Sauk Centre Herald 03-30-2023

Carp catch canceled

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The area that would have been a carp removal site is flooded with water March 15 on Sauk Lake north of Sauk Centre. The flooding was caused by the weight of the snow on the ice, preventing the Big Sauk Lake Association’s carp netting operation this year.

BSLA calls off 2023 netting operation due to flooding, heavy snow

BY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER

For years, the Big Sauk Lake Association and WSB Engineering have been fighting Sauk Lake’s carp infestation with a mass netting operation in the spring, when the ice is still frozen. Their 2022 catch removed nearly 80,000 pounds of carp from Sauk Lake, even though the crews had to fight warm temperatures and melting ice. The carp may be getting a reprieve this year, for while the ice remains frozen, the removal site has been flooded due to the sheer weight of all the snow. A carp removal team came onto the ice the week of March 13, removing about 18 inches of snow for a road and a seining hole where the fish would be corralled. While the crew began laying out nets and using sonar to locate a large carp school, others began drilling the hole, and the area flooded with about six to eight inches of water because of the snow’s weight.

Carp netting page 4

Cheers

Creativity in seniors

BY BEN SONNEK STAFF WRITER

March is crafting month, but for Deb Johnson and Fairway

Pines Senior Living residents every month is crafting month. Deb has been volunteering twice a month at Fairway Pines for about six months, helping engage the seniors’ creativity through a variety of decorative crafts.

Johnson teaches crafting at Fairway Pines

“I’ve always been a people person,” Deb said. “When I’m working with them, I can bring something in, but it won’t look like mine when (the seniors) are done with it. They are so creative. I can bring something to them, but they are more creative than I am.”

Ashley Amelung, Deb’s daughter, is the Community Life Director at Fairway Pines, and she has seen how much the residents look forward to crafting day.

“They just enjoy it,” Ashley said. “Every month, they’re (asking), ‘So, what are we crafting?’”

Deb and her husband, Keith John-

son, lived in Sauk Centre for about 32 years, starting in 1989. Keith worked at CentraCare and served on the Sauk Centre City Council for 13 years, and Deb worked as the Program Specialist for CentraCare Health-Sauk Centre Hospital, coordinating the hospital’s volunteers in Sauk Centre and Long Prairie, and she also managed the gift shop at CentraCare Health-Long Prairie Hospital.

“I loved being a Volunteer Coordinator,” Deb said. “I always wanted to volunteer when I retired.”

The Johnsons retired a couple of years ago and, when they could not find a Sauk Centre apartment after selling their house, they moved to Alexandria. Their Sauk Centre ties have them returning all the time, though, and they still consider the town their home. Deb started volunteering in various ways at

Fairway Pines with Ashley’s assistance, and it was not long before Deb settled into teaching crafts, starting in August 2022.

Deb has always enjoyed crafting. She also used to own the business Out of the Attic, where she refinished furniture and sold the items in downtown Sauk Centre.

“Crafts have always been my big thing,” Deb said. “I always made crafts for Christmas, and when I was younger, we had this craft of the month that would come in the mail, and (my mother and I) would do crafts together. It’s always been a part of my life.”

At Fairway Pines, Deb comes to teach once every two weeks. She begins by preparing a sample before she arrives, both as practice and as a showcase of how the final product might look.

Message of hope

to

BY BEN SONNEK STAFF WRITER

Renowned speaker Christopher West and award-winning musician Mike Mangione are coming to Sauk Centre for their Made for More event, showing people how the beauty of creation and the human person make clear God’s plan for every individual. Their presentation is from 7-9:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, at the Margaret Shelby Auditorium at Sauk Centre High School in Sauk Centre.

West is president and founder of Theology of the Body Institute near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Mangione is an internationally touring Americana and blues musician.

to fundraising ng io n e Ch p her W e s t

As the duo prepare to come to Sauk Centre, West wants to be clear he will not be giving a theology lecture.

• Mortgage Foreclosures (4) - pg. 7&8 • Sauk Centre Township Notice to Residents - pg. 7 • Summons - pg. 7 • Birchdale Township Property Assessments Notice - pg. 7 • Ashley Township Property Assessments Notice- pg. 8 • City of Sauk Centre Property Assessments Notice - pg. 8 • Probate Notice - Klein - pg. 8 • City of Sauk Centre Variance Request - pg. 7 • City of Sauk Centre Ord. No. 821 - pg. 7 • City of Sauk Centre Ord. No. 822 - pg. 8 PUBLIC NOTICES Fundraising page 2

PHOTO BY BEN SONNEK

Deb Johnson arranges a variety of crafts seniors have made under her direction March 23 at Fairway Pines Senior Living in Sauk Centre. Johnson has taught crafting to Fairway Pines residents for about six months, starting in August 2022.

PHOTO BY BEN SONNEK

Bob Nichols with Western Son Vodka pours samples for visitors March 25 at the Sauk Centre-Melrose Hockey Association’s fifth annual Beer, Wine and Liquor Tasting Event at the Sauk Centre Civic Arena. It is estimated about 450 people came to the SCMHA fundraising event.

Perfect pots

Tree Top holds annual spring planting

BY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER

There was still snow on the ground outside, but inside the warm greenhouse at Tree Top Nursery and Landscaping in Sauk Centre, locals and visitors alike came to their annual spring planting event to pick a variety of plants and pot them.

“The spring planting event has been going on for years at Tree Top Nursery,” said Tree Top owner Marty Claussen. “The event is usually held in late March. We prefill all the containers so the customer comes in and chooses their plants, which are separated out as sun and shade and spillers, fillers and thrillers. It’s a very fun event at a time of the year when we all could use a little bit of spring, especially this year.”

Tree Top also provided refreshments at the event. Now that the customers have planted their containers, Tree Top employees will be taking care of them until around Mother’s Day, when the planters can come pick them up.

Claussen has the following advice for people looking to pot their plants:

– Use a very high quality potting soil.

– Make sure you use a container that has good drainage.

– Plant the right plants for the right location, for shade, sun, wind, etc.

– Water on a regular basis. Some containers may need watering every day and some might be every couple of days, depending on location and exposure to the elements.

– Don’t forget to fertilize; Tree Top fertilizes on a frequent basis at a low dosage. The plants probably should be fertilized weekly if possible. A slow release fertilizer can also give a constant feed throughout the summer.

What’s popular?

During the Sauk Centre-Melrose Hockey Association’s fifth annual Beer, Wine and Liquor Tasting Event March 25 at the Sauk Centre Civic Arena, the Herald asked various vendors what their most popular beverages had been that evening so far:

– Sociable Cider Werks: Training Wheels Hazy Blueberry.

– Western Son Vodka: Strawberry.

– Number Twelve Cider: Union.

– 14 Lakes Brewing: Glacial Crush Cold IPA, Blond Rush Ale.

– Rolling Forks Winery: Ruby Rhubarb.

– Moose Lake:Knot Bumper Mango Blonde.

– Outstate Brewing:Shorelunch Shandy.

– Carlos Creek Winery: Hot Dish Red, Minnescato.

– Lupulin Brewing

Sticky Bubbles.

– Tattersall Distilling: Blueberry Collins.

– Summer Lakes

Beverage:Bootleg, Fresh Press Jalapeno Margarita.

– Copper Trail Brewing: Copper Sunrise, Lucky Red.

People gather around the Phillips Wine and Spirits table during the Sauk Centre-Melrose Hockey Association’s fifth annual Beer, Wine and Liquor Tasting Event. Proceeds from the event went toward SCMHA scholarships to players who are not able to afford the costs of being in the hockey program, as well as offsetting fees and registrations for all levels of youth hockey participants, including ice time rental during the season; some of the money will also go toward an athletic trainer and coaches for JV and varsity teams.

Str eeter Streeter

Sixtine Deraymaeker

Parents:Marie and Philippe Deraymaeker (natural parents) and Jill and Jim Sayovitz (host parents).

Grade: 12

Accomplishment: Is an exchange student from Belgium and was a manager for the girls basketball team.

What do you enjoy most about being a basketball manager? I enjoyed coming along to the games, supporting the girls and learning about basketball.

What were some of the duties you had? I took stats, filled water bottles, folded warm-ups and cheered for the girls.

What was a memorable moment you had in this role this year? I couldn’t only name one. Every win and laugh were a memorable moment for me, especially all the laughs I had with Hailey Hokanson and Hailey Thompson

during the season. I’m really glad for the bond basketball gave us.

What other activities are you involved in at school? Volleyball, softball and student council.

What do you feel is the biggest difference between your school in Belgium and Sauk Centre? My graduating class in Belgium was 250 students (I graduated in June 2022). I feel like I didn’t know most of the other seniors. Here, our graduating class is much smaller but I like it better because I actually had the chance to meet and talk to most of them.

