What’s there to do for kids in Rush City?

by Tesha M. Christensen

Kids telling you there isn’t anything to do?

Point them to the bowling alley and arcade at Checker’s Bowl and Lounge, suggests Rush City Administrator Amy Mell.

Her kids, now 16 and 21, love the mini tacos and pizza at Checkers.

Mell also recommends checking out one of the three golf simulators at Bulrush Golf Club. They’re open year-round and cost a junior $15 for an hour. Players can pick from several courses.

“Even if you’re not a golfer, the simulator is fun,” remarked Mell.

She has appreciated the benefits of raising her kids in a small town. “You’re familiar with so many people in town. It a real comfortable and safe feeling,” Mell said. “I’ve loved having my kids grow up here. You don’t worry as much. Everyone knows who your kids are, and they keep an eye on them. You know your kids’ friends and their parents.”

Mell added, “I’ve liked that my kids are able to be involved in so many things because we have a smaller school system.”

Both of her kids have participated in the sports programs offered locally.

Rush City has a strong high school athletics program, which includes football, volleyball, cross-country, bowling, trapshooting, basketball, gymnastics, hockey, wrestling, baseball, softball, golf, and track and field.

Building up to that, the Rush City Youth Sports Club provides an opportunity for young athletes to establish sound sports fundamentals in a fun, competitive and sportsmanlike environment. Believing it is important for kids to have an outlet other than TV and video games, the RCYSC volunteers offers leagues for basketball (4th-6th), baseball (3rd-9th), fast pitch softball (3rd-9th), football (4th-6th), volleyball (3rd-12th) and wrestling (Pre-6th).

RCYSC also subsidizes Xplode, a summer training program for athletes entering 7-12th grade who want to improve their general conditioning over the summer months.

The city’s hockey rink and ice skating rink are located on Frandsen Avenue, just north of County Road 7. Both are lit up at night, and a warming house is being built. The rinks are flooded each year by the fire department.

ACTIVITIES HELP DEVELOP LASTING FRIENDSHIPS

There are many benefits for students who get involved in activities, according to Rush City High School counselor Janet Wagener.

“Activities help develop relationship skills and lasting friendships,” she pointed out. “Students can learn time management, prioritizing commitments, and be proactive problem solvers. Students engaged in activities tend to have stronger time management skills.”

Additionally, students get the chance to experiment with likes and dislikes, and develop their own interests by participating in school-sponsored activities, Wagener said.

“Students experiencing success in activities can greatly improve their self-esteem which in turn can help them academically,” she added. The list of benefits goes on and on.

Rush City High School offers a range of activities including band, choir, wind ensemble, jazz band, marching band, All School and One Act Play, Speech, Knowledge Bowl, Minnesota Honor Society, Student Council and Math League.

A variety of classes geared to teach various skills are also regularly offered through Community Education, including babysitting class, ATV training, gun safety, snowmobile safety, survival skills, lifeguard training, BMX classes and basic first aid.

VOLUNTEER

Mell’s children have volunteered at many of the community events offered throughout the year in Rush City, recruited because of her role in city government. But organizations are always looking for help, Mell pointed out. There’s the annual fly-in at the airport, Community Appreciation Night the first Thursday in August, the Music and Art Festival held every other year, the County Fair with free kids events on Sundays, and various other fundraisers.

“There are a lot of volunteer opportunities,” said Mell, who encourages teenagers to call city hall to help with city-sponsored events.

THINGS TO DO FOR YOUNGER KIDS

Fun activities in the city aren’t limited to teenagers.

Wagener runs the popular Lego Club for first through fourth graders and Art Club for third to sixth graders. “They filled up very fast, and the students are having a great time in them,” Wagener said.

There’s also a Spanish Club for grades four to six, Tiger Math Club for third to fourth, a fifth grade play, and elementary dodgeball team.

