been released yet (that won’t happen until sometime later this month) and the team’s roster is far from being final-ized. But St. Joseph manager

Pat Schneider does expect to have most of his 2012 team back this year. The Saints fin-ished 10-5 last season, good for second place in their divi-

sion of the Lakewood League.“We’ll be a running team,”

said Schneider. “Our team speed has improved quite a

St. Joseph

Reaching EvERybody!

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Baseball • page 4

Willie Jett ready for new superintendent postby TaLeiza Callowaynews@thenewsleaders.com

“Listen.”That is the first order of busi-

ness for Willie Jett when he takes his post as the new superinten-dent of St. Cloud area schools.

“One of my first priorities is listening and building relation-ships, Jett said. “It’s about teach-ing and learning. It’s about the

staff and the students. I want to be in the schools. I want to be visible. I like to be in the action.”

The St. Cloud School Board unanimously voted Feb. 27 to invite Jett to become the next superintendent. Jett will replace Superintendent Bruce Watkins, who will retire June 30.

Jett is an assistant high school superintendent for St. Paul Public Schools. He is excited about his

new role in St. Cloud.“I’m humbled by the oppor-

tunity,” Jett said. “St. Cloud is a wonderful place. I’m just excited to be an educational leader in that environment.”

From his short stay during the community meetings and inter-view last week, he says he could see St. Cloud is a great place to raise a family and a hub of stu-dent support.

“It’s city with small-town feel,” he said. “It’s a college area, and there’s always some-thing to do whether it’s the arts or athletics. I think it’s a great at-mosphere to raise young people.”

The leadership of “We”Jett’s approach to leadership is

a collaborative one. The 48-year-old is quick to tell you that educational leadership is always

St. Joseph baseball goes back to its rootsBy Mark Lauernews@thenewsleaders.com

There may be huge piles of snow on the ground yet, and we will quite possibly see plenty more before the winter season is finally over. But as anyone who follows baseball knows, down in Florida and Arizona the boys of summer are back.

However, the Minnesota Twins are not the only local baseball team itching to get back on the diamond.

The St. Joseph amateur baseball team will soon re-turn also, stretching throwing arms, loosening their batting strokes and giving fans in this town one more reason to look forward to spring and the be-ginning of the 2013 amateur baseball season.

To get the season underway, before any practices or actual games are scheduled, the team will hold its annual fish fry and silent auction fund-raising event on Friday, March 8 from 5- 8 p.m. at the El Paso Sports Bar and Grill.

The 2013 schedule has not

contributed photo

This photo was taken outside the Town Ball Tavern at Target Field in Minneapolis. The photo shows the 1925 St. Joseph Saints baseball team.

Girl wins national photo contestby Dennis Dalmannews@thenewsleaders.com

Lydia Anderson’s parents had to play hush-hush around her for weeks and keep their lips zipped to make sure they wouldn’t spill the beans.

What they knew -- but Ly-dia didn’t -- is that she had won first place in the national “Image Maker Photo Contest” sponsored by the local Boys

contributed photo

This photo won Lydia Ander-son the top prize in a national photo contest sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club.

Jett • page 8

Photo • page 3

Summer Rec ball registration

The St. Joseph Summer Rec evening ball program will be having registration on Saturday, March 9 from 1–4 p.m. at the St. Joseph Fire Hall. This program offers T-ball, pitch ball, softball and baseball for ages 5–14. If you cannot make it for registration or have any questions, please call Sharon at 320-293-3278 or Jen at 320-291-8393.

Nominations sought for Child Care Provider

Members of the community are encouraged to nominate their provider for this well-deserved recognition. Licensed providers within Stearns and Benton coun-ties who have had at least three years experience are eligible. Let-ters should describe how a care-giver exhibits special competency, demonstrates professional skills or has made a positive impact on the lives of young children. Each county’s recipient of this award will be honored at the annual Provider Appreciation Banquet Friday, May 8 in the St. Cloud area. Letters can be emailed to Provider of the Year Committee at sbccaofmn@gmail.com. Letters must be received by April 1 in order for a provider to be consid-ered for the 2013 Provider of the Year. For more information, visit www.sbccaofmn.com.

AgStar now accepting senior scholarship apps

The AgStar Fund for Rural America, the corporate giving program of AgStar Financial Ser-vices, is now accepting appli-cations for its high school se-nior scholarship program, which awards up to 20 students with $1,000 scholarships. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA and live in AgStar’s local service area. Appli-cants are selected based on ac-ademic achievement, leadership characteristics and community involvement. Four winners will be chosen from each of AgStar’s five regions. Applications must be postmarked by April 1 to be considered. For more informa-tion, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.

