Mankato Magazine

CAREER 180s

Also in this issue: Know about Mankato with MANKATO-101 Get cozy at the AMBOY COTTAGE CAFE Muralist to musician KEVIN WHITE

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 1

GREENER DAYS AHEAD Great golf happens on great courses. And courses don’t get better than the ones on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. With 11 locations, 26 courses and more than 400 championship holes, the toughest challenge may be deciding which one to play first.

Our golf courses and staff are ready to welcome you back to the legendary RTJ Golf Trail.

Summer and fall golf packages available. We are open and will be here waiting for you.

Visit rtjgolf.com.

2 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

FEATURE S SEPTEMBER 2020 Volume 15, Issue 9

22

Career 180s Change is inevitable and sometimes that means changing careers.

16

28

VIVA LA HISPANIDAD!

Mankato 101

Hispanic Heritage month is the time to celebrate the culture. We celebrate the leaders improving our community.

History, food, attractions and nature — Mankato has it all. Learn more about all that Mankato has to offer.

ABOUT THE COVER A look at those who changed their careers or prior education over the course of time into new and successful careers.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 3

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

9

10 Beyond the Margin

Signs of autumn, for better or worse

12 Familiar Faces

Jenn Melby-Kelley

14 Day Trip Destinations

SPAMtastic! Austin’s SPAM museum

32 Let’s Eat!

10

The Amboy Cottage Cafe

34 Community Draws Farmers’ Markets

35 Beer

Local Motion 500

36 Country Minutes

12

14

The Dogs of Oshawa Township Part 8

38 Garden Chat

Japanese beetles easier to control at first spotting

40 From This Valley

That (almost) championship season

Coming in October

34 4 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

40

HEROES: People who have devoted and volunteered their time for a better community

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 5

FROM THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR

By Diana Rojo-Garcia SEPTEMBER 2020 • VOLUME 15, ISSUE 9 PUBLISHER Steve Jameson EDITOR Joe Spear ASSOCIATE Diana Rojo-Garcia EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS Bert Mattson Dan Greenwood Jean Lundquist Kat Baumann Leticia Gonzalez Nicole Helget Pete Steiner Katie Leibel

PHOTOGRAPHERS Pat Christman PAGE DESIGNER Christina Sankey ADVERTISING Danny Creel SALES Jordan Greer-Friesz Josh Zimmerman Marianne Carlson Theresa Haefner ADVERTISING Barb Wass ASSISTANT ADVERTISING Christina Sankey DESIGNERS CIRCULATION Justin Niles DIRECTOR

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

To subscribe, call 1-800-657-4662 or 507-625-4451. $35.40 for 12 issues.

For all editorial inquiries, call Diana Rojo-Garcia 507-344-6305, or email drojogarcia@mankatofreepress.com.

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

6 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

A change is gunna come

S

eptember is my favorite month and not only because it’s my birthday month (but that is a

plus).

It’s the sweet spot of the year where the earlier part of the month still tries to grasp on to the last breath of summer. Toward its end, the weather becomes more seasonable and the sweet scent of autumn hits our noses in the cool breeze.

Time to break out the autumn color decor, get a six-pack of delectable fall beer and throw on a flannel while you’re at it. Fall is here, baby.

And it’s also the beginning of the season where things begin to change drastically. The trees begin to turn, a bold contrast of green summer leaves mixed in with brilliant reds and deep oranges. The sun starts to set a bit earlier and the sunsets mimic the fall leaves’ colors.

I don’t know, I might be a little biased, but Minnesota seems to be one of the prettiest states around.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, which has led to many cancellations, virtual gatherings and long distance learning, the seasons will change as they do every year.

It’s comforting to know we still have at least some sense of normalcy.

Corny. I know.

Regardless, it’s our annual reminder that things are constantly changing — pandemic or not. We adapt every year. This year has sent us through more hoops than usual. Learning online, working from home, wearing masks and obsessively using hand sanitizer.

Change may not always be welcome, especially when it derails the world at large, but we adapt — eventually — to the new norms.

Our cover story explores change as we talk with four individuals about one of the many life-altering decisions one can go through — switching careers. We talked with Amy Linde, who was at first an archaeologist and turned to communications and graphic design. Ryan Scheil taught ESL at a private school overseas for more than a decade and now works at Mankato water treatment plant.

And Rebecca Sullivan was a lifelong

traveler and missionary, turned teacher then a chemist at 3M and then turned pastor. And we spoke with tattoo artist Megan Hoogland, who got her EMT certification before tattooing. During the pandemic, as tattoo shops were closed, she began to rethink her career (don’t worry, she’s still tattooing).

Change can be seen daily in Mankato, too. New buildings quickly climbing skyward and diverse restaurants popping up everywhere. History shows us that Mankato is a place that thrives on change as it continuously grows.

Check out Katie Leibel’s feature “Mankato 101” in which she explores the history of Mankato from the Hubbard House and the Betsy-Tacy home, things to do outside (there are some pretty Instagramable places in town) and go, and the hotspots for some grub (Pagliai’s anyone?).

Mankato is also known for its extraordinary leaders. This month, for Hispanic Heritage month (which starts mid-September through mid-October) we talked with those who lead our community. Natasha Lopez-Rodriguez, executive director at the YWCA, who fights against racial injustice and empowers women; Sara Aguilar, interim director of the Latinx Affairs at Minnesota State University and helps college kids thrive; and Julieta Ochoa, one of the members of the St. James Convivencia Hispana, who has been around since 2015 and helps raise funds for scholarships, hosts events for Hispanic seniors in St. James and mends the language barrier to bring the community together.

Nicole Helget’s column puts the terms of change in a way that doesn’t seem as scary. We know that change is here, change is now and sometimes those unknowns can be daunting. Helget breaks it down in the sense of literature — change is inevitable but it’s determining how to go at it is what counts.

Diana Rojo-Garcia is associate editor of Mankato Magazine.

Contact her at drojogarcia@ mankatofreepress.com

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 7

THIS DAY IN HISTORY Compiled by Jean Lundquist

What do Mother Nature & Corporate Graphics have in common?

They both produce

GREAT GREAT COLOR! COLOR!

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Round The Town Sept. 11, 1945 After the war, gasoline rationing had ended. For many people, that seemed to encourage “fast and reckless driving.” The number of “wanton and needless accidents” were mounting along with injuries and death. Without rationing, there were more vehicles on the road, but it was also noted the cars were older, tires were worn, as were axels, spindles and steering apparatus. While that alone should have induced more careful driving habits, the author thought the war itself should have induced clearer thinking and greater sanity to the driving public. After all, most “accidents” are preventable.

County will buy new snow fence Sept. 8, 1927 Impassable roadways were a problem in 1927, so when the Blue Earth County Board decided to do something about them, it was important news.

Snow fence, the county’s defense against snow-blocked roads, was expected to be increased to 56,000 feet by this purchase. At the time, the county only had enough fence to protect, more or less, 26,000 feet of roadway. Samples of fencing were being submitted, at an expected cost of between $7 and $8 per 100 feet. Just in case, County Engineer Claire J. Smith said he had arranged with county farmers to leave several rows of standing corn in case the winter was harsh.

State Fair bread and butter pickles Sept. 3, 1991 Nita Schemmel of Mankato was offering to meet her adoring public for a few hours on Friday and Saturday of the upcoming weekend at the Cub Food Store in Mankato while offering samples of her prize-winning bread and butter pickles. In a newspaper ad, Gedney proclaimed that Nita’s Bread and Butter Pickles were the best in Minnesota, as had been determined in a State Fair competition where Nita won the blue ribbon. Jars sold for a mere $1.99 for 24 ounces of pickles.

Waseca County Sheriff Don Eustice shot, killed Sept. 4, 1976 At 9 a.m. on that fateful day, veteran law enforcement official and past president of the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association Don Eustice went to serve papers at a farm northwest of Waseca. Eustice was shot during the process and pronounced dead at the scene. It was a time when cults were often in the news, and “deprogramming” was part of the conversation. The shooting was part of an ongoing controversial attempt to “rescue” the daughter of a friend from such a situation. A suspect was immediately arrested.

When the news broke on the Waseca radio station, everything ground to a standstill in the Dairy Queen where I worked. Then we went back to making cones, sundaes and malts, burgers and fries, but the whole store and everyone who entered that day was somber.

AVANT GUARDIANS

By Leticia Gonzales

Breaking Boundaries Mural artist plans to debut his music with EP

M

ankato resident Kevin White is an emerging mural artist and musician breaking into the art scene in southern Minnesota. The 28-yearold’s musical upbringing is deeply rooted within his family.

“My dad had been playing guitar for so long, and I ended up playing in a band with him growing up as a drummer,” said White, who works as an independent contractor in carpentry and construction.

While in high school, he participated in symphonic and concert band as a traditional-style percussionist before taking up the drum set.

“A lot of it was at schooling, but then for drum set, guitar and piano, that has just only continued down the line,” he said. “It is almost selftaught for some of the instruments such as guitar. I took piano lessons at a really young age, so it’s always been around in my world, music — and my dad was a big influence in that.”

Earlier this year, White was awarded a grant from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, which he credits to helping him take the steps needed for him to immerse himself into the music world.

“I played a lot of live music growing up with my dad and with my high school band. I got comfortable on stage as a percussionist, and that sort of fell away from me, and I wanted to reintroduce it.”

Although he has been using editing software for video and audio, White said he has been collecting music over the years without having it do much, except sit on his computer.

“Over the years I have been shy with the music I record in my free time,” he said. “I wasn’t posting it anywhere, so I knew that I wanted

to pursue music and to start to share it as an entity, maybe with a band name or as a solo project of sorts.”

With the help of the grant, which provided him with a loop station, White would like to release his music to the public. He was previously scheduled to perform his music live at the 410 Project, but the appearance was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is now working on a plan to release an EP. “I have a new capability to make music much more efficiently and to take the step of posting it online, and making a name for the music, and establishing myself as a musician.

Something I have always dreamed of doing, but I just never took the steps, kind of out of shyness.”

