Generations & Art Beat ~ Dec. 22

DECEMBER 2022

PR Friendly Squares celebrates 65th anniversary

By Shannon Geisen Park Rapids Enterprise

The caller croons to cir cle to the left, swing your partner, look ‘em in the eye and promenade. Glee ful “whoohoos” erupt from square dancers, the floor aswirl with smiles, Western-style shirts and flouncy, ruffled skirts.

The Park Rapids Friend ly Squares celebrated its 65th anniversary this fall.

Dancers from Bemidji, Nimrod, Wadena, Inter national Falls – and even Canada – amassed at the Century School cafetorium in October for the event.

Karen Van De Venter’s parents – Gerald and Ruth Van De Venter – founded the club with Gerald and Carolyn Tschudi.

“They started the club in ‘57, and they never quit. My dad was a farmer. He’d come in and they’d go to a night out dance. He’d get

home at 3, 4 o’clock in the morning, get up and go milk cows,” she recalled.

Her parents lived in Park Rapids their whole lives.

“They traveled to Grand Rapids. They traveled all over,” Karen recalled of their square dancing heydays. “There were a lot more clubs than there

are nowadays.”

There used to be “night owl stands, where you’d dance all night til 3,4 o’clock in the morning,” she continued. “People nowadays can’t stand to stay up that late.”

Karen remembers square dancing at a Sebeka cou ple’s barn. “We’d go there

and dance once in a while.”

Gerald passed away in 2014, Ruth in 2017. Car olyn died in 2005.

But Karen carries on the family tradition. Her brother, Gordy, was also on hand in October to cel ebrate the club’s longevity. They took square dancing lessons together in 1968.

Orthopedics to keep you moving.

“I have a sister that square dances, but she hasn’t for the last three, four years. And I have another brother that never square danced,” Karen said.

Dwindling clubs, members

According to United Square Dancers of America (USDA), “Our square dance dresses of today can trace their history back to the elegant ballrooms of France and the grand manors of England. In those countries, the minuet, polka, waltz and quadrille were danced. As people immigrated to America, they brought their customs, dress and dance with them.”

The popularity of square dancing surged in the U.S. after WWII.

Park Rapids Friendly Squares meets the sec ond Friday of the month at Century School, except

Watch video highlights at parkrapidsenterprise.com

during the summer. They currently have 12 members.

“We used to have 60-70,” Karen said. “All the clubs are hurting. Square dancing is going down. I don’t know if we can build it back up, but we’re trying to.”

A few nearby towns have square dance clubs: Bemidji First City Squares, Wadena Whirlaways and Lake Park Country Twirlers.

Country Twirlers hold their dances in Staples, while the Whirlaways meet in Motley.

Grand Rapids and Brainerd used to have clubs, but they folded, according to Karen. SQUARES: Page 2

CHI St. Joseph's Health Orthopedics offers sports medicine and orthopedics solutions to keep you moving and living life to the fullest. Expert care right here, right now. No referral needed. Call 218-616-3700 to schedule your orthopedics appointment.

VIDEO

CONTRIBUTED/PARK RAPIDS FRIENDLY SQUARES

Gerald and Ruth Van De Venter founded the Park Rapids Friendly Squares in 1957 with Don and Carolyn Tschudi.

Founded 65 years ago, Park Rapids Friendly Squares holds monthly dances at the Century School.

SHANNON GEISEN/ENTERPRISE

The Square Dance Federation of Minne sota, Inc. lists 23 clubs throughout the state at squaredanceminnesota. com.

An evolving hobby

Donna Stone is club president. She dances with her husband, Mike. They joined Park Rap ids Friendly Squares in 2000.

Mike worked at Thiel en Motors for 23 years and sold the Van De Ven ters a car. They invited him to square dance. He promised to attend a les son and try it.

“We went in and we liked it,” Mike recalled.

When they returned to the second class, Donna said everybody “remem bered everything about us” and asked them questions.

“From that point, we were all friends,” she said.

“The people is what I like,” Mike said.

With about 80 “calls” to learn, Donna said it’s a lot to remember. “But most of them are pretty basic,” she added.

Karen agrees there are more “calls,” or dance steps, than ever before.

“Years ago, there weren’t so many things to learn. When I took les

sons, we started in Sep tember and were done in December. But now, they start in September and keep going until Febru ary before they graduate because there’s so much more to learn,” Karen said.

A “tip” consists of everyone squaring up, dancing for 10 minutes or so, concluding with thanking everyone in your square, clapping for the caller, then taking a break.

Born and raised in Park Rapids, Margarite Rinde joined the Friendly Squares in 1977.

“I started dancing when my first hus band died. My cousin was dancing. He got me dancing,” she said.

The complexity of the tip depends upon the caller, she said.

Park Rapids Friendly Squares lost its longtime club caller (1994-2020), Roger Lueth, when he retired.

Karen said they recruit guest callers, but it can be difficult. Tom Allen makes the trek from St. Cloud. Another travels from the Cities. Larry Johan son drove 90 miles from Underwood, Minn. to call for the anniversary party.

The attire has evolved over the years, too.

Karen’s mother used to sew all of her out fits. “Some people dance in pants. Anything goes,

nowadays,” she said.

Karen bought her col orful skirt at a nation al convention. “Other wise I keep wearing the same ol’ stuff,” she said, laughing.

Wholesome people

Jan and Stan Tyrell are members of the Wade na Whirlaways. They’ve been square dancing for 43 years.

“We enjoy the people. They’re so wholesome. The activity is physically and mentally stimulat ing,” Jan said. “It’s fun.”

The Tyrells don’t get to Park Rapids often, but they always attend the club’s New Year dance.

A dance partner isn’t required, Jan added. Not only do dancers min gle, but some alternate roles. Jan wears a flip pable nameplate that can read either “woman” or “man” because she often plays the male’s part.

“There’s always a shortage of men,” she explained.

