PRSRT STD ECR U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #861
Cyclones: page 6
New Look. Same Local Coverage since 1854. Vol. 163, No. 13
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, Benton County, MN 56379
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Community members raise the Àrst wall on the Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity’s Build for Unity home June 28 in Sauk Rapids.
Build for Unity helps family construct home
Mohamuds to move to Sauk Rapids BY VICKI IKEOGU
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ST. CLOUD – For most kids, having their own room is a want. A place to express their creativity. A place to escape from the chaos (especially with a large family). And a place to call their own. But for the six Mohamud kids – ages 9 to just over a year – the idea of having their own room was impossible. “We used to live in a three-bedroom apartment,” said Deeq Mohamud, 39. “But it was too crowded.” The “upgrade” to a fourbedroom, one-bathroom rental home on the south side of St. Cloud should have provided the family of eight with plenty of space. It didn’t.
“It’s a little 100-year-old house,” Mohamud said. “And two of the rooms upstairs don’t have decent heat. During the winter, we all had to stay in two bedrooms and the living room.” So, at the Àrst of the year, Mohamud and his wife, Nasra Omar, 30, were excited to let their kids in on a huge surprise – they were moving. But not just anywhere. They were moving to their own home in Sauk Rapids. On June 28, Mohamud, Omar and the kids, along with members and volunteers from Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity and community members of Sauk Rapids watched as the walls were raised on the family’s new home. Over the next few months, the Mohamud-Omar family will watch (and help) as a diverse group of volunteers
work to assemble the sixbedroom, two-bathroom home on Benton Drive as part of Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity’s Àrst Build for Unity. From renting to home ownership through Habitat for Humanity “I had lived most of my life in the Eden Prairie area,” Mohamud said. “When I was a teenager, I had come to visit one of my cousins who lived in Central Minnesota. I really liked it up here. It’s a great place to live and raise a family.” After meeting Omar on a family visit to Kenya in 2006, the couple married and settled in Central Minnesota about eight years ago. Mohamud works as a bilingual communications specialist at South Junior High School. Omar works as a child care provider for a local Somali daycare center. The two have six children: Nimo, 9; Nuurradiin, 8; Nawaal, 7; Saalahudiin, 6; Abdiaziiz, 4; and Najma, 1.
PHOTOS BY VICKI IKEOGU
The Mohamud-Omar family – (from left) Nawaal Mohamud, Deeq Mohamud, Abdiaziiz Mohamud, Saalahudiin Mohamud, Najma Mohamud, Nuurradiin Mohamud, Nimo Mohamud and Nasra Omar – are preparing to move into a new home in Sauk Rapids as part of Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity’s Build for Unity.
Since moving to the area, Mohamud has wanted one thing for his growing family: a home. “When I Àrst came to the
area in the summer of 2009 “He had explained the process I had met another Somali to me.” person who had bought a According to Eileen house through Habitat for Mohamuds: page 3 Humanity,” Mohamud said.
Sauk Rapids man collides with tree
The Minnesota State Patrol was called to the scene of an accident July 2 at 8:17 a.m on Highway 23 east of County Road 123. Rory Rivas, 18 of Sauk Rapids, was driving east bound on Highway 23 when he lost control of his vehicle, crossing the west lane and
colliding with a tree. Rivas was suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Department, Cold Spring Police Department and Paynesville Police Department assisted the Minnesota State Patrol.
Liquor store opens for first Sunday
Bittman, Watkins prepare for unique transition BY VICKI IKEOGU
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
Marlyn Grammentz was one of the Àrst customers to purchase alcohol from Sauk Rapids Liquor Sunday morning. BY ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – Sauk Rapids Liquor attracted customers for Àrsttime Sunday sales July 2. Minnesota legalized Sunday off-sale liquor sales on Feb. 27, but the law came into effect this past weekend. “We talked with other municipal
liquor stores in states where this has been legal for some time,” said Tom Boulton, manager of Sauk Rapids Liquor. “The people that didn’t open right away when their laws changed really wished they would have. For us, we weren’t sure if we would come out ahead or not, but felt that we had to be open in order
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SAUK RAPIDS – Change and personal growth. It’s a philosophy and motto Dr. Dan Bittman has lived his entire professional career. The former high school Spanish teacher has held many positions in academia and has worked at several districts around the country in various leadership positions. For him, it has always been about helping to make a difference in the lives of students, teachers, parents and the community. It was this mission that brought Bittman and his family 1,600 miles northeast from Las Vegas, Nev. to Sauk Rapids seven years ago. That continued mission has led Bittman to recently accept a position in Elk River as the new superintendent for one of the largest school districts in the state. “I have absolutely loved my time here in Sauk Rapids-Rice,” Bittman said. “I could not imagine a better school district and group to work with.” It’s been a time of transition for Bittman and members of the district since news broke this past spring about Bittman receiving the offer to Àll the open position in Elk River. “When I received the phone call, I was humbled to have been
given that opportunity [at Elk River],” Bittman said. “I was thankful for my colleagues and peers and family for their continued support. And I was somewhat emotional because this has been such an amazing place for me and my family. So, while I believe personally and professionally this is the right decision and I’m excited about that, I will miss the people and the community and the things that we have done together.” What has made the transition process more unique than most is Bittman’s good friend and outgoing Elk River interim superintendent Bruce Watkins will be stepping in to serve as the interim Sauk RapidsRice superintendent. “This board of education didn’t think that late April was a good time to try and hire a new superintendent,” Watkins said. “So, they put out a call for interims.” Watkins is no stranger to Central Minnesota. In 2004, Watkins spent about four years as the superintendent of St. Cloud Area School District before he retired in 2008. After a brief hiatus, Watkins returned to St. Cloud as the superintendent from 2010 until 2013. Since 2013, Watkins has been serving as a consultant working with several cities, counties and watershed districts across the
state on government issues and Ànancial advising. Most recently he has spent his time as the interim executive director for Nova Classical Academy in St. Paul and as the interim superintendent in Elk River. Watkins will now spend a year at Sauk Rapids-Rice as the district completes its search for a permanent superintendent. “I would say that since right around mid-April both districts have been interested in the transition going smoothly,” Watkins said. “[They] have allowed both of us, I would say every other week, time to spend together.” Several days a week leading up to the switch, Bittman and Watkins would commute to their new respective districts to meet with staff and faculty. It also helped that the two were in constant communication with each other on important issues facing both districts. “We’re always on the phone together,” Watkins said. “I’m always sharing what our board is working on. Mr. Bittman is always sharing what the Sauk Rapids board is working on. What made it nice is that we were able to communicate with each other. What’s going on? What’s the Ànancial status of
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