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Financial outlook Area residents compete good for city in Special Olympics Town Crier Friday, May 22, 2015 Volume 1, Issue 4 Est. 2015
Great River Arts seeks artists for juried show
Artists in all mediums from across Minnesota are being sought for the upcoming Juried Exhibition which will be on display during July and August in the Great River Arts Main Gallery, 122 SE First St., Little Falls. Entries must be original works not previously exhibited at Great River Arts. Submissions will be received electronically and by mail until midnight Monday, May 25. Visit greatart.org/juried-exhibition. Artists can submit up to three pieces for consideration at various fee levels. There will be two cash awards given to the jurors “Top Picks.” Great River Arts is funded in part by the Five Wings Arts Council and Legacy Amendment. Gallery and gift shop hours are from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. WednesdayFriday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. “Like” us on Facebook to be notified of other upcoming events.
Great River Chorale sets auditions May 26, 27, June 10
The Great River Chorale, a select, auditioned 55-voice choral ensemble based in St. Cloud, will hold auditions for the 201516 concert season from 4:308:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27 and June 10 at Salem Lutheran Church, 90 Riverside Drive SE, St. Cloud. The chorale rehearses Sunday nights and holds extra rehearsals prior to concerts. Members are skilled professional and avocational musicians and choral enthusiasts who desire to sing high-quality repertoire at the highest level of excellence. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on May 22 criers.
by Logan Gruber operations@thenewsleaders.com
The city of Sauk Rapids’ financial health looks good according to Caroline Stutsman, an audit manager with Kern, DeWenter and Viere during her presentation of the 2014 city audit to the council on May 11. Stutsman was invited to present by Jack Kahlhamer, financial director for the city. The audit itself can be viewed on the city website, by navigating to ci.sauk-rapids.mn.us, hovering over “Departments” on the left-hand menu, hovering over “Finance” on the sub-menu, and then clicking on “Audited Financial Statements.” Once the page loads, you can view the audit for any year, from 2001 to present. While Stutsman said the audit overall was very good, she and KDV did caution the city about their lack of segregation of accounting practices. By “segregation,” the audit report means the city should not have various city staff do overlapping duties when it comes to the handling of finances and accounting. That, the report states, could have an adverse effect and hamper the city’s ability to Financial • page 7
by Steven Wright news@thenewsleaders.com
When Jean Peterson of Sauk Rapids was born in 1915, Babe Ruth was hitting his first home run for the Boston Red Sox and Einstein was busy working on his theory of relativity. Now, a century later, Peterson is celebrating her own big milestone – her 100th birthday. Born in Royalton, Peterson spent her younger years playing with her four siblings on her
family farm and discovering a passion and talent for music at a very young age. The Newsleader spoke with Jean Peterson’s daughter Gloria Moran who was happy to share her mother’s story. “Our family has a hard time believing she’s 100,” Moran said. “She’s just like the Energizer Bunny.” Peterson celebrated her birthday in April by visiting her two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren in Tioga,
N.D. “She loves road trips,” Moran said. “She always jokes, ‘I think we should just keep driving.’” When Peterson isn’t on the
road, she finds her home at Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids. This is where her passion for music and her natural talent can really be Birthday • page 3
Memorial Day ceremony set The American Legion of Sauk Rapids will host a Memorial Day ceremony starting at 9 a.m. Monday, May 25 at the cemetery. The cemetery is located on
4th Street S., across from Mississippi Heights Elementary School. The event is sponsored by the American Legion Post 254 of Sauk Rapids.
Foundation to leave Bearson legacy
United Cerebral Palsy is currently seeking summer volunteers and interns to help in the office and with fundraising efforts. There are a variety of hours and events to meet everyone’s busy schedule. Volunteering is a wonderful opportunity for a high school student who needs a structured summer project or rounding out for their college applications. To volunteer, contact UCP administrative advisor, Stephanie Hanson at stephanie@ucpcentralmn. org.
by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
For additional criers, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
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Look for our salute to Class of 2015 on page 5!
Sauk Rapids athlete Amy Olson and Sartell Middle School phy-ed teacher and Special Olympics volunteer Joe Perske exchange a high five at the finish line of the 800-meter walk during the Special Olympics Track and Field Meet, held May 16 at the Sartell Middle School. Twenty-one teams participated, including the St. Cloud Area 7 Team which is comprised of athletes from Sauk Rapids, Sartell, St. Joseph, St Cloud, Waite Park, Clear Lake, Clearwater and Rockville. The field events included long jump and Bocce and track events such as running, walking and relays.
Sauk Rapids woman celebrates 100th birthday
UCP seeks volunteers
Czarnetzki Hardware Hank
photo by Carolyn Bertsch
photo from Tom Bearson Foundation website
Tom Bearson, who died tragically, was known as a talented, intelligent charmer with a great sense of humor by all who knew him.
