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Football Contest page 6
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New Look. Same Local Coverage since 1854. Vol. 163, No. 35
Metal
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, Benton County, MN 56379
Saturday, December 9, 2017
creativity for local artist s k r a p s
Spiczka receives grant to help expand portfolio BY VICKI IKEOGU | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS — Some artists use a pottery wheel and clay. Others, a paint brush and canvas. But for Sauk Rapids native Sam Spiczka, his tools are welders and grinders. His material, steel. And the results have been showcased all over the country. Nestled on the outskirts of Sauk Rapids, Spiczka, 40, has been honing his skills and perfecting his craft from the comforts of the heated shed situated behind his house. A camel skull and ostrich pelvis are tucked away on top of some of the wood cabinets Spiczka repurposed when he renovated his kitchen several years ago. Bones have been a fascination and inspiration for Spiczka since he was a kid. An old, dusty projector serves as both a table and temporary storage for mock up drawings of his latest creations. In the middle of the shop is a brand-new band saw with the shrink wrap and packaging still attached. SunÁower shells pepper the ground around his work bench. A pair of well-used safety glasses rest on the wooden table next to halfÀnished sculptures measuring 4-feet high. Rather small projects in comparison to A small scale project rests in some of the work Spiczka is artist Sam Spiczka’s workshop used to doing. For Spiczka, there is more in Sauk Rapids. Spiczka has primarily worked with metal to metal than just a functional mediums but plans to expand use. For him, steel has a story to tell. his portfolio with wood.
PHOTOS BY NATASHA BARBER
Artist Sam Spiczka talks Nov. 30 about a metal wall hanging piece he completed inside his shop in Sauk Rapids. Spiczka has been working as a professional artist for over 20 years. His work is on display publicly throughout the United States.
“To me, steel is more like ice,” he said. “And ice is frozen water. It has no natural shape. The shape, the forms that it comes in are just sort of industrial, practical forms. But that’s not the shape of metal. Metal has no shape. So, it’s only limited by your skill and ability to form it into the shape that you want.” Spiczka’s artistic journey began about 6 miles down the road at his parents fabricating shop PBS Metalworks. “I grew up in my parents’ metal shop,” he said. “I started sweeping the shop when I was probably 5 or 6, torching apart
Retiring as colonel
Metal sparks creativity page 3
Fire department remains a pressing issue BY ANNA SALDANA | STAFF WRITER
Waytashek reflects on 35-year military career BY ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – Todd Waytashek has moved up the military ranks over the years, all the way up to colonel. But Nov. 1 marked the end of his nearly 35-year career by mandatory retirement. “I’ve really enjoyed a lot of different aspects of being in the military, and I’m going to miss knowing what’s going on behind-the-scenes,” Waytashek said. When he joined the Army in 1983, he was looking for a break from the family farm to fulÀll his desire to serve the country. But, he’s gotten much more. “The desire to serve was
scrap when I was 8 or 9 and welding since I was 11 or 12. So I’ve been working with steel for probably 30 years or so.” By the time he was in high school, Spiczka said he knew he wanted to be an artist. As a teenager, he completed his Àrst metal sculpture. “A good contender for my Àrst one was a sculpture of Icarus, a nearly life-size person,” Spiczka said. “That’s still in my parents’ garden.”
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
MG Thomas Robinson afÀxed Todd Waytashek with his new Lieutenant Colonel ranking during Waytashek’s second deployment of his military career. Waytashek retired from the military Nov. 1 after nearly 35 years.
deÀnitely there,” Waytashek said. “It was something I wanted to do. It’s only gotten better since I started. I’ve built a lot of good relationships and have been to places most people can’t say they have. It was all about the comradery, and I’ll miss that too.” Waytashek served on deployments to Korea and the southern island of New Zealand.
“We were there in the time that the Soviet Union was considered the big enemy,” Waytashek said. “We Àred Soviet weapons just so we knew how to use them.” After two years in the Army, Waytashek joined the National Guard and became an infantry ofÀcer. Waytashek was sent to California with the 434 Maint. Bn [maintenance battalion] to Àx equipment
Todd Waytashek (second from right) spent time with Australian and Denmark liason ofÀcers during his time in Kuwait.
broken down in training for the Àrst Gulf war. “When we went out there, we had a different mentality than what the higher-ups did,” Waytashek said. “They were all about replacement, and we welded and strengthened. Our approach worked out so well that by the end of the Àrst week, we ran out of work.” Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Waytashek was deployed to Bosnia. He then transitioned to the 635th RSG, a Kansas Guard unit, to mobilize and train. Following that, Waytashek served deployments in Kuwait and Iraq. “I learned a lot in my time over there,” Waytashek said. “I was based in Kuwait but spent just as much time in Iraq working with the Coalition. I quickly learned that you never know who you’re working for. That year was by far the best experience I had in the military.” After 26 years, Waytashek left the National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel and went to the Army Reserves. His Àrst major assignment was duty at the Pentagon, something he volunteered for.
Waytashek page 3
WATAB TOWNSHIP – The Watab Town Board, along with the emergency services committee, is continuing to pursue the possibilities of a Watab Fire Department or a substation of the Sauk Rapids Fire Department. Board members stated they reevaluated the survey counts from the Nov. 14 meetings when the comments were not included in the end tally. “We had a lot of people who checked no for a Àre department, but then indicated they wanted more information about a substation,” said clerk Pat Spence. “The board asked me to go through them and look at them. Because of the comments, the survey results are almost 50-50. I think we should have an emergency services committee meeting
because they worked so hard on this. Give them an opportunity to review the comments and then decide what to do.” The board made a motion to hold an emergency services committee meeting Jan. 8 at 6:30 p.m. “We will be discussing our course of action during this meeting and you are all invited,” said board chair Craig Gondeck. There were 65 citizens in the audience and many were angered, both at the fact the process would be continuing and at the board in general. “If this is going to be even thought of, it needs to go to the vote,” Elaine Watts said. Jeff Wollak agreed. “I heard Todd say that
Watab page 2
District reconvening task force BY ANNA SALDANA | STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – The Sauk Rapids-Rice School District received community input on their possible future referendum. Board members, along with Peter Leatherman of the Morris Leatherman Company, presented results Dec. 4 from the phone and online surveys administered in November. Based on the results, the district is reforming the Community Facilities Task Force. Three meetings are scheduled for Dec. 11, Jan. 8 and Jan. 17, all at 7 p.m. in the SRR high school community room. The public is welcome to attend.
PUBLIC NOTICES - page 7 • Notice of Public Hearing - Benton County Board of Commissioners • Notice of Public Hearing - Benton County Board of Adjustment
Morris Leatherman Company conducted a 76-question survey via phone with 625 citizens. Most calls averaged 20 minutes. “We had some people that talked with us for 45 minutes or more, but that was their choice,” Leatherman said. “They had stronger opinions they wanted to be heard.” While audience members questioned why such a small pool of residents were surveyed, Dr. Bruce Watkins, interim superintendent for the SRR district, mentioned
Sauk Rapids Rice School page 2 • Notice of Filing for Sauk Rapids Township • Notice of Filing for Township Elections