Civic and Community Organizations

Ryan Pokorny, of local Boy Scout Troop 99, appeared before the Zimmerman City Council this  evening to give his final Eagle Scout project report.

Ryan, who will be a senior at Zimmerman High School, approached the city in June 2009 regarding a possible Eagle Scout project. The council determined one needed service would be painting the light poles on County Road 4 to improve the appearance of the city’s main thoroughfare.

Upon inspecting the poles, Ryan found that they were faded, peeling and beginning to rust. His goal was to keep the poles from deteriorating any further.

Ryan worked with Dave Horvath, Public Works Director to set up the project. The city provided the necessary paint and Ryan worked several hours to complete the necessary tasks, including edging the tops and bottoms of the pole, the electrical box, and painting the poles themselves.

Safety was an important part of the project. Workers wore safety vests and the roadway was blocked off with cones to alert drivers. The project was successful and Ryan painted 72 light poles in all.

Mayor Dave Earenfight thanked Ryan and his father, Robert, on behalf of the City of Zimmerman, for all of the time and effort donated to complete the project.

Council member Karen Michels asked Ryan to let the council know when his Eagle Scout Court of Honor would be held.

I am going to be giving a presentation entitled “Seven Secrets to Increase Your Profits by Marketing Your Business Online” tomorrow at the Zimmerman Chamber of Commerce. I am excited to share some ideas with local business owners that will help them to be more profitable, if they implement the techniques!

I let you know how it goes after I’m finished.

Dave and I volunteered to stamp hands at the circus today and were able to see the show. The performers were very friendly and the acts were good. The lion was a bit stubborn, but the children in the audience were still impressed. My favorite was probably the girl clown (Kelly?) and her antics.

People often forget how much work goes into events like this, so I would like to say a warm thank you to the Zimmerman Chamber and especially Deb Kazle for putting this event together for us.

Here are some pictures:

(Click on each one to see a larger version)

I attended my first Zimmerman Chamber of Commerce meeting today. I met several of the chamber members. Lunch was served by Subway and was delicious!

We are getting down to the wire–only one more class to go! The Sheriff’s Department has really done a great job putting this class together. I’ve been very impressed with the diversity of speakers and departments that we’ve been able to learn about.

Now, if I had my druthers (Tennessee term!), we would be able to go on a ride-along with the deputies, but apparently the insurance companies don’t like that idea very much. When I attended the Citizen’s Police Academy in Tennessee, they did do ride-alongs. One of the nights I went, there was a scary domestic violence call. The officer I rode with took off down the city’s main street at 102 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone, and went through the neighborhood at 80 miles per hour in a 20 mph zone. I can see why insurance companies might worry a bit!

This week we started out with Lena Coe and Deanna Thompson from a non-profit organization in Monticello called Rivers of Hope. They spoke to us about domestic violence, including verbal, physical, emotional, psychological and sexual abuse. Family violence can be defined as “patterns of behavior that maintain power and control over the victim.” Anyone who lives in the same household with an an abuser or is related by blood can be a victim of family violence.

Their program works with victims as they go through the court process. They work with teenagers who struggle with self-mutilation to teach them healthy coping skills. Here are some of the other topics we learned about:

• The cycle of abuse
• Abuse of children
• Dating abuse in teens
• Civil and criminal orders of protection
• How to be a friend to victims of abuse
• Having a domestic violence safety plan
• Summer mentoring program for youth

They also have a volunteer program and welcome applications. Contact them at: http://www.riversofhope.org/General_Info/volunteers.htm for more information.

Lena Coe and Deanna Thompson of Rivers of Hope

Chris Aleshire, Sherburne Sheriff Department Drug Recognition Expert spoke to us next. He is one of several trained experts in the area. In addition to alcohol, prescription medication and illegal drugs are also cause for DWI’s. His job is to identify what type of substance a person arrested for DWI is under if there is no evidence of alcohol.

Drug Recognition Expert Chris Aleshire

We learned how sobriety tests are conducted and what clues law enforcement officials look for. Deputy Renee Brandt was kind enough to demonstrate some of the tests:

Deputy Renee Brandt Passes Sobriety Test

I never knew what whiskey plates were before, and I learned that coffee does not make the alcohol go away. Instead, you just have a wide-awake drunk!

