County Register

Transcription

County Register

COMMUNITY FOCUS
VOLUME VI • APRIL 2016
‘911...
What is your
emergency?’
Faribault
County
Register
Blue Earth, Minnesota
507-526-7324
Page 2 • Faribault County Register
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Faribault County Register • Page 3
Always ready to help
County 911 dispatchers work around the clock
County Law Enforcement Center.
While there are a couple of part-time dispatchers who are only used for emergencies or
hen you have an emergency, who
vacation times, these four are the ones on duty
do you call?
90 percent of the time.
No, it is not Ghostbusters.
And, it is not an easy job. They will handle
It is 9-1-1. And, you expect there will be
21,000 911 calls every year. That’s correct –
somebody answering the call with the phrase
there are 21,000 emergency calls to 911 just in
“911, what is your emergency?”
Faribault County every year. And, that number
You also expect they will answer that call and does not include the number of calls made to
help you, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,
911 that are for non-emergency
365 days a year.
reasons.
“It’s a tough job. And
And, they do.
“It is a tough job,” says Faribwe are lucky to have
Here in Faribault County,
ault County Sheriff’s Department
such a great bunch of
chances are the voice on the
chief deputy Scott Adams. “And
other end of your call is going
employees here.”
we are lucky we have such a great
to be one of four people.
bunch of employees here, not only
Dan Killion, Ron Gaines,
— Scott Adams
in dispatch but
Erin Bromeland and Chris Anfor the
derson are the four full-time
dispatchers manning the 911 emergency
system housed inside the jail
at the Faribault
B
Y CHUCK HUNT
_____________________________________
Register Editor
W
jail, as well.”
In order for Killion, of Blue Earth, Gaines, of
Wells (and its mayor), Bromeland, of Frost, and
Anderson, also of Blue Earth, to cover all those
many hours, they work 12 hour shifts.
“We work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. if we are on a
day shift and 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. on a night shift,”
Killion explains. “And if we are on, we will
work our shift for either four or five days in a
row. Of course, that also means we then get the
next four or five days off.”
Right now the two men, Killion and Gaines,
are working together. One has the day shift, the
other the night one. And the two women,
Bromeland and Anderson, do the same for their
four or five days duty.
911 Dispatch,
page 4
Adam Knoll
is a jailer at
the Faribault
County Law
Enforcement
Center, but
one of his
duties is to
serve as a
backup to
the 911 dispatcher and
take calls
when the
dispatcher is
already on
the line with
another 911
caller.
Staff photo by
Chuck Hunt
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
911 Dispatch, from page 3 ————————————
“We do switch from days
to nights then back to days
every other month or so,”
Killion adds. “I really
don’t mind
it.”
“We cannot have the
There is
system fail, ever.
another
So we have a complete
hook to
backup system, and
their job.
then backups to the
They canbackups.”
not ever
leave the
room –
— Scott Adams
where the
911 equipment is located – for
the entire length of
their 12-hour shift.
“We have a refrigerator and microwave
for our lunches,” KilThis radio system is the ultimate backup to the
lion says. “And yes,
911 emergency system, in case everything else
there is a bathroom right
is down and the other backups are not working.
here, also.”
Staff photo by Chuck Hunt
With Bluetooth head-
phones, the dispatchers are always able to answer the phone
call. But, if they are unable to
get to the bank of computer
monitors, there is a backup system in place.
Just on other side of a large
glass window is the jailer’s desk
area. And, as part of the jailer’s
array of computer monitors, two
are devoted to the 911 system.
“I hear the 911 calls coming
in,” jailer Adam Knoll says. “I
can take them if the dispatcher
is on another call already.”
Knoll, who has been with the
Sheriff’s Department for six
years, can turn around and see a
system of three lights above the
dispatcher’s desk. Green means
he can answer the call, yellow
means he is on a call and red
means, well, he is unable to answer for some reason.
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April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
911 Dispatch, from page 4 ——————————————————————————–——
hour shifts and four or five days on, four
or five days off schedule as the dispatchers.
The jailer is not the only back up to
the 911 system. It actually has a
whole series of backups.
“We cannot have the system
fail, ever,” says chief deputy
Adams.
These are the backup servers to the whole 911 emergency dispatching system used by the Faribault County
Sheriff’s Department. Scott Adams shows the three
backups to the law enforcement, fire department and
ambulance radio systems. There is a battery backup for
the systems, and a generator for power as well. Adams
says the sheriff’s department should always be able to
contact emergency personnel around the county.
“So we have a complete backup system, and then
backups to the backups.”
For instance, there is not one, but two complete
911 answering systems in the dispatcher’s room.
Then there is also the backup system on the
jailer’s desk.
Each one has its own battery backup.
Then there is another 911 system located in the
Emergency Operations Room in the law enforcement center. It, too, has a battery backup.
If all else fails, there is a 911 radio system
which also can be used.
And, if it would ever be needed, there is one
more backup radio system that can keep the sheriff’s office still able to keep in contact with law
enforcement, ambulance and fire departments
during an emergency.
The whole law enforcement center also has a
large generator which can keep everything operating, as well, during any situation.
When a 911 call comes in, the dispatcher
calmly asks what the emergency is and takes
down as much information as possible.
Then they use the new Armor digital radio system to alert the necessary police, fire or ambulance squads to take care of whatever the
emergency may be.
Sometimes, especially during storms and bad
road conditions, it can take three people – or
more – to handle all the calls.
That is when both 911 centers are manned, and
the jailer takes calls as
well.
