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Welcome to Tea, South Dakota, where a blend of exceptional amenities and small-town charm awaits you On behalf of the people of Tea and the Tea Chamber for Development, I invite you to experience everything Tea has to offer
One of the things that will become quickly apparent is that our residents take great pride in fostering a sense of community Whether you’re visiting us during our Teapot Days celebration, attending one of our strong church communities, or simply patronizing a local shop or restaurant, you’ll likely find yourself struck by the warmth and friendliness of Tea
In addition to our friendly atmosphere, our town boasts a vibrant array of recreational opportunities for all ages From attending a youth sporting event to simply strolling through our expansive parks and trail system, you will not have any difficulty immersing yourself in the outdoor activities available here
Our town takes great pride in its strong school district Committed to providing a world-class education to our children, our schools are staffed by dedicated educators who are passionate about inspiring a love of learning and nurturing the academic and personal
growth of each and every student
Of course, we cannot overlook critical cornerstones of our community, its businesses and the Tea Chamber for Development Tea takes great pride in its probusiness environment and robust local economy . With a thriving community of local businesses spanning a diverse range of industries, our town offers ample opportunities for both residents and visitors Whether you’re in search of hand-crafted goods, cutting edge technology, local culinary delights, or just a place to watch the game, you’ll find no shortage of options in Tea to explore and enjoy
Casey Voelker Mayor, City of Tea
Find updates at www.teasdchamber.com
June 6-8 Tea Annual Rummages
June 12-15 TeaPot Days
June 14 Teafest www.teasd.com/teapot-day-2024
June 15 TeaPot Day Parade
July 20 Saturday in the Park 9 a m -1 p m *
Aug. 8 Relibank Back to School Bash
Aug. 17 Saturday in the Park 9 a m -1 p m * (The evening will feature an end-of-summer bash for adults )
Aug. 20 First Day of School (full calendar at www teaarea k12 sd us)
Sept. 21 Saturday in the Park 9 a m -1 p m *
Sept. 21 Tea American Legion 3rd Annual Triathlon
Sept. 22 tLiNK Homecoming Kickball Tournament
Sept. 27 Homecoming & Parade
Oct. Trunk-or-Treat/Halloween events in the community
(Details will be added on the events calendar at teasdchamber com )
Oct. 19 Saturday in the Park 9 a m -1 p m *
Oct. 31 Halloween - Town wide Trick or Treating
Nov. 2 Trinity Lutheran Church Turkey Supper
Nov. 30 Parade of Lights followed by Taste of Tea Christmas at the Tea American Legion
December Various Santa Claus events at area businesses
(Details will be added on the events calendar at teasdchamber com )
Dec. 23-Jan. 5 School District Winter Break
Feb. 24-28 No School
Apr. 18-21 Easter Break
May 17 TAHS Graduation
May 20 Last Day of School
June 12-14 Tea Annual Rummages
June 18-21 TeaPot Days
June 19 TeaPot Day Parade
*Saturday in the Park is a farmers market and business fair every third Saturday from July-October. The event is family-friendly with fun activities for families, kids, adults. Bean bag tournaments hosted by different community groups are held each Saturday.
List compiled by Tea Chamber volunteers. Schedule is subject to change.
CITY OF TEA
TEA CITY HALL
600 E . 1st St ., PO Box 128, Tea SD 57064 tea@iw net www.teasd.com
605-498-5194
OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Thursday, 8 a m -5 p m | Friday, 8 a m -4 p m
ADMINISTRATION
Justin Weiland, City Administrator 605-498-5195 cityadmin@teasd .org
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR EMERGENCIES, DIAL 911
605-498-5195
MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT 605-498-2906
PARKS & RECREATION 605-498-2906
Jake Kerr, jkerr@teasd com www.teaparkandrecreation.com
PLANNING & ZONING / BUILDING SERVICES
605-498-5192
Kevin Nissen, Planning & Zoning Administrator knissen@sdtea .org
• Ellen Martin, Asst Planner emartin@teasd org
• Building Inspector Tim Odland 605-366-5483
• Mechanical Inspector Steve Robertson 605-595-3527
POLICE DEPARTMENT
FOR EMERGENCIES, DIAL 911 520 Figzel Court 605-498-2518 (Not answered 24 hours)
SWIMMING POOL
WATER & SEWER SERVICES
605-498-0150
• Water-sewer setup, service or disconnect 605-498-5193
Water or Sewer Emergency 605-940-8504
New water meter installation 605-940-8504
CALL BEFORE YOU DIG
South Dakota One Call / Utility Locate 811
POST OFFICE
TEA CHAMBER FOR DEVELOPMENT
605-368-2871
605-498-5194
600 E 1st St , Tea, SD 57064 teachamberfordevelopment@gmail com www.teasdchamber.com
TEA COMMUNITY LIBRARY 605-498-0281
500 West Bryan St
CITY AFFILIATIONS
City Hall/Fire Department
Police Department
Community Hall
Post Office
Venture Elementary School
Tea Area School District Offices
Legacy Elementary School
Tea Area Middle School
Tea Area High School
Frontier Elementary School* *Not Pictured
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12
Wednesday Evening Events
Check www.teasd.com for updates. Schedule subject to change.
All events at Trinity Lutheran Church, 335 W 1st St
• 4-7 p m Blood Mobile
• 5:30-7 p m FREE CommuniTEA Picnic
• Crowning of Ma & Pa Teapot
THURSDAY, JUNE 13
Mighty Thomas Carnival
5-10 p m on Brian Street next to Tea City Park
FRIDAY, JUNE 14
TeaFest Hot Rod & Motorcycle Show & Shine
Tea Athletic Complex, 315 E 1st St .
