Northfield
LATE FALL 2018 • ISSUE 3
now L I V E / W O R K / P L AY
Service with a Smile After nearly two decades, Blaha retires from CAC Page 6 Bank robbery not Northfield’s only high-profile crime 28 Aurora Pharmaceutical thrives where it began 10 Keepsake Cidery takes pride in its product 33
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publisher: CHAD HJELLMING
designer: Kate Townsend-Noet
managing editor: Suzanne Rook
Send story ideas to: Suzanne Rook at Northfield NOW
advertising manager: JAY PETSCHE media consultant: KARI CLARK
srook@faribault.com
Volume 1, Issue 3
Northfield NOW Published Fall 2018 by: Northfield News 115 W Fifth Street, Northfield, MN 55057 northfieldnews.com ©
contents 6 After 18 years of caring for those in need, Community Action Center director retires. 10 Aurora Pharmaceutical expands footprint, employees, market share. 16 Hallcock’s photography
emphasizes the personality of the subject.
22 Januszes dedicated to ensuring affordable single-payer healthcare. 26 Carleton College moves to geothermal heating. 28 Long Division:
The forgotten Dilly-Grover incident
33 With new tasting room,
Keepsake Cidery wants to make quality cider easier to find.
36 From snow-covered trails to paved paths, local cyclists have lots of options. LEFT: The Fourth Street bridge and Cannon River, bathed in the evening glow of city streetlights. (Photo courtesy of Evan Pak)
on the cover:
Northfield’s Evan Pak took this edition’s cover photo in the St. Olaf Natural Lands shortly after returning to the college for his senior year. “That evening brought a gorgeous sunset, and I couldn’t think of a better place to appreciate it. Walking along one of the trails, I noticed how the big bluestem of the restored prairie perfectly caught the golden light. Right before the sun slipped below the horizon I found a perfect vantage point to capture this photo.
This issue of Northfield NOW is delivered to all subscribers of Northfield News for the low cost of $1.00 per issue, deducted upon delivery from your account balance. If you decide it’s not for you, you can opt out of future issues by contacting customer service at 507-645-5615 or kmorrison@northfieldnews.com. Nonsubscribers can purchase copies of Northfield News for $2.00 each.
“The Natural Lands have long been a source of inspiration in my photography, and scenes like this perfectly illustrate why. I can’t think of a better place to spend a late summer evening” NorthIeld
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northfield now calendar
Veterans Day 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 12 Bridgewater Elementary holds its 21st Annual Veterans Day Assembly in the school gym. The program will include songs, poems, readings, slideshows and other performances dedicated to honor the nation’s veterans. Refreshments for veterans and their families will be served with cards following the show.
St. Olaf Christmas Festival, a century-old tradition of the college. The first festival was a musical program for the college community, planned and directed by F. Melius Christiansen, founder of the St. Olaf Music Department. Tickets go on sale to the general public Oct. 29 at stolaf.edu/tickets.
Nov. 29 to Dec. 2, Skoglund Center, St. Olaf College For generations, the celebration of the AdventChristmas-Epiphany season begins with the annual
Dec. 7 to 9 and 13 to 16, Northfield Arts Guild Theater, 411 Third St. W Set in the 1940s this comedy follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas.
Winter Walk 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, downtown Northfield
St. Olaf Christmas Festival
‘A Christmas Story’
When is downtown Northfield more beautiful than during Winter Walk? Come celebrate the kick off to the holidays with friends and neighbors with a ride in a horse-drawn wagon, songs and performances by local groups, an ornament hunt and the much anticipated treelighting ceremony. Division Street will be bathed in candlelight as shops throughout the district open their doors to celebrate the community — and the season.
All the elements from the 1983 motion picture are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; the wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; the lamp shaped like a woman’s leg in a net stocking and everything needed to make your holidays hilarious. Tickets: $17 adults, $12 seniors/students Visit northfieldartsguild.org
The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra with Christian Zacharias 8 to 9:30 p.m., March 2, Kracum Performance Hall, Carleton College Christian Zacharias, conductor and piano, plays W.A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27. Other selections include Anton Bruckner’s Adagio from the Quintet in F for Strings, Jorg Widmann’s Aria for String Orchestra, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2. Free, open to the public. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
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Servant leader After 18 years of caring for those in need, Community Action Center director retires
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The Northfield Community Action Center, currently located on Jefferson Parkway, provides assistance to those in need of food, clothing, shelter and other basic needs. (Photo courtesy of Northfield Community Action Center)
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By ANNE KOPAS akopas@northfieldnews.com
im Blaha has been doing more or less the same thing each of the 18 years he’s worked at the Northfield Community Action Center. And that’s not a bad thing. When Blaha started at the Center, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018, the organization’s food shelf and housing initiatives operated with the same goals of meeting the community’s basic needs as it does today. Over the years, however, the programs have grown and shifted with the times under Blaha’s leadership. That’s not to say it was an easy path. Blaha joked that he took a “three strikes” approach to getting the job of executive director. The first time he applied, after the retirement of 20-year founder and director Mary Wood, he was runner-up to another candidate. About six years later, when that person left, Blaha tried once more, but again, the job went to another. In the meantime, Blaha had been working at Merrick Community Services in east St. Paul, where he grew up. While he enjoyed working alongside people he had known since his youth, the commute was tough on the now-resident of Northfield. Blaha’s kids, he said, had started to calculate his mileage to and from the cities in terms of trips around the Earth. When the opportunity arose a third time, Blaha again threw his hat in the ring. This time, it stuck, and he finally took on the role of executive director. In 2000, when Blaha started, the food shelf, a mainstay of the Center’s services, served 165 households a month out of the St. Dominic Church basement. Ten years later, they were serving more than 500 families a month — a number heightened, especially, by the recession of 2008. Today, the food shelf is open four days a week. Much of the food comes from community donations, or is purchased at a deep discount from retail stores that would otherwise throw it away. The shelf is on its way to becom-
Community Action Center Executive Director Jim Blaha gives a quick pet to the pig kissed in April 2018 by Denny Hanson and Rick Estenson to raise money for the CAC. (Philip Weyhe/Northfield News)
ing a SuperShelf, a designation that indicates certain standards of food stocking, nutrition and service. Six Minnesota food shelves are currently CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
PREVIOUS PAGE: Jim Blaha, left, stands with Mary Wood, right. Wood founded the Community Action Center over 50 years ago. (Photo courtesy of Northfield Community Action Center) NorthIeld
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Jim Blaha shares his signature good cheer and sense of humor with the audience at the Community Action Center’s 50th anniversary celebration in August 2018. (Philip Weyhe/Northfield News)
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designated SuperShelves, with another eight in progress. Some of the changes in SuperShelves are as simple as putting the least nutritious foods on lower shelves so they’re below eye level. Another of the Center’s cornerstone programs is providing housing to those in need. When Blaha began work, the Center’s main focus was housing preservation: helping tenants facing eviction work with landlords to keep people in their homes. They also operated transitional housing, where clients worked with case managers over a one to two year period, and emergency shelters where people could stay two to three months in times of crisis. In 2017, the Center provided emergency shelter for 129 people, 49 of them children. “If you consider it from a parent’s point of view, it’s terrifying,” said Blaha. “Where are you going to live with your kids? How are you going to feed them, get them to school?” Blaha knew it wasn’t enough, though, and started to look for more long-term housing solutions. Over the years, the Center has worked with contractors and Habitat for Humanity to build permanent supportive housing in neighborhoods near the Northfield soccer fields. Still, it’s only a step toward Blaha’s vision of permanent low- and
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mixed-income housing developments. The Center doesn’t stop its work at food and food and housing — it also provides a variety of other support. A clothes closet provides free and reduced-price clothing. Northfield Works provides employment training and placement services. Thursday’s Table, a free meal served at St. John’s Lutheran Church, feeds between 150 and 200 people each week. A Christmas sharing program matches toys and gifts to families who would otherwise go without during the holidays. (In 2018, it’s becoming Operation Joy to encourage participation from non-Christian clients.) Operation Backpack works with a local Methodist women’s group to donate backpacks and school supplies to 600 Northfield students.
