THE MIDWEEK UPDATE
Vol. 10, No. 40; Thursday, July 2, 2009

FORMER D.W.U. COACH TO COACH GOVS IN FOOTBALL; MUNDT IN VOLLEYBALL

Pierre’s school board has hired both a veteran and a newcomer to fill two high school varsity coaching vacancies. Those hired are Joe Kramer of Avon as football coach and Kylie Mundt of Pierre for volleyball. The board hired the two this afternoon during a special board meeting.

Kramer, who also will teach history, has about 30 years in coaching. He has coached at high schools like Aberdeen Roncalli and Spearfish, was head coach for 15 years at Dakota Wesleyan University and served as an assistant coach last year for state Class 9-A champion Avon.

Kramer replaces Mike Busch, who resigned to move to Brookings.

For the volleyball program, the board chose Mundt, a former Pierre Lady Govs volleyball player who also played college volleyball at DWU. This will be her first head coaching job.

Mundt graduated from Riggs in 2004 and is currently employed at Capital Area Counseling Service. Mundt, like former volleyball coach Kacy Kienholz, will not be a teacher within the district.

The two hirings now mean that all of the varsity head coaching positions have been filled. Earlier this month, the board hired John Knox to serve as the heads boys and girls golf coach.

Besides the positions of Kramer and Mundt, the school board approved contract recommendations for five other positions. Sarah Lingle, returning from a one-year leave of absence, will be special education resource room teacher at Washington Elementary. Jane Stewart will be family and consumer sciences teacher at Morse Middle School. Leslie Schweitzer will teach special education and Jacqueline Richey early childhood education at Jefferson. Todd Surdez will be volunteer assistant golf coach at Riggs High.

Dr. Kelly Glodt, superintendent, said it was a challenge to fill some of the positions. One other position needs to be filled, and that will happen in July, according to Glodt. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

BAND MEMBERS NEEDED

Capital City Band director Larry Johnson reminds any former Riggs band members home for the holiday or for their class reunions that they are welcome to join in the band, which will be short some regular members because of the holiday weekend. Their concert is at 9 p.m. Saturday night, July 4, at the Steamboat Park amphitheater. Show up by 8:30 if you are willing to play.

ZESTO SHERBET SCHEDULE

Thursday: root beer.
Friday-Sunday: cherry. (Zesto closes on July 4 at 5 p.m.)
Monday-Tuesday: tutti frutti.
Wednesday-Thursday: coffee.

ONE OF CUSTER'S BUFFALOES COMES TO PIERRE

Not your typical looking buffalo has been found standing at a Pierre street corner. An aboriginal created buffalo has been parked at the corner of Pierre Street and Dakota Avenue. The multi-color statue is owned by Scott Cameron, whose business, Muddy River Hobbies, is located at that corner.

Cameron says he purchased the statue about three years ago at the Custer Stampede Artist Show. It was designed by Eve and Gary Wallinga of St. Cloud, Minn.

Cameron says he plans to put the buffalo out during the day. He says a lot of people have driven by to look.

The Custer Stampede is in its fourth year in that community. About 20 such buffaloes are created by individual artists each year, painted in various themes and distributed around the community as a tourist attraction and conversation piece. After the summer each of the artistic buffaloes is auctioned in Custer during the same weekend as the actual Custer State Park buffalo stampede, and each purchaser, such as Cameron in the case mentioned above, takes his buffalo to his hometown or wherever he wishes. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

DON'T PLAN ON A SAND BAR THIS WEEKEND!

It doesn’t appear that a large Missouri River sand bar used by many Fourth of July celebrants last year will be around for this year’s holiday.

The sand bar was located near the Fort Pierre side of the river, north of the railroad bridge that connects the two cities. Because of low river levels last year, it was a large enough sand bar that resulted in boats parking there and people actually walking to the site and celebrating the holiday there with picnics and parties.

John Bartel of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Oahe Dam office says he can’t "guarantee" such sand bars this year. He says this year’s spring runoff has left the Oahe Reservoir full and in need of running water down the river for power generation and other needs. Bartel says sand bars are something that happens depending on the river levels.

There was much talk after last year’s Fourth of July about the sand bars. While some people enjoyed it there, there also were safety concerns expressed.

Mayor Laurie Gill says that, while the city has no control over the water levels, she says the city is more focused on the safety issues. The mayor says the goal of all those agencies involved is to make sure people have a fun, safe Fourth of July. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

BASEBALL ROUNDUP

This week's schedules:
Rattlers: Tuesday, home vs. Miller, 7:00.
Post 8: Monday, home vs. Spearfish, 5:30 DH; Wednesday, @ R.C. Post 320 and vs. Gillette (@ Rapid City), 3:30 and 5:30.
"A" Teeners: Tuesday, @ Aberdeen, 5:00 DH; Wednesday, @ Brookings, 5:00 DH.
"B" Teeners: Monday, @ R.C. Post 320 Rising Stars, 5:30 DH; Wednesday, home vs. Mobridge, 5:30 DH.
13-14 Teeners: Tuesday, @ Sturgis, 4:00 DH.

Last week's scores:
Post 8: Lost to Bismarck, 13-3; defeated Dickinson 8-7; lost to Dickinson 8-5; defeated Valley Springs, 6-2; defeated Sturgis, 15-0 (3 innings).
Rattlers: Defeated Redfield, 11-4; lost to Redfield, 20-18; lost to South Central, 13-11.
"A" Teeners: Placed third in the Kris Stephens Memorial Tournament in Pierre with a 3-1 record; also defeated Spearfish 19-4 and 14-8.
"B" Teeners: Went 1-3 in the Top Hitter Tournament in Rapid City; also defeated Huron 14-6 and 16-10.
13-14 Teeners: Defeated Spearfish 3-2; lost to Spearfish 7-5.

Help is needed to stain the Hyde Stadium fences. If you are willing and able, be at the ballpark at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 6. For information contact Mick Heckenlaible.

TWINS SCHEDULE

Friday: Detroit, 7:10.
Saturday: Detroit, 3:10.
Sunday: Detroit, 1:10.
Tuesday: New York Yankees, 7:10.
Wednesday: New York Yankees, 7:10.
Thursday: New York Yankees, 12:10 p.m.

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Thursday, July 2:
Taylor Smalley, Matt Clark, Kellie Parker, Luke Edwards, Ashlie Tisland.
4th anniversary, Chris and Aftin (Riehle) Eich.

Friday, July 3:
Jenna Feiler, Claire (Garry) Peschong, Rick Dockter, Bethanna Feist, Walker Jacob, Allyson Kraemer.
5th anniversary, Charlie and Sarah (Nystrom) Duncan.
4th anniversary, Jason and Michelle Glodt.
38th anniversary, Jerry and Eileen Krom.
41st anniversary, Roger and Jean Easland.

Saturday, July 4:
Joshua Dutt, Zach Clark, Peggy Huber, Jason Bucholz.
3rd anniversary, Lee and Aubree (Vance) Smith.
39th anniversary, Daryl and Linda Johnson.
Anniversary, Scott and Gina (Kotilnek) Hickenbotham.

Sunday, July 5:
Terry Fisher, Sarah Hawkins, Kayla (Johnson) Koob, Kyle Richards, Jason Bisbee, Jessica Anderson, Morgan Shaffer, Devin Kampfe, Angelica Lasley.
6th anniversary, Chris and Lindsay (Peitz) Rounds.
1st anniversary, Pat and Sara (Tillman) Anderson.
7th anniversary, Joe and Julia (Guhin) Yach.
7th anniversary, Bill and Jamie (Breske) McEntaffer.

Monday, July 6:
Dalton Blair, Michael Buhl, Tyler Johnson, Sara Marsh, Tynell Grant, Isaiah Grant, Jake Fanger, Blake Simon.
Anniversary, Jayson and Jennifer (Thorson) Nedrebo.

Tuesday, July 7:
Marylinn Baker, Derald Gross, Michelle Moreno, Austin Christopherson, Jessica Nicholas.
19th anniversary, Jeff and Gea Eckhoff.
2nd anniversary, Darin and Molly (Huber) Hausmann.
2nd anniversary, James and Audra (Meyer) Cardwell.

Wednesday, July 8:
Paul Denton, A.J. Domeyer, Traci Corcoran, Jaden Griese, Rachel Propst, Kolton Knox, Bret Graves, Megan Snow.
20th anniversary, Dennis and Dorothy (Nygaard) Gibbs.
3rd anniversary, Joe and Beth Stolp.

Thursday, July 9:
Matt Tetzlaff, Bryan Adams, Drew Palmer, Maurya Petrick, Liz Markley, Ryan Mikkelsen, Michael Hanson, Thomas Butler.
5th anniversary, Jon and Christina (Zellmer) Nath.
4th anniversary, Ryan and Laura (Bevers) Spilde.
21st anniversary, Clark and Jayne (Knox) Kraemer.

HERE'S WHERE TO TAKE OLD OR EXPIRED FROZEN MEAT!

Donations of frozen meat are being requested for the Oahe Wildlife Center. The center, located near the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Fisheries Center at Oahe Dam, cares for and performs medical procedure to repair injured animals, raptors, and other wildlife so they can return to the wild.

The organization needs old and/or expired frozen meat to feed animals which are currently in the wildlife rehabilitation program. All types of frozen meat including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, pheasant, duck, grouse, goose, antelope, deer, elk and other wildlife species are needed.

Those wishing to donate frozen meat may call 945-2911 to arrange for pickup, or they may drop it off at All Creatures Animal Hospital at 1415 N. Harrison in Pierre. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

COUNTDOWN

22 days: American Cancer Society Relay for Life (July 24-25).
43 days: Casey Tibbs S.D. Rodeo Center grand opening (Aug. 14-16).
49 days: First day of school in Stanley County district (Aug. 20).
50 days: Governors/Lady Govs opening soccer games at Brookings (Aug. 21).
54 days: First day of school in Pierre district (Aug. 25).
71 days: S.D. Hall of Fame induction weekend, Pierre (Sept. 11-12).
86 days: Trojan Day at DSU (Sept. 26).
93 days: Blue & White Day at DWU (Oct. 3).
93 days: Homecoming at USF (Oct. 3).
100 days: Gypsy Day at Northern (Oct. 10).
100 days: Dakota Day at USD (Oct. 10).
107 days: Viking Day at Augustana (Oct. 17).
114 days: Hobo Day at SDSU (Oct. 24).
225 days: Winter Olympics opening ceremonies (Feb. 12, 2010).

HOW BLONDE WAS SHE?

She was so blonde that, when she heard that 90 percent of all crimes occur around the home, she moved.

N.S.U. TO OFFER GERONTOLOGY DEGREE IN PIERRE

Northern State University has been approved to offer a new associate degree in applied gerontology at Capital University Center in Pierre. The degree, approved Friday by the Board of Regents, will help students preparing for careers in serving the elderly.

State higher education officials have said that more people are needed in such careers because of the rapidly aging population in South Dakota and this region. More than 14% of the state’s population is over 65, and South Dakota ranks third in the nation for its proportion of citizens over the age of 85.
Northern State University plans to offer the degree, through distance delivery, in Pierre, Sioux Falls and Rapid City. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

BLOGS DIRECTORY

Brett Stewart in the Twin Cities: http://www.stay-at-home-dog.blogspot.com
Nikki (Peterson) Kachelmyer in the Twin Cities: http://www.clairesfamily.blogspot.com
Brad Johnston in the Twin Cities: http://www.bloogue.net/blog/
Becky (Eich) Watson in the Twin Cities: http://www.watsonswatch.blogspot.com
Brad Lowery in the Twin Cities: http://www.nyrr.org/races/pro/usa_distance/bradlowery.asp
Scott and Stacy (Alt) Decker in Lincoln: http://www.deckerkrew.blogspot.com
Calyn (Cronin) Hauck in Portland, Ore.: http://www.mamatoo.blogspot.com
Aaron Chittum in Sioux Falls: http://achittum.blogspot.com
Michael Knudson on the Minnesota Vikings: http://skolvikes.blogspot.com
Holly (Knox) Perli in Rochester, Minn.: http://knoxsoapbox.blogspot.com
Marty Calkins in Thailand: http://martincalkins.blogspot.com

DONATE FOOD, MAYBE WIN A TRIP TO DENVER

During July, Great Lakes Airlines will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Pierre Area Food Pantry. As an incentive to donate food items, Great Lakes is offering persons a chance to win a round-trip ticket to Denver.

Each week through July people can drop off food items at the airport and register for the trip. Only one entry can be submitted per week.

Drawings will be held weekly July 13, July 20, July 27 and Aug. 3. At the end of each week non-winning entries will be discarded, and only those who bring in food items and register the following week will be eligible for that week's new drawing.

The four winning entries will go into a special drawing, and the winner of the round-trip ticket to Denver will be notified after that final drawing Aug. 3.

