The Free Press MEDIA
Maddie Diemert MAY 2020
$2.95
Did you know? We are here for you during these challenging times. Many of us are feeling a lack of control and unease about the current situation. We value you and what you bring to the community and want to help you in any way we can.
However, there is one thing we can control and that is our loyalty to you. We will get through this together and emerge stronger than ever.
Get Connected To Your Customers Today! Josh Zimmerman
Digital Advertising Director
507.344.6322
jzimmerman@mankatofreepress.com
Why Brick & Mortar? PAID ADVERTISEMENT
By Margot Weyhe By Margot Weyhe Last year, I wrote an article regarding my business and the economic climate we were Last I wrote an article regarding my business andglobal the economic climate we wereis in at year, that time. Now, with recent events related to the pandemic, the message in at that time. Now, with recent events related to the global pandemic, the message is even more important for local business. The following is what was written: even more important for local business. The following is what was written: “In recent years local businesses have worked harder than ever to compete with the growing “In recent years local businesses worked harder thanindustry ever to compete thehave growing popularity of internet sales. Sincehave I’ve been in the design (30 years)with things popularity of internet sales. Since I’ve been in the design industry (30 years) things have changed in ways I could never have imagined! In today’s world you can search through changed inof ways I could never have In today’s through thousands inspiration photos andimagined! then proceed to try world to findyou the can rightsearch products and at thousands inspiration photos and have then itproceed try to rightSeems products and at the click of of a button purchase it and shippedtoright tofind yourthe home. easy, right? the click of a button purchase it and have it shipped right to your home. Seems easy, right? So how does a brick and mortar store compete and what can we (in our case The Design So how does brick internet and mortar store compete we (inargument our case The Design Element) offera what companies cannot?and Thewhat mostcan obvious is that Element) offer what internethelps companies most obvious argument that supporting local businesses createcannot? a strongThe local economy. That’s a greatisargument supporting local businessessupport, helps create a strong That’s a great and one I whole-heartedly but, with that local beingeconomy. said, what we offer thatargument the internet and one I whole-heartedly support, but, with that being said, what we offer thesenses. internet cannot is an “experience”. The internet is many things, but it does not satisfythat all our cannotitiscomes an “experience”. internet is many things, but it does not satisfy all our senses. When to design, aThe sensory experience is crucial. When comes design, a sensory experience is crucial. When it you walkto into our showroom, our goal is to awaken your senses, inspire you, and When you walk into our showroom, our goal is to awaken your senses, inspire and provide a great shopping experience. We recognize how you feel in your spaceyou, is just as provide a great shopping experience. We recognize how you feel in your space is just as to important, if not more so, than how it looks. We are regularly re-designing our showroom important, not more so, than how itoflooks. We arecome regularly keep it freshif and inspiring and many our clients oftenre-designing to see what our newshowroom and artisticto keep it fresh andcreated. inspiring and many of our clients come often to see what new and artistic vignettes we’ve vignettes we’ve created. But shopping online is so convenient – why not just order all my products that way? And Margot Weyhe is an interior designer as well But shopping online so convenient – why not just orderyou’ve all my products that way?DIY And you’ve certainly seenishow easy designing a space is since watched so many Margot interior designer asin well as theWeyhe ownerisofanThe Design Element you’ve certainly seen how easy designing a space is since you’ve watched so many DIY design shows, right? Well, there is a caveat; a truly good design requires a lot of hard work, as the owner of assist The Design in Mankato. She can in the Element entire design design shows, right? Well, there knowledge, is a caveat; aand trulya good Mankato. She can assist in the entire design extensive product and industry great design deal of requires talent. a lot of hard work, process and provide selections and materials extensive product and industry knowledge, and a great deal of talent. process selections and materials for yourand newprovide construction, remodel, and/or Once a budget is established, an experienced designer can make all the difference in for your newcommercial construction, remodel, and/or Once a budget is established, an experienced designer make the difference project. creating the space you’ve always dreamed of, or even a can space youall never could havein commercial project. creating you’ve dreamed of, we or even space you never could have imaginedthe onspace your own. Toalways begin the process, ask aalot of lifestyle questions that helps us imagined your own.connection To begin the process, we experience ask a lot of lifestyle questions that helps us to developon a personal and make the about you – in other words, to develop a personal connection and make the experience about you – in other words, custom tailored to you. If you’re someone who wants all the creative control – no problem. We custom tailored to you. Ifofyou’re someone who wants all the no problem. Wenarrow literally have thousands options from which to choose andcreative we are control a great –resource to help literallyyour have thousands of options fromright which to choose andand westyle are ayou great down search and finding it in the quality, budget, areresource seeking.to help narrow down your search and finding in the right quality, budget, and style you are to seeking. Another major component of aitdesign project is finding the right contractors implement all these Another major component of a design project is finding the right contractors to implement all these great design ideas. A seasoned design company should also have a relationship with a trusted great design ideas. A seasoned design company should also have a relationship with a trusted contractor. In our case it is one of the things that sets us apart. Our location also includes R. Henry contractor. In our it is one most of thedistinctive things thatbuilders sets us whom apart. Our location also includeswith R. Henry Construction, onecase of the area’s we regularly collaborate and it Construction, of the area’s most distinctive builders we regularly has brought usone many exceptional results over the years! whom One unique service collaborate they offer iswith floorand planit has brought us many exceptional results over the years! One unique service they offer is floor design through drafters we work with to create a customized space. This is not a combination plan you design drafters we work with to create a customized space. This is not a combination you will findthrough often and definitely not online. will findyou often and online. By now may bedefinitely realizingnot another major difference between online and brick-and-mortar is that, By now you may be realizing another major difference online that, in addition to product, we are also selling service. That between is something I’veand alsobrick-and-mortar seen transform inisthe in addition to product, we are also selling service. That is something I’ve also seen transform in the past 30 years – but not in a good way. Advances in technology have been great in many ways, but it pastdiminished 30 years – but not in aservice. good way. Advances in technology have been greatto in help manyeducate ways, but it has customer Being able to deal one-on-one with a person you, has diminished customer service. for Being ablethat to deal a person to help educate you, guide you, and provide solutions issues ariseone-on-one is absolutelywith priceless! guide you,you andtoprovide that arise absolutely We invite stop in solutions and enjoyfor theissues experience weisoffer: qualitypriceless! product, knowledge, creative We invite you to stop in and enjoy the experience we offer: quality product, knowledge, creative talents, and great customer service!” talents, and great customer service!” Currently, our showroom is closed to the public due to the situation resulting from the Currently, is closed to the public to the situation resulting from the our pandemic our andshowroom resulting “shelter-in-place” orderdue by the governor of Minnesota. However, pandemic are andworking resultingfull-time “shelter-in-place” by the governor of Minnesota. designers at home onorder current projects and look forward toHowever, assistingour on designers arevia working on current projects and look forward to assisting on new projects phonefull-time or emailat athome any time. new projects via phone or email at any time.
World-class & local:
EXPERIENCE FIVE OF MARRIOTT’S TOP SPAS IN ONE STATE: ALABAMA After a round of golf, enjoy a relaxing massage or body treatment at a great
at Montgomery, the Spa at Ross Bridge in Hoover and the Spa at the Battle
Marriott spa. In North America, five of the top Marriott and Renaissance
House in Mobile are always highly ranked for pampering their guests. All
spas are found on Alabama’s RTJ Spa Trail. For guest satisfaction, the Spa
five of these spas are part of the RTJ Resort Collection and feature innovate
at the Marriott Shoals in Florence and the Spa at the Grand Hotel in Pt. Clear
treatments inspired by Southern Hospitality. Clearly great golf and spas
are consistently ranked in Marriott’s top 10. For Renaissance Hotels, the Spa
work well together in Alabama. Come experience them for yourself.
FLORENCE · HOOVER · MONTGOMERY · MOBILE · POINT CLEAR The
Resort Collection on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail · rtjresorts.com/spacard
2 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
FEATURE S MAY 2020 Volume 15, Issue 5
16
Thoughts from quarantine Instead of us telling you how people feel about the pandemic and how it has affected their lives, we thought we’d let them tell you.
ABOUT THE COVER The face mask has become an all-too familiar sight in the time of COVID-19. This one — handsewn for us by Jen Olson of North Mankato — is worn by Maddie Diemert, editor of Minnesota State University’s student newspaper, The Reporter. You can see Maddie unmasked in our Familiar Faces feature on page 12. She was photographed from at least six feet away by Pat Christman. MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 3
DEPARTMENTS 6 From the Editor 8 This Day in History 9 Avant Guardians
Bradford Joseph Rademaker
10 Beyond the Margin COVID conversations
9
12 Familiar Faces Maddie Diemert
14 Day Trip Destinations Nature parks
24 Essay
The truth and nothing but the truth
28 The Show Must Go On
The Mankato area is bustling
10
34 Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging® 44 Let’s Eat!
Dino’s Pizzeria
46 Community Draws Dog walking
47 Beer
Grainy circumstances, silver linings
44
46
48 Country Minutes
The Dogs of Oshawa Township, part 4
50 Garden Chat
Social distancing, gardener style
52 From This Valley
In a time of great contagion
Coming in June
47 4 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
50
K9 cops: Man’s bravest friend!
Think Spring!
5 YEARS IN A ROW
With A New Zero Turn Mower Two Great Brands – One Great Location We Service What We Sell! Authorized Dealer Sales & Service
An Employee Owned & Local Business Since 1957
HOME • FARM • COMMERCIAL 1951 Riverfront Dr., Mankto • 507-387-1171 www.candssupply.com
ACCELERATE YOUR SAVINGS WITH AN EXCEPTIONAL RATE FEDERALLY INSURED BY NCUA EQUAL HOUSING LENDER
where your policy comes with an agent
Financing Dreams Since 1934.
Since 1934
Yes You Can! 507-387-3055
Mankato | Amboy | Vernon Center| cimankato.com | 507-385-4485
WWW.MNVALLEYFCU.COOP
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 5
FROM THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR By Robb Murray MAY 2020 • VOLUME 15, ISSUE 5 PUBLISHER Steve Jameson EDITOR Joe Spear ASSOCIATE Robb Murray EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS Bert Mattson Diana Rojo-Garcia Jean Lundquist Kat Baumann Dan Greenwood Nicole Helget Pete Steiner Nell Musolf
PHOTOGRAPHERS Pat Christman Jackson Forderer
PAGE DESIGNER Christina Sankey ADVERTISING Danny Creel SALES Joan Streit 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 editorial inquiries, call Robb Murray at 344-6386, or e-mail rmurray@mankatofreepress.com. For advertising, call 344-6364, or e-mail advertising@mankatofreepress.com.
6 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
It was time to pivot ...
T
astemakers. That was supposed to be the cover story this month. People who have the kind of taste — whether it’s fashion, food or overall style — that makes them an “influencer,” someone to follow, the kind of person you want to be seen with, or have a drink with. We’ve got a few in town. Would have been a fun story. And then … it happened. People got sick. Bars and restaurants closed. Social distancing became a term we all knew very well. The governor’s face grew grim as he tried to reassure we’d be OK while also urging us to #StayHome. And suddenly a story about tastemakers seemed … silly. So, as is often required in the quickly changing world of news, we pivoted. And oh, what a pivot it was. We knew we needed to address COVID-19, but how? Over at our sister publication, The Free Press, they’re knocking it out of the park keeping people informed about the virus and telling the stories of how our community is coping. So we decided to take a different approach. Knowing everyone has a story about how this nightmare has had an impact on their lives, we decided to hand the pages over to the readers. We asked 10 people to give us 250 words on what this trying time has meant to them. That’s the only guidance we gave them. And judging by the submissions, they didn’t need any more guidance. What resulted was a thoughtful, honest and raw collection of short essays that sums up the feelings of angst and uncertainty of our time. We sought a cross-section of voices to try and span the gamut of feelings and thoughts. We know
you’re going to appreciate this collection. Handing the writing over to the readers isn’t something we’ll do often. But in this case, it seemed to be the right thing to do. Elsewhere in Mankato Magazine, we bring you stories of happier things. Southern Minnesota’s theater community is thriving. Whether you’re looking for big musicals, experimental drama or timeless classics, various theater groups around the region have you covered. We sat down with folks from several groups, both collegiate and community, and we get into what makes southern Minnesota — and Mankato in particular — such a hotbed for theater. Our familiar faces feature this month introduces you to Maddie Diemert, the editor of Minnesota State University’s student newspaper, The Reporter. Maddie is a great example of a student leader who has gone beyond the call of duty to serve the students and help make her college campus a better place. She’s a talented young woman with a bright future. Finally, I’d like to call your attention to our monthly comic, thoughtfully created by Kat Baumann. This month she delves into one of my favorite topics: dog walking. And I’d also add that there appears to be a very good beagle in the comic, which should be enough to make us all paws for a moment and smile. Robb Murray is associate editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at 344-6386 or rmurray@ mankatofreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @freepressRobb.
Dealer Area Dealer Dealer Area Area
This Mother’s Day
Got water? Got water? Got water? Consistently a Top-Producing Agent in
Moving?....Call Karla and Start Packing! the Greater Mankato Area
Give Mom something special and unique
Artfully crafted with a wide Artfully withwood a wide range ofcrafted stone and visuals. Owner/Broker Artfully crafted withwood a wide ABR, CRS, of GRI range stone and visuals.to Wonderfully waterproof thanks range ofLifeGuard stone andResilient woodthanks visuals. Wonderfully waterproof Shaw’s core. to Artfully crafted with aWonderfully wide waterproof thanks Shaw’s LifeGuard Resilient core. to Artfully crafted withwood aShaw’s wide Promote Patrick forrange theoffirst and then go into ‘generic’ stoneone and visuals. LifeGuard Resilient core. or just Artfully crafted withwood a wide range of stone and visuals. use the general lawWonderfully firm best lawyerthanks ad without the mention of 420 N. Minnesota, St. Peter, MN waterproof to 507•345•4040 - 510 Long Street, Mankato, MN range of stone and- www.MankatoRealEstate.com woodthanks visuals.to 507-934-5655 stonesthrowgallery.org Wonderfully waterproof Patrick? Shaw’s LifeGuard Resilient core. Wonderfully waterproof thanks to Shaw’s LifeGuard Resilient core. Shaw’s Resilient core. Carpet | TileLifeGuard & Stone | Hardwood | Laminate | Resilient | shawfloors.com Carpet | Tile & Stone | Hardwood | Laminate | Resilient | shawfloors.com WATERPROOF. BUILT TO ENDURE. WATERPROOF. BUILT TO ENDURE.Carpet | Tile & Stone | Hardwood | Laminate | Resilient | shawfloors.com Karla Van Eman
Dealer Area Dealer Area Dealer Area
Got water? Got Got water? water?
