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F EATUR ES FEBRUARY 2018 Volume 13, Issue 2
16
Mankato’s music man
Ken Freed wears many hats. In Mankato, he’s the conductor of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra. But back in the Twin Cities, who is this guy? And where did he come from?
20
Simple gifts
24
For some couples, the things that keep the romance alive are the things that defined their earliest days.
Socially speaking
Everyone’s on social media, but some are doing it much, much better than others.
ABOUT THE COVER Ken Freed is the conductor of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra. He was photographed at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis by Pat Christman. MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 3
DEPARTMENTS 6 From the Editor 8 This Day in History 9 The Gallery
9
J. Lance Hartzell
10 Beyond the Margin Frozen memories 12 Familiar Faces Carrie Kijenski 14 Day Trip Destinations
Ham Lake’s Snowbowl
26 Then & Now Presidential places 30 Living 55 Plus 43 Food, Drink & Dine
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44 Food
Hot Dish
46 Wine
Leigh’s faves
47 Beer Scaling Summits 48 Happy Hour
Wines for 2018
50 That’s Life Camouflaged hubby
12
26
52 Garden Chat Jerusalem artichokes — NO! 54 Your Style Goth Mom Q&A 56 Coming Attractions 57 Faces & Places 60 From This Valley 1968
Coming in March
50 4 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
56
Our annual photo issue! So many submissions, you guys.
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ƪƘƳƱ ƷƬƩ ƥƶƶƳƧƭƥƷƩ ƩƨƭƷƳƘ By Robb Murray FEBRUARY 2018 • VOLUME 13, ISSUE 2 PUBLISHER
Steve Jameson
EDITOR Joe Spear ASSOCIATE Robb Murray EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS Nell Musolf Pete Steiner Jean Lundquist Leigh Pomeroy Bert Mattson Leticia Gonzales Ann Rosenquist Fee Bryce O. Stenzel James Figy Amanda Dyslin
PHOTOGRAPHERS Pat Christman Jackson Forderer PAGE DESIGNER
Christina Sankey
ADVERTISING Jordan Greer-Friesz SALES Josh Zimmerman Marianne Carlson Theresa Haefner ADVERTISING Barb Wass ASSISTANT ADVERTISING Sue Hammar DESIGNERS Christina Sankey CIRCULATION Justin Niles DIRECTOR
Mankato Magazine is published by The Free Press Media monthly at 418 South Second St., Mankato MN 56001. To subscribe, call 1-800-657-4662 or 507-625-4451. $35.40 for 12 issues. For editorial inquiries, call Robb Murray at 344-6386, or e-mail rmurray@mankatofreepress.com. For advertising, call 344-6364, or e-mail advertising@mankatofreepress.com.
6 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Details, details, details
T
hink about your favorite stories. Chances are they’ve stuck in your head and your heart because you’ve connected with a main character. And how did that connection start? The author gave you details about that person’s life, details that put meat on what otherwise would have been just bare bones, s, just the skeleton, of the character. aracter. It’s the details thatt give us things to remember. mber. Generalizations only get the author so far. ar. It’s the details that stick ick in readers’ minds. This month, we e bring you the story of Ken Freed. eed. You know him as the man with the baton in n front of the Mankato Symphony ymphony Orchestra, the guy uy in control, the guy in charge of the 50 0 musicians who make some of the e most beautiful music in town. B u t i f h i s ro l e with the MSO is all you know about Ken Freed, well … you’re u’re in for a treat thiss month. Anyone who has ever sat down with t h e g re g a r i o u s Freed knows he’s a guy who loves to talk, and what he says is usually y very interesting. Yale educated. Busked in London subway stations. Appeared on “30 Rock.” Plays viola for the Minnesota Orchestra. Been to Cuba. Details. To truly understand the depth of a person, you need their back
story. And we’ve gone deep on Ken Freed. We’re pretty sure you’re going to find him as interesting as we did. Also this month: What would a February issue be without a nod to LOVE? Writer James Figy caught up with three couples who use touchstones from when they remind themselves met to rem of their love. lo Whether it’s a ǔ ű ǔ or a spe special location that inspires feelings of love or intimacy, it’s clear that, for these couples, coupl holding onto a piece of the th past has helped them solidify their future. And speaking speak of the future, social medi media continues to be a force in nearly everyone’s daily lives. l While there’s a certain amount of respect owed to those who have been tho able avoid letting abl Fa c e b o o k c o n t ro l their wold, most of the us are a into it at some level. leve 1 ǕŰ Ǖ 1 good we are at using it it. Some use it to merely keep tabs m o on the grand kids. Others O are glued to the president’s tweets. But there are some who seem to have m mastered its use in that’s a little a way w savvier than the rest of us. We touched base with a few of them to learn a few of their secrets.
Robb Murray is associate editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at 344-6386 or rmurray@ mankatofreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @freepressRobb.
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This Day in history By Jean Lundquist
Thursday, Feb. 29, 1940 Barbara Lee Hawes, her mother, have leap year birthday Although she is 8 years old today, Barbara Lee Hawes, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. A. Murray Hawes of Byron Street, is observing only her second birthday. Born on Feb. 29, 1932, her birthday falls on Leap Year Day, the same date of her mother’s birth. Celebrating with a party yesterday, Barbara was hostess to 20 girls for a supper party at her home, following a hike in the afternoon. Two decorated birthday cakes were a feature of the supper. Friday, Feb. 11, 1983 Former Mankato music teacher takes up craft of violin making While he was working as a string instruments teacher in Mankato Public Schools, Arnold Anderson bought a book titled “How to Build a Stradivari Violin.” Studying the methods of Italian master craftsman Antonio Stradivari, who built violins in Cremona Italy in the early 1700s, was to change Anderson’s life. Taking a year’s leave from his job to bicycle through Europe, he stopped to visit a museum in Cremona. Anderson took a tour, and was invited to enroll in the violin-making program. After three years in the program, he stayed for another year and a half to collect the woods needed to create violins back home. On returning to Minnesota, he opened his violin-making shop in the Twin Cities. “I like teaching, but I like this better,” he said. In his first eight years, Anderson sold about 100 instruments. He now produces 10 to 12 instruments a year in his home workshop. His instruments are created with wood aged at least seven years, are dried in the sun, then coated with at least 10 coats of homemade varnish. Thursday, Feb. 13, 1958 Rhythm show set Friday at Waseca Central High School grades 7-11 will conclude a six-week rhythm unit in physical education with a demonstration open to the public. This annual event will be held in the Central gymnasium Friday at 8 p.m. Admission to the program will be 25 cents per person. Seventh and eighth graders will demonstrate various rhythms and steps, such as the waltz, the two step, the polka and the schottische, plus square dance steps they have learned. More advanced rhythmic activities will be demonstrated by the ninth, tenth and eleventh graders, as these students have been taught various round dances, folk dances, waltzes, the fox trot, the tango and the Lindy steps. Friday, Feb. 5, 1932 Red and Black – News from Mapleton High School “Printed in Black, Read by All – We Boost For MHS” The New Lab I don’t believe anything very commedarty has been said about the new physics laboratory, where we had our first experiment for physics class this last week. Oh people — we were thunderstruck or awestruck at the equipment in there! Those nice shiny black tables in there made us most eager to start work. And the Bunsen Burners! After those poor, inconvenient alcohol lamps, these were heaven! It was a half hour job to melt a glass rod with an old lamp. The Bunsen Burner needs only half a minute.
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8 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Thursday, Feb. 17, 1944 Good Thunder Community News by Good Thunder High School Students as a public service to their community As Community News takes form and comments from readers. One of the first was from the L.H. Tanglen, at Hinckley. Mr. Tanglen was a former superintendent of schools here. We did enjoy your paper you are printing, and very much. We are sending a dollar. When we’ve had a dollar’s worth, let us know, and we’ll send more. Good luck!”
The Gallery: J. Lance Hartzell Story by Leticia Gonzales
Like clay in his hands Hartzell’s career built on pottery, searching out new clays
D
espite not having a degree in art, J. Lance Hartzell, a professor of art and education at Martin Luther College, has gained life-long experience having grown up in a family deeply rooted in the field, while learning from fellow artists, and from his experience “doing, making and teaching art.” “My dad, a Lutheran minister, was a hobby architect who did his architectural work in his study in our home,” said Hartzell. “His brother, uncle Edward, was also an artist and he often sent my brothers and sister art books and supplies for Christmas.” With the foundation in place, Hartzell’s interest in art flourished into potterymaking while growing up in Arizona. “My family and I lived on the Fort Apache Reservation in eastern Arizona until I was 18 and came to college here in Minnesota,” he said. “Almost all my elementary school classmates were Apaches. The Apaches were good artists, but they didn’t make pottery. Many of the neighboring Indians and Mexicans did though, and because of intermarriage and travel, there were potters on the Apache Reservation too.” Hartzell met his wife at a student art show at Martin Luther, and the two have been creating and teaching art wherever they have lived. From Wisconsin to Alaska, to Washington and Minnesota, Hartzell has produced pieces through drawing, oil painting and pottery, but continues to be influenced by his southwest upbringing. “I get much inspiration still from their beautiful pottery all fashioned by hand, all made in very low-tech studios, where the local clays and bonfires are still the way to make beautiful pots,” he said. With 24 years experience teaching students to create art,
Hartzell has spent the last 15 years working on his own creations when he isn’t teaching. “I started making pottery at MSU using the basic bisque firing and glaze firing technique they teach there, then I started using local clay,” he said. “My first local clay came from our MLC soccer field.” With the help of a colleague, Hartzell discovered another clay source in New Ulm. “I began experimenting with these clays and painting pots made of them,” he shared. “Then came the next step — burnishing the pottery to a shine. After the pottery is formed, smoothed, burnished and/or painted, it gets fired one time, and then it is done.” Together with his wife, Hartzell attends and enters local art shows in St. Peter, Mankato, New Ulm and Springfield. “The fact that people are willing to pay to own one of my pots is also an amazing way of being rewarded, and an incredible encouragement to me to continue mining the natural clay of southern Minnesota to make, hopefully, that one, perfect, special pot someday,” said Hartzell. Looking ahead to his retirement from teaching in June, Hartzell is building a small pottery studio in his garage, as he continues his search for his next source of clay. “I think most people like looking for things,” he said. “The hope is always that we might find something of value, or of use to us. I like looking for clay, naturally occurring clay, in the countryside here in southern Minnesota and elsewhere. You might be surprised at the number of different clays near here, so I get some of my inspiration from the search, the quest, for that special clay that will do something magical when you fashion and fire it.” MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 9
ƦƩƼƳƲƨ ƷƬƩ ƱƥƘƫƭƲ By Joe Spear
Images and memories of a winter landscape S
ome images bring back vivid memories that give our minds a break. And today, our minds need lots of breaks. Everyone knows the things of which I speak, which are mostly associated with our Republic, as it were. So let’s get on to images and memories. The great part about having a functioning memory is the idea that we can drive by an image or a landscape and recall the similar images or landscapes of our past, and we can associate them mostly with feelings and emotions. For me, it’s outdoor hockey rinks. Outdoor rinks flood my mind with memories. Good memories. These are the kind of memories people might have recalling a pristine lake surrounded by pines in northern Minnesota or a fantastic sunset on a beach on the Gulf of Mexico. For me, a hockey rink is like a beautiful landscape. Early on I appreciated skating rinks born of neighborhood ponds. You could hear the sounds of your friends’ skates on the natural ice from blocks away. That was the signal that a pickup game was afoot. When you made a hard stop, you could hear a boom if the ice wasn’t quite thick enough. Eventually, the allure of a real outdoor hockey rink won us Êó Øʈ ,ãÜ Â Ãʢ « ÊØà ʡ ăØ ¨ÊÜ ʃ 㨠¡ØÊÿ à ôÊÊ of the dasher boards and Friday night lights attracted us like Catholics to a cathedral. There was a rink or two at nearly every playground — recreation centers — in St. Paul, where I grew up on hockey. The lights of those hockey rinks shown through the otherwise dark neighborhoods. The bright lights perched high on telephone poles added a positive quality to those places that were mostly a collection of ramshackle homes surrounded by a metal plating factory. The lights of the rinks made a difference in how a neighborhood looked. And this is important when it comes to larger issues, according to some smart people who did a study for the National Institutes of Health. The study noted that “the stress imposed by adverse neighborhoods increases depression above and beyond the ė ãÜ Ê¡ 㨠«Ã «ó« è ¼ʰÜ ÊôÃ Õ ØÜÊà ¼ ÜãØ ÜÜÊØÜʃ Üè ¨ Ü 10 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
poverty and negative events within the family or workplace.” The lights of the hockey rink were symbols of hope, in a way, to these “adverse neighborhoods.” They signaled youth were busy, perhaps joyful, and, in the best case, learning to Ąú Êà ܨ ã Ê¡ Üʼ« « ʈ a¨ Ü ¼«¢¨ãÜ Ü¨Êà ã¨ØÊ袨Êèã «ė Ø Ãã à «¢¨ ÊبÊÊ Ü and we were familiar with all of them: Front Street, North ¼ ʃ Zú¼ó Ãʃ A ÊÃÊ袨ʃ #Ø«¢¢Ü à úãÊÃʰÜ ¼èėʈ There were 42 such recreation centers in all. The recession of 2008 forced the city to close 17 of them. High times on Wall Street led to hard times on Main Street. A lot of lights are no longer shining in those neighborhoods. It appears my old haunt, the Front Street recreation center, no longer exists. As Mayor Chris Coleman said when he regrettably closed the centers: They needed to be more than a cinder block building. And that’s what the Front Street recreation center
