Stalker pleads guilty

Man harassed group of girls in North Branch earlier this year.

A man who stalked a group of girls in North Branch earlier this year has pled guilty to felony aggravated harassment and stalking and will be sentenced in January.
Jeffrey David Holmgren, 37, of Chisago City was charged in May after he followed several young girls, both on foot and in his car, around the city of North Branch.
Holmgren drove past the juvenile girls on numerous occasions, staring at them, making eye contact, and frightening them such that they sought refuge in a crowded fast food restaurant until he was apprehended at a gas station parking lot down the street by North Branch Police.
According to Chisago County Attorney Janet Reiter, the defendant has agreed to a 12-month upward departure from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines for a 30-month sentence. Holmgren will serve the first six months of his five-year probationary period in the Chisago County jail.
A gross misdemeanor charge of harassment was dismissed.
The Honorable Douglas G. Swenson will sentence Holmgren in January 2009.

County plans to demolish bridge

Old Oxbow bridge deemed unsafe.

ISANTI COUNTY – One of Isanti County's landmarks will come down this fall.
The Oxbow Bridge along County Road 14 is no longer safe and will be removed at a cost of $29,477.52. Work will be done by Landwehr Construction.
A new bridge was constructed alongside the old in 1975. The old steel truss structure bridging the Rum River hasn't been used since.
"It's very dangerous and hazardous," Isanti County Highway Engineer Richard Heilman told the Isanti County Board on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008.
The concrete on the bridge deck has since fallen off, and the steel is rusting.
"It's an accident waiting to happen," agreed Isanti County Board Chair George Larson.
It was left standing 35 years ago with the intent of using it for a trail, but there are currently no trails leading up to it on either side. Nor are any planned in the future.
"It would cost a fortune to renovate the thing," said Heilman.
At one time, the bridge was listed on Isanti County's historical register. It was constructed in 1913.
ACTIVE LIVING WORK WILL CONTINUE
The $200,000 Active Living by Design grant Isanti County was awarded three years ago by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has run its course, but work will continue.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has given the county another $40,000. Isanti County Active Living is also applying for a $10,000 grant from the Initiative Foundation.
That $50,000 will pay for making sure the work began in 2005 is sustained, according to Bill Carlson, who has served as the project director.
The Active Living group has partnered with the Cambridge Medical Center, Districts 911 and 314, local cities, other government agencies and various community groups. It has sought to create a healthy community by designing bike and walk-friendly neighborhoods, by improving sidewalk and trail connections, and promoting the benefits of daily exercise.
Major projects have included the Cambridge-Isanti Walk-Bike Trail, Safe Routes to School, and the Rum River Bicycle Classic.
With the additional funds, the group will continue to push cities to modify their ordinances, and work with medical centers and public health departments. This will go outside Isanti County and include neighboring areas such as Chisago, Mille Lacs and Kanabec counties, said Carlson.
BIKE-WALK TRAIL
RLK Consulting will oversee the contruction of the new trail that will link Cambridge and Isanti.
The cost of designing the plans will be $70,000. Phase two, that of on-site inspections during the construction, hasn't yet been approved by the county board but is expected to run slightly under $93,000.
Construction on the long-awaited trail will begin in June 2009.

In Brief
Isanti County will hold its truth-in-taxation hearing on Dec. 4, 2008 at 7 p.m.
The gambling permit for Cambridge-Isanti Hockey at Jumping Jacks was renewed.
Spencer Brook and Stanford Townships will both receive $500 from the county to help pay for their respective township clean-up days. Money comes from the state SCORE grant.
Resignations: Carl Noelting as the Isanti County Snowmobile Trails Coordinator
Hires: Vernon Anderson, Kelly Strock and Addie Dahlquist as part-time jailers; and Angelina Nelson and Monica Oldenberg as part-time assistant food managers

GIVING HEARTS

Over 200 people at Cambridge Medical Center volunteer to make the lives of patients a little easier. And while they're doing that, they're making their own lives better.

Retired recently and now find yourself lonely and bored?
Such was Bob Johnson. But that was two years ago, before he began volunteering at the Cambridge Medical Center.
Now the jigsaw puzzles are back on the shelves, and he's spending three days a week shuffling magazines and serving as general all-around assistant.
"We have a good time," said Johnson.