What has been your favorite school event you have been a part of? I would say the Senior Sunrise at the beginning of the year. It was such a good way to connect with some of the other seniors and it was such a nice moment shared with them. I also had my first American donuts that day which were amazing.

How do you try to make a difference at school? I try to always smile, talk to as many people as I can, be polite, answer people’s questions about Belgium or my life over there, etc. I especially love teaching my classmates some French.

What is something you’ve learned in class recently? I learned about Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal in American History 2 with Mr. Schreiner. What is one item on your bucket list? Graduation because it’s something all Europeans dream of after watching American movies.

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PHOTOS BY BEN SONNEK

The Sauk Centre Civic Arena is crowded with people as they try samples from the various vendors March 25 during the Sauk Centre-Melrose Hockey Association’s Beer, Wine and Liquor Tasting Event. Over 50 vendors participated in the event.

Brittany Carroll (left) and Tracy Boysen run the Rolling Forks Winery booth at the Sauk Centre-Melrose Hockey Association’s Beer, Wine and Liquor Tasting Event March 25 at the Sauk Centre Civic Arena. Pizza and light snacks were also served.

PHOTOS BY BEN SONNEK

Kris Boike from Montevideo plants her pot at the annual spring planting March 24 at Tree Top Nursery and Landscaping in Sauk Centre. Boike used to come to the spring planting with her mother until she turned 90; now, Boike came to the planting with a group of six.

Linus Dunn (from left), Alyssa Westling and Emily Dunn are helped by Rachel Bosl as they plant their pots March 24 at Tree Top Nursery and Landscaping in Sauk Centre for their annual spring planting. Tree Top prefilled the containers for customers to plant.

(Above) Brett Doebbeling (middle) with Drastic Measures Brewing talks with Josh Skramstab (left) and Brandon Johnson March 25 at the Sauk Centre Civic Arena.

(Right) Sara Albert (left) and Ryan Ebnet celebrate Ebnet’s 40th birthday at the Beer, Wine and Liquor Tasting Event March 25 at the Sauk Centre Civic Arena.

SCMHA holds fifth annual beer, wine, liquor tasting event

Crafting from front

She sometimes brings the sample a little early to allow residents time to give feedback on potential changes.

So far, crafts Deb has made with the Fairway Pines seniors have been seasonal and holiday-themed decorations, including a welcome sign, a Valentine’s Day candy box, a reversible sign that can say “Joy” or “Boo,” a flat hanging pumpkin, a 3D pumpkin and an Easter decoration of a rabbit in a carrot garden.

“Sometimes, they like what their neighbor likes more than what they do,” Deb said. “They’re all so creative.”

The craft Deb brought to Fairway Pines March 23 was a rabbit silhouette which could be adorned with flowers and a cotton tail.

“I try to do different mediums to give them a chance

Made for More from front

“(People) are coming to something you might describe more like a night at the theater,” West said. “We have worked very hard to make this an artistic, creative, sensory experience.”

Mangione, the event director and coordinator, agrees.

“For anybody compartmentalizing this event as something specific, like chastity or marriage or theology, really know that this is an event for the human person,” Mangione said “If you’re like a majority of the Catholics out there who have, at some point in your formational history, hit a gap or two in your understanding, this is really the event where you can take all your questions.”

In their presentation, West and Mangione are trying to show people are here for a specific reason, for something bigger than themselves, to move them from indifference to wonder and awe.

“We look at how the physical world, the physical body, the sacramentals, the physical things around us, things that have tangible form, are not only part of the salvific story but also play an important role in it – specifically our bodies,”

Deb

to do different things than just paint,” Deb said. “This (rabbit) is a crackle finish.

We’ll use a heat gun to make

Mangione said. “There are emotions we feel outside of practical survival. There are things we experience as a community outside of just symbiotic relationships and survival. I know this because of sadness, anger, love, joy, all these other elements I’ve experienced.”

Born in 1969, West was raised as a Catholic through the 1970s and 1980s on what he called the “starvation diet” approach to Christianity, where desires are bad and need to be repressed.

“That’s why I became a quick convert in my teenage years to what I call the fastfood gospel, which is the secular culture’s promise of immediate gratification for all of the hungers,” West said. “The chicken nuggets taste really good going down, but if that becomes your steady diet, the grease and the sodium is going to catch up with you after a while.”

For West, that catching-up happened in college during the late 1980s. He remembers falling on his knees in a college dorm in 1988, praying for God to reveal the purpose of his desires because they were getting himself and his friends in trouble.

“It was a ragged but honest prayer,” West said. “It sent me on a journey of seeking. Long story short, in the early ’90s, I discovered the teaching of Saint John Paul II, specifically his theology of the body, and

the paint crackle.”

After Easter, Deb plans to focus on decorations with spring and summer themes.

I learned for the first time that Catholicism is not a starvation diet; it’s an invitation to a wedding feast … I came to see that the whole Bible, from beginning to end, tells a story about marriage. God wants to marry us – that’s the whole Bible in five words, and he wanted that image to be so plain to us that he chiseled an image right in our bodies.”

Since then, West has dedicated his life to studying and spreading this teaching, and he is now one of the world’s leading popularizers of it. It was through these travels that, over 20 years ago, he met Mangione. At the time, Mangione was a college student in Wisconsin who had come to West’s weekend retreat at the encouragement of his girlfriend.

“The first time I heard that teaching was the deepest dive into Catholic faith I’d ever had,” Mangione said. “The beauty of the teaching, and specifically in the way West presents it, is that he presents truth in a way that’s obvious but hard to articulate.”

West loves music; he sang songs and referenced pieces throughout the talk, and he and Mangione started a conversation about music at the end of the day.

“Somebody had a guitar, and we stayed up until 2 in the morning, just passing the guitar back and forth, singing songs from our favorite bands,” West said.

“They love working with flowers,” Deb said. “The projects have to be fairly simple because, if they have a lot of gluing to them, we have to do that because we don’t want to let (the seniors) use the hot glue gun, so I try to make it so they can do most of it themselves. They like painting projects.”

Deb does not really have a favorite kind of craft, as she enjoys learning about new and different kinds and figuring out original things to make.

For beginner crafters, Deb knows it is easy to get ideas off of the internet, but she encourages people to make the creations their own.

“It’s so easy to make it your own,” Deb said. “That’s what I do. I love looking at what everybody else does, but then I make it my own. Put your own perspective into it, and make it simple.

A year later, West heard a CD of Mangione’s music, which incorporated some of the themes from Saint John Paul II’s teaching. Blown away by the music, West wanted to incorporate it into his talk, and in 2008, they went together to World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, to combine their talents into a presentation. Fifteen years later, they continue to travel together. They started The Cor Project about 10 years ago, a ministry to spread theology of the body with a charism toward beauty and the transcendental, and in 2017, they merged with the Theology of the Body Institute.

West and Mangione have not been to Sauk Centre before, but Minnesota has been one of their recurring stops.

“I’ve always found in Minnesota a deep Catholic faith,” West said. “Minnesota is, next to Texas, the state I’ve probably been to the most. There’s a real hunger for the theology of the body there.”

As a Wisconsinite, Mangione does not feel out of place when touring Minnesota, and, for him, the area is beautiful but it is the people who really make the experience special.

“As a native of Minnesota, Bob Dylan once said, ‘It’s too cold for any kind of ideology,’” Mangione said. “There’s an honesty and straight-to-the-point quality I appreciate.”

In coming to Sauk Centre, West and Mangione are looking forward to continuing to spread their message of hope.

“We live in troubled times,” West said. “We live in very confusing times, and the Made for More event really is about breathing hope into our lungs and putting the crisis we’re facing in the modern world in its proper context, showing we really do have a solution. The theology of the body is for such a time as this.”

Youth ATV Safety Course: ATV Field Day Class on Sunday, May 7, in Sauk Centre. Sponsored by the Sauk Centre Sno-Cleats. For information and registration call Chris Kerfeld at 320-766-7223.

Little Sauk American Legion Fish Fry Specials: Every Friday during lent from 5-8 p.m. Hosted by the Little Sauk American Legion Auxiliary.

Pins and Needles Quilters Monthly Meeting: Second Tuesday of the Month, 7-9 p.m. at the Sauk Centre Senior Center, 321 4th St. N. Our goal is to promote the art of quilt making at all skill levels by discussion, lessons, and show and tell of your projects at our meetings. We welcome new members.

Catholic in Recovery/All Addictions Anonymous (CIR/AAA): Held on the second and fourth Saturday each month at 1 p.m. Located at Centre for Christ.

DivorceCare: Support for those going through a separation and/or divorce, meeting every Thursday for 13 weeks at 6 p.m. Located at Centre for Christ.

GriefShare: Offering support for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Meeting every Tuesday for 13 weeks at 6 p.m. Located at Centre for Christ.