MILITARY ADDRESSES

Angela Beck: angela.beck@us.army.mil
Brent Chittum: brentchittum@gmail.com
Dallas Cronin: dallas.cronin@malmstrom.af.mil
Seth Deal: deal13s@yahoo.com
Zach Erickson: ericksonza@srt.com
Zach Frisby: allamerican56@msn.com
Jason Fuhrer: jfuhrer45@hotmail.com
Armando Garza: garzaa3@hotmail.com
Ben Gloe: mashift4ter@hotmail.com
Eric Hipple: eric.hipple@us.army.mil
Ryan Hipple: rlhipple@gmail.com
Eric James: eric.james@krab.afcent.af.mil
Adam Johnson: Adam.charles.johnson@us.army.mil
Nick Johnson: nicholas.johnson5@us.army.mil
Kyle Kafka: kyle.kafka@us.army.mil
Seth Kropuenske: seth.kropuenske@us.army.mil
Evan Lee: OSPF42@hotmail.com
Mike Lewis: MikeLewis87@aol.com
Reed Ludwig: reed.ludwig@us.army.mil
Tom Martin: thomas.martin14@us.army.mil
Matt Picchietti: mpicchietti@hotmail.com
Ryan Russell: raindeer_hunter@hotmail.com
Kyrissa Sandal: kyrissa.m.sandal@afghan.swa.army.mil
Brady Smith: cincinus50@yahoo.com
Chad Snodgrass: arthur.snodgrass@us.army.mil
Eric Wallace: eric.wallace@us.army.mil
Brendan Whitebird: phantom_snake789@hotmail.com
Colin Whitebird: sonics316@hotmail.com

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP CLEAN SHORELINE

A first of its kind cleanup of Lake Sharpe takes place next week. The cleanup is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at the Bad River Boat Ramp in Fort Pierre on Wednesday, July 8.

Organizer Paul Lepisto says several organizations will be involved.

Lepisto says such a cleanup is going to take a large group of volunteers, and he says every little bit will help.

The cleanup is going to be along the shore line of Lake Sharpe in the Pierre-Fort Pierre area. Lepisto says officials have already identified some items that need to be removed. He says it is more than just regular garbage---it also includes a freezer, a refrigerator and other strange debris.

People who want to help can gather at the Bad River boat ramp in Fort Pierre at 5 p.m. next Wednesday. For more information, call Lepisto at 224-1770. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

WEDDING DAYS

Friday: Nathan Barnes/Carrie Schlaak.
Friday: Damon Thielen/Jenna Robbennolt.
Saturday: John BonneCarrere/Annie Fuller.
July 11: Brent Baloun/Ali Haag.
July 11: Jonathan Rosenthal/Brittany Bown.
July 18: Jeffery Smith/April Chicoine.
July 24: Joel Stauss/Liz Edman.
Aug. 1: Blake Norman/Randi McQuistion.
Aug. 7: John Williams/Laura Dutton.
Aug. 7: Justin Briese/Stacey Simmons.
Aug. 8: Max Huber/Lisa Persuitti.
Aug. 15: J.D. Lauing/Amanda Yopp.
Aug. 22: Demetri Sengos/Joni Haugan.
Aug. 22: Kit Bramblee/Kayla Gabriel.
Aug. 22: Stu Larson/Kelley Bechtold.
Aug. 29: Eric Rodawig/Niki Fergen.
Aug. 29: Josh Pfeffer/Karna Knapp.
Sept. 5: Scott Gibson/Melissa Stevens.
Sept. 5: Josh Irvine/Sam Lytle.
Sept. 12: Drew Sweetman/Catherine Roemen.
Sept. 18: Brent Reilly/Cindy Ryan.
Sept. 19: Dexter Micklos/Rachel Wegman.
Sept. 26: Michael Rydland/Kallee Hewlett.
Sept. 26: Nathan Becker/Sara Dvorak.
Oct. 17: Adam Bertsch/Megan Linn.
Nov. 7: Dustin Dowling/Kayla Trebesch.
April 10, 2010: Tyson Goehring/Jenny Miller.
May 8, 2010: Jason Harder/Jodi Cowan.
May 22, 2010: Kipp Stahl/Kelsee Larsen.
May 29, 2010: Tony Jockheck/Jessica Houghtaling.
June 19, 2010: Kody Karschnik/Lindsey Friez.
July 31, 2010: J.D. Deal/Megan Rapp.

'BEAUTY AND THE BEAST' JUST 11 DAYS AWAY

Pierre Players' summer musical, Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," opens Monday night, July 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Riggs theater. Subsequent shows are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of that week, all at 7:30.

The box office is accepting ticket reservations at 224-7826.

Lead roles in the show include: Belle, Alyssa Cleary; Beast, Patrick Gengler; Cogsworth, Seth Hipple; Chip, Matt Schnettler; Lumiere, Kris Monroe; Madame, Mary Ellen Garrett; Gaston, Luke Schuetzle; Babette, Rachel Howard; Maurice, Dan Timmons; LeFou, Matt Stulken; Mrs. Potts, Robin New.

Other cast members include Drew Nafus, Rebecca Hahn, Adelyn Crabtree, Megan Snow, Jade Neeman, Lou Mehlhaff, Dane Hagen, Casey Placek, Meghan Larson, Dorinda Timmons, Katie Larson, Virginia Hill, Laura Snow, Tiera Feller, Tim Walsh, Brittani Snow, Ranae Kueter, Rachel Schnabel, Sarah Pogany, Dakota Feller, Anne Woodmansey, Sammy Merrill, Kelsey Wilson, Morgan Ellwein, Sydney Larson, Kaitlyn Pitlick, Emily Nielson, Karoline Kubik, Savannah Kubik, Madison Nelson, Talia Williams, Gracie Jones, Maddie Jones, Maddie Boe, Severin Boe, Kara Brusven, Britta Brusven, Layna Darling, Molly Stulken, Sorner Anderson, Allison Bruce, Talia Johnson, Kelly Brusven, Annora Hayden-Moreland, Elizabeth DeTample, Justin Oakland and Nastassja Jennings.

The show is directed by Diane Kehrwald, assisted by Dennis James and Fern Barnett. Tech director is Larry Johnson, assisted by Hyrma Zakahi. Choreographer is Rachel Knutson, assisted by Gwen Kleinschmidt. Jackie Hilding is directing the orchestra, and Bev Mickelson is accompanist. Heading up costumes are Lisa Johannsen and Rebecca Cruse. Tam Gatje and Greg Peters are in charge of sound and lights. Michelle Beemer is production assistant, and Donna Fjelstad is artistic coordinator.

WAYS TO USE COFFEE FILTERS #5

Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

PEOPLE NEWS

Kelley Bechtold and Stuart Larson will be married on Aug. 22. Kelley, a Riggs High graduate, is a certified opthoptist at Northwest Eye in the Twin Cities. Stu, who grew up in Onida and graduated from Stanley County High School, is a tax consultant for ING Financial in Minneapolis.

Erica Baye, who went to school in Fort Pierre while her mother Elsie was elementary principal in the Stanley County school system, is engaged to Dallas Goembel. Both live in Brandon. Erica works at Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota, and Dallas works for KELO-TV. They will be married July 11.

Help me find these guys! I still need to contact Tom Pier, Brandon Conzemius, Jeff Larson and Derek Larson, who played on the 1994 Pierre Post 8 baseball team. Does anyone have any of them on your Facebook friends list or in your e-mail address file?

The new Pierre Governors head football coach, Joe Kramer, is a brother of Bob Kramer of Fort Pierre, and Bob's two boys, Ben and Jeff, played for Joe at Dakota Wesleyan after leaving Stanley County High.

As I was taking Oliver for his walk across the USD campus Sunday evening, a guy in sunglasses approached us and said, "You look familiar to me." Once the sunglasses came off, I realized it was Jake Miller, Riggs alumnus and Black Hills State graduate, who moved in in Vermillion over the weekend. He will begin graduate study at USD.

Be sure to read the cover story in this week's Sports Illustrated. No, it's not about Kobe or Shaq or LeBron or Steroids Manny or A-Roids or any of the other so-called celebrities in the sports world but rather about a good man gunned down before his time and how his small town in Iowa is coping with the tragedy.

Connor McKittrick, who goes to school at nearby Kansas University, was at the Twins-Royals game in Kansas City Tuesday night, and Twins closer Joe Nathan tossed a baseball to him.

All SDSU alumni are reminded of the annual alumni picnic at Steamboat Park at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 15. Some of the SDSU athletic coaches will be there. To RSVP contact Paul Marso at 224-8496 no later than next Wednesday, July 8.

Steve Cronin is in Denmark. In a Facebook message yesterday, he wrote, "Enjoyed a great visit with my great-grandmother's relatives who stayed in Denmark instead of coming to America. Time of my life!"

Ryan and Tabitha Merriam of Dell Rapids are the parents of a son, Parker Haven Merriam, who was born Tuesday, June 30. He weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and measured 20 1/2 inches. He joins brother Austin and sister Courtney in their family.

The boys U19 S.D. United Manchester soccer team coached by Chris Derry and including Will Corcoran, Andy Zarecky and Eric Christianson on its roster won the sportsmanship award for their division at the recent U.S. Youth Soccer Region II Tournament in Sioux Falls. The U19 S.D. United Milan girls team that Chris coaches won the same award for their division as did two other South Dakota teams.

Friends and former students of Karen Leuning need to check the June 30 update on the Caring Bridge blog regarding her battle against cancer. The address is www.caringbridge.org/visit/karenleuning.

Four former Pierre athletes earned recognition on the Summit League Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence, including Michael Tveidt, NDSU basketball; Stacy Huss, SDSU track, and Nellie Bloomberg and Emma Wylie, SDSU tennis.

Attention, Class of 1994: There will be an unofficial, informal 15-year reunion for the Class of '94 from Riggs High School over this weekend. Contact Ryan Parker Knox on Facebook or at ryanparkerknox@hotmail.com for information. He suggests you just show up at the American Legion cabin Friday night to help decide what to do next!

Our sympathy to long-time Pierre schools custodian Michael Timm and his daughters, Stacey and Shelly, on the death of Mike's wife Kristi at the age of 43 after a long battle with cancer. Services were held Tuesday at First United Methodist Church. Kristi's father, Duwayne Johnson, also lives in Pierre. Kristi was born in Pierre and graduated from high school in Gillette, Wyo.

Anita Rau, former Pierre resident who now lives in Sioux Falls/Brandon, underwent cancer surgery last Thursday. Her daughter, Kristin, was down from Minneapolis to spend the weekend with her mother and the rest of their family.

Tom Guhin, who lives in New York City, was in India on business last week and headed next to Katmandu, Nepal, for a wedding.

NDSU's Travis Fitzke competed in the Junior Nationals 1500-meter run at Eugene, Ore., last weekend during the USA Track and Field championships meet. Fitz qualified out of Saturday's preliminaries and thus got to run in Sunday's finals where he placed 11th in a time of 3:56.54. The winner's time was 3:47.44. His personal best time in that event, 3:53.32, was run in the Summit League championship meet this past spring.

Geoff Simon of Bismarck flew to Las Vegas last Saturday, then took a bus to Barstow, Calif., where he was met by daughter and son-in-law, Blair and Matt Picchietti. On Monday morning they went from Fort Irwin to Ontario, Calif., to put Matt on a plane to Korea where he will be stationed for the next year. Blair and her dad then began their 1,600-mile drive along with two Labs and a cat back to Bismarck where Blair will stay with her parents while Matt is overseas.

The Mabes Dog band will play for a dance outdoors on the St. Charles parking ramp tonight (Thursday) from 7 to 11 p.m. The same band will play at Bubba Ray's on Saturday night after the fireworks display.

Our sympathy to the large family of Gladys Rose, a wonderful lady and avid supporter of young people, who died at the age of 85 on Monday. Services are being held this morning (Thursday) at 10 at First United Methodist Church. A native of Louisiana, Gladys met Austin Rose at a dance for soldiers at the University of Texas when he was a Naval cadet in pilot training. They moved to Hayes a year after their marriage in 1946. Among her survivors are sons Tommy Rose and Robert Rose of Hayes, Pat Rose of Pierre and Bill Rose of Fort Pierre; daughters Peggy Huber of Pierre and Janet Rose-Perrenoud of Rapid City; 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Josh Hartmann, who graduated from Riggs High this spring, flew out of Pierre June 24 for the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He was met in the Springs by Linda and Jim Gilles, who live there and who have agreed to sponsor a cadet at the academy. Linda is a cousin of Josh's friend Sigrid Wald's mother in Pierre. The sponsor program allows a local family to check out a cadet assigned to them, and it gives the cadet a few hours away from the academy every so often, a welcome break. The Gilleses met Josh and took him to dinner at Famous Dave's (Josh's choice) and later to hjis hotel. He checked into the academy the next morning. Josh and the other cadets have begun six weeks of basic training. Then classes begin the first week of August. Josh's dad, Randy Hartmann, says he is sure his son is doing well although he and wife Jodi were a wreck for a few days after Josh's departure. The cadets can't have outside contact during basic training, but once school begins, we will publish his e-mail address on our military list here in the Update.

Nick Kruse, a graduate of Dakota State, has accepted a position with American Income Life insurance company. He has also been accepted into graduate school at the University of North Dakota, but he plans to work for awhile before beginning pursuit of his master's degree at UND. Nick is still a National Guardsman with Pierre's own 200th Engineer Company, and he (a sergeant) and Sgt. Anna Tescher were acting squad leaders during the summer camp of the 200th at Chamberlain and Custer State Park. Nick said they were able to accomplish all of their assigned missions and tasks despite daily rains.

