30 years ago

WASHINGTON COUNTY BULLETIN

March 3,1993

Hosting an all you can eat pancake breakfast on March 7 some 30 years ago was VFW Post 4450 of St. Paul Park. The Sunday event was to be held from 8 a.m .to noon, with the public invited.

Potentially heading out into nature meanwhile, was District 833. Staff writer Judy Spooner reported that the Newport City Council had been open to having an undeveloped 80-acre parcel donated by Gordon Bailey Sr. be designated as a forest for use by ISD 833. Donated to Newport after the site had been passed over for the Minnesota Zoo, a light development plan to include walking trails, but no roads.

Expanding on the idea, Newport resident Mike Phillips made known that the DNR had a program for such woods to be “wallless classrooms,” with some 78 school forests being established as such since 1949, when the program had come into being. The forest would add greatly to the district’s nature sites, as it then had use of some seven acres in back of Crestview along with parts of Ojibway Park in Woodbury, but nothing the size of Bailey Park.

Closing out the update from 1993, VFW Post 8752 on Point Douglas Road was holding an all you could eat fish fry on Friday, March 5. Cost for the meal was $5.50 for adults generally and $5 for seniors, with children ages 7 to 12 enjoying fish for $4 and those under seven for free.

40 years ago

WASHINGTON COUNTY BULLETIN

February 24, 1983

Considering whether to go on the record against the arms race some 40 years back was the Washington County Board, per staff writer John Thompson.

More specifically, the body was due to consider March 8 whether to call for “a mutual U.S.-Soviet nuclear weapons freeze.” Among those in favor was Pastor William Chadwick of First Presbyterian in Stillwater, who urged the board to endorse such a resolution, Chadwick representing the St. Croix Valley Ministerial Association.

In a world gone MADD for Mutually Assured Destruction, putting a freeze on nuclear weapons was considered by Pastor Chadwick and others to be one way to improve both national and international security, as well as being more fiscally responsible.

“Dollars that go into missiles are dollars that cannot go into roads, maintenance, fire and protection, recreational facilities, and the like,” the ministerial association declared. Of the 20 members of the voluntary association, only one had abstained from voicing an opinion and none were opposed to the proposed resolution, to be put before the Washington County Board.

Against spraying gypsy moths in Woodbury with dangerous teratogens, meanwhile, was a group calling itself Citizens for a Better Environment. Stating that exposure to carbaryl as used to combat the moth infestation had been linked to “birth defects, neurologic effects, and increased susceptibility to viral infections,” the group with staff chemist and toxicologist Dr. Robert Ginsburg said that were better, equally effective and less disruptive ways to do the job. The group specifically recommended Bt or Bacillus thuringiensis along with mass trapping to get the gypsy moth population under control.

As to well water from 1983, Washington County was due to increase its monitoring of wells near the Lake Jane Landfill in Lake Elmo, staff writer Thompson made known.

Approving a request from the Planning Commission in February, the plan was to test additional wells, specifically in reference to detection of trichloroethylene, with reassurances that no new wells would have to be dug out, the landfill itself being closed in 1975. Monitoring would determine the vertical and horizontal extent of contamination in groundwater, with monitoring every two weeks to continue for two months. Monitoring wells were located from one-quarter mile to one-half mile from the landfill site.

50 years ago

WASHINGTON COUNTY BULLETIN

February 22, 1973

Coming in for rejection or postponement by the Cottage Grove Planning and Zoning Committee subdivision from 1973, was a proposed development some 370 two and three bedroom townhouses, on 50 acres. Commission members were reportedly uneasy about density and lack of recreation or open space in the plan, calling for a public hearing March 29.

Over in Woodbury, meanwhile, a proposed shopping center for Upper Afton Road had come away with a recommendation to deny by that city’s Plan Commission. The proposed shopping center was on land zoned B1 in municipal ordinance.

Back in Cottage Grove from Feb. 15, meanwhile, Barb Hunter reported that the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission had just rejected a proposed 100-acre multi-use park for Camel’s Hump. The 6 - 2 decision by the Commission came after member Richard Carlson had toured the property with several landowners who were also proponents of the park. So why not Camel’s Hump?

“Road access would be difficult and expensive to build,” Carlson said in a report on the idea for a park on Point Douglas Road north of 80th Street.

Farming and rural life…

120 years ago

WASHINGTON COUNTY JOURNAL

“Independent and Impartial”

March 6,1903

John Sampson and William Engdahl, who reside near Otisville, were taken in charge by Roland Barnes, captain of the police force at the northern city limits late Tuesday night. A telephone message was received from Marine early in the evening stating that both men had passed through and that both of them were apparently afflicted with smallpox.  Not being desirous of having small pox patients in the heart of the city, Capt. Barnes met the men at the railroad bridge in Schulenberg’s addition and escorted them to the pest house,* where an examination Wednesday morning proved conclusively that the men had small pox. They had gone to Osceola early Tuesday morning and the authorities there politely invited them to recross the river. They had been employed in a logging camp near Frederick, Minn. during the winter and contracted the disease there.

*for quarantine

Territorial Dispatch…

168 years ago

SAINT CROIX UNION

Published at Stillwater.

March 6, 1855

Several of our citizens have been occupied during the last two weeks getting out ice for summer use. They get the purest and best ice we have ever had the pleasure of seeing.

Trip up the St Croix.

Before reaching Marine (Mills) we entered a forest of trees much larger than those found in the openings. White oak and poplar abounded spontaneously, and at a size suitable for all practicable purposes. Free, tall timber appeared, and very heavy.

Developments in Crimea

Gen. Canrobert reports the deaths of Capt. S. Donbar and Caspaldan during the sorties of the Russians on the 9th and 14th.

The Russians are constantly making sorties.

Sir Charles (Napier) in a long speech defended himself and bitterly attacked the administration.

Holland and Denmark are seeking to join the Western Alliance.

The feeling at Constantinople is strongest in favor of peace.

The Russians are in want of supplies.