507.625.3089
507.625.3089 Artfully1107 crafted with a wide Cross St. | North Mankato 507.625.3089 range of1107 stone and wood visuals. Artfully crafted with a wide Cross St. | North Mankato 1107 Cross St. Mankato Wonderfully waterproof thanks to Artfully crafted with a wide Cross St. || North North Mankato range of1107 stone and wood visuals. You can’t prevent messes. 1107 Cross St. | North Mankato Shaw’s LifeGuard Resilient core. range of stone and wood visuals. You can’t prevent messes. Wonderfully waterproof thanks to www.rickwaycarpet.com 1107 Cross St. | North Mankato But waterproof to Shaw’s LifeGuard Resilientthanks core. But you you can can guard guard against against them. them. Wonderfully www.rickwaycarpet.com Shaw’s LifeGuard Resilient core.
507.625.3089 507.625.3089 507.625.3089
507.344.8888 knutsoncasey.com
www.rickwaycarpet.com
Endura | 150 Cinnamon Walnut Endura | 150 Cinnamon Walnut
[Dealer Area] [Dealer Area]
FROM PHONE OR CAMERA TO
PRINTED PICTURES ALL FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME!
507.345.7196 1235 Caledonia Street Mankato, MN 56001 info@spxsports.com spxsports.com
UPLOAD & ORDER OR
PORTRAITS
|
SPORTS
|
PRINTING
|
PERSONALIZED GIFTS
|
• Online at spxsports.com
EMAIL US • info@spxsports.com GRAPHIC DESIGN
|
SIGNS
|
GRAPHIC WRAPS
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 7
THIS DAY IN HISTORY Compiled by Jean Lundquist
Your Printing Solutions Company Brochures Annual Reports Catalogs Magazines Posters Childrens Books Coffee Table Books and MORE!
Father thinks too many people Are vying to take up children’s time Monday, May 4, 1981 The week running up to Mothers’ Day is National Family Week. During that week, a Mankato father shared with The Free Press” that he thought parents were getting a bum wrap for the behavior of their teenage children. I know it is popular to say there are no delinquent children, only delinquent parents… but I object,” he wrote. He said there had never been a time when so many “do-gooders” were putting their noses in family life. He opined that too many organizations were attempting to undo the evils the delinquent parents were placing on their children, and said every evening saw outside demands for the time of their children. Rather than trying to keep children busy, he suggested these organizations would do better supporting family life. The opinion piece was not signed. Ordinance takes hard line on golfers Saturday, May 9, 1981 Out of concern that children could be maimed or killed, the Mankato City Council heard from their attorney an ordinance he had drafted to keep chip shots and drives out of the city limits. While tapping a few putts in the back yard would not be outlawed, hard drives at places such as school yards in the city would be banned. “They are hitting golf balls next to houses,” the council was told. Because not all golfers are good at the sport, the chance of a hook or slice coupled with velocity was too dangerous to risk, according to the city attorney. Provisions in the proposed ordinance would make exceptions if a person received a permit from the Parks Superintendent. Kennedy: Police “discretion” needed Wednesday, May 17, 1989 Mankato City Council member Mike Kennedy asked for a “kinder, gentler police department” at a council work session. “I don’t want them enforcing antiquated laws,” he explained. In particular, he spoke of police confiscating illegal dice boxes from people at the Mankato Elks Lodge. He also said students were complaining of having I.D.s checked at local bars, though most present were of legal age. Public Safety Director Glenn Gabriel defended his department, telling the council his department does show discretion. He told them state law changes were responsible for the bar checks. He said the I.D. checks were down to once a week, from a high of three times a week, earlier. According to the newspaper story, there was no further discussion of the confiscation of dice boxes. Kennedy said he was not against enforcing the law, he just thought the deployment of the officers needed scrutiny.
2019-04-26-01
LIBERTY 1750 Northway Drive • North Mankato, MN 56003 www.corpgraph.com
www.LibertyHeatingCooling.com
AVANT GUARDIANS By Leticia Gonzales
Born this way
M
From a young age, Bradford Joseph Rademaker knew he’d be an artist
any adults can’t say they have ended up in the career they wished upon themselves as children. But Bradford Joseph Rademaker, an artist and musician with Hyperspace Lexicon, has kept true to his word. “In kindergarten, we made color paper medallions with our individual class pictures in the center, with a quote of what we wanted to be when we grew up. ‘I want to be an artist,’ mine said. I’ve always made art,” Rademaker said. “I just never stopped.” With an associate degree in liberal arts and science from South Central College in Mankato and a bachelor’s degree in biological science from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Rademaker is also a manager at CHS Oilseed Processing. “I’ve actually always kept my art separate from my work,” he said. “One does not influence the other. It is important they are kept separate. There is that old adage regarding career: Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. But I feel more aligned with the idea as, if you do what you love every day, and you won’t work. I’m not afraid of working hard.” When it comes to his art, Rademaker doesn’t shy away from trying new mediums. “I’m not one type of artist,” he said. “I indulge in all forms. I often rotate what type of art I like to make. My current set I just finished was under the category of flow painting, also known as acrylic paint pouring. Before this, I made a ton of spraypaint art. I even made some collages between the two. One thing is for sure though, I love color.” He often uses meditation and “exploring the inner world” for his inspiration for his next piece. In describing his process of expressing art, Rademaker said he aims to reach into himself “to extract deeper archetypes and emotional aspects.” He also strives to create both a visual and audio creation of
what he is “sensually perceiving.” “Taking in all the energies and frequencies of life and transforming our ideas and dreams into reality” is another way he channels his art. “Those intangible things in the recesses of your mind are the most real things in this life,” he said. “Technique is derived from experience of repetition and employed through the medium of expression.” Radermaker also plays bass guitar, partnering with his producer, who plays the keys. Their latest album, “Lazarus,” includes nine songs of what he describes as “some of the most energizing EDM songs out there.” The duo is in the process of shooting the music video for their newly released song, “Elevator,” off of the album. “We are currently working on another Spoken Work Glitch Album,” said Rademaker. “We like to make a different type of genre for each project. We try to make music we haven’t heard before.” He also has an upcoming art show at the 410 Project until May 24 with an opening reception planned for 7-9 p.m. May 8. “I’m not a very competitive person, so I don’t really ever enter things to win awards for,” Rademaker said. “I just like making art. The final result is kind of just a byproduct to the transitive state I enjoy being in. What is most rewarding to me is to see the body and facial expressions of those who enjoy viewing and listening to my art.”
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 9
BEYOND THE MARGIN By Joe Spear
COVID Conversations and the speakeasy T
he glowing embers churned up a billowing cloud of smoke as the five friends kept their distance but raised their glasses. They adhered to the social distancing of the coronavirus age all the while exercising their Godgiven right to drink beer and shoot the bull. Soft pleasures for hard
10 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
times. The idea emerged in the second week of the shutdown. And all were glad they had been invited to this lower North Mankato conclave where you park on the one way, walk down the alley, six-pack in hand, and go in the wooden gate where behind a large wooden fence, there stood your friends,
in Prohibition-like demeanor and bootlegger smiles. And they talked about the usual subjects they might have talked about at the loud and crowded bar where they usually enjoy their version of the “Five O’clock Follies.” Except, they also talked about the place they were, the comfort of a fire in a secluded backyard and the place they were going to be with this COVID conversation. There was plenty to talk about with the virus itself, with predictors of death, and shortage of ventilators and how some of the political leadership wasn’t helping much. They talked about kids being afraid for their at-risk 60-something parents, and then there was the gallows humor about how “We’ve had a good run,” from a man who saves people from jails and the law. The last time they grabbed sixpacks and drank outside may have been when they were teens, 50-60 years ago. So the freshness of that activity also was something to consider and think about as the night drew on. But these COVID conversations were often ones we had with ourselves in the quiet of our minds as they rest from constant attention to the images in our heads of people being pulled off respirators because of a shortage. And thoughts of business being hammered for having to cut off all manner of funds for weeks at a time and young people trying to pay rent having nothing to pay it with are the stuff of nightmares. Historians quick to compare the pandemic to the plague, the Spanish flu, World War II and 9/11 had plenty of fodder for long finger-pointing speeches or
past experiences of overcoming adversity. Now we have to do planning to pick up toilet paper and hand cleaner and pasta. We have to tell people not to hoard and that we won’t all be dead by Friday. And some offer to sell toilet paper on eBay or Craigslist, a deadly sin that God will remember. And we have to check our email a lot more because we never know when the next breaking news about death, or shortages or pain and pestilence will happen. And we regret we can be told of things faster and sooner than ever before, and we wonder if that is a good thing. Would it make a difference if we waited until we got into work like on 9/11? We’re hearing numbers we’ve never before associated with friends and relatives dying, in the hundreds of thousands. And they won’t come one by one. When someone mentioned another four people died in a day, the experts were very willing to warn us tomorrow it might be four people an hour. They only do this for our own good, thinking we need to be shocked into reality. And it’s not as bad as meningitis we tell ourselves because that mostly attacks young people, sharing straws or one hitters. We’ve come to appreciate bars and the people who keep them running and the people who go there without having a good reason, except for the socialization. And that, we find, in all our COVID conversations may be the one important thing to hang on to. And the conversations at the backyard speakeasy weren’t that interesting or funny after a while, as is the tendency of long, but legal, group gatherings. Still, the comfort of being together came with every breath. The wind came up as the night grew dark. There was less smoke and more fire.
Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382. Follow on Twitter @jfspear. MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 11
Familiar Faces
STOP THE PRESSES!!! MSU student guided newspaper through budget woes, virus
E Photo by Pat Christman
NAME:
Madison Diemert Hometown:
Clear Lake, Minnesota
Age: 22 Favorite movie quote:
“I go to seek a great perhaps” (Looking for Alaska, 2019). (I kind of cheated for this one — this is actually a series on Hulu and one of my favorite books!)
Quarantine binge:
Raisin Bran cereal — yes, it’s weird. I don’t know why I like it so much.
Pineapple on pizza?: YES
12 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
veryone was expecting 2020 to pan out differently than it has so far. Madison Diemert, editor-in-chief at Minnesota State University’s student newspaper, The Reporter, knows a little bit about the difficulties thus far. Between juggling a full load of classes during her final year at MSU, she and the team at The Reporter have been working endlessly to raise cash for the newspaper’s budget. From spaghetti feeds to bussing tables at Pizza Ranch to talking with local media sources such as KEYC and KTOE — they hoped to bring awareness to the important institution that is The Reporter. With the virus pandemic of 2020, things have been left unanswered for The Reporter, but Diemert has hope. Mankato Magazine: This is your senior year at MSU and you’ve done an awesome job as editor-in-chief at The Reporter. It kind of came to a halt abruptly due to the coronavirus. So first and foremost, how are you? How was your spring break? Madison Diemert: Thanks! It was a huge surprise to find out that classes would be held completely online, because that meant no more published issues (of The Reporter) for the rest of the school year. The Reporter has been a big part of my life for the last three years and it was disheartening to know we wouldn’t be able to carry on with business as usual. I’m taking it day-by-day, though, and keeping up with all my friends and coworkers! That’s what really has been keeping me going while in quarantine. My spring break was awesome, actually! My boyfriend and I scheduled a trip to Texas to visit his family and we went before everything got really bad. The end was a bit rough though, with all the news coming in about the university closing and the coronavirus pandemic. MM: Now that we’ve made sure you’re OK — you’ve been making some strides keeping The Reporter afloat and talking with all sorts of people to get the message out. How had that been going? MD: We were doing a great job — we had two fundraisers, one of which President Davenport attended to show his support, and we still have our crowdfunding page up online. We currently have raised $3,714 from the crowdfunding
page and more with our fundraisers. It’s definitely not going to fix the issue of funding, but it’s a start. We recently learned that we will most likely be getting a huge cut for next year’s funding, as well. It’s disheartening, but I know we have supporters out there and if we work hard enough, we can keep The Reporter alive! We are also having our budget hearing April 1 through telecommunication. I hope things turn out for us. MM: MSU’s classes have gone online — basically everything on campus has closed. How has that affected The Reporter and its staff (including yourself?) MD: Well, a lot of us don’t have jobs anymore because of the pandemic. We don’t have the need for all of our editors, writers or photographers and it’s so incredibly sad that we can’t Maddie Diemert hard at work at the student newspaper. Photo by Jackson Forderer. continue to give them an educational experience in journalism — or a way MM: What is something most people MD: I’ve been painting and watching to pay the bills. I personally will still be a lot of YouTube and “SpongeBob.” wouldn’t know about working at The doing as much as I can as the editorReporter (or any newspaper) that Painting is something that eases in-chief, but there’s a lot less for me would surprise some? my anxiety and I like to listen to to do now that our physical issues MD: Many of us have 12+ hour people talking in the background. are cut. I’m mostly worried about “SpongeBob” also makes me feel very work days. For myself, I had to be keeping us going into the next year, on campus Monday and Wednesday nostalgic. I’ve also been FaceTiming and making sure we get (next year’s anywhere from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. my nieces and my sisters a lot, and editor chosen) before the school year Sometimes I’d go into the office calling my grandparents to keep is over. later in the day, sometimes I got out in touch with them. I still feel very early (midnight is considered early connected to those around me and MM: You’ve been working at The very thankful for the internet. for us) but it was usually well over Reporter since your sophomore 12 hours. And those are just for our year. What has been your experience production days. Many long hours MM: Tell us something that people thus far? What are some things that have been put into The Reporter and might find surprising about you. you’ve learned that will help you in all other existing newspapers. When MD: I love writing and making music the future? I first started working there, I really — I can play eight instruments! I’m MD: It’s been wonderful to work assumed it’d be a 9-5 job, just like currently trying to improve on the at The Reporter. I couldn’t imagine anywhere else. But no! violin and electric guitar. spending my time anywhere else, and I don’t think I’d want to. I’ve MM: Since MSU has unfortunately MM: You’re an English major. Oxford made so many friends and lasting canceled spring ‘20 commencement, comma or nah? connections and I feel very whole how will you be celebrating your MD: This is a very controversial issue, knowing I still have a support group graduation? but no! there — even if we’re all cooped MD: I haven’t exactly decided yet, up in our homes. Working at the but I think if anything I’ll throw a big MM: Anything else you’d like to add? Reporter has helped me make (some) MD: I want to thank anyone who has graduation party with my family and of my journalistic dreams come true, taken the time to pick up an issue of maybe one here in Mankato with my and I’ve learned more there than I The Reporter. It means so much to us friends. have in any classroom. One of the that we have people who support us things I’m most thankful for are the MM: Speaking of graduation, what and are standing by us during this leadership opportunities I held/hold. are your plans post MSU? hard time. And thank you to anyone I can never thank my news editor MD: I’m currently applying to grad who has donated or supported us by enough for asking me to take the schools all over the U.S.. I hope to go coming to our fundraisers or offering position when she graduated. That to graduate school to receive my MFA their help in other ways, like buying opened up so many doors for me. I in creative writing, as I want to be a advertising. And a special thanks to had never considered myself a leader professor. Weird, I know. But I hope those at the Free Press, KEYC, KTOE before The Reporter, but I do now. while pursuing my MFA I am able to and more who are helping us get the I’m much more confident in my work continue down the path of journalism, word out there. You rock! and I’ve learned to handle all sorts of as that is a passion of mine as well. situations. It’s something I’ll be able to build off of for the rest of my life and MM: At the time of this Q&A, most of I am so grateful for that. us are social distancing. What have Compiled by Diana Rojo-Garcia you been doing to keep busy? MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 13
DAY TRIP DESTINATIONS: Nature Parks By Diana Rojo-Garcia
Nature Parks H
opefully, by the time this is published, most of the sites will have re-opened for visitors. Due to the growing pandemic in our country, many attractions have been closed for the safety of visitors and employees. Because many of us have been secluded in our homes and working from there, it’s probably a good opportunity to head outdoors for some fresh air. And when the COVID-19 curve begins to flatten, there’ll probably still be some hesitancy and precaution when heading out. These natural sites allow plenty of space to continue practicing social distancing while burning off those extra snacks we may or may not have indulged in while stuck at home. Just bring some hand sanitizer with you (if you can find any). Also, make sure to check out on their websites before heading to these places to see if they are open and also make sure to pay attention to park fees.
