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Friday, Jan. 18, 2013

Christian athletes ‘huddle’ Wednesdays at high school

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the FCA. The international Fellowship of Christian Athletes started in 1954 and now has thousands of chapters throughout the world with athletes and coaches as members. It’s the largest Christian sports organization in the world. Mabis said there are 25 chapters, including the one in Sartell, in central Minnesota. In Sartell, there are up to 40 members, but some of them cannot make every Wednesday meeting because of occasional scheduling conflicts. Even though athletes lead the FCA Wednesday-morning huddle, anyone can join the group, Mabis noted. The Sartell group decided to reach out and mentor to athletes at the Sartell Middle School level and because of that, the middle school may have its own FCA contributed photo huddle within a month or so. Five members of the Sartell Fellowship of Christian Athletes pose for photos to promote an Originally from Colorado upcoming fundraiser at Great River Bowl. The students are (front row) Jake Nelson and Derek Springs, Mabis moved to SarMumm; (back row) Kylee Bommersback, Izzy Plaine and Erin Deters. tell 18 months ago when he ing before school in the choir of Jesus Christ. They are mem- became Central Lakes Area by Dennis Dalman room of Sartell High School. bers of the Fellowship of Chris- FCA director. After making innews@thenewsleaders.com All are Christian athletes tian Athletes, which began 18 quiries and meeting with many The “huddle” includes who want to strengthen their months ago in Sartell through people, including coaches, he about 25 athletes, who meet at faith and be mentors to others the efforts of Craig Mabis, the heard Sartell has a strong ath8 a.m. every Wednesday morn- in an effort to spread the word Central Lakes Area director of Athletes • page 3

Volume 18, Issue 3 Est. 1995

Open house honors Lutz

A retirement open house for Patti Lutz, a Sartell High School health instructor of 38 years, will be held from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24 in the Learning Center, 1001 2nd St. S., Suite 1005, Sartell. All Sartell, grads, students and parents are invited. The former Patti Olsen, now Lutz, began teaching in 1974 and is a past gymnastics and swimming coach at Sartell High School. No individual gifts. Cards may be sent to Patti Lutz, 2721 Clearwater Road, St. Cloud, MN 56301.

Flu shots urged

Widespread flu activity is being reported across much of the country and the American Red Cross Northern Minnesota Region urges people who have not yet had a flu shot to get vaccinated. The Red Cross also has steps people can take to prevent the spread of the flu virus during what the Centers for Disease Control says is the worst influenza outbreak in several years in the United States. Widespread flu activity is reported in 41 states, including Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and North Dakota. For more information on steps to prevent flu, signs of the flu and when to call the doctor, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on CRIERS.

New 4-H club focuses on robotics

A new 4-H club has started in Stearns County. The focus of the club is about robotics and is named “Robot X.” At one of its most recent meetings officers were elected. For more information, contact Sara Budde, 4-H program coordinator, at 320-2556169.

Drivers needed

St. Cloud Hospital is looking for STEP Force volunteers, which means speedy, transport and escort pool. STEP Force volunteers transport and escort patients, families and visitors throughout the facility. Volunteers will transport patients, deliver flowers and mail, and assist with other deliveries. Volunteers will get plenty of exercise and make a difference in the lives of patients and families. Contact the St. Cloud Hospital Volunteer Services at (320) 255-5638.

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O’Driscoll works on budget, school funding by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com

Incumbent Rep. Tim O’Driscoll (R-Sartell) was one of 134 newly elected representatives (newcomers and incumbents) who were sworn in last week in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In the House chambers, at the swearing-in ceremony, O’Driscoll was accompanied by his nephew, Grayson O’Driscoll of Woodbury, a senior at East Ridge High School. O’Driscoll won the Nov. 6 general election by a hefty margin over Democrate challenger Shannon Schroeder. This is O’Driscoll’s second four-year term in the Minnesota House, representing House District 13B. A former Sartell mayor, he was first elected as a state representative in 2010. District 13B includes the cities of Sartell, St. Stephen and Holdingford and the townships of LeSauk, St. Wendel, Holding, Avon and Brockway. O’Driscoll said the 2013

