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“Minnesota’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper” Vol. 162, No. 4
Sauk Rapids, Benton County, Minnesota 56379
A continuation of the Frontiersman, The Free Press, Sauk Rapids Sentinel and St. Cloud Sentinel.
Circle left, circle right
Rice Elementary students learn dance
(USPS 482-240)
May 5, 2016
d o o h r e h t o m
Grateful for Children fulÀll Swenson’s dream m by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Cristina Seaborn, of St. Cloud, is a Central Minnesota Arts Board instructor teaching the art of barn dance calling and movements at Rice Elementary. by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE – Kaleidoscope. With only this single word, memories Áood of bright, colorful patterns, twisting, changing, but always remaining in sync. Kaleidoscope. For Cristina Seaborn, this is the perfect word to describe the experience of a community barn dance. “There are patterns when you’re in the band on stage. You see all the different groups doing the same dances. It’s amazing,” Seaborn said For the past month Seaborn, a teaching artist com-
pleting a Central Minnesota Arts Board residency at Rice Elementary, has been instructing the school’s students in barn dance and training its music and physical education teachers in the art of dance calling. In less than a week’s time, those same students will have the opportunity to pass on their knowledge at the Rice Elementary community barn dance on the evening of May 10. “I feel like barn dances are such a community builder,” Seaborn said. “You can have grandmas and little kids and all ages in between
Seaborn continued on pg. 3
Rice gains farmers’ market by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE — As the city of Rice continues to grow, residents will have a new opportunity to sell and shop local. The Rice City Council approved a large gathering permit for the Rice Women of Today Farmers’ Market which is set to be open Tuesdays 4-6:30 p.m. June through September. The market will take place in the public parking lot and park across from Rice Automotive Service and Shady’s Railside on Division Street N. The Àrst event date is set for June 7. In other council news: - Approved resolution 050216-01 accepting a $2,000 donation from Watab Town-
ship to Rice Recreation for equipment. - Approved ordinance 2016-03 accepting the franchise agreement between Northern State Power [doing business as Xcel Energy] and the city of Rice. - Approved resolution 050216-02 authorizing publication of ordinance 2016-03. - Approved a three-year building ofÀcial contract with Nancy Scott of AllSpec Services, LLC. - Thanked Ken Nodo for his time spent seeding the park area to the west of the ballÀelds. This area will be watered until the new grass takes strong hold. - Approved MCI Carpet One to replace the Áooring in the men’s bathroom at city hall.
WATAB TOWNSHIP — As a young girl, being a mom was Laura Swenson’s only dream. Everything in sight, right down to the orange juice cartons at the local market, became her babies. She grew up in a funloving family of eight. Motherhood was her one aspiration and if you look to her past, it’s easy to see how it’s shaped Swenson’s present and future. “We were the KoolAid house growing up—my house was the neighborhood hangout. My mom did the baking, while Dad was outside rounding up kids for games,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who’s made more chocolate chip cookies than my mom.” Swenson’s childhood home had a swinging door much like her house today. Along with her husband Randall, the Swensons have opened their home and hearts to 10 children of their own, over 50 foster children and many more travelers and exchange students along the way. But their journey hasn’t been easy. Having wanted babies her entire life, the gift of children became even more precious to Swenson when her dream was abruptly swept away in a Àrst-trimester miscarriage. Swenson had already grown to a woman
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Swensons – (from left) Willem, Randall, Laura, Ireland, Isabella, Aidan and Georgianna – have used the loss in their life to focus on gratefulness and open their home to even more children.
