Argyle Citizens & Youth Achievements

COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CELEBRATE 125 YEARS AUGUST 22nd - The congregation of the Community Presbyterian Church of Argyle worshipped and celebrated 125 years of spreading the ministry of Christ's vision with a 10:30am service followed by a potluck meal on Sunday, August 22nd.  Lay Pastor Don Casmey from East Grand Forks led the worship which included a program in recognition of this special event. 
Community Presbyterian belongs to the Presbytery of the Northern Plains, an association of Presbyterian churches of North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.  The church held its first worship on August 15 ,1885, and has been a part of Argyle ever since.  For several years, Argyle shared a pastor with the First Presbyterian Church of Stephen.  When the Stephen church closed in 2002, several of their members came down to Argyle to worship at Community Presbyterian.
Some of the Pastors who have served the church over the years have been William Anderson, Donald Reynen, Irvin Nussdorfer, Robert Bye, Stephen Eastin, Donna Monteith and currently Don Casmey.  Sunday School Youth Programs, Presbyterian Women, Dorcas Society, and Esther Circle are some of the activities sponsored by the church over the years.  The church has been active in its local mission program.
Back in the early 70s, membership of the church was about 70 people.  Today the congregation is quite a bit smaller, but the members are dedicated in keeping the church going, hopefully for another 125 years. 

PENNY BERGERON RECEIVES NURSE EXCELLENCE AWARD - Penny Bergeron was the 2010 recipient of Altru Health Systems Nurse Excellence Award.  She was recognized by Altru's Professional Nurse Committee for outstanding achievement as a true professional who is dedicated to enhancing the nursing profession.
Penny was nominated by her patients, patient families, supervisors, co-workers and physicians at Altru.  She is considered to be a wealth of knowledge, a "mentor of mentors" and an excellent teacher.  She is a compassionate and caring nurse and puts the needs of the patient first treating them as her own family.  She takes the time to do the little things and goes above and beyond for her patients.
Penny has been an nurse with Altru for 17 years with 15 of them being at Altru's surgical care unit.
Penny is married to Paul Bergeron and they have three children, Dylan, Grant and Rachel.  They make their home in rural Argyle, Minnesota. 

WARREN KELLER AMONG MSHSCA 2010 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES - The Minnesota State High School Coaches Association announced the class of 2010 Hall of Fame Inductees.
Among those inducted was Warren Keller: Football and Basketball, Argyle High School and Warroad High School.  The group is comprised of coaches who have distinguished themselves with very successful careers in a variety of sports.  This years Hall of Fame selections were inducted into the MSHSCA Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 9th at the Sheraton West Minneapolis.  The banquet began promptly at 6:30 and was preceded by a social hour from 5:30 to 6:30pm.  Family, friends and former players were invited to attend and help honor these outstanding coachers.  The MSHSCA also honored all of the 2009-2010 championship coaches, coaches of the year, assistant coaches of the year and officials.

TASHA GRUHOT WINS MISS RODEO CONTEST AT N.D. STATE FAIR - Tasha Gruhot, 19, daughter of Kevin and Pam Gruhot, Grand Forks, ND, competed in and won the Miss Rodeo North Dakota State Fair title in Minot, North Dakota.  Miss Rodeo NDSF is a competition judged on horsemanship, personal interview, public speaking, style show and rodeo knowledge.
Tasha was, at the time, a sophomore at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, majoring in equine science and pre-veterinary science. During her reign she will represent and promote the sport of rodeo throughout the state of North Dakota.  She will compete for the title of Miss Rodeo North Dakota in October, 2011.
Tasha is a barrel racer and a member of the CSU Rodeo Team, CSU Versatility Ranch Horse Club and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

MEGHAN KUZNIA CROWNED MISS THIEF RIVER FALLS - Meghan Kuznia is Miss Thief River Falls 2010.  She was crowned by Miss Thief River Falls 2009 Kaitlyn Maurstad.  Kuznia, 22, is a daughter of Gayle and Annette Kuznia of Argyle.
She is currently completing her Master of Arts degree in communication sciences and disorders at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.  The Miss Thief River Falls Scholarship Pageant was held Sunday, August 1 at Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls. 
Kuznia won the interview, swimsuit, and evening gown divisions at the pageant. 

