Progress 2019 Community A by Albert Lea Tribune

Progress Community SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2019 • ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Norm Fredin sits in a back room of his home overlooking Fountain Lake in early February. Fredin was selected as the Tribune’s second annual Citizen of the Year. COLLEEN HARRISON/ ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Retirement doesn’t slow down A.L.’s

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR Man with a ‘heart of generosity’ recognized for his ongoing efforts to better the community By Sarah Stultz

sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

t the age of 84, Albert Lean Norm Fredin doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. With a lifetime of achievements completed, it could be easy for him to sit back and relax for a few years — but Fredin said he plans on doing nothing of the sort. “I spent all my working life in Freeborn County, and I want to give back because Freeborn County has been good to me,” he said. For his ongoing drive to better the community, Fredin was selected for the Tribune’s second annual Citizen of the Year Award. The six-member Citizen of the Year Award committee reviewed all the nominations submitted for the award and said they chose Fredin for the award because of his commitment to Albert Lea. “He continues to go 90 mph and serve the community,” said John Holt, one of the committee members.

Lakes ag service center from 1976 to 1979 and then taught adult farm management at South Central Tech College from 1979 to 1995. He owned and operated Agri Records in Albert Lea for 15 years, and owned the golf course in Hayward for two years. From 1999 to 2017, he managed the Freeborn County Fair, which is Albert Lea and Freeborn County’s largest attraction each year. Fredin said he didn’t know anything about managing a fair when he started, but he saw a need, so he stepped up to help. “The fair is a good activity where all of Freeborn County can get together,” he said. “My motto at the fair is to make it educational and entertaining.” Aside from his work responsibilties, he has been involved with numerous volunteer and civic efforts over the years. He served as mayor of Glenville from 1969 to 1973 and served in the National Guard from 1957 to 1963. He has served on nuA background merous boards, includin agriculture ing the Glenville School Born July 31, 1934, Board and the Freeborn in Comfrey, Fredin County Fair board. He graduated from Comwas the president of frey High School in — Norm Fredin the Minnesota State 1952 and from Iowa Spring Barrow Show State University in 1956. He moved to Freeborn County for a decade and has been a part of when he started working as a voca- Golden K Kiwanis since 1997. tional ag teacher at Glenville High School that same year, where he ‘Friends to everyone they meet’ stayed until 1971. Today, Fredin’s life is just as He married his wife, Joyce, in 1957, and together they had two busy as he volunteers distributing magazines for Mayo Clinic Health daughters. After his time teaching in Glen- System in Albert Lea monthly, volunville, Fredin worked as an agronomy teers helping residents at St. John’s technician for Land O’ Lakes from See AWARD, Page 2 1971 to 1976, managed the Land O’

“I spent all my working life in Freeborn County, and I want to give back because Freeborn County has been good to me.”

WHAT’S INSIDE?

‘You can do anything you want’ Women firefighters share what motivated them to serve in the area. Page A3

Continuing to make waves

Influential citizens of the past

Albert Lea graduate prepares for NCAA Championships and Olympic Trials. Page A6

Read about residents who helped shape Albert Lea and the surrounding area. Page B2

Beyond the football field Albert Lea Grizzlies players share what they do outside the sport. Page B10

PAGE A2 | ALBERTLEATRIBUNE.COM | PROGRESS 2019 | COMMUNITY | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2019

Citizen of the Year Award nominees: • Jim Peterson • Norm Fredin • Leonel Lopez • Ann Austin • Sarah and Brian Hensley

Citizen of the Year Award committee members • Crystal Miller • Sarah Stultz • Cindy Lunning • Rick Mummert • John Holt • Tom Sorenson

