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Newsleader St. Joseph
Friday, April 4, 2014 Volume 25, Issue 14 Est. 1989
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Community Showcase set April 5 at Kennedy
The second annual Community Showcase, sponsored by the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce, will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 5 at Kennedy Community School, 1300 Jade Road, St. Joseph. The free event includes entertainment, food, children’s games and prizes. Come support your local businesses.
Sportsmen host breakfast April 6
The St. Stephen Sportsmen Club hosts a breakfast from 8:3011:30 a.m. Sunday, April 6 at St. Stephen Church Parish Hall on CR 2, St. Stephen. A free-will offering is suggested.
Eggstravaganza is April 11 at Winter Farmers’ Market
It’s an “Eggstravaganza” at the St. Joseph Winter Farmers’ Market from 3-6 p.m. Friday, April 11 in the fellowship hall of Resurrection Lutheran Church, 610 C.R. 2 N., St. Joseph. Activities will include free egg decorating for children, live music by guitarist Nick Koopmeiners, and food samples and recipes. CSB/ SJU Jackson Fellows will present a photo project on Food Justice. There will be goods available from area growers including eggs, artisan bread, baked goods, lefse, meats, preserved goods, produce from storage, sunflower oil, maple syrup, pottery, popcorn and more.
Hinton chosen as 15th CSB president by Cori Hilsgen news@thenewsleaders.com
Mary Hinton has been chosen to be the 15th president of the College of St. Benedict. She will replace MaryAnn Baenninger, who plans to leave her position in June. Baenninger has served as president for 10 years. Hinton is currently vice president for academic affairs at Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. She will begin her new position July 1. She and her family will be welcomed to campus June 15. The CSB Board of Trustees voted unanimously to hire Hinton. Lynn Newman, chair of the board of trustees and a co-chair of the presidential search committee, made the announcement March 19. "The CSB Board of Trustees was impressed with Dr.
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Hinton's breadth and depth of experience as a scholar and senior-level administrator in higher education," Newman said in a news release. "Her commitment to residential, liberal-arts education is evident, and her passion for the advancement of women and her belief in our Benedictine values align well with the CSB mission. We are confident she will be an outstanding president of CSB." In the release, Hinton said she is humbled by the chance to lead an institution with such a powerful liberal-arts tradition that is grounded in the Benedictine values of the founding order. "CSB was built by strong and courageous women who knew the value of educating women and who celebrated and engaged both their intellectual
and spiritual lives," she said. Hinton was on campus during the February snow storm, and the campus was closed the second day of her interview at CSB. In a phone interview with The Newsleader, Neuman said Hinton came to the interview extremely well prepared and was very impressive. Neuman said the board felt she had a really good understanding of challenges facing higher education and how CSB might deal with some of them. "She has a very warm and authentic style of communicating," Neuman said. At Mount St. Mary College, a Dominican college, Hinton provides senior administrative leadership for academic affairs, enrollment management, planning and more. Her leadership oversaw the
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Mary Hinton has been chosen to serve as the 15th president of the College of St. Benedict. She made her first appearance on campus March 26 and was met with a standing ovation. development of the Center of Student Success, a program Hinton • page 3
Mrs. Minnesota vows to help fight diabetes by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com
Attorney Kimberly Stommes was elated when she was crowned Mrs. Minnesota at last month’s pageant because it will give her a chance to advance her platform, dubbed “Stop the Shots,” to help educate people contributed photo
Kimberly Stommes registers delight as she is crowned Mrs. Minnesota during a pageant at St. Cloud State University. She will go on to compete for the title of Mrs. International in July in Jacksonville. Fla.
Waite Park library sets April programs
The Al Ringsmuth Public Library, 253 N. 5th Ave., Waite Park, is offering the following programs: Gelatin printing, April 7; Basic computer and internet help, April 8; Teen outdoor wordplay game, April 10; and Llama Llama storytime, April 12. For more information, visit www.thenewsleaders. com and click on Criers.
Postal Patron
about diabetes. Stommes, St. Cloud, is a 2006 graduate of Sartell High School who lived in St. Joseph and attended Kennedy Elementary School when she was in third and fourth grades. In January 2014, she was crowned as Mrs. St. Cloud. Then she went on to win the Mrs. Minnesota title at a March 8 pageant at St. Cloud State University. First runner-up was Amy Nelson, Mrs. Sherburne County, and second runner-up was Larissa Oliphant, Mrs. Hennepin County. Stommes will compete with 50 other women from the na-
Locals gather to help with maple-syrup making
by Cori Hilsgen news@thenewsleaders.com
Many people may have noticed pails hung on area maple trees to collect the sap that will be boiled down for maple syrup. Once again, it’s syrupmaking time around the St. Joseph area. Maple syrup is made in the spring of the year when nighttime temperatures are below freezing and daytime temperatures rise above freezing. After a tree is large enough to be tapped, it can be used year
tion’s 50 states for the title of Mrs. International July 22-27 in Jacksonville, Fla. “It was surreal,” Stommes said of her big win at SCSU. “Such a surreal feeling to hear my name announced with my family, friends and my young daughter there.” The pageant was a rigorous, sometimes nerve-wracking process, she said. She had to do five-minute personal interviews with each of the five judges. Then there were the onstage questions when she was asked questions “out of the blue.” When Stommes told the judges Stommes • page 4
after year. Tapping is done by drilling a hole in the tree and gently tapping a spile in place. The sap flows from the tree through the spile into a bucket or bag. The sap is then heated to evaporate the water and boiled to a point where syrup is created. It takes almost 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. There are several options to learn about the syrup-making contributed photo process around the area. Volunteer Neal DeMars prepares a group to collect sap March April 5 is the second Ma- 29 during the St. John’s Outdoor University annual maple Syrup • page 5 syrup festival. The festival continues from 1-4 p.m. April 5.