RAY RAPACZ PRESENTED 60-YEAR MEMBERSHIP CERTIFICATE- Members and guests of the Argyle American Legion family gathered to celebrate the 91st birthday of the American Legion at the ARgyle Post Home on March 15th.  Ray Rapacz, Argyle American Legion Member, was presented with a 60-year Membership Certificate by Argyle American Legion Post #353 Commander Paul St. Germain.

SAC WALK FOR DIABETES - 250+ Supporters Participate in "Walk for Diabetes" - In the planning stages during the month of May, the SAC Walk for Diabetes became a reality amid sunshine, smiles, and youthful energy.  Event coordinators, Alissa Haugen and Ethan Hendricks, took pre-orders for T-Shirts and about 200 students were outfitted for the walk.  The walk, approximately 2 1/2 miles, began at the school parking lot then negotiated around the entire perimeter of the golf course to South Stephen.  From there the walkers went to the north side of town, returned sound to the Tamarac Senior Living intersection, and concluded at the school parking lot.  The walk took about one hour.  Coordinator, Alissa Haugen, reported that to date, $3,368.90 had been collected.  After all expenses were paid, the net receipts were sent to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. 

Alissa Haugen and Ethan Hendricks along with Charlotte Dalager and Deven Price all of whom have been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  Deven was diagnosed in March of 2008; Alissa, November of 2008; Ethan, October of 2009; and Charlotte, January of 2010.  In most of the cases, unusual weight loss was the warning sign.  Type 1 diabetes often develops in children, adolescents, and young adults, so it's sometimes called "juvenile diabetes".  Although there is currently no cure for diabetes, progress has been made through research.  In the meantime, people with diabetes do their best to control it with diet, exercise, and insulin.

The Tamarac Senior Living Community also was involved in the SAC Walk for Diabetes.  9 people participated- 7 rode in golf carts and 2 walked the entire course.  Young and old alike contributed to the success of the "walk" with the proceeds used to combat Juvenile Diabetes.

MATT GRATZEK FEATURED IN COVER STORY OF BISON ILLUSTRATED - "The man in the Middle" by Brad Jones- Matt Gratzek is a senior defensive tackle for the Bison who is the latest in a line of outstanding young men who have been clogging up the middle of the defense during the past several years.  From Isaac Snell to Justin Frick to Mike Fairbairn, these guys have been the key to the Bison's traditionally suffocating run defense, freeing up the big hitting linebackers to level the bone-crushing hits Bison fans have become accustomed to.  Gratzek has earned several honors as a member of the defensive line and gives the Missouri Valley Football Conference fits.  As a senior, Gratzek  has been part of some of the biggest moments in Bison history, including the 2007 win over Minnesota his freshman year.  But the tradition of winning goes way back to before his days as a Bison.
Going back to his freshman year of high school, Gratzek's team went 10-1 in what was considered an outstanding season when it ended in the state semi-finals.  He showed incredible toughness that year, even finishing a game in the state play-offs after breaking his arm in the first half.  That year would be the last time Gratzek tasted defeat in high school.  Three straight nine-man championships later, Gratzek's Stephen-Argyle teams finished an incredible 52-1 over his four years.
A soft-spoken young man, Gratzek has certainly made a lasting impact on the field and will have one more season to add to his accomplishments.  What he'd done off the field has made an even bigger impact throughout the years.  The comments that Gratzek appreciates the most from fans are the ones who thank them for what they do off the field even more than on it.  With what he's done, it's pretty easy to thank him for both. 