AWARD Continued from Front Page

Lutheran Community and is on the board for Bayview/ Freeborn Funeral Home. “Norm is a quiet giant,” said Diane Wichmann, director of fund development, marketing and public relations at St. John’s Lutheran Community. “He is forwardthinking and very compassionate about rural life and small-city living in Freeborn County and Greater Minnesota.” She said Fredin served on the board of directors and the steering committee for the new senior campus of St. John’s Community on Fountain Lake and still volunteers for the organization. He donated a six-person golf cart to give residents rides around the new campus. “People love a ride where there is fresh air and the scenic beauty of Fountain Lake and Edgewater Park,” Wichmann said. “Norm is a person that makes a difference wherever he is placed. It’s an honor to work and serve with him.” Fredin and his wife joined First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea in 2013, where he has also been involved in numerous committees. In addition, he helped organize a large rock painted in patriotic themes that is dedicated to veterans of Freeborn County outside

Norm Fredin helped organize efforts for a rock outside Freeborn County Historical Museum honoring area veterans. PROVIDED Freeborn County Historical Museum. Though his time on the fair board is coming to a close, he said he has worked to establish a fair museum in the Olson Building, which was formerly known as the Heritage Building. It will be a permanent museum, showcasing the history of the fair, drawing from artifacts that community members loan or donate or that fair leaders accumulated throughout the years, combined with other research. Aside from his volunteer effort, he has also contributed financially to numerous efforts, including to Youth for Christ. Robin Gudal, director of operations at South Central Youth for Christ, said Fredin and his wife have been partners with Youth for Christ for many years. “We are so thankful for his heart of generosity,” Gudal said. “They have

By the numbers

2000 Year Norm Fredin and his wife moved to Albert Lea from Glenville

4 Years Fredin served as mayor of Glenville also been faithful to invite others to experience the ministry of YFC through annual banquets and youth fundraisers yearly. Norm has a warm and contagious smile and one always feels better after a conversation with him. He is a well-deserving person of such a special acknowledgment.” Randy and Sheri Nicol, who nominated Fredin for

The rock included intricate details honoring area members of the military. the award, said they are fairly new to Albert Lea, and Fredin and his wife were helpful in introducing them to many people. “He seems to know everyone as I have worked with him on several projects, and he always knows who has the resources or

knowledge for whatever we need done,” the nomination stated. “He and Joyce always open their home and heart to the people of Albert Lea. They are friends to everyone they meet.” Fredin said he “deeply appreciates” receiving the Citizen of the Year Award and

said he was undeserving. He encouraged people to get involved in the community where they see a need. “Take advantage of the opportunities to give back to your community for what you’ve gained over the years,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to give back.”

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2019 | COMMUNITY | PROGRESS 2019 | ALBERTLEATRIBUNE.COM | PAGE A3

‘YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO’ WOMEN FIREFIGHTERS FOR A.L., ALDEN SHARE WHAT MOTIVATED THEM TO SERVE

By the numbers

By Colleen Harrison

colleen.harrison@albertleatribune.com

Just one of the team. That’s what Brandi Hagen, Katie Hallman and Janel Heideman all consider themselves to be as female firefighters on mostly male departments. Hagen, 29, and Hallman, 26, are both attending class to get their firefighter certification. Hagen was hired as an on-call firefighter for Albert Lea Fire Department, and Hallman is a part of Alden Fire Department. Heideman, 39, has been a paid on-call firefighter for Albert Lea for about a year. “It’s something I’ve kind of always wanted to do,” Hallman said of her reason for joining. She added that she was also inspired to be a firefighter by family friend and neighbor Doug Johnson. Johnson was a building official for the city of Albert Lea and worked as a building inspector and fire investigator, and served on Alden’s fire department for decades. He died in 2016 after battling a massive stroke and brain cancer. Heideman said being a firefighter is something she had been interested in for a while, and something that meshed well in her role as an EMT. Plus, “fighting fires is fun,” she said. For Hagen, being a firefighter is something she had thought of in the back of her mind for a long time, but was too intimidated to apply. As she’ll be turning 30 this year, she said she has been working to try more of the things she has been hesitant to attempt before. “Instead of just dreaming about things and saying ‘what if,’ I decided to try it,” she said. Hagen said her initial goal was to see if she could complete the physical ability test. Not only did she finish the test, she passed it and was offered the job. “That enough was the gold star, but to get the job?” she said. “Holy crap.” Hagen won’t be able to do anything officially on the job until she finishes class in April, but she said she has learned a lot from the hands-on training the department has provided for her and her classmates. “It really gives you a feel for ‘Can I do this?’ instead of just studying a textbook,”

