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Newsleader Sartell
Friday, March 8, 2013 Volume 18, Issue 10 Est. 1995
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Senior Connection hosts speech team
Enjoy a fun afternoon listening to the Sartell High School Speech Team students present their meet speeches, which include dramatic and comedic presentations, during the Sartell Senior Connection meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 12 in the Sartell Senior Center, 212 3rd Ave. N., Sartell. Refreshments will be served.
Girls summer fastpitch registration
Sartell is forming 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U girls summer fastpitch softball teams. Registration deadline is March 22. For more information and registration forms, to to www.sartellfastpitch.com.
Nominations sought for Child Care Provider
Members of the community are encouraged to nominate their provider for this well-deserved recognition. Licensed providers within Stearns and Benton counties who have had at least three years experience are eligible. Letters should describe how a caregiver exhibits special competency, demonstrates professional skills or has made a positive impact on the lives of young children. Each county’s recipient of this award will be honored at the annual Provider Appreciation Banquet Friday, May 8 in the St. Cloud area. Letters can be emailed to Provider of the Year Committee at sbccaofmn@gmail.com. Letters must be received by April 1 in order for a provider to be considered for the 2013 Provider of the Year. For more information, visit www.sbccaofmn.com.
AgStar now accepting senior scholarship apps
The AgStar Fund for Rural America, the corporate giving program of AgStar Financial Services, is now accepting applications for its high school senior scholarship program, which awards up to 20 students with $1,000 scholarships. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA and live in AgStar’s local service area. Applicants are selected based on academic achievement, leadership characteristics and community involvement. Four winners will be chosen from each of AgStar’s five regions. Applications must be postmarked by April 1 to be considered. For more information, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
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Sabre swimmers place fifth at state meet The Sartell Sabre Boys Swim Team took fifth-place in the Class A category in the state meet last weekend at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. The swimmers took second in the 200-yard freestyle relay and third in the 200-yard medley relay, garnering 130 points total for those two events. The freestyle relay swimmers were Jack Hellie, Ben Maurer, Jack Nieters and Drew Reitz. The medley relay team members were Hellie, Nieters, Reitz and Ian Lawson. Individually, Hellie placed 8th in the 100-yard butterfly, and Ian Lawson placed 7th in the 100-yard breaststroke. In 2000 and 2001, the Sartell swimmers-divers took third place.
Daylight Savings begins Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10. Residents should turn clocks ahead one hour.
St. Thomas Academy won the Class A category with 263 points, followed by Monticello, Breck-Blake (177 points) and
Faribault (131 points). Those teams show scored below Sartell, in the following order, were Fergus Falls, Richfield, Hutchin-
son, Simley, Dassel-Cokato-Litchfield, Melrose-Sauk Centre, Sauk Rapids-Rice and St. Cloud Apollo.
Students complete school mural
contributed photo
Students are happy and proud about the mural they helped creat in the stairwell of Sartell High School. The art project is part of “Art in Motion,” a program sponsored and funded by the Sartell-St. Stephen Education Foundation. Artist Willicey Tynes of St. Cloud conceived and supervised the painting. From left to right are Allie Juntenen, Taylor Daniels. Tynes, Mckenzie Fossen, Anni Henrickson, Katelyn Tragiai and Sienna Schneider.
AIM officials visit paper-mill site by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com
Sartell city staff, including Sartell City Administrator Patti Gartland, recently met with the chief executive officer of American Iron and Metal Co., which is purchasing the Sartell paper-
mill site. In a memo to the city council, Gartland said he met with the CEO and six other members of his development team during a lunch session at city hall in mid-February. That same day, the AIM officials toured the paper-mill site.
