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Newsleader Sauk Rapids-Rice
Friday, Nov. 25, 2016 Volume 2, Issue 46 Est. 2015
Teacher invited to ceremony for Star Trek creator by Frank Lee operations@thenewsleaders.com
Town Crier Fire department to host Toys for Tots drive
The Sauk Rapids Fire Department will hold its annual Toys for Tots drive from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Toys can be dropped off at the Sauk Rapids Fire Hall, 408 N. Benton Drive.
Catholic Charities in need of holiday donations
Catholic Charities Emergency Services is in need of donations for the holiday season. Their needs include the following: new toys, gift cards for teens, personal-care items, food-shelf donations, coats/boots for children, XL coats for men and women and new socks/underwear (all sizes). Volunteers are needed throughout the year helping with the clothing and food program. For more information, visit thenewsleaders. com and click on Nov. 25 Criers.
Bank requests submissions for video contest
Pine Country Bank is requesting submissions for its Lights, Camera, Save! video contest. The contest is a national, bank-driven competition that encourages teens to use video to communicate the value of saving and inspire others to become lifelong savers. To participate, students (ages 13-18) must create a 90-second video on saving and using money wisely and submit a link to the video along with a completed entry form to the bank by Dec. 1. Videos will be judged on their quality, message, content and the criteria set forth by the contest’s official rules. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Nov. 25 Criers.
Metro Bus revises holiday hours
Metro Bus Fixed Route and Dial-a-Ride will be closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. It will close early on Christmas Eve. Getting around in the winter requires extra planning for everyone. Riders should anticipate slight delays during poor weather conditions and times of high-traffic congestion, such as shopping at Crossroads Center between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and consider taking an earlier bus to keep themselves on time. Those who drive are reminded to yield to buses merging in traffic. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Nov. 25 Criers. For additional criers, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
Postal Patron
contributed photo
Bill Kraft of Sauk Rapids (right) looks with awe at a moon rock at the New Mexico Museum of Space History where the retired English teacher was a panelist at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony Nov. 12 for Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Kraft’s wife, Karla (center), stands next to Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt at the Alamogordo, N.M.-based museum.
Bill Kraft’s love of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s hopeful vision of the future stood in stark contrast to the recent and divisive election for the president of the United States. The Sauk Rapids resident was invited to the New Mexico Museum of Space History as a panelist at the Nov. 12 induction ceremony for Roddenberry into the International Space Hall of Fame. “There were so many highlights, it’s hard to narrow it down,” said Kraft, a retired English teacher who spearheaded a successful 13-year campaign to have Star Trek commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp and later published a book about the enormous effort it took. The day before the induction
ceremony, Kraft dined at an “exclusive Mexican restaurant” with David Stipes, an Emmy award-winning special effects artist who worked on Star Trek spin-offs, and Chris Orwoll, the executive director of the museum, who moderated the induction ceremony. Special guests for the induction ceremony also included David Gerrold, who wrote the script for the Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” and who is also a renowned science-fiction author. “We were approached for autographs, and people were asking me to sign,” Kraft said. “And there were a number of pictures taken.” The induction ceremony was held in conjunction with the celebration of the museum’s 40th anniversary, which featured Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison “Jack” Schmitt as a guest Creator • page 2
Sauk Rapids Council increases firefighter pensions by Dave DeMars news@thenewsleaders.com
The Sauk Rapids City Council followed the advice of the finance department and approved firefighter pension increases at its Nov. 14 meeting. The action was carefully laid out in a memo from Sauk Rapids Finance Director Jack Kahlhamer. In his memo, Kahlhamer noted the Relief Association Board had requested
$4,700 per firefighter for each year of service, an increase of $400 per firefighter per year. Kahlhamer’s concern was with over-promising pension payments and then defaulting on them, or putting the city in difficult financial straits. He cited Brainerd as a city that had run into difficulty in its pension payments as a result of losing large township contracts that helped to pay maintenance and pension costs for the fire-
fighters. Another area had to do with losses in pension value due to stock-market fluctuations. He pointed out in 2008, the pension fund lost $232,555 in market value, and the city contributed an extra $50,000 to the pension fund in 2012 to offset losses sustained in 2011. The year-end 2015 value of the pension assets showed a net market value loss of $63,718, but Kahlhamer said the need
for the city having to contribute additional funds can be reduced by not over-estimating proceeds from the market and maintaining a good funding ratio. Kahlhamer reminded the council the pension benefit had been increased from $3,750 to $4,300 per firefighter in December of 2014. With that in mind and taking into account the volatility of the market with Pensions • page 3
Kahl’s ingenuity earns him award by Dave DeMars news@thenewsleaders.com
Henry David Thoreau once said, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” Brian Kahl, by his own admission, is a rule breaker. “When I got a new set of Legos, I’d throw the instruction book away because I didn’t like to follow those directions and just build trucks,” Kahl said. “I like to go and combine the different kits together and just build crazy things like bulldozers and stuff.”
Yes, he has gotten the bulldozers to actually work and push dirt around. He outfitted the dozers with motors that came with some of the kits. He built tractors that moved like tractors and were complete to the power take-off shaft in the back of the tractor so he could run equipment behind the tractor. Everything worked – at least on the small scale. And that was accomplished before he finished eighth grade. And it seems he has continued on this exciting path to this very day. It should come as no surprise Kahl is on and around farm equipment a lot. After his grandfather retired from farmIngenuity • back page
contributed photo
A smiling Brian Kahl is pictured with the awards he has won for his design of the prototype J-hook glass support device. Pictured at Kahl’s right is the 3-D printer used to design the prototype. Kahl is a member of the Storm Robotics team and is working on designing the project that will be entered in this year’s competition.
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Found cat A cat was found near 10th Avenue N.E. by Sa-cred Heart Church on Friday, Nov. 18 during the snowstorm. If your cat is missing, please call 320-2244632 for more information.