JEFFERS
Just an hour out east from Mankato in Comfrey sit more than 5,000 pre-historic petroglyphs that tell the stories of Native American ancestors spanning more than 7,000 years. Jeffers Petroglyphs, part of the Minnesota Historical Society since 1970, opens from May through October to the public. The carvings feature buffalo, turtles and thunderbirds, according to its website. MHS suggests that the most opportune time to visit the historic bedrock is during the evening, when the light from the sunset hits the carvings just right. During the evening hours (from 5-7 p.m. Fridays and Saturday or 5-8 p.m. June 1-Aug. 2) visitors must be barefoot or wearing socks to walk on the services to experience petroglyphs that aren’t visible in the regular path. Jeffers Petroglyphs offers a 90-minute guided tour, which begins at 10:30 a.m. during its open seasons Wednesdays through Saturday or beginning at 12:30 p.m. Sundays. If you’d like an alternative with more social distancing, take a self-guided tour. There are signs to guide those walking through the prairie trails along the1.2-mile trail. Choose between the short or long trail; the short trail leads you directly to the petroglyphs, whereas the long one is more of a scenic route. Check out the visitor center, too, for gifts and books. Go to mnhs.org/jefferspetroglyphs for more information.
14 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
BADLANDS
Admittedly, it’s more than a day trip, but it’s worth leaving the house for awhile. Hit the road for about six hours to reach South Dakota’s Badlands National Park. Though the visitor centers and entrance stations are recently closed currently, the roads, trails and campgrounds are open. The national park is 242,756 acres big and protects mixed-grass prairie, according to its website. On a venture through the park, visitors can see wildlife such as bison and prairie dogs, and the endangered black-footed ferret. Mid-June through the end of September, the park offers a paleontology lab, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. The lab is in the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and allows those interested in paleontology a chance for an in-depth look at the scientists’ works and other discoveries made at the park. Otherwise, pick up a GPS adventure book, available at the center when it is open. The activity takes visitors through exhibits and trails all around the park by inputting the points of interests in your GPS, aka your phone. Otherwise, visitors can choose among eight trails for a hike. Short and easy trails include Window Trail and Fossil Exhibit (features fossil replicas) at only a quarter mile, to the longest and more challenging such as Medicine Root Loop (4 miles) or Castle Trail at 10 miles. Go to nps.gov/badl for more information, locations and hours.
GREAT RIVER BLUFFS
Winona Ryder put Winona back on the national map with Squarespace’s Super Bowl commercial, but this southeastern Minnesota river city and the surrounding area have much to offer when it comes to nature. Great River Bluffs State Park is known for its vivid and warm oranges and reds during the autumn. The state park is equally a treat and cleansing to visit at any time of the year, especially after being stuck at home for weeks on end. The park is to open back up to the public for camping, lodging and rental facilities May 1, but the park remains open for visitors to hike among one of its six self-guided trails. Birdwatching is a main attraction to the park, where enthusiasts can see more than 100 species of birds, including bald eagles to rare sightings of white-eyed vireos. Visitors also have a chance to see wild turkeys and ruffed grouse. Don’t forget your binoculars! For more information, go to dnr.sate.mn.us.
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 15
‘How does it feel To be on your
own?’ W
e are living in unprecedented times. And whether you support our government’s efforts to combat COVID-19 or not, there is something on which we all can agree: Our world has been irrevocably changed. So instead of having a writer come up with a story that gets to the heart of how this virus has affected us, we thought we’d eliminate the middleman and just let the people tell us, in their own words, how their lives have changed because of the pandemic. MM
16 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 17
COVID-101
I
f you told me we would all be asked to sit in our homes and not leave but to get essential supplies a month ago, I would’ve laughed at you. No one’s laughing now, though. Except maybe Satan himself. As a college student, I quickly came to the realization that this will not be the semester I was planning for. The past couple of semesters were … a little rough for me, to say the least. The announcements of classes being moved online has thrown a wrench in my plans of reclaiming the glorious GPA I once held during my freshman year. Don’t get me wrong. I am an IT major at Minnesota State University, so working with computers should be just fine for me. And working is. But trying to find an error in the 300 lines of code I just wrote for my programming class isn’t. I guess we all really did take being physically present in a classroom for granted. But perhaps what I’m going to miss most will be production nights at The Reporter, the campus newspaper at MSU. Although we’re still serving the campus community through our website, the feeling of physically being in a newsroom is irreplaceable. A month ago my parents, who work in the Middle East, came to visit me. We took a trip up north to Duluth, and if it weren’t for this pandemic, I’d be uploading photos of my trip to the North Shore, instead of those of empty buildings plastered with notices of closures and people practicing social distancing in public. A month later, my parents are stuck with me in my little apartment after numerous countries decided to cancel all inbound flights. Here’s to hoping they can be home soon, safely, and to being at more Minnesota State sports events. Mansoor Ahmad is an international student from Pakistan who is studying information technology at Minnesota State University.
18 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
A
Tender to the Touch
s a writer, especially of songs, I’m always thinking of how to connect sensually. I’m talking sensual as in: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, and Touch, The Senses Five. If I write lyrics that engage the senses, a listener may be able connect on a level deeper than the simple sound of the music. This coronavirus pandemic and its requisite forced social distancing and sheltering has compromised our sense of touch. We can look, listen, smell, and taste, but we can’t touch. Well, we can—we still have the ability to touch—but we’ve been told not to. Touching right now could literally kill us. Unfortunately, being told not to touch brings out our disobedient inner child. This makes us want touch all the more, makes us obsess about its absence. I imagine that Dreams of Touch, if they haven’t come already, are on the way. One thing I’ve rediscovered since this pandemic reared its head is the power of a good walk. Since the directives to distance socially, I’ve
been taking a long (increasingly long!) walk each day. I do it because I’m cooped up and because it’s good for my lungs. I do it for my health. I do it because it’s winter no more, and Spring is
springing, and the greening trees and grass don’t have COVID-19. Taking a walk is a sensory bombardment. Stick a pebble under your tongue and it’s possible to engage in all five senses at once. Sounds a bit simple—a walk. Gussy it up if you like. Call it a stroll, a mosey, a jaunt, a ramble, a promenade, a perambulation. But the beauty of a walk might just be in its simplicity. The wind and the sun on one’s face. One’s feet on the ground. Human-to-Earth touch. Maybe best of all, I see my lower North Mankato neighbors walking, too, and I know it’s not contained to just my ‘hood. Yesterday I saw an Old Timer set up in a lawn chair in his yard, watching (and hearing, and maybe even smelling) the walkers go by. The sight of him “touched” me so, it coulda made me cry. Nate Boots is a musician and writer who lives in North Mankato.
LGBTQ people on the front lines
R
ight here in Mankato, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people are dealing with various impacts of COVID-19. We have nurses and paramedics on the front lines of the virus, who are risking their health to help others every day. There are personal care
assistant staff who are taking care of vulnerable people, knowing that they could be putting themselves or their clients at risk. Countless LGBTQ people have been laid off or had hours reduced and are now worried about how they will pay their bills or obtain food. Those who are still working are learning new ways to work from home or they have been deemed an essential worker, but are fearful of going to work. We have LGBTQ parents who are trying to provide a home learning environment for their kids and we have LGBTQ kids who are struggling to keep up with the school work assigned. South Central MN Pride has cancelled events that are vital to the well-being of LGBTQ people in Mankato. Our monthly gatherings provide an opportunity to find support and connection with others. We are seeing Pride
organizations cancelling or postponing their PrideFests. These events are places where LGBTQ people are truly able to be themselves and to cancel them can be detrimental to the health of this community. We know the LGBTQ community is struggling. The struggle is compounded by the fact that LGBTQ people face discrimination and oppression in their daily life. Many who would want to help can’t due to outdated FDA regulations limiting gay men from donating blood. Others who need help, do not know who to trust and if they will be treated fairly. Jeni Kolstad is the executive director of South Central Minnesota Pride.
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 19
O
Plot twist
ne question I ask my creative writing students to consider is the difference between a situation and a story. A situation is static, they’ll say, but a story has movement. In a story, they’ll agree, things change. What things? I’ll ask. Characters, they’ll say. In a story, characters are forced to change. It’s too soon to say whether our experience of this pandemic will be remembered as a situation — a one-off nightmare we were all thrown into — or as something more permanently transformative. I, for one, hope it’s the latter. Uncomfortable as it may be, I’m trying to use my time at home to discover aspects of my own character that were previously invisible to me. What have I taken for granted? What have I failed to prioritize in my relationships and in my community? How can I put my money (and my actions) where my mouth is? So far, what I know for sure is that my immense luck — my health, a loving relationship, a union-
protected job that allows me to continue working from home — leaves me both deeply grateful and severely frustrated. While I’m sitting here writing in a meditative mode about the psychological effects of the crisis, there are many people — the homeless, the abused, the laid-off, the bankrupt, and the ill — who are facing more immediate pressures. I hope, in addition to individual reflection, we can use this moment to ask difficult questions about our collective character. What might our priorities look like, moving forward? Should we continue to allow luck to play such an extensive role in our society? In the end, even an honest reckoning with these difficult questions will only be the start of turning our situation into a meaningful story. For that to happen, we’ll have to change. Chris McCormick is an author and an assistant professor at MSU’s English department.
Inspiration through adaptation
O
ne month ago, I was sweating through my final undergraduate midterms at MNSU. During that time, I also received the great honor of being selected to speak at commencement for the College of Arts and Humanities. This exciting news accompanied my acceptance to graduate studies at MNSU with a teaching assistantship. The future seemed clear and honestly, quite perfect. I could not wait to celebrate. It is exceptional how quickly things changed. Within minutes of Governor Walz’s announcement to close schools, I was on the phone with my coworkers at 20 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Feeding Our Communities Partners. With no school and the shuttering of non-essential work places, our focus of feeding and supporting food-insecure students expanded in new ways to meet an increased need. My main mode of operating changed in an instant. Now, anticipation for the future was immediately transformed into adapting to the present moment. This adapting is what has inspired me the most. In a time full of fear and uncertainty, our community has gracefully found creative and compassionate ways to support one another. Priorities have changed and simple conveniences require much more intention: Professors and teachers have adapted curriculum and classroom support into an online realm. Businesses have adapted their services to continue to provide for community members. Families have adapted to slowing their everyday pace. Individuals have adapted new ways to stay connected while staying apart. Our future plans may be cancelled, postponed or rescheduled, but as a community, we will continue to creatively support one another in spite of adversity, and that, to me, is the best thing to celebrate. Holly Dodge, North Mankato
We’ve been gifted time; take care of each other
W
ell, for me, the biggest impact has been the forced closure of my shop, Mecca Tattoo. In one week I had to lay off my employees and tell eight artists that they couldn’t work. It’s not good financially, but necessary. I was really feeling that the majority of the general public were not taking the threat of this
A
virus seriously, so I’m beyond relieved that the governor has issued a “shelter-in-place” order. Personally, I’ve had to get a lot of things in order to stock our house so we don’t have to go out. Having all of us — we have six in our family — home has been interesting but good! Homeschooling should be interesting … This is more complex than just me saying how I feel about the effects of a virus … I have more questions than answers. Honestly what are we all doing? What are your priorities? How important is money vs. just survival? Right now we are all being ripped out of our comfort zones and being transplanted into a new reality. This is going to be a giant experiment in human reaction. I know we are all doing our best, but are we asking ourselves the right questions? Are we putting the right
things as priorities in our lives? And are we really seeking out the real truths or what we just want to believe about this pandemic? I’m trying really hard to not let fear take over my day. But honestly, I’m worried about so many things right now and not feeling in control is my biggest hurdle. My friend Mel had a good point, though: When are we ever in control? We aren’t. The only thing I’ve ever had is faith that everything will be OK. I’m doing my best to not let fear win and be grateful for what I have and the people in my life. Gratitude wins every time, and I’m going to take this time to take care of my family, my house, my shop and removing as much wallpaper from my walls as possible. We’ve been gifted time. Take care everyone. Megan Hoogland is the owner of Mecca Tattoo in Mankato.
What do we call this?
s a student of history, there has been one thing I’ve wondered about while we navigate our way through these very strange times. In 18 months or so, when we start looking back at this particular era, what will we call it? After all, the most formidable times come with titles. American history has given us The Industrial Revolution, The Gilded Age and The Me Decade. In this century already we have seen 9/11 and The Great Recession.