The Verso paper mill was shut down permanently after an explosion and fire on Memorial Day 2012 caused a massive amount of damage and resulted in the death of a Verso employee. The company, AIM, plans to demolish most of the paper-
mill site and salvage what it can, such as metals that can be re-used. The process will take from 12-18 months, officials told Gartland. AIM is based in Montreal, Canada. Its CEO is Herbert Black. He and the six others Mill • page 2
‘Schnauzer’ propels Johnson to first-place win by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com
A d a m Johnson has a veritable instinct for spelling, so much so that he can spell words correctly he’s never heard Johnson of before or of which he is only vaguely familiar – words such as “kudzu” and “chutney.” Although Johnson did not win or place in the state competition a few days later, his
win in the regional contest is considered a triumph by all who know him. The state winner is Emma Greenlee from Mesaba East (Aurora). It was the word “schnauzer” that propelled Johnson into one his first-place win Feb. 1 at the Region 5 Spelling Bee championship competition at St. John’s University. Johnson, an eighth-grader at Sartell Middle School, won the morning session. Ali Ophoven, a homeschooled eighth-grade girl from St. Joseph, placed second in that event. Both advanced to the multi-regional state competition, which took place Feb. 26 in Fer-
gus Falls. There were two other Sartell Middle School students who competed in the morning session at SJU -- Maia Kurvers and Monte Belmont, both seventh-graders. In the afternoon session at SJU, the first-place winner was Madison Daniels of the Watertown-Mayer School District (in Watertown); the runner-up was Morgan Tasler of East Central Schools (in Banning). They, too, participated in the multi-regionals in Fergus Falls. The reason there are two spelling-bee sessions, morning and afternoon, is because of the high number of students who
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compete in the competition. “It was fun,” Johnson said of the SJU spelling bee event. “Toward the end I was a bit nervous. Most of the words I knew the meanings of and how to spell them. I wasn’t sure about chutney and kudzu. I never heard of kudzu before.” Kudzu is a fast-growing vine common in the American South and in Asia. Chutney is a sweetand-sour relish that originated in India. One reason Johnson was quite comfortable with the spelling bee is that he participated in the regional bee last year and the Johnson • page 3
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Bromenschenkel to host coffee meet Mill The public is invited to a listening session with Stearns County Commissioner Mark Bromenschenkel from 11 a.m.noon Saturday, March 9 at Liquid Assets coffee shop in Sartell. It is located at 1091 2nd St. S. Bromenschenkel represents
people in District 2, which includes Sartell, St. Joseph and Waite Park. He also represents the townships of LeSauk, St. Joseph and St. Wendel. “Coffee with Bromenschenkel” is typically held the first Saturday of every month and alternates among the three cit-
Make a difference in a child’s life Join the staff and kids at Southside, Roosevelt or Eastside Boys and Girls Club unit as a program volunteer. You can make a difference in a child’s life in as little as one hour a week. Set your own schedule with the volunteer coordinator to make your experience valuable. We have opportunities for you to get involved in the areas
of education-and-career development, character and leadership development, the arts, health-and-life skills and sports and fitness and recreation. Play board games with the kids, read one-to-one with a child or share your love of arts and crafts. It’s as easy as just spending time with kids. We only ask volunteers be able to relate
ies mentioned above. Those who cannot attend the March 9 meeting con contact Bromenshenkel by phone (320493-9180) by email at mark. bromenschenkel@co.strearns. mn.us or at P.O. Box 190, Sartell, MN 56377.
well with children in a group environment, participate as an active team member with staff and other volunteers and abide by volunteer policies. All volunteers are asked to complete a criminal background check before their first volunteer experience. Contact Bethany Theisen, volunteer coordinator, at 2575115.
from front page also met with the Greater St. Cloud Development Corp. AIM has been working with a local real-estate broker, the St. Cloud-based INH Property Management, to look into possible resale possibilities of the various properties at the mill
Friday, March 8, 2013 site. The AIM officials said they look forward to hearing any ideas from local, regional and state entities on a best use for the site. In addition, Gartland noted the City of Sartell has begun talks with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to explore ways to help find a way to use the site.
Council sponsors animal drive
People Four Sartell students from St. John’s Prep recently ranked in the annual National German Exam. They and their ranks are as follows: Katherine Sebas, a senior, 98.97 percent, ranking first in Minnesota; and Maria Sebas, a senior, 92.62 percent, ranking 12th in Minnesota, Level IV (104 students in Minnesota; and Luke Payne, a sophomore, 91.82 percent, ranking 14th in Minnesota, and Even Morrison, a junior, 83.78 percent, ranking 26th in Minnesota, Level III (146 students in Minnesota). The National German Exam is administered each year to nearly 24,000 high school students in the second, If any readers have tips concerning crimes, they should call the Sartell Police Department at 251-8186 or Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 2551301 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. Feb. 18 12:47 a.m. Dog complaint. Lowell Lane. A complaint was made regarding two dogs that were left in a parked vehicle and barking. Officers made contact with the owner, and he agreed to bring them into his friend’s residence. 9:40 a.m. Traffic stop. Riverside Ave S. A vehicle was seen traveling 46 mph in a posted 30-mph zone. The driver stated he was unaware of the speed limit. He was issued a citation and released. 11:07 a.m. Traffic stop. Pinecone Road. A vehicle was seen traveling 58 mph in a posted 40-mph zone. The driver stated he was unaware of the speed limit. He was issued a citation and released. 10:16 p.m. Traffic stop. Hwy. 15.
third and fourth levels of German. Exam results provide a means of comparing students in all regions of the country.
the Swenson College of Science and Engineering must earn a 3.5 or higher grade-point average to be honored.
Rhonda Evans of Sartell was recently named to the fall dean’s list for academic achievement from the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University-Purdue, in Indianapolis. That was the result of earning a 3.5 or higher semester grade-point average.
Three Sartell students recently received the fall semester chancellor's award from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. They and their majors are as follows: Curtis Klever, engineering technology; Cassandra Samson, graphic communications management; and Rachel Granzow, hotel restaurant and tourism. The award is presented to students who have a grade-point average of 3.5 or above.