Community stewards It’s good work, but it’s hard. Blaha grew tearyeyed when describing a client who went from a six-figure salary to losing his home and family, and who came asking for help after going three days without food. Sometimes, Blaha said, they measure cases in how many boxes of tissues they go through during the process. The program must maintain a constant balance between supporting its clients and ensuring that its
staff is compensated, which can prove a challenge. “You do have to believe a lot in providence,” said Blaha. “The source of support will come. We might be a little nervous at times, but it happens.” The programs wouldn’t run without its volunteers, which Blaha estimates number above 1200. In 2017, they collectively logged 27,000 volunteer hours, the equivalent of about a dozen full-time staff members. “I think we have been responsible stewards of the community’s largesse to serve people, and people see that, and they support it,” he said.
Passing the baton After 18 years of work, Blaha is retiring. Taking his place will be Scott Wopata, former director of the Northfield Union of Youth (also known as The Key). Blaha expressed nothing but confidence in Wopata’s ability to lead. “I think the program is being turned over into new hands that will continue [the CAC’s mission], perhaps with more energy,” said Blaha. Meanwhile, Wopata knows that Blaha will be missed. He described the former executive director as a “servant leader,” the type of person who brings hot soup to meetings to make everyone more comfortable. His attitude of humility and ap-
proachability has helped create a hospitable environment among staff and clients over the past nearly two decades. Much of Wopata’s former work will carry over into his new role at the Center. His work with the Union of Youth taught him the value of being quiet — listening to clients’ needs and ideas before stepping in to do the work. It’s a value he plans to share with the Center. “I think a lot about taking the time just to build relationships with everybody before we cast a strong vision for the future,” said Wopata. “I think it’s really important that it’s the whole community casting the vision.” Wopata acknowledged that every leadership transition will have its challenges, but the Center’s staff, board of directors and clients have already worked to ease the change. “I won’t exactly be alone,” said Wopata. As the Center moves forward, Blaha plans to stay at arm’s length, but he said he’ll stay busy. He hopes to visit grandchildren scattered around the country, and already has a novel picked out to read on his first day of retirement. He also described his three “B” hobbies: beekeeping, bread baking and beer making. Blaha spoke of his accomplishments not in terms of largescale projects, but in the everyday acts that the Center performs. Through seemingly simple actions like providing food or clothScott Wopata, left, took over as executive director of the Community Action Center in late ing, clients gain a little extra hope. September, after the retirement of Jim Blaha, right. (Anne Kopas/Northfield Now) “That’s sometimes all you need to get going,” said Blaha. “But if you have the confidence, if you have the willingness to step into some fearful territory and go after that hope, that’s probably better than a bag Reach Reporter Anne Kopas at 507-645-1117. Follow her on Twitter @NFNanne. full of groceries.” With a laugh, he added, “But a bag full of groceries is necessary to get © Copyright 2018 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved. there.”
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Growing at home Aurora Pharmaceutical expands footprint, employees, market share
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By PHILIP WEYHE pweyhe@northfieldnews.com
t the rate the company is growing, one might expect Aurora Pharmaceutical to ditch Northfield for greener, or at least larger, pastures elsewhere. But Aurora isn’t doing that. In fact, the company is doubling down on its Northfield roots, expanding the current building’s footprint and enhancing the likelihood the company will remain in Northfield for years to come. The expansion, which began in late September, will add 25,000 square feet to the facility, making room for the company’s continued growth. “That’s been our vision since very early on was the idea of building a full-fledged pharmaceutical company that would support not only Northfield, but the whole region,” said CEO and co-founder Mike Strobel. Aurora develops and sells veterinary medicines for livestock and companion animals. Its products are for horses, pigs, turkeys and more. Veterinarians Strobel and Mark Warner, now semi-retired, started the company in ABOVE: (Photo courtesy of Aurora Pharmaceutical) LEFT: Mike Strobel is the CEO of Aurora Pharmaceutical. The company has seen tremendous growth in recent years and is expanding its facility in Northfield. (Photo courtesy of Aurora Pharmaceutical)
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Chemists at Aurora Pharmaceutical in Northfield have helped the company to develop veterinary medicines. Aurora currently produces 12 products, including four that have received Federal Drug Administration approval. (Philip Weyhe/Northfield News)
2010, after working on a single equine health product for some eight years. That product still didn’t go to market until 2012 and didn’t get Federal Drug Administration approval in 2013. Today, five years after approval of its first drug, the company has 12 products on the market, five with FDA-approval; the others don’t require the same level of approval, according to Strobel. Leaders say another dozen products are in the pipeline. The FDA doesn’t approve many products annually, so with four, Aurora has half of the animal medicines approved in the last two years. The company has made itself known on the marketplace, giving serious and credible competition to the giants of the industry. “We’ve developed a full functioning pharmaceutical company — research, development, manufacturing, sales and distribution,” Strobel said. “We built the platform we can grow off. That’s what our expansion is about.”
History In 1981, Warner, now 65, started Cannon Valley Vet Clinic in Northfield. He was looking for an employee and instead got a partner in Strobel, who had just graduated from veterinarian school and came to Northfield in 1982. The two eventually established the current location of the clinic, on Hwy. 3 in Northfield in 1986.
