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New Look. Same Local Coverage since 1854. Vol. 163, No. 46
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, Benton County, MN 56379
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Only the beginning Weisenbeck earns all-conference as seventh-grader from the team and how much we inspire each other. I think my success helps the other girls, just as their SAUK RAPIDS – Carley success helps me.” Weisenbeck has been tumbling, Weisenbeck competes as an alltwisting and jumping as a gymnast around gymnast, but her favorite since she was 8 years old. event is beam. “I was in dance, but it wasn’t “I just like doing my routines,” fun for me, so I thought I’d try Weisenbeck said. “My favorite part gymnastics,” Weisenbeck said. “It’s about gymnastics is getting better and been a lot of fun.” gaining new skills, not just on beam but in all of my events.” Weisenbeck has competed in individual competitive gymnastics programs since she started the sport, but found her home with the Storm. “The team is just so great, and I love to have coaches that push us to be our best,” Weisenbeck said. “It makes gymnastics that much more fun.” Coach Liz Walek feels the allconference honor is only the beginning of Weisenbeck’s accomplishments. “Just watching her this season was great,” Walek said. “She really found herself through all of her challenges. She wanted to go out and do well, both for herself and for the team. I’m really proud of her. I can’t say that enough.” Throughout the season, Weisenbeck has added twists to her vault and Áoor routines, worked on her ring jumps and twisting on the Carley Weisenbeck (left) and Storm gymnastics head coach Liz Walek stand dismount of her bars routine, among on the mats Feb. 18 at North Crest Kids Activity Center in Sauk Rapids. other skills. Weisenbeck, a seventh-grader, earned all-conference honors this year. BY ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
Only four years later, as a seventh-grade student, Weisenbeck is part of the varsity Storm gymnastics team, and quickly pulling the team towards success. Weisenbeck earned all-conference Feb. 10 with a score of 35.2 and an eighth-place Ànish. “It was an honor to earn allconference because I’m so young, but it was also fun to help the team out,” Weisenbeck said. “I love the energy
“I made a lot of good connections this season, just putting things together to complete a solid routine in all of my events,” Weisenbeck said. Walek enjoys Weisenbeck’s determination and diligence. It is those qualities that have helped Weisenbeck be a better and more conÀdent gymnast throughout the season. “She likes to try just about anything,” Walek said. “It is all a mindset for her, and if she gets into the right mindset, she smiles a little more and (her) standards get set even higher, both for her individually and for the team. Carley is truly a role
Sinclair selected as new superintendent BY ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – The Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board interviewed four Ànalists for their superintendent position. After a day of interviews and discussion, the board has decided to enter into negotiations with Aaron Sinclair. “We are excited for what Aaron has to offer,” said board chair Mark Hauck. “We feel he has great qualities and will be able to help move the district forward.” Sinclair is equally excited. “I’m really excited to join the district and the community,” Sinclair said. “The district felt like a good, comfortable Àt from the beginning. I was very excited when they called and offered me the position.” Sinclair is a family man who has been married to his wife,
Michelle, since 2001. They have three daughters – Sophia, 10, Grace, 7, and Mattia, 4. He spends his time attending their activities. “They are such a big part of my life,” Sinclair said. “Particularly with my daughters, I was nervous at how they would feel about me applying for this position at Sauk RapidsRice and possibly moving if I got offered (the position), but they were enthusiastic about it and wanted me to try for it. When I told them I got offered the job, they were cheering and jumping. Mattia had to go wake her older sisters up to tell them and have them join in the celebration.” Sinclair and his family have already begun thinking of their move to Sauk Rapids and what they hope for the future. “I love that Sauk Rapids still has some of that small town feel left,” Sinclair said. “That really resonates
Johnson BY ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – Lydia Johnson loves to read, particularly the “Harry Potter” series. Throughout the past few months, Johnson has been focused on the words more than the stories themselves, as the Sauk Rapids-Rice sixth-grade student was preparing for the Feb. 20 Multi-Region State Spelling Bee in Fergus Falls. Johnson started her journey at the district level, competing against students in grades Àfth through eighth. “I already knew a lot of the words, so I didn’t have a whole lot of issues advancing to the district bee,” Johnson said. “But I barely made it past the district bee because I misheard a word. Thankfully, six other people also got out that round. The three winners were decided from there and then the six people who were eliminated that round did a spelloff and I won that. That’s how I advanced to regionals. I was excited.” Johnson competed in the central Minnesota regional competition Feb. 5 and placed Àrst.