Daylight Savings beginsDaylight Savings Time begins

at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10. Res-idents should turn clocks ahead one hour.

and Girls Club and its Kidstop programs. Her parents, Jason and Gina of St. Joseph, had to keep it a secret so Lydia would be suprised at a special presen-tation Feb. 28 at the Food Court in Crossroads Center. And sur-prised she was! She was very pleased and honored to get such an award.

Lydia is a fifth-grader at Sar-tell Middle School.

What is unusual and re-markable is that last year Ly-dia’s brother, Lance, also won first place in the same na-tional photo contest, when he was a second-grader at Pine

a restroom that will be acces-sible to all, a kitchen and a fellowship hall with the ca-pacity to hold 250 people. The hope is the fellowship hall will be used for weddings or other family events. There are two steps leading to the bathroom now, hence the need for a more easily accessible one, Sandy Scholz, business manager for the church, said previously.

Scholz said construction has not interfered with church op-erations. Access to and from the church has not been lim-ited, but parking has been. She said parishioners have re-ally stepped up to help in this area, including driving golf carts from the parking lot along College Avenue to the door of the church for those who need assistance. All are eager to have the extra space, Scholz said.

“It’s going well,” Scholz said of the project. “We’re moving right along.”

The design of the new addi-tion was done by Hagemeister

and Mack Architects Inc. of St. Cloud. The general contractor for the project is Breitbach Con-struction Co. of Elrosa.

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Mark Lauer

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If any readers have tips concerning crimes, they should call the St. Joseph Police Department at 363-8250 or Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 255-1301 or access its tip site at www.tricountycrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers offers rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for crimes.

Feb. 65:31 a.m. CR 75. DWI. Officer

stopped intoxicated individual who was driving. Individual failed the road tests and the breath tests.

Feb. 77:02 a.m. Custody dispute. Baker

Street E. Couple currently separated. Wife said she was trying to get the children ready for school and that the husband was being difficult. Husband stated he came to get his wife to do taxes and to see his children. Both parties were advised to get the issue handled with the court. Husband left.

Feb. 810:53 p.m. Noise complaint. Old

Hwy. 52. Complaint of kids in the middle of the road making noise. Of-

ficer checked and kids had moved on towards downtown.

Feb. 118:32 a.m. Personal assist. Bak-

er Street E. Two-year-old daughter locked mother out of the house and was inside alone. Officer was able to get a master key from the apartment manager and get the door open.

12:40 P.M. Verbal dispute. Elena Lane. Both parties agreed to talk prob-lems out tonight and if it became a problem they would call police or one of them would have to leave.

Feb. 151:23 p.m. Complaint of email

scam. 6th Avenue SE. Female reported she had received an email from what appeared to be the FBI. She did not print off the email but wrote down some things that were on it. That sheet will be scanned in with the initial-complaint report. Officer advised her that this was scam and not to respond.

Feb. 1710:00 a.m. Lost ID. College Av-

enue N. A Kidstop ID was turned

into the police station. Officer made contact with Kidstop and people there requested it be returned to them via U.S. mail.

10:16 a.m. Fraud. Baker Street E. Female reported that someone had opened a bank account in her name, using her social security number and date of birth. The bank is an online legitimate bank, but she said she never opened an account with them. Female said she made contact with the bank and is working on dealing with the credit bureaus to get this matter re-solved and protected. She is not out any money at this time. Part of the letter sent by the bank will be scanned.

Feb. 188:28 p.m. Fire. Island Lake Road,

Collegeville Township. Stearns Coun-ty Sheriff’s Department and Avon and St. Joseph fire departments responded to a residential fire. Homeowner was home and said the fire started in the chimney on the southeast side of the residence. Nobody was injured from the fire. Both fire departments were able to get the fire under control.

Eight local students have been named to the dean’s list for the 2012 fall semester at the College of St. Benedict. They are:

Gabrielle Volkers, daughter of Scott and Lisa Volkers of St. Joseph. Volkers is a junior biology major at CSB.

Adelaide Carlson, daughter of Thomas and Michelle Carlson of St. Joseph. Carlson is a first-year en-vironmental studies major at CSB.

Jessica Alkire, daughter of Mary and Doug Alkire of Sartell. Alkire is a sophomore English major at CSB.

Brandi Bollig, daughter of John Bollig of Sartell. Bollig is a first-year chemistry major at CSB.

Nikki Orth-Awenus, daugh-ter of Holly Orth of Sartell. Or-th-Awenus is a junior biology major at CSB.

