Mankato mag mar18 by Free Press Media

THE ANNUAL PHOTO ISSUE!

PHOTOS by OUR READERS (including this kid right here)

SCOOOOORE!

Mr. Hockey Don Westphal St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day

IRISH BREAD

Take a road trip to

LEINIE LODGE

Emmett Blakesley, age 3 MARCH 2018

The Free Press MEDIA

$2.95

THE ALL-NEW

2018 EQUINOX

Everything you need, to do everything you want

1-800-225-9754

1815 Madison Ave. Mankato

507-625-5641

www.mankatomotors.com

Speaking of Health:

Stay motivated

Mayo Clinic Health System is proud to support health and wellness in our community.

Health and wellness goals are motivated by many reasons — a previous health challenge, personal objectives or simply wanting to be a positive role model for your kids and family. Focus on the meaning behind your health goals, and refine them as you go. Whether you’re working toward getting more active, making healthier choices or deciding to seek care for a nagging health concern, continue to look for small opportunities that can lead to big changes.

Health goals shouldn’t feel like a chore. Guilt or pressure around wellness could be counter-productive, so be sure to set goals that play to your strengths and appeal to you. — Graham King, M.D., Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic Health System

Stay on track Set a goal.

Seek support.

Learn more.

Sign up for the Girls on the Run 5K on Saturday, April 21 in North Mankato, or register now for one of the many events during the Mankato Marathon this fall.

Local support groups provide preventive and ongoing care for patients and their families. Topics include breast-feeding, stroke, grief and more.

To receive the latest fitness and nutrition tips, education opportunities and expert advice via email, text MCHSHEALTH to 22828. (Message and data rates may apply)

For more information, visit mayoclinichealthsystem.org and click on “Classes and Events”.

mayoclinichealthsystem.org

RENOWNED AND RENEWED: RTJ TURNS 25

Acclaimed as one of the world's great golf destinations, Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail invites you to celebrate its 25th year by offering fantastic deals. Unlimited golf packages are easy on your wallet. All of the original RTJ Golf Trail sites have been renovated and are ready for your arrival. Celebrate our silver anniversary while saving some silver yourself.

» Plan your visit to the RTJ Golf Trail by calling 1.800.949.4444 or visiting rtjgolf.com.

2 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

facebook.com/rtjgolf

twitter.com/rtjgolf «

F EATUR ES MARCH 2018 Volume 13, Issue 3

David Miller

George Dobler

Shutterbug symphony!

Dianne Roelofs

If it’s March, then it’s time for Mankato Magazine’s annual photo issue. We say this every year, but it’s true: It’s our best photo issue yet!

Sam Csizmadia

Christine Schultz

Missy Manderfeld

ABOUT THE COVER Each year, the cover of our March issue features a photo submitted by a reader. This year’s cover photo was shot by Nancy Runge. MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 3

DEPARTMENTS 6 From the Editor 8 This Day in History 9 The Gallery

Erin Dorney

10 Beyond the Margin Observations on camaraderie 12 Familiar Faces Don Westphal 38 Day Trip Destinations

The Leinie Lodge, Chippewa Falls

40 Then & Now The evolution of Mankato 43 Food, Drink & Dine 44 Food

Irish soda bread

46 Wine

What’s with all the blends?

47 Beer Tips to toast the thaw 48 Happy Hour Best bitters

50 That’s Life Adventures in cooking

52 Garden Chat It’s seed time again 54 Your Style Accessories for the springtime

seasonally affected

56 Coming Attractions 58 Faces & Places 64 From This Valley 20 years since the twister

44 4 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Coming in April

Mankato is full of nonprofits. We’ll introduce you to a few aimed at serving youth.

s U r o f te

e d i c e d You wins! who

VOTING BEGINS APRIL 1ST

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 5

ƪƘƳƱ ƷƬƩ ƥƶƶƳƧƭƥƷƩ ƩƨƭƷƳƘ By Robb Murray MARCH 2018 • VOLUME 13, ISSUE 3 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 Joan Streit SALES Jordan Greer-Friesz 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 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Great shots B

efore I wanted to be a writer, before I ever came to Mankato, before I even started high school … I wanted to be a sports photographer. I loved sports. Every minute of my spare time as a kid was spent at a hockey rink, baseball diamond or at the playground with buddies looking for pickup games. At home, we watched the North Stars, Twins, Vikings and Gophers whenever we could. For a big chunk of my youth, sports were everything. But while some of my friends fancied thoughts ughts of playing college hockey y or baseball, I was, well, blessed sed with a realistic view w of my prospects. s. Having little actual talent and lacking any physical prowess, I knew as early as junior high school that iff I was going to keep sports in my life I was going to need a different path than superstar goal scorer. My uncle was a hobby photographer and gave me his

ǔ \ $ ű 0 / ǔ \ ǔ ű ǔ in, how to get it out, and how the various settings worked. It opened up a whole new world to me. So while I still loved playing the games, I’d usually try to duck out for a few minutes during touch football and try my hand at reproducing the kinds of photos I marveled at in the St. Paul Pioneer Press every morning. My photos were, well … terrible. But I didn’t care. I knew I’d get better and one day I’d be able to parlay that love of sports and photography into a career. Ten years later, my interest in writing eclipsed my interest

i n p h o t o g r a p h y (w h i c h i s why you’re reading my work instead of looking at it.) I make my living today with words instead of pictures. But I still love photography. A lot. I never studied it much, but I believe there’s a certain kind of power and magic a good photo can muster that words simply cannot. The annual photo issue of Mankato Magazine is one of my favorites. It’s also a reader favorite. We can’t all be professional photographers, but we can all try. And sometimes, even the le least skilled photogr photographer can Ű Ű ǔ Ǖ interesting. interesti We h a d , b y f a r, t h e m o s t submissions sub ever for our photo issue. And while we say this t every year, it’s true every year: year a : This year’s submissions were the best yet. So we want to thank everyone who submitted, and encourage you all to save up those great pics for next year’s photo issue! Elsewhere in this issue, our Familiar Faces feature introduces you to the TV voice of the Minnesota State University men’s hockey team, Don Westphal. Big Don, as he’s sometimes known, has been a broadcaster for years and has seen just about everything when it comes to hockey. And our Day Trip Destinations piece is one beer fans will love: 1 Ǖ Ǖ Ǖ Ǖ

Ǖ ( Ǖ ! Ĩ 3Ǖ \ Robb Murray is associate editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at 344-6386 or rmurray@ mankatofreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @freepressRobb.

Working for YOUR best interest! #DebbieOGetsItDone!

507-382-4558 Debbie Ogren - Realtor®

debbie@mankatorealestate.com

Four Time National Award Winners 20765 Foley Rd., Mankato, MN | 507.387.2434 | 507.726.2411

5HDG XV RQOLQH

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 7

This Day in history By Jean Lundquist

Thursday, March 7, 1929 Anti Horse Thief Society holds meeting The annual meeting of the Waseca County Anti Horse Thief Society was held at Creamery Hall Saturday afternoon. It was decided to have another picnic this summer. New members were voted in. Red Bettner Sr., now in his 87th year, was the oldest member present at the meeting. Upon request, he told the story of a near hanging on the San Galli place just south of Waseca in the early 1870s. A man by the name of Rogers who came from Waterville was suspected of stealing a horse. An excited group of men got hold of him and threatened to hang him. They went so far as to place a rope around the man’s neck, when Mr. Bettner and Louis Klessig appeared on the scene and stopped the proceedings. Finally, Mr. Bettner convinced them there was serious doubt about Rogers being the guilty man, and he was finally given his freedom.

Children’s Books, Coffee Table Books, Brochures, Annual Reports, Catalogs, Magazines, Posters, Yearbooks, and MORE!

Corporate Graphics Your Printing Solutions Company

1750 Northway Drive North Mankato, MN 56003

800-729-7575 www.corpgraph.com

Wednesday, March 24, 1937 Spring blizzard sweeps south state Highways in section are all closed Sleet and a blustering March blizzard, conceded to be the worst in recent years in southern Minnesota, forced Easter Day vacationists to abandon travel plans today as roads became impassable in many areas. Although train service continued close to schedule, roads in some sections were blocked, and roads in most of Blue Earth County were impassable. Highways in most of south state were blocked, or they might as well be. A.H. Merrill, district engineer, reported this noon Highway 169 into the twin cities was deep in snow and slippery. A Greyhound bus leaving here for the Twin Cities at 10:45 this morning returned after bucking drifts and the driving snow for an hour to reach the Rainbow Club a half mile from the city limits. Bus service was discontinued. Mail route drivers leaving here this morning turned back before reaching the end of their lines. The Wells mail car went as far as Good Thunder, and the Waterville car turned back at Madison Lake. Mankato mail carriers were unable to complete their deliveries because of the storm. Thursday, March 9, 1972 UFO Hoax Fools Some A fleet of unidentified flying objects, UFOs, landed near St. Cloud, radio station KGMA told its Mankato State College audience early this morning. Four listeners actually took off to see the sight for themselves. But it turned out to be a stunt that the radio station pulled as part of an advertising gimmick. At least a portion of its audience proved gullible, however, resulting in calls to other local radio stations and to the police department, which this morning was refusing to acknowledge it received. Completely student operated, the station is planning to professionalize itself and go commercial after the Easter break in April. In order to sell air time to business firms, the station needed to establish how large its audience was, and to make itself better known. The station reported the UFOs were generating a great amount of heat, and that the governor’s office had been notified of the landing, the matter being under advisement. The station, which is carried only throughout Mankato State College dormitories, began independent operations last fall. It’s on the air 24 hours a day, manned by about 90 students. Friday, March 12, 1965 Between us, by Franklin Rogers The Mayor of Le Center says we put out “a newsy daily,” but he thinks we ought to update our maps. He found a map in our recent Size-Up edition which had a map of the southern Minnesota area. Among the places it identified was Le Sueur Center. His town, he says, hasn’t been called by that name since 1931. Incidentally, Le Center will observe its 75th anniversary this year.

The Gallery: Erin Dorney Story by Leticia Gonzales

Art by omission Erasure poet Erin Dorney says the unusual form helps her discover ideas

hether it’s from a celebrity i n t e r v i ew, a s t a t e p a rk brochure, television screenplay or even a textbook, Erin Dorney, a writer and marketing consultant from Mankato has been extracting poetry from existing texts for the past three years. Erasure, as the genre is called, is “a form of found poetry where words are taken away from an existing text.” “This is my current and preferred medium, one that allows me to explore and repurpose language to create new meaning,” said Dorney, who starts the writing process by removing words from the text she selects, which leaves the remaining words she uses to create a poem. “I discover ideas I never would have thought to look for,” expressed Dorney. “These narrative strings are often emotional, and reveal poetry in texts that aren’t inherently poetic. This process of discovery — working within the rigid boundaries of only a certain suite of available words — has pushed my craft forward and inspired me to experiment in my work.” “I think one trend that goes through a lot of my work is the natural world,” shared Dorney. The majority of her poems are sourced from ornithology textbooks, small game hunting manuals, rock and mineral books, as well as flower and seashell guides. “I like to use scientific texts and play on the combination of poetry and science, since many people view those are on opposite ends of the spectrum,” she added. “When you can make poetry from a booklet of high school science experiments, I think that reveals something important about the nature of words.” The end results often resemble traditional poems, but Dorney said she has recently been including some

Erin Dorney’s latest book is called “I Am Not Famous Anymore,” and features poems inspired by Shia LaBeouf. Her unique genre of poetry is called “erasure,” and consists of eliminating words in existing texts to form thoughtful verse. (The photo of Dorney above was taken by Michelle Johnsen.)

visuals as a side piece to her erasures. With the help of a grant from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council (PLRAC), Dorney spent a week in Minneapolis to complete a self-directed writing residency, where she wrote about the exhibits at the Walker Art Center. D o r n e y, wh o l e a d s m o n t h l y ekphrastic writing workshops at the Arts Center of St. Peter, created a zine or how-to-guide on the writing process for others who are interested in trying ekphrastic writing. The zine can be downloaded for free on her website at www.erindorney.com/zines. Her first book, “I am Not Famous Anymore,” will also debut this spring, featuring a collection of erasure poetry that she sourced from various media interviews with Shia LaBeouf. From an installation in the Mankato Masonic Temple elevator that included more than 300 blackout poems, to decorating an empty storefront window in West Downtown Minneapolis with four large-scale erasure poems, Dorney is constantly looking for creative avenues to showcase her work. This past fall she entered her first juried show at the PLRAC Annual Juried Exhibition, where she received a certificate of merit for one of her shadow box erasure poems. This year Dorney would like to focus on bringing her poetry to a wider audience. “People who would never pick up a book of poems might stop to linger if they saw a giant poem on the side of a building, for example,” she said. “I want to explore that sort of thing—taking poetry off of the page and exposing it to people who think they don’t “get” poetry. They can totally get it. I think they just haven’t come across the right poem yet.”

