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Newsleader Sartell-St. Stephen
Friday, April 29, 2016 Volume 21, Issue 17 Est. 1995
Tractors blessed after Mass in St. Stephen by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
Town Crier
photo by Dennis Dalman
Fr. Robert Harren walks past a row of tractors, blessing each one by sprinkling holy water on them.
Lemonade, Laughter set May 10 at SFX
The eighth annual Lemonade and Laughter, sponsored by the Sartell Senior Connection along with Country Manor Senior Campus and Sartell-St. Stephen Community Education, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday May 10 in St. Francis Xavier Church, 219 Second St. N., Sartell. The event will feature the music and fun of Ted Manderfeld – half of Deuces Wild – who will entertain with standards from the Great American Songbook. Come early to shop the gift table with proceeds supporting SSC programs. There will be a quilt door prize and as always lemonade, coffee, treats and fun. $3/person at the door.
Baseball fundraiser, raffle set May 1 at Blue Line
The Blue Line Sports Bar and Grill in Sartell will host a fundraiser and raffle for the Sartell Stone Poneys Baseball from 5-8 p.m. Sunday, May 1. The fundraiser is to help offset summer costs of umpires, field dues, equipment, uniforms, league fees and tournaments; 20 percent of proceeds will be donated to Stone Poneys. Raffle tickets will be sold; you do not need to be present to win. There will be five prize packages to choose from.
Postal Patron
Perske asks council to delay community center by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
Former Sartell Mayor Joe Perske has again asked the city council to postpone present plans for a community center until after the May 24 schoolbond election. During the public forum por-
Perske
tion of the April 11 city council meeting, Perske said two other cities in the area – Sauk Rapids and St. Joseph – are working
with their school districts for projects that will benefit both through the use of sales-tax revenues. Perske noted St. Joseph has agreed to build a government center in the former Kennedy Elementary School building. Perske said he visited with St. Joseph Mayor Rick Schultz to
‘Our Kids, Our Future’ to be held May 2 at Tech
Our Kids, Our Future: A Community Conversation community education and listening session concerning important issues facing central Minnesota youth and parents, invites area residents to come and learn from 6:308:30 p.m. Monday, May 2 at St. Cloud Technical High School, 233 12th Ave. S. Event attendees should enter through door #3. The event, a collaborative effort of various Stearns County justice-system and community organizations, will feature presentations on school truancy, teenage chemical abuse and the dangers of social media. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on April 29 Criers. For additional criers, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
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Sartell-St. Stephen Resource Guide
After Catholic Mass, blessings abounded the morning of April 24 in St. Stephen when the Rev. Robert Harren, followed by his congregation, crossed the street from the church and blessed a long line of tractors with his handheld holy water sprinkler. The ceremony was performed in honor of St. Isidore the Laborer, a Spaniard renowned for his love of farm workers and animals during his life (107—1130 A.D.) He is considered by Catholics the patron saint of farming. The blessing also included farm seeds that farmers will use in spring planting – for fields and gardens. “The blessing enables us to realize our work forms a bond and a channel of mutual service and charity between members of our human family,” Harren said. “By their labor, farmers and gardeners share in the work of caring for and using God’s good earth to produce food for all to enjoy.” A wide variety of makes and models of tractors were lined up in the parking lot across from St. Stephen Catholic Church. The oldest was a Tractors • page 4
learn more about the collaboration. Perske also noted Sauk Rapids plans to use sales-tax money to work in conjunction with the school district to build a fieldhouse for sports and other activities. The planned Sartell commuPerske • page 7
contributed photo
The proposed roundabout at CSAH 1 and Heritage Drive in Sartell.
Work to begin June on 5-legged roundabout by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
Work will begin sometime in mid- to late June on road reconfigurations and a five-legged roundabout designed to relieve severe traffic congestion and dangers on County Road 1 (Riverside Drive S.) in Sartell near where it connects with Highway 15. Roadways that will converge
at the roundabout will be CR 1, LeSauk Drive, Heritage Drive, River Oaks Lane and an extension of Evergreen Drive. Stearns County Highway Department Engineer Jodi Teich outlined the project recently during an open house at the Minnesota Department of Transportation Building in St. Cloud. In conjunction, but separate from that county project, Minnesota Department of Transpor-
tation will construct dual left turn lanes along Highway 15 for northwesterly bound traffic at CR 1. Teich said some of the project will be able to be done with limited traffic flow from and to CR 1 and Highway 15. The work will involve a refiguring of the five roads in that area so they meet at the roundabout. In recent years, the area by CR 1 and Highway 15 has become
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increasingly congested with traffic converging from all directions, causing visibility problems, extreme traffic backups, long waits for turns and increasing dangers. “The (project) will improve traffic flow tremendously,” Teich said at the April 18 public hearing. The Newsleaders will publish periodic updates of the project once it gets underway.