So what do we call this? The Covid Spring? The Great Outbreak of ’20? The Age of Self-Isolation? Science has warned us that something like this has been coming for decades, so one would think we would have a fine literary title ready and waiting for this day. Evidently we’ll have to wait for the inevitable books and documentaries to define the era for us. I would say that I’m somewhat disappointed in The New Yorker for not offering anything just yet, but, given the situation I think we can cut them some slack. And what will we call the generation that comes from all these stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders? Surely, this situation is bound to produce a rash of pregnancies, isn’t it? So far, the best name I’ve heard for this subset of the next generation is “Coronials.” My cousin, who is at home with his wife, their five-year-old daughter and their two-year-old son said to me the other day, “If there is a baby boom that comes from this, they will all be born to first time parents.” All will be revealed in due time, but for now, as like everything else these days, we just have to sit and wait. Rich Larson is a freelance writer who lives in Northfield.
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 21
Late-March, 2020 F
or the first few days I went on walks. I watched cars drive down Riverfront and wondered where they had to go. On another street, a dark coffee shop; wooden stools upside down on their tables. Later, I kept thinking of those stools and the quiet street behind me reflected in the storefront glass. I slept. I felt my forehead and wondered if it was anything. I Googled: difference between cold flu and Coronavirus. I stayed inside. I felt fine. I couldn’t sleep. I watched Last of the Mohicans with my wife. The next day she watched it again. I watched Kingdom. I
“B
tried to make corn tortillas. We ate them like wafers. I called home. I moved my MSU classes online and emailed students. I met up with a friend on campus and we stood apart and talked. I read the chalk notes children wrote on the sidewalks—those neon hearts. I smiled at people I passed and pretended I wasn’t holding my breath. There were so many books to read. I watched TV. I checked Zillow and thought of the future. I washed clothes and wiped down where I touched with hydrogen peroxide. I washed my hands. I blew my nose. I washed my hands. Outside, the birds were loud. Outside, I saw three boys walking together. If I were one of them, I thought, I too would be dribbling a basketball. I said nothing. Up the street, a dog barked from behind a window screen. Michael Torres is a poet and faculty member at Minnesota State University’s English Department.
The show will eventually go on
uddy – the Buddy Holly Story” was scheduled for production in early May at the Kato Ballroom. The dates have now been changed to September 9, 10 and 11 and a second weekend 17, 18 and 19. As the director and co-producer (with Tim Berry) I feel the impact of the decision on the creative team. We met online for two sessions to reinforce our ensemble philosophy. The unique aspect of our production is the eclectic nature of our team. Dave Peterson of Merely Players and Eric Koser from Centenary United Methodist Church are the designers who work with other theaters across the region. They have been waiting in the wings along with our music directors, Hanna Cesario and Jimmy Siatsis. The actors — Colin Scharf (Buddy,) Tom Clements (the Big Bopper,) and Sergio Salgado (Ricky Valens) — are ready to go, and so it all came down to the decision by Tania Cordes, owner of the Kato Ballroom. She has gone through some agonizing times as shows and brides wait in line. For me, remembering my times at West High School and the Meningitis scare, these times have a similar feel to it as, tragically, one of our students died. In 1990 I was a volunteer in Belfast, Northern Ireland and that, too, was extreme. That was a time for reading and writing for me. Whereas both urban warfare and a pandemic are powerfully stressful and tragic, urban warfare has an element of violence that can’t be compared. Plays did not go on with the fear of bombs in the theatre. What kept us going and keeps us going now is the commitment we have made to the project and doing theater. The sense of community and friendship is what holds us together for the sake of the audience because, gratefully, we know “the show must go on.” Pat Ryan is a playwright and former high school teacher who lives in Mankato.
22 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Thankful for community support
I
t’s been a few weeks now since “last call” was shouted at The NaKato or since I’ve seen a line of people waiting to be seated at Pagilai’s. There are a lot of different feelings that could be used to describe this period in time, the most important of which I feel is gratitude. In the restaurant industry, our livelihood is always based on the reception from within the community, but these days it’s critical. It’s been nothing short of amazing to watch people step forward to show their support during these times of uncertainty. As a business owner you need to have the capability to adjust and adapt to fit the needs of the customer, and if this experience has taught us anything, it’s how to do that on the fly. Sometimes it requires you to repurpose the tools you have in front of you to fit whatever needs you have in order to make it through another day, and that’s what we’re doing now. We have chosen to take this crisis as an opportunity to reflect on all of the good times and memories that these businesses have created for ourselves and the community as a whole. We have found ourselves utilizing our down time to focus on making improvements like adding new menu items, painting walls and deep cleaning. We would like to say THANK YOU to everyone out there for your continued support during this time and THANK YOU to our amazing employees who have been committed to keeping these places going! Your support means everything and you are why we do this! Jake Downs owner of Pagliai’s Restaurant in Mankato and NaKato Bar and Grill in North Mankato.
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 23
Y A S
ES
The truth and nothing but the
truth
By Nell Musolf
I
t was second grade, I believe, when Pat Nelson got up and shared during Show and Tell that he was adopted. Pat went on to explain that being adopted made him a cut above the rest of us because his parents chose him, while our parents had pretty much played celestial Lotto when it came to the baby they’d gotten. The wheels in my 7-year-old brain started spinning. If Pat Nelson had been adopted, someone who ate the clay vegetables he made in art class and was convinced the lead character in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E” was also our crossing guard, wasn’t it possible that I, too, had been plucked from the nursery at the local hospital and adopted by my parents? I’m not sure why that idea filled me with such hope—maybe I was already picturing an obscure royal family as my true blood relatives, true blood relatives who realized the mistake they’d made and now wanted me back—but I knew I had to find out. 24 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
“Was I adopted?” I asked my mother the moment I got home after school. My mother didn’t miss a beat. “Why would I adopt a fourth child and another girl?” I thought about it for a moment and realized she was a hundred percent right; no one would adopt a fourth child and another girl, especially not in my family where I’d known since birth I was supposed to have been a boy so my brother would have a built-in playmate. What had I been thinking? My dreams of living in a castle dashed, I went to play with my Barbies. At the time I wasn’t hurt by my mother’s offhand and entirely truthful remark. But it stuck with me over the years, as bald truths so often do, and as I grew older, I often found myself thinking, “What kind of mother would say that to her child?” Easy. My mother. My mother had a hard early life. She grew up during
the Depression and more or less raised herself. She joined the Navy during World War II where she worked as a code breaker. Her independence made her a mom who didn’t believe in pulling punches. You always knew where you stood with her, which was sometimes good and sometimes bad, but one thing was certain: If you wanted to have your ego stroked, find someone else. If you wanted the truth, go talk to mom. She’d tell you if your new jeans made your thighs look big, if your haircut made you look like a prison guard and if your plans for the future were not only completely asinine but a guarantee of lifelong poverty as well. Yes, more often than not, mom’s critiques stung, but at the same time they certainly cut to the chase and saved an incredible amount of time. It wasn’t just me, of course. Mom taught sixth grade at the same school I attended, much to my chagrin, and I regularly heard negative comments about how tough she was as a teacher. It wasn’t until years later that I heard follow-up remarks. “I hated your mother when she was my teacher,” a former classmate told me at our 20th reunion. “I finally realized how much good she did for me by not letting me get away with being a slacker. I still don’t like her, of course, but not as much as I used to.” Believe me, it isn’t easy to come up with a response to that kind of compliment. Life, I have learned, is like that. It’s a rare thing to realize someone is doing you a colossal favor by being tough on you or being completely honest with you. Growing up, I wanted a mother who only said nice things to me and complimented my art work instead of telling me it looked like something Picasso might have painted in the dark. I wanted a mother like Mrs. Tyler, a neighbor who looked like Nancy Reagan and wore high heels when she cleaned the bathroom. Or Mrs. Garnett who baked cinnamon rolls from scratch and was convinced her daughter was going to grow up to marry Prince Charles. My mother advised me to marry someone with a sense of humor because, as she put it, “he’s going to need it.” My mother was not a fan of any kind of pretense, refused to read
Dr. Seuss because he was silly and didn’t believe in fairy tales. (“Give me a break. Those step-sisters would have fixed it so Cinderella never got to the ball.”). But there was a flip side to her personality. In spite of being the most down-to-earth person on the planet, she had wild flights of imagination that were always a surprise. Such as the time we watched a mystery movie together where the heroine was convinced someone was trying to kill her. “Who would ever honestly think someone was trying to kill her?” I asked. “I do all the time,” my mother replied. “Especially your father. I’m convinced he messes with my tea bags when I’m not looking.” That was Mom. My mother died in the late spring of 2011. I think about her a lot, especially on Mother’s Day when I’d love to sit down, watch a movie with her and drink some of that possibly tampered tea. I think about her when I’m not sure what color to paint the living room or which dress to wear to a wedding or how to make my spaghetti sauce taste as good as hers always did. I still check the answering machine every single time I come home, hoping for one split second there will be a message from her. Then I remember. My mother gave me many gifts. Money when I needed it and when I didn’t, a love of reading everything but fairy tales and a hard-boiled pragmatism. But the gift I treasure the most, the one I wouldn’t trade for anything, was the truth. My mother always gave me the truth, even when I didn’t want to hear it. Maybe she wouldn’t have adopted a fourth child and a girl, but at the same time I always knew she wouldn’t have traded me for anyone else in the world. Nor would I have traded her for another mom, not even a high heel wearing, cinnamon bun baking version. “One thing you can say about me,” my mother said shortly before she died, “I was never boring.” She was so right. MM
Nell Musolf is former Mankato Magazine columnist and writer who lives with her husband in Mankato.
Same Great People.
Same Great Service. Best of 2019 The Free Press
Newest Technology!
Give Us a Call Today! 507.388.4895 1671 E. Madison Ave., Mankato abraauto.com fb.com/abraauto | @ABRAauto Auto Body Repair • Auto Glass Repair & Replacement National Lifetime Limited Warranty
MOTHER'S DAY flowers, garden & MAY 10TH
decor.
507.387.7908
www.hilltopflorist.com MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 25
REFLECTIONS By Pat Christman
I
t seems spring pops up out of nowhere every year. Everything starts out brown and drab and it seems like it will stay that way. Then all of a sudden there is a kaleidoscope of color. The grass is suddenly green. Flowers emerge from the brown, dead leaves of fall. Birds start singing. Fortunately, all it takes is a little rain and some patience. MM
26 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 27
Paul Hustoles is the department chair of the Minnesota State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance. Photo by Pat Christman
The show must go on Mankato is blessed with tons of great theater options
W
By Grace Brandt
hen it comes to theatrical productions, Mankato has a long and rich history on the stage. From strong theater programs for the next generation of entertainers to not one but two community theater troupes, there’s something for every theater lover’s taste in the local area. Read on to learn about just how vibrant and diverse the Mankato theater scene truly is.
28 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Travis Shafer portrays Jesus in a Merely Players production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Photo by Jackson Forderer
MSU
No look into the local theater scene would be complete without referencing Minnesota State University’s Department of Theater and Dance, which has been going strong since 1950. Community legend Ted Paul was the first theater department chair, serving in the position for 30 years, and current chair Paul Hustoles took over in 1985. Hustoles said he continued Paul’s philosophy of staging theater “that people want to see.” “In academia, that’s not always the case,” Hustoles said. “You do
shows that will teach the students and/or audiences. It’s all about teaching rather than entertaining. What I love about MSU is that we do both. We’re very eclectic about what we do, for our audience and students.” Thanks to the university’s several stages, the department is able to produce many types of plays, ranging from main-stage musicals to smaller, more “avant-garde” plays during the Studio Season. Hustoles said that a typical season usually includes two big musicals, a classical piece that’s at least 100 years old and “yesterday’s Broadways,” which are oldfashioned plays such as last year’s “Arsenic and Old Lace.” In fact, a typical season features 17-18 different productions — more than almost any other college or university in the country, he said. “This year, we were on the way to 18,” he said, adding that the season had to be cut short because of the COVID-19 outbreak. “A normal college will do 4-6 (plays) a year, and we do 17. That’s very unusual.” The department offers five majors, one minor and two master’s programs, with more than 200 theater and dance majors and minors today (including grad students). “That’s why we do so many plays,” Hustoles said. “We’re opening shows all the time, so we keep the students very busy, and that’s why they love it here.” About 40,000 people attend shows at MSU every year, making
the university’s theatrical box office one of the top in the country for university theatrical programs, he said. While the quality of MSU’s productions is a big draw, he pointed out it couldn’t happen without a large number of area art lovers. “(The Mankato community) understands the importance of the arts, as contributing to quality of life.”
Bethany Lutheran College
At Bethany Lutheran College students have found creative ways to stage theatrical productions since the 1940s — even if those productions didn’t really include a theater. Peter Bloedel, chair of Bethany’s Theatre Department, said the college didn’t have a fine arts building until the late 1980s, but that just meant that theater students performed on a stage constructed in Bethany’s gymnasium until the S.C. Ylvisaker Fine Arts Center was completed in 1989. Now the department produces four main-stage shows a year, along with student-directed shows and the college’s annual showcase, “Theatre Physics.” That fall show is a “Vaudeville-style study of experimental theater,” where students have about 2 1/2 weeks to create skits. “We make a show out of nothing,” said Bloedel, who produces the event. “Some of the admissions folks call it “Saturday MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 29
Anastacia Wells Steinberg (left) and Taylor Prevo act out a TV reality show called “Scared Straight to the Alter” in a scene from the play “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” at the Mankato Playhouse. Photo by Jackson Forderer Night Live” meets the circus.” Bloedel said the department tries to stage two musicals a year, often older shows in the public domain. “We feel as though we can take any of those shows and put our spin on them. We take pride in creativity and giving something a new voice.” Another important tradition at Bethany, he said, is adapting stories into productions, such as last year’s staging of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Faculty members and students have a chance to collaborate to create original scripts. “What we’ve learned is that, if we’re doing our own adaption, we can do stories that people know and then make them great for the stage.” Bloedel said about 30 students are pursuing a theater major or minor at this time, but far more students are involved when it comes to stage productions. When Bethany produced “Annie, Get Your Gun” in February about a fifth of the campus was involved, from actors to musicians to stagehands. Acknowledging the many theatrical offerings in Mankato, 30 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Bloedel said every group is unique, which is one reason the community has such a strong theatrical presence. “I think that Mankato has always been really receptive to plays, to theater and to seeing new and cool ways to do things,” he said. “There’s a lot of creativity around here, and there’s a lot of different options. We all have something really different to offer.”
