Reaching EVERYbody!
Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid St. Joseph Newsleader St. Joseph, MN 56374 Permit No. 21 ECRWSS Postal Customer
Newsleader Sartell-St. Stephen
Postal Patron
Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
Sartell Chamber salutes leaders, businesses
Volume 22, Issue 46 Est. 1995
Town Crier
by Vicki Ikeogu news@thenewsleaders.com
PlowingVets offers snow removal
PlowingVets is back for year number two! We will be out again this winter, plowing snow FREE for veterans, cops, firefighters and first-responders in the St Cloud area. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Nov. 24 Criers.
Mentor as a family
A Big Family involves an entire family meeting with a Little. This is an opportunity for a family to volunteer together. The Family would be matched with a Little in a community-based program. The family would provide friendship, emotional support and hope to the young person with whom they are matched. For more information, visit the newsleaders. com and click on Nov. 24 Criers.
Ring bells for SA
Volunteers are needed to ring the Salvation Army bells during the Christmas season. There are several locations within Sartell, Sauk Rapids, St. Cloud and Waite Park. It can be cold outside, so volunteers must be able and willing to stand outside for at least two hours at a time. This is a great opportunity to volunteer as a family or in a group. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Nov. 24 Criers.
Holiday donation needs for Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities Emergency Services is in need of donations for the holiday season. Their needs include the following: new toys, gift cards for teens, personal-care items, food-shelf donations, coats/boots for children, coats for men and women and new socks/underwear (all ages) and sponsors for Share the Spirit program. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Nov. 24 Criers.
Submission policy Deadline for news and letters to the editor is 10 days prior to the Friday publication date. Each submission must include a name, address and telephone number or it will not be published. All submissions can be emailed to news@thenewsleaders.com. Deadline for ad copy is 3 p.m. Mondays for Friday’s issue.
INSERTS:
Drakes Fine Food & Spirits Lily’s Wings & Things
photo by Vicki Ikeogu
St. Cloud Orthopedics President Dr. Mitch Kuhl (left) and Administrator William Worzala accept the award for Sartell Large Business of the Year. St. Cloud Orthopedics was recognized for its commitment to sponsoring fundraisers like Tots for Tots.
Sartell residents Ryan Holter, Lauren Lindmeier and Gayle Smoley, along with local businesses Blue Line Sports Bar & Grill and St. Cloud Orthopedics, have some new hardware to display on their walls. As of Nov. 16, the three individuals and two businesses have joined an elite club, having been recognized for their efforts to help improve the city of Sartell. At the annual Sartell Recognition Banquet at Blackberry Ridge Golf Course, the Sartell Chamber of Commerce, the Hospitality and Visitors Service and city officials distributed awards for Sartell Citizen of the Year, Sartell Student
Volunteer of the Year, Sartell Senior Volunteer of the Year, Sartell Small Business of the Year and Sartell Large Business of the Year. The event, according to Sartell Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Nikki Sweeter, has been going on for the past 10 years. “There are a lot of people out there doing great things for Sartell,” Sweeter said. Sweeter said every year the Chamber solicits nominations from Sartell residents to help determine the winners of each of these awards. The criteria, she said, is pretty basic. All residents must live in and/or work in Sartell and businesses must be members of the Sartell Chamber. “It’s all about going above Chamber • page 2
Fundraiser set Dec. 2 Help needed for homes for art students’ China trip for sexploited women by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
A family-fun “Drop and Shop” event will take place Saturday, Dec. 2 in Sartell to help raise funds for a trip to China by art students in June 2019. The fun fundraiser is set from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for all children pre-school and older at Sartell High School. During the fourhour event, there will be gym activities, art projects, games, movies, music participation and
a dance party. People should enter the high school at Door 5 in the front of the school. The cost is $20 per child, with a maximum of $50 per family (immediate family members). Organizers of the fundraiser are encouraging parents to bring a lunch for their children. In June 2019, at least 25 art students from Sartell High School plan to travel to Beijing, China for a cultural-historical tour of that ancient city. Al-
contributed photo
CeCe Terlouw is a leader in the fight against sextrafficking and is seeking to open a shelter house and transition house for victims of the crime in central Minnesota. See page 2 for story.
China • page 5
Ringstrom coordinates Toys for Tots by Cori Hilsgen news@thenewsleaders.com
U.S. Marine veteran Bob Ringstrom, who was the Sartell police chief before retiring in 2004, is the new coordinator for the St. Cloud Area Toys for Tots. Ringstrom, now a St. Joseph resident, has been working with Toys for Tots for almost 20 years. During those years, he was a Sartell route volunteer for Steve Titus of the Valhalla detachment of the Marine Corps League. Titus coordinated the Toys for Tots program for 20 years. Ringstrom and his volunteers are busy collecting donated toys and gearing up for the annual
Toys for Tots distribution. They also count on cash donations to purchase additional toys to ensure there are enough to meet area needs. “We’re always looking for local Marines to help with the routes,” Ringstrom said. Adding they count on Marines from the area to help service the drop-box sites. Ringstrom attended a threeday certification training program in September at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Va. to be certified as a coordinator. He said the Toys for Tots program is part of the Marine Corp Toys • page 3
contributed photo
Santa certifies Bob Ringstrom as the new St. Cloud Marine Corps Toys For Tots Coordinator in September at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Va.
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Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
Help needed for homes for sexploited women by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
Sex trafficking is one of those vile, disgusting crimes most people would prefer to think is not happening here – not in central Minnesota. But, in fact, central Minnesota is, after the Twin Cities, second in the state for the prevalence of sex trafficking, and it’s a virtual training ground for the vicious sexual exploitation of women and girls, according to CeCe Terlouw, executive director of Terebinth Refuge. In an extraordinary series of investigative stories last year, the St. Cloud Times proved how extensive the crime is in just about every city in central Minnesota. The disturbing revelations included the most sordid, demeaning and violent treatment of women and girls by pimps and male customers in motels, apartment units, rented homes and in vehicles. All right here in central Minnesota. Others, too, have noted the shocking prevalence of sex-trafficking. For example, Sartell writer Dennis Herschbach wrote a novel entitled A River Through Two Harbors based on meticulous research into sex-trafficking in the Duluth area. Terlouw is all too aware of the widespread prevalence of sex-trafficking in this area – and worldwide. Her organization, Terebinth Refuge, helps sex-trafficked women and girls transition from their grim exploitations into
Chamber from front page and beyond the daily work,” Sweeter said. “For the citizen awards it can focus on anything outside of work or school time. And for businesses it could be the amount their employees volunteer or the money they donate to reinvest in the community.” For this year’s recognition, Sweeter said there were two students, two citizens and one retired community member up for nomination. There was a total of 13 businesses – eight small and five large –
a healthy – hopefully happy – new way of life, of living. That is why Terlouw and others are trying hard to raise funds for two homes in central Minnesota: a shelter and a refuge for sex-trafficked women. In an interview with the Newsleader, Terlouw explained what is so desperately needed. “There is help available for girls (because they are minors),” Terlouw said. “But there is a need to help women, and right now there just isn’t much for them in the way of shelter or transition. We are starting with one property we now have, though there is nothing inside of it yet. We hope to start with nine women in that house. And then we hope to have another house by spring for another eight women. One will be a shelter; the other will be a house for the transition process. There is a need for these shelters and homes all over the world.” Terebinth Refuge is a Christ-centered non-profit shelter and transition home(s) that will provide holistic services to women 18 years and older who are escaping sexual exploitation and sex trafficking and who can then transition to a life of health, stability and independence. Terebinth Refuge is now having a drive to obtain household items for its shelter home and transition home. What’s needed are linens, kitchen items, furniture – virtually anything a nominated. Sweeter said a selection committee made up of Sartell-St. Stephen School District employees, city staff and Chamber staff met to decide the winners. Holter was selected to be the 2017 Sartell Citizen of the Year. Holter, an employee of Conway, Deuth & Schmiesing, currently serves as the treasurer of the Sartell Chamber of Commerce and spends a minimum of 10 months volunteering throughout Sartell. Lindmeier, a Sartell High School junior, was awarded the 2017 Sartell Student Volunteer of the Year award. Lindmeier is active in student
homey house would need. There is also a need for money donations, and grants are being sought from a variety of sources, Terlouw noted. For more information on what is needed and how to help, visit the Terebinch website at terebinchrefuge. org. Checks can be sent to: Terebinth Refuge House Fund, P.O. Box 5035, St. Cloud, Minn. 56302.
