Spring has sprung, and the welcome mat is out at the Hitching Post, where a newly- remodeled bar and dining area combine to set the perfect back- drop for relaxing over a refresh- ing drink and a delicious meal. Conveniently located between Clearwater and Annan- dale on Hwy. 24, the Hitching Post has built a strong reputa- tion for its fine food and friend- ly atmosphere. Donny and Stacy Handeland invite Maple Lake-area residents to take a short drive and discover what many of their neighbors already know – that good eating and top-notch service are really just minutes away. “We’re just nine miles from Maple Lake,” said Donny. “We’re proud to be one of Maple Lake’s favorite spots to go.” As general manager and head chef, Donny’s been at the Hitch- ing Post’s helm for three of the four years it’s been open. His brother, Tom, who runs a simi- lar establishment in Marshall as well as LeRoy’s in Cotton- wood, took ownership of the former Lake Center Bar and Grill in April 2011. From its inception, the Hitching Post has been a busy place – a popu- lar spot for people of all ages to gather, relax and unwind. Specialties served with pride Starting out in the late 70s, the Handeland brothers share nearly four decades of restaurant industry experience. Donny – who honed his culinary skills at St. Cloud Technical and Com- munity College before cooking at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Lincoln Del – is proud to offer a generous menu that includes everything from the great Amer- ican staples to a couple of his own mouthwatering in-house specialties. “We have our own smoker now,” Donny said. “We smoke beef brisket in the kitchen, and we serve beef brisket sandwich- es in two different styles. It’s really good – it’s delicious.” In addition to several new sauces and a new chicken dish that’s “fantastic,” Donny said, “We cook our own ribs here, too. And we make each one of our rib dishes per order – they’re not kept hot on a steam table all day.” A two-time spare rib blue- ribbon winner at Taste of Buffa- lo, Handeland takes his reputa- tion for making excellent food in stride, but not for granted. His menu, he said, is in a con- stant process of re-evaluation and change, and new items are added on a regular basis. An intrepid staff of about 20 employees adds its own person- al touches to the Hitching Post’s warm ambience, provid- ing great food with attentive service. “Our staff is really good,” said Donny. “They are unmatched, if you ask me. They are experienced, they’re well- rounded. We have great bar- tenders and great servers. They really are excellent. I’m very proud of all of them.” His wife, Stacy, manages the wait staff and handles adminis- trative duties. The Maple Lake The Maple Lake Messenger Extra, April 2015 A publication of the Maple Lake Messenger - Distributed to 5,000 area homes & businesses By Katie Friedman Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday: Closed (320) 963-3813 Fax: (320) 963-6114 218 Division Street West Post Office Box 817 Maple Lake, MN 55358 [email protected][email protected]mapleakemessenger.com The Hitching Post: Great food, friendly service, minutes away. maplelakemessenger.com The Hitching Post Continued on page 2 Top: The Hitching Post is conveniently situated between Clearwater and Annandale on Hwy. 24. Above: Stacy and Donny Handeland (center), with employees Ashley Gries, Amy Ellestad, Tracy Rapinac, Josh Glunz (standing), Crystal Long and Lisa Beuning, converge at a corner of the Hitching Post’s newly expanded bar. (Photos by Katie Friedman) The Maple Lake The Maple Lake usiness uzz B Waitresses Rachael Miller (foreground) and Bridget Beckman exemplify the Hitching Post’s amiable work ethic, serving up great food with friendly smiles. “If the Hitching Post isn’t your favorite place to eat, then you’ve never been here.” (Photo by Katie Friedman) Next Meeting: May 5 at 7 p.m. Huikko’s Bowling in Buffalo Order KEGS Early! www.mlwine-spirits.com Gift Cards Available! Monday-Wednesday: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. • Thursday-Saturday: 9 a.m.-10 p.m.• Sunday: Closed Next to Cenex • 901 State Hwy. 55 East, Maple Lake • 320.963.3715 $6.99 6-packs Samuel Adams Lager Seasonal Summer Ale Blue Moon Belgian White Rider IPA • White IPA CRAFT BEERS of the Month April’s Wine of the Month All Varieties 750ml • reg. $9.99 $7.99 Mail-In Rebate! $4 Off 4 Bottles $13 Off 8 Bottles $24 Off 12 Bottles Join Today & Experience Maple Lake’s BUSCH LIGHT 24-12 oz. bottles $16.99 reg. $18.99 STRONGBOW Hard Apple Cider $14.99 12 bottles - Variety Pack NEW! Maple Lake Brewfest Saturday, June 6, 2015 Sampling from 2:00 5:00 pm Entertainment Mitch Gordon and the Unleaded Band Ticket Prices: $20-In Advance $25-At the Door $5-Designated Driver ***Must be 21+ with a valid photo ID*** BREW FEST Buy your tickets here! On sale now! Join the party at Maple Lake’s first ever Brewfest, June 6, 2015 in conjunction with our 125th Anniversary Celebration! BREW FEST SUMMERS NEWEST SENSATION! COORS LIGHT CITRUS RADLER 4 pack - 16 oz. cans $3.99
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Transcript
Spring has sprung, and thewelcome mat is out at theHitching Post, where a newly-remodeled bar and dining areacombine to set the perfect back-drop for relaxing over a refresh-ing drink and a delicious meal.
