Wednesday, November 17, 2021 Worthington, Minnesota
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Bus drivers in short supply Area school districts continue recruiting for school bus drivers By Kari Lucin The Globe
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WELCOME BACK, WASO Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra to perform in concert By Jane Turpin Moore The Globe Worthington hristmas is arriving a little early for fans of seasonal music. After a two-year hiatus, the Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra (WASO) revives its holiday concert with a 7:30 p.m. performance at Memorial Auditorium Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Nov. 23. “There are lots of holiday treats involved,” promised Dr. Christopher Stanichar, WASO’s conductor. Simply being there will be a gift for Stanichar and his musicians after their unlooked-for pandemic break. “This will be our first regular-season concert since November 2019,” said Beth Habicht, a WASO violinist and leadership team member. “We anticipate having nearly 50 players and we’re happy to have those numbers after a two-year gap.” Concert highlights
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include Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite,” which will feature ballet students from Kay Williams Prunty’s The Dance Academy on “The Waltz of the Flowers,” and French composer Maurice Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite.” “Images will be projected on a screen behind the orchestra depicting the characters portrayed in the music,” said Habicht, mentioning Sleeping Beauty, Little Tom Thumb and Belle and her beastly prince. “Ravel was interpretive so listeners can look at the images and use their own imaginations.” Dr. Christopher Stanichar, WASO’s conductor, calls Ravel’s 1910 work “subtle and evocative,” pointing to the fourth movement — “Empress of the Pagodas” — as
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an example. “French composers like Ravel were interested in exoticism, cultures outside of Europe, and this was inspired by his imagination of Chinese culture,” said Stanichar. “You’ll hear that in the pentatonic scales and use of gongs, xylophone and celeste harp; it’s very beautiful.” Also featured is Artie Shaw’s “Concerto for Clarinet,” a jazzy, flirty and upbeat piece with soloist Dr. Audrey Miller. Miller is an associate professor of clarinet at Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. “It’s hugely fun,” said Stanichar of the number, “and the orchestra is definitely getting into the jazz rhythms and motions of the music.” Capping the concert
is the traditional Christmas carol singalong by composer Dan Goeller of Sioux Falls, S.D. “That’s an audience request,” said Habicht of the selection that includes “Angels, We Have Heard on High,” “Joy to the World,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Silent Night,” among several other favorites. “We have almost always ended our holiday concerts with that, and people love it.” Getting back in the musical swing hasn’t been completely smooth sailing for WASO. “We’ve been rehearsing since September, and it’s been challenging as we try to follow the CDC’s COVID-19 protocols,” said Habicht. “But the best thing is being back together and making music, because music is meant to be shared.” “The notes just lie still and silent on the page without people to bring them to life,” she said.
cine fatigue, given the health care community’s focus on COVID-19 WORTHINGTON — While influ- vaccines. While the effort to get people vacenza cases remain low nationally, lab testing has detected more cinated against influenza has been influenza viruses in recent weeks, quieter this year, that effort is still leaving experts concerned about the being made, not just nationally but also statewide and locally. upcoming flu season. “An annual flu vaccine is the best “Unlike last year, this year — way to protect against flu and its with things being fairly opened up and mostly normal activities potentially serious complications,” resuming, a lot of experts are the Centers for Disease Control expecting a much worse flu sea- noted on its Weekly U.S. Influenson,” said Joe Anderson, pharma- za Surveillance Report. “CDC reccy manager at Sterling Pharmacy ommends everyone 6 months and in Worthington. “Last year it was older get a flu vaccine.” There are some exceptions almost nonexistent due to lockto that rule, but in recent years, downs and masking.” Demand for the annual seasonal egg-free vaccines have been made flu vaccine has been down this year available for those who are allercompared to recent years, Anderson gic to eggs, and there are options said. Though he wasn’t sure why, designed to give people age 65 and he wondered if it might be vac- FLU: Page A8 By Kari Lucin The Globe
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WORTHINGTON — School bus drivers are often the first school employees children meet in the morning and the last ones they see on the way home, but a widespread bus driver shortage is affecting schools nationwide, including those in southwest Minnesota. “I could probably have easily half a dozen (more drivers) and still need one more,” said Chris Kielblock, manager at Bud’s Bus Service, which serves District 518 students. Bud’s has enough drivers to cover its regular routes to and from school, which is its biggest priority, but sometimes there is difficulty in covering drivers for
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Kari Lucin / The Globe
A prominent “Now hiring” sign outside Bud’s Bus Service in Worthington attempts to attract new drivers, as the school bus driver shortage DႇHFWV PDQ\ GLVWULFWV LQ VRXWKZHVW 0LQQHVRWD DQG EH\RQG %XG¶V VHUYHV 'LVWULFW VFKRROV
Leathernecks donate funds to Honor Flight 10 veterans will be able to travel to Washington, D.C., to see memorials By Julie Buntjer The Globe WILMONT — During the 246th U.S. Marine Corps birthday celebration and ball Saturday evening at the Wilmont VFW, the Buffalo Ridge Leathernecks Marine Corps League Detachment 1463 presented a donation to Midwest Honor Flight. The $7,530 contribution is enough to sponsor 10 veterans for a one-day trip to Washington, D.C., to view the military memorials. Kristi Brantsen, a volunteer director for Midwest Honor Flight, accepted the donation. “I’m thrilled — that’s 10 veterans that get to go,” said the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman who has joined veterans on four missions since
becoming involved with the program in September 2018. Midwest Honor Flight was founded in 2017 in Sioux Center, Iowa, by Aaron Van Beek, a third grade teacher in Sioux Center and member of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 199. In addition to serving as volunteer president and director of Midwest Honor Flight, he is the volunteer director for South Dakota Veterans Cemetery Wreaths Across America and Sioux Center Wreaths Across America. Van Beek’s interest in the military stems from three great-grandfathers who served in World War II, and a grandfather who served in Vietnam. When he saw so many veterans who either didn’t have the time or the money to travel to Washington, D.C., to view their memorials,
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evening activities, such as sports or community education. “It’s a nationwide thing,” Kielblock said of the shortage. “The difficulty in finding drivers existed even before COVID… it’s been exacerbated by COVID issues.” For a time, COVID-19 rules meant that extra space was required between students on buses, meaning they could not carry as many students. That requirement has since ended, though federal rules do still require face masks to be worn on school buses. Kielblock is not sure why the shortage has gotten so much worse. “There’s a lot of speculation. It could be multiple reasons,” he said. “I think the pay is decent, for the time that’s required for the job.” Some people simply get apprehensive
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