Austin Living Magazine - Fall 2013

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EDITOR’S NOTE There’s nothing quite like the rush of performing onstage, of taking an audience through a story by the words you speak, the expressions you give, the actions you make.

That’s what I thought in high school, when I participated in theatrical productions at school and throughout my community. And boy, were there a lot of plays.

I was in everything from “Guys and Dolls” to “Dracula,” where I played the eponymous antagonist. I felt at ease onstage and took pride whenever a director would ask me to work with other actors on their lines or movement.

I imagine that’s the same sort of pride area artists take when they create visual works of art, pen a catchy song or discover new ways to make simple goods stand out. That sort of pride will be on display this month at the Austin ArtWorks Festival.

The art festival has become a large presence in Austin’s summer plans and its effects have definitely changed Austin Living for the better. That’s why we have many stories about the people who will make this year’s ArtWorks Festival even better than the last.

Did you know a former Austin resident is touring the nation with a popular independent band? Cloud Cult’s Shannon Frid-Rubin grew up here and is excited to come back home to play at the festival.

Speaking of coming home, Martin Zellar is blazing a path back to this city. The popular hometown rocker made his mark in the ‘80s and ‘90s with The Gear Daddies, an Austin-born act many residents know and love. Zellar may call Mexico home today, but he’s looking forward to playing where it all began when he co-headlines the artworks festival this year.

Of course, we can’t forget the festival organizers, dozens of whom have worked for months to put on big events and demonstrations. One of the women who helped start the festival already has a lasting influence on Austin, however.

Former mayor Bonnie Besse Rietz is beloved in the community, and for good reason: She consistently helps to turn events like the artworks festival from an idea to a certainty.

All these people have made an art out of their passions, and we are happy to share their stories with you, dear reader. So relax for a few minutes and enjoy a little Austin Living.

Trey Mewes, Editor 2 | Austin Living | Fall 2013

PUBLISHER Dave Churchill EDITORIAL Editor Trey Mewes Contributing Writers Kevin Coss Adam Harringa Matt Peterson Jason Schoonover Rocky Hulne Photographer Eric Johnson ART Art Director/Story Layout Colby Hansen Graphic Designers Susan Downey Colby Hansen Kathy Johnson Kristin Overland SALES & PROMOTION Sales Representatives Jana Gray FALL 2013 Volume 1, Number 3 EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE: Editors, Austin Living, 310 2nd Street NE, Austin, MN 55912.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced without written permission.

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BONNIE RIETZ

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Austin’s favorite ex-politician reflects on her accomplishments and how she made her mark on the city.

features

on the cover

AUSTIN LIVING | FALL 2013

BLAZING HIS PATH Martin Zellar of The Gear Daddies shares his journey from Austin to fame.

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CLOUD CULT Austin native Shannon Frid-Rubin joined the “cult” and is having a blast.

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BAND ON A MISSION Cloud Cult’s journey to Austin is part of their emphasis on giving to others.

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OLIVIA’S Two hardworking entrepreneurs are putting their spin on an Austin mainstay.

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departments

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HOME & HEARTH HORMEL VOLUNTEERS More than 40 Hormel Foods workers cleaned up.

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FOURTH OF JULY Freedom Fest was back in a big way this year.

10 RELAY FOR LIFE Austin came together to honor cancer victims and celebrate survivors.

16 AMANDA HOCKING It’s frightful how busy Austin’s pre-eminent author has been.

20 KITCHEN MEMORIES Hy-Vee’s Jennifer Haugen shares her family’s gardening adventures.

22 A RIGID PURSUIT One area explorer has amassed a collection for a lifetime.

extras 53 BEHIND THE SCENES Another look at Austin Living

54 TRAVEL This family thinks locally, travels globally

60 AREA HAPPENINGS Upcoming Events

62 BOOK REVIEW “Rain and Revelation” by Therese Pautz

12 AREA WEDDINGS & ENGAGEMENTS Celebrate love and Austin Living.

14 PACELLI CELEBRATES 100 YEARS Our community’s Catholic school is recognizing a century of excellence.

OUT & ABOUT

64 WHY I LOVE AUSTIN Our arts and education opportunities

24 MEDITATE ON THIS An area woman has found peace through an ancient martial art.

Fall 2013 | Austin Living | 5

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SEEN | Hormel Volunteers The United Way of Mower County organized a little preview of this year’s Day of Caring, an annual volunteer event in the fall, by gathering more than 40 Hormel Foods Corp. workers and interns to get the Mower County Historical Society ready for the Mower County Fair. Volunteers cleaned all but one historical society building at the Mower County Fairgrounds on July 18, according to Dustin Heckman, the historical society’s executive director. After wrapping up a marathon cleaning session in sweltering heat, volunteers treated themselves to some pizza for a job well done.

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(1) Jessica Roerig and Emily Sundal (2) Jake and Isaac Nelsen (3) Karen Kraft and Lori Tigner (4) Alex Elliot and Dave Anderko (5) More than 40 volunteers helped clean the Mower County Historical Society buildings (6) Katherine Fillinger, Whitney Sorenson, Rachel Nelsen (7) Stephanie Kasel, Mark Beierle and Jake Holterman (8) Sarah Nelsen and Amy Sheehan (9) Eric Pronschinske, Brandon Espe and Genevieve Becker (10) Bryan Symanietz, Natosha Walsh and Jeff Walsh 6 | Austin Living | Fall 2013

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SEEN | Fourth of July Austin once again celebrated our nation’s Independence Day in style. The 2013 Freedom Fest incorporated many fun family events, from a large Fourth of July parade to an impressive fireworks display, several bicycle races and even a fishing contest for children.

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(1) The float for the Austin ArtWorks Festival blows bubbles over the street (2) Miguel Garate and the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce ambassadors (3) Two girls smile as they take part in the Mini Piggy Fun Run (4) Members of the Austin High School Cheer Team (5) Twins Tyler, left, and Taylor Winkels (6) Five-year-old Quinn Weis laughs after a clown sprays him with a water bottle (7) A Girl Scout carries an American flag down Main Street during the Fourth of July parade 8 | Austin Living | Fall 2013

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(8) Eric Overby nears the finish of the 5-mile Hog Jog (9) A girl crosses the finish line of the Hog Jog (10) Runners take off at the Hog Jog (11) Fiveyear-old Quinton Frimley, left, and 6-year-old Austin Langille watch their lines in East Side Lake during the Kids Fishing Contest (12) Racers take off on the 25-mile Dan Ulwelling Bike Race outside the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center (13) People look on as racers begin the Dan Ulwelling Bike Race

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SEEN | Relay for Life Hundreds of residents gathered at Bandshell Community Park on July 27 to raise money to fight cancer during the 2013 Mower County Relay For Life. The day-long celebration and remembrance honored several residents for their time and volunteerism, and organizers eventually brought in more than $93,000 for the Relay For Life and American Cancer Society.

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(1) 2013 Relay for Life Ambassadors Dick Buechner and his great-grandson Graham Kunert (2) Ben Weis and David Tangren (3) Joanna and Steven Rothenberg (4) Nate Williamson and Morgan Turner (5) Team Faith, Hope & Love (6) Team Decorators and Divas (7) Bruiser and Kelsey Klapperich (8) Isaac Barrera with his uncle Jon and nephew Isaiah Barrera (9) Karrie and Dan Maloney (10) Austin/Mower County Law Enforcement Reserve Officers Shannon Norton, Jordan Juenger, Kelly LaMont (11) Nyachan Gash and Nya Yuol (12) Katelyn Harder and Lauren Thompson 10 | Austin Living | Fall 2013

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(1) Amanda Holmen and Brandon Walter (2) Bryten Reuter and Jameson Hanson (3) Kathryn Hasher and William Hagan (4) Anna Anderson and Alex Moore (5) Emily Nelson and Christopher Beaver (6) Mia deFilippo and Isaac Van Proosdy (7) Vanessa Kilby and Joseph Davis (8) Natalie Johnson and Nathan McFarland (9) Ashley Dooley and Patrick Symmonds 12 | Austin Living | Fall 2013

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SEEN | Pacelli Celebrates 100 Years Pacelli Catholic Schools has a long and storied history in this community. The private educational institution is celebrating its first century this year through many festivities and get-togethers. As Pacelli alumni and students come together at the Austin ArtWorks Festival this month, they’ll rediscover the history and memories of Pacelli graduates who came before them and shaped what Pacelli would eventually become. The following photos are taken from a collection of Pacelli Catholic Schools yearbooks and photo albums provided by local residents and proud alumni.

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(1) Basketball team, 1937 (2) Eighth-grade Basketball team, 1920 (3) Rocket launch, 1957 (4) Columbus School, 1917 (5) Class of 1963 (6) Girls Choir, 1972 (7) Cheerleading squad, 1989 (8) Homecoming Queen and attendants, 1970 (9) Talisman staff, 1979 (10) Snow Week royalty, 1969 (11) Girls Basketball team, 1979 (12) Girls Track, 1980 14 | Austin Living | Fall 2013

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HOME & HEARTH

Quietly working with frightening fame

BY TREY MEWES PHOTO BY ERIC JOHNSON

In a quiet home in a quiet part of southeast Austin, a young woman works diligently in her office. She usually works at night, her thoughts traveling from her fingers to the computer screen, forming sentences, paragraphs, scenes and chapters, tension and relief.

Though Amanda Hocking may enjoy the low-key atmosphere her summer has taken, it won’t be long before the popular Austin author is back in the limelight. The paranormal romance writer has recovered from a whirlwind

16 | Austin Living | Fall 2013

2012 after she traveled the U.S. and parts of Europe to promote her “Watersong” book series. Now she is hard at work on new books, recently a spinoff of her “Trylle Trilogy” novels about a girl who discovers a troll kingdom.

“It’s nice to work on other things and move forward on projects,” Hocking said.

The unassuming Austin woman struck proverbial gold in 2011 after her online novels caught fire in the book world, which elevated Hocking as a famous author. Labeled the queen of online publishing, Hocking is an indie-book darling profiled by the likes of the New York Times and USA Today, arguably one of the highest-profile examples that doit-yourself publishing can pay off.

Though her position on online vs. traditional publishing is unwavering — Hocking attributes her success to a lot of hard work, marketing, a little luck and a firm belief that any way you get published is a good thing — she caused more than a few ripples in literary circles after signing a $2 million deal with St. Martin’s Press in early 2012 for the “Watersong” novels.

