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“Minnesota’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper”
Vol. 162, No. 44
Engineering firm plans with community in mind
Bittman accepts position at Elk River Schools District superintendent position vacant July 1
Bollig, Inc. selected for city of Rice
RICE — When the city of Rice requested proposals for engineers last fall, they were looking for more than degrees and certiÀcates. “Every city engineer has basically the same qualiÀcations. They really do,” said Rice Mayor Dale Rogholt. “The council also looked at community references and how involved Àrms were in those communities.” Brian Bollig and his company Bollig, Inc. stood out. The Àrm was awarded the city’s contract at the council meeting Jan. 17. Rice is the Àrst city in the region to contract Bollig, Inc. for its complete engineering needs. Bollig, a former assisstant engineer for the city of Willmar, began his business in 2007. Operating as the sole engineer and under the name Bollig Engineering, the now-president’s company has expanded to nineteen employees with headquarters in Willmar and a branch in Sartell. Over 80 percent of their work is with municipal or county projects. Bollig said community involvement is a pillar in his Àrm’s foundation. “The reality is every city has needs. Everything has a useful life and everything will need to be replaced at some point,” he said. “We want long term relationships. Rice will have needs at certain points, and we want to help the city through those much like our other communities.” The company immerses itself in its municipalities by participating in parades, celebrations and festivals, as well as by attending networking events. “Our people share their personal time, and they want to,” Bollig said. “That is very important. It signiÀes to residents, we are here for the community and not just here for the project.”
Bollig: page 2
Public input sought in disaster plan FOLEY — Benton County is seeking public input in their 2017 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. The MHMP plan is a requirement of the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and must be updated every Àve years in order to maintain eligibility for certain federal disaster assistance and hazard mitigation funding programs. Development of the plan is under direction of Benton County Emergency Manager Jim McDermott, in cooperation with a team of representatives from county departments, local municipalities and township, school districts, and other key stakeholders such as utility providers. Benton County is vulnerable to a variety of potential natural disasters, which threaten the loss of life and property in the county. Hazards such as tornadoes, Áooding, wildÀres, blizzards, straight-line winds, ice storms and droughts have the potential for inÁicting vast economic loss and personal hardship. The public is encouraged to submit comments, concerns or questions regarding natural disasters and potential mitigation actions to be included into the plan update process. Feedback can be submitted to McDermott at (320) 968-8105 or jemcdermott@ co.benton.mn.us . The public will have a continued opportunity to participate in the MHMP update in the coming months. A draft of the plan will be posted on the county website for public review, which will be followed by two public meetings held within different parts of the county.
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, Benton County, MN 56379
BY ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
Sauk Rapids-Rice Superintendent Dr. Dan Bittman will be leaving the district July 1. He is currently negotiating a contract with Independent School District No. 728, which serves Elk River, Otsego, Rogers and Zimmerman.
