Monthly Archives: September 2018

A century of education at Colome High School will be celebrated during the annual homecoming celebration Sept 13-14.

The royalty candidates are: Beau Bertram, Wyatt Cahoy, Jackson Kinzer, Layton Thieman, Kaydee Heath, Rayne Hermsen, Jaclyn Laprath and Matrix Noteboom.

The coronation and alumni roll call will be at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13 in the Colome gym.

The honor guard at coronation will be Carleen Burger, Cheyenne Dougherty, Haley Krumpus, Jordyn Seegers, Jacob Beckers, Matt Bossert, Adam Cable and Cailob Week.

The ushers are Saydee Heath, Clarissa Ringing Shield, Allan McKenzie and Linkyn Petersek.

Handing out programs will be Shambraea Bettcher, Abby Eliason, Brayden Seegers, Riley Shippy.

The Cowboy Olympics will be at 8:15 a.m. in the school gym.

The homecoming parade will be Friday at 1 p.m. with the parade theme “CHS—Celebrating a century.”

After the parade, there will be an open house at the school.

There will be a tailgate party at the football field at 5 p.m. on Friday.

The football game will be start at 7 p.m. as the Cowboys takes on Gayville-Volin.

The alumni chicken dinner will be held on Friday at the Legion from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Colome Legion Auxiliary will be serving suppers from the regular menu on Thursday Sept. 13 from 6-9 p.m.

On Saturday the Legion Auxiliary will be serving from the regular menu from 6-9 p.m. This is open to the public and alumni.

Direct Support Professional (DSP) Week is Sept. 91-15. Community Connections Inc. in Winner employs 67 persons with 54 positions being in direct support professional.

DSPs ensure people with disabilities have the necessary supports that enable them to live, work and enjoy live as independently as possible in their community. DSPs can work in a number of different settings and often have opportunities to share their own passion and talents with the people they support.

The direct support workforce is made up of 3.6 million workers in the United States. The demand for direct support workers is expected to increase by 35 percent from 2008 to 2018.

DSPs assist people receiving community human services in a wide range of activities such as meeting personal needs, making friends, finding a job, understanding rights and making choices, taking medications, learning new skills and facilitating connections to the people, resources and experiences necessary to live full and safely in communities of their choice.

South Dakota’s network of Intellectual and Developmental Disability (I/DD) non profit service providers reach every corner of the state and provide services to approximately 4,360 South Dakotans with I/DD and employ approximately 3,491 people.

DSPs have highly specialized and important jobs in the support of people with I/DD. The DSP position is the backbone of the Intellectual and Development Disability services. DSPs require extensive training in behavioral intervention, medication administration, crisis intervention, communication and person centered supports. DSPs routinely make sound judgments regarding behavioral health and general safety. DSPs have to meet increasingly complex regulatory requirements.

Melony Bertram, executive director of CCI, says the career is rewarding because DSPs help the people they serve learn new skills and reach life goals. On a daily basis, DSPs help individuals with tasks most other people take for granted. Tasks like cooking, cleaning, showering, toileting, leaving the house, shopping and managing money take a little more effort for individuals with IDD. DSPs assist with tasks individuals cannot do for themselves and teach tasks individuals can learn to do themselves. Both the individual and DSP feel a great sense of accomplishment when the individual learns to complete a new task.

“Without DSP’s our business would be obsolete. Direct Support Professionals are the heart and soul of the what we do,” said Bertram.

By Dan Bechtold, Editor

Curt Littau’s personality and people skills make him a good auctioneer.

The Winner man was recognized by his profession at the state bid calling contest.

Littau won second runner-up in the South Dakota state bid calling contest. The event featured 20 contestants and was held at the State Fair in Huron on Sept. 2.

“It was a very humbling experience,” Littau said of his honor. “The competition was very good.”

In the first round, each auctioneer brings three items to sell. The items that Littau sold were a set of toy tractors, an antique bucket with wine and wine glasses and a decorative wall hanging.

The field of contestants is cut to five and they have to sell two items.

