St. Croix River high again, no-wake in effect

The on-again off-again no-wake restrictions on the St. Croix River will remain in effect until the water falls below 683 feet above sea level. Signs will be posted at boat ramps and marinas, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said.

Heavy rain in the watershed was forecast to drive the river's elevation to 684.5 feet, which causes dangerous conditions for boaters, anglers and swimmers. A man drowned two weeks ago in Taylors Falls, Wis., as he tried to save a boy who fell into the St. Croix while fishing.

No-wake restrictions are intended to reduce erosion damage on sensitive shorelines.

The river will remain high through Monday, according to National Weather Service projections.

"I know folks are anxious to boat, but we seem to be in a cycle of wet springs," said Molly Shodeen, a state hydrologist on the St. Croix.

The Washington County Law Library will host a public Divorce Basics workshop on Tuesday, June 10, at the Oakdale Library at 1010 Heron Av. N. The session will be from 1-3 p.m.

The workshop is for anyone thinking about divorce. Participants will learn about the following questions: What documents are needed to file for divorce? What forms need to be filed with the court? How long does it take to get divorced? Who is responsible for the house, car and credit-card debt? What is mediation? What do you do if your spouse is violent or abusive?

The presenter is Ann M.I. Mozey, a family law attorney. To register and reserve space, call the library at 651-430-6330.

Oakdale's farmers market opens Wednesday, June 11, with more than 20 vendors in the north parking lot of City Hall. Products include fresh produce, baked goods, honey products, maple syrup, jelly, and flowers and plants, organizers said. Handcrafted items also will be sold.

The market will be held from 2-6 p.m. every Wednesday through October at City Hall, 15th Street and Hadley Avenue.

For more information, call 651-747-3860.

City Place, Woodbury's new business development, will be getting not one, but two new hotels.

Officials said original plans called for the construction of a single 180-room luxury hotel near the existing 700,000-square-foot building that housed the insurance giant's headquarters until 2004.

TMI, which owns hundreds of hotels across the country under 16 brand names (including Holiday Inn Express and AmericInn), will announce the hotels' "flag names" later this summer, the company said. The project still must receive City Council approval.

"We are very excited to announce this important anchor at City Place," said Juan DeAngulo, managing principal with Elion Partners. "The hotel use is a vital complement to the existing 400,000-square-foot office building as well as a key amenity to the work-play-live concept behind the development plan."

Elion, a Florida real estate investment and development firm, is under contract to redevelop the campus into a project featuring a grocery, medical and office space, shops and restaurants.

Autumn Lehrke, a Washington County commissioner, has been named 2014 Outstanding Alumni of the Year at Inver Hills Community College in Inver Grove Heights. She was selected for her service to the community and for professional and educational accomplishments, she said in a statement.

She was elected to the County Board in 2010, representing District 4.

Stillwater Area Foundation has recently granted $5,000 to the Friends of Stillwater Area Dog Park as part of the Stillwater Great Idea competition. This grant will help create and operate a fenced, off-leash park and promote responsible dog ownership.

The Friends organization is collaborating with city officials from Stillwater and has designated the Jaycee Field/storage site for the park. Construction will begin this summer.

The Stillwater Area Foundation hosts the Great Idea competition each year to provide funding for ideas that create a lasting benefit to the Stillwater area, said chairwoman Maria Reamer.

Washington County Attorney Pete Orput presented Mary Junko, a Stillwater Area High School graduate, with a class ring at the County Board meeting June 3. Junko is a student who pledged to graduate from high school.

Junko won a drawing of students who had taken the pledge and received a class ring donated by Jostens.

The City of Forest Lake's compost site cleanup plan was recently approved by Washington County. A notice to proceed has been issued to the compost site's operator Buberl Recycling & Compost, city officials said.

The site was closed because Buberl "has brought demolition materials into/onto the site and used them for building a base pad for their operations," said Lowell Johnson, manager of the county's Public Health and Environment division. "Unfortunately, the materials brought in are from a variety of known and unknown sources and were not properly processed to be used in that manner."

Buberl will have 30 working days, which began on June 4, to complete the cleanup. Bolton and Menk, Inc., the city's engineering firm, will track the progress. Meanwhile, the site will remain closed.

Any Forest Lake residents in need of a location to drop off compost materials can take them to SRC in Wyoming. Proof of Forest Lake residency is required to buy a $10 punch card. For additional information, contact SRC at 651-464-2321.