Progress 2023: Neighbors

Bank committed to be a partner ‘for the LONG RUN’

HARTLAND — The wind blew with an increasingly high intensity, tree branches broke, glass shattered, shingles lifted and bricks fell.

Although the day the tornado devastated Hartland was the first time tornadoes had hit the state in December, the results were all too familiar. Tears were shed, lives were changed and the landscape would never be the same.

Depicted in many of the photographs from the day were pictures of Arcadian Bank’s Hartland branch.

Originally built in 1912 as Farmers State Bank of Hartland, the location had been a mainstay on the

downtown streets since the days when it was traveled by horse and buggy. And the building had suffered significant damage.

“The southwest corner of the building was the hardest hit,” Arcadian Bank President Mark Heinemann said.

With the corner of the building reduced to rubble, the bank’s interior was exposed, he said, adding that all of the south windows were blown in, debris had made its way inside from adjacent buildings, and the establishment’s newly installed roof was perforated.

Recalling the 2010 tornado that had affected a number of the bank’s

Mark Heinemann, president of Arcadian Bank, proudly displays a drawing of what Farmers State Bank of Hartland looked like prior to the December 2021 tornado, which decimated the building. KELLY WASSENBERG/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

“In every challenge, there’s an opportunity, and we’re looking at it that way...”

— Mark Heinemann By KELLY WASSENBERG news@albertleatribune.com

The new Arcadian Bank in Hartland will feature a drive-thru and 24-hour ATM access. PROVIDED

EASTON’S BRIDAL SHOP CHANGES OWNERS

By Sarah Stultz sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

EASTON — Ownership of a longtime bridal store in Easton dating back to 1981 passed from one family to another in January with hopes of keeping the business for many years to come.

The Silhouette is now owned by sisters-in-law Alexa Pearson and Paige Umhoefer, while previous owner Jolene Pearson is continuing on as one of the business’s two seamstresses.

Alexa Pearson stated her family has been in the bridal industry for a long time, with her motherin-law, Valerie Pearson, owning two bridal stores — one in Mankato and one in New Ulm. She is also in the wedding decorating business.

“We’ve always been involved with some sort of wedding aspect,” Alexa

Pearson said. “We’ve worked in the shops and all that, so we decided to branch out and buy this.” She said as her motherin-law retires, they could take over her two shops as well.

The two young moms with a combined six children under the age of 6 have a combined 30 years of experience in the bridal industry. “We actually kind of mutually approached each other,” Alexa Pearson said of how the sale came about. “Jolene was looking to retire and she definitely wanted to go to someone who would keep the family tradition going. Jolene’s mother started the shop in 1981 ... they’ve been a part of this since then.”

The two women officially took over the store Jan. 5 and hit the ground running.

The store offers wedding dresses from size 8 through 30, as well as dresses for

bridesmaids, mothers of the bride and flower girls. They also offer tuxedos and accessories including jewelry, hair pieces and veils.

She said they planned to do some updates to the store to make it fresh and fun for the brides because the bridal industry is always changing. They will also bring in some new lines for brides and get some new styles for mothers of the bride.

They are building a separate entrance for the seamstresses, so they can run alterations at any time of day, and are expanding the bridal area so there will be two bridal suites. They are also expanding the tuxedo area with more options and will have a new bridesmaid suite area with more dressing rooms.

“We’re going to keep the name,” she said. “We’re going to keep the same small-town, wholesome

BIGCHANGES STARTSMALL

Voted a finalist for BEST GROCERY STORE!

atmosphere. We want to keep up what they’ve built.” Alexa Pearson said the business draws customers from as far away as the Twin Cities, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Iowa, along with people from southern Minnesota. Mothers who shopped there when they got married are now bringing in their daughters.

The Silhouette is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

“All the people who have heard about it, they’re excited about everything

BANK

Continued from Front Page customers, Heinemann knew there was more damage than what was readily visible. The twisting and turning motions related to the tornado may have compromised the building to the point that it was beyond repair.

Together with a convergence team from the bank, which included the Hartland location’s two employees, Heinemann entered the bank after it was deemed safe to enter by the fire department.

“We were able to kind of survey the damage, tried to button things down as much as we could, and then we did take some things from the bank that night that we knew we would need to continue operating going forward,” Heinemann said.

The bank’s leadership team had proactively considered what should happen in such a circumstance.

“We have disaster recovery roundtable exercises,” Heinemann said. “And that’s prudent disaster recovery, management and business continuity planning for any business — banking or otherwise.”

During these exercises, Heinemann said they discussed what the bank would do in the event one of their branches was

crippled — they lose network connectivity for an extended period of time, the power goes out or they have an IT failure.

With a plan already in place, the employees of the Hartland branch were divided between the Freeborn and Albert Lea locations so customers coming in from Hartland could still be served by a familiar face.

In the weeks that followed, some in the community pondered if the bank would reopen or permanently shutter its doors. Heinemann understood why.

“People listen to what you say — they really believe what you do,” he said.