Mike Strobel and Mark Warner participate in the groundbreaking ceremony ahead of Aurora Pharmaceutical’s construction. (Photo courtesy of Aurora Pharmaceutical) CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
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In 2002, the pair realized, from their work in the veterinary field, that opportunities were available to penetrate the medicinal market. They started working, along with Bill and Pat Sutherland, on their first product, Equisul, used for respiratory infections in horses, in 2002. They decided in 2006 that they would build a facility, and in 2010, they built the Aurora campus, at which time the Sutherlands dropped out. The building remains in the same location, behind Cannon Valley Vet Clinic. And it will grow there. The expansion is planned at the rear of the building, facing the Cannon River and East River Trail. In addition to increasing the building size, Aurora is moving a drainage pond, building a path between its parking lot and the trail, and creating a picnic area for employee and
public use. The Northfield City Council approved a request from the company to utilize $231,000 in tax increment finance dollars; that means Aurora would be able to put some of the increase in property taxes, due to the improvements, toward project costs. The city also sold a small strip of land to Aurora to accommodate the project. “Most important to me is that this is a business that chose to be here in Northfield; the property we’re talking about is small, it’s where (Aurora) wants it and we need to do everything we can to keep them and grow them here,” Councilor Suzie Nakasian said.
Growth Aurora needs more space, because it’s making, and consequently selling and distributing, more products. “We have 60 employees at Aurora.
TOP: A worker at Aurora handles product running through a line. Aurora has upped its total line of veterinary medicine products to 12 since starting with one product in 2010. (Photo courtesy of Aurora Pharmaceutical) LEFT: Aurora’s warehouse is filled with boxes of the company’s animal health products. (Philip Weyhe/Northfield News) 12
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Line workers at Autora Pharmaceutical box some of the company’s product. Aurora employs about 60, and the number continues to grow, as it gets more products approved. (Philip Weyhe/ Northfield News)
We had three in 2010,” Sales and Marketing Director Bob Rehurek said. “I think we’re probably the newest animal health pharmaceutical manufacturing company created in the United States in 25 years.” According to Strobel, Aurora has grown by 35 to 40 percent in each of the last few years. The company is selling three times as much of its original Equisul product as it was five years ago, and that’s just one product. A large part of the success, leaders believe, comes down to the company’s marketing strategy. “We sell at the same price for everyone — large, small, middle,” Strobel said. Many companies charge differently, depending on the quantity a customer is buying. This often means that large buyers have an advantage, because they get a better rate buying in bulk. Aurora, though, sells at the same rates, regardless of how much is being purchased. “We’ve kind of tipped the industry upside down in terms of how we market products,” Strobel said. “That tiered pricing model (that other companies use) creates inequities.” He added, “We took a lot of the game-playing that goes on in our marketplace, and took it out. So now the half that was neglected, they love us. We had 300 customers, small and mid-size practices, in one month, that all switched to us, because they like the way we do things.” Leaders believe success is also down to the quality of staff, and in turn, product. “Other manufacturers respect us, and they probably would prefer we’re not around, because Dr. Strobel has put a team together that is very experienced and capable,” Rehurek said.
Working environment Aurora leaders are proud of a working environment at the company, something they believe to be positive and rewarding for employees across the board. Most of the hourly jobs at the company pay $20 per hour or more, with line jobs often starting at $17 per hour and quickly moving up. Brian Rehurek is Bob’s son and has been working at the company since 2009, before the building was even constructed. He started as a lineman and has worked his way up to a production lead, meaning he heads a team of
Chemists at Aurora use lab equipment to to test and develop products. (Philip Weyhe/Northfield News)
about five. “I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit,” he said. “I went to school for something else — came here and learned a lot. I couldn’t do half the stuff then that I can now. You learn something new every week.” He envisions staying into the future and thinks a lot of workers around him feel the same. “Half our line staff has been here for over three or four years, and they’re sticking around and like where the company is moving to,” he said. “It’s a CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
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Leaders at Aurora Pharmaceutical are looking to expand the company’s campus in Northfield. A space in the back of the building is set to be built on. (Philip Weyhe/Northfield News)
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good environment; they all get along with one another.” Strobel noted that Aurora employees are trained in Good Manufacturing Practice, a system in the pharmaceutical industry for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. He said the skill sets that go along with GMP are unique and highly sought after, so employees at Aurora have options inside and outside the company.
Future While Warner has mostly moved on from the work at Aurora and Cannon Valley Vet, Strobel plans to stick around for a while longer. He has a strong enough team in place to avoid working himself to the bone, but he still wants to oversee the company’s growth and forward trajectory. “We are by far the fastest growing company in the generic industry. When you grow that fast, there are all kinds of challenges,” he said. Meanwhile, Cannon Valley Vet just added a fourth doctor, and leaders’ plans to open a secondary location in downtown Northfield in 2019. And the possibilities for Aurora are wide open. Since its first original product, Aurora has focused on creating alternatives for generic drugs already in the market. “I think it’s very favorable, because of the lack of second-tier competition, generic competition,” Strobel said. “There is a lot of opportunity for
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“We’re trying to build something that is going to stay in Northfield for a long time” – Brian Rehurek growth. Almost all the products out there only have one manufacturer.” Presently, the company distributes in only the U.S., but reaches all 50 states. Aurora’s distribution company, The Provisions, delivers to 20 states regionally, while three other companies are used to reach the remaining network. Aurora is exploding domestically. And who knows — perhaps Northfield’s animal health manufacturing company will soon be an international force. Regardless, it intends to be right here in this community. “We’re trying to build something that is going to stay in Northfield for a long time,” said Rehurek. Reach Associate Editor Philip Weyhe at 507-645-1115 or follow him on Twitter @ nfnphilweyhe. ©Copyright 2018 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.
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Capture this
Hallcock’s photography emphasizes the personality of the subject 16
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By JACOB SWANSON jswanson@faribault.com
or Northfield-based photographer Bridgette Hallcock, the most important aspect of a photo is the person in it. Hallcock was always the family photographer. Whenever she would go to a party or event, her gift to the host was often pictures she had taken throughout the event. When she was in college, she looked to take her talents and make it a career. Originally studying pre-med, she switched her major three times while in school. She was going to be a veterinarian, then go into business. Eventually, her mom suggested she switch majors. “Then my mom said ‘Why don’t you major in photography?’ Hallcock recalls. “’You CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
Photographer Bridgette Hallcock. ABOVE: A quartet of deer play on the horizon. TOP RIGHT: Light and droplets of water highlight this study.
