Youth sports and outdoor activities are in short supply because of this Pandemic. For the last ten weeks local youths from the Garretson area have been working on their marksmanship at the Garretson Gun Club’s indoor range.
The Garretson Youth .22 Rifle League: From left to right: Jacoby Costello, Mason Tillma, Jacob Sundstrom, Chase Costello, Krayton Schmidt, Jakob Gnadt, Zach Uhl, Cade Uhlich, Martin Welch, Taesyn Ames, Caitlin Marsh and (Reece Connelly not pictured.)
Garretson Gun Club President Steve Davis, Taesyn Ames, and rifle league coach/organizer Markell Gnadt.
12 and up 1st and 2nd place winners Cade Uhlich on right, Jakob Gnadt on left with organizer Markell Gnadt.
Under 12 winners Krytron Schmidt and Chase Costello with rifle league coach/organizer Markell Gnadt.
“This youth rifle program has been a lot of fun for us, especially for the kids and their families,” said Garretson Gun Club president Steve Davis. “The program was generously sponsored by John Garretson. With his sponsorship, the club purchased five brand new Savage .22 caliber bolt action target rifles. These rifles are excellent quality and very precise. Many of our students used their own family rifles every week, but the club’s rifles allowed students who didn’t have their own to participate. The rifle that we’re giving away, is the same model as we used for the league. I really like the sight picture and the trigger system on these especially. They’re very accurate, easy to use and extremely safe, so the best kind of rifle to train a young person to shoot with. We’re grateful for the generosity of Mr. Garretson, and very happy to have hosted this program for these young people.”
Markell Gnadt and Benjamin Uhlich served as the coaches and organizers for the program.
“It was a lot of fun for everybody on every day we came out to shoot together and we hope to continue the program in the future,” Gnadt said. “I want to thank Steve Davis and the Garretson Sportsmen's Club for the opportunity and the use of the club's rifles. Also, I want to thank John Garretson for the sponsorship and purchasing the rifle for the drawing at the end of the season.”
Taesyn Ames of Brandon was the lucky winner in question.
Mother, daughter jokesters plan post-COVID wig party
Jamie Hult, BV Journal staff writer
From toilet paper dodgeball to extravagant themed dinners, the coronavirus quarantine is inspiring many to combat boredom in innovative ways and deal with the lack of access to certain services we typically take for granted.
That’s how the idea for the wig party was born.
It started with the serendipitous arrival of a catalog in Marcia Gnadt’s mailbox in mid-March. Gnadt owns Family, Floors & Furniture in Brandon with her husband, Woody, and works alongside her daughter, Marissa Wollmann, an interior designer.
In addition to a certain air of theatricality and a sense of humor, Gnadt and Wollmann share a common need to look their best when they leave the house.
The wig catalog got Gnadt thinking: With so many salons shuttering during the quarantine, who would do her hair? So, she asked her daughter if she was worried.
“I came into work, and she was as serious as a judge. ‘What are you going to about your hair?’” Wollmann recalls. “She was ordering makeup and stockpiling a little, and I was like, ‘What?’”
Gnadt whipped out the wig catalog.
“I was serious,” Gnadt said with a laugh. “Because I’m from that generation. The late sixties. You had a wiglet or a wig.”
The pair already have a bit of a Facebook following with the live videos they occasionally post.
“Mom gives the advice, or will pick on me for the day,” Wollmann said, laughing. “One of the other favorites I have is the day she told me I was too fat. Then there was the day she told me my face looked like a European map. It was too dry, and I needed to moisturize it.”
So, the pair took their “dilemma” to their friends and family, paging through the wig catalog and throwing out possibilities.
“Right away, people were like, have Marcia match us with a wig,” Wollmann said. “Then someone said, ‘Hey, if we’re all going to have wigs, you’d better host a party afterwards, and we’ll all wear them.”
The mother and daughter posted a follow-up video in early April showing off their new wigs with their characteristic humor. Instead of the long, brunette locks Wollmann had agreed to ordering for herself, Gnadt ordered her daughter two grey granny wigs.