The Whirlaways start weekly lessons in Sep

tember, concluding in February. Sign up by contacting the club (www.facebook.com/ WadenaWhirlaways).

“Otherwise, we meet twice a month, but the summer months are once a month,” Jan said. “The only soreness you’ll have is probably your face muscles from smiling.”

Nancy and Charles Deutchmann of Nevis graduated from the Whirlaways dance les sons in spring 2022.

“We’re newbies,” she said. “What I like about

it is you’re getting exer cise without ‘exercising.’ And I hate exercise. It keeps your mind think ing about what the caller is saying and converting it to what your feet have to do. And it doesn’t always work. That’s why it’s fun because it makes me laugh.”

Square dancing, waltz and line dancing were also a part of the eve ning’s activities. Specta tors are welcome, along with former members. A

potluck typically com pletes the night.

Park Rapids Friendly Squares appears to live up to its moniker. They truly are neighborly.

Karen said, “You meet nice people. Everybody’s friendly. It’s a team environment.”

For more information about Friendly Squares, contact Karen at 218252-3853.

Shannon Geisen can be reached at sgeisen@ parkrapidsenterprise.com.

SHANNON GEISEN/ENTERPRISE

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with a slice (or two) of this ultra-moist and delicious Scandinavian Almond Cake.

My first taste of this specialty was this past fall at Stabo, the Scandinavian imports boutique in down town Fargo (aka, one of my favorite places on the planet).

Stabo was celebrating its 50th anniversary, and they had a variety of sweet treats to enjoy: krumka ke, sandbakkels and slices of almond cake. My son, Giovanni, and I loved all the specialties, but we kept remarking on the cake. It was lovely but simple in appearance, and we were unprepared for its sweet almond flavor and tender crumb structure. It was superb.

Stabo sells a special pan created specifically for Scandinavian Almond Cake that is long and shallow with ridges on the surface, which promote rapid and even heating, and give the cake its signature fluted presentation. I knew I couldn’t leave without purchasing this pan, and I was delighted to find that it even came with a recipe.

I went home that day and baked my own Scan dinavian Almond Cake. The recipe is basic, and made with pantry staples most of us already have on hand: flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, egg, almond extract and melted butter. I modified it slightly by adding a splash of vanilla extract and a little salt because that’s how I roll, and you could also add citrus zest and other extracts to change the flavor.

I have made this cake half a dozen times in the past couple months and always marvel at how easy the process is. You can mix the batter by hand or with an electric mixer, and have it baking in the oven within 10 minutes. I bake the cake in the cen ter of the oven for about 45 minutes, until the edges

are golden brown and the toothpick test comes out clean.

Each holiday season, I add a new recipe to my Nordic repertoire, and this Scandinavian Almond Cake is my pick for this 10th anniversary year.

Baking and gift-giving are my love languages, and to celebrate this occasion, I am hosting a holi day giveaway series on my blog, SarahBakes.

Each week, I will feature a new prize for one lucky winner based on my favorite things, and this week’s winner will receive their very own Scandinavian Almond Cake pan. For details on how to enter, please visit me online at sarahbakesnd.com.

Scandinavian Almond Cake

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

1-1/4 cup granulated white sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1-1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (optional)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until combined; set aside.

In a large bowl, add the sugar, milk, egg, almond and vanilla extracts. Beat well with a hand whisk or electric mixer. Add the flour mixture and stir until fully combined. Add the melted butter and beat until the batter is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.

Just before adding the batter, spray the cake pan generously with a flour-based baking spray (like Baker’s Joy or Pam with Flour), coating the entire surface, including the top rim. Pour the batter into the pan and use a knife or offset spatula to smooth the surface until evenly distributed. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

Place the cake pan in the center of the oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, and a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a

Sarah celebrates the 10th anniversary of her column with a tender and delicious Scandinavian Almond Cake.

SARAH NASELLO / THE FORUM

How to buy over-the-counter hearing aids

you’ll need to work with an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist to find a hearing aid that works for you.

What to look for

BY JIM MILLER Columnist

Dear Savvy Senior, I’m interested in getting some of the new overthe-counter hearing aids that just became avail able a few months ago. Can you offer any tips to help me with this?

~ Straining to Hear Dear Straining,

The new FDA approved over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids that started rolling out this fall are a real game changer for the roughly 48 million Americans with hearing loss. Adults with impaired hearing can now walk in and buy hearing aids at a pharmacy, big box chain, consumer electronics store or online, without a prescription and without consulting an audiologist.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved this new class of hearing aids to lower prices and improve their availability.

About a third of people ages 65 to 74 and half of those over age 75 have hearing loss severe enough to affect their daily life. Yet about 80 percent of people who would benefit from hearing aids don’t wear them, according to the National Institutes of Health, primarily because of the hefty price tag.

Traditional hearing aids ordered through an audi ologist cost anywhere from $1,000 to $7,000 a pair and are not covered by most private insurers and traditional Medicare. The new OTC hearing aids range from $200 up to $3,000.

Who should get them?

OTC hearing aids are specifically designed for adults (18 and older) who have mild to moderate hearing loss. You don’t need a hearing exam or pre scription to buy them, and they are designed so you can fit and tune them yourself.

Do you have mild to moderate hearing loss? The specific signs are having trouble hearing or under standing conversations, especially in noisier envi ronments, over the phone, or if you can’t see who’s talking. Or, if you need a higher volume of TV, radio or music than other people, or have to ask others to speak more slowly, louder or repeat what they said.

If, however, your hearing problem is more severe than that, for example, if you also have trouble hearing loud sounds such as power tools or motor vehicles, or if you struggle to hear conversations in quiet settings, then your hearing loss is considered more significant than over-the-counter aids are intended to address.

To help you get a basic sense of your hearing problem, you can take an app-based test like Mimi (mimi.health) or SonicCloud (soniccloud.com).

