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7 Second Avenue Sauk Rapids, MN 56379
“Minnesota’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper”
Vol. 161, No. 19
Sauk Rapids, Benton County, Minnesota 56379
A continuation of the Frontiersman, The Free Press, Sauk Rapids Sentinel and St. Cloud Sentinel.
In the coming year, the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District will be undergoing a facility study. The study engineers will work with the building and grounds staff at each of the buildings to gather data and create reports, and generate a 10-year plan for the district. The engineers are starting this work now. In October, engineers will meet with district administration to summarize the findings and prepare for the work session. In November, information will be finalized and presented to the school board, and options will be discussed. In December, fiscal and tax impact will be determined. From January through March 2016, community information and listening sessions will take place. The district is inviting all community stakeholders to become involved in the process. “We value community engagement and want to learn with and from our students,
families and community members,” said Dr. Daniel Bittman, superintendent of Sauk Rapids-Rice schools. “Together, we will continue to be able to provide quality programs and facilities.” In June 2016, the school board will determine the direction needed and make decisions. In other school board news: • The district administration has worked diligently with city, county, community and national experts to update emergency policies and practices, making sure plans are in place for any emergency that may arise while students are in school. Bittman said student safety is a priority at all times. • Teachers of Chinese will arrive in Sauk Rapids by the end of August. Qian, who will teach at Pleasantview Elementary, arrived on Aug. 15. Holly, who will be teaching at the middle school, and Eva, who will be teaching at Mississippi Heights, plan to arrive by the end of August.
Signs to warn of speed limit changes by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE – On Aug. 17, Rice City Council unanimously approved buying signage to remind drivers of city limits and posted speed limits on Benton County Roads 2 and 21 east of U.S. Highway 10. Since the completion of the Highway 10 overpass and modifications of roads leading to and from town, it was noticed that passers-through may not be aware of speed limit changes. The city will spend up to $200 for the placement of two city limit signs and four signs which state, “traffic laws will be strictly enforced,” to warn drivers, and hopefully reduce their speeds. The city had recently received monies designated for roads and safety. The moratorium on spending passed earlier by the council will not be affected. Currently the posted speed limit in those areas is 35 mph and 45 mph. In other council news: • Unanimously approved a large gathering permit for
the Old Creamery Café during Sept. 12-13, 2015 for the annual craft fair event. The event will have approximately 150 vendors. • Unanimously approved the placement of a Little Free Library for the Rice Women of Today. The library will be located in the Lion’s Park near the playground. • Unanimously approved resolution 081715-01 adopting Volunteer Service Statement and Agreement. This resolution releases the city of liability of injuries for those volunteering their time. It was suggested by the city’s attorney regardless of the current volunteer insurance. • Unanimously adopted resolution 081715-02 amending the Personnel Policy for the City of Rice. The council added the position of treasurer to the list of city clerk, police chief and public works superintendent, all whom receive reviews by the council. Due to the Labor Day holiday, the next city council meeting will be held Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015.
Highway 10 rollover by ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER RICE – Adam Sadd, 26 of Minneapolis, was traveling southbound on Highway 10 near 85th Street in Rice at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 13, when he drifted off to the left side of the road and entered the center median.
Sadd overcorrected, lost control of the vehicle causing a rollover in the median. Sadd was transported to the St. Cloud Hospital and treated for nonlife threatening injuries. The passenger, Marvin Leslie, 36 of Eden Prairie, did not appear injured.
August 19, 2015
Anything is possible
School district to undergo facility study by ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
(USPS 482-240)
Cheri Bates kicked her addictions by rediscovering her inner-athlete by BRYAN ZOLLMAN STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY BRYAN ZOLLMAN
Cheri Bates holds a photograph of herself when she weighed 270 pounds. She has since lost 133 pounds through rediscovering her passion for athletics, becoming an avid runner, biker and swimmer.