ABOVE: Fall bathes the Minnesota landscape in gorgeous oranges and golds. NorthIeld
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do it anyway, you love it. Why not make that your goal and your business. Do what you love.’” She still works a day job at First National Bank in Northfield, but photographing people is what she loves to do. I definitely want to show what my subject is all about. I want to show their personality, who they are and what makes them shine,” Hallcock said. “If I can get a background that brings that out, I definitely want that. I do love to show what people are all about.” She can’t pick just one spot as her favorite. “There’s a lot of really wonderful spots in Northfield. Such a rich history. The way the light hits off those stone buildings is just phenomenal,” Hallcock said. “I personally like glowing colors, rich textures. Anything that’s going to bring out what the people are about.” She also mentioned the St. Olaf College campus as a hot spot for colors during the month of October. When she doesn’t have one of a couple different cameras in her hand, you can often find her four-wheeling, motorcycling or CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
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TOP PREVIOUS PAGE: A light moment between the bride and groom. LOWER PREVIOUS PAGE: A pair of young superheroes strike a pose in front of one of the city’s most well-known spots: the Bridge Square fountain. ABOVE: A bird bath wasn’t too good for this thirsty pooch. RIGHT: Clusters of birds-foot trefoil brighten the landscape.
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chasing her son Shayden, a senior in high school, around at any of his various events. Hallcock still goes back to her roots as a photographer, donating her time as an event photographer for fundraisers. She has also served as a Defeat of Jesse James Days committee member and the official committee photographer. She photographs every event during the weekend. “I like to think that I am not only telling someone’s story through their photographs and images,” she said, “but also capturing and preserving their history, one photo at a time.” Reach Sports Reporter Jacob Swanson at 507-333-3129 or on Twitter @FDNjacob. ©Copyright 2018 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.
TOP: The James-Younger Gang bursts onto Division Street during a re-enactment of the infamous raid on Northfield. It’s one of the many “performances” Bridgette Hallcock has captured. ABOVE LEFT: Bridgette Hallocock gets a nuzzle from a cow during a photography session. ABOVE RIGHT: This retriever appears to take a rest after a ride.
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Bridgette Hallcock likes to capture her subjects in scenes reflective of their personality. NorthIeld
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One for all
Januszes dedicated to ensuring affordable single-payer healthcare ABOVE: Joan and Steve Janusz have spent the last 10 years working with Healthcare for All MN to advocate for a single-payer healthcare system in the state. (Philip Weyhe/Northfield News)
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By GRACE WEBB editor@northfieldnews.com
orthfield residents Steve and Joan Janusz have a dream — to ensure that every Minnesotan has access to affordable healthcare. “It’s a basic human need,” Joan Janusz said. With that goal ahead of them, the couple has spent the last 10 years working with Healthcare for All MN (HCAMN), an advocacy group focused on educating Minnesotans about the benefits of a single-payer healthcare system. Working within the Northfield chapter, the Januszes help organize events such as bringing in knowledgeable speakers, as well as working with other area groups such as the League of Women Voters and the immigrationfocused interfaith group Isaiah. “We’re trying to go out into the community and
educate,” Joan said. “The idea has always been grassroots education — to get people involved at the grassroots level. There’s hundreds of thousands of people to get the word out to.”
A growing complexity According to Steve Janusz, the couple was first exposed to the difficulties of the health insurance industry when they both opted for early retirement in the mid-2000s and had to find their own health insurance. Steve had very good health insurance while he worked in the computer technology industry. Joan worked as a public health nurse for Rice County and also had good coverage. When they retired before Medicare could kick in, they struggled to find adequate, affordable coverage, especially because of some pre-existing health conditions Joan had that excluded her from coverage through some insurers. “When I got on my own, I started understanding a little bit more the complexity of what is involved,” Steve said. “More and more, people are saying the
complexity is becoming much more impersonal.” Around that time, the couple was invited by Northfield’s state Rep. David Bly to a talk in Faribault regarding single-payer health insurance and state Sen. John Marty’s newly drafted Minnesota Health Plan. After hearing about how the proposed system could potentially contain costs while covering everyone, even those with pre-existing conditions, Steve and Joan wanted to become more involved. They started working with the Greater Minnesota Healthcare Coalition, forming a small local group that met for several months and focused on ways to help advocate for such a system. At the same time, the couple began volunteering with the organization that would eventually evolved into Healthcare for All MN, joining its community organizing committee. They traveled across southern Minnesota, educating and advocating for a single-payer healthcare system. “We were really trying to get out into the rural areas to listen to people and to talk to people, to listen to their healthcare stories and their problems,” Joan said. Meanwhile, Steve became a board member for the Minnesota chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program, an advocacy organization made up of physicians, medical students and health professionals that supports a single-payer health insurance program. He stayed on for about a year, working to advocate for these healthcare professionals who felt bogged down working with so many insurance companies and pressured to monetize healthcare instead of solely focusing on their patients’ wellbeing. “We’re continuing to try to treat healthcare as a business, and it’s not a business,” he said.
The effect of the ACA While many supporters of a single-payer healthcare system rejoiced over the passing of the Affordable Healthcare Act (often referred to as Obamacare) in 2010, Steve said the law actually ended up causing problems for the organizations where he and Joan volunteered. “The issue with Obamacare really hurt the single-payer movement because a lot of people who supported universal coverage and even a single-payer system had made a big push, and it was difficult,” he explained. “We thought, ‘Now we’re on the right path…’ but it didn’t happen. With continued resistance [from Republicans], it went nowhere. We were not making any progress. We lost a lot of support at the grassroots level.” He added that the law made helpful changes such as working toward universal coverage and ensuring that pre-existing conditions were still covered, but one of the biggest problems left unfixed was the cost of health insurance. “It was not solving the cost problem at all,” he
said. “[We continued to ask], ‘What do we need to have changed to really rein in the costs and get healthcare to everybody at a price they can afford based on their income?’” Steve said that Healthcare for All MN started to “really flounder,” especially in terms of financial support as volunteers began falling away and the organization lost its executive director. “We’re back to just a volunteer organization trying to keep the faith,” he said. It wasn’t until U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders made
Northfield, [and] we’re trying to go out into the community and educate people.” “The end goal is to have those people to get in touch with their elected officials, because it’s the elected officials who will ultimately make those changes,” Joan added.
