by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
The cities of Sauk Rapids and Rice continued to grow while maintaining fiscal health through the year 2016.
An auditing firm praised the Rice City Council and staff for its sound financial management. A highlight of the year was the opening of the interchange at Hwy. 10 right off of Rice’s Main Street. The city also held many festivities throughout the year: Rice Family Fun Day, Halloween on Main Street, the Fire Department/Police Department Open House Day and more.
In Sauk Rapids, many major projects began, especially the reconstruction of the “Up-the-Hill” road-and-utilities projects on and near Second Street N. Other notable developments that began or are in the planning stages include more updates or expansions to downtown businesses, a three-story apartment complex to be built in the downtown area near the bridge and the possibility of constructing a field house near the high school largely with the city’s half-cent sales-tax revenue. The city also made progress against urban blight by tearing down unused and decrepit properties in the downtown area, such as a warehouse and old locker-plant building.
As in every year, 2016 in Sauk Rapids was a year of family fun. The Sauk Rapids River Days brought huge crowds to the city for many events, such as the Grand Parade and the River Days Food Fest in the river park.
The following are just some of the notable happenings in Sauk Rapids and Rice during the past year as reported in the Sauk Rapids-Rice Newsleader.
January
Carol Mead is named Sauk Rapids-Rice Teacher of the Year by her colleagues at Mississippi Heights Elementary School. Mead, who teaches kindergarten, said if she is a good teacher, it’s because of the “amazing” colleagues who work hard and teach one another, always with the goal of becoming top-quality teachers.
Sauk Rapids-Rice School Superintendent Daniel Bittman attends President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech in the nation’s Capitol. He was invited to the event by U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota’s Sixth District. Emmer invited Bittman for his dedication to educating a new generation of children and because he was named Minnesota Superintendent of the Year for 2016. Bittman said hearing the president talk in person was an “amazing opportunity,” adding he was impressed with the president’s emphasis on the importance of education for the nation.
The Gospel of Jesus sparked formation of the Rice Community Church in Rice, founded by Pastor Emil Williams and his wife, Beulah. The Williamses founded the church when its membership was only 11 people.
The Sauk Rapids Police Department has a new K-9 pal named Thunder, who is the on-duty companion of police officer Matt Bosma. The lovable, intelligent dog replaces the previous K-9, Storm, who recently retired.
The Department of Natural Resources is considering, with citizen input, whether to do a three-feet drawdown of Little Rock Lake near Rice, as well as the Mississippi River from north of Rice to Sartell. The drawdown, which would last nearly two months, is expected to improve the water quality and prevent algae blooms caused by too many runoff nutrients.
A Baptist church branch, Two Rivers, opens in Rice.
February
Sauk Rapid’s Pleasantview Elementary hosts a well-attended “Family Fun Night” with lots of activities for children.
Students at Rice Elementary School read up a storm during “I Love to Read Month.” One of the reading-related activities are guest readers, such as a local radio personality, reading storybooks one day in the school’s media center.
Jerry Lang of Sauk Rapids is honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Aggregate and Ready Mix Association of Minnesota. Lang was an innovator in the industry, mainly as a long-time employee of Bauerly Brothers in East St. Cloud.
The Sauk Rapids City Council approves funding for its portion of the CR 3 project, an area of roadways that badly need repair because of rapidly increasing traffic throughout the years.
Sauk Rapids resident Tammy Wilson writes a book about the trials and tribulations of a Somali girl trying to adapt to a new society, a new culture in the United States. The book, entitled Through My Eyes, receives warm responses for its efforts to promote cross-cultural understanding. Wilson is a principal of Discovery School in Waite Park.
The Rice Sportsmen’s Club donates a check for $10,000 to help buy a rescue airboat for the Sauk Rapids Fire Department. Madelyn Adamski, 15, daughter of a Sauk Rapids firefighter, began the fund-raising effort when she overheard Rice firefighters talking about the need for one.
The girls’ hockey team at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School heads to state competition.
Morgan Paulson, an eighth-grader at Sauk Rapids Middle School, is a top winner at the regional spelling bee, which entitles her to compete in the state contest.
Michael Willemsen of Sauk Rapids announces his candidacy for State Senate District 13, now served by Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-Paynesville). Willemsen hopes to secure the DFL endorsement.
A real, live penguin from Hemker Park and Zoo wows adults and children during the “One District One Book Family Night” at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. More than 1,000 people attend the event whose book this year is Mr. Popper’s Penguins.