“When I-90 gets icy
“When I-90 gets icy and
and vehicles are going
vehicles are going off the
off the road, we get a
road, we get a lot of calls,”
lot of calls. Sometimes
Killion says. “Sometimes
we get multiple calls
we get multiple calls all reall reporting the same
porting the same accident.”
accident.”
So while one person is
dispatching emergency per— Dan Killion
sonnel, the others are taking the additional 911 calls.
“It does get hectic in here at times,” Killion
says. “And that makes it interesting. You just
never know what you are going to hear when you
answer that 911 call.”
Killion says the difference between what the
dispatchers used to have, and what they have
now, is remarkable.
“Our old dispatch center, in the old jail, was a
desk with two computers on it and a phone,” Killion recalls. “The whole space was in a hallway
and about the size of the bathroom we have in
911 Dispatch, page 6
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
911 Dispatch, from page 5 —————
this dispatch center.”
Now Killion has a bank of nine computer
screens on his table. Some operate the outside
door locks in the center, others show views from
security camera, one shows weather and yet another is a computer link to the law enforcement’s
main computer system.
But the rest deal
with the 911 sys“We decided to uptem. A computer
grade when we moved
actually answers
here, even though it
the phone, while
another takes just
wasn’t on the original
three to five secplans.”
onds to come up
with the location
— Scott Adams
from which the
call is being made.
Every call is
recorded and location logged on servers in the
law enforcement center – and on backup servers
located in Mankato.
Adams says the whole system took a lot of
time and money to accomplish.
911 dispatcher Dan Killion, left, discusses some of the operations with Faribault County chief deputy
Scott Adams. The red-amber-green light at the top of the monitors signals whether the dispatcher is on
an emergency call or not. The green means the line is clear, red means he is on a call.
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COMMUNITY FOCUS
911 Dispatch, from page 6 —–—
Staff photos by Chuck Hunt
Scott Adams is shown above with the equipment that
records every 911 call in Faribault County – all
21,000 of them which come in to the dispatchers
each and every year. Pictured below is the large generator which creates enough electricity to power the
whole law enforcement center to keep emergency
systems, including 911, operating.
“We decided to upgrade when we moved
here, even though it wasn’t on the original
plans,” Adams explains. All of the various
equipment (for the 911 and county-wide
radio system) came to about $450,000.”
However, Adams quickly adds that as
much as 90 percent of the cost was covered
by a variety of grants that the department
applied for over several years’ time.
Quite a bit of the grant money came
from 911 funds.
“Everyone who pays a phone bill or cell
phone bill has a charge on that bill for 911
service,” Adams explains. “That money
goes to the county where you live. In our
case, it adds up to about $95,000 a year.”
The Sheriff’s Department saved up the
funds for a couple of years to help with
equipment purchases.
They also use it to buy new computers
for the dispatcher center.
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
911 Dispatch, from page 7 ————————————————————————————————————————————————————–—
“We need to replace these often because we don’t have any margin for error
and can’t have any of them not work all
of a sudden,” Adams says. “So we move
them to other offices in the law enforcement center and always put the newest
computers in here.”
Overall, the 911 emergency system at
the Faribault County Law Enforcement
Center is impressive in every way, from
the equipment to the personnel.
Everything that deals with the emergency system seems to be backed up, at
least three ways. And the people manning
the phones say they are dedicated to their
jobs.
“We just can’t have the 911 system not
work, even for a short period,” Adams
says. “Lives often depend on it.”
Dispatcher Dan Killion is shown
monitoring one of the two identical
911 emergency dispatching systems in the dispatch room. Through
the window the backup 911 system
manned by the jailer is visible.
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Phone 507-526-2149
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April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
A ‘Giant’ deal
City administrator Tim Ibisch (representing the city EDA), Kara Drake of O/NE
Realty, Cindy Lyon and Katie Elzenga
were excited when they learned they
were able to purchase the old gas station in front of Giant Park. The Chamber
and Convention & Visitors Bureau plan
to build a new chamber office, museum
and visitor’s center on the property.
BE Chamber, CVB purchase former gas station
B
Y LACEY HANSON
______________________________________
Register Staff Writer
I
t’s been a giant blip on the radar for some
time. In fact, it has been a project four
years in the making and has finally started
to see some progress.
The Blue Earth Chamber and Convention &
Visitors Bureau (CVB) has recently purchased
the old gas station located right in front of Giant
Park on Fairgrounds Road in Blue Earth.
“It all started about four years ago when the
Red Barn needed some repairs,” Blue Earth
Chamber director Cindy Lyon says.
The committee wondered if they should spend
the money to make the repairs or if they should
put the money toward a new building.
“That’s when the discussion about getting a
new building out at Giant Park really started,”
Lyon explains.
The chamber looked into potential new buildings and found one that would be a possibility,
but it would have cost them $30,000 just to move
it.
Lyon adds that it was an old stage coach stop
and was on the historical register, however, if it
would have been moved it would have been
taken off the register.
“It was after that when we started a committee,” Lyon said.
But, they soon found that purchasing or building a new building would not be their first, or
Giant purchase, page 10
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
Giant purchase, from page 9 ————————————————————————————————————————————————————
only, obstacle in relocating to Giant
Park.
In fact, the next hurdle the group
found themselves jumping over was
actual ownership of the land that the
giant stands on.
This resulted in a bit of work and
discussion which lead to the city and
the Faribault County Fair Board
swapping land in order
for the city to take own“Then, we had to
ership of the Giant
figure out, who
Park.
actually owns
“Then, we had to figthe Giant.”
ure out, who actually
— Cindy Lyon
owns the Giant,” Lyon
explains.
They decided the city
owned the statue.
Once the technicalities were sorted
out, the chamber and CVB met with
the Blue Earth City Council to talk
about getting bids to build.
