Edina April 2021

plus: Yancey Park Honoring Edina’s Black pioneers Local Gem Tranquility Garden in the spotlight

Passing down a treasured pastime

B U DDING P H OTO G

TORN ROTATOR CUFF

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LAKE VIEWS

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IN THE HEART OF GOLDEN VALLEY

Fully renovated with a fabulous open floor plan! 4Br/3Bth/3Car. Incredible setting across from a lake and park.

Walk out lower level and flat fenced yard.

Updated and fresh! 3Br/2Bth/2Car. Newly renovated kitchen and baths with SS and granite. Desired open floor plan with wonderful entertaining spaces.

Light and bright 3BR 2 BA rambler on a large lot with mature oak trees, gorgeous hardwood floors, beautifully updated eat-in kitchen and baths, finished lower level with bar & wood burning fireplace, sauna.

Mary Krieter - 612.719.0665

Mary Krieter - 612.719.0665

Sylva Zoraqi - 612.710.8081

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Expect the exceptional.

We know what it takes to sell luxury homes because we’ve done it more than anyone else.

PERFECT FOR ENTERTAINING

EAST EDINA CHARM

The most powerful network.

Total update including basement reno adding 4th bedroom & new mechanicals.

Gathering sized dining room, 3 season porch, mudroom, private yard, 3 car insulated garage + extra parking

Beautifully updated top to bottom with contemporary colors and finishes throughout.

Open airy spaces, eat-in kitchen, 4 large bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 gas fireplaces, garage workshop, + fenced yard & deck!

The most homes sold.

Kim Schaak Melin - 952.201.4758

Kim Schaak Melin - 952.201.4758

And a 63 - year history of selling the Twin Cities finest neighborhoods.

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LAKE FRONT IN EDINA

FABULOUS WALKABILITY

Spectacular, executive home remodeled for today’s lifestyle! Expansive main level with gorgeous center island “cooks” kitchen open to a family room and main level office. 4 Bedrooms all with private baths, generous living/entertaining spaces, walk out LL and indoor sport court w/ golf simulator. Striking setting on a sprawling .64-acre lake front lot.

Charming bungalow recently renovated for today’s lifestyle. Large “cooks” kitchen open to main level family room with gas fireplace and built ins.

Gorgeous original detailing and quality throughout.

Main level owner’s suite with lg. walk-in closet and new bath. Charming south facing sunroom and porch. Easy walk to the lakes, shopping, and dining.

Mary Krieter - 612.719-0665

Mary Krieter - 612.719.0665

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GOLF TERRACE HEIGHTS!

AMAZING WALKOUT IN HIGHWOOD

INCREDIBLE 5BR, 5BA IN HIGHWOOD

Fantastic 5 BR one level home with an enameled kitchen open to the family room. Fresh neutral décor, 3 fplcs, private backyard; walk to Arden Pk and 50th & France! $997,500 Tour at: JohnEverett.com

Sold in 3 days! Beautiful 5BR home with a stunning new kitchen and remodeled bathrooms. Vaulted ceilings, screen porch, parklike yard, 3 fplcs + more! $925,00 Tour at: JohnEverett.com

Wonderful home with vaulted Great Rm open to awesome kitchen, Owners suite, 1st flr Mudrm & laundry, 3 car gar, private patio, Putting greens in & outside! $1,030,000 Tour at: JohnEverett.com

John Everett 952.221.5464

John Everett 952.221.5464

John Everett - 952-221-5464

Edina Realty 50th & France 952.920.1960 | Edina Realty 6800 France 952-927-1100

901 Nicollet

Minneapolis jbhudson.com

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CONTENTS

APRIL 2021 Let spring be a testament to our resilience. Ideas bloomed.

Challenges overcome. History honored. Creativity showcased.

PAGE 10

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APRIL 2021

MODERN FARMHOUSE 3572 kelvin court n, lake elmo

in every issue Editor’s Letter 6 Noteworthy 9 On the Town 3 4 Gallery 40 Tastemakers 42 Last Glance 48

departments BE W E L L 14

The Burpee Chick Edina resident and business owner beats a Guinness World Record.

S C E N E 16

the propert y Your modern farmhouse doesn’t have to be far from the city!

Experience the inviting tran uility of this luxurious, customdesigned home located 20 minutes from do nto n St. Paul.

Social Distance Celebrations

New local biz creates personalized yard signs for all occasions.

features 20

Creative Showcase Local poets write art for our ears.

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Local Gem

Tranquility Garden deserves spotlight.

property features 4,006 s uare feet Energy efficient 4 bed 3 bath Gourmet kitchen

Radiant heat flooring 2.5 acres Oversized 800 s.f. garage Close to nature reserve

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Yancey Park

PHOTO BY CHRIS EMEOTT

Honoring Edina’s Black pioneers.

SARA ANDERSON (o) 612.305.8828 (c) 612.280.7983

san derson @kw.com M M N D II S ST I N C T I V E H O ME S . C O M M

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Your House.

Our Expertise.

National TV.

VIEW ON ABC, STREAMING DEVICES OR OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

Angela Johnson, edinamag@tigeroak.com

T

he topic of forest bathing was mentioned at a recent editors’ meeting. My eyebrows raised at some imagined scene of outdoor showering. Sidenote; according to hgtv.com, alfresco showers are a trend for homeowners attempting to bring even more of the outdoors in … but I digress. Forest bathing isn’t about actual bathing, it’s a version of nature therapy. Apparently, the Japanese coined the term forest bathing or “absorbing the forest atmosphere” as a way to encourage people to spend more time in nature. The key is to practice a type of mindfulness by silencing your cell phone and being truly present in nature, walking leisurely (this isn’t intended for aerobic exercise or counting steps) while taking in the sights, sounds and scents. Deep breathing is an important part of the process. Some research indicates regular nature walks can reduce stress hormones and improve the immune system. Some even write themselves “nature prescriptions” for regular 20-minute exposures to nature as a way to improve overall health. Even better, nature therapy is free and forest bathing doesn’t require an actual forest. A local park will do!

In this issue we share noteworthy updates about two local parks. First, Garden Park in Edina was recently renamed Yancey Park in honor of a pioneering Black family in Edina. Read a bit of history on the Yancey family and how thoughtful city residents and staff determined to honor their legacy in this way.

Then, turn to our feature story about the new Tranquility Garden at Arneson Acres Park. This long-planned renovation spearheaded by the Edina Garden Council is beautifully taking shape and could be a perfect spot for filling your “nature prescription.”

Getting outdoors was something we did more of in 2020. That’s a good thing.

Let’s keep it up in 2021 by exploring and supporting our local park system.

DREALTYG.COM DANIEL: 612-554-4773 JULIE: 612-867-3041

Find more stories & photos online. Plus, tag us in your Edina pics!

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APRIL 2021

EDINA MAGAZINE

@EDINAMAG

On the Cover Maddie Hunzelman, photo by Melissa Hunzelman

PHOTO BY LISA BUTH

We’re looking for Minnesota’s best properties to feature on a show focused on lifestyle, entrepreneurship and real estate. Be featured and gain increased exposure to sell your home.

