The Henry G. Fix Post 23 meeting opened on Thursday, April 6th at 7:57 pm. The meeting was opened by Commander Nancy Grandy with a salute to the Colors, POW/MIA observance, the Pledge of Allegiance, and Preamble to the American Legion Constitution. Chaplain Tara Hough offered an opening prayer. 29 members were present. Special guests were Fred Lee, Department Historian; Kevin Morello, candidate for Department Commander; and Tad Heitkamp with his wife Michelle.
The minutes of the previous meeting were presented and approved. The finance and social reports were approved. Bills were approved for payment. A water leak was discussed and a motion was passed to have Steve’s Electric complete the work. A motion was passed to donate $100 to Garretson Ambulance. The Post approved purchase of one book of tickets for the Shrine Circus.
The Service Officer, Jon Schmidt submitted that thinking of you cards were sent to Dwayne Jacobson, Don Dorsman, Harlowe Sundem, and Owen Wiese. Gary Lyngen reported the passing of Harlowe Sundem. It was asked to send a thinking of you card to Larry Engebretson after his recent surgery. David Swenson’s wife Patty has entered hospice care in Luverne. Andy Lyngen encouraged members to visit Dwayne Jacobson. Dwayne’s wife Shirley is also experiencing health problems.
2023-2024 Post 23 Officers Pictured below: Beth Welch, Commander; Tony Grandy, Adjutant; Jim Kurtz, Finance Officer; Nancy Grandy, Raffle; Brian Siemonsma, Baseball Commissioner; Paul Evenson, Leglislature; Rob Meyer, Social. (photo submitted)
The membership report was given by Beth Welch. She reported that our 2023 goal number is 209 members. We currently have 26 Paid Up For Life members, and 174 renewals. That takes us to 200 total which is 96% of our goal. Our April goal is 95%, so doing well!
Bob Bennett gave the Americanism report. We currently do not have any boys for Boy’s State or the Youth Trooper Academy. Two students have been selected to receive the Americanism Award at the school awards banquet on May 4th. Andy Lyngen is getting an estimate for a Coast Guard and Space Force flag for future holidays.
Paul Evenson reported that the South Dakota Legislature is now complete. One significant bill that passed is for 100% tuition assistance for members of the South Dakota National Guard. The Honor Guard provided honors for Kenny Van Kererix at the State Cemetery on March 22nd. They will be providing honors for Harlowe Sundem in the future.
Brian Siemonsma gave the baseball report. We currently have players and coaches for 2 teams. The 14U team will be coached by Cody Linneweber and the 16U team will be coached by Kiley Beutner. Brian is working to get insurance in place and payment of tournament fees. The 12U team will play under the Post 23 banner.
Commander Nancy Grandy presented the Post 23 Good Samaritan of the Year Award to Tad Heitkamp. Tad has been involved in the Garretson Scholarship Fund, Garretson Fire Department, and has coached numerous sporting teams for the local school.
The District 7 Spring Meeting was held April 2nd in Hartford. Post 23 member Andy Lyngen was elected as District 7 Commander. Bill Peters of Post 15 and B.J. Havard of Post 140 were elected as District Vice Commanders. Don Kranz and John Bachmeier were elected as Minnehaha County Commander and Vice Commander. Post 23 Tony Grandy will be County Adjutant. The District Legionaire of the Year was chosen from Madison. Membership is down this year at District and Department levels.
Our Post 23 wall covering committee continues to work on getting estimates for the options being considered. The South Dakota American Legion day of Service will be held on April 15th at Wings of Valor in Parker.
Our next Post meeting will be Thursday, May 4th. The meeting will be at 8 pm with the meal starting at 7 pm. The next Post Breakfast will be on May 7th with pancakes and sausage and biscuits & gravy. The next county meeting will be held at our Post on April 25th. The meeting will begin at 7 pm.
Kevin Morello, a candidate for Department Commander spoke and discussed his priorities. Those include a total Legion family, realigning some districts, and promoting Post engagements within their communities. National Commander Vincent J. “Jim” Troiola will visit our Post for breakfast on Monday, May 1st. The Auxiliary will provide an egg bake. Flyers are available for details. Commander Grandy handed out the April newsletter. A date to remember is Garretson American Legion Fireworks on July 3rd!
A thank you card was received from Garretson FFA for our donation. A letter was received from the South Dakota American Legion Foundation. The following persons were nominated for the 2023-2024 year: Commander – Beth Welch, First Vice – Jon Schmidt, Adjutant – Tony Grandy, Finance – Jim Kurtz, Historian – Mark Wiesner, Social – Rob Meyer, Service Officer – Nancy Grandy, Legislative – Paul Evenson, Americanism – Bob Bennett, Baseball – Brian Siemonsma, Raffle – Nancy Grandy. Congratulations to these newly elected officers.
Beth Welch is looking at options for Post 23 t-shirts and hats. These will show our pride when at events and when in the community. Continuous Member Certificates were given to Joe Vandersnick and Gale Larson. Commander Welch was honored to present her father Gale with his 50 Year Membership Certificate.
The monthly raffle drawing for April will take place in May due to a few remaining tickets being available for sale. Commander Beth Welch closed the meeting with the usual ceremony at 9:19 pm.
-Respectfully submitted, Mark Wiesner, Post 23 Historian
Sioux Falls could see its first “street outreach” teams working with the city’s homeless population as early as May, with a local organization following an intervention model being used in Rapid City and larger metro areas nationally.
The street outreach strategy uses teams of trained individuals to identify and interact with vulnerable people in the community and try to get them the help they need, taking some of that responsibility away from law enforcement.
