Features (1071)
By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
Dr. Dennis Goodwin’s contract was approved to offer at a special meeting of the NRHEG school board on Monday, May 6.
Dr. Goodwin, currently Superintendent of Schools in Platte-Geddes district, South Dakota, was selected for the position of Superintendent to replace departing NRHEG Superintendent Kevin Wellen.
A National School Board Association contract was drawn up by facilitator Ed Waltman at South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC).
The contract is a standard three-year contract for 2013-2016, starting Dr. Goodwin at $106,000 and increasing 1.25 percent per year over the three years.
The total salary plus benefits will be $149,432 for the first year, $152,948 the second year, and $156,089 the third year.
The New Richland Area Foundation Fund made its second round of grant announcements during the April 22 New Richland City Council meeting.
There for the announcement were NRAFF Grants Committee members Kermit Schoenrock, Pam Goehring, Matt Harrington and Gail Schmidt.
A total of four grants amounting to $3,500 were announced.
They were:
• $1,000 — Dave Dunnette representing the Sportsman’s Club for improvements being made to the pavilion at St. Olaf Lake Park.
Irene Supalla fondly recalls life as a farm wife
RIGHT AT HOME — Irene Supalla feels right at home living at Whispering Oak in Ellendale, and looks back fondly at her many years as a farm wife. (Star Eagle photo by Rachel Rietsema)
By RACHEL RIETSEMA
Staff Writer
The Whispering Oak assisted living facility and Irene Supalla are pretty good buddies at the moment. I mean, for crying out loud, the sunshine beams in her bedroom in the daytime and the sun sets outside her living room windows.
Even just kicking it back on the couch with crocheting tools is good enough for Supalla.
“I’ve made all three of my daughters table clothes and doilies,” Supalla said.
“And, how do you like my new curtains?” she asked.
Well, you see, she called her oldest son Michael and asked for her sewing machine so she could whip up some new ones. She absolutely didn’t like looking at bare windows anymore.
Final sermons set for this Sunday
FINAL SUNDAY — Pastor Gary Rusinko will deliver his final sermons at Zion Lutheran and St. Paul’s Lutheran this Sunday, May 12. (Star Eagle photo by Kathy Paulsen)
By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
Some individuals have a special zest for living. They are interested and committed to doing many things. Such an individual is Pastor Gary Rusinko.
“Pastor Gary” has been an important and successful participant in various occupations that always seemed to be serving others, which he did and continued as he became a minister of God's Word.
Rusinko and his wife, Penny, grew up in Northeast Minneapolis. He served with the Rochester Police Department for six years, and attended Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Rochester.
He then decided to change his profession, and went to work for Mills Fleet Farm in Lakeville. The family moved and joined Hosanna Lutheran Church.
Rusinko was active at both churches where he and his family had been members, but he came to believe that he needed to serve his Lord as a minister.
During his 16 years with Fleet Farm, he worked his way up, finishing as store manager before he was called into the Ministry. Fleet Farm permitted him to attend Luther Seminary while he continued to work for the company.
Rusinko started at Luther Seminary in 1990 and graduated in 1994. He accepted his first call, to a two-point parish with Zion Lutheran of rural Lemond and St. Paul’s Lutheran at Meriden, in 1995.
Both churches where he has been serving are fairly new buildings. Both the Zion Lutheran Church and the St. Paul’s congregation lost their churches to fire, in 1991 and 2000, and went on to rebuild.
Rusinko has performed a large number of baptisms, weddings and funerals, visited a great number of people in the hospital and nursing homes over the years, confirmed many students in the Lutheran faith, as well as lead a great number of worship services, including special holiday services at Easter and Christmas, something he will miss.
Over the years, Rusinko has been involved with coaching football and golf in Owatonna. He started out volunteering his time with the football program at the Owatonna High School, and was later hired as one of their varsity and B-Squad coaches, and has been coaching there for the past 14 years. He also helps with the boys’ golf team, and hopes to be able to continue coaching after he retires from the ministry.
Rusinko appreciates being able to get to know a large number of high school kids over the years. He has really enjoyed seeing many of them after they graduated. During their visits, he has been able to learn about what careers they pursued, as well as about their families. Keeping in touch with people has been a rewarding part of his life.
Gary and Penny have three children, Brian, Kari and Holly. Brian is married and the father of two daughters, and he and his family live in Dallas – Ft. Worth, Texas area. Neither Kari or Holly are married at this time. Kari lives in New York and Holly lives in Florida.
