Volume 125, Number 4            Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

Minnewaukan native promoted to highest USMC enlisted rank
Minnewaukan native Arthur R. Yri was promoted to the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant in the US Marine Corps on February 1, 2008. Master Gunnery Sergeant is the highest enlisted rank in the US Marine Corps and is an equivalent rank to a Sergeant Major. The major difference between the two ranks is that a Master Gunnery Sergeant retains a military specialty occupation while a Sergeant Major focuses on general command.
Yri reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, Calif. on Jan. 31, 1984 for basic training. After completion of training there, he attended Aviation Structural Mechanic School in Millington, Tenn.
Pvt. Yri was then assigned to Helicopter Marine Medium Squadron 164 in Tustin, Calif. as a CH-46 helicopter structural mechanic. While with HMM-164, he advanced from Private (E-1) to Sergeant (E-5.) During that time, Sgt. Yri was deployed on two shipboard deployments to Southeast Asia and achieved the designation of a collateral duty inspector.
In August of 1988, Yri was transferred to HMM-764 in El Toro, Calif. While assigned to HMM-764, he attended the Non-Destructive Inspector School and was certified as an NDI inspector. March of 1990 Sgt Yri was deployed to Honduras on a joint exercise with the Army.
Yri was transferred to HMM-265 in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii on Oct. 1, 1991, where he was assigned as a quality assurance representative. While attached to HMM-265, Sgt. Yri deployed twice to Okinawa, Japan.
While deployed in Okinawa, Sgt Yri was among the first 50 Marines allowed back into Cambodia after the fall of Saigon in search of MIA remains. He also participated in presidential support for President George H.W. Bush in his visit to mainland Japan. He was promoted to staff sergeant Jan. 1, 1993 and attended the Staff Non-Commissioned Officer Academy in El Toro, Calif.
In January of 1995, SSgt. Yri moved with HMM-265 when it was relocated to Okinawa, Japan. He was assigned as the airframes chief and hazardous material control and management supervisor. In January of 1998 he was assigned as the quality assurance chief. He was promoted to gunnery sergeant in July of 1998. In November of 1998 he was deployed with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch and Desert Fox. While stationed in Japan, Yri deployed to East Timor, Indonesia; Australia; South Korea; Thailand; and the Philippines on numerous occasions. He served on presidential support for President Clinton's visit for the
G-8 Summit in Okinawa in 2000 and President George W. Bush in his visit to Bali, Indonesia, in 2004. On January 1, 2004, he was promoted to master sergeant and was assigned as the maintenance control chief of HMM-265.
In June of 2004 Yri was transferred to Helicopter Marine Training Squadron 301 in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii to serve as the maintenance chief. HMT-301 was decommissioned in May of 2005 and he was transferred to Helicopter Marine Heavy Lift Squadron 463. In March of 2006 MSgt. Yri was deployed to Al Asad, Iraq, for seven months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In March of 2007 he was transferred to his current assignment as the quality assurance chief for Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24. In that position he heads the inspection team that audits all the Marine Aircraft Squadrons and MALS at Marine Corps Base in Hawaii.
He has been awarded two Navy Commendation Medals and two Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals. During his 24-year military career, the US Marine Corps has taken him to 23 countries. He has a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Maryland. MGySgt. Yri is married to the former Diane Cudworth of New Rockford. He is the son of Maxine Yri of Minnewaukan and the late Victor Yri. His parents-in-law are Glenn and Judy Cudworth of New Rockford. Arthur and Diane are the parents of three children, Glenn, Aaron and Jessica and live in Kapolei, Hawaii.

US Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant Arthur Yri was promoted to his present rank February 1. Pictured at the promotion ceremony in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial at the Marine Corps Base in Kaneohe, Hawaii are, left to right, MGySgt. Yri, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Tavares and Sergeant Major Villalino. Yri is a native of Minnewaukan, where his mother, Maxine Yri, still lives.

Receives check
Benson County Chapter #31327 Thrivent Financial for Lutherans sponsored a fund-raising event for Hannah Anderson, center, who was severely injured in an auto accident. President Louise Olson, left, and financial director Rennie Anderson, right, present a check to her. The fund-raising event was held in Leeds January 13. Hannah came home from the hospital in Minneapolis, Minn. on January 25.