of strong faith by this time, so she put her trust in the Lord and moved ahead. She became pregnant with her second child and because of her prior loss, the midwife thought it important for Swenson to hear the heartbeat. “I remember the tears just rolling down my face as I heard the heartbeat for the Àrst time,” Swenson said. “To hear life, it was amazing to me.” The Swensons went on, having Àve healthy babies in a row in the comforts of their home — Isabella, now 20, Aidan, 17, Ireland, 14, Willem, 12, and Georgianna, 10. But it was after Georgianna, that the family’s faith was put
to test once again. Two years after Georgianna’s birth, Swenson became pregnant with twins. The Àrst baby did not survive and was miscarried early in the pregnancy. “As a family, we had just Ànished reading the book of Job. For those familiar, Job loses his family — not one baby, but his entire family –and remains strong and praises the Lord. I looked at the death of the Àrst twin as our chance to put word into practice. We had a choice to make. We could be angry or we could be grateful,” Swenson said. The Swenson’s chose gratefulness and their joy was never more apparent than on the day the second twin Emmanuelle Patience was born. The Swensons understood their little girl and sister could have easily been miscarried as well and were jubilant in her birth. But after less than three weeks on Earth with her family, Emmanuelle died in her mother’s arms due to heart and lung complications. “I had no idea anything was wrong at Àrst. But I’m glad I didn’t know because I feel like my time with her was so genuine and wonderful. It was joyful because we weren’t aware,” Swenson said. “As hard as it was going through the hospital stay and death, I feel like she was a gift. I would take a gift for three weeks than not PHOTO SUBMITTED take a gift at all. If someone Laura Swenson (left) believes her mother Joan Vos exempliÀed is blessing me with somethe joy of motherhood to her at a young age. thing, it’s not in my power to
choose how long I have it. The preciousness of her life was so real to us. We knew she could have been miscarried too. So to even get her for that little bit was a miracle.” Swenson continued to have two additional miscarriages after Emmanuelle, but losing her own children has opened her doors to others and caused her to reÁect on the little blessings that suffering can bring. “Emmanuelle changed our lives forever. I had always said I wanted at least 10. Double digits sounded like a full and happy quiver. And I got 10 — I just didn’t know I would only parent Àve,” Swenson said. “Choosing to be grateful will help life in the long run. Life is going to have the good, the bad and the ugly, but a good outlook is going to help.” Over time, the Swensons joined a foster-to-adopt program and have welcomed over 50 children into their home for as little as one night or as long as eighteen months. Swenson believes Emmanuelle’s short time with the family has helped them realize they are not in the driver’s seat of control. “She was the best foster-care training I could have,” Swenson said. “God brings them and God takes them. If I can’t allow the Lord to move my own child on in his timing, how much
Swenson continued on pg. 3
Trusting the process Grant helps publicize local authors work by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS — Writing is an art-form like all others. It doesn’t simply happen and it can’t be forced. One does not choose to be a writer, but rather words choose you. “There’s a point at which the book starts talking back to you,” said local author Kirstin Bratt about the process of novel writing. “People talk about it in a spiritual way and it’s a common phenomenon, but for me, I know it’s created inside. There’s a point where my books start pulling me out of my normal life—whether I’m in a waiting room or I’m asleep. They take me out, wake me up and I know I have to write. I can’t do anything else but write.” Bratt, a Sauk Rapids-Rice
High School graduate, was awarded a Central Minnesota Arts Board and McKnight Foundation Emerging Artist award earlier this year for her newly published book, “Flying Goats in Agadir.” One of seven artists across Stearns and Benton counties to receive the honor, Bratt was gifted $3,000 to help publicize her work. “I’m super grateful. It’s a huge amount of money and a big help. Without funding for promotion, a book can sit. A book can just sit, and no one will ever read it. That can happen,” Bratt said. Having published other books before “Flying Goats in Agadir,” Bratt isn’t quick to discredit the works she created in her younger years. In fact, she claims the 1986 Sauk Rapids-Rice yearbook as her
Àrst published book. “It was such a huge project and so important because it was super public,” Bratt said. “I knew everyone was really going to read it, and it was different than writing for teachers. I think I grew leaps and bounds during the years I was involved with yearbook.” After graduation, Bratt expanded her education and experiences. She received her doctorate in English pedagogy from Northern Arizona University and has lived and taught in numerous places spanning outside the country including New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Pennsylvania, the U.S.-Mexican border and even Cuernavaca, Mexico. But it was Bratt’s experience
Bratt continued on pg. 3
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Kirstin Ruth Bratt recently published and launched her book “Flying Goats in Agadir,” after receiving a Central Minnesota Arts Board Emerging Artist award. Bratt’s historical Àction novel is set in the Morocco where she worked for two summers.