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 9

ƦƩƼƳƲƨ ƷƬƩ ƱƥƘƫƭƲ By Joe Spear

Observations on camaraderie T

here’s an indisputable fact many people around the country who attended the Super Bowl have now come to understand. Minnesota is cold. We now have a Super Bowl record wo r t h m e n t i o n i n g . We h o s t e d the coldest Super Bowl ever. The temperature on Feb. 4 game time was about 3 degrees. No other Super Bowl host city even comes close. Cherish the win. They don’t come often. The state’s people have evolved and survived by developing a number of coping mechanisms for a lengthy and cold winter. Coping mechanisms tend to rise to the degree of intensity of the things they aim to cure. So 30 below weather requires a potent salve. Observers often point to Minnesota mindset of the classic passiveaggressive behavior as a coping mechanism. But that is more a symptom than a salve. Yet, many Minnesotans use it, sadly, to confront the torture a Minnesota winter can inflict. Remember the so called ʭÕÊ¼ Ø óÊØã ùʮ Ê¡ ȻȹȺȽ ã¨ ã «ÃĄ« ã Ⱦȼ nights of below zero temperatures on Minnesotans? Mother Nature extracted a brutality on us. And we continue to ask what we did to deserve this. Minnesotans think about things like this — how we are somehow guilty for the weather. As we feel guilty about the weather, another winter malady sets in: cabin fever. The symptoms of cabin fever manifest themselves in many ways. We get into unnecessary political arguments with friends of different political orientations. After such 10 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

arguments, we admit we enjoy these ¡Ø« Ã Ü ÜÕ«ã ÊèØ «ė Ø Ã Üʈ BÊãʈ But there are other, healthier coping mechanisms. Camaraderie for example. You don’t have to look far for examples of healing power of camaraderie. For years, a group of mostly male patrons has gathered to play “Buzztime Trivia” at Buffalo Wild Wings bar in Mankato. SLY, BIG DOG, SRTBUS, MILO, SKIP, FARMER, HOMESY, VAMP, KCC and JFS play trivia for fun or to keep their minds sharp or, most importantly, to pace their drinking. A few members of the group have passed on and are appropriately memorialized with a plaque behind the bar. The Buzztimers share answers so they can compete against the nation of bar patrons out there for a “bar score.” They collaborate with no expectation of benefit to themselves. It may be one of the last vestiges of team spirit in America that involves perfect strangers. Just think what our society would be like without these “third places” as social scientists call them. We’d be even more divided, if that’s possible. And women don’t see the Buzztime group as strictly a men’s club. MADDOG and JAWS also participate and take their share of wins. Camaraderie helps us rise to ã¨ ÂÊØ ÜÊÕ¨«Üã« ã Ê¡ ã¨ ȺȾ psychological defense mechanisms we use to protect us from unpleasant thoughts such as a Minnesota winter. These defense mechanisms are concisely detailed by Dr. John Grohol at Psychcentral.com. Defense mechanisms are described as “how

people distance themselves from a full awareness of unpleasant thoughts, feelings and behaviors.” We’ll just make “winter” a substitute for the word “unpleasant.” The defense mechanisms move from the primitive “denial” to a more sophisticated and healthy “compensation” and “assertiveness,” according to Dr. John. The passive-aggressive Minnesotan would likely use “projection” to blame others for their feelings and “reaction formation,” to create an opposite action to the emotion they are feeling. Both unhealthy responses, according to Dr. John. Projection, according to Dr. John is when “a spouse may be angry at their

Ü«¢Ã«ă Ãã Êã¨ Ø ¡ÊØ ÃÊã ¼«Üã Ã«Ã¢ʃ ô¨ Ã «Ã ¡ ã «ã «Ü ã¨ Ã¢Øú spouse who does not listen.” People who “project” often lack insight into their own motivations and feelings. On the other hand, compensation is a healthier defense mechanism than denial. It’s accepting of one set of circumstances while “looking at the bright side.” So using compensation we say: “Well yes, it’s 30 below, but the wind isn’t that bad.” a¨ ã Ã ¼úÜ«Ü Â ú «ã Ê¡ ÜãØ ã ¨ʃ èã «ã ăãÜ Ã ã¼ú into one of the elements required for this column: an odd academic research topic that is seemingly related, if only distantly, to the subject at hand. So what makes March special about camaraderie? The height of the high school hockey season, of course. The ¢«ÃÃ«Ã¢ Ê¡ ¢Ê¼¡ Ü ÜÊÃ ʛãôÊ ú ØÜ ¢Ê «ã ô Ü A Ø ¨ ȺȾʜʃ and the weather warms a bit to make the smoking patios tolerable.

So we embrace camaraderie and aim for safe and warm places in the Minnesota winter. Let’s be sophisticated about our defense mechanisms. Camaraderie isn’t so much about comparing the depth of our troubles. It’s more about celebrating the heights of our fun. Be well guys and girls. And be together.

Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382. Follow on Twitter @jfspear. MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 11

Familiar Faces: Don Westphal By Amanda Dyslin

Mavericks biggest fan is also play-by-play announcer I

f you passed him on the street, you might not recognize Don Westphal unless you knew him personally. But if you heard his voice? “SCORE!!!” might immediately jump to mind. Westphal is the big, booming voice behind the televised Maverick men’s hockey games. He’s the guy who gets to announce the good news every time the Mavs score, and he’s also the guy you may not realize is working pretty hard to fill the air when not much is going on during the game. And believe it or not, the play-by-play announcing is just a hobby, or a passion, as he might say. Having opted out of a full-time career in broadcasting, Westphal’s day job is as Bethany Lutheran College’s director of athletics. He’s been at Bethany since 1993, working as an admissions counselor, director of public relations and sports information, dean of admissions, and finally director of athletics since 2013. Before Bethany, he was a TV broadcaster for Northwest Community Television (now Cable 12) in Brooklyn Park. He worked in the media in college, too. As a senior at the University of Minnesota, he was the editor of “Bob Lurtsema’s Viking Update,” and he still writes for the website on occasion. He also dabbled in radio broadcasting for Minnesota Gopher football, men’s hockey, men’s basketball and baseball at WMMR. Yes, his love of sports came on at a young age, so it’s no surprise his announcing hobby is still so much fun for him. Here’s more from Westphal about his career.

Mankato Magazine: Do you remember when your love of sports began? Any memories from your youth that stand out to you? Don Westphal: I cannot remember when I didn’t love sports (sorry for the poor English as a journalism major). I was that annoying kid in the bleachers at the St. Clair High School events who kept talking to himself during games describing plays. With three brothers growing up on a farm outside of St. Clair, we were always playing ball with the 12 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

neighbors and my cousins from Nicollet. Growing up, I loved watching the Minnesota State High School basketball tournaments, especially when the local teams made it. I was always watching the Vikings, Twins, North Stars and Gophers. Personal memories like attending my first Twins game (lost to Cleveland 3-0 on a Buddy Bell 3-run shot when I was in the bathroom) and first North Star game (beat Detroit 3-0). St. Clair didn’t have lights for football games when I was in elementary, so getting out of school at 1 p.m. on Fridays was a big deal. Of course, watching the Vikings in the 1970s was fantastic; not so much the Super Bowls, though. MM: You initially got into broadcasting at St. Clair High School for football games. What did you learn from those early experiences, and what about it made you want to keep doing it all these years? DW: Lesson 1 – you have to memorize the players’ names and numbers by heart because you don’t have time during the action to look at the roster. Lesson 2 – you have to be fairly good at stats and numbers because you don’t have spotters or statisticians. You have to do them yourself. Lesson 3 – when the red light goes on, you have to start talking and you can’t stop, so you have to be fairly quick on your feet in terms of banter – especially in a sport like football where a play might last five seconds and you have to

Name:

Don Westphal City of residence: North Mankato Education: A.A. from Bethany Lutheran College in 1987; B.A. from University of Minnesota-1990; M.A. from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 1998. Job title: Director of Athletics at Bethany Lutheran College Family: Wife, Beth (25 years this October); and son, Eric, and daughter, Megan (both at Bethany).

fill 30 seconds before the next play. Obviously, you have to know the rules, the terminology, the official’s signals, etc. For my current role as the play-by-play announcer on Maverick hockey broadcasts, Lesson 1 is crucial. The pace of the game, especially at the Division I level, is amazing. MM: Is there stress in play-by-play announcing? What are your nerves like during a game? DW: Yes, there is a little bit of stress because we really don’t work with a script. We can’t. But that’s the adrenaline rush you get from live sports where, as I stated before, the red light goes on, the puck gets dropped, and you’re off. If you do your homework and are prepared, much of the pre-game stress goes away. Having a great connection to a broadcast partner is huge, and I have that with my current sidekick, Dan McCargar, from KTOE. One other thing is extremely crucial as well: You have to have a solid working relationship with those you work for. In my case, Paul Allan (Minnesota State’s Associate Athletic Director/ Communications) has been a friend and colleague since Day One of our TV broadcasts 20 years ago. I’ve known P.A. for years, even before the hockey broadcasts. He was a big help when I started the sports information office at Bethany. As far as nerves during the game, I can’t say I really experience that. The game is played at such a fast pace and given the nature of hockey with guys jumping on and off the ice while action is going on, you don’t have any time to think about being nervous. Over 25 years of broadcasting in various settings has probably helped my nerves along the way as well. I was more nervous broadcasting a couple of professional wrestling events early in my career in the Twin Cities because you never knew what those guys were going to do.

MM: What’s it like knowing so many Maverick Hockey fans associate your voice with incredible game moments? DW: It is a tremendous honor to be associated with Maverick hockey right now. It always has been, but the team’s success in recent years has taken it to an even higher level. I’ve been doing the TV broadcasts for 20 years, the last six with Dan. On the radio side, Mike Sullivan has been doing the broadcast on KTOE the same amount of time, and he does a fantastic job of adding his skills to provide the sights and sounds of the Mavericks. To say that being around town and having Maverick hockey fans come up to us and talk about the big wins, the upcoming series, the fantastic play from last night … I still love those opportunities. Having a small role in translating or breaking down what is happening for fans is very rewarding, and I don’t take a minute of it for granted. It’s great when people tell us they are Maverick hockey fans and enjoy our broadcasts. MM: This job has to have resulted in some “wow” moments – people you’ve had the chance to meet, game moments that stand out. Tell us about some of them. DW: I’ve seen a lot of big moments in the Mavericks’ Division I history. Let’s start with the night the Mavs beat Minnesota-Duluth, 2-1, in Duluth in 1997 behind Des Christopher’s play in the nets (that was also the day my son took his first steps). The night Aaron Fox scored a hat trick against North Dakota. The Mavs first win over the Gophers — it was a 6-5 overtime win at Mariucci Arena with Andy Fermoyle’s winner and Tyler Deis celebrating in front of the Gopher fans when he tied it up late in the third. The night ESPNU simulcast our broadcast in February 2006 and the Mavs smoked the Badgers, 7-3, the year Wisconsin won the NCAA title. They were still in the locker room two hours after our broadcast ended. Of course, the night in December 2003 when the Mavericks trailed the eventual NCAA champion Denver Pioneers 7-1 and came back to win, 8-7. The epic WCHA series in 2008 between the Mavericks and Gophers that went three games and featured one single- and two double-overtime games. It took me a week to get over that one. The recent WCHA championship seasons and the five weeks during 2014-15 when Minnesota State was the top ranked team in the country. Players … we have witnessed some fantastic hockey players for the Mavericks and some of their opponents. For MSU, the Shane Joseph and Grant Stevenson years were memorable. David Backes, Ryan Carter, Travis Morin, Tim Jackman, J.P. LaFontaine, Matt Leitner … those are some great “wow” players for the Mavs. The opponents … I still marvel at times that we’ve been able to go downtown here in Mankato and watch players like Dany Heatley (Wisconsin), Jonathan Toews and T.J. Oshie (North Dakota), and Thomas Vanek and Blake Wheeler (Minnesota). We’ve seen some of the best collegiate hockey in the country, bar none. Is that enough because I could go on. Think I don’t like Maverick hockey?

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 13

Kathleen Felt

Photographic memories... By Robb Murray

hhhhh, yes. You know it when you see it. That moment when the sun, after several hours of brightening our lives, decides to call it a day and melts slowly into the western horizon, casting an orange glow over everything in sight. Or that moment when you’re up before anyone else, coffee in hand, and you gaze eastward to check on the great lightbringer, and you see it, creeping the top

14 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

of its dome over those trees, cities and water towers in the distance. The sun. Whether it’s coming or going, it’s a marvel to behold. And wondrously photogenic. This year, submitters to Mankato Magazine’s annual photo issue seemed more enamored with the sun than other years. Yes, we got plenty of pictures of bison and the falls at Minneopa. And, of course, no photo issue submission pile would be complete without a nice

shot of the Seppman Mill! But sunsets … Gosh, there were so many. And they were so good. We had more than we could squeeze onto these pages. Sunsets over fields of wheat, sunrises over lakes, a morning sun rising to paint the clouds above a bright pink, a last minute blast of orange on a lake with a lone fisherman. You guys really nailed it. But why? Why this year? Why the sudden obsession with the great Apollo?

Royal Meyers The photographers we contacted didn’t know. They just know a good photo when they see one. Royal Meyers was just driving down the road when he saw a lone fisherman on the waters of Lake Tetonka. “I wish I could tell you I planned that and staked it all out,” he said, “but I was just driving down the beach road on the east end of the lake and I saw this guy in a boat, just trolling.” So you got out your Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera, right Royal? “Uh, no,” he says with a sheepish laugh. “I shot it with my phone.” Meyers said he shot a few frames as the fisherman was moving along, but was spot on when the angler moved into the glare coming off the lake from the setting sun. “I shared it with some friends and put it on Facebook,” he said. “But this the first time I’ve ever submitted a photo.” Kathleen Felt and her husband love to hit this little mom and pop resort up by Crow Wing. And when they go, the North Mankato resident loves to bring a camera.

“I like photography,” she said. “I’m a big fan of Jim Brandenburg.” She’s also a big fan of sunsets, and the lake at that mom and pop resort has some doozies. “I grabbed my camera when the colors seemed to be really saturated,” she said. “And I love the little diving platform in the water.” Jonie McCabe was getting ready for work in the morning last fall when the sunrise view from the deck of her Lake Ballantyne home was just too good to pass up. “It just seemed like such a beautiful morning,” McCabe said. She shot her sunset photo a little after 6 a.m., she said. And it’s not the first time she’s used her deck to get great photos. Hawks, rare birds, muskrats, deer and turkeys all wander around the area. But it was an owl the other day that she really wanted a good picture of. She spotted it and waited for her moment … but it never came. “He wouldn’t turn his MM head!” she said. Joni McCabe MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 15

Warren Michaels 16 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Brian Halverson

Mary Zehnder

Wayne Buck

Lynda Ernst

Nicole Ries MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 17

Morgan Lenhoff

John Othoudt

Barb Holmin 18 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Michelle Hargrave

Becky Carlberg

Bryce Stenzel

Charlie Hurd

Brian Halverson MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 19

Walter Robers 20 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Terri DeGezelle

Tim Pulis

Jack Carter

Ann Michaels

Barb Holmin

John Olson

Tom Koch MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 21

22 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Mark Braun

Richard Stockwell

Charlene Bradley MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 23

Laurie Gresch

Andrew Murray

Gary Anderson

Sam Csizmadia 24 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Sandy Howe

Levi Janssen

Erin Guentzel

Kelly Jaeger MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 25

Sarah Deen

Missy Manderfeld

Josh Balbach 26 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Ben Koser

Becky Carlberg

Gary Anderson

Trudi Olmanson

Andrew Murray

Wayne Buck MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 27

Josh Balbach

Sarah Deen

Kate Hengy-Gretz 28 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Kyle Archerd

Kelly Jaegar

BJ Dryer MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 29

Ann Judkins

Sandra Sontag 30 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Marilyn Downs

Kyle Archard

Richard Stockwell MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 31

Reflections By Pat Christman

32 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

ot another snow storm? Isn’t it spring yet? This is the time of year when Minnesotans get really sick of winter. All the cold. All the snow. All the icy wind. It eventually gets to the most hardy of us. Oh, we try to embrace the Bold North, as the Super Bowl Host Committee tried to convince visitors of last month, but by now even the most die hard winter lovers are ready for some green grass. Some of us escape to warmer climates for a while. Others just complain. But once in a while winter takes its white paint brush and creates a masterpiece of light and dark all around us, and just for a moment winter doesn’t seem quite so bad. Until it’s time to shovel snow … again. MM MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 33

Shabir Khambaty

Charlene Bradley 34 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Dave Engen

Donna Rose

Steve Kosberg

Levi Janssen

Mark Braun MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 35

Ann Judkins 36 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Georgia Dineen

Donna Wagner

John Olson

Dave Engen

Shabir Khambaty

Chris Harris MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 37

Day Trip Destinations: Leinenkugel Brewing Co. By James Figy

Tours allow visitors to explore the buildings and processes at Leinenkugel’s original location. Photo courtesy of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.

Leine on up

Tour Leinenkugel’s 150-year-old brewery

or anyone who has done something a long time and become one of the best at it, sometimes it’s difficult not to show off a little. Maybe that’s why the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company offers tours of its facilities in Chippewa Falls, Wis., where it has bottled brews for more than 150 years. But according to Lindsey Everson, general manager of Leine Lodge, the company is just really excited to show how and where it makes beer during tours.

38 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

“You start off at the Leine Lodge, and then you walk across the creek into the original brewery grounds,” she said. “From there, you get to see the exterior of the stables, the malt house, the original spring that they originally got all of the water from and then you get to go inside the brewhouse.” Close proximity to pure springwater — and a lot of thirsty lumberjacks — encouraged Jacob Leinenkugel to open his brewery in Chippewa Falls in 1867. He had learned the trade from his father, Matthias Leinenkugel, who moved the family from Germany to Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1845. Despite many hardships, including Prohibition, the brewery grew. Although the Miller Brewing Company purchased Leinenkugel’s in 1988, the family continues to run the brewery, which is the seventh oldest in the U.S. And they still make beer in the original buildings. Because Leinenkugel’s is a production brewery, visitors get to see brewing firsthand. Tours show every step of the process, from the “mash,” when the water and grain first meet, to when it’s ready to ship. “A lot of people like to see bottling and packaging, because that’s the cool ‘aha! moment’ when you see bottles flying by and labels getting put on,” Everson said. Brewing occurs Monday to Friday, so on the weekends, a video shows the process. But that’s not the only reason to visit during the week, according to Everson. “On the weekends, the tours can fill up really quickly. Oftentimes in the summertime, they can be completely booked by early or mid afternoon for the entire day,” she said. “If you can get there in the middle of the week during production, that’s the best time.” Visitors of all ages are welcome, but for those over 21 years old, the tour cost depends on whether one wants to pay $5 for five 5-ounce samples with a sampler glass to keep or $10 for two 12-ounce pours with a pint glass to keep. Sometimes the Leine Lodge taps an exclusive beer that’s not available anywhere else, but it always has a Red Pale Ale that’s only available in Wisconsin, Everson said. A special family-led tour is

Leine Lodge was built in 2003 to welcome guests to the brewery and provide a place to serve draught beer. Photo courtesy of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.

GO IF YOU

Tours of the Leinenkugel’s Brewery Where: 124 E. Elm St., Chippewa Falls, WI When: Sunday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Admission: $5 to $10 for normal tours, $25 for family-led tours Visit leinie.com/brewery for more information available from 2-4 p.m. three Thursdays per month. Members of the fifth or sixth generation of the family, including President Dick Leinenkugel, take visitors through the brewery, giving an in-depth account of its history. “You get to hear the personal stories of growing up at the brewery. Typically, it will be a little bit more behind the scenes. You might get to check and see what grain beer looks like in fermentation,” Everson said. “Then afterwards, they do a beer and cheese pairing, so you get to hang out and ask any other questions you might have.” Family-led tours cost $25, which includes the tasting and a takehome gift. Everson said that those

interested should call the Leine Lodge to reserve a spot. However, a visit to Chippewa Falls would not be complete without grabbing dinner at a downtown restaurant, checking out the new Riverfront Park that’s slated to open this summer, or just enjoying the scenery. “Within Chippewa Falls itself, it’s just so beautiful,” Everson said. “You can go to Irvine Park and Zoo, which is within two blocks of the brewery. It’s an original zoo that the lumber baron, (William) Irvine, created. There’s beautiful parks, and you can have a picnic and see the Glen Loch Dam and some of the history. That’s one of my favorite things to do.” MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 39

Then & Now: Incorporation of Mankato By: BRYCE O. STENZEL

The Incorporation of the “City” of Mankato A

community’s population size and its rural or urban location are the predominant characteristics for whether a municipality is classified as a village, town or city. In the course of its 166-year history, Mankato has been all three. Mankato was founded in February, 1852, by Parsons King Johnson and Henry Jackson, two entrepreneurs from St. Paul. It began as a “village,” (French term referring to a group of buildings). It was a small community in a rural area. On July 15, 1858 (only two months after Minnesota achieved statehood on May 11), Mankato was incorporated as a “village.” As the population of Mankato grew from a mere

40 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

handful of settlers into several hundred, by 1864, it had evolved into a “town.” This designation is derived from an Old English word referring to a walled or fenced place, such as a farm, village, or courtyard. The modern word “town” refers to populated areas with fixed boundaries and a local government. Towns are usually bigger than villages, but smaller than cities. The term can also refer to its inhabitants, its townspeople. An incorporated town in the United States is a municipality, that is, one with a charter received from the state, similar to a city. An incorporated town will have elected officials, as differentiated from an unincorporated community,

which exists only by tradition and does not have elected officials at the town level. “Town” could also refer to a defined geographic area of 36 square miles or the largest geographic subdivision of a county — also known as a “township.” Many of the old maps or plat books refer to townships such as “McPherson” or “Danville,” (both in Blue Earth County) as “Towns.” In many cases, townships are given the same name as a town or community within their borders, which only adds to the confusion of which entity is being referred to. An example is Mankato (the city) and Mankato Township, which surrounds it. Judson and Cambria are similar examples. Townships play an important role in voting and other forms of political representation. The word “city” derives from a French word meaning “citizenry.” A city is a large or important town, containing more than 1,000 people. In the U.S., cities are incorporated municipalities with local governments. This is what

Mankato became on March 6, 1868, and remains so to the present day. The year of Mankato’s incorporation as a city is emblazoned on Mankato’s current city flag, adopted in 1991. The first

mayor of Mankato was James A. Wiswell, who served from 18681870. It should be pointed out that when Mankato was incorporated as a single city in 1868, it encompassed three distinct

communities that merged together to create a single municipality: “Mankato proper” — from Madison Avenue to approximately, modern Stoltzman Road; “West Mankato” — from Stoltzman Road to the Blue Earth River; and “Mankato City” — from Madison Av e n u e to approximately Lime Valley Road. The “hilltop area” was never included in the original 1868 boundaries of the city. As Mankato expanded, it annexed the hilltop area as well as the majority of Mankato Township into it. Currently, Mankato is the 22nd largest city in Minnesota. According to 2015 U.S. census estimates, it is the 5th largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 41

With me, you'll always have

A FRIEND IN REAL ESTATE

BONNIE KRUGER

Improve Your Home’s Energy Efficiency Check out or New Panel Designs and Colors 1125 Cross St., North Mankato, MN Toll Free 1-800-645-3667 Phone 507-625-7110

42 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

The OrthoEdge joint replacement program offers superb care from your first visit through recovery. The experienced surgeons from the Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic and the professional care team at River’s Edge Hospital provide personal and compassionate care to get you back to doing the things you enjoy. Start your joint replacement journey at www.orthoedgemn.com

Enjoy! — Robb Murray, Associate Editor, Mankato Magazine

southern mn style

’m Irish. How Irish? Who knows? In modern America, the bloodlines are muddy and we proudly proclaim ourselves to be the mutts of the world. Still … It’s nice to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, right? It’s fun to think about history and mentally trace our lineage back to people who walked the earth at a time when wax-dripped candles lit rooms and water came from buckets hauled up from wells. There are celebrations of ethnicity spread nicely throughout the calendar. But in March, we look to St. Patrick and make mental notes of where we’ll be on the 17th (and with whom we’ll be drinking beer, green or otherwise.) It is said that St. Patrick himself “drove snakes out of Ireland.” That story, of course, isn’t literally what happened. There haven’t been snakes on the Emerald Island for thousands of years (since before the most recent ice age, if ever.) The story of the snakes is likely an allegorical tale referencing Patrick’s religious influences. He worked hard to spread Christianity to anyone in Ireland who would listen. His favorite targets were so-called “pagans,” who on more than one occasion have been associated with slithering reptiles. And we all remember the most famous slithering reptile in human history, right? That sneaky Garden of Eden inhabitant that ruined everything? Anyhow … Enjoy our feature this month on the Mankato woman upholding her Irish heritage through some choice recipes handed down through the years by her family.

food, drink & dine

Irish cuisine: More than just green beer

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 43

Food SOUTHERN MN STYLE

Erin go bragh! ,Ø«Ü¨ ÊÊ¹«Ã¢ ãØ «ã«ÊÃÜ «Ã¢ ØØ« ÊÃ ú ã¨ Ã ùã ¢ Ã Ø ã«ÊÃ By Amanda Dyslin

Ǖ Ǖ ǔ Ǖ ű Ǖ Ǖ breakfast tea in her cup, Kristin Fox pinches the top third of a bag of golden raisins. “That looks like about a half cup,” she says, pouring the yellow nuggets down into her mixture. She begins to fold them in, careful not to over mix. Think of Irish soda bread like a biscuit, she says. You don’t want your dough too incorporated. This bread is in no way fussy. This isn’t a yeast bread that needs to be worked and given plenty of time to rise. This bread is a few simple ingredients thrown into a bowl, and — voila! — you’ve got a round loaf ř ǎ Ǖ Ǖ Ǖ with a cross or spiral, that is). As a proud descendant of maternal Irish grandparents (the Brennans), this white traditional Irish soda bread is a recipe that Fox’s grandmother brought from Ireland and that she herself has made many times. She’s got a binder full of Irish recipes she’s made with her family on many holidays. And it means a lot to her, as the next generation, to carry on and celebrate her heritage. “We’re really into being Irish,” said Fox, a Minnesota State University graduate student. “This tradition of baking this bread came around with my mother, and as (my brother and I) got older, my mother started to introduce other aspects, like saying Irish prayers for every major holiday.” Fox likes to make two types of Irish soda bread. The other is a brown bread made with molasses and ǔǕ Ǖ ǔ ų \ & Ǖ also likes corn beef and cabbage, colcannon (a side dish of cabbage and potatoes, boiled and pounded), and Dublin coddle (see recipe). “The base of an Irish dish is potatoes and meat,” Fox said. MSU student Ana-Brit Asplen has some Irish in her blood as well, although exactly how much, she’s not sure. She does know her grandmother Annette Orth raised her 12 children in an Irish-Catholic household. And Asplen and her mother, Annette “Mimi” Asplen, 44 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

nod to that heritage on St. Patrick’s Day when they make Irish soda bread (which for them has just four Ǖ Ǖ ] Ų Ĩ

Ĩ ǔǕ Ś\ “Corned beef and cabbage is another big one, too,” Asplen said of her family’s holiday meals. Like Asplen, Fox said her family’s Irish meals and bread usually make appearances on the table at holidays only. “If we made it all the time, then it wouldn’t be special,” she said. Here are some recipes from Fox’s kitchen – including two variations of Irish soda bread – that she likes to make on holidays.

White Traditional Irish Soda Bread Soda bread is best served warm and eaten the same day you bake it.

Ingredients ŉ Ʋ Ų ½ to ¾ cup raw or brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda Ň Ǖ Ĩ ǎ

1 egg 1 ¼ cup golden raisins or currants 1 teaspoon dried caraway seeds (optional) Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. ň\ ǔǕ Ǖ Ĩ ǔ Ǖ Ų Ĩ Ĩ baking powder and baking soda. ŉ\ ( Ǖ Ų ǔǕ Ǖ knives or a pastry cutter until crumbly. 4. Add egg and buttermilk. Mix until moistened. 1

Ǖ ǕŰ\ %

Ǖ Ǖ and caraway seeds, working into the dough. 5. Form into a round loaf on a greased baking sheet. Use a knife to cut a spiral or cross on the top. 6. Bake one hour.

Kristin’s Sweet Brown Irish Soda Bread Ingredients 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 cups buttermilk ½ cup flour 1/3 cup oil 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons light molasses or corn syrup ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup raisins (optional) ½ cup dried cranberries (optional)

Instructions 1. In a bowl, mix both flours, soda and salt. Add buttermilk, oil and molasses; stir well until moistened. 2. Add raisins and cranberries. 3. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and spread batter into pan; level. 4. Bake in 400-degree oven until bread is browned and just begins to pull away from the sides (about 35-40 minutes). Let cool in pan at least 5 minutes. Cut into wedges. 5. Serve.

Dublin Coddle

An easy-to-make, delicious and hearty, traditional Irish winter stew with potatoes, sausages and bacon. Ingredients 3 cups low sodium beef broth 1 pound smoked sausages (cut into thin rounds) ½-pound thick-sliced, quality smoked bacon (chopped into cubes) 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 6, peeled and sliced into ½-inch thick rounds) 2 yellow onions (slicked into thin rounds) 3 large carrots (sliced into thin rounds) Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Ingredients 2-3 pound corned beef brisket with spice packet 1 head green cabbage, chopped or halved 1 ½-2 pounds potatoes or sweet potatoes, chopped 3-4 medium size carrots, chopped 1 onion, chopped 4 cups water

Instructions 1. Add potatoes, carrots and onion to slow cooker. 2. Add corned beef brisket on top. 3. Pour water on top of all the food. 4. Sprinkle spice packet on top of meat and potatoes, vegetables. 5. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-12 hours. 6. Add cabbage and cook additional 30-45 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Top: Kristin Fox makes her grandmother’s traditional white Irish soda bread in her Mankato kitchen. Middle: Irish soda bread is not a fussy bread. It’s just a few ingredients in a bowl and then bake for about an hour. Bottom: Kristin Fox’s Irish soda bread loaf has a taste and texture similar to a scone. The scoring at the top makes the sturdy bread easy to break.

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 2. In a large saucepan, combine beef broth, sausages and bacon; bring to boil. 3. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 4. Transfer sausages and bacon to a bowl and reserve broth. 5. Lightly grease a Dutch oven or casserole dish with cooking spray. 6. Spread 1/3 of the potatoes on the bottom of the dish. 7. Arrange 1/3 of the onions and carrots over the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. 8. Spread a layer of previously prepared sausages and bacon over the onions. 9. Continue to layer ingredients two more times, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. 10. Pour the reserved broth over the entire dish. 11. Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. 12. Remove cover, and if mixture looks dry, add ½ cup water. Continue to bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. 13. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. 14. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley. 15. Serve. MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 45

Wine & Beer

wines

By Leigh Pomeroy

What’s with all these blends? I

southern mn style

get asked a lot of questions about wine, so I think it’s about time to answer a few. One that keeps coming up is: “What’s with all these domestic blends? For a long time, it was just varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Now there are a bunch of names I don’t recognize. What do they mean?” Actually, nothing. They’re all the product of fervent marketing imaginations, which I will explain later. But first a bit of history: Wines made from a blend of grapes have been around probably since wine was first produced about 8,000 years ago in the area of what is now the country of Georgia. Today, many well-known wines are made from blends, including red and white Bordeaux, Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneufdu-Pape and Champagne from France, as well as Chianti from Italy, Rioja from Spain, and Port from Portugal. Many other place-named wines are made from single varieties, like red Burgundy (pinot noir), white Burgundy (chardonnay), Beaujolais (gamay), and Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé (both sauvignon blanc) from France; and Barolo (nebbiolo) and Brunello di Montalcino (sangiovese) from Italy. Historically, German and France’s Alsatian wines have often listed both the place name and the varietal. Strictly varietal wines are mostly a New World phenomenon, arising in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa. In this country, varietal wines were established for marketing purposes to indicate a wine of greater quality than the standard burgundy, chablis or rhine that came in jugs. Yet even then, wines labeled with varietal names could contain up to 49 percent other grapes (if nonvintage) or 24 percent (if vintage dated). The current proliferation of blended wines with proprietary names (that is, uniquely owned by the winery) came about at least partially as a result of the success of Napa Valley’s Caymus Vineyards’ Conundrum blends. The story behind Conundrum is that Caymus, during a cabernet sauvignon grape shortage, had to take cheaper white grapes from growers in order to get the cabernet it wanted. When space in the winery grew short, the winemaker began throwing all the white wine together in tanks, calling it Mixed White, not an uncommon practice. The Wagner family, owners of Caymus, didn’t know what to do with this wine, so they sweetened it up a bit and decided to sell it in the tasting room. “What do we call it?” one of the family members asked. “It’s a conundrum,” another answered, and the name stuck. To everyone’s surprise, Conundrum became very popular with the wives and girlfriends of

46 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Cabernet-loving husbands and boyfriends. This was in 1989, when the concept of sexism and the MeToo movement were not yet fully developed. Today, some of the best California Cabernet Sauvignon winemakers are women. Back then, the guys, in order to get the Cabernet they wanted, had to lay in cases of Conundrum to please the ladies. Since those early years, Conundrum has become so successful that Caymus has had to build a new winery in Monterey County just to make enough of it, and they’ve added a red Conundrum as well. Today, Conundrum vastly outsells Caymus’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon. Many wine producers, seeing Caymus’s success, have jumped on the bandwagon. These include Gallo with Apothic, Carnivor and Orin Swift Abstract and Papillon; Trinchero Family Estates with Taken, Hopes End and Menage à Trois Silk and Midnight; Constellation Brands’ Primal Roots, Saved, Urlo Scream and the vastly overpriced Prisoner series (The Prisoner and Blindfold); and The Locations series, simply labeled by an abbreviation of the origin of each wine denoted on the label — for example, CA for California, F for France, I for Italy, etc. They even have a TX! How are these blends? I can’t say that I’ve had many, because I prefer wines that give their specific geographic origin on the label. To me, the most memorable wines are the result of the interplay of soil, climate and grapes, whether they come from a single varietal (like Zinfandel) or a blend (like Châteauneuf-du-Pape). Most of today’s California blends are designed by MBAs, focus groups and lab chemists. They are fashioned for popular taste, not the product of what a unique bit of land offers. That said, there are a few domestic blends that my wine friends highly recommend, particularly Marietta Cellars’ Christo and Old Vine Red. Marietta Cellars, located in Geyserville in northern Sonoma County, is still family owned, and they grow most of their own grapes, a rarity in today’s wine world. As for blends whose origins are closer to home, look for Chankaska Creek’s Petite Colline, made from all Minnesota grapes, and Creekside White and Creekside Red, both blended from a combination of West Coast and Minnesota grapes. The winery also offers a new barrel-aged blend they’ve named Four Oak White. Morgan Creek Vineyards, south of Cambria, features several red blends, including St. John Reserve and Redtail Ridge. And Indian Island Winery, east of St. Clair, offers the white Island Smoke and the sweet red Dreamcatcher, among others.