20 Hours Brandi Hagen said she spends a week on her classes to be certified as a paid on-call firefighter

2 Different levels of state firefighter certification, according to Katie Hallman

1 Year Janel Heideman has been a paid on-call firefighter

Brandi Hagen is working toward being certified as a paid on-call firefighter for Albert Lea Fire Department. COLLEEN HARRISON/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Katie Hallman is an Alden first responder and is working toward her certification to be a volunteer firefighter with Alden Fire Department. She is training her 3-year-old German shepherd, Esuda, with the hope of certifying him as a search and rescue dog. she said. “I have so much respect for what these guys do.” Hagen said she appreciates that she won’t just be thrown into the work and gets to learn gradually. She said she’ll even have a different helmet from others when she does start going out on calls so that other departments will know she’s newer to the job. As Hallman is on a volunteer department, she has been going out on calls when she can since she joined the department in December 2017. She helps

in other ways, such as bringing around air tanks, until she can fully respond to calls with the rest of her department. She carries a pager with her, as do the rest of the firefighters on her department. She is also a first-responder for medical calls, and is training her 3-year-old German shepherd, Esuda, to be a certified search and rescue dog. While it won’t be easy, Hagen said she is looking forward to getting to a place where she’ll be able to help out her co-workers, and help others in general

through being a firefighter. “I want to be able to give something back in some way,” Hagen said. Part of being an on-call or volunteer firefighter is finding a balance with other jobs and responsibilities. Hagen runs her own photography studio, Bragen Rights Photography, and waitresses at Perkins. Heideman is a medical death investigator for Freeborn County and works full-time for Gold Cross Ambulance. Hallman works at Northern Country Co-op and also rodeos during warmer seasons. The women have all found a balance of work and life with their multiple jobs, though, they said. Still, there are some intimidating factors. One of Hagen’s classes had students with blacked out masks to mimic the minimal to zero visibility firefighters face during some calls. It was chaotic, to put it mildly, she said. Heideman said some of the

things she learned when she was getting certified made her realize how much nonfirefighters don’t know about fires. Learning how smoke works through a house, and where and how much water to run on a call are just a few of the things she said she hadn’t thought about before going through her training. “There’s so much about fire that nobody would ever think of,” Heideman said. “Fire is a whole different world.” Hagen will be the second woman to join Albert Lea’s department — Heideman was the first. While both women have said they have to do some things differently — using different kinds of leverage to lift certain items or figure out different ways to fire off extinguishers — they’ve never felt their fellow firefighters have held their gender against them. “You have to be able to perform your job,” Hagen said. “If you can’t do it, you can’t do it.”

“Sometimes you just have to try a little harder.” Some of it isn’t a matter of physically being unable to do something, but just not knowing the mechanics of how to do something or just not having the right mindset, Hagen said. “You can do anything you want to do, so do it,” Heideman added. Heideman has never felt her fellow firefighters were anything other than supportive. “It truly is a brotherhood of people all across the country,” she said. That feeling of camaraderie rings true for both Hagen and Hallman, as well. “Being the first female here in Alden, I thought there’d be more challenges,” Hallman said. “We all do a job. That’s what we’re here for.” Hallman said the Alden department gets together for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and will grill out together after meetings. “The brotherhood that we have … we’re all a family,” she said. “It’s like a family you take in, and they take you in.”

Janel Heideman is a paid on-call firefighter with Albert Lea Fire Department. She is also a medical death investigator for Freeborn County and works full-time for Gold Cross Ambulance.

