Your Hometown News!

Inside . . .
The Maple Lake •‘Common Cents’ meetings page 2

Messenger
•W-H to return capital credits page 3
•Christmas donations sought page 4
•Irish teams record wins pages 8-9

Established 1895
• Christmas shopping for kids! page 6 single copy 75¢
Volume 116, Number 10 Wednesday, December 8, 2010 Maple Lake, MN 55358

Man dies seven

months after bar
fight in St. Michael
A man punched once in a bar
fight in St. Michael seven months
ago has died.
According to a report in the
StarTribune, Adam Baker, 32, of
Ohio, was punched outside the
Corner Bar in St. Michael on May
2 by Alexander Tuomisto, 24, who
lived above the bar. A witness told
police that Baker’s head struck
concrete after Tuomisto punched
him once in the jaw. Baker, origi-
nally from Stillwater, had been in a
coma for the past seven months
and had been moved two weeks
ago from North Memorial Medical
Center in Robbinsdale to hospice
care.
Tuomisto had originally been
charged with first degree assault.
On Friday, the Wright County
Attorney’s Office also charged him
with second-degree unintentional
murder. A trial has been set for
Feb. 7, 2011.
Don Scherbing of Monticello (at right) was on hand to help Shriner David Hill of Wayzata unload a
December DWI plane full of toys and a life-size Scooby Doo flown by Hill to the Maple Lake Airport during Saturday’s
crackdown starts Tree of Hope effort.
If Minnesota motorists drive
impaired in December, they will
likely have themselves a merry lit-
tle time in jail. Around 400 city
Tree of Hope takes flight
and county law enforcement agen-
cies will partner with the Minneso-
ta State Patrol to conduct a
at Maple Lake Airport Mitch Wurm gets
statewide DWI enforcement crack- tion for the southern part of Min- sional pilots, military pilots or fly
1,000th point
by Theresa Andrus
down throughout the month of Maple Lake was at the center of nesota was located first at Bemidji private planes for their own enjoy-
December. a big effort on December 4 to get and then at the airport in Faribault. ment. Member Elaine Morrow and
The Minnesota Department of toys to hospitals for young patients When the hosting organization in her husband, Glen, live in Delano
Public Safety (DPS) Office of Traf- at Christmas. Faribault could no longer provide but have a hangar at the Maple Maple Lake High School senior Mitch Wurm joined an
fic Safety is coordinating the cam- For the first time, the Maple enough volunteers for the effort, Lake Airport. Elaine was working exclusive club on Dec. 2 when he scored his 1,000th career
paign supported by $350,000 in Lake Municipal Airport served as the Minnesota Chapter of the to guide the effort in Maple Lake, point for the Irish in the home opener. Wurm hit the mile-
federal funds — translating to the Tree of Hope hub for the Ninety-Nines worked with the the 20th Tree of Hope effort. stone with about a minute to go when he sank a freethrow
7,000 extra hours of enforcement. southern Minnesota area as avia- Zuhrah Flyers of the Shriners of “Toys for Tots and other groups
A similar campaign in Decem- tors and Shriners worked to fill a Central Minnesota to bring the that collect toys at Christmas don’t in the Irish win over Norwood-Young America. He needed
ber 2009 resulted in nearly 2,600 need during the holiday season. effort to Maple Lake. Also helping give to kids at hospitals,” she said. 28 points to hit the 1,000 mark and ended the game with 29
DWI arrests. Since 1990, Tree of Hope has out on Saturday were members of “This was an area with a need and points. Wurm also grabbed his 500th rebound in the same
The enforcement effort is aimed collected toys which are distrib- the local chapter of the Experien- the aviation groups responded.” game. Past 1,000-point scorers in Irish boys’ and girls’ bas-
to address a potentially deadly uted by the aviation community tial Aircraft Association (EAA) On Saturday, volunteers set up ketball are Chris Paumen, Keith Landreville, Vicki Klemz,
period on the roads during the holi- and the Shriners to brighten the 878. space in the Wright Aero hangar
day celebration season. In Min- hospital stays of children during The Ninety-Nines is an organi- for the sorting and packaging of Mandy Wurm and Molly Schaufler. A story and photos from
nesota during the month of Decem- the Christmas season. zation of female airplane pilots toys delivered by planes, cars and the Dec. 2 game appear on page 8.
ber, 2007–2009, alcohol-related In the past, the airport collec- around the world who are profes- -continued on page 7
crashes accounted for 34 traffic
deaths. During this same period,
8,503 motorists were arrested for
DWI.
“We want to keep Minnesota
County completes recount, End is near for Wright County
solid waste surcharge
friends and families safe during the
holidays, and that’s why these extra
patrols will be on the road,” said
just three votes change by John Holler
For 15 years, Wright County
statements.
“There are just two years left on
Col. Mark Dunaski, chief of the by John Holler “Knowing the logistics of what we When the recount was completed taxpayers have had to shoulder the the bond,” Assistant County Attor-
Minnesota State Patrol. “Put a des- For the second time in two years, needed to do made things go much Dec. 1, of the 48,199 votes cast in brunt of paying off the county’s ill- ney Brian Asleson said. “The fig-