Andrew Spoden was recently named to the dean’s list for academic excellence at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Students in After checking a vehicle’s registration, it was found the registered owner had a revoked license. The driver was aware of the status and could not provide proof of insurance. She was issued a citation for both offenses. The vehicle was towed and she was released. Feb. 19 12:28 a.m. Noise complaint. 7th Avenue S. A complaint was made regarding the loud sounds coming from the above residence. Officers were unable to make contact with the resident. 8:06 a.m. Vehicle in ditch. 1st Street NE. A vehicle slid on the roads and hit a street sign and a guide wire to an electric pole. The city was notified regarding the damage to the sign, and Xcel Energy was contacted regarding the guide-wire damage. The vehicle was towed from the scene. No injuries to the driver. Feb. 20 10:42 a.m. Found dog. Pinecone Road. A lab was found. The dog was taken to the humane society. 6:37 p.m. Theft. Walmart. A report was made of a female who was witnessed changing the price tags on
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merchandise. She attempted to leave the store with the unpaid merchandise and admitted to the theft. She was issued a citation and released. Feb. 21 11:02 a.m. Suspicious activity. 7th Street South. A complaint was made regarding footprints around a home. This was the third time that prints had been found leading to basement windows of this home. 9:07 p.m. Prowler. 7th Avenue S. A complaint was made regarding someone looking through a basement window and that the person had run off. Officers arrived and were able to locate a male matching the description. He was placed under arrest and transported to Stearns County Jail. Feb. 22 7:46 a.m. Vehicle in ditch. Heritage Drive. While driving around the roundabout, a vehicle slid and was stuck in the snow bank. Officers and a city-maintenance employee were able to push the vehicle out. 8:53 a.m. Vehicle in ditch. Hwy. 15. While driving, a vehicle slid and was stuck in the ditch. Officers providing traffic control until the vehicle was
The Sartell Middle School Student Council sponsored a stuffed animal drive during the month of February to support the St. Cloud Area Salvation Army. New or gently used stuffed animals were accepted. The Salvation Army gives the stuffed animals to children who arrive at their St. Cloud shelter as a way to welcome the children and help them feel a sense of belonging. Donations will continue to be accepted throughout the school year and may be dropped off in the school office or to Student Council sponsors Lori Dornburg or Duane Sprague. From left to right are Student Council officers Cami Doman, Jaren Martin and Karen Radi. removed by a towing company. Feb. 23 3:58 p.m. Traffic Stop. Hwy. 15. A vehicle was seen displaying expired tabs. The driver stated that she was unaware of the expired tabs. A citation was issued and she was released. Feb. 24 7:54 p.m. Gas leak. 8th Street N. A complaint was made regarding the odor of gas within a residence. Officers arrived and could not obtain a reading on their monitor. Xcel also did not receive any readings. 9:31 p.m. Theft. Walmart. Two females were seen attempting to leave the store with unpaid merchandise. They admitted to the theft and were issued citations, then released. 11:09 p.m. Traffic stop. Ridge Road. A vehicle was seen traveling 45 mph in a posted 30 mph zone. The driver was not aware of her speed. She was issued a citation and released. Feb. 25 7:49 a.m. Burglary. Pinecone Road. A report was made regarding items that were taken from a construction site. A lock had been cut sometime
during the night. Copper piping and other pieces of equipment were taken. Feb. 26 8:38 a.m. Traffic stop. 10th Avenue N. A complaint was made regarding three teenagers sitting in a car who were possibly smoking marijuana. Upon officers’ arrival, they found that the vehicle was displaying expired tabs. When making contact with the driver, officers detected the strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. The driver admitted to the use and officers searched the vehicle. All individuals were juveniles, and their parents were called to come get them. A citation was given to the driver of the vehicle, and they were all released to their parents. 1:50 p.m. Traffic stop. Riverside Avenue N. A vehicle was seen traveling 52 mph in a posted 40 mph zone. The driver was aware of his speed. He was issued a citation and released. 2:38 p.m. Traffic stop. Riverside Avenue. A vehicle was seen traveling 52 mph in a posted 40 mph zone. The driver stated he was not aware of his speed. He was issued a citation and released.
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Friday, March 8, 2013
Johnson from front page year before. Last year he placed third. Another reason Johnson is comfortable in spelling bees is that he loves words and is obviously good at spelling them, which produces a lot of selfconfidence. “I love to read,” he said, a hobby that naturally exposes him to lots and lots of words, including the kinds of difficult words often asked in spelling bees. “Most of all, I like science. I like to read about science subjects.” In the morning session at SJU, 24 contestants went through 15 rounds and 130 words spelled. In the afternoon session, there were 27 competitors, 16 rounds and 145 words spelled. Johnson’s family members were in the audience at both
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Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com competitions -- regional and state. They included his parents, Pete and Janelle; and his siblings -- Julia, 9; and Wesley, 7. Needless to say, the family was in suspense, hanging on every word. “It was a bit nerve-wracking,” his mother said. There are eight statewide regions that participate in the regional and the multi-regional spelling bees every year. Sartell is in Region 5. In each reason, the sponsors for the spelling bees are educational service cooperatives. Region 5 is sponsored by Resource Training and Solutions and coordinated by RTS’s Director of Educational Programs, Sandra Cordie of Sartell. Other schools that competed from Region 5 at the regional and/or state levels are Big Lake, DasselCokato, Kimball, Maple Lake, Melrose, Rockford, Sauk Rapids-
Rice, St. Cloud, STRIDE Academy and Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa.