Ariel Reischl, daughter of Alan and Sherri Reischl of Sartell. Reis-

chl is a senior nursing major at CSB.Gabrielle Ross, daughter of

Chuck and Marilyn Ross of Sartell. Ross is a sophomore nursing major at CSB.

Cassandra Spoden, daughter of Brenda and Gary Spoden of Sartell. Spoden is a first-year nursing major at CSB.

To be included on the dean’s list, students must have a grade-point average of at least 3.80 and

have completed 12 credits for which honor points (A, B, C, etc.) are awarded. Students included on the dean’s list cannot have any “unsatis-factory” or “incomplete” grades for that semester.

Christian Gaetz of St. Joseph, a freshman majoring in mathemat-ics and physics, was named to the dean’s list with a 4.0 grade-point average at the University of Min-

nesota’s College of Science and Engineering - Twin Cities.

Each semester, that school rec-ognizes superior academic perfor-mance by emailing students a letter from the dean and making notations on their transcripts.

To be on the CSE Dean’s List, a student must complete at least 12 credits of A-F registration, earn a semester grade-point average of at least 3.666 and receive no N grades.

Church expansion on schedule despite snowy Februaryby TaLeiza Callowaynews@thenewsleaders.com

Construction work in Minne-sota can’t escape delays from freezing temperatures. Work goes on, and such is the case for the Church of St. Joseph’s “Making Room at Our Table.” The building project that in-cludes the construction of a fellowship hall is slated for completion July 1, despite the recent snowy weather.

Ken Braseth, project superin-tendent for Breitbach Construc-tion Co., said his crew lost a few days in February due to the winter, but the project is still on schedule. They often work through the elements when they can.

“In Minnesota you will al-ways catch a bite from the win-ter,” Braseth said. “The weather

is always a factor. It delayed us a little, but we’ll make our July 1 deadline. That’s the most im-portant thing.”

This February was the ninth snowiest on record for the St. Cloud area, according to a weather report from St. Cloud State University meteorologist Bob Weisman. The area re-tained 16.8 inches of snow last month, according to the report.

As the weather starts to break up, progress continues with plans to close up the win-dows of the church structure. Pouring concrete for the floors could start as early as today (March 8th), Braseth said.

The project cost is about $1.8 million. There are four areas to the “Making Room at Our Table” building project. They are a gathering space or large entrance into the church,

photo by TaLeiza Calloway

Breitbach Construction Co. workers Lee Olmschenk (center) and Scott Detloff (left) work on the church expansion project Feb. 27.

Apply online at www.bweclean.com or call 320-251-4385.

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Friday, March 8, 2013 St. Joseph Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com 3

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The St. Joseph Park Board announced the winners of the Joetown Snowtown Medal-lion Hunt Monday, Feb. 25. They are Carl and Amy Wil-liams of St. Joseph. The Wil-liams family braved the cold and found the medallion that turned out to be frozen to the bottom of the donation box at Memorial Park. The Williams family won a $25 gift certif-icate to Bello Cucina, a $25 gift certificate to Coborn’s, a $30 gift certificate to Lee’s Ace Hardware in St. Joseph, a $10 gift certificate to On a Lark, two wine baskets and a beer basket.

contributed photo

St. Joseph Park Board Chairman John Anderson shakes the hand of one of Amy (center) and Carl Williams’ children Feb. 25 at City Hall. The Williams family is the winner of the Joetown Snow-town Medallion Hunt that was held Saturday, Feb. 16.

Medallion Hunt winners announcedPhotofrom front page

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“Helping one animal won’t change the world … but it will change the

world for that one animal!”

Dogs - 9 Puppies - 3 Cats - 22 Rabbits - 3 Rat - 1

Meet Butterscotch, a 5-year old spayed Rex Rabbit mix who was surrendered because she and her 2 other bunny friends became too much responsibility for her previous owner. Butterscotch has lived with all ages of children and we are told that she likes being held. Her favorite snacks include apples and parsley. Don’t let yourself start think-ing about adopting Butterscotch for Easter. Stick to chocolate bunnies for Easter and the real furry ones for someone ready for a lifetime commitment.

Meadow Elementary School. One day, Lance was stunned to speechlessness when teach-ers led him into a gymnasium filled with students who burst out clapping and cheering. The students had been tipped off earlier for the sake of the sur-prise. They cheered again when Lance learned shortly after en-tering the gymnasium that he’d won first place for his photo of two entwined trees he took during a family trip to Ontario, Canada.