6-9 p .m . Open to public
Food | Drink & Music | Free Admission
(Registration from 5-7 p m $20 vehicle registration includes free t-shirt )
9-11 p m Octane Ignite Teafest After Party at Squealers Smoke Shack (Fireworks at 10:30 p m )
Mighty Thomas Carnival
Noon-10:00 p m
Brian St next to the Tea City Park
Free Kid’s Pedal Pull
Ages 3-11
6:30 p m Registration
7 p m Pulling Begins
Tea City Park, 105 E Brian St
Titan’s Tavern Street Dance
205 S Main Ave
7 p m -Midnight
Music by Driven
SATURDAY, JUNE 15
Tea Historical Society Pancake Breakfast
7:00-9:30 a m
Free Will Donation
Tea Community Hall, 200 W Maple St
Mighty Thomas Carnival
5-10 p m
Brian Street next to Tea City Park
Junior Achievement 5K Bacon Run
8 a m Registration
8:30 a m Start Time $45 to run or $35 to walk
Tea City Park
10 a .m .-4 p .m Vendor Fair
10 a m -10 p m Food Vendors
Parade
10 a m (line up 8:00-9:45 a m )
Tea Community Hall, 200 W. Maple St.
11 a m -7 p m Tea Museum open
3-7 p m Pie & Ice Cream Social sponsored by Trinity Lutheran Church 5-7 p m Tea Lions Pork Feed
Music in the Park, City Park, 105 E. Brian St.
1-4 p m Power Play
5-7:30 p m Chris Graves
8:30-10 p m John King
Sky Lounge Street Dance
9 p m -1 a m Sugar Daddy
105 E 2nd St Must be 21
Fireworks
10 p m
Tea City Park (east end)
DAYS 2025 JUNE 18-21, 2025
DAYCARE / PRE-SCHOOL CENTERS
LIL FRIENDS
School-Age 5-12
800 E Ryan Dr , Tea
605-498-8953 mary@lilfriendslearningcenter com
LIL FRIENDS LEARNING CENTER
Ages 0-5
500 E 1st St , Tea
605-498-8952 jessica@lilfriendslearningcenter .com
MyTEA TYKES
CHILDREN’S CENTER
800 E Ryan Dr 605-498-8953
MyTEA TYKES TOO CHILDREN’S CENTER
4 weeks to school age
500 E 1st St 605-498-8952 www .myteatykes .com
RISEN SAVIOR LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL
1401 N Main Ave ., Tea
605-498-5050
SUPER TITANS CHILDCARE CENTER
725 E Kevin Dr, Tea
605-498-1505
TEA HEAD START
500 W Charish St , Tea 800-813-8132
TEA SPROUTS PRESCHOOL
500 W Brian St , Tea 605-498-2700 131 N Poplar Ave , Tea 605-214-0913
TRINITY LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL
335 W 1st St , Tea
605-498-2343
TEA TRAILBLAZERS
CHILDCARE CENTER
Ages: 4 weeks to School Age
Preschool Curriculum for all ages 1 and up 2100 Devon Ave , Tea
605-498-1234 www TeaTrailblazers com tt@TeaTrailblazers com
ABIGAIL KLEMISCH
Ages infant to 5 years
605-360-2006
BONNIE PITTENGER
Infant to School Age
605-498-3196
CRISSY’S CHILDCARE
Ages 1 year and up
605-360-8185
CRYSTAL GLASGOW
Infant to Kindergarten
605-359-5029
walk rollchildcare@gmail com
JESSE CAUWELS
All ages
605-521-9342 jcauwe@yahoo com
JODI PRUSSMAN
605-690-7923
KATHIE CATON
6 weeks to school age
605-553-5624
Fenced in yard, close to the city park .
KIM HEADRICK
Ages 0-5
605-941-8588
LEARN PLAY DAYCAREFRANNY ANGIE
4 weeks to 6 years old 605-376-4946
MARCENE KLEINSCHMIDT
Ages infant to Kindergarten 605-498-2332
MARY BLOCHOWITZ
Ages 1 and up 605-809-6531
m elizabeth-b@hotmail com
MELANIE WITTPRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT PRESCHOOL CHILDCARE
All Ages 605-261-4708 jesuslovesthisgirl@juno com
MICHELLE ROLLINGERHOME AWAY FROM HOME
All Ages 605-368-9156
PENNY DANNEN
Ages infant to 5 605-351-6657
SHIRLEY GLIRBAS
All Ages
605-498-2829
TABATHA BRADY
Infant through School-age
605-731-6644
Tabbybrady18@gmail com
EMBRACE CHURCH
720 Figzel Court, Tea
605-213-3333
Sunday Service 8:45 a m , 10 a m , and 11:15 a m
Children’s Church Sunday 10 a m & 11:15 a m
LIVING HOPE COMMUNITY CHURCH
305 E . Brian St ., Tea
605-498-5876
Sunday School 9:00 a m
Sunday Worship 10:00 a m
Sunday Bible Study 6:00 p m
RISEN SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH & PRESCHOOL
1401 N Main Ave , Tea
605-468-5050
Sunday Worship 9:00 a m .