Looking to the future Steve and Joan are positive that a single-payer healthcare system is doable in the United States,
ABOVE: The Januszes can often be found in their home office, sending emails and making calls as part of their healthcare advocacy work. (Philip Weyhe/Northfield News) RIGHT: Pictured left to right are Joan Janusz, Steve Janusz and Kathleen Doran-Norton, members of Citizens for a Better Rice County, who look to broaden awareness for MNsure. (News file photo)
universal healthcare such a key part of his presidential campaign platform in 2016 that HCAM began to grow once more. “People were seeing that they weren’t really getting the cost savings,” Steve said. “The industry was continuing still to just take money out of the system and not provide the care we wanted. HCAM started to grow back again, decided to form new chapters. We formed a chapter here in
but they said it’s going to mean changing the way people see healthcare. “Republicans believe in a market approach for healthcare,” Steve said. “We very strongly believe that healthcare is not something that’s market-based system.” “It’s not like buying cars,” Joan added. “We have a need for health, and it shouldn’t have to CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 NorthIeld
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be whether we can pay for it or not.” Steve points to France, where his daughter lives, saying that over there, as in many European countries, healthcare is considered a service and is covered by taxes just like police and fire departments. “Unfortunately, in the United States, we have gone down a different path,” he said. “We need to get that financial [profit-making angle] out of the system. We all should pay into it, as we’re able to. But I’m willing to pay, if it would solve the problem for everybody.” Such a giant overhaul of public opinion is a daunting — and, at times, discouraging — task. “We’ve been doing this for 10
years,” Steve said. “It’s a tough nut to try to overcome.” Still, the Januszes remain hopeful. “I still do feel hopeful, seeing some of the younger people who get involved,” Steve said. “I think Bernie Sanders really made a difference with his campaign. In a couple of years, it’ll be interesting to see whether this continues.” “Overall, people are becoming much more supportive of this and are looking for more information,” Joan agreed. “We just need to do a much better job of getting the information to more people. I’m still hopeful that in my lifetime I will see some big changes.” Grace Webb is a freelance writer based in Mankato.
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By NICK GERHARDT ngerhardt@northfieldnews.com
he Bald Spot on the campus of Carleton College has long been a hub of activity, but this summer there weren’t Frisbees flying around or students lounging on the grass. Instead, construction crews have dominated the spot which houses the ice rinks in the winter as the college movies toward its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The project’s leaders tried to leave the area as undisturbed as possible because of the significance the Bald Spot holds on campus. Just one tree had to be removed, but that was because it had mold growth, said Carleton’s Sustainability Coordinator Alex Miller. Some immature trees were removed as well, said Martha Larson, manager of campus energy and sustainability. Those construction crews have spent the summer drilling 134 6-inch diameter holes 520 feet into the ground to set up Carleton College’s use of geothermal energy for its heating and cooling. Crews drilled 77 holes at The Mini Bald Spot last year and set up 95 horizontal bores under Bell Field last year. It’s a major overhaul of the school’s heating system which has relied heavily upon steam heating for much of the previous century. “It’s incredibly exciting and stimulating to work on a project of this scale,” Larson said. Larson is in the midst of leading a three-phase project to transition from steam. The first stage is installing the geothermal system, the second phase is transitioning from steam and the third will be adding additional renewable energy sources. When the project is completed, the school will see approximately a 35 percent reduction in emissions. During a presentation at Carleton’s Reunion weekend in June, Larson showed a picture from 1910 when the school opened its steam plant. She says she shares a similar
sentiment as those involved in that project might have felt at that time. It’s estimated the project will pay for itself through savings in the course of around 17 years. If the school planned to continue to operate as it has, it is estimated to have a cost of $21 million spread out over 20 years. Transitioning to a hot water system will cost $38 million over five years but operating costs will decrease 36 percent and the savings will pay back the capital investment in about 17 years. Once completed, Carleton College will become the first school in the nation to transition its entire utility system off steam heating. Ball State University, Miami of Ohio and Grinnell College have installed geothermal systems, but do not heat the entire campus with their systems. “We’ve said we’re the first in Minnesota,” Larson said. “This is not us being a guinea pig. We’re not the test case, we’re an early adopter.” The new Integrated Science Facility will house the geothermal equipment in the sub-basement and be known as the East Energy Station. Geothermal will reduce energy use by 84 billion BTUs, which is equal to adding six wind turbines. Carleton has two wind turbines, the second of which was installed in 2011. The second turbine supplies the school with 25-30 percent of its electricity needs and reduced Carleton’s carbon footprint by 10 percent. “We’re thinking of this as a 100-year system,” Larson said at a presentation during Carleton’s Reunion in June. The project has a set completion date of 2022 and once the system is fully operational, it will make the steam tower along Hwy. 19 obsolete. The school will no longer have to staff the facility 24-hours-a-day year-round, though Larson said the school doesn’t anticipate any loss of staff at the steam plant as its decommissioned. The department has seen employees retire recently and those who remain after the completion of the project will be reassigned in the maintenance department, Larson said. “They, too, felt like they were part of turning point in Carleton’s history,” Larson said. The college built the steam plant in 1910 and those stacks have become another iconic part of the cam-
pus. It remains to be seen what will become of the facility and those stacks. Much of the college has already moved away from a steam system to hot water. Only the Old Music building, Goodsell Observatory, Laird Stadium, and Faculty Club haven’t been converted. Geothermal is just part of the equation to cutting carbon emissions. The school plans the temperature of the hot water it will use will drop from the tradition- al 180 degrees to 120 degrees because the lower temperature provides the opportunity to use a heat pump, condensing boiler, geothermal systems and solar thermal systems. It will install a heat pump that will allow the school to take advantage of simultaneous heating and cooling loads. The heat pump will tie into the geothermal bore fields it completed.
Years of Planning In 2007 Carleton signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and joined nearly 700 schools in the country in committing to developing a plan to neutralize their carbon emissions. The school also completed its Campus Master Utility Plan the same year. Four years later the school developed a Climate Action Plan, and the following year, 2012, the Strategic Plan emerged. A master facilities plan came out in 2014 and the school unveiled the utility master in 2017.
©Copyright 2017 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.
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Long Division
The forgotten Dilley-Grover incident Family squabbles pushed Northfield back into the news for 1886 shooting
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By JEFF M. SAUVE editor@northfieldnews.com
fter the defeat of the infamous James-Younger Gang on Sept. 7, 1876, Northfield became inextricably linked to with the bandits, particularly in print over the next decade. Newspapers across the land routinely retold or updated the story of how the fledgling community heroically stood its ground against the notorious outlaws. When Northfield was mentioned otherwise, more often than not the stories tended to focus on crime such as one gem from 1879 when an “army of tramps” swarmed neighboring Dundas and cows were milked, women suffered insults and hen roosts succumbed to robbery, according to one newspaper account. Or how in 1885 Northfield farmers fell victim to swindlers engaged in selling “Great Southern American Cuban Corn.”
