Broadcaster Press 7 January 31, 2017 www.broadcasteronline.com 16 0 2 Year In Review January Nesselhuf Earns Human Rights Award There’s more than meets the eye at one of Vermillion’s shops on Main Street.”I think people come in and go, ‘Isn’t this cute?’” said Diane Nesselhuf, owner and founder of Sharing the Dream in Guatemala. “I don’t think a lot of people in Vermillion realize how big it is. It’s not just a store.”In fact, it’s so big that Nesselhuf recently received the War Eagle Humans Rights award from the Sioux City Human Rights Commission and the City of Sioux City. This award recognizes an individual who makes positive impacts in civil rights in the Siouxland area.”I think it’s an honor,” Nesselhuf said. “It is from the city of Sioux City and the Human Rights Commission and it’s nice that they recognize, not only me, but Sharing the Dream and it’s contributions.”Nesselhuf and her husband have five children, two of whom were adopted from Guatemala. When they adopted their daughter, Ana, 30 years ago Nesselhof noticed children were being sent to live at the orphanage because the parents didn’t have the money or resources to care for them. She went back 10 years later and spent a month in the country and these parents proposed the idea where Nesselhuf helps them sell their products that would earn them the money necessary to raise their own children, thus establishing Sharing the Dream in Guatemala.”It’s to promote sustainability for artisans in Guatemala,” Nesselhuf said. “That’s what we do with the store here then the profits go back to projects that we work with in Guatelmala. We also have donors who donate to different projects we have in Guatemala, so it’s turned out to be a huge organization. We work with probably hundreds of artisans in Guatemala, so there’s quite a bit going on.”Sharing the Dream in Guatemala now has eight employees and two offices in Guatemala. City Council Hears ICAP Welcome Sign Plans A new community welcome sign on the West side of Vermillion is fast approaching reality, said Matt Fairholm of the Integrated Community Action Planning Group (ICAP) Monday at the noon meeting of the City Council.The new welcome sign, which is the first project of ICAP is expected to be completed , before the Summit League Track and Field Championships scheduled for May, Fairholm said following the meeting.ICAP which is , a result of a Vermillion Chamber and Development (VCDC) housing study, has a goal of bringing together Clay County, the City of Vermillion, the school district, USD and VCDC officials – all entities in town that have decision making responsibilities or the money to back up the decisions. “This group of five entities has two representatives each,” said Fairholm. “About a year ago it was decided to form the committee. The idea was to have a project based activity so we don’t just sit around and talk – to have a project that can help the city, county or region. The first project that was decided to tackle was a welcome sign.” Fairholm said the initial cost estimates for the welcome sign were about $27,000. School Board Looks To Future Renovations With the successful high school remodel behind them, the school board continues to think of ways to improve the facilities of the Vermillion School District as they demonstrated at their board meeting Monday.“I took it upon myself to get a quotation from an architect from Banner,” Superintendent Mark Froke stated. “They submitted a quote of $43,000 to take care of long-range needs of the school district. I’ve asked for another quote. I collected that information so you can decide what route you want to take.” Froke made sure to stress that this master plan is long-term.“We’ve been doing a lot of things with our buildings but down the road you will have some decisions to make as far as what you need to do with the buildings,” he said. “I would expect 8-10 years from now you’ll probably have some other needs than what you have right now.”Looking more towards the immediate future, the board is in the process of approving bids for 3 a heating project at Austin school with Johnson Controls estimating the cost to be between $220,000 and $250,000.As for Vermillion High School, the renovation it received over last summer might not be completely finished.“The other area that we wanted to attack last year but we wanted to make sure the money situation was ok, and also the time situation, that would be the boys and girls locker rooms in the high school,” Froke said. “That cost estimate to completely renovate those two areas will be between $425,000 and $450,000. These are both the capital outlay. These are not general fund improvements. I think you have a very solid financial picture in the capital outlay program so I think you could handle that with your reserves very well.” The CAFO Debate The Clay County Commissioners held a Public Hearing last Thursday to hear the community’s thoughts on the revised CAFO ordinance.Members of the community spoke both for and against the changes.Arguments in favor of the ordinance included the right of livestock producers to expand in order for their children to be able to remain in the community.Those against argued that the changes endanger the quality of air, water and life in general by loosening the restrictions and allowing smaller setbacks from residential areas. According to commissioners and Toby Brown representing SECOG (The South-Eastern Council of Governments), the ordinance up for a vote is a revision of the 2013 revision of the 2005 ordinance. According to Brown, the major changes of the current ordinance up for vote include reinstating the Animal Feeding Operation (AFO) definition which was removed from the 2013 version and moving the cap up for dairy operations.