A guest sleeps in an overnight room of the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House on Thursday, August 11, 2022, in Sioux Falls. Photo: Erin Woodiel / Argus Leader
“We’re getting ready to get up and going,” said Michaela Seiber, CEO of South Dakota Urban Indian Health, which presented its plan to downtown business leaders and will hold public information meetings at its downtown Sioux Falls office.
“The best way to stop all those law enforcement interactions from happening is to be more engaged with (people in need) on the street.”
The group’s Wo’Okiye Project (“to help” in Lakota) will start in May with 11 staff members, some who have experienced homelessness and addiction themselves. They’ll work in the community to “act as a conduit and support law enforcement in responding to low-level calls.”
The pilot program, funded by a grant from the MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge, coincides with the City of Sioux Falls requesting bids for a group to coordinate a street outreach effort as outlined by the Sioux Falls Homeless Task Force and approved unanimously by the City Council in March.
Proposals are due April 27 to be eligible for the partnership, with an annual budget of $250,000 for a two-year contract. The city has the option to extend it for three additional one-year terms. The contract is scheduled to be awarded May 15, with the partnership starting the following month.
Seiber confirmed that Urban Indian Health will submit a proposal. Other organizations such as Union Gospel Mission and Southeastern Behavioral Health were also mentioned as potential candidates during the task force process.
Street teams emphasize Native American needs
The effort is an acknowledgment among public officials in Sioux Falls and Rapid City that the origins of homelessness and drug addiction are complex and often melded with mental health issues, and that getting to the root of the problem could have more lasting impact than merely providing meals or temporary shelter.
“We’re looking beyond the law enforcement response to a more holistic and personal approach,” said Vanessa Sweeney, clinic services manager for Falls Community Health, part of Sioux Falls’ effort to address homelessness as a public health concern.
“We’re not just looking at the immediate challenge, whether that’s loitering or panhandling or something else, but what are the circumstances that led up to that point.”
The street outreach strategy also addresses the reality that Native Americans make up a disproportionate number of the South Dakota homeless population, creating cultural and language barriers in some cases that prevent meaningful intervention, especially when police are first on the scene.
“Law enforcement can be well-equipped and well-trained, but a lot of times for the individuals that we’re dealing with, it’s going to start off with a position of animosity because they view (police officers) as not necessarily the one they want to hear that message from,” Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum told News Watch in December 2022.
“Someone who comes from a different background or perspective and has time to build relationships can maybe be the one who steers them toward positive change.”
Journey On team members, all of them Indigenous and many of them experienced with homelessness themselves, work the streets of Rapid City wearing signature green apparel to forge personal connections with homeless people in the interest of public safety. Photo: Courtesy of Journey On
Number of homeless in South Dakota up 50% over 5 years
The latest point-in-time homeless count by the South Dakota Housing for the Homeless Consortium – conducted on Jan. 25, 2022 – put the number of homeless individuals in the state at 1,389, up nearly 50% from five years ago (955 in 2017).
The Rapid City count was 458 (up 53% from 2017) and Sioux Falls was 407 (up 26%). These numbers are generally considered undercounts because of the challenges of finding and identifying people without a home, especially in the middle of winter.
Native Americans, who make up 8.8% of the overall state population, comprised nearly 70% of the 2022 state homeless count, including 76% in Rapid City. Sioux Falls, where the homeless population is 36% Indigenous, according to the count, has used Rapid City and other communities as a model for “co-response” efforts to find the source of people’s struggles and funnel them to available services when they’re ready.
“What we’re finding with our staff members who have lived experience in these settings is that those relationships they form create a level of trust,” said Seiber, who grew up in Sisseton and is a member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. “It puts us in a unique position to fill this role.”
South Dakota Urban Indian Health, which has 37 full- and part-time staff members, spent an afternoon shadowing Journey On, a street outreach organization in Rapid City, and also did a site visit in Pima County, Arizona, to learn more about crisis response efforts.
Pilot program about ‘progress, not perfection’
The Sioux Falls task force proposal came after increased complaints about panhandling at interstate exit ramps and a greater focus on indigent individuals downtown due to recent development.
South Dakota Urban Indian Health held a community conversation with Downtown Sioux Falls business leaders on April 3. Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch
“It’s no longer ‘out of sight, out of mind,’” said Rich Merkouris, a first-term city councilor who chaired the task force. “Based on what the committee has seen, we’re still in a position where we’re not overwhelmed to the point of starting to eat away at the core of the community, but people are concerned.”
Thum, who became police chief in the summer of 2021, said people can’t be arrested for holding up signs asking for money. It becomes more problematic when they do so on private property or step into traffic to solicit or receive cash from motorists.
Generally, though, he sees panhandling and public nuisance calls as symptoms of problems that can be addressed with boots-on-the-ground intervention by people who have lived on the streets or been trained in social work and cultural outreach.
The city’s request for proposals calls for a minimum 30 hours per week. It calls for “active intervention coverage in designated areas identified by the city,” during which street outreach staffers will be expected to “engage homeless individuals in a productive, compassionate manner.” The outreach team members will direct people to behavioral health, addiction treatment or training/development programs as needed.
All interactions will be documented in the Helpline Network of Care database, an infrastructure system that allows social service agencies to share information with one other.
City officials acknowledged that the street outreach program will likely evolve over time.
“This is about progress, not perfection,” said Sweeney. “All the nuances about where it’s going to take us will be dictated in part by the people we’re trying to help. What are their needs? What will they allow us to do and not allow us to do and what are they comfortable with? In some ways, we have to follow their lead of letting us in enough to be able to assist. That’s a hard one to sketch out right now.”
