Jan. 11 edition
A New Orleans style Cajon/Creole restaurant is coming to St. Joseph this spring in the 24 North Lofts building under construction on College Avenue. The restaurant, Krewe, will feature a locally sourced farm-to-table menu and full bar. Krewe is owned by Mateo Mackbee and Erin Lucas who also own The Model Citizen, a farm-to-table teaching restaurant, in New London.
New St. Joseph City Council member Brian Theisen (left) takes his seat at the council table next to Mayor Rick Schultz after being sworn in on Jan. 7. Schultz, re-elected mayor, also took the oath of office. Re-elected council member Anne Buckvold was not at the meeting.
VEX Robotics students at Kennedy Community School have been busy gearing up for competition. Robotics students competed Jan. 5 at the Sartell Sabres VEX Turning Point Tournament in Sartell. Two Kennedy teams won two awards presented by VEX judges after judges’ interviews. The sixth-grade girls team won the VEX Robotics Energy Award and the sixth-grade boys team won the VEX Robotics Judges Award.
Jan. 25 edition
Presented with three street improvements options with price tags ranging from $1.5 million to $2.8 million, St. Joseph City Council members chose the middle ground at the Jan. 16 meeting. The proposed street improvement plan selected by the council comes with a $2.1 million price tag. The next step in the approval process will be a public hearing at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 4 during the council’s meeting where there will be a discussion of the details and merits of each project.
Middle school students at Kennedy Community School who achieved six “As” or more during the first trimester of school were recently recognized for their hard work and efforts. Ninety sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders at the school were recognized Jan. 4 for their academic excellence during the school’s first Academic All-Stars Breakfast.
St. Joseph police will now be part of a joint powers agreement that will make crime-fighting easier after City Council action Jan. 16. Police Chief Dwight Pfannenstein asked the council to approve the agreement with the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office to share investigative data such as booking photos among a number of agencies in central Minnesota.
Nineteen sixty-nine was a long, long time ago – a half century, to be exact, but some members of the St. Stephen River Runners snowmobile remember that year fondly, as if it were yesterday, because that’s the year their club began. The club’s members are planning a huge public birthday celebration to memorialize the 50-year event Saturday, Feb. 9, at various venues in downtown St. Stephen. Everyone is welcome, including nonsnowmobilers.
Feb. 8 edition
The St. Joseph City Council moved forward Monday, Feb. 4, with an estimated $2.2 million plan to improve and reconstruct city streets and underground utilities. The council unanimously voted to order the projects Monday night, which will trigger work so the work can be put out for bids. The work is expected to begin this summer in six general areas of St. Joseph. The improvements range from resurfacing roads to the complete reconstruction of roads and underground utilities, including sewer and water services.
By the end of January, many students at Kennedy Community School were feeling healthier and happier. That’s because of the school’s annual month-long nutrition and fitness effort dubbed Fitness Fever. The program started Jan. 1 and lasted through the month, although fitness efforts persist throughout the year. Physical-education teacher Barb Gabler explained how the program works. All students are encouraged to eat five different fruits and vegetables per day. In classrooms, teachers often interrupt lessons so that students can get up and do some stretching exercises. Active play, at least an hour a day, is encouraged.
First-year Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) has been appointed to serve on two bipartisan legislative groups, including one to serve a task force on child protection. The Legislative Task Force on Child Protection was created in 2015 to expand efforts regarding child welfare in Minnesota. It works with the Department of Human Services and others to establish and evaluate child protection grants and also identify areas within the child welfare system that need to be addressed by the Legislature. Demuth has also accepted a position with the P-20 Education Partnership, which “works collaboratively to maximize achievements of all students, from preschool through elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, while promoting the efficient use of financial and human resources.”
Feb. 22 edition
In her first six weeks at the Capitol, the amount of bipartisan work that can get done impresses first-year Rep. Lisa Demuth.“Day to day, people get along,” she said. “We don’t have to see eye-to-eye on everything. But the working relationship is more than I expected.” Demuth, a former Rocori school board member, was elected to represent House District 13A when incumbent Jeff Howe ran for the open District 13 Senate seat. Her experience in education and school finance has been useful in her early legislative action.