legislative session, which began after the swearing-in ceremony, is concentrating mainly on two important issues – the state budget and school funding. Legislators, he said, are working out a plan to repay school districts for money used by the state to help try to balance the state budget during the economic crunch of 2011. In the new legislature, which is now controlled by Democrats, O’Driscoll was appointed to the following committees: Government Operations, Elections, State Government Finance and Veterans Affairs. He is the leading Republican on the Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee. And he was also appointed to serve on two commissions: the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement, and the Legislative Permanent School Fund Commission. The latter commission is one that came about because of a bill mainly authored by O’Driscoll and approved last year in the Minnesota Legis-

lature. The bill is the School Land Trust Reform, which revoked management of schoolland trusts from the Department of Natural Resources and put those lands under the management of a School Fund Board and the Legislative Permanent School Fund Commission. Based on a similar

law in Utah, the school-land trust reform aims to increase the amount of money on those lands realized through a wider effort in land investments. The resultant funds are then divided up among school districts to be used for education. In 2012, the Sartell-St. SteO’Driscoll • page 4

Flu inspires poem by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com

It’s not every day (or night) that a miserable case of the flu inspires a poem, but that’s what happened to Moos Wilhelmina Moos of Sartell. Deep in the middle of the night of Jan. 8, Moos was tossing and turning, unable to sleep, coughing, wheezing, sniffling and feeling like she was about

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to breathe her last. Words kept stumbling through her head as she groped for ways to describe such flu-borne misery. All of a sudden, her parade of words began to rhyme. The rhymes then settled themselves into a poem. She wrote down the poem, which she called “Ode to the Yuckies,” a good example of misery redeemed by humor. The poem is written from the point of view of two of Moos’ adopted teenage daughters, Jackie and Brooke, who were also suffering from a terrible bout with the flu. Here is the poem: Poem • page 5

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2 Four Sartell students were recently named to the fall semester dean’s list at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D. They are the following: Jordan Erkens, Cole Jenkins, Madeleine Spalding and Andrea Whitney. To be eligible for the honor, students must have a minimum of 12 credit hours with grade-

point averages at 3.5 or above. Thirty-nine Sartell students were among 1,432 students who were recently named to the fall dean’s list at t. Cloud State University. They and their majors are as follows: Einas Alkhatib, biomedical sciences; Garrett Brennan, computer science;

People

Brandon Burggraff, undecided; Rebecca Caspers, social work; Jill Chaika, nursing; Nathan Christopherson, computer engineering; Kimberly Duong, pre-law; Jacob Emslander, management; Nicole Erickson, community psychology; Brooke Evans, community psychology; Sarah Garlock, information systems;

Nicole Grant, mechanical engineering; Meredith Herman, community psychology; Tiffany Hess, psychology; Austin Johnson, community psychology; Noah Kelm, undecided; Rachael Knutson, anthropology; Jonathan Lahr, pre-business; Nathan Lahr, criminal justice studies; Tomas Lorincz, electrical engineering; Emily

Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 McIntire, biomedical sciences; Kelsey McIntire, community psychology; Samantha Mills, anthropology; Ariel Motschke, social work; Genelle Newinski, early childhood education; Jeremy Nicoski, nursing; Katie Olerud, community psychology; Greta Perske, nursing; David Schinas, political science; Tyler Schroeder, political science; James Scully, pre-business; Paul Spanier, recreation and sports management; Sally Traut, elementary education; Kirsten Uran, elementary/K-6 education; Brittany Waldvogel, nursing; Olivia Windahl, English; Kara Wolters, undecided; Katie Yurczyk, early childhood education; and Krista Zipp, elementary/K-6 education. To be eligible for the honor, students must have a grade point average of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Two St Stephen students were among 1,432 students who were recently named to the fall dean’s list at t. Cloud State University. They and their majors are as follows: Kari Tschida, psychology; and Amber Zapzalka, special education. To be eligible for the honor, students must have a grade point average of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Twenty Sartell students were among 3,101 North Dakota State University students who were recently named to the fall dean’s list. They and their majors are as follows: Jonathan Carlson, art; Miranda Etienne, civil engineering; Abby Fenlason, dietetics; Danielle Fritz, pharmaceutical sciences; Joel Garberick, radiologic sciences; Matthew Gault, university studies; Molly Granzow, accounting; Ross Hardman, psychology; Kayla Hauer, psychology; Darrin Laudenbach, electrical engineering; Justin Lieberg, accounting; Kirsten Miller, pharmaceutical sciences; Bernard Omann, construction management; Rebecca Pareja, pharmaceutical science; Kayla Sorenson, nursing; Bryan Symanietz, management information systems; Michael Symanietz, zoology; Kyle Thorson, computer engineering; Samuel Traut, civil engineering; and Anna Wenzel, pharmaceutical sciences. Students must earn a 3.50-grade-point average or higher and be enrolled in at least 12 class credits to qualify.