Along with his work as a musician, White has been exploring the world of mural art. Last summer he completed a geometric, anamorphic mural at Wheeler Park in North Mankato, which features three-dimensional effects on top of multi-colored layers, as well as some repeating patterns.

“It was also — being on a playground — somewhat fitting, putting on the simplest of shapes and geometric forms to work with children,” he said. “Everybody

understands them — triangles, circles, squares — and to put them on very nontraditional surfaces, such as a playground, I knew it would be a challenge.”

As a newcomer, White said he is excited to develop his skills as a muralist and musician.

“Working as a contractor has always taught me how to work job to job and learn on the fly, to ultimately put myself out there.”

MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 9

The dates for the 2021 Minnesota State Fair are displayed at the entrance in Falcon Heights on May 22 shortly after the 2020 fair was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Bottom: In August 2019, thousands of people packed the Minnesota State Fairgrounds as the 12-day fair got underway.

(Associated Press file photos/Jim Mone) 10 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

BEYOND THE MARGIN

By Joe Spear

T

Signs of autumn, for better or worse

he Minnesota State Fair can’t signal the onset of autumn and the start of school this year. The fair didn’t happen.

These kinds of time markers are important as we become creatures of daily routines and seasonal cues to get on to the next thing in life.

While fair organizers tried to resurrect that carnival feeling with a food drive-through event with dozens of vendors, waiting in long lines of idling automobiles doesn’t beat walking around the fair, the stimulus of neon lights, the energy of a rock band at the beer garden and the smell of all things fried.

The markers always bring a flood of memories. The State Fair reminds me of getting into the beer garden without an ID when I was 16 and getting cold Grain Belts with your friends. French fries and Pronto Pups.

Who can forget the first time rides on the Sky Ride, the Space Needle, the Giant Slide, the Matterhorn and — the crème de la crème of rides — the double Ferris wheel. Then there were the “freak shows” that my best friend’s father brought us to when we were 10 or 12.

We saw the ape lady, the horned man and the 600-pound boy. Sad then. Not acceptable, and rightly so, now.

But the biggest thrill came at the motorcycle show where men in their leather Harley jackets rode motorcycles sideways in a silo-like wood structure. You could get within inches of their wheels and their roaring engines were deafening. Loud used to be cool.

We used to sneak into the fair. One year my brother got a bolt cutter and cut the chain link fence in a distant corner of the fairgrounds. He got away into the crowd right before the mounted police got to him. We used to walk behind cars driving in like we were with them.

Sleight of hand, swift of foot. nnnn

The pandemic has disrupted a lot of our natural markers and signals that keep us moving through the seasons.

As Minnesota State students descend on Mankato, even their numbers around town are likely to show a level that doesn’t seem normal. While we would never underestimate the willingness and ability of students to frequent downtown watering holes, some may be starting out with distance learning away from their Mankato abodes.

The bars will be less crowded.

Of course, we know the MSU symbol of the “burning flame of knowledge” will shine bright through their beer glasses as they thirst for wisdom and insights into the next stop of the barhop.

The students create an energy level throughout Mankato that turns into a discernible buzz whether downtown or on campus. This year, they may start out being blamed for spreading the novel coronavirus.

And no, that’s not a course in literature.

But the muted student arrival will likely foreshadow all things party, like the so-called and infamous Blue Earth Blackout, a legendary spring party that was once given a permit by the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Department until they realized the nature of the bussed-in event in an empty farm field not far outside Mankato city limits.

While the Sturgis motorcycle rally was allowed to go on, the Blue Earth Blackout will not likely qualify for the required social distancing of 250 people in one place. nnnn The sights and sounds of Friday night lights also will go dark and silent this fall.

The Minnesota State High School League moved the pandemic-related “high risk” sports of volleyball and football to spring, with hope by then we will have a vaccine or at least a better grip on the situation.

The move was a necessary precaution in these deadly COVID times, but still a blow to the feeling that comes from watching local kids throw long bombs into the dark of the crisp, cool fall evenings.

Football is just not going to be the same in March. Fans will likely have to trade their fall sweaters and blankets for winter overcoats, mittens and boots to watch the East-West football matchup. Think of soggy, muddy fields that will likely take a real beating from an off-season use. nnnn

Farmers remain a constant in our need for autumn time markers. No matter what might happen during a global pandemic, corn and soybeans rise in the autumn sky. They’re expecting a bumper crop this year with flat-tire prices.

The corn continues to tassel and the soybeans continue to set pods no matter what bat transferred the virus to what exotic anteater halfway across the world. This year crops were way ahead of schedule with the warm spring, timely rains, and hot and humid July and August.

Crops will be harvested. The world will be fed. It’s good to know.

Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382.

Follow on Twitter @jfspear.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 11

Familiar Faces

Coffee and kindness The Coffee Hag owner, Jenn Melby-Kelley, has owned The Hag since 2007

A Photo by Pat Christman

NAME:

Jenn Melby-Kelley OCCUPATION:

Coffee Shop Owner, Mankato City councilwoman, singer/songwriter

HOMETOWN: Mankato

FAVORITE MASK: Blue and pink tie-dye

FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD: Pizza

nyone who has ever visited or lived in the area likely knows one of Mankato’s staple hangouts — The Coffee Hag. Right in the heart of Old Town, the hot spot is known for its inclusivity, diversity and a delicious cup of Joe. Jenn Melby-Kelley has owned the business for 13 years.

And like many business owners, she has experienced the tribulations of running a small business during a worldwide pandemic.

Melby-Kelley, also Mankato’s Ward 4 councilwoman, opened The Hag temporarily mid-June and closed down the shop just a few short weeks after because of the growing number of COVID-19 cases. The decision, she said, came to protect the employees. The coffee shop reopened again in mid-July.

MANKATO MAGAZINE : The Coffee Hag has been a Mankato staple for its inclusivity, speciality coffee, live music and quick bites. You’ve also owned the business since 2007. How did you come around to acquiring The Coffee Hag? JENN MELBY-KELLEY: In 2007 I was living in Minneapolis. I came home a lot and I would always stop at The Hag. I worked there as a barista for six years from 1994-2000. I came by one Saturday and one of my favorite baristas told me that The Hag was going to close. “You should buy it!” she said. I harrumphed, “Ha! I could never do that.”

Well, the next day I got a call from the original owners.

We met the next day. I asked, “Why should I buy it?”

Lisa Coons and Patti Ruskey looked at each other and Lisa stood up and responded, “Because you deserve it.”

That was a Tuesday …The following Saturday I opened the doors as the new owner.

MM: After 13 years of operating the shop, it had been closed down (like other restaurants) due to the ongoing pandemic. What had that experience been for you, as an owner, and for your staff?

12 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

JMK: Unprecedented. Terrifying.

Unknown. We closed the doors at 1 p.m. on March 16, 2020. We all felt it was the right thing. We all care about each other and our community and we wanted everyone to be safe. We weren’t sure what was going to happen. We just knew we wanted to keep The Hag. MM: The Coffee Hag opened its doors back up June 11 and closed temporarily June 26. What was the deciding factor to shut down for a couple of weeks and how did that impact The Coffee Hag? JMK: We saw the uptick in COVID19 cases hit Mankato. It happened so fast. To be honest, I didn’t agree with opening up yet. I felt it was too soon. But we wanted to be open for our community. And we were all needing some kind of “normalcy.”

But after all the positive cases popped up, I called each Hagster and told them why we felt we should close. I then asked them if they would all go get tested and we could reassess after that. They all said they would absolutely go get tested. We want to be as proactive as we can be.

MM: In 2016, you ran for City Council. You’ve been an advocate and voice for diversity and small businesses, and most recently, advocated for the mask ordinance.

What made you want to run for council four years ago?

JMK: I had been approached often by people that wanted me to run for years. I wasn’t ready. Then one day I was walking our dog, Patterson, and someone stopped me and said, “I think you should really run for City Council.”

I talked with my wife and close friends and family and we all felt it was a good idea. So I ran. I turned in my application the last day it was due, I think like 15 minutes before it closed. It was surreal.

MM: April 20 you had posted a video on the frustration with the Small Business Association. It was shared nearly 300 times and received an outpouring of support in the comments. What had that felt like?

JMK: I posted a video talking about frustrations I was having with the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) and how the small businesses weren’t getting the funding. By this time I had applied and reapplied

and waited and got nothing. I saw big businesses getting millions of dollars, and I was angry for all the small businesses that really, truly needed the money just to keep going. Seeing that it was getting viewed and other people could understand ... helped me to keep pushing. I wanted people to really understand that we were all in trouble … especially small businesses … especially the restaurant industry.

MM: What is something important that people should know about small business that might not always be super obvious?

JMK: It’s a lot harder than you might think. The hardest part for me … is me. I can get in my own way. Don’t do it by yourself! Ask others in your industry if you can’t figure something out. You will be surprised what most people are willing to share. If you don’t understand payroll taxes … find someone who does!

food you would recommend to them from your shop?

JMK: Cashew egg salad sandwich, black and blue muffin, and I love a cold press with vanilla and half-and-half.

MM: The Coffee Hag is full of local, bright and eccentric art. Can you tell us a story about one of them?

JMK: I can’t think of a specific artist … There have been so many. We just want to showcase the amazing local artists here in Mankato … and there are many!

MM: Out of all of your accomplishments — business owner, advocate and City Council member — what are you the most proud of?

JMK: The Coffee Hag. It is an extension of who I am. Who we all are. We have had some extraordinary experiences and we are looking forward to many more!

MM: What is something that some people would be surprised to learn about you?

J M K : I am the lead singer/ songwriter of the Sister Gin.

MM: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

JMK: Just … be kind to each other.

The world is hard enough as it is.

Love each other for exactly who they are. We need some healing.

The Hag will be here for you, too.

MM: For people who have just arrived in Mankato or are just passing by, what is the best drink/

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

DAY TRIP DESTINATIONS: Austin

By Katie Leibel

The SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota, is a quick getaway with a selection of restaurants just down the street.