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Infernal machines Of course stories stood out if somehow they hearkened back to Jesse James, particularly if written after April 3, 1882, the day Jesse James was killed by Bob Ford. Take for instance one completely forgotten item published by the Milwaukee Republican on May 8, 1882, which stated two attempts were made to blow up Northfield by using “infernal machines.” Jeff Sauve The first attempt failed on April 19 when a large pipe filled with powder, firecrackers and other combustibles, was placed under a gallery window on the second floor in Willis Hall at Carleton College. The “machines missed fire” prematurely, and exploded before an early morning event, sparing potential injury to those about to gather. The second attempt took place at 9:30
p.m. on May 6, when an explosion sounding like a cannon firing startled many residents who lived in proximity of downtown. An “infernal machine” or bomb had been deposited in the basement of Dr. Greaves’ pharmacy, a small framed building facing Bridge Square and adjacent to the Cannon River. The damage was extensive with the basement walls compromised. On the the upper floor, shattered medicine bottles littered the office. The Milwaukee Republican surmised, “Some citizens connect these acts of deviltry with the raids once made by the James and Younger brothers.” In paraphrasing the same article, The Bourbon Newspaper in Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky, exclaimed in one succinct sentence: “Jesse James’ ghost has blown up a portion of Northfield, Minnesota, with infernal machines.” Further research revealed that many locals thought the diabolical work was carried out by an unprincipled Carleton College gang, and that it was “an experiment to test the power of their explosives.” It is unknown whether anyone was ever brought to justice for the two incidents.
Trouble with the mother-in-law Undoubtedly the single Northfield story that garnered the most press nationwide in the decade following the 1876 attempted bank raid concerned local Bridgewater Township farmer, Elisha Grover. Born in New York in 1847, Grover settled in Minnesota in 1866. His first wife, 37-year-old Harriet Drake Grover, passed away on May 29, 1881. One son, Joseph, age 3, survived her. In less than two years he remarried Amanda Gordon on April 19, 1883. The Grovers’ farm was located on the Dundas Road, Bridgewater Township, 2 miles
south of Northfield. Elisha Grover’s new mother-in-law, the widow Eliza Gordon, lived on the adjoining farm, and had allowed her son-inlaw to store some grain in her granary. Apparently on Oct. 1, 1885, the two engaged in a heated disagreement. Walking by her place, she called him over and requested that he remove his grain. He countered by accusing her of enticing his wife away from home, which she promptly denied. At this point the maddened Grover struck Eliza Gordon. Her son, 16-year-old Ira, retaliated by grasping a club, delivering several blows to his brother-in-law’s head, promptly ending the quarrel. A short time later, several young ladies from Northfield out for a buggy ride spotted an unconscious man lying by the roadside. They immediately proceeded to Dundas and informed the marshal. In the meantime, Eliza Gordon left for Northfield to seek medical help for (Photo courtesy of Jeff Sauve) Grover by enlisting a Dr. Coon. She returned with Coon as well as Justice Charles W. Pye who remained with her son-in-law all night. Reports indicate that 39-year-old Elisha Grover was initially in a “dangerous condition,” and insensible for the next two weeks. The unfortunate incident became headline fodder for newspapers throughout the Midwest. The following months proved more difficult for the family as Elisha Grover never fully regained his senses. His wife Amanda, expecting their second child in the coming spring, sought a separation. By late fall she had removed herself from the house, taking their infant daughter Nellie, her furniture and several horses. He filed a last will and testament on Dec. 21, 1885, declaring before witnesses that he was “of sound and disposing mind and memory.” All his property, except household furniture, was bequeathed to his son, Joseph. CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
Carleton College’s Willis Hall, circa 1890s. (Photo courtesy of Carleton College)
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Surrender the colt or else! In the weeks that followed, the harsh winter proved one for the record books. January 1886 opened with a 20-inch snowfall on Jan. 2. In the following weeks, bone-rattling temperatures consistently dropped to -30, testing the mettle of shivering settlers. Elisha Grover’s struggles only intensified when Ira Gordon came calling for a colt on the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan. 27. Unknown to Elisha Grover, the horse had been gifted to his young brother-in-law by his estranged wife. After a terse argument, he refused to honor the demand without proper bill of sale. Gordon then went to Northfield where he obtained a writ of replevin and accompanied Chief of Police William C. Dilley, his uncle (a brother to Eliza Gordon), back to Grover’s farm. As a matter of note, Dilley, being an enmity with Elisha Grover, claimed that he did not want to attend to the matter, but because the deputy sheriff was absent, the duty fell on him. When they arrived at Grover’s house, they met a very defensive and angry man at the door. He stood clutching an ax in one hand, while keeping the other hand was in his coat pocket. Dilley read the attachment notice, and then gave him a copy. Defiantly, Grover still refused to deliver the horse, which was in a locked barn. To ascertain how far he was willing to take the matter, Dilley questioned him for nearly an hour. Gordon recalled that his brotherin-law gave evasive answers. Finally Dilley decided to move toward the barn, leading the way, followed by the other two men. When they reached the barn, Dilley told Gordon to break open the door and instructed Grover not to take another step. As his brother-inlaw started for the door, Grover drew a revolver from his pocket and attempted to shoot him. Fearlessly, Dilley sprang between the two men and laid his hand on the assailant’s shoulder, unable to get hold of the hand that held the revolver.
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Grover turned the gun on the police chief instead and fired three successive shots. One bullet tore through Dilley’s hat, miraculously missing his head; the second was diverted in trajectory once penetrating the officer’s heavy fur coat, grazing a shoulder; and the third struck him in the chest above the heart. The bullet glanced off a rib, lodging on his right side. His injury proved not serious. Although injured, Dilley brought his self-cocking revolver to (Photo courtesy of Jeff Sauve) bear on his assailant and returned fire with three quick shots of his own; one striking his left arm, and two fatal shots to the chest before falling to his hands and knees. Grover fell backward against a hay rack which was embedded in a deep snow drift. In his last breath, he uttered, “I am a dead man, pull me out of the snow!” CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
(Photo courtesy of Jeff Sauve) NorthIeld
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Immediately, Gordon moved the body over to a haystack a short distance away, and sought help. The coroner later visited the scene and found the crimson-colored snow attesting to the short, violent skirmish. Newspapers across the land carried the story of the Northfield policeman who fatally killed a citizen in the line of duty. Within a week an inquest was held and the verdict found Dilley was justifiable in discharging his duty as an officer of the law.
Aftermath Amanda Grover never remarried. She died in 1926 and was buried at Northfield’s Oaklawn Cemetery. A daughter, Etna May, was born in March 1886, two months after the incident. She died in 1904 due to health complications. Ira Gordon was judged insane in 1908 and remained at the Rochester Asylum until he died in 1929. Eliza Gordon lived out her days on her farm until dying at the age of 81 in 1913. Unlike the audacious bank assault by the JamesYounger gang, the Dilley-Grover incident faded into the shadows of bygone days. Elisha Grover was buried in the Northfield Cemetery in an unmarked grave. Also at Oaklawn, Dilley’s grave is marked by a simple gray, flat granite stone that states only “Father William C. Dilley 1836-1928.”
