Progress community a

PRogREss ALBERT LEA TRiBunE

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FEBRuARy 28, 2016

Community

Preserving history Heritage Preservation Commission works to keeP downtown HistoriC Cover photo by Colleen Harrison Story by Cathy Hay

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s a history buff and vice chairman of Albert Lea’s Heritage Preservation Commission, Brad Kirchner sees efforts to restore downtown this way: “It’s not just saving buildings, it’s preserving history.” See HISTORY Page A4

What’s inside this section:

A7

A8

A10

Memories of Grove Avenue

Catch up with A.L. athletes

A helpful smile

A.L. resident recalls time as youth spent in pioneer neighborhood.

What are four ALHS graduates doing in the sports world after graduation?

Man says it is his goal to brighten people’s days while stopping in at the post office.

Page a2 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2016 | Community | sundAy, FebruAry 28, 2016

USC wrestling coach travels to and from Waterville each day for sport By the numbers

By Sam Wilmes

sam.wilmes@albertleatribune.com

WELLS — His voice boomed through the United South Central wrestling room, offering instructions to wrestlers — instructions not only meant for the wrestling mat, but for life. Robert Routh, 38, is the first-year varsity wrestling coach at United South Central. Routh graduated from NRHEG in 1996, where he wrestled and played football. As a wrestler, Routh finished fourth in the state tournament as a senior. His brother, Dan Routh, was the first NRHEG wrestling state champion in 1997. Robert Routh graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2000 with an English degree. He married his wife, Sara, and moved to Aurora, Colorado, in 2001, where he served as varsity head coach at Gateway High

4th Routh’s finish in the 1996 state wrestling tournament

103

Miles in Routh’s daily round-trip commute

13 Years Routh and his wife, Sara, lived in Colorado before moving back to Minnesota

Robert Routh instructs United South Central wrestlers Jesse Meyer, top, and Gavin Sonnek. sAm Wilmes/Albert leA tribune

School and then as an assistant coach at Grandview High School. Routh moved back to

Minnesota in August 2014 The couple moved to Wabecause his wife was offered terville in October 2014. After a year break from a job as a school counselor at Medford High School. coaching, Routh said he was impressed with United South Central’s new school and facilities. “I kind of liked what I saw, felt good about the situation,” he said. Routh is a ninth- and 10thgrade teacher at Mankato Loyola High School. Although his commute

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is long, he doesn’t regret taking the job at United South Central. “I just love coaching,” Routh said. “I love kids and the sport.” Routh is looking to advance the United South Central wrestling program by increasing the number of children who are in the program and developing the program’s tradition of winning. He hopes to have the community become more intertwined with the program. “People want to see that part back again, they want that,” he said. Routh said the lessons

learned on the mat can transfer well past school, and he is looking for the wrestlers to develop as both wrestlers and as people under his tutelage. “Getting back up again after being knocked down, after falling, is important in wrestling and in life,” he said. “What you put in you get out. If you wrestle and practice well in the season and work harder in the off-season, the better you get. “You either win or you lose, but in essence, it’s the time and work you put in compared to the other person.” Routh wants wrestlers to create their own story that he can re-tell after the athlete leaves to inspire the next generation of wrestlers. He expects the team to become better by the end of the season. “There is a good chance that we may struggle in the beginning of the year at duels,” Routh said. “But, those teams that beat us early, we will have a strong chance to defeat them come tournament time.” Routh said the program has good athletes, and he expects the team’s skill to catch up with its athletic ability.