Cindy Lyon and Katie
Elzenga work to remove
stickers from the window,
which had advertised the
previous occupant
of the building.
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Giant purchase, from page 10 ——————————————————
“We went out there and marked off all of the utilities,” Lyon says. “Only to
find out that right down the middle of the park is an artery of electricity that
leads to the rest of town.”
This discovery ultimately would not allow for a building to be built
where originally planned.
“That’s when talk to purchase the gas station started,” Lyon explains.
The committee met in November to discuss what they would be
willing to offer to purchase the old gas station. They also gave Lyon authority to make offers up to the maximum amount.
“We did not have to go to the cap,” Lyon says. “And we made an offer contingent upon the results of the soil contamination evaluation.”
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COMMUNITY FOCUS
“This is all about the Giant.”
— Cindy Lyon
The Blue Earth Chamber and CVB will eventually relocate their offices, Giant Museum, welcome center and much more to a new location right at Giant Park.
They will either repurpose the existing building or build new, depending on funding.
Giant purchase, from page 11 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————
Phase one for the evaluation cost $1,650 and the
second phase, which is required by the Pollution
Control Agency, was $5,500.
“The evaluation said it was safe, so we do not
have to remove any soil,” Lyon explains.
The next step is for Bolton & Menk to do a survey of the area to determine whether water can be
moved from the area or if they will need to bring
in soil to prevent areas of standing water, or water
getting into buildings.
Now the real question is whether the chamber
and CVB will be utilizing the old gas station or if
they will build a whole new building.
“They (The Minnesota State House of
Representatives) came down for a tour
of the Giant and Museum. And
senators came for a tour, too.”
— Cindy Lyon
And the answer is, that depends.
They have contacted the Minnesota State House
of Representatives Bonding Committee in hopes
that they would receive up to $300,000 for a new
building.
“They came down for a tour of the Giant and
museum,” Lyon says. “And senators came for a
tour, too.”
And, since the statue and museum would fit into
the categories of history and tourism, Lyon is
hopeful their request will be strongly considered.
“Greater Minnesota doesn’t get as much as far
as funding goes,” she explains. “So we’re hoping
that helps our case.”
That won’t be their only source of funding. They
have raised $90,500 in donations and received a
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
Giant purchase, from page 13 ————————————————————————
$50,000 loan from the Economic Development
She adds that even when someone isn’t out at
Authority.
the Giant all year round they still get plenty of
“By the end of the legislative session, April
visitors.
30, hopefully we will know,”
“By last July we had every
Lyon says. “If we do get the
state represented,” Lyon says.
“By the end of the
money we would build, of
“Just imagine if the chamber
legislative session,
course.”
office is out there and we will
April 30, hopefully we
Whether or not they build or
be available all year.”
use the building that is there, the will know. If we do get
Lyon is grateful for all of the
the money we would
chamber has big ideas for the
support they have received
build, of course.”
new location right by the giant.
from the community in their
The building would be the
mission to relocate out to
new home to the chamber and
Giant Park.
— Cindy Lyon
CVB offices, reception area,
But, she knows it’s not for
welcome center, souvenir shop,
the chamber, the employees, or
Giant Museum, indoor bathrooms and bicycle
the money. It’s for something much bigger.
rentals.
“This is all about the Giant,” she says.
They also hope to include, parts of Bucky’s
Cindy Lyon and Katie Elzenga are
hat collection, possible craft fairs or farmers
shown
measuring out the new location.
markets under the canopy, some light displays
They have a lot of plans for how to
from Christmas Wonderland, and special
utilize the new building and space,
events during the scarfing of the Giant.
including relocating their office
“There are so many different things we can
which will help when tourists
do ourselves when we are out there,” Lyon exvisit the Giant year round.
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April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
A community comes
together
Byron Getchell, in red, poses with all of his brothers and sisters
for a family photo. From left to right are Riley, age 10; Byron,
age nine; Bebo, age six; Leeland, age five; Ivan, age three;
Silas, age two, and nine-month-old baby brother Remington.
Submitted photo
Wells community raises funds for local USC student
BY KATIE MULLALY
_____________________________________
O
ne nine-year-old boy is making quite a
stir at his school, United South Central, and it is all because his classmates want to support him as he and his family
go through learning how to live with his type
one diabetes.
Byron Getchell, of Wells, was diagnosed with
Type 1 diabetes at the age of five when his parents say they noticed Byron was not acting the
same.
“He was drinking water in large amounts,
needing to go to the bathroom constantly, losing
weight, and said his stomach hurt pretty fre-
quently,” says Byron’s mother, Dara Getchell.
She and her husband, Evan, have seven children
under the age of 10. Byron was their second
child out of the seven.
Having a family that large has its regular
struggles, but having a child with Type 1 diabetes adds something to their struggle. Not only
that, but Byron’s diabetes has caused a few other
issues as well.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder
and the body can no longer produce insulin from
the pancreas. A person with Type 1 diabetes is
given injections of insulin or receive insulin
through a pump. Byron will have Type 1 diabetes for the rest of his life. He has an insulin
pump that is attached to him through a port in
his body to help him get his insulin regularly.
“This port acts as his pancreas, delivering insulin to Byron around the clock,” says his
mother.
One of the issues Byron and his family are
facing with his diabetes is what is called hypoglycemic unawareness. Unlike some other diabetics, Byron cannot tell when his blood glucose
(or blood sugar) levels have dropped too low.
For a nine-year-old Type 1 diabetic, Byron’s
blood glucose is checked about every two to
three hours, which averages about 8 to 12 times
a day. Byron should have a blood glucose level
between 70 and 120 milligrams per deciliter.