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Friday, Jan. 18, 2013

Athletes from front page letic program with full family support, and so he decided to settle there. Currently, he is working at getting FCA huddle groups at other schools in the area, such as St. Cloud Tech. “The Lord called us in for this ministry,” he said. “We visited the local churches. Our goal is to impact the world for Jesus Christ through athletes and coaches. We’re not pulling out the Bible all the time. Rather, we want coaches to influence youth for the right reasons – with qualities like integrity and character. Some coaches seem to care too much just about wins and losses.” Mabis said young athletes he’s met everywhere always tell him how important it is to have coaches who truly care and guide young people in more ways than just striving to

win games. Coaches, he said, are highly important in being positive influences in the lives of young athletes, second only to parents. Most youth in public schools do not go to classes for faith instruction anymore, Mabis noted. The FCA huddles give them a chance to do that – to hold faith discussions, to pray and to influence others for the better. The beauty of it, Mabis said, is young athletes run their huddles completely on their own. They make their own lesson plans and coordinate their own outreach efforts. One such effort in Sartell is when the FCA huddle members distribute bottles of Gatorade to visiting athletes just before they get on the bus to go back to their home towns. The FCA members give them the Gatorade and tell them how glad they are they visited Sartell to play. Mabis’s favorite quote is this: “Being a great coach

Blotter Jan. 2 1:04 a.m. Theft. Pinecone Road. Sometime between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., two tires were removed from a car. The car was left sitting on a jack. 1:37 a.m. Found property. 10th Avenue N. A fishing rod was found lying in a parking lot. It is being held at the Sartell Police Department. 10:01 a.m. Theft. 17th Street N. A delivered package was taken from a front doorstep. It was delivered on Dec. 14. Jan. 3 1:05 a.m. Parking violation. 2nd Avenue N. Winter-parking citation issued. 1:54 a.m. Parking violation. Liberty Court. Winter-parking citation issued. 3:14 a.m. Parking violation. 15th Street N. Winter-parking citation issued. 3:18 a.m. Parking violation. 8th Avenue N. Winter-parking citation issued. Jan. 4 4:51 p.m. Theft. Walmart. A female was seen attempting to leave the store with unpaid merchandise. She was issued a citation and released. Jan. 5 1:20 a.m. Parking volation. 1st Avenue N. Winter-parking citation issued. 2:18 a.m. Parking violation. Edinburgh Street. Winter-parking citation issued. 2:26 a.m. Parking violation. Edinburgh Street. Winter-parking citation issued. 2:40 a.m. Parking violation. King’s Way. Winter-parking citation issued. 2:44 a.m. Parking violation. King’s Way. Winter-parking citation issued. 2:48 a.m. Parking violation. King’s Way. Winter-parking citation issued. 8:46 p.m. Fire. 19th Avenue N. A call regarding a fire in the woods. Officers made contact with the property owner, who was burning brush. Jan. 6 1:21 a.m. Parking violation.

