Aberdeen Magazine November/December 2022

52 TASTE

80 ABERDEEN BOOK CLUB

Not sure what to read next? We’ve got you covered!

FEATURED CONTENT

20 TAIL WAGGIN’ FUN ALL YEAR LONG

Get a head start on planning some special outings with man’s best friend.

22 MAKING WISHES COME TRUE

The Make-A-Wish Foundation brings hope to children with critical illnesses and their families.

FAMILY MATTERS

➼ NSU’s Friendship Family Program makes sure that every student feels at home.

68

RIDING THE MINI RAILS

➼ Model railroading in the Hub City.

30 GET TO KNOW: CARLOS CAMACHO MARRERO

Carlos ensures that families and small businesses have the tools they need to achieve their goals.

34 FROM FARM TO FORKANTHEM OATS

The Sumption family’s new businesses provide the region with healthy oat-based meals.

36 ARTIST: MAXWEL REEDE

Aberdeen Native Maxwel Reede creates colorful, impactful multimedia paintings.

42 ABERDEEN GYMNASTICS ASSOCIATION’S NEW SPACE

A dedicated gym allows for more growth in the program.

56 A PRISTINE BUNGALOW IN THE HISTORIC HIGHLANDS

COVER ➼ Area artist Linda Roesch’s new mural, titled “Step Into Aberdeen’s History,” depicts many eras, businesses, and scenes in Aberdeen’s historic downtown. This piece is the second mural installed in the Malchow Plaza. Linda often paints directly on large walls and has done many murals in the surrounding areas. Photo by Troy McQuillen

Recently put on the market, this seemingly small house is packed with space and charm.

62 STYLE SHOW RECAP

Check out these looks from Aberdeen Magazine’s third Style Show!

74 OURS TO USE AND ENJOY Aberdeen’s Federal Court House.

ere’s our last issue of the year! While we’re in the thick of the holiday season, I want to take a minute to reflect on the kind of year 2022 has been. I’m incredibly grateful for our talented staff and writers, our generous advertisers, and our wonderful readers! A lot of your feedback has made its way back to us, and I am glad that our magazine is something that the residents of Aberdeen can be proud of. I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into when I stepped into the magazine world, but I’m glad that I made the jump. It’s been a very rewarding experience, and I look forward to what’s in store for the next year.

Aberdeen Magazine has been filled with stories about many interesting people and exciting events, and I’m sure 2023 will be no different. In this issue, we get to know some of Aberdeen’s bartenders, some of our model train enthusiasts, two local authors, and some of the staff that organize NSU’s host families – and that’s just the beginning. There’s all sorts of great stuff to read, so go on and get started.

Happy New Year, Aberdeen! //

CONTRIBUTORS

Scan this QR Code to subscribe to Aberdeen Magazine

 DAVE VILHAUER is a veteran Aberdeen journalist and creator/ owner of a sports website called SD SportScene. He has 42 years of experience in serving the community as a member of the media.

 JULIE LILLIS is the Sales Representative for Aberdeen Magazine. Though raised on the west coast, she loves life on the small farm just outside of Columbia that has been in her family for more than a century. Julie started the Aberdeen Magazine Spring & Fall Style Shows to help promote the amazing small boutiques in the Aberdeen area. Plus, it's just a ton of fun!

Corrections from September/October 2022 issue

On page 64, Mike and Bill Gese were erroneously referred to as Jim and Bill Gisi. //

MANAGING EDITOR

Annie Scott annie@aberdeenmag.com

PUBLISHER

Troy McQuillen troy@mcquillencreative.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Eliot Lucas eliot@mcquillencreative.com

AD SALES

Julie Lillis julie.aberdeenmag@gmail.com

PUBLICATION OFFICE

McQuillen Creative Group

423 S. Main St., Suite 1 Aberdeen SD, 57401 605.226.3481

PRINTING

Midstates Printing

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS from interested parties will be considered. Please submit to the editor at annie@aberdeenmag.com

PRIVACY STATEMENT Any personal information, email addresses, or contact submitted to the editorial office or online via our Facebook page will not be sold or distributed. Aberdeen Magazine does wish to publish public comments and attitudes regarding Aberdeen, therefore written submissions and comments on our Facebook page implies permission to utilize said information in editorial content.

COPYRIGHT 2022 Aberdeen Magazine is produced exclusively in Aberdeen, South Dakota. All content is copyright with all rights reserved. No content may be shared, copied, scanned, or posted online without permission. Please just ask us first. We're pretty flexible.

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BY

www.mcquillencreative.com

 ANGIE CLEBERG and AARON SCHULTZ are on the executive team at the United Way of Northeastern South Dakota. The United Way is instrumental in providing support for health and human service programs in our community.

 PATRICK GALLAGHER is a regular contributor commenting on Aberdeen’s personality, food options, and history.

Annie Scott MANAGING EDITOR

Star Party

Kurt Drube has always had an interest in astronomy, and for the past five years, he’s been sharing the hobby with the people of Aberdeen.

“I grew up during the Apollo generation, and my interest really started there,” Kurt said. “Astronomy is a hobby I wanted to share. After I got my own telescope, I set up at Wylie and people kept stopping to check it out, so the Star Parties began.”

Weather permitting, the Star Parties are held once a month April through October at the Kuhnert Arboretum. Two to three telescopes are set up, and Kurt points out different constellations and planets that are visible.

“It’s a fun outdoor hobby, and everyone is welcome to come,” Kurt said. “There are even people that will bring their own telescopes to check things out.”

The events are sponsored through Aberdeen Parks and Recreation, and updates can be found on the Facebook page Aberdeen Backyard Astronomy.

// —Annie Scott

Ward Project

Big changes are coming to the Alonzo Ward Hotel.

The historic building will once again be used as a hotel. 18 rooms, as well as an exercise room for guests, will be ready for use around Thanksgiving time. Many original fixtures, such as chandeliers, have been retained. The first floor lobby’s look has been refreshed as well, while still maintaining its traditional style.

Omnificland

Omnific is a word that is typically defined as capable of creating or making anything. The word also happens to be part of the title of a new book by an Aberdeen author.

Omnificland is Jennifer Phillips’ first book, which was finished in April of this year. The story follows a girl named Iris, who is on a journey to discover her strengths and creativity. The book itself is larger than average, and that’s for a good reason – there’s plenty of space to draw and doodle in the margins and blank pages.

Her experience as an elementary school teacher helped her develop the story, as well as the accompanying workbook.

“I’ve always loved creating things,” Jennifer said. “I wanted to do something different. Kids are always told they can’t write in their books! But this book allows kids to create as they read.”

While the story is aimed at later elementary students, anyone can read along and enjoy the story.

// —Annie Scott

“We’re keeping the phone booths, the key cabinet, and the switchboard,” Jim Thares said. “It’ll feel like you’re back in the 20s.”

Roma Ristorante Italiano will be relocated to the newly-revnoated dining space on the west side of the building, with two new retail spaces planned for the side facing Main Street. The Finery on Main, a men’s retail and home decor shop, is located in one of these spaces.

“If we are going to grow as a community, we need to invest in it,” Jim said. “This will be a good way to revitalize downtown Abereen’s great atmosphere.”

// —Annie Scott

 The new hotel rooms are expected to be done around Thanksgiving. Photos courtesy of Connor Bockorny.

Remodel

Art

 The 2022 renovations are the biggest that Moccasin Creek Country Club has seen since their opening in 1971. Photo by Jeff Stockert.

Restaurant

In September, Maria Galan opened her new restaurant.

Manna Restaurant, which specializes in authentic Puerto Rican food, offers an expansive weekly menu as well as daily specials. Guests can enjoy soups, sandwiches, desserts, and many traditional Puerto Rican entrees.

Renovations Begin At Moccasin Creek Country Club

In August of this year, Moccasin Creek Country Club broke ground on their clubhouse renewal. The $6 million project includes a full exterior renovation, a covered outdoor patio space, fire pits, outdoor seating and dining, as well as a banquet space and an all-new interior. The golf shop will also see some updates.

Decision making started three years ago, and the project is set to be finished around April next year. To date, nearly $4.4 million for the project has been funded by an ongoing member capital campaign, in which 235 members have participated thus far.

The original clubhouse was constructed in 1971, and while they have made renovations in the past, this update is their largest yet. // —Annie Scott  For more information, visit moccasincreekcc.com/Clubhouse_Renewal.

New Downtown Mural Installed

Malchow Plaza has a new mural. Area artist Linda Roesch won a contest to produce the new mural titled “Step Into Aberdeen’s History.” Linda often paints directly on large walls and was a little concerned about painting on 4 x 8 panels in her apartment.

“I was really worried about them lining up once they got installed,” Linda said. After installation, it was the first time she got to see it in its entirety. “I painted them in sets of two panels at a time lined up all around my apartment,”

The painting reflects a mishmash of eras, businesses, and scenes in Aberdeen’s historic downtown. This is the second mural installed in the new Malchow Plaza. The mural was supported by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Aberdeen Fund in the South Dakota Community Foundation. The Aberdeen Area Community Foundation acted as fiscal sponsor for the grant and worked with the Aberdeen Development Corporation and Aberdeen Area Art Council to facilitate the project. // —Troy

McQuillen

They are open Tuesday through Saturday. On Tuesday and Thursday, they are open from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. On Wednesday, they are open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. On Friday and Saturday, they are open from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

Manna Restaurant is located at 23 1st Ave NE, near Natural Abundance, in the former The Pub building. //

—Annie Scott

 For more information, visit their Facebook page at Manna Restaurant.

You Know You’re From Aberdeen SD If…

Looking for a daily fix of Aberdeen history? The Facebook group ‘You know you're from Aberdeen, SD if…’ features a collection of Aberdeen facts and stories, ranging from the town’s creation to today.