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Power outage affects St. Joseph Many residents in St. Joseph, including those in the downtown area, were in the dark for nearly 90 minutes Monday night. A power outage, possibly caused by a power line downed by winds, began shortly before 10 p.m. Electricity was restored at 11:12 p.m. Many other resi-
dents in Stearns County were also without power during the same time. Substations in Brockway Township, St. Stephen and west St. Cloud were not working, causing the outage. Customers of both Stearns Electric and Xcel were affected, a total of about 6,000 households.
People Bridget Sylte, of St. Joseph has received a $750 Upper Class Scholarship from Minnesota State University Moorhead. She is the daughter of Rich Sylte, Stef Gades, and Susie Piner. The Upper Class Academic Scholarship is available to students pursuing
their first bachelor’s degree with a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 and completion of at least 12 credits. The award recognizes outstanding academic achievement, leadership and contributions to campus and community organizations.
If any readers have tips concerning crimes, they should call the St. Joseph Police Department at 320-363-8250 or Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 320255-1301 or access its tip site at www. tricountycrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers offers rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for crimes. March 10 2:28 p.m. Traffic stop. College Avenue N/Minnesota Street E. Officer observed male driving who he knew from previous contacts did not have a valid license. Officer stopped vehicle and he admitted to not having a license. Citation issued and male walked from the scene. 5:03 p.m. Personal-injury accident. CR 75 W./First Avenue NW. Officer arrived on scene and observed vehicle #1 parked over center line facing east in the eastbound lanes of CR 75 with severe damage. Officer met with the driver who was standing by the vehicle. She stated she was not hurt but the accident was her fault. She was tired and was attempting to cross over CR 75 and struck vehicle #2. Vehicle #2 was resting against a telephone pole and had sustained severe damage. Driver of vehicle #2 complained of neck and back pain. Gold Cross arrived and both drivers were cleared without medical transport. March 12 4:09 p.m. Theft. Elm Street E. Complainant reported he had a theft from his vehicle. He was at a business and didn’t lock his car. Taken were some medication, two frisbee discs,
Friday, April 4, 2014
Blotter
a scarf and some loose change. Total value of $110. 6:14 p.m. Hazard. Minnesota Street E. Complainant reported he saw a small gray SUV pulling a trailer and a sheet of glass fell off and shattered on the road. Officer assisted complainant shoveling and cleaning glass off roadway. Officer drove area and was unable to locate vehicle matching description given by complainant. March 13 1:48 a.m. Suspicious activity. Minnesota Street E. Received a call from CSB Security stating a resident reported two males had been ringing their door bell since about 1 a.m. When officer arrived security was already on scene and stated they saw nobody at the door when they arrived. Officer checked the area and was unable to locate anyone walking in the area. 4:23 p.m. Theft. College Avenue N. Complainant reported on or about Jan. 27 her iPad was stolen out of her drawer in her dorm room. She stated the iPad was valued at $719.95. She has no suspects. March 14 9:39 p.m. Loud music. Old Hwy. 52. Complaint of loud music. Officer made contact with renter who stated they would turn the music down. They stated they did not think their landlord would actually call the police. 10 p.m. Window peeker. Dale Street E. Officer spoke to complainant upon arrival and he pointed to the window he thought someone was looking in at a neighbor’s house. Complainant stated person was still there. When officer walked up to the location, there
Area libraries to conduct online impact survey in April Central Minnesota library users are being given an opportunity to help shape the future of how library technology will affect their lives and their community. Great River Regional Library will conduct an online technology impact survey during April to find out how patrons use the library’s computers and Internet connection, and how this service has
made a positive impact on their lives. The survey can be accessed April 1-30 from library computers or from the library website. Individuals must be 14 or older to take the survey. It’s anonymous, available in English and Spanish, and takes 10-15 minutes to complete. For more information, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
was an umbrella wrapped in a tarp near the window. Nobody at window.
March 15 1:29 a.m. Found property. Minnesota Street W. Officer located a redand-black backpack on top of a snowbank in the back lot of Sal’s. Backpack contained Bud Light beer and hard alcohol that was transferred to a water bottle. Collected backpack and contents and placed in found property. 2:14 a.m. Suspicious vehicle. Third Avenue NW. Officer met with individual who was parked at the entrance of Memorial Park with his lights off and car running. Due to time and location, officer asked individual what he was doing. He stated he was talking with his friend before dropping her off at CSB, then was going to head back to SJU. After speaking with individual, everything appeared to be OK. 3:24 a.m. Suspicious person. Hill Street W. Complainant stated an individual was sitting on the driver’s side of his truck leaning into the vehicle. He stepped out of his house and yelled at the person to get out of his truck. The person took off to the east. Officers checked the immediate and surrounding area with no contact. Rechecked area and officer watched the area in his personal vehicle with no contact. 3:16 p.m. Medical. Sixth Avenue NW. Male had been drinking all day. He arrived at residence a short time ago intoxicated. He passed out and fell backward. He gave a PBT result of .266. Officer stood by for Gold Cross who transported him to the hospital. 10:22 p.m. Animal complaint. Elm Street E. Officer met with staff and picked up two dogs. The dogs had been fed and watered by Coborn’s staff. Small golden colored male and a black-and-white female. Female had a collar with no tags. Transported the dogs to Becky’s Bed and Biscuit.
March 16 1:02 a.m. Intoxicated person. College Avenue S. Female passed out from alcohol poisoning. Breathing was slow, pulse was slow and weak. Requested Gold Cross who transported her.
