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Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Denmark company among the world’s largest producer of biogas
BY CAROL MOORMAN STAFF WRITER
Freeport city officials met March 2 with representatives from Denmark-based Nature Energy, among the world’s largest producer of biogas.
Melrose researching policing options pg 3
Hiltner happy to carry on legacy pg 7
‘A Team’ has first baby boy in 2017 pg 16 Gymnasts scoring with the best pg 10
BY CAROL MOORMAN | STAFF WRITER
It was a special day for the Belford family of rural Albany Feb. 16. Mother Doris became a U.S. citizen. Her family – husband David and their children Joyce, 11, and Abraham, 5, and mother-in-law Joyce Belford – watched Doris take the Oath of Allegiance at the St. Paul RiverCenter in St. Paul, along with 1,000 naturalized citizens from 96 countries, in the morning session with another 1,000 people in the afternoon session affirming their allegiance and faith to the United States.
“I’m so happy, proud of myself. I feel amazing,” Doris said Feb. 21 standing inside their family business in Albany, formerly Barbacoa American & Mexican Food and now Barbacoa Smokehouse & Deli.
David said his wife worked hard to become a U.S. citizen, not just the year-long learning process.
Nature Energy is looking to expand to the U.S. Last year, they opened their first United States office in St. Paul. They are looking to build a plant or plants in Stearns County, Jon Nelson, Freeport clerk-treasurer, told council members during their Feb. 28 monthly meeting at Freeport City Hall. Freeport, with Interstate-94 and agriculture connections, has been selected by Nature Energy as a desirable area to be one of the first operations in the U.S.
Freeport Mayor Mike Eveslage, on March 3, said the Thursday meeting he and city staff had with five Nature Energy representatives was informative and productive.
Her journey to the U.S. began 15 years ago, when Doris left her native country, El Salvador, Central America, because “the economy was not very good and there was not much opportunity,” she said.
She lived with her parents and brother in the mountainous village of Los Planes, El Salvador, in a small house, with no plumbing or electricity. Doris said they were “very poor,” and they washed clothes pushing rocks across clothes on a board. In their kitchen they had wood-fired clay/dirt oven with a flat top to cook on. David saw this firsthand when he visited her family in Los Planes. He said what they lacked in material things, they made up for in hospitality.
“The place is full of the most humble and wonderful people you have ever met,” he said.
Belford page 4
Nature Energy page 3
As the sun was starting to rise Monday, Commercial Contractors Company workers from Melrose were inside the Lisa’s On Main building working on securing the west wall
BY CAROL MOORMAN
PHOTOIt was the 19th annual Heartland Chapter of the Minnesota Darkhouse & Angling Association Banquet Feb. 4, and Ben Kettler was in his usual spot – volunteering in the northern pike dart tournament booth on the north side of the Freeport Community Center in Freeport.
It’s a booth his dad, Ron Kettler, had worked in and had a hand in. Ron Kettler made the Styrofoam northern pike target competitors took aim at.
“Ten years on the other side of this fish, and then we flipped it, and now it’s been five years on this side of the fish,” Ben Kettler said.
Ron Kettler, who was an avid ice fisherman and spearer, passed away May 25, 2016, at his Melrose home. So continuing this dart throwing target tradition is a must for his son.
“It’s original artwork, a Ron Kettler special,” Ben Kettler said. “It’s cool.”
There were many cool things at the banquet. Longtime spearer and decoy carver Dennis Bertram was in his usual spot, display-
PHOTOS BY CAROL MOORMAN
Ben Kettler stands in front of the northern pike dart throwing board Feb. 4 during the Heartland Chapter of the Minnesota Darkhouse & Angling Association Banquet at the Freeport Community Center in Freeport.
Willmar-based West Central Sanitation will become Albany’s new solid waste hauler in early April.
Clerk and administrator Tom Schneider said the city is also moving to every other week recycling.
“There will be mailings coming out in the next two weeks that will alert residents,” Schneider said.
The last day of pick-up from Waste Management, Inc., will be March 27.
The first pick-up from West Central will be April 3. West Central is planning to deliver new collection carts to properties prior to April 3, Schneider said.
Waste Management, the current hauler, had the solid waste contract for five years, Schneider said.
“West Central will be providing calendars to residents that show every other week recycling,” he added.
Schneider reported during the council’s March 1 meeting that City Attorney Susan Dege had prepared a draft agreement with West Central that included terms and conditions for residential refuse, recycling and yard waste services.
Cousins Cora and Conner Kotzer display decoys Dennis Bertram (back) carved and distributed Feb. 4 during the Heartland Chapter of the Minnesota Darkhouse & Angling Association Banquet at the Freeport Community Center in Freeport. Conner, of Albany, has been spearing, while Cora, of Groton, South Dakota, has not but now has a reason to spear.
ing his homemade decoys, known for their big lips. His decoys are tried and tested by him. Bertram has a video of one of his spearing expe-
riences, showing he doesn’t spear every fish he spots.
Kettler page 3
He asked council members for their preference regarding every other week versus weekly recycling during last week’s meeting.
Every other week collection would produce customer savings and cause less wear and tear to residential streets and alleys, Schneider said.
He also addressed volume-based collection rate or pricing structures.
West Central Sanitation Owner Don Williamson told city leaders state and county regulatory precedence creates waste reduction incentives.
West Central provides lower pricing for lower volume, including a lower-level refuse collection option of a 35-gallon cart every other week or a $2 monthly reduction.
Hauler page 3
BIRTHS page 3
Samantha Rasmussen has turned an interest and love of animals into a small business on the family farm near Melrose.
Pine Hollow Farm is where she raises sheep for wool and specializes in growing specialty cut flowers, local honey, and handpoured candles.
Her interest in animals came naturally growing up on her 100-acre childhood home.
“Before my parents purchased the farm, it was a rundown dairy farm that had not been used for quite a while,” she said Feb. 9 in the kitchen of her family farm. “When my parents purchased the land, we did not farm but rented out the land to local farmers. About the only traditional farm work my sisters and I did was rock picking.”
Growing up, Rasmussen, the daughter of Steve and Sandy Rasmussen, and her sisters, Sydney and Stefanie, worked with sled dogs. Steve was a dog musher who competed in the Iditarod and other high-profile races.
Working with the dogs spurred Rasmussen’s interest in animals. The 2012 Melrose Area High School graduate earned a zoology degree in 2016 from Minnesota State University in Mankato.
“I thought about veterinarian work and was an intern at the Lake Superior
Zoo and Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth,” she said. “I finished my degree but didn’t think it was a good career fit for me.”
In 2017 she returned to her family farm and found work at a local renewable energy company. But she still wanted to work with animals.
She found a way to do so. In 2019, she came up with the idea of Pine Hollow Farm.
“No animals have been raised at the farm for over 30 years. The pastures were over grown. Then we had a big storm that took down a lot of trees,” Rasmussen said.
She found the farm was a good place to raise sheep, specifically Icelandic sheep.
“The Icelandic sheep are winter hardy and can deal with Minnesota winters,” she said. “They come from a land where it rains a lot and their wool is waterproof.”
The breed is said to have developed from sheep brought to Iceland in the seventh and eight centuries by Viking settlers. The island’s isolation kept other breeds from crossing with them.
“It’s one of the worlds oldest and purest breeds of sheep,” Rasmussen said. “They don’t allow other sheep into Iceland.”
Besides their hardiness, there were other attractions. They are easy to care for. Rasmussen’s flock is mainly
pasture-fed. It is not uncommon for twins and triplets to be born. It is a multi-purpose breed.
“They can be used for wool, meat or milk,” she said. “I use them for the wool.”
The breed does have a reputation for being independent. Rasmussen has noticed they don’t herd together as much as other sheep do.
She started her flock with four sheep. Her current flock of 13 has a ram, with the rest divided between ewes and wethers (castrated males). This year she was not planning a having any lambs, but there might be some.
“The ram got out one day, so we will see,” she said.
The lambs have usually been born in April. There are few problems with the lambing, another thing she likes about the breed. She has a camera in the former
dairy barn allowing her to monitor the flock.
Lambs have a way of creating excitement in the herd. They are inquisitive and love to be on the move.
“They do like to run around and look at things,”
she said. “When lambs are running and jumping, it causes others to start jumping and kicking.”
She has noticed a leader, which sets the movements of the flock, is chosen.
“They watch and follow the leader,” she said. “There is definitely a hierarchy.”
Almost everything about raising the sheep has been on-the-job training. Thanks to a network of sheep farmers and YouTube, Rasmussen keeps up with how to best raise sheep.
The same goes for wool sold at the farm. She has learned almost every element of shearing, preparing, spinning and weaving wool since purchasing her first flock.
“We shear in the spring and then again in late summer,” she said. “They produce two strands of wool. The longer outer one (tog) is waterproof. The smaller inner one (thel) is softer. You can separate them, but usually they are spun together to make a soft waterproof wool called lopi.”
She can card – clean and straighten the wool fibers –but usually sends it to a Wisconsin company. It is sent back to her in wound balls, called roving. Rasmussen spins the roving into wool threads on a spinning wheel.
Her interest in working
with animals and creating products from them led to other ventures on the farm. An interest in flowers and bringing in native grasses and plants dove-tailed with an interest in beekeeping, calling apiculture.
