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2 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

FEATURE S NOVEMBER 2020 Volume 15, Issue 11

‘Tis the season! School crafts now focus on inclusivity, seasons

“Hoariering”

Eyes are the new lips

Essay by Linda Good in response to July’s cover story “Adulting” by Rennee Berg

A guide to rebalancing your style portfolio

ABOUT THE COVER It’s been a rough year, but there’s always brightness to cast out the darkness. Read more on “From the associate editor”

MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 3

DEPARTMENTS 6 From the Editor 8 This Day in History 9 Avant Guardians

Beauty Hunter: Marie MacPherson

10 Beyond the Margin

Thankful in the COVID era

12 Familiar Faces Shawn Weigel

14 Day Trip Destinations

Time to Get Away — Ely, Minn.

28 Living 55 Plus

44 Let’s Eat!

Weggy’s on Campus

46 Community Draws Mankato Poetry Walk

47 Beer

Roast and Roots

48 Country Minutes

The Dogs of Oshawa Township Part 10

50 Garden Chat

Jumping worms, invasive species hit Minnesota

52 From This Valley I MA G I N E

Coming in December

46 4 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

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FROM THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR By Diana Rojo-Garcia NOVEMBER 2020 • VOLUME 15, ISSUE 11 PUBLISHER Steve Jameson EDITOR Joe Spear ASSOCIATE Diana Rojo-Garcia EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS Bert Mattson Dan Greenwood Jean Lundquist Kat Baumann Leticia Gonzalez Nicole Helget Pete Steiner Katie Leibel Nell Musolf Linda Good Ann Rosenquist Fee PHOTOGRAPHERS Pat Christman PAGE DESIGNER Christina Sankey ADVERTISING Danny Creel SALES Jordan Greer-Friesz Josh Zimmerman Marianne Carlson Theresa Haefner ADVERTISING Barb Wass ASSISTANT ADVERTISING Christina Sankey DESIGNERS 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 all editorial inquiries, call Diana Rojo-Garcia 507-344-6305, or email drojogarcia@mankatofreepress.com. For advertising, call 344-6364, or e-mail advertising@mankatofreepress.com.

6 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Where there is darkness, LIGHT

he sun lingers on the horizon each morning before it decides to wake up the rest of the world. And it seems that it’s only eager to jump right back into bed when it’s only just come up. No wonder it takes an extra hour to get up (don’t forget to roll your clocks back Nov. 1!) The seasons are something we can still rely on — no cancellations, no postponements — despite an ongoing pandemic. And, about that cover. Though we didn’t do a story on it, I wanted to remind those through this column that we always have ourselves to rely on, too. The photo was taken last year, with COVID looming right around the corner, on Omega Court in North Mankato where a group of neighbors came together to display holiday lights. Dan Greenwood reported that Kai Schutte had asked his neighbors to join in on coordinating the display — last year they had five homes participate. Omega Court had filled its neighborhood, and community, with joy through and music dancing lights. There was even a Santa handing out candy canes plus a toy drive for kids at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. “I’m hoping the nurses can be able to brighten kids’ unfortunate event, if they are staying there during the holiday season,” Schutte said last year of the toy drive. In the end, that’s all this whole humanity thing is about — coming together for a better community, especially in the times that we are in now. Yes, it seems like the COVID cloud keeps getting dark, but there’s always a light somewhere, or in someone. Kiwanis Holiday Lights literally lit up the skies each year. Though the lights have been canceled for the safety of everyone, that doesn’t mean that the community is in the dark. Instead, it’s a time to reflect and a time to thank each and every person who put those

lights up and what it did for us as a community. And perhaps, this year, we can brighten up our outlook and someone else’s, too. Most importantly, much like Omega Court and Kiwanis, it’s time that we try to spread a little joy and happiness in others. Donate to ECHO Food Shelf, sponsor a gift Holiday Sharing Tree program or come up with your own holiday light show with your neighbors. Whatever it is, remember that we can rely on ourselves to make it through these oddly dark times. Now … onto this month’s issue. n Nine months in, most have become accustomed to wearing our masks, some better than others — fashion wise, anyway. Check out Ann Rosenquist Fee’s story on how the eyes during this time of masking up has become “the new lips.” Fee explores new ways to make a statement with fashion. n Hopefully the weather will stick it out for just a little while to check out the public art that Mankato has to offer. Flip over to Kat Baumann’s graphic in which she guides you through some notable parts of town. n Bert Mattson, our beer columnist, also gives a little insight on what the best brew is to accompany your Thanksgiving dinner. n Invasive species hit Minnesota! Jean Lundquist discusses jumping worms and how to deal with them in your garden.

Diana Rojo-Garcia is associate editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact her at drojogarcia@ mankatofreepress.com

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY Compiled by Jean Lundquist

Teen center aims to keep Le Center kids off streets Nov. 13, 1980 A group of well-meaning parents in Le Center hoping to stem alcohol and other drug use among teenagers approached the senior high student council in Le Center about a chaperoned teen center to be open on Friday nights. The seniors preferred unchaperoned events and directed the parents to the seventh through ninth grade students. Foosball, pizza, ice cream bars and candy were staples at the teen center, plus the adults played games with the students, in hopes of helping develop social skills. At least one 13-year old was a fan of the idea. Before the teen center was open, he went to the movies, bowled, or stayed at home. “That’s about all there is to do in Le Center,” he said. ‘Dropout’ to open restaurant Nov. 17, 1966 Young Thomas Arend, a junior at Mankato State College with a wife and young daughter, and a yen for owning a restaurant, decided to opt for the restaurant and leave his studies behind. His father, the retired president of Rayette-Faberge hair products for women, was his backer. Having chosen the intersection of Monks and Stadium avenues for his establishment, Arend began construction on his $75,000 self-serve Highland Burger restaurant. The goal was to give patrons, mostly students, a quick lunch from his shortorder menu. Arend and his father figured the upper campus area was ripe for a restaurant of this sort, an early “fast-food” joint. It’s been snow going Nov. 8, 1991 It seemed to some that North Mankato was trying to make Mankato look bad. After an early blizzard that dumped 20-plus inches of snow on the region and the deep freeze that followed, road conditions brought plenty of complaints to Mankato city offices. Mankato Streets Supt. Jerry Eken received some 150 complaints an hour about road conditions. Many of those complaints contained comparisons to North Mankato road conditions. “You can’t salt the whole city,” he was quoted as saying. In the news article, however, it was noted that although Mankato had more miles of roads to plow, both Mankato and North Mankato had the same number of plows on the streets. Stolen auto nicely shined, found in garage Nov. 2, 1930 William Rauckman of rural Kasota had his faith in humanity and the fate of the world restored after his Essex coach vehicle was taken from his property on a Tuesday night. On the following Saturday morning, police reported to Rauckman that his car had been found in the garage of the Clement Chevrolet company. Attendants there had cleaned and shined it “like a new silver dollar” after discovering it in the garage. Rauckman and police never knew if the thief got cold feet, or if his conscience kept him awake at night. But Rauckman said he was willing to let the “borrowing incident” drop, gratified he got his coach back.

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AVANT GUARDIANS By Leticia Gonzales

BEAUTY HUNTER Photographer’s passion reignited during travel

arie MacPherson said she can remember arranging her Barbie dolls into poses for family portraits when she was barely out of diapers. “As a 6-year-old, I saved my pennies and nickels, and the very first purchase I remember making was a sleek black film camera,” said MacPherson, an emerging artist, author and mother of six. As vice president of Into Your Hands, MacPherson uses her elementary education degree to offer research, consulting, publishing, training and advocacy services. Her husband, Ryan, works with her in the company. While her education didn’t include photography, she has been able to hone the skills she learned from her younger years in camera club. “I think I instinctively morphed my love of art and design into creating visually appealing educational materials for my children, as well as making my home into a place of beauty — at least as much as toddlers would let me,” she said. M a c P h e r s o n ’s p a s s i o n f o r photography was reignited several years ago when she had the opportunity to travel. With the help of a continuing education photography course and online tutorials, she has been able to polish her craft, which is often influenced by people and places closest to her. “To be honest, my kids are my favorite, and the most practical people to photograph,” she said. “My mother went to heaven last year, and while she was living, she suffered from dementia. Her lack of memory fueled my passion for photography both practically and metaphorically. I documented my daily life and the life of her grandchildren in photos to visually share my life with her, even though she was unable to communicate much.” As a photographer, MacPherson

said she is a beauty hunter. “I capture a moment’s appearance, slowing down time’s progression of the subject, giving thanks for the exact moment seized by the blink of a lens,” she said. “The scene is then preserved indefinitely, shared in the future, regardless of the decay that time may bring to the actual person or place. My search for universal beauty and hope through art is in marked contrast to many other avante-garde artists, always looking for something contemporary and bizarre. Instead, my approach is classical, timeless.” With so many digital images, MacPherson said she brainstormed a creative way to repurpose them as wall art and greeting cards. Her work also will be displayed in November at the Blue Earth County Library. “My favorite shots include vast landscapes of majestic mountains, or conversely, crumbling canyons,” MacPherson said. “Others feature intense close-ups: eyes of an amphibian, the delicate fingers of a woman dying, or gossamer petals. I also give attention to extremes in lighting and colors, adjusting contrast digitally to capture a moment’s emotion, yet respecting nature’s integrity.” Her faith also has been a drive in

her photography. “Even, and perhaps especially, during illness, disasters, pandemics and personal pain, we all crave beauty, love and hope.” Photography creates an opportunity to imagine the possibilities of the future, MacPherson said. “By examining the outside of a scene in a snapshot, I’m allowed to dig beyond what meets the eye, excavating through the surface into the emotions of the scene,” she said. “Each shot is a chance to be grateful in the present, passionately pursuing the truth, beauty and goodness for which every human yearns.”

MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 9

BEYOND THE MARGIN By Joe Spear

Thankful in the COVID era A

photo on my cellphone from Feb. 9 shows snow piled about 12 inches deep atop an unlighted lamp post. COVID-19 appeared around the Ides of March. That seems light years away. A March 25 cellphone photo shows the empty streets of downtown Mankato. Like everything in 2020, Thanksgiving brings its own challenges in a COVID world. Should social distancing rules still be in place at Thanksgiving, unrelated gatherings indoors would be limited to 10 people. One might see a lot of outdoor Thanksgiving bonfires this year, which would allow 25. Being thankful might bring a more somber tone as we remember the 2,100 plus Minnesotans who’ve died from the virus. There will be more to commemorate. Federal surveys show depression has nearly tripled in the population since the coronavirus onslaught in spring. In normal times about 7 percent of the population faces depression. That’s now up to 25 percent in the COVID-19 era. Mental health experts say some depression can be overcome with mindful consideration of our blessings. And they are not hard to find in Mankato. Churches, volunteers and people of faith have been banding together for several years now to find ways to house the homeless. Over the last few years, the churches have opened their doors to a rotating Connections ministry shelter. Last year the group secured a permanent shelter for the whole season with the help of the people of Covenant Family Church on North Riverfront Drive. In July a deal was sealed for the First Presbyterian Church to provide a season-long evening shelter by remodeling its upper floor into a shelter that can accommodate 35 people. The Connections ministry has now partnered with the Salvation Army where the Salvation Army will end its evening shelter but be open during the day, so the homeless will have day and night places to go when the weather turns cold. That fills an enormous gap and offers comfort to the homeless population that would otherwise linger in warm bus stops or the downtown library on the coldest days. The library comfort went away when the building had to be closed due to COVID in March. First Presbyterian, one of the oldest congregations in Mankato, has welcomed all with rainbow-painted doors on its front lawn that carry the words “God’s 10 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

doors are open to everyone.” Shelter from the storms and blizzards of a Minnesota winter cannot be underestimated as a blessing. Said Centenary United Pastor Erica Koser, the Connections co-director: “People should be able to leave the shelter in the morning, get breakfast at Holy Grounds (at Centenary), head off to the Salvation Army and return to the shelter and be cared for the whole time, which is really beautiful.” So we can be thankful for the people who run Connections, the Salvation Army and the dozens of local church volunteers who made this happen. Take part in the thanks and make a donation to them. They’re working to develop a permanent shelter. nnnn The pages of the news offer other reasons to give thanks. Not far from First Presbyterian is the Cultivate Mankato Day Care. Candice Deal-Bartell created the day care in the middle of downtown Mankato with 149 slots to fill a critical need for quality child care in the growing community. “This is like my dream come true,” she said in a 2019 story. “We’re trying to really understand the needs of the Mankato community and the specific needs of the families who work so hard to make the community what it is.” Organizers remodeled the beautiful old Mankato Clinic building on Main and Broad streets into a fantastic space for young minds. It seems there was a bit of serendipity at play in the creation of the day care. Anissa Sandland happened upon Deal-Bartell at the Coffee Hag one day. After hearing the plans, Sandland decided to get involved and is now the day care’s program lead teacher. “The core values are right in line with how I try to live my life, with love and authenticity and relationships and community,” she said. “Really for me, that was it.” nnnn My cellphone photos tell me Minneopa Falls was shimmering on May 7, irises were blooming June 4, and a nighthawk was nesting in the Jackson Square gardens June 5. On June 24, we partook of roadside Pronto Pups outside of Faribault from a longtime county fair

vendor whose county fairs had gone silent. On July 1, we set up the mosaic tile glowing garden globe and retrofitted it with a single C7 bulb with cord. On July 3 a yellow rose planted in memory of my late 108-yearold grandmother bloomed. It bloomed again Aug. 19 with a pinkish tinge highlighting its yellow pedals. nn n n The silver linings emerged in late August. While our friends and family in nursing homes had to endure severe isolation during the stay in place orders, a breakthrough in the clouds occurred in late August when outdoor visits were finally allowed. We caught up with Sharon Schindle and her mother, Muggs Schulze, at a picnic table at Hillcrest Rehabilitation Center where they shared a batch of homemade cookies. Sharon told us her mother had gotten better and she thinks it’s “because of the visits.” Hillcrest administrator Megan Kilian observed: “You can see in their face, even behind the mask, how excited they are.” Muggs mentioned “a lot of love in the place.” nn n n Six months past the Feb. 9 snowstorm, the lampost was shining its light on day lillies in the dark that rose like flames from the garden. Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382. Follow on Twitter @jfspear.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 11

Familiar Faces

Through the Lens

Shawn Weigel, local photographer, captures nature, humor, current events

is photographs have grabbed the attention of most, some of which have gone viral. Shawn Weigel, founder of 38th Street Photography, uses his keen eye to capture life’s most unique moments. Last year he took a common road and parking lot inconvenience — potholes — and spun it to his own vision. Some potholes doubled as a cooler, others as a small fishing pond. Most recently, Weigel hit the streets during the unrest that followed George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. With his camera in one hand and phone in the other, Weigel recorded history through his lens. Photos by Pat Christman

NAME:

Shawn Weigel HOMETOWN: Mankato

OCCUPATION: photographer

FAVORITE HOLIDAY DISH stuffing

WHAT’S YOUR SECRET TALENT? writing poems

Shawn Weigel, founder and owner of 38th Street Photography, works from his office at home. Weigel began photographing five years ago. 12 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

MANKATO MAGAZINE: Where did the name 38th Street Photography come from? SHAWN WEIGEL: My favorite number has always been 38. It honestly kept popping up in dreams in my younger years in many different varieties. Street photography is my favorite genre within this artform. So when the time came to create a “business,” it was the first thing I came up with and I haven’t moved away from the name since. MM: You began photographing five years ago. What were you doing before then and what initially got you interested in photography? SW: I’ve always dabbled in the arts. Drawing, painting, tattooing and graffiti, and even tried music for a short period. Photography came along during a very depressed time in my life, and I’m so grateful for it. It all started at the legal graffiti wall in New Ulm, taking snapshots of people’s artwork and sometimes my own. I moved on to taking snapshots of artwork on freight trains (benching), which naturally turned into finding the best light and locations in the local area. A friend of mine (God rest his soul), who was a known photographer in the area, told me that he really likes my photos I’m taking with my phone. He begged me to invest into a “real” camera due to me being a natural. One Black Friday I decided to buy my first DSLR, and I have had a camera on me every day since that moment. MM: Music and event photography had been your focus to begin with. What was your favorite part about photographing these events? SW: I am an introvert, so I am naturally drawn to the “fly on the wall” style of photography. I am a people watcher, watching for repeat moments, facial expressions, and

emotion. The way the lights hit the performers on stage, the way the pianist hits that perfect key that makes their smirk lift up on the left side, the way the drummer’s eyes open wide during their solo, it’s all natural art to me. Life is beautiful when you know what to pay attention to. I photograph a lot of events for nonprofit organizations because I just love that people are out there helping others in need. This is my way of helping when I can’t always afford to donate. MM: Late 2019, you had released a 2020 calendar featuring the Mankato Potholes. The project over the summer had gained a lot of online traction. What spurred the idea to begin photographing the potholes? SW: There was a hilarious Facebook page poking fun at the Burger King parking lot. I watched and laughed at that page for a few days. One rainy night I decided to head out with my camera to take some reflection photographs, and I ended up at the BK lot. I took that first pothole and shared it with the masses. From there that picture was shared hundreds of times. I have had a few viral photos before this, but nothing compared to what this photo did. The local community started commenting and messaging me to go look at “this” pothole, go look at “that” pothole. I started to bring small props I had laying around the house and was posting them with a clever caption. I got great joy in bringing happiness into people’s lives with this series. MM: Many of your photographs also feature beautiful landscapes and incredible shots of nature and animals. What has been your favorite place to photograph in nature? SW: My current go-to location is anywhere on the Gunflint Trail, especially during fall and winter. In reality I am always searching for my new “favorite” location, and it kind of falls along the lines with my “favorite” photograph; I haven’t taken my favorite photo, so therefore I haven’t been to my favorite location yet. MM: Most recently, starting with the killing of George Floyd, you had been documenting the unrest that took place in Minneapolis and also the protest in Mankato. What was the feeling like to be in that atmosphere while also documenting history? SW: That first day I was there for the protest in front of the 3rd precinct

in Minneapolis I was unprepared. I begged my boss and asked him if he would allow me to take the evening off so I could go document what I thought would be just a protest. I grabbed my camera gear and drove up, batteries were not charged and my phone was at 50%. Plugged all my electronics in and hoped it would last me for a few hours when I arrived. I was never nervous; I just put the camera to work. I was running around capturing as much as I could. Then seemingly out of nowhere tear gas was being thrown, rubber bullets flying everywhere. It was something I have never experienced in my life. As the evening got later, the police officers started to push the crowd further away from the precinct. You could feel the tensions rise from that point on. I was standing right next to the Auto Zone as the first fires of the night started. The police line pushed further down the street with the intentions to get the fire department in to maintain the fire. As the night progressed, fires, looting, rioting surrounding me, you could hear people firing off bullets into the air in the distance, but the only time I felt uneasy was when a man with a chainsaw was marching his way through the crowd. As I walked toward him, I saw that there was no blade so the feeling I had was relieved. It was the feeling I had when I got home and uploaded the photos that I will never forget. I was shaking and I broke down and cried. I was so focused on getting the “perfect” photo I didn’t really think of what was happening around me. I was bloody, bruised and just overall run down. MM: When you returned from the Twin Cities during the protests, you had stated you still had issues breathing when you came back due to the tear gas. What is something people should know about your line of work when it comes to documenting these events at the front line? SW: Be aware of your surroundings. A lot of people in this current climate do not like the media, and they make you well aware of it. You need to know when and when not to take the photograph or record the moment. You have to quickly read faces. If someone tells you to do something, whether it’s law enforcement or a protester, you need to take it into consideration. If you refuse, it will be tough to get the photos or video you need to complete the story you’re

trying to show in the future. When you’re an independent journalist, you are the voice and platform for several different groups and communities. I have done my best to keep my personal bias away from my journalism; if my camera is in my hand, my opinions are voided. MM: Throughout the summer, you continued to document events such as President Trump’s visit to Mankato. Why did you choose to continue to document these events and why is it important? SW: I greatly enjoy documenting history. I want to remain as unbiased as one can be and to show everything I possibly can to my followers. My business was never known to be a “news” page or a “political” page, so my following is a mix of all types of people from the left, right, and center. My overall goal is for people to start having real conversations. That is why I started to do livestreaming through Facebook. So voices can be heard and to find out why people feel the way they do and why they are out in the streets. We are all humans with all different views, and I’m out there trying to bridge the gap because we all have grown so far apart. MM: As a photojournalist, what has been the most important lesson you have learned? SW: To listen. There is too much talking and not enough listening. When you give everyone a fair chance to express their opinions, it opens up a lot of possibilities. Be fair and honest with everyone and respect boundaries. MM: If you had the opportunity to travel to any place in the world to take photographs, where would that be and why? SW: If you look at something like it’s your first time seeing it, everywhere is beautiful. It’s all art. Beauty is all around us if you squint hard enough. Anywhere there is contrast in color is where you’ll see me photographing. The current goal is to get out to Norway during the peak of northern lights season. Just to see color dancing in the sky like that would be something spiritual and magical for me! MM: Is there anything else you’d like to add? SW: Listen, love, compassion, and equality.