Conveniently locatedbetween Clearwater and Annan-dale on Hwy. 24, the HitchingPost has built a strong reputa-tion for its fine food and friend-ly atmosphere. Donny andStacy Handeland invite MapleLake-area residents to take ashort drive and discover whatmany of their neighbors alreadyknow – that good eating andtop-notch service are really justminutes away.
“We’re just nine miles fromMaple Lake,” said Donny.“We’re proud to be one ofMaple Lake’s favorite spots togo.”
As general manager and headchef, Donny’s been at the Hitch-ing Post’s helm for three of thefour years it’s been open. Hisbrother, Tom, who runs a simi-lar establishment in Marshall aswell as LeRoy’s in Cotton-wood, took ownership of theformer Lake Center Bar andGrill in April 2011. From itsinception, the Hitching Posthas been a busy place – a popu-lar spot for people of all ages togather, relax and unwind.
Specialties servedwith pride
Starting out in the late 70s,the Handeland brothers sharenearly four decades of restaurantindustry experience. Donny –who honed his culinary skills atSt. Cloud Technical and Com-munity College before cookingat the Hyatt Regency Hotel andLincoln Del – is proud to offera generous menu that includeseverything from the great Amer-ican staples to a couple of hisown mouthwatering in-housespecialties.
“We have our own smokernow,” Donny said. “We smokebeef brisket in the kitchen, andwe serve beef brisket sandwich-es in two different styles. It’sreally good – it’s delicious.”
In addition to several newsauces and a new chicken dishthat’s “fantastic,” Donny said,“We cook our own ribs here,too. And we make each one ofour rib dishes per order – they’renot kept hot on a steam table allday.”
A two-time spare rib blue-ribbon winner at Taste of Buffa-lo, Handeland takes his reputa-tion for making excellent foodin stride, but not for granted.His menu, he said, is in a con-stant process of re-evaluationand change, and new items areadded on a regular basis.
An intrepid staff of about 20employees adds its own person-al touches to the HitchingPost’s warm ambience, provid-ing great food with attentiveservice.
“Our staff is really good,”said Donny. “They areunmatched, if you ask me. Theyare experienced, they’re well-rounded. We have great bar-tenders and great servers. Theyreally are excellent. I’m veryproud of all of them.”
His wife, Stacy, manages thewait staff and handles adminis-trative duties.
The Maple LakeThe Maple Lake
Messenger Extra, April 2015 A publication of the Maple Lake Messenger - Distributed to 5,000 area homes & businesses
Next to Cenex • 901 State Hwy. 55 East, Maple Lake • 320.963.3715
$6.99 6-packsSamuel Adams LagerSeasonal Summer Ale
Blue Moon Belgian WhiteRider IPA • White IPA
CRAFT BEERSof the Month
April’s Wine of the Month
All Varieties750ml • reg. $9.99
$7.99Mail-In
Rebate!
$4 Off 4 Bottles$13 Off 8 Bottles$24 Off 12 Bottles
Join Today & ExperienceMaple Lake’s
BUSCH LIGHT24-12 oz. bottles
$16.99reg. $18.99
STRONGBOWHard Apple Cider
$14.9912 bottles - Variety Pack
NEW!