Sunday School & Bible Class 10:15 a m
ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH
140 W Brian St , Tea
605-498-5792
Saturday Mass 5:00 p m
Sunday Mass 7:30 a m & 9:00 a m
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
335 W 1st St , Tea
605-498-2343
Sunday Worship — 8:00 a m & 10:30 a m
(Sunday Worship, Memorial Day-Labor Day 9:00 a m )
Sunday School and Adult Bible Study 9:15 a m
Wednesday Worship 6:30 p m
Located at the corner of Main Avenue and Brian Street
-The Tea City Park features a swimming pool with a waterslide, basketball courts, playground equipment, a picnic shelter, a fishing pond with fountains, access to a bike path, and restrooms. Electricity is available in the shelter area.
Park Bike Path is roughly 3/4 mile which includes the entire path, not just the path around the pond and the large grass area. The public can fish within the Tea City Park Pond. Sixteen picnic tables are located under the shelter to seat roughly 144 people.
PRAIRIE TRAILS PARK
Located at the south end of Poplar Avenue, a picnic shelter is surrounded by playground equipment with an open area for soccer fields. Electricity is not available at the picnic shelter area. A portable restroom is available.
TEA ATHLETIC COMPLEX
Phase 1 of the complex is complete with the addition of two baseball fields and an open space area for soccer and flag football. Phase 2 is completed by adding a restroom facility, concession stand, and picnic shelters. The complex is planned to have multiple t-ball fields, baseball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, and sand volleyball courts.
HOWLING RIDGE PARK
Tea’s newest park is equipped with tons of fun for all kids. Howling Ridge is located on North Devon Ave. by the white water tower. More improvements to comegrass, trees, benches, etc.
PARK & RECREATION PROGRAMS
www.teaparkandrecreation.com Jake Kerr | 605-498-4994
PROGRAMS
Spring and Fall Soccer Flag Football
Youth Outdoor Soccer Hunt Safe
Softball and Baseball T-Ball
Youth Basketball K-1 Adult Coed Volleyball
Adult Basketball League Adult Pickleball League
SUMMER RECREATION PROGRAM
Summer recreational programs offer a diverse array of activities to keep participants engaged and active during the month of June. Tea Summer Recreation Programs include flag football, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, creative arts and recreation.
Overall, the summer rec program provides a wellrounded experience that combines physical activity with creative expression, fostering personal growth, teamwork, and lifelong friendships. Whether participants are athletes. artists. or a bit of both, there’s something for everyone to enjoy and thrive in the summer rec program.
Tough and durable outside!
Safe and cozy inside!
ESTIMATED ENROLLMENT 2023-2024
2,528 420-780 $41M 1,200 SEAT
PROJECTED GROWTH OF ENROLLMENT IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS
EXPANSION OF HIGH SCHOOL IS UNDERWAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER OPENING SPRING 2025
by Marcus
Educate and empower each student for success in a global society
Student Achievement, Community, Engaged Titans, Finance & Growth Management
STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Teamwork, Communication, Accountability, Innovation
1 1 2
HIGH SCHOOL ($41M EXPANSION OPENING SOON)
MIDDLE SCHOOL
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITH FUTURE SCHOOLS AS PART OF THE LONG-RANGE PLAN
Casey
Advisor
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Come for our incredible BBQ, but stay for our fun, friendly, family atmosphere. We’re not just about food, we’re part of the community, where we host a number of activities and events, including:
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Tom and Amanda McKnelly moved to Tea in 2007 Back then, “You could walk or drive down the street and you knew everybody,” said Amanda In the years since, Tea has grown so much that it’s tough to know everyone, but it still has a “small town feel . ”
“People still show up for small town events such as the Easter egg hunt or the Junior Achievement Bacon Run It’s important that people continue to get out and meet their neighbors,” she said “Even though the town is growing, it still feels safe I know that if my kids want to go off and play pickleball at the park, I know they’ll be safe ”
Their sons have all been active in various sports from a young age up to high school Ethan is just finishing his first year at the University of South Dakota He still holds the Tea High School track record for the high jump at 6-foot-3-inches (which happens to be his own height) . He is studying anesthesia at USD and has a goal of becoming a CRNA
Daylen will be a 10th grader He has a passion for soccer Grant, who will be an eighth grader in fall 2024, still takes part in multiple sports (football, basketball and track) Basketball will probably win out as his favorite sport Tom said, “The coaches here do a great job of really pushing the team aspect I think that approach to teamwork has been good for all of our kids ”
The couple believes in volunteering and giving back to the community; and they drive that philosophy home with their three sons, Ethan, Daylen and Grant “There’s a food distribution that I’m part of that we do once a month, and all of my kids have helped with that and enjoyed it,” she said
Tom joked that maybe his wife volunteers a little too much because she can’t even remember all the organizations and events The Tea Chamber for Development recognized her as the 2023 Community Member of the Year Her volunteer activities include Junior Achievement, church council, confirmation mentor and community food distribution One of her greatest accomplishments was the establishment of tLINK, a community group designed to build relationships, plus provide education and service to the entire community
Among the many activities organized and/or promoted by tLINK are the Christmas Lanes in the city; collecting items for the Angel Tree; developing the Jingle Boxes program; hosting the Homecoming Kickball Tournament and BBQ; hosting a S’mores party in the city park; installing a learning trail at the city park; Titan Swap; and presenting numerous community educational events (drug awareness, Alzheimer’s resources, social media safety) Social activities tLINK is looking to host include a movie night in the park; a father/daughter dance and a mother/ son dance tLINK also sponsors open gym for families during the winter
One of the biggest events of the year is the Annual Community Clean-up, where volunteers of all ages spend the day cleaning up trash and other unsightly elements after a long South Dakota winter Tom’s company, RBS Sanitation, volunteers to haul the day’s refuse away Also in cooperation with tLINK, RBS Sanitation sponsors an annual scholarship for a high school senior who is a devoted volunteer and a community leader Tom also gives back to the community by supporting various teams and events; and major purchases such as the football scoreboard He also quietly supports a few more local nonprofits by providing sanitation services
Amanda also is a confirmation class mentor at Trinity Lutheran Church . “I think our church does an amazing job for the community Our pastor and deacon do a great job of being involved and present in the community,” she said
Amanda and her business partner, Maria Piacentino, own and operate Midwest Health Management Services Under a contract called the Health Professionals Assistance Program, the company provides services to health professionals such as doctors, nurses, dentists or pharmacists who are facing a mental health or substance use disorder; along with a wellbeing program from the licensed physicians in the state of South Dakota .