Riggs High runner Kris Monroe was the overall winner in the first Steve Russell Memorial 5K held in conjunction with Blunt's 125th anniversary last weekend. His time was 16:49.58. Chad Lahman, a Blunt native from Colorado, was second overall, and Dr. Craig Howard, a Riggs alumnus from Pierre, was third overall. Sixty-five runners participated. The list of the top three in each age division reveals some names Update readers will recognize:
* Men's 19 and younger: 1, Kris Monroe; 2, D.J. High Bear; 3, Paul Grabel.
* Men's 20-29: 1, Casey Smith' 2, Kyle Wilson; 3, Chad Grabek.
* Men's 30-39: 1, Terry Mattke; 2, Delvin High Bear; 3, Joel Cook.
* Men's 40-49: 1, Chad Lahman; 2, Craig Howard; 3, Art Smith.
* Men's 50-59: 1, Don Thompson; 2, Ralph Grabek; 3, Doug Wilson.
* Men's 60 and over: 1, Larry Russell.
* Women's 19 and younger: 1, Jenna Schweiss; 2, Taryn Colson; 3, Mary Gross.
* Women's 20-29: 1, Heather Knox; 2, Brittney (Lamb) Schiefelbein; 3, Amanda Moehring.
* Women's 30-39: 1, Lisa Kannegieter; 2, Peggy (Shoup) Barber; 3, Katie Hansen.
* Women's 40-49: 1, Carrie (Venner) Howard; 2, Beth Giddings; 3, Mary (Sutera) Sieck.
* Women's 50-59: 1, Carol (Marshall) Crain; 2, Kim Wilson; 3, Diana Grabek.
* Women's 60 and over: 1, Jeanne Kirsch; 2, Polly (Mercer) Kuykendall; 3, Jane Russell.

Stanley County High student Jace Melvin was steer wrestling champion at last week's South Dakota state high school finals rodeo and advanced in that event to the national finals rodeo later this month.

In case you need somewhere to escape the heat and the sun this weekend, remember that the Cultural Heritage Center museum where the new exhibit on the 100th anniversary of the Capitol is in place will be open Friday from 9 to 4:30, Saturday from 1 to 4:30 and Sunday from 1 to 4:30. Since Sunday is the first Sunday of the month, admission is free that day.

It has been an interesting couple of months in the family of Joe and Nikki (Grandpre) Wilson of Omaha. On May 16 Nikki graduated with her doctorate in pharmacy and an MBA degree from Creighton University, and Nikki sang the national anthem to open the commencement ceremony. That was the same graduation where Chelsey Roberts received her doctorate in dentistry and Nikki's cousin, Chelsea Carlson of Yankton, graduated from medical school. Then on June 24, 10 days after he was due, Gavin Joseph Wilson was born, making Joe and Nikki first-time parents. Gavin weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and measured 21 1/2 inches with a lot of black hair. (It is interesting to note that Nikki gave birth on the same day and almost at exactly the same time as her Riggs classmate Megan Rapp had her baby.) The Wilsons will continue to live in Omaha were Joe, who earned his master's two years from Nebraska-Omaha in information systems management, now works in that field, and Nikki will stay at home with the baby for several months before starting to work. Gavin is already indoctrinated into Joe's sport of choice---soccer. The poor kid was still a day away from his birth when his pregnant mother was pacing the sidelines of Joe's soccer game. There was no particular concern because Nikki's OB doctor was playing in the same game. There were a few nervous moments when the good doctor was knocked down, but fortunately he wasn't injured and was able to go to work the next day and deliver Gavin! The baby, though a week old, has already attended his first soccer game, too. Joe, Nikki and baby Gavin will be in Pierre this weekend for the 10-year reunion of Joe's Riggs High class.

Riggs alumnus Brett Stewart, who writes a hilarious blog through the eyes of his dog Bogart, has a funny post on his blog today. Check the blogsite address on our list above and enjoy.

Former Onida resident Sandi Hindman Laird, who lives now in Virginia with her husband Mike, turns 50 today. Happy birthday! As a surprise to her, Mike flew Sandi's kids from their homes in North Dakota and Minnesota all the way to Virginia for a surprise party. Son John Yackley and his wife Melissa, daughter Sarah Yackley-Ploeger, and son Kevin Yackley were all able to make it to surprise their mom.

Hired as Stanley County High School's new activities director, replacing Guy Hunter, is Scott Van Den Hemel of Pierre, who works for the South Dakota Board of Regents. It will be a part-time job, and Scott will not have any teaching duties at SCHS. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

Christy Kramer will have to miss the 10-year reunion of her Stanley County High class in Fort Pierre this weekend. She will be in Tripp at her brother Jeff's home where the Kramer clan will all be together in the same place at the same time for the first time since last July 4. Christy is working this summer of course at her job in the sports media department at UND, especially getting ready for the football opener. (The Sioux open against Texas Tech!)

PARKER'S COLUMN FROM THE CUSTER CHRONICLE

Though I waste many of my autumn Sundays watching the NFL and though I can't let a day go by without checking on the Twins', Cubs' and Rockies' scores and though I let down my guard and watch a portion of the disgusting NBA when it's playoff time, I still prefer college sports over the pros---the color, the pageantry, the marching bands, the campuses, the loyalties, the rivalries and, oh yes, the ballgames, too.

One of the things I have always wanted to do is attend a game at the College World Series in Omaha. After all, it's only two hours beyond our state's border, and it has always appeared on TV to be a spectacular event.

The good news is that it has finally happened. Cross another one off my Bucket List, that list of things I vow to do before I, you know, "kick the bucket."

When one reaches the age of 70, perhaps it is the first time he realizes he even has a Bucket List. That is the way it was with me. I noticed on Facebook that somebody else had put a checkmark besides one of the goals on his list and decided, since I am always in search of a potential topic for a future column, to make a list of my own.

I did, and attending a CWS game was on it. The truth is it was not of my own accord that I made it to Omaha but more a case of my tagging along for the ride, but regardless of the circumstances, I'll take it.

The experience began in January when a group of eight men from our choir at the UCC church in Vermillion prepared an arrangement of the national anthem to sing at a USD basketball game. Their director is a sports fan and decided they should record a CD and send it to the College World Series people to try to secure an audition in the hope of being selected to sing the anthem at the CWS.

They were invited to audition, and as luck would have it, one of the eight couldn't make the trip to Omaha on the day of the auditions in April, so they asked me to fill in his spot.

The plan was to have the auditioners---some were soloists, some were duos, some were trios, others were larger groups, one was a trumpeter, another was a little red-haired girl about 8 years old who looked to be straight out of the cast of "Annie"---perform for the judges at home plate at Rosenblatt Stadium. But a Saturday morning in April does not guarantee good weather, and our day dawned cloudy, cold and windy with rain threatening. So they moved the auditions indoors to the Stadium Club at Rosenblatt, the place from where people who can afford such extravagance watch baseball games.

Of the 40 auditions, we were something like 17th. When our time arrived, we left the dining area where most of the singers had gathered to wait, walked over to where a team of six judges awaited and did our thing. A two-hour drive down to Omaha, an hour's wait and two minutes to sing the song!

It went well, and we celebrated by having a hearty breakfast at a Perkins restaurant before heading back to Vermillion. Two weeks later our director got the word that not only had our group had been accepted but we had also been given a choice spot---the final first-round game on the opening Sunday night of the College World Series.

Oh wait a minute! I wasn't really a part of the group, was I! The chap whose spot I took for the audition was eager and willing to go to the CWS to sing, but nice guys that they are, they asked me to go, too, as a ninth member of the eight-member octet. So consider me a tag-along or not, but I jumped at the chance to get to an honest-to-goodness CWS game.

When June 14 arrived, the weather cooperated. We donned our newly-purchased shirts---three red, three white, three blue---and met our designated CWS staffer outside Rosenblatt at 5 p.m. so he would know we were in town and ready to roll.
With time to kill, we roamed the area around the stadium and found it like the State Fair---row upon row of tents where people camp all week, vendor after vendor peddling everything from baseballs to LSU coffee mugs and Arizona State jerseys and Arkansas sweatshirts to Virginia caps and Cal State-Fullerton pennants and North Carolina keychains. An Omaha sports radio station was broadcasting live from its tent. Food vendors were doing a landslide business. And a cross-section of Americana milled around.

At 5:40 our own personal CWS guy met us at the pass gate and escorted us through the concourse, up the stairs and into the stadium. Beautiful Rosenblatt, which had of course been empty when we saw it in April, was filling up in all its glory. What a sight!

We were led down to field level in front of the box seats and given instructions by a guy from the NCAA who welcomed us and told us to face the flag rather than the crowd when our time came. It was more excitement than nervousness we felt as we waited for the player introductions, then the arrival of the color guard. Then the booming voice over the P.A. system introduced the anthem "sung by the Dakota Tones from Vermillion, South Dakota."

We stepped forward in a semicircle around the microphone at home plate, got our pitch from our director's pitch pipe and did our thing.

As we walked back up the steps past the box seats, some people stuck out their hands for high-fives as they might do for celebrities! Wow!

Our seats were down the right-field line and up 19 rows in the midst of the fans from Southern Mississippi. With them all sround us, most of us became USM fans in their game against Texas. It proved to be a great game, too, though it ended in Texas' favor with a bases-loaded walk.

It also turned out to be a four-hour game. It was 11:00 by the time we got out of Omaha, and after 1:00 when we pulled into the church parking lot back home.

But mission accomplished! And if you would like to see and hear us, you can find a video of our lusty performance on your computer screen. The address is www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n4hH2bxiTc and I am the skinny but good-looking guy in the white shirt, third person from the left nearest the camera.

It was a day to remember, especially for me as I crossed one more item from my Bucket List.

And what are the other goals on my Bucket List? Hey, this column has gone on long enough, and that will be a topic for another time.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

TO MAKE YOUR DAY . . . . .

And finally this week, Ted and Sheryl Hall forwarded the following link to the Il Divo quartet singing "Amazing Grace." I've heard it before, but it is powerful, and I think I want this CD played at my funeral! Talk about uplifting! Sit back and enjoy four minutes of magnificent voices performing magnificent music.

The link is:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1785324681?bclid=1338935106&bctid=1913313052

Vol. 10, No. 39; Thursday, June 25, 2009

BLUNT QUASQUICENTENNIAL SCHEDULE

Check www.blunt125.com for the complete schedule details, but here are highlights:

Today (Thursday): Trailriders begin to arrive; 5:30 p.m., cream can stew cash supper; 7 p.m., welcome program and local entertainment.

Friday: 6:30 p.m., registration and free ice cream and cake at school gym; 7 p.m., welcome program; 9 p.m., dance at Blunt Bar & Grill.

Saturday: 8 a.m., Steve Russell Memorial 5K run; 9:30 a.m., flag-raising ceremony at post office; 10 a.m., parade; 1 to 5 p.m., car and tractor show on Main Street; 1 to 4 p.m., activities at rodeo grounds; 1 p.m., kids' activities on Main Street; 3:30 p.m., hog scramble; 5 p.m., free meal at school gym; 7 p.m., Karaoke/DJ; 9 p.m., street dance at Blunt Bar & Grill.

Sunday: 7 a.m., cash breakfast; 10 a.m., all-faiths church service at school gym; 11:30 a.m., community picnic.

ZESTO SHERBET SCHEDULE

Thursday: lime.
Friday-Sunday: strawberry.
Monday-Tuesday: lemon.

CLASS OF 1999 MEMBERS, TAKE NOTE!

Class of '99 people coming home for the reunion over the July 4 weekend are encouraged to join the Capital City Band for their July 4 concert at 9 p.m. at the Steamboat Park amphitheater.

Director Larry Johnson says that, because the holiday falls on a weekend this year, the band is going to be very short of players, so Class of '99 people who were in the band in high school would be very welcome. Just show up at the amphitheater about 8:30 p.m. and wear green shirts and khaki bottoms.

If anyone has questions, e-mail Ljohnson@pie.midco.net.


CAPITOL EXHIBIT OPENS AT HERITAGE CENTER


A new temporary exhibit that tells the 100-year history of the state Capitol opens this weekend at the Cultural Heritage Center.

"The People's House: Celebrating the Century" will open Friday at a black-tie-optional gala for State Historical Society and South Dakota Heritage Fund members. The exhibit opens to the public Saturday and will remain open through 2010.

Heritage Fund president Pat Miller, who spent considerable time in the Capitol as First lady during the service of her husband, Gov. Walter Dale Miller, says the exhibit will tell the history of the Capitol through pohtos, historical items and interactive features.

Miller says Friday's gala is a Heritage Fund fundraiser. Money raised will help fund many different projects of the State Historical Society.

The Capitol was dedicated June 30, 1910. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

COUNTDOWN

1 day: Blunt 125th anniversary celebration (June 26-28).
27 days: American Cancer Society Relay for Life (July 24-25).
48 days: Casey Tibbs S.D. Rodeo Center grand opening (Aug. 14-16).
54 days: First day of school in Stanley County district (Aug. 20).
55 days: Governors/Lady Govs opening soccer games at Brookings (Aug. 21).
59 days: First day of school in Pierre district (Aug. 25).
76 days: S.D. Hall of Fame induction weekend, Pierre (Sept. 11-12).
91 days: Trojan Day at DSU (Sept. 26).
98 days: Blue & White Day at DWU (Oct. 3).
98 days: Homecoming at USF (Oct. 3).
105 days: Gypsy Day at Northern (Oct. 10).
105 days: Dakota Day at USD (Oct. 10).
112 days: Viking Day at Augustana (Oct. 17).
119 days: Hobo Day at SDSU (Oct. 24).
232 days: Winter Olympics opening ceremonies (Feb. 12, 2010).

