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Newsleader Sartell
Friday, Jan. 9, 2015 Volume 20, Issue 2 Est. 1995
Town Crier
Senior Connection hosts polar bear enthusiasts Jan. 13
A St. Cloud resident and teacher will be on hand to speak on the environment and animal life surrounding Churchill, Manitoba at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13 at the District Service Center in Sartell. Many photographs of polar bears will be shown, as the author met these magnificent creatures face-to-face. Refreshments will be served.
Team up to mentor a youth
Big Brothers Big Sisters is looking for Big Couples. Two adults can team up to mentor a youth. “Couples” may be a spouse, significant other or close friend. As a Big Couple, the two mentors provide a child with a team of support. Big Couples will be enrolled in the community-based program to provide friendship, emotional support and hope to young people with whom they are matched. The volunteers will meet with their Little three to four times a month for 12 months. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Jan. 9 criers.
Q&A on sleep apnea set for St. Cloud
The St. Cloud Hospital Sleep Center is sponsoring an informal discussion on sleep struggles and CPAP from 5-6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15 at the Sleep Center, 1586 CR 134, St. Cloud. Sleep technologists will be on hand to answer questions one-on-one or as a group. For more information, visit thenewsleaders. com and click on Jan. 9 criers.
Kids Fighting Hunger set Jan. 24 at Celebration
Kids Fighting Hunger announces the Martin Luther King Day of Service scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24 at Celebration Lutheran Church, 1500 Pinecone Road, Sartell. This event is designed to give adults, children and families in our community a chance to help provide some much-needed food to aid-workers and people who are being quarantined due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. A suggested donation is asked to help cover the cost of ingredients used for packaging meals. Kids Fighting Hunger of Central Minnesota is a volunteer led, international hunger-relief campaign committed to combating hunger and poverty worldwide and locally by providing nutritious meals to those in need. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Jan. 9 criers.
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Hockey dad, son relax after hectic day by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
While the phrase “hockey mom” has become practically synonymous with a woman who is extremely busy coming and going in a flurry of motion, many people tend to forget there are “hockey dads” too, just as busy, just as dedicated. Corey Hansen of Sartell is a hockey dad. He and his wife, Marci, have three young children who are hockey players – Ellie, a sophomore, who plays with the Sartell Stormin’ Sabres team; Carlie, an eighthgrader, who plays for the U-14 A Stormin’ Sabres team; and Casey, 10, who is a member of the Sartell Squirts A team. On the evening of Jan. 3, Corey and Casey lounged around at home, relaxing by the fireplace and watching a Minnesota Wild hockey game. They’d earned their rest. Earlier that day, Casey had played two extremely energetic games of hockey, and his team won two games over Moorhead and Hutchinson at the Sartell Bernick’s Arena. Corey, the night before, had worked with others until 2 a.m. getting the outdoor rink ready for the 2:45 p.m. game with the visiting Hockey • page 5
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Casey Hansen, a member of the Sartell Squirts A team, glides across the ice of the Bernick’s Arena, his eye intently on the puck.
Year in Review: Part 2
2014 was a very good year for Sartell by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
(This is Part 2 of a three-part series. Part 1 was published Jan. 2.)
May
Kaylee Condon, an 8-yearold Sartell resident, gets to go on a Bahamas cruise, thanks to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. She suffers from an immunedeficiency disease. Some metal parts from the Verso paper mill will be refashioned by local artists/sculptors into bicycle racks to be installed in city parks. The project is a way to memorialize the centurylong importance of the mill to the economy of the area. The mill has been under demolition
since it closed after a tragic fire and the death of an employee in 2012. Sartell mayor Joe Perske wins the DFL endorsement for the race for the Sixth Congressional District. The annual Sartell Bike Rodeo, sponsored by Sartell police, boasts a record turn-out for its 10-year history. Many children learn bicycle safety skills at the fun and educational event. St. Francis Xavier Elementary School hosts a tuneful, colorful festival of dance, art works and other performances for Grandparents’ Day. Council member Sarah Jane Nicoll files to run for mayor of Sartell in the Nov. 4 general election. The current mayor,
Joe Perske, will not file for reelection as he is running for the Sixth Congressional District seat. Several Sartell city officials attend a ribbon-cutting at the Metro Bus Operations Center in St. Cloud. The celebration announces the beginning of a fleet of buses that will run on compressed natural gas. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is guest of honor at the event. The State of Minnesota gives Sartell a grant for $500,000 to acquire more land for the development of Sauk River Regional Park. The money is part of the nearly $1 billion bonding bill approved by the legislature. Tom Emmer wins the Republican nomination to run for the
Sixth Congressional District seat in the U.S. Congress. He will face off against DFL candidate Joe Perske of Sartell and Independent candidate John Denney. All veterans are memorialized with song and speeches during the annual Memorial Day ceremony on a beautiful sunny morning at Veterans Park in Sartell. The keynote speaker is Sgt. First Class Timothy Milo, a trainer for the Minnesota National Guard. Edmonton Trailer, a Canadian manufacturer of specialty heavyduty truck trailers, announces it plans to set up business on the property once owned by the Verso paper mill in Sartell. That site is currently under demoliReview • page 4
Sartell boys help break a world’s record by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
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Sartell friends and fellow basketball players Trysten Bommersbach (left), Cole Zunker (middle) and Alex Braun show how they spun basketballs for at least a minute at a world’s recordbreaking event recently in Alexandria.