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Two Sartell students attending St. Cloud State University are among SCSU’s 26 Excellence in Leadership Award honorees. They are Abshiro Hussein Mayow, bachelor’s degree in biomedical science; and Sally L. Traut, Sartell, bachelor’s degree in elementary education. The Excellence in Leadership Award, currently in its 28th year, recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and academic commitment. The Sartell High School Girls Varsity Golf team finished third place with a score of 381 at the meet at Rich-Spring golf course. Macy Senn lead the way with an 88. They also finished second place with a score of 359 at the CLC meet at Sauk Rapids at the Oak Hill Golf Course. Senn and Molly Fossen lead the way with scores of 87 and 88. Co-captain Bridget Maas also posted a personal best score of 91. The Sartell High School Boys Varsity Golf team finished fourth place at the CLC conference meet at the Wapicada Golf Course in St. Cloud. The Sabres were led by Hunter Held, who shot an 80. Austin Pietrowski and TJ Raden both shot 89, Alex Braun 90, Adam Schroer 98 and Kevin Krauel 102. They also finished third place at the Alexandria Invitational at the Alexandria Golf Club. The Sabres finished one stroke out of second and 11 strokes behind Alexandria. Blake Webster shot 78, Raden 79, Pietrowski 80, Held 83, Nathan Boenish 85 and Schroer 97. The Sartell High School Boys Varsity Tennis team beat Apollo High School 7-0. Austin Sura picked up a win
People at No. 1 Singles in three sets while Trevor Erickson and Kyle Harthan set the tone with a straight set win at No. 1 Doubles. Yash Hindka, Eddie Hamilton and Ben Hoeschen all notched wins on the singles side. Finishing the sweep on the doubles were Lawton Miller, Tommy Pinkerton, Max Fesenmaier and Thomas Connolly, who all picked up straight set wins. They also beat Fergus Falls High School 5-2. Sartell got wins from Eric Minnerath, Hindka and Hamilton in singles. On the doubles side, Miller and Pinkerton won a tough threeset match and Fesenmaier and Connolly won a straight set victory at 3 doubles. The Sartell High School Boys Varsity Lacrosse team beat Minnehaha Academy 8-2 with five fourth-quarter goals. The Sartell High School Girls Varsity Softball team beat Alexandria Area High School 6-5 in the first game of a double header. Katie Widvey got her first career varsity win. Alyssa Griepentrog brought in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Cami Doman went 2 for 3 and McKenzie Fossen was 2 for 4 at the plate. In the second game, the Sabres beat Alexandria 5-3. Tonya Paul got her first career varsity win. Joselyn Specht hit a home run while Taylor Johnson went 2 for 3. The Sartell High School Boys Varsity Softball team beat Alexandria Area High School 8-7 in the first of a two game set. Jonah Nebosis was 2-2 with two RBI and also picked up the save on the mound. Chris Belling added two hits for the Sabres. Carter Neuenschwander pitched four innings to pick up the win.
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Friday, April 29, 2016
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Call the Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader at 320-363-7741 if you would like to be in the Business Directory.
contributed photo
Sartell Sapphire Gymnastics recently had two teams advance to the Midwest Amateur Gymnastics Association State Championships. The Sartell Sapphire Silver team qualified for the MAGA Division 5 Championship held in Mankato on March 5. The Silver Team placed sixth with a team score of 124.275. Top finishers include Brenna Chisholm: first on vault, fourth on uneven bars, third on balance beam, second on floor and first in the all-around; Gracie Wittmer-George: second on vault, seventh on uneven bars, sixth on balance beam, fourth on floor and sixth in the all-around; and Annie Dummer: fourth on vault, fiftth on uneven bars, second on balance beam, sixth on floor and fourth in the all-around. The Silver team also earned the Team Sportsmanship award, which is voted on by their peers at the competition. Shown here are the following: (front row, left to right) Sarah Klimpel, Dummer, Emily Gerdes, Wittmer-George; Abigayle Starz, (back row) Dani Beumer, Danielle Giguere, Belle Heinen and Chisholm.
contributed photo
The Sartell Sapphire Blue team qualified for the MAGA Division 10 Championships held in New Prague on March 20. The Blue Team placed second with a season-high score of 117.85, missing first place by 0.1 points. Top finishers included Anna Haehn: seventh on vault, first on uneven bars, first on balance beam, 10th on floor and first in the all-around; and Zoe Lain: second on bars, sixth on balance beam, fourth on floor and third in the all-around. Shown here are the following: (front row, left to right): Haehn, Violet Steil, Lain, Maddie Halstrom, Norah Mentzer, (back row) Alissa Ahrndt, Heidi Lenarz, Brooke Andel, Kendal Coffin and Makenna Hauck.
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Editor: Dennis Dalman
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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.