That includes the middle of the night, and with
Helping Byron, page 16
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
Helping Byron, from page 15 ---—————————-----------------———
The Getchells found out
about Byron’s diabetes
when he was only five
years old. The whole
family works around
the clock to make
sure Byron’s
diabetic needs
are met.
Submitted photo
hypoglycemic unawareness, that
The family has worked diligently
makes things a bit riskier. Someone
to cover Byron’s medical expenses,
with hypoglycemia, or too low blood and now so has their community.
glucose, faces the risk of seizures,
After one of Dara’s best friends
coma, and even death. Both Dara and started a GoFundMe page, word has
Evan do not want to run that risk for
spread like wildfire that this family of
their son, so they continuously check nine needed help.
their son’s blood
Not only have
glucose through
the Getchells re“He was drinking water in
the night, someceived numerous
large amounts, needing to go
times only getting
donations on
to the bathroom constantly,
a few hours of
their GoFundMe
losing weight and said his
sleep before wakpage, but Byron’s
stomach hurt pretty
ing up again to
classmates at
frequently.”
check on their
USC have
— Dara Getchell, Byron’s mother
son. The family is
stepped up to
on a current waithelp the family
ing list to receive
as well.
a continuous blood glucose monitor,
They created a fundraising event
and a diabetic alert dog.
that, for $1, students and teachers at
The blood glucose monitor will
USC could wear a hat, their pajamas,
help Byron’s parents get some well
or both for one day and all the prodeserved night’s sleep and the diaceeds would go to the Getchell fambetic alert dog will aid in the sympily to help Byron receive his blood
toms of hypoglycemic unawareness.
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435 S. Grove Street, Suite 2
Blue Earth, MN
21 Main Street South
Winnebago, MN
(507) 526-2222
(507) 893-4532
www.BlueEarthValleyEye.com
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April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Helping Byron, from page 16 ———————————————————————————————————————————————––––––——
glucose monitor and specially trained service dog.
The diabetic alert service dog is taught to sense
when blood glucose is too low or too high. When
it is too low, the dog is trained to ring a bell, and
when it is too high, the
Byron, in the red hat, loves to wrestle for
dog is trained to paw
“It (blood glucose
USC, as do his younger brothers Bebo, in
at the diabetic.
the blue hat, and Leeland, in the green hat.
monitor) will be a
Dara says Byron’s
huge relief to us.”
siblings have helped
Submitted photo
— Dara Getchell
him tremendously, especially his older sister, 10-year-old Riley.
All seven of the Getchell children are involved in
Trialnet, a study for families of diabetics to help
try to find a cure and do more research about the
genetics of diabetes.
“There are five antibodies linked to diabetes. I
had his siblings tested last month, and they are all
negative for the antibodies,” says Dara Getchell.
“They will be tested every year until they’re 18 to
make sure they don’t have diabetes. Neither my
husband nor myself have any Type 1 diabetics in
our families.”
Already the Getchell’s GoFundMe page and donations from USC’s hat and pajama day have
helped the family purchase Byron’s blood glucose
monitor, which they will receive soon.
“It will be a gigantic relief for us,” says
Getchell.
With all the medical expenses and struggles the
Getchell family face, they do their best to try and
live a normal life. Byron is involved in wrestling
at USC and absolutely loves football. His mother
says he loves anything that has to do with running
as well.
“He does pretty well,” she says. “But, he’s not
immune to pain, so when he checks 10 to 12 times
a day, every finger
poked with a nee“There are five antibodies linked
dle hurts. He also
to diabetes. I had his siblings
has to change his
tested last month and they are all
insulin pump site
negative for the antibodies.
every two days,
They will be tested every year
which is also very
until they’re 18 to make sure
painful for him.
Some days are bet- they don’t have diabetes.”
— Dara Getchell
ter than others, but
it can be overwhelming at times,
which is where I’m hoping the help of the service
dog will come in, as well as being able to notice a
drop in his blood sugars.”
The Getchell family work together and around
Byron’s diabetes, but do not let it define them. In
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April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
The Getchell Family makes it a point to not only donate to the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), but also participate
in an annual walk for juvenile diabetes. Byron is pictured in the blue shirt
on the right. Pictured are all of his JDRF team members at the Mall of America.
Submitted photo
Helping Byron, from page 17 ———————————————————————————————————————————————--------------——
fact, they all do their utmost to give back to diabetes research as much as they can. Dara and Evan
work hard to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation (JDRF).
The whole family of Evan, Dara, Riley, Byron,
six-year-old brother Bebo, five-year-old brother
Leeland, three-year-old brother Ivan, two-year-old
“He’s just a regular kid who loves to
run and play. That will never change,
no matter what.”
— Dara Getchell
brother Silas, and nine-month-old brother Remington all participate in the annual JDRF walk.
Byron has been one lucky guy having such support during his journey through diabetes. Not only
has he had the help and support of his family, he
has received help from his extended family, his
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
Helping Byron, from page 19 —------------------—
church family, his school, his community, and so
many others who have donated to his GoFundMe
page.
“He’s just a regular kid who loves to run and laugh
and play,” says Dara. “That will never change, no
matter what.”
This blue-eyed beauty is
Byron and his family are still on a very long waitone of many diabetic
ing
list to receive their new diabetic alert dog from
alert dogs in the United
Heads
Up Hounds because there is such a demand for
States from Heads Up
diabetes alert dogs. The cost of a diabetic alert dog is
Hounds. The group works
$8,000.
with rescue dogs that
Dara says each puppy takes at least nine months of
are specially trained to
sense diabetic concerns,
special scent training and another three to five months
like low blood glucose,
before it gets into training off the waiting list.
with their owners.
