Beyond the Margin

By Joe Spear

Community voices speak volumes

One can get a sense of the wealth of soul, the goodness of thought and the kindness of spirit in the conversations a community has with itself.

So it’s worthwhile to listen in, take in and be in.

The stories are often in front of us with the daily news, but the larger message is not always obvious.

Some 150 years ago, the small town of Cambria celebrated its first Fourth of July. The returning faithful who celebrated this year with a decorator cake auction and parade far outnumbered the town’s listed population of 60.

Mary Deopere has been at Cambria Fourth of July celebrations since 1933, and she’s grateful for the welcoming nature of the community and America.

“While these celebrations may have started with our Welsh ancestors, the addition of our neighbors of many countries, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, England, the Czechs, the Dutch, the Scots, Irish and more really reflected the melting pot that is our country,” she said.

Some 36 miles northwest, the old farm tractorcade left the grounds of the Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Show a few weeks before July Fourth, but it was a celebration of independence nonetheless. These tractors, old but shiny, show the driver’s allegiance to John Deere green, Allis Chalmers orange, Farmall and International red and Ford blue.

The tractor show followed county roads through small towns like Belle Plaine, past a field of dreams at the Union Hill baseball diamond, and finished at Henderson Sauerkraut Days where the kraut was abundant and so was the beer.

Manufactured products that last more than 100 years are reason to celebrate.

“Even though we got wet, I didn’t hear any complaints,” said Richard Ostendorf of Pemberton, one of the tractor faithful.

“Camaraderie and seeing the scenery. What’s really neat about it, you get in the middle (of the pack) and you look both ways, all you see is tractors, tractors, tractors.”

Tom Graham is chair of the committee that organizes the 40-mile, 60-tractor journey.

“It’s the memory and knowledge of our rich agricultural history in the Minnesota River Valley. They think, ‘Yeah, this is what our country was about 40 to 50 years ago.’”

And the 4-H kids were glad to be back to the county fairs after riding around for a year on their horses by themselves.

And people are glad baseball is back. The New Ulm Baseball Association finally got to christen the remodeled Johnson Park in New Ulm, the historic ballpark where people like Bob Skillings spent days and days in the 1970s growing up, changing the manual scoreboard for 50 cents and fetching foul balls for a nickel.

“We just loved baseball and so we would hang out at the park as much as we could,” said Skillings, president of the New Ulm Baseball Association.

And the teenagers who sometimes see Legion baseball in the summer as a diversion seem glad to be back and are finding that playing baseball was atop Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs pyramid as self-actualization.

“You can see it on the guys’ faces. This is a season that matters,” said American Post 11 coach Collin Risting with the opening of the first season post-COVID.

Grant Hermer, a three-sport star from Mankato West, said it best after seeing his senior seasons canceled in many sports.

“I just want to play baseball.”

And others were inspired to be throwing shot puts and slinging discus at the state track meet. Marcus Hansen of Waseca won the state title in shot put and discus and was honored as Minnesota’s Mr. Track and Field.

“Just a kid from small-town Minnesota, no one really knows where we are (and), I’ve just been recognized as the best track athlete in the state. … It was just unreal. It was really super humbling for me.”

And the Le Sueur girls softball team won the first state championship in school history with eighth grader Rhyan Fritz knocking in the winning run (her sister Olivia) in extra innings and getting the win after pitching 3 2/3 innings in relief.

“It’s like a dream come true,” she said.

And people have become charitable in new ways.

The first ever “2 Wheels to Heal” motorcyle ride to help prevent suicide among veterans made Mankato one of four cities in the world to host the event. Dozens of motorcycles descended on the valley and raised money for the suicide prevention nonprofit Mission 22, named for the number of veterans who kill themselves each day.

Two friends in North Dakota got the idea after one’s soldier brother committed suicide. His boots were tied to their motorcycle as they rode the 100-mile journey.

Taken together, these acts of gratitude, kindness and hope help define how a community speaks. Remembering can give lasting value to the things that make up how we view the world and treat it going forward.

The tractorcade continued on through the pouring rain in the midst of a drought, and the farmers got joyfully soaked. And so did the healing riders.

Good thoughts. Kind spirits. Wealthy souls. Take it in.

Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382. Follow on Twitter @jfspear.

Photos by Pat Christman

NAME: Lisa Finch

HOMETOWN:

Janesville

FAVE DONUT:

Old-fashioned

FAVORITE SEASON:

Summer

LEFT OR RIGHT TWIX?:

Right, though I have not had a Twix in a long time, might need to test a left one out.

It’s a CINCH for LISA FINCH

Finch talks real estate, donuts and keeping busy

Lisa Finch knows how to keep everything in balance — she’s always been to-the-minute punctual. Finch, who owns her own online shop on Etsy, selling handmade baby-friendly gifts, has kept busy during the pandemic, including studying for her real estate license, donut marketing and picking up a new hobby. She even discovered during 2020 that stepping away from one recreational activity (aka taking a break from sewing) for a while is OK to venture into other things.

MANKATO MAGAZINE: It’s been a long, long year. What has kept you busy (and sane) during this time? LISA FINCH: My job! Or, all my jobs, specifically. I was promoted to property manager at CBC Fisher Group so much of my time has been learning the ropes and streamlines processes while navigating COVID responses.

Professionally, I have never been busier in both property management and (donut) marketing. For Dunkin,’ it’s been nothing but growth as we pivoted to relying on our dedicated staff and really leaning into the drive-thru experience. We are expanding into a new location in downtown Mankato so it’s been exciting to watch that process unfold.

MM: Since November 2019, you’ve been the creative director for Southern Minnesota Dunkin locations. What has been your favorite part about this position? LF: There is not much that I don’t love about that role. I have the opportunity to be involved in our community through events and social media, so it’s a joy. My favorite part is definitely making posts for upcoming holidays and events. Any time I can take some fun pictures with sweets – I am IN!

MM: From having a full-time job, plus your own handmade goods Etsy shop, how do you do it all? LF: In all honesty, I can’t answer that concisely. I was the middle schooler that scheduled her plans with a

white board, so I have always been one to manage my time down to the minute, lol. My family comes first, but I have a strong work ethic and believe in the power of delegation.

MM: In 2016, Mankato Magazine spoke with you on being a social media influencer. In your own experience, what is that like and what does it entail? LF: I really fell into social media influencing, to be honest. Trying new things and letting people know what experiences and products work for me has been something I have always done, so rolling that over into social media with pretty pictures was pretty easy for me. It’s been wonderful working with brands across the country and watching their business grow as well.

MM: What has been your favorite place to travel to and why? LF: My husband and I took a trip to the Azores in 2019 and it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. The Azores are islands off the coast of Portugal and I discovered them on a whim while searching for places to travel to on the SkyScanner app. It looked beautiful (and reasonably priced!) so we booked a trip and spent just over a week there. They have gorgeous beaches, volcanic springs, amazing hiking and loads of dolphins, so it was paradise for us. We loved it so much that we are headed back next May.

MM: In 2020, you started painting and also studying real estate to get your license, while also continuing your Finch at Home design shop. What was this experience like for you? LF: It was BUSY, haha! Studying for my real estate license was no joke. Painting watercolors was such a relaxing experience for me, and I am so thankful for Let’s Make Art and their business. All of their tutorials are free and taught me the fundamentals so I could start making my own designs.

I did step away from sewing more in 2020 as I had some creative burnout, but that is something I knew would happen eventually with non-stop sewing and working for eight years. Recognizing when you need to stop doing something is a really powerful thing, and I am glad I accepted that sometimes I just didn’t need to sew. I could read a book, go for a bike ride or paint instead.

MM: If you had just one takeaway from this pandemic, what would that be? LF: Oh gosh, probably to just give people the most patience you can. People across all industries are just trying to make things work and everyone needed patience. I don’t think I have ever been busier so I know I appreciated when people were understanding.

MM: What is something that most people might not know about you and find surprising? LF: That I am not tall at all? Hahaha, I can whistle through my front teeth very loudly so that’s a skill too.

MM: If you could give the whole world (or at least the readers of Mankato Magazine) one piece of advice on anything, what would that be and why? LF: I should take my own advice more often, but this is what I tell myself: Will this matter in five years? If so, do it – if not, ehhhhh think it over for a bit before responding.

MM: Anything else you’d like to add? LF: I am so thankful to the Mankato community for its generosity during the pandemic. Working with Dunkin’ and FOCP (Feeding Our Communities Partners) made me realize just how giving this community is and it was so wonderful to see people be so openhearted. Thank you all for being such staunch supporters of locally owned businesses and local nonprofits.