Mankato Magazine

STIRRING IMAGES Our annual photo issue is picture perfect

Also in this issue:

PETE MOULTON is lights on!

What the heck is BEER POKING? The beauty of DUBUQUE The Free Press MEDIA

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FEATURE S MARCH 2022 Volume 17, Issue 3

Cinda Wallace

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A thousand words It’s time again for our annual photo issue. Sit back, pour another cup of coffee and get lost in the photographic talent of your friends and neighbors.

Jen Buck

Joel Jackson

Missy Manderfeld

ABOUT THE COVER Our soaring cover photo this month comes from Bobby Duehring.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 3

DEPARTMENTS 6

From the Editor

7

This Day in History

8

Faces & Places

12 Avant Guardians

12

Amanda Malkin

14 Beyond the Margin Photos connect

16 Familiar Faces Pete Moulton

18 Day Trip Destinations Dubuque

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52 Let’s Eat!

George’s Fine Steaks and Spirits

54 Beer

Beer poking

56 Lit Du Nord: Minnesota Books and Authors Louise Erdrich

58 Community Draws Indigenous events

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60 Ann’s Fashion Fortunes Rules to ignore

62 Garden Chat

Time to start your seeds

64 From This Valley Gleanings

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FROM THE EDITOR

By Robb Murray MARCH 2022 • VOLUME 17, ISSUE 3 MAGAZINE Robb Murray EDITOR DESIGNER Christina Sankey PHOTOGRAPHERS Pat Christman Jackson Forderer

COPY EDITOR Kathy Vos CONTRIBUTORS James Figy Jean Lundquist Kat Baumann Leticia Gonzalez Ann Rosenquist Fee Pete Steiner Nick Healy Dana Melius Renee Berg ADVERTISING Danny Creel SALES Jordan Greer-Friesz Josh Zimmerman Theresa Haefner Tim Keech ADVERTISING Barb Wass ASSISTANT ADVERTISING Christina Sankey DESIGNER CIRCULATION Justin Niles DIRECTOR

PUBLISHER Steve Jameson EXECUTIVE EDITOR Joe Spear

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

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

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

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

6 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

A high-res image issue B

efore I wanted to be a writer, I wanted to be a photographer. Sports photography, specifically.

There was a time I’d drag my Konica camera along to pickup football games with my buddies.

To a chorus of objections, I’d tell them to run a few plays without me while I shot photos of them.

From the “sideline” or “end zone” — such as they were on the rugged, hardened fields of Prosperity Playground on St. Paul’s east side — I’d follow along as best I could to capture touchdowns and tackles. Maybe it was my first subconscious acknowledgment that a short kid with few physical skills should find another way to be involved in sports.

As I grew older, I found that writing words — such as they were — better suited my available talent pool. But the photography bug never left. I still love taking pictures. My beagle, who lives half his life with a camera in his face, can attest.

Technology has transformed photography. In the early 1980s, a kid needed a nice single-lens reflex camera to get quality photos.

Today, the phone in your pocket does the trick just fine.

And that phone has become the preferred camera for most amatuer photographers.

In this issue of Mankato Magazine, we hand over a dozen or so pages to you, the readers, and your photos.

For most of you, the brilliant images submitted were captured using an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy.

The technology has gotten to the point where the common smartphone can produce an image as clear as any Nikon or Canon camera.

And this magazine is better for it.

While clearly there is no substitute for the skills a professional photographer brings to bear — mastering light, composition, patience, anticipation, artistic vision — putting great technology into the hands of common folks gives us all a chance to create beautiful images.

And that’s exactly why we do the annual photo issue. Photos can help us connect. They can be a tangible link to something we loved or hated, or keepsakes from moments we never want to forget.

So we proudly present our photo issue. And while we may say this every year, it remains true: This is the best photo issue yet!

Also in this issue: If you’ve ever been to a Maverick hockey game, you may have wondered about the man sitting behind the goalie on the other side of the glass, the man whose job it is to turn on the red light when one of the teams scores.

We caught up with one of them, Pete Moulton. Turns out he’s a pretty interesting guy with a pair of important jobs: red light man and director of public works for the city of St. Peter.

Our beer column pokes around the art of beer poking. Sounds bizarre and mildly medieval. But it also sounds delicious, if you’re up for a little adventure in your craft beer hours.

Our Day Trip feature takes us to Dubuque, Iowa, where just like Mankato, it exists because of a river.

And for your literary folks out there, our book feature this month focuses on a giant of Minnesota lit: Louise Erdrich.

Enjoy!

Robb Murray is associate editor of Mankato Magazine.

Contact him at 344-6386 or rmurray@mankatofreepress.com.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY Compiled by Jean Lundquist

Rehabilitation in LeHillier awaits end of pumping

April 2, 1965 Fish were described as jumping gleefully in the water between houses in flooded LeHillier. Others were lying dead in streets and muddy yards where floodwaters had receded.

Three pumps were operating 24 hours a day to rid the area of water at 3 gallons per minute. Still, many houses remained in water, some of them with water up on the roof.

When the water receded, inspections were conducted on the soggy buildings to determine if they were safe to enter for cleaning and repair.

After inspection, passes were issued to families allowing them to go inside. Nine homes had lost basements due to wall cave-ins, but more were expected.

Italian automotive visitor gets 47 mpg

April 18, 1938 It was unlike anything that had been seen locally. It was a tiny Fiat coupe, made in Torino, Italy. It contained a motor described as being the size of a washing machine, with four cylinders. With its 47 mpg, it could seat four and reach speeds above 65 mph.

The car was owned by the Gasamatic Oil Burner Company of Austin and was making a promotional circuit across the area, including to Mankato.

Delivered to Minnesota, the cost was about $600.

Annual plane, glider, kite contest

April 6, 1933 Open to all boys 16 and younger, the annual contest was announced for 1933. The boys had to be the sole builders of their crafts. They were judged on design, weight, strength and neatness, plus the length of time the planes and gliders remained in the air.

The grand prize was one-half week at the YMCA boys camp. The air show was staged at the Mankato Airport.

Being in harmony with nature

April 12, 1985 Artist Marian Anderson was profiled in a feature article. She talked about her early forays into appreciating nature while accompanying her father while hunting and trapping.

While still in high school, Anderson began selling her paintings in shopping malls. Years later, her works were featured at top art shows throughout the country.

Anderson explained that material things “really don’t do much for me,” but being in nature and expressing it through art did excite her. She was one of the few women painting wildlife art.

“My favorite feeling is when I’m doing a painting and I get to a point I don’t think of brush size or color. It’s just a natural flow.”

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FACES & PLACES: Photos By SPX Sports

Mankato Beer Expo 1. Kristi and Mike Hawker pose for a photo with their beer samples.

2. The Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center Grand Hall was packed with people testing beer from more than 40 breweries.