Lydia entered her winning photo last year, but because of some confusion about entrants in the national contest, it took a long time for the results to be announced to parents.

For her category, Lydia chose essay-photo, which required her to write a short essay on the theme of “My Future Looks Bright” and to submit, along with the essay, a photo that evokes that theme.

For her photo, Lydia submit-ted one she took in the summer of 2011 while sitting in an apple tree at the Willmar home of grandparents Gene and Gloria Hippe. On that summer day, Lydia noticed her shadow was on the ground beneath the ap-ple tree. She arranged herself so that one of her shadow hands on the ground looked as

if it was just about to pick an apple. Then, using one hand, she snapped the photo, show-ing part of the tree branches and the shadow hand ready to pluck the apple.

In her essay, Lydia stated the apple symbolizes her happy future while the shadow evokes the uncertainty of life on her way to her goal. She concluded her essay with confidence -- that despite uncertainties she is determined to reach that goal.

Besides her enjoyment of photography, Lydia also likes art, soccer and running. A newer hobby is her learning how to hunt with her father.

Lydia’s parents and her brother are all proud of her first-place honor.

“Oh, my goodness,” said her mother. “She was very creative in how she designed and set up that photo before she took it.”

Friday, March 8, 2013St. Joseph Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com4

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bit, and I expect some of our younger players are going to help out a lot.”

Schneider doesn’t expect this year’s team to be remem-bered for its home-run pow-erbut will make up for it with quickness and a solid defense.

“Just watching the young guys and how they develop as ballplayers is going to be a treat for the fans,” he added.

Reclassification rumorsLast November, Schneider

learned that the Minnesota Baseball Association state board, which oversees ama-teur baseball in Minnesota, wanted St. Joseph reclassified (bumped up) from Class C to Class B. In addition, the Sartell Muskies were also considered for reclassification.

“They (the MBA state board) wanted to create a larger Class B,” Schneider said in explain-ing the reason for the pro-posed move. “There were only 30 teams in Class B and they wanted 45. There just wasn’t a lot of parity in Class B.”

There are three classifica-tions among the state’s 300

Baseballfrom front page

amateur teams. Class A is re-served for teams from the Min-neapolis-St. Paul metro area. There are only four Class A leagues in Minnesota.

Teams in Class B are gener-ally from larger outstate towns or teams that have won the Class C championship. Their rosters generally feature a good number of college play-ers, many of whom compete at the Division I or Division II level. Because of the ex-tra college talent, the caliber of pitching is what separates Class B from Class C baseball, according to Schneider.

Class C is where the ma-jority of Minnesota baseball teams compete. A Class C team cannot have any cur-rent college players on its ros-ter, unless that player has an established residence in that town or within a 30-mile ra-dius of the town. There are no current college players on the St. Joseph roster.

Schneider, along with other Class C managers in the Lake-wood League, knew that their teams couldn’t compete in Class B. They made plans dur-ing the winter to fight reclas-sification.

At the January MBA meet-ing, Schneider went before

the board and argued his te-am’s case for staying in Class C. At one point he told the state board that the five Class

contributed photo

The new scoreboard being installed at the Schneider Field last year. The scoreboard was largely the result of a donation by Sentry Bank President Greg Reinhart, plus other private donations and the efforts of the St. Joseph Park Board.

C teams (St. Joseph, Sartell, Clear Lake, Litchfield and Sauk Rapids Jimmy’s Hurricanes) were ready to break away from the Lakewood League and form their own “Class C only” league.

The final result is that the five Class C squads will form the renamed Sauk Valley League, while the four remain-ing Class B Lakewood teams (Sauk Rapids Cyclones, Cold Spring Springers, Brainerd Bees and St. Cloud Ultimate Snappers) would have their own division. The teams from the Sauk Valley League will play each other twice during the 2013 season and will have one game against each of the Lakewood League teams.

In addition to playing in a new-look league, this season St. Joseph will also go back to using its original nickname. The team will again be called the Joes, after being known as the Saints since 2000. The team will be wearing new uni-forms and caps to go along with the name change.

Baseball heritageAmateur baseball has been

a part of life in St. Joseph since the early-1900s. St. Jo-seph’s original baseball field was located in the southeast end of town back then, but

70 years ago the Loso family donated land to the city on the west side and designated that property to be used for park and recreational use. That land is where Memorial Park, so-named in dedication to the soldiers of World War II, can be found today.

St. Joseph had two teams in the powerful Great Soo League back in the early 1900s, the Joes and the Saints. When the Great Soo League broke up in the mid-1960s, the orig-inal Sauk Valley League was formed, and the Joes became a charter member. The Joes were very successful during their time in the SVL, making regular appearances in region and state tournaments.