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Friday, April 29, 2016
If you have a tip concerning a crime, 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 crime. April 16 12:48 a.m. Assist person. HiVue Drive. A complaint was made regarding a man’s roommates not allowing him inside the house. Upon arrival, an officer found the man had been living there but had voluntarily given up his key earlier in the day. An occupant of the house stated he was to be out by 5 p.m. the previous day. There was conflicting stories and the landlord was unable to be reached. The officer assisted the man with looking for more property within the house and then the man left. 11:53 a.m. Traffic stop. Riverside Avenue. While on patrol, an officer stopped a vehicle with a broken rear brake light. After run-
ning the license plate, the officer found the registered owner was revoked. The driver had a friend come pick up the vehicle and give him a ride home. 10:20 p.m. Gunshots. Sixth Avenue. S. A complaint was made regarding possible gunshots. Upon arrival, the officer was unable to locate the source of the noise and cleared. April 17 12:22 a.m. Vandalism. Boulder Drive. A complaint was made regarding juveniles allegedly vandalizing mailboxes. Upon arrival, the parties could not be found. 3:07 a.m. Intoxicated person. Fourth Street N. A complaint was made regarding an intoxicated male outside yelling. Upon arrival, the officer observed a male lying on a bike path next to his bike. The male had fallen and broken his ankle. The officer provided medical attention while Gold Cross Ambulance was dispatched. Gold Cross transported the male to the hospital and the officer transported the bike to the male’s home.
Summer Custodial Openings!
The Departments of Custodial Maintenance at the College of Saint Benedict and Custodial Services at Saint John’s University invite applications to fill multiple general summer custodial positions on the CSB/SJU campuses. All positions are 40 hours per week or as needed, beginning May 9-Aug. 31, 2016. Schedule is 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Experience not necessary, training will be provided. For more information and to apply online, please visit http://employment.csbsju.edu.
Questions, please contact Human Resources at 320-363-5500 or 320-363-2508. Women, individuals of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employers.
Blotter
8:39 p.m. Suspicious vehicle. Grizzly Lane. A complaint was made regarding a vehicle circling the parking lot for 20 minutes. Upon arrival, the officer did not locate the vehicle in the parking lot or neighborhood. Caller was advised to call if she saw it again and the officer cleared. April 18 2:53 p.m. Theft from a vehicle. High Drive. A complaint was made regarding property that was stolen from a couple vehicles. Upon arrival, the officer spoke to the owner, who described the property that was taken from the unlocked vehicles sometime during the weekend. 6:22 p.m. Medical. Cheval Drive. Officers were dispatched to a home where an older male was found on the floor inside and was very confused. Upon arrival, officers determined the man fell on the floor and possibly had a broken hip. A family member found the man and called 911. Officers assisted with loading the male for transport to St. Cloud Hospital’s emergency room.
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8:33 p.m. Animal complaint. Hi-Vue Drive. A report was made by a person stating a cat was in the heater. Upon arrival, the officer met with the homeowner, who said there was a cat stuck in her duct work. The officer discovered the cat was not in the duct work but just outside of it. The officer and owner were unable to get the cat out and the owner was advised to call the property owner.
10:47 p.m. Traffic stop. CR 120. While on patrol, an officer stopped a vehicle with broken license-plate lights. The driver was advised of the reason for the traffic stop and the driver admitted he did not have a valid driver’s license. The driver was issued a citation for driving after suspension and no proof of insurance and given a verbal warning about the broken license-plate lights.
LEGAL NOTICE CITY OF SARTELL PUBLIC HEARING INTERIM ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A MORATORIUM ON I-2 PROPERTIES IN SARTELL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: That the city of Sartell will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, Monday, May 9 at the Sartell City Hall, for the purpose of considering adoption of an interim ordinance establishing a moratorium on all land use activity including zoning, excavating, construction (unless otherwise previously permitted) in order to create the formation of a task force, conduct a study and/or review of properties, standards, allowable
uses and future plans of I-2 properties in the City of Sartell. A copy of the proposed ordinance is available for review at the city clerk’s office. All interested persons are invited to attend to voice their opinion. Written comments will be accepted until the date of the hearing. Mary Degiovanni City Administrator Publish: April 29, 2016
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Friday, April 29, 2016
At right: Many of the oldest tractors brought to the blessing ceremony in St. Stephen are still highly functional and practical. Jeff Palm of St. Stephen sits astride his 1952 8-N Ford, which he uses for his garden plots.
photos by Dennis Dalman
Above: Jake Vouk drove his 1941 Case tractor to downtown St. Stephen to join in on the tractor-and-seed blessing ceremony April 24. At right: Jerry Mehr of St. Stephen is proud of his 1932 Fordson tractor, which was used in Ireland.
Tractors from front page heavy, steam-belching behemoth – a Case-brand steam engine at least 100 years old and owned by Nancy Vouk of St. Stephen. The runt of the bunch was the parish’s X-590 John Deere lawn-mowing rider. Although John Deere green predominated, there was also
a variety of very old fire-orange Case tractors, bright red Farmall tractors and a couple of very old gray Ford tractors. One of the stand-outs was an upstart John Deere “pretender,” a once-red Farmall tractor that had been gussied up by its owner, painted in John Deere green (see related story). Some of the machines are driven just now and then as collector items, but others are still used for farm work, and
At left: Frank Vouk arrives at the blessing ceremony with his faded-red 1955 Super C International Harvester McCormick Farmall tractor. several took part in a couple of St. Stephen-area plowing shows after Harren’s blessing. Jeff Palm’s 1952 8-N Ford tractor, for example, he uses to do his garden and food plots in rural St. Stephen. He bought the old machine in Nebraska and just two weeks ago, students at St. Cloud Technical and Community College repainted the machine – its original colors (gray top, red-orange underbelly). That kind of tractor is
often dubbed a “Red Belly,” Palm noted. “It rides like a champ,” Palm said. Jerry Mehr, also of St. Stephen, came with his 1932 Fordson, a tractor that had once been used in the fields of faraway Ireland. Rural St. Stephen resident Frank Vouk drove up to the parking lot on a 1955 Super C. Farmall; his brother Jake was driving a 1941 Case. Their neighbor, Paul Schu-
mer, pulled up in a 1949 Farmall, and Rich Hansen of St. Stephen, a collector, brought one of his machines – a John Deer 520, circa 1957, which he intended to use in the plowing contest a bit later in the day. The tractor-and-seed blessing event was organized by the Church of St. Stephen’s Vibrancy Committee, whose members are Harren, Liz Legatt, Lori Pogatchnik, Larry Rudolph and Chuck Spychala.