The Youth FIRST Club provides fourth to seventh graders a safe, structured place to go after school on Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m. at no cost to families. All participants get a t-shirt, receive a snack, participate in an anti-drug workshop, and spend an hour in a small group with a volunteer doing a fun activity such as playing games, doing arts and crafts, learning about a volunteers’ job or interest, or other fun activities. Each week is different.

BUSY LIBRARY

Get out of the house with your youngest kids and attend the Lapsit Storytime at the Rush City Library for ages 0-24 months. Held on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 11 a.m., it’s a fabulous activity, according to branch librarian Donna Larson. Storyteller Kari Fairklough includes early development tips for parents and ideas for things to do together.

The library also has a storytime twice a month for ages three to five that includes songs, finger-puppet shows, a STEM science project, crafts and other activities.

The summer reading program is always popular. This year’s theme is “Reading Takes You Everywhere.” The travel-based program starts the week after Memorial Day and ends the first weekend in August. Keep a reading log and earn prizes.

POOL ALWAYS POPULAR

Take a ride on a 165-foot slide at the Rush City Aquatic Center Or, the 26-foot drop slide may be more your kids’ style. There’s a zero-entry play area with multiple slides and water features, and a lap pool. Family day passes are $25, and it’s just $18 for a family day pass after 3 p.m.

Visitors can also access a full-sized locker space and concessions such as ice cream treats, snacks, soda, water, candy, nachos and more. Swimming lessons and water aerobics are offered.

Don’t miss the annual Big Splash. The event features carnival games for kids, Chuck a Duck and the Lucky Duck Race.

AND THERE’S MORE

Those who want to organize their own activities need look no farther than the city and county parks nearby, which have playgrounds, ballfields, hiking trails, picnic pavilions, swimming beaches, fishing piers, disc golf, and geocaching.

 Area churches host Wednesday night events and youth groups for kids, in addition to Sunday morning Sunday school.

So, next time the kids complain, don’t worry. You’ve got this covered.

Printed in the 2018 Rush City Community Guide.

Learn fascinating pieces of local history through North Chisago Historical Society

by Tesha M. Christensen

Want to learn more about local history? Drop by the historical museum operated by the North Chisago Historical Society or attend one of the regular meetings.

The North Chisago Historical Society (NCHS) began in 1970 with a group of friends from the Rush City area who had a common interest in preserving local history. They joined the Chisago County Historical Society, but also met together as a separate group in the northern part of the county. This group was instrumental in constructing the Historical Society building at the Chisago County Fairgrounds that same year.

In 1977, under the leadership of Carl Heinrich, the Rush City group organized as the North Chapter of the Chisago County Historical Society. That alliance continued for the next 25 years, as the North Chapter became the first of six or seven local chapters throughout the county.

In 2002, the North Chapter became an independent 501(c) organization and incorporated as the North Chisago Historical Society.

Heinrich recalled, “It was done primarily because there was a vacuum in the history of the area.”

The mission of the group remains focused on that local history. It is “to discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge regarding the history of North Chisago County and the state of Minnesota.”

The group has nearly doubled in the past two years, and is now at about 121 members.

“NCHS offers our area’s best networking opportunity for those who want to preserve local history, either through volunteering or dues or donations,” said member Charlotte Wilcox.

Director Marlin Gregerson has been a member for 20 yeas. “The magic of stories and objects that survive drew me to the county fair building and recently our museum in Rush City,” remarked Gregerson. “Members are approachable. Newsletters have been sent out for at least 30 years. We have over 100 members, some who live in other states, and strive to add people of all ages. Dues are affordable and people will benefit from participating.”

MUSEUM OPEN WEEKLY

Those interested in history are encouraged to drop by the museum, which opened in 2015 at 350 S. Eliot Ave. in Rush City, across from city hall. The building was donated to the society by dentist James Guptill.

The museum is open 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, April through December, and a discussion group meeting is held there each Wednesday from 1-3 p.m.

“The museum provides an excellent opportunity for local families to preserve their history and share it with others,” remarked Wilcox. “We have started a library of family histories for future generations. We accept most small items of historical significance.”