Addressing the issue head-on, Heinemann noted, “You have to pose the question in order to dismiss it, but nobody was ever seriously considering doing that. It was my plan from the start to rebuild.”

Of course, even a bank president has to answer to the board; however, the decision to remain in Hartland was unanimous.

Delays were caused by red tape often associated with such events, yet it was determined within weeks that the only salvageable part of the building was the fieldstone basement.

Heinemann noted they could have salvaged part of the old building, but the

By the numbers 2021

1912

Year Farmers State Bank was changed to Arcadian Bank $97 million

Amount of assets the bank had when it was purchased locally in 2014

Year original Farmers State Bank of Hartland opened $207 million

Amount of assets the bank had at the end of 2022

most unique and interesting aspect of the location’s architecture — the brick and limestone exterior — would have had to be removed. This revelation, along with the desire to update the building’s facilities from today’s banking standards led to the decision to demolish the old structure and begin again. The new building, which should start going up in the spring, will feature a drive through as well as a 24-hour access ATM in a secure vestibule.

Heinemann said he hopes the gesture will demonstrate the bank’s commitment to these small communities that still need a bank and still find value in having those services locally.

“In every challenge, there’s an opportunity, and we’re looking at it that way, and I think the town of Hartland is looking at it that way,” Heinemann said. “We’re looking forward to being a partner in that success for the long run.”

Arcadian Bank employees Cindy Recknor and Darcy Newman stand in front of the damaged Arcadian Bank building in Hartland following the December 2021 tornado. PROVIDED

Easton’s The Silhouette is now owned by Alexa Pearson and Paige Umhoefer of Mankato. The women said they are expanding their bridal area so there will be two bridal suites and will have a new bridesmaid suite area with more dressing rooms. SARAH STULTZ/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

The shop features not only bridesmaids dresses, but tuxedos and dresses for mothers of the bride and flower girls as well.

‘I do all I can for them’

IMPACTED BY HIS FATHER, BROTHER WHO WERE VETERANS, MAN LOVES HELPING THOSE WHO’VE

By Sarah Stultz sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

LAKE MILLS — Growing up as the son of a World War II veteran and the brother of a Vietnam War veteran, Leon Christianson always remembers doing nice things for veterans.

Though he’s not one himself, he has dedicated much of his life to caring for the men and women of northern Iowa and southern Minnesota who served.

Christianson grew up in Lake Mills, owns Christianson Interiors in the city and lives in Mason City.

He said he got it in his mind one day to build a veteran’s monument in Lake Mills to honor all the veterans who served. That was built in 2003 at Arlington Park and dedicated in 2004. More has been added in the years since.

In 2017, Christianson was a large part of bringing the Freedom Rock to the veteran’s park, which was painted by artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen and represents all veterans, as well as two local veterans and local police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service workers. There are freedom rocks in all of Iowa’s counties, and Sorensen this year is slated to paint one in Albert Lea.

Christianson is part of the Sons of the American Legion out of Emmons, which supports the Emmons American Legion, and is also on a committee to help build a veterans museum at Heritage Park in Forest City, which he has been collecting old uniforms for.

Last September he was part of a group that put on what he called a veterans standout, which brought in homeless and struggling veterans from

a 10-county area and fed them, gave them free clothing and toiletries, provided medical attention, flu shots and hair cuts and gave them the opportunity to hear from jobs services staff about opportunities available in the community. The event was at the Mason City fairgrounds and brought in about 180 veterans, many of which were young veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another is planned for this September. In 2015, he helped organize Operation LZ, which was a welcome home celebration for Vietnam War Veterans. He said they worked on it for about 20 months before it happened and raised nearly $400,000 to put it on, and in the end about 4,500 Vietnam veterans came, mostly from

Iowa but also from within a 60-mile radius of Forest City.

There was a traveling Vietnam wall, a traveling museum, and area high schoolers could come in and listen to Vietnam veterans talk.

“Vietnam veterans are ones who came home from Vietnam and were not treated well,” Christianson said. “We really want to overcome that and let them know how welcome they are.”

He said it was a healing time for many.

He also helped organize honor flights to Washington, D.C., from northern Iowa for veterans to be recognized for their service and is now a part of the North Central Iowa Quilts of Valor group that gives out quilts made by women in six counties in

northern Iowa to local veterans. Likewise, he is a familiar face at Veterans Day programs at the Lake Mills school and has even been asked to speak before.

“Most people think I’m a veteran because of all I do,” he said. “But I never try to take stolen valor or pretend like I am one. I respect them for what they did, and I have so many

‘I love my little town’

veterans friends. I do all I can for them.”

In addition to his efforts with veterans, Christianson is part of Toys for Tots through the Marine Corps League, which collects toys for children in need and distributes backpacks with school supplies in a 12-county area in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.

He belongs to First Baptist Church in Mason City, where he teaches an adult Bible class.

He also is a part of an organization called My Happy Place, which provides room makeovers for children with cancer, and My Happy Haven, which makes over rooms for women with cancer.

“I have a soft spot for anyone who’s ill,” Christianson said. “They never asked for cancer — it just showed up.”

He said his son had cancer, but thankfully overcame that, so he knows what it takes to get through that trial.

He is also heavily involved with suicide awareness efforts after his brother took his own life 13 years ago.

He and his girlfriend are involved with monthly suicide support groups, and they also take part in a suicide walk in Mason City and a ride as well.

“It’s too bad you have to have these groups, but there’s so many people struggling out there,” Christianson said. “I want to do everything I can to support them.”

He has two daughters and one son, as well as seven grandchildren, and has owned Christianson Interiors for 44 years.

“I love being in the flooring business,” he said. “I’m retirement age, but I don’t want to retire. I just love going to work every day.”

NEW FREEBORN CITY CLERK AND TREASURER HAS LONG CONNECTIONS TO COMMUNITY

By Sarah Stultz sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

FREEBORN — After several years with another city clerk and treasurer, the city of Freeborn welcomed a new person to the role in October.

Kristen Anderson started in the position after she saw the job posted and decided to apply.

Anderson for many years worked in activities at New Richland Care Center and was a cosmetologist, even managing corporate hair salons in Mankato and Owatonna.

She grew up in New Richland but had a lot of family in Freeborn and has lived in Freeborn with her family about seven or eight years.

She said she remembered how her mother went back to school when she was 50 years old, and during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic she thought about doing the same.

“Then this came about,” Anderson said of the job opening. “I was like, ‘This seems exciting, and I love my little town.’”

She started in the position and said she has been grateful for former City Clerk/Treasurer Nicole LaFrance, who has done a lot of her training. She has also taken part in trainings through the League of Minnesota Cities.

As treasurer, Anderson handles all of the money that comes through the city. She prepares resolutions and agendas for council meetings the third Wednesday of every month.

She said on the same nights as the council meetings, there is also a joint powers meeting held by the city and township of Freeborn.

“People don’t realize, it doesn’t matter how big your city is, you still have to do the same stuff whether you’re a bigger city or a little city,” Anderson

said. “I help keep things organized.”

She referenced other things such as liquor licenses, zoning and even weeds — some of which the city works closely with Freeborn County to make happen.

She said she didn’t realize until starting the job how much exactly people rely on her or come to her with questions.

“You’re asked about everything,” she said.

She said she answers questions from Realtors who call when houses are sold or other people who ask about assessments.

She is regularly looking up ordinances and seeking answers.

“I love to be busy, so I’ve done a lot of reading,” Anderson said. “There are manuals upon manuals in there about the city, so I just read.”

When someone calls the city, she is typically the person to answer the phone and is at the Freeborn City and Township Building usually from 8:30 or 9 a.m. until about 5:30 p.m. The building is shared with the fire department and other groups who come in for coffee and puzzles.

Craig Christenson Owner & TaxidermisT

Number of meetings the Freeborn City Council generally has in one month — usually on the third Wednesday of the month

Kristen Anderson started as the new Freeborn city clerk and treasurer in October. SARAH STULTZ/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Leon Christianson stands next to the Freedom Rock at Arlington Park in Lake Mills that was painted in 2017. SARAH

STULTZ/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Christianson one of his favorite sayings on the veterans memorial in Lake Mills states “No man ever truly dies, unless they are forgotten.” He has made it his mission to make sure the areas veterans are not forgotten. SARAH STULTZ/

ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Connecting students with the community

By Alex Guerrero alex.guerrero@albertleatribune.com

GLENVILLE — Tiffany Gordon, a third-grade teacher at Glenville-Emmons Elementary, is a busy person. Besides teaching language arts, math, science, social studies, health and every other subject a primary school teacher touches on, she also looks after the social and emotional health of her students.

Her interest in teaching started back in third grade, when she started noticing what teachers did and how they seemed to enjoy their work. And her interest hasn’t diminished.

“There’s so many things,” Gordon said. “The students, interacting with them every day, getting to see the growth that they have, helping them find their strengths and then build off of those weaknesses. Helping them also see that they can grow or build off of their mistakes.”

When she first arrived in the area, she looked around at the openings at different districts, and when she arrived at Glenville-Emmons, she was impressed with how personable the staff was and appreciated the district’s goal of building relationships.

And in helping her neighbors, last year she started Glenville-Emmons Gives Back.

“We connected, had some of our students go to the … Glenville beach and

By the numbers

help them get that ready for the year,” she said.

“The younger kids planted flowers and delivered those to the community members.”

By doing this, she also wants to show students she can be personable outside school hours, and likes building connections between the school and community and showing that everyone is in it together as a family building relationships.

She wants students to learn that they can make a difference even at a younger age, and said if they made positive choices they were impacting the community and building themselves as a good role-model.

To do that, she creates hands-on projects designed to build student creativity, and tries to make opportunities where they work and learn together.

