Reaching Everybody!
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Newsleader Sartell
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013 Volume 18, Issue 36 Est. 1995
Town Crier
You can help ‘Raise the Dough’
Eat at House of Pizza from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17 to support the completion of the Huntington Park fitness trail. Girl Scout Troop 783 is hosting a “Raise the Dough” event to raise money for fitness trail equipment as part of its “Healthy Park, Healthy People” project.
Join Cub Scouts Thursday, Sept. 19
Three Sartell Cub Scout packs will hold their sign-up nights on Thursday, Sept. 19: Oak Ridge Elementary at 6 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria; Pine Meadow and St. Francis Elementary at 7 p.m. in the St. Francis Xavier cafeteria. Cub Scouts is a family program for boys in grades 1-5. All new members receive a mini flying disc to use at the Oct. 5 newmember event at Camp Ripley. For more information, visit www. bsacmc.org/playcubscoutgames. html, call 320-251-3930 or stop by at 1191 Scout Drive, Sartell.
United Way sets Sept. 26 as Day of Caring
United Way of Central Minnesota will host a Day of Caring, which is designed to bring people together to volunteer on community projects, Thursday, Sept 26. Projects available are painting, fall clean-up, kid’s activities and Kids Fighting Hunger. This event is intended to create positive changes in our very own communities through the volunteer efforts of local residents. For more information on this and other United Way volunteer opportunities, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
Postal Patron
Girl Scouts transform neighborhood park by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com
Q: How many Girl Scouts does it take to transform a neighborhood park? A: Four Girl Scouts – Scouts with vision, determination and hard work. Thanks to the four Scouts, the Huntington Park neighborhood park in south Sartell is receiving a new-and-improved look. The Scouts are Kali Enstad, Emily Hoppe, Ally Haas and Jessica Mergen – all of them 14 years old and the only four members of Sartell Girl Scout Troop 783, led by Ally’s mother, Wendi Haas.
Vision
More than a year ago, the four Scouts had been thinking of doing a community project to earn their “Silver Awards,” the prestigious honor between a bronze award and a gold award. As soon as they saw Huntington Park last September, the girls’ visions clicked in. The park, they decided, was woefully lacking in certain amenities. It could, for instance, use a few benches on which parents could sit and watch their children play.
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Girl Scouts Ally Haas, Emily Hoppe, Jessica Mergen and Kali Enstad gather to fill a tree-watering bag at Huntington Park. The four girls are working hard to add some amenities to the park, including 10 shade trees. The landscape fabric was showing under the playground equipment. The park badly needed some restful, shady areas land-
the park playground could use a couple more equipment games, such as a “Toss Up” and a Scouts • page 3
at SJU), plus four national championships. And in 2006, he was also named to the NCAA College Football Hall of Fame while still an active coach. That is one large pair of shoes. Late last year, Fasching was chosen to be the next head football coach at St. John’s after spending the past 17 seasons as a defensive assistant. His appointment ended a month-long replacement search. The last time a new head coach was hired at SJU, the president of the United States was named Eisenhower. Gagliardi’s tenure and his teams’ accomplishments would become the stuff of legend. Fasching was one of 25 original applicants for the head coaching job. In mid-December he made the list of three finalists, chosen by the 10-member selection committee. The other two finalists, also Johnnie graduates, were Mike Grant and Kurt Ramler. Both Grant and Ramler have achieved coaching success of their own, at the high school and college levels. Fasching expressed his admiration for his fellow finalists.
“I have a ton of respect for both of those guys,” he said. “I was going to trust whatever the committee decided. No matter who they selected, St. John’s was going to get an excellent coach.” Fasching knows only too well what a tough act Gagliardi is to follow. He credits his former mentor for being “the best in the business.” “We’re never going to see another John Gagliardi,” he said. “He let his assistants do a lot of the coaching. What I have to do is work hard to be ready, and to make sure my team is ready for this season.” It would come as no surprise to hear Fasching express his willingness to work hard. He was raised on his parents’ dairy farm in Winsted, Minn. (about 15 miles northeast of Hutchinson) as one of 15 children, working to help with the daily chores. Anyone who comes from a family of 15 knows a little something about working to get what you want. And the experience also taught Fasching something about what he wanted, or didn’t want, out of life. Fasching • page 4
Fasching has ‘large pair of shoes to fill’
First turkey, deer hunt for disabled at nature preserve
The application deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 1 for the first turkey and deer hunt for people with disabilities in Stearns County’s newest park – Rockville Park and Nature Preserve. Midwest Outdoors Unlimited will select three hunters for each of the hunts (turkey/deer) and supervise the hunts. The mission of the group is to provide outdoor recreational activities for Disabled American Veterans, individuals and youth in Minnesota. The park will be closed to the general public during each of the five-day hunts. The turkey hunt is scheduled for Wednesday-Sunday, Oct. 23-27; the deer hunt for WednesdaySunday, Nov. 13-17. For more information or to apply, visit www. thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers. For additional criers, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
