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7 Second Avenue Sauk Rapids, MN 56379
“Minnesota’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper” Vol. 161, No. 50
Sauk Rapids, Benton County, Minnesota 56379
A continuation of the Frontiersman, The Free Press, Sauk Rapids Sentinel and St. Cloud Sentinel.
A new face in town
(USPS 482-240)
March 24, 2016
The hunt is on
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
OfÀcer Brent Curtis was ofÀcially sworn in to the Rice Police Department at the city council meeting March 21.
Curtis sworn into police department by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE — The city of Rice will have a new face keeping its street safe within the next few weeks. Mayor Dale Rogholt, Police Chief Ross Hamann, members of the city council and the community welcomed OfÀcer Brent Curtis to the Rice Police Department at the regular meeting March 21. According to Hamann, Curtis comes to the department with extensive experience and will be a great addition to the department and the city of Rice. During the meeting, the council also heard an audit presentation given by John Archer of Schlenner, Wenner & Company. Archer reported the city of Rice took in a total of roughly $775,000 in revenue when they had budgeted for $810,000 in 2015. The approximate difference of $35,000 was due to fewer building licenses and permits issued in the calendar year. Regardless of this, the city still made headway in 2015 and its end of year cash Áow and income increased compared to years prior. The city received a good report from Schlenner, Wenner & Co. on management. Archer said the city receives a letter each year with advice to improve their audit. “You did a lot of work this
year,” Archer said. “All but one small recommendation has been taken care of from last year’s letter and there are no issues with complying to Minnesota statutes this year.” According to the Àrm, the city should still consider a budget for the revolving loan fund, but all other advice has been taken. In other council news: - Approved recognizing the May 5 as the National Day of Prayer - Adopted resolution 032116-01 accepting a $500 donation to Rice Fire and Rescue from Klaphake Fertilizer, Inc. - Approved a large gathering permit for Shady’s Railside for a bean bag tournament with live music by Switch on June 6, 2016. - Approved ball Àeld signage and a liquor license for SofTball, Inc. - Announced a survey enlisting community input on the future of the city’s parks has been added to the city website as of Monday. Hard copies are available at city hall and Janski’s Grocery. - Electrical contractor Kris Holmen spoke to the city regarding an energy saving audit and installation savings process through Sundance Energy Solutions and Energy Surety Partners. The council plans on researching the subject further before deciding whether it would beneÀt the city to partake in a cost-free audit.
more photos available at www.saukrapidsherald.com Once all the age groups h had d th their i tturns, all ll children hild were welcomed l db back k iinto t th the area tto pick i k th through h th the grass ffor candy d one last time at the Easter event at Watab Town Hall March 20.
American Legion sponsors Easter event at Watab Town Hall by NATASHA BARBER iary has promoted for over 20 years. Up until the last four STAFF WRITER
WATAB TOWNSHIP – Families and children of all ages made their way to the Watab Town Hall on Palm Sunday to greet the Easter bunny, participate in craftmaking projects and look for candy scattered throughout traditional Easter grass. Over 100 people attended the event which the Rice American Legion Post No. 473 and its auxil-
years, the event was held at the Old Village Hall in Rice. Post No. 473 donates the candy for the event and the auxiliary coordinates, plans and executes the event. Children are divided into age groups and are each given a set time to look for candy before combining to Ànd any remaining hidden pieces. In addition to PHOTOS BY NATASHA BARBER the search-and-Ànd, children Olivia Velasquez, 4, of Rice, makes an Easter craft at the were able to make Easter or- Watab Town Hall March 20. naments to take home.
Prow Ànalist for Hobey Baker Award The list of accolades keeps growing for Sauk Rapids graduate Ethan Prow. The senior defenseman for the St. Cloud State Huskies is a now a top 10 Ànalist for Ethan Prow the Hobey Baker Award, given to college hockey’s top player. Prow, who leads the Huskies into the NCAA tournament where they will open play against Ferris State, also has been named the NCHC Player of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, Offensive Defenseman of the Year, All-First Team NCHC, and NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team. Prow has eight goals and
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Ethan Prow is a top 10 Ànalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Prow is the captain of the SCSU hockey team and a Sauk Rapids graduate.
29 assists on the season for the Huskies and has a plus-32 rating. The ten Hobey Baker Ànalists were selected by voting from all 60 Division I
college hockey head coaches and by online fan balloting. The 27-member selection committee and an additional round of fan balloting through the Hobey Facebook
page from March 1727 will determine this year’s Hobey Baker winner. Criteria for the award include: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements. Prow becomes the sixth SCSU player in team history to be selected as a top 10 Hobey Baker Award Ànalist. The Hobey Hat Trick (three Ànalists) will be announced on March 31, 2016 and the Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced Friday, April 8, 2016 from Tampa, FL during the NCAA Frozen Four. The announcement will be televised live on the NHL Network and can be followed on the Hobey Baker website at 6:00 p.m. ET.
Urban Moose Brewing Co. breaks ground
SAUK RAPIDS — Ground-breaking ceremonies for Urban Moose Brewing Co. were held Monday. The new 6,700-square-foot facility will open in the previous American Legion building at 415 N Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids. The renovations will be completed by Boser Construction, Inc. and will include a roof-top patio, elevator and stairway. “I can’t tell you how excited I am,” said Roy Dodds, owner of Urban Moose Brewing Co. and Flying Pig Pizza, who faced many hurdles through the planning process. “I’ve never lost faith in my concept. I’ve never felt like we were defeated, it was always just a new challenge.” Dodd’s brew-pub concept originally stemmed from a previous employer who never saw success in developing a chain of brewery restaurants. As the craft beer industry grew, so did Dodd’s idea and the paradigm was brewed by October 2013. “When we opened Flying Pig Pizza, we always knew there would be something
else, whether it was take-out or sit-down dining,” Dodds said. Urban Moose Brewery Co. will offer an expanded pizza menu, including individualized classic Italian Neapolitan pies, and drive their menu toward lighter, healthier fare. “We will serve salads, sandwiches and small-plates. Think of pork or steak sliders. All small plates will be four ounce portions of meat, seafood or foul. We want to drive our menu in a healthier way and also create a customer driven experience where people can pair different menu selections in a variety of ways,” Dodds said. The 15-barrel tap room and bar will offer 12 selections of Urban Moose Brewing Co. beer, which will be available exclusively from the venue. They’ll only serve their own craft brews, but will offer wine and cocktails as well. Dodds hasn’t announced his craft-brewer yet, but he ensures the person selected has a passion and creativity
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Urban Moose Brewing Co. held a ground-breaking ceremony March 21. Boser Construction, Inc. and Urban Moose Brewing Co. owner Roy Dodds will begin renovation with plans to open in the former American Legion building this summer.
for beer which parallels his own desires for great foods. Unique to the area, Urban Moose Brewing Co. will offer roof-top seating for approximately 30 people. In addition, they will have a variety of seating options at the lower level which will include semiprivate booths, high-tops and
soft-seating for dining near a Àreplace. The restaurant will hold about 90 guests and the taproom will be available for private-event style dining for around 125 people with room for more depending on arrangements. The brew-pub will look to employ as many as 50 people
and will deliver their entire menu as well as their pizzas. Flying Pig Pizza will be moving into the location and the business will also be able to deliver growlers of Urban Moose Brewing Co. beer. Dodds is currently awaiting his federal brewing license,
but hopes to open sometime this summer. “There’s no concrete timeline of when our license will be available. It could take three months or it could take nine. Our goal is to have the license by the time the system is installed,” Dodds said.