WATCH

 Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen's Gambit.

Checkmate

Adding The Queen’s Gambit to your list of must-watch shows is one of the best moves you can make in your TV viewing lineup

this spring. by JAMES HEISINGER

TV-MA | 7 episodes Drama | Netflix

I’ve only played chess maybe two or three times in my entire life. I vaguely know the rules and couldn’t begin to understand the strategy, so suffice to say I’m a pretty terrible player. So, in a lot of ways, I’m the perfect audience for one of Netflix’s latest original series, The Queen’s Gambit.

The Queen’s Gambit is based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, which traced an interesting intersection between secondwave feminism and sports. More than almost any other sport, chess was dominated by men, especially high-minded intellectual men who viewed chess as an expression of and an opportunity to flex their “superior intelligence.”

The main character, Beth Harmon (played wonderfully by Anya Taylor-Joy), is at the center of this story and its thematic crossroads. Beth grows up in an orphanage, where she picks up the game of chess at age nine from a friendly custodian and immediately begins to excel in it. Her talent is eventually introduced to state and local chess coaches and leagues, soon proving that her skills are far beyond the confines of her hometown in Kentucky.

Throughout every tournament Beth competes in, only once does she face another woman in a game of chess. Taylor-Joy’s performance, partnered with lavish production design, and a fast, technical script, coordinate the series’ most interesting ideas. Similar to Tevis’ novel, Beth’s most profound struggles lie in the clashes between the masculine world of chess and her striking femininity, as well as her public and private perceptions.

Navigating a world where her very presence feels like a challenge to the established norms takes a toll on Beth as she garners more and more acclaim and success. The public and much of the chess community use her gender and young age to push a narrative of her being a prodigy incapable of failure or setbacks. These standards, despite not being set by Beth herself, become an enormous burden. The clean, polished, and faultless perception of Beth by outsiders is brilliantly contrasted with Beth’s internal psychology, which is absolutely terrified of failure and embarrassment, and is without a doubt, imperfect.

The Queen’s Gambit is now Netflix’s mostwatched scripted miniseries, with over 62 million users tuning in, and for good reason. I hadn’t thought about chess in years, and while this show didn’t necessarily improve my chess skills, I have to admit it did reignite my interest somewhat. Right after I finished the series, I decided to play a game of online chess against a computer (I lost). This is one of the most engaging, fresh, and sweeping series available to watch right now across any streaming service. Be sure to “check” it out. //

 Jackie Witlock, director for the

Aberdeen Area Senior

Center, has been delivering meals for the past six years.

 Lois Chapin and Glenn

Denning are friends from church who deliver meals together for Meals on Wheels.

Driven Volunteers

Community, friendship, and family are what inspire Meals on Wheels volunteers to keep on delivering. by JENIFER FJELSTAD

For the last 45 years, Aberdeen volunteers have delivered special diet meals as Meals on Wheels to seniors and anyone who may be struggling because of health or mobility issues. The program is run from the Senior Center in partnership with Avera St. Luke's.

The Senior Center’s director Jackie Witlock and activities coordinator Laura Latt work together to organize volunteers, recipients, and meals for the program. Meals on Wheels has one staff member packaging and organizing meals cooked by Avera staff.

Then, the 60 volunteers’ mission is to deliver the meals to community members. In Aberdeen, meals roll from Avera St. Luke’s to the tables of between 70 and 90 senior citizens each day.

The volunteers’ visits also act as wellness checks, so seniors can feel safe that someone will always drop by to check on them. “The best benefit is having face-to-face contact with a person every day,” said Jackie, who’s also been delivering meals for six years.

Those interested in getting involved can call the Senior Center at 605-626-3330.

A Man Of The Community: George P. Sullivan

George P. Sullivan drives his car from Avera to the east quarter of town around 11:00 AM each Tuesday. He waves and honks to friends as he goes along. In the back seat are a bag of hot food and a bag of cold food prepared by staff at Avera specific to each client’s dietary needs. But people don’t need to stay in the hospital to get those carefully prepared meals because George brings the food right to their doorsteps.

George is just trying his best to help out in Aberdeen. So, when Jackie asked him to deliver meals around town, his answer was a resounding ‘yes.’ “He was retired, very outgoing, and liked to keep busy,” Jackie said. George wakes up each morning to a newspaper on his doorstep. As he skims the names in each article, he knows almost everyone. He likes that. Living in a small community has given George the chance to volunteer for everything from the film festival to the state chili contest.