“I had seen a few other cities doing the same type of group and noticed that Aberdeen did not have one, and I thought it would be fun,” said group creator Doug Schnell.

The group was created in August of 2011 and currently has over 13,000 members. Both past and present Aberdeen residents share their memories of the town, with a few mentions of current events sprinkled in. Anyone who has an interest in Aberdeen is welcome to join.

“I really love the old photos that are shared in the group. Having been born and raised in Aberdeen, the history of the city has always fascinated me,” said Doug, who moved away to Watertown in 1999. “Seeing all the photos helps when I get a bit homesick and I love to hear all of the wonderful memories people have shared over the years.” // —Annie Scott

 Linda Roesch set up her art in front of her new mural for a downtown wine walk in September. Photo by Troy McQuillen.

 Photo courtesy of Manna Restaurant.

Then – A Stately Neighborhood – Just a few blocks east of downtown Aberdeen, Frank Hagerty and William Lloyd platted the largest residential neighborhood to date. Well, the date was 1882, only a year after Aberdeen’s platting. This 106-block development was intended to be the place downtown business owners would reside, relax, and unwind. Aberdeen didn’t get municipal electricity until after 1910, so it is presumed that this image was taken on Kline and Fourth Avenue SE after that date. In fact, if you look at the boulevard trees, their size is no surprise considering that they were planted in 1882. They were over 20 years old by the time this picture was taken. This view is looking south down Kline Street South. The house on the corner is 402 S. Kline and was built in 1904 by Ralph L. Brown, owner of a loan and real estate company. Brown commissioned city engineer E. W. Van Meter to draw up the house, resembling a wood-clad Victorian home. Brown obtained a bunch of granite from Ortonville (as payment for a debt), veneered the house in it hoping others would follow suit. The next owner was Dr. Thomas Ranney, who used the house as his doctor’s office once he closed his downtown office. // — Photo provided by Garry Stepanek

Now — A Well-Loved Landmark – The late Don and Betty Artz owned the Brown home at 402 S. Kline after the Ranneys and kept it in tremendous shape. Eventually, Bill and Ev McQuillen purchased the house in 2003 when they relocated to Aberdeen. Bill has spent countless hours repairing windows, sills, soffits, and roof sections. When a crew was working across the street on the slate roofing tiles on the Presbyterian Church, they offered Bill some help with some of the Vermont slate tiles that had come loose on the house. The wrought iron fence is not original to the 1904 house, but is authentic. A couple of years ago, Bill heard a horrendous crash outside. Upon inspection he saw a massive section of the granite “moat” had collapsed and fallen over. I helped him number and photograph every piece of stone in the entire moat and a mason crew came in and rebuilt the whole thing. With Bill and Ev’s loving attention, hopefully it will stand another 100+ years. There is a two-stall “carriage house” in the alley. While it is very old, it is probably not original, despite the fact the Brown Brothers were the first people in Aberdeen to own an automobile.

// —Troy McQuillen

Brighter Smiles in Aberdeen with Delta Dental Mobile Program

STAFF

Late fall is a great time of year, where holidays are celebrated with candy and sweet treats. Enjoying all that sugary goodness can come at a cost to your oral health. Fortunately, the United Way of Northeastern SD (United Way) and Avera Health have been partnering in our region to bring in the Delta Dental Mobile services to the Aberdeen area for many years. They’ve helped thousands of children and young adults with dental care and oral health education.

The Delta Dental Mobile Program provides oral health services to children who don’t have access to dental care. The program includes two mobile dental clinic trucks -- Molar 1 and Molar 2 -- that travel the state and provide dental services to anyone 1 to 21 years of age. The Mobile Program serves approximately 5,000 kids across South Dakota every year. Care provided through the Mobile Program is at no cost to the child or family.

Delta Dental of South Dakota (DDSD) manages, operates, and staffs the trucks. The United Way and Avera Health act as site partners to host a truck visit, providing the location, promoting the clinic, and recruiting and registering patients. Each truck travels with a dentist, hygienist, two dental assistants and a coordinator. It costs approximately $26,000 per week to operate each truck. United Way is only charged a modest stipend of $2,500 per week for the clinic visit. Currently, Aberdeen books five weeklong visits.

In 2001, Aberdeen received five weeks of service that included 185 children treated, 435 teeth that were identified with decay, and 708 sealants placed. The total production value of the dental services was over $147,000! The 2022 numbers look to be much higher as some of the pandemic protocols ease and allow more children to be seen.

“The Delta Dental Program is incredible.

Seeing the relief they provide to so many kids is absolutely worth the investment,” said Aaron Schultz, United Way. “Often times, it is tough to quantify results, but the folks at Delta Dental track every step along the way. For a $10,000 investment we receive a production value of over $147,000. That is a return of over $14 for every dollar invested.”

Avera Health in Aberdeen is the site location and invested in a special electrical box for the mobile unit to ‘plug’ into while working in Aberdeen. Typically, the mobile units run off generators but in the Aberdeen area, kids can see the dentist without the roar and vibration of the mobile generator running. Delta Dental has partnered with the Helpline Center to provide an easy way to register your child. Simply call 211 and ask for the next time the Delta Dental Mobile Unit with be in Aberdeen and you can register your child at that time. //

Delta Dental of South Dakota ensures children and young adults can get the oral healthcare they need. by UNITED WAY

Photos courtesy of United Way.

Tail Waggin’ Fun All Year Long

by ANNIE SCOTT

THE AQUATIC CENTER IS GOING TO THE DOGS!

➼ One of the Humane Society’s most popular events comes along at the end of each summer. Dogs and their owners are welcome to splash around and cool off in the Aquatic Center’s pools before they close their doors for the season. Despite inclement weather and COVID shutdowns, the event still sees a huge turnout.

“It was both of our ideas, the Humane Society and the Aquatic Center,” said Elaine Schaible. “There’s not a ton of planning involved, and it’s super easy for anyone to participate.”

This event also serves as a fundraiser. The Humane Society asks that participants bring a donation, whether it’s pet supplies or a monetary donation.

SECOND PAW SALE

➼ Twice a year, in the fall and spring, the Second Paw Sale is held at the Brown County Fairground’s Expo Building. This giant rummage sale is held on Saturday mornings, but anyone can participate in First Pick Friday, which allows shoppers to get in on the deals early for a $20 donation.

“We had to move to the Expo Building last year,” Elaine said. “We never thought it would be as big as it is!”

with team registration, there are opportunities for hole sponsorships as well.

“So many different groups of people want to help out, so we thought a golf tournament would be a great way to get more members of the community involved,” Elaine said.

SOGGY DOGGY DOCK DIVING

➼ The Soggy Doggy Dock Diving is one of the Humane Society’s newest events. The tournament is held at Anchors Away at Richmond Lake. Each dog will get two jumps from the dock, with the longest jump being the qualifying score. From there, the top scoring dogs will have a jump off to determine the overall winner. There are prizes available, as well as plenty of chances to earn bragging rights!

“We wanted to make some more events,” Elaine said. “It’s also fun because the dock diving is a chance for the dogs to participate as well.” Participants can register on-site or preregister for a discounted price. Spectators and their pets are welcome to attend as well. //

he Aberdeen Area Humane Society has always been a beacon of positivity for Aberdeen’s animals, and it’s all made possible thanks to the goodwill and donations from the animal lovers in town. Looking for ways to help? Here are four of the Humane Society’s biggest events for 2023.

The Second Paw Sale is the Humane Society’s biggest volunteer event, with over 1,000 volunteer hours logged each year.

PUTTIN’ FOR PAWS

➼ Puttin’ for Paws is a golf tournament held each summer at the Rolling Hills Golf Course. This 18 hole, four person scramble includes golf cart rental, meals, raffle prizes, and lots of fun. Along

Get a head start on planning some special outings with man’s best friend.

 All three pools at the Aberdeen Aquatic Center are available for your furry friend to play in on their last day of the season.

 The Second Paw Sale is one of their biggest fundraising events.

All photos courtesy of Aberdeen Area Humane Society.

Making Wishes Come True

The Make-A-Wish Foundation brings hope to children with critical illnesses and their families.

by ANNIE SCOTT

In 1980, Christopher James Greicius, a young boy with leukemia, wanted to be a police officer. His Phoenix, Arizona community came together and made his wish come true. Christopher spent the day as a police officer, rode in a police helicopter, and even received a custom-tailored police uniform. Christopher’s wish was the inspiration for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They have gone on to help grant over 350,000 wishes for children with critical medical conditions.

Make-A-Wish opened its South Dakota chapter in 1984, and merged with the Montana chapter in 2020. Since then, they’ve helped grant over 2,300 wishes for children in South Dakota.

“Every wish begins with a referral from a caring individual,” said Sue Salter, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana. “A common misconception is that a child’s illness has to be terminal in order to receive a wish. A majority of children overcome their disease.”

Last year, Make-A-Wish granted 81 wishes for children in the area, as well as 13 wish assists.

“Wish assists are when children from other chapters want to visit South Dakota or Montana,” Sue said. “Many wishes involve visits to the Black Hills or Glacier National Park.”

Wishes generally fall into one of five categories – I wish to go, I wish to be, I wish to meet, I wish to have, and I wish to experience.



The most common wish is to visit a theme park, making up over 40% of wishes.

 Every eligible child receives a wish!

 John Cena holds the record for most wishes granted at over 650.

MAKE-A-WISH TRIVIA

 On the Road for Wishes Poker Run and Charity Ride is one of the fundraisers held in Aberdeen.

“Every wish is unique, just like the child that makes it,” Sue said. “I remember a couple years ago, a child wanted to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder exhibit in De Smet.”