The cold weather, which closed many schools Jan. 29-31, changed the timing of a few activities which were planned for Catholic Schools Week at St. Joseph Catholic School. “Although we had three days canceled during Catholic Schools Week, we will reschedule the planned activities,” principal Karl Terhaar said at the end of the week. “Students really look forward to these days since they offer a change of pace and alleviate some of the winter blahs.” Students, faculty and staff began celebrating with a Sunday Mass followed by a book fair open house in the music room Jan. 27.
March 8 edition
St. Joseph could soon be home to new industrial businesses, if a plan to develop an industrial park comes to fruition. The City Council approved March 4 a preliminary plat of an industrial park development southeast of CR 133 and east of 19th Avenue NE. The development is just northeast of the St. Joseph Coborn’s. If the plan moves forward, construction could begin as early as May, said Randy Sabart, city engineer.
Locals have always known the foundations of the Church of St. Joseph run deep. But a recent renovation has confirmed it. Underneath the worship space runs two hand-built, stone-wall foundations the length of the church. The foundations have held up the roof for 150 years, but are getting an update this winter. Construction crews will reinforce the structure, make the church more accessible and add sprinklers to prevent major fires.
St. Joseph will host 300 bicyclists and support crew members this summer for the start and finish of the Bicycling Around Minnesota Tour. The riders will arrive on Wednesday, Aug. 14, and camp overnight before heading out on the four-day ride on Thursday, Aug. 15. They will return on Sunday, Aug. 18. The riders will camp in the parking lot behind the Government Center.
March 22 edition
St. Joseph could get some much-needed affordable housing, if local governments support a new project proposed by Sand Cos. City council and economic development authority members heard preliminary details about an apartment building project on the east side of St. Joseph at a special joint meeting Tuesday, March 19.
Mayor Rick Schultz and city leaders shared their vision for the city as well as offered updates on a variety of plans at the Chamber of Commerce meeting on March 13. The vision includes adding programming at the community center, pushing forward with bonding requests from the Legislature, organizational and policy changes at city hall and exploring how St. Joseph can become a digital city. Schultz hit on a number of projects starting with the community center. He said the city is working with the St. Cloud school district as well as the YMCA to help with youth activities as well as senior activities.
Kennedy Community School principal Laurie Putnam has been appointed to a new position as the assistant superintendent of secondary education and will be leaving Kennedy at the end of the school year. In her new position, she will oversee Kennedy as well as Apollo and Tech high schools, North and South junior high schools and McKinley-ALC.
April 5 edition
On a viciously cold and windy below-zero day, Feb. 8, Norb Walz was plowing snow by his rural St. Joseph house when he looked up and saw black smoke rising from his barn. The sight just about broke Walz’s heart. Just as he figured, the barn would be a total loss.
Family, friends and well-wishers feel the same way. That is why there will be a fundraiser from noon-6 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at Milk & Honey Ciders.
Gourmet theme dinners will soon be served in St. Joseph, Sartell and St. Cloud to raise money for Imagination Library in Central Minnesota. The dinners cooked and served at the homes of volunteers will take place in St. Cloud April 6 (10 dinners) in St. Joseph April 13 (five dinners) and in Sartell, also April 13 (10 dinners). Organizers expect as many as 200 diners, total, will enjoy the meals.
If you are age 55 or older and are seeking ways to meet some new friends, then the St. Joseph Senior Citizens group might be what you are looking for. The group is a social club that meets once each month to play the game of 500 cards or bingo and share some conversation over lunch.
April 19 edition
If any business can be considered “too successful,” it’s Bad Habit Brewing in St. Joseph – so sudsily successful, in fact, that it had to find a new location. That new place is at 25 College Ave. N., just a stone’s throw from its current location at 15 Minnesota St. E. Bad Habit fans – they are legion – are excited about the new place, which will open for business Saturday, May 4.
What does “home” mean to you? Molly Weyrens asked that question to a group at the Church of St. Joseph Sunday night, April 14. Community members gathered to learn more from Weyrens about the need for affordable housing in St. Joseph. Weyrens, of Central Minnesota Catholic Worker, is part of Faith in Housing, a group of area church members working on housing issues.
The police standards board has revoked the license of former St. Joseph Police Chief Joel Klein. After complaints, the St. Joseph City Council placed Klein on administrative leave in April 2018. While an investigation of the claims was underway, Klein resigned in May. The Minnesota Police Officer Standards and Training board conducted an investigation and revoked Klein’s license on Jan. 19 for sexual harassment.
May 3 edition
The rebuilding of CR 75 is on schedule and Stearns County officials expect the major work to be done in time for the Fourth of July events in St. Joseph. Crews are paving the eastbound lanes this week and in about three weeks, repaving will begin on the westbound lanes, according to Jeff Miller, assistant county engineer. The $11-million project runs from west of St. Joseph to 15th Avenue/CR 81 in Waite Park. Plans call for a new road surface as well as safety and drainage improvements along the 5.7-mile stretch of the four-lane divided highway.
When Kennedy Community School students lined up for lunch April 24, they found a healthy, colorful dish alongside the BBQ Beef Mr. Rib sandwich, thanks to students from the College of St. Benedict. Kennedy students sampled rainbow turkey pasta cooked by six students in the Entrepreneurship and Management in Food Industry class that’s part of the nutrition major at the college.
If someone had a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest near you, would you know what to do? Twenty local residents recently participated April 16 in a cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator heart-saver class at the St. Joseph Community Fire Station to better prepare themselves for this type of emergency.
May 17 edition
Despite concerns over new road and infrastructure costs, the St. Joseph City Council is moving forward with its support for a new affordable housing development on the city’s east side. The council voted 4-1 to support the project at a meeting May 6 with council member Brian Theisen dissenting. The project includes a 48-unit apartment building on a property southwest of the U.S. Army Reserve facility on 20th Avenue SE. People with incomes below the area’s median income of roughly $57,000 could be eligible for the one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
This year’s Minnesota Teacher of the year grew up in St. Joseph. Jessica Davis, a math teacher at South St. Paul Second School, was selected from a field of nine finalists. A total of 168 teachers were nominated for the 55th annual award announced on May 5 in St. Paul.
Local law enforcement will soon have some help cracking down on drivers who run red lights. Stearns County received federal funding to install traffic-confirmation lights on several county-owned traffic signals, including some in St. Joseph, said Randy Sabart, the city’s engineer. A light is installed on the back of a traffic signal. It turns blue when the light is red. A law enforcement officer watching nearby will be better able to tell who is running a red light.
May 31 edition
Elleah Eiynck, a third-grader at Kennedy Community School, grinned bashfully when she finally met in person Samantha Ernst, the woman she’d been corresponding with for nearly a year. Corresponding in this case means the old-fashioned way. Via hand-written letters. The kind you have to seal by licking the envelopes shut, the kind on which you have to slap on a postage stamp and drop in a mailbox. Eiynck, of St. Joseph, is just one of many Kennedy third-graders in the St. Cloud school district’s Volunteer Pen Pal program. Two classes of the students had a chance to meet their correspondents in person May 23 at the school for two special get-together celebrations complete with juice and plates full of cookies.
The Cathedral Ultimate Club recently hosted the Granite City Classic Ultimate, formerly known as Ultimate Frisbee, tournament May 4 and 5 at St. Cloud Apollo High School for area schools. The tournament began May 4 with four rounds of play, with a showcase game at noon featuring the Drag’n Thrust team, a coed adult elite club team from the Twin Cities, against the tournament coaches.
Sixteen Kennedy Community School students recently participated in an after-school computer science coding club. The club was named the Coding Club and students learned about coding and much more. This is the first year the club has been available to students. Holly Nelson, librarian/media specialist at the school, and Peter Ohmann, assistant professor of computer science at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, voluntarily directed the club which was available free to all students.
June 14 edition
After 33 years, Judy Weyrens will say goodbye to city hall, retiring as city administrator this summer. The City Council accepted Weyrens’ resignation at Monday’s meeting, with a vote of four to one, with council member Troy Goracke dissenting. The city has been working on a number of major projects in recent months, including road and infrastructure improvements and considering an affordable housing development.
Harley Davidson motorcycle riders who enjoy riding the highways during warmer days might enjoy the warmth and comfort of a keepsake quilt during cold days they are not able to ride. These motorcycle riders will have a chance to bid on a Harley Davidson T-shirt quilt at the annual quilt auction which will take place at the Church of St. Joseph annual July 4 parish festival.
The Save Station movement is growing by leaps and bounds in St. Joseph, with more and more people and organizations jumping aboard to get Automated External Defibrillator Save Stations set up at outdoor locations. Recently the city of St. Joseph ordered four of the stations. When the city’s administrator, Judy Weyrens, told a friend, Audrey Twit, about the stations, Twit said she would like to buy them in memory of her beloved husband, Ken, who died Dec. 30, 2018.
June 28 edition
Club members of the St. Joseph Y2K Lions appreciate their senior citizens and want them to be recognized for all the wonderful service deeds they do in the area. That’s why they recently chose Fran and Marilyn Court to be this year’s Senior Queen and King for the annual Fourth of July parade.
Leander Meyer has had the chance to be in the annual July Fourth parade several times before and could share many stories, but this year he will have a special place in the parade lineup. The St. Joseph Lions Club recently announced he will be the grand marshal of the upcoming July Fourth parade.
For bicycling enthusiast Gene Boysen of St. Joseph, the Habitat 500 offers two rewards: the physical challenge of a 500-mile, six-day ride and an opportunity to be part of an important fundraising cause. The Habitat 500, a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, begins July 14 in Hermantown. Riders follow a route through northeastern Minnesota that will take them to Hibbing and Aurora before returning to Hermantown.
July 12 edition
Parishioners from the Church of St. Joseph Catholic Church had a chance to see a newly restored and renovated church interior at a Rededication Mass on June 29. Church pastor, the Rev. Jerome Tupa commented about the Mass. “The Rededication Mass called together many of our parishioners, Sisters of St. Benedict’s Monastery, Monks of St. John’s Abbey and of course Bishop Kettler surrounded by five priests,” Tupa said. “With a 30-voice parish choir, an 18-voice choir from the Bene- dictine monastery, organ, pia- no, guitars and flute there was glorious music surrounding the various rituals for the Rededi- cation Mass; sprinkling of the walls and original dedication lamps and consecration of the altar.” The remodel of the church was completed in time for the annual July Fourth parish festival.
Members of the St. Joseph American Legion Post 328 have been having a busy year celebrating the 100 years since the post received its charter Nov. 5, 1919. They, along with The American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of American Legion, would like other people to help them celebrate when they host a Community Day beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at The American Legion in St. Joseph.
Here are the Fourth of July parade winners by categories: Wow Extreme!!: 1. Andy’s Towing, 2. Roctoberfest; Cool Youth: 1. St. Joseph Catholic School, 2. Ringsmuth Riders Unicycle Team; Fourth of July Theme: 1. American Legion 100 years, 2. St. Joseph Knights of Columbus; Best Dressed Business: 1. Woods Farmers Seed & Nursery, 2. Marcus Parkwood Theatre; Classy Vehicles: 1. Rock on Trucks Veteran Tribute 2. Freedom Flight Inc.; Animals: 1. Plafcan Ponies 2. Shady Oaks Ranch Draft Hitch; Honorable Mention: St. Joseph Cub Scouts, Notsch’s Belgians, St. Joseph Legion 100th Birthday.
July 26 edition
After 33 years of service for the city of St. Joseph, city administrator Judy Weyrens retired July 12 with a feeling of deep satisfaction. “It was a lot of work, but I got a lot of enjoyment out of the job, and I’m proud of being a part of what St. Joseph has become,” she said. City employees hosted an open house for the public and a send-off party for Weyrens July 12 at the St. Joseph Government Center.
St. Joseph is the safest city in Minnesota – at least it is in so far as SaveStations. That fact was announced on a warm July 12 morning when St. Joseph resident Audrey Twit was honored for donating $11,000 for four SaveStations in St. Joseph. The presentation took place outside the St. Joseph Government Center. SaveStations are outdoor cabinets where automatic external defibrillator machines are kept so anyone in an emergency can have ready access to them.
If you missed out on getting the highest bid at a recent quilt auction, you still have a chance to pick and choose from a large selection of quilts at the St. Stephen Catholic Church’s annual parish festival which will be 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2 (Labor Day). At the festival, attendees will have a chance to purchase or win any of the 51 quilts the St. Stephen Quilting Group has been busy creating and stitching for the festival.
Aug. 9 edition
Kris Ambuehl, the newly hired city administrator for St. Joseph, said he is “super excited” to start his new job for a number of reasons. Ambuehl, 42, will begin his first day Monday, Aug. 12. In an interview, he said he is happy that his job in St. Joseph will be closer to his home near Bowlus – about 20 miles. Before he was hired by St. Joseph last month, Ambuehl had served for little more than a year as city administrator for Tracy, a town of about 2,200 residents in Lyon County in Southwest Minnesota.
This year’s Bicycling Around Minnesota Tour starts and ends in St. Joseph with 300 riders arriving on Wednesday, Aug. 14, before hitting the trail the next morning on the four-day ride. They will return on Sunday, Aug. 18. The riders and support personnel will set up camp behind the Government Center.
St. Joseph Mayor Rick Schultz was recognized by the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities July 25 during the coalition’s three-day summer conference in Bemidji for his excellence in service to Greater Minnesota. The Excellence in Service Award is given annually to city leaders who demonstrate knowledge, leadership and active participation in the coalition’s program areas during the past year.
Aug. 23 edition
They call the game Squiggle Farkle, but anyone who hears the group of people huddled in the southeast corner of the Local Blend would swear they’re playing not a dice game but fast-and-furious verbal ping-pong. They sound like a bunch of lippy overgrown kids being given a time-out in the corner. Between rolls of the dice, zinging phrases ping-pong back and forth – wisecracks, mock insults, teasing taunts, cheeky challenges, bloated braggadocio. The lippy players are having a blast.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Department has initiated several ambitious programs designed to bring together all department personnel, to expand contacts with residents and other law-enforcement agencies, to enhance employee wellness and to promote recruitment – all with the ultimate goal of strengthening public safety and protection. While at the Stearns County County Fair in Sauk Centre, during a break from meeting fair-goers, Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka talked about the initiatives.
Local residents might have wondered if bicycles were going to be the new form of transportation when about 300 cyclists rode into St. Joseph on Aug. 14 for the Bicycling Around Minnesota Tour. “We had a wonderful time in St Joseph,” said Lisa Austin, a member of the Bicycling Around Minnesota board of directors and volunteer media contact. “We camped at the St Joseph Government Center and had our registration check-in and breakfast (at the College of St. Benedict). The college helped put (up) great signs to direct people. The hospitality was great.” She said many riders got there early Wednesday afternoon and had dinner at restaurants such as Bello Cucina in town and people went to Bad Habit Brewing Co. Cyclists either camped or stayed in hotels or other lodging in the area.
Sept. 6 edition
Kennedy Community School students performed better than the overall St. Cloud school district scores but below the statewide average in the latest statewide test scores released on Aug. 28 by the Minnesota Department of Education. The state performance scores are based on five indicators – achievement and progress on state reading and math tests over time, progress toward English language proficiency, graduation rates and consistent attendance.
Tenth-grader Brandon Zimmer is an ambitious Boy Scout who recently completed building an outdoor pergola to earn his Eagle Scout award. By completing the Eagle Scout Service project, Zimmer was able to show his leadership skills while building a project for the benefit of others in the St. Joseph area. His project included building and installing a pergola and picnic table at Kennedy Community School. He dedicated the project in memory of Darlene Bechtold and Pat Forte, who formerly worked at the school.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out the new location of the Bad Habit Brewing Co. in St. Joseph, you will have a chance to do so and also support the annual Rock 4 Alzheimer’s event from 1-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. “This year, our fourth, we are very excited to stage Rock 4 Alzheimer’s in the parking lot of the all-new Bad Habit Brewery and continue to grow the event,” Jeff Vee said. “Support from the community and sponsors alike has been incredible and we are beyond grateful for this,” Tommy Vee said.
Sept. 20 edition
A familiar face greeted students and staff at Kennedy Community School when Anna Willhite, principal, welcomed everyone for the 2019-20 school year. Willhite was previously an assistant principal at the school for three-and-a-half years, working with Laurie Putnam as principal. Effective in July, Putnam is now the assistant superintendent for secondary education for the St. Cloud school district. This will be Willhite’s fourth year at Kennedy. She began her career as a teacher at the Alternative Learning Center for a couple of years and then spent about six years at South Junior High School. She also spent the last four months of the 2018-2019 school year as assistant principal at North Junior High School, during which time Todd Van Erp was the temporary assistant principal at Kennedy Community School.
St. Joseph leaders and area legislators have tried for years to secure state funding for a community center. That effort may have gotten a boost Sept. 4 when members of the House Capital Investment Committee visited St. Joseph. Legislation introduced by Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) and Sen. Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) seeks $2.5 million in state bonding money for the community center, which would be built as a renovation and expansion of the former Kennedy School. The city plans to contribute $6 million from sales tax revenue with another $6 million coming from donations.
Joel Vogel of St. Joseph spoke at the Aug. 14 St. Joseph Y2K Lions meeting about outdoor automatic external defibrillator SaveStations in the area and the quick response time needed with sudden-cardiac-arrest and heart-attack victims. AEDs are portable machines that are used to deliver electrical shocks through the chest to the heart to people who have had a sudden cardiac arrest. A sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical condition of the heart that causes the heart to suddenly stop beating and results in loss of blood flow to the brain and body. Sudden cardiac arrests can be reversed if cardiopulmonary resuscitation is started and the heart is shocked or “defibrillated” quickly. The electrical shock can stop an irregular heart beat and reset a normal rhythm.
Oct. 4 edition
Elaine Eisenschenk, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 328 in St. Joseph, received the Unit Member of the Year award from the state Department of Minnesota American Legion Auxiliary. Eisenschenk received the award after being nominated for her volunteer service at St. Cloud VA Health Care System and collecting almost $7,000 in donations for the unit’s Poppy Fund, funds which can only be used for veterans.
St. Joseph Catholic School Principal Karl Terhaar said students and staff are focusing on a theme of kindness for the 2019-20 school year. He said by doing so they “will gain a deeper appreciation of making personal connections and learning the value of seeing everyone as a child of God by taking time to be kind to others.” This is Terhaar’s 13th year serving as principal at the school so he remains a familiar presence to students, parents and staff.
St. John’s Prep’s 281 students in fifth-grade to 12th-grade were welcomed by new leadership for the 2019-20 school year. Jon McGee was named the new head of school in March. He is the first lay leader of the school following 29 monastic members of St. John’s Abbey, who have led the school since it was founded in 1857.
Oct. 18 edition
St. Joseph residents should sleep well tonight. The city has been ranked as one of Minnesota’s safest places to live. Behind No. 1 safe city Big Lake, St. Joseph ranked eighth, according to a study conducted by Security Baron, a company that specializes in home and cybersecurity issues. The rankings are based on FBI data for serious crimes including murder, rape, robbery, burglary and thefts. The study also considered police officers per 1,000 people and median income. “I’m very happy,” said St. Joseph Police Chief Dwight Pfannenstein. “I’ll take that result any day, as long as we’re in the Top 10. We’re very happy with that.”
A significant speed upgrade to Midco’s St. Joseph service announced Oct. 8 will mean faster, more reliable internet for residents and businesses. Higher-speed service will spur innovation, economic development and education, company leaders said. Midco announced a $2.1 million technology and facility investment that opens the way for the gigabit internet service. The new technology provides up to 35 times faster than average internet service, according to the company. From Midco’s St. Joseph facility, the gigabit service branches out to 15 other Central Minnesota cities.
Nov. 1 edition
According to Advocates for Health, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in our country and claims about 350,000 lives each year. It kills 1,000 people per day or one person every two minutes and about 95 percent of victims die before they reach the hospital or other emergency help. These are some of the reasons why local resident Bruce Bechtold recently started an initiative to get automatic external defibrillator (AED) SaveStations installed around the Pleasant Acres neighborhood near St. Joseph.
Are fifth- and sixth-graders ready to run and operate businesses? St. Joseph Catholic School fifth- and sixth-graders recently had a chance to show how efficient they could be in the business world when they took a trip to Junior Achievement BizTown. The St. Joseph Jaycees helped fund the students’ trip to the 12,000-square-foot city with 18 businesses, in St. Paul. The St. Joseph Jaycees is a community service group for men and women ages 18-41 that helps fund area needs.
Nov. 15 edition
Two local legislators visited Kennedy Community School Nov. 4 to learn about the school’s unique programs and hear from school leaders what state government can do to help education. Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) and Sen. Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) toured the school with Principal Anna Willhite and Assistant Principal Richmond Tweh. On a walk through school, which serves about 800 pre-school through eighth-grade students, the visitors saw how leaders organized the school and programs to serve a student body with a wide age range. During the hour-long tour, the group visited classrooms, the cafeteria, watched students enjoying recess in the gym on a cold day and toured the library.
Downtown St. Joseph will sparkle with holiday brightness for residents young and old for the 10th annual Winterwalk holiday festivities on Friday, Dec. 6. About 500 outdoor luminaries will help light the way on more than five blocks for passers-by to join in these festivities and be a part of the 6 p.m. lighting of a 50-foot tree, by a special guest.
A music shop known as Barrett’s Music had its grand opening Nov. 9 in the building that housed for seven years a previous music shop, Riff City Guitar, at 708 Elm Street E. in St. Joseph. Barrett’s Music is owned by Sartell residents Micah and Jeanine Barrett. Long-time music enthusiasts, music teachers and musical performers, the Barretts are part of the greater St. Cloud area music network, and both of them know Joe Leach, owner of Riff City Guitar. When Leach told the Barretts he intended to pursue another career direction, they eventually came to the conclusion they could set up shop in the very place at 708 Elm Street. Leach was happy another music shop would be opening on that site. And Leach helped the Barretts get their new business up and running.
Nov. 29 edition
Attracting visitors to St. Joseph – and making sure they want to return for another visit – is the goal of the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau. CVB members welcomed local business and community leaders to Bad Habit Brewery on Nov. 18 to introduce the CVB’s mission to drive tourism. Ann Riesner of the La Playette, Mary Bruno of Bruno Press and Aaron Rieland of Bad Habit explained the mission to make St. Joseph a destination for arts, culture, food and family friendly events to two dozen local leaders.
St. Joseph Catholic School sixth-grade students in Susan Huls’ classroom have been busy crafting and making items for the Friday, Dec. 6, Winterwalk Christmas Arts and Craft Sale, to fund their Catholic Social Teaching action projects this year. The Arts and Craft sale is from 4-8 p.m. and students plan to host their booth during all shifts.
St. Joseph Police Department is offering free self-defense training for St. Joseph women starting Sunday, Dec. 8 The RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) classes will be taught by officer Celeste Walz and Dan Magaard.
Dec. 14 edition
In 1976, a young dentist from Chicago, Ill. moved to Central Minnesota to set up a dental practice in St. Joseph and built his practice from the ground up. After serving his patients locally for 43 years, Dr. Joseph R. Styles has decided to retire Jan. 1. Styles, 72, considered retiring six years ago, but wasn’t quite ready at that time and found he still loved practicing dentistry. He was in good health, liked his patients and employees and said every year he put it off a little longer until this year.
A recent change in federal law now opens American Legion membership to more veterans and St. Joseph Post 328 invites them to join. The Legion Act opens membership to all veterans who have served since Dec. 7, 1941, served at least one day on active duty and received an honorable discharge. This change opens membership to numerous veterans in the St. Joseph area.
