FREE PRESS MESSENGER AMERY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2025 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33,9,2222
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76TH FALL FESTIVAL: What to do and where to go, Medallion winner P10
Public feedback drives Amery’s longrange vision plan
COUNTRY
BY JUSTIN RUNBERG EDITOR@THEAMERYFREPRESS.COM
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2222 More 33, than 350 residents weighed VOL. 131 NO. 19 www.moraminn.com $1.00next 15-year in on Amery’s comprehensive plan, giving city leaders a roadmap that emphasizes housing, economic development and careful growth while preserving the community’s identity. The plan, now in its final stages, will guide decisions through 2040 on issues ranging from land use to business attraction and community amenities. Officials say the priorities reflect months of public surveys and workshops, along with input from the city council and plan commission, and will serve as a living document to THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, 2222 steer future councils in balancing VOL. 131 NO. 19 www.moraminn.com opportunity$1.00 with Amery’s smalltown character. CONTRIBUTED Feedback from the public, city Al Johnson rides one of his prized tractors during Fall Festival. Over the course of several years he became a perennial sight during the parade. council, and plan commission has ties. Johnson and his brother together on the family farm. helped shape this evolving docupart of the parade. Sadly, BY JUSTIN RUNBERG They built up the farm and began to become essential ment. Johnson passed away this EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM lived on the same land, to the family’s work as their The plan has been developed spring. Now, his family will helping each other with father aged. Johnson also over several months, with a few honor his memory with one This year’s Fall Festival crops and tending to their attended school but dropped more months left to refine it. Parade will feature a variety last ride, showcasing all the cows. Along the way, he also out of high school in his “Over the last several months, tractors he loved. of entries, bringing joy to sophomore year to farm full- met the love of his life and the Planning Commission of Growing up, Johnson the crowd. However, it will married in 1965, having two Amery has been working through didn’t have much, living on a time with his brother. They also be bittersweet for the children. Johnson focused continued farming full-time and workshopping goals and stratfamily farm north of Amery. Johnson family. Over the on farming, but he also knew egies for implementing improveHe came from a large family, for the next few decades. years, seeing Al Johnson on During that time, Johnbut at a young age, he took one of his prized tractors beson and his brother worked on significant responsibilicame a familiar and beloved SEE JOHNSON, PAGE 2 SEE PLAN, PAGE 9
Serving Marine-on-St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
The last ride... ENTINEL
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FREE
BURNETT COUNTY
COUNTY ST R FREE
FREE
ISANTI-CHISAGO
D’Addario’s brings a new style BY JUSTIN RUNBERG EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
which will stand out from others in the area. That’s because Mast will be making Detroit-style pizza. Honoring his late grandfather, Paul D’Addario, Mast named the business after him and designed the chef logo in his image. Mast was able to start making pizzas thanks to a new recipe and some help from YouTube.
“I was just making pieces at home. I was actually fooling around trying to get a good recipe for a totally different style pizza,” Mast said. “Then I, as YouTube goes, you fall into this rabbit hole looking at different videos. And then Detroit style popped up and that seemed interesting.”
THE SUN A man passionate about pizza is bringing his talents to the Amery community. After the old Pizza Man closed, the space was quickly repurposed to make pizza again, but in a different style. Jon Mast, the owner and operator, will introduce his unique pizza style,
SEE PIZZA, PAGE 11
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
JUSTIN RUNBERG | AMERY FREE PRESS
A new Pizza Place will now take over the old Pizza Man location.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, 2222
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