Fun Facts
In 1925, nine newspapers collaborated to start the National Spelling Bee. There were no bees during the years of World War II. Since the “Scripps National Spelling Bee” began, there have been 87 grand champions 46 girls, 41 boys. The first winner, in 1925, was Frank Neuhauser of Louisville, Ken., who became champ after spelling correctly a flower named “gladiolus,” which, as luck would have it, Neuhauser knew well since his parents grew the flowers in his back yard. Neuhauser, 11 at the time, won $500 in gold pieces, a bicycle and a meeting with President Calvin Coolidge. After a battle with blood disease, Neuhauser died in
2011 at the age of 97. Throughout his life, he was often a honorary guest at many of the national spelling bees. Strangely enough, word scholars have disagreed about the origin of the word “spelling bee.” The word can mean a social gathering in which people get together for a single activity, such as quilting, barn-raising, sewing or spinning. That usage stems back to 1769 in the United States. Some have argued spelling “bee” comes from the world of bees, who gather in the hives for honey-making. Most scholars reject the insect origin, however. Most recently, philologists believe “bee” is a shortening of the word “been” or “bean,” which is an English dialect form of the older, Middle English word “bene.” That word meant “prayer or favor.” Later,
3 the dialect form of “bene” came to mean a voluntary gathering of neighbors to accomplish a specific task. Thus, bee may be a shortened form of “been” or “bean,” but so far that connection has not been proven. The following are some of the winning words in the Scripps National Spelling Bee: 1940: therapy 1950: haruspex 1960: troche 1970: croissant 1980: elucubrate 1990: fibranne 2000: demarche 2005: appoggiatura 2006: ursprache 2007: serrefine 2008: guerdon 2009: laodicean 2010: stromuhr 2011: cymotrichous
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As ‘Fern,’ Ellie Karasch gets to save ‘Wilbur’ the pig by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com
After performing as a ghoul in “Tom Sawyer” and a giant gemstone in “Aladdin,” Ellie Karasch is happy to play a character named Fern Arable, a girl her own age who lives in the modern world. Karasch is one of 11 Sartell contributed photo
Some of the cast of “Charlotte’s Web” gather for a photo in the Paramount Theatre lobby after rehearsal. In front row is Axel Stephens of Sartell. In the back row are (left to right) Megan Mechelke of Sartell, Abigail LaLonde of St. Cloud, Ellie Karash of Sartell and Olivia Drontle of Cold Spring.
residents who have roles in the GREAT Theatre production of the classic “Charlotte’s Web,” which opened Karasch March 1 and will run through March 10 at the Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud. There are 42 local people in the musical play. “This show is really exciting and fun to be in,” Karasch said. “There’s a lot of comedy in it, too.” This is Karasch’s second acting job for GREAT Theatre. Last November, she performed as one of the townspeople in “A Christmas Carol.” She fell in love with acting and theater when she was a third-grader with roles in “Aladdin” and “Tom Sawyer.” Although math is the favorite subject for the Sartell Middle School sixth-grader, acting is definitely her favorite hobby. “It takes time to learn my lines, but other people, like my mom, help me learn them,” Karasch said. “We’ve been practicing for about six weeks. I know from being in those other plays that I will be nervous probably for the first five minutes when the play opens, but after that it will be fine.” The role of Fern Arable is one of the top three or four roles in “Charlotte’s Web.” Karasch has solo parts in three songs and sings along with the group in other songs. “In the play, Fern stops her father, John Arable, from butchering the pig, Wilbur,” Karasch said.
Ellie is the daughter of Jay and Stacy Karasch. She has a younger brother and two younger sisters. All were in the audience when the play opened March 1. Other Sartell residents who have roles in “Charlotte’s Web” are Carter Bright, a third grader; Mathieu Jobin, a fourth-grader; Jillian Lawson, a ninth-grader; Brooklyn Madden, an eighthgrader; Megan Mechelke, a 6th-grader; Anya Overlien, a fifth-grader; Amber Pietrowski, a 5th-grader, Ava Bea Radeke, a first-grader; Grace Radecke, a fourth-grader; and Axel Stephens, a preschooler.
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The production Show times for “Charlotte’s Web” are at 7 p.m. Friday, March 8; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 9; and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10. The musical is directed by Jon Legg with help from music director Bobbi Foot, choreographer Megan Potter, costume designer Brigid Borka and set designer Michael Horejsi. Songs in the play include “Eating,” “Who Says We Can’t Be Friends?,” and “Welcome to the Zuckerman Barn.” The musical version of “Charlotte’s Web” is based on a novel by that name written by E.B. White and published to instant fame in 1952. It is the story of a pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a spider named Charlotte. The play is filled with colorful characters, both animal and human. For ticket information, go online to www.GreatTheatre. org or call the Paramount Theatre box office at 259-5463.
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Blackberry to host new PGA pro, new executive chef by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com
Even before the robins appear, the Blackberry Ridge Golf Course staff is chirping happily, eager to invite people to a preopening welcome party Friday, March 15. The staff has a lot to be eager about since Blackberry now has a new golf pro and a new executive chef. The welcome party, to which everyone is invited will start at 5 p.m. and last until the wee hours. Hors d’oeuvres will be available, and a disc jockey will play music. Visitors will have a chance to find out the new plans for the upcoming golf season. The course will officially open Monday, April 1. Visitors will also have a chance to meet the new golf pro, Brock Swanson; and the new executive chef, Charles Gibbons. Both have already begun their jobs at Blackberry.