“Bees and flowers are kind of a natural pairing,” she said. “I am planting native flowers and grasses. That helps with the bees.”
The bees pollinate the flowers – and Rasmussen grows a lot of them. In her house are shelves of flower seedlings. As the weather warms, they will be transplanted outside, growing into flowers used for bouquets and floral arrangements. She grows over 90 types of flowers and has an arrangement with Bavarian Gardens in New Munich to sell her flowers.
“We raise flowers that don’t ship well from overseas,” she said. “We have dahlias and peonies. They are a little more fragile.”
The bees are not only a key element in raising the flowers. Honey from the bees is a source in other products on the farm. Hand poured, beeswax candles are among bee-related products. Depending on what plant the bees feed on, the honey varies in taste and clarity. Some of the flavors are distinctive.
“The really good beekeepers can taste honey and know what plant it is coming off of,” Rasmussen said.
As with the sheep, she notices something different almost every time she watches the bees.
“When they fly, they kind of go up,” she said. “It’s fun watching them come out of the hive.”
Candles and other products are all listed as Minnesota grown. Selling those products lets Rasmussen do what she wanted to do –work with animals. Discovering something new in the flight of bees, the antics of sheep or how a flower grows are benefits of being on the farm.
Rasmussen loves her farm life.
BY CAROL MOORMAN | STAFF WRITER
It is an exciting time for eight young ladies vying for five Stearns County Dairy Princess titles Saturday, March 11, at the Freeport Community Center, 307 Seventh St. SE, in Freeport.
Candidates include Bethany Gerads, 18, daughter of Tim and Karey Gerads of Albany and a Holdingford High School student; Marissa Hartung, 18, daughter of Mike and Nancy Hartung of Opole and a Holdingford High School student; Emily Peters, 17, daughter of Jeff and Melanie Peters of Sauk Centre and a Sauk Centre High School student; Megan Ratka, 20, daughter of Kevin and Kathy Ratka of Cold Spring and a University of Minnesota-Twin Cities student; Kalie Ritter, 18, daughter of Glen and Leslie Ritter of Avon and an Albany High School student; Sophia Schiffler, 17, daughter of John and Kristie Schiffler of Albany and an Albany High School student; Lanna Walter, 17, daughter of David and Cathy Walter and a Sauk Centre High School student; and Grace Woitalla, 18, daughter of Keith and Patty Woitalla of Holdingford and a Holdingford High School student.
To be eligible for a dairy princess title, either the women, their parents or their guardians must be actively engaged in dairy farming; or they are employed by dairy farmers; or they raise calves or heifers for a dairy farmer; or they lease or own dairy animals housed at an active dairy farm.
The girls will be judged throughout the day March 11. Five young ladies will be crowned dairy princesses and three will be dairy ambassadors, all representing Stearns County dairy farmers throughout the year.
The program starts at 7:30 p.m. with a meal followed by the coronation. The event is open to the public.
The newly crowned dairy princesses will have the opportunity to become a Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalist.
Melrose Stages, Inc., to present musical in April
BY CAROL MOORMAN | STAFF WRITER
A number of repeat actors, some who have portrayed nuns before, will hit the Melrose stage for the April musical “Sister Act.”
Melrose Stages, Inc., directors, last week, announced the cast. Returning performers are Pam Rue as Deloris, Becky Kapsner as Mother Superior, Emily Krogstad as Sister Mary Robert, Jackie Spoden-Bolz as Sister Mary Patrick, Sarah Coltvet as Sister Mary Lazarus, Kim Schneider as Sister Mary Martin and Karen Heinen as Sister Mary Theresa.
The 22-member cast, with a total of 15 nun characters, includes Herman Lensing as the monsignor, and Quint Swedenburg, Jesse Kuechle and Tom Satterlee as the thugs hunting Sister Clarence (Deloris) down after she witnesses a murder. The good guy cop is played by Brandon Wehlage.
Rehearsals are in full swing. Productions will be April 13-16 at the Marit Elliott Performing Arts Center in Melrose. Please
Last year was the busiest year in the 135-year history of the Melrose Fire Department with 146 calls, up from 117 in 2021.
The Melrose Ambulance Department responded to 1,009 calls in 2022, up 3.9% from 2021.
Ambulance coordinator
Gina Eggert and fire chief Tom Budde presented each department’s annual report during the Melrose Area Fire Service Meeting Feb. 16 following the Melrose City Council Meeting at the Melrose City Center in Melrose. There were a few representatives from fire service cities or townships present.
Eggert first thanked Jenn Tschida who retired as coordinator and from the department effective Feb. 1.
Ambulance service calls last year included 422
front
Doris attended school until fourth grade, and then helped at home because there were not many opportunities for women, she said.
Wanting a better life, and to provide for her family, she chose to go to the U.S. Her father knew a “coyote,” a nickname for a person who has connections to bring undocumented immigrants across the board from Central America for a price.
“I pay the man $14,000 to come here,” Doris said.
David explained people who live in mountainous villages and come from poor families with few resources “ultimately, do not have a chance to come to the U.S. legally.”
Doris was 25 when she and two cousins traveled with close to a dozen people three days and three nights through the desert, crossing the Rio Brava River to enter the U.S. It was a treacherous and dangerous trip, with no food and no water.
Doris traveled to St. Paul where another cousin lived.
While working at a Mexican restaurant in the Twin Cities in 2010 she met David, who was originally from St. Joseph and worked as a consultant and in computer maintenance in the
for transfers, 109 for bodily injury/fractures, 107 for motor vehicle accidents, 46 for heart attacks/chest pain, 32 for strokes, 27 for diabetic reactions, 197 for other calls, and there were 69 canceled/refused care calls.
Eggert said of the 1,009 calls, they had patient contact with 940 people. The other calls were for fire department standby or canceled calls.
They put on over 50,000 miles between their three rigs in 2022, traveling for transfers as far as Rochester, Albert Lee, the Twin Cities and Fargo.
The department purchased nine new radios last year, which Eggert said allows them to communicate with other departments as needed. The fire department responded to 53 medicals, 48
Twin Cities since 2006.
“I noticed her washing dishes and said, ‘Who is that?’ The owner said, ‘Do you want to meet her?’” David said.
At the time, Doris didn’t speak much English, and David knew some Spanish.
“I looked at David, and I like it,” she said smiling at her husband, “Is a very good man, very sweet with me.”
“I met her and knew she was the one (for me),” David said.
Doris’ original plan was to stay in the U.S. three or four years, returning to El Salvador after saving money for her family.
“But I changed her plan,” he said, smiling.
Over the phone David, who is four years older than Doris, asked her father if he could marry his daughter. Three or four months later they married in 2011 and a year later their daughter was born.
During this time, Doris applied for her green card – documentation allowing her to live and work permanently in the U.S. David explained since Doris was an undocumented immigrant when she arrived in the U.S., she had to ask for a pardon and be forgiven, before she could apply for the green card.
“They wanted her to leave the country for 10 years, but she was a mother with a new baby,” he said. “We had to go through a
fires, 37 rescues and eight miscellaneous calls (providing water to individuals and businesses); some were mutual aid calls.
The department covers three cities and six townships. The call breakdown includes 61 in Melrose, three in Meire Grove, three in Greenwald, 22 in Melrose Township, 17 in Grove Township, one in Getty Township, 12 in Millwood Township, 11 in Birchdale Township, 14 in Oak Township and two other calls, which were for Sauk Centre Fire Department mutual aid.
Budde said the department came in under budget in 2022, which allowed for a credit back to contracted fire services cities and townships in 2024.
“We have a lot of guys who have mechanical ability, and that helps keep costs down,” he said.
They purchased a new 3,000-gallon tanker in 2022 for $232,000, replacing an older one, and they also purchased new turnout gear for close to $74,000.
He said local organi-
process to get her case pardoned and that took effort and money.”
The green card she was eventually granted was returned once she attained her U.S. citizenship.
Wanting to raise their family in a small community, they moved to Albany where their children attend Holy Family School.
“I’m from a small town, and she’s from a small, mountainous village, so we were both small town people, and we wanted to raise our children in a small community,” David said.
Doris said the building on Albany’s main street was also a big reason they moved to the area. They fell in love with the uniqueness of the building, which had been a restaurant, and purchased it, initially naming it Barbacoa American & Mexican Food, explaining Barbacoa means barbecue in Spanish.
“Doris had experience in the restaurant business, and she ran it as that for three years,” David said.
The first year was challenging and then the pandemic hit.
“And now we are doing a full remodel and restoring it to its original beauty,” David said.
Their goal is to reopen this spring with a new name and new atmosphere.
Close to one year ago, Doris chose to become a U.S. citizen, because “I love the country, I love living
zations and individuals donated to the department in 2022, and they received close to $14,000 in grants, which was used to help pay for turnout gear.
The 2024 fire department budget is $194,295, a slight increase from 2023, which Budde said was due to an increase in insurance cost and salaries.
When asked by a fire service member, Budde said they currently have 26 firefighters, with one on leave. A full department has 30 members. He said six guys also have each been on the department 20 years or more.
“Twenty years is the rule of thumb because they are fully vested,” Budde said. “After 20 years, they drop off.”
