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CENTENNIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT: Explains distance learning PAGE 2
Empty at Easter: Faithful celebrate online
Love is new mayor of Centerville
BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR
BY LORETTA HARDING CONTRIBUTING WRITER
This year’s Easter celebration will look very different. Even though people may not be able to attend worship services in person, host a big meal or attend brunch, area churches want people to know that they are still there for them, just in a different way. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, churches have had to adapt their programming to continue to serve their members during these unprecedented times. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Circle Pines has held its worship services online since March 22. Prerecorded videos of the service are posted online at www. goodshepherdlink.org each week, and members can watch whenever it is convenient for them. Bible study has also moved online. “We want to make sure that people are looking at the positives and understanding that God is in control,” said Melanie Appelquist, youth and children’s director. “We are going to be okay, and we want to give people the resources to do that, whether it is Bible study or the pastor giving a message on Facebook. It is a difficult time for everybody; everyone is kind of unsure of what is going to happen.” The church has also put together a call team, whose members check in with parishioners on a weekly basis to see how they are doing and if they are in need of anything. The church has also joined some social media groups to find out how it can be of assistance to community members who do not attend the church. For Easter, Appelquist says the church wants to amp up its service by making it longer, and encourage
It only took outgoing Centerville mayor Jeff Paar an hour to resign and his successor, D. Love, all of five minutes to take over the mayoral duties at the March 25 City Council meeting. Following his announcement March 11 that he planned to resign, Paar submitted his letter of resignation March 25. Rarely at a loss for words, Paar quipped that his original letter was 30 pages long, but he was able to trim it down to two pages. “Back 18 years ago, I never thought I’d ever be where I am right now,” Paar said. His career with city government started in 2002 when he became unhappy that the city had dropped seal coat and rock chips down on the streets instead of repairing them. He showed up pretty quickly at City Hall after that, where he informed City Clerk Teresa Bender that he was running for City Council and paid the $2 candidate fee. That year, he won a seat on council along with fellow newcomers, Tom Lee and Larry Sweeney. Linda Broussard-Vickers and Mayor Mary Capra were already in office. He credits his cute young son in the wagon behind him during door-knocking excursions for his success at the polls. “I never thought I’d run again and again and eventually become mayor,” he said. Paar pooh-poohed any thoughts of trying to develop his legacy by developing downtown. “If you think I spent 18 years on council to develop downtown, you missed a lot of stuff,” he told the citizens of Centerville. Paar said that when he joined council 18 years ago, taxes were “through the roof,” there was no pavement management plan, the city owned a failing water tower, the roads were a mess and the parks were in bad shape.
SEE EMPTY AT EASTER, PAGE 7
SEE NEW MAYOR, PAGE 7
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