board Chair-woman amy kelly has been r e c o g n i z e d by the min-nesota School Boards associ-ation (mSBa) for taking 100 hours of mSBa classes. She was rec-ognized at the annual mSBa leader-ship confer-ence in minneapolis on January 14. Classes are open to all board members and range anywhere from communications and pub-lic relations, to financing and budgeting, to tips on hiring a supertindent. The Courier phoTo

Call 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 • Online at www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us

We’re making a family

connection!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 fi eld trips.

Preschool Place 15

Registration for the

2011-12 School YearWatch your mail in February for the

preschool registration booklet

Register by February 24 for the best selection of classes

Classes offered at the Lifelong Learning Center in Oak Grove

and Sandhill Center for the Arts in Bethel.

• Programming takes place September through May

• Morning, afternoon, late afternoon and evening sessions

available

• Two, three or four times per week

• Two hour-fifteen minute or two-and-a-half hour sessions

• Several age specific class options

• Sliding fee scale is available based on family size and income

• Busing available for a limited number of classes

The mission of Preschool Place 15 is to provide a safe environment

where young children of all abilities can grow and experience

success and their parents can be partners in learning.

Bright BeginningsBright Beginnings in ISD 15 Early Childhood

ECFE is:• A place for babies

• A place for toddlers

• A place for preschoolers

• A place for all dads, moms

and others relatives in a

parenting role.

10 The Courier | February 2011 www.The-Courier.orgcommunity EducAtion

UPCOMING PARENT/CHILD ECFE EVENTS:

Dads ’N Me SaturdayDate: Saturday, February 12Time: 9:45-11:15 a.m.Fee: $4 per child; max

$12 or three punches per family (limit of 4 children/adult)

Deadline: February 9Calling all dads and kids! Come ready for activities cho-sen especially for dads and children to spend quality time together.

2010 Birth-Day BashDate: Saturday, February 12Time: 9:45-11:15 a.m.Fee: FREEDeadline: February 9; free

sibling care available for children up to age 8, but you must pre-register

A special day for all those babies born in 2010! 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. En-joy songs, get helpful hints, and meet others who are parenting a baby.

Pop In and PlayDates: Wednesdays now

until-January 19 Time: 9:30-11:15 a.m. Fee: $4 per child; max $12

or 3 punches per fam-ily (limit 4 children/adult)

Pop in to do activities, meet other families and build rela-tionships. No pre-registration necessary.Upcoming weekly topics:FEBRUARY 8 Two by Two,

Fun with Friends 15 Parachute Fun and More 22 Jingle Jangle,

Boom Boom

Moving BodiesDate: Monday, February 28Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m.Fee: $4 per child; max

$12 or three punches per family (limit of 4 children/adult)

Beat cabin fever on the last Monday of each month! Come ready for fun and family time in the gym.

Maple Syruping Adventure Field TripDate: Friday, March 25Time: Bus leaves Lifelong

Learning Center at 9:15 a.m.; returns by 1:15 p.m.

Fee: $5 per personDeadline for registration:

March 18Travel with us to Eastman Nature Center in Dayton to learn how maple syrup is made. We’ll enjoy a puppet show about making syrup then go outside to see maple trees that are tapped for syrup and witness the process in real-life. Come dressed for the weather.

UPCOMING CHILD ONLY EVENTS:Preschool Express-Color My WorldDate: Tuesdays, February

15-March 15 (no session March 8)

Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m.Fee: Sliding fee

scale-see of-fice or Places to Go, Things to Do bro-chure for fee

Discover the col-ors of the world. Explore, mix and design using your imagination.Learn some, play some with other preschoolers. These classes are designed to reinforce early skills that are the building blocks for budding read-ers, math whizzes and curious scientists-to-be. Each class includes lots of story time, art, music, and hands-on play related to the theme. Stories are chosen to enhance understanding of the session’s topic and introduce important early literacy concepts. These sessions are the perfect comple-ment to other preschool, child care or early education settings and designed for busy families. Children must be toileting themselves and be at least three years old and not in kinder-garten at the time of the class. This is a child only class.

EARLY CHILDHOOD FAMILY CARNIVAL

For children ages birth-kindergarten and their parents

Lifelong Learning CenterSaturday, February 5 • 9:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.Cost is $1.00 per child; max. of $3.00 per family

AND a non-perishable food item for local food shelves.

Bring the family and enjoy some fun activities, games, crafts, face-painting, and much more. Try out the inflatable jumper! Shop at the Scholastic Book Fair and yes, the “Basket Raffle”

will be back, with tickets on sale at the event only.

Hope to see you there!Sponsored by the Early Childhood Advisory Council*

For more information, call 763-753-7170

*The Advisory Council will accept donations such as gift certificates to local businesses or items for the baskets. If you have a home-based business and would like to donate complete baskets or products, your business will be acknowledged at the carnival. If you are interested in making any donations for this event contact

Lorrie Martin at 763-753-7173 or [email protected].

Thinking about 2011-12 preschool?Preschool Place 15 previewSaturday, February 1210:00-11:30 a.m.

A time for preschoolers and parents to get a taste of Preschool Place 15. Play a bit, experience typical classroom activities, talk to teachers, learn about curriculum…then you’ll have the information to decide about registration for the 2011-12 school year. No sibling care available for younger/older children. No need to pre-register.

Here is your opportunity to clean out those closets and make some extra cash and support the

Early Childhood Programs in your community.Start collecting your items now because garage sale tags will be on sale February 14-25 and March 14 until they are gone. Tags are on sale at the Early

Childhood office at the Lifelong Learning Center. Shop early by volunteering at the sale. Sign up to volunteer when you purchase your sale tags. The

Early Childhood Advisory Council will keep 15 percent of the total sale.

The sale will be open to the public on April 19 9:00 a.m.-noon at St. Francis Elementary

Early Childhood Advisory Council

Garage Sale

Do you have a

child who will be a kindergartner

this fall?Be sure your child has gone

through Early Childhood ScreeningLast appointment before fall

is in MarchCall 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 reviewCall 763-753-7187 now if you have a 3 or 4-year-old

child who has not been screened.

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 website 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

23820 dewey Street bethel, mn 55005

Join the Lunch Bunch at the Sandhill Center in the Bethel Cabaret for our monthly catered luncheon featuring top entertainment by popular artists. Make your reservations early as most of our shows do sell out ahead of time. Seating is done on a first come first served basis.

Doors open: 10:40 a.m.Lunch served: 11:00 a.m.Showtime: 11:30 a.m.-

12:30 p.m.Cost: $12

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 website 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

Jerry & Shirley SpanhanksTuesday, February 8

The husband/wife duo of Jerry and Shirley Spanhanks entertain you with banjo, dobro, fiddle, guitar and accordion. Jerry and Shirley put on a lively show not to be missed. They sing original songs and old favorites from artists such as Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn and Elvis Presley, to name just a few. The fast paced bluegrass and gospel music make you want to clap and sing along. Come and listen to their original song about both being raised near the Red River (one from the Minnesota/North Dakota border and the other from the Red River between Texas and Arkansas).

Upcoming showsTuesday, March 15

Mary HallTuesday, April 12

Red Johnson Tuesday, May 10

Angie Senger with Joe Chock |

Lunch & Learn sessionsJoin Lunch & Learn at the Bethel Cabaret in the Sandhill Center for presentations and catered luncheons. Make your reservations early as seating is on a first come, first served basis. Everyone is welcome.

Day: Tuesday Cost: $10Lunch served: 11:30 a.m. Learning: 12:15-1:30 p.m.

Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?Date: February 15Presenter: Rosemary Heins, University of Minnesota Extension

Educator, Family Resource Management

We all have “yellow pie plates” or items we would like to pass on to someone else. But who gets what can be a challenge. Learn the importance of planning for both titled and non-titled property, the six key decision making factors, and strategies to jump-start inheritance conversations.

Behind the Scenes of the Great Minnesota Get Together (aka the Minnesota State Fair)Date: March 22Presenter: Sharon Wessel, District 3 Manager, Minnesota State

Fair Board of ManagersLearn about the historical tidbits, structure of the fair, past improvements and plans for the future from a fair expert. Areas of interest such as entertainment selection processes, competitions and more will be highlighted.

Register Online. Visit www.communityed15.com and use your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover to register.Register By Phone. Have your credit card ready when you call 763-213-1641 to register.Register Early. Class capacity is first-come, first-served.Registration is needed at least one week prior to the event. Call Sandhill Center for the Arts at 763-213-1616 for more info.

11www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2011 community EducAtion

By JuaniTa rEEd BoniFaCElunCh and learn CoordinaTor

An enthusiastic group of adult learners joined Rose-mary Heins, Extension Edu-cator, on January 18 at Sand-hill’s Center for the Arts to learn about organizing your important papers. The ses-sion began by asking par-ticipants if they knew where their birth certificates, mar-riage certificate, keys to safe deposit box, vehicle title, and training certificate or college diploma were.

To get organized, begin by choosing a comfortable con-venient work area with good lighting, a comfortable chair and the right tools. Develop a basic outline of file catego-ries, and label general fold-ers /boxes or file drawers for sorting.

Think about what to save and where to store. Items may be stored in your wallet, home files, safe deposit box or safe. For example your wallet will contain your personal identi-fication and emergency con-

tact, driver’s license, credit cards, medical or health in-surance card.

Home files will include three categories: (1) current files with day-to day records used often, (2) permanent files of on-going records used infre-quently, and (3) dead storage or items that need to be kept long-term or just in case. A safe deposit box or home safe should be used for personal information, property infor-mation, financial information and legal documents.

Heins recommended us-ing a roadmap, an index or table of contents for all your important papers. “A road-map includes the location of each category/item, contact names and numbers, and pro-vides ease of finding for self and others,” she said. “An-other tool is a red file which is a convenient grab-and-go file with essential information in case of a crisis or emergency such as a house fire, flood, tornado or hurricane threat.” Examples of items in the red file are your master list of

Organizing Your Important Papers was recent Lunch and Learn topic information, photocopies of some legal documents, list of prescriptions, safe deposit box key, computer file infor-mation, CD and emergency cash.

Other topics discussed were how long to keep papers and how to replace important pa-pers that may be lost or sto-len. Participants left with a number of how-to guides for simple and efficient strate-gies to get started.

Heins will be back for the next Lunch and Learn pro-gram on February 15. The title of her presentation will be, Who Gets Grandma’s Yel-

low Pie Plate? We all have yellow pie plates… or similar items we would like to pass to someone else. But who gets what can be a challenge. In this session, we’ll learn the importance of planning for non-titled property (those family treasures) and strate-gies to jump-start inheritance conversations.

Register today online at www.communityed15.com or call 763-213-1641. All pro-grams are $10 and are held 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m., Sandhill Center for the Arts, Confer-ence Room, 23820 Dewey Street in Bethel. |

pictured (l-r) Barb Glad, dee Jaeger and mary Jo poss listen in-tently to tips on organizing important papers by presenter rose-mary Heins, university of minnesota Extension Educator. phoTo by JuaniTa reed boniFaCe

SilverSneakers® Muscular Strength & Range of MovementHave fun and move to the mu-sic through a variety of exercis-

es designed to increase muscular strength, range of movement, and activity for daily living skills. Hand-held weights, elastic tubing with handles, and a ball are offered for resistance, and a chair is used for seated and/or standing support.Days: Tuesdays, ThursdaysTime: 9:00-10:00 a.m.Fee: Free to SilverSneakers® members; $2.00 per class

for non-members.location: Sandhill Center, 23820 Dewey Street, Bethel

SilverSneakers® YogaStretchYogaStretch will move your whole body through a complete se-ries of seated and standing yoga poses. Chair support is offered to safely perform a variety of postures designed to increase flexibility, balance, and range of movement. Restorative breath-ing exercises and final relaxation will promote stress reduction and mental clarity. Days: Mondays, Wednesdays, FridaysTime: 9:00-10:00 a.m.Fee: Free to SilverSneakers® members; $2.00 per class

for non-members.location: Sandhill Center, 23820 Dewey Street, Bethel

For more information on the Healthways SilverSneakers® Fit-ness Program please contact Sandhill Center at 763-213-1616.

Community & Business12 The Courier | February 2011 www.The-Courier.org

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

Fitness, Fun,Friends.Join today.

19580 Tamarack Street, Cedar Upstairs level of Carl Hanson Drywall

Visit www.ascensionbodyworks.com or call 763-267-2198

Ascension Bodyworks is now offering ISD 15 Community Education classes in

Kettle Bell & Functional Fitness and Krav Maga Self Defense.

Call and ask about the Tabata Bootcamp special and yoga classes.

Enrich Your Life… Close To Home…

Hebegebees Family Music Show Glen Everhart

Glen Everhart’s children’s show is a fun and totally interactive musical experience. This one man comedy musical variety act, combines hilarious songs and stories with marvelous musicianship and audience participation from beginning to end.Learn more about Glen at gleneverhart.com

Saturday, February 261:00 p.m.Tickets: $10, $8, $6This activity is made possible in part by funds from the East Central Regional Development Commission and the East Central Arts Council as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature.

