Travis Grimler
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travis.grimler@pineandlakes.com
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- Member for
- 2 years 1 month
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Two regular visitors to the Eagle Fitness Center in Pine River have taken over. Sarah and Brent Norman have been going to the fitness center since it first opened but recently, when founder and owner Ron Thompson approached them with the opportunity to become proprietors, they said yes. "It was an opportunity we couldn't refuse. Brent and I both like fitness and being healthy. My family has a bad health history, so it feels empowering to work on it and stay off medications," Sarah said.
Vaccines are supposed to be safe for you, but you might be floored to find out the ingredients can include such nasties as aluminum, formaldehyde, mercury (thiomersal) and monosodium glutamate (MSG). That's unimaginable! Isn't formaldehyde used to preserve dead people? And mercury - who hasn't heard how dangerous that is? Did you know there are a host of studies revealing aluminum as dangerous, too? Don't get me started on MSG. Somehow, Big Pharma wants you to believe that these things are suddenly safe in vaccines. How does that work?
The Emily City Council approved use of the city sewer system by three septic pump contractors, according to draft minutes for the Feb. 10 meeting. The three contractors would have their deposits measured by the main lift station. They would then be charged $30 per thousand gallons of wastewater, and be expected to turn in weekly tickets for dumpage. The city has the authority to terminate this agreement at any time at the city's discretion based on pond levels. In other business, the council: • Approved purchase of new AED pads. • Scheduled two public informational meetings Thursday, Feb.
Residents took the opportunity at a Feb. 9 Jenkins City Council public hearing to ask questions and make suggestions about the possible road improvement project for Shanty Court and Brown Boulevard, according to draft meeting minutes. Residents of those streets had approached the council during previous meetings to begin a process that could ultimately lead to repairs to the two roads north of Ackerman Trail. City Engineer Dave Reese said the project included improvements to create two 10-foot wide driving lanes with shoulders. Paving is not being considered.
An alternate ended up winning the Pine River-Backus spelling bee Thursday, Feb. 19. Before the start of the contest, contestants from fifth and seventh grades stepped out of the race, followed by two fifth-grade alternates, leaving sixth-grade alternates Andrew Hoplin and Rylie Hirschey to fill their spots. The overall victory went to Hoplin after 13 grueling rounds. Eliminations came early when the compound word "wildcat" threw fifth-grader Helana German for a loop in round one. Sixth-grader Kyosuke Marcum got lost in a "parlor" in round two.
During the public comment period of the Feb. 9 Jenkins City Council meeting, Rick Beyer, owner of A-Pine Restaurant and the A-Pine Express gas station, encouraged those present to voice their concerns regarding the Highway 371 four-lane expansion project, according to draft meeting minutes. Plans include expansion of the highway to four lanes from Nisswa to the Jenkins city limits next year. Beyer's businesses, located at the County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 16-Highway 371 intersection, would lose highway access from all southbound Highway 371 traffic under the plan.
The Pine River City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 10, took a step toward completing street projects with assistance from Cass County by approving three resolutions for state aid for local transportation. The projects include two blocks of First Street immediately north and south of Park Avenue, and a section of Norway Avenue from Highway 371 to First Street. To get county approval for the street improvement projects, the council passed three resolutions designating three blocks of parking as parallel parking-only areas.
Drivers on Highway 371 between Hackensack and Pine River may have noticed yellow signs along the road protesting the Sandpiper oil pipeline. Drivers may also have noticed that two of the signs were vandalized in December. The signs were painted by Frank Bibeau, lawyer for the Honor the Earth group, but local residents claimed ownership of them in their roadside locations. One sign was ripped off of its backing, while the other was painted. "Unfortunately, that is very true. Some of our signs on the highway were vandalized. We have put up replacements since then.
Following the Sept. 23 move of the First National Bank of Walker from Jenkins to Baxter, a new business is opening in a new building in its place. The bank had originally intended to donate the property to the city of Jenkins for use as a park, but the city council decided it wanted a new business to open on the Highway 371 frontage. That proved to be the perfect opportunity for a local business owner and the family that wanted to join forces with him. "I think it was the luckiest day of our life," said Jamie Emans of Breezy Point, former owner of Emans' Auto just outside of Pine River.
Happy Dancing Turtle's Back to Basics event at Pine River-Backus School gathered more than 200 attendees to experience more than 30 sessions and one guest speaker. The theme was Recipes for Resilience. Tom Hanson of Duluth Grill served as the keynote speaker.