Compiled by Diana Rojo-Garcia MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 13

DAY TRIP DESTINATIONS: Ely By Katie Leibel

TIME TO GET AWAY Escape from stress up north to Ely

his month’s day trip is a bit farther than a hop, skip and a jump away. Ely is one of the most peaceful cities you can visit. Despite being far enough away that you might lose cell reception on the way up north or come across wildlife you don’t usually see in southern Minnesota, it also is a well-enough established town that it has plenty to do to keep you busy for a day or a weekend. Ely is away from it all. Sure, there’s a main stretch of town you can go through to keep from getting lonely, but when you want to get away from the constant whir of cities and everything that you just can’t seem to stop, this is the place to go. “Ely, Minnesota, is nestled in the heart of the Superior National Forest and on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. While it is at the end of the road, so to speak, it is definitely where the adventure begins,” said Eva Sebesta, director of Ely’s Chamber of Commerce. Not only does Ely have secret gems such as Kawishiwi Falls and other walking and hiking trails that are perfect to explore and remove oneself from the constant scramble that is city life, but there’s also much more to do to keep busy. “Ely is home to the International Wolf Center, North American Bear Center, Dorothy Molter Museum, Ely-Winton History Museum and Minnesota Canoe Museum. Outdoor recreation includes hiking, biking, canoeing, boating, kick sledding, dog sledding, crosscountry skiing, fat-tire biking, ATV, snowmobiling – and yes, there are plenty of other activities not listed,” Sebesta said. Many of those activities are self-explanatory, but what is the Dorothy Molter Museum? As one of the last people living in the Boundary Waters, Molter lived a life far away in the wilderness and was known as “the root beer lady.” People would travel through the Boundary Waters, stay in her cabins and treat themselves to some of her refreshments. Remembering her life tells the story of some of 14 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

The Kawishiwi Falls Hiking Trail in Ely is a favorite of visitors. It’s easy to find and provides a short, easy walk to beautiful waterfalls. | Photo by Kathy Vos Minnesota’s history with the wilderness area and in a quirky way, too. Visitors can see parts of the fence she made using broken oars, tour the cabins that were moved from their original place in the Boundary Waters to Ely, and more. Even outside of this stop of historical importance, there is still much to do and see around Ely. “Many visitors head north to Ely to canoe the BWCAW or enjoy a stay at one of the area resorts or vacation homes. The Northwoods offers so many possible experiences from fishing to photography to shopping. Visitors are drawn to Ely for the many attractions or to visit stores featuring locally made products such as Steger Mukluks, Wintergreen Northern Wear or Lobo Gun Leather,” Sebesta said. Downtown with its charming storefronts and restaurants is one of the most memorable parts. Everything is completely walkable with most roads never getting too busy, and walking into many of the

stores can feel like coming home. This holds true for one stop in particular. Front Porch Coffee & Tea Co. is right in that main stretch of town and lives up to its name. You can sit outside or in, order all sorts of goodies, beverages and gifts and spend some time warming up or cooling down after a long hike. “The cafe has a relaxed homelike feel with a fireplace, soft couches and chairs as well as table and chairs for dining. I’ve heard it said several times,‘It’s like stepping into grandma’s or like coming home.’ What better compliment could one have,” said owner Doug Scheibe. He and his former wife opened the Front Porch Coffee & Tea Co. in June 2005. He was inspired by his 12 years in the food and beverage industry when he was younger. After working for 20 years as an alcohol and drug counselor, he was looking for a change and decided to become self-employed, so he opened up the coffeehouse. “There was already a successful coffee shop in town, so I knew I had to offer something completely different. We became known for our quiche and breakfast burritos and quick fresh food for takeout. We were the first internet cafe in Ely, offering PCs for people to use and a wireless network,” Scheibe said. And the Ely Community apparently welcomed them with open arms. “I think we provide a service to the community by offering a place to ‘gather and connect.’ Over the years, I have been able to maintain a cheerful staff, and we all have developed relationships with our customers making everyone feel like family,” Scheibe said. The cafe has lots of company downtown when it comes to other restaurants. “The Boathouse Brewpub is a micro-brewery featuring Northwoods-style pub foods, along with their famous Blueberry Blonde Ale. The Ely Steakhouse has mouth watering steaks, sandwiches and their famous Bucky Burger. The Grand Ely Lodge’s Evergreen Restaurant and Antler Lounge overlooks beautiful Shagawa Lake with both full dining and bar menus. Gator’s Grilled Cheese Emporium serves up delicious cheese options

Dorothy Molter’ summer tent/cabin and pier in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness circa 1978. | North8000 via Wikipedia

Dorothy Molter’s Winter Cabin at the Dorothy Molter Museum in Ely, Minn. | Jon ‘ShakataGaNai’ Davis via Wikipedia Northamericanbearcenter including crispy gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese, and other savory options,” Sebesta said. One place families continue to come back for on their trips up north is Sir G’s. Known for cheesy pizzas and Italian offerings, they’re one of the places you can’t skip when you visit. And don’t worry about working up an appetite. Ely has you covered for that with all of their outdoor activities for warm and cold weather. “The Kawishiwi Falls hiking trail is a favorite trail for residents and visitors. Less than a mile in length, the trail winds through the forest and emerges on a rock face overlooking spectacular falls. Detour on the portage trail and enjoy the calm shoreline below the falls where bald eagles and waterfowl frequent. Of course, winter travel along the trail is a

must as the waterfall spray creates a wonderland of frost on the surrounding shorelines,” Sebesta said. And that’s not all. Ely has hiking trails including Kawishiwi Falls plus Trezona, Secret-Blackstone and Bass Lake trails. It offers great places for scenic drives such as Fernberg Trail and Echo Trail. One can canoe, snowshoe, ski, or kick sled around Hegman Lake, snowmobile the Taconite Trail and so much more. “The Ely experience is a combination of outdoors, amenities, and community. Those who make the Ely area home year-round embody the passion for the outdoors and possess a spirit of independence. The community is filled with ingenuity and entrepreneurs, as evidenced by a strong art community and numerous locally made products,” Sebesta said. MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 15

Tenley Danielson, 4, reacts to Taylor Exline holding up pumpkin innards as they clean one out during an activity at the Children’s House.

‘TIS THE SEASONS Crafts focus more on inclusivity and seasons By Nell Musolf | Photos by Pat Christman

sk anyone of a certain age — probably over age 40 — and they will most likely recall that the holiday season in schools meant making turkeys out of construction paper at Thanksgiving and glittery ornaments in December. Birthdays were all about homemade cupcakes and Hawaiian Punch and of course Valentine’s Day meant individual cards for everyone. Times have changed. With an eye toward inclusivity, the majority of schools and pre-schools now concentrate more on the seasons instead of specific 16 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

holidays. At The Children’s House, Minnesota State University’s on campus daycare which serves children from six weeks of age through pre-school, the focus on seasons has come naturally. Jodi Malecha is the director as well as a part-time teacher at The Children’s House. “We primarily do seasons,” Malecha said. How, one might ask, do teachers make that happen? The answer is with a lot of creativity, imagination and some help from Mother Nature. Fall is an ideal time to take advantage of all the

bounty nature has to offer. The colorful leaves of southern Minnesota have the kids at The Children’s House raking, jumping and examining piles of leaves by the bushel. The teachers make playdough in the color of falling leaves as well as collages from leaves they’ve gathered on their daily walks. Fall also means pumpkins and apples, two items students study intently with magnifying glasses, recording the details they discover as well as the special smells that come with the fall harvest. “We pound golf tees into pumpkins, we cut open apples and describe all of the things that we find inside and outside the apple,” Malecha said. “We taste different colors of apples and chart which we like best.” Teachers lead the students in not only talking, but singing about apples and pumpkins. Teachers take advantage of the farmland surrounding Mankato, using what is around the town naturally to discuss harvests and what that means to students. “We bake pumpkin pie from pie pumpkins,” Malecha said. “We used to grow them in our garden until our tree grew too big and the pumpkins didn’t get enough sun.” The Children’s House consists of four classrooms, the Infant Room, the Toddler Room, Preschool I Room and Preschool II Room. Exploring each season as it comes up on the calendar dovetails well with The Children’s House objective to help children learn as they play. Stephani Kenward is the lead teacher in the Infant Room which has children from age six weeks to 16 months. Kenward said that even though her charges are quite young, they still manage to explore objects that infants see in the world around them. “In the fall I bring in leaves, pumpkins and gourds for the infants to feel and explore,” Kenward said. Come winter, Kenward and her students explore snow by not only touching it but also talking about temperature and the science of melting as they observe the snow go from solid to liquid. “We really stick to what is relevant and meaning to the children’s age and stage of life at The Children’s House,” Kenward said. “I try to learn each child’s interest and provide objects and

Eva Bowen looks as Melissa Allen shows her popcorn on a corn cob during an activity at the Children’s House. activities that build on those interests. Children often find so much joy in discovery of common household items such as pots, pans, dishes, towels, boxes, containers with lids, etc. These tiny people are working so hard to figure out their world.” Children in the Toddler Room, ages 16 to 35 months, explore the seasons even more thoroughly. In the fall, that means getting to know leaves very well. Said head toddler teacher Shala Anderson, “We gather leaves in buckets, throw leaves and paint with leaves. The children and I talk about what we see, how something sounds, how it smells and how it feels.” For the oldest children in The Children’s House, sharing experiences becomes a part of the

seasonal enjoyment. “The students talk about how they have picked apples or pumpkins with their family or how they have gone sledding or made pie,” preschool teacher Melissa Allen said. “They tell me things they do with their families during the holidays too.” When winter arrives, the teachers continue their hands-on lessons as they explore and celebrate the season. Shala Anderson has her students paint snow using paintbrushes and popsicle sticks. “We use our senses to learn more about the season. How does the snow feel? What color is the snow? What do we wear when it is snowing?” The activities for Anderson’s students are open-ended and Anderson asks questions to help MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 17

Liam Solomon hammers golf tees into a pumpkin under the watchful eye of Jodi Malecka at the Children’s House. the children expand on their learning. The end of winter sees Valentine’s Day, but instead of celebrating on Feb. 14, students instead focus on friendship activities during that particular week in February. During the spring, summer and fall walks are a daily ritual. “We go for walks and talk about the birds and flowers we see, as well as exploring nature—rocks, grass, tree bark, pinecones—and whatever else we come across on our campus walks,” Kenward said. “We talk about, touch, smell and sometimes even taste as many of these objects as we can to build a foundation for our students.” Of course, birthdays occur throughout the school year and the students turning a year older become the “birthday person” for the day. The birthday person gets to choose the books that are read and songs that are sung at group

time. The birthday person also has the privilege of being called first from outside and first from activities. They can decorate and wear a birthday crown if they want, but if they don’t want to that’s fine too. A birthday sign is hanging on their locker when they arrive at school as well. In the infant room, many students celebrate their first birthday with Kenward. “We celebrate by singing ‘Happy Birthday’ and talking about how they are growing and learning so much every day. I make a collage of pictures and then give it to the parents to keep as a memento,” Kenward said. “We try to make them feel special on their special day,” Malecha said. Food does not play as important a role during the seasonal explorations as it once did when celebrations were more singularly focused.

