Behind the Scenes of
“Nunsense”
OUR
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ESTHERVILLE AREA December 2016
E U S S I IN 4THIS
FEATURE ARTICLES
On The Cover
Striving for Excellence By Amy H. Peterson
8 10 14 22
Business Showcase: Outlet By Amy H. Peterson Chew on This: Estherville VFW By Amy H. Peterson Behind the Scenes of “Nunsense” By Amy H. Peterson This Old Barn By Karen Schwaller
Contributors
Cover: Sister Hubert (Claire Funston) appeals to Reverend Mother) in ELCʼs “Nunsense.” See more inside.
MANAGING EDITOR - David Swartz WRITERS: David Swartz, Amy H. Peterson, Karen Schwaller PUBLISHER - Glen Caron ADVERTISING - Dar Isaackson, Colt Hample, Glen Caron ART DIRECTORS - David Swartz, Mistie Wilson, LeeAnn Egel
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OPENING
SHOT
Photo by Amy H. Peterson
December 2016 ß OUR HOMETOWN ßß 3
ELC LEADERSHIP STUDENTS
Striving for
EXCELLENCE
4 ßß OUR HOMETOWN ß December 2016
On a recent chilly day, students from the ELC Leadership class worked with kindergarteners in their common area at Demoney Elementary School.
Class helps train future leaders BY
AMY H. PETERSON
APETERSON@ESTHERVILLENEWS.NET
Estherville Lincoln Central English teacher Stephanie Wheatley strug‐ gled with the inaugural semester of the leadership class. “I had to reflect,” Wheatley told her students. I owned it, and I changed it,” Wheatley said to the 28 students in the 2016‐2017 leadership class, “I want you to hold yourself account‐ able, and be true to yourself. Be honest, and get gritty,” Wheatley said. Wheatly assigned the students a self‐reflection on the first quarter. The Leadership class is populated with students from football, Future Farmers of America, band, volleyball, Turn to LEADER, Page 6
October ß OUR HOMETOWN ßß 5
This group of students is all smiles during a numbers game with the members of the leadership class The high school students set up learning stations with Bingo, flashcards, and other games.
LEADER, Continued from Page 5 and other sports and activities. Leadership, according to Wheatley, involves overcoming adversity, having a goal, continuing the journey, and if something goes off‐kilter, getting back on to the tasks that need to be completed. “If you made a mistake, you own it. This will be used as a tool for the teachers, directors, sponsors, and coaches,” Wheatley said. The students in the Leadership class during second semester last year made presentations to the middle school students, gathered 1,000 pounds of food for the food bank, and collected the life stories of residents at Windsor Manor. Wheatley’s classroom at ELC High
School has inspirational placards and posters, including one that says, “Individuals play the game; teams beat the odds.” During the class self‐reflection, Wheatley reviewed with the class other attributes of a leader. “Positivity, grit, perseverance, go right through it,” Wheatley said. The students for the Leadership class sign up during class selection for the following semester. The students are scored by a com‐ mittee on a matrix of their grades, their attitude as reported by teach‐ ers, coaches, and activity sponsors, their drive, and their ability. “Four students did not score high enough to make it into this class,”
6 ßß OUR HOMETOWN ß December 2016
Wheatley said. The students learn, receive men‐ toring, and participate in projects in school during the first quarter, including regularly helping kinder‐ garteners with reading and math activities. In the second quarter, the stu‐ dents go out further into the com‐ munity, and set goals for being lead‐ ers in their classes and activities. Ultimately, Wheatley said, the stu‐ dents will be part of changing the culture at the high school. “Some of the students think being a leader, getting good grades, being in this class, are not cool,” Wheatley said. “It’s this culture, one that’s counter to pursuing your
An illustration of ELCĘźs mascot, Max watches over students playing a learning game.
best, that we want to change.� Part of the Leadership class involves mentoring younger stu� dents. The leadership students have presented to students in elementary and middle school about bullying, including devel� oping a Power Point presenta� tion about the difference between reporting and tattling, and a bullying skit setting out the consequences of harrass� ment. Students in the leadership group have said, the class “gives us the exciting opportunities to enhance our public speaking skills, become a positive role model, and work with people of all ages.� The high school Leadership class is one example of ELC’s commitment to developing stu� dents who are ready for the adult world.