Richard G. Hardy Performing Arts Center430 8th Ave. NW, Cambridge, Minnesota

Buy Tickets: Cambridge-Isanti Community Education

625B Main St. N, Cambridge, MNBy telephone 763.689.6189 • Tickets also available at the door.

Hebegebees Family DealFamilies with a child in

5th grade or younger get a special family rate of $30!

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Anoka County, domestic violence council promote coaching boys into menSubmitted by Jerry SomAanoka CounTy human ServiCeS DiviSion manager

Anoka County Commission-er Carol LeDoux appeared on the FOX Sports North Wild pre-game show recently to re-mind fathers, uncles, friends, and caring male adults that they are in a unique posi-tion to educate boys about healthy relationships.

Commissioner LeDoux is partnering with the Do-mestic Violence Council of Anoka County and others to promote the Coaching Boys into Men Campaign to raise awareness and enlist men to be involved in preventing violence against women.

“Violence against women is a major social problem,” Com-missioner LeDoux said. “It can happen to your mother, sister, daughter or grand-daughter. In Minnesota one in three women will have suffered sexual or physical violence by mid-life, usually perpetrated by someone with whom they have a relation-ship.”

The cost of violence against women is alarming, ac-cording to Commissioner LeDoux.

“Sexual violence costs society about three times more than drunk driving. In 2005, sex-

ual assault in Minnesota cost more than $8 billion,” Com-missioner LeDoux said.

Coaching Boys into Men focuses on grabbing teach-able moments with kids. The Coaching Boys into Men Playbook provides concrete ideas on how to work mes-sages about respect into our daily activities with kids.

During the month of January, FOX Sports North Supports is featuring Coaching Boys into Men. Watch for information during the games, on Face-book and on their website at www.FoxSportsNorth.com/pages/north_supports/. On the website there’s a quick survey people can take to in-dicate how they can help pre-vent violence against women.

Coaching Boys into Men is a national campaign devel-oped by the Family Violence Prevention Fund. It is pro-moted locally by the Domes-tic Violence Council of Anoka County, Anoka County Com-munity Health and Environ-mental Services, the Minne-sota Department of Health, United Way, and other com-munity partners. For more information, contact Donna McDonald, violence preven-tion coordinator for Anoka County, at 763-422-7047, or [email protected].

Anoka County Commissioner Carol Ledoux is interviewed by mike Pomeranz before a January Wild game for FoX Sports North. “there’s no cost to grabbing teachable moments with kids, and Coaching boys into men provides concrete ideas for how to make the most of those moments,” said Commissioner Ledoux. SubmiTTeD phoTo Get into the

swing at Anoka County LibrarySubmitted by mAry oLiveranoka CounTy Library

Anoka County Library pres-ents another program in their Live at the Library entertain-ment series. Scat: Singing and Swinging will be presented at the Columbia Heights Public Library Saturday, February 5, at 2:00 p.m. The Columbia Heights Public Library is lo-cated at 820 40th Avenue NE in Columbia Heights.

Scat singing is an integral part of that uniquely Ameri-can music that is jazz. Vicky Mountain and Greg Theisen from the MacPhail Center for Music will introduce you to the history of scat singing from Baroque to Ella Fitzger-ald. The audience will be able to participate in exercises and songs during this interactive jazz program. This entertain-ing and educational perfor-mance is free and open to the public, but seating may be limited.

“Most people are familiar with Ella Fitzgerald’s mu-sic, and she’s perhaps the best known scat singer,” said Anoka County Commis-sioner Jim Kordiak. “What’s wonderful about this style of music is that it enables the singer to truly exercise their voice as an instrument that is not constrained by words or even syllables, and gives the artist an even greater range in relation to the music.”

Scat: Singing and Swinging is presented by the MacPhail Center for Music and Anoka County Library in partner-ship with MELSA (Metropol-itan Library Service Agency) and is funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

For more information call 763-706-3690, visit your lo-cal library or the website at www.anoka.lib.mn.us.

St. Francis alumna performing missionary work in Uganda

Virginia “Ginger” Taff-Lager-gren is serving as a Globally Engaged Outreach (GEO) missionary with Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod World Mission. GEO mis-sionaries typically serve for terms of 1-2 years. Taff-Lager-gren will serve in the African country of Uganda with other women to teach Bible studies, provide Christian support to women in crisis and care for their daily health needs. Taff-Lagergren is a 1964 graduate of St. Francis High School and resides in Rochester.

13www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2011 Community


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 14

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

Sponsored by a committee of the Isanti Area Chamber of Commerce

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door prize drawings 3:00-4:00 p.m.

Something for everyone!

Salvation Army will now collect donations in district 15 areaSubmitted by CAroL bLANkeNShiPSaLvaTion army

The Salvation Army is excited to announce home pick-ups in the Independent School District 15 area. Weekly pick-ups in the area began in January.

The Salvation Army is looking for gently used furniture, household items, clothing, books and media equipment.

Call 612-332-5855 or 1-800-379-6485 to schedule a pick-up at your home.

News from NACE FoodshelfSubmitted by JoANNe yACkeLDireCTor, norTh anoka CounTy emergenCy FooDSheLF & CLoThing CLoSeT

North Anoka County Emergency Foodshelf (NACE) was cho-sen as a recipient of the Drive Out Hunger efforts and we are excited to share this opportunity with the businesses in North Anoka County. The second annual Drive Out Hunger Valen-tine’s Event will be held Friday, February 11, 7:00-11:00 p.m. at Riverwood National Golf Course in Otsego. To participate or for more information, contact NACE at 763-434-7685 or 651-462-5565. Please consider joining the Drive Out Hunger event as the need for food continues to increase. The need for NACE services increased approximately 40 percent from 2009 to 2010.

The NACE mission is to provide food and clothing for people in need through the generosity of our community.

hours/days of distribution

East Bethel Location18511 Highway 65 NE, # 200Mondays 9:00 a.m.-noonTuesday 6:00-8:00 p.m. Wednesday 1:00-4:30 p.m.

Linwood Location22817 Typo Creek Drive NEThursday 7:30-10:30 a.m.Friday 7:30-10:30 a.m.

Opportunities to serve with NACE include working with cli-ents during distribution days, picking up food donations and delivering them to the NACE locations, weighing and sorting food and/or clothing donations, restocking the foodshelf, and organizing food and fund drives.

All donations given to NACE are tax deductible.

Submitted by roSemAry k. heiNSexTenSion eDuCaTor univerSiTy oF minn exTenSion

Anoka County Extension Staff and Dollar Works Vol-unteers will present a free Dollars into Sense class on Tuesday, February 15, at

10:00 am at the Bunker Hills Activities Center (550 Bun-ker Lake Boulevard, Ando-ver) and again at 7:00 pm at the Blaine Human Services Center (1201 89th Avenue, Blaine). To register, call Uni-versity of Minnesota Exten-sion, 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.

Free class to cover budgeting and spending

14 The Courier | February 2011 www.The-Courier.orgCommunity

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News from the oak Grove Fire department & AuxiliarySubmitted by JeANiNNe eNGLeroak grove Fire auxiLiary

The Oak Grove Fire Auxiliary hosted an appreciation din-ner for its current and past members including retirees. The event took place at Hid-den Haven Country Club in January.

Chief Curt Hallerman pro-vided a year-in-review sum-mary, noting that the depart-ment has responded to 187 calls in 2010. The majority of these calls are summarized as fire calls, good intent calls, hazardous condition, rescue, false alarms and service calls. This number is up slightly from past years. In 2009 the department responded to 154 calls and in 2008 the depart-ment responded to 176 calls.

Hallerman also recognized current officers: Assistant Chief Rob Engler, Captains

Wayne McNally and Steve Pelton, Lieutenants Chris Johnson, Nathan Johnson, Steve Leider, Jimmy Rogers and Training Officer Shawn Johnson.

Recognition was also given to firefighters reaching a service milestone. Assistant Chief Rob Engler presented the fol-lowing firefighters with ser-vice pins:

Five Years: Mark Quacken-bush and Joe Cich

Ten Years: Nathan Johnson, Todd Johnson and Andy Winiecki.

Chief Hallerman presented Jennifer Bomstad with the Firefighter of the Year Award. This award is given to one firefighter per year for out-standing service, effort and time dedicated to the depart-ment. Peer nominations are reviewed by the officers and awarded to the most worthy candidate of that year.

The members of the depart-ment would also like to thank the St. Francis Fire Depart-ment for covering the City of Oak Grove and handling all fire calls that evening so the entire department could at-tend the dinner.

Submitted by JeNNiFer FiNkmarkeTing manager, anoka CounTy parkS & reCreaTion DeparTmenT

The trout season is officially underway in Anoka County with the opener held January 15 at Cenaiko Lake at Coon Rapids Dam Re-gional Park.

More than 400 people, including many fami-lies, braved the cold to celebrate and attempt to catch one of the 1,200 brook and rainbow trout stocked by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MnDNR).

Anoka County Parks and Recreation rangers

and gate attendants guided the fishing enthu-siasts to the lake and helped them secure a spot on Cenaiko Lake.

Once on the lake, ice houses were set up, holes were cut, and coffee was poured… all in an ef-fort to keep warm and capture that “perfect” trout.

“Anoka County is rich in natural resources, and the trout opener on Cenaiko Lake has become another great tradition,” said Anoka County Commissioner Dan Erhart, an avid fisherman.

The winter trout season ends March 31.

Hundreds gather for trout opener in Anoka County

trout opening at Cenaiko Lake, Coon rapids dam regional Park. SubmiTTeD phoTo

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VOTE! Tuesday, March 8

For Isanti County Commissioner, district 4

Athens, Spencer Brook, and Stanford Townships

“I will work against tax increases and for smaller government.”

Lifelong resident of the district

Graduate of St. Francis High School

Small business owner

Paid for by Mike Warring on his own behalf, 25765 Xeon Street NW, Isanti, MN 55040, 763-444-4261. This ad does not necessarily represent the views of ISD 15 or the publishers of The Courier. ISD 15 and publishers make

no guarantees to the truthfulness or accuracy of the statements made herein.

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Submitted by JeFF WeAveranoka CiTy CounCiL, Sno-ghoSTS member

A total of 156 riders regis-tered for the mayors’ trail ride event held in January. Each mayor designated a charity of their choosing. Over $3,500 was raised by the riders. Mayors from An-dover, Anoka, Nowthen, Oak Grove, Ramsey, and St. Francis along with a guest mayor from Champlin, Mark Uglem, participated in the trail ride.

Below is the recap of the funds raised:

NowthenMayor Bill SchulzCharity: Nowthen Fire Dept.Amount: $585

St. FrancisMayor Jerry TveitCharity: St. Francis Ambassador ProgramAmount: $585

Oak GroveMayor Mark KorinCharity: Lake George Conservation OrganizationAmount: $585

A combined effort from the mayors of Anoka, Andover, and Ramsey earned $1,755 for Youth First.

Mayors’ trail ride event raises money for some great causes

AnokaMayor Phil Rice

AndoverMayor Mike Gamache

RamseyMayor Bob Ramsey

Along with the area mayors, the Sno-Ghosts Snowmobile Club donated $600, the Coon Rapids Snow Cruisers donat-ed $200, and the Minnesota United Snowmobile Associa-tion donated $100.

Area mayors joined forces to raise money for a variety of causes. Pictured (L-r): ramsey mayor bob ramsey, Nowthen mayor bill Schulz, St. Francis mayor Jerry tveit, oak Grove mayor mark korin, Champlin mayor mark uglem, and Anoka mayor Phil rice; not pictured Andover mayor mike Gamache. SubmiTTeD phoTo

Wedding & Valentine’s Day16 The Courier | February 2011 www.The-Courier.org

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Valentine’s Day and choco-late have been linked for some time now, but there re-ally hasn’t been any defini-tive explanation for just why the delicious confection and the day of love seem to go hand in hand.

The average American eats 11 pounds of chocolate every year, a significant percentage of which is enjoyed around Valentine’s Day. The reason people are known to enjoy and crave chocolate may be connected to its chemical components.

Chocolate has been known to affect mood in many ways. It contains 380 known chemicals, triggering a host of responses in the brain. Chocolate can trigger the production of opioids, which are chemicals, such as those found in opium, that pro-duce a feeling of well-being (euphoria). Eating chocolate then may make a person feel better, which is why choco-late is often a turn-to comfort snack. Chocolate also may work like THC, the chemi-cal components in marijuana, extending the feeling of being “high” or well-being.

Chocolate can also increase blood pressure and blood-sugar levels, attributing to feelings of alertness. The caf-feine in chocolate also acts as a stimulant.