“The third change is clarification is what the setback is off of waters,” he said. “Right now it’s ‘waters of the state.’ If you read the definition of ‘waters of the state’ that could be an irrigation pit, it could be anything that has water in it. So for administrative purposes, to make it easy for staff and easy for approval boards, we went to a definition that’s one, in a state statute and number two we can map out so the zoning administrator, so the elected officials, know exactly what they’re approving and check the boxes they need to approve. Those were the changes. That’s it. The majority of the changes were good changes though because it takes us back to the compromise, the 2005.” USD Business School Looks To Community For Guidance The Clay County Commissioners held a Public Hearing last Thursday to hear the community’s thoughts on the revised CAFO ordinance.Members of the community spoke both for and against the changes.Arguments in favor of the ordinance included the right of livestock producers to expand in order for their children to be able to remain in the community.Those against argued that the changes endanger the quality of air, water and life in general by loosening the restrictions and allowing smaller setbacks from residential areas. According to commissioners and Toby Brown representing SECOG (The South-Eastern Council of Governments), the ordinance up for a vote is a revision of the 2013 revision of the 2005 ordinance. According to Brown, the major changes of the current ordinance up for vote include reinstating the Animal Feeding Operation (AFO) definition which was removed from the 2013 version and moving the cap up for dairy operations.“The third change is clarification is what the setback is off of waters,” he said. “Right now it’s ‘waters of the state.’ If you read the definition of ‘waters of the state’ that could be an irrigation pit, it could be anything that has water in it. So for administrative purposes, to make it easy for staff and easy for approval boards, we went to a definition that’s one, in a state statute and number two we can map out so the zoning administrator, so the elected officials, know exactly what they’re approving and check the boxes they need to approve. Those were the changes. That’s it. The majority of the changes were good changes though because it takes us back to the compromise, the 2005.” • Automotive Collision Repair • Paint • Framework • Glass Replacement YEARS IN BUSINESS 1205 CARR STREET VERMILLION • 605.670.0471 • BlainesBodyShop@gmail.com 5 HOURS M - F, 9AM - 6PM SAT, 9AM - 12PM Full Service Salon and Spa 25 West Main Street, Vermillion, SD www.wyniemaes.com 605.658.1234 YEARS IN BUSINESS 13 Latte Da YEARS IN BUSINESS 14 YEARS IN BUSINESS 17 YEARS IN BUSINESS 18 YEARS IN BUSINESS 709 E. Cherry Street, Vermillion • 605.624.6306 FAMILY FIRST CHIROPRACTIC CHIROPRACTIC PHYSICIANS CRYSTAL L. PADEN, DC MICHAEL P. PADEN, DC 102 E. CHERRY ST. #106 VERMILLION, SD 57069 (605)624-9483 Call for an appointment today •Walk-ins welcome • Most insurance accepted Quality Care for Pain Free Living 16 YEARS IN BUSINESS We Deliver! Mon. – Thurs. 6:30am-7pm Friday 6:30am- 5pm Saturday 7am- 2pm Proudly Featuring Valspar, Benjamin Moore, & Clark & Kensington Paints! HARDWARE 812 Cottage • Vermillion • 605-624-3195 • open 7am – 8pm Daily Located in Eastgate Plaza on Cherry St. in Vermillion 624.8000 OPEN DAILY • 11AM - 10PM FREE DELIVERY Clay County Abstract & Title Corner of W. Cherry & Stanford 605.624.8050 February Relay For Life Enjoys Successful Event In the true spirit of community, Clay County residents and University of South Dakota Students came together Sunday to raise funds and awareness for cancer patients in the area and the American Cancer Society.According to Relay for Life representative, Rebecca Giddens, the relay raised $14,187 this year before an additional fundraiser on campus during the week.“I think my committee did a fantastic job,” she said. “The activities they planned for the event and all the hard work they did really paid off. We had a great turnout especially considering it was a Sunday morning on SuperBowl Sunday. I think in the end we had a little over 200 people registered.”The event consisted of basketball games, kids’ twirling performance, a raffle, food donated by Heck’s barbeque, and other activities. “Overall, I think it helped to raise awareness as to what the American Cancer Society does and how they can get involved,” Giddens said. “Just looking at social media there were definitely there for other reasons that were saying they should come back next year.”The event brought together survivors and supporters alike. Joanne Tieman, cancer survivor of 28 years, was a guest speaker. “When I was diagnosed with colon cancer I was in my late 30’s, working as a nurse, going to graduate school, raising four children and I did not have time for this major interruption in my life,” she said. “Nor could I believe this was happening to me. It took three days before I could say the word ‘cancer’ without crying. Just the word ‘cancer’ creates fear in our minds.” Tieman stated that she is forever grateful for an early diagnosis that saved her life so she could continue being a mother to her children. St. Agnes Teacher Wins National Education Award St. Agnes School in Vermillion has something new to be proud of as one of their Kindergarten teachers receives a national award.Kathy Crowley who has been teaching at the school for over two decades will receive one of the national “Lead. Learn. Proclaim.” awards from the National Catholic Education Association in late March at the NCEA Convention Expo in San Diego.