FROM THE EDITOR

VOL. 17 NO. 8 edinamag.com

publisher

SUSAN ISAY

editor ANGELA JOHNSON

managing editor ANGELA JOHNSON

associate editor HAILEY ALMSTED

copy editor KELLIE DOHERTY

staff writers

AVA DIAZ

MADELINE KOPIECKI

contributing writers editorial interns

CLARE BENDER LAUREN FOLEY

MEGHAN BISHOP

UPGRADE your outdoor game

OLIVIA RIVERIA

editorial advisory board JEANNE ANSELMO, JJ Designs TINA BOHRER, Edina Community Foundation SARAH DULONG, Ron Clark Construction CHERYL GUNNESS, Edina Community Education KRISTA JOHNSON ELIZABETH KRIEL, Jerry’s Foods JEFF OHE, Cahill Financial REBECCA BELL-SORENSEN JASMINE BRETT-STRINGER RACHEL THELEMAN, 50th and France Business Association ERIN ZOSEL, Sloane’s Beauty Bar

senior managing art director SARAH DOVOLOS

art directors ALLISON NOLDEN

EMILY HANDY

lead staff photographer CHRIS EMEOTT

print production director production coordinator digital production director project coordinators senior account executives

BRITTNI DYE ALEX KOTLAREK DEIDRA ANDERSON ANGELA BEISSEL

SE RV ICES Patios and retaining walls – all sizes Beautiful front yard, curb appeal plantings Evergreen screens Walkways Accent boulders and berms

BROOKE BEISE

KATIE FREEMARK CYNTHIA HAMRE SARA JOHNSON

circulation and marketing

KATIE RINGHAND

credit manager

APRIL MCCAULEY

chief operating officer chief financial officer

SUSAN ISAY BILL NELSON

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A Sustainable, Organic Approach to Lawn Care Organic Lawns by LUNSETH is the industry leader in the niche market of organic lawn care.

I

n 2008, Eric and Shay Lunseth had a vision for a safer approach to traditional chemically-based lawn care upon the birth of their first child.

“As parents and pet owners, it was important to us to make wise decisions about what we put on our lawns,” Shay says.

“Eliminating harmful chemicals whenever possible is an easy choice, especially when alternatives are available.”

After two years of testing, the couple added organic solutions to the offerings of their commercial lawn care business. To grow their business and knowledge base, Shay earned a master’s degree (MPS ‘18) in horticulture from the University of Minnesota. What knowledge she gained has helped them perfect their organic approach to lawn care.

Their method is simple: 100% OMRI-certified organic fertilizer, corn gluten, liquid iron weed control, custom blended allelopathic seeding and aeration to create beautiful lawns.

They provide customers with timely communication and tips on cultural methods to improve the process, such as practical watering and mowing techniques.

One of the Lunseths’ biggest challenges is educating customers and skeptics about the benefits of organic lawn care.

“Ten years ago it was a harder sell. People were unsure it

would work,” says Eric, “but time has proven it works well.”

The standard program should be given at least three years to see the best success—nothing happens overnight.

Customers have noted things like: “I’ve gotta say that when we started this process, you said it could take about three years for noticeable results. Well this begins year 3, and I am delighted! My sad lawn is thick and green...and with few dandelions! This is called truth in advertising.”

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ORGANIC LAWNS BY LUNSETH info@organiclawnsbylunseth.com 612.913.4899 • www.organiclawnsbylunseth.com

NOTEWORTHY local tips, tidbits & insights

GOING GREEN Local efforts promote a sustainable future.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GALLERIA SHOPPING CENTER

BY CLARE BENDER

W

ith Earth Day around the corner on April 22, it seems fitting to show some appreciation for Edina’s Green Business Recognition initiative which implements plans to help the community reach a more environmentally sustainable future.

The initiative awards green businesses with gold, silver or bronze status based on efforts to improve energy efficiency, recycling, waste disposal and water conservation.

Participating businesses meet requirements by utilizing reusable products, LED lights and turning off electronics, says Michelle Horan, an Edina energy and environment commission member.

“Each business [that] joins the Green Business program has the potential to make a big impact and help Edina move closer to its goals,” says Grace Hancock, Edina’s sustainability coordinator.

Some participating businesses include Wooden Hill Brewing, Gateway Bank, Grandview Tire & Auto, Starbucks 50th and France and Lush Cosmetics.

Edina’s Galleria Shopping Center received gold status through improvements like adding compost containers, implementing food recycling (a local farm uses the food waste) and installing energy efficient lighting, according to Galleria’s engineering manager Michael Olson. He says the sustainable improvements are providing positive results.

Simple actions like recycling can help reduce landfill use and greenhouse gas emissions. Edina encourages sustainability in the community by making it accessible and easy. It sponsors 100 Home Energy Squad free assessments each year. Also, Horan notes that Edina recently started a curbside organics program to help reduce food waste at home.

“Initial costs of implementing new programs may seem out of reach at times,” says Olson. “Over a period of time, making small, simple changes, will be just as impactful.”

Interested businesses can visit Edina’s Green Business site: edinamn.gov/834/Green-Business.

EDINAMAG.COM

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N OT E WO RT H Y »

C I T I Z E N OF E D I N A

A sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Nia Diaby has already made an impact on the world, starting when she was in elementary school.

Following a 2011 trip to her father’s native village in Senegal, West Africa, Nia and her sisters Mariam and Sirah raised $3,000 to build a well at the school so students wouldn’t need to walk across the village at lunchtime for water.

Through their family’s nonprofit, Share a Care for Africa, they’ve focused on a new project each year; adding electricity, replacing a straw roof with metal and building a new school. During a return visit in 2017, Nia and her sisters noted a lack of school supplies. So, Miriam contacted Target Corporation and secured enough supplies for all 375 students for the year.

Nia is also a basketball player and she asked the Edina Basketball Association to host a used uniform drive. She worked with an Edina High School athletic trainer to secure old high school uniforms and were able to ship 3,600 uniforms distributed to 52 schools throughout the region.

The Diaby sisters continued to set project goals and built a website in 2018 to highlight projects and collect donations. They are proud to have completed their largest project to date: funding a medical center on the border of Senegal and The Gambia. In 2021, they aim to install lighting and secure medical equipment. Nia won a Connecting with Kids Leadership Award in 2018 for her dedication to Share a Care for Africa. She is currently pursuing a degree in Human Development & Family Studies and French with a minor in nonprofit leadership.

Contributed by the Edina Community Foundation; edinacommunityfoundation.org

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APRIL 2021

PHOTO BY CHRIS EMEOTT

Share a Care

RECIPE Lemon Coffee Cake: • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature • 1/2 cup granulated sugar • 2 large eggs • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract • 1/4 cup milk • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice • zest from 1 lemon • 1/2 tsp. baking soda • 1/4 tsp. baking powder • 1/4 tsp. salt • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

PHOTO BY TAYLOR ELLINGSON

Lemon Cream Cheese Filling: • 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature • 1/4 cup granulated sugar • 1 large egg • zest from 1 lemon Crumb Topping: • 1/2 cup butter, melted • 1/2 cup brown sugar • 1/4 cup granulated sugar • 1/4 tsp. salt • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Grease a 9” springform pan with cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well combined, about two minutes.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until well combined.