Wishes are possible because of donations from businesses, individuals, as well as the many fundraisers that are held each year. There are many events across South Dakota, including Watertown’s silent auction and dinner and Sioux Falls’ summer golf tournament. Aberdeen holds a New Year’s Eve dance every year.

“We all work together to raise funds for children,” Sue said. “The money that is raised in our chapter helps out the children in our area.”

Each wish has a tremendous impact on each child. Many alumni stated that their wish experience contributed to their physical, mental, and emotional health. For many, the wish ended up being a necessary part of their medical treatment journey. Wishes have increased hope, strength, joy, confidence, self-esteem, quality of life, and well-being of children, and they often serve as a successful coping mechanism.

Most important of all, however, is how Make-A-Wish is able to bring families closer together and strengthen relationships with loved ones. The quality time that a wish brings to a family is something that is irreplaceable and priceless. //

MAKE-A-WISH NEW YEAR’S EVE DANCE

The Make-A-Wish New Year’s Eve Dance has been held in Aberdeen for over 10 years, and it’s one of the biggest fundraisers for the South Dakota chapter. The event features live music from local and regional artists, as well as a silent auction, a live auction, and plenty of food and drink. This year, the event will start at 7:00 PM at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel. There will be a raffle to win a custom shed from Builders FirstSource. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at Builders FistSource, The Posh Pheasant, and from Make-A-Wish volunteers.

“We’ve been doing this for many years,” said Gloria Dahme. “We try our best to make sure it’s a great time for everyone.”

All of the proceeds raised at the dance will be used to grant wishes for children in Aberdeen and the surrounding area.

“This event has a great volunteer group,” Sue said. “Abereen has done a lot to help wishes come true.”

 For more information, call Gloria at 605-228-1416.

Together, we create lifechanging wishes for children with critical illnesses.

– MISSION STATEMENT

 Erosion Fitness’ Katie Gates and Justin Feickert, along with Ali and Derek Miller, have donated to Make-A-Wish in the past.

 Prizes from the Aberdeen-area Virtual Auction fundraiser. Many generous community businesses and individuals donated over 55 auction packages.

Northern State University has a multifaceted program that is able to help alleviate some of those fears for international students. The NSU Friendship Family Program was designed to make international students feel at home by placing them with a host family. While the students still live in the dorms, they are able to visit households, create friendships, and get a real feel for what it’s like to live in South Dakota. The exchange students can meet NSU students, community members, and other families, all while learning more about American culture here in Aberdeen. In return, host families are able to learn about their exchange student’s culture, customs, traditions, and much more.

“For many students, this is their first time being away from their home and families,” Michael Mohammed said. “This program makes things a little less overwhelming.”

At the beginning of a new semester, a survey is sent out to both students and families that are interested in the Friendship Family Program. The survey includes questions such as how many children are in the family, how many pets a family has, faith, interests, and hobbies, and matchups are made based on their answers. Most of the time, host families can choose how many students they would like to take under their wing, depending on how many students are interested in the program.

“We meet the families ahead of time to make sure that students will feel safe,” Lisa Kanizar said. “But we’ve always had great families. Most of them are long-time participants, but we’re always looking for more. Some families are even in the outer Aberdeen area, so anyone is welcome to apply.”

Family Matters

by ANNIE SCOTT

or many young adults, the beginning of a college career is a time of excitement, with a taste of independence while exploring new faces in new places. But with so many changes in such a short period of time, it can also lead to some anxiety and homesickness – especially if the new school in question is halfway across the globe.

Since each student is different and will have unique needs, it’s up to them and their host family to decide which activities to do and how often to meet. Ideally, families will meet up at least twice each semester. But many families choose to meet more frequently, having weekly dinners to catch up and doing some activities on their own.

“The program gives international students an extra layer of belonging, security, and safety,” Dominika Blum said. “There are a lot of big changes and unknowns when someone studies abroad. They might not know how to do something or where to go. Families can help these students get to places like the doctor’s

NSU’s Friendship Family Program makes sure that every student feels at home.

Photo by Troy McQuillen

 Lisa Kanizar, Dominika Blum, and Michael Mohammed comprise the staff that oversees the international student exchange program at NSU.

office or grocery store. For a lot of students, their English skills improve at a much faster rate as well.”

The Friendship Family Program hosts many events during the year, including an introductory event at the beginning of each semester where students are introduced to their families. While there are some events that are just for the families, there’s plenty of chances for the whole community to get involved. Some of their events have included ice skating, movies, picnics, game nights, and even some Aberdeen Wings hockey games.

“Most families keep in touch with their host students after they return home,” Dominika said. “This program creates relationships that

last a lifetime. Some of our families end up being ‘grandparents’ when their students get settled down and start their own families.”

“We’re all unique and different, yet the same deep down inside,” Lisa said. “It’s really special to see how these students and families connect.”

“Each year we typically have 36 different countries that end up coming together in the middle of nowhere!” Dominika joked. “They’re able to expose Aberdeen residents to so many new places around the world that they might not get a chance to visit.”

Not sure if being a host family is right for you? Visit their Facebook page @ NSUFriendshipFamily. Or as Dominika advises, “Just do it!” //

THE WORLD IS A GREAT PLACE FULL OF LOVE. IT’S A WIN FOR BOTH OF US. WE GET TO SHARE OUR CULTURES WITH EACH OTHER, AND IT’S JUST GREAT TO HAVE BIG HOLIDAYS LIKE THANKSGIVING. IT’S THE BEST GIG I’VE EVER HAD.”

– DIANA OSBORNE

I REALLY ENJOY BEING A PART OF THE FRIENDSHIP FAMILY PROGRAM AT NSU. MY WIFE AND I HAVE MADE SOME WONDERFUL CONNECTIONS WITH STUDENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE. IT HAS BEEN FUN COMING UP WITH ACTIVITIES AND PLACES TO GO WITH OUR HOST STUDENTS. I FEEL LIKE A TOURIST IN MY OWN TOWN! WE LEARN SO MUCH FROM THEM ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE WHERE THEY LIVE AND HOW THEY PERCEIVE ABERDEEN.”

– JOHN BLUM.

Photos courtesy of Jim Ragatz and Lisa Kanizar.



Each summer, the Friendship Family Program hosts a picnic for students and families.

Get to Know:

CARLOS CAMACHO MARRERO

Ensuring others have the tools they need to achieve their goals.

by ANNIE SCOTT

Originally from Puerto Rico, Carlos Camacho Marrero has lived in Aberdeen for 17 years. In that time, he had the opportunity to go to Northern State University, earn his degree in International Business, and become part of the Wolf Pack. After graduating, Carlos became an insurance agent for DFS Insurance in 2018.

“Previously, I had a manufacturing, collections, and banking services background. These two lines of employment were always intertwined with insurance in one way or another,” Carlos said.

At DFS Insurance, Carlos specializes in personal lines and small commercial policies. He’s able to help others on their own paths to personal growth by ensuring they have the tools they need to achieve their personal and business goals.

“Without knowing, God was preparing me to enter my current line of business,” Carlos said.

 Carlos specializes in personal and small commercial insurance policies.

QHow did you decide to become involved in your line work?

AI was in the banking services industry and the opportunity showed up during my venture. Then I did my research about the insurance industry and liked the information I found. I made the decision, took the risk, and here I am today. God is good.

QHow does your work reflect your passion?

AMy passion is personal growth, and in order to accomplish personal growth, you must contribute to the good of others. The insurance industry is a great line of work to contribute to others. I aim to help all my customers as much as I can, whether that means getting the best coverage for their needs, looking for the best rates, or pointing them in the right direction to accomplish their personal and business goals.

QWhat is something that you love about the Aberdeen community?

AThe people. Ever since I moved here, I noticed how they work hard, take care of their families, and have a faithful background. I also love the short commute from work to home, it is priceless!

QWhat do you like to do in your free time?

AIn my free time I like to spend time with my family, play baseball, softball, grill, listen to music, and pray.

QWhere is one your favorites place to go in Aberdeen and why?

AI love taking my daughter to Storybook Land. We usually can spend the whole day there playing, having picnics, and we always have to go through the tornado house.

QWhy is community involvement important to you?

ACommunity involvement is necessary because is important to give back. God and nature teach us that everything is a cycle, therefore getting involved in the community at a small scale or big scale helps to keep the lifestyle for us and our future generations. //

Photos by Troy McQuillen

MY PASSION IS PERSONAL GROWTH, AND IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH PERSONAL GROWTH, YOU MUST CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOOD OF OTHERS.” – CARLOS CAMACHO

ANTHEM OATS From Farm to Fork

THE SUMPTION FAMILY’S NEW BUSINESSES PROVIDE THE REGION WITH HEALTHY OAT-BASED MEALS.

by ANNIE SCOTT

In 1882, the Sumption family founded their farm near Frederick, SD. This past year, they founded Anthem Oats.

Anthem Oats focuses on providing high-quality, nutrient-dense oats that come in a variety of delicious products. These include instant oatmeals and oatmeal cups, as well as old fashioned, steel cut, and minute oats. Their oats come in many different flavors, and are portioned out to be a full meal.

Five brothers, Taylor, Mark, Eric, Chris and Warren, manage every part of the planting, farming, and harvesting. While they have grown other crops in the past, their oats are the heart of the operation.

IT’S INCREDIBLY REWARDING”

“There’s a certain level of knowledge that you can only get from working on the farm,” Taylor Sumption said. “Companies don’t always know what that’s like. We’re focused on providing a quality product every step of the way.”

Initially, some steps of the production process had to be outsourced. Soon, they will be bringing most of their operations to South Dakota.

Their buildings will be able to house their own packaging equipment, allowing them to oversee the entire process from getting the oats from farm to fork. They’ll be able to process oats from other farms as well.

Anthem Oats are available at Ken’s, Kessler’s, Natural Abundance, and other shops around Aberdeen. They’ve also taken off in other chains such as Hyvee.