March
A jam-packed crowd of hundreds of people attend a meeting at Old Village Hall in Rice to hear all about a proposed Little Rock Lake drawdown by the Department of Natural Resources. Eric Altena of DNR Fisheries and Wildlife, Little Falls Office, said the drawdown, planned for summer 2017, would last about eight weeks and help improve the quality of water and other factors in Little Rock Lake near Rice, as well as the stretch of river from north of Rice to Sartell. Several challenges, however, might delay the project.
Sandy Dilts, who works at Good Shepherd Community Home in Sauk Rapids, is named statewide Caregiver of the Year by LeadingAge Minnesota at is annual conference in St. Paul. Dilts was honored for the consistent excellence of her work for 45 years at Good Shepherd.
Perkins in the Pines in Sauk Rapids closes after 45 years of business. Management said the restaurant was closed because of three straight years of road construction that diminished business, as well as an expiring lease. The management hopes to find another locale in Sauk Rapids where another Perkins can be opened.
The Rice City Council hires part-time police officer Brent William Curtis.
The Sauk Rapids Council approves plans for remodeling the Sauk Rapids Municipal Liquor Store, a $110,000 project.
Sauk Rapids VFW hosts a care-package fundraiser for troops stationed overseas.
A pre-spring ritual, birdhouse building by families, takes place again in Rice, thanks to the Rice Area Sportsmen’ Club, who sponsors and funds the popular activity.
The color green predominates at the annual Rice Heritage Day Parade in downtown Rice. Irish ancestors but also many others of various ancestries enjoy the event.
An auditor praises the City of Rice for having an end-of-year balance of $65,000. The city, he said, handled its revenue and spending wisely in the previous year.
April
The Sauk Rapids City Council hears a proposal for an athletic field house as part of an athletic center that could be paid for by half-cent sales-tax revenue to the city. The project could be done in conjunction with the school district and be built adjacent to the high school.
Bingo players share lunch and a good time at the annual Immaculate Conception Church fundraiser in Rice.
Kathy Conner, an employee of Pine’s Edge Grocery & Liquor, south of Rice, did a double-take when a customer with a long, long beard and wearing black pajamas walked into the store Easter morning. “I knew he was somebody because he had an aura about him, like a rock ‘n’ roll star,” Conner said. Conner’s hunch was correct. The bearded, pajama-clad gent was none other than Billy Gibbons, masterful lead guitarist and singer for the legendary ZZ Top band and, more recently, a TV actor. Gibbons founded ZZ Top nearly 50 years ago, and the power-blues band has been making hit records and touring ever since. Rolling Stone magazine named Gibbons number 32 on a list of the greatest guitarists of all time.
The Benton County Snowmobile Club donates ResQ Discs to the Benton County Sheriff’s Department and to the police departments of Sauk Rapids, Rice and Sartell. The discs, thrown out onto water by connective lines, are known to have saved many people who might have drowned.
Sauk Rapids-Rice High School presents the classic musical play Once Upon a Mattress.
The Sauk Rapids Business Council hosts the first-ever Business Expo, along with the Sauk Rapids Farmers’ Market.
April Myers is named Sauk Rapids Citizen of the Year and is honored with a ceremony at Sauk Rapids Government Center. Myers, a volunteer in many capacities, is the housing director for Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids.
Bubba’s Bar and Grill in Sauk Rapids is robbed at gunpoint April 19. The case remains under investigation. No one was hurt in the incident.
Rice Clean-Up Day takes place April 30.
The Rice City Council ponders the problem of excessive and potentially dangerous traffic near Rice Elementary School. The council approves installation of stop signs and to leave the current yield signs in place.
May
The staff of the Sauk Rapids/Rice Newsleader thanks the city, readers and advertisers on the first anniversary of the newspaper, which began publication May 1, 2015.
Members of the Rice Area Chamber of Commerce have a good time while visiting Target Field in Minneapolis during a day trip.
Schools in the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District hold their annual “Walk For Life” event to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.
A rural Rice woman, Karla Scapanski, filed for office as a DFL’er to challenge incumbent Rep. Jim Newberger (R-Becker) for the House District 15B seat. Scapanski is a day-care operator.
Fifth-graders in Sauk Rapids place in the top 10 in a regional Math Masters competition held at Sartell Middle School.
A new Sauk Rapids Farmers’ Market opens in a new location – right downtown in a parking lot near Manea’s Meats. The weekly Saturday market offers a variety of homegrown foods and home-baked goodies, as well as arts and crafts and sometimes entertainment.
