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agriculture & industry • community • faith & charities Education • down through the years • family & home business & health • life • neighbors • people A PUBLICATION OF THE ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE • FEBRUARY 2014
How they get their kicks …
I started taekwondo because it sounded like fun.
Northland Karate owners share why they enjoy martial arts Story and photos by Micah Bader micah.bader@albertleatribune.com
T
aekwondo is alive and kicking in Albert Lea. Northland Karate owner Dana Nelson set up a dojang in 1996 on the third floor of the building at 206 S. Broadway to share his love for the sport. Punching and kicking are involved in taekwondo, but Nelson said that only scratches the surface. “It’s a lifestyle,” he said.
“It’s something that’s healthy, and it’s a total body thing. It helps with focus and flexibility.” Classes at Northland Karate utilize an American version of taekwondo with 50 percent punching and 50 percent kicking. Nelson said he opted to use the word karate in the business name because it is more recognizable than taekwondo. “Sometimes it’s best to
use a shorter word that everybody knows,” he said. Nelson, a six-dan black belt, started his journey with the sport when he was 21 years old. He’s a proud member of the Albert Lea community. “I graduated from high school here, and I was baptized and confirmed here,” he said. “The roots run deep.” 4Kicks, Page 7
I like doing the Chon-Ji exercises.
Braden Heavner
I’ve been doing this since 2000, and my son, Andrew, has been coming for the last two years.
It’s been two years since I started. My favorite part is doing forms.
Madilynn Howe
Xander Haugen
Andrew Phillips
Aaron Phillips
Page 2 • Albert Lea Tribune • Sunday, February 23, 2014 • PROGRESS 2014 - family & Home By Brandi Hagen
brandi.hagen@albertleatribune.com
Lawyers Kevin Siefken, John Hareid, Phillip Kohl and Mark Anderson of Christian & Peterson P.A. offer legal tips for families:
Legally speaking …
Law firm offers sound tips for families
• Plan ahead. It’s not necessary for everyone, but it’s a good idea to consider having documents prepared such as a will, power of attorney and a health care directive. • In the case of minor children, designate who will take care of them if something happens to you. • Set up a trust for children until they reach at least age 25. • Consider pre-paid funeral plans. By planning ahead it saves others worry and agony. • Make plans for your estate, not just in the case of death, but also disability. And take time to review it from time to time to keep it appropriate as circumstances and laws change. • Avoid difficulties with children in the event of divorce or death by drafting a pre-marital agreement. • When one makes any deals with real estate, he or she should have it written down, dated and signed with a notary present. Deals closed with a handshake don’t work. • In personal injury cases consider using an attorney. Statistics show those who have an attorney received a larger settlement than those who are not represented. • Couples using online or do-it-yourself forms for divorce should meet with an attorney to go over the documents. There are lawyers who work hourly for jobs like this. • Couples going through divorce who have children should get involved with the Parents Forever program, and do it early. Work through a parenting plan and leave the kids out of the divorce. • Claims under $10,000 can be handled in small claims court. Small claims court is a perfect solution in disputes less than $10,000. • Minnesota gift laws changed on July 1, 2013. If you are thinking about giving a large gift, see an attorney.
Brandi Hagen/Albert Lea Tribune
Kevin Siefken, left, and Phillip Kohl.
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Family of fire
family & home - PROGRESS 2014 • Sunday, February 23, 2014 • Albert Lea Tribune • Page 3
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Lee DeVries, father, at left, and son Jordan DeVries both work as firefighters for the Albert Lea Fire Department.
Father and son on same dept.
