EDITOR’S NOTE
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love the summer. When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait to drag my bike down from our family’s second-story apartment to the street, where I would bike through wooded areas. I’d do laps around a pond close to home for hours because I loved the feeling of being outside. It was also summertime when my family and I moved into our first home. I had never lived in anything larger than a two-room apartment before I turned 14, but we moved into a seemingly huge home the summer before I started ninth grade. It was a joy to be able to run around with my siblings inside our family home. I got a taste of that joy working on this summer issue of Austin Living Magazine, where we’ve featured some truly inspiring stories this time around. Gary and Marsha Wilde are longtime Austinites who’ve had more than their share of adversity over the years. So it makes sense to see how grateful they were to have their home remodeled through T ‘N G Plumbing’s Pay It Forward contest. The Wildes got more than just a redesigned home — they got resolution on a few old wounds. You can read all about the Wildes on Pg. 12. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from improving your own home this year. Yet all contractors know what can seem like a simple home improvement project may turn into a bigger job than anticipated. Heath Trom has more than a little experience in home improvement as the president of his own construction company and he’s willing to share some of his wisdom on Pg. 42. Want to get inspired to work out? Learn a little more about Jeff Baldus’ journey to getting and staying fit. Baldus finds time to work out whenever he can and has transformed his life for the better. He’s not the only one to do so — Anita Deters also went from a regular woman to a high-intensity workout machine after she made the choice to fit in some exercise time each day. Read more about their journeys on Pg. 36. So take some time to get inspired this summer with a look at everything our community has to offer. After all, what goes better with a little Austin Living than sunshine and summer times?
Got ideas?
We at Austin Living magazine want to hear what you think, and we need your brightest ideas for coming issues. Favorite musicians? Finest artists? Goofiest pranksters? Best storytellers? Local nightlife? We are open-minded. Call Trey Mewes at 507-434-2214. Feel free to pen a letter, too. Our address is on the right.
EDITORIAL Editor Trey Mewes Contributing Writers Trey Mewes Jason Schoonover Jenae Hackensmith Eric Johnson Rocky Hulne Photographer Eric Johnson ART Art Director Colby Hansen Graphic Designers Susan Downey Colby Hansen Eric Johnson Kathy Johnson Kim Ehrich SALES & PROMOTION Advertising Manager Jana Gray Sales Representatives Heather Ryks LeAnn Fischer Brenda Landherr Merry Petersen MAY–JUNE 2015 Volume 3, Number 3 EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE: Editors, Austin Living 310 2nd Street NE Austin, MN 55912 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced without written permission. For comments, suggestions or story ideas call 507-434-2214. To purchase advertising, call 507-434-2220 © A Minnesota Publishers Inc. publication
Trey Mewes, Editor 2 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
PUBLISHER Jana Gray
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VISIT OUR SHOWROOM 3532 Hwy 63 South • Rochester, MN 55904 May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 3
WHAT’S INSIDE
MAY – JUNE 2015
features AUSTIN IN BLOOM
This area greenhouse is responsible for Austin’s downtown flower baskets
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FITTING IN FITNESS
These busy Austinites find time to stay in shape
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HOME WORK
Heath Trom knew the best way to upgrade his home
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SEEN 6 FOODIE THROWDOWN
Area chefs strutted their seasonings at this year’s Foodie Throwdown
8 AUSTIN HOME AND VACATION SHOW
The biggest convention of the year hit Packer Arena in March
10 MOWER COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY
PASTA DINNER
A look at a wonderful fundraiser for an even better cause
4 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
HOME & HEARTH 12 MIRACLE REMODEL
T ’N G Plumbing pays a home remodel forward
20 A BABY BOOM AT THE INSTITUTE
There’s an influx of young families at the Hormel Institute
OUT & ABOUT 22 SUMMER SUN, SUMMER FUN
A preview of summer activities through Austin parks and rec
24 SPICE UP YOUR GARDEN
These aren’t your ordinary garden-variety fruits and vegetables
26 BREWING NEW HOBBIES
Want to make your own wine? Ask Jill and Kevin Jones
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extras
50 48 WHAT’S IN STORE
Take a look at these camping essentials
50 A TRIP TO REMEMBER
A local family honors their loved one through a volunteer trip to Guatemala
54 LOOKING BACK
How the small community of Johnsburg got its start
56 BEHIND THE SCENES
58 AUSTIN LIVING MARKETPLACE 60 AREA HAPPENINGS The biggest upcoming
events in Austin
62 BOOK REVIEW
“Little Wolves,” by Thomas Maltman
64 WHY I LOVE AUSTIN
The endless small-town opportunities
A look at the making of some of this issue’s stories. May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 5
SEEN | Foodie Throwdown Mower County’s biggest food competition was back with a burst of flavor as five teams competed at the fourth annual Foodie Throwdown March 20 at the Hormel Historic Home. More than 200 people refined their palate with a scrumptuous offering of appetizers, entrees and desserts from some of the best area chefs around. Neal Hull may have won this year’s competition with a delicious Cajun shrimp pasta entree, but the crowd was the real winner with so much delicious food. HHH organizers are already planning to bring more surprises and tastier treats to Austin next year.