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PAGE A4 | ALBERTLEATRIBUNE.COM | PROGRESS 2019 | COMMUNITY | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2019

‘Keeping people informed of what’s going on in their community’ By Tyler Julson

tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com

NORTHWOOD — Growing up on a family farm just outside of Northwood, Kris Kenison has been involved in the community for most of his life. He became an even bigger figure in the community in 2018 when he became the owner and publisher of the local newspaper, the Northwood Anchor. After graduating from Northwood-Kensett High School in 1997, Kenison attended Waldorf College in Forest City, before moving to Winona for a year working at Target and a radio station group. When a reporter/photographer job at the Anchor opened up suddenly in 2003, Kenison decided to apply for the position and move back to his hometown. When the previous owner, Jane Podgorniak, approached the employees about buying the paper from her, he said the decision was a no-brainer for him. “I just wanted to keep it

Working as a reporter and photographer at the Northwood Anchor since the end of 2003, Kris Kenison took over as publisher and owner of the paper in 2018. TYLER JULSON/ ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

local, keep it with somebody who knew the area,” Kenison said. “I’ve always taken pride in covering the local government, and I wanted

to keep myself involved with that as much as possible. I thought if somebody else from outside the area bought it, that might change.

I managed to get the financing together to buy it and keep it going with everybody that’s already here.” Kenison said he started

down a career path in communications when he started college. He didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do, but knew he wanted to be involved in the media in some capacity. Being heavily involved with the radio station at Wartburg got him the radio job in Winona, where he worked for multiple stations. Even before becoming the owner of the Anchor, Kenison wore multiple hats for the paper. He was a reporter/photographer, copy editor and IT director. After taking over, he had to teach himself how to work in ad sales on top of the general things that come along with running a business. He said taking on all those roles is the most difficult part of the job. Trying to stay organized and not get too overwhelmed can be hard at times, but he said being able to keep the local community informed makes everything worth it. “The most rewarding part is the same as it’s always

been,” Kenison said. “It’s knowing that we’re keeping people informed of what’s going on in their community, helping people make connections so they know what’s going on.” Kenison said the next big task he plans to take on at the Anchor is getting a website up and running. He said they’re a little behind the times without having a website, and he’s excited to offer that to the community. In his free time, Kenison said he enjoys being with his family, especially his two young nephews. He also likes to play video games and exercise; he said he’s on a 670-day streak of getting at least an hour of exercise in. “There’s no way I could do this job without everybody else in the office,” Kenison said. “I wouldn’t have even thought to try if I didn’t know the people here beforehand weren’t on board with it. I wouldn’t have lasted the six months I have without all the help and support from everyone here in the office.”

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2019 | COMMUNITY | PROGRESS 2019 | ALBERTLEATRIBUNE.COM | PAGE A5

CARE FOR YOUR FAMILY. STILL CLOSE TO HOME. The Rev. Matt Hundley of Albert Lea Vineyard Church and Jim Troe, both organizers of Shinefest Week of Service, say their Christian faith plays an important role in their work. The two men are shown Feb. 1 near Memorial Park, the area where they helped repair homes last year. SAM WILMES/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

Sharing Jesus’ love through service By Sam Wilmes

sam.wilmes@albertleatribune.com

For one group of local organizers, being a Christian is not something they keep inside church walls. The Shinefest Week of Service has recently taken place in May and has included work on Albert Lea areas including Hawthorne Elementary School, the west side of Albert Lea, around Lakeview School and Academy Park. Shinefest used to include more outreach to local schools. Each church would rally a group around a school. “Working with the schools was great, but we were going to be moving from August to May, and so there weren’t many school projects going on in May,” said organizer Jim Troe. “So we kind of have moved more intentionally into the neighborhoods to try and really administer to our neighbors directly.” The service week last year included cleaning gutters, removing garbage and painting in the Memorial Park area, helping people who could not

do the work themselves or afford to hire help. Volunteers have conducted repairs on between 20 to 30 homes in the last few years. “We try to find neighborhoods that need some help but are pretty heavily owner-occupied,” Troe said. Organizers discuss whether they want to hold the event every year. “We prefer to keep doing the things that God’s doing so that we’re not coming up with our own stuff,” said the Rev. Matt Hundley of Albert Lea Vineyard Church. “To this point we still feel like God’s doing this.” He noted the Bible stating Jesus Christ came to serve, not be served, as a motivation for the week of service. “We’re taking time from our own lives to invest in serving our neighbors, and so, for me, that’s kind of the basis of Shinefest,” Hundley said. “It’s a way to kind of live out Jesus’ life message, just in reality, with nothing expected back from the community. We’re not looking for a pat on the back, or anything

