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<br /> <br />Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Sales <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />County Sheriff. Years later, Gem Lake contracted with <br />White Bear Lake for police protection, but it still has <br />access to the Ramsey County Sheriff’s services. <br />Newer housing developments at Hilary Farm and the <br />Gem Lake Villas brought city water and sewer to <br />certain residential areas of the city. <br /> <br />Modern Gem Lake is a fully participating city in the <br />greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It <br />plays its role as it interacts with White Bear Lake, <br />Vadnais Heights, and White Bear Township (yes, the <br />Township still exists, the only such Township in <br />Ramsey County) to receive its essential services. <br />Gem Lake is part of the Vadnais Lake Area Water <br />Management Organization (VLAWMO) a body that <br />looks to protect ground and surface water resources <br />assuring that water is safe to drink yet does not <br />threaten to flood basements and yards. Gem Lake <br />participates in regional planning through the <br />Metropolitan Council. It works with Ramsey County <br />during elections. Its main arterial roads, LaBore Road, <br />Goose Lake Road, and Otter Lake Road are all <br />maintained by Ramsey County. Gem Lake contracts <br />with either other cities or private companies for snow <br />removal or road maintenance. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />This is the Gem Lake School, part of the White Bear <br />School District, located near Highway 61 and County E, <br />where the Barnett Car Dealership is now. About 1955? <br />Our thanks to City Council Member Jim Lindner for <br />writing this article. <br />Do you have historical photos of Gem Lake that you <br />can share with us? The City has a small data base of <br />photos that we would like to expand as possible. You <br />can email your photos to: <br />Melissa.lawrence@gemlakemn.org. <br />to being suddenly included in White Bear Lake. <br />White Bear Lake represented smaller lots with <br />city water and sewer, the cost of which was borne <br />by the residents in the form of assessments on <br />their property taxes. Large acre estates or farms <br />would pay a dear price should they be assessed <br />for city water and sewer. To prevent the <br />annexation from becoming final, several Gem <br />Lake residents filed suit in state court challenging <br />the right of White Bear Lake to expand into Gem <br />Lake. The Minnesota Supreme Court agreed that <br />Gem Lake’s ties were closer to St. Paul than to <br />White Bear Lake and overturned the annexation <br />vote. <br /> <br />Gem Lake was once again part of White Bear <br />Township, but the writing was on the wall. <br />Annexation likely would not be overturned a <br />second time, so before White Bear Lake could <br />redo its annexation vote, Gem Lake residents <br />voted to form their own city and created the <br />Village of Gem Lake. <br /> <br />Governing a small area with a small population <br />sounds simple and easy, but the reality is that <br />people have certain needs and will look to their <br />elected officials to provide those needs. Police <br />protection, a fire department, road maintenance, <br />and schools are just a few things that people <br />expect their government to provide. Given its <br />small size, Gem Lake was in no position to create <br />all of these services on its own. It relied on its <br />neighbors to lend assistance. White Bear Lake’s <br />school district included Gem Lake’s children in its <br />schools. White Bear Lake’s fire department <br />agreed to provide service to Gem Lake. Ramsey <br />County also provided services. For many years <br />Gem Lake’s police was supplied by the Ramsey <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Henry Hoffman, Gem Lake’s first Mayor. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Gem Lake History in a Nutshell--Concluded <br /> <br />