Little Sauk Legion Auxiliary Unit 417 Meeting: Second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Little Sauk Legion. New members welcome!

Western Stearns DFL: group meets the third Tuesday of the month at the Silver Crest Apts common room, 412 10th St S, Sauk Centre.

Mental Health Support Group: Fridays from 2-4 p.m. at the Palmer House. We welcome anyone who suffers with mental health issues. Any questions, please contact Richard at (320) 260-4233.

Sauk Centre History Museum and Research Center: Museum hours are Sunday and Monday - closed, Tuesday 1-5 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday 1-5 p.m., Friday 12-4 p.m. Located in the Sinclair Lewis Library building at 430 Main Street. Any questions, please call (320) 351-8777.

Mental Health Crisis Line: (320) 253-5555 or (800) 635-8008. Crisis Response Team for Benton, Sherburne, Stearns and Wright counties.

AA Meetings: Thursdays, 11 a.m. at United Church of Christ in Sauk Centre. For more information, call (320) 429-1620. AA and Al-Anon 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays in Sauk Centre at United Church of Christ. Back to Basic Meeting, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at Tutti Fruitti in Sauk Centre. For more information, call (218) 240-1076. Wednesdays Big Book Meeting at 7 p.m., Civic Center, Melrose. For more information, call (320) 241-3909.

NA Meetings: Mondays, 7 p.m. at River of Life Church, Sauk Centre and Fridays at 11 a.m. at Eagle’s Healing Nest Chapel, Sauk Centre.

Alzheimer’s Support Group: The support group for people caring for someone with memory loss holds monthly meetings every fourth Thursday of the month from 10-11:30 a.m. at Alternative Senior Care, 418 10th St. S, Sauk Centre. For more information, call (320) 3523350.

Join

BELGRADE

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES CATHOLIC CHURCH 541 Martin Ave. | PO Box 69 320-254-8218 parishesontheprairie.org/parishes

ELROSA STS. PETER AND PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH 302 State St. 320-254-8218 parishesontheprairie.org/parishes

BROOTEN ST. DONATUS CATHOLIC CHURCH 301 Eastern Ave. 320-254-8218 parishesontheprairie.org/parishes

WEST UNION ST. ALEXIUS CATHOLIC CHURCH 11 Oak St. S 320-352-2563 parishesontheprairie.org/parishes

SAUK CENTRE

FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH 124 4th St. N 320-352-5356 faithbc.org

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH 304 Elm St. S 320-352-3623 flcsauk.com

FIRST UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 620 5th St. S 320-352-2030

OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS CATHOLIC CHURCH Ash St. and 7th St. 320-352-2196 parishesontheprairie.org/parishes

ST. PAUL’S CATHOLIC CHURCH 304 Sinclair Lewis Ave. 320-352-2196 parishesontheprairie.org/parishes

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 504 Elm St. S 320-352-2827 saukcentreumc.org

ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH 316 Maple St. 320-352-3447 www.facebook.com/ zionlutheransaukcentre

If you would like parishioners to see your church here, please contact Robin at 320-351-7837

PHOTO BY BEN SONNEK

Johnson (right) helps Leora Calkins add a layer of glue to her rabbit silhouette March 23 at Fairway Pines Senior Living in Sauk Centre. The decorations the seniors make are usually holiday-themed or seasonal.

Sauk Centre

POLICE ACTIVITY

From branches to crosses

Sukke shares simplicity of palm folding

BY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER

When Shirley Sukke is sitting in a pew at Sauk Centre’s First Lutheran Church on Palm Sunday, she will take the palm branch she is holding and fold it into a cross. It is not long, though, before other congregants are peeking over her shoulder and handing her their own palm branches.

“For the whole sermon, I’m making crosses,” Sukke said. “There’s no glue to them; it’s just how you fold it around and tuck the ends in.”

Sukke, a Sauk Centre resident, has been making palm crosses for about 20 years. She started making them when she read an article that had the steps for the craft, and she picked it up from there.

assist on 39000 block of Co. Rd. 186 20:00 hrs – Problem with juvenile on 200 block of 3rd St. N

hrs – DWI on Elm St. S/4th St. S

extra patrol request • 5 school patrols • 1 open door

phone call • 3 traffi c stops – verbal warnings issued

Thursday, March 23 01:44 hrs – Intoxicated person on 300 block of Oak St. S

hrs – Welfare check on 400 block of Maple St. 10:09 hrs – Verbal dispute at dog park

12:45 hrs – Medical emergency on 300 block of Hwy. 71 14:39 hrs – Welfare check on 400 block of Elm St. N

hrs – Business assist on 300 block of Main St. S

hrs – No pay customer on 1400 block of Main St. S

hrs – Matter of information on 300 block of 12th St. S

citizen contact • 3 school patrols

traffi c stops – 1 driving after revocation citation issued

Friday, March 24

hrs – Parking violation on 200 block of Morningview

hrs – Vandalism to vehicle on 300 block of Oak St. S

palm crosses, Sukke often exchanges them with a Catholic friend who does palm braiding.

Palm crosses and palm braiding are ways for parishioners to preserve palms until the following year, when branches – which are normally blessed before the service in both Catholic and Lutheran churches – are burned to serve as ashes on Ash Wednesday.

For Sukke, palm crosses are another small way to show devotion to the suffering of Jesus, especially during Holy Week.

When she makes her the cross for us,” Sukke said. “Once you watch

“Our Savior hung on (palm cross folding) and do it, it’s so simple.”

Palm cross steps:

1. Start with a flat palm branch.

2. Fold the branch at about a third of its length, closer to the wide end.

3. Fold off at a 45 degree angle to start the crossbar.

4. Fold back the other way to complete the crossbar on the other side.

5. Fold the remaining branch behind the cross, making sure both arms of the crossbar are equal length.

6. Wrap the narrowing end of the branch diagonally across the middle of the cross.

7. Continue folding diagonally back and forth across the middle until the branch runs out; then, tuck in the tip of the branch to lock it in place.

Carp netting from front

“The next week, a little more snow and wind came in, along with cold weather,” said Jeff Mayer with the BSLA. “The area froze. As the road was reopened, water came up through the crack, creating unsafe conditions.”

Faced with this environment, the ice netting operation was called off for 2023, although there is still a possibility for open water netting as soon as the ice melts. The BSLA remains hopeful the spring netting operation can still be an annual undertaking, weather permitting.

Not completing the spring carp netting will almost certainly prolong the goal of the Big Sauk Watershed Carp Integrated Pest Management Plan, allowing the invasive species to continue negatively impacting the lake’s ecosystem.

“A large amount of carp biomass needs to be removed from the system, far more than one removal event can accomplish,” said Tony Havranek, WSB Engineering senior ecologist and director of fisheries. “Canceling one event doesn’t necessarily make or break accomplishing the goals set forth on the Big Sauk Lake IPM, but it can push accomplishing the goals farther

into the future.”

Removing carp biomass is an important implementation task in the Big Sauk Lake IPM, along with collecting additional carp baseline data to better understand their movements to connected bodies of water.

“The existing carp biomass is well above ecologically damaging thresholds,” Havranek said. “Internal phosphorous loading will remain similar to what it was at the end of calendar year 2022, with no ability to reestablish beneficial native vegetation such as wild rice, which would have provided additional habitat for waterfowl and other fish species.”

Another problem facing the carp removal project has been a recent state funding denial. On behalf of the BSLA, the Sauk River Watershed District applied for a $136,718 state Board of Water and Soil Resources grant, funded through the Outdoor Heritage Fund and the Clean Water Fund. The request was denied, so the BSLA board needs to look for other means of financial assistance.

“Not receiving the funding was a big setback for Big Sauk Lake and those who use the lake, residents and non-residents, as well

as wildlife,” Havranek said.

“Similar to other external water quality and natural resource restoration and protection projects, managing carp on a watershed wide scale in an integrated manner requires multi-year funding. The Big Sauk Lake IPM lays out a plan with activities that will require funding from a variety of sources to complete. The BSLA may be able to fund some of the activities, but funding from local, state and federal partners will be required in order to improve the ecological integrity of Big Sauk Lake and the downstream waterbodies that receive water from Big Sauk.”

Another aspect of the project the BSLA is looking to fund is the carp radio tagging. There are about 100 carp in Sauk Lake with high frequency radio tags, implanted in them on Sept. 28, 2021, which allow the carp to be tracked as they move upstream or downstream as they cross a wire stretched over the water. There are also 10 tagged carp that are being tracked via radio receivers that have a warrantied battery life of 503 days, a period which ended Feb.

13, 2023; they may still last as long as 1,007 days, which would take them up to July 1, 2024.