Playhouse Child Care Center opens in Sauk Rapids. The center has a new lease on life. Previously, in 1991, it opened at a place near the Sauk Rapids bridge but had to close because of demolition of that bridge. It did not re-open in Sauk Rapids, but now it’s back, at Trinity Lutheran Church on Mayhew Lake Road.
Memorial Day ceremonies with speeches, prayers and music take place in Sauk Rapids and Rice, as well as elsewhere in the state and nation.
June
Matthew Crouse, a former U.S. Marine who lives in Sauk Rapids, announces his DFL candidacy to run against Rep. Tim O’Driscoll (R-Sartell) for State House District 13B.
Four students from the culinary program at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School take honors in the management competition ProStart Invitational. In Minnesota they won the state championship. In Dallas, Texas they earned a fifth-place finish. The winners are Marianna Blair, Kelsey Christenson, Hanna Meyer and Paige Vogt.
Head football coach Bill Magnuson resigns from the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District to take a job as science teacher and assistant coach at Pequot Lakes High School. Magnuson taught and coached for 16 years in Sauk Rapids.
The Sauk Rapids City Council holds a hearing to examine growth issues surrounding five building projects slated for the coming year.
July
Thousands of residents and out-of-towners have a blast at the annual Rapids River Days. The events include a parade, a food-fest in the park, a Tanner Team Run-Walk and the coronation of three Sauk Rapids ambassadors – Sydney Burk, Clo Meyer and Allyson Walz.
An expansion of Manea’s Meats in downtown Sauk Rapids is approved by the city council.
Melissa Brenny of Sauk Rapids is named Mrs. Minnesota America in Bloomington. Brenny and husband Michael are the parents of four young children.
Hugs and tears abound at the National Guard Facility at the St. Cloud Airport when 20 soldiers, all members of B Company, are given a warm send-off by family, friends and guest speakers. The men then left for a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Big crowds enjoy the annual Immaculate Conception Church Festival in Rice with lots of games, sales, food and socializing.
The Rice City Council approves a joint-powers agreement between the city and the law firm of Kelm and Reuter and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for the handling of city-related electronic information.
The greater St. Cloud area is named the 12th healthiest area in the nation by 24/7 Wall Street, a Delaware-based analysis company.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Department’s K-9 police dog, Ben, retired happily with the family of his long-time officer companion, deputy Brad Kadlac.
August
Many neighborhoods in the Sauk Rapids-Rice area have National Night Out gatherings to promote local safety.
The Rice City Council expresses concerns about street-maintenance costs and ponders the best ways to pay for needed street repairs.
At a meeting at the Sauk Rapids City Council, residents share their concerns about an apparent rise in crime and suspicious activities in the Second Avenue N. neighborhood. The council vows to increase patrol in that area and devise other methods to ensure residents and police can work together to solve the problem. Residents said there are too many break-ins, burglaries and thefts in the neighborhood, leaving adults and children feeling afraid for their safety.
Torborg Builders of St. Cloud plans a new five-story apartment building in the downtown area near the bridge. The plan fits in nicely with the city’s wish to have an interactive mix of businesses, recreation and residents in the revitalized downtown area.
Former resident NaDean Schroeder is hired to become the new activities director for Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. She herself is a graduate of the school and then worked elsewhere in the field of recreation. She said she is very happy to be back home, doing something she loves.
New Sauk Rapids-Rice High School head football coach Phil Klaphake begins a new season with “hope and expectation,” welcoming the challenges he and the players will tackle for months of teamwork that will, hopefully, result in plenty of wins.
Melissa Brenny of Sauk Rapids, who was named Mrs. Minnesota America, will compete for the national title in Las Vegas.
The Sauk Rapids City Council continues to mull over the possibility of building an athletic field house with school-district cooperation, using half-cent sales-tax revenue.
Despite rain, families have a very good time at Rice Family Fun Day in downtown Rice, complete with a parade, games, food and music.
September
Teenager Madelyn Adamski, whose father is a Sauk Rapids firefighter, continues to raise money for a much-needed fan-propeller rescue boat. So far, she has raised an impressive amount – $67,000 for the $75,000 boat.
A softball team sponsored by O’Brien’s Pub in Rice and C & L Excavating wins the Minnesota Sports Federation’s 2016 Masters M 35-and-Over Slowpitch State Championship at Bob Cross Field in Sauk Rapids.
The gymnasium at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School gets a dazzling renovation, thanks to a gift of $80,000 raised by the Tom Bearson Foundation. Tom Bearson for whom the foundation was named, is the Sartell college student who was slain in the Fargo-Moorhead area three years ago. The crime is yet to be solved. Bearson, a St. Francis Xavier student, played many hours of basketball in that gymnasium and went on to become one of the best basketball players in the history of Sartell High School.
