PRSRT STD ECR U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #861
New Look. Same Local Coverage since 1854. Saturday, March 31, 2018
Vol. 163, No. 51
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, Benton County, MN 56379
SȽlȾ-ȼeȾeɆsȽ sɌuȼiɇ oɈeɆs BY VICKI IKEOGU CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – Martial arts and self-defense has had a lifelong impact on St. Cloud resident Claude Hancock. “I started like most kids do, watching TV,” said Hancock, 40. “Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and stuff like that. Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles. And then I got into martial arts when I was about 16.” Starting his journey as a way to fend off bullies, Hancock soon learned martial arts is less about Àghting opponents and more about protecting oneself. “Every person has a right to feel safe and to protect themselves,” Hancock said. “Every person has the right to do what they want throughout the day. Go out with friends. Go out by themselves.” It was this philosophy that shaped Hancock’s attitude in developing his own martial arts studio. Granite City Self-Defense, formerly Hancock’s American Martial Arts, has been in business for the past Àve years in St. Cloud. In
PHOTO BY VICKI IKEOGU
Kelly Orton (right) executes a self-defense move on Granite City Self-Defense owner Claude Hancock March 6 in Sauk Rapids. Hancock teaches both children and adults.
February, Hancock’s business made the transition to its new facility, 115B Division Street in Sauk Rapids. “I sought out a new location,” Hancock said. “I love the Sauk Rapids area. I frequent here a lot for
day-to-day life. And I always thought about how nice it would be to have a studio pretty close to the river. And we were lucky enough to get one.” Granite City Self-Defense instructs participants – from as
Clocking out as clerk
young as 3 years old to adult – in the art of taekwondo, weaponry and grappling. The studio also offers private training and self-defense seminars. “Our main focus is taekwondo,”
Hancock said. “It’s a very diverse martial art. The Olympics has mainly given us the impression that taekwondo is all kicks. But we train a wide variety of kicks, punches, grappling and other things. I’ve trained in jiu-jitsu and judo. We train a variety, but yet the majority of our knowledge comes from taekwondo.” After being instructed as a teen in martial arts, Hancock had enrolled in the U.S. Army where he trained in army combatives. During his time in the armed services, Hancock was stationed in South Korea where he continued his martial arts training in taekwondo. “When I came back to the States, I continued training taekwondo and sought out other martial arts to compare and gain more knowledge,” he said. After the Army, Hancock spent several years as a corrections ofÀcer, a deputy in Sherburne County and was then a police ofÀcer for Waite Park. All the while he never stopped learning and training in martial arts. He is a fourth-degree black belt. Hancock has been teaching martial arts in the area for the past 12 years. It was by chance he ended up taking ownership of his own studio Àve years ago. “I was happy teaching for somebody else,” he said. “But my instructor wanted to move to Duluth and wanted to keep a school operating here. She offered to turn the business over to me. … I’ve always wanted to teach martial arts. I’ve enjoyed teaching others. I love to impart the knowledge on others, and I hope it helps them.” Much of Hancock’s teaching
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Municipal Park building will receive additional renovations BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – Renovations on the Old Municipal Park Building have taken yet another turn. The Sauk Rapids City Council approved a change to remodel the interior of the building March 26. “The original plan was to leave that building kind of rustic,” said Todd Schultz, Sauk Rapids Community Development Director. “That building was constructed
in the 1940s by the Sauk Rapids Sportsman Club, and we kind of wanted to keep that old look, but as we have worked through this process and decided to replace the entire roof – which we hadn’t intended to do – we lost a lot of that feel.” Schultz said that because of the change orders made there is a mix of new and old construction in the building, so staff recommended to
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Survival for a friend
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Pat Spence sits at her desk in the Watab Township Hall March 12. Spence is retiring after deciding not to run for reelection. She has served the township by both appointment and election since 1999.