However, the reason choco-late may be snatched up come Valentine’s Day is that chocolate appears to con-tain phenylalanine, the same chemical that is produced by the brain when people fall in

love. Doctors think that eat-ing chocolate creates a tem-porary “love high.”

For those gifting chocolate for Valentine’s Day, con-

sider dark chocolate, which is also high in antioxidants. This chocolate is among the healthier varieties in which to indulge. |

Falling in love with chocolate

Chemical components of chocolate could be the reason why it is craved and enjoyed.

Did you know? Many early Christian martyrs were named Valentine, which can make it confusing when trying to figure out just who is being honored on Valentine’s Day. While there might be many martyrs named Valentine, the two honored on Valentine’s Day are Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. The former was a Roman priest who was martyred in roughly 269 AD, while the latter was bishop of what is now Terni who was martyred in 197 AD. It was not until the 14th century that any of today’s popular romantic elements began to take shape when celebrat-ing Valentine’s Day. As a result of those new developments, the distinctions between Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni were gradually lost, eventually prompting the feast of St. Val-entine on February 14 to be removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969. |

17www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2011 Wedding & Valentine’s day

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Wardrobe options for second-time brides

Remarriage rates contin-ue to increase, and many vendors are now catering specifi cally to couples en-tering second marriages. A bride getting married for the second or third time has just as many at-tire options as she did for her fi rst wedding.

Research indicates that more than half of all mar-riages end in divorce. The silver lining to that cloud is that 54 percent of di-vorced women remarry

within fi ve years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Furthermore, 75 percent of divorced women remarry within 10 years. These statistics show that the need for bridal gowns for women entering a new marriage remains strong.

When choosing a gown for a second wedding, brides-to-be can use their discretion. Gone is the stigma of wearing white. However, brides still may want to choose an alternative color to bright white to be more complementary to their skin tones. Off-white, pale yellow and pale pink can be fl attering shades. If second brides do choose to wear white, they may want to avoid a fl at white color. Instead, they can opt to wear a shimmery shade of white and a gown with a little more pizzazz.

The gown—just as with fi rst-time weddings—should be as for-mal or as casual as the wedding itself. At afternoon weddings it may be acceptable to wear a tea-length gown or even a cocktail dress. Enhance beachside or casual affairs with less elaborate gowns. Formal second weddings should still feature a gown that is formal in nature.

A more mature bride may feel more comfortable wearing a well-tailored pantsuit rather than a gown. Again, the choice is up to the bride regarding what she wants to wear. |

Weddings are supposed to be joyous events, which can make it diffi cult to honor a deceased parent. Doing so in a way that does not compro-mise the upbeat mood of the event can prove quite a chal-lenge to prospective brides and grooms.

The death of someone close is rarely easy to accept, especial-ly when it happens close to a couple’s wedding day. But there are many ways couples can honor a deceased parent at their ceremony.}Display pictures of the de-

ceased with the wedding couple so that the memory of these people can be part of the festivities.

}Set up a table with a spe-cial fl oral arrangement and photo with a placard that states, “In memory of ...”

}Wear a piece of clothing or jewelry that belonged to the deceased.

}Ask the pastor or offi ciant to specifi cally mention the deceased in the wedding ceremony and offer a spe-cial prayer in that person’s name.

}Add a memoriam line to the end of the wedding program. “Today we honor Mary Smith, mother of the bride who could not be with us today.”

}Dedicate a special song dur-ing the reception in the per-son’s name.

}A bride who will not be able to walk down the aisle with her father can choose

to do so with her mother or another relative and carry something that belonged to their father.

}Set up a photo slide show that includes photos of the deceased. Choose poignant but upbeat music so that the moment is not overly somber.

}Light a candle at the ceremo-ny for the deceased relative.

}Leave an empty chair and place setting at the recep-tion for the person who could not be there.

}Display something that symbolizes the person at the wedding, such as a fl ag for a deceased veteran. |

Respectful ways to honor a deceased parent

18 The Courier | February 2011 www.The-Courier.orgWedding & Valentine’s day

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Hidden Haven Golf Club’sValentine’s Day Dinner

Monday, February 14Full menu available in the Dining Room 5:00-9:00 p.m.

Bar & Grill 5:00-10:00 p.m.

Plus…Steak & Lobster • Portabella SirloinStuffed Shrimp • Prime Rib

“The Stage Benders” Improv Comedy Show

Saturday, February 12 show is in the banquet room, doors will open 8:00 p.m.,

show starts at 8:30 p.m. • $10 ticket in advance $15 at the door

Join us for dinner before the show and the band Inglorious Hell Cats will be playing upstairs

in the bar after the show.

Check out our website at www.hiddenhavengolfclub.com

Hidden Haven Golf Club 20520 NE Polk Street • East Bethel, MN 55011

763-434-4626 • Pro Shop 763-434-6867

23212 St. Francis Blvd NW Suite 1300 in St. FrancisHours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm • Fri and Sat 10am-10pm • Sun 11am-9pm

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Tuesday Small Blizzard

Wednesday Peanut Buster Parfait

Thursday 2 Chili Cheese Dogs

Friday Regular Moolatte

Don’t forget your Valentine

cake!

Few, if any, days are as memo-rable as a couple’s wedding day. Months and sometimes years of anticipation finally culminate with a walk down the aisle, and wedding guests often look for ways to make the day even more memora-ble with a gift befitting their favorite newlyweds.

Just like many aspects of wed-dings have changed over the years, so, too, has gifting the bride and groom. In years past, guests simply chose a gift from the couple’s registry and that was that. However, today’s couples often have little use for traditional regis-tries, a byproduct of more and more couples living together before they get married.

“We’re in our thirties and both had complete households when we moved in together,” said newlyweds Mindee and Graham, who chose to forgo a traditional registry.

While it’s understandable for today’s couples to forgo tradi-tional registries, that doesn’t make it any easier for wed-ding guests to gift the bride and groom. In an effort to rem-edy that very problem, cou-ples and frustrated gift givers alike have increasingly been turning to Honeyfund.com, a free online honeymoon reg-istry catering to couples who could use some help planning

and paying for their perfect honeymoon, and guests who want to give something more meaningful than an envelope full of cash.

Wedding guests can conve-niently choose from a host of activities listed by the new-lyweds themselves, includ-ing dinners, local tourist at-tractions and even airline and train tickets. In so doing, guests can ensure newlyweds have the honeymoon of their dreams, all the while not wor-rying about finances or bills when they return home. New-lyweds Sarah and Patrick en-joyed a dream honeymoon in Costa Rica, one made more memorable thanks to their guests’ thoughtful contribu-tions to the couple’s honey-fund.

“Many of our guests couldn’t wait to talk to us about what they had bought off our regis-try,” said Sarah. “We are mak-ing photo postcards of our trip to use as thank-you notes since everyone at the wed-ding was requesting a picture of us enjoying their gift.”

The online honeymoon reg-istry also helps guests forgo the troubles of shipping gifts or, worse yet, bringing them aboard a flight, where they’re likely subject to airline bag-gage fees. Robert, who took his new bride, Kili, as well as an extra $5,300 earned from their honeyfund, on a Medi-terranean Cruise, notes that his guests appreciated the user-friendly nature of Hon-eyfund.com and the hassle-free nature of gifting online as opposed to carting gifts cross-country.

Visit www.Honeyfund.com to learn more about the service.

Think outside the box for today’s newlyweds

When traditional wedding gifts won’t suffice, guests can look to other options, includ-ing cash registries, to help make the newlyweds’ big day even more memorable.

Wedding cake trends this season The multi-tiered cake that is a favorite wedding tradition that’s often presented at the end of the night. The happy couple takes a slice and enjoys the first piece.

In recent years, wedding cakes have become more of an artistic centerpiece than just a confectionary treat. Couples often seek out renowned wedding cake bakers for a cake that will amaze the crowd and complete the theme of the wedding.

The average couple will spend between $700 to $800 for their wedding cake. Although many catering halls or reception sites will include the wedding cake in a package deal, many couples choose to order their cake from a specialty bakery who creates culinary masterpieces.

If television trends are any indication, many people are opting to spend several hundred to thousands of dollars on a cus-tomized wedding cake. These fondant and buttercream creations may be elaborate in nature, so much so they’ll likely need to be ordered several months in advance.

Couples looking for something a bit different for their upcoming nuptials, many want to con-sider these trends in wedding cakes.

}3-D accents on the cake, such as graphic appliques.

}A black-and-white motif that gives the cake a simplistic, yet trendy appeal.

}A lot of bold color in the cake, instead of just white or ivory.

}Dramatic monograms that can add class to the cake.

}Painted cakes with edible food coloring paint that feature beautiful landscapes or a portrait. A work of art, they’re both delicious to eat and fun to admire.

}Cakes that mirror the style of the wedding gown, including fondant ruffles and appliques.

Many couples still opt for the traditional, and that is always in style. Instead of experimenting with the outside of the cake, couples can be creative with cake flavor and fillings. Imagine cutting open the cake to find red velvet or a chocolate ganache filling! |

Black-and-white wedding cakes are one theme that couples routinely turn to for their dramatic flair and aesthetic appeal.

19www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2011 Wedding & Valentine’s day

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Fundraiser for the St. Francis High

School Amazon ExplorersSaturday, February 26

5:00-8:00 p.m.Tickets: $10 Adults;

$5 StudentsAll proceeds go to the 11 high school

students that will have the opportunity to travel to the Amazon River Basin in Peru

for 10-14 days summer 2011.

WMD WELLNESS CENTERVisit us at our new location in Oak Grove

Call for more information or an appointment 763-753-3242 www.WMDWellnessCenter.com • [email protected]

Take the WELLNESS CHALLENGE and love the New You in 2011!

Wacky wedding facts

According to TheKnot.com, the unoffi cial experts on all things weddings, there are some things that may surprise the average person about weddings across the country. Here are some facts to consider.

}Weddings in Iowa and Nebraska are the biggest, averaging 200 guests.

}The average engagement ring costs more than $5,800.

}Most brides have one do-it-yourself element, such as favors or escort cards.

}Can You Feel the Love To-night and Lady in Red are the two most popular fi rst dance songs (even though 87 percent of brides wear white).

}Only 19 percent of couples rely on a wedding planner.

}Ancient Romans broke a cake over the bride’s head to sym-bolize fertility. Today, brides must be fortunate to have only a little cake smashed in their faces! |

Every year, couples get to-gether on Valentine’s Day to express their affection for one another. This February 14, consider the following inter-esting facts and fi gures when celebrating Valentine’s Day.

}According to research from Hallmark, more than half of all Valentine’s Day cards are purchased within six days prior to the holiday. That’s especially interest-ing as Hallmark research also indicates more than half of the United States population celebrates the day by purchasing a greet-ing card.

}There are more single men than single women. For every 100 single women in their 20’s, there are 119 single men in the same age group.

}Dating service establish-ments continue to be pop-ular means for meeting a prospective soulmate. Nearly 1,000 dating ser-vices, which include online dating Web sites, exist and generate hundreds of mil-lions of dollars in revenue annually.

}Hallmark research indi-cates that more than 140 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year.

}43,322 people were em-ployed by establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2004. California was home to 136 of those establishments, leading the nation.

}The average American consumed 25.7 pounds of candy on 2005, which actu-ally represents a signifi cant decline from 1997, when Americans consumed roughly 27 pounds of can-dy on average.

}There are roughly 2.2 mil-lion marriages per year in the United States.

}In 2005, there were slightly less than fi ve million oppo-site-sex cohabitating cou-

ples in the United States, refl ecting a growing trend of couples living together before walking down the aisle.

}Men and women in the northeastern United States tend to get married for the fi rst time later than their male counterparts throughout the rest of the country. For example, men in Massachusetts were a median age of 29.1 years of age at fi rst marriage, while women were 27.4 years old. In Utah, however, men averaged 23.9 years of age at fi rst marriage, while women were a median of 21.9 years.

}Seventy percent of men and women between the ages of 30 and 34 in 2008 had been married at some point in their lives. |

Valentine’s Day facts and fi gures

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evenTS, FunDraiSerS, beneFiTS

20 The Courier | February 2011 www.The-Courier.orgCommunity

C A M B R I D G E M E D I C A L C E N T E R

Welcomes

Anastasios Pappas, MDDerMAtologist

©2011 AlliNA HeAltH sYsteM ®A registereD trADeMArK oF AlliNA HeAltH sYsteM

cambridgemedicalcenter.com

Cambridge Medical Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Anastasios Pappas to our staff. Dr. Pappas is a board certified dermatologist specializing in treating a wide range of dermatology concerns.

New patients welcome! Appointments: 763-689-8700

Open House Registration for Fall 2011-12Tuesday, February 22 • 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Our Saviour’s PreschoolAn Educational Christian Preschool

For 3, 4, & 5 Year Old ChildrenExplore our classrooms and meet our teachers.

Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church19001 Jackson Street NE

East Bethel

For more information call 763-434-6117

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CapiToL upDaTeBY PEGGY ScOTT STaTe rep. DiSTriCT 49a

Session overview: responsibility back to government, job growth back to minnesota

The 2011 legislative session is underway, and with it my work to make sure the people and priorities of the North Metro are heard in St. Paul. In this first Capitol Update column, I’ll discuss a few of the top issues and early initiatives in this session.

Job number one for our new majority is job growth in the pri-vate sector. With the economy in a slow but fragile recovery, it is incumbent on the legislature to help improve Minnesota’s business climate with fundamental changes and meaningful reform. As so many of you have said, government needs to get off the back and out of the pockets of Minnesota families and businesses. During the first week of the legislative session, we introduced several pro-growth initiatives, including:}Permitting reform}Repealing the nuclear power plant construction

moratorium}Expanding the research and development tax credit}Lowering the corporate income tax

By removing barriers to job creation, we can increase our state’s economic competitiveness and help our job creators thrive in a global economy. With an open door to opportunity, the hard-working people of our area and all of Minnesota will put us back on track for recovery, growth and prosperity.

As we reinvigorate Minnesota’s economy, the Legislature must also reduce the cost, size and scope of state government. Fac-ing a $6.2 billion budget deficit, it is paramount to reform gov-ernment and create solutions for long-term fiscal stability. Like the families and businesses of our community, I understand the importance of setting a budget, setting priorities and living within our means. By focusing on needs instead of wants and pursuing innovation, we can reduce costs, improve efficiency and still deliver the critical services our citizens rely on.

Republican colleagues and I have introduced several reforms including zero-based budgeting, the “15x15” plan to reduce the size and cost of the state government workforce 15 percent by 2015, and a sunset commission to review and retire unneces-sary spending. These and other reforms are critical in produc-ing the long term fiscal stability we need. Our state simply can-not afford the status quo—and our citizens deserve better. And while government in the 21st century is full of challenges, it is also ripe with opportunity to create meaningful change and positive results.

As the 2011 session continues, I encourage your continued feedback and involvement. With high stakes and hard deci-sions ahead, the voice of the people—the fourth and most im-portant branch of government—matters more than ever. It is a privilege to serve this community, and I look forward to work-ing together for a stronger state and a brighter future.

thurSdAy, FebruAry 3

St. Francis High School will hold a Financial Aid Night, 7:00 p.m., at St. Francis High School Performing Arts Cen-ter (PAC). Valerie Knopp, as-sistant financial aid director at St. Cloud State University, has volunteered to speak to high school juniors and seniors and parents about the financial aid application, myths and facts, and the financial aid process.

SAturdAy, FebruAry 5

Long Lake Ice Fishing Con-test is a fundraiser for the Long Lake Improvement As-sociation. Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. at Captain’s on Long Lake. Contest begins at 11:00 a.m. and runs until 2:00 p.m. Silent auction and prizes.

2nd Annual Nowthen Lions Ice Fishing Contest on East

Twin Lake at 9:00 a.m. Call Randy at 763-753-4962 for more information.

FridAy, FebruAry 11

“Club Swing” performed by vocal group Five By Design at the Zabee Theater, Elk River High School. For a sample of the music, visit www.fivebydesign.com. Call 763-441-4725 or visit


St. Francis Youth Hockey Celebrates Hockey Day Come to the Oak Grove outdoor rink. The event is planned to run 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and will include fun events for everyone. For more information, call 763-413-0958.

“The Stage Benders” Im-prov Comedy Show at Hid-

den Haven Golf Club in the banquet room. Doors will open at 8:00 p.m., show starts at 8:30 p.m. $10 advanced tickets, $15 at door. Join us for dinner before the show.


St. Francis High School SkillsUSA program will hold its annual Ice Fishing Con-test fundraiser, 10:00 a.m.-noon on Norris Lake. Tickets available at St. Francis Bait & Tackle, $10.

SuNdAy, FebruAry 20

2011 Spectacular Bridal Fair 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at Spec-tacular Events, 1320 County Road 5 NE. For all your wed-ding needs with many wed-ding vendors to plan you perfect day. Free admission, sponsored by the Isanti Area Chamber of Commerce.

FridAy, FebruAry 25

Spaghetti Dinner at Long Lake Lutheran Church, High-way 47 and 277th Avenue, 4:00-7:30 p.m. Adults $5, ages 6-12 $3, under 6 free.


St. Francis Elementary Carni-val 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. at St. Francis Elementary, 22919 St. Francis Blvd. Games, prizes, raffle, silent auction baskets, cake walk, food and fun. Pre-sale tickets are available un-til Wednesday, February 23. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Spaghetti Dinner/Silent Auc-tion fundraiser for St. Francis High School students who will travel to Peru this sum-mer. Students will contribute as scientists to an internation-al research station. The event will be held at the St. Francis American Legion, 5:00-8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5.00 for students.

2011 Isanti Area Commu-nity Business Expo 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at Isanti Inter-mediate School, 101 9th Ave NE. Free admission, please bring a non-perishable food item for the local food shelf.

Sponsored by the Isanti Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information visit www.isantichamber.com.

mArCh 1 deAdLiNe

Register to be a vendor by March 1 to save $25 for 2011

St. Francis Area Community Expo that will be held Sat-urday, April 16 at St. Francis High School. For registration and information, visit www.stfrancischamber.org or call 763-438-5163.

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 specifi c to our coverage area.

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

other—thank-you letters that relate to a public event, organization, or offi cial 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 refl ect the viewpoints of Independent School District 15 or The Courier staff.

LeTTer To The eDiTor

No letters were received this month.


3645 Bridge Street, St. Francis, MN763-753-1265

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greeTingS From The CapiTaLBY TOM HAcKBArTH STaTe rep. DiSTriCT 48a

The 87th Minnesota State Legislature is off to a fast start and the fi rst 10 bills clearly show the priorities of the new Republican majority: improving the business climate to create private sec-tor jobs and fi xing the budget.

My three committee assignments give me the opportunity to work directly on these and other major issues facing our state. They are the Capital Investment; Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance; and Ways and Means Committees.

Job Creation

Wisconsin’s new governor is putting up signs at the border that announce Wisconsin is “Open for Business.” While words are nice, we have begun to send this message with legislation. The fi rst House File introduced will speed up the permitting and environmental review process, decreasing the amount of time it takes job creators to start or expand their businesses.

Minnesota’s tax burden is currently the 8th highest in the na-tion. This sends the wrong message to job creators. House File 10 will help fi x this by reducing the business taxes and freeing up money for Minnesota businesses to expand and create jobs.

Recently one DFL legislator, said that to create jobs we need a “stimulus program.” What we really need is to provide a busi-ness climate that encourages business development and expan-sion to create private sector jobs.

budget

We need to fi x the budget where the problem lies: spending. Last year, the state spent $1.67 million per hour. State general fund spending has nearly doubled in the last 15 years. If the spending continues as the DFL proposes, we face a $6.2 billion budget defi cit in the next biennium. At some point, we have to say “enough is enough,” fi x the budget and get spending under control. This session, we have already put forward proposals that will do just that.

One is the Early Action Budget Bill which takes immediate ac-tion to reduce the budget defi cit by $1 billion. By making per-manent the reductions approved by both Republican and DFL legislators last year and preventing state agencies from spend-ing unnecessary funds at the end of the year, we address struc-tural spending problems that have contributed to the $6.2 bil-lion shortfall.

Before the state spends a dime of your money, we should know how state agencies are spending those dollars and what kind of results we are getting.

I heard a clear message from you while on the campaign trail: fi x the budget, get spending under control, and create an envi-ronment where businesses can thrive. It’s less than two weeks into session and we already have signifi cant legislation ad-dressing these issues.

Submitted by kyLer NeriSoNCommuniCaTion SpeCiaLiSTgop CauCuS

State Representative Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) took the oath of offi ce

in January to serve as state representative representing House District 17A. Previ-ously, Daudt served as Isanti County Commissioner for six years.

“I’m grateful for the chance to continue to serve the resi-dents of our area and the State of Minnesota, and I will make serving all of my constituents my number one goal,” Daudt said.

Daudt was appointed to serve as Assistant Majority Leader and Vice Chair of the Rules and Legislative Ad-ministration Committee. Ad-ditionally, Daudt will serve on Commerce and Regulato-ry Reform, Higher Education Policy and Finance, Property and Local Tax Division, and Redistricting committees.

“I’m very excited to start working in these commit-tees,” Daudt said. “Com-bined with my leadership role, being on fi ve commit-tees provides many opportu-nities to work on behalf of the residents of 17A.”

“In commerce and regula-tory reform, we will work

daudt takes oath of offi ce

with small business owners to fi nd out how we can get government out of their way so they can create jobs. In the property and local tax divi-sion, I will continue the work I did as county commissioner to keep the money you earn where it belongs: in your pocket.”

Daudt has moved into his new legislative offi ce, which is Room 487 of the State Offi ce Building adjacent to the Capi-tol. All state representatives are housed in this building.

“I hope my constituents feel free to stop by my new offi ce if they are visiting the area,”

Daudt said. “I also encourage anyone who wants to stay in the loop on what is hap-pening at the Capitol to visit www.house.mn/17a to sign up for email updates and to contact me if they have any questions or concerns. I am also actively looking for in-novative ideas for legislation or ways to reform govern-ment.”

Daudt can be reached by phone at 651-296-5367. He can also be contacted via email at [email protected], or at 487 State Of-fi ce Building, St. Paul, MN 55155.

Pictured above (L-r) Speaker of the house kurt Zellers (r-maple Grove) with kurt daudt (r-Crown) after the swearing-in ceremony on January 4. SubmiTTeD phoTo

i haTe when ThaT happenSBY rANdY GErdIN aSe CerTiFieD TeChniCian

22 The Courier | February 2011 www.The-Courier.orgCommunity/Business

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You can’t say we haven’t had a good, old fashioned Minne-sota winter. It seems like it is either snowing, below zero or the wind is blowing. Driving in the elements can be very hazardous. Our tow trucks have really been busy this winter, winching cars out of the ditch, towing smashed up cars from accidents, etc. Our increased business seems to be at the expense of other’s misfortunes. But I guess that is true of a lot of occupations, from doctors to plumbers, people have problems and need them taken care of.

Now that it’s February, hope-fully most people have their winter driving habits back in shape. However, if you are involved in a mishap or acci-dent, there are a few things to remember.

First, in the state of Minneso-ta, it is the law that everyone driving has vehicle insur-ance. I have a friend who was on a slippery road and was rear-ended at a stop sign. Un-fortunately, the person that hit him did not have insur-ance. It was a young person driving and after determin-ing that no one was hurt, the

young man pleaded with my friend not to call the police.

Here is the second rule: al-ways call the police. You’re only hurting yourself if you don’t. The police came and wrote up the incident (my friend needed an accident report for insurance), gave the young driver a ticket and had his car towed. My friend had no recourse because the young man had no insurance. My friend ended up paying his own $500 deductible. Be-cause of someone else’s irre-sponsibility, my friend is out the cash. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

We have also seen a number of vehicles come to the shop with bent steering or sus-pension parts. People have reported that they had gone in the ditch and had a friend pull them out. Unfortunately, when the friend pulled them out, he did not hook up to the vehicle properly and some-thing got bent or damaged.

Winching or pulling vehicles out of a ditch, I feel, is kind of an art. Each vehicle has specific winch points, usu-ally behind the front tires or in front of the rear tires. Look for holes about 2½ inches long in the vehicle’s frame or unibody. A special tool, called a T-hook, fits into the holes. One should hook the proper T-hook to both sides of the vehicle, have a chain connected to both sides, and then pull so as not to stress the vehicle unevenly.

The other point to consider

is that it can be very danger-ous as you work alongside a roadway. I know we have all heard stories of police cars, with flashing lights on, be-ing hit while parked along a road. It you are going to be working on or near the road, it may be in your best inter-est to set up safety triangles, flares or even call the police and have a squad car present.

Going in the ditch or being in an accident is very upsetting. Sometimes people are injured and may not even realize it. Again, always call the police when in these situations.

A couple of weeks ago, a member of my family was involved in an accident in a nearby town. No one ap-peared to be hurt. The vehi-cles were badly damaged and required towing. Later that day, my relative did not feel well at all. The air bag had deployed and hit him hard in the chest. He went to the doctor and was okay, but was on a certain medication to thin his blood. He was badly bruised and had to have this medication modified.

Anyway, I was on my way to visit him and was going north on Highway 65 with my cruise set at 63 mph. Sud-denly, someone pulled out right in front of me. Boom! I impacted the other car, my airbags were deployed, and my car was destroyed. For-tunately, no one was hurt. These things happen fast and are unexpected.

I hate when that happens!