“The little stinker,” Wollmann said with a laugh. “She’s a jokester, so I kind of suspected she’d get something real cute for her and silly for me.”
“The truth is I just did it for fun,” Gnadt said, smiling. “The catalog just came, and I thought, ‘Oh, let’s have fun with this.’”
The wig party is happening, they say, though the date will depend on the coronavirus situation and, of course, making sure people have their wigs ready to wear.
“There are people who are buying wigs and getting ready for the wig party,” Wollmann said. “Yeah, it’s kind of fun, because women are going, ‘Hmm, I’m going to be something different.’”
COVID-19 has changed the operating environment for a number of organizations. Environmental trends emerge in unexpected ways and prompt service utilization to change. The County is seeing public safety needs shift in recent weeks. Measures have been taken to reduce at-risk inmates and keep staff and inmates safe in anticipation of COVID-19 community spread.
Overall the total number of people in county jail has dropped. This is in large part to collaboration between the Sheriff, State’s Attorney, Sioux Falls Police Chief, and the Second Judicial Circuit working toward alternative arrangements for bond schedules. While jail numbers are lower, that does not mean the work load has been reduced. In certain circumstances, workloads have increased.
One of the trends impacting utilization of county resources is an increased number of domestic disturbance calls. As residents continue to socially distance themselves to slow the spread of COVID-19, they are staying home more, which has reduced the occurrence of certain types of crime. While staying home allows for additional family time, which is positive for many people, it also can exacerbate issues when families do not get along. This impacts law enforcement and 9-1-1 utilization.
A trend the Second Judicial Circuit of South Dakota has reported is an increase in the number of individuals not showing up for scheduled court appearances. Not appearing for trial is a violation of state law and can result in penalties for individuals. It also has an impact of pushing court dates further out into the future.
Jury trials are currently not taking place. When the time arrives for jury trials to start up again, there will be a backlog of trials that will require juries if plea deals are not reached earlier in the process. Court schedules becomes further impacted with an increased caseload when no-shows happen for court appearances now.
Enhanced technology use for 24/7 Sobriety allows remote tests to be conducted securely. If these arrangements were not made, individuals would be required to show up to the County campus twice a day to take a portable breath test. Urine analysis has transitioned to remotely monitored drug patches. Individuals come in once every one to two weeks to get patches switched.
While this article contains a partial list of trends and changes that have been adopted, it is important for citizens to know the public is being kept safe and stakeholders continue to innovate.
On Friday, May 15, Blue Dragon Academy held a "Honk 'N Wave" for their Class of 2020 graduates, both staff and preschoolers. Cars passed for the full half hour, including the Garretson Volunteer Fire Department trucks. The graduates were delighted, waving enthusiastically at all passersby.
Editor’s note: Flandreau just had their graduation last week, complete with social distancing on a cold, wet and rainy day. Mr. Jeremy Haugen, former teacher in Flandreau, now a Lego Robotics Guru and a longtime personal friend and former classmate of mine, wrote this letter addressed to the graduating class of 2020. I enjoyed reading it and felt that my readers and our class of 2020 would find it meaningful as well.
I doubt that I’m the graduation speaker that you had planned. I’m certainly no Oprah Winfrey or Barack Obama, Jimmy Fallon or John Legend… or any of the dozen other celebrities who are giving virtual commencement speeches for classes all across this country and world. But I’m here, in South Dakota. I’m going to try my best to share with you some insights I have gained, and once again help a group of excellent kids prepare themselves for life.
So many of the lessons that you learn in school take on additional meaning when you look back at them from middle age. Early on, I know that you have learned nursery rhymes… on face value, rhyming is an important skill early on in reading. However, just like any poem, these rhymes have meanings beyond what you were prepared to understand as a 6-year-old. Over the years, many people have interpreted Row, Row, Row Your Boat… you can even find these interpretations online. I’m going to give it a shot right now…knowing that the meaning I derive is different from the meaning that others find. No one is wrong or right… each gets their own understanding based on their past experiences and present conditions.