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Page a4 | AlbertleAtribune.Com | Progress 2016 | Community | sundAy, FebruAry 28, 2016

In August 1939 a large crowd gathered to see Robert Wadlow, “The World’s Tallest Man,” at Plymouth Shoes on Broadway in Albert Lea. The Tribune indicated Wadlow was 8 feet, 9 1/2 inches tall. Near the street light in front of Plymouth Shoes — sponsor of the event — is a raised platform where Wadlow is sitting on a chair. Photo Courtesy Freeborn

County historiCAl soCiety

History Continued from Front Page

the commission oversees the city’s historic downtown — the largest intact historic district in Minnesota. Even when compared to bigger cities, Albert Lea has the most properties — 114 — contributing architectural or other features to a historic period within a specific area. Buildings counted as contributing to the historic district are those built more than 50 years ago with no major architectural changes, though the core historic period is 1874 to 1928. the district covers portions of Broadway, Clark street, William street, Washington Avenue and Newton Avenue. the Minnesota Historical

“We have a passion for the whole community, a passion for Albert Lea, a passion for downtown, a passion for Albert Lea to flourish.” — Heritage Preservation Commission Vice Chairman Brad Kirchner society and National Park service consider downtown Albert Lea to be an excellent example of a historic commercial district that has been preserved for future generations to experience. the district is listed on the National register of Historic places for its local significance in commerce and architecture. the city first established the district, comprised solely of Broadway Avenue, in 1987, and expanded it

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in 2004 to include most of downtown. Also in 2004, the city formed the Heritage Preservation Commission to: • identify the significant structures and details required to preserve the quality of the district. • Provide guidance to local property owners on the historical significance of their properties. • Establish design guidelines for restoration, renovation or rehabilitation of properties within the district. the commission reviews proposed changes for downtown exteriors and determines if they meet the guidelines. if so, the commission issues a Certificate of Appropriateness prior to the city issuing a building permit. Properties within the district are eligible for tax credits and city grants to fix up the building fronts. studies have shown a historic district can lead to increased commerce, tourism and property values, according to the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota and Minnesota Historic Preservation office. Kirchner sees the commission’s job as helping downtown tenants and owners do more to restore their building exteriors by finding more grant money from the state. “We have a passion for the whole community, a passion for Albert Lea, a passion for downtown, a passion for Albert Lea to flourish,” he said of the commission. on a cold and blustery day in late January, Kirchner walked down Broadway Avenue and proudly pointed out buildings renovated and features preserved. Brick Furniture still has its original posts made of metal in its front facade. the original awning cranks remain on the Marketing Plant building. the Edward Jones building used gooseneck lamps and a sign painted on its front window as part of its effort to keep downtown’s quaint look. the interchange and others installed full-height doors and revealed or replaced front windows above the doors. the big project that day was installation of windows in the former Alliant Energy building on the corner of Broadway and Clark street. this building, constructed of limestone in 1923, was a Midwestern showpiece in

The historic buildings downtown originally had large front windows to supplement dim gas lighting with sunlight. The awnings and transoms above provided shade and ventilation before air conditioning was invented. Colleen hArrison/Albert leA tribune

The building at the corner of Broadway and Clark Street was built in 1923 for the local electric company. Note the light poles along the roofline, which were eventually removed. Also note the transoms and awnings that helped cool and shade the building. The building housed Alliant Energy for many years and is now being renovated by Arends Properties. Photo Courtesy Freeborn County historiCAl soCiety

By the numbers 1874

114

Beginning of the historic period for downtown Albert Lea

Properties in the historic district

its day. Arends Properties is now restoring many of its stately features while renovating for a modern office. the historic buildings originally had large front windows to supplement dim gas lighting with sunlight. the awnings and transoms above provided shade and ventilation before air conditioning was invented. Many historic characteristics remain downtown, but they’re covered with siding, boards and other modern changes over the decades. these features — like many of the community’s features — are just waiting to be uncovered. “the size of the town

doesn’t matter,” Kirchner said. “it’s the passion.” He was born and raised in Albert Lea, attended college at st. Cloud and Mankato state universities, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English. Kirchner also worked in retail, and his customer service skills eventually led him to banking. He is now branch manager of U.s. Bank in Albert Lea. “i never wanted to leave,” he said of why he returned to his hometown. “i like that i can walk down the street and know people around me. it’s home.” He and his wife, Jody, have two children, Landon and Kaedyn, in grades 11

13 Businesses with exterior work since fall 2013

and eight respectively, at Albert Lea High school. Kirchner serves on many nonprofit boards and is president of the Freeborn County Historical society this year — a great fit with the heritage commission. the latter is a connecting factor among the museum, Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau, city of Albert Lea and others working to promote the community. Also serving on the Heritage Preservation Commission are rick Buringa, Larry Fisher, tom Larson, robert Hoffman, Lester Anderson, tami staker and Doug Johnson.