Once he knocks on the door, George exchanges a special meal and a kind “hello” to the same senior citizens he sees every week. While he loves seeing Aberdeen residents smile at their delivery, he said he doesn’t volunteer with hopes for thank-yous. “If you’re in it for the gratification, you’re really losing out on what the whole concept is,” he said. George has been delivering Meals on Wheels for more than three years at only the request of a friend, and in doing so, he continues to support the tight-knit community he loves.

10 Years On A Roll: Glenn Denning

For Glenn Denning, it’s all about the friendly chatter with each person that he delivers to. Sometimes he just has to say, “I gotta go because my food’s getting cold,” and that keeps him moving along his route. Reaching his last stop, he would visit with the man living there for up to half an hour.

Jackie noted that Glenn’s wife, who’s since passed, used to receive Meals on Wheels. “It’s

 George P. Sullivan’s weekly delivery route for Meals on Wheels is just one of his many volunteer commitments to the Aberdeen community. Photo by Stephanie Ludens.  Glen and Marcy Opp have been married for 47 years and recently started delivering meals together.

Photo courtesy of Meals on Wheels.

 Pictured are Norma Nielsen (left), senior center meals on wheels coordinator, and Dawn Cramer with

Avera. Photo by Troy McQuillen.

If you’re in it for the gratification, you’re really losing out on what the whole concept is.” – GEORGE P. SULLIVAN

so rewarding seeing somebody that used the program come back and then volunteer,” Jackie said. Retirement brought plenty of free time for Glenn, so when he heard a request at church to ride along with Meals on Wheels, he didn’t refuse. Now, he delivers with a driver and friend from church, Lois Chapin. July 2020 marked Glenn’s 10th year of being a dependable volunteer.

Glenn’s reliability means he’s always on time and makes sure the right meals go to the right people. A couple of times, he returned from his route and found the south route’s packages still there because of a mix-up in scheduling. He climbed back into the car and delivered the second route too.

Over the last decade, Glenn’s route has changed as different people need help from Meals on Wheels. Glenn takes his weekly visits as an opportunity to check in with the people about their health and well-being. “Sometimes they don’t see anybody else the rest of the day,” Glenn said. He knows the program is essential for people who can no longer drive or cook for themselves. When Glenn volunteers, the name on each meal is not just a label but a friend who needs that exact dinner.

Delivering Together: Glen and Marcy Opp

Marcy Opp recalled delivering for Meals on Wheels to a lady with flower pots in full bloom all over her living room. The pair of master gardeners would connect over gardening techniques and their families.

Glen Opp remembered bringing dinner to a WWII veteran who gave him deep insights about America today. Those friendships characterize Meals on Wheels for Glen and Marcy.

For the past year, the married couple of 47 years has delivered Meals on Wheels together. The high school sweethearts say their teamwork and quality time have only grown as they drive meals to the south side of town each Tuesday. The Opps’ two sons were always encouraged to interact with the elderly and volunteer their time to help others. And their six young grandchildren are likely to do the same. “We were both brought up that way,” Marcy said, “and passed it on to our children and grandchildren.”

Marcy hops in the passenger seat with the master list of about 20 meals, and Glen gets behind the wheel. At the same time, as social distancing procedures are vital for safety, the two friendly deliverers are disappointed they can no longer chat with people as they drop off meals.

Jackie said, “They’re just so caring and genuine. The people that they meet, everybody says, ‘Oh, they’re the nicest couple.’”

The Opps are happy to go above and beyond for the people they help. For a Vietnam veteran who had trouble navigating snowy sidewalks in his wheelchair, that meant Glen and Marcy were happy to shovel the sidewalk. Friendly connections like that inspire them to continue volunteering and to share the joy of giving with their own family. //

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AUDIOLOGIST 605.725.4455

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Hello Members of the Aberdeen Community,

My name is Steve Pfeiff er, President of Western Printi ng. For over 90 years my family has run a successful printi ng business in Aberdeen. Aberdeen is where I was raised and where I have made my home to raise my children and watch my grandchildren grow. I am committ ed to keeping jobs in Aberdeen.

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Our company off ers a competi ti ve benefi ts package including fully paid employee medical coverage. We also off er dental, vision, 401k match, quarterly profi t sharing, paid holidays, and paid ti me off . Candidates may qualify for a sign on bonus or relocati on assistance.

We would love to start a conversati on with any qualifi ed candidates! Reach out to us at careers@westernprinti ng.net or check out our ads on Indeed. Learn more about our operati ons at Cimarronlabel.com.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep growing Aberdeen.

Respectf ully,

Steve Pfeiff er

701 Enterprise Street North, Aberdeen, SD 57401 605.229.1480 • 800.645.3856