SAUK RAPIDS – Sauk Rapids-Rice Superintendent Dr. Dan Bittman will be leaving the district beginning July 1. Bittman was offered a superintendent position Feb. 16 at Independent School District No. 728, which serves Elk River, Otsego, Rogers and Zimmerman. Elk River sought Bittman’s application when looking to hire. “I was not looking for other opportunities prior to them reaching out, and the decision to leave Sauk Rapids-Rice was a difÀcult one. As a superintendent, it is always about where I can have the most impact and contribute. I believe District 728 will provide that opportunity,” Bittman said. “I have been fortunate to work and learn with an amazing board of education and team in Sauk Rapids-Rice and I will always appreciate them and
those relationships. I don’t expect that to change just because I will be transitioning to another district.” Because Bittman is just entering negotiations this week, he is unsure of where his family will reside – Sauk Rapids or Elk River. “My family and I have a lot to discuss yet, but regardless of a move or not, we plan on being engaged and involved in both communities,” Bittman said. SRR board chair Mark Hauck is sad to see Bittman go and has enjoyed their working relationship over the past seven years. “It is deÀnitely a step up for him,” Hauck said. “We are sad he’ll be leaving Sauk Rapids-Rice, but happy for him as he continues his professional journey. He has been great from a leadership standpoint – increasing the amount of tremendous staff throughout
Best r e v e r o F friends
Rau, Davis reminisce on lifelong relationship BY ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
ST. CLOUD – Laura Rau and Delores Davis have been through everything together, from skipping school to losing their husbands and best friend Delphine. Rau and Davis, 1947 graduates of Sauk Rapids High School, have been best friends since 1942, when they met in ninth grade. “That’s a long time,” Delores said with a laugh. “But I wouldn’t trade our friendship for the world. She means a lot to me.” As they reminisced on their high school days, they talk about meeting when neither knew where to go those Àrst days at school. “We decided to be lost together,” Laura said. “But we ended up Ànding the right classroom, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
Delphine and d the h two were nicknamed the “Three Musketeers” in school because they were always together. They even remember the one time they skipped school. “We decided to skip school one day, and we were walking in downtown Sauk Rapids,” Delores said. “All the sudden, we saw the superintendent drive by in his car. We thought we were caught, but he never stopped. We still ran as fast as we could away from him.” Even though they made the poor choice that day, the ladies boast about being on every single honor roll. “We were good students,” Laura said. In their school days, Sauk Rapids had a Coborn’s, drug store, hardware store, dime store and two movie theaters. “It didn’t amount to much, but we had a lot of fun downtown,” Laura said. “We would often go dancing and to the circus, too.” Because Delores lived in town and Laura lived on a country farm, the two didn’t see each other much outside of high school. “That was considered way out in the country in those days,” Laura said, of the farm which was near where the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School stands today. “Most
Bittman: page 3
PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
Laura Rau and Delores Davis have been best friends for 75 years. They reminisced on their days as high school students at Delores’ house in south St. Cloud Feb. 12.
days, I had to walk to school and back, and anywhere else I wanted to go.” Since their graduation, the two only see each other on occasion.
Delores lives in South St. Cloud and Laura in Minneapolis. Even with new technology, the two write
Rau and Davis: page 2
Bulldog Photo opens in Sauk Rapids
Stephenson’s studio adds to capabilities BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS — Dan Stephenson looks through his camera viewÀnder at a team of scrappy young boys. He prompts them to give their “bulldog face”. One by one, the players squint their eyes and wipe the smiles off their dirt-smudged mugs. Their grimaces create wrinkles which one day will turn permanent. Stephenson snaps the photo. This rough nontraditional look deÀnes the pictures Stephenson takes for his business Bulldog Photo. “I like people to give me their game face. Their tough look. That sandlot look,” Stephenson said. “I love that look. I lived in the sandlot. My buddies and I played baseball every day as a kid.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Dan Stephenson, owner of Bulldog Photography, recently opened his studio in Sauk Rapids. He specializes in sports photography, but also books a variety of other sessions.
Bulldog Photo recently opened a studio space in Sauk Rapids after doing business out of a garage bay in St. Cloud for nearly three years.
Stephenson specializes in sports photography, but doesn’t limit himself. He books child, family and senior portraits; weddings;
corporate head shots, architecture and even vintage car and pinup photography — all with an edgier angle and his personal touch. The studio is located in the alley off of Division Street behind Old Capital Tavern. The exposed support beams, glass block windows and brick add to Stephenson’s grunge aesthetics. “There are a lot of things you can do with a studio that you can’t do outside with natural light, like effects with Photoshop,” Stephenson said. “You still have to start out with the right original image, but you are able to work with the lights and other things that give you more ability.” Stephenson, a resident of the Wilson Park neighborhood, grew up in Fargo, N.D. His interest in photography began at an early age. His Àrst camera was part of a “Secret Sam” toy spy kit. The camera could be removed from the attaché or take photos through a spy
Stephenson: page 3