Progress 2023: Community

Albert Lean Darryl Meyer grew up as the son of a preacher, learning early on to take the Scripture seriously that explains that whom much is given, much is expected.

It’s with that mindset that Meyer selected his career in social work and human services, serving the most vulnerable, and about 17 years into his retirement, he continues to serve many in need in other ways.

“We’ve felt we were blessed, and I see the commitment, the direction that says, ‘go and do though likewise,’” he said.

It is for this mindset and the

WHAT’S INSIDE?

impact Meyer continues to have on the Albert Lea community that he was selected as the Tribune’s 2023 Citizen of the Year.

Though he retired as Freeborn County Department of Human Services director in 2006, he has picked up numerous volunteer efforts, including delivering meals through Meals on the Go, unloading food for the Ecumenical Food Pantry, serving through the Albert Lea Daybreakers Kiwanis Club and working on boards or advisory committees for St. John’s Lutheran Community and Youth For Christ.

Darryl Meyer has overseen the book program for Albert Lea’s Kiwanis clubs and for many years also oversaw the program for about 25 total clubs in the region. The Kiwanis organization works with Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation to receive the books and then Kiwanians read the books to preschool and kindergarten students. Here, he stands in the Brookside Education Center annex, where the books are stored for the Albert Lea clubs. SARAH STULTZ/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

“We’ve felt we were blessed, and I see the commitment, the direction, that says ‘go and do though likewise.’

— Darryl Meyer

By SARAH STULTZ sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

Meyer inserts information about the book program into books that will be distributed to children in the next few months.

CITIZEN

Continued from Front Page

Meyer moved to Minnesota in the 1960s, working as a social worker in Clearwater County. He said it was in that position that he learned from another social worker — who was a member of the White Earth tribe — much about relationship building and to not take himself so seriously.

After that, he worked as a school social worker out of Crookston and worked as a liaison for Native American families whose children started attending the public schools following the closure of the Native American school there. He said it was a tremendous learning experience.

“I’m sure I learned more from it than any other good I might have done,” Meyer said.

At the same time, he started helping out more at his church as his pastor had cancer and he began reading Scripture to the congregation and even sharing the message. He also filled in for a three-month period for a neighboring pastor who oversaw a four-point parish.

“That kind of sunk into me, so as we went to other places along the way, we looked for things that hadn’t been done,” Meyer said.

Next, he moved to the southwest corner of the state and helped establish one of the first rural child protection teams in the state. He also helped start a summer youth project there.

He moved to Albert Lea in 1984, where he started working for Freeborn County.

He said he was introduced to Robin and Greg Gudal, who were licensed foster parents.

Robin Gudal said he listened to them and cared, and she appreciated his leadership as they fostered for over 10 years.

When Meyer retired, they connected with him again as leaders of South Central Minnesota Youth for Christ. She said they

Members of the Albert Lea Citizen of the Year Selection Committee

were about to begin a large undertaking of remodeling the basement of The Rock downtown.

“I can’t even begin to report how many Mrs. Gerry’s large potato salad buckets of cement were hammered out and hauled up the steps,” she said. “He

Darryl Meyer folds an information sheet about the Kiwanis book reading program to insert into a book. The books will then be distributed to local preschool and kindergarten students. SARAH STULTZ/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

The books are housed in the annex to the Brookside Education Center before they are distributed.

A.L. family-owned business enters 3rd generation ownership

By Sarah Stultz sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

A third generation is at the helm of Kelley Plumbing Heating & Cooling in Albert Lea.

Jeff Kelley, who took over the business about a year ago from his father, Dave Kelley, said he has been a part of the company since he was a child, helping his father and grandfather, Carl Kelley, who started the business in 1969 — the same year he was born.

As a teenager, he said he helped out a lot with what he described as “the grunt work,” such as handing his father and grandfather the tools while they did the main work. But in the process, he also had a lot of on-the-job training as a plumber.

He learns so much that he has been a licensed plumber for over 30 years. He also went to school for

heating and air conditioning in the 1980s.

“It’s the only job I’ve ever done,” Jeff Kelley said.

Dave Kelley said he started working for an uncle during high school and after graduation started working full time. One thing led to another, and he and his father decided to start their own business.

Kelley Plumbing Heating & Cooling runs the full gamut of work, whether it be new construction,

remodeling or plumbing problems that come up for a homeowner. Jeff Kelley said recently, they have done a lot of bathroom and kitchen updates.

He said the business mainly serves Freeborn and Mower counties, and he estimated they served an about 30-mile radius around Albert Lea.

Kelley leads a small team of a few plumbers and a receptionist out of the building at 923 S. Broadway Ave., where they have been since 1973.

When he’s not working, he said he enjoys going places and seeing things, whether that be a weekend trip or a vacation. He and his wife, Amy, have two children, Paige and Austen.

Kelley Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays but does emergency after-hours calls on request.

Jeff Kelley, second from left, took over Kelly Plumbing Heating & Cooling from his father Dave Kelley, at left. Here the two men stand with other employees with the company. SARAH STULTZ/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

“It’s the only job I’ve ever done.”

— Jeff Kelley, owner of Kelley Plumbing Heating & Cooling

Continued from Page 2 showed up every day for over a year and worked tirelessly, even learning new skills he had never attempted. He was a godsend to say it lightly. We would never have completed it in the timeframe or as well done without him, that I know.”