If you find that your hearing loss is significant,

of powdered sugar, slice along the ridges and serve.

To store:

wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a knife or offset spatula to gently loosen the cake from the sides and top rim of the pan. Place a wire cooling rack over the cake pan and flip to invert it. Gently remove the pan from the cake and let the cake cool completely before serving.

When cool, dust the top with a generously sprinkling

Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container at room tempera ture for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. To freeze individual slices, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Let the frozen cake and slices thaw in their plastic wrapping while coming to room temperature.

Sarah’s notes:

► Greasing the cake pan well is very important as this

cake can otherwise stick to the surface. I get the best results when I use a flourbased baking spray.

► You can vary the flavor of this cake by using different extracts, liqueurs and citrus zest, added at the same time as the almond extract.

“Home with the Lost Italian” is a weekly column written by Sarah Nasello featuring recipes by her husband, Tony Nasello. The couple owned Sarello’s in Moorhead and lives in Fargo with their son, Giovanni. Readers can reach them at sarahnasello@gmail.com.

To help you choose a good OTC hearing aid that meets your needs and preferences, here are some important points to keep in mind.

Return policy: It can take weeks for your brain to adjust to hearing louder sounds through a hearing aid, so be sure to choose a brand that offers at least a 30-day free trial period, or money back return policy. The FDA requires manufacturers to print their return policy on the package.

Set up: Many OTC hearing aids require a smart phone or computer to adjust and operate the devic es to your specific needs, while others have the controls on the device. This will also be labeled on the box. Choose one that fits your preference and comfort level.

Battery: The package also should tell you what kind of battery the device uses. Some of the older versions of hearing aids have replaceable batter ies, but many of the newer ones have rechargeable batteries that come in a charging case, where you charge them up every night.

Customer support: Some companies offer unlim ited customer support to help you adjust or finetune your hearing aids, while others might limit support or charge extra. Be sure you check.

For more information, including product reviews, see the National Council on Aging’s OTC hear ing aids buyer’s guide at NCOA.org/adviser/hear ing-aids/over-the-counter-hearing-aids. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070 or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

ADOBE STOCK

SARAH NASELLO / THE FORUM

A special cake pan is used to create the ridges and even structure of the almond cake. Sarah is celebrating her 10th anniversary with a series of holiday giveaways on her SarahBakes blog, including this Scandinavian Almond Cake pan.

Art Be At

Gallery @ the Armory is officially open

Artists with various ties to Park Rapids gath ered with art enthusiasts to celebrate the opening of the new art gallery in the Armory Arts & Events Center (AAE&EC) Friday, Nov. 4.

Necce’s Ristorante’s canapés and wine, along with collaboration from Studio 176, the Nemeth Art Center, Tiffany

Besonen, Liz Shaw and a few other local artists, assisted in making the opening of AA&EC’s new gallery a lively success.

More than 50 people attended the festivities on the eve of deer hunt ing season in Park Rap ids.

The gallery now holds artwork from 16 artists and provides an inti

mate space for talented artists of all forms of visual art to display and sell their artwork. The gallery is located in the northeast corner of the Armory on the corner of Hwy. 71 and 2nd street.

For more informa tion about Gallery @ the Armory, please call the AA&EC office at 218237-3722.

Opening night for Gallery @ the Armory drew artists and art enthusiasts. Sixteen artists’ works are currently on display there.

Art Leap visitors met new artists

More than 90 artists partic ipated in Art Leap Sept. 24-25 and, in spite of mildly unfa vorable weather, as many as 500 visitors spread out in Park Rapids and at sites in the great er Heartland Lakes area.

Visitors came from at least 23 Minnesota counties and from as far as Atlanta, Seattle and Anchorage, Florida, Missouri and North Dakota.

New and familiar artists and new sites attract interest as people get a glimpse of how artists’ surroundings inspire them and how they see the world.

Four new locations were added in Park Rapids. Ruth Ann Brady’s artwork is famil iar to those who have seen her paintings in Park Rapids galleries and businesses for many years. She displayed her work at Rust 2 Roses. Necce’s Ristorante featured Wayza ta-based artist Patty MacH alec. Her oils, acrylics and pastels are inspired by that natural beauty of lakes, clouds and the other natural beau ty that surrounds her. Diane Hane from Walker hung her wind chimes made from drift wood, glass, ceramic beads and Noah bells on the front porch of Wine Not? Art Leap visitors found metal work,

wood work, printed items, paintings and fiber arts as well as a sculpture garden at the Salvage Depot.

New on the north and west loop were Winona’s Hemp Market Store, featuring acrylic and watercolor paintings, post ers, cards and apparel as well as Native American appliqué and beadwork. On the south and east loop, Cathy Meyer and guests showed acrylics, collag es with handmade paper, pho tography, garden art and nee dle felting.

Art Leap 2022 shined a spot light on three young artists.

Ten-year-old Ena Skadberg was a guest of Cathy Meyer at her site north of Nevis. Ena taught herself the art of nee dle felting on YouTube and made layered flowers, flower ing cactuses and other pieces in preparation for Art Leap. Ena continued working and showed visitors how needle felting is done. Saturday and Sunday Ena sold what she had made and early Sunday afternoon began telling visitors she was out of inventory. “This was a weekend she’ll never forget,” Cathy said.

