by Dennis Dalman
2022 was a year of extraordinary growth and renewal for Sartell with many projects completed or in the planning stages, all while keeping local taxes for most residents at a zero-rate increase.
Among the major projects was a complete reconstruction of CR 1 (Riverside Avenue) and amenities on or near it, reconstruction of 19th Avenue, construction of a wastewater lift station, park improvements and many road extensions or reconstructions.
Sartell SummerFest was once again a big hit with city residents and out-of-town festival participants. The annual Sartell Apple Duathlon was also a hit with participants from far and wide.
Three local Lions clubs are planning an all-inclusive playground at Lions Community Park, a plan the city and the school district are excited about.
Many sports teams and individual athletes did extremely well during the fall sports season, and many students were honored for their academic and extracurricular achievements.
The Sartell-St. Stephen School District continued its work on a student-focused strategic plan that includes policies to deal with instances of harassment and bullying. In May, about 150 people, most of them students, held a march and speaking event to make public their reports of experiencing or witnessing incidents of threats and/or bullying in school aimed at some students because of race, religion or sexual identity. The new strategic plan is intended to make all schools safe and comfortable for each and every student.
January
Patrick Marushin was elected by his colleagues to become chairman of the Sartell-St. Stephen School Board for the new year. Matt Moehrle was elected vice-chairman and Tricia Meling was elected treasurer.
Sartell High School Principal Sascha Hansen resigned, and the school board accepted her resignation. Hansen was in the middle of her second year as principal at the time of her resignation. She was hired by the school district in 2011 as a physical-education teacher.
The city council approved a “flat-tax” budget for 2022.
The citywide installation of new state-of-the-art water meters began.
At the city-council meeting, Dr. Kim Tjaden urged the council to adopt a citywide mandatory mask mandate because of the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Tjaden is a local public-health consultant who works with health departments.
On a 4-1 vote, the city council approved a “Mr. Car Wash” to be built next to a residential area near Hwy. 15 and not far from Epic Center. A dozen or so residents live on that wooded property next to the Mississippi River. About half the residents sold their properties to a commercial developer, and half declined to sell. The car wash will be built very near a couple who has lived in their house there for 40-plus years. They oppose the project.
February
Second Street Coffeehouse opened in the building that was for many years Liquid Assets, a coffee café and restaurant. The new coffee house and eatery is owned and operated by Meghan Kelsey. It is located at 1901 Second St.
The Sartell-St. Stephen School Board hosted a fourth listening session for the public with Superintendent Jeff Ridlehoover explaining progress made by the district’s Education Equity and Student Experience Committee. The committee was formed the previous summer after an audit produced by a consultant firm called Equity Alliance MN raised controversy among some parents. “A lot was going on with our students having less than a stellar experience at school,” Ridlehoover said at the meeting. There was something that needed to be addressed.” At an earlier meeting, parents and students gave testimony about incidents of bullying, harassment and forms of sexual, racist and religious discrimination from other students.
A plan for two multi-purpose athletic fields for Sartell High School was presented to the school board. The projects were estimated to cost $4.5 million. The board made no decision concerning the proposed fields.
March
A new high school principal, Shayne Kusler, was hired to step into the job former principal, Sascha Hansen, resigned from in January. Kusler had served as the Foley High School principal and was also a guidance counselor.
Sartell-St. Stephen curriculum coordinator Megan Rodholt was named one of 10 “Emerging Leaders” by the Minnesota Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Rogholt, who joined the school district the previous summer, has had 21 years of school experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, director of early childhood education and a professor of higher education. She has a master’s and doctorate degrees.
A ”Sartell Sabres Strong Family Night” took place at the high school where parents and their children have lots of fun doing a variety of activities.
The Sartell-St. Stephen school board approved a teacher contract that added 3 percent to the salary schedule for 2021-22 and 3.5 percent to the schedule for 2022-23. The total cost increase to the district is 12.09 percent.
Once again, residents of a mobile-home park along Sartell’s Second Street S. spoke to the city council, urging it to do something about a series of problems at the park, including rising lot rentals, ever-increasing fees for services such as water and garbage-pickup, water and sewer pipe leaks, lack of an adequate storm shelter and more. The park’s owner, Impact Communities in Colorado, disputes many of the complaints. Sartell Mayor Ryan Fitzthum told the residents while he sympathizes with their problems, the city has no legal jurisdiction over mobile-home parks.
Kay Nelson, the school district’s assistant superintendent, received the 2022 Outstanding Central Office Leader Award from the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. A week after receiving that award, Nelson was named assistant superintendent of secondary education in the St. Cloud school district.
St. Francis Xavier School hosted a “One School One Book” program that involved parents and students getting together during the event to read to one another from books.
Eighteen students, all members of the Sartell High School’s speech team and coached by teacher John Ronyak, were busy preparing for the sectional tournament at Brainerd. The students practiced giving speeches, dramatic readings and poems.
April
The school board agreed to remove “safe-space” stickers from schools and replace them with posters in all classrooms that address the issues of bullying and discrimination. The safe-space stickers were rainbow designs, the logo for LGBTQ people. Some parents objected to the stickers, claiming they favored one viewpoint while other viewpoints were not represented.
Mark Wolters, a Sartell resident, wrote a novel entitled “Meeting the Unusual,” which is about a college student whose life goes off the rails because of excessive drinking, partying and self-centered thinking. Wolters teaches language arts at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Pierz.
Two Sartell artists were honored in the 21st annual “Poet Artist Collaboration” in Red Wing. Carol Weiler won an award for a photograph she submitted. Patricia Mohr was honored for a poem she submitted. After seeing Weiler’s photo, Mohr wrote a poem inspired by it for the poet-artist collaboration, and both works were exhibited together at a show-and-reception in Red Wing, among other award winners.
West Bank opened a new branch in Sartell along Hwy. 15 east of Epic Center. It offers a full range of banking services to customers, including businesses.
Sartell Fire Chief Jim Sattler retired after serving 33 years on the fire department. Sattler received bouquets of praise at a city council meeting attended by his family and almost all of the 30 members of the fire department.
The American Legion of St. Stephen began an ongoing tribute program to honor veterans at a reception held each month at The Rusty Nail bar-and-restaurant. The first veteran honored was Jerome Supan, a U.S. Army veteran. After his military service, Supan worked for many years on road-construction projects. He and his wife, Dolores, have two grown children.
A very ambitious project to re-do Stearns CR 1 in Sartell, also known as Riverside Avenue, began with notifications about detours and other disruptions. The project involves street reconstruction, replacement of water main and sanitary utilities, riverbank restorations, trail and sidewalk improvements, a scenic river overlook, intersection lighting and many other improvements.
The city and the Tom Bearson Foundation agreed to partner for a project that will place three basketball courts in Pinecone Central Park. The three-court amenity will honor Tom Bearson, son of Greg and Debbie Bearson. The Sartell High School graduate, a superb basketball player, was murdered in Moorhead September 2014 while attending his first quarter of college at North Dakota State University. The murder has yet to be solved.
Sartell High School student and ace pitcher Tyler Hemmesch, 16, will play for the Minnesota Golden Gophers when he attends school at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, starting in fall 2023.
May
Three local Lions clubs unveiled a plan to make an all-inclusive playground at Lions Regional Community Park in Sartell so people who are challenged physically will be able to enjoy all of its playground equipment. It will be one of the few all-inclusive playgrounds in the state. The clubs, now in the process of fundraising, are the Sartell Lions, the LeSauk Township Lions and the St. Stephen Lions.
An audit of Sartell’s financial condition for 2021 revealed a commendable result, with revelations the city continues to maintain the lowest tax rate of the five area cities.
Alex and Brittany Schoephoerster, a married couple in Sartell, were honored as the “Duo of the Year” by the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.
About 150 people, most of them students, participated in a “March for Solidarity” in Sartell May 14. Midway through the march, the participants, many carrying placards, paused for speeches and comments outside of Sartell City Hall midway through the march. Speakers gave impassioned accusations of slurs, bullying and threats aimed at students of color and at those perceived as “different,” including LGBTQ students. The school district has been working to formulate policies to deal with harassment and bullying.
Bruce Thompson was selected to become the school district’s new activities director. He has served as St. Cloud State University athletics administrator and was also a coach.
A school district 96-member committee released its extensive report and action plan that covers 10 topics, including how to deal with all aspects of school life, including academic standards, students’ mental-health issues, school-home partnerships, social media, special education, culture and climate, and problems such as harassment and bullying. Some policies are already in effect; others will be implemented.
A Sartell father and son excelled at the annual Sartell Apple Duathlon. Andrew Zabel took first place in the male long-course race category. His son, Hudson, won third place in the male short course.
June
More than 200 high-school students took part in the graduation ceremony at Sartell High School.
Thousands of people, many of them out-of-towners, enjoyed Sartell SummerFest 2022 and the Libertyville family-fun event. The annual festival featured a parade, fun events for children, lots of foods and refreshments, a jazz band and a paper-mill memory gathering at the community center.
The school board approved a preliminary budget of $63 million for the 2022-23 school year. The Minnesota Legislature approved a 2-percent increase in funding for next year. Enrollment is expected to be 4,119 students.
Mayor Ryan Fitzthum gave the annual “State of the City” speech, in which he praised ongoing economic development and the excellent working relationships among business owners, the council, city staff, school officials, the chamber of commerce and many other organizations that help Sartell grow and thrive.
July
The council approved plans for 16 electric-vehicle charging stations throughout the city, to be installed in the spring of 2023. The city agreed to a 10-year contract for the stations with Carbon Solutions Group.
After shutting down because of the pandemic in 2020 and a slimmed-down season last year, the 40-member Sartell High School Marching Band was back in full glory, performing in many area parades and events.
The Sartell Swarm 10U girls’ softball travel team won seven of the eight games it played in St. Peter, earning the team the state championship in their category. The girls and their families all celebrated, ecstatic about the win.
The Sartell 14AA boys’ baseball team won the Gopher State Tournament of Champions. They went 6-0 for the weekend to win the 32-team championship.
The city council approved a bond of $13.6 million for a variety of city projects, including the ambitious re-do of CR 1, the reconstruction of 19th Avenue and installation of a new wastewater lift station in Rotary Park.
August
The “National Night Out” events in Sartell and St. Stephen were very well attended. The annual neighborhood-based events emphasize people getting to know one another for the sake of safety issues. Firefighters, police and city officials met with residents to share safety information.
The city council approved a $19-million project for six roads in the healthcare hub area of Sartell, north of CR 120.
Sartell kindergarten teacher Kelsey Stoebe was honored as “Outstanding Sartell Teacher” by Country Financial Insurance and the St. Cloud Rox Baseball Club. Stoebe teaches at Oak Ridge Elementary School.
Bill Morgan, a Sartell resident, retired professor and long-time historian, wrote and published his latest book entitled “Where Rivers Merge; Stories from the History of Sartell, Minnesota.”
The Sartell Muskies baseball team entered the state championship playoffs after winning 17 of 25 games. During the winning game against Eden Valley, long-time Muskies pitcher Adam Wenker pitched his 100th winning game.
Voters in the Aug. 9 primary election decided which candidates will face off in the Nov. 8 general election.
September
For the second consecutive year, the city council approved a city budget that will result in many residents and businesses with a zero-rate tax increase.
A new Sartell venue for the St. Cloud School of Dance & Ultimate Gymnastics opened at Riverside Plaza Mall.
A direct primary care clinic, WELL & Company, opened in the building that was previously home to Sartell Family Medicine.
Shayne Kusler, the new principal for Sartell High School said he loves his “calling.” Kusler, the former principal at Foley High School, said he is impressed by the excellent ways the staff members interact.
A study/survey showed there is a need for a second motel in Sartell.
Julia Bjerke, the new principal of Oak Ridge Early Learning Center, said she feels comfortable in her new job because she was a learning-interventionist teacher and sub teacher in Sartell and thus knows so many students, families and teachers.
The school district gave final approval to its student-focused strategic plan that had been in the planning stages for many months. The plan aims to ensure every student will develop excellence in learning and skills that will help bring about a successful, happy life.
October
Duc Chung returned home after an agonizing year of recovering from an accident on a Michigan lake. During a boat ride, he dove into the water and hit the bottom of the lake, breaking his neck, causing paralysis. He had to endure nine months of physical therapy. Chung and his wife, Hanh Le, are the owners/operators of JL Nails in Sartell.
The city council decided to sign on to an inclusive-playground project for Lions Regional Park in Sartell. The council members all agreed to contribute $65,000, plus $27,000-worth of in-kind city construction costs for the playground. The council also signed a letter of intent that virtually guarantees a $100,000 grant from Lions International. The inclusive playground is a project of three area Lions clubs – Sartell, LeSauk Township and St. Stephen.
Angela Safran, the new principal for Sartell Middle School, was enthusiastic on her first day of school. “We have great kids,” she said. “A lot of them. And so much energy!”
Ninety military veterans enjoyed a free brunch at the Sartell Community Center. The keynote speaker was Major Gen. Gerald Lang, retired, of Sauk Rapids. The catered lunch was paid for by the American Legion of Sartell and donations from the Sartell Senior Connection.
November
Military veteran Charlie DeChene installed in his front yard a monument to honor veterans. Based on the famous photo of American soldiers raising the flag on Iwo Jima, the large steel silhouette cut-out was created by a steel sculptor in Elk River.
A children’s book entitled “I Love You Little, I Love You Lots” and written by award-winning author Douglas Wood of Sartell was published to warm reviews. It is Wood’s 39th book.
Three Sartell High School students were honored for excellence by the National Merit program. They are Taylor Chaika, Riley Hengel and Zach Hohenstern.
Sartell voters in the Nov. 8 general election elected two city council members (incumbent Tim Elness and newcomer Jed Meyer). Incumbent Mayor Ryan Fitzthum, running unopposed, was re-elected. The winners of the school-board race were Emily Larson, Jill Smith and Scott Wenshau. On the statewide level, the Democrats took control of both the House and Senate in the Minnesota Legislature, and Gov. Tim Walz won re-election.
Sartell high-school sports teams and individual athletes performed exceedingly well throughout the fall season, with a hefty tally of wins for football, cross country, volleyball, girls’ soccer, boys’ soccer, adapted soccer, girls’ swim/dive team and girls’ tennis.
December
Sartell-St. Stephen school district Superintendent Jeff Ridlehoover was one of two finalists being considered by the Anoka-Hennepin school board to become that district’s new superintendent. The board ultimately selected Cory McIntyre to fill the job. McIntyre is the superintendent of Osseo Area Schools in Maple Grove.
At a city-council meeting, the Sartell fire and police departments honored nine men with Life Saving Awards for helping save lives in two medical emergencies. One involved a man who was asleep in his home when a rapidly spreading attached-garage fire threatened the home and the man, its sole occupant at the time. The other involved a man who collapsed in the DeZurik Mfg. Co. whose life was saved by a rapid response, including CPR, from numerous emergency responders.
The newly formed North Star Curling Club, organized mainly by Sartell enthusiasts, will begin learning classes and games for anyone wanting to become involved with curling, a kind of “bowling” game on ice. The games will take place on a rental ice sheet in an arena on the campus of St. Cloud State University.
The Sartell City Council approves a zero-percent tax-rate increase for the year 2023.