Anoka Hennepin Credit Union links hearts for childrenSubmitted by LeANN AChteNberGvp oF markeTing anoka hennepin CreDiT union

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Anoka Hennepin Credit Union is kicking off its Chain of Hearts campaign. The cam-paign—an annual fundraiser organized by the Minne-sota Credit Unions for Kids program to benefit Gillette Children’s Specialty Health-care—encourages members, community residents and area businesses to contribute by purchasing paper links. During the campaign, which runs until February 25, hearts and links are personalized and added to the chain.

“This is a fun event that gets members into the Valentine’s Day spirit while helping chil-dren in our community,” said Christina Akinola, AHCU Business and Community Coordinator. “Many children in our community benefit from the specialized services at Gillette, so the Chain of

Hearts campaign directly contributes to programs that help kids locally.”

AHCU’s Chain of Hearts is part of a statewide fundrais-ing effort. Through Credit Unions for Kids, a sponsor program of the Children’s Miracle Network, Minnesota credit unions raised more than $190,000 for Gillette in 2010 through various fund-raising initiatives.

“The Credit Unions for Kids program really complements our philosophy of ‘people helping people,’ and we want to ensure that resources like Gillette are available for families in our community,” said Akinola.

All money raised through Minnesota’s Credit Unions for Kids program supports Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, helping kids with disabilities and chronic conditions. Gillette is based in St. Paul, with clinics lo-cated in Minnetonka, New Brighton and Duluth. Gil-

lette’s North Clinics and outreach efforts bring physi-cian and technology services to communities including Alexandria, Bemidji, Brain-erd, Cloquet, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, International Falls,

Moose Lake and Virginia.

Since 1897, Gillette has been on the forefront of medical treatment, education and re-search for children with dis-abilities. Gillette’s mission is to help patients realize the

greatest possible indepen-dence, well-being and enjoy-ment in life.

For more information, con-tact AHCU at 763-422-0290 or visit www.ahcu.coop.

23www.The-Courier.org The Courier | February 2011 Business/ReaLty

Kraig Domogalla“Your Real Estate Specialist”

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Homeowner education for septic systemsSubmitted by PAtriCiA morreimregionaL exTenSion DireCTor univerSiTy oF minn exTenSion

Are you a homeowner? Are you interested in saving money? Would you like to protect your family’s envi-ronment and the natural en-vironment? Do you have a septic system?

Homeowners wanting to bet-ter understand, operate, and maintain their septic systems will want to attend a Hom-eowner Education for Septic Systems program being pre-sented by the University of Minnesota Extension. Hear about water saving ideas, fi nd out if you should be us-ing additives, and get your questions answered.

This two-hour program will be held Tuesday, March 1, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Bunker Hills Activities Center, located at 550 Bunker Lake Boulevard NW in Andover. The cost to attend is $10. You will receive the University of Minnesota Extension Septic System Own-er’s Guide at the class.

Pre-registration is required. You can get the fl yer and reg-istration form online at www.extension.umn.edu/county/anoka and look under Pub-lications in Anoka County or you can call the University of Minnesota Extension, Anoka County at 763-755-1280 to request the fl yer and registra-tion form. Presentation of this program is partially covered by an Anoka County Ag Pre-serves Grant and is presented by Valerie Prax, Retired Ex-tension Educator.

Anoka County Parks announces February programs Submitted by JeNNiFer FiNkmarkeTing anD viSiTor ServiCeS manager, parkS anD reCreaTion DeparTmenT, anoka CounTy

How well are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? Looking for new ways to be more physically active? Why not try cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or ice fi shing! Register for these and other programs offered by Anoka County Parks online at www.anokacountyparks.com or by calling 651-429-8007.

Learn to Cross-Country Ski

Learn how to cross-country ski in one of Anoka County’s beautiful parks. Cross-country skiing is a lifelong activity for people of all ages and abilities. The fee includes ski rental, in-struction, and cross-country skiing through our beautiful Anoka County parks. No ex-perience necessary. Pre-regis-tration is required.

Fee: $15/adult; $10/youth 8-12 years old (plus tax)

Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, Coon RapidsSaturday, February 122-4 p.m. and Saturday, February 26, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Bunker Hills Campground Visitor Center, Coon RapidsSaturday, February 262-4 p.m.

Chomonix Ski Area, Lino LakesSunday, February 2010 a.m.-12 p.m. or 1-3 p.m.

Ski by the Light of the moon

Enjoy skiing the beauti-ful trails at Chomonix Golf Course under a full moon. After a little skiing we will gather for dinner around the fi replace. This event is open to the public and people of all ages and abilities are wel-come. Limited ski rentals are available for an additional fee. The program includes food, skiing, and refreshments. Pre-registration is required.

Fee: $12/adult, $8/child (plus tax)Chomonix Golf Course, Lino LakesFriday, February 18, 6-9 p.m.

Snowshoeing

Winter is a great time to get out and enjoy nature’s won-ders. Coon Rapids Dam and Bunker Hills Regional Parks are wonderful settings for ex-ploring the wintry landscape on snowshoes. Now that we have plenty of snow, we can venture into some of the less traveled areas of the parks. This program is well suited for families and groups of all ages. Pre-registration is required.

Fee: $7/adult, $5/youth (plus tax)

Bunker Hills Campground Visitor Center, Coon RapidsSaturday, February 51-3 p.m.

Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, Coon RapidsSaturday, February 54-6 p.m.

bear-y Fun

What are bears up to in Feb-ruary? Join us as we learn some bear-y interesting facts and make a fun craft. This program is geared for pre-school children, ages 4 and 5. Pre-registration required.

Fee: $4/child (plus tax)Wargo Nature CenterLino LakesWednesday, February 1610-11:30 a.m. or 1-2:30 p.m.

valentine’s dinner

Join us for a romantic Valen-tine’s Day dinner and eve-ning snowshoe hike. You’ll also have the opportunity to view the moon and stars through our telescope and keep warm by the bonfi re. Space is limited. Pre-registra-

tion is required.

Fee: $30/couple (plus tax)Wargo Nature Center, Lino LakesMonday, February 14, 6 p.m.

ice Fishing: Women’s outdoor Adventure Series

Join us in learning the ba-sics of ice fi shing. We’ll have plenty of hands-on instruc-tion and spend time on Lake Peltier trying to land the big one. All equipment is sup-plied. Class is appropriate for women ages 15 years and older. Pre-registration is re-quired.

Fee: $15/person (plus tax)Wargo Nature Center, Lino LakesSunday, February 201-5 p.m.

24 The Courier | February 2011 www.The-Courier.orginCome tax

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Maintain your brain workshop at Anoka County LibrarySubmitted by moNiCA.CAmPbeLLanoka CounTy Library

For anyone interested in maintaining a brain-healthy lifestyle, this is the work-shop to attend! By learn-ing to improve the way our brains work, we can poten-

tially lower our risk factors for developing brain disease. Learn about the four pillars of health: mental stimula-tion, physical activity, nutri-tion, and stress reduction. Also, learn how the brain works and changes with age, how the heart and brain are connected, and how social connections and emotional health affect the brain.

On Wednesday, February 9, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Anoka Coun-ty Library will host Maintain Your Brain: How to Live a Brain Healthy Lifestyle. This workshop, presented by the Alzheimer’s Association, will be held at the Columbia Heights Public Library, locat-ed at 820-40th Avenue NE in Columbia Heights.

No registration is required for this free program that is open to the public. Addi-tional sessions of this work-shop will also be offered at the following Anoka County Library locations.

Wednesday, March 91:30-2:30 pmJohnsville Library

Wednesday, April 136:30-7:30 pmMississippi

Wednesday, May 116:30-7:30 pmRum River

Wednesday, June 221:30-2:30 pmCrooked Lake

“We’ve all heard the phrase ‘mind over matter.’ A healthy mind keeps every other as-pect of our daily lives run-ning smoothly,” said Anoka County Commissioner Jim Kordiak. “The brain fitness workshop is a great way to get an understanding of how the mind impacts our moods and movement, and how to keep it in tip-top shape.”

The Brain Fitness Project is presented by the Alzheimer’s Association in collaboration with MELSA (Metropolitan Library Service Agency) and is supported by the U.S. Insti-tute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, adminis-tered in Minnesota by State Library Services & School Technology.

For more information about Maintain Your Brain work-shops or other library pro-grams, call 763-717-3267 or visit your local Anoka Coun-ty Library or the website at www.anoka.lib.mn.us.

Winterfest celebration at Sherburne National Wildlife refugeSubmitted by betSy beNekeviSiTor ServiCeS manager, Sherburne naTionaL wiLDLiFe reFuge

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge staff and Friends of Sherburne invite you to at-tend their annual Winterfest celebration on Saturday, Feb-ruary 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This FREE family event offers an exciting day of outdoor activities celebrat-ing winter and focusing on how both wildlife and people manage to thrive in Minneso-ta’s months of snow and cold temperatures.

Activities include horse-drawn sleigh rides and snow-

shoe adventures for both chil-dren and adults, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., guided cross-coun-try ski treks at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and on-going scav-enger hunt and nature crafts for kids, exhibits on wildlife, animal tracks, winter survival and winter bird feeding. You will be able to warm yourself by a bonfire and enjoy good company while roasting a sweet treat.

Inside the presentation tent, enjoy a talk on “Raptors by Family,” featuring a live owl, hawk and falcon, at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. New this year is a Nature Photography Workshop with Dave Zosel,

presented at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the conference room at refuge headquar-ters. You must pre-register for these classes by calling Betsy Beneke at 763-389-3323 ext. 13.

Hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee will be available for purchase all day and a brat and hot dog lunch will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Friends of Sher-burne Gift Shop will be open all day at refuge headquar-ters. The Friends will host a silent auction fund-raiser, with proceeds supporting refuge programs. Winterfest parking and event tents will be located south of the Old School House, off Sherburne Marianne Roesner, E.A.

Income Tax and Accounting Services

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County Road 9, 5.5 miles west of Highway 169. Watch for signs. A poster with complete details for the event can be found on the refuge website at www.fws.gov/midwest/sherburne. For more informa-tion or special accommoda-tions, call the refuge at 763-

389-3323 ext. 13. TTY Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.

Winterfest celebrates the 108th Anniversary of the Na-tional Wildlife Refuge System. Sherburne is one of 553 refug-es that span 150 million acres across the United States.

Sports & Outdoors25www.the-courier.org the courier | February 2011

St. FranciS Youth travel baSeball 2011

Coaches needed – visit www.stfrancisbaseball.org for an applicationOpen to any player in District 15

Have other questions? View contact information at www.stfrancisbaseball.org

REGISTRATIONTryouts at St. Francis High School Gymnasium or varsity baseball field in case of good weather

Saturday, March 269 & 10 year olds:8:00-10:15 a.m. 11 & 12 year olds:10:30-12:45 p.m.

13 & 14 year olds:1:30-3:45 p.m.

Registration at St. Francis High School

CommonsSaturday, February 12 • 9:00 a.m.-Noon

Saturday, February 26 • 9:00 a.m.-Noon Wednesday, March 16 • 6:00-8:00 pm

Player must be present at registration 2011 Program fee is $235 (jersey is extra)

NO LATE REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED!Anyone not registered by

March 16 will not be permitted to tryout

for SFYBA.

Tryouts

St. Francis Youth Hockey Association would like to invite the surrounding community to celebrate

Hockey Day Minnesota Saturday, February 12 • 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Oak Grove Outdoor Rink, 19900 Nightingale Street NW

Activities for everyone• Turkey Bowling• Snow Search• Tug-of-War• Snow Limbo• Puck Plinko• Shoot on Target• Concessions & more…

Some of the events planned• Mite and Squirt scrimmages or Player vs. Parent games• SFYHA coaches vs. coaches game• St. Francis alumni game• Chuck-A-Puck between games (chance to win COLD cash)• Join us at the East Bethel Ice Arena, 20675 Highway 65 NE,

for the St. Francis High School Junior Varsity and Varsity games vs. Robbinsdale Cooper at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Join uS For A DAY oF Fun in tHe Snow AnD on tHe ice.

Most events and games are

Free!

Travel basketball team wins area tournamentSubmitted by tony SteinerSt. FranciS travel baSketball

The St. Francis community should be very proud of one of the 6th grade boys traveling basketball teams. On January 15 the 6C team coached by Mark Johnson and Tony Steiner won the Bluejacket Invitational at Cambridge-Isanti High school.

In the pool tournament, the boys defeated Mounds View in their first game by a score of 39-32. In the second game they de-feated Braham 34-13. In the final game they defeated Princeton, who was also 2-0 entering the last game, by a score of 32-9.

The boys received a gold plaque for winning the champion-ship and enjoyed all the support of family and friends that were there to share in this fun day.