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(1) Neal Hull, playing the part of Forrest Gump, prepares his food at the fourth annual Foodie Throwdown at the Hormel Historic Home (2) Chef Kristine Wolner readies her dessert, pecan pie with candied smoked pecans, as people lined up for tasting (3) Kim Schulte, Leah Erickson and Mel Morem (4) Kris Kiser and Cora Havlik (5) Wade Kolander and Adam and Ann Houch (6) Mick Carranza and Lisa Wagner (7) Kiersten Selvig and Nathan Wersal (8) Sarah Ehret, Becky Rasell, Alaina Hataye and Agnes Wahlert (9) Chef Wade Kolander carries a pan full of beef and bean empanadas, fresh out of the oven (10) Chef Amy Riley cuts up tamarind glazed pork loins (11) Jeanne and Brendhan Wagner, and Danny and Mary Muzik (12) Al and Liz Lieberum (13) Sawyer and Todd Hepler (14) People begin lining up tasting 6 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
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SEEN | Austin Home and Vacation Show Thousands descended on Packer Arena March 20-22 to check out the latest in area home improvement products, appliances, vacation packages and more at the annual Austin Home and Vacation Show. More than 50 vendors shared their wares while various organizations gave away great items, from Chamber Bucks to more than $10,000 in prizes. Of course, many people came just for the show’s trout pond.
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(1) The Austin Home and Vacation Show is in full swing (2) Stephen Helleksen, Sindi Fulton, Anna Rahn, Alexander Bloedel and Tara Yokiel of Power 96 (3) Ron Simon and Carol Wilkinson, aka “Bathroom Betty” (4) Kevin Kiser (5) Brynn Rahn and April Habana (6) Jane Selvig and Dennis Callahan (7) Courtney Lowey and Liana Belden look for trout (8) Chastittie 0Belt, Sh-hell on Wheels, Blazen Booty and Loca of the Minnesota Southbound Rollers (9) Tom Klapperick (10) Edward Hubbard (11) Aimee Whiteaker and Massey Enger (12) Amanda Kiefer and Lynn Dorenkemper 8 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
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May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 9
SEEN | Mower County Humane Society Pasta Dinner Every February, the Mower County Humane Society throws a delicious dinner to entice area residents to come out and donate to a good cause. This year, the humane society raised more than $17,000 during its annual Pasta Dinner and Auction, which took place on Feb. 23 at the Holiday Inn. Hundreds of people showed up to donate their time, cooking talents and funding to make the dinner and the subsequent auctions a resounding success, all to help the humane society volunteers offset the costs of caring for many puppies and kitties while they wait for a forever home.
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(1) Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi gives a pasta dinner to Sarah Eich, a volunteer with the Mower County Humane Society (2) Marijo Alexander and Celeste Ruble (3) Kristen, Hugh and Eric Olson (4) Dorothy and Steven Krob, and Mark and Gretchen Ramlo (5) Betsy Ettinger, Kendall Hull and Karla Kubesh (6) Judy Enger and Leeann Schafer (7) Mike and Lisa Haase (8) Jill Wedeking (9) Jane Roden (10) Bob and Sue Petersen (11) Brittney Heimermaan and Michele Shoop 10 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
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May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 11
HOME & HEARTH Gary and Marsha Wilde were this year’s recipients of T ‘N G’s Pay it Forward contest.
A saying by Elizabeth Kubler Roe greets Gary and Marsha Wilde from the wall of their new bathroom.
Miracle
remodel Gary and Marsha Wilde’s bathroom remodel was more than a project
It was an uplifting gift Continues on pages 14 through 18
Photos 12 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
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By Trey Mewes Eric Johnson, Trey Mewes & Submitted
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T’NG Plumbing
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 13
After photo of the Wildes’ bathroom vanity.
Before photo of the Wildes’ bathroom vanity.
Drywall sets as T ’N G Plumbing converted parts of the Wildes’ home as part of its second annual Pay It Forward program.
