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The year 2005 was memorable for many retirements of notable people....and for newcomers on the public scene.

Commissioner Lynn Schultz was sworn-in in January to hold her first elected post as County Board commissioner. Theresa Furman came on to serve at North Branch City Council....Wyoming saw most of its city council change when three incumbents lost re-election and one newly-elected councilman resigned soon after starting his term.

Lindstrom got a new mayor and two new council members. Roger Lindgren took the most votes for mayor when Keith Carlson did not run for the office again and Angelo Rew and Joe Wishy won council seats.

In Stacy, council member Katie Davidson left office in January in the wake of felony charges against her.

January 25 the state Office of Administrative Hearings reviewed a complaint alleging Commissioner Bob Gustafson lied in his campaign information, and three administrative law judges rule the commissioner committed a gross misdemeanor and fine Gustafson $2,000 ruling the information in his campaign ads and mailings was not based on truth.

We learn that North Branch Schools Supt. Robert Stepaniak and Chisago Lakes Schools Supt. Tom Dickhudt will retire at the end of the school year.

Longtime Lindstrom librarian Susan Wilson also announces she’ll retire.

In February the Chisago City-Wyoming Township contested case decision became effective. Chisago City officially has expanded its boundary to include 5,000 acres of former township land. The annexation was ruled to proceed after a series of hearings by the state.

Don Taylor and Larry Parker are seated on the new city council, after a special election in April, the judge overseeing the hearings also orders.

The idea for building a county veterans’ memorial is picking up steam and a committee is selling the pavers to be ready to install in spring at the memorial site.

Another major public project-- Sunrise River Elementary School is being built in North Branch. It opens on schedule in the fall and fills with students immediately.

In March with newly-elected Lynn Schultz as the swing vote the County Board re-votes3-2 on a previous action, with the outcome totally different from before.

Chisago County does not support the sunset of the East Central Solid Waste Commission joint powers. The new vote by three county commissioners is to delete the 2007 sunset date that was in the original contract. In 2004 the commissioners voted 3-2 to let the contract expire.

Lakes Area Officer Tim Tougas is chosen to win the Jim Trudeau Award, for his tireless efforts in law enforcement and his work in youth-related programs outside of his regular duties.

A ban on all terrain vehicles use in North Branch is rescinded by council in March, after much controversy and heated councilroom debates. Later in the year a new ordinance is enacted with fewer restrictions and better wording.

In April former state lawmaker from this area, Loren Jennings, goes to trial for charges stemming from his relationship with a Shafer company given large state grants. Jennings is accused of hiding his financial interests in Northern Pole and is convicted in July of mail fraud and money laundering. His sentencing was pending at the end of 2005.

The landmark natural rock formation the Devil’s Chair topples sometime around April 9, when it is reported as no longer being visible. A reward is offered through the park system foundation to try to apprehend the culprits. Still no developments on the case by the end of the year.

Hundreds of people attend a hearing in Stacy, and stand outside the city hall...the city council had voted to extend zoning authority into Lent Township for two miles. Township residents and city residents had numerous questions and concerns...the authority is eventually rescinded when Stacy learns the township has its own ordinances in place making this move unauthorized.

In May the County Board approves sale of $7 million in bonds to accomplish road projects.

By May the construction of the new Chisago Lakes Joint Sewage Treatment Commission’s plant is halfway done. The plant and additional system improvements are being funded with about a $14 million loan through a state agency.

North Branch School Board Chair Mary Jo Ahlgren tenders her resignation, as she is moving out of the district. From applicants the Board selects Karen Saltis to fill the vacancy.

The hot issue at the county board level is the application for a wildcat sanctuary in the northern part of the county. There are many people attending meetings to protest the permitting of the sanctuary. The commissioners deny the application unanimously.

In June the Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court visits the county government center to spend a day learning about the cutting-edge drug court that is operational and Chief Justice Blatz also commends the courts and support departments for its efforts in this area.

Mid-Summer Days in North Branch welcomes Orv Otterness as parade grand marshal. The North Branch Mid-Summer Days Queen is Sara Swenson.