5. Add the vanilla, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined.

6. Fold in flour with spatula until just combined.

7. Pour into prepared springform pan.

8. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and lemon until creamy, about two minutes.

9. Spread cream cheese mixture over the cake, keeping it about 1/2” away from the edges so it doesn’t touch the side of the pan.

10. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt and flour with a fork until well combined.

11. Sprinkle over the top of the cream cheese layer.

12. Bake until slightly golden on top, about 38-40 minutes. It will still seem a little jiggly in the middle due to the cream cheese layer but it will set up.

13. Cool completely. Release from the springform pan. Cut and serve. Enjoy!

Contributed by Taylor Ellingson, local cookbook author and food blogger at greensnchocolate.com

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N OT E WO RT H Y »

PHOTO CONTE ST The Images of Edina photo contest is a wonderful way to spotlight local photographers and their photos of our community.

This photo contest, presented by Edina Magazine and the city of Edina, showcases so much of what you love about this city you call home.

Call for submissions: We’re looking for photos that show off the core values of Edina in five categories: • Activities & Events • Business • People • Places in Edina • Plants & Animals Submit photos at edinamag.com beginning in April. A panel of judges from the city of Edina, Edina Magazine and the community will select the best in each category and announce the winners on or around August 1, 2021.

So, look back at your photos from the past year and select some favorites to submit. Be sure to read the Images of Edina FAQs and the official Rules and Guidelines at edinamag. com before submitting your photos.

2021 Images of Edina Photo Contest Timeline • Submissions accepted online from April 15June 15.

• Readers’ Choice voting will take place online from June 21-July 21.

• Winners will be announced online in August 2021.

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APRIL 2021

ART

In Memorium

Artwork recommended by the Art Girls.

“I said now overcast days never turned me on, but something about the clouds and her mixed.” —Prince, poet, musical genius and lover of Minneapolis Hollie Blanchard, co-founder of Art Girls Mpls. says, “Prince knew Minneapolis was a creative force. His lyrics were the soundtrack to my youth and so many others. Like music, visual art comes in many genres and really fantastic art pulls you in and we are never the same. Gone too soon,

Prince Rogers Nelson, so thankful your music lives forever.”

Artist: Matthew Gaulke of Minneapolis Title: Prince Medium: Pencil on mixed media paper; 11x14

For more information about this or similar artwork, contact the Art Girls at artgirlsmpls.com; hollie@artgirlsmpls.com @art_girls_mpls Art Girls Minneapolis

READ

LANDMARK LITERATURE Stories that take you places.

Readers who like themes will love the novels of Fiona Davis. Her stories are set in landmark New York buildings. They include: Chelsea Girls (Hotel Chelsea); The Masterpiece (Grand Central Terminal); The Address (Dakota Apartments); The Dollhouse (Barbizon Hotel for Women); and her latest The Lions of Fifth Avenue (Fifth Avenue Branch of the New York Public Library). Lions opens in 1913, with Laura Lyons hurrying into the library, where she lives in an apartment with her husband, Jack, and their two children.

Jack is the superintendent of the building, managing boilers to payroll. The next chapter introduces Sadie Donovan in 1993. Sadie works as a rare books librarian in the same building. Both women have aspirations, desires and secrets. Davis weaves a page-turning story with enough red herrings to please cozy mystery fans.

Her books reveal the buildings’ histories and the lives of young women in each period. Whodunits abound through all.

Reading that will inspire dreams of travel to the Big Apple.

Contributed by Maureen Millea Smith, librarian at the Edina Library and a Minnesota Book Award-winning novelist.

EDINAMAG.COM

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D E PA R T M E N T S » B E W E L L

The Burpee Chick Edina resident and business owner beats a Guinness World Record.

BY AVA DIAZ

PHOTOS BY SASSYPANTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Ryan Schlinger & Stephanie Tennessen

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APRIL 2021

EDINA RESIDENT STEPHANIE TENNESSEN broke the Guinness World

Record for the most chest-to-floor burpees in 60 minutes last September.

“It’s just such a big accomplishment to be able to take on something like this and be successful during such a stressful time,” Tennessen says.

An athlete from a young age, Tennessen says she developed her true passion for fitness after she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when she was 18. Gaining 50 pounds in two months after her treatments, she began to actively workout as soon as she was healthy enough. As a result, she became captivated with all things exercise and went on to obtain a personal training license in addition to being a licensed a massage therapist for athletes.

“I think it is important to focus on goals and things that are in our scope of what we can control,” Tennessen says.

Her record-setting journey began after she listened to the book Can’t Hurt Me by U.S. veteran David Goggins last summer.

As the only man to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he also broke the pull-up world record in one hour (after three attempts). Inspired by his story, Tennessen wanted to tackle her own challenge, with burpees that is.

Setting a timer for 60 minutes, Tennessen’s first practice run started with her doing 10 burpees a minute, on the minute for a total of 600. Only needing 110 more to beat the previous record, she was determined to do what it took to get there. To mitigate her range of motion throughout the challenge, Tennessen worked with Twin Cities Orthopedics certified strength and conditioning specialist/personal trainer Ryan Schlinger to formulate a method based on her habitual trends. They settled on Tennessen accomplishing 13 burpees

every minute for the first 22 minutes and then 11 burpees every minute for the rest of the challenge, with a break during the 24-26 minute time marks.

Officially attempting the challenge last March, Tennessen was disqualified due to her foot touching the taped boundaries on the floor, causing her to miss her target by just six burpees. Not giving up, she continued to train.

“It has helped keep me sane during COVID-19 and it helped keep me focused on being present in the moment and getting through each day,” she says. “Being able to do burpees at home was life saving for me.”

In preparation for her second attempt, Tennessen completed a total of 36,000 burpees. In September, she successfully broke the record.

“It was amazing being a part of it and I have never experienced anything like it,” Schlinger says. “Just to see someone else accomplish such a tough goal was great, I teared up at the end.”

This May, Tennessen hopes to break another world record by completing 924 chest-to-ground pushup burpees in an hour. The difference this time will be the level of cardio involved. Training with 1,500 burpees a week, Tennessen will also incorporate 60-minute interval training to help increase her stamina.

“She is one of the most motivated people I have worked with,” Schlinger says.

Located 20 minutes West of Lake Minnetonka Boarding, Daycare, Grooming, Transportation, Training www.TopDogCountryClub.com (952)353-2600

INTUITIVE HEALING 651.395.1506 gr8rubb@yahoo.com Stephanie Tennessen: Intuitive Healing @thatburpeechick TWIN CITIES ORTHOPEDICS (EDEN PRAIRIE) 12982 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie 952.456.7470, tcomn.com Twin Cities Orthopedics

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D E PA R T M E N T S » S C E N E

Wendy Witherspoon owner of SG Edina

Celebrate from a Distance New local biz creates unique personalized yard signs for all occasions.

BY AVA DIAZ

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APRIL 2021

PHOTO BY CHRIS EMEOTT

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CREATING CUSTOMIZABLE EXPERIENCES FOR YOUR COMMUNITY,

Sign Gypsies Edina (SG Edina) crafts unique yard signs for individuals fit for any occasion. From birthdays to anniversaries, graduations and more, this full-service sign company designs, sets up and retrieves each installation for every client within 24 hours. Made from recycled plastics, these signs are durable in moist climates and each piece can be reused from one project to another to decrease additional waste.