People The Storm’n Sabres Junior Varsity girls’ hockey team moved to 2-0 record on the year with a win at Rogers. Libby Asper scored twice and Madison Jennings once to lead Sartell/Sauk Rapids to a 3-1 win. Chloe Stockinger made 31 saves in goal for the victory.
Tri-Cap seeks tax assistants
Tax preparers, return reviewers and tax-site assistants (no tax prep involved with this position) are being sought to help Tri-CAP’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, which offers free tax preparation and efiling services to low- to moderate-income people (individuals < $35,000, Families < $55,000 per year) who need assistance in completing their tax returns. Volunteers receive free IRS-certified training to prepare basic tax returns in our local communities, which is also a great asset on a resume. For CPA’s, the volunteer time also provides continuing professional education credits from the IRS. The Tri-CAP VITA sites are located in St. Cloud, Elk River and Cold Spring. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Nov. 25 Criers.
Friday, Nov. 25, 2016
Creator from front page speaker. “I’m telling you we got the celebrity treatment,” Kraft said. “I have never been showered with so much generosity and graciousness and affection. They shuttled us around, they paid for our lodging and our meals. We were treated like royalty, and that’s not an exaggeration.” Schmitt was the last man – and only scientist – to walk on the moon and is a 1977 inductee into the International Space Hall of Fame. He attended the museum’s dedication ceremony in 1976 and has remained a strong supporter of the facility, according to museum officials. “I had the privilege and honor to socialize with Dr. Harrison Schmitt, and he and his lovely wife were just gracious and congenial, and it was just terrific fun,” Kraft said. The 76-year-old had sent the museum a copy of his book Maybe We Need a Letter from God: The Star Trek Stamp, which included more than 80 letters of support for the commemorative stamp from some prominent names in science fiction, science, education and government. “The people at the New Mexico Museum of Space History asked me to donate my Trek stamp-endorsement letters to their archives – a perfect venue or permanent home for them after I am gone,” said Kraft, who agreed to donate them. The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian affiliate, is a division of
contributed photo
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry (center) on the set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture with Leonard Nimoy (far left), director Robert Wise (sitting), DeForest Kelley (right of camera) and William Shatner. the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. “I always wanted to find a permanent home for them,” Kraft said about his commemorative-stamp endorsement letters. “It is a fitting legacy to leave. I feel very good about it.” Roddenberry joined the ranks of such notables as Neil Armstrong, Walter Cronkite and Arthur C. Clarke when he was inducted Nov. 12 into the International Space Hall of Fame. “Mr. Roddenberry was chosen because of his vision of what space exploration could be, his commitment to promoting the future of space exploration and his work that inspired people worldwide to believe in the reality of the ‘final frontier,’” Orwoll said. The executive director of the museum also said, “Roddenberry’s leadership brought to the forefront social, political and cultural issues that impacted
the world then and continue to do so now.” Roddenberry passed away in 1991 and years later actually traveled to space himself as he became one of the first humans to have his ashes carried into earth’s orbit. “The idea that differences among people and different kinds of intelligence can be a source of strength and beauty, and not discord and hostility – that’s a quintessential Star Trek tenant,” Kraft said. Roddenberry was born in El Paso, Texas, but grew up in Los Angeles. His father was a police officer. After serving as a pilot in the Army Air Force during World War II and a commercial pilot, Roddenberry followed in his father’s footsteps. It was during this time he began writing television scripts for a variety of series. The first series he created and produced was The Lieutenant in 1963, which was
about the lives of enlisted Marines and officers during peace time. Of note, the lead character’s middle name “Tiberius” was the same middle name Roddenberry later chose for Star Trek’s lead character Capt. James T. Kirk, according to museum officials. Westerns were popular in 1960s-era television and when Roddenberry created Star Trek in 1964, he pitched it to producers as Wagon Train to the Stars. Desilu eventually bought into the concept, and the series debuted in 1964 but only ran for three seasons. According to the New Mexico Museum of Space History, it was the reruns that kept Star Trek alive and increasingly more popular. Spin-offs and movies eventually came and fans became a worldwide legion of Trekkies. Roddenberry continued his involvement as a consultant and shared his vision of the future with millions.
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Friday, Nov. 25, 2016
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Wetterling’s killer sentenced for child pornography by Frank Lee operations@thenewsleaders.com
Jacob Wetterling’s murderer was recently sentenced in a federal court to 20 years in prison but not for killing the St. Joseph boy who was abducted and fatally shot almost three decades ago. Danny Heinrich, 53, of Annandale was sentenced on the morning of Nov. 21 in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis by Judge John Tunheim on one count of receiving child pornography. “Every child knows the story of Jacob Wetterling,” Tunheim said. “You stole the innocence of small children. (That is) one of the most truly horrible crimes I have ever seen.” A community memorial service was held Sept. 25 for Wetterling at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, and countless numbers of people attended the public service and
Pensions from front page its large swings, the finance committee recommended and Kahlhamer concurred with a $200 increase. That would give each firefighter $4,500 for each year of service. Kahlhamer also pointed out even if things should turn sour in the market after 2017, the proposed increase could be sustained while enduring a 5 percent drop in market value and still be nearly 100 percent funded. During the mayor’s communications portion of the meeting, the council heard from the 2016/2017 Sauk Rapids Community Ambassadors Allyson Walz and Sydney Burk. Clo Meyer, a third ambassador, was unable to attend. The Community Ambassador program is an education program designed to use the talents of young high-schoolaged women as ambassadors for the city. It focuses on building confident women through city involvement and is based on service and participation. The ambassadors represent the city in a variety of parades in other surrounding towns throughout the year, attend community functions such as ground-breaking and
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joined the Wetterling family for “an ecumenical prayer service of remembrance, hope and healing.” On Sept. 6, Heinrich confessed to kidnapping, sexually assaulting and killing the 11-year-old boy while sparing the boy’s brother and their friend while they were bicycling on Oct. 22, 1989 at a time when Heinrich lived in Paynesville, where he led authorities to the boy’s remains this year. Parents Patty and Jerry Wetterling were at the U.S. District Courthouse in Minneapolis during Heinrich’s chilling confession in September, and the St. Joseph couple were again in court for Heinrich’s sentencing on Nov. 21 for possessing child pornography. “You did not need to kill him,” Patty Wetterling reportedly said at Heinrich’s sentencing. “He did nothing wrong. He just wanted to go home. You planned to hurt him. You ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and they help to represent the city in the best light possible. “The ambassadors not only represent the community well,” Sauk Rapids City Administrator Ross Olson said, “but they go one step further and make a real effort to learn about the community.