The baseball diamond is sit-uated in a large bowl, flanked by Old US Highway 52 on one side and the Park Terrace neighborhood on the other. In 2002, the field was renamed Schneider Field in recognition of the many years the Don Schneider (Pat’s father) family has spent fostering amateur and youth baseball in town. Many improvements have been made to the playing field, the stands and concession area in recent years.

Last year a new scoreboard was put up behind the out-field fence. The funding for the new scoreboard came as a result of a large donation by Greg Reinhart, President of Sentry Bank, which also spawned other private dona-tions and the efforts of the St. Joseph Park Board.

“We have had a long base-ball tradition in this town,” says Schneider, “and we’ve been pretty successful and played some entertaining baseball for the most part. I hope the fans can support us.”

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Walk-ins Welcome

Can you name locations of melting snowhills?by Cori Hilsgennews@thenewsleaders.com

This past weekend’s sunny skies and warm weather cre-ated many puddles for pedestri-ans to walk around or through. Large snow piles around town began reducing in size.

Central Minnesota saw record amounts of snow dur-ing the month of February. More than 16 inches of snow was recorded, compared to an average of about 7 inches. The record February snow in the area totaled more than 21 inches in 1971. This year’s Feb-ruary snowfall is listed as one of the top nine years of snow.

To help ensure that streets are driveable, snowplow driv-ers have worked hard to pile snow in parking lots and other areas. With the warm weather, some of those snow piles are melting.

Area residents are trying to guess when the hills might be gone and when they can start enjoying the spring weather.

Can you guess where each of the snow hills is located?

Photo 5This hill is located near a college.

photos by Cori Hilsgen

Photo 1This snow hill is well hidden by shrubs but is still visible.

Photo 2This hill is located in a downtown parking lot.

Photo 3This hill is located near a park.

Photo 4This hill is located near a school.

Bromenschenkel to host coffee meet

The public is invited to a listening session with Stearns County Commissioner Mark Bromenschenkel from 11 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 9 at Liquid Assets coffee shop in Sartell.

It is located at 1091 2nd St. S.

Bromenschenkel represents people in District 2, which in-cludes Sartell, St. Joseph and Waite Park. He also represents the townships of LeSauk, St. Joseph and St. Wendel.

“Co f f e e w i t h Bromenschenkel” is typically held the first Saturday of every month and alternates among the three cities mentioned above.

Those who cannot attend the March 9 meeting con con-tact Bromenshenkel by phone (320-493-9180) by email at mark .b romenschenke l@co.strearns.mn.us or at P.O. Box 190, Sartell, MN 56377.

Friday, March 8, 2013St. Joseph Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com6

Opinion

Fairness and ethicsNewsleader staff members have the respon-

sibility to report news fairly and accurately and are accountable to the public. Readers who feel we’ve fallen short of these standards are urged to call the Newsleader office at 363-7741.

If matters cannot be resolved locally, readers are encouraged to take complaints to the Min-nesota News Council, an independent agency designed to improve relationships between the public and the media and resolve conflicts. The council office may be reached at 612-341-9357.

Our View

TaLeizaCalloway

Reporter

City council votes are taken and new rules debut. It happens so often it is easy to lose track of changes in area cities. Several new laws take effect this month in St. Joseph, and it’s important for residents to note what they are and how they will be affected by them.

One rule launching this month is the intro-duction of a street-lighting utility fee. Elected officials voted 3-2 to adopt the fee that will be collected citywide for street lighting. Col-lection is set to begin this month. The street-lighting utility fee is based on a per-unit sys-tem and is not as simple as paying for the light by one’s home, according to city officials.

Residents will see an increase of $18 per year, and businesses will see an increase of about $20 per year, St. Joseph City Adminis-trator Judy Weyrens said last month.

Street lighting is generally included in the city’s property-tax levy, but in December 2012 officials voted to remove it and institute a street-light utility fee. By pulling the street-lighting expense from the levy, instead of residents and businesses paying taxes to the county for street lighting, they will pay the city directly every two months.

The city also adopted laws to help deter underage drinking in the community. They in-clude a requirement for residents to apply for a permit to have kegs at gatherings, a social-host ordinance and a disruptive=intoxication ordinance. The vote, taken in January, was 4-1 with opposition to the social host ordinance due to potential court costs to uphold it.

Specifically, the social-host ordinance is a law that holds people criminally responsible for hosting events or gatherings where people under the age of 21 possess or consume al-cohol regardless of whether the event’s host supplied the alcohol.