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Knitting downtown Estherville together Outlet celebrates 20 years as party, craft store BY
AMY H. PETERSON STAFF WRITER
Tracy Olson talks to instructor Margaret White about her cowl scarf, in progress. Photo by Amy H. Peterson
8 ßß OUR HOMETOWN ß December 2016
Debbie Rudd of the Outlet Store says the addition of yarn to her store, beginning this past summer, has “taken off really well.” The store carries five brands with all available colors, and has added two new brands with five to seven colors of each. “If there is another kind of yarn someone needs, I can do special orders for anything I can get, if the customer can purchase the minimum, which is usually two to three skeins,” Rudd said. Rudd says she plans to expand the store’s offerings for knitters, moving into knit accessories. The Outlet Store displayed gift boxes, cookbooks, and other holi‐ day finery, but Rudd says another season is the store’s biggest rush. “Graduation is like Christmas for most stores,” Rudd said. The store boasts 27 colors of table cover‐
Featuring:
Outlet
ings, napkins, as well as candy fla‐ vorings, mint molds, food color‐ ing, and cupcake making supplies. In scrapbooking, the store also carries custom papers for numer‐ ous area schools. Scrappers can come in Thursdays, when the store is open until 9 p.m., to work on any papercrafts, and once per month, Rudd has a crop day, in which paper crafters can use the store’s machines to trim pictures and other items for their projects. “We also keep seasonal items year round; if you wanted, you could have Easter or St. Patrick’s Day decorations today,” Rudd said. “We have greeting cards 50 per‐ cent off all the time,” Rudd said. “People come in from surround‐ ing counties, from Minnesota, and say we have things they cannot find anywhere else,” Rudd said. For up‐to‐the‐minute sales and
Margaret White helps beginning knitter Deb Sorensen with a stitch during the knitting class at the Outlet Store.
events, the store’s Facebook page is gaining in followers, and has driven people into the store. The Outlet has long offered classes in the basement. Michelle James has taught a card class for about a year and a half, monthly on Saturdays. Margaret White began teaching a knitting class early in the fall. On
a recent day, a group of knitters came in to work on everything from a washcloth as a beginning project, to a reversible, ribbed cowl scarf in shades of grey and charcoal. The Outlet Store offers gift cer‐ tificate giveaways, punch cards, and special events through the year.
December 2016 ß OUR HOMETOWN ßß 9
w e h this
C on
VFW Chef brings imagination, experience to local dining By Amy H. Peterson
apeterson@esthervillenews.net
He brought in walleye. The sirloin steaks are all hand‐cut, in house. He made a house dish of stuffed shrimp scampi and made the popular pork tenderloin sandwich hand‐pounded and breaded. The prime rib? It’s the same as always. Because not everything needs a makeover. The steaks have been raised on Thursday nights with after‐hours sirloin for $8.95. Troy Dahl, as chef of the Estherville VFW’s food services said his passion for food came from growing up in a household of eight brothers and sisters. “Everyone cooked. We all had to participate in getting food on our table,” Dahl said.
10 ßß OUR HOMETOWN ß December 2016
“I like good food, pretty food. You eat with your eyes and your taste buds,” he said. Dahl, the former owner of Cocktails in the Lakes, as well as Cougars in Milford and Big Daddy Catering, appeared three times in Okoboji Magazine’s best food and has amassed other gustato‐ ry honors as well. “I like good things, and I work generally from thinking things up, not from recipe books,” Dahl said. A 1978 Estherville High School graduate, Dahl moved to the Lakes area soon after graduating, then to Amarillo, Texas, where he moved up the ranks from general kitchen help to district manag‐
er, overseeing seven Mexican restaurants. “I was on the road a lot then, and I wanted to be around more for the kids,” Dahl said. This precipitated the move back to Iowa. Dahl spent a decade doing hair before jump‐ ing into running his own restaurants after his last son graduated. “As a single dad, I want to educate,
inspire my kids, to teach them that they’re capable of anything. To do that, I had to lead by example,” Dahl said. Similarly to Dahl’s upbringing, his children logged kitchen time from an early age, peel‐ ing potatoes, putting together Thanksgiving dinner, and more. “I’m motivated by Turn to CHEW, Page 12
FREE COFFEE with any breakfast item Dine-in-only. Limit one coupon per customer. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Valid only at Estherville Hy-Vee. Good through January 29, 2016.
December 2016ß OUR HOMETOWN ßß 11
Cheesburger dill soup
Classic reuben
challenge, by the thought of, ‘Can I do it?’” Dahl said. The VFW has moved into more imaginative catering since Dahl took over man‐ agement in July. “Most catering is adequate, but not really flavorful,” Dahl said. Dahl’s catering operates on three principles. 1. Hot food is hot. 2. Cold food is cold. 3. All of it must be flavorful. “We do fun, creative food,” Dahl said. At press time, Dahl was preparing to do pasta cooked to order for 100 for a party. “These events have been a big hit for us,” Dahl said. The VFW restaurant is open for breakfast from 6:30‐9 a.m., lunch 11‐1 p.m., and sup‐ per 4:30‐7 p.m., with extend‐ ed hours Thursday night.
Western Burger
12 ßß OUR HOMETOWN ß December 2016
December 2016 ß OUR HOMETOWN ßß 13
BEHIND THE SCENE
14 ßß OUR HOMETOWN ßDecember 2016
NES OF “NUNSENSE”
The Little Sisters of Hoboken pray for a breakthrough during the performance of the ELC Musical, “Nunsense,” in November. Photos by Amy H. Peterson
December 2016 ß OUR HOMETOWN ßß 15
BEHIND THE SCENES: Nunsense Hair and Make-up
The crew of Nunsense had a makeup design for each cast member in the musical. Hair design was simpler, but the execution was very important: all the hair had to stay hidden under the whipples of the nun costumes.