Arts CAlendAr

DECEMBER

Dec. 2 & 4 Park Rapids Classic Chorale Concerts at Riverside United Methodist Church

Dec. 4 Community Ed trip to the Concordia Christmas Concert

Dec. 5 Park Rapids Area High School Choir Concert at the Area High School Auditorium

Dec. 10 2nd Saturday STEM activity at the Park Rapids Area Library

Dec. 12 Park Rapids Middle School Choir Concert at the Century Middle School Cafetorium

Dec. 14 Medora Christmas Memories at Park Rapids High School Auditorium

Dec.19 Pick up day for adult Take & Make Kits at the Park Rapids Area Library

Dec.19-23 Jolabokaflod (“book flood”) at the Park Rapids Area Library

JANUARY

Jan. 1-31 SnowTime to READ challenge at the Park Rapids Area Library

Jan. 14 2nd Saturday STEM activity at the Park Rapids Area Library

Jan. 17 Pick up day for adult Take & Make Kits at the Park Rapids Area Library

Jan. 19 Open Mic Night at the Armory Arts & Events Center

Jan. 23 Grades 6-12 Combined Band Concert at the Century Middle School Gymnasium

FEBRUARY

Feb. 1-28 SnowTime to READ challenge at the Park Rapids Area Library

Feb. 16 Open Mic Night at the Armory Arts & Events Center

Feb. 21 Pick up day for adult Take & Make Kits at the Park Rapids Area Library

MARCH

March 7 Heartland Concert: The Patsy Cline Project at the Park Rapids Area High School Auditorium

March 20 Pick up day for adult Take & Make Kits at the Park Rapids Area Library

Jody Ziemann (left) of Park Rapids won the Art Leap visitor survey drawing. Julie Kjenaas, Heartland Arts Council chair, recently present ed her with a pottery piece created by Gary Wolff. Thank you to all who completed the surveys.

Twelve Park Rapids Area High School vocal and band students competed in 14 events at Minne sota State High School League solo contests in Bagley Nov. 2.

“Every single one of them made us proud and did a great job per forming, showing great progress and improvement over a short time this fall. All of the scores and com ments reflect that our musicians made a strong impression on the judges,” said band director John Cook.

“Every one of our performances

rated in the top two categories, and we are extremely proud of our music students!”

Receiving excellent ratings for their solos were: Cyprian Lit tle, vocal; Tyler Hillukka, vocal; Anika Kietzman, trombone; Janae Torma, flute; Kyla Mercil, flute; and Tabitha Guida, flute.

Receiving superior ratings for their solos were: Wyatt Koske la, trumpet; Harmony Trygstad, clarinet; Jillian Neubauer, flute; Levi Trygstad, voice; Jack Worner, voice; Levi Trygstad, trombone;

Jack Worner, clarinet; and Cate Worner, bass clarinet.

In addition, Park Rapids claimed best in site honors in all three performance sites. Jack Worner and Levi Trygstad earned the hon ors for the vocal sites, and Cate Worner received best in site hon ors for the instrumental perfor mances.

Park Rapids vocal, band students excel Three great concerts remain this HCA season

The public is invited to hear these vocalists and others at the High School Choir Concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5 at the Area High School Auditorium.

The Heartland Concert Association (HCA) season is well-underway!  But it is never too late to become a member.  Portrait of a Queen and Jeeyoon Kim brought two distinctly different genres of music to our audience.

CeCe Teneal got the audience up on their feet dancing to the music of Aretha Frank lin and Jeeyoon Kim provided a uniquely engaging and innovative concert experience to the audience.

HCA attempts to bring a variety of con certs to the community so there will be something for everyone, and to have an opportunity to experience a genre of music they might have ignored.

Upcoming concerts include: The Patsy Cline Project on Tuesday, March 7; For ever Simon and Garfunkel on Monday, March 27; and Copper Street Brass on Friday, May 12. All shows are held in the Park Rapids Area High School Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Membership also includes concerts in Wadena’s Concert Series. Single concert tickets are available for each concert, but it is a better value to be a member! Please visit www.heartlandconcertassociation.org for more information.

Lisa Brokop’s warm, rich voice and accompanying band will be paying homage to one of country music's greatest ladies, Patsy Cline, when she performs as part of the Heartland Concert Association concert March 7. Sit back, relax and enjoy many of Patsy’s classic hits like “Crazy”, "Sweet Dreams" and "Walkin’ After Midnight.” Brokop is Canadian born but lives in Nashville

Band Director, John Cook, conducts the Park Rapids Area High School Band at their concert Monday, Nov. 7. The High School and Middle School Bands will give a Grades 6-12 Combined Band Concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23 at the Century Middle School gymnasium.

Band director John Cook (left) and choir director Gunnar Aas (right) brought a highly successful group of vocal and instrumental soloists to a music contest Nov. 2 in Bagley. Competitors (from left) were Anika Kietzman, Cate Worner, Jillian Neubauer, Cyprian Little, Wyatt Koskela, Tabitha Guida, Jack Worner, Kyla Mercil, Tyler Hillukka, Janae Torma, Levi Trygstad and Harmony Trygstad.

Art Be At

Candy Crane wins People’s Choice Award

The Salvage Depot’s sculpture, Candy Crane, won the People’s Choice Award, the first award presented by the Park Rapids Arts and Culture Advisory Commission since the Park Rapids Sculpture Trail started in 2018.

Charlie Arvik was the Instructor and all of the people pictured helped weld, grind, paint and create the “Candy Crane” sculpture.

The design for the sculpture was done by Emily Whitaker, Salvage Depot man ager, and Arvik with help from the clients at the Salvage Depot.

“We used donated materials to cre ate the crane. Charlie and the clients worked hard to create this one-of-akind sculpture,” Whitaker said.

“The DAC and Salvage Depot are grateful to have Charlie as a part of our programming and look forward to what they come up with next year for the competition,” she added.

Last winter, the Hubbard County Developmental Achievement Center (DAC) offered a welding class taught by Alex Hines in which clients and staff were given instruction on basic welding safety and welding skills. This class has given the opportunity to expand the welding program and the DAC will continue to do more of it throughout the coming years.

“We would like to give a special thanks to the Arts and Culture Advi sory Commission and LuAnn HurdLof for giving us a chance to display the talents of the individuals we serve here at the DAC,” Whitaker said.

The 14 sculptures that are part of this year’s Park Rapids Sculpture Trail are located in Red Bridge Park and downtown Park Rapids.

