Harrisburg Hometown Holiday

CARGO SHIPS AND CHRISTMAS

I couldn’t believe my eyes. As I returned home from trick or treating with my kids, we walked in the house where my husband had the Monday Night Football game on the TV. And there it was — a Christmas commercial for a big box retailer! The Halloween candy buckets hadn’t even been dumped out yet, and there was Santa on the screen.

Over the past few years, it seems like the push for Christmas shopping keeps getting moved up earlier and earlier. But this year, perhaps that’s warranted. There have been stories in the news regularly about the backlog in the supply chain, cargo ships stuck off the ports waiting to unload, and a shortage of everything you can imagine (and even things you can’t) since Covid upended our lives. It’s enough to make even the biggest procrastinator take notice.

As I thought about this “urgent” need to start shopping, though, I started to wonder if maybe this was the year (or the excuse) I needed to reset Christmas expectations. What if—instead of being a huge inconvenience or stressor in my life—this unavailability of goods could actually help me and my family focus on what’s important? (Hint: it’s not the stuff under the tree.)

I’m a pretty driven person who likes a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day, so it’s hard for me to set time aside for relaxation. There’s always work to be done or projects around the house. What if this Christmas I give my loved ones the gift of time together and treat them to experiences right here in Harrisburg? We at the Chamber of Commerce happen to have a few coming up for you to consider!

Join us on Friday, Dec. 3, for Santa’s arrival in Harrisburg! The “Harrisburg Hometown Holiday” event has become an annual tradition, featuring Santa riding into town in style, the lighting of the town Christmas tree, and other festive and fun activities. This year, we’ll be moving the festivities to the picnic shelter at Lake Ole, so join us at 5:45 p.m. and start the holidays off in the heart of Harrisburg.

The following Tuesday, Dec. 7, we invite you to grab your friends and neighbors and join us for an evening of entertainment and good food at the Chamber’s Annual Banquet. The title may sound a little stuffy, but this promises to be anything but boring. We’ll enjoy a prime rib dinner, celebrate some community accomplishments from the past year, and then cut loose for the Dueling Duo piano spectacular. This fun night out on the town—hosted at The Meadow Barn—is an unbelievably good deal at just $25 per ticket. Contact Brandon at the Chamber office (brandon@harrisburgsdchamber.com) to get your ticket before they are sold out. All adults are welcome!

And even though the idea of moving the focus off of presents sounds nice, there will still likely be gifts under the tree this year. However, I encourage you to think creatively and shop local. Instead of relying on big box stores or websites, support your local businesses who support the community. Gift cards are available for our local restaurants, gas stations, car washes, personal services like manicures and massages, and more. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about them being sold out or stuck on a cargo ship somewhere!

Happy Holidays, Harrisburg! I look forward to another great year in 2022!

Adrienne McKeown

Chair of the Board, Harrisburg Economic Development Corp. & Chamber of Commerce

HARRISBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Brandon Lane, President/CEO 605-777-9120 www.harrisburgsdchamber.com brandon@harrisburgsdchamber.com 220 S. Cliff Avenue | Harrisburg SD 57032

AMERICAN LEGION POST 45: SERVICE ABOVE SELF

By Bob Fitch

Harrisburg American Legion Post 45 Commander Scott Axtell and officers Nate Blom and Collin Benson.

The motto of the American Legion is “Veterans Strengthening America.” However, three local leaders of the Alvin Dempewold American Legion Post 45 in Harrisburg said it’s really a two-way street.

“I’m thankful to the community for supporting my family while I was deployed,” said Scott Axtell, who is commander of Post 45 and retired from the South Dakota Air National Guard. “My wife shouldered the duties of both mother and father, plus ran a business, and made everything work with the help of family, friends and community. When I was gone, there were people helping my kids get to sporting events and there were people in the stands to support them. My wife could call people to help shovel or mow the lawn. You can’t thank people enough.”

Nate Blom, who just retired from the Air National Guard this fall, agreed that community support for his family was “huge” while he was deployed. “When I joined in 1999, my first deployment wasn’t for three or four years. And it was just two weeks long. Once the Iraq stuff took hold in 2005-06, the mentality changed. In 2006, 2008 and 2010, I went to Iraq. It became every 18 months we had some sort of tasking. So it really stressed a guy’s family over those years.”

Collin Benson, a member of Post 45 who is still active in the Air National Guard, said, “It’s our family that sacrificed. There are spouses and children who were affected by service members being deployed outside the United States seven, eight, nine times. I think the families were sometimes more affected by us being gone than we were.”