The problem, the crime
sex-trafficking is intricately related to other crimes: drugs and drug distribution, thefts, burglaries and check forgeries. Pimps force their “sex slaves” to get high on drugs. The resultant addictions help the pimps keep their “workers” under their control. To combat sex-trafficking, experts on the subject say there must be a network approach that involves law enforcement, social workers, child-protection services and safe houses of the kind Terebinth Refuge is planning to open. Stearns County Attorney Janelle Kendall said sex-trafficking has occurred and likely still happens in virtually every city in central Minnesota. Shan Wang is the assistant chief of the criminal division for Stearns County. He, Kendall and law-enforcement personnel all agree arrests and convictions cannot eradicate the crime. They agree all people in the area must become aware of the crime, that it’s indeed happening here and then learn as much as possible about what to be on the lookout for. “We can do something,” Kendall said. “If you see something, say something. Dial 911. Say something to your schools. Call the cops. We can stop this. We can.”
What is shocking – almost unbelievable – to most people is the average age for females being drawn into sex-trafficking is 12 to 14 years old, Terlouw noted. Such girls, abused in every conceivable way, are plagued with low self-esteem, a lack of social and work skills, self-contempt, a total lack of independence and a loss of will. They begin to feel trapped, almost like animals kept in cages. Some girls and women who are sex-trafficked are expected to have sex as much as a dozen or more times a day with “customers.” Most of the customers are middle-aged, married men, often with children of their own. Besides the unhealthy and degrading sex work, sex-trafficked women are so controlled by pimps they are expected to steal, to rob, to extort to get money, either for their own addictions or to fatten the pocketbooks of their pimps. As a result,
Cynthia “CeCe” Terlouw is determined to help girls and women escape the hor-
council, National Honor Society and volunteers at Country Manor, among many other activities. “We chose Ryan and Lauren specifically because they spend a lot of time outside of their respective organizations volunteering,” Sweeter said. Gayle Smoley was selected as the Sartell Senior Volunteer of the Year for her work coordinating volunteers for the Sartell Community Center’s Resource Center. Smoley also volunteers with the Sartell Senior Connection and Books Across the World. Blue Line was recognized as the 2017 Sartell Small Business of the Year. St. Cloud
Orthopedics was named the 2017 Sartell Large Business of the Year. “Both businesses had given tons both financially and with their time,” Sweeter said. Sweeter said the committee was impressed with the number of organizations Blue Line owners Scott and Esther Widor have contributed to financially. “They had a list of about 30 organizations they helped raise money for,” she said. “And a lot of those organizations were in Sartell.” As for St. Cloud Orthopedics, Sweeter said the work done with Toys for Tots was something that pushed the
Terlouw’s mission
rors of sex-trafficking. Raised in Arden Hills, she graduated from Mounds View High School and received a full athletic scholarship to the University of Minnesota, where she received a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation with a minor in dance. With a passion for helping others, she worked at Home of the Good Shepherd, Outreach Group Homes and the Hennepin County Home School. She joined the Heartland Girls Ranch near Benson in 1992. In her 24 years of work for that program, she was its executive director and director of strategic development. Heartland was recognized as a “model program” throughout the state for its services for at-risk and sexually exploited/trafficked girls. Terlouw also served on the Safe Harbor Statewide Advisory Panel and is a member of the stateside Human Trafficking Task Force. Terlouw is the author of Heartland Girls’ Ranch Hearts for Freedom Project: A Resource Guide for Working with Sexually Exploited Youth & Minnesota’s Safe Harbor Law. She frequently speaks at public and private gatherings because, as she often emphasizes, the more people become aware and then educated about the crime of sex trafficking, the more its victims can be helped and the more the criminals can be put out of their sordid, cruel exploitations. business over the top. “About 50 percent of the toys that are donated to Toys for Tots within central Minnesota come from St. Cloud Orthopedics,” Sweeter said. Sweeter said the work of these individuals and businesses should serve as an inspiration for others to work toward making Sartell a better and more vibrant place to be. “These winners are all fighting hard for our community to be a great place to live and work,” she said. Look for profiles on each of the winners in upcoming editions of the Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader.
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Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
Toys from front page program. Currently, there are 250 drop-box locations to collect toys in the surrounding St. Cloud area, including Sartell, St. Joseph, Rice, Cold Spring, St. Augusta and more. About 12 Marines are currently serving these sites. According to Ringstrom, the St. Cloud Area Tots for Tots serves more than 3,000 children each year. The need, he said, is definitely there. Catholic Charities Emergency Services and the Salvation Army are the distribution centers for toys that are collected or purchased through the program. Toys for Tots connects and partners with Catholic Charities to distribute the toys. Families can register with Catholic Charities to find toys for their children. The campaign kicked off the week of Nov. 6. The Marine volunteers will complete the toy collections Dec. 8 for this year’s distribution. Some drop-off locations volunteer to keep their boxes out after Dec. 8. Those toys collected during the rest of December will be stored for next year’s distribution.
This year’s distribution dates for families to “shop” for toys are Dec. 14, 19 and 22. Catholic Charities welcomes volunteers to assist as needed for each distribution shift. “The idea is to reach as many children as possible,” Ringstrom said. “Toys for Tots is narrowly conceived as a mission to bring light into the lives of children who are not so fortunate as so many of us during the season of giving. It can help them understand they don’t necessarily have to go without in a world that has so much. It’s also an important way for parents and family to be warmed by seeing the joy their children can also be a part of. It can be a strong influence on young lives that everything isn’t a disappointment.” The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program started in 1947 when Major Bill Hendricks, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to children in need. Hendricks’ wife, Diane, came up with the idea after sewing a Raggedy Ann doll and wanting her husband to deliver the doll to an organization that would give it to a child who needed it. After learning that no agency existed, she asked Bill to start one and he did. Because the 1947 campaign was so successful, the Marine Corps
adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a national campaign the Marines have been conducting ever since. The initial objective “to bring the joy of Christmas to America’s needy children” still continues today. Hendricks, a Marine Reservist on weekends, was the director of public relations for Warner Brothers Studio. He influenced a variety of celebrities to support Toys for Tots. In 1948, Walt Disney designed the Toys for Tots logo which is still used today. Disney also designed the first organization poster used to promote the nationwide program. Many celebrities helped support the program, including Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Vic Damone, Bob Hope, John Wayne, Doris Day, Lorrie Morgan, Tim Allen, Kenny Rogers and Billy Ray Cyrus. Toys for Tots is a 501(c)3 foundation, located in Virginia, and 96.8 percent of funds raised are applied to the program. The program has distributed more than 313 million toys to 151 million children. Ringstrom served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1968-1974 and was in Vietnam from 1969-70. For additional information visit the toysfortots.org website or the St. Cloud Area Toys for Tots Facebook page at facebook.com/StCloudMarineToys4Tots/.
contributed photo
Greg Danzl and Steve Titus (right), of the Valhalla detachment of the Marine Corps League, volunteer with the U.S. Marine Corps Toys For Tots in St. Cloud. Titus was the coordinator of the program for 20 years and Danzl was the assistant coordinator. Bob Ringstrom, who volunteered with the program for many years, is the new coordinator for the program. Organizations interested in hosting a drop-site location for collecting toys should visit the Facebook page. Donations can be made out to “St. Cloud Toys for Tots” and mailed
Department of Education N/A DISTRICT REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES Division of School Finance 1500 Highway 36 West BUDGET FOR FY 2017 AND FY 2018 Roseville, MN 55113-‐4266 GENERAL INFORMATION: Minnesota Statutes, section 123B.10, requires that every school board shall publish the subject data of this report. District Name: SARTELL -‐ St. STEPHEN Public Schools
FUND General Fund/Restricted
FY 2017 BEGINNING FUND BALANCES
FY 2017 ACTUAL REVENUES AND TRANSFERS IN
FY 2017 ACTUAL EXPENDITURES AND TRANSFERS OUT
3
JUNE 30, 2017 ACTUAL FUND BALANCES
to St. Cloud Toys for Tots, c/o Bob Ringstrom, coordinator, P.O. Box 803, St. Joseph, Minn. 56374. To volunteer with Catholic Charities call 320-229-4560.