Leigh Pomeroy is a Mankato-based writer and wine lover.

Beer

By Bert Mattson

Two tips to toast the thaw On a sunny Saturday midmorning, my daughter and I splash across an arena parking lot flanked by sticky, gleaming mounds of melting snow. We’re headed to our recently acquired apres-puck ritual: breakfast at a nearby bar ... and restaurant. The place serves plates of sprawling, scratch pancakes at a criminally low price. To please the bar patrons, I’m told. Rather than protest, we took to our posthockey tradition. The place also serves Schmidt in a can. This strategy keeps a clientele intact that I haven’t seen since my father’s early 80s snowmobile bar crawls. Not congregated for breakfast, anyway, since at least the smoking ban. I pan the room to take in raw plank paneling, unclipped and dangling insulated overall suspenders, rendered snow puddling about heavy boots, and patrons sipping casually from canned beer. An exterior door swings open and the sunny draft is more courtesy than inconvenience. A powerful nostalgia plays on me. As my daughter — a “selective eater” in today’s dialect — destroys the food in front of her, I’m casted back to when I was around her age. I’m seeing straight skis, smoky snowmobiles, an ancient powder-blue ice auger, and sunny skies more so than bitter cold. It dawns that my family spent the waning weeks of winter outdoors. Canned beer evidently involved. My daughter downed her juice and I considered a couple brews apt for watching the winter thaw. My wife — the woman who cultivated my interest in craft beer — doesn’t care for pilsner. She says a sip reminds her of the beer her dad drank. I get it. But, in recent years, I say that like it’s a good thing. It is in the case

of Summit Brewing Company’s Keller Pils. The German-style Pilsner, subcategory Kellerbier, was a special release last year to celebrate Summit’s thirtieth anniversary. Its reception inspired Summit to add it to its year-round stable in January. “Kellerbier” translates to “cellar beer” indicating cool conditioning temperatures. The beer has a natural cloudiness as it is unfiltered. This suspension of the original brewing yeast lends some spice. There is also some citrus and fairly forward hops (for the wife), which I suppose also matches well with bánh mì sandwiches. The other one is Copacetic Kolsch from Utepils Brewing Company (also Minnesota based). According to the brewery’s website, Utepils (oohta-pilz) is a Norwegian word with layers of meaning. The strict translation is “outdoors lager.” Over time the word has come to mean, “to sit outside on a sunny day enjoying a beer.” But the brewery understands the word to reflect an emotion — satisfaction— elicited by the act of sitting outside on a sunny day and sharing one with a friend. That feeling, in my imagination, is something like the spiritual antidote to cabin fever. It fuels my nostalgia. I can’t say Copacetic is hoppy. There’s a breadiness, however, that harkens to that first sip of my father’s beer. But here’s more body, a little less carbonation, and an inkling of caramel. Actually, I’m a little inclined to eat pancakes with it.

Bert Mattson is a chef and writer based in St. Paul. He is the manager of the iconic Mickey’s Diner. bertsbackburner.com

Cinco de Mayo Authentic Thursday, May 5 Mexican Food andMother’s Amazing Day Drinks Check May Our 8 Sunday,

Daily Specials! Check Our Daily Specials! 1404 MADISON MADISONAVE., 1404 AVE., MANKATO 507.344.0607 | laterrazamankato.com 507.344.0607|laterrazamankato.com Open: 11–10 Open:Monday–Thursday Monday-Thursday11-10; Friday 11–10:30; Sunday 11–9 Friday&&Saturday Saturday11-10:30; Sunday11-9 1235-

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 47

Drinks

Happy Hour:

By Carrie Allen | Special to the Free Press

southern mn style

Bitters are essential to a good cocktail

But which ones should you buy?

hey’re the zipper on the jacket, the key to the door, the fingerprint that makes or breaks the case. They’re usually the smallest component of the drink in your glass, but if you leave them out, you can end up with a spineless mess. Cocktail bitters evolved out of archaic medicines made from plants believed to have pharmaceutical properties, once used to treat all sorts of ailments. And even if you’re not much of a drinker, you’ve probably seen at least two of their oldest and most well-known delegates hanging out near the tonic water and neon maraschino cherries at the grocery store: Angostura bitters, sporting a weird oversize

48 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

label and chipper yellow cap, perhaps alongside a slightly less ubiquitous friend, the brilliant red Peychaud’s bitters. Both date to the 19th century. These are just two among what has become, over the past 15 years or so of the cocktail renaissance, a vast labyrinth of “non-potable” bitters. This odd term means bitters are not designed to be consumed on their own, but used as flavoring — much like vanilla extract, which has a similar alcohol level but which most sane people wouldn’t want to drink straight. Although any bottle labeled as “bitters” will usually have a bitter component (typically from a botanical element such

as gentian, cinchona bark, wormwood or the like), the bitterness is a base for a range of other aromas and flavors. You can find bitters that taste of flowers, of tea, of citrus and pepper and spices, of leather, of nuts, of jerk seasoning, of smoke and of combinations of these. Ginger and lemon. Coffee and cocoa. Crawfish boil. I counted recently, and I have some 35 commercial bitters on my shelves, a tally that will make me seem like a crazy hoarder to some and a dilettante newbie to others (I know home cocktailers who have a hundred or more). How many of these bitters do I use regularly? Maybe four. The others, here and there, once or

twice a year. “There’s a lot of noise in the category now, and you’re dealing with a product that will last you forever and ever and ever,” says Brad Thomas Parsons, author of “Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All” and the more recent “Amaro.” “Unless you’re a bar that’s going through a lot, if you buy a bottle of bitters for home use, you’re going to have it for a while.” They’ll last you forever because most cocktail recipes call for mere “dashes” of bitters, a measurement that, depending on the bottle you’re dashing or dropping from, may be anywhere between a few drops to an eighth of a teaspoon. So, given your limited space and budget, which ones should you buy? Are they even necessary? The latter question I’ll answer with a definitive yes: You need bitters to make some of the best-known classic cocktails; there are drinks that aren’t the same without them. They bind, they brace, they emphasize flavor notes in spirits dark and light. They’re like Lebowski’s rug: they really tie the room together. As to which ones you need, that will depend on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go. Most cocktailers seem fairly consistent about where to start a bitters collection: with Angostura, Peychaud’s and an orange bitters. Teague makes a culinary comparison: “I was a chef for 12 years, so I say all these bitters on this bar, these are my herbs and spices. But Ango is salt,” he explains. “I know the math doesn’t add up, but Ango, Peychaud’s and orange bitters — that’s your salt and pepper. A chef can do a lot of things with rosemary. He can’t do a damn thing without salt.” Angostura, Peychaud’s and many others are labeled as “aromatic” bitters, which can be confusing. One of the main functions of any bitters, whether labeled “aromatic” or not, is providing aroma. Generally, Parsons says, most newer “aromatic” bitters tend to echo or riff off the cinnamon-y, cardamom-y spice mélange of scent Angostura is known for, without necessarily having one preeminent flavor. Daniyel Jones, global brand

ambassador for House of Angostura, said via email that he loves Ango’s ability to temper anything acidic or astringent. Take a classic daiquiri, he says, of rum, sugar and lime and add a couple of dashes of Angostura. “It tempers the lime yet highlights the bright refreshing citrus and rum. . . . I challenge you, next time you have a daiquiri, try one with and one without the bitters and see which you prefer.” Peychaud’s, which is also labeled “aromatic,” is a dramatically different beast — prominently anise-y and a bit minty. Its uses are somewhat more limited (fewer cocktails call for it), but if you’re a fan of Sazeracs, it’s a must-have. As with Angostura, other bitters hit some of the same flavor notes; for example, the Creole Bitters made by the Bitter Truth can be a fine substitute. Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6 is often the third (and the youngest) member of the trifecta; introduced in the mid-2000s, it’s orangy with a funky cardamom-y backnote. Fee Brothers, the Bitter Truth and Angostura all make an orange bitters as well, so you may want to test and see which you like best.

Shaking up two classics

If you’re a Manhattan drinker, make the classic drink but change up the bitters - try:

Save Money. Bank Local. Free Checking Small Business Savings Mortgage Loans

n 2 dashes mole bitters, 1 dash orange bitters n 1 dash orange bitters, 2 dashes pimento bitters n 2 dashes cherry bark-vanilla bitters, 1 dash chocolate bitters If you’re a Martini drinker, try: n 1 dash orange bitters, 2 dashes grapefruit bitters n 2 dashes celery bitters, 1 dash lemon bitters

Thank You for voting us #1, 4 of the last 5 years!

n 2 dashes lavender bitters, 1 dash orange bitters Allan is a Hyattsville, Maryland, writer and editor. Follow her on Twitter: @Carrie_the_Red.

507-387-3055 mnvalleyfcu.coop Equal Housing Lender Federally Insured by NCUA NMLS# 504851 MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 49

That’s Life By Nell Musolf

Just because you can read doesn’t mean you can cook T

here’s a saying that says: if you can read, you can cook. I believed that for many years. After all, I could read and I could also cook. True, Julia Child never had reason to worry and there was no way I was ever going to have my own show on the Food Network, but most days I could throw together a passable meal simply by reading a recipe, doing what it told me to do and remembering to preheat the oven. I even fooled myself into thinking that I was an above average cook because I occasionally made bread from scratch without the aid of a bread machine or quick rising yeast. I kept up the delusion that I knew my way around a kitchen until the holiday season I finally accepted the fact that even though I could read, it didn’t mean I could always cook. I owe that epiphany to the humble green bean casserole. Where did the green bean casserole come from anyway? I don’t remember it from my childhood. I also don’t recall the first time I tasted green bean casserole, which tells me that it must not have been a culinary experience that rated much of a memory, certainly not like the first time I tasted pizza, hot and sour soup or moussaka. My first awareness of the green bean casserole was sometime during the 1990’s when suddenly everyone who was anyone had a spot reserved on their holiday table for, you guessed it, a green bean casserole. For a long time I resisted the lure of trying my hand at making my own green bean casserole and our Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter tables always featured a blank spot where the green bean casserole might have been. My resistance melted the year my son came home from his girlfriend’s mother’s house one Christmas and announced that he’d had the best dish he’d ever tasted. “What?” I asked with more than a touch of skepticism since this was also the son who lived on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the first seventeen years of his life and who still considered Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers to be haute cuisine. “Green bean casserole,” he told me. “It was amazing.” Although he didn’t say it, the unspoken how come you never make anything that good? lingered in the air along 50 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

with the scent of bread made from scratch by yours truly. “Easter,” I decided, “I will make a green bean casserole that will be the best green bean casserole anyone in this family has ever tasted.” As Easter approached I began looking on the internet at recipes for green bean casseroles and came across a surprisingly large number of possibilities. After weighing my options, I decided to stick with the most popular recipe, the one on the back of the Campbell’s soup can. It seemed easy, almost foolproof. And on Easter morning, I carefully followed the recipe, positive I had a hit on my hands and that my picky son would soon be bragging about the fabulous green bean casserole his mommy made. Sadly, somewhere something went terribly wrong because when I removed my green bean casserole from the oven at the appointed time it looked … nothing like the picture on the soup can. It looked like a murky, mucky mess. “What did I do wrong?” I asked my husband. “I read the directions and did everything I was supposed to do.” My husband eyed the casserole suspiciously. “Maybe it’s supposed to look like that,” he said. “I don’t think so,” I said doubtfully. “Just stick it at the back of the table and see what happens,” he suggested. “Everyone might love it.” He was wrong. No one loved it. No one even touched it and at the end of the night there was nothing for me to do but toss it in the garbage, a spot where it looked far more at home than it had on our Easter table.

Although I tried not to let the defeat get to me, it did, and I became determined to make the best — or at least an edible — green bean casserole at the next holiday gathering. It apparently wasn’t meant to be as each try has been worse than the one before and my pathetic attempts eventually became something of a family joke. I’m tempted to throw in the towel every holiday but an innate stubbornness won’t allow me to give up. Like Scarlett O’Hara vowing that no one in her family will ever be hungry again, I face each celebration with my canned mushroom soup, green beans and fierce determination that this time things will not only be different, they will be delicious. And one of these days I’m sure I’ll be right.

Nell Musolf is a mom and freelance writer from Mankato. She blogs at: nellmusolf.com MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 51

ƫƥƘƨƩƲ ƧƬƥƷ By Jean Lundquist

Time to start

those seeds! S ú ãã Ãã«ÊÃ ãÊ ã¨ ¼«¢¨ã úÊèʰØ èÜ«Ã¢

¨ ) ÕÕú úʅ

a¨ , Ü Ê¡ A Ø ¨ ÊÂ ã¨ʃ Ã ÜÊ Ê ã¨ ã¨ ú ô¨ Ã Âú Ü Ü Â ã ã¨ ÜÊ«¼¼ ÜÜ Â«ùãèØ «Ã Âú ¼«ãã¼ Ü èÕÜʈ , Ãʰã ¼« ó ¨Êô ù «ã , ¢ ã Êèã ã¨«Ü úʃ ó Ã ¡ã Ø ¼¼ ã¨ Ü ú ØÜʈ a¨«Üʃ Ê¡ ÊèØÜ ʃ «Ü ô¨ Ã ô Üã Øã ÊèØ Ü Ü «Ã ÊÊØÜʃ Ã ¢ Ø¼ú ô «ã ã¨ ¼«ãã¼ ¢Ø Ã ¨ Ü ã¨ ã ÕÊÕ ¡ØÊÂ ã¨ ÜÊ«¼ʃ ãÊ Âú ¼«¢¨ãʈ ,ʰÂ Â ¹«Ã¢ ÜÊÂ ¨ Ã¢ Ü ãÊ Âú Ü Üã Øã«Ã¢ ØÊèã«Ã ã¨«Ü ú Øʃ ¨ Ã¢ Ü ã¨ ã , ¨ÊÕ ô«¼¼ «ÂÕØÊó Âú Üè ÜÜ Ø ã ʈ ,ʰÂ ÃÊã ¢Ê«Ã¢ ãÊ èÜ ã¨ÊÜ «Ã¡ ÂÊèÜ Ø ZÊ¼Ê èÕÜʃ ÊØ ã¨ «Ø ¢ Ã Ø« ×è«ó ¼ ÃãÜʈ ,¡ úÊè ¨ ó ó Ø èÜ ã¨ÊÜ ó Ø«ÊèÜʢ Ê¼ÊØ Ø«Ã¹ èÕÜ ãÊ Õ¼ Ãã Ü Üʃ úÊè ¹ÃÊô ã¨ ã ã¨ ú ã«Õ Ü«¼úʈ a¨ ú ÊÃʰã 52 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

ăã Ü èØ ¼ú «ÃãÊ ã¨ èÃ«¡ÊØÂ Õ¼ Ãã Ø ãØ úÜʈ ó Øú ú Øʃ ¡ÊØ ÂÊØ Ü ã¨ Ã , Ø ãÊ Â«ãʃ ã¨ Ü èÕÜ ¨ ó ¡ ¼¼ Ã Êó Ø ô¨ Ã , ÂÊó ã¨ Âʃ ÊØ ã¨ ãØ úÜʈ a¨ ã ¼ô úÜ Â Â ôÊÃ Ø «¡ Â «èÂ ã¨ ã ¡ ¼¼ Êèã ÊÃã «Ã ã¨ Ü Üʃ Ã , Ã ãÊ Ø Õ¼ Ããʈ , ¼ô úÜ Ø ʢÕ¼ Ãã ã¨ èÕÜ ô«ã¨ ÂÊØ Ü Üʈ 7èÜã «Ã Ü ʈ ;«¹ Âú ÿè ¨«Ã«ʢ ÊÃã «Ã Ø ¼ Üã ú Øʃ ô¨ Ã «Ã Êè ãʃ ÂÊØ Ü Üʈ a¨«Ü ¨ Ü Ê¡ã Ã ¼ ãÊ ó Øú ØÊô èÕÜ ô¨ Ã ¼¼ ã¨ Ü Ü ÜÕØÊèã ʈ a¨ Ãʃ ô¨ Ã , ÂÊó ã¨ èÕʢă¼¼ ãØ úÜ ãÊ Âú ¨ÊÊÕ ¨ÊèÜ ʃ ã¨ ú ô Ø ó Ø ÂÊØ ¼«¹ ¼ú ãÊ ã«Õ Êó Øʃ Ã Ø ¹ ã¨ Õ¼ ÃãÜ ã¨ ã ô Ø ¢ØÊô«Ã¢ Üè ÜÜ¡è¼¼ú «Ã ã¨ èÕÜʈ #ÊÊ ã¨«Ã¢ , ¼ô úÜ ¨ ÂÊØ ã¨ Ã ÊÃ Ü ¢ØÊô«Ã¢ «Ã ¨ èÕʃ Ø«¢¨ãʊ ã ¼ Üã ÊÃ Ü ¼«Ã¢ ô Ü ¼«¹ ¼ú ãÊ ÜèØó«ó ʈ

a¨«Ü ú Ø , ÜÕ¼èØ¢ ¡ÊØ ã¨ Ü×è Ø ÊÃã «Ã ØÜ ã¨ ã ăã Ã ã¼ú «ÃãÊ ã¨ ãØ úÜʈ a¨«Ü ô«¼¼ ÕØÊó« Üã «¼«ãú ¡ÊØ ó Øú Õ¼ Ãã Ã ÊÃã «Ã Ø «ÃóÊ¼ó ʃ ô«ã¨ ÃÊ ÜÕ«¼¼«Ã¢ ÊØ Ø Ü «Ã¢ʈ èÜ , ¼ô úÜ Õèã ȼʢȾ Ü Ü «Ã ¨ èÕʃ ãØ ÃÜÕ¼ Ãã«Ã¢ «ÃãÊ «Ã «ó« è ¼ èÕÜ ô Ü Ã ÜÜ Øú ¡ÊØ ã¨ Ü ¼«Ã¢Ü ô Ø Õèã «ÃãÊ ã¨ ¢ Ø Ãʈ AÊØ èÕÜ ãÊ ¼«ó Ø ãÊ ã¨ ¨ÊÊÕ ¨ÊèÜ ʃ Ã ÂÊØ èÕÜ ãÊ ¡ ¼¼ Êó Øʈ Aú Ø ÜÊ¼èã«ÊÃ Ã Â ÃãØ ¡ÊØ ã¨«Ü ú Ø «Üʃ ʭHÃ Z S Ø ÊÃã «Ã Øʈ BÊ Â ãã Ø ô¨ ãʈʮ ,¡ ¡ÊØ Ãú Ø ÜÊÃ Âú ¼ ¹ 9Ø«Â ãÊÂ ãÊ ÊØ Âú S ¹Â Ã ØÊ Ê¼« Ê ÜÃʰã ÜèØó«ó ʃ , ô«¼¼ ¼«¹ ¼ú Øúʈ , ¼ÜÊ ô«¼¼ ¼«¹ ¼ú ÜèØó«ó ʃ Ã ô«¼¼ ¨ ó ÂÊØ «Øú ¢ Ø Ã ¡ÊØ «ãʈ , ¼ô úÜ ¨ ÃÊè¢¨ ØèÜÜ ¼Ü ÜÕØÊèãÜʃ ÊØ Ü ; Ø Ø ¡ ØÜ ãÊ ã¨ Â