(Photos courtesy SPAM Museum)

It’s SPAMtastic!

Take a trip to Minnesota’s finest SPAM Museum and then hit a few grub spots in Austin

I

t’s happening. We’re hitting a wall.

At this point in the pandemic, many of us have run out of steam.

We’re tired of cleaning and renovating. We’re tired of the same parks and places — though the Mankato area has a lot to offer — we could really just use a day trip.

Fear Not! A hop, skip and a jump away is Austin, Minnesota.

We know what you’re thinking.

Austin? Doesn’t that just have the SPAM museum?

You’re right. It does. And so much more.

It’s also home to 28 different parks, historic houses and a wide variety of restaurants and retailers.

That makes it a good choice for a day trip whether or not you’ve visited before, as it is everchanging and full of new things to do.

Austin’s SPAM® Museum The SPAM Museum offers an entertaining way to tell the story of the 83-year-old meat brand

14 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

that shaped the world. It’s also, of course, a big part of Minnesota’s history.

“The SPAM museum is a really large attraction. I have been there three times, and that SPAM museum is amazing. It has the whole history of the industry,” said Doreen Nelson, the director of sales at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center.

In the late teens to early 1920s, Hormel foods took about 10 years to figure out how to can ham — a big feat at the time. This provided a high-protein food to households during the Depression.

Refrigeration wasn’t as widespread during this time and people didn’t have a lot of money. There was a need for a high-protein alternative — one that could be pulled out of the cupboard.

Thus the six-ingredient classic SPAM was born.

And the canned meat quickly became a very well-loved food, not only here, but internationally.

“It just has this draw because of how unique it is and because of how American it is,” said manager of the SPAM Museum, Savile Lord.

The museum is full of interactive and educational displays with everything from the history of SPAM, how it’s made, what people have done with it over the years and more.

“We talk about how SPAM has globally been influenced in our exhibit called our International Marketplace,” Lord said.

There’s even a new exhibit.

“We just opened a new exhibit called ‘Fun with SPAM’ where we highlight people who have done new things with SPAM,” Lord said.

The best part is, you can still visit the SPAM museum. Masks are required and there is also a short check-in process. Most visits are limited to about 30 minutes to limit the number of people in the museum for safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The museum is also doing live virtual tours for those who are

unable to come in person. (Email Spam_museum@hormel.com to set up a virtual tour.)

“Hormel has this awesome space here down in Austin, and we’re able to produce a lot of jobs to people in Austin,” Lord said.

Not just jobs are created, but also opportunities.

Hormel’s impact on Austin

Creating such an important and well-known brand and product helped put Austin on the map, and Hormel didn’t just create jobs and a museum. There are parts of Hormel’s history located all over Austin that attract tourists every year.

For example, there is the Hormel Historical Home, or HHH for short.

“The stately Hormel Historic Home, built in 1871, was the residence of the George A. Hormel family from 1901 to 1927,” said Nancy Schnable, the executive director of Discover Austin. “Now restored to early 1900s décor, including Tiffany light fixtures and Greek marble fireplace, the 14-room home is open for guided and self-guided tours.”

People can stroll through the Peace Garden to enjoy the flowers and read a brief history of the family. Guests are also invited to enjoy music at various events throughout the year, including a free summer series in the garden, weather permitting.

“In a nutshell, the HHH is a nonprofit organization with the mission of preserving and sharing the history and legacy of the Geo. A. and Lillian Hormel family through education, music, hospitality and community service,” said Holly Johnson, the executive director of the Hormel Historic Home.

The HHH has stood as a symbol of hard work and dedication to the community since it was built in 1871.

“The original builder, John Cook, was an active businessman and served as mayor in 1871. When the Hormels purchased and remodeled the home, it continued to symbolize the importance and value of hard work as Mr. and Mrs. Geo. A. Hormel built a business that supported so many in the region, from farmers, to plant and office employees, to other businesses that supported the

work at the plant or grew because of the needs of Hormel Company,” Johnson said.

When George Hormel retired in 1927, he and his wife decided to give the home to the ladies of the community through the YWCA, Johnson said. They wanted it to serve as a place for social gatherings for the town.

Now nearly 10,000 people visit the historic property every year to see the architecture in the giant house.

“The HHH is unique because it is a combination of a historic house representing the past and modern event center that serves the community for private and public events,” Johnson said.

And The HHH isn’t the only other thing that has Hormel’s name on it in the community.

Parks, nature centers, bike trails and more

With the pandemic, nearly everyone has taken to the outdoors.

Austin is home to 28 different parks, including The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center or JCHNC, which consists of 529 acres through which Dobbins Creek runs.

“At the entrance of JCHNC is the nearly new and beautiful interpretive center, which is at the gateway of a blend of remnant prairie, oak savannah and other hardwoods, wetlands and meandering streams,” said Kevin Nelson, director of parks, recreation and forestry for the city of Austin.

The center was started on the former estate of Jay C. Hormel, son of the Hormel Corporation founder.

“Features include beehives, a maple syrup shack, miles of trails including several bridges, a lookout tower, a pond, streams and bountiful examples of nature.

Offerings include programming for kids, families, and school groups and equipment rentals for canoeing, kayaking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing,” Nelson said.

The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is a haven for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages, Schnable said.

“You can explore what Mother Nature has to offer in a variety of ways,” Schnable said.

Visitors can experience nature

by hiking more than 10 miles of trail, climbing the Nature Center’s three-story observation tower, renting a canoe or even cruise its waterways by kayak. In the winter, there are cross-country ski and snowshoe trails.

Visitors can check out their new interpretive center, built in 2017, which hosts many interactive activities.

“You can also view our live critters — two red-tailed hawks and a barred owl, two fox snakes, a Blanding’s turtle, salamanders and tree frogs. Admission is free.

“There is something for everyone to explore and discover at the Nature Center,” Schnable said.

Outside of the Nature Center, there are also all of the parks and the bike trails. Similar to Mankato, Austin is well-loved by bikers.

“Austin is becoming a wellknown destination for biking enthusiasts and has been awarded Honorable Mention for being a Bike Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists.

We offer over 13 miles of hard surfaced trails that connect you to many locations in the city,” Schnable said.

Two major trails, the Shooting Star State Trail and Blazing Star State Trail, converge in Todd Park on the north side of Austin, Nelson said. Just west of Todd Park is Schindler’s Way, a 3-mile, offroad mountain-bike trail/loop that winds its way along the banks of Wolf Creek and the Cedar River.

And of course, with all of these bike trails around, Austin has a well-known bike shop.

Rydjor Bike Shop is a full-service shop that features many namebrand new bicycles and related bicycle gear.

“What makes it really unique is the collection of older and antique bicycles which are on display, in addition to the connection of shop ownership to some notable biking people. It’s definitely worth spending a little time and perhaps a few dimes in Rydjor,” Nelson said.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 15

Sara Aguilar.

16 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

VIVA LA HISPANIDAD! For Hispanic Heritage month, we speak with a few Hispanic leaders in the community making a difference

By Diana Rojo-Garcia | Photos by Pat Christman Hispanic Heritage month is Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. It’s a time dedicated to celebrating the history of all Hispanic, Latina/o/x heritages from food and culture to history and prominent leaders over time.

And with that, we wanted to highlight a few of the many people in area communities who have gone above and beyond to make this a better place. They’re the ones who are a representation in the community as leaders that empower women, that face social injustice, help students become their best, build bridges and take down various barriers some might face.

The ‘go-getter’

Leadership had always been in Natasha LopezRodgriguez’s blood.

The executive director of Mankato’s YWCA stems the passion as far back as high school in Puerto Rico and being a part of the student council. She’d been a part of the Hispanic Honor Society at Arizona State University as she studied communications and also a member of the Class of 2018 Hispanic Leadership Institute Phoenix.

“My family jokes that I get involved in too much,” Lopez-Rodriguez laughed. She’d always been the independent one in her family, the one who never shied away from decisions. “‘Natasha decided to do it before she even asked’ is the running joke.’”

Independence has always been who LopezRodriguez is and remains. The YWCA executive director had previously worked at the YWCA Phoenix as a financial education program director. Prior to that she had been an education outreach specialist for three years in the Phoenix area. And, she even has a bartending certificate.

Then, in 2012, she sought her MBA in public administration.

“I just wanted to put the little letters after my name,” she joked.

The current move — from Arizona to Minnesota — initially saddened her parents because now their grandson would be across the country. However, the move hadn’t been surprising to her family as she

trekked back to Minnesota when the YWCA in Mankato had opened the position. (By the way, LopezRodriguez went to Southwest State University to receive her initial bachelor’s degree in Marshall, so she’s used to the Minnesota winter.)

“I really loved, loved working at YW (in Arizona),” Lopez-Rodriguez said.

The relationship with the YWCA started as early as when Lopez-Rodriguez was 7 years old, where she had learned to swim at a YWCA in Massachusetes.

She can still smell the chlorine.

The nonprofit organization had given LopezRodriguez to empower women and fight against racial injustice.

When the opportunity arose in Mankato for the top spot at the YWCA, she applied to become executive director. Lopez-Rodriguez has held the position since August 2019.

The YWCA in Mankato has various programs for the community, including programs that take place in school, such as SURGE! and afterschool programs such as Girls on the Run. Other programs include home visiting for new American Families in which the YWCA assists families get children ready for school — a no cost program for families with children ages 0-5.

There’s also the Elizabeth Kearney Women’s Leadership program, a 10-month commitment that helps women “increase their leadership skills, learn about the community and civic engagement.”

Lopez-Rodriguez, who’s proud of the team she has, said she hopes to bring more diversity and more awareness to the community about the programs.

“There are barriers that exist,” she said. Some programs are offered during the day, a commitment that some can’t do due to their jobs. They’re working on programs that are accessible to all backgrounds.

“We’re exploring all of that and challenging those barriers because sometimes it’s overlooked.”

The bridge builders

The Convivencia Hispana-Watonwan in St. James started in 2015 — a nonprofit group made up totally of volunteers.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 17

Natasha Lopez-Rodriguez.