A foundation has been established to honor the memory of Tom Bearson, a Sartell resident who was murdered while attending North Dakota State University in his freshman year last fall – a murder that remains unsolved. Family, friends and supporters started the foundation, called simply the Tom Bearson Foundation. Its goal is to raise funds for four purposes: to extend gymnasium playing spaces, to enhance and expand local youth basketball programs, to give four scholarships (two for boys, two for girls) to Sartell High
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School basketball players, and to promote safety for college campuses on and off campuses. All of those purposes tie in perfectly to honor a young man who loved basketball ever since he was a toddler and whose life ended tragically, senselessly through an act of violence near or on his college campus. There are 11 members on the foundation board, with Tom Bearson’s father Greg as founder and president. Tom’s mother, Deb, is co-founder and vice president, and one of the board members is Tom’s only other sibling, his sister, Maddie, who is two years older than Tom.
There is a website for the foundation: www.tombearson.org. On the website, there are many memories, tributes, photos and videos of Tom Bearson’s short but very active and satisfying life. There are photos of him as a bigblue-eyed boy having fun with sister Maddie, parents, relatives and friends. There is a comical video of Tom and friends as teenagers singing their hearts out to a song by Queen. Throughout most of the photos and videos can be seen Bearson’s ever-present companion – his basketball. His love for that sport is palpable in all the images, Bearson • page 8
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Friday, May 22, 2015
People
contributed photo
contributed photo
Nicholas Schaper, son of Rand Schaper of Rice and Jacqueline Ampe of St. Cloud, is a Top Ten Senior for St. John’s Preparatory School in Collegeville. Schaper was a member of the following: the soccer team for two years; the alpine ski team for four years, serving as captain his junior and senior years; the baseball team for four years; the band and jazz band, serving as first chair trumpet for seven years; choir for one year; and the National Honor Society for two years. Schaper was a contributor to the school literary magazine, The Triangle, for four years, serving one year as an editor. He was a junior marshal at last years’ St. John’s Prep commencement. He plans to attend St. Louis (Mo.) University and major in physics on a pre-med track.
Candice Thielen (second from left) with her siblings (from left to right) Chelsea Schlangen, Chase Thielen and Catherine Thielen. Candace will depart May 26 to Cameroon, Africa, for her Peace Corps duties. Candice Thielen, a 2014 grad- and assigned to a community in uate of Sauk Rapids-Rice High Cameroon where she will serve for School, is expanding her view on two years. the world and pushing her own She will work with local people boundaries by joining the U.S. and organizations on sustainable, Peace Corps in Cameroon, Africa. community-based development “St. Cloud State helped prepare projects that improve the lives of me for this adventure by teach- people in Cameroon. ing me what it means to apply Thielen previously volunteered yourself to something you want to as a classroom assistant at Hands succeed in,” Thielen said. Across the World, a nonprofit that The Rice native earned her assists refugees and immigrant fambachelor’s degree in English and ilies in Central Minnesota. looks to use her degree as an “My goals include communicatEnglish education volunteer upon ing successfully and creating lasting arrival. bonds with people of diverse counThielen will live and work tries, cultures and backgrounds,” at the community level, teach- Thielen said. “I want to be more ing conversational and content- aware of the world and the ways of based English in middle and high life around me.” schools. Six SCSU graduates are currently During her first three months, serving in the Peace Corps. More Thielen will live with a host fam- than 309 alumni have served as ily to learn the local language and volunteers since 1961. integrate into the culture. After, She will depart for Cameroon she will be sworn into service May 26.
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Seven Sauk Rapids students are graduating May 22 from Cathedral High School. The students are: Madison Appert, Dominic Austing, Hannah Deaton, John Dorn, Allison Rosenkrans, Spencer Smith and Joshua Thyen.
Superintendent Bittman receives leadership award Sauk Rapids-Rice Superintendent Dr. Daniel Bittman was recently awarded the 2014-15 Region VI District Leadership Award by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. Minnesota Superintendents and School Administrators recognized Bittman for his outstanding leadership, which was instrumental in the planning and successful implementation of the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District’s Increased Access and Opportunity through Technology Initiative. Bittman and district administration engaged students, staff, community members and stakeholders to define the district’s vision, solidify and clearly communicate the message to achieve support from the school board
and secure appropriate and sustainable funding for the initiative. Through Bittman’s leadership and these collaborative efforts, Sauk Rapids-Rice students and staff are inspired to excel beyond their own expectations, and have opportunities today that will prepare them for their future journey. The Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board of Education congratulates Superintendent Bittman for this well deserved recognition and extends their appreciation and gratitude for his continuous focus on making a difference in the lives, education and futures of all children. Our students have more opportunities than they ever had and are better prepared than they have ever been.