ʡ Zè¼¡ Ø ÊÂ Ü ʡ ãÊ ¢ ã úʈ èã èÜ ã¨ Õ¼ ÃãÜ ô Ø ãÊÊ ØÊô ʛ¡ÊèØ Õ¼ ÃãÜ «Ã ã¨ ÜÕ Ã ú ÊÃ ʜʃ ã¨ ú ¨ ó ¼ô úÜ Ã ÜãèÃã ʈ a¨«Ü ÜèÂÂ Øʃ , ô«¼¼ «ã¨ Ø ¨ ó ÃÊã Ã Ø¼ú ÃÊè¢¨ ØèÜÜ ¼Ü ZÕØÊèãÜʃ ÊØ , ô«¼¼ ¨ ó Â ¢Ã«ă Ãã ØèÜÜ ¼Ü ÜÕØÊèãÜʈ , ¼ô úÜ ã ¼¼ Õ ÊÕ¼ ʃ Ã , ¼ô úÜ Â Ã «ãʃ ã¨ ã ÂÊÜã Ê¡ ô¨ ã , ¨ ó ¼ ØÃ Êèã ¢ Ø Ã«Ã¢ ʛ Ã ÂÊÜã Êã¨ Ø ã¨«Ã¢Ü «Ã ¼«¡ ʃ ¡ÊØ ã¨ ã Â ãã Øʜ ¨ Ü Ã èÜ Ê¡ ã¨ Â«Üã ¹ Ü ,ʰó Â ʈ a¨«Ü ÜèÂÂ Øʃ ,ʰÂ ¢Ê«Ã¢ ãÊ Ü «¡ , Ã Ø ô ÊÃ ÜÊÂ Ê¡ ã¨ ¹ÃÊô¼ ¢ ,ʰó Â ÜÜ ʈ ZÊ Ü úÊè Üã Øã úÊèØ Ü Ü «Ã ã¨ èÕÜ Ê¡ úÊèØ ¨Ê« ʃ ¨ Ø Ø ã¨ ã«ÕÜ úÊè Ã ãÊ ¹ÃÊôʂ Ⱥʈ A ¹ ÜèØ ã¨ Ø Ø Ø «Ã ¢ ¨Ê¼ Ü «Ã ã¨ ÊããÊÂ Ê¡ úÊèØ ÊÃã «Ã Øʎ Ȼʈ B ó Ø èÜ ô ã Ø«Ã¢ Ã ãÊ Üã Øã ʠ ¢ ã ÜÕØ ú Â«Üã Øʃ Ã èÜ ã¨ ã ÜÊ úÊè ÊÃʰã ô Ü¨ ã¨ Ü Ü Êèã Ê¡ úÊèØ èÕʈ ÜèØ ãÊ ÂÊ«Üã Ã úÊèØ ¢ØÊô«Ã¢ Â «èÂ ô«ã¨ Ü « Â«Üã Ø ¡ÊØ Õ¼ «Ã¢ úÊèØ Ü ʈ ȼʈ 9ÃÊô ã¨ ã ô«Ã Êô Ü«¼¼ ¶èÜã ôÊÃʰã ôÊØ¹ ¡ÊØ ¨ ¼ã¨ú Ü ¼«Ã¢Üʈ xÊè Ã ¼«¢¨ã ÜúÜã Âʈ ,ʰó ¼ô úÜ Üã Øã Ü Ü èÃ Ø ĄèÊØ Ü Ãã ¼ ÂÕÜʃ èã ã¨«Ü ú Øʃ , ¨ÊÕ ãÊ ãØú ÜÊÂ ¼«¢¨ãʢ Â«ãã«Ã¢ «Ê ʛ; ʜ ¼«¢¨ãÜʈ a¨ ú Ø ÂÊØ Ãó«ØÊÃÂ Ãã ¼¼ú ¡Ø« Ã ¼ú «Ã ã¨ ã ã¨ ú ÊÃã «Ã ÃÊ Â Ø èØúʃ Ã Ø ÜèÕÕÊÜ ãÊ ó «¼ ¼ «Ã ¡è¼¼ʢÜÕ ãØèÂ Ê¼ÊØÜʃ ¼«¹ ã¨ ĄèÊØ Ü ÃãÜ , ¨ ó Ã èÜ«Ã¢ ¡ÊØ Â Ãú ú ØÜʈ ,ʰó ÃÊã ú ã ÕèØ ¨ Ü ã¨ Âʈ ,¡ , ¨ ó ãÊ èú ã¨ Â ÊÃ¼«Ã ʃ Âú ãØ« ¼ Â«¢¨ã ¨ ó ãÊ ô «ã èÃã«¼ Ã ùã ú Øʈ a¨ ÂÊØ ¼ Ê¡ ã¨ ¢ØÊô ¼«¢¨ã ÜãÊØú ÊÃ ¢ «Ã «Üʂ xÊè ÊÃʰã Ã ãÊ èú ã¨ ùÕ ÃÜ«ó ¢ØÊô ¼«¢¨ãÜ úÊè Ã ăÃ ó Øúô¨ Ø ã¨«Ü ã«Â Ê¡ ú Øʈ ¼¼ úÊè Ã «Ü ¡è¼¼ʢÜÕ ãØèÂ ¼«¢¨ãʃ Â Ã«Ã¢ «ã ¨ Ü ¼¼ ã¨ Ê¼ÊØÜ Ê¡ ¼«¢¨ã úÊè Ãʰã Ü ʃ èã Õ¼ ÃãÜ Ã ʈ ,¡ èÜ«Ã¢ ĄèÊØ Ü ÃãÜʃ Â ¹ ÜèØ úÊè ¨ ó «ã¨ Ø ¡è¼¼ ÜÕ ãØèÂ ¼«¢¨ãÜʃ ÊØ ÊÊ¼ ô¨«ã ¼«¢¨ã B ô ØÂ ¼«¢¨ã è¼ ʈ

Fur’s A Flyin’

Voted #1 Pet Groomer 4 Years Running

GROOMING Our award-winning Grooming services include: Nail trimming, Bath & Dry, Comb out with trims, and full hair cut services. Let us help you maintain your pet’s skin and coat!

TRAINING Offered by Tina Dickel, ABC-DT certiﬁed trainer and Audrey Winsor. Small Class Sizes! Learning Theory, Manners 1, Manners 2, Skills 1, Skills 2, Private Lessons are also available!

DAYCARE Our daycare is cage free with constant supervision! The only time crates are utilized are for lunch breaks. All dogs must be able to respect breeds of all sizes.

1522 N. Riverfront Drive • Mankato 388-3163 • fursaﬂyinmankato.com

POWER EQUIPMENT

; « Ü Ã # Ãã¼ Â Ã ʡ Üã Øã úÊèØ Ü Üʅ

CHAINSAWS, BLOWERS, RS S TTRIMMERS, POLE PRUNERS, MULTI TASK TOOLS AS WELL AS BATTERY POWERED EQUIPMENT An Authorized Servicing Stihl Dealer 1951 Riverfront Dr., Mankato

507-387-1171 1-800-879-1938 Jean Lundquist is a Master Gardener who lives near Good Thunder. gardenchatkato@gmail.com

Mon.-Fri. 8am-7pm • Sat 8am-5pm • Sun. 11am-5pm

www.candssupply.com AN EMPLOYEE OWNED & LOCAL BUSINESS SINCE 1957 MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 53

Your style By Ann Rosenquist Fee

March!

In like a lion, out like an actual lamb.

arch is my personal secondto-worst month, weatherwise, the worst being clammy dismal April. So, the also-grayish month of March sags with the extra weight of anticipating the worst. In the interest of getting through it, I hereby prescribe ample wearings of locally produced Ivan’s Bead bracelets, featuring centerpiece beads made from wool shorn from Melinda Kjarum’s most beloved sheep. “The wool holds the power of gentle strength through Ivan and his flock,” Kjarum says, and she means that as a practical fact. Just as BHG-free milk comes from organic grass-fed cows, it stands to reason that spiritually potent woolen beads are what you get when you’re using wool from sheep whose lives are based on reverence and respect. Kjarum and her husband, Jon, live 54 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

on Singing Aspen Farm outside of North Mankato, where their 24 sheep roam relatively undisturbed. They get sheared in spring and fall. Kjarum refers to the flock as “the fiber crew in action, not pets … most often serene, never docile, they certainly know their own minds. Opinions are freely and loudly expressed. They are supreme role models of living in the moment.” Ivan was the farm’s first ram and “the total embodiment of gentle strength,” Kjarum says. A longtime fiber artist who creates textile art and wearables with wool exclusively from her flock, Kjarum created her first bracelet as a means of connecting with the energy she’d come to love and rely upon in Ivan, who died in 2009. Working out of her Wellspring Woolens studio in Mankato, Kjarum made more — all with “ethically sourced and processed stones” — and gave them away. Those experiments

Consistently a TOP-PRODUCING Agent in the Greater Mankato Area.

510 LONG STREET, SUITE 104 | MANKATO, MN

507.345.4040 www.MankatoRealEstate.com

evolved into an official design, with numerous bead combinations in three sizes, which she sells online and at regional artisan fairs. Many buyers acquire more than one. Wearers who’ve crossed paths with Kjarum after owning their bracelets awhile say they get a special kind of comfort from the look and feel of the one-of-a-kind jewelry. Which is just the experience Kjarum hoped to create. The woolen bead is wrapped free-form in stainless steel, making a tiny original piece of art that somehow conveys both patience and haste. Then, a row of semiprecious stones — from Melinda’s thoughtfully chosen palette, including pipestone as an aid for healing and peace, citrine for cleansing, rose quartz for nourishment, and more. Then, the kicker. The point. The addictive substance, of this bracelet. Opposite the wrapped wool, designed to rest directly inside the wearer’s wrist, is a single stainless steel bead. It’s not pretty and it doesn’t care. It’s there to provide you with the conceptual opposite of a fidget spinner, an axis on which to rest the thumb and finger of your opposite hand. Then you pause, take a breath or six, and remember this is all supposed to be about small real moments and big cycles. Not only will your present frustration pass if you’ll just back off and let it, but also, hey, days will lengthen and light will overtake the gray, because it always does, the worst season always actually ends. “It’s designed with intention to gently remind and help connect us to moments in our lives,” Kjarum says. “Hopefully to moments of right-here, right-now, I-am-alright.”

AmericanWayRealty

Karla Van Eman: Broker/Owner ABR, CRS, GRI

287 St. Andrews Drive • Mankato 507-720-0250 1170 E. Frontage Rd • Owatonna 507-455-1000 405 E. Main St • Blooming Prairie 507-583-2141 3110 Wellner Drive NE • Rochester 507-536-7700 Less Than Excited 132 N. Broadway • New Richland About A Trip To The Dentist? 507-463-0502

RELAX. IT’S MAIN STREET DENTAL LOCALLY OWNED

Learn more at wellspringwoolens.com and etsy.com/shop/wellspringwoolens. Ann Rosenquist Fee is executive director of the Arts Center of Saint Peter and a vocalist with The Frye. She blogs at annrosenquistfee.com. MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 55

Coming Attractions: MArch 1 United Way Men’s Event

5 p.m. — Kato Ballroom — 200 Chestnut St. — Mankato — $500 table of 8, $65 — www.mankatounitedway.org/mensevent

3 Bock Fest

11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. — Schell’s Brewery — 1860 Schell’s Road — New Ulm — $10 — 21+ event — www.schellsbrewery.com

3 Mozart in Me - Time to Change the Baby

1 p.m. — Mankato YMCA — 1401 S. Riverfront Drive — Mankato — free — www.mankatosymphony.com

4 MAYSO Spring Concert,

Got water?

Dealer Area

3 p.m. — Trinity Chapel — Bethany Lutheran College — 700 Luther Drive — Mankato — $10 — www.mayso.net

Mankato Ballet Company: Swan Lake, 5-8 p.m. — Mankato West High School — $12 adult, $8 children — www.mankatoballet.org

Artfully crafted with a wide range of stone and wood visuals. Wonderfully waterproof thanks to Shaw’s LifeGuard Resilient core. Artfully crafted with a wide range of stone and wood visuals. Wonderfully waterproof thanks to Shaw’s LifeGuard Resilient core.

Got water?

Dealer Area

507.625.3089

Artfully1107 crafted with a wide Cross St. | North Mankato range of stone and wood visuals. Mon.-Thurs. 9am-8pm Wonderfully waterproof thanks to • Fri. 9am-6pm Sat.Resilient 9am-4pm Shaw’s LifeGuard core.• Closed Sun.

www.rickwaycarpet.net

Dr. AngelA Schuck Dr. keith FlAck

You Deserve Comfortable Care Every Time • Sedation - Complete Relaxation with Just a Pill • Invisalign - Clear Alternative to Braces • Implants - Placement and Restoration • Cerec - One Visit Crown Technology • 3D Imaging with Fewer X-Rays

625-CARE(2273) 56 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

• Free Whitening Program • Drill-Free Technology • Cosmetic Dentistry • Emergency Care • Botox & Fillers

mankatodentist.com

Specializing in European River Cruises & Escorted Tours

Madison East Center, Suite 604 Mankato, MN 56001 507-345-8797

www.emtravel.com

Nightly Dinner Features!

Tonight: Aaron Humble and Stephanie Thorpe, 7 p.m. — Verizon Center Grand Hall — 1 Civic Center Plaza — Mankato — $100, $90, $15 — www.mankatosymphony.com

Civil War Symposium - “In Memoriam,” 9 a.m.-5 p.m. — Sibley Park Pavilion — 900 Park Lane — Mankato — $25, $15 — www.boyinblue.org

Colloquium Series: Barbara Leibundguth, 3:30 p.m. — Bjorling Recital Hall — Gustavus Adolphus College — St. Peter — free — www.gustavus.edu

Heating & Cooling

Building Automation

Security

12 Bekesh Trio benefit concert,

7 p.m. — Trinity Chapel — Bethany Lutheran College — 700 Luther Drive — Mankato — freewill donations — www.blc.edu

15 Good Thunder Reading Series: Lesley

TOTAL

Nneka Arimah, reading with Jessica Guess 7:30 p.m. — Centennial Student Union — Minnesota State University — Mankato — free — gt.mnsu.edu.