The group expanded in the last five years from five members and now has 13 volunteers made up of people with different backgrounds and professions.

Julieta Ochoa, one of the original and current volunteers, said there had been a need in the community of St. James. Many of those who worked in Smithfield Foods had children graduating high school. And many didn’t have the economical means to support their children in higher education.

The idea, she said, was to create funds to support the Hispanic community. They began hosting raffles and events, selling food and creating funds to grant high schoolers a scholarship for their future endeavours. In 2015, Ochoa said, they granted eight scholarships and as of late, in 2019, they granted 12. Some recipients of the scholarships went off to college at Gustavus, others to Minnesota State University and another student to Southwest State.

And it was a start for the group to support the community of St. 18 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

James, an important step to representation.

“It’s moral support — knowing that people are supporting you and your dreams,” she said in Spanish. No matter the size of the scholarship, she said, it has given confidence to students knowing that someone in the community is looking after them and helping them achieve their goals.

The Covivencia Hispana also provides other services to the community — one in particular is called “Edad de Oro,” which brings together the older generation of the community. The group, which is aimed at those 60 years and older, started with only eight people and began when the group realized the older Hispanic generation felt isolated. Many don’t speak English. They’d see others who were their age, hanging out with their friends and drinking coffee. They wanted that too, but couldn’t because of the language barrier.

“Before they were feeling depressed, sad and abandoned,” Ochoa said in Spanish. One

member had even confessed that it felt like they were stealing the air of others. The volunteers then found a community center to reunite those who wanted to attend. Many times, Ochoa said, volunteers pick them up at their home if they don’t have transportation. There they’d give nutrition or exercise classes, Zumba sessions, play games like loteria (kind of like bingo) and of course, they could drink coffee with their new friends.

Since then, the group has grown to 35 members. With the pandemic, however, they hadn’t been able to meet up. The volunteers have called them to make sure they’re OK, bringing them food and leaving masks.

The Covivencia Hispana also has hosted the Day of the Dead events, bringing the community of St. James together to celebrate the lives of those who lived before us.

They’d encourage everyone to bring a photo to honor their loved ones — and anyone is welcome to the festivities full of traditional foods, drinks and dances.

In addition, they had helped the city of St. James translate and bring members of the community to workshops on topics such as how to buy a home or build credit. The group served as a bridge to break down the language barrier.

Ultimately, the group of volunteers who work full-time jobs unify the community of St. James little by little.

“That adds up,” Ochoa said.

The interim director

Sara Aguilar decided that she was first going to school to major in graphic design.

“I changed (the major) more than once,” she laughed. “I was a typical student.”

Aguilar, the interim director of the Latinx Affairs department at Minnesota State University, said that it took her awhile to figure out what she wanted to do. She jumped from graphic design to biology and ultimately realized that wasn’t her calling either.

There was a point, Aguilar said, that she was going to give up on school. It wasn’t until one of her mentors, who is also a Latina, at the Opportunity Access Success Intercultural Services at MSU pulled her aside to talk about her future.

Her mentor realized how much Aguilar lit up when she would do health workshops and presentations during her time as a student and member of OASIS and the Latinx Affairs department.

Together, Aguilar said, they looked at different options and decided on a bachelor’s degree in community health education.

“She gave me academic advising that I had not gotten in the past,” she said. “Thanks to her, I continued my education, even though it took me quite some time.

I did complete it, and I’m very glad that I did.”

Aguilar finished her degree in 10 years. She’s now working on her master’s in educational leadership.

Aguilar had applied for the interim position at MSU and has been the interim director since February. During her time at school as a student, groups such as the Latinx Affairs and OASIS had been where she could rely on getting guidance. This opportunity gave her a chance to be in a position to do the same for others.

“I always wanted to help, not just to our Latinx students, but all the students of color,” she said. “I know that was important to have that representation.”

Aguilar had moved to Madelia in the late ‘90s from El Salvador.

At that time, she doesn’t recall many people of color. In fact, she graduated from high school with only seven other people of color.

“It was difficult in the sense that you couldn’t connect with someone that were part of your community or that looked like you,” Aguilar said.

Now, the 30-year-old has been working with students to further their education and continually communicates with them — even amid the pandemic. Prior to the

pandemic and cancellations, the Latinx Affairs department would host a plethora of events, along with the Multicultural Center — from the Dia de los Muertos, to ethnic dishes made to share with the groups and the annual Latino Night. During spring semester, there’d been a virtual Thursday night group called “Chisme Time” (chisme is gossip, or the talk). A student, Aguilar recalled, would always pop in on Thursdays to chat and worried about the transition from in-person classes to online.

“And at the end of the semester, he scheduled a meeting with me,” Aguilar said. He got all A’s and wanted to share the news and thank Aguilar for the help.

“That made me realize that something that may have seemed so small, made such a big impact,” she said. “That’s what made me realize this was important. We need to have someone that is fighting in that corner for our students.”

Events are open to the public (also the virtual ones for the time being) and Aguilar encourages everyone to check them out. She knows that, at times, some might feel intimidated to participate.

She encourages everyone to check out the events — it’s a good way to familiarize yourself with a different culture.

“Don’t be afraid. Ask questions, especially if you don’t identify with our community,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong to ask a question, even though the question might be a little controversial, and you’re curious. … We’re not there to intimidate anyone.”

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REFLECTIONS

By Pat Christman

20 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

I

t seems we’ve been waiting for years to go somewhere, do something, see someone.

The pandemic that has swept the globe has forced us to stay home to keep the virus from spreading.

Our cars age and grow lonely, waiting for their owners to take them for a ride.

It will all be over soon enough and we will be back to traveling again and our cars will find new life on the road. MM

MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 21

Becky Sullivan.

CAREER 180s Those who changed, who took a different path

By Diana Rojo-Garcia | Photos by Pat Christman

C

hange is inevitable and nothing in our lives is linear.

Though most of us spend hundreds of thousands of dollars going to school for the career we thought we wanted, we sometimes figure out that that

22 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

ain’t it, fam. Careers can hold such an intense identity of oneself that, after investing so much time, money and, for some, tears, it’s terrifying to think of venturing onto a different path.

These individuals took that other path, some

pursuing dreams from the get-go and others finding themselves along the way.

‘Nothing is wasted changing careers’

Many mentors had come through Rebecca Sullivan’s life. She remembers one in particular, a teacher, who had let her experiment in the lab after classes.

“I did some really crazy experiments,” Sullivan laughed. “And she just encouraged me.”

There are teachers, Sullivan said, that allow students to explore and push their boundaries.

“It opens a lot of doors.”

Sullivan knew she wanted to become a teacher, especially in the sciences. She graduated college in 1974 and majored in chemistry, minored in physics, biology, math and also a secondary education degree.

“I wanted to be able to teach in a small town where, in that time, it was expected to teach all of the sciences,” she said.

And for a year and a half, Sullivan left the U.S. and taught school in New Guinea after hearing the country needed volunteers there.

“I thought, ‘That sounds cool,’ and I didn’t have any commitments, so I applied and was accepted.”

She taught science and math — 40 kids in a class and all day.

“But the kids were so much more dedicated than they are here because, if they didn’t behave, you didn’t make the cut,” Sullivan said. Kids who didn’t do well would be sent to work with their families on farms.

“There was a really strong motivation to do a good job,” she said.

That time in New Guinea had been memorable. Then she came back to the United States to the Twin Cities suburbs where she was a substitute teacher for six months. Then, in 1976, she started working at 3M as a chemist.

“The funny thing about that was there were not many women in professional positions (at 3M),” she said. “You had women who were working as techs, but not many women who were working with degree positions.”

At that point in her life, Sullivan decided to venture off into a different career because … well, quite frankly, she could.

“Not that I didn’t love teaching. It was just that I was young and I could try it,” she said. Teaching had been a passion, especially teaching psychics, she said, because students would be much more engaged.

Having been at 3M as a chemist, Sullivan was offered a department chair job. She declined the offer.

“I considered myself way too young to be dealing with men in the 40s and 50s,” she said. “I just didn’t feel ready. Let’s just say that male world can be really nasty.”

Plus, Sullivan had wanted to start a family with her husband. The job had too many risks, including working with carcinogens. The place she found herself to be the happiest is where she could rip apart masks and create a better design — not sit in a manager’s chair.

“It was never about not liking it,” she said.

But, let’s backtrack a little. Sullivan’s family had been lifelong Lutheran missionaries. They spent time in West Africa and South Africa.

“They always had a missionary passion,” she said.

It was a time she couldn’t forget — and Sullivan also (pre-pandemic) would organize various mission trips back to South Africa over the years. However, during her time in Africa, she had witnessed massacres that were taking place in Nigeria.

“That has become quite a journey for me to deal with — the trauma and PTSD.” It wasn’t until much later in life when she began to recall everything that had happened.

“I shut all that out for many years, and when my children were in high school, I started to remember all of that,” she said.

Through therapy, she began to talk about her experiences. It was her therapist who had suggested ‘Have you ever considered becoming a pastor?’

“And I said, ‘You’re crazy!’” Sullivan laughed. “But the more I thought about it, I was doing a lot of writing that was very spiritual and faith focused that I was sharing along the way. Eventually, I decided that I should be a pastor.”

Between a 3M chemist and becoming a pastor, Sullivan was a stay-at-home mom but had been volunteering in every aspect of the church, from vacation Bible school to choir. In fact, she first thought about becoming a church musician. Instead, she went to her pastor and said she wanted to become a pastor.

“He said ‘You’re not ready yet,’” Sullivan said. He suggested that she go to seminary. There’d be a point, the pastor said, that if God’s plan had been to have her become a pastor, she wouldn’t be able to avoid it.

So she did. She went to seminary school. At the same time, her husband (Paul Sullivan, whom she met working at 3M, and taught automotive engineering technology at MSU from 1997- 2010) also had gone back to school to get his master’s. The two moved to Mankato when he accepted the MSU position as she was finishing up her last year of seminary.