3. Dave Abel with Elysian Brewing pours a beer.

4. Expo attendees check out the silent auction with their samples of beer.

5. Attendees bid on silent auctions including seltzers from Humble Forager.

6. Amy Larson, Emma Smith, Wade DeAustin and Joe Smith pose for a photo.

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FACES & PLACES: Photos By SPX Sports

Anthony Ford Pond Hockey 1. Joey Eckert with team Stick Magnets poses with his trophy.

2. (From left) Leonard Woelfel, Dave Krueger and Tyler Hvinden with the North Mankato Police Reserve pose for a photo.

3. More than 30 youth teams competed at the Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Classic.

4. The event returned to Spring Lake Park in North Mankato after last year’s tournament was canceled.

5. Aiden Prochaska with the Mankato East boys hockey team shovels snow.

6. Jacoby Tosch with team Young Guns scores a goal.

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FACES & PLACES: Photos By SPX Sports

Job’s Grand March 1 Jacob Eggert and Payton Hardesty pose for a photo.

2. Groups of friends walked in the grand march, too.

3. Parents wait in front of the decorated stage before the grand march.

4. Abby Olenius is twirled around by her date.

5. Teenagers gather waiting for the grand march to begin.

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FACES & PLACES: Photos By SPX Sports

Climb 2 Feed Kids 1

1. DJ Jake Palmer gives everyone updates and blasts out music.

2. Travis Mattson from team Mankato Clinic runs with his tube after sliding down the hill.

3. This year’s event was held outdoors for the first time at Mount Kato.

4. Team Roosevelt poses for a photo.

5. Michael Wolke with team iSpace runs back dragging his tube.

6. Sam Van Hon with team iSpace slides down the hill.

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 11

AVANT GUARDIANS

By Leticia Gonzales

These two images show the before and after phases of Amanda Malkin’s detailed restoration work. “Conservation and preservation are the lifelines of maintaining and preserving history,” she says.

Meticulous work Amanda Malkin found her calling conserving damaged or ancient works

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fter Amanda Malkin of St. Peter earned her bachelor’s in fine arts in photography, she found herself uncertain about a career.

“A family member introduced me to conservation as a profession, which I had never heard of,” said Malkin, who recently moved from St. Paul with her husband. “It’s sort of a behind-the-scenes kind of job, which is right up my alley. The hands-on, physical work, combined with art, science and history all appealed to my interests.”

With 13 years of experience as a paper conservator, Malkin conserves and preserves works such as art, watercolors, prints, pastels, maps and documents on paper.

“The work is nuanced,” she said. “A treatment plan or proposal is determined after examination of the object and the work is carried out with slow, intentional, premeditated movements. Rarely is conservation quick, straightforward or mundane. Every object is different with a unique history and, therefore, each treatment is unique.”

Her training in the field is expansive and includes a Master of Arts degree in the conservation of works on paper from Northumbria University in Newcastle, England. She interned for three years as a 12 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

pre-program intern — one year at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and two years at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

“Following graduate school, I obtained a postgraduate fellowship with the Freer and Sackler Galleries within the Smithsonian Institution,” Malkin said. “Two years of postgraduate work in an institution led me to a desire for more flexibility and freedom with my work life, so in 2015, I opened my private practice, PaperLoves Conservation, in Alexandria, Virginia.”

Paper conservation is a prominent line of work featured in museums and collecting institutes, Malkin said, but has only recently been noticed for its contributions to the art field.

“Conservation and preservation are the lifelines of maintaining and preserving history,” she said.

“Conservators care for the physical object, ensuring it remains physically stable and safe in proper housing and environmental conditions. The history of the object also must be considered and protected, such as any former housing, documentation, etc., that arrived with the object, in addition to photographic documentation before and after treatment to document the condition.”

The conservation process begins with a full examination and testing, Malkin said.

Conservation can include surface cleaning to reduce grime, mending tears, removing old tapes and adhesive, bathing to reduce staining and acidic degradation, gentle bleaching to further reduce staining, retouching losses, filling losses in paper supports, humidifying and flattening distorted, creased or otherwise not flat objects.

The process can be quite extensive because many of the items are usually in poor condition, usually from light damage, which causes acidic degradation. Water damage and staining are also common, as are creases, tears, paper loss and abrasion from poor handling.

Malkin said she has worked with some very delicate pieces while at the Freer and Sackler Galleries at the Smithsonian.

“My postgraduate fellowship was concentrated on the treatment of Islamic manuscripts, which often required consolidation of flaking media. These objects ranged in date from the 13th century to the 18th century.”

While her work is useful when

Amanda Malkin of St. Peter is shown here doing restoration work in her studio. preserving pieces for museums and historical societies, private collectors also have a stake in the business.

“Many of my clients, however, are just trying to save a bit of their family history.”

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 13

BEYOND THE MARGIN

By Joe Spear

Photos connect T

he genesis or “invention” of photography strikes us as 19th century magic that only became more powerful as it grew in technology and art.

But it also became an art for the masses. We’re all born with a photographer’s eye.

Some better than others sure, but the essence of photography is capturing an image that resonates with our soul in some shape or form that we want to make more permanent than life itself.

If we want a hundred family photos of our ancestors lining up like soldiers, than that’s what’s important to us. The faces, the posture, the smile are all telling in those photos. We know who’s smiling but doesn’t really mean it.

Some things can’t hide from the eye of a camera.

The invention of the photograph had a magical quality to it when Louise-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre presented it to the French Academie des Sciences on Jan. 7, 1839.

It would “forever change the nature of visual representation,” according to a fine article by Malcom Daniels at metart.com. The members of the Academie were stunned at the clarity of the image made by using a highly polished silver plate of copper.

Daguerre had been working on his “daguerreotype” for several years with associates who had died. The first idea — to take and consider differing qualities of light and somehow project them onto a metal plate with what were sure to be highly toxic chemicals – leads one to speculate Daguerre and associates had also been sampling opium.

The idea on its surface seems preposterous. Yet, to this day photography proves reasoned thinking wrong.

The reason people take photos can be summarized into a few broad categories. Memories. Beauty. Rarity.

Meaning. The categories can intersect, of course, with a memory bringing a meaning, beauty in rarity, beauty in meaning and memories and rarity. Each photo has its own story to tell.

My photos mostly aim for showing something of beauty, meaning and memories.

A photo of college friends tailgating recently at an Minnesota State University football game brought the chance encounter with parking magistrate David Cowan, a longtime Minnesota State University employee who made friends with us young college students at the bars and parties of 1980. It triggered a memory and a photograph.

Readers of this magazine know I am a fan of my wife’s irises, which not only carry unmatched beauty for a few short weeks in early June, but also carry the memory that the plants have endured for decades, coming from her grandpa’s garden in Owatonna.

Seasons can be captured with photographs and help 14 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

us imagine spring in the middle of winter, and winter, well, maybe when we endure a searing hot, humidityfilled July.

Sports photos can be dramatic as storm photos and happy as sunrises.

Free Press photographer Pat Christman captured something not only meaningful and beautiful but also rare when he caught near-60 year old Maverick alumni goaltender Westy Graves doing the athletically challenging two-pad stack, a goaltending technique that went out as goalies became bigger, more blobby in their padding and adopted the “butterfly” style of goaltending.

Iconic images also catch my photo eye and fit with the rarity standard.

Who creates metal sculptures of a maverick bull’s head with nostrils that blow smoke? Artist Kyle Fokken does with a donation from David and Michelle Schooff. The two heads adorn the entry to the Mankato civic center.

Places also carry meaning and history. The photo of the Ottumwa, Iowa, “Canteen” harkens back to the Great Depression where such canteens were lifelines for the poor. People wanted to preserve the canteen so much, they built a downtown parking lot around and above it.

Photos are powerful storytellers.

Advertising executive Fred Barnard came up with the quote “One picture is worth a thousand words” as a way to emphasize graphic illustrations to sell advertising.

Novelist Anastasia Hollings came up with “Every picture tells a story,” a quote later made into a pop song by Rod Stewart.

There’s a kind of immortality tied to a photograph.

Why else would we arrange dozens of photos, electronic slideshows at our funerals? Photographs can initiate storytelling, complement it or complete it.

The book “Moments” by longtime Associated Press photographer Hal Buell shows key moments where without a photograph important history would be lost.

The book includes Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs of everything from the stardom of Marilyn Monroe to the brutal execution of a Viet Cong solider on the streets of Saigon during the Vietnam War. Photos from Classic Collection of the magazine Life also draw our interest with portraits of American history and entertainment from Jackie Robinson rounding third base to the sailor kissing a random nurse in Times Square after returning from World War II. Immortal. Yes. Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382.

Follow on Twitter @jfspear.

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 15

Familiar Faces

Game on Pete Moulton keeps things running smoothly at Maverick hockey games

T

Photos by Jackson Forderer

NAME:

Pete Moulton OCCUPATION:

St. Peter public works director, off-ice coordinator for Maverick hockey games

HOMETOWN:

Brookings, South Dakota

FAVORITE HOCKEY PLAYER: Teddy Blueger

16 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

he next time you’re at a Maverick hockey game, take a moment to appreciate the folks whose job it is to keep the scoreboard running, open doors to players when an infraction sends them to the penalty box, or turn on the red light when a goal is scored.

One of those red light guys is Pete Moulton, coordinator of the off-ice officiating crew. Moulton, who is also public works director for the city of St. Peter, has been working Minnesota State University hockey games for 20 seasons. During that time, he’s seen a lot of hockey, banked a lot of memories and turned on the red light a time or two (including once when he shouldn’t have).

March is an exciting one for Maverick men’s hockey fans, as they’ll likely see a lot of playoff hockey action as the team attempts a return trip to the Frozen Four.

Mankato Magazine: How did you land the gig of managing the officiating crew at Maverick hockey games?

Pete Moulton: I am a season ticket holder for the Mavericks, have been for about 20 years. One game a few years back the scoreboard operator had car trouble and couldn’t make it to the game on time. Since I knew most of the existing off-ice staff from when they worked high school games, they were aware that I had experience running the clock for my sons’ games (St. Peter/Le Sueur Bulldogs) and asked me to fill in.

Well, one thing led to another and after a few years of helping where needed, the coordinator position came open and the MSU athletic crew asked me to take on the coordination efforts. I operated the scoreboard and penalty box for about 13 years and have been the office coordinator and goal judge for an additional seven.

MM: Your particular job is turning on the red light when a goal is scored. Sounds simple enough … But is it that simple? Is there stress involved? And what happens if you turn the red light on but there wasn’t actually a goal scored?

PM: Our main responsibility is to provide the on-ice officials with help should the puck go in the net. It is stressful because your responsibility is to be fair to both teams and help where you can. I have turned on the light when the puck didn’t go in. I also turned it off as fast as

I could. Believe me there were 5,000 fans who saw it — very humbling.

Since I am on the visitors’ end of the rink, I often visit with a few parents. One parent asked me what it was like being a goal judge.

When I informed him that the last few years there wasn’t much work because Dryden McKay has been the goalie and there isn’t much need for a goal judge on this end, we shared a laugh and went on our way.

MM: What is the officiating crew responsible for other than the red light? How many people does it take to make it all appear as seamless and welloiled as it does each hockey night?

PM: Our crew starts and stops the clock, runs the scoreboard and administers the penalties that are handed out; we have two goal judges and are responsible for instant replay. We have a great deal to do with the outcome of the game, but in reality no one really knows who we are and what we do. And that’s OK. MM: Tell us something the average hockey fan might not know regarding what goes on behind the scenes at these games.

PM: It seems most fans don’t really know how committed our crew is that works the games. Each crew member has a set responsibility and each has to deliver every game. We get great support from our regular fans that are around the scorer’s table. They heckle us a little but are always supportive. MSU athletics always treats us with respect so it is with great appreciation that we come to the rink. Over half our crew has been together for over 15 years.

MM: How has the overall experience and atmosphere of Maverick Hockey games changed during the time you’ve been there?

PM: A few years back when the Mavericks were a .500 club there wasn’t the interest and enjoyment in working; there is now. Winning solves a lot of issues.

MM: You’re also St. Peter’s public works director. How long have you worked for the city and what and what led you to that position?

Pete Moulton is St. Peter’s public works director by day, and one of the Mavericks’ red light men by night.

PM: I have been with the city of St. Peter for just under 35 years. My wife also works for the city of St. Peter and we have been fortunate enough to have worked with, and for, some great people.

St. Peter is a great community.

My wife, Cindy, and I came to St. Peter to begin our service careers after starting in Brookings, South Dakota, which is where I grew up. I received my education at Minnesota State, which allowed me to move up the ladder in St. Peter. We stayed because we love the community.

MM: What’s the most exciting part of directing public works?

Do you get to drive snowplows and stroll through city parks all day or are your hours spent dealing with all the “crap” at the wastewater treatment plant?

PM: Every day is a different day, always interacting with the community and helping them make decisions about the future of the community; it is a joy to have an impact in the community where you live. Don’t get to drive the snowplows. We have professionals for that. Wastewater is one of the areas which I am responsible for and it is a difficult business. Our community is very lucky that we have quality staff in all areas of our operation — people who are vested in the community and care about the work they do.

MM: Tell us about your family.

Are they hockey fans, too?

PM: Cindy and I have two sons, Andrew and Adam. I also have a great daughter-in-law, Reham, and three grandchildren, Olivia, Owen and Ostin. All of us are hockey fans and travel extensively.

Andrew, Cindy and I went to Pittsburgh to watch the Mavericks in the Frozen Four last April. Our grandsons, Owen and Ostin, play hockey and are involved with Select programs in the Twin Cities.

Who knows, maybe one day I will turn on the light for one of my grandsons. Wouldn’t that be a treat?

MM: Tell us something about your hockey job that would surprise people.

P M : I have met some really interesting people working the hockey games for the Mavericks.

It is often easy to see who will be successful.

What I have noticed is the players, coaches and referees who take the time to be nice to the help even if they don’t have to are often the ones you see at a higher level of success.

Our league has so many polite and professional people it is truly a pleasure to meet them. Sitting in the stands you don’t get the close-up view of future stars.

MM: If we snuck into your Netflix account, what would we learn about you?

PM: I love watching gangster history and murder mysteries. Once I start a mini–series I usually can’t stop.

Compiled by Robb Murray MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 17

DAY TRIP DESTINATIONS: DUBUQUE, IOWA

By Renee Berg

The Fenelon Place Elevator in Dubuque is claimed to be the world’s shortest and steepest railway. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

‘Something for everyone’ Consider Dubuque for a weekend getaway

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eople are often surprised at how much there is to do when they visit Dubuque, Iowa, particularly during the warmer months when festival season revs up.

“There are diverse restaurant offerings, unique shops, a wealth of historical attractions and something for just about everyone, at any age,” said Megan Gloss, features editor of the Telegraph Herald newspaper in Dubuque.

When touring Dubuque, some of the most popular spots include a trip to the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and the Mississippi Riverwalk, both in the Port of Dubuque.

The Fenelon Place Elevator – claimed to be the world’s shortest and steepest railway and listed on the National Register of Historic Places – and the vast 18 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

collection of colorful public art murals displayed on buildings throughout downtown Dubuque are another draw, Gloss said.

Two of Gloss’ favorite eateries are Pete’s Thai Kitchen and Ichiban Hibachi Steakhouse & Japanese Sushi Bar, the latter of which was recently remodeled and expanded. Oolong Asian Cuisine is another delicious spot, with an intimate setting.

For a trip to Italy, Marco’s Italian & American Foods and Mario’s Italian Restaurant are longtime Dubuque staples. Marco’s is widely regarded as serving up the best pizza in Dubuque, and you can’t go wrong with Mario’s panzerotti.

Then there’s Gino’s east of Dubuque, which recently added to the pizza offerings by bringing traditional Chicago-style deep dish to Dubuque’s revitalized

Historic Millwork District. well as a band shell that features a The Shot Tower Inn, which is summer concert series. named for a Dubuque landmark Another great outdoor spot that can be found in the Port of is the Dubuque Arboretum and Dubuque, is another place known Botanical Gardens. Run 100 for its pizza and casual fare. percent by volunteers, it features If it’s time to shop, head over to a rose garden, a herb garden, a Cable Car Square, one of Gloss’ shaded hosta garden, a traditional favorite spots in the city. Located English garden and a beautiful just below the famous Fenelon Japanese garden.

Place Elevator on Fourth Street, It also hosts a free concert series, those passing through can find a Music in the Gardens, which runs variety of locally owned shops and throughout the summer. Attendees specialty boutiques. can pack a picnic and a blanket or And along Main Street, visitors a lawn chair and enjoy everything can find additional local shops, like from jazz to the Dubuque River Lights Bookstore, Freddie’s Symphony Orchestra.

Popcorn Co., For live music, Living on Main, check out The Eagle Point Park also Yarn Soup and Smokestack, more. features a splash pad during which features As for where national to indie, the summer, as well as a to stay, the Hotel local and regional Julien Dubuque band shell that features a acts. Another cool is a lovely option location in nearby summer concert series. dating back Maquoketa, Iowa, to 1839. A $33 is Codfish Hollow million interior and exterior Barnstormers. It’s in an old barn renovation included the addition of and has attracted such talents as Patosa Spa, Caroline’s Restaurant, the Counting Crows, Norah Jones, the Riverboat Lounge and other Ani DiFranco and more. amenities. The hotel also boasts Q Casino and Hotel offers a a connection to Al Capone and great outdoor concert series features a Capone Suite. featuring national acts during the For families visiting Dubuque, summer at its Backwater Stage. the Grand Harbor Resort in And the Mississippi Moon Bar, the Port of Dubuque features in the Diamond JO Casino, also an indoor waterpark, as well as features national entertainment. indoor and outdoor dining at Tony Five Flags Center is also an Roma’s, which spills out onto the incredibly happening venue that Mississippi Riverwalk. catches a non-stop rotation of There, visitors can check out national acts coming through the views of the river, the annual Art Dubuque area. on the River display featuring 10 When it’s time to rejuvenate, works by an assortment of artists, hit Devour Café for some coffee. and then grab a glass of wine Its owner, Ryan Dies, knows his at Stone Cliff Winery, located way around a coffee bean, not to within the former Dubuque Star mention how to whip up the best Brewery and just steps away from quiche in town, Gloss said.

Dubuque’s Shot Tower, one of the “If you can’t decide what to get, last remaining shot towers in the I recommend ordering a coffee country. flight,” she said. “Devour also Dubuque is also home to a offers some delicious, customvariety of parks that can be found made Indian cuisines – not throughout the city. Mines of something you’d expect from a Spain State Recreation Area, Swiss coffee house, but they add to the Valley Nature Center and Eagle eclectic nature.”

Point Park are among the most popular, offering opportunities Renee is a reporter for a weekly for hiking, snowshoeing, crossnewspaper in Kasson. She also country skiing, biking, canoeing contributes freelance work for area and kayaking, not to mention newspapers and magazines. some spectacular views of the A graduate of Minnesota State Mississippi River if you’re visiting University, Renee is mom to two teenagers and has two cats, Mines of Spain and Eagle Point Frankie and Hazel, whom she Park. can’t tell apart so she calls Eagle Point Park also features a them both Frazel. splash pad during the summer, as

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 19

Images are everything Southern Minnesota is brimming with photographic talent

E

ach year starting in about January, a few dozen emails trickle in asking about the annual photo issue. “When should I submit?” “Did I miss the deadline?”

“Are you still doing that photo contest?”

Our annual photo issue — while it has never been a contest — is one of our most popular issues. It’s also a testament to the talent, curiosity and vision of our readers.

On one level, photography is a function and product of science — with chemicalfilled darkrooms giving way to pixels, file formats and resolution.

But with all due respect to science, it is the visceral and emotional side of photography that draws so many people to explore its nuances and discover their talents.

At its essence, photography is about memories. It allows us to capture them in a simple, easily understood and digestible image. That picture of your daughter from 30 years ago, for instance, may not be crystal clear or possess perfect composition, but it’s your daughter, exactly as she was, captured in an image you created. In that regard, such images are priceless (even if imperfect).

While perfecting the form will always be the realm of professionals, advances in technology have given us tools to let us all explore our hidden photographic talents.

Thankfully for us here at Mankato Magazine — and its entire readership — the talent pool here is sufficiently stocked. MM Jan Hobbs

20 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Dianne Wagner MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2022 • 21

Kimberly Maiers

Cynthia Shirk 22 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Joel Jackson

Kristin Anderson

Laura Stevens

Gretchen Zellmer MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2022 • 23

Charles Berg

Barb Traxler

Mary Gitter-Zehnder 24 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Rochelle Koberoski

Mary Normandin

Joelle Buesgens

Chris Harris

Leigh Pomeroy

Barb Lindsay

Nicholas Huisken

Virginia La France

Helen Rode

Doug Reichel MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2022 • 25

Cindy Gawrych

Janet Costello

Dale Hedlund 26 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Judy Wreath

Greg Wheelock

LeAnn Sieberg

Jayne Wolle

Bill Anderson

Sharon Chader MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2022 • 27

Nancy Bruce

Dale Hedlund 28 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Sarah Denn

Patty Melvin

Roberta Moorhouse

Virginia La France

Megan Torner MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2022 • 29

Wilma West 30 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Nancy Bruce

Constance Leland

John Zehnder

John Mertesdorf

Leigh Pomeroy

Heidi Bednarchuk

Donnette Wheelock

MANKATO MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2022 • 31

32 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Jen Buck MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 33

Megan Torner

Brenda Allen

Mary Natwick 34 • MARCH 2021 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Cinda Wallace

Carol Burns

Sarah Purvis Rose

Sharon Chader

Sarah Kane

Ashley Hanley MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 35

Tim Pulis 36 • MARCH 2021 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Marilyn Hedlund

Chris Freyberg

Missy Manderfeld

Melissa Reintjes

Kimberly Sands

Sister Ann Carol Kaufenberg MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 37

Deb Reichel

Chris Harris

Marie Dranttel

Chantill Kahler-Royer 38 • MARCH 2021 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Sarah Denn

Rachel Olmanson

Mary Robinson

Susan Ray

Kelly Jaeger

Terri Michels MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 39

Tom Royer 40 • MARCH 2021 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Todd Hanselman

Erin Guentzel

Mary Miller

James Folden

Phyll Skadahl

Gail Heaberlin MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 41

Mary Natwick

Charles Berg

Mary Kosberg

Marge Miller

Kay Helms 42 • MARCH 2021 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Marie Dranttel

Randy Wood

Kim Roberts

Jan Hobbs

Bruce Boyce MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 43

Jess Spencer

Gail Heaberlin 44 • MARCH 2021 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Aidan Gravelle

Dianne Wagner

Kathleen Felt

Jim Muyres MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 45

Bobby Duehring

Morgan Lenhoff

Andrea Hawker

Kathy Wortel 46 • MARCH 2021 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Lisa Behsman

Laurie Gresch

Kristin Anderson

Matthew Barker

Emily Stark MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 47

Becky Carlberg

Becky Hentges 48 • MARCH 2021 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Missy Manderfeld

Barb Holmin

Robyn Silver

Brenda Allen

Gretchen Zellmer

Mary Kay Ash MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 49

Wilma West

Chantill Kahler-Royer

Laurie Gresch

Karli Hoffman

Erin Guentzel 50 • MARCH 2021 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Dennis Terrell

Becky Hentges Phyll Skadahl

Jen Buck

Rochelle Koberoski

Mary Kosberg MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 51

Food & Beer

LET'S EAT!

By Dana Melius

southern mn style George Cottom is the owner of George’s Fine Steaks and Spirits in New Ulm. It has been part of New Ulm’s quaint downtown scene since 2002.

Still sizzling as George hits 20 years in New Ulm

G

eorge Cottom chuckled a bit.

“This is the longest job I’ve ever had. Twenty years, it’s coming up.”

Cotton and wife Helen joined the downtown business district as George’s Fine Steaks & Spirits on Minnesota Street in New Ulm in 2002, purchasing a building that had changed hands several times, primarily as a small bar establishment.

And while it took some time to fit into the German community, George has settled in nicely.

Customers continue to rave about the food and service.

Cotton had served in the 52 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Photos by Pat Christman

This photo, shared by George Cottom, shows what his building looked like decades ago when it was called Ben’s Bar. corporate restaurant industry in several capacities, from Happy Chef to Marriott. Interestingly, his

strategy changed little.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever done it differently,” Cottom said from across the booth. High-quality food, great customer service, on-site management to engage with customers.

“My philosophy has always been, if you provide excellent food and service, people will come.”

And customers far and near seem to agree. William Sosbe of Durham, North Carolina, spent one week in New Ulm in March 2020, just prior to when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the restaurant industry hard. Still, he remembers it well.

“What I remember the most

What: George’s Fine Steaks & Spirits Where: 301 North Minnesota St., New Ulm What they’re known for: Top-quality steaks, customer service, private parties…and spirits!

When: 4-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday was that George talked with us for quite a while and was super nice,” Sosbe recalled. “The food was great, as was the service.”

Sosbe said when he traveled as a salesman, he tried to eat at independent establishments. “I preferred to stop at the mom and pop places and avoid the chain restaurants.”

While in New Ulm, as the area battled the rapid ice melt and flooding, Sosbe’s Minnesota stop was memorable. “I would love to see New Ulm again, when I could see more on vacation instead of business.”

The North Carolina man’s thoughts regarding the restaurant mirror what many locals say. One anonymous local customer who

posted a review on a social media site said this: “I absolutely love this place … I consider it my special place. Great margaritas, excellent homemade salad dressings and desserts.”

She and her husband, who celebrated their 30th anniversary in December, were “excited to have our celebration there.

George, your place is great, your staff excellent and the experience is fun and so special.”

Those are words Cottom loves to hear. He says he’s worked diligently through the years to refine the best customer service his restaurant can provide. And he hopes that strategy becomes evident to customers and staff alike.

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“They (staff members) are examples of what I enjoy,” Cottom said. “It’s just been rare that there’s anybody who works here who doesn’t want to be here. The staff is conscientious.”

While Cottom has found some Midwest ranchers to source those quality steaks that have been favorites of customers, there’s also New Zealand “rack o’ lamb” on the menu, along with lobster, prime rib, roast duck and walleye, as well as “plenty of vegetarian options,” Cottom noted.

Still, it wasn’t easy moving into New Ulm and its German heritage.

Yet over the years, Cottom’s strategy appears to have sunk in nicely.

“The community’s been highly supportive,” he said.

And that’s been critically important over the past twoplus years, Cottom stressed, as COVID restrictions prompted quick decisions and supply-side problems. But George’s was rarely completely shut down, offering “to-go” orders from nearly the entire menu.

Health woes have hit both George and his wife, Helen, with frequent trips to Rochester to treat his wife’s rare illness. Cottom is appreciative of how his staff has responded.

“I just have a supportive staff that is able to take over for me when they can and if I need them to,” he said.

While the downstairs portion at George’s remains more of a bar and grill look, the renovated upstairs room expands seating to about 120. It’s a popular spot for celebrations, proms and holiday get-togethers.

Much of what George’s brings to the table remains what Cottom has preached through his years in the industry. Does that make him consistent or a dinosaur of types?

Cottom chuckled again.

“I’m proud to be a dinosaur.”

MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 53

BEER

By James Figy

Beer poking caramelizes residual sugars in a malty beer and creates a foamy, marshmallow-like head. Photos by James Figy

What is beer poking?

C

ountless chemical reactions take place before that first delicious drop of beer touches your tongue. Carefully planned and monitored by the brewer, this science remains beyond the consumer’s control.

But one piece of brewing alchemy you can do, even after bottling, is beer poking. This involves taking a red-hot iron and plunging it into a glass of malty beer.

Why poke perfectly good beer?

There are two main reasons, and the first is straightforward: “Because it’s fun,” said Dan Justesen, president of Utepils Brewing Co. in Minneapolis.

The second is about science and taste. The hot iron caramelizes residual malt sugar left over from the brewing process, Justesen explained. At the same time, it activates the CO2 to create a billowing foamy head, not unlike a marshmallow atop the cold beer.

“It’s kind of like a hot fudge sundae,” Justesen said.

“When the hot fudge is still warm and you've got that cold ice cream, you get those two sensations at the same time. So we've not only changed the beer itself, but we've also given you a sensory overload.”

When did beer poking start?

While it may be trendy – and very Instagrammable – it’s not new by any means.

The practice originated in Germany in the Middle Ages. Per Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest brewery, the Bavarian blacksmiths of yore didn’t appreciate how their beer became slushy during winter, so they tried to warm it using a hot poker, fresh from the forge. Thus was born “Bierstacheln,” which translates to “beer spiking.”

54 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

It gained steam in Colonial America as well, according to 1571°F, a Wisconsin company that sells beer-poking kits. Colonists would poke their Flip – a mix of rum, ale and sugar or molasses – to beat New England’s bitter chill.

Even in Minnesota, it’s not novel. August Schell Brewing Co. deserves the most credit. Beer poking has been a mainstay at Schell’s Bock Fest since the annual event started in 1978.

“New Ulm as an old German town, we had a lot of old-timers that didn't want cold beer,” said Ted Marti, president and CEO of Schell’s. “They literally had little warming irons to warm up the beer, so we took it a little farther with the fire poker and the fire.”

A perfect cold weather activity, beer poking has grown across the state. Maybe it’s because breweries adapted their patios for social distancing during Minnesota winters and needed something exciting.

Whatever the case, it’s not just for a brewery’s anniversary or major event anymore.

Breweries that focus on German styles – Schell’s, Utepils, Waldmann Brewery in St. Paul, Lupulin Brewery in Big Lake, etc. – regularly offer beer poking.

But it can also be a fun addition for your next bonfire or camping trip.

How to poke beer

Remember to use common sense. Wielding redhot irons and drinking alcohol could be dangerous.

Because the process is fun, you might end up poking and drinking several beers in short order. Consider designating one person to be the poker.

Step 1: Get your gear. Kits on the market, like those from 1571°F, have compact irons and other

While a campfire can work, a propane burner makes it easier to poke multiple beers in a row and reduces carbon buildup on the poking iron.

Dan Justesen of Utepils shows off the poking irons, customized with brewery tap handles. attachments. You might be tempted to use your fireplace poker, but it will prove unwieldy and difficult to heat.

Step 2: Choose the right beer.

Bocks are ideal, but any malty style will work. Justesen has poked nearly every beer Utepils serves and really enjoyed how it changed the Hefeweizen. Just stay away from hoppy beers, which lack the necessary sugars.

Step 3: Crank up the heat.

A campfire will work, but you could consider a propane burner.

Justesen swears by it because the blue flame gets the iron hotter and prevents carbon buildup.

Step 4: Fill your glass and drink it down to about two-thirds full. This will provide room for the foam and allow you to taste the difference caramelization makes.

Step 5: Submerge the iron into the beer. Be careful not to touch the glass. Leave the iron in for a few seconds, then slowly remove it. Justesen lets it linger at the top for a better foam taste. In and out, it should take about 10-15 seconds.

Step 6: Enjoy quickly. You’ll have time to take a picture, but to taste that marshmallowy foam, you shouldn’t wait long.

This was my experience, at least, in the snowy beer garden outside Utepils’ Fernweh Taproom.

Justesen plunged the iron into a pint of Minnator, a rich 7.8% ABV Dopplebock.

The liquid bubbled out from the hot poker. Then a lovely tan foam welled up and over the side.

It was New Year’s Eve 2021, and people warming up around the large fire ring glanced up from their beers and conversations about the year passing, the one ahead. They asked Justesen questions, then wanted a turn.

Each time was magical. None of us had a hand in crafting those beers, but we could all play a part in their transformation.

James Figy is a writer and beer enthusiast based in St. Paul.

In Mankato, he earned an MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University and a World Beer Cruise captain’s jacket from Pub 500.

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 55

LIT DU NORD: MINNESOTA BOOKS AND AUTHORS

By Nick Healy

W

Ghosts of our present troubles

e all know what happened in the early months of 2020.

A virus spread around the world, and the realities of life (and death) in a pandemic took hold.

And we all remember what happened in Minneapolis one day in May that year. George Floyd died under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, and thanks to bystander video that made plain the truth of the event, the city (and the state, nation and world) shuddered in the aftermath of the murder.

You might say these events from two years ago haunt us now, if Louise Erdrich not for the fact that they are not really in the past. They are still unfolding. The pandemic has endured, as the virus has mutated and case counts have spiked.

And in the early months of this year, the three officers who stood by as their colleague killed Floyd went on trial for violating his civil rights. It’s not possible to assess how the pandemic and the killing of George Floyd transformed the world because they are, in effect, unfinished business.

Someday, though, people will look back and try to make sense of all this mess. If they want to know what happened, they will find great heaps of journalism to give them the blowby-blow. And if they want to know what it was like, how it felt to live in the midst of these troubles, they will find, if they’re lucky, “The Sentence”

by Louise Erdrich.

To be clear, Erdrich’s latest novel is not about the pandemic or the killing of George Floyd. It is about a woman called Tookie who lives in Minneapolis, works in a bookstore and has her own troubles when the pandemic arrives and Floyd’s death troubles the streets of her neighborhood.

56 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

Tookie is a middle-age Ojibwe woman haunted by her own past and by some strange spirits inhabiting the bookstore.

The story begins in the autumn of 2019, but Tookie soon confides that she landed at the store only after spending years in prison for an earlier crime, a ridiculous undertaking in which she unwittingly transported cocaine over state lines. The older, wiser Tookie longs for a normal life, but she carries a weight with her and is frank about her own shortcomings.

“I enjoy lying, for instance, and am good at selling people useless things for prices they can’t afford,” she confides. “Of course, now that I am rehabilitated, I sell only words. Collections of words between cardboard covers.”

Tookie is a clever person and a keen observer of the world around her, attributes that emerge clearly early in the story as she describes the realities of working in a bookshop and the eccentricities of the customers who come and go.

Among those customers is a native “wannabe” named Flora, a woman who annoys Tookie to no end but who considers her a great friend. After Flora dies, Tookie becomes convinced her ghost is haunting the store.

When the great troubles of 2020 arrive, Tookie tries to absorb the changes and adapt, and like everyone, she must learn on the fly.

In presenting this recent history, Erdrich again shows herself to be a writer of unusual wisdom.

She doesn’t do too much with the material. She filters the strange times through her characters and thereby presents an early record of what it felt like to live in the pandemic and to be a Minneapolitan when the city

“The Sentence” by Louise Erdrich experienced some of its worst days.

Having won the Pulitzer Prize for her 2020 novel “The Night Watchman,” Erdrich wrote her new book during the pandemic months, and she draws from her own life in the story. Erdrich owns and operates Birchbark Books in Minneapolis, a shop that has a great deal in common with the fictional store in “The Sentence.”

It’s a pleasure to see her writing about authors, books and book lovers.

As always, Erdrich remembers the broader context in which her characters live, and she doesn’t let readers forget. At one point, for example, Tookie hears about a police department advisory urging residents to hose down their roofs and empty the books from Little Free Libraries while National Guard helicopters circle above and police clash with protesters elsewhere in the city.

“How did we get to our cherished little book boxes from the horror of a full daylight police murder?” Tookie wonders.

“I said it seemed that around the

central fact of any tragedy there swirled a flotsam of extrania like the twenty-dollar bill that led to the police call at Cup Foods, the broken taillight that led the police to stop Philando Castile, the hunger for eggs and a farm woman’s fury to defend those eggs, an incident that started the Dakota War, the let them eat grass phrase that has kept it in memory ever since …”

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Mankato | Amboy | Eagle Lake | Vernon Center | cbfg.net MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 59

ANN’S FASHION FORTUNES

By Ann Rosenquist Fee

Rules to ignore for dogs, eyes, lips DEAR ANN: I love seeing a dressed-up dog. Especially when the dog and owner are coordinated.

My question is, do dogs actually hate this or do they not mind? And, is there any protective function involved in those little dog parkas or are they just for show?

DEAR READER: While I am not a dog fashion expert, my own experience with mostly coatintolerant pets tells me that if you see a dressed-up dog and the dog doesn’t appear to be twisting or pawing its way out of the coat, then you can be pretty sure it’s all good, no harm is being done and you can comfortably enjoy the tableau.

As for functionality, while I couldn’t find any credible source stating that coats are a “must” for any particular size or breed, there’s enough information out there in favor of coats that, if you’re into it, you can certainly find ample research to back up your position (like if you find yourself needing to justify a purchase, or defend your dog’s adornment to a judgy friend, or chatter on about it at a party where people want to hear some more about your dog).

DEAR ANN: Recently my will power gave way and I surrendered to some clickbait that took me to a thing about makeup do’s and don’ts for mature women. Now I’m conflicted about whether or not I can keep wearing the under-eye liner I’ve worn my whole life, or if I should stop because it’s apparently the very worst thing a mature woman can do?

Same question regarding lowerlash mascara. I don’t understand what is to be accomplished with blank under-eyes, other than me looking like I have the flu. Thank you for any light you can shed on the matter.

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DEAR ANN: Is there a name for that little line of a ridge that’s just under the lower lip, or is it all just lip, and either way can lipstick or lip liner go there? Asking for regular people, not Instagram influencers.

Poppy Hildebrandt, is ambivalent about both fashion and function.

DEAR READER: Oh no thank you, Reader, for the opportunity to debunk this urban myth.

You’re right about under-eye liner and mascara often being posited as the very worst things a woman over 50 can do to herself and society (some sources go as low as 40).

I personally know at least a dozen women who live in daily violation of this ban, and to my knowledge, none have experienced serious consequences such as shaming or shunning.

Some have given up on lightcolored towels because they’re at a point in their lives when they’re no longer willing to spend time pre-washing stains and found it oddly satisfying to switch up their entire bathroom color schemes to accommodate their makeup routines.

But, other than that, there are no known ramifications and so the prohibition seems baseless.

Ann’s Fashion Fortunes says your entire eye is yours to line as you wish, for your entire life.

DEAR READER: You know, I’ve learned a lot about the anatomy of the face from the drawing group I host via Zoom most Mondays (for some wonderful artists who used to meet in person, and initially thought they’d hate Zoom, but turns out they like it for various surprising reasons, including that some of them use hearing aids and the direct feed has them hearing each other more clearly than was ever the case in person).

I’m just there to run Zoom, not to draw, so I get to observe and absorb random tidbits as they catch my attention, and wow, was I delighted when there was some show-and-tell of some up-close drawings of faces, causing me to realize just how much real estate is occupied by the lower lip.

I mean there’s a whole lot to draw beyond the pigmented area, and if an artist has to draw it in order for it to be recognizable as a lip, then I think it’s fair game to treat all of that as legitimate canvas for lipstick or whatever.

The discussion I caught didn’t include a name for the ridge, but I know exactly what you’re talking about, because when it’s colored or glossed it makes the lip look like it’s continuing to burst from the face like some glorious tiny mountain ridge, versus when the lipstick stops just before it, which unfortunately leaves the lower lip looking more like it’s getting a head-start on caving in because we’re all mortal and why fight it.

If those are your options, and I think they are, please do adorn

that ridge along with the lip-proper because we can all use all the lifeaffirming inspiration we can get right now.

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Submit it at annrosenquistfee.com (click on Ann’s Fashion Fortunes).

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Ann Rosenquist Fee is executive director of the Arts Center of Saint Peter and host of Live from the Arts Center, a music and interview show Thursdays 1-2 p.m. on KMSU 89.7FM.

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MANKATO MAGAZINE • MARCH 2022 • 61

GARDEN CHAT

By Jean Lundquist

Time to start your seeds I

f you haven’t started your seeds yet, now is a good time. Growing garden plants from seed is not difficult.

Unfortunately, it’s also not as easy as putting a seed in a cup of soil and placing it on a sunny windowsill. I know people who have been successful with the windowsill method, but I know more people who have not.

I know some people who grow hot peppers say they need to be started earlier than other seeds. I can’t say I’ve noticed they grow slower than other peppers, but I’ll pay more attention this season.