When it comes to Sauk Lake property owners helping control carp levels, Havranek and Mayer recommend they join the BSLA board. The scale of the carp infestation is so large, and many of the Big Sauk Lake IPM’s activities are relatively sophisticated and require specialized equipment, so removing even hundreds of pounds of carp through hook-and-line fishing and bow fishing are not likely to make much of a difference.

“If you own property on Sauk Lake and are a member, please consider joining the board,” Mayer said. “We will be having a few board members leaving and would like new ideas to make Sauk Lake a better place for all.”

The BSLA board appreciates volunteers who have helped them with their carp removal project so far, including JR Commercial Fishing, Tim Adams and his crew and Jim Retzlaff and Elaine Mitsche at Big Sauk Resort.

PHOTOS BY BEN SONNE K

Shirley Sukke displays a palm cross from a previous year March 28 at her home in Sauk Centre. Sukke has made palm crosses for about 20 years.

A shutterbug without regret

My Aunt Darla always said, “Take lots of pictures. You’ll never regret taking them, but you might regret not.”

The running joke in my family to this day is that Darla is the family shutterbug. She truly enjoys taking copious amounts of photos every day, especially on vacations. We are talking about thousands and thousands of pictures.

Memories of my younger years flooded my mind recently as Shawn and I planned our upcoming family vacation to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.

Lessons of a new author

Kayla’s Korner by Kayla Hunstiger

We have a few hotels booked; however, the main portion of our vacation will be spent camping in Wyoming. We’ve done a fair amount of camping in Minnesota and a little bit out west, but this will certainly be a new adventure for us. So, if anyone has tips and tricks, feel free to share them.

I cannot wait to take oodles of photos, maybe even earning my own shutterbug badge. It would be a badge of honor for sure, in great esteem of the original herself.

Over the years, I have looked back many times at the photo albums Darla gave me of our trip I took at age 16 with her and my cousin Beau. We had so much fun and made so many memories over a month-long road trip that stretched from Minnesota to Texas to St. Louis and back.

As time passes, some memories fade, but with the photos Darla carefully took and lovingly put together, my

mind is injected with renewed color each time I take a stroll down memory lane. I hope and pray I never forget the full color magic of family and fun.

When life gets crazy, it is easy to go with the flow. However, if you don’t watch out, you may end up so far down the river without your paddles that it gets hard to fully and openly enjoy all God’s green earth has to offer.

Taking time recently to slow down and reset, I found myself sitting on the floor in my closet, reminiscing as I looked at my photo albums from that summer trip. I realized I may just want to become a shutterbug.

I want to give my husband, children and family so many great memories and photos to renew our sometimes-fading minds, memories that can show them the splendor of the time we are given to share, and memories for long after our shared time has been put on pause.

As I looked over my photo albums of that special trip with Darla and Beau, I laughed, cried and thanked God for the beautiful times he has loaned me. Although Darla and I still have time to visit, reminisce and create more lasting memories, Beau’s time with us has been paused until we meet again.

I am so grateful for the time we had together and thankful for Darla’s foresight to capture the fun along the way.

Warm weather plans

Warmer weather has to be on the way, right?

At least on the work front, we’ve been busy making warm weather plans and have thrust ourselves into spring and summer event planning. I have to admit, there is a fair amount of praying and crossing fingers going on in hopes the weather will cooperate with these events. However, I keep trying to remind myself that we can’t control the weather, but what we can do is be well prepared and hope we don’t have to implement plans B or C.

First up is our Spring Out Event. This event is one of the Chamber fundraisers that helps offset expenses of Sinclair Lewis Days entertainment, as well as funds for Chamber programming such as speakers, scholarships, holiday kickoff events, the You’ve Been Elfed promotion and more. Spring Out is a free-gate day of entertainment that kicks off at 10 a.m. on April 22. Featuring food trucks, loaded bloody marys and mimosas, we also have 37 vendors registered as of today for the craft and vendor show that will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In addition to food and crafts, we have an in-person gun raffle that starts at 11 a.m. and a live music and picking circle from noon to 3 p.m. What is a picking circle? Well, it is a bit like an open mic night, so if you play an instrument, bring it along and join in the fun! This musical mash up is brought to you by Ben Schirmers, Shannon Brunko, Andrew Wanquist and Bill Engebretson.

But wait, there’s still more! There will also be six lanes of axe throwing from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. where you can try your hand at hitting the target. No reason to end the fun there, as we shift the space over to accommodate Designer Bag Bingo. Bingo starts at 4 p.m. sharp, and seating opens at 2:30 p.m. We only have 300 tickets available and, as of the time of writing, we only have about 100 tickets left!

Bingo tickets will only be available at the door if not sold out prior. If you are interested in tickets, you can email saukcentrechamber@gmail.com to make arrangements. All the events mentioned take place at The Shed at 10098 County Road 11 in Sauk Centre. The goal is to have the bulk of our 37 vendors set up outside. As you can imagine, with the several inches of snow on the ground and snow in the forecast for later this week, this could cause one to start having slight panic attacks, but I will instead just continue to plan warm weather events with the idea that the warm weather will have to arrive at some point.

Speaking of warmer weather, we opened up registration for the 52nd Annual Sinclair Lewis Days parade last week, going from thinking about spring to pondering and planning

summer festivities. Surely the snow will be gone by then, right? I must admit, I am not 100% convinced it will be gone before July, but again, we are working on warm weather events and will keep the faith that we will soon see green grass. Our parade registration link can be found on our website, or you can stop at the Chamber to pick up forms. We have room for 100 units and, in under a week, we have 40 units registered already. This year’s parade is on July 15 at 7 p.m., and we already have some fantastic entertainment scheduled including a stilts artist and fire breather to add to the lineup.

Once again, Friday evening, July 14, will be filled with fun and entertainment in the Sinclair Lewis Park as we feature the Honey Badgers on the bandshell stage and DJ Pete by the picnic pavilion, and we are sure to have another fabulous fireworks display. This year’s theme is “Sauk Centre for All Seasons.” We think this is a pretty great place to be year-round, so we encourage those entering a float to pick their favorite season as their theme. Sinclair Lewis Days has a whole host of events taking place from July 12-16. If your organization or business has an event taking place during this time, you must notify the Chamber by May 17 to have your event included on our posters and advertising. Please email all the details to saukcentrechamber@gmail.com

Coming up next is our Third Thursday Networking event, and our host on April 20 is Alternative Senior Care. Members are invited to join us at their Sauk Centre location at 418 10th Street South to learn more about their business, mix, mingle, connect and share what you have happening. These events always include an update from the Chamber and are a great way to show support for the host business in our community. Thank you again to Alternative Senior Care, we can’t wait to see you on April 20 at noon and we hope our community will join us.

Warm weather may or may not be on the way, but the Chamber is busy planning away. Regardless, we will celebrate the seasons all year round because we are convinced there’s no better place to play; whether it’s winter, spring, summer or fall, we will enjoy them all.

If you are interested in Chamber membership, please email us at saukcentrechamber@gmail.com or visit our website at www.saukcentrechamber.com to learn more about members by checking out our business directory. We appreciate the opportunity to continue serving and celebrating our businesses.

It’s finally here!

As I’m writing this column on March 27, it has been one week since the official release of my debut young adult/science fiction novel, “Cyberwood.” For the first time in my decade-long pursuit of novel writing, I finally feel justified in calling myself an author. I’m still new to this whole authorship thing, but I feel I’ve already learned so much, including the following:

1) It’s still going to be a hot minute before I get any customer feedback. Sure, the release day was March 20 and pre-ordering has been available since January, but I’ve been told the hard copies won’t be arriving on doorsteps until April, so that’s a few weeks’ reprieve for some of you out there. If anyone feels the need to get it over with right away, though, “Cyberwood” can also be purchased as an e-book on a wide range of platforms, and that delivery is immediate, naturally. However, if you understandably don’t like e-books, there is another way to get a hard copy soon, and that leads me to my next new-author lesson:

2) I could never open a retail business. The books I ordered for in-person selling arrived on March 21; they were supposed to arrive a day earlier, but the snow delayed the shipment because, of course, Minnesota would do that. At any rate, I now have a box full of “Cyberwood” in my home, and I bought a card reader, so I’m ready to take all forms of currency with the exception of Bitcoin and bartering livestock.

Bear in mind, the part I hate about in-person sales, apart from feeling supremely awkward when asking anyone to buy my book, is figuring out how much someone is supposed to pay for it. Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just charge everyone the price located right next to the barcode? Turns out I can’t do that; taxes vary by location, sometimes by the minute, and then there’s the fee my card reader requires for making the purchase.