Two days after Christmas, three ninth-grade boys from Sartell helped break a record for continuous basketball spinning in the Guinness Book of World Records. The boys are Trysten Bommersbach, son of Sheri and Tim Bommersbach; Alex Braun; son of Carrie and Craig Braun; and Cole Zunker, son of Jeanna and Mike Zunker. All three are long-
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time friends and all love playing basketball for the ninth-grade Sartell Sabres team. Along with 181 participants, the boys each spun a basketball on one finger for at least one minute. The previous record was achieved by 104 “spinners” in the United Kingdom, who all managed to spin basketballs simultaneously for only 30 seconds. The dazzling, dizzying feat took place Dec. 27 at Alexandria High School. Of the 181 particiRecord • page 8
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Two robotics teams from Sartell boy scout troops recently competed in the ‘Dream It. Do It. Southern Minnesota VEX Robotics Tournament.’ Pictured in the top photo are: Team Beat Botz members Peter Amundson, Josh Harrington and Zach Christopherson; in the bottom photo are Team Bacon Bots members Adam Johnson, Eric Schatz and Travis Schroeder. Beat Botz were named tournament champions. Bacon Bots were the winner of the robot skills competition and were also one of six tournament semi-finalists. Both teams qualified for the ‘Dream It. Do It. Minnesota State Robotics Tournament’ which will be hosted Jan. 23-24 by St. Cloud Technical and Community College at the River’s Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud. Teams will compete for invitations to the World Championship at the state tournament. To learn more about robotics and this competition, visit www. dreamitdoitmn.com.
People
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Sartell Squirt C Blue Hockey team is undefeated in the regular season with a record of 7-0-3. They took home the third-place trophy Dec. 5-7 in the River Falls Tournament and will compete Jan. 16-18 in the St. Cloud tournament. Team members include (front row, left to right) Noah Hacker, Sam Lemieur, Bennett Crane, Andrew Ritter, Baylor Stebbins and Patrick Crane; (middle row) Zach Kantor, Trey Hilger, Dylan Chrast, Aidan Woods, Bailey Woods and Blake Legatt; (back row) Coaches Casey Knowles, Matt Chrast, Troy Stebbins and Scott Crane. The team is coached by Chrast, Stebbins, Ryan Hacker and Knowles.
If any readers have tips concerning crimes, they should call the Sartell Police Department at 320-251-8186 or Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 320-255-1301 or access its tip site at www.tricountycrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers offers rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for crimes. Dec. 14 11:01 p.m. Intoxicated male. 2nd Street S. A male reported to the police department and asked to
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Three Sartell students recently participated in the Sauk Rapids VFW’s Patriots Pen Essay contest. The theme for this year’s contest was, “Why I appreciate America’s Veterans.” Pictured (center from left to right) are seventh-grader Kenna Zochert, eighth-grader Olivia Plamann and seventh-grader Jaden Nguyen. Zochert received first place, receiving a prize of $50, while Plamann and Nguyen tied for second place, receiving $25 each. Presenting the award were Tom Tauber, commander of the Sauk Rapids VFW Post 6692, and Mary Bauer, VFW Women’s Auxiliary chairperson for the Patriots Pen writing contest. Kyra Hulsebus, a sophomore at St. John’s Preparatory School, was recently named to the fall semester principal’s honor roll. Students must earn a grade-point average between 3.0 to 3.4999 to qualify for this honor. Twelve Sartell students from St. John’s Preparatory School were recently named to the fall semester headmaster honor roll. They are the following: Ana Deal-Hansen, eighth-grader; Adrienne Gefre, sixth-grader; Alexander Holt, sophomore; Xinyi Jiang, sixthgrader; Kristoff Kowalkowski,
sixth-grader; Ian Lo, eighthgrader; Sydney Lo, junior; Bryn Rogers, sophomore; Cormac Smith, eighth-grader; Gabriel Woodard, freshmen; Valeriya Woodard, sixth-grader; Lilly Xie, sophomore. Students must earn a grade-point average of 3.50 or higher to qualify for this honor. Alycia Stidmon of Sartell was recently named to the fall dean’s list for academic excellence at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis. Students must achieve a 3.5 grade-point average to attain this achievement.