Central Minnesota residents – and people far and wide – are stunned to learn the body of Jacob Wetterling has been found buried in a farm grove near Paynesville. People expressed a mixture of emotions ranging from horror and sorrow to relief and closure. Jacob, 11 at the time, was abducted and, as it turned out, murdered 27 years ago on a road near his St. Joseph home. Confessed killer Danny Heinrich, whose most recent home was Annandale, led authorities to the body and admitted he kidnapped the boy, molested him and then shot him in the head, killing him and then burying him. Heinrich agreed to a plea deal, to confess the crime and to reveal the body’s location so he would not be charged with murder. Heinrich, however, later received a sentence of 20 years in prison for possessing child pornography at his Annandale home. Heinrich also admitted to kidnapping and sexually assaulting another boy in the Paynesville area about eight months before Jacob’s abduction-murder.
A 3-foot drawdown of Little Rock Lake and the river area between Rice and Sartell continues to be touted by the Department of Natural Resources as a way to improve the water quality in both the lake and that part of the Mississippi, but many obstacles remain to be resolved before it could be done. Residents along the river and the lake have attended many DNR-led meetings about the proposal.
An investigation continues into the multiple stabbings by a St. Cloud Somali man at Crossroads Mall. The assailant was shot dead by an off-duty Avon police officer who happened to be in the mall at the same time. Fortunately, none of the people who were stabbed in the rampage suffered life-threatening injuries. Authorities believe the man was “inspired” by terrorist propaganda.
A community service is held at the College of St. Benedict for Jacob Wetterling and is well-attended by officials, including Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. Friends and families eulogize Jacob as a happy-go-lucky – sometimes humorously mischievous – child who had a kind heart for one and all.
October
Legendary pop singer Bobby Vee dies of Alzheimer’s disease. The famed rocker and his family chose to live first in St. Cloud and then in Cold Spring for many years. He and his sons set up a recording studio in the old bank building in St. Joseph. The Vees were known to share their talents, gratis, for many good causes, including fundraisers for years for Cathedral High School (where Vee’s children attended school) and for years at the Fourth of July Joetown Rocks music festival in St. Joseph. Vee, whose fame endured through decades, sang many gold-record hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, such as Take Good Care of My Baby and Devil or Angel.
Michael Maurer, a Vietnam veteran who lives in Sartell, writes a novel entitled Perfume River Nights, a harrowing fictionalized account of his and others’ experiences in that divisive war. Maurer is donating sales proceeds from the book to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
Families socialize with firefighters and have a good time at the annual Rice Fire Department’s Open House. A highlight of the event is the landing of the North Memorial Hospital emergency ambulance, always a hit with the kiddies.
The Sauk Rapids Police and Fire Department Open House draws huge crowds who interact with the firefighters, play games, eat food and have an all-around good time.
Injured Sauk Rapids High School football player Daunte Keller is on the mend from a concussion suffered during a game. His injury caused panic and concern when it happened at an Oct. 7 game. The game was paused for 30 minutes as Keller was placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.
Craig Gondeck of rural Rice is named chairman of the Watab Township Town Board.
November
The Sauk Rapids City Council increases the amount of firefighters’ pensions by $200 per firefighter per year, for a new total of $4,500 annually.
On Nov. 8, voters have their say-so. Nationally, Donald Trump is elected as president, winning the most electoral votes but coming in second in popular votes. In Sauk Rapids, the following are elected: Kurt Hunstiger, mayor; Steve Heinen and Nick Sauer (incumbents to city council); Mark Hauck, Tracy Morse, Jan Solarz (incumbents to school board) and Ryan Butkowski (newcomer elected to school board).
In the Rice election, the following win office: Dale Rogholt (incumbent mayor); Christopher Scheel and Bryan Anderson (incumbents to city council).
December
The Rice City Council wrestles, once again, with the question of whether to require city employees to receive their paychecks through direct deposit or to allow some to get their checks at city hall so they can cash them themselves. The council members decide to table the topic. At their next meeting, Dec. 5, they decide to table the topic again.
Cory Zimpel is named Sauk Rapids Teacher of the Year. Zimpel, who is also a Sauk Rapids firefighter, teaches industrial technology at the high school.
The Sauk Rapids budget for 2017 will increase by 4.3 percent, to $5,437,200, as decided by the city council.
To read any of the above stories in their entirety, visit thenewsleaders.com then click on the Archives button mid-way down the home page.
