Progress 2021 Community

Progress Community

Albert Lea Tribune

Saturday, February 27, 2021

Albert Lea Area Learning Center Principal Johanna Thomas, left, poses next to her favorite place at the Learning Center: the wall of finished credits. Eileen Woyen, right, has served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Albert Lea for four years. Both are being recognized as Citizens of the Year. Hallie Cantu and Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Principal, pastor named as this year’s

CITIZENS OF THE YEAR T

Area Learning Center Principal Johanna Thomas interacts with students during math class to see what they are working on. Hallie Cantu/Albert Lea Tribune

Despite a daunting year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, women continue lifting up those around them

By Sarah Stultz

sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

Tribune Albert Lea

hough the COVID-19 panJohanna Thomas demic has put a strain Thomas started with the Albert on many areas of soci- Lea school district in 2004 after ety, there have also been teaching in Casa Grande, Arizona, many bright spots in the since 1989.

Since arriving in Albert Lea, last year of people who have gone she has taught at out of their way to Lakeview Elemenmake a difference. tary School and As the Tribune’s served as assistant Citizen of the Year principal at Albert Committee sat down Lea High School via Zoom in January and principal at to select the annual Halverson ElemenCitizen of the Year, tary School. About we decided this year three years ago, she to select not one, but became principal of two people to honor. the Area Learning The two people seCenter at Riverland — Mike Funk lected — Albert Lea Community College, Area Learning Center which has about 95 Principal Johanna Thomas and Trinity Lutheran Church Pastor Eileen high school-aged students, she said.

Superintendent Mike Funk said Woyen — represent two areas that have seen major changes because of the pandemic: faith and education.

See AWARD, Page 6

“She understands the challenges that many of our students face.”

What’s inside?

Meet the management team: Crystal Miller: Publisher 379-3420 | crystal.miller@albertleatribune.com Sarah Stultz: Editor 379-3433 | sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com Krista Bell: Circulation Manager 379-3421 | krista.titus@albertleatribune.com Lisa Foley: Business Manager 379-4324 | lisa.foley@albertleatribune.com Terry Thissen: Pressroom Manager 379-9854 | terry.thissen@albertleatribune.com Offices: 808 W. Front St. Albert Lea, MN 56007 Phone: 507-373-1411 Fax: 507-373-0333 Website: albertleatribune.com Want to subscribe or moving?

Call 507-379-3421 or send email to circulation@ albertleatribune.com.

Postmaster: Send address changes changes to Albert Lea Tribune, 808 W. Front St., Albert Lea, MN 56007.

‘A calming, caring presence” Albert Lea woman says it’s an honor to serve people at the end of their lives. Page 2

The perfect pair

An expanding business

Local business aims to make estate sales and downsizing easier. Page 4

A.L.-based renewable energy consulting firm moving to new building. Page 5

Page 2 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Progress 2021 | Community | saturday, February 27, 2021

By Sarah Stultz

A ‘calming, caring presence’

sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

After starting with St. Croix Hospice as a case manager servicing Albert Lea and the surrounding areas, Albert Lean Renae Horecka has recently taken on a new position with the company overseeing clinical operations for the entire Mankato and Bloomington areas.

Horecka said she started with the hospice organization in 2014 and in 2018 transitioned into the role of manager of clinical services. In January of this year, she became regional director of clinical operations, overseeing staff in the entire Mankato region — which includes Albert Lea — and in Bloomington.

Prior to starting with St. Croix, she said she was director of nursing at a nursing facility in Austin and before that grew her nursing career at Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea for 10 years.

“From my experiences at the nursing home and those end of life experiences that you have there, and working closely with the hospice agencies that worked there, I appreciated what they did,” Horecka said. “I, too, wanted to be that calming, caring presence. It’s an honor to serve those people at the end of their life.”

In her new role, she oversees about 45 people, including staff such as registered nurses, social workers, chaplains and others who interact with patients. She spends three days a week at the Mankato office and two days in Bloomington. The regional area serves an hour radius on all sides.