scaped with trees. There could be some exercise “stations” along the paved trail through the park. The girls also decided
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Gary Fasching (above) said he is eager to work on his new career as head coach of the St. John’s Johnnies football team. Fasching was selected to replace long-time legendary coach John Gagliardi, who announced his retirement last spring after a phenomenal coaching record. by Mark Lauer news@thenewsleaders.com
What if you were picked to take over for someone who was so honored, so well-respected, that the very thought of being that person’s “replacement” seemed out of the question? And that no one, no matter how qualified, could ever fill those shoes again? Welcome to Gary Fasching’s world. Last November, St. John’s Uni-
versity’s football coach, John Gagliardi, announced his retirement after spending 60 years at the school. Just say that to yourself once. Sixty years. Who stays at a job, any job, for 60 years? And during that time, plus four earlier seasons at Montana’s Carroll College (1949-52), Gagliardi established himself as the winningest college football coach of all time, compiling a record of 489-138-11 with 30 conference titles (27 of them
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People
Zierden Nicholas Zierden, son of Ann Zierden, Sartell, recently graduated from basic military training at San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio, Texas. Air Force Airman Zierden completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate’s degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Zierden is a 2010 graduate of Sartell High School. Two Sartell students were recently accepted and started their 2013-14 academic year at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. They are the following: Alysha Illies and Katelynn Kelash. Both are graduates of Cathedral High School. Illies entered the College of Arts and Sciences; Kelash the School of Nursing. Array Services Group, a leader in revenue cycle, accounts receivable and call center solution management, and one of the largest employers in the St. Cloud area, recently held its annual company picnic at Municipal Park in Sauk Rapids. The picnic was wellattended again this year with 750 employees and family members coming out to enjoy the festivities. Attendees were able to enjoy a bounty of food, from fresh-cut fruit to grilled turkey legs, prepared by the company’s executive staff. “It’s always fun to get together for our annual picnic,” said Jim Christensen, CEO of Array Services Group. “We’ve been doing them (picnics) for over 30 years and each year is more fun for me than the last. It’s one small way to show our appreciation to our great staff and their families.” Children were able to play in an inflatable jump-house as well as Municipal Park’s large play-
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013
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Jonathan Kirchner, 13, hit a hole-in-one Aug. 1 at Boulder Ridge Golf Course in St. Cloud. The hole-in-one was 135 yards on hole No. 8. He used a 9-iron. He was golfing with Dave Martini, Jerry Graham and his grandparents, Dave and Linda Kirchner. Jonathan is an eighth-grader at Sartell Middle School. ground. To add to the excitement, each child was entered into a free drawing. Autumn Williams-Thelen and Dylan Foix won a Water Play Center. Bicycles were given to Kyle Morris, Wesley Benson, Kylie Larson and Carly O’Hara. Jacob Jehoich was the lucky winner of an IPod Shuffle. Employees also participated in an annual volleyball tournament. The final game featured a team from ProSource Billing Inc. vs. members of the Financial Services department at J. C. Christensen and Associates Inc. “It was a nail biter,” said Carl Christensen, a collection manager at JCC, but the ProSource team came away with the win and claimed the tournament’s traveling trophy. Gift cards were also awarded to the winning team members. “We had an amazing employee turnout and couldn’t have asked for a better day,” said Nhyla Yorek, long time Array employee and picnic organizer. “It’s nice to see everyone having a good time.” Municipal Park in Sauk Rapids is a wonderful venue for the Array Summer Picnic. With its two covered shelters, numerous picnic tables, grills, available restrooms and large playground area, it remains an excellent setting for this delightful family affair.
Members of the 16U girls fastpitch softball team are (front row, left to right): Jessica Deters, Markia Smith, McKenzie Fossen, Kaila Dewanz and Carly Dropik; (back row) Coach Rich Sylte, Jana Roste, Sarah Maas, Joselyn Spect, Taylor Johnson, Bailey Mumm and Faith Thompson. Not pictured: Cami Doman.
16U girls fastpitch win double-header; head to state Sartell’s House of Pizza 16U girls fast-pitch softball team won a double-header last Sunday in St. Cloud, shutting down the Franklin Outdoor Hawks, 16-0, with a no-
hitter pitched by Faith Thompson. In game 2, Jana Roste hit an outof-the-park home run to assist in the 9-2 win over the Princeton Tigers, pitched by Kaila Dewanz.
House of Pizza will play another double-header Sunday, Sept. 15, before heading into the State Qualifiers Sunday, Sept. 22.
