PRSRT STD ECR U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #861
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379
“Minnesota’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper” Vol. 162, No. 19
Student registration A meeting will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 23rd for ninth – 12th grade students new to the Sauk Rapids-Rice District who have not yet registered. Students will learn about school policies and activities, tour the school, and register for classes. The meeting will begin promptly at 9:30 a. m. and should end by 11:30 a.m. A parent(s) must accompany the student . Prior to the meeting, please complete the online enrollment form. To begin the process, visit: www.isd47.org/register The high school is located at 1835 Osauka Road NE – please use the main entrance – Door No. 1. If you have questions, call (320) 253-4700.
Grant approved by ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
Sauk Rapids, Benton County, Minnesota 56379
A continuation of the Frontiersman, The Free Press, Sauk Rapids Sentinel and St. Cloud Sentinel.
(USPS 482-240)
August 18, 2016
Collecting with age
Neskes’ cars span over 60 years by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS — Over 15,000 automobile enthusiasts will visit the Benton County Fairgrounds on Sunday, Aug. 21 to view approximately 600 entries at the St. Cloud Antique Auto Club’s Pantowners Car Show and Swap Meet. Some will be hoping for a trophy, others will be scoping new ideas and restoration techniques, a few will be searching for that speciÀc part amongst the swap meet materials and a majority will be attending simply for the thrill of seeing these works of art on display. “I love the people,” said Nancy Zupan, this year’s car show chair. “Just seeing their reaction to the different cars.” The event, which is held from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., features automobiles from as
PHOTOS BY NATASHA BARBER SAUK RAPIDS – The Phil and Barb Neske, of Sauk Rapids, are avid car collectors and members of the St. Cloud Antique Auto Club. Here they Sauk Rapids-Rice School stand next to their 1926 Model T Roadster. Board has discussed the Youthprise grant prior to sumearly as 1919 on up to mod- author of “Lost Muscle Cars.” picking a favorite isn’t so Chevy El Camino. mer vacation, but at the Aug. “We’ve had other cars Zupan, who doesn’t own easy. els from 1984. Snowmobiles, 15 board meeting, the grant too, but we’ve sold some,” “We really don’t have a a collector car herself, has almotorcycles and pedal bikes was ofÀcially approved for will also be displayed on the ways been partial to the 1957 favorite,” Phil Neske said, Phil said. the district. Cars have been an interest grounds along with a book Chevys, but for some of the trying to decide between the The Youthprise grant is for Phil since he was in high seven collector cars on his members of the auto club, signing by Wes Eisenschenk, $618,000 in funding, spanschool, but the Neskes didn’t property in Sauk Rapids. “But ning over three years, to help we like convertibles. We usu- begin pursuing their collecprovide opportunities for stually put the tops down in the tion until after retiring. dents ages 14 and older in an “We had two collector spring and they don’t go back alternative learning setting. cars before when we were up until fall.” Sauk Rapids-Rice is the only Sheltered under car cov- farming, but we didn’t redistrict to receive the grant. ers and the darkness of build- ally have time to enjoy them,” In other school board news: ings, Phil and Barb Neske Barb said. After Phil’s son Scott, • The board’s “Truth in own automobiles which span Taxation” hearing will take eras. They currently own a who now lives in Canada, place Dec. 9. 1925 Ford Model T Touring, went to school for bodywork • Approved non-certiÀed a 1926 Model T Roadster, a and opened a shop on the agreements. 1959 Chevrolet Impala Sport Neske property, Phil and Barb • Approved a Àve-year Coupe, a 1963 Cadillac El- were able to expand using partnership with Bemidji dorado, a 1969 Pontiac GTO, Scott’s talents in trade. Rather State University, which will a 1969 Chevy Z11 Camaro Neske allow the university’s students This 1969 Pontiac GTO was the car which took the most to restore because it had a lot of rust Indy 500 Pace Car and a 1986 continued on pg. 3 to complete a portion of their and Bondo® body Àller. It has 14 coats of paint on the body. student teaching/Àeld experience with the district.