BIRTHDAY WEEKEND AT DISCOVERY CENTER

It's the South Dakota Discovery Center's 20th birthday. Its second birthday party of the year, K'nex Krazy Birthday Bash, will take place Friday through Sunday, showcasing the center's K'nex construction zone along with solar energy and DNA building. You can even enter to win a K'nex kit for yourself. Plus the Toy Tech traveling exhibit is featured in the exhibit hall.

Toy Tech is a neat exhibit from Ed Sobey, founder of the Northwest Invention Center and author of great science books for kids. "How Toys Work" has toys pulled apart so you can see the magic that happens inside them. At the Toy Workshop guests can design paper helicopters and fly them in the wind tunnel or paper rockets that can be launched to reach the center's two-story-high ceiling.

For this birthday weekend the Discovery Center will be open from 10 to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Members and children up to 3 years get in free. Adult fees are $4, and fees for children ages 4-12 are $3. Rates for groups of 10 or more are available

For further information go to www.sd-discovery.com.

FOUR YEARS AGO IN THE MIDWEEK UPDATE---June 23, 2005

Nikki Grandpre won the talent competition of the Miss South Dakota pageant on Thursday night. Later in the weekend she won the judges' interview competition and then the swimsuit competition. Thus it was no surprise when on Saturday night she was crowned Miss South Dakota 2006. Another Pierre girl, Julia Disburg, was also a contestant in the pageant. . . . . . Brandon Brown, 2005 Riggs graduate, was accepted as a member of the U.S. Army Band. . . . . . Dr. Jamie Liudahl was one of eight doctors who graduated from the Family Practice Residency Program in Rapid City and was making plans to practice medicine in his hometown of Pierre. . . . . . Patrick Wellner, a recent School of Mines graduate, accepted a position with the Washington Department of Transportation in Yakima. . . . . . Brian and Brooke (Drewes) Dozark rode in the Tour de Kota on their bicycles from Yankton to Pierre. . . . . . Anthony Johnson was working for Cargill in Fullerton, Calif., for the second straight summer. . . . . . The humidity was 82% in Chamberlain at the same time it was 62% in New Orleans.

BASEBALL ROUNDUP

Last week's scores:
Split Squad: Lost to Mobridge 10-7, defeated Mobridge 6-2, defeated the R.C. 320 Rising Stars 14-11 and 10-3.
13-14 Teeners: Lost to Watertown 4-3, defeated Brookings 9-8, defeated Aberdeen 12-5, defeated R.C. Post 22 Cadets 15-3, lost to R.C. Post 22 Cadets 10-3, lost to R.C. Post 22 Cadets 4-3 and 9-1.
"A" Teeners: Lost to Groton 10-6, lost to S.F. South 13-4, lost to Watertown 2-1.
"B" Teeners: Lost to Valentine 15-6, defeated Lake Andes 12-11, swept Mobridge 17-6 and 13-7.
Rattlers: Defeated Miller-Wessington-Wolsey, defeated Martin, defeated Aberdeen 13-2, lost to Aberdeen 5-4, defeated Clearfield 10-2.
Post 8: In the Koester Memorial Tournament, defeated R.C. Post 22 Expos 4-1, defeated Huron 6-2, lost to S.F. West 9-6, lost to S.F. West 13-5 in championship game.

Tuesday night in Rapid City, Post 8 accomplished a noteworthy feat, sweeping a doubleheader from Post 22 teams at Fitzgerald Stadium! Pierre defeated the Post 22 Expos in the first game, 8-4, with Scott Cichos the winning pitcher. Pierre committed five errors but survived, outhitting the Expos 14-6. Jason Livermont had three hits and three RBIs, and Nolan Merrill had three hits.

Against the Post 22 varsity, Pierre won by the same 8-4 score and is now 2-1 against Post 22 this season. Of Pierre's 16 hits, Kyle Cichos had three and Scott Cichos three. Each team committed four errors. Ryan Yackley in his Legion pitching debut threw a complete-game six-hitter, striking out seven and walking one.

This week's schedules:
Rattlers: Friday, home vs. South Central, 8:00; Saturday, @ Huron, 2:00; Sunday, @ Redfield, noon DH; Wednesday, @ Winner, 8:00.
Post 8: Tonight, @ Bismarck, 5:30; Friday, @ Dickinson, 8:00; Saturday, @ Dickinson, 12:00 DH; Tuesday, home vs. Valley Springs, 1:00, and home vs. Sturgis, 5:30.
"A" Teeners: Saturday-Sunday, home for Kris Stephens Memorial Tournament; Wednesday, home vs. Spearfish, 5:30 DH.
"B" Teeners: Friday-Sunday, @ Rapid City Bullets' Big Stick Tournament (Friday, vs. Belle Fourche, 2:30; Saturday, vs. Cheyenne, 2:30; Sunday, vs. R.C. 22 Cadets, 5:00; Sunday, vs. R.C. 22 Bullets, 7:30); Wednesday, @ Huron, 5:00 DH.
13-14 Teeners: Saturday, @ Sioux Falls West, 2:00 DH; Wednesday, home vs. Spearfish, 12:30 DH.

Kris Stephens Memorial Tournament:
Saturday: 12:00, Winner vs. Mitchell; 2:30, Mitchell vs. R.C. 320 Shooting Stars; 5:00, Pierre "A" Teeners vs. Winner; 7:30, Pierre "A" Teeners vs. R.C. 320 Shooting Stars.
Sunday: 10:00, Winner vs. R.C. 320 Shooting Stars; 12:30, Pierre "A" Teeners vs. Mitchell; 3:00, third-place game; 5:30, championship game.

TWINS SCHEDULE

Thursday: @ Milwaukee, 1:05 p.m.
Friday: @ St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.
Saturday: @ St. Louis, 12:10 p.m.
Sunday: @ St. Louis, 1:15 p.m.
Monday: @ Kansas City, 7:10 p.m.
Tuesday: @ Kansas City, 7:10 p.m.
Wednesday: @ Kansas City, 1:10 p.m.

WEATHER ALLOWS 'BEST-EVER' OAHE DAYS

It was fun in the sun at this weekend’s Oahe Days. Almost perfect weather and a variety of events resulted in an estimated 20,000 people attending Oahe Days held at Steamboat Park. Oahe Days vice chairman Brad Curtis says this may have been the best Oahe Days ever.

Curtis says there was few problems reported during the two late-night concerts. There seemed to be good crowds for many of the vendors and special events like the South Dakota Discovery Center fund-raiser where golfers tried to chip shots into a boat anchored offshore from Steamboat Park. Curtis says the hope next year is to add even more river-related activities.

Several different groups and organizations helped sponsor not only the entire weekend, but specific events. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

BLOGS DIRECTORY

Brett Stewart in the Twin Cities: http://www.stay-at-home-dog.blogspot.com
Nikki (Peterson) Kachelmyer in the Twin Cities: http://www.clairesfamily.blogspot.com
Brad Johnston in the Twin Cities: http://www.bloogue.net/blog/
Becky (Eich) Watson in the Twin Cities: http://www.watsonswatch.blogspot.com
Brad Lowery in the Twin Cities: http://www.nyrr.org/races/pro/usa_distance/bradlowery.asp
Scott and Stacy (Alt) Decker in Lincoln: http://www.deckerkrew.blogspot.com
Calyn (Cronin) Hauck in Portland, Ore.: http://www.mamatoo.blogspot.com
Aaron Chittum in Sioux Falls: http://achittum.blogspot.com
Michael Knudson on the Minnesota Vikings: http://skolvikes.blogspot.com
Holly (Knox) Perli in Rochester, Minn.: http://knoxsoapbox.blogspot.com
Marty Calkins in Thailand: http://martincalkins.blogspot.com
Craig Eichstadt in Pierre: http://pierrecraig.blogspot.com
Karen Leuning in Pierre: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/karenleuning

WE'RE NO. 8 ON OUTDOOR LIFE'S LIST

Pierre has been listed as the No. 8 best town in which to live for those who like to hunt and fish. Outdoor Life magazine used data to score 200 towns on available sporting opportunities and quality-of-life measures like good homes, schools and jobs.

Lewiston, Idaho, was ranked No. 1, followed by Marquette, Mich., second; Idaho Falls and Rawlins, Wyo., tied for third, and Pocatello, Idaho, fifth. Bismarck was sixth, followed by Sheridan, Wyo.

After Pierre were No. 9 Rochester, Minn., and No. 10 Carbondale, Colo. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

WAYS TO USE COFFEE FILTERS #4

Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Thursday, June 25:
Drew Brandner, Katie Lakner, Steph Flyger, Diane Kehrwald, Jenny (Sprenkle) Terveen.
4th anniversary, Tyler and Jessica (Wood) Steele.
3rd anniversary, Philip and Nicole (Krueger) Whitesitt.

Friday, June 26:
Jenna Eerson, Ryan Bass, Dick Stolp, Ryan Kennedy, Steve Bass, Deb (Micklos) Nelson, Alex Roberts, Jodi Cowan, Grace Dozark, Jason Fuhrer, Ashley Fosness, Elizabeth Weber.
5th anniversary, Matt and Kendra Hall.
5th anniversary, Jesse and Whitney (Palmer) Flottmeyer.
5th anniversary, Joshua and Heather (Konechne) Proff.
5th anniversary, Mark and Julia Schlekeway.
5th anniversary, Jeremy and Julie Hand.
5th anniversary, Chris and Jodie (Reede) Crutcher.
Anniversary, Scott and Sandra (Kern) Mollman.

Saturday, June 27:
Jenna Nielsen, Craig Keller, Carrie Messer, Doris Withers, Willard St. Claire, Brian Dozark, Justin Kraemer.
6th anniversary, Corey and Tiffany (Winkler) Carr.
Anniversary, Gerald and Ruth Johnson.

Sunday, June 28:
Derrick Haskins, Bob Gardner, Kathy Sarvis, Pam (Welch) Wenbourne, Kari Porch, Brooke (Drewes) Dozark, Brendan Newman, McKayla Kirkpatrick, Cole Uecker, Zach Kinsman, Trey Johnson, Fran Welch.
Anniversary, Monni and Karen Karim.
45th anniversary, Bob and Janet Judson.
45th anniversary, Arden and Judy Rapp.
1st anniversary, Michael and Heather Herman.

Monday, June 29:
Addison Eisenbeisz, Jessica (Wilson) Bosma, Scott Rislov, Laurie Koehn, Mike Clegg, Mark Knudson, Aaron Denton, Shirley Raue, Jack Mitchell.
7th anniversary, Troy and Kristina (Buxcel) Fredde.
Anniversary, Jay and Bev Mickelson.

Tuesday, June 30:
Sequoyah Chavez, Laurie Gill, Ross Wright, June Hansen, Deryn Beck, Zane Erickson, Maggie Thorne, Raury Cruse, Dick Bradley, Trait Thorne.
2nd anniversary, Ty and Cathy (Comes) Richter.
2nd anniversary, Josh and Katie (Shoup) Nebelsick.
53rd anniversary, Lyle and Deanna Sutton.
3rd anniversary, Derek and Michelle Hunsley.
Anniversary, Lou and Pauline Manus.

Wednesday, July 1:
Quinn Reimers, Trevor Samuelson, Catie Schroeder, Nathan Dryden, Cathy (Comes) Richter, Jodi Hartmann, Crystal Bleu Dvorak.
4th anniversary, Jeremy and Amy Webb.
4th anniversary, Justin and Shawna (Claussen) Diedrich.

Thursday, July 2:
Matt Clark, Kellie Parker, Luke Edwards, Taylor Smalley, Ashlie Tisland.
4th anniversary, Chris and Aftin (Riehle) Eich.

SEVEN YEARS AGO IN THE MIDWEEK UPDATE---June 20, 2002

Jessica Ahlemeier completed a semester in Australia and was beginning a three-week tour of the continent before coming home. . . . . . Jenna Neuhauser was a bridesmaid, Scott Decker was an usher, and many other Riggs alumni were present as Aaron Weaver was married to Lindsey Mueller in Minnesota. . . . . . Alexis Bartholomew was spending the summer as a member of the company of Prairie Repertory Theatre in Brookings and Madison. . . . . . Ellen Gormley returned to the U.S. after nine months in England. . . . . . Tiffany Tate was spending the summer in Aberdeen, working both at the graduate office at NSU and at Beach Front Tan. . . . . . Stacie Ries began a new job as an income tax accountant for NorthWestern Corporation in Sioux Falls. . . . . . Jesse Ahlers was spending his second summer at a research center on the UND campus in Grand Forks. . . . . . Austin Schneider, Charlie Magedanz and Jerry Tveidt for their honors English project painted constellations on a classroom wall at the South Dakota Discovery Center in the spring, and now visitors to the basement classroom were able to see the night sky even in the daytime. . . . . . Bob Parliman was playing Wild Bill Hickok and Sara Goeden had the role of Calamity Jane in Pierre Players' summer musical, "Calamity Jane." . . . . . Capital Punishment, a U17 boys soccer team, earned runner-up honors in its division at the Dakota Gold Classic in Sioux Falls. Team members included Matt Dutt, Dustin Bonnett, Joe Johnson, Doug Johnson, Chad Jungman, Shawn Ludemann, Jake Miller, Nick Becker, Sheridan Cronin, Jake Mortenson, Brady Neiles, Zach Parsons, Chris Fry, Dan Johnson and Michael Zarecky.