First… let’s say it together. Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream
Row…. Rowing is an action. You need to be active in your life. This is easy for some… hard for others. Row! But not just once, you need to keep at it. You won’t start out as a strong rower… your early attempts will push you off course. That is fine! As you develop, you will get stronger… you will get better.
A question? Whose boat is it? Well, it is your boat… it is yours. You are the captain. You are in charge of your life … you cannot let others captain for you. It isn’t their boat and they have their own boat. Certainly, things will happen to you, course changes… corrections. You are in charge.
Boat… so what kind of boat are we talking about here? It is a rowboat! It is not a speed boat or a yacht where we have motors to push us. It is not a canoe or kayak, designed by natives in a way that makes sense… where you are facing forward. We are rowing, not paddling after all. No… this is a rowboat and to go forward you need to look backward! That in itself is a lesson… there are choices in life, but sometimes you don’t get to pick. You just must deal with what you are given and make the best of it.
Do you know how to navigate with a rowboat? You really do stay on course by looking backward. You need to fix a point on the shore, and row away from that. You get to pick what that landmark is… it will keep you centered. It will keep you on your path. Eventually, you will travel far enough that you will need to set another fixed point. Such is life but choose your points carefully so that that you know what it is you who are moving… and not your landmark!
Ah… next. Gently down the stream. It is a reminder that the stream will move you. You can’t help that, but also you need to move with the stream. The stream is the societal pressures, the bad choices of others… they will affect you! You need to react gently to these things. Panicked rowing will not get you where you want to go any more than giving up and letting the stream take you. Gentle consistency is the key to handling those pressures. The merrilies… a reminder that there is joy in life. In little things… in big things… happiness will come. It is our own attitudes that allow us to find and celebrate those joys. If you aren’t merry, then you will struggle to find the joys… even if they are right in front of you. Your attitude is one thing that you have complete control over.
Finally, Life is but a dream. No… life isn’t like The Matrix or Inception. This isn’t the key that reveals that we live in some simulation of a universe or the Illuminati are in control of everything. It does, however, remind us that life is a fleeting and fragile thing. If you are religious like I am, then it also reminds you that there are rewards in the life after this one… and that brings its own peace.
Just 13 different words… words you learned more than 12 years ago. So simple… yet with such depth. I hope that you will take some time to examine those things that you already know for deeper meanings.
Class of 2020, I wish you love, love, and life as you go on to row your own boat. May I suggest that you fix your sights on your family, the values, and the love that your parents instilled in you. Let them be that landmark on which you can count on as you begin life’s journey.
The 2020 South Dakota FFA Convention was held May 12-14 using a virtual delivery and format. With the theme, “The Time is Now,” the hard work of all the chapters of SD FFA was recognized.
On Thursday, May 14, the National Chapter Awards were announced. According to a press release, “The National Chapter Award is the highest honor an FFA chapter can receive, and recognizes chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the FFA. Top chapters were recognized at 92nd SD FFA Convention, for their outstanding accomplishments. Chapters recognized have developed an active Program of Activities and conducted meaningful events. For the overall state award, a chapter must complete at least 15 activities: one for each of the five quality standards in each of the three divisions - Growing Leaders, Building Communities, and Strengthening Agriculture, and meet the minimum requirements outlined in the National Quality FFA Chapter Standards.”
Garretson FFA took 1st place in “Building Communities,” which involve activities that encourage members to become active in the community. They placed 2nd with regards to Growing Leaders and 3rd in the Strengthening Agriculture area. Garretson FFA placed 2nd in the Overall National Chapter Award, with McCook County FFA placing 1st.
Kennedy Houghton (submitted photo)
For excellence in developing career-specific skills through their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Proficiency projects, Kennedy Houghton placed 1st in Dairy Production – Placement, Jacob Schmidt placed 2nd in Beef Production – Placement, and Evan Bly placed 3rd in Grain Production (Entrepreneurship/Placement).
During the convention, A Virtual Career Carnival featured videos from industry exhibitors, and Virtual Workshops occurred throughout the week for FFA members to interact live with ag industry representatives.