“We have about a year timeline before the dog is
Submitted photo
home with us,” she says. And no, they have not yet
chosen a name for their new dog, but they have a
while to think about it.
For those wishing to donate to Byron’s fund, he has
an account at Wells Federal Bank in
“We have about a year
Wells or send it directly to the Getchell
home at 815 Third Street SW in Wells.
timeline before the dog
Also, Byron’s GoFundMe page is
is home with us.”
still currently up on the website as well
for those wishing to donate anony— Dara Getchell
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April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
County tackles
problem together
Staff photo by Katie Mullaly
FariCARES has been working diligently since 2012 to combat the issue of teenage drinking in Faribault County. The first step it took to receive funding
for the program was to write a grant. Pictured, from left to right, are Stephanie Olsen, Barbara Roberts, Jennfer Crawford, Cali Turbes, and Ryan Murphey.
They are just a few of the people responsible for writing the grant for FariCARES. They hope to have an in-school coordinator hired by July.
Group addresses county-wide drinking problem
BY KATIE MULLALY
______________________________________
F
aribault County, has a problem. A big
one. And, unfortunately it is affecting
the teenagers and young adults of the
entire county.
The problem is alcohol, and it is affecting our
youth so much in fact, that our county is far
above average in underage alcohol consumption.
But now, thanks to a grant initiative by the
Department of Human Services (DHS), a group
of grant writers from Faribault County has come
together to form an organization that is trying to
combat the increasing numbers of young
teenagers who abuse alcohol.
The group that started its work back in 2012 is
known as FariCARES. Their members stretch
across the entire county of Faribault and work in
a variety of different groups with United Hospital District taking the role of fiscal host for a $1
million grant.
The youth alliance group consists of parents,
businesses in the community, media reporters,
school teachers and counselors, youth-serving organizations, law enforcement and corrections
agents, health and wellness professionals, govFaribault County Cares, page 22
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
Faribault County Cares, from page 21 ——-———————
ernment agencies, religious groups
and
other organizations that are dediBob Toland and Barbara Roberts
concentrate on the subject at hand
cated to reducing substance abuse.
during a recent FariCARES meeting.
FariCARES Youth Alliance has
one
mission: to reduce the underage
use of alcohol and other drugs. They
strive to engage,
educate and em“It was reported that two
power students
percent of eighth graders, 17
to make healthy
percent of ninth graders and
choices through
62 percent of eleventh graders
community
awareness, preat USC used alcohol at least
vention educaonce in a 30 day period.”
tion and
— Officer Ryan Murphey
leadership development.
Chairwoman of the FariCARES
initiative Jennifer Crawford, who is
USC’s school social worker, states
that there are four main goals the
FariCARES Youth Alliance wants to
achieve.
First, the organization wants to
work hard at reducing the underage
use of alcohol by at least one percent
within each year, bringing Faribault
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One of the main ways of combatting those statistics is bringing in a
coordinator who will work with community stakeholders to maintain effective alcohol use prevention
programs within the community. Because UHD has taken the role of fiscal host for the grant proposal
process, they will be hiring the coordinator. They hope to have the coordinator hired by July.
Area schools in Minnesota were
surveyed in 2013 by the Minnesota
Student Survey, which is conducted
every three years and is a joint effort
administered by the Minnesota Departments of Health, Education,
Human Services and the Department
of Public Safety.
Unfortunately for the local area,
Faribault County’s results were above
average compared to surrounding
counties in their alcohol and drug use
Faribault County Cares, page 23
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April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Submitted photo
A mere fraction of the entire FariCARES board met at the end of March to discuss the process of the grant they proposed for the group. Pictured from left to
right are Katie Mullaly, Pastor Paul Woolverton, Officer Ryan Murphey, Jennifer Crawford, Bob Toland, Cali Turbes, Stephanie Olsen, Kayt Klemek, Barbara
Roberts, and Brianna Forstner. The common goal for the group is to decrease the amount of alcohol use in teenagers of Faribault County.
Faribault County Cares, from page 22 —-------———————————————————————————————————————————
in teenagers.
In the 2013 self-survey, students were asked a
variety of questions including perceptions of peer
alcohol use and their own use over a period of 30
days.
Officer Ryan Murphey, the school resource officer at United South Central played a role in the
gathering of data from the Minnesota Student Surveys.
According to the 2013 data, Murphey says
binge drinking in Faribault County is at 10.6 percent compared to 6.7 percent in Hennepin County,
the most populated county in Minnesota.
“It was reported that two percent of eighth
graders, 17 percent of ninth graders and 62 percent
of eleventh graders at USC used alcohol at least
once within a 30 day period,” says Murphey. “The
Blue Earth Area School students in the same
grades reported 9.5 percent for eighth graders, 16
percent for ninth graders and 31 percent for
eleventh grade. USC students were twice as likely
to use alcohol than BEA.”
Murphey also mentioned the students were
asked questions about perceived use. He says the
survey’s combined reports from BEA and USC
found 25 percent of eighth graders, 64 percent of
ninth graders and 84 percent of eleventh graders
think that their peers used alcohol in a 30 day period.
FariCARES will continue to survey students in
the future to see if any progress has been made
once a coordinator has been placed into the school
system, which is their main goal with the grant
they have received for the FariCARES group.
As a part of the grant, Crawford says the coordinator will have to be placed in the USC school district as USC had reportedly higher statistics when
it came to alcohol use. This was not a part of their
original plan, but their grant said specifically that
they had to make this change.
“Originally, we were going to have our coordinator share both school districts, but we have had
to restructure that,” says Crawford.