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t’s never good to hear your bathroom floor is “spongey.” A spongey bathroom floor means lots of water damage from faulty plumbing, almost a dangerous amount if your bathroom is a floor above your basement. That’s why Gary and Marsha Wilde needed a serious remodel for their one-story home. Their quaint 940-squarefoot home was built in 1946, and though the pleasant-looking home had plenty of charm, it also had more than its share of age-related issues. 14 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
“I didn’t know how bad it was,” Marsha Wilde said one Friday in March. Gary knew. “I just didn’t want to worry you,” he told Marsha. Yet the Wildes were fortunate — their daughter, Katie, nominated them for T ‘N G Plumbing’s annual Pay It Forward bathroom remodel. The contest is designed to provide a bathroom project for families in need, for families who deserve a little help — families like the Wildes. Continues on page 16
Above: Todd Grundmeier, left, and Dennis Oquist hook up the Wilde’s new water softner as they convert part of their home during the second Pay It Forward contest. Below: Among the things T ’N G Plumbing added to the Wilde home was a new hot water heater in the basement.
Before
After
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 15
Continued from page 14 Gary and Marsha have faced much adversity and tragedy over the years. Their 15-year-old son, Shane, killed himself after he was relentlessly bullied. Their daughter, Misty, took her own life on her 35th birthday. The Wildes’ daughter-in-law, Amy Mueller-Wilde, died after battling cancer a few years ago, around the same time Marsha suffered a heart attack. That’s a lot to handle for such a positive family, or so Gina and Todd Grundmeier, the co-owners of T ‘N G Plumbing, thought. “They’ve just been so positive about everything,” Gina said. Gary and Marsha’s story called out to the Grundmeiers, who have also dealt with suicide-related issues in their family. What’s more, they could see how needed a new bathroom remodel was after they toured the Wilde home. “That bathroom floor could have caved in and caused a serious accident,” Gina said. Replacing a bathroom floor is no easy task, as the Wilde home’s pipes had slowly leaked water over the years to cause such damage. Yet T ‘N G Plumbing workers, along with dozens of volunteers from many local companies, took on the remodel in mid-March with just a week to work.
Gary and Marsha Wilde react as they enter their home for the first time after T ’NG Plumbing converted parts of the Wildes’ home as part of its second annual Pay It Forward program.
Before photos of the Wildes’ bathroom.
16 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
‘Wonderful’ work The Pay It Forward program is simple on its surface. Volunteers and workers provide labor for a major bathroom overhaul over five work days in a week, while the family in question gets to spend several nights at the Holiday Inn in Austin. Yet contractors know a bathroom overhaul is quite a bit of work, especially where the Pay It Forward project is concerned. Volunteers don’t just redo the bathroom during these projects. They find ways to improve the home and take on other improvements at the same time. Such was the case for the Wildes. Contractors tore out practically everything in Gary and Marsha’s bathroom, right down to the studs. They replaced the toilet with a newer model, put in a brand-new bathtub and shower, set a new tiled floor, replaced the bathroom countertop and mirror, and even added a beautiful quote from Elizabeth Kubler Roe on the wall, one which Katie had posted on Facebook before the project began. The only thing that stayed was a window, but volunteers covered that with privacy screening. “It was amazing to see,” Marsha said. “It was so wonderful.” Yet volunteers didn’t stop with a brand-new bathroom. They reframed family photos and added a shelf in the living room to update Marsha’s “Angel Wall.” Continues on page 18 After photos of the Wildes’ bathroom.
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 17
Continued from page 17 They completely replaced the home’s plumbing — something that had never been done before — along with a new furnace, water heater and water softener. All of this work thoroughly impressed Gary when volunteers revealed their work to the Wildes. “Oh my God,” Gary said as he stepped into the basement. Meaningful changes for Gary and Marsha were upstairs, however. The Wilde’s attic was where their son, Shane, made his bedroom all those years ago. While Gary and Marsha had hoped to turn the upstairs into a play area for their grandchildren, it was still difficult for Marsha to walk up the stairs.
So volunteers did it for them. They created a play space and reorganized the Wildes’ toys so grandchildren can have their own area. “It’s safe to come up here now,” Marsha said, tearing up. Perhaps the most important addition was three paver monuments dedicated to Shane, Misty and Amy, which line the east end of the Wilde home. “It’s OK now,” Gary and Marsha said to each other as they saw the monuments. The Wildes are grateful for the changes to their home, just as Gina and Todd are grateful to help others in need. Yet Gary and Marsha’s children said they were the most grateful of all. “I feel like I have my parents back again,” Katie said.