ED-‐00110-‐40
District Number: FY 2018 BUDGET EXPENDITURES AND TRANSFERS OUT
FY 2018 BUDGET REVENUES AND TRANSFERS IN
0748 JUNE 30, 2018 PROJECTED FUND BALANCES
$ 549,038 $ 1,756,904 $ 1,456,331 $ 849,610 $ 2,020,331 $ 2,039,473 $ 830,468
General Fund/Other
$ 8,579,471 $ 36,363,606 $ 35,808,337 $ 9,134,740 $ 35,494,079 $ 38,914,016 $ 5,714,803
Food Service Fund
$ 397,534 $ 2,292,666 $ 2,300,116 $ 390,084 $ 2,319,944 $ 2,409,036 $ 300,992
Community Service Fund
$ 328,850 $ 1,005,978 $ 891,342 $ 443,486 $ 989,469 $ 988,607 $ 444,348
Building Construction Fund
$ -‐ $ 108,678,472 $ 7,596,629 $ 101,081,844 $ 480,000 $ 42,204,235 $ 59,357,609
Debt Service Fund
$ 1,143,849 $ 4,715,567 $ 4,795,073 $ 1,064,344 $ 9,271,216 $ 9,142,747 $ 1,192,813
Trust Fund
$ 14,055 $ 20,629 $ 20,500 $ 14,184 $ 24,000 $ 24,000 $ 14,184
Internal Service Fund
$ -‐
* OPEB Revocable Trust Fund
$ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐
$ -‐
$ -‐
OPEB Irrevocable Trust Fund
$ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐
OPEB Debt Service Fund
$ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐ $ -‐
TOTAL -‐ ALL FUNDS
$ 11,012,797 $ 154,833,822 $ 52,868,328 $ 112,978,292 $ 50,599,039 $ 95,722,114 $ 67,855,217
LONG-‐TERM DEBT
$ -‐
Outstanding July 1, 2016 Plus: New Issues Less: Redemeed Issues Outstanding June 30, 2017 SHORT-‐TERM DEBT
$ 22,968,945 $ 107,939,826 $ 3,949,797
CURRENT STATUTORY OPERATING DEBT PER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 123B.81
$ -‐
AMOUNT OF GENERAL FUND DEFICIT, IF ANY, IN EXCESS OF 2.5% OF EXPENDITURES 06/30/2017 COST PER STUDENT -‐ AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP (ADM) 06/30/2017
$ 126,958,974 TOTAL OPERATING EXPENDITURES
$ 38,999,795.30
Certificates of Indebtedness
$ -‐
FY 2017 TOTAL ADM SERVED + TUITIONED OUT ADM + ADJUSTED EXTENDED ADM
3,866.81
Other Short-‐Term Indebtedness
$ -‐
FY 2017 OPERATING COST PER ADM
$ 10,085.78
The complete budget may be inspected upon request to the superintendent. Comments: The complete budget may be inspected upon request to the Superintendent. The data in this report reflects audited numbers for the 2016-‐2017 school year. This report and the complete audit report are viewable on the District Webiste at www.sartell.k12.mn.us * Other Post-‐Employment Benefits (OPEB)
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Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
LEGAL NOTICE REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING SARTELL-ST. STEPHEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 748 OCT. 16, 2017 DISTRICT SERVICE CENTER BOARD ROOM The regular school board meeting of Independent School District 748 was called to order at 6 p.m. by Vice Chair Jason Nies. Members present: Nies; Pamela Raden, clerk; Patrick Marushin, treasurer; Mary McCabe, director; Lesa Kramer, director; Jeremy Snoberger, director; and Jeff Schwiebert, superintendent. Members absent: None. A motion was made by Marushin and seconded by McCabe to APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. All in favor. Motion carried. A motion was made by Marushin and seconded by Kramer to APPROVE CONSENT ITEMS A-D AS PRESENTED BELOW. All in favor. Motion carried. a. Minutes of the regular school board meeting held on Sept. 18, 2017 b. Checks in the amount of $2,520,205.89 as presented: General Fund Food Service Fund
2,223,865.85 169,782.45
Transportation Fund
44,063.20
Community Service Fund
41,871.44
Capital Expenditure Fund
31,434.76
Summer Rec Agency Fund
9,188.19
Check numbers 169192 - 169572
Receipts in the amount of $4,017,422.21 as presented: General Fund Food Service Fund Transportation Fund
3,196,772.05 184,352.90 1,124.06
Community Service Fund
67,735.68
Capital Expenditure Fund
9,211.73
Building Fund Debt Service Fund Summer Rec Agency Fund
63,220.31 489,874.59 5,130.89
Receipts 43744 - 43883
Wire transfers in the amount of $8,802.47 as presented: General Fund
2,197.62
Food Service Fund
5,090.09
Community Service Fund
1,514.76
Wire transfers 201700024-201700032
Building Fund Checks in the amount of $1,513,177.60 as presented: Building Fund
1,513,177.60
Check numbers 600122 to 600144
c. Accept the following donations: Oak Ridge Elementary PTC, Oak Ridge Elementary, $115.50, second-grade Scholastic News; Tony and Elsie Dingmann Fund, Sartell High School, $4,430.44, High School Band Program. d. Accept the resignation of Cecilia Fiedler, SHS, food-service worker, 10/5/17; Kathi Hammer, ORE, student supervisor, 10/9/17; Priscilla Lessard, SHS, cashier, 10/24/17; Cheryl Nies, ORE, morning cashier, 10/2/17; Donna Weihrauch, SHS, food-service worker, 10/13/17. Accept the retirement of Robert Christianson, SHS, lead custodian, 10/31/17. Reduction of position: Steve Lojovich, SMS, para, 10/25/17.
Superintendent Report: Superintendent Schwiebert reported he has started having beforeand after-school meetings with each grade level in each of the buildings. He is thankful to be living in the area we live in, highlighting the new Community Center, the continued road-improvement projects and the new developments in the cities. Architect Report on Building Process: Senior Project Manager Robbie Schultz and Project Manager Lee Gruen reported the hydronic testing at Pine Meadow will begin on Wednesday, Oct. 18. The New High School received its first layer of paving on Friday, Oct. 13. All other work is continuing on schedule with the auditorium, gymnasium and pool areas starting to take shape between mid-December and mid-February. In regard to permits, the State of Minnesota has made a review and comment on the above-grounds permits and the permit for the kitchen has been approved by Stearns County. Student Enrollment Report: Superintendent Schwiebert presented current enrollment numbers for each school. School Board Committee Report: Director Kramer reported on the Drug Free Coalition meeting held on Oct. 9. The next meeting will be on Nov. 13. Clerk Raden reported on the Technology meetings that discussed the website and attended the MSBA Advocacy Tour. Student Representative Report: Tristen Nies, student representatives Nies reported on happenings around the district. At the elementary level, students helped sell bracelets and T-shirts for homecoming week; celebrations included dress-up days and a walk-a-thon with captains from different teams helping. Conferences will be Oct. 16, 17 and 18. At the middle-school level, students also sold bracelets and T-shirts for homecoming week. On Friday, Oct. 27 the sixth grade will perform “Princess Who?” and the seventh- and eighth-graders will have their first activity night of the school year. At the high-school level, homecoming week was a grand success and more than $18,000 was raised for the Make-A-Wish drive. Boys and girls soccer teams have started their playoff brackets and girls performed well at True Team State. The Halloween dance will be held on Halloween, with National Honor Society having a Trickor-Treat food drive on Sunday, Oct. 29. The fall band, choir and orchestra concert is tonight at 7:30 p.m. A motion was made by Raden and seconded by Marushin to APPROVE #1-23:
New Employees/Changes: Leaves of Absence: Christopher Biegner, SHS, assistant boys hockey, $4,360 (9.5 percent), BA 11 ($45,893), replacing David Miller, 11/13/2017; Amber Coons, PME, morning cashier, $15.07/ hour, R1, S2, one hour/day, additional assignment/replacing Cheryl Nies, 10/5/2017; Dave Driste, SMS, eighth-grade girls basketball, $2,914 (6.35 percent), BA 11 ($45,893), replacing Sascha Hansen, 10/19/2017; Jason Huschle, SHS, boys head golf, $3,562 (9.5 percent), BA 2 ($37,496), replacing Craig Braun, 3/19/2017; Leah Summerville, SHS, ninth-grade girls basketball, $3,365 (8.35 percent), BA 5 ($40,294), replacing Karlye Rude, 11/13/2017; Melissa Kramer, ORE, food-service worker, $14.18/hour, R1, S1, three hours/day, replacing Hollie Neitzke, 10/9/2017; Priscilla Lessard, ORE, morning cashier, $14.18/hour, R1, S1, one hour/ day, replacing Hollie Neitzke, 10/2/2017; Priscilla Lessard, SHS, cashier, $14.18/hour, R1, S1, three hours/day, replacing Cheryl Nies, 10/2/2017; Noel Meyer, SHS, assistant wrestling, $4,035 (10.5 percent), BA 3 ($38,426), replacing Tim Prescott, 11/20/2017; Brian Nelson, SHS, FIRST robotics advisor, $1,225 (3.35 percent), BA 1 ($36,559), replacing Nick Phillips/Ariel Torborg, 11/27/2017; Cheryl Nies, SMS, food-service worker, $17.04/hour, R1, S5, 4.5 hours/day, replacing Carol Williamson, 10/2/2017; Monica Pick, ORE, Title 1, $25.11/ hour, BA 1 ($36,559), replacing Mitze Olson, 10/2/2017; Kathy Porwoll, SMS, morning cashier, $17.04/hour, R1, S5, 1.25 hours/day, additional assignment/replacing Carol Williamson, 9/25/2017; Joanna Richards, SHS, music vocal director, $1,956 (5.35 percent), BA 1 ($36,559), replacing Brandon Nordhues, 2/5/2018; Aaron Romportl, SHS, 10th-grade boys basketball, $3,937 (10.5 percent), BA 2 ($37,496), replacing Brennan Rath, 11/20/2017; Diane Santala, SHS, cashier, $14.18/hour, R1, S1, three hours/day, replacing Cecilia Fiedler, 9/29/2017; Jacob Smith, SHS, ninth-grade boys basketball, $3,053 (8.35 percent), BA 1 ($36,559), replacing Kyle Grote, 11/20/2017; Melissa Smith, Early Childhood, teacher, $26.25/ hour, BA, S3, rehire, 8/29/2017; Zach Steffl, SHS, ninth-grade boys basketball, $3,053 (8.35 percent), BA 1 ($36,559), replacing Ryan Hiltner, 11/20/2017; Zach Steffl, SHS, Math League advisor, $823 (2.25 percent), BA 1 ($36,559), replacing Sarah Hensel, 11/6/2017; Emily Yule, Early Childhood, teacher, $29.74/hour, BA 20, S3, rehire, 8/29/2017.