Swanson
Brock Swanson, who has lived in Sartell since 2005, was born and raised in Moorhead. He earned a double degree in biology and business administration from Concordia College, Moorhead. “I’m extremely excited about working here,” he said. “It’s a wonderful golf course with great facilities for the banquet side of things and lots of possibilities for growth here.” Most recently, Swanson was a sales representative for Callaway Golf, a company based in Carlsbad, Calif. His sales territory covered a major part of Minnesota and North and South Dakota. Before that, Swanson worked at the Territory Golf Club near the St. Cloud Airport. After his college graduation, one of Swanson’s first jobs was as the head golf pro for five years at Pebble Lake Golf Course at Fergus Falls, Minn. Swanson is an active mem-
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that year, he attended Albany High School from which he graduated. Later, he married and decided to move to St. Cloud where he worked at La Casita restaurant in Waite Park. He also took a two-year cooking course at Oakland Vocational School in Anoka, Minn. “This year (at Blackberry), one of our goals is to target female golfers and offer food that is a bit lighter,” Gibbons said. “Foods that aren’t deepfried or heavy foods like hot dogs. We’re looking to go a bit healthier on the menu.” Among the special days customers will soon see, Gibbons said, are these: “South of the Border” Monday nights with margarita and Corona beer specials; Wednesday night specials on martinis and appetizers; Thursday night prime-rib specials; and Sundays will be a family day, with golf and food specials offered in one bundle. Gibbons and his wife, Kari, have three children – Karisa, Gibbons a student at St. Cloud State As Blackberry’s new execuUniversity; Devon, 17; and Mitive chef, Charles Gibbons has chael, 11. been busy planning new menus and dining ideas for the golf course’s customers. His offerings will be featured on the renamed dining area of the club, now called “Grill 19.” The Independence Center Although Gibbons is adept at Inc. needs activity volunteers creating virtually every kind of to help entertain and enrich cuisine, when pushed as to his the lives of adults with disgenuine specialty or a particu- abilities. If you enjoy sharing lar kind of cooking he loves do- stories, playing games, baking ing, he tends to say, “Caribbean brownies, going shopping or and Central American.” One making arts and crafts, this of his favorites is “ceviche,” a is the position for you. You seafood dish. A lot of the foods of those regions, he said, tend to be spicy and sweet. He plans to have fresh-fish tacos on the menu at Grill 19. Gibbons was born and raised in East Bethel, Minn. When he was in his junior year at St. Francis High School there, his parents decided to send him to take care of his ailing aunt and uncle as a caretaker on their farm by New Munich. During ber in the Professional Gold Association and has earned accreditation through years of ongoing study in PGA courses offered in various cities in various states. His duties at Blackberry include managing the leagues and tournaments, giving golf lessons for people, individually and in groups; and working at ways to make the golfing experience as enjoyable as possible for all of Blackberry’s guests. “I’ve golfed here many times,” he said. “It’s a great course for beginners as well as more advanced golfers. It’s good for all abilities.” In his many years of golfing, Swanson managed to get two of that elusive golfing rarity: a hole-in-one. One happened at the Pebble Lake Golf Course and the other at Reunion Club at Orlando, Fla. Swanson and his wife, Marnie, have two children: Sydney, 12; and Chloe, 10.
contributed photo
Above: Charles Gibbons, the new executive chef at Blackberry Ridge Golf Course, is revamping the menu, with many hearthealthy meals. This picture is Gibbons’ professional portrait photo. At right: Brock Swanson is the new PGA golf pro at Blackberry Ridge Golf Course.
Enrich the lives of adults with disabilities will have a chance to use all your creative skills and make a lasting friendship and bond with our clients with disabilities. You do not need to have any prior experience working with people with disabilities. Our staff will provide you with training and will be with you
at all times to help you interact with our clients. You must be 15 years of age or older to volunteer. Any persons 18 years or older may need to submit and pass a background check. Contact Jaime Ludwig, Independence Center Inc. program coordinator, at 252-4146.