JARED NOWACKI PRESENTED WITH EAGLE SCOUT AWARD - Jared Nowacki, 18, of Argyle, MN, has earned the highest advancement award the Boy Scouts of America offers to Scouts, the Eagle Scout Award.  Only 4 out of every 100 Scouts go on to earn this title.
Nowacki was recognized for this achievement on Sunday, April 25, 2010, at 2:00 PM at the Warren American Legion.  Scout Leader Tony Deschene of Argyle, awarded Jared with the Eagle Scout Award and a United States flag.  This United States flag, at the request of the Honorable Collin C. Peterson, member of Congress, was flown over the United States Capitol on April 1st, 2010, in honor of Jared Nowacki on achieving his Eagle Scout Award.
Nowacki started his scouting experience by joining Cub Scout Pack 77 of Stephen, MN.  He then crossed over to Boy Scouts when he joined Troop 50 of Warren in 2003.  During his scouting years, he held different leadership positions and earned an assortment of honors.  The Scouts helped to instill many important values that will be used throughout his life plus gave him the opportunity to experience fun adventures like canoeing and camping in the Boundary Water Area.
Jared is the son of Terry and Debbie Nowacki of Argyle and Grandson of Crispine Nowacki, Warren, MN. 

SAC DESTINATION IMAGINATION TEAM EARNS TRIP TO STATE -  On Saturday, February 27, the S/A Central Destination Imagination teams of the K. Jems and "WOW" (World of Wonders) competed in the Regional Destination Imagination Tournament in Moorhead, Minnesota.
The WOW Team of Crysta K., Kandis K., Alexandra S., Myah S., and Allison W. placed first in Challenge D: Do or DI at the middle level and advanced to the state meet in Anoka on Saturday, April 17th.

LEANNA HAUGEN & KENDRA NOWACKI EXCEL AT 4-H HORSE SHOW - Leanna Haugen, 8th grade daughter of David and Linda Haugen and Kendra Nowacki, 9th grade daughter of Terry and Debbie Nowacki, earned multiple ribbons and awards at the Minnesota State 4-H Equestrian competitions in September.
Leanna was the the State Champion in the Trail Competition, placed 3rd in the Horsemanship Division, 6th in the Western Pleasure competition, 7th in the English Pleasure Competition, and 9th in Showmanship.
Kendra placed 5th in the English Equestrian Division out of twenty competitors and she also placed 7th out of forty competitors in the Trail Riding Competitions.  Congratulations girls!

CAL RIPKEN TEAM IS RUNNER-UP AT STATE -  The Storm Cal Ripken finished the 2010 season by placing runner-up at the Minnesota State 12-U Cal Ripken Baseball Tournament.  The Storm finished 4-2 in the tournament held in Baxter, MN on July 31- August 1st.
In the opening game, the Storm was defeated by Dilworth 3-1.  They bounced back with wins against Baxter 13-2, Roseau 8-1, Walker 1-0 in 7 innings, and Thief River Falls 10-3.
The Storm would meet Dilworth once again in the Championship game.  Although the Storm was defeated 8-3, it was an excellent experience for the team, and they came home with the second place trophy.  Congratulations to the Storm Cal Ripken team, coaches, and fans!

KALLIE HAUGEN EARNS 1,000 ASSIST IN VOLLEYBALL - Congratulations to Kallie Haugen who earned her 1,000th assist during the BGMR match on Saturday, October 9.
A varsity setter since her freshman year, Kallie has been the backbone of the Storm offense, and earned All Conference Honorable Mention during her freshman year, and All Conference her sophomore year.

AUTUMN THOMPSON MAKES 2ND DONATION TO LOCKS OF LOVE - 10-year old Autumn Thompson, daughter of Nic and Jenn Thompson of Argyle, Minnesota, made her "second" donation or 10 inches of hair for the "Locks of Love" program.  She is looking to launch a challenge to her peers at Stephen/Argyle Central.  Autumn's mother, Jenn mused, "How Long could this 'ponytail of hope' be if they all just gave one time? Our daughter is so excited!"

ON TO STATE! - Nicole Crummy advanced to state competition in track and field following Section 8A competition.  She qualified for state competition following a second place finish in the 1600 meters with a time of 5:26.74.
Nicole competed at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 12th.  She is a junior at Stephen/Argyle Central High School and is the daughter of Kevin and Helen Crummy of Argyle, Minnesota.