The Stoltzman Road skating rink in Mankato as photographed from the neighborhood behind it. Photo by Jackson Forderer. was, on the surface. Now, a few years later, you can read stories about how the people of “Frogtown” and the “North End” are trying to halt the deterioration of their neighborhoods. A recent report in the Star Tribune noted the increasing gun violence and gang activity in both neighborhoods. The owner of the famed “Tin Cup” restaurant on Rice Street — a favorite classy restaurant as far as blue collar clientele was concerned years ago — said now all its employees have permits to carry handguns. They’re calling for more cops on Rice Street in the North End and more resources in Frogtown. Tia Williams, a longtime community organizer and
member of the Frogtown Neighborhood Association, told the Star Tribune, in a bit of irony, that more cops are not the answer but that it would be better to attack the neighborhood problems with “longer hours at recreation centers and new playgrounds.” So the images of pristine outdoor rinks now carry with them a new memory and feelings of loss and regret. I regret I did not take more pictures of the lights shining above the old neighborhoods. Unfortunate. Until now. Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382. Follow on Twitter @jfspear. MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 11
Familiar Faces: Carrie Kijenski By Amanda Dyslin
Spreading the good news about Mankato Kijenski says there’s plenty to do around here By Amanda Dyslin Photo by Pat Christman
C
arrie Kijenski went from a small-town life on the farm that included a couple of house piglets to a much faster-paced life in the Metro area, just one example of how varied and diverse her life experiences have been. After graduating from Minnesota State University, she took a job with Neiman Marcus in downtown Minneapolis. She had planned to be a clothing buyer, but after talking to others in the industry about what the job entails, she decided to take another path that would eventually lead her right back home. Kijenski became the marketing coordinator of the wedding division of Taylor Corporation, where she ended up working for 19 years in several different companies. Her range of experiences in marketing during that time (including a great deal of travel to exotic places) prepared her for a job that she accepted
12 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
in May of 2016 and that she loves: marketing and communications director for Visit Mankato. “I had been thinking it was time for a change, so when someone in the community told me about the position at Visit Mankato, I decided that was a great fit,” she said. Here’s more from Kijenski about her journey back to southern Minnesota and her job with Visit Mankato. Mankato Magazine: After growing up in the area and then leaving for the Twin Cities for a few years, what led you back to southern Minnesota? Carrie Kijenski: I was living in the Twin Cities with my late husband, Matt, and our son, Logan, and we were pregnant with our second son. Matt and I had met in Mankato and moved to the Cities together before we were married. He loved this area and
decided he wanted to move back and raise our boys here. My family lived here as well, and we wanted our boys to grow up with their cousins and extended family. Mankato is a wonderful community with great schools and a wide variety of job opportunities, and having lived here prior, we knew it was a place we wanted to be with the boys. Little did we know that there was some divine intervention as well. Matt ended up being diagnosed with cancer a month after we moved back and passed away a few months later. Being in a great community with so much support was such a relief for a 32-yearold widow with a 4-year-old and 7-month-old who had just moved back recently. MM: People from out of town often ask, “What do people do in Mankato?” What’s the first thing you’d say to them and why? CK: Mankato has an abundance of things to do. You’d be surprised how active, vibrant and full of culture the Mankato community really is. Mankato has an abundance of year-round recreation, a rich history with many historical attractions, a thriving arts community, year-round amateur and collegiate sporting events, it’s a regional center for entertainment and nightlife, and Mankato’s City Center offers a unique shopping experience. It’s a short drive from the Twin Cities for the perfect little getaway. MM:What are your favorite things to do in Greater Mankato? CK: One of my favorite places to go in Mankato is Minneopa Falls, especially in the fall. It’s such a great backdrop for a photo opp. I love taking along a picnic lunch on a nice day and then hiking through the falls area. Sibley Park is another favorite outdoor spot the boys and I like to go to. Whether it be in the winter for some sledding, visiting the animals in the spring or summer, or seeing the beautiful colors in the fall, there is something to do in all seasons. The Kiwanis Holiday Lights at Sibley Park is another favorite of ours too. When it comes to sports, we like watching Maverick hockey, so heading to the Verizon to catch a game on the weekend is a fun thing for us to do also. When I need a little “mom time,” one of my favorite places is Chankaska Creek Winery. It’s such a beautiful place to go sit and have some wine by the fire, whether it be time away with the girls or date night. They have some great events there, too. I also enjoy eating out and going to the variety of restaurants we have in Mankato. Whether I need something quick that they boys like to eat, a casual night out or getting dressed up and having a nice dinner with drinks, there is something to cover it all. And, when I am in the mood for a little retail therapy, I love the unique boutiques and shopping we have in Greater Mankato. MM: Winter around here (especially those sub-zero days that ushered us into 2018) can chase even the hardiest of Minnesotans indoors. What are some outdoor activities or areas of southern Minnesota that are worth braving the cold for? CK: Mount Kato offers a variety of outdoor recreation
like skiing, snowboarding and tubing. Another great activity is cross-country skiing, which can be done on an extensive trail system surrounding Mankato. Ice skating can be a fun pastime in the winter from beginners to novice, and Mankato has 11 parks with outdoor ice skating rinks. Sledding is also another fun activity, and Sibley Park and Spring Lake Park offer great hills for that. Snow biking, or “fat tire biking” is another activity that has become popular in the winter. Don’t forget about snowshoeing, either. This can be done alone, or book a tour with Bent River Outfitters. You can also do a wine tour around Morgan Creek Vineyards or Chankaska Creek Ranch and Winery. There are also many outdoor special events throughout the winter season. The Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Tournament and Bells on Belgrade are just a few. Finally, one of my favorite things do from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve is to see the Kiwanis Holiday Lights in Sibley Park. MM: What are some of your interests or hobbies outside of work? CK: I don’t have a ton of extra time between work and keeping up with my two boys, but who ever does, right? I am active with my boys’ activities from soccer to basketball to swimming, robotics, church, etc. I do enjoy being involved in the community, though. I am on the Advancement Board at Loyola and have co-chaired LoyolaPalooza the past two years. I like to volunteer for other things as well. I follow a few blogs and enjoy reading when I have the opportunity. I am also getting back into working out, hopefully some more running if my knee will allow it and trying to focus a little more on me. MM: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? CK: I think a lot of the people who know me now think I am certainly a city girl, but I grew up on a hobby farm in a very small town. We lived south of Mankato in Good Thunder. We had all kinds of animals when I was young. Chickens, pheasants, goats, sheep, pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, you name it. My brother did most of the chores on the farm, but I did have to help. I delivered baby pigs in the middle of the night. I also had two baby pigs as house pets when the mother didn’t have enough room for them all. We named them Porky and Peewee, and I bottle fed them until they were able to be on their own again. I have quite the stories from my childhood.
Name:
Carrie Kijenski
Job title: Marketing and Communications Director for Visit Mankato City of residence: Mankato Family: Two sons, Logan, 15; and Chase, 11 MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 13
Day Trip Destinations: Ham Lake Snowbowl By James Figy
Sculptors create large works of art from blocks of snow. Photo courtesy of Ham Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
Go Ham this winter Ham Lake Snowbowl offers fun in the Gateway to the Twin Cities
O
utdoor winter festivals face a tough challenge. They have to promise people it will be worth it to spend a few hours in the snow and then make good on that promise. One festival that follows through is the Ham Lake Snowbowl. Now in its 12th year, Snowbowl offers a variety of family-friendly activities in the heart of Anoka County, about a half hour north of downtown Minneapolis. Snowbowl has a little bit of everything, according to Shana Schmitz, executive director of the Ham Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. It has grown over the years, having started as a golf tournament, and now has something fun for everyone. “There’s the events that have been there from the get-go. There’s the business expo, and the snow sculptures have been there. But we’ve added a lot of the other 14 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
reasons for people to come out and be outside in February,” she said. Winter sports enthusiasts can compete in the broomball tournament, ride bikes in the first ever Snowbowl Fat Tire Race or go ice fishing on Ham Lake in the tournament sponsored by the local Boy Scouts. “They have teaching you how to ice fish. They have (equipment) you can use,” Schmitz said. “Plus, it’s a big contest where they give out hundreds of prizes.” Attendees can browse the handmade wares and sample food in the Craft Extravaganza. Kids will enjoy the sliding hill and outdoor games, watching the “dog pull” or taking a ride in a vintage sled from the parking lot to the expo. Outside, sculptors will carve works of winter art into giant snow blocks. Last year, there were
about 30 blocks and two dozen sculptors. The event draws pros who have competed in state competitions as well as amateurs, and people of all ages are free to claim an open block and start creating, Schmitz said. “There’s two different sizes of blocks. There’s a large 7-foot by 4-foot block, and then there’s a smaller block as well. That’s usually what the kids use,” she said. “You can actually start Thursday night, and we have judging Saturday afternoon.” Judges give out prizes in three different age categories, and attendees can vote for people’s choice. Schmitz has seen sculptures that depict everything from angels and dragons to Chewbacca to an old man in a chair searching for a slipper that his dog is chewing on behind his back. Anyone can win big by
guesstimating when a different, heavier sculpture will break through the lake. “We have a big, 500-pound, stainless steel sculpture. It’s kind of the Snowbowl sculpture. It goes out on Ham Lake at the event, and whoever guesses closest to the day and time it falls through the ice wins $500,” Schmitz said, adding the date often ranges from early March to later in April. After the snow melts and the statue breaks through the ice, Ham Lake has a lot to offer. There are county and city parks and the Majestic Oaks Golf Club, among other attractions in the Gateway to the Twin Cities area. “We are just minutes away from the Schwan Super Rink — the big hockey, ice skating and soccer stadium in Blaine. There’s a campground here in Ham Lake that draws a lot of people during that time,” Schmitz said. “...We’re only minutes away from downtown, so you can go to a Twins game or a Wild game and then come to the suburbs to camp or do some stuff in nature.” Ham Lake also hosts events throughout the year, according to Schmitz, but Snowbowl is the biggest and draws a surprisingly large crowd from all over. “We’ve actually had people from as far away as Germany come do snow sculptures,” she said. “It continues to grow each year. Besides having a heated tent and a heated craft tent, we have a bonfire outside and usually have S’mores out there, so it’s a fun even.”
The 500-pound, stainless steel Snowbowl statue ends up on the lake during the festival, and a $500 prize goes to the person who guesses the closest date and time that it will break through the ice weeks later. Photo courtesy of Ham Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
GO IF YOU
Ham Lake
Snowbowl
Where: Ham Lake Park, 1843 153rd Ave. NE, Ham Lake, MN When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 10 Admission: $3 Visit hamlakesnowbowl.org for more information.
Kids and parents will enjoy going for a ride through the snow. Photo courtesy of Ham Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 15
Land of the Freed Ken Freed leads the Mankato Symphony Orchestra to new heights By Robb Murray | Photos by Pat Christman
B
efore Kenneth Freed was the violist for the Minnesota Orchestra, before he held the conductor’s baton for the Mankato Symphony Orchestra, before he’d marry Gwen and raise a family of three, he was Little Kenny Freed, a New York kid who hated practicing his violin just as much as the next kid. But then … it happened. 16 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
He was 12 years old the day he heard the music of an angel. Or so it seemed to a stubborn kid who needed a musical nudge. He needed an angel. Her name was Lisa Bressler. She was from the same city, White Plains, NY. She was a few years older than Freed. And she was playing the famous Boccherini cello concerto. He was transfixed. He stared at this beautiful young woman playing the cello, and the music danced in his ears like a ballet. In that moment, he decided he wanted that. Not Bressler. He wanted that moment. He wanted to be able to command an instrument like a magician, like she did, and make it produce the kind of raw beauty he saw that day. He was ready to practice. He was ready to learn scales. He was ready to put the work in. And that’s what he did. Freed practiced. He buckled down. He realized his talent. In fact, in the adventure that’s been Freed’s life, a thread stretches from Mankato to Minneapolis, to Seattle, back to Minneapolis again, to New York, to a near-death experience busking in London, back to New York again, back to Juilliard Prep School, and back to that fateful day when Lisa Bressler made magic come out of a cello. “Some people like to play out what would have happened,” he said recently, lounging in the lobby of Orchestra Hall. “There’s a part of this that is, you know, right place, right time. The force was with me, and I never wavered.” Freed has been the conductor of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra for about a decade. But Freed admits: even after all this time, a lot of people have no idea what he does for a living or where he came from. Well, come along with us. We’re about to show you.
