We honor our Veterans for their service today and every day. Editor Garrick Moritz writes about why the Gazette so highly supports Garretson's Henry G Fix Post #23, and the GHS Blue Ink's Peyton Hove interviews currently enlisted service members. The Garretson City Council passed a Mask-wearing Resolution on Monday, encouraging all people to work in community to protect one another as COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to rise. In a heartbreaking end to the strong volleyball season, Garretson lost to Baltic in 5 sets last Thursday, plus more!
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This year I was asked to speak at the American Legion Post #23 Veterans Day program. I was invited to speak about the paper and why I have been such a strong supporter of the Legion here in Garretson. Like a lot of things in 2020, it did not go as planned.
Because the event was canceled, and our community spent Veteran’s Day in their homes and hearts rather than in a public program, I will use my paper as a medium for what I planned to say at the program.
Helen and Bert Moritz, 1942
There are a lot of reasons I support the work of the Post #23 of the American Legion and Auxiliary here in Garretson. First, you might recall that they were supportive of me from day one, when I took over here, first as managing editor and especially when I purchased the business. Also, you might recall the work of Legion member Marty Luebke, which won a South Dakota Newspaper Association award for Best Feature Series, featuring stories of our Legion members and their service.
When Commander Rob Meyer called me to ask that I speak to the veterans, he said, “Clearly you came from a military background, just talking with you has told me that.”
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This year I was asked to speak at the American Legion Post #23 Veterans Day program. I was invited to speak about the paper and why I have been such a strong supporter of the Legion here in Garretson. Like a lot of things in 2020, it did not go as planned.
Because the event was canceled, and our community spent Veteran’s Day in their homes and hearts rather than in a public program, I will use my paper as a medium for what I planned to say at the program.
There are a lot of reasons I support the work of the Post #23 of the American Legion and Auxiliary here in Garretson. First, you might recall that they were supportive of me from day one, when I took over here, first as managing editor and especially when I purchased the business. Also, you might recall the work of Legion member Marty Luebke, which won a South Dakota Newspaper Association award for Best Feature Series, featuring stories of our Legion members and their service.
When Commander Rob Meyer called me to ask that I speak to the veterans, he said, “Clearly you came from a military background, just talking with you has told me that.”
Yes, both my grandpas and my father served.
Let’s start with Grandpa Bert Moritz.
Helen and Bert Moritz, 1942
After homesteading in North Dakota, the August Moritz family moved to Canada where grandpa Bert Moritz was born on Sept. 4, 1918 at Vegreville, Alberta. One year later, the family returned to North Dakota. Bert graduated from Cavalier High School in 1935. He then graduated from Mayville State Teacher’s College in 1940 and taught business classes at McIntosh, Minnesota.
Grandpa was drafted into the Army in 1941. He attended radar school at Camp Crowder, Missouri and additional training in Florida. He then served in Gandar, Newfoundland, Canada in the Signal Corps. Gandar's airport was the largest on the planet in 1940 and played a crucial role in the ferrying of aircraft from North America to England during the Second World War. Canadian, American, and British troops all served at Gander, while more than 1,500 Newfoundland civilians found employment there.
Following that duty, he returned to Florida at Boca Raton. He was discharged from active service in 1945 with the rank of Tech Sgt.
From his time in Mayville, he met and then married Helen Claire Condit. After the war, he taught at North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton, and then joined the Condit family business, the Clark County Courier in Clark, SD. Bert died in 2001, and I held his hand while he died.
Jim Moritz, 1974
Next, we’ll talk about my dad, James B. Moritz. The way my dad tells it, rather than be drafted, he chose to enlist in the Air Force. It was the summer of 1969 and he went to basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas and then inventory management (supply) school at Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, Colorado. He was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota for about nine months. Then, for the next 2 1/2 years he was stationed at Bentwaters/Woodbridge RAF Base, Suffolk, England.
Most of the guys he went to basic with went to Vietnam. When he came home, he finished his education at SDSU, and soon afterward he too started working for the family business. He met and married my mom Jody, who had started her teaching career in Clark, SD and well... I was born on his 31st birthday in 1980. The family bought the Faulk County Record in 1977, and he was editor and chief for 38 years. Mom was his right hand for much of that time, but while I was in high school, she got her teaching certification back, and started teaching again at Faulkton High School.