Greg Gudal said Meyer has served on the board of directors for at least two terms and has helped with fundraisers of all kinds, including banquets and peach sales each year. He is also the head trustee for the Youth for Christ Endowment Fund and serves on the Albert Lea Youth for Christ Community Support Team.

Other nominees this year for Albert Lea Citizen of the Year

“He has been such a blessing in helping kids in Albert Lea and beyond,” Greg Gudal said. Meyer also served on the board at St. John’s Lutheran Community, including as chairman during the construction of the organization’s new Fountain Lake campus,

and now serves on an advisory committee there. Meyer said he first joined the Kiwanis organization in the 1970s and joined the Daybreakers Club in Albert Lea in 2006 after his retirement. He led a project for about 25 other Kiwanis Clubs in the region from 2013 to 2021 working with Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation to obtain books to distribute to local preschool and kindergarten students. Though he no longer oversees the project for the region, he leads the effort with the Albert Lea clubs, working with representatives from other clubs to line up times to prepare the books for distribution and then to read in the classrooms at three public

school districts, two private schools and other child care centers. Through the Daybreakers Club he also helps bag and sell kettle corn as a fundraiser for the club and has worked as liaison up until last year for his club to the Aktion Club, a service club affiliated with Kiwanis for adults with disabilities.

He has delivered meals to eight to 12 people one day a week through Meals on the Go for at least 10 years and is also involved with Trinity Lutheran Church, where he is a member.

Eileen Woyen, pastor of the church, said Meyer serves the church as a Holy Communion assistant and reads the lessons and shares in their prayers.

“Darryl has a gift for sharing

God’s Word,” Woyen said. “Darryl’s voice and presentation of the Scripture and our prayers is inspirational and assists in our understanding.”

She said Meyer’s passion for others and serving God is evident in his daily life. He is also involved in several other efforts outside of the community through Minnesota Teen Challenge for people struggling with addictions and Camp Hill Village Minnesota for adults with developmental disabilities. He has also sponsored the education of several youth in other countries over the years and has even taken part in efforts in other countries.

Meyer and his wife, Jo, have two children and one grandchild.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Senior Resources director loves helping people

By Alex Guerrero alex.guerrero@albertleatribune.com

April Schuur’s job keeps her busy.

“I oversee the programs for our seniors of Freeborn County,” said Schuur, executive director at Senior Resources of Freeborn County. “We have four programs here.”

The programs include ride services for seniors and people who are disabled, chore services for seniors, the advocacy program and the family care program. In total, she said the five-person organization served around 600 unique clients every year, with most of them being 60 or older.

Chore services includes lawn mowing and snow removal, while the advocacy program helps people fill out paper work for Social Security, human services, those wanting to fill out applications for the energy-assistance program and the family caregivers that offer support groups and counseling.

Before joining the organization, she had worked with seniors in home health for close to 20 years, and has been in home health in some form since she was 15.

“I got involved in it because the need to have people who have empathy and to have the ability to do it and the strength to do it is so great,” she said. “Just like when we have a volunteer, when they have empathy for the people that they serve, it carries over to that person and it brightens their day. It helps lessen their depression just as it does the volunteer.”

Schuur speaks from experience, as she suffered from postpartum depression but said volunteering helped her out of it quickly.

“Working here, working with the seniors that I work with keeps me upbeat, it keeps me moving,” she said. “It’s better for me to keep coming back to work than not coming back

to work — it always keeps me happy.”

She decided to apply for the Senior Resources position after she kept seeing an ad and thinking about it.

“I have a master’s in health care administration,” she said. “I was kind of looking at jobs in that kind of area.”

Rather than working in a nursing home, she said she also thought working at a nonprofit would be more beneficial for seniors because she knew many of them wanted to stay in their homes.

“I know how much my grandparents struggled on a farm and wanted to stay in their own home, and they weren’t allowed to,” she said.

Her favorite part about her work is the people she deals with. Paperwork, on the other hand, was challenging.

“You want to put it off because you want to keep working with the clients,”

she said. She said there is no typical day for her in her job but said much of the day is spent assisting program coordinators and completing

more

Hours Schuur estimates she works on any given week

1980

Year Senior Resources started

staff and work with other nonprofits to help particular clients. She has also worked in fast food and retail, which involved customer service.

“Almost every job you work in, you work in customer service,” she said.

“If you can’t do customer service, then you really can’t do a job nowadays.”

Schuur will have been at Senior Resources of Freeborn County for two years in March.

One lesson the job has taught her: Don’t take things for granted.

“We’ve have clients that we have had for many years, and we had one that just passed away on Christmas,” she said. “She was always a delight to talk to.”

The center has also had clients who used to work for the organization.

“Seniors is a really big chunk in Freeborn County,” she said. “We don’t just serve Albert Lea, we do serve all the little towns as well.”

paperwork that may be needed for grants.

“Most days, I work a little bit on each grant that we have, whether it’s through the Area Agency

on Aging, or whether it’s through a different grant that we may have through another program.”

She will also answer calls, do counseling, coach

The organization also provides rides for medical and mental health-related appointments for younger individuals who are not wheelchair bound.

April Schuur will have spent two years with Senior Resources of Freeborn County in March. ALEX GUERRERO/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Senior Resources is in the Vitality Center at 314 S. Broadway in downtown Albert Lea.