Other business
• Approval of the 2017 water-supply plan update completed by city engineering firm SEH. • Approval of 2016 plumbing-and-mechanical contractors license. • Acceptance of a $1,000 donation to the police and fire departments from Kwik Trip Inc. • Approval of the police chief’s discretion to renew the agreement between the State of Minnesota and the Sauk Rapids Police Department for use of Department of Defense equipment. • Approval of the audit proposal for the 2016 audit. • Approval of using the liquor-store profits to help fund the purchase of an air rescue boat. • Approval of a resolution for municipal state-aid street-advance payment. • Approval of the purchase of a 4-in-1 car camera system for police vehicles.
brought bullets. Why would you use bullets if you didn’t plan to use them?’ About the time of the Wetterling’s disappearance, a man in the Paynesville area had molested many boys during several years, but Heinrich finally confessed to sexually assaulting and killing Wetterling when he pleaded guilty to unrelated child pornography charges on Sept. 6. Investigators into Jacob Wetterling’s abduction by a masked gunman found 19 three-ring binders containing 100 images of child pornography last year while searching Heinrich’s home, which was about a halfhour south of St. Joseph, but Wetterling’s image was not among the items. Heinrich served as a specialist in the Minnesota National Guard out of Willmar from 1982-1991, and was discharged under honorable conditions. Heinrich was arrested,
however, last year and was eventually charged with 25 federal counts of possessing and receiving child pornography. Patty and Jerry Wetterling, and their three surviving children were in the federal courtroom in Minneapolis on Nov. 21, and each gave a victim-impact statement that was read at Heinrich’s sentencing, during which the parents and their adult children spoke in court. Attorney Doug Kelley said on behalf of the Wetterlings: “Today is almost like starting all over again for the family … and they would like to just have some time now to heal, and as Patty said they are going to have the most joyous Thanksgiving they’ve had in a long time.” Gov. Mark Dayton, who attended the Jacob Wetterling Memorial Service on Sept. 25, stated in an official state proclamation that Oct. 22, 2016 was to be “Jacob Wetterling Day”
– 27 years to the date after Wetterling was abducted in 1989. Dayton mentioned in his proclamation how the boy’s abduction profoundly affected the lives of Minnesotans and that Wetterling’s parents dedicated their lives to children’s safety by helping to create the Jacob Wetterling Act of 1994, the start of a state registry to help keep children safe. “I am truly sorry for my evil acts — for the victims and their families — and the shame I brought on myself and my family,” Heinrich told the Wetterling family in a short statement at his sentencing. Heinrich had been charged with 25 counts of child pornography. In return for leading authorities to Jacob Wetterling’s remains on a Paynesville farm earlier this year and admitting to his involvement in the boy’s kidnapping and death, he was not charged with Wetterling’s murder.
Ask-a-Trooper Is a pedestrian standing curbside considered a ‘crossing pedestrian’ if they are giving all indications they are planning to cross? Q: We have a debate about the pedestrian law in our house. Is a pedestrian standing curbside considered a “crossing pedestrian” if they are giving all indications they are planning to cross? Are motorists required to stop for such a curbside pedestrian if they can do so safely? A: This is a good question as the days get shorter and the nights longer this time of year. Motorists and pedestrians should watch out for one another. The fall months are the deadliest months for pedestrians. So far this year, preliminary figures show 39 pedestrians were killed. In 2015, 41 pedestrians were killed and 904 were injured, compared to 17 deaths and 837 injuries in 2014.
A pedestrian standing curbside and who is not in the crosswalk or intersection is not considered a “crossing pedestrian.” Pedestrians must not enter a crosswalk if a vehicle is approaching and it’s impossible for the driver to stop. There is no defined distance that a pedestrian must abide by before entering the crosswalk; use common sense. • Drivers must stop for crossing pedestrians at marked crosswalks and at all intersections without crosswalks or stoplights. • Pedestrians must obey traffic signs and signals at all intersections that have them. • Vehicles stopped for pedestrians can proceed once the pedestrian has completely crossed the lane in front of the stopped
vehicle. • When a vehicle is stopped at an intersection to allow pedestrians to cross the roadway, drivers of other vehicles approaching from the rear must not pass the stopped vehicle. • Read full statute: https:// w w w. rev i s o r. m n . g ov / s t a t utes/?id=169.21 A portion of state statutes was used with permission from the Office of the Revisor of Statutes. If you have any questions concerning traffic-related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Trp. Jesse Grabow – Minnesota State Patrol at 1000 Hwy. 10 W., Detroit Lakes, Minn. 56501-2205. (You can follow him on Twitter @ MSPPIO_NW or reach him at jesse.grabow@state.mn.us).
Whitney Senior Center is partnering with Have you applied for Energy Assistance? What is Energy Assistance?