Below: Volunteers replace the Wildes’ bathroom floor, which suffered water damage over the years.
Before photo of the Wildes’ upstairs.
After photo of the Wilde’s upstairs, which can now be used as a play area by their grandchildren. 18 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 19
Baby HOME & HEARTH
By The Hormel Institute
BOOM
As The Hormel Institute undergoes construction to double the size of its cutting-edge cancer research facility in Austin, it also has been experiencing an expansion of its families. A “baby boom” of sorts has been happening at The Hormel Institute, with more than a dozen babies born in the past few years to employees at the Institute. Overall, The Hormel Institute faculty and staff have more than 50 children who are high school age or younger, with a majority of those kids under age 10. About 90 percent of the Institute’s employees — which have doubled from about 60 in 2006 at the start of the last major expansion to about 120 today — also live in the Austin area. Ki Beom Bae — a scientist in the research section of the Institute’s Executive Director Dr. Zigang Dong — has one of those very young families, with a toddler son, Brandon. He hopes to add two more children to their family. He and his wife enjoy spending time with their young son in Austin’s many parks and playing ball. More kids also are likely in the future for the overall Institute staff, with the 2014-2016 expansion expected to double the number of faculty and staff positions over the coming years to about 250 employees overall. That will make for even more fun at the various events throughout the Institute puts on for its families to get together, including a holiday party in December and summer picnic at Veteran’s Pavilion in Austin. The Hormel Institute Annual Holiday Family Event
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Brandon Bae
Gabby Wang
Sadie & Camilla Langfald
Lei, Gabby, Xinyu & Susan Wang Mark, Ty & Trace Severtson
Katrina, Matt & Ellie Plueger
Chengcheng Shi, Yi Zhang & Miaoran Zhang
Tanner & Cameron Johnson Justin Lim
Jong-Hoon Lim
Henry & Eleanor Hinchcliffe May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 21
summer OUT & ABOUT
SUN summer FUN
Kim Underwood is the executive director of Austin Parks and Recreation, an organization that gives kids plenty of things to do during the summer.
22 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
Parks and Rec Director Kim Underwood shares the latest on this summer’s activities By Trey Mewes • Photos
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Eric Johnson
Summertime isn’t just fun and games for area families. Local Parks and Recreation officials get in on the action too, as Austin Parks and Rec Director Kim Underwood can attest. Underwood, a longtime Austin resident, remembers the good times playing in summer softball leagues with family and friends. “It’s just fun to do, get outside, spend some time with people,” she said with a laugh. Yet Underwood oversees all the organization that goes into each summer’s parks and rec activities, which can be fun on its own. There’s always the core sports many residents want to see, but Underwood and other parks and rec employees have a blast learning about exciting new activities to bring to the community. Take, for instance, the latest rage: Pickleball. A cross between tennis, badminton and a little bit of table tennis, pickleball is a fast-paced activity picking up steam throughout the country. “Pickleball has boomed the last two years around the state,” Underwood said. “It is becoming something you want to get on the wagon.” That’s why she’s hoping to get some tennis courts set up for pickleball play this summer, along with a number of other new and improved activities. Want to try some archery? Parks and rec may put together adult classes if there’s enough interest. How about a game of disc golf? There are two courses here, in Dresner Park and at Todd Park. You can even rent disks from the parks and rec office. “You need to give people those opportunities,” she said. There’s no shortage of fun to be had for the whole family, but here’s a few activities you might want to check out before the summer sun turns into fall colors.
Archery: June 9-July 16 Want to learn how to shoot a bow? Or maybe you just want some practice? Look no further than Packer Arena with youth archery classes set for Tuesdays and Thursdays. Be sure to sign up as soon as possible, though. “It fills pretty much every time,” Underwood said. “The youth league is always full.” If there’s enough interest from adults, it’s possible parks and rec will be able to open adult classes at Packer Arena for archery as well, according to Underwood. “I think an adult group would be cool to get going,” she said.
Intro to Dance: July 13-24 If your little ones want a taste of jazz, ballet technique or even hip hop dancing, parks and rec is offering introductory dance classes for area students in grades K-6 this July. “It’s kind of a little push to see if they can spark someone’s interest,” Underwood said. It’s a good way for parents to see whether their children would be interested in studying dance under one of several dance studios in the area, from Jane Taylor’s Academy of Dance to Acclaim! Dance Studio to Bridget’s Dance Conservatory.