Mayor Joe Finken, a longtime firefighter, said, “We really enjoy serving the area.”
“We’re very fortunate to have a community ambulance and fire department that works so closely together,” city administrator Colleen Winter said.
here. I have family living here,” she said.
The process, which cost $4,800, started by filling out an application sent to the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. Her fingerprints and biometrics were checked. Doris was given U.S. civics-related material to read preparing her for the questions she would be asked during testing.
“She knows more than your average U.S. citizen,” David said.
The three-part testing, which included questions, writing and reading, was close to two months ago at the USCIS office in Minneapolis. Doris said she was so nervous she froze when asked the first question –What is your birthday?
“That lady gave me a few minutes and said, ‘Just breath,’” Doris said.
David waited for her in another room.
“She came out with a big smile on her face, and I knew she passed,” he said.
It was recommended she move to the next step, which was the naturalization ceremony.
“Basically, it’s not for sure until the judge swears you in,” David said.
On Feb. 16, Doris became a U.S. citizen.
“They convene a special session of the court with the immigration judge,” David said. “He gave a speech talking how our country, since its founding, is based on immigrants. … The diversity gives us strength.”
With family proudly watching, Doris took the oath, swearing loyalty to the U.S.
In the U.S., naturalized citizens have the same privileges and responsibilities as U.S.-born citizens, including the right to vote and similar access to government benefits and public-sector jobs. They also receive the ability to sponsor immediate family members for immigration and cannot be deported.
‘Now I am a U.S. citizen,” Doris said.
“I am so proud of her,” David said. “It’s a great moment for our family.”
The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of the author and do not reflect the opinions and views of newspaper staff and ownership.
The 1898 finding of the Kensington Runestone touched off a debate that continues today.
The controversy surrounding the stone was because Scandinavian runes are carved on it. There had been, in 1892, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus discovering America. The 1362 date inscribed on the runestone challenged the view that the journey of Columbus was the first verified contact between Europe and the Western Hemisphere.
For the most part, the debate of authenticity waged among academic, historical and archeological circles in Europe and America. Various universities and scientists examined it and, generally, concluded it was either a prank or a fraud. There were always unresolved questions and bragging rights of who made it across the ocean first.
Almost all serious historians doubt Vikings of history and popular imagination carved the runestone. The Viking era is considered to have ended in the early 1100s. That does not mean there were not later voyages.
By the late 1950s it was genuinely concluded the stone was not authentic. One person with Spring Hill connections didn’t agree with those conclusions.
Harvard educated the Rev. Henry Retzek, who had served as pastor at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Spring Hill from 1947 to 1958, was interested in a variety of subjects. His research in agronomy led him to being a parttime consultant with Northern Field Seed Company. He was an anthropologist and geologist and helped with the discovery of the Sauk Valley Man in the 1930s near Osakis. His historical interests brought him in contact with Haljmar Holand, one of the biggest proponents of the runestone’s authenticity.
Shortly before his death, Retzek challenged reasons why the stone was not real. His thoughts were published
in the July 28, 1959, St. Cloud Visitor. The same issue carried his obituary as he had passed away July 17, 1959, after teaching at St. Mary’s College in Winona.
“This writer thinks it is genuine,” wrote Retzek. “He has seen and handled the rock. He has been with Holand on several trips. Together, we surveyed the possible route these folks may have taken.”
He questioned allegations that the runes were made in the 1890s, pointing out few modern people had knowledge of runic writing. He further dismissed claims that the carvings were “too neat” pointing out the 14rh century Scandinavians knew how to carve stone.
The article dismisses arguments that there is no verified evidence of Scandinavian trips to the west and claims mooring stone were found in central Minnesota.
Where he really took issue was the dismissal of the stone’s authenticity because of a prayer. On the side of the stone is carved “AVM save us from evil.” This, according to Retzek, is a point of authenticity. AVM is short for Ave Maria or Hail Mary. He reasoned that the invocation of Mary was a particularly Catholic prayer, and since the Reformation came to Scandinavian countries in the 1500s, it would not have occurred to a late 1800s hoaxer to use the phrase.
How much weight his arguments carried in the debate is not recorded. The question of authenticity still has not been completely settled.
One thing is known: the stone is no longer needed as evidence of Viking explorers coming to the Western Hemisphere. In the 1960s in Newfoundland, archeological excavations were made of a Viking settlement.
It would have been interesting to see how Retzek would have absorbed those findings.
Years ago, I walked through the doors of Jerry and Dorothy Dyrseth’s grocery store in Greenwald, where shelves were filled with sought after food products and other necessities. The store was connected to their home, where I was headed for an interview, possibly on St. Nick Day because Jerry played the iconic Christmas character.
The nearby hardware store, owned by Harold and Dorothy Norman, was also a staple in this small town, along with other much needed and much utilized businesses, like the locker plant owned by Jim and Lee Uphoff, the bank, the implement shop, the elevator, the creamery, the gas station and bar and food establishments.
We can all think of towns that we either lived in or passed through with thriving small businesses. Sadly, many of these business staples have gone by the wayside. Yes, for some it was because the owners retired, but for others they just couldn’t make it any longer, and at times, the blame was the attraction of big box stores to shoppers, willing to travel to purchase what they needed.
Here’s a gentle reminder a friend told me during a recent conversation: We can have the best of everything, but in return we have to support everything. She reminded me we shouldn’t be so quick to point the finger at big box stores if smaller stores aren’t doing well or even close.
“People kill businesses. Don’t blame big box,” she said. “We have a choice. We need to spread our money around, supporting all the businesses.”
She said it’s important for people to appreciate the broader picture.
“Look at the tax base a business (large or small) does for a community,” she said.
While it’s important to support local businesses, it’s also important for businesses to treat their customers right while offering good products.
“Employees should treat customers like gold,” she said.
Sadly, I can think of recent occurrences when customer services was lacking. I went into a local business early one morning and the sidewalks were not shoveled after an overnight snowfall. I mentioned that to an employee, and she encouraged me to talk to the assistant manager, who, ironically, had waited on me a few minutes earlier. During that whole time, she was on her cell phone. I gave her the benefit of the doubt, thinking she was possibly talking with an employee who couldn’t make it into work that day. I couldn’t help but overhear her and figured she must have been talking with a family member. There was no greeting and no thank you as I walked out the door, discouraged by
STAFF
the customer service. Last Wednesday morning I drove by the same business, during my early jaunt around town, and the sidewalk was not shoveled again, and it had snowed overnight.
There are times when I go through a drivethrough for a food purchase and the employee opens the window and the first words out of their mouth is the amount of money I owe. No greeting, just a blunt one-word statement, and no thank you as I hand them the money. It makes me wonder if they really want to be there.
It makes me smile when I think back a few years ago when the Kemper girls, Kayla and Kari, worked at the Dairy Queen and how nice it was when they greeted me as I made a drive-thru purchase. Granted, they knew me, but that should make no difference.
A greeting is a common courtesy, no matter what the situation, just like customer service is customer service, no matter who the customer is.
I was taught to greet people as they come into my office. Just like I was told I should answer the phone or make a phone call with a smile on my face because that smile makes your voice more pleasant to the person on the other end.
Thankfully, most employees are pleasant and offer great customer service and most businesses keep their sidewalks snow-free.
I always look forward to walking into Unique Boutique in Melrose, knowing I will receive a pleasant greeting and conversation from owner Pat or any of her employees. I can say the same about Décor & More owner Pam. And, even though they may be busier than heck, there is no short supply of conversation from Melrose Meat Shoppe employees Andy or Joann with a few words piped in from owner Kevin and meat cutter Dolly from the back room. I enjoy solving the world’s problems with Craig at Melrose Bowl waiting for my lunch to go on Thursdays, while also talking with his wife, Ginny, and their daughters, Ashley and Courtney, and it’s a plus when I can talk with their grandchildren.
I am proud to say I did 99% of my Christmas shopping locally – other than two online purchases – with a perk that Unique Boutique even wrapped gifts for me. Mead’s Department Store in Sauk Centre always offered wrapping service if they knew what I purchased was for a gift. Another plus of small town shopping.
So, let’s continue to support all small and large businesses in the communities we call home.
It’s vital to the vitality of towns.
Mark Klaphake ...................General Manager …………………………………mark.k@saukherald.com
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Missy Traeger .....................Sales & Marketing Manager ………………………missy@saukherald.com
Natasha Barber ..................Managing Editor …………………………………natasha@saukherald.com
Nancy Powell......................Manager ……………………………………………nancy,p@star-pub.com
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Carol Moorman .................Editor/Writer ………………………………………carol.m@star-pub.com
Mike Kosik ...........................Writer ………………………………………………mike.k@star-pub.com
Herman Lensing................Writer ………………………………………………herman.l@star-pub.com
Evan Michealson ...............Writer ………………………………………………evan.m@star-pub.com
Tim Hennagir .....................Writer ………………………………………………tim.h@star-pub.com
Amanda Thooft .................Production Manager/Page Design & Layout ……amanda@saukherald.com
Maddy Peterson ................Graphic Designer/Page Design & Layout …………maddy@star-pub.com
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Pat Turner ............................Graphic Designer …………………………………pat@saukherald.com
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Jill Borgerding....................Office Assistant ……………………………………jill.b@star-pub.com
Hopefully with spring just around the corner, I would like to update the community on recent police department equipment upgrades, as well as implementing new equipment. Since the first of the year, the Avon Police Department received approval from the city council to upgrade mobile radios in our two primary patrol vehicles. The new mobile radios, which have been purchased and installed into the squads, are now encryption capable, which our previous mobile radios were not. Encryption gives law enforcement a more secure way to communicate by radio.