• Assists income eligible households with paying a portion of their home heating costs • Assistance with emergency furnace repairs & disconnections Make an appointment to attend our Energy Assistance Application Lab on Thursday, Dec.1 your application and answers to your questions. at Whitney Senior Center. You’ll get help completing When: Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: Whitney Senior Center 1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud To make an Appointment: Call 320-255-7245 or stop at the front desk
Income Eligibility Household Size
Gross 90 Day Income
1
$6,135
2 3
$8,023 $9,910
4
$11,798
4
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Friday, Nov. 25, 2016
Scary clown stories bad for entertainment business by Cori Hilsgen news@thenewsleaders.com
contributed photos
Above: Shari (left) and Wesley Newman are clown entertainers for Just 4 Laffs Entertainment. Wesley Newman, who owns the business, said his business decreased by one-third because of negative, scary clown publicity occurring throughout the country. Below: Shari Newman, known as Mz. Tootsie, enjoys dressing up and bringing smiles to people’s faces as she entertains for Just 4 Laffs Entertainment.
As a clown in the entertainment business, Wesley Newman’s profits have declined by about a third because of all the scary clown stories circulating lately. Newman, who lives in Watkins, is the owner of “Just 4 Laughs Entertainment,” located on Clearwater Road in St. Cloud. He said he started noticing something was changing when he had not been getting as many calls inquiring about his business’s clown services. Clients of Newman’s customers also started requesting they perform in “normal dress” and asking if they offered other “characters” that could entertain, instead of clowns. A fear of clowns spread across the nation after unsubstantiated reports of various clown sightings began. Many of the reports were not true, but some incidents of people dressed as clowns and intimidating people resulted in arrests. Wesley is a member of Clowns of American International and previously was a member of The World Clown Association and the International Shrine Clown Association. He first heard about the negative clown stories through his professional contacts. “I knew when the clown story broke in Wisconsin about the scary clown, and everything just escalated from there,” he said. The Wisconsin clown story
started in August when residents began calling police, inquiring about a clown walking through Green Bay with four black balloons. The clown began to be known as “Gags – The Green Bay Clown.” The creator of the clown had used it as a marketing plan to campaign for his new horror film called Gags. “Mostly, after a longer conversation and some education, I’ve been able to assure the client we are good clowns and contrary to popular belief, more adults are scared of clowns than children are,” Wesley said. “The scary clown thing is actually a rubber mask – not a professional entertainer.” Wesley began entertaining as a clown in 1993 when a family friend convinced him to accompany him to an organizational meeting of a new club starting up in Monticello. Wesley said after he realized the enjoyment he could bring to children at the local hospital, he was hooked and just had to perform again. Wesley and five other contractors perform shows. Wesley said he started his Just 4 Laffs Entertainment business so he could have a more professional business. Performers for the business are based in St. Cloud, but travel all over Central Minnesota. He currently entertains under his clown personality as “Baloo Baphoon.” His performances include twisting balloons into various shapes and performing magic tricks. Newman has performed at many events, including twist-
St. Joseph Post Office is seeking backup rural carriers.
ing-balloon demonstrations at wedding receptions and at a funeral. Shari Newman, a St. Joseph resident, is one of the independent entertainers who works for Just 4 Laffs. She and Wesley were once married, but no longer are. Wesley said they are still good friends. Shari’s clown name is “Mz. Tootsie” and she has been clowning for more than eight years. Shari became interested in entertaining after watching Newman perform and seeing the children’s smiles because of him being there. “So when he had his next show, I asked if I could go as a clown,” she said. “He did my makeup and I went.” After watching the children smile, Shari said she was hooked. “It made me feel good clowning and making both children and (adults) happy,” she said. As Mz. Tootsie, she performs in a light-hearted and caring way. She also creates balloon animals and has helped with magic shows. Some of Shari’s performances have included New Year’s events at St. Cloud State University, the St. Joseph Fourth of July celebration, church festivals, county fairs, corporate events, birthday parties, at day cares and more. She said the scary clown stories have required her to answer more questions about what a scary clown is. Shari has also had to explain about “coulrophobia” – the irrational fear of clowns. “It has also made me notice more how people are looking at me as I am driving to a show in full clown (dress),” she said. Clown • page 7
Apply at usps.com until Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016.
CRAFT-VENDOR SALES Saturday, Dec. 3 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sal’s Bar & Grill
For information, call 320-363-8360 and ask for Carol.
St. Joseph
109 W. Minnesota St.
Door Prize Drawing! Utopia Tours and Cloud Travel Main Office 3015 Hwy. 29 S., Ste. 4038, Alexandria, MN 56308
320-253-0400 • 1-800-872-8445 • www.utopiatours.com DAY TRIPS
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**Plan your vacation for winter of 2017!**
Florida Sunshine Tour, 17 days.................................Jan. 25-Feb. 10 USBank Stadium Tour & Mpls Tour (more dates to be added) $58 pp.................Monday, Dec. 5 (FULL) Texas-Rio Grande & New Orleans, 18 days............Feb. 12-March 1 Bachman’s Christmas & Macy’s 8 Floor...$44 pp.....Tuesday, Dec. 6 Florida Get-away, 11 days.............................................March 10-20 Mall of America at Christmas...$36 pp....................Thursday, Dec. 8 St. Paul Science Museum & Omni...$55 pp...........Thursday, Dec. 8 Florida RT Fly Ft. Myers, 6 days....................................March 13-18 Spring Southern Fun & Sun, 13 days............................March 16-28 TRAVEL
California-America’s Western Wonders, 13 days..........March 18-30 Splendor of Norway...........................................................Aug.1-11 CIE Scotland & Ireland (local escort Ken Koob)............Aug. 14-24 Spring Washington DC & NYCity, 12 days....................March 20-31 ALASKA Cruise Tour w/Princess, 5 day land/7 day cruise....June 26-July 8 Spring Nashville (3 nights at Opryland Hotel), 7 days...March 31-April 6 ALASKA Cruise Tour w/Holland America, 3 day cruise/9 day land....July 29-Aug. 10 America’s Washington, DC Tour,10 days.........................April 17-26
Friday, Nov. 25, 2016
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Sauk Rapids-Rice girls swim, dive team competes at state
contributed photos
Clockwise from top left: Anna Lucas leads out the 200 medley relay team with Ella Benoit, Mikayla Zaske and Sabel Omvongkot; Ella Benoit competes in the 100-yard breaststroke finishing in 15th place with a time of 1:09.6; Mya Reinert competes in the 500 freestyle after competing in the 200 freestyle earlier; Omvongkot hits the water as the anchor leg of the 200 medley relay.
