2021 Vol 15, Issue 1 January Gem Lake News

Home

Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 Sales The SBA is currently offering First Draw PPP Loans for first-time participants and Second Draw PPP Loans for certain businesses who have previously received a PPP loan. On Friday, January 15, the SBA began accepting applications from participating small lenders. Several days later, it began accepting PPP loan applications from all participating lenders. As a reminder, you must apply for a PPP loan through a participating lender, not the SBA. Lender Match can help you find a participating lender. Who Were Hoffman, Tessier, LaBore and Scheuneman? Most of us pass street signs hundreds of times a year without knowing much about the folks they were named after. Sound familiar? Here are a few facts about several local streets and their name origins. Hoffman Road is named after Henry Hoffman (1898- 1986), whose family first came to the area in the 1890’s. Henry owned the land that is now commonly known as “Hoffman Corners” or “Hoffman’s Corner” at the intersection of Highway 61 and County Road E. He was a progressive businessman and family man. He also served for over a decade as Gem Lake’s first mayor, beginning in 1959. Tessier Road is named after Joe Tessier who operated a farm and apple orchard approximately where Structural Wood Company is today. Tessier Road was originally his driveway. He was born around 1900 and died “about thirty years ago,” according to relations still in the area. The origins of LaBore Road are less definite. It may be named after Antoine LaBore, an early settler to the area, who was of French-Canadian descent. His name begins to show up on land surveys of the area around 1847. Antoine LaBore owned land in what is now known as Gem Lake, as early as 1874, as did family members Joseph, Leon and Damasa. Scheuneman Road is reportedly named after Augie Scheuneman, a local farmer. The street was an unpaved country lane for decades. Mapquest and other on-line mapping services have not made up their minds on correct spelling. You may find the street as Schuneman, Schuman, Scheunemann, and others! The Gem Lake City Council thanks former council member Faith Kuny for her years of service to Gem Lake. Faith moved to the city about 10 years ago and began with a stint on the city’s Planning Commission. She chaired the group for a while and worked on projects such as a major revision of the City’s Ordinance 43K, as it pertained to residential zoning rules. She was elected to a position on the Gem Lake City Council in 2012 and again in 2016. During her eight years of council membership, Faith worked on many significant projects, including bringing municipal water to the business district, the Gem Lake Villas Development, several road projects, and a variety of other items. She is very proud of working on the effort to bring the White Bear Police force into Gem Lake as our law enforcement agency. She was passionate about trying to bring more trails and public open space to her city. Faith was known for her preparation and thoughtful questions at meetings. Due to moving out of the city recently, she was unable to run for another term. She will be greatly missed! Help Available for Local Businesses Small businesses in our community are encouraged to contact their lenders for PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loans. The application process has started and will go fast. Check with the Small Business Administration for more details. The Paycheck Protection Program provides loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the COVID-19 crisis. Thank You to Former City Council Member Faith Kuny