like that. We’re just looking to show people love and serve them in Jesus’ name.” Hundley and Troe said they want to someday pass on organizing activities to younger people. “This is something that the Lord is in,” Hundley said. “And so how you have it outlive your lifetime is you have to continue to hand it off to the next people to run with it.” Hundley said there is a “major need for rehabilitation in homes” in Albert Lea. “There’s a good percentage of the population that are living in homes that have things here or there that need to be addressed,” he said. “They just don’t have either the funds or the expertise.” This year’s week of service will include an area from Spark Avenue to Plainview Lane and Fourth Avenue to Front Street. Hundley encouraged homeowners in the area to watch for letters noting the service week in April. “We would love to serve,” he said. “We don’t have any hidden agenda other than being good neighbors and sharing Jesus’ love.”

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PAGE A6 | ALBERTLEATRIBUNE.COM | PROGRESS 2019 | COMMUNITY | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2019

Albert Lea graduate Lindsey (Horejsi) Kozelsky is in her junior year on the swim team at the University of Minnesota, where she has already picked up a number of All-American accolades and school records. PHOTOS COURTESY CRAIG LASSIG

‘There’s no such thing as setting goals too high’ A.L. GRADUATE PREPARES FOR UPCOMING NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS, OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS By Tyler Julson

tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com

Now in her junior year at the University of Minnesota, former Albert Lea swimming standout Lindsey (Horejsi) Kozelsky, is still making waves as a member of the Gophers swim and dive team. Nearing the end of the 2018-19 season, Kozelsky is gearing up for the NCAA Championships. “NCAAs, which is our national meet, will be at the

end of March,” Kozelsky said. “So that will be the big meet that I’ll be resting for, and I’m hoping to get close to some records. I really hope to get close to the American record in the (200-yard breaststroke), but we’ll see.” Another opportunity Kozelsky is preparing for is the trials for the 2020 Olympics. She missed the cut at the 2016 trials, but feels confident as the new games get closer. The trials will take place in June 2020

in Omaha, Nebraska, but despite being almost a year and a half away, Kozelsky has already started training for them. “It just works out so well with my swimming,” she said. “It will be my final year of college swimming then Tokyo in 2020, so I’m definitely going to push for that, and my coach and I are working towards that now. “That’s something that people don’t take into consideration sometimes. You have to train for at least two years

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The Minnesota women’s swim and dive team is preparing for the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas. The championship starts on March 20 and runs through March 23. for the trials, so it’s not something that you can just decide on the spot. So, for sure I’ve been working towards this. I went to the 2012 and 2016 trials, so this would be an amazing way to cap off my swimming career.” Kozelsky has had a decorative career up to this point. Before graduating high school, Kozelsky set the Minnesota all-class state records in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley. She was also named the Athlete of the Year at the high school All-State banquet her senior year. In her freshman year at Minnesota, she didn’t miss a beat getting right back to her successful ways. She was named an All-American in her first year that included a second-place finish and school record in the 100-yard breaststroke at the 2017 NCAA Championships and a Big Ten Championship as a part of the 200-yard medley relay. Her sophomore year was

no different, breaking her previous records in those previous races as well as being a part of the team that set the new school record in the 400-yard medley relay. She talked about what it was like for her to be able to step into immediate success in her freshman year. “I was definitely nervous my freshman year,” Kozelsky said. “You always read about certain athletes that peak in high school, so I just had to put the work forward, see what happened and not put too much pressure on certain times or placements. “I just fell back on the amazing coaches that I had in high school. I’m really grateful to have coaches that pushed me, but then also cared for me as a person. That’s exactly what my coach, Kelly Kremer, has done for me up here. I’m so grateful for him every day and the things he does for me as a person.” When she has free time, Kozelsky said she has really

gotten into reading. She also likes to spend time with her dog and her church community, and face-timing with friends and family back home. With all the success Kozelsky has experienced in the pool, she had some advice for any young athletes who want to continue their careers at the collegiate level. “Don’t count yourself short just because you’re in a small school or small program,” she said. “Always try to set your goal high and do whatever you can to achieve those goals. ... Make sure that you know the resources available to you. I know the high school has a lot of people in the athletic department that are awesome and can connect you with people you might not have known about. Ask questions and don’t be afraid to put the extra work in. There’s no such thing as setting goals too high when you have the desire and drive.”