Friday, Jan. 9, 2015
Blotter
be transported to detox due to his intoxication. Detox was full for the evening. An officer contacted the male’s father, who stated he would care for him for the evening. The officer transported the male to his father’s care.
assistance was needed. 6:35 p.m. Domestic. Perimeter Drive. A report was made regarding a juvenile male physically assaulting an adult female. Officers were able to locate the boy and were able to take him into custody.
Dec. 15 3:06 p.m. Verbal. Sunset Avenue. A report was made regarding an adult male and female arguing. Officer arrived and found the argument was only verbal. The male stated he would leave for the evening to calm down and no further
Dec. 24 5:36 p.m. Motorist assist. Benton Drive. An officer located a vehicle parked on the side of the roadway. The driver stated they were lost. The officer had the driver follow him to the correct location.
LEgal notICE NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE
THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that default has occurred in conditions of the following described mortgage:
ASSIGNMENTS OF MORTGAGE: Assigned to: Matrix Financial Services Corp. Dated Oct. 20, 2014 Recorded Oct. 30, 2014, as Document No. A1431730. TRANSACTION AGENT: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc.
May
TRANSACTION AGENT’S MORTGAGE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ON MORTGAGE: 100052550261125982
MORTGAGOR: Wayne P. Johnson and Amy M. Schwinghammer-Johnson, husband and wife.
LENDER OR BROKER AND MORTGAGE ORIGINATOR STATED ON MORTGAGE: Lendsmart Mortgage LLC
MORTGAGEE:Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc.
RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE SERVICER: Flagstar Bank, FSB
DATE AND PLACE OF RECORDING:Recorded June 8, 2009 Stearns County Recorder, Document No. 1289233.
MORTGAGED PROPERTY ADDRESS: 800 Brookwood Lane, Sartell, MN 56377
DATE OF MORTGAGE: 22, 2009
TAX PARCEL 92.56817.0000
I.D.
#:
LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: Lot Eleven (11), in Block Four (4), of Meyer Park Plat 5, Village of Sartell, Stearns County, Minn. COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: Stearns ORIGINAL AMOUNT OF $205,529.00
PRINCIPAL MORTGAGE:
AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NOTICE, INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE: $201,023.90 That prior to the commencement of this mortgage foreclosure proceeding Mortgagee/Assignee of Mortgagee complied with all noForeclosure • page 5
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Friday, Jan. 9, 2015
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Review from front page tion for recycling purposes. David Thompson of St. Paul is the winner of the Sartell Apple Duathlon. It is the seventh time he won the annual race. His time was 1:31:33. Ruth Brennan Morrey of Rochester is the top female winner.
June
STEEL SALES & RECYCLING
MIDWAY IRON & METAL INC.
Family Owned & Operated 648 NE Lincoln Ave., St. Cloud SCRAP: 320-252-4002 • NEW STEEL: 320-258-3003 800-246-4002 • www.midwayiron.com
photo by Dennis Dalman
The Republic of Slovenia’s U.S. ambassador, Dr. H.E. Bozo Cerar, presents a proclamation from his country for the City of St. Stephen to its oldest resident, Eddie Peternell, 102. Of Slovenian descent, Peternell was born on a farm just north of St. Stephen and spent his entire life farming in St. Stephen. Both Peternell and Cerar were the top guests of honor for St. Stephen’s Centennial Celebration May 19-21.
Pinecone Central Park hosts a grand opening featuring ball games, food and refreshments and many speeches. Residents and out-of-town visitors praise the park’s recreational amenities and its overall green spacious beauty. Pat Forte, a coach and cancer survivor, gives an inspirational talk about beating the odds through faith in God and human connections during a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Sartell High School. Ashley Anderson of Sartell is chosen as the Daycare Provider of the Year by the Stearns-Benton County Daycare Providers’
Association. Anderson’s business, called Boys and Curls Day Care (also ABC Daycare) accommodates 10 children, including four of her own. Sartell Police Chief Jim Hughes receives a Meritorious Service medal from the Sartell City Council for his expertise in providing public safety, in particular during the aftermath of the Verso paper-mill disaster in 2012, when that plant exploded, killing one worker and posing dangers to the immediate area for nearly one week. In accepting the award, Hughes focused attention on his staff and reserve officers. “Without them,” he said, “I couldn’t have done it.” The city council passes an ordinance allowing mobile-food vendors to do business on Sartell streets, with some restrictions. Rain almost drowns the annual Sartell SummerFest, but not quite. The Grand Parade was cancelled, only the second time in the 23-year history of the festival. The fireworks show was also cancelled. However, the Libertyville Family Fun Extravaganza Friday night was a huge success, with thousands of
Friday, Jan. 9, 2015 people having fun in Pinecone Regional Park. Patty Schuneman of St. Stephen retires after serving for 45 years as a bus driver for the Sartell-St. Stephen School District. She is also recently honored with a “Transportation Specialist Award” from the Minnesota School Bus Operators’ Association. In all her years of driving her precious cargo to and from schools, Schuneman never had a traffic accident.