“It is a fantastic way to spread joy and celebrate each other,” owner Wendy Witherspoon says. “Yard signs bring people together because you can celebrate your neighbors’ accomplishments in a different way than we have in the past.”

Upon researching socially-distanced ways to celebrate her daughter’s 13th birthday during quarantine last April, Witherspoon stumbled across SG, a Texas-based company that was established in 2014 and was immediately intrigued. Without a means of receiving their services, Witherspoon resorted to a flimsy craft-store sign that eventually disintegrated into the yard from the rain.

Making the best of the situation, she says that, “Knowing how happy she was to celebrate her birthday with the neighborhood made me realize how important it is for our community to celebrate together even during tough times.”

Through her experience and the desire to spread joy one celebration at a time, Witherspoon took matters into her own hands and looked into ways to expand the franchise locally.

With a crew of college students assisting her with set-up, take-down and design, this Edina-based business also provides service to Eden Prairie, Richfield, St. Louis Park and the southwest Minneapolis regions.

Accommodating their designs to any yard size and creating with their clients’ interests in mind, Witherspoon empha-

Represented Buyer

Susan & Gary Wahman 651.270.4709

susangarywahman.com

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SG EDINA

SCENE » CONTINUED

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APRIL 2021

SG EDINA 612.440.0576, signgypsiesedina@gmail.com Sign Gypsies signgypsies.com @signgypsiescorp

sizes that, “no two signs are the same.”

Through a questionnaire, individuals can specify the event they’re celebrating, their favorite hobbies, sports teams, colors or interests along with the location where the greeting will be displayed.

Edina resident and client of SG Edina Shanna Hawkinson has had three different signs made for each of her daughters’ milestone birthdays (13, 16 and 18 years old).

“I love the ease of it and it was super easy to book,” Hawkinson says. “I liked how I could specialize it and that I didn’t have to do anything after [for set-up and take-down].”

Featuring items and colors unique to their tastes and interests, Hawkinson also worked to incorporate elements relating to their new passages of life such as a cell phone and girly décor for the 13-year-old, a car and a set of keys for her 16-year-old and #adult for her 18-year-old.

“It is not just a generic happy birthday, they were very specialized to each individual person,” Hawkinson says. “It is a fun way to celebrate.”

With an emphasis on making each sign unique to the recipient, Witherspoon explains how, “People feel so good when they are surprised with a yard sign just for them. They just feel really special and we get to be a part of that.”

As for the future of SG Edina, Witherspoon says that she hopes to add even more variety of inventory to her sign collection and to, “Continue to help the community celebrate and stay connected to one another.”

“Without Crown Bank, the growth we’ve experienced would not have been possible.” jr anderson ASI: Acousitical surfaces, inc.

When you’re in the business of acoustics, quiet is good.

But when ASI’s JR Anderson needed money to make some noise in a pitch for a piece of a national chain’s business, he turned to his partner at Crown Bank. Crown delivered, totally funding their pitch - which helped ASI win the entire contract.

Watch the whole story at crown-bank.com.

What can we make possible for your business?

MEMBER FDIC

EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

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APRIL 2021

Edina Magazine: How long have you been writing poetry and how did you begin?

Since high school. People began asking me for a poem to use in an invitation or for a holiday greeting or to commemorate an event.

What is the inspiration and style of most of your poetry?

Early on it was girls of course. Besides the requests of others, I wrote about events or feelings about those events. Several years ago, I wrote a series of poems about Christmas cookies for my wife and a pal of hers to use as part of their entry to an annual Christmas cookie contest. My poems almost always rhyme. The past few years, I have written story poems, poems about current events, poems about Minnesota and poems about memories. Several have featured cats.

Why has writing poetry become important to your life?

I can sometimes express my feelings easier in poetry.

How should average readers view poetry versus other types/styles of writing?

Poetry is meant to be heard. Even by yourself it’s better to read it aloud. Poetry has a message. Not necessarily the message the poet had in mind, but the message it gives the reader. Good poems are new every time a new reader reads them.

Tell a bit about the poem you’ve submitted.

Our cat is the most affectionate cat I’ve known.

Some of the best moments of my day are when she sits on my lap and purrs or sleeps. Sometimes, a spontaneous flash comes into my head. There is no finer thing for me to be doing right now than this.

How long have I been writing poetry?

Somehow adults and teachers called me “the little poet” before I understood the form. I started journaling and writing verse in my early 20s.

What is inspiring?

Awakening all my senses. Listening to other poets. Poetry is sonic. Just listening to the music beneath individual voices answering one another touches me. The songs of nature—leaves, wind, water, birds and stone flow into my thoughts.

How is poetry different than other forms of writing?

Take a long slow breath. If you aced a speed read-

ing course, you might crash into the speed bumps that the poets intentionally placed. Or you might run over an ancient turtle crossing. Life’s complex contradictions and conflicts require reflective wrestling and perseverance. Acceptance of ambiguity may feel humbling. When you read Shakespeare aloud, you are breathing with Will from centuries ago. Take a long slow breath. Great artists tell the angels what it is like to live on earth.

How should average readers view poetry versus other types/styles of writing?

There is a need for casual conversation and banter. And there is also a need for more formal and purposive speech. You can drink from a flowing river with your hands, yes, it satisfies thirst.

Doesn’t a vessel, such as a cup or glass, contain and quench. Like a poem. Someone said, “You never step into the river in the same place twice.”

Perhaps a poem captures that.

Edina Magazine: How long have you been writing poetry and how did you begin?

Between 5 and 10 years old. One of the reasons was my mother used to read us poetry every night before bed, The Childcraft Series and poems like Don Durk of Dowdee and the Highwayman. I still remember some of them, I memorized them.

What is the inspiration and style of most of your poetry?

I was a musician for 50 years, mostly in the Midwest. Dad was also a teacher, a historian, a writer and a staff editor for magazines. I use a lot of the things that I have knowledge of in my writing.

Why has writing poetry become important to your life?

Because I’ve got Parkinson’s and have had it for 15 years. I decided I’m better off putting my energy into writing poetry instead of being a musician.

I don’t drive anymore but I’ve moved near my daughter. My daughters have learned by watching me do what I love, so now they do what they love.

The pandemic is a tragedy but it’s drawn us all together, which has really been fun for me.

Edina Magazine: How long have you been writing poetry and how did you begin?

I was introduced to poetry during my grade school years. I grew up in Minneapolis and each winter the first big snowstorm would ultimately arrive. My three younger brothers and I would gather around

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the kitchen table while our mom, preparing lunch at the kitchen counter, would begin reciting The First Snowfall, by James Russell Lowell. As she repeated the lines, verse by verse, I would recite along with her, memorizing as we went along. I’ve been writing since I was a young teenager.

What is the inspiration and style of most of your poetry?

Although I have explored writing poetry in its many forms, I primarily write free verse poetry.

I draw on inspiration for my poetry from many sources including day-to-day life, memories, the dreamtime and nature.

Why has writing poetry become important to your life?

Creativity has always been an essential part of who I am. It’s as necessary to me as breathing.