Dad has retired now and he has Parkinson’s. He just had two emergency room visits last week. I’ve talked to him on the phone, but I can’t go see him because of COVID-19.
But by the time this goes out in the paper we’ll have reached the end of the isolation period I need to be able to go see him, so I will be doing so.
Now we get to the other strong man in my family who served. Grandpa Marvin Messer of Rapid City, SD, formerly of Washington state.
Marv Messer
Grandpa Marv was born June 19, 1922 near Yakima, Washington, and grew up poor. His father was a bootlegger and drank too much of the family’s money away. This was even worse because he grew up during the Great Depression. When I first started hunting he gave me a single shot bolt action .410 shotgun. He told me that it would teach me patience and trigger discipline because I would only have one shot, so I would have to make it count. He also told me, that I was never, ever to sell it. That I had to give it to my children.
“This gun kept me and my family alive during the Great Depression,” he said. “With it, I was able to put meat on the table when food was scarce.”
He shot those birds whether they were in season or not. He said he wasn’t proud of breaking the law to do it, but that he did what he had to put food on his family table, even though he was just a child.
When WWII broke out, he had a good job as a ship fitter at Bremerton, Wash. The USS Colorado was one of the ships being refitted there. He could have kept that job, and stayed at home and on land for the duration of the war, but instead enlisted in the Navy and served on the USS Colorado. He was a natural marksman, and good enough that he was assigned to an anti-aircraft battery.
He was at the Battle of Midway, and island hopping all over the Pacific on the USS Colorado. He knew, first-hand, what it was like to face down a Japanese kamikaze pilot, and what it was like to kill one. He got an E for Excellent rating for his marksmanship. He knew what it was like to have a kamikaze ram into the side of his ship too.
He described to me and my brother Paul what it was like to fight in the Pacific.
“We’d find an island where the Japanese were, pick off their planes and sink their ships,” he said. “Then the Marines would give us a target on the island, and we’d zero in our big guns, shell the living hell out of the target.”
This brings us to the atomic bomb. Grandpa Marv said that he hated it, that the A-bomb was an evil thing. The most horrible weapon man has ever known. But though he hated it, he said it saved his life.
“The Japanese wouldn’t quit; it wasn’t in their nature. Look at their history, they don’t give up, they would never have given up, it’s just their culture. The war would have gone on for years and it probably would have killed me. We were always right in the middle of it, and it was only a matter of time before a bullet, torpedo, a shell or a plane got us and our ship. It’s just what would have happened. So as much as I hate the A-Bomb, it saved my life and you wouldn’t exist without it.”
His ship was moored right beside the USS Missouri as the ceasefire was signed and he watched it from the deck.
Afterwards he and his crewmates were given shore leave in Tokyo. Before then, the “Japs” had been the enemy and he hated them. But when he saw Tokyo with his own eyes, saw the destruction and poor living conditions of the women and children of that city, he felt something different. He felt pity, and realized that these people weren’t the “enemy” anymore.
With the war over, he came home. He went to work at Hanford Atomic Energy site near Richland, Wash., where he met and married my grandmother, Blanche Floden. He went to work as a police officer during the day and attended night school to get his barber’s license. He came with his wife back to her home state of South Dakota, settled in Rapid City, and opened a barbershop in a downtown building. He and his wife Blanche had only one daughter, my mom Jody. When his two grandsons were born, he was probably the happiest man alive, and he made it a point to spend as much time with us as he could, spoiling us rotten.
And though the war was horrible, he truly did find it in his heart to forgive his “enemy”. He bought a Japanese Nintendo to play with his two grandsons, he and grandma bought a Toyota Prius, which he said was a real modern marvel of engineering and technology, and said he was proud that Japan had changed from one of our greatest foes, to one of our strongest allies, and became a great modern society. He died in 2017 at age 93.
Marv is also the one you should thank for bringing me to Garretson for the first time. Always the outdoorsman, he and Grandma saw a KELO News report about Split Rock Park and the Jesse James Pontoon. He’ d just bought a new Dodge RAM pickup (which I still own) and camper, and he scooped up his grandsons for big summer adventures several years in a row. We traveled all across the West. The first stop was right here in Garretson at Split Rock Park.