July is traditionally when the Farm Family of the Year is announced and this year is no exception. We run a profile on Foster and Karen Mooney, of Lent Township, who are honored for their marketing skills as well as their trying new technologies and natural agricultural methods.

Megan Campbell is the Karl Oskar Days Queen. Mike Parker is asked to serve as grand marshal for the parade.

Warren and Carol Sandberg are chosen as the county’s “Outstanding Seniors” for 2005. They compete at the state level for honors statewide.

Lindstrom gets a new postmaster. Rita Aliperto is sworn-in in July.

In August Dean Perry serves as grand marshal for the Ki-Chi-Saga Days in Chisago City.

In August 2005....

The Chisago County Household Hazardous Waste Facility celebrates its fifth year in operation.

All summer long the work goes on through the Highway 8 corridor. Turn lanes are added, center raised medians, new intersection alignments and more are accomplished over the summer work season.

The 2005 Spam Kid Chef of the Year is a Chisago City Lakeside School student Emma Bliven. She created fried Spam nuggets the judges at the state fair loved.

Norma Olson, Wyoming Township’s Clerk for 28-plus years, retires. A small ceremony is held in August and she is presented a clock.

By September the first boats and skiers are out on the only manmade lake in the county, built in Chisago Lake Township North specifically for water ski use. Trophy Lakes lots are being built on adjacent to the lake as part of a waterski community concept.

Area ambulance personnel and others in related fields travel to the Hurricane Region to lend a hand and give emergency responders in Mississippi and Louisiana respite.

The Chisago Lakes Homecoming King and Queen are crowned. They are Tom McCulloch and Sarah Videen.

Lee Turner is sworn-in as new postmaster in Shafer.

North Branch Homecoming Royalty are Blake Anderson and Betsy Hammer.

The use of tax dollars by Commissioner Bob Gustafson is halted after the state auditor releases her findings.

State Auditor Pat Anderson points out that Gustafson broke state laws by not filing affidavits that public officials must file when they are benefitting monetarily from tax funds, and for his voting on a motion allowing county tax money to go to his own company that supervises, schedules and supplies softball leagues. The state auditor also reminds the County Board in her report that any future contracts with any elected officials’ company must be approved unanimously.

In October....

Very heavy rainfall closes a few roads around here and the Rush City School District cancels school for one day due to standing water, flooded structures and difficulty getting around town.

October 29 the North Branch Library opens. It is the first of three community branches built by the county and maintained by local jurisdictions as part of the East Central Regional Library system.

November marks the completion of the new wastewater treatment plant and a tour is given on the site. The plant actually started accepting influent in October.

A North Branch student Eli Meyer dies at age 15. The medical examiner announces a few weeks later the cause is heart abnormalities.

Kirsten Anderson is Taylors Falls Royal Lady of the Village. She is a businesswoman in town and president of the chamber. She joins a prestigious list of royal ladies that have been designated to head the lighting festival events since 1889.

The brand new Stacy Municipal Bar is opened in November.

The Wyoming Town Board of Supervisors receives the study on annexing into Wyoming City at its meeting November 22.

In December....

Santa comes early to Wyoming with a ribbon-cutting and opening day of festivities at the first-ever Wyoming Library. The facility is named in honor of the late Myles Giese, who was active in the community and an avid library supporter.

December 13 the new Chisago Lakes Library is open to the public. The grand opening will be celebrated in January.

The county commissioners do not exercise a right of first refusal on the Green Acres Nursing Home parcel and so closes a chapter of county history with the county getting out of the nursing home business. The buyer will tear down the nursing home to build homesites and the sale price of the parcel goes to Ecumen to finance a new nursing home project.

Wyoming Township and Wyoming City officials vote on a joint orderly annexation agreement, setting in motion the complete blending of the township into Wyoming. A public meeting is set for December 29 so citizens get to hear about the agreement. Meanwhile, Chisago City reports it has been given petitions from landowners who prefer to annex into Chisago City. Wyoming Town Board under the agreement gets to put two supervisors on the new council and Roger Elmore and Ron Swenson are the two selected.

Wyoming city council members haven’t announced yet who’ll be stepping down so Elmore and Swenson can be on the council.

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