RHINELANDER - Mountain bikers will get one of their first chances to race in the Northwoods this weekend.
The Rhinelander Area Silent Trails Association (RASTA) will host the RASTA Rally this Saturday.
Bikers will travel on the trails at Washburn Lake west of Rhinelander, including challenging single-track trails.
"We're hoping people aren't intimidated. Mountain biking can sound intimidating, but we're hoping folks come out and give it a try. We have something for all levels, and the registration money goes to a really good cause," says RASTA spokesperson Suzanne Flory.
The money helps fund the maintenance work RASTA does on cross country ski, snowshoe, biking, and hiking trails in the area.
This year's RASTA Rally will be at Washburn Lake for the first time.
"It's a little more challenging single-track for folks that are looking for that excitement, but all level riders are going to find something enjoyable out here," Flory says.
Bikers can register at the race on Saturday morning.
RHINELANDER - Oneida County needs more foster care homes. Right now, there are nine licensed foster homes in the area, most of which are full according to the county's social services department.
Foster Care Coordinator Rachel Nelson says that in Oneida County there are 24 children currently living in foster homes. The department participated in a statewide foster care recruitment project last fall, and discovered just how great the need is.
MOSINEE - From here on out, Mosinee's Kevin Osterbrink will plow snow with a Stormy Kromer hat on his head--and a Stormy Kromer pattern on his plow.
Osterbrink entered his wife, Kayla Cisler-Osterbrink, in a prize drawing from Stormy Kromer and BOSS Snowplow. Her entry won, and BOSS delivered the red plaid patterned snowplow on Friday in Mosinee.
"I was tapping maple trees, and my wife showed up and said I had some homework to do because she won the plow," Osterbrink said, remembering how he found out they won.
"The first thing I told her was, 'That's the last thing I need, more work to do.' She said, 'Well, I think you want to do this, because you just won the Stormy Kromer plow," Osterbrink said.
RHINELANDER - A snow storm caught Hanson's Garden Village in Rhinelander off guard last weekend and collapsed a greenhouse. Now that spring weather is here, Hanson's is ready to move forward by making some adjustments. "We got by for 25 years doing what we were doing," said Hanson's Garden Village Co-owner Brent Hanson. Last weekend's spring snow storm set back Hanson's. "We thought we were ahead of schedule having that greenhouse nice and filled," said Hanson's Manager Beth Hanson.
"One bad storm and there you go. Things happen," said Brent. The storm collapsed a greenhouse holding thousands of plants. "For years we've gotten by with these lighter cheaper green houses," said Brent. "We'll be down a greenhouse for a little bit here," said Beth. Now Hanson's will only use sturdier and solid greenhouses so that collapses don't become a pattern.
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