Betsy is a 9-year-old spayed Lab mix who was brought to the shelter because her owner couldn’t afford to care for her any longer. She is housetrained and always had free roam of the house. Betsy would go to the door when she needed to go outside. She lived with two cats as well as another dog, and while she tolerated them, they weren’t necessarily friends. Yelling and loud noises scare her, so someone with a quiet lifestyle would suit her best. “Helping one animal won’t change the world … but it will change the world for that one animal!” Dogs - 13 Rats - 2
Cats - 36 Kittens - 3
Rabbit - 1 Gerbil - 1
Tri-County Humane Society 735 8th St. NE • PO Box 701 St. Cloud, MN 56302
252-0896
www.tricountyhumanesociety.org
Hours: Monday-Thursday Noon-6 p.m., Friday Noon-8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. & Sunday Noon-5 p.m.
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Contributing Writer Cori Hilsgen
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P.O. Box 324 • 32 1st Ave. N.W. • St. Joseph, Minn. 56374 Phone (320) 363-7741 • Fax (320) 363-4195 • E-mail address: news@thenewsleaders.com POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ST. JOSEPH NEWSLEADER, P.O. Box 324, St. Joseph, MN 56374.
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Friday, April 4, 2014
Hinton from front page that improves student retention through comprehensive support services. Hinton also leads the college's Strategic Planning and Budgeting Committee. Before working at Mount St. Mary College, Hinton was the associate vice president of academic affairs and chief planning and diversity officer at Misericordia University in Dallas, Penn. She was also a member of the Mercy Integration Council. Prior to that, Hinton served as an assistant pro-
fessor of religious studies and the coordinator of multicultural student affairs at Misericordia. She was named one of the "Top 25 Businesswomen of Northeast Pennsylvania" in 2011 and was also an award recipient of "Great Women of Northeastern Pennsylvania" in 2010. Hinton's career also includes non-profit education organization management and corporate philanthropic work. She was also a private elementary school teacher. Hinton earned a doctoral degree in religion and religious education with high honors from Fordham University, N.Y.,
a master's degree in clinical child psychology from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Williams College, Mass. The news release included comments from provost Rita Knuesel and St. John's University President Michael Hemesath. "Dr. Hinton has dedicated her entire career to education and therefore has developed a keen understanding of the changing landscape of higher education in the United States," Knuesel said. "She is a visionary who is able to draw on her professional education and
background to articulate the significance of the liberal arts as well as professional programs." "I am delighted St. Ben's has chosen Dr. Hinton as its next president," Hemesath said. "She is the perfect combination of scholar and administrator, and I look forward to working closely with her to advance both St. Ben's and St. John's and our coordinate relationship." Hinton's appointment comes at a time when CSB will complete its centennial year in May. Diane Hageman, CSB interim co-director of communication and marketing services,
3 said CSB believes Hinton is the first person of color to lead a Minnesota private college. Hinton and her husband, Robert Williams, and their children, Hallela, 14, Hillel, 12, and Hosanna, 9, plan to make their home at CSB's presidential residence, the Renner House. Hinton made her first appearance on the CSB campus on March 26 in the Gorecki Conference Center and spoke to an audience of more than 200 people. Hageman said Hinton was met with a standing ovation by the audience, which included students, faculty, staff, board members and area residents.
From the Bench
District judge explains how a lawyer becomes a judge by Michelle Winkis Lawson District Judge
In order to become a judge in Minnesota, you must be a licensed attorney authorized to practice law in this state, and you must reside in the district in which you are appointed. We all know there is more to getting a job than meeting the basic qualifications, so how do judges actually get “hired”? There are four types of state judges in Minnesota; District Court, Court of Appeals, Supreme Court Justices and Tax Court. This article will focus on District Court judges even though the process is very sim-
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ilar for each. District Court judges sit in every courthouse in each of Minnesota’s 87 counties. These are the judges commonly referred to as trial-court judges. State District Court judges are elected by the voters of the district in non-partisan judicial elections to six-year terms. When vacancies occur before the end of a judge’s term, they are filled by appointment of the governor. Once a judge has been appointed to fill a vacancy, he or she will sit for at least one full year before running in the next general election. The appointment process
Spring Shopping Expo/Craft Show
April 12 • 10 a.m-3 p.m 40+ Vendors Homemade Crafts & MORE! Free admission! Lots of door prizes! See the Easter Bunny! Looking for more vendors, Kim 320-333-2004 Westwood Church 5719 Walnut Drive St. Cloud
NOW HIRING ** Direct Support Staff ** A nationwide provider with over 30 years experience serving people with disabilities is hiring quality, dedicated caregivers to empower and assist individuals in realizing their own potential! Possible hours are: every other weekend and asleep overnights located in St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids and Foley. Experience is preferred but not required. Minimum requirements: 18+, valid driver’s license and good driving record and high school diploma/GED. Excellent pay and benefits, 401k & PTO! Responsibilities: provide direct care, medical administration, transportation to activities, light housekeeping and cooking. Apply online to Requisition #13-0373 at: www.dungarvin.com
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involves a comprehensive evaluation of each candidate’s qualifications. The process begins when the Minnesota Supreme Court certifies a vacancy has occurred and notifies the governor. The governor then provides public notice of the vacancy and a request for interested candidates to provide application materials to the Judicial Selection Commission, a statewide group of both lawyers and non-lawyers appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court and the governor. They are responsible for receiving and screening applications, evaluating candidates and making recommendations to the governor.
After applicants have submitted their application materials, the Judicial Selection Commission reviews the applications and selects candidates for interviews. After conducting interviews with selected applicants and conducting a due-diligent inquiry of others having personal knowledge of the applicants, the Judicial Selection Commission recommends between three and five individuals for the governor to consider. The governor may interview those individuals or others deemed qualified by him or her. General practice is for the governor to interview those recommended by the Judicial
CATHOLIC UNITED FINANCIAL MATCHING GRANT
Selection Commission. Before the interview process, the governor’s staff conducts a comprehensive and thorough background investigation related to potential appointees. After making his decision, the governor announces the appointment, and a new judge is born. Michelle Winkis Lawson is the Seventh Judicial District judge for Minnesota’s Clay County.