Both writing and reading poetry are important to me. When reading poetry, I replenish my creative spirit and when writing poetry, I express my creative spirit.

What should average readers view poetry versus other types/styles of writing?

That might depend on their own familiarity with poetry. For the reader who is less familiar with poetry, they might begin by re-reading poems from school like those by Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Dylan Thomas, Pablo Neruda or Maya Angelou.

Readers might also begin by reading shorter poems with familiar subject matter, like Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese, or Gary Soto’s poem, Oranges.

Re-reading a poem is common practice. Reading a poem once and then re-reading it can deepen our understanding of a poem. Poetry is an oral art form and is meant to be both spoken and heard.

Listening to poems by reading them out loud engages the senses and often reveals the meaning of the poem in new ways. Reading poems out loud can engage the whole family in the experience of poetry.

Shel Silverstein is a poet beloved by children.

Kids easily memorize poetry and can be encouraged to recite poems out loud and even write their own poems.

Tell a bit about the poem you’ve submitted …

I’m currently writing a poem inspired by a portrait

by Laurel Burch. This is an excerpt from the poem …

Maybe she’s someone I know or someone I once met.

Brilliant crimson birds with gold-tipped wings, gather at her crown.

Shining hair defined by fine, dark lines billows out, cascades down.

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EDINAMAG.COM

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RENOVATED PUBLIC GARDEN DESERVES THE SPOTLIGHT.

LO C A L G E M Written By Angela Johnson Photos by the Edina Garden Council

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APRIL 2021

City of Edina crew transports boulders to the site.

GA RDENS A R E N OT A STATIC TH I N G . T HEY A RE A LIVE A N D C HA N G E OVER TIME, R EQU I R I N G THOUGHTFU L N U R T U R E TO REMA IN V I BR A N T, LEST THEY LA N G U I SH.

Members of the Edina Garden Council (EGC), first established in 1953 to cultivate plants for the city of Edina, understand this and set out to transform .6 acres in a section of Arneson Acres Park to create a tranquility garden. The space was once a memory garden conceived in the 1980s, but trees were becoming diseased and it lacked enough places to plant. EGC members also noticed the public was using the space differently than in the past; enjoying lunch, doing yoga or having private celebrations; so they wanted to broaden the concept of the area. Thus, the blossoming of an initial idea to simply add a planting area to developing

a comprehensive plan that would overhaul the space in order to grow enjoyment opportunities for visitors for years to come.

Arneson Acres Park has a variety of areas. It’s a beautifully pastoral place, making it more important to contemporary life where large homes exist on small lots with less green space. There are also more people in Edina living in apartments and condominiums with limited green space.

These lifestyle changes make parks increasingly important to provide residents access to the benefits of being in nature. Within that, the tranquility garden at Arneson Acres Park will be encompassing, an intimate space that surrounds visitors with natural beauty.

EGC member Liz Genovese says, “At first we thought maybe add a garden inside the area and the Minnesota Peony Society donated 45 beautiful peonies. [The peonies] were doing well there but it was really hard

to work around the space.” Talk of improving the space had been bouncing around the EGC for years, but in 2016, when members began having a broader vision of what they wanted to do, they formed a committee with representation from each of the five Edina garden clubs that make up the EGC. Committee members looked at other parks for ideas. They also spoke to a member’s friend, a landscape architect and retired University of Minnesota professor. “[He] invited some former students to come talk, and we had our vision opened up about how the space could be a lot more than what we were thinking,” Genovese says.

More ideas can make plans more complicated. So, the committee approved hiring landscape designers Tony Siebenaler-Ransom of Tsuke Studio and Ben Erickson of B.E. Landscape Designs. Construction of the new tranquility garden began in 2019 and has been overseen by the

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Tranquility Garden Design Concept

city of Edina, Tsuke Studio and project manager Tim Zimmerman, city horticulturist. But before that, work was done starting in 2017 to clear out the area. EGC member Karen Platt says, “We moved the peonies to their new designated area that shows them off better. Members played a large part in that, dug them up with some help from the city. Members split and repotted some extras that were sold as part of a fundraising effort.

The city also cleared out dead trees and shrubs. It was exciting to finally break ground in 2019.”

The beginning phase of the tranquility garden consisted of basic grading, adding topsoil and berms. Then came infrastructure for hardscape brick paths along with some boulders.

“The boulders came from the city,”

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says Platt. “They were leftover from an earlier project and were in storage.

They are beautiful and look really nice throughout the garden.”

In the fall of 2019, major specimen trees were added. Then in 2020, irrigation was installed. Platt says, “A major feature that was kept are the two arches. That’s what people recognize,” as the motif of the area. A third arch was added this past summer. “We kept a bare bones hedge around the south and east sides,” says Platt. “That keeps the feel of a cloistered, private area.” Additional specimen trees, big shrubs and grasses followed.

Because the EGC envisions the tranquility garden as a quiet, contemplative place, there is a greater need for seating. Thanks to a generous member donation, a 26-foot

long seat wall was installed using stone donated from the Brookside Condominium complex in Edina.

Platt says, “A member lives there and they were re-doing a retaining wall. [EGC only] had to pay for transporting [the stone]. It’s beautiful with a blue stone cap on it. It was so important to get that in the main open area in front of the large grass oval looking toward the center berm where a lot of the major plantings are. Next will come a pergola over the seating bench that will provide shade and comfort.”

There will also be metal, powder coated benches with seat backs. By working through the city, Genovese says the EGC is getting a great deal on the high quality, low maintenance benches meant to last a long time.

GARDEN CLUB VOICES “I am a newer member of Normandale Garden Club.

I appreciate the friendliness of the members and their willingness to help me learn more about gardening. During COVID, members have found creative ways to gather the group together online and create fun activities.”

Kathy Brooks, Normandale Garden Club “Joining EGC has given me the wonderful opportunity to meet friendly and knowledgeable gardeners, plant city gardens and visit many beautiful gardens in our community.”

Leslie Shields, Winahbar Garden Club

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“The Edina Garden Council and member clubs provide wonderful opportunities to learn about gardening from experts and members alike, while making friends along the way.” Janet Chandler, Kelodale Garden Club “Digging in dirt in the middle of winter, priceless. Greeting the fanatical gardeners at the plant sale on Mother’s Day weekend, it is exciting to see the joy and expectations of happy planters. Lively chatter of friends on our planting days in the greenhouse.”

Lavonne Mountain, Late Bloomers Garden Club “When you join the Edina Garden Council, you have instant friends with lots in common: the beauty of nature, the joy of working in the soil, the fun in planning beautiful places for others to enjoy. I particularly love planting seeds in the city greenhouse in the dead of winter; it gives me hope for spring.” Laurie Zickert, Winahbar Garden Club

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Top left: Edina Garden Council members Julie Swann and Betty Workinger; Top right: Summer 2020; Bottom left: English Stone LLC positions boulders; Bottom right: Edina Garden Council members Liz Genovese and Karen Platt.

Edina Garden Council involves five local garden clubs. If you’d like to become a member or donate to Edina Garden Council projects, visit edinagardencouncil.org

The hope is that garden club members or members of the public will donate to purchase the benches.

There is also hope to add a swing.