Axtell said, “It takes a village to support the veterans. We’ve got a pretty good community doing just that.”

The care shown by Harrisburg residents to service members makes it easy for the American Legion to give back to the community. There’s a lengthy list of Post 45’s involvement in the Harrisburg community:

• Supports the Boy Scouts • Sponsors the local Legion baseball team • Sponsors the high school patriotic oratory contest • Participates in Christmas for Veterans at the VA hospital • Served burgers and brats to more than 300 people during the National Night Out in Harrisburg. • Provides a color guard at Harrisburg High School football games • Sponsors local youth to attend Boys State and Girls State • Sponsor of the Harrisburg Youth Trap Shooting Team • Sponsor of Youth Trooper Academy • Donor to Harrisburg Community Food Pantry • Conducts annual Memorial Day Ceremony for the

Harrisburg community • In addition, American Legion Post 45 supports local law enforcement, the fire department, HHS homecoming, and Harrisburg Days. The group places 35 flags around

Tiger Stadium for special events.

One day a month, Post 45 provides military honors for funerals of veterans being buried at the South Dakota Veteran’s Cemetery on the northwest corner of Sioux Falls. There are one to four funerals at the cemetery each day. In addition to an honor guard presenting the colors, there is a salute by a firing squad, taps, and folding the flag and presenting it to the family. Post 45 provides the same honors for veterans being buried in Harrisburg and occasionally in Sioux Falls, Canton and Tea.

Benson said there about 100 members in local Legion, which includes some who are retired and some who are not able to get out any more. “We have some amazing members who do wellness checks of those who don’t get out. When a guy hits a low, they’ll know there are people who care because of these checkins. The bottom line is the community cares about our veterans and, in turn, our veterans care about the community.”

Blom said, “I love being part of the community. We just finished up year seven of our annual fish fry. There’s so many people in the community who tell us ‘We look forward to that.’ It’s fun to go out and sell the tickets when we get that kind of response and people show up with smiling faces. I enjoy every minute I’m able to spend with these guys and contribute to the community.” He also noted the many “thank you’s” Legion members received during Harrisburg Days.

Benson said members of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of the American Legion are important participants in the Legion’s community service. Within the Legion, current service members and veterans from all branches of the military take part in the organization’s community service.

Harrisburg was recently named a “Purple Heart City.” A community designated as a Purple Heart City honors and remembers military personnel wounded or killed in combat with hostile forces. The Purple Heart is the nation’s oldest military medal, created by George Washington in 1782 (it was originally called the Badge of Military Merit). Purple Heart signs will be placed at several entrances to the city, plus special Purple Heart and veterans parking signs will be placed at several locations. Benson said, “It’s a reminder for everybody coming into town of the sacrifices veterans have made for their country.”

“Really, it recognizes everybody in town who has taken the time to serve their country,” Axtell said.

Members of the Harrisburg American Legion attended a ceremony at the Lincoln County courthouse where Canton and Lennox were also named Purple Heart Cities and Lincoln County was named a Purple Heart County.

American Legion District 7 Vice-Commander Larry Maxwell receives a check for $6,777 from Harrisburg Post 45 Commander Scott Axtell. South Dakota American Legion sponsors one Midwest Honor Flight for South Dakota Veterans to give them an opportunity to see the war memorials in Washington D.C. South Dakota American Legion Posts were each challenged to raise $753 to sponsor one veteran. The donation of $6,777 by Harrisburg Post 45 is equivalent to nine seats for veterans on the honor flight. Money was raised through corporate and individual sponsors; a burger/brat feed and cornhole tournament during Harrisburg Days; National Night Out burger feed; and Post 45’s 7th Annual Fish Feed.

Harrisburg was one of three Lincoln County cities which received the designation of “Purple Heart City.” Pictured are: Larry Klipfel representing the City of Harrisburg; Ken Teunissen of the South Dakota Military Order of the Purple Heart; Post 45’s Bill Dunker and John Bonjour; Harrisburg Mayor Derrick Wenck; and Post 45’s Dave Gaard, Commander Scott Axtell, Sheldon Ahrendt, Terry Harris and Terry Anderson.

The American Legion was established in 1919 by veterans returning from World War I. Harrisburg Post 45 was established just a year later in 1920. It was named after Alvin Dempewolf, who was Harrisburg’s first soldier killed in action. Axtell said Post 45’s focus has remained consistent over the years. “I run off the American Legion’s four pillars: children and youth programs; Americanism; national security; and Veterans affairs and rehabilitation.”

