Community education connects everything Sartell

by Mike Knaak

editor@thenewsleaders.com

This summer, Sartell Community Education moved to the Community Center where the staff is operating, managing and scheduling activities.

“We want to improve on what’s here already and connect everything Sartell,” said Community Education Director Kris O’Brien.

Summer recreational and daytime enrichment camps have filled the center and kept the staff busy, serving 518 children at the Community Center, according to Ann Doyscher-Domres, program coordinator.

As the summer programs wind down, community education’s new program catalog will be mailed in mid-August to every household in the school district.

Doyscher-Domres said plans include more events such as family gym time, story time in the library and age-group specific activities. Plans also include yoga, volleyball and water coloring.

Adult basis education and English as a Second Language classes are planned for the center.

Doyscher-Domres said an improved check-in and ID process is being planned to let staff know who is in the building in case of emergency.

While community education operates the building, including rentals, the city of Sartell continues to do maintenance and cleaning.

Planning for special events continues including looking for new features for the holiday lights festival and scheduling performers for the recently completed stage overlooking Lake Francis.

The community education staff of four is getting settled in the building by doing some painting and adding local artwork, such as “Sartell’s Big Three,” by St. Stephen artist Randy Asseln.

Asseln’s image started with a photograph of the paper mill, dam and DeZurik, taken about 10 years ago, before the mill fire. Asselyn digitally painted the photograph, reproduced the image on canvas and framed it.

It’s fitting artwork for O’Brien’s goal of connecting everything Sartell.

“We want to make this a destination where the community gathers,” she said.