Hollow Park Apartments in St. Joseph, Minn.
Now accepting applications for a two-bedroom apartment.
FISH FRY ALL SAINTS ACADEMY
MENU: Deep fried fish (all-youcan-eat – dine-in only), potato salad, carrot sticks, baked beans, bread and butter, milk or coffee. Eat in or take out - Open to the public
Pre-Sale tickets are available at All Saints Academy Schools.
Friday, April 11 • 4-8 p.m.
Eat in at: School Cafeteria or Parish Heritage Hall: 32 W. Minnesota St. American Legion of St. Joseph 101 W. Minnesota St. The Middy: 21 W. Minnesota St. Take-out Heritage Hall: 32 W. Minnesota St.
Tickets Pre-Sale: Adults $9 ~ Children $6 At Door: Adults $10 ~ Children $7 All Saints Academy will receive a matching grant of up to $500 from Catholic United Financial
For applications, please contact: Catholic Charities Housing Services 157 Roosevelt Road: Suite 200 St. Cloud, MN 56302 320-229-4576 Eat in
Take-out
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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St. Joseph Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Dental students discuss care
contributed photo
Kimberly Stommes, the new Mrs. Minnesota, derives energy and drive from the love for her family. At right is husband Jeremy. Their daughter is 5-year-old Ava.
Stommes from front page
contributed photo
Second-year dental hygiene students (left to right) Connie Schulz, Rebekka Carriere and Sara Rooney talked about dental care and aging March 28 at the Church of St. Joseph Heritage Hall. The three discussed how dental health relates to illnesses and how important it is to practice good dental care. Schulz, Carriere and Rooney shared information with an audience of 16 people and gave away samples of products. The St. Cloud Technical College has an on-campus dental clinic that is open to the public for preventive dental services. Some of the services offered include cleanings, radiographs, fluoride treatments, sealants, periodontal scaling and more. For more information about services and fees or to schedule an appointment at the college, call 320-308-5919.
her platform is the subject of diabetes, she was then asked how she could help lower the chances of someone getting diabetes by making changes in the workplace. Stommes suggested several pro-active things to do: taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further from the building and walking, going for a brisk walk on lunch breaks. Diabetes is a subject dear to Stommes because her stepfather, Scott Reinert, was diagnosed with that disease (Type 2) several years ago. Stommes and her mother, Lori, in solidarity with Scott, learned as much as they could about diabetes and made healthy lifestyle changes themselves based on what they learned, including dietary changes and exercise regimens. Stommes lost 46 pounds in the process. The Reinerts still live in Sartell. They own Showcase Properties, a real-estate business. “I’m glad to say my (step) father is doing fine now,” she said. “He has his diabetes under control. He’s lost enough weight – more than 40 pounds – and
he takes medications for the disease. He doesn’t have to take shots.” Due to her awareness of diabetes, Stommes has become a forceful speaker to prevent and – hopefully – someday to find a cure for the disease. She is a member of the Sauk Rapids Lions Club, whose members are strong advocates for diabetes awareness and action programs. As Mrs. Minnesota, Stommes will travel extensively and do dozens of speaking engagements – many on the topic of diabetes – throughout the state. She will have her own booth at this summer’s Minnesota State Fair. Stommes’ journey to a law degree and the Mrs. Minnesota title was not an easy one. She said she had many difficult times in her life, the most difficult being the death of her little brother. When she was in kindergarten, she lived in Rockwood Estates, a mobile-home park south of Rice. One day, her younger siblings Heather and Jeremy, were playing with matches when a fire started. Three-year-old Jeremy hid himself in Kimberly’s bedroom closet and could not be found as the smoke became thicker. He died in the fire. “Dealing with that was extremely difficult for all of us,”
Friday, April 4, 2014 she said. “Extremely difficult.” Kimberly’s family moved quite often: St. Cloud, Rice, St. Joseph, Sartell. Her six years in Sartell schools were productive ones. She was on the student council, a class officer, played basketball as a sophomore and was a Sabre dancer the first year that award-winning dancing team was formed, in 2002. As a girl, she remembers how much she wanted to be the “Little Mermaid.” But her mother has often reminded her that her fantasy about being a little mermaid quickly morphed into a desire to become a lawyer. That desire stuck with her. She graduated in 2008 with a double major (political science and sociology) from St. Cloud State University, then she went on to earn a juris doctorate degree in law from St. Thomas School of Law, Twin Cities. She graduated in May 2013. Just last month, Stommes began a new job as a part-time public defender in St. Cloud. Eventually, she intends to open her own law office and practice family law and criminal law. Kimberly has been married to Jeremy Stommes for six years. He is a machine operator for Park Industries in Waite Park. They have a daughter, 5-year-old Ava. People will have a chance to meet Mrs. Minnesota Kimberly Stommes during a diabetes-fundraising breakfast from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 3 at American Legion Post 254 in Sauk Rapids. Belgian waffles, sausages and beverages will be served. A portion of the proceeds of all sales will go to the Minnesota Lions Diabetes Foundation. Tickets are available at Showcase Properties in St. Cloud or at the door the morning of the breakfast. Stommes said she is happy her successes allow her to help others, in her work against diabetes and her abilities to inspire others to battle adversities. “You can do what you set your mind to – through hard work and determination, even if you haven’t had the easiest life.”