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Friday, April 29, 2016
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John Deere wannabe grabs attention by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
tractor. But, hey, wait a golldarned minute, that ain’t no John Deere! It’s a Farmall tractor gussied up in John Deere green – a blatant pretender. That Farmall, once upon a time so bright red, is now strutting its stuff in bright yellow-green – John Deere green. Shocking. Uncalled for. What the heck is this world coming to? The tractor is owned by Vic Legatt, who enjoys with mischievous glee the double-takes it gets while in the public view. Part of Legatt’s wit is exemplified by the several “bullet holes” here and there on the tractor. They’re not real (they’re clever decals), but they look so real people actually run their fingers over the bullet “holes” only to discover they are flat. Mere decals. So far,
Some farmers are sold on John Deere tractors; some swear by International Harvester Farmall tractors, and that kind of fierce favoritism has verged on fightin’ words at many shoot-the-breeze sessions in St. Stephen farmyards, not to mention elsewhere. So it’s no wonder an upstart pretender has caused so much commotion at parades and, most recently, at the blessingof-the-tractors event in St. Stephen on April 24. (See related story.) At the blessing ceremony sat that brazen wannabe parked among all the other tractors. At first glance, it sure enough seemed to be a John Deere
thank goodness, no John Deere fanatics have shot bullets at the machine – as far as anyone knows. And Marvin Feld of St. Joseph is mighty glad about that. Last summer, Feld drove the fake Farmall in the Bowlus Days Parade and received hoots, jeers and rude remarks all along the parade route. All in good fun, of course. Feld wondered if rotten tomatoes or eggs would come flying his way, but he made it to parade’s end, unscathed. “Anybody can drive a red Farmall,” he told parade stragglers. “But it takes a lot of courage to drive one that’s green.” At the tractor-blessing ceremony, the Rev. Robert Harren blessed the wannabe John Deere – not once but twice.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Vic Legatt and his son, Alex, both of St. Stephen, stand by their John Deere wannabe in St. Stephen shortly before Fr. Robert Harren blessed the machine – twice.
Succulent plants are popular at area greenhouses by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
include purple, lime green, red-oranges and yellows. Their textures and patterns are also stunning and in some cases resemble reptilian scales from some primitive species. Aileen Gebhardt of Sauk Rapids, who works at Fairview Gardens greenhouse near Sauk Rapids, said people seem to be favoring succulents partly because they are so tolerant of heat and periods of drought. They can be planted in ground beds, but many people have begun to plant them in various kinds of containers, sometimes a combination of containers, such as three ceramic pots of
Succulents are hot on the minds of eager spring planters, according to owners of area greenhouses. Succulent plants are those that have parts that are fleshy and thickened, allowing them to hold and store water in arid climates and soil conditions. The most typical ones most people would know are cacti, jade plants, aloe vera and hensand-chicks. Most succulents have an almost strange, alien, exotic beauty with waxy colors that
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varying sizes that can be displayed together, such as on a deck. Succulents also do well inside a house or apartment, by a sunny window. Another reason for the popularity of succulents is many people, such as apartment dwellers, do not have any room for any kind of garden or flower bed. Succulents look attractive on an apartment balcony and require minimal care. “Oh, yes, succulents are really big this year,” said JoAnn Fleischhacker of Albany, who works at Thomsens Garden Center northwest of St. Joseph. Fleischhacker has been a re-
tail buyer for Thomsens for 18 years, and so far this year succulents have become so popular the greenhouse has in stock all kinds of new and exotic kinds of them. “They’re great for container gardening,” she said. “They can
be used as a form of miniature gardening, in smaller pots outside or inside as house plants.” Both Gebhardt and Fleischhacker said supertunias have become very popular because of their variety of stunning colPlants • back page
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Our View
Some grandstanding legislators should get a job, a real job Some Minnesota legislators should get a life. And a job. A real job. They are the ones who love to waste their time and our money on dumb legislative proposals. Their latest stunt is a bill that would require transgender people to use bathrooms that match the sex on their birth certificates. It’s the same fear-mongering stunt recently passed into law in North Carolina, causing that state to lose billions of potential revenue from corporations and others who raised a storm of protest. It makes you wonder what kind of naughty boy comic-book dreck lurks in the minds of these legislators. They are pretending so hard to be “protecting privacy” and “insuring bathroom safety.” What they are doing, in fact, is transgender bashing while – irony of ironies – posing as moral guardians. Most of these knee-jerk reactionaries are those who just cannot stand the fact Minnesota legalized same-sex marriages, which the U.S. Supreme Court has also defined as the law of the land. Thus, in their bitter disappointment over progressive laws defending the civil and legal rights of LGBT people, these legislators – like those in North Carolina and elsewhere – are spoilsport termites determined to nibble away at progressive legislation. If they cannot overturn such laws, they will try to gnaw them to death. Well, the joke’s on them because most of society approves of laws that protect the civil and legal rights of LGBT people. In flaunting their backlash attitudes, all these so-called legislators are doing is exposing the moral bankruptcy and baseless bigotry of their “moral” stances. If these paragons of virtue, so-called, have their way, they’d require everybody who has to use a bathroom to present a birth certificate to a Potty Cop at the entrance. Sound ridiculous? Of course it does because the proposed bill is ridiculous. To hear these bathroom guardians tell it, you’d think there are swarms of sex-crazed transgender people barging into bathrooms to leer at others – or worse, molest or rape them. There is already a law against such behavior, as well there should be. Quite a few people, including at least one legislator, have been arrested for such illegal behavior. Such acts, isolated as they are, will unfortunately continue with or without a lunatic bathroom bill. Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen (R-Glencoe) wrote the House version of the proposed bill. There is little chance such a silly bill will pass, and the supporters know it. They just want to do some “moral” grandstanding, being the “Holy Knights” defending “family values.” All show and pretense. Utter nonsense. Gov. Mark Dayton said he would veto such an “appalling” bill. “They just keep bashing people for their own political advantage,” Dayton said. He should have said “ . . . for what they think is their own political advantage.” What they are doing will more than likely become a political disadvantage. They threw out a boomerang, and it’s going to come right back and zonk them a good one. The ludicrous bathroom legislation has support from many legislators in the central Minnesota area. When re-election time rolls around, let’s help these politicizing busybodies get new jobs – real ones.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Opinion Fearless Tubman bumps Jackson off bill It’s ironic – yet appropriate – abolitionist Harriet Tubman bumped anti-abolitionist and slave-owner Andrew Jackson off the front of the $20 bill. In fairness, Jackson was a significant president, a frontier populist, but his legacy is marred by his despicable treatment of Native Americans of the Southeast. Tubman’s legacy, on the other hand, remains virtually untarnished – one of moral courage, a true inspiration across so many decades. The following are some interesting facts about fearless Tubman: • In 1822 or thereabouts, Araminta Ross (later Tubman) was born a slave to slave parents in Dorchester County, Md. She was one of nine children. Her mother and father were “owned” by different slave owners in the same county. • Like all slaves, she was treated terribly by “owners” who considered her nothing but property to be worked. She recalled being lashed as punishment, even once before she was allowed to eat breakfast. • A life-altering tragedy occurred when she went to a dry-goods store for supplies. There, she met a male slave who had left the fields without permission. The man’s overseer demanded Tubman help restrain the runaway. When she refused, the man threw a 2-pound metal weight at the man but missed, hitting Tubman on the head. The rest of her life she suffered seizures, fits of narcolepsy, painful headaches and would sometimes see visions and hear voices, which she often interpreted as God speaking to her. • In 1840, in her mid-20s, Ross and two of her brothers escaped and made their way to Philadelphia – Pennsylvania being a slave-free state at the time. She knew her time was running out, that she was about to be sold away
Dennis Dalman Editor from her family because she was considered a “sickly slave of low economic value.” Reward posters were printed for the runaways. The brothers decided to return “home.” Ross saw them back safely, then escaped a second time. This is what she later said about her freedom in Pennsylvania: ““When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.” • In 1850, the vile Fugitive Slave Law was passed. It required law enforcement to send back any escaped slaves, even those living in free states. Slave catchers appeared everywhere, hoping for the rewards given for captured and returned slaves. That cruel law profoundly complicated Ross’s life because by then she had decided to dedicate herself to helping slaves escape. The new “promised land” became slave-free Canada. • Ross married John Tubman, which is how she got her new last name. In 11 years, Tubman, working in extreme danger, guided about 300 slaves to freedom as a “conductor” on what was dubbed the “Underground Railroad,” a long series of hideaway houses where the runaways could stop to rest on their dangerous journey North. Tubman rescued family members, relatives but also total strangers. She became known as “Moses” because she led so many in bondage to the
“Promised Land.” • To partly understand the terror of runaway slaves, all one has to do is read some of the many reward posters posted far and wide. They chillingly show in matter-of-fact words the utterly heartless attitudes of the “owners” wanting their “property” back. Runaways caught and returned would often receive hideous punishments, such as up to 150 lashes with whips, brandings on the face, the cutting off of an ear and even, in some cases until the late 1780s, amputation of limbs. • In a decision some consider morally questionable on her part, Tubman helped recruit participants for abolitionist John Brown’s infamous armed raid at Harper’s Ferry. • During the Civil War, Tubman worked as an armed scout, a spy, a cook and a nurse. She even led an armed expedition in what’s known as the Combahee River Raid, liberating 700 slaves being kept captive in South Carolina. Later, she married a Civil War veteran named Nelson Davis, and they adopted a baby girl they named Gertie. • In her later years, Tubman lived, frequently impoverished, in Auburn, N.Y., although her many friends often helped her get through the toughest times. She underwent a grueling surgery, without anesthetic, in an effort to stop the debilitating pains stemming from the head injury she suffered as an adolescent. It did help alleviate some of the pain. She died of pneumonia in 1913 and was buried with full military honors in Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn. • The following is a famed quote from Tubman: “I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say: I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.”