18 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

“We do not use food to celebrate. We do not need food to celebrate,” Malecha said. Instead food is worked into the ongoing curriculum. The Children’s House has a garden that is tended by students and staff where vegetables and flowers are grown. Tomatoes, lettuce and carrots are must-haves and beans, peas, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes and pumpkins have also made an appearance. The children help plant, water and weed into the summer and harvest the crops when the time comes. “We plant things that we eat, smell and touch. The children love to plant and explore the things we grow here,” Malecha said. When asked if her students seem to favor one season over another, Malecha said, “The kiddos like all of the seasons, but I think some of their favorite activities happen in the fall.” MM

The Children’s House Pumpkin Pie Recipe courtesy of Jodi Malecha:

Suzanne’s Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie Recipe 2 cups of pumpkin pulp purée from a sugar pumpkin* or from canned pumpkin purée 1 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg 1 1/2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice** 1 good crust (see pâte brisée recipe) * To make pumpkin purée from a sugar pumpkin: start with a smallmedium sugar pumpkin, cut out the stem and scrape out the insides, discard (save the seeds, of course). Cut into sections and steam in a saucepan with a couple inches of water at the bottom, until soft. Scoop out the pulp from the skin. Or you can bake whole or halved in a 350°F oven until fork tender. Optional - put pulp through a food mill or chinois to make extra smooth. ** Trader Joe’s has an exceptional pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have access to TJ’s you can use 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, and a half teaspoon of lemon zest. 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. 2. Mix sugars, salt and spices in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and add to the bowl. Stir in the pumpkin purée. Stir in cream. Whisk all together until well incorporated. 3. Pour into pie shell and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. 4. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream. Serves 8.

How to make pumpkin pie spice: 4 tsp Cinnamon 2 tsp ginger 1 tsp allspice 1 tsp nutmeg MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 19

Y A S

Linda Good of Mankato

Hoariering A reader’s essay in response to story on “Adulting” By Linda Good | File photo

o be a hoarier is to be someone with gray or white hair or one who is ancient or venerable. I am coining the term “hoariering” to denote the time and tasks when one is a senior or elder. I figure that if “adulting” is a term that millennials use to denote their becoming an independent adult, who has 20 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

completed their education, who moves into the world of work, family, and home, then we baby boomers can go about the task of “hoariering.” One might say our life is divided into seasons, and certainly when gray or white hairs appear, we are in late fall or early winter of our lives. Fall is a time for

shedding leaves, and so the fall of our lives is a time for shedding: empty-nesting, retiring from careers, and downsizing. When winter comes, nature shuts down and goes into hibernation. As we enter into the winter of our lives, we may become less active, our worlds may shrink, we may deal with issues related to health, and we may plan for our deaths. And just like fall brings with it new colors and the first beautiful white snowfall of winter makes everything look fresh and crisp, so too do the hoarier years offer new freedoms, new perspectives, and new goals. Now I offer a personal perspective of some of my reflections and projections of my hoarier years. Although these are my experiences, I think that many of them could be generalized to the graying population. As those gray hairs started to appear, our children were entering their adult years. For the first time in many years, we had our home and our leisure time to ourselves. We decided to move to a lake home now that we did not have to transport children to events all the time. We also pursued leisure activities as a couple: traveling, going to Vikings games, going out to dinner. We had more time to engage in our own hobbies. I went back to school and earned my Ph.D. We made the most of being empty-nesters. Grandchildren came. We relished this new role and often hosted the grandchildren for overnights or weekends to give their parents a break. My husband and I cherished our times with the little ones. Then the unexpected happened. My spouse was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 55. After two years of surgeries, procedures,

and chemotherapy, he died. After 37 years of marriage, I was a widow who had to navigate the rest of my life on my own. I was fortunate to hold a professional position with a good income, and I had a very nice home that was almost paid for. Although I was financially secure and had a stable environment with family close at hand, it was a difficult period. Grief is an exhausting and lonely act. I had to restart my life…alone. I had to learn to live…alone. I had to learn to make decisions…alone. Family and friends were supportive, but when it came down to it, I went home to an empty house and I was going it alone. Dealing with the death of a spouse is more than emotional; there were legal matters to close out his life. The will had to be processed. Titles on the cars and boats needed to be changed; the deed to the house and other property needed to be modified. Insurance claims had to be filed. Joint bank accounts, credit cards and other financial entanglements had to be revised. Beneficiaries on retirement accounts had to be amended. All this paperwork and appointments with lawyers was exhausting and daunting. Being a widow, I had to ask myself about remarrying. Did I need to marry? Did I want to remarry? And how does one navigate the new world of online dating, … and did I want to do that? Just a few days before my husband died, he explicitly told me to remarry; he didn’t want me to be alone. But, so far, I have learned to be content going it alone. As the years marched on another hoariering event loomed: retirement. I always thought that I would work forever because I loved teaching and enjoyed my students. However, I had been warned by others that the time would come when it was just time to retire. I met with the personnel director to check on retirement accounts and to meet with a financial adviser to plan for retirement. I made an appointment with the Social Security Office to learn about my options. Could I afford to retire? What would my income be from retirement accounts and Social Security?

What would I do about my health insurance since those benefits would go away when I retired? When would Medicare kick in? Did I need supplemental insurance in addition to Medicare? Because I had been a workaholic, it was somewhat difficult to imagine not working. I decided on phased retirement for three years. At age 65, I gave up the familiar routine of work. I have never regretted retiring and often encourage others to do so as soon as they can. I had been advised to make no commitments for a year after retirement. Indeed, I got phone calls inviting me to volunteer at several community service organizations, but I declined offers to serve on boards or volunteer. I had been warned that I would be surprised at how tired I would be after leaving academia, and that was true. So many years of working 80 hours per week had taken their toll, and, once I relaxed, I felt almost immobilized. That year off gave me time to think about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. After months of being inactive, my energy came back. All those years of surface-level cleaning because I was too busy to do deep cleaning while working resulted in a cleaning spree. I had to tackle piles of accumulations that had just been stored to avoid dealing with them. Cleaning, sorting, and organizing are a big part of the hoariering experience. Many of those tasks still remain after nine years of retirement. It’s amazing how much has been accumulated in a lifetime and then needs to be disposed of as I age and enter the later stages of life. Thus downsizing begins and will go on until I leave my home and move MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 21

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into a much smaller senior living situation. This stage of life brings new freedoms. I don’t have to be awakened by an alarm clock every morning. I can loll in bed until I feel like getting up. I don’t have to get to bed early if I feel like staying up late because I can just sleep in the next morning. I don’t typically have to be anywhere I don’t want to be. I can say “no” more frequently to requests. I can accept more invitations to brunch or lunch with friends. I have time to attend plays and movies. And I can read novels whenever I want instead of only during vacations. To me, one of the major tasks of hoariering was to determine my bucket list and work toward checking items off of it while still being flexible enough to continue to add items. My bucket list originally consisted of items like cleaning and organizing at home, learning to quilt, taking better care of my body, and traveling. All of these items remain on the list: cleaning and organizing is a neverending task; once you learn quilting, you want to make more quilts with different designs, colors, patterns, sizes, etc…; biking, walking, yoga, swimming, and kayaking will always be a part of my life as long as I am capable of moving; and once I check off one travel destination, I add new ones. When the greatgrandchildren appeared, spending time with them was added to my list. Memoir writing was another addition. Of course, the downside to aging is that our bodies begin to wear out. My doctor visits are no longer limited to annual physicals. Part of hoariering is accepting that fact and doing whatever is necessary to preserve my health and independence like taking more prescribed pills, having surgeries when necessary, participating in physical therapy, getting new glasses, and perhaps wearing a hearing aid in the future. To preserve or maintain my mental acuity, I seek stimulating activities to keep me mentally alert. Diet and exercise have become more important, as well as a priority, as I age. I realize that as I continue to accumulate years, that my activity level is decreasing. Although I am active now, perhaps in a few years I will be more content to just “be.”

22 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

I still feel that my world is literally the world, but I know it is likely that as I age I will be more content with less travel and that my world may shrink to my community and maybe just my home. The hoariering years are also times of goodbyes. Friends move on to warmer climates or relocate to be closer to their families. But there are also more final goodbyes as the names of more of my peers appear in obituaries. While millennials are celebrating weddings and christening, I am attending celebrations of life at funerals and memorial services. Since all of us eventually face an expiration date, the final task that hoariers have is that of facing our own deaths. So, it is important to get my ducks in a row to face this inevitable consequence of life. I have prepared my will, a power of attorney, and a living will. And because I’d like to hear what people have to say about me before I die, I hope to host a Celebration of Life Service when I turn 85 in lieu of a later memorial service. But, if I don’t make it to age 85, I have clarified and stated my preferences for a final goodbye service and determined how to deal with my body through anatomy donation programs at both the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic. Although this may seem like a morbid activity, it is also a freeing activity. Death is just another journey, so I need to pack my bags and be ready to go while continuing to live each day to the fullest. Just because my hair has turned white does not mean that I don’t have hoariering accomplishments to complete. Each stage of life brings its own tasks and life goes on. I might adapt the words to “The Happy Wanderer” song to “As I go a hoariering, along life’s later path, and as I go, I like to sing with my bucket list in my pack. Val-deri. Val-dera.” MM

Linda Good, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, wrote this essay in response to the July cover story on “Adulting” written by Renee Berg. Good facilitates a memoir writing group at VINE Adult Community Center.

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Mask moods created and modeled by Mankato performer, crafter and LPN Lisa Noll.

Eyes are the new lips A guide to rebalancing your style portfolio By Ann Rosenquist Fee | Submitted photos

ith all due respect to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a glaring lack of guidance is available regarding some critical aspects of healthy living in these pandemic times. And it’s not for lack of awareness on the part of CDC leadership, because I checked, and all the top-echelon folks have formidable personal style. Crisp, fresh, demonstrated prowess with statement jewelry (I’m talking to you, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director). No, it’s not a lack of fashion-forwardness that accounts for the CDC’s total failure to guide us through the aesthetic upheavals caused by the wearing of masks. It’s more likely the lack of qualified personnel. I mean who knew public health in 2020 would make such a mess of fashion, and that the simple addition of a style writer to the agency’s staff could save us from egregious confusion? Hello. I am here to help.