Maple Lake Brewfest
Saturday, June 6, 2015 Sampling from 2:00 5:00 pm Entertainment Mitch Gordon and the Unleaded Band
Ticket Prices: $20-In Advance $25-At the Door $5-Designated Driver ***Must be 21+ with a valid photo ID***
BREWFEST
Buy your tickets here! On sale now!Join the party at Maple Lake’s
first ever Brewfest, June 6, 2015in conjunction with our
125th Anniversary Celebration!
BREWFEST
SUMMERS NEWESTSENSATION!
COORS LIGHTCITRUSRADLER
4 pack - 16 oz. cans
$3.99
Maple Lake Messenger Extra Page 2
The Hitching PostContinued from page 1
“Stacy is the glue of theplace,” Donny said. “Withouther, we’d crumble.”
Positive change The Hitching Post under-
went a tasteful remodelingprocess over the winter, closingfor the month of February andreopening in March with a floorplan that’s more open and yet,more intimate, as well.
Most notable is the expandedbar: Converted from an L-shapeto something more like a horse-shoe, it seats nearly twice asmany people as before, and ismuch more conducive to eyecontact and conversation.
“The new bar is beautiful,”Donny said. “People love it. It’schanged our whole bar crowd.People who never sat herebefore sit here all the time now.By having three corner areas,four people can sit and talk toeach other at each one. It’s real-ly changed the whole characterof our bar, and it’s reallyincreased our bar crowd, too.”
The Hitching Post features aHappy Hour from 4-5:30 p.m.Monday through Friday, andmeat raffles every Saturday at2:30 p.m. On Tuesday nights,customers are invited to playKeys for Cash, a free-to-play
progressive jackpot, with adrawing at 7:30 p.m.
Groups are always welcome,as are parties and celebrations.Catering service is also avail-able, either pickup or onsite, forbackyard barbecues, weddings,grad parties and more. The
Hitching Post can be found at10480 State Hwy. 24 NW.Kitchen hours are 4-9 p.m.Mondays and Tuesdays, 11a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday-Satur-day, and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun-days. For more information,call 320-274-5400.
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Top: A grinning Muskie at the front door adds a local
touch to a friendly welcome. Above: The Hitching Post
is a popular spot for people of all ages to gather, relax
and unwind. (Photos by Katie Friedman)
Member FDIC
Buffalo 910 Commercial Dr
888-KLEIN-4U | kleinbank.com
Proud to support our community.Happy Hour
Monday-Friday4-6 p.m. &
during meat raffle
MeatRaffles on
Saturdays at 2:30 p.m.
320-274-5400 • Open 7 Days a WeekBetween Clearwater & Annandale
Mon. & Tue. Open at 4 p.m. • Wed. thru Sun. Open at 11 a.m.Kitchen hours: Sun. thru Tue. Close at 9 p.m. • Wed. thru Sat. Close at 10 p.m.
Lions Pull Tabs • License #02921
“If The Hitching Post isn’t your favorite place to eat,then you’ve never been here!”
www.northstargranitetops.comFabricators of Natural Stone Tops
for kitchens, baths, bars, fireplaces, etc.
320-963-TOPS (8677)Call for your FREE in-home estimate!
Roger’s BP Amoco
OPEN DAILY • 320-963-6555300 Hwy. 55 West • Maple Lake
Car Wash • Food Shop
Smash Hit Subs • Hot Stuff Pizza
Eat In or Take OutSupporting our Community for Over 40 Years!For employment opportunities, visit us at mpnexlevel.com,
or stop in at 500 County Road 37 East, Maple Lake.
500 County Road 37 East • Maple Lake
320.963.2400 • www.mpnexlevel.com
Upcoming Red Cross blood drivesDonors of all types are encouraged to help save
lives by giving blood. Appointments can be madeby calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or visiting red-crossblood.org. Upcoming blood donation opportu-nities in Wright County: April 28, 1 - 7 p.m., St.James Lutheran Church, 1000 6th Ave., HowardLake; May 2, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Buffalo CountryStore, 101 8th St. NE, Buffalo; May 7,12 - 6p.m., Preferred Choice Chiropractic, 703 ThielenDrive SE, St. Michael.