White Plains, NY Kid
Freed’s parents adopted him at 6 months. At age 5 his parents signed him up for music lessons at the Henry Street Settlement. It was supposed to be for kids 6 and over. It didn’t go well at first. “They put me in a dance class, then a theory class,” Freed said. He struggled. “The teacher said,
Ken Freed rehearses with the Minnesota Orchestra ‘How old are you?’ And I said ‘I’m 5.’ And the teacher said, ‘Is this too hard for you?’ And I said ‘Yes.’” After that, his parents enrolled him in a Suzuki class. Suzuki uses a method of teaching that incorporates character as well as musical improvement. But on his first day, he showed up without a violin. “The teacher said, ‘Where’s his violin?’ and my father said, ‘Where do you even get a violin?’” But things improved for Freed, and he showed an aptitude for music. He played all during elementary and middle school. Then came that fateful day when he watched Lisa Bressler, and he began pushing himself to be good. So good, in fact, that Bressler — having heard Freed play Mozart the following summer — recommended he try Juilliard Prep School, a division of The Juilliard School for kids 8-18 that teaches music classes on Saturdays. He did that, and he progressed, and he even considered attending The Juilliard School. But he had
his heart set on Boston University. Then his parents, who thought his music obsession was fleeting and something more practical such as law school would eventually win out, entered the equation. Freed says they strongly encouraged him to improve his grades so he could get into Harvard or Yale, because they weren’t paying for him to go to BU. Freed objected, saying he didn’t have the grades to get into Harvard or Yale. And his mom said, “Well, you better get them.” And when he eventually matriculated, it was as a Yale Bulldog instead of a Boston University Terrier. Ever one to zig when people expect him to zag, Freed did not major in music. Instead he chose a literature major. Like his inauspicious start in music, Freed recalls his first writing assignment coming back with more red visible than black. But he survived. And he still performed music at Yale, including a stint with the Yale Precision Marching Band. (Says Freed: “The Precision Marching MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 17
With Orchestra Hall empty, the orchestra irons out the rough spots of a Tchaikovsky piece. Band was not very precise.”) He’d later return to Yale for a master’s degree in violin performance. After graduating from Yale, Freed lived in London for a few years. While there, the man who many in Mankato only ever see wearing a tux or playing a viola (or both), spent time busking in the subway. It’s a story, in fact, that Freed says may have helped him get hired in Mankato years later. He worked at an antiquarian bookshop during the day. But at night he’d bring his viola out to the subway to, as he says, “earn some scratch.” London sort of shuts down at about 11 p.m., he says, but angry denizens then roam the streets. We’ll let Ken tell the rest ... “Two kind of skinheads came around. They’re pissed, they’re out of their minds. Soccer hooligans beat people up, right? That’s what they do. So they come up and I’m playing, like, Tchaikovsky concerto or something, and one of them says (Freed breaks into a thick Cockney accent) ‘Can you play Will you Love Me in the Morning?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna die.’ And I said, ‘Can you hum a few bars?’” The skinhead hummed a few bars. 18 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
“So I start playing along, and then I add thirds and I add a bass line and he says, ‘Bloody brilliant! Bloody brilliant!’ And they give me five quid, and they leave and I’m like, ‘(Sigh), I think it’s time to call it a night.” He returned to Yale’s School of Music for a master’s degree, then began looking for work. He took a job in Norfolk, but soon returned to New York. He auditioned several times for the New York Philharmonic, coming dangerously close several times but never getting in. He spent several years with the Manhattan String Quartet, a grueling gig that challenged him as a musician. “But it was hard get by,” he said. “We were playing the most beautiful music on the planet. There’s something very visceral about playing chamber music night after night with the same four people. … It’s a hard way to earn a living. I was hustling the whole time … Talk about incredible artistic experiences. We went to Germany, France, all over America, working with really profoundly good musicians.” During these years, after reconnecting with Gwen Haberstock (a girl he’d met at a summer band camp years earlier) they married, had kids and took a fateful trip to Minnesota for a
family reunion.
From Manhattan to Mankato
Gwen comes from a Minnesota family. And at that reunion — on a boat on Lake Minnetonka in the summer — they realized Minnesota is kind of a swell place. So Ken auditioned for the Minnesota Orchestra and was hired as a violist. Soon after, he decided he’d like to try his hand at conducting, and he began studying the leadership and guidance of current Minnesota Orchestra conductor Osmo Vanska. He also sought training at the Kennedy Center, and took Vanska up on an offer to conduct the orchestra during one of their concerts. And while getting to know the musicians, he ran into a Mankato guy. Peter McGuire, one of the best musicians to ever call Mankato home, told Freed a decade ago about the opening for a conductor in Mankato. Dianne Pope, who had led the Mankato Symphony Orchestra for 26 years, was retiring and the search was on for her replacement. McGuire, who had known Freed since their days playing together in Des Moines, thought Freed’s East Coast vibe might just
be a good fit for the Mankato group. “I thought it could be therapeutic,” he said, joking about the potential clash of Minnesota Nice and Ken Freed forthrightness. Seeing the way he conducted himself at Orchestra Hall, McGuire thought Freed would be a good fit. “He’s been involved with all the committees,” McGuire said. “He’s always done too much, so he always has a comprehensive understanding of what needs to be done.” Freed took the job in 2006, and for 10 years has tried to elevate the music and musicianship. He’s tried to take the things Vanska has taught him — as well as the marketing and engagement efforts that has made the Minnesota Orchestra successful — and put them to work in Mankato. At Orchestra Hall, they’ve had success trying new, innovative ways to bring classical music to new audiences. They’ve scheduled movie events where the orchestra plays the soundtrack instead of the audience hearing the original score (such as with the Harry Potter films.) Back in Mankato, a similar line of thinking can be seen in the recent concerts where the orchestra plays along with rock ‘n roll tribute bands playing the music of Led Zeppelin the first year and Queen the following year. Both shows attracted large crowds. They’ve held events at the Mankato Brewery, the Mankato YMCA, and continued traditional events such as Music on the Hill. They tried a series of jazz and “pops” concerts at the Kato Ballroom that have been discontinued, but still show that the Mankato Symphony Orchestra is willing to try new events to reach new fans.
Locked Out
company called Blizzard Entertainment record music that One thing that wasn’t part of would be used in the popular anyone’s plan was the Minnesota online game World of Warcraft. Orchestra’s 16-month forced Freed, in fact, had relocated his hiatus. The Minnesota Orchestra family to Seattle, convinced his was struggling financially, and time with the Minnesota musicians and management Orchestra had come to an end. failed to come to a labor But when word came that the agreement. Eventually, the sides lockout was over, Freed said it hammered out an agreeable didn’t take him long to make up contract. The musicians returned, his mind. and the orchestra is humming “I made the decision in like 40 along in better financial shape minutes,” he said. “It’s like a now than it was a few years ago. family. Very supportive, very Attendance is up. It’s as popular, compassionate. There’s a culture it seems, as ever. here that’s very different from But still … there was that other orchestras that I’ve played 16-month span when Freed didn’t with.” have a place to go to work Freed hopes he’s been able to everyday. bring some of that to Mankato. Like he’d done in his New York He likes it here, and he feels a days, the days when he was loyalty to Mankato and, especially, the orchestra. During the lockout, the Mankato orchestra Ken Freed Family stepped up financially when Freed was commuting from Seattle, adding to Freed’s compensation to cover travel costs. “What’s been fun about Mankato is building it up, watching it grow artistically,” he said. Personal growth has been substantial as well. A while back, Freed reconnected with Lisa Bressler. She told him she was impressed with how far he’d come. So he told her, for the first time, about the birth of his journey that day as he working toward a position with listened to her perform that the New York Philharmonic, he concerto. resumed subbing in when needed Says Freed, “I said, ‘Lisa, you’re for them. And because he was the reason.’” doing that, Freed had the chance He told her how, prior to that to appear on the hit NBC sitcom day, the man who would “30 Rock.” They needed some eventually go on to Yale, be part string players, and Freed got the of the Grammy-winning call to show up at NBC studios. Minnesota Orchestra and He met Tracy Morgan. There’s a conduct his own orchestra was an picture of the pair on Freed’s aimless young musician who Facebook page. would have “thrown his violin “Tina Fey was there, too. Very into a vat of hot oil” rather than funny episode,” Freed said. practice. He told her he was “Friends in Mankato are like, aimless. He told her it was ‘That’s Ken, he’ll land on his because of her that he is where feet.’” he is today. Also during the lockout, a And she thanked him musician friend summoned him Not little Kenny Freed to Seattle for a freelance gig. anymore. MM Sitting in with the Seattle Orchestra, Freed helped a MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 19
l a n o i t i d a Tr
e v l
Recreating special experiences rekindles romance By James Figy
L
ong conversations late into the night when you know you need to get some sleep, constantly thinking about when you’ll get to be around that special someone next, or when you get that that weightless feeling, like your stomach has turned into a zero-gravity chamber — falling in love has some standard features. For most couples, though, there’s a special something that makes it seem like they’re the first ones to ever experience this phenomenon. Sometimes it’s a meal, a place or an activity. Whatever it is, it becomes special. Years down the road, revisiting it brings back feelings of young love. Three area couples shared the traditions they’ve made that take them back. Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or hopeless at becoming one, their stories offer inspiration for how to surprise your partner. So whether it’s for Valentine’s day or an anniversary, you can recreate a special experience that is sure to transport you both back in time.
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A meal made with love
Alyssa Weller was unsure at first about the situation. A guy she barely knew had invited her over for their first date. If that wasn’t peculiar enough already, he said he would cook, too. She was taking a chance on the dinner, but she knew Josh was a good guy. Their paths crossed when mutual friends asked them to be in their wedding party, and her friend, the bride, spoke highly of him. Weller was glad that he’d asked her out. But why, she needed to know, did he insist on cooking at his place? Because, he admitted, being a college student takes a toll on a person’s wallet. This was August 2009, and she and Josh had both been attending Minnesota State University around that time. So he chose to make stuffed fajita chicken on his own rather than take her out to dinner, but he still wanted to cater to her tastes. “He made me the meal, and it ended up turning out great, surprisingly,” she said. “My friend later told me that he had asked what my favorite meals were and went off of that.” Weller loved the meal so much that when the couple got married in 2014, they decided to serve it at the reception. “That was one of the meals that I said I had to have because it was such a great memory,” she said. “So the caterer recreated it, and it ended up being a hit at our wedding.” Stuffed fajita chicken has become Josh and Alyssa Weller’s go-to special meal. It takes a fair amount of work; otherwise, she’d probably ask him to cook it more often. But when they don’t feel like going out for Valentine’s Day, their anniversary or some other occasion, she always asks him to make it, to remember their first date and all of the special moments since then when they’ve shared the dish. “It brings back that memory that I took a chance, and it ended up being one of the best things that I ever did,” she said. “...And the work that he put behind making sure that first date meal was important just shows his dedication to the ones that he loves.” MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 21
A perfect proposal
Shannon Sinning had two stops planned that night in 1997. If things went well at Bluff Park in North Mankato — if Amy said yes — he and his new fiancée would celebrate at the old Country Pub in Kasota. Once he and his girlfriend arrived at the gazebo in Bluff Park, he walked further, retrieving a stereo he’d stashed in the woods earlier. Sinning walked back and pressed play. As “Luna” by The Smashing Pumpkins flowed through the speakers, he got down on one knee to read a long proposal. Sinning can’t remember now why he chose the park. It must’ve had to do with their love of hiking or with the fact that it was not too far from Gustavus Adolphus College where he was studying. What he remembers is Amy agreeing to marry him and then heading off to dinner. “We went to the Country Pub because that’s where we did all our fancy dates,” he said. “When the waitress came, she brought a dozen roses for Amy, and she brought a Godiva chocolate box I had bought.” Between the proposal and the wedding, Shannon and Amy Sinning moved to California. But they returned to Minnesota to get married and had their reception at the Country Pub. “We moved out to Los Angeles for three years. She went to fashion and design school out there, and I worked at a CPA firm in Beverly Hills for about three years,” he said. “For whatever reason, life kind of changes what you’re doing. She graduated, and we ended up moving back to Mankato.” When Sinning decided to recreate their proposal on Valentine’s Day a few years ago, he knew it would require a few updates. First, he’d have to think about what to do with the kids while they were out for the night. Second, he could play “Luna” on his iPhone now. And third, the Country Pub had closed years earlier, but Chankaska Creek Winery had fortunately sprung up in its exact location and became a new favorite spot for the couple. With everything taken care of, he again took Amy out to Bluff Park, and it felt like they’d stepped straight into 1997. “We went out there on a snowy Valentine’s night, and I re-proposed to her with a different something I wrote,” he said. “Then I surprised her, and we went to Chankaska on Valentine’s Day. That’s kind of been our tradition.” 22 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
A special place
Emily Heinis knew when she moved back to Mankato last year with her husband, Patrick, and their two children that the whole family needed to visit Pub 500. They needed to sit in a specific booth, and they needed to tell, over brunch, why the restaurant is special to them. Emily and Patrick had had their first date in that very booth 13 years earlier. They’d met while she was an undergraduate and he was a graduate student at MSU, and started to click when they were in the same wedding party for mutual friends. At the time of the first date, she lived in St. Peter, and he lived in Burnsville. But because Patrick had Mavericks hockey season tickets, they decided to get together after a game, and Pub 500 was within walking distance. “That’s just where we landed that night when the hockey game let out at 10 p.m. I just met him, and we ended up sitting there for four hours until they kicked us out,” she said. It became a special place, even though they lived elsewhere. When they had their wedding at Minneopa State Park in 2007, they decided to play hooky between the ceremony and the reception, which they knew would keep them too busy to eat. The two of them hopped in the limo and went to get food. “It was funny because we — him in his tux and me in my big wedding dress — walked into Pub 500 on a Friday night, like, ‘Table for two, please,’” she said. Heinis had grown up, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and gotten married all in Mankato. It had been a place of joy. But what brought her back after years living in Rosemount was more somber. When her mother died last year, she and Patrick decided to move into the family home and fix it up, rather than sell it. The renovations require much time and energy each week. Still, it has given the couple a chance to start new traditions here with their kids. Each Sunday, they go to church, eat brunch at Pub 500 and then simply relax. “It’s hard not to have that memory every single time we walk through the door. We could’ve had our first date anywhere and have that same talk-through-the-night experience,” she said, adding that other places they considered back then have closed over the years. “But it was there, and we’re lucky that it’s still there.” MM MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 23
Sierra Sandeen
Lisa Finch
Social media of choice: Instagram
Social media of choice: Instagram
29,000 followers
15,000 followers
Verbatim: 19 || MSU ‘20 || Minnesota • model • i take lots of pics • vsco.com/sierra-sandeen
Verbatim: Modern Mama + Baby Gifts. Hi, I’m Lisa! //Minnesota Maker// I aim to make your ovaries hurt Tag us and use #finchdesigns The etsy shop
Socially speaking... We all use social media, but some of us are better than others By Robb Murray
I
t’s nearly impossible to escape social media. Our phone apps beckon us to check in with rewards of “likes” and “follows.” Family pictures await. And who can resist a good Facebook quiz, or getting into a heated war of words with uncle Bob who insists “Guns don’t kill people!”? Well, some are better at social media than others. Some are funnier than others. Some are savvier, post better pictures, or have just plain figured it out in ways most of us haven’t. Want to get better at social media? Listen to the gurus.