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Our View
Friday, Nov. 25, 2016
Opinion
Are tweets the new gospel truths? Triple Aim could be a win-win-win for all
Hats off to CentraCare Health’s initiative dubbed Triple Aim, an effort to help people in central Minnesota become healthier by choosing wiser day-today lifestyles. The cost of health care, no matter which system of insurance evolves, is going to become astronomically expensive, even more than it is now. As the huge number of baby boomers age, those costs will rapidly accelerate. It’s a frightening prospect. The good news is if we start improving our health now, the medical care needed will be less, saving costs, saving lives. The Triple Aim has three components: improving the health of people in the area, improving experiences of patients and lowering the costs of health care. In a recent “Report to the Community,” CentraCare President and CEO Dr. Ken Holmen outlined Triple Aim. CentraCare will join with other area health-care organizations to promote well-being for one and all. One such program, a CentraCare program, is “Better Living, Exercise and Nutrition Daily,” dubbed BLEND. The original goal of BLEND was to reduce child-obesity rates by 10 percent within 10 years. It achieved that goal, among other goals, in only eight years. BLEND encourages healthy nutrition, exercise, tobacco cessation and other good habits that bring about overall good outcomes. Triple Aim will involve all people in cities and rural areas of central Minnesota, including schools, churches, teachers, political leaders, businesses and organizations. All of those entities and people have enormous power to influence others for the better, and that includes health choices on a day-to-day basis. CentraCare, a non-profit, invests lots of money in programs to promote health. It also works hard to initiate cost-saving methods in health care, as well as programs to enhance the doctor-patient relationship, which is another way to enhance and reinforce healthy lifestyles. Bad nutrition, lack of exercise, too much indulgence in alcohol or tobacco are virtual recipes for health problems. Naturally, as people develop health problems because of those bad choices, that translates into earlier and more severe onsets of diseases and other health crises. Those, in turn, cause higher and higher costs for health care, and ultimately all of us share in paying those costs, many of which are passed on in one way or another. That is why Triple Aim is such good “medicine,” so to speak. Hopefully, the initiative will raise awareness (the all-important first step), and then people can begin a step at a time to act upon that awareness by eating less and more nutritiously, by starting an exercise regimen even if it’s only brisk walks in the neighborhood, by getting enough sleep and by getting regular medical check-ups to nip problems in the bud before they morph into major (and expensive-to-treat) problems. The beauty of it is this: improved lifestyles lead to healthier and happier people, and together (healthier, happier) we can achieve a better, more functional society while saving enormous expenditures on health care. Triple Aim could be a winwin-win for all of us. Three cheers for Triple Aim.
The ideas expressed in the letters to the editor and of the guest columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Newsleaders. Letters to the editor may be sent to news@thenewsleaders.com or P.O. Box 324, St. Joseph, MN 56374. Deadline is noon Monday. Please include your full name for publication (and address and phone number for verification only.) Letters must be 350 words or less. We reserve the right to edit for space.
Fake news stories multiplied like rabbits during the presidential campaign. We are inundated with big doses of false information and fake news on the Internet and Facebook. And I do not mean opinion pieces; I mean fabricated news stories – the kinds of “news” based not on facts but on the wild vagaries of the writers’ mischievous or malicious imaginations. Fake news is nothing new. Supermarket tabloids have long been the granddaddies of fake news. We can all recall seeing their loud lunatic headlines while waiting in check-out lines: Aliens Land on White House Lawn, Enjoy Pancake Breakfast with President! Just the other day, while writing a news story about Trump’s victory, I Googled this question: “How many electoral votes did Trump win?” The first “news” story that popped up was one claiming Trump had won the electoral votes and the popular votes. It didn’t seem on the level, so I checked news sources online and several newspapers. That “news” story, as I suspected, was fake, even though it “looked” real. Here are just some recent headlines of fake “news” stories: • President Obama signs executive order banning the sale of assault weapons. • Coca-Cola recalls Dasani waters after clear parasite worm was found in bottles across U.S. • Trump wins the presidency and Ford shifts truck production from Mexico to Ohio! Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg just announced he and others are developing ways to keep fake stories off of Facebook. Good luck. The sheer extent of junk and hoaxes on the Internet these days will make the task virtually impossible.