By Sarah Stultz
sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com
For the first time in the history of the Albert Lea Fire Department, a father and son are both employed as firefighters. Lee DeVries, 54, started with the department in June 1989, and his son Jordan began in October 2011. “It’s good to be able to help and hopefully make a difference in someone’s life,” Lee said. The father started as a volunteer firefighter in Hollandale for six years, and after testing for a full-time position with departments in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Omaha, he ended up in Albert Lea. In 2005, he was promoted to rank of captain. He will celebrate his 25th anniversary with the department in June. Jordan, 23, said seeing his father as a firefighter is all he has known. “Seeing how he’s come up through the ranks in my lifetime, I definitely looked up to him thinking maybe that’d be possible for me someday,” Jordan said. He started in a temporary opening in 2011,
and in March 2013 his position became permanent. The two men said they work on different 24-hour shifts — one is on the red shift and one is on the blue — but they sometimes cross paths when multiple shifts of firefighters are called in to respond to larger fires. Lee said though there have been challenges to the position over the years — including injuries — there hasn’t been anything that kept him away for too long. One time he recalled getting hit by a falling garage wall, and another time he said he got an electric shock during a thunderstorm. He recalled fighting the Farmland fire in 2001, which he said was probably his biggest fire on record. He said he fought that for five days with only a few hours of rest during the entire span. Though Jordan saw what his father went through, he said it didn’t scare him off. “You’re either the type of person who wants to get into this or you don’t,” Jordan said. He said he likes coming to work not
knowing what he’s going to experience the rest of the day. “It really keeps you on your toes,” Jordan said. “It can add to the anxiety too, but I enjoy that more than going to a job where you sit at a desk for nine hours a day.” The men said they like the variety their job offers — they respond to fires, serious car crashes, conduct inspections, among other duties. “I just enjoy not knowing what you’re going to run into, and of course helping people out and making a difference,” Jordan said. When they’re not working, Lee and Jordan said they enjoy ice fishing with Jordan’s older brother. They traveled to Lake of the Woods this winter to do so. Being a firefighter must travel in the family’s veins. The older brother is also one in Hibbing. They credited the strength of their mother, both when her children were small and still today as she has two sons and her husband in the line of duty. The Albert Lea Fire Department was organized in 1879.
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Firefighters Trevor DeRaad, Kurt Wallace and Jordan DeVries discuss the stabilization of a flipped Ford Escape during an extracation training last June in Albert Lea at Allen’s Tow-N-Travel. The firefighters used the Escape to practice multiple rescue scenarios.
Page 4 • Albert Lea Tribune • Sunday, February 23, 2014 • PROGRESS 2014 - family & Home
Preschool mothers unite!
By Tiffany Krupke
MOPS gathers monthly and keeps growing
tiffany.krupke@albertleatribune.com
Makala Hanson is a busy mother of three. When she discovered the Albert Lea chapter of Mothers of Preschoolers, she felt an immediate sense of belonging. “I like having the chance to talk to other mothers,” Hanson said. “Like other mothers, I sometimes go a day without talking to any adults. I referee fights between small children and constantly wipe things.” Hanson has been a member for three years and said it has given her a sound support system. The Albert Lea MOPS meets once a month at Crossroads Church. During each meeting more than 50 moms come to eat, do an icebreaker activity, listen to a speaker and do a craft. All speakers talk about topics relevant to parenting, according to Creative Activities Coordinator Darcie Petersen. During their last meeting, a dietitian spoke to the group about healthy eating. Child care is provided during the meeting, which is a big relief for many of the mothers. The group has activity nights, including a Valentine’s Day craft night on Jan. 23. A group of about 20 moms gathered to make heart collages and eat baked goods brought to the meeting. “It is a wonderful outlet,” Petersen said. “Because I’m a mom, I don’t always have time for my crafts. This gives me and other moms an opportunity to be creative.” The MOPS group offers not only a support system but also A MOPS members cuts out a heart during a craft night in January. a chance to be mentored by older, more experienced mothers. The program is divided into segments, with each segment having a mentor mom. One of the biggest goals of MOPS is to not only provide friendship and encouragement to moms, but also spiritual hope by sharing a gospel message twice each year. The message is often a personal message shared by a mom within the group. “Our mentor moms are awesome. They are older moms who have been through the same things as us,” Peterson said. As the moms made crafts, they talked, laughed and shared stories about their children, which several mothers said was the best part of the group. “It is very isolating to be a new mother,” Petersen said. Tana Hopke, a mother of two, moved to Albert Lea just weeks ago. She joined MOPS because it was an excellent way to meet people, she said. She sat with Jessica Rasser, a mother of two boys who has been a member of the group for two years. She said she joined MOPS because she heard positive comments from people in her church. “It is nice to have other mothers to guide you through it,” Rasser said. The program has grown fast, Petersen said. They have about 90 members and are expecting more. The membership fee is $25 a year and $2 per meeting to cover the costs of childcare and food. MOPS meets on the first Thursday of each month during September through May from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Crossroads Makala Hanson, left, and Tana Hopke talk during the MOPS craft night. Church in Albert Lea.
Tana Hopke shares a story during a MOPS activities night.
Tiffany Krupke/Albert Lea Tribune
Creative Activities Coordinator Darcie Petersen demonstrates a craft.
family & home - PROGRESS 2014 • Sunday, February 23, 2014 • Albert Lea Tribune • Page 5
Name that barn
Editor’s note: The Albert Lea Tribune is proud to reprint a feature that the late Assistant Editor Geri McShane made for the Progress edition in 2010. The landscape of Freeborn County has changed since then, but some things have remained the same. Can you name these barns?