We would like to thank the Cambridge-Isanti Traveling Bas-ketball Association for sponsoring and running a great tourna-ment and all the teams that participated from the area. |

the 6th grade 6C basketball team won the bluejacket invitational in Cambridge January 15. Pictured, front row (L-r): Kyle Gran-lund, tony Ficocello, Andrew moen, and Hayden Johnson; back row: Coach mark Johnson, Scott Steiner, Karl Letourneau, max Spitzer and Coach tony Steiner. not pictured are brendan Long and Coach dwight Spitzer. Submitted Photo

Submitted by Anne PennerSFyha volunteer coordinator

The seven St. Francis Youth Hockey Mites teams came together to do something wonderful. Over a three-week time frame, the 96 play-ers (ages 4 to 9) brought in food donations to benefit the North Anoka County Emer-gency Foodshelf.

Together, these amazing players brought in over 4,700 items. What a great way to give back to the community. St. Francis Youth Hockey As-sociation would also like to thank the following for help

St. Francis Hockey mites hold food drive

members of the St. Francis youth Hockey mites collected more than 4,700 items for the foodshelf. Submitted Photo

and support: Cub Foods in Blaine and Crystal, County Market in St. Francis, ReMax in Anoka, Caliber Funding in St. Francis, Printing Unlim-ited in St. Francis, American

Family Insurance in St. Fran-cis, Sno-Ghosts in St. Fran-cis, Nordquist Real Estate in St. Francis, Sterling Racing in Oak Grove and Sledhead Racing in Oak Grove. |

Submitted by LuKe SCArdiGLiSt. FranciS youth baSeball aSSociation

St. Francis Youth Baseball As-sociation (SFYBA) provides a competitive traveling baseball experience for players ages 9-14 who reside within the boundaries of Independent

School District 15. Let’s take a minute to put a few myths about traveling baseball to rest.

Myth: Traveling baseball means you are traveling all

St. Francis youth baseball registration begins February 12

the St. Francis b1 bantam hockey team finished in second place in the red Wing Classic Hockey tournament January 15-16. they defeated blaine 4-2 and des moines 6-0 (freshman goalie Judd bruner with a shutout). in the third game, the Saints scored two goals with less than one minute remaining to tie the score 4-4 with Shakopee. they went on to a five minute overtime and an extended shootout before losing by one goal. thanks to coaches, managers, players, and parents for a great weekend! Submitted Photo

continued on Page 26» bASebALL

26 the courier | February 2011 www.the-courier.orgSportS & outdoorS

SodervilleAthletic

ASSociAtionRegistRation

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 12 • 9:00 a.m.-Noon

Wednesday, February 23 • 5:00-8:00 p.m.Saturday, February 26 • 9:00 a.m.-Noon

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

NEW THIS YEAR!Men’s Town Ball for ages 17 and older.

Please see our website for additional information

and a registration form.

registration for the 2011 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.

North Metro Soccer Association RecReational PRogRam SPRing/SummeR 2011Registration now through February 28

Teams (ages as of 8/1/2010)

Monday/Wednesday ages 4 & 5 (U6 co-ed); ages 8 & 9 (U10 girls); ages 10 & 11 (U12 girls)

Tuesday/Thursday ages 6 & 7 (U8 boys and girls); ages 8 & 9 (U10 boys); ages 10 & 11 (U12 boys); ages 12-17 (U13-U18 co-ed)

The recreational program will stress basic soccer fundamentals. Practices will be held on one night and games on the other. Each team consists of a coach and 10-14 players. Teams will be organized into north and south divisions, with fields located in Andover and Oak Grove. The season begins the last week of April and ends on June 25 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. Coaches will have the assistance of an NMSA sponsored trainer who will visit practices and games during the season. Please check the volunteer box to coach when you register. Thank you for making a difference.

Recreational (All Ages) uniform included ...........................................$90

Walk-In Registration & Questions AnsweredSaturday, February 26 10:00 a.m.-Noon Taho Sports 1444 147th Ave NE, Ham Lake on Hwy 65

Mail-In Registration (Online preferred) 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 $35 late fee for registrations if post marked, or received online, after February 28.

See website for more details: www.northmetrosoccer.org

Online RegistRatiOn

Go to northmetrosoccer.org

Submitted by Andy Forbort SFhS croSS country coach

Despite not running a competitive race for over a month, St. Fran-

cis High School senior Adam Zutz continues to be recog-nized for his achievements from this past cross country

Zutz named Minnesota Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year

Adam Zutz

season. On January 20, Adam was named the 2010-11 Ga-torade Minnesota Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. He is now in contention to be Gatorade National Run-ner of the Year which will be announced later this month. Zutz is the first high school

athlete at SFHS to receive the prestigious Gatorade award in any sport.

Those who receive the award have demonstrated their abili-ties in the classroom, in the community and in the sport in which they receive the award. Zutz currently has a 3.99 grade point average in the classroom, has completed a variety of community ser-vice projects including partici-pating in a service mission to Mexico where the group built new homes. This past fall, Zutz was crowned Minnesota Class AA State Champion, Heartland regional runner-up and placed 23rd in the Nike Cross Country National Meet in December.

Zutz will receive a trophy rec-ognizing him for the honor while the school will receive a banner on his behalf. The cross country program will also receive Gatorade prod-ucts in conjunction with Zutz earning this award.

Starting in the fall of 2011 Zutz will be attending the Univer-sity of Minnesota-Twin Cities and will be competing in both cross country and track and field for the Golden Gophers! Zutz plans to pursue an engi-neering degree. |

the trinity Kings 3-6 girls basketball team finished its 2010 season with a record of 6-9. the girls improved throughout the season and for many of the girls it was their first experience playing basketball. they are looking forward to an exciting season next year! the girls 7-8 grade team has started play and has a record of 1-3. the girls won the first game of the Concordia Academy tournament in roseville, but lost two games to tough teams, including first place Cambridge Christian School. the girls season runs through the end of February. Submitted Photo

the trinity Kings 4-6 boys basketball team finished its 2010 season with an overall record of 10-3. the team took first place at two tournaments, winning three out of three games at each tournament. the boys 7-8 grade team has started its season with a record of 4-1. the boys took second place at the Concordia tournament held in roseville, January 6, 8, 9. the season runs through the end of February. Submitted Photo

over the metro area to play your games.

Truth: 50 percent of your league games are home games played within the district and the other 50 percent are almost all played in neighboring cit-ies such as Andover, Anoka, Blaine and Cambridge.

From Page 25bASebALL

Myth: Traveling baseball consumes all of my summer weekends.

Truth: Most teams play 3-4 weekend tournaments starting in May and ending in mid-Ju-ly. All other games are played on weeknights.

Myth: Traveling baseball is way too expensive.

Truth: Our program fee last year was on average $50 more than the fees for the recreation-al leagues. For that additional fee, you receive higher qual-ity uniforms and equipment, more games and a greater lev-el of competition.

Myth: If my child gets cut from traveling baseball tryouts, they will have no place to play.

Truth: We have an agreement with both ISD 15 Community Ed and Soderville Athletic As-sociation to place your child on a team in the event they are cut after tryouts.

When making your decision on where to have your child play this summer, be sure to consider SFYBA. See our ad on page 25. Check out our Fre-quently Asked Questions page on the web at www.stfran-cisbaseball.org. Call a board member. Talk to a parent with a player in the program. Do your homework so you can make the decision that is best for your child. Registration starts February 12. |

spinal�coluMn�By rENEE HANCoCk�pt,�Dpt,�anDover�physical�therapy�

avoiding�pain�while�texting

As technology continues to evolve rapidly, we are constantly gaining new ways to become connected in an instant. Unfor-tunately, we also can begin to experience new aches and pains associated with these forms of technology. The beginning of the Nintendo Wii brought plenty of aches and pains from games that seem simple, such as bowling! Who knew that you could make your body sore from waving a little controller around while bowling with a seven year old!

Texting has grown quickly in popularity as the communication of choice, especially among teenagers and young adults. Along with the increased texting, we have seen an increase in head-ache and neck pain in younger people. There are several factors that increase the risk for developing pain while texting. First of all, most people are not aware of their posture while they are sending out these brief messages. All too often, the phone is held in one’s lap while they are typing out their replies. This forces a person to slouch forward and bend the head down-ward with their arms held out in front of them. This position puts extra strain on the muscles of the upper back, neck, and into the base of the skull. Second, people are texting on tiny little phones in poor lighting causing eye strain for even the best pair of eyes. All of these factors can lead to a nagging, both-ersome headache and/or neck soreness.

How can we avoid the headache of texting? Just being aware of your own posture while texting is probably the best place to start. Avoid the habit of leaning forward and looking straight down into your lap while typing. Hold the phone in front of you so that you can sit up straight with your head looking for-ward instead of downward.

If you have already aggravated the neck muscles from hours of texting, then try a few home management tips: Use ice at the base of the skull; place the ice pack in a towel

and lay fl at on your back with the ice in place for 15 minutes. While laying on your back with the ice, try tucking your chin

in and fl attening your spine against the ground; hold for fi ve seconds and release, do 10-15 repetitions of these. Use a tennis ball to apply pressure to sore areas throughout

the upper back/neck while leaning against the wall. It is a great way to massage the area.

If home management of your symptoms is not working well, contact your local physical therapist. We can evaluate your symptoms and deter-mine if there are other un-derlying issues that need to be addressed, and treat your headaches and neck pain. |

Life & Classifi ed27www.the-courier.org�� the�courier�|�February�2011

east�bethel�senior�events

Senior Dance

Come dance with us, we know how to have fun! Danc-es are 1:00-4:00 p.m. The next dance is scheduled for Friday, February 4 with the musical entertainment of Frank Gust. Dave Kaspazak will play on March 4. The cost is $5 and includes lunch.

Pancake Breakfast

All are welcome to the East Bethel Seniors Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, Febru-ary 13, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Pan-cakes, French toast, sausage, juice, coffee, and scrambled eggs, additional 50¢ per egg. Cost for breakfast is $5 for adults and $2 for children under 10.

Both events are held at the East Bethel Senior Commu-nity Center located one mile east of Highway 65 on 221st Avenue in East Bethel. |

Saturday, March 58:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

North Isanti Baptist Church • Cambridge, MNClasses ~ Vendors ~ Silent Auction ~ Door Prizes

Pre-registration required by 2/25

Bobby Jenson of KARE 11 Main Speaker!For more information, call 763-689-8253

email: [email protected] www.extension.umn.edu/county/isanti

Sponsored by Isanti County Master Gardeners

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

MASSAGE THERAPYRelieve pain, reduce stress and enhance your overall

sense of well-being with therapeutic massage services.

Therapeutic Massage by LuAnn Smith C.M.T.

Hours by appointment GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

MASSAGE THERAPY

OUR SAVIOUR’S LUTHERAN CHURCH

& PRESCHOOLSunday Worship at 8:00, 9:15 & 10:45 a.m.

on Jackson StreetWednesday nights at 6:30 p.m.

Join Us ForDivorce Support, AA/NA Meetings, Men’s Groups,

Women’s Groups, Family Events, Beading, Quilting + so much more.

19001JacksonStreetNE•EastBethel,MN55011WestCountyRoad22southonJacksonStreet

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

ELC

A

Dr. Paul Schaus, D.D.S.

Keep your smile healthy and beautiful with regular visits to the dentist.

We provide comprehensive dental care for the whole family.

In the

Oak Grove Crossing3154 Viking Boulevard NW

Oak Grove

763-753-5336

New Patients

Welcome!

Master�garDenerBy CAroL BrAy isanti�county�Master�garDener

the�right�light�for�indoor�plants

Just like outdoor plants, in-door plants need the “right light” to be healthy and hap-py. There are three broad cat-egories for sunlight needs for indoor plants: bright, medium and low light. The amount of light received in foot candles (fcs) determines the category. Bright light has a range of 400-800 fcs; medium light’s fcs range is 250-400 fcs and low light’s fcs range is 50-250 fcs.

You can measure light with a light meter. Or, you can mea-sure fcs with a digital camera. Here is how you do it:

Shut off the camera’s fl ash and turn on the aperture pri-ority mode. You should see an “A” or “AV” on the camera’s screen and set the aperture value to 4.0. Set the ISO speed setting to 100.

Place a white board where your plant will be located.

Stand close to the window without causing a shadow.

Point the camera at the white board—fi ll the entire frame without zooming in. Then push the shutter botton half-way.

The bottom number of the shutter speed reading approx-imates the amount of light re-ceived in fcs.

Record this reading every day for a week, at various times of day. Then average the read-ings to determine the fcs.

Determining fcs might take a bit of your time, but if you’re going to spend a lot of money on a houseplant you will want

the location you’ve selected to provide the correct amount of the right light.

Reminder—the Isanti Coun-ty Master Gardeners’ will be holding their gardening event, Burst into Spring, on

Saturday, March 5. Keynote speaker is Bobby Jenson of KARE 11 fame. For more in-formation on this event call 763-689-8255, email [email protected] or visit www.extension.umn.edu/county/isanti.