Knickerbocker Court. Winter-parking citation issued. 1:55 a.m. Parking violation. Mockingbird Loop. Winter-parking citation issued. 2:03 a.m. Parking violation. 15th Street S. Winter-parking citation issued. 2:25 a.m. Parking violation. Oriole Avenue S. Winter-parking citation issued. 2:52 a.m. Parking violation. Pine Sisken Avenue. Winter-parking citation issued. 3:02 a.m. Parking violation. Victory Avenue S. Winter-parking citation issued. 3:13 a.m. Parking violation. Sundance Court Winter-parking citation issued. Blotter • page 7

means taking someone of importance from where they are to where they need to go.” That quote, he said, encapsulates the mission of the FCA. And athletes who gain strength in their faith have a powerful positive influence on all the

people they meet in their lives, Mabis added. There will be an FCA fundraiser from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, March 3 at Great River Bowl. Currently, FCA members are asking Sartell businesses to sponsor one or more bowl-

3 ing-hall lanes. All proceeds will be given to the FCA in Sartell and used to help ministry resources at the high school and middle school. For more about the FCA, see its website at fca.org.

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Friday, Jan. 18, 2013

O’Driscoll from front page phen School District received $104,349 in school-land trust funds. O’Driscoll and others are hoping that amount will increase as investments in the school lands increase. School trust lands are those that were put aside more than 100 years ago for the express purpose of use by school districts in the state and a way to raise money for schools, such as through renting the lands for farming. Throughout the decades, such lands have mostly been repurposed, and most of the land still remaining as school-trust lands are in northeastern Minnesota where they generate income from such uses as forestry and limited mining. Another of O’Driscoll’s legislative accomplishments was the elimination of a “Tiered Water System.” That was a plan by the state to require cities to charge larger users of water more per unit of water, which was meant to imple-

contributed photo

Shortly after being officially sworn in, Rep. Tim O’Driscoll and his nephew, Grayson O’Driscoll of Woodbury, pause for a photo at O’Driscoll’s seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives. ment water-conservation measures by the users. Such large users included such entities as schools, hospitals, hotels, beverage bottlers and other industries. O’Driscoll maintained such a tier system would be unfair, putting an economic burden on large users. His bill effectively eliminated that mandate, which would have

gone into effect Jan. 1. O’Driscoll received an award from the League of Minnesota Cities for his work to eliminate the tiered-water system mandate. He also was honored with other awards for his School Land Trust Reform bill and his ongoing work on behalf of veterans.

Tours available Thursday for Service Center Open House Sartell residents can take a tour of the remodeled Sartell-St. Stephen School District Service Center during an open house from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24. Last year, that entire building was “re-purposed” for expanded and new uses. Formerly

known as the School District Office Building, the Service Center now includes district offices, the Early Childhood Education Center, the Community Education program, the Sartell Senior Connection and a family library. During the tour, the early-childhood and preschool

classrooms will be open, and families will be able to meet with staff, participate in parentchild activities and learn about the programs. The newly created family library will also be open. In addition, the Community Education wing, which will have demonstrations of two of its course offerings, yoga and dance, will also be open. Visitors will be able to ask questions and register for upcoming classes. Members of the Sartell Senior Connection will be at the Sartell Connection Center to answer questions and to share information about their organization and historical artifacts about the oldest school building in Sartell, which is now the refurbished Service Center. The district offices will also be available to view, the School District Food Services staff will be available to discuss the district’s meals program, and tours can be streamlined to the particular interests of individuals and groups. For more information, call Amy Trombley at 656-3701, ext. 1112. Roofing • Siding • Gutters • Windows • Metal Roofs HAAG™ Certified Roof Inspectors for hail/wind

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Seventh-grade boys take first place contributed photo

The Sartell boys seventhgrade basketball team nabbed first-place honors at the Anoka Winter Classic Dec. 2 by defeating North St. Paul, 50-42. The members of the team are (front row, left to right) Cole Zunker, Riley Hartwig, Evan DeMorett, Ben Rohlfs, Nick Daffinrud; (back row) Coach Gordy Meyer, Jay Bertelson, Ryan Fernholz, Trysten Bommersbach, Jordan Och, Trent Meyer and Coach Brad Rohlfs.

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Poem

except Moos’s version began with “T’was the night after Christmas and all through the cottage . . . “ from front page It’s not surprising poems emerge so often in Moos’s mind. She loves words and wordplay. Ode to the Yuckies One of her favorite leisure acby Wilhelmina Moos tivities is playing “Words with Friends,” a software application Dripping eyes, pounding head, for her iPhone that consists of Wish I could just stay in bed. all kinds of word games and Cough. Sniffle. Blow. Achoooo! wordplay. Look out, Mom, I’m gonna spew! Moos calls most of her poForehead splitting, cheek bones hurt. ems “fun occasion poems.” For Back is stiff, neck’s on alert. example, she has seven sisters, Hips are painful, can’t lay down. and all of them like to get toMom’s right – my face is stuck gether at least once a year for a in frown. special reunion-celebration. Last Make a meal? I think not. year, as she wrote out the inviWhere did I get all this snot? tations, she found herself – once First fever, chills, then sweat, then again – rhyming her words, and Brrrrr! thus the invitations morphed Blankets, fans, thermometers. into a fun poem. Asleep, awake or in a daze, Moos’s advice to those who It matters not; my eyes are glazed. think they might be poets but Achey head, swollen feet. don’t know it. Water. Juice. A nap. Repeat. “Just do it,” she said. “Just Lungs are burning, throat is sore. play with words. Use words Mom’s sick, too, but we’re two you wouldn’t use when talking. more Develop a repertoire of words. Who need for her to care for us. Then have fun with them.” Careful, Mom. You’re gonna bust. Moos’s advice to anyone sufMucinex won’t help today. fering from the nasty flu: The Mucus Guys are here to stay. “Water, juice, take a nap and But in this cloud, we’ve found a repeat.” jewel. Eventually, we’re back to school!! The knack for poetry seems to be genetic for Moos. Her mother, too, would often be struck by inspiration in the middle of the night and jot down lines of poetry she would later polish. One night, a wee-hours revelation caused Sarah Mae Moos to begin an epic poem about her family, the Hanson clan. The poem was quite a hit at Hanson reunions. “I don’t publish my poems,” Moos said. “I’ve written, oh, maybe 40 of them. The poems just hit me now and then, and they are usually something to do with the time I’m writing them.” One late night, while working a night shift at the St. Cloud Children’s Home, right after Christmas, she was sitting up all by herself in one of the cottages. An idea for a poem struck her, and she launched into writing a long parody of Clement Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas,”

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Friday, Jan. 18, 2013

Opinion Our View Good time to redress imbalance of Internet time, human relations Of all the New Year’s resolutions that have been made, very few lists contain “Use the Internet less in 2013.” That resolution, perhaps, should be at or near the top of everyone’s resolutions list. There are some interesting studies being done that seem to indicate an alarming number of people have developed, more or less, a virtual addiction to Internet usage. Some of the same studies are showing many people are supplanting healthy in-person contacts and relationships with Internet relationships via the Internet, in some cases with total strangers. Of course, many people have no choice. They rely heavily on their computers to do their jobs. And, not to forget, computers and Internet communications can be a tremendous plus at times – saving travel time, money and all sorts of other hassles. Experts are still undecided on exactly what constitutes an “Internet addiction,” although most agree if Internet usage interferes excessively with normal daily life and family relationships, something is wrong. Those addicted to drugs or alcohol often retreat from life, a stunting process that can lead to lots of trouble and deeper addictions. We have all heard of cases in which marriages were destroyed by one or the other spouse’s addiction to Internet relationships or Internet pornography. But surely there are other, less obvious drawbacks to Internet usage, such as children absorbed with computer games when they should be interacting with family and friends in social activities. These are some of the symptoms of what might be Internet “addiction,” according to the studies: • Withdrawal behavior, such as irritation or depression, when not able to have Internet access. • A loss of other interests. • Using the Internet to replace or make up for human relationships. • An accelerating use of the Internet to get a “high.” • Children becoming angry and even violent when their Internet use is temporarily suspended by parents. Some scientists are suspecting excessive Internet usage can actually cause physical changes in the brains of adolescents that are similar to the changes caused by chemical addictions. At this point, the answers are not in; more research must be done. But in the meantime, addiction or not, it would be a good thing for all of use to take stock of our Internet usage. The best way to do that is to write down each day how many hours were spent on the Internet and how much of that usage was work-related and vital or merely frivolous and “fun.” Then write down each day how much time was spent in in-person social interactions. Most people will probably be stunned by the imbalance between the two activities. Redressing that imbalance would probably do all of us a world of good in 2013.

Fairness and ethics

Newsleader staff members have the responsibility to report news fairly and accurately and are accountable to the public. Readers who feel we’ve fallen short of these standards are urged to call the Newsleader office at 363-7741. If matters cannot be resolved locally, readers are encouraged to take complaints to the Minnesota News Council, an independent agency designed to improve relationships between the public and the media and resolve conflicts. The council office may be reached at 612-341-9357.

The evil ‘they’ are out to get ‘us’ My fellow Americans, tyranny is at hand! If they ban assault weapons, a new Hitler is going to crush our freedomloving America! If they limit weapons, next they’ll take our huntin’ guns away! Soon, we won’t be able to defend our homes, our lives! Sound familiar? “They” are the black-hatted villains of Big Government. “Our” includes the gun-totin’ heroes with white hats defending our freedoms. So goes the NRA propaganda machine. We’ve all seen that cowboy movie. Too many times. The slaughter of children in Newtown, Conn. shows those lamebrain assertions for what they are: preposterous lies. There’s no end to the verbal contortions the NRA leadership goes through to justify their beloved assault weapons. One of the most mindlessly parroted phrases, encouraged by the NRA, is “THEY’re gonna take OUR huntin’ guns away!” That phrase encapsulates the paranoia gun fanatics feed upon – THEY the sinister government, US the “real” patriots. That US, it should be noted, does not include such misguided nuts as peaceniks, bunny-huggers, nerds and eggheads. Those misfits don’t own guns; they don’t even like hunting, for cryin’ out loud; there’s something wrong with them; they’re un-American. Probably communists. Why is “the gun” so sacred to so many Americans? It actually approaches the dimensions of a genetic disease. Some people store guns up like they’d hoard food in preparation for the end of

Dennis Dalman Editor the world. There are basements and attics chock-full of guns. Guns are the stockin-trade of hate groups and of so-called survivalists and weekend warriors. Why isn’t there a clinical name for gun mania? Come to think of it, there is. It’s called arrested development. In all fairness, the NRA has done some good things, such as gun-training and gun-safety programs. And most of its members are rational, reasonable, good people. The latest polls, in fact, indicate at least 70 percent of NRA members are in favor of some form of gun controls, especially those regarding assault weapons. It’s the stone-head monomania of NRA’s top echelon that is the problem. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the NRA membership demanded the resignation of that leadership? Wouldn’t it be even better if huge numbers of NRA members resigned in protest against such bullish intransigence? In the meantime, the many good NRA members should be calling, emailing and writing their representatives at all levels – demanding a ban on assault weapons and multi-ammo clips. It’s well and fine the brainstorming in Vice President Joe Biden’s task force includes mental-illness issues, violence in the media, school-security methods, universal gun checks and the possible banning of multi-ammo clips. It’s about

time those issues are addressed legislatively. They’ve been on the back burner for too long. However, if the task force does not recommend a ban on assault weapons, its members are cop-outs. And if President Barack Obama doesn’t fight for an assault-weapons ban, he too will be a cop-out. Isn’t it astounding how many in the U.S. Congress heed the advice of unelected tin gods like Grover Norquist (no new taxes) and NRA’s Wayne LaPierre (no gun bans)? Why aren’t our elected leaders heeding the advice of the grieving loved ones who lost their precious children to vicious killers, most of them armed with assault weapons? The answer should be obvious: fat-cash bullies (aka gun lobbyists). The NRA brags about a recent boost in membership. It now claims close to six million members. Are you impressed? Well, I’m not – for the simple reason there are 305 million Americans who are not NRA members. And most of those people, most of US, want a ban on assault weapons. Now. Not to mention many NRA members who do, too. I heard a great quote today submitted by a TV viewer: “Using an assault rifle to hunt is like using a chainsaw to sharpen a pencil.” If the U.S. Congress doesn’t ban assault weapons, its members will prove themselves once again to be gutless wonders. If there is any hope at all, it’s in the heartbreaking testimony of the grief-stricken parents of those children. Maybe our leaders, at long last, will really listen to them and heed their advice for a change.

Letter to editor

A tribute to lives lost at Sandy Hook Elementary by Ron Marquette, Sartell It started out a normal Connecticut school day in December, with anticipation of Christmas in the air – children happy with futures full of promise and life fair. Who could have imagined what would take place that morning – the horror – when evil came crashing through the door. A gun was drawn and 20 innocent children and six brave adults were taken from us so fast, and the pain seems to last and last. And now there is sadness where love used to be. Years taken and dreams shattered. Oh, the laughs, the smiles, the hugs are what really mattered. Grief so strong for those who knew the fallen...mothers, fathers, grandparents, brothers and sisters, and friends were all in despair and so many others who tried to show they cared. Love con-

quers all, even after the fall. The names ring in our ears – Benjamin, Catherine, Dylan, Victoria, James, Grace and on and on – and then come the tears. A rickety old swing hangs motionless in the backyard where a child once was – toys strewn across the room never to be played with again. A baseball glove rests on the ground...and just for a moment you hear the sound “Dad! Did you see me catch the ball?” A puppy awaits the bus that will never again bring her favorite person home...a mother weeps and weeps for that little girl who she will never again hold so tight. There was a boy who loved tacos so much, he wanted to grow up and be a “taco maker” because he was afraid the world would run out. There was a girl who broke open her piggy bank last Christmas to buy toys for needy kids.

There was a girl who danced to music whether it was in the air or in her head. There was a boy whose parents said was “just so good.” And a girl who every day practiced random acts of kindness, just because. All were precious; all made the world brighter and better...and now leave a void. The teachers, the educators – so heroic and brave, now motionless lie...they taught us all how to live and to die. Those who left us that day now are “angels in starlight”...if you look heavenward now their light will always shine bright. Let’s now work to stop all the violence and say, “enough is enough.” Let’s all try to get along...and make their lives mean something and their memories strong. Love to all and God bless each soul.

Send your opinions to: The Newsleaders • P.O. Box 324 • St. Joseph, MN 56374 or email us at news@thenewsleaders.com

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Friday, Jan. 18, 2013

Community Calendar

Friday, Jan. 18 Blood drive, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.., St. Cloud Blood Donation Center, 1301 W. St. Germain St. 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org.

Monday, Jan. 21 Blood drive, noon-6 p.m., St. Cloud Blood Donation Center, 1301 W. St. Germain St. 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org. St. Joseph Rod and Gun Club meeting, 7 p.m., American Legion in St. Joseph. Tuesday, Jan. 22 55+ driver improvement course (four-hour refresher course), 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Life Assembly of God, 2409 Clearwater Road, St. Cloud. 1-888-234-1294.

Blotter from page 3 3:29 a.m. Parking violation. 6th Avenue S. Winter-parking citation issued. 3:59 a.m. Parking violation. 4th Avenue E. Winter-parking citation issued. 4:06 a.m. Parking violation. 4th Avenue E. Winter-parking citation issued. 4:36 a.m. Parking violation. 2-½ Street N. Winter-parking citation issued. 4:57 a.m. Traffic stop. 1st Street N. After an officer checked a vehicle’s registration, it was found the registered owner had a revoked license and a warrant. The driver was not the registered owner but also had a revoked license. The

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Blood drive, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Cloud Blood Donation Center, 1301 W. St. Germain St. 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org.