In order to combat these staggering statistics,
the new coordinator will be implementing new
curriculum to students that will center on positive
community norms as a framework in classrooms
and group programs.
They also are striving to work with law enFaribault County Cares, page 24
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Jennifer Crawford, chairwoman
of the FariCARES Youth
Alliance, holds up the
entire grant that was
used to receive monies
to initiate the program
in United South
Central schools.
April 2016
Faribault County Cares, from page 23 -------————————
forcement so they can conduct compliance checks for all establishments
that serve alcohol in communities of
Faribault County at least once a year.
And that’s all just a part of FariCARES’ first goal to combat the
growing concern.
They also want to integrate a social host ordinance in Faribault
County as their second goal and integrate that social host ordinance in the
cities within the county, their third
goal.
FariCARES’ hope is that the ordinance will be presented and eventually passed for the county and cities
therein.
Lastly, FariCARES’ fourth goal
“Ethically, once you
is to involve parents,
identify a need in the
teachers and the
community, it needs
adult community
to be addressed.”
members in the prevention of alcohol
— Jennifer Crawford
use within the community.
“We want to encourage parents to
talk with their children about the
dangers of alcohol, substance abuse,
and even addiction,” says Crawford.
She hopes schools will be able to
host programs during orientation and
parent conferences that hit on FariCARES’ topics of concern.
FariCARES’ grant, itself, took almost a year to write, and was just
completed on Feb. 29.
Now, as they wait patiently for the
official approval of the grant, it is a
matter of making sure all of their
ducks are in a row so the coordinator
can be hired and placed into the
school system to begin work.
Their hard work has paid off so
far, and they hope their hard work
will continue to do so to help the
teenage students in the community to
combat alcohol and substance abuse.
“Ethically, once you identify a
need in the community, it needs to be
addressed,” says Crawford.
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April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Repairing for a cause
Submitted photo
Though Habitat for Humanity is known for building homes for charity in the area, a new program called “A Brush with Kindness” is taking over for the
summer. Both Faribault and Martin counties will be taking applications for low-income homeowners who are in need of exterior work to their houses.
Habitat for Humanity doesn’t just build homes
B
Y KATIE MULLALY
______________________________________
M
aintaining the exterior of any home
is not only time consuming and
strenuous work sometimes, it is also
a fairly expensive job to do.
For low-income households, maintaining the
exterior of the home can be even more of an
issue when there is no extra money in the budget
to take care of those exterior projects.
Now there is a solution to that.
Habitat for Humanity of Martin and Faribault
Counties has a new program initiative called “A
Brush with Kindness” and it is specifically for
assistance with exterior home repairs for low-in-
come homeowners.
Executive director of Habitat for Humanity of
Martin and Faribault Counties Staci Thompson
says the exterior maintenance initiative is new to
Habitat for Humanity this year and hopes it will
be an opportunity for people in the towns in
Faribault County to reach out to their neighbors
Habitat for Humanity, page 27
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
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April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Submitted photos
What once was an inescapable
basement window well for a
short-statured homeowner
became a gradual step fire
escape thanks to the helping
hands at Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat for Humanity, from page 25 ———————————————————————————————————————————––———
to help with exterior projects.
“This program, unlike other programs, just deals
with exterior jobs like painting the house, planting
flowers, cleaning up extra leaves, brush, and tree
branches – things like that,” says Thompson. Each
project is given a $2,500 budget through “A Brush
with Kindness.
Thompson put the word out early this spring,
talking with city councils in Faribault County to
get a feel for any projects that may be needed in
the communities.
“We have already gotten a few applications for
the project,” says One of Thompson. But that application process is a tough one, that is where
Thompson’s position comes in – to help applicants get what they need to begin their projects.
Each applicant for the program has to fill out a
form that works through the homeowner’s income, loan and debt history as well as credit
scores.
“We are more than willing to work
with budgets and bad credit, just as
long as we see progress in a forward
direction.”
— Staci Thompson
“Nobody’s credit score is perfect, and more
often than not, a low-income household can
come with a fair amount of financial concerns,
but that does not mean we can’t help,” says
Thompson. “We are more than willing to work
with budgets and bad credit, just as long as we
see progress in a forward direction.”
Thompson says Thrivent Financial even helps
assist with the costs with a dollar matching program called “Thrivent Repairs.”
During the summer and early fall months, volunteers will work on the homes that have been
approved for the program. Thompson says there
is a definite need for volunteers for these types
of projects.
“It is a matter of numbers,” she says. “If we
have a church group or larger group of people
volunteering, we could get a whole house and
lawn done in one weekend. But, if we have only
Habitat for Humanity, page 29
COMMUNITY FOCUS
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April 2016
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accept checks.
Breakfast Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8-10 a.m.
Reg. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.- 2 a.m.; Sundays Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
GRILL OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Rooted In The Community Since 1870
1 Main Street South, Winnebago, MN
507-893-3155 or 1-888-883-9365
Serving the community and our customers for 146 years
Doolittle’s
Jack, Shirley, Krista & Ben
The Area’s Leader in Flooring and Decorating Since 1960
• Mohawk Carpeting In-Stock
• Vinyl Rolls In-Stock
• Laminate Flooring In-Stock
• Ceramic & Porcelain Tile
Professional
• Hardwood Floors
Installation
• Window Treatments
• In-Stock Wallpaper & Borders
• Pratt & Lambert Paints & Stains
1225 Hwy 15 South, Fairmont, MN 56031
507-238-1155
Hours: Mon., 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.;
Tues.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
www.doolittlescarpetpaints.com
April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Habitat for
Humanity,
from page 27 ——————–——
two or three people show up,
that will take more time. The
more volunteers the better.”