Benson said the American Legion and U.S. military forces are dedicated to “service above self.”

PATRIOTIC SALUTE FROM STUDENTS

In honor of Veteran’s Day, The Bridge is publishing essays written by Harrisburg students for the VFW-sponsored Patriot’s Pen Essay competition and Voice of Democracy competition.

Each year American students in grades 6-8 can enter the VFW Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest and high school students can enter the VFW’s Voice of Democracy audio-essay program. Locally, the Patriot’s Pen Essay and Voice of Democracy audio-essay programs are coordinated by VFW Post 3164 located in Canton. For more information, contact Sharon Mitchell at 605-222-0879 or swmitchell@outlook.com. Published here are the Harrisburg schools’ winning essays from 2020. Results for 2021 were not available by press time.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a nonprofit veterans service organization comprised of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, guard and reserve forces.

WHAT IS PATRIOTISM TO ME?

By Abigaelle Pilaz, 2020 Harrisburg North Middle School

PATRIOT’S PEN WINNER

Patriotism is not only about being loyal to your country, it is about being respectful, trustful, and supportive of the place that is your home. If everyone tries to be their best, it would make the whole world a much better place. We have differences, but we as Americans can put them all aside to better our country. I was born in Europe, and then moved to the U.S. Because of this, patriotism means a little bit more to me than just being the best I can be in the country in which I was born. It’s being the best I can be in any country or state I live in. It may be a little different for me and my family, since we were not born here, but that doesn’t mean we are not patriotic. We enjoy donating to local organizations around the U.S., and that is one way we support the country.

Patriotism is about honoring your nation and appreciating what it is unique for. It has been around for 200 years! For example, when you participate in elections you are practicing something that has existed since 1788. Voting is one of the most well-known ways to show patriotism. Another way to show patriotism is by honoring your veterans, not by just saying thank you for their service, but by doing things to support them, such as honoring them on Veterans Day. One other example of patriotism in history would be the response to Hurricane Katrina. When it hit, thousands of people were hurt and injured. Millions of people helped to clean up and to donate money, clothes and food to the people who needed them. Our country stepped up for their homeland during this time. In conclusion, patriotism is about honoring and supporting your country however you can. We as Americans can set a goal to show patriotism whenever Abigaelle Pilaz possible. Life here isn’t always perfect, but there are so many things to appreciate about it and the amenities that we have. Every day I stand with my classmates and pledge allegiance to the flag, and every day I try to show patriotism in my life by celebrating national holidays and learning about their importance. I would challenge you to go out and support your country by showing patriotism as well.

WHAT IS PATRIOTISM TO ME?

By Leia Rombough, 2020 Harrisburg South Middle School

PATRIOT’S PEN WINNER

Dictionary.com says that patriotism means “devoted love, support, and defense of one’s country; national loyalty.” It is that, and so much more. In my opinion, Patriotism is something that we need more now than ever. If you watch the news and hear what is happening, it feels like America is not proud or working together. We should be proud of our past and we need to show it. We can do this by saluting a soldier or flying the flag proudly. Patriotism means to me that we show our thanks and to respect the people who risked their life for us. I think the most important ways to show patriotism includes giving thanks to our Veterans.

Veterans hold a special place in my heart because my Dad is one. He served as a Captain in the Army and also the Army Reserves. I know it was important to him and how much he values our Country because he had to make sacrifices to serve but does not regret them. He is proud and has taught my brothers and sisters to respect the flag and the freedoms that others have made the biggest sacrifice to protect.

Another thing that’s important to celebrate is the Fourth of July. This is a holiday that I really enjoy as it is usually spent with family and fun. But more than that, it is important to not forget that the Declaration of Independence was signed and we celebrate the United States of America’s birth to become an independent nation. Leia Rombough

I think that during this special time of year, I will always remember the sacrifices of so many people that I will never meet. The world needs more of that kind of people right now - willing to serve and think of others no matter the cost. That is why it is important to give thanks to our veterans and celebrate the Fourth of July.

IS THIS THE COUNTRY OUR FOUNDERS ENVISIONED?

By Madison Luke

2020 HHS VOICE OF DEMOCRACY WINNER

On July 4, 1776, the United States of America accomplished independence. From that day on, America has grown from 13 small colonies to 50 vast states. The U.S has done many things throughout time to make things better for citizens. They have provided equality and fair rights to everyone who decides to come. You can do so many things in the U.S. Therefore, America is the land of opportunity. The U.S. provides opportunity through human rights. There are many organizations and laws that makes all of this possible. Organizations such as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) makes sure that no one is excluded from getting equal rights. The U.S Department of Justice says, “The ADA is one of America’s most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life.” The ADA is not the only organization to do things like this. There are others such as the ACLU which preserve rights to every person in the U.S. Our constitution not only provides opportunities but it also provides freedom. America has many laws that protect people’s opinion and so much more.

