Broadcaster Press 11 January 30, 2018 www.broadcasteronline.com million alumni who still live in the community simply never got an invitation to be part of Saturday’s surprise. “The hardest to convince were my nieces, both recent grads of VHS, Grace Olson and Michaela Olson,” he said. “They gave it a strong pass until I finally convinced them last week. It helped that I recruited some of their friends.” Pastor Steve Miller allowed Olson and the flash mob participants to rehearse in the United Church of Christ. “Which was perfect!” Olson said. “It’s easy to locate and has lots of space.” Getting into the DakotaDome to rehearse shortly before graduation day was a bit more difficult. “I had exhausted all of my dome connections,” he said. “Finally, Jenny Moran pulled through with some of her contacts.” Olson choreographed the flash mob’s dance. “I tried to keep it as simple and repetitive as possible, knowing most of them haven’t been part of any choreographed dance group before,” he said. “Every eight counts it would change, and every move started on your right. Then I filmed myself doing the choreography and posted it in a Facebook group called ‘Secret VHS Flash Mob!’ And invited everyone to the group so they could start rehearsing. That was also a useful way to communicate to them all about rehearsals, etc.” Members Of VHS Class of 2017 Surprise Jolley Students The Vermillion High School Class of 2017 took one last walk together as high school students during their commencement exercise Saturday afternoon in the DakotaDome. The day before that, however, on Friday morning, a number of the Vermillion seniors took an early, pre-graduation stroll together and surprised students at Jolley Elementary by taking a “Senior Walk” among them dressed in their caps and gowns. The Jolley students had exited the school as part of what appeared to be a routine fire drill that took them to the east side of the school. Before returning to their classrooms, their teachers asked the students to walk to the front of the school and line up one either side of the wide sidewalk that runs along the school property on University Street. To the Jolley students’ surprise, a number of the soon-to-be- graduates of Vermillion High rounded the corner to walk down the sidewalk, giving the younger students an opportunity to give high-fives and applaud the members of the graduating class. It was also a chance for the seniors to recall how far they’ve come from the days when they attended elementary school and how their time as students of the Vermillion School District is quickly drawing to a close. Several of the seniors are alumni of Jolley Elementary. members, some of whom traveled long distances to attend – came to witness the final service at the church, which has been in operation for 79 years. The church is officially dissolving this summer after Rev. Anna Peck, who has pastored the church for 11 years, retires. “[The final service] was a sad time, but yet at the same time, we’re filled with hope about the future congregational life of the members,” said Peck. “The Spirit gives us hope that we will have a church home.” Bishop David Zellmer, who spoke at the final service, reminded those in attendance that this is not the end, but rather is the start of a new chapter for them and for their spiritual journey. Wakonda’s First Lutheran Church is closing due to declining membership. When Rev. Peck announced her retirement last fall, First Lutheran members alongside Lutheran leadership made the tough decision to close the church. With the church closed, remaining members say they aren’t sure where they will worship. Some may attend one of the three remaining churches in Wakonda, which are Bethel Baptist, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, and the Wakonda United Methodist Church. Others plan to begin attending Pleasant Valley Lutheran Church in rural Vermillion. Pleasant Valley has been First Lutheran’s sister church for all of its existence and has also been pastored by Rev. Peck for the past 11 years. With Rev. Peck retiring, the pastoral future of that church is not yet known, but the church will remain open, Pleasant Valley members say. The pastor’s official retirement date is May 31, a date that is special to Rev. Peck because it marks the 25th anniversary of her ordination. This Sunday, May 28, a special hymn sing and musical celebration will take place at Pleasant Valley in celebration of her retirement. Everyone is encouraged to attend this event. Cake and ice cream will be served. This is a time of mixed emotions, Rev. Peck admits. “All at once, I’ll have these waves of sadness that come over me when I think about retirement and leaving,” she said. “I’ve shed some tears, but I’m also looking forward to the next chapter of my life.” After 55 years away from her hometown, Peck will be moving back to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after she retires. Her brother and sister live in the area and she has many nieces and nephews there as well. June Prentis Plunge Opens June 3 Vermillion citizens weren’t able to dip their toes in the water, but they were given an opportunity to celebrate the near completion of the Prentis Plunge aquatic center during a special ribbon cutting ceremony late Tuesday afternoon. Following the ribbon cutting, townsfolk were able to tour the new aquatic center which is scheduled to open Saturday, June 3. The new Prentis Plunge replaces an aging, leaky pool that was approximately 50 years old. “This is quite