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Friday, March 8, 2013
Opinion
Our View Learning about child hunger first step to solving problem The facts are heartbreaking: 1 in 5 American children live under poverty levels and do not get enough to eat. 16.7 million children lived in food-insecure households in 2011. During 2011, more than 31 million low-income children received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. However, just 2.3 million children participated in the Summer Food Service Program that same year. Everybody knows – or ought to know – that proper nutrition, especially in the first years of a child’s life is crucial for physical and mental development, for the ability to learn in school and for that child’s subsequent chances for financial and emotional success. A lack of good nutrition, in other words, literally stunts children physically, mentally and emotionally. It also contributes to school absences and troubles down the road. It is almost impossible to understand this disgrace is happening in the greatest, wealthiest country in the world. But, alas, it is. There are many causes. Some parents, sad to say, do not see to it that their children eat good, healthy meals. In some cases, that results from a lack of knowledge about nutrition. In some cases (hopefully far fewer cases), some parents apparently just don’t care, a form of neglect and abuse. In the overwhelming number of cases, the parent, parents or guardians simply do not have enough money to stretch their food dollar. In still other cases, children may not feel hunger pains because they are eating starchy or fatty foods with virtually no nutritional value. And that is a common cause of “nutritional starvation” in children living in poverty. Many families simply do not have the money to purchase quality foods. The prices of fresh fruits, vegetables and other nutritious foods continue to climb, mostly beyond the reach of poverty wages. Food stamps and area food shelves do help. Reduced or free-cost lunches – at least during the school year – are also a godsend. Hunger anywhere, with anyone, is always a tragedy. But it is especially sad and really unforgivable when it’s children who are going hungry, sometimes day after weary day. There is hope, however. Many good people and organizations are trying to do something about the problem. Like all other problems, the first step to doing something about it is to learn as much as possible about it and then share that knowledge with others while taking positive actions. Here are just a few of their websites on which people can find out the facts about hunger and then, hopefully, make a donation. No Kid Hungry: nokidhungry.org Feeding America: feedingamerica.org Child Hunger: childhungerendshere.com Childhood Hunger: childhoodhunger.org Children’s Hunger Fund: chfus.org
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Voting Rights Act must never be nixed Antonin Scalia should do the country a favor and resign from his lifelong job as U.S. Supreme Court justice. Recently, Scalia described the 1965 Voting Rights Act as a “continuation of racial entitlement.” It is possible that the conservative-majority Supreme Court could overturn that historic act, one of the seminal forces for civil rights in this nation. Any court official who would choose the word “entitlement” to describe voting rights has been living in a bubble, far removed from current realities – especially the realities of blatant voter-suppression efforts in the last presidential election. This despicable thicket of voter-suppression efforts in many states and cities – still ongoing, by the way – takes many devious forms: stopping early-day voting options and Election Day voter registration and the requirement for voters to present various kinds of documentation (including photo IDs) before they can vote. The rationales for those efforts is to squelch “voter fraud,” despite the fact that fraud is virtually nonexistent. Voter-suppression is one reason for the long lines and all-day waits for so many voters last year. Those “waiters” included blacks, the elderly and college students – the very demographic groups inclined to vote for Democrats. Scalia and at least two other conservative high-court justices think there is no need for the Voting Rights Act because, they claim, there has been so much progress toward racial equality and polling-place procedures since
Dennis Dalman Editor
1965. Yes, thankfully, there has been progress since the dark days of Jim Crow voter suppression in the Deep South with its literacy tests and poll taxes. But to think there is no more need for a Voting Rights Act is a delusion, at best. Judging by the suppression efforts still going strong, we need that Act more than ever. In fact, it should be rewritten so it covers people of all races and so that it bans all states and localities from concocting voter-suppression schemes, period. If that Act is nixed by the Supreme Court, suppression efforts could multiply here, there and everywhere like the fleas that brought the plague. Scalia’s describing the Voting Rights Act as an “entitlement” is a huge insult to all of the good people – mostly blacks – who fought such a long, patient, oftenbloody battle to bring about the right to vote. As a highly-educated man and a long-time jurist, Scalia ought to know better. He should understand that “progress” is often brought about by laws and that repealing those laws can result in backsliding into the old unjust ways. Scalia should also realize that vital battles so hard-fought and won to establish equal rights for all Americans should not
have to be re-fought all over again. And that’s what has been happening in recent years – reactionary politicians trying to repeal all kinds of long-established progressive accomplishments (Social Security and Medicare are just two other examples), making it necessary for people to spend precious time fighting those same battles again. Meantime, as people fight to retain what was once gained, the nation’s most important problems – and opportunities – go unheeded. Wouldn’t it be good if Scalia could meet with the martyrs of the votingrights movement? People like James Chaney, a young black man; and his two young white friends from the North, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner. While trying to register blacks and poorwhite voters in Mississippi in 1964, those three were intimidated, beaten and shot to death at point-blank range, execution-style, by thugs belonging to the “White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan,’’ a racist gaggle that included a sheriff and a Baptist preacher. The bodies were found 44 days later, buried in an earthen dam. Their murders and the corrupt justice systems in the South caused a national outrage that led directly to passage of the Voting Rights Act. If those martyrs could talk, they would tell Scalia they didn’t work and die for a temporary Voting Rights Act; they worked and died, along with many others, for a permanent Act that would guarantee all Americans the right to vote once and for all and forever.
Fantasy disappears; reality takes its place Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard about the young football player from Notre Dame who has now divulged he had been duped by an online relationship for some three years. According to the latest version of the story, he never actually met this young lady who was supposed to be his girlfriend but had a torrid love affair with her through cyberspace. She is supposed to have died of leukemia, and he used that tragedy to make himself a better player. Some have opined he really used this story for publicity and to make his stock go up in the Heisman Trophy selection. Whatever. This column will try to deal with the idea of online relationships of any kind. In listening to the “experts,” we are being told today’s youngsters develop friendships and even love relationships with people they have never actually met. We are being led to believe social media has replaced actual face-to-face meetings and it’s becoming more commonplace. Well pardon my skepticism. Perhaps it’s my age or the fact I’m a father and a grandfather, but I don’t believe anything I hear and only about half of what I see. How many times have you heard about the young girl who develops a relationship with some 15-year-old boy online
Ron Scarbro Guest Writer only to find out he’s actually a 50-yearold child molester? “But Grandpa,” my grandchildren have said to me, “I have seen their actual pictures online.” Well, guess what, so did this young football player. The problem, of course, is the picture he saw was lifted from some stranger’s Facebook page and the girl in the picture apparently knew nothing of any of this. Today, because of my blog and my newspaper columns, I’ve developed many long-distance acquaintances. In most of these cases, I have never actually met these people face to face. They are generally friendly to me. They often say nice things and sometimes they have disagreements with what I write. Are they my friends? Do we have a relationship? Maybe my idea of what a relationship is and what the kids of today think a relationship is are quite different.
