by Carrie Moritz, Gazette
The second half of 2021 brought back a sense of normalcy to the community, as harvest came in and life moved into autumn activities. The Lady Dragons made the headlines in volleyball, heading to State for the first time in twenty years, and GHS football introduced its first female player, a kicker who made a splash with her game-saving points. Businesses in town saw several changes, either opening, moving, or expanding.
July
The month of July began with the announcement that O So Good, a popular restaurant that had been featured on The Food Network, was moving to Sioux Falls after several difficulties with management and staffing. Ultimately, the move was not successful, and the restaurant shut down completely.
In other business moves, the Garretson Gazette shut down operations at its long-time office in 512 N Main and moved two doors south after purchasing a portion of the Sanders Printing building at the end of July. Tony Inglis and Tracy Jellis, who own The Gulch Bar & Grill, purchased the other two portions with the intent to expand their operations. That fall, Palisades Art Gallery began operations in 506 N Main Suite 2, with owner and artist Susan Hartenhoff Haygood moving an at-home proprietorship to a downtown storefront.
August
August started with the Garretson School announcing a near-normal opening with most mitigation measures eliminated, including virtual schooling options. COVID cases had been at a record low since the pandemic began, but rates started inching up in August, sparking concerns that optional masking would backfire. Those concerns were unfounded as the community remained very low in numbers of positive cases throughout the fall.
The city council began the process of setting fees for a medical cannabis dispensary, and limited the number of dispensaries in city limits to one as the deadline for regulations loomed. Minnehaha County commissioners limited non-city dispensaries to one within the county. As of the end of the year, no applications had been received by the city, and the county had awarded its single license to a business that intended to place their operations between Rowena and Sioux Falls on Highway 42.
The end of August and beginning of September saw the start of fall sports, and Garretson's own football team was featured on KELOLAND and other news sources. This is because Jenna VanHolland, a Blue Dragon Soccer player, had also joined the football team as the first female player in Garretson history. The kicker would go on to place most of her shots right between the goalposts.
September
The GHS volleyball team hit the headlines in September, starting its season at 6-0 in its first two weeks. The team had graduated six of its players in May, leaving the team to start anew with the season. By the end of September, they were at a 16-1 win-loss record.
The school held its Homecoming festivities throughout the first week of September, ending with a football game where the team took the win at 54-8.
Blue Dragon Academy announced its plans for expansion a mere two years after opening the doors to its brand-new building, and held a successful fundraiser with pancakes, colorful characters, and touch-a-truck event.
At the end of September, Garretson was rocked by a wind event with straight-line wind gusts of around 80 mph. A tree fell on a RV camper in Split Rock Park but caused no injuries. Further tree and roof damage was seen around town, but the community was grateful it was not as severe as the storm in 2015.
It did, however, knock out power to the school and cancel classes for that day. Local students were recruited to help with clean-up, which made community members grateful.
More new businesses were in the news, with a new storage lot in the industrial development area, and LeRoy Austin announced he would be opening a restaurant named The Combine in the former O So Good space.
October
October entered with the news that the Henry G Fix Post #23 American Legion had raised over $10,000 from the community for Midwest Honor Flights, which sends veterans to Washington, DC to visit the war memorials placed there.
Economic Development topped the council's agenda in October, with an update from Economic Development Director Jessica Fueston outlining how a handful of organizations in town may merge to form an Economic Development organization.
The council explored two potential locations on the south end of Main Avenue for the new city hall and events center, which brought opposition. Community members were mainly concerned about light pollution and traffic in a heavily residential area of town. As of the end of 2021, the location still had not been finalized.
Another business saw major changes, as Downtown Style was re-named to Downtown Style & Boutique and moved to a new location on the corner of 3rd and Depot. Owner Nikki Tillma added a clothing boutique to her salon services, providing another option for customers to shop for goods in town.
November
The volleyball team took the front page twice in November as they came out on top at Regions and Districts and headed to the State tournament for the first time since 1997. By the time they went to Rapid City, the team had won all but one of their games. The State tournament was not easy, but the Lady Dragons showed their team spirit and made it to the finals, facing off in their final game with top-tier team, Sioux Falls Christian. While they didn't win, the Dragons were ecstatic for making it nearly to the top. The community and their families rallied around the runners-up, with a homecoming drive around town, welcome-home community gathering at the school, and congratulations from all parents placed in the Gazette.
A door with a tear gas trap was discovered on the old bank safe at the museum, and local locksmith Mike Meinders and Historical Society board member Bruce Brown disarmed and removed it with zero injuries, providing a new display for the Historical Society.
December
In December, the Garretson Commercial Club again held its annual Hometown Christmas event, which, like Jesse James Days had been canceled in 2020. Children enjoyed visiting Santa and the community came together for the Parade of Lights.
On the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, community members reminisced about how the attack on December 11, 1941 impacted their lives. Several men from the community served in World War II, and it was a life-changing event.
The City Council voted to allow chickens back within city limits after a 5-year ban. Local community members made a strong case for their allowance, and strict regulations on licensing and housing ensured they wouldn't become an issue.
Long-time insurance agent Mark Garry retired after 40 years, ending a two-generation family run. He passed the reins onto protégé Nicholas DeWit, who had been working with Garry since the fall of 2020.
The year came to a close with the Gazette's annual Christmas issue, where holiday drawings and letters to Santa brought joy to the community.
Here's to 2021, and all the memories it made. The Gazette hopes your 2022 is healthy and prosperous, and is grateful to the people of this wonderful community for helping provide news, information, written stories, and photos!
