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Vol. 162, No. 48
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, Benton County, MN 56379
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Sauk Rapids resident Joe Meierhofer will retire as the sole Herb Brooks National Hockey Center Director of Operations in May.
Meierhofer will retire as sole director of hockey center BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
ST. CLOUD — As the St. Cloud State University men’s hockey team played their last period of the season earlier this month, another staple at the college was pondering the upcoming culmination of his own career at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Joe Meierhofer will retire this May after 27 years as the Àrst and only director of operations of the facility. “To be honest, it is a little premature for me to think about,” said Meierhofer, who is also SCSU’s Associate
Director of Sports Facilities. “I’m trying not to count the days. I’ve lived a pretty cool life in this building. I’m super lucky to have been a part of it.” The start of a career Meierhofer’s experience with sports facilities began when he was a freshman in college, playing baseball for SCSU. He took a job as a Zamboni driver at the Municipal Athletic Complex, before eventually starting a maintenance business, which contracted services to the city of St. Cloud. At 20-years-old, Meierhofer had over 40 employees
working under his direction, from groundskeepers, pool maintenance personnel, concession workers and more. “I was working 65 hours a week and trying to take 12 full credits to be eligible to play baseball,” he said. “My life was just full speed ahead.” After graduating in 1986 and marrying his wife, Deb, Meierhofer sold his maintenance company and took a position as the MAC’s Sports Center Assistant Manager. The engineering tech major, who emphasized in aviation, had plans to one day become an airport manager. His plans changed. “Deb and I were on our way back from Duluth when we drove past the DECC – the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center – and
ice arena where the Bulldogs play,” Meierhofer said. “I said to her as we were driving by, I think I would love to run a big building like that. Less than a week later, that opportunity arose. Construction of the National Hockey Center had already begun, and the university was searching for a director to run the arena. As a SCSU alumnus and having worked at the MAC for 10 years, Meierhofer’s connections with coaches and staff were plentiful. Herb Brooks, who would become the National Hockey Center’s namesake, and Craig Dahl, the university’s head hockey coach at the time, inquired as to why the former student had not applied for the position. “I told them I didn’t have a shot,” Meierhofer said. “They told me I wouldn’t know unless I tried. So I did, and I got it.” According to Meierhofer, the school gave him the job because of a promise he made to them. “I promised them I’d never let this building get old,” he said. “That was my promise and that is why it still looks the way it does. That’s just my thing, and anybody who works here goes along with that theme.” Twenty-seven years, one day at a time On Meierhofer’s Àrst day, Oct. 1, 1989, he walked into a skeleton of a building. The frame of the hockey center was standing, but much of the construction still needed to be completed. All the staff needed to be hired, and accounting and scheduling systems needed to be organized. The Àrst hockey game was scheduled
Meierhofer: page 3
District seeking interim superintendent SAUK RAPIDS – The Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board is moving forward with the superintendent transition process. During Monday night’s board meeting, the item was pushed from discussion to action following a report from chairman Mark Hauck. “The superintendent evaluation committee has met, and they are recommending a one-year interim position. They are recommending the process
moves forward sooner rather than later,” Hauck said. “By having an interim, it will allow us to hire a permanent replacement sometime during the next year, allowing us more time for an extensive search.” The board approved the district to post a one-year interim position to replace Dr. Dan Bittman starting July 1. Hauck and the board reiterated the continued communication of
information throughout the transition process, both with staff and the community. More updates are expected at board meetings as the process continues. In other school board news: • The board approved two addendums regarding the election – election judge pool to assist in running the election and election services from Benton County to assist in tallying results at each polling place
and sending them to the state ofÀce. • Bittman gave the board a walk-through of the website’s changes for the referendum to help spread the word about all of the resources and information available for the upcoming election. Resources available include tax impact, polling places, about the referendum and a link to email Bittman directly with questions or comments. The election will take place May 23.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Fire contract negotiations continue
GRAPHIC SUBMITTED
Watab Township seeks to discontinue Rice emergency medical services in sections one through 12 because of unpaid bills. BY ANNA SALDANA & NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITERS
WATAB TOWNSHIP/ RICE – Fire contract negotiations continue between Watab Township and the city of Rice. The contract, which was due to be renewed in December 2016 has been extended twice. Watab Township would prefer to eliminate medical services while retaining Àre and rescue from the Rice Fire Department. “It is really hard to see us having to write off over $10,000 in unpaid bills,” said Watab Township Clerk Pat Spence. “There’s one resident who calls just to have assistance being lifted off the Áoor. There’s another who says he’ll call just to make us mad. That’s frustrating. We want to continue with the contract, but eliminate the medical portion of it.” In Nov. 2014, surveys were mailed out to residents in sections 1-12 of the township, soliciting responses to the rising costs of services. Of those surveys, 199 were returned – 90 in favor of keeping medical services and 109 opposed. “The township is not required to provide service according to state statute and Gold Cross has to come out anyway because the Rice Àrst responders cannot transport people,” Spence said. Through the 2014 calendar year, Watab Township was charged a Áat fee of $38,500 for their Àre contract services with Rice. In 2015, the city reduced the Áat fee, but added a $350 per call payment to the contract. At that same time, Watab decided to recoup some of the added costs by passing along fees to residents. The
township pays 25 percent of the per call fee, issuing a bill to residents for the remaining $262.50. With 62 calls — of which 51 were medical — Watab Township paid $44,278.01 for Àre, rescue and medical services in the northern region of the township over the course of 2016. Of the $16,275 in per call revenue, Spence said the township had to write off $10,830 in unpaid bills. “This has been an issue for as long as I can remember,” said Maureen Graber, during the contract discussion at the March 14 annual township meeting. “I’ve lived in the township for over 40 years and it seems the contract with Rice has always been a sore spot.” Currently, the revenue generated by Watab’s contract covers roughly 27 percent of the Rice Fire Department’s annual expenses. Therefore, settling the contract is important to the city as well. “No one is concerned about the service Rice is giving, the concern is a dollar to that service,” said Rice Mayor Dale Rogholt, at a March meeting. “If we can look at the dollar to that service and present what I think is a reasonable and just Àgure, then I think we move forward with a contract.” Rogholt and the council gave its consensus to have Rice Fire Chief Scott Janski research the costs per call to the Àre department after the 2016 audit is approved March 20. The council extended contract negotiations so information could be gathered and analyzed. But not all conversations regarding the unsettled Àre
Watab: page 2
Leader leaves industry, community legacy
Dan Coborn dies at 86 BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
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AUK RAPIDS — Dan Coborn lived his life by the Golden Rule. He treated everyone with dignity and respect. The former chairman, president and CEO of the grocery chain, which bears his family’s name, died March 15 – leaving a lasting legacy of leadership in the industry and community. He was 86. “He always treated people well his entire life,” said his granddaughter Emily Coborn, who serves as Vice President of Fresh Merchandising at Coborn’s, Inc. “That was certainly his driving philosophy in the business. You always had to treat people well along the way, and you did it because it was the right thing to do.” Coborn’s, Inc. began as a produce market in the town of Sauk Rapids in 1921. A third generation grocer, Dan began working for his parents, Duke and Florence, at a young age. After graduating from Sauk Rapids High School, studying economics at St. John’s University and serving in the U.S. Army, Dan returned to the store, working alongside his father and brothers — Bob, Bill and Ron. After Duke’s unexpected passing in 1959, Dan was thrust into leadership of the company. Growth would soon follow. The brothers expanded with two additional stores — Foley and the former Fifth Avenue near St. Cloud State — in 1963. “When Dan and his brothers took over the company, they expanded out of economic necessity. They had four families to support off of one store. There wasn’t enough proÀt generated, so they expanded to support their families and from there the company just grew,” Emily said.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Dan Coborn, former chairman, president and CEO of Coborn’s, Inc., passed away March 15. He led the company for 40 years.
Coborn’s now operates more than 120 retail locations across six states. The employee-owned grocery retailer operates
its own central bakery, dry cleaning facility and grocery distribution center to support the grocery, convenience, liquor, pharmacy and online business. It has a $1.4 annual revenue and staffs an estimated 8,000 employees. Chris Coborn, Dan’s son, currently heads the corporation. “He was so proud of the growth,” Emily said. “Every time there was a new opportunity or acquisition, he would just light up. That growth was so exciting to him because it showed grocery continued to be a great industry to do business; but at the same time, with every new store comes hundreds of jobs for the community. He was a businessman and he believed in the power of private business. To create that type of economic engine in different communities was rewarding to him. He saw that as a beautiful thing.” Dan and his wife, Mabel, were heavily involved in the community and recognized that their success in business allowed them to give back. The two of them became charter members of the United Way of Central Minnesota in 1967, and Dan was a board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Central Minnesota. He provided gifts to numerous schools and sat on countless boards and civic organizations. The Coborn family and business received many accolades for their contributions over the years. “He was so appreciative of the community because this is where he grew up. The community had been good to our company and him, so he felt it was a privilege to give back in a commensurate way. He took a lot of pride in that,” Emily said. According to his granddaughter, Dan was also proud his son continued to grow the business and stay true to his philosophy of treating people well. He was pleased with the company’s decision to initiate an Employee Stock Ownership Plan in 2005, because it allowed those people who had helped
Coborn: page 2