From the Editor

APRIL 2022 • VOLUME 17, ISSUE 4

MAGAZINE EDITOR

Robb Murray

DESIGNER Christina Sankey

PHOTOGRAPHERS Pat Christman Jackson Forderer

COPY EDITOR Kathy Vos

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

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. $35.40 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

A song of ice, trash and pods

By the time this issue gets to you, the amount of ice covering lakes and rivers should be minimal. But because we love our readers and we didn’t want them to forget the fact that we, as Minnesotans, are bold and hardy and aren’t afraid of a little cold, we thought we’d introduce you to people who submerge themselves in ice water for the health of it.

Have you heard of the cold water immersion wellness trend? It’s not exactly new, but it isn’t mainstream either. The practice goes back, literally centuries. Ancient Greeks and Egyptians are said to have dabbled in it. Even our own Thomas Jefferson reportedly began each day with a cold water foot bath to keep him healthy. (Oh, the mysteries of Monticello!)

In our neck of the woods, people are practicing the art of cold-water immersion to a rather extreme degree.

Vusa Bentley, known regionally for her work as a personal trainer, is one such person. We followed Bentley into the woods recently (in a totally legit, non-creepy manner, by the way) to watch her dip her tiny-but-athletic frame into the icy waters of the Blue Earth River. While it was certainly a spectacle, Bentley did a nice job of explaining its physical and mental health benefits. She even brought along a first-time ice dipper.

It looks insane. It’s absolutely freezing. But it might be worth your time if you’re looking to spice up your wellness routine. But maybe start with a cold shower, right? Leave the river to the experts.

If you choose to go all out and replicate Bentley’s “in the presence of nature” approach, we suggest you first read our piece this month by Natalie Rademacher. She did a deep dive on waste disposal in the Mankato area, so while you’re soaking in 35-degree water and the adrenaline gets your mind reeling about ways to make the world a better place, let it reel over to environmentalism, pollution and the ways our community has come up with — or hasn’t come up with — to deal with waste in a manner that best suits the needs of a warming climate.

Natalie has a passion for this stuff, and it shows in the care and depth she brought to this reporting.

Elsewhere in this month’s Mankato Magazine: n You might have noticed something a little … different about the cover. It’s been revamped. Every few years we decide to shake things up a little bit around here. This is one of those times. We thought the new design gives it a bolder, cleaner, fresher look. It’s the brilliant work of Christina Sankey. She doesn’t get a lot of credit, but the magazine looks as good as it does because of her. n The next time you fire up a podcast, consider listening to some produced right here in the Mankato area. From the hip confines of the Triple

Falls solarium studio to the cyber crime student experts at Minnesota State University, to the drag queens behind the

“Drag Me With a Spoon,” there’s podcasting creativity in every corner of this community. You just have to look for it. n Patrons of Mankato Brewery’s taproom, such as myself, will recognize Samantha Rubene in our Familiar Faces feature.

Sam’s forgotten more about beer than you’ll ever know. And you won’t find a friendlier face to pour a pint of Mad Butcher fresh from the keg.

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