by Carrie Moritz, Garretson Gazette
Hard to believe we’re at the end of a decade. Now we start the roaring ‘20’s, with hopes it doesn’t end like last century’s. The Gazette was packed with news throughout the entire year; the addition of another full-timer at the office ensured we were able to bring you as much news as possible.
This last year saw the culmination of the 3rd Street and Main project, or at least, stage 1 and a half. The Garretson area had record flooding both spring and fall, which put our farmers in a hard place, along with national happenings that also affected our farmers. The brand-new daycare opened for business, and Garretson made the Sioux Falls news for positive reasons (though South Dakota as a whole did not make national news for the best reasons…but We’re On It). Plus so much more. Enjoy this year in review (Part One of Two)!
In January, winter sports were in full swing, with Garretson High School girls’ basketball, boys’ basketball, and wrestling each coming away with wins and losses. Hayden Pierret performed well at the Lincoln Holiday Wrestling Tournament, earning top seed and second place in the 126-pound weight class. Dakota Johnson and Dominic Abraham also placed in the top 8 in that tournament. The wrestling team continued to perform well the rest of the season, with seven GHS wrestlers making it to the State Tournament in Rapid City.
Cold temperatures were also in the news, with Sioux Falls, SD being the coldest place on earth on January 29.
In February, the Gazette chronicled how the town came together at the end of January to search for a missing pup. Pippa took off from her uncle’s house while her parents were on vacation, and extremely cold temperatures made her chances for survival slim. She was discovered stuck under the tracks just north of town by a BNSF Railroad employee, who knew to look thanks to B Squad Rescue’s “Missing” posters that had been posted just a few hours earlier. Pippa was a B Squad Rescue pup, and the Brandon-based non-profit’s mission is an honorable one.
GHS continued with exemplary work, with the One Act Play bringing home gold medals from their State Performance in Aberdeen. They had won Regions at USF in Sioux Falls in January. The FFA celebrated National FFA Week with an act of service, packing 50,000 meals with over 50 volunteers.
Garretson also made the Sioux Falls news several times in 2019, starting with KDLT profiling both Omar Thornton and Tyler Ramsbey for their series, “Someone You Should Know.”
In March, the Gazette brought news that Palisades State Park was awarded an extra $500,000 from the SD Legislature, which tied into a purchase made in March of 279 acres, more than doubling the size of the park. Since that announcement, Garretson individuals, business people, and the City Council have been working diligently to ensure the park is still connected to the town, especially as the entrance will be moved another 2 miles away and no longer keeps Garretson in sight.
March ended with a bang, as ice floes piled up along the shores of Split Rock Creek and the Big Sioux River, along with massive flooding. The floes caused a lot of damage in the area, including the loss of a beloved bench in Split Rock Park, and nearly wiping out Hardy Park in Brandon. The winter weather continued in April, with a storm that shut down much of SE SD and SW MN for nearly a week.
April also saw a run off for Ward III City Council representative, with both Tom Godbey and Dwayne “Jake” Jacobson both putting their hat in the ring. Godbey won the seat by 3 votes (22-19).
Spring sports started up, despite the cold and rainy weather that impacted practices and competitions. Track got off to a strong start, and the team performed well throughout the season, with 13 competitors entering the State contest in May. The highlight of the track season was the 1st place 6’4” high jump win claimed by senior Trevor Fiegen at the State contest. Golf saw Rave Ulich take first place at the Jesse James Golf Invitational with a score of 38.
In May, discussion about the Emerald Ash Borer again entered the fray, with a great informational article by local Master Gardener Colleen Collier. At least one reader let the Gazette know they had changed their ash tree plans thanks to the information presented. Luckily, as of the end of the summer, it still had not been discovered in Garretson, but it is likely to make its appearance in 2020.
The Gazette was able to feature two more Legionnaires in the lead up to Memorial Day, Duane Megard (Korean War) and Alton Rogen (Korean War), thanks to the diligent reporting of Marty Leubke. Veterans Dale Schmiesing and Harlowe Sundem were able to partake in the Midwest Honor Flight in May. Along with four others in September and October, six Garretson area veterans were able to visit Washington, DC in 2019, a wonderful service provided by donations and sponsorships. The Gazette ran a full feature on the Honor Flight in October.
The GHS Class of 2019 graduated 27 students, with Valedictorian Brennan Mudder and Salutatorian Keara Beck giving the Farewell Speech. The GHS Golf team won runner up at Regions, sending 8 to State.
Not all news in early 2019 was good news, however, as we learned at the end of May that the Jesse James Opera House had been ruined by a roof leak. At the same time, it was discovered the entire building had been badly affected, which closed the Senior Center permanently as well. As of the end of 2019, no plans have been made for the future of the building.
Look for Part Two in the next issue, where we look back on the Street Project, the successful 4th of July 100-year Legion celebration, and much more.