Friday, April 4, 2014
Syrup from front page
ple Syrup Festival weekend at St. John’s Outdoor University. The festival has been hosted for more than 10 years as an educational experience to learn the process of making maple syrup. The event includes sap collecting, horse-drawn rides, syrup cooking, demonstrations, hot maple-syrup sundaes, a visit to the Sugar Shack and more. Outdoor University department coordinator Jenny Kutter said they had a record-breaking crowd March 29. About 1,100 people attended the festival. “In 2013, we had 945 total participants at our two festivals,” Kutter said. “In 2014 we had record-breaking attendance at our first festival with more than 1,100 people in attendance. Our previous record for one festival was just under 900 people in 2010.” Kutter said if the weather stays sunny with temperatures of 40 degrees, they are expecting a similar crowd at the April 5 festival. In 2012, SJU had a record-breaking low of only 39 gallons of syrup produced. Last year, they made about 550 gallons of syrup, which was a record amount of syrup for the number of trees that were tapped. SJU has historically produced about 240 gallons a year. SJU has a goal of putting out about 1,500 taps this year. Most of them were already done on their Community Tapping Day held March 15. The rest are put out by preK-12 school groups, tours and the two festivals. “Weather is the key factor
St. Joseph Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com in any syrup-making operation,” Kutter said. “In order for sap to flow, you need a series of days with daytime temperatures above freezing and nighttime temperatures below freezing while the trees are still dormant – before leaves have budded out. If spring warms up too fast as it did in 2012, sap doesn’t flow. If it stays cold longer, as it did in 2013 and has been so far this year, the season is delayed until temps do warm up. Maple-syrup producers tend to be some of those few people around here hoping spring doesn’t warm up too fast. Sap is starting to flow now that we’ve had a few warm days, but we keep getting so many cold days in between that we haven’t yet had a big sap run this season.” Kutter said a key factor at SJU is their volunteers. Their operation relies on hundreds of volunteers to help tap trees, collect sap, cook syrup, give tours and help at the festivals. “Since the focus at St. John’s Maple Syrup operation is on education, service-learning and volunteerism, it really is a community-driven system,” Kutter said. “We are continually grateful for friends of St. John’s Maple Syrup – new and old.” Kutter reminded visitors the festival is entirely outdoors and they should dress for the weather. It’s extremely muddy and snowy so she highly recommends wearing boots. Tapping maple syrup at SJU began in the 1940s when monks at the monastery learned the process because of World War II sugar rationing. For more information, call 320-363-3163 or visit outdooru@csbsju.edu. Another option for syrup making tours is at Stearns County’s Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park.
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contributed photo
Almost 200 people helped at the St. John’s Outdoor University Community Tapping Day March 15. Shelly Carlson, her husband, Tom, and son, Ben, have been operating the Sugar Shack at the County Park since 1999. Her father built the shack in 1983. Carlson said they had about 125 visitors Saturday and a few Sunday. They are not all tapped yet. They currently have about 50 buckets and 25 bags out. Most of their tapping is on a vacuum-tubing system. When they are fully tapped, a vacuum-tubing system with about 1,400 taps and 200 buckets is used to collect tree sap. At full capacity, they would have about 16,000 gallons of sap to boil into 400 gallons of pure maple syrup using a wood-fired evaporator. “This has been a difficult season because of the weather,” Carlson said. “It was a slow start to the season.” Carlson said they have been tapped since early March, but the sap has only recently started flowing. So far, they
have cooked four or five times. Tours of Stearns County’s Kraemer Lake -Wildwood County Park maple syrup operation are available April 5 and 12. Located southwest of
St. Joseph off CR 51 at 29709 Kipper Road, free tours are offered from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. Visitors should look for signs. Groups should call 320248-7784 to arrange tours.
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St. Joseph Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, April 4, 2014
Opinion Our View Legislators on right track about minimum-wage issue
There is an interesting debate in the Minnesota Legislature about whether to approve an “inflator” for the minimum wage. An inflator means the minimum wage would go up automatically, commensurate with the inflation rate. It would be similar to the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security checks, although that’s been diminished in the last year or two. Some in the state legislature, mostly House members, want to let voters decide, through a referendum, if there should be an inflator, and then it would become law under the Minnesota Constitution. That way, it would be more difficult for future legislators to repeal. Other legislators oppose that approach, saying the constitution is a means to put in place a structure for how government should work, not to protect rights. Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Virginia), who is one of the main proponents of the inflator concept, disagrees: “The constitution is intended to protect the rights of the minority,” he said. “These low-wage workers are the minority of Minnesotans. This gives them some protection their wages would keep up with inflation. It meets my test that this is important enough it belongs in the constitution.” Both sides make some good arguments, but what’s important is legislators seem to be serious, one way or another, about raising the minimum wage and economic justice for those people who work hard and yet remain beneath the poverty level. That issue – economic justice – has been on the back burner for far too long. Minnesota’s minimum wage is a pathetic $6.15 an hour. It hasn’t been raised since 2005. Meantime, inflation has gobbled up the “real” value of that paltry wage ever since it was passed nine years ago. There is a current proposal in the legislature to raise it to $9.50 by 2016. Of course, inflation will eat into that amount, too, and by 2016 that $9.50 will have diminished in value. Polls indicate consistently as many as 80 percent of Americans, including Minnesotans, favor raising the minimum wage. We keep hearing dire warnings of job loss, but in the past, every time the wage was raised, the effects on jobs were negligible, and people and businesses made adjustments. In fact, quite the contrary, a minimum-wage raise might be just the thing to help stimulate a still sluggish economy. When people earn more money, they spend it locally. People who make low wages, in fact, tend to spend their money on the kinds of local goods and services that can boost local economies – thus job gains. It’s obvious the obstructionists in the U.S. Congress are not going to allow a minimum-wage increase, just the way they’ve prevented through spite and neglect other vital forms of legislation in recent years. That is why states have begun to enact legislation, including minimum-wage bills, on their own. They’re having to do the job the do-nothing national congress doesn’t do. And that is why Minnesota, like other enlightened states, should act immediately to raise the minimum wage one way or another, either through legislation or by popular vote.