The three men whom I’ve described were all and still are patriots. Dad took me to each Veterans Day and Memorial Day program as I was growing up. If I wasn’t there with him, I went with Bert in Clark or Marv and Blanche in Rapid. I was the little boy chasing after shell casings in the cemetery grass after taps was played and everyone was heading home.
I was and still am proud of my dad and my grandfathers. They served, and because they’ve served I’ve been able to live my life and raise my own children in peace and safety.
When I read the preamble of the Legion Constitution, I believe it... every word. I don’t have to quote it to a Legion or Auxiliary member, but I will put it here for all to see.
FOR GOD AND COUNTRY WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES TOGETHER FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:
To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America;
To maintain law and order;
To foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism;
To preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in all wars;
To inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation;
To combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses;
To make right the master of might;
To promote peace and goodwill on earth;
To safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy;
To consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.
If you had any questions as to why I, and by extension this newspaper, supports the American Legion in everything it does in our community, now you know why. Its principals are everything I believe in. Truth, Justice and the American way. Yes, it’s Superman’s slogan, but it’s mine, too. Superman could save the city, but he believed, as do I that the most important work he did was for the Daily Planet.
The year 2020 has been utterly horrible. It’s been horrible for many reasons and in many ways. But I still believe. I will always believe. I will live, work, and believe in America, and I will never stop fighting to make it better than before.
I would rather have given this talk in person (it would have been shorter certainly). I would rather have attended the program. I’ve missed pancakes on Sundays, and the warm hello from my friends and neighbors at the dugout. But for the safety of my neighbors and community, I’m glad I’m not doing that.
Things may look bleak. You might be sick of hearing about COVID-19. You might be upset about how the election went. You might be afraid of a whole world of troubles that have come to us this year. But don’t be. Our mothers and fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers have seen it all before. From war, famine and disease, they got through it with hard work and perseverance. They got through it with grit and grace. So too, will we all. They say times are tough, but times are always tough in every age of mankind. It’s how we meet the challenges we face that matters. I see courage and tenacity in the face of evil, an example America has learned from its Veterans.
Our Veterans built America, a land where the people rule themselves in freedom, peace and safety. They bought us the chance to make all the world a better place for all people, regardless of race, creed or religion. That foundation is strong, even when tested by all the world can throw at it. We will continue to build on it, until one day, that bright future dawns when there is peace and brotherhood across the whole circle of the world. And we will know who to thank, because it will be our veterans who built it.
On Monday, the Garretson City Council passed a resolution to encourage mask-wearing in public. As COVID-19 case numbers continue hitting record highs in Minnehaha County with no signs of slowing, the city joins a coalition of other South Dakota towns and organizations that support the #MASKUPSODAK campaign, which was initiated on October 27.
In short, the Council is asking the community to work together to help slow or stop the spread.
“I work with it every day,” said Mayor Greg Beaner to the Gazette last week. He noted that he’s going to wear a mask. “Things have gotten worse over the past few weeks.”
In the resolution, the council asks all members of the community to “take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously and comply with public health protocols,” and continues, saying, “this is a time to act collaboratively on behalf of others, as it is the nature of a pandemic that only collective action that reaches high rates of compliance will ensure protection to the whole community and reduce this most serious risk to the health of individuals.”
Mayor Beaner noted in the interview that a mask mandate would be difficult to enact in Garretson, partly because of the wide range of businesses and facilities in town, and mostly because the mandate is not state- or county-wide. Governor Kristi Noem has refused to issue a mask mandate, as has Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken.
Mayor TenHaken and Governor Noem continue to ask citizens to utilize common sense and personal responsibility, with TenHaken pointing out that the #MASKUPSODAK campaign did not request a mandate, even as hospital staff and administrators implore that something be done. Governor Noem continues to attend gatherings and group events unmasked, including a 3M plant opening in Aberdeen geared toward making masks for healthcare staff last week.
At the city council meeting, the council said a mandate would be incredibly difficult to enforce. However, they acknowledged that something needed to be done to help reduce case rates in the area. With that, they voted unanimously to pass the resolution, asking community members to step up to the cause.