Dennis Dalman Editor Why do people put such hoaxes online? Some, I suppose, like to play tricks on the gullible. Many make money by pumping out fake stories with ads to cyber surfers. Others invent bogus news to smear their opponents, and still others create false stories just because they can. Years ago, we all had three or four TV stations, a hometown newspaper and maybe access to a metro paper. We tuned in every evening to watch our trusty news anchors, like Walter Cronkite, tell us what happened in the world that day. We were more or less on the same page. When cable TV, news and information options proliferated, with ‘round the clock access to a variety of “takes” on a news event and multiple reactions, it was, mostly, a good broadening of news sources and informational access. Along came the Internet, which was supposed to open up a Brand New World of information and news at our fingertips. And that it did, in aces and spades. But along with the good came the bad: a barrage of junk, dumb trivia, misinformation, hoaxes, fake news stories and just plain crap. Facebook arrived. It personalized everything, to the point that like-minded people share not just minutiae from their lives but also information and news copiedand-pasted from other sites. Some do not care if the “news” is true or not, as long as it agrees with their political-emotional
mindsets or as long as it’s “entertaining,” such as “Hillary is an android disguised as a human in pants suits” or “Trump has brain damage due to early fall from crib.” Facebook feeds information to its customers based on user patterns – what each person likes to see and read. That can create a cocoon-like insularity in some users, especially those who do not read books or newspapers, or who do not view other sources of information on a regular basis. And it’s no wonder, considering the attacks against “establishment” media by – for example – power brokers like Donald Trump who claimed like an angry child in a tantrum that the media were “rigging” the election against him, the election he later won, thanks to months of free media coverage. Go figure. Media-bashing has led to a deep distrust of news organizations, to the point where many will believe anything, just as long as it’s not in the “elite” media. So they seek out or stumble upon alternative information sources, and in some cases, the more outlandish the “news” claims, the more they believe them, to the point where, “If it’s on my iPad but not in the lamestream media, then it must be true.” It’s all too much like Narcissus in love with his own image reflected in a pond – a fatal insularity. You will often hear some people say, “I never believe anything I read in a newspaper,” but those same people will believe just about anything and everything they see or read online. Tweets are the new gospel truths. Don’t try to change the tweeters’ minds. What’s long overdue is a renewed dedication to social-media literacy, not to mention social-media courtesy. For starters, people might want to check out “How to Spot Fake News” on www.factcheck.org.
Reading to others – the antidote to loneliness They don’t ask for much – just a good story now and then. Sometimes, a lot of the time, they may not be able to ask, but you can see it in their eyes. Tired eyes that are saying “I can’t make out the words anymore.” Proud eyes that hate to say, “I’ve had a stroke. I can’t hold a book in my hands.” Quiet eyes that are asking, “Could you take a minute and read me a story?” Usually a love story that might take them back to a time when they were young and in love as only the young can love. Helen closes her eyes when I read, perhaps to keep me from reading something in them that is for her eyes only. But she cannot hide the smile that dances across her face. She can not hide the way her hands, folded over her chest, sway back and forth to a melody of memories only she can hear. Rebecca asks me to change the names in every story to Rebecca and Franklin. She does not close her eyes when I read. She stares, beyond the room, beyond the walls, beyond the building – beyond time itself, into a world where a man named Franklin and a woman named Rebecca lived and loved and promised a forever to each other. John likes me to read to him. Most men don’t but John does. I think it’s because every woman in every story is, in John’s mind, a woman whose heart he once won. He doesn’t say it but …. I used to wonder if the seniors I read to considered me a time thief, stealing a little of what little they might have left. But no. I have learned that reading to someone is the antidote to loneliness. It’s like giving and getting a hug when we need it most. A good story is a good escape.
A good safe place to hide. From a step that isn’t quite as strong as it once was, from eyes a little dimmer than just the other day, from a mind not quite as sharp. A good story can turn today into yesterday, when loneliness was absent, love and respect ever present. A good story is, indeed, a good escape from, as Shakespeare wrote, “second childishness and mere oblivion, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.” My grandmother was considered forever lost to Alzheimer’s. The last time I saw her, her eyes were closed. No, they were crushed shut. Her fists were clenched so tightly around her Bible I could almost see the blood draining from her veins and she was tap, tap, tapping her feet, faster and faster until the tapping became an angry stomping. She was digging into her mind, trying to remember someone, something, anyone, anything, but the deeper she dug the further down she fell into the abyss that was once a well of golden memories. Every memory that had been tucked away for safekeeping, every moment of love and hope, every dream, every victory, every loss, every moment worth saving – no longer accessible. I removed the Bible from her grip then sat on the floor and started reading. Before long her hands relaxed, she stopped stomping her feet and the only sound
in the room was the sound of my voice. I read to her for about an hour. Finally, sadly, I kissed her goodbye. My hand was on the doorknob when she called to me. “Billy? Is that you?” I turned. Saw the recognition in her eyes. “We had some times, didn’t we, Billy?” That was all. As quickly as it had come, the light went from her eyes and she was gone again. Don’t be afraid to read to someone considered forever lost to Alzheimer’s. You might just find yourself in the middle of a miracle. Gwenna is 93 in our world. In hers, she is somewhere between seven and eight and what somewhere between seven- and eight-year-old doesn’t like a bedtime story? Gwenna prefers stories about angels. One night, long after the bedtime story had lulled her to sleep, Gwenna woke, saw me sitting at her bedside, book of stories still on my lap and asked, “Are you my guardian angel?” “Yes, darlin’, I am.” “And you have a book.” “And I have a book.” “I like that.” Carry a book of stories with you. Read to someone who can no longer read for himself or herself. A good story will lift your old friends from a life as empty as a weed-ridden patch of dirt into the Garden of Eden. William McDonald is an Emmy Awardwinning writer and published author who, for more than 30 years, specialized in emotional communication in the broadcast industry. For several more years, he was a caregiver in assisted-living homes, memory-care homes and private homes. He writes full time from his home in Colorado.
