While 2020 headlines tell of all we lost due to COVID-19, these snapshots tell all that we gained. Celebration and connection. Compassion. Resilience. Hope. We truly are in this together.
Sartell’s Raging Bulls Team gives “thumbs up” to compete against Ramsey’s Team Furious George Jan. 4 at the Vex EDR Tournament which took place at the Sartell Middle School. Thirty teams from seven middle schools competed in the all-day event and three Sartell teams, including Raging Bulls, qualified for the state tournament. Pictured are (left to right) Justin Hunt, 12; Grant Privratsky, 12; Domanick Gehrking, 14; Dylan Weakly, 14; and Danny Rosenthal, 13.
Shannon Mohs, of Sartell, sets up a giant checker board Jan. 24 with his son, Julian, 8, at Math Night at Pine Meadow Elementary School.
Friends, Reagan Kimble (left) and Grace Magnuson, both age 8, of Sartell, react as a Mathnasium volunteer helps them play “Number Detective,” Jan. 24 during Math Night at Pine Meadow Elementary School.
Emily Schneider of Sartell and daughter Kendra, 6, appear to be dancing as they fill a giant Connect Four board with game pieces Jan. 24 at the Pine Meadow Elementary Math Night.
Girl Scout members work together to make blankets Feb. 6 at the Sartell Community Center. They are (left to right) Mallory Thueringer, 11, of Rice; Jenna Navratil, 11, of Sartell; Janel Bitzan, of Sartell; Ruby Carlson, 11, of Rice and Kelsey Kinville, 14, of Sartell. Bitzan is one of the troop leaders.
Mallory Thueringer, 11, of Rice, cuts around the edges of a colorful piece of fleece Feb. 6 at the Sartell Community Center.
Ruby Carlson, 11, of Rice, (left) ties fabric edges together after Jenna Navratil, 11, of Sartell, cuts them Feb. 6 at the Sartell Community Center.
Nora Nelson, 7, of Sartell looks at the book “Thelma the Unicorn,” at the book fair Feb 25 during Oak Ridge Elementary School Family Fit night. “I love books!” said Nelson.
When the gym equipment needs to be cleared for family dodgeball Feb 25 at the Oak Ridge Elementary School Family Fit night, Max Buccholz, 9, of Sartell is quick to volunteer.
A family attempts a suggested exercise at the Oak Ridge Elementary School Family Fit event Feb 25. They are (left to right) Ephraim Mabrey, 9; Shannon Laporta and Uriah Laporta, 6, all of Sartell.
Every Wednesday, groups of women enjoy games of mahjong at the Sartell Community Center. At the table in the foreground are (left to right) Jane Matthews, Jane Hoffman, Linda Ganshert (all of Sartell) and Bev Dobbelaire of St. Cloud.
The Food Truck Challenge includes students creating model for their businesses.
Teacher Joey Vanek provides tips for mixing ingredients to (from left) Amber Teer, Annika Organsen and Sophie Line.
Annika Orjansen tries her hand at flipping the finished crepe cheered on by classmates.
Austin Legatt carefully turns over his crepe.
Tenley Goenner, 6, of Sartell checks her look in a mirror after her face was painted by Liz Brylski at the Sartell Community Showcase on March 7.
Sartell middle school lunch staff deliver smiles, breakfast and lunch to families waiting in their vehicles March 18. They are (left to right) Carol Williamson, Kim Mitchell, and Shelby Rachel, all of Sartell. About 120 bagged meals were served on March 17, with an increase expected.
Food service staff pass out meals at the Middle School for Sartell-St. Stephen students Tuesday, March 17. Meals will be available from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. through Friday, March, 20. Food Service is providing cold bagged breakfast and lunch meals to any students needing this service during school closure.
Molly Chappell, 12, of Sartell, rides a scooter alone up and down a deserted portion of Fifth St. N. March 17. The street, which is usually a busy artery of kids streaming to and from school, is now quiet due to the school being closed and social distancing rules in effect.
Paige Rademacher of Sartell, with help from her dad Eric and her brother Ethan built these appropriately spaced snowmen on Sunday, March 29, after the snowfall Saturday night.
This row of safety masks was made by Lori Dornberg from left-over quilting materials. Dornberg expert in sewing, a subject she taught for years at Sartell Middle School. She donates the masks to the St. Cloud Hospital, along with many other local mask-makers.
Lori Dornberg sews the edges of face-mask panels on her at-home sewing machine. Like so many others, Dornberg is self-isolating but is able to teach her Sartell Middle School students via online courses.
During a recent FaceTime call, Verna Watts kissed the iPad because she misses her husband Wendall Watts so much. The husband and wife live on different Country Manor campuses.
Verna Watts, a resident at the Country Manor Health Care and Rehab Center in Sartell, communicates with her husband, Wendall Watts, a tenant at Woodcrest in St. Joseph, using an iPad.