Sullivan can’t forget the time during her last semester when she repeatedly was asking herself how she was going to give the sermon. When she told her pastor that, he said, ‘You’re ready.’

“There’s a lot of crossover being a teacher and a pastor as well,” she said. “You don’t throw those skills away because you switched careers.”

Sullivan had been a pastor in North Mankato and at Bethany Lutheran Church in Judson, which had been a part-time job initially.

“That’s where God was leading me,” she said. Since the death of her husband in 2012, Sullivan has been “quasi-retired” but still leading mission trips and substituting for pastors as she is needed.

Having gone through so many careers, Sullivan encourages people to listen to their heart because “nothing is wasted changing careers.”

Having gone through so many careers, Sullivan encourages people to listen to their heart because “nothing is wasted changing careers.”

MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 23

Megan Hoogland.

“Give yourself permission to be venturesome,” she said.

EMT turned artist, to almost EMT

Everything was shutting down in March in an effort to curb the COVID-19 spread.

Megan Hoogland, tattoo artist and owner of Mecca, went into panic mode.

“I didn’t know how long we were going to be shut down or how long this is going to last,” she said. “I never even considered that I might never be working.”

Hoogland has tattooed for more than 20 years. She’d established herself in the community, first working at Cactus Tattoo, running a small operation from home, and then eventually renting space next to Blue Bricks, opening Mecca.

The shop had been shut down for 2 1/2 months before reopening their doors to the public on June 1.

24 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

The uncertainty of the future had deeply concerned Hoogland, not just for the artists at Mecca but also herself. Hoogland is one of the rare people who found her passion early on. It was one of her friends who had turned her on to the industry.

“They told me that I should ask for an apprenticeship at a shop that had just opened up,” Hoogland said. “It wasn’t even my idea.”

Her friend encouraged her, knowing Hoogland’s skill in the arts. But that wasn’t her first choice. She went to school for her emergency medical technician certification. Tattooing hadn’t been on Hoogland’s mind.

“It was funny, though, because I was always super worried about what my career was going to be. I just couldn’t figure it out.”

EMT was something she pursued, following her mom who

was a nurse.

“And my dad was an accountant, and I didn’t want anything to do with that,” Hoogland laughed.

But as soon as Hoogland received her certification, she went straight to the tattooing business.

It’s a business in which she has grown — specializing in black and white tattoos with a yearlong waiting list. She was named Best Tattoo Artist in City Pages in 2011.

She’d taken a chance and done well.

The pandemic, however, had Hoogland toying with the idea of going back to school and getting recertified as an EMT. “When we were shut down, that was a big wake-up call,” she said.

“But I think it’s a wake-up call to get everything in my life in order in case this does happen again and not be so stressful.”

That first week, without a shop

Ryan Scheil. to operate (though she had been active responding to all the emails the shop received), she took down miles of wallpaper and rearranged her finances.

“It was a good two weeks of just, like pure depression, just shocked,” she said. And within those first couple of weeks, she began to research. She was searching for something that was an essential job.

“Because tattooing is the most nonessential job you could possibly have right now,” she said.

EMT was one of her first options, especially since she already had experience.

However, the career change didn’t happen. The shop reopened.

But it left Hoogland thinking of the “what-ifs” of her career.

“I’m trying to look ahead to the future and have something set up just in case,” she said.

Twenty years ago, she’d made

the artistic choice.

“Twenty years later, I didn’t have any skills to back me up when I wasn’t able to work,” she said, though she never regrets pursuing the industry. “I think it’s a pretty solid idea to have a good side hustle.”

ESL teacher to water treatment operator

It hadn’t been the first time Ryan Scheil left the country — but it was his first time in South Korea.

Scheil, a Gustavus alum with an English and philosophy major, had seen an ad while living in Portland, Oregon, for those who wanted to teach English as a second language overseas. He responded and landed a job in South Korea.

Before that Scheil had been working at a factory in which he was excelling. So much so, in fact, the company had offered him a

supervisor position. But that’d mean salaried (no overtime) and a suit. That wasn’t Scheil. The ad, though?

“It was mostly an adventure at that point,” Scheil said. “Holy buckets, what an opportunity for adventure. I get to go to Asia and live there and work.”

He was just in his mid-20s in the early 2000s. One of his first experiences was landing at the airport near Seoul. The school said there’d be someone holding up a sign with his name.

“And there was not,” he said.

He headed to the information desk and eventually someone picked him up. They took a taxi to the town he’d be acquainted with for nearly a decade, Gangneung.

But first, the person who had picked him up said she needed to stop at her parents first. “It’ll only be a minute,” she said.

“It was not a couple minutes.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 25

Amy Linde.

She was gone for half an hour,” Scheil said.

He waited on the corner of a busy street in Seoul; he didn’t speak Korean and was unsure of what was going to happen. Understandably, he began to get nervous. But South Koreans, as Scheil learned over time, are incredibly sincere and nice. At least four people came up to Scheil to, seemingly, ask if he was OK. “It was very touching,” Scheil recalled.

Eventually, his traveling companion had to come out — turns out she had an argument with her parents.

They got the last bus to Gangneung, and it was nearly midnight.

Scheil then began his ESL career at the small private kindergarten and elementary school in South Korea. It was on contract — they’d pay to fly him out every year (he’d come back to the U.S. once a year during breaks). And for years, Scheil found himself in South Korea teaching children how to speak English.

In his kindergarten class, there were three students.

It was a full submersion class in which its students were required to speak English. None of his students knew English when they’d come in, and they’d leave at the end of the year with the vocabulary.

At the end of the first year, he realized he wanted to teach at a higher grade level. He also learned to love 26 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

the culture and had great friends he had made over the course of the year.

“I told (the owner of the school) I would come back if I could be an elementary school teacher, not kindergarten,” Scheil said. “And she agreed.”

Coming back the second year, he’d do the same thing — teach kids who spoke no English — and by the end of the year they had a good handle on the language. Scheil’s contract had been renewed for years — he worked at that school from 2002 until 2010. It was then that Scheil decided to move up in the educational system and was a professor at a university in South Korea. He taught American culture for two years — a job he loved.

“I was teaching mostly freshmen, and it really felt like all the freshmen were just really tall children,” he said. His class discussed American culture, food, history and music — all still taught them English.

However, Scheil was let go. In South Korea, he said, everything is ranked — schools, students, everything — and new management came to his university. The first thing they required is that all professors have a master’s, which Scheil didn’t have.

Soon after, Scheil found another job at a liberal arts university — this time in Japan. He spent two

semesters there until he decided it wasn’t the right fit. South Korea had been an inexpensive place to live.

“Japan, on the other hand, is a completely different story.” He moved back to the U.S. in 2015.

Scheil had planned on going to MSU to get a master’s. “(MSU) wanted me to submit a recently written research paper and so I started writing the paper,” Scheil said. “And I realized how much work it was. … I thought, I just hated doing it. It’s not like teaching.”

So he took some time off until eventually he found his new profession — water treatment operator. It was actually a friend who suggested the position to him. Scheil went to school in St. Cloud and took the two-year program in water and technology.

He has been working at Mankato’s Water Treatment plant since 2017.

He holds a Class C license and has continuous education to bring Mankato clean and healthy water.

He finds things that are wrong at the plant and writes up reports to fix them.

“I do things like selecting wells, which well we’re reporting on and the various wells that run at different depths in the city of Mankato,” he said. He also watches to make sure the plant is functioning. He monitors everything at the plant during his shift.

“I spend most of my time sitting in front of a computer terminal, looking at numbers, watching stats and trends and make sure everything is on track,” he said. “If something’s off, we make adjustments.”

It’s a job that is essential to all citizens in the city of Mankato.

Though the path hadn’t been something Scheil initially thought of when he was in Portland in his mid-20s, he has found a career with a “maintained sense of satisfaction.”

The potential to grow

Amy Linde was always interested in history. Growing up, she had lived on a family farm.

“My great-grandfather had actually settled and built the house,” she said. She decided to research her family connections.

Even in high school, her senior project focused on the Salem Witch Trials.

“I’m kind of an old soul. It’s what my dad says.”

She went off to school at St. Cloud University, though she wasn’t exactly certain what she wanted to study.

“There wasn’t a ton of guidance, not that it’s a bad thing,” she said.

She explored perhaps becoming a teacher or studying special education. She even pondered graphic design.

Through the guidance of the professors at SCSU, she double majored in anthropology emphasizing in archaeology and travel and tourism.

“I kind of wanted a culture piece

“Everyone was willing to have coffee with me. …

They’ll give you feedback about yourself and the skills and interest that you might not see.” and explore different cultures and different experiences,” she said.

Linde graduated in 2005 and ended up working in retail and eventually landed a job with her friend.

“A good friend of mine — we happened to be in the same program — we got recommended to this one small company,” Linde said. They invited the pair to work at Two Pines Resource Group, in which they would work full time as archaeologists. Some might find it surprising that most archaeologists’ work is private.

Many times they are called in during construction to determine historical significance of a site. It involves a lot of digging, Linde said, usually looking for artifacts.

“It’s a lot of physical work.” And it’s not like imagining Indiana Jones digging up treasures.

Linde worked out of the Twin Cities and they’d be on the road for 10 days, 10 hours a day.

“We’d be back for four days.”

She had worked in the archaeology field for three seasons — or about two years. And though she loved the work and considered herself blessed to have any role in archaeology, she said advancing in the career is narrow. Unless, of course, the individual wants to go back to school and get a doctoral degree. Plus, it really was a lot of physical work and time on the road.

“I had met my future husband at the time, and I didn’t want to be living on the road if I had a family,” Linde said. “I loved it and the experience, but I thought I needed to explore something different.”

So she had quit her job and moved to Mankato with her husband. She worked at a coffee shop for awhile. Later, she decided to throw her resume at job openings and found a position at Greater Mankato Growth as an administration assistant.

“I could see potential and room to grow there,” Linde said. She began at the nonprofit March of 2008. Eventually, she began asking to do more things at GMG. “I started asking for the work that I liked and within a couple years I was marketing coordinator,” she said. Linde had worked at GMG Growth for nearly nine years. Now she’s taken a position as director of strategic communications in the IT Department at MSU. She’s also working on receiving her MBA in business at St. Cloud University.