Miles Schuur drives every day to work

NEW PRINCIPALS LEADING THE WAY AT USC

By Kelly Wassenberg news@albertleatribune.com

The road a person travels to get to the same destination can be as unique as the traveler — long and twisted, straight and narrow, as smooth as a freshly paved road or as bumpy as a well-traveled country road. Neither route is necessarily better than the other, just different. So is the case for the two new principals at United South Central School in Wells.

High School Principal

Jennifer Bye moved up to administration after serving as a teacher in the district for many years while Elementary Principal Jennifer Taylor is new to the USC family. Below is an introduction to both of them.

Jennifer Taylor

Family Taylor grew up in Marshall with her parents and three siblings. Taylor and her husband, Craig, who is a regional sales manager for Helm Agro, moved to Greensboro, North Carolina; St. Louis, Missouri, and twice to Des Moines, Iowa, before moving to Albert Lea in 2004.

“We were thrilled to be back in Minnesota with our young kids at the time and to be closer to family,” she said.

The couple has three children, Emily, William and Jacob. Emily is a senior at Minnesota State University in Mankato and will be a student teaching this January. William is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he is majoring in criminal justice. Jacob is a junior at Albert Lea Senior High School. He enjoys being on the swim team, trap shooting, and above all, he enjoys singing in the choir, Taylor said. Her three children own the Taylor Kids Pumpkin Patch on the north side of Albert Lea.

Education Taylor graduated from Marshall Senior High School in Marshall before earning her Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Southwest Minnesota State University and a Master of Science degree in special education from the University of Minnesota in Mankato.

While teaching in Albert Lea, at both the elementary and high school level, she earned her education specialist degree, pre K-12 principal licensure and

director of special education licensure. “I am a lifelong learner,” Taylor said. “I am always looking for ways to improve myself by learning new things and accepting new challenges in the name of reaching and teaching every child I encounter. I am grateful for the chance to lead a team of professionals who share the same common goal and continually strive to best meet the needs of all students at United South Central.”

Career Taylor started her position as the United South Central elementary principal on July 1, 2021. Prior to this position, she worked as a teacher for 12 years, an academic services manager at Lindenwood University and a leadership development program facilitator at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Transition

“My transition into the role of the elementary principal has been nearly seamless due to the support I have and continue to receive from the administrative team and the staff,” Taylor said.

She said her primary goal at USC is to reach and teach every student who walks through the doors.

“Evidence is strong in the elementary building for this goal because the staff understand the importance of building community, cultivating leadership skills, utilizing data and resources, creating collaborative learning environments, and above all, they are passionate about the work they do,” Taylor said.

To ensure USC has a solid Tier I foundation in academics, she said 32 staff members accepted the challenge to be trained in the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS).The LETRS journey started in September of 2022 and will continue through May of 2024. Staff are learning the why behind reading based on the science of reading.

“We are the largest cohort of teachers in a single building in the state of Minnesota working toward LETRS certification,” she said. “I could not be more proud of this team as we continue to move forward.”

One of her favorite aspects of the job is its spontaneity.

“Every new day brings new challenges, new problems and new adventures,” she said. “Redundancy is

never an issue. In addition, I have a direct hand in making a positive impact on not only the students at USC but on the teachers and staff as a whole. Collaborating with teachers, offering feedback and seeing continuous improvement are second to none. The staff at USC are incredible; they have a forward focus and are willing to implement best practices to reach and teach every student at USC.”

Outside the office

Outside of work, Taylor said she enjoys going to watch her three children compete in swimming. Her daughter swims for the Mavericks at Minnesota State University in Mankato; William swims for the Blugolds at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, and Jacob swims for the Albert Lea Tigers. She also enjoys traveling both inside and outside the United States, reading, participating in her book club, gardening and working at the Taylor Kids Pumpkin Patch.

Closing thoughts

“I was drawn to Wells and the United South Central School district because the district has something that’s truly unique and special,” Taylor said. “The incredibly strong community support is unlike anything I have ever seen with the way they get behind the students, staff, academics and sports programs. Every day is a great day to be a Rebel at USC.”

Taylor said her grit, determination and passion for education is unwavering.

“Education is the key to everything in a person’s life,” Taylor said. “Education provides stability, develops essential life and coping skills, enhances critical thinking, boosts creativity, enhances time management and aids in using logic to make decisions and interact with people. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see students grow, develop and mature while embracing learning.”

Jennifer Bye

Family

Bye is the oldest of five children and grew up on a farm near Courtland. She currently lives in the north part of USC School District in the village of Matawan.

“My husband and I have lived in Matawan for 28 years and enjoy hearing stories about our little village’s history from our neighbors.”

The couple has two

grown children who have both graduated from the USC School District. Their daughter works in St. Paul as a quality analyst, and their son works as a business manager in Pemberton.

Education Bye graduated from Nicollet High School before attending Minnesota State University in Mankato. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering, which she utilized in her position as a quality engineer at Truth Hardware in Owatonna.

While she enjoyed her job, the people she worked with and the opportunity to problem solve at her work, Bye said she always knew she wanted to work in education.

“When my son started preschool, I knew that I needed to have a career where I could be closer to home and have a more flexible schedule for my own children,” Bye said.

“That is when I started taking classes to become a teacher. I went back to MSU to get a master’s degree in teaching along with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. During that time I worked as the city clerk and treasurer for the city of Waldorf. That experience taught me much about finance and planning.”

Bye said she was fortunate enough to complete her student teaching at USC with Edna Husman, who she described as a wonderful mentor and colleague.