Numbers in Garretson proper continue to be hard to pinpoint, but the rising amount of cases are impacting several local people and businesses. At the school board meeting on Monday, Superintendent Guy Johnson gave an update on cases within the school.
As of Monday, November 9, he said, there were 35 total students out due to positive cases or close contact procedures. Of those, four students and 1 staff member were currently COVID positive, and one staff member was awaiting a COVID test.
“The school has been able to cope in these trying times,” Supt. Johnson said in the meeting. Unlike Flandreau and Baltic, which have recently done 1-2 weeks of distance learning due to a lack of staff, Garretson has been able to maintain a low staff positivity rate. Supt. Johnson has said in the past that the enforcement of a mask mandate since the beginning of the school year has no doubt helped those numbers stay low.
At Palisades Healthcare, the Gazette noted last week that official counts were hard to glean; however, after further research, it was discovered via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that for October 12-25, there were 18 total cases in residents, four deaths, and three confirmed cases in staff. Until that time, the facility only had one positive COVID-19 case in a resident and three total in staff ranks throughout the pandemic.
For Minnehaha County as a whole, active cases have continued on an exponential trajectory, increasing over 5x the amount at the beginning of October. As of Tuesday, November 10, the county had 4,058 active cases. The state had 16,595 active cases. The state has also lost 115 people in the first 10 days of November, already more than half the people who died in October.
Public health officials are asking people to re-consider Thanksgiving and holiday plans, as hospitals are beginning to be overwhelmed in many areas.
In Sioux Falls, Avera McKennan reported 108 hospitalizations, and Sanford had 131 on Tuesday. Sanford has begun utilizing surge capacity measures such as re-scheduling elective surgeries and procedures, which reduces quality of life care for many.
In order to accomplish a reduction in case rates, utilizing all of the measures suggested by health officials are needed. These not only include washing hands and social distancing, but also wearing masks anytime out of the home, not gathering in large groups indoors or in areas without high-quality ventilation, and staying home if you don’t feel well.
Public health officials encourage everyone to exercise caution and act as though you could spread it to others, and protect your community.
The full resolution passed by the Garretson City Council reads as follows:
RESOLUTION 2020-32: A RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE WEARING OF MASKS IN GARRETSON
WHEREAS, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that COVID-19 is easily spread through the air from person to person who are in close contact with one another; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a severe respiratory disease which especially among older adults and persons with serious underlying health conditions, can result in serious illness requiring hospitalization, admission to an intensive care unit, and death; and
WHEREAS, The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services have declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, According to South Dakota Department of Health data, the number of active cases, hospitalizations and deaths are increasing across the State and wider region, resulting in over 13,000 current cases, over 400 hospitalizations, and over 400 deaths in the State; and
WHEREAS, Increased cases and hospitalizations place a greater burden on health care facilities and health care workers, and is taking a toll on individuals, families, and workplaces; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Governing Body of the City of Garretson that:
All persons who live, work, study, shop, or play in Garretson are encouraged to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously and comply with public health protocols.
The Mayor & City Council endorses the MASKUPSODAK campaign, which is an affiliation of organizations in the State (which includes the South Dakota State Medical Association, South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and Sanford Health) that has joined to recommend and promote the wearing of a mask.
The Mayor & City Council declare that this is a time to act collaboratively on behalf of others, as it is the nature of a pandemic that only collective action that reaches high rates of compliance will ensure protection to the whole community and reduce this most serious risk to the health of individuals.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution reflects a concern for the health, safety, and welfare of the City and shall become effective upon passage and remain in effect until repealed.
Dated at Garretson, South Dakota this 9th day of November, 2020.
THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF GARRETSON, SOUTH DAKOTA
2021 Jesse James 4-H officers: James Nussbaum, Allison Ebbing, Evan Bly, Front - Ty VanHolland.
The October meeting of the Jesse James 4-H Club was held on October 18th at Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson. President Jenna VanHolland called the meeting to order and Anna Ebbing led the flag pledges. Jenna welcomed visitors to the meeting - there were 8 members and 6 visitors present.
Secretary Allison Ebbing took roll call by responding to “What you wish your first name could be?” and read the September meeting minutes. A motion was made by James Nussbaum and seconded by Evan Bly to approve the minutes.