“It’s incredibly rewarding,” Taylor said. “It’s an amazing feeling, seeing our product out in stores and hearing that people enjoy it. We even had a couple from Watertown drive up to see the farm.”

In the future, Anthem Oats hopes to expand its product range, by including other oat-based products and other crops.

“We’re really seeing the impact of our business, and especially so when we move production inhouse,” Cassandra Sumption said. “It will be nice to have more things going on here in Frederick.” //

 Cassandra and Taylor Sumption.

Photos by Troy McQuillen

– TAYLOR SUMPTION

 Anthem Oats come in many delicious flavors and are available in stores across the country.

Maxwel Reede

Aberdeen Native Maxwel Reede creates colorful, impactful multimedia paintings.

by ANNIE SCOTT

y earliest artistic memories include seeing a blank piece of paper and reaching for it," Maxwel said. "I would find excitement in creating anything that came to mind on that paper and from there it grew into painting, and experimenting into other mediums."

Originally born and raised in Aberdeen, Maxwel now studies fine art at Arizona State University. Some areas of interest have been graphic design, painting, drawing, and as of his senior year, sculpting. He’s constantly expanding his skillset and mastering other mediums. Over the years, conceptualizing and using his expression has led him to publicly display his growing artistic talents.

“From an early age, I have grown to enjoy expressing both my identity and freedom through art,” Maxwel said. “That artistic expression ventured into an ever-growing body of work. This work has compelled me to seek a higher education that would enhance and advance my skill set.”

Much of his inspiration has been deeply personal and has come from his internal feelings. “A lot of my inspiration comes from feelings through everyday life. I've also been influenced by external things such as people and even other artists.”

Maxwel has been focusing on paintings, but he has created artwork in many different mediums. His oil and acrylic paintings are accompanied by works created with fabrics, collages, pencils, and other multimedia creations. His work is very contemporary, and the tools he creates with reflect his style.

“I think of how many ways I can alter and create on a canvas" Maxwel said. “There is definitely a moment for each medium as well. Being multidisciplinary in my work is where I expand my creative intuition.”

A LOT OF INSPIRATION COMES FROM EVERYDAY LIFE.”

– MAXWEL REEDE

Local Art

Galleries

WEIN GALLERY

Presentation College

 1500 North Main Street

 605.229.8349

 Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM

PRESIDENT’S GALLERY, JFAC GALLERY AND STUDENT CENTER GALLERY

Northern State University

 1200 South Jay Street

 605.626.7766

 President’s Gallery: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM,

JFAC Gallery: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM, Student Center: Mon–Fri 7 AM–4:30 PM and weekends 1–9 PM

LAMONT GALLERY

Dacotah Prairie Museum

 21 South Main Street

 605.626.7117

 Tues–Fri 9 AM–5 PM, Sat and Sun 1–4 PM

ARTWORKS CO-OP GALLERY

Uptown Aberdeen

 3315 6th Ave SE Suite #48

 605.725.0913

 Thurs–Sat 11–6 PM & Sun 12–6 PM or by appointment

JANE WEST GALLERY

Capitol Theatre

 415 South Main Street

 605.225.2228

 Open during events, call ahead for additional hours of operation

ARCC GALLERY

Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center

 225 3rd Ave SE

 605.626.7081

 Mon–Thurs 9 AM–8 PM, Fri 9 AM–5 PM and Sat 10 AM–12 PM

RED ROOSTER

COFFEE HOUSE GALLERY

 218 South Main Street

 605.225.6603

 Mon–Thurs 7 AM–7 PM, Fri 7 AM–9 PM and Sat 8 AM–9 PM Sun 9 AM–2 PM

In May of this year, Maxwel put on his first solo exhibition, “Followed By Intuition” at the Art Hacker Gallery in Phoenix, Arizona. He had been invited by the owner and curator to produce his own show. He displayed 17 pieces of art and had an attendance of over 100 people.

The following month, the success of his first show allowed him to bring the exhibition to Aberdeen. Followed By Intuition was held at the Engels Event Co., and he brought 12 pieces with him from Arizona, with 11 of those pieces being acquired by buyers. Both shows brought in large crowds, and Maxwel hasn't slowed his pace yet. He's already creating pieces for more shows that will be held within the next year or so.

One of Maxwel's proudest accomplishments is the recognition that he has seen as well as the way his work has been received in many different communities. Whether it's here in his hometown of Aberdeen or his new peers in Arizona, his work has made a significant impact.

"People have taken the messages in my art well, and they understand it. They've given me a lot of feedback that has helped me,” Maxwel said.

After graduation in 2024, Maxwel plans to pursue art full-time and make it his career.

"I would love to see more of my work spread around the globe" Maxwel said. "It's a huge goal of mine to have that happen, and I create art for that purpose.” //

 You can enjoy viewing his work on his website maxwelscottreede.com.

 Maxwel exhibited some of his work this past June at a wellattended opening Downtown Aberdeen at Engel Event Co.

Aberdeen Gymnastics Association’s New Space

A dedicated gym allows for more growth in the program.

by DAVE VILHAUER

The Aberdeen Gymnastics Association has expanded its floor routine and vaulted to a new level.

The association has been around for nearly two decades, but now has a space to call its own. After sharing a space at Aberdeen Central, the AGA has moved to a new home that allows for more flexibility.

“They were great to work with, but their gym is so busy,” said Becky Biegler, President of the Aberdeen Gymnastics Association. “We kind of wanted more time in the gym, so we decided to go and see if there was a space available to be able to do that.”

After an extensive search, the association found an ideal spot. It is located in a former warehouse for Rea Hybrids to the north of the Aberdeen Regional Airport. While the space includes about 11,800 square feet, it is the vaulted ceiling that was the key to the space.

“We were struggling more with ceiling height than we were with square footage,” Biegler said.

The ceiling has to be at least 20-feet high to allow gymnasts to do their routines on the uneven parallel bars.

The warehouse met that requirement, and then members went to work to transform the area into a gymnastics training facility. It

 Becky Biegler, President of the Aberdeen Gymnastics Association.

Photos courtesy of John Davis

 More space allows gymnasts to develop their skills.

included carving out a seven-foot pit and two other four-foot pits into solid concrete.

The finished product features areas for all the gymnastics apparatus, including the only in-ground tumble track in the area.

“There is a spring every single inch for 40 feet on that tumble track, and we had to pull them all,” Biegler said. “It took 2-3 hours to put all that in.” The gymnasts have made good use of that area so far.

“They have utilized it a ton for warmups,” Biegler said, “and if they’re working a harder tumbling skill, it’s just easier on your legs, because it’s a trampoline the whole length of it versus doing it on the floor.”

The AGA had a grand opening at the facility in August. Biegler said there are anywhere from 10 to 25 gymnasts who use the new space on a regular basis.

“The nice thing about being club is we’re not tied to the school, so any one from any area can come and use the facilities,” Biegler said.

The gymnastics association is not in competition with the Central gymnastics program. In fact, several members of the Golden Eagles team are coaches for AGA.

Biegler said having the additional facility should help younger gymnasts be able to hone their skills because they will now have a place to train year-round.

“Especially gymnastics, most of your new skills come in the off season. Whatever you’re doing during season, it’s perfecting your routine and the skills you already have,” Biegler said. “So, if you want to work to that new skill, the next skill, the next level, you really have to work when you’re not in season to do that.”

The AGA welcomes athletes from age 6 through high school. While the majority of the individuals who use the site are girls, Biegler said that the association has started to add some boys’ only programs.

The site can also be rented out in two-hour slots for things such as birthday parties.

When asked what her favorite part of the new facility has been, Biegler responded, “Watching some of the girls come in and see it for the first couple times and then start using it, and they’re like ‘Wow, this is awesome.’”

Part of the challenge that the association has had is getting the word out about the mission of the group. Having a permanent location should help that cause. Biegler said the response to the training facility has been positive.

“It’s been good so far. We do still get quite a few people going, ‘we didn’t even know this was here. We didn’t even know you existed,’” Biegler said.

As for the future, Biegler would like to see the association grow both in numbers and equipment.

“To start with, we kind of have one or two of everything,” she said of the current stations. “The goal is to get some more of everything as we keep going and growing.”

While the association has only been in its new home for several months, it has already been able to accomplish what the site was intended for in the first place.

“We’re able to have classes every night of the week if we want,” Biegler said. “We can have more girls in the gym at the same time.”

Biegler said that while the immediate plans don’t include any major competitions, the association already has hosted some camps and there are more in the works for next summer.

In the meantime, aspiring gymnasts now have a place to go to whenever they want to work on their skills.

“They can come train as often as they want,” Biegler said. “We’re not tied to anyone else’s schedule. We can make our own.”

Biegler noted that as with anything, the more time you spend doing something, the more proficient you will become at it. The same holds true for gymnastics and now young athletes will have that opportunity whenever they want thanks to a new home.

“It gives us more time in the gym,” Biegler said. “Like most sports, the more time you can put into it, the better you’re going to be.” //

 More information about the Aberdeen Gymnastics Association can be found at www.aberdeengymnastics.com

WE DO STILL GET QUITE A FEW PEOPLE GOING, ‘WE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS HERE. WE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOU EXISTED.”

– BECKY BIEGLER

 The new gym is able to house more equipment, and the higher ceilings are a vital addition.

 Kids aged 6 to 18 are able to enjoy the gymnastics program.

SET ’EM UP, JOE

A Little Story about Aberdeen Bartenders

by PATRICK

The holidays, particularly New Year’s Eve, used to conjure up scenes of boisterous partying, particularly at drinking establishments. Things have toned down a bit over time, but always at the center of it all—whether it’s a crowd or one patron—is the bartender. Part M.C., part sheriff, part counselor, the bartender is—or hopes to be—in control. So, what’s the job like in the Hub City? Aberdeen Magazine reached out to bartenders at many local bars for a picture.