FINCH BY FINCH
Lisa Finch signed up for an Instagram account three years ago for her business selling cuteas-heck items for newborns and their moms. Her online Etsy store is her sole source of income, and if her robust Instagram following of 15,000 is
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any indication, Finch’s store is doing well. She says she got into Instagram — where she posts pictures of her latest creations — before they changed the way users see what they see. Before, the Instagram posts you saw from your followers was based on chronology. The latest posts showed up first. Today, however, Instagram has a new algorithm, and people whose posts get more “likes” are more likely to show up in your feed. That change, which kicked in about a year ago, prompted Finch to get savvier about how she posts, and about what she says in her posts. “What I tend to do is have snappy things in the description,” says Finch, of Mankato. “You’ll want to talk about what’s in the picture, but you can’t use the words ‘sale’ or Instagram will bury it. They want genuine
interaction.” Finch says she’ll ask questions of people, or engage customers with feedback and conversations. She might do an Instagram story (a collection of photos or short videos, often with text across the screen, that can be used to “tell a story”), or even a poll. Anything to engage customers.
WADD’S HAPPENING?
College student Isaac Wadd says he’s just a guy looking to have a good time. “That’s basically it,” he said. “That and just trying to connect with people, people with similar interests.” Wadd has a certain knack with Twitter. He has an accessible brand of humor. Not every tweet is a knee slapper, but he’s just got a way with 140 character (which, actually, is 280 characters now after Twitter’s recent upgrade.) There was this ditty: “I
Isaac Wadd
Jenny Jones
Social media of choice: Twitter
Social media of choice: Twitter
4,200 Followers
12,000 Followers
Verbatim: On a mission to save the whales & the oceans. || snap- isaacboyyyyy
Verbatim: Not only do I play with fire, I dance with it. Hippie soul. Will hug you. Spread the love! Instagram.com/Ladyfiredancer
understand why Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear and shot himself in the middle of an open field like I get it now.” And this: “We all ugly to somebody, don’t trip.” Or this: “Remember when you were 9 and all you wanted was a lava lamp? Good times.” But even Wadd will admit that, sometimes, it’s hard to tell what will go over well. And sometimes the popularity of an account or a tweet can be unpredictable. He says he had one tweet that, in the parlance of social media, “blew up,” “went viral.” He picked up 2,000 of his 4,200 followers almost overnight. The tweet in question merely offered support to an area refugee celebration. “Everybody just saw it,” he said. And afterward, he felt a little more pressure to perform, so to speak. “I felt like I was on stage a little bit. Thought I should be a little more careful in how I use it.”
SIERRA THE GREAT
In the Mankato area, you won’t find many people with as many Instagram followers as Sierra Sandeen. Sandeen (who is the sister of Alyssa Sandeen, recipient of not just one, but two heart transplants) has nearly 30,000. And she’s a little clueless as to why. “I have no idea. I guess I ask myself that, too: Why do they like this one or that one,” she says. “I kind of just post whatever.
And then the more I’m on it, the more I gain followers.” Sandeen, a West High School grad and current MSU student, had a robust following as a junior high student. But she gained thousands more followers when she started doing broadcasts on a social media site called YouNow, which allows users to post short videos. She was able to get many of those followers to migrate to her Instagram account, and it just sort of … grew. And after watching that growth for several years, Sandeen says she’s sort of figured Instagram out. At least a little. “People like the more professional look instead of the phone camera,” says Sandeen, who has had several photos garner “likes” that reach into the 3-4,000 range. Not Kardashian numbers, but not bad for a kid from Mankato.
LADY FIRE DANCER
A stroll through the greatest hits of Jenny Jones’ Twitter feed reveals a few truths. 1) Many of her tweets cannot be published in Mankato Magazine. 2) This woman is funny. Here’s one of the tame-yetpopular ones, which picked up 1,000 likes: Twitter is like a high school lunch room. Full of different people and cliques. Im welcome at all tables cuz I have snack packs and weed. Or this, which picked up 1,500
likes: “It’s not stalking if you’re in love,” she mutters under her breath as she gets settled into the bushes for the night. More than 2,000 Twitter users liked this one: Mary Jane is the only woman you can ever hit. (It’s important to note here that “Mary Jane” is not actually a woman, and “hit” is not referring to physical violence.) “My goal is to hopefully make people laugh,” says Jones, who recently relocated from Mankato to Georgia. “But I really have no idea how I got that many people to follow me. I never did those trains or ‘Follow Fridays.’” One of the things that no doubt helped Jones attract the attention of Twitter users was her Twitter handle, @ladyfiredancer, and some of the photos she used to post. Jones used to be a member of a fire dancing group, the kind that appear at festivals at dusk in exotic outfits and flaming sticks or baubles. A dimly lit fire dancing scene is a striking image. But it’s been the humor that has gotten her noticed by thousands. Those tweets above were not tweeted with images. Just her words. She acknowledges she’s got a lot of followers. Sometimes, she says, she thinks about why so many people care what she has to say. “I feel like that’s a lot of people … But I am pretty funny,” she says, laughing. MM MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 25
Then & Now: The “Great” Presidential headline By: BRYCE O. STENZEL
Mankato’s
presidential places T
he tradition of naming streets, parks and public buildings after prominent American presidents certainly did not begin in Mankato and North Mankato; it was part of a long-standing national trend to recognize and sometimes memorialize the accomplishments of some of this nation’s greatest chief executives. Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays we celebrate in February, were obvious choices. Both have a street, a park and a school named for them in Mankato. It is not clear whether or not Adams Street is named for Presidents John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams (some sources suggest it was named for a
26 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Mankato City councilman), but North Mankato’s “Quincy” Street is derived from the middle name of the 6th president. Jefferson Elementary School in Mankato and Jefferson Street in North Mankato are named for author of the Declaration of Independence and America’s third president, Thomas Jefferson. Mankato’s current, main business thoroughfare on the hilltop is named in honor of James Madison, the “father of the Constitution.” His successor, James Monroe has an elementary school and street named for him in North Mankato. Roosevelt School is named for President Theodore Roosevelt, but not his cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt. John F. Kennedy rated
both an elementary school and a street named for him, as did Herbert Hoover in North Mankato (Hoover actually has two streets: Hoover Drive and Hoover Court). Architecturally, both Kennedy and Hoover Elementary schools are very similar. They were both built in the 1960s, just before Watergate and other political scandals tarnished the once sterling image of the presidency, ushering in the era of distrust and dissatisfaction with the president that exists to the present day. Today, hardly anyone would think of naming a school after Herbert Hoover, whom many historians criticize for not acting quickly enough to stop the ripple effect of the 1929 stock market crash, plunging the United States into the Great Depression. Ironically, his successor, Franklin Roosevelt who led the nation through that Depression was not given any recognition at all; when a new high school was built in Mankato in 1951, it was given the original, but generic name “Mankato High,” later renamed, “Mankato West,” instead of being named for FDR. Wilson Campus School on the MSU campus was named in honor of President Woodrow Wilson. After that school was closed, Wilson became “Wiecking Center”
in 1979. It was re-named for Anna and Emma Wiecking, two sisters who were associated with Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University, Mankato) through a 42-year time-span, as members of the faculty. To date, it’s the only building named for a president and re-named for someone else in the Mankato, North Mankato area. A reversal of the name swap occurred with the renaming of the North Mankato Junior High School to Garfield to match the street that fronts it. North Mankato has a number of other streets named for the presidents, besides those already mentioned: Pierce, Harrison, McKinley, Cleveland, Grant, Tyler and Truman. Interestingly, all four American presidents who were assassinated have streets bearing their names: Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley and Kennedy. There are; however, a few streets in Mankato, not named for a president at all. Contrary to popular assumption, Jackson Street in downtown Mankato was not named for President Andrew Jackson (even though Hickory Street is only a block away!) but rather for co-founder of Mankato, Henry Jackson, who in February of 1852 came to the great bend of the Minnesota River along with
his partner, Parsons King Johnson, to establish a townsite. Parsons Street and Johnson Street were both named for him, rather than being named for either presidents Andrew or Lyndon Johnson. The current trend to name new schools after individuals other than the presidents is a recent one. Dakota Meadows Middle School, Rosa Parks Elementary and Prairie Winds Middle School are all examples. The new naming strategy is reflective of the prevailing philosophy of suggesting different, non-political leaders worthy of emulating. It mirrors the national mood of replacing some of the presidents on U.S. currency like Andrew Jackson with Underground Railroad conductor, Harriet Tubman. In this modern time of political scandal, when the prestige of the presidency is at an all time low, it is worth noting that at one time, in the not too distant past, America’s chief executives were revered. The proof is in all the streets, schools and parks named for them; to do this was considered the highest form of patriotic expression. Nowhere is this more apparent than right here in Mankato and North Mankato.
MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 27
Reflections By Pat Christman
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J
ust when it seems winter has its icy grip on everything, we get a little reprieve. Old Man Winter takes a little bit of a break, somewhat like halftime at a football game. We get a chance to take a breath that doesn’t freeze our lungs. The sun comes out and feels a little warm on our faces. But then the game starts up again. Inevitably the cold renews its grip and everything is frozen solid again. But we are grateful for the break. We’re grateful for the chance to “go to the concession stand” as it were, and go outside without our heaviest coat and feel the sun’s warmth for just a little while. MM
MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 29
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Nicollet County Bank Saints Club Events
February 7 – Jackpot Junction Casino Daytrip February 16 – Valentine’s Day Social with The Neverly Brothers March 8 – “Driving Miss Daisy” @ Ive’s Theater March 29 – “Drinking Habits” @ Daytrippers Dinner Theater Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park – Travel Show!
Join us for a Travel Show April 5th on our upcoming fall tour to the Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park! We will meet at the Legion Club in St. Peter at 2:00 p.m. for a travel show this early September tour! On this tour, we will fly up to Calgary, then motor coach to Glacier National Park, Waterton Lakes Park, Kootenay National Park, and spend three nights in Banff! This trip is filled with spectacular scenery, admissions per itinerary, RT airfare, transfers, baggage handling and tour director. CALL US AT 931-3310 if you would like a full brochure. 220 South Third Street, St. Peter, MN 56082 Phone: (507) 931-3310/Fax: (507) 931-2418 www.nicolletcountybank.com Special Advertising Section • FEBRUARY 2018 • LIVING 55 PLUS • 31
Life is Better with
Submitted by Paige Schuette Marketing Specialist 32 • LIVING 55 PLUS • FEBRUARY 2018 • Special Advertising Section
Elfriede Gildemeister is delivering a nutritious noon meal to Esther Zellmer. The program serves Mankato, North Mankato, Skyline, Le Hillier, and Eagle Lake. There are no age or income requirements.
V
INE Faith in Action believes that aging is not a disease. It is a unique season of life when people can re-define work and retirement; focus on maintaining their health and personal independence; and devote skill and energy helping make life less difficult for others.
VINE’S VOLUNTEER CAREGIVING SERVICES
are geared towards keeping people healthy and comfortable and living in their own homes for as long as it’s safe and reasonable to do so. This past year, 515 adult volunteers, working in concert with VINE’s professional staff, contributed over 37,000 hours and visited the homebound, provided respite care, helped with home chores, delivered meals on wheels, and provided rides and other caregiving assistance to close to 1,600 people. During the past two years, VINE has intentionally increased its services and programs for culturally and racially diverse older adults so they may become more fully engaged and successful in the community. Refugee elders from 19 different countries are assisted through advocacy, socialization, escort, translation, form assistance, service coordination, and the VINE Adult Literacy Center.