July
Many neighborhoods in Sartell celebrate “National Night Out” with block parties, cookouts and other fun festivities. Sartell police officers visit each gathering and share safety tips with residents. Big crowds have a ball during the weekend of July 18-20 when the St. Stephen Centennial is celebrated. The activities included a long parade, a classiccar show, baseball games, three musical shows, a polka Mass, a tractor show and more. Eddie Peternell, age 92 and St. Stephen’s oldest living resident, receives an honorary plaque from Dr. H.E. Bozo Cerar, the Republic of Slovenia’s ambassador to the United States. Cerar and Peternell were both guests of honor during St. Stephen’s Centennial celebration July 18-20. Peternell farmed all of his life and won plowing contests when he was in his 80s and 90s. Cerar was invited to the St. Stephen Centennial because it is the oldest Slovenian city in the United States. In a speech to an audience in the St. Stephen ballpark, Slovenian ambassador Dr. H.E. Bozo Cerar praises St. Stephen residents for keeping the traditions and culture of Slovenia alive. Brittany Allyn (nee Patty Trobec) performs with her sister, Pam Trobec and Pam’s husband, Sherwin Linton and his band during a rocking country-western show at St. Stephen’s Centennial celebration. Allyn, who grew up in St. Stephen, was a backup singer for years for the legendary Nashville singer George Jones. She has also recorded well-received CDs of her own. For more Year in Review, please see next week’s issue.
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Friday, Jan. 9, 2015
Foreclosure from page 2 tice requirements as required by statute; That no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof; PURSUANT to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows: DATE AND TIME OF SALE: Feb. 19, 2015 at 10 a.m. PLACE OF SALE: Sheriff’s Office, Law Enforcement Center, Room S-136, St. Cloud, Minn. to pay the debt then secured by said Mortgage, and taxes, if any, on said premises, and the costs and disbursements, including attorneys’ fees allowed by law subject to redemption within six (6) months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns unless reduced to Five (5) weeks under MN Stat. §580.07. TIME AND DATE TO VACATE PROPERTY: If the real estate is an owner-occupied, single-family dwelling, unless otherwise provided by law, the date on or before which the mortgagor(s) must vacate the property if the mortgage is not reinstated under section 580.30 or the property is not redeemed under section 580.23 is 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 19, 2015, unless that date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, in which case it’s the next weekday, and unless the redemption period is reduced to five weeks under MN Stat. Secs.
580.07 or 582.032. MORTGAGOR(S) RELEASED FROM FINANCIAL OBLIGATION ON MORTGAGE: None “THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.” Dated: Dec. 16, 2014 Matrix Financial Services Corp. Mortgagee/Assignee of Mortgagee USSET, WEINGARDEN AND LIEBO, P.L.L.P. Attorneys for Mortgagee/Assignee of Mortgagee 4500 Park Glen Road #300 Minneapolis, MN 55416 (952) 925-6888 92-14-007202 FC THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR. Document version 1.1 Dec. 11, 2013 Publish: Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 & Feb. 6, 2015
Now Hiring Sartell/St. Cloud
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Lacrosse Registration Now Open! Boys Grades 4-12 Girls Grades 7-12
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Hockey from front page Moorhead Spuds. Like most hockey parents, the sport is very much a part of the Hansens’ lives – happily so, even though schedules can become hectic. For the weekend of Jan. 1011, Corey’s activities calendar includes the following: Saturday: Casey scrimmage game, 9:15 a.m., Maple Grove. Carlie scrimmage game, Sauk Rapids vs. Moorhead in Sauk Rapids, 10 a.m. Casey game against Rosemount in Rosemount, 4:15 p.m. Carlie game against Centennial in Sauk Rapids, 6:30 p.m. Sunday: Casey game at Buffalo, 1:30 p.m. Carlie scrimmage against Blaine at Bernick’s Arena, 4 p.m. “No, we don’t have many family meals together,” Corey said. “It’s rare when all of us have the chance to sit down at the same time altogether.” However, he was quick to add the hectic lifestyle is not only fun but rewarding. “We meet new friends,” he said. “We have camaraderie. It’s so much fun to meet new people every year. The kids learn life lessons, like they do in all sports.” Corey began playing hockey when he was a second-grader in Faribault. He was captain of the Faribault High School hockey team. Although Marci, unlike her two daughters, never played hockey, she is their number-one
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The Hansen family developed a strong, loving bond partly through a mutual love of hockey, which they all enjoy thoroughly. With their parents, Corey and Marci, are (left to right) Ellie, Casey and Carlie. fan. Born and raised in Thief River Falls, not far from the hockey country of Canada, Marci grew to love the sport of hockey. Since 2001, Corey coached hockey. This season is the first he has not coached. He was a long-time member of the Sartell Youth Hockey Association Board. Corey earned degrees in business administration and communications from Concordia College, where he was captain of the hockey team. For the past 20 years he has been an employee of US Bank (formerly known as First Bank). Marcie, along with her sister, owns a business called Girl Time Getaways, which offers “mystery” trips for groups of women. The Hansens are most definitely a hockey family, on the go constantly, but they not only have no regrets – they wouldn’t trade it for the world.