Recently we received several generous donations, which allow us to purchase new equipment. The police department received a donation from Columbia Gear, which covers the expense to put a FLIR on the spotlight of one of our squads. A FLIR is an infrared-based camera system that can be used to help officers locate pieces of evidence, hazards during low visibility conditions, lost people, run-away suspects, etc.
In addition, the department has recently received two generous donations from the Avon Lions. One of the donations provided an opportunity for us to purchase and implement body worn cameras. The purchase of the cameras has been made, and the police department is currently working on equipment installations in the police department building and in patrol vehicles. Currently, the anticipated start date of our body worn camera program is about the third week in March.
The Avon Lions also made a generous donation toward the purchase of electronic speed signs. I am currently looking at options to purchase and install electronic display speeds signs in four new locations in Avon. The new signs would be placed near the Avon Public Beach to display speeds of both east and west bound traffic on County Road 54 in the area of the beach. The second location would be near the Interstate-94 overpass, and the signs would display speeds of both north and south bound traffic where County Road 9 goes over I-94.
The Avon Police Department is grateful to Columbia Gear, Avon Lions and the community for their continued support.
Minor injuries reported in Krain Township accident
Krain Township – There were ice-covered roads at the time of a two-vehicle crash injuring one person around 8 a.m., Feb. 27, on County Road 17, east of State Highway 238 in Krain Township.
According to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, deputies located a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, driven by Alexis Czeck, 16, of Freeport, blocking the east bound lane of County Road 17. The Cobalt was missing the front end and its engine and had been involved in a crash with a semi driven by Jason Schade, 42, of Valley View, Pennsylvania.
It was determined, according to the report, that Czeck was traveling east on County Road 17 and the semi was traveling west, when she lost control on the icy roads, crossed over the center line striking the semi on the driver’s side and came to rest in the roadway. Czeck was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash and sustained minor injuries and Schade was uninjured. Holdingford Rescue and the Minnesota State Patrol assisted at the scene.
Holdingford man allegedly violates restraining order
HOLDINGFORD – A Holdingford man was booked at the Stearns County Jail Feb. 26 after allegedly violating a harassment restraining order that was put in place in June 2022.
Leonard Joseph Pierskalla, Jr., 65, faces one felony count of violating an HRO. The maximum penalty for the violation is five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A witness saw an interaction at a convenience store with Pierskalla and a person named in the restraining order, according to the complaint. Police interviewed both people involved, and they admitted to the interaction. Pierskalla was convicted in December 2022 of two separate violations of the HRO involving the same person, according to the report. Pierskalla is due in court April 28.
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ISSN: Print: 2834-5916 Online: 2834-5924
Albany Area Schools – ISD
#745 District Board Room 30 Forest Ave Albany, Minnesota 56307
March 8, 2023, 6:00 PM
The public is hereby notified that the annual Qualification & Organization Meeting of Avon Township will be held on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 7:00 PM. This meeting will be held in the Avon Township Hall, 16881 Queens Road, Avon (MN). The meeting will also be available via Zoom (see the Town website for login instructions). The public is invited to attend. All Avon Township meetings are handicap-accessible.
Stephen Saupe, Clerk Avon Township clerk@avontownship.org
www.avontownship.org
Published in the Star-Post Wednesday March 8, 2023 P-10-1B
Millwood Township Notice of Annual Election and Meeting
Notice is hereby given: To the qualified voters of Millwood Township, the annual election will be held on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the City of St. Rosa Park. In case of inclement weather, the meeting and election may be postponed until the third Tuesday in March.
The annual meeting will commence at 3:00 p.m. to conduct all necessary business prescribed by law. The election polls will open immediately following the annual meeting, and close at 8:00 p.m. Voters will elect the following:
One Supervisor: 3-year term;
NOTICE DRAINAGE AND UTILITY EASEMENT VACATION
CITY OF ALBANY, MINNESOTA
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held before the City Council of Albany, MN, at 400 Railroad Avenue, the Albany City Hall, at 6:30 o’clock in the evening or as soon as thereafter on March 15, 2023, to hear all persons present upon action taken by the City Council on a request by Imdieke Properties, LLC, 501 Freedom Lane, Albany, MN, to vacate the drainage and utility easement as dedicated in the Albany Business and Industrial Park plat, according to the recorded plat thereof, Stearns County, Minnesota, bounded as follows:
LEGAL DESCRIPTION FOR VACATING DRAINAGE AND UTILITY EASEMENTS
Vacating the drainage and utility easement as dedicated in ALBANY BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL PARK, according to the recorded plat thereof, Stearns County, Minnesota, bounded as follows:
-On the North by a line measured 5.00 feet North of, as
Unadopted Minutes
SCHOOL BOARD WORK SESSION
Albany Area Schools – ISD #745
District Office Board Room February 22, 2023
1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Chair Kreuzer at 6 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Present: Kreuzer, Hansen, Sand, Sands, Carbajal, Dirkes, Rueter
Absent: None
Student Representatives: Absent
3. Student Representatives The Student Representatives did not attend due to the weather.
4. Boys Soccer A parent group presented a request to offer Boys’ Soccer as a school sport starting the 2023-24 school year.
5. Avon Elementary Presentation Avon Elementary interventionists and social workers joined Mr. Mielke in a virtual presentation. They shared information about the intervention and SEL programs at Avon. There are currently 168 students who receive Tier 2-3 intervention services. They also gave an update on flood damage in the building. The group shared the PTA has received approximately $45,000 in donations
measured at a right angle to and parallel with the South line of Lot 3, Block 4, said ALBANY BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL PARK.
-On the East by a line measured 25.00 feet West of, as measured at a right angle to and parallel with the East line of Lots 3 and 4, said Block 4.
-On the South by a line measured 5.00 feet South of, as measured at a right angle to and parallel with the North line of said Lot 4.
-On the West by a line measured 5.00 feet East of, as measured at a right angle to and parallel with the West line of said Lots 3 and 4.
Dated this 23rd day of February 2023. Tom Schneider Clerk/Adm.
Published in the Star Post on March 1st and March 8, 2023. P-9-2B
for the addition of inclusive equipment for the playground.
6. Transportation Purchase Discussion
The Board was made aware of the intent of the administration to order our annual bus and van purchase early in order to ensure we are able to acquire the necessary equipment. The board was also advised of the need to adjust our purchase schedule in the coming years to make up for the disruption to the regular purchase and retirement cycle of transportation equipment due to Covid supply chain issues and demand changes.
7. Budgeting Forecast
A basic overview of the current and projected budget situations was shared with the Board. While the district has been deficit spending throughout the Pandemic years, there was discussion of a structured plan in the coming year(s) to reduce expenditures and/or increase revenues in order to achieve a balanced budget. The Board was asked to reflect on the information provided and come to the March 8th meeting prepared to give the administration direction on the preferred target for the 2023-2024 budgeting goals.
8. Adjournment Agenda completed at 8:11 p.m. Amy Sand, Clerk P-10-1B
NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE
on
oper-
City of New Munich Notice of Hearing on Improvement
TO WHOM IT MAY CON-
CERN:
Notice is hereby given that the city council of New Munich will meet in the council chambers of the city hall at 7:00 p.m. on March 21, 2023, to consider the making of Improvement No. 2023-01, an improvement on Main Street between 250 feet north of 7th Avenue and the centerline of CSAH 30, by reconstruction, pursuant to Minn. Stat. §§ 429.011 to 429.111. The area proposed to be assessed for such improvement is Main Street between 250 feet north of 7th Avenue and the centerline of CSAH 30. The estimated cost of the improvement is $1,192,000. A reasonable estimate of the impact of the assessment will be available at the hearing. Such persons as desire to be heard with reference to the proposed improvement will be heard at this meeting.
Ann
PiotrowskiCity Clerk
Published in The Star Post on March 8, and March 15, 2023. P-10-2B
Chair Heller called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. The following members were present: Mr. Heller, Mr. Heidgerken, Mr. Dufner, Ms. Uphoff, Ms. Klassen, Ms. Poepping, & Mrs. Feldewerd. Also present were: Mr. Winter, Ms. Noska, Mr. Doetkott, & Ms. Pearson, & Mr. Anderson. Mr. Dufner moved, with a second by Mr. Heidgerken, to approve the agenda. The Motion was unanimously carried. There was a few Community Members at Open Forum with concerns. No action was taken.
Board reports were given. No action taken.
Administrative reports were given. No action was taken.
The Board & Mr. Winter discussed the Review & Comment. No comments from the public. No action was taken.