The organization works with patients for end-oflife care, along with their families and provides nurse and aid services for the physical needs and activities of daily living. It also has social workers and chaplains for spiritual and psycho-social health.

Registered nurse Katie Anderson and Renae Horecka, regional director over clinical operations for St. Croix Hospice, both of Albert Lea, pose for a photo in February at Thorne Crest Senior Living Community, one of several locations the organization can offer hospice services. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Croix offered music and massage therapists, though those have had to be scaled back for safety precautions. She said the organization also has a bereavement team that follows families 13 months after the patient passes away.

During the pandemic, many things have had to be done differently for safety. St. Croix recently launched an in-touch family program, that allows families to connect with their loved ones virtually.

For facilities they are

unable to get into in-person, they provide virtual administration to make sure the patients there are getting the services they need.

She said they have also seen a spike of patients who are choosing to stay in their homes for their hospice care, who are not wanting to separate from their families during the pandemic.

“Hospice care in the most part really didn’t stop or slow down,” she said.

“We just had to get creative in how to deliver it.”

The company has started a Safe Care Promise program, which is its

pledge to do everything possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

That could include everything from COVID testing twice a week to ensure staff remain free of the virus, to daily temperature checks, wearing K95 masks, fit-testing for N-95 masks and wearing full personal protective equipment when with patients.

“We want to keep them safe,” she said.

St. Croix Hospice offers end-of-life care and advocacy across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.

“From my experiences at the nursing home and those end of life experiences that you have there, and working closely with the hospice agencies that worked there, I appreciated what they did. I, too, wanted to be that calm, caring presence.

It’s an honor to serve people at the end of their life.”

— Renae Horecka, regional director over clinical operations for St. Croix Hospice

saturday, February 27, 2021 | Community | Progress 2021 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Page 3

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Page 4 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Progress 2021 | Community | saturday, February 27, 2021

Andrea Strom and Penny Thompson own and operate The Perfect Pair Estate and Downsizing Services as well as Junktion Market. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

THE perfect pair

Local business aims to make estate sales and downsizing easier

By Tyler Julson

tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com

For Andrea Strom and Penny Thompson, owners of The Perfect Pair Estate and Downsizing Services, helping people through difficult and trying times is their main goal.

Strom and Thompson, also owners of Junktion Market in Albert Lea, said the idea to start the estate and downsizing business came organically.

“People started coming into the store downtown, asking if we wanted to buy their estates,” Strom said.

“We didn’t have the room to buy an entire estate and a lot of times, we didn’t want everything. Then it morphed into ‘Well, do you do sales?’... It just kind of turned into a second business.”

Thompson said she thinks it compliments the work they do at Junktion Market, and getting into estate sales was the next logical step for them.

“It’s kind of a sister business with what we do at the store,” Thompson said. “We have a love of old things. I think it was just kind of a natural progression for us to get into the estate sale business, and I think there was a legitimate need in our community for that.”

Strom said she is thankful The Perfect Pair has the ability to sell things online, something not many estate sale businesses are able to offer. She said there are so many collector groups on the internet for individual items, it makes finding buyers much easier. Being able to sell online was also one of the contributing factors

Thompson said the most rewarding part about owning the business is knowing they are helping people through a difficult part of their lives in most cases. helping them throughout the pandemic.

As people who hate to see things end up at the dump, Strom said estate sales have been a good fit for them. Before each consultation, she said she always tells people not to throw anything out until they’ve had the chance to look at it. She said what some people might think is trash, might actually end up being the most valuable thing in the house.

“What we try to impress upon people is secondhand things keeps things out of the landfill. We have too much stuff in landfills.”

— Andrea Strom “What we try to impress upon people is secondhand keeps things out of

Strom and Thompson stressed the importance of buying things secondhand to keep things out of the landfill.

the landfill,” Strom said.

“We have too much stuff in landfills. There are

people that stubb their nose at estate sales and thrift stores, but there is a purpose.”

On top of providing needed service, Thompson said they often learn a lot through the items they sell. Thompson said she once came upon a number of journals written by someone from Albert Lea from the late 1800s to the 1940s. She said there was a lot of information in them about what it was like during the flu of 1918,

Pearl Harbor and more.