BUILDING CONTROL

28-31 Minnesota State Theatre presents:

Exceeding expectations & gaining trust through exceptional value and performance!

“Talley’s Folly,” 7:30 p.m. — Andreas Theatre — Minnesota State University — Mankato — $10, $9, $8 — www.mnsu.edu/theatre

SOLUTIONS

Annual Easter egg hunt, 10 a.m. — Minnesota Square Park — Highway 169 South — St. Peter — free — ages 12 and under — www.stpeterchamber.com

Partners of SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC®

Mankato: 507-345-4828 | Rochester: 507-289-4874

www.paape.com

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 57

Faces & Places: Photos By SPX Sports

SOUPS FOR TROOPS 1. Bruce Tanhoff pours a sample of chicken pot pie soup. 2. A big crowd turned out for Soups for Troops. 3. Mason Schutz bids on a Mitchell Fishing Travel Kit. 4. (From left) Kip Bruender, Mark Piepho and Pat McDermott enjoy their samples of soups. 5. (From left) Bruce Tanhoff hands over a sample of soup to Paul Sonnek. 6. (From left) Mark Piepho claims a prize from Dave Norris. 7. A trailer filled with Angie’s BoomChickaPop popcorn is one of the many prizes to be won.

58 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

FANS

THANK THANK THANK YOU YOU YOU FANS FANS FANS

Last Honored to To Have Last Year year We we Were were honored have Been Voted been voted

Remember Remember to To vote st 1#1Heating/Air Vote For for us againUsin Heating/Air Service Service nd Again In Best Of 2 Plumbing Best of Mankato #2 Electrical Mankato 2017!2018! 3rd Electrical

#3 Plumbing

FORYOUR YOUR FOR SUPPORT! SUPPORT!

www.schwickerts.com

DOWNLOAD THEB-DUBS® B-DUBS® DOWNLOAD THE B-DUBS® DOWNLOAD THE FOR YOUR APP AND ORDERONLINE ONLINE AND ORDER ONLINE APPAPP AND ORDER

507-387-3101 I 330 Poplar St. I Mankato, MN

SUPPORT!

DOWNLOAD THE B-DUBS® APP AND ORDER ONLINE

HOT TUB FINANCING EVENT MARCH 16-26, 2018

Disclosure - US - 0% APR for 36 Months* and 0% APR for 60 Months* Subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply.

433 Belgrade Ave., North Mankato 507-388-3624 • sawatzkypools.com pools@sawatzkypools.com

0% APR for 36 or 60 Months*

301 ST. ANDREWS DRIVE MANKATO • 507.385.9464

301 ST. ST.ANDREWS ANDREWS DRIVE DRIVE 301 507.385.9464 MANKATO MANKATO •• 507.385.9464

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 59

Faces & Places: Photos By SPX Sports

ANTHONY FORD POND HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

1. Kids battle it out for possession for the puck. 2. The Minnesota State University men’s hockey team showed up to spectate for a change. 3. Mack Rohlk heats up his feet in the warming house 1 before going back outside. 4. Kids wait their turn to play hockey. 5. Finn and his owner, Lee Fader, take in the warmth in the warming house. 6. Kids and adults make their way up the steps toward the warming house. 7. Ryan Teig concentrates on the puck. 8. (From left) Krista Queen and Cassie Johnson snuggle up to keep warm. 9. One of many youth games from this year’s Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Tournament.

60 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Remember To Thanks for Voting Us Vote For Us Again #1 in Senior Care Best Mankato 2018!! ThreeOf 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 Thank You For Your Votes!

We envision a world without ageism.

serve innovate empower honor™

718 Mound Ave. Mankato, MN | 507-345-4576 | ecumenpathstoneliving.org

Vote for Your Favorite Businesses in the Mankato Magazine Best of Mankato Contest

• Residential Cleaning • Disaster Restoration

• Commercial Cleaning • Janitorial Services

Mankato 507-388-6339 | WASECA 507-835-4799 | ST PETER 507-931-6730 MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 61

Faces & Places: Photos By SPX Sports

MANKATO MOONDOGS PRESS CONFERENCE

1. Chad Surprenant goes into great detail about the changes coming to the new Mankato MoonDogs field. 2. Some of the Radio Mankato team came to show support for the new revamped Mankato MoonDogs. 3. Representing the baseball players of the Mankato MoonDogs, Ricky Digrugilliers and Nick Belzer attend the press conference. 4. A full house attends the press conference to hear about the new developments coming for the 2018 Baseball season. 5. Caleb Surprenant poses with his favorite mascot, Mutnick. 6. The Meyers family is excited to be a part of another season of the Moondogs as a host family.

62 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

For over 40 years your comfort has been our business!

Heating • Cooling • Plumbing

Back row: Jay, Alex, Mike, Roger, Paul, Jason, Lucas, Josh, Monica; Middle row: Korey, Tim, Travis, Mike, Derek, Rex, Jesse Front row: Chris, Brooke, Keith, Peg, Greg, Julie

Northern Comfort offers heating, air conditioning and plumbing services to residential and commercial customers. We are committed to:

• Prompt, courteous & clean service • Quality workmanship • Professionalism • Uncompromising values • Honest and accurate pricing • Family owned since 1975

VOTE FOR US Best of Mankato 2018!

Thank You For Voting Us One Of Mankato’s Best!

Call today for a FREE in-home estimate for any replacement work! 917 Southbend Ave | Mankato, MN

507-387-6596

www.NorthernComfortInc.com

WHERE YOUR POLICY COMES WITH AN AGENT

Community Insurance is locally owned and operated. We offer affordable and reliable insurance choices and will help you find the right combination of tailored, personalized insurance coverage at just the right price to fit your needs.

MANKATO 507.385.4485 | AMBOY 507.674.3355 I VERNON CENTER 507.549.3679 | www.cimankato.com MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 63

From this Valley By Pete Steiner

20 Years

e were raking glass. The tremendous pressure differential produced by the funnel had caused house windows to explode, seeding lawns with innumerable glass shards. I’d never raked glass before. We were just a small part of the enormous contingent of neighbors who had poured in from all across southern Minnesota to help St. Peter clean up and rebuild after the EF-3 tornadoes of March 29, 1998. An insurance guy friend told me a two-by-four had been driven like an arrow through the sidewall of a tire on an SUV in his driveway. What kind of force can do that with a blunt-end stud? ■■■ That Sunday morning had dawned pleasantly enough, very spring-like, unusually warm for late March. We were celebrating my oldest daughter’s 15th birthday, but the phone rang at mid-afternoon. It was the radio station calling to alert me that a super cell had been spotted in southwestern Minnesota. We were in a tornado watch, and I might be needed. As warnings began to be issued, I hurried in. Madison Avenue was bustling with traffic, shoppers apparently unaware of the potential danger; observers have noted that just a minor degree of course change could have sent the funnels through Mankato’s retail center. Early evening reports began coming in from Comfrey, and then St. Peter. A woman eyewitness called the KTOE hotline: “It tore off the steeple on top of Christ Chapel …” Nearly all roads in and out of St. Peter were blocked by downed limbs and other debris. Fortunately Gustavus was on spring break . Who knows how many students might have been injured or even killed as the twister roared across the campus? ■■■ Twenty years on, St. Peter is more vibrant than ever. The only clue that something awful happened in the beautifully rebuilt town is the absence of stately old trees you’d expect in such a leafy community. It will be fascinating and sobering to read all the reminiscences that are sure to follow over the course of the next month. ■■■ UPDATE: Two years ago, I wrote here about what many consider the greatest college basketball game ever played in Minnesota: when 64 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

St. John’s stormed from behind to upset Mankato State 84–82 in OT in the 1979 regional playoffs. In 2016, we had learned that the legend whose 35 points had led St. John’s to victory was now living in LeCenter. So play-by-play guy Casey Lloyd, Sheriff Rich Murry and I set up a meeting with Frank Wachlarowicz — better known as “Frankie Alphabet.” With Gil Williams, Curt Clark, Mankato West’s own Bill Thompson and a crackerjack point guard from Waseca named Gene Glynn, Mankato had had one of its best teams ever until St. John’s ended their season. As we sat down to reminisce with Frank about that nail-biting contest in front of an overflow crowd at the old Otto Arena on the MSU campus, Frank told us that his only regret right then was that we had not brought Gene Glynn along. We had tried, but unfortunately the timing was wrong: Geno had just left for spring training with the Twins, for whom he is the third base coach. In January of this year, John Harrington and I ran into Glynn at the KTOE-Twins Winter Tour at the Kato. We told him Frank really wanted to see his old nemesis, and Geno said a Thursday might work. We called Frank and set up a meeting at the LeCenter muni, where Frank now works after a 25-year career with the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Harrington and I arrived first, to find Frank wearing a St. John’s t-shirt. “You trying to rub it in?” “Hey, Geno beat me out for Mr. Basketball our senior year in high school. I gotta remind him, he didn’t always win!” Then Gene Glynn came through the door: “How ya doin’?!” The two great rivals had not seen each other face to face in 39 years. “Last time I saw you,” Geno grinned, “it was an elbow in my face!” At 6-feet-6-inches and 220 pounds, Frank’s game was never finesse. “Hell of a game!” With that we were into a couple hours of reminiscing. Both men remember the game as if it were yesterday: down eight with three minutes to go, St. John’s started fouling. For the first time all year, Mankato went cold at the free throw stripe, missing the front end of five one-andone chances. St. John’s survived when a last-second shot rimmed out. But it was only a game, right? As Harrington and I left, Geno and Frankie were still gabbing. Seemed like it might not be the last reunion for these two legends.

Peter Steiner is host of “Talk of the Town” weekdays at 1:05 p.m. on KTOE.

World-class & local:

EXPERIENCE FIVE OF MARRIOTT’S TOP SPAS IN ONE STATE: ALABAMA After a round of golf, enjoy a relaxing massage or body treatment at a great

at Montgomery, the Spa at Ross Bridge in Hoover and the Spa at the Battle

Marriott spa. In North America, five of the top Marriott and Renaissance

House in Mobile are always highly ranked for pampering their guests. All

spas are found on Alabama’s RTJ Spa Trail. For guest satisfaction, the Spa

five of these spas are part of the RTJ Resort Collection and feature innovate

at the Marriott Shoals in Florence and the Spa at the Grand Hotel in Pt. Clear

treatments inspired by Southern Hospitality. Clearly great golf and spas

are consistently ranked in Marriott’s top 10. For Renaissance Hotels, the Spa

work well together in Alabama. Come experience them for yourself.

FLORENCE · HOOVER · MONTGOMERY · MOBILE · POINT CLEAR The

Resort Collection on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail · rtjresorts.com/spacard

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2018 • 65

Carpet Cleaning Thank You

JANITOR

TE D B ES T

YEARS

A ROW

JANITORIAL JANITORIAL

CARPETCLEANING CLEANING CARPET

HARDFLOORS FLOORS HARD

FIRE DAMAGE DAMAGE

Family is at the core of who we are and we pride

WOW, YEARS IN A Arelationships ROW! we WOW, YEARS IN ROW! ourselves55 on the meaningful

Vanderberg Cleanis ishonored honored tobe be Best Best of ofAlong Vanderberg Clean to Mankato have developed within the community. with for five consecutive years. Thank you to our for five consecutive years. Thank you to our team our team of over 50 people, Vanderberg Clean professionals, customers andfriends. friends. From ofof professionals, customers and From honors Family and Community, working sideour by family to yours, THANK YOU! family to yours, THANK YOU! side to make a difference. 66 • MARCH 2018 • MANKATO MAGAZINE 507.345.8487 VANDERBERGCLEAN.COM VANDERBERGCLEAN.COM 507.345.8487

WO DISASTER DISASTER

WATER WATERDAMAGE DAMAGE

Van for