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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 VOL. 43 NO. 48 www.quadcommunitypress.com $1.00
ELECTION SEASON: Lino Lakes absentee voting starts Sept. 19 PAGE 8
Lino Lakes resident writes memoir about the way animals shape lives Lino Lakes resident Cindy Ojczyk has been a pet foster for almost three decades. Ojczyk’s debut memoir, “Mom Loves the Dogs More: A Memoir of Family Rescue,” reflects on those years. The book is scheduled to be released on Thursday, Sept. 18. Her memoir expands on themes CONTRIBUTED she loves to write about, such Cindy Ojczyk as local dogs, rescue stories and the way animals shape our lives. It also tells her family’s own journey of fostering, parenting and healing. Recently, Press Publications sat down with Ojczyk to learn more about her and her new book.
MADELINE DOLBY | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Construction for new Aldi grocery store continues Construction on the Aldi grocery store will be located south of Main Street, east of I-35E and west of Otter Lake Road in Lino Lakes, near the border with Hugo. The store will be approximately 19,437 square feet. Its main access will be at Main Street and 70th Street. According to Lino Lakes City Planner Katie Larsen, the developer is hoping to have completed construction by Thanksgiving.
Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself. A. I’m an award-winning writer, author and longtime pet foster who has straddled two communities for the past 27 years. My husband and I have a White Bear mailing address, but a Lino Lakes property designation. Our two daughters attended White Bear schools from kindergarten through graduation. Many of the stories in my memoir unfold in and around the area—from the Manitou Days Parade to everyday family life in our neighborhood. I contribute a monthly feature, “The Real Dogs of the Quad Press,” for Press Publications. SEE AUTHOR Q&A, PAGE 5
Cannabis zoning ordinance heads for possible changes BY MADELINE DOLBY EDITOR
LINO LAKES — The city’s zoning ordinance regarding cannabis microbusiness and mezzobusinesses will undergo changes following discussion among members of the Lino Lakes Planning and Zoning Board and pending City Council approval. A mezzobusiness holds a license that allows a single holder to cultivate, manufacture, and sell cannabis products. It can also operate up to three retail locations. The proposed new ordinance would
allow microbusiness or mezzobusiness business with a retail operations endorsement to operate in a business district and be limited to retail operations. On-site consumption would not be allowed. It also states that a cultivation endorsement would be required for a microbusiness or mezzobusiness to operate in a rural district and the business would be limited to that use. According to the staff report, the same adjustment is recommended for these two types of businesses within the neighborhood business, the limited business and the general business
zoning districts. Currently, a cannabis retail business is a permitted use within these districts. In March 2025, the city amended City Code Section 1007 (its zoning ordinance) to provide for cannabis businesses within the specific zoning districts of the city. According to City Planner Katie Larsen, the 14 license types were grouped with similar non- cannabis related businesses. She provided an example of what this looks like within Lino Lakes ordinances. “So right now, cannabis cultivation is equivalent to (an) agricultural
use, which we allow in our rural zoning districts. Retail would be in our commercial districts,” Larsen explained. She added that two of the license categories, microbusiness and mezzobusinesses, allow for cultivation, production and retail sales at different intensities. Both license types have been limited to the city’s industrial district because of the multiple potential uses. SEE ZONING ORDINANCE, PAGE 2
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