“She helped me to grow in the profession and inspired me to help students in many ways,” Bye said.

Career Bye taught high school and college level mathematics courses at USC as well as engineering classes through the Project Lead the Way program.

“After 20 years of teaching, I knew that I wanted to make a bigger impact in education and saw a bigger vision for the education of students,” Bye said. “I wanted to make changes that would help students to be more successful.”

As a result, Bye decided to become a principal and completed her administrative licensure requirements at Minnesota State University in Moorhead in the fall of 2022.

“It was a difficult decision to leave my teaching position in the classroom because I really enjoyed my students and helping them learn,” Bye said. “However, I knew that I

needed to accept the principal position in order to make the greater impact I wanted to make at USC. I want our students to have great opportunities that allow them to be successful academically and personally. It is my goal that USC is the best place it can be for our students, for our staff, and for our community.”

Transition

Bye applied for and was offered and accepted the position of principal when Kelly Schlaak left the position. “It was a difficult decision to leave my teaching position in the classroom because I really enjoyed my students and helping them learn,” Bye said.

“However, I knew that I needed to accept the principal position in order to make the greater impact I wanted to make at USC. I want our students to have great opportunities that allow them to be successful academically and personally.”

Bye said the transition to the new position is going very well.

“Everyone at USC has been very helpful and supportive. The administrative team has been wonderful to work with and is always willing to work to find the best solutions for our students. USC is a great community. The staff, the students and the administrative team make USC a great place to work and to learn. We have something special at USC. You can feel that positive culture and climate when you walk in the doors and walk down our hallways.”

Outside the office

When she’s not at work, Bye enjoys spending time with friends and family. She relaxes and recharges by relaxing on her patio on a warm evening, reading a good book and practicing gratitude. She spends time with nature during long walks and an occasional kayaking trip on the lake in the summer.

“I also love to travel and explore new places,” Bye said. “I always learn something new when I visit a new location.”

She casts her gaze upwards as well. She enjoys stargazing and tracking the international space station when it’s visible on a clear evening.

Closing thoughts

Bye said she couldn’t be more grateful that her position still gives her the opportunity to work with USC students. She even makes it a point to be in the hallway between classroom periods

to greet and check in with students.

“I was fortunate to have built great relationships with students when I was teaching in the classroom at USC over the years,” she said. “This has been valuable since many of the students knew me and my expectations from prior years as I stepped into the principal position. USC is fortunate to have great students. Students are the best part of my day and I look forward to interacting with them as much as possible throughout the day.”

She’s focused on keeping USC moving forward. Her goals include keeping the lines of communication open, increasing MCA scores in reading and maintaining a safe environment for students and staff.

“Goals are important and help a district to move in a positive direction,” she said, noting the importance of communication. “I write a monthly newsletter for parents and guardians to keep parents updated with information. I also send a daily email for the staff with important dates, activities and reminders. Communication is one of the primary parts of any successful organization.”

To increase Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment scores, the district is utilizing an online program called Edmentum to increase the reading comprehension skills of seventh and eighth graders.

“This is supported by teacher support and guidance,” Bye said. “We work on reading skills in each classroom at the high school level including using a program called Newsela. USC also provides training for all teachers in reading strategies for students.”

“I’m fortunate to work with a wonderful, talented and supportive staff who truly care about students and their academic success,” Bye said. “The staff at USC works hard to continually become better at the art and science of teaching. They continually learn and are using research-based methods to help students learn more effectively. The amazing educators build effective student-teacher relationships with our students that promotes student success and the desire to learn.”

“I am fully committed to the USC district and genuinely care about our students,” she said. “Each student is important and I want every student to be successful academically and successful as a citizen of our world.”

United South Central School District has two new principals at the helm this school year. Jennifer Taylor is new to the district and serves as the elementary school principal while veteran teacher Jennifer Bye has moved into the administrative position in the high school. KELLY WASSENBERG/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Retired pastor aims to fill a need as a substitute teacher

By Alex Guerrero alex.guerrero@albertleatribune.com

It’s no secret that school districts across the country are looking for substitute teachers. And for some, teaching on a substitute basis is just what employees are looking for, especially those who’ve already worked a full-time job.

John Holt is one of those people.

“One of my themes of life has been, ‘Find a hurt and heal it; find a need and fill it,’” he said.

As a member of the Albert Lea Noon Kiwanis Club and hearing a presentation about the need for substitute teachers, and talking to school board members at the time, Dave Klatt and Jill Marin, he reached out to the district.

“I love kids, and I have a little bit of experience teaching as a parish pastor, and I always loved Confirmation instruction and doing Bible study classes,” he said.

His wife served as a first-grade teacher and told him she thought he would be good at it, so he thought he would give it a try.

Holt, who retired as pastor from First Lutheran Church, found out anyone with a four-year college degree can apply for a substitute teacher’s license through the state.

Holt was approved to substitute last May and wound up teaching an elementary special education class, a third-grade class, an eighth-grade science class and a middle school special education class.

“I liked it, so I thought I’ll do that again in the fall,” he said.

A typical day of substitute teaching starts the evening before, where he may get an automated call asking if he would be interested in teaching the next day. He may even get a call the morning of.

And after reporting in at 7:30 a.m., he’ll go the office to receive instructions.

“The other teachers in that grade level are so helpful,” he said. “They’ll

come by and check on me.” But ultimately, substituting is “just teaching

classes,” and said using a smart board was similar to PowerPoint.