GALLAGHER • photography by TROY MCQUILLEN

What got you into bartending?

Burckhard: I applied to bartend as soon as I turned 21 because it's something I felt like I would always like doing. It always seems like interesting job learning all the different drinks and serving customers.

Olson: I started with a second parttime job to my full-time office job, then it became full-time after the office job ended.

Andrus: It was really good money and taught me good people skills.

Sidener: When my family decided to start a brewery, I thought it would be a perfect chance to work with people.

Schulz: I simply got the opportunity to become the bar lead and create drinks as well as be the one trying all the cool and, sometimes, weird liquor that exists in the world. Honestly, I was looking for a change from my previous job. Not terribly different from a bartender, I was a barista before. One thing I loved about being a barista was my regulars. It’s fantastic that a lot of my coffee patrons are now my bar patrons.

Stahl: Seemed like a job for me. Cheers is my favorite show ever, and I wanted to be Sam Malone growing up. I started applying for bartending jobs the day after I turned 21.

Swain: My first bartending job was the Roncalli Ball at the high school gym in 1982. I got my first taste of bartending. It was a fun atmosphere: just open, pour the drinks, and enjoy.

What do you like about it?

Andrus: I’m rarely bored, and it’s faster paced compared to most jobs.

Sidener: What I like about working at the OLP is I get to meet new people from all over. I also get to hear the stories of people who have lived in Aberdeen who may be visiting or moving back.

previously bartended/managed 26 years at

JOEL BURCKHARD Lead bartender at Mavericks five and a half years;

the bowling alley, Robbie's, Wild Oats, and The Brass Kettle.

TAMI OLSON

The

MACEN ANDRUS

Pounders bartender 3 years, first bartending job.

Olson: I like being able to visit with people from locals to visitors. I have met a lot of people from all over the country.

Schulz: I love finding the way all the pieces fit together. From the classic cocktails to the beers currently in demand, to figuring out the perfect combination of a base spirit to a liqueur—it's a ton of fun!

Knight: I like being out in the open around people instead of having to be behind a counter or desk. I like the challenge of trying to provide a good enough experience, that they will come back on a regular basis.

Burckhard: I love the history of alcohols and how they tie into the history of man. I also love the science behind it, so I study up a lot and watch a lot of documentaries.

Stahl: All the co-workers I've worked with, bar and kitchen workers are the best people in the world. I love talking to the customers also. People think bartenders have the answer to anything and it's fun to listen to them.

What do you dislike?

Knight: Even though I would consider myself a night owl, after about eight years of working until 2 AM five nights a week, it can get old. But that is where the money is. You take the good with the bad and make the most of it.

Schulz: Sometimes, customer service/ customer facing jobs are simply chaotic. Sometimes, people are rude. Customer service is sadly still looked upon as "not a real job," so I get to come up with creative answers to those questions—about when I'm getting a real job— every so often.

Andrus: People can really, really suck.

Every bartender has stories…

Schulz: One time I was muddling some mint for a mojito, and I was using my left hand to steady the highball glass while using the muddler with my right hand. A server asked me a question about what type of IPAs we have, and I almost dropped the glass, so I quickly grabbed it and crushed it in my left hand. Didn't hurt myself, but it was kind of neat crushing a glass. The mint did not survive the encounter either.

Sidener: My favorite stories are when people come to the brewery to have a few beers but find themselves interacting with old friends or

Flame, Bartender, 2 ½ years; 20 years off and on tending bar at Big Fellas and Home Place.

old babysitters or old neighbors. I once had two groups of people come in, a young man and a couple. When they started talking and found out the last name of the young gentlemen, the woman recognized it and realized she went to prom with the young man's father many years ago. He called his father, and she was able to talk to an old friend from many years ago. This young man was only in Aberdeen for work and happened to come in to the OLP at the perfect time.

Swain: Waiting on professional baseball players, celebrities or music people who performed in Aberdeen, travelers, and local town people. Asking Kent Hrbek about pulling off Ron Gant off first base in the ‘91 World Series (between Winstons and Windsors, he said he’s a clumsy guy), talking with Tom Brokaw, chatting with country musician Terri Clark after I closed the bar, waiting on Brewer and Shipley and asking them about their One Toke over the Line song, talking baseball with the Oak Ridge Boys at the bar (they are part owners of the Nashville Sounds Triple A club). I’ve seen a variety of fights—one started in Brass Rail, moved into the lobby, and

ended there. During hunting season, you can still get an occasional altercation, like it’s the wild west. The Budweiser traveling hypnotist was a fun guy some of my customers and I partied with at the Brass Rail. That’s all I can say on that one.

Andrus: Well, I haven’t had to fight anyone on the job but have come close. Every once in a while, you get people that come in on drugs or have had a few too many that need to be thrown out.

What are your long-term plans?

Sidener: I enjoy being a bartender so I hope to do this for as long as my family needs me, and I also hope to learn more about the brewing process so I can do more to help.

Knight: I've always enjoyed being a bartender, so it's hard for me imagine doing something plain and boring. I honestly don't have a long-term plan other than to maybe hopefully own the bar someday

Stahl: I don't have any other plans to do anything different in my life. I feel this work is what I was meant to do.

DAVE SWAIN

Minerva's bartender/server 24 years; started at the Ward Hotel in 1987 and moved to Minerva's in 1998.

What drink would you most want a patron to buy for you?

(Even if they probably can’t drink on the job.)

Andrus: Probably a Washington apple shot or a beer.

Burckhard: Either a sidecar or a Vieux Carré.

Knight: Definitely a cold Blue Moon or easy shot.

Olson: Grey Goose water press.

Schulz: I highly enjoy my Scotch Whiskies! I love Glenfiddich 15 or anything from the Highlands and/or the Speyside region.

Sidener: I’m a big fan of sours, porters, and stouts.

Stahl: Anyone just buying me a good old beer is perfectly fine with me.

Swain: Bloody Mary or Dirty martini Bruise the hell out of it.

NIKOLE SIDENER

One-Legged Pheasant (OLP) bartender for 4 years, first bartending job.

Burckhard: I bartend and play music for a living. There's no retiring from those things.

Is there a community of Aberdeen bartenders?

Burckhard: I would say it's not so much of a community of bartenders as a mutual admiration society. There's definitely a respect amongst bartenders for each other.

Andrus: We all know who each other is and definitely look out for one another. It’s not just exclusive to bartenders but more just the bar wait staff in general.

Knight: It's like an unorganized fraternity of service industry workers all around town. We probably don't know a lot about each other as people, other than we both work at bars. But that alone is easy enough to strike up a conversation or figure out a way to bond. It happens quite often.

Swain: At Brass Rail, I’d stay open for some of the people who worked at bars and restaurants to have a place to go after work.

Playing for Tips

ZEB STAHL Lagers Inn, general manager/ bartender, 20 years bartending at Lagers, Robbie's Bar, and started at the Elks Club in Brookings during college.

Music and bars go together. There are lots of songs about bars, drinking, and bartenders (extra points if you got the reference in the title here). None of our bartenders lives out that connection more than Joel Burkhard, a bartender for decades and a musician longer— “I was playing in bars before I was old enough to be in bars,” he says. While tending bar for Maverick’s, he also shreds guitars for The (aptly named) Barstool Prophets. He remembers “doing shows in small towns on tour. We would go to a bar afterwards, and it would get busy, and the bartender would get in the weeds. I’d say, hey, I bartend; I could help. So I’d help out at the bar—in the middle of Wyoming or somewhere. Seems to happen about once a year."

A songwriter too, he finds noting, “You hear something someone says at a bar and think it’s sadly beautiful. It would make a great song!” He adds, “It reminds me of ‘Here Comes a Regular,’ the song by The Replacements. It’s like the flipside Cheers theme song: ‘Oh s---, knows my name!’ If you spend three days a week at a bar, you’ll get lots of inspiration.”

Stahl: Absolutely. There are some awesome bar workers around town that we all know who they are when they walk in. They are great customers and usually extremely respectful because they know the job.

How has bartending changed over time?

Swain: I worked nights for 20 plus years and then daytime bartending for last 15. I would say drinks like Rob Roys, Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, and Harvey Wallbangers were big when I started and have made a comeback now. Customers probably don't drink as much as they did in the 80s. Aberdeen had many bar hopping stops on and off Main Street, and you could always find a pretty full bar on any night of the week. Live music was more common in different bars also. The Club 23, Depot Club, Brass Rail, Robbie's, and The Zoo. The best thing that happened to bars was prohibiting smoking.

Olson: Drinks are more expensive, and customers seem to order fancier drinks like Old Fashioneds and Manhattans. If they drink beer, it’s the higher end IPAs and dark taps. Young and old.

Burckhard: The biggest thing is that bars are not as attended as they once were. It seems that people do not go out in the ways that they used to.

Schulz: I don’t think bartending has changed all that much. I attribute that to humans not changing all that much in the course of time. People like to drink, and they like to talk. Or sulk. Taverns, bars, pubs, they're all the same—it's a place to go to talk with friends or sit alone. //

MEGAN SCHULZ

Three22 Kitchen & Cocktail Bar Lead; bartender since 2021, first bartending job.

ANDREW KNIGHT

Circus Sports Bar general manager/bartender 10 years; previously tended bar at Wild Oats and Pounders.

The bartenders didn’t happen to offer stories about working around holidays—they might be just one more night of thousands. Dave Swain had an interesting memory connected to his job. Both bartender and front desk clerk at the Ward Hotel, one holiday season, he checked in some exotic and burlesque dancers who were working at downtown bars. The Silver Dollar, Circus, and other bars that employed them were closed on Christmas day, but not the hotel. So he invited the dancers to the lobby, pulled out the game Risk, and played it with the dancers to celebrate the season.

Oreo and Nutter Butter Balls

A tasty, customizable treat for any occasion.

by ANNIE SCOTT

INGREDIENTS

1 package of Oreos or Nutter Butters

8 oz cream cheese

Melting chocolate

Sprinkles

Parchment paper

DIRECTIONS

1. Take your cream cheese out of the fridge and allow it to heat up to room temperature. Put Oreos or Nutter Butter cookies into a large plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin, spoon, or your hands. If you have a food processor, you can use that as well. You will want your cookie pieces to be small.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add your crushed cookies and cream cheese. Mixing this is easiest with your hands, but you can also use a spoon. Mix until you reach a dough-like consistency.

3. Shape the mixture into small one-inch balls. Place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet or plate. When you’re finished, put them in the freezer for half an hour.

4. Prepare your melting chocolate. There are a couple different methods that you can use, but we found that melting the chocolate in the microwave for 30 second intervals was easiest. We used white and milk chocolate Ghirardelli wafers.

When I first tried these Oreo balls, I was absolutely blown away. The crunch of the outer chocolate shell and the smooth, creamy filling was so delicious I was sure that they had to come from a bakery. To my surprise, my friend told me she made them with three main ingredients! I came to the realization that since they were so easy to make, I could easily ask her to make them for me again. And I did ask. Several times. Eventually I got the recipe from her, and it really is as easy as she said.

This dessert’s simplicity makes it perfect to make during a busy holiday. On top of that, it’s super easy to customize it for any occasion. In this recipe, we used Nutter Butters to make an autumnthemed treat, and Oreos with white chocolate were perfect for Christmas. No matter when you make these, you can be sure that everyone will be asking for more! //

5. Dip each ball completely into the chocolate, making sure it is coated on all sides. Place the ball back on the parchment paper. If you are adding sprinkles, you will have to work quickly. We would sprinkle each ball after dipping, as they cool down quickly. If you skip the sprinkles, you can coat everything at once and go back with a chocolate drizzle at the end if you would like. The chocolate should cool quickly, but you can store these in the fridge before serving.

Photos by Stephanie Stabb

 Nutter Butter cookies are a perfect autumn color.

a PRISTINE in the Historic Highlands BUNGALOW

RECENTLY PUT ON THE MARKET, THIS SEEMINGLY SMALL HOUSE IS PACKED WITH SPACE AND CHARM.

Alot of folks around town are familiar with the city park up on Third Avenue NE and North Jackson Street. It’s a small park, but well used for the folks in that neighborhood (it also features huge iconic concrete domes). The land for the park was gifted to the city by John Lewis Browne and his wife, which is why it is known as Browne Park. But who was John Browne? In short, Browne was a civil war veteran who found his way to Aberdeen in 1889 as a representative of Western Farm Mortgage Company. He practiced law, was a vice president at Isaac Lincoln’s First State Savings Bank, then president when Lincoln died. His first wife died here in 1903 and he remarried in 1912. Both his wives were on the faculty of Northern Normal (NSU). They had two sons and were very involved in the community, war-time efforts, churches, and politics. Browne was quite popular and served in Pierre from 1901 to 1907 as a senator, a representative, and as speaker of the house in 1903 and 1905. In 1908, Browne was a primary candidate for governor. They

lived on Seventh Avenue SE, right near the trolley tracks that went to Northern. Soon the allure of the Highlands caught their attention, and they trolleyed up to the new development on north Main to assess the neighborhood. They bought land at 1313 North Main and began building a unique, one-of-a-kind home. When it was finished in 1913, this quaint, story and half arts and craft bungalow became their new home. It looks small and unassuming from the outside, but the insides are spacious and charmed with craftsman character. At the time of printing, the house was for sale by Century 21 and includes a lot of space, amenities, and a pristine setting in one of Aberdeen’s best preserved historic districts.

John Lewis Browne died in the house on July 8, 1927. He left a trust fund and gifts all around town, as well as to family. For the last decade, the house has been well cared for, being currently owned by former D&D Paint and Frame/IDC owner Dave Arlt. He and his family orchestrated an extensive remodel that accentuates the historic charm and appeal of this Highlands landmark. //

photography and story by TROY MCQUILLEN

 The house was built for $6,000 in 1913.



 John Lewis Browne

 The Highlands was a subdivision established in 1907 by Charles Howard and Samuel Hedger on north Main Street. It became an exclusive getaway for bankers, lawyers, and doctors. It was accessed by the Street Cars which ran down First Street, keeping Main Street quiet and clear. The Brownes built their bungalow in 1913.

There are three fireplaces in the house. Two on the main level and one in the basement den

 All the windows in the house feature restored sash pulleys and weights that allow the sashes to “balance” open at any height.

 The front sunroom is a natural spot for plants, a comfy chair, and a good book.

RAILS RIDING THE MINI

MODEL RAILROADING IN THE HUB CITY

by

GALLAGHER

 An all too familiar sight, a BNSF locomotive blocking the road. This HO scale version is just under nine inches long, which is about 1/87th the size of the real thing.

PATRICK

• photography by TROY MCQUILLEN

My first model train—a hand-medown toy from my brothers— was a Lionel locomotive with a big wind-up key that ran on a track for maybe 30 seconds, unless it was pulling cars. Later, I got my own HO scale set of about six cars and an oval track. It was fun governing the train with a simple electric transformer—and a little hypnotic in its perpetual laps. Unfortunately, it soon got forgotten in the bottom of a closet.

Fortunately, some people have mastered the transition from play to hobby—and to making the track routes more entertainingly complex than my simple round and round and round. For adult model railroaders, the hobby has always been a passion, always something more than play and toys.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the James Valley Model Railroad Association (JVMRRA) was formed to “promote the hobby of model railroading and the history of railroads in Aberdeen and their role in Aberdeen history,” says longtime member Charlie Davis. While they’re “more successful in promoting the hobby,” history is central. Most members ‘model’ certain railroad lines by studying their history and acquiring their locomotives and cars. Tom

Blanchard, one of the founders of the club, says, “The club was founded on learning—guys learned and taught” each other about the hobby and about railroads.

But what do the club members do? Other than occasional meetings, Davis says, “The guys come here to work on trains and work on the train layout.” The here is their clubroom in the old Milwaukee Depot at Main Street and Railroad Avenue. A layout is a large, scale model diorama of a railroad scene, which, in addition to trains and tracks, includes both city and country scenery, homes, businesses, factories, farms, animals, bridges, tunnels, hills, trees, and more. The four layouts the club owns take up nearly three-quarters of their 2,500 square feet.

To promote railroading, the JVMRRA brings it to the public and the public to it. For years, they took their show on the road, but now during most months of the year and weekly between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they open their wheelchair-accessible clubroom for free open houses. “People like to come and watch,” Davis says. “Lots of kids have never seen a train kit.”

Another reason for open houses, Davis deadpanned, is “to show off. That’s a big part of it. It’s an excuse to come down and have fun.”

Open Houses

SCHEDULE FOR 2022

CHRISTMAS AT THE DEPOT

November 26

December 3, 10, 17, 24.

Hours: 11 AM to 5 PM

Admission to all is free.

 Open houses will continue monthly during January-May 2023

 James Valley Model Railroad Association members, Craig Terry and Charlie Davis beside a HO scale railroad yard layout.

 Kids of all ages love the railroad layouts in the basement of the Milwaukee Depot.

MUST LIKE TRAINS

There aren’t many requirements of JVMRRA membership beyond an interest in model trains. “A few members have no trains of their own,” Davis says, and “some keep all their trains at the club.” The club also owns some trains.

Interest in trains comes via different tracks for different people. Davis’ dad grew up with Lionel then HO scale trains, and so did he. He also acquired his dad’s appreciation for Great Northern Railroad trains. He jokes that even though he “swore no green engines,” he now models BNSF in addition to other Midwest railroads.

A JVMRRA member since age ten, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology junior Jordan Schmeig is also its youngest. “Tom and Charlie got me interested when they would set up at the mall,” he said. As a youngster, he went to the tracks in Bristol, watched the trains go by, and learned the cars and the lines. Not surprisingly, he mostly models area railroads. “I really enjoy that,” he says. “If it’s a South Dakota railroad, I have something from it,” he says, counting “at least a couple hundred freight and passenger cars.”

Mike Henning got an American Flyer train set in 1959 at age seven. When he moved to Aberdeen in 1974, “I was a lone wolf,” he says. “I did it all on my own.” When he joined JVMRRA, “There was more access to technology, then it took off.” He’s also the club’s main carpenter. Modeling the Duluth Mesabi & Iron Range line, he has about 450 cars, including 50 locomotives.

 Top: Brent Watzel checks out his HO scale layout.

Jeremy Schmidt, age 28, has been with the club two years. “I was always interested in trains, but then I saw YouTube videos of trains and got hooked.” (These were not JVMRRA videos, but they are online too: see their Facebook page.) He has a small collection of Lionel O scale trains he keeps at the club.

ALL ABOARD

Tom Blanchard, who has retired from the club, was a key part of launching it. In 1987, he had a model train shop in his basement, which “was really the primary place with equipment for an avid model railroader,” he said. Customers wanted a local club, so he helped organize a meeting in the Northwestern Public Service community room in November that year. A couple dozen people from Mobridge to Hecla joined, and JVMRRA was born.

After meeting in various downtown basements, the group decided to go on the road by creating modular train layouts that could be assembled for travel. “We handed out

plans for modules of a large layout,” Blanchard recalls, “and members built them. That was the beginning of our layouts.” They displayed the 12 feet by 36 feet layouts at Super City Mall and later Lakewood Mall.