ARLINGTON PLACE ASSISTED LIVING in St. Joseph POSITION AVAILABLE
Night Shift
HOME HEALTH AIDE
3 nights/week from 11 p.m.-7 a.m.
includes weekend and holiday rotation
Duties include: daily personal care, grooming, dressing, light meal prep, medication administration and light to moderate housekeeping. If interested please stop by for an application or call Karen Hennessy at (320) 363-1313. 21 16th Ave. SE St. Joseph, MN 56374
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Our View Learn how to fight against the nasty flu bug The seasonal flu, when you come right down to it, is as frightening – perhaps more so – than that most horrifying of dreaded infections, Ebola. More frightening because it’s more common and much more easily transmitted than Ebola and other terrible infections. So far this winter, 359 people have been hospitalized in Minnesota because of the flu, and a 7-year-old girl has died. Fifteen other very young children have died of the flu, mostly in states in the West. And, not to forget, the flu season typically extends all the way through April. As most people know by now, the annual flu shot – this season – is not effective against the nasty form of flu now making the rounds, a strain known as H3N2. The Minnesota Department of Health and county health agencies are urging people to protect themselves and others against catching the flu bug, which is especially dangerous for the very young, the very old and those who have weak and compromised immune systems. Here are some tips to keep the flu at bay: The surest way to avoid getting the flu is to wash your hands with hot water and soap many times each day. Wash them thoroughly, then rinse them well. People should carry tissues with them so if they feel a sneeze coming on or are about to cough, they can do so into the tissue, then throw it out and wash their hands as soon as possible. If no tissue is available, people should sneeze or cough onto their lower sleeve or into the bend of the arm. When leaving the house, take some alcohol-based hand sanitizer along and use it after touching anything in public places. It’s a good idea to wipe off the steering wheel and door handles with such sanitizer. Also, be sure to use the sanitizer handi-wipes available at the entrance to many stores. In the home environment, wipe doorknobs off with sanitary wipes twice a day. Other frequently touched objects – such as telephones, faucets, toilet flush handles, computer keyboards and countertops where food is prepared – should also be swabbed down. Learn the symptoms of the flu. They include one or more of the following: sore throat, fever, aching muscles, fatigue, sleepiness and general malaise, a “dead-to-the-world” feeling. Be sure to contact a doctor if symptoms are bad. Also, if you have trouble breathing or breathe in quick gasps, this could be a sign of the onset of pneumonia, and you should seek immediate medical help. Anti-viral drugs are effective in fighting the flu in most cases, but only if such drugs are used in the infection’s earliest stages. If you do have the flu, stay home and do not leave the house for any reason. Also keep away, as much as possible, from other family members. Limit or forbid guests from visiting until you feel better, which can take as long as a week to 10 days in some cases. If suffering from the flu, get lots of rest and sleep and eat sparingly but healthily until the illness takes its course. Drink lots of fluids even if you are not thirsty. Get the flu shot. True, it doesn’t protect against the H3N2 strain, but experts say getting it will guard against getting the other strain, the one it was meant for, and it might help lessen the symptoms caused by H3N2. Flu shots are available at local clinics, including walk-in clinics, as well as many pharmacies and even some large stores. If the tips above are heeded, we can all truly minimize the risk of flu infections, and we will all be happier – not to mention safer. As in any infectious outbreak, the key to beating it is knowledge and preventive behaviors.
Fairness and ethics
Newsleader staff members have the responsibility to report news fairly and accurately and are accountable to the public. Readers who feel we’ve fallen short of these standards are urged to call the Newsleader office at 363-7741. If matters cannot be resolved locally, readers are encouraged to take complaints to the Minnesota News Council, an independent agency designed to improve relationships between the public and the media and resolve conflicts. The council office may be reached at 612-341-9357.