Nunsense Auditions is May 4 & 5Are you interested in singing and dancing with
the little sisters of Hoboken? SOAR Regional Artsannounces auditions for Nunsense, The SecondComing on Monday, May 4 and Tuesday, May 5from 6-9 p.m. at St. Michael City Center, 11800Town Center Dr. in St. Michael. Women must be15 or older to audition. Please prepare a song andbring sheet music for the accompanist. Dress formovement. Also, bring a headshot, if you haveone. If not, one will be taken at auditions. Per-formances are June 18-21 at Maple Lake HighSchool and June 25-28 at St. Albert's Parish Cen-ter.
Jeff Nothnagel Cancer Benefit After a courageous 6 month battle with kidney
cancer, Jeff Nothnagel passed away on March 13th.Jeff leaves behind his wife and children who needyour support for mounting medical bills and funer-al expenses. Please join in celebrating the life ofJeff and help the Nothnagel family at a benefit onSaturday, May 9, at the Maple Lake AmericanLegion Club. There will be a pork chop dinner, raf-fles, silent auction and music. Dinner will be avail-able from 4-6 p.m. and is provided by B & P Cater-ing. Silent Auction will end around 7 p.m. If youwould like to make a donation or have questionsplease contact: Jeremy Nothnagel at 612-369-2930,Jenny Carlson at 763-614-7810 or Sara Stempler at763-300-2398.
Identity theft informational brunch IWright County Sheriff Joe Hagerty will be
sharing important information to help you stay safeand smart. Join this important brunch at St. John'sLutheran Church in Annandale on May 14 at 9:30a.m. Simply call Eleanor at 320-274-5460 orDawn at 612-723-3905 for reservations, and don'tforget to invite a friend. The brunch will alsoinclude wonderful music and a captivating diologueby speakers Jodi Repinski & Diane Beers of Still-water. This event is sponsored by Stonecroft Min-istries.
Fit for Life: Holy Spirit Academy 5k Holy Spirit Academy in Monticello is hosting
its first annual Fit for Life 5k fundraiser on Satur-day, May 16. The event starts at St. Henry’sCatholic Church with a 1k kid’s fun run at 9:30a.m. and the chip timed 5k at 10 a.m. Come enjoythis family event and support a great cause. All agesand abilities welcome. Discounted registration forfamily teams. Visit www.hsfitforlife.com to regis-ter or to find more information.
CHF Buffalo Stampede 5K Walk/RunThe 2015 CHF Walk-Run is now called the
CHF Buffalo Stampede 5K Walk/Run. This is the6th annual family-friendly 5K walk/run. The 5K isheld in support of Lakeside Oasis which opened itsdoors in July 2014. The 2015 CHF Buffalo Stam-pede 5K is Sunday, May 17, at Sturges Park inBuffalo. The walk/run begins at 1:00 p.m. Regis-tration is now open online atwww.chfwc.org/events, find Buffalo Stampede.
Maple Lakes 125th Anniversary Maple Lakes 125th Anniversary Celebration is
Saturday, June 6. The day will begin with an AllSchool Reunion open house from 10:30 a.m. to1:30 p.m. An Irish Scramble 9 hole golf tourna-ment will start at 9 a.m. at Whispering Pines. Takea walking historical tour of Maple Lake from 12 to6 p.m. Maps will be available at local businesses.City Hall will also have a historical display andvideo playing throughout the day. Family bowlingfrom 1 to 4 p.m. at Maple Lake Bowl for just thecost of shoes. Don Bursell will be presenting afamily entertainment show with juggling, unicy-cles and illusions at the Fire Hall with shows at 2and 3:15 p.m. The craft Brewfest will be held from2 to 5 p.m. Sample over 50 different kinds of craftbeer while listening to Mitch Gordon and TheUnleaded Band and cast your vote for the TastersChoice award. Maple Lake Lions will be servingburgers, brats and more on Division near Birchthroughout the day. From 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Out-side Recess will be performing at the Street Dance.Fireworks sponsored by the Maple Lake Lions willconclude the night beginning at 10:30 p.m.
Check out ancestry.com at ML LibraryPatrons of the Maple Lake Library are encour-
aged to stop in and check out your family historyon ancestry.com for free. So come join us at thelibrary, take advantage of this opportunity, and dis-cover your roots. Library hours are Monday and Fri-day from 12 to 6 p.m., Wednesday from 12 to 8p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Programs & Events
02/23/15 - 04/24/15: Bowfishing - 2015 early season -south of Hwy 210 only on lakes and on Minnesota, Mississippior St. Croix rivers, from boats only.