Outreach targets mental health, drug addiction in homeless population
There are about 580,000 homeless people in the United States, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Nearly every major city deals with the problem in some capacity, including the recent phenomenon of tent cities or other encampments that provide temporary solutions to those in need.
In South Dakota, there’s a growing consensus that preventative measures based on mental health and drug addiction counseling are the best way to proceed, with public-private partnerships allowing for a more specialized and targeted approach.
Rapid City opened its Care Campus in 2019, a “one-stop shop” facility that offers detox, crisis care and mental health treatment. Pennington County Health and Human Services teams up with groups such as Safe Solutions, which provides overnight accommodation for intoxicated individuals who might be turned away at some homeless shelters.
Sioux Falls followed in 2021 with The Link, a community triage center designed to help people facing a non-violent behavioral health crisis or substance abuse problem. It provides 24/7 access to support services through a partnership between the city and Minnehaha County along with the Sanford Health and Avera Health systems.
As homeless numbers increase, however, finding enough trained staff to make a difference has proved difficult, putting more pressure on law enforcement. The street outreach strategy involves city governments contracting with private groups that work with displaced people to try to gradually integrate them into society or merely keep them safe from harm.
Street outreach makes impact in Rapid City
Journey On, the non-profit organization formed in Rapid City in 2019, tries to address rising friction between predominantly Native American unsheltered individuals and local businesses, which has sparked confrontations with law enforcement.
The organization has 16 team members, all of them Indigenous and many of them experienced with homelessness themselves. They hit the streets in four vans wearing signature green apparel to forge connections in the interest of public safety.
Calls to Journey On range from local businesses letting them know about an intoxicated person in an alley or a concerned resident pointing out a mother and children who are not equipped to be out in the cold.
“We go into the community every day to identify people who are unsheltered or vulnerable,” said Rich Braunstein, outreach director for Journey On, which entered a contract with the city in January 2022 that also involves Volunteers of America.
“We initiate those contacts. We’re not sitting in a station waiting for a call. We try to build a relationship of trust, visiting with them again and again and again until they’re willing to accept services.”
The Wo’Okiye Project in Sioux Falls will follow that basic model while developing its own methods. The street outreach concept is a work in progress, Seiber acknowledged, with community leaders expressing concern about a lack of affordable housing that can help integrate homeless people into society rather than providing merely temporary services.
“There’s a hesitancy from folks we talk to because they don’t know what to do after the outreach happens,” said Seiber, who became Urban Indian Health’s CEO in February 2021.
“There are still so many other resources that are needed. There’s excitement that we have an opportunity for this research, but what comes next? Those are questions that still need to be addressed.”
— This article was produced by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit journalism organization located online at sdnewswatch.org.
This weekend, bring items to Nordstroms, Garbage-N-More
This weekend, the City of Garretson will be hosting its annual Clean Up Day on Earth Day, April 22. During this time, Garretson and Sherman residents will be able to beautify the areas around their home by getting rid of large items.
This is not a "leave junk on the curb" junk days, and there are two options depending on the items to be cleared.
On Friday, Nordstrom's Automotive, located at 25513 480th Ave, will be taking automotive batteries, car and pick up tires (limit 8 per household, no businesses), fluids of any sort from within the vehicle (oils, antifreeze) from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
On Saturday, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., residents are encouraged to bring large items to Garbage-N-More, located at 708 Nordstrom Avenue. Residents can bring anything except everyday garbage, paint cans, electronics, lawn chemicals, and unpainted construction wood or branches.
Furniture, appliances, and painted wood will be accepted. Mattresses, box springs, and tires will be accepted for a charge (tires must be off-rim). Please keep in mind that after hours drop offs will not be allowed, and the dumpsters are provided for Garretson/Sherman residents only. To keep traffic flowing smoothly, Garbage-N-More asks residents to come in off Nordstrom Avenue and drive around the back of the building to exit.
Chargeable item costs: Mattresses - $15 each; Box Springs - $15 each; Tires (MUST BE OFF RIM)-$5 each.
Non-acceptable items can be brought to the Hazardous Waste Facility at 1015 E Chambers St, Sioux Falls.
The branch pile is located south of town, east of River Ridge Golf Course on 254th St, and accepts yard waste such as branches, grass clippings, and shrubbery. No painted wood or garbage is allowed, and the branch pile is reserved for Garretson area residents only.
Springdell 4-H will be helping with the clean-up effort on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to Noon and will be available to pick up items for a donation to the club (along with any extra fees that may be incurred). This is helpful for anyone who does not own a large vehicle or will not be around that day. Pre-registration is required, and can be done by contacting Anna Uhl at 605-310-7253.
On Sunday, April 23rd at 3:00 the Garretson Drama Department will present their spring play, “A Bagful of Fables” by Robert Lehan.
The cast of the spring play, “A Bagful of Fables.” Front L-R: Cecelia Fiegen, Briann Jacobson, Jade Bertotti, Jenna Wastell. Back L-R: Gracie Fiegen, Kaitlyn Steinhoff, Abigail Fetter, Mackenzie Sanders, Calvin Larson. Not pictured: Brooklyn Trudeau, Tasia Westover (photo by Kim Macziewski).
This collection of fables presents Aesop with an attitude! Join this lively troupe of actors and even Aesop — who may be long gone from this earth but is still the life of the party! — as they bring to the stage the tried-and-true stories of “The Fox and the Crow,” “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” and “The Sun and the Wind.”
The audience will be engaged as Aesop runs the show, pulling the scripts out of his messenger bag and assigning roles to actors.
There’s even a touch of magic- when the actors hold the scripts to their foreheads, they magically learn the lines! Other actors become a Greek chorus, providing voiced music and sound effects and engaging the audience along the way.
Playful bickering, witty banter, lively stage action and audience interaction are the perfect mix to make this play fun for all ages!
The play will be held in the old gym, will last about 60 minutes, and is free to the public.
I’m always in awe at Mount Rushmore. A surreal feeling washes over me as I walk up the Avenue of Flags and see the four faces gazing off toward the horizon. I think about state historian Doane Robinson, who conceived the idea in the 1920s, and of Peter Norbeck, John Boland and other South Dakota leaders who worked tirelessly to ensure the massive project came to fruition. At the forefront, of course, was sculptor Gutzon Borglum, the irascible artist whose vision slowly emerged from billion-year-old Black Hills granite.
As Mount Rushmore became more firmly entrenched in our culture after its completion in 1941, many South Dakotans developed a sense of pride that such a national attraction was in their own backyard. Eventually, it seems, we even started to become protective of it.
This festive cover caused consternation among some South Dakota Magazine readers.
We discovered that when we tried to put party hats on George, Tom, Abe and Teddy.
It happened as South Dakota Magazine kicked off its 25th anniversary in 2010. Mount Rushmore had never graced the cover of the magazine, and we thought it would be fun if we made it appear that the presidents were celebrating the milestone with us. Our graphic designer created a cover with birthday hats photoshopped atop the granite heads.
We were proud, but at least a few readers were upset that we had taken such liberties. Some even thought we’d desecrated the national memorial. It made us wonder: Can’t we have a little fun with it?
Over the years, we’ve amassed a huge file of advertisements that use Mount Rushmore to sell everything from toothpaste to beer. The memorial is also popular among editorial cartoonists who use it to convey a message. We gathered examples such as those for a feature story that explores how the monument has seeped into our popular culture and what people think about it.
Jeffrey Koterba is a nationally syndicated cartoonist who spent 31 years with the Omaha World-Herald. In addition to Mount Rushmore, his cartoons have featured the Statue of Liberty, Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware River and the Mona Lisa.
“I have respect for monuments and paintings and symbols and the American flag. It’s never my intent to rile people up,” he told us. “But if it’s a symbol that people recognize and I can use it as a vehicle to make a point, then I think it’s fair game. I don’t see it as such a sacred thing that it is above being able to be used for satire or cartoons.”
Check out the full story in our January/February 2023 issue, and if you’re still looking for a blessing of sorts, consider this. After our article appeared, we heard from Robin Borglum Kennedy, Gutzon’s granddaughter, who told us that the Borglum family has long collected cartoons featuring Mount Rushmore. “We’ve seen every president and celebrity added to the mountain and just about every kind of joke,” she said. “It is good publicity, and it reinforces the symbol.”
So yes, maybe it is okay to have a little fun with it.
Gazette Editor’s Note: John Andrews and the excellent staff at SD Magazine also won my appreciation recently by doing a very excellent story in their March/April magazine titled “Who Will Run the Paper” featuring newspaper editors across our great state, many of whom are colleges that I consider friends. This is an excellent article, and having just hosted a field trip of Garretson Elementry students in my offices who asked intelligent questions and had great ideas, I would say that this is especially worth reading and sharing with them! I encourage everyone reading this to pick it up!
After almost two years of controversy, nearly 1,300 public comments submitted and hours of public testimony spread across four public hearings, the South Dakota Board of Education Standards has approved changes to the state’s K-12 social studies standards.
The public had its fourth and final opportunity to speak to the board about the changes on Monday at the Ramkota Hotel in Pierre. Educators and children lined the sidewalks outside the hotel on Monday morning in protest of the current draft of the standards.
A majority of speakers criticized the current draft Monday and encouraged the board to vote against it, citing concerns about age appropriateness as well as out-of-state and political influence.
The proposed standards passed 5-2, with Board President Terry Nebelsick and member Steve Willard casting the “no” votes.
Demonstrators stand outside the Ramkota Hotel in Pierre ahead of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards meeting on April 17, 2023. (Courtesy of South Dakota Education Association)
The standards are scheduled to be implemented by 2025. In the meantime, educators across the state are left wondering how they’ll implement them, said Sandra Waltman, communications director for the South Dakota Education Association, in an interview with South Dakota Searchlight after the decision.
“We’re going to look at all options — whether that’s legal, legislative or finding different ways — to challenge the implementation of these standards,” Waltman said.
How did we get here?
The standards originally drew criticism in 2021 after the state removed more than a dozen references to the Oceti Sakowin (the collective term for Lakota, Dakota and Nakota speaking Native Americans) in the first draft.
Gov. Kristi Noem then ordered the standards revision process to be delayed and restarted in 2022 with a new workgroup, timeline and standards.
Originally, the social studies standards were crafted by a more than 40-person work group. The restart involved a second, 15-person work group, which included a retired educator from Hillsdale College in Michigan serving as facilitator.
The state Department of Education released its revised standards in August 2022, but quickly drew criticism again after the SDEA said the standards discourage inquiry-based learning and emphasize rote memorization, adding that Native American history and South Dakota history are “afterthoughts or lumped in with other standards.”
More revisions have been made since then, including the addition of world geography standards in high school, several grammatical and formatting changes, and the translation of names of Indigenous historical figures to their Lakota translations or to translations in their Native languages. The new standards do not include a section devoted to South Dakota history for the fourth grade, which is part of the current standards.
Over the past seven months, hundreds of people debated the benefits and consequences of the standards at public hearings in Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Pierre. Of the nearly 1,300 public comments submitted to the Department of Education, roughly 80% opposed the changes.