Friday, Jan. 9, 2015
Opinion Open those doors, and Viva Cuba! Viva Cuba! I was elated to hear U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations will begin. At long last, thanks to President Barack Obama, some of the doors will be opened between Americans and Cubans. More than five decades of stubborn hostility may finally sputter out. Our punitive policy toward Cuba, including an economic embargo, has been an utter failure year after year. It has long been a lunatic irony that the United States could open up relations with Communist China and prop up repressive dictators in countries throughout the world (Iran under Shah Reza Pahlavi, Chile and Nicaragua, to name just three examples) and yet slam the doors shut on Cuba. There are a couple reasons why this new approach is a good one: It will allow Cubans and Americans to share ideas, technologies, cultures and aspirations. Opening up people’s minds has always been the most effective, long-term way to counter dictatorships. With a new openness, the two Castros (Fidel and brother Raul) will have a harder time trying to blame Cuba’s problems on the wicked Yankee Bully to the North, although the Castros have had some good reasons to fear and hate the American power structure for so many years. Opening doors to Cuba is a momentous step, especially to those of us old enough to remember vividly the stories and images related to this island nation. In the 1950s, Cuba had become a corrupt cesspool under its leader, Fulgencio Batista. Its capital city, Havana, had become a hot spot for gambling, prostitution and the drug trade – much of it run by mafia members from the United States. At one time, Havana was known as the “Latin Las Vegas” and Cuba was sometimes called the “Floating Casino.” American companies, directly or via proxy, virtually owned and controlled most of Cuba’s resources.
Dennis Dalman Editor Backed by American support, including weaponry, Batista’s goons tortured and executed thousands of people, fearing the forces of revolution that were brewing. In 1959, Castro and his revolutionaries, with the help of many middle-class Cubans disgusted by the violence and corruption of Batista, ousted his regime from power. He fled with his ill-begotten fortune to the Dominican Republic, later to Portugal. American media was filled with images of the triumphant, cigar-smoking, baseballloving Fidel Castro, dressed always in his army fatigues. During a trip to the United States, Castro was feted by many as a liberator of his country. It wasn’t long after the world learned the young, charismatic leader was, in fact, a diehard Marxist communist and was backed by the Soviet Union. Many Cubans, at least those who had the means, fled Cuba to the United States. Since those early years, many have also since fled in makeshift boats or rafts, some dying at sea in the attempts. The Castro regime has imprisoned “counter-revolutionaries” and executed others. Many crises followed during the John F. Kennedy years. One was the disastrous American-supported invasion of Cuba mainly by Cuban exiles. The other, one of the worst in human history, was the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, a tense stand-off between the United States and the Soviet Union over that nation’s attempt to put nuclear missiles in Cuba. It was a horrific scare that could easily have
led to widespread nuclear annihilation. All of us Baby Boomers vividly remember those scary days in late October when, one day, sitting in our classrooms, we and the teachers kept our eyes nervously on the classroom clock, wondering if we would be incinerated shortly after 1 p.m. Central Time Oct. 28, 1962. In the years since then, the American embargo continued against Cuba. Mutual hostilities diminished somewhat, but the refusal to open diplomatic channels persisted for more than half a century. It didn’t make sense. Family, friends and I would discuss for hours how dumb it was for our country to support and even encourage tyrannical countries around the world and yet treat Cuba as if it’s the biggest bogeyman of all. We used to laugh about the irony that President Kennedy was known to smoke the finest Cuban cigars when they were strictly banned from the United States. And speaking of cigars, among other slapstick plots against Castro by the CIA, we learned one of them involved a plan to poison Castro’s personal stash of cigars, as loony-laughable as something out of a Marx Brothers movie. Through the years, I have met quite a few people who have traveled to Cuba, via other countries, for educational and cultural trips. They have all been impressed by the warmth, kindness, resiliency, resourcefulness and creativity of the Cuban people. They were also astonished that, under Castro (dictator though he be), great strides were made in universal literacy, education and health care. Now, with this diplomatic initiative, there’s room for hope the Castros or their successors will eventually loosen their reins, open the windows and let in the fresh breezes of democracy. If they don’t do it, the people will.
Letter to editor Reader takes issue with Scarbro’s views on With Republican-led Congress, I’ve great expectations Brian Peterson, Sartell I am writing in response to an opinion of Mr. Scarbro I just read (“With Repulican-led Congress, I have great expectations”) published in the Jan. 2 edition. After reading his take on the condition of our country under President Obama and how the new Republican Congress is going to “right the ship,” I ask what country has he been living in during the last six years?!
In my opinion, the Obama years have been the best we’ve had in a long time. Just look at all his accomplishments listed in the Newsleader editor’s column published in the same issue. Who knows how much better Obama could have done without the all-out smear tactics and stalemates of the far-right-wing Republicans. Scarbro, your statement that the price of gasoline is falling due to the chance the new Congress might overturn the Keystone
Pipeline Initiative is utterly ridiculous. I say as Americans we can only hope the new Congress doesn’t destroy all the progress made in the last six years. In closing, I’ll also ask why the good Scarbro isn’t here in Sartell during winter with the rest of us? I too am retired and spend much of my free time with my grandchildren after moving here last summer. The good life is right here in Minnesota – summer and winter! Happy New Year!