Grad. from HS/College, Military Honors, Awards Submit to news@thenewsleaders.com For contact purposes only, please include first/last name and phone.
Kindergarten Paraprofessional - Part-time St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, an elementary school, is accepting applications for part-time Kindergarten Paraprofessional and Recess Duty. The position begins Aug. 25, 2015 and ends May 27, 2016. Hours for the positions range from 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Major responsibilities include supporting Kindergarten classrooms Mondays-Fridays and assisting with recess duty. Candidates applying for the position(s) should enjoy working with students and must possess at a minimum a high school degree with at least one year of additional early childhood education preferred. A favorable background check is required as a condition of employment. If you are interested, please submit a letter of interest, resume, transcripts and three letters of recommendation to the main office. Interviews for the position will occur prior to the end of this school year.
Attn: Kathy Kockler, Principal
St. Francis Xavier School
Love What You Do!
Sauk Rapids • Sartell • St. Joseph
MSHLS awards; talent show; baseball; Boy Scouts – Eagle Scout rank; Leos Youth – part of the Lions Club; VEX; Hams Music Summer Showcase – stage and sound technician; First Presbyterian Church Crusade Choir – sound technician; School of Rock musician. “I enjoy snowmobiling, jet skiing, boating and cars,” Donahue said, “playing electric and acoustic guitar and trombone; and learning how computers and technology work, integrating technology and troubleshooting.”
Have any Achievements?
Apply online to requisition #15-0246 at www.dungarvin.com! EEO/AA
Sean Donahue of Sauk Rapids, was recently awarded a $1,500 student arts scholarship from the CenDonahue tral Minnesota Arts Board to study theater production at St. Cloud State University. He is a graduate of Sauk RapidsRice High School. Other activities and interests in which Donahue participates include the following: concert band; jazz band; Marching Storm marching band; musical productions; Hennepin Theater Trust Spotlight Musical Theater Program 2014-15 Award – “Outstanding Achievement in Sound;” one-act play competition, MSHLS award; solo/ensemble competition,
P.O. Box 150 • 308 2nd St. N. • Sartell, MN 56377 St. Francis Xavier School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities.
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Friday, May 22, 2015
Sauk Rapids Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
3
Senior Games set for St. Cloud area by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
contributed photo
Jean Peterson is all smiles during her 100th birthday celebration at Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids. Her birthday was April 18. to assist her in climbing up the piano bench, Peterson recited the piano tune flawlessly by ear, only going off of what from front page she heard her sister practicing. Peterson would play at various explored. There’s a piano in school events and weddings Peterson’s room and hardly a throughout her life, always day goes by where she doesn’t bringing her charm and bubsit down and play. bly personality wherever she “You give her a request and went. Even at the age of 100, she’ll play it, or she gets a tune Peterson is still just as vibrant in her head and sits down at and bubbly. the piano to compose some“She’s still sharp as a tack, thing,” Moran said. The most and loves to play tricks and amazing aspect of Peterson’s jokes,” Moran added. There’s musical talent is that she plays no special daily routine, or everything by ear. When she secret diet Peterson uses to was two and barely able to maintain her longevity. When walk, Peterson’s sister became asked on her birthday what her sick before a piano recital at secret was to living so long, school. Without hesitation and Peterson said, “Just keep going with the help of a stepladder and don’t ever give up.”
Birthday
ATTENTION:
Republic Services Customers! During the week of Memorial Day (May 25-30), your trash and recycling will be picked up one day later than your scheduled day. Please have your trash and recycling (if it is your recycling week) out by 6 a.m. the next day for pickup. Thank you for choosing Republic Services for your trash and recycling needs!