Basically, to make an in-person sale, I have to know the price of the book, the number of books bought, the local tax, the county tax, the state tax, gas prices, my geographic coordinates, the particular mode of payment, the customer’s eye color and dietary preferences, the time of day, the position of the sun, the weather forecast, regional UFO sightings and the atmospheric humidity – you know, because that could increase the book weight and its subsequent shipping costs. “Buy my book online,” I want to tell everybody. “I’ll sign it for you once it arrives.”

Will “Cyberwood” be available in brick-and-mortar stores? Yes, but Barnes & Noble isn’t on that list; as much as I respect that institution for being one of the last great bastions of popular bookstores, their buying practices aren’t exactly the friendliest to new authors or non-gargantuan publishers. From what I know, Barnes & Noble is in the practice of buying books in bulk, and if the entire stock doesn’t sell, the publisher or author has to buy back those unsold books. That’s business for you, but remember, the audience for “Cyberwood” is young adults age 12 and up, and a lot of their product recommendations and purchasing occurs online. If the electronic winds are blowing in my favor, my book could reach the attention of millions.

Granted, I’m trying to sell a novel to the TikTok generation, so I’m going to need all the luck I can get. Who knows, maybe a good book is just the break they need from a social media platform rife with vapid narcissism and spyware; that app is a cautionary sci-fi tale in itself, I swear.

Not to get distracted by this column’s original topic or anything, but there is one more author lesson I’d like to cover before we’re done here:

3) People care. I really need to remember this one. One secret I hid from my publisher when pitching the “Cyberwood” manuscript was how much I doubted anybody would like it. Sure, I thought it was a ton of fun, but to call my tastes universal would be an insult to the human race. So, you can imagine how I felt when the advance-reader feedback came in, including such phrases as “This book kept me riveted,” “Truly a great read,” “Great fun to read,” “New, imaginative and enjoyable world,” “I was hooked from the start” and “Cannot wait to read more.”

Then, there was the party. The Saturday after my book’s release, my wife threw a celebration at Babbitt’s Wine Bar. My family wasn’t able to make it, so I wasn’t expecting much; maybe a few familiar faces, plus one or two curious bystanders. When I arrived, though – late to my own party because I had another event to cover – I was greeted by a corner full of area friends who were able to make it. For hours, we talked about the book over glasses of wine, and I got more than a few purchase requests. Heck, I received another request when I was at the gym the next day. I love living in a rural area, but it does often make me worry there is no local interest in science fiction. Thanks to all of you who are proving me wrong.

Now, I’ve got to go figure out my card reader app before I accidentally order a half-ton of Bolivian watermelons or something.

Life Hacks

By Missy Traeger

How to use common, everyday items to help with household problems!

When heating up leftovers, space out a circle in the middle of food and it will heat up more evenly.

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Chamber Chat by Stacie Michels President/Executive Director, Sauk Centre Area Chamber of Commerce

Ultra Sonnek by Ben Sonnek

FORECLOSURE SALE

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE

Date: March 21, 2023

YOU ARE NOTIFIED THAT:

1. Default has occurred in the conditions of the Mortgage dated September 24, 2019, executed by Richard E. Holm and Suzanne M. Holm, husband and wife, as Mortgagors, to Liberty Bank Minnesota, as Mortgagee, and filed for record October 18, 2019, as Document No. A1555060, in the Office of the County Recorder of Stearns County, Minnesota. The land described in the Mortgage is not registered land.

2. The Mortgage has not been assigned.

3. The original principal amount secured by the Mortgage was $124,000.00.

4. No action or proceeding at law is now pending to recover the debt secured by the Mortgage, or any part thereof.

5. The holder of the Mortgage has complied with all conditions precedent to acceleration of the debt secured by the Mortgage and foreclosure of the Mortgage, and all notice and other requirements of applicable statutes.

6. At the date of this Notice the amount due on the Mortgage, and taxes, if any, paid by the holder of the Mortgage is $118,072.32.

7. Pursuant to the power of sale in the Mortgage, the Mortgage will be foreclosed, and the land located in Stearns County, Minnesota, described as follows: Lot 2, Block 3, Pond View Ridge Four, Stearns County, Minnesota will be sold by the County Sheriff of Stearns County, Minnesota, at public auction on May 11, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., at the Stearns County Sheriff’s Department, located at 807 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, Minnesota.

8. To the best of Mortgagee’s information, the property being foreclosed has a property address of 1511 Dale Street East, St. Joseph, Minnesota 56374, and has tax parcel identification number 84.53790.0114.

9. The time allowed by law for redemption by Mortgagors or Mortgagors’ personal representatives or assigns is six (6) months after the date of sale.

10. The property must be vacated by 11:59 p.m. on November 12, 2023, provided the Mortgagors have not reinstated the Mortgage under Minnesota Statutes, Section 580.30 or redeemed the property under Minnesota Statutes, Section 580.23. If the foregoing date is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, then the date to vacate is the next business day at 11:59 p.m.

11. THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGORS, THE MORTGAGORS’ 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. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

LIBERTY BANK

MINNESOTA

/s/ Benjamin B. Bohnsack (#0319399) Rinke Noonan Suite 300 US Bank Plaza 1015 W. St. Germain St. P.O. Box 1497 St. Cloud, MN 56302 (320) 251-6700

(320) 656-3500 fax

Our File No. 22118-0212 Bbohnsack@RinkeNoonan. com

Attorneys for Mortgagee H-12-6B

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

Date: March 20, 2023

YOU ARE NOTIFIED THAT:

1. Default has occurred in the conditions of the Mortgage dated May 20, 2016, executed by Bradley J. Bierschbach and Katie A. Bierschbach, husband and wife, as Mortgagors, to Liberty Bank Minnesota, as Mortgagee, and filed for record May 26, 2016, as Document No. A1469296, in the Office of the County Recorder of Stearns County, Minnesota. The land described in the Mortgage is not registered land.

2. The Mortgage has not been assigned.

3. The original principal amount secured by the Mortgage was $80,807.00.

4. No action or proceeding at law is now pending to recover the debt secured by the Mortgage, or any part thereof.

5. The holder of the Mortgage has complied with all conditions precedent to acceleration of the debt secured by the Mortgage and foreclosure of the Mortgage, and all notice and other requirements of applicable statutes.

6. At the date of this Notice the amount due on the Mortgage, and taxes, if any, paid by the holder of the Mortgage is $74,040.28.

7. Pursuant to the power of sale in the Mortgage, the Mortgage will be foreclosed, and the land located in Stearns County, Minnesota, described as follows: Lot 5, Block 1, Kloepper’s Addition to the City of St. Cloud, also Lot 30, Block 1, Barritt’s Addition to St. Cloud, Stearns County, Minnesota will be sold by the County Sheriff of Stearns County, Minnesota, at public auction on May 11, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., at the Stearns County Sheriff’s Department, located at 807 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, Minnesota.

8. To the best of Mortgagee’s information, the property being foreclosed has a property address of 134 18th Avenue North, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56303, and has tax parcel identification number 82.47723.0000.

corrections and broadband

Welcome to March in Minnesota, and we shouldn’t be surprised as it is state tournament time, starting with hockey, girls’ basketball and then boys’ basketball. Hopefully, we can consider this as March coming in like a lion so hopefully it goes out like a lamb. In a few months, we will forget how bad winter was as we get our lawnmowers ready for the season.

With this article, I would like to give a brief update on public assistance, community corrections and phase II of broadband applications.

At our March 7 meeting, we received information on the upcoming ending of the COVID Public Health Emergency program. Human Services stated approximately 22,380 residents of Stearns County who are on public healthcare will lose their coverage unless they reapply. Reapplying isn’t the problem, but for most, trying to fill out the 27-page renewal application is where the issue will be. Even the most astute of us would have a hard time filling out 27 pages of a government application.

Along with the healthcare issue, I was told there are around 33,000 Stearns County residents who are on public assistance at all times. Based on the 2020 census that indicates Stearns County has an approximate population of 160,000, that would mean around 21% of our County population is on some sort of public assistance at any given time. Housing Support, the Child Care Assistance Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, General Assistance and Non-Emergency Medical Transportation are just some of the public assistance programs.

At the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee meeting before the March 7 board meeting, I was given a presentation by our Community Corrections Division. Stearns County has 55 employees who work in community corrections, with most being probation officers. These 55 employees deal with, on average, 4,400 individuals who are on probation at any given time. Approximately 1,000 of these are low intensity; this

means they do not require a lot of follow-up because it might be their first offense and it has scared them enough not to offend again.

The current makeup of those on probation is 4,283 adults and 181 juveniles with 940 being female and 3,524 males. Stearns County uses a coaching model to help individuals understand what might be causing their specific behavior and what could be done to change that behavior. The program uses a Risk-Need-Responsivity model. This model analyzes who should be treated, what the focus should be on, and how the work should be implemented. As you can see, this is not the easiest job for 55 employees, and we should commend them for the work that they do to help get individuals back on the right track.