COPING WITH THE IRRELEVANCE OF LIP COLOR

I grasp economics exactly and only enough to be one

24 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

of those people who references “the lipstick index” whenever possible. And it has never been more possible than right now. “The Business of Fashion” explained in an Aug. 21, 2020, story that the phrase “lipstick index” was coined by former Estée Lauder Chairman Leonard Lauder during the early 2000s recession, referring to “the resiliency of cosmetics during times of economic turmoil because women turn to makeup as an affordable indulgence.” Which kind of makes it sound like affordability is the key driver, versus the emotional significance of lipstick in times of crisis or chaos. Lipstick/stain/scuff/gloss/etc. is the go-to not just for its price point but because it’s a tangible reminder of our capacity for reinvention, our ability to step out of even the most comfortable rut (e.g., Clinique Black Honey) in pursuit of the unknown (MAC Ruby Woo or, opposite direction, straight-up nothing-to-hide Chapstick — you just don’t even know how brave you can be until you let go). It’s a fresh coat of intention right there on the lips, the last stop between thinking a thing and speaking it out into the world. Turmoil means

we’re going to have to step up, and stepping requires we first feel grounded, and getting grounded requires self-care that gets all up in your actual face. Obviously masks have thrown this out of whack. “The Business of Fashion” says skin care is the new indicator, in part because so much staying at home means sooo much more time for multi-product cleanse/ exfoliate/brighten/etc. rituals. But guess what. Both “The Business of Fashion” and the local Ulta staff members who granted me an interview about this crucial topic — Mary Harmon, Emily Reinhart and Melanie Stensland — noted that skin care sales were already on the rise, pre-pandemic. I think we can all agree that this means the collective femme was already catching onto something before it was all over the news, something big about to go down, and we knew we had better be ready to face it with our t-zones under control. Harmon, Reinhart and Stensland also noted mascara sales are up, way up, with some go-to brands out of stock, which is not helping the emotional state of those brands’ loyalists. This adds up to what feels like the more complete answer: skin care + eye makeup = the new lipstick index. A next-level strategy that covers more facial real estate, emits a fragrant cloud like the spiritual equivalent of one of those plastic face shields, and gives our soul-windows maximum power to emote.

ACHIEVING HEALTHY REDISTRIBUTION OF ACCESSORIES

What are we supposed to do with our collection of dangly statement earrings that don’t work anymore because they catch on the mask straps? Are we supposed to pack away the earrings and save them? For who, for some niece who won’t have a clue what to do with statement earrings her whole entire life, because she’s coming of age right now? Also, what about chokers that don’t work anymore because there’s no such thing as a neck in the age of masks? Same with scarves. Are they supposed to work as masks, or should they complement the masks? Are scarves/masks the new shoes/handbags of matching rules? Finally, fundamentally, how do we cope with the cardinal rule known as “before you walk out the door,

look in the mirror, and take off the first thing you notice,” when the first thing we notice, now, is the mask? The action plan for this one is drastic but I swear you’ll be grateful. The action plan is pretty much Swedish death cleaning or döstädning, the guidebook for which is Margareta Magnusson’s 2018 release “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.” Here it is applied to your personal jewelry box: 1. Throw away the indisputable junk, the pieces with parts missing. Quit the delusional “maybe I’ll repurpose these” mind game. Just toss all that and don’t look back. 2. Figure out what cleaners you’ll need to do this right. Order them online. Savor the anticipation of waiting for a most exciting delivery of a most nostalgic classic such as grainy purple grandmotherly silver polish. 3. Take over the kitchen table by laying out all your notmask-friendly earrings, chokers, etc., and clean everything like you were supposed to be doing all along. 4. Decide who gets what döstädning style. Put each thing in a Ziplock with that person’s name on it. Don’t have Ziplocks or Sharpies? Order those, savor the wait, tell your family the kitchen table is off limits until your supplies arrive, spend a couple of days forced to look at all your wearable worldly goods in one place and reflect on how you acquired each piece, where you wore it, who in your life would be most excited to own it next. The point isn’t to give it to them right now; the point is to have that part figured out, so nobody else has to do it later. Also to give your accessories a sense of purpose during their little furlough. Also to entertain yourself for a good five to seven days because, let’s be honest, at this point it doesn’t take much. 5. Put all the bagged and bequeathed pieces back in the jewelry box or drawer or whatever and sink into the simplicity of the mask as your one and only statement piece this season.

SAVORING ANONYMITY WHILE ALSO NOT BEING A JERK

What if anonymity looks good on you? Like, what if you’re actually enjoying the new formality and brevity of interactions, which are fewer now anyway because you’re out and about far less? What if you like it so much that you’re not too terribly worried about when this will end, when you’ll need to start remembering names again and go back to stopping mid-aisle to chitchat with full-face expressions and then full-face smiling again when you run into that same person at the other end of the store? The fix for this is to know you’re not alone. You don’t have to feel bad, or act like you feel bad, about this social reboot. Anything but total sincerity is just going to clash with your glowing skin and emphasized eyes anyway. So skip it, stop learning how to smize and start radiating the actual authentic contentedness you actually authentically feel. No apologies. Trust that serenity looks good on you, so good that it might catch on. MM

Ann Rosenquist Fee is executive director of the Arts Center of Saint Peter and a former style columnist for Mankato Magazine. She writes about transgression and fashion at annrosenquistfee.com. MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 25

REFLECTIONS By Pat Christman

26 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

hristmas is going to look very different this year, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mankato Kiwanis Club canceled its holiday lights display in Sibley Park and other organizations already have canceled their holiday events. Family gatherings and holiday parties will be small, if they exist at all. Christmas Eve worship services will look different as well. Perhaps that is a good thing, though. Each Christmas we hear people talk about getting back to the “meaning of Christmas,” suggesting we avoid all the stress and hype and remember why we have the holiday. Perhaps the decorations will be more individual, maybe fewer gatherings, maybe less rushing around trying to find the perfect present for a distant relative we haven’t seen since last holiday season. Maybe Christmas will be better found this year in the neighborhoods with strings of bright lights around trees and rooftops and a glow in front windows as people celebrate at home. Maybe we will all remember that we are blessed to be where we are and have what we have. MM

MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 27

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John Kind at the YMCA front desk. 30 • LIVING 55 PLUS • NOVEMBER 2020 • Special Advertising Section

The Kind Of Person The World Needs Right Now By Connie Haugen Submitted Photos

eet John Kind, Executive Director at the Mankato teaching or accounting degree. After a few years at Coopers YMCA for the past 12 years, who loves every minute and Lybrand, he discovered that he now had the qualifications of his job. to teach at a technical school. He became an instructor at When John is asked whether he’s lived his whole life in the Faribault Vocational Technical Institute, where he taught Mankato, he says, “I don’t know. I’m not dead yet!” That being accounting for five years. He then taught one year at South said, who knows what’s in store for John in the years ahead! Central Technical College. John attended Mankato’s Wilson Campus School, an During those years, John did pass the CPA exam. He experimental K-12 school, from kindergarten through 10th explained that CPA means he is now qualified to Cut, Paste, grade. He then and Assemble. went to Mankato One day, John High School for got a call from Bill his junior and Kozitza, an old senior years. His buddy that he had was the last class worked with at of that school in Carlson Craft as 1973. East and photo typesetters West High Schools when they were were created the going to college. following year. Bill told him he John’s father was working for was the chairman Taylor Corporation of the Accounting and wondered if Department and on John was interested the faculty at MSU in coming to work for many years. with him. John His father asked thought, “Oh, no, him and his three he’s still at the brothers to at least same company try accounting. and is still a photo John and two of his typesetter.” John brothers became asked him what Finishing the 2010 Marathon with Warren Taylor who dared me into doing the race. accountants. John he did at Taylor attended MSU and Corporation, and graduated with a degree in accounting. He went to work for Bill replied, “I’m the CFO”. As they had goofed off some at one of the Big eight international accounting firms of Coopers Carlson Craft, it tickled John to find out that Bill was in a responsible position. John started at Taylor Corporation as and Lybrand in Minneapolis. Their building appeared on the Mary Tyler Moore Show as being where Mary Tyler Moore Assistant Controller. After about six months, he was promoted supposedly worked. “So I tell people that I worked with Mary to Controller. Tyler Moore,” John jokes. As the new guy, John was assigned to the Christmas Party When he was attending MSU, John had debated getting a Committee. At the first meeting, the group initially planned Special Advertising Section • NOVEMBER 2020 • LIVING 55 PLUS • 31

Top: Playing Pilate in the Mankato Playhouse production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Bottom: As a cast member of the Merely Players show “The Fantasticks” 32 • LIVING 55 PLUS • NOVEMBER 2020 • Special Advertising Section

to have a nice dinner, then have Glen Taylor make a few remarks, give out a few service awards, and that would be it. But John said, “Wait a minute, Isn’t this called a Christmas party? Let’s do something fun.” He and Bill Kozitza put together a skit imitating the old Johnny Carson/Ed McMahon Carnac routine—and became Kindyac. At one point in the evening, John held an unopened envelope up to his forehead and used his ESP to “answer” the question inside the envelope by stating, “1.25 per gallon.” Bill opened the envelope and read the question, “How much did Gary Zellmer spend on his wife’s perfume for Christmas?” Gary Zellmer (head of sales)—and everyone else—laughed heartily to hear that Kindyak said Gary had spent “$1.25 a gallon on his wife’s perfume! Well, the party was a success, with fun ribbing of other employees, too. After the party, Glen told John, “You are not just an accountant. We are going to look at that.” A short time later, Glen made John president of

one of the Taylor Companies. Soon John became the president of two companies. Then he became corporate Vice-President and had 12 company presidents reporting to him, from plants in Los Angeles, Idaho, Chicago, Houston, Mankato, and North Mankato. John worked for Taylor Corporation for about 25 years. John participated in many theater and musical groups in high school and college. He was the lead in his senior class play Brigadoon in high school. He acted in about a dozen plays at MSU. He was also a member of the show choir The Ellis Street Singers, where he met his wife Wendy. While working at Taylor Corporation, John served on the Board of Directors of the YMCA. He really appreciated their goals to improve people’s lives and beliefs in healthy mind, body, and spirit. The Executive Director position opened at the YMCA, and John applied. He became one of the three finalists. When John told Glen Taylor that he was one of the finalists, he feared that Glen would be angry with him. Instead, Glen said, “Well, put me down as a reference.” Glen has always been one of the YMCA’s biggest supporters. John figured that the hiring committee probably thought, if Glen Taylor thinks this guy can do the job, who are we to disagree; and they offered John the job. John is still doing a lot of theater. He just finished Jesus Christ Superstar at the Mankato Playhouse. He played Pontius Pilate, whom he had played before in Mankato Wilson’s production of the same play when he was 14. I wonder if he remembered the lines. John is the treasurer of the Mankato Playhouse Board of Directors, on the Board of the Mayo Clinic Health Systems Foundation, on the Stewardship Committee at Christ the King Lutheran Church, and just finished a term as president of Kiwanis. Other crazy things John says he has done are skydiving, running 5Ks, 10Ks, a half marathon, and one marathon. He ran the first year of the Mankato Marathon—at which time he could claim that he had run in every Mankato Marathon to date! He has performed on stage with his wife Wendy at the Guthrie Theater. He is currently a member of the quartet, Quadraphonics who have sung the Star Spangled Banner at three Twins games, two Lynx games, a Timberwolves game, numerous MSU hockey and basketball games, and at Moondogs baseball games. Other members of the

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Top: The YMCA Blue Gym is divided up into classrooms to keep the kids pod sizes down. Bottom: Quadraphonic singing at the Twins game with Pastor John Peterson, Jim Hatleli and David Holmes.