People’s Choice Award ballots were

included in the event guide for Art Leap 2022 and people also cast their votes on Facebook at www.facebook. com/PRsculpturetrail.

Other artists whose works are dis played on this year’s Sculpture Trail are Paul Albright, Akeley; Al Bellevue, Puposky; Brian Berle, Shakopee; Tim Cassidy, New York Mills; Aidan Dema rals, Janesville and Tim James, Good Thunder; Jon Kamrath, Mahtomedi; Isaac Kidder, Minnetrista; Sunghee Min, Roseville; Tim Nelsen, Bemidji; James Pedersen, Walker and Ryan Pedersen, North Mankato; Jamie Weinfurter, Iowa City, IA; and Simon Zornes, Bagley.

This year’s sponsors are CHI St. Joseph’s Health, Good Life, Heartland Arts, Hubbard County DAC, Klein Insur ance, Northview Bank, Northwoods Bank, Park Rapids Downtown Busi ness Association, Park Rapids Rotary Club, Russel Skoe Family Trust, Sanford Health, Thelen’s Excavating & Septic, Thielen Motors and anonymous donors.

Library programs that educate and entertain

2nd Saturday STEM

Mary Schwartz is serv ing up 2nd Saturday STEM activities with festive paper marbling greeting cards to send or give as gifts at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10.

In the new year, Mary will explore color-chang ing cabbage chemistry on Saturday, Jan. 14. The library’s FREE 2nd Sat urday STEM activities are held in the large meeting room downstairs at the library. Great for families and teens – no registration needed.

Take-and-make kits

Create your own inspir ing crafts with our FREE take-and-make kits for adults which include all the specialized supplies needed. Pick up your kit on the third Monday of each month December through March, while supplies last. Monday, Dec. 19 features Impossible paper orbs from scrapbook paper.

As the library will be closed Monday, Jan.16 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, button bouquet kits will be available Tuesday, Jan. 17.

Jolabokaflod

Join library staff Dec. 19-23 from 9:30 a.m. to close each day to celebrate the Icelan dic tradition of reading a “flood” of great books and eating chocolate. Check out your own “book flood” and get a free chocolate!

SnowTime to READ

Our winter reading pro gram for adults is a fun chal lenge right in time for the best days to read! Each reader who finishes 10 books from Jan.1 to Feb. 28 earns their choice of a sturdy mug or insulated beverage tumbler. Books and other prizes along the way make this reading challenge easy to complete! Unlike the summer program, this one is just for those folks over 18. Log your books online with our Beanstack app or use our classic paper reading log. Grand prize this year is a book tote packed with prizes!

HigH notes

Classic Chorale Winter Concert

If you’re looking to get into the Christmas spir it, the Park Rapids Classic Chorale has just the musi cal concert for you.

“Oh, How Beautiful the Sky,” a concert consisting of Christmas music, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday Dec. 2 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4 at Riverside United Method ist Church, 1005 Park Ave No.

The 30-voice chorale, under the direction of Dr. Melanie Hanson, opens their 31st season by leading you on a journey of sacred and secular music. Songs include Morten Laurid sen’s, “O Magnum Mysterium,” Min nesota Composer Matthew Culloton’s “In dulci jubilo,” Scandinavian Carols arranged by Paul J. Christensen and many others.

The concerts are open to the pub lic with a free will offering taken at intermission. As always, everyone is invited to join the chorale in the social hall for refreshments.

Call for artists

Heartland Arts Council in Park Rap ids is seeking artists to paint a mural in Downtown Park Rapids with com pletion as early as June 30, but no later than Aug. 15, 2023. The artist selected will be notified in January and must be willing to work with a steering committee on a final design. The deadline for submitting proposals including proposed cost is January 13. If you are interested, please contact Lu Ann Hurd-Lof by email at luann47@ gmail.com. A request for proposals has been prepared with details.

See “Hamilton” at the

Orpheum

Park Rapids Community Education welcomes you to travel with us on May 4 to the Orpheum Theatre, Minneap olis to watch “Hamilton.” “Hamil ton” is the story of America’s Found ing Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolu tionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Sec retary. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway, Hamil ton is the story of America then, as told by America now. For more information or to register call 218-237-6600.

Salvage Depot staff and clients who created this year’s award winning Candy Crane sculpture are (from left) Charlie Arvik, Shayna Braunschweig, Vanessa Anderson, Andrew Selbitschka and Curtis Kako. Candy Crane and the other sculptures will be on display in Red Bridge Park and Downtown Park Rapids until May.

The City of Park Rapids recognized Hubbard County DAC Salvage Depot for winning the Park Rapids Sculpture Trail People’s Choice Award at the Oct. 25 council meeting. Accepting were Emily Whitaker, Salvage Depot manager, and David Ceminski. Also shown in the photo are (from left) Liz Stone, who serves as the City Council liaison on the Park Rapids Arts and Culture Advisory Commission, council member Erika Randall, city administrator Angel Weasner and Mayor Ryan Leckner.

Art Be At

NLOC announces summer 2023 show

The Northern Light Opera Company (NLOC) has chosen “Little Shop of Horrors” for its sum mer 2023 production July 28 through Aug. 5.

One of the longest-run ning Off-Broadway shows, this charmingly tongue-in-cheek comedy has been produced world wide to incredible success.

New Open Mic Nights at the Armory Arts & Events Center

In collaboration with Revel Brewing and Wine Not ?, the Armory Arts & Events Center (AA&EC) produced their first Open Mic Night Thursday, Oct. 20 to a lively audience of more than 80 people.

Local talent played and sang the night away for people look ing for something fun to do on a fall night in Park Rapids. AA&EC’s Open Mic Night has a bohemian flair, with some seating available in comfort able, eclectic furniture from the Salvage Depot.

Another Open Mic Night at AA&EC was scheduled for Nov. 17. The surprising success of

From Page 5

the October event continued into November, with another hit, despite cooler weather.