Sunday, February 28, 2016 | community | ProgreSS 2016 | albertleatribune.com | Page a5

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Sunday, February 28, 2016 | community | ProgreSS 2016 | albertleatribune.com | PagE a7

Memories of growing up on Grove Avenue By Ed Shannon

news@albertleatribune.com

There’s a real challenge for local resident Kirk Foley — a descendant of a pioneer family who once lived on Albert Lea’s Grove Avenue — to now locate the street or sites of any of the homes that were once a part of his pioneer neighborhood. That’s because seven homes, a very small city park and a church once located on Grove Avenue are now a part of the Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea building complex and parking lot to the north of Fountain Street. Grove Avenue once ran from an intersection on Fountain Street between West and St. Mary avenues in a diagonal northwesterly direction to an intersection with Park Avenue just south of the Grace Street corner. Within the triangle formed by this street, plus Fountain and Park, was the city’s first Episcopal church building, Armstrong Park and the original site of Naeve Hospital. The street may have been named because of a small cluster of tall oak trees that inspired the pioneer settlers to start a community on the south shore of Fountain Lake. By the 1870s and 1880s, this short street became the address for several of the city’s most outstanding residences. These large homes faced the street, had horse stables — which were later garages — to the side or back, and long sloping backyards extending down to the lakeshore. Based on a trend that is still somewhat a part of American life, several of these distinctive residences were labeled with the names of their occupants or original owners. One home was known as the Cargill place. Another residence with several turrets on the roof was known as the Dr. Watland home. Still another place was the Jorgensen house. Two of the homes were later known as the Nolander (John) and Speltz (Theodore) places. For more than a century, incidentally, Grove was

Kirk Foley moved back to Albert Lea in 2010 and opened Prairie Wind Coffee in 2011. colleen harriSon/albert lea tribune used as a logical shortcut between the Park Avenue neighborhood and the city’s central business district. Foley spent his youthful years in this neighborhood and lived in two of the homes with two last names. His father, Newman Foley, purchased the Cargill place about 1956. He lived there until his parents divorced and his mother married John Nolander. This resulted in a move to a nearby home with several names: Jorgenson, (Virginia) Watland and Nolander. As a result, he acquired the last name of Nolander. This is confirmed with his photo in the 1971 Albert Lea High School yearbook. After age 18, Kirk became a Foley again. “Back then there were lots of kids in the neighborhood,” Foley said. “It was an ideal place to grow up.” Among the activities he recalls were water skiing on the lake, ice skating on a nearby outdoor rink, playing hockey at Morin Park, lots of games and having several boats. One specific memory he

Association eventually purchased all of the homes on Grove Avenue. The end of Grove Avenue as a city street and unofficial shortcut started on Nov. 23, 1973, with the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Naeve Hospital. The remaining homes, plus two facing Fountain Street, were either razed or moved. For about two decades, the diagonal street that once ran between the original hospital and the newer Naeve Hospital building overlooking Fountain Lake served as part of the parking lot. This last trace of Grace Avenue ended in Kirk Foley also spent part of his younger years on Grove mid-1997 with the start of Avenue in the John Nolander place in what was once the construction of the newer Grove Avenue neighborhood. This home was where the and much larger complex hospital helicopter pad is now and was moved about three that’s now known as Mayo miles south of the city in the mid-1970s. Photo courteSy Clinic Health System. For Foley and other local Freeborn county hiStorical muSeum residents, Grove Avenue During the years he his old Grove Avenue may have faded away. Yet, was living elsewhere in neighborhood. for them, a multitude of the nation, several major As part of its gradual ex- memories are still vivid changes took place in pansion, the Naeve Hospital legacies of the past.