Blotter If any readers have tips concerning crimes, they should call the Sartell Police Department at 320-251-8186 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. Aug. 28 4:37 a.m. Suspicious activity. 3rd St. N. A complaint was made regarding someone continuously ringing the doorbell and leaving. Officers walked through the neighborhood and were unable to locate anyone. 9:37 p.m. Suspicious activity. High Drive. A report was made of an unknown person’s shadow in the backyard of a residence. Officers checked the area and were unable to locate anyone. Aug. 29 5:21 a.m. Traffic stop. Pinecone Road. A vehicle was witnessed traveling 60 mph in a posted 40-mph zone. The driver was not able to provide proof of insurance and stated he was aware of his speed. He was issued a citation for both violations and released. 2:30 p.m. Theft. Walmart. A female was witnessed attempting to leave the store with unpaid merchandise. She was issued a citation and released. Aug. 30 12:50 a.m. Traffic stop. CR 120. After stopping a vehicle with a broken
headlight, it was found the driver had a suspended license and was unable to provide proof of insurance. The driver was issued a citation for both violations and the officer transported him to a nearby residence because the driver was unable to get a licensed driver to pick up him and his infant child. 3:40 a.m. Suspicious activity. Boulder Court. A complaint was made regarding someone continuously ringing the doorbell and leaving. An officer located two juveniles walking in the area. They denied ringing doorbells. The officer transported them to their home and spoke with their parents about the incident. Aug. 31 3:02 p.m. Traffic stop. CR 120. After checking a vehicle’s registration, it was found the driver had a revoked license. The driver was unable to provide proof of insurance and stated she was aware of her license being revoked. She was issued a citation for both violations and the vehicle was towed. 6:02 p.m. Theft. Walmart. A male and female were witnessed attempting to leave the store with unpaid merchandise. Both parties admitted to the thefts. They were placed under arrest and transported to Stearns County Jail. Sept. 1 10:12 a.m. Theft. Pinecone Road. A female filled her tank with gas and left the gas station without attempting to pay. Officers did locate the vehicle and the female admitted to the theft.
She was issued a citation and released. 6:07 p.m. Traffic stop. 7th St. N. A vehicle was witnessed traveling 47 mph in a posted 30-mph zone. The driver stated she was unaware of her speed. She was issued a citation and released. Sept. 2 11:19 a.m. Traffic stop. Hwy. 15. After checking a vehicle’s registration, it was found the driver had an arrest warrant issued. The driver stated she was unaware of the warrant. She was placed under arrest and transported to Stearns County Jail without incident. 11:57 a.m. Theft. Twin Rivers Court. A male filled his tank with gas and left the station without paying. The driver was located and stated it was an accident. The driver returned to the station and paid. Sept. 3 4:44 am. Suspicious activity. Boulder Court. A complaint was made regarding someone outside yelling. Officers arrived and found four juvenile males. All males admitted to drinking. Their parents were contacted for pick up and they were all issued citations.
Correction Gopi Ramanathan of Sartell, the young man who was part of the world championship Geography Bee Team U.S.A., is the son of parents originally from Sri Lanka. Although Sri Lanka is off of the southern tip of India, it is not, in fact, part of India. It’s a separate country.
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Newstands Country Store and Pharmacy Holiday on Riverside Drive Holiday on 7th Street N House of Pizza JM Speedstop
Little Dukes on Pinecone Sartell City Hall Sartell-St. Stephen School District Offices Walgreens
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Scouts from front page
the other is some push-up, pullup exercise bars. Each has been installed at two of the planned five exercise stations along the hiking-biking trail.
“Twist” climber. The girls’ vision that day was partly inspired by a visit they’d just made to the Stearns History Museum in St. Cloud. Wendi Haas had driven them there to see an exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the national Girl Scouts organization. On the way home, they drove by Huntington Park and decided to stop and have a look. The girls, incidentally, do not live by that particular park. That’s when the ideas – and lots of excitement – started flowing. The girls call their project the “Healthy Park, Healthy People Project.”
Hard work
Determination
“Dark Night of the Soul: Tragedy and Suffering in the Life of Faith,” will be presented at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16 in Quadrangle 264 at St. John’s University. Two speakers, Jenell Paris, a Collegeville Institute resident scholar and professor of anthropology at Messiah College, Pennsylvania, and Janel
Once the girls had an image of a new-and-improved park, they began to brainstorm around the topic, “How to do it?” Fundraising was obviously a priority. Ally made brochures about their proposed project and the need for funds and other help. The girls, with help from their mothers, posted the brochures in the park, throughout their neighborhood and at St. Francis Xavier Church. To the girls’ surprise and delight, funds began to trickle into Girl Scouts headquarters. Soon, they had enough to purchase some trees, with discounts offered by Thomsens Greenhouse. After consulting with the University of Minnesota Extension Service, the girls were told the best trees to plant would be birr oaks and elm trees. The girls planted six trees so far and will plant four more, since their goal is a total of 10. The biggest donation so far has been a couple pieces of equipment donated by the Sartell-St. Stephen Community Education department. One is a leg-platform exercise machine;
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So far, the girls have put in at least 50 hours each working at the park, which is the minimum to earn a Silver Community Service Award. Ally alone has spent about 80 hours on the project. They are still working. They want to raise about $10,000 more to add two pieces of playground equipment, plus the exercise equipment for three more stations along the trail. Hard-headed realism caused the girls to drop a couple of their ideas: planting a garden there, replacing landscaping fabric under the playground equipment (the fabric must be there for
safety purposes). The girls have started to brainstorm to do a series of fundraisers for the project. One of those fundraisers will take place Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the Sartell House of Pizza. If people dine there or take out food from 5:308:30 p.m., a portion of every sale will be donated to the scouts’ Healthy Park, Healthy People Project. Anyone who would like to contribute to the Huntington Park project can send a check to “Girl Scout Office,” 400 2nd Ave. S., Waite Park, MN 56387. Be sure to write “Sartell Park Project” on the memo line of the check. For ongoing information about the park’s progress and upcoming fundraisers, see the four girls’ blog at: healthyparkhealthypeople.blogspot.com.
