Press Publications 4779 Bloom Avenue White Bear Lake, MN 55110 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 9 CIRCLE PINES, MN
Accepting new patients! 2300 Hwy 96, WBL 651-429-5354
Lundfamilydentistry.com
837971
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 VOL. 130 NO. 50 www.whitebearpress.com $1.00
2025 VOTERS’ GUIDE: Meet local candidates running for mayor, council PAGES 16-17
City’s Code Red system gets test BY LORETTA HARDING CONTRIBUTING WRITER
offers studio recording sessions with state-ofthe-art audio engineering equipment. Manitou Fund representative Heather Din stated that, though MMC is in White Bear Lake, it aims to
The discussion at the recent Mahtomedi City Council meeting about the city’s Code Red system just days before an emergency event occurred in Mahtomedi was timely. Following a discussion about whether the city had fulfilled its duty in notifying the public about a predatory offender moving into Dellwood, Mayor Richard Brainerd wondered what resources the city had available to quickly raise awareness throughout the city in the event of an emergency. “What are the best ways for us to let our residents know about a gas leak, for example? We need to sort that out as a council, so that we’re all aware of what we have available to us,” he said. Brainerd also suggested the city could collaborate with the school district to get the word out should a citywide emergency, such as terrorist attack or another catastrophe, be imminent. As heavy rains fell and loud lightning strikes startled residents during the evening of Sept. 19, a test of the city’s emergency communication system was underway in real time. Residents throughout the city received a Code Red voice message on their land
SEE CENTER, PAGE 8
SEE CODE RED, PAGE 7
LAUREN GRYNIEWSKI | CONTRIBUTED
Manitou Fund representatives say the McNeely Music Center is finally ready for its public debut.
McNeely Music Center charts opening BY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Music for the people— this is the vision Manitou Fund representatives Greg McNeely and Oliver Din had when building the McNeely Music Center in the White Bear
Lake Arts District. “We’re going to try to do everything we can to pass on our love of music to other people,” said McNeely. “Any time music touches you, something good happens.” The McNeely Music
Center, or MMC for short, provides private and group music lessons, both vocal and instrumental, from elementary through adulthood. The center will also host masterclasses, clinics and workshops. Additionally, MMC
White Bear Lake classmates reconnect in remarkable act of kindness BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
Lucy Peltier, 70, has never had an alcoholic beverage or smoked a cigarette. She was a dancer for many years and has made it a point to stay extremely fit throughout her life. “In a million years, I never thought it would be me,” she said. Peltier, who just so happens to be Miss White Bear Lake of 1973, found out her kidneys were failing — quite by accident. She had gone in for an ultrasound for a possible blood clot. Subsequent testing Lucy Peltier revealed that her adrenal gland was not
working, and a benign tumor was found between her adrenal gland and her kidney. After the tumor was removed, her kidney function started to improve, but only temporarily. “We thought that my kidney would kick into gear (after that), but that wasn’t the case. The damage was already done,” Peltier’s kidney function was at 16%, which is 1 percentage point above end-stage renal disease. She was given two choices: dialysis or a transplant. Peltier knew she didn’t want to undergo dialysis, because she watched her mother go through it. Her mother passed away just shy of 60 years old due to diabetes and kidney issues. “I watched her deteriorate,
2024
WINNER Best of the Press
and I was afraid of that,” she explained. Peltier decided she wanted to go the transplant route and doctors warned her it could be a lengthy process. Twenty-two people applied to go through testing to see if they were a match to give her a kidney. Person after person was ruled out. In August 2023, the White Bear Lake High School Class of 1973 celebrated their 50th reunion, but Peltier wasn’t able to go. She wrote to her classmates on the class website that she wouldn’t be able to attend and shared an update on her health. One of her classmates, who wishes not to be named, SEE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSMATES, PAGE 9
2nd month
NORTH STAR
FREE
MINI STORAGE
for non-drive-up units
on 180 sq ft or less, new customers only at the Vadnais Heights and Shoreview location.
VADNAIS HEIGHTS • SHOREVIEW
Gate Access (Daily):7:00 am - 10:00 pm
CIRCULATION 651-407-1234 circ@presspubs.com
NEWS 651-407-1230 whitebearnews@presspubs.com
ADVERTISING 651-407-1200 marketing@presspubs.com
CLASSIFIED 651-407-1250 classified@presspubs.com
NORTH STAR 824217
3880 Labore Road, Vadnais Heights (651) 771-3880 | 483 W. County Rd E, Shoreview (651) 483-1100 www.northstarministorage.com
MINI STORAGE
PRODUCTION 651-407-1239 art@presspubs.com