“Health professionals are humans just like everybody else; and they face significant – sometimes life or death –stressors,” said Amanda “Our program is a safe haven place which gives them an opportunity to seek help have gotten worse in recent years as these professionals are working to the max and some don’t take care of themselves So a lot of individuals are really struggling now
The company operates under contract to 36 statute-created boards that oversee various health care fields management helps to ensure implementation of the appropriate treatment, counseling, psychiatry or random toxicology “We really stress early intervention so people get help and get well before it affects their jobs If treatment is necessary, we help ensure they’re going to treatment, be it counseling, psychiatry or random toxicology . We make sure they’re keeping themselves well, so they’re able to either practice or return to practice ”
Tom owns and operates RBS Sanitation, a company he purchased in 2007 Starting with himself, two employees and four trucks, RBS now has 30 employees and 40 trucks, providing residential trash and recycling collection in Salem, Bridgewater, Parker, Worthing, Chancellor, Lennox, Tea, Harrisburg and Sioux Falls Roll-off dumpster services span an area in a 50-mile radius
He had experience with a corporate sanitation firm, but running his own business was “a baptism by fire,” especially in 2008 and 2009 when fuel shot up to $5 a gallon during the onset of the housing crisis and Great Recession . “It was good It helped me learn faster,” he said The company also needed significant re-organization and improved route management
RBS was an early adopter of automated trucks wherein the driver can operate an arm which grabs, lifts and dumps residential trash and recycling containers “It was a learning curve We didn’t have anybody to teach us, so we just taught ourselves We first tried them in Worthing and, boy, it was ugly at first We were dropping cans everywhere But we worked through it ”
Automated trucks help with the longevity of employees and decrease the chances of injury and developing carpal tunnel syndrome “The automated system allows us to get done in 20 minutes what might take other companies an hour It’s a fraction of the time and a fraction of the people, which is a great thing because finding labor is tough .” RBS is perhaps the biggest locally-owned company with this type of service Staying on the forefront is a big investment
The RBS recipe for consistent, controlled growth in operations matches the growth philosophy of the city of Tea Tea’s busy-ness is driven by population growth, but it’s also powered by a growing retail sector Rather than being just a bedroom community, Tea has rounded out a vision of becoming a more well-rounded, self-sustaining city What was blank space a few years ago is now auto repair, restaurants, convenience stores, boutiques, personal and pet services, and much more, according to Tom and Amanda
Even as companies with national footprints step into Tea, residents are reminded to be mindful of locally-based businesses who – year-in and year-out – underwrite schools and scoreboards and park and rec programs, said Tom
In 1976, Otto and Linda Hagedorn, along with their children, moved from Nebraska to a home two miles east of Tea . This was an ideal location for them to set up a distribution center for Linda’s role with Tupperware as the new sales manager for the state of South Dakota . This location also enabled Otto to farm the ground on the quarter of land adjacent to their home .
That fall they started construction of a distribution center on their property which evolved to become a business that is now known as the Lakota Event Hall .
By nature, the Hagedorns were always building and growing their businesses Over time, Linda became the Tupperware distributor for all of South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota . She made regular appearances on KELO-TV with her cooking show, “Down Home Delights with Linda” which featured using Tupperware products and was filmed onsite at the Lakota Event Hall The show aired for more than 20 years and Linda published two volumes of a cookbook with all the recipes compiled over time
In 1996, Linda got a phone call from the president of Tupperware informing her she was selected as one of three people to help launch Tupperware in new international markets, specifically in India It was an honor to represent the company in a new market like India and a life experience she did not want to miss She spent almost a full year in India creating sales teams and establishing distribution centers in two major cities .
Otto supported Linda’s business by helping every way he could, including sampling all the recipes to ensure quality, while farming and also serving in various community leadership roles as a county commissioner and serving on the Lincoln County Rural Water Board
In the 1980s, the Hagedorns determined there was a need for industrial space for businesses and factories in the area They felt the ground on the eastern edge of their quarter of their land would be ideal for that purpose . There was a close proximity to I-29 and there really were no other industrial parks in the area at the time They worked on a plan for lots to be plotted and streets to be laid out that included the names of a few of their children, Mindy and Monty, a street named after Linda and even one named after their dog, Leroy
Over the years, all the lots of the Hagedorn Industrial Park were sold and now 50+ businesses employ hundreds, if not a thousand-plus people “It has been great to see all the jobs created, products produced, and the overall economic impact provided to the area from that development,” said Otto The types of companies range from manufacturing to service-related businesses to retail/warehouses There is room for those businesses to grow and if the Hagedorn family ever decides to convert more farmland to Industrial ground, there still are a few acres that are farmed north of the acreage every year
This past January, Linda passed away, but she left a legacy of community and business development along with Otto that will long live within the Tea community
Elliott Neff is on a mission to impact a million kids a week, one game at a time .