The disruptive-intoxication law states no person, while intoxicated, in a public place shall conduct himself or herself so as to be a danger to themselves or others and or engage in a public disruption. While all change is a transition, awareness of them can help with adjustment.

As time passes after council meetings and public hearings, it is easy to forget about what happened a few months ago. Often people can’t make it to council meetings and might not be able to sit down a read a newspaper and watch the rebroadcast of a city meeting. Well, it’s important to take the time to learn about changes that affect you in your com-munity. Meeting minutes are available on the city’s website (www.cityofstjoseph.com), and copies of meeting minutes can be requested at city hall. Stay informed and abreast with the changes.

New laws take effect, so note the changes

Women’s History Month gets introduction with iconic statueThere’s no better way to kick off

Women’s History Month than to honor a woman whose single act of courage launched a movement that continues to-day.

A statue of Rosa Parks was unveiled recently in Washington, D.C. She is the first African-American to get a full-length statue in the Capitol’s National Statutory Hall. I have only two words in response to this occurrence: Well deserved.

Parks, a civil rights pioneer, is known for her refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgom-ery, Ala. This was in 1955 when racial segregation was the law of the land and people of color were required to sit in the back in the bus. Parks, 42 at the time, was arrested but it didn’t stop there. Her arrest launched a yearlong boycott that eventu-ally led to the integration of Montgom-ery’s buses. In 1956, the Supreme Court banned segregation on public transporta-tion. Decades later, the nation marvels at the fact that our country is led by the first African-American President. Parks was a fearless leader, and the courage she displayed inspired others to fight for

equality for all people.The statue depicts Parks sitting on the

bus, clutching her purse and looking out the window. The structure is 9 feet tall and is made of bronze. The civil rights heroine is worthy of celebration as are other female trailblazers. While Women’s History Month is a time when the world stops to reflect on the contributions of women and the strides made throughout time, this is something that should be on-going. This recognition does and should continue to happen. Parks died in 2005 at the age of 92, but her legacy lives on.

The unveiling of the statue last week was celebrated by President Barack Obama who spoke during a ceremony, along with a host of congressional lead-ers and members of Parks’ family. Obama said Parks’ action should inspire us all today, according to a news article in USA

Today. It inspired me. I was proud to see her statue on the cover of the newspaper. I thought it was a great launching pad for the month of March. The Parks statue was unveiled Feb. 27, one day before the end of Black History month and on the same day the Supreme Court heard arguments centered on the Voting Rights Act. Signed in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson, the law requires several states and counties with a history of racial discrimination to clear election-related changes with the federal government. While the Supreme Court’s four liberal justices appeared willing to back the Vot-ing Rights Act, conservative justices were much more critical of the law during the discussion, according to media reports. No matter when the tribute to Parks was revealed to the world, I thought it was a wonderful reflection of how far we’ve come. It’s easy to be inundated with various reasons to celebrate within one month. Whether it is women’s history, St. Patrick’s Day or other holidays, there is often an occasion to celebrate. This was definitely one of those times.

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Antonin Scalia should do the country a favor and resign from his lifelong job as U.S. Supreme Court justice.

Recently, Scalia described the 1965 Voting Rights Act as a “continuation of racial entitlement.” It is possible that the conservative-majority Supreme Court could overturn that historic act, one of the seminal forces for civil rights in this nation. Any court official who would choose the word “entitlement” to de-scribe voting rights has been living in a bubble, far removed from current realities – especially the realities of blatant voter-suppression efforts in the last presidential election. This despicable thicket of voter-suppression efforts in many states and cities – still ongoing, by the way – takes many devious forms: stopping early-day voting options and Election Day voter registration and the requirement for vot-ers to present various kinds of documen-tation (including photo IDs) before they can vote. The rationales for those efforts is to squelch “voter fraud,” despite the fact that fraud is virtually nonexistent.

Voter-suppression is one reason for the long lines and all-day waits for so many voters last year. Those “waiters” included blacks, the elderly and college students – the very demographic groups inclined to vote for Democrats.

Scalia and at least two other conser-vative high-court justices think there is no need for the Voting Rights Act because, they claim, there has been so much progress toward racial equality and polling-place procedures since 1965.

Yes, thankfully, there has been progress since the dark days of Jim Crow voter suppression in the Deep South with its literacy tests and poll taxes. But to think there is no more need for a Voting Rights Act is a delusion, at best. Judging by the suppression efforts still going strong, we need that Act more than ever. In fact, it should be rewritten so it covers people of all races and so that it bans all states and localities from concocting voter-sup-pression schemes, period. If that Act is nixed by the Supreme Court, suppression efforts could multiply here, there and everywhere like the fleas that brought the plague.