has of those years is being in the backyard and watching the Fourth of July fireworks fired off at the city beach across the lake. He attended Lincoln Grade School, two blocks or so south of Grove, Southwest Junior High School and Albert Lea High School. After two years at Rochester Community College, he became a dairy herdsman near Lake City in the 1970s, followed by dairy herdsman at the David Lunde farm near Hayward in the early 1980s. “Then I went out East to become involved with construction,” he said. Foley eventually became a part of what he called the “marine business,” or working with boats on both the East Coast and out in Washington state. He came back to Albert Lea in 2010. “In 2011 I opened Prairie Wind Coffee on South Broadway,” he said. He sold the business in 2014, and it’s now the Interchange Wine and Coffee Bistro.

Watch Weekdays This home on Grove Avenue was once known as the Cargill place. It was built for the William Wallace Cargill family. The famous grain business owner lived in Albert Lea from 1871 to 1975. And it’s one of two places in this neighborhood where Kirk Foley grew up.

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Photo courteSy Freeborn county hiStorical muSeum

Grove Avenue timeline 1872 Year the Cargill home was built

1973

1997

Year Grove Avenue ended as a city street

Year nearly all traces of Grove Avenue faded away

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Sunday, February 28, 2016 | community | ProgreSS 2016 | albertleatribune.com | Page a9

playing sports at the college level KyLe OOmS

Northwestern player is a leader both on and off the court on campus By Barbara Boxleitner news@albertleatribune.com

Kyle Ooms has been a model player for the University of Northwestern men’s basketball team. But the Albert Lea High School graduate isn’t letting up until his fourth year is complete. “I feel like there’s another level I can take it to, so I’m going to try to reach as high a ceiling as I can,” said the 6-foot-6 senior. The captain became a starter during his sophomore season, when he averaged seven points and seven rebounds in playing 23 of 28 games. This season he started the first 18 games and led the team with a 7.9 rebounding average. He averaged 12.3 points, second on the team. “He’s been an impact player for us for four years,” head coach Tim Grosz said. “This year he’s shooting really well. He always brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm. “He’s shown steady improvement,” he said. “He’s been a pretty consistent performer all four years. That’s not an easy thing to do at the collegiate level.” Ooms’ role changed this year. Northwestern lost three inside players to graduation, so he entered the season knowing he had to be more of a scorer. “They really expect me to be the big guy in the middle and push up to get the easy basket,” he said. To prepare for the new role, he focused on lowerbody conditioning during

“Kyle’s going to give you everything he has.” Ooms said he didn’t have expectations coming into college. Yet each season has provided lasting memories. “They could all stand alone as being great in their own way,” he said. “I’m just happy that I’ve had the opportunity to grow.” I just try to go out there and do the best that I can,” he said. “After practice and games, I’m confident with the effort that I gave.” Grosz is happy to have had Ooms on the team so long. “He’s not only a great player, he’s a great student,” he said. “He’s a great leader on campus. Albert Lea High School graduate Kyle Ooms has scored in double figures 13 times with a college career high of 29 He’s an outstanding young man.” against University of Wisconsin-Superior Jan. 16. Photo courteSy ruSS and Kathy nelSon the offseason to develop his core. He did a lot more repetitions with the weights. “It’s a very demanding sport,” he said. “That helps bulk up for the long run of the season.” He has delivered offensively. He has scored in double figures 13 times, with a career high of 29 against University of Wisconsin-Superior Kyle on Jan. 16. Ooms He has raised his offensive production without sacrificing defensively. He has had at least 10 rebounds in five games, including a season high of 14 that gave him more than 500 rebounds for his Northwestern

career. He ranked fourth in rebounding average in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference as of Jan. 25. He led the team in blocked shots and tied for second in blocks in the conference. Ooms has stayed in the lineup despite a broken nose that has required him to a wear a mask, “which is not the easiest thing in the world,” Grosz said. “As far as vision, peripheral vision, it makes everything difficult.” His durability and reliability haven’t been a surprise. “When we recruited him, we knew he was a high-energy guy,” the coach said.

