Herald Sauk Centre
NUMBER 40 • VOLUME 156
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 | WWW.STAR-PUB.COM
Registration for noncitizens Driver’s Licenses for All bill poised to become state law BY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER
Having passed the Minnesota House and Senate, the Driver’s Licenses for All bill – also called the Freedom to Drive bill – seems bound to become state law. The bill is currently undergoing language agreements, but there is ongoing debate as to whether the legislation would help or hurt the state. For Patty Keeling, with the Latino advocacy group Fe y Justicia, the passage of this bill represents an exciting, historic moment for the state, returning to undocumented residents an opportunity they had prior to Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s rescinding it. She looks forward to when anyone can make an essential trip – whether it is driving to work, dropping off children at school or going to the doctor – and do it safely and confidently. “No matter where we are from or what we look like, Minnesota should be a place where everyone feels safe and protected,” Keeling said. “This action has taken way too long for our communities across Minnesota. You could feel it in the cheers the early morning it was passed and when you spoke to people the following day. Everyone wants to drive legally to follow the law. The children and the families will have a heavy burden lifted from the worry of doing something wrong. We thank God for walking this path to finally see this through.” The bill has been stonewalled in the state Legislature for some time. Keeling attributes its possible passage this year to a coalition of labor unions, community groups, faith communities, law enforcement, the business community and agriculture producers who came together in
Treat it
PHOTO BY BEN SONNEK
Messer retires from SCPS buildings, grounds director position
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John Messer stops by Sauk Centre Public Schools Feb. 10. Messer worked for SCPS for over 35 years, 27 of which were spent as the buildings and grounds director.
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cheddar named among best in country BY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER
BROOTEN – With a score of 98.6 out of 100, Redhead Creamery’s Lucky Linda Clothbound Cheddar has placed in the top 20 out of 2,249 entries in the biennial United States Championship Cheese Contest, distinguishing the cheese as one of the best in the country.
Redhead Creamery page 2
BY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER
ot counting his infancy, John Messer has spent all but nine years of his life either studying at or working for Sauk Centre Public Schools. Now, even though he retired from his buildings and grounds director position at the start of 2023, he plans to consult with the school as they prepare for their renovation. “You always treat the place like you own it,” Messer said. “It’s your school; it’s your taxpayer dollar that built and supports it.” So far, Messer has been satisfied with the new buildings and grounds director, Kyle Winberg, who started work at the beginning of this year. “I think the district is in great hands,” Messer said. “Kyle’s a very, very smart young man (with) great
mechanical aptitude, great people skills and very good work ethic, and you don’t find that in everybody.” A Sauk Centre native, Messer was educated at SCPS and graduated from Sauk Centre High School in 1978; his wife and three sons have also attended SCPS. Messer returned to SCPS as a member of the custodial staff in 1987, hired by Jerry Toenies, the buildings and grounds director at the time. “I can’t say enough about Jerry Toenies,” Messer said. “Jerry was a great guy, one of the people who was very helpful to me during my time in the district. The superintendent at the time, Dan Brooks, was a phenomenal help also.” Originally, Messer had wanted a job in the SCPS bus garage; the trans-
portation director was getting close to retirement, and Messer was working at John Wiese Ford and would help maintain the school buses, especially when they needed serious motor or transmission repairs. When he put his name in as a potential transportation director candidate, he was told about the custodial staff opening, and Toenies talked him into it. Then, the school hired someone else for the transportation director position, and Messer was told by Toenies that he was in line to become the next buildings and grounds director. While it was not what Messer had in mind, he took to the task after years of training and advanced to the position in 1995 after Toenies’ retirement.
Messer page 3
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Therapy dog helps SCES students BY BEN SONNEK | STAFF WRITER
For the past school year, Sauk Centre Elementary School has had a new four-legged staff member: Marvin, the golden retriever therapy dog. The canine companion has already proven to be a tremendous assistant for his owner, speech pathologist Bailee Jackson, not to mention a friend to students and teachers alike. “This has kind of been a transitional year, getting him in the door, because he is so young,” Jackson said. “Having him here a lot of days a week has been a pretty big milestone for us.” Jackson, who grew up in Lakeville, got Marvin when she was just out of graduate school; her friend and internship supervisor raised golden retrievers. “She was right across the street, so I’d go and visit every day,” Jackson said. “She was having puppies a couple of summers ago, right before I started my job here out of grad school. I picked (Marvin) out and fell in love with him; I knew he had a good temperament
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because the parents did.” Jackson did not originally intend on making Marvin a therapy dog; in her line of work, she knew she would want one at some point, but she didn’t know if Marvin would be ready so soon. However, he passed his puppy classes with flying colors, and people started commenting on his friendly temperament, so Jackson had him go through therapy dog training. To be certified as a therapy dog, Marvin needed to pass two basic obedience classes and the canine good citizen test. After that, he was certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which required passing another test with an evaluator, and then he got checked by a vet and received letters of recommendation from people who had witnessed his good behavior at school. As a speech pathologist, Jackson services students with a variety of needs, including children who have trouble with articulation and language as well as those with learning disabilities, autism, Down syndrome and emotional and behavioral disorders. Through this, Marvin engages with a wide range of students. “It’s interesting because he interacts with each age and each disability a little differently,” Jackson said. “He knows who needs him emotionally and maybe
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PHOTO BY BEN SONNEK
Marvin page 3
Marvin sits with Bailee Jackson, speech pathologist, in her office at Sauk Centre Elementary School Feb. 24. Marvin is a golden retriever who is a year and a half old.
PUBLIC NOTICES • Raymond Township Board of Audit Meeting - pg. 7 • Raymond Township Notice of Annual Meeting and Election - pg. 7 • Raymond Township Notice of Reorganization Meeting - pg. 7 • Getty Township Notice of Annual Meeting and Election - pg. 7 • Ashley Township Notice of Annual Meeting and Election - pg. 7 • Sauk Centre Township Notice to Residents - pg. 7 • MN Limited Liability Company - Red Ravin Nail Co. LLC - pg. 7 • Mortgage Foreclosures (2) - pg. 7
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