Thompson says the whole
county has towns with applicants in them, so the more volunteers throughout the county is
all the better for the program to
work and move efficiently before the end of the year.
“We have already had amazing help with another program
of ours called ‘Critical Home
Repair,’
where
“We have already had
we’ve
amazing help with
done
another program of
extenours called ‘Critical
sive
Home Repair,’ where
work
we’ve done extensive
on
homes
work on homes that
that
need it.”
need
— Staci Thompson
it,”
says
Thompson.
One of her examples was a
home in Faribault County where
the homeowner was not tall
enough to get out of their basement fire escape if they ever
needed to.
The home had a large metal
window well and, thanks to the
volunteers of Habitat for Humanity, they were able to build
wooden steps which helps someone exit the fire escape safely.
Thompson hopes to have 10
projects for the summer with
plenty of volunteers to help
friends and neighbors.
Habitat for Humanity,
page 30
One of Habitat for Humanity’s
other smaller project groups is
called Critical Home Repair. Pictured is a home that Habitat for
Humanity worked on to make fire
escape wells more functional.
Submitted photo
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
Habitat for Humanity, from page 29 ——————————————————————————————————————————––————
“Some of this work is actually kind of fun,” says
Thompson.
So, whether “A Brush
with Kindness” fits for
someone you know who
may need help applying for
the program, or you want to
volunteer, Thompson says
her office is open.
“Call me and make an appointment, it is as easy as
that. And if you don’t want
to come in alone, grab a
friend or two to come in
with you, whether you’re
applying for the program or
volunteering for it, I’m
happy to answer any questions.”
Though the program is
new, Thompson says it is
taking off quickly and looks
forward to a summer full of
fixer upper projects.
Staci Thompson requests that if you know of
anyone who may be interested in “A Brush
with Kindness,” to give her a call.
• Adult and Adolescence
• DBT Group
• Individual, Family, Couples
• Grief and Loss
• Victim Abuse
• Anger Management
• In Home
Maurice Shoen, MS, LICSW,
Kris Shoen, MSW, LICSW
Fairmont location
112 W. First St., Suite 104, Fairmont, MN
Phone: 507-399-2149 • Fax: 507-399-2159
Crisis: 877-399-3040
Jennifer Crawford, MSW, LICSW, Tina Olson, MSW, LICSW,
Jennifer Kimpton, MSW, LGSW
Wells location
350 3rd St. NW, Wells, MN
Phone: 507-525-6291
Fax: 877-470-1880
www.krismacounseling.net • [email protected] • Hours: Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm and by appointment
April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
A work in progress
Mike McNerney stands by the new French
doors at the Riverside Town & Country Golf
Club’s clubhouse. The doors lead out to an old
deck which will soon be completely rebuilt.
Riverside Town & Country continues to make improvements
B
Y CHUCK HUNT
______________________________________
Register Editor
T
he boys are back and they are in full remodeling mode.
In last year’s Faribault County
Register’s Community Focus magazine, the
cover story related how the Riverside Town &
Country Golf Club is in the midst of a six-yearlong transformation.
Last year, a group of volunteers completely re-
modeled the downstairs bar, locker room and
lounge area.
This year, the volunteers are back and they are
‘attacking’ the upstairs, with a complete remodeling of the main floor banquet hall and adjoining meeting room.
“We started in February,” says the golf
course’s board of directors president, Mike McNerney. “The first step was to rip out the old carpeting.”
That was easier said than done, as a lot of it
was glued down and glued down tight. It took
hours of scraping to get it all up.
“There is a wood floor underneath all of it and
we plan to strip the wood and refinish it all with
a dark stain,” he says.
But, before that, the crew of volunteers put up
new sheetrock over the existing paneling. The
paneling was virtually impossible to remove, due
to being nailed and glued into place, so the workers just went right over it.
Riverside remodel, page 32
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
Riverside remodel, from page 31 ———————
Three weeks ago the crew painted all the walls – in about 45
minutes.
“We had one guy spraying and a couple of us just followed
along with rollers,” McNerney says. “It was a high-quality
paint, and we had already used a tinted primer, so it went fast.”
They started at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning and were done
before 10.
That same day the crew started working on replacing all 34
windows in the upstairs areas.
“We got a lesson from the window experts on the first window,” McNerney says. “Then we went to town on the rest of
them.”
The board president relates that the old windows had single
pane glass and no insulation around them inside the walls.
“You could feel the draft. These new ones are going to be
tremendously more energy efficient,” McNerney says. “The difference should be astounding.”
The group has also installed new French doors out to a deck
on the north side of the building.
“We decided we should use this deck, instead of it just being
decoration on the building,” McNerney explains. “But, that led
to something else – the deck was pretty rotten.”
So, the crew is going to not only reinforce it and replace all
the deck boards, they are also going to make it four feet wider.
Volunteer workers have been busy on Saturdays for several months working on
Riverside remodel, page 33 the remodeling project in the clubhouse at Riverside Town & County Golf Club.
Here to help families honor the lives of those they love.
We are very proud of our tradition, and we pledge to continue
our commitment to families far into the future.
Patton Funeral Home
& Cremation Service
Bob Kennedy, Funeral Director
www.pattonfh.com
400 E. 14th St., Blue Earth, MN
507-526-2102
A Vertin Family Funeral Home
Bob Kennedy and Tom Vertin, Owners
Every day someone suffers the sudden
and unexpected loss of a loved one.
The grief can be overwhelming, and
you don’t know where to turn.
That’s why we’re here.
While many of you are considering
pre-planning funeral arrangements,
you are likely to have many questions.