The treasurer’s report was given by Jenna and outstanding bills were presented for payment.
Committee Reports and Correspondence:
-Evan, with the help of Lisa Danforth, reported on National 4-H Week sharing how Evan visited with the 3rd-5th grade classes, presented the powerpoint and answered student questions about 4-H. Many of the club members wore their 4-H shirts during the week to promote 4-H.
-James reported on the Proclamation of National 4-H Week signed by Garretson’s Mayor during National 4-H Week and handed out copies for members to include in their record books.
Old/Unfinished Business:
-Leader Paula Nussbaum reported that 5 members handed in record books and all received purples
-Angela VanHolland gave a brief update on the park bench project with the other local 4-H Clubs; the topic was tabled until further information about the availability of the park benches could be determined.
-Ty VanHolland reported on the Light the Park project and a motion was made by James and seconded by Cooper to move forward with purchasing a campsite to decorate for this year’s event.
-Due to many reasons, it was decided by club members to not participate in any of the local Halloween haunted houses this year.
New Business:
-Visitors and potential new members were introduced and will meet with Paula after the meeting for more information.
-Election of officers for the 2020-2021 year was next and the following were elected: Vice President-Allison Ebbing, Secretary-Ty VanHolland, and Treasurer-James Nussbaum. Evan Bly moved from Vice President to President.
-New club goals were discussed and will be 1) the club will have a project meeting, 2) each family will sell $250 of product for county fruit sales, and 3) the club will complete a monthly service project.
-With Meals on Wheels being back in Garretson, the club discussed making cards or writing letters to meal recipients as an upcoming service project option. The VanHolland family will get more information and report at the next meeting.
Jr. Leaders Report:
-Evan reported on the upcoming Jr. Leader’s meeting which is to be held on October 25th at 1:30pm at the Corn Maze in Harrisburg or at the Extension Office in case of poor weather conditions.
Leaders Meeting Announcements:
-The 2021 Moody County Fair is scheduled for July 26th-31st.
-Online registration will start after November 2nd due to an update to 4-H Online.
The next club meeting will be November 8th at 1pm with the VanHolland family hosting. After the meeting, members will decorate the Light the Park campsite and members are to bring Christmas decorations to display.
Jenna VanHolland motioned to adjourn the meeting and Logan Bly seconded the motion.
Jenna gave a brief demonstration on how to make a decorative pumpkin craft.
Respectfully submitted by Secretary Ty VanHolland
Jesse James 4-H Club November Minutes
The November meeting of the Jesse James 4-H Club was held on November 8th at Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson. President Evan Bly called the meeting to order and Cooper Danforth led the flag pledges. There were 8 members present.
Secretary Ty VanHolland took roll call by responding to “What’s you favorite Halloween candy?” and read the October meeting minutes. A motion was made by Cooper and seconded by Jenna VanHolland to approve the minutes.
The treasurer’s report was given by James Nussbaum. There were no outstanding bills.
Committee Reports and Correspondence:
Angela VanHolland reported that the Grow Garretson park benches had all been purchased so the local 4-H clubs would not be able to purchase one as hoped; however, the club may consider other opportunities in the future.
Old/Unfinished Business:
Members signed Thanksgiving cards that will be given to the the local Meals-on-Wheels recipients the week of Thanksgiving.
The club will decorate a campsite at Split Rock Park today for the Light the Park event that will start November 26th through Jan 3rd.
A picture was taken of the 2020-21 officers.
New Business:
Club members discussed whether or not to pay club dues this year, and James made a motion and Evan seconded it to for-go dues for the 2020-21 year.
Instead, member will donate a pair of mittens and a stocking hat to the “Share the Warmth” project in Moody County. The mittens and hats need to be collected by Dec. 4th and James and Evan will deliver them to the Extension Office by Dec. 9th.
Members were reminded that the new 4-H Online website was open and that each member needed to re-enroll for the new 4-H year.
Angela Bly reported on the local Angel Tree gift donation. Allison made a motion and Ty seconded it to sponsor a local family of 3-4 this year. The Bly family will get further information about the family so that the club can make plans for purchasing gifts or gift cards.
James plans to write and deliver a letter of thanks on behalf of the 4-H club for Veteran’s Day.