C.U.C. MOVES INTO ITS NEW BUILDING

A little more than a year since ground was broken, the new Capital University Center is ready for students. The two-story, 18,555-square foot building has been, for the most part, finished for the last two weeks. Staff members have been moving, and classes were scheduled to be held there for the first time starting this week.

It was early spring of 2008 that construction began at the building's site at the corner of Sioux and Adams avenues. Now the completed energy-efficient building includes five classrooms, a nursing classroom, an amphitheater seating 70, a board room and offices for CUC and the USD nursing program.

CUC executive director Ron Woodburn says this gives CUC the educational presence it has not had during the years it was housed in the basement of the St. Mary's nursing building. Woodburn says the building's features include tiled classroom floors, a lobby for students to gather and the latest educational technology.

The building is named for Wallace Halverson, who gave $1 million for the building, which cost $3.5 million overall. Woodburn says CUC wants to make sure the public can use the building as well.

Plans call for a grand opening in July or August. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

MILITARY ADDRESSES

Angela Beck: angela.beck@us.army.mil
Brent Chittum: brentchittum@gmail.com
Dallas Cronin: dallas.cronin@malmstrom.af.mil
Seth Deal: deal13s@yahoo.com
Zach Erickson: ericksonza@srt.com
Zach Frisby: allamerican56@msn.com
Jason Fuhrer: jfuhrer45@hotmail.com
Armando Garza: garzaa3@hotmail.com
Ben Gloe: mashift4ter@hotmail.com
Eric Hipple: eric.hipple@us.army.mil
Ryan Hipple: rlhipple@gmail.com
Eric James: eric.james@krab.afcent.af.mil
Adam Johnson: Adam.charles.johnson@us.army.mil
Nick Johnson: nicholas.johnson5@us.army.mil
Kyle Kafka: kyle.kafka@us.army.mil
Seth Kropuenske: seth.kropuenske@us.army.mil
Evan Lee: OSPF42@hotmail.com
Mike Lewis: MikeLewis87@aol.com
Reed Ludwig: reed.ludwig@us.army.mil
Tom Martin: thomas.martin14@us.army.mil
Matt Picchietti: mpicchietti@hotmail.com
Ryan Russell: raindeer_hunter@hotmail.com
Kyrissa Sandal: kyrissa.m.sandal@afghan.swa.army.mil
Brady Smith: cincinus50@yahoo.com
Chad Snodgrass: arthur.snodgrass@us.army.mil
Eric Wallace: eric.wallace@us.army.mil
Brendan Whitebird: phantom_snake789@hotmail.com
Colin Whitebird: sonics316@hotmail.com

HOW BLONDE WAS SHE?

She was so blonde that she tried to put M&Ms in alphabetical order.

PARKER'S CAPITAL JOURNAL COLUMN 6-19-09

"I can't believe how fast it has gone!"

That's what Stephanie (Magedanz) Bartsch (Riggs High '99) says of her first 10 years out of high school, and although she can't make it home for the 10-year reunion next week since she and her husband are teaching with the Peace Corps in Cambodia, chances are the '99ers who come home to Pierre and those who live here will say the same thing.

Stephanie is one who has already crossed off some of the goals on her list---finish college, find a career I like, run a half-marathon, fall in love and get married, live in a different country and culture.

"I guess the most surprising thing to me is that age 28 sounds much older, mature and adult than how I feel," Stephanie wrote from Southeast Asia the other day. "Man, time goes fast!"

Every year at graduation time somebody notes what a special class this year's seniors are, and, true, each class has its uniqueness. But to this writer who has seen 30 years of Riggs classes come and go, the '99ers were indeed a special class---talented beyond measure in everything from drama to athletics, from music to academics---and they had a memorable senior year.

Having spent their ninth-grade year as middle schoolers, they were beginning only their third year at the high school building when they began their senior year in the fall of 1998. It was the same time Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were staging a home run duel for the ages in major league baseball. (Now that does indeed seem like a long time ago, doesn't it?)

In the fall they crowned Dustin Garber and Stephanie Magedanz as their homecoming royalty and saw Elliot Harmon star as Elwood P. Dowd, the guy with the invisible rabbit named Harvey, in the fall play. They watched an exceptional football team go 9-2 in a season still remembered for a game-saving goalline stand against Watertown, wins on the road at Washington and Yankton, and an ESD title lost in the final game in a raging monsoon at Brookings.

The reconstruction project at Riggs had not yet occurred, so the "old" high school was literally packed to the rafters with students. The sinking southeast wing hadn't yet sunk so far it was unusable. The volleyball team found success and a state tournament berth for the first time ever. Three German boys spent the year here with the hometown kids, and Chris Frost and McLean Thompson were the two student senate presidents.

As 1998-99 moved through the winter, our leaders in Washington were obsessed with impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, and the Super Bowl-bound Vikings found ways to lose to Atlanta in O.T. in the NFC title game. Here at Riggs the drama department staged Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." One night the wrestlers trimmed Winner in a home dual match, and by the next morning they learned their coach was dead in a car accident. They took out their grief on their opponents, stunned the state meet with a first-place lead after the first day and eventually saw seven men earn medals there.

As winter turned to spring, the band made Chicago its destination for the first time, the Capital City Children's Chorus joined the symphonic band for a moving performance of "Dry Your Tears, Afrika," and these seniors along with the world watched in horror as two students took 11 lives at a Colorado high school named Columbine. Travis Tipton became a state hurdles champ, the prom took place inside a fairytale castle, and graduation was forced indoors for the fourth straight year.

"I was one of those people who said, once I leave, I will never be back," recalls Amanda (Huck) Stoeser. Life takes its twists and turns, however, and when she married A.J. in 2006, she went from one who would never come back to one who will likely never leave since the Stoesers are Stanley County ranchers. And that's all well and good with Amanda. "I love living where I live," she says. "Country living is so peaceful."

Amanda, who is an elementary teacher, echoes a common theme---"I can't believe it has been 10 years already!"

Sara (Lakner) Almarez was one who really thought she would live in South Dakota all of her life, but after graduating from Lake Area Tech in 2001, she landed a great job opportunity in Dallas. "I decided to take a leap of faith and go for it," she said. "It was one of the best decisions I ever made." She not only found she loves city life, but she found a guy she calls "an amazing man," married him and has a great life with him and their 2-year-old daughter.

"I am blessed in all aspects of my life," Sara said. "I am sad I can't make it back to the 10-year reunion, but family and work keep me busy 100 percent of the time!" Sara, an account executive with Executive Accommodations, assists clients with their moves when relocating to new cities.

Katie Zeller couldn't predict where she might end up with her engineering degree from the School of Mines, but she is surprised it is in the oil and gas industry. She, however, is not surprised that "home" is now Denver where she can enjoy so many outdoor activities year-round.

"I am surprised at how much I have traveled around the U.S. and the world," she said, "and the abundance of opportunities to live and work in other countries."

Karin (Unkenholz) Hansen would have expected to go to SDSU, marry out of college, be a teacher and have some kids. But an opportunity for a three-month internship with Nordstrom's in Portland, Ore., after college turned into a three-year dream job as a personal buyer, the chance to travel and run marathons, and meeting "some incredible people." One of them was a magnificent chap named Eric Hansen.

"If anything surprises me about my path, I would say none of it has been planned, but it all contributed to my being very happy!" Karin said. She and Eric live in Rapid City where Karin is a senior sales rep for KNBN-TV.

At graduation time Amanda Redden expected that by 2009 she would be married with a family started. "Not quite there yet!" she wrote from Denver last week. "I am currently in nursing school and have yet to find The One, but I am in no hurry." Amanda says she has come to love the Denver area and enjoys her time to herself out there, but Pierre is home, and she is eager to see everyone at the reunion.

"If you asked me 10 years ago where I would be, living in Pierre wouldn't have been one of the places I would have guessed," says Chris Johnson. "But then I also wouldn't have guessed I would be attending the high school graduation of my future stepdaughter one weekend and getting married the next." That's what has happened to Chris already this month.

"I also would have told you I would certainly never be working in a cubicle," he laughed, but his space is in one of those cubes on the third floor of the Joe Foss Building where he works in a field he loves---arboriculture and urban and community forestry.

Brittney (Witte) Hunsley is not surprised she lives in Pierre 10 years later. "I was never one of those who said, 'I will never come back.' I just thought I would go where my career took me or where there were the best opportunities," she said. The surprise in her life is her career---from a high school rodeo experience to an animal science degree from SDSU to a job as events and special projects coordinator for the South Dakota Retailers Association. Not quite the course she might have anticipated for her life!

"I enjoy what I do, and although I still love animals, I don't do anything related to animals, unless planning a pheasant hunt for 25 people each year counts!" said Brittney, who lives with her husband Dusty and son Max, age 2. A second child will arrive as a Christmas present this winter.

Tessa (Heiss) Krueger joined the Class of '99 in time for their junior year. "The thing that surprises me most is that four of my five siblings, and their families, along with my parents all ended up in Pierre," Tessa said. "It's great living here, and especially having my family here as well."

Jesse Ahlers, one of a plethora of scholar-athletes in the Class of '99, lives in Buffalo, N.Y., with his wife Megan and works for IBM. "When you leave high school and you think about how things are going to be in 10 years, you think of the change that will happen---people moving, getting married, living new lives---and it is kind of sad to think that things will never be the same," Jesse wrote the other day. "Although many things have changed, one thing that hasn't changed is the friendships that I still have with my friends from high school. It is a great feeling to know that, no matter what happens in life, I will always have a group of friends back home in Pierre."

The '99ers will be home over the Independence Day weekend, taking in the community's activities and some of their own. To them and the other local graduates coming back for reunions this year, what can we put up on our Sioux Avenue marquees but "Welcome Home!"

Those like Stephanie Bartsch who can't come back because of distance or obligations can at least think about home at reunion time.

"A big hello to all my classmates from Cambodia," she said in her e-mail to me. "Enjoy Pierre and the river on the Fourth for me, and if possible, have some good old South Dakota beef and some Zesto ice cream. I miss both terribly!"

WEDDING DAYS

Friday: Ty Norman/Tara Sutter.
Saturday: Darin Noyes/Heather Lehnert.
July 3: Nathan Barnes/Carrie Schlaak.
July 3: Damon Thielen/Jenna Robbennolt.
July 4: John BonneCarrere/Annie Fuller.
July 11: Brent Baloun/Ali Haag.
July 11: Jonathan Rosenthal/Brittany Bown.
July 18: Jeffery Smith/April Chicoine.
July 24: Joel Stauss/Liz Edman.
Aug. 1: Blake Norman/Randi McQuistion.
Aug. 7: John Williams/Laura Dutton.
Aug. 7: Justin Briese/Stacey Simmons.
Aug. 8: Max Huber/Lisa Persuitti.
Aug. 15: J.D. Lauing/Amanda Yopp.
Aug. 22: Demetri Sengos/Joni Haugan.
Aug. 22: Kit Bramblee/Kayla Gabriel.
Aug. 29: Eric Rodawig/Niki Fergen.
Aug. 29: Josh Pfeffer/Karna Knapp.
Sept. 5: Scott Gibson/Melissa Stevens.
Sept. 5: Josh Irvine/Sam Lytle.
Sept. 12: Drew Sweetman/Catherine Roemen.
Sept. 18: Brent Reilly/Cindy Ryan.
Sept. 19: Dexter Micklos/Rachel Wegman.
Sept. 26: Michael Rydland/Kallee Hewlett.
Sept. 26: Nathan Becker/Sara Dvorak.
Oct. 17: Adam Bertsch/Megan Linn.
Nov. 7: Dustin Dowling/Kayla Trebesch.
April 10, 2010: Tyson Goehring/Jenny Miller.
May 8, 2010: Jason Harder/Jodi Cowan.
May 22, 2010: Kipp Stahl/Kelsee Larsen.
May 29, 2010: Tony Jockheck/Jessica Houghtaling.
June 19, 2010: Kody Karschnik/Lindsey Friez.
July 31, 2010: J.D. Deal/Megan Rapp.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY

When in doubt, just take the next small step.

NINE YEARS AGO IN THE MIDWEEK UPDATE---June 28, 2000

The Petunia Patch of the Week in Pierre was the one being maintained by Krista Schmidt, Hattie Clark and Amber Russell. . . . . . Earning 4.0 GPAs on the spring semester Dean's List at Northern were Joe Martin, Justin Briese, Aaron Carstenson, Lori Collett, Kate Goehring, Philip Rose and Kim Wonnenberg. . . . . . Tyson Lindekugel, after graduating from Lubbock Christian College in Texas, was playing minor league baseball with the Springfield, Ill., team in the Frontier League. . . . . . The spring semester Dean's List at Iowa State included Dustin Garber. . . . . . McLean Thompson was spending the summer working in the brokerage department at BankWest in Pierre. . . . . . Ann Beemer, a student at Baylor University in Texas, was spending the summer in Florence, Italy. . . . . . Ryan Kennedy spent his 21st birthday driving to Beresford and back to retrieve his car, which had broken down there the previous week. . . . . . Riggs alumnus Troy Wiebe was named assistant principal at Morse Middle School, replacing Dave Patten, who moved up to the head principal's job to replace Kevin Mutschelknaus, who was moving to Alaska. . . . . . Post 8 defeated Scottsbluff, Neb., as Joe Stolp had a three-run homer and two other hits and Dan Nielsen went 4-for-4, scoring three times and driving in two runs. Brandon Deffenbaugh and Matt Kelley each drove in a pair of runs and had three hits each. Dan Schumacher was the pitcher enjoying all of that offensive support. . . . . . Adam Bertsch, Robyn Clausen, Maure Eichelberg, Annie Fuller, Kelli Larson, Nikki Christiansen and Kayla Johnson were SDSU Pride of the Dakotas band members preparing for their July 4 performance at the national independence Day parade and program in Washington, D.C., and on the national PBS telecast.