Gary and Penny are looking forward to being able to travel more after he retires and hope to be able to spend more time visiting with their children.
Penny has had a rewarding career as well. She began working with the American Bank in Mendota Heights while the Rusinkos lived in Lakeville, and she continues there now, commuting every day.
Due to Rusinko’s retirement, the family had to go house hunting, as they would no longer be able to live in the church parsonage. They are pleased they were able to find a home in Owatonna.
In retirement, Rusinko plans on doing woodworking, playing golf and working around the house. He also plans on looking into Habitat for Humanity in the Owatonna and Waseca areas, as well as the Grandparents for Education program in Owatonna.
We wish him a very blessed retirement and hope he continues to live a rich and happy life.
On Sunday, April 28, St. Paul’s Lutheran at Meriden held an Open House for Pastor Gary, and Zion Lutheran held a farewell party for Pastor Rusinko on Saturday May 4.
Pastor Rusinko will lead his last worship services with these congregations on Sunday, May 12th.
Best selling author to speak in Waseca
On Saturday, May 11, inspirational speaker and best selling author Don Piper will speak at the Central Intermediate School Auditorium in Waseca. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the program will begin at 7. Piper is author of the book, “90 Minutes In Heaven.” There is no charge for admission.
Waldorf Area Garage Sales this weekend
Waldorf Area Garage Sales will be held Friday, May 10 from 3-8 p.m. and Saturday, May 11 from 7 a.m. to Noon. Maps available at Dave’s.
TECHNOLOGY GRANT — The New Richland Area Foundation Fund presented a grant for $7,196 to NRHEG Schools April 19. From left: Matt Harrington, Kermit Schoenrock, Karen Buum, Gail Schmidt, Angie Aaseth and Rick Schultz. (Submitted photo)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The first round of 2013 grant presentations is in the books for the New Richland Area Foundation Fund.
On a snowy morning Friday, April 19, members of the NRAFF Grants Committee traveled to NRHEG Elementary School in Ellendale to present a check for $7,196 to NRHEG Schools for the purchase of four SMART Boards to be used in first-grade classrooms.
There for the ceremony were NRAFF Grants Committee members Kermit Schoenrock, Matt Harrington and Gail Schmidt, Executive Director of the Waseca Area Foundation Karen Buum, NRHEG School Board Chairman Rick Schultz, NRHEG Technology Coordinator Angie Aaseth, first-grade teachers Erin Holland, Jill Boran, Deb Gaines and Megan Steuck, and first-graders Tayler Schmidt, George Roesler, Brenna Sommer and Hope Nielsen.
NO IDEA — Members of the 2013 state champion NRHEG girls’ basketball team were surprised and honored to be chosen Grand Marshals for this year’s Farm and City Days parade. Front from left: Maddie Wagner, Hannah lundberg, Marnie Wagner, Kelli Harrington, manager Anna Lundberg and manager Hailey Schuller. Back: coach John Schultz, Jade Schultz, Abby Crabtree, Raelin Schue, Katie Cole, Paige Overgaard and Anna Stork. Not pictured: Carlie Wagner and Ryann Hagen. (Star Eagle photo by Nicole Billing)
By NICOLE BILLING
Editorial Assistant
When the NRHEG girls’ basketball team was asked to help serve at the Hot Beef Commercial at City Hall on Sunday, April 28, they were in for a surprise.
At noon, the Farm and City Days Committee gathered everyone together and announced the NRHEG girls’ basketball team had been chosen as 2013 Grand Marshal for the Farm and City Days parade.
Along with the hot beef, there was also a bake sale with cookies, bars, and cupcakes. People were also able to buy basketball T-shirts.
The only girls missing from the team were Carlie Wagner and Ryann Hagen.
Ellendale City Council
By SCOTT GROTH
Contributing Writer
The Ellendale City Council met Thursday April 25 with Mayor Swearingen, councilmen Lassahn, Goebel and Groth present. Also attending the meeting was Eric Haefner-City Engineer, Josh Otto-Maintenance, Steve Louks-Clerk and Don Anderson.
Eric Haefner, engineer with Bolten & Menk, was present to review options for street repair. Haefner said he had taken a tour of town with Mayor Swearingen and Josh Otto, City Maintenance. After the tour, Haefner said, he went back to his office and put together a proposal. Haefner noted there were three streets worse off than many others.
