Press Publications PRESORTED 4779 Bloom Avenue STANDARD White Bear Lake, MN 55110 U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 40 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED FOREST LAKE, MN January 2020 Vol. 08 No. 01 THE Lowdown readthelowdown.com | $1 Skijoring fi ghts the winter blues | 16 YEAR IN REVIEW: HOTTER, WETTER: OUT AND ABOUT: LOOK BACK AT 2019 | 14-15 MINNESOTA’S CHANGING CLIMATE | 10 WINTER EVENTS AROUND THE AREA | 8-9 Where Quality Your guide Save the Date Comes First to the Arts & 2020 • Immediate Collision Repair • Rental Cars available Outdoors Scene in 35th Annual Wedding Expo • Free Computerized Estimate • Free Pick Up and Delivery on damage repair Shuttle within 15 miles. Washington County JANUARY 12, 2020 • 11 AM - 2 PM •Loaner Cars available by Appt Best Western Plus 24408 Greenway Ave • Forest Lake MN Sat: 8am-Noon White Bear Country Inn | White Bear Lake 651-464-6477 • www.billsautobodymn.com M-F: 7am-5:30 pm 654509 2 THE LOWDOWN JANUARY 2020 www.presspubs.com TURN THE PAGE 3 11 17 19 PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS About the cover 3 | Olympian on (lake) ice: 17 | Polar explorer: Michelle Kwan graces a nearby outdoor ice rink. Will Steger discusses bearing witness to melting ice. Kevin Murphy, of Lino Lakes, skijors down a trail with his dog, Myta, an Alaskan/ 11 | Grief Travelers: Siberian husky mix. Skijoring, which is essentially a cross between dogsledding In his 2nd book, David Francis shares lessons 19 | Take the plunge: and cross-country skiing, has been steadily gaining popularity in Minnesota learned from the loss of his beloved son, Jon. Forest Lake’s annual Winter Plunge is parks over the last several years. Learn more about the history of this ancient approaching. sport, as well as tips for newcomers, on page 16. CONTRIBUTORS | Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, what is this year’s? “I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new Staff Writer ELIZABETH CALLEN | things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing [email protected] your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more I try! This year, I want to be sure to get outside, if only for a little bit, every day. importantly, you’re doing something.” Neil Gaiman JULIE KINK | Contributing Writer Multimedia Consultant RANDY ROBERTS | [email protected] [email protected] No. I’ll be happy if I can just get all the City Council resolutions No. I’m terrible at committing to them. Takes the pressure off. straight. JACKIE BUSSJAEGER | Contributing Writer Photojournalist/Website Editor PAUL DOLS | [email protected] [email protected] I usually do make a few small resolutions. In 2020, I want to strengthen No dramatic resolutions, but after completing a Strengths Insight my writing and try to publish a short story. Every year, I also resolve to Report I was asked to take earlier this year, I’m striving to continue to read 100 books—so far, I have never made that happen, but I always improve on and nurture positive habits and skills already in play. strive toward it and get some great reading done! The Lowdown Publisher Staff Writer Contributors Photographer/ Photo Editor Production Designer Vol. 08 No. 01 Carter Johnson Elizabeth Callen Jackie Bussjaeger Paul Dols Amanda Stedje COPYRIGHT © 2020 Julie Kink PRESS PUBLICATIONS Marketing Director Advertising Design Manager Material may not be reproduced in whole or Patty Steele Randy Roberts Zac Hoppe part in any form whatsoever. News 651-407-1229 | Advertising 651-407-1200 | Circulation 651-407-1234 | Classifi ed 651-407-1250 | Production 651-407-1239 DISCLAIMER: Paid advertisements appear in Press Publications’ publications, including print and other digital formats. Press Publications does not endorse or evaluate the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement. Advertising does not infl uence editorial decisions or content. Press Publications reserves the right to refuse, reject, or cancel any ad for any reason at any time without liability. JANUARY 2020 THE LOWDOWN 3 www.presspubs.com Olympian on (lake) ice BY DEBRA NEUTKENS ing. So Whiterabbit set up a heated WHITE BEAR EDITOR ice shelter as a warming house. “Ice conditions were really good,” An Olympic fi gure skater graced added Whiterabbit, which was a rea- an outdoor ice rink on White Bear son Kwan and the crew came to his Lake recently, bringing a fi lm crew rink. And yes, it was shoveled; all along to capture the experience. three of his children play hockey and The celebrity skater, Michelle practice on the lake. Kwan, was a surprise guest to Chad The production crew used a