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“Minnesota’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper” Vol. 162, No. 3
Initiative Foundation, ISD 47 receive $618,000 grant
MINNEAPOLIS — Youthprise announced a threeyear grant totaling $618,000 to the Initiative Foundation and Sauk Rapids-Rice School District. The grant will be used to develop and implement a collaborative model for secondary students who are disconnected from school and education, and thus, at risk of dropping out. The project will implement the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training Model (I-BEST) to serve 166 young people age 14-20, all of whom are economically disadvantaged and/ or disconnected from school. The student demographic would consist of 50 percent students from communities of color and 25 percent who have disabilities. Partnering organization staff will work collaboratively with school staff to provide mentoring, authentic internship experiences and career guidance support. The Sauk Rapids grant is part of a larger announcement of $3.75 million in grants to six Minnesota organizations to connect Minnesota’s opportunity youth with services and support that will lead to careers in high demand, like IT, health care, construction and manufacturing. The project, Opportunity Reboot, targets youth ages 14-24 who are either homeless, in foster care, involved in the juvenile justice system or disconnected from school and work. An additional focus is on building social-emotional skills to strengthen education and career outcomes. “We are very pleased to support the I-BEST model that the Initiative Foundation and Sauk Rapids School District will be implementing with disconnected youth,” commented Marcus Pope, Youthprise Director of Partnerships and External Relations. “The combination of mentoring, internships and career guidance will open up new career pathways for youth in central Minnesota. In the face of a 40 percent reduction in federal funding for youth workforce development, these Opportunity Reboot grants are greatly needed to help reduce economic disparities in our state.” In addition to the Initiative Foundation, Àve other organizations from Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth and NorthÀeld were selected in total to receive 3-year grants ranging from $193,000 to $234,000 annually. Funded organizations are implementing evidence-based models and utilizing a career pathways approach. The goal is to build the evidence on which models are most successful in reaching disconnected youth so they can be brought to scale so more youth can beneÀt. Youthprise received requests of more than $71 million from 23 organizations statewide. Using a peer review panel process, Youthprise engaged individuals from the community, youth workers, youth and foundation partners to recommend projects. Key partners in the project – Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) – OfÀce of Youth Development, Search Institute and the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota (MPM) also participated in the review. This funding opportunity was made possible through a 3-year $3 million Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grant to Youthprise for Opportunity Reboot. SIF is an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service that is focused on improving the lives of people in low-income communities throughout the United States.
Sauk Rapids, Benton County, Minnesota 56379
(USPS 482-240)
April 28, 2016
A continuation of the Frontiersman, The Free Press, Sauk Rapids Sentinel and St. Cloud Sentinel.
“Giving back is the best gift” Myers selected Citizen of the Year by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS — April Myers knows everything about service. It’s no wonder she was selected Citizen of the Year. Over 50 people gathered to celebrate Myers and her accomplishments. Mayor Brad Gunderson proclaimed April 25, 2016 as April Myers Day in the city of Sauk Rapids and declared her ofÀcial 2016 title this past Monday. “I was speechless when I found out. I literally had lost all my words,” said Myers of the announcement, which came only a week earlier. “I feel so honored and privileged to receive this award. I’m blessed, but it takes a village.” And she should know. For “the village” is what nurtured Myers’ giving qualities from a young age. “I’ve always been brought up by my parents to serve others and give back to the community. I’ve always enjoyed volunteering. I just want to make a difference,” Myers said. “They taught me that giving back is the best gift you can give to others.” Myers grew up in the communities of Crosby-Ironton,
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
April Myers has been selected as the 2016 Sauk Rapids Citizen of the Year. Myers is an avid volunteer and employed as the Good Shepherd Housing Director.
where her parents and siblings participated in service activities throughout the area. At an early age she recognized how helping others Àlled her with joy. From hanging Áags on light-posts to serving luteÀsk at church dinners, her family was always lending a helping hand and going above and beyond to make a difference in others’ lives. “I’ve learned so much from participating in service activities in my youth and college years, and am still learning today. It’s so rewarding. You can learn a lot from a book, but you can learn a lot
Crash on Main Street RICE – On April 15 at approximately 7:46 p.m., the Rice Police Department responded to a vehicle crash with injuries near the intersection of W Main Street and First Ave NW. Responding ofÀcers found that Jeff Ramirez, 29 of Rice, was traveling west on Main Street on a motorcycle when he swerved to avoid colliding with another vehicle
and lost control of the motorcycle. Ramirez was wearing a helmet and was transported to the St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The Rice Fire Department, the Benton County Sheriff’s Department and Gold Cross Ambulance assisted the Rice Police Department at the scene. The incident remains under investigation.