For more general gardening information, visit the Univer-sity of Minnesota Extension website at www.extension.umn.edu or call the Isanti County Master Gardeners at 763-689-1810. |

Carol Bray’s houseplants. subMitteD�photo

Asthma TidbitSuBMiTTED By LiLLiAN LEViNE, RN, LSN, AE-CisD�15�health�services�coorDinator

how�is�asthma�diagnosed?

Asthma is diagnosed based on a physical examination, personal history, and lung function tests. The physical examination looks for typical asthma symptoms such as wheezing or coughing, and the personal history provides additional clues such as allergies or a familial tendency towards asthma.

Some things your doctor will ask include:

Periods of coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or chest tightness that come on suddenly, occur often or seem to happen during certain times of year or season

Colds that seem to “go to the chest” or take more than 10 days to get over

Medicines you may have used to help your breathing

Your family history of asthma and allergies

What things seem to cause asthma symp-toms or make them worse?

Your doctor will listen to your breathing and look for signs of asthma or allergies.

Your doctor will probably use a device called a spirometer (speh-ROM-et-er) to check your airways. This test is called spirometry (speh-ROM-eh-tree). The test measures how much and how fast you can blow air out of your lungs after taking a deep breath. The results will be lower than normal if your airways are infl amed and narrowed, as in asthma, or if the muscles around your airways have tight-ened up. As part of the test, your doctor may give you a medication that helps open up nar-rowed airways to see if it changes or improves your test results. Spirometry is also used to check your asthma over time to see how you are doing.

Depending on the results of your physical exam, medical history, and lung function tests, your doctor can determine how severe your asthma is. This is important because your asth-ma severity will determine how your asthma should be treated. A general way to classify severity is to consider how often a person has symptoms when that person is not taking any medicine or when his or her asthma is not well controlled. Based on symptoms, the four lev-els of asthma severity classifi cation are:

Intermittent asthma—you have asthma symptoms twice a week or less, and you are bothered by symptoms at night twice a month or less.

Mild persistent asthma —you have asthma symptoms more than twice a week, but not daily. You are bothered by symptoms at night three to four times per month. You

have minor limitations with your activities due to asthma.

Moderate persistent asth-ma—you have asthma symptoms every day, and you are bothered by night-time symptoms more than once a week, but not night-ly. Asthma episodes may affect your activity.

Severe persistent asthma—you have symptoms sev-eral times a day on most days, and you are bothered by nighttime symptoms nightly. Your physical ac-tivity is likely to be limited due to your asthma.

Anyone with asthma can have a severe attack—even those who have intermittent or mild persistent asthma. |

28 the�courier�|�February�2011� www.the-courier.orglife

Faith�listingsCatholic Church of St. Patrick19921 Nightingale Street NW

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

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 Church

23038 Rum River Boulevard NWSt. 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 Church and Preschool

19001 Jackson Street NEEast Bethel • 763-434-6117

www.oursaviourslc.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

Isanti Physical Therapy

Enterprise Ave.

763-444-8680

Andover Physical Therapy

Andover Downtown Center

763-433-8108

St. FrancisPhysical Therapy

St. Francis Mall

763-753-8804

Ham Lake Physical Therapy

18415 NE Hwy. 65, Cedar

763-413-0880

Physical TherapyIn your community, close to your home.

All referrals accepted.

A Life-Giving ChurchSunday Service •10:30 a.m.

St. Francis Elementary22919 St. Francis Boulevard, St. Francis

For information, call 763-516-5995, go to sfbridge.org or look us up on Facebook.

All major insurance accepted23624 St. Francis Blvd. (Hwy. 47) Suite 1 St. Francis, MN

Johnson FamilyCHIROPRACTIC

Dr. Mary J. Johnson

Gentle Individualized Personal Care

763-753-3126

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.

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

It’s easy to do the right thing

Independent School District 15

Blood DriveTuesday, February 8

1:30-4:30 p.m.St. Francis Middle School

Sign up online at www.mbc.org. Go to Donate, Search Blood Drives, Sponsor Code using #3350 or contact

Wendy Carlberg at 763-753-7043 for an appointment.

Memorial Blood CentersAll blood types are needed, especially Type O.

Bring ID • Eat before donating No cold or fl u symptoms for 3 days

File�photo

29www.the-courier.org� the�courier�|�February�2011 Classified

Next ISD 15 SCHOOL BOarD MeetINgS are: February 14 Dialogue with School Board 6:30 p.m., Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m.; February 28 Dialogue with School Board 6:30 p.m., Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m. at Central Services Center, Community Room, 4115 Ambassador Blvd., St. Francis. OvereaterS aNONyMOuS meets Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. at 903 6th Avenue Court East, Isanti. For more information contact Maggie at 612-390-0747 or Dolly at 763-689-2264.St. FraNCIS HIgH SCHOOL SeNIOr aLL NIgHt Party planning committee will meet monthly in the SFHS Multi-Purpose Room on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Dates are: February 10, March 17, April 14, May 5, May 19, and June 2. For more information contact Michelle Wenker, volunteer coordinator, at [email protected]. FraNCIS area CHaMBer OF COMMerCe next scheduled board meeting is February 16 at the St. Francis Community Center, 23340 Cree Street N at 11:00 a.m. Open to all. On February 3 there will be a Business After Hours event at St. Francis Village Bank, 4:00-6:00 p.m. Free to area businesses. February 9, Member Coffee Networking at Billy’s Bar & Grill in St. Francis, 8:00-9:00 a.m., free to chamber members. Visit www.stfrancischamber.org for more information.St. FraNCIS area WOMeN OF tODay meet the 1st Tuesday of the month at St. Francis Community Center, 23340 Cree Street, 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.sfawt.org or call Dana at 763-753-5010. BNI – reFerraLS uNLIMIteD meets every Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. at the St. Francis Community Center, 23340 Cree Street N. For more information, check www.bni-mn.com.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.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. NOWtHeN LIONS CLuB board meeting is 1st Thurs. of month at 6:30 p.m.; general meeting 3rd Thurs. of the month at 7:00 p.m. both at Nowthen City Hall, 8188 199th Avenue NW. For more information, please call Lion Judy at 763-753-6962.

tOPS CHaPter MN #1774 meets every Wed. morning at 9:30 a.m. at the St. Francis Community Center, 23340 Cree Street N. 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.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.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, 763-434-6985.St. FraNCIS JayCeeS 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, 23340 Cree Street N. For info, visit our website at www.stfrancisjaycees.org. Walk-ins welcome.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 catered meal and short business meeting. BINGO follows each business meeting. For information about the club and events, call Dick Tuott at 763-434-8215.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.eaSt BetHeL SeNIOrS meet 3rd Thurs. of the month at 2241 221st Avenue NE in East Bethel at 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 Dennis Swen at 763-434-9244. All seniors are welcome to join; only $7 per year.

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

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

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ChildCareNEW IN-HoME DAyCArE� stb�licensed�in�st.�Francis,�all�ages�1/2�off�first�week.�Fun,�learning,�loving�environment� with� food� program,�6:00� a.m.-6:30� p.m.� call� Karen� at�763-712-0959.�

ST. FrANCIS LICENSED DAyCArE�has� openings,� reasonable� rates,�christina�763-258-7282.

oAk GrovE LICENSED DAyCArE�has� part-time� openings,� please�view� www.rainysdaycare.com� or�call�763-213-1028.�

PrECIouS TIMES LEArNING CENTEr in� st.� Francis–call� today,�enrolling�all�ages,�763-753-4656.

ChildCareIN-HoME LICENSED DAyCArE�has� opening� for� ages� 6� wks-11� years� old.� 1/2� off� first� week�with� enrollment.� Fun� and� loving�environment.� cpr/first� aid�certified.�Food�program.�please�call�lisa:�763-458-1948.

For rentrooM For rENT� in� coon� rapids�home.�easy�access� to�hwy.�10.�call�for�more�info�763-913-6206.

For leaseSPACE For LEASE� 5,238� square�foot� office/warehouse� space� with�hwy.� 47� frontage� in� st.� Francis,��763-753-6116.

FitnesskETTLEBELL, yoGA-FIT� and�personal� fitness� training� classes�starting� soon.� call� 763-267-2198�or� visit� our� website� at� www.�ascensionbodyworks.com.

serviCesPET NAIL TrIMS�by�cleo’s�c&c,�$4,�763-434-8997.

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

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

Issue DeaDlIne DelIvery2011

March 2/11/11 3/2/11april 3/18/11 4/6/11May 4/15/11 5/4/11June 5/13/11 6/1/11July 6/17/11 7/6/11

serviCes HouSE CLEANING – i� would� love�to� help� you� with� your� cleaning�needs,� 10� years� experience.� 763-434-2464.

HANDy MAN SErvICES—plumbing,� electrical,� masonry,�remodeling.� call� butch� at� 763-300-9869.

PIANo TuNING – violin,�piano,�and�guitar� lessons,� Michael,� 763-219-4883,�[email protected].

PIANo LESSoNS – casual,� fun,�licensed/experienced,� competitive�rates.�call�carmel�612-220-0235.

For saleMINIATurE DACHSHuND PuPPy—$275,� purebred� male,�born� 10/24/10,� black� and� tan�markings,� vet� check,� dew� claws�removed,� de-wormed,� and� shots.�call� 763-302-9309� cell� or� 763-754-4166�work.

BLACk & yELLoW LAB� puppies�—$300,� purebred,� born� 12/17/10,�8� males,� 1� female,� dew� claws�removed,� will� have� shots� and� vet�check� prior� to� adoption.� call� 763-753-6701.

WantedST. FrANCIS HIGH SCHooL THEATrE needs� donations:�wooden�suit�hangers,�lumber,�latex�paint,�building�materials,�costumes,�dress� gloves,� plastic� storage� bins,�call� glenn� at� 763-213-1633� or�[email protected].

Courier�Deadlines

30 the�courier�|�February�2011� www.the-courier.orglife

Vacationing?Call us

763.753.54506560 Norris Lake Road

Elk River, MN 55330 (Nowthen)www.goldstarkennelsofmn.com

Open 7 days a weekBy appointment only

“We’re not the biggest… just the best!”

$2 Off DOg Or Cat BOarDing

per night at Gold Star KennelsNot valid during holidays. Limit one per family.

Not good with any other offers or discounts. 763-753-5450 • Expires 3/1/11

$100 Off training at Gold Star Kennels

Limit one per family. Not good with any other offers or discounts.

763-753-5450 • Expires 3/1/11

$5 Off grOOming

at Gold Star Kennels Limit one per family.

Not good with any other offers or discounts. 763-753-5450 • Expires 3/1/11

Cour

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If your pet could talk, they

would insist on…

in 2010 st. Francis recycled over 400 tons.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 763-427-3110 • Allied Waste 763-784-2104East Central Sanitation 763-689-2171

2010Goal630

Tons 39 Tons

recycled in December

“We treat your pets like our own”

St. Francis Veterinary Clinic763-444-9359

Doctors on staff Dr.TraceyThomas Dr.JillHergenrader Dr.KellyPawlenty Dr.NicolePerreault

Two miles north of St. Francis on Highway 47Visitusonthewebat www.sfvetclinic.com

•Smallanimalmedicine,surgeryanddentistry•Freeinitialpuppyandkittenexams•Earlymorningdropoffavailablebyappointment•Eveningappointments•HeartwormandLymetesting•MicrochippetID

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

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

Sunday Services8:30 a.m. Traditional9:45 a.m. Sunday School11:00 a.m. Contemporary

Wednesday Evening6:00-6:45 Kids Choir6:45-8:15 Awana

Ages Preschool-6th Grade

6:45-8:15 NYTRO Youth group 7th-12th Grade

7:00-8:00 Adult Prayer group

3220�bridge�street,�suite�107in�the�st.�Francis�Mall

call�763-753-1277�for�an�appointment

1/11

Kendall W. Goodian, D.C.chiropractic�orthopedist

Specializing in Sports, Industrial and Auto Accident Injuries

Complete Family DentistryRound Lake DentaL

Dr. Thomas Swenson

763-427-028513841 round lake Blvd. nW • andover

2 minutes north of Highway 10 on round lake Boulevard

www.roundlakedental.com

Open evenings

nitrous Oxide availableCosmetic Dentistry

Want to submit an article, photo, or announcement?

Information can be found on The Courier website www.the-courier.org; click on “Submissions”

then “Submit an Announcement.”

Or call 763-753-7031 for more information.

Tyler and Chelsey Marcio were married on May 22, 2010 in Princeton. Tyler is the son of Steve and Carol Marcio, and a 2005 graduate of St. Francis High School. Chelsey is the daugh-ter of Jeff and Jodi Rice of Foreston, and a 2006 graduate of Milaca High School. Tyler is currently working for Wells Fargo and Chelsey is working at Plato’s Closet. The couple resides in Roseville. Tyler and Chelsey met at an Elvis Expe-rience show in March of 2008. subMitteD�photo

weDDing

Anoka County Library now offers eBooksSt. Francis Middle School “Broadway On Site”

Come and enjoy this production performed by St. Francis Middle School students. Bring the family for an evening of fun!