“My business is teaching the game of chess to children Through the game of chess, we are teaching life skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, social-emotional skills and a growth mindset ” Neff’s business is Chess4Life which currently impacts 300,000 youth nationwide “In chess, there’s no losing if your mindset is ‘How do I get better from every one of these experiences?’ It’s a safe way to build that mindset It teaches problem solving, aligned with math skills from an early age ”
Neff, his wife, Camilla, and their children live in rural Tea and he usually offices at Zook’s Coffee Bar He is a National Master chess player who has been teaching chess for 20 years . His father taught him chess as a child and he played in his first tournament when he was eight At age 12, he set a goal to become high school champion in Washington state At 15, he achieved that goal and was nationally ranked in his category He represented Washington twice at the national Denker Tournament of High School Champions
Reaching his goal involved a deep commitment, plus the skills he was inherently learning through chess: Planning, patience, adaptability, decision-making, perseverance through adversity, being alert to unexpected opportunities, sportsmanship and learning from mistakes .
Initially, his business model was to connect with parents who had the means to enroll their children in selfimprovement activities such as martial arts, music lessons, coding lessons or after-school tutoring He was having success in Washington state and beyond, yet wanted to impact more children Recruiting enough chess coaches seemed out of reach, however “So, 10 years ago, the vision became ‘What tools do I need to build? What model will empower educators to help kids using chess?’ We built, tried, and tested different models ”
Chess4Life now offers multiple methods of delivery The company is about to launch a subscription-based platform that is a low-cost way to access videos, content and
activities at four different levels, starting with beginners The platform already has content specifically for teachers
The biggest success story for Chess4Life’s classroom curriculum has been with Broward County Public Schools in Florida Chess4Life has successfully aligned chess activities to the statewide K-5 math standards and is on the way to aligning with middle school math standards . More than 72,000 students are using the Chess4Life lessons in Broward County About 1,500 teachers in one district have been trained to incorporate chess into their classrooms Four middle schools in one district offer chess as an elective One school has a full-time chess teacher with eight periods of 40 kids each “What they’ve found is that chess supports attendance because the kids have fun with it . ”
Chess4Life works with Boys & Girls Clubs, community education programs, youth detention centers, youth transition academies, libraries, plus runs camps and tournaments . “With Sioux Falls Community Education, we’ve helped introduce and grow interest to over 800 local kids in the past 18 months ” Neff was the lead organizer for this year’s South Dakota Scholastic Chess Championship Tournament in Sioux Falls, which welcomed 122 students in grades K-12, the largest number since 2006 His oldest son, Caleb, 13, is a two-time South Dakota state champion in his class Caleb teaches the game to other students
So how did the Neff family of Washington state put down roots in Tea? About five years ago, Elliott and Camilla were looking for a country property for their large family, but were not having success because of high real estate costs When Covid hit four years ago, Neff wasn’t a fan of the restrictions in place in the Pacific Northwest, but the “open for business” message of South Dakota caught his eye He joked that the state’s location also aligned with the chess strategy of “move to the middle ”
They’d never met in person, but Neff knew of multi-time South Dakota chess champion Nels Truelson, who told him, “Come stay with me You’ll love it here ” The Neffs did indeed fall in love with South Dakota and, specifically, the Tea area “We found a church, we found a community We started looking at houses,” he said Extended family considerations delayed their move by a year, but three years ago they moved to an acreage here
“Only three or four weeks after we moved here, I remember walking with my wife on a Sunday evening We didn’t feel like we were settling in We felt like we were at home . The community here was so welcoming And it also reminded me of my childhood in a small town in northwest Washington ”
Camilla is a native of Alberta and was a professional musician, composer, singer and piano teacher She homeschools their children .
Six years ago, Neff published a novel called A Pawn’s Journey The forward to the book is written by Tim Crothers, whose own book formed the basis for the Disney movie, Queen of Katwe, the true story of a young woman in Uganda named Phiona Mutesi, whose chess skills help her escape poverty In the forward to A Pawn’s Journey, Crothers said “Nobody better understands the potential impact of chess in transforming young people” than Elliott Neff Crothers notes that Neff has worked closely alongside Phiona Mutesi and her real-life chess mentor, Robert Katende A Pawn’s Journey has received overwhelmingly positive reviews in the Amazon com bookstore
After the events of the movie (but before the movie was released), Neff remotely helped coach Mutesi and her teammates in preparation the World Chess Olympiad He also traveled to the Olympiad in the country of Georgia as one of the team’s coaches He has formed a close relationship with Katende, whose advocacy for chess as a teaching tool has made a stunning impact in the Katwe slum of Kampala Katende described Neff’s book this way: “A must-read for those who desire to understand the power of learning through setbacks ”
Neff has supported Katende’s work by holding a chess tournament fundraiser and donating curriculum tools for a decade He also invited Katende to South Dakota in 2023 and introduced him to speak at Harrisburg’s Adventure Elementary where students experienced an “immersion style” integration of chess in most classrooms under the guidance of Dr Laurie Wenger Students were so inspired they chose to designate all proceeds from this year’s social impact project to Katende’s efforts to build a chess and STEM education center in the Katwe slum of Uganda
Neff concluded, “I’ll think my mission is done when every kid has the opportunity to gain the benefits chess can help bring to in today’s world We need complex problem solvers, not just memorizers
Tea has changed a lot in the past 20 years In fact, the city’s population has grown by 400 percent since the days Casey and Jessica Voelker were growing up just outside of the town .