a change, and instead of just doing a replication of the pools we had before, the committees that worked on this for the past five or six years decided we don’t want the same hole in the ground that we had before,” Mayor Jack Powell said at Tuesday’s opening ceremony. “They had the foresight to look into something like this … I’m just really proud and pleased to be part of this.” Construction of the new aquatic facility began last May, when city officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site. The planned $5.25 million in park improvements includes $4 million for the pool. The new aquatic center’s amenities include a lazy river, water slides, a basketball hoop, a onemeter diving tower, shade structures, a zero-depth entry, water features and benches. “We have a new pool, but we also have a new water park,” the mayor told a crowd of over 200 Vermillion citizens who gathered for Prentis Plunge’s open house. “I think you’re going to be awed by what you see.” About the only major work left to do to make the aquatic center complete is landscaping around the new facility. “There is going to be sod laid inside the fenced area, which is really going to set off the color of the pool,” Powell said. “You’re just going to be in awe. I just can’t help but think that you’re going to be so pleased with what has been built for us.” The mayor offered his thanks to the pool committees, the city staff, and the contractors that helped make the project a reality. Burbach Aquatics, Inc. was the lead architect for the project, and contractors are Richhio Incorporated, Welfl Construction and Mechanical Incorporated. “I don’t think we could be more pleased with what they’ve done,” Powell said. “We had all kinds of support to get this pool. The city A New Chapter Begins As Rev. Peck Retires And Wakonda’s First Lutheran Church Closes There were few dry eyes during the final service at the First Lutheran Church of Wakonda last Sunday. More than 100 people – including four former pastors and many past 37 didn’t have all of the resources we needed at the time – we have about a $5 million pool system here, so the public voted to sell a bond issue so that we could have this beautiful facility.” South Dakota Shakespeare Festival Underway In Vermillion This summer, the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival (SDSF) is thrilled to present The Comedy of Errors, June 8 through11, in Vermillion’s beautiful Prentis Park. In this early play, Shakespeare double-downs on comedy as he deals us not only one, but two sets of identical twins. As our hero and his side-kick travel to the town of Ephesus in search of their longlost twins, they are mistaken along the way by citizens who seem to know them. As the two strangers become entangled in bad debts, troubled marriages, tawdry affairs, and even a visit from a witch-doctor, Shakespeare “ups the ante” with slap-stick, shtick, and plenty of verbal banter, serving up a true “comedy of errors!” The production features an all-star artistic team of seasoned professionals hired from competitive national and regional markets, combined with younger professionals drawn from USD’s Theatre program. Performances take place at 7p.m. June 8 through10, and 4 p.m. June 11, in Vermillion’s Prentis Park. In addition to the full-length Shakespeare production, the Festival will feature live music in Prentis Park, and vending of food and beverages, beginning one hour before each performance. Arts workshops for youth are offered on Thursday and Friday, June 8 and 9. Advance registration for workshops is recommended through the Vermillion Parks and Recreation website: http://www.vermillionparksandrec.com/Youth_Programs.php A special Scholars’ Roundtable Discussion, hosted by USD’s College of Arts and Sciences, will take place at 3 p.m. on Saturday June 10 in Prentis Park. Round out your viewing experience of The Comedy of Errors by joining three worldclass scholars and Shakespeare lovers – Bruce Brandt, Jillian Linster, and Darlene Farabee – as they key you in on some of the secrets of this great comedy. On Sunday June 11, following the 4 p.m. matinee performance, audiences are invited to stay for a discussion and talk-back with the SDSF artistic company. In keeping with the SDSF’s mission of accessibility, all performances and programs are free and open to the public. “Free Will” donations are encouraged. In addition to their mainstay programming, the SDSF offers a robust array of outreach programming in the summer and throughout the year. This summer the SDSF is partnering with the Sanford Senior Care Center, Vermillion’s SESDAC, Flandreau Indian School, and USD’s Upward Bound, offering special programming to engage a wider audience base with the benefits and joys of Shakespeare and live theatre. July Several styles of traditional dances were demonstrated last weekend at the 45th annual USD Wacipi, held in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Henderson’s Grand Opening Held For First Dakota Building Farron Pratt, president of First Dakota National Bank in Vermillion, And Ultimate Car Washes years in business 807 Princeton, Vermillion, SD • 605.624.6904 40 Dr. Richard Knutson Dr. Matthew Knutson Dr. Troy Larsen yEaRS in buSinESS 42 YEARS IN BUSINESS 44 YEARS IN BUSINESS Caring Professional Staff BOB’S SINCLAIR SERVICE Self Service • Full Service • Tires • Oil Change • Repairs 200 E. Main St., Vermillion, SD 624-2731 Inspiring decor for your Home, Selection of the perfect gift or just relax with friends. 