“These hearings should not be a debate with points and counter-points where one side tries to win … there is no win-win in this process,” Nebelsick said ahead of the vote. “The longer this has gone on it’s become obvious it’s become a lose-lose effort.”
Why was there such opposition?
Comments from 121 proponents submitted in the last seven months focus on appreciation for the comprehensive content; efforts to grow the knowledge base of state, country and world history among students; and a desire to develop “proud patriotic citizens lacking in South Dakota schools,” according to a department summary of the comments.
Judy Rapp, a retired social studies teacher from Pierre, was one of the roughly 20 proponents to speak in-person and over Zoom on Monday. She was originally opposed to the standards and what happened to the 2021 draft until she read the most recent version.
“Finally, somebody got it right,” she said.
She said the state lacks consistency in teaching history for middle schoolers.
“Teaching U.S. history is like building a house,” Rapp said. “First, you prepare the ground, which is fourth through sixth grade. Then you lay the foundation in seventh and eighth grade. Your foundation has to be rock solid. They have to learn the facts before they question, debate and inquire.”
Gov. Kristi Noem and state Department of Education Secretary Joseph Graves sent a news release shortly after Monday’s meeting praising the boards’ decision, saying students “will be taught the best social studies education in the country” and be equipped “with the solid grounding in history and civics they need to exercise their role as citizens.”
But the associations of South Dakota school boards, educators, school administrators, superintendents, PTA and elementary principals, along with local governments, all nine tribal nations in South Dakota and at least 27 school groups vocally opposed the standards.
Such standards hammer students over the head with memorization in a “one size fits all approach,” Waltman said. She added that such tactics will frustrate students, especially young children, and discourage them from learning — impacting their education and careers.
Educators Waltman has spoken to have said most textbook companies don’t have material fit for these standards, though proponents said other states, such as Louisiana and Florida, have implemented similar standards. The implementation and purchase of new materials will be costly as well — the Sioux Falls School District estimates costs for their district alone above $3 million.
“These standards are so different from what the rest of the country is teaching, there are limited options for schools to pick from,” Waltman said.
Other consequences opponents cited include less time dedicated to electives to prepare students for higher education or the workforce, and a worsening of the teacher shortage in the state.
Educators will feel ignored and disrespected, since they “truly believe these standards will fail our students,” testified Loren Paul, president of the SDEA.
“For many educators, your decision today will impact whether they stay in the classroom,” Paul said. “With the current teacher shortage, is that a risk you’re willing to take?”
What will these changes mean?
Before the standards are implemented, the state Department of Education, Historical Society and Office of Indian Education will start a two-year implementation period to “help current teachers learn how to put the standards into practice.”
That includes a Civics and History Summit this summer in Sioux Falls, which will feature content-specific learning sessions, coffee with an elder, education on learning kits, and learning about historical figures. Another 240 teachers can attend a state history “road trip,” and the department will launch a South Dakota history website with instructional materials for educators.
“The department stands ready to support that implementation with professional development and standards-aligned resources,” Graves said in a news release.
Because of the controversy surrounding the standards, Waltman said SDEA plans to challenge the makeup of the state Board of Education legislatively. Only three of the seven board members are certified educators, she said.
“Ensuring that this board has the representation of people who have experience in practical applications of these standards is paramount,” Waltman said.
Stephanie Amiotte, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota and an Oglala Lakota tribal member, suggested the standards would violate First Amendment rights for Native Americans in the state during her testimony Monday.
The state Department of Education “offered no legitimate reason” for rejecting the first proposed standards in 2021 on Native American topics, according to Amiotte, who added that the relaunch was a “clear restriction of students’ rights protected by the First Amendment.” Native Americans make up the second largest racial demographic group in the state.
“The Department of Education does not have a substantial and reasonable government interest to justify interfering with students’ rights,” Amiotte said. “A large number of topics removed appear to be racially motivated without furthering a legitimate pedagogical purpose. Courts have rejected prior attempts by school systems to restrict access to certain movies and books, so the current attempts to restrict access to Native American topics is likewise legally concerning.”
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. South Dakota Searchlight maintains editorial independence.
Gov. Kristi Noem signed an executive order that she said will bolster gun rights as she spoke to a crowd Friday at the National Rifle Association Leadership Forum in Indianapolis, along with presidential candidates and potential candidates including former President Donald Trump, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Noem is viewed as a potential presidential candidate but has not committed to running. During her speech, she touted South Dakota’s economic growth and gun-friendliness since she stepped into office in 2018. Her executive order bars state agencies under her control from contracting with financial institutions that discriminate against firearm-related entities.
In this 2020 file photo, Gov. Kristi Noem prepares to deliver the second State of the State address of her administration. (Community News Service photo)
The appearance furthers the governor’s national brand and is a clear indication she has ambitions at the national level, said David Wiltse, political science professor at South Dakota State University.
In fact, she is “doing everything she needs to do” to run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, he said.
“This is a national stage — deliberately a national stage,” Wiltse said. “That’s probably more or less an unequivocal good for the state and certainly good for her as she looks past her current office, as any ambitious politician would.”
New executive order mirrors Texas, Montana laws
Noem opened her speech with stories about how growing up hunting played a role in developing her confidence and problem-solving abilities. She further used the microphone to promote South Dakota, sharing her determination not to “lock down” during the COVID pandemic and touting the state’s positive record with gun owners.
In 2019, she signed a bill into law eliminating the need for a permit to carry a concealed weapon in the state. South Dakota also has a strengthened “Stand Your Ground” law and doesn’t charge a fee for concealed carry permits — even paying for individuals’ federal background checks when they buy a gun from a licensed dealer, she said.