Merely Players
Mankato’s original community acting troupe, the Merely Players, has been a Mankato staple since 1982. The troupe has produced more than 100 shows and impacted more than 30,000 volunteers and theater patrons. The troupe was originally formed by Mankato educator Gretchen Etzell, who directed “Oklahoma!” at the request of Mankato’s Community Education program. When more than 170 people showed up to auditions, it became apparent there was a hunger for community theater. Thus, the official Merely Players (named after a line in Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”) group was formed.
Soon afterward, Merely Players moved into the Lincoln Community Center in Mankato, where they’ve been for the past 30 years (give or take a few special productions elsewhere). Along the way, the troupe eventually picked up Travis Carpenter as its artistic director, and he served until last year, when longtime volunteer Maggie Maes stepped into the role until a permanent replacement could be found. They’re still looking. Maes said one of the reasons Merely Players has become such an enduring presence in the community is because it offers a place for everyone. “The name ‘community theater’ means bringing everyone involved into it,” she said. “We have the old, the young, high school students, sometimes elementary school students. There’s a place for everyone. That’s the fun part, and that’s why we’ve survived so long in the community.” Merely Players stands out in the local community because it’s able to offer more realistic characters, Maes said, because they have a wider talent pool to draw from — and still offer high production
Exit, stage retirement: Hustoles goes out on top After 35 years behind the curtain at MSU, Paul Hustoles is retiring at the end of the 2019-2020 school year — leaving the Mankato theater scene a little bit dimmer. Hustoles grew up in Michigan and said he knew since he was 5 years old that he wanted to be involved in theater but not as an actor. “I always wanted to direct,” he said, adding that he directed his first play in third grade. Hustoles earned his bachelor’s of fine arts degree in directing (a new program at the time) from Wayne State University in Michigan, then got a master’s degree as well before moving on to Texas to finish his doctorate. Hustoles came to MSU in 1985, attracted in part because of the area’s strong love for theater. He said he planned to stay only three years, but he couldn’t tear himself away. “Within weeks, I knew Mankato was extraordinary,” he said. “We love it here. I don’t call it Mankato. I call it heaven.” During his time at MSU, Hustoles has increased the number of theater majors offered by the department, added more faculty members, rewritten the curriculum for the master of fine arts degree and worked to bring the university’s dance program into the theater department (hence the name Department of Theatre and Dance). He also raised $3.8 million to construct the Andreas Theatre. Hustoles looks at himself as more of a producer than a director, meaning he coordinates the university’s entire season and lines up all the elements that come together onstage. He estimated he has produced at least 600 shows. But he’s also directed at least 200 shows, too, including this year’s “Shakespeare in Love” and “Newsies.” Some of his favorite shows he’s directed include “Ragtime” and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.” Hustoles said he’s been toying with retirement for a few years, especially because his wife has already retired and the two of them want to be able to travel together. MSU President Richard Davenport convinced him to stay and oversee the university’s sesquicentennial celebration, so he decided to retire this year instead. By the time he retires, he’ll have 35 years under his belt at MSU, surpassing his mentor Ted Paul’s 30-year streak. “I had this feeling that he was smiling down from heaven,” he said. Unfortunately, the nationwide COVID-19 outbreak meant that Hustoles had to cancel several of the shows he had planned for his last season, several of which he was going to direct himself. The end-of-the-season showstopper was planned to be “Mama Mia!” with Hustoles at the helm, but he said the department will still bring the show to Mankato — they’ll just stage it in April 2021 instead. And in case anyone is worried, he’ll still be directing. “I’m going to miss (my students), but I’ll be able to come back and direct them one last time.”
Merely Players
Website: https://www.merelyplayers.com/ Phone: 507.388.5483 Facebook: Merely Players Community Theater Email: Info@merelyplayersmn.org MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 31
“Theater Physics” at Bethany Lutheran College is one of the hottest theater tickets every year. Photo by Jackson Forderer values onstage. “Back in the day, community theater used to have bad scenery, awful props, homemade costumes,” Maes said. “Over the years, people have realized that community theater definitely does not mean bad theater. It also means highquality theater.”
Minnesota Shorts
Since 2009, the Minnesota Shorts Play Festival has offered bite-size plays in rapid succession for two special evenings every September. The festival crams seven plays — no longer than 10 minutes each — from seven different authors and with seven distinct casts and directors into one madcap evening. (That’s 14 plays, directors and casts if you attend both nights because there are no repeats.) Festival founder Greg Abbott said he came up with the idea for a short play festival after entering one of his shows in the (now defunct) Northfield Arts Guild’s Very Short Play Festival. “I thought if Northfield could pull it off, Mankato could,” he said. Abbott said the first year was slow, both in terms of submitted
32 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
material (about 70 scripts) and audience members. But by 2010, the festival attracted more than 100 people to each of its performances. Since then, Abbott said, it “grew and grew and grew.” In 2018, he received about 500 scripts. There have been changes throughout the last 10 years. The festival bounced back and forth between the Lincoln Community Center and Mankato West High School, and Abbott now works with Merely Players to find directors and casts. Last year, Abbott decided to focus on only Minnesotan and Midwestern writers. Now, the festival has seven spots for Minnesotan writers and seven spots for Midwestern writers. The “Midwest” area is limited to seven states, and Abbott received about 200 plays for 2019’s show. Last year’s selections came from Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and, of course, Minnesota. One was even from Mankato. Abbott is making yet another change for this year’s festival: oneminute skits. This year’s festival will include six 10-minute plays and then seven one-minute plays “just
to shake things up a little,” he said. (That means 14 one-minute plays and a dozen 10-minute plays throughout the two performances.) While the festival was slow to take off, it’s now a cherished part of the Mankato community. Abbott estimated that about 120-150 people attend the festival each night. “The (people) who have gone to it, I see them back every year. They love it. It’s just a fun time. It’s very different. And that’s what sets it apart. People in this town aren’t afraid to try something different.”
Mankato Playhouse
Mankato received its newest theatrical group in 2019, when husband-wife team David and Lori Holmes started the Mankato Playhouse through their new nonprofit organization, Davori Productions. Both of them had been heavily involved in theater before moving to Mankato, and then they were involved with Merely Players before deciding to start their own production company— but with a twist. All of the Mankato Playhouse’s productions are dinner theaters.
“When we came out here, we saw a huge opportunity for another theater company,” David Holmes said. “Everybody that we know drives to Chanhassen (for the Chanhassen Dinner Theater). We wanted to do Chanhassen-quality shows here in Mankato and have a dinner theater here in Mankato.” Mankato Playhouse’s first season opened last fall and included “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.” Productions are staged at the Mankato Event Center in downtown Mankato Place. Catering for the meals come from local businesses such as Absolute Custom Catering. Audience members are able to choose between vegetarian, chicken and beef, and dinner is plated, not buffet, for an extra touch. The Playhouse’s first season was “very good,” David Holmes said, with several sold-out performances and an average of 130 people in every audience. “For only having three shows under our belt, we’re in a pretty good position,” he said. “One of the highlights is we aren’t seeing the same people coming in to see our shows; we have different people coming to see our shows each time.” Another big part of the Playhouse is its workshops for area kids. These seven-week workshops are open to kids in sixth to 12th grade, with lessons on everything from dancing to singing to auditioning, as well as the chance to learn behind-the-scenes aspects of theater from industry experts. At the end of the workshop, they put on a full musical, such as “Guys and Dolls, Jr.” in October 2019. “Our Broadway Teen workshops have been a huge success,” he said, adding that about 35 kids have participated in the two workshops so far. “The kids absolutely love being part of the theater.” MM
Photo by Jackson Forderer
Why is theater important? “Theater is one of the oldest expressive forms of art. While they were painting on walls, they were dancing around a campfire, and they started telling stories. What I love about theater is how it combines all of the arts: music, fine art, writing, visual arts and storytelling. Out of all the art forms, it’s one of the most collaborative. To me, a community isn’t a community without theater.” –Paul Hustoles, MSU “Theater moves you in a way that’s very personal because you’re right there in front of it. There’s something about being in the room with living, breathing actors that makes everything much more vibrant and exciting. Theater is living and breathing, and it’s right there with you.” –Peter Bloedel, Bethany Lutheran “People want to be entertained. They want to put everything else that’s going on in their life aside and just come and get involved with a show. People want an escape, a relief. They buy that ticket, and they’re able to forget it all and for a couple hours immerse themselves in something fun, something poignant … I think that’s so important for everybody’s mental health when we can do that. It’s just this great feeling to watch the people in the audience getting so involved in it. And, it’s important for our actors. There are many times when actors have come to me and told me about things going on in their lives … But once they get there, they can just leave it at the door, and for a few hours they can forget about everything that’s going on in their lives and transform into another character.” –Maggie Maes, Merely Players “Theater is a huge factor in people’s lives. It’s important because not only does it give you something to do, but usually everything that’s in theater has some sort of message. If anything, it shows off the talent in your community, too, and that’s important. There are some people here who can really sing, dance and act. And it’s fun to see that. It’s also fun to be part of it. Those relationships last a long time.” –Greg Abbott, MN Shorts Play Festival “Theater is important because it’s something for people to get their mind off what’s going into the world. When you come into the theater, you’re entering a different world, one that takes you out of all the crappy things that are going on in the world and makes you feel good. People like to be entertained. I feel live theater is a lot more entertaining ... You’re actually seeing someone upfront, doing it live. It’s never the same show. Something’s going to be a little bit different each time.” –David Holmes, Mankato Playhouse
The Mankato Playhouse Address: Mankato Event Center, 12 Civic Plaza STE 10, Mankato Website: https://mankatoplayhouse.com/ Phone: (507)-508-6539 Email: info@davoriproductions.com Facebook: Davori Productions
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 33
UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY RESOURCES A Guide for Older Adults and Their Families
WHERE DO I START? There are many specialized services available to help older adults live independently and productively in their own homes and communities. If you would like to learn more about the services available to older adults and their families, even during these unprecedented times surrounding COVID-19, this guide will provide you with helpful service information. Call the Senior LinkAge Line®, Minnesota’s link to a local aging expert, at 1-800-333-2433. Trained specialists will provide you with detailed information about services and the agencies and organizations that provide them. You can also access information by going to our website at
WHAT SERVICES CAN HELP ME STAY IN MY HOME? The choice of whether to stay in your home or to move somewhere else is an important, personal decision. The following services allow older adults to remain in their homes for longer and more satisfying periods of time.
Vision loss due to conditions like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and other age-related eye conditions can be a frustrating and difficult part of aging. The good news is that while it may require learning some new skills and making some adaptations, vision loss need not destroy quality of life, ability to live independently, or ability to be involved in the community. For more information, contact Minnesota State Services for the Blind: www.mnssb.org.
Adult day services/centers are organized, supportive care provided in a group environment supervised by trained individuals. Services typically include meals, snacks, recreational activities and medication reminders. Sometimes upon request, they will provide additional services such as bathing, grooming or transportation. Caregiver consultants/specialists offer professional services to help caregivers maintain their health and well-being. They advocate on behalf of caregivers, provide them emotional reassurance and assist them with accessing information, support and community services. Some caregiver consultants/ specialists are trained to provide Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health (REACH), an evidence-based intervention to support family members. Caregiver education includes workshops and training too help families anticipate, plan for and provide care that may be needed, as family members grow older. Caregiver support groups provide opportunities for those who care for a loved one to get together with others experiencing similar situations, to share information and learn from each other. Case management involves case managers serving as a substitute family member, when family can’t be there. Services vary per client need, but may include transportation, coordination of services and appointments, assessments, advocacy, companionship and emergency contact services. Chore services help with heavier housekeeping or routine home maintenance tasks, such as snow removal, lawn mowing, yard work, wall washing, changing storm windows and minor home repairs.
34 • RESOURCE GUIDE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES • MAY 2020 • Special Advertising Section
Emergency response systems
can be extremely helpful for older and disabled persons who need help during an emergency. The units transmit a signal that sets a response plan into action. Some systems are compatible with cell phones and can also use GPS to share the user’s location. Some systems monitor daily activities and deliver voice messages to users and caregivers.
Energy Assistance program
can help pay for fuel or heating bills for those who are eligible for financial assistance. Eligibility is based on income, assets and family size.
Evidence-based programs
include health promotion programs that are proven through research and real-world testing to produce positive outcomes. The following are some of the evidence-based programs that are provided in Minnesota: Living Well with Chronic Conditions, A Matter of Balance, Powerful Tools for Caregivers, Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance, Living Well with Diabetes, Living Well with Chronic Pain.
Monday Is Senior Day!
20%
Off
ANY LIQUOR & WINE
Every Monday with this reusable coupon! No limit. Must present coupon. Reusable coupon good for age 60+ on Mondays only thru 12/31/2020.
340 Stadium Road, Mankato
625-KEGS
Dial-a-ride Transportation for Blue Earth, Le Sueur & Nicollet Counties Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm
Faith in action programs are non-professional volunteer assistance through partnerships with local faith communities. Services may include transportation, shopping, friendly visiting, yard work, household chores, mail management, meal preparation, respite care, telephone reassurance, referral, etc. Generally, programs do not charge fees for their services, but may provide a suggested fee schedule for a service and encourage participants and families to give a donation. Food shelves/Nutritional Assistance Program for Seniors offer food and other grocery
items to low income people or those in an emergency or crisis. The Nutritional Assistance Program for Seniors (NAPS) is a federal food program designed to provide healthy and nutritious commodity food each month at no cost to eligible older adults over age 60.
Food Support (SNAP) is a county-run federal program that helps Minnesotans with low income get the food they need for sound nutrition and well-balanced meals. SNAP benefits are available via a debit card that can help stretch a household’s food budget. People must meet income and asset guidelines to be eligible for this program. Special Advertising Section • MAY 2020 • RESOURCE GUIDE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES • 35
Friendly Visiting refers to regular in-home visits to isolated or homebound older adults to provide companionship and socialization. Grocery Delivery is available to those who have difficulty shopping for themselves. A delivery fee is usually charged. Health insurance counseling helps older adults and their families understand their medical bills, Medicare, supplemental insurance policies and long-term care insurance. Trained counselors can help with tracking and/or appealing claims, completing application forms for government programs and helping compare health insurance options. They can also assist with Medicare Part D plan research/enrollment and in identifying other programs that may help with prescription drug costs. This free service is provided by the Senior LinkAge Line. For more information, call 1-800-333-2433. Home health care includes a variety of services that help people to remain in their own homes. It can include, personal care, such as bathing and grooming, personal care services, such as laundry, housekeeping and meal preparation, chore services, providing heavier housekeeping or routine home maintenance such as mowing, snow removal, yard work, wall washing, changing storm windows, or minor repairs, respite care, which provides short-term care to enable those caring for a loved one in their home to get a break or time away and other in-home services.