19 West Main Street • Vermillion, SD Hours: M-F 9am-5:30pm • Sat 9am-5pm • 605-624-4611 48 BUNYANS BAR & GRILL YEARS IN BUSINESS 48 YEARS IN BUSINESS 605-624-6291 1714 E. Cherry St. Vermillion, SD www.knutsonfamilydentistry.com New building - Same Location for past 48 years 1201 West Main Street | Vermillion, SD 605-624-9971 Herren - Schempp Building Supply 51 1000 West Cherry Street • Vermillion, SD 605-624-2058 • www.herrenschempp.com celebrating years Mart Auto Body & Marine 52 YEARS IN BUSINESS 101 West Cherry St • Vermillion 1966 - 2017 605.624.8624 1122 West Main Street • Vermillion, SD, 57069 605-624-3814 told a capacity crowd how the idea of constructing a new building for the bank grew into a much bigger concept. “We just thought ‘let’s start out building a bank. And then we started researching things and looking at different things, and we began to think that we need to do more than that,” he said. “We wanted to make a destination for anybody in the community, and I think that’s what we accomplished.” The bank’s new home, located at 1110 E. Cherry Street, was filled late Thursday afternoon, June 29, with a crowd of local citizens eager to view the building which currently houses the bank, a coffee shop and a UPS store, and has the room to host other retail businesses. The project started in 2011 and the Vermillion branch of First Dakota National Bank opened earlier this year after the bank moved from its old location on Kidder Street. “We’re receiving overwhelming, positive feedback from members of the community who have come in to this building. They’re wowed,” he said. “I’m wowed every day that I come to work. It’s a great pleasure to come to work in a building like this.” He added that the new facility wouldn’t have been possible without the tenants who are sharing the new building with the bank. “We have The UPS Store, which is new to Vermillion. It’s nice to see them here, and we also have Bru 2, our coffee shop. We thought that was a nice addition to our bank, as well,” Pratt said. Dennis Cromwell, the owner and operator of The UPS Store, couldn’t make it to last week’s open house. He told the Plain Talk last year that UPS had been looking for a space to open a store in Vermilion for about a year. The new building provided an opportunity for that expansion here. Jay Morgan, the manager of The UPS Store, addressed the crowd. “We handle the shipping and the packaging and everything that goes with that,” she said. “We also have a full-time notary on staff at all times, so if anybody needs to get anything notarized, by all means, come on in and we’d be happy to help you out.” Morgan said The UPS Store also handles international shipping and freight shipping. “We do a lot of printing, too,” she said. “We handle anything from business cards all the way up to full-size banners and everything in-between. Stop on in and we can help out with anything you may need.” Pratt praised Monica Iverson and Jim Waters, owners of The Bru 2 Coffeehouse, for the hors d’oeuvres they provided for the open house. This has been a particularly busy time for Iverson and Waters; besides operating Café Brule in downtown Vermillion, the two worked on opening the new coffeehouse at the same time they were busy preparing a second, new restaurant in downtown Vermillion, the Dakota Brick House, which opened earlier this year. “When we first thought of the idea of a coffee shop, we went to some different people and we proposed the idea to Jim and Monica and they were excited immediately,” Pratt said. Vermillion Judge Appointed To Circuit Bench A Vermillion woman has been named to fill a vacant circuit judgeship for southeast South Dakota. Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced Monday his appointment of Magistrate Judge Tami A. Bern as a circuit court judge in South Dakota’s First Circuit Court. “Judge Bern has a long record of public service, as a magistrate judge and a state’s attorney,” the governor said in a press release. “I particularly appreciate her leadership in creating the Yankton County Drug Court, and I thank her for taking on this new role.” Bern will fill a vacancy created by the recent retirement of Judge Glen A. Eng of Yankton. Eng retired in early June but has remained on the bench to hear cases until the circuit fills all of its judicial vacancies. The First Circuit includes Aurora, Bon Homme, Buffalo, Brule, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Hanson, Hutchinson, McCook, Turner, Union and Yankton counties. “I am extremely honored to receive Governor Daugaard’s appointment to the circuit bench,” Bern said. “I am grateful for the confidence he has shown in me and look forward to serving the First Circuit in this new capacity.” Final decisions have not been made on when Bern will assume her duties as the new circuit judge, said First Circuit Court Administrator Kim Allison. “A date has not yet been set for (Bern’s) investiture,” Allison said. “She will continue to be stationed in Vermillion, but we will wait until we get our latest filings report to evaluate if we need to make any changes in the current judicial assignments.” Bern is currently a magistrate judge in the First Circuit, a position she has held since 2007, and operates the Yankton County Drug Court. Prior to that service, she served as Clay County state’s attorney from 1997 to 2007 and as deputy state’s attorney from 1993 to 1997. She also worked in private practice from 1993 to 1997. In addition, Bern served on thenGov. Mike Rounds’ Commission on the