Staff at Country Manor printed a photo of Wendall Watts, a tenant of Woodcrest of Country Manor in St. Joseph, for his wife, Verna Watts, to hang in her room at the Country Manor Health Care and Rehab Center in Sartell.
Frank Slivik waves to well-wishers on his 80th birthday and a parade weaves through his farm yard.
A line of more than 30 cars approaches through a corn field.
A St. Stephen fire truck and classic cars pass in front of Frank Slivnik’s St. Stephen farm.
Families pick up instructional packets for PreK through fourth graders Thursday, April 23, at Pine Meadow Elementary School. Schools across Minnesota will continue distance learning through the end of the school year.
Food service staff pass out prepared breakfasts and lunches to families in waiting cars at Sartell Middle School. The food service will continue through June 30 from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The school district has distributed as many as 2,000 meals a day.
The extended family of Eugene and Marilyn Borgert gathered outside County Manor in Sartell on May 25 to greet Eugene, who is being treated for back issues. Marilyn died on May 22 and his family was not able to be with him because of Covid-19 restrictions. The staff moved his bed closer to the window so he could see his family and they talked on speaker phone.
Fireworks light up the sky at the end of Sartell High School’s graduation ceremony May 30.
Principal Brenda Steve speaks to the senior. Steve is retiring at the end of this school year.
Carter Potthoff was one of the senior class speakers.
To maintain social distancing, seniors stay in or on their vehicles during the ceremony.
To maintain social distancing, seniors and their families staying inside, or in some cases, on their vehicles.
Looking for photos of friends before the ceremony.
More than three dozen people kneel along Pinecone Road Thursday, June 4, for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time George Floyd was pinned on the ground by Minneapolis police.
(From left) Terri Boysen, Lou Jagielski and Joan Thralow with cookies for the soldiers.
At long last, the Teders family of Sartell were able to dine at a restaurant – well, right outside of a restaurant – after weeks of social isolation. Anejos Fine Mexican Cuisine restaurant in Sartell opened for outdoor service June 1 after weeks of take-out orders only. Trent and Meghann Teders and their sons Keelan (left) and Kyler enjoyed a long, leisurely lunch on a warm and windy Sunday, June 7. Said Meghann: “It’s fabulous to be here. It’s much needed after being home so much.”
On a warm and windy June 7, a group of friends gathered for a drink or two at Winner’s Sports Bar and Grill in Sartell. Like other restaurants/bars in the area, Winner’s opened for outdoor service June 1. From left to right are Pat Gorman, Sauk Rapids; Taylor Zimmerman, Sartell; David Kroger, Sartell; Hayley Kosloske, Sartell; and Leah Stock, St. Cloud.
Julianne Fauske and her son Greyson, 4, both of Sartell, purchase honey, fresh onions, and seasoned pretzels June 22 at the Sartell Farmers Market.
Anna Mae Lease visits recently with family outside of Woodcrest of Country Manor after new visitation policies began June 22. Pictured are (left to right) Tom Lease, Debbie Lease, David Curtis and Susan Curtis and Anna Mae Lease (back).
Ansie Sperl visits with Audrey Mueller outside the Country Manor Health Care and Rehabilitation Center in Sartell after new visitation policies began June 22.
Cousins take a stroll along 9th Avenue North in Sartell July 17. They are (left to right) Zoey Mugg, 10; Adeline Loehrer, 10; Dexter Loehrer, 9, and (in the stroller) Charlie Hagberg, 1, all of Sartell.
Paul Lieser, 2, of Sartell, enjoys candy under the pavilion July 17 at the Celebration neighborhood wading pool in Sartell.
Johnny Schneider, 3, of Sartell, cools off July 17 at the Celebration neighborhood wading pool in Sartell.
Gov. Tim Walz receives a social distant greeting from Lori Vrolson, executive director of the Central Minnesota Council on Aging during a visit to Sartell on Aug. 4.
Police and fire operations share Sartell’s new Public Safety Facility.
Locker store each firefighter’s gear.
There is plenty of space for all the fire department’s vehicles.
Principal Zach Dingmann (right) and Assistant Principal Brittney Shoephoerster (far left) greet students and parents as they arrive for open house Sept. 1 at Riverview Intermediate School. In-person classes for the school’s 900 grade three through grade five students begin Tuesday, Sept. 8. Students arriving by bus will enter the east doors and students dropped off by car will enter the west doors. The Riverview mural was painted by art teacher Erin Huot.
A whimsical apple tree towers about joyous young swimmers about to jump from a dock.
A chalk mural celebrating life in Minnesota was made in a burst of spontaneous creativity by a group of artists/friends/children on part of the parking lot at Bernick’s Arena in Sartell.
Summer, swimming, smiles and love. What more could one ask for on a beautiful Sartell day?