It must be that person behind the tree “If it wasn’t you, and it wasn’t me, it must have been that person behind the tree.” I remember my mother using this little rhyme on me when I was very small. It happened when I tried to deny responsibility for something I had obviously done. Of course, there was no person behind the tree. It was just me. She was trying to teach me to be responsible for my actions and my choices. I fear there is too little teaching of responsibility today. You can see it all around you. We have witnessed thousands of malcontents marching and protesting actions by police responding to crimes which have been committed. We have seen our so-called leaders attempting to place the blame for the actions of these criminals on the person behind the tree. Some are even blaming police officers for the actions of criminals. The responsibility lays at the feet of the perpetrator, not the law enforcement officers. No amount of demagoguery is going to change that. Do you remember the lady who sued McDonald’s when she spilled hot coffee on herself, or the many who sued the tobacco companies when they got sick from smoking? If you put a cup of hot coffee in your lap and try to drive away or if you continue to light up cigarettes in the face of overwhelming evidence that the very
Ron Scarbro Guest Writer act of smoking is harmful, who should be responsible for the result? Alcoholics and drug addicts are the ones responsible for their condition. It probably sounds better to say they are just sick and the booze is the culprit not the drinker. Sorry, but the booze can’t get into your mouth without your very determined effort, and drugs don’t inject themselves into your veins nor do cigarettes light themselves. At some point we must look into the mirror to see the culprit. Just today, I read of a couple who are suing the makers of aluminum bats because their son, who was pitching in a Little League game, was hit by a line drive off of one of those bats. What if he had been hit by a line drive off of a wooden bat? Would he have suffered less injury? The youngster got his jaw broken. How many kids do you suppose get injured at some level playing sports? The parents
are suing for $75 million. That would buy a lot of jaw surgery. I am satisfied, however, that behind every silly lawsuit is an equally silly lawyer, but that’s another story. All across the country we seem to be harboring an ever-growing dependent class who is responsible for nothing including their own lives and well being. At the same time we have a political class taking advantage of this growing number to further their own political lives. This is not the America Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin intended. We Americans are self-sufficient, self-controlled and self-reliant. Government is our employee, not our master. Government is responsible to us. The plantation is out of business. Slavery no longer exists in this country. We all are born into this great country with the same opportunities and the same choices. Choose wisely because there is no one behind the tree but you. 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.
Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Jan. 9, 2015
Community Calendar
Friday, Jan. 9 City of Sartell Christmas tree drop-off, open to all city residents, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., site located on 30th Ave. N., near CR 4. 320-253-2171. Moonlight Ski Event, 6-10 p.m., Quarry Park, 1802 CR 137, Waite Park. 320-255-6172. parkinfo@co.stearns.mn.us Saturday, Jan. 10 Winter Market, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N. marketmonday.org.
Sunday, Jan. 11 Minnesota permit-to-carry courses, 9 a.m., Holiday Inn, 75 37th Ave. S., St. Cloud. 320-2472877. Monday, Jan. 12 Local authors roundtable, adults and teens 16 years and older, registration is required at the library or by phone, 6-8 p.m., Al Ringsmuth Public Library, 253 5th Ave. N., Waite Park. 253-9359. Get Set Training, for parents of children who are receiving special education services, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Watab Room, Sartell-St. Stephen District Service Center, 212 3rd Ave. N., Sartell. Sartell City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N. 320-253-2171. St. Cloud Lacrosse Association Information Meetings, for girls grades 7-12 and boys grades
4-12, 7 p.m., LeSauk Room #129, Sartell High School District Service Center, 212 3rd Ave. N., Sartell. stcloudlax.com.
Tuesday, Jan. 13 55+ Driver Improvement program (four-hour refresher course), 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Life Assembly of God, 100 44th Ave. N., St. Cloud. 1-888-234-1294. Optional online courses: mnsafetycenter. org. Basic computer and internet help, registration is required at the library or by phone, 11 a.m.-noon, Al Ringsmuth Public Library, 253 5th Ave. N., Waite Park. 253-9359. Sartell Chamber of Commerce, 11:45 a.m., City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N. 320-253-2171. Holistic Moms Network, 7-8:30 p.m., Good Earth Co-op, 2010 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud. 320-252-2489. History Film Series, ‘Minnesota: A History of the Land’, 7-8:30 p.m., Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site, 1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls. 320-616-5421. Thursday, Jan. 15 Coffee and Conversation, a senior discussion group, 9 a.m., Country Manor, 520 1st St. NE, Sartell. 55+ Driver Improvement program (four-hour refresher course), noon-4 p.m., Salem Lutheran Church, 90 Riverside Dr. SE, St.