The transition for Linde had been mostly seamless and followed her passion in creativity. The people around her had also been a big influence on transitioning careers.

“If you want to explore a different career, that’s really scary, but talk with people,” she said. She had people like Jonathan Zierdt at GMG to rely on to express the career change. Zierdt, a former CEO at GMG, died of cancer in 2019.

“He believed in everything I did,” Linde said.

Networking and talking with close friends had been key.

“Everyone was willing to have coffee with me. … They’ll give you feedback about yourself and the skills and interest that you might not see.”

MM

MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 27

The historic Hubbard House was built in 1871 by R.D Hubbard.

Mankato 101

Tidbits a newcomer needs to know about Mankato

By By Katie Leibel | Submitted photos

M

ankato has changed quite a bit since 1852, when Parsons K. Johnson and Henry Jackson staked claims along these banks and founded the town. We now find ourselves in 2020, in the midst of a life-altering pandemic. We find ourselves questioning what is happening in our world and in our lives, but one thing is for sure: Mankato is still Mankato.

We still have our neighbors, our friends and loved ones. We still have our favorite shops and restaurants, though some in a slightly different form, of course. And we still have our natural surroundings, our history, and our future to look forward to.

28 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Our History

Mankato’s history is lengthy and rich, so we’ll need to selectively choose some of its many highlights.

Mankato was originally named “Mahkato,” meaning greenish-blue earth, by its early inhabitants, the Dakota.

One of the greatest influences on the town is still remembered to this day with the Hubbard House at 606 S. Broad St. “The Hubbard House has been owned by one family and the historical society since it was erected,” said Heather Harren, the communication and archives manager at the Blue Earth County Historical Society.

R.D. Hubbard built the house for his wife and

newborn son in 1871. His wife died, but he remarried and had more children, which later led him to expand the house in 1888.

“Mr. Hubbard was born in New York and really wanted to join the Civil War but had an illness as a child that made it impossible for him to join,” Harren said.

He moved to California for a bit and on his way back found Mankato and decided to stay and build the house.

“It showcases some of the history that Mankato should be known for. Hubbard Mill still stands proud in Mankato to this day,” Harren said.

The Hubbard House, with its architectural and historical beauty also still stands and welcomes tours outside of the pandemic.

“You can step back into time in the house. You walk into this Victorian setting house and you are taken back to 1905,” Harren said.

This beautiful house is a wonderful space to stop in Mankato to learn more about those who put Mankato on the map, but you cannot talk about the area’s history without mentioning the Dakota people and some of the darker parts of Mankato’s past.

The city was established on land purchased in a treaty between the U.S. government and the Dakota.

But similar to many states and settlements in the United States at that time, the treaty was broken, leading to the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

“By 1861, the Civil War starts, so a lot of what was promised in the treaty was being sent to the soldiers,” Harren said.

With the promises in the treaty not only being unfavorable toward the Dakota but also not honored, the war broke out.

During the course of three weeks, 392 Dakota men were tried for their participation in the war, and 303 of them were sentenced to death, according to the Minnesota Historical Society website.

“They tried 303 Dakota people really quick, a lot of them not in their native language,” Harren said. “The day after Christmas at 10 a.m. the largest mass execution in U.S. history takes place.”

Thirty-eight Dakota were hanged on Dec. 26, 1862.

“It’s important because it was something that started off with a broken treaty, and this was their home that we took away from them,” Harren said. “The government will say that we purchased the land through treaties, but they largely didn’t favor the native people, and it is a huge atrocity that we never want to repeat again.”

Over the years, with time and the persistence of many Dakota people, local residents and historians, Mankato has worked to remember these men, educate about why this was wrong, and look to our future.

There are three monuments in the city — The Winter Warrior statue, erected in 1987, the Buffalo statue erected in 1997, and the Scrolls erected in 2012 — dedicated to this memory.

The Scrolls have the names of the Mankato 38 on them as well as a poem. And they were created by working together with Dakota people.

“It is very important to remember your past and know where you came from, so the memorials are good reflections of the past where we can see where we came from and where we’re going to go to next,” Harren said.

You’ll find influences of the Dakota culture and

The Betsy-Tacy homes bring hundreds of visitors a year. language all over the city.. Every year the community hosts Indigenous people during a powwow at Land of Memories Park. The towering concrete silos along Riverfront Drive act as a giant canvas to capture a dance scene during powwow Education Day. And each December, Dakota runners and riders gather in Mankato to mark the death of their ancestors.

Mankato has come a long way, and though there is still much to do, the community’s progress is recognizable.

Mankato’s famous author

Mankato’s art scene is alive and continuing to blossom, but let’s not forget those who helped to set the scene for some of our favorite Mankato area writers, such as Allen Eskens, Nicole Helget and Geoff Herbach, and, of course, those who visit, including New York Times best-selling authors Jacqueline West and Derek Anderson who attended the 2019 Deep Valley Book Festival.

One of Mankato’s most famous authors, Maud Hart Lovelace, was born April 25, 1892.

She always dreamed of becoming a writer, and later went on to write the famous Betsy-Tacy series.

“Maud Hart Lovelace was born in Mankato. She started telling stories of growing up in Mankato in the late ‘30s, and previously she had written for magazines and some adult fiction,” said Lona Falenczykowski, a founding member of the Betsy-Tacy Society The society was founded to sustain the life of the series. Members started a letter-writing campaign to keep the books in print. The books have now been in print in some shape or form since 1939 when first published.

“It’s just pretty amazing how evocative it is of that time period. And just Maud’s writing meant so much to them,” Falenczykowski said.

The society acquired two houses in Mankato’s Lincoln Park neighborhood that are often mentioned in the books. Betsy’s, which was Maud’s, and Tacy’s, who was a dear friend of Maud’s who was not actually named Tacy.

The books discuss the adventures of a friendship that spans a lifetime. They’re relatable to many because MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 29

although things in Mankato — and the whole world — have changed, somehow, the humanness and experiences translated well over the years.

“I think what it is, is so many people have grown up with the books and passed them on to their children and their children’s children,” Falenczykowski said.

The Betsy-Tacy houses get many visitors now. They have been restored, although back then they did not have any running water or electricity, and the houses now do.

Visitors can check out the houses to learn more about Lovelace, the books and get an immersive experience. After all, the books are based on Mankato.

“Mankato’s a really hilly place and her descriptions — it’s very easy to peel back and see what she’s talking about,” Falenczykowski said.

Great outdoors

Mankato is a really hilly place.

And you know what else it has a lot of? Bicyclists and parks.

Mankato has some of the most beautiful scenery and some of the biggest parks and recreation areas in the area. With Sibley Park, home to an adorable petting zoo, walking paths, mini gardens, playgrounds, the Ott historic cabin and much more. There’s also Minneopa State Park, with its waterfall, trails, and, of course, the bison, which are attracting visitors from near and far.

But there is so much more than just those two well-known places.

Mankatoans use parks and trails quite a bit — from kayaking, canoeing, biking and skiing, to just walking or driving through to take in the scenery.

“Minneopa is a popular place to see the double waterfall especially after a heavy rainstorm and to see the bison herd. This is especially the case after calves are born late April into May,” said Scott Kudelka, area park naturalist with the Department of Natural Resources.

This has been a special place for hundreds if not thousands of years, he said. The Dakota used to have a village just downstream from the waterfalls.

“On the campground side along the bluff line overlooking the Minnesota River, we found archeological evidence of temporary camps where they made spear points and arrowheads along

30 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Pub 500, located at the heart of downtown Mankato, offers classic American bites and many beers on tap. with cooking. We also know they held ceremonial dances at the waterfalls,” he said.

In 1905, Minneopa became a state park and it is Minnesota third oldest.

The park is popular in the summers as plenty of campers arrive — it even doubles as a wedding venue. During the winter, this is home to a wide array of activities including skiing, snowshoeing and visiting the frozen waterfall.

Outside of Minneopa, countless large and small parks and trails can be found throughout Mankato, such as the city’s Rasmussen Woods with its floating bridge, and the bike trails all across the region.

“The Mankato area, including Minneopa, is blessed with bike trails including the Red Jacket Trail.

You can ride your bike from Mankato out to Minneopa two different ways. The city also has a wide range of city parks including Land of Memories and Sibley. They offer a lot for people to do in all seasons,” Kudelka said.

Mankato is also home to Key City Bike Shop — a nonprofit community bike space.

“What we do is we actually allow people to come in the shop and utilize the tools and the work benches to work on their own bikes,” said Brian Gosewisch of the nonprofit.

Gosewisch echoed Kudelka’s thoughts on the numerous bike trails in the region.

“I think the variety of people is one thing. Depending on what type of cycling you’re looking at, there’s people from all walks of life. It’s

just a way a lot of people interact.

There’s a lot of different opportunities. It’s the people I think that make the difference,” Gosewisch said.

From mountain bikers, to those interested in bike polo and the annual tournament, to those who visit for the River Ramble ride or those simply getting out for a casual ride, there is something for every type of biker in Mankato.

The food scene

All of this running around Mankato can work up an appetite.

Visitors are encouraged to visit at least three food scenes in town: bar and comfort foods, pizza places and Mexican/Tex-Mex options.

A well-known establishment in downtown Mankato includes Pub 500.

Pub 500 is a bar with more than just your typical bar food. Actually, it’s hard to really narrow down what they’re known for.

“Some would say our fish-andchips, or Pub beer-battered North Country walleye. Others may say our Memphis-style pulled pork or the Pub 500 invented pulled turkey.

For many it’s as simple as our homemade potato chip. We kettle fry them to order, sprinkle on our own blend of seasoning and serve it with our original Southwestern dip,” said Tom Frederick, the proprietor of Pub 500.

They also have some vegan and vegetarian options that are popular.

“We are a place for gathering.

We opened in 2003 and our goal has always been to be a warm, welcoming establishment that anyone could enjoy,” Frederick

said.