Fairness and ethics
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Locavores find droolworthy non-Franken foods Hey, just chillax! OK, so I’m one of the illiterati; just call me a noob. If I were a screenager, I’d be textspeaking twittering, and I’d turn into a blooming infomaniac just like all you young ‘uns do these days. Right now, I’m going to shut down this computer and head off to the farmers’ market. It’s a great place for locavores to hang out. The produce is droolworthy, and they don’t sell any Frankenfoods there. Most readers, especially those over 30, will need a translation of those two paragraphs. Here it is: Hey, just chill out and relax (chillax). OK, so I’m not educated in the ways of the computer (illiterati); just call me a computer novice (noob). If I were young, with an aptitude for the computer (screenager), I’d be texting, twittering and I’d develop a compulsive need to accumulate information (infomaniac) via my mobile phone or computer just like all the young ‘uns do these days. The farmers’ market is a great place to hang out if you’re a person whose diet consists only or mainly of locally grown foods (locavore). The produce is extremely attractive and desirable (droolworthy), and they don’t sell any genetically modified foods there (Frankenfoods). Those are all examples of new words that were just added to the dictionary, along with many others. Most of those words, not surprisingly, were coined by young people – especially young computer-savvy kids. The world of computers, after all, is a Brave New World, so unlike the days of my youth when jetage innovations like a four-slice toaster, a touch-tone button phone and snazzy fins on the butt end of a car were positively amazing – the cat’s meow.
Dennis Dalman Editor It’s hard to adjust to this youth lingo. But, parents, don’t despair. Always remember that for generations, teenagers have been driving their parents nuts with their goofy kid-speak. T’was ever thus. My parents turned gray-andwrinkled almost overnight when we long-haired kids started sprinkling our know-it-all conversations with words like squaresville, dullsville, hip, cool, groovy, far out and bread (for money). My poor parents – they were convinced aliens had landed and taken over. Another bit of advice for parents: Be proud of your children because they are natural-born wordsmiths who are enriching our language, keeping it from calcifying. Some of these new words, even though they’ve been hallowed by inclusion in the dictionary, will likely become obsolete. They’ll teeter and fall over into the ditch of dead words. Some new ones, however, will be around for a long time, and still others will morph into slightly altered forms with newer meanings. And that’s as it should be; that’s exactly how language works. Language – living language – is never set in stone but rather constantly evolving, becoming new and then newer – unlike, say, Latin, a dead language. English, especially, is a vigorously changing language. French, on the other hand, is slow to change, partly because there is a French Language Academy that acts
as a draconian gatekeeper, barring those jarring, rude words – foreign invaders – from polluting the purity and exactitude of French. The gatekeepers, however, sometimes suffer defeat as words like “le drugstore” and “le weekend” manage to barge through the barriers. British English has always been our prim and proper cousin, rather like an old-maid aunt. American English, on the other hand, is a sprawling, raucous, rough-and-tumble language that makes a lot of commotion. It’s like an energetic acrobat that springs and somersaults this way and that, picking up new words wherever it goes. And that’s the glory of American English – that acrobatic suppleness that makes for such rousing, vivid, descriptive speech and writing. American English was, once upon a time, British English before it was reworked among the new realities of a New World, soaking up influences from thousands of sources as the country expanded West: immigrant lingo, oceansailing terms, frontier-farming words, riverboat bluster, stagecoach talk, railroad words, gambling terms, goldmining camp vulgarities, Southwestern Spanish-Mexican words, Creole terms from Louisiana and last but not least Native American expressions (one of which is “Minnesota”). In the latter half of the 20th Century, thousands of words entered the language via industry, technology, transportation, space exploration and – most recently – a vast number have come from computer technology. American English is a boisterous, energetic, colorful language that reflects where this great nation has been, where it is now and where it is heading. We should be very proud of it – our nation and our language.
My life’s become nothing but numbers As we all must do, I had my annual physical recently. As a part of that examination, blood work is done. My doctor tells me almost everything that might be going on in my body can be told by my blood work-up. As a service to me, my results are printed out and shared with me. As I looked at this information, I have concluded my entire life has been reduced to a series of numbers. The first number is, of course, my age. There is not much I can do about that number. What comes next is a series of numbers that tells the whole story. My height and my weight. My height was determined before I was born. My weight is another thing, but we won’t talk about that. Those two numbers have caused some genius somewhere to come up with a whole new number, my body-mass index. They have determined optimum health depends on a BMI of some number they have also decided upon. For me to achieve the BMI they want, I would have to be dead for about six weeks and left out in a desert to dry out. Then I might get close. Oh well, we can’t win them all. Next we get to blood pressure.
Ron Scarbro Guest Writer Again we have numbers decided upon by some genius somewhere who doesn’t know me from Adam. This number is too high or this number is too low. I have a friend who believes these numbers are regularly changed in order to sell more medicine. One year 150/80 is too high and the next year the numbers should be 140/70. Just take this nice little medicine and you too can come into compliance. How about that cholesterol? It used to be your total cholesterol had to be below 230. Now they have decided there are two different readings, the HDL and the LDL – bad cholesterol and good cholesterol. It’s all so confusing. So I just take that little medicine and I get to the point where my doc is happy. Oh, and I can’t have any grapefruit. It seems grapefruit would render my cho-
lesterol medicine ineffective. There goes one of my favorite drinks – vodka and grapefruit juice. Now if one of these geniuses can just offer some proof high cholesterol is really bad for me I will feel better doing without grapefruit. The next number that attracts so much attention from my medical gestapo is blood sugar or glucose. That number used to be 120. Now it is less than 100. This one apparently is about diet and exercise. My second favorite thing in life is to worry about my diet and my exercise. I won’t tell you my most favorite. You will just have to imagine. On this print-out there are many more insidious little things with numerical values. They are, for the most part, words I can neither spell nor understand, but I am sure they are all important. The medical folks sure think they are. What this all amounts to is the simple fact my life has become nothing but a series of numbers. I am happy to have my health and grateful for the medical profession for their skill and expertise, but sometimes I wonder. Am I an actual life form or have I just become a math problem?