ignated driver on your holiday the Wright County Auditor/Treasur- smoother this time around. The sec- Wright County, the differences were fated compost facility. In an ure arrived at for the charge per
wish-list to avoid the harsh conse- er’s office was abuzz with vote ond thing that made the process go incredibly minimal. After a hand attempt to be green before green household was slightly more than
quences of a DWI.” recounts. In 2008, the senatorial better this time was the process by recount of all the votes, Dayton’s was cool, Wright County looked to $25. It has been near that level for
Dunaski said now is the time to election between Al Franken and which absentee ballots were counted. voting total went up by two and be at the forefront of the waste several years and we will likely be
plan for a safe and sober ride and Norm Coleman required months of In 2008, we didn’t have any of these Emmer’s dropped by one. Of the management business. In the end, looking at a similar figure next
to continue that habit in the New recounting and contentious bantering processes to use as a guide. Having ballots reviewed, only 11 were chal- the experiment was a dismal fail- year, which will be the last of the
Year. He said that in addition to back and forth. The state’s guberna- that experience made things much lenged – 10 by the Emmer camp and ure and county residents have been surcharge fees.”
designated drivers and using a cab, torial election between Mark Dayton easier.” one by the Dayton camp. footing the tab ever since. When the surcharge was first
families should let each other know and Tom Emmer is not only much One of the reasons why things “When you consider how many The good news for taxpayers initiated in 1995, it was set at $41.
that they will be available to offer less of a sticking point, but things went so smoothly was there wasn’t votes were cast, to have just three weary of paying the solid waste For the first six years of the sur-
a safe ride home. went markedly faster and smoother much for either the Dayton or votes different from the machine surcharge, is that their clock is run- charge being assessed, the rate was
In Minnesota, one in seven driv- this time around, as the county bal- Emmer camps to argue. Dayton held count was truly amazing,” Hiivala ning out. At the Nov. 30 meeting between $40-42. Starting in 2001,
ers has a DWI on record, and each lots were counted Nov. 29-Dec. 1. a lead of more than 8,000 votes fol- said. “The voters of Wright County of the Wright County Board, the the figure dropped consistently
year more than 30,000 motorists “The experience from two years lowing election night last month – a did a tremendous job of making their commissioners approved a $25 ($35, $34, $34, $32, $28, $24 and
are arrested for DWI. Conse- ago made the process a lot easier this lead that he has maintained through intentions reflected on the ballot. surcharge – what they hope will be a low of $22 in 2007). For the last
quences for a DWI include loss of time around,” Wright County Audi- the recount process. The difference There were so few changes that the second-to-last time the sur- three years, the surcharge has
license for up to a year, up to tor/Treasurer Bob Hiivala said. in Wright County? Three votes. -continued on page 3 charge will end up on property tax -continued on page 3
$20,000 in legal costs and height-
ened insurance rates, and possible
jail time.
Each year, alcohol-related crash-
es account for more than 140 traf-
Snow doesn’t
fic deaths and nearly 400 serious
injuries. These crashes and fatali-
ties have been declining in recent
years, and DPS officials say
slow Christmas
enhanced DWI enforcement cam-
-continued on page 3 in Maple Lake
Chamber to host A day of snow on Friday didn’t stop a crowd of 173
children and their families from gathering at the VFW
Holiday in Lights on Saturday for the Christmas in Maple Lake festivities
The Maple Lake Chamber of hosted by the Maple Lake Chamber of Commerce.
Commerce will once again be At left: A big crowd followed Mrs. Claus in greeting
sponsoring the annual Holiday in Santa as he arrived on a truck provided by the Maple
Lights contest. Lake Fire Department.
Holiday in Lights honors the Winners of prizes provided by the Maple Lake
best residential light displays each Chamber of Commerce were Canyon Karvonen and
year. The top prize is Chamber of
Bailey Fieldseth, ages 1-3; Colton Ellingson and Brook-
Commerce Business Bucks of $100
for first place. Business Buck lyn Elsenpeter, ages 4-6; Andrew Morton and Mikayla
prizes of $75 for second place and Koss, ages 7-12; and Kalli Hennen won a portable
$50 for third will be provided by DVD player.
the Maple Lake Messenger. Judges Chairperson Cathy Elfstrand said she was excited to
will conduct a tour of homes in the see so many children and families at the event and it
City of Maple Lake on the evening was fun to have a big crowd on hand to greet Santa as
of Monday, Dec. 13, between the he arrived. She also thanked the long list of Chamber
hours of 6 to 8 p.m. For more members who provided donations. More photos from
information, call Kathy Hennen at Christmas in Maple Lake appear on page 3.
Maple Lake Lumber, 963-3612.