Allison Ebbing made a motion and Ty seconded it to purchase puzzles, coloring books and play dough for Palisades Nursing Home Residents to help replenish their supply room. The Danforth family volunteered to get these items and deliver them to the Treasure Chest drop box.
Jr. Leaders Report:
Evan and James reported on the last Jr. Leader’s meeting where the kids discussed the group’s projects for the coming year. The next meeting is November 22nd at 4pm at the Extension Office in Flandreau.
Leaders Meeting Announcements:
The 2021 Moody County Fair is scheduled for July 26th-31st.
Livestock exhibitors were reminded to register online for the YQCA training either in Lake County on November 25th or in Moody County on February 12th.
The next club meeting will in January 2021 with a date and time to be determined. The Ebbing family will host. After the meeting, members decorated the Light the Park campsite.
Jenna VanHolland motioned to adjourn the meeting and Anna Ebbing seconded the motion.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the gunshots fell silent and WWI had ended. On this day the American people celebrated Armistice Day, now it is known as Veteran’s Day. On this day, we celebrate the brave men and women who fearlessly and faithfully fought to defend our precious liberties and freedoms.
This week, Garretson High School had the opportunity to talk to Technical Sergeant (TSgt) Jordan Snyder, Sergeant First Class (SFC) Steve Davis, and Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Cameron Bryant. They talked about their experiences in the military and the many things they’ve learned by enlisting.
When asked what are the most meaningful moments for them as an active military member, all three agreed upon friendships and service.
“The most meaningful moments are the serving and helping others. Whether it be with sandbags or overseas. I think it is such a unique opportunity to protect our country.” Said TSgt Snyder.
“Some of the most important people in my life are people I’ve met in my career, who I’ve built relationships with.” Stated SFC Davis.
As of right now 1.3 million Americans are enlisted in the US military, including GHS seniors Trevon Cross and Sam Konechne. Cross is enlisted in the Air National Guard and Konechne with the Army National Guard.
Cross wanted to join the Air Force because his cousin joined, he plans on attending basic training this summer. Konechne learned of all the benefits the army had to offer and that persuaded his decision. He went to basic training last summer and plans to head back again this summer to learn how to be a chef.
“The meaning of Veterans Day to me is honoring all those who have given their lives serving as well as those active right now,” explained Cross.
“Veterans Day is respecting the fallen soldiers that have fought for our freedom. And the many sacrifices they have given in order for us to live the way we live today,” said Konechne.
SFC Davis gave his input on Veterans Day, “November 11 is recognition for everybody that has served and been away from their families. A day to appreciate those who have done that in the past, still doing it right now. And for us as service members, I like to think of the people who’ve had it a lot harder than us. Individuals that have served before us. And appreciation for all the stuff we love in our daily life, because of the sacrifices of other people.”
SSgt Bryant added, “We are still living to honor them.”
Traditionally, Mr. Bennett puts together a Veteran’s Day program for the community to remember those who have sacrificed their lives for our country. GHS students volunteer to read passages from the Presidential Proclamation-Veterans Day to the Pledge of Allegiance. But with COVID-19, that was not possible.
Even without an assembly, Veterans Day is a day to remember and a day to honor those brave men and women who fought for their country.
The Garretson volleyball team (18-4) entered post-season play with high hopes and sights set on finishing the job left open from last year, but first they needed to get past rival Baltic (15-6), who had been having a memorable season of their own.
Logan Bly
Baltic (#3 seed) took down the Dell Rapids Quarriers (#6 seed) in five sets earlier in the week and were hoping to keep that momentum as they entered the Dragons' Lair last Thursday. Winner of this match would advance to the SoDak16.
Despite being on their home court, Garretson struggled to find momentum, quickly finding themselves down 0-7 through a combination of serve-receive and attack errors. The Blue Dragons continued to pick at the deficit, eventually tying the game at 15, but the momentum was difficult to keep.
After starting in such a big hole, Garretson felt like they were a half step behind the whole match. Baltic once again extended their lead to 21-19, prompting Coach Northrup of the Blue Dragons to call a time out. Garretson quickly refocused and knotted the game at 22 apiece.
But Baltic once again took the momentum going up 22-24 and Coach Northrup used his second and final timeout of the match. Garretson secured the next point putting the game at 23-24 but couldn't pick up the tip from the Bulldog offense and dropped the first set 23-25.
