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Pilot-Independent
www.walkermn.com
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
■
Community News Since 1897
■
Vol. 116 No. 41
■
Walker, MN
■
4 Sections 58 Pages
■
$1.25
Walker Home Center’s Burger Battle raises $2,533 for Boys and Girls Club
by Gail DeBoer
Staff writer
gdeboer@pilotindependent.
com
The first-ever Burger Battle
last weekend at Walker Home
Center was quite the success
as more than 500 guests enjoyed the outdoor grilling
competition among eight local restaurants.
When it was all over, Village Square won the Judges’
Choice Award, while Chase
on the Lake’s 502 Restaurant took the People’s Choice
Award.
Other participants were
Bayside Bar and Grill, Beachfire Bar and Grill, Cafe Zona
Rosa, Lucky Moose Bar and
Grill, Tianna Golf Course and
the Walker American Legion.
“The voting was extremely close,” said Jeff Holly of
Walker Home Center. “In fact
it was so close that we had to
do recounts.”
Judges were Cass County
Sheriff Tom Burch, Bernie
Schuhmacher of the KDKK
Radio Network, Dan Voss and
Jody Tower of RP Broadcasting and grilling expert extraordinare Jeff Gerdes.
But the biggest winner of
the day was the Leech Lake
Boys and Girls Club, which
received $2,533.13 in proceeds raised from the $10
each guest paid to sample 10
burgers.
All ingredients, including
hundreds of pounds of ham-
burger for the Burger Battle,
were donated by participating restaurants, with Walker
Home Center providing tables, tents, power and other
items for the set-up. Stacy
Christiansen of Simply Stacy
did much of the pre-event
preparations.
Holly estimated that well
over 2,500 burger samples
were distributed. Wine and
beer tasting to showcase the
First burger battle
Continued on page 13A
WCCO’s ‘Goin’ to the Lake’
coming to Walker Aug. 14-15
The fun and excitement of for Eelpout Festival. Jason
the third annual “Goin’ to the DeRusha and Jamie Yuccas
Lake” series continues, with will travel north to showcase The
Holding
up the People’s •
Choice
trophy were The 502’s emt us online
Pilot-Independent
Page 13A
the second set of location vis- what the Leech Lake area has ployees
(from left) Amie
Theresa Grey and Zita
Wednesday,
June Ysteboe,
11, 2014
w.walkermn.com
its being released.
to offer.
Dippold. Photos by Dean Morrill
New to this year’s “Goin’
WCCO-TV kicked off
this summer’s “Goin’ to the to the Lake” series is the adLake” series May 29, which dition of WCCO Radio. Each
airs every Thursday and Fri- Friday a member of the Newsinued from page 3A
Continued
from page 1A
Radio, 830 WCCO team will
day throughout
the summer,
wrapping up Aug. 14-15 in broadcast live on location.
Expanding
on Moon
the sumWalker on Leech
secondLake.
annual Moondance
Harvest
team by
andGail
prepared
— pizzas on a barbecue
University graduate who maDeBoer
the renters, four units at a time, for twoTwo council members explained they
mertime
from previYes,had
for the
secondOct.
time4 in
Festival
was also
very series
well-attended.
grill! Staff writer
jored in math and science.
stretches while remodeling is being other commitments, but Mayor Cihajust
admitted
over a year,
WCCO
will
Walker’s own Leech Lake‘Goin’
Brewingtobrought
Food Network celebrity chef Linkie
Shearen distributed a coungdeboer@pilotindependent.
.
apologetically, “I have no excuses”be
forinmissthe Lake’Friday,
Walker,
but
this
time
samples of their craft beers, with a total of 22 Marais
grilled up a variety of gourmet appetizty map showing where AIS
com
The VillageDave
Square,
(from left)
Erin
Haefele, Theresa Bilaintenance Supervisor
Hoopman
ing the
event.
Continued
on
page
10A
during the craft
summer
and
not
brews represented and served.
ers, entrees
and desserts
served
of
inspectors,
access car counStephanie
Shearen
will tobethrongs
ben
took
Judge’swho
Choice
trophy.
been installing
theand
newGary
cedarBilben,
fencing
at the Larson,
is also
a member of the HackThe Walker American Legion Color Guard onlookers.
coordinating Aquatic Inva- ters, inspectors and counters,
park. In the process he noticed that sev- ensack Lions, reported that the Lions have
started
off
the
Burger
Battle
with
a
bang,
literSaturday
featured
grill
demos
by
Weber
and
sive Species (AIS) preven- and DNR inspectors will be
wood flower planters have deteriorated been sprucing up the park in preparation for
Egg, more
samplespublic
preparedlocated.
by ceeither need to be replaced or torn out. The a busy summer. The Lions have reshingled ally, as they brought a cannon that they lit and Big Green
tion efforts
at selected
fired.
lebrity
chef
Linkie throughout
Marais andCass
valuable door
Seventeen “car counters”
cil voted to remove the rotten planters for the pavilion, done some painting and powerboat
landings
“It was really loud! I had no idea!” Holly prizes.County this summer.
will be counting how many
In the future, they may be replaced with washed the picnic tables, which will be paintremarked.