A Scout exhibit will open this spring, and there will be cubicles for town histories including Harris, North Branch, Sunrise, Rush Point, Stark, and Dale. Members are working to get new lights for the museum, which will be of help in reorganizing the exhibits, according to Wilcox.

Each year, the sixth graders from C.E. Jacobson Elementary School in Rush City take an educational tour of the museum. “We are hoping to expand this educational outreach to include students from North Branch Area Middle School,” said Wilcox. The NCHS museum is also on the senior community service list.

A microfilm reader/printer is located in the research room in front of the museum. The reader was initially put in the Rush City Library in 2003, but was moved once the society obtained its own museum building. The microfilms on hand include 35 films of the ECM Post Review newspaper from Jan. 4, 1973 through Dec. 28, 2005, as well as the Rush City Post from 1875 to 1972. Volunteers are always on hand to assist users with the microfilm.

FASCINATING MONTHLY PROGRAMS

NCHS hosts a monthly program with historical presentations of interest to the general public. Guest speakers include local historians, authors, collectors, craftsmen and other fascinating presenters.

The meetings are held at Rushseba Townhall, 7 p.m., on the first Tuesday of each month, April through December.  In the past, attendees have learned about Alvira Lundeen Johnson, who, along with her seven children, was found dead in a burned out house in Chisago County on April 11, 1933. Her husband was a prime suspect in their deaths, but was never found. Other topics have included Sally Moulton, who operated Moulton’s roller rink beginning in the late 1940s; Ronnie Hunt’s antique valentines; and a history of Plastech Corporation.

“Many ideas for speakers and topics come from our members at meetings and social events,” explained Wilcox. “The directors also make suggestions and explore various speakers and topics.”

The society has held an Ethnic Dinner potluck featuring recipes from other countries since 1984. For many years, it recognized the contributions local women have made during Women’s History Month in March.

Many local historians have contributed to the work of the North Chisago Historical Society over the years. They include Bev Heinrich, who currently serves as a librarian; as well as Margaret Johnson, Bob Knutsen, Bob Nelson, Bill Schneider, Orrin Olson, Ronnie Hunt, and many others.

Current officers are president Larry Hendrick, vice president Dave Schroeder, treasurer Nancy Schroeder and communications coordinator Ilene Olson Holmberg, all of Rush City; secretary and librarian Marian Eklund of Stanchfield; and directors Carl Heinrich, Marlin Gregerson and Deb Dahlberg, all of Rush City, and Lee Olson of Stanchfield.

Since its inception, the NCCHS has collected and preserved memorabilia and artifacts, including paintings by Effie Sheldon Bornhoft; made and installed signs identifying the Government Road (1988); placed identification signs at one-room schoolhouse sites (1993); and installed the U.S. Army tank at the Chisago County Fairgrounds as a Veteran’s Memorial (1998).

More information is available at www.nchsociety.org.

Article printed in the 2018 Rush City Community Guide.

Lakes Region EMS and LifeLink III partner to save lives

New ambulance base at Rush City airport benefits central Minnesota and western Wisconsin

by Tesha M. Christensen

Every day, the Lakes Region EMS touches lives throughout central Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Courtesy of a new hangar and EMS base at the Rush City airport, a medical helicopter has been added to the list of how Lakes Region EMS benefits the community.

With the LifeLink III air ambulance team stationed in Rush City four varying days a week for 10-hour days, the level of medical care has been enhanced. Air travel will cut time from many situations, saving minutes that can be the difference between fatality and survival.

Serious accidents are a small percentage of what the LifeLink helicopter helps with in the area, according to Michelle Anderson, education and community outreach manager for Lakes Region EMS. More frequently, the helicopter is used to more quickly transport those who have suffered a heart attack or stroke down to hospitals in the Twin Cities.

The thing is, you never know when you might really benefit from having a helicopter close.

The Rush City community found that out in 2015 when 14-year-old Jared Loomis collapsed in gym class.

His heart had stopped.