Trump supporters (left to right) Lori Bell, of Sartell, Terri Kangas, of Wadena and Emily Larson, of Sartell, sit on a swing and chat Sept. 5 while waiting for the Trump Patriotic Boat Parade to begin.
A boat participating in the Trump Patriotic Boat Parade Sept 5 features an eagle mascot waving the American flag and a Trump campaign flag as shoreline bystanders clap and cheer.
The first of more than 100 boats makes their way down the Mississippi River in Sartell Sept. 5 while bystanders cheer along the road during the Trump Patriotic Boat Parade.
Sartell varsity football players practice with a coach Sept. 29 on the SHS field.
Sartell varsity football players practice Tackle Wheel drills Sept. 29 on the SHS field.
Sartell varsity football players practice proper tackling technique using a football sled Sept. 29 on the SHS field.
Vanessa Tasto, 5, of Sartell, sports an inside-out outfit for Spirit Week Sept. 29 as she cartwheels around the playground at Oak Ridge Early Learning Center.
Friends wave scarves on the playground at Oak Ridge Early Learning Center Sept. 29. They are Aaliyah Ramirez (left) and Evelyn Fronden, both age 5 and of Sartell. Fronden is wearing her sweatshirt inside-out for Spirit Week.
Brookston Konnight, 6, of Sartell, eyes up his soccer goal Sept. 29 while scoring big on his Spirit Week inside-out clothing goal at the Oak Ridge Early Learning Center Playground.
Sartell Sabre Dance Team members show off their steps for an audience of family and friends at the Community Center Oct. 6. The team usually performs at home football games but because of Covid-19 restrictions, those performances were canceled.
Daughters of some of the Sartell-Sauk Rapids MOMS Club have fun with balloons at a residential park in Sartell. From left to right are Riley Stegman, Lauren Spoden, Hazel Maloney, Benelli Ensign and Emma Meling.
Scott and Bridget Hamak of Sartell cruise down a hill and around a bend of the Chapel Trail at St. John’s University Oct. 10.
The Bidinger family of Sartell hikes the Chapel Trail at St. John’s University in Collegeville Oct. 10. They are (left to right) Tiffany; Landyn, 6; Gavin, 10; Rory and Keegan, 14.
Jeffers Foundation facilitator David Grack gathers Riverview Intermediate School teachers before sending them on a hunt to find objects matching the colors on paint sample cards.
Levi Headley, 2, of Sartell, with his mother, Blaire, holds his bucket up to a chute to receive candy from the Sartell fire and police department at the Sartell Community Center Monster Dash Event Oct. 24.
Gru and his Minions collect candy at the Sartell Community Center Oct. 24. They are (left to right) Carsyn Kowalski, 10; Ryan Kowalski, 14; Tate Olson, 3; Tina Kowalski and Taylor OIson, of Sartell.
Ryan Brinker, 8, and his sister Emma, 10, of Sartell, trick-or-treat Oct. 24 at booths set up along Lake Francis and on the sidewalks of the Sartell Community Center. The Sartell Chamber’s event, called “Monster Dash,” was attended by roughly 500 area children and their families.
The Moon family of Sartell chooses a pumpkin at the annual VoigtJohnson pumpkin give-away and food drive Oct. 24. They are (left to right) Mandi, Xander, 7; Josh and Lainey, 4.
In her sewing room, Rosie Nodo creates one of the more than 2,000 anti-virus masks she has sewn and given to people who need them.
Rosie Nodo shows one of her home-made masks from inside a plastic bag hanging on a shepherd’s hook by her driveway at 609 – 2-1/2 St. S. in Sartell.
Jill Steinkopf meticulousy applies paint, stroke by stroke, on “stained-glass butterly” mural art work.
A riot of radiant, pop-out, high-gloss colors stand out brightly from a very old drab brick wall in downtown St. Cloud.
Sartell Citizen of the Year Jessica Lundsetter completes Care Kits at the CLC Free Community Store.
Shannan Houghton and he daughter Lilly wrote “Grounded,” a collection of memories and photos about Sartell in the time of Covid-19.
A ribbon of lights greets visitors who walk the trail around Lake Francis in Sartell. The 33-acre Country Lights display runs through Dec. 31. Because of Covid-19 restrictions some of the traditional events, such as a warming house and a Santa visit, aren’t happening this year and visitors are asked to observe social distancing and mask guidelines. A fireworks display is planned for 7 p.m. Dec. 31.
Kay Peterson, a resident of Edgewood Senior Living, Sartell, holds a framed photo to her window Dec. 15 when Santa asks, “How long has it been since we last saw each other, Kay?”
Rodney Austin of Sartell’s Edgewood Senior Living, receives a surprise visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus Dec. 15. The gift of holiday cheer was arranged for by Express Employment Professionals, of St. Cloud, who sponsored trips to several local assisted living facilities.
