Odds and ends wrapped up at regular meeting as district awaits voting
As the Chisago Lakes School Board was anticipating the levy and bond questions coming up Tuesday, November 7, they had a light regular school board meeting on Thursday, October 26.
Step behind the magical curtain
I get asked fairly often about this food column and the origins of it. Obviously I took it over from Alice Nelson, who did a fantastic job with it for decades, but she had decided a few years ago that it was time to retire, so I stepped in. At first it was going to be temporary, but then it turned it to permanently.
Vikes chop down Lumberjacks, two wins from state
From the opening kick off until they sat the starters to rest them, the North Branch football squad absolutely squashed Cloquet on Wednesday, October 18 at Cloquet’s brand new field and wrapped up the top seed in Section 7AAAA and a first round bye that goes with it.
More ghoulish recipes for Halloween
Last week, we tackled a lot of fun Halloween sweets, which are some of my favorites!
Vikings smash Greyhounds, lock up first round bye in sections
Although football games aren’t played on paper, it was pretty evident heading into North Branch’s home game against Duluth East on Friday, October 13 what the end result was going to be.
Halloween treats for more than kids
It’s about time for Spooky Season! Halloween is just a few weeks away, and the ghostly parties are starting up! So that means it’s time to dust off your favorite costume and bring out your best recipes for the gatherings!
STMA Fall Classic a tough test for North Branch
North Branch and Monticello remained on a collision course for a Mississippi 8 Conference championship clash next week when they both won their last two M8C games.
Vikings ground Thunderhawks down, win fifth in a row
There was a slugfest on Friday, October 6 at North Brand Stadium, but like they have most times this year, the Vikings remained standing when they beat back a tough challenge from Grand Rapids, winning 28-21 over the Thunderhawks.
2023 Chisago Lakes Referendum at a glance
The Chisago Lakes School District is asking two referendum questions this year, and there’s been plenty of queries swirling around what will be done with the money if either one passes.
Soup is a cozy hug
It’s soup season! Slow cookers, fast boils and everything in between, it’s time to start wafting in the aromas of a good, healthy (sometimes not so healthy) soup for the soul!
CL Schools preliminary levies approved; ticket processing fees being eliminated
During the first regular school board meeting of the school year on Thursday, September 28, Director of Curriculum Sarah Schmidt presented the district-wide state testing results (see Chisago County Press, August 31), which were steps in the right direction. The district, along with a majority of others in the state, have not returned to pre-pandemic numbers in testing, but Schmidt did point out that Chisago Lakes is outperforming nearby districts in reading and math.
Vikes run winning streak to four, title still in sight
North Branch swept a pair of conference matches last week, and they kept their unblemished Mississippi 8 mark in tact to continue on a crash course with Monticello for the conference title.
Vikings pass test, down unbeaten Denfeld
Overcoming a disastrous start on Friday, September 29, the North Branch football team knocked Duluth Denfeld out of the undefeated ranks with a commanding 33-14 win over the Hunters, knocking them from the top 10 rankings and earning themselves some consideration among the state’s elite in Class AAAA.
Let’s settle in for a cozy fall
We’ve finally hit the fall cool down. Earlier this week, it felt like we were in the dog days of August, but man did that cold front slap us like my mom used to slap me when I talked back to her!
HOMECOMING HAMMERING
North Branch beats up on Mora, punctuated by Volner’s 96 yard score
North Branch took a while to separate from the Mora Mustangs at their homecoming game on Friday, September 22, but once the heat turned up, Mora folded up shop and the Vikings moved to 3-1 with a 40-14 victory.
Vikings out-dig Wildcats at Pink Out Night
On-court results took a back seat in the Chisago Lakes-North Branch volleyball game on Thursday, September 21 held at Chisago Lakes High School.
Wildcats win back-to-back swim meets
After a come-from-behind win over the Becker Bulldogs, the Chisago Lakes girls swimming and diving team got to cruise to an easy win over Cambridge-Isanti for their second straight Mississippi 8 Conference victory.