AA&EC is planning to continue their Open Mic Nights on the

Marsha and Gary Wolff’s grandchil dren, August, 8, and Elin, 10, also par ticipated. August sold five mosaic pieces and Elin sold three pottery turtles she created. Marsha, who does mosaics, said August needed very little help with the mosaic fish he created. Elin learned how to make pottery from Gary. “We’re so proud of them. They were good with people and a big help all weekend,” he said. “Now they can’t wait to get out of school and come to the studio.”

Visitors were treated to music by Deb bie Center at Revel Brewing in downtown Park Rapids and Dean Westby playing guitar on Saturday at WolfWorks Studio.

After the event guide was printed, Brenda Mason’s Park Rapids residence was added as an unofficial site where she

third Thursday of the month beginning in January 2023.

For more information about the AA&EC Open Mic Nights in 2023, call 218-237-3722.

showed her creative fashions. Unfortu nately, two locations became unavail able: the Osage Schoolhouse and Bruce Engebretson’s residence.

Plans are already in the works for Art Leap 2023 on Sept. 23-24.

Heartland Arts sponsors Art Leap with funding provided, in part, by Itas ca-Mantrap’s Operation Round Up, the Park Rapids Downtown Business Asso ciation, Sanford Health, the West Acres Foundation and participating artists. This activity is also funded by a Region 2 Arts Council Grant through an appropri ation by the Minnesota State Legislature and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund passed by Minnesota voters on Nov. 4, 2008.

Heartland Arts, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, welcomes donations to help support this project. The mailing address is Heart land Arts, PO Box 702, Park Rapids, MN 56470.

Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Disney’s “The Lit tle Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin”) are the creative geniuses behind this popular show.

The show’s iconic char acters include the meek floral assistant, Seymour; ditsy blond co-worker, Audrey; the R&B singing carnivorous plant, Audrey II; and the sadistic dentist. The show satirizes many things: science fiction, ‘B’ movies and musical com edy itself. More details about this production will be available on line.

Auditions will be scheduled for March 2023 and will be announced on NLOC’s website: www. northernlightopera.org.

Stage Lighting & Design Workshop

A Stage Lighting and Design Workshop was held

the weekend of Oct.15-16.

Led by professional light ing designer Heidi Eckwall, NLOC’s technical crew had a “boot camp” experience in setting up theater lights and are eager and feel confident to tackle future lighting challenges.

Filmmaker Intensive Workshop

On the weekend of Oct. 20-22, the Filmmaker Intensive Workshop was led by award-winning Los Angeles filmmaker David Leidy and NLOC’s tech director/playwright Greg Paul.

Five aspiring filmmak ers were challenged to create a story, film, direct and edit their newly cre ated work.

The professional direc tors inspired and guid ed the five filmmak ers as they collaborated with each other and local actors participated by helping make their films come to life on the screen. In three days, these cre ations went from idea to reality and were viewed by an audience at the Armory Arts & Events Center Oct. 22. This was indeed a new and suc cessful venture for NLOC.

An audience of more than 80 enjoyed the first Open Mic Night at the Armory Arts & Events Center Oct. 20.

Ena Skadberg charmed Art Leap visitors to Cathy Meyer’s residence north of Nevis with her needle-felting skills.

Maybe it’s the spici ness of fallen leaves or the simple coziness of the aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg, or maybe it’s the aroma of coffee, but my mind in the autumn shifts toward baking cakes.

In the summertime, especially the extrawarm one that we just experienced, I hesitated to turn the oven on. Autumn makes me think of the tree-ripened apples, gar den-fresh carrots, cran berries, and even the spices that go along with my favorite cakes.

So, looking ahead to fall and the season for indoor gatherings, I am turn ing to good-old favorites that are made with the fruits of the season.

Apple Date Nut Cake

If you have a food pro cessor, it’s OK to chop the apples using the steel blade — never mind that the end pieces might be irregular. Chopping can be one of the most tedious, time-consum ing processes in the kitchen, not to mention the mess. I do this all the time with my 30-yearold Cuisinart.

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized apples, peel removed, and quar tered (2 cups chopped)

1 cup granulated sugar ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon unsweet ened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup cold, strong coffee or 1 tablespoon instant coffee mixed with ½ cup water

½ cup chopped dates or raisins

½ cup chopped wal nuts or pecans

For caramel icing: ½ cup whipping cream

½ cup brown sugar, well-packed 1 teaspoon butter

BY BEATRICE OJAKANGAS

1 teaspoon vanilla Powdered sugar if needed to thicken the mixture

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangu lar pan and set aside.

Cream the granulated sugar and butter until smooth and blended. Add the eggs and beat until light. (It’s import ant that the butter be at room temperature.)

In a small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder and spices with the soda. Add 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture to the apples, dates and nuts. Toss to coat the pieces, then mix the remaining dry ingredients with the creamed mixture. Stir in the apple mixture until evenly blended.

Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake tests done.

Meanwhile, combine the cream, brown sugar and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring, and add the butter and vanilla. Spread over the partially cooled cake and cool completely.

Makes about 12 serv ings.

Carrot Spice Cake

We have a friend who just loves carrot cake and insists he could count it as a vegetable serving. Well, I love this cake, too — and it has become such a universal clas

sic that mixes have been developed featuring dried, shredded carrots. If you haven’t tried this fresh version, you have missed out on the fresh flavor of this classic!

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar

1½ cups vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups freshly shred ded carrots

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

For frosting:

(1) 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature 3-3 ½ cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons dark rum or vanilla

For decoration (option al): toasted pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and dust with flour 3 9-inch round cake pans or 1 9-by-13-inch rectangu lar cake pan.

Orange Butter Cake.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, oil and eggs together until light and fluffy. Mix in the soda, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and flour. Stir in the carrots, dates, and pecans or walnuts.