The Minnesota Senior Games will take place in St. Cloud and the greater area, including Sauk Rapids, Sartell and Avon May 28-31, and nearly 450 participants 50 years old or older have registered for the event. The games will take place again in the St. Cloud area next year from May 19-22. Although registration is now closed, organizers are hoping people show up to cheer on the athletes that day and have a good time socializing with people who will be there as participants or spectators. Volunteers are also needed for a three- to four-hour time commitment in the areas of check-in, scorekeeping, staff assistance and hospitality functions. To volunteer, see the website at www. mnseniorgames.com. The Minnesota State Senior Games is part of the National
Senior Games Association. The venues for the games will be scattered throughout Sartell, Sauk Rapids and St. Cloud with many at the St. Cloud Whitney Senior Center and others at places such as Wilson Park, Beaver Island Trail, Mike’s Archery, St. Cloud State University and the Del Tone Gun Club. The bowling events will take place at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday, May 29 at Great River Bowl in Sartell. A race walk with distances of 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters will take place starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 30 at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. A track-and-field meet, with many events, will also take place at that high school starting at 9 a.m., also on Saturday, May 30. In Avon, there will be two cycling road races, a 40k one and a 20k one. Both will take place on CR 8, the first at 8 a.m., the second at 10 a.m.,
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both on Sunday, May 31. Other activities during the four-day event will include archery, badminton, basketball, billiards, bridge, cribbage, cycling, disc golf, golf, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, running, skeet, shuffleboard, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and more. For a complete schedule of the events, their times and places, see the Minnesota Senior Games website at www. mnseniorgames.com. Sponsors of the Minnesota Senior Games include the Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids, Country Manor, Drakes Fine Foods and Spirits and Great River Bowl in Sartell, Times Media, the City of St. Cloud, Fitness Evolution, St. Benedict’s Senior Community, Mike’s Archery, Viking Coca-Cola, AM 1180 Catholic Talk Radio, Expo for Seniors, Cummings Mobility, Champion Rehab, Anderson Race Management and Custom Catering.
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Friday, May 22, 2015
contributed photos
Above left: A view inside the sanctuary at Sacred Heart Parish in Sauk Rapids. Above right: The proposed plans for Sacred Heart’s expansion, which will include new meeting rooms, offices and a fellowship hall.
Sacred Heart Parish to break ground on new expansion by Steven Wright news@thenewsleaders.com
When Dana Howard and her husband Patrick moved from Colorado to Minnesota more than 10 years ago, they wanted to find a church that would welcome and support their family. It only took one service at Sacred Heart Parish in Sauk Rapids and they knew they had found the perfect fit. “We came here one Sunday with our two little toddlers and after the service some-
body told us we’re doing a good job, keep bringing your kids,” Howard said. So they did. Fast forward 10 years and Howard is now the director of communication and finance at Sacred Heart and just days away from a groundbreaking ceremony to expand the church. Sacred Heart’s current facility, which is roughly 15,000-square-feet and serves close to 1,700 families, has become a little cramped during the past few years. “We had confirmation last
week and everyone piled out of the gathering space and just couldn’t move,” Howard said in a Newsleader interview. “If we had a fellowship hall to move over into, it would give us more space to properly do our ministries.” The new expansion, which will cost close to $3 million and will essentially double the size of the current location, will provide meeting rooms, office space and a large fellowship hall. “It was always our intention to have a fellowship space,
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with only one meeting room right now,” Howard said. “We’re very limited because we just don’t have the space to meet.” Fundraising for the expansion started in 2013 and with more than $1 million in pledges received, construction is ready to begin. The ground-breaking
ceremony will take place this Sunday, May 24, after 10 a.m. Mass. The Vicar General of the diocese will bless the area and everyone will be invited to grab a shovel and let the dirt fly. Sacred Heart hopes to finish construction on the project by late spring 2016.
Students can register for Red Cross scholarships This summer, high school and college students can win a scholarship by hosting an American Red Cross blood drive through the Leaders Save Lives program. Registration is now open to host a participating blood drive between June 1 and Aug. 31. The Leaders Save Lives program encourages community-minded 16to 24-year-olds to host blood
drives to help maintain the blood supply during the summer months. Students who participate as a blood drive coordinator are eligible to win a scholarship up to $2,500 for higher education and to earn a gift card. For more information and to register to host a Leaders Save Lives blood drive, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on May 22 criers.