Quadraphonics include Dave Holmes, John Peterson (Pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church), and Jim Hatleli, who just retired from teaching. John said his wife Wendy is his greatest supporter. She sang in the Ellis

Street Singers. She and John have been on the Merely Player stage together. She is a great wife, mother, and grandmother, according to John. They have two daughters. Mallory is a fifth grade teacher at Franklin Elementary,

34 • LIVING 55 PLUS • NOVEMBER 2020 • Special Advertising Section

and Emma is with Patient Access at the Mayo Clinic Health System here in Mankato. They have three grandsons, ages 6, 3, and 2 months. “You never know what life will bring, but becoming a grandfather has been one of the best things ever!” John stated. Doug Faust, a long-time friend, says “One of John ‘s greatest strengths is his sense of humor. He has a positive, humorous way of looking at things. If John is frustrated, he doesn’t show it. Instead he injects humor into the situation and makes things easier.” “John is extremely friendly,” Doug went on. “When he was president of the company, he knew every employee in the company, their spouse, and children and would walk around and ask about them. John has a real ability to connect with people and make people feel good. John has a big heart, and that shows through in how he leads.” Doug Faust joined the Ellis Street Singers, where John took him under his wing, introduced him around, and made sure he felt welcome. They two of them performed in high school and college plays together, were roommates for a time, and were even in each other’s weddings.

What’s New at the YMCA?

John said the YMCA is always trying to find ways to serve the community. In the spring, many parents found that distance learning was a real challenge. So the YMCA worked with the Mankato school district to put together its Distance Learning Program to support those families that would like help. The staff provide the adult supervision to ensure kids stay on task and stay caught up with their school work. Y staff attended a school auction in the cities in the spring and purchased a bunch of dividers for about $29 total. They used the panels to divide the blue gym into ten classrooms for pods of nine kids each. The nice thing about doing the distance learning program at the YMCA is the physical fitness component. They take the kids swimming, go out on the trail, do something in the gym, etc. Kids can bring their own lunch, or West High School provides food from their free food program. There was no summer camp at Camp Patterson this year, so they did summer camp in pods of nine kids. Their AfterSchool Adventures platform continues that program. The Y’s buses pick up kids at various schools and brings them

to the YMCA, where they get a snack, do a physical activity, a life lesson, a craft, then maybe a movie. There is financial assistance through Connecting Kids and through the YMCA for qualified families. The YMCA has taken the COVID prevention seriously. A machine at the front of the building can tell if you have a mask on or not. You put your wrist up to have your temperature taken. Plastic shielding surrounds the front desk. In the wellness center by the fitness machines, only one out of three machines are still there. The rest were

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moved to storage trailers in the parking lot. People make an appointment for any activity, including swimming and the walking track. By making appointments, there is no waiting in line or coming to find that the area is full. People are loving the easy on-line scheduling software. I hope you get a chance to meet John Kind. He is just the type of person the world needs right now—positive, upbeat, and caring! I’m glad he’s in Mankato!

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Ecumen Pathstone

brings the 44th Parallel to Mankato By Marianne Carlson | Submitted photos

cumen, one of the nation’s top nonprofit providers of housing and services for older adults has been a part of the Mankato community for more than 80 years. Ecumen was founded in 1862 as a Lutheran social service agency and began serving the greater Mankato area in 1937 as the Mankato Lutheran Home. Since then, the company based in Shoreview, Minnesota, now operates nearly 100 properties and services in more than

36 • LIVING 55 PLUS • NOVEMBER 2020 • Special Advertising Section

40 communities across the country. This winter, Ecumen will open the doors to their first Independent Living community called Latitude and a new Memory Care community called Landing. “We’re so delighted to be adding this service to our community, offering residents a full continuum of care, and welcoming new residents in February,” said Jennifer Pfeffer, regional operations director for Ecumen. “Construction is well

Sales office visits are by appointment only, and can be made by calling (507) 381-3255 or visiting ecumenpathstone.org/latitude.

underway and we’ve begun to take reservations at our new storefront sales office. We’re excited to meet our potential residents in this new space.” The storefront sales office is located on 600 S. Riverfront Dr., Mankato, and also will house The Ecumen Store. The Ecumen Store’s hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday - Friday. “We wanted to have an off-campus place where we can safely invite our neighbors in to see floor plans, review artist renderings of the space, and ask questions,” Pfeffer said. Latitude will feature Scandinavian-influenced architecture and furnishings. All of the floor plans are named after other cities around the world that are on the 44th Parallel North. “It will be 56 independent living apartments with over 12 floor plans to choose from,” said Angie Andresen, Ecumen Communications Director. “We will also have some amazing amenities in the community that reflect the Scandinavian theme as well. The club room – Club 44 – includes a fireplace as well as pool and poker tables. This will be a great place to relax, entertain guests and socialize with other residents.” “The rooftop terrace called Telescope Terrace offers breathtaking views of the Minnesota River Valley bluffs,” Andresen said. “We’ll have grills and seating in a beautiful outdoor patio space.” The Cardinal Point learning center, Parallel fitness room and

Compass Corner activity room offer more shared spaces for safe community and private gatherings, Andresen said. “We are excited to work with educational speakers and offer learning opportunities in partnership with area higher education institutions and other organizations in the learning center,” Andresen explained. Part of this reconstruction includes relocating the current memory care community, Pfeffer said. A brand new 24-apartment Memory Care will be on the main floor of Pathstone Latitude. With the addition of Independent Living, the Pathstone community offers comprehensive care services, including Rehabilitation/Transitional Care, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Adult Day, Care Center, Home Care and The Ecumen Store. When asked about the difference between assisted living and independent living, Andresen explained that independent living is perfect for those looking for maintenance-free living, a community, amenities, and it best suited for those who aren’t needing services, such as meals or other support. “For those who would like meal service or need additional support, assisted living is a better fit,” she said. “Our team is always happy to consult with families to help determine the right option for them.” Right now, staff is meeting with families at their storefront location to see if Latitude is the perfect fit. “We are welcoming reservations and have some amazing promotional pricing for the first 20 people to reserve an apartment,” Andresen said. “For some time, we’ve been asking what people in this community are looking for in terms of living spaces,” Pfeffer said. “What we’ve heard is, that in addition to the location and amenities, people want to live in a welcoming community and in a place they trust -- especially at this time. We’re so proud to have been part of this community for more than 80 years, and we look forward to serving even more people at Latitude.” Special Advertising Section • NOVEMBER 2020 • LIVING 55 PLUS • 37

Help Needed

Mankato Organizations Rescue Christmas By Marianne Carlson | Submitted photos

he catch phrase, “Things are going to look a little different this year” seems to apply to just about everything in life these days – school, shopping, work and recreation. What about the holidays? Yep … those too. And with the state of the world right now, there is a lot of need this year, said Leslie Johnson Business Administrator at The Salvation Army, Mankato But how services are provided has changed significantly due to the pandemic. “The building is closed to the public, so everyone needs to make an appointment,” Johnson explained. “We have changed the way that we are handling emergency social services. Although no one is allowed in the building we are still feeding people. It is a grab and go situation.” The main office location on Riverfront Drive does not take 38 • LIVING 55 PLUS • NOVEMBER 2020 • Special Advertising Section

food, clothing or furniture donations, only monetary donations, Johnson explained. However, the Family Store on Star Street does. “They are taking donations on a restricted basis,” Johnson said. “I encourage everyone to please call ahead and make sure they are not full for the day. They have lots of new rules they have to abide by. They have to let donations sit for 72 hours before they can put the new items out on the floor. We have to protect our team and protect the people who are shopping with us.” Johnson said they recently launched a Loyalty Program at the Family Thrift Store. “If you spend $5 or more you get a punch on your loyalty card and once your card is full you get $5 off your next purchase,” Johnson explained. “We wanted to do something to

reward people who have been faithful and stayed with us through Covid.” “We are still doing pickups for large donations like furniture but this is also on a restricted basis,” said Lieutenant Andrew Wheeler. “There are no sameday opportunities so please plan ahead and call ahead. We are trying to keep people safe.” Although the way they deliver services has changed, Wheeler said, he and his small group of co-workers have all learned a lot. “If I’m being honest, we have actually learned how to function at higher levels,” Wheeler said. “We have really embraced this online system and become incredibly efficient. We have a small team and we have been able to not only do as well as we did before but better. This online system has helped us meet more specific needs. I feel like we have been able to help the whole person not just one situation. Because we can’t meet in person, I feel like it has forced us to ask better, more significant questions.” As many people know The Salvation Army provides many services for people in need without judgment or discrimination. In October, The Salvation Army held their annual Bundle Me Warm program that offers new and gently used coats and winter outer apparel to children and adults. This program is free and available to everyone in need. This year they limited the number of people inside the building to 10 at a time, Johnson said. The seasonal shelter will open on Sunday, November 1st and it will remain open until Wednesday, March 31. The Salvation Army has always been a night time, men only shelter, Johnson explained. However this year, they will be transforming to daytime shelter for individuals and families. “We are partnering with Connections Shelter on that,” Johnson said. “We have been working with them for about a year on this project.” Connections Shelter is part of Connections Ministry, connecting neighbors facing food, housing, and employment insecurity with resources and assistance. Connections Ministry began as a coalition of downtown churches in Mankato, coming together to best serve those in the community. Through these intentional relationships built through their Community Connectors, it was determined that one of the best ways they could make a difference was to

Volunteers help serve up meals.

open a rotating shelter. Since its inception in 2016 the shelter has housed 278 guests including families. The youngest person was four months old and the oldest was 80. Over 350 volunteers from 16 churches across the entire theological spectrum have kept the shelter alive through the winter months and worked hard in the summer to prepare for the next year. Connections will no longer be a rotating shelter. It now has a permanent location at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Mankato. They have expanded to 35 beds and they are a year round low barrier emergency shelter. For the first time in a very long time, the Thanksgiving Day meal will not be

held at the Salvation Army, Johnson said. “For years and years the Elks Lodge has hosted the meal here,” Johnson said. “There are always hundreds of people that want to help and we simply can not accommodate the sit down dining.” “This year the Thanksgiving Day meal will be prepared at the Loose Moose, said Exalted Ruler of the Elks Lodge Andy Conn. “We usually serve around 300 people but this year we are anticipating around 500 to show up. This will not be a sit down meal. We will be doing delivery and boxed lunches to go. People can just show up and pick up their food from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. unless we run out of food faster than that.”