more from volunteering and being active in your community,” she said. After receiving a job as housing director at Good Shepherd Community, Myers and her husband Scott moved to Sauk Rapids. Raising their daughter Megan here, they have called the city home for over 24 years. The family belongs to Living Waters Lutheran Church where Myers has been a conÀrmation mentor and volunteered in many church activities. She’s participated in supporting the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School marching band, choir,
theatre, debate and speech organizations through chaperoning and fundraising. Myers has extended her reach to others through the Sauk Rapids Community Education Advisory Council, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, and the Great River (SartellSauk Rapids) Rotary Club. In addition, she has participated in the Àve-day MS: Tram Ride for Multiple Sclerosis for more than a decade. If service was only one of Myers passions, seniors would be the next. Having a strong relationship with her grandparents when she was young, Myers has always felt drawn to the senior population. “When I’m at the mall or downtown it’s comfortable for me to strike a conversation with the seniors, knowing they have a story to tell. Maybe they want to tell that story and hopefully I can be that ear to listen to their story and their experiences,” she said. As the Good Shepherd Housing Director, Myers oversees four independent complexes in Sauk Rapids and one in Becker. She received the 2010 Senior Housing Leadership Award and was selected above all other housing directors in the state by Aging Services of Minnesota. “I look at this [job], as not coming to work but coming to a lifestyle,” Myers said. “It’s so rewarding. Good Shepherd is a family within a family and I’ve learned so much from our tenants. They are the best teachers.” Working with the elderly has taught Myers to show
gratitude and to have a general respect for people. She’s also learned how easy it is to make a difference in someone’s life. Knowing how rewarding it has been to serve others, she has passed the baton to her own daughter. “She’s always taught me to serve others and strive to reach out beyond my comfort levels to help those in need,” said Megan. “She taught me to be polite, hospitable, loving, caring and to be a good person in general.” Much-like her youth in Crosby-Ironton, the Myers have volunteered and made a difference throughout the Sauk Rapids community—together. “My family is so important to me. I couldn’t do this volunteer work without the support of Scott and Megan. They’ve been exceptional. We volunteer as a family. If I need a back-up, they’re there. Creating memories together and getting to know other people through serving has really helped us become a part of Sauk Rapids.” But regardless of her involvement, Myers remains humble suggesting the award goes to everyone who is putting forth effort in others’ lives. “When you help and give back to others in your community you make a difference,” she said. “Giving back makes my heart warm and knowing I had an impact is so rewarding. You’ll never know who has seen you and what matters is not who noticed. You made the difference—and that’s huge.”
Teacher
Appreciation
Week
Showing our appreciation for our local teachers.
May 2-5, 2016 Congratulations teachers Stanley Berg, Rebecca Christie, Jane Ellison, Tom Isaacson and Patricia Mondloch on your retirement!
See section C
Fulfilling his dream
Voss wins big on the Price is Right game show by MISSY MUSSMAN STAFF WRITER
RICE – Since Sept. 4, 1972, Terry Voss has been a dedicated fan of “The Price is Right.” “I’ve been watching it since it started,” Terry said. “I’ve always wished I could be on the show.” But the April 18, 2016 episode is the one Terry will remember the most since he was a winning contestant on the show. “We thought it would be fun to take a road trip and to be in the audience of the show,” Terry said. Sheila and Terry ordered guaranteed tickets for the Àlming of “The Price is Right” on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26. “We wanted to get tickets for both days just in case we didn’t get on the Àrst time,” Sheila said. The Vosses luck began early on their trip. They stayed in hotel rooms with
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Terry Voss (right), pictured with his wife, Sheila, won a trip to Scotland and other prizes on the show, “The Price is Right”, which aired on April 18.
the numbers 317 and 307 before they arrived at the Price is Right studio where Terry’s audience number was 017. “When I we had three sevens in a row, I knew something was happening,” Terry said. Terry and Sheila wore
their t-shirts they had specially made for the show saying “All the way from Rice, Let us guess the price!” with a map of Minnesota in the back. Prior to the Àlming, Sheila and Terry stood in line with 300 people to go
through a screening process. “They interview you before hand,” Sheila said. After a lengthy interview process, the staff took the Vosses information down, held on to their cell phones, gave them their name tags and directed them to their
seats. “I was hoping we could sit in the middle, so I could see myself when it aired, but they put us way on the left side of the audience in the second row,” Terry said. “I thought we were in the worst spot.” When he took his seat, Terry got his name tag caught on something, ripping a small section of the name tag. “As soon as that happened, a staff member came over and said he needed a new one,” Sheila said. “I was surprised. I think they had their contestants picked before hand, but we didn’t think anything of it at the time.” Once everyone was seated, the crew began Àlming the show and started calling contestants down to bid on the prizes. “Neither of us were called during the Àrst half of the show,” Terry said. But as luck would have it during the second half of the show, the announcer, George Gray, said the words Terry had been dreaming of
Voss continued on pg. 2