By the numbers 41

Years Holt served as a pastor 3

Years Holt worked full time as a certified public accountant 4

Years Holt worked part time as a CPA while going to seminary school

“It’s fun,” he said. “I find it very engaging. The day goes quickly because I’m stressing to see what I

do next and following the lesson plans very carefully, which are very clear.”

But it’s also a little different.

“It’s all-day,” he said. “It’s an eight-hour commitment.”

And that, he said, kept him engaged throughout the day. The principal and teachers may also stop by throughout the day to check on him.

While he enjoys it, he’s happy he didn’t get into teaching earlier in life, but said the experience has taught him he learns with the students he teaches.

“Even something I know, I learn it a little bit better when I teach it,” he said.

He called his work fulfilling and admitted after a day ended he wanted to do it again.

‘“I find every time I’ve substitute-taught, I’ve been thanked over and over again,” he said. “I walk in the door. They say, ‘Thank you for being a substitute teacher.’ The principal maybe will stop by and say, ‘Thank you so much for doing this.’ The other teachers will say thank you.”

“I’ll say, ‘I hear thank yous all over the school, they’re very appreciative. The other staff are very helpful.’”

He is also encouraging other people he knows who are retired to consider substitute teaching.

“It’s really fun and you could be good at it,” he said.

Holt, who grew up outside Ellsworth, Iowa, and has a degree in accounting and worked in auditing, left the profession to become a pastor, where he served in North Dakota and Minnesota, where he was called in 2002 to First Lutheran Church. He served there until his retirement in the spring of 2021.

But after only a few months of retirement, he felt the urge to continue serving.

“I’m healthy, I’ve been a really good steward of the life and energy God has given me,” he said.

John Holt, retired First Lutheran Church pastor, decided to become a substitute after hearing about the need for them across the Albert Lea school district. ALEX GUERRERO/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Holt works primarily at the elementary schools within the Albert Lea School District.

Teaching more than just education

By Alex Guerrero alex.guerrero@albertleatribune.com

Exciting things are happening at Albert Lea’s Adult Education Center.

Just ask Penny Jahnke, coordinator at the center.

“We are doing a lot of adult career pathway classes,” she said. “We’ve always done adult career pathway classes, but this year we’re doing lots more as a region and as a state.

“If there’s one thing that COVID taught us, [it’s] that we need to do things differently.”

Now, the center has more online classes, a fact she was proud of.

“We’ve gotten really good at figuring out how to do that in that fashion where people don’t have to be sitting in front of each other and we’re able to reach many more students.”

In fact, according to Jahnke, their consortium extends to Winona, Austin, Owatonna, Faribault, Red Wing and Rochester.

Adult Basic Education started back in the ’70s and is a program that helps students 17 and older who come to learn either English or are under a 12thgrade level in reading, math or language arts. The program is run through the Minnesota Department of Education and is part of the Albert Lea school district.

During the day, the center offers English language learner and GED classes, and will occasionally offer life skills classes and include sewing, CPR, cooking, digital literacy computer skills and math. They also have adult career pathway classes, a paraprofessional class and office a specialist class, among others. The center also partners with Riverland Community College for math and English prep classes.

The largest group of

students the center serves are between 25 and 44, and Jahnke said the majority of students in that group attend to improve their English to do better at their jobs, attend a post-secondary school or attend some type of training.

She said she thinks there was a need in the area for places like the adult education center.

“We have a lot of people who need basic skills,” she said. “In fact, part of our funding is based on how many people at the age of up to 25 who do not have a diploma.”

According to Jahnke, within Freeborn County there are 3,375 people over the age of 25 and residing in District 241 who don’t have a diploma or high school equivalency. She said having a diploma or equivalency was important for her.

“I think that many of us know that many companies and businesses now require a high school diploma for advancement,” she said. I would say, until recently, you really couldn’t

even have an employer look at you.”

She also knew of a few employers who wouldn’t advance a person to a managerial position if they didn’t have a diploma.

“For many of our English language learners who are coming to improve their language skills, again, it’s to improve their lives, to improve their families’ lives. The more they get better at English, the more they’re able to advance.”

To that effect, she didn’t want students to consider giving up, and said the center provided tools to help.

As of January, there were nine non-American students with a professional degree, and seven students had a secondary degree/alternative credential from another country. Almost 15% of students attending the center had education levels of eighth grade or below, and she attributed that fact to students spending time in refugee camps or being in countries where women weren’t allowed to attend school.

“Adult education is way more than education,” she said. “… we teach students how to become a part of the community, how to navigate their community.”

To that effect, she and her staff help students reach out to community resources and work with the Department of Human Resources, Workforce Development, Riverland Community College, the United Way and others.

They also teach students about Albert Lea, such as where to find the library and acquire a library card. They’ve driven students around to the hockey arena, partnered with SMART Transit, offer onsite child care and have guest speakers.

“It’s more about

See CENTER, Page 9

Students listen to a teacher during a class at the Adult Learning Center in Albert Lea. ALEX GUERRERO/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

During the day, the center offers English language learner and GED classes, and will occasionally offer life skills classes, including sewing, CPR, cooking, digital literacy computer skills and math.

CENTER

Continued from Page 8 improving their whole life, it’s not just about the education,” she said.

“We’re a pretty closeknit group, and we get to know their families, we get to know their children. We try and remove barriers for a lot of our students.”