RIGHT: Kenlee Schilling creates a severe look for Reverend Mother (Alyssa Hatland) before opening night of “Nunsense. ABOVE: As Sister Amnesia, Liz Herrickʼs makeup design included soft brown eye shadow and other subtle shading to make her “disappear.” Photos by Amy H. Peterson
LEFT: LIz Herrick applies makeup to Darnell Eveleth (Stage Manager) to make his features stand out under the glare of headlights. Evelethʼs part involved moments of physical comedy, rapidly following the demanding direction of Reverend Mother Mary Regina (Alyssa Hatland). 16 ßß OUR HOMETOWN ßDecember 2016
BEHIND THE SCENES: Nunsense Costumes C E N T E R : A l y s s a Hatland packs on padding to further her fluff and become a more believable Reverend Mother Mary Regina of the Little Sisters of Hoboken
BELOW: Sister Leo (Savannah Dare) buckles her costume shoes before the performance of “Nunsense.” Photos by Amy H. Peterson
R I G H T : S i s t e r Amnesia (Liz Herrick) puts together the final touches on her costume.
December 2016 ß OUR HOMETOWN ßß 17
BEHIND THE SCENES: Nunsense
Performance ABOVE: Sister Amnesia (LIz Herrick) tells her story in puppetry, as Sisters Robert Anne (Claire Knutson), Hubert (Claire Funston) and Leo (Savannah Dare) hope it jogs Sister Amnesiaʼs memory. LEFT: Father (Riley Koons) gives guidance to Reverend Mother, whoʼs lost her way in leading her shrunken flock of Little SIsters of Hoboken. Photos by Amy H. Peterson
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December 2016 ß OUR HOMETOWN ßß 19
THE BACK SIDE of Brian Moorbergʼs barn is lavished with eight new windows. The barn (in its hardworking days) had only one window — the one up by the peak. Moorberg said it was always so dark in there, so when he restored it, he included plenty of windows for plenty of light.
By KAREN SCHWALLER kschwaller@evertek.net 20 ßß OUR HOMETOWN ß December 2016
This old BARN
December 2016 ß OUR HOMETOWN ßß 21
BRIAN MOORBERG SAID he had not previously seen this kind of construction in a barn — diagonally-placed barn sheeting. He said this seems unusual, even for the age of the barn.
M
otorists can tell when Brian Moorberg’s farm is nearing. The barn stands atop a natural geographic high point, towering 44 feet over that, it appears to reign over the farm — and the area — in majesty. Built in the 1950s, the barn’s unusually built roof features tongue‐and‐groove, 1‐by‐8
boards that were each curve‐ cut along one edge to make the shape of the roof. Those rafter boards were also placed diagonally going both ways, creating a dia‐ mond pattern for the roof’s construction. Where the boards come together at the top and bot‐ tom of each diamond‐shaped point, bolts and nails hold
22 ßß OUR HOMETOWN ß December 2016
“The barn was showing its age and the (wood shake) shingles were blowing off.” —Brian Moorberg
them together. Moorberg said he started restoring the barn six years ago. The structure measures 36‐by‐44 feet. “The foundation was still good, all the lumber was good and it was all square,” Moorberg said. “The barn was showing its age and the (wood shake) shingles were blowing off.” Moorberg said he did all the work himself, with a little help from his sons here and there. The only part he couldn’t do was shingling the very top of the barn because his equip‐ ment couldn’t reach that high with the slope of the roof and of the land beneath the barn. The north side of the barn had blown out in a storm, so that side (the front) was done first. The rest followed, with the roof taking the longest to do. Moorberg added windows when he renovated the barn’s exterior, including seven on the back side. He installed windows and more entry points to the front, and three windows on each side. The barn was once used for cattle in the 1970s, and today the remains of about a dozen milk stanchions exist
“I’m so proud of this barn. I could have put up a (metal) building and it would have been cheaper and maybe more useful, but now this barn is just a different kind of useful.
—Brian Moorberg in the concrete on the ground level. There was also once a lean‐ to on the south side for hogs, but it was removed in 1998. When the Moorbergs got the farm in 1986, they used the barn for hogs, and for their sons’ 4‐H pigs and calves. Moorberg said the barn ren‐ ovation has been a “labor of love.” “I’m so proud of this barn,” he said. “I could have put up a
(metal) building and it would have been cheaper and maybe more useful, but now this barn is just a different kind of useful. “I’m so happy to have it done because the barn is the showplace of the farm — the centerpiece. It will last a long time, and someday it will belong to the boys.” Moorberg wants to someday renovate the 1,400‐square‐ foot haymow into a recre‐ ational area.
Answer to crossword on Page 22
December 2016 ß OUR HOMETOWN ßß 23
Answer elsewhere in this publication.
24 ßß OUR HOMETOWN ß December 2016
PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAVID SWARTZ
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