Jill Ambrosier, ORE, teacher, LOA, revised dates: 9/10/17 – 12/11/17; Alyssa Kasella, DSC, child-care attendant, LOA, 11/28/17 – 2/20/18. All in favor. Motion carried. A motion was made by Marushin and seconded by Raden to ALLOW THE SUPERINTENDENT TO PROVIDE AN INKIND DONATION TO THE CITY OF SARTELL FOR CHAMPION FIELD AS PRESENTED. All in favor. Motion carried. A motion was made by McCabe and seconded by Snoberger to APPROVE THE CONTRACT WITH BLACKBOARD INC. FOR LICENSED SOFTWARE, SUPPORT AND/OR SERVICES FOR WEBSITE AND MOBILE APP. All in favor. Motion carried. Schedule Work Session and Committee Meetings: • Operations and Finance Meeting – Tuesday, Oct. 24 - District Services Center - 5:30 p.m. • District Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Advisory Committee Meeting - Tuesday, Oct. 24 - District Services Center - 7:30 a.m. • Steering Committee Meeting - Wednesday, Oct. 25 - District Services Center - 1 p.m. • Teacher Negotiations - Monday, Oct. 30 - District Services Center - 5 p.m. • Future Board Meeting - Monday, Nov. 20 - District Services Center - 6 p.m. • School Board Work Session – Wednesday, Nov. 8 – District Services Center - 5 p.m. • Policy Committee Meeting Tuesday, Oct. 24 - District Services Center - 6:30 p.m. The Board took a five-minute recess at 7:19 p.m. The meeting resumed at 7:27 p.m. A motion was made by Marushin and seconded by Kramer TO CLOSE THE MEETING FOR NEGOTIATIONS STRATEGY PURSUANT TO MN STAT. 13D.03. All in favor. Motion carried. Business Director Steve Wruck and Human Resources Director Krista Durrwachter were invited to join the discussion. A motion was made by Marushin and seconded by Raden at 7:57 p.m. TO OPEN THE MEETING. All in favor. Motion carried. A motion to ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7:58 p.m. was made by Marushin and seconded by Snoberger. All in favor. Motion carried. _________________________ /s/ Pamela Raden, clerk Publish: Nov. 24, 2017
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
5
Sartell High School Honor Society recognizes scholars by Vicki Ikeogu news@thenewsleaders.com
Nearly 300 Sartell High School students were recognized for their academic achievements during the past year at the annual Academic Breakfast Nov. 22. Advanced Placement psychology and leadership class teacher Karrie Fredrickson said the recognition of students has been happening at the school since before she started teaching more than 20 years ago. “I think a lot of the students who are recognized find it to be quite an honor,” Fredrickson said. To earn an invitation to the annual breakfast event students have to achieve a 3.67 grade-point average or higher within the past year. The breakfast is only open to students in grades 10-12. The National Honor Society kids plan (the breakfast). They get the information from the counsel-
China from front page though 25 students are signed up for the trip so far, art teacher Deb Rolling said there is enough room on the trip for 42 students. She is hoping more students will join the trip. Rolling explained the concept for the China trip. Enrichment trips by art and social-studies students in Sartell have often involved tours of famed European cities such as Paris, Rome, Florence and more. Rolling and others contacted “Education
ing office and send out the invitations. In addition to a meal before school, breakfast attendees also heard short speeches from Superintendent Jeff Schwiebert and Principal Brenda Steve. A guest speaker talked with students about the four pillars of the honor society: scholarship, service, leadership and character. The Academic Breakfast is funded through concession sales done by the honor society. The ceremony overlaps into the school day by about 10 minutes. “The kids see it as a celebration of work well done,” Fredrickson said. “Our kids these days are really active and are pulled in a lot of directions. They are pushed to be good students and good athletes and good participants of after-school clubs. We see more kids pushing themselves, taking more AP contributed photo classes. So (maintaining Students pose for a photo with keynote speaker Donna Kellor after attending the 2016 Sartell High School a good GPA) is definitely Academic Breakfast. The annual academic breakfast recognizes students who have achieved a GPA of something to be proud of.” 3.67 during the last year. About 300 students in grades 10 through 12 attended the 2017 breakfast.
First Tours,” which is a group that arranges affordable field trips for students. Rolling was impressed by how many options there are for art tours, besides the usual ones to the great European places. One such new option was China. It was, she and other art instructors knew, a country that very few if any of the art students would visit in their lifetimes. It’s also an ancient country in which a dazzling arts heritage has developed throughout thousands of years. “There is so much cultural heritage, art, entertainment and a bit of mystery about China,” Rolling said.
Students will tour the Forbidden City in Beijing, which is the site of so many ruling dynasties; the Great Wall; the Beijing Zoo; and other social learning experiences, such as meeting with school children, doing an art project there, going for rickshaw rides and eating with a traditional family. Students who have signed up are mostly in grades 8-11 currently. There are also a couple of parents and one grandmother signed on as chaperones. There are enough places on the tour for 42 students. Rolling said she is confident more students than the current 25 will want to join the trip.
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6
Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
Public-private partnership to fund parks, fields by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
The City of Sartell is going to borrow money from itself in order to fund several park-improvement projects and athletic-facility enhancements, and then the city, with help from private concerns, will pay itself back later, so to speak. The lion’s share of the $1.2-million funding would go to improvements at Champion Field and Pinecone Central Park. It might sound odd, but it’s called “interloan,” and – as several council members noted – it’s a bit hard, at first, to “wrap one’s head around,” although the city has used that form of paying for projects in the past. The interloan funding mechanism was the prime topic at a recent Sartell City Council meeting. It was approved unanimously by the five-member council. The topic was discussed in exhaustive detail for about half of a council meeting that lasted three hours and 40 minutes. Many times during the meeting, council members asked for clarification of the funding mechanism because they considered it confusing and complicated, and even the city administrator acknowledged it is difficult to explain or to understand succinctly. Interloan, basically,
means Sartell will use much of its regional half-cent sales tax revenue (currently $1.8 million available) to fund park improvements and athletic-field upgrades. And then, eventually, during the coming years, that money is expected to be repaid mainly through the city’s park-district funds and through pledges made by private contributors. The agreement is just the latest in a long-time public-private network (city, school district, private companies) to bring recreational amenities to Sartell. The funding agreement adds up to about $1.2 million in costs. The City of Sartell will pay $734,500 for the project, but only about $635,000 of that amount will be new funding because the city already committed in the past about $100,000 for athletic-field improvements at Champion Field, which is part of the overall project. The city’s share, mainly from half-cent sales-tax revenue, would be paid back from a combination of park-district funds in the coming years, as well as private pledges raised through a donation drive by the Pinecone Central Park Association and the Sartell Youth Baseball Association. Sartell City Administrator/Financial Director Mary Degiovanni told the council members even though all of
the sales-tax money used for the project would be repaid, the council has the option to not insist upon that and that upcoming sales-tax funds and repaid funds could be used for a project or projects that the council sees, in future years, as necessary. The pay-back would take about four years from ongoing park-dedication funds but up to 20 years total for private pledges because some of the pledges are extended over that period of time.