Over the last few years,

Gordon admitted education changed and said her biggest struggle was helping students learn to work together and problem-solve. She also emphasizes the importance of being a classroom family with her students, and said they were there to support each other.

“I love it here,” she said. “So enjoyable, the staff is great, we all have one common goal, and that’s to

help our students. We all work together if there’s a problem.”

It’s not just a one-way teacher-student relationship either.

“I’ve learned that we need to find joy in everything hat we do,” she said. “Every little moment we can turn into something positive.”

She’s also learned to put a positive spin on everything. Gordon has been teaching for 11 years total, her last five in the Glenville-Emmons district.

“I’ve always been around kids, and I love to see the growth that the students have whether it’s academically or socially,” she said. “Just helping them see success in their own lives.”

Gordon is originally from Owatonna and previously taught in Chatfield.

“Growing up I had some wonderful teachers and I can see how they helped impact me and helped me grow into who I am as an adult.

“I want to be that impact on my students as well.”

She said it was nice being in a smaller district and that it allowed her to build on relationships with students.

“Glenville-Emmons is a great school district,” she said. “… We’re a small community. We really want to help the students grow and find success. We’re always trying to work together to build positive relationships and positive experiences with our students.”

Gordon also plans to hold another Glenville-Emmons Gives Back this spring, though an exact date hasn’t been determined.

Growing up, she was involved in fall clean-up days, church and tennis. And then in high school, she started tutoring, taught tennis lessons and did more community service.

“I grew up doing that, and I think it really built off how I am as an adult, that I want to help others,” she said.

‘Part of a larger family’

AFTER MORE THAN 20 YEARS IN OTHER CAPACITIES, GOD PUT DETAILS INTO PLACE FOR KOZELSKY TO BECOME PRINCIPAL

By Alex Guerrero alex.guerrero@albertleatribune.com

HOLLANDALE — Susan Kozelsky, principal at Hollandale Christian School, is in her second year as principal, though being principal was not originally her goal.

“I did not seek it out,” she said. “It was brought to me, and it was completely God putting all of the details into place.”

Kozelsky said that for various reasons there had been principal turnover at the school, and felt there needed to be stability and consistency. In fact, she and Deb Louters, who taught kindergarten at the school for 37 years, saw ways to get the school “back on track” and wanted to be part of that process. And last year, the duo children, a combination that goes together.

After her children started at Hollandale Christian School, she started teaching again.

Serving as principal has reinforced how much she enjoyed supporting others, and she doesn’t mind being behind the scenes while supporting them.

“For families that are looking for alternative ways of education, and if faith is important to their family, it would be great for them to reach out, see what we’re about,” she said. “We’re more than just a group of teachers educating children.

“When your family comes to Hollandale Christian School, you are part of a larger family.”

Kozelsky said the most

important part of her job involved supporting the staff to let them be “the best teachers that they need to be for their students.”

That means ensuring they get help and ensuring the school equips students to be prepared for the outside world.

During a typical day, she’ll greet students and staff in the morning, with students arriving after 7 a.m.

“Then, I’ll usually go around and say ‘good morning’ to the staff, make sure that they’re ready to start their day,” she said. “Then there’s usually things to take care of as far as emails, phone calls, busyness stuff.”

While at her office, students will stop by when they need something.

“Out here at a small

school, we all have to be willing to have eight different jobs, like school nurse/school therapist where the child needs to be comforted,” she said.

“Calling parents, making copies, all of those things.”

Her most enjoyable part as principal is her students, while she said it was challenging to find ways to keep some students motivated and doing their best.

“As kids get older and they’re wanting more responsibility, they don’t always know what’s best for them, so just being able to continue to guide them and share wisdom is challenging,” she said.

Prior to becoming principal, Kozelsky had served at Hollandale Christian School in some capacity for 20 years. She has also taught summer school at Quarry Hill Nature Center in Rochester.

“I supposed I have about 23, 24 years under my belt,” she said.

She and her husband moved to Albert Lea in 2000.

“Being Christians and having faith be the most import thing in our lives, we wanted our boys to be taught in a faith-based school,” she said. “We saw Hollondale and came out here and toured the school and met some of the teachers at that time.

“This is where we decided to send our boys.”

For parents or guardians considering aprivate school for their child, Kozelsky said to call the school at 507-8893321, email info@hollandalechristian.org or visit hollandalechristian.org.

Tiffany Gordon’s interest in teaching started when she was in third grade. She has taught at Glenville-Emmons Elementary for five years. ALEX GUERRERO/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Glenville-Emmons Elementary is at 240 Second St. SW in Glenville.

Hollandale Christian School Principal Susan Kozelsky works with Samson Tietje in a thirdand fourth-grade class. ALEX GUERRERO/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Honoring the community through restoration

NORTHWOOD NATIVE TURNING HISTORIC BUILDING INTO WINE BAR AND ART GALLERY

By Alex Guerrero alex.guerrero@albertleatribune.com

NORTHWOOD — A combined new wine bar and art gallery are being added downtown in Northwood.