Albert Lea grad steps up training, nutrition and finds success in the pool season her senior year,” news@albertleatribune.com Gustavus Adolphus head coach Jon Carlson said. “It Morgan Field had plenty was just a combination of of inspiration to excel in having the right attitude and a desire to excel. She has an swimming this year. The Albert Lea High incredible work ethic.” She has been swimming School graduate is a breaststroke specialist for the the breaststroke since the Gustavus Adolphus College second grade. “I think it’s the women’s swimming most fun,” she said. team. “Breaststroke is speField, who comcial in the sense it’s pleted her last class very different from Jan. 29, competes the others. You have mostly in the 100a different kick, and and 200-yard breastyou’re breathing stroke and 200 indievery stroke. You vidual medley. She is have underwater part of the 200 and morgan pullouts instead of 400 medley relays. Field underwater dolphin “There’s something about 16 years (swimming) kicks.” and it being your last year Carlson cited Field’s adthat has really motivated justment in preparation, me,” the second-year captain especially her attention to said. “This was my year to proper nutrition and rest. step up. “She’s given a lot of “I’m very happy that I thought to her swimming,” can continue swimming,” he said. she said. “That’s hard to “She’s very diligent about do if you don’t have great her technique and trying to people around you.” figure out what makes her Field entered the Jan. time faster,” he said. “She’s 25 week with the fastest always tried to find more effitime on the team in the 200 cient ways to get through the breaststroke and second water fast. It’s been a gradual fastest time on the team in improvement every year. 100 breaststroke, accord- Just being able to continually ing to the USA Swimming improve is a great motivation online records. for the next season.” “She’s having her best Field said Carlson’s By Barbara Boxleitner

change in training has helped her. “We’ve really focused on racing in practice,” she said. “I’m a big competitor.” She won the 100 and 200 breaststroke against Carleton College and was part of the winning 200 medley relay. Field was eighth in 200 individual medley. She was second in the 100 and 200 breaststroke against St. Olaf College. “I do like the IM,” she said. “It mixes up what I get to swim. IM lets me get a taste of every stroke.” She has been swimming with the A relays, which have been successful. She was part of the 200 medley relay that was second Jan. 23 at the Grinnell College Invitational. She was a member of the 400 medley relay that was third. “Relays are a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s not just you and your heat. You’re swimming for three other people in your relay.” Field looked forward to the Feb. 18 to 20 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships. She was fourth in the 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 200 breaststroke during last year’s conference championship win, the team’s sixth consecutive.

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Memphis/ Nashville......June 19-26...................$1189 Canadian Rockies...........July 9-17.......................$1579 • Banﬀ National Park • Jasper National Park • Kootenay National Park • Athabasca Glacier • Glacier Snowcoach Ride • Lake Louise • Peyto Lake • Sulpher Mountain

• Gondola Ride • Calgary Olympic Park • Calgary Stampede Park • Calgary Rodeo • Calgary Chuckwagon Races • Stampede Spectacular Grandstand Show • and much, much more!

Northwest Circle.............July 16-29.....................$2319 Winnipeg..........................August 6-11.................$1089 New York City................August 13-20...............$1619 Oklahoma City...............August 17-21...............$1619 Best Of South Dakota....September 1-4..............$559 Mackinac Island..............September 8-11............$619 Call today for a detailed brochure or a current mailer. 507-529-8687 / 1-866-277-8687 Toll Free / Rochester, MN. All prices above based on double occupancy

All of our tours depart from: Albert Lea, Austin, Rochester, Dexter, St Charles, Winona, and La Crosse, WI.

www.albertleatribune.com

www.jagtours.com