Osmundson and Hall dominate at Wildcat Invite
Chisago Lakes’ runners Kaia Osmundson and Annika Hall have been outstanding at most of the meets they’ve been in this year, usually finishing first and second and pacing the Wildcats’ girls team.
Warm, hearty fall meals for me
We’re getting into the thick of fall season here in Minnesota. Granted when you’re reading this column, it’s going to be almost 80 degrees outside, but we’ve had a nice, brisk week, and after this little mini heatwave, we’ll be back into the fall temps in no time.
Robillard runs roughshod over Hawks in big victory over Hermantown
Hermantown and North Branch have had some epic battles on the gridiron over the past few years and Friday, September 15 was no different.
North Branch races by Rock Ridge
After about five minutes of game time in North Branch’s tussle against Rock Ridge on Friday, September 8, there was no doubt who would come away victorious.
Doing the Cabbage Patch
OK, so I’m not really going to do the Cabbage Patch dance, as I’m a terrible dancer! But, I’m going to learn to be a better dancer this school year, because our exchange student, Guglielmo, is an Italian Junior Champion dancer. He’s going to teach me a thing or two, so the next time I am on the dance floor, I don’t make a fool of myself like normal.
Turnovers doom North Branch in 42-28 loss to Pequot Lakes
North Branch kicked off their football season with a tough test against the Pequot Lakes Patriots on Thursday, August 31.
Chisago City’s Casey breaks two Minnesota 11-12 records in swimming
Kaia Casey had some lofty goals coming into her long course summer swimming season, and reaching some of them wasn’t easy, but she stuck with it and hit her milestones just one week apart.
Dietz excited for school year to start as Chisago Lakes’ new superintendent
Chisago Lakes’ search for a new superintendent earlier this year led them to Brian Dietz, and now Dietz is hoping to lead Chisago Lakes to new heights, including passing a new levy in the fall.
Labor Day begins a new adventure
Labor Day is going to take on a special meaning for Aly and I this year. We decided to host an exchange student for the whole school year, and he’ll be arriving this week, just in time for Labor Day weekend.
To-may-to, to-mah-to
Although the dry, hot summer we’ve had haven’t been the best for growing tomatoes, as long as you kept on your watering schedule, and maybe gave the big red fruits an extra drink or two, you should be reaping the rewards from your tomato plants about now. So it’s time for some recipes!
Reed takes break from vacation to win last Chisago Lakes Tri, Herrick takes women’s crown
John Reed, of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, has willpower that most could only dream of. He took a day out of vacationing in Minnesota and visiting his girlfriend to compete in and win the Chisago Lakes Triathlon on Sunday, July 30.
Beat the heat with light fare
This week was another scorcher, except now we’ve got the dreaded humidity involved too! I love grilling and smoking food but frankly, grilling out in 90-plus degree temperatures isn’t pleasant.
Time to pick the big green veggie
The zucchinis are coming in big and fast this year, if you’ve been able to keep them properly watered in this summer heat.
Chisago Lakes Middle School to silence cell phone use this year
Cell phone use has become a problem at the Chisago Lakes Middle School, and after a year on the job, principal Todd Warzecha laid out the plan to curb use in the building whenhe spoke at the regular school board meeting Thursday, July 13.
Time for the pepper sneezes
Last year about this time, I did recipes for green peppers, as they nearly ready to be picked in our garden. This year, they still have a little bit of time left to go. I’m not a great gardening mind, but I assume it’s because of how hot and dry it’s been this year. We water our plants every day, but when there is just natural moisture and rain here and there, I feel like it makes a big difference in the speed and size of your plants and their growth.
I’m feelin’ hot, hot, hot
This summer has been particularly harsh when it comes to high temps, and although we all had a pleasant Karl Oskar Days and the few days after, more 90+ degree days are on the horizon, and it’s come like clockwork the last three years.
Chisago Lakes’ path to state football now goes through St. Paul schools with section realignment
Every two years, the Minnesota State High School League takes a look at section placement and typically makes just some small tweaks. A team here or a team there gets shuffled, but programs largely find a home and stick to it.