The projects
The following is a list of the projects and improvements approved by the city council at its Oct. 23 meeting, as provided in written form in the council agenda provided by the city administrator. The first four parks’ improvements can be realized with park-dedication funds currently or soon to be available, Degiovanni said. Wilds Neighborhood Park: $30,000 of park-district funds to replace the existing basketball court with a new court surface and convert existing courts to green space with soccer goals added. Huntington Park: $50,000 of park-district funds to add irrigation, to screen the water tower and to add shade
Thanks for the three-peat!
contributed photo
This is a bird’s-eye view of the baseball fields at Sartell’s Pinecone Central Park. The fields attract thousands of local and out-of-town players every ball season, bringing revenue to the city, not to mention lots of fun and excitement to the players and spectators. trees and – perhaps – to construct an open-ended park shelter. Northside Park: Up to $15,000 of park-district funds to convert existing tennis courts to green space and remove a retaining wall that is in very decrepit shape. Watab Park: Resurfacing of courts, playground improvements and possibly wading-pool repairs and a new pool-house shelter. This could cost up to $150,000 or more depending on what is decided as needed. The council, at the Oct. 23 meeting, authorized Winkelman Construction to come up with a plan for the shelter. Sauk River Park: Staff
studies are underway as to how to add amenities to this park, hopefully with some possible future state grants. Champion Field and Pinecone Central Park: A grant application on behalf of Champion Field improvements was not successful, so the city and private concerns will have to totally pay for the improvements. This project will take the lion’s share of funding – mainly a combination of city and private funds. The improvements include making two athletic fields “playable” by adding good, drainable dirt (to be obtained from soil excavaParks • back page
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Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
7
Council signs on to joint-resolution wish list by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
The Sartell City Council, on a 3-1 vote, decided to sign on to a collective annual list of area cities’ wishes and needs to be presented to state legislators. Sartell Mayor Sarah Jane Nicoll was not present at the Nov. 13 council meeting. Voting to approve the list were acting mayor Pat Lynch and council members Mike Chisum, Ryan Fitzthum and David Peterson. The list is a joint resolution involving the cities of Sartell, St. Joseph, St. Cloud, Waite Park and St. Augusta. Several times earlier this year, the Sartell City Council had pon-
dered whether or not to sign on to the list. It is, they mostly agreed, of dubious value for a number of reasons: the list is too long, its items are often too vague, many items do not pertain to Sartell and legislators are generally not swayed by such lists – especially if there are too many so-called priorities on it. When the subject came up again, this time at the Nov. 13 meeting, Lynch noted right away he would not vote in favor of it because at least two of the items he disagrees with. While agreeing that extension of Interstate-94 is truly a regional benefit to the area, Lynch questioned an item about photo enforcement at traffic lights with
a camera aimed at vehicles and their license plates to record traffic violations such as motorists speeding through red lights. Lynch said such a method raises constitutional questions and smacks of a “police state” mentality. Lynch then made a motion for the council to request it be removed from the list. The council approved the motion on a 3-1 vote, with Peterson dissenting. Another item Lynch took issue with is a request to have the Northstar Commuter Rail extended to St. Cloud from its northern terminal, currently Big Lake. Lynch said he has heard many people in this area don’t like that proposal because it
may cause jobs here to go to the Twin Cities, with the rail line “shipping” workers to jobs down there. Lynch made a motion to remove that item. The motion then died for lack of a second. Council member Mike Chisum said he is in favor of an item requiring stricter licensing of motels and hotels, and about relocation parameters for mobile-home parks. Such items could definitely apply to Sartell, Chisum noted. Finally, when it came time to vote for or against the collective list, the vote was 3-1, with Lynch voting no. The list contains about 30 policy proposals, funding pro-
posals and state-bond applications. The one Sartell-specific item on the list is a request to appropriate funds to support the completion of the West Metro Corridor transportation project, of which 50th Avenue S. in Sartell is a part. Other items of regional nature do affect, more or less, the City of Sartell, such as cities being allowed to publish legal notices in other forms of media, including or not including newspapers; establishment of a St. Cloud-based human-rights office; a tax-exempt credit program; a request for more Local Government Aid; levy limits; relief from state mandates; and more.
People
Sartell psychologist receives SCSU honor Licensed psychologist Dennis Anderson, who resides in Sartell, was recently awarded the 2016/2017 Alumni Service Award by the SCSU Alumni Association. This reflects both service at the university where he has been an adjunct instructor for many years as well as service to the community. Andersen’s community involvement includes being a charter member of St. Cloud Granite Rotary and designated a Paul Harris fellow; board chair of Wacosa; board chair of Big
Brothers and Big Sisters; treasurer for five years and president for four years of Minnesota Psychological Association having been recognized as a distinguished elder; board member and secretary for St. Cloud Freedom Flight/Honor Flight for 26 years; and board member for Friends of Lindbergh Heritage in Little Falls. Andersen practices at Central Minnesota Counseling Center which he founded in 1977 and is currently located at 103 Doctors Park in St. Cloud.
Blotter
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 a crime. This information is submitted by the Sartell Police Department.
Nov. 10 2 p.m. Traffic stop. Evergreen Road. While on routine patrol and monitoring traffic on First Street NE, an officer ran a routine check on a vehicle and discovered the male registered owner had a warrant out for his arrest. The officer observed the driver to be male and conducted a stop on the vehicle. The officer then made contact with the driver and told him the reason for the stop. The male party provided identification which didn’t match the registered owner. Upon further investigation, the officer discovered the man had a revoked driver’s license. The driver was cited for driving after revocation and released. Nov. 11 11:17 a.m. Motorist assist. Fifth Street N. An officer was dispatched for a vehicle unlock. The officer arrived on scene and made contact with the complainant. The male gave permission for the officer to unlock the vehicle and waived liability. The officer made entry through the driver’s door using a slim jim. 1:05 p.m. Medical. Fifth Avenue E. Officers were dispatched for a report of a 34-year-old male who was having difficulty breathing. Offices arrived on scene and met with the male. He stated he was having extreme back pain. Officers provided
oxygen and assisted the male with controlling his breathing. Gold Cross arrived on scene and officers assisted as necessary.
Nov. 12 11:50 p.m. Domestic. Two-anda-half Street N. Officers were dispatched for a report of a domestic between a male and his son. Officers were advised the son was possibly wanted. Offices arrived on scene and met with the male complainant who stated his son had left on foot. Officers set a perimeter, locating the wanted man within a few minutes. The man’s warrant was confirmed through dispatch so he was placed under arrest and transported to the Stearns County Jail. Nov. 13 9:02 p.m. Medical. 673 Brianna Drive. An officer was dispatched to Edgewood for a report of an elderly male who had fallen, striking his head. The officer arrived on scene and conducted an assessment of the male patient. The officer located a bump on the back of the male’s head which was bleeding. The man’s vitals appeared normal. Gold Cross arrived on scene and took over the assessment. The man was transported to the St. Cloud Hospital. Nov. 14 5:07 p.m. Suicidal. City of Sartell. Offices were dispatched for a report of a male party who was suicidal and had cut his wrist. Officers arrived on scene and located the male party. The male had superficial cuts on his wrist that were not deep but bleeding. Officers applied pressure to the cuts until Gold Cross arrived on scene. Paramedics bandaged up the cuts and cleared the male. Officers then transported the male to the St. Cloud Hospital for an evaluation.
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8
Opinion
Our View
Donate to Toys for Tots as early as possible Right now is the best time to donate toys or money for toys to the Toys for Tots program. The many good people and organizations that help make that a seasonal success need to know, as early as possible, how many toys they can expect to fill the needs of children. Toys for Tots is a great program that typifies the Spirit of Christmas. It tries to ensure all children will have some merry cheer on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day by receiving gifts. A feature story by Newsleader writer Cori Hilsgen in today’s Newsleaders gives an interesting background of Toys for Tots. Her story also announces the new coordinator for the program – St. Joseph resident Bob Ringstrom, a consultant business owner and former police chief of Sartell. Ringstrom, with his heart of gold and his jolly disposition, is a perfect choice for coordinator. A U.S. Marine veteran, Ringstrom coordinates the program, which includes 250 drop-box sites in the greater St. Cloud area and other central Minnesota cities. The St. Cloud Area Toys for Tots provides toys for more than 3,000 children whose parents or parent are in tight economic straits. It works in conjunction with Catholic Charities and the St. Cloud Salvation Army. The current Toys for Tots campaign began Nov. 6, and Marine volunteers will keep collecting toys up until Dec. 8, although some drop-off locations will keep their toy boxes available after that date. Any toys collected after Dec. 8 will be used for next year’s distribution. The Toys for Tots program started in 1947 when Marine Major Bill Hendricks, with the help of Marine veterans, collected more than 5,000 toys for children in the Los Angeles area. The idea occurred to Hendricks’ wife, Diane, one day when she was sewing a Raggedy Ann doll. The program is now based in Leesburg, Va. We like this quote from Bob Ringstrom: “The idea is to reach as many children as possible. Toys for Tots is narrowly conceived to bring light into the lives of children who are not so fortunate as many of us during the season of giving. It (Toys for Tots) can help them understand they don’t necessarily have to go without in a world that has so much. It’s also an important way for parents and family to be warmed by seeing the joy their children can also be part of. It can be a strong influence on young lives that everything isn’t a disappointment.” Thanks, Mr. Ringstrom, for such touching words of wisdom. Those who want to donate toys or money to Toys for Tots can visit the following website: toysfortots.org or its Facebook page at facebook.com/StCloudMarine Toys4Tots. Catholic Charities accepts the names of the children needing toys and then the families can “shop” for the free toys at Catholic Charities’ headquarters in St. Cloud. Catholic Charities is always seeking volunteers to help with the toys and distribution. To volunteer, call that organization at 320-229-4560. It’s so easy to make a kid happy on Christmas. All it takes is a toy or two, so please give generously to Toys for Tots during the next two weeks, before Dec. 8.