04/18/15 - 09/14/15: Stream Trout in streams SE - 2015season
04/18/15 - 09/30/15: Stream Trout in streams, except SE- 2015 season
04/25/15 - 02/28/16: Bowfishing - 2015 season04/25/15 - 02/14/16: Bullhead, Redhorse, other rough fish
05/09/15 - 05/22/15: Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass -2015 early Catch and Release season Only -South and West ofU.S. Hwy 53 from Duluth to International Falls except Pelicanand Ash lakes in St. Louis County
South and West of U.S. Hwy 53 from Duluth to InternationalFalls except Pelican and Ash lakes in St. Louis County
05/23/15 - 02/28/16: Largemouth Bass - 2015 season -South and West of US Hwy 53 from Duluth to International Fallsexcept Pelican and Ash Lakes in St. Louis County
Used Boats/Motors/TrailersDock-Rite Docks & Lifts • Pontoon Trailers
Mercury Motors • Parts & AccessoriesStorage & Winterizing
Montego BayPontoons
MirrocraftBoats
FULL SERVICE (ALL BRANDS)2238 - 196th Street East • Clearwater
320-558-9422 • www.z-marine.com1-94 to Clearwater exit, S. on Hwy. 24 to 179 Street (Cty. 145) 1/3 mile on right side
Roger’s BP Amoco
Non-Oxygenated PremiumFuel
320-963-6555300 Hwy 55 • Maple Lake
Now Available!
Don’t forget to drive thru our
CRYSTAL CLEAN
CAR WASH
Goodfor... Boats, Small Engines,
Lawn Mowers, Vintage Vehicles,Motorcycles, ATVs and more!
OVER 50 YEARS IN THE AUTO RECYCLING BUSINESS
JUNK CARS/TRUCKSOLD FARM MACHINERY
wire fencing, barbed wire, chain link fencing, hog panels & more! car or pick-up truck tires - rim
mounted only. no semi or tractor tires.
CALL US! 320-274-8497$ $ PAYING TOP DOLLAR $ $
Recreational boating reachesits peak when the weatherwarms up and people take towaterways in droves. Spending aday on the water enjoying thescenery or trying your luck atfishing are popular pastimes.
Following proper boatingpractices and etiquette can pro-tect everyone onboard. Althoughensuring passenger safetyshould be a priority, safeguard-ing against environmentalimpacts while boating alsoshould be a concern.
Marinas and various marineareas can become contaminatedwith pollutants generated fromboating activities. Boat clean-ing, fueling and marine head dis-charge are just a few of the pol-lutants that can find their waysinto the water. A past studyfound that boat anchoring alsois a considerable threat tomarine habitats, as vulnerableecologies can be damaged by
anchors.Although there are regula-
tions in place to protect marinelife and ecosystems, these rulesaren't always adhered to. Recre-ational boaters can do their partto keep oceans, bays, rivers, andlakes pristine by adhering tosome sound advice.
· Reduce engine exhaust.Whenever possible, row, paddleor use sails to decrease engineuse and subsequent exhaust.When engines must be used, donot idle unnecessarily. Alwayssteer clear of the aft of the boat,where fuel fumes and carbonmonoxide can cause serioushealth implications.
· Keep trash on the vessel.Do not discard any items overthe side of the boat. Even seem-ingly harmless items can impactthe environment. Store garbagein a bag and dispose of it prop-erly when you return to themarina or dock. Secure items
onboard so they will not blowoff and end up in the water.
· Avoid antifouling paints.Antifouling paints are specialpaints applied to the undersideof vessels to prevent or slowdown the growth of barnaclesand other organisms. MaritimeNew Zealand notes that thesepaints can harm other sea lifeand prove dangerous whenscraped off and not discardedproperly.
· Keep boats in proper work-ing order. Poorly maintainedboats may harm the environ-ment. Inefficiently workingengines can produce moreexhaust and contaminate the airand water. Oil and other mechan-ical fluids can leak into thewater and affect the marine envi-ronment. Proper maintenancehelps keep boats safe and mini-mizes their impact on the envi-ronment.