Sept. 16 talk focuses on faith, bereavement Kragt Bakker, an associate director of the Collegeville Institute, will consider the religious dimensions of loss following stillbirth and neonatal death. Parents’ narratives about the interplay between faith and bereavement segue into a broader discussion about the role of tragedy in the life of faith.
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Tickets on sale for Hall of Fame Banquet by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com
Anyone who wants to attend the Sartell High School Hall of Fame Induction Banquet can purchase advance tickets at the Sartell High School Activities Office at 320-656-3717. The tickets must be purchased in advance, not at the door the day of the banquet. The event will take place starting at 4:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20 at Mulligan’s with the full-course meal starting at 6 p.m. Each of the Hall of Fame inductees will have a chance to give a speech of up to three minutes at the banquet. The entire day and evening of Sept. 20 will be filled with various events to honor the inductees. At 2 p.m., the inductees will meet school administrators and take a tour of the high school. At 2:45 p.m. there will be an all-school pep fest during which inductees
will be recognized for their accomplishments. At 3:30 p.m. there will be a social gathering for inductees and their families. After the banquet, inductees and others will attend the varsity football game at Sabre Field, the Sartell Sabres vs. the Bemidji Lumberjacks. The inductees will be introduced to the crowd at half-time. After the game, there will be the Fall Social of the Sartell Booster Club at Mulligan’s. That meeting will start at 9 p.m. There are 13 inductees this year into the Sartell Hall of Fame. The inductees are Stacie Oistad Aamlid, coach Dave Angell, Sarah Bohlsen, Brad Determan, Steve Kimble, Chris Pikus, Teresa (Smoley) Pilarski, Ted Plombon, Ted Ruzanic, Sarah Schellinger, Brian Stucke and Mike Trewick. The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Tom Jensen.
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Fasching from front page
contributed photo
On the sidelines, Gary Fasching (front, in white) motions as he keeps a keen eye on the progress of a football game.
“I could tell that it (dairy farming) was never going to be my passion,” he says. “My dad was the hardest worker I’ve ever known. But it wasn’t going to be in my plans.” Fasching was a product of the Winsted parochial school system, and graduated from Winsted Holy Trinity in 1977. He was recruited by Gagliardi, and eventually made a visit to the Collegeville campus, with the encouragement of his high school coaches. “They thought that St. John’s would be a good spot for me,” Fasching recalls. “They (St. John’s) had just come off a national championship season in 1976. When I first came up here to make a campus visit, the people were all so welcoming and made me feel comfortable. That sort of stuck in my mind.” Then there was the Gagliardi method, his well-documented set of standards and policies for just how a college football team should conduct itself, on and off the field. No hitting or tackling in practice. No goals, just high expectations. No traditional
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013
captains; all seniors share this honor. No lengthy calisthenics. No trash talking. No rules, except the Golden Rule. It goes on and on, Gagliardi’s List of Nos. “That (Gagliardi’s method) was intriguing to me, also,” Fasching said. “It took some getting used to, because when I first came up here, I was like a lot of the other guys. I wanted to do some hitting. But when I saw how they went about things here, and the fact they did the things they did and won like they did, I accepted it.” Fasching played four seasons under Gagliardi, the last three as a starting linebacker. After graduating in 1981, he eventually became the head football coach at St. Cloud Cathedral in 1986, where he led the Crusaders to State Class B championships in 1992 and 1993. Soon thereafter, Fasching returned to St. John’s in 1995, coaching the defensive line. When he took the job, he felt reasonably certain his chance to be a head coach would come eventually. After all, by this time Gagliardi had been at SJU for more than 40 years, and was nearly 69 years old. At that age, most men are kept busy by playing golf, going fishing or working as Wal-Mart greeters. Not coaching football. “I thought John might stay around for another 10 years,” Fasching said. “I’m a pretty patient man.” He needed to be. That chance
wouldn’t come for almost 20 years. Fasching was hired last spring, which is a busy time of year for any college football coach, as they work on recruitment tasks for the next season. Days are long, and a lot of contacts are made. Fasching worked to put together his coaching staff was contacting his current players and letting them know what to expect in 2013. St. John’s has missed the NCAA Division III football playoffs the past three seasons, something which hasn’t happened since the late-’70s. In recent years, arch-rival St. Thomas has risen to the top of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Fasching knows the St. John’s alumni, well known for its fierce loyalty and passion for their alma mater, are very anxious to see the Johnnies return to their former standing. He’s received an outpouring of congratulatory wishes from SJU alumni and supporters, but those wishes also contain the hope St. John’s will soon return to prominence in the MIAC. “It’s not going to happen overnight,” Fasching warns. “But I feel good about getting things back on track, and getting the right people in place. Most times, when you’re hired as a new coach, that means the previous coach was fired, and the program is in shambles. But that was not the case here. “John didn’t leave the cupboard bare,” Fasching said.