The primary responsibility of a the University of Minnesota, the is to maintain orderly records Supreme Court Board of Continuing Spence retires clerk for the township, but as Spence will Education, as a trustee of the Initiative you her duties – along with the Foundation, amongst many others. from public tell “This will be the Àrst time I population of the township – have am not responsible for something,” expanded over the years. “When I came, the minutes were Spence said. office Spence’s interest in government a half page long and the meetings BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE – With Àles in order and a smile on her face, Patricia (Pat) Spence shut down the computer and walked out of her ofÀce March 23. Spence has held the position of Watab Township clerk for 14 consecutive years and prior to that time intermittently after being Àrst appointed to the role April 6, 1999. She chose retirement over reelection and Ànished her last work day this week. “Good. I’m feeling really good,” said Spence, 67, of her parting. “I’m leaving feeling like I have done my best. I have really enjoyed the position. I have learned so much, met so many people and I know that things will go on. Everything is in place for a transition to a new person.” Spence will be replaced by appointed clerk Jon Hull, who took the oath of ofÀce March 26. April Burton was voted into ofÀce at the annual meeting March 13 but declined to assume the duties. Hull will operate as township clerk until an election takes place next March.
lasted maybe a half an hour to mainly pay a few bills and deal with issues like roads and snowplowing,” Spence said. “It was very simple. (Since that time) the township has doubled in size and the requirements from the state and the changes in technology have been huge.” In addition to recording and preserving the minutes, resolutions and Ànancial statements of the town in accordance to the schedule deemed by the Secretary of State, Spence has administrated elections, prepared board agendas and packets, written and reported grants, worked with the town treasurer to ensure duplicate bookkeeping for internal controls and been in charge of communications for the board — posting meetings, updating the website and responding to emails, mail and phone calls. She averages about 15-20 hours each week. Spence’s role in public ofÀce with Watab Township was not her Àrst. In fact, she has served in one form or another since 1982, when she was elected mayor of Little Falls at age 31. The former clerk has also served on the Board of Regents of
was prompted when she was young. “My parents are very community orientated,” said Spence, who moved to Watab Township with her husband Guy in 1994. “I was in 4-H growing up, and we went on a citizen shortcourse to Washington D.C. I still remember the deÀnition of citizen: acting for intelligent concern for myself and others. I’ve always tried to keep that in mind no matter what role I have played or been involved with.” It also runs in her family. Spence’s dad, mother-in-law, paternal grandfather and maternal greatgrandfather all assumed the role of township clerk in their respective towns at some point in their lives. All of the acquired knowledge and experience from the various boards and positions, helped Spence complete her role as clerk to the best of her ability. “Everything from those past experiences are things I have been able to use here,” Spence said. “Being mayor and on the board of regents – especially in complex organizations
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PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
Dylan Roering (left) and Jack Grabinski compete against each other March 22 in Sauk Rapids The Sauk Rapids-Rice High School student council hosted Survivor Week March 19-23.
Survivor Week to beneÀt Make-aWish. “The student council was really excited to do this competition,” said advisor Trisha Bemboom. “Ever since then, they’ve been all-in on doing everything they can to make this a fun BY ANNA SALDANA week for the contestants, the school STAFF WRITER and the community that comes out to SAUK RAPIDS – Survival of watch.” Throughout the week, the the Àttest was deÀnitely the case for a group of 14 people at Sauk Rapids- contestants competed in various Rice High School March 19-23. The Survivor page 3 school’s student council coordinated
Schoen recaps weeklong competition
PUBLIC NOTICES • City of Sauk Rapids Regular City Council Meeting - March 12, 2018 - pg. 5 • Notice of Mortgage Foreclosure - Lieser - pg. 5 • Watab Township Assessment Notice - pg. 6 • Minden Township Assessment Notice - pg. 6 • Benton Co. Hearings for Amending Zoning Map - pg. 6 • Benton Co. Notice of Public Hearings - pg. 6 • Notice of Mortgage Foreclosure - Ziwicki - pg. 6 • Notice of Mortgage Foreclosure - Kolbo - pg. 6 • Notice of Mortgage Foreclosure - Baron - pg. 6 • Benton Co. HRA Public Hearing Notice - pg. 7 • 2018 Annual Public Meeting for SWPPP - pg. 7 • Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools Description of Proposed School Construction Project - pg. 7 • Benton Co. Minnesota Board of Pardons application - pg. 7