The Newsleaders P.O. Box 324 St. Joseph, MN 56374 Email: news@thenewsleaders.com
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Friday, April 4, 2014
Community Calendar
Friday, April 4 Blood drive, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., American Red Cross, 1301 W. St.. Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-7332767. Fish Fry, 5-8 p.m., St. Joe Baseball fundraiser, El Paso Sports Bar & Grill, St. Joseph. Luther College Cathedral Choir, 7 p.m., freewill offering at the concert, Celebration Lutheran Church, 1500 Pine Cone Road N., Sartell, Free-Will offering. 320255-0488. Saturday, April 5 St. John’s Maple Syrup Festival, 1-4 p.m., St. John’s Outdoor University, Collegeville. www.csbsju.edu/OutdoorU.htm Messiah in the Passover Banquet, 5 p.m., Seder meal, Park Fellowship Church, 32932 Veterans Drive, Sartell. Free-will offering. 320-281-3201.
Monday, April 7 Blood drive, noon-6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1301 W. St.. Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-7332767. Gelatin printing, 6-7:30 p.m., adults and teens 16 and older learn to make prints on fabric or paper, Al Ringsmuth Public Library, 253 5th Ave. N., Waite Park. Registration required. 320-253-9359. Tuesday April 8 Blood drive, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., American Red Cross, 1301 W. St.. Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-7332767. Basic computer and internet help, 11 a.m.-noon, Al Ringsmuth Public Library, 253 5th Ave. N., Waite Park. 320-253-9359. “Your Credit: the Good, the Bad the Ugly,” part of a financial fitness workshop series, 6-7 p.m., Room 208, Great River Regional Libraray, 12th Avenue and St. Germain St. W., St. Cloud. Lindbergh Historic Site film series, 7-8:30 p.m., “Aviation Advancement and Design,” Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421.
St. Joseph Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Thursday, April 10 55+ Driver Improvement Program (four-hour refresher course), noon-4 p.m., Salem Lutheran Church, 90 Riverside Drive SE, St. Cloud, 1-888-234-1294. Blood drive, noon-6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1301 W. St.. Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-7332767. St. Joseph Senior Citizens, 1:30 p.m., Community Fire Hall, 401 7th St. S., St. Joseph. Llama Llama Read-a-Rama Pajama Party, 5:30-7:30 p.m., free fun event for families with young children, Great River Regional Library, 1300 W. St. Germain St., St. Cloud, 320-650-2500. Teen outdoor wordplay game, 6:30-7:30 p.m., for 13- to 17-yearolds, Al Ringsmuth Public Library, 253 5th Ave. N., Waite Park. Registration required. 320-253-9359. St. Joseph Action Group, 7 p.m., American Legion of St. Joseph. 320-363-7666. Friday, April 11 Discovery Day, students in grades 5-11 are invited to tour. To RSVP call 320-363-3315, option 3. St. John’s Prep. Blood drive, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., American Red Cross, 1301 W. St.. Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-7332767. St. Joseph Farmers’ Market, 3-6 p.m., Resurrection Lutheran Church, 610 CR 2 N., St. Joseph. Multicultural College Fair, 5-7 p.m., opportunities to speak individually with representatives of 10 colleges who speak Spanish and English with materials available in Somali. Social Room, St. Boniface Church, 501 Main St., Cold Spring. 320-685-3949, Fish Fry, 4-8 p.m., eat in at All Saints school cafeteria, parish Heritage Hall, American Legion-St. Joseph and The Middy, or take out at Heritage Hall, St. Joseph. Fish Fry, 5-8 p.m., Stride Academy fundraiser, El Paso Sports Bar & Grill, St. Joseph.
Wednesday, April 9 St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce, 11:30 a.m., St. Joseph Community Fire Hall. www.stjosephchamber.com. Are you poisoning your family? get toxic products out of your home, 7 p.m., Riverside Plaza, 101 7th St. N., Corner unit 4, Sartell. 320-217-2700 St. Joseph Area Historical Society, 7 p.m., Old City Hall, St. Joseph. www.stjosephhistoricalmn.org.
Saturday, April 12 Sartell Farmers’ Winter Market, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N. Fun Fest Charity Carnival, sponsored by high school student council, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Sartell High School, 748 7th St. N., Sartell. All proceeds go to Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota. Llama Llama Storytime, 10:30-11:30 a.m., children ages 3 to 6, Al Ringsmuth Public Library, 253 5th Avenue N., Waite Park. Registration required. 320-2539359.