Other recognitions of the Garretson Chapter included Jacob Schmidt, Tessa Pederson, and Kaci Danforth receiving their State FFA Degree. The State FFA Degree is the highest degree of membership conferred by the South Dakota FFA Association. The requirements for this degree include having earned and productively invested at least $1,000, or worked at least 300 hours in excess of scheduled class time, or a combination thereof, in a Supervised Agricultural Experience program; demonstrated leadership ability by performing ten procedures of Parliamentary Law, giving a six-minute speech on an agriculture or FFA-related topic and serving as an officer, committee chairperson or participating member of a chapter committee; and, have completed at least 25 hours of community service.
Five FFA members will be graduating this year: Tessa Pederson, Jacob Schmidt, Kaci Danforth, Kylie Uhl, and Hayden Stoterau.
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 579, 678 student members as part of 7,570 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. As part of the National FFA Organization, the South Dakota FFA Association encompasses over 91 FFA chapters with over 4,400 South Dakota FFA members. FFA strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. To discover more about the South Dakota FFA Association or the South Dakota FFA Foundation, visit them both at sdaged.org or on Facebook and Instagram.
National Poppy Day is the Friday before Memorial Day, May 22, 2020. The American Legion Family recognizes the importance of honoring the fallen and supporting the living who have worn our nation’s uniform. That is why The American Legion Family called upon Congress to designate the Friday before Memorial Day as National Poppy Day.
After World War I, the poppy flourished in Europe and quickly became a symbol of the sacrifices made by Americans and allied servicemembers around the world. Soldiers returning from WWI brought home the flowers in memory of the barren landscape transformed by the sudden growth of wild red poppies among the newly dug graves — unforgettably described in a memorial poem by Canadian Lt. Col. John McCrae:
If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders Fields. National Poppy Day broadens a tradition that dates back to the American Legion Auxiliary’s first National Convention in the early 1920s when the red poppy was adopted as The American Legion Family’s memorial flower. Today, it remains an iconic symbol of honor for the sacrifice of our veterans. ALA members distribute millions of poppies annually across the country in exchange for donations that go directly to assist disabled and hospitalized veterans in our communities.
Poppy Days have become a familiar tradition in almost every American community. This distribution of the bright red memorial flower to the public is one of the oldest and most widely recognized programs of the American Legion Auxiliary. Please take note of our displays at your local businesses. We appreciate your donations.
By Parker Schlenker, Garretson High School Yearbook Staff
For 40 years Julie Hersom has roamed the halls of Garretson and brightened the days of those around her.
Mrs. Hersom originally started teaching fourth graders in Irene, SD and then came to Garretson where she went on to be a teacher's aide in the recourse room for one year and then later went on to teach first grade for 39 years. When asked what some of the biggest changes she’s seen in her teaching career her first big thing was technology. Throughout her amazing 44 years of teaching Mrs. Hersom has seen chalkboards change to smart boards and old green and amber screen computers with floppy disks change to full color monitors with flash drives. She also stated that she’s seen changes in test score emphasis, higher expectations in students, and obviously the newer way of teaching with Covid-19.
With her years of teaching under her belt she holds plenty of advice and plenty of stories.
She states that the best advice she has received and can give is that “Children need to feel loved and safe in order to learn.”
Some of her best memories that she will miss are teaching VOWAC and hands on math, reading stories to her students, creating and helping students with art projects, and just seeing the kid’s faces light up when they begin to understand what they are learning.
Hersom plans to spend more time doing some of her favorite hobbies, take care of her new grandchild, and she also looks forward to coming back to Garretson to work part time as a substitute teacher.
Throughout the interview she also gave advice to her students and to other students throughout the district and that is to always be kind to anyone and everyone, always do your best work, and learn all you can even though learning never stops.
SIOUX FALLS – While Emergency Management Director Jason Gearman told Minnehaha County Commissioners on Tuesday, May 12, that things were “slowing down” for him in regard to the COVID-19 situation, he expects the next seven to 10 days will be critical in determining if things will stay slow or “heat up,” as businesses start to re-open in the county.
He warned that any “opening” has to be gradual, so as not to “wreck what we have already done” in dealing with the pandemic.