John Double, executive director of Community Education, described the staff as “amazing.”

“They really do a wonderful job in working with our students,” he said.

“We’re proud of all of our students that choose to further their education and come in.”

Jenna Krebsbach received her GED from adult education Aug. 23.

She decided to enroll in August 2021 because she said she thought enrolling would offer more experience and help open her range of job opportunities.

“It is helping me apply

more to other jobs and getting the interviews that I would like to see,” she said.

She ultimately wants to be a school nurse.

“It’s helped me believe that I can achieve anything, and keep going and

don’t give up,” she said. Lourdes Linires started in 2008 wanting to speak English, something she didn’t do when she first started classes.

“Now she’s in the upper ESL class,” Jahnke said. And it helped her when

206

Participants in Adult Basic Education from May 1, 2022 to Jan. 17

55

Percentage of students who are employed

13

Number of countries students come from

she previously worked at Select Foods.

Anyone interested in signing up for classes should call 507-379-4866 or visit the Albert Lea Area Schools website. They can also stop by for registration at their office: 211 W.

Richway Drive. “The hardest part is walking through our door or making that first call,” Jahnke said. “But once they do it I have not heard very many students regret it. In fact, I’ve never heard any students regret it.”

Penny Jahnke is coordinator at the Albert Lea Education Center. ALEX GUERRERO/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Students participate in a class at the Adult Education Center at 211 W. Richway Drive.

The sky’s not the limit — it’s just the beginning

360 AVIATION FLIGHT SCHOOL IS GROWING AT A.L. AIRPORT

By Sarah Stultz sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

Taylor Matz of Hayward was a youth when his grandfather took him in the air for his first airplane ride.

“When my grandpa took me up, it was probably the disbelief that people can actually do this,” he said of how he fell in love with the aviation industry. “The freedom of flying is pretty incredible. It’s always

stuck with me and never left.”

He started pilot lessons when he was 14, and before he could even drive a car, Matz was able to fly a plane.

Though he started as an aviation major in college, he switched to agriculture and ultimately got a degree in ag systems management with a minor in ag business.

But his love of flying led him to continue on.

When he moved back home after college, he

completed all of his pilot ratings at the former flight school in Albert Lea.

He has since worked for a small airline out of St. Louis for two years, before working for Skywest Airlines, a Delta carrier. He presently flies a Beechcraft Textron King Air airplane for Mayo Clinic.

Right before the COVID19 pandemic began, Jim Hanson, manager at the Albert Lea Airport, reached out to him after the former flight school closed and asked him if he would be interested in running a flight school here.

He reached out to his former instructor, Darren Schone, and they decided to move forward with the idea, opening 360 Aviation LLC.

Matz, who is the CEO, said Albert Lea’s flight schools have always had a good reputation, and they have made it a point to focus on quality over quantity. That goal fit along nicely with Albert Lea’s new airport, which they said they receive many compliments on.

He said typically there

See SCHOOL, Page 12

360 Aviation student Conner McCartney uses the flight simulator in early Feburary at the school.

Taylor Matz, CEO of 360 Aviation LLC, stands in front of one of the flight school’s planes in a hangar at the Albert Lea Airport. SARAH STULTZ/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Continued from Page 11 are about four or five students going through the school at any given time, and last year they had 59 students who completed a successful check rating.

Ratings are available for everything from a private pilot certificate to a commercial pilot certificate, along with others to become a certified flight instructor or airline transport pilot, to name a few.

If people are interested in learning to fly, he encouraged them to check out the school’s website at www.360aviationllc. com and then stop by to sign up.

Matz and Schone are the lead instructors and they have three other full-time instructors.

They have a classroom in the airport building and they rent hangars to house their fleet of three airplanes.

“The sky’s not the limit — it’s only the beginning,” Matz said is the phrase they have on one of their promotional videos.

Each course has a different set of hours the student is required to complete. To become a private pilot, for example, requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight time plus ground time on top of that.

Matz said there is a massive shortage of most professions in the aviation industry right now, whether it’s for maintenance, pilots, flight attendants and even dispatchers.

While most airlines used to require a fouryear degree of their pilots, many say that is now preferred rather than required. To receive the certificate, their school is much cheaper than going the route of attending college.

He said they have had students from all over Minnesota, but also from outside of the state, including from Texas, Washington, New York, the UK and

even China.

“I think a lot of it is word of mouth,” he said. “Once the word gets out that you do something good, word travels quickly.”

They also have an accelerated course option that is attractive to people.

The people who come from outside of the area often come and stay the whole time of their course in Albert Lea, spending money to stay at hotels in the city, buy food and rent cars here. Last year, he said their students had a total of 250 nights spent in hotels in the city.

“We’re really excited to see what happens in the future because we’ve pretty much grown exponentially since we opened,” he said.

The flight school is at 402 Airport Road and can be reached by phone at 383-7434.

Taylor Matz holds up a map that shows various countries around the world of people who have attended the flight school. SARAH STULTZ/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Though many of their students at the flight school in Albert Lea come from southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities, they have students from all over the country and even some from out of the country who attend.

BUILDING A STRONGER ELECTRIC GRID FOR THE REGION

ITC Midwest is pleased to be a member of the Albert Lea business community. From our warehouse and office facility on Highway 46, our 25 employees and contractors are working to build a strong electric grid for the region.