What the duo really enjoys about their jobs is being able to help people out in times they might need it most.

“We’re doing a service to the community,” Thompson said. “I really do truly feel like we’re helping people in a caring and thoughtful way through probably one of the hardest transitions in their lives in a lot of cases. For me that’s really what it comes down to.”

Strom said their number one rule is telling people not to throw anything away before they can take a look at it. Many times, what people think is garbage turns out to be the most valuable item in the house.

saturday, February 27, 2021 | Community | Progress 2021 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Page 5

126 W. Main Street will be the new location of Good Steward Consulting after it moves out of its old location at 137 N. Broadway. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

Albert Lea-based renewable energy consulting business is expanding

Good steward consulting headquarters moving to former Color wheel

By Tyler Julson

tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com

Mariah Lynne, president and CEO of Good Steward Consulting, started her business as a one-person operation in 2017. Now in 2021, Good Steward is moving to a new building in downtown Albert Lea, and has 19 employees with more offices across the Midwest.

The reason for the move is to make room for her ever-expanding business and growing number of employees.

The company assists renewable energy development companies with their public outreach vision, goals and implementation.

When Lynne bought her current building at 137 N. Broadway, she said she did a complete overhaul of the building, restoring it to its original architectural design. In doing so, Lynne designed the building for one- or two-person businesses. Now, with a growing number of employees, Lynne said it was time to move.

“We outgrew that space — actually relatively quickly,” Lynne said. “Within the first two years, by 2019, we had outgrown the space on the main level. We actually moved into the apartment upstairs and made that work for a while, but we knew we would outgrow that, too.”

Lynne said she liked being in downtown Albert Lea, so she kept an eye out for any building that became available.

Eventually 126 W. Main Street, the former location of The Color Wheel, became available, and Lynne jumped at the opportunity.

WIth a larger main level, Lynn said some minor renovations will happen such as the addition of offices, a conference room and an additional bathroom.

Lynne and her team have worked remotely since April 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said some aspects of working remotely have been difficult, but they’ve been able to make it work, and they are excited to start working together again under the same roof.

“Because we shared the space with the attorney’s office and other renters, we didn’t have the ability to fully make the space our own and enjoy it completely as a team,” she said. “The new building, we have the opportunity to make the

“When it came down to where we wanted the headquarters to be, I never thought twice about keeping it in Albert Lea. I have a real strong passion for Albert Lea. I’ve been able to find talent in Albert Lea and attract talent to Albert Lea.” — Good Steward Consulting President Mariah Lynne space what we need for our growing company, to make the space our own and we’ll be the only entity utilizing that main level.”

The old location is still home to an attorney’s office, Gerard Mental Health Services, two newly open offices with shared conference space, and will be home to the local project office of a renewable energy project taking place in rural Hayward.

“With all of our projects,

Mariah Lynne stated Good Steward Consulting in 2017 as a one-person operation. It has now expanded to include 19 employees and nine offices throughout the Midwest. Tribune File Photo we try to have a local office,” Lynne said. “A place for the public to come in and learn about the project and ask questions. Our old building will be home to the local representative for the Hayward solar project.”

Not only has Good Steward Consulting grown into needing more space for its headquarters, it has also grown into eight additional

offices located across the Midwest. There is a local project office in Missouri, four in Wisconsin and four in Indiana, according to Lynne.

“The thought does cross your mind, ‘Are we located where we need to be to provide services to the Midwest?’” Lynne said.

“A lot of our projects are 10-plus hours away. When it came down to where we

In addition to its headquarters in Albert Lea, Good Steward Consulting has eight additional offices outside of Albert Lea across the Midwest. Provided

wanted the headquarters to be, I never thought twice about keeping it in Albert Lea. I have a real strong passion for Albert Lea. I’ve been able to find talent in Albert Lea and attract talent to Albert Lea.” Lynne said buying the new building and

expanding her business has been satisfying on a number of levels.

“It’s satisfying to me because I always wanted to see the community of Albert Lea be a place where I could do what I love and find success, and it’s proven to be that place for me,” she said.