· Use pump-out stations.
Pump out stations at marinasenable boaters to safely disposeof the contents from sanitarysystems without waste endingup in the water. Commercialships, such as tankers and bulkcargo carriers, have the addedthreat of ballast water. Ballastwater keeps vessels buoyant.However, when this water is dis-charged at the next port of call,it can transfer biological materi-als, like bacteria and plants,from foreign waters. Thesematerials can compromise theintegrity of ecological systems.
· Respect marine ecosys-tems. Boaters who plan to enterthe water and explore shouldtread delicately. Coastal areasoften play home to birds andother wildlife. Use cautionaround reefs and habitats.
Safe boating involves fol-lowing the rules of the water andalso keeping marine environ-ments clean and protected
Protect the environment with safe boating
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Maple Lake Messenger Extra Page 4
Spring Cleaning & Organizing? We have the extra space you need!Moving Boxes & Storage Supplies For Sale
We rent Tables & Chairs!Maple Lake & Annandale Locations
320-274-SHED (7433)www.aministorage.biz
AMERICANMini Storage, LLC
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Don’t cut into your weekend time mowing,cut your mowing time and enjoy your weekend.
Decks, Pergolas and Gazebos,Landscape Lighting, Hydro Seeding,
Lakeshore Renovation,Water Features, Outdoor Living
“Turning Dreams Into Reality”
Kramer Sales & Services610 Oak Ave. N • Maple Lake • 320-963-3733
Visit your local dealer & test drive one today!
BRING PREMIUM TO YOUR LAWN
REGENTTM BROADMOORTM CONQUESTTM LEGACY XLTM
*Consider terrain, slope and grass conditions in selecting proper operating speed.Results of Suspension Comfort System™ depend on grass/yard conditions.
Appliance Recycling DayIt’s Your Chance to Dispose of Items at a Minimum Cost
Saturday, May 169 a.m. to 1 p.m.
NO ITEMS WILL BEACCEPTED BEFORE OR AFTER
SCHEDULED HOURS.
The City Maintenance Shop
441 Oak Avenue SouthMaple Lake
$5 Per Household ApplianceIncludes: refrigerator, freezer, water heater,
range/stove, washer, dryer, dishwasher, trash compactor,garbage disposal and air conditioners.
Computers & TV Sets: $20 Each • Microwaves: $10 Each
* NOT ACCEPTING Sulfur Dioxide (SO-2) or Gas Ammonia RefrigeratorsWe cannot accept glass, paint, liquids, carpeting,
wood or burnable materials, food, debris, water softeners, mattresses, humidifiers, de-humidifiers or hazardous waste.
• ADDITIONAL CLEAN-UP ITEMS •
Join Maple Lake for the All City Garage Sale &125th Anniversary Celebration on June 6th, 2015!
Bountiful, healthy trees canbe beautiful to behold andimportant contributors to athriving environment. Accord-ing to American Forests, a non-profit conservation organiza-tion, a tree can absorb as muchas 40 pounds of carbon dioxideper year and can sequester oneton of carbon dioxide by thetime the tree reaches age 40.The United States Forest Serv-ice adds that trees placed proper-ly around a home can reduce airconditioning and heatingdemands considerably.
Many homeowners are con-tent to leave healthy treesalone. However, trees eventual-ly must be pruned or removed ifthey become safety risks orpose other threats. Trees withroots that are damaging homefoundations or those withlimbs overhanging propertylimits or power lines can betroublesome. Although home-
owners can handle relativelyminor tree maintenance, for avariety of reasons, many treeprojects are best left to the pro-fessionals.
Avoiding injuryis job one.
Professional tree contractorsrecognize and understand thehazards associated with tree andlimb removal. Many operate inaccordance with national orlocal guidelines to maintainproper clearance of power linesand structures.
Trimming trees close toelectrical lines puts a person atrisk of being electrocuted. Pro-fessionals know how to protectthemselves and prevent poweroutages, which can result whenlimbs come into contact withpower lines.
Professional tree serviceswill use machinery appropriatefor the task. Cherrypickers andcranes may lift workers to the
correct height to work on trees,while do-it-yourselfers who relyon climbing trees or using lad-ders are at risk of injury.