Glada Karl Oskar Dagar
My headline today reads Happy Karl Oskar Days, and I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful time if you plan on taking part in any of the activities.
Meat Sweats: 4th of July edition
The Fourth of July is always a time to celebrate. It’s America’s Independence Day, and it’s always a fun time!
Area golfers compete at state meets
For North Branch’s Olivia Weyenberg, it was her last time donning the red and white of North Branch in competitive golf, but for Chisago Lakes’ Andrew Swanson and Kali Hanson, and NB’s Nick Melvin, the 2023 state golf meets were hopefully the start of some great futures.
BOYS LAX TEAM FALLS JUST SHORT OF CONSOLATION TITLE
The Chisago Lakes boys lacrosse team entered the state tournament as a decided underdog last week.
Oh, how I missed you!
For the first time in over two years, I missed a column last week!
SECTION SUCCESS: NB and CL send multiple athletes to state meet
In our sports preview issue earlier this spring, Wildcat girls’ track head coach Nathan Appleby said he thought the Wildcat girls would get 15 spots at the state meet this year. Appleby was right on the mark, as six athletes will take 15 spots at state, including eight spots in a total of two relays. The boys will send six athletes to state, for a total of seven spots, including four spots in a relay. First and second place finishers, plus any athletes who hit certain qualifying marks, advance to the state tournament.
CL cruises past Rangers, but dream season ends against Rebels
Despite sporting an undefeated record going into sections, the Chisago Lakes girls lacrosse team got the fourth seed and knew that top-seeded Champlin Park would eventually be on their path to sections.
Chisago Lakes takes care of business as top seed, playing for title
It’s not always easy having the biggest target on your back, as the Chisago Lakes boys lacrosse team found out getting every teams’ best effort in the early rounds of sections.
Swanson and Hanson ride great second rounds to Class AAA meet
Andrew Swanson has been Chisago Lakes’ top golfer all year, and he saved some of his best for last in the Section 7AAA meet the past week.
NB and CL baseball bow out of sections in tough fashion
The North Branch baseball team had a roller coaster ride through sections, and the first major bump proved to be too big to overcome.
Congrats to the Class of 2023!
I had the pleasure of covering Chisago Lakes’ graduation ceremonies earlier this week, and besides the immaculate weather, I was just struck by how much everyone was enjoying themselves, how proud the families were of their graduations, and how, at least for a night, everyone seemed to be best buds.
CL socks North Branch in upper bracket, will rematch for section softball championship
Courtesy runner Jess Dittel scored on a wild pitch with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the top-seeded Wildcats a 4-3 win over the fifth-seeded Cloquet Lumberjacks in the championship bracket of the Section 7AAA softball tournament Saturday, May 27 at Braun Park in Cloquet. Sam Johnson drove in all three of the Wildcats’ runs prior to the winning run. The win sent the Wildcats to face the second-seeded North Branch Vikings in the next round of the section tournament Tuesday, May 30 at the Grand Rapids Sports Complex.
Offensive explosion powers North Branch; headed to section semis
The North Branch baseball team put up a score last week that’s extremely rare, even in the high school ranks.
CL third at M8C Championships, NB fifth
The Wildcats girls’ track team finished third in the Mississippi 8 Conference championship held Wednesday, May 24 at Big Lake while the North Branch girls came in fifth. On the boys’ side, the Wildcats came in last out of eight teams and NB seventh. Seventh-grader Annika Hall won the 3200-meter run in 11:37.85, finishing 24 seconds ahead of Makenna Sjoberg of Cambridge-Isanti. She also came in second in the 1600-meter run. And sophomore Catharine Larson won the triple jump with a leap of 34’2”.
‘Cats upended by STMA Knights
The dream undefeated season for the Chisago Lakes boys lacrosse team came to a crashing halt Tuesday, May 23 against St. Michael Albertville.
Chisago Lakes makes a deep run before bowing out at home
Chisago Lakes got to show off their beautiful tennis facilities the past week and a half during the Section 7AA Individual and Team tournaments, and they made a nice little run to the semifinals to boot.