Briefs: Fewer piers on new St. Croix bridge saves money, MnDOT says

Eliminating one set of piers on a new St. Croix River bridge will save millions of dollars, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) manager in charge of the project said last week.

In a presentation to Washington County commissioners, Jon Chiglo said that the decision to place five pier sets in the river -- two legs to a pier set -- brings other advantages besides cost savings. Spacing the remaining pier sets farther apart, he said, helps boat navigation and also improves the appearance of the bridge from an environmental standpoint.

Chiglo also said that MnDOT will open an office in Oak Park Heights, where the new bridge will be built, to make sure residents know where to take concerns once a major overhaul of the Hwy. 36 approach to the bridge begins next spring.

The agency is working hard to lessen inconveniences on business owners along Hwy. 36, he said.

"As project manager my goal is to talk with businesses at the end of this project and have them say, 'It wasn't as bad as we thought,' " he said.

The new bridge, part of a enormous project that MnDOT estimates could cost as much as $676 million, will open in late 2016 or early 2017.

Legal research workshop comingThe next Washington County Law Library program will be "Legal Research and Online Resources" on Tuesday at the Oakdale Library, 1010 Heron Av. N. The free public workshop is from 2-4 p.m. Attendees will learn about the various online resources for legal research.

Troops' pheasant hunt planned for OctoberA "return to traditions lost to war" is the theme of October's "Welcome Home the Troops Pheasant Hunt" at Wild Wings of Oneka in Hugo.

Up to 200 members of the military will be hosted by the Yellow Ribbon networks of Hugo and Stillwater at an all-expense paid guided pheasant hunt, round of sporting clays and a wild game dinner.

Any military member recently returned from overseas deployment is welcome to register for either the Oct. 20 or Oct. 21 hunt at charles. haas27@gmail.com.

Anyone interested in being a field sponsor, needed by Oct. 1 to make the event successful, should contact Chuck Haas, chair of the Hugo Yellow Ribbon Network at the e-mail address above or at 651-247-0354. You also can send a tax-deductible check payable to the Yellow Ribbon Network of Washington County to P.O. Box 14, Hugo, 55038.

Firefighting expo planned for recruitsWant to fight fires?

The expo will be held from 6:30-9 p.m. at Fire Station 2, 3595 McKnight Road.

Informational meetings for anyone wanting to apply for a firefighting job will be held Oct. 3 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and Oct. 4 from 9-11 a.m. at Fire Station 2.

For more information, contact Mick Niess, recruitment and retention coordinator, at mniess@whitebearlake.org or 651-407-5300.

Businesses celebrate bridge shutdownA new business promotion will draw attention to a more pedestrian-friendly downtown while the Stillwater Lift Bridge is closed for repairs.

Townie Tuesdays will run every Tuesday through December. Participating merchants will stay open until 8 p.m. and offer specials to residents living in zip codes 55082, 55003 and 55042, said Cory Buettner, owner of Leo's Grill and Malt Shop and the event's co-organizer.

The bridge connects Stillwater with St. Joseph Township, Wis. About 17,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day.

Ordinance governs city's business signsAn updated sign ordinance has gone into effect for Forest Lake businesses now that a major reconstruction of Broadway Avenue has been completed.

During the two years of work, the City Council suspended all sign enforcement and permitted use of temporary advertising signs to help direct traffic to local businesses.

An updated sign ordinance still allows temporary banners for businesses but they no longer require a fee, Doug Borglund, the city's community development director, wrote recently to business owners. Banners also can be used between Dec. 1 and Jan. 3 without a permit.

Anyone with questions about the ordinance can contact Borglund's office at 651-464-3550.

Last year, Community Thread organized more than 700 volunteers to rake yards for nearly 85 seniors and people with disabilities in Washington County. Volunteer groups included families, scout troops, Rotary clubs, school groups, companies and neighborhood associations.

Anyone wishing to receive an application can call Community Thread at 651-439-7434 or visit www.communitythreadmn.org. Volunteer groups will rake yards on or near Make A Difference Day, which falls on Oct. 27.