They were, in no certain order, 5th St., 4th St. and 2nd St. Mayor Swearingen told the council that 5th St. should be considered since the church there would also like to resurface and the projects could coordinate together. Haefner had some preliminary numbers for the council on the three areas.
By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
“In all my years of hiring people,” Dr. Dennis Goodwin told the NRHEG School Board, “you just know. Your gut knows.”
That seemed to be the case for NRHEG with Dr. Goodwin, as the board members and community group connected early on with the business-manager-turned-school-superintendent from Platte, S.D.
Nonetheless, the board went conscientiously through the steps of the superintendent selection process as laid out by South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC) facilitators Butch Hanson and Dale Brandsoy, interviewing and evaluating four semi-finalists April 15 and two finalists Thursday, April 25, before tallying their results and deciding to offer Dr. Goodwin a contract, contingent on a successful site visit and background check.
The phrase, “a good fit” was heard several times in casual discussion from several board members.
New Richland City Council
By NICOLE BILLING
Editorial Assistant
The New Richland City Council held its second meeting of April Monday evening. The meeting started at 6:30 p.m. and lasted until 7:30. All members of the council were present. They approved the agenda with consent items added.
The first order of business was the People’s Service Report. They talked about cleaning up the sewer mains on Third Street Northwest and North Birch. Brad Field made the point that there is some Orange Bird around some houses in town, a substance that was used in the past. It’s not a good thing to have around, so they need to have someone clean it out.
More...
Decision expected at Thursday School Board meeting
By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
Final interviews for two candidates for NRHEG Superintendent of Schools will be held Thursday, April 25, at New Richland Media Center. A superintendent candidate will be selected at 8:30 p.m.
Last Thursday, April 18, the NRHEG School Board held a public meeting to interview semi-finalists for the position of Superintendent of Schools, to replace departing superintendent Kevin Wellen.
The board was joined by South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC) consultants Butch Hanson and Dale Brandsoy, and a group of volunteers from the NRHEG community.
“In January of this year there were 30 superintendent searches going,” Brandsoy said. “Last year there were 12.”
NRHEG School Board
By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
On Thursday, April 18, the NRHEG School Board will pick two finalists for the position of NRHEG Superintendent of Schools, from four semifinalists selected from 10 applicants by the consultants from South Central Services Committee.
Candidates
The candidates are:
Dr. Dennis Goodwin, Superintendent of Schools at Platte-Geddes district, South Dakota. Dr. Goodwin has one year of experience as superintendent, 10 years teaching, and 20 years business experience.
Tami Martin, Charter School Director at Cross Lake Community School. Ms. Martin has five years experience as Director, 20 years elementary teaching at Chisago Lakes, MN and Raymondville, TX, and was Gifted Cluster teacher and remedial math teacher at Chisago Lakes.
Dr. Kathleen Mortenson, District Administrator at Brooklyn Center schools. Dr. Mortenson has three years administrative experience at Brooklyn Center and 10 years at Paladin Academy at Blaine and Minnesota Department of Corrections, St. Paul. She was also Assistant Principal for K-8 at Cambridge-Isanti, and has nine years experience as special education teacher/coordinator.
Hartland City Council
By CARRIE GILBERTSON
Contributing Writer
Democracy: government that is for, by and of the people. For the people means that the government’s purpose is to benefit the common citizen; by the people, that our government is given its power by the election of our population; of the people that regular citizens run for and are elected to office. But what happens when they don’t run? This is precisely the situation that the City of Hartland found itself in this past November. Not just once, but three times.
Three seats on the city council were up for election in 2012: the mayoral seat, and two councilperson positions. These positions were previously held by Kelly Routh, Kyle Reed and Linda Pederson, respectively. All three decided prior to the elections that due to each of their personal situations, they would give other townspeople an opportunity to contribute to the city government, giving up their positions on the council.
As in most small towns, love for this city runs deep.
Ellendale City Council
By SCOTT GROTH
Contributing Writer
The Ellendale City Council met Thursday, April 11 with Mayor Swearingen and all Council members present. Also attending the meeting were Phil Kohl, City Attorney; Steve Louks, City Clerk; Josh Otto, Maintenance; Pete Paulson, Municipal Liquor Store; and Jeremy Reese, Fire Department.
Reese informed the Council he would like to step down as chief of the Fire Department. Reese said he may be moving in the near future and does not want to wait “until the last second” to turn in his resignation. Reese has served the department for 16 years, the last four as chief. Reese went on to say the chief position does take up a lot of free time and the council should consider a monetary increase for the position. Currently the chief gets $400 a year.