Spread the batter equally into the cake pans or evenly into the rectangular pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes for the layers or 35-40 minutes in the rectangular pan, or until the cake tests done.

For the frosting, mix the cream cheese and butter. Beat until fluffy, and mix in the sugar and rum or vanilla. Use the mixture to frost the layers or the rectangu lar cake. Decorate with toasted pecans if desired.

Makes about 12 serv ings.

Orange Butter Cake

Here’s an old-time favorite of our family. The original recipe came from my mother-inlaw, who always baked it in a Bundt pan. It is one

that keeps well because it is drenched with an orange syrup. Actually, it never lasted a long time in our family because it was gobbled up!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature 2 eggs Grated rind of 2 orang es

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup buttermilk or ¾ cup sour cream plus ¼ cup milk

For orange syrup: Juice of 2 oranges (about 1 cup)

1 cup sugar Directions: Butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan or a 9½-to-10inch Bundt pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter. Add the eggs and

the grated orange zest. Beat until fluffy. Mix the soda, baking pow der and flour into the creamed ingredients. Mix in the dates and nuts alternately with the but termilk (or a mixture of sour cream and milk).

Turn the batter into the baking pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35 min utes for the 9-by-13-inch pan or for 55-60 min utes for the Bundt pan, or until the cake tests done.

Meanwhile, combine the juice and sugar, and bring to a boil in a sauce pan; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Keep hot. When the cake is still hot from the oven, poke it several times with a wooden pick and pour the hot syrup over evenly. Let cool.

Unmold the Bundt cake onto a serving plate to serve. Serve the rectangu lar cake cut into squares.

Makes about 12 serv ings.

Do you know how cranberries are grown? Growing Together

Have you seen the cranberry com mercial with the two guys in the cran berry bog standing in hip waders with water nearly to their elbows?

Cranberries would seem to grow in water, right?

That assumption isn’t totally accurate, though. Cranberries do require an acid peat bog, but being submerged in water would kill the plants during the grow ing season. Why then, do we see cranberries usu ally pictured in water?

Read on.

Cranberries and the holidays go hand-inhand, but many of us, including me, don’t know much about how they’re grown, mostly because the main grow ing regions are east of the Dakotas and Min nesota. Many of us take cranberries for grant ed, but this fruit has a fascinating history and

BY DON KINZLER Gardening Columnist

method of production.

Cranberries grow in bogs, which are beds layered with peat, sand and clay, and this unique acid bog habi tat restricts commercial production to just a few states, including Wis consin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and a few in Oregon and Washington. An adequate supply of fresh water is needed, plus a growing season that extends from April to November.

Cranberries grow on trailing, woody vines, and can grow indefi nitely, with some com mercial vines in Massa chusetts being over 150 years old.

A common miscon ception is that cranberry bogs are covered with water. On the contrary, bogs are flooded just two times a year, once during winter to keep plants insulated from the cold, and once at harvest time to float berries to the water’s surface for easy collection.

Cranberries are har vested in September and October by one of two methods. For process ing, most are harvest ed by the wet method, where growers flood the bogs and loosen the fruit by machine, so it floats to the surface. For the fresh market, most cranberries are harvest

ed by the dry method, using mechanical comblike pickers.

My co-worker and good friend Esther McGinnis, North Dakota State University Exten sion horticulturist, recently wrote a fas cinating article about cranberries, and the information in the rest of today’s column is compliments of Esther. Were cranber ries served at the first Thanksgiving? No print ed menu exists from the 1621 Thanksgiving in Massachusetts, but it is feasible that the Wampanoag tribe may have brought cranber ries to the feast. Cran berries are one of the few fruits that are native to the United States and were prevalent on the East Coast.

The history of cran berries doesn’t begin in 1621. The Wampanoag and other tribes have

been gathering these nutritious berries for hundreds, if not thou sands of years. The fruit was eaten in a num ber of different ways, including fresh, dried, and baked into fritters.

One of the more inno vative uses was to mix dried venison meat, fat, and crushed cranber ries to make pemmican. Arguably, this could have been the world’s first protein bar. The fruit’s acidity, along with the meat fat, pre vented the pemmican from spoiling, and this portable product could be taken on long trips.

Cranberries are still a culturally important crop for the modern Wampanoag tribe. They have inhabited Massa chusetts for more than 12,000 years, and have a long history of gath ering cranberries for the winter. To this day, the Wampanoag celebrate

Cranberry Day each October. Children have a school holiday to gath er with their elders in the local bogs to harvest berries and preserve their traditions.

Most individuals have never seen cranberries growing in the wild, because they grow in wetlands called bogs that have sandy, acidic soil. The optimum soil pH for cranberry pro duction is astonishingly acidic, and is compara ble to acid rain. Consid ering that most soils are alkaline in the northern Great Plains, this pre cludes cranberry pro duction in our region.

Both wet and dry har vesting methods are used in commercial cranber ry production. For the lower-cost processing market, farmers flood their fields at harvest to a depth of 18 inches;

Cranberries are taken for granted as a side dish, but their growth and production are fascinating.

MICHAEL VOSBURG / THE FORUM

Dear Carol: My life has revolved around caring for our older generations. Dad died last year, and Mom’s now in memory care. While Mom’s good during the day, as evening closes in, she becomes anx ious and agitated. Her doctor calls this “sundowning.” Though my estranged sister has never been involved with care, I regularly update her via email. Last week, she called Mom for the first time in years and told her to stop taking her medications because they were bad for her. Mom takes comfort care medications, nothing more, but now she’s refusing them, calling them poison. Any suggestions? ~ WR

Dear WR: This is so sad for your mom and frus trating for you. It’s true that drugs can cause the symptoms that you mentioned, including paranoia, so any new drugs should be considered when there are changes in behavior. What makes your sister’s interference wrong is calling your mom directly with an alarmist, potentially harmful message. Considering your estrangement from your sister, it’s admirable that you’ve been updating her about your mom’s condition. You made it easy for her to ask you directly for more information. If she’s not comfortable doing that, she could have contacted the memory care staff. The way she handled this feels more like a power play aimed at you than dis

the water is churned to shake the berry from the vine, and the cran berries, which each contain an air pocket, float to the surface. Then the farmers use a boom to gather the floating berries.

