Getting motivated

It's been difficult this week to get motivated. This weather has been an incredible downer!!! Sheesh!

I have photos to add from Tuesday's JV fastpitch doubleheader against Holdingford. The Jaguars won 10-9 and 11-7 to start their season 2-0. Cool!!!

In other news, I have been buried under the weight of covering Sauk Centre school board meetings in the last 3 weeks as they have had to cut $300,000 from their budget. The current K-12 enrollment is 963. They've actually picked up 14 students since opening day. In recent years they've seen a big slide on enrollment, but it appears that slide is leveling out.

One of the cuts was what I label a huge "slash" to the Agriculture department in the high school. It illustrates the tough position they're in to balance their budget. Their current agriculture position will be cut from full time to half-time starting in 2014-15. It essentially decimates that program at SCHS.

Tough news indeed.

At B-B-E, we are extremely fortunate and blessed to have a full-time agriculture program with a flourishing FFA chapter that has over 80 members. That doesn't happen by accident, and we owe a great deal of gratitude to current B-B-E ag teacher and FFA advisor Gary Rodgers from the work he's put into keeping this program operating at a high level.

Also, good luck in Thursday action for: the Jaguars girls' golf team at Pierz, the Jaguars boys' golf team at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted's ShadowBrooke golf course, the JV fastpitch team at home against Melrose Area and the Jaguars baseball team in a Central Minnesota Conference double-header at Maple Lake.

The Jaguars track and field teams practice today and Thursday and then head to Holdingford on Friday for a meet with the host Huskers, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Rocori, Saint Cloud Apollo, Saint Cloud Christian, Sauk Rapids - Rice and Annandale.

Go Jaguars!