Education is very important in America. Everyone has the chance to go to school, and having free public education makes that possible. Going to school in other countries costs many families money. In El Salvador after textbooks and clothes it costs a staggering $680 to get an education. Most other countries also pay a large amount of money to go to school. This could result in some families not being able to afford to give their children an education. The U.S is one of the few countries that have free schooling. America also has schooling through high school, which not all countries have. Having school up until 12th grade gives everyone a chance to learn great things through a great education. America is known as the “melting pot.” Many people come from all over the place to start a new life in the U.S. A majority of people come over to pursue the “American dream.” Investopedia states that, “The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American Dream Madison Luke is achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.” Many people have accomplished amazing things through the American Dream. Another way that the American dream is plausible is because of the many jobs that we offer. We encourage businesses to grow and by doing that it provides job opportunities for many people. In conclusion, America provides many different opportunities for people. The U.S does that through having human rights and organizations. That makes everyone equal to one another. Public education costs nothing and that lets everyone have a chance to get good schooling no matter what. America also has many ways for immigrants to start over. So next time when you hear the word America you should think opportunity.

THE WRITING’S ON THE WALL:

RECOGNIZING THE LEADERSHIP, SERVICE AND SACRIFICE OF HHS VETERANS

Did you know at least one Harrisburg High School senior misses their graduation ceremony every year? Having worked their entire lives for this moment, why would they fail to show up for their own graduation, you ask? For these students, this is just the first of many special occasions they will likely miss as the newest enlisted members of the United States Armed Forces.

Over the years, Harrisburg High School has produced a significant number of individuals who have chosen to proudly serve our country as members of the U.S. military. About 2 percent of HHS graduates enlist full-time every year, while others enlist part-time in addition to pursuing postsecondary education. It is truly commendable to commit to serving one’s country at such a young age. Harrisburg High School seeks to honor these graduates by featuring them on a Veterans Wall of Honor, a permanent memorial in the school’s commons. In addition to serving as a token of gratitude, the wall is a means of sharing with current students and the community the legacy of Tigers from previous generations who led, sacrificed, and served the country.

The project is fully funded by donations and will be erected when enough contributions are received. The estimated cost of construction is $5,000. The Harrisburg American Legion has generously donated medallions for each branch of service. To become a donor, please email JoAnne.VerMulm@k12.sd.us or call 605-743-2567, ext. 6143.

To help us identify HHS servicemen and women who have honorably served our country, please visit bit.ly/HHSVets. The installation will include HHS graduates’ names, military branch, graduation year, and service photo.

HARRISBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT

WINTER SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Scan the QR code to see the HHS athletic event schedule. Follow Harrisburg High School on Facebook .

Scan the QR code to download the rSchoolToday App for iPhone.

When it comes to your to-do list, put your future first.

To find out how to get your financial goals on track, contact your Edward Jones financial advisor today.

NOVEMBER 18 AND 19

7 p.m. HHS Play

NOVEMBER 20 2 p.m. HHS Play 7 p.m. HHS Play

NOVEMBER 24

2-hour early release – Teacher in-service

NOVEMBER 25-26

No school

DECEMBER 11

2 p.m. Prairie Christmas Shows 5 p.m. Prairie Christmas Shows

DECEMBER 22

End of the 1st Semester

DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 3

No school

JANUARY 4

No school – Teacher in-service

FEBRUARY 1

7 p.m. One Act Home Show

FEBRUARY 15

7 p.m. Band Solo Night

FEBRUARY 16

2-hour early release – Teacher in-service

FEBRUARY 17, 18, 21

No school

FAP-1966E-A

Brock Aldrich

Financial Advisor 225 Cliff Avenue 5 Harrisburg, SD 57032 605-777-1566

edwardjones.com

Member SIPC

20-21 WINNER

HEARING THE SOUNDS OF LIFE

Melissa Baker, M.A., CCC-A, FAAA

We are an advanced hearing practice that specializes in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of hearing loss for all ages.

FREE HEARING SCREENING

UP TO $800 OFF A PAIR OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY HEARING AIDS* *Mention this ad.

Hours: Mon-Thurs 9am-5pm • Fri 9am-12pm 429 W 69th St • Sioux Falls, SD