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New Look. Same Local Coverage since 1854. Vol. 163, No. 33
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, Benton County, MN 56379
Reaping the bounty Konz family produces own Thanksgiving meal BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS — The story of the Àrst Thanksgiving tells of how the Native Americans taught
the Pilgrims how to sow corn and fertilize the land. The two parties joined together, hunted animals and prepared a meal to celebrate their successful harvest. Less than 10 miles
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Joni Saldana looks for a recipe with her son, Ben Konz, Nov. 18 in Sauk Rapids.
outside of Sauk Rapids on the Konz family hobby farm, the essence of Thanksgiving is quite similar. Although many families now purchase their feasts of turkey and dressing, green bean casserole and cranberries at the local grocers, the Konzes walk to their freezers. “There has been some pride in our dinner and not a lot of people can say this because not everyone lives on a 20-acre farm,” said Joni Saldana. “We have had Thanksgivings where the pumpkin came from our garden, the green beans came from our garden, the potatoes came from our garden and we raised the turkey ourselves.” Saldana’s son, 16-yearold Ben Konz agrees. “Almost everything comes from our garden except for the cranberries,” he said. Saldana continued. “When we sit down and say that Thanksgiving prayer, we are truly thankful because we worked hard to raise all of that,” she said. “There is a certain pride of knowing we produced this and it came from our land. It truly is our own bounty.” Saldana’s family does not only raise meat and grow produce for the festive meal; they aim to supply their family with food for most of the year.
STOCK PHOTO
Turkey is the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving meals. The Konz family raises their own birds on a hobby farm in Sauk Rapids.
Nearly 500 pounds of meat — pork, turkey, rabbit, chicken and duck — Àlls their three freezers this fall alongside frozen garden vegetables like corn, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin and squash. They also can tomatoes, salsa and jam. “Pretty much 90 percent of the protein we eat is raised on our farm,” said Saldana, who works full-time at CentraCare as a receptionist. “The only thing I really buy is lunch meat, but even then I will often make ham salad, chicken salad and turkey salad.” From the outside looking in, one might believe the family raises meat with the sole intent to provide food for their table. In actuality,
City of Rice posts temporary hours BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE — The city of Rice made adjustments to their ofÀce hours at Monday’s city council meeting. The change is due to a vacant city clerk position. The hours will be effective until a new clerk is selected to fulÀll the role for the city. Residents will continue to have access to a staff person from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Sixteen months following her hire, clerk Stephanie Roggenbuck is leaving the city for another opportunity near the Minnesota-North Dakota border. Treasurer Sheri Johnson will assist community members until a new clerk is named. The council selected Àve applicants to interview for the position Nov. 27. Council member Paula Kampa is abstaining from the decision-making process. In other council news: • Approved the
expenditure budget of $1,232,711. The revenue budget of $1,264,490 was approved earlier this year. • The city of Rice accepted a $10,000 donation from the Rice Sportsmen’s Club to be used towards the purchase of a side-by-side vehicle for the Àre department. • Two unpaid utility bills will be turned over to the county. The council approved to have the bills, which total $419.84, assessed. The special assessment shall be paid in the same manner of property taxes. • Approved a change order for the road project adjacent to city hall and the Rice Elementary School. An additional $1,930 was added to the cost for repairs to utilities. • Approved membership to the Benton County Economic Partnership. The city of Rice is contributing 50 cents per resident for a total of $650. • A representative from the post ofÀce asked to have
City of Rice page 3
10th annual Sauk Rapids Holiday Lights and Family Fun Day Saturday, Dec. 2 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Toys for Tots Drive, Sauk Rapids Fire Department. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Kids Bingo Sauk Rapids VFW Post No. 6992. 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Silent Auction, VFW. 1-5 p.m. - Living Nativity, Coborn’s. 2-3:30 p.m. - Santa and Mrs. Claus, VFW. 3 p.m. – Trots for Tots, SRFD. 5 p.m. – Holiday Parade of Lights, Second Ave. 5-8 p.m. – Steak fry and meat raffle, VFW. For more holiday events check out What’s Happening on page 4.
