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VOL. 43 NO. 42 www.quadcommunitypress.com $1.00
CITY OF BLAINE: Welcomes Scheels sporting goods store PAGE 5
Longtime mayor will not seek reelection in 2025
Meet Minnesota’s new Junior Preteen queen: Leighton Simmons BY MADELINE DOLBY EDITOR
Blaine’s Leighton Simmons, 10, is this year’s National American Miss Minnesota Junior Preteen. Leighton, a fifth grader at Centennial Elementary, has been competing in pageants through the National American Miss program since she was 7. The program helps girls and woman expand their ideas about who they are and what they want to achieve. After doing dance for five years, Leighton said she didn’t find it fulfilling anymore, so she was looking for something new to do.
BY MADELINE DOLBY EDITOR
CIRCLE PINES—Longtime Circle Pines Mayor Dave Bartholomay has announced he will not seek reelection this fall. “It’s been the honor of my life to serve on this city council for the last 24 years, the last 20 as your mayor,” Bartholomay said. During his time as mayor, Bartholomay helped instigate the city’s road reconstruction program and kept the Centennial Library on the city’s civic campus. Earlier this summer, he received the C.C. Ludwig Award, presented by the League of Minnesota Cities. Created in 1962, it was named for Clarence C. Ludwig, who served as the League’s executive director CONTRIBUTED from 1935-1959. The award is Dave Bartholomay presented to a city official for vision, statesmanship and commitment to the public good. The award is the highest honor that elected city officials in the state can receive. (See “Local mayor receives highest honor for elected city officials,” Quad Community Press, July 1, 2025.) Council Member Matt Percy said he is grateful for the time he has served alongside Bartholomay on the council. “You’ve done a tremendous job for our city. You really have,” he said of Bartholomay. “The outreach and the effort that you put into this role and the people you connect with, it shows. Our city is in a much better place now than it was when you first started. We’ve had a great vision and a direction, and you’ve been a tremendous part of that.” In addition to his mayoral role, Bartholomay has served on the Centennial Lakes Police Governing Board since 2006 and previously spent two decades as a Centennial Utilities commissioner. His resume also includes positions as assistant commissioner of the State Planning Agency, executive director of Mediation Services for Anoka County, and leadership roles with the Minnesota Council on Local Results and Innovation, National League of Cities and North Metro Mayors Association. “There’s a lot of good things coming for Circle Pines,” Bartholomay said. “And I promise to remain active and supportive of my city and the Centennial School District.” Bartholomay will continue to serve as mayor until Dec. 31, 2025.
SEE PRETEEN QUEEN, PAGE 2
CONTRIBUTED
Blaine’s Leighton Simmons, 10, is this year’s National American Miss Minnesota Junior Preteen.
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Blue Heron Days
Editor Madeline Dolby can be reached at 651431-1226 or quadnews@presspubs.com.
Blue Heron Days is set to kick off Thursday, Aug. 14, and run through Sunday, Aug. 17, in Lino Lakes. The weekend-long celebration will feature food trucks and a fun festival, parade, the Waldoch Farm corn feed and other activities. See pages 6 & 7 for more information.
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“When we were looking for new things, I saw a pageant. At first, I was like, ‘I want to dress up in all the pretty dresses.’ So, then I decided to try it out. I really liked it and I stuck with it,” she explained. What Leighton says she enjoys most about competing in pageants is meeting all the girls at competitions and getting to wear the fun dresses. “You meet a lot of girls, you get to do fun stuff and it’s fun whether you win or not,” she said.
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