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to fill out all kinds of forms for school. We also have all of the instructions in both English and Spanish which is so nice.” Echo Food Shelf is looking for volunteers to help put all of the Thanksgiving Baskets together. “We are looking for volunteers to come in once a week right now,” Esqueda said. Then we need volunteers to coming for a day or a half day from November 9 to November 20. If people would rather not have contact with clients we respect that and we will work with them. In the past, we’ve had groups from banks, Mayo Clinic, and groups of realtors that want to do this together. We would love to have them back again this year.” Johnson said they are also making changes to The Salvation Army’s Christmas assistance program this year as well. “We will not be screening for the Holiday Sharing Tree this year and they will not be doing Toys For Tots,” Johnson said. “We will have Christmas food basket applications but this year they will be gift certificates. People can apply online in December and then we will mail the certificates to them.” The Salvation Army will not be doing Christmas Day meal,” Johnson said. “That might be subject to change, but right now with the kitchen being closed to the public, we have no way to create the meal,” Johnson explained. The most important program weighing heavy on the hearts and minds of everyone at the Salvation Army right now is bell ringing and the Red Kettle campaign. “ 2020 was already a hard year in general and then Covid hit which made everything a million times more challenging,” Wheeler said. “We’ve had to say goodbye to people and businesses in our community. When things are tough, the holidays always bring people together. Co-workers and family members might normally do group ringing as a way to raise people’s spirits but that is not going to happen this year.” Johnson said they are still waiting on approval from people to see if they can be out in front of their stores this year. “We don’t have a lot of info this year yet,” Wheeler said. “But we have some expectations like there will be no group ringing. No more than two people can ring together so we can’t have bands out there playing or whole troops ringing together.” One suggestion Wheeler made as an

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alternative to ringing together as family is to sponsor a kettle for the day. “This is a rewarding way to honor a family member,” Wheeler said. “People can see their name every time they pass that particular kettle stand.” “The Red Kettle campaign is our largest fundraiser of the year which provides for 75% of our income,” Johnson said. “Right out of the gate we are only ringing for 26 days this year and now we are up against Covid. We really need the community support. This year we are hoping to make up what we will be missing from bell ringing by working with businesses on corporate sponsorships. The best you can support us is through a monetary donation.” Wheeler said he is happy to come into any business and let them know exactly what the Salvation Army does and where their money is going. “One thing I think we could do better here is making sure our story is told,” Wheeler said. “One of my favorite things I get to do is educate people about what we do and how we do it. Johnson agreed, “I have been here six year and I always say that we are the best kept secret in Mankato. I feel like there is so much educating that could be done. We are happy to answer any questions about what we do with the Red Kettle money. We do so much that people don’t know about. We are here for people who have exhausted every resource and we are here to provide hope.” On the note of being hopeful, Wheeler wanted to mention that they offer a nondenominational church service every Sunday at 10 a.m. In the Youth Center. “It is a small gather and we social distance with masks,” Wheeler said. “We also have hand sanitizer for anyone who might need it. Really, our mission here is to meet human needs in Jesus name without discrimination. If someone needs help, we want to help them.”

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Food & Beer

LET'S EAT!

By Dan Greenwood

southern mn style Steve Wegman and his wife, Dani Wegman, relocated their restaurant from Lake Crystal in 2014 to its current location.

FUN FARE

Weggy’s offers typical, and not so typical, American fare By Dan Greenwood | Photos by Pat Christman

eggy’s on Campus, a restaurant near Minnesota State University known for its breakfasts, was a Lake Crystal staple for years before owners Steve and Dani Wegman relocated the eatery to Mankato in 2014. The breakfasts, which feature familiar American fare such as omelets, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, country fried steak and biscuits and gravy, were so popular that the duo made the decision to serve them all-day, every day. Steve Wegman said he and his staff live by the mantra: “Make it

like you would eat it.” “Everything is fresh,” he said. “We have people that are chopping tomatoes, onions and green peppers daily. We try to avoid anything that’s frozen. It’s basically just making stuff that’s good.” The restaurant, at 1600 Warren St., also has its share of unique offerings to tailor every craving, from the Belly Buster – a mound of hash browns covered with tomatoes, onion and green peppers smothered in melted cheese and bacon and topped with two eggs – to the health conscious Popeye omelet, made from egg whites and

44 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

filled with fresh spinach. “We do a lot of stuff now with egg whites, more vegetarian and gluten-free options,” Wegman said. “You follow the trends.” But, of course, some menu items have always been popular; pancakes are a top seller with nearly a dozen options to choose from. “We do blueberry, strawberry, peanut butter cup. We’re not your typical restaurant in terms of everything being plain Jane,” he said. Customers can order the lobster Benedict, covered with lobster

Patrons eat at Weggy’s on Campus — a local staple featuring American fare. meat, poached eggs and a creamy hollandaise sauce, to the Elvis omelet with peanut butter and bananas. Avocados are one of the top ingredients. “I would have never thought we would go through three cases of avocados every weekend, but that’s where we’re at,” Wegman said. “We go through 1,000 pounds of hash browns a week.” The restaurant opens early and closes late with a lunch and dinner menu of wraps, salads, malts and an extensive burger menu featuring a play on words.The Book’Em Dan-O Burger, a catch phrase from the old television show “Hawaii Five-O,” is appropriately topped with Swiss cheese, grilled pineapple and teriyaki sauce. For fans of the sweet and savory, there’s a burger on the menu smothered with peanut butter, jelly and topped with bacon. Customers will find plenty of clever and familiar local nods, such as the Maverick Burger, topped with a fried egg, and the MoonDog Burger, along with usual toppings is also stuffed with deep fried mozzarella sticks and a special homemade sauce. “We have a lot of fun and a lot of

parodies on other things. Instead of a California burger, we call it a Minnesota Burger,” Wegman said. “Our menu says, ‘Why should Californians get all the credit?’ We’re really tongue-and-cheek. We don’t take ourselves overly seriously.” Since relocating, Weggy’s has more recently acquired the two adjacent properties at University Square for more prep space and extra seating to accommodate the weekend rushes. They opened Krusty’s Doughnuts next door at the end of 2019 and have since incorporated those doughnuts into their breakfast menu. “Since we make fresh doughnuts next door, we came up with the Homerwich, which is a big homemade glazed doughnut with eggs and sausages to make a sandwich.” Wegman said he and his staff like to experiment with different dishes, referring to his kitchen as a laboratory of sorts. “We redo menus a few times a year, adding new things, taking out things that may not be overly popular,” he said. “But I’d say 80-90% of the menu is the same as when we started.”

Weggy’s on Campus added an outdoor seating patio in response to COVID-19.

What:

Weggy’s on Campus

Where:

1600 Warren St, Mankato

What they’re known for:

All-day breakfasts including Benedicts, omelets, pancakes, waffles; burgers, sandwiches, wraps and salads for dinner

MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 45

COMMUNITY DRAWS By Kat Baumann

46 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

BEER

By Bert Mattson

Roast and Roots

he prevailing trend is to understand a thing by looking at the root. The American Thanksgiving tale doesn’t really reach anywhere near the root - the “pilgrims and Indians” story was a Progressive Era invention aimed at establishing a collective mythos for a nation swelling with immigration. Even by conventional standards, Plymouth didn’t host the first Thanksgiving on these shores. Some historians point to an English expedition searching for the Northwest Passage. Others trace it to French settlers in Canada. The tradition was cross-cultural; Winters were hard and crops uncertain. Indigenous harvest rituals predated European arrival by centuries. A t i t s ro o t , T h a n k s g i v i n g i s a harvest festival. Perhaps amid the sooty industrialization of the turn of the 19th century, the imprint of the brutality of agrarian existence didn’t suffice for spinning a common thread for the social fabric for a nation. So the allegory was dressed up. Here comes winter, after a summer of pandemic reminding us of the interconnected nature of our lives. Consider that the Three Sisters of Native American foodways are corn, beans, and squash. Whatever regional specialties might land on an American’s table, it likely represents the sisters in some fashion. From pintos and tortillas to black-eyed peas and cornbread to green beans and cob corn… it’s kind of amazing. Anyway, re-centering on the universal comfort of culinary tradition, while confronted with a flurry of question marks, might not be so much indulgent as prescriptive. And because I tend to see things through the lens of a beer bottle, I’m going to do that.

Eat....Drink...Be Thankful!

I read somewhere that Ben Franklin preferred turkeys to eagles as national icons go (something about the latter’s propensity for poaching fish from other animals). I’m just glad we don’t have to eat the former. In recent years, turkey seems to have headed in as many directions as corn and beans. Smoked and fried seems almost as common as roasted. With any of them I like a brown ale. Generally I’m not a huge advocate of the style, but it creeps into my mind this time of year. It seems to reflect the season: a little earthy sweetness, sometimes nutty, balanced, and -in the case of Mankato Brewery’s Break Away Brown Ale — a hint of smoke. The malt bill in Break Away mirrors the Maillard reaction that occurs in the bird’s roasting process. There’s just enough alcohol and carbonation to cut through a rich gravy and lift fats from the palate. Malt sweetness contrasts the salt, and subtle smoke complements it. It works with slightly sweet roasted root vegetables as well. Pumpkin pie deserves porter. I wait all year for this. I’d much rather pair the two than buy a pumpkin pie porter. The texture of porter mirrors a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, as notes of coffee and chocolate contrast it. Counterintuitively, porter elevates pumpkin pie spice. Schell’s Fort Road Porter should work. This Thanksgiving, consider that an allegory of sharing a table may be literally false, but metaphorically true. Bert Mattson is a chef and writer based in St. Paul. He is the manager of the iconic Mickey’s Diner. bertsbackburner.com

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 47

COUNTRY MINUTES By Nicole Helget

The dogs of Oshawa Township Part 10

Anxiety, COVID and the comfort of animals

ike many people, I presume, I find myself startled out of sleep several times a night, every night. I snap my eyes open and gasp, realize I’m drenched in sweat and that my heart is racing. I take short breaths and exhale erratically. My jaw hurts from grinding my teeth. I reach over to feel my husband’s chest, the rise and fall of his night breathing. I sigh and try to calm myself. I don’t have COVID, and, as far as I know, haven’t. It’s not menopause either, I don’t think. Is it nightmares, dreams that come and go in the normal sleep cycles? No, not exactly. It’s anxiety, infiltrating what it is supposed to be a time of rest and restoration. Anxiety is an emotion. An emotion is the correlation of feelings such as worry, nervousness and fear of the unknown and physical reactions such as sweating, shallow breaths, shaking, racing heart beats. I’ve experienced anxiety all of my life, mostly manifesting in times where someone was shouting or shaming or where I’m in a large group of people. I’ve definitely had anxietyinduced asthma attacks and tingly fingers right before classes I’m supposed to teach or public presentations I’m supposed to deliver. Generally, I can identify exactly what is causing the reaction and get a hold of myself by pacing, going outside, rinsing my hands and face with cold water, exhaling mindfully, and doing self-talk along the lines of

“everything is fine” and naming what is happening to my body. “You are having an anxiety attack. You can manage this. You know what to do.” In these cases, I don’t think these manifestations of fear or nervousness are unhealthy. Usually, they feel like pretty normal reactions to triggers that are supposed to induce me to act. So, call out a mansplainer, a bigot, or Karen for abusive language or make sure I am prepared to deliver my craft class or public reading, for instance. These nights, though, I don’t know why I’m experiencing nighttime anxiety attacks or what I am supposed to do. I don’t know what physical actions I’m supposed to take that can address the anxiety because it’s coming from sources I can’t immediately address. Especially in the middle of the night, several times a night. So, often, what I do is grab my phone off the bed stand, tap it awake, and scroll Twitter for funny animal videos until I’m drowsy again. I really recommend “The Dodo” where you can enjoy heartwarming stories of rescued feral dogs or stories of how a cranky old man experienced a personal transformation when he let a stray kitten into his life. I also really love “Animals are Jerks” where you can watch smarty-pants cats play tricks on unassuming dogs by teasing them outside and then closing the door on them or a wizened old dog snap at a yapping whippersnapper puppy to shut

