St. Cloud Times from Saint Cloud, Minnesota • Page 6

6A St. Cloud Times Local Sunday, Nov. 17, 2002 Reward offered Tri-County Crime Stoppers is offering an reward for information about the disappearance of 20-year-old Joshua Guimond. Guimond was last seen late Saturday or early Sunday at St John's University. The reward expires Nov.

30. Anyone with information should call (800) 255-1301 or 255-1301. Online information To download a missing person poster for Joshua Guimond and learn more about the case, go to the Times Web site at www.sctimes.com and click on "Help Find Josh Guimond." For more information on Joshua Guimond and hear from his friends, visit www.csbsju.edufindjosh default.htm. He's been more aware of where he parks his car and when he walks alone on campus. "Having to deal with something like that is kind of frightening.

But it's not so much fear but concern for Joshua," Lockhart said about students' feelings. St. John's senior Chris Marsh said he and his roommates make sure everyone is home at night and they lock their apartment door. "I hope to God he's alive. I hope to God they find him," he said.

Marsh graduated from high school in Eden Prairie with Chris Jenkins, a University of Minnesota student missing since Oct 31. "If anyone knows anything, (Guimond's) parents are people. I can't imagine what kind of hell they're going through," Marsh said. From Page 1A Hope It's awesome we have so much support," said Katie Benson, Guimond's ex-girlfriend and a junior at St Ben's. Guimond's closest friends spent last week mobilizing students, printing and distributing fliers and joining the search for Guimond.

"We do a lot of busy work," St John's junior and Guimond's good friend Nate Slinkard said. This weekend, Slinkard and a few of Guimond's closest friends visited a friend in the Twin Cities, just to get away from St John's. A cloud of guilt and apprehension hangs above St John's and St Ben's, said Sarah Lehnert, a senior at St Ben's. "His family is still hurting," said Lehnert, who started locking the door to her apartment after Guimond disappeared. "(But) you have a stronger appreciation for the people around you and realize the connection a small school has." Collective concern Evelyne Benie, a sophomore at St Cloud State, said students at the school also are talking about Guimond's disappearance.

"We're concerned because St. John's is really close to St. Cloud State," Benie said. "When something like that happens to your friend, someone close to you, you get scared." Jonathan Lockhart, a sophomore at St John's, was in a philosophy of law class with Guimond. Times photos by Joaquin Siopack, jsiopackstcloudtimes.com Adam McDonald (far left), a roommate of missing St.

John's University student Joshua Guimond, and Katie Benson (far right), Gui-mond's ex-girlfriend, gather with friends Friday night to make yellow ribbons. i meeting, Hydukovich was chatting online with Benson when he asked if she had seen Guimond. That was the first time anyone worried about Guimond's whereabouts. Hydukovich last saw Guimond the Saturday he disappeared. Guimond was outside his apartment smoking leftover cigars he had bought for members of the mock trial team.

Guimond, who captains the team with Hydukovich, liked to buy cigars to celebrate after competitions, Hydukovich said. The team last competed Nov. 1-3. Guimond's disappearance is puzzling because he's very responsible and he always came home after school or social gatherings, Hydukovich said. And while the past week has been difficult, his friends and roommates are much closer now, said Adam Streater, a senior at St.

John's and Guimond's roommate. "The whole experience has really shown how great people can be," Streater said. "We're all still keeping our heads up and going forward." It's not so much fear but concern for Joshua. From Page 1A Friends "It's been incredibly difficult. Being involved in the search helps too, and we've been with a big, close-knit group of friends," said Nick Hydukovich, a senior at St John's and one of Guimond's five roommates.

On Friday, about 25 people gathered at Guimond's apartment to make yellow ribbons. They hope to make 1,700 ribbons to be distributed to students before Mass today and at campus bus stops Monday. They also have been making 900 buttons to sell to raise money for a reward fund. Disappearance Benson met Guimond when they were 15-year-olds in Maple Lake. They dated for five years before breaking up more than a month ago.

The breakup was a mutual decision and they talked regularly, Benson said. "We needed to focus on ourselves," she said. The last time Benson saw Guimond was Thursday. She last Times photo by Paul Middlestaedt, pmiddlestaedtstcloudtimes.com Katie Benson (left), talks Thursday at Sexton Commons about the disappearance of Joshua Guimond with her friends, Alex Jude, Greg Worden and Lindsey Vigen. talked to him on AOL Instant Messenger the day he disappeared.