After the installation of the pergola, the north and west sides of the tranquility garden can be enclosed with arborvitaes and trees. Then planting begins for smaller shrubs and perennials. “We are a garden club,” says Platt “and Arneson Acres is the horticultural park in Edina.

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It’s a beautiful park. Anybody who’s been there knows.” And more people than ever before seem to have been enjoying Edina parks.

“Because of the pandemic, park usage is up tremendously, I’ve seen the parking lot full to the extent I’ve never seen before,” says Platt.

Genovese adds, “I’ve seen around the park in different areas, younger kids hammocking; trees are trimmed up and accessible to

hammocking. I’ve seen picnicking, plein air painting, social distance meetings and I hope people who have found the park will continue using it.” Arneson Acres has often been referred to as a hidden gem in Edina. The EGC hopes to change that. It remains a gem thanks to the EGC’s tireless efforts. But they prefer it not be thought of as hidden any longer, but as a well-known destination to be enjoyed by all.

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GARDEN CLUB VOICES “I joined Edina Garden Council because I wanted to know more about gardening. I ended up with wonderful experiences I could never have imagined in ways to serve a community. It is a privilege to serve with dedicated, community-minded people who are a wealth of knowledge, set goals and work on supporting the environment (such as the pollinator garden, tranquility garden, and buckthorn abatement) in Edina.

Members are a special group of people. And I did learn more about gardening too.” Elizabeth Franklin, Kelodale Garden Club

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“I admire EGC members’ support of conservation initiatives such as buckthorn abatement and habitat restoration as well as water quality improvement and pollinator conservation.”

Elizabeth Franklin, Kelodale Garden Club “When I joined the Edina Garden Council, I had a generous knowledge of gardening, or so I thought. I met Shirley Petersen, a founding member of the EGC and I learned more from this elderly charismatic wonder than I ever thought possible.

Shirley’s mission to bring beauty to Edina and teach others her vast knowledge of plants has inspired me to create an oasis in my own Edina yard. Shirley shared one of her beautiful peonies with me from her spectacular yard and every year when it blooms, I remember her with fondness.”

Lori LaBelle Bartz, Late Bloomers Garden Club

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MAP BY EM HANDY, PHOTOS COURTESY OF EDINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Ellen Yancey

Aside from running a successful berry farm in the Grandview area with his family, B.C. Yancey was pivotal in Edina’s succession from Richfield. Aside from his membership to the group of Edina residents advocating for the separation, Yancey also served as the recorder of a landmark debate over the issue in 1888.

B.C. Yancey

Even after the village of Edina gained its independence from neighboring Richfield, Yancey maintained his strong ties to the local government. “He was the secretary at those original meetings,” says Jasmine Stringer, a member of Edina’s Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC).

HRRC partnered with Edina’s Parks & Recreation Commission to locate a public facility to rename in the Yancey family’s honor. “We wanted something that was close to the original homestead, but then something where it would get some visibility from the street,” Stringer says.

Garden Park was chosen both for its proximity to the Grandview neighborhood, and because of its prominence in Edina residents’ lives. The two commissions didn’t want to simply rename a park and move on. “We wanted a park where people would notice the renaming, and

we wanted to honor their legacy,” she says.

Renaming a public facility after the Yancey family was one of 21 recommendations put forward in 2018 by the Edina Race & Equity Task Force. This task force was comprised of Edina community members who conducted research on the topics of race and equity by reaching out to fellow community members through listening sessions and receiving feedback.

“Within that task force, it’s really looking at what are some gaps or some things that need to be done in Edina that could create a more welcoming, inclusive city,” says Heidi Lee, race and equity coordinator for Edina, as well as the staff liaison for the HRRC. The role of a race and equity coordinator was also one of the recommendations made by the task force. Lee is coming up on two years in the position this spring.

In addition to her responsibilities as staff

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Top: Newly renamed Yancey park (formerly Garden Park) before the renaming. Photo

by Suzanne M. WorthamRessemann

Jasmine Stringer Member of Edina’s Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC)

Heidi Lee Race and equity coordinator for Edina & staff liaison for the HRRC

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PORTRAITS BY TATE CARLSON, MICHAEL BRAUN/CITY OF EDINA

Botttom: The new Yancey Park sign installed in February, 2021.

Photo courtesy of City of Edina

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liaison, Lee also oversees the entire Race & Equity Implementation plan.

“The Yancey renaming came from the implementation plan and really thinking about how the Yancey family was one of the pioneer settlers in the vicinity of Edina,” Lee says. From the broad umbrella of “public facility,” the two commissions narrowed their choice to two well-known Edina parks, Garden and Wooddale.

Lee says that the general reason those two parks were chosen was due to their prominence. Aside from honoring the family, the commissions wanted to spark a conversation about this less-known chapter of Edina’s history.

“I think one of the things that is raised in equity work is also looking at how to be intentional in the work as well,” Lee says.

“Having conversations with staff members from parks and rec and thinking about how can we acknowledge the contributions of the Yancey family.”

This purposefulness extended to the unveiling as well, which was slated for springtime. “We’re looking at what is a

meaningful unveiling of Yancey Park.

Because now we’ve renamed it on the city park website, we’ve done those little things to start that change, but we want to be able to have more of an unveiling,” Lee says.

A potential part of the unveiling that was considered is a plaque detailing the history of the family for park visitors. The goal is to bring awareness to the history of the Yancey family and celebrate their contributions to the community we live in today.

Although there are no plans currently to expand the renaming or naming of other public facilities, Lee says she believes Yancey Park may spark the conversation.

You can visit Yancey Park at 5520 Hansen Road. If you’re interested in reading more about the original Black pioneers that settled in the community that would come to form Edina, you can find Joe Sullivan’s essay, Edina’s Pioneer Black Farmers Left A Legacy of Civic Involvement online, or purchase the book Edina: Chapters in the City History, by historian Deborah Morse-Kahn through the city of Edina’s website, edinamn.gov.

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ON THE TOWN things to see and do in and around Edina

COVID CONFESSIONS Local filmmaker creates a docuseries as a historical record.

BY ANGELA JOHNSON

E

dina High School graduate Alec Fischer is an award-winning filmmaker, TEDx speaker, LGBTQ+ advocate and digital influencer. His recent project is a docuseries titled Covid Confessions that showcases raw personal stories from local people in the most hard-hit professions: teachers, nurses, restaurant workers, wedding industry professionals, fitness professionals,

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small business owners, artists, photographers, therapists, drag performers, college athletes and beauty industry professionals.

His inspiration for the project came from seeing mainstream media coverage of essential worker stories and feeling like they weren’t covering the whole picture. “My intention was to film personal and professional experiences … and com-

pile them in a way that felt intimate and powerful,” Fischer says.

“I would hope that people watching the series are able to connect with someone’s story, or see their own experience during the pandemic reflected in what someone said. Crafting empathy between people who have differences is so important right now in our society and this project has the

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potential to help folks break down barriers and see each other as fellow human beings who are struggling,” says Fischer who adds, “In 5-10 years, I also think we could look back and use this as a way to reflect on what happened during the pandemic.