Arranging in advance, without
pressure or obligation . . .
makes sense.
Please call us for a consultation.
Spencer-Owen
Funeral Home
Robert Broderick, Funeral Director
www.spencerowen.com
345 6th Ave. SE, Winnebago, MN
507-893-3146
A Vertin Family Funeral Home
April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Riverside remodel,
from page 32 —————————————
“It will be a great addition to the clubhouse,” he says. “I think it will be a popular
place to sit outside, overlooking the river.”
In the past there has been a moveable bar
which was usually located in the north end
of the main ballroom. But there are new
plans in the works.
The crew plans on building a permanent
bar in the smaller room on the east side of
the main ballroom.
“We plan to have this room serve as a bar
area, with some tables and chairs in it,” McNerney says. “That will free up more space
for banquet tables in the main room.”
Another beautification touch is to place
ceramic floor tiles in front of both sides of
the large fireplace. The crew has already
ripped up the floor boards for the project.
All of this work is part of an overall ‘Project 21’ plan. It is called Project 21 because
in the year 2021, Riverside Town & Country
Golf Course will be 100-years-old. It is the
oldest nine-hole golf course in the state of
Minnesota.
It was started in 1921 by a group of businessmen from Blue Earth and Winnebago –
and is located along the Blue Earth River between the two towns.
“The board knew we had to do a lot of
improvements – the course and clubhouse
were in rough shape and in desperate need
of an upgrade,” McNerney says. “We are
dedicated to bring it up to its full potential
by the 100th anniversary in 2021.”
While that target date is still five years
away, there is another deadline that is looming much closer.
“We have a wedding reception booked for
May 12,” McNerney says. “So we know we
have to have everything completely done by
that date. And it is getting here fast.”
But with his dedicated crew of volunteers,
McNerney is sure it can be done.
“Unless the weather gets too nice and they
all take off and start golfing on the weekends,” he jokes. “Instead of working in
here.”
The main floor of the Riverside Town &
Country Golf Club clubhouse had more
than 30 windows replaced. Workers
measure up the open frame where
they have already taken out the old
window and are about to put the new
energy efficient window in place.
COMMUNITY FOCUS
April 2016
THE RIGHT CONNECTION
FARM • RESIDENTIAL
• COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL
Left to Right: Tony Adams (23 years), Andy Stevermer (28 Years)
Deb Anderson (20 Years) Randy Anderson (30 Years) Nick Schwager
(5 Years) Kerry Mastin (22 Years) Kelvin Kastens (18 years)
Serving The Area Since 1985
Anderson Electric of Blue Earth, Inc is a
corporation established in December of 1985.
Owners, Randy and Deb Anderson were born and
raised in Blue Earth. They feel fortunate to reside
in Faribault County and are happy to provide
farm, residential, commercial and industrial
wiring in Blue Earth, Wells and the surrounding
areas. WE DO ALL PHASES OF ELECTRICAL
WORK AND WE ARE LICENSED AND
BONDED IN MINNESOTA AND IOWA.
For any job large or small, call on us, we do it all.
Randall M. Anderson, Owner
TRENCHING • BUCKET SERVICE • UNDERGROUND WIRE LOCATING
624 East 5th Street, Blue Earth, MN 56013
Blue Earth – (507) 526-5721 • Wells – (507) 553-3000
Blue Earth Light & Water
Marathon Heaters
Contact us about the following products and services: • Lifetime
guarantee on the
• Reverse Osmosis Water, only 25¢ per gallon
tank
• Budget Billing
• Rebate for water
• Automatic Monthly Payments and Online Bill Pay
heaters is half of
• New Rebates on lots of Energy Star appliances,
the cost of the
The power and
water of
Blue Earth is
made possible by
Blue Earth
Light & Water.
Qualifying Central Air & Furnaces, CFL & LED Bulbs
• Load Management, save up to $84 per year or more
Call today for details or visit us online at www.belw.org
Blue Earth Light & Water Department
125 East Seventh Street, Blue Earth, MN 56013
unit
• Load
management
credit of $2
each month
• Very economical
to operate
Phone 507-526-2191
We’re working to serve your needs!
The Fairmont Ford Sales Team is Ready to Assist You!
Mike Johnson Gregg Smitherman Lori Schock
507-235-6681 • 800-726-6912
700 E. Blue Earth Ave., Fairmont, MN 56031
SALES HOURS
D10155
Sales • Service • Rentals • Leasing
• Demand Drinking
Water Systems
• Demand Water Softeners
• Demand Iron Filters
Authorized Independent Kinetico Dealer
www.fairmontford.com
David Kloeckner James Kloeckner Paul Kloeckner
Garlick’s Water Conditioning
Monday:
8:00-8:00
Tuesday-Friday:
8:00-5:30
Saturday
8:00-3:00
800-722-1282
www.garlickswater.com
April 2016
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Faribault County Register
We’re the Weekly Newspaper
That Is Read Every Day
For over 148 years, the Faribault County Register has provided
readers with an in-depth view of their community.
Whether it is unsurpassed local news coverage, or important
family milestones – like weddings, funerals and births.
Born in 1868, Ogden Newspapers, Inc. took over the reins in
1997, moving the community publication into the 21st century
both in spirit and technology.
Wanda Gieser
Lacey Hanson
Katie Mullaly
Sandy Musegades
Lori Nauman
Chuck Hunt
Laura Stevermer
Pam True
Mandi Wiltse
Kristin Woodwick
Reaching over 9,200 households with the
Faribault County Register and Town Crier Shopper
125 North Main • Blue Earth, MN • 507.526.7324
www.faribaultcountyregister.com

County Register

Transcription

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