For the higher-quality fresh market, farmers use lawnmow er-sized harvesters to painstak ingly pick the fruit. This process is very labor intensive and leaves a lot of berries in the field. The woody cranberry vines grow in moist soils but are not submerged in water during the growing sea son, because they would die.

Don Kinzler, a lifelong gardener, is the horticulturist with North Dakota State University Extension for Cass County. Readers can reach him at donald. kinzler@ndsu.edu.

BY CAROL BRADLEY BURSACK Columnist

tress over your mom’s medical condition.

At your mom’s stage in dementia, she’d be vul nerable to latching onto the idea that her medi cations are poison. All that she needed to set off paranoia was this suggestion from your sister. Now, she’s doing what is logical to her and refusing her comfort medications and she’s suffering as a result.

These situations are often best handled by involv ing a non-family member, so you could ask the memory care’s social worker to contact your sister. This person could explain that your mom’s brain is unable to make competent medical decisions, so the calls are confusing her and diminishing her quality of life. Ideally, her prescribing doctor could be part of the communications, as well.

If the memory care staff can’t make your sister listen to reason, you could hire a family arbitrator.

Geriatric care managers often take on this role. I can’t guarantee that your sister would respond to such an offer, but there’s a small chance that she would consider it if the staff suggested it to her.

Another option is working with your mom’s phone. Can she still use it to communicate with friends and family? If she rarely uses her phone on her own, it’s possible that you could remove it from the room without upsetting her. If she still enjoys getting calls, an alternative is blocking your sister’s number. Understand that if you do this, you can expect a strong reaction from your sister and pos sibly even legal threats.

Again, my deep sympathy for you and your mom. Unfortunately, this kind of manipulation is not as uncommon as we’d like to think, but that doesn’t make experiencing it any easier for you.

Carol Bradley Bursack is a veteran caregiver and an established columnist. She is also a blogger, and the author of “Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories.” Bradley Bursack hosts a website supporting caregivers and elders at www.mindingourelders.com. She can be reached through the contact form on her website.

Cranberries grow on trailing, woody vines, and can grow indefinitely, with some commercial vines in Massachusetts being over 150 years old.

When is it time to transition to assisted living?

My main goal in life is to help people preplan. As we, our family, and friends start to age, there are questions we should be asking:

1. Where would we want to go if we can’t stay in our home until the end of life?

2. What does our community have to offer for housing for seniors and what is the cost?

3. Pay attention to how you are doing in your home. Are you eating properly? Are you comfortable tak ing a shower alone? Are your household chores becoming difficult to manage? How are your medications being man aged? Is it difficult to buy your groceries and bring them home? Are

The Family Circle

BY LAUREL HED LSW GCM, works for Security First, SBC Adult Care Management Services

you having unexplained weight gain or loss? Are you feeling sad, have no energy, and would rath er stay in bed?

These are all areas that will lead a person to consider a different home setting.

How does a person go about choosing an assisted living? If pos sible, visit the assisted living options in your area before you need it. If you find one that you feel comfortable in, then ask to have your

name put on the wait ing list to be prepared. This will allow the facil ity to notify you when they have openings. If you are not ready, your name will continue to be on the call list.

These facilities are to provide support in the areas that you may need support in, as well as provide independence.

When my mother moved to an assisted living facility, we helped her recreate her own home as much as possi

ble, which really helped with the transition.

This is an adjustment for everyone, so family should try to be pres ent as much as possible. Visits during coffee time or bringing cookies to share helps to make it feel more like home.

There are often activ ities offered so families should get a copy of the activity calendar, as this can help a person be available to their parent or loved one to get them involved.

Be sure to notify fam ily, friends, church, etc. so they can send ‘Wel come to your new home’ cards as well as visit.

Once the newness wears off, people often wish they had done it sooner.

DESSERTS

From Page 9

Holiday Cranberry Pie

Fresh cranberries show up on the shelves this time of year, and although I love to make boozy, glazed cranber ries for Thanksgiving dinner, they are delicious just cooked with sugar or roasted with sugar and brandy, rum or anoth er spirit (one 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries, 4 cups sugar and about ½ cup your favorite booze). Roast at 350 degrees for one hour.

Ingredients: Pastry for 1 dou ble-crust 9-inch pie, purchased or homemade 4 cups fresh cranber ries, washed and halved 1¾ cup tightly packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-pur pose flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons butter

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out half the crust to line a 9-inch pie pan. In a bowl, gently com bine the cranberries, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Turn mixture into the pastry-lined pan. Dot with butter.

Roll out the top crust and cut into half-inch strips. Arrange in a lat tice pattern on top of the cranberry filling. Moisten edges with water, trim off strips, and crimp edges to seal.

Bake 45-55 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is gold en. Cool before serv ing. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes about 8 serv ings.

Beatrice Ojakangas is a Duluth food writer and author of 31 cookbooks. Find her online at beatrice-ojakangas.com.

Non-profit andChristian-based

Honored to be recognized as MINNESOTA'S BEST!

Assisted Living

Active and socially focused living for older adults who need alittleextrahelpwith day-to-day activities.

Ser ving individuals at Cr ystal Brook Senior Living.

Memory Care

Holistic careand suppor ttomeet the unique needs of those withmemor yloss while helping them maintain theirindependenceand choice

Ser ving individuals at Cr ystal Brook Senior Living.

In-HomeCare

Skilled nursing, therapy ser vices, and personal caretoenableindividuals to recover or maintain their independenceinthe comfor toftheir homes.

Serving individuals throughout West Central Minnesota with Knute Nelson Home Health Care.