Homemaker services are help with general household activities, which may include light housekeeping, laundry, meal planning and preparation, assistance with money management, performing errands and shopping. Home delivered meals are nutritionally balanced meals delivered to homebound older adults who are unable to regularly or adequately prepare their own meals. Special diets are often available. There are also frozen meal options for people living in rural areas. Hospice is the coordination of care and services to help those who are terminally ill, as well as their loved ones. Hospice can be provided in one’s home, a hospital or nursing home or a freestanding hospice center. Living at Home/Block Nurse Program involves help to older adults living within a defined geographic area to help them live independently and safely by providing affordable, in-home services and volunteer support. In-home services may include homemaker/home health aides, skilled nursing, post-hospital care, long-term illness management, medication management, nutrition and exercise education. Volunteers provide friendly visiting, chore help, transportation, shopping assistance, help with managing mail, telephone reassurance, peer counseling and caregiver support. Loan locker/closet is the use of low-tech equipment such as toilet seat risers, shower seats, wheelchairs and walkers to help people maintain their independence.
JOIN THE FIGHT FOR ALZHEIMER’S FIRST SURVIVOR.
SIGN UP OR VOLUNTEER TODAY! 507.289.3950 | alz.org/walk
Rochester - Aug 22, 2020 Albert Lea - Aug 29, 2020 Mankato - Sept 12, 2020 Owatonna - Sept 13, 2020 Red Wing - Sept 19, 2020 Winona - Oct 3, 2020
36 •20RESOURCE GUIDE OLDER THEIR WALK Mankato LivingFOR Fifty-Five PlusADULTS MagazineAND Ad.indd 1 FAMILIES • MAY 2020 • Special Advertising Section
1/6/20 8:08 AM
Long-term care options counseling offers information and
assistance to consumers and their family members about options that are available to meet their long-term care needs. Consumers and family members receive assistance in setting goals, making choices and planning for in-home services in keeping with their own individual strengths, needs and resources. To find out more, call the Senior LinkAge Line at 1-800-333-2433.
MinnesotaHelp.info® is a helpful website located at www.MinnesotaHelp.info that provides individuals, their families and caregivers personalized assistance to find and access services. MnCHOICES is an assessment done by local county staff to provide information about community services that matches an individual’s needs and preferences. A public health nurse and/ or social worker conducts an assessment to determine a person’s general health, ability to take care of routine daily activities, home environment, social needs and family support. They make recommendations about service options that meet identified needs, how much they will cost and ways to pay for services. This assessment was formally known as Long-Term Care Consultation. Palliative care is a medical specialty focused on relief of pain and other symptoms of serious illness. The goal is to prevent and ease suffering and to offer patients and their families the best possible quality of life. Palliative care is appropriate at any point in a serious or life-threatening illness. It is not dependent on prognosis. It can be provided at the same time as curative and life-prolonging treatment.
SIESTA H
I
L
L
S
Parish nursing services can vary from church to church, depending on the needs of the parishioners, the resources available and the nurse’s area of expertise. Examples of services include, health counseling, health resource referral and health education. Peer Counseling involves
trained older adult volunteers who help and support other older adults coping with loss, grief, loneliness, isolation, depression and/or caregiving issues.
Special Advertising Section • MAY 2020 • RESOURCE GUIDE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES • 37
LiftARecliners Buy Lift Recliner & Adjustable Bed Adjustable Beds
Ultra Comfort Respite is short-term care to • Low voltagecare electric motor& system Ultra ComfortPreferred Store & Lift Mankato’s ToRecliners enable those caring for a loved one • One master control wand for easy operation in their home to get a break for rest LiftARecliners Beds Adjustable Beds Buy Lift Recliner & Adjustable Beds • Available in Adjustable extraorlong and relaxation, timetwin, awayfull, to do Starting Adjustable Bedsat • Low voltage electric motor system • Low voltage electric motorbesystem errands. care may provided queen andRespite dual king Ultra Comfort •master Onethrough master control wand easy operation $system • Low voltage electric motor& in the home awand formal home • One control for for easy operation • Wireless remote option • Available in extra long twin, full,
599
Lift Recliners • One master control wand for easy operation Beds Adjustable Beds • Available in Adjustable extra long twin, with full, coupon below Starting at
599
care•agency informal Availableorin an extra long twin,volunteer full,
and dual king Made in theinqueen USA program, a day queen and dual care king setting or via a
• Wireless remote option short-term institutional • Wireless remote optionplacement. Made in the USA Made in the USA Return to Community is an with coupon below • 6 Models on Display • Wireless remote option initiative of the Minnesota Board on • Wireless remote option Made in the USA Made in the USA Aging and Minnesota’s Area Agencies • 6 Models on Display on Aging that helps people who aren’t N on Medical Assistance (MA) who o S ales Tax BONUS o n Li ft Recliners! could benefit from support planning, No Sales Tax regardless of their currentNow setting. on Lift Reclin from only ers! Now are available to help people in Handfrom heldonly remote lifts you into Staff a standing Hand held remote lifts you into a standing $position or makes chair fullynursing recline. homes or in the community position or makes chair fully recline. remotelifts lifts you you into Hand held remote lifts you into HandHand heldheld remote intoa astanding standing to return to or stay in the community Hand held remote lifts you intoa astanding standing with coupon below with coupon below position or makes chair fully recline. position or makes chair fully recline. position or makes chair fully recline. position setting of their choice. They provide or makes chair fully recline. 15 18 lift recliners on display. 15 lift recliners on display. help comparing options available in the community, getting those options set up www.earljohnsonfurniture.com and following up to ensure people have Sun. 12-4; Mon. & Thur. 9-8; Wed., Fri. & Sat. 9-5 www.earljohnsonfurniture.com 507-345-3223 the help they need. To find out more, 2nd & Cherry Street, Downtown Mankato Sun. 12-4; Mon. & Thur. 9-8; Wed., Fri. & Sat. 9-5 call the Senior LinkAge Line at FURNITURE • MATTRESS • OUTLET 507-345-3223 www.earljohnsonfurniture.com 1-800-333-2433. 2nd & Cherry Street, Downtown Mankato Sun. 12-4; Mon. & Thur. 9-8; Wed., Fri. & Sat. 9-5 507-345-3223 www.jfmankato.com www.earljohnsonfurniture.com Reverse mortgage allows older 2nd & Cherry Street, Downtown Mankato Sun. 12-4; Mon. & Thur. 9-8; Wed., Fri. & Sat.Sun. 9-5 12-4;offMon. homeowners 62 and over to borrow & Recliner Thur. Wed.,Adjustable Fri. & Sat. any Lift Lift Recliner9-8; or Electric Electric Adjustable Bed9-5 off any or Bed 507-345-3223 coupon through May 15,10, 2020. withwith thisthis coupon through November 2018. against the equity in their home, 2nd & Cherry Street, Downtown Mankato Not good507-345-3223 with any other offers or previous purchases. without having to sell their home, give 2nd & Cherry Street, Downtown Mankato Sun. 12-4; Mon. & Thur. 9-8; Wed., Fri. & Sat. 9-5 up title or make a monthly payment. any Lift Recliner Electric Adjustable Bed Cashoff advances from thisorfederally 507-345-3223 with this through November regulated loancoupon are considered “tax- 10, 2018. 2nd & Cherry Street, Downtown Mankato Not good with any other offers or previous purchases free” income and do not affect Social Thanks for Voting Us Security or Medicare benefits. Reverse mortgages provide older adults the personal and financial independence to Five Years in a Row live a more comfortable retirement in their own homes. Our Staff Make the Difference!
$
Low electric motor system electric motor system queen• Low and•voltage dualvoltage king •master One master control wand easy operation • Oneremote control wand for for easy operation • Wireless option • Available in extra long twin, full, • Available in extra long twin, full, and dual king Made in thequeen USA queen and dual king
BONUS
$
999
Save an additional
100
$
999
Save an additional
$
100
#1 in Senior Care
• Long-Term and Short-Term Care • Assisted Living • Memory Care • Home Care • Adult Day Services • Durable Medical Equipment • Dining Services/Catering
Creating home with you.
Best of 2019 The Free Press
718 Mound Ave. Mankato, MN | 507-345-4576 | ecumenpathstoneliving.org 38 • RESOURCE GUIDE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES • MAY 2020 • Special Advertising Section
Senior dining/congregate dining offers nutritionally balanced
meals to older adults in a group setting. Special diets are available. Social and volunteer opportunities, as well as informational and educational programs are often part of the senior dining program. Meals are usually subsidized with federal and state funds. People age 60+ and their spouses donate toward the cost of the meal.
Support groups offer mutual support and education for those dealing with common concerns and issues. Examples include, grief, caregiver and Alzheimer’s support groups. Telephone reassurance is regular phone contact to isolated homebound persons to ensure their well-being and to provide social support.
Transportation programs are van, bus or volunteer driver rides to various locations. Rides may be provided for medical appointments, personal business, shopping, visiting senior centers, congregate dining, etc. Some transportation programs also offer assistance or escort services for those who may need additional help.
WHAT KIND OF HOUSING OPTIONS DO I HAVE?
Boarding Care refers to homes for persons needing minimal nursing care that are licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health. They provide personal or custodial care and related services for five or more adults or people with disabilities. They have private or shared rooms with a private or attached bathroom, there are common areas for dining and for other activities.
Condominiums are residentowned real estate. Residents also have a share in and a right to use common areas within the structure. Most condominiums require a monthly payment to an association for expenses incurred in maintaining the common areas.
If you need to move from your home, there are a variety of housing options to choose from. Please note that the term “assisted living” is widely used and includes a variety of residential alternatives.
Adult foster care is a home that provides sleeping accommodations and services for one to five adults and is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The rooms may be private or shared and the dining areas, bathrooms and other spaces are shared family-style. Adult foster care homes can offer a wide array of services. Assisted living is a service concept and not a specific type of housing in Minnesota. It usually refers to housing that has services available. Adult foster care, board and lodge, market rate and subsidized rentals may all offer services. Check with the property manager for details. Board and lodge refers to licensed facilities that provide sleeping accommodations and meals to five or more adults for a period of one week or more. They offer private or shared rooms with a private or attached bathroom, with common areas for dining and other activities. They vary greatly in size; some resemble small homes and others are more like apartment buildings. A variety of supportive services (housekeeping or laundry) or home care services (assistance with bathing or medication administration) are offered to residents.
The purpose of this hearing assessment and/or demonstration is for hearing wellness and to determine if the consumer may benefit from using hearing aids, which may include selling and fitting hearing aids. Products demonstrated may differ from products sold. Assessment conclusion is not a medical diagnosis and further testing may be required to diagnose hearing loss. The use of any hearing aid may not fully restore normal hearing and does not prevent future hearing loss. Hearing instruments may not meet the needs of all hearing-impaired individuals. Information within this offer may vary or be subject to change.
888-893-4991 Special Advertising Section • MAY 2020 • RESOURCE GUIDE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES • 39
Cooperatives are leased units or apartments. Residents of cooperatives do not own a specific unit in the building or development, but own shares of a cooperative housing corporation that owns the building and all the units. Residents are shareholders in the whole building. They lease an apartment or unit from the corporation of which they are a shareholder. For more information, visit: www.coophousing.org. Market rate rentals are housing
establishments that have no government subsidy. The real estate market determines the rent level. Some market rate rentals offer a broad range of services, including meals, housekeeping and transportation.
Nursing homes are long-term care facilities that offer a full array of personal, dietary, therapeutic, social, spiritual, recreational and nursing services to residents.
Benedictine Living Community has grown! Heritage Meadows has joined us in our Mission of serving seniors. Offering newly renovated independent living apartments, we’re ready to welcome you to our family. Contact us today! 507-931-8545 blcstpeter.org Your new view awaits at 1302 West Traverse Road, St. Peter, MN
Subsidized rentals are buildings that serve low-income individuals. They are established by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and vary with each county. They are owned by private or non-profit organizations and their construction and operations have been financed with federal and state resources. For more information, visit: www.hud.gov.
HOW DO I PAY FOR SERVICES? When purchasing services, a combination of the following funding sources may be used.
Consumer cost-sharing is the financial contribution a consumer makes toward the cost of services. This may be in the form of a sliding fee scale, donation or a set fee. Consumer-directed community supports give older adults and
their family caregivers greater control, flexibility, independence and responsibility over the services they receive and who provides them. This helps to enable them to continue living at home.
40 • RESOURCE GUIDE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES • MAY 2020 • Special Advertising Section
County human services is the access point for many county, state and federal programs like SNAP, Medicare Savings Programs, Medical Assistance (MA), waivered programs, vulnerable adult reporting and adult foster care. Many of these programs have income and asset limits that must be met to qualify. Essential Community Supports (ECS) program
includes community-based services for people age 65 or older who do not meet nursing facility level of care criteria and who are also not eligible for Medical Assistance. You must meet Alternative Care financial eligibility criteria and need one or more ECS services. For more information, contact your local county human service office.
Housing Support (formally known as Group Residential Housing) uses funding available to supplement basic room and board costs for Homes Plus/ adult foster care or board and lodging facilities based on income eligibility. Long-term care insurance
are benefits for prescribed long-term care, which can include nursing home, assisted living and/or home health care services. Most policies have a variety of features and do not restrict coverage to nursing homes. Consumers should look for a policy that is tailored to their needs and individual situations.
Long-Term Care Partnership is a public/private arrangement between long-term care insurers and Minnesota’s Medical Assistance program. It enables Minnesota residents who purchase certain long-term care insurance policies to have more of their assets protected, if they later need the state to help pay for their long-term care. Learn more at: www.mnltcpartnership.org. Medical Assistance (MA) is a federal program that helps low-income individuals pay for medical, in-home, hospital and/or nursing home costs. Known as Medicaid in other states, MA has income and asset limits people must meet to qualify for the program.