The ninth-grader was found lying unresponsive in the west lawn of the high school campus around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20. School staff began CPR, until Sgt. Jason Foster and Lake Region EMS staff took over.

The Life Link III helicopter happened to be stationed in the North Branch area that day. Its main base is in Anoka.

The helicopter soon landed on-site and airlifted Loomis to Children’s Hospital in St. Paul. He arrived in just 30 minutes. An MRI diagnosed his issue, and a defibrillator was put inside his chest to prevent life-threatening abnormally fast heart rhythms.

Thanks in part to the LifeLink helicopter, Jared Loomis is among the 1 percent of those who can resume a normal life after experiencing a heart episode like that. He made a full recovery.

NEW RUSH CITY BASE

According to LREMS Executive Director Aaron Reinert, the new hanger and base at Rush City Airport has brought hope to the community.

In 2016, Reinert knew that one of the greatest needs for LREMS was to replace the aging Rush City base. Built in the early 1980s, the structure had window and foundation leaks, and issues with the sewer lines. Yet all the different options LREMS had explored exceeded the limited financial resources available.

Lakes Region EMS does not receive any taxpayer subsidy, and self-funds operations through fees and insurance payments.

“Hope showed itself in the form of an incredibly generous donation from a local community resident, a business owner and philanthropist by the name of Dennis Frandsen,” said Reinert.

Frandsen owned an 80x80-foot hangar at the Rush City airport, and agreed to donate it to LREMS -- and provide additional resources to renovate it. The hanger already had a garage door on the non-air side of the airport that was a perfect fit for moving an ambulance in and out. Plus, it had some crew comfort such as a kitchen, bathrooms, and crew rest area, in addition to space for an aircraft.

Lakes Region took possession of the hangar in January 2016, and set about installing a new septic system and drainage system in the floor.

Upon completion, the new base has five sleeping rooms, a second floor for living quarters, and two separate living rooms. LREMS moved in shortly after the 2017 fly-in at the Rush City airport.

In addition to housing the LREMS crew, the hangar has space for the Life Link III air medical members, which include the pilot, flight nurse, the flight paramedic, the EMS paramedic and an EMT.

Life Link III’s advanced providers have years of hospital intensive care, emergency room or 911 experience. Clinical staff members undergo extensive, continual in-service education to ensure the most advanced critical care and technology are provided to any patient requiring specialized care. If needed, specialized teams and/or physicians will accompany Life Link III transport team members.

Within minutes of a request for transport, the Life Link III crews are en route, and interventions are performed in the aircraft when possible to minimize the time before the patient reaches definitive care. Life Link III’s transportation services are accredited by CAMTS (Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transportation Services), ensuring the highest standards of quality and safety are met on every transport.

In January, LifeLink launched OneLink™, a mobile app that allows hospitals and first responders to request air medical transport with the click of a button. Life Link III’s OneLink™ connects a mobile device, tablet or desktop directly to the Life Link III Communication Center to request an aircraft when critical care transport is necessary. All transport requests are transferred immediately to Life Link III’s computer aided dispatch (CAD) system to get the request initiated as quickly as possible – when time is of the essence and the patient condition is critical.

On board, Life Link crews can monitor and treat critically ill or injured patients, such as: multi-system trauma patients; spinal cord injury/neurological patients; head injury patients; high risk obstetrical patients; newborn intensive care patients; cardiac, pulmonary and internal medicine patients; burn patients; limb reattachment patients; transplant patients; and pediatric trauma and medical patients.

Life Link III provides air medical transportation for patients in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and throughout the United States via helicopter and airplane ambulance. It completes over 2,000 patient transports a year.

In 2016, the last year data is available for, LREMS responded to more than 5,106 ambulance requests, a 1% increase from 2015. There were 3,521 emergency patients served and 1,525 hospital transfers.

It isn’t just Chisago County that benefits from having the LifeLink helicopter stationed in Rush City, pointed out Anderson. Polk, Burnett, Pine and Isanti counties are also served by this base, as it touches thousands of people in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Article printed in the Rush City Community Guide.