Georgia Baribeau could be deemed the poster child for the Cambridge Medical Center volunteer program, according to Cambridge Medical Center Volunteer Services Coordinator Linda Lamb. Several years ago she could hardly move around because of her terrible arthritis. She was confined to a scooter, and her spirits were low.
Today, she practically skips down the hospital halls.
"I weeble-wobble, but I don't fall down," she tells folks.

At 24, Nicole Browning is one of the youngest regular volunteers at CMC. She was looking for something to do when she learned she was pregnant. Unemployed at the time, she decided to begin volunteering at the hospital where she planned to give birth.
Three years later, she's still coming in every other week, despite being a mother and a student.
Volunteering steered her to her career: nursing. "I like helping people," said Browning. "It's a really grand thing."

Johnson, Georgia and Browning are three of 207 volunteers with similar stories. By volunteering, they not only give back to the community, but they feel better about themselves.
Research backs this up. Many studies have been done that prove volunteers experience greater life satisfaction, lower levels of depression, less incidence of heart disease, a sense of control over life, and greater longevity, pointed out Lamb.
Studies have shown that volunteering is particularly beneficial to the health of older adults and those serving at least 100 hours annually.
In fact, evidence suggests that the best way to avoid poor health in the future, which could be a barrier to volunteering, is to volunteer, said Lamb.
Lamb has seen how helping others has eased the sharp grief felt by those who have lost spouses or children. It becomes a way for them "to get back into life."
The CMC volunteer program facilitates this by matching people up with jobs that use their talents.
Today's volunteers want to do more than busywork. Thus while some still stuff envelopes, they do it while doing something else, like staffing the greeter desk at one of the entrances.
Other tasks include rolling the Comfort Cart down the patients wings, passing out coffee and newspapers with a smile. Or, others staff the hospital gift shop. Those with an interest in chemical dependency are welcomed into that department; those who love children are encouraged to assist in the daycare attached to the hospital. Some volunteer from the comfort of their own home, fashioning baby hats, burp cloths and blankets for newborns.
Volunteering places people back out in the community who might otherwise be shuttered at home. It gives them the opportunity to meet new people, a perk Bob's wife, Paulette Johnson, enjoys. She considers her fellow volunteers to be family.
There are other benefits, as well.Volunteers receive a complimentary meal in the cafeteria, 20% discount in the gift shop, 25% discount in the eye center, and discount entertainment tickets (movie theater, Valley Fair, Renaissance Festival, State Fair). Various recognition events that include entertainment and a meal occur periodically throughout the year.
The volunteer program works under the umbrella of the hospital auxiliary. The auxiliary has a long history of helping where needed at Cambridge Medical Center. When the facility opened in 1956, members actually sewed the linens for hospital beds. The volunteer department, headed by Lamb, also works closely with the CMC Foundation.
As for Lamb, she loves her job. "I work with positive people," she noted. "I get energy from that. She can arrive feeling tired or grumpy, but those emotions quickly change to joy. "I like what I do. That's probably why I look like I'm having fun."
And for her, it's all about having an impact on the lives of others. "I need to feel like I'm making a difference," said Lamb.
To learn more about volunteering at the Cambridge Medical Center, contact Linda Lamb at 763-689-8408 or email linda.lamb@allina.com.


Benefits of volunteering:
• Better health
• Greater life satisfaction
• Lower levels of depression
• Less incidence of heart disease
• Sense of control over life
• Greater longevity
• Enhancement of one's social network

* Information from studies available at www.nationalservice.gov and www.americorps.gov


Opportunities at CMC:
• Comfort Cart
• Hospital and clinic greeters
• Surgery Family Waiting room attendant
• Crafter's Club
• Riverwood Retirement Village (bingo callers, crafts, play piano)
• Reach Out and Read
• Gift shop clerk
• Rehab therapy
• Someplace Special Child Care
• Chemical dependency
• Magazine distribution
• Special events (Festival of Lights, etc.)
•Adopt-A-Family

Meet the volunteers:
• Paulette Johnson: Mondays and Wednesday she can be found a the clinic entrance greeting patients and answering questions. On Fridays, she staffs the family surgery waiting room. "I thought it would be nice to help people," said P. Johnson. "I was retired and had a lot of time on my hands." She enjoys getting to know her fellow volunteers. "The volunteers are like family," she noted.