HELP ME FIND THESE GUYS!

I need contact information (e-mail? Facebook?) for Derek Larson, Jeff Larson, Brandon Conzemius and Tom Pier, all members of the 1994 Post 8 American Legion baseball team. I need to contact each of them in the next few days regarding a subsequent Capital Journal column. Can anybody help me locate these guys?

PEOPLE NEWS

Chelsey Roberts, who was married to Nick Renemans last Saturday night in Pierre, was awarded the International College of Dentists Student Leadership Award, which is given to one senior student at each U.S. dental school. Chelsey graduated from Creighton University in Omaha on May 16. She and Nick, also a Creighton dental graduate, will begin their dental practices July 6 at Dentistry at the St. Charles in Pierre.

Riggs alumnus Jeff Parker's son Aaron is engaged to Kelsey Hoyer. Both are students at UNLV in Las Vegas where Aaron is a marketing major. He is a 2006 graduate of Stevens High School in Rapid City where Jeff and his wife Theresa live.

Small World Dept.: I had to think for just a few seconds who that woman was who was smiling at me from the after-church snack line at our church in Vermillion Sunday morning. It was Jill Mutchelknaus, and shortly thereafter I noticed her husband Kevin, assistant principal at Riggs High. Kevin and Jill were there for their nephew Nate Garrett's confirmation.

Brooke Bjorneberg, while continuing to work full-time at the South Dakota penitentiary, has acquired a new part-time job which, she admits, mostly involves standing around. She is an usher at Sioux Falls Canaries baseball games. Brooke was in Pierre for Oahe Days last weekend and joined her dad Tim for Father's Day while her mother was in Tucson visiting the Eric Sibson family. Brooke says she is feeling a strong urge to start school again.

Ruth Brown of Pierre was one of several SDSU students in attendance at the Arrowhead Model United Nations Conference on the Minnesota State-Mankato campus this month. Delegates are assigned to a country of their choice and then represent that country at the Model UN, remaining "in character" as a representative of that country rather than acting as an American.

Kris and Calyn (Cronin) Hauck of Portland, Ore., added a third son to their family on June 20. Amos Cronin Hauck weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and measured 22 inches. He joins big brothers Levi and Jesse in the Hauck family.

The latest update on Karen Leuning's battle with cancer as she also continues her new nursing career can be found at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/karenleuning.

Kevin Lors, 1999 Riggs alumnus, and his wife Julie of Lincoln, Neb., became the parents of twin boys on June 9. Ethan Michael Lors weighed 5 pounds, 2 ounces, and Isaac Samuel Lors weighed 5 pounds, 4 ounces. The boys were born 6 1/2 weeks early, so they remain patients at the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Lincoln, but their grandmother, Ginny Lors, reports they are doing well and should be home in another week or so. The boys join sister Naomi, 2 1/2, in the Lors family. Kevin works as a certified public accountant for a local accounting firm in Lincoln, and Julie is a stay-at-home mom. Ethan and Isaac happened to be just one of three sets of twins born at the same hospital and delivered by the same doctor within a five-hour span on June 9. Two television news crews from Lincoln and one from Omaha all interviewed the parents involved and received news coverage all across Nebraska.

Whitnea (Roseland '99) Engelbrecht and her husband Jason of Brainerd, Minn., became first-time parents when twin daughters were born on May 31. Anna Elaine and Kayla Gayl each weighed 5 pounds, 4 ounces. They are the first grandchildren for both sets of grandparents. Local grandparents are Marlin and Ardys Roseland of Fort Pierre, and great-grandparents are Boyd and Deloris Roseland of Pierre.

Jon and Terry (Lamster) Horning of Willmar, Minn., after spending several days in Omaha at the College World Series, will be in South Dakota next week for the Hengel family reunion at Sylvan Lake June 30-July 4. The brothers of Terry's mother, the late Betty Lamster, and their families and all of the Lamster kids, including Terry and her brother John, who lives at Deadwood, plan to be in attendance.

Soccer state champions from South Dakota had a rough weekend in the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II tournament in Sioux Falls. South Dakota boys teams had a record of 3-17-1 in pool play while girls teams were 1-19-1. The U19 SD United Manchester team coached by Chris Derry, which included Pierre players Will Corcoran, Eric Christianson and Andy Zarecky, lost by scores of 4-1, 6-1 and 9-0. The U19 SD United Milan girls team that Chris helps to coach lost by scores of 3-2, 2-1 and 2-1. The U17 girls Dakota Gold Destiny team for which Pierre's Kristi Hestdalen plays lost 5-2, 4-2 and 2-0.

Jenna Feiler was crowned Miss Oahe Days with Lindsey Fairbairn as runner-up and Megan Sarvis as Miss Congeniality. At the same pageant Jenny Ganske was crowned Miss Teen with Sierra Heckenlaible as runner-up. The Junior Miss winner was Peyton Peitz.

Evan Roth, who has lived in the Denver area since returning to the U.S. last summer from two years of Peace Corps service in west Africa, sends this message regarding the Telluride, Colo., Bluegrass Festival: "Hey all, put the Telluride Bluegrass Festival on your list of things to do! Easily one of my most enjoyable experiences ever. Beautiful town and scenery; awesome people; incredibly well organized, and comfortable! Free gondola rides all weekend; really fun bus rides that take you from your campsite - the local school bus drivers are hilarious and love their work; mountain biking trails to the festival itself; waking up to campers playing bluegrass; falling asleep to campers playing bluegrass; new friends and stories; great live music on the street corners and in the pubs; reasonably priced food and beer; walking by Bela Fleck, Jeff Austin, and Railroad Earth in streets, festival grounds, and pubs; waterfalls, mountain creeks, and wooden bridges - and the lineup was incredible as an added bonus! And with only one mainstage and a sidestage you can actually experience the whole festival! Check out our pics:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0CYuGbhu3YsnNg
http://www.bluegrass.com/telluride/lineup.html

The Rev. Paul Sohn, who served Faith Lutheran Church in Pierre as its pastor from 1949 to 1957, died at the age of 91 on June 19. Services were held at Ankeny, Iowa.

Craig Hilton, who served 20 years in administrative roles at BankWest in Pierre, died at the age of 65 on June 18. He was a 1962 graduate of Onida High School where he was a member of two state championship track teams. After graduating from Northern and entering business at Redwood Falls, Minn., Craig returned to Pierre in 1986 to join BankWest. Since his retirement he has lived in his hometown of Onida. Services will be held this morning (Thursday) in Onida at 10:30 a.m. He is survived by two sons, Chad Hilton of Marshall and Tim Hilton of Des Moines.

Our sympathy to the family of Dale Nellermoe, 82, including his wife Marlys; sons Mark and Brian; daughter Deb Mortenson; and sister Ione Neuharth. Services were held Monday at Lutheran Memorial Church.

Lucas Scheibe ('02), who has already served a tour of duty in Iraq, will be going to Afghanistan at some point in the foreseeable future. Lucas has been at Fort Sill, Okla., for three weeks, getting what he called "lots of great training." He goes next to Fort Huachuca, Ariz., for four months of intelligence school and possibly a language school afater that, but he knows for sure he is headed to Afghanistan.

Blaine Harrowa has moved to Spearfish and is working in Deadwood while pursuing his degree at Black Hills State, majoring in secondary education and minoring in football coaching.

The horrific tragedy that occurred in the lobby at the Pierre post office Sunday afternoon would be a terrible event no matter who the people involved are. It is even more so when it is somebody we know. Our sympathy to the family of Pierre attorney Julian Brown, who took his own life there. Services are being held this morning (Thursday) at 11 a.m. at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church. Among his survivors are his wife of 28 years, Margaret; their daughters, Ruth Brown of Pierre and Elizabeth Brown of Brookings; his stepson, Andy Durbin of Baltimore; his son, Kenneth Quick-Brown, in Indiana, and his adopted daughter, Monica Goodface in Indiana. A native of Florida, Mr. Brown worked for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a civil rights activist. He protested with Dr. King on Chicago's South Side for civil rights and voter registration. He was an attorney for the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe for 18 years.

Several student-athletes from Aplington-Parkersburg High School in north central Iowa have come to USD to play football, including one, Nick Walters, who lived across the street from us in Vermillion during the 2007-08 school year. It was his high school coach, Ed Thomas, who was murdered in the high school's weight room yesterday morning by a former player. Parkersburg is the town devastated by a tornado a year ago, and Coach Thomas was instrumental in the town's rebuilding frame of mind, leading the effort to get the heavily damaged football field ready for the first game last fall but more importantly leading the community in banding together to get to work in rebuilding their town and school. He and his team were the subject of an ESPN feature last fall. Now this.

Let's change the tone of this to some good news. Great news! Craig Eichstadt, after undergoing stem cell transplant surgery at Mayo Clinic this spring, is doing well. The latest entry as of Tuesday on his blogsite reads: "The great news is that there is no detectable sign of cancer in the blood or bone marrow and any lesions are healed or healing. Craig will have some lasting side-effects from the chemotherapy, but not anything as horrible as the disease itself." Craig and Gail are due home from Rochester today. You can follow Craig's progress at http://pierrecraig.blogspot.com.

Meanwhile, Craig and Gail Eichstadt's daughter, Anne, a graduate of USD, was married on June 14 at Faith Lutheran Church to Scott Saniuk. A reception was held at the St. Charles. A larger reception will take place Aug. 7 in Scott's hometown of Bellevue, Neb.

An open house honoring outgoing city commissioners Larry Weiss and Jason Glodt will be held at 4 p.m. today (Thursday) at the city commission room at Pierre City Hall. Everyone is welcome.

Seven members of the Riggs High track team earned Academic All-State recognition from the South Dakota High School Coaches Association. They are Ryan Hahn, Bryce Drapeaux, Seth Brotherton, Josh Hartmann, Travis Jordan, Matt Tetzlaff and Devon Russell.

Megan Rapp and JD Deal are the parents of a boy---a big boy!---who was born yesterday, June 24, during the noon hour at St. Mary's Healthcare Center in Pierre. Jerren Scott Deal weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces, and measured 20 3/4 inches. All are doing well although Megan's mom, Judy Rapp, says Megan will be very sore for awhile. Jerren's photo should be up on the St. Mary's website by today.

Among this coming year's recipients of the Distinguished Service Award from the South Dakota High School Activities Association are attorney John Brown of Pierre as a contributor and long-time official Paul Schreiner in that category. They and the other award recipients will be honored at various state tournament-level events of their choosing during the 2009-10 school year.

As Jason Fuhrer's Air Force career continues, he and his wife, the former JoAan Murphy of Aberdeen, are settled in Tucson, Ariz., where he is stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. They are enjoying Tucson and all the things there are to do there. Jason is flying a new airplane these days and training in it until October. Then the Fuhrers are off to Korea, and plans are that JoAan will accompany Jason unless the political situation becomes too heated for safety's sake in the next few months. Jason has acquired a brief period of time to fly home at the end of next week so he can attend his 10-year class reunion in Pierre.

I'm sure we all skim over the list of military personnel e-mail addresses in the Update each week. But a message in Jason Fuhrer's e-mail last night should hit home. He wrote, "There are a lot of young guys and gals out there, checking their e-mails from the only hard building in their tent city in the middle of the desert, who love hearing about home and love being thanked for their sacrifices. They will never tell you that, and we never expect it, but it always makes us feel good to know that people are aware." Don't you have five minutes this week to send an e-mail to one or two of the people on our military list?

A Pierre man has been named as the new chief diversity officer at the University of South Dakota. Keith Moore has served as director of Indian education for the state Department of Education since 2005. Moore, a native of Mission who is married to the former Kristy Hallock of Fort Pierre, has almost 20 years of education experience in several South Dakota school districts. Before joining the state, he had been principal and boys basketball coach at Sully Buttes High School. Moore begins his new duties at USD on Aug. 22. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

Vol. 10, No. 38; Thursday, June 18, 2009

STANLEY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION RESULTS

(Two elected): John Duffy (incumbent) 210, Sonny Harrowa (incumbent) 189, Carly Sommars 179. The voter turnout was only 15.7%.

PLANNING YOUR PARADE ENTRY?

The final planning meeting for Blunt's 125th celebration will be held at 1 p.m. this Saturday, June 20, at the Blunt Senior Center.

There is still time to enter something (ANYTHING!!!) in the Blunt parade to be held Saturday morning, June 27. Go to www.blunt125.com for entry information.

Blunt folks, many of whom work in Pierre, spend thousands of dollars in Pierre. The least we can do is support their parade, so plan something to drive down the street and get your entry submitted!

Turn on your radios next Wednesday morning, June 24, at 9:05 a.m. when Blunt's anniversary celebration will be the focus of KGFX Radio's "Hometown" series of live broadcasts.