Since acquiring the region’s electric transmission system in December 2007, ITC Midwest has significantly decreased outages, resulting in improved electric reliability. Our investments support the growing needs of electricity users and the region’s developing renewable energy industry.

ITC Midwest is also actively involved in the communities we serve, as we work to support economic development and environmental initiatives to enhance the quality of life. Our efforts contribute to the success of Albert Lea and the region.

‘It’s rare to find someone as upbeat and driven’

ALDEN WOMAN REMAINS POSITIVE IN SPITE OF PHYSICAL LOSSES

By Kim Gooden news@albertleatribune.com

ALDEN — “It is what it is” has been Kari Nesje’s motto ever since losing both arms just below the elbow and both legs just above the knee back in 2017.

“There’s nothing I can change about it,” she said, demonstrating the upbeat attitude her husband, John, said she has always had.

It all began on Jan. 26, 2017, when she felt sick in the middle of the night. By the next morning, with her husband and daughters already gone to work and school, she knew something was wrong so she called 911. Within 10 minutes of arriving at the emergency room, she was unresponsive, began aspirating and went into septic shock.

The cause was streptococcal pneumonia, and it attacked her body because she didn’t have a spleen to fight it off.

She was transferred to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, where she was put on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for four days. ECMO is a form of life support for people with life-threatening illness that affects the function of their heart or lungs.

It keeps blood moving through the body and keeps the blood oxygen and carbon dioxide in balance.

“It kept my kidneys and major organs from failing,” Nesje said.

Unfortunately, the fluids built up inside her body and literally burned her skin from the inside out, and because ECMO concentrated the circulation on her organs, the circulation to her limbs was reduced and they turned black.

After nine days at St. Marys, she was transferred to the burn unit at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where she was hospitalized for five months.

During that time, she was on kidney dialysis for three months and they performed the amputations on her arms and legs and did major skin grafting on the remaining parts of her body that had been damaged.

At the end of May 2017, with all of her organs functioning as they should, she was sent back to St. Marys Hospital for physical rehabilitation.

“I couldn’t push myself up or do anything for myself, so they strapped two-to-five-pound weights to my arms for physical therapy to get my muscles built up,” Nesje recalled.

“Then I learned how to transfer myself to my wheelchair without needing a Hoyer lift.”

Meanwhile, her husband, family and friends were busy getting the house ready for her return.

“The only modification we had to make inside the house was to widen the bathroom by three feet and install a roll-in shower and different sink,” John Nesje said. “Then we added a deck and ramp to the front entry of the house.”

Once she got home, many adjustments had to be made by Nesje, as well as her family, because there was very little she could do for herself. She was unable to dress herself, go to the bathroom without help, brush her hair and teeth, prepare meals, and get her wheelchair up to the bed so she could transfer in and out.

And while she is still unable to do those things, she said they have all adjusted well.

Asking for help and accepting help to do things she can’t do for herself

anymore has been the hardest transition, Nesje said.

But her husband and daughters, other family and friends, and the Alden community where she resides have been wonderful.

“Over the years a lot of people in town have helped. Before I could drive, people would come and help me get ready and take me where I needed to go,” Nesje said. “The best thing about small towns is that everyone chips in as much as they can.”

Ultimately, Vocational Rehabilitation Services helped her get back some of her independence by paying for modifications to their van so that she could drive again.

But before she could drive, she had to take driver’s training.

The first step was to pass a permit test which she was able to take online. Then twice a week in June 2022, she took an instructor driving course at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Golden Valley. When she completed the course, she had to take a closed course road test in Plymouth.

“I passed on my first try,” Nesje said proudly.

Among the things she can do for herself now is transferring herself in and out of the house and the van in her wheelchair, which allows her to drive by herself.

“Being able to drive has given me back at least 50% of my independence,” Nesje said. And she does not hesitate to exercise that independence.

Now she drives herself to her job at Home Depot in Albert Lea, where she has been employed for almost two years. Her job responsibilities include assisting customers at the self-checkouts if they scan something wrong, walking customers through how the self-checkout works, greeting customers and occasionally helping customers at a regular register since she is able to work the touch screens there.

She likes her job and appreciates the help she

gets from co-workers with things she can’t do for herself, like putting on and taking off her apron and her driving sleeve.

Store Manager Aaron Mangan sees what many shoppers see when they encounter Nesje at Home Depot.

“It is rare to find someone as upbeat and driven as Kari Nesje,” he said. “I have had the opportunity to work with Kari for the last year and a half, and it never ceases to amaze me how one individual can have such a positive impact on the culture in our building. Our objective as a leadership team is to create an environment where associates want to work and customers want to shop, and Kari helps to make that possible.”

Shopper Sandy Anderson agreed.

“She is amazing,” Anderson said. “She is helpful and always has a welcoming smile.”

Further evidence of her independence is the fact that last summer she drove herself to Camp Courage South at Maple Lake, where she spent 10 days doing things like ziplining, tubing, fishing, swimming, mini golf, and, for the first time, horseback riding.

“I love it there,” she said. “It gives me 10 days of vacation and it gives my family 10 days of vacation, too, because they get a break from helping me. I’ve gone there three years now on camperships from Tee It Up for Campers.”

When the counselors at camp found out she had driven herself there they told her, “If we’d known you had a car, we would have made you take us out on the town!” she recalled with a laugh.

She also likes to go out to Myre-Big Island State Park where she can use the track chairs they have available to drive through the trails in the park, and she enjoys driving her wheelchair around town in Alden when the weather is suitable.