“We are setting the standards as the most Second Amendment friendly state in the nation,” Noem said.
South Dakota is listed as the seventh best state for gun owners, according to Guns and Ammo, behind Wyoming, Montana, Indiana, Utah, Arizona and North Dakota.
After Noem signed her executive order on stage, she handed the pen to NRA CEO and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. Texas signed similar legislation into law in 2021, and a similar bill in Montana is awaiting the governor’s signature after passing through the Legislature earlier this month.
The executive order would require banks and other businesses seeking state contracts worth $100,000 or more to certify they don’t exclude firearm or ammunition industries and retailers.
“God gave you the right to defend yourself and your family. The government recognizes that right, but we don’t have to ask permission to defend it,” Noem said, after comparing the modern political situation to the Revolutionary War period.
SDSU political science professors asked 747 South Dakota Republicans to rank how favorably they view Gov. Kristi Noem, former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Noem had the most favorable ranking, followed closely by DeSantis. (Courtesy of SDSU)
Noem is making ‘all the right moves’ for presidential bid
Noem used some of her time at the podium to re-introduce herself to a national audience. She spoke about her success as governor and her rural roots, she told stories of her family and her grandchildren, and touched on national political topics.
Noem was met with a standing ovation as she walked off the stage to the country song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” by Toby Keith. Trump and Pence received a similar standing ovation, but Hutchinson did not.
Republican Florida Gov. Ron Desantis spoke to the convention via video message. Like Noem, he has not officially announced a run, but he’s a leader in some polls.
Noem and Desantis are favored among South Dakota Republicans, based on an SDSU poll by Wiltse and SDSU professor Filip Viskupič. The poll, which surveyed 747 registered voters about five presidential candidates or potential candidates, was released Thursday.
“You’re seeing her make all these moves that just have to be done. Things like the NRA convention, those are important when it comes to funding but also when signaling support and taking cues from opinion leaders,” Wiltse said. “She has a constant presence on conservative media too — that’s everything you need to do to run for president at this point.”
But, Wiltse said, those are also the things needed to do if she’s angling for vice president or a cabinet position.
“You can’t be sure of this other than we know she’s building her name and her brand for something bigger than governor, which is perfectly normal and logical and something any other politician worth their salt is going to be doing.”
The next step, Wiltse said, is heading to Iowa or South Carolina, which are early Republican primary states.
“That’s where you’re really waving a flag of running or wanting to be involved in shaping who runs,” Wiltse said.
Noem has been invited to the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s speaking event later this month, according to the Argus Leader. The event is for those who’ve expressed an interest in running for president, and other invitees include DeSantis, Hutchinson, Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. South Dakota Searchlight maintains editorial independence.
Minnehaha County Farmers Union held its annual meeting Thursday March 9, 2023 at Ed and Wanda Artz home.
Delegates were selected to attend the quarterly meeting of District 2 SDFU on March 23, 2023 at Pizza Ranch, Mitchell, SD.
Election of officers held with President Paul Hotchkiss, Vice-President Ed Artz, Secretary/Treasurer Wand Artz, Education Director Myrna Hotchkiss, County Legislative Director Virginia Solheim, Co-op Director Jim Solheim.
Minnehaha County will be bringing a resolution to the district 2 Meeting, on the Big Sioux River one of the most polluted river in America.
(Submitted Photo:) Scott Kolousek, Wanda Artz, & Paul Hotchkiss.
SDFU Minnehaha County Day Camp will be held Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at the Hartford City Park, shelter #1,
No other business meeting adjourned. Secretary / Treasurer Wanda Artz
At the SDFU District 2 meeting, President Scott Kolousek and SDFU County President Paul Hotchkiss presented Wanda Artz with SDFU 2022 40-year Education Award and gift.
As part of our Amnesty Day on Friday the 21st we will accept many environmentally unsafe products from vehicles free of charge. They will be processed in our professional automotive dismantling operation. We will do for you on this day, what we do every day! We dismantle the best and recycle the rest!
Items that will be accepted at Nordstrom’s Full-Service Auto Recycling 2.0 or Ewe Pullet Self-Service from 8am to 5:00 pm are automotive batteries, car and pick up tires (limit 8 per household, no businesses), fluids of any sort from within the vehicle (oils, antifreeze). (Individual quantities, not businesses.)
Nordstrom’s recycles these products every day, but for this special day we will help the public to properly dispose of these items. You may bring out damaged and junk auto parts to dispose of also. Let a Nationally recognized Certified Auto Recycler go to work for you! We are just a few minutes northeast of Sioux Falls on a fully paved route via 480th Ave. See our website for a full map of directions wherever you might be coming from.
Other things we are doing:
We are offering FREE admission to our EWE PULLET self-service facility for the entire week of Earth Day. FREE admission for the EWE PULLET runs from the 17th to the 22nd. Come harvest some savings with your tools and your labor for your savings without paying the gate admittance fee! Also, FREE admission to the EWE PULLET the ENTIRE month of April if you wear EWE PULLET LOGOWEAR or any UNDER THE HOOD SHOW LOGOWEAR. Remember, re-use is the purest form of recycling! Re-use then Recycle! Be sustainable!
Nordstrom’s has over 75 employees and a crew of them will be gathering after work Wednesday the 19th to clean the road ditches of over 24 linear miles of State Highway, County Highway and Township roads.
We are happy to do our part to make Earth Day 2023 a great reminder of the stewardship we all need to take to preserve the Earth we live on! Thanks for helping us spread the word!
Nordstrom’s Automotive Inc wants to remind the public: Automotive recycling is recycling at the purest. Re-use is the ultimate form of recycling.