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people age 65 and over and some people with disabilities. Part A is hospital insurance; Part B is medical insurance (doctor and clinic visits) and Part D is prescription drug insurance. The premiums for Medicare are typically deducted from Social Security payments. Deductibles and co-payments are the enrollee’s responsibility. There are Medicare Savings Programs for those who meet certain income and asset limitations. Medicare Advantage Plans are also available in many areas of the country. Medicare Savings Programs
include the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, the Service Limited Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) program and the Qualified Individual (QI) program. These programs help people at various income levels to pay the cost of their Medicare Part B premium. People must meet income and asset limits to qualify for these programs.
Medicare Supplemental Insurance is available to people who
are enrolled in Medicare. Supplemental policies are individually purchased from insurance companies on the open market as Basic, Extended Basic or SELECT plans or plans provided by employers for retirees sold through groups. Policies cover most or all the co-payment and deductibles associated with Medicare. Some companies offer additional plans with limited coverage (similar to plans, F, K, L, M and N).
Medicare Advantage Plans are a type of Medicare health plan option. If you join one of these plans, you generally get all your Medicare-covered health care through that plan, which can also include prescription drug coverage. These plans may include extra benefits and have lower co-payments than Original Medicare. However, you may have to see doctors that belong to the plan or go to certain hospitals to receive services.
Medicare Cost Plans are a type of Medicare health plan available to people in certain Minnesota counties. Cost plans allow beneficiaries to go to a non-network provider, if they choose to. The services are covered under Original Medicare. Medicare Cost Plans are only available in certain Minnesota counties. For more information, call the Senior LinkAge Line at 1-800-333-2433. Private Pay refers to people who purchase services with their own funds. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a program for people over the
age of 65, blind or disabled. Individuals eligible for SSI may also qualify for other programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Medical Assistance.
Waivered Services include Alternative Care (AC) and Elderly Waiver (EW), which are programs that provide community services to people who are at risk of nursing home placement and meet specific financial guidelines. For more information, contact your local county human service office.
Special Advertising Section • MAY 2020 • RESOURCE GUIDE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES • 41
HOW CAN I BE MORE INVOLVED IN MY COMMUNITY? There are many opportunities for you to become active in your community.
Foster grandparents is a program for volunteers age 55 and over to make a lasting difference in the lives of children and youth. Foster grandparents positively influence children and youth in a variety of settings, including elementary schools, preschools, shelters, childcare centers and juvenile detention centers.
Active service includes work groups, committees and other assignments (most are time-limited), where individual’s skills, experience and support will help shape services for older adults in the future.
Road scholar is an educational opportunity for those 21 and older offered at many universities and colleges. Typically, professional educators teach weeklong courses and the group of road scholars stay on campus.
Education includes opportunities for
Senior centers and clubs
older adults to enhance their knowledge and are available throughout Minnesota in a variety of settings.
are places that offer a variety of recreational, educational and informational programming for older adults. Some senior centers also sponsor direct services such as congregate dining, volunteer programs and tax assistance.
Senior companion program
LINK TO A LOCAL AGING EXPERT
REAL WOMEN.... REAL RESULTS
is a volunteer program that provides a stipend to volunteers who befriend older adults who need support when family members cannot be there and provide a regular presence to people who are isolated.
Senior employment programs
include training, counseling and employment opportunities for older people with limited income and assets. Programs often provide job training and support with the goal of moving individuals into the regular job market.
We Miss You Ladies! We are hoping that we can get together soon. Until then Be well, Be happy and Be healthy! Make sure to visit our new website Coming in May !
Volunteer opportunities are offered by many worthy organizations across the state. Programs may provide training, supervision and support to the volunteer who wants to lend a hand to others. Reimbursement for mileage, meals and other expenses may be provided.
www.arfitness4women.com
ThankQ!
2124 Hoffman Road • Mankato, MN 507-720-0167 Amy Rykhus, Certified Trainer
Circuit Training • Classes • Kettlebell 42 • RESOURCE GUIDE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES • MAY 2020 • Special Advertising Section
WHAT HELPS ME PROTECT MY RIGHTS? In Minnesota, your rights are protected by the law. The following describe advocacy and legal means to assist you.
Durable power of attorney is written authorization for someone to handle property or financial matters for you that continues beyond your incapacity. Conservatorship involves a court-appointed conservator who is responsible to ensure that the financial needs and property matters of a vulnerable adult, who would otherwise be in danger of receiving inadequate care and/or supervision, are being met. Guardianship involves a courtappointed guardian who is responsible to handle the health care matters of a vulnerable adult, who would otherwise be in danger of receiving inadequate or unwanted care. Legal services include attorneys and paralegals who are available to help resolve legal matters by providing legal education, information and advice, making referrals and representing the client in legal proceedings. Legal services are free to low-income older adults. Some of the issues addressed by legal services include public benefits, unemployment, tenant/landlord problems, discrimination, veteran benefits, consumer protection, etc. Minnesota health care directive is a legal document that
allows an adult to state his/her wishes for health care in the event of incapacity and the inability to make decisions. Sometimes known as a living will, the health care directive does not need to be prepared by a lawyer. A proxy can be named to make decisions on one’s behalf. Copies of the completed document should be distributed to proxies and health care providers.
Ombudsman services provided by the Office of Ombudsman for LongTerm Care serves as an impartial third party who helps to resolve complaints about nursing homes, long term care residential facilities, home care agencies and hospitals. Issues can include safety, health care quality, patient rights, government benefits and other disputes or concerns. Provider Orders for LifeSustaining Treatment (POLST) forms are signed medical
order forms that communicate a patient’s end-of-life health care wishes to health care providers during an emergency. The form serves as a tool by which providers can discuss end-oflife treatment options with patients diagnosed with a serious illness.
Power of Attorney is written authorization for someone to handle property or financial matters for you. Vulnerable Adult/Adult Protection Services involve
Minnesota law that protects adults who are vulnerable to maltreatment. Vulnerable Adult/Adult Protection Services investigate alleged abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment. You can report suspected maltreatment by calling the Minnesota Adult Reporting Center (MAARC) at 1-844-880-1574. If you are reporting an emergency that requires immediate attention call 911 first, then call MAARC.
Call the experts in single level homes WILCON CONSTRUCTION & BONNIE KRUGER OF C21 A TWOOD
507-327-0633
Southern Minnesota’s Finest Senior Living Choices!!
• Lovely Apartment Homes • Located on Heritage Park • Independent & Assisted Living Services • Bistro Café • Customized Services to maintain independence • Refreshing hospitality • Health and Wellness programs • Housekeeping and Laundry services • Daily meal service • Urgency call system • Secured building
• In-house & Out Patient Rehabilitation – P.T., O.T., and Speech Therapy • Respite Care • Hospice • Long-term Staff • Therapeutic Recreational Director • Local Physicians who make weekly rounds • 24-hour Skilled Nursing • Wound Care Management • Secure Care Safety Program • Medicare/Medicaid • Private and Semi-private Rooms • Recreational Outings • Ecumenical Services • In-house Beauty and Barber services • Special Care Suite and Family Room
www.mapletoncommunityhome.com 303 Troendle St. • Mapleton, MN | 301 Troendle St. • Mapleton, MN
507-524-3315
Special Advertising Section • MAY 2020 • RESOURCE GUIDE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR FAMILIES • 43
Food & Beer
LET'S EAT!
By Dan Greenwood
southern mn style Dino’s Pizzeria on Belgrade Avenue on lower North Mankato features New York style pizza and other Italian food. Photos courtesy of Dino's Pizzeria.
Who wants PIZZA! Dino’s Pizzeria standing tall in a competitive pizza market
B
efore Natasha O’Hara and brothers Christopher and Patrick Person opened Dino’s Pizzeria in North Mankato, they visited dozens of pizzerias in cities known for their pizza. O’Hara grew up around the best pizzerias in her native Chicago, and the Persons traveled to New York. “In four days, we ordered 30 different pizzas,” Christopher
44 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Person said. “There was a particular place in Brooklyn that hit the sweet spot. We actually went back there two or three times. We knew that was the pizza we wanted.” O’Hara first met the Persons when they hired her as a server and later a manager at Tav on the Ave – one of several local restaurants they own – when she moved to
Mankato to attend Minnesota State University during the late 1990s. At that time, she lived in an apartment above what would later become Dino’s. “We always thought it would make a great pizzeria,” O’Hara said. After graduation, she moved back to Chicago for a few years but returned to Mankato in 2003 and took a job at the now defunct Sugar
What:
Dino’s Pizzeria
Where:
239 Belgrade Ave., North Mankato
What they’re known for:
A variety of pizzas with specialty toppings, including lobster and crab, shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, along with spaghetti, lasagna, salads and appetizers including pesto cheese breadsticks and bruschetta.
Room, a jazz club in downtown Mankato. She ran into the Persons every now and then around town or at the YMCA. On one of those occasions in spring 2005, the brothers approached her with an offer. “One day Pat came up to me and said, ‘We want to open up a pizzeria on Belgrade,’” O’Hara said, thinking they were going to offer her a managerial position. But instead they asked her to be a partner and began construction to refurbish the same building O’Hara had lived in, with that Brooklynbased pizzeria as an inspiration. “We like the way people did hand-stretched dough and tossed it in the air,” O’Hara said. “That’s why our pizza dough is hand tossed. We liked certain sauces that weren’t as pasty and cheese that wasn’t too salty. The great thing about it is we all enjoyed the same flavors.” They connected with one of the ‘dough gurus’ from General Mills, who was familiar with the Brooklyn pizzeria they visited and helped them perfect their dough recipe using specific water temperatures. “Within one afternoon we got the dough recipe the way it needed to be,” Christopher Persons said. “We put it in the cooler to rest and usually it’s the next day you use it – that’s when you create your crust, which is also kind of an art.” O’Hara said their most popular
pizzas have been on the menu since they opened in 2006. The Dino is a red sauce pizza with Italian sausage, pepperoni and Canadian bacon. The Foghorn Leghorn has an alfredo sauce with grilled chicken, and the Italian Daydream combines pepperoni, Italian sausage, black olives, green peppers and mushrooms with a red sauce. One of their seasonal options – offered in March – is the Reuben pizza, made with sauerkraut, thousand island dressing and slow-cooked meat. O’Hara said it’s grown in popularity, and customers routinely call them every year before March to make sure it’s going to be on the menu again. In observance of Lent, they developed a seafood pizza, pasta and a dip made from crab, lobster and shrimp. Other specialty toppings include gouda and blue cheese, fresh basil and pickles, which is a topping on their bacon cheeseburger pizza. “The Belgrade pizza is one of my absolute favorites,” O’Hara said. “It’s got pepperoni, sausage and meatballs. The First-Class pizza is also great. It’s a garlic and olive oil crust with five cheeses, basil and tomatoes.” While pizza is the best seller, Christopher Persons said all of their menu items, from the pizza and pasta to salads and sandwiches, are made from scratch using fresh ingredients. “Sometimes it takes a little more time and it costs a little bit more, but these things are important,” he said.
Brooklyn Grabeau MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 45
COMMUNITY DRAWS By Kat Baumann
46 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
BEER
By Bert Mattson
Grainy circumstances and silver linings I
f you dig your local beer scene... I mean if you really value it, it’s time to show it. In periods like these, businesses geared for volume and an expedited experience have an edge. Drive through windows, curbside pick-up, and advance online payments are game changers under limited or no contact parameters. Many hospitality businesses with square footage dedicated to an immersive experience and personal interaction, in addition to their product, simply aren’t going to transition seamlessly to the type of exchange required by our current environment. I know this because I’ve been keeping in touch with friends in hospitality around the country. I know this because I’m living it. We consumers, in re c e n t y e a r s , have had an embarrassment of riches in options to meet our increasingly finicky fancy. That
breeds a sort of selective instinct. That’s fine and good: cultivating discerning taste is part of the cycle. However, this can become an activity for its own sake. Now is a time to consider what one really, dearly values and what market segments facilitate that. To be blunt: there will be attrition. There is already attrition. So, if your local breweries are busting hump to keep you in supply, respect that and reciprocate. It is true that a boom in hospitality has generated more seats than there are rumps to warm them. There was going to be attrition anyway, yes. Of course there’s the old argument that markets correct. There’s another old line that, in said correction, one votes with their dollars. See, current constraints will spur correction in ways alternate to how things would have otherwise unfolded. Take the anecdotal example of my two friends from school. Both are crafty in the operation of multi-unit hospitality companies. One has drive-through windows and is humming along at seventy-five percent of BC (before Covid) sales figures. Very good, relatively. The other has much more space dedicated to dine-in (and brewing equipment), and is on standby. Generating revenue, even
?????????n! ? ? 0 2 0 2 R E M SUM RTY-cipatatio for 10 feet in PA
fractional, at a time like this a huge advantage in the end. Bear in mind most local places aren’t geared for volume in the same way as the big boys. I’m not here to remind anyone of any moral imperative to maintain a localist ethic. I’m totally prepared to remind people what it was like in a landscape dominated by unwavering worship of economies of scale: products crafted not to impress, but to not offend. Bleak. Reflect, for a moment, on how far we’ve come. Furthermore, like everyone else, little breweries are going to have to postpone or forgo seasonal events… that they probably depend upon and likely have invested in. Perhaps I’m taking a little to dour a tack here. A silver lining is, little breweries were already great at sanitizing stuff. Plus, if one is to be cloistered in one of any number of aggravating scenarios, well then, one probably desires a leisurely drive… and a stock of particular quality to sharpen the mind to the silver linings of this situation.
Bert Mattson is a chef and writer based in St. Paul. He is the manager of the iconic Mickey’s Diner. bertsbackburner.com
MAKE GREAT MOMENTS
Here’s hoping
Locally Owned & Operated
HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 8am-10pm • Sunday 11am-6pm Voted Best of Mankato 8 Years in a Row!