Still, I do start pepper seeds first. They also receive priority on the heat mat, as they need warmer temps to germinate.

I don’t soak seeds before I plant them, with the exception of morning glories. Seeds like that with a heavy outer coating do benefit from soaking. With morning glories, nicking the hull with a sharp knife also helps germination.

A seed is a remarkable thing, when you think 62 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

about it. It has all the energy it needs to break dormancy, send down the first roots and send up the first leaves. If your seeds germinate but then die, the seed is good, but the care it received was not. That care is up to us.

It is important to know the conditions needed. All seeds need water, air and heat — in balance. Too much of any one of these things is bad.

An easy way to get a good start is to make sure everything is clean, including the starting trays being used from last year. A 10:1 bleach solution soak for half an hour is needed to sterilize them.

Then, for best results, use a soilless potting mixture.

If you’re like me, you have seeds left in a packet you bought three or more years ago, and you’re wondering if they are OK to use. Rule of thumb is that the smaller the seed, the shorter the window of viability.

If stored properly in a dark, dry place, most seeds are viable for at least three years. Tomato seeds are

good for five.

I always start with a potting mix that I have added water to.

You can give it the squeeze test to see if it’s properly moist — take a handful and give it a squeeze.

Water should not drip out, and the mix should hold together in your hand.

A friend told me it should look like crumbly brownie mix. I don’t know what that means — guess it’s been too long since I made brownies!

But if you know what that looks like, use it as a guide.

If you purchase seed-starting mix, you will notice it has bark and small twigs in it. That is a very good thing. Don’t worry that you bought the wrong stuff.

Don’t fertilize your seedlings until they have at least one set of true leaves.

Nutrition is not important for germination, and fertilizer can actually create a too rich environment for seedlings that can lead to damping off.

Damping off is a fungal disease that strikes seedlings at the soil surface, and they fall over, dead.

Once you have true leaves on your seedlings, a weak fertilizer every couple of weeks is appropriate.

Another problem that many encounter is seedlings getting leggy or stretching. If that happens, move them closer to your light source (hard to do on a windowsill). They also may be overcrowded or overfertilized.

Finally, one mistake I make every year, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this: Don’t forget to label your containers as you go.

Last year I had three containers with no label. As they sprouted, it was evident they were tomatoes, but I had no idea what kind. I finally labeled them “YGIAGAM.” That stood for “your guess is as good as mine.”

Turns out they were a lovely purplish paste tomato called “Purple Russian.” It was a variety I received as a gift from a company when I bought seeds.

I saved seed from last year, and I’m sure I’ll remember the tomato even if I forget to label it this year.

Let’s get planting!

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

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FROM THIS VALLEY

By Pete Steiner

GLEANINGS On history rabbit holes, Tippi Hedren, FUBARs and SNAFUs

A

new endeavor for me in 2021 was to volunteer at BECHS – the Blue Earth County Historical Society. It’s just a few hours a month, but it’s usually a fascinating few hours.

When I did “Talk of the Town” on KTOE, I would regularly interview Executive Director Jessica Potter about local history, and with her, it’s easy to “go down a rabbit hole,” as she puts it, just bringing up a topic.

She was doing research on the old Union School on North Broad (now an office building), and she mentioned Miss Beatrice Morrow.

“My kindergarten teacher!”

I exclaimed. Except I went to Roosevelt. “Apparently she split her days between the schools,” Jessica explained.

Then recently, I ran into Tim Pulis in Heather Harren’s research room as he dug into a thick file on an old murder. I am hoping he writes up his findings in one of his excellent pieces for the Society’s quarterly “Historian” publication.

Or while you volunteer, just casually mention you’re a movie fan as you pass by archivist Shelley Harrison, and you might be off on an extended discussion, informed by her encyclopedic knowledge of filmdom.

About those rabbit holes: I invariably come across some tidbit that detours me from my appointed duties.

One of the great things about being a volunteer is, they can’t fire me for dawdling over something like a story about the old Zotalis Candy Kitchen (speaking of one of my favorite themes, “Places that are no more.”)

Or an 1888 Mankato map that included on Front Street the first iteration of what became our legendary (and also no more) downtown department store, Brett’s.

Or did you know that this year, 64 • MARCH 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE

2022, is the 100th anniversary of North Mankato becoming a city?

Yes, the development on the west side of the river was incorporated as a village in 1898, an event celebrated three years ago.

But this centenary could be something the new North Kato C u l t u re a n d Q u a l i t y o f L i f e Department could work on.

Let’s see, there was also this: Mankato High students walked out, staging a strike in 1947!

Going on nearly a decade since the old high school at Fifth and Hickory had burned down, the students were growing increasingly restless for voters to approve construction of a new building (which would not be done until the current West High building opened in 1951).

Each of these topics, of course, could eventually make for one of these back page articles, but for now... nnnn Speaking of historical facts, have you ever wondered, as I have, how many other American towns the size of little Lafayette (population 500) just up the road from us, have produced such a cultural impact?

Many know, of course, it was the hometown of Tippi Hedren, one of the most glamorous actresses (as well as Alfred Hitchcock’s unwilling muse when she starred in “The Birds”) of Hollywood’s “golden age.” She was born in Lafayette on Jan. 19, 1930. Tippi’s father ran a general store in Lafayette, although the family moved to Minneapolis when she was 4.

Fewer people know that John Volinkaty, born in Minneapolis, moved to Lafayette in 1946 when he was 3. (Tippi had since moved to California.)

Volinkaty died of cancer in 1992, at

the age of just 49. What’s he famous for? He wrote the No. 1 country hit “Satin Sheets” for Jeanne Pruett. I wonder if John and Tippi ever met. nnnn I kept a little pocket journal in basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It reveals how dizzyingly many acronyms the military comes up with.

Most people are familiar with SNAFU, loosely translated as a problem with some plan, or obstacles that impede some process.

An even juicier acronym is FUBAR. As with SNAFU, I am precluded from translating it here literally except to state that “-BAR” means “beyond all recognition.”

Could the term be applied to what’s happening with our electoral processes?

And now for something completely different. As we mark two years of COVID-restricted life, I found it compelling when Dr. Francis Collins talked with Judy Woodruff of the “PBS News Hour” about his retirement a couple of months back. Collins is both a renowned geneticist and an evangelical Christian who pushed for vaccination. If anyone could be blasphemous by trying to play God, it would be a geneticist.

Yet when Woodruff posed a question about conflicts between science and religion, Collins said, “The laboratory can also be a cathedral,” a place, he said, to discover “God’s wondrous secrets.”

If this thought interests you, you could perhaps read his best-seller from 2006, “The Language of God: a Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.” Reminds me of another former best-seller, J.B. Phillips’ 1952 classic, “Your God Is Too Small.”

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

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