I am pleased people have responded to my writings. I am also pleased we often call each other friends. Some truly are close and personal. Some, however, are cyber friends. We probably will never meet. That’s OK with me. I don’t plan on loaning any of them money or trying to borrow any either. My hope is they will continue to read these columns and respond when they wish. I also hope they will be friendly, but at the same time also feel free to criticize. When I was a very young boy, I was given a wallet. In the picture section was a photo of a famous movie star. For quite some time I carried that wallet with the picture of the star. I made sure to show the picture as often as possible as if the lady in the picture was somehow acquainted with me. I’m pretty sure I didn’t trick anybody. Maybe just me. In those days, possibly, that was what passed as an online love affair. There is a clear lesson here. Fantasy is fine but only if it’s recognized as fantasy. Love relationships can only develop when you actually meet. In the cold light of day, imperfect fantasy disappears and perfect reality takes its place. And that’s as it should be.
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Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, March 8, 2013
7
Morgan publishes book of history explorations by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com
When Bill Morgan looks out the window of his home to watch the birds and hear their happy chatter at the bird feeder, he can also sometimes almost hear the snuffling, neighing and grunting sounds of cattle, horses and hogs. Morgan, after all, is a historian. Throughout his life, he has developed a knack for seeing “through time” so he can see in his mind’s eye what’s here now, what was here before and what
was there even before that. For example, the Sartell patio home of Morgan and his wife, Judy, sits on what used to be – in the late 19th Century – a cattle farm owned by fearless Minnesota pioneer Nehemiah P. Clarke. The site was then called Meadow Lawn Farm. The Morgans’ home is located in Meadowlawn Village, named in honor of Clarke’s farm. The story of Nehemiah P. Clarke and Meadow Lawn Farm is just one of 66 explorations of central Minnesota’s past in Morgan’s just-published book, “Earth,
Community Calendar
Friday, March 8 St. Joseph Farmers’ Market, 3-6 p.m., Resurrection Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall, 610 CR 2 N, St. Joseph. www.stjosephfarmersmarket. com. Fish Fry, 5-7:30 p.m., Immaculate Conception Church, 145 2nd Ave. NE, Rice. Monday, March 11 Sartell City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall. 320-253-2171. Tuesday, March 12 Sartell Chamber of Commerce, 11:45 a.m., City Hall. 253-2171. Holistic Moms Network, 7-8:30 p.m., Good Earth Co-op, St. Cloud. 320-252-2489.
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Wood, Stone: Volume II.” The first volume was published in 2008. Both books are compilations of Morgan’s history columns written for the St. Cloud Times, a job he began in 1998. The newest book, of large format and 166 pages, is brimming with old photographs, many dating back to the very advent of photography, as well as some color photos of a more recent vintage. Morgan’s book explores fascinating tidbits of history concerning many of the cities and townships of mainly Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties. Morgan concentrates on natural landmarks (such as Peace Rock above the river near Sartell), interesting people (such as Ann Petrich of St. Stephen), unique historic buildings (such as the Davidson Opera House in St. Cloud) and special topics (such as when the circus came to town in 1895). “Earth, Wood, Stone: Volume II” reads like a leisurely stroll from place to place, so many of them familiar at first sight and yet unfamiliar, too, until Morgan excavates the past for the readers and helps them see through time, far beneath the glancing familiarity. Born in Pipestone, Morgan earned a bachelor’s degree from Macalaster College, then a master’s degree and doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota. He taught American Studies at St.