“I was obviously excited and happy and humbled at the same time,” Crowley said. “It’s quite an honor and one I wasn’t expecting.”St. Agnes Principal, Darla Hamm shares these sentiments.“I am not aware of anyone else in the state receiving this award in the past but we’re not always notified who wins,” she said. “Like she said, it’s humbling but it’s a big honor because it’s just recognizing her for all her hard work and effort for all she has put into education and Catholic education specifically. We’re excited to go with her to accept her award in San Diego in late March.”The St. Agnes Staff have graced the conference three times in the past according to Crowley.Teachers, principals, pastors and others who serve in the country’s Catholic education system are recognized during the event which takes place March 29-31. “NCEA commends the outstanding efforts, contributions and achievements of exceptional leaders in Catholic education,” said NCEA Interim President Dr. Thomas W. Burnford in a press release. “We are grateful for the leadership of Kathy Crowley who serves as an ambassador of faith formation and academic excellence, and inspires Catholic educators across the world.” The Future Of Piano Players ‘In Good Hands’ Beautiful piano music poured forth from the Colton Recital Hall in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts on the University of South Dakota campus.It was not current USD students but, hopefully, future ones participating in the 22nd annual High School Piano Competition.“The competition is named for Genevieve Truran, a native of Pierre, SD, who taught piano at the university on a full-time basis for forty-seven years,” read a post-event press release. “The Genevieve and John Truran Endowed Fund supports the competition as well as other University of South Dakota keyboard activities.”The competition is partly designed to attract future USD students.“This is part of our recruiting effort,” said Susanne Skyrm, Professor of piano at USD. “It helps get them here and us to know who they are and who’s out there. Students come from all over. Some come from NW Iowa, some come from Omaha, some from Sioux Falls.” Piano students from grades 8-12 all gathered and competed for cash prizes and scholarships. March Rare Shakespeare Folio, Events Slated For USD, Music Museum Four centuries after his death, William Shakespeare is making an appearance in Vermillion.Granted, it’s not the Bard himself, but the University of South Dakota is hosting the exhibit, “First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare.” The exhibit, within a special multipanel, interactive display, will run March 7-April 2 next to instruments of that era at the National Music Museum.And the price is right – free.The First Folio is the first complete collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays, published in 1623, seven years after the playwright’s death. Compiled by two of Shakespeare’s fellow actors, John Heminge and Henry Condell, the book preserves 36 of Shakespeare’s plays.Without the First Folio, 18 of the plays – including “Macbeth” and “The Tempest” — would remain unknown to the world, according to a news release about the exhibit. The exhibit marks the only stop in South Dakota for the Folger Shakespeare Library’s national tour, according to Darlene Farabee, chair of the USD Department of English. Prentis Park Pool Contracts Awarded At a special meeting of the Vermillion City Council held Monday evening contracts for the Prentis pool project were unanimously approved, albeit at a higher cost tag to the community than projected. Originally projected to cost $5.25 million, with the lion’s share — an estimated $4 million — for constructing a new swimming pool with modern features – bids came in almost 15 percent higher than expected at $6,131,674.With the project broken into three contracts, city and BAI officials had hoped that there would be several companies bidding as there had been quite a bit of interest expressed, however only one bid for each contract was received.“We were surprised with only getting one bid for each of those contracts because we had had strong, strong interest,” city manager John Prescott said. “Weekly we would get a list of who had checked out plans. So, we were very surprised to only receive the one bid in. We knew it would be more limited with respect to who would build the pool structure because there are only a limited number of people in the Midwest who build those. We thought we would have multiple bidders on the general contractor side of things.”Because costs came in so much higher than expected, city officials asked the engineering company BAI to look into the bids.“Since the construction bids were higher than BAI’s Opinion of Probable Construction Costs, the city requested that BAI perform Value Engineering Services, with the objective of lowering the cost of the project,” city manager John Prescott said. “BIA began negotiating with the three lowest responsive bidders. They identified that by breaking up contract one and two we would be able to reduce the cost of the project by more than $200,000.” StudentsReach Reading Milestone Students at Jolley Elementary School in Vermillion have reached their goal of one million and one minutes.The school had a similar goal last year, reaching one million minutes around the end of March. That puts them ahead of schedule for this year. “As you know, everybody in this room, we’re a team,” Jolley Principal, Sue Galvin, told her students at an assembly Tuesday. “We’re partnering with the uni-