He did say that county offices were also starting to re-open to the public, but that the Minnehaha County Administration Building would stay closed until Tuesday, May 26, if all goes well.
Capt. Mike Walsh of the Minnehaha Sheriff's Department received recognition for his 25 years of service to the county's law enforcement efforts during the May 12 commission meeting. Walsh, who said he usually doesn't like to speak, wanted to make a point of thanking the people he has worked with who influenced his career over the past 25 years. (Photo by Dave Baumeister)
On Wednesday, May 6, during a special meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to amend their emergency resolution and increase limits for restaurants and bars, allowing them to operate at half their capacity, as long as a six-foot distance between parties could be observed.
Also, during the regular commission meeting, Chris Lilla and Monte Watembach, the Minnehaha County Equalization and Information Technologies Directors, respectively, talked to commissioners about the work of their departments.
Commissioner Jeff Barth, who was present via Zoom videoconferencing, expressed his thanks for the work from IT during a time when the county could not hold meetings without their help.
Along with Barth, Commissioner Gerald Beninga and Highway Superintendent DJ Buthe were also in “attendance” through the video link.
Buthe gave an update on the Maple/Park Street corridor being planned between Sioux Falls and Brandon.
He said that the initial design phase was just being competed, and they were starting to move to the final design phase.
Minnehaha County Highway Superintendent DJ Buthe, along with Commissioners Jeff Barth and Gerald Beninga, “attended” the Tuesday, May 12, commission meeting through a Zoom videoconference. Buthe explains how the Maple/Park St. corridor between Brandon and Sioux Falls is progressing to the next stage. (Photo by Dave Baumeister)
He also asked for and received commission approval to apply for a federal grant on the project.
Buthe explained that the grant would cover most of the costs, but to apply, local government entities had to put up some type of matching funds.
The entire project is budgeted at just over $1.2 million, and Minnehaha County and the cities of Sioux Falls and Brandon would be responsible for 20% of the final costs.
With the way the three groups have divided expenditures on the road, the total for each would be approximately $142,000 for the county, $56,400 for Sioux Falls, and $46,500 for Brandon. The grant would cover the remaining amount.
Since having to constantly refer to the project as the cumbersome “Maple/Park Street corridor,” Commissioner Dean Karsky jokingly suggested renaming it as “Buthe Boulevard.”
Mo’ money…
Although much of the time commissioners discuss how to spend money, at the meeting, they were informed they would be receiving $951,669.90 as an insurance settlement for the December 2018 fire to the Community Correctional Center.
The money was for the building destroyed (minus a $25,000 deductible), as well as the loss and interruption of business at the facility.
Commissioners voted 5-0 to transfer that money to the county building fund.
The next regular commission meeting will be next Tuesday, May 26, at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the county administration building at 6th and Minnesota Ave. in Sioux Falls.
These meetings are open to all, and public comment is usually encouraged, although for people wanting to attend, currently, the only way into the building is at the entrance on the west side of the building, and the number of people allowed into the main commission chamber at any one time is limited.
The return of the spring and summer season often means warm weather, the end of school, and clangs of balls hitting the bats. This year has been much quieter, and the lack of sports has contributed to that. Baseball has been no exception to this, as games have been canceled in the face of the pandemic.
Normally, baseball and softball are popular sports in Garretson. Teams start practicing in early March and often start playing games toward the end of the month. Many of Garretson’s teenaged players are often on more than one team.
Dylan Kindt pitching in 2019. Photo courtesy Angela Bly
The sport encompasses all ages, from t-ball to amateur leagues. Between the Blue Dragon Varsity sports team, the American Legion teams, VFW teams, the Garretson Blue Jays amateur team, separate teams for youth, and more, Tandberg Field and the Jaycee Sports Complex stay busy hosting games and practices throughout the summer and into the fall.
This year looks different so far. Many of the teams have had their schedules altered or canceled. The transition of school to distance learning meant that no school or intramural sports could play or even practice on school property, which includes Tandberg Field.