Good Steward Consulting assists renewable energy development companies with their public outreach vision, goals and implementation. Provided

Page 6 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Progress 2021 | Community | saturday, February 27, 2021

A wall of graduates hangs in the hall of the Albert Lea Area Learning Center at Riverland Community College. Hallie Cantu/Albert Lea Tribune

Award Continued from Front Page

Thomas is the district’s longest-serving principal in the district and has impacted the lives of students and staff at both the secondary and elementary levels.

“In her current role as principal of our ALC, she is very effective, as she understands the challenges that many of our students face,” Funk said. “This perception allows her to lead her staff to best meet the needs of her students.”

Thomas said she enjoys the ALC because of the unique way teachers there can individualize students’ learning programs and because of the opportunity to develop relationships with students.

In addition to her work at the ALC, in her role she oversees the district’s summer school program, which she anticipates will likely be larger this summer because of the academic challenges that have risen with the pandemic.

Thomas said it has been a challenging year for students at the Area Learning Center — with the most difficult challenge for them being attendance.

Students at the ALC have

a hybrid schedule, rotating in-person and distance learning. In mid-February, students added back Fridays on a rotating basis.

Though the students are learning resiliency and confidence, Thomas said many have expressed they are missing the personal connection that is often found during the school setting. She said many have some great ideas of how to build those connections in the coming months.

Thomas said though she has worked in a variety of roles in education for over 30 years, she has thoroughly enjoyed being able to help and connect students who have unique challenges and barriers.

Kelsey Thomas, who nominated her mother for the award, said her mom “has a knack for helping students realize their potential, their dreams and goals, and providing endless support to help students succeed in an individualized way.”

“I have seen (her) support future community organizers, actors, musicians, law enforcement officers, nurses and doctors, welders, teachers, politicians, chefs, farmers and everything in between,” Kelsey Thomas wrote.

Members of the Citizen of the Year Committee John Holt Cindy Lunning Crystal Miller Rick Mummert Don Nolander Tom Sorenson Sarah Stultz Teacher Andrew Gustafson said Thomas has brought a lot to the ALC in her time there and she does a great job of being flexible with everything going on related to the pandemic.

“She has a good mindset of, ‘We’re here to help our students’ — whether it’s credits, the food pantry, the coat rack,” Gustafson said. “She’s been a great fit for everybody.”

Teacher Paula Olson described Thomas as a “calm, strong leader.”

“She knows how to deal with the kids when they’re at their best, but also when they’re at their worst,” Olson said.

She noted Thomas has great ideas and is supportive of the things that teachers want to do in helping prepare the students to go out into the world.

See AWARD, Page 8

Area Learning Center Principal Johanna Thomas talks with a student about his work in early February.

Area Learning Center Principal Johanna Thomas listens as teacher Andrew Gustafson speaks in his classroom about the creative way his classes showcase the completion of credits with the creation pictured at right.

saturday, February 27, 2021 | Community | Progress 2021 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Page 7

Spreading kindness throughout the community 2 initiatives recognize, encourage good deeds

By David Mayberry

david.mayberry@albertleatribune.com

Two groups started around the holidays to inspire giving hope their similar work expands to year-round acts of kindness and assistance.

Pay it Forward Freeborn County was started

by Shari Jenson, executive director at the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce.

The motivation was the 2000 movie starring Haley Joel Osment and the 1999 novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde, and more recently a Minnesota chain of kindness that made national news.

“There are so many people and businesses within Freeborn County doing wonderful, helpful, generous, caring acts of kindness,” Jenson said. “I thought it was important for people to share them, in hopes of creating a contagious movement for good.”

A few weeks earlier, Kristen Leonhardi created Kristen’s Donation Challenge, largely targeting local restaurants and boutiques. Leonhardi saw it as an extension of fundraising efforts she’d led in the past and more recently an expansion of eating more takeout meals than were really necessary once the pandemic hit.

“I just wanted to support these businesses,” said Leonhardi, who is a nurse practitioner and also owns a hair salon in Albert Lea. “My heart hurt for them.