Casey’s parents, Rob and Wanda Voelker, live northwest of Tea Jessica’s parents, Doug and Linda Vanderwerf, farm west of Tea Jessica graduated from Lennox High School in 2003 and then completed the radiology program at Avera McKennan Casey graduated from LHS in 2004 and then graduated from USD They were married in 2009 “We lived in Harrisburg for a couple of years,” said Casey “But we found ourselves driving over here every weekend We kept going to church in Tea and we were here on weekends visiting family ”
While Tea has grown and changed in many ways since the early 2000s, one thing hasn’t changed – Tea is still a great place to raise a family “We knew we wanted to be back here when we started raising a family,” he said
They returned to Tea In 2012 . Their family includes two daughters, Emery, 13, and Jaina, 8; and their son, Brady, 11 Each child has unique traits, but one thread runs through all “We are a wrestling family,” said Jessica “Brady started wrestling young When girls wrestling was sanctioned, Emery joined in Now our youngest, Jaina, is following suit . Emery wrestles for the varsity team and she made it to state ” Casey continued, “Wrestling nurtures a competitive spirit and fosters mental resilience It’s an intense sport, physically and mentally Wrestlers develop a mental toughness that extends beyond the mat ”
Emery is also in volleyball, track and FFA According to Casey, “She is very driven She’s got a very entrepreneurial mindset and is always looking for a project or some business venture She doesn’t go halfway – she goes all in ” Her interests range
from raising chickens to creating a business called EmScrubStudios (find her on Facebook at Emscrubstudios) Sugar scrubs are exfoliators utilizing sugar crystals to remove dead skin cells that may obscure healthy skin cells beneath Sugar scrubs are known to be gentle on skin
Jessica said, “Linda (Kokenge) at Zooks has really taken Emery under her wing Zooks has a program called Kid Biz in the summertime Linda helps kids learn about business and she has a few events a year she promotes where she helps set the kids up outside with their products Em has learned a lot from Kid Biz ”
“Brady is very into sports,” Casey said . “He’s athletic and a natural leader He’s competitive and always trying to be a leader on his team It doesn’t matter if we’re playing football or tic tac toe, he wants to win He tries to be a good teammate If someone is feeling down, he’s always trying to build them up ” Besides wrestling, Brady also plays football, basketball and baseball .
Their youngest, Jaina, is very social “She can make friends anywhere She can hop into a group of kids 10 years older than her and she’ll just act like she’s supposed to be there,” said Casey Jaina wrestles plus
plays basketball, volleyball and soccer “Kids have endless energy We take them from one sport to another to the next That doesn’t bother them a bit,” he said Both parents volunteer time as coaches
According to Jessica, “In the summertime, we take a break from sports, except Brady is trying baseball But we like to take the summer to reconnect as a family We go camping and fishing ” The kids also enjoy events that help Tea maintain its small town atmosphere, such as Teapot Days (traditionally on Father’s Day weekend), Jingle Bell Boxes and Tea Cleanup Day
Besides running kids around town, coaching, and volunteering at Trinity Lutheran Church, Jessica and Casey stay plenty busy with their careers Jessica is a radiologic technologist for Sanford in Sioux Falls . Following Covid, she moved her career out of the hospital proper to the Vandemark building across from Sanford While she is still actively taking x-rays, her role is more administrative now, coordinating workflow between the main hospital and smaller outlying hospitals that serve communities in the tri-state area .
Casey is an operations manager for Pomp’s Tire Service, a commercial tire dealer for large trucks in fields such as sanitation and construction . He travels in the north central states helping stores with whatever they need to “keep the trains running on time ” He also volunteers for Junior Achievement and is a high school football referee
“When Jessica and I moved home to Tea, we knew we weren’t going to move anywhere else,” said Casey “We knew this is where our kids would grow up With all the growth happening, I knew the Tea of the future wasn’t going to be the Tea that we grew up in – and I wanted to have some say in the decisions and changes that were going to happen So I got involved ”
He was elected to the Tea City Council in 2017, became council president in 2020, and was elected mayor in 2022 Council members inevitably disagree on some topics “But every single one of us has agreed on one thing: We want to have slow, measured growth We want to grow at the right pace and in the right way Growth for growth’s sake has never been the goal ”
TEA (NEAR BALL FIELDS)
HARRISBURG (MINNESOTA & WILLOW)
HURLEY (HWY 18)
HARTFORD (ACROSS FROM COFFEE CUP)
SIOUX FALLS (8405 W 12th ST)
SIOUX FALLS (47058 271st ST)
BRANDON (EXIT 406, I-90)
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Looking back in time, when Tea formed its own school district, it was an opportunity to hit the “reset button ” The growth in population and the business sector coincided with the district’s formation and expansion It was a time to ask: Who are we as a town? (and) What do we want to be? “I think Tea has really found its identity in the past 20 years,” Casey said .
“We see many families from places like Howard or Parkston who are moving here to be close to their jobs in Sioux Falls Tea is a place that feels like home for people who come from small towns I think that’s part of Tea’s flavor .” Jessica added, “I think each neighborhood has its own little, small-town feeling, which is nice The kids can roam the neighborhood, playing with their friends ”
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She also likes the number of locally-grown businesses that are thriving because Tea residents are actively supporting them “Look at Zooks or Revive Boutique I remember Lauriebelles starting out in the basement of a house Now look at her Businesses like these draw people to Tea ”
Bigger entities are taking notice, too . Orthopedic Institute is in the midst of building a two-story, 70,000-square-foot clinic and office in the Bakker Landing development
According to Casey, “Tea has just shown itself to be a probusiness community We have sort of an adventurous, entrepreneurial bent to us as a town We broke off and started our own school district at a time when many school districts were combining . We’re not trying to follow in the footsteps of another city; we’re just trying to do things our own way The doctors at Orthopedics Institute are like that, too They could have just worked for Sanford or Avera, but they went their own way to operate independently ”
Affordable Dent Repair
220 Linda Ave #1, Tea
605-743-0606
www.southdakotapdr.com
AGE Media & Promotion
Sioux Falls
605-251-6370 www.agemedia.pub
Alpine Residential Realtor
605-201-4277 www.thinkalpine.com
American Bank and Trust
100 E 1st St, Tea
605-910-4146 www.abt.bank
AmeriStar Real Estate
5900 S Western Ave, Sioux Falls 605-651-2716 www.muthteam.com
Automotive Doctors 27278 Verhey Pl, Tea 605-213-0023 www.automotive-doctors.com
Backhaus Excavation & Underground LLC
27276 Verhey Pl, Tea
605-759-1931 www.facebook.com/backhausexcavation
These listings are based on the members-in-good-standing list at the Tea Chamber for Development. To ensure your company is listed next year, become a member of the Tea Chamber!
Buy locally! Remember local businesses invest in the community by supporting sports teams, school, youth and church activities.
Sales taxes generated in Tea are investments in creating and maintaining the high quality infrastructure.
Baker Audiology & Hearing Aids
429 W 69th St, Sioux Falls
605-306-5756
www.siouxfallshearing.com
Bella & Birch
900 N Main Ave #101, Tea 605-368-1696 www.thebellaandbirch.com
Benson’s Lawn & Landscaping
Sioux Falls
605-929-7668 www.bensonslawnandlandscaping.com
Black Hills FCU
5028 S Marion Rd, Sioux Falls
605-937-4524 www.bhfcu.net
Bluepeak Fiber Internet
5009 S Western Ave #200, Sioux Falls 405-615-3666 www.mybluepeak.com
Central Dakota Perk
306 E 1st St, Tea 605-840-9687 www.centraldakotaperk.com
Char’s Crafts & Creations
615 E Brian Dr #D, Tea 605-941-1238 www.facebook.com/p/CharsCrafts-Creations
City Wide Insulation
2325 E Mary Moore Circle, Tea 605-368-9106 www.citywideinsul.com
ContractorWay
4800 South Louise Ave #502, Sioux Falls 605-881-4504 www.contractorway.com
Crew Construction 3503 S Norton Ave, Sioux Falls 605-965-2727 www.crew3r.com
Dairy Queen 725 N Heritage Pkwy, Tea 605-961-6534 www.fourteenfoods.com
DeGeest 115 N Sundowner Ave, Tea 605-638-5312 www.degeeststeelworks.com
Design Crete Inc. 330 Beech Ave, Tea 605-990-3400 www.designcreteinc.com
DFS Insurance 730 E 1st St, Tea 605-689-0483 www.dfsins.com
The difference between a good building and a great building is not only how it functions today, but how it looks, performs, and functions years from now. Morton buildings age gracefully because we use quality products and sound construction methods to ensure you have a building you can be proud to own.
Digit-All Technologies, Inc
27087 Morton Ct, Sioux Falls 605-231-9000 www.teamdigitall.com
Downtown Design, LLC Tea 605-368-0987 www.downtowndesignweb.com
EAPC Architects Engineers 101 N Phillips Ave #300, Sioux Falls 605-444-1600 www.eapc.net
Edward Jones InvestmentsQuinn Jorgensen 7520 S Grand Arbor Ct #100, Sioux Falls 605-330-0067 www.edwardjones.com
Edward Jones InvestmentsCasey Jorgensen
900 N Main Ave #102, Tea 605-743-8242 www.edwardjones.com
EOS Worldwide - Darin Williamson 45006 283rd St, Hurley 605-303-4912 www.eosworldwide.com
Explorers Credit Union 730 E 1st St, Tea 800-491-4309 www.explorerscu.com
Fareway Meat and Grocery
720 E 1st St, Tea 605-498-0331 www.farewaystores.com
Firelink Digital Marketing 725-696-3473 www.firelinkdigital.com
G A Johnson Construction Inc 27153 SD Hwy 115 #101, Harrisburg 605-361-8800 www.gajci.com
Glass Doctor of Sioux Falls 2420 N Bakker Landing Ave, Tea 605-360-8508 www.glassdoctor.com/sioux-falls
HDR Engineering, Inc
101 S Phillips Ave #401, Sioux Falls 605-977-7740 www.hdrinc.com
Herman Otten Construction INC. Tea 605-941-1770 www.ottenconstruction.com
Ideal Tent & Events 2100 Venture St, Tea 605-213-0181 www.idealtentandevents.com
J & M Transmission and Auto Service 46947 100th St, Tea 605-368-2050 www.jmtransmissionservice.com
J & R Mechanical 125 S Main Ave, Tea 605-498-2665 www.j-rmechanical.com
Kids Club
800 E Ryan Dr, Tea 605-498-8953 www.kidscluboftea.com
Koch Insurance
900 N Main Ave #100, Tea 605-213-3572 www.kochinsurance.com
Koele Family Chiropractic, LLC 710 E First St, Tea 605-498-2273 www.facebook.com/p/Koele-FamilyChiropractic-LLC
Lauriebelles 820 Gateway Ln, Tea 877-222-4605 ext 2 www.lauriebelles.com
Legacy LDRSHIP, LLC Realty Group 795 E Kevin Dr, Tea 605-453-0006 www.legacyldrship.com
McGreevy & Associates
4808 S Technopolis Dr #2, Sioux Falls 605-332-4111 www.mcgreevyassoc.com
MidAmerican Energy 1200 S Blauvelt Ave, Sioux Falls 888-427-5632 www.midamerican.com
Midco 905 S Highline Place, Sioux Falls 800-888-1300 www.midco.com
Midwest Benefit Solutions LLC 27076 469th Ave, Tea 605-321-7874 www.midwestbenefitsolutions.com
Morton Buildings 2401 Bakker Landing Ave, Tea 605-214-8247 www.mortonbuildings.com
Murphy Business Sales 2121 W 63rd Pl #100, Sioux Falls 605-951-9555 www.murphybusiness.com
Neighborhood Dental 605 East Brian St, Tea 605-498-5907 www.neighborhooddentalcare.com
Nielson Construction 27297 Wetland Rd, Harrisburg 605-767-3500 ext 115 www.nielsonconstruction.net
NorthWestern Energy 3010 W 69th St, Sioux Falls 800-245-6977 www.northwesternenergy.com
Numbers & Such Prof, LLC 110 W 2nd St, Tea 605-595-5315 www.numbersandsuchprofllc.com
Omorfia Designs Inc 2010 Venture St #1, Tea 605-223-0193 www.omorfiadesignsinc.com
Pizza Ranch 801 E Brian St, Tea 605-368-5588 www.pizzaranch.com
Prairie Rehabilitation-Tea 725 Kevin Dr, Tea 605-368-9897 www.prairierehab.com
Quality & Triview Communications 27085 Katie Road, Tea 605-371-5475 www.triviewquality.com
RBS Sanitation 46914 Austin St, Tea 605-213-0138 www.rbssanitation.com
Red Arbor Tattoo 315 N Heritage Pkwy, Tea 605-408-0837 www.redarbortattoo.com
Reemtsma Window Washers, Inc. Tea 605-351-5675 www.facebook.com/p/Reemtsma-Window-Washers
Reliabank Dakota 720 E Kevin Dr, Tea 605-498-3683 www.reliabank.com
Rising Hope Counseling, LLC 317 N Heritage Pkwy, Tea 605-494-1500 www.risinghope.com
Ruff Land Performance LLC 1800 Mindy St, Tea 605-368-9872 www.rufflandkennels.com
Sabers Insurance, LLC 615 E Brian St #C, Tea 605-213-3040 www.facebook.com/sabersinsurance
Scooter’s Coffee 800 Gateway Ln, Tea 605-213-0084 www.scooterssiouxfalls.com
Security National Bank of SD 6601 S Louise Ave, Sioux Falls 605-977-9000 www.snbsd.com
SERVPRO of Sioux Falls 701 E 48th St N, Sioux Falls 605-213-3303 www.servprowestsiouxfalls.com
Smokin Dakota Kennels 46573 269th St, Sioux Falls 605-213-3021 www.smokendakotakennels.com
Squealers Smoke Shack 840 Gateway Ln, Tea 605-679-7675 www.squealerssmokeshack.com
Tea ACE Hardware & Rentals 701 N Heritage Pkwy, Tea 605-213-2000 www.acehardwaresd.com
Tea Area School District 131 N Poplar Ave, Tea 605-498-2700 ext 5 www.teaarea.k12.sd.us
Tea Chiropractic & Rehabilitation 725 E Figzel Ct, Tea 605-498-5100 www.teachiropractic.com
Tea Storm Chasers Inc 615 E Brian St #D, Tea 605-202-5070 www.teastormchasers.org
Tea Weekly 502 Figzel Ct. #B, Tea 605-213-0049 www.teaweekly.com
The Hood Magazine Sioux Falls 605-366-1479 www.thehoodmagazine.com
The Playground - Indoor Softball Facility 200 E Highpointe St, Tea 402-681-7627 www.pgsiouxfalls.com
Trinity Lutheran Church 335 W 1st St, Tea 605-489-2343 www.teatrinity.org
Truth & Grace Counseling 125 W 1st St, Tea 605-777-1898 www.truthgracecounseling.com
Underground Solutions 27077 S. Sundowner Ave #3, Sioux Falls 605-261-9912 www.usiburial.com
Vision Care Associates 725 Figzel Ct, Tea 605-498-0427 www.vca2020.com
Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals 27141 Parklane Dr, Sioux Falls 605-351-4748 www.wellerbrothers.com
Workplace Marketing Insurance Advisors 3220 West 57th #110, Sioux Falls 605-274-6653 www.workplacemarketing.com
Yours On The Spot 27109 Independence Ave #100, Sioux Falls 605-366-8518 www.yoursonthespot.com
Zobel Carpentry 940 N James Ave, Tea 605-777-9971 www.facebook.com/p/Zobel-Carpentry
Zooks Coffee Bar 815 Gateway Lane #1, Tea 605-310-2777
• www.acehardwaresd.com
Monday - Saturday: 7am - 8pm Sunday: 9am - 6pm - Small Engine Repair - Propane Fill Station- Key Cutting Equipment Rentals- Paint Studio - Blade & Chain Sharpening- Business to Business (B2B) Service & Supplies- Key Programming - And so much more! -