To help capture small pieces of history during this time is very needed, and I’m honored to help do that as a filmmaker.”

l e s j o n e s ro o f i n g . c o m | 9 5 2 . 8 8 1 . 2 2 4 1 EDINAMAG.COM

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O N T H E TOW N »

APRIL 16

7:30AM–9AM

A R E A E V E N TS

2–30

Out of the Box: Twelve Dancing Princesses

Launching in April and continuing into May, this self-paced and dancefilled viewing experience includes videos, craft projects and suggested recipes in addition to admission for four people at an outdoor, inperson interactive movement class.

Ages 3 and up. $50. Stages Theatre Company, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins; 952.979.1111; stagestheatre.org

3

Hidden Secrets

Elegant and chic with an elevated dress code, Hidden Secrets is a relaxed event that features low-key music, like reggae and afrobeats and handcrafted drinks. This recurring Saturday event is great for small birthdays, laidback celebrations, and casual but stylish get-togethers. Ages 21 and up. $5 women, $10 men. 6–10 p.m. Hyde Kitchen & Cocktails, 24 University Ave. NE, Mpls.; 612.354.2056; hydemn.com

Castle Egg Hunt

Celebrate Easter at this family friendly event at the American Swedish Institute with an egg hunt in the castle gardens, storytime with the Easter Witch (påskkäring) and Swedish-style crafts. Registration required. Recommended for 10 and under and their special adults. $10 members, $15 non-members.

9–10:30 a.m. or 1–2:30 p.m. American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave, Mpls.; 612.871.4907; asimn.org

Sunrise Edina Business Breakfast This networking event for Edina business owners is a great way to connect with other local small to medium sized businesses. Registration required. $20 Member, $25 non-member. The Hilltop, 5101 Arcadia Ave.; 952.806.9060; edinachamber.com

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5

Virtual Art Practice Circle hosted by Minnesota Center for Book Arts

Join fellow makers to inspire and encourage your creative process.

The class is focused on helping

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952.212.6542 | JimVandervelde@edinarealty.com | www.JimVandervelde.com each art maker keep going on a personal project and work forward by talking about it out loud. $10, $5 BIPOC. 6–7 p.m. mnbookarts.org

Call now to book exterior painting projects!

5 - 7 KidCreate Studio, Harry Potter Give your child the magic of Hogwarts!

The class will explore a wide variety of art materials as the kids create magical masterpieces. The projects are inspired by J.K. Rowling’s iconic books and will be sure to capture the young artist’s imagination and enthusiasm.

Ages 5–13. $60. April 5 and April 7, 9 a.m.–noon. Armatage Park, 2500 57th Street W., Mpls.; minneapolisparks.org

7

Wednesday Night Welding

Looking for a new hobby? MPLS Make is hosting a two-hour introduction to steel welding. Participants will learn the basic components and types of welding, explore welding safety and weld a pen holder that they can take home after. Ages 18 and up. $55 nonmembers, free for members. 6:30– 8:30 p.m. MPLS Make, 3757 NE Third St., Columbia Heights; mplsmake.com

8

Virtual Break Free: A Ballet in The Making

Get a peek into how a local dance production is created. Follow along with the creation of Ballet Co.Laboratory’s, Freddie – Break Free, with rehearsal footage and interviews with resident artists. All ages.

Free. 7:30 p.m. The Cowles Center; 612.206.3600; thecowlescenter.org

To schedule a price quote you can: Serving the twin cities metro area home owners and builders for over 25 years.

9

Spring Festival, An Arts & Crafts Affair

After having to cancel last autumn, Huffman Productions, Inc. returns this April with a family-friendly spring arts festival. Featuring over 500 artists and crafters from 30 states, this craft show is the perfect spot to pick up unique,

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Virtual Nature Journal Academy with the Arboretum

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Connect with nature at home with your children by registering for the Arboretum’s Nature Journal Academy: Looking for Lichen. This online class will be a great way to get your children excited about the bloom of spring. Ages 5–12 and their special adult.

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handcrafted gifts and spring decor. All ages. $10 adults, $9 seniors, children under 10 free. 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Canterbury Park, 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee; 402.331.2889; hpifestivals.com

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APRIL 2021

Winter Market

Grab a mask and your favorite reusable bag and head over to the Outdoor Winter Market. Located in the parking lot of Lake Harriett United Methodist Church, with vendors from Kingfield Farmers Market, Fulton Farmers Market and Nokomis Farmers Market with either preorder or in person shopping. All ages.

Free. 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Outdoor Winter Market, 4901 Chowen Ave., Mpls.; 612.207.7893; neighborhoodrootsmn.org

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Earth Day 5k Bee Run/ Walk and Cleanup

This Earth Day, come help save the bees at this dog and family friendly event at Boom Island Park. Come enjoy the beautiful historic views on the Mississippi River all while doing something meaningful for nature. All ages. 8 a.m.–noon. Great River Coalition, 724 Sibley Street NE, Mpls.; greatrivercoalition.com

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Virtual History Forum with the Minnesota Historical Society

Join history professor Steve Conn over Zoom for The Roots of the Rural-Urban Divide, as he shares how this historic rift has influenced politics in the U.S. since its birth.

These series are a great way to learn something new about history that affects our current state of affairs.

Ages 21 and over. $5 members/$10 non-members suggested. 6:30–8 p.m.

Online with the Minnesota Historical Society; 651.259.3000; mnhs.org

To have your event considered: email edinamag@tigeroak.com by the 10th of the month three months prior to publication.

Due to the fluidity being experienced in the current environment, please note that some events/dates and even some business operations may have changed since these pages went to print. Please visit affiliated websites for updates.

AWA R D - W I N N I N G L A N D S C A P E ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS, AND BUILDERS

(651) 203-3000 EDINAMAG.COM

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GALLERY

from the community Tag! You’re it! Enjoy this gallery of “tagged” Instagram photos. @edinamag #edinamag 1 @schroedersguideservice 2 @elvtdmvmt 3 @somethingsweetcakes 4 @construction2style 5 @lifetimeadventuresphotography 6 @50thandfrance 7 @lakeharrietflorist 8 @nolanmains 9 @sloanes_beauty_bar

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To have event photos considered: send date, time, location, photos and contact information to edinamag@tigeroak.com.

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Private wealth advisor Jenna Dubuc says, “We care about what’s in our clients’ best interest and can advise on a variety of services from education saving to legacy planning. We help design customized financial plans to fund specific goals and dreams and are always prepared to pivot and adapt to change when necessary. When life events happen, we are by our clients’ side.”

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42 APRIL 2021

Taking Stock PUNCH UP THE PROTEIN IN YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES.

BY ANGELA JOHNSON

PHOTOS BY CHRIS EMEOTT

The old adage, and once popular book title, Chicken Soup for the Soul is no joke. Turns out chicken broth truly is a restorative food. Dieticians claim that broth can help keep you hydrated, clear congestion and ease cold symptoms.

Bone broth, commonly referred to as stock, may be even more beneficial for health conscious consumers and local business owners of Freak Flag Organics and Taking Stock Foods are making bone broths that are a tasty and convenient source of nutrition.

BROTH VS. STOCK

Basically, traditional broth is a thin liquid made from boiling meat and/or vegetables.

Stock, or bone broth, is thicker because it’s made from boiling bones and it contains a power punch of protein due to the collagen released from the bones during cooking.