COUNTDOWN

1 day: Oahe Days (June 19-21).
8 days: Blunt 125th anniversary celebration (June 26-28).
34 days: American Cancer Society Relay for Life (July 24-25).
55 days: Casey Tibbs S.D. Rodeo Center grand opening (Aug. 14-16).
61 days: First day of school in Stanley County district (Aug. 20).
62 days: Governors/Lady Govs opening soccer games at Brookings (Aug. 21).
66 days: First day of school in Pierre district (Aug. 25).
83 days: S.D. Hall of Fame induction weekend, Pierre (Sept. 11-12).
98 days: Trojan Day at DSU (Sept. 26).
105 days: Blue & White Day at DWU (Oct. 3).
105 days: Homecoming at USF (Oct. 3).
112 days: Gypsy Day at Northern (Oct. 10).
112 days: Dakota Day at USD (Oct. 10).
119 days: Viking Day at Augustana (Oct. 17).
126 days: Hobo Day at SDSU (Oct. 24).
239 days: Winter Olympics opening ceremonies (Feb. 12, 2010).

20TH ANNUAL DAKOTA DUCK DERBY

Five thousand bright yellow duckies will be dumped into the river Saturday morning and race to the finish line to win prizes for their purchasers. The race starts at 10 a.m. and finishes at the Steamboat Park causeway. First prize is $500 in cash, but there is a chance to win $20,000 if the duck number on the 20th duck across the finish line matches one of the 10 numbers picked by the insurance company computer.

Duck tickets cost $2 each or $20 for a quack pack of 10. Tickets are on sale at Valley Tap, Fort Pierre First National Bank, American State bank, Hospice Thrift Store, Countryside Hospice office and from volunteers.

Special ducks are on sale to help fund Countryside Hospice's Bed & Breakfast Program. You could win $100 or $50 in cash if you have purchased one of these ducks.

FIVE YEARS AGO IN THE MIDWEEK UPDATE---June 10, 2004

Jason and Bonnie (Wahl) Nowak and their 2-year-old daughter Molly moved to Yankton. Bonnie began medical practice in internal medicine at the Yankton Medical Clinic, and Jason became business manager of the Gayville-Volin School District. . . . . . Marcie (Fuhrer) Holsteen graduated from Kansas State with a B.S. degree in business management/human resources. . . . . . Julia Disburg was spending the summer in Vermillion, working in the bakery at the Hy-Vee store. . . . . . McKayla Marso was "baptized" into her new job as a waitress at Jake's Good Times Place in Pierre when 18 people in one party came to eat dinner, sit in one group and asked for individual tickets, and she was the only waitress on duty. . . . . . Allen Goodman gave up only two hits and struck out 10 as Post 8 defeated Mitchell, 5-1. . . . . . Trailing Aberdeen 5-4 in the sixth, Post 8 rallied when Mike Fisher stroked a triple to tie the game and Kyle Kurth doubled to put Pierre ahead to stay. . . . . . Charlie Wharton resigned as the police department's school resource officer at Riggs High to assume a position at the DCI Law Enforcement Training Center. . . . . . All of the Vogels were home for a combined 25th wedding anniversary celebration for Greg and Kila and a welcome-home-from-Iraq for Greg over the Memorial Day weekend. . . . . . Matt Dutt, Craig Schochenmaier and Kyle Cummings were working as storm chasers. . . . . . Riggs High '92 classmates Jamie Liudahl, Eric Sibson, Eric Hunsley and Dave Thelen were groomsmen for their classmate Chris Stout at his wedding near Piedmont.

BASEBALL ROUNDUP

Post 8: Pierre swept Mitchell, 7-1 and 10-9, Tuesday night. Kyle Cichos' great season continued as he won his fourth pitching victory, allowing only two hits and fanning nine in the opener. Ryan Yackley had a three-run double and Jason Livermont a two-run home run. In the nightcap Pierre trailed 9-3 but won 10-9. Livermont had three hits, and Yackley was winning pitcher in relief, throwing three innings and allowing two hits and no runs.

Last week Post 8 whipped Huron 11-0 in seven innings. Kyle Cichos and Jordan Heckenlaible had two-run homers in an eight-run sixth. Kyle struck out six and allowed one hit in five innings on the mound. Ryan Lauseng threw two hitless innings of relief.

Post 8 lost four weekend games---12-2 in five innings and 11-1 in five innings to unbeaten Dickinson and 11-1 in six innings and 7-3 to Watertown.

"A" Teeners: Pierre swept Spearfish, 17-4 and 11-1. Pierre lost to Sioux Falls East, 11-2. Pierre lost to the Post 320 Shooting Stars, 1-0, defeated the Spearfish JVs 18-3 and defeated the Post 320 Rising Stars, 8-3, in Post 320's tournament.

13-14 Teeners: Pierre defeated Huron, 12-1 in five innings, and lost to Huron 6-4. The team swept Brookings, 16-1 in four innings and 16-2 in five innings.

"B" Teeners: Pierre lost twice to Sioux Falls Central, 18-1 in three innings and 7-4, but still has a 6-2 record.

This week's schedules:
Rattlers: Tonight, @ Miller, 7:00; Friday, home vs. Martin, 8 p.m.; Saturday, @ Aberdeen, 1:00 DH; Tuesday, @ Wessington Springs, 8:00; Wednesday, home vs. Clearfield, 8 p.m.
Post 8: Saturday-Sunday, home for Koester Memorial Tournament; Tuesday, @ Rapid City Post 22, 5:00 DH.
"A" Teeners: Friday-Sunday, @ Sioux Falls Wood Bat Tournament; Wednesday, @ Sturgis, 5:00 DH.
"B" Teeners: Friday-Sunday, @ Winner tournament; Tuesday, @ Mobridge, 6:00 DH.
13-14 Teeners: Saturday-Sunday, @ Watertown tournament; Tuesday, home vs. Rapid City Cadets, 5:30 DH; Wednesday, home vs. Rapid City Cadets, 11:00 DH.

Koester Memorial Tournament schedule:
Saturday: 12:00, Huron vs. S.F. West; 2:30, R.C. Post 22 Expos vs. S.F. West; 5:00, Pierre Post 8 vs. Huron; 7:30, Pierre Post 8 vs. R.C. Post 22 Expos.
Sunday: 10:00, Huron vs. R.C. Post 22 Expos; 12:30, Pierre vs. S.F. West; 3:00, third-place game; 5:30, championship game.

"A" Teeners schedule at Sioux Falls tournament:
Friday: vs. Groton, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday: vs. S.F. South, 12:00; vs. Worthington, 5:00.
Sunday: placing game.

TWINS SCHEDULE

Thursday: Pittsburgh, 12:10 p.m.
Friday: Houston, 7:10 p.m.
Saturday: Houston, 6:10 p.m.
Sunday: Houston, 1:10 p.m.
Tuesday: @ Milwaukee, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: @ Milwaukee, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday: @ Milwaukee, 1:05 p.m.

WAYS TO USE COFFEE FILTERS #3

Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free, so they will leave windows sparkling.

BLOGS DIRECTORY

Brett Stewart in the Twin Cities: http://www.stay-at-home-dog.blogspot.com
Nikki (Peterson) Kachelmyer in the Twin Cities: http://www.clairesfamily.blogspot.com
Brad Johnston in the Twin Cities: http://www.bloogue.net/blog/
Becky (Eich) Watson in the Twin Cities: http://www.watsonswatch.blogspot.com
Brad Lowery in the Twin Cities: http://www.nyrr.org/races/pro/usa_distance/bradlowery.asp
Scott and Stacy (Alt) Decker in Lincoln: http://www.deckerkrew.blogspot.com
Calyn (Cronin) Hauck in Portland, Ore.: http://www.mamatoo.blogspot.com
Aaron Chittum in Sioux Falls: http://achittum.blogspot.com
Michael Knudson on the Minnesota Vikings: http://skolvikes.blogspot.com
Holly (Knox) Perli in Rochester, Minn.: http://knoxsoapbox.blogspot.com
Marty Calkins in Thailand: http://martincalkins.blogspot.com

SIX YEARS AGO IN THE MIDWEEK UPDATE---June 20, 2003

Justin Scott, en route to a cousin's wedding in Brookings, stopped in Pierre on his way from his summer job as a Forest Service firefighter in the Black Hills. . . . . . The Iowa State spring Dean's List included Erin Brown and Michael Zuercher. . . . . . Brad Wire, after his freshman year at St. Thomas, was working a summer job at a factory in north Minneapolis. . . . . . The USD Dean's List included Amber Anderson, Dave Arendt, Brianne Barnett, Jon Dravland, Carrie Gonsor, Bryan Harty, Drew Palmer, Scott Pfahler, Justin Potts, Brian Templeton, Damon Thielen, Chance Knecht, Mark Schlekeway and Mike Powell. . . . . . Cancer patient Travis Newling, who had been receiving a South Dakota Lottery scratch ticket from his dad Bill each day at his hospital room in Sioux Falls, scratched off one day and found himself to be a $5,000 winner. . . . . . Brian Grunewaldt and Amy Ripperger were married in Pierre on the seventh anniversary of the day they began going together. . . . . . Kit Bramblee called his dad from Iraq, reporting that the temperature the previous day had been 150 degrees.

ZESTO SHERBET SCHEDULE

Thursday: peach.
Friday-Sunday: strawberry cheesecake.
Monday-Tuesday: kiwi.
Wednesday-Thursday: lime.

MILITARY ADDRESSES

Angela Beck: angela.beck@us.army.mil
Brent Chittum: brentchittum@gmail.com
Dallas Cronin: dallas.cronin@malmstrom.af.mil
Seth Deal: deal13s@yahoo.com
Zach Erickson: ericksonza@srt.com
Zach Frisby: allamerican56@msn.com
Jason Fuhrer: jfuhrer45@hotmail.com
Armando Garza: garzaa3@hotmail.com
Ben Gloe: mashift4ter@hotmail.com
Eric Hipple: eric.hipple@us.army.mil
Ryan Hipple: rlhipple@gmail.com
Eric James: eric.james@krab.afcent.af.mil
Adam Johnson: Adam.charles.johnson@us.army.mil
Nick Johnson: nicholas.johnson5@us.army.mil
Kyle Kafka: kyle.kafka@us.army.mil
Seth Kropuenske: seth.kropuenske@us.army.mil
Evan Lee: OSPF42@hotmail.com
Mike Lewis: MikeLewis87@aol.com
Reed Ludwig: reed.ludwig@us.army.mil
Tom Martin: thomas.martin14@us.army.mil
Matt Picchietti: mpicchietti@hotmail.com
Ryan Russell: raindeer_hunter@hotmail.com
Kyrissa Sandal: kyrissa.m.sandal@afghan.swa.army.mil
Brady Smith: cincinus50@yahoo.com
Chad Snodgrass: arthur.snodgrass@us.army.mil
Eric Wallace: eric.wallace@us.army.mil
Brendan Whitebird: phantom_snake789@hotmail.com
Colin Whitebird: sonics316@hotmail.com

OAHE DAYS SCHEDULE

The full Oahe Days schedule for this weekend is too voluminous to reprint here, but you can get an 8 1/2-by-11" printable schedule at www.oahedays.com.

Some of the highlights:

Thursday night: 7 p.m., Miss Oahe Days contest at the mall.

Friday: 6 p.m., parade starting at Griffin Park; 8 p.m., Tribute to Our Troops celebration at the amphitheater; 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., free concert by Judd Hoos.

Saturday: 8 a.m., trail run and walk 5K/10K starting at LaFramboise Island; 10 a.m., Dakota Duck Derby; 1 to 8 p.m., races at Oahe Speedway; 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., free concert by The Black Water Band; 10 p.m., lighted boat parade.

Sunday: 10 a.m., church service at the amphitheater organized by Lutheran Memorial Church.

There are a myriad of activities all day Friday through Sunday at Steamboat Park, including children's activities, entertainment on the stage and craft vendors.

WEDDING DAYS

Saturday: Nick Renemans/Chelsey Roberts.
Saturday: Gary Moore/Brenda Stoeser.
Saturday: Chris Klucas/Hallie Reumann.
June 26: Ty Norman/Tara Sutter.
June 27: Darin Noyes/Heather Lehnert.
July 3: Nathan Barnes/Carrie Schlaak.
July 3: Damon Thielen/Jenna Robbennolt.
July 4: John BonneCarrere/Annie Fuller.
July 11: Brent Baloun/Ali Haag.
July 11: Jonathan Rosenthal/Brittany Bown.
July 18: Jeffery Smith/April Chicoine.
July 24: Joel Stauss/Liz Edman.
Aug. 1: Blake Norman/Randi McQuistion.
Aug. 7: John Williams/Laura Dutton.
Aug. 7: Justin Briese/Stacey Simmons.
Aug. 8: Max Huber/Lisa Persuitti.
Aug. 15: J.D. Lauing/Amanda Yopp.
Aug. 22: Demetri Sengos/Joni Haugan.
Aug. 22: Kit Bramblee/Kayla Gabriel.
Aug. 29: Eric Rodawig/Niki Fergen.
Aug. 29: Josh Pfeffer/Karna Knapp.
Sept. 5: Scott Gibson/Melissa Stevens.
Sept. 5: Josh Irvine/Sam Lytle.
Sept. 12: Drew Sweetman/Catherine Roemen.
Sept. 18: Brent Reilly/Cindy Ryan.
Sept. 19: Dexter Micklos/Rachel Wegman.
Sept. 26: Michael Rydland/Kallee Hewlett.
Sept. 26: Nathan Becker/Sara Dvorak.
Oct. 17: Adam Bertsch/Megan Linn.
Nov. 7: Dustin Dowling/Kayla Trebesch.
April 10, 2010: Tyson Goehring/Jenny Miller.
May 8, 2010: Jason Harder/Jodi Cowan.
May 22, 2010: Kipp Stahl/Kelsee Larsen.
May 29, 2010: Tony Jockheck/Jessica Houghtaling.
June 19, 2010: Kody Karschnik/Lindsey Friez.
July 31, 2010: J.D. Deal/Megan Rapp.