Sauk Rapids Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, May 22, 2015
Abdirahman Aden Jacob Ahlgren Ferdosi Ahmed Safa Aiyana Mahina Chase Aldrich Luke Althaus Sierra Althaus Braden Alvord Mickey Amo Kay Lee Anderson Paige Anderson Taryn Anderson Benjamin Arnold Chandler Asper Brooke Barroso Chloe Bastien Barclay Bates Tiara Bechtold Dylan Becker Bailey Benoit Tyler Benoit Brittney Bergquist Joseph Bigelow Kirsten Borash Olivia Boser Cole Boughton William-Michael Boyle Jordan Brambrink Bailey Brenny Emily Brewers Hannah Brinkman Erin Britz Tiara Brown Elizabeth Brunn Haylee Burris Craig Burski Kennedy Busche Bradi Busse Jessica Cagle Michael Cariveau Joseph Carlson Samantha Carlson Chad Carman Ross Chapa Moniqua Chavis Kaitlynn Christen Dustin Christensen Tanner Clasen Kallan Crawford Katie Cruikshank Allison Czech Cody Czeck Makenna Davidson Megan Davis Victor De Loera Kyuss Decker Kierstin Dehne
Kyra Dezeeuw Tana Dirks Jacob Doman Sean Donahue Angela Duchene Kristin Dufner Brandon Duray Bryce Ebnet Anthony Elliott Jay Elmquist Marquez Evenson Guadalupe Fee Max Finlayson Naomi Fitch Hannah Fletcher Angela Frey Kari Friedmann Tyler Froelich Hannah Fyten Megan Gaffke Adrianna Gallian Austin Ganz Cameron Ganz Reed Ganz Nicole Gass Nicole Geisler Kimberly Gielen Lydia Glen Zachary Goebel Michael Gohman Amber Gruba Katelyn Gummert Shaila Gustafson Kayla Haack Amber Haakonson Tyler Hackett Rachel Hannahs Andrew Hansen Erika Hanson Maia Happke Melissa Hart Zakiah Harvey Jacob Hasbrouck Abby Hebler Connor Heinen Travis Heinen Alana Hendrickson Cole Hoops Sarah Hurt Mandela Ibrahim Amanda Iburg Tyler Jacobson Kaitlin Janson Chelsey Jensen Evan Johnson Sara Johnson William Julius Kayla Kahl
Sarah Kaschmitter Adam Kawlewski Levi Kenning Justin Kibbie Michael King Loganne Kirt Abigail Klein Stephen Klein Dillon Kleinow Samantha Knebel Landon Kobluk Dexton Koch Travis Kothenbeutel Courtney Krsiean Emma Krueger Kathryn Kubat Rachel Kugler Amber Kulow Ethan Lage Chelsea Lahr Destiny LaneRekowski Daniel Larsen Camille Lehmann Adam Lemke Charlotte Lock Ashlee Loehrer Jessica Lommel Michael Lommel Casey Lynch Mitchell Maier Hayli Marquette Austin Martin Logan Mastey Kegan Mathews Jacoby McConkey Haley McGuire Alexus Mandel Alannah Menk Jordan Merriman Alyssa Midas Kirsten Mikos John Miller Sydney Miller Belinda Minahan Abigail Moeller Douglas Mohr Cody Montag Aaron Nelson Christopher Nierenhausen Logan Noll Theresa O’Sullivan Sierra Obioha Bryan Oliva Wyatt Orth William Packert Marissa Parks
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6
Our View Take time to check out Bearson site, then donate Ask any parents and they will tell you their biggest nightmare is the thought of one of their children dying, whether through natural causes, an accident or even worse, through a murder. And that is what happened to the family of Tom Bearson of Sartell – father Greg, mother Deb, sister Maddie. Their worst nightmare materialized with agonizing horror and grief, when Tom became the victim of a killer in the Fargo-Moorhead area last September. Bearson’s unsolved murder sent shock waves through the area, in his home town of Sartell and beyond. Here was an outstanding young man, brimming with talents and personality-plus, freshly starting college, ready to prepare himself for a productive and happy life. Then, just like that, his life was viciously taken from him in the middle of a September night. Parents and siblings who lose a loved one never fully recover from the grief. It remains an aching wound that never quite heals. Fortunately, people in Sartell and beyond reached out generously with sympathy and compassion to the Bearsons. Such community connectiveness can help lessen the sting of sorrow. Many parents of children who have died such untimely deaths also find some solace in efforts to honor the loved one who died, and that is what the Bearsons and their supporters have done. They have started what is called the Tom Bearson Foundation, which is an excellent way to honor the memory and the positive influences Tom exerted on so many who knew and loved him. (See related story in today’s paper.) Establishment of the Bearson Foundation is a doubly good idea because it not only honors the memory of a fine young man but because it will help other youth in the form of increased athletic opportunities, scholarships and school-safety enhancements. It’s a win-win for everybody involved and yet another way to improve quality of life in Sartell. It is, the Bearsons, said a way to give back to the city and larger area from whence so much support came from in the wake of Tom’s untimely death. We encourage our readers to spend some time perusing the testimonials, photos and videos on the Tom Bearson Foundation website (www.tombearson.org). That site will give people a well-rounded idea of what an energetic, talented, fun-to-be-around guy that Tom was. He will always be missed by those who knew and loved him, and this foundation is a great way to keep his memory alive. After perusing that website, we can assure readers they will feel as if they knew Tom in person, even though they never had the chance to meet him in person. We also encourage readers to donate whatever they can to the foundation’s worthy goals. Tom would be very proud of those goals. He would be smiling in approval and maybe even cracking a gentle joke or two.
Sauk Rapids • Sartell • St. Joseph
Newsleaders Reaching EVERYbody!