PUBLIC NOTICES
• City of Rice Notice - pg. 8 • City of Sauk Rapids/Minden Joint Planning Board Public Hearing Notice - pg. 8 • City of Sauk Rapids/Minden Joint Planning Board Public Hearing Notice - pg. 8
Saturday, November 25, 2017
they do so as a return on their investment. “We never really had animals on the farm with Mike and I until the kids came along,” Saldana said. “When the kids were old enough to join 4-H is when we purchased. … We need to have (the animals) work for us and provide food for us. We have to look at it that way. It can’t just be a petting zoo.” Saldana said that raising their animals for consumption is not economical. By the time the family invests in the purchasing or raising, feeding and processing fees; they are paying about the same price as people do in the store. Still, it is worth their time. “We feel the product we get is far better than anything
you buy in the store, because you know what that animal was fed and how it was raised,” Saldana said. Konz and his older sister, Angela, began their time in 4-H as Cloverbuds, showing one chicken and one rabbit each. As the children grew, so did the number of animals at the farm. One Áock of laying hens has become a surplus of roosters, Bantams, two dozen goats and 25 rabbits. Animals which were not over-wintered this year included two pigs, a dozen ducks and 10 turkeys. “We have a rule on our farm that we don’t name our food,” Saldana said. “So the animals that are meant for meat and production do not
Konz family page 3
The end of an era Janski Grocery to close at year-end BY ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
RICE – Janski Grocery, owned by brothers Steve and Joe Janski, is a bustling place located on the corner of East Main Street and First Avenue Southeast in Rice. Many local residents have made a point to support the grocery store; others have friendships with the owners and stop in to talk. “We have a lot of people come in to visit with us and have a cup of coffee in the mornings,” Joe said. “Some guys stay for 45 minutes just talking with us. Serving our PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA customers has been the best Steve and Joe Janski stand outside Janski Grocery in Rice Nov. 20. Early that morning, the brothers announced the closing part of being in this business.” But at 9 p.m. on Dec. 31, of the store with signs posted around the aisles. The two have the 65-year-old business will owned the store since 1977.
be closing its doors for the last time. “This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Steve said. “I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights just thinking about it. But I will be turning 65 in February and it just seems like the natural time to close. While it’s a natural time, there is no easy part about this decision.” Signs were hung and the closing announcement was made ofÀcial Nov. 20. “It’s hard to see them go,” said Jim Voigt. “I live a block away from their store, and it was always nice to walk down for whatever I needed and get the best personal service around. They will deÀnitely be missed around here.” While the grocery store will be closed come January, the brothers will reopen their
Janski Grocery page 2
National Adoption Month emphasizes growing need BY VICKI IKEOGU CONTRIBUTING WRITER
WAITE PARK – Thanksgiving is a time many of us enjoy a good meal with family and reÁect on some of the things we may be thankful for throughout the year. But for hundreds of thousands of kids nationwide, Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season are stark reminders of the hardships they face. In the United States, there are more than 110,000 kids in foster care waiting for a permanent place they can call home. In Minnesota, that number is around 750. It is a growing need, but lack of awareness surrounding the issue makes it difÀcult for kids to Ànd permanent homes. November has been declared National Adoption Month. As a social worker licensor, Becca Lent – a
2011 Sauk Rapids-Rice High School graduate – is tasked with Ànding loving families not only to adopt kids from newborn to age 17 but also provide much needed foster care throughout Central Minnesota. “I can tell you right now that we have 33 active foster and adoption families here in Central Minnesota,” Lent said. “These can be individuals who are providing strictly foster care. It can be individuals that have children in their home that they are working towards Ànalization of adoption.” Lent works with Kindred Family Focus: Youth and Family Solutions. The company, with an ofÀce located in Waite Park, is part of Nexus: Youth and Family Solutions which provides services throughout Minnesota and North Dakota. Kindred Family Focus merged with PATH MN in April.
PHOTO BY VICKI IKEOGU
Kindred Family Focus Social Work Licensor Becca Lent sits in her Waite Park ofÀce Nov. 9. Lent works with families throughout central Minnesota to help them become licensed foster and adoptive parents.
Lent is responsible for helping families interested in becoming foster or adoption families with paperwork and making sure the family’s home is prepared for children. “I also make sure they have the appropriate training done in order to meet licensing
requirements,” Lent said. Once that work is done, families work with other staff members to help provide homes for children in need with coordination from the
National Adoption Month page 2