The contestants are judged on their chant, presence and the rapport they have with the audience.

“In the preliminary round, I had a good rapport with the crowd. Knowledge of what you are selling is important,” Littau added.

This is the first time Littau has entered the state contest which is sponsored by the South Dakota Auctioneers Association.

Littau has been an auctioneer since 1990. He went to auctioneer school in Kansas City for two weeks. While in school, the students would spend the evenings working at small auction houses.

As an auctioneer, Littau has worked a lot of farm sales, benefits and sold cattle.

He sells at the Presho Livestock Auction for their special sales.

He has been invited to be an auctioneer in Ft. Pierre.

For a while, Littau had his own auction company. In April of 2016 he started working for Dan Clark Auction and Realty, where he currently works.

Littau says he is the first generation in his family to be an auctioneer.

As an auctioneer, Littau enjoys the people.

There are a lot of on line auctions but Littau prefers the personal contact with people.

The auctioneer is the vice president of the South Dakota Auctioneers Association.

This is the second year for the Girls on the Run program in Winner.

There are 20 girls in third to fifth grade in the program.

The girls and coaches meet twice a week on Monday and Wednesday from 3:45 to 5 p.m.

The coaches are Lindsey Foster, Emily Tideman, Jessica Soja, Monica Metzger, Calley Farley

Darbi McIntyre and Bobbie Viedt are running buddies.

Bella Swedlund is the student volunteer who is helping.

Foster said the program teaches life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games.

The curriculum is taught by certified Girls on the Run coaches and includes three parts: understanding ourselves, valuing relationships and team work.

Running is used to inspire and motivate the girls.

Each year the girls do a community service project to give back to the community. Last year the girls decorated pumpkins with the residents at the Winner Regional Healthcare Center long term care center.

Girls on the Run is a 10 week after school program like no other. The program is designed to allow every girl to recognize their inner strength.

The Girls on the Run curriculum inspires girls to define their lives on their own terms. Throughout the season, the girls make new friends, built their confidence and celebrate all that makes them unique.

Lessons also encourage positive emotional, social, mental and physical development.

Participants explore and discuss their own beliefs around experiences and challenges girls face at this age.

They also develop important strategies and skills to help them navigate life experiences. They start with helping the girls get a better understanding of who they are and what’s important to them.

Then, they look at the importance of team work and healthy relationships. Finally, they girls explore how they can positively connect with and shape the world.

Physical activity is woven into the program to inspire an appreciation of fitness and to build habits that lead to a lifetime of health.

At the end of the three-month session, they girls will take part in a 5K run in Sioux Falls on Nov. 11.

By Dan Bechtold, Editor

Melvin Harter of Witten was a member of the 1960 baseball team at Black Hills State University.

This year that team will be inducted into the Yellow Jack Hall of Fame during BHSU homecoming Sept. 28-29.

The team will be recognized during a banquet on Sept 28 and they will ride in the Swarm Day parade in Spearfish on Sept. 29 and that afternoon will be recognized at the football game.

The 1960 baseball team won 13 games and lost four and was invited to the NAIA national tournament. Harter believes the 1960 team in the only baseball team that played in a national tournament. The national tournament was in Omaha and BHSU lost the first game.

Also playing on that team were Dennis Harter, Witten, a cousin of Melvin; Rocky Jones who was from Winner at that time and Bob Johnson of Gregory.

The baseball team at that time boosted one of the best pitching staffs in the Midwest led by Mike West, Jim Lawton, Dan Badger, Duane Baer and Neil Doeden.

Melvin Harter was a catcher on the team and when Doeden pitched he only wanted Melvin as the catcher.

West and Doeden went on to play in the Basin League. Winner was one of the towns fortunate to have a Basin League team.

The BSHU team was coached by Cliff Papik.

Harter says he is looking forward to the reunion and induction into the college hall of fame.

“I don’t know where a lot of them are and it will be nice to see them,” he said.

Harter graduated from BHSU with a degree in math and a minor in physical education.

After graduating from college he taught one year in Gregory from 1961-1962.