The business is along a strip of downtown bars that offer food, so there is no shortage of grub to go with your drink of choice.

Meanwhile, Mankato has one of the best pizza scenes in the area.

With Dino’s (in North Mankato), Polito’s and longtime favorite Pagliai’s, all of your pizza needs are met.

Dino’s is better known for a dinein meal with pizza — a place to bring your family. Meanwhile Polito’s serves pizza slices the size of your head, which is perfect for a quick bite or a night out at the bars. And Pagliai’s, here since 1969, is a great place for families or for date night.

Whatever way you’re feeling, Mankato has some kind of pizza to meet your needs, including many other pizza places that deliver..

And, of course, it wouldn’t be Mankato without the Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine for newcomers to try.

La Terraza, Mazatlan and La Bamba are three staples in the community. La Terraza and Mazatlan are your classic sit-down restaurants, with La Terraza being classic and understated, and Mazatlan being bright and colorful.

Both catch your eye as you drive down Madison Avenue.

La Bamba is a bit more hidden.

Near Polito’s in downtown Mankato, La Bamba is similar in that it is a great place for a quick bite to eat, and the taqueria is kind to your pocketbook.

But these recommendations are not complete. There are plenty of other restaurants to check out in town, including traditional American fare and an ethnic variety, such as Mediterranean, Asian and Indian cuisine. Check out visitmankato.com for a list (and some tips) on dining out in Mankato.

Whatever it is you’re looking for, it seems Mankato has you covered.

So although the pandemic has changed up our lives, let’s not forget what makes this place special. From the food scene, to the history, to recreational opportunities, Mankato will always have much to offer for those who explore it. MM

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 31

Food & Beer

LET'S EAT!

By Dan Greenwood

southern mn style The Amboy Cottage Cafe.

Cozy Cottage The Amboy Cottage Café serves up homemade goods in a welcoming space Photos by Pat Christman

F

or nearly 20 years, the Amboy Cottage Café has been more than just a restaurant serving made-from-scratch dishes. It’s also a community space that brings people together.

“I see this really as the main mission of the café is bringing community together around the table,” said owner Lisa Lindberg, who purchased an old gas station in downtown Amboy, moved it a block away and converted it into a restaurant.

The quaint café makes you feel like you’re a house guest.

Customers frequently strike up conversations with fellow diners who are old friends or maybe someone they just met.

A longtime customer-turnedwaitress, Cindy Lyon said the welcoming nature and the innovative dishes have kept her coming back for years. It’s where she and fellow master gardeners hold their annual meeting, as do other civic and social groups.

Lindberg wakes up without an alarm every day at 3:40 a.m. to open up the café at 6 a.m., turning on the oven to begin baking homemade breads, cinnamon and caramel rolls. The made-fromscratch breads and sweets give way to a variety of homemade soups, salads, sandwiches and Europeaninfluenced entrées for lunch and dinner.

“We have free-range eggs,”

32 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Lindberg said. “We use organic and sustainable products whenever we can. The end product is thoughtful and tasty. We hand whip all our whipped cream. We make our own hash browns from organic potatoes. It’s going to be something a little different from what a lot of people are used to in a fast-food nation.”

Her 88-year-old mother, Maria Lindberg, who taught her all about cooking, drives in from Blue Earth to make the pie crusts, and the variety of pies changes almost daily.

One of the most popular desserts is the raspberry bread pudding.

Made from day-old cinnamon and caramel rolls, the traditional dessert is baked with raspberries and has a

Top: Homemade bread. Bottom Coffee cups adorn a wall at the Amboy Cottage Cafe. crunchy topping.

“It’s our signature dessert, and if we don’t have it available, customers get upset,” Lindberg laughed.

Lyon’s favorite dish is the olive chicken, but since she began waitressing a year ago after retiring from the Blue Earth Chamber of Commerce, she’s sampled a lot of dishes she probably wouldn’t have tried when she was a customer.

The café is known for its European-style dishes with a creative touch, such as the sauerbraten, marinated for three days in a vinegar mix.

It’s accompanied by spaetzle, a German-style potato-based noodle, and creatively drizzled in a gravy made from fresh gingersnaps pureed in a food processor.

Lindberg said her menu is inspired by her travels; she spent some time living in Germany and has a grandmother who grew up in India. She recently made a curried carrot apple soup. While meat eaters have plenty of options, Lindberg makes a point of offering vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes and accommodates visitors with dietary restrictions.

“Since I know how the cooking happens, I can talk with the customer and we can take the time to do it right for them,” she said.

She’s entered a couple of dishes, such as the Swedish pancakes, served with homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit, and the raspberry chicken salad, into competitions at the State Fair in recent years.

Amboy Cottage Cafe owner Lisa Lindberg cuts some of the cafe’s homemade bread.

As with all restaurants, the pandemic has forced Lindberg to make some changes. Some, like outdoor seating to custom grinding pepper onto customers’ eggs every morning, are here to stay.

Lindberg and Lyon say their favorite part about the Amboy Cottage Café is the customers.

Thanks to word of mouth, regulars come from a 50-mile radius to enjoy the good food and conversation.

The café has built up a reputation to attract plenty of people from out of state and other countries, too.

“Good things happen when people eat together,” Lindberg said. “Even if they’re politically in a different realm, they’re still enjoying something together. That’s the purpose of this; to bring people together.”

What:

Amboy Cottage Café

Where:

100 E. Maine St., Amboy

What they’re known for:

Organic, made-from-scratch breakfasts, soups, salads, sandwiches and Europeaninspired entrees; desserts, pies, homemade breads and rolls

Hours

6 a.m. – 8 pm. Thursday, 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunday. Reservations are recommended on weekends 507-674-3123.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 33

COMMUNITY DRAWS

By Kat Baumann

34 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

BEER

By Bert Mattson

L

Local Motion 500

ocalism has a history as a label for things shortsighted and anachronistic. The idea of progress has come to assume economy of scale. Cynics suggest local ingredients are a luxury, a conversation for people who take three squares for granted.

Maybe the localist mindset is easily maligned because it’s bipartisan — but radical rather than compromising.

Like riding a bicycle to work, planting a plot to actually eat from is subject to a bigotry that poses it as trashy unless one has means. And if one has means, it’s indulgent, ostentatious even. A motive that produces more books or media segments than meals and mileage.

Yet, if we can’t recognize now, in these times, that a vibrant local economy makes or breaks a culture, said critiques could just be rationalizations. We’re having a fresh look at all the eggs in one basket.

Sure, some people only look to local sources when it’s convenient. But others only look away when it’s untenable. And if you should value freedom, from the metastatic industry, the premium for local product is probably a small investment to foster this alternative potential.

Plus, local beer is friggin’ good.

The season for hop harvest approaches. As appetites for hops advanced over the years, local agriculture responded to the appeal. Research on growing hops here began about a decade ago. Hop yards started springing up. A trade organization formed and a local industry took off.

Technically the word for the trend might be resurgence because hops were grown on a commercial scale in the state up until the early 20th century. At that time growers took a hit from Prohibition and hop downy mildew. This is old news. But Mankato Brewery was among the vanguard, incorporating fresh hops from Minnesota Hops Company into various styles.

Fresh hop beer production and demand might be post-peak locally, though it's not history. Brewing’s a dynamic business this summer; most outfits are asking customers to keep a close eye on their social media for

Eat...Drink...Be Mary!

Cans of Kato Lager get lids during line production at Mankato Brewery. | File photo news of anticipated releases.

Anyway, locally sourced ingredients are hardly the sole province of fresh hopped beers. For one, outfits such as Maltwerks out of Detroit Lakes have entered the fray with their line of malts and adjuncts.

Further, in Mankato, the localist ethos flies in the face of the tyranny of the calendar. LocAle Brewing Co., on Poplar Street, incorporates local ingredients year round.

Generally, three quarters of their stable of offerings were crafted entirely from Minnesota stuff. From Hazy Ale’s to Light Lagers, they feature exclusively Minnesota malt and hops. Not to eschew seasonal styles per se, LocAle is plotting the release of a Festbier featuring 100% Minnesota’s finest.

Nice. Celebrate Minnesota bounty and Bavarian inspiration all at once.

Mankato Brewery’s Oktoberfest should already be on shelves. And we should mention, Schell’s recently announced creeping close to the goal of sourcing 15% of their barley from within 15 miles of the brewery. The info page for their legendary fest is still up on the site.

Bert Mattson is a chef and writer based in St. Paul.

He is the manager of the iconic Mickey’s Diner. bertsbackburner.com

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 35

COUNTRY MINUTES

By Nicole Helget

The Dogs of Oshawa Township Part 8

W

e’ve spent the last five months at home, mostly, trying to follow the suggested guidelines to minimize the spread of COVID-19. For us, that means hanging out with the kids, the cats, and Pony and Polar Bear while attempting to school or work from the house. Pony and Polar Bear seem to enjoy having us around more, but Polar Bear, in particular, is jealous of my time and especially despises my laptop and phone.

He nudges his big noggin in the crook of my elbow and jerks his nose up. That’s his way of launching my hand off the keyboard or screen.

“Stop it,” I tell him.

But he doesn’t stop. Nudge.

Nudge. Nudge.

“I’m serious,” I tell him. “Knock it off. I’m working.”

He groans, circles around the rug, and flops in deflation.

In the early weeks of quarantine, I would often, happily, give in and go outside with him. In the early weeks of the quarantine, my attention was so distracted, I embraced the excuse to get away from the screen and go outside where the natural world, if nothing else, seemed predictable and orderly.

But the cumulative effect of those interruptions has left me drowning in undone work. More and more, I’m telling Polar Bear no, and he’s learning to be patient. Kind of.

I teach and coach writers how to organize and craft their personal stories into coherent and interesting manuscripts that will attract the audience the writer wants. The great joys of my job are meeting fascinating people and hearing their life stories and then being of some use to them as they try to craft one phase of their lives into a book. Most memoirs have their best chance at

success if they focus on one phase rather than a complete play-byplay history of an entire experience.