Raw materials and expensive manufacturing are not required when a quality used auto part is harvested from another vehicle and used again. Reusing the Recycled Original Equipment Parts® is the best way to recycle for sure, but there is more! Approximately 86 percent of each vehicle is recycled. That equates to six million tires, 100 million Gallons of Gas and Diesel fuel, 24 million gallons of motor oil, eight million gallons of engine coolant and 4.5 million gallons of windshield wiper fluid annually.
Every year end of life vehicles produces over 14 million tons of steel to be reused and recycled. More than 97 percent of all the vehicle battery lead is recycled. Certified Auto Recyclers and others like Nordstrom’s have removed over 4 million switches containing mercury. This effort has stopped over 8500 pounds of environmentally contaminating Mercury from causing dangerous pollution.
With the effort of conscious Auto Recyclers, the vehicle is one of the greenest products on the planet! The size of the American automotive fleet currently numbers approximately 270 million vehicles, nearly one apiece for every man woman and child in the country. Of these, it is estimated that nearly 11 million vehicles are taken off the road each year when they are totaled in accidents or reach their End of Life. (EOL) Nordstrom’s Automotive Inc of rural Garretson is a Certified Auto Recycler (CAR) who prides themselves in offering our customers great savings while promoting a green environment.
All harmful pollutants are contained and disposed of properly throughout our dismantling operation. Nordstrom’s has been recycling EOL vehicles since the late 1960’s; over 50 years!
Nordstrom’s was the 2018 STAR CERTIFIED AUTO RECYCLER FOR THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES! AS VOTED BY THE AUTOMTOIVE RECYCLERS ASSOCIATION. (A-R-A.ORG) AT NORDSTROM’S WE LIKE TO SAY “WE DISMANTLE THE BEST AND RECYCLE THE REST!"
School calendar & admin renewal contracts get 3-2 votes from board
by Garrick A Moritz, Gazette
The School Board meeting on April 10th was a big one, with two issues coming to a split 3-2 vote. Administrative contracts were renewed despite concerns about future spending even with the opt-out passed, and the board voted to continue the early dismissal on Wednesdays, though there was a proposal to move the end of the day to 2:15 p.m. rather than 1:30 p.m.
The board first addressed the resignation and retirement of long-time GHS Science teacher Bev Howe, thanking her for her service to the district. Elementary teacher Emily Backer submitted her resignation to take a job at another nearby district, and GHS Government teacher Kevin Steckler tendered his resignation from all current teaching assignments. He will, however, continue in his duties as Athletic Director.
On Monday, Superintendent Guy Johnson noted the construction at the Athletic Complex had officially begun.
“The folks from Mammoth Sports Construction weren’t kidding when they said they wanted to “hit the ground running” on the turf and track project,” he wrote. “They started this morning, shortly after 8:00, and wasted no time! As of 4:00 this afternoon, they had the turf removed from the north 20 yards of the field and they were also working in peeling up the old track surface around the SE end of the track. It’s a fascinating process!”
School safety a concern
With no old business and no conflicts of interest to discuss, the board then moved to public commentary. Unlike most meetings, they did have someone who wanted to address the board.
Natasha (Halverson) Mendoza, a GHS alum, addressed the board on behalf of her soon-to-be-kindergartener. Her chief concern was about the most recent school shooting incident in Kentucky, and in general her worries about school shootings that have been happening all too frequently nationwide. She was understandably upset and emotional about the topic and wanted to make sure her daughter, who would be starting kindergarten next fall, would be safe in the building.
“Obviously we watch the news as well,” said Board President Shannon Nordstrom. “It’s absolutely horrible, unacceptable and heartbreaking and we take the safety of our students in the building very seriously. We don’t necessarily want to get into the details of our safety plans in an open meeting, but we do have them, and it’s something we take extremely seriously. I’ll let Mr. Johnson elaborate what he can.”
Mr. Johnson did elaborate, noting controlled access on all building doors. Responding to Mendoza’s questions, he said that the school resource officer is a first responder and would respond to any active shooter situation in the building directly.
As a former student of GHS, Mendoza said that she felt she knew the ins and outs of the building fairly well, and anyone with that knowledge could exploit it.
Johnson responded that with the current locking protocols in place, and with the constant camera monitoring and door alarms in place, unknown entry is no longer possible. Concerned about the glass doors, Mendoza pointed out that active shooters destroy regular glass doors with their weapons and simply pass through them.
Nordstrom admitted that none of the school’s glass doors are bulletproof, but that after past school shooting incidents, grant money became available to install the cameras and controlled access door locks.
“Maybe the same thing will happen for school doors,” Nordstrom said. “Also, the fact that our School Resource officer parks his police cruiser in plain view of everyone right in front of the main doors is a huge deterrent to any potential shooter, or so we’ve been told. They know he’s here and from what we’re told about the psychology of these events, that’s a huge potential of stopping incidents before they start.”
Nordstrom and Johnson both invited Mendoza to make a special appointment to tour the building and have many of her concerns talked about in confidence to keep the school safety plans out of the public eye. It’s also worth noting that after the meeting, Kindergarten teacher Jackie Leister spoke with Mendoza about safety concerns and how she operates her daily business.
The next item on the agenda was discussion and passage of the 2023-24 School Calendar. This was the first item of contention.
After Supt. Johnson laid out the calendar as developed by the Calendar committee, which is comprised of several teachers, the athletic director, and administration, the board discussed it at length.
Board member Tana Clark made the argument that the early dismissal on Wednesdays should be changed to 2:15 p.m. rather than 1:30 p.m. She said that while she recognized the merits of the programs being done on Wednesdays to help students succeed, she thought it was too much time devoted to the program. Board member Jodi Gloe agreed, citing complaints she’d received from some parents.