Sauk Rapids-Rice Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Nov. 25, 2016
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, Nov. 25 Benton County Historical Society, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 218 First St. N., Sauk Rapids. 320-253-9614. mnbentonhistory. org. Hike at Quarry Park, 1-2 p.m., Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, 1802 Stearns CR 137, Waite Park. 320-2556172. parkinfo@co.stearns.mn.us. Christmas on the Home Front, 1-8 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421. Saturday, Nov. 26 Christmas on the Home Front, 1-8 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421. Holiday Art Crawl, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Bruno Press, Bad Habit Brewing Co., Local Blend, Minnesota Street Market, St. Joseph. Sunday, Nov. 27 Christmas on the Home Front, 1-8 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421. Monday, Nov. 28 Benton County Historical Society, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 218 First St. N., Sauk Rapids. 320-253-9614. mnbentonhistory. org. Christmas on the Home Front, 5-8 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421. Sauk Rapids City Council, 6 p.m., council chambers, Sauk Rapids Government Center, 250 Summit Ave. N. 320258-5300. ci.sauk-rapids.mn.us. WANTED TO BUY WANTED TO BUY: Basswood and Birchwood by truckload delivered to Dodgeville,WI. Bark intact, harvested in dormancy, delivered FRESH cut. Pre-arranged purchases only. Call Al Ladd at 608-935-2341 ext.333 (MCN) AU TO M O B I L E S / M OTO RC Y C L E S WANTED MOTORCYCLES: TOP CASH PAID! For Old Motorcycles! 1900-1979. DEAD OR ALIVE! 920-371-0494 (MCN) VACATION/TRAVEL Tired of the snow? Become a Winter Texan where the sun meets the gulf. Over 100 RV resorts and retirement communities for you to choose from. RV sites, fully furnished rentals and more. For more information visit www.rgvparks. org. (MCN) Are you getting TIRED of the COLD WINTERS where you are? Why don’t you get in your RV Camper and come to J-5 in Mission TX. We are located in the Rio Grande Valley. Average winter temps are 70 degrees daytime and 50 nighttime. We are a small park in a country setting but have stores and restaurants near by. We have specials for first time visitors. Call us at 956-682-7495 or email info@ j5rvparktexas.com, www.j5rvparktexas.com Tom and Donna Tuttle Managers (MCN) Tired of cold weather? Escape to Llano Grande Resort in South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley! RV sites, cottages, fully furnished rentals available. Enjoy our golf course, heated swimming pools, full schedule of activities, top-notch entertainment, breathtaking sunsets, and endless fun. Ask about our complimentary 30-day stay. 800-656-2638 www.lanogranderesort.com (MCN) FOR SALE Trailer Close-Out Sale! 2017 H&H 7’X16’
Tuesday, Nov. 29 Christmas on the Home Front, 5-8 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421. Wednesday, Nov. 30 Christmas on the Home Front, 5-8 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421. Thursday, Dec. 1 Coffee and Conversation, a senior discussion group, 9 a.m., Country Manor, 520 First St. NE, Sartell. Homespun Holiday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Home Event Center. Christmas on the Home Front, 5-8 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421. Great River Regional Coin Club, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Miller Auto Marine Sports Plaza, 2930 Second St. S., St. Cloud. 320-252-8452. Sauk Rapids Jaycees, 7 p.m., VFW, 901 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids. srjaycees.weebly.com. Rice Lions Club, 8 p.m., Lions Building, Westside Park, 101 Fourth St. NW. Friday, Dec. 2 Benton County Historical Society, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 218 First St. N., Sauk Rapids. 320-253-9614. mnbentonhistory. org. 55+ Driving Improvement Program (four-hour refresher course), noon-4 p.m., Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud. 1-888-234-1294. Christmas on the Home Front, 1-8 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421. St. Joseph Winter Farmers’ Market, 3-6 p.m., 27 W Minnesota St., St. JoV-nose Rampdoor $4,169.00; 2017 H&H 6’X12’ V-nose Rampdoor $2,750.00; $600.00 off 14,000# 2017 H&H Skidloader trailers; 12 dump trailers 8’ to 16’ in-stock. 100’s of Trailer PARTS & repairs. Tires, wheels, brakes, bearings, seals, Jacks, fenders, lights, hitches AND MUCH MORE! 515-972-4554 www.FortDodgeTrailerWorld.com (MCN)
seph. www.stjosephfarmersmarket.com. Arts and Crafts Sale, 4-8 p.m, Church of St. Joseph (Heritage Hall), 12 W. Minnesota Street. 320-363-7505. St. Joseph Winterwalk, 6-7:30 p.m., Tree Lighting at Bello Cucina, all other events following will be in the St. Joseph Catholic Church. Saturday, Dec. 3 Brass Day, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Stewart Hall, St. Cloud State University. Cookie Walk, 10 a.m.-noon, First United Methodist Church, 1107 Pinecone Road S., Sartell. 320-251-0804. www. fumcsr.org. Sartell Winter Farmers’ Market, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N, Sartell. www.marketmonday.org. Toys for Tots Drive, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sauk Rapids Fire Hall, 408 N. Benton Drive. Live Nativity Scene, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Coborn’s parking lot, Sauk Rapids. Craft-Vendor Sale, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sal’s Bar and Grill, 109 W. Minnesota St., St. Joseph. Sauk Rapids Family Fun Day, 11 a.m.-8 pm., Kids Bingo from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Silent Auction from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus from 2-3:30 p.m., Sauk Rapids VFW. Holiday Parade of Lights, 5 p.m., Second Avenue, Sauk Rapids. Christmas on the Home Front, 1-8 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421. Gingerbread Festival, 2-4 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1107 Pinecone Road S., Sartell. 320-251-0804. www. fumcsr.org. Sunday, Dec. 4 Christmas on the Home Front, 1-8 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320616-5421. Pain? Get a pain-relieving brace at little or NO cost to you. Medicare Patients Call Health Hotline Now! 1- 800-604-2613 (MCN) LIVING WITH KNEE OR BACK PAIN? Medicare recipients may qualify to receive a pain relieving brace at little or no cost. Call now! 844-668-4578 (MCN)
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Clown from page 4 “I have always gotten (questioning) looks. It is just more so now.” Often, people will take a picture of her dressed as a clown while she is driving her car. Shari said going into a store, dressed as a clown, made her anxious at first. However, once in the store, she got many curious stares but was also asked by people if they could take a picture with her. People have told her she looked awesome and some have asked her if she is scary. Shari said she then explains about who she performs for and what she does as a clown. Recently, she has had some inquiries asking if she could dress as a scarecrow, gypsy, pi-
rate, princess or other character instead of a clown. She said even with the scary clown things going on, she still loves getting out and making people smile while she performs as a clown. “I will continue to perform because of the joy and happiness it brings me and the ones I am performing for,” Shari said. “The joy I see in the faces of everyone I perform for outweighs the (negative) glances I get. I enjoy being a clown and by being Mz. Tootsie, it helps me as much as it makes the children smile.” Just 4 Laffs offers live entertainers for events, as well as classes for all ages on balloon-twisting, magic and the art of clowning. For more information, visit www.Just4LaffsMN.com or email Wesley Newman at just4laffsmn@gmail.com.