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Kozelsky has been training for the 2020 Olympic Trials, which will take place in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 21-28, just 27 days before the games start in Tokyo. Kozelsky narrowly missed a spot on the 2016 team.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2019 | COMMUNITY | PROGRESS 2019 | ALBERTLEATRIBUNE.COM | PAGE A7

A.L. resident finds balance as church leader, meat inspector and family man By Sam Wilmes

sam.wilmes@albertleatribune.com

Albert Lea resident Brian Jeppson spends 40 hours a week as a U.S. Department of Agriculture meat inspector in Geneva, a position he said allows him to provide for his family. In addition, Jeppson serves as branch president of the Albert Lea area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a position he said allows him to fill the spiritual needs of his family and 50 to 60 congregants. Jeppson, who moved to Albert Lea in 2011 with his wife, April, then 2-year-old son, Hans, and newborn daughter, Emmalynn, grew up in Moorhead and graduated from Minnesota State University-Moorhead. He served a mission through the church from 1998 to 1999 in Leipzig, Germany. “The main purpose was to bring as many as we could unto Christ,” Jeppson said.

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“The main purpose was to bring as many as we could unto Christ.” — Brian Jeppson Brian and April Jeppson married in the church’s Nauvoo, Illinois, temple and lived in Iowa City, Iowa, until he received a promotion through the Department of Agriculture and moved to Albert Lea. The young family stayed in a hotel room for about one month when they first relocated. As branch president for nearly four years as of early February, Jeppson sees to the temporal and spiritual needs of his congregation, some coming from as far away as Minnesota Lake. “I do a lot of administrative work such as in terms See CHURCH, Page A10

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Albert Lea Branch President Brian Jeppson leads the congregation and is a full-time U.S. Department of Agriculture meat inspector. He believes his most important role, however, is as caregiver to his family, including his wife, April, and three children, Hans, Emmalynn and Genevieve. SAM WILMES/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

PAGE A8 | ALBERTLEATRIBUNE.COM | PROGRESS 2019 | COMMUNITY | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2019

‘A GREAT DEAL FOR THE CITY OF ALBERT LEA’

Organizers gear up for the first-ever Governor’s Fishing Opener in the city By Sam Wilmes

sam.wilmes@albertleatribune.com

Albert Lea will host its first Governor’s Fishing Opener in May, a four-day event that could bring $2 million in media exposure and draw attention to neighboring lakes. Albert Lea Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Susie Petersen noted she received 11 letters of support before sending an application requesting to host the event. “In order to submit the proposal, I wanted to make sure that all of my board would be really willing to help out with it,” she said. Organizers hope they can promote Beaver, St. Olaf, Pickerel, Albert Lea and Fountain lakes during the opener. Petersen also received positive feedback on the proposal from local fisherman Dick Herfindahl, who has attended past fishing openers, and Shell Rock Watershed District Administrator Andy Henschel, who expressed support for the plan as the district dredges Fountain Lake. An estimated 80 to 100 fishing hosts are needed.

Mellum, who has attended numerous fishing openers, plans to be a guide/host for the event and is looking forward to the activities. He said he was “born and raised into this sport,” and his mother owned a fishing and tackle business. “It’s kind of been in my blood ever since I was little,” he said. Mellum, who retired in May, said he has had a cabin up North for years and fishes with his grandchildren every weekend during the summer. He fishes in Canada at least once a year and travels to Lake of the Woods in June. He expressed hope smaller Freeborn County lakes will eventually be conducive to fishing. — Mary Nelson “Right now, with the dredging of Fountain Lake and maybe ‘We’re going to have some stocking with the DNR, a pretty good little we’re going to have a pretty fishing lake’ good little fishing lake here in Lifelong fisherman Brad Albert Lea,” he said. Mellum thanked the Department of Natural Resources, Albert Organizers look for Lea-Freeborn County Chamber exposure from event of Commerce and Freeborn The event is expected to bring County ditch inspectors for their $650,000 to $2 million in expowork in the process. sure, Petersen said. “It’s a great deal for the city “It’s not about our board or of Albert Lea,” he said. a few people or committees, Preparation for the event is extensive. Eighteen committees relating to the opener have been formed. A $10,000 Explore Minnesota grant has been received to go toward expenses.