Board member Kari Flanagan, who joined the meeting via phone due to illness, made the motion to approve the calendar as presented and it came down to three "yes" vs. two "no" votes, with Clark and Gloe voting in opposition.
Next, the board considered a recommendation to hire an American Sign Language interpreter to be on staff for the next school year. Salary would come out of the school’s special education budget, and looking at the costs of continuing to hire an interpreter from a private firm- as the school does currently- versus hiring one directly as part of their classified staff, meant the district could save funds. This proposal was greeted with universal approval by the board.
The board then approved appointing an auditor for the fiscal year of 2023 and voted to continue to support the school’s Northern Plains Insurance pool. This pool has been working well for the district over the last several years, with low premiums and good benefits for the school’s staff.
Electric Buses to be purchased
After voting to continue on the South Dakota High School Activities Association for the coming year, Supt. Johnson updated the board on school bussing and the grant program from the Environmental Protection Agency to invest in the purchase of new electric buses for the district.
“This has been a learning process for us all,” said Supt. Johnson. “So, we’re coming before you tonight with two potential proposals for how we want to proceed with this.”
Supt. Johnson said that with the prices as listed, and the models of buses that the committee has settled on, the school would be able to purchase three of these new electric buses and the charging stations to operate them in the existing garage. As of now, the power capacity at the garage is adequate to the school's needs in that regard, but if a fourth or any more electric buses were purchased, more power capacity would be needed.
Johnson brought the board quotes and proposals to go with the existing setup or moving forward with expanding the garage’s power capacity. Though this idea had merit, the board was hesitant on the larger purchase.
“I don’t think we need to do that at this time,” said Clark. “Let’s see what these new buses can do first before we go all in.”
Nordstrom acknowledged the point, saying that the new propane bus was already the pride of the fleet. Keeping one or a few diesel buses in reserve isn’t bad, and ends up diversifying the school’s options, he said.
“Originally when this happened, and this grant opportunity was presented, I admit I was skeptical,” Nordstrom said. “The model and company that make these products sees a lot of use in Canada, and they’re the pride of their fleet up there. Looking into the technology, well it’s come so far and it’s reliable. Reliable in conditions similar or even worse than ours on the roads every day. With the grant money and pricing for the units we want, it’s just too good of an opportunity for the district to pass on. I’m honestly excited to see them in action, so I went from being a skeptic to being very excited about this. It also could save the district a lot of potential money in fuel cost.”
“Well, coming as that does from you, who maybe knows more about vehicles than anyone at this table, that makes me happy to vote for it,” said Gloe.
“Yeah, me too. Sounds like win for Garretson to me,” said Clark.
Wyatt Compton, who will be a new board member this summer, was in attendance and was called on to offer some statistics and specifications about the units, giving the board a favorable opinion on the options. They voted to approve the purchase at the base quote without additional upgrades at the bus barn, aside from the installation of the charging station for said buses.
The Elementary and Middle/High School Principals and Superintendent then both gave their administrative reports to the board.
Elementary Principal & Curriculum Director Katie Hoekman proposed new curriculum for approval by Mr. Johnson with the board's consent.
Supt. Johnson mentioned the South Dakota School Board Administrators Association had sent a letter to the South Dakota Board of Education, unanimously rejecting the new standards proposed.
Since that meeting, this letter, as well as the thousands of public comments against the new standards, were ignored in favor of passing the new Social Studies standards on a 5-2 vote. See a related story by SD Searchlight in this paper. The general opinion that has been expressed by the Garretson School Board is that this is an issue of local control, and that our teachers and staff should choose the curriculum that’s taught to our students in a fact-based education. Any law or mandate that opposes that is counter-intuitive to the goals of the district.
Supt. Johnson then had an update regarding the lighting issues in and around the district’s parking area. He gave full credit to Steve’s Electric for finding the source of the troubles. LED lights had replaced much of their old system, and all the lights had been connected to automatic timers. However, a few of the lights were still on old ballast systems that shut down the lights for safety when they begin to overheat. All the old lights have been marked and noted, and will be replaced by LEDs over the summer.
Supt. Johnson also noted that Mammoth Construction was to begin set-up last weekend to begin work on the athletic complex project, and indeed they have started. Johnson also addressed a concern and confusion the board had about the concrete repairs, and said that yes, that part of the project was part of the base bid. The engineer on the project had listed that as a top priority as the insurance company had made note of it, so that relieved the concerns of several of the board members.
Administrative contracts renewed
The board went into executive session at 7:04 p.m. and was in executive session for two hours. Upon re-convening into public session, they moved to approve the contracts of renewing teaching staff.
However, the renewal of administrator contracts had some debate.
“I’m not in favor of renewing the contracts for plus-one year of the upcoming '23-'24 school year,” Clark said. “This is not because I think that anyone is doing a poor job, or that I don’t value the work our administrators do, I just think that it’s financially irresponsible. The opt-out passed, yes, so we have some breathing room in the general fund, but even with the opt-out there will still be some very lean months and years for the district and I want to see some consistent growth numbers in our district before we make long term commitments.”
This was countered by Kari Flanagan who said, “With the opt-out passing, we need time to let it work and see what happens next. We have a plan and we need to give it time to succeed.”
The renewal of administrative contracts came down to another 3- to- 2 vote, with Clark and Gloe in opposition of renewal.
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The meeting adjourned at 9:08 p.m. While a special meeting was held for further contract negotiations this past Tuesday, the next regular meeting of the Garretson School Board will be on Monday, May 8 at 5:45 p.m. at the Garretson School Library.