Hocking toured the U.S. and parts of Europe. She participated in charity events and planned even more projects (including a graphic novel based on her zombie romance “Hollowland”). The “Trylle” books were also bought

by St. Martin’s and republished earlier this year, while screenwriter Terri Tatchell optioned the series for film, which could begin as early as this fall.

With so much going on, Hocking has enjoyed the opportunity for a little peace and quiet inside her Austin home.

“I’ve obviously enjoyed what I’ve done and I’m very

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happy to have done so many things last year, but it’s nice to be able to stop and enjoy my time at home,” she said. “It’s nice to pick up a normal life.”

That’s why the writer is looking forward to her new “Trylle” series: It represents an opportunity to approach a much-beloved series from a new angle, similar to how Hocking continues to approach her writing from a new perspective.

“I’m taking it slower, which is different from the way I normally write,” said Hocking, who is known to complete a novel in less than a month’s time. “I started writing it in the spring, and I kind of did a little bit and then I wrote a lot for a week or so ... I just kind of felt like doing things and taking it a little slower.”

Things will pick up soon for Hocking. Aside from the new “Trylle” books, which will hit bookshelves next year, she will be featured in a German public television documentary after a film crew followed her around for several days in July. She’ll also attend the Austin ArtWorks Festival to do a Q&A interview with a festival organizer.

“I always feel a little bit strange, because people actually do know me here I feel like I’m doing a Q&A in front of all of my friends and family,” she said. “It’s kind of nice to do it in a town where it’s my community.”

Though her career continues at a break-neck pace, Hocking is still grounded, still enjoying her quiet life.

Amanda Hocking is getting to work after a busy 2012 touring the U.S. and Europe to promote her books.

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HOME & HEARTH

Kitchen Memories

BY JEN HAUGEN, HY-VEE DIETITIAN

I never knew how powerful memories could be until I built a milestone map for a project I was working on, which is basically like documenting your life story. What were the things in my life that made the most impact, whether good or bad? As I looked over what I had written, I noticed one very strong trend. I connect a lot of my memories from childhood with food and family, while knowing where everything on my plate came from. We had a giant garden, multiple apple trees, our own pork, beef and chickens on a little farm in southwestern Minnesota. We even went fishing for our own Minnesota seafood.

I am inspired and passionate about telling the story of food, where it comes from, how it got here, and what it can do for our bodies. One thing my family has been doing since March is cooking our way through the USA. Called the United States of MyPlates project, each week, my family and I set aside a Monday to cook together in the kitchen.

Recipes come from the first Kids’ State Dinner hosted by Michelle Obama at the White House in 2012, where winners ages 8 to 12 years old from each state in the nation (plus a few territories) submitted a healthy recipe centered on MyPlate. I blog about each recipe and our experience on http://JenHaugenRD.wordpress.com.

This year, my kids decided they wanted to enter the contest as well — I of course was supportive as it would be a dream come true to be able to visit The White House and the First Lady’s garden (that is what the winner receives).

And after reading more about The White House Garden and Let’s Move! my kids decided to plant our home garden this spring with a few features of Mrs. Obama’s garden.

Inspired by seeds that would soon sprout into fruit and vegetable plants, it was time to develop the recipes. To boost

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their creativity, I asked what their favorite foods were, what ingredients they like the most and how we could incorporate that into a recipe. I stressed the importance that it had to be something they could make on their own as much as possible. What ingredients did they want to incorporate?

For my daughter, that was peanut butter. For my son, it was poppy seed salad dressing. Luckily, they were each developing their own recipe and not putting them together.

Then came the naming of the recipes — another big decision. While the process was fun, it was also full of memories and inspired new ideas in the kitchen. And no, my kids didn’t win, but in our house, they did. And with that, I know we are creating powerful memories together that will impact them in a healthy way for a lifetime.

DANCER’S DELIGHT WRAP My daughter developed this wrap because of her love of peanut butter and jelly, but this wrap has a twist. It’s perfect for a quick lunch, is packed with protein, whole grains and fruit.

Serves 1.

1 whole grain tortilla 2 tablespoons peanut butter ½ cup fresh sliced strawberries 2 tablespoons granola 1. Lay tortilla on a flat surface and spread peanut butter to the edges of the tortilla.

2. Evenly layer strawberries over the peanut butter.

3. Sprinkle granola over the top and roll up the wrap. You can leave it whole or cut it into slices to serve sushi-style.

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HOME & HEARTH

BY MATT PETERSON • PHOTOS

BY

ERIC JOHNSON

On terrain where most people worry about rolling ankles, falling and scraping knees, Phil Nordstrom watches for something other than his footing. The Austin man has a sharp eye for the unusual rock formation, after all. He’s a rock hound — an amateur geologist who looks for the earth’s natural treasures.

“It doesn’t matter where you are at,” Nordstrom said, while standing over his front yard’s display of rocks. “You can always go rock hunting.”

Inside his home, Nordstrom keeps a shelf of his best discoveries: petrified wood, granite, quartz, agates and rocks he hasn’t yet identified.

Rocks lie in five-gallon pails in his garage, and in a pile bigger than a car at another home. And his collection isn’t even what it used to be. Nordstrom has been unemployed for three years and no longer has some of his proudest pieces, along with the expensive equipment serious rock hounds covet. His rock saw, polisher, grinder, grit and polish were sold to a rock collector with whom Nordstrom used to trade. One of his favorite rocks — a brilliantly purple, chest-high cathedral amethyst he bought in Arizona for $500 — is also gone.

Other rocks have disappeared over the years, as some children have found Nordstrom’s discoveries fascinating.

“It’s hard to say no to a little kid,” Nordstrom said.

Still, Nordstrom keeps the best pieces near and dear. Sure, some are worth money, but to Nordstrom, they hold artistic, sentimental value.

Nordstrom’s quest for rare beauties began about 15 years ago, during his days as a construction worker building Walmart stores. He enjoyed finding unusual rocks and objects dozens of feet underground at excavation sites. In fact, he didn’t even have to find rocks for something to pique his curiosity. Items seemingly out of place were enough. Nordstrom recalled a time when he and a crew were in Storm Lake, Iowa, digging on a construction site when he found an anomaly: a tree branch, about 40 feet underground.

Because of his sense for the unusual, Nordstrom’s keenness for magnificent rocks grew throughout the years.

Furthermore, his days in the Navy, which took him around the world, expanded his hobby “That’s where I got the travel bug,” Nordstrom said.

Nordstrom keeps gems he collected from Scotland, the beaches of Sweden, Australia, Alaska and more. He can’t count how many U.S. states in which he has scoured rocks.

One thing is certain, though: Keokuc, Iowa — a little town tucked in the southern corner, between Missouri and Illinois — is his favorite dig. He’s likely not the only one.

“Once you meet the locals, then you get the better hunting spots,” Nordstrom said.

The seemingly hidden Midwestern town took Nordstrom’s gem fever to the next degree.

“Keokuc, Iowa, is like geode capitol of the world,” Nordstrom said.

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Phil Nordstrom holds a chunk of rock that contains iron and quartz that he found while hunting rocks in Michigan.

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After becoming an avid collector, Nordstrom obsessed about finding geodes — true surprises for rock hunters.

The bland-looking, rounded, semi-abrasive stones reveal almost nothing. But on their hollow interiors, they boast a jagged array of colorful, otherworldly crystalline structures.

“That’s what’s the joy of hunting the geodes,” Nordstrom said. “You never know what you’re going to find.”

Where most people would stumble over potential geodes and think nothing of them, Nordstrom would look for roundness among jagged rocks. He scoured ravines, preferably after rains when rock surfaces had been revealed. He found his targets and took them home. At first he used a hammer to break open his potential prizes.

After shattering some geodes into pieces, he upped his game.

“After a while, you’re afraid to break anything open,” Nordstrom said. “You just wait.”

At home, he split them open with a rock saw, which offered much better results.

Unlike other rocks, collecting geodes is a guessing game and a risk-reward hobby. Among the potential to shatter some masterpieces, Nordstrom’s success rate is far from perfect. For Nordstrom, cutting into a geode is sheer excitement.

“It’s like the kid in the candy store,” Nordstrom said. “You find it, you get your prize, and then you want another one.”

A geode, broken open, one of several Phil Nordstrom has collected over time.

Fifteen years after his hobby started, with a lot less money and a sore back, Nordstrom is no longer the collector he used to be. He doesn’t have the resources, but like an old hunting dog, his heart’s still in it. If he catches a promising glimpse of color, he’s going to investigate.

“I’ll always be looking for rocks,” Nordstrom said. “I don’t think that will ever change.”

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OUT & ABOUT

Shirley DeepSong leads a group through a tai chi session at the Mower County Senior Center.

Sessions are done with the lights off and soft music playing to create a positive atmosphere.

Meditate on this

BY KEVIN COSS • PHOTOS For Shirley DeepSong, discovering an ancient healing art was like finding the missing puzzle piece. In the art of Tai Chi, she found strength, restoration and peace. The slow motions of each exercise helped her aching back and instilled her with a sense of calm. In other words, Tai Chi was just what the proverbial doctor ordered when DeepSong found her passion for it a little more than two years ago.

“All my life I was waiting for something to help me find balance,” said DeepSong. “I fell in love with it.”

Since then, the 65-year-old has made it a daily exercise, and has even started to teach local classes at the Mower County Senior Center and The Cedars of Austin to share the benefits with others around her.

“I’ve had back problems my entire life,” she said. “Tai Chi had a great effect on that.”

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BY

ERIC JOHNSON

DeepSong has three compression fractures in her vertebrae and her back pain prevents her from working 40 hours a week at a standard job. She has trouble balancing, too. Her back problems cannot be cured, but with Tai Chi supplemented by physical therapy in a swimming pool, she can strengthen her back muscles and curb the pain.

Now she gets training through ExperienceWorks, a program dedicated to helping seniors learn the skills they need to get jobs. She helps at St. Mark’s Nursing Home where she does activities with the residents.

On top of the physical advantages from doing Tai Chi, DeepSong has felt the emotional and mental benefits.

“My depression is nothing like it used to be,” she said.

“You learn to not hold onto emotion from the past.”

Tai Chi’s benefits aren’t a one-time fix, though. The practice requires upkeep.

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“If I miss practices, let life overcome me ... I can tell,” she said.

DeepSong’s teacher, Art Bauer, has offered Tai Chi classes in the area for 18 years. He recognized how it made DeepSong feel better, and her enthusiasm for the practice caught his attention.

“I wish we could do this everyday,” DeepSong remembers saying.

She quickly joined Bauer as an instructor and now teaches either side by side with him or in his place.

When beginners come to the class, DeepSong and Bauer typically go easy on the theory behind Tai Chi and just show new attendees the basics. In short, Tai Chi invigorates a person’s body as he or she moves in a smooth, continuous manner. It’s a calm exercise, and DeepSong and Bauer’s classes typically start with 20 to 30 minutes of meditation in a dark room to help clear the mind of distractions and stress first.

“It’s great for seniors for the physical aspect,” DeepSong said, noting it strengthens muscle.

Bauer agreed.

“It’s great for preventive health care,” he said.

Getting started isn’t difficult, and DeepSong and Bauer’s classes are open to everyone. About 15 people come regularly to the classes, though up to 30 may attend during the colder months. Some people give the class a try and decide it’s not for them. Others, however, have been coming for 10 or 15 years.

Those who find it works often tell their teachers, and DeepSong remembers one woman especially who took an instant liking to Tai Chi in her class.

“She was really excited about it and felt relaxed,” she said.

She and Bauer both hope more people of all ages take an interest in the healing art that has become a fixture of their lives.

—Tai Chi classes take place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Wednesdays and Fridays at the Senior Center and from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Tuesdays at The Cedars of Austin. The cost is $2, but the first class is free.

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BY JASON SCHOONOVER • PHOTOS Martin Zellar admitted he had a “This is Spinal Tap” moment before his July 26 concert with fellow Austin natives the Gear Daddies at Target Field. In the 1984 rock mockumentary, the band gets lost in the underbelly of a venue trying to find the stage.

Yet Zellar has never had difficulty navigating the stage when it counted. The longtime rocker lights up when he gets ready to perform. It’s as though he was at home when he played before a sellout crowd of about 7,000 screaming fans to open the first Skyline Music Festival with the Gear Daddies, his on-again-off-again band of about three decades.

It was clear he enjoyed his most recent homecoming on a sunny July day on Target Field’s third base line.

Armed with a pair of Ray Bans, a smile, a harmonica and a weathered red guitar with paint peeling at the corners, Zellar and the Gear Daddies played some of the songs every hardcore gearhead loves from the 1990 album “Billy’s Live Bait.”

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BY

ERIC JOHNSON

Minnesota. Despite their spot as the first of four bands, Zellar and the Gear Daddies were not met with the placid, lukewarm reception received by typical opening acts. The crowd was far from placid, as the band drew loud ovations with many dancing and singing along, especially to “(I Want to Drive the) Zamboni,” the band’s most well-known song — featured in “The Mighty Ducks” and at NHL hockey games. Dozens sported Gear Daddies shirts Minnesota Twins broadcaster and former player Ron Coomer even stopped by during soundcheck and joked that he was going to play bass for the Gear Daddies.

Bobby Z — the Former Prince and the Revolution drummer who hosts “The Sound of Minnesota” on 96.3 KTWIN — warmly welcomed the band. The Gear Daddies weren’t just an opening band. They were a powerhouse in their own right, just as inspiring and enthralling as other big Minnesota acts in this day and age. The Gear Daddies were back and their fans were clamoring for them.

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Martin Zellar, lead singer for the Gear Daddies, plays on stage and on Target Field's jumbo screen during their performance at the Skyline Music Festival in July.

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Continued from 26 “They’re institutions here,” Z told the crowd, which roared its agreement.

Opening shows is Zellar’s specialty, you could say. He knows his way around the start of a big show far better than he knew the Target Field layout last month. He’s certain to know the way back to his childhood city during his next gig on Aug. 24, when he and his backing band The Hardways will co-headline the Austin ArtWorks Festival Concert with indie rockers Cloud Cult. After all, he’s coming home.

‘ W E S L U GG E D I T O UT ’

Randy Broughten plays during the Gear Daddies’ opening set.

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While today Zellar and the Gear Daddies enjoy a loyal fanbase across Minnesota, it didn’t come easy. The group was never a flash-in-the-pan music act, nor did it produce a big hit.

“You have to build it, at least we did,” he said. “We never had a radio hit. We were never on MTV. We were a band that lived and died by building a crowd through live performances. We just slugged it out.”

Zellar traces that work ethic to his blue-collar roots. Zellar’s parents both came to Minnesota from a steel mill town in Illinois. Zellar was born in Austin on June 14, 1963, and he remembers Austin as a working-class town.

He didn’t see himself fitting into any one niche growing up in Austin.

He was never that good at sports, but he was able to get along with most anybody. It was music that called him, however. By eighth grade Zellar knew he wanted to be in a band, even though he couldn’t play an instrument.

“I started in a band before I even knew the instrument and then worked backward,” he said. “Then I had to make it work, then I had to learn.”

Zellar met Nick Ciola and played in bands like Fallout before forming the Gear Daddies. From the onset, Zellar and his groups were known for their hardworking approach.

“I played every bar and service club, prom and homecoming in southeastern Minnesota, northern Iowa,” Zellar said.

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That doesn’t mean the band didn’t have help along the way. Growing up in Austin, Zellar listened to country music on KAUS and power rock on KROC, two stations that would shape his sound.

“No matter where you were in Austin, one or the other was on, and I think that’s sort of what the Gear Daddies became: a strange mix between rock, pop rock and oldschool country,” he said.

Gear Daddies bass player Nick Ciola smiles during the bands’ set, opening the Skyline Music Festival at Target Field in Minneapolis in July.

‘A M A G I C T I M E ’ Zeller and crew built a sound and reputation for themselves, to the point where they needed to get bigger or bust. The band moved to the Twin Cities in the 1980s. Though Zellar said it was “absolute culture shock” moving to a big city, a brimming music scene welcomed the group. Acts like the Replacements, Husker Du, Prince, Soul Asylum — who shared the stage with the Gear Daddies on July 26 — were kicking down doors and attracting the interest of labels.

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would receive critical acclaim, while “(I Want to Drive the) Continued from 29 Zamboni” would dilute the album since it was more a “It was a magic time,” he said. “We were in the right children’s novelty song. The label liked the track, and Zellar place at the right time.” mused a label executive thought it was cute or was a hockey After playing many shows at Seventh Street Entry and fan. A compromise was reached to include it as a hidden track. building a rapport with First Avenue staff, the Gear Daddies “I always thought it was a throw-away,” Zellar said. became a frequent opening act at First Avenue. They earned He was proven wrong: The song would go on to be a solid reputation at the classic music venue: They knew the featured in “The Mighty Ducks,” “Mystery, Alaska,” during path to help sell tickets and boost a crowd. the winter Olympics and at NHL games, becoming Zellar “We really did work hard,” Zellar said. “We really did and the band’s most financially successful pay our dues. We did it because we loved it, song. and we weren’t getting paid a lot of money.

D I D Y O U K N O W ?

A reflective Zellar has mixed feelings It wasn’t glamorous, but we kept doing it When he gets back to about the track, however. until cool things started happening.”

Austin, Zellar said he always “That song — depending on when you For Zellar, nothing will ever top the early is sure to visit Steve’s Pizza, ask me — is the greatest thing that ever days in music, two moments in particular. and noted the Gear Daddies happened to me or the worst thing,” he said.

He still beams when he talks about the have a publishing company While he doesn’t want to be first time he held one of his own records in named Steve’s Pizza Music. remembered for a novelty tune he wrote in his hands. That was topped when he first 20 minutes, the song has helped Zellar heard himself on the radio. His breath left maintain his music career, earning him royalty money him the first time he heard his music over the airwaves, even through its use in films and sporting events. though it was on a small, murky sounding station.

Looking back, Zellar admits love songs face stiff “I don’t know if anything will ever top that … it was just competition from the hundreds of other songs being written, like magic,” he said. but he and the band found a niche with a few other songs on Zellar still owns a copy of that first record, “Let’s Go hockey and ice sports.

Scare Al,” first released by Gark in 1988. Though only 500 “There’s not a real deep pool of hockey and ice sport records were pressed and most were sent to radio stations related material to choose from if you’re making ‘The Mighty — likely ending up in trash bins, Zellar admits — he tracked Ducks,’” he said. down three copies for each of his children.

Yet Zellar no longer feels the same connection to many Though Zellar believes the Gear Daddies belonged on a of the early songs he wrote in his late teens and 20s. smaller, indie label, timing and the thriving Twin Cites music “They can feel like covers,” he said. “I’m so far removed scene led the group to Polygram, which re-released “Let’s Go Scare from where and who I was when they were written. The Al” in 1989 when the band started work on “Billy’s Live Bait.” connection gets diluted.”

The album would contain the song Zellar, and the Gear Zellar would rather be remembered for songs like “Wear Daddies are best known for: “(I Want to Drive the) Your Crown” off “Billy’s Live Bait.”

Zamboni,” a hidden track that Zellar initially fought the label “It still resonates with me,” he said. “When I play it, I to keep off the album. can still feel it.”

He thought “Billy’s Live Bait” was a serious album that

A woman dances to the Gear Daddies during the Skyline Music Festival at Target Field in Minneapolis in July.

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W O R K I N G- C L A S S M US I CI A N S Even with the backing of a major label and song that would go on to have much success, Zellar admits the band still would face what he describes as weird times.

Plenty of good things happened, as the band played across the U.S. hitting all but a handful of states. But the Gear Daddies didn’t face universal success. The band played on Late Night with David Letterman and soon after played in Kentucky for about six people. Zellar also remembers playing a series of shows in Winnipeg, Canada, that only attracted a handful of people over multiple nights.

“It was a downer, and now I look back and just laugh like crazy,” he said.

After those shows, the Gear Daddies left early one morning to play for a sold-out crowd at First Avenue.

Despite varied success, Zellar remembers himself and the Gear Daddies as hardworking musicians who had to weather hard times and work to build a following “For the most part, we were just a working-class band,” he said.

The Gear Daddies amicably split in 1992, largely from burnout, but Zellar and the group have reunited periodically since to play concerts. Zellar would continue playing and recording both on his own and with other groups.

To Zellar, the Gear Martin Zellar Daddies and other groups were always like a bridesmaid, typically opening up for another group. He still gets excited to list the acts he has opened for, like Neil Young, Warren Zevon, George Jones and other Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of famers.

“We were always the opening band,” he said. “That’s who we were.”

He compared it to playing baseball in the minor leagues: Even though you don’t reach the majors, you’re being paid to do something you love.

S AN M I G U EL A LL EN D E Zellar is a bit removed from Minnesota’s music scene today. About seven years ago, Zellar and his wife, Carolyn, moved to San Miguel Allende, a hilly, historic town with cobblestone streets in the center of Mexico that has a growing population of ex-patriots. The couple moved to Mexico at first as an adventure to spend a year in another country and to gain a different perspective on the world.

After taking it year-to-year and briefly moving back to Minnesota, Zellar plans to stay in Mexico and retire.

The 50-year-old Zellar — much like the bulk of his fans around age 40 — rarely frequents music venues in his spare time.

Billy Dankert on the drums during the Gear Daddies performance.

“The last thing I do when I have a night out is go to a club and listen to music,” Zellar said. “The music I hear is the bands that I’m playing with.”

He’s more likely to run into fans at a nice restaurant or out and about.

“I’m far more likely to get recognized at Target in the diapers section than I am anywhere else,” he said.

The Zellers live an unstructured life in Mexico, largely driven by raising their 4-year-old daughter, Clementine. On the side, Zellar spends time reading, playing, spending time with his family (including 21-year-old Wilson and 17-yearold Owen) and walking around the historic community.

"It’s a pretty good life," he said.

‘E V E N T HE B A D T HI NGS A R E G R E AT T O T H I N K A B OU T ’ Zellar has spent much time reflecting on his career. He seems at peace with what he described as his and his band’s middle-ring status, never quite cracking into the upper echelon.

Whenever he thinks about it today, he gets a big smile on his face “because even the bad things are great to think about now.” His bands had many “pinch me” moments, and Zellar said the group still attracts thousands to a show in the Twin Cities and around Minnesota.

That includes the place where it all began. Zellar is excited to come back to Austin, and he has heard rave reviews from friends and family about the Austin ArtWorks Festival.

“I’d wished that I could have been part of last year’s. …

I’m very excited, and I hope that it’s something that can continue on,” he said.

Don’t expect another tour soon, however. Zellar’s most recent album “Rooster’s Crow” was released early last year, and his busy life and young child in Mexico has caused him to question putting out another album. He’ll likely record again, however.

Zellar has thought about recording a children’s album, and said he’ll always write songs because it’s cathartic. After all, leading people down a new path is the biggest rush.

“I’ll do that ‘til the day I die, whether anyone hears them or not,” he said.

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veryone thinks they should move.

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Fulfilling her dreams

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Austin-born Shannon Frid-Rubin has traveled the country with popular independent band Cloud Cult

BY JASON SCHOONOVER • PHOTOS

BY

ERIC JOHNSON

Though she plays violin for the popular independent band Cloud Cult, Shannon Frid-Rubin doesn’t return to Austin with much rock star flair when she comes home every few months. To the casual observer, the thin, soft-spoken blonde is perhaps most visually defined by tattoos of the Hindu om symbol surrounded by cherry blossoms — one in the shape of an f-hole on the violin — that vine up her right bicep and shoulder when she wears a sleeveless shirt. But the tattoos have more to do with spirituality than a rock ‘n’ roll attitude, which Cloud Cult’s frontman and chief writer Craig Minowa said she has little.

“She’s amazingly talented, but has the rare gift of humility to go along with that,” Minowa said of Frid-Rubin. “She’s just a perfect fit for Cloud Cult.”

And music was a perfect fit for Frid-Rubin. The Austin-born 35-year-old has traveled the U.S. with violin in tow, going from Austin, Minn., to Austin, Texas, and to concert venues on either cost.

She'll take a journey home Aug. 24, as Cloud Cult will co-headline the Austin ArtWorks Festival Concert with Martin Zellar & The Hardways.

An early love for music Frid-Rubin grew up in northeast Austin near East Side Lake, the daughter of Paul and Janis Frid, who still live in the city. Paul is a family counselor in Freeborn County, and Janis retired as a special education teacher at Austin High School.

Janis remembers her daughter as a typical young girl who grew up with a closeknit group of neighbors. She describes Shannon as a thoughtful, expressive and open woman who is not afraid to speak up for something she cares about.

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Shannon Frid-Rubin, violinist for the band Cloud Cult and Austin native, returns home with Cloud Cult to perform at the Austin ArtWorks Festival on Saturday, Aug. 24.

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Continued from 34 Frid-Rubin admits she didn’t always put a lot of effort into her studies growing up, and she’s quick to say she preferred English to math and science.

In Austin, Frid-Rubin acted and dabbled in sports, playing tennis and softball.

“I was just awful … I just wasn’t any good at sports,” she said with a laugh.

Music, on the other hand, was a different story, as she said she was always dedicated to the violin.

“I was never a super-good student,” Frid-Rubin said. “I don’t think it’s because I wasn’t smart, but I just didn’t try that hard. But when it came to my music, I always gave 100 percent.”

Janis agreed her daughter was always dedicated to music.

“We never had to ask her to practice,” Janis said.

As a teen, Frid-Rubin remembers driving around Austin and talking with her friends, often going to sit at Todd Park after picking up a Big Gulp at Kwik Trip. She even remembers one instance of her car battery dying when she and a friend were talking in a cemetery, and she had to call her dad, Paul, for help, needing to explain they were just talking.

Growing up in Austin, Frid-Rubin played mostly classical music. She started playing at about age 10 and took lessons at Ellis Middle School from Sue Radloff, who she

Shannon Frid-Rubin has always been close with music. These days, it has served her well with her time in the music group Cloud Cult.

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would continue to take private lessons with. She also played in Austin High School’s orchestra with Phil Burkhart, who she said introduced her and the orchestra to composers like Tchaikovsky.

Frid-Rubin also played in a string quartet in high school and performed at weddings and around town. She graduated from Austin High School in 1996 before briefly attending Viterbo University in La Crosse to study with a violin teacher there, but she admits she wasn’t ready to be in school there.

“I just had to leave early,” she said.

Soon after, she moved to Twin Cities, started work and earned a degree in music management in hopes she would select music for films.

Yet Frid-Rubin yearned to play live music. She saw a Craigslist advertisement for Cloud Cult, which was looking for a violinist. Her induction into the cult didn’t come easy: though everyone was very kind to her during auditions, she was nervous to audition for the group of strangers.

“I had absolutely no idea at my first practice with Cloud Cult that I’d be capable of developing such meaningful connections and relationships with each member of the band as well as some of the fans who have shared their inspiring stories with us,” she said. “It’s a pretty amazing thing and I’m forever grateful.”

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Continued from 36 After a few auditions, she officially joined in 2007 and started playing on the tour to support the album, “Meaning of 8.” She first recorded with Cloud Cult on “Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)” in 2008. Frid-Rubin admitted it was intimidating to join the band after other band members had already bonded, but she quickly fit right in.

“They made me feel like family right away,” she said.

‘Kind of surreal’ Frid-Rubin had her work cut out for her. Band leader Minowa started writing music in 1995 and got a band together in the late ‘90s. Since then, Cloud Cult has become a bit of a musical chameleon, performing many styles of music.

“It’s kind of all over the place,” Frid-Rubin said. “Craig likes to use the word schizophrenic because it’s very up and down. We have very mellow songs, and then we have very hard, driving electronic songs, so it’s kind of all over the map.”

That sound has grown more orchestral since Frid-Rubin joined the band, especially on “Light Chasers.”

Aside from Minowa, Frid-Rubin has played with Cloud Cult the longest, and Minowa praised his band as a talented group of performers.

“We’re able to have all these different orchestral elements,” he said that weren’t possible in the early days of the group.

After joining Cloud Cult, the Austin native found herself performing in the same venues where she’d watched concerts in her youth. In high school, Frid-Rubin remembers seeing the Minnesota Orchestra perform at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. In 2010, she took the stage herself.

“It was just really surreal to be able to play on the stage,” she said. “It was awesome.”

With Cloud Cult, she has toured the nation, from Basilica Block Party to the Coachella Music Festival in California. Each of those places come with a story, as Frid-Rubin speaks fondly of playing to energetic crowds at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City and other hot venues.

Nothing quite compares to a hometown crowd, however.

It’s in Minnesota where Cloud Cult feels at home.

“The First Avenue shows are always just amazing, and the energy is really intense. It makes for a really good show.” FridRubin said.

Janis admitted to at first being a bit leery of her daughter sacrificing steady work at music shops in the Twin Cities to tour with Cloud Cult.

But Janis and Paul have been very supportive of their daughter’s career. They traveled to both coasts, Memphis, Colorado and New York multiple times to attend Cloud Cult concerts. In 2008, Janis drove from Austin, Minn., to Austin, Texas, to watch the band at the South By Southwest music festival.

“It seems like they really have their following no matter where they go,” she said.

Though Janis typically played 1960s music like The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Jethro Tull around the house, she now listens to some independent music, and it brightens her day whenever her daughter’s music plays on The Current.

While Frid-Rubin said playing in a rock band requires similar skills as playing classical music in a school orchestra, there are definite differences.

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“When you’re on stage playing with a band, it’s just more intense of a feeling,” she said. “There’s just more emphasis on my bowing when I play live, because you get so into it and so taken by the moment.”

Frid-Rubin is proud of her work with Cloud Cult, as the band’s influence and rhythm increases with every new release.

“When ‘Light Chasers’ came out in 2010, that was my favorite Cloud Cult album,” she said. “But then ‘Love’ was released and now that’s my favorite album. In my mind, they just keep getting better and better.”

Though the members who live in the Twin Cities occasionally get together to practice, the band typically holds what Frid-Rubin describes as “marathon rehearsals” a day or two before a show, since the Minowas now live in Viroqua, Wis. Frid-Rubin prefers to prepare through crash practicing sessions the day before a show and before recording sessions.

“I work better under pressure,” she said.

Frid-Rubin speaks positively of the album “Love,” largely because of the recording process. On prior albums, band members would travel to the studio and record separately. But on “Love,” the entire band congregated at the Minowa farm and spent a few nights recording, hiking and spending time together.

“We just got to bond quite a bit,” she said. “We had fires at night and sang around the campfire. It was just really fun.”

Cloud Cult is a more hands-on band than most. Chances are if you’ve ordered a CD or other merchandise from Cloud Cult’s website, it has come from Frid-Rubin. Along with performing, Frid-Rubin also handles all of Cloud Cult’s merchandise and ships merchandise out of her home.

When “Love” was released earlier this year, she shipped out more than 1,000 albums.

“That was kind of a task at hand for me and my husband, but it was fun to be able to do, and you really get to know the fans on a personal level being able to do that,” she said.

Family focus The band work has slowed a bit as the members have married and devoted time to their families. Frid-Rubin married Dave Rubin at the Hormel Historic Home last year, and the two live in Minneapolis where Dave works at law firm Briggs and Morgan.

When Frid-Rubin’s not rocking with Cloud Cult, music is still a vital part of her life, as she teaches private violin lessons at the Music Lab in the Twin Cities. Cloud Cult is an influence even there, She even gained one pupil after a fan approached her following a Cloud Cult concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis.

Cloud Cult is not Frid-Rubin’s only band, as she plays with Battery Boy and Alter Eagle, two folky, acoustic guitar-driven bands in the Twin Cities. In both, Frid-Rubin plays violin and backup vocals. She released an album with Battery Boy in June, and the group may do a regional tour this fall.

While some bands tour for up to a year at a time, that will likely never be in Cloud Cult’s future. In the past, the band has toured for about five weeks at a time, but now the group opts to just tour for about a week at a time, as the members focus on family.

“It’s pretty mellow,” Frid-Rubin said.

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Shannon Frid-Rubin will return to Austin with the band Cloud Cult when they play with Martin Zellar at this year's Austin ArtWorks Festival.

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BAND ON A MISSION

BY JASON SCHOONOVER

In the days before they performed at St. Paul’s Basilica Block Party this year, Austin native Shannon Frid-Rubin and the rest of Cloud Cult reflected on a photo of Tom, a cancer patient, with his wife and infant daughter. At the time, Tom was in a Houston hospital room receiving treatment for a rare form of cancer. Frid-Rubin still remembers the smiles on the family’s faces.

Tom passed away shortly before a Cloud Cult show in Duluth he planned to attend with his brother, Geoff, who met with members of Cloud Cult before a few concerts to talk about the loss.

“It just makes for a very emotional show,” Frid-Ruben said.

Cloud Cult’s Craig Minowa, the band’s frontman and chief writer, consoled Geoff as best he could.

“It was pretty emotional to see,” Frid-Rubin said, “because [he] was crying, and it was just awesome to see Craig take the time to console him.”

Geoff later attended Cloud Cult’s Basilica show and talked to Frid-Rubin after the concert, and she told him he was still in the band’s hearts.

“It was just really nice to let him know that he’s in our hearts and if there’s anything we can do to help him, to let us

know,” she said. “You could just tell just by looking in his eyes, that part of him felt better being able to see that show and lift his spirits a little bit.”

At the show, Minowa performed an acoustic version of the song “Journey of the Featherless” — a song Tom had listened to during his treatments — and dedicated it to the family.

A band with a purpose Not only does Cloud Cult often connect with fans on an intense, personal level, the group is among the most environmentally conscious bands in Minnesota, if not the entire U.S. The group makes a calling of giving back and contributing to communities, whether through environmental pursuits or interacting with their fans.

Frid-Rubin first joined Cloud Cult in about 2007 because she wanted to play in a band, tour and visit other cities.

Yet After years playing with Cloud Cult, her motivation has changed: Her passion stems in giving back.

“It’s become so much deeper than that,” she said. “It’s just more about the fans and helping them in any way we can.”

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Continued from 40 The band’s philosophy stems from a tragedy within the band. Minowa and his wife Connie’s 2-year-old son, Kaidin, died in his sleep in 2002, which led Minowa to write hundreds of songs as a way to cope with the loss. Many fans experiencing their own struggles sympathized with Minowa’s creations and the band has heard from hundreds of music lovers about how Cloud Cult’s music has touched them.

“For anyone who’s gone through a similar thing, they can easily relate to the music because of that and know they’re not alone,” Frid-Rubin said.

Minowa receives many emails from fans — like Geoff’s email about Tom — about their hardships and Minowa forwards or reads these emails to the band before a show or tour.

“We get a chance to read what their problems have been,” Frid-Rubin said. “It kind of brings the band together and it reminds us of what our purpose as a band is.”

For Minowa, reading the emails from fans before a show helps the band get into the right mindset, as the band tries to “leave ourselves out of the picture.”

“I think the music industry is really full of a lot of ego and fashion and self-importance, and I think it’s really essential for us as a band to remind ourselves we’re doing it for a different reason,” he said. “When we go on stage, I want everyone on stage to remember that there are some really hard stories out there in the audience and we are there to serve.”

A green focus Cloud Cult is an unusual band when compared to the rest of the music industry. The group attracted interest from music labels, but Minowa opted to stay on his own label, Earthology.

Cloud Cult is also not a band to write songs for radio appeal, another thing that wouldn’t appeal to a label.

“It’s really diverse in genre,” he said, noting they’ll play a folk-tinged song followed by a more orchestral song and then something more electronic.

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While most bands would be giddy to attract interest from labels, Minowa wasn’t so certain, as he feared a label would alter the course of the band to a direction he wouldn’t find as interesting.

“It felt like the labels could have enough power to change things,” Minowa said.

Mainly, Minowa worried a label would balk at the band’s extensive green practices. Cloud Cult’s T-shirts are made with organic, non-toxic cotton through screen prints that cost more to produce than typical band T-shirts.

“A label is going to turn up its nose at that kind of thing,” he said.

Since Minowa felt a great sense of peace and spirituality in nature and spent more time outdoors as a teen, it was natural for him to look into an environmentally based career protecting the environment.

“It’s essential for me to have a career where I feel like I’m doing something beneficial,” he said.

When Minowa released his first album in the late 1990s, he wanted to release it in an environmentally friendly way, but there were few options for releasing recyclable CDs, and paperboard CD cases weren’t yet available. Minowa put boxes in bookstores and on college campuses to collect used CD jewel cases to reuse. He then developed his own shrinkwrap and bought bulk used T-shirts from Goodwill to embroider shirts, rather than buying new cotton ones.

“Cotton’s the most pesticide intensive crop,” he said.

On early tours, band members used solar panels on its tour van to power their laptops and phones, and the band soon began using biodiesel.

Minowa estimates the band has planted at least 5,000 trees — often in areas of need — to make up for the band’s carbon footprint from making CDs, touring and the like. The band has also donated thousands of dollars to support building wind turbines on Native American reservations.

Those efforts may seem commonplace today, but when Cloud Cult started, green initiatives were an uphill battle.

“It was usually met with a yawn or a smirk,” Minowa admitted.

Though Cloud Cult isn’t a jam band, members were often called hippies when talking about the environment. They’re looking like trendsetters today, as mainstream bands and politicians have brought more attention to environmental issues. Sustainable living is in and some companies are making money off green products — something Minowa is OK with.

“Whatever it takes to make it happen I celebrate,” he said. “If it’s trendiness that’s going to make it work, that’s cool by me.”

Going green doesn’t need to be a grand change, according to Minowa, as there are many everyday steps that can be simple and affordable — it doesn’t take major changes for results. For example,

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Minowa said a drive can improve fuel economy by 20 to 40 percent by slowing down and staying closer to the speed limits.

Reducing meat in diet by 30 percent has as much positive impact to the CO2 in the atmosphere as buying a Prius.

“You don’t have to have a lot of money to really make a positive impact,” he said.

Cloud Cult has offered Minowa a platform to spread his message, but he has fine-tuned how he talks about his environmental passions. Minowa admitted he could get a bit preachy and hypocritical early on. Yet most people, he said, know there’s a problem and are tired of being beaten with negative messages. Now, Minowa prefers to lead by example. He’ll talk about the band’s business model, its principles and offer solutions people can follow.

Minowa has seen other bands in the music industry that have also inspired them. In the early days, Cloud Cult produced CDs for other bands in an environmentally friendly way. Now there are more and more products and means available.

“The opportunities are just blossoming everywhere,” he said.

Earthology is expanding beyond music into what Minowa calls a “diverse organism,” as the label is developing nature trails, community gardens and more as a public space in Viroqua, Wis., where the Minowas own land.

They plan to have workshops and a retreat center.

Connie works in assessing school and helping them save

money by reducing energy consumption and getting rid of toxic cleaners.

Minowa calls it a win-win system — schools save money and become more environmentally friendly.

Continuing to give back When Minowa heard stories about how the band’s music has helped people, it led him to see the band as “a necessary thing for us to keep doing.”

“We feel like we’re blessed and honored to have the opportunity to be helpful right now, and we’re trying to embrace that as much as we can,” Minowa said.

The band continues to return that blessing. Earlier this summer, Cloud Cult played a benefit at a children’s hospital and went room-to-room playing for children.

“You just try and be there for people who really need it,” he said. “This life is an amazing mystery and you never know what’s around the next corner, and that creation is full of dark corners but also beautiful lights in places you wouldn’t expect them.”

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Logan and Olivia Hughes have picked up where former owner Jerr y Kellogg left off with Jerr y's Other Place. The Hughes now own Olivia's Family Restaurant in Austin along with the restaurant they already run in Owatonna.

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BY ADAM HARRINGA • PHOTOS Soon to be separated by 37 miles and about a 45minute drive, Olivia and Logan Hughes get up almost every weekday prepared to work a 12-hour day. The husband and wife duo who own Olivia’s Family Restaurant in Austin and Owatonna start each morning at about 8 a.m., to ensure the daily specials are ready, everything is stocked and cleaned and the staff is on task at each restaurant. By lunchtime, they oversee the kitchen — Olivia in Owatonna and Logan in Austin, most days — visit with customers to make sure they’re satisfied and help out where needed. After a two-hour break, they’re back at the diner by 5 p.m., visiting with customers and helping where needed again, and by 9 or 10 they assist with the clean up and closing for the night.

BY

ERIC JOHNSON

The next day, they’ll happily do it all again.

“We really love what we do. It’s not even work,” Olivia said as she helped with the noon rush one Wednesday last month, four hours into a seven-hour shift. After a break, she would work another five hours.

“If you enjoy what you do, you don’t look at it as a chore.

It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s worth it.”

The 24-year-old entrepreneur knows a thing or two about responsibility, juggling her family life and owning and operating two new restaurants with her 27-year-old husband.

“It’s really different from the lifestyle most people have, but that’s the way we were both brought up,” Olivia said. “Our families are hardworking.”

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Logan Hughes, who along with his wife, Olivia, owns Olivia's Family Restaurant, chats with returning customers Eugene and Evelyn Burtch after seating them.

Continued from 45 The Hughes, who live in Owatonna and have an 8-yearold named Kaleb, opened their Owatonna diner two years ago, and their Austin location in January. Since then, business has boomed and the place is bustling.

“We’re definitely busy,” Olivia said, adding that she didn’t know what to expect since the Austin restaurant, which opened in 1979 as Jerry’s Other Place, was closed from November 2011 until January.

“It’s always hard to go into a community you don’t know, but we’ve gotten great feedback,” Olivia said. “It’s been great.”

In fact, the former owner, Jerry Kellogg, stops by from time to time, and has even walked around and talked to customers.

“That was really nice,” Olivia said, adding that he looks pretty happy to be retired.

Olivia said a crucial part of their success comes from their ability to listen to customers, whether it’s about how Jerry used to do things, or if it’s out-of-towners stopping by after a visit to the Spam Museum across the street, looking for a Spam-centric dish. After clearing it with Spam’s maker, Hormel Foods, Olivia’s in Austin now serves Spam burgers, a Spam omelet and other Spam specials.

“It’s gone over well; I’m surprised. But it’s something customers asked for. It’s kind of like a partnership,” Olivia said of the restaurant-customer relationship. “If you treat them right, they’ll come back.”

46 | Austin Living | Fall 2013

Some must believe Olivia’s is doing something right, as the business gets a lot of repeat customers, and a few who come back two or even three times per day.

“You become like family,” Olivia said. “You really get to know them.”

The Hughes also believe in being active members of the Austin community, whether through hosting Austin Area Chamber of Commerce meetings, or providing gift certificates or other donations to area nonprofits. In fact, the Hughes encourage groups to stop by and ask for donations.

“I think it’s just if you support the community, people are more likely to support you back,” Olivia said.

Sandy Forstner, executive director of the Austin Chamber, said he enjoys attending meetings there and enjoys the food.

“It does have a longstanding tradition,” he said. “It’s nice to have it back with hardworking people investing their time in Austin.”

The Hughes plan to keep their new restaurants packed, serving a variety of large portions at low prices.

“We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing, and get the word out that we’re here,” Olivia said.

But, she added, two restaurants are plenty.

Olivia’s Family Restaurant is at 1207 N. Main St. in Austin.

Its phone number is 507-396-8400.

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Former Austin mayor Bonnie Rietz has been a fixture in Austin for many years, as she became involved in the city and its happenings with passion and humor.

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BY TREY MEWES • PHOTOS There’s a small, simple wooden desk inside Bonnie Besse Rietz’s study. Rietz can be found working at that desk, facing a large window overlooking Turtle Creek, on the days when she isn’t about town working on another large project. It’s a simple, old-fashioned looking desk, surrounded by bookshelves and photos of the people Rietz holds dear.

“There’s my dad,” she said while pointing to one of the photos taken by her husband, Tim. “He traveled here to hear me speak before he died.”

It’s that desk where the former Austin mayor has sparked the ideas that transformed Austin over more than two decades. Bonnie has built an almost unstoppable reputation for accomplishing much through her simple, kind philosophy of working with as many people to get as much done as possible. She loves and surrounds herself with people, just as people love her for her unfailingly positive, warm personality.

What’s more, she still affects Austin living by helping to organize large projects through The Hormel Foundation and Vision 2020. The Austin ArtWorks Festival is another project she helped get off the ground. From the first moment she came to Austin in 1978 to today, Bonnie has made her mark on Austin for the better.

Serving her community

Though her family has lived in Austin for decades, Bonnie wasn’t a native Minnesotan. She was born in Devil’s Lake, N.D., and earned her bachelor’s degree at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., where she embarked on a career as a French teacher.

Yet despite her hometown disposition, the Rietzes weren’t ready to stay in one place just yet. They lived in the Twin Cities for a time while Tim, a doctor, completed his residency and Bonnie started her profession. The couple went to Madagascar from 1974 to 1977 on a mission trip. While Bonnie and Tim were no strangers to volunteer work — they met at a Bible camp in high school where Tim was a counselor — the experience would prove valuable for Bonnie later in life.

“That was my first exposure to teaching English as a second language and working with other cultures,” she said.

Once they came back, Tim and Bonnie decided to move to Austin, to stay in Minnesota closer to family and because Austin had plenty of work and volunteer opportunities.

“I also met quite a few women in the community and thought it was a good place,” she said. “I’m a product of the ‘70s and was kind of interested in women’s issues and what was going on. Both Tim and I really liked the people we met.”

BY

ERIC JOHNSON

Of course, Bonnie made her mark in Austin from the get-go, teaching French at Riverland Community College.

“She was just a complete package, a very special, unique person,” said Roger Boughton, former Riverland administrator. Boughton hired Bonnie because of her energetic nature, and he still recalls how Bonnie excited her students by playing guitar during French lessons.

“She doesn’t have any ego, which was one of the things I loved about her,” he said. “She was a real people person, and people come first with her.”

She also worked with Vietnamese refugees who came to town through Amie Austin, a group of welcoming volunteers dedicated to help settle refugees seeking asylum after the Vietnam War. Though Bonnie would continue to be busy, it wasn’t until 1980 that she seriously contemplated politics. A council member who had decided to step down approached her, asking her to apply to take his position mid-term.

“I never thought of being in government,” she said.

Unfortunately for Bonnie, she didn’t make the cut. When a council member steps down, the council usually decides who among an applicant pool should replace him or her. Bonnie was one of four to five applicants but she wasn’t selected; She can still remember getting a call the same day she applied, when she was told she wasn’t going to serve.

“I thought, ‘Well, I’m done with that,’” she said with a laugh. “But then because of that, people started realizing I was interested, and so I started getting interested in running.”

For Bonnie, there was a silver lining to her first foray into politics: From the time she secured a city council seat in 1988, she never lost another election. She served 18 years in city government, with eight years as a councilwoman and 10 years as mayor, often winning re-election by wide margins. Even today, seven years after she stepped away from the mayor’s office, public officials say she could run for any public office and secure a majority of Austinites.

“Bonnie’s probably working as hard now as she was back then, if not harder, on different things for the city,” Austin Mayor Tom Stiehm said.

Stiehm remembers seeking advice from Bonnie, and from John O’Rourke, the mayor before Bonnie, when Stiehm first became mayor in 2007. Bonnie made sure to introduce Stiehm to public officials and community members while she was serving the remainder of her fifth term, and Stiehm remembers the lessons he received.

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Continued from 49 “She’s just changed her nameplate, but I don’t think she’s slowed down one bit,” Stiehm said. “It’s astounding how much energy she has.”

Bonnie accomplished much during her time in public office, though she won’t take credit for ideas she spearheaded. She always points out how others came together to accomplish things, like getting the current Austin Public Library built, improving the Town Center building or creating community forums to welcome immigrant and refugee families to Austin. Name any major development in Austin over the past 20 years and she likely had a part in creating it, but she will always be reluctant to take credit.

“One thing I learned early on, even before I got on the council, is that you never get anything done by yourself,” she said. “You need people to come help you.”

That wasn’t always an easy task: As mayor, Bonnie faced scrutiny over many issues concerning residents, from immigration to taxes. Yet she always took the time to meet with residents, hear their concerns, and find a way to incorporate their feedback.

“You’re not going to be able to work with everyone, but you should at least be able to respect each others’ points of view,” she said.

That’s one of the reasons why Bonnie is so beloved in the community: Ask anyone who has met her, and they’ll tell you how warm and kindly she is. She exudes charm, and even the most pessimistic person will often be disarmed by how genuinely caring she seems.

“A lot of times you say nice things just to say nice things, but it’s true with Bonnie,” Stiehm said. “It’s just very nice to know that you can turn to her for advice.”

Beyond her office

Bonnie has never sat on the sidelines for any volunteer opportunity, it seems.

While mayor, she served as the president of the League of Minnesota Cities and the Minnesota Mayors Association.

She also helped bring the first Blandin Foundation leadership training to Austin in the 1980s and to this day serves on the foundation board.

She also acts as the vice chairwoman for The Hormel Foundation, the first time someone who wasn’t a current or former Hormel executive secured that position, and she has helped the foundation identify projects and programs around Austin to fund.

Austinites and people from around the region will see some of her handiwork at the Austin ArtWorks Festival. She didn’t invent the concept, but she was a driving force in getting it rolling last year as co-chair of the festival steering committee with Belita Schindler.

“She was definitely a key player, because of her energy and her connections throughout the community,” Jennie Knoebel, Austin ArtWorks Festival executive director, said.

Bonnie plans on staying active and shows no sign of slowing down. She still enjoys being a part of the community and wants to contribute. She acts as the co-chair of the Vision 2020 Downtown Utilities Committee, which means she and other volunteers will transform the unused building into a residential and commercial space by the year 2020. She hasn’t stopped representing and promoting Austin, just as she did as the mayor. She likely won’t any time soon.

“This is my home, and I love being a part of Austin,” she said.

Bonnie Rietz sits on the deck of her home in northwest Austin and talks about her time in public off ice.

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VISIT OUR SHOWROOM 3532 Hwy 63 South • Rochester, MN 55904

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INSIDE AUSTIN LIVING Trey Mewes interviews former mayor Bonnie Rietz at her home in Austin.

Jason Schoonover was on site at Target Field in Minneapolis for the Gear Daddies show as part of the Skyline Music Festival in July.

Behind the scenes

There's plenty of Austin Living to go around this summer, as our merry band of writers and photographers spent time appreciating the arts over the past few weeks.

Editor Trey Mewes spent more than an hour at the learning tree, listening to lessons from Bonnie Rietz on the art of politics and community organization. Rietz has made a career out of teaching and gathering people together for a cause, and anyone interested in community work needs to spend a day listening to Rietz's teachings.

Jason Schoonover got a grand view of Austin's musical influence this time around. Here he is at Target Field, watching as the crew sets the stage for The Gear Daddies.

Schoonover spent plenty of time with frontman Martin Zellar before the show, where he spoke with Zellar about his career and the influence the Gear Daddies have had.

Schoonover was also responsible for this issue's features on Cloud Cult, including the band's Austin-born violinist Shannon Frid-Rubin.

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TRAVEL

A loving journey An Austin family gathers lessons from around the world

BY MATT PETERSON An average family likely travels a few hours to visit with loved ones in other towns, other states. Not every family gets to tour the world to see relatives and get work done quite like the Marconis. As former residents of Colombia, this Austin family has discovered a wondrous way to bond together by going on fascinating journeys across the globe. And with every trip, they get more perspective of the world and its cultures.

The Marconis, now living in Austin for the second time, have been to more places around the world in the past year than some people see in a lifetime. That trend continued this past June when Luis and Juliana Marconi and their children, Gaby and Giancarlo, traveled to Guatemala for a lifechanging experience.

“The culture was totally different than here,”

Gaby, soon to be 14 and a freshman at Austin High School, said.

Luis, vice president of grocery products marketing at Hormel Foods, served as part of Hormel's Project Spammy with his family and more than 20 others.

The project aims to distribute Spammy, a proteinfortified turkey spread, so poor, malnourished children can receive better nutrition.

“It was just shocking to see how they could live like that,” Gaby said.

Luis saw the trip as another way for his children to mature and develop an objective view of the world.

He uses the family trips to search for values he can instill in his children, which they found in Guatemala.

“For our kids, as they are forming their characters in this time of their lives, I think it was very, very meaningful,” he said.

Continues on 56 The Marconi Family, from left,Luis, Juliana, Giancarlo and Gaby, traveled extensively, taking in what the larger world offers.

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Continued from 54 A family picture in Umbria near Tuscany

Gaby at uncle Mario and aunt Giuliana's place in Umbria

The entrance to the Vatican City with St. Peter's Basilica in the background

56 | Austin Living | Fall 2013

Reconnecting around the globe The Guatemala trip was just one of the Marconis’ globehopping adventures since December, when they returned to their native Colombia.

To the Marconis, travel isn’t just vacation time. It’s an important part of life, a necessity.

It’s about education and reconnecting with family and friends. They don’t travel to get away from it all. They travel to get back to their family and friends, and gain more out of life.

“We have family in different countries, and I felt it was important to keep the connection to strengthen the ties,” Luis said.

Family and friends are clearly important to them. Aside from visiting loved ones in Columbia — where Luis’ and Juliana’s mothers and other close relatives live — the Marconis have traveled to Europe, where Luis has a brother in Spain and aunts, uncles and cousins in Italy. Of course, social networking allows the family to stay connected, but that’s just not the same for Luis.

“Nothing replaces the face-toface,” he said. “That’s something in the view of my wife and myself that’s very important to us.”

Family vacations are also great opportunities for Gaby and Giancarlo to learn about the world. On their European trip, they stopped in London, went to Westminster Abby and watched the changing of the guard.

“Every time we go there, we try to combine a family visit with something new,” Luis said.

In Italy, they toured Rome, inadvertently getting a history lesson along the way. The traveling helps Gaby and Giancarlo in school, as Gaby remembered reviewing lessons on Italy in class, where she suddenly realized she

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had been to several destinations her textbook mentioned. The Marconis don’t forget to enjoy themselves and have developed a growing appreciation for fine foods. Gaby and Giancarlo rave about their dining experiences in Italy, where they enjoyed the views and seemingly endless helpings of Mediterranean cuisine. Giancarlo professes he enjoyed the best lunch he’s ever had.

“The lunch was just amazing,” he said.

“They just keep bringing more,” Gaby added.

A family picture in Positano

On the move The Marconis have experienced much of the world through more than vacationing, however. Because of Luis’ career with Hormel, the Marconis moved from Columbia to Florida in 2000.

They’ve been on the go ever since.

Several years ago, they moved to Austin, then to California for a year and back to Austin last year.

That type of life can be stressful on a family with children.

“It’s always different at first, but after a while you learn to adapt,” Giancarlo said about moving.

However, that lifestyle has also been a blessing.

“The fact that they moved a lot just made them stronger,” Juliana said.

It has also been another reason to travel and reconnect. In late July, the Marconis went back to California for 10 days and caught up with friends.

“Every place we have lived at we have made wonderful friends,” Juliana said.

Despite all of their travels, they have more destinations on their bucket lists: Greece, Australia, portions of Africa. If and when they travel again, they’ll only continue to build their characters.

“Take the best of every place,” Juliana said. “That’s what I always tell them.”

The Marconis have dinner at a typical Italian restaurant in Rome

The Tower Bridge in London

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MARKETPLACE AUTOMOTIVE

C SI- C OLLIS ION S PECIALIS TS , IN C: 1410 21st Ave. NW, Austin, MN (507) 437-2837 www.csiaustinmn.com Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:30pm Friday 8:00am-Noon Collision Specialists is one of the most advanced collision repair facilities in southern Minnesota. With inside estimating, exceptional waiting area, and a state of the art facility, along with ongoing education for our technicians, and the latest in equipment and technology, we will provide service to any vehicle on the road today.

DAVE S YVERS ON AU TO CENT ER: 2310 East Main Street, Albert Lea, MN www.davesyverson.com (507) 3731438 Experience the difference with Dave Syverson’s non-commissioned sales team. Visit your local Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, LINCOLN, Nissan, Volkswagen, Ram dealership serving Albert Lea and surrounding areas.

Access the most up-to-date internet car buying tools on their website.

DINING QU IZN O'S : 1702 17th St. NW, Austin, MN (507) 4333176 Fax: (507) 433-2984 Quiznos Sub Business of the Year 2011. Quiznos subs are made with quality ingredients like freshly sliced premium meats, crisp vegetables, and rich, melted cheeses, all piled high on artisan breads then oven toasted to bring out the flavor only the way Quiznos can. Quiznos Mmmmm….Toasty!

EDUCATION NIAC C: 641-422-4245 1888-GO-NIACC www.niacc.net NIACC has a history of providing quality post-secondary opportunities. Ranked #14 in the nation for student success, NIACC offers a long list of opportunities: Adult/Developmental education, Career/Technical education, the first step to your bachelor’s degree, & Workforce development.

ENTERTAINMENT PARAMOU NT TH EAT RE: 125 4th Ave. NE, Austin, MN (507) 434-0934 www.paramounttheatre.org The Paramount Theatre is a unique historic theatre. It is one of only four atmospheric theaters left in Minnesota and the only operating outside of Minneapolis. It comfortably seats an audience of a little over 600 surrounded by a star-lit Spanish scene motif. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has gone through many phases of renovation. Today, it is a vibrant, operating performing arts venue in the heart of Austin, MN.

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T ORG E'S LIVE: 1701 4th St. NW, Austin, MN (507) 433-1000 www.torgeslive.com Torge's has the best regional entertainment and the coldest beer in Austin! Enjoy 22 flat screen HDTV's, a large outdoor patio with fire pit, live music, and daily food and drink specials. Torge's Live Sports Bar and Grill is Austin Minnesota's best nightclub!

FINANCIAL

ACCENTRA CREDIT UNION: 400 4th Ave. NE, Austin, MN (507) 433-1829 www.accentracu.org Open to anyone who lives, worships, works or attends school in Mower, Olmsted, Freeborn or Winona County. Check us out for home, auto, business or personal loans. Credit unions have better rates and fewer fees. Mobile banking available 24/7.

Become a member today. Locations in Austin and Albert Lea.

HEARING AMY S WAIN HEAR IN G C EN TER S: 608 1st Ave. SW, Austin, MN www.amyswainhearingcenters.com Dr. Amy Swain is an audiologist who has over 20 years of experience in helping people hear better with hearing instruments. Let her expertise help you. Amy Swain Hearing Centers was voted the best place to get a hearing aid by Mower County 2 years in a row. Dr. Amy Swain wants everyone to hear better!

HOME IMPROVEMENT H OME SO LUT IONS: 603-1st Ave. S., Albert Lea, MN (507) 373-3435 www.homesolutionsmidwest.com Update your home with windows, siding, sunroom, gutters, Gutter Helmets, sunshades, or metal roofing. We make homes new again.

AR EN' S H EAT ING: 101 3rd St. SE, Austin, MN (507) 433-5652 www.arensheatingandcooling.com Steve and Penny Arens working hard to make "Our Furnace Company Your Furnace Company" for 30 years since 1983. Selling "Top Rated" Bryant Equipment. We will service any make or model. 24 HR Emergency Service.

Free Estimates. Call Today (507) 433-5652

INSURANCE T HOMP SON INSU RANC E, INC .: 507 1st St. NW Suite A., Austin, MN (507) 437-9025 Thompson Insurance, Offering Better Solutions through Atlas Insurance Brokers.

We compare rates from over 50 insurance companies including AAA, Progressive, Travelers, The Hartford, Met, Safeco, Integrity, West Bend, Selective and many more.

This allows us to provide you a customized, comprehensive and cost effective insurance plan for your Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Business Insurance, Life Insurance and Health Insurance needs.

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LODGING

SALON

BE S T WE S T ER N P LU S : 1835 Rose St, La Crosse, WI (877) 688-9260 The Best Western of La Crosse, WI has a full service restaurant, lounge, indoor mini waterpark, private beach and banquet space for up to 350 people.

Overnight dockage now available at a great cost to guests.

Visit beautiful La Crosse and spend the night with us.

GO LDEN T RES S S ALON & DAY S PA: 104 11th Ave. NW #C, Austin, MN (507) 433-2291 www.goldentress.com Open Monday-Saturday at 8:00am. Full service salon and day spa focused on making our clients feel beautiful! We are an exclusive Aveda and SeneGence retailer. Come see why we have been voted "Best Salon in Mower County" 9 times! We specialize in wedding parties.

NURSING HOME G OO D S A MA RI TAN S OC IE T Y – C O MFO R C AR E : 1201 17th St. NE, Austin, MN (507) 437-4526 www.good-sam.com This state-of-the-art care center is designed for the ultimate well-being of the residents.

There are two separate neighborhoods, short-stay rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing, with their own lounges and dining areas where residents can socialize, relax and reflect.

RESEARCH T H E H OR ME L IN S T IT U T E: 801 16th Ave. NE, Austin, MN (507) 433-8804 www.hi.umn.edu The Hormel Institute is a world-recognized leader in the scientific field showing that dietary factors prevent and control cancer development. We are accelerating cancer research discoveries to achieve our mission: Improve your health and well-being. Today's Research, Tomorrow's Cures.

SERVICES T H E A U ST I N A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E RC E : 329 North Main St., Austin, MN (507) 437-4561 www.austincoc.com The Chamber represents about 400 business members who collectively employ nearly 10,000 people in the Austin and Mower County area. We organize major events that showcase the community, including Freedom Fest and Christmas in the City. We promote our members through programs such as Buy Mower/Grow Mower.

And we serve as a voice for a strong business environment.

SHOPPING MEDF ORD OUT LET CEN TER : 6750 W. Frontage Rd., Medford, MN (507) 455-4111 www.medfordoutletcenter.com Our shopping destination continues its 20 year commitment of offering an exciting shopping experience of your favorite famous brands to southern Minnesota and traveling tourists. We are located on Interstate 35 at exit 48 with close by dining and lodging.

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Fa ll is fa st approa ching, but t here 's p lent y of exc iting area ac tivities t o d o w hi l e the w e ath er i s s ti l l w ar m .

A ll d ate s, time s and oth er eve nt de tai l s are s ub je c t to c ha nge .

Now through September 26

Ju n ior Mas ter Gard en er s

When : 10 a.m. to noon Thursdays.

Wher e: 4-H building at the Mower County Fairgrounds.

Cooking and gardening classes for youth in the third grade and older.

Free to the public. Call 507-437-9552.

Now through October 31

Au st in Area F ar mer ’s Mar ket When : Mondays and Thursdays 4-7 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. to noon.

Wher e: Intersection of Fourth Street Northeast and Oakland Avenue.

Outdoor farmers market runs through the end of October. Call 507-4332545 or visit www.austinsfarmersmarket.com for more information.

Now through October 31

F a r m er s M a r k e t P l a ce

When : Mondays and Thursdays 4-6 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon.

Wher e: Oak Park Mall Fresh, locally produced fruits, vegetables and baked goods. Outdoor farmers market runs through the end of October. Call 507-440-8006 for more information or visit the Farmers Market Place page on Facebook.

August 22

Tom Pease, si ng er an d mu si cian

August 24-25

Au sti n Ar tWor ks Fes tiv al When : 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wher e: Downtown Utilities building.

Displays the works of fine artists, musicians and authors with Austin ties. Includes demonstrations, readings and performances. No charge to attend. Visit austinartworksfestival.org for more information.

August 24

M a r t i n Z e l l a r a n d C l o u d C u l t c o n ce r t When : 7:30 p.m.

Wher e: Marcusen Park.

Part of the Austin ArtWorks Festival. $30. Tickets are available at www.austinartworksfestival.org.

August 27

Tu esd ay s on Main When : 5-8 p.m. every Tuesday.

Wher e: Main Street North between Second and Fourth Avenues Visit www.austindowntownalliance.com for more information.

The D.C. Drifters, 5-8 p.m., Main Street from Fourth to Second avenues.

August 29

T h e H o r m e l I n s t i t u t e o p en h o u s e When : 4-6 p.m.

Wher e: 801 16th Ave. NE. The final open houses of the medical/cancer research center.

Call 507-437-9601.

September 7-11

N a t i o na l B a r r o w S h o w

When : Senior concert 9 a.m., family concert 1:30 p.m.

Wher e: Hormel Nature Center.

Free to the public. Call 507-437-7519 or visit hormelnaturecenter.org for details or to RSVP.

When : 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Wher e: Mower County Fairgrounds.

Tickets are $8 at the door or at Austin Area Chamber of Commerce.

Junior check-in on Saturday, junior show Sunday, junior and senior college judging Monday, breeding stock show Tuesday, breeding sale Wednesday. Call 507-279-0376 with questions.

August 23

September 14

S pa m t o w n Be l l e r i de s

R E- f e s t G re e n L i vin g & C le a n En e rgy F e s t i va l

When : 5:30-8:30 p.m. Fridays, 1-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through September.

Wher e: East Side Lake. $2 for adults and $1 for children.

When : 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wher e: Mower County Fairgrounds.

Hosted by the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, Riverland, Austin Utilities and others. Visit www.refest.org or call 507-437-7519.

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September 14

“ F l o y d i a n S l i p” P i n k F l o y d t r i b u t e

Wh en: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Wh ere: Paramount Theatre.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $5 for students and $2 more at the door. Visit www.paramounttheatre.org or call 507-434-0934 for more information.

September 21

N o r t h C e n t r al S co t t i s h H i g h l a n d C a t t l e R eg i o n a l s h o w

Wh en: 9 a.m. junior show, noon open show.

Wh ere: Mower County Fairgrounds.

Unique and majestic breed of beef cattle on display. Family event for exhibitors and the public. Full details available at www.nchca.org.

Check www.mowercountyfair.com for updates.

September 21 - October 31

F ar mer Joh n’s Pum pki n Patch o pen

Wh en: Noon to 6 p.m. daily.

Wh ere: 273rd Street, Austin Celebrates 25 years of family fun. Pumpkin picking, fall decorating items, fall photo opportunities, horse and wagon rides.

Groups are welcome. Call 507-437-9180 for reservations.

Now through September 28

Min n esota Homef ron t trav el in g exh ibi t

Wh en: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays Wh ere: Mower County Historical Society. $1 for non-members, free for members. Call 507-437-6082 for details or email info@mowercountyhistory.org.

September 28

A n n u a l F a l l H ar v e s t C e l e b r a t i o n

Wh en: 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Wh ere: Mower County Historical Society. Free and open to all ages.

Call 507-437-6082 or visit www.mowercountyhistory.org for more information.

October 4-5

S h o o t i n g S t ar B y w a y / R o s e P e d a l e r F a l l F e s t i v al

Wh en: Various times on Friday, 9 am.-3 p.m. at the Rose Pedaler on Saturday.

Wh ere: The Rose Pedaler in Rose Creek.

Rose Creek, Leroy & Adams events, including rummage sale, horse and wagon rides, and other activities. Call 507-434-0500 or email bhartwig4902@yahoo.com for more information.

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BOOK REVIEW

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A REVELATORY READ

BY BONNIE BESSE RIETZ —As the Austin Page Turners committee plans for the 2014 Page Turners author, committee members are taking time out of their schedule to share some of their favorite Minnesota books with Austin Living. Bonnie Besse Rietz is the Page Turners co-chair and is reviewing "Rain and Revelation" by Therese Pautz.

If you're looking for a good thriller, look no further than "Rain and Revelation" by Therese Pautz.

This book, an award winner and a page turner, written by a Minnesota author — a Pacelli Catholic Schools graduate from Austin, no less — is a possible choice for our annual Austin Page Turners’ city-wide book read.

And look, Therese is also one of the featured authors at our Austin ArtWorks Festival! Her book needs to be checked out.

Rain hits us immediately as we start the story in the western part of Ireland in a coastal vacation town. Eliza Conroy is drenched as she enters the dark cottage where her mom, Annie, lives. She reflects on the fact her life is going nowhere, and she is tired of the routine of entertaining college students from America who come to stay in the bed and breakfast cottages run by her parents and owned by her grandparents. She hollers for her mom, who is usually sitting at the kitchen table waiting to question her about her comings and goings. Not finding her, Eliza creaks open the door to the bathroom and finds her mother in a pool of blood in the bathtub.

This starts Eliza on a quest to find out why her quiet, nonassuming mother would try to end her life in such a dramatic fashion. Beware of thinking you have solved the mystery because just as you do, another stunning revelation appears.

You will meet Fiona — Eliza’s best friend who becomes less and less close to her, Seamus, her father who is distant and unpredictable, and Paddy, his friend who supports Eliza in many ways. You will also find in a dramatic fashion that we cannot forget Mr. O’Donnell, who is Eliza’s grandfather.

Twists and turns in the plot's revelations keep you turning the pages in this descriptive book. Therese was an exchange student in Ireland and she captures the misty, drizzly atmosphere that helps to keep readers immersed in the question of “Why did Annie try to kill herself?”

You'll likely find this an exciting summer read, but what about as a choice for our featured book for Austin Page Turners?

Will the book have universal appeal for a large audience?

Is the subject matter too grim for a city-wide book read?

Is Therese a good presenter?

You help decide! The author is talking about her book at the Austin ArtWorks Festival at 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24.

Come and hear Therese, and let a Page Turner know if you feel we should choose this book.

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WHY I LOVE AUSTIN

Photo courtesy of Lindsey K. Atkins, Phanio Photography

The ar t s an d edu c at io n al op por tu n i t ies are boundle ss in this community

BY JESSICA CABEEN After living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and teaching at Saint Paul Public Schools for seven years, moving to Austin should have been a “culture shock,” so to speak. However, my shock was more to do with the wide variety of educational and artistic opportunities this community maintains.

Our community is fortunate to have educational choices such as the 45/15 modified calendar at Sumner Elementary School. As parents of Sumner Stars (Kenny, third grade, grade, Isaiah Minalachew, first grade) we appreciate the strong sense of community and academic rigor the staff provides all children at Sumner.

The preschool programming options in Austin have a strong reputation for preparing our early learners for success in the schools. Our youngest son, Isaiah, came to this country from Ethiopia just last year. With the support of his preschool teacher and staff he was ready to make the transition to kindergarten just six months after arriving here, and with the help of excellent teachers and staff at Woodson Kindergarten Center he is ready to make the next step in his educational career.

Austin also has wonderful post-secondary opportunities.

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My husband’s degree from Riverland Community College has prepared him for advanced positions in the Austin Community, without having to travel outside of the area for postsecondary education.

Austin is also fortunate to have many opportunities to experience the arts every season. This month, our family will again return to the Austin ArtWorks Festival. This celebration allows us to experience a variety of artistic mediums right in our own backyard.

My oldest son and I continue to buy season tickets to the Austin Symphony Orchestra. The musicians are wonderful and I have appreciated the orchestra’s dedication to reaching out to audience members of all ages.

For the reasons above (and so many more) is why there’s plenty to love about Austin. I continue to thank the community for their support of education and arts in our community.

—Jessica Cabeen is the principal at Woodson Kindergarten Center. She has lived in Austin with her husband and two children for more than 10 years.

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North Iowa Area Community College is a great place to start your future, no matter what your age. We have a beautiful campus atmosphere, on-campus housing, recreation center, music and athletic programs, performing arts series and more. Consider these important points: • We offer a high quality education with small class sizes so students know their instructors.

• Students who come to NIACC right after high school can save their families more than $7,000 by starting at NIACC — and their credits easily transfer to four-year schools.

• 95% of NIACC career and technical graduates get jobs!

New Student Housing Coming in the Fall 2014 Contact our Admissions Office today and schedule a campus visit!