The ideas expressed in the letters to the editor and of the guest columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Newsleaders.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Opinion Hillary, end silence, fight back There should be an all-pointsbulletin for the whereabouts of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who seems to have disappeared. Word has it she is on a “listening tour” of Iowa and New Hampshire, both key states for consolidating a solid base for a presidential run. Listening to “ordinary” folks is a very good thing to do; so few politicians really listen or understand the many challenges faced daily by folks. Thus, three cheers for Clinton. However, she has been completely ignoring questions from reporters who follow her from town to town. What’s baffling is Clinton has been one of the savviest politicians ever to hit the hustings. Doesn’t she know by now – or has she suddenly forgotten – that in politics perceptions (sometimes called optics) count? The Republicans, licking their chops like eager generals, have been busy polishing off their biggest artillery, preparing to intensify the war against Hillary. But who can blame them? Politics is a dirty business, and let’s face it, Clinton has given the “enemy” plenty of ammunition in recent weeks. First it was her use of two cell phones during her tenure as U.S. Secretary of State, and her explanation for that was a bit fumbling and lame, to be sure. Then it was the revelations about the Clinton Foundation and whether or not she indulged in delivering special favors in exchange for contributions to that foundation. A book about those issues, written by a Repub-
Dennis Dalman Editor lican operative, raised many questions even though it didn’t prove any connection between favors and money – quid pro quo. Clinton’s refusal to meet with the press or to answer questions has raised the eyebrows of many, including some of her diehard Democratic supporters. It’s easy to understand why she spurns the noisy furor of her long-time arch-enemies, who have hounded her, nipping at her heels ever since her husband was elected governor of Arkansas, way back when. At one time, she and President Clinton were even accused of setting up the murder of their long-time friend and advisor, Vince Foster, who committed suicide. The attacks against the Clintons were vicious and unrelenting, and we tend to forget how vicious because those kinds of attacks have been aimed at President Obama for so long. Yes, it’s understandable Hillary would avoid questions and accusations. But understandable or not, she had better start taking on her accusers very soon and answering questions with frank transparency, otherwise more and more potential voters will view her as having something to hide. Anybody who runs for president quickly learns “anything goes” in a
campaign, meaning the process is a brutal, personal ordeal, like being a bug under a magnifying glass. If anyone on today’s political scene knows that through and through, it’s Hillary Rodham Clinton. She has a lifelong experience of being a fiercely intelligent battler, a hard worker, a survivor of so many ups and downs, of overcoming disappointments and personal humiliations, punctuated by many successes. How can such a candidate imagine that ignoring questions by the press and by others is the way to go? If Hillary thinks these hard-pressing queries will fade with time if she just ignores them, she is mistaken. Quite the contrary. Her opponents and the press will only become more persistent the longer she stubbornly maintains her zipped-lip silence. Chances are, she is honing her upcoming campaign messages through her frequent meetings with folks on her listening tour. That’s fine. But now it’s time – weeks overdue, in fact – to listen to the many questions being raised and to answer them forthrightly. To do otherwise is to give credence to the perception she is aloof, elitist and that she is taking too much for granted, that she feels as if she is naturally entitled to her official nomination – or, as some cynics say, her “coronation” as candidate and possibly as president. Hillary had better put on her boxing gloves, come out of her corner and start fighting back – and soon – or she is likely to lose the battle in the long run.
If only they knew the true meaning of Memorial Day Honoring fallen soldiers by decorating their graves actually began during the Civil War. When I was a kid it was called Decoration Day. It was observed on May 30 of each year. I remember my grandmother telling me about the day. It’s a day to place flowers on the graves of fallen heroes, she said. Almost everyone of her generation knew of or was related to someone who had fallen in battle. It was a very solemn and serious day. We would all dress up in our Sunday best and travel to the cemetery to place flowers on graves. Today it is called Memorial Day. Instead of observing the day on May 30, we now pick the last Monday of the month of May. This has happened because of the National Holiday Act of 1971. This act changed several holidays from their original dates to the closest Monday thereby creating a three-day weekend. I am OK with the name change. I’m even OK with the date change. Before I retired, I looked forward, as do most, to a three-day weekend. My problem is what this very solemn and special day of remembrance has become. Now it’s the beginning of the “cookout” season. It begins the summer. It’s the start of vacations. To many it’s the end of the school year. It is and has become something different from what was intended. Retailers advertise special
Ron Scarbro Guest Writer sales all trying to take advantage of people being off work for a day. Sadly, I suspect the cemeteries see only the older generation bearing flowers decorating graves. In some small towns though, there are still parades. In some areas there are still poppy sales. The wearing of poppies was inspired by a poem written by Moina Michael in 1915 called “In Flanders Fields.” The poem follows: “We cherish too, the poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies.” She went on to wear and inspire others to wear poppies on Decoration Day to honor fallen heroes. All this seems alien to today’s generation. Today we are seeing some young people desecrating our flag. They denigrate our veterans. They seemingly have no knowledge of or interest in our history. They appear to believe they deserve their lives of freedom with no effort or sacrifice
on their part. If they only knew. Those who refuse to learn from our history are bound to repeat it. Why do our young people refuse to learn how we came about and what it took to create this great human experiment known as America? Have schools stopped teaching American History? One of my favorite Thomas Jefferson quotes is, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.” I would add the patriots who shed that blood must never be forgotten or disregarded. That is what Memorial Day is all about. At my house we will have a cookout. I will have family over for the meal. As is our custom, we will have a prayer of grace before we eat. That prayer will be for our country. That prayer will be for our troops still in harm’s way. And that prayer will be for all the misguided people living in this great country who take their lives here for granted. We will ask and hope they come to understand how blessed they are to be Americans. We can only hope and pray. Scarbro is retired and spends most of his free time with his grandchildren having moved from Sartell to St. Simons Island, Ga.. Writing and commenting on the news of the day is a pastime. Visit his weekly blog at ronscarbro. blogspot.com for more commentary.
