2020 Vol 14, Issue 3 July Gem Lake News

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Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 Sales This year has been anything but normal. With bars and restaurants shut down for months, pull tab sales were non-existent. When the scholarship applications were reviewed by the council at the May Gem Lake City Council Meeting, it was decided to take a new approach. Given the pandemic, the balance on hand in the charitable gambling fund is currently a bit skimpy. Therefore, it was decided to give the fund a few months to get healthy again. Each of the three recipients of the scholarship will be awarded one third of whatever funds are available on September 1 of this year. Previous scholarships have been $1,000 each. Golf Course On the Mend Gem Lake Hills Golf Course is on the mend after major vandalism during the evening/early morning hours of May 3-4. Weeks of hard work went into repairing more than 20 damaged golf carts, graffiti on the club house, vandalized benches, and devastating damage to several of the greens. According to General Manager Matt Greer most of the damage has been dealt with. Restoration of two heavily impacted greens will take a while to heal completely, but the areas are doing well so far. The areas needed to be partially rebuilt, reseeded and leveled with a good deal of dirt. Vandals dug a coffin sized hole in one green and carved a picture of a body part in another. “Our customers have been very understanding.” Anyone with information is urged to contact the White Bear Lake Police Department, where leads are being pursued. “He has gained indispensable knowledge and skills through a variety of activities,” according to Angela Buckingham, a teacher at Mahtomedi High School. “Tyler’s participation on the football and basketball teams for MHS have given him the opportunity to learn the value of teamwork, time management and responsibility. I feel that Tyler will thrive in a challenging academic environment.” Tyler plans to attend St. Thomas University in the fall to study Communication, English and eventually, law. Griffin Varley graduated from Hill-Murray High School. His parents are Steve and Steph Varley. During his high school years, he spent four years in varsity baseball, three years in junior varsity hockey, two years in DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) and one year as a school Ambassador. School Ambassadors help to orient both students and parents to school programs and facilities. He achieved the “A” Honor Roll two years, and the “B” Honor Roll two years. He was awarded Science Wizard status in his Junior and Senior years. That means he was twice selected as Best in Class, once for Anatomy and once for Chemistry. His teachers recognized him for his tenacity and hard work. “Advanced Geometry is considered a particularly challenging course at Hill-Murray. Griffin demonstrated tenacity and grit in his assignments and in his coursework . In addition, Griffin has a logical and sequential mind that helps him to grasp both abstract and concrete ideas quickly. His is also confident in his ability and willing to ask for help when he has questions. This combination of skills helps Griffin to be an outstanding student,” according to Mathematics Teacher Renee Luther, from Hill-Murray High School. Griffin plans to attend St. John’s University and plans to study pre-physical therapy. After college he plans to enroll in Northwestern Health Sciences University to become a chiropractor. The Gem Lake Scholarship program is funded by charitable gambling within Gem Lake, meaning pull-tab sales. Normally, each month, the city received a portion of charitable gambling receipts. Funds were then regularly dispersed to organizations such as the White Bear Lake Area Emergency Food Shelf and Willow Lake Elementary School. Gem Lake Seniors Awarded Scholarships (continued from page 1)