I wanted to find a way to help in any way that I could to prevent these awesome businesses from closing or struggling.”

Pay it Forward

Jenson said she saw plenty of good acts occurring in Freeborn County.

Starting the group was “more about good deeds going unnoticed.”

“There had been so much focus on the negative environment we’re all experiencing, I thought it was important to try to change focus,” she said.

“On a personal level, I always feel better when I’m doing something for someone else and my sister’s cancer defeat proved the power in faith and positivity; this Facebook page encourages all of that.”

Most instances shared

The 112 on Broadway was on both the giving and receiving end in the last year through a meatball meal it made for St. John’s Lutheran Community and through the Donation Challenge. Tribune file photo

Several area businesses benefited through acts of the community this year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tribune file photo

on the group’s Facebook page have been the standard drive-thru variety: one car agrees to pay for its purchase along with the next car’s purchase, hoping to start a chain of purchases for other vehicles.

Coffee shops were the typical impromptu host.

Next in line: fast-food restaurants.

But other businesses were also impacted.

Group members left cash at four properties, allowing the next person to make a purchase there to receive an unexpected discount.

Workers at a women’s clothing store told the group in a post that it donated 29 pairs of slipper socks to the Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea. Members also shared kind acts that were posted elsewhere on Facebook, including: A local restaurant donated handmade meatballs to the entire St. John’s campus.

Another donation group focused recent campaigns on businesses that are struggling during the pandemic.

Arcadian Bank hosted a social media/hashtag

campaign benefitting three local nonprofits.

“I don’t want people to be afraid to share their good deeds; I want them to share their acts of kindness and be an inspiration for others,” Jenson said.

“How great would it be to see a hundred posts a day, about nothing but acts of kindness that spread throughout Freeborn County?”

Through her work at the chamber, Jenson has also linked the two pages. Two posts in January shared chamber posts — one was about a local blood drive, and the other was about a

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Membership in the group numbered more than 200 after just one day.

It’s tapered significantly since. Jenson would like to see the number of members match the population of Freeborn County: more than 30,000.

“That may be a lofty goal,” Jenson said, “but we’re ‘Minnesota Nice,’ and we need to engage and encourage and be proud of that moniker.”

Donation Challenge

Some of Leonhardi’s

posts have been shared to the Chamber’s Pay it Forward page.

There’s nothing wrong with duplicating good deeds, particularly when the motivation is so similar.

“It made me feel so good knowing others are wanting to pay it forward as well,” Leonhardi said.

“They invited me, and I’m enjoying seeing all the random acts of kindness people are doing.

“The more pages just like this and the more people who participate, the better end results we will have.”

The Donation Challenge has donated thousands of dollars to area businesses, according to Leonhardi. It’s also driven customers toward those businesses with “order takeout days.”

Some, Leonhardi said, were weathering the most recent months better than others. Bills were paid that otherwise wouldn’t have for some.

“I wanted to do something every week at least once to bring smiles and kindness amongst all the negativity,” Leonhardi said. “The businesses were sooo thankful and appreciative and it makes you want to do more.”

For others, they declined the help in hopes that the money would go to “someone who is more in need,” Leonhardi said.

“I thought that was very generous and selfless,” she said. “It was great to see the overwhelming generosity and kindness of people.”

Like the chamber group, most of the charity work was done in December and January, but Leonhardi has hopes to continue into the spring.

Among the targeted businesses were Peppered Cow, 112 on Broadway, The Interchange, The B&B Cafe, Wedgewood Cove, The Green Mill, Geneva Bar & Grill, Jake’s Pizza, Dominos, Ellen & Jane Boutique, The Homestead Boutique, and EJ’s Mercantile.

There were also days between drives, “general ‘pay it forward days’ to any business you choose that day,” Leonhardi said.

She planned to brainstorm a new pay it forward event after talking about the group because sharing about caring leads to more caring.

“I wanted to find an easy way to give back and motivate others to do so as well,” Leonhardi said.

“Sharing what they do to give back also helps motivate others.”