“We want people to come to town that wouldn’t normally come here, to visit, to shop, to eat, to stay.”

$650,000 to $2 million: Amount of revenue exposure the opener is expected to generate

this is all of Albert Lea and all of Freeborn County, showcasing their communities,” she said. “We want people to come to town that wouldn’t normally come here, to visit, to shop, to eat, to stay,” said another organizer, Mary Nelson. “The whole purpose, I feel, for the event is pulling people off of (interstates 35 and 90). Why would they stop in Albert Lea? So now we can use all of the media that will be coming in for the Governor’s Fishing Opener event to help us tell the story of who we are and who our community is.” She noted Petersen has connected drawing tourists to community growth.

“That whole circle is important, because ideally, we want to grow our community,” Nelson said. “People don’t know what Albert Lea has to offer; they might not pull off 35 and 90.” Organizers have donated time beyond their full-time jobs to ensure the event takes place. “I’ve met people just from this planning, from this event, that I’ve maybe seen around or kind of by sight, but (am) getting to know them through planning and collaborating,” Nelson said. “It’s far more reaching than a fishing opener. The opener is kind of the excuse to get the media to See OPENER, Page 9

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OPENER Continued from Page 8

town to kind of help us tell our story.” Petersen, who noted fishing openers have taken place in Fairmont and French Lake in Faribault, noted Albert Lea’s unique status of having some of the southern-most lakes in Minnesota. “This is a great time to showcase our southern Minnesota lakes, and as they come up on 35 and come up, we’re the first lake that’s in Minnesota, our Albert Lea Lake, so this is a great opportunity for us,” she said.

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Amount of an Explore Minnesota grant for the Governor’s Fishing Opener

Brad Mellum and his grandson, Tegan Weber, fish together every week in the summer. Mellum, who has attended numerous fishing openers in the past, said he plans to be a guide/host for the Albert Lea Governor’s Fishing Opener. SAM WILMES/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

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CHURCH Continued from Page A7

of budgets, and I call people to positions,” he said. “I hear confessions. I’ve done marriages, funerals — pretty much the whole works.” Through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, callings such as Jeppson’s position as president of the local congregation are given through inspiration of church leaders. There is no paid ministry at any level of the church, and the work of the church is carried out through volunteer service by the members. Jeppson said some Sundays are filled with church activities, including Feb. 3, when he said he only saw his wife for one hour because of his work through the church. He typically prays about which congregants to visit and enjoys helping widows and those struggling with faith and doubt. Today, the Jeppson family includes three children:

I have never lost so much sleep and wept so bitterly since I’ve been the branch president here. But on the flipside, I’ve never felt so much joy.” — Brian Jeppson Hans, now 10; Emmalynn, now 7; and Genevieve, 5. “I’ve got a great wife, though,” he sad. “She supports and she understands the importance of the work.” To Jeppson, he hopes to make congregants feel more in touch with God. “I would like them to say that when I visit them, that they can really feel the Spirit, that I can help invite that Spirit into their homes and their lives and to be

able to, most importantly, help them recognize that’s the Spirit,” he said. Despite having a busy schedule, Jeppson believes his family is his most important calling. “That’s who I am,” he said. “Those are the most important things to me, is my wife and my children. I’m completely devoted to them and love them.” Jeppson admitted he has experienced a mix of emotions as branch president. “I have never lost so much sleep and wept so bitterly since I’ve been the branch president here,” he said. “But on the flipside, I’ve never felt so much joy. I’ve never had so much great experiences, watched miracles happen. There is a burden to it, but the Lord has said, ‘My burden is light and my yoke is easy.’ And I feel that. I know that there’s a responsibility to the work, but when it comes down to it, He does most of it. I just get on my knees and pray and get up and get out the door and work.”