School board sets new meeting times The Sartell-St. Stephen School Board has changed its meeting times and dates. As of this month, the board will meet at 7 p.m. the third Monday of every month at the District Service Center.
The last four meetings for 2013 are as follows: Sept. 16, Oct. 21, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16. For more information, call Stacy Karolus at 656-3715, ext. 1115.
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Sartell area Youth BaSketBall aSSociation Registration for 2013-14 SAYBA Travel Basketball Grades 4-8 is now open. Registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 20.
Tryouts/Evaluations held Sept. 29 (grades 6-8) and Oct. 6 (grades 4-5). Online registration and printable forms are available on the SAYBA website at www.saybabball.org.
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The USS Minnesota, an attack submarine, is shown surfacing during training tests. The submarine was the subject of a ceremony in Norfolk, Va., which was attended by many Minnesota lawmakers, including Rep. Tim O’Driscoll of Sartell.
Local lawmakers attend ceremony for USS Minnesota by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com
For the first time since 1907, an advanced naval warship was named after the State of Minnesota, and the new ship is the most state-of-the-art attack submarine in the United States Navy’s arsenal. State Rep. Tim O’Driscoll (RSartell) was one of several local lawmakers who attended the commissioning ceremony of the “USS Minnesota” Sept. 7 at the naval shipyard at Norfolk, Va. The submarine was officially christened Oct. 27, 2012. Others who planned to attend are State Rep. Tama Theis (R-St. Cloud) and State Rep. Jeff Howe (R-Rockville), who represents the St. Joseph and surrounding area. The keynote speaker at the commissioning ceremony was U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. O’Driscoll said he was proud and honored to be able to attend the Sept. 7 event. “I am honored to join Minnesota’s elected leaders in support of this truly historic ship and its crew of brave men
and women who will travel the world to protect America’s interests,” he said. “It’s important to stand behind the crew of the USS Minnesota and all those who protect our freedoms at home and abroad.” O’Driscoll is a member of the Minnesota House State Government Finance and Veterans Affairs Committee and has authorized many pieces of legislation having to do with the support of military members and their families. He has been honored with many awards for his work on behalf of veterans’ issues. Construction of the USS Minnesota began in February 2008. The ship was delivered to the Navy on June 7 of this year after weeks of at-sea trial runs. Commissioning exercises Sept. 7 were held in honor of the submarine’s crew of 135 sailors and their families. The ceremony is organized and sponsored by the Navy League (Twin Cities Council). The USS Minnesota is 377 feet long and is propelled by an S9G nuclear reactor. Its top speed is 15 knots (46 mph). The sub weighs 7,800 tons.
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Friday, Sept. 13, 2013
Opinion
Our View
Russia’s offer may be a ruse, but it’s a good development A recent offer by Russia may be a ray of sunshine, but then again it may be nothing but a cynical ruse. On Monday, Russia announced it would be willing to help Syria gather up and dismantle its stockpiles of nerve gas, the same kind of gas the Assad regime used to slaughter more than 1,400 people, including 400 children. People throughout the world, including those in the Obama Administration, have greeted Russia’s offer with extreme skepticism. It is Russia, after all, that has been a virtual accomplice in Syria’s use of nerve gas. From the get-go, Russia’s Vladimir Putin claimed it wasn’t done by Assad’s military, that it was perpetrated by rebel factions. Go figure. What else can you expect from the Russian government, which has long been a flagrant abuser of human rights? Syria quickly agreed to the Russian offer. What a breathless switcheroo. Just the week before, the Assad regime was denying it even has stores of nerve gas. It would be nice to think both Russia and Syria have had a change of heart and that they are suddenly responsible and accountable. Dare we hope they have developed a conscience or deep regret about the heinous crime that was committed? Well, don’t hold your breath, folks. As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said, “Nothing concentrates the mind like the prospect of a hanging.” There can be no doubt it’s the threat of missile strikes that caused Russia and Syria to “concentrate their minds.” We can only hope, at this writing, the U.S. Congress authorizes President Obama to use strikes against Syria, with a limited time frame and strict provisions. The Russia-Syria offer is a good development, however, for the following reasons. If those countries are merely bluffing to buy time or forestall an attack, their ruse will backfire on them. More and more countries are slowly but surely getting the point – that chemical attacks cannot be tolerated anywhere in the world and that all countries must unite, with punitive actions, against such monstrous perpetrators. Let’s remember virtually every country, including Russia, signed an international agreement long ago forbidding and condemning any use of weapons of mass destruction, including nerve gas. The Russia-Syria offer might give a new impetus for the United Nations to take actions against Syria, especially if the offer proves to be a timedelaying tactic. One reason Obama is so stuck between a rock and a hard place with his lonely decision is because of the failure of so many countries and the United Nations to immediately rally together and to condemn the nerve-gas attack, to live up to the agreement signed years ago. Obama is the only one who had the guts to roundly condemn the attack and to vow to punish the Syrian regime for doing it. Let’s hope the Russia-Syria offer finally unites the world and all the forces of diplomacy (and retaliatory force if necessary) against Syria’s barbarism. It may take time, but the Syrian regime is not going to get away with its nerve-gas crimes. Make no mistake, sooner or later, one way or another, it’s going to pay – and pay deeply – for what it’s done.