The space, otherwise known as the Emery building, at 828 Central Ave., was originally built and owned by George S. Emery in 1912 and purchased by Axel Johansen in 1922, where it became known as Axel’s Place. There was a bar and billiards on the first floor and a bowling alley on the second floor before it closed in 1963.

The building was added to National Register of Historical Places in 2015 and is part of the Northwood Central Avenue Historic District. The building was purchased in November 2021 by Steve Hanson, a 1990 Northwood-Kensett graduate and building owner/developer. Hanson paid $35,000.

“I bought it because it was a great building in an ideal location in the community that I grew up,” he said. “I sort of had an inkling that it would be some type of bar, but I didn’t know exactly what.”

His plan is to restore the Emery Building with the hopes of adding to the revitalization of the Northwood Central Avenue Historic District.

Purchasing in that specific area was important to him because he wanted to restore history. He had previously thought about buying in the area, but described the decision to buy there as “right place, right time.”

“I was sort of talking to community members about the opportunity to make it a wine bar by the spring of 2022,” he said in a phone interview. “Got positive response from people in the community, so that pretty much made the decision then that that was what it was going to be.”

And for him, it made perfect sense to buy the building.

“It made [sense] to honor the community, be something that I’m interested in — which is architecture and art — and make it something unique for the community to enjoy,” he said.

That’s his ultimate goal: to honor the history of the building and the

community.

The building has two floors and a basement, and Hanson wants the first floor to serve as a wine bar and gallery. He described the bar as “beautiful” and said it was set in a good location and he didn’t want to move it. In other words, it was in the perfect place.

At the same time, he wanted to honor the legacy of the old tavern bar while putting in something the community didn’t have: a wine bar.

According to Hanson, the bar will feature local wines as well as those from around the world.

Hanson wanted a gallery because it was a personal interest, and he also owns a collection and thought it would be a great opportunity to highlight work from some of his artistic friends.

“Both the wine bar and art gallery are new businesses for the community,” he said.

The space will feature work by Gary Kelley, Richard Pinney and other Iowa artists, and some of the works will be for sale. Part of the art on display will be in a permanent collection.

“The vision is to basically get the project done, open it up and then have a place where people

By the numbers

4,600-5,000 Square feet the space will occupy when complete

2024

Year he hopes to open the space

3 to 5

Artists Hanson plans to have in the permanent collection

admitted the entire project wasn’t cheap.

“These projects are more a labor of love,” he said, adding cash flow wise these types of projects didn’t pencil out.”

His interest in the arts started when he was young and had the opportunity to visit museums with the local 4-H club.

His interest in collecting was after he started working for an advertisement agency out of college in Des Moines.

“The owner of that agency also owned the art gallery in Des Moines, or was part-owner,” he said. “He started exposing me to more art and artists and so that’s where my spark began.”

He currently doesn’t have a timeframe for when he’d like the project to break even by.

“The community has been very, very supportive, very excited about not only what it’s going to be,” he said. “Already the changes have been dramatic, and people are very excited about the renovation.”

enjoy coming in and have a nice glass of wine, enjoy conversation, enjoy looking at artwork from not only Iowa artists. Ultimately I’ll be doing art shows from other artists with local and international [artists].”

can

discover the arts and for artists to feel appreciated.

Because of the limited options in the area, Hanson felt it was important to bring art.

“There isn’t an art gallery, there isn’t a live music venue,” Hanson said.

His goal is to have 20 to 30 pieces on each floor at any one time.

He also wants live music and for the place to become somewhere for visitors to

He also argued rural communities facing decline embraced art as a way to support economic development. And that

support also attracted artists to move to the area, which in turn sparked tourism.

The second floor will contain one apartment, a business office and an art gallery.

While working on this, Hanson was surprised to see how much the building had changed from its origins as well as the time it took to restore it to its original state, and

The contractor for the project is Springer Construction. Northwood Electric is providing electrical power, while Thofson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling are responsible for plumbing. Northwood Sanitation did the tearout. Spatial Designs Architects are the architects, and Mason City Glass is providing glass and doors.

“My heart’s been warmed by the response from the community and it’s been very grateful, very appreciative,” he said.

Hanson currently lives in Arizona, but plans to move back to the family farmstead in 2024.

The new wine bar and art gallery will be at 828 Central Ave. in Northwood and is two floors, not including a basement. ALEX GUERRERO/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Merle Hanson, Steve Hanson’s father, is currently helping with renovations while his son is in Arizona.

Construction was ongoing on the main floor of the building in January.

‘Building a stronger community for years to come’

ALDEN AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, CREATED IN 2017, HAS CONTRIBUTED TO SEVERAL PROJECTS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE

By Kim Gooden news@albertleatribune.com

ALDEN — Serving the city of Alden and its surrounding areas by supporting programs and projects that improve quality of life and build a stronger community has been the mission of the Alden Area Community Foundation since 2017.