Lake association reveals plan for future by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE — Roughly 100 people gathered under the sun at the Lakeview Center Aug. 13 for the Little Rock Lake Association Annual Meeting and Picnic at Benton Beach Park. But the meeting held more than a meal and yearly Ànancials. It also included a presentation of the LRLA’s Strategic Plan. “We’re all about restoring the health of the lake and reducing the phosphorus in the lake. That’s our main goal,” said newly-inducted LRLA President Kellie Gallagher before the event. Gallagher, who has owned a cabin on the lake for about four years after purchasing her property from her parents, began the presentation with a personal connection. “I would like to preserve the lake for my kids. I would like to pass the legacy on,” Gallagher said. “I am very passionate about cleaning this lake up. I remember in August being able to jump off the dock and swim on inner-tubes and Áoaties. I can’t do that anymore. I want to change that. I want all of us to be able to do that in August.” The LRLA President went on to unveil the three main imperatives the association would be focusing on in coming years. This included phosphorus reduction in the lake but also aims at increasing membership to the association, as well as, outreach and education to both residents and agricultural organizations. At this time the Little Rock Lake Association has members from about 42 per-
PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
When Sharon Popp isn’t working in her many gardens, she likes to relax and sit in the swing amongst her garden, looking around at her work in progress. PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Maureen Graber (left) passed her role as Little Rock Lake Association President onto Kellie Gallagher on Aug. 13 at the LRLA Annual Meeting and Picnic.
cent of the homes which border either Little Rock Lake or its channel to the Mississippi River. They are looking to increase membership to 75 percent in order to appear more viable and attract increased grant and federal funding. One of the strategies to drive new members was the reformation of the group’s bylaws. In the past only residents within a Àve mile radius of the lake were allowed to participate in the group. However, the board of directors decided to open membership to anyone in the 67,650 acre watershed in Benton and Morrison Counties. “We’ve got to build a sense of community to build our membership and get the lake healthy. It’s going to take every one of us,” said LRLA Vice President Mary Kivi. “Numbers create a sense of
purpose and then the group has focus. Without those numbers, grantees will not consider us credible.” Gallagher stressed the importance of the partnerships already made with government agencies and communities over the last four years. Those partnerships resulted in over $1.1 million in state, federal or grant funding for the watershed area. The LRLA has joined with Benton County and Morrison County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Department of Natural Resources, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, as well as, the farming and lake communities to implement best management practices in the surrounding
A life dedicated to buds and blossoms by ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
RICE – Sharon Popp has always been in the garden, planting Áowers, weeding or rearranging. At her home, she has names for her different gardens. “There’s the crescent garden, the tractor garden, the gnome garden and more,” Popp said. “They’re really just simple names, but it’s how we tell them apart.” Popp and her husband, Chuck, haven’t always been at the house they live in now. In fact, they were dairy farmers for 30 years, only a few miles down the road. They milked 90 cows, as well as taking care of sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens and Little Rock Lake Assoc. a horse, in addition to growing corn, soybeans and hay. continued on pg. 2 After their farming du-
ties, Popp went to her Áower garden. “It was my stress relief after a night in the barn,” Popp said. But the Áowers she had then were nothing compared to what she has now. “I only had one garden there. Here I have seven or eight,” Popp said. When the farm was sold 12 years ago, the new owners didn’t want the Áower garden, so it came with to their current home. “They didn’t want the responsibility of taking care of it, so we brought it with. It took a couple pickup loads to get it all here,” Popp said. “Those Áowers make up the biggest percentage of what we have here now.” It’s in her free time, on the evenings and weekends,
when Popp is in her gardens. But she’s fortunate to take her hobby to work too. Popp is in her seventh season as a master gardener, working at the Munsinger Garden in St. Cloud. “I’ve always loved Áowers, so when we moved from the farm, I wanted something different to do,” Popp said. “It just made sense to become a master gardener.” Working at Munsinger is very different from working in her gardens at home. At work, she deals with Áowers and plants that do well in the shade. At home, she has mostly sun. “It really is different. I learn something new about plants and Áowers every day,” Popp said.
Munsinger continued on pg. 2