with me and my family. I’m excited to move our family here, which is also important for me. It gives me a more vested interest. Anything I will do at Sauk Rapids-Rice will cause me to ask the question, ‘Is this good enough for my kids?’” Sinclair has held a number of positions throughout his career in education. He was in the Little Falls School District for 10 years, starting as an English teacher and then moving to an activities director and an assistant superintendent position. This year, he has been serving as an assistant superintendent in the Brainerd School District. “I feel I can bring a lot to Sauk Rapids-Rice because of my experience,” Sinclair said. “Little Falls is a smaller district than Sauk Rapids-Rice, but Brainerd is
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Sauk Rapids-Rice seventh-grade student Carley Weisenbeck balances on a gymnast beam Feb. 18 in Sauk Rapids. Weisenbeck earned all-conference honors this season.
model for the team. I’m excited to see what she will accomplish in the future.” Weisenbeck hopes her list of accomplishments will include a state appearance and increased consistency. “Now that we are in the offseason, I have a game plan,” Weisenbeck said. “I’m going to train even harder than I did during the season, so I can come back next year even better and more conÀdent in all of my events. I have to work hard to achieve my goals and the goals of the team. That’s really what matters, the team goals. I want to do my part to help the team to greater success.”
Township residents advise to halt fire department spending, research BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
Aaron Sinclair
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her way to state “It was such an amazing feeling to win regionals,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t keep myself from smiling.” But the road was not over. The state bee was only two weeks away. “Preparing for state was a little more nerve-wracking,” Johnson said. “I had a packet of words to study for both district and regionals, but we didn’t have that for state. I just had to Ànd lists of words and read them. I often would type the words to help with the correct spellings.” Johnson said her most difÀcult words to spell during competition have been pampas and clandestine due to never hearing the words previously. “I’ve worked to learn more complicated words, so I can be better prepared for them if I ever have to face them in another spelling bee,” Johnson said. Johnson Ànished in
PHOTOS BY ANNA SALDANA
ninth place at the state spell-off. “I wasn’t nervous until I was in line to spell my Àrst word,” Johnson said. “But I also had to laugh when someone had to spell ambulance. I’ve been able to spell that word since I was 3. I hoped for a word like that, but I wasn’t so lucky. My words weren’t too difÀcult though. I had a lot of fun trying to spell some of the most complicated words I’ve ever seen.” Johnson feels she could have placed seventh with a little more concentration and determination. “But I’m happy with ninth,” Johnson said. “It was still a lot of work and practice, but I’m really glad I got to experience state. I’ve never gotten this far in anything I’ve done before, so it was really exciting.”
PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
Lydia Johnson holds up her trophy after winning the regional spelling bee Feb. 5. Johnson placed ninth at the Multi-Region State Spelling Bee Feb. 20 in Fergus Falls.
RICE — Roughly 100 people gathered in Watab Township chambers Feb. 20 to voice their opinions in a special town meeting called by petition. The assembly was to address whether or not the board should proceed with seeking alternatives for township Àre protection services. After resident Julie Johnson was nominated to moderate the meeting, residents quickly took action, Àrst voting against allowing the township attorney Mike Couri, of Couri and Ruppe in St. Michael, to explain details regarding governing statute. “When the petition was presented to the town board, we sent it on to our attorney to review it,” said Pat Spence, Watab Town Clerk. “He told us in writing that statute 365 does not apply to an urban township. But statute 368 does.” According to the Minnesota Association of Townships, special town meetings have a limited scope; only those matters listed in the notice of the meeting can be discussed. As an urban township, Watab is freed from needing elector approval of certain actions and is given additional powers otherwise given only to cities. In the case of Àre
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PUBLIC NOTICES
• Sauk Rapids City Council Public Hearing Notice - pg. 3 • Benton County Minutes Feb. 6, 2018 - pg. 3 • Mortgage Foreclosure Lieser/Longie - pg. 6 • Township of Sauk Rapids Notice of Election - pg. 6 • Benton Co. Planning Commission Public Hearings- pg. 6 • Benton Co. Development Code Notice- pg. 6 • Benton Co. Highway Dept. Ad for Bids - pg. 6 • City of Rice Assessment Notice - pg. 6 • City of Rice Notice Wellhead Protection - pg. 6