“Previously there was a development corporation in Alden which was established to help new businesses,” said foundation President Barb Zeller. “But it was no longer productive in the way that it had been set up many years ago.”

So Zeller and other members of the community reached out to Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation to explore the possibility of a different type of foundation.

After learning what the requirements were to become affiliated with SMIF, the decision was made to create a new foundation.

“Being associated with them was the best way to get our foundation going,” Zeller said. “So the development corporation was dissolved and the remaining funds were transferred to AACF and placed in an endowment fund.”

Because they had funds to start with, the foundation was able to hit the ground running in a way other foundations aren’t able to. And hit the ground running they have.

Over the past five years, grants have been used for a lake restoration project around Morin Lake, a cemetery beautification project, the flower basket fund, support for the Alden Lions to sponsor a visit from Santa Claus, an Easter Egg project, S’mores on the Shore during Morin Lake Days and development of a wraparound program at Alden-Conger School.

When foundation board members are looking at grant applications, they try to look at things that will make the most impact on the community. They also like to support youth-driven activities such as the Easter egg hunt because those involve and affect the whole family.

“With the help of the foundation grant we were able to start our flower basket fund,” said Lori Nelson, organizer of the project, which provides and maintains hanging flower baskets on Broadway in Alden. “We have had lots of good comments and support from

Alden-Conger School received a grant from Alden Area Community Foundation to create a wraparound program for preschoolers. Pictured in back are wraparound lead teacher Megan Gooden, Alden Area Community Foundation board member Lori Nelson, foundation president Barb Zeller, Alden-Conger Elementary Principal Jenny Hanson and wraparound para Lori Guenther. In front are the preschool students. PHOTO COURTESY OF BARB ZELLER

the community, including donations and help with watering the flowers.”

Money for the grants comes only from the interest earned by the endowment fund. What they currently have in the endowment fund allows the foundation to disperse $3,000 to $5,000 each year in the way of grants to local activities or needs within the community.

Thus, as the endowment fund grows, so will the amount of money they can disperse back to the community — which is why the foundation is always working to build the endowment fund.

Money to build the endowment fund comes through annual donations, memorials or commemorative gifts, donations from people who no longer live in Alden but still feel a connection, the yearly newsletter and an online auction.

“Our last online auction raised $7,500 for the endowment fund due to the generosity of both the donors and bidders,” Zeller said.

She noted there are other ways to give and opportunities for people to be involved that most people are not aware of. Acres for Good, trusts and bequests are just some examples.

Another part of building a stronger community for the foundation is initiating an interagency within the community.

“We meet four times each year with almost all of the other groups within the community to see what they are doing or what they need,” Zeller said. “Some of the groups have gotten smaller and

ORIGINS OF COMMUNITIES

The village of Manchester was originally platted in 1882 by Ole Peterson and was again platted and surveyed in 1898 by H.W. Fish.

It was named after a town in Illinois where early settler Mathias Anderson came.

In 1877, a grain elevator was erected, and a year later a blacksmith shop opened.

The same year, a post office opened and a general merchandise and grocery store was constructed.

In 1881, a wagon shop and an engine house were added to the blacksmith shop.

By 1910, Manchester had a town hall and a firemen’s hall, a bank, a creamery, Farmers Mutual Insurance

can’t handle large events on their own, but by working together with other groups these things can happen.”

One example of this is the FFA students who have helped water the hanging baskets on Broadway throughout the summer.

“It’s an opportunity for organizations to collaborate on projects, which is a good way for the community to see the organizations working together and to learn more about the organizations and what

they do,” said FFA adviser Pam Koenen. The community foundation is currently working with others in the community to address the shortage of day care in the Alden area.

According to Zeller, more outreach is needed to make people aware that the foundation is a presence in the community and that it is there to help. Creating welcome packets to let new people in the community know what is available to them is one

Co., a railroad station, a post office, a hotel, an elevator, a hardware store, a general store and a blacksmith shop.

In 1916, Evangelical Lutheran Church was constructed, and at about the same time a two-room school was built. In the 1950s, the school consolidated with Albert Lea.

The city was

incorporated in 1947, and water mains were installed the same year. In 1952, a tornado destroyed several businesses and homes. The city’s population was listed at 57 in the 2010 census.

— Information from “Freeborn County Heritage”

way they are striving to accomplish this.

“Giving back to the community is our way of building a stronger community for years to come,” Zeller said.

Foundation board member. More information can be found on the foundation website at aldenacf.org or through a link on smifoundation.org. Donations can be sent to Alden Area Community Foundation at PO Box 1, Alden, MN 56009.