The Board & Mr. Winter discussed the 2022-23 Safe School Plan. No comments from the public. No action was taken. Mr. Heidgerken moved, with a second by Ms. Uphoff, to approve the following consent agenda Items: ➢ December 19, 2022 Regular School
One Treasurer: 2-year term. The ballot will also include the following question: Beginning with the 2024 election cycle, shall the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, of even number years, be designated as the date of the Millwood Township general election? The board of canvass will certify the election results on March 14, 2023, immediately following the counting of votes.
Kallista Sprenger Clerk, Millwood Township P-10-1BSpecial School Board Minutes - Melrose Area Public Schools
Friday, February 24, 2023
Chair Heller called the meeting to order at 7:00 am. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. The following members were present: Mr. Heller, Mr. Dufner, Mr. Heidgerken, Mrs. Feldewerd, Mrs. Klassen, Mrs. Uphoff, & Mrs. Poepping. Also present was: Mr. Winter.
Mr. Dufner moved, with a second by Mr. Heidgerken, to approve the meeting agenda. The Motion was unanimously carried.
Mrs. Klassen moved, with a second by Mrs. Uphoff, to approve the election results for the Bond Referendum.
Upon a roll call vote those voting in favor thereof: Mr. Heller, Mr. Dufner, Mr. Heidgerken, Mrs. Feldewerd, Mrs. Klassen, Mrs. Uphoff, & Mrs. Poepping.
Those voting against: None
Whereupon the said resolution is declared duly passed and adopted.
Mr. Heidgerken moved, with a second by Mrs. Uphoff, to adjourn the meeting at 7:02 am.
BeckyFeldewerd, Clerk P-10-1B
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: That default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage: DATE OF MORTGAGE: September 28, 2004 ORIGINAL
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $105,255.00 MORTGAGOR(S): Renee L. Jansky and George N. Jansky Jr., wife and husband MORTGAGEE: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. acting solely as nominee for GSF Mortgage Corporation TRANSACTION
AGENT: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc, MIN#: 100310900000022214
SERVICER: Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC
LENDER: GSF Mortgage Corporation DATE AND PLACE OF FILING: Stearns County Minnesota, Recorder, on October 18, 2004, as Document No. 1130341. ASSIGNED TO: Chase Home Finance LLC by an Assignment of Mortgage
THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION NOTICE IS HEREBY
Full time - Effective - 12-12-22 ➢ LOA - Wendy Barutt - School Success Coordinator - District - Full time - Effective 3-7-23 ➢ LOA - Larry Osendorf - Paraprofessional - High School - Full time - Effective 12-23-22 ➢ LOA - Mollie Dusha - Counselor - High School - Full time - Effective 1-23-23 The Motion was unanimously carried. Mr. Dufner moved, with a second by Ms. Klassen, to approve the Treasurer’s Report. The Motion was unanimously carried.
Mr. Heidgerken moved, with a second by Ms. Uphoff, to approve the following donations:
➢ 12-20-22 - Melrose Lions - High School - Football Play Clock - $5,000.00
➢ 12-22-22 - Nancy Jeske - High School - FFA - $100.00
➢ 1-6-23 - Sauk Centre Conservation Club - Community Education - Archery - $2,000.00
Upon a roll call vote being taken those voting in favor thereof:
Mr. Heller, Ms Klassen, Mr. Dufner, Ms. Feldewerd, Mr. Heidgerken, Ms. Uphoff, & Ms. Poepping Those voting against the same: None
The Motion was unanimously carried.
Mr. Heller moved, with a second by Ms. Klassen, to close the School Board meeting at 7:24 pm for the Superintendent evaluation. The Motion was unanimously carried.
Mr. Dufner moved, with a second by Ms. Klassen, to reopen the meeting at 8:51 pm. The Motion was unanimously carried. Ms. Uphoff moved, with a second by Mr. Heidgerken, to adjourn the meeting at 8:51 pm. The Motion was unanimously carried. Becky Feldewerd, Clerk P-10-1B
GIVEN: That default has occurred in the conditions of the mortgage dated October 17, 2016, executed by Jay H. Seguin, an unmarried man, as mortgagor, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., a corporation, MIN 1012742-0000050450-7, as nominee and mortgagee for HomeServices Lending, LLC
d/b/a Edina Realty Mortgage, through loan originator Kevin Kildahl, NMLS ID 1236759, recorded in the office of the County Recorder of Stearns County, Minnesota, on October 26, 2016, as Document No. A1480672, which mortgage conveyed and mortgaged the following described property, situated in the County of Stearns and State of Minnesota, which property has a street address of 144 30th Avenue North, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56303, property identification number 82.50381.0000, which mortgage was assigned to
dated 03/24/2009 and recorded on 04/01/2009 as Document No. 1282801. JP Morgan Chase Bank, National Association by an Assignment of Mortgage dated 03/16/2013 and recorded on 03/29/2013 as Document No. A1394402. Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, as trustee of Stanwich Mortgage Loan Trust F by an Assignment of Mortgage dated 08/21/2020 and recorded on 08/28/2020 as Document No. A1578706.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF
PROPERTY: The North OneHalf of Lot 25 and all of Lot 26 and the Southerly 10 feet of Lot 27 in Block 6 of Pan Park Addition to St. Cloud, Minnesota, according to the plat thereof on file and of record in the office of the county recorder, Stearns County, Minnesota. PROPERTY ADDRESS: 1036 N 38TH AVE, ST CLOUD, MN 56303 PROPERTY I.D: 82.49456.0000 COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: Stearns THE AMOUNT CLAIMED TO BE DUE ON THE MORTGAGE ON THE DATE OF THE NOTICE: Two Hundred Forty Thousand Six Hundred Two and 67/100 ($240,602.67) THAT no action or proceeding has been instituted at law to recover the debt secured by said
mortgage, or any part thereof; that there has been compliance with all pre-foreclosure notice and acceleration requirements of said mortgage, and/or applicable statutes; PURSUANT, to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows: DATE AND TIME OF SALE: 10:00AM on March 30, 2023 PLACE OF SALE: Stearns County Sheriff, Law Enforcement Center, Room S136 Civil Division, 807 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, MN 56303 to pay the debt then secured by said mortgage and taxes, if any actually paid by the mortgagee, on the premises and the costs and disbursements allowed by law. The time allowed by law for redemption by said mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns is 6.00 months from the date of sale. If Mortgage is not reinstated under Minn. Stat. Section580.30 or the property is not redeemed under Minn. Stat. Section580.23, the Mortgagor must vacate the property on or before 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2023, or the next business day if September 30, 2023 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. “THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW
NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE
Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc., by Assignment of Mortgage dated December 7, 2022, and recorded December 19, 2022 as Document No. A1646231: Lot Twenty-eight (28), Block One (1), Roosevelt Place, according to the plat and survey thereof on file and of record in the office of the County Recorder in and for Stearns County, Minnesota
That the original principal amount secured by said mortgage was $92,646.00; that there has been compliance with any condition precedent to acceleration of the debt secured by said mortgage and foreclosure of said mortgage required by said mortgage, any note secured thereby, or any statute; that no action or proceeding to recover the debt remaining secured by said mortgage is pending, or any part thereof; that there is claimed to be due upon said mortgage and is due thereon at the date of this notice, the sum of $88,875.15 in principal and interest.
That as a result of the aforesaid default, and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the said mortgage will be foreclosed by the sale of the above described premises with appurtenances,
which said sale will be made by the Sheriff of Stearns County, Minnesota, at the Sheriff’s office in the Law Enforcement Center, 807 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, Minnesota, on April 19, 2023, at 10:00 o’clock a.m., at public auction to the highest bidder, to pay the amount then due on said mortgage, together with the costs of foreclosure, including attorneys’ fees as allowed by law, in accordance with the provisions of said mortgage. The time allowed by law for redemption by the mortgagor, his personal representatives or assigns, is six (6) months from the date of said sale.
MORTGAGOR(S)
RELEASED FROM FINANCIAL OBLIGATION ON MORTGAGE: NONE THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A
FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.”
Dated:
February 8, 2023 Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, as trustee of Stanwich Mortgage Loan Trust F Randall S. Miller and Associates, PLLC Attorneys for Assignee of Mortgage/ Mortgagee Edinburgh Executive Office Center, 8525 Edinbrook Crossing North Suite #210 Brooklyn Park, MN 55443 Phone: 952-232-0052 Our File No. 21MN00075-1 A-4773006 02/08/2023, 02/15/2023, 02/22/2023, 03/01/2023, 03/08/2023, 03/15/2023 P-6-6B
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.
If the mortgage is not reinstated under Minn. Stat. §580.30 or redeemed under Minn. Stat. §580.23, the mortgagor must vacate the mortgaged property by 11:59 p.m. on October 19, 2023, unless the foreclosure is postponed pursuant to Minn. Stat. §580.07 or the redemption period is reduced to five (5) weeks under Minn. Stat. §582.032. THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT BY A DEBT COLLECTOR. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
DATED: March 1, 2023 Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc., assignee of Mortgagee FOLEY & MANSFIELD, P.L.L.P.
By: Sean C. Mansfield
Atty. No. 0400374
Attorneys for Mortgagee 250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 1200 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 P-9-6B
The Melrose Area School Board gave its approval to the creation of a Tax Increment Financing district in Melrose Feb. 27 during its monthly meeting at Melrose Public Schools in Melrose.
In a TIF district, the increase in taxes resulting from the development is not collected for a specific number of years by cities, counties, townships and the school district but is used to help finance a project.
The unanimous approval of the resolution approving the district came after a presentation by Traci Ryan, city of Melrose development consultant. The TIF district, which will be located along Railroad Avenue on the west side of Melrose, would be used to develop a workforce housing apartment complex.
“The city is doing a new type of TIF that allows it to create a workforce economic development housing district,” said Ryan. “The county board and school board must pass a resolution saying they support it.”
The TIF district is for a 72-unit, multi-family rental housing project. It is being created under a state legislative approved plan. Unlike previous TIF projects for housing, this does not have income restrictions and is for a shorter duration. A typical housing TIF district allows up to a 26-year commitment and income restrictions.
“The legislature recognizes there are good paying jobs in communities and can’t always meet restrictions, so they allow for no restrictions, but for only nine years,” said
Ryan.
She said the project is for market rate housing and rents.
The board saw the proposal as a way to promote housing in Melrose, but it was not without concerns. Some board members wondered if the work would be done by local contractors or if the developers were local residents.
Ryan could not guarantee employment of local contractors but could say one of the developers was local.
Board chair Dr. Pat Heller, who supported the resolution, did have one concern.
“I am disappointed it is not for low income housing,” he said. “I see a need for low income housing.”
In other board news:
– There was a greeting of 25 students and two teachers from Windeck Gymnasium, Bühl, Germany, participating in the German American Partnership Program. Stefan Rink, Melrose German teacher; and Windeck teachers, Oliver Kirsten and Sabine Degenhardt, spoke about the benefits
of GAPP program.
Jonah Mueller, one of the visiting students, said “I got to meet other families, to see another country and to see their way of life – and the cold, right now. For me, it has been the greatest experience of my life. People are so kind. Thank you to everyone.”
The delegation presented Superintendent Greg Winter and High School Principal Chad Doetkott with a flag of Baden, Germany, the region where Bühl is located. They concluded by singing “The Badener Leid,” the anthem of the region.
Rink stressed the GAPP program is not a tourist vacation but an exchange program. During the 36 years of the program, over 1,000 students have participated.
– Informed of changes to free and reduced lunch policy.
– Approved the 20232024 school year calendar. Classes will begin Tuesday, Sept. 5, the day after Labor Day.
Back-end details associated with Avon’s proposed community center need closeknit coordination.
That assessment came during a public forum at the start of a recent council meeting.
Avon Lions Betterment Committee member Dan Zimmerman addressed city leaders in early February. He said there are many considerations regarding the operations, maintenance and ongoing financing of a proposed center. He suggested a possible memorandum of understanding with the city.
“I’m here tonight to get some feedback,” Zimmerman said Feb. 6. “If I’m going to run around the community and seek funds for something of this size, I’d sure like to have answers when people ask about maintenance and operations.”
Avon Lions Park has emerged as the preferred location for a proposed $948,000 community center.
Last October, Over the Hills of Avon President JoAnn Dirkes and board member Rick Smith presented architectural drawings during a city council update.
The non-profit needed city leaders to commit a physical address for the community center, Dirkes said during an Oct. 3 meeting. The action enabled the organization to seek grants and donations.
Over the Hills asked Lumber One in Avon to provide assistance in obtaining architectural drawings. Lumber One picked RHA Architects in St. Cloud to develop blueprints, Dirkes told the city council. Blaine-based Kesh Engineering provided structural engineering help.
Dirkes confirmed the companies were paid for by Over the Hills of Avon, a senior group.
The Avon Lions have been working with Over the Hills, Zimmerman said.
“We’ve been involved with the community center effort, and talking to the senior group,” Zimmerman said, adding he’s met several times with City Administrator/Clerk Jodi Austing-Traut regarding project responsibilities.
“If you have a heated, year-round facility, that means more responsibilities,” he said. “Jodi and I have talked about who is going to be responsible for what.”
Zimmerman said the Avon Lions Club would like further direction from the city on what’s expected in a potential project.
Councilor Aaron Goebel said another consideration with a community center is the final footprint of the Avon Fire Hall expansion and parking.
“We won’t know what that’s going to look like until the fire board makes a decision on size,” he said.
Mayor Jeff Manthe was concerned about day-to-day operations.
“I think the bigger issue is how are we going to handle the day-in and day-out workings of it and the heating and maintenance,” Manthe said. He added, “My understanding from the senior group is they believe they have people who could manage day-to-day. We would need to get that into a form or contract.”
Councilor Doug Schaefer said he fully supported the idea of a community center but didn’t want city staff responsible for maintenance or operations.
“We should not be using city staff to run it, shovel snow, clean garbage cans or change light bulbs,” he said. “We have enough streets in town that need attention.”
Goebel added, “I don’t want city staff burdened and
Avon is one of four Stearns County cities included in a small town entrepreneurship study.
Neil Linscheid is state specialist at the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality. He addressed Avon city leaders during their Feb. 6 meeting and provided background about the project.
Linscheid is a PhD student with the University of Minnesota Extension and has chosen to include four Stearns County cities – Avon, Cold Spring, Richmond and Sauk Centre – in his research.
The research will describe the assets in each community available to entrepreneurs and will include an early March survey to residents about en-
trepreneurship and interviews with a few entrepreneurs.
There is no cost to the city. Linscheid said he will get back to the council with results of his research.
“This is an area I like and care about,” he said. “Some Avon residents will be getting a survey from me.”
Mayor Jeff Manthe said
Avon has a number of businesses that operate out of homes.
“There’s a lot of cottage entrepreneurs out there,” he said. Linscheid said he would randomly select a list of households.
Councilor Katie Reiling thanked Linscheid for selecting Avon. Manthe closed out council discussion of the entrepreneurship study with a direct request to Linscheid.
“Find us a grocery store, would you?” he said.
Notice of Annual Meeting Township of Oak 28801 County Road 30 Freeport MN 56331
Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting for the Township of Oak will be held on Tuesday, March 14th, 2023 at 8:30 pm at the Oak Town Hall. The meeting can be attended either in person or via zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like to join the Annual Meeting via zoom you must send an email to oaktownship@gmail.com to request an invitation for the online meeting.
Tom Roelike
Oak Township Clerk P-10-1B
The public is hereby notified that the Avon Township Board of Supervisors will meet with a professional surveyor on March 13, 2023 at 3:30 PM to receive feedback and advice concerning possible road vacations in Avon Township. This meeting will be held in the Avon Township Hall, 16881 Queens Road, Avon (MN). The public is invited to attend. All Avon Township meetings are handicap-accessible.
called on a Saturday afternoon to unlock doors.”
Zimmerman told the council he and Austing-Traut had talked about developing an outline to address parking issues, maintenance, operations and financing.
Manthe said if Over the Hills of Avon was successful with fundraising, a foundation was a possibility.
Zimmerman said during the Feb. 6 meeting an endowment has been discussed.
“Those were great when everything was earning 6% interest,” he said. “I sat in on a senior group meeting where they talked about trying to raise enough. They are looking at raising $1 million. It’s going to be a challenge.”
Zimmerman said he would work with Over the Hills of Avon, Avon Lions Club and the city to bridge project questions associated with a community center.
Notice of Election Township of Oak
Notice is hereby given to the Electors of Oak Township that the Township Annual Election will be held on March 14th, 2023. The polls will be open from 3pm-8pm at the Oak Town Hall located at 28801 County Road 30, Freeport MN. The positions being voted on are as follows,
(1) Treasurer for a twoyear term. Currently held by Rick Goebel.
(1) Supervisor for a threeyear term. Currently held by Dennis Gerads.
Tom Roelike Oak Township Clerk P-10-1B
StephenSaupe, Clerk Avon Township clerk@avontownship.org
Published in the Star-Post
Wednesday March 8, 2023 P-10-1B
CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME
Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333
The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable customers to be able to identify the true owner of a business.
ASSUMED NAME: Rubber Ducky Marine & Outdoors.
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: 1105 Shamrock Ln., Albany, MN 56307 USA.
NAMEHOLDER(S): Rubber Ducky Marine, LLC, 208 Char Ave. SE, Avon, MN 56310 USA.
By typing my name, I, the undersigned, certify that I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath.
/s/ Kelly Springer 02/20/2023
P-9-2B
Minutes Summary for March 1, 2023
School Board Work Session Holdingford Public School
The Holdingford School Board held a School Board Work Session on March 1, 2023. Members present: Evelyn Martini, Elissa Ebnet, Sarah Binek, Ed Feia, Rob Knettel and Pat Meier. Absent: Lori Opatz. Also attending was Superintendent Chris Swenson, Business Manager Garrity Gerber, Secondary Principal Tim Wege, Elementary Principal Jim Stang, and District Adm. Assistant Linda Zapzalka.
Superintendent Swenson presented the tentative Achievement & Integration Plan. Discussion ensued on the three types of achievement goals and options on what the goals will be. He explained the strategies in place that meet the Integration requirements and some options for new strategies.The final plan will be approved by the Board at the March Board meeting.
Policy revisions were reviewed for Policy 708 Transportation Nonpublic, Policy 709 Student Transportation Safety and Policy 721 Uniform Grant Guidance.