Date: Friday,February25Time: 7:00p.m.Location: TBDCost: FREE!

The Secret GardenFromthenovelbyFrancesHodgsonBurnett

District-wide Youth Activities, a division of Independent School District 15 Community Education & Services

Questions?CallCommunityEdat763-753-7041.

adapted�by�Tim kelly

Music�&�lyrics�by�Bill Francoeur

FREE Admission to

the Play

best-selling�and�classic�titles�available�anytime,�anywhere

SuBMiTTED By MONiCA CAMPBELLanoKa�county�library

Anoka County Library now has eBooks available for checkout! Anoka County Li-brary has expanded its online

services to include eBooks, available for download from the library’s website. Anoka County residents can check out and download free eB-ooks anytime, anywhere us-ing their valid library barcode and PIN, while visiting www.anoka.lib.mn.us.

Want to borrow eBooks from the Library? Not sure how?

Anoka County Library is of-fering several programs to help library users learn how to download free eBooks. eB-ooks are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the Anoka County Library web-site at www.anoka.lib.mn.us.

Programs are offered at the following times and loca-tions:

Monday, February 7 6:00 p.m. Crooked Lake Branch Library

Wednesday, February 9 6:00 p.m. Rum River Library

Thursday, February 10 2:00 p.m. Northtown Library

Monday, February 14 6:00 p.m. Centennial Branch Library

Saturday, February 26 11:00 a.m. Mississippi Branch Library

We’ll talk about how to browse our new eBook col-lection, check out items, and download eBooks to devices. We’ll also talk about the kinds of eBooks available and the lending policies for this col-lection. We’ll cover the neces-sary steps to use our service, including required software and where to download it cost-free, along with other registration requirements.

If you have an iPhone or An-droid device, we will show you how to download eBooks directly to your mobile de-vice, as well. Have questions about that new eReader you received over the holidays? Bring it along and we’ll give you some tips on download-ing library materials.

With more than 1,700 popular fiction and nonfiction titles for adults, teens, and kids to choose from, this new col-lection is guaranteed to have something for everyone. In addition, unlimited access is provided to more than 15,000 public domain titles available from Project Gutenberg.

For library locations or more information about these pro-grams please call 763-712-2322 or visit the website at www.anoka.lib.mn.us. |

31www.the-courier.org� the�courier�|�February�2011 life

Full medical, dental, laboratory and surgical services for pets

763-753-6336www.oakgroveanimalhospital.com

Cty. Rd. 22 & Cty. Rd. 9 Amy Morgan, D.V.M.Oak Grove, MN 55011 Lisa Johnson, D.V.M.

Call for a complimentary checkup of your pet’s teeth!Fido’s Barber Shop

19847 Orchid St. NW, Oak Grove

All Breed Professional Dog Grooming and

Personal Care BoardingDay and Evening Appointments

763-213-8143

Pet Grooming SalonIn Oak Grove Crossing Mall Corner of Cty Rds 9 & 22 3132 Viking Blvd. NWOak Grove763-753-4115www.prpawsgrooming.com

Full Service

GroomingNail Trims

10% Off Full Groom

For new customers only. Expires 3/1/11. Not valid with any other offer.

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

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

Davis Vision, and many more.

See us for all your eyecare needs… contacts, glasses, comprehensive eye exam, adjustments

and repair.

engageMentbirths

Benjaman Joseph Wedebrand was born at Cambridge Med-ical Center on September 9, 2010. He weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces and was 21 inch-es long. Proud parents are Whitney Walker and Patrick Wedebrand of Cambridge. Proud grandparents are Pam Bergman, Scott Bromwich of Cambridge, and Vi Wedeb-rand of Blaine. Happy aunts are Samantha Walker and Abby Bromwich of Cam-bridge and Brenda Martin of Blaine an uncles Jay Whitley and Randy Wedebrand of Blaine. Proud great grand-parents Bob and Julie Berg-man of Ham Lake and Mar-garet Whitley of Brooklyn Park, great great grandma Rodina Fahrendorff.

Big sister Maddie, 15 months, proudly announces the arrival of her new baby sister ellie Lillian Herbst. Born at Mercy Hospital on November 18, 2010, she weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and was 19½ inches long. Equally proud are parents Jake and Jennie Herbst of Oak Grove. Grandparents are Vern and Carolyn Suchla of Cedar and Mike and Sue Herbst of Isanti. Great grandparents are Mike and Kathleen Gardas of Cedar.

Channing James Linton was born January 1, 2011, at Cambridge Medical Center. He weighed 8 pounds, 13 ounces and was 22 inches long. Proud parents are Kyle and Greta Linton of Cambridge.

Cooper adrian eich was born January 13, 2011, at Cambridge Medical Center. He weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 21 inches long. Proud parents are Nicholas and Amanda Eich of Princeton. Cooper is welcomed by siblings Lily, 3, and Anna, 20 months.

Dominick Mark Fox was born January 17, 2011, at Cambridge Medical Center. He weighed 9 pounds and was 21½ inches long. Proud parents are Maria Michaun and Mark Fox of Isanti. Dominick is welcomed by siblings Sylvia and Alec. |

Benjaman Joseph Wedebrand� subMitteD�photo

James and Cheryl Collins of isanti, along with Daniel and Patricia White of Flushing, Michi-gan, are pleased to announce the upcoming mar-riage of their chil-dren, Amanda Collins and David White. Amanda is a 2000 gradu-ate of St. Francis High School and a 2005 graduate of Methodist Hospi-tal School of Ra-diology. She is a

radiology technologist in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. David is a law enforcement officer for the National Park Service, St. Croix River Valley. An April 2011 wedding is planned. subMitteD�photo

Steve and Carol Marcio of Zimmerman are pleased to announce the upcoming marriage of their daughter Cassie to Keith Rom-bach, son of Steve and Gerri Rombach of isanti. Cassie is a 2007 graduate of St. Francis, and Keith is a 2003 graduate of Cam-bridge. The wedding will take place on February 5 and the couple plan to make their home in isanti. Cassie is currently the man-ager at East Bethel Subway, where she has worked for the last five years. Keith is a licensed physical therapy assistant and is currently working at PTOSi in Roseville. The couple met in 2006 at Subway, where Keith became a frequent customer requiring Cassie’s special sandwich artist skills. subMitteD�photo

Lyndon and Ly-nelda Palm, isanti, are please to an-nounce the en-gagement of their son Trent to Cyn-thia McDuffie, daughter of Pas-tor and Mrs. Bob McDuffie of El Jo-bine, Florida. After a time of court-ship, the two were engaged on Octo-ber 9, 2010. Trent is a graduate of St. Francis Christian School, class of 2009, and also at-tended Clearwater Christian College for a time, but just recently graduated

from Anoka Ramsey Community College with a general studies associates degree. Trent is currently employed by Kragnes Farm-ers Elevator Company as an agronomist. Cynthia is a 2008 gradu-ate of Heritage Christian Academy in Englewood, Florida and is currently finishing her associate degree in psychology through Liberty university. A June wedding is planned at Calvary Baptist Church in Englewood, Florida. subMitteD�photo

Ellie Lillian Herbst� subMitteD�photo

engageMent

By MAE HAWKiNSisD�15�business�services�Director

The Truth in Taxation hearing was held during the December 13, 2010 Independent School District 15 School Board meeting. The presentation included charts (shown at left) illustrating the sources of the district’s revenues and expenditures.

General Fund 2010-11 Budgeted Revenues by Source (Chart 1)

The fi rst chart shows where the district’s general fund revenues came from for the 2010-11 school year. As you can see, the dis-trict receives the majority (83 percent) of its revenues from state aids. The state has shifted when it pays districts, so that school districts receive 73 percent of state aids during the school year and the other 27 percent is received up to six months after the school year has ended. This reduces the state’s need to cash fl ow borrow to meet its obligations. Instead, school districts need to cash fl ow borrow to pay their educational expenses. The dis-trict is projected to receive fi ve percent of its revenues from fed-

eral sources, 11 percent from property tax levies and one percent from fees, interest and gifts. (Note: Gifts are not included in budget until received.) The district’s revenues are determined by formulas set by state statute. The rev-enue formulas are based on the enroll-ment of students in ISD 15 schools.

General Fund 2010-11 Budgeted Expenditure by Program (Chart 2)

The next chart shows, by program, where ISD 15’s general fund resources are spent. The district has a philoso-phy of maximizing the dollars to the classroom and this is evident in the

chart. The district continues to spend 75 percent of its ex-penditures on instructional programs. Each of the catego-ries shown are defi ned in the 2010-11 ISD 15 Preliminary Budget report which can be found on the ISD 15 website, Business Services page under reports (www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us).

General Fund 2010-11 Budgeted Expenditures by Major Catergories (Chart 3)

The third chart shows general fund expenses broken out by type of expense. As the dis-trict is a service provider, the majority of its expenses are spent on staff. As you can see by the chart, 84 percent of the district’s expenditure budget is used for salaries and bene-fi ts. The next largest category, at eight, percent is utilities and contracted services.

Anoka County School Districts Annual Property Tax Comparison for a $250,000 Home (Chart 4)

Included in the Truth in Taxa-tion report was a school dis-trict tax comparison for all districts in Anoka County as compared to ISD 15 for a home valued at $250,000. ISD 15 has one of the lowest school district property tax rates in the county.

The complete Truth in Taxa-tion PowerPoint presentation can be found on the ISD 15 Business Services web page under Reports. Links to in-formation about property tax refunds can be found on the ISD 15 Business Services web page under Property Tax Information The website for ISD 15 is www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us. |

32 the�courier�|�February�2011� www.the-courier.org

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HOURS: Monday 12:30-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8p.m. Friday 10a.m.-8p.m. Saturday 10a.m.-8p.m. Closed Sunday

SAVE $100with the purchase of $10.00

Not valid with any other offer. One coupon per customer.Good at Christian Dollar Plus in St. Francis.

Coupon expires 3/1/11.

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Large 3 Topping Pizza with Cheesy Breadsticks

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763-274-2555www.mamadelucas.comExpires: 3/1/2011. Limited delivery area. One coupon per order, while supplies last. Mention coupon when ordering.

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763.434.7575Accepting Visa & MasterCard

Haircuts/Styles • PermsColors • Eyebrow Wax

Salon in East Bethel18423 Highway 65

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for Brides & Bridal PartiesCall us for your prom Up-Do too!

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10% OFF

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22973 Rum River Blvd. across from Woodbury

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Unique Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day Check Out our NEW Menu Items ~ Serving Breakfast All DayWireless Internet | Ice Cream |Fresh Market & Panini Sandwiches

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$100 OFF All Gourmet Coffee Drinks

Enjoy a dinner for two with your Valentine!

Prime Rib or Crab Legs for

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Pappy’s Café13827 Round Lake Blvd. in Andover’s Downtown Center

763-427-4840Mon-Sat 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Must present coupon at time of service. Not valid with any other coupon or specials. Good on 2/14/11.

Enjoy a dinner for two with

13827 Round Lake Blvd. in Andover’s Downtown Center

Valentine Coupons & Services

Truth in Taxation summary

Dis

tric

t N

ame

an

oka

Cen

ten

nia

l

Col

um

bia

H

eigh

ts

Frid

ley

St.

Fran

cis

Sp

rin

g L

ake

Par

k

Wh

ite

Bea

r L

ake

elk

riv

er

District Number

ISD 11

ISD 12

ISD 13

ISD 14

ISD 15

ISD 16

ISD 624

ISD 728

Annual School District Taxes

$1,233 $1,499 $880 $1,605 $977 $1,232 $1,164 $1,425

Diff from ISD 15 +$256 +$522 -$97 +$627 +$255 +$187 +$448

Information shown is prior to any tax credits. Figures are school district taxes only. The last row shows the difference as compared to ISD 15, St. Francis.

Anoka County School Districts Annual Property Tax Comparison for a

$250,000 Home

(Chart 4)

General Fund 2010-11 BudgetExpenditures by Major

Categories (Chart 3)

General Fund 2010-11 Budgeted Expenditures by Program

(Chart 2)

General Fund 2010-11 Budgeted Revenues by Source

(Chart 1)

State Aids and Revenue 83%

Federal Grants 5%

Levy 11%

Local Sources—Fees, interest, Gifts 1%

instructional Expenses 75%

District and Building Administration 3%

District Support Service 3%

Building Maintenance and Operation 10%

Pupil Support 8%

Other and Fixed Costs 1%

Salary and Fringes 84%

utilities and Contracted Services 8%

Supplies, Food and Fuels 4%

Capital and Equipment 3%

Fixed Costs

the courier - february 2011

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