While it stunned the home crowd, the Blue Dragons were not dismayed and came out with a fire in the second set. Garretson took an early 6-4 lead and then pushed it to 15-11 midway through the match. Garretson was able to keep their set dominance to the end, winning 25-16, evening the game at 1 set each.
With momentum on Garretson's side, the Blue Dragons came out screaming, jumping to an early 5-2 lead and kept that for the majority of the set, pausing at 18-15, but not being able to really spread the game by more than three points. The Bulldogs unleashed for the next three points, tying the game at 18. Then Baltic cruised for three of the next four points.
Coach Northrup called for a timeout to refocus the Garretson Netters but Baltic put their game plan into practice and grabbed the next two, extending their lead 23-19. After another timeout by Coach Northrup, Garretson earned the next two points but the Bulldogs retaliated with two of their own, getting them to the 25-point threshold.
Madden Lardy
The fourth set was a win-or-go home for the #2 seed, and the tight back and forth competition continued. The game was tied at 4s and then again at 9s. Garretson took a slight lead at 15-12 and then pushed it to a four-point spread at 22-18. Baltic called an effective timeout, rallying for the next three points where Northrup responded with a timeout of his own. Garretson was able to close out the close set with a 25-21 victory, pushing the game to a decisive fifth set.
Both teams had tensions and emotions running high and that was mirrored in the stands. Only going to 15 in the last set, Garretson knew they needed to come out strong but after a quality serve receive pass and good attack, they failed to get into the right position on defense and Baltic took advantage. It was enough to rattle the Blue Dragons as they couldn't stop the serve, falling behind 0-5. In a race to 15, that was a huge deficit to overcome.
But much like the first set, Garretson picked at the lead and went on a 4-1 run of their own. However, mirroring the first set, it was difficult to keep the momentum as Baltic continued to push a two or three point lead and Garretson worked to close the gap.
In the final points, the Bulldogs exposed a gap in the Blue Dragon defense when trying to defend out of the middle. Garretson wasn't quick enough to make the adjustment and Baltic finished out the game 15-10, qualifying for the SoDak16 on Tuesday, November 10.
Garretson put down 52 kills on the night, paced by Lily Ranschau (17), Kennedy Buckneberg (12) Logan Bly (7), and Mattea Fiegen (7). Peyton Hove (25) and Jaelyn Benson (23) put up the majority of the 52 assists. The Blue Dragons combined for 117 digs in the five-set match: Lauren Heesch (26), Buckneberg (25), Benson (21), and Ranschau (16) led the defensive effort.
Peyton Hove
Although it was a disappointing loss and the Blue Dragons were unable to achieve their goal of SoDak16 redemption, that does not take away from the great successes they had in their 2020 campaign.
The Blue Dragons ended their season 18-5, the best record the team has had in over a decade. Garretson also clinched a share of the Big East Conference title, going 7-1 in conference play (same as Chester and Parker). They also earned 2nd place in the Big East Conference tournament.
Garretson was led by a solid group of six seniors: Kennedy Buckneberg, Mattea Fiegen, Lauren Heesch, Peyton Hove, Madden Lardy, Lizzie Olson. These ladies have been integral in the turnaround success of the Blue Dragon volleyball program and we wish them best of luck.
We honor our Veterans for their service today and every day. Editor Garrick Moritz writes about why the Gazette so highly supports Garretson's Henry G Fix Post #23, and the GHS Blue Ink's Peyton Hove interviews currently enlisted service members. The Garretson City Council passed a Mask-wearing Resolution on Monday, encouraging all people to work in community to protect one another as COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to rise. In a heartbreaking end to the strong volleyball season, Garretson lost to Baltic in 5 sets last Thursday, plus more!
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This story is reprinted with permission from the Minnehaha County Economic Development Association.
There’s a lot of history in Garretson, and Norm deWit is doing his part to preserve part of it for future residents.
DeWit, who is a longtime resident just outside the Minnehaha County community along Split Rock Creek, helps Garretson with economic development.
His most recent endeavor is an early 1900s quartzite building in downtown Garretson, which most recently housed the senior citizens center and Jesse James Art Players.