drone, and Nicole Whiterabbit of Mahtome- like they did in the LaCroix video, di, who were referred by a friend to to fi lm Kwan, who indicated she the fi lm crew, F3 Visuals. planned to post it on her Instagram F3 is a Minneapolis cinematog- account. They fi lmed in 10-minute raphy company that specializes in intervals from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday, aerial (drone) footage. It is the same Dec. 15. Temperatures were in the company that fi lmed a Mahtomedi single digits, so Kwan took breaks to Kwan came in the house for hot water for tea and posed with the Whiterabbit High School grad, McQuaid Boo, warm up. Whiterabbit said the crew children for a photo: (from left) Lauren, Kwan, Ryan and Colton. skating on crystal clear ice near did it pro bono because they're big Ramsey County beach earlier this fans. month. The video, called LaCroix on Just a day earlier, the celebrity Ice, went viral. Last we checked, it skater was in Des Moines campaign- had 175,000 views. Somehow Kwan ing for Joe Biden. The Des Moines saw it on Instagram and since she Register said Kwan “gave some free was in the area, decided to do her pointers to ice skaters Saturday own version of skating on White morning” in downtown Des Moines Bear Lake. Only she was wearing “before gliding effortlessly into a fi gure skates. pitch” for the former vice president. At least, that's the story told by She joined his presidential campaign Chad Whiterabbit, who got a call as surrogate director, a job she did in from a friend asking if his rink was a similar capacity for former pres- shoveled because Michelle Kwan was idential nominee Hillary Clinton's coming. campaign. Kwan, 39, retired from competi- According to Whiterabbit, Kwan tive skating in 2006. She won two came to the Twin Cities to visit Mar- Olympic medals, a silver in ’98 and a ty Collins, the son of the late Tom bronze in ’02, plus fi ve world champi- Collins, a professional skater who onships. founded the Champions on Ice tour. She was very courteous, Whiter- The elder Collins died at his Edina abbit said, and an incredible skater. home in September. Kwan starred on “You couldn't even hear her edges.” his tour along with former Olympi- The cold temperatures were a little ans Brian Boitano, Nancy Kerrigan edgy, though, and Kwan was freez- and Kristi Yamaguchi. SUBMITTED Michelle Kwan worked with a cinematography company that specializes in aerial footage to fi lm her White Bear Lake experience. The bright light in the sky is a drone. 654762 OFFER OF THE MONTH KENNEDY For more Savings, go to kennedytransmission.com TRANSMISSION Wishing You and Your $ BRAKE & AUTO SERVICE Family Safe Travels Transmission Experts & Total Car Care 100 OFF This Winter Season! Any Rebuilt Automatic Transmission 1079 W Broadway Ave, Forest Lake, MN *Ask stores for details. Offer valid at all Kennedy Transmission, Brake & Auto Service stores. Call for appointment. Coupon cannot (651) 466-2111 be combined with other offers or discounts. Expires 1/31/20. 652576 4 THE LOWDOWN WINGS &www.presspubs.com THINGS JANUARY 2020 Citizen scientists invited to help count bald eagles this January BY JACKIE BUSSJAEGER gage with science themselves. CONTRIBUTING WRITER “A lot of people want to be involved in science and they want to help and The recovery of the bald eagle has they want to do something that’s easy, been one of the greatest conservation that isn’t going to take a lot of time or success stories in American history, money, so this is really simple,” Souza but these majestic raptors aren’t quite said. out of the woods for good. Recent de- Bald eagles are one of Minnesota’s clines in eagle populations have some largest raptors, but there are a few scientists asking where the biggest tricks to identifi cation. Juvenile ea- threats to these birds lie, and they’ve gles don’t show the same clean white turned to the public for help. head and tail feathers as a breeding For the second year, the St. Croix adult. Instead, these birds look mostly River Association (SCRA) has orga- brown, with streaks of patchy white nized a winter bald eagle count. On feathers. Eagles have a very large Jan. 25, St. Croix Valley residents bill, which is often a good way to tell are invited to explore a route of their them apart from red-tailed hawks at choosing within the St. Croix Valley a distance. While fl ying, eagles might watershed, keeping track of the num- resemble a turkey vulture, but if you ber of eagles they see. can’t tell from the turkey vulture’s “We encourage people to plan a featherless head, their wobbly fl ight route where you can drive a little bit pattern may give them away.