Alex Jude and Nate Slinkard, juniors at St. John's, were with Guimond last Saturday night. During the day, Guimond was doing research for a history paper on founding father Alexander Hamilton, Hydukovich said. Jude said he was at Guimond's apartment before they left for Slinkard's at about 11:30 p.m. Close to midnight, Guimond left Slinkard's apartment.

His friends didn't think very much of it. They left about an hour later. Guimond, who was carrying his wallet, probably had about 10 beers during the course of sue hours, Jude said. That's not too much for Guimond, especially in that length of time, Jude said. "When he came to my place, he was fine," Slinkard said.

Keeping hope The next day, Guimond was supposed to meet with the auditor of the school's prelaw society. Guimond is treasurer for the group. At about 1 p.rn., less than two hours before Guimond's have held the office before, Ellenbecker's partisanship has carried over into City Hall more than previous mayors and made it more difficult to get things done for St Cloud in the Legislature, said Rep. Jim Knoblach, a Republican representing parts Time is a big issue as Ellenbecker rlfeJ 1 1 II ii By Lawrence Schumacher kdiumacherstcloudtimes.com Time has been a precious commodity for St Cloud Mayor John Ellenbecker since his election last year, but he still spends it as he sees fit Events of the last year have challenged Ellenbecker's earlier notions about what it takes to do the job, he said. "The mayor's job is a lot more full-time than I expected, especially after Fingerhut," he said.

"People who expect the job to be part-time really need to see how it works to understand." When Ellenbecker ran for may of St. Cloud. "Many Republicans (in St Paul) aren't too interested in going out of their way to do him any favors," he said. "The mayor's office is nonpartisan for a reason, and should be managed that way? Tough decisions Ellenbecker has dealt with nonpartisan criticism in the last year as well. After several years of declining attendance and a chlorine gas leak last summer, Ellen or last year, he said he could do the job expected of him without being in the office as much as his predecessor, Larry Meyer.

That still holds true, as Ellenbecker's law practice keeps him in courts around Central Minnesota all day on occasion. Plans to divert more of his caseload to another attorney have moved slower than he anticipated, he said. But what Ellenbecker didn't realize was that time spent out of the office as the city's official representative would be at least equal to time spent at City Hall, he said. He still finds time in between becker proposed closing the Municipal Pool until the city can afford to replace it, despite its unique history and use by athletes for training. Complaints from the Central Minnesota Builders Association this summer about the several days it can take to get a building permit issued might not be fully resolved, if potential cuts to state aid prompt Ellenbecker to defer Wring a new building inspector.

"There were some changes made, and we've heard that things Jonathan Lockhart St. John's University sophomore settles into post all that to do what has become a trademark of his administration respond to questions and arguments from constituents on the Times Web site's story chat feedback. "If I think something's being misunderstood about an issue of city interest, I think it's worth it to correct that," he said. "It's also important to let people know where you stand." Despite criticisms from some chat participants who say he spends too much time online, it tikes only minutes a day to review comments and post his own observations, he said. go better now, but sometimes they slow again," said Jane DeAustin, CMBA government affairs officer.

"That position is needed right now." For his part, FJenbecker said he hopes 2003 will offer more opportunities to lay out his vision for the city's future, instead of reacting to events. "Everybody would like things to move faster than they do," he said. "But there are other things to focus on next year." 3 r.K 110 First Street South Sauk Rapids 252-2141 Adam Streater is a roommate of Guimond. A button shows Guimond's face. From Page 1A Mayor A failed bid by turnaround specialist Peter Lytle to buy the entire company was Ellenbeck-er's first preference, but when that fell through, he used his contacts with St.

Cloud-native businessman Tom Petters to help arrange a new deal, Hatch said. "It was important to have a mayor as concerned about the outcome of the negotiations as the employees," said Maureen James, a Fingerhut worker and Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees steward. "It was happening to our town and he saw it for that" Ellenbeckers cautious optimism helped Fingerhut employees stay positive throughout the negotiations, she said. Partisan mayor? Ellenbecker's profile as a DFLer has grown among party faithful as a result of Fingerhut and recent local election campaigns, Hatch said. "We do need new blood (in the DFL).

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