An interior shot of the new apartments being built on Main Ave. & 3rd. Photo provided courtesy of SiouxFalls.Business and MCEDA/LCEDA
The building had some roof issues, old windows and uneven floors. The two stories will contain seven loft-style apartments, and a building next to it will hold four additional apartments above a heated indoor parking area.
“If you lose these old buildings, the town has no historical character anymore,” deWit said. “So we took on the challenge, and it’s going pretty well so far.”
DeWit, a mechanical engineer by trade, has worked on several projects like this in downtown Sioux Falls. For this one, he teamed with a carpenter, Ryan Rozeboom, who he knew was looking for a project.
A couple of ways they’re keeping the character of the original building are to leave some exposed quartzite walls in the kitchen and living room areas, along with leaving ceiling trusses exposed. A couple of apartments have 18-foot ceilings and will have mezzanines with wood staircases, deWit said. Four apartments sit on the upper floor; the main floor has three apartments along with storage spaces.
Despite attempts by nursing homes and care facilities to reduce spread, COVID cases among residents and staff have been rising after a steady decrease had been maintained. After reaching a low of 5,920 cases among U.S. nursing homes in mid-September, by October 18, that had risen to 7,563 cases.
Dr. David Grabowski, professor of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School recently stated, “The strongest predictor of whether or not we’ll see cases in [a particular setting] is community spread.”
Cases in South Dakota have been on an exponential rise since the middle of August, with October being the worst month since the pandemic had begun. While specific case numbers for Garretson cannot be verified, community spread is substantial within Minnehaha County, which saw its active case rate quintuple since the beginning of October, from 660 active cases on October 1 to 3,659 active cases on October 31.
Increases in local community spread have impacted Palisades Healthcare. (file photo)
This community spread has impacted nursing homes around the state and in Garretson. Palisades Healthcare had its first confirmed death due to COVID-19 last week. Though there have been four total deaths among Palisades Healthcare residents in the past three weeks, the Gazette has been unable to glean whether those deaths were from COVID. It has been difficult to learn the active case numbers within the local nursing home as requests by the Gazette to Palisades Healthcare for comment have gone unanswered, and the State of South Dakota has not been releasing information by ZIP code. Using data from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ProPublica listed 4 COVID-19 cases at Palisades Health Care since May 8.
EmpRes, the parent company of Palisades Healthcare, states on its website that it has been working hard to mitigate spread within its facilities. Per the site, they screen employees at every shift, have limited outside contact from family, friends, and volunteers and have limited group activities, use testing as available, and have staff wear personal protective equipment and engage in proper health hygiene. To avoid loneliness, they state they have implemented the use of video calls and window visits.
Across the state, it has been those age 80 and above who have been most terminally impacted by COVID. As of Tuesday, 243 South Dakotans in that age group had died due to the virus. While that age group has seen the second-fewest number of cases (after age 0-9), it has the lowest rate of recovery. The number of nursing home residents within that age cohort has not been released by the SD Dept of Health, but over 50 South Dakota nursing homes have experienced at least one case of COVID, according to ProPublica. Total deaths among nursing home residents have higher than normal since the beginning of the pandemic, with some of those losses attributed to loneliness and isolation between residents as well as the virus.
The virus spreads rapidly among close-knit communities and workplaces, which places nursing homes at high risk.
“Recent data released by Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) show that with the recent spike in new COVID cases in the general U.S. population, weekly nursing home cases are also on the rise,” stated a press release by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. “According to Johns Hopkins University, weekly new COVID cases in the general U.S. population rose by 61 percent to 391,527 new cases the week of October 18. A correlating uptick in new cases in nursing homes occurred when cases in the surrounding community started rising back in mid-September.”
Data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services show that as of October 18, cases in the Midwest region accounted for 43% of all nursing home COVID cases and was on the rise.
“As we feared, the sheer volume of rising cases in communities across the U.S., combined with the asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread of this virus, has unfortunately led to an increase in new COVID cases in nursing homes,” stated Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “It is incredibly frustrating as we had made tremendous progress to reduce COVID rates in nursing homes after the spike this summer in Sun Belt states. If everybody would wear a mask and social distance to reduce the level of COVID in the community, we know we would dramatically reduce these rates in long term care facilities.”