On a brighter note, two fiber organizations were successful in receiving state Border-to-Border grant funding in the first round. They are Albany Mutual Telephone and Arvig Communications. Hopefully, both projects will get started sometime in 2023 and finish in 2024. The state also opened round two of the Border-to-Border grants, and the county will be providing a letter of support for Albany Mutual Telephone to complete a northeasterly section of Stearns County, Runestone Co-op to cover a good area west of State Highway 71 in Stearns County and Arvig Communications to fill in some areas of Wakefield and Luxemburg Townships. Arvig’s grant request will be through the B-B Low-Density Pilot Program which would allow for 75% to be funded by a grant versus the normal 50%.

A huge thank you goes out to the townships that agreed to contribute a share of their ARPA monies along with the County dollars to give these applications a boost for approval in the grant process. Let’s hope our local providers can have success in round two to help us reach our goal of getting fiber to the premises throughout the County. I can be reached at (320) 248-3605 or steve.notch@co.stearns.mn.us.

Fifth graders take Pacesetter Tournament

9. The time allowed by law for redemption by Mortgagors or Mortgagors’ personal representatives or assigns is six (6) months after the date of sale.

10. The property must be vacated by 11:59 p.m. on November 12, 2023, provided the Mortgagors have not reinstated the Mortgage under Minnesota Statutes, Section 580.30 or redeemed the property under Minnesota Statutes, Section 580.23. If the foregoing date is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, then the date to vacate is the next business day at 11:59 p.m.

11. THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGORS, THE MORTGAGORS’ 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. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

LIBERTY BANK MINNESOTA /s/ Benjamin B. Bohnsack (#0319399) Rinke Noonan Suite 300 US Bank Plaza 1015 W. St. Germain St. P.O. Box 1497 St. Cloud, MN 56302

(320) 251-6700

(320) 656-3500 fax

Our File No. 22118-0213

Bbohnsack@RinkeNoonan. com

Attorneys for Mortgagee H-12-6B

Public NOTICES

NOTICE TO CITY OF SAUK CENTRE

PROPERTY OWNERS

Important Information Regarding Property Assessments

This may affect your 2024 property taxes.

The Board of Appeal and Equalization for the City of SAUK CENTRE will meet on Monday, April 10, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at Sauk Centre City Hall. The purpose of this meeting is to determine whether property in the jurisdiction has been properly valued and classified by the assessor. If you believe the value or classification of

your property is incorrect, please contact your assessor’s office to discuss your concerns.

If you disagree with the valuation or classification after discussing it with your assessor, you may appear before the local Board of Appeal and Equalization. The board will review your assessments and may make corrections as needed. Generally, you must appeal to the local board before appealing to the county board of appeal and equalization.

//S// Vicki Willer, City Administrator H-13-1B

Important Information for Ashley Township Residents Regarding Property Assessments

This may affect your 2024 property taxes.

The Board of Appeal and Equalization for Ashley Township will meet on 4/10/2023, 10:30 am - 11:00 am, at Sauk Centre Senior Center, 321 4th Street North, Sauk Centre. The purpose of this meeting is to determine whether property in the jurisdiction has been properly valued and classified by the assessor.

If you believe the value or classification of your prop-

STATE OF MINNESOTA

COUNTY OF STEARNS

DISTRICT COURT SEVENTH JUDICIAL

DISTRICT Court File No: 73-PR-23-1206

Notice of Informal Appointment of Personal Representative and Notice to Creditors (Without a Will)

In re the Estate of Jane M Klein, Deceased.

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS:

Notice is hereby given that an application for informal appointment of personal representative has been filed with the Probate Registrar. No will has been presented for probate. The application has been granted.

By Warren Stone Its Mayor By Vicki M. Willer Its City Administrator/Clerk H-13-1B

erty is incorrect, please contact your assessor’s office to discuss your concerns. If you disagree with the valuation and classification after discussing it with your assessor, you may appear before the local board of appeal and equalization. The board will review your assessments and may make corrections as needed. Generally, you must appeal to the local board before appealing to the county board of appeal and equalization.

Jessica Minette Ashley Township Clerk H-12-2B

PROBATE NOTICE Representative of the Estate of the Decedent. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as Personal Representative, or may object to the appointment of the Personal Representative. Unless objections are filed pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 524.3-607, and the court otherwise orders, the Personal Representative has full power to administer the Estate, including, after 30 days from the date of the issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate. Notice is also given that, subject to Minn. Stat. § 524.3801, all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the Personal Representative or to the Court Administrator within four (4) months after the date of this Notice, or the claims will be barred.

Notice is also given that the Probate Registrar has informally appointed the following: John A. Klein, 524 1st ST SW, Melrose, MN 56352 as Personal

Commissioner’s Corner by Steve Notch

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The Sauk Centre fifth grade basketball team (front, from left) Karsten Saltmarsh, Joseph Marthaler, Hank Beringer, Jack Yarke, Max Winters, Gaige Welle and Atticus Mullaney; (middle, from left) Blake Dingmann, Sam Henderson, Blake Hansen, Kyle Drevlow, Jasper Erickson and Joe Oehrlein; and (back, from left) coaches Paul Winters, Kurt Dingmann, Scott Henderson and Cory Yarke took first place in a Pacesetter Tournament March 5 at the College of St. Benedict. They defeated Royalton, North Branch, Howard Lake-Waverly, and Rocori in the championship game to take the title.

Streeters archers earn seventh at state tournament

Sauk Centre ends season strong

BY EVAN MICHEALSON STAFF WRITER

During the 2022-23 season, Sauk Centre senior Aaron Kerfeld confided in archery head coach Jeff Schuster that he had never shot a “perfect 50.” This was a mind-blowing announcement to Coach Schuster, who replied, “You’re kidding.”

The athletic upperclassman was not joking around; despite being a consistent force who ranked in the top half of every competition he participated in this season, five consecutives 10s to comprise a round just never came.

That changed at the 2023 Minnesota NASP State Archery Tournament March 2425, as Kerfeld executed the milestone achievement from 15 meters, totaling a 280 in

Sauk Centre’s seventh-place finish out of 25 teams at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in Duluth.

“The kids did a wonderful job,” Schuster said. “We brought 101 kids there and this is the first time we’ve broken into triple digits.”

Open World Learning Community’s 3,383 team total was the first-place tally at the event.

Amongst this incredible surplus of shooting talent were Sauk Centre’s elite-level scorers. Senior Samantha Eekhoff made a splash in her final trip to the range as a high school archer, compiling a 281 with 15 10s, while Alexandra Goerdt’s 277 was a career high.

“We know it takes practice to get good at archery, and everyone wants to be the best we can,” Kerfeld said.

Ninth grader Noah Christen also shot a 277 and Carmen Loxtercamp followed closely behind with a 276 as all of Sauk Centre’s archers included in the team score posted a mark of 269 or above.

Then, of course, there was

Kerfeld, who matched his season-high mark for the second appearance in a row. Despite the large-scale nature of the event and an ever-present desire to end the season strong, Kerfeld focused internally and made sure he was composed.

“That’s the thing with archery: your breathing can’t go up, so you have to stay calm,” Kerfeld said. “I remembered that and slowed my breath and stayed calm, putting my aim in the same spot and releasing. I guess the stars aligned, because they went right where I wanted them to.”

Such success stories are always prevalent at the state tournament, and Schuster saw several fantastic showings at just the right time from his younger archers as well. Seventh-grader Alex Drevlow paced the entire program with a 284 and 17 10s, while sixth grader Owen Volkman’s 280 tied Kerfeld for third.

The Streeters middle school team made a statement at state, taking third out of 28 teams at 3,229, while the elementary school squad accu-

mulated 2,907 team points for fourth amongst a 13-team field.

“I’m excited to see how they do when they start shooting in high school,” Kerfeld said. “I think there’s a lot of potential and skill there. The archery program is looking good for the next couple of years.”

By finishing in the top 10 in every division, the Streeters archery teams have qualified for the U.S. Western National Tournament, which will be held April 28-29. However, significant expenses in traveling to Sandy, Utah, for nationals will likely prevent Sauk Centre from attending as a team. But, what the Streeters accomplished as well-taught, effective archers at the latest rendition of the state tournament is not a bad way to end the season.

“For the most part, our kids performed as we expected, and there were a few that surprised us and shot well,” Schuster said. “We were very proud of them.”

Building lifelong components through cleaning

Throughout the course of the 2022-23 winter season, the Sauk Centre Streeters boys basketball team set five goals as a team.

Four were on-the-court goals, from reaching 20 wins as a team to making it to the state tournament. However, there was one non-basketball goal: become more involved in servant leadership.

Ultimately, the Streeters wanted to help others, and they did so in multiple ways throughout the season. One of the unique ways Sauk Centre gave back to the community was by cleaning up the stands following every single home game this season.

