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LOCAL TROOPER: Enjoys meeting people while on the job PAGE 3
Area couple takes invention to ‘The Toy Box’ BY SHANNON GRANHOLM EDITOR
LINO LAKES –– A local family will compete on television this week to see if their invention has what it takes to win on ABC’s “The Toy Box.” Dan and Jessica Friedman, of Lino Lakes, traveled to New York last July to film for the series. Their episode will air at 7 p.m. Friday, May 5 with their invention, Maze-O. “The Toy Box” is a new eightepisode show where inventors
present their toy concepts to a group of mentors who critique their inventions and give honest feedback. The mentors include Dylan Lauren, owner of Dylan’s Candy Bar, toy guru Jim Silver and Pixar Creative Director of Consumer Products Jen Tan. The show is hosted by Eric Stonestreet, who plays Cameron Tucker on “Modern Family,” and the show is described as a “Shark Tank meets Romper Room” production. If the toymakers get past the mentors,
they then move on to The Toy Box, where a panel of young judges decide which toy will face off in the finale. The Friedman’s have five children, some of whom inspired the idea for Maze-O. “Our oldest, who was 4 at the time, would build mazes out of wooden blocks and then his sisters would come and knock them all over. We thought there had to be a better way of making this,” Dan explained. “We went online, started researching SEE TOY BOX, PAGE 11
Early Childhood Learning Center opens
ABC/JEFF NEIRA | SUBMITTED
Host of ABC's “The Toy Box” Eric Stonestreet (of Modern Family) gives contestants Dan and Jessica Friedman, of Lino Lakes, a pep talk before they present their invention Maze-O to the mentors.
First SPIRIT Walk set for May 20 BY PAT ZEITNER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SHANNON GRANHOLM | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Parents help their children cut a paper chain on April 27 to celebrate the opening of the new Centennial Early Childhood Learning Center, an addition to Rice Lake Elementary School on Birch Street in Lino Lakes. See more photos and story on page 2.
CIRCLE PINES –– When organizations say they support their communities, Anoka Hennepin Credit Union (AHCU) talks the talk — and literally walks the walk. Executives Jeff Claussen, Terry Anderson and Mark Undis have worked to create a foundation to help support each of its participating high schools, as well as many other entities that ask the local credit union for support. The SPIRIT Foundation was launched April 25 and plans to hold its first fundraising walk May 20, something it hopes to do annually. AHCU held a silent auction at its annual meeting to raise funds for the foundation. Together with its corporate partners, nearly $15,000 has been pledged, donated or committed to the foundation’s first event. “There were eight high schools, junior highs, youth programs, Hope for Youth, food shelves, all these different things we contribute to; it got to be very overwhelming,” said Claussen, AHCU president/CEO. Todd Barduson, AHCU marketing director, is aware schools are struggling to keep their extracurricular programs above water. “I’m frequently asked for sponsorships or donations to help keep those programs afloat. By my math, there is somewhere north of 600 booster clubs across the eight schools we try to support. One booster club is doing five fundraisers for one season of their sport,” he said. Barduson added, “A steady stream of letters come in every week. We do the best we can to select those (where) we feel our investment can have the biggest impact. We’d love to do something for all of them, and now we feel we have done something for all.” Included in those eight schools are the Centennial Cougars, the Forest Lake Rangers and the Blaine SEE SPIRIT WALK, PAGE 9
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