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VINTAGE BOAT SHOW: Meet the participants PAGES 13-16
Council approves plans for downtown parking lots, saves 4th tree BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
The two both skied professionally for a while, including at the Tommy Bartlett show in Wisconsin. Carpenter also skied at
The city is expected to open bids and award a construction contract on July 8 for phase 1 of its downtown improvement project. The project, which is expected to cost $1,475,000, will include four parking lots: Lot 1 (Third Street and Banning Avenue), Lot 2 (Fifth Street and Banning Avenue), Lot 3 (Fifth Street and Cook Avenue) and Lot 4 (Fifth Street and Cook Avenue). As a part of the project, the council previously directed city staff to preserve three healthy mature oak trees in Lot 2. Public Works Director/Engineer Paul Kauppi explained that the recommendation of city staff is to remove the fourth tree near the hardware store for several reasons, including the declining health of the tree as well as the potential liability to the city due to significant die-off of the tree canopy and future costs for removal of the tree. Mayor Dan Louismet urged the council “to shift away from the trees” and focus on all the improvements that will be made to downtown as part of the project. “This is a big project, and there are a lot of big improvements that are going to come to the city well beyond just the trees … I want us to shift away from the trees as much as we can. This is a great project, in phase 1 or a phase 2 project, which will improve the whole downtown area,” he said. Kauppi noted all the lighting proposed as part of the project will be LED, and the recommendation is to go with green lighting fixtures with a blend of two light styles that currently exist downtown. Sidewalk improvements will be made to meet ADA requirements. Instead of red concrete with stamping
SEE SKI OTTERS, PAGE 7
SEE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, PAGE 28
UPPER PHOTO BY PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS - LOWER PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
The Midwest Ski Otters will be kicking off their 30th season at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 8 on Little Goose Lake.
Midwest Ski Otters celebrate 30 years BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
Thirty years ago, the Midwest Ski Otters consisted of maybe 13 people. Now, three decades in the making,
like it's been 30 years,” said the team’s founder, Kristi Skillings. Skillings and her brother, Kurt Carpenter, grew up water skiing with the Bald Eagle Ski Team.
the team is nearing its 200th skier. The team’s 30th season will kick off at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 8. “It is a cool anniversary. It's very surreal. It doesn't feel
Historical society finishes outdoor construction, looks inward next What is the best choice when it comes to preserving the armory? This is a question that has weighed on the historical society since it took ownership of the building in late 2022. “Before we acquired the building, we did a thorough investigation. ‘What are we getting into?’” recalled Hanson. The roof’s masonry quickly became top priority. After enduring a century of Minnesota weather, the armory’s brickwork on the front wall was crumbling. Bricks made 100 years ago, of course, are not still being made today. Therefore, the historical society
BY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER
White Bear Lake Armory is listed on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places because it is an example of unique architecture in Minnesota. “They don’t accept things just because they are old,” explained White Bear Lake Area Historical Society Executive Director Sara Hanson. “They want to know that it’s intact and the integrity is there … That’s the difference between historic preservation and hoarding. You have to make good choices.”
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Crews repair the brickwork outside the Armory.
SEE ARMORY, PAGE 19
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