Indian Child Welfare Act, and she serves on the State Bar Criminal Pattern Jury Instruction Committee. Bern, a Gettysburg native, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota in 1990. She graduated from USD School of Law in 1993. Bern lives in Vermillion with her husband, Arlan, and their children, Lauren and Josh. August Vermillion’s Population Grows By Over 1,000 Aug. 18 University of South Dakota Vice President/Dean of Students Kim Grieve was happy to see, as she joined student volunteers in the DakotaDome parking lot Friday morning, that everything was running like clockwork. “It has been a great day. The weather has been cooperative and we’ve moved many, many students in,” she said late that morning. “We have over 800 student volunteers here, and over 200 faculty and staff volunteers, and everything is going smoothly as it does each year.” Friday was the official “move-in” day for a majority of the new students beginning a new school year at the university. The DakotaDome parking lot is the place where the moving-in process began that day. That process involves advanced communications with students and their families, allotting them a certain time to arrive at the DakotaDome to allow a smooth flow of traffic into Vermillion and to the university’s various residence halls. “This the first stop,” Grieve said, standing near the area in the DakotaDome parking lot where a queue of vehicles filled with parents and students was receiving information from volunteers. “Parents and students pull up, they get their keys, they get a t-shirt, and they get directed to their residence hall where people are waiting for them,” she said. “They unload their vehicles and take all of their belongings up to their room for them.” It’s a process that allows the population of Vermillion to grow by over 1,000 people in a single day nearly without notice. The only clue that local residents initially might have that indicates USD students have returned is the heavier-than-normal traffic on Cherry Street and other major thoroughfares near the campus. Many of the volunteers that assisted the freshmen moving into dorms are themselves students who have settled into sorority and fraternity houses in near campus. “We also have many other campus leaders, other campus organizations that fully participate in the move-in process,” Grieve said. “Like I said, there are over 800 volunteers, so it’s just incredible. Also, the athletes are helping; there are over 190 athletes that will help a little bit in the afternoon when they are done with practices. It’s always great to have their help, especially at the end of the day when we’re really tired.” Grieve estimates there may be up to 2,000 new students that will have moved to Vermillion once classes begin Aug. 21. “Today, we expect about 1,200 students. Many students have moved in a little bit early – our athletes, our sorority women, the band and other areas,” she said. “We started at 7 a.m. this morning and we’ll go until 3 p.m. this afternoon. “After that, the students will line at up at the residence halls at 4 p.m. and they’ll all be escorted over here (to the DakotaDome) with the band, and we’ll all have convocation where President Abbott, Provost Moran, myself and the student government president will formally welcome everyone to USD,” Grieve said. Following the convocation, a picnic was held outdoors near the DakotaDome for the students and their family members. Clouds Rob Vermillion Of Mon.’s Moment In The Sun For a time Monday morning it looked like the weather forecasters who had predicted a day of cloudfilled skies were wrong. The closer it got to noon that day, blue sky appeared to be dominant over Vermillion. It meant that Vermillion citizens could witness the cosmic spectacle of a solar eclipse that was scheduled to take place over the noon hour, with the moon starting to block the sun over Vermillion at approximately 12:40 p.m. Vermillion wasn’t scheduled to experience 100 percent totality like some places farther south in Nebraska. At about 1 p.m., about 95 percent of the sun was scheduled to be blocked by the moon here. All of this was enough to cause Joel Sander, assistant professor of physics at the University of South Dakota, to plan an eclipse watching party on the lawn on the east side of the Akeley-Lawrence Science Center on the USD campus and cover nearly 95 percent of it at about 1 p.m. He and his students set up a sound system so that he could speak with the growing crowd that gathered by the building. Two telescopes were put in place, too, and his students had 130 eclipse viewing glasses to share. There was just one problem. A front of gray clouds moved over Vermillion right at about the time people gathered with hopes of viewing the eclipse. Sander pressed on, hoping there would be an eventual break in the clouds that would allow Vermillion to have its moment in the sun. “I think we have more people here than we have glasses, so let’s share – it’s a friendly campus,” he announced to the crowd. “Let’s talk a little bit about eclipse safety. The amount of time it takes the sun to damage your eyes, if you look at the sun with the naked eye when the sun is high like it is now, is less than one second. “If you’re thinking about looking, and saying ‘well, I’m just going to do it real quickly’ – don’t do it,” Sander said. “You want to have your eyes for your lifetime. You don’t want to risk taking damage.” He warned the crowd to not rely on sunglasses or dark plastic to provide enough protection.