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.
Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
Can elephants be saved by killing them? Killing elephants to save them? What an appalling oxymoron. Big-game hunters pay thousands of dollars for the “privilege” of shooting elephants or other exotic animals – many of them threatened with extinction. The money, we’re told, goes into conservation funds that help the elephants survive on protected territories where they are guarded against vicious poachers who kill and butcher the gentle giants for their ivory tusks and other body parts, most of it sold on the black market. Cecil the lion was supposedly protected on one of those animal reserves – that is, until Walter Palmer, a big-game hunter from the Twin Cities went and killed him in Zimbabwe. He first shot Cecil with an arrow from a bow. Then he tracked the lion down for many hours and shot the poor creature to death. Two weeks ago, the ban on trophies was proposed to be lifted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a ban that was imposed during the Obama Administration. The ban would be lifted for trophies from dead animals in the African countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia. “Trophies” is a respectablesounding euphemism for animal heads, animal horns, animal hides and even elephant feet. President Donald Trump, to his credit, said he will put the decision about trophies on hold until he can review conservation facts in consultation with U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who, by the way, is himself an avid big-game hunter, as are Eric and Donald Trump Jr. In one year alone, 2014, before the
Dennis Dalman Editor ban on trophy imports, more than 3,000 exotic animals were killed by U.S. trophy hunters, their body parts shipped back to the United States to “adorn” walls and floors. They included 671 elephants, 741 lions, 311 leopards, 1,412 water buffalo and 32 rhinos. All of those animals are dwindling, drifting toward extinction. The elephant population declined by 30 percent in just a seven-year period, from 2007-2014, according to the “Great Elephant Census,” a project started by Paul G. Allen, founder of Microsoft. An estimated 30,000 African elephants are shot and butchered every year by poachers mainly but also by big-game hunters. Some claim legal hunting by permit and the funds that result for conservation efforts really does help in the fight against poachers, but the evidence is sketchy at best. What is needed is an international fund to create and maintain animal reserves and – most importantly – a total worldwide ban on trophies and “products” from such animals. What in the world makes certain men and women want to go to Africa or anywhere else for that matter to kill exotic and/or endangered animals? That hankering to kill such magnificent creatures is so hard to fathom. There are few sadder sights than to see a once-wonderful elephant sprawled on the ground, dead,
its tusks hacked off by machetes of poachers or trophy hunters. Elephants are intelligent animals with strong family bonds that pass knowledge down generation to generation. When the elder members of an elephant clan are killed, it creates terrible havoc among other clan members and their bonds. Animals are known to mourn their dead in heartbreaking ritual behaviors. The proposal to end the band has brought outrage from people on the left, on the right and everywhere in between. Conservative commentator Laura Ingraham of Fox News, visibly disgusted, said lifting the ban would probably increase—not decrease – “the gruesome poaching of elephants.” TV personality Ellen DeGeneres has begun an online site to raise money for conservation efforts for elephants. The hashtag is #BeKindToElephants. Check it out. Meantime, Safari Club International’s president Paul Babaz said this: “The fight for the freedom to hunt is far from over. We will be more proactive and not back down.” Freedom to hunt? Some freedom! What about the freedom of endangered animals to live free from butchery? Let’s all call President Trump to thank him for delaying the ban-waiver and to urge him to keep the trophy ban in place. The White House phone number for comments is 202-4561111. Or email by going to www. whitehouse.gov. Or you can write a letter and address it to President Donald Trump, White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20500.
Is it too early for Christmas? Maybe a little It comes the time of year again for the holidays. Talk concerning Thanksgiving, Christmas and the approaching new year swirls around. It’s a time for celebration and family gatherings, for sharing gifts and giving thanks for what we have. As I’ve gotten older, it’s seems like the days keep going faster and faster every year up until this point. It still feels like school just started again, and here it’s Thanksgiving! What is coming up sooner every year, though, is the start of the “Happy Holidays” season. We all know how this works. All of a sudden, things around town and on television switch from fall-season orientations to including snow, winter and Christmas. This year, I’m sure I even saw this come up before Halloween. The other day, I heard holiday music for the first time on the radio this month, in the middle of November. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Christmas as much as anyone else, and maybe I’m oldfashioned, but would it hurt anything to hold off with it until after the turkey is finished? It always starts a debate in my family, with some members being fans of the holidays in general and happy to be able to sing their favorite songs and set up decorations without it being “out of season.” For me, though, November just seems a little too early. It’s cold outside, and we usually do get some snow before Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t
Connor Kockler Guest Writer necessarily imply Christmas to me, just that we are moving toward winter. We have our different holidays for a reason, and the idea I was always taught behind Thanksgiving was that it’s to celebrate what we have and to share in that joy with our family and friends by coming together. It is also an important part of history, whether you believe the entirety of the romanticized tale of the “First Thanksgiving,” it’s an important event for some of the early European settlers of this country and how they survived in their new environment. Such a significant day would probably endure as a prominent holiday in its own right were it not in close proximity to an even bigger one, Christmas, a day that has even more history and meaning for millions throughout the country, whether it be religious or just for family get-togethers. And with Christmas’s emphasis on gift-giving, it demands a lot of attention. At least the shopping deals wait until after Thanksgiving, or do they? There are now Black Friday sales starting on
Thursday night, when you think many would be sitting down to enjoy their family meal and catch up with relatives. People line up outside stores for hours hoping for the chance to run in and snatch a good deal on some doorbusters. What’s the point at which we say enough is enough and just enjoy the month we’re in right now? Thus the situation that we are presently in. If we continue down our current path, perhaps we’ll have to start putting Christmas decorations up in October. It seems like we’re so ready to move on to Christmas that we’re forgetting the holiday that really puts it all into context. Thanksgiving is a good stop brake telling us to stop and think about what really matters in the holiday season before we get into the Christmas frenzy. But that’s just my opinion. I really enjoy all of the holidays we have this time of year, and the special significance and memories each one of them brings and creates. I’m just thinking though, we should try to celebrate each one in their own glory without letting that specter of the holiday season hover over us all. After all, if we’ve gotten here this fast, Christmas will be here before we know it. Connor Kockler is a Sauk Rapids-Rice High School student. He enjoys writing, politics and news, among other interests.
Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
9
School board approves upgrade to website by Dave DeMars news@thenewsleaders.com
After welcoming new member Jeremy Snoberger to fill a vacant seat, a full-strength Sartell-St. Stephen School Board met last month and approved the redesign of the the district website. After a short presentation by Sarah Kleppe, district communications coordinator, on the need for an upgraded website, the board approved a contract with Blackboard to host the new-andimproved website. Cost for the upgrade will be $10,381 for the first year, and $5,210 for subsequent years. “And the price is fantastic,” said board member Pam Raden. Normally, updates and upgrades are performed about every 18 to 24 months. It has been eight years since the district has updated its website. The cost of an upgrade of the kind the district is doing is usually two to three times more than the price being charged the district, Raden said.
Other action items
There are about 50,000 cubic yards of excess dirt piled at the
new high-school construction site, and according to Superintendent Jeff Schwiebert, the dirt needs to be moved soon. The dirt is actually owned by the contractor doing the building of the new high school. After a lengthy discussion, the board authorized Schwiebert to negotiate an agreement with the City of Sartell to provide 15,000 cubic yards of dirt to the city for use on the ball field at Champion Field. About 7,500 cubic yards will be transported by the city, and 7,500 by contractors who are building the high school. Providing dirt to the city for use on the baseball field will have a cost value of about $70,000, which will be taken from the long-term facility and maintenance fund. Schwiebert emphasized this is actually a cost since the contractor actually owns the excess dirt in accordance with the bidding on the new high school. This dirt contribution to the city and the Sartell Baseball Association would be in lieu of an agreed-upon monetary contribution to the city of $15,000 for the next several years for use of the fields. The SBA actually manages
the fields for the city. “Everybody wants the dirt we have,” Schwiebert said, “because the sand and the black dirt are of the right makeup.” The final item of action was the approval of a resolution for the hiring of personnel and filling of vacant positions. There was no discussion and the resolution passed unanimously.
Reports, discussion
The board heard from the representatives of Winkelman Building Corp. as to progress on the new high school. The project is moving ahead on schedule. It’s expected the walls of the new high school will be up by the end of November and the long steel span that will be the roof of the gym will be in place the first week in January. The state is reviewing plans and should return them next week, and then above-grade permits can be issued. It was pointed out the building of the new high school is being done primarily by contractors located within 14 miles of the project rather than by contractors from out of the area. That means the money spent on the building
photo by Dave DeMars
Sarah Kleppe, district communications coordinator, explains some of the new features the upgraded district website will feature. stays in the area and provides jobs for local workers, a point of which Winkelman Building Corp. is proud. Schwiebert provided an update on student enrollment and explained there are two ways of figuring enrollment. One is students in the seats and the other is budget enrollment, the figure the state uses to determine how much state funding the school district will be granted. It’s affected by such things as Post Secondary Enrollment Options and Student Assistance in Learning.
The district does not receive full funding for PSEO and SAIL students since they are not on campus full time. Presently there are 34 PSEO students, 17 of whom are full-time students attending college or technical school elsewhere. Using the budget count approach, there has been an increase of 36 students since the spring of 2017. The board went into closed session to discuss negotiations strategy at the end of the meeting.
‘MinnesotaCare Buy-In’ meeting held Nov. 6 by Cori Hilsgen news@thenewsleaders.com
Hoping to improve Minnesotans’ access to healthcare, state officials Lt. Gov. Tina Smith and Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper held a town hall meeting Nov. 6 at the St. Cloud Technical and Community College to discuss the “MinnesotaCare Buy-In” proposal. A panel of speakers included Smith, Piper, State Rep. Clark Johnson, Senior Policy Advisor Lauren Gilchrist, Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish, St. Cloud State University Director of Student Health Services Corie Beckerman and Ralonda Mason from Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. “Minnesotans are concerned about the rising cost of health insurance for their families,” said Smith in a press release. “This proposal can help. For 25 years, MinnesotaCare has offered a more affordable choice for 100,000 Minnesotans. Gov. Dayton and I strongly believe all Minnesotans should be able to purchase this high-quality health insurance. I thank St. Cloud area residents for sharing their stories and input with me ahead of the 2018 legislative session.” Smith and Dayton proposed the buy-in last year, hoping to lower prices and improve access for about 100,000 state residents. The buy-in is not free health care but a health-insurance policy similar to those offered by commercial health plans. MinnesotaCare offers broader access to physicians and care providers, and people would have more options to choose
their care providers, its advocates maintain. Currently, only certain Minnesotans at a certain income level are eligible for MinnesotaCare. The proposal would give those who purchase their health insurance on the individual market the choice to buy into MinnesotaCare. People who choose the buy-in would pay their own way and the cost of their premiums would pay for their coverage. Piper said MinnesotaCare has been a source of quality, affordable coverage for decades, and it’s now time to give all residents in the state the option to purchase the coverage. By maximizing the state’s competitive bidding process, officials believe they could get a better bargain for those who buy individual insurance coverage and could offer lower health-insurance costs with little to no ongoing costs to state taxpayers. After a one-time start-up cost, the buy-in is expected to be funded by the premiums of those who purchase the insurance coverage. Last session, the estimated start-up cost for the buy-in was about $12 million. In the panel discussion, Wertish spoke about the decisions farmers are being forced to make regarding their expenses and the rising cost of health insurance. Even if they raise a good crop, they are not always able to pay their expenses. Beckerman talked about how many people assume all college students are covered under their parents’ plans, but students also include parents, veterans and others.
Many are forced to choose between the cost of insurance and paying their rent. Without health-insurance coverage, many people don’t do the preventive measures that often help them stay healthy. She said many mental-health issues surface for students during the college years. Other things such as pregnancies or illnesses such as a cancer diagnosis can also occur. Beckerman also discussed lowcost options with the college’s student-health plan. Area physicians Dr. Kimberly Tjaden and Dr. Patrick Zook were also part of the panel discussion. Tjaden discussed wanting all people to have access to health care but also wanting to keep clinics open. Zook discussed the breaking point of primary care. If physicians and practitioners are squeezed too hard, they will hit a breaking point, and he believes many in the area are at that point. Smith discussed how the costs of patients who are unable to pay their bills after receiving treatment can create issues. Piper said Minnesota’s uninsured rate is now the second-lowest in the nation and has a $40-million reduction in uncompensated care. Johnson gave an example of how physicians and practitioners can budget for rates but they can’t budget for the unanticipated expenses. Mason discussed how access to providers can change when people switch insurances, and that often causes disruptions and setbacks in service for patients.
photo by Cori Hilsgen
Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper (third from left) speaks during a panel discussion town hall meeting held Nov. 6 at the St. Cloud Technical and Community College to discuss the “MinnesotaCare BuyIn” proposal. The panel included (left to right) St. Cloud State University Director of Student Health Services Corie Beckerman, Ralonda Mason from Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, Commissioner Piper, Lt. Governor Tina Smith, Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish, State Rep. Clark Johnson and Senior Policy Advisor Lauren Gilchrist.
The State Legislature will have a chance to consider the proposal again in 2018. If approved, MinnesotaCare Buy-In coverage is expected to cost less than commercial health-insurance plans. Last year’s proposal projected the buy-in would have cost about $469 per person per month for 2018 coverage. That was 13 percent less than the average projected commercial health plans. Those who purchase from the buy-in coverage would still be eligible for federal tax credits through MNsure. More than 70 percent of MNsure enrollees are receiving tax credits this year. If the legislature enacts the proposal by March 1, 2018, people in Minnesota could purchase the buyin coverage by the 2019 open-enrollment period. Creating the buy-in would require approval from the federal
government. The state would also need a federal waiver to avoid any negative impact on federal basic health-plan funding and to be sure the buy-in option complies with federal law. Republican Gov. Arne Carlson and a bipartisan coalition of legislators created MinnesotaCare in 1992. About 100,000 eligible Minnesotans currently have this coverage. St Cloud Technical and Community College Foundation Director Arlene M. Williams said the meeting was held at the college at the request of the governor’s office. She said the college is a natural location choice as it has many health-related careers and adequate space and parking. Currently, there are 338 students from the Sartell, St. Stephen and Rice areas and 99 students from the St. Joseph area enrolled at the college.
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
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Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | THE GIFT OF SOUND
M
Music Lovers
usic can soothe the soul and put us in our happy places. It is universal in its appeal and inspires many great gift ideas. Musical tastes vary by person. That is why there are considerable amounts of variety and genres from which to choose. When considering a musical gift, be aware of an individual’s musical style, as well any music they already own.
FOR THE LISTENER A newly released CD of their favorite singer is absolutely a great gift for music lovers. Bands also put out limited-edition albums that your friend or family member may not know about. Search your local music shop for these gems, which can make for thoughtful gifts this holiday season. Giving the gift of a musical experience is always a great idea. Surprise them with tickets to a much-anticipated upcoming live music performance. Digital music players are coveted gifts, especially for the young music lover in your life. Load up a prepaid card for music downloads or give a gift card to your local music retailer. © FOTOLIA
FOR THE ROCKER Some music lovers are actually gifted musically themselves. The young ones might love a gift of piano or guitar lessons or even singing lessons. A spectacular gift would be a new musical instrument. Your downtown music establishment is full of gifts for the rocker in all of us. Drumsticks, guitar picks or a
new microphone would make for great stocking-stuffers, while a new acoustic guitar or electric keyboard would look great wrapped and under the tree.
FOR THE MUSIC HISTORY BUFF With the expanse of great artists and bands that have graced the musical
charts over the years, there are many museums and institutions devoted to celebrating our country’s musical milestones. A trip to a museum or hall of fame may be in order. Do some research and coordinate all of the details. You can even visit your local music store to buy CDs or digital
downloads for music related to the museum you are visiting to make it a themed road trip. For example, if you’re visiting Dollywood or the Grand Old Opry, stop by your local music shop for some country-themed CDs to make your road trip all the more memorable.
Yuletide in theAmericas
Great River Chorale Cantabile Girls’ Concert Choir & Choristers Br. Paul-Vincent Niebauer, OSB, narrator Charles Echols, organist Brass & Percussion
Friday, December 1, 2017 | 7:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud, MN Sunday, December 3, 2017* | 4 p.m. Bethlehem Lutheran Church, St. Cloud, MN
*This concert will have an ASL interpreter.
Tickets at greatriverchorale.org and at the door.
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 Is your event listed? Send your information to: Newsleader Calendar, P.O. Box 324, St. Joseph, MN 56374; fax it to 320-363-4195; or, e-mail it to news@thenewsleaders.com. Friday, Nov. 24 Benton County Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 218 First St. N., Sauk Rapids. 320-253-9614. mnbentonhistory.org Saturday, Nov. 25 Christmas Wreath Sale, sponsored by Troop 84 Boy Scouts of America, 9 a.m.-noon, parking lot of Church of St. Joseph, 12 W. Minnesota St., St. Joseph. Monday, Nov. 27 Benton County Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 218 First St. N., Sauk Rapids. 320-253-9614. mnbentonhistory.org
Community Calendar
Lunch and cards, sponsored by Helping Hands Outreach, noon-3 p.m., Rusty Nail, 4 CR 2 S., St. Stephen. Sartell City Council, 6 p.m., Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N. 320-253-2171. Tuesday, Nov. 28 National Alliance on Mental Health, 7-8:30 p.m., Calvary Community Church, 1200 Roosevelt Road, St. Cloud. 320-259-7101.
Cloud. 320-241-9229.
Friday, Dec. 1 Benton County Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 218 First St. N., Sauk Rapids. 320-253-9614. mnbentonhistory.org Arts and Crafts Sale, including a bake sale, food and refreshments, 4-8
p.m., Heritage Hall, Church of St. Joseph, 12 W. Minnesota St., St. Joseph. 320-363-7505.
Saturday, Dec. 2 Christmas Wreath Sale, sponsored by Troop 84 Boy Scouts of America, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Coborn’s, 1500 Elm St. E., St. Joseph.
11 Sunday, Dec. 3 “The Spirituality of John Denver,” presented by Dennis Warner and Friends, 10 a.m., Unity Spiritual Center, 931 Fifth Ave. N., Sartell. http:// unityspiritualcentercm.org/events/
Thursday, Nov. 30 Coffee and Conversation, a senior discussion group featuring Mark Sakry, executive director of Boys & Girls Club of Central Minnesota, 9 a.m., Sartell Community Center, 850 19th St. S., Sartell. Great River Regional Coin Club, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Miller Auto Marine Sports Plaza, 2930 Second St. S., St.
LEGAL NOTICES STEARNS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS RESOLUTION “A Resolution to Set Public Hearings on a Proposal to Make the Stearns County Recorder Position Appointed” WHEREAS, Laws of 2017, Chapter 92, Article 3, Section 4 authorizes Stearns County to appoint a County Recorder after conducting two public hearings; and
ensure long-term professional management of the Recorder function and will create opportunities for beneficial organizational changes.
WHEREAS, the Stearns County Board of Commissioners, acting under the authority granted in Laws of 2017, Chapter 92, Article 3, sec. 4, hereby proposes a Resolution to make the position of County Recorder appointed and no longer elected; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Stearns County Board of Commissioners hereby schedules public hearings on the proposal to make the County Recorder positon appointed as follows:
WHEREAS, pursuant to said Law, the incumbent County Recorder shall serve in that capacity, performing all duties required by statute, until completion of the term of the elected office or, until a vacancy occurs in the office, whichever occurs earlier; and WHEREAS, the Stearns County Board of Commissioners believes the appointment of a County Recorder will help to
Date: Nov. 28, 2017 Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: County Board Room, 705 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud Date: Dec. 12, 2017 Time: 9:30 a.m. Location: County Board Room, 705 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud Publish: Nov. 17 and 24, 2017
CITY OF ST. STEPHEN TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING The St. Stephen City Council will review the proposed 2018 Budget at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017 in the St. Stephen City Hall Council Chamber, 2 Sixth Ave. SE, St. Stephen. The public is welcome to attend this pubWANTED TO BUY: Basswood logs by truckload delivered to Dodgeville, WI. Bark intact, harvested in dormancy, delivered FRESH cut. Pre-arranged purchases only. Call Al Ladd at 608-935-2341 ext.333 (MCN) 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 (Void in IL & IN) (MCN) AUTOMOBILES 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. 855752-6680 (MCN) CASH FOR CARS: We Buy Any Condition Vehicle, 2002 and Newer. Competitive Offer! Nationwide FREE Pick Up! Call Now For a Free Quote! 888-366-5659! (MCN) CABLE/INTERNET SWITCH TO DIRECTV. From $50/ Month, includes FREE Genie HD/DVR # 3 months HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, STARZ. Get a $50 Gift Card. Call 877-8945275 (MCN)
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New Sta-Fit owners emphasize ‘local’ by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com “Physical fitness” is practically Trevor Goodwin’s middle name. The Sartell businessman has been involved with fitness in his life and in his work for 25 years, and he’s about to get even more further involved. He and business partner Dr. Mike Balfanz of St. Cloud recently purchased the two Sta-Fit businesses in Sartell and St. Cloud. They plan to re-energize those workout places by tailoring them scrupulously to the needs of their client-customers. Balfanz is a chiropractor at Woodlands Chiropractic in St. Cloud. Goodwin came to Sartell in 1989 from Pennsylvania by way of Nebraska. In 2001, he began working for Gold’s Gym, at that time owned by Brad Kloss. Later, Goodwin opened a fitness club in the Twin Cities. Five years later he sold that business and opened Life Fitness, a physical-fitness equipment company. He did that kind of work for almost nine years. About four years ago, Gold’s Gym in Sartell was renamed Sta-Fit, still owned by Brad Kloss, who lives in California. A couple of months ago, Balfanz and Goodwin bought the two Sta-Fit clubs from Kloss.
Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
Parks from page 6
contributed photo
The new buyers and co-owners of the Sta-Fit businesses in Sartell and St. Cloud are Dr. Mike Balfanz and wife Kimberly of St. Cloud (left) and Trevor Goodwin and wife Lisa of Sartell (right). Goodwin and Balfanz are both emphasizing the word “local” in their new business. Both live not far from the two clubs. And it’s not just physical proximity. “I know the customers, and I’ve known many of them for years,” Goodwin said. “I know what they want, and I know what is lacking.” Balfanz and Goodwin want to work closely with customers to fill in any lacks. “I know this business and its customers because for 25 years physical fitness has been about all I’ve done for business,” Goodwin said. “We are adding $200,000-worth of new fitness equipment. There
will be new group-and-team personal training, a golf simulator, pickle ball, indoor tennis courts, weight-lifting, cardio machines, leagues and lessons. And we’ll have new staff, a new direction.” At both clubs combined, there will be about 125 employees, Goodwin noted. The clubs’ hours will stay the same as before, and each will open as early as 4 a.m., with most days remaining open until midnight. “I myself will be there almost every day at 4 a.m.,” Goodwin said. A public grand opening for the two Sta-Fit clubs will be announced in the near future.
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tion at the new Sartell HighSchool site), a batters’ cage and many other improvements. The total cost is $1.2 million. Two guest speakers explained to the council the specific needs and related project plans for Champion Field and Pinecone Central Park, the latter’s main project being the soil-filling to make two intermediate fields there in playable condition. The speakers were Jeb Meyer of the Sartell Baseball Association and Jason Mathiasen of the Pinecone Central Park Association. Both of those parks and their amenities were made possible by periodic public-private partnerships among the city, businesses, the school district, in-kind services and thousands of hours of volunteer labor.
Cost split
For the Champion Field and Pinecone Central Park projects, private donations are expected to total $555,000, plus another $10,000 from a Minnesota Twins grant for a total of
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$565,000. The balance of the $1.2 million ($635,000) will come from the City of Sartell. That amount includes $100,000 (park funds, water fund, sales-tax revenue) previously approved by the council for Champion Field, $80,000 from the regional-park fund, $48,000 from the Park District 4 fund (Sartell has five park districts), and the rest from the interfund money from the half-cent sales-tax revenue. The city will be repaid over time by the private funds mentioned above, mainly pledges committed by businesses and organizations and $120,000 from the Sartell-St. Stephen School District. For the 2017-18 projects, the following are the amounts of private and/ or organizational cash and in-kind donations that will be used in that construction year: School District $120,000; Design Electric $50,000; St. Cloud Orthopedic $5,000; Gilleland Chevrolet $26,500; Great River Bowl $1,000; Sartell Baseball Association $25,000; Minnesota Twins grant $10,000.
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Come In Liquor Is
Sierra Nevada 12 Pack Bottles All Available Types
8am - 10pm Monday - Saturday 11am - 6pm Sunday
798
1 Liter
750ml All Available Types
Windsor Canadian
Seven Daughters
Save Even More With $24 Mail-In-Rebate On 12 Bottle Purchase
698
Frontera
1.5 Liter All Available Types
Save Even More With $12 Mail-In-Rebate On 6 Bottle Purchase
Delivery available thru CobornsDelivers.com
Prices Effective 11/24/2017 thru 12/2/2017
1710 Pine Cone Road, Suite #100, Sartell • 320-258-4945 www.facebook.com/cobornsliquor
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1198
OPEN!
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