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.
Texting turns people into pecking pigeons At first, out of the corner of my vision, I thought the woman sitting to my right was praying, her head bowed solemnly as she sat at the big round breakfast table. It was during a large gathering at the St. Cloud Holiday Inn – a recent kick-off breakfast for the ongoing fight against breast cancer. The master of ceremonies introduced speakers, who gave uplifting, inspirational messages about battling the dreaded disease. For at least 10 minutes, the woman to my right kept her head bowed. For awhile, I thought she might be praying for a loved one with breast cancer or maybe she was hanging her head in sadness. Finally, perplexed, I turned my head and realized at a glance she was texting. She had her cell phone out of sight under the table and was busily texting like a pecking pigeon, oblivious to what the speakers were saying. I noticed some of the speakers were looking her way, probably figuring out by her head-bowed attitude that she was texting, not paying attention to anything or anybody. “Talk about rude,” I was thinking. “That’s just about the ultimate rudeness.” But then I quickly thought, “Maybe there is an emergency or something urgent the woman must cope with.” However, a couple glances her way made me almost certain there was no urgency at all about the woman’s
Dennis Dalman Editor demeanor. She had obviously come to the breakfast and decided her texting was more important than paying attention to what was going on around her. She should’ve stayed home. And that is exactly the way I feel about some of my guests. They should stay home and text to their hearts’ content. The same incredible rudeness has happened at my place, with people sitting around the big oak kitchen table as if there’s a prayer meeting in session, their heads bowed, their hands and fingers clutching cell phones “hidden” beneath the edge of the table. And, in fact, they do remind me of pigeons – those pecking pigeons made famous by behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner, who did experiments with pigeons peck-peck-pecking to get seeds for good behavior. These “pigeons” in my kitchen I’d like to slap up with black-and-blue stars for bad behavior. Just recently, an old friend whom I hadn’t seen in a few years popped in for a visit. As I cooked up a meal of cheese enchiladas, he was playing table pigeon, with an occasional remark or question for me. During dinner,
his cell phone kept ringing, and he would text and text some more. The text messages, he said, were from his grown daughter, who felt compelled to tell him about the sights she was seeing as her husband drove through a couple two-horse central Minnesota towns. She was on her way to pick up her dad at my house. “Well, what did she see?” I asked. “Nothing much,” he said. “Pretty boring stuff. They had to stop and get something on the car fixed. They just stopped for burgers.” I squelched the urge to laugh out loud. So that’s what people text about nowadays? Boring sights in boring towns? To tell loved ones nothing’s happening? To share news of minor car problems? To inform us about the fast food they just ate? Do these texters have any idea how rude they are? Not to mention how dangerous they are texting like mad while driving on our roadways? With every technological advance there is always a drawback. The drawback to cell phones is a big bad habit – idle texting as a sorry substitute for genuine in-person communication. Texting has turned too many otherwise good people into pecking pigeons. I don’t want pigeons for company; I want real human beings. And I’m going to start telling these rude birds: “Stay home or go peck somewhere else!”