In 1963, he went to California and worked for Pacific Gas and Electric. It was in California that he met his wife, Wilma.

In 1967, Harter started work with the engineer division of the South Dakota Department of Transportation in Kadoka where worked for four years.

In 1971, the family moved to Garland, Texas, where he worked with his uncle, Lester Aeschbacher in TV repair.

Then, Harter moved back to Winner and worked at Custom TV with Ray Totton. While working in Winner, Harter also helped his father on the farm in Witten. Eventually, Harter took over the farm.

He has been on the farm for 51 years.

Baseball has been a big part of Harter’s life. Harter played on the Witten amateur baseball team that went to state in 1960 in Watertown. For Witten, Harter played third base.

The Harters have three children, 8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Sally Kingsbury recently attended the state VFW Auxiliary convention in Sioux Falls. She was accompanied by her husband, Gary and daughter, Dawn Boerner.

During the convention, Kingsbury was honored by a color guard escort to the president’s station where it was announced she was the state hospital volunteer of the year.

State president Carrie Alm presented Kingsbury with an eagle statue which was engraved with her name and the award.

Leanne Payne, state hospital chairman, told the audience of the many accomplishments Kingsbury made by helping the veteran and the number of hours she has invested in serving veterans who reside in local facilities.

National representative Jean Hamil, serving as national conductress, spoke about the importance of letting the veteran know they are not forgotten. She praised Kingsbury for her devotion to the veteran. Hamil presented Kingsbury with a citation from the national president.

National Rural Letter Carriers held its annual convention in Grand Rapids, MI at the DeVos Place Convention Center. These meetings took place from Aug.13-17.

For opening session of the meetings, Shannon Duffy, Winner, as president of the National Rural Letter Carriers Junior Auxiliary gave her speech to nearly 2000 individuals which included Megan Brennan, USPS Postmaster General/CEO and Marcia L. Fudge, Representative, U.S. Congress (D-OH). After opening session the NRLCA Jr. Auxiliary went the first of two excursions planned by Shannon while visiting for a planning session in March.

During the first business meeting for the Jr. Auxiliary, Shannon was presented with a display box containing the gavel for her to use during her meetings. Since the project of support was Folds of Honor, the display box was in the shape of a folded flag. The gavel and box were made by an NRLCA association member and were presented to Shannon by Cindy Keyes, a Past National Officer for the NRLCA Auxiliary.

The Junior Auxiliary consists of NRLCA member children and grandchildren between the ages of 6-20. Their first excursion, the Junior Auxiliary went to the Public Museum which houses an IMAX theater, an authentic 1920’s carousel they could ride on as well as many interactive displays. Later in the week they then went to a rope course to test their balance and zip line abilities. During the rest of the week Shannon presided over business meetings, caucuses and elections. The week concluded with contest and scholarship winner announcements and installation of new officers. Macie Ferwerda placed third in the 18-20 year old contest category and Shannon Duffy received one of the scholarships.

Attending the convention with Shannon were her parents Brad and Judy Duffy, her sister Allison from Chamberlain and her grandmothers Delores Duffy from Clearfield and Barb Lundquist from Sioux Falls.

Winner Area cheer and dance team both took third place at the Winner Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 8.

The dance team has to perform three dances to place. Winner competed in hip hop, pom and kick.

“I was very pleased with the overall performance and it was great to have the home crowd support,” said dance coach Cyndy DeMers.

“We honored our seniors and their parents, she added.

There were 9 team in the cheer portion of the invitational.

Coach Val Ewing said she was super impressed with the cheer girls results. “We are improving every time and that’s what we as coaches want. We have some pretty elite stunts, we have two groups putting girls up in full extensions and with only one base under them,” said Ewing.

“I am super proud of how hard they are working and where they will go from here.”

Ewing and coach Samantha Novonty appreciate the Winner community for coming out and supporting the cheer and dance girls. “It means a lot when we can put fans in the stands,” said Ewing.

On Monday, Sept, 10, the cheer and dance competed in Spearfish.

They will provide the halftime entertainment for the homecoming football game on Sept. 21.