Wednesday, Jan. 23 Healthy Eating for Successful Living, 9-11:30 a.m., today and Jan. 30, Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27, David F. Day Apartments, 1221-22nd Street South #120, Sartell. 320-229-4591. Thursday, Jan. 24 Coffee and Conversation, a senior discussion group, 9 a.m., Country Manor, Sartell. Blood drive, noon-6 p.m., St. Cloud Blood Donation Center, 1301 W. St. Germain St. 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org. registered owner was in the passenger seat and was taken into custody without incident. The driver was issued a citation, and the vehicle was towed. 8:49 a.m. Traffic stop. Sartell bridge. A vehicle was seen traveling 47 mph in a posted 30-mph zone. The driver was aware of his speed. He was issued a citation and released. 7 p.m. Vandalism. Amber Avenue S. A complaint was made sometime during the past two weeks, the air was let out of four tires, and the gas was siphoned out of a truck. Jan. 7 8:06 a.m. Traffic stop. Riverside Avenue. A driver without headlights on passed an officer and appeared not to be wearing a seat belt. The driver had no valid license and no proof of insurance.

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Friday, Jan. 25 Blood drive, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., St. Cloud Blood Donation Center, 1301 W. St. Germain St. 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org. Blood drive, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Gorecki Conference Center, 37 S. College Ave., St. Joseph. 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org. St. Joseph Farmers’ Market, 3-6 p.m., Resurrection Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall, 610 North County Road 2, St. Joseph. www. stjosephfarmersmarket.com Sunday, Jan. 27 Kindergarten/Preschool open house, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., St. Francis Xavier Catholic School. www. SFXschools.org. A citation was issued for all violations. The car was picked up by a licensed driver. 10:26 a.m. Traffic stop. Riverside Avenue. A vehicle was seen traveling 44 mph in a posted 30mph zone. The driver said she was not aware of her speed. She was issued a citation and released. 4:09 p.m. Hit-and-run. Roundabout. A vehicle was struck by another in the roundabout and then left the scene. The driver who was hit was able to get the license-plate number and relay that to officers. Officers located the other driver, who attempted to give the officers false information. The driver was taken into custody. Jan. 8 10:54 a.m. Warrant arrest. 14th Avenue E. A warrant was issued, and officers took the male into custody without incident.

Freelancers sought 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. tfn

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Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com

Friday, Jan. 18, 2013

Concert slated for Uganda mission trip by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com

A fundraising “Uganda Mission” concert will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27 at Celebration Lutheran Church in Sartell. Many local talents will perform at the concert. It’s free and everyone is invited. Free-will cash or check offerings are requested. Any funds will be used to help a group of people, mostly Sartell residents, go to Uganda to build a schoolhouse for orphaned children under the guidance of the Watoto organization. The purpose of Watoto, a wordwide effort, is to give shelter, sustenance and education to children in Uganda who have lost their families to war or disease or who are vulnerable for a variety of reasons. Musicians who will perform at the show are four people who will go on the mission trip to

Uganda – Kathleen Engel, Ezra LaFleur, Ethan LaFleur and Bob Ringstrom. The other musicians are the two-member group AKoustic and Roger DeBoer, Julian Euteneuer, Cherie Ploof and Cristina Seaborn. The 15-member mission trip to Uganda is set for sometime in August. In the meantime, the members have been busy for months raising funds in order to pay their airfare and for the orphanage itself, whose materials will cost about $20,000. Several members of the group have been on previous Watoto missions to Uganda for various building projects to help orphaned children. They had established such a solid rapport there that the world-renowned Watoto Children’s Choir came to Sartell to give a concert at Celebration Lutheran Church. Most of the mission members are parishioners at that church.

Caregivers Needed Arise Home Health Care is currently seeking individuals interested in part-time PCA and HHA opportunities. If you have a passion for caregiving and enjoy working with individuals with disabilities or healthrelated needs, please contact us. We offer a great opportunity to make a difference! Wage: $8.78 - $11/hr. DOQ. Arise Home Health Care is an EOE.

Please apply at: arisecares.com or email resume to: chris.jurek@arisecares.com

Uganda is a country in central Africa that has been torn apart by conflicts, an AIDS epidemic and the brutal dictatorship of former tyrant Idi Amin. Because of the years of turmoil, disease and bloodshed, there are many orphans in the country. Anyone who would like to donate to the Uganda Mission trip can attend the concert. Or they can send checks to Celebration Lutheran Church, 1500 Pine Cone Road N., Sartell, Minn. 56377. Be sure to write “Watoto” or “Uganda” on the check’s memo line. For more information, call Maggie Brossoit at 320-2531044.

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