Local

Publisher's Note: Thanks seems inadequate

CSCN Publisher — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:51:20 GMT

With the safe return of our local hero, Erich “Fluffy” Weinert, somehow thanks seem inadequate. Whether you agree with the policies of our President and Commander and Chief or not, thousands of men and women just like Erich choose to serve our nation in ways we cannot fully understand unless you have been there. Since Viet Nam our nation has relied on an all volunteer military. Men and women who leave their family and friends, put their careers and lives on hold to defend and protect our nation’s security, freedom and democratic way of life.
Our military personnel make the choice to serve but their families also make a huge sacrifice. Husbands and wives sleep alone, children do homework, play in concerts and play in their big athletic games without their deployed moms and dads. These unsung heroes deserve our thanks and appreciation as well.
As much as we try to be thankful and appreciative, as much as we try to keep our military in our hearts and minds, our lives go on without much sacrifice. We drive our cars without concern about scarce gasoline. We don’t save rubber and tin cans as our grandparents did during World War II. We suffer few shortages. For most of us, despite hundreds of thousands of our military in harm’s way, our lives go on.
There are no words that can ever repay our military and their families for the sacrifices they make everyday. For now all we can do is say Thanks.
ERICH “FLUFFY” WEINERT THANK YOU, THANKS TOO TO YOUR WIFE. THANKS TO ALL OUR MILITARY

Hammond man returns home from Iraq

Michele DeLong Lyksett — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:32:45 GMT

Erich “Fluffy” Weinert has spent the last three days readjusting to home life in Hammond after spending 13 months in Iraq with the Navy supporting the Marine Corps Air Wing. When he came off the I-94 exit ramp at Hammond he was greeted by many of his colleagues on the United Fire & Rescue Department (from both Hammond and Baldwin) and escorted to the Hammond station. There he was greeted by even MORE friends – and hugs and laughs and even a few tears.

Read the complete story of Fluffy's homecoming in the February 4, 2010, issue of the Central St. Croix News!

SCC voters to decide on house/property purchase Feb. 15

CSCN Staff — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:14:38 GMT

Even as the foreclosure rates in the St. Croix Central school district continue to climb and for sale signs sit in the yards of many houses, the district’s enrollment, instead of declining continues to increase causing facility space crunches in the district’s three campuses.

Since September, the district’s enrollment has gone up 18 students, and it is up 66 from January of 2009. There are no classrooms in the elementary school in Roberts not being used daily and the middle school and high school are also running out of “extra” space.

Looking ahead, the school board has called for district voters to decide whether they should purchase a house and lot located near the middle school that could potentially be used to house the administrative offices currently in the middle school.

To that end, there will be a special meeting of the electorate held Feb. 15 to authorize $105,000 to be spent on the building and property at 1325 Davis Street in Hammond.

“There are no immediate plans for the property,” superintendent David Bradley said. “One possible future use would be to use the house as the district office which would allow the current district office to be utilized for additional classroom space. Taxes will not be increased to acquire this property. Funding for the purchase will come from the fund balance in the general fund and will not affect the tax levy.”

The district had put in a “blind offer” to the owner of the property – an offer that was subsequently accepted.

Publisher's Notes: For the unemployed the unemployment rate is 100%

CSCN Publisher — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:05:42 GMT

In his State of the Union Address President Obama stated a renewed commitment to job creation. It’s about time. Real people, real families are suffering without any clear hope that jobs are around the corner. Let’s hope the President and our government will do their part.

According to a Small Business Administration Report small businesses are responsible for over 50% of all private sector jobs in America and have generated 64% of the net new jobs over the past 15 years. It is the small business owner who has been hardest hit by the slowing of the economy without the benefit of government bailouts or lobbyist on Capital Hill to get special earmark legislation. While we wait for our government to create jobs, it is the small business owner who will drive the job creation engine.

St. Croix County is rich with a very diverse base of small businesses. In 2004 President Bush, who by most media reports is solely responsible for our economic woes, said, “The entrepreneurial spirit is strong, and that's what's going to lead this recovery. The people are going to be able to find work because the small business owners of America are risk takers, bold thinkers, and love their country, and are willing to expand the job base.“

It is small business who can lead the way. They do not need that #41 for their 60% vote; they make a commitment and do it. We want to help.

For the next couple of months, the Central St. Croix News will post in its newspaper and website a small basic information job posting for free, a small price for a referral fee. All we ask is that if you fill the job you make a voluntary payment of $50-$100. If you want a bigger ad we will gladly sell you one.

Central St. Croix News moves production office to Roberts

Central St. Croix News — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:23:08 GMT

The Central St. Croix News recently began operating under new ownership and new management when CSCN Holdings, LLC, owned by Jeff Redmon of the town of Warren, acquired the paper from Michelle Calcagno. For the past month or so the publication essentially operated as it had in the past, but with the new year came changes to both the business and the look of the newspaper.
For decades the Central St. Croix News, although its coverage area includes the communities of both Hammond and Roberts, has been physically located in Hammond – but that changed with the first business day of 2010, at least partially.
Effective with the open of the business day on Jan. 4, the production offices of the newspaper began operating out of the lower level of 500 West Boulevard in Roberts – the “basement” of the Citizens State Bank building. The publisher’s offices and the mailing office of the newspaper will still be at 865 Davis Street in Hammond (the building formerly known as Foster Hall), but office hours for finding Editor-in-Chief/General Manager Michele Lyksett and Advertising & Production Manger Wade Gardner will be held at the Roberts location: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thursdays from noon - 5 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. - noon.
“I am very excited to have an office in Roberts,” Lyksett said. “I think there is an impression out there by some that we are the ‘Hammond’ paper, but we are the CENTRAL ST. CROIX News and strive to bring relevant news to all of the Central Croix Croix area. I hope that us having an office in Roberts will help show people our commitment to both communities.”
Both Lyksett and Gardner both live in Hammond and are involved in many community service organizations and other groups there. Both also have children who attend St. Croix Central Schools.
“I look forward to getting to know Roberts better and spending more time there,” said Gardner, who not only oversees the production of the newspaper but is the contact person for placing advertising in the publication (email).
“I have been planning recently to get customer service oriented businesses in the space in our lower level,” CSB branch manger Steve Miller said. “I think the newspaper will be a great addition to the community and a great business to have in our building.”
Miller said there is additional space available where he hopes more businesses can be located.
The Central St. Croix News publication itself had a new look with the Jan. 7 issue when its “redesign” was launched.
“We have been working on getting the paper a new look and reorganizing content to be reader and advertiser friendly,” publisher Jeff Redmon said. “I am excited to see the community’s reaction to it.”
One of his goals, Redmon said, is to have more input from the readership – especially in the form of Letters to the Editor. He also encourages community groups and area businesses to let others know of their news by submitting news releases and stories. These can be submitted online to editor@centralstcroixnews.com
Along with the new design of the paper with come a website with many functions – including the ability to submit and pay for subscriptions online; forms for engagement, wedding and birth announcements; highlights from the week’s print edition of the Central St. Croix News; and photo galleries where all the photos taken at events – including those that aren’t published in the newspaper – can be found.
“Stay tuned for more news about the Central St. Croix News,” Lyksett said.

Editorial: The "new" CSCN - It's all about you!

Jeff Redmon — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:06:13 GMT

It’s all about you!

In order for the Central St. Croix News to thrive, we must serve our community as a critical voice and point of local conversation. Our area is served by the New Richmond News, which is owned by Forum Communications Company out of Fargo, North Dakota, the same parent company that also serves Hudson and River Falls. They produce fine newspapers that serve their communities well. Roberts and Hammond are on the fringe of their service area. We at CSCN believe that there is an essential place for a locally owned and operated newspaper that can serve the Roberts and Hammond area and our St Croix Central Schools like no other paper can. We will be “Your Good Neighbor in the Heart of St. Croix County.”
To assure our place in the community, we will initially focus on two key things: covering our St. Croix Central Schools like no other and engaging the community. We will share Faces and Places, Gatherings and Events. We will report those stories and events meaningful to you. We will look for the local twist on county, state, national and international events. We will engage those people who are involved in all corners of our communities. We look to build a network of contributors to serve as our eyes and ears in and around our communities. We want those perspectives you can’t glean from the official minutes.
If Location, Location, Location is the key for real estate, Names, Names, Names is the key to community newspapers. You will see more local names and faces than ever before. Through our website, www.centralstcroixnews.com, we will bring those faces we don’t have room to share in the paper. You will be able to see your friends and neighbors and order a print or digital file. Our website will evolve to become a vital point of information and conversation for our Central St. Croix community. We anticipate maintaining a community calendar, photo galleries of events and places where you can share an idea, opinion or thought. We will provide all the things you need to know.
Across the country big daily newspapers are failing, and local weekly community newspapers are challenged with the tight economic times. However, over 80% of weekly newspapers are actually read in their community. As readership increases through subscriptions, advertisers will trust us to deliver their messages to the community.
Central St. Croix News will focus on you.