From the Editor

JULY 2022 • VOLUME 17, ISSUE 7

MAGAZINE EDITOR

Robb Murray

DESIGNER Christina Sankey

PHOTOGRAPHER Pat Christman

COPY EDITOR Kathy Vos

CONTRIBUTORS James Figy Jean Lundquist Leticia Gonzalez Ann Rosenquist Fee Pete Steiner Nick Healy Dana Melius Renee Berg

ADVERTISING SALES Danny Creel Jordan Greer-Friesz Josh Zimmerman Theresa Haefner Tim Keech

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Barb Wass

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Christina Sankey

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Justin Niles

PUBLISHER Steve Jameson

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Joe Spear

Mankato Magazine is published by The Free Press Media monthly at 418 South Second Street, Mankato MN 56001.

To subscribe, call 1-800-657-4662 or 507-625-4451. $59.88 for 12 issues.

For all editorial inquiries, call Robb Murray 507-344-6386, or email rmurray@mankatofreepress.com.

For advertising, call 344-6364, or e-mail advertising@mankatofreepress.com.

By Robb Murray

And the winners are …

Singing the praises of our community never gets old.

Each year at Mankato Magazine, we dedicate the July edition to the people, restaurants and businesses that make this community what it is. Is there a better use for a regional lifestyles magazine? We think not. And the readers tell us every year that it’s their favorite issue.

For my part, I get to chat with a few of the winners. And I was delighted this year to be able to speak with Kelly Bunde, the winner of Best Tattoo Artist.

This is the first year we’ve offered this category. We’ve tried to add categories as readers ask for them. But this one seems long overdue.

I’ve known Kelly for several years. We’ve had kids in marching band together, so I’ve gotten to know her and her family. Great people. Which is why it was so heartening to be able to interview her. Kelly is very humble — and very good at what she does. And when asked about how it felt to win, she gave credit to Mecca Tattoo owner Megan Hoogland and the other artists at the shop. (Trust me, I’ve done many of these interviews, and they don’t always go that way. Pro tip: A bit of humility goes a long way.)

This year’s winners include some fresh faces, which is nice to see. Don’t get me wrong: It’s always good to see consistency. But mixing in some fresh names when handing out awards isn’t bad either. My sense is that most of our businesses and people are just out here doing the best they can. A little recognition — especially when we’re still in tough times — can give a little boost.

So I hope you enjoy our 2022 Best of Mankato issue. We love bringing it to you every year.

Also in this issue, we introduce you to Ronda Redmond. You may know her from her work at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota or the Arts Center of Saint Peter. But you certainly remember her competing in the mullet competition for Hockey Day Minnesota, right? Of course! Who could forget.

And our restaurant feature this month takes us all the way to Winthrop where there’s a little pizza place called Poppy’s Pizza. Sounds like a Poppy’s slice is definitely worth the trip.

Our Day Trip Destinations feature this month is a good example of how that piece of Mankato Magazine is evolving. We used to run that feature to give you ideas of where you could go for, as the name implies, on a day trip. But this month we’re introducing you to Iron River, Michigan, which is certainly not doable as a “day trip.”

Says Iron River resident Benjamin Garcia, “They call the Upper Peninsula God’s country, and I’m inclined to agree. It’s beautiful here.”

And in Nick Healy’s Lit du Nord piece, he writes of developing an emotional connection to Leif Enger’s book, “So Brave, Young and Handsome.” It’ll make you want to read it not because you should, but because you simply have to.

The Free Press

Robb Murray is associate editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at 344-6386 or rmurray@mankatofreepress.com.