“I thought it was cool that that was one of the five team goals, rather than score more points or average 60 points a game,” said Kevin Kuefler, head coach.

The Streeters set a standard that win or lose, they would pick up trash in the stands and save the janitors a significant burden and time commitment with a simple, generous act. It began at the end of the 202122 season and carried over into this season without any reminders or push from the coaching staff.

“It was just a group effort that it’s just what we do,” Kuefler said. “It speaks to the culture of the program and it’s something we hope to continue.”

This act of kindness caught positive attention. After Sauk Centre’s loss to New-London Spicer Feb. 16, one of the visiting coaches reached out to Kuefler afterwards, letting him know how cool they thought it was that the Streeters were cleaning the bleachers, even after a loss.

Sauk Centre, who also saw its players help with youth basketball sessions Saturday mornings and embrace any task needed from them, foresees their call to action as something that should only continue to grow.

“We wanted to be more in the community with servant leadership, and we had our best year, without a doubt,” Kuefler

said. “However, you can still do more.”

– Maesyn Thiesen’s impressive collegiate women’s basketball career gets to end at the highest level, as the graduate senior point guard and her University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs teammates are playing for the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship.

BY EVAN MICHEALSON Michealson’s Minutes

After advancing to the Elite Eight with wins over Southern Nazarene and Missouri Southern State, the Bulldogs have taken care of the competition. Playing a jaw-dropping 35 minutes, Thiesen contributed five points, a team-high seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in a UMD’s dominant 61-41 quarterfinals win over Assumption.

In the Final Four, with everything on the line, Thiesen never left the court, playing all 40 minutes against Catawba March 20. She provided eight points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, with the Bulldogs finding a 70-59 win to advance to the program’s first ever NCAA championship appearance.

Thiesen and the Bulldogs, boasting a 32-3 record, will battle the undefeated, 36-0 Ashland University Eagles of Ashland, Ohio, for the national championship at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Ashland has been crowned champions twice, in 2013 and 2017.

– While winter sports have been spotlighted in recent months, the collegiate track and field season has been underway for quite some time. Anthony Marsh appeared for the Concordia Cobbers of Moorhead at the North Dakota State University Alumni Dakota Classic Dec. 2-3, 2022, taking ninth in the long jump at 20 feet, 5 inches.

Marsh’s long jump success continued at the University

of North Dakota Tune-Up Feb. 18, as he logged a second-place finish at 20-6.25, helping the Cobbers snag first place as a team.

Most notably, Marsh excelled at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championships Feb. 23-24, leaping to a 6-03.5 mark in the high jump to tie for first place, but through a tiebreaking factor, ended up in second.

Next up for Marsh and the Cobbers is the outdoor season, which is scheduled to begin with the St. John’s University Invite April 6.

– Another track and field athlete making headways in college is freshman Abbie Meyer of the Saint Mary’s University women’s track and field team out of Winona.

Meyer’s collegiate career began at the Pat Healy Classic Jan. 21 at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse Jan. 21, where the former Sauk Centre multi-sport athlete took 21st in the 400-meter dash at 1 minute and 9.88 seconds and was a member of a fifth-place 4x400 relay.

A mid-distance specialist, Meyer also has competed in the 600 and 800 so far this indoor season. She broke into the top five in the 600 at 1:51.91 at the Luther Invitational in Decorah, Iowa Feb. 4 and achieved a personal best in the 800 at the Feb. 17 Maverick Invitational in Mankato, registering a 2:36.06 time.

Saint Mary’s schedule continues with the Washington U. Distance Carnival and Invitational March 31-April 1.

– A competitive, challenging winter club volleyball season wrapped up for Sara Kittelson and the Midwest Power Volleyball 16U team, as the squad took part in the Northern Lights Challenge March 1819 at the Midwest Volleyball Warehouse in Burnsville.

The MWP 16s fought hard in pool play, dropping a back-

and-forth match to Mizuno Northern Lights by a score of 25-5, 14-25, 15-9. Champlin’s Crossfire roster scraped out a closely-contested 28-26, 1725, 18-16 win over MWP before KIttelson and the team regrouped for a key 25-7, 25-12 triumph over Midwest United of Prior Lake.

In bronze bracket competition, the MWP 16s took their teamwide talent and used it to put forth championship results, as the collection of spirited athletes went 3-0 in the second day of the tournament. The 16s outlasted the MWP 15s 25-13, 25-13, got revenge on Crossfire in a 25-19, 25-18 victory and wiped out St. Paul’s Hype team in three sets, placing first.

Submissions for the Michealson’s Minutes sports bulletin can be sent to Evan Michealson at 763-267-5125 and evan.m@star-pub.com.

Student Activities/classes: We have the following activities and classes. Please view the website for more information or contact us.

– Kids Cooking Classes, grades 2-6: Come for an afternoon of fun making holiday treats to sample at class and take some home to share with your family. Please bring a container to class as you will have items to bring home with you. We will meet in the FACS room, #123 in the 5-8 building. These classes are for grades 2-6 and will be from 3:10-4:50 p.m.

by Brent Lieser SC Community Education Coordinator

The instructor is Mary Schmidt, a retired FACS instructor at Long Prairie Grey Eagle Schools. Class dates: April 26 May 17

– Welding Camp at Felling Trailers, ages 12-18: If you want to be part of the next generation of welders, this is the course for you. This camp, sponsored by Felling Trailers, allows students to explore career opportunities and requirements of a professional metal fabricator. April 17-20, 24-27, and May 1-4, 3:15-4:30 p.m.

– On Your Own: May 31, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. A staying home alone class will be conducted for boys and girls in third through sixth grade who are now or plan to stay home on their own. Topics to be discussed include emergency situations, first aid, a checklist before staying alone the first time, kitchen safety, fire safety, making a 911 call, internet safety and more. We will make a home fire escape plan, review questions to ask with parents before staying home alone and do many more activities.

Adult Activities and Classes: – Morning Lap Swim: Monday – Thursday, 6-7 a.m.

Adult Indoor Pickleball: Wednesdays, 6-8:30 p.m., and Sundays, 1-3 p.m., in the elementary gym and cafeteria.

– Defensive Driving Course, In-Person 4-hour Refresher: April 4, 5-8:45 p.m., in the auditorium.

– Improv Acting Class: Try something new! This is an opportunity for students and members of the community to participate in a low-stakes theatre activity. If you are interested in a social and educational hobby, this class is for you. Come explore theatre arts and improvisational activities with members of your community! Pick and choose what dates work for you. Youth and adult participants ranging from ages 12 years and up are encouraged to attend. Class Explorations: Improvisation Techniques, Creating Characters, Rewriting Scenes, Partner Work, Team Acting, Stage Movement and Musical Theatre Improv. The instructor is Ms. Abigail Olson. Classes will meet on Monday evenings, and two Wednesdays, 7:158:30 p.m., April 3-June 26.

CPR Heartsavers: April 20, 6-10 p.m. This course covers CPR for all ages, infant, child, adult and automatic defibrillator. There will be a discount if both CPR and First Aid classes are taken.

First Aid: April 24, 6-9 p.m. This course consists of learning the signs and symptoms of seizures, strokes, and symptoms of diabetics. You will learn how to manage broken bones, poisons, allergic reactions, bleeding and heat- and cold-related emergencies.

– Maximizing Social Security Seminar: Are you curious about the following topics: Retirement Benefit Calculation Planning Challenges, The Potential Cost of Planning Mistakes, Four Common Decision Scenarios, COLA and Taxation of Benefits, Handling a Benefit Claim Mistake and Strategies for Maximizing Your Benefits? Come check out topics at one of the seminar dates: April 20 and 25 and May 15 and 17. Seminar is being taught by Phil and Philip Polipnick and will take place in the H.S. Media Center. There is no fee.

Registration information: – Paper registration directions: Please include your name, address, phone number and the name of the class along with payment. Please contact us if you have questions.

– Online registration directions: Registration is accessed online at our website by selecting the RevTrak Online Store; then, click on the Community Education tile to bring you to our Community Education listings.

Contact information

Angie Christians, Activities/Community Education assistant, angie.christians@isd743.org or (320) 352-2258 Ext. 4006

Brent Lieser, Community Education director, brent.lieser@isd743.org or (320) 352-2258 Ext. 4005

Follow us on Facebook @saukcentreschools or on Twitter @streetercommed.

Throughsurgeries,heart

Volkman stays steady

Sauk Centre archer finds success despite health struggles

BY EVAN MICHEALSON STAFF WRITER

SAUK CENTRE- From the moment he was born, Owen Volkman has dealt with adversity and factors beyond his control.