Thrivent officers and Hannah Hannah Anderson of Leeds made a stop at the regular monthly meeting of the Benson County Thrivent Chapter on February 18 and thanked the organization for its participation in the benefit held for her January 13 in Leeds. She had been at the Heartland Care Center in Devils Lake for therapy sessions that afternoon. Officers of the chapter are, left to right, back row, Rick Tofsrud of Minnewaukan, service team director; Beth Sayler of Minnewaukan, records director; Jeanne Schlenker of Minnewaukan, assistant financial director; Ralph Olson of Maddock, advisory member; Sylvia Helgeseth of Churchs Ferry, events director; Judy Geske of St. Michael, communications director; and Rennie Anderson of Leeds, financial director. Front row: Louise Olson of Maddock, president; Hannah Anderson; and Virgil Anderson of Leeds, congregational service team director and grandfather of Hannah. Absent for this meeting were Carl Dyste of Churchs Ferry, vice president; Kathryn Griffin of Oberon and Sheila Erickson of Maddock, advisory members.

Study solar system
Mrs. Mitchell's fourth grade class at Leeds Elementary recently completed a unit on the solar system. They researched and reported on various aspects of the system. Each student also designed and created their own spaceship model. Pictured holding their solar system reports are, left to right, Taylor Bisbee, Katelyn Nelsen, Richelle Darling and Carley Baker.

The rest of the reports were given by, left to right, Tyler Blegen, Lane Ritterman, Joe Silliman, Nikara Nelsen, Mathias Follman and Cameron O'Brien.

Learn about pasta
The theme for the February meeting of the Farm and Home Improvement 4-H Club was "Use Your Noodle." Club members gathered at the community center in Maddock and learned about durum and pasta production in North Dakota. A grant from "Ag in the Classroom" and donations from local farmers made it possible for the club to make homemade noodles. Enjoying the lesson are, front row, left to right, Caleb Johnson, Alyssa Armentrout, Kenadi Lee, Jaydin Risovi, Charity Dosch, Faith Dosch and Breanna Johnson. Back row: Jakob Schmid, Ashley Risovi and Brady Kallenbach.

Students earn belts
Students in the fourth grade at the Minnewaukan School completed their Karate Recorder Unit in February. Fourth graders had the opportunity to earn nine belts. With each belt, the music became more challenging. The top belt was the black belt and was earned by four musicians. These students received a recorder for completing all nine belts. Left to right are black belt winners Sadie Gourneau, Paul Azure, Angela Young and Taeya Thomas.

Other 4th graders earning belts were, left to right, back row, Stephon Littlewind, Tristan Whitetail, James Lovejoy, Angel SittingCrow, Kendrick Pearson and Talissa Ami. Middle row: Shaylynn Martin, Xavier Lenoir and Evan Thompson. Front row: Brett O'Connell, Dominique Brien and Mayan Fox.

Oberonites gather
Oberonites recently gathered for pizza at "Organ Stop Pizza" in Mesa, Ariz. Left to right, back row, are Jed Poulsen, James Woodrow, Don Knutson, Marj Knutson, Floyd Boschee and Howard Schmid. Front row: Craig Poulsen, Sandra Poulsen, Marge Woodrow, Dakota Knutson, Jean Roberts Olson, Carmen Togstad Paulson, Shirley Togstad Midstokke, Marlys Knutson Boschee and Helen Schmid.

Senior boys at Warwick go full circle back to kindergarten
A joint project is underway at the Warwick School involving the youngest and the oldest students.
A brain child of high school English teacher Mrs. Shelly Armstrong, she created a mini course for her senior boys and joined up with Mrs. Charlotte Franks-Erickson's kindergarten class.
Once or twice a week the seniors come into the room to read children's literature and/or help with an ongoing lesson. Mrs. Armstrong makes her expectations and requirements clear: select an age appropriate book; evaluate the author and illustrator and their intentions; create discussion questions with the little ones; be respectful and helpful; read and interact with small groups of kindergarten students.
Mrs. Erickson states "It is a very meaningful project in the sense that my little ones see reading and discussion modeled by not just older students but by male students which I believe is leaving a lasting impression about the importance of reading." Mrs. Armstrong's intention is also that this project will instill self-confidence in reading aloud to an audience and boost self-esteem from the interactions and feedback.

Senior reader Marshall Demarce reads to kindergarten students, left to right, Kansas Cavanaugh, Klint Georgeson, Cory Feather and Warren Greene.

Senior reader Elton Demarce reads to kindergarten students. Behind him are Chadd Keo and Jackson Delorme. In front are Sarah Anderson, Sydney Tollefson and Julian Hill.

Senior reader Nathaniel Lebeau reads to kindergarten students, left to right, Mantero Redfox, Kalem Jackson, Sydney Tollefson and Mary Jane Cavanaugh.