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Cloud State University from 1978 to 2000 and then taught as an adjunct professor at SCSU from 2001 until 2009. Morgan is the author of four books, all dealing with some form of history. He still writes a monthly history column for the St. Cloud Times. Bill and Judy Morgan, who are very active in the Sartell Senior Connection, have lived in Sartell for 13 years. The following are samplings of some of the chapters that deal with the Sartell-St. Stephen area in Morgan’s latest book:
Clarke
As noted above, the Morgans live on land that once was a vast farm founded by Nehemiah P. Clarke, a human dynamo who blew into Minnesota from Massachusetts in the mid-1800s. In 1856, he and a friend, John Proctor, decided to walk to St. Cloud from Minneapolis. By the time they reached Monticello, the exhausted friend begged Clarke to stop and wait for a stagecoach. “Rather than wait for a coach,” Morgan wrote, “Clarke hoisted Proctor on his back and carried him the rest of the way.” At the time, St. Cloud was just a scruffy sprawl of houses along the river, which caused the minds of Clarke and Proctor to go into high gear. They erected a building from which they sold hardware
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and farming implements. Later, Clarke was awarded a government grant to develop a state route from St. Cloud all the way to the Black Hills. Mules and oxen carried goods to government posts throughout the Dakota territory. There seemed to be no end to Clarke’s ambition and entrepreneurial ways. He was a farmer, a banker, an animal-stock breeder, a lumberman and a corporate director for several Red River railroads. Clarke was nationally known as a breeder of Clydesdale and Hambletonian horses, shorthorn and Galloway cattle, Berkshire hogs and Cotswold sheep. He would sail to England now and then to select “the choicest animals, regardless of cost, for the Stearns County farms,” said historian William Bell Mitchell. Clarke’s name for his shorthorns was “Meadow Lawn,” and one of them (Dorothea II) won more than two dozen championships. Clarke’s prized animals were raised and bred on 3,800 acres located in sections 16 and 17 in LeSauk Township, and the acreage was divided into three farms that Clarke named Nether Hall, Clyde Mains and Meadow Lawn, on which now sits the patio home occupied by Bill and Judy Morgan. Clarke and a partner, T.C. McMorgan •page 8
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Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
8
Morgan from page 7 Clure, owned lumber mills in St. Cloud, Minneapolis, Perham and Manitoba, Canada. In 1892, Clarke hired a prominent architect to design a home for his wife, Caroline, and their three children. The stately, threestory mansion, which still stands at 356 3rd Ave. S. in St. Cloud, is considered one of the finest Victorian-style mansions in the entire area. Morgan closes his column on Clarke this way: “As I look out my window today, I see a row of patio homes called Meadowlawn Village, where the chirping of birds on my feeder have replaced the sounds of cattle, horses and hogs.”
Petrich
Morgan’s book is dedicated to two inspiring women, both now deceased – Sister Justina Bieganek, who was brought to Minnesota on one of the “orphan trains” in the early 20th Century; and Anna Poglajen Petrich, a resourceful woman who lived as an old-fashioned “pioneer” in a log house near St. Stephen. Morgan’s column on Petrich is a virtual valentine to a one-of-akind woman. He begins his column with these words: “Although she died in 1994 at age 99, I still think about Anna Petrich almost every
contributed photo
Bill Morgan, the author of four books, was born in Pipestone and taught American studies for years at St. Cloud State University. He is also a history columnist for the “St. Cloud Times” newspaper. day. I met Anna and her husband, John, in 1980 when they were living in the log house that Anna’s father built near St. Stephen, Minnesota in 1883.” Born in St. Stephen in 1895, Anna was the daughter of immigrants from Slovenia in eastern Europe. They arrived in the St. Stephen area in 1883. Before moving, they had read about the area in an article written by Father Francis Xavier Pierz, which was published in a Cincinnati newspaper. Pierz, who also hailed from Slovenia, lived in central Minnesota and befriended immigrants and many Native Americans. He was instrumental in convincing many in Eastern states to move to central Minnesota – especially Slovenians in the Cincinnati area. As a result of Pierz’s efforts, St. Stephen became the first Slovenian settle-
ment in the nation. Anna’s husband, John Petrich, was also born in Slovenia, just a few miles from Anna’s parents’ farm, as strange coincidence would have it. John’s family emigrated to Minnesota’s Iron Range. His father owned land near St. Stephen and young John often accompanied him to that area when he had business there. That is how John met Anna, whom he married when she was 17. They lived in Northome for seven years where John worked in the iron mines for 14 cents an hour, 10 hours a day. In 1918, the couple moved to St. Stephen and moved into the same log house where Anna had been born. Even when she was in her 80s, Anna still grew a large garden, raising vegetables as well as flowers, including gladioli that were used to decorate the altar in the Church of St. Stephen. For several years, she wrote the church’s newsletter, read widely to keep up with current events and tended to John’s needs after he suffered a massive stroke. During the last years of their lives, John and Anna lived in the Country Manor nursing home in Sartell. “Anna told me,” Morgan wrote, “how much she appreciated running water and a flushing toilet, but missed driving her old Chevy.” In the following paragraph, Morgan gives a vividly detailed description that evokes Anna’s
pioneer way of life. “The kitchen was the family hearth. It contained a wood-fed Monarch range from which Anna baked delicious cookies, pastries and breads made from Slovenian recipes that had been passed down through the generations. The range was also used to heat old-fashioned flatirons, light was produced by kerosene lamp, and the kitchen sink filled by water drawn from an outdoor well. In the parlor a potbellied stove provided heat for a downstairs bedroom and for a sleeping loft above.”
Friday, March 8, 2013
How to get the book
The best way to get a copy of “Earth, Wood, Stone: Volume II” is to call Morgan at 253-6412. The Morgans can mail the books, autographed, to customers. Morgan can also be emailed at: wtmorgan@stcloudstate.edu. The book is also available at the historical societies in Benton and Stearns counties, Walgreen’s on Division Street in St. Cloud, Books Revisited in downtown St. Cloud (and the one in Crossroads), the Paramount Theater bookstore and Cold Spring Bakery.