Mr. Swenson reported MASA Region VI Day at the Capital will be on March 15th. They will meet with Legislators to lobby for support of their school districts. Discussion ensued on current bills being considered as well as the funding proposals.
This article is a summary of the minutes. The full text is available for public inspection at the District Office or online at http://www.isd738.org/school-board-meeting-agendasminutes. html.
P-10-1B
Friends of Two Rivers Lake has contracted PLM Lake and Land Management to treat Aquatic Invasive Species in Two Rivers Lake.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has granted the Friends of Two Rivers Lake a permit originally based on a required waiver to obtain signatures of approval from owners of lake shore property. Instead, the Friends of Two Rivers Lake will notify property owners of treatment through alternate form(s). This notice is one form the Friends of Two Rivers Lake is using to notify property owners. Other forms [may] include notification on the association webpage, during semi-annual meetings and in a mailed letter.
With regard to treatment for this year, 2023:
• The proposed timing for treatment: April-May
• The target species for the treatment: Curly Leaf Pondweed
• The method of control or product being used: MN DNR Approved Aquatic Herbicide
• If landowner does NOT want treatment to occur adjacent to the landowner’s property, notify Robert Guggenberger immediately at the following:
Friends of Two Rivers Lake 13705 Fawnview Lane Cold Spring, MN 56320
Phone: 320-241-8799
Email: gugs08@midco.net
P-10-2B
The third-seeded Holdingford Huskers girls basketball team advanced to the semifinal round of Section 6AA Girls Basketball Tournament defeating the Royalton Royals 49-27 March 4 at St. John’s University in Collegeville.
Holdingford jumped to a 23-13 first half lead against the No. 6-seeded Royals, who the Huskers had faced twice previously in the regular season. The Huskers ground out a 51-50 win over the Royals Jan. 24 before muscling past its conference rivals once more by a score of 56-29 Feb. 3.
Pilarski, with 20 points, and Mitchell, with 17, led the Huskers offense in scoring.
The Huskers will battle the second-seeded Sauk Centre Streeters at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, at St. John’s University in Collegeville.
HOL 23 26-49
RYL 13 14-27
Holdingford: Pilarski 20 points (4S), Mitchell 17, Makenna Hohbein 6 (9R, 7A), Felicity Leblanc 2, Trista Popp 2 and Ayla Young 2. Holdingford 51, Melrose 37
The Huskers broke its record for most wins in a single season with a 51-37 victory over the Melrose Area Lady Dutchmen in the Section 6AA Girls Basketball Tournament March 2 at Holdingford High School in Holdingford.
It did not come easy. Melrose seeded 14th, came to the game believing it could upset Holdingford.
“We came in with an underdog mentality and decided right off the bat to be pretty aggressive,” said Paige Gruber, Melrose senior forward. “We knew we had to win the first minutes, because they work well in transition and get the ball moving. We worked hard on defense. We really fought.”
The Lady Dutchmen took a 3-0 lead as Isabelle Jaenicke hit a 3-pointer. For most of the first half, the Lady Dutchmen kept a lead.
“We looked at the last time we played and we did some adjustments,” said Evan Reller, Melrose girls basketball head coach. “Holdingford likes to play fast. We said, ‘Slow it down, don’t turn the ball over and don’t give up steals and easy layups.’”
The strategy worked. Without a shot clock, Melrose took its time setting up shots. Holdingford never let them get too far ahead, as Mitchell, Hohbein and Pilarski found ways to the basket.
Melrose, however, would not go away. Courtney Revering came off the bench to drop in consecutive 3-pointers, Kaydence Bertram was everywhere on the court disturbing the Huskers offense and Gruber kept hitting field goals.
“We got told to play two minutes-by-two minutes, to push our hardest and reset,” Bertram said. “In the first half, we did that.”
Nora Schwieters’s rebound and layup gave the Lady Dutchmen a 24-22 lead going into halftime, the last lead Melrose would have. Holdingford came to the second half refocused.
“In the locker room, we’re like, ‘It was not our best half,’” said Hohbein, who finished with 11 points. “If we wanted to win, we had to start playing better offense and defense and get just more fired up. We started putting in shots.”
The Huskers took over the second half offensively. Led by Mitchell’s drives, the team went on a 9-0 run and never looked back.
“We did not hit shots in the first half,” said Joel McDonough, Holdingford girls basketball head coach. “We had players really step up in the second half, and our goal was to keep them under 40 points.”
Holdingford slapped on a full-court defense that disrupted the Melrose flow and got the ball to Pilarski, who had 12 of her 18 points in the second half.
“In the second half, they really stopped us and defended the ball full-court,” Bertram said. “It kind of ruined our streak.”
Melrose rallied a few times to come within four points but came no closer. As the minutes wound down, the Lady Dutchmen fouled in an attempt to get the ball back. Holdingford made the most of this, making seven consecutive free throws, six from Pilarski, to seal the win.
“Down the stretch, we made some important shots and important free throws,” McDonough said.
MEL 24 13-37
HOL 22 29-51
Melrose: Gruber 17 (11R, 3B), Bertram 7 (3R, 4A), Revering 6, Jaenicke 5 (3R), Schwieters 2 (4R), Madison Kuechle (3S) and Jazmin Finken (3S). Holdingford: Pilarski 18 (7R), Mitchell 17, Hohbein 11 (5A, 4S), Popp 3 and Lauren Soltis 2.
Senior Adam Wilwerding’s final high school swim for the Melrose-Sauk Centre Fusion at the Minnesota State High School League Class A Boys Swimming and Diving Meet March 4 at the Jean K.
Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis was one for the record books.
The Fusion senior earned runner-up honors in the 100yard backstroke, finishing at 51.46 seconds. That is a now a Fusion and Melrose Area High School record. He was 1.66
seconds behind the champion Jacob Schurtz-Ford of BreckBlake and 1.35 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Jordan Hogue of Mankato East.
“I had not faced him before (Schurtz-Ford) but knew what I would be facing,” Wilwerding said. “I had worked on weights, tapered and was eating healthy in the weeks before the meet.” There was another factor in Adam Wilwerding setting the record. He has competed at state four times with the 200 medley relay and twice in the backstroke.
“This pool is easy to swim in,” he said. “I can even breathe easier in it.”
Adam Wilwerding was a premier backstroker all year and toward the end of the season came on strong. He set Fusion and Melrose records in each of his last three races.
“He is strong and tall and has really good head position,” said Nathan Meyer, co-head coach. “Sometimes, in the backstroke, you see the head move from side-to-side, but he really stays straight.”
Another of his strengths is rarely appreciated by spectators. His underwater kicks are second to none, according to co-head coach James Schreiner. Adam Wilwerding plans to attend St. Cloud State University. He does not know if he will swim
at college. He has no regrets of swimming in high school. “I have a lot of memories of meets and practices,” he said. “It was fun to swim.”
Adam Wilwerding was the only M-SC member to compete in the championship heat. His second-place medal matches the top finish ever by a Fusion swimmer. In 1998, Paul Melling was a runner-up in the 500 freestyle. Eric Seanger, competing for Melrose Area High School in 1989, was the state breaststroke champion.
Championship heat
Adam Wilwerding and freshman diver Andrue Stalboerger were the only Fusion members competing in the championship rounds. Stalboerger finished 11th out of the 24 divers at state, scoring a 323.80 on 11 dives. He was happy with his performance, especially his final dive: a back somersault, two-and-one-half twist.
“That is one of my favorite dives,” he said. “I’m glad I did well on that dive. I wasn’t sure that I would make the final 16 divers. I had some iffy ones and some hiccups, but overall, I did pretty well.”
Stalboerger’s score was hurt when one of his preliminary dives March 2 was ruled a failed dive, bringing no points. But he did very well on others, earning 221.50 points through the semi-finals.
“What’s most impressive was he did not let it get him
down,” Meyer said. “He had four dives where he just nailed them. He got some sevens at the state meet.”
Diving coach Madi Brinkman sees indications that Stalboerger might only be beginning a good diving career.
“You can tell every time he steps on that board, he is confident and knows what he is doing,” she said. “I was very happy with how he did.”
Consolation heat
Adam Wilwerding competed in the consolation heat of the 200 medley relay March 4, the final day of competition.
The team of Adam Wilwerding, sophomore Sevrin Anderson, junior Jacob Robischon and sophomore Grant Eveslage took 12th, finishing at 1:40.40, their best time of the year. Adam Wilwerding, Robischon and Anderson all set records in other events. In the preliminaries, the 200 medley relay finished at 1:41.11, earning 14th place.
“They moved up from 14th to 12th with one of the best times in Fusion history,” Meyer said. “It is a good collection of guys. They are good in the different strokes, and Grant is good in sprints.”
Robischon swam in one other consolation race, taking 16th in the 200 individual medley. His 2:05.51 finish is a Sauk Centre school record.
Preliminaries
No other M-SC swimmers competed on the second day. They had some good swims in the preliminary round March 3, but the competition was stiff.
The Albany Huskies boys basketball team wrapped up its regular season with two wins last week, improving its record to 25-1 heading into the Section 6AA Boys Basketball Tournament.