That’s why lots of people who follow high protein paleo, keto or intermittent fasting diets have gravitated toward drinking bone broth as a meal or snack. Amino acids and other vitamins and minerals like potassium, calcium and vitamin D are also sometimes found in bone broth.

NUTRITIOUS, DELICIOUS & CONVENIENT

The trouble with trying to incorporate bone broth into at-home dishes is that it

takes so long to make. Fred Haberman of Edina is a founder of Freak Flag Organics.

He says, “I have a passion for soups in the cold of winter and I’m known in the family to make soups on Sundays.” A good bone broth is the base for many soup recipes, but Haberman says making stock takes a fair amount of time. He says, “I made some [bone broth] after Thanksgiving, using the turkey carcass. [Cooking bone broth] takes a minimum of 4-5 hours but I did it for seven hours to make it more robust. I added celery, carrots and garlic.

It was very good.” Haberman envisions people being able to have a bone broth that already tastes great but doesn’t take that long. That’s what inspired Haberman and Freak Flag Organics chef Mary Jane Miller to create their brand of bone broths that are ready to heat and eat.

The pair experimented a lot with flavors because plain chicken is just not that “freaky.” “Lots of bone broth tastes medicinal to me,” says Haberman who knew there must be a better way to create flavorful bone broth that is still organic.

The flavors Freak Flag Organics came up with are coconut chicken, chicken tortilla and lemon pepper chicken. “We’re getting rave reviews for the coconut chicken,” Haberman says. “It tastes great sipped and you can also make simple recipes by adding protein like chicken and a few other

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TA S T E M A K E R S »

RECOMMENDED RECIPES!

44 APRIL 2021

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle Soup from Taylor Ellingson (Greens & Chocolate)

Coconut Chicken Bone Broth • 2 (13.5 oz.) cans full-fat coconut milk • 3 cups chopped broccoli • ~8 oz. thin or medium

Ingredients: • 1.5 lbs chicken breast • 1 large white onion diced

rice noodles • cilantro lime wedge, and chopped peanuts, for topping

• 1 red bell pepper seeds and white parts removed, and sliced • 2 Tbsp. fish sauce

Directions 1. In a large slow cooker, add the

• 4 oz. jar Thai curry paste

chicken, onion, bell pepper, fish

• 4 cloves garlic minced

sauce, Thai curry paste, garlic,

• 1 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger

ginger, coconut chicken bone

• 32 oz. Freak Flag Foods

broth and coconut milk.

PHOTO BY TAYLOR ELLINGSON

ingredients like scallions. With our lemon pepper chicken broth, you can have chicken noodle soup in minutes by simply adding chicken and noodles. You can also use our bone broths as a base for something more extravagant like using our chicken tortilla broth for enchiladas or our coconut chicken broth for a phenomenal Thai food dish; adding things to ‘freak up’ your dish or soup.”

Molly Clark and Maddy Kaudy of St. Paul started Taking Stock Foods with their 25 years of combined culinary experience. They also wanted to create a restaurant quality stock for at-home use and began selling their slow simmered signature bone broth recipe at local farmers markets. Clark says bone broth fits in perfectly with the popular Whole 30 and other low carb, high protein diets, noting that it seems more people have been on diets during the pandemic than ever before and people are also cooking from home more and looking for performance foods, not just a typical ingredient, for flavor, but something that is also nutritional. “[Bone broth] is a convenient food if buying premade or making and storing,” Clark says. “It’s clean and easy.”

Clark agrees with Haberman that some store-bought bone broths can have a less than pleasant flavor profile, but Clark and Kaudy’s approach is to create a clean tasting signature profile that is more typical of traditional broth. Clark says, “When people experience it, it smells like Thanksgiving or chicken soup because it’s made with real ingredients.” The Taking Stock Foods bone broth flavors include classic chicken, low-sodium chicken and ginger turmeric.

Freak Flag Organics Bone Broth and Taking Stock Foods Bone Broth are certified organic and can be found at Whole Foods in Edina.

JIM KIDD Realtor Ji%.Kidd cbburnet.co% 1 2 3 0

Minneapolis Lakes Office, 3033 Excelsior Blvd Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC.

2. Cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.

3. Shred the chicken and then add broccoli and cook on high for 30 more minutes.

A DEL CH EFRIDI

4. After 30 minutes, add the rice noodles and let sit in hot soup broth for ~5 minutes, or until the noodles have softened.

5. Serve topped with cilantro, lime wedge and chopped peanuts.

6. Enjoy!

Chicken and White Bean Chili from Freak Flag Organics Ingredients: • 2 tsp. olive oil • 1/2 cup chopped onion

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• 1 (16 oz.) container Freak Flag Organics Chicken Tortilla Bone Broth • 1 (10 oz.) can chopped tomatoes with green chilies • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken • 1 (15 oz.) can white northern beans, drained • 1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained

Directions In a medium pot, cook peppers and onion in olive oil over medium high heat until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, chicken, beans and corn.

Simmer until all is heated through.

Serve topped with garnishes as desired. Garnishes: cilantro, sour cream, avocado, chopped jalapeno, shredded Mexican blend cheese, crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

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TA S T E M A K E R S »

Overnight Savory Oats from Taking Stock Foods Ingredients: • 2 cups Taking Stock Classic Chicken Bone Broth (one package) • 1/2 cup steel cut oats

Instructions: Combine oats and broth in a saucepan or smaller container.

Place in refrigerator overnight, or at least eight hours. After soaking, bring the oats and broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan.

Simmer for five minutes, until oats are tender. Serve immediately.

Freak Flag Organics freakflagorganics.com @freakflagorganics Freak Flag Organics

Taking Stock Foods takingstockfoods.com @takingstockfoods Taking Stock Foods

Whole Foods

wholefoodsmarket.com 7401 France Ave. S. 952.830.3500

46 APRIL 2021

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in digital format!

Never miss an issue of Edina Magazine with free, anytime access to our digital editions. Full screen viewing on your digital device allows easy cover-to-cover reading. You can zoom in on text or images as well as share your favorite Edina Magazine stories with friends and family.

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LAST GLANCE

Budding Photog Passing down a treasured pastime.

PHOTO BY MELISSA HUNZELMAN

WE REGULARLY FEATURE photo submissions from our Images of Edina photo contest in the pages of Edina Magazine and online. This month, we asked Melissa Hunzelman to tell us about her photograph titled Budding Photog.

Where was the photo taken? Lebannon Hills Regional Park in Eagan. I took it in the spring of 2020; it was the first of many hikes that we would drag our children on during our pandemic summer.

What inspired the shot? Maddie had recently started taking an interest in photography, possibly out of the sheer boredom during the pandemic. I let her take my old Canon on our hike and I was excited to see her interested in something that I love.

What’ your favorite thing about this image? I see her freckles and her long eyelashes and her wild nail polish. The picture is just so very Maddie.

Do you typically take photos like this or is this out of the norm for you? This is the type of photo I usually take. I’m much better at pictures of people than I am at landscapes or inanimate objects.

What prompted you to submit your photo to Images of Edina? I love to look through the pictures in Edina Magazine - especially the images captured by community members ... and I enjoy being part of that group.

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APRIL 2021

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