“Due to the fact that the baseball field is owned by the Garretson School, Tandberg Field Falls under the guidelines of the SDHSAA and must follow those guidelines pertaining to public use during Covid-19. So we kind of have our hands tied when it comes to using our field,” said 15/16U Coach Cody Linneweber. The Garretson Ball Association is hopeful that clearance will come in June.
While the Garretson Ball Association is aiming for at least some kind of season, decisions have been all over the place.
The Garretson Blue Jays, the local amateur baseball team, has been given the go-ahead by their league to play. They are scheduled to begin playing games in mid-June.
The American Legion league, which the Garretson 17/18U team is a part of, has had some conflicting decisions. On May 9, the South Dakota Legion baseball commissioners made the decision to move forward with a season starting in mid- to late May. On May 10, the national headquarters issued an email suspending the play of all teams under the American Legion banner.
“The complete cancellation of the 2020 American Legion National Organization baseball season means there is no American Legion National Organization baseball program “national rules,” nor are there “national guidelines,” as there is no 2020 American Legion national involvement,” the press release stated.
On Friday, May 15, however, South Dakota Legion Athletic Commissioner Chairman Dan Sudbeck announced that the use of the American Legion trademark had been sanctioned, allowing teams to play with their usual jerseys and under the American Legion rules. It also meant that local legion posts could choose to continue sponsoring their local teams. At this time, the Garretson Post will not be sponsoring their teams this year.
The South Dakota VFW Baseball commission, which is the banner the Garretson 14U and 16U teams play under, will be making its final decision on the season on June 1. Until that final decision is made, plans for tournaments have not changed.
The Garretson Blue Jays amateur team in 2019. The amateur team has been given the go-ahead by its league to play, with games scheduled to begin mid-June. (submitted photo)
“If there is no season we will try and play independently and have some sort of baseball for the 14U teener team and the 16U teener team,” said Coach Linneweber.
Garretson Ball Association board member Cory Buchholz concurs. They are hoping for, at the very least, to try for some scrimmages among Garretson teams at some point this summer. Plans are still in the air regarding details, however.
In a post on Garretson Living dated May 14, Buchholz wrote, “As far as coach pitch and t-ball goes, we are trying our very best to come up with a way to have something that we can organize later in the summer. It is our hope that we can put together something that the Garretson teams can scrimmage each other to get a few games in later in the summer. This IS NOT a guarantee but hopeful, wishful, and positive thinking!!” He also noted that news about girls’ softball was also still unknown.
The MinnDak League, which the under 13 youth baseball teams are a part of, canceled their season the first week of May. Commissioner Matt Larson was open about the reasons why.
“Early last week (April 28th), the Governor made a declaration to start a plan of “back to normal,” he wrote in a press release. “The announcement has left it up to cities on how to loosen restrictions that we have been under for some time, but her document also mentioned that we should practice social distancing. I thought the plan was vague and open to many different interpretations from city to city. Regardless of that, the truth is more people are now going to be going out in public more. I felt this comes with an increased risk of more getting infected. Also, the CDC website still does not recommend playing organized sports at this time.”
Even if games were to be played, however, several changes would need to be made.
“What we do know is that if these seasons start and we begin to play games there will be many rules and procedures that the teams, players, and coaches may have to follow that may change the way we play, officiate, and spectate,” said Coach Linneweber. “There will be changes such as how many spectators are allowed, what part of the field they can spectate from, distancing rules, where umpires are located while officiating, sanitizing often, how close players can be seated together in the dugouts, and other restrictions or guidelines that are not quite clear yet. There are no set-in-stone procedures or guidelines yet, but these are things I have seen sent out and suggested to teams and communities.”
All the cancellations currently mean that organized youth baseball is off the table, and local ball teams that want to play are left scrambling to make up their own schedules. While Tandberg Field is closed, the Jaycee Sports Complex opened with the City Council’s decision to re-open all park facilities at its meeting on May 4. Other cities have not yet opened their park facilities.
“It’s sort of just a waiting game right now to see if any restrictions are lifted or new ones are put into place that will allow us to play,” said Coach Linneweber.