THE VINE ADULT RESPITE CENTER
offers fun, friendship, and caring support for aging adults with progressive illnesses and a well-deserved break for family caregivers. VINE’s licensed adult day program provides an affordable alternative to a much costlier move to an assisted living facility. Family members experience time away from their caregiving responsibilities and enjoy peace of mind in knowing that their loved one is safe, supervised, and having a good time with their friends at VINE. A variety of payment options are available including private pay, state waivers, long term care insurance, and V.A. funding for eligible veterans. The respite center is open weekdays from 8 am – 5 pm and transportation is available.
TRUE TRANSIT,
a three-county rural transit system serving residents of Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties was initiated in 2017, at the request of the Minnesota Department of Transportation and local counties. People of all ages now have reliable and affordable transportation so they can work, shop, access medical services, and socialize with peers.
Special Advertising Section • FEBRUARY 2018 • LIVING 55 PLUS • 33
THE VINE ADULT COMMUNITY CENTER (VACC)
has been favorably compared to “a student union for adults in midlife and beyond.” In partnership with Silver and Fit, Silver Sneakers, and other supplemental health incentive programs, VINE offers very affordable and even free fitness memberships that are well utilized by aging adults. A scholarship program guarantees that adults of all income levels can participate. Additionally, VINE hosts thousands of individuals a year who participate in community outreach activities, including support groups, tax assistance services, literacy programs, and evidence-based health classes.
Mkto Magazine – 4.95x2.42 Feb. 2018
“I’m surrounded by love.” Stop in for a tour and learn more about our community. Call us today at (507)344-0059
ASSISTED LIVING | CARE SUITES | RESPITE CARE
Check us out on Facebook!
vistaprairie.org/monarchmeadows
507.344.0059 | 2135 Lor Ray Drive | North Mankato
It’s Time
To Travel!
Panama Canal with Costa Rica & Caribbean......Call for Dates & Availability Arizona Winter Getaway..........................................................March 9 - 22 One Nation - feat. Washington D.C. and New York City...March 26 - April 8 Spring Festival Getaway..........................................................April 14 - 15 April Mystery Tour....................................................................April 25 - 27 Tuscan & Umbrian Countryside Italy......................................... May 5 - 15 Springtime in Branson.....................................................................................................................May 16 - 20 Newfoundland & Labrador Discovery.......................................................................................May 31 - June 11 Antique Tour.....................................................................................................................................June 14 - 16 June Mystery Tour............................................................................................................................June 15 - 17 Canadian Rockies feat. The Rocky Mountaineer..................................June 16 - 28, Sign up soon due to train availability New York City “Fourth of July Celebration”.....................................................July 3 - 8, Small Group limited availability Pacific Northwest Riverboat Adventure..................................................July 7 - 16, Cruise the Columbia & Snake Rivers Exploring Alaska Land Tour...............................................................................................................July 13 - 25 Alaska Cruise Tour...................................................................................................................July 26 - August 8
Southwest Tour & Travel
1500 Travis Road, Marshall, MN 1-800-669-1309 www.swtourandtravel.com • swcmar@starpoint.net
SOUTHWEST COACHES INCORPORATED | TRAVEL SOUTHWEST & GO WITH THE BEST Departures From Mankato, Fairmont, Jackson, Worthington, Willmar, Marshall and Egan, MN 34 • LIVING 55 PLUS • FEBRUARY 2018 • Special Advertising Section
The VINE Adult Community Center offers hundreds of fitness, educational, and creative classes and monthly bus trips to local and outof-town destination. The full-service fitness center is nonintimidating and features state-of-the-art strength training equipment. The exercise equipment is easy to use and reduces stress on your joints. VINE’s 19 x 50 ft., 3.5 – 5 ft. deep, 89-degree heated pool features an “environmentally green” regenarative media filtration system. The pool has an accessibility lift, to allow adults of varying degree of ability to enjoy the pool. The pool is used for exercise classes, swimming, water walking and physical therapy.
The VACC offers comprehensive, elder-centered programming based on the seven dimensions of wellness. Examples include:
• Physical – Group fitness
classes, walking track, exercise machines, warm water exercise pool, trekking
• Intellectual – Book studies, travel forums, lectures on health, politics, cultural learning
Special Advertising Section • FEBRUARY 2018 • LIVING 55 PLUS • 35
• Emotional – Support groups, caregiver coaching, Caring Connection, peer mentors
• Social – Informal visits over
coffee, refugee/diverse elder gatherings, local and out-of-town trips, billiards, ping pong, card games, mahjong, art classes, music, dance, and theater groups
• Spiritual – Interfaith dialogues,
trips to diverse houses of worship, 12-step programs, book studies, yoga
• Occupational – Volunteer
service opportunities, taxpreparation assistance, tutoring, fitness instructors, paid employment
• Environmental – Flower
gardening, recycling classes, smoke-free building, safety classes, Department of Natural Resources classes
There are many opportunities for people to get involved at VINE and the VINE Adult Community Center. If you’d like to volunteer or are in need of assistance call (507) 387-1666 to learn more. People living in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur Counties can arrange a ride with TRUE Transit by calling (800) 560-1575. Call the VINE Adult Community Center at (507) 386-5586 to schedule a tour and join in on the fun and fellowship. Visitvinevolunteers.com to learn more.
36 • LIVING 55 PLUS • FEBRUARY 2018 • Special Advertising Section
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Historic Minneopa Cemetery Non-Profit & Non-Denominational Sitting on the bluffs of the Minnesota River next to Minneopa State Park, Minneopa Cemetery has been serving the needs of this area for more than 150 years. Plots are available both in the old cemetery (east side) and the new cemetery (west side). Visit our website for complete information or call 507-625-1673.
www.MinneopaCemetery.org
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Special Advertising Section • FEBRUARY 2018 • LIVING 55 PLUS • 37
Home Care -
Planning ahead for peace of mind
I
Submitted by Christine Nessler | Freedom Home Care, Owner/Community Outreach
t’s crunch time. Mom had a fall and now she’s being discharged from the hospital. What are we going to do? I’m so busy with work and the kids. My brother lives across the country. Mom’s neighbors are busy with their own lives. Her friends have just as many health problems as she does. Who is going to check in on her? Who is going to help her at home? Who is going to get her to her appointments? Can she even live alone in her home anymore? I’m overwhelmed and can’t manage it all alone. Does this scenario sound familiar? So often we are forced to make rush decisions to keep up with life’s challenges. Although we can’t plan for all crisis, aging is inevitable. Most of us want to live independently in our homes for as long as possible and want the same for our loved ones. Aging in place isn’t a fad, it is a right that people have and it’s achievable with some planning. The Institute on Aging states that of the older adults who were living outside nursing homes or hospitals in 2010, nearly one third (11.3 million) lived alone, and almost half (47 percent) of women over the age of 75 lived alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2012, about half of all adults—117 million people—had one or more chronic health conditions, and one in four adults had two or more chronic health conditions. Considering these statistics, older Americans who want to age in place are likely to need help at some point, especially if they live alone or have a chronic condition such as Diabetes, 38 • LIVING 55 PLUS • FEBRUARY 2018 • Special Advertising Section
Heart Failure or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. So, what do you need to do to plan ahead for help so you or your loved one can age in place? A good place to start is the Minnesota Board on Aging. It has a Live Well at Home screening tool that is very helpful. On their website (mnlivewellathome.org), you can take a seven question quiz to help determine if home care is the right option to help you or your loved one. When it comes to aging in place, home care is a great option. If you’ve determined home care is just the help you need, you might find yourself a bit overwhelmed. The AARP Care Connection breaks down five easy steps to get started when considering home care and addresses many common worries associated with setting up services: • Getting help is okay! Caregiving is hard whether you are a spouse, child, or a neighbor. Ensure a loved one is getting the help you aren’t able to provide on your own. There are a wide range of home care options to support life’s daily activities such as bathing, toileting, grooming, housekeeping, cooking, shopping, medication reminders, transportation, and coordination of appointments to name a few. • Determine what you can afford. In-home care can be customized to your needs. Take time to consider what services you need and how often. Services can range from a few hours a day to full-time, 24-hour care. You should also
think about what family, friends or neighbors can reasonably do to support your loved one. Oftentime home care can work into a team approach with family that is already helping to provide care. Home care is typically private-pay, but many long-term care insurance policies will offer home care as a benefit. Check into what your policy covers. Set a budget that works for you. • Find the best fit. Ask questions when you are looking for the right home care options for you. Home care agencies are often very similar but have different services that make them unique from their competition. Is the home care licensed and bonded? How are the caregivers screened, trained and supervised? How are caregivers matched with their clients and can you meet the caregivers ahead of time? Does home care meet your needs? Can home care partner with additional services such as therapy or hospice? • Ensure continuity of care. Make sure the home care provider can assure you consistent and available caregivers. There may be times when a caregiver is sick or needs a vacation day, so ask to meet replacement caregivers ahead of time. • Stay in the loop. It is to your benefit and the home care agency’s benefit if you are in close contact about your loved ones needs, care and schedule. A communication plan can help to keep all parties well informed. Be clear about boundaries and expectations. This will help create a good working relationship between the client and caregiver. Getting started is as easy as making a call and setting up an in-home assessment. Many home care agencies offer this as a free service and it is a good way for a client and an agency to get to know each other and determine if they will be a good fit. It also gives the agency a chance to assess the client’s situation so they can give the best advice on the level of care needed to fit the client’s needs. Don’t wait until a crisis strikes to make home care a part of your longterm care planning. Take some time to look into your options so you can make informed choices when the time comes for additional help for you or a loved one. Planning ahead will provide you with peace of mind that you are making the right choice for your aging in place needs.
School Sisters of Notre Dame Our Lady of Good Counsel 170 Good Counsel Drive Mankato, MN 56001 Registration: 9:00 am Ceremony & Walk: 10:00 am
Start your team at alz.org/walk Questions? Contact Debbie at deddy@alz.org or 507.289.3950
alz.org/walk
24/7 Helpline 800.272.3900
Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Thanks for Voting Us
#1 in Senior Care Three Years in a Row
Our Staff Make the Difference! • Long-Term and Short-Term Care • Assisted Living • Memory Care • Home Care • Adult Day Services • Durable Medical Equipment • Dining Services/Catering Creating Home. Wherever you decide to live.
718 Mound Ave. Mankato, MN | 507-345-4576 | ecumenpathstoneliving.org Special Advertising Section • FEBRUARY 2018 • LIVING 55 PLUS • 39
It’s Never 2 Late at Pathstone Living! T
MANKATO AREA’S
Three great great travel traveloptions: options: Three
MANKATO AREA’S CHOICE FORCONVENIENT, CONVENIENT, CHOICE FOR AFFORDABLETRAVEL TRAVEL AFFORDABLE Minneapolis Minneapolis
MSP Airport AirportExpress ExpressService Service 11 MSP • Up Up to to66daily dailytrips tripstotoMSP MSPairport airport • • Only $35 one way • Only $35 one way
MSP MSP
22 • • • •
Highway Highway169 169Connection Connection*New* *New* 22 trips daily to Minneapolis trips daily to MinneapolisBus BusDepot Depot Only $5-$15 one way Only $5-$15 one way
33 • • •
Southern SouthernMN MNConnection Connection 33 trips daily trips dailytotoRochester/Mayo Rochester/Mayo Only $8-$15 one way
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1 1 Rochester Rochester /Mayo Clinic /Mayo Clinic
33
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Plus, ask us about our affordable charters
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and low fares today!
Book Now: landtoairexpress.com | 507-625-3977
Book Now: landtoairexpress.com | 507-625-3977
40 • LIVING 55 PLUS • FEBRUARY 2018 • Special Advertising Section
echnology has become such an important part of our daily lives whether it is for education, work or pure entertainment. As we age, the importance of technology doesn’t decrease. In fact, the impact that technology plays in the lives of older people is even more profound. Ecumen Pathstone Living was recently awarded a Margaret A. Cargill grant for their Ecumen Scholars Program, that helped purchase some exciting new technology through a program called “It’s Never Too Late,” or iN2L as it is also known. iN2L was founded in 1999 and is dedicated to helping older adults realize the full benefits of today’s technology. iN2L integrates the hardware, software, media and various components necessary to allow virtually any person with any interest in using a computer— regardless of background, physical or intellectual abilities – to do so with pleasure and engagement and without frustration. The system is built on a picture – based, touch screen interface that allows users to simply “touch” their way to find engaging, educational, spiritual and personalized content. From using email and web cams to connect with family and friends, to enjoying mind-stimulating activities, to improving hand-eye coordination as part of a rehabilitation program, elders with a wide range of physical and cognitive abilities are now able to enjoy this technology using systems adapted just for them. iN2L has been spread throughout Pathstone Living. Our Care Center has a large touch screen system installed in the sitting area. This screen is wonderful for staff to interact and use
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for activities such as trivia and music related events and video. There are two portable screens that are on mobile carts for other areas of Pathstone’s campus. iN2L is widely used in our Memory Care Community. The therapeutic programs that iN2L has to offer has been known to greatly reduce agitation in residents. iN2L gives us the opportunity to reduce the use of psychotropic medications as well. The opportunities that iN2L has to offer are endless. There are extra devices such as helicopter flying simulation equipment and bike pedals for exercise. One can pedal a bike through the simulated Rocky Mountains of Colorado for exercise! Live streaming of spiritual church service is an option with iN2L. Each resident has an option for a personalized file. This makes it possible for family to send private emails or family photos to this resident. Here at Pathstone Living we are always looking for ways to enhance the lives of the residents that live here. iN2L is just one of the ways that we are able to do this.
vinerespitecenter.com
507-354-2716 newulmfurniture.com
16 N. German St. Downtown New Ulm
FREE DELIVERY
VINE’s Adult Respite Center provides caring support for aging adults while caregivers receive a well-deserved break. Monday - Friday: 8 am - 5 pm (507) 387-1666
Downtown Mankato
Special Advertising Section • FEBRUARY 2018 • LIVING 55 PLUS • 41
east SENIOR SERVICES • Appliances • Art, Crafts, Fabrics • Car Care • Chiropractic Care • Dermatology Clinics • Dialysis Center • Education Center • Employment Services • Financial Services • Food and Drink
COME JOIN OUR MALL WALKERS Monday-Friday 7am-8pm Saturday 7am-5pm Sunday 9am-5pm 1 lap around all corridors = 1/2 mile
• Hearing Aid Centers • Home health Services • Insurance Needs • Medical Clinics • Medical Supplies • Mental Health Services • Office Products • Opticians • Pain Clinic • Physical Therapy • Post Office • Prosthetics • Religious Center • Sewing Center • Shopper Services • Travel Center
1400 MADISON AVENUE, MANKATO MN • 507.388.9353
N
othing is quite as Minnesotan as hotdish. We love it. We serve it at holidays. Serve it on Sundays. Eat it for breakfast (especially if the night before contained a few too many brewskies!) It’s hot and thick and full of meat and potatoes. Much like us Minnesotans. This month in Food, Drink & Dine, we give you everything you’ll need to fill out your hotdish schedule (assuming you have a schedule, which you should.) We gather input from folks around the region who were willing to share their favorite recipes. So, if you’ve never had hotdish, this would be a great place to get start. Also, Leigh Pomeroy lets us in on his favorite wines. He says he gets people stopping him on street corners, demanding to know what his favorite wine is. (OK, that was an exaggeration, but the question has been asked a time or two, he says.) And Bert the Beer Man (a name I just came up with) gives us a little history on Summit Brewing Co., one of the original players in the craft beer market.
Enjoy!
southern mn style
— Robb Murray, Associate Editor, Mankato Magazine
food, drink & dine
Hotdish? Uff-da
MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 43
Food
Duh: Tater Tot Hotdish
SOUTHERN MN STYLE
Wow, was this ever the clear winner. Southern Minnesotans love their taters. There were some variations on ingredients, with a one Ms. %ǔ # ǔ Ǖ vegetarian version she enjoys. So we went with averages when choosing a recipe. Here’s a tasty and easy one to try at home.
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef
1 lb package tater tots 2 (10 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (or 3 cans if you want it extra creamy)
Food to get you through February You’re cold and hungry. We can’t help you with the cold. The hungry? We can fix that. By Amanda Dyslin
T
he good news: It usually doesn’t get worse than this, folks. February is the bowel of winter, isn’t it? We’re several months in, and the groundhog is probably about to mock us mercilessly as he runs back inside his hidey-hole to sleep away the rest of this miserable, still-too-dark-most-of-the-day, COLD-as-can-be time of year. (By the way, it was -8 when we wrote these words, so if global warming has you in shorts right now, please just skip down to the recipes because they’re good regardless of the time of year.) So! We really owe it to ourselves in February to immerse ourselves in creature comforts. Go ahead. Watch that favorite guilty-pleasure movie again. Wear your warm pajamas and fuzzy slippers any waking moment Ǖ Ǖ ű ǔ \ % %1ő Ǖ make you feel good and warm inside. In Minnesota, winter comfort eating is synonymous with hotdish. Hearty, creamy, meaty – what’s not to like? We turned to our readers for a very informal poll on their favorite hotdishes and casseroles. Here are some ideas and recipes to get you through the last long leg of winter. 44 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
1 (14 ounce) can sweet corn (substitute or add other vegetables to your liking)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, brown the ground beef (seasoning
Ś Ǖ Ű the grease. Spread the beef in the bottom of a 2 to 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Drain the liquid off the vegetables and spread them over the meat. Using a rubber spatula, spread the cans of soup over the top of the vegetables and meat. Use the soup as is, straight from the can. Do NOT mix it with anything. % the top of that. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Top with your favorite variety of shredded cheese as you serve. Source: Geniuskitchen.com
Easy Ground Beef Casserole with Potatoes Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef
Sliced potatoes (3) and carrots (2) 1 (10 ounce) can of condensed cream of chicken soup (add more for extra creaminess) ½ cup of sour cream Crispy onions and/or shredded cheddar cheese (sprinkled on top)
Directions:
Mom’s Special Recipe ! ǔ #Ǖǔ + Fairmont: “My mom made this for me, and I made it for my kids. … It was our favorite because the meat and potatoes made it hearty in this Minnesota climate, and it reheated nicely for a quick lunch.” We at Mankato Mag loved it because of its simplicity – truly an easy mix-it-up, bake-it-up, eatit-up kind of recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown and drain the ground beef. Mix all ingredients except the crispy onions together in a casserole dish and bake until bubbly (about 45 minutes). Top with crispy onions (and/or shredded cheddar cheese) and bake additional 5 minutes to brown up the topping. %
Ǖ Ǖ ] \ ǔ Matt and Gina Mader of Waterville enjoy a similar hotdish, but with these variations in ingredients: Thinly sliced potatoes, 1 pound hamburger fried with onions, cheddar cheese to taste, 1 can creamed corn, 1 can condensed cream of ǔ
ǔ \ ŀ ű and warms you up,” Matt said.
Not Just for Thanksgiving 1 Ĩ ) + ( Ǖ ǎ Ǖ 1 Ǖ Ǖ Ǖ dish. But Southern Minnesota readers have spoken: Judging by the numerous exclamation points alone, this casserole deserves to be in regular rotation. “Green bean casserole baby! Vegan style now, not so much in the ’70s,” said Jessica Flatequal of Mankato. ŀ% Ǖ Ĩ Ǖ 1 ļ ĨĿ Ǖ $ Ǖ 0
Ĩ who grew up in Ceylon. “By the way, I do eat green beans now without the casserole!”
Ingredients:
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 dash black pepper 4 cups cooked cut green beans 1 1/3 cups French’s French Fried Onions
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions. Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Source: Campbells.com
Casserole… with ketchup?
Rachael Hanel of Madison Lake takes comfort in a classic from her mom’s kitchen. “I’m pretty sure I’m the only Minnesotan who hates tater tot hotdish! My favorite is one my mom always made — ground beef, rice (or pasta), baked beans, salt and lots of ketchup. I love it because it’s easy, it’s delicious and it’s my go-to comfort food because it brings up good memories of growing up.” MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 45
Wine & Beer
wines
By Leigh Pomeroy
Raindrops on roses ... These are a few of my favorite wines
southern mn style
W
hen people recognize me as a wine writer, they often have questions. One of the most frequently asked is: What’s the best wine? Everyone has her or his favorites. If you like sweeter white wines, great. If you like dry red wines, terrific. Wine is subjective, so don’t let anyone tell you what’s good or what’s not, least of all wine critics — especially me. That said, I have my favorites, which at this time are, for reds, Brunello di Montalcino and Barolo from Italy and, for whites, Pouilly-Fuissé and ViréClessé from France. What makes these wines unique is not just the grapes used and the winemaking process, but what the French call terroir. Terroir is the synchronicity of location, soil and climate, and the French have spent centuries perfecting which grapes and clones go best with which terroirs. The Italians have done the same thing, with two great examples being Brunello di Montalcino and Barolo. For Brunello di Montalcino, the area encompasses the hillsides surrounding Montalcino, a small medieval town on a large hill about 50 miles southwest of Florence in Tuscany. The grape is a clone of sangiovese, the same grape that is used in Chianti, but the combination of the clone, climate and soil creates fuller, less acidic, more alcoholic wines with lots of tannin, a component in the skins and stems that helps the wine to age longer. Because Brunellos can be harsh and even bitter from the tannin in their youth, appellation rules require that they are aged longer in wood and bottle before being released. For example, the 2013s are just now coming to the market, while 2011s and 2012s are amply represented. These are wines that often take a decade or longer to mature. Barolos come from the small Barolo region in Piedmont in northwest Italy. They are made from the finicky nebbiolo grape, which seems only to do well in Barolo and the neighboring area of Barbaresco despite experimental plantings elsewhere in the world. Barolo is a very deceiving wine. When poured it can be quite light in color, yet when it gets into the mouth it literally explodes with flavor. Like Brunello di Montalcino, it tends to be high in tannin, so likewise by appellation law it must be aged longer than other reds before release. Most Barolos don’t reach maturity till 10 or 15 years of age, and can go on much longer than that. Needless to say, patience is required. Brunellos and Barolos are pricey and often hard to find, but not as expensive as classified growth Bordeaux, some Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons,
46 •FEBRUARYY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
and many Pinot Noirs from Burgundy (France), California and Oregon. The best values are found among small, lesser known producers. Both Pouilly-Fuissé and Viré-Clessé are made from the chardonnay grape in the Mâcon region of Burgundy. They are named after the villages around which they are grown: Pouilly and Fuissé, Viré and Clessé. While not as full bodied as their sister whites from nearby Meursault, nor as well-known as those from Chablis further north — both also made from chardonnay — they represent an excellent value for the aficionado who prefers a drier, more acidic, more food-friendly version of wine from this noble grape. Here again the best values are found from small, family producers who farm their own vineyards. That said, over the years I have gone through many stages of preference. At one time I loved big, alcoholic Zinfandels, but today find them mostly boring and unbalanced, much like a loud braggart in a bar. Yet there are exceptions. Recently we enjoyed a 2010 Tulocay Napa Valley Zinfandel made from very old vines near Calistoga, the northernmost and warmest appellation in the valley. At 15.8 percent alcohol it is no slouch, yet its fruit intensity and extra aging in oak has yielded a wine of great balance that went superbly with our short ribs. One of the best values in wine today are sparkling wines, including Champagne from France. While some Champagnes, like Dom Perignon, Salon and Louis Roederer Crystal, are budget-busters, there are many less well-known labels from smaller producers that are quite reasonable and nearly as good. But you have to seek them out to find them. Excellent values can also be found in méthode champenoise sparkling wines made in California and Oregon. Méthode champenoise means that the secondary fermentation of the wine occurs in the bottle, not in large tanks as with cheap sparkling wines from California and most Proseccos, a timeconsuming process that yields finer bubbles and more sophisticated flavors. Because méthode champenoise sparkling wines require special handling due to the complicated production method, they should be more expensive than their still (non-sparkling) cousins made from the same grapes: chardonnay and pinot noir. And yet they are often priced lower, which is what makes them excellent values. But don’t listen to me. Go with what your own palate says. The best wine is the one you’re holding in your hand and enjoying right now. Leigh Pomeroy is a Mankato-based writer and wine lover.
Beer
By Bert Mattson
Scaling Summits: Or the peaks of icons and paragons
M
arketing has the capacity to mold public perception. It dawns that promotional campaigns can be so successful that the line itself never lives up to expectations. As hockey season hits critical mass, I’ll use it for an example, specifically my son’s favorite hockey player. He’s a guy who was once underrated. At his peak, he didn’t have to be the boldest player on the ice. There was a flashy star on the roster. He was still a player that everybody wanted, balanced and impactful. While he could dazzle, all-around execution was his specialty. He was what’s called a complete player. Upon the star player’s departure, the front office tried to fill the bill with my boy’s favorite payer. The fan base was eager to buy, but ultimately reality must be reconciled with fan expectations. Conflicting perceptions are called cognitive dissonance, which is the hallmark of the overrated. Which brings me to two titans of Minnesota brewing, Surly and Summit. Surly Brewing Co. took an overt poke at critic’s — leveling the complaint that it’s easier to aspire to a boldly hopped beer than a balanced one — by crafting and christening their Overrated West Coast IPA. Summit, alternatively, for 2017, has been appointed America’s Most Underrated Brewery. The idea is that boldness of flavor has been eclipsed by flawless execution in the public eye. The point isn’t to pit these Minnesota brewing paragons against each other. But to be anointed as such so soon after the departure of Surly’s star head brewer reminds me of my son’s favorite player. It gives me pause. The contenders often seem more
sensitive to absurdly pendulous criticisms than the fan base itself. There’s a saying among athletes that goes something like, “you’re never quite as good or bad as they say.” More power to the contender that can find humor amidst the noisy static of public perception. It causes me to wonder if, like Surly before them, Summit Brewing Company is taking a poke at the critics with the release of their Summit IPA Collection, scheduled to be on shelves now. Joining the steadfast Summit Saga in the case is the strong Summit Imperial IPA (which I’m personally unabashedly excited about), the sessionable Summit Wee IPA, and Summit Experimental Hop IPA — which tinkers with the grain bill as much as the hops. It is satisfying that Summit has simultaneously added to their line-up something called Dakota Soul, a Czech-style Pilsener which, in concert with classical Saaz hops, employs the adaptable Loral variety. The mashbill features Moravian 37 barley sourced in North Dakota. I’ve learned, through following my favorite hockey club through its peaks and valleys, the merits of managing one’s expectations. I don’t doubt that Summit can stand up to their freshly billed star status. That said, as always, I eagerly anticipate the annual February release of Summit Maibock. I sometimes suspect this one is a little underappreciated by the average critic, but I tend to favor a humble, wellrounded, dependable, perennial performer. Game on. Bert Mattson is a chef and writer based in St. Paul. He is the manager of the iconic Mickey’s Diner. bertsbackburner.com
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Drinks
Happy Hour:
By Dave Mcintyre | Special to the Free Press
southern mn style
Wine trends for 2018: Cans, kegs and more
T
his is the time of year when wine writers, exhausted from writing holiday bottle and gift recommendations — and from consuming copious amounts of champagne during our research — slump forward and peer into our navels to predict trends for the coming year. This is half prediction, half wishful thinking. Here’s my take on what we can expect in 2018:
n Packaging: We can expect
more wines in kegs, boxes and cans rather than the traditional bottles. Not that bottles will be tossed away, by any means. The alternatives are a small percentage of the market, but that percentage will continue to grow as better wines become available in these formats. Kegs are ideal for restaurants and by-the-glass programs. They keep wine fresh, avoiding the “When was this bottle opened?” problem. They are ideal for carafes or half carafes, or the three-ounce taste instead of the six-ounce glass. Wineries and 48 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
restaurants have been dancing a delicate Kabuki around supply vs. demand, but as better wines become available in convenient formats, we should be seeing more wine in kegs. Mid-level restaurants should be an ideal market for this format. Casual local restaurants or chains can offer better, fresher by-the-glass options without much additional cost, while offering a sustainable market for wineries with enough wine to offer in kegs. Cans and boxes are for consumers. Box wines still have a negative stigma as being cheap plonk. But if you have a favorite Cotes-du-Rhone you regularly buy as your house red at $12, wouldn’t you like to have a threeliter box of the same wine at $30, which works out to $7.50 per bottle? We need to get over the stigma of box wine. It’s also great for parties, tailgates, beach gatherings and other occasions — as long as the wine is good. Cans also have a convenience advantage. They’re great for picnics, beach or park outings,
or just when you want a little bit of wine but not a whole bottle. They’re also easier on the environment, with less of a carbon footprint than a glass bottle, and easier to recycle or dispose of. And they are casual, which will fit in with the marketing of wine as an everyday tipple, rather than a stuffy drink for the elite.
n Unexpected wines: We know wine regions for certain wines. Argentina for malbec, Oregon for pinot noir and New Zealand for sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. But these three regions also produce exceptional chardonnay. We know Chile for cabernet sauvignon, merlot and perhaps carmenere, but it also produces some great sauvignon blanc and carignan. Australia means shiraz, but Riesling and pinot noir are also exciting. And South Africa is sending us some wonderful old-vine chenin blanc and shiraz. I want to see more of these. As winemaking continues to
improve around the world, we will see great values emerge from unexpected places. Recent years have seen delicious, inexpensive wines from Bulgaria and Turkey. Look for more bargains from Moldova and Armenia.
n Natural wines: These unconventional, minimalist wines are becoming increasingly mainstream; they are arguably as much political statement as viticulture, but they have escaped the bohemian confines of Manhattan and Los Angeles to permeate wine bars in Washington and other cities. We will see more of them on retail shelves and restaurant wine lists as distribution expands beyond the big cities. And oh yes, there will be more petillant — naturel, or pet — nat, wines before this fad fades. These wines are the darlings of millennials, sommeliers and winemakers, and they are tasty. But will consumers continue to accept them as more than a novelty at $20 to $30, when more classic sparkling wines are available?
n Urban wineries:
District Winery in Washington, an offshoot of New York’s Brooklyn Winery. The urban winery concept embodies wine as experience. Wine is not an agricultural product but something to be enjoyed during a wedding, a concert or a night on the town. A winery is not a farm but an event venue. That idea will upset purists. But at least we have our navels. McIntyre blogs at dmwineline. com. On Twitter: @dmwine.
Wineries have moved off the farm and into the city. This started perhaps in 2008 with City Winery in New York City, the brainchild of music impresario Michael Dorf. Though City Winery featured barrels in its dining room, it was more a dining and concert venue than a winery. The concept has since spread to Chicago, Atlanta, Boston and Nashville, Tennessee. A new location is about to open in the Washington. Similar concepts have also spread, including
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That’s Life By Nell Musolf
Calling the Fashion Police T
here’s a cartoon circulating on social media that shows a middle-aged woman holding a gun on her middle-aged husband. The husband is wearing plaid shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, a golf cap and, I believe, argyle socks with sandals. The caption reads: “Remember when we were young and you told me, ‘If I ever dress like that, shoot me’?”
That cartoon used to make me laugh. Lately, not so much. My husband Mark is a wonderful person with many fine qualities … with one glaring exception: he refuses to let me pick out his wardrobe every day. If we’re going someplace unusual, such as a nicer restaurant or a social event, he might cave. But most of the time he insists on dressing himself. “I’m not three years old,” he’ll tell me somewhat huffily when I point out that his shirt doesn’t match his pants and why doesn’t he wear that nice shirt I got him for Father’s Day? “I can dress myself, thank you very much.” Mark’s dressing himself wouldn’t be quite so bad if he didn’t have such a strong
50 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
affection for camouflage anything and everything and his collection of camouflage pants rivals that of an Army surplus stores. Worse, he mixes his camouflage collection, pairing shirts featuring one pattern with pants featuring another. “I bet when we walk down the street no one can see me,” he’ll proudly state on our daily jaunts with our dog. “My woodland camo blocks out my bottom half and my tiger camo takes out the top. It must look like you’re walking by yourself.” Now there’s a thought. I’m not the only one to notice my husband’s unique style. I still cringe when I recall the time we were at a local liquor store (just browsing — not!) and the clerk, after eyeing him suspiciously, asked, “What have we got going on here?” She gestured toward his shirt that didn’t match his pants. “You’ve got one pattern there and another one there. What exactly are you going for?” Good question. Mark, who only wanted to buy a six-pack of beer without having an inquisition from the Fashion Police, opened his mouth but nothing came out while his loyal wife snuck away as if we hadn’t come in together. “We’re buying our beer someplace else next time,” Mark announced when he joined me in the parking lot a few minutes later. “Did you hear that kid? For her information, there’s no such thing as too much camo and you can’t overdo it. Sheesh, young people!” Once upon a time I tried to change Mark from someone who shopped out of an All Camo All the Time catalog to someone who occasionally looked in a mirror. I decided to attempt this change after reading an article once about a man who was such an extreme
clothes horse that he spent upwards of $150,000 a year on his wardrobe. The article went into great detail about his cashmere sweater collection, his many fine watches and his temperature controlled walk-in closet that had more square feet than our house. As I read about his annual shopping sprees to New York my eyes strayed to my own husband, comfortable in his recliner and clad in (of course) camo pants and a T-shirt featuring Elvis on his final concert tour and I wondered what if … but how? I started by squirreling away the majority of his clothes and followed that up with my own shopping spree where I chose several tasteful mainly beige non-camouflage outfits for him. The tasteful beige outfits went into his side of the closet and then there was nothing I could do but wait for him to discover them. I waited. And waited. And waited. But the khakis and polos I’d bought remained wrinkle free on their hangers. I wasn’t sure if he simply hadn’t noticed his new clothes or if he was being just as passive-aggressive as I was. Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer. We were going out to dinner and he emerged from the bedroom in his usual garb. The straw that broke this camel’s back was the camouflage cap he’d added, a touch that made him look like a movie extra on The Dirty Dozen. “I bought you new clothes,” I told him through gritted teeth. “Why don’t you wear them?” Mark smiled his truly engaging smile. “I saw them but they’re all beige. You know I don’t wear beige. It’s so boring. And speaking of clothes, where are all my camo pants? I might need to do some shopping myself this weekend.” He’s right about that: camouflage is never boring. And neither, I have to say, is he.
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ƫƥƘƨƩƲ ƧƬƥƷ By Jean Lundquist
Don’t get fooled by Jerusalem Artichokes Z ã ¼Ê¢Ü ¼«¹ ãÊ ʭãÊÊãʮ 㨠«Ø ¨ÊØÃʃ èãã ʄʈ
L
ike me, are e you looking for something new ew to grow this year? Be sure you know what you’re getting, and what you’re getting into! Gobbling up my most recent crop of Ü ã ¼Ê¢Üʃ ,  ØÊÜÜ Êė ØÜ ¡ÊØ Â ØÊÜÜ Êė ØÜ ¡ÊØ Jerusalem Artichokes kes in most of them. Maybe they’ve always ways been in my catalogs, but for some reason, they caught my eye e this year. They sound like the perfect crop; they hey are described as a low-carb ow-carb potato substitute. They are Ü « ãÊ ¨ ó Ą óÊØ Ü«Â«¼ Ø ÊØ Ü«Â«¼ Ø to potatoes, but with ith a small fraction of the carbs. arbs. They y can be eaten boiled, led, baked baked, d, steamed, or fried d as a potato potatt o substitute, or raw in salads, with ha taste and crispy texture xture like water chestnuts. They are a tuber, r, and look knobby, like ginger root, according to the pictures. I read the very similar descriptions in several publications, and thought, “Wow! I’m in! Sign me up, take my money, and send me my Jerusalem Artichokes.” But somewhere in the farthest reaches of my brain, there was a connection of the words “Jerusalem Artichokes” and “Scam.” Oh my, what I found. In the early and mid-1990s, there was a movement afoot to get farmers to grow Jerusalem Artichokes with many of the same benefits I noted above. This was the hottest commodity to hit the markets in years. Alas, it was not so. Apparently, the purveyors of the hype and the roots were only telling part of the story. The details are not pretty. 52 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
First of all, there was no market for the tubers. None whatsoever. But what I found gets worse. Jerusalem Artichokes are perennials, which sounds great, but is not. If they are not dug up and re-planted in new ÜÊ«¼ʃ 㨠ÜÊ«¼ «Ü ×è« ¹¼ú Õ¼ ã ʈ B ùãʃ the tubers are like horseradish roots. Leave just a minute part of a tiny root in the soil and it will try to take over the world with small but persistent plants ʛ Õ¼ ã ÜÊ«¼ʃ Ø Â Â Øʜʈ Reminds me that one year I agreed to plant horseradish for my brother, provided he promised to dig it all out. He claimed he dug out every root he could find, including a couple of dandelion roots, just because they ¼Êʹ ÜÊ Ü«Â«¼ Øʈ r ăà ¼¼ú ÕÊèØ concrete over the area and built a shed on it to get rid of the horseradish. But that’s not the worst of it.
Jerusalem Artichokes sstore energy not as starch, but as inuli inulin. Not insulin, inulin. Inulin do does not break sto but in down in the stomach, the intestine intestines. The result? Flatulence. I shan’t be b growing any Jerusalem Artichokes A this year, or any year. But I came T THIS CLOSE for 2018. Some other things to pay attention atten to in your garden, so you know what to e expect; If you want all tomatoes to come ripe at the sam same time from a plant, for canning, can freezing, salsa-making, etc., plant salsa-making “determinate” ““d determinate” varieties varieties. You will get a few stragglers that ripe ripen later, but for the most part, they will wi come ripe at about the same time. Make M sure that is not the week you plan on being away on vacation, so also pay attention to the days to ripening as you plant. If you want a longer season of tomatoes, which ripen throughout the summer, plant “Indeterminate” varieties. If you want to can, freeze or make salsa, you may need more than one plant. Also, indeterminate varieties tend to be longer, taller plants, if space is an issue. If you want eggplant all summer long, buy some early and some late seeds/plants. Some will ripen in 50 days, while others take 80 days. Of course, this applies not only to eggplant, but to all other vegetables, as well. à Âú ăà ¼ ôÊØ Ü Ê¡ ô«Ü Ê ¡ÊØ you if you plant sweet corn are these:
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be aware of the varieties you are planting. Some sound so good, but if you plant them close to other types, they won’t turn out as advertised. The letters in parentheses following the ó Ø« ãú Ã Â Ø ʛÜ ʜʃ ʛÜúʜʃ ʛܨȻʜʃ à ʛÜèʜʈ You don’t NEED to know what it all means, but pay attention to the instructions about what types of sweet corn to avoid planting near the type you have chosen to grow. Enjoy your seed catalogs and your cocoa, learn well, and remember to shop locally, too.
Jean Lundquist is a Master Gardener who lives near Good Thunder. gardenchatkato@gmail.com
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MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 53
Your style By Ann Rosenquist Fee
Shapelessness, wine stains, pleather — Goth Mom welcomes February
F
ebruary is a lovey month, and no one loves more than mothers, and no one does maternal love like Goth Mom. ANN: Happy love month. GOTH MOM: Happiness is an invention of Western capitalism and “love” in the month of February vacillates between false attachment and narcissistic predation. And to you as well, Ann! ANN: I assume by now you’ve trained your children to be wary of love. How can we prepare our children to thrive in today’s emotional dystopia? GOTH MOM: The lesson of love I have imparted to my children — all teenagers — is that love is a desperate cry that rips through the embryonic darkness in which we all float, blind and whimpering. In this I have well prepared them for the two most vicious battles of our times: diet and exercise. ANN: Do you allow them to wear clothes with hearts? Red sweaters? GOTH MOM: I cannot get them to wear pants. ANN: And you? What do you enjoy wearing, day-to-day, to remind yourself of the true nature of love? GOTH MOM: I have four looks that summarize the nature of love to me. They are as follows: 1. Soviet Factory Worker. A shapeless black dress with black leggings and unadorned black shoes (with none of what I call the “Three B’s of selfdelusion”: buckles, baubles, and/ 54 • FEBRUARY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
or bows). In this look, one is fit to change a tire, set a child’s broken femur, and cry silently at one’s desk. It is a good everyday look. 2. French Intellectual. A cousin to the Soviet Factory Worker, it adds a white blouse starched stiff, topped with a moth-bitten cardigan. This look is for holidays and other occasions where one might spill red wine down the front of one’s shirt. 3. Bad News Bears Goes to Work. Vintage polyester women’s wear in the drabbest shades of brown, purchased from Ebay and worn un-ironically. Think: high-necked beige blouses, tobacco-stained corduroy vests, wrinkled pleather boots in which some of the pleather has flaked off, revealing a pale synthetic underbelly. Imagine Lilly Tomlin in “9 to 5” coming off a whisky sour bender and you will understand the essence of this look. It is reserved for important meetings. ANN: That’s only three looks.
GOTH MOM: I don’t date publics. I’m married. All true Goths are. ANN: I’m not inviting the public to date you. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to exploit your position. Actually, I don’t think it’s possible for me to do that if I’m not the one in the position? I am confused.
GOTH MOM: I discontinued the fourth look when my last child began puberty. ANN: How about for a special night out?
GOTH MOM: Confusion is a natural state of our human condition, Ann. Our “positions” are social constructs of false dichotomies, pressed upon us by a patriarchy that survives only when we are all in states of war.
GOTH MOM: For evening, I may pin to my breast a drooping red rose crocheted by a widow.
ANN: I enjoy your new hair color. It’s deceptively Scandinavian, and at the same time ironically optimistic.
ANN: What’s your ideal date night?
GOTH MOM: It has been assumed for centuries that Goths descended into Europe from Scandinavia. But most historians today reject this, believing instead that the Goths were a loose band of Germanic tribes who came
GOTH MOM: I barely know you. ANN: I wasn’t asking for myself. I was asking for the public. You’re a public figure.
together solely for the purpose of toppling Rome. Is my hair ironic? Yes. Optimistic? Never. Deceptive? Well, deception would predicate a truth, and what is truth, Ann?
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ANN:A severely narrowed perspective that has little to do with one’s actual experience of life? GOTH MOM: Kierkegaard. ANN: Happy Valentine’s Day, Goth Mom.
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GOTH MOM: Hugs and kisses, Ann!
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Goth Mom is an ancient soul tragically spiraling untethered through time, repeatedly pierced by fate’s cruel and poisoned arrows. She exists on Facebook and Instagram. She has two children and two stepchildren. She is also Stephanie Wilbur Ash, author of the novel The Annie Year, about a married small-town C.P.A. and her affair with a vocational agriculture teacher. She works at Gustavus Adolphus College.
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Ann Rosenquist Fee is executive director of the Arts Center of Saint Peter and a vocalist with The Frye. She blogs at annrosenquistfee.com.
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Coming Attractions: February 2-4, 9-10 Bethany Lutheran College
15-17, 22-24 “Tony and Tina’s
Stephen Graham Jones, 7:30 reading — Centennial Student Union, room 253 — Minnesota State University — Mankato — free — gt.mnsu.edu.
presents: “Oklahoma!” 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. — Bethany Lutheran College — Lee Theater — theatre.blc.edu and 507-344-7314.
Wedding,” An interactive dinner theater, 7 p.m. — Kato Ballroom — 200 Chestnut St. — Mankato — $32.50 per person — www.katoballroom.com.
9 Fifth annual Daddy Daughter
17 Gustavus choir home concert,
8 p.m., 2 p.m. — Gustavus Adolphus College — Anderson Theatre — free — www.gustavus.edu/finearts.
17 Gustavus wind orchestra home concert,
University winter choral concert 3 p.m., 7:30 p.m. — Minnesota State University — Halling Recital Hall — Mankato — $9 general admission, $7 for MSU students and K-12 — www.mnsu.edu/music.
Valentine’s dance 6:30 p.m. — Central Building — 501 E. Elm St. — Waseca — $20 per couple and $8 per additional child — for ages 3-10 — 507-835-5626.
10 Fasching Festival,
1 p.m. — Best Western Plus — 2101 S. Broadway St. — New Ulm — $8 pre-sale or $10 at door — 507-345-7112.
7:30 p.m. — Gustavus Adolphus College — Christ Chapel — St. Peter — free — www.gustavus.edu/finearts.
1:30 p.m. — Gustavus Adolphus College — Bjorlin Recital Hall — free — www.gustavus.edu/ finearts.
18 Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials,
8 p.m. — Hooligans — Madison East Center — Mankato — $18 advance, $20 at door — www.mnsu.edu/music.
23-25 “Cabaret,” 25-26
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University concert bands, 7:30 p.m. —Minnesota State University — Halling Recital Hall — Mankato — $9 general admission, $7 for MSU students and K-12 — www.mnsu.edu/music.
22 REO Speedwagon,
7:30 p.m. — Verizon Wireless Center — 1 Civic Center Plaza — Mankato — $99.50, $67.50, $57.50, $39.50 — www.verizoncentermn.com.
22 Good Thunder Reading Series presents: 10
The Whitesidewalls Valentine Dinner and Dance, 6 p.m. - 1 a.m. — Kato Ballroom — 200 Chestnut St. — Mankato — $37 dinner and dance, $19 dance only or $23 at door — www.katoballroom.com.
15-17, 22-25 Minnesota State
University theatre presents: “Ragtime,” 7:30 p.m. — Minnesota State University — Ted Paul Theatre — $22 — www.mnsu.edu/theatre.
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Faces & Places: Photos By SPX Sports
DIAMOND DASH 1. Participants ran through Sibley Park brightened by the Kiwanis Holiday Lights. 2. This group used accessories to stand out in the dark while they ran the race. 3. The Beyer family posed for a photo before they lined up for the event. 4. (From left) Jason, Lisa and Anna Hammond dressed for the occasion of running in the Exclusively Diamond Dash around the Kiwanis Holiday Lights. 5. (From left) Lauren Gehrke and Chole Miller took advantage of the photo booth after they got their faces painted. 6. (From left) Jeff and Phoebe Bjork enjoy a complimentary cup of hot chocolate after the race.
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MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 57
Faces & Places: Photos By SPX Sports
MAKING GINGERBREAD HOUSES AT SMN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM 1. Many people made an appearance to make gingerbread houses at the Southern Minnesota Children’s Museum. 2. Markus Wingert was all smiles making his gingerbread house. 3. (From left) Joshua Bamidele, an MSU engineering student, assists Ryker Rehm in constructing his gingerbread house. 4. Brody Warmka enjoyed eating the decorations as much as he did using them. 5. Margo and her mom, Christine Nessler, show off her creative gingerbread house with flare.
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Faces & Places: Photos By SPX Sports
BELLS ON BELGRADE
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1. Aubrey and her mom Meghan Bach take a short tour through one of the North Mankato Fire Department’s fire trucks. 2. The St. James Trolley arranged horse-drawn rides for families to enjoy. 3. These MSU students created a tree raffle as part of an assignment for their business management class. 4. Hanna Cesario cantillated listeners while they warmed up in the ONATAH eco-Salon. 5. Christmas carolers on Belgrade Avenue in North Mankato during Bells on Belgrade.
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MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 59
From this Valley By Pete Steiner
1968
“This is the End, beautiful Friend… of everything that stands, the End…” — The Doors
I
f one were ever to believe the Apocalypse was at hand, 1968 was your year. Even if you lived through it, merely recounting the cascade of shattering events … well, let’s just say, even a Tom Clancy novel would have been challenged to conjure a year like that. A year many of us feared we might not survive, at least with the life and the country we had known. 1968 began with the Tet offensive into South Vietnam, raising serious doubts about U.S. military progress there. Insurgent Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy, the Bernie Sanders of that era, made ending the war priority number one. His success in the early primaries led mighty Lyndon Johnson to the stunning announcement at the end of a speech on March 31 that he would NOT run again. Four days after that, civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr, was assassinated in Memphis. Violence erupted in dozens of cities across America. Two months after that, the Democrats’ great white hope, Bobby Kennedy, was assassinated in Los Angeles. In August, blood flowed at the Democrats’ convention in Chicago when police attacked student protesters. In the fall, two black American Olympic sprint champions raised their fists in defiance on the medal stand (the 1968 equivalent of “taking a knee”) in Mexico City as the Star Spangled Banner was played. Bras and hair curlers, labeled instruments of torture, were tossed in a garbage can at a feminist protest of the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. With fear and uncertainty rampant across the land, in November, Americans elected Richard Nixon as President.
Many luminaries will be reflecting on 1968 throughout this 50th anniversary year. It belongs in the company of 1776, 1861, 1917, 1929, and 1941. The Blue Earth County Historical Society is currently hosting a landmark exhibit about that astounding year. Anyone who thinks history is boring or that the past does not matter needs to spend an hour taking in this exhibit originally curated by the Minnesota Historical Society. Nine of the 20 Blue Earth County military members killed in Vietnam died in 1968 alone. Music of the era included the Beatles singing “Say you want a revolution,” Jimi Hendrix’ version of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and Kenny Rogers and the First Edition singing, “Just Woke up to see What Condition my Condition was in” — a reference to drugs, or to the general disorder of the age? And just to prove the present era has no lock on insignificant pop, the Ohio Express released one of the silliest songs of all time, “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy.” A poster for the Draft Resistance declared, “Girls say Yes to boys who say No.” I was just a naïve college kid. Good student, but one who did not yet understand much about how the world works. With the draft closing in, 1968 scared the hell out of me. Sandwiched between the “Summer of Love” (San Francisco 1967) and Woodstock in 1969, it was 1968 that eventually made me believe the Age of Aquarius, lauded in the 1968 Broadway smash, “Hair,” was just a delusion. I began to wonder if I really wanted to “grow up.” It seemed adults had mismanaged things so awfully.
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Upheaval had been building through the ‘60s. “The Pill” had ignited the sexual revolution. Freedom Riders and President Johnson’s landmark voting rights legislation had supercharged the battle for civil rights across the South. The War and the draft loomed over everything. 1968 brewed the perfect storm. Disorder was not unique to the U.S. In Paris, there were student riots and a general strike. Following the heady democratic stirrings of the “Prague spring” in Czechoslovakia, Soviet tanks rumbled in to crush the uprising that August. ••• 60 •FEBRUARYY 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Fifty years goes by so fast. Yes, the days can seem long. But years fly by. My parents lived through the Great Depression and World War II. Tom Brokaw called theirs “the greatest generation.” A number of less flattering adjectives have been attached to my Boomer generation, although we’re still waiting for something definitive. The main lesson for me from 1968? We muddled through! Today, we’re again living in turbulent, uncertain times. Here’s hoping that in 2068, our grandchildren will be able to look back and say of 2018, Hey, we muddled through!
Peter Steiner is host of “Talk of the Town” weekdays at 1:05 p.m. on KTOE.
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MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018 • 61
Speaking of Health:
Reduce Stress
Mayo Clinic Health System is proud to support health and wellness in our community.
Even though a small amount of stress can be good for you, multiple daily challenges can take a toll on your physical and emotional health. Stress can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. To reduce stress, make time for physical activity, connect with others and try new things. Making simple changes to help reduce stress can boost your mood, improve your immune system and help prevent long-term diseases.
Preventive health care testing can help you identify and manage stress.
Stress can affect your overall health, including your heart, without you even realizing it. If you’re unsure if stress is the cause of a lingering health concern, speak with your health care provider. — Benjamin Wong, M.D., Cardiology, Mayo Clinic Health System
Upcoming health events for the whole family Love Your Heart: Community Heart Health Event. Saturday, Feb. 3, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at River Hills Mall, Mankato. This free event, sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health System, will have heart-smart tips and activities for the whole family. Baby and Kids Expo. Saturday, Feb. 17, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Verizon Event Center, Mankato. This free event will feature health and wellness tips from Mayo Clinic Health System. Winter Wellness at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota. Join Mayo Clinic Health System at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota on Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. for winter wellness tips just for kids.
For more information, visit mayoclinichealthsystem.org and click on “Classes and Events”.
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