City Hall is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays* from 9:00AM - 4:30PM (closed for lunch)**. We are located at 8099 County Highway 61. Our phone number is (218)372-3733. *office is closed for all Federal Holidays **Subject to change
ATTENTION! Please do NOT flush ANY wipes down the toilet! We have had a sewer lift pump burn out due to being clogged with wipes.
Lawn Mowing Bids City of Willow River is now accepting lawn mowing bids for the 2023 season. The bidding party must be insured and show proof of insurance. For more information and a list of areas, please call Willow River City Hall at (218) 372-3733. Deadline for bids is May 1, 2023 at noon.
The Official Newspaper of the City of Willow River is now the Moose Lake Star Gazette as of February 2023!
City of Willow River thanks the Willow River Commercial Club for the donation of the new city sign!
NEW: Online pay now available for sewer/water bills!
You can now pay your water/sewer bill online! Visit www.ub-pay.com To register for the first time, use Municipality Code: WillowRiverMN795 You must enter your name exactly as it appears on your bill (Case sensitive)
Weekly News Article
Week of March 20th
My pepper plants are sprouting. Last year I planted everything from seeds. It was a learning experience. Everything that takes a long time to grow I started by May 1st last year. But my pepper plants didn’t really get going until late August. I had to move them inside for the fall just to get a good harvest from them. I asked my cousin who owns a greenhouse how to improve my pepper production. He said that peppers take a long time to germinate, so start them the beginning of March inside in small pots. Last week I saw a little tiny green stem peeking out of the soil. Now I have a whole bunch of little pepper plants with two little leaves. It is fun to watch them grow. And it is something green…not white. I am excited to get outside and start gardening, but at least I can do a little gardening in the house. Thanks cousin Les for the great advice. I’ll start tomatoes next. Wish me luck. The city of Willow River asked me to convey a message to the people who are on the city sewer system. Please do not ever put any kind of wet wipes down the sewer. Even if they say biodegradable or flushable. They do not break down and get stuck in lift pumps and grinder pumps. They have a tendency to burn out the pumps and it cost a lot of money to replace or fix them. If this keeps happening it could be reflected on the sewer bills. We don’t want to see that. Our water and sewer bills are one of the lowest in the county. Also, if the wet wipes actually make it through the pumps they end up in the sewer pond and could possible clog up the equipment in the ponds. The sewer operator told me that the only thing that should be going in the sewer pipes is gray water (dishwater, toilet water, washer water), human waste and toilet paper. Nothing else. Fun with the Easter Bunny is coming to the Willow River Fire Hall. The Willow River Community Club and the Willow River Fire Department and EMS are hosting this event on April 1, 2023 (No, this is not an April Fool thing.) from 10 am to 12 noon. The Easter Bunny will be there for the kids. Feel free to bring your camera and take lots of pictures. There will also be games, prizes, and breakfast. The fire fighters will also have free popcorn. Hop on down to the fire hall for some Easter fun. If you have any kids that are in at least age 11 years old by April 24, 2023 you may sign them up for the DNR Firearms Safety Training at the Finlayson-Giese Sportsman’s Club (parents must be present to sign the kids up). The registration night is on Monday, April 17th from 5 to 6 pm at the clubhouse. The Class will be held from 6 – 9 pm on the following dates: April 24th, April 26th, April 28th, May 1st, May 3rd, May 5th. The Field day will be held May 6th at 9 am. You must attend all classes and be on time. Bring a notebook and pencil. For questions, call George at 320-233-6381. If you child is planning to shoot Trap League in the future they must have this certification. There will be a Pizza and Candy Bar Bingo event for the WR Community Education on March 24, 2023 at the Willow River School cafeteria from 4 pm to 7:30 pm. St. Mary’s Church: Confessions are heard from 7:45 am to 8:15 am before the Sunday Mass at St. Mary’s. Eucharistic Adoration is on Wednesdays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Doughnut Sundays at St. Mary’s after the 8:30 am Mass are as follows: March 26th, April 30th, and May 21st. Stations of the Cross at St. Isidore’s Church will start at 6 pm followed by a soup supper at 6:30 pm. These will be held on the following Fridays: 10, 24, and 31, 2023. Kathi B
Senior Dining
Thursdays at noon Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency, Inc. is in charge of providing the delicious meals. A one-time registration is necessary to participate. Call 1-800-662-5711 ext 6899 to register. To receive a lunch, call the Moose Lake Kitchen at (218)485-4937 no later than 8 am on Thursday and lunch will be delivered shortly before noon. Served at the Kettle River Township Hall (or at Willow River City Park weather depending). 77594 County Hwy 61, Willow River. A contribution of $4 is asked for each meal.
*Menus are posted at the Willow River Post Office and LuLu's Laundromat. They are also published in the Star Gazette and the Evergreen.