Sauk Rapids Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, May 22, 2015
photo by Logan Gruber
Caroline Stutsman, audit manager with Kern, DeWenter and Viere, presents the audit report to the city council on May 11.
Financial from front page initiate, record, process and report financial data information.
There should also be limited access by staff to the general financial ledger. The audit found no lawbreaking, but it cautioned that lack of segregated functions can lead to problems. Without segregated func-
tions, there is an overlap of duties such as electronic funds transfers, payroll and receipting. Such overlaps could lead to inconsistencies, errors, misstatements and/or risks, according to the audit. It was noted, however, that many cities of this size have some degree of lack of segregation of accounting functions. In the case of Sauk Rapids, she said, the situation is mild. In the audit, it was acknowledged it would likely be prohibitively costly to hire more staff to ensure complete segregation but that city staff should be aware of the situation and try to improve it. Other than this criticism, however, the report praises the city’s financial health. Stutsman told the council they did a very good job budgeting, staying pretty much in line with their estimates at the
Community Calendar
Is your event listed? Send your information to: Newsleader Calendar, P.O. Box 324, St. Joseph, MN 56374; fax it to 320-363-4195; or, e-mail it to news@thenewsleaders. com.
Friday, May 22 Brat sale, sponsored by St. Joseph Y2K Lions with proceeds benefitting Eagle’s Healing Nest and Project New Hope, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., St. Joseph Meat Market, 26 1st Ave. NW, St. Joseph. St. Joseph Farmers’ Market, 3-6:30 p.m., near the Wobegon Trail Center, C.R. 2. Rock City Jazz Band, swing dancing, 8:30 p.m., VFW Post 6992, 901 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids. Saturday, May 23 Central Minnesota Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 1480 10th Ave. NE, Sauk Rapids. 320-251-2498. Brat sale, sponsored by St. Joseph Y2K Lions with proceeds benefitting Eagle’s Healing Nest and Project New Hope, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Joseph Meat Market, 26 1st Ave. NW, St. Joseph. St. John’s Bible pages on display, now through mid-December, noon-4 p.m. Saturdays, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Hill Museum and Monastic Library, St. John’s University, 2850 Abbey Plaza, Collegeville. 320-363-3351. 320-3633514.
Monday, May 25 Memorial Day Service, 9 a.m., Sauk Rapids cemetery, Sauk Rapids. Memorial Day Service, 9 a.m., Veterans Park, Riverside Drive, Sartell. Memorial Day Service, 9:45 a.m., St. Joseph Cemetery, St. Joseph. Memorial Day Service, 10:30 a.m., VA Hospital, building 111, 4801 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud. 320-251-2498. Memorial Day Services, 11:15 a.m., St. John’s Cemetery, 3263 St. John’s Road, Collegeville. Memorial Day Service, 11:55 a.m., Yankee Cemetery, south of St. Joseph. Market Monday, 3-6:30 p.m., Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N. marketmonday.org.
Tuesday, May 26 Benton County Historical Society, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., closed Memorial Day, 218 1st St. N., Sauk Rapids. 320-253-9614. mnbentonhistory.org. Sauk Rapids City Council, 6 p.m., Sauk Rapids Government Center council chambers, 250 Summit Ave. N. ci.sauk-rapids.mn.us. Sauk Rapids Lions Club, 6:30 p.m., VFW, 901 N. Benton Dr., Sauk Rapids. e-clubhouse.org/sites/ saukrapidslionsmn. Thursday, May 28 Coffee and Conversation, a se-
nior discussion group, 9 a.m., Country Manor, 520 1st St. NE, Sartell. Friday, May 29 Brat sale, sponsored by St. Joseph Y2K Lions with proceeds benefitting Camp Friendship, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., St. Joseph Meat Market, 26 1st Ave. NW, St. Joseph. St. Joseph Farmers’ Market, 3-6:30 p.m., near the Wobegon Trail Center, C.R. 2. Saturday, May 30 Mattress Sale fundraiser, sponsored by the Sauk Rapids-Rice Music Department, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., VFW, 901 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids.