HollyEarlier
said participating
restaurants
comeable planters. The council complimented ed by the Boy Scouts.
this spring, the vehicles use boat landings, on
RP Broadcasting also was serving burgers mented that they enjoyed how the what
eventdays and at what time
pman on the new fencing.
county board assigned AIS
during the event, and Faith and Action for Cass brought them together with competitors
and
ve had 10-15 people tell me the fence
In other action the council
prevention efforts to the Cass of day. This information will
County
sold
raffle
tickets
for
their
2014
Polaris
other
businesses
to
work
together
to
benefit
s great!” declared Mayor Larry Ciha.
Approved closure of Church Street, which
County Soil and Water Con- be used to decide where and
Ranger
fundraiser.
the
community.
d Damm of the Hackensack Lions re- runs through the parking lot of Sacred Heart
servation
District
AIS prevention
The Boys and Girls Club brought in a bouncWith
the success
of the (SWCD),
first Burger Battle,
d on the Lions Open House May 8 at Catholic Church, on July 12 from noon to 9
which
hired
Shearen
ing
house
to
keep
the
kids
entertained.
Holly
said
the
date
is
alreadyin
setmidfor the second
Continued on page 10A
Community Building. The 2.5 hour event p.m. for an outdoor mass and picnic.
May.
She
is
a
Bemidji
State
And Harry’s Bar of Hill City arrived with Burger Battle — June 5, 2015.
a success, with representatives of organiAccepted a bid of $3,100 and approved rens, businesses, churches and individual pairs to a stretch of street near Bob Hornsby’s their “All Sauced Up and Smokin’” barbecue
ents attending. However, the city council house, as discussed in June.
not represented.
News
weetheart Days
First Burger Battle
alker City Council
inued from page 3A
AIS prevention efforts begin
at selected county landings
Walker man sentenced
to 100 months in prison
Darren Joseph Sayers, 45, of Walker, has been sentenced to
serve 100 months in prison after pleading guilty to criminal
sexual conduct in the third degree in Cass County.
The complaint filed by the Cass County Attorney’s Office
alleged that on Sept. 1, 2013, Sayers engaged in sexual intercourse with a female who was physically helpless.
Judge David Harrington committed Sayers to the Commissioner of Corrections immediately. Sayers is subject to predatory registration and conditional release when discharged from
prison.
Approved a conditional
Accepted a proposal of
he 2014-15 Minnesota
ciation of Small Cities use permit with Verizon for an $18,150 from Bemidji Bitualteration to the telecommu- minous Inc. for repairing asbership dues.
pproved paying Cass nications tower that includes phalt damaged by water main
nty Highway Department new panels. The panels will breaks.
Entered into an agreement
69.15 for concrete, crack enhance the coverage area.
Approved moving forward with the Circle of Time Comnt and sand usage.
viewed invitation from with working to develop a mittee for the completion of
h Lake Band of Ojibwe Rural Residential Zone for a the statue park. The agreeCass County for a Well- portion of the Industrial Park ment states all statues, the
into residential single fam- bench and accessories will
Court picnic.
Installation
ofneighborhood
a huge concrete
culvert/tunnel
underneath
Highway
withbox
private
be maintained
at all times;
a 371 began June 2 near the US Forest Service
pproved application
for ily
headquarters
City Park.
construction
is expected
andWalker
septic systems
per-Road
flower
garden ring
one-foot to be finished by June 20. The tunnel, which is
orary liquor license
for welland
part
nal Phase
V of County.
the Shingobee
Connection
Bike
Trail Project,
will be used
cyclists
and pedestrians
and pineapple dessert to a long line of guests.
mitted
by Cass
The wide
will be
planted
and Celebrity
Walker Rotary for
Julyof4,the fi
chef by
Linkie
Marais
serves a grilled
included
Block 2, crossing
lots maintained
by the committee
ngent upon submittal
of area
will provide
a safe
and convenient
of the highway.
It connectsPhoto
to a new
bike trail leading from city park to
submitted
4-13 and Block 1, lots 6-9.
at no cost
or Walker
staff time
to the
ficate of liability
theinsurWalker-Hackensack-Akeley
School campus
and
Area
Community Center. During construction, traffic
In addition,
Ulteig willsite city;
and for the
lighting
of the Through traffic and truck traffic is diverted
is detoured around
the construction
via Walker
Bay
Boulevard.
Bike trail tunnel installed near Walker City Park
Candidates file for
office on final day