Here is a picture of our class! (Click for a larger view.)

Sherburne Citizen Academy Spring 2009 Class

Dave and I attended a one-day licensing course and test session today in Elk River. The event was sponsored by Sherburne County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (SherCo ARES).

As part of our Storm Spotter training last month, we also had to become licensed amateur radio operators. The class today was well-organized and Mike Steckelberg, the instructor, provided the information in a way that made it very easy to learn. We spent the day going over the 10 different sections of material that would be covered on the test, and then had breaks in between to study our test-prep handout.

The examiners came in and administered the test right before 4:00 pm. The test consisted of 35 multiple-choice questions and after spending all day preparing, was pretty easy.

Now, the next step is to figure out what kind of radio we need!

If you didn’t figure it out yet, we both passed!

Some of the material we had to study!

Yikes–there’s a lot to know!

Our class taking the licensing exam.

Mike Steckelberg (standing) and the examiners (from left to right)

John Smolenski, Boaz Erickson, Greg Ogden, and Ken Carlson.

Dave and I went to the Elk River Chamber of Commerce Business Expo on March 29, 2009.

We talked to a lot of great people and took some good photos. Click on them to see larger versions.

By the way, those pork chops were EXCELLENT!

I went to my first Zimmerman Business Expo on Saturday. There were over sixty businesses and community organizations there. I spoke to each one and snapped a photo. Everyone was very kind and friendly. I love meeting new people!

I’ll be putting together a video of the booths, but for now, here are a few pictures.

In the first picture Marilyn Bina from Prime Advertising and Deb Kazle, Chamber Administrator, welcome Business Expo attendees.

This is the Four Wheeler that is being raffled to raise money for the Golf Tournament this summer. You may see it sitting in different places around town. Where will it be next?

Here are Kary Tillman and Zimmerman Mayor Dave Earenfeit.

This is our illustrious new Sherburne County Sheriff, Joel Brott.

I didn’t get the name of this gentleman, but his hat was sure a hit!

There will be a Metro Skywarn Training Class held in Elk River. The classes are not usually held so close to our area, so if you are interested in attending, now is a good time!

March 14, 2009
9am – 12pm
Great River Energy Campus
17845 Highway 10
Elk River, MN 55330
Registration required, contact for registration information
John Blood
763-498-7170
kdØaxq at gmail.com

This is information taken from their site:

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD FOR NEW SPOTTERS IN WRIGHT, SHERBURNE AND WESTERN HENNEPIN COUNTIES!

If you will be a new spotter, we are very excited to welcome you!

If you are not an existing ham radio operator, please know that a ham radio operator’s license is required for participation in our Skywarn programs. But, you do not need your license to take this class.

Need a license? You can get yours through a one-day licensing course and test session to be held April 25th in Elk River and sponsored by Sherburne County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (SherCo ARES). A technician class license is all you’ll need, and nearly everyone passes the test the afternoon of the course to receive their license. You’ll find plenty of enthusiastic ham operators to walk you through the process.

Please join us after the class for the spotter coordination meeting.

If you are a current spotter, or seeking your renewal, thank you for your efforts!

This year’s Skywarn curriculum is brand new and it will be customized for this course specifically for the needs and weather patterns of our region. As happens everytime the National Weather Service updates the curriculum, there are new findings, new videos, new best practices, and valuable tips for spotting safety and success.

A FEW NOTES…

• You don’t need your ham radio license to attend this free training.
• If your Skywarn training is current, please feel free to attend the training session in the morning to learn and see the latest stuff.
• If you can’t join us in the morning, we look forward to seeing you at Noon, and lunch is on us.
• POST Credit Forms will be available at the class.
• If you have a specialized Skywarn mobile set-up, come ready for show and tell after the meeting (let’s hope it’s a bit warmer)!

Questions? Please contact John Blood at kd0axq@gmail.com

Visit the RSVP site at:

http://freedom.beholdlearning.com/index.php?src=events&srctype=profile&refno=49&category=Skywarn

The Zimmerman Chamber of Commerce is holding the 2009 Business EXPO on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. The Expo will take place at the Zimmerman High School.

For more information, call the Chamber at 763-856-4404 or email them at: zimmchamber@sherbtel.net