Scalia’s describing the Voting Rights Act as an “entitlement” is a huge insult to all of the good people – mostly blacks – who fought such a long, patient, often-bloody battle to bring about the right to vote. As a highly-educated man and a long-time jurist, Scalia ought to know better. He should understand that “prog-ress” is often brought about by laws and that repealing those laws can result in backsliding into the old unjust ways. Sca-lia should also realize that vital battles so hard-fought and won to establish equal rights for all Americans should not have

to be re-fought all over again. And that’s what has been happening in recent years -- reactionary politicians trying to repeal all kinds of long-established progressive accomplishments (Social Security and Medicare are just two other examples), making it necessary for people to spend precious time fighting those same battles again. Meantime, as people fight to retain what was once gained, the nation’s most important problems – and opportunities – go unheeded.

Wouldn’t it be good if Scalia could meet with the martyrs of the voting-rights movement? People like James Chaney, a young black man; and his two young white friends from the North, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner. While trying to register blacks and poor-white voters in Mississippi in 1964, those three were intimidated, beaten and shot to death at point-blank range, execution-style, by thugs belonging to the “White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan,’’ a rac-ist gaggle that included a sheriff and a Baptist preacher. The bodies were found 44 days later, buried in an earthen dam. Their murders and the corrupt justice systems in the South caused a national outrage that led directly to passage of the Voting Rights Act.

If those martyrs could talk, they would tell Scalia they didn’t work and die for a temporary Voting Rights Act; they worked and died, along with many others, for a permanent Act that would guarantee all Americans the right to vote once and for all and forever.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 must never be nixed Dennis Dalman

Editor

Friday, March 8, 2013 St. Joseph Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com 7

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Fish fry, sponsored by St. Jo-seph Joes Baseball Team, 5-8 p.m., El Paso Sports Bar and Grill.

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Community Fire Hall. www.stjo-sephchamber.com.

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John’s Preparatory School, 1857 Watertower Road, Collegeville. 1-800-RED CROSS or visit red-crossblood.org.

Fish Fry buffet, sponsored by the Sno Joes Snowmobile Club, from 5-8:30 p.m. at the El Paso Club, St. Joseph.

Community Calendar

St. Joseph business leads in fundraiser honoring officerby TaLeiza Callowaynews@thenewsleaders.com

The men and women who work at Casey’s General Store in St. Joseph might not have known Tom Decker personally but know his death has left a community in mourning. The St. Joseph busi-ness is one of several locations selling T-shirts and pins in me-morial of the Cold Spring police officer who was shot and killed in November.

The St. Joseph store is leading in sales of the items whose pro-ceeds will allow members of the

Cold Spring-Richmond Police De-partment to travel to Washington, D.C. to see Decker’s name in-scribed on the National Law En-forcement Officers Memorial in May. The Memorial honors fed-eral, state and local law-enforce-ment officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its people. It features two curving, 304-foot-long blue-gray marble walls. Carved on these walls are the names of more than 19,000 officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history, dating back to the first

known death in 1791, accord-ing to www.nleomf.org. Unlike many other memorials in Wash-ington, D.C., the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is an ever-changing one with new names of fallen officers added to the monument each spring, in conjunction with National Police Week.

The goal is to raise $10,000. Joan Willenbring, manager of the Casey’s store in Richmond, said fundraising efforts started a few months ago in Richmond to sup-port Decker’s family and friends and the mission grew to other lo-

cations participating in cities that include St. Joseph, Waite Park, Foley and St. Cloud. All locations are selling the pins and T-shirts. From the selling of cookies with Decker’s badge number on them to the commemorative pins and T-shirts, many have stepped up to make sure Decker is not only remembered but is saluted when his name is put on the wall. Wil-lenbring said the goal is make it so the officers can attend the week-long event that includes the inscription. Any money left over will be used to enhance officer safety and update equipment.

One piece of equipment the de-partment plans to buy is camera equipment for squad cars. Wil-lenbring said if this type of tech-nology had been in the vehicle the night of the shooting, footage could have aided in determining the shooting suspect.

Willenbring collects the money raised from the stores in St. Joseph, Waite Park and St. Cloud. She dropped off about 200 pins and they are almost gone. Sales are steady in St. Joseph.

