by Dennis Dalman
After 70 years and more, Sartell is still the “Can-Do City,” according to Jim Barkley, who addressed the City Council at its last meeting.
Barkley is a member of the Sartell Historical Society. His comments during the open forum portion of the council meeting amounted to a kind of verbal valentine to the city he and so many others love so much.
Barkley, a Sartell resident for 30 years, noted that 70 years ago – Feb. 18, 1950 – then Minnesota Gov. Luther Youngdahl gave a speech at the opening of Sartell’s opening of its first Winter Haven Festival. Youngdahl highly praised the people of Sartell for their teamwork and community spirit.
That teamwork and spirit still exists in abundance, Barkley told the council. The can-do attitude made possible so many amenities in the city, he added, such as ball parks, city parks, skating rinks, a community center, the longtime annual Summerfest, the winter Festival of the Lights and more.
“People come together to make things even bigger than they thought possible,” said Barkley. “People worked hard to make something happen, and that’s been happening ever since.”
Recently, Barkley visited a former Sartell resident who was instrumental in helping start Winter Haven, and Barkley recorded the man’s memories of it. It is one of many living history recordings the historical society is making before those people and those memories are no longer here.
Winter Haven was a festival that featured all kind of winter fun: a parade, skating, races, music, speakers, dancing and coronation of Winter Haven royalty. People came from as far away from the Twin Cities and even beyond to enjoy the annual festival.
“History can be leveraged to remind people there are people who make things happen,” said Barkley. “History is more than something just relegated to dusty old bins.”
Barkley thanked the council for supporting the historical society and local history.
Minnesota Gov. Luther Youngdahl served as governor from 1947 to 1951. He gave a keynote address at the very first Sartell Winter Haven festival during which he effusively praised Sartell residents for their teamwork and community spirit.