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Ask A Trooper Please inform public about trains, rail safety Q: In my defensive driving class recently, the instructor talked about trains and rail safety, and I thought this would be a good topic for you to inform the public about. Thanks! A: I have responded to a few of these types of crashes during my career and they can bring a lot of unnecessary misery for sure. Collisions with trains are mostly preventable. Car driver inattention and impatience are cited as the most common factors contributing
LEgal notICE CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME STATE OF MINNESOTA Pursuant to Chapter 333, Minnesota Statutes, the undersigned, who is or will be conducting or transacting a commercial business in the State of Minnesota under an assumed name, hereby certifies: 1. The assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted is: Health Care Agent Literacy Project. 2. The stated address of the principal place of business is or will be: 6013 Rolling Ridge Road, St. Cloud, Minn. 56303 USA. 3. The name and street address of all persons conducting business under the above assumed name including any corporations that may be conducting this business: DayJOY, LLC, 6013 Rolling Ridge Road, St. Cloud, Minn. 56303. 4. I certify I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify I understand by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statutes section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath. Dated: March 25, 2014 Filed: March 25, 2014 /s/ Deborah Day Laxson Publish: March 28 and April 4, 2014
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to motor vehicle/train crashes. In the recent past, our partners at the Minnesota Department of Transportation have worked to share the following general rail safety tips with the public to make sure they are not in the way of a train: Motorists should always stop their vehicle when crossing gates are down or lights are flashing; wait for the crossing gates to rise and lights to stop flashing; look both ways, listen and proceed with caution. Also, motorists need to obey all signs and signals at railroad crossings and never stop their car on railroad tracks; always keep their car behind the white lines when approaching an intersection at railroad tracks. Motorists and passengers should get out of the car immediately if it stalls while crossing the tracks, then call 911 or the emergency notification number located on the
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railroad signal equipment. If a train is coming, abandon the car. Proceed quickly toward the train at a 45-degree angle, so if the train strikes your car, you will be safe from flying debris. Bicyclists and pedestrians should always look both ways before crossing railroad tracks, cross only in designated areas and avoid crossing when gates are down. They should be aware trains may operate any time throughout the day and night in either direction, and please know walking on railroad tracks is illegal. If you have any questions concerning traffic-related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Trp. Jesse Grabow – Minnesota State Patrol at 1000 Hwy. 10 W., Detroit Lakes, MN 56501-2205 or follow him on Twitter @MSPPIO_NW or reach him at, jesse. grabow@state.mn.us.
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The Newsleaders seeks freelance writers and photographers to cover town-specific events/meetings/personalities. Freelancers are paid per story/photo. If interested, please email a resume and a few writing/photo samples to janellev@thenewsleaders.com.
St. Joseph Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
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Friday, April 4, 2014
Kennedy students perform ‘Beauty Pageant’ play by Cori Hilsgen news@thenewsleaders.com
Kennedy Community School sixth- through eighthgrade students spent five weeks rehearsing for a one-act play, The Miss High School U.S.A. Beauty Pageant, which they performed March 14-16. The play, directed by teachers Kristen Mattick and Kelli Maurer, was written by Kamron Klitgaard. It’s a comedy about a beauty pageant with 10 contestants competing for the title of “Miss Kennedy 2014.” One of the contestants is male. One of the characters attempts to alter the pageant to help her daughter, “Miss Math,” win, and that results in many silly episodes in the play.
Thirty-three students performed in the play, and seven students were backstage helpers. Eighth-grade student Maddie Fowler played the role of “Miss Drama.” “It was a lot of work, but it was fun,” Fowler said. “I really enjoyed it.” Eighth-grade student Andrew Potter played the role of “Miss Physical Education,” the male contestant. “My favorite part of the play was Miss Drama, played by Maddie Fowler,” Potter said. Eighth-grade stage manager Isaac Fromm was the stage manager and helped behind the scenes. “I’ve never done so much hair in three days in my whole life,” Fromm said.
contributed photo
Kennedy Community School sixth- through eighth-grade students performed a one-act play The Miss High School U.S.A. Beauty Pageant on March 14, 15 and 16. Participants included (front row, left to right) Isiah Svoboda, Anna Penticuff, Caylan Guse, Lily Burrett, Andrew Theisen, Eryka Jansen and Austin Hagen-Young; (middle row) Sam Holthaus, Amina Jawando, Angie Stolt, Tyler Corrow, Kaitlyn Hoes, Monica Rodel, Amber Moon, Caitlin Peterson, Hazel Anderson-Larson, Sophie Houghton, Maison Zimmer and Maura Rademacher; (back during the first months of inderow) Logan Bakken, Greta Neigum, Haley App, Andrew Potter, Michaela Chandler, Hanna pendent driving. Haeg, Liz Wolff, Audrey Potter, MacKenzie Theisen, Caity Popp, Maddie Fowler, Shaelyn HilIn 2012, teen drivers were brands and Madison Klaphake. involved in 11,804 crashes resulting in 40 deaths and 3,844 teen injuries. Teens will drive specially-equipped vehicles on faiths and from any commu- cancer, are in remission from a closed-road course under the by Cori Hilsgen nity,” said health-and-well- cancer, know someone else supervision of professional in- news@thenewsleaders.com ness minister Marjorie Henke- dealing with cancer or have structors. The course will take All are invited to attend a meyer. “The theme is centered lost a loved one to cancer. drivers through scenarios that A reception with refreshinclude safe speed selection, “Cancer Prayer Service” to be around the need for friends, ments will be held in Heritage evasive maneuvering, skid con- held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April family and faith.” The service is for individu- Hall after the service. trol and off-road recovery. At 6 at the Church of St. Joseph. “The Cancer Prayer Service als, families and friends who least one parent must attend a is open to everyone of all are currently dealing with two-hour safety presentation. For more information or to register, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
Teen driving event to prepare young drivers, parents The Minnesota Highway Safety and Research Center, a program in the Center for Continuing Studies at St. Cloud State University, is conducting a Teen Collision Avoidance/Advanced Driving Skills and Parent Awareness Program from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 12 at its advanced driver training facility. The four-hour session will be repeated each month through August. The training is geared to drivers ages 15-20 and covers many of the casual factors associated with serious crashes. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death to young people. Crash risk is greatest
Cancer prayer service scheduled
Breakfast
Sunday, April 6
Serving from 8:30 a.m. to noon
Menu: Swany pancakes, caramel rolls, sausage and eggs
Adults: $7 Children (ages 6-12): $3 Under 6: Free Heritage Hall at the Church of St. Joseph 12 W. Minnesota St. • St. Joseph
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Drive Carefully! School is in Session