Page 8 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Progress 2021 | Community | saturday, February 27, 2021

Eileen Woyen, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, center, and other volunteers from the church stand behind a table with bags of food on it for a meal distribution program at the church each Wednesday. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

Award Continued from Page 6

“When they walk out of there, the kids know they’ve been cared for, and it starts at the top,” Olson said.

Eileen Woyen

Woyen moved to Albert Lea from Akron, Ohio, 4 1/2 years ago with her two sons and husband when she received her call to become pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church.

“I kind of felt like a missionary coming,” she said.

When she arrived in Albert Lea, she said the church conducted longrange planning. Out of that planning, one of the main focuses was the church’s Wednesday ministry.

They were already doing meals for members of the congregation and youth who were coming for confirmation classes.

“We thought why not the community?” she said.

In March 2020 they were serving a meal to many church members along with some community members, and then the COVID-19 pandemic began and all their efforts shifted. For a little while, Woyen said, they didn’t have the meal, but then when they started it up again, they shifted it to handing out bag lunches as a safety precaution.

Previously, the church had given out warm meals — often leftovers from funerals or soups.

“The word of the year is adaptability,” Woyen said.

“If you try one thing and it doesn’t work, you try new things.”

It has grown from 20 or 30 meals to offering over 100 each week.

Though the meals cost more in the way they are serving now, she said the congregation has been generous in helping to make it possible. She has also been able to secure some grants.

“I’ve been their cheerleader in finding money,” she said.

Lance Skov, who nominated Woyen for the award, said Woyen has been instrumental in getting the word out about the meal and helping with it.

She has also encouraged other causes throughout the year such as knitting or buying scarves and warm items to donate in November and December, collecting food for the Salvation Army and fundraising for Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge.

Woyen said she has been humbled to see all the people who come by the church, particularly when she sees teenagers coming to pick up food for the rest of the family.

“I’m wishing we could do more, but this is what Jesus taught us to do — love God and love others,”

Nominees for Citizen of the Year Steve Ball Robert Hoffman Holly Karsjens Janelle Koepke Roger Larson Holly Miller Johanna Thomas Eileen Woyen Woyen said.

Woyen also conducts weekly Zoom Bible studies for members of the church as well as Zoom confirmation classes. She and a few other church members have a virtual service on Wednesday nights in addition to the Sunday service.

She said the online services have actually helped increase participation amongst some youth in the church.

Skov said Woyen also has helped out a lot with the pop-up food pantries put on by the United Way of Freeborn County, in which she volunteers with and helps recruit other volunteers.

Woyen, who recently celebrated her 20th year of being ordained, said her goal is to have an outward focus.

This year has reemphasized to her the importance of serving within the community.

“No church should only be within its walls,” she said.

“We aren’t just a building. The church goes beyond the building.

It’s hard when you can’t worship together — and we miss that — but it’s

Trinity Lutheran Church volunteers prepare sandwiches for the Wednesday community meal at the church in early February.

“The word of the year is adaptability. If you try one thing and it doesn’t work, you try new things.

— Eileen Woyen, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Albert Lea also taught us that we can be the church in our homes, in our families.

We’re being the church to

people not just in Albert Lea. We have family and friends from all over the United States now who

almost consider us their church.”

With the multiple youth who died in the Albert Lea area in 2020, she said she thought it was important to offer her care and support to other area youth and their families and was a part of several prayer vigils and other events in memory of these youth.

She said though she did not help organize any of these events, she thinks it was critical for her to offer her support and let the friends and families

know they were supported.

Skov described Woyen as a “remarkable and caring person,” one who this past year, especially, was always there for anyone who wanted to talk.

Now that she has been in Albert Lea for almost five years, Woyen said she has grown used to the community and has grown to love it.

“It’s a good community,” she said. “Of course we have our problems, but it seems like we’re willing to talk about it.”

Youth and others help distribute meals as part of a meal program each Wednesday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Albert Lea.

saturday, February 27, 2021 | Community | Progress 2021 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Page 9

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Page 10 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Progress 2021 | Community | saturday, February 27, 2021

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