SAUK RAPIDS – A magnet holds a photograph of a 270-pound Cheri Bates to the refrigerator of her Sauk Rapids home. Below, a post-it note reads, “This girl qualified for the Boston Marathon. Anything is possible.” Once morbidly obese and addicted to alcohol, Bates turned her life around sevenand-a-half years ago. Today, at age 43, she has 13 marathons under her belt and has competed in countless triathlons including two Ironman finishes. More importantly, by rediscovering a lost passion in her life, she is happy and living life with a purpose. Her day of discovery was in October 2006. Her youngest son, JD, had just turned 6. “I weighed 270 pounds,” she said. “I said to myself, this
is not good. This is not me.” Like so many people, Cheri lost her way in life. A college graduate, she had never been much of a drinker in high school or even college, but soon found herself drinking more and more. “I was trying to fill a void,” she said. “I was addicted to alcohol and food.” When she made a commitment to lose weight, she replaced her addiction to food with alcohol. She started drinking earlier and earlier in the day. Then, after running her first 5K, she went on a five-day binge. She remembers calling her best friend and telling her, “I’m sick, I’m sick, I’m sick and I need help.” Her friend’s father was a pastor at the church she grew up attending. He married her and her husband, Dan. He baptized their children. He told her he was going to come over to her house. When he arrived, Cheri was passed out on the
Cheri Bates continued on pg. 2
The buzz in Sauk Rapids Beack family takes to the hive for new hobby
by ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER SAUK RAPIDS – There’s a buzz in town, and it’s got people talking. The buzz, well, it’s about the bees. “We started talking about the possibility of getting bees last fall,” Leah Beack said. “We’ve been avid gardeners for a while as well. We found the Tri-County Beekeepers Association and tried out a meeting. After seeing the benefits and what bees do for us, we decided to give it a go.” Chris and Leah Beack got their first two hives last spring, and although they can have up to six hives in the city, they don’t plan to have more than two. “Two is ideal because if something goes wrong with one, then you have a backup,” Leah said. When they got the hives, they each had about 7,000 bees. Now, at their peak, each hive has roughly 40,000 bees. About one-third of a human’s diet is provided thanks to the pollination of fruits and vegetables provided by bees as they gather nectar and pollen,
PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
Leah and Chris Beack inspect one of two bee hives, looking for larvae and the amount of honey. The hives are located at the Beacks’ home in Sauk Rapids and are inspected once a week in hopes that the bees continue to thrive. such as apples, apricots, strawberries, cucumbers, celery and almonds, among many other things. “Without bees, our lives
would change drastically. A lot fore getting their bees, they now of our food would go away,” feel they are helping bee health Leah said. Beack Because Chris and Leah continued on pg. 2 were such avid gardeners be-
Townsend’s Little Library, big surprise Come-and-go book service for community by ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – While Joyce Townsend was on a Uganda mission trip, her family was busy working on a little surprise. As a birthday present, Townsend’s family built her a Little Library to call her own and to serve as a free book exchange for the area. The Little Library is a mini outdoor house, available to passersby at any time. If someone sees a book they are interested in, they can simply take it with them to read, with no need to bring a book in exchange. However, if people are interested in donating books, they are able to place them in the library for others PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA to enjoy. Taylor Kiffmeyer, 2 of Rice and daughter of Genna and Chris “When they brought me Kiffmeyer, enjoys a dish of free ice cream, given out by Poirer home, they made me close Trucking of Rice. my eyes,” Townsend said.
RFaimciley Fun Day
photos on page 8
“They told me I couldn’t look because my birthday present was out there. I thought ‘what the heck?’ I was going through my mind what it could have been.” Her family spent a few months preparing for the project, everyone doing their share to build the library themselves. Her 7-year-old grandson even put in a special touch – a container of singlewrapped Twizzlers and a note that said, “plese take one per persin. Happy brithday gandma. love your family. Grandmas favrit cady.” “I was so excited and it was so adorable,” Townsend said. “They know how much I like to read so it just made my heart happy that they honored that.” Having her own library reminds Townsend of her
Little library continued on pg. 2
PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
Joyce Townsend stands proudly with her new Little Library, a free book service for all to enjoy located at her Sauk Rapids home.