• Bob Johnson: After he retired, B. Johnson "was doing jigsaw puzzles and I was sitting at home." When he heard about volunteer opportunities at the medical center, he jumped at the chance to get involved. Now he and his wife are there three times a week. "It's very enjoyable. There's a lot of nice people," said B. Johnson.

• Diane Stahnke: When she retired in 2007, Stahnke admits she panicked a bit. She couldn't envision a future where she was out of the public eye and in the house all the time. "I wanted to meet new people," she explained. Now she greets visitors and helps keep magazine racks stacked. She regularly answers questions such as, "Where do I go to get my blood drawn?" and "Where is radiology?" Working in a hospital is a dream come true for the woman who always wanted to work in the medical field.

• Diane Swenson: She wanted to get out of the house and do something for other people. "I get to talk to so many outstanding people," said 53-year-old Swenson. "I love it." She lost a daughter to lupus four years ago. As she pushes the Comfort Cart through the maternity ward, she encourages the moms to always love their children like this is the last day they're going to see them. "Do it, you'll love it," she exhorts anyone considering becoming a volunteer.

• Nicole Browning: Newly pregnant and unemployed, Browning found herself drawn to Cambridge Medical Center as a volunteer. She volunteered right up to the day before she gave birth in the CMC maternity ward. Then she came back to work, before deciding she was going to return to school and pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. Now she returns to volunteer one day every other week. "I've gotten a lot out of it," said the 24-year-old. "I've really enjoyed it. It's a nice way to get to know people around here." Plus, she feels better by helping others.

Eastlund drafts bill to repeal Green Acres changes

Other local legislators support modifying the new law once the session resumes in January.

If he can, Representative Rob Eastlund will repeal the changes made to the Green Acres bill in 2008.
He has already drafted a bill that would do so and intends to submit it once the 2009 session begins.
"We're hoping to generate enough concern about this so that when we get to the Legislature next January we can make some changes," said Eastlund during a community forum on the issue Oct. 1, 2008 at Anoka-Ramsey Community College – Cambridge Campus. Hundreds from Isanti County, as well as neighboring areas, attended the forum to register their concern about the issue.
Eastlund believes there is a pretty good chance that the repeal effort will succeed. He pointed out that there are 32 counties in the state affected by these changes. Eighty-four representatives and 42 senators represent these areas in the Legislature.
That's a majority in both houses.
"It's our intent to squash the bill, but there is no guarantee in the Legislature," admitted Eastlund.
He was joined at the forum by Senator Rick Olseen and Representative Sondra Erickson, both of whom support changes to the Green Acres bill.
If the repeal doesn't work, plan B is to make changes to the new law.
The most contentious item is the way grandfathering is being handled. Olseen, Eastlund and Erickson stated that when they read "grandfather" in the bill approved in May 2008, they assumed it meant there would be no changes to anyone currently in the program.
Thom Peterson of the Minnesota Farmer's Union pointed out his group urged the Legislature last spring to form a task force before making changes to the Green Acres law. This was never done, but instead the bill went directly from a committee to law. It was included in the 250-page tax omnibus bill passed on the last day.
Senator Olseen admitted that the way this issue was pushed through was a mistake. "I feel like I was snookered," he said. When the bill was explained on the senate floor, there was no mention of the seven-year payback. "This bill goes against everything we all stand for," he stated. "I don't think this was a good decision, and I apologize for that."
Eastlund agreed. "I really think there was a breakdown in the legislative process here." The legislators present vowed to be sure that this time around, farmers have a chance to make their voices heard during committee hearings.
Towards that end, Eastlund encouraged people to write down their stories, and either email them or mail them to legislators.
"We need to get the message out to everybody," said Eastlund.
What should farmers do now?
"Don't panic," Jeremy Geske of the Minnesota Farm Bureau tells callers to his office. "We've got the legislative session to fix it."
From his point of view, one of the biggest issues with the modified law is that is doesn't provide a way for landowners to transfer their land to the next generation without pulling property from the Green Acres program.
Eastlund had this advice for farmers. Consider what you will be doing with your land over the next five years. If you may sell a portion or parcel off for a child, you will likely want to notify your assessor's office that you may pull it out of the program.
Landowners in Isanti County, along with others, have been sent letters from the assessors' offices asking people whether their intent is to stay in the program or not. Farmers are urged to end the letter back so they can begin planning. However, no one is bound to the decision they make prior to Jan. 2. Each landowner will have until next summer to make a final decision under the new law. And that law may be repealed or changed in the interim.

TIMELINE FOR FARMERS
NOW - Farmers are receiving letters from their county assessor asking whether or not they intend to remain in the program.
JAN. 2, 2009 – Farmers must state their intent to withdraw or remain in the program. This is non-binding.
SUMMER 2009 – Farmers will be given the tax impact of withdrawing from the program to make a final decision.
NOV. 15, 2009 – Any deferred taxes are due.

CHANGES TO GREEN ACRES
• Productive and non-productive land will be separated and treated differently. Productive land includes: anything tilled or pastured, what's mowed for hay, and land that is fallowed. Non-productive includes: sloughs, wetlands, meadows and woods.
• A new classification was created: Rural vacant land. That land will no longer be allowed in the Green Acres program. At present, the land will be valued at the same rate as farmland, however.
• Land in the program is grandfathered in with two provisions. 1) When land classified as rural vacant land is removed from the program it will be subject to a seven-year payback (compared to the old three-year payback). 2) In the future, landowners will no longer be allowed to withdraw small tracts of land, but must instead do all or none. When withdrawn, the land is subject to a seven-year payback.
• Landowners may withdraw some or all of their land from the program by next summer and pay only the three-year payback included under the old law.

Why were changes made to the Green Acres program?

The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) studied the Green Acres program and released a report on its finding in February 2008.
It discovered several flaws.
GREEN ACRES REDUCES TAX BURDEN FOR FARMERS, THEN SHIFTS TAXES TO OTHERS
According to Jody Hauer of the OLA, the Green Acres program does reduce taxes for many farmers. It does this by reducing the value of the land for taxation purposes. Rather than value the land at the highest and best use, the land is merely valued at what it is worth as a farm.
Land in Chisago, Isanti, Sherburne and Wright Counties is typically valued at an average of $6,500 an acre. Under the Green Acres program, farmland is being taxed at $1,900 per acre – more than three times less.
Across the state, $35 million in taxes is being deferred or reduced, according to Steve Heinze, a non-partisan member of the House Research Department.
While farmers are paying less, this does not mean that the amount of taxes coming in from a county is less overall. Instead, non-farmers are picking up a larger share of the tax burden, pointed out Representative Rob Eastlund, who is himself a farmer.
GREEN ACRES DOES NOT EFFECTIVELY PRESERVE FARMLAND
The OLA found that the program was not saving farmland in the lon term.
"Although the program reduces the tax burden for eligible owners, we concluded it does not effectively preserve farmland beyond the short term," said Hauer.
Part of that is because the three-year payback that has always been in the program is relatively short. Even when they pay back the penalty for taking land out, landowners often come out ahead by selling the land for development.
Also factoring into the equation is that landowners are not asked to commit to the program long term.
The OLA also concluded, "Green Acres' effectiveness at land preservation is limited because the program is not targeted to high-quality land or to land that is at risk of soon being developed."
LANDOWNERS ACROSS THE STATE ARE NOT BEING TREATED EQUALLY
Additionally, the program is not being applied the same throughout the state. While land in one county may be eligible, it is not in another area.
The old law was also unclear about what types of landowners and land could benefit. Some in the program were investors who owned the land but were not farmers. This included a large parcel near the Mall of America and another near the outlet center along Interstate 94.
The value of land for recreation and hunting also factored in.
The OLA questioned the practice of allowing non-productive land to be included within the Green Acres program.
Consequently, the OLA recommended that the Legislature clarify in statute who and what types of land should benefit from the Green Acres program, said Hauer.
For the full report, browse www.auditor.leg.state.mn/ped/2008/greenacres.htm.