LeVerne Carlson Fitness Center

Located at the Alden-Conger Public School Alden, MN

Affordable and flexible membership options for everyone

Contact Jenny at 507-874-3240 or jhovendick@ac242.us

The Alden Area Community Foundation sponsored S’mores on the Shore during Alden’s Morin Lake Days celebration. PHOTO COURTESY OF BARB ZELLER

Hanging flower baskets brighten up Broadway in Alden. With the help of volunteers, they are watered and cared for throughout the summer. PHOTO COURTESY OF LORI NELSON

The city of Alden received a grant for lake restoration on Morin Lake. A group led by Jerry Reyerson carried out the project. PHOTO COURTESY OF BARB ZELLER

Manchester named after another town in Illinois

A NEW NAME AND A NEW

By Sarah Stultz sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

CLARKS GROVE — In the beginning, Andrea Strom and Penny Thompson just wanted to do flea markets together.

But little by little things evolved for the two women who have a heart for vintage and an eye for refurbishing.

The flea markets expanded into a business — Junktion Market — which started on Main Street for two years and then moved downtown on Broadway in Albert Lea for four years.

About five years ago, the women started a second business — The Perfect Pair Estate and Downsizing Services — around the same time as the retirement of another woman in an estate sales business and after having a few customers ask them if they would consider doing so.

Now, this month Strom and Thompson opened their businesses under the new name of The Vintage Grove Co. in Clarks Grove, at the site of the former hardware store on Main Street.

“We didn’t plan a business, we didn’t plan a store,” Strom said. “We were going to do flea markets together — and we’ve done a couple — and then it just morphed and it kept morphing.”

Thompson said she and Strom were split between the downtown location for Junktion Market and a store at Northbridge Mall before they started renting at the Clarks Grove location for the estate sales.

At that time, the women said, they had a lot of offsite sales with the housing market moving quickly and people needing to downsize.

“We rented here, and then somebody was

thinking about buying the building, and we were like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’” Thompson said.

While they had only rented the front portion of the building, they know what else the building had to offer, including a large warehouse in the back, where they could store their estate sales equipment and have a workshop area to paint and redo furniture right there instead of having to do it somewhere else and transport the furniture to their shop.

The building also has storage units that were put in after a tornado damaged the building in 2017 and a loading dock on the back.

“Someone was making an offer, and we thought, ‘We are never going to find another building that is suited to all of our needs and in our price range,’” Thompson said.

So they threw their hat

in the ring, made an offer and then signed on the property in May. Strom said initially they had hoped to be open in both places, but quickly found out it was a lot of overhead cost.

“We knew immediately it was hard to keep up with both places,” Thompson said.

Though they loved being downtown and loved their landlord, Jay Waltman, they said they couldn’t sustain both sites and made the decision to combine both businesses into the Clarks Grove building.

With the help of Lynsie Stortroen with The Hustle Marketing Co., they have rebranded under one name, which they hope will be less confusing to customers.

“Everything we’ve done has been pretty organic,” Thompson said. “It just kind of evolves, and we

let it evolve.”

The building has retail space in the whole front of the building — at least double of their former location downtown.

It includes a mix of vintage, antiques, refurbished furniture, new retail and some gifts.

“Penny and I miss our flea markets and our auctions, and we love vintage, and we really want to expand on that,” Strom said.

They are also planning a Minnesota corner in the shop with local vendors, including Scandinavian gift items, books by Minnesota authors, cookbooks and other items. In January they were looking for a coffee and tea producer and said they would like a cottage producer to come in once or twice a month to sell goods.

“For years we’ve had this long, narrow spot to work with (downtown),”

Church offers clothes, care items and a connection to those in need

By Sarah Kocher news@albertleatribune.com

NEW RICHLAND — It doesn’t sound like the kind of place you’d hold Sunday School.

Yes, it’s in a church basement, but the space is stocked with bedsheets, clothing, pots and pans and towels. But those supplies (and the people in charge of helping them find new homes) are how a church in the New Richland area turned two empty Sunday School rooms into free thrift store and a space for human connection.

This is Shepherd’s Robe, which provides these items (and more) to the local public for free. Co-coordinator Pat Miller, who runs the space alongside her sister, Sandy Prechel, said the store is an expansion on an effort started by a husband-wife team.

The couple ran a small free clothing and houseware shop out of their home until they weren’t able to anymore, Miller said. And at the time, Vista Covenant Church was looking for new ways to reach out to the surrounding communities.

Miller said when it was announced at church that the in-home free store was going to close, “several people just kind of drove home that Sunday and thought, ‘Hmmm. I wonder if that’s something we could do at Vista.’”

Within four months, Shepherd’s Robe was up and running in the two empty Sunday school rooms. (A third is used in the winter for boots, coats, mittens and other cold-weather gear.)

In addition to thrifted items, Shepherd’s Robe also supplies free personal care supplies like toothpaste and deodorant and free underwear, all of which it orders upon request from individuals who come in. The church funds the purchase of these items.

“We feel good about

being able to help with those basic needs for anyone who needs them,” Miller said.

The free store, which opened in April 2021, has also been an eye-opener for church members about the need in the community, which Miller said she’s seen become “so much more desperate in these last couple years.”

“The need has definitely grown, even in the almost two years that we have been in operation, and it’s not only clothing and the kinds of things we do but just a need for human connection,” she said.

