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Forest Lake Times
New junior hockey team skates to Forest Lake
NAHL’s Mallards to play at Sports Center Junior hockey will return to Forest Lake this fall. The Minnesota Mallards will join the North American Hockey League, a Tier II Junior league that currently has 32 teams in 17 states, and will call Forest Lake home in the coming season. This will be the first junior...
Masquers takes cast ‘Into the Woods’
This weekend Masquers Theatre will take its final weekend of wandering through the woods in its production of “Into the Woods.” The Masquers Theatre board had long sought after the rights to perform the show, and they finally got their opportunity this year. “It’s a hard one to pin down, so that was exciting, and it’s a classic,” board member Sara Brabec said. “Everybody knows it. … Every theater kid wants to do ‘Into the Woods,’ because it’s just a bear of a show that’s...
Forest Lake’s administrator search starts over after Gaa declines role
Council agrees to pursue headhunting approach for role Forest Lake’s city administrator search is back to square one after finalist Joe Gaa pulled his name from his consideration. He was the only finalist to get more than one vote as a top-two choice by the council, and the only finalist the council seriously considered. Interim Administrator Kristina Handt confirmed her choice to not seek the role after the council sought...
Invisible Wounds Project set to open doors soon
After months of reconstructing the former Willowbrook Church location in the Lake Shoppes strip mall, Invisible Wounds Project is set to open its doors to veterans and emergency workers later this month, a long-held dream for founder and executive director Russ Hanes. There is, however, a finishing touch that is yet to be accomplished: hanging a sign to indicate Mike’s Discount Foods hasn’t taken over IWP’s side of the property. “We’re working on it,” joked Invisible Wounds Project founder and executive director Russ Hanes. ...
FL skeet teams takes state title
The Forest Lake skeet team shot its way to a first-place finish and a Class 1A state title on Tuesday, June 25, at the Minneapolis Gun Club in Prior Lake. A group composed of just six individual shooters managed to accomplish a feat that has yet to be done in the history of Forest Lake skeet shooting: winning a state championship title. The Rangers earned the opportunity to compete at the Minnesota Skeet Shooting Championships by performing well enough throughout the season and meeting certain...
Reimagining the school district for the future
This summer we are busy preparing to welcome close to 375 new kindergarten students along with 5200 returning students to our dynamic classrooms and schools. The summer months are busy for staff who are enrolling new students, creating class schedules, deep cleaning school buildings, and preparing instructional lessons. Many teachers attend professional development sessions during the summer and spend time reading the latest research related to what they will be teaching in the fall. In a sense, summer is a transition more than a break. ...
Log cabin project brings Forest Lake grads, former Scandia softball stars back together
Pair of lifelong friends reminisce about the past through project Jim Lindberg and Doniver Ahlm have been friends for over 60 years. As one could imagine, they’ve done a lot together in life, and that includes having their names etched in Scandia softball history during their 10-year span of playing together. Their latest endeavor has...
Hannah Tong named Ms. Softball finalist
Rangers pitcher takes home East Metro Player of the Year honors Forest Lake’s star senior pitcher Hannah Tong had herself a notable final season in a Rangers uniform in 2024, helping command Forest Lake to yet another Class AAAA state title berth, while gathering a 19-6 overall record on the campaign. To further cap off what was a brilliant year for Tong and her Rangers, the Minnesota State University, Mankato...
School board weighs options for future of shrinking student body
Options include drawing new elementary school boundaries, moving sixth grade to middle school, or school closure As student populations shift, the Forest Lake Area School Board is facing tough options to help alleviate the impact of student enrollment decreases across the district. Superintendent Steve Massey pitched a few options during the school board’s workshop on Thursday, June 13: Draw new boundaries within the school district to level out student populations...
Grand marshals represent work of the Legion
Paul and Diane Parenteau to lead annual parade When Paul and Diane Parenteau found out they would be this year’s grand marshals of the Fourth of July celebration, hosted annually by the Forest Lake Legion, they both felt a mixture of excitement and honor. “I’m very proud to be a member [of the Legion], very proud to be asked to be a grand marshal. That’s pretty exciting for us,” Diane...
New Columbus administrator hopes to put residents first
Community Editor Columbus’ new city administrator, Jack Davis, joined the city this year after being a stone’s throw away for almost two decades as East Bethel’s administrator. If East Bethel was facing a problem, he’d call Columbus administration to see how they were handling a similar issue to better understand his plan of attack. “It...
A century celebrating Independence Day
Forest Lake’s American Legion began annual tradition in 1924 A century can bring a lot of changes. Sponsored by Forest Lake’s American Legion, the annual Independence Day celebration has seen more than its share of changes in its 100 years. Not much is known about the very first parade, other than marchers by Forest Lake’s American Legion Post 225 took to walking along a dirt pathway on Highway 61 in...
Fireworks canceled due to expected severe weather
The Forest Lake American Legion, after discussion with the city's Emergency Management team, have canceled the Fourth of July fireworks. The decision came after a roundtable discussion over the expected severe weather tomorrow night and the impact of boaters being out on the lake to watch the fireworks, in addition to the hundreds who watch from Lakeside Memorial Park. "The worst place to be in a storm is on the...
Council continues administrator search with more information gathering on Gaa
Interim city administrator Kristina Handt reaffirms her desire not to pursue permanent role Forest Lake’s city administrator search continues after the city council declined to move forward with the council’s top choice of Joe Gaa after interim city administrator Kristina Handt reaffirmed her desire to not pursue the permanent role. Handt was listed by three council members as either a first or second choice for the role during a special meeting shortly after interviews concluded on Thursday, despite having pulled her application from consideration. ...
Council looks to two candidates for admin. role: Iowa's Joe Gaa and interim admin. Kristina Handt
After a final round of interviews for the city administrator role, two candidates have risen to the top of the pool, one of them is currently in the role. Interim administrator Kristina Handt received one vote from one council member as their top choice, and two votes as a council members’ second choice, making her in top contention despite having pulled her application with the city. The council pushed back their decision until a special council meeting this upcoming Monday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m....
Student attendance plummets after pandemic
District emphasizes priority of in-person learning After a year of distance learning forced by the pandemic, student attendance in the Forest Lake Area School District has plummeted since schools returned to full-time in-person learning, with the middle school seeing biggest drop, and district leadership is seeing a correlation between lowered attendance and testing scores as they ask parents to keep kids in class. By the numbers ...
Grundtner steps down as lake association president
Battling invasive species and expanding the dock highlights longest leadership tenure since association’s inception When Jerry Grundtner retired in 2013, he wanted to do something with his time that would give back to the community. After 25 years as a homeowner on the shores of Forest Lake, Grundtner knew how valuable the lake is to not just the homeowners surrounding it, but the city. So he joined the board of the Forest Lake Lake Association. Three years later, he became vice president of the organization...
Residents celebrate Bone Lake's de-listing from state's impaired water list
The Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District and Bone Lake Association celebrated the de-listing from the state’s impaired water list on Tuesday, June 11. Every two years the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency assesses its impaired water list and considers if any are eligible to be taken off the list. This year, Bone Lake was one of the lakes selected due to the efforts of the Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District, in conjunction with the Bone Lake Association. ...
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Forest Lake Times has been serving Forest Lake, MN since 1902. Published Thursdays by APG of East Central Minnesota with 24/7 local coverage found online at forestlaketimes.com
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