Bridgewater Township, Minnesota, circa 1885. (Photo courtesy of the Northfield History Collaborative)
His obituary made no mention of his service to the community, nor that he is believed to be the firstever Northfield law enforcement officer shot in the line of duty.
Jeff Sauve served for many years as an archivist for St. Olaf College and the Norwegian-American Historical Association. He is an award-winning writer and is currently working on his latest book project, “Murder at Minnesota Point: The True Story of the Sensational Nationwide Manhunt for a Serial Killer.”
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Ph Ke Fa pa
Tracy Jonkman, left, and Nate Watter, right, recently added a tasting room after the pair first opened Keepsake Cidery in the spring of 2014. (Michael Hughes/Northfield News)
Best of the bunch
With new tasting room, Keepsake Cidery wants to make quality cider easier to find
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By MICHAEL HUGHES mhughes@northfieldnews.com
ate Watters and Tracy Jonkman are hoping to change the public perception. The pair, who own and operate Keepsake Cidery in Dundas, recently opened a tasting room, which they
hope will draw in more customers. The goal is for the new space to help patrons realize the difference between their product and the hard cider you might find at the grocery store. “When you taste our cider, we want you to taste Minnesota,” Watters said. “We want you to taste here and we want you to taste that season. We’re not adding any sugars, we’re very rarely adding any yeast, we add no sulfites, it’s as natural as possible.” Watters, 37, and Jonkman, 40, opened Keepsake in the spring of 2014 along with their children Tristan, 7, and Fiona, 5, and their black Labrador, CONTINUED ON PAGE 34
Photo from Keepsake Facebook page. NorthIeld
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LEFT: Keepsake Cidery has 10 different types of cider available on tap, as well as a homemade kombucha and homemade soda. (Michael Hughes/Northfield News) BELOW: The new tasting room at Keepsake Cidery offer plenty of seating and in addition to being open for general tasting, is also available for private parties. (Michael Hughes/Northfield News)
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Bert. Since then, they’ve been trying to perfect production in a state that doesn’t produce much quality cider. While Minnesota is home to many tasty types of apples grown around the state and by the University of Minnesota, those don’t always make the best ciders. Each year, Watters plants his crop with the concession that a good portion won’t come close to being used in a cider. For the past five years, Watters has been experimenting on how to best grow apples that traditionally turn into good cider. While walking the orchard on the property of Keepsake Cidery, Watters goes down the line of the different strains of apples he’s monitoring. Some aren’t working out, which he knew was a possibility for many of the trees he planted. Others, like the Chiseled Jersey that is naturally grown on the east coast, is showing positive returns. “It’s a bittersweet apple,” Watters said. “If you like apples it’s not an apple you’re probably going to — it’s not like a Honeycrisp. It’s got bitterness, it’s got tannins, but it makes awesome cider. It’s a really great addition to cider.” Even if it appears the Chiseled Jersey is going to make it, the cider produced from those apples is still a ways away. Watters said they typically leave their ciders in barrels to age for anywhere from six to seven months to 14 to 15 months.
A new space That elongated process, Watters and Jonkman
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say, makes the cidery more like a winery than a brewery, which was the foundation for creating an on-site tasting room. “A big part of it is our direct-to-consumer market, which is our tasting room and events and getting people here,” Jonkman said. “That’s going to be an essential part of our business.” “The economics are more like a winery,” Watters added. “We make our cider like a wine and all the great Minnesota wineries, we talked to a bunch of them, they said the key in the bigger market and competing with these state, national and international companies, what we have that they don’t have is we’re here. You can come visit us, meet the cider-makers, walk the apples and drink cider in the actual place it’s made.” Walking around the property, it does feel more
like a winery than a brewery. They bottle the ciders on site, and in addition to the tasting room, customers can pick up a glass of cider and then tour the orchard or wander around the surrounding woods on the property. “Sunday night we’ll have groups of two or three women just coming as friends to meet here, and then during the day you have families,” Jonkman said. “It’s something for everyone. Kids can run around, we encourage people to walk the orchard, explore the woods a little bit. It’s grab a cider and take a walk.” Jonkman said they experimented with the idea last summer, but the original space didn’t work in rainy weather, so they re-purposed a room next to the cider cellar. “We were going for this cozy and rustic yet
Keepsake Cidery grows the apples, ferments them and then bottles all the cider on site. (Michael Hughes/Northfield News) In addition to ciders, Keepsake Cidery also serves sandwiches with locally made meats and cheeses from nearby farms as well as other local offerings. (Michael Hughes/Northfield News)
refined-looking space,” Jonkman said. In addition to the cider, patrons of the tasting room can also purchase tasties (a British word for sandwiches), with meats and cheeses sourced from local farms. In addition to the 10 ciders currently on tap, Watters makes a soda while Jonkman has created a kombucha. “Everything except for our olives is locally sourced,” Jonkman said.
Making cider differently Initially, Watters hated cider. At first, while living in Massachusetts, he wanted to be a farmer, before temporarily settling on brewing beer. There was no thought of cider, even though he sold apples on the corner during his childhood. He never liked cider, as everyone he tasted was loaded with sugar before a couple friends turned him onto the high-quality options. “I was floored,” said Watters, who then settled on the Northfield and Dundas area to open a cidery with Jonkman. They met when the pair was working on a ranch in Colorado. He likens it to his first beer, a Keystone Ice, which he hated. It wasn’t that Watters didn’t enjoy beer, he just hadn’t found one that suited his taste. The difference between low and high-quality cider is in the process, he says. First, there’s no artificial sugar added to the ciders produced at Keepsake.
Watters often talks about wanting his customer to taste Minnesota when they drink a cider. Part of that is no added sugar. Another part, which Watters is starting to do almost exclusively, is to not add any third-party yeast in the fermentation process. Instead, he’ll use the skin of the apple, or something from the wooded area that surrounds Keepsake. “It’s more like shepherding the apple,” Watters said. “We’re not trying to doctor it up or force it into a box or force it into flavors we get. If in one year the apple’s sugar is a little higher than the year before, then our cider is going to be a little higher in ABV (alcohol by volume). We don’t add any sugar to get it there.” The bet for Watters and Jonkman is the more extensive process is noticed by the customer. Their method costs more and takes longer to bear results. Watters said it typically takes seven to 10 years to make a determination one way or the other in terms of process, but the clock is ticking. In terms of product, they believe they are zeroing in on perfecting which apples to grow and how to help them along, resulting in a superior cider. Watters said the quality of any cider is based on three factors: the ingredients, the process and the maker. Right now, Watters and Jonkman they have all three nailed down, and with the new tasting room, they believe they’ve got the perfect
vehicle to deliver that product. “Nate very much underplays the cider he’s making,” Jonkman said. “He’s making really, really good cider, especially considering the region we’re in, and I can only see it getting better and better.” Reach Sports Editor Michael Hughes at 645-1106. Follow him on Twitter @NFNSports. ©Copyright 2018 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.