Letters to the editor
Time is now to move forward with school plans Lesa Kramer, Sartell It seems like it was just yesterday my husband and I had the opportunity to tour Oak Ridge Elementary the year it opened, as our son entered kindergarten that fall. During that tour, we were impressed with the conscious decisions that were made to build a facility that had empty classrooms
available to allow for growth. My son is now a junior in high school, so this extra capacity has been used to its fullest in 12 short years. We are one of the fortunate school districts in Minnesota that continues to see consistent growth in our enrollment. It was the realization this extra capacity had been used up in less than the education
cycle of one student that made the decision easy for me. The time is now for the residents of the Sartell-St. Stephen communities to do what’s best by moving forward with a plan that touches all of our students. As a taxpayer, I am choosing to vote yes and invest in providing the best environment for our students. Please join me in voting yes on May 24.
Reader says vote yes in Sartell-St. Stephen bond referendum Adam Heathcote, Sartell There is an important vote coming on May 24 for the future of our towns, our schools and our kids. As a proud graduate from the class of 2000, as a husband to a second-grade teacher, as a parent to two students within the district, as a board member of the Sartell-St. Stephen Education Foundation and as a lifelong resident of Sartell, I urge you to vote yes.
The District has done a great job of articulating the reasons the vote is being proposed to our community. We need to continue to improve the safety and security of our buildings. We need flexible learning spaces for our current and future learners and we need more space, as the current buildings are at or over capacity due to steady growth within our own boundaries. This growth has happened because of our outstanding schools. Families
want their children to get a quality education and choose to move to this community so their children have that opportunity. We can continue this excellence by supporting this referendum and further enhancing this great school system for our greatest assets, our kids and our future. If you need more information, please visit the district’s website, www.sartell.k12.mn.us/ bond-2016.
Sartell couple asks all to join in voting yes May 24 Sarah Hovda, Sartell I am writing to show my support of the Sartell-St. Stephen School Bond Election on May 24. My husband and I chose Sartell as our home when we moved to the area six years
ago. When looking for a home, we knew we needed to be in the Sartell-St. Stephen School District. As former educators, we did our research about what schools we wanted our three children to attend, and Sartell-St. Stephen won hands down. Our three children are all very different learners and have dif-
ferent needs as students. We have been impressed time and time again by the excellent education our children receive in our district. We are voting yes on May 24 because we want the tradition of excellence at Sartell-St. Stephen to continue for years to come. Our
Couple • page 7
Show Sabre pride; vote yes for school bond 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.
Cindy and Ryan Fitzthum, Sartell We are writing to show our Sabre pride and share the reasons why we will be voting yes in the Sartell-St. Stephen School Bond Election on May 24. We are both proud Sartell High School graduates. Therefore, we know firsthand the
value of the education we received from the top-notch staff in this district. Our education in the Sartell-St. Stephen District prepared us to be successful in college and move forward in our careers. Because we appreciate this community and the school system, we chose to live here with our two young daughters – future Sabres. We have studied the current
issues and see the need for safe and secure buildings, flexible learning spaces for the next generation of learners and the need for more space. Each school in our district is currently at or above student capacity. A steady and continuous growth rate has been predicted for our district during the next 10 years.
Pride • page 7
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, April 29, 2016
Couple from page 6 schools are overcrowded and our communities are continuing to grow. We need to have ample space for our students to learn and become the next generation of great minds. I also real-
Pride from page 6 Finally, we know more than 80 community residents came together for nine meetings in 2015 to make this recommendation.
ize with more space comes an opportunity to add additional programming in all of our buildings. As a current board member of the Sartell-St. Stephen Education Foundation, I see many great programming ideas some of which cannot be implemented for lack of space – I can imagine all kinds of amazing programming our students could be ex-
posed to with additional space. I’m also voting yes because I want all of our students to have a safe learning environment and I support the safe-and-secure entrances at each of our buildings. I am proud to be a member of the Sartell-St. Stephen School District and my husband and I hope you will join us in voting yes on May 24.
Many options to increase district space were studied, discussed and debated. In November, the community group presented to the school board. Then, from November through January, the school board and administrators finalized a plan based on the community’s recommendation.
The driving force behind this plan was to make sure all student needs would be met. Please consider who supported your schools when you were a student and pay it forward. Show your Sabre pride and join us in voting yes on May 24.
Meat Market, 26 1st Ave. N.W Sauk Rapids Green River Parks Cleanup, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Lions/ Southside Parks promenade on River Avenue, Sauk Rapids. saukrapidsgreen@gmail.com.
Thursday, May 5 Coffee and Conversation, a senior discussion group, 9 a.m., Country Manor, 520 First St. NE, Sartell. National Day of Prayer, featuring bluegrass band Gold Rush, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Shepherd of the Pines Lutheran Church, 1950 125th St. N.W., Rice.
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, April 29 Registration deadline for free skin-cancer screenings May 2 and 3, CentraCare Clinic, Health Plaza, 1900 CentraCare Circle, St. Cloud. 320229-4924. Rummage Sale, 7-11 a.m., St. John the Baptist Church, 14241 Fruit Farm Road, St. Joseph. 320-363-2569. www. stjohnthebaptistparish.org. Brat sale, sponsored by St. Joseph Y2K Lions, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., St. Joseph Meat Market, 26 First Ave. N.W. Sacred Heart Men’s Club Steak Fry, 5-8 p.m., VFW, 901 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids. 320-249-4413. Saturday, April 30 5K Individual and Team Run/ Walk, Bend in the River Park, N.E. River Road, Rice. 320-333-3326. annamaries5k.com. ricewomenoftoday. com. Rose Education Day, 8-11:30 a.m., Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud. 320-255-7245. z.umn.edu/RoseEd2016. Sartell Lions Spring Cleanup, 8 a.m.-noon, Sartell Middle School parking lot, 212 Third Ave. N. www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/sartell. Brat sale, sponsored by St. Joseph Y2K Lions, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Joseph AU T O M O B I L E S / M O T O R C Y C L E S WANTED MOTORCYCLES: TOP CASH PAID! For Old Motorcycles! 1900-1980. DEAD OR ALIVE! 920-371-0494 (MCN) FOR SALE TRAILER SALE: 2017 H&H 7’x16’ V-nose ramp door, side door $4,156.00; 6’x12’ v-nose ramp door side door $2,799.00; NEW 7’x18’ enclosed $4,550.00; NEW Skidloader trailers with 4 ft. dovetail & flip over ramps $4,077.00; 82”x20’+2’ 14,000# skidloader trailers Now $3,699.00. 150 trailers in-stock 515-972-4554 www.FortDodgeTrailerWorld. com (MCN) ADOPTION PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? Call us first. Living expenses, housing, medical, and continued support afterwards. Choose adoptive family of your choice. Call 24/7. 855-390-6047 (MCN) A UNIQUE ADOPTIONS, LET US HELP! Personalized Adoption Plans. Financial Assistance, Housing, Relocation and More. Giving the Gift of Life? You Deserve the Best. 1-888-637-8200. 24HR Hotline. (VOID IN IL) (MCN) AUTOMOBILES DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR BOAT TO HERITAGE FOR THE BLIND. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 1-800-2830205 (MCN) DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup. Call for details. 855-752-
Sunday, May 1 Bike blessing and barbecue, benefiting Catholic Charities’ St. Cloud Children’s Home and the VA Hospital, following the 10:45 a.m. service, Joy Christian Center, 770 21st Ave. NE, St. Cloud. 320-253-7819. Monday, May 2 Our Kids, Our Future community conversation on important issues concerning Minnesota youth and parents, 6:30-8:30 p.m., St. Cloud Technical High School, 122 12th Ave. S. Sartell Lions Club, 7 p.m., upstairs of Blue Line Sports Bar andGrill, 1101 Second St. S., Sartell. 320-248-3240. Tuesday, May 3 Facilities Plan and Bond Referendum, 6 p.m., Oak Ridge Elementary, 1111 27th St. N. sartell.k12.mn.us/ bond-2016. Wednesday, May 4 Family-to-family, 6:30-9 p.m., Unity Spiritual Center, 931 Fifth Ave. N., Sartell. 320-290-7713. 320-2492560. St. Stephen City Council, 6:30 p.m., St. Stephen City Hall, 2 Sixth Ave SE. 6680 (MCN) EMPLOYMENT/HELP WANTED CLASS A CDL Driver. Good home time. Stay in the Midwest. Great pay and benefits. Matching 401k. Bonuses and tax free money. Experience needed. Call Scott 507437-9905. Apply on-line http://www.mcfgtl. com (MCN) MAKE $1,000 WEEKLY! Paid in advance! Mailing Brochures at Home! Easy pleasant work. Begin Immediately! Age unimportant! www.MyHomeIncomeNow55.com (MCN) MAKE $1000 Weekly!! Mailing Brochures From Home. Helping home workers since 2001. No Experience Required. Start Immediately! www.centralmailing.net (VOID IN SD, WI) (MCN) HELP WANTED: OTR DRIVERS. Ewy Trucking seeking Owner/Operators & Company Drivers. Valid Class A CDL. Home on weekends if desired. Pulling hopper bottoms. Based in Racine, MN. Call 507-421-3680. (MCN) HEALTH & MEDICAL VIAGRA 100mg, CIALIS 20mg. 60 tabs, $99 includes FREE SHIPPING. 1-888-8360780 or Metro-Meds.online (MCN) Stop OVERPAYING for your prescriptions! Save up to 93%! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy service to compare prices and get $15.00 off your first prescription and FREE Shipping. 1-800-2634059. (MCN) Got Knee Pain? Back Pain? Shoulder Pain? Get a pain-relieving brace at little or NO cost
Friday, May 6 Post-Polio Support Group, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Independent Lifestyles, 215 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids. 320-281-2013. St. Cloud State University Commencement, 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., St. Cloud State University (Herb Brooks National Hockey Center), 720 Fourth Ave. S. http://today.stcloudstate.edu/ commencement-ceremonies-may-6/. St. Joseph Area Historical Society open, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Old City Hall, 25 First Ave. N.W. stjosephhistoricalmn.org. St. Joseph Farmers’ Market, 3-6:30 p.m., near the Wobegon Trail Center, C.R. 2.