The importance ofpreventing damage
to the tree.Many tree services under-
stand the proper way to prunetrees to minimize stress anddamage to the tree itself.Novice pruners may inadver-tently do more harm than good,resulting in proliferation of treedisease or shock. Improperpruning technique also can leadto an unsightly tree.
Liability is aresponsibility.
A professional tree servicewill possess the correct liabili-ty and worker's compensationinsurance. This protects home-owners against litigationshould someone be injuredwhile tree work is being done.
Homeowners who damageneighboring properties whencutting down a tree may findthat they are not covered bytheir homeowner's insurancepolicies. This can be a costlymistake that's easily avoided bysimply hiring a fully insuredtree removal service.
Always use the rightright tools.
The right tools can mean thedifference between a job donecorrectly and one that results indisaster. Professional arboristsand tree services have acquiredthe training, tools and tech-niques to perform the job safe-ly. This includes using theright tools to tackle the job.Ropes, pulleys, cranes, stumpgrinders, and other heavymachinery are just a few of thetools tree services have at theirdisposal that the average home-owner does not.
Pruning trees may be a job best left to the pros
• Lakeshore Restoration • Patio & Walls• Driveways • Water & Fire Features• Drainage Solutions • Firewood• Fertilization & Weed Control• Hauling & Bobcat Work
Maintaining a lush lawn is ahealthy and rewarding hobby thataffords homeowners to spendsome time outdoors in nature.Lawn enthusiasts can make theirhobby even healthier by adopt-ing several eco-friendly lawn carestrategies that not only make fora healthier lawn, but a healthierplanet as well.
Responsible landscaping hasgrown increasingly popular inrecent years, as more and morehomeowners are adopting eco-friendly lawn care practices inthe same way they haveembraced environmentally con-scious behaviors in other areasof their lives. The following area handful of ways lawn careenthusiasts can incorporate eco-
friendly practices into their land-scaping routines.
• Maintain an appropriategrass height. When temperaturesstart to peak in summer, home-owners may be tempted to cuttheir grass as close as possibleso they can reduce the number ofafternoons they spend riding orpushing a mower in the hot sun.But cutting too low makes thegrass increasingly susceptible toinfestations and disease, and suchproblems may need to be reme-died with potentially harmfulpesticides if no other approachproves effective. Even if itmeans an extra afternoon or twomowing under the hot sun,maintaining an appropriate grassheight can lead to a healthier
lawn, as longer grass soaks upmore sunlight, allowing it togrow a deep root system thatwill help a lawn survive droughtand other potential problems.
• Cut back on harmful pesti-cides. Many homeowners nowprefer to avoid pesticides at allcosts, but sometimes pesticidesare a last resort when lawns arefalling victim to harmful insectsand organisms. Homeownerswho want to embrace more eco-friendly lawn care practices cancut back on their use of pesti-cides, first trying more environ-mentally friendly options. Forexample, biopesticides are madefrom naturally occurring materi-als, including animals, plants,bacteria, and certain minerals.
According to the United StatesEnvironmental ProtectionAgency, biopesticides are ofteninherently less toxic than moreconventional pesticides. In addi-tion, biopesticides typicallyaffect only the pest causing theproblem, whereas broad spec-trum pesticides may affect sur-rounding organisms, such asbirds and mammals, in additionto the targeted pest. The EPA(www.epa.gov) advises home-owners hoping to use biopesti-cides first learn about managingpests so they can effectively rem-edy problems on their properties.
• Harvest rainwater. Lawnsneed water, especially when tem-peratures rise in the summer. Butwatering lawns can have an
adverse effect on your communi-ty's water supply, draining thatsupply and hurting the commu-nity in the long run. Homeown-ers who can harvest rainwatercan drastically reduce theirimpact on their communitywater supply, thereby helpingthe planet and their community,especially if they reside inlocales where water resources aretraditionally scarce. When rain-water is harvested, it is collectedfrom downspouts before it wash-es into nearby sewage systems.Many lawn and garden retailerssell rainwater harvesting sys-tems, which homeowners caninstall themselves or pay a land-scaping professional to installfor them.