Mankato 201 Victory Dr. (507) 625-2420
North Mankato 1755 Commerce Dr. (507) 387-2634
St. Peter 100 N. Minnesota Ave. (507) 934-8964
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 47
COUNTRY MINUTES By Nicole Helget
The Dogs of Oshawa Township Part 4
A
nger welled inside. I was mad at the lady. Mad at Pony for being such a dumb dog and running away. Mad at Youngest for letting her out. “Pal!” I yelled. “Come on.” I slipped bare feet into my rubber boots. Youngest sulked into the kitchen and looked around in the shoe bin. “I can’t find any shoes,” he said. He scratched his bug bite. “I’m itchy.” I waved toward the yard where four or five tennis shoes lay. “That’s because you leave them out under the trampoline, and Pony gets them and chews them up.” “Those aren’t mine.” “Amazing.” I tossed him one of my pink sneakers, then the other. “Here put these on.” He did. We headed outside. The air was oppressive, hot and sticky. The rain hadn’t relieved the humidity at all. “Okay, Pal. Show me where you went, exactly, when you went out to get the mail.” He, scraping along in too-big shoes, led me down the driveway where he paused at the end and dramatically looked left and right, checking for traffic on our littleused gravel road. We crossed it and stood at the mailbox. I poked around in the ditch, looking for any sign of Pony. Nothing. “Then I went back to the house. This way.” “Which side was Pony on?” I asked. “Over here, by the soybeans? Or over here by the creek?” He pointed to the creek. “Maybe she wanted a drink of water,” he said. “Maybe,” I said. “Thanks, Pal. You can go play.” He shuffled on ahead. As he passed the jewelweed patch, he pulled a few leaves from a stalk 48 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
and rubbed it on his bug bite. After three days, there was no sign of Pony, our heavily pregnant bitch. It rained that night, too, threequarters of an inch. Another half inch was on the way, according to Paul Huttner and MPR. Given that the creek was rising and the hoards of coyote packs roaming wild out here, I became convinced Pony was dead meat. The Seven Mile Creek coyotes are very wily. I remembered a morning shortly after we’d gotten Pony. Husband and I had watched from our kitchen window as one big stud stalked down the driveway trying to lure her into chasing him. It’s a tactic coyotes use to coax dogs into a place where the rest of the pack waits to ambush. She’s so dumb, I thought then. Husband went out and saved her canine hide. I was certain she’d fallen prey to those merciless killers. I walked the ravine of Seven Mile Creek expecting, around every bend, to find her ravaged body with the itty-bitty bones of her barely born puppies strewn about in a fiendish massacre. She’s so dumb, I thought. After another few hours of searching and a teary phone call to my friend Jennifer, I decided I needed to get out of the house, off the farm, and away from the futile search for Pony. I’d pick Jennifer up from work in Minneapolis and go out and listen to some music. Sufficiently showered, fluffy-haired, and stuffed into some jeans from 2007, I readied to go. I threw my purse into the passenger side. Then, I heard the jingle of Pony’s dog collar. Like a penguin mother identifying the distinct call of her chick above the din of thousands, I recognized that sound over the rush of the creek and
the pick-up of the wind out front of the coming rain. I stood up straight and turned toward the ravine. “Pony?” Rustle, jingle, rustle, jingle. Up she loped out of the creek ravine. She was boney and droopy. She shook herself. Her skin moved loosely over her skeleton. Clumps of mud flew. I bent over and patted my thighs. “Oh my God, Pony.” She came near me but not close enough to touch. “Come here.” I patted my thighs again. She lowered her head and put back her ears and tip-toed toward me, if dogs can tip-toe. She seemed embarrassed. When she was within reach, I snatched her collar and held tight. I forced her into a hug. I sat down in the driveway in my too-tight jeans and said, “Pony, Pony, Pony. Where were you?” I led her to the house where I latched her collar onto the porch. I dumped four or five cups of fresh dry dog food into the bowl that already had some and brought her fresh water. She attacked the food but ignored the water. Hungry, but not thirsty. I inspected her. What looked like remnants of afterbirth was dried to the fur on her backside. She was full with milk. You’ve had the puppies. Where are the puppies? When she was finished, I untethered her leash from the porch and said, “Let’s go! Let’s go get the puppies?” She perked up and took off, yanking me along. She led me down the driveway, past the patch of jewelweed, which produces the “stuff” we use to treat mosquito and gnat bites. She pulled me past the grove where we pull ramps in the spring. She tugged me beyond the intake drain where the nasty woodchuck lives to the
end of the driveway with the tall, dead trees where the eagles perch to hunt gophers and mice. There, she turned left, around the head of Seven Mile Creek and into the soybean field that runs adjacent to it. She dragged me, in sandals, through the tangly rows then back toward the creek. The barrier between the field and creek is full of 5-foot tall cockleburs, barbed gooseberry and currant bushes, poison ivy, and fallen limbs from oak and maple and cottonwood trees, and we twisted through it. On and on she jogged until I began to suspect we were on a wild goose chase, and Pony had no intention of leading me to her puppies. I pulled her toward me and unhooked the leash. “Fine,” I said. She tore down the ravine, crossed the creek, and headed back toward the house. I took the long way around. When I got back to the house, she was lying on the blanket set up as her birthing place. She slept. I wondered about whether to leash her or not. If I did, if the puppies were alive, they would get hungry, cry out, and attract coyotes. So, I didn’t. I got in my car, drove to Minneapolis and bored one stranger after another about my adventure with Pony. When I got back home, around 2 am, she was gone again. I filled her food bowl and went to bed.
507.345.8487
VANDERBERGCLEAN.COM
ALL TYPES OF
Commercial Signage • WE MAKE IT • WE INSTALL IT Specialists in custom commercial signs and graphics
507-345-3388
Janitorial
Carpets
Construction
www.SignProMankato.com 301 Webster Avenue, North Mankato
Heating & Cooling
Building Automation
Security
TOTAL
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.
BUILDING CONTROL SOLUTIONS
Exceeding expectations & gaining trust through exceptional value and performance!
Partners of SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC®
Mankato: 507-345-4828 | Rochester: 507-289-4874
www.paape.com
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 49
GARDEN CHAT By Jean Lundquist
S
Social distancing, gardener style
mall pockets of joy are all around us. These trying times could have been dismal, except for those lucky enough to live in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s springtime. One pocket of joy came in March when there was no boys high school basketball tournament, so we had no boys basketball tournament weekend blizzard. I’m pretty sure those two things are connected. By the middle of this month, we should be able to move everything green we’ve started in our houses, basements and greenhouses outside without fear of killing frost. SHOULD be able to…. For us gardeners, there is no need to worry about social distancing. Gardening has always been something of an isolationist’s hobby. Many is the time I’ve invited Lar to join me in the garden for a rousing weeding party, and many is the time I partied alone with just the weeds for company. This year, if he wants to go to a weeding party, it won’t be with me or my plants; we’re practicing social distancing in a big way by ourselves. When Lar and I got back from our vacation, I went solitarily to the basement to start seeds. I gave them all a pep talk to grow as I placed them in the pots, so it’s not like I was really alone. I was alone with the sound of my own voice, I guess, though I swear I heard those seeds cheering, too. That brings us to mental health aspects of gardening. I’ve said it before, and it’s still true. The best thing you can do for your mental stability is to plant carrot seeds. They are so tiny, they require total mental focus. They should go into the ground this month. This focus requires blocking out all other thoughts, including those of dismay and discontent. Then comes the weeding and thinning of carrot seeds. Again, it requires total focus. Even if you don’t 50 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
like carrots, I recommend carrot-growing for all of us incarcerated – er – isolated. Planting carrot seeds requires that you live in the moment, lest those seeds get planted too close together and can’t grow for the crowding. I once heard of ways to plant carrots using a paste made of flour and water, then placing one seed every few inches along a strip of toilet paper with the paste holding the seed in place, then planting the toilet paper in the garden. This year, the TP is likely too expensive a commodity to use for gardening, so we’ll need to just pay attention to our seeds. There is another pocket of joy created by these times – graduation night TP-ing of houses and trees will not likely occur. And another pocket of joy comes when we grow and eat our own produce. We’ll have a grocery store in our own backyard, so to speak. We’ll know how it was grown, if it was treated with chemicals, and what variety turns out to be our favorite. This last part has always been a joy for me, so it’s not an unexpected pocket of same. I’ve always known the joy of a sun-warmed, sunripened tomato. An eggplant fresh from the vine, and fresh carrots. I do love carrots, but the joy I get from them is not so much in the eating of them as in the growing of them. Maybe my mental health is that fragile, but aren’t we all that fragile right now? Naw – we’re enjoying our time with family, pets and plants. And in the interest of mental health, I may allow Lar back among my garden plants and beds. Jean Lundquist is a Master Gardener who lives near Good Thunder. gardenchatkato@gmail.com
Oil Change to Overhaul...We do it all. Voted Best Auto Repair
Covid 19 Prepared and Best Auto Mechanic 6 Years in a Row
Free vehicle pick up & delivery Thank You Greater Mankato!
507-387-1315
1620 Commerce Drive, North Mankato
www.AustinsAutoRepairCenter.com
AUSTIN’S AUTO REPAIR CENTER INC.
New AFFORDABLE Homes NOW AVAILABLE!
AVALON ESTATES
2101 Excalibur Rd, North Mankato Next to Caswell Park & Soccer Complex To learn more, CALL or visit
(888) 392-9734
Cal-Am.com/Avalon
NEW HOMES AS LOW AS
1,260/mo*
$
(available for a limited time only)
of Mankato of Mankato
Professionally Installed by Professionally Installed by Schmidt Siding &Window Schmidt Siding &Window
• • • • • • • • •
3 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms Large, Open Floor Plan Walk-In Closet New Appliances Kitchen Pantry Wood Cabinets Recessed Lighting Gas Heating Energy Saving Insulation
You can be confident in Renewal by Andersen® custom replacement windows, which are backed by one of the strongest transferable warranties in the industry. Schmidt’s*Monthly expertpayment crews install is based on a home price of $130,000, $354 Lifestyle Fee, $906 mortgage payment them all(7.171% year APR), round. at 6.99% and 20-year term. Home loans are offered on approved credit. Additional tax and insurance may apply. Renewal by Andersen® windows are custom-made to fit within the exact space of an existing window. They are an easy, hassle-free way to enhance your home’s comfort and appearance without the major disruptions that often come with remodeling projects.
Call us at 507.625.6412 -ORVisit Schmidtmankato.com To learn more & set-up your FREE Consultation!
Don’t Forget To Ask About Our Easy Payment Don’tForget Forget To Our Don’t ToAsk AskAbout About Our Options! Easy Payment Options! Easy Payment Options! MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 51
FROM THIS VALLEY By Pete Steiner
In a time of great contagion T
he bookstore in the mall was still open. I ventured in to stock up for all the anticipated down time. They were organizing a table display of “Plague Literature.” I grabbed a copy of the Albert Camus classic, “The Plague,” about how such massive events can leave us isolated and alienated from one another. I’m sure others picked up Michael Crichton’s “The Andromeda Strain,” or reread Poe’s great and chilling short story, “The Masque of the Red Death.” Others have been rewatching the movies, “Contagion” and “Outbreak.” Just in case you aren’t already scared enough. nnnn The pet store was open. Because the cardinals and sparrows and chickadees at our feeders haven’t gotten the word about “social distancing” and “self-quarantining,” I stopped in to pick up birdseed. There were the usual number of customers in the store. I was chatting with one of the staffers. Somebody coughed near us. I immediately fled to the next aisle. nnnn Strange. Surreal. Eerie. Just plain weird. I struggle for the right adjective to describe this period. I am in the “population most at risk,” i.e. older than 70; I even chuckle grimly at memes about ‘boomer-buster” diseases. I have seen a lot but never anything like this. All our comfortable routines – social gatherings, outings, shopping – all obliterated by COVID-19. The sense that things will never be the same, even when this is over. I am thankful whenever I get to venture out for groceries for a little forced socialization. Early on, it was impossible to maintain “social-distancing” at the grocery store with everybody stocking up. I had a nice conversation with a gent in the line next to mine, how this went beyond even 9-11 in fear and uncertainty, but he understood the necessity to our health system of trying to “flatten the curve.” “Stay healthy,” he said as he moved up to the cashier. That’s the greeting we all sign off with now. nnnn March 17 was the day the bars were closed. Interesting timing, first time in years I didn’t get in to have a Guinness on St. Paddy’s Day. Instead of thrilling upsets in March Madness, we were watching the race against the virus, hoping Dr. Fauci or some anonymous lab researcher would be able to vanquish this powerhouse. This puts a different slant on the popular phrase “going viral,” doesn’t it? Let me start my own rumor: This is all a plot by Amazon to force all commerce online. (I must 52 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
make clear, I am being facetious. Personally, I hope the brick-and-mortar stores can make it through and that my favorite wait staffers and bartenders will return.) nnnn The irony was not lost on me, that after decades of being scolded for being too sedentary, now suddenly we were heroic for becoming couch potatoes. Yeah, stock up not just on toilet paper, but on chips and beer, too! With a lot more time to read, I read the obituaries daily, hoping not to find friends’ names there, hoping also they won’t find mine. nnnn We should all publicly thank those who have kept working in this challenging time – certainly the frontline health care workers, grocery workers, nursing home assistants, day care providers, police and fire personnel, utility workers, HVAC workers and plumbers and electricians, hardware store workers, truckers, postal workers, delivery drivers, the media who keep us informed – I know I’ve missed some, but THANK YOU. nnnn As you probably realize, we submit these pieces well in advance of publication, so much might have changed since I put this together. I do know that great rite of spring, the baseball opener, has not occurred. The virus has pretty much stolen spring, extending our already long winter hibernation. April was setting up to truly be, in T.S. Eliot’s words, “the cruelest month,” with contagion, distancing and pure stir-craziness. For perspective, I recalled Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “The Long Winter,” a true story of a winter that began with a mid-October blizzard in 1880; the winter would last seven months, with supply lines, mostly by train in that era, cut off for food and fuel. Christmas wasn’t celebrated in 1881 until May. We also remember all the deprivation Americans endured during World War II. I keep looking for a bright side to our current plight. If you drive around, gas prices have plunged to historic lows – just not many places to go other than sightseeing rides in the country. Maybe we're saving energy: With planes not flying and cruise ships docked, the planet could get a breather from carbon emissions. But a bigger hope: Could this time of national sacrifice help bring back some national cohesion from our highly polarized politics? In the meantime, stay healthy. Longtime radio guy Pete Steiner is now a free lance writer in Mankato.
BRIGHTER DAYS AHEAD When the storm clears, we will gather again. To hugs, to play, to laughter. Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and Resort Collection hotels and spas will be here to welcome you. Stay safe. rtjgolf.com
MANKATO MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 • 53
CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
Mayo Clinic Health System is committed to supporting the health and well-being of our community by bringing innovative care options to our patients. From the convenience and comfort of home, patients can use Patient Online Services to connect with their provider, view lab results, manage prescriptions and receive online care for many common conditions. Learn more at mayoclinichealthsystem.org/patient-online-services.
54 • MAY 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE