(VIDEO) B-B-E Class of 2020 Commencement

Here's a video of approximately 100 minutes that was put together last night for the B-B-E Class of 2020 graduation. It feature live footage of graduation at the high school parking lot, and it also includes numerous pre-recorded video clips.


A long list of school staff members worked in unison to make this happen. They did an absolutely marvelous job!

(VIDEO) Graduation night in Jaguar Country

Here's a video of the fireworks show that concluded tonight's B-B-E graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020...the 31st graduating class of our school! It was marvelous!

Although there was no band or choir performing in our COVID-driven environment, I will say: the graduation evening tonight was as spectacular as the fireworks show that put a book end on the evening. Great job, everyone involved!

*Below is a video clip featuring the car parade of graduating seniors as they passed down Main Street in Brooten. They were on their way out of town to head to Elrosa.

Later tonight I hope to get a second iMovie posted from the Prom Grand March held this past Saturday.

This week's gigantic Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper issue includes photos of 16 of the couples who participated in grand march. You can find it on newsstands at Bayer Gas and Grocery in Elrosa, Coop's Corner and Belgrade Hardware Store and at RJs Mini-Mart in Brooten.

B-B-E graduation parade routes

Below is the itinerary for tonight's Class of 2020 graduation celebration, which features a parade of the seniors through Brooten, Elrosa and then Belgrade.

• 7:00 PM meet at the BBE Elementary parking lot to line up for the Class of 2020 Parade through Brooten (graduates only). We will be traveling School St to Western Ave to Crow Lake St. to Eastern Ave. to Roe St to Main St and then to 
• 7:25 PM Parade through Elrosa. 4th Ave to Main St. to Hwy. 13 to Robert St. to 3rd Avenue and then to: 
• 7:40 PM Parade through Belgrade. Turn right onto County Rd. 197 to Washburn Ave. to Walker St. to Lowry Ave. to Owen St. to Washburn Ave. to School St. to Martin Ave. to Adrian St. to Nelson Ave. to School St. to Washburn Ave to BBE HS. 
• 8:00 PM commencement ceremony at BBE HS. 

NOTE: the YouTube channel for B-B-E schools will have a live stream of the graduation event at 8 p.m. tonight. (Short link) https://bit.ly/2Aa3wno.

While the event is private and not open to public attendance, anyone can view graduation from YouTube. You can also listen on the radio or through the Smooth Magic 107 FM (Glenwood) website.

B-B-E Baccalaureate worship

Click here to view the Baccalaureate worship service that was put together by local clergy (short link): https://bit.ly/36xljAK.

Graduation

NOTICE: 

The B-B-E Class of 2020 will hold a private graduation event on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. that will be aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood.

For those not in the radio station’s coverage area, you are invited to listen online via their website (kmgk1071.com) or Smooth Magic’s TuneIn app on your Smartphone.

Three CMC schools don't have their own newspaper

I just put this picture together tonight and found this interesting.

Central Minnesota Conference community newspapers, by size, with the number provided representing the weekly circulation of each town's newspaper.

1. Paynesville 1,707
2. Bonanza Valley Voice 1,600
3. Kimball 1,132
4. Maple Lake 1,111
5. Eden Valley-Watkins  685

*Royalton, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City and Holdingford have no newspapers operating inside their school districts. The community of A-C-GC is covered by the Litchfield and Willmar newspapers. The Holdingford community is covered by the Little Falls and Albany-Melrose newspapers. The Royalton community is covered by the Little Falls newspaper.

B-B-E Prom 2020

More "B-B-E Grand March 2020" - but this is more prom than most schools have been able to get, so we are going to be grateful for the opportunity and thrilled that school staff made this possible!

Here's an iMovie with clips of three couples.


The video is rough and shaky, especially when I was shooting with my big digital camera. But it works, and it's something to remember. This isn't an environment where it's easy or prudent to operate with a ton of equipment. Jump in, jump out - get it done and go home.

Now we'll see how many prom pages I'll manage to publish next week. The newspaper has looked rough lately. I hope next week's is not that way.

More to come.

Exciting news

For once, some exciting news! The first exciting news I can report since the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team punched their ticket to the state tournament....and that was way back on March 6!

I just spoke with Coach Rodgers and...AND!! And!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The details haven't been revealed yet, as there are probably a few last-minute logistics to figure out. The B-B-E Clay Trapshooting team will start their 2020 season in June. What I heard is that a traditional five-week season will take place.

This is terrific. Thank God!

No news on sports

There is no news to speak of regarding sports in Minnesota, with one exception. The state is allowing small groups to practice, with limits of 10 people involved. Other requirements and regulations for youth recreation and otherwise have been set forth by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Beyond that, it's a waiting game.

Meanwhile, in South Dakota, I just read this today.

Teams finding unique ways to stay fit before fall sports seasons

by Tom Savage, for the Dell Rapids Tribune, published 10:38 a.m. CT May 22, 2020

The state high school track meet was scheduled for this coming weekend. It was to be the final sporting event of the 2019-2020 school year, but Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls will sit empty on Saturday.

Traditionally following the state track meet, athletes from around the state have a break before prepping for the upcoming fall sports schedule. But that break was a minor one in today’s world of year-round competition, even on the high school level as football camps, volleyball camps and AAU basketball tournaments dot the summer schedule.

Starting June 1, football, basketball and volleyball camps are normally ramping up across the state. Now with schools dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, camps and team preparations are a distant memory.

Many schools have given athletes workout programs through Google Classroom to use while working out at home during the current pandemic. With most school facilities such as weight rooms and training equipment closed, coaches have had to get creative since athletes haven't competed in any sport since mid-March.

That’s one of the concerns for coaches around the state as the fall sports season looms. Will athletes be ready, and will they be more prone to injuries now that they’ve been idle for so long?

“I think preventing injuries is a worry for a lot of coaches right now,” Baltic football coach Alan Baskerville said. “We’re telling our kids to stay active, work out and don’t just be sitting around. You can see all athletics is about getting faster, bigger, stronger. That trend is continuing.”

Several teams in the area have put an off-season acceleration program together with Dell Rapids-based Rapid Fitness. Owner Matt Beukelman said he’s been arming athletes with both at-home workouts where they can use their body weight for various workouts and also been hosting acceleration workouts at Rapid Fitness. Beukelman said he has capped the sessions with a low number of participants and he’s able to spread them out over the vast square footage he has at the facility.

“The best way of staying healthy year-round is to be doing workouts year-round,” Beukelman said. “Kids went from planning on a track season to sitting at home in front of a computer or gaming system. The big concern is missing the entire track and field season that could enhance performance, to absolutely nothing.”

One of the teams taking advantage of the acceleration program Rapid Fitness is the Dell Rapids volleyball team. The Quarriers were decimated by injuries last year and didn’t have their starting lineup healthy at the same time the entire season.

Coach Erica Fersdahl said for as important as skills camps are during the summer, being able to get to Rapid Fitness three times per week is just as important this season.

“If we’re not going to be able to do anything, we need to at least be getting stronger,” she said. “It’s something I’ve really pushed because I told the girls that we might not get team camp. If we can do nothing else as a group for team-building, we really need to get stronger and faster.”

The St. Mary football program is also taking a different approach this summer. Each senior is in charge of a group of underclassmen to keep track of hours as they do workouts at home, or at Rapid Fitness, or any other workout facility that is currently open.

At the end of each week, the team convenes via Zoom and can see each group’s progress on a Google Classroom document.

“Kids can see who’s winning, who’s losing, and who’s doing what,” coach Ross Flemmer said. “I don’t know if it’s a perfect way to do it, but the kids seem to like it.”

Flemmer said many of the football players at St. Mary have home weight equipment. Many who don’t were given dumbbells from the St. Mary weight room to take home during the quarantine.

But for as limited as athletes are right now to workout facilities, Flemmer said that it may be the best thing that could have happened for many athletes. He said the current quarantine has given athletes the chance to rest. 

“You see so much more overuse injuries now than you did even 10 or 15 years ago,” he said. “In some ways I’m not so sure it’s not a good thing for some of them. I wouldn’t be shocked to see some of these kids come back a lot healthier next year.”

Graduation

The B-B-E Class of 2020 will hold a private graduation event on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. that will be aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood.

For those not in the coverage area, you are invited to listen online via their website (kmgk1071.com) or Smooth Magic's TuneIn app on your Smartphone.

https://www.kmgk1071.com

Press release

Click: https://bit.ly/2zMzEgE.

Church notice in Brooten

Our Sunday Worship service is now up on our Facebook page...click below:
http://www.facebook.com/trinitybrooten.

Thank you for your support of our on-line worship. Our church is not closed! It is just our buildings that are closed. We are the church and we are open!

Please pray for our church leaders as we discern God's will as decisions are made for returning to worship in our buildings.

God's Blessings to you! Stay safe and take care of yourself and those around you.

Pastor Steve
Trinity Lutheran church, Brooten

Head coaching position opening

The Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa schools is looking for an enthusiastic individual to join the B-B-E Jaguar volleyball coaching staff. This would be a head coaching position. Please send a letter of interest, resume, and three personal references to Rick Gossen, Activities Director at B-B-E elementary school, P.O. Box 39, Brooten, MN 56316 or e-mail rgossen@bbejaguars.org. The deadline for application is Friday, May 29.

Church news

Everyone is invited to listen to Brooten Community Church Pastor Rick Krasky's twice-weekly radio messages every Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. on KMGK 107.1 FM radio of Glenwood.