Dear Neighbor,
Congratulations to Carter Wuebkers of Boy Scouts of America Avon Troop 31 for earning Eagle Scout Court of Honor distinction! It was my pleasure to attend his recognition ceremony and present him with a House Resolution commending him for this outstanding achievement. Carter’s Eagle Scout project was to build wood duck houses for the Avon Sportsman Club, a real testament to his appreciation for wildlife and support for local organizations. The number of youth leaders, family and friends who attended the event to support Carter was impressive. I began my presentation by asking him to look out at the crowd and take note of all the people who were there backing him on this day … and who will continue to be there for him as he walks through life. This young man is off to a good start and has an extremely bright future. Congrats again and good luck in all your endeavors, Carter!
LCCMR tour in district
The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources this week had productive stops at St. John’s University and the Pearl Lake Public Access in Rockville as part of the group’s fall tour of site visits. The LCCMR is visiting projects previously funded from the constitutionally dedicated Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). Here is a quick summary of each LCCMR site visit in our district:
- The St. John's visit covered topics of the Avon Hills conservation easements to restore and enhance protected lands; Mississippi River conservation planning and river protection strategies; the use of perennial crops (Kernza, prairie species & alfalfa) to reduce nitrate leaching; and conservation apprentice academy training/mentoring of future conservation professionals.
- The stop in Pearl Lake in Kimball addressed Sentinel Lakes and how they respond to large-scale environmental stressors affecting both water and fisheries management; septic pollution, ground water and the presence of human pharmaceuticals and personal care contaminants that may be found, affecting both water quality and fish; and toxic algae.
The LCCMR is a 17-member group made up of legislators and citizens that makes funding recommendations to the Legislature for projects using funding from the constitutionally dedicated ENRTF. Since 1991, approximately $697 million from the ENRTF has been spent on over 1,700 projects that protect and enhance Minnesota’s environment and natural resources in every county of the state.
State education commish visits Rockville
What an honor for John Clark Elementary School in Rockville to be included as part of Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker’s Back to School Tour. It was nice to see Commissioner Ricker engage our district with this personal visit. She received a tour of the building from a few 5th-grade students. The commissioner also observed the unique way that John Clark Elementary approaches learning as a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports school. One interesting learning method they practice is to have teachers teach lessons to 5th-graders, and then the 5th-graders themselves lead what they call “Family Groups” that consist of students from K-4th-grade.
Local defribillator initiatives
St. Joseph recently dedicated five new outdoor automated external defibrillator SaveStations to help provide quick aid to people suffering from cardiac arrest. The dedication is part of a joint initiative between Mended Hearts, local police agencies, Advocates for Health and other local organizations to educate the public on the use and importance of AEDs. Cold Spring has received a grant from CentraCare for 10 AEDs, but this does not include the SaveStations. Efforts are underway to raise public awareness, looking for ways to identify all AEDs available in an area and how best to communicate that with the public. Here is a link for a story that aired on KARE 11.
House Capital Investment Committee in St. Joseph
The Minnesota House’s Capital Investment Committee recently came to our district as it conducted a tour of northwestern Minnesota to visit sites of proposed bonding projects. During a stop in St. Joseph, the committee received a presentation regarding a Jacob Wetterling Recreation Center/St. Joseph Community Center project as an addition to the former school building purchased by the city. House members also received information regarding phase No. 3 of the ROCORI Trail (spanning Richmond, Cold Spring and Rockville) and Avon transportation improvements. It was a pleasure to join the St. Joseph event and thank you to the House members and local officials who made it a success as project proposals are considered for the 2020 legislative session.
Sincerely,
Lisa