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Match these addresses to the correct barns on this page: • 220th Street and 715th Avenue • 220th Street • 708th Avenue • 715th Avenue • County Road 26 • Hammer Road and 770th Avenue • Lake Chapeau Drive Answers are on Page 6. • Richway Drive Answers to “Name that person” on Page 6: A. Mary Laeger-Hagemeister B. Lilah Aas C. Daniel Otten D. Gerry Vogt E. Jason Taylor F. Roger Bakken G. Levi Hanson H. Steve Merfeld I. Eloise Adams J. Cody Scherff K. Bryn Woodside L. Elizabeth Ogunkanbi M. Colleen Thompson N. Roger Panzer O. Dee Amberg P. Marc Johnson Q. Al Larson R. Harold Kamrath S. Bill King T. Taryn Israel-Neckanicky U. Amy Wasson V. Sammy Kalis W. Jesse Bryand X. Riley Worth Y. Dominique Villarreal Z. Cindy Fjermestad &. Joel Erickson
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Page 6 • Albert Lea Tribune • Sunday, February 23, 2014 • PROGRESS 2014 - family & Home
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family & home - PROGRESS 2014 • Sunday, February 23, 2014 • Albert Lea Tribune • Page 7
Kicks: Students find benefit in other sports
Continued from Page 1 Nelson, 52, and and his wife, Natalie, own and instruct at Northland Karate. “My wife and I do this together,” Nelson said. “Martial arts has been a big part of our life.” After spending more than 20 years in the Minnesota National Guard, Nelson retired. He has a background in judo and amateur boxing. In high school, Nelson participated in wrestling through his junior year, he said. He’s been fortunate to see some of his students apply what they’ve learned on the field and the mat for Albert Lea High School. “I’ve actually had some young students who I’ve seen benefit in sports, whether it’s football or wrestling, Nelson said. “When you’re flexible, you’re less prone to injury.” Taekwondo is taught to be used only in self-defense, and Northland Karate offers courses that follow that idea, such as a rape-prevention class for women and self defense courses for children. Nelson said he doesn’t have a favorite class to teach. “I like it all,” he said. “That’s why I’m doing it. I feel the Lord has blessed me in a teaching capacity.” Natalie estimated about 30 people attend each class at the dojang. Four hourlong classes are offered. Class times are 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. on Mondays with the same times on Thursdays. Nelson said people of all ages participate. “It’s not just kids,” he said. “It’s adults, too. I’ve even had three generations of students take lessons together.” Dana Nelson, c Find more information about North- dojang, 206 S o-owner of Northlan d Karate, g . Broadway. ets in his s land Karate and martial arts at www. tance in fro northlandkarate.com. nt of nume
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Page 8 • Albert Lea Tribune • Sunday, February 23, 2014 • PROGRESS 2014 - family & Home
Ventura Foods Ingredients SunGlow® ZT European Style Butter Blend Other Ingredients Raspberry Sauce - see recipe below Egg yolks Egg whites Sugar - granulated Chocolate - semi-sweet, small pieces
Measure 1 2/3 cups Measure 1 1/4 quarts 10 each 30 each 1 2/3 cup 2 lbs.
Methods: 1. Bring a medium sized sauce pan filled with 2-3” of water to a strong simmer. 2. Place chocolate, sugar and butter blend in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. 3. Place the bowl over the simmering water and using a rubber spatula gently mix until the chocolate is completely melted 4. In a separate mixing container whip the egg whites until they form very stiff peaks but are still slightly moist. 5. In two batches, fold the whites into the chocolate mixture. 6. Grease twenty 6 oz souffle cups with additional softened “butter blend”then fill them up with the batter. 7. Bake at 325°F for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, remove from oven, let rest then turn out onto a serving plate lined with 4 tbsp. of raspberry sauce. 8. Garnish with powdered sugar, fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint or edible flower.
Warm Chocolate Souffle’ Cake with Raspberry Sauce A great desert for your discerning guests, this warm chocolate souffle cake, topped with a delicious raspberry sauce is sure to please.
Raspberry Sauce Recipe
Ventura Foods Ingredients Raspberry puree - strained Sugar - granulated Seedless raspberry preserves Water
Measure 12 fl. oz. 1/3 cup 1/4 cup 1 fl. oz.
Methods
1. Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and simmer for 3 minutes 2. Cool mixture, transfer to an appropriate storage container, cover, label, date and refrigerate until needed. 3. Use as a sauce for cakes, pastries, chocolate, fresh fruit, etc.
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