HOW BLONDE WAS SHE?

She was so blonde that, when she went to the airport and saw a sign that said, "Airport Left," she turned around and went home.

NINE YEARS AGO IN THE MIDWEEK UPDATE---June 21, 2000

Sundaes in the Park featured Bob Gill's Lost & Found praise band, including guitarists Kyle Rausch and Andy McKay and vocalists Gerda Jorgenson and Tracy Roberts. . . . . . The Dean's List from the SDSU College of Arts and Sciences included Jeremy Adams, Nicole Beck, Toby Bryant, Tyler Bryant, Nicole Cholik, Nikki Christiansen, Lori Cowan, Jeri Jones, Adam Kehrwald, Jean Knowlton, Shad Ludemann, Jamie Mesteth, Joy Miller, Chad Robinson, Ryan Scarborough, Andy Woster, Chris Rounds and Erika Rounds. . . . . . Scott Rislov drove a solid hit up the middle to score Justin Sarvis with the winning run as the Pierre/Fort Pierre Merchants defeated Chamberlain, 11-10. . . . . . John Keyes was working on the road Tuesdays through Fridays for the state and Saturdays through Mondays at Dakotamart. . . . . . Stephanie Dvorak and Katie Shoup tied for top journalist honors at the summer yearbook institute at SDSU. . . . . . Paul Denton and Mat Ripperger attended the Big Red football camp for high school players at the University of Nebraska. . . . . . Erica Schipper was between graduation from USD and her first year at the USD School of Medicine. . . . . . Brian Berendes was spending the summer working for Gateway in Vermillion. . . . . . Cody Richter struck out 10 in a Post 8 win at Sturgis. Nathan Bradley struck out five of the last seven men he faced in relief and Charlie Magedanz and Joe Stolp were both on base three times as Post 8 also won the second game there. . . . . . Joining the Over Forte Orchestra for its gig at the State Bar convention in Sioux Falls were former members Terry C. Anderson from Madison, Wis., the Rev. Paul Hanson from Brookings, Signe Anderson from Sioux Falls and Marty DeWitt from Brandon. . . . . . Matt Clark and Brent Sogaard were among the Pierre fishermen who left on a fishing expedition deep into the Canadian North Woods.

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Thursday, June 18:
Patti Stolp, Lacey Boehmer, Rex Craven, Charmaine Gardner, Terrance Waters, Chad Jungman, Kasey Light, Kylie Light, Tucker Light, Tiffany Light.
Matt and Allison Jahraus, 4th anniversary.

Friday, June 19:
Martha Rankin.
Bob and Nancy (Shelbourn) Shoup, 33rd anniversary.
Jody and Christy (Maskovich) Ryland, 5th anniversary.
Jason and JoAan Fuhrer, 5th anniversary.
Casey and Amanda (Wood) Krog, 5th anniversary.
Erin and Susanne Harmon, 5th anniversary.

Saturday, June 20:
Megan Sutley, Gillian Woodburn, Mary Fredrichs, Beth (Weischedel) Henrichsen.
Michael and Marcie (Lyngstad) Long, 22nd anniversary.

Sunday, June 21:
Barb Newman, Andy Hanson, Erin (Richter) Jerke, Austin Brown, Stacy (Alt) Decker.
Tim and Kimberly Melvin, 7th anniversary.

Monday, June 22:
Matt Englund, Brian Englund, Kyle Englehart, Ed Welch, Andrew Pietrus, Rainer Westall, Caitlin Wagner.
Dustin and Regan (Schanzenbach) Byrum, 7th anniversary.

Tuesday, June 23:
Cleo Hilding, Taylor Brock, Brianne (Barnett) Roby, Kevin Lors, A. Jay Heiss, Shawn Flottmeyer, Trevor DeSchepper.
Mark and Kelly (Larson) Anawski, 8th anniversary.
Craig and Heather (Schreiner) Ullmann, 2nd anniversary.
David and Emily (Naylor) Franks, 2nd anniversary.
Aaron and Amanda (Wharton) Brown, 3rd anniversary.

Wednesday, June 24:
Kylie Husted, Dennis Gibbs, Dallas Prater, Jacob Parsons, Nikki Koenig, Elliot Riis, Andrew Wulf.
Ricky and Vicki (Fosheim) Dant, anniversary.
Andy and Kari (Kietzmann) Potter, 3rd anniversary.
Brent and Jennifer Sogaard, 3rd anniversary.
Jason and Stephanie (Tveidt) Knapp, 3rd anniversary.
Chance and Erika (Rounds) Stoeser, 4th anniversary.
Doyce and Lola Busch, anniversary.

Thursday, June 25:
Jenny (Sprenkle) Terveen, Diane Kehrwald, Steph Flyger, Katie Lakner, Drew Brandner.
Tyler and Jessica (Wood) Steele, 4th anniversary.
Philip and Nicole (Krueger) Whitesitt, 3rd anniversary.

PEOPLE NEWS

Pierre athlete Kristi Hestdalen and the Dakota Gold Destiny team for which she plays won its division of Dakota Gold's invitational soccer tournament in Sioux Falls last weekend. Three South Dakota state champion club teams---U17 Destiny, U18 Dakota Gold Adrenaline and U19 SD United---were among the teams competing in the power-packed U19 girls division there. Kristi and her Destiny team will be playing in the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II championships in Sioux Falls this weekend. Kristi was also selected to the South Dakota Olympic Development Program (ODP) soccer team and will be competing in the regional ODP camp in Illinois.

Two teams coached by Chris Derry will compete as South Dakota state champions in the national Region II tournament in Sioux Falls Saturday through Wednesday. His U19 boys SD United Manchester team, which includes Pierre players Eric Christianson, Will Corcoran and Andy Zarecky, will play Valley United (Minn.) at noon Saturday, Pike Indy Burn (Ind.) at 2 p.m. Sunday and KC Wizards (Kan.) at 2 p.m. Monday in pool play. Chris' U19 girls SD United Milan team, which doesn't include any Pierre players, will play Minnesota Thunder Academy (Minn.) at 2 p.m. Saturday, Omaha FC (Neb.) at 10 a.m. Sunday and KCFC Jazz (Kan.) at 4 p.m. Monday in pool play. Semifinals are at noon Tuesday, and finals are at 9 a.m. Wednesday. The Region II champions advance to the national U.S. Youth Soccer tournament at Lancaster, Mass., in late July. Scores of all the games in Sioux Falls can be found at http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/regionII.

Laura Snow, who has helped hundreds of Stanley County High School band students learn how to play and love music, has put down her teaching baton. Stanley County school board members Monday night accepted the resignation of Snow, who had been the band director for 12 years. She has taken a job as technology curriculum specialist with the state Department of Education. Snow, who starts her new job July 9, says band programs, like other extracurricular programs, have been dealing with tough financial challenges. She says the timing for the job change was right. Snow says she plans to offer private band or piano lessons. She says working with the students was the best part of being a band director. (News courtesy of "Today's KCCR News.")

Katie Zeller and her boyfriend just returned from a week-long vacation in Costa Rica where they went surfing, toured active volcanoes and went rapelling down waterfalls. Katie uses her engineering degree from the School of Mines to work in the oil and gas industry in Denver.

Tanner Fitzke, who attends SDSU, is spending his third summer as an intern with the state Department of Transportation.

Our sympathy to Vicki (Fosheim) and Ricky Dant on the death of their three-month-old daughter, Kaydence Lei Dant. She passed away last Thursday at Sanford Children's Hospital in Sioux Falls. Services were held Tuesday in Huron with burial at Draper.

Jason DeWitt still lives in Watertown where he is front office manager at the Menard's store. Jason, who took a trip over New Year's to Cancun, Mexico, recently purchased a house in Watertown.

Crystal Ortbahn and Sam Leidholt, the incoming senior and junior class presidents at Riggs High, respectively, are among five South Dakota students who will be attending the national student council convention in Denver.

Lindsey Friez became engaged last week to Kody Karschnik, a 2008 mechanical engineering graduate from SDSU. Kody designs Heat 'n' Glo fireplaces at Hearth & Home Technologies and Lindsey is an IT project manager for Cargill in the Twin Cities. They are planning a June 19, 2010, wedding in Pierre.

Aaron Rumpca, Brian Hermanson and Brady Neiles took the Tour de Kota bicycle ride all last week from Harrisburg to Yankton to Gregory to Chamberlain to Pierre to Gettysburg. "Besides not seeing the sun for the first four days, the trip was great," Aaron said. "My legs can still tell we crossed the Missouri River five times though."

Last week before my singing group from Vermillion went to Omaha to sing the national anthem at the College World Series game Sunday night, I heard from Terry (Lamster) and Jon Horning of Willmar, Minn., former Pierre residents, that they would be at that game! Terry said she and Jon have been going to Omaha for years, usually taking some of their grandsons with them. Now, however, they have to go alone since the boys are busy with their own baseball schedules and other summer activities.

At the College World Series game, I kept watching for somebody I knew, expecting to run into somebody as I almost always do, no matter where I am. I know the Ortbahn family from Pierre were there for the afternoon game but had to leave before the evening game. Laura Hansen and Tessa (Heiss) Krueger wrote me last week that they would be at the evening game where we sang.

Tracy and Brittney (Nuttall) Binger are the parents of a daughter, Brienna May Binger, who was born on May 30. She weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces, and measured 20 1/2 inches. She joins Tracy's son Grayden, who is 5.

Belated birthday greetings to Update reader Francis Bies, who was 61 on June 11.

Mary Fredrichs will spend her birthday Saturday in Florida. Her nephew, Lt. Philip Bies, son of Charlie Bies of Andover, Minn., will receive his wings on Friday, and he has asked his aunt Mary to do the pinning. Philip will then go to North Carolina for Osprey flight classes. He earned his aeronautical engineering degree at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., and was an ROTC cadet there.

Tyler Bryant works for Cigna as a clinical pharmacist in Sioux Falls. Tyler also just graduated from the University of Sioux Falls with an MBA degree in health care management. Life is good for Tyler. He and wife Megan are expecting their second child in late July, and Megan is a stay-at-home mom with their daughter. Tyler also plays softball on a team with former Pierre guys Jake and Chaw Lanning and Richard Tople.

Erin Richter was married to Dean Jerke at Zion Lutheran Church in Mitchell two weekends ago. They will make their home in Omaha where both are employed.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

ATTENTION, CLASS OF 1979!

Information on the 30-year reunion is available at http://riggs1979.myevent.com, and questions regarding the reunion can be directed to 79reunion@pie.midco.net. I found it interesting as an outsider to click on to one of the links that show where a lot of the '79 graduates are now, so you can do that, too.

This is the list of '79 class members who have indicated they will be attending the reunion July 9-11: Brad Sibson, Glenn Norum, Jim Ness, Todd Marrington, Jackie Ivers Archbold, Kathy Adam Bykowski, Lynne Bonrud Guthrie, Tami Voeltz Merrill, Kevin Merrill, Les Walker, Susan Larson Mueller, Kevin Samis, Carrie Burke, Ann Burchill Williams, Lisa Sack Frederick, Kristi McDorman Berheim, Tim Stocking, Chad Anderson, Jill Lundeen Kunstle, Dan Rounds, Lesa Mikkelsen Lee, David Harding, Tracie Hennen-Bierwagen, Jackie Jansen Putzier, Laura Thomas Ehrlich, Perry Griffith, Lisa Etzkorn, Greg Varilek, Lori Badger Varilek, Glenn Wagner, Charles Arch, Suzi Solem Anderson, Debbie Bump Hepper, Laura Krogman Pruett, Barry Johnson, Jeff Marso, Joe Creager, Troy Jones, Jana Inman Sauceda and Vona Bourk Johnson.

They are missing a lot of class members. If you know the whereabouts or contact information for any of these '79 graduates, how about sending an e-mail to the address above: Scott Bauman, Kathy Beiber, Craig Ballender, Diane Bullard, Dianna Carmen, Clayton Crosby, Marcia DeWitt, Robert Eggers, Pennie Haines Glum, Dana Hall, Mary Hancock, Troy Hutchings, Lisa Kirley, Micheal Lohr, Kim Lucas, Jon Neimeyer, Jeff Owens, Esther Park, Mike Parsons, Jim Plank, Donald Rouse, Lisa Sherman, Mark Shoenhard, Melodie Schwaderer, Karrie Sedlacek, Yvonne Siewart, Tammy Spears, Michael Springer, Charlotte Stark, Susan Traufer Ramakrishna, Cathrine Whipple.

Vol. 10, No. 37; Thursday, June 11, 2009

TOUR DE KOTA BICYCLISTS ARRIVE TONIGHT

When an estimated 600 cyclists pedal into Pierre today (Thursday), local residents are being asked to watch out for them.

The Tour de Kota stops in Pierre Thursday as part of its weeklong trek through South Dakota. The event began Sunday in Harrisburg and ends Friday at Gettysburg.

Laura Schoen Carbonneau, CEO of the Pierre Chamber of Commerce, says the Tour de Kota participants will likely start to come into town on Highway 34 by midday. She says the route through the city will include going ar