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Perske from front page nity center will be just two blocks from the St. Cloud border line, outside of the Sartell-St. Stephen School District. If the new Sartell high school is to be built by Oak Ridge Elementary School, the community center would be five miles away from the school. Perske said it makes sense to postpone community-center
plans until after the schoolbond issue passes or is rejected by voters, after which time the city and the school district could work together to build a center suitable for shared needs. The Sartell Planning Commission recently expressed misgivings about the proposed community center site in south Sartell, according to Perske. City council members, he said, should consult with planning commission members and work for a solution that all could embrace.
LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF CANDIDATE FILINGS FOR THE CITY OF SARTELL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that affidavits of candidacy for the Municipal Primary Election to be held Aug. 9, 2016, may be obtained from the City Clerk at the Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N., during regular office hours (7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) Monday-Friday (excluding holidays) between the following dates: First day for filing – Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Last day for filing – Tuesday, May 31, 2016 (office hours extended until 5 p.m.) City offices on the Aug. 9, 2016 ballot are as follows: COUNCILMEMBERS (2) – fouryear terms Mary Degiovanni City Administrator Publish: April 29, 2016
CITY OF SARTELL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON APPLICATION FOR AN INTERIM-USE PERMIT WALMART AND TNT FIREWORKS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Sartell City Council will hold a public hearing in the council chambers of the Sartell City Hall on Monday, May 9 at 6 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, to consider an interim-use permit request from Walmart and TNT Fireworks, ap-
plicants; allowing for a seasonal outdoor sales area on their property located on 21 County Road 120. Mary Degiovanni Administrator Publish: April 29, 2016
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Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
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Friday, April 29, 2016
It May Not Be Too Late photo by Dennis Dalman
Ridge Campbell, a grower and ecology major from Monticello, waters begonias at Thomsen Greenhouse & Garden Center near St. Joseph.
Plants from page 5 ors – everything from black to white and just about any color in between. Supertunias are smaller forms of regular petunias, with prolific masses of blooms all over the rather compact plants, which “trail” down over the edges of planting containers, such as on deck railings. As in every early spring, Gebhardt has been greeting many eager beavers who come to the greenhouse, champing at the bit to start their planting. She has to keep reminding them, however, not to plant yet. It’s too cool to plant most vegetables, and many annual flowers cannot tolerate overnight cold if it gets down in the 30s. It’s best to wait until mid-May to plant most flowers and probably until the end of May to start putting in a vegetable garden, although some cool weather crops can be planted as seeds, such as peas and carrots. Some customers, especially
new ones, are filled with questions about gardening and flower planting. The staff members at both Thomsens and Fairview are eager to help them make their selections once they discover what customers have as far as sunny or shady planting areas or the kinds of containers they would like if planning to do container plantings. Many people new to planting decide to do just a few pots filled with flowers, grasses or accent green plants. A typical planting container, for example, could include a tall spike plant, a geranium and white alyssum. Such a combo planting will give height (the spike plant), color and volume (the red geranium) and contrast (the white alyssum). Other perennially popular choices at area greenhouses are hanging baskets, begonias, wave petunias and perennials like hostas, tall grasses, cornflowers, astilbes and sedum (a succulent). Newcomers to planting should not hesitate to ask greenhouse employees lots of questions. A few tips to keep
in mind: • Annuals are plants or flowers that grow for just one growing season. • Perennials are those that grow year after year in the same place, such as hostas along the foundations of a house. • Use well-drained soil or commercial potting soil when planting in containers as all plants and flowers cannot thrive if soil is waterlogged. Planting containers must contain a hole or two for water to drain out of. • If using hanging baskets, be sure to check them every day to see if the soil is moist. They can dry out extremely fast in warm weather. Water them until the water is pouring out of their bottoms. • It’s a good idea to use a water-soluble fertilizer once a week on plants and flowers. Otherwise, scritch into the soil those time-release fertilizer beads. • Always read carefully the directions that come with plants, flowers and gardening supplies and then follow those directions to a tee.
If you or your family are income eligible for Medical Assistance or Minnesota Care and MISSED the Jan. 31 deadline, it’s NOT too late to apply for health-care coverage! For more information contact TriCAP at www.tricap.org or 320-251-1612