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DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLANNING: Will begin this fall PAGE 10
Chance pen pal pairing lasts half a century
Public forum filled with discontent from parents BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR
our grammar and our English in letter writing and also to learn from another culture,” Severseike explained. She was paired with Carla Heck from Pleasant Lake, Michigan. The two started writing letters in the early ’70s. In the beginning of the relationship they wrote back-
Five speakers were able to voice their opinions on a variety of topics to the school board before the public forum was closed after the allotted 15 minutes were up. Topics included the district’s proposed strategic planning process, masks in schools, equal opportunity for all students and the school board’s authority. First up to speak at the Sept. 27 meeting was Cori Duffy. She thanked the board for not “wasting tax dollars” with Equity Alliance Minnesota and putting the hiring of the equity coordinator position on hold. She then asked the board to vote against the strategic plan update. “The 2016 Strategic Plan had a goal to analyze the achievement gaps and provide accessibility at all levels. Was it successful? I don’t believe so,” Duffy said. “Since undertaking equity work, academic excellence has waned at Centennial. Test results are down, graduation rates are declining and disciplinary actions are trending upwards … Despite good intentions, equity seems to be dragging our students down, not lifting them up and helping them excel. Is this how the achievement gap will be closed? By bringing all achievement down?” Duffy said by the district participating in the achievement and integration (A&I) program, the district would be “essentially replacing what Equity Alliance was trying to do.”
SEE 50 YEARS OF STAMPS, PAGE 8
SEE SCHOOL BOARD, PAGE 9
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Carla Heck and Mildred Rivera Severseike look back at pictures they have mailed each other throughout the relationship. The two recently met for the first time in person, after communicating via letters for nearly 50 years. BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR
Circle Pines resident Mildred Rivera Severseike finally got to meet her pen pal. She’s been writing to her since she was in the fourth grade — almost 50 years ago. Severseike was born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
While in elementary school, her fourth grade teacher was friends with a fourth grade teacher in Michigan, and the two decided to do an exchange of names. Each student was paired with a student in the other teacher’s class. “At my school they were teaching us English, so part of the reason we were doing this pen pal thing was to practice
Sign messages continue to be popular tradition decades later BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR
CENTERVILLE — Since the early ’90s, motorists traveling on Main Street and 20th Avenue have been greeted with a variety of messages: birthday greetings, anniversary wishes, graduation congratulations, event announcements and more. Corner Express owner Todd Steffen explained that when he purchased the
business from his friend John Magill 19 years ago, the community message concept existed — even though back then it was just a small roadside sign. “He started it years back, and we just kind of continued it. We have done it ever since,” Steffen said. “We pride ourselves on being a community store. We are not a franchise, we are not a chain: we are your local convenience store.” Over the years, Steffen said
the business continues to have loyal customers. Some of them have patronized the business since Magill’s ownership. The sign has become a popular place to wish someone a happy birthday or anniversary, announce a community event or invite people to a garage sale. “Some people will take shots at one another up there,” Steffen said. “Anything goes, as long as it's clean and not political.”
The sign changes on almost a daily basis. Steffen estimated that 85 to 90% of the time, the sign has a message posted. “It’s amazing how many people see the message on that sign. That sign is the community, and it always has been,” he said. The sign has also been the bearer of bad news with death announcements. Recently, the sign announced SEE CORNER EXPRESS SIGN, PAGE 2
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Corner Express owner Todd Steffen changes the store’s sign almost daily. The sign is often used to wish area residents a happy birthday.
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