Isanti dedicates mural

Isanti officially dedicated the new mural on the side of the Family Pathways building along Main Street on Friday, Sept. 26, 2008.
The dedication was part of a picnic attended by over 100 downtown businesses and city representatives.
Mural artists included Walter Horcher and Lisa Marie.
The mural depicts what Main Street Isanti looked like in the early 1900s, based on a black-and-white photograph. Horcher was commissioned by the Isanti Revitalization Committee to paint a rendition of that photograph as a mural. Before designing the project, he studied many photos of downtown Isanti and has consulted with committee members in order to capture the look and feel of the 1900s, using shades of brown.
The event on Sept. 26 also commemorated the new flower pots, benches and banners hanging downtown. They are part of a ongoing effort to beautify the area, which is organized by the Downtown Isanti Committee.

TO A POINT: It's no surprise 'I Remember Mama' sells out four shows

In these times of foreboding financial headlines, it's nice to hear a heartwarming story of families pulling together.
Such was the case when I watched ABC Theater's production of "I Remember Mama." The show ran two weekends (Sept. 20 and 21, 27 and 28) in Cambridge and sold out all four performances. Wow. I think it's a testament to our hunger for good stories that make us laugh and bring us to tears, and then make us laugh again.
The play centers around one Norwegian family living in San Francisco, Calif. in 1910 -- but it could just as easily have been set in Cambridge or Isanti. The Norwegian accent is easily recognizable to us Minnesotans. Uff da. The story follows Mama (played by Dawn Holmquist) and Papa (played by Jon Nystrom) as they struggle through life with little money, yet somehow manage to make sure their four children always have what they need – and a little more. They all sit down at the kitchen table and pay their bills together. What an important lesson in this time of financial crisis. Mama and Papa show their children how to spend only what they have and put what's left away for an emergency. And someday, Mama might get that nice winter coat she's been saving for.
"I Remember Mama" follows the family through good times and bad. There's the time the littlest girl Dagmar (played by Emily McLean and Sara Snell) gets sick and has to be hospitalized. There's the time the kitten miraculously recovers – despite having been put down for the night in a bed of chloroform. It's a miracle! An old maid, Aunt Trina (played by Sherry Pearce), finds happiness and love. Eldest daughter Katrin (played by Bethany Holmquist) strives to become a writer, and encounters frustration and disappointment along the way to achieving her dream. Christine (played by Rachel Fager) is the envious sister, who makes sure Katrin knows how her behavior is affecting the rest of the family. And Nels, the oldest boy, (played by Seth Holmquist) is a steady rock when his mother needs him.
Extended family bring conflict and humor to the tale. Scott Walburg plays a foreboding and loud Uncle Chris, who scares the aunts on purpose but never means to frighten the children. Aunt Jenny (played by Elizabeth Healy) is always into everyone's business and feels free to give her two cents at every opportunity. And aunt Sigrid (played by Joyce Greenberg) always complains.
Chuck Pearce plays the dramatic Mr. Hyde, the boarder who entertains by reading the family books at night. Others rounding out the cast include Debra Snell as a woman, Rick Holmqust as Mr. Thorkelson, Tom Walker as Dr. Johnson, a soda clerk and bell-boy, Cheryl Hubacher as a nurse, Millie Healy as a nurse, Rebekah Fager as Dorothy Schiller, and Kathy McCully and Janet Bostrom sharing the role of Florence Dana Moorhead.
The show was directed by Dawn Holmquist with help from Sherry Pearce (assistant director) and Joyce Greenberg (director's assistant). Seamstress Diane Hallin and set builder Jon Nystrom helped transform the community room of the Isanti County Historical Society Heritage Center into a theater. Stage manager was Luke Snell. All things technical were overseen by Lenny Greenberg, and Harriet Anderson served as drama consultant.
Congrats to all of you on a job well done!
Look for more shows coming in the future from the ABC Theater Company. "Our goal," according to Dawn Holmquist, "is to produce plays that provide opportunities for inter-generational involvement and family participation."