Eventually, in 2001, a logical place to call home emerged when the Blackstone Group, the Depot’s owners, offered it. First, the railroaders set up on the second floor. “We had five rooms,” Blanchard remembers. “There were holes in the walls, and we ran tracks through them.” After discovering asbestos, they moved to the first floor until remodeling forced them to the basement, an area filled with small offices. With the assistance of the Tom and Danielle Aman Foundation, the Depot’s current owner, and grants, the basement area was remodeled as part of the Depot renovation to create the Club’s current space.

RUNNING TRAINS

The club room is part museum, part spectacle. Historic trains and antiques are on display while

 Eugene Smith stands behind a massive Lionel layout that was originally built by Tom Blanchard.

 Mike Henning stands among a large HO layout in the works.

members’ cars buzz around the tracks. On the layouts, “you’ll see trains from 1940s to today,” said Davis, “depending on who’s running them.”

They’ve had various layouts over time. When Dr. ¬¬Mark Harlow offered what Blanchard called “a beautiful, beautiful layout” for O scale trains, a JVMRRA team had to cut it in pieces to transport it. That and another O layout take up about half of the club’s east room. Two HO layouts occupy about 75 percent of the west room.

If you visit the club during an open house, however, you will find unfinished portions of the layouts. The group recently implemented a several-year-old plan to redo the mountain area of the HO layout. At press time, they were still deciding how it would look.

The layouts are important, but it’s ultimately about what goes on them. The trains are the point, and they’re much bolder than my wind-up Lionel. Schmidt remembers his first open house “when we got the coal tippler going.” The tippler models a mechanism that secures a car to a

section of track and then lifts and turns track and car to empty its cargo. That “got people’s attention,” he said. That animated car is just one of many, well, bells and whistles to be found in the club.

Control has also come a long way. Through digital command control (DCC), basically locomotives with computer chips, model trains emit bells, whistles, chug chugs, and talking conductors, all of which railroaders can control remotely—even with their phones.

That might all suggest the hobby is an investment. It can be. To buy an HO scale model of the BNSF locomotives that go back and forth daily in Aberdeen, for example, might cost $250$350 each (assuming it has sound, light, and DCC). The box cars, covered hoppers, and tank cars it pulls might run $25-$50 each. However, Davis insists, “there are many entry-level options for someone just starting in the hobby. It does not have to be expensive.”

Despite the costs, Davis and some others are

committed to making their cars look realistic, including through “weathering” with paint and powders. “That’s a big deal to me,” he says and adds—again—“We all like to show off.”

Maybe inspired by a different kind of showing off, Davis also adds graffiti to some of his cars. In fact, he has sold graffiti decals he makes on eBay for about 20 years, noting, “The money helps feed my hobby.” Davis also makes decals of the work of Ichabod, the nom de graffiti of the infamous artist who has painted 5,000 cars, even receiving the mystery man’s blessings.

Verisimilitude is important in other ways too. Schmeig does considerable research to make his models historically accurate. To verify his work, he got decades worth of train photos that Davis had taken in Aberdeen. He also recently built a historically accurate caboose for a mining train belonging to a fellow club member.

TICKET TO RIDE

There are currently 13 members of the JVMRRA,

 All kids recognize and love Thomas the Tank Engine.

 Charlie Davis’s favorite thing to do is to distress or age train cars. He takes pictures of trains passing through Aberdeen, captures the graffiti, prints them out on decal paper and then sells them online to other enthusiasts.

 NSU art students painted a wall in the club. Each railroad that was prominent in Aberdeen's history is featured.

many of whom were there at the beginning. Over the years, they have had over 100 different members.

The JVMRRA members I spoke with said they want more members and to share the benefits. “Model railroading is a good family project,” Blanchard says. “My wife made all the scenery for my layout at home, and my son made the track.” And it’s not really hard, he added, “Visitors get interested in the layouts and think they can’t do that, but they can. Join and these guys will teach them.”

“Fewer kids are interested in model railroading,” Davis laments. “My boys were interested until Nintendo came in the house.” When Blanchard added, “There are too many distractions for kids these days,” somebody played an imaginary video game controller. A little later, Schmeig showed me how the DCC works, manipulating the remote—and looked like a gamer. It was amusing, but the train

he controlled was a real three-dimensional object, some of which he might have made himself, running on a layout he helped build. No judgment—but also no points, no winners, and no heads blown off.

ARRIVING

Davis says his sister, who “worked in the art world her whole life,” once told him, “’Model railroading is an art form.” He appreciated hearing that. “I think it is,” he argued. “In today’s world, so many people work at their job, and when they come home, they have no sense of accomplishment. They haven’t created anything.” Hobbies like model railroading “are important because they allow a person to feel like they created something with their minds and hands and their efforts that wouldn’t exist if they hadn’t done it.”

Then, from a different tack, he added, indicating the club room, “This is my own little world. I can control this world. I can’t control the

To Scale

➼ Model trains are built to a variety of scales to be proportionately accurate replicas of the real trains they depict. The JVMRRA has, at times, focused on three scales: HO, O, and N (although its N layout has been “mothballed,” Charlie Davis says).

Model railroaders mostly adopt one scale, and in America, most choose the HO scale, a ratio of 1:87.1 (1 inch = 87.1 feet). At about half the size of HO, N is also popular at a 1:160 scale. A larger scale at 1:48, O is popular as well. Other scales, both larger and smaller, are also available, but less common.

nightmare outside. It’s an escape mechanism, and it’s a coping mechanism.”

Leaving the clubroom, I passed the upended mountain section of the layout. I wondered if they would ever finish it. That is, do they want to? Or will there always be another tweak to make—a new technology, a new locomotive, or a new creative whim? Like the trains running on those continuous tracks, I suspect the club members will keep chugging—and coping and creating. //

 A Main Street features prominently in a large Lionel layout created and donated by Dr. Harlow.

USE AND ENJOY Ours TO

Aberdeen’s Federal Court House

by PATRICK GALLAGHER • photography by TROY MCQUILLEN

When the U.S. Post Office and Court House opened in 1937, a flyer was circulated that said the building was “Ours to Use and Enjoy”—an optimistic view for a place that was mostly occupied by the forces of federal law and order.

Enjoying the courthouse myself and waiting to see U.S. District Court Judge Charles Kornmann, I watched six men in black-and-white striped prison suits out of a 1940s prison movie walk by, just sentenced by the judge and flanked by three or four officers. A court security officer wearing a bulletproof vest escorted me. He had also been wearing the vest a week earlier, before a man in Wisconsin who had broken into a private home, bound a retired judge, and murdered him. Judge Kornmann later mentioned that the windows near the security area are bulletproof.

Some may not be aware the building includes a courthouse. Over 80 years, weathering has almost hidden the building’s name engraved over the main doors—one door went to the one-time post office and the other to the once-touted “high speed” elevators to the upper floors, the only tenant of which now is the Federal Court.

BUILDING HISTORY

Built in 1937 to replace the 1904 Post Office and Court House two blocks to its west on Main Street, this second federal building in Aberdeen faces Fourth Avenue SE between Lincoln and Washington Streets—such an auspiciously patriotic address that the third federal building parked itself across the street in 1974.

The nearly $500,000 building constructed during the Great Depression was called the “finest Post Office west of Des Moines.” Building materials included South Dakota granite from Milbank (at the request of the local postmaster) for trims and stone at the front entrances and butternut wood from South America for the judge’s chamber and courtroom.

The courtroom once had six large southfacing windows to let in daylight. Sadly, in the 1960s, they were covered over with bricks. On the back side of the building, overlooking the service area, the bricked-up windows might be less noticed, except for the stone framing and the lighter-colored bricks. But the not-windows create a perhaps unfortunate double-edged

metaphor: Blind Justice to be sure, a court unbiased in its neutral quest for justice, but also maybe unmoved by the outside world in its deliberations. That, however, is an exploration for a different time in a different essay.

The five-story building went up quickly, with groundbreaking in December 1936 and dedication by U.S. Postmaster James Farley in October 1937. About 6,000 people took tours on Christmas, New Year’s Day, and the adjoining Sundays. The building housed the post office on the main floor; the IRS, FBI, U.S. Attorney, and various federal offices on second and third; the Federal Court on fourth; and the petit jury room (now the Federal Magistrate’s office) on the fifth.

 Our 1937 Federal Court House might be showing signs of age, but it’s still an impressive example of government architecture.

LEGAL HISTORY

Why does Aberdeen have a Federal Courthouse?

In 1911, Congress passed a law setting out one federal judicial district in South Dakota arranged in four divisions, identifying Aberdeen as the location for trials in the northern division. The division includes northeastern counties from the North Dakota border to a southern boundary of Deuel, Hamlin, Clark, Spink, Edmunds, Walworth, and Corson counties, as well as the Standing Rock and Sisseton reservations. Going up one judicial level, South Dakota is in the Eighth Circuit, based in St. Louis, which also hears appeals from Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and North Dakota.

South Dakota had one federal judgeship for more than 60 years (not counting a brief period in the early 1930s). The early judges were based in

Sioux Falls, but twice yearly heard cases in each division, which took them to Aberdeen, Pierre, and Deadwood (until the western division was relocated to Rapid City in 1974).

South Dakota has had 16 federal judges to date. The first to take up residence in Aberdeen was Axel Beck. Born in Sweden, he came to Alcester, South Dakota, alone at age 11 at the invitation of an aunt. With a University of Chicago law degree, he returned to South Dakota and was admitted to the bar in 1924. A leader in the Republican Party, when a 1957 law provided for a second federal judge in South Dakota, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed him in 1958. He moved to Aberdeen in 1959 and presided in Aberdeen and Deadwood.