She admits the only time she gets bummed is

in winter when she can’t be outside.

While Nesje has prosthetic arms and legs, she does not wear them a lot because she can’t wear them when she drives. Also, she finds it hard to balance on the legs and there is not a lot she can do with the hands because the angle of the arm isn’t right for picking things up. She does, however, have a prosthetic feeder

that slips over her arm so that she can feed herself. This prosthesis swivels, which helps it stay level for eating. She also has a prosthetic claw to operate the gas and brakes in her van and a rubber sleeve for steering. Nesje said what has kept her going through everything she has endured is “John and the girls. Being here to watch him grow old and the girls grow up.

And family. And I’m just too stubborn!”

“She’s always had a zest for life,” her husband said. “She’s never down, she’s always upbeat. She has a million reasons to complain, but I never hear her do that.” Her sense of humor and positive attitude are evidenced by the sticker she personalized for the back window of her van. It says, “Look, No Hands.”

A prosthetic claw and rubber sleeve enable Kari Nesje to drive her van. PHOTO COURTESY OF KARI NESJE

While at work at Home Depot, Kari Nesje greets customers and assists them at the self-checkouts.

Using the track chairs at Myre-Big Island State Park enables Kari Nesje to enjoy the trails through the park.

Kari Nesje rode a horse for the first time last summer while attending Camp Courage South at Maple Lake.

“I have had the opportunity to work with Kari for the last year and a half, and it never ceases to amaze me how one individual can have such a positive impact on the culture in our building. Our objective as a leadership team is to create an environment where associates want to work and customers want to shop, and Kari helps to make that possible.”

— Home Depot Store Manager Aaron Mangan

Albert Lea looking

per

“The energy is just headed in that direction, for lack of a better punny word, and we’re just trying to move in the direction ... hopefully before some other area so that Albert Lea ... can differentiate itself from the other areas in this region so we can move forward successfully.”

— Albert Lea Economic Development Agency Executive Director Phillip Johnson

ENERGY

Continued from Front Page during the charge use a lot of energy — at rest areas, but near Trail’s Travel Center is in an area set up for expanded business growth that can take an additional energy load.

The conversation at the cooperative is focused on looking forward to when energy infrastructure upgrades may need to happen in the future.

“We have the infrastructure in place as far as supplying power to (the existing fast chargers),” Skogheim said. “... The demand just from those chargers, that’s very similar to a manufacturing facility, so that’s when you start thinking, OK, at what point, how many more fast chargers can actually go on that circuit before we need to upgrade a substation?”

Right now, the power is there for the people with EVs to charge their cars at home without issues (and Freeborn-Mower incentivizes charging at night, when wind energy is more prevalent), but if a whole neighborhood were to go electric, that would require additional infrastructural changes, too, Skogheim said.

According to plugshare. com, there are 24 charging stations in Albert Lea, including four that were under repair as of Jan. 30. Skogheim said automotive dealers in the area, such as Dave Syverson Auto Center, are also planning to invest in fast chargers. General Manager Travis Stortren did not respond to emailed requests for an interview.

Having EV chargers can also help drive business to places near where those chargers are, Design Ready Controls CEO Troy Schmidtke said.

Albert Lea Economic Development Agency Executive Director Phillip Johnson said the May

DID

Recharge Albert Lea EV Expo and Test Drive event is coming at a time when talk and action about renewable energy usage — like the emphasis on renewable energy development work in the city of Albert Lea’s strategic plan, Design Ready Controls opening a facility in the area and the general national increase in interest — is also mounting. “The energy is just headed in that direction, for lack of a better punny word, and we’re just trying to move in the direction… hopefully before some other area so that Albert Lea… can

differentiate itself from the other areas in this region so we can move forward successfully,” Johnson said.

Schmidtke called the timing “serendipitous.” He said he knows the people who spearheaded the Recharge America effort, and he loves its mission. And for Albert Lea specifically, the event will not only provide education and driving opportunities about EVs, but will also showcase the “clear job creation” directly related to EVs. Schmidtke said Design Ready Controls is hoping to hire around 70 people, more than doubling its

—

staff by the end of 2023, and to quadruple it within the next few years.

“I think the big mission around Recharge first and foremost is to educate and to demystify it — and get people in cars. … And then you just put on top of it the job creation and what it could mean for Albert Lea with it being a

Number of charging stations in Albert Lea

to be viewed within the state as a place where there’s momentum behind the renewable energy economy, and that it can grow into an EV mecca in the region. The message he wants to send is that “we’re open to this sort of development in our area,” Johnson said.

transportation hub, I think people are starting to connect the dots, and I have to believe that’s gonna lead to more adoption, but we’re still early in the process,” Schmidtke said of the upcoming event and its potential takeaways for the community.

According to Johnson, ALEDA wants Albert Lea

Furthermore, Schmidtke said, he’s interested in seeing that more rural areas aren’t left behind in the push toward EVs and alternative fuels in the same way these areas have struggled with internet accessibility.

The Recharge Albert Lea EV Expo and Test Drive event is May 6.

Connect with your

CITY COUNCIL

Attend meetings the 2nd and 4th Mondays at 7 p.m., Council Chambers, top floor of City Hall, 221 E. Clark St.

Call or email your councilor with questions and ideas

Watch meetings live and on demand Go to cityofalbertlea.org/council for contact info, agendas and minutes, and ALTV link

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