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THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025
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VOL. 22 NO. 13 www.readthecitizen.com $1.00
STRIKE ZONE SPORTS: Opens second facility in Hugo PAGE 11
Good Neighbor: ‘Best neighbor a person could ever have’ BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
A big presence was missing at this year’s Good Neighbor Days, but that didn’t stop the Hugo Lions and community from honoring a man who many knew as their best neighbor: Mike Loken. “Mike was just one of those people that was just an amazing individual,” said Judy Wicklander, who nominated Mike for the honor. “He was the best
neighbor a person could ever have.” Loken, the 2025 Good Neighbor of the Year, passed away Dec. 22, 2024, at age 50, five years after a diagnosis of prostate cancer. He left behind his wife, Nikki, and two children, Ashley, 21, and Zach, 19. Wicklander has lived next to the Lokens since they moved to Hugo’s Diamond Point East neighborhood 13 years ago. She nominated Mike for the Good Neighbor award 10 years ago.
Her letter read, in part, “Mike has shown us what being a ‘good neighbor’ is all about and the importance of friendship in the neighborhood. This unselfish and thoughtful man goes way above and beyond any neighbor we’ve ever had … He is an amazing role model of giving, caring and sharing not just with your family but also your neighbors and your community.”
CONTRIBUTED
Mike Loken is the 2025 Good Neighbor of the Year. He is pictured with his wife, Nikki, and two children, Ashley and Zach.
SEE GOOD NEIGHBOR, PAGE 2
Father Esty highlights teamwork in his 50 years BY TIM MONTGOMERY THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Mud, sweat and grit return for epic challenge The Twin Cities Tough Mudder will return to Wild Wings of Oneka in Hugo Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29. Competitors will test their grit against miles of winding single-track trails, shoe-sucking mud and all the obstacles they can handle. See more information in this week’s calendar of events on page 3.
Father Greg Esty grew up on St. Paul’s east side and entered seminary in the ninth grade at Nazareth Hall in Roseville, a school that educated students from 1923 to 1970 and is now part of the University of Northwestern-St. Paul campus in Roseville and Arden Hills. After college at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, he left for graduate studies in Rome and was ordained a priest by Pope Paul VI on June 29, 1975. In 50 years of ministry, Father Esty has served various parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, including St. Stephen in Anoka, St. Helena in Minneapolis, St. Father Greg Esty Richard in Richfield, and St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Paul Park. In 2012, he accepted the assignment of merging St. John the Baptist in Hugo and St. Genevieve in Centerville. It was a challenging scenario, but not without precedent for Father Esty — he had previously helped guide the merger of three Catholic schools in Richfield. Known as a respected and respectful man with an open heart and a willingness to listen, Father Esty relied on his TEAM outlook — an acronym meaning Together Everyone Accomplishes More — in achieving the successful merger. He is now in his thirteenth year as pastor of St. Genevieve. SEE LONGTIME PASTOR, PAGE 7
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