Keepsake Cidery in Dundas grows a variety of different apples to help make its ciders, all of which can be viewed when visiting the cidery for a tasting. (Michael Hughes/Northfield News)
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From snow-covered trails to paved paths, local cyclists have lots of options Cannon River Off Road Cycling and Trails members enjoy the many options for off road cycling available in the area.
W By GRACE WEBB editor@northfieldnews.com
hen it comes to climbing onto a bicycle and hitting the open road, Northfield has quite a lot of options. There are group rides, street rides, gravel rides, mountain biking trails, clubs, sports, annual events and pretty much anything else cyclists might be interested in trying if they’ve got a passion for two-wheel transportation. Whether they’re more interested in advocating for better trails or enjoy the community of group rides, Northfield has something for everyone.
A growing community The biking scene in Northfield has changed quite a
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lot over the past few decades, according to Bruce Anderson, a member of the now mostly dormant BikeNorthfield advocacy group. “It’s been pretty interesting to see how things have changed over the years,” Anderson said. “When I moved back to Northfield in 1993, I didn’t see that many people biking, either for transport or recreation. That has changed dramatically over the years.” Anderson said he got connected with a road biking club, the Northfield Bike Club, in the mid1990s, a “pretty informal affair” that would host regular Saturday morning rides. While that club isn’t around anymore, there’s the Cannon Valley Velo Club now, along with the Cannon River Off Road Cycling and Trails (CROCT) club. While the Velo Club focuses more on connecting area riders to bike events, CROCT revolves around mountain biking. The group is especially focused on advocating for and maintaining sustainable trails for off-road cycling around the Cannon River region. Members worked to open the first shared-use trail at Sechler Park in 2014, adding a small skills park in 2015. Since then,
members have worked on building and maintaining more trails across the region. In addition to the bike clubs, there have been many bike-related events in recent years, such as the Milltown Cycles 4th of July Criterium race and the annual Defeat of Jesse James Days Bike Tour in September, which draws more than 1,000 cyclists every year. There is also the annual Tour de SAVE, which takes place in July and raises awareness for suicide prevention. “There’s a whole lot of biking activity in the community,” Anderson said. “It’s turned into a really bike-friendly community in some ways, with a lot of interest and a lot of bikers.”
Connecting to the community The Cannon Valley Velo Club may be a lot more casual than when it was first organized, but Tom Bisel, owner of Downtown Bicycles in Northfield, says it’s still committed to helping area cicylists find rides and fellow riders. “It’s still a very active group, [but] it’s more of a communication network of what’s going on and who’s riding,” Bisel said.
ABOVE: Cyclists turn out for races hosted in the College City like this one in 2008. BELOW RIGHT: Members of Cannon River Off Road Cycling and Trails work to build trails in and around Northfield. BELOW: Extending bike trails takes a lot of work.
Because Bisel is busy with his bicycle shop, he can’t organize every event or ride, but he continues to keep his finger on the pulse of Northfield’s biking community. That way, he can help plug in riders whenever they come to him, whether he’s connecting new college students to St. Olaf’s and Carleton’s cycling clubs or telling seniors about the Northfield Pedalers group that meets through the senior center for in-town and trail rides. Bisel said there are rides for every level of biker, whether they’re interested in road cycling or mountain biking. Some of the group rides include Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings, as well as occasional Sunday morning rides. In the summertime, Downtown Bicycles hosts the Wednesday Whirl, a family ride, every other week. “We want you to bring your kids out in the trailer,” he said. “We want to have an active family presence and get more families out biking together.” Bisel said he has seen more and more people become involved in the biking scene in recent years, especially as more trails are added across the region. One trend that’s growing in popularity is the fat bike, he said, since Northfield has nice winter riding trails. He added that
he also hopes to be able to offer some biking workshops in the future. “It’s a super active cycling community,” he said. “We’re very interested in just getting more people to get out and ride the bikes.”
Cannon Valley Composite Mountain Bike Team For students on the Cannon Valley Composite Mountain Bike Team, the main goal isn’t winning a race — it’s enjoying the sport of mountain biking. “The idea is to get kids on bikes,” explained coach Todd Trembley. “If you’re CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
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Park in Northfield and Kaplan’s Woods Park in Owatonna. There are five races throughout the season, at places like Austin and Duluth, while the state championship is at Mount Kato in Mankato. And, while teams score points based on how well their racers do, everyone is able to participate in the state champion-
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not skilled enough and you have to walk half the course, you can still race. There’s no problem with that.” Trembley said the Cannon Valley team is part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, which started in California about 15 years ago and now stretches across 23 states. The Minnesota League isn’t recognized officially by state high schools, so the activity is considered a club sport. Trembley helped organize the Cannon Valley chapter five years ago, and the club has grown from three kids to 12 this year. The club pulls kids in from Northfield, Faribault and Owatonna, along with smaller towns such as Lonsdale if there’s interest. To race at events, students have to be in seventh grade or older, but sixth graders can join the team and participate in practices. Practice isn’t allowed to begin until June, though Trembley said his racers start in July. They meet twice a week, mostly in Faribault, but they also try to move practices around to other cities that are participating. They find fun trails in places such as Caron
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ship races. “It’s a team sport and an individual sport,” Trembley said. “There are no tryouts. You make the team, and then everybody races. Everybody gets to go to state. [We] realize how it’s good for a kid to be active and be included.” Trembley said the sport has been growing in popularity ever since the Minnesota League was formed, with participation jumping about 25 percent every year. Since local high schools
aren’t involved, parents band together to drive their students to different race events, as well as participate as coaches after initial training. Trembley likes to stress that mountain biking is an activity for all ages and abilities. “You don’t see kids who are 23 years old playing football together, but there are many 23-yearolds who are mountain biking,” he said. “I’m 60 and I’m still mountain biking. Mountain biking is a lifelong sport.” Grace Webb is a freelance reporter based in Mankato.
ABOVE LEFT: Winter weather doesn’t stop the members of Cannon River Off Road Cycling and Trails. They find trail riding in the snow exhilarating. LEFT: Family ride. BELOW: Fat tire bicycles are preferable for conditions such as snow and rain.
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