48 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

up. When that doesn’t work, I head downstairs to the kitchen to get a drink of water and see what my own dogs are doing. One of the great things about labs is that they are always happy to see you. As soon as I cross into the kitchen, Polar Bear is alert, up, and wagging his tail with his whole butt, slapping against the wall, the stool, the cupboards, and then my legs. “Shh, shh, shh,” I tell him. “You’ll wake up the whole house, you big oaf.” Pony is comfortable on her rug and doesn’t get up, but she does raise her eyes to mine and seems unsurprised to see me again. I get a glass of water and sit down at the table. Once again, I tap my phone awake and rather than searching for animal videos, I search for my top information sources: Yashar Ali, who always seems to have some first hand insight into everything, Daniel Dale, a fact checker who examines the candidate’s statements for veracity, Sarah Kendzior, an expert on authoritarianism, Yamiche Alcindor, White House correspondent; and public health experts, international journalists, and thought leaders. Even though I know I caught all of the breaking news before I went to bed, I still have this overwhelming urge not to be caught off guard, not to miss something. This year, something is always happening. Won’t my knowing about it as soon as possible somehow better position me to … What? Do something about it? Control

it? Have power over it? Take a big breath before it affects my community, my family, me? Polar Bear sits next to me and slops his gigantic paw on my thigh. I dig my fingers into the ring of fluff and fat around his neck. He leans into it and groans. Pony, suffering from pain in her aging hips, slowly stands and comes over and presses her face into my other leg. I rub her velvety ears. In this moment, I wonder if there is anything better than being squeezed on either side by big dogs. The nausea that comes with waning anxiety is here now, but it’s a sign that the tangible physical effects of fear, sorrow, and worry are subsiding. After it too settles, I rise and step to the window that looks out over the yard and fields. I am grateful to live in such a peaceful and protected place, and like all the armchair therapists recommend, catalogue my list of privileges. I remind myself that this time is so much worse for so many people. I also consider what I’ve been telling my kids and writing cohorts: prepare yourself for the fact that the fall will likely be worse, with more sickness, division, upheaval, callousness, and uncertainty. My heart starts racing again. I can’t get a big breath. Pony and Polar Bear can smell the nervous sweat on me. Once again, they take a post at either side and squeeze. We stare out the window for a long time.

Nicole Helget is a multi-genre author. Her most recent book, THE END OF THE WILD, is a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, a Parents' Choice Award Winner, a Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book, a New York Public Library Best Books for Kids, a Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Book, an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students, a Best STEM Trade Books for Students K-12, a Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee, and the Minnesota Book Awards Middle Grade Winner. She works as a teacher, manuscript guide, editor, and ghostwriter. She lives in rural St. Peter with her family and dogs. You can follow the Dogs of Oshawa Township at @TheOshawa on Twitter.

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 49

GARDEN CHAT By Jean Lundquist

Jumping worms have been spotted in Minnesota. No earthworm is native to Minnesota, but jumping worms are worse. Photo Josef Gorres, University of Vermont via Minnesota DNR

JUMPIN’ WORMS Invasive species hit Minnesota

ust when we thought it was safe to go back outside, a new and terrible-sounding invasive species has entered Minnesota and is knocking on our doors. It is the jumping worm (Amynthas). It’s also called the snake worm, Alabama jumper, or crazy worm. They are real. They have been found in the Twin Cities metro area since 2006, then in western suburbs and near Rochester. Though none has yet been identified in Blue Earth County, they’ve been found in Freeborn, Rice and Carver counties. No earthworms of any kind are native to Minnesota, and all offer some negative impact or another. But the jumping worms are the worst – so far. They live on the surface of the soil, and in the top few inches of soil. They don’t create burrows. They eat all the nutrients that feed the soil, called “duff,” then they go below ground just a few inches and feast on the roots of plants – all plants, including grass. As they devour all that is good in the soil, they leave behind what looks like coffee grounds or cat litter. As water runs through this substance (worm waste), it causes erosion, and plant death leads to more erosion. This will be devastating to not only forests but gardens, cropland and prairie. 50 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

So because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as there are no known chemicals useful for killing jumping worms once they arrive, here’s what you are looking for. Jumping worms look a lot like other earthworms here but are different in small but significant ways. First, they move like snakes. They get very active when agitated and appear to be jumping. This is different from how a red wiggler (used for composting) reacts to being injured. Red wigglers appear to be trying to tie themselves in knots. Jumping worms jump. There are several ways for jumping worms to be introduced to an area. Mostly gardeners and anglers need to be on the lookout for these tiny monsters. Some common ways for these invaders to take up residence is by hitching a ride in moving, mulch, compost and soil, including potted plants. Also, many times red wigglers advertised as composting worms are contaminated with jumping worms. Bait worms, especially night crawlers, are also common introductions for jumping worms as they also may be contaminated. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources terrestrial invasive species coordinator Laura Van Riper

said anglers are often excited to find these active worms in their bait. The truth is, however, that they don’t stay on the hook well as they fall apart. In fact, a jumping worm will lose its tail when agitated, and the tail will continue to flail. Anglers are encouraged to dispose of all unused bait, including minnows and leeches, in the trash. Now for gardeners, the task can be a bit more complicated. Jumping worms produce cocoons in late summer and early fall. Then, the adult dies. But the cocoons hatch in the spring and mature by summertime. These cocoons can attach to garden equipment, shoes, gloves and carts. All need to be cleaned before moving from one area to another, even in your own yard, according to the DNR and the University of Minnesota Extension Office. If you are fortunate enough to have a friend offer you a plant from their garden, before bringing it home, rinse it down to bare root before transporting. If you want to conduct a census of the worms residing in your soil, the Extension Office offers this idea. It’s called “Liquid Extraction.” Into a gallon of water, mix 1/3 cup or so of ground yellow mustard, the kind found on spice racks in stores. This is enough to treat a square foot of soil. Remove everything above the soil, such as leaves, grass and the like. Then pour the mustard water over the soil. Worms, if there are any, should appear almost immediately. Place the worms into a container filled with rubbing alcohol to anesthetize the worms. Repeat with the remaining mustard water another two times over a 5- to 10-minute period, letting the water penetrate to the deeper-dwelling worms. The first pouring should reveal any jumping worms, however, as they don’t dig very deep. If you find anything you think might be a jumping worm, Van Riper asks you to report it on the DNR website. I think next summer we all should do at least one “liquid extraction.”

Jean Lundquist is a Master Gardener who lives near Good Thunder. gardenchatkato@gmail.com

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2020 • 51

FROM THIS VALLEY By Pete Steiner

IMAGINE I

n his final interview, just hours before he died, John Lennon told Dave Sholin of RKO Radio he’d had a burst of inspiration after a five-year complete break from the music business. Now, 10 years after the demise of the Beatles, Lennon was releasing a collaboration with wife, Yoko Ono, the album “Double Fantasy.” The first single, “Starting Over,” was a statement song. He told Sholin, “I consider my work won’t be finished until I’m dead… I hope that’s a long time….” Later that night, he would be gunned down outside his New York residence by a 25-year-old deranged fan. Lennon had just turned 40. He had told a reporter, “Life begins at 40.” People magazine, in a memorial cover story, said that quiet period from 1975-80 had John concentrating on home life, raising his and Yoko’s son, Sean. As People put it, “a revolutionary attempt to lead a normal life.” Playboy’s David Sheff, in an extensive interview published just after the murder, said Lennon told him that he rarely listened to music, except for jazz, that rock music “was boring.” (Lennon could afford a homebody lifestyle: His wealth at the time was estimated at $200 million.) nnnn The evening of Dec. 8, 1980, I was a country DJ, spinning records of Merle Haggard (another cultural giant) and Buck Owens (whom the Beatles loved) for whomever might not have been watching “Monday Night Football.” Legendary commentator Howard Cosell broke into the football broadcast in stentorian tones, announcing to millions the tragic news about John Lennon. Some called it the first “celebrity assassination.” I hadn’t listened to a lot of pop

for a couple of years, except for crossover stuff by Ronstadt, Kenny Rogers, and the Eagles. In my humble opinion, ‘70’s pop in general was not artistically memorable: For every “Bridge over Troubled Water” by Paul Simon, you had maybe three stupid ditties like “Boogie, Oogie, Oogie, Get Down!” and “Disco Duck” and “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough!” The Bee Gees were huge with “Saturday Night Fever,” but it was more the danceable disco beats than the lyrics or tunes that were memorable. After the breakup of the Beatles, Lennon released “Imagine” in 1971. Many will disagree, but I think that’s the one of his solo singles that will stand the test of time. So brilliant as a team with 20 No. 1 singles, in their solo careers Paul McCartney concentrated on catchy, pleasing “silly love songs,” while John took half of the ‘70’s off. Still, Lennon had been restless and searching since childhood. He had hardly known his father, who had been at sea for much of World War II, and by the time he returned, John’s mother, Julia, was with another man. Then she was killed in a car accident when John was just 17, and some say he never recovered. He told interviewer Sheff, of his songwriting collaborations with McCartney, “I would always go for the sadness, the discord (listen to ‘A Day in the Life’)… I always asked why society was like it was….” nnnn It could be argued that Lennon and the Beatles, along with Elvis and Marilyn, had used modern media, especially television, to help create the celebrity culture that Lennon loathed. “I’ve had enough of screaming fans… Everyone wants a piece of you,”

52 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

he had told Scheff for the Playboy interview. For those not aware of the ‘60s, it’s hard to conceptualize the vast cultural – not just musical – influence of the Beatles. Their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964 drew one of the biggest TV audiences of all time, while concerts drew so many obsessed, screaming fans, the music could hardly be heard. They influenced fashion and hairstyles – I’ve written before how my barber, Dave, said the Beatles’ mop-tops had ruined his business. The “Fab Four” gave a big boost to the drug culture and alternative lifestyles with their own experimentations. They were on dozens of magazine covers; Pinterest features Beatles’ cover design ideas to this day. nnnn We have now lived 40 years without John Lennon, the same number of years we had him alive. His surviving Beatles mates, McCartney and Ringo Starr, continue to have thriving music careers (Beatles lead guitarist, George Harrison, died in 2001). We obviously will never know what more Lennon might have given us. At any rate, it’s doubtful he would ever have gone “gently into that goodnight.” Would he have gone into the studio with Bob Dylan, as he had said he would like to do? Maybe even with Prince, perhaps the only comparable cultural figure to Lennon who has died in the last few years. While they still were communicating, the four Beatles were never all in the same room again after 1970. Might they have ever gotten back together, even if just in the studio, to try re-creating the magic one more time? About that, we can only imagine. Longtime radio guy Pete Steiner is now a free lance writer in Mankato.

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54 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

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