The Huskies, the No. 1 seed, will face No. 16 Maple Lake at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 9, at Albany Area High School in Albany. The winner advances to a quarterfinal match against the winner of the Cathedral-Spectrum game at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 11, at St. John’s University in Collegeville.
The Huskies are 14-0 against Section 6AA opponents this season.
Albany 88, Foley 52
The Huskies’ final game of the regular season came March 3, when it defeated Granite Ridge Conference rival Foley 88-52 at Albany Area High School in Albany.
The Huskies jumped out to a 44-25 halftime lead and also scored 44 points in the second half.
Tysen Gerads had a big game, scoring 33 points while grabbing seven rebounds and snagging four steals. He was 13-for-15 on field goals, 3-for3 on 3-pointers and 4-for-4 on free throws. Sam Hondl and Ethan Borgerding each scored 12.
As a team, Albany shot
61% from the field.
“The Foley game gave us a different challenge, as they like to play a lot of 2-3 zone,” said Cory Schlagel, head coach.
“I think this came at a good time, as we need to keep seeing different defenses that teams could possibly throw at us in the playoffs.”
ALB 44 44-88
FOL 25 27-52
Albany: Gerads 33 points (7R, 3A, 4S), Hondl 12 (6R), Borgerding 12 (5R), Zeke Austin 8 (4R), Carter Voss 6, Mason Bierbaum 6 (5R), Elliott Burnett 4, Jaydon Schaefer 3, Andrew Olson 2 and Trent Imholte 2. Albany 90, Milaca 55
The Huskies hosted the Milaca Wolves Feb. 28 in a conference game and won 9055 at Albany Area High School in Albany.
Austin was the top scorer for Albany with 27 points.
The Holdingford Huskers boys basketball team finished the regular season with a 66-54 home loss to Foley March 6 at Holdingford High School in Holdingford.
The Falcons led 39-28 at halftime.
Holdingford’s next game is at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 9, at Mora High School in Mora for the opening round of the Section 6AA playoffs. Mora is the No. 2 seed and Holdingford is No. 15 Jeffrey Hall, with 15 points, and Connor Breth, with 11, led the Huskers in scoring.
Holdingford finishes the regular season 6-19 overall and 3-11 in the Central Minnesota Conference.
HOL 28 26-54
FOL 39 27-66
Holdingford: Jeffrey Hall 15 points (4S), Breth 11 (5R, 4S), Brandon Hall 9, Tanner Tomasek 8 (7R, 5A), Lucas Provo 6 (8R) and Dawson Hofer 5 (13R). Paynesville 75, Holdingford 55
The Huskers traveled to Paynesville Feb. 28 and lost 75-55 in a Central Minnesota Conference game at Paynesville High School.
That concluded the conference season for Holdingford, who finished 3-11 in the conference.
Holdingford had three scorers in double figures – Jeffrey Hall, 13, Provo, 12, and Hofer, 10. HOL 28 27–55 PAY 39 36–75
Holdingford: Jeffrey Hall 13, Provo 12, Hofer 10, Breth 9, Ryder Petersen 5, Devon Engebretson 3, Chase Lyon 2 and Tomasek 1.
He also had seven rebounds. Gerads had 22 points, Voss had 12 and Hondl had 10. Albany was red-hot from the field, making 66% of their shots.
“Milaca is one of the best teams in our conference and section with one of the best offensive teams around,” Schlagel said. “We knew we would need to defend well to give ourselves a chance, and that we did.”
It was a tight game in the early going, but at 9:52 in the first half, the Huskies began to pull away.
“Early on, both teams were scoring well, and the pace of the game was where we liked it,” Schlagel said. “With our depth, we don’t mind playing at the speed Milaca does, as we hope to wear down opponents over the course of 36 minutes.”
Albany led 52-32 at the half.
“When we are at our best, our team defense is very good at cutting off driving lanes and helping stop penetration properly,” Schlagel said. “I think we accomplished that the last 25-plus minutes of the game, and it allowed us to pull away and get a great win.” Albany had 23 assists against Milaca and 17 against Foley.
“When we get 15-plus assists in a game, I like our chances of competing for wins,” Schlagel said.
ALB 52 38-90 MIL 32 23-55
Albany: Austin 27 (7R), Gerads 22 (6R, 4A), Voss 12, Hondl 10, Borgerding 6 (7R, 4A), Jack Rieland 5, Tanner Reis 4 (6R), Bierbaum 2 and Imholte 2.
Fusion from page 10
The closest any others came to a top-16 finish was the 17th-place swim recorded by Anderson in the 100 breaststroke. His 1:02.20 is a Sauk Centre record, and he missed swimming in the consolations by .15 of a second.
Thatcher Van Beck came in at 5:17.10 in the 500 freestyle, earning 18th place. He is a ninth grader and showed po-
tential for better finishes in the future.
“Thatcher got valuable experience,” Meyer said. “It was similar to Alex Wilwerding in the backstroke. Both held their seeds and both had good experiences.”
Alex Wilwerding, a sophomore, finished the 100 backstroke at 58.37, earning 21st place. That was a competitive
field, as all 23 participants finished under one minute. Robischon took two 20thplace showings. In the 100 butterfly, he finished at 55.19, his best time of the year. He was the lead swimmer, along with Eveslage, Van Beck and Adam Wilwerding, in the 400 freestyle relay. That quartet
finished at 3:82.22, taking 20th place. The Fusion finished 20th out of 32 teams in the meet, earning 34 points. Champion Breck-Blake scored 480.
“It was a good season and a good state meet,” Meyer said.
“Overall, we are proud of what we accomplished.”
Parents: Steve and Jennifer St. Marie.
Current status: Recently competed in an Albany Area High School band and choir concert contest.
What do you enjoy most about being part of band and choir? Band and choir help me understand the merit of many kinds of music.
What instrument do you play, and who introduced you to the instrument? I play a clarinet I inherited from my great-grandfather.
What is your favorite song to sing in choir? “Dies Irae” by Ryan Main.
What other activities are you involved in at school?
Knowledge Bowl, D&D Club, fall play and spring musical.
Why is it important for you to be involved in school activities? Without these activities, I would not be part of a community full of talented and diverse peers who help me grow as a person.
What is something you are proud you accomplished so
What is your favorite part about being a manager? I love being able to watch my team improve every day and just being part of the Husker girls basketball family.
What are some of the duties you have during practices and on game nights? During practices, I run the clock and fill water bottles. At away games, I do
far during the school year, and what is one of your goals in the remainder of the year? I have been cast in the role I aimed for in the musical – Pulitzer in “Newsies,” and I want to improve my musical ability on stage.
What is one piece of advice you would give underclassmen to help them excel in academics or athletics? Whatever you are doing, give your full attention to it. No matter how good you think you are at multi-tasking, you’re not good enough to focus and do well on several things at once when you are thinking about your friend, another class and your plans for next week all while you are in one class. Give the same devotion to math class as you would a sport you are in.
What are you thankful for today? Relatively warm weather, as it allows me to walk to school.
What are three words that describe your personality? Reserved, joyful and patient.
how to play football, and I could not understand anything, so he told me to always remember it as the line of scrimmage.
How do you try to make a difference at school? I try to make at least one person smile.
Greenthe book for the team, and for home games, I get the girls Gatorade and get to watch them play from the bench.
What other activities are you involved in at Holdingford High School? Student Council. I was a swimmer and played softball. I also was volleyball manager.
What is your favorite memory from elementary school? When Eli Marquedant was trying to teach me
What is something you’ve learned in class recently? I am awful at math
Tell us something about yourself most people don’t know. I am obsessed with Kwik Trip pink milk. What is your dream job? A clinical psychologist.
Parents: John and Aimee Huston.
Current status: Guard on the Melrose Area High School boys basketball team.
What do you like most about being on the basketball team? The team aspect and going on bus trips. A lot of fun things happened on those rides.
What is your most memorable experience in a game? Playing at Target Center last year.
What other activities are you involved in at school? Football, baseball and band.
What is something you’ve learned in class recently? We learned about telescopes in earth and space class.
What are you looking forward to this school
year? Making more memories with friends before we go off to college.
How do you try to make a difference at school? I try to be nice to everybody. If I can tell someone is having a bad day, I will talk with them.
What teacher has impacted your education the most? Ryan Dusha is a very good teacher and basketball coach.
What is your favorite restaurant and the meal you order? Texas Roadhouse. Sirloin and shrimp combo.
The Prairie Centre North Stars boys hockey team experienced a variety of obstacles but never lost its confidence and team cohesion.
The North Stars were led by a strong senior leadership group of Eli Fletcher, Derick Sorenson, Kyle Sayovitz, Owen Christians, Eric Isenbart, John Williams and Kris Hanson. Assisting in building a positive team-driven environment was an encouraging coaching staff that consisted of head coach Chad Wehrman and assistant coaches Hunter Fletcher, Noah Fletcher and volunteer Jake Zollman.
While the team could not extend its season past the first round of playoffs, there were
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several memorable marks set. Eli Fletcher, the program’s all-time leading scorer, broke into the top-10 all-time Minnesota state high school goal-scoring list, while Melrose freshman James Rieland set a new single-season assist record with 31. Prairie Centre’s season included two victories over Redwood Valley and Breckenridge/Wahpeton and wins over Willmar, Mora/Milaca and Park Rapids.