Cloud. 1-888-234-1294. Optional online courses: mnsafetycenter. org. Evening book club, the January book is The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd, no registration required, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Al Ringsmuth Public Library, 253 5th Ave. N., Waite Park. 253-9359. St. Cloud Lacrosse Association Information Meetings, for girls grades 7-12 and boys grades 4-12, 7 p.m., LeSauk Room #129, Sartell High School District Service Center, 212 3rd Ave. N., Sartell. stcloudlax.com. Friday, Jan. 16 St. Joseph Farmers’ Market, 3-6 p.m., Resurrection Lutheran Church fellowship hall, 610 CR 2.
REAL ESTATE PLAT BOOKS with 911 addresses, legal descriptions. Stearns County. Other counties available by order. Available at the Newsleaders, 32 1st Ave. NW, St. Joseph. Regular price $40; $30 spiral bound. NO REFUNDS. tfn-f
Freelancers sought
The Newsleaders seeks freelance writers and photographers to cover town-specific events/meetings/personalities. Freelancers are paid per story/photo. If interested, please email a resume and a few writing/photo samples to janellev@thenewsleaders.com.
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Newspaper Audit Report
Oct. 1, 2013 - Sept. 30, 2014 Free distribution every Friday
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION Frequency of Issue: Weekly No. of issues Per Year: 50 Subscription Price: $75 per year. Mailing Address of Office of Publication: P.O. Box 324 St. Joseph, MN 56374 Mailing Address of Headquarters of General Business Offices of the Publisher: P.O. Box 324 St. Joseph, MN 56374 Full Name and Complete Mailing Address of the Editor: Janelle Von Pinnon P.O. Box 324 St. Joseph, MN 56374 Full Name and Complete Mailing Address of the Managing Editor: Janelle Von Pinnon P.O. Box 324 St. Joseph, MN 56374 Owner Name: Janelle Von Pinnon
Owner Mailing Address: P.O. Box 324 St. Joseph, MN 56374
Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or more of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or other Securities: None Extent and nature of circulation Total No of copies (Net press run): Total paid or requested circulation: Free distribution by mail carrier: Newsstands Restock/office copies: Gross distribution: Unclaimed/returns: Net circulation:
12-Month Average St. Joseph Sartell 3,653 8,093 0 0 3,335 7,920 320 195 25 50 3,628 8,068 25 48 3,603
8,020
(Circulation Verification Council, P.O. Box 31523, St. Louis, MO 63131-0523)
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Record from front page pants, 133 of them succeeded in keeping their basketballs spinning for a least one minute. The results will be submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records for official certification, which will be announced in 60-90 days. Weeks ago, Cole’s mother, Jeanna, heard from her father, Dick Wagner, about the upcoming attempt to break the world’s record. He had heard about it on an Alexandria radio station. Dick
Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com and his wife, Linda, live in Millerville, a small town northwest of Alexandria where Jeanna was raised. It would be neat, Dick told Jeanna, if Cole isn’t too busy and could take part in the ballspinning event. Jeanna agreed. She Googled “Alexandria Aces,” the group sponsoring the attempt and signed Cole up online. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Alexandria Aces is a team of boys and girls ages 5-12 who have wowed audiences year after year with their amazing basketball “tricks.” They perform half-time shows far and wide that include mind-boggling
feats, such as an 11-year-old girl spinning 12 basketballs at once and a 5-year-old boy spinning two basketballs on top of a five-person human pyramid. The group has delighted crowds at games of the NBA and NCAA and via major TV networks. They have been seen by more than an estimated three million people. Jeanna knew Cole would be a shoo-in for such an event because he was adept at spinning a basketball on one finger since he was a wee kid. On Dec. 27, she drove the three boys to Alexandria. Also present at the
show were Cole’s sister, 8-yearold Hailey, and Jeanna’s parents. A flurry of activity preceded the spinning event, including an appearance by the Timberwolves and the Alexandria Cardinals. Cole admits he was nervous on the gym floor when all the spinning began, fearing he just might drop the ball. “There was a big crowd, and some of the people around me were dropping their basketballs,” he said, “so I was nervous about dropping mine.” But he didn’t. Perched upon Cole’s right index finger, the ball kept spinning and spinning and
Friday, Jan. 9, 2015 spinning and . . . He spun the ball twice – in two non-stop oneminute intervals. Trysten and Alex didn’t drop theirs either. When it was obvious the Guinness record had been broken, the crowd cheered. “My finger was sore afterward,” Cole recalled. After high school, Cole intends to go to college and definitely play basketball. His favorite subject is English, but he is not sure yet what he will study. But in the meantime, he and his buddies have plenty of time to enjoy playing basketball – and spinning them.