Shepherd’s Robe is open on Tuesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.

During the evening hours, the church also serves a free meal.

That meal has been a catalyst for other opportunities to help community members, Miller said.

“It’s the connections that we’ve seen (make) a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “It’s a safe place. It’s certainly made us more aware of how fortunate we are and

more aware of the needs of others than ever before. And our congregation does really support us by volunteering, by giving, by praying and by showing up to help.”

Miller said Shepherd’s Robe had 1,600 people visit in 2022, and every quarter, more people come. The store is staffed entirely by volunteers.

“It isn’t a place where we make people feel uncomfortable with a lot of preaching,” Miller said. “That’s not our goal. Our goal is to simply connect

Strom said. “Now this place is huge.”

The soft opening for the business was Feb. 16, and they are planning a bigger open house on March 15 with a ribbon cutting through the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce.

The Vintage Grove Co. is open from noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays through May 1, and then the hours will expand after that.

The storage units at the building are also available for rent.

– and it happens to be in our church building.”

According to Miller, it’s likely that the next goal for Shepherd’s Robe is to add another open day.

“I love this ministry,” she said. “I’ve bought into this ministry…. The stuff is important. The connections that we’re making are even more important, I think.”

To schedule a donation, contact Miller at 507-661-0886. The church is at 14679 275th Ave., between New Richland and Waseca.

Sisters Sandy Prechel and Pat Miller stand in a storage area for clothes for Shepherd’s Robe at Vista Covenant Church in New Richland. The sisters run the organization with the help of volunteers. SARAH STULTZ/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Shepherd’s Robe offers clothes for all ages for people in need at Vista Covenant Church in New Richland.

Andrea Strom and Penny Thompson’s love of vintage inspired them to create their first business in 2016. They also feature refurbished furniture. SARAH STULTZ/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Andrea Strom and Penny Thompson rebranded their two businesses Junktion Market and The Perfect Pair Estate and Downsizing Services into The Vintage Grove Co. and opened in Clarks Grove this month.

The Vintage Grove Co. is open in the former hardware store on Main Street in Clarks Grove.

The Vintage Grove Co. features vintage and other decor items.

LUCKY’S PUB TO OPEN SOON IN HAYWARD

By Alex Guerrero alex.guerrero@albertleatribune.com

HAYWARD — What

once was old is now new, as Lucky’s Pub is getting ready to open in Hayward.

Owner Amie Bartlett described the process as “trying to bring back the business that had been very successful in the community,” referring to the now-closed Julio’s Bar.

“We had an opportunity to explore purchasing this building, and we currently are in the process of obtaining licensing with the health department, the Minnesota Health Department, for a restaurant and liquor licensing,” she said, referring to herself and business partner Jay Sullivan.

The process from pursuing to purchasing the building in September 2022 took almost two years, but she said the idea crossed her mind previously, though she never considered it seriously until the opportunity presented itself.

“This used to be an establishment that we would visit when it was up and operating,” she said. “We really enjoyed coming here, we enjoyed meeting up in this community. I think it’s missed by a lot of people.”

Because the approximately 4,000 square-foot area is located by the trails that bikes and snowmobiles used, and because she herself enjoyed stopping by Julio’s when it was open, she thought it was a good spot.

Bartlett, who has experience as a registered nurse, said her parents owned a restaurant and her father owned a business.

“I’m not new to small business ownership,” she said.

And as a nurse, she managed a birth center and had 20 years of experience on the floor treating patients.

“I’ve got a lot of experience working with people and running a staff,” she said.

With their experience operating Harmony Park, she said she thought she had some experience in the industry.

She has also helped Sullivan operate Harmony Park, where her responsibilities included maintaining the pub at the park.

Besides Lucky’s Pub, she either co-owns or manages two other businesses, which she feels will help.

“Just all the sides of it, from being back in the office to working with people, the hiring, the licensing, all of that has been a part of some of the other businesses, so a lot of overlap with that,” she said.

Her vision for Lucky’s Pub was to provide a “wellrun, well-managed” space for the community to socialize and enjoy food. She also wants to showcase local arts and music and portray the history of Harmony Park, and she’s excited to have an outdoor patio.

“[Marrying] these two together is sort of a fun vision for us to explore all the opportunities that that may bring,” she said.

She’s also appreciative of all the support she has received.

“I’ve received amazing community support so far from the city of Hayward,” she said. “They’ve been just a pleasure to work with throughout the whole process of purchasing the building and closing on it, and now working through all the technicalities of getting permits and getting licensed.”

Bartlett declined to say how much the purchase cost.

Lucky’s Pub will be at 103 E. Front St., and it is Bartlett’s hope to have Lucky’s Pub opened by sometime in April.

When completed, Lucky’s Pub will have around 5,000 square feet. ALEX GUERRERO/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Besides Lucky’s Pub, Amie Bartlett either co-owns or helps operate two other businesses: Harmony Park and a production company.

It is Bartlett’s goal to have Lucky’s Pub open in April.