After Beck took senior status—essentially retiring, although like many judges, he continued

to hear cases—Don Porter, the judge in Pierre, handled Aberdeen for a while, as did judge Fred Nichol. Richard Battey, who was born in Aberdeen but raised in Frankfort, was appointed a federal judge in 1985 after 30 years of practice in Redfield in the firm of Gallagher [the author’s father] & Battey. He was elevated to federal judge shortly after Roger Wollman, another Frankfort product, had been named to the Federal bench. Battey served primarily in Rapid City but occasionally presided in Aberdeen. A variety of criminal cases were heard in Aberdeen, many coming from Indian reservations. When tribal law does not apply, federal courts have jurisdiction. Drug cases are also common. Judge Battey heard the 1987 case in which men were found guilty of shipping cocaine to Aberdeen by FedEx. More recently,

The Federal Courtroom on the fourth floor of the Courthouse.

Judge Kornmann sentenced men for selling meth on the Sisseton Reservation.

JUDGE KORNMANN

Chuck Kornmann’s route to the Federal bench was somewhat circuitous. Growing up in Castlewood, he attended law school at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and got a job as a Capitol Police Officer thanks to then Representative George McGovern. During school, he worked the midnight shift guarding the locked U.S. Capitol building, which allowed him to study at night. When McGovern was defeated in 1960, Kornmann retained his job thanks to North Dakota Senator Quentin Burdick. In 1963, after law school and McGovern’s election to the Senate, the now-married Kornmann joined McGovern's staff, but only

briefly, as he was asked to be executive director of the S.D. Democratic Party. He and his wife Caroline moved to Mitchell, where the state headquarters was. While there, he became a second lieutenant in the South Dakota National Guard.

In 1965, he left the Party job for Aberdeen and the Voas, Richardson and Groseclose law firm. “Our office was in the Milwaukee Depot Building, and we had free rent and the best law library of any private law firm in the state,” he recalls. They represented the South Dakota Railroads Association as lobbyists in Washington, DC, and Pierre. This began Kornmann’s 30-year lobbying career.

Thirteen years later, the bench started to beckon. In 1978, Federal law authorized a fourth judgeship for South Dakota. Kornmann

was a candidate, but President Jimmy Carter chose South Dakota Supreme Court Justice Donald Porter.

Two years later, Kornmann got the nod from Carter for the position being vacated by Judge Nichol. Seeing the writing on the wall of Carter’s likely 1980 loss to Ronald Reagan, however, Kornmann withdrew his name. A year later, President Reagan appointed John Jones.

Almost a decade and a half later, with the charm of the third time, he became the thirteenth federal judge in South Dakota history. It began with a call from Judge Jones who first thanked him for his gracious withdrawal in 1980 (an amused Kornmann notes the grace was easy since he had known he wouldn’t get confirmed that close to a Presidential election). Then Jones explained that he would be taking senior status

at the end of 1994 and suggested Kornmann call Senator Tom Daschle to initiate FBI and American Bar Association investigations of his background. Daschle also enlisted support from Republican Senator Larry Pressler and Democratic Representative Tim Johnson. On January 23, 1995, President Bill Clinton nominated him. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kornmann says committee chair Republican Senator Mike De Wine of Ohio “noted that I was the first one-time Capitol Policeman to be nominated for such a position and stated that he was pleased to offer his support.”

On March 24, Daschle called Kornmann, saying, “Your number is 38. I said, ‘What does that mean?’” When he watched the proceedings on C-Span, “Majority Leader Senator Bob Dole moved to confirm nominees 34, 35, 36, and 38, and the number system thus became clear to me.” Unanimously confirmed by the Senate, he took the oath of office and was installed May 7, 1995. He observed that the timing from nomination to confirmation “was almost a record.”

MAKING A FEDERAL CASE OF IT

Kornmann was first based in Pierre for about a year and a half until he shifted to Aberdeen. His caseload, between Pierre and Aberdeen, was heavy. “At one time, I had the third highest criminal caseload of any federal judge in the country,” he remembers. Fortunately, he received help from South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Arkansas judges.

Those criminal cases often involved FBI agents, whose policy prevented recording statements from defendants or others. “I pointed out to them that South Dakota sheriffs, highway patrol officers, and local police all often tape record or video tape statements, especially by the suspect or defendant,” he recalls. Instead, FBI agents wrote what the defendant allegedly said, which the defendant often disputed. “I told the U.S. Attorney that unless the FBI policy changed, I would start telling juries about these problems,” he said, and at the next trial, he instructed the jury that neither they nor he were present when the statement was taken

and couldn’t know which version was correct. That defendant was found not guilty, and the FBI started offering to video tape suspects’ statements.

Kornmann speaks of several memorable civil cases. He ruled Federal Beef Checkoff to be unconstitutional. It took a dollar from every beef transaction to promote American beef, but the “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner” ads promoted all beef, American or not, so he struck it down. His decision was affirmed by the Court of Appeals, but the U.S. Supreme Court reversed him, holding that it was government speech that only Congress could stop. “I still think they were wrong,” he says.

On the day before South Dakota’s 2022 primary election, he mentioned a few cases that may have foreshadowed 2022’s defeated Amendment C. He struck down as unconstitutional a state law “severely regulating the gathering of petitions for constitutional amendments and referrals of acts passed by the legislature.” Last year, he also found that South Dakota’s deadline

 The Honorable Charles B. Kornmann, United States District Judge

for filing initiated laws—twelve months before the election—was unconstitutional and restored the previous deadline of six months. The Court of Appeals let the first decision stand, but the second is on appeal. In addition, he struck down another state law that prevented nonresidents from contributing to ballot issue campaigns. While his wasn’t a ballot issue election, the victorious Representative Dusty Johnson criticized out-of-state money supporting his primary opponent.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Judge Kornmann took senior status in 2008, but he continues to carry a full caseload, presiding over all federal cases in Aberdeen. He has also tried cases in Phoenix, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Connecticut, and New York state, as well as Rapid City and Pierre. He could have retired in 2008 and received full pay for the rest of his life, but he didn’t “because I’m grateful to the many federal judges who had come to help me when I had such a heavy caseload.”

But what happens when he fully retires?

“Aberdeen absolutely will not get a judge again, not one that lives in Aberdeen,” he believes. Where the judge lives is up to the judge. Kornmann hopes Aberdeen remains attractive.

The Court House building’s profile has changed over time. Once fully occupied, most agencies crossed the street when the new Federal Building opened in 1974. In 1976 a new main post office facility opened on South Fifth Street, with a downtown location hanging on for another few decades until it closed in 2011. Now the only tenant is the Federal Court.

The building has also been sold multiple times in recent years, with a spotty record of landlord attention. The City of Aberdeen tried to buy the building in 2006, but the bidding went too high, and a private investor bought it from the General Services Administration. The city later acquired it through eminent domain and sold it to the Aberdeen Development Corporation. It is now privately owned.

Still, the judge argues the Court benefits

Aberdeen. It has a $1 million payroll with eight local staff members. In addition, trials bring people to town, including court officers, but also attorneys, plaintiffs, defendants, victims, and families. The magistrate judge also comes for initial hearings and to appoint public defenders. All these people spend money in Aberdeen hotels and restaurants.

Kornmann hopes the building remains a Federal Court. He hopes the city sees the value of the Court’s presence here. Besides the impact of federal trials on the local economy, there’s something more there. Questions of federal, state, and tribal law are argued there— Constitutional issues. Behind those sadly bricked-up windows, arguments linking to the founding of the republic are adjudicated. Maybe there’s more to use and enjoy—and appreciate— than we think. //

 The building’s dedication by U.S. Postmaster James Farley happened in October 1937.

 Over 80 years, weathering has almost hidden the building’s name engraved over the main doors.

BookClub

Not sure what book to pick up next? K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library’s Assistant Director Cara Perrion has got you covered. Whether you’re an avid reader or picking up a book for the first time in years, these picks will help readers of all ages find the next adventure to get lost in.

Robin Benway AYeartotheDay

This emotionally charged read takes the reader through a family’s year after a tragic accident. Kirkus Review says it’s “An intelligent, compassionate examination of a family enduring a nightmare.” Benway created a story about grief and loss, in a reverse chronological order. You begin the story with how far people have come with their grief and work your way back to the day of the tragedy. This book reads as if it’s a conversation between friends and relies on emotion and character development more than plot twists. Even as fiction, this book seems to be very realistic and relatable, especially for older teens. A great roller coaster ride of emotions.

Alice

Jamie Ford TheManyDaughters ofAfongMoy:ANovel

When Jamie Ford first wrote The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the library brought him to Aberdeen for an author event and he soon became one of Aberdeen’s favorite authors. His latest work, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, is true to his transcendent writing style. A powerful story weaving through generations of strong women, it recognizes the obstacles and pain they triumphed over. This gripping story is based on a real person, Afong Moy, who is the first Chinese woman to come to America, but goes beyond being an immigrant's tale. Ford tackles the difficult, if not controversial, topic of epigenetics, the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. Loneliness, suffering, and violence connect generations of women who are worlds apart. As in all Ford’s stories, the reader is left enlightened and entertained.

Loveless  Check out these books and more at K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library!

Alice Oseman’s webcomic Heartstopper has been adapted into one of Netflix’s most popular shows, and her other novels are just as worthy of the hype! Her fourth novel, Loveless, follows 18-year-old Georgia as she embarks on her new college adventure with her best friends Pip and Jason. Georgia has never had a crush or been on a date. Her lack of a love life is just one of the many trials she faces during her first year of college. Loveless is a story of how friendships grow and change, and Georgia learns that being different isn’t a bad thing – especially when others might not understand how she feels. Romantic love isn’t the only kind of love out there, and it’s certainly not the most important one. Accepting yourself and others is what matters the most at the end of the day. Young and old readers alike will LOVE this coming-of-age tale! //

EDITOR PICK

Oseman

YOUNG ADULT

ADULT FICTION