Only famous people get away with complete autobiographies. We ordinary people have to focus.

To do this, the writer has to identify a cycle of life that resulted in an emotional, a physical, and/or a change in thinking. The narrowing down is the hard part because if we’re curious people who recognize and adapt to evolving stimuli and new information, our lives are repeating cycles of change. One coming of age cycle after another.

One rite of passage after another.

One exploration, journey, or quest after another. Again and again, we repeat a beginning, a middle, and an end. An inciting event, the climb of rising action, and a resolution.

A question, discovery, and answer.

These changes are our lives. If we don’t change, we are static characters and the story is flat.

To change is to be alive.

I had to change the way I regarded dogs, for instance. Rather than holding on to the notions of my childhood, that a dog’s function was to protect the house and family only, I had to learn that to be a good dog owner, I had to embrace the dog as a family member. I’m embarrassed that I was so old before I even questioned whether my old notions were still functional in contemporary times.

By watching, listening, and learning from others, I opened my mind and heart, and I changed.

Now, when I scroll through Facebook with the full weight of the pandemic, the fight for social justice and equity for our BIPOC neighbors, and the rise of authoritarianism on my mind, I note those who seem unchanging and unchangeable and stubbornly stuck somewhere

36 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

back in nostalgic imaginary time.

I ask myself if there’s something I can wittily or sincerely post to nudge them into a cycle of change.

Usually the answer is ‘probably not.’

Sometimes it’s ‘yes’ if the time and audience seem open for nuanced discussion.

I saw a video recently of a wellknown woman using some Cliff Notes from Joseph Campbell’s scholarship of archetypes and journeys. I recommend his book, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” if not the video. For whatever reasons, her voice makes the hair on the back of Polar Bear’s back stand up. But, if she inspired people to seek the book and learn about the necessity of change and transformation, good on her.

Change is hard. If you’ve taken a single writing or literature course, you would recognize that story is an arc. In the first act, the characters are pushed or pulled into a new phase or cycle. At the end of that act, the characters decide whether or not to enter Act 2 and climb a slope with conflicts that emerge to create barriers to their transformation.

Friends, we are in the first act of this story and some will be reluctant to climb the slope, preferring instead to remain in the old world.

We’re going forward in this house even though we know the journey is going to be fraught with challenges.

The shutdown wasn’t the climax.

The murder of George Floyd wasn’t the climax. The relentless political circus wasn’t the climax. We’re just getting started. It’s good to have companion characters if you choose to enter Act 2. Generally, companion characters are intuitive to danger, loyal, and courageous.

Like good dogs. So, I’m going to lean on mine.

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

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 37

GARDEN CHAT

By Jean Lundquist

Japanese beetles easier to control at first spotting

T

he smell of tomatoes simmering on the stove is the most comforting, homey smell I can imagine. It is a relaxing, calming aroma that wafts through the entire house and into my bones.

That smell is a reminder of the seasons just past — spring and summer — and a promise of fresh, homemade reminders of summer for the winter ahead.

I know we can’t eat enough spaghetti, chili or goulash to use all the jars that I put up, but I can them anyway, just to breathe in the simmering tomatoes with onions, peppers, carrots, celery, parsley, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and chives.

All ingredients are from my garden. I can’t describe my sense of accomplishment, but I can breathe it in as the pot simmers overnight on the smallest burner of my stove.

Canning is an activity best performed on the hottest possible day. It increases the appreciation of the task, I think. But on a cool September day, I still have a fine time canning.

The new canning lids don’t provide the definitive “PLINK” that the old ones did as the jars come out of the boiling water bath and seal, but even that muted 38 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

sound is still music to my ears. nnnn So before we wax poetic and ignore tasks that need to happen in the garden, let’s get serious. The topic at hand is Japanese beetles.

If you see one in your garden, on your favorite flower, or anywhere in your realm, kill it. If you see two, kill them both. And keep up with your ruthless killing of these amazingly destructive pests all autumn long.

Until this past summer, I had not heard of Japanese beetles, though they have been in the United States since 1916. They came from Japan, of course, where they are not considered a pest. They were first noticed in Minnesota in 1968. They’ve been mostly confined to the Twin Cities metro area and southeast parts of the state.

Now, they have fanned out across the state. The Department of Agriculture trapped more than a million beetles in one year.

Most of us have seen the bugs in our gardens, and recognize the “good” ones from the “bad.” Most likely, when you first see a Japanese beetle, you will say to

yourself, “What the heck is that?”

Japanese beetles are up to half an inch long with a metallic green head and brown wing covers. You will most likely see it perched atop the damage it has done to your plants.

These beetles eat between the veins of a leaf, giving the leaf a lacelike appearance. Others describe it as skeletonizing the leaf.

If it alights on a mature, healthy plant, the devastation may be only cosmetic, and the plant will recover next year. If they descend on a young or unhealthy plant, it will become stunted and/or dead.

Some of the more common plants on which you will find them include soybeans, hollyhocks, roses, basil, raspberries, grapes, and apple, crab apple, cherry, birch and elm trees.

In fact, more than 300 Minnesota plants are susceptible to this destruction.

Don’t sit back hoping the first killing frost also will kill these beetles. Their larvae dive under ground for the winter where they feed on the roots of turf grass, killing it. The grass then turns brown and lifts up from the soil like loose carpet.

So the question then, is how to control this pest. The answer is to start early.

Like I said previously, if you see one, kill it, etc. If plants become damaged, they are more likely to attract more Japanese beetles. En masse they are nearly impossible to control, according to the University of Minnesota.

The most effective method to control them is to hand pick them from your plants. If you are squeamish, you can knock them into a bucket of soapy water to kill them.

If you prefer spraying them with something, Neem oil is effective for several days but repeat applications are necessary. Neem oil helps deter Japanese beetles but is less effective when large numbers are present. A plus is that this product is low risk to bees and other beneficial insects.

So while your tomatoes are simmering on your stovetop, take a break and go check for Japanese beetles. If you don’t find any, lucky you.

But be prepared. They are on their way!

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

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 39

FROM THIS VALLEY

By Pete Steiner

I

That (almost) championship season

’m still waiting for a rebate from my cable provider for all the COVID months when there were no live sports events on my expensive sports channels. As our fall sports season also appears very tentative, I thought, with this month’s column, I might take a page from what ESPN and the others have been doing: replay a classic. nn n n It was the fall of 1964. The late, great coach Don Miller, who died last January, was leading a talented Mankato Scarlet football squad (there was as yet no East High).

The team included D-1 recruit Jan Willard, all-state end Mark Wolverton, and one of the best allaround athletes ever to come out of Mankato, Chuck Helling (later to become a favorite teacher at East).

Mankato had not won a Big Nine championship in football since 1929! Thus when perennial power Rochester John Marshall came to town, excitement was high. The Scarlets had not beaten a Rochester team in 13 years. But when Helling scampered 59 yards for a touchdown to seal a win, it looked like the conference championship was within reach. However, during MEA week, the Scarlets stumbled at Red Wing, suffering their first conference loss, 13-7. That set up the game for all the marbles at Owatonna. nn n n Owatonna was led by one of the greatest athletes Minnesota ever produced: Noel Jenke. He would go on to star at the University of Minnesota and to become the extremely rare athlete to receive offers in three pro sports: the NFL, the NHL and major league baseball.

(After failing to reach the Bigs in baseball, he spent five years in the NFL.) The game at Owatonna was a classic nailbiter. The Scarlets led by four late, but Owatonna was driving. And they had Noel Jenke, who was not only monstrously

talented, but also smart. “Life is not fair” might be the lesson for the game’s deciding play: Those of us sitting in the stands near the end zone held our breath as the pass floated toward Jenke. He stretched for it, got his fingertips on it. Yet we clearly saw him scoop the ball off the turf in the corner of the end zone – he had trapped it.

But Jenke, whose back was to the official, obscuring his view, quickly pivoted and held the ball high for the ref to see, as if he had caught it cleanly. The man in the striped shirt signaled touchdown. Of course, there was no instant replay, except in the minds of distraught Scarlet fans. Owatonna won 24- 21, and the Big Nine title slipped away. nnnn Seven players from Coach Miller’s squad received either all-state or allconference honors. 1964 had been a banner year for Scarlet sports: The previous spring Mankato clinched its first ever state team wrestling championship (still a one-class tournament then) when sophomore Gary Rudenick shocked a packed Otto Arena by pinning all-time great, three-time state champion Howard Leopold. (I wrote about that miracle day in the February 2011 issue of this magazine.) nnnn Staying with the sports theme, you might recall, just over a year ago, I wrote of former Loyola and MSU great Dewey Mettler and his time with the Lakers, guarding the legendary Elgin Baylor in training camp. Here’s another local connection to basketball greatness: Many of us know Kit Kildahl of St. Peter as a fine blues musician or even as a crack golfer. But Kit will tell you, at 6-foot-6, his best sport was basketball.

An Indiana high school star, he was rostered at Purdue with a former rival: all-time scoring great Rick Mount. Kit, himself a true inside-outside offensive threat, prided himself on defense. Thus, in

40 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Donald A. Miller scrimmages, he drew the impossible task of trying to stop Mount. Many of Mount’s scoring records might never have been broken, had he played with the three-point line. In fact, as a pro, he chose the upstart American Basketball Association over the NBA, partly because in 1970, the ABA already had instituted the three-point shot.

In a summer all-star league after he left Purdue, Kit got another challenge: guarding retired NBA legend Dolph Schayes. Though 42 at the time, Schayes still had game. Kit is proud that he outscored the NBA great, 38-25, but it wasn’t enough to overcome 40 points by Schayes’ teammate, fellow NBA legend Dave Bing. nnnn If magazines still publish in 50 years, maybe some guy like me will wax nostalgically about that COVID year, when traditional sports’ stars were surpassed by online video gamers like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and Preston Arsement, and weren’t they something on Fortnite and Minecraft?

Longtime radio guy Pete Steiner is now a free lance writer in Mankato.

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 41

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42 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE