photo by Carolyn Bertsch
Friends jump in a deep puddle which formed near the playground May 12 at Riverview Intermediate School following severe thunderstorms. They are (left to right) Adley Wolford, 9; Cody Doble, 10; Colin McCann, 9; and Landon Schaffler, 10, all of Sartell.

Wearing yellow hats, Baliey Legatt, 6, and brother Riley, 7, both of St. Stephen, look out at a crowd from inside a Life Link Helicopter, as flight nurse Kate Swanson, of Brainerd, stands by.

Raylee Boelter, 6, (left) and her brother Ridley, 10, work hard at building a snow fort Jan. 18 in front of their Sartell home.

The Ritter family, of Holdingford, build a birdhouse together April 3 at the St. Stephen Sportsman Club’s annual birdhouse making event at St. Stephen City Hall. They are Cody, Amber, and son Isaac, 5. Not pictured is son Wyatt, 8, who was building another birdhouse with a club member.

Students line up in the St. Francis Xavier school cafeteria March 10 and show off their “One School One Book” spirit on Black and White Day. They are (left to right) Max DeVos, Malachi Mack, Zoey Woodruff and Lila Kunz, all 6 and of Sartell. The colors they wear signify a favorite book character, a skunk.

Children of the Sartell Mobile Home Community race into Watab Park April 9 to collect 600 Easter eggs hidden by Sartell Positive Vibes members.

Students set off on their March for Solidarity May 14 in Sartell. The marchers, who intended to bring attention to harassment and bullying incidents in schools, held a speakers’ rally right outside of Sartell City Hall.

Sartell Marching Band member Twila Lefeber performs a solo on mellophone at the Granite City Days parade June 25 in St. Cloud.

Maiden Dixie singer and guitarist Alex Maiers, St. Paul, helps his mother, Amy Maiers, St. Cloud, March 10 in the St. Francis Xavier School kitchen.

Friends pile together to form a train on a slide Jan. 18 at Erin Pluimer’s Sartell daycare. They are (left to right) Gracelyn Solarz, 5, of Sartell, Mason Zinken, 4, of St. Joseph, and Brekken Gasser, 3, of Sartell.

Sartell students (from left) Dutch Nordby, Mason Dulski and Jacob Merrill install soffits. Nordby and Merrill are headed to Alexandria Technical & Community College next year.

Merlin Berndt, of St. Stephen, (right) jokes that “even fish need a bath!” as he and Stacy Revior, of Royalton, wash walleye fillets Feb. 11.

Kenzi Hartung, 3, of Sartell, shimmies through a tunnel Feb. 10 at Sabres Strong Family Night.

Russ Radika, of Rice, drives his 1970 Ski-Doo Alpine 640 ER Feb. 5 at the St. Stephen River Runners Vintage Show and Ride while passengers Steve Posch and son Chase, 8, of Holdingford, ride along.

Caleb Schneider, 15, of Sartell, serves Amy Brinkerhoff’s whoodle, a wheaten terrier-poodle mix named Duke, a cup of whipped cream Jan. 31 from the drive-through window. Brinkerhoff is also of Sartell. Second Street Coffeehouse owner Meghan Kelsey says, “Our staff loves it when dogs visit our drive through!”

Two brothers conquer Muskie Hill headfirst in a rush of excitement Jan. 18. They are (left) Walker Johannes, 6, and Hout Johannes, 9, both of Sartell.