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beginning of the year. Stutsman pointed out several highlights of the city’s financial picture for 2014. • City expenses were nicely in line with its income and budget. • There is a very healthy fund balance. • General fund expenditures increased 4.4 percent from 2013 to 2014, mostly due to fewer months of vacant positions, as well as seal-coating and sand/ salt for roads. • The biggest piece of the general budget pie (46.1 percent) was for public safety. Public works accounted for 28.4 percent, general government 16.4 percent, culture and recreation 7.1 percent, and economic development 2.0 percent. • Total revenues for 2014 increased slightly, by 0.4 percent, from the year before. The city remains heavily dependent
7 on tax and intergovernmental revenues. • Intergovernmental revenues increased 5.8 percent from 2013, while tax revenues decreased 4.7 percent. This is mostly due to a decrease in the property tax levy and an increase in local government aid received. The city council typically meets at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month in the council chambers at the Government Center, 250 Summit Ave. N. The meetings are also broadcast live on the city’s cable access channel, Charter channel 181. Agendas and meeting minutes may be viewed at the Government Center, or online at ci.sauk-rapids. mn.us. Due to Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, the regular council meeting has been moved to Tuesday, May 26.
Sauk Rapids Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
8
Bearson from front page including videos of his superb playing for the Sartell Sabres. In his high-school years, he chalked up 1,000 career points in the sport. The portrait that emerges from the website is of an energetic young man brimming with humor and fun who made people around him feel good about living. The happily contagious sense of fun (and more than a few hijinks) is evident in every photo, every video, every written tribute to him. The following tribute was written by Bearson’s family: “He had a passion for sports and a fantastic sense of humor and fun. He will always be on our minds and never forgotten. We know he is in a better place. We know he is happy, safe, healthy, pain-free, full of energy, free of responsibilities, and he is with God in a place where he has all the time in the world to do the things he loves . . . We’re lucky and blessed to have chosen Sartell to call home for the past 20 years, and we shall always be humbled and grateful for the support we have received from so many people. This support has warmed our hearts and provided some much-needed strength. It’s our turn to give
back of the love and compassion we received generously from so many people.” The Tom Bearson Foundation will host a fundraising golf event with dinner, music and social hour Aug. 22 at Blackberry Ridge Golf Course. For more information or to register, go to the website. Registrations must be made by July 24. The following are more detailed descriptions of each of the four goals of the Tom Bearson Foundation:
Community vision
As a community, many people believe Sartell is in need of more gym space for a wide range of sports activities for boys and girls and people of all ages. Sartell is currently in the process of determining the best way to utilize limited resources and space to address these needs and a community center is in the planning stages. We support this endeavor and are committed to help provide funding to accomplish this goal with the intent to purchase the naming rights to the community-center gymnasium.
Youth basketball
We will work on finding new and creative ideas or expand current successful programs to increase interest and participation for our youngsters while focusing on skill
development. It’s our intention to help provide funding for a number of different boys’ and girls’ programs.
Scholarships
The purpose of these scholarships is to recognize scholastic and athletic achievement for Sartell High School varsity girls and boys basketball players. We want to encourage student athletes to continue their studies while also providing financial assistance. We will provide four scholarships – two senior high-school male players and two senior highschool female players.
Safety awareness
College-student safety remains a large issue on many college campuses. We will work aggressively to financially support partners and organizations that work to promote safe behavior, safety awareness and safety-focused tools.
Background
After graduating from high school, Tom Bearson decided to enter the nursing studies program at North Dakota State University in Fargo. Late one night at about 4 a.m. in September 2014, Bearson, who had been visiting friends at an off-campus house, walked down the street and was reported missing the next day.
photo from Tom Bearson Foundation website
As this photo shows, Tom Bearson’s frequent “companion” was a basketball because he loved the sport so much. A massive search began to locate him, with no luck. Three days later, his body was found lying in a patch of grass near an RV-business lot in neighboring Moorhead. The cause of death was not released, but officials said it was definitely the result of “homicidal violence.” One of Bearson’s shoes (a Nike tennis shoe size 9-1/2) was missing, along with a silver-colored cell phone. Investigators in the case are still
hoping those items will turn up to lead to other clues that could break the case. After it was learned Bearson’s body had been found, a memorial service for him was held at St. Francis Xavier Church in Sartell, attended by family, relatives, friends, fellow students and even strangers. It was clear from the testimonials at the service that Tom had had a huge, positive, lasting impact on all the people who knew him.
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