“The St. Joseph store is doing an excellent job,” Willenbring

Officer • page 8

said. “I’ve had to go there twice already to pick up (donations).”

Teresa Kruger-Lahr of St. Jo-seph is an assistant manager at the Casey’s store in St. Joseph. She said the community has re-ally rallied behind the fundrais-ing efforts.

“The support has been amaz-ing,” Kruger-Lahr said.

Ryan Nuckolls is also an assis-tant manager at the Casey’s store in St. Joseph. He said within one week, the store sold 10 T-shirts and about 23 pins. Customers are curious about the navy blue shirts near the cash register.

“They are happy to see (this effort) here,” Nuckolls said. “I think people are more apt to support it in this area because of what happened to Klinefelter.”

Brian Klinefelter was a St. Joseph police officer who was shot and killed after stopping a vehicle carrying three liquor store robbery suspects in 1996.

Police Officer Tom Decker was shot and killed Nov. 29, 2012 as he and his partner performed a welfare check on a man whose family believed was suicidal.

Officers had attempted to make contact with the subject at his apartment but were not successful. They returned to the scene approximately two hours later. As Officer Decker exited his patrol car in an alley behind

the apartment, he was ambushed and shot twice with a 20-gauge shotgun. He was fatally wounded despite wearing his vest. He was 31.

Decker served with the Cold Spring Police Department for six years. He had previously served with the Isle Police Department and Kimball Police Department for an additional four years. He is survived by his wife and four children.

The pins are $5. The T-shirts are available in sizes small through XXXL. The cost is $15 for sizes S-XL and $20 for sizes XXL and XXXL. Willenbring said eventually the shirts will be dis-counted. The front of the shirt has a shield on it that includes Decker’s badge number. The

back of the shirt has a scripture from the Bible book of Mat-thew. Specifically, the scripture

is Matthew 5: 19: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.”

Friday, March 8, 2013St. Joseph Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com8

Russell Eyecare & Associates15 E. Minnesota St., Suite 107, St. Joseph(320) 433-4326 www.russelleyecare.com Christie Russell-Villnow, O.D.

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Jettfrom front page

about the student and working together with teachers, parents and the community to benefit them.

“It’s a we (approach),” he said. “It’s never about me. It’s al-ways about a student and what’s in the best interest of students and young people, and what are we going to do together to bene-fit young people.”

Jett has a master’s degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh. He spent nine years in the classroom and is in his 12th year as an administrator in Minnesota. He’s worked in ur-ban and suburban schools. What attracted him to St. Cloud is not only its size but its diversity and community involvement in the

betterment of student success.A product of Osseo schools,

he grew up in the Brooklyn Park area. He has taught in the Ano-ka-Hennepin School District, Os-seo, Hopkins and Minneapolis area schools. He admits to miss-ing his days in the classroom but enjoys the access he has to more students beyond the classroom as an administrator.

“I love the classroom, he said. “I love the one-on-one interac-tion with students . . . As an administrator I’ve been able to expand my role.”

When he became an admin-istrator, itt gave him a chance to interact with all students within a school building. This is some-thing that he’s fortunate to expe-rience in St. Paul.

“Our superintendent values her administrators being in build-ings,” he said. “So I get a chance to be in buildings two to three

Name: Willie Jett

Age: 48

Family: Wife Tamara. Two chil-dren: son Drake, 11; daughter Jasmine, 9.

Education:

Education: Master’s degree from University

of Pittsburgh; bachelor’s degree in physical ed-ucation from the University of Chicago.

Hobbies/Likes: Attending great performances and traveling.

Favorite Quote: “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”- Ghandi

times a week. That’s one of the things I love.”

Family valuesWhen asked to name one thing

someone might be surprised to know about him, his answer is not singular. It’s an ongoing daily task that forces him to self-reflect on his value of family.

“On a daily basis I ask myself, ‘How am I as a father and what is my own kids’ view of me?’” He also reflects daily on his partner-ship with his wife Tamara. They have two children -- son Drake, 11; and daughter Jasmine, 9.

When he’s not working or spending time with his family, he enjoys a good performance.

“I like to watch people per-form,” he said. “It can be a musician, and if they’re good at their craft, I like to watch them perform. If it’s an athletic event, I like to watch them perform.”

Jett will start his new job July 1.

Officerfrom page 7

photo by TaLeiza Calloway

Ryan Nuckolls, an assistant manager at Casey's General Store in St. Joseph, replaces one of the T-shirts honoring slain Cold Spring/Richmond Police officer Tom Decker. The St. Joseph store is one of several stories selling the shirts and commemo-rative pins to honor Decker.