The Albert Lea branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is at 1721 Bay Oaks Drive on the east side of Minnesota Highway 13 in northwest Albert Lea. SAM WILMES/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

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LOCAL ORGANIZATION SEES SECOND YEAR OF COMMUNITY AWARENESS EVENT EXPAND By the numbers

By Sarah Kocher

sarah.kocher@albertleatribune.com

The Crime Victims Crisis Center has already stocked up on colored lights. Social work advocates Heather Butler, Andrea Mauer and Kim Tiegs and Crime Victims Crisis Center supervisor Maureen Williams-Zelenak are gearing up for the third annual Paint the Town Purple initiative, which asks community members to embrace the color purple for the month of October and to take a stand against domestic violence. Downtown businesses participated for a second year, stringing up purple lights in their display windows. “It really has a presence when you drive downtown at night,” Williams-Zelenak said. In 2018, more businesses joined in and community residents were also encouraged to put up purple yard signs with the event’s flyer printed on them and the words, “Shine a purple light on domestic violence.” The increase in community participation was purposeful. “It was targeted and intentional,” Butler said. “We want it to get bigger every year.” The Crime Victims Crisis Center plans to do more of the same in 2019, but to reach further into the community Mauer said. “It’s a community problem,” Butler said. The whole community is impacted by it, so the whole community should be reached. Still, the community response was “bigger than expected,” Mauer said. The group ordered 100 yard signs and gave away 96. The other four were on display in the CVCC office. Additionally, the organization gave away 104 purple light bulbs for community

96 Yard signs given away for the Paint the Town Purple initiative in 2018

104 Purple light bulbs given to community members to install in their front porch lights in 2018

Crime Victims Crisis Center staff Kim Tiegs, left, Andrea Mauer, Maureen Williams-Zelanak and Heather Butler coordinate the Paint the Town Purple efforts, which saw the town decorated in yard signs and purple string lights in October. SARAH KOCHER/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE members to install in their front porch lights and 20 more string lights to businesses. “I think, really, word got out,” Tiegs said. The supplies didn’t all come in tie, so the group was scrambling to get everything out to the community, Butler said. Those who participated in previous years kept their string lights for this year. By December, they had already put in the order for this October. Previously, the Crime Victims Crisis Center hosted a candlelight vigil, but Mauer said it became noticeable that the event was reaching the same audience. The purpose of Paint the Town Purple is awareness, so the team wanted to engage with people who wouldn’t normally participate, Butler said. The yard signs came with campaign season. “I have campaign signs in my yard,” Butler said. “There’s a lot of people that do. Well, wouldn’t

they have be in support of domestic violence awareness, too? If they’re willing to throw a political sign in their yard, wouldn’t they have one of those?” The yard signs encourage people to talk, WilliamsZelenak said. “I think it starts a conversation that the community doesn’t typically have,” she said. Tiegs said she also felt the lights and signs made people feel more proactive. When people have that feeling — that feeling they’re doing something — they are more apt to pay attention to the problem, she said. “I still have a couple (signs) in my neighborhood,” Williams-Zelenak said in December. As of then, she thought they might be frozen in place. The year 2018 was also the first year for a poker tournament at the Eagles Club, organized by Crime Victims Crisis Center board member Jeff Strom, Butler said. That also brought new

people to the table for a conversation on domestic violence. “It was a fun event … but then it also gave us an opportunity to promote what we were doing,” she said.

Plymouth Shoe Store owner Linda Knudsen put up lights in the store’s display windows in both 2017 and 2018. “I just think it’s an important issue to give it awareness,” she said. She strung the purple lights around shoes in the display and hung a Paint the Town Purple flyer in the window. The lights ran around the front windows and toward the slightly inset front door. “It almost looked like a purple runway,” she said. Butler said the Crime Victims Crisis Center is appreciative of all the people who helped make the month what it was. “I think it’s a great way to bring awareness to things,” Knudsen said. “... I will continue to do it in the future as long as they do it.”

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