The Little Sauk Township resident entered the world with a rare birth defect called transposition of the great arteries (TGA), where two large arteries carrying blood out of the heart are switched in position. With the possibilities of breathing difficulties and heart-related health risks looming large, Owen received his first open heart surgery at just six months old, the start of a lifelong series of surgeries that has continued sporadically throughout his 12 years of life.

This condition also prevented Owen, an athlete by nature, from participating in any contact sports. So, he picked up archery, which required only a bow, a target and himself. It has led to the youngster finding steadiness and security in his now-favorite passion, as Owen is one of many talents flashing for the Sauk Centre archery program.

S t r e e t e r Streeter SCOREBOARD

“I just like being with my friends and competing against older kids, trying to beat them,” said Volkman, a sixth grader competing in the middle school division.

Owen’s role as one of the highest-scoring shooters in the program is nothing short of spectacular given the challenging, frightening situation he experienced leading up to the season. He was participating in a soccer game in November when he broke his arm, leading to a hospital visit in St. Cloud. While he was being treated, his doctors noted Owen had an upcoming heart appointment and gave him an echocardiogram. Upon the ultrasound’s reveal, one of Owen’s arteries was suffering from blockage, requiring his third open heart surgery on short notice.

“He was bummed out at first when he found out the surgery was so soon, that archery was just starting and he would have to miss so much archery,” said Neva Volkman, Owen’s mother.

Adults: $13.99 •

Ultimately, the recovery process from the Nov. 17 operation allowed Owen to return to Streeters archery practice a couple of weeks before the season-opening Melrose Archery Tournament Jan. 21. Even with less time to shake off the rust, he put up a 256, the third-highest mark from a sixth-grade boy in the event.

“He’s naturally an athletic kid, so finding archery and having him in archery is something he can easily do and excel at,” Neva said. “We’re so glad the school offers that type of thing.”

As it turns out, that 256 was the beginning of a meteoric rise to elite archery territory for Owen, who earned a 282 at the Minnesota Region 3 Tournament in Becker March 18. This was not only a new career high; it was the top Sauk Centre boys score, regardless of grade level.

“He’s really stepped up his game this year, from fifth to sixth grade,” said Jason Volkman, Owen’s father. “Now, he’s shooting with the middle school, and it’s neat to see how much he’s improved in one year.”

This high-level perfor-

320-352-2321

mance, due to his competitiveness, raised internal expectations, and inside the jam-packed Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, the site of the 2023 NASP Minnesota State Archery Tournament, Owen took aim and fired with precision under pressure, collecting a 280.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” he said.

From an external perspective and seeing Owen succeed in this manner, it would be hard to tell there was anything unusual about the assured archer launching deadly-accurate arrows at targets. But life for Owen and the Volkman family is not always easy. Driving down to the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital for appointments and living with the constant understanding that TGA is there can be mentally exhausting for all parties involved.

“It takes your mind off all the little problems in life,” Jason said.

Through it all, whether it is Jason’s parents that live down the street or a surefire, responsive support system, help is always there for the Volkman family on Owen’s

continued path of perseverance.

“We just have friends and family that we rely on,” Neva said “They’re always there to help out and step up. We definitely appreciate that.”

Another figure central in Owen’s life and wellbeing is his older brother, Colton. Colton, a ninth grader, also competes for Sauk Centre archery, and provides a familiar face and friendly competition for Owen.

“It’s fun,” Colton said.

“You like to be together all of the time.”

How TGA affects Owen off the back of another artery replacement is uncertain. But, with the determined, vigilant fighter continuing to make his mark on Sauk Centre archery, it is hard not to be thrilled at his remarkable progress.

“When you think of everything else other people are going through, you’re thankful for what you have,” Neva said.

“Yeah, he has a few surgeries here and there throughout his lifetime, but anyone off the street looking at him would never know anything was even wrong with him. We’re blessed that way.”

Wild winter ends with decoration

Sauk Centre athletes receive postseason awards

BY EVAN MICHEALSON STAFF WRITER

SAUK CENTRE- With the conclusion of the Minnesota State High School League basketball tournaments, the spring season draws to an eventful close.

The end of another season provides not only lifelong memories for student-athletes, but noteworthy accomplishments highlighting the hard work they have put into their respective activities.

In Sauk Centre, many winter sports participants received awards and achievements for their dedication to the craft.

Starting with those on the basketball court, the Streeters held their end-of-season banquet March 21 at Diamond Point Steakhouse and made several huge announcements. Senior Jenna Gapinski-Vogt, who ended her career with 971 points and 818 rebounds, was selected as a member of the

West Central All-Conference Team alongside fellow senior Torry Kerfeld and sophomores Cierra Kortan and Tory Jennissen. Kortan and Gapinski-Vogt were also named to the All-Section 6AA Team, with Gapinski-Vogt set to compete in the 42-player Minnesota Girls Basketball All-Star Series, hosted by the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association.

Finishing in the section finals for the 13th time in 14 years, however, takes more than a select few, as senior leader Heidi Lieser was highlighted not only as an All-Conference honorable mention, but recognized as the team’s Most Valuable Defender. Sophomore Maddy Schuster was named Most Improved.

It was a special season for the Sauk Centre boys basketball team, and this was recognized through conference recognition. Jay Neubert, the all-time leading scorer for the Streeters as a junior, was named West Central Conference MVP, and joining him as an All-Conference choice was senior Matthew Warring and juniors Ethan Riley and Andrew Drevlow. With Damian Ahrens also garnering acclaim as honorable mention, the entirety of the Sauk Centre starting lineup picked up some sort of conference honor.

After a run to the Section 6AA semifinals, Neubert and Drevlow earned All-Section 6AA. Senior bench contributors Carter Ziemer and Hunter Novak received the Streeter Award as voted by the team’s coaches, who noticed their strong leadership qualities as teammates.

The Prairie Centre hockey programs also brought a ton of

individual talents and contributions to an overall strong team effort. The Blue Devils girls hockey team, led by first-year head coach David Wright, experienced a late-season surge, winning or tying in four of its final five games after starting the 2022-23 season 3-12. Goaltender Kennedy Lemke, who posted a .908 and logged over 1,000 saves, was honored as a Mid-State All-Conference selection alongside leading goal-scorer Natasha Ludwig and senior Allie Lemke.

The North Stars boys hockey team had several historical moments and highlight-reel plays from another encouraging season on the ice. Senior Eli Fletcher, who broke into the top-10 goals list in Minnesota state high school hockey history and was Section 6A’s top scorer at 41 goals, made the section’s First Team as one of three forwards. In addition to that, senior defensemen Kyle Sayovitz and Derick Sorenson were tabbed as honorable mention. Fletcher was Prairie Centre’s lone representative for the Mid-State All-Conference lineup, while Sorenson and James Rieland were named honorable mention.

Fletcher took home team MVP, Sayovitz earned the High School Hobey Baker Award, senior Owen Christians was the Norby Holm Hardest Worker and Zackary Larson was selected as Most Improved.

Even the North Stars’ coaching stood out, as Noah Fletcher won Section 6A Assistant Coach of the Year honors.

Sauk Centre-Melrose’s varsity wrestling team, the Defenders, sent two athletes to the Minnesota State High School League Class AA Wrestling

State Individual Tournament, and both received acclaim for their accomplishments as hard-working athletes and academic achievers. Girls state qualifier Lanna Walter was voted by her teammates as Girls Wrestler of the Year, while Jose De Los Santos Morales, a two-time wrestler at state, was selected as the Boys Wrestler of the Year.

De Los Santos Morales and senior Dominic Kerzman represented Sauk Centre-Melrose as First Team West Central All-Conference picks, while Kalli Schirmers and Ben Friedrichs were appreciated for their growth as wrestlers with the Most Improved award.

Noah Christen, Mitchell Christen and Will Sjogren made honorable mention for the conference, and Walter and Mitchell Christen qualified for All-Academic Section 8AA.

Finally, the Melrose-Sauk Centre Fusion won the Western Regional Championships, sent seven individuals to the Minnesota State High School League Class A Boys Swimming and Diving Meet and learned a lot about themselves as a team along the way. Record-setting senior backstroker Adam Wilwerding, along with positioning himself as an AllState swimmer, picked up both the Most Valuable and Hardest Worker titles from his team, while Nolan Fleischhacker and state diver Andrue Stalboerger collected Most Improved.

The Fusion also brought positive attention to its youth, as the Newcomer Award was awarded to Samuel Stangler and Hunter Leslie.

The spring season officially began with practices March 13.

The Volkman family consists of Owen Volkman (front); (back, from left) Jason Volkman, Neva Volkman and Colton Volkman. Owen and Colton are archers for the Sauk Centre Streeters program.

Owen Volkman takes aim with his archery bow March 28 in Sauk Centre. Volkman has overcome three open heart surgeries to become a successful archery athlete.