Stillwater forum will examine water crisis

A public forum, "Running on Empty? Managing Minnesota's Water," will be held Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Stillwater Library. The forum will feature a discussion of recently passed water legislation, water policy framework and upcoming water management changes. Participants will include State Rep. Peter Fischer, vice chair of the House Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee, and Metropolitan Council Member Sandy Rummel, who chairs the council's environmental committee.

The discussion will examine challenges Minnesota faces in managing ground and surface water. It will be held at the Stillwater Public Library, Margaret Rivers Room, at 224 3rd St. N., Stillwater.

The meeting is sponsored by River Valley Action, the Jaques Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, and the White Bear Lake Area League of Women Voters.

Mayors of three south Washington County cities have joined a campaign coalition supporting Karla Bigham in her bid for a County Board seat.

Bigham, 34, announced recently that she would challenge incumbent Autumn Lehrke for the District 4 seat. Lehrke, 32, is a first-term county commissioner who has said she will run for re-election in November. Both candidates live in Cottage Grove.

Mayors Myron Bailey of Cottage Grove, Tim Geraghty of Newport and Keith Franke of St. Paul Park joined Bigham's campaign team, she said. So have several other City Council members, including Justin Olsen of Cottage Grove, Steve Gallagher and Tom Ingemann of Newport, and Jennifer Cheesman, Sandi Dingle and Jeff Swenson of St. Paul Park.

The list of 24 names also includes three former mayors and two legislators, Katie Sieben and Dan Schoen.

A public workshop on the rights of low-income debtors will be held Tuesday at the Oakdale branch of the Washington County Library at 1010 Heron Ave. N. The session, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., will explain how consumers can protect themselves from creditors and debt collectors who violate the law in their attempts to collect a debt.

Attorney Margaret Henehan will discuss the debt collection process, including discharging debts through bankruptcy. Attendees also will learn how to recognize debt assistance and mortgage assistance scams. Registration is encouraged by calling the Washington County Law Library at 651-430-6330.

Hundreds of Adopt-A-Highway volunteers collected 632 bags of garbage last year, saving Washington County more than $100,000 in maintenance costs, officials have said.

The program, held annually since 1991, mobilizes volunteers to clear the 252 miles of county roads and ditches of debris and garbage. Each volunteer group is assigned a stretch of roadway and is responsible for cleaning the area at least twice a year.

Debris collected last year included televisions, microwaves, tires, computer monitors and a refrigerator.

The Washington County Library will conduct an online survey through the end of February to gauge patrons' use of the its computers and the Internet.

The survey can be accessed from the library computers or from its website: www.co.washington.mn.us/library.

Results from the survey, which will also try to determine how library services affect patrons' lives, will help the library "improve its technology services and communicate the value of providing free access to computers and the Internet within the community," according to a library news release.

The survey, which is anonymous and available in English and Spanish, takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

For more information, visit the library information desk or go to http://impactsurvey.org.

"We wanted to build something unique, something that fit into the existing décor of this historic town and it took a while to accomplish that," said Steve Merila, a partner at the brewery.

Housed in a century-old building, the taproom was built from materials reclaimed from older White Bear Lake buildings and barns, and felled trees, Merila said. It will be open to the public on Thursdays and Fridays from 3-10 p.m., and Saturdays from 1-10 p.m. During those hours, Big Wood will sell growlers, beer by the glass, and offer tours of its brewery.