• Lay mulch down aroundtrees, shrubs and flower beds.Trees, shrubs and flower bedsneed water, especially in thesummer when rising tempera-tures pose a threat to plants.Homeowners can cut back on thewater they use to protect thoseplants by laying organic mulchin the spring. Organic mulchconserves moisture in soil, pro-moting stronger roots in plantsand helping homeowners cutback on the amount of wateringthey need to maintain a gardenthat's both healthy and pleasingto the eye. Organic mulch,which might be made of bark, isalso heavy, making it hard forugly weeds that rob plants ofwater to thrive.
A more eco-friendly lawn is just steps away
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Buffalo Floral & LandscapingBuffalo Floral & LandscapingGreat Landscaping - Done Right from Concept to OOH!... not Ouch!
FULL SERVICELANDSCAPING &IRRIGATIONDESIGN &INSTALLATION
763-682-2010114 Central Ave.• Buffalo
Across from the Courthousewww.buffalofloral.com
763-682-2010114 Central Ave.• Buffalo
Across from the Courthousewww.buffalofloral.com
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The flowers are blooming,and the grass has begun to grow,making spring a great time forhomeowners to turn their atten-tion to landscaping. Those whoaren't looking forward to dust-ing off their lawnmowers and re-threading their string trimmersmay want to hire professionallandscapers to tend to theirlawns and gardens.
A recent joint study by theNational Gardening Associa-tion, Residential Lawn andLandscape Services and theValue of Landscaping found thathomeowners spend roughly $45billion per year on professionallawn and landscape services, asnearly 30 percent of all house-holds across the United States
use at least one type of lawn orlandscape service. The risinguse of lawn care services isindicative of homeowners'appreciation of the convenienceand craftsmanship professionalservices can provide. While theimpact professional landscaperscan have on a property's aesthet-ic appeal is considerable, home-owners also benefit from work-ing with professional landscap-ers in various other ways.
Time savings: One of thebiggest benefits of leaving lawncare to the professionals is theamount of time it will save forthe average homeowner. Lawnsgenerally need to be mowedonce per week during the springand summer seasons and,
depending on the size of theproperty, that can take an houror more. Add the time it takes toclean up clippings, mulch land-scaping beds and edge the prop-erty, and homeowners canexpect to devote a significantchunk of their weekends to car-ing for their lawns. Lawn serv-ices employ a few workers whomake fast work of the job, leav-ing homeowners time to enjoytheir weekends however they seefit.
Reduced risk for injury:Maintaining a landscape is hardwork, and those unaccustomedto this type of activity may findthemselves winded or at risk ofinjury. Improper use of lawnequipment also is a safety haz-
ard. Leaving the work to profes-sionals can help homeownersavoid strained backs, lacera-tions, pulled muscles, sun-burns, and any other dangersthat can result when tacklinglandscaping projects.
Financial savings: Onthe surface, hiring a landscapingservice may seem like a costlyventure. However, after crunch-ing some numbers, manyhomeowners realize that doingthe work themselves may costmore in the long run than hiringa professional landscaping serv-ice. Homeowners who decide togo it alone must purchaseexpensive equipment, and thoselawn tools will require routinemaintenance, which costs addi-
tional money. Inexperiencedhomeowners may incur extrafees to "fix" mistakes that occurduring the learning process.Each year, new seed, fertilizer,mulch, pesticides, and othersupplies also must be pur-chased. But professional lawncare services typically charge aset fee per month, and that feecovers the maintenance of bothyour property and the equipmentneeded to keep that propertylooking great.
Know-how: Many profes-sional landscapers know how toaddress lawn care issues thatmay arise throughout the year.They will know how to dealwith dry patches of lawn orpoorly draining areas, and they
also can make recommendationson plants that will thrive undercertain conditions.
One-stop shopping: Cer-tain landscaping services pro-vide many different options forprospective customers. Basiclawn cuts may be one package,but there also may be servicesfor seasonal seeding, weeding,leaf clean-up, and winterizing.
Cons i s tent mai nte-nance: Homeowners who fre-quently travel or spend much oftheir summers away from homeoften find that lawn care compa-nies are a wise investment.Established weekly schedulesensure the landscape always willlook its best whether homeown-ers are home or out of town.
The benefits of hiring professional landscapers
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500 County Road 37 East • Maple Lake320.963.2400 • www.mpnexlevel.com
For employment opportunities, visit us atmpnexlevel.com, or stop in at 500 County
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