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CAREER EXPERTS: Aiming to launch ‘The Next Big Thing’ in January PAGE 22
Sounds of the season: Volunteers kick off Kettle Campaign BY MADELINE DOLBY QUAD COMMUNITY PRESS EDITOR
The sound of a ringing bell and the sight of a red kettle are familiar signs that the holiday season has arrived. Each year, Salvation Army volunteers take to street corners and storefronts to collect donations that support local families in need. “This is something we tend to do every November and December. It’s a great way for us to be out in the community, to be visible. The red kettle is
super iconic, because it’s been around for so long,” said Sophie Crowell, divisional volunteer relations director (Northern Division) for the Salvation Army. She noted that the red kettle is unique to North America, although the Salvation Army is worldwide. The campaign started in San Francisco in 1891 when Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee collected coins in a soup kettle to fund a Christmas dinner for the area’s poor. This year, the Red Kettle Campaign
will last through Christmas Day. There are 260 locations across the north metro that are participating in this year’s campaign. Funds raised during the campaign stay in the local community. Crowell said donations from the campaign goes “under the umbrella of food, shelter and care.” “Whatever someone’s needs are, if they need to visit the food shelf, we’re able to purchase SEE RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN, PAGE 8
FILE
Lions Bob Schug and Brian Teschendorf are among some of the Vadnais Heights Lions who ring bells for the Salvation Army.
Public safety, road improvements behind White Bear Township budget hikes BY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Winterfest returns
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Visitors to downtown White Bear Lake travel by horse-drawn carriage during the first Winterfest installment of the holiday season. A variety of Winterfest festivities, including Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, visits with Santa, Holiday Carolers, White Bear Lake Area Historical Society Festival of Trees, Elf Hunt, Ice Sculptures and the EAT! @ Banning 5th Street Soup Kitchen Benefit, will be returning this coming Saturday, Dec 13.
Later this month, the Town Board is expected to discuss approval of the 2026 property tax levy at $6,647,187 (a 7% increase over 2025) and the general fund budget of $6,878,147(a 2% increase). During the township’s annual budget meeting, Township Finance Officer Tom Kelly initially proposed a general fund increase of 8.29%, or just under $6,960,000. Township residents present at the meeting, however, voted to approve the lower amounts. At the meeting, resident Michael Sachi said, “If I look back from the year 2021 to 2025, I see an approximate median home value increase of 33%. The increase in property taxes in that same period — that’s a little over 58%. I’m concerned that the property tax percentages are going up much more rapidly than the median home value.” Kelly said, “The township did undertake a 10-year road improvement plan seven or eight years ago. From that plan, we went from having no debt levy to [having] . . . a $670,000 debt levy.” Kelly also noted that services from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office will go up by 7% next year. When asked if a contract with the City of White Bear Lake would be less expensive, Kelly responded, “We did look at White Bear a number of years ago. They would’ve been more costly and had less service SEE TOWNSHIP BUDGET, PAGE 28
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