Max is a 4-year-old, neutered cat who is looking for his very own human to adore. This gorgeous kitty loves relaxing in the sun and delicately drinking water with his paw, but what he loves most is hanging out with his favorite people. Expect to not be alone whenever you sit down as your lap now belongs to him. Max has interacted with other cats, dogs and young children in the past but does not especially care for them. Live your life to the max by adopting this sweet cat today!
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Sauk Rapids-Rice Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
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Ingenuity from front page ing, and his father assumed the reins, a young Brian spent lots of time in the machine shed. “I was definitely more interested in the machinery building and fixing,” he said. Kahl is a senior at Sauk Rapids High School, a member of the robotics team. He works at Mimbach Fleet Supply parttime, a job that still allows him to tinker. The future looks bright for Kahl as he plans to attend college at North Dakota State University and study mechanical engineering. Nothing personal against the University of Minnesota, he said. It’s just one of his best friends attends NDSU, he has relatives who have attended NDSU, and NDSU has a good reputation and brand-new facilities with top-of-the-line equipment. Recently he was honored at a school-board meeting for designing a small plastic piece of equipment that saved the school several thousands of dollars. In the upper level of the high school is an open hallway with a railing around it. Part of the railing apparatus is a decorative tempered-glass panel about 24 inches square held in place by a kind of pressure fitting. When kids lean on the glass as they sometimes do, it causes the glass to slide down contacting the hard concrete lip and shattering the glass. Obviously, this is a hazard because someone could easily get cut or hurt in some other way if the problem were not resolved. Enter Brian Kahl with a solution. As Kahl tells it, Principal Erich Martens called him into his office and challenged him to find a solution. Kahl took the challenge with a vague concept of what Martens wanted, got some additional measurements and how the glass was held in place and then he went home. “I was just playing around on my computer trying to find out what looked best and I kind of got this design for it,” Kahl
said. “I knew something had to go underneath it (the glass) and I didn’t want the glass to be sliding out, so I put that lip on it.” When Kahl says “playing around on my computer,” he actually means his computer and the 3-D printer he uses to manufacture various items from a fine strand of nylon-type filament. The filament is actually thinner than the size of a human hair. In 2009, a printer might have cost $10,000, but Kahl said his home-based 3-D printer he bought a year or so ago was only about $400. After four prototypes and a bit of trial and error in fitting the glass into a J-hook complete with some foam rubber to provide cushioning for the glass, Kahl was satisfied. The nylon/plastic prototype provided a cheap way to engineer and design the final product, which would be manufactured of metal since metal holds up better under the weight of the glass and the daily use in the school. Designing and creating the prototypes and seeing they fit and perform properly saved the school district several thousands of dollars. Lest one believe this is a singular occurrence, Kahl said he also designs and builds his own remote-control cars on his home 3-D printer. He’s designed parts for the windshield wipers on skidloader steers and plastic pieces to fit the carburetor of his motorcycle. The plastic piece for the carburetor saved him the cost of a new carb kit – about $900, he said. “I made my first RC car and once I put it together, I realized there were some things I wanted to do a little bit differently, so I went and redesigned just about the whole thing, and now I’m working on the second version of the car,” Kahl said. Kahl’s homebased printer is a bit small for the size of the car he was going to make, so he simply designed it in two sections and then connected them together with two rods he designed into the carcass of
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the car. Kahl acknowledges he was lucky to grow up around the farm where he got to do a lot of tinkering and hands-on experiments. His natural curiosity drove him to try different ideas. Some worked and some didn’t, but the failures just taught him to think more carefully – and try again. “One of the things that helped me to kind of advance my mechanical ideas,” Kahl said, “is the industrial-tech program and the metals class. It would be really nice if the school could expand on those classes, and maybe get a larger robotics program that is into just the mechanical side or the programming side.” He said because everything is kind of mixed into a few classes, it gets tough to get everything a person wants to learn in a single trimester. He said he hopes it could be broken up into multiple sections with a kind of specialization in each area. He also added more tours to various area companies that do the kind of technical design and manufacturing would be nice. He would also like to see more hands-on exposure perhaps with students working in a business after school or on weekends to earn some cash and credits toward graduation. “Some kids aren’t exactly into the book work, and they are much more hands-on, so if they could get credit by actually doing stuff in the actual world, I think it would be very beneficial to some students,” Kahl said. “We’ve taken a few tours and they are phenomenal,” he said. “We learn so much.” Ralph Waldo Emerson is often misquoted as having said “if man builds a better mousetrap than his neighbor, he will find a broad hard-beaten road to his house, though it be in the woods.” It may be misquoted, but we get the message in the quote, and now we just need to watch and see how the world beats a path to the door of Brian Kahl, high-school wizard.
Call the Newsleader at 363-7741
Friday, Nov. 25, 2016
photo by Dave DeMars
Pictured is the plastic prototype for the glass pane support which was designed and created on a 3-D printer by Brian Kahl. This was the fourth and final design and cost about $3. Once Kahl was sure he had the right design, hundreds of metal supports could be manufactured and installed.
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