Brenny owner lauds Truck Driver Appreciation Week
Joyce Sauer Brenny, president Brenny Transportation Inc., St. Joseph
Truck Driver Appreciation Week is Sept. 15-21, which is the perfect time to recognize a friend, a hero and a true legend of the trucking industry. Our community should be so proud that Eddie Supan, a lifelong resident of St. Joseph, lived within our midst. To say the least, Eddie was a trucking hero. Eddie delivered America’s goods and served the trucking industry for more than 50 years. He drove his last mile on earth Sept. 12, 2012. Remembering Eddie should remind each of us to appreciate the sacrifice truck drivers make for our communities every day. Like many overthe-road truck drivers, Eddie left his adoring wife, Joan, and three beautiful daughters for weeks on end to deliver America’s freight. Eddie never looked for a pat on the back or any special recognition for the amazing job he did. Most professional truck drivers hold the same humble quality as Eddie did. Truck drivers are far too humble to proclaim, “Without truck drivers, America stops!” And it’s true because more than 90 percent of America’s goods are hauled by truck, not by train as many would have you believe. Very few individuals know how it feels to live the life of a trucking family. Can you imagine how heart-breaking it would be to hold your children as you watch your loved one drive away in his or her semi truck? Trucking families rarely know how long it will be until they see their loved one again. Truck drivers’ families never get recognition or even concern from others for what they endure. Can you picture yourself raising children and dealing with car and home repairs all by yourself? Try to imagine the pain of
Joyce Sauer Brenny Guest Writer having your children seldom see their daddy’s smiling face in the audience at the school play. And God knows no one will ever say “I am sorry” to trucking families when their loved one is injured or dies because a motorist caused a crash. Truck drivers are the safest drivers on the roads. Do you know more than 80 percent of all accidents in which semi trucks are involved are caused by motorists? More laws and rules are aimed at truck drivers than any other professionals in our country. Once you obtain a commercial driver’s license, even your personal time must be accounted for. Can you imagine your life under such scrutiny, lack of privacy, all while facing an extreme lack of respect? Professional truck drivers endure more than the American public will ever know. It’s amazing professional truck drivers keep on trucking in spite of such treatment. There really is a human being behind the iron and steel of that truck, a human with thoughts, feelings and a family who loves them. During Truck Driver Appreciation Week, I challenge each of you to extend a thank you and some gratitude to this country’s professional truck drivers. I doubly challenge shippers and receivers to treat professional truck drivers with respect and to value their time. Maybe a warm “good morning,” some coffee and clean restrooms would be a start. Our country is dealing with an issue right now that few know about,
which is a serious shortage of professional truck drivers. It’s estimated we will need at least 250,000 truck drivers once the economy fully recovers. It will be impossible to recover from this truck-driver shortage if we continue to undervalue these amazing people. You have an opportunity to do something about this truck-driver shortage. If you work at a business that uses semi trucks, walk out to your docks and see how your people treat the truck drivers. I hope your company cares and will work to improve the respect and treatment of professional truck drivers. We should show them how much they are needed. After all, many of these truck drivers and their families are your company’s customers, and like Eddie, they also live and shop in your communities. Too many people fail to realize professional truck drivers are also consumers. They buy your products; please treat them like a customer. And for God’s sake, please drive safely around semi trucks, for your life and for the life of the professional truck driver. Eddie Supan was very proud to be a truck driver, and his family was proud to be a trucking family. Brenny Transportation is proud to serve the trucking industry, and we are very proud Eddie chose Brenny to finish his truck-driving career. Eddie loved working with Brenny because he was shown the respect he deserved. We look forward to a time when everyone shows professional truck drivers how much they are respected and needed. Truck Diver Appreciation Week is the perfect time to remember Eddie, as well as all professional truck drivers in our country, because the reality is – (and I am not afraid to loudly proclaim!), “Without truck drivers, America really does stop.”
Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013 Friday, Sept. 13 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, 3-6:30 p.m., near the Wobegon Trail Center, C.R. 2. Grilled Pork Chop Dinner, 4:307:30 p.m., St. John the Baptist Parish, 14241 Fruit Farm Road, St. Joseph, west of the St. John’s University campus. Dennis Warner in concert, 7 p.m., Unity Spiritual Center, 931 5th Ave. N., Sartell. 320-255-9253. Saturday, Sept. 14 Pottery on the Deck, 4-9 p.m., Minnesota Street (between the Laundromat and Minnesota Street Market), downtown St. Joseph. Sunday, Sept. 15 Camp Ripley Open House, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., featuring Heroes of the Homefront Ceremony at 1 p.m., and the following: classic car show, inflatable obstacle course, rock climbing wall, state patrol display, environmental display, military museum, HMMV, tank and helicopter display, food and beverages, Camp Ripley. 320-616-2714. Quilt bingo, 1 p.m., St. Francis Xavier Parish, 219 N. 2nd St., Sartell. Monday, Sept. 16 Blood drive, noon-6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1301 W. St.. Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-733-2767. Market Monday, 3-6:30 p.m., Sartell City Hall, 125 Pine Cone Road N., Sartell. www.marketmon-
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Community Calendar
day.org. “Minnesota Lakes: Past, Present and Future,” a Minnesota Natural History lecture by Dr. Bill Lamberts, CSB/SJU biology, 6:30-8 p.m., St. John’s Arboretum, St. John’s University, 2346 Science Drive, Collegeville, 320-363-3163. St. Joseph Rod and Gun Club meeting, 7 p.m., American Legion in St. Joseph. “Dark Night of the Soul: Tragedy and Suffering in the Life of Faith,” sponsored by Collegeville Institute, Jenell Paris and Janel Bakker present research about parents’ lives of faith following stillbirth and neonatal death, 8 p.m., Quadrangle 264, St. John’s University. Tuesday, Sept. 17 “Making of the U.S. Constitution – Our First Grand Bargain,” 9:30-11:30 a.m., Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud. 320-255-7245. Blood drive, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., American Red Cross, 1301 W. St.. Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-7332767. Jazz Panorama, 1-2:15 p.m., Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud. 320-255-7245. Open house and ice cream social, 4-7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1107 Pinecone Road S., Sartell. Raise the Dough to support the completion of the Huntington Park fitness trail sponsored by Girl Scout Troop 783. Eat at the House of Pizza between 5:30-8:30 p.m. and part of the proceeds benefits this worthy
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REAL ESTATE PLAT BOOKS with 911 addresses, legal descriptions. Stearns County. Other counties available by order. Available at the Newsleaders, 32 1st Ave. NW, St. Joseph. Regular price $40; $30 spiral bound. NO REFUNDS. tfn-f
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.
