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Staff writer

Whether trying to learn more about the environment or about area business, Ramsey is the place to be May 1.

Both expos will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Business Expo will be at the PACT Charter School, 7250 E. Ramsey Parkway, while the Environmental Expo is at the Ramsey Municipal Center, 7550 Sunwood Drive N.W., both of which are in the Ramsey Town Center area.

The event, sponsored by Ramsey Economic Development Authority (EDA), will feature booths and exhibits from local businesses and business owners and will focus on spotlighting retail, service and restaurant businesses in Ramsey, said Jessica Hendricks, management intern.  

The theme of the event is “Think Global, Act and Shop Local.”

All available space has been spoken for as that 50 businesses have signed up to exhibit at the expo, Hendricks said.

In addition to food sampling and other goodies, the EDA and local businesses will be giving away door prizes.

The expo is an opportunity for people to meet local business members and learn more about shopping locally, said Hendricks.

There will be a tree sale in the municipal center parking lot as part of the Environmental Expo.  

The expo has its roots in the annual tree sale, which started approximately 30 years ago, said Chris Anderson, city environmental coordinator.

The Environmental Expo has 22 exhibitors and a number of educational presentations to help people recognize Earth Day, April 22, and Arbor Day, April 30.

The presentations are:

• 10 a.m. –  Energy Efficiency with a Commonsense Approach by Connexus Energy. Attend the seminar to learn some simple, basic steps to reduce energy consumption in the home;

• 11 a.m. –  Geothermal “101” by S & B Geothermal Heating. Learn about the basic components of geothermal heating systems, how a system is installed, what the benefits are and the potential savings from switching to this alternative source of energy;

• Noon – Water Conservation through Smart Irrigation Practices by Anderson Irrigation. Learn how to conserve water with some simple tweaks, modification and/or inexpensive retrofits to in-ground irrigation systems; and

• 1 p.m. – Emerald Ash Borer Information by a Minnesota tree care adviser, who will talk about the emerald ash borer, how to identify the insect, what symptoms to look for and possible treatment options that homeowners could consider.

“We will have a drawing for a free tree after each educational presentation,” Anderson said.

The expo has five new exhibitors, he said.

Exhibiting for the first time are Audubon Center of the Northwoods with wildlife, birds of prey, reptiles; Centerpoint Energy with energy saving services; Minnesota Master Naturalists; S & B Geothermal with ground source heat pump HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems; and Wildlife Science Center with wildlife biofacts (pelts, skulls, etc) and live raptors.

Art work by Ramsey Elementary School students will be on display and three local nurseries will be on hand with an array of trees, shrubs and perennials for sale at discounted prices during the event.

Admission is free to both events.

This year there will be a free shuttle service between the two events, said Hendricks.

For more information on the two expos, visit the city’s Web site, at www.ci.ramsey.mn.us, and click on the ‘Community Events’ tab.

For more information about the Business Expo, contact Hendricks at 763-433-9903


Tammy Sakry is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it