Sunday, Sept. 22 • 9 a.m.
cause.
Wednesday, Sept. 18 Blood drive, 1-6 p.m., Love of Christ Church, 1971 Pine Cone Road, St., St. Cloud. 1-800-733-2767. Thursday, Sept. 19 Coffee and Conversation, a senior discussion group, 9 a.m., Country Manor, Sartell. Foreign film “Amour,” 9:3011:30 a.m., Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud. 320-255-7245. Blood drive, noon-6 p.m., American Red Cross, 1301 W. St.. Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-733-2767. Cub Scout registration for Oak Ridge Elementary students, 6 p.m., Oak Ridge Elementary cafeteria.
www.bsacmc.org/playcubscoutgames.html or 320-251-3930. FAST class to recognize the first signs of stroke, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Windfeldt Room, CentraCare Health Plaza, 1900 CentraCare Circle, St. Cloud. 320-656-7021. Cub Scout registration for Pine Meadow and St. Francis Xavier elementary students, 7 p.m., St. Francis Xavier cafeteria. www.bsacmc.org/ playcubscoutgames.html or 320-2513930. Friday, Sept. 20 Blood drive, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., American Red Cross, 1301 W. St.. Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-733-2767. “Aging in Place,” 10-11 a.m., Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud. 320-255-7245.
“The Genious of Michelangelo,” art history, 1-2 p.m., Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud. 320-255-7245.
Saturday, Sept. 21 Gardening Knowledge for Free, sponsored by the Stearns County Master Gardeners, 8:15-11:45 a.m., Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud. Aglow gathering, SCSU Students Against Trafficking presentation, 9:30 a.m., Michael’s Restaurant, 510 Hwy. 10, St. Cloud. 320-253-5351. 55+ driver improvement course (four-hour refresher), 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Miller Auto Plaza, 2930 2nd St. S., St. Cloud. 1-888-234-1294.
Perske, Hennes to serve on board Sartell Mayor Joe Perske and Sartell City Council member Steve Hennes volunteered to be members of the regional Human Rights Office Board.
City council member Amy Braig-Lindstrom was chosen to be an alternate. The board, which meets up to four times per year, is com-
prised of members from the cities of Sartell, St. Joseph, Sauk Rapids and St. Cloud.
Money available to help homeowners replace septic systems Funding to assist homeowners in replacing subsurface sewage treatment systems is available from the State of Minnesota. The Stearns County Environmental Services Department can apply for these state
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Charlie is a neutered Border Collie and Siberian Husky mix who is just under 2 years old. A little bit of the Husky side of Charlie is visable with his one blue eye, while the other eye is brown. Charlie lived with cats in the past but they were too fun to chase so it would be best if Charlie’s new home didn’t have cats. Have children? Charlie loves to play with kids and has done well with children in the past. Charlie is a very energetic pooch and enjoyed playing with the other dogs in his previous home. Charlie would be a good match for someone very active who likes to include their dog in whatever they are doing. He loves going for car rides and playing in the water.
“Helping one animal won’t change the world … but it will change the world for that one animal!” Dogs - 20 Cats - 19 Puppy - 1 Kittens - 21 Bearded Dragon - 1
Mouse - 1 Snake - 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.
Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
8
Ninth-grade artist wins five awards contributed photos
At left: Claire Miller of Sartell won four ribbons at the Minnesota State Fair for ninth-grade art. She won second place in pastel for “The Ballerina” (pictured on top row far left) and third place in charcoal for her portrait “The Stoic.” She won two honorable mention awards for oil/ acrylic for “The Crane” and for watercolor for “The Green Fairy” (pictured in second row far right). Below: In July, Claire won the second-place award in Little Falls at the Great River Arts Association Summertime in Minnesota Exhibition, a state-wide juried competition for artists. Her winning work, “The Bee,” was done in watercolor pastel.
Cruise Night!
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Friday, Sept. 13, 2013
Record water pumped on Aug. 28 On a very hot Aug. 28, the City of Sartell recorded a record for most water pumped out of its wells. On that day, an astonishing amount (5.8-million gallons) was pumped at the city’s
two water plants. Sartell Public Works Director Brad Borders informed the council of the record at its Sept. 9 meeting. Borders added despite the heavy usage, everything at the plants worked just fine.