‘Fall Dig’ and ‘Winter Roll’ Volleyball May 18-Fall Get ready for some fast volleys and lots of fun as the city’s two volleyball leagues get under way this May. Compete against your friends and neighbors over the course of a 10-week season every Monday night at Todd Park. The cost to sign up is $20 per team and an $8 player fee. Hurry to sign, however — deadline is May 7.
Austin Municipal Pool: June 8-Aug. 20 Swimming is practically a must-do event every summer and the Austin Municipal Pool will be ready to open soon. If you’re looking to get the most out of the pool (as well as the diving pool and climbing wall), memberships are $30 per person, with swimmers age 2 and under free. The pool is open from 1 to 4:45 p.m. on weekdays, but adults can get some lap time in starting at noon. Need some swimming lessons? Save $10 on classes when you buy a membership. Want a pool party? Rent out the pool by the hour, from $125 per hour for just the pool area to $175 per hour for access to all areas. “There’s a lot of options as a family, or individuals, or just for your kids to have some fun,” Underwood said. —Check out more activities through park and rec’s summer brochure, or look it up at ci.austin.mn.us
A boy jumps off the new 16-foot climbing wall into the diving well of the Austin Municipal Pool
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 23
OUT & ABOUT
Spice up your garden Hy-Vee Dietitian Jena Pape shares tips for unusual foods in the garden. By Jenae Hackensmith • Photos
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Eric Johnson
Many gardens in Mower County may contain tomatoes, cucumbers or peppers, but how many contain eggplant or swiss chard? Hy-Vee Dietitian Jena Pape isn’t sure why, but a lot people seem to avoid growing the more unusual vegetables. “I don’t know if people are just not adventurous in their cooking or their gardening, or it’s just easier because people don’t use eggplant in their everyday dishes, so if they’re just going to do something they’d rather grab it off the store shelf,” Pape said. Pape, who started at Hy-Vee in August 2014, compiled a list of six foods that can be grown and sustained in Mower County gardens that don’t get planted as much as some foods do by the average gardener. “It’s just not a common thing like the tomatoes and peppers and onions that you think of,” she said. Pape, who will be in charge of the Hy-Vee OneStep children’s garden at Hy-Vee this year, hopes to plant some of the more unusual foods in the garden, such as cilantro and basil. This will be her first time in charge of a garden like this and she can’t wait. “I’m excited to be able to plan it and have my own spin on things this summer,” she said. “And become more knowledgeable in the garden aspects of it.” Pape hopes people will get outside their comfort zones this summer and try planting a few new foods in their gardens. The information gathered came from Extension of the University of Minnesota, Fruits and Veggies More Matters and www.almanac.com. 24 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
Jena Pape is Austin Hy-Vee’s dietitian. Pape points out just some of the good things people can grow in their gardens.
GARLIC Growing Times: In Minnesota, garlic should be planted in the fall, usually within one to two weeks after the first killing frost — or 32 degrees fahrenheit. Planting around the first or second week of October is recommended. Garlic shoots should emerge from the ground in late March or early April. Growing Tips: As garlic reaches maturity the leaves will brown and die away. This is the cue it’s time to harvest the garlic crop. If they are harvested too early, the cloves will be very small, too late and the bulbs will have split. The garlic must be dried correctly, otherwise it will rot. The bulbs are often hung up in a cool, dry place. After a week or so, take them down and brush the dirt off gently, but don’t wash the bulbs. Why it’s unique: Even though garlic can be grown in Minnesota, 90 percent of the United States’ garlic is grown in California. Growing garlic is also self-sustaining, and each clove will produce one plant with a single bulb, which could contain up to 20 cloves.
This basket holds just a few of the healthy foods gardeners can include in their gardens.
BASIL Growing Times: Plant after last frost date, around May 29. The length of the growing season is 108 days. Growing Tips: The basil plant should be pruned several times throughout the season to encourage new growth and is important if using the herb for culinary purposes. This can be done after the plants have grown at least 6 to 8 inches. Harvest the full stems rather than removing individual leaves, cutting just above each pair of lower leaves. Why it’s unique: Basil is one of the oldest herbs. Its name is derived from the Greek “basileus” which means king. Basil is a symbol of love in many cultures.
CILANTRO Growing Times: Similar to basil, plant after last frost date, around May 29. The growing season is 108 days. Growing Tips: Water the seedlings regularly throughout the growing season, about 1 inch of water per week for best growth. Once the plants are established, they don’t need as much water per week. Why it’s unique: Cilantro is one of the richest herbal sources for vitamin K, which helps build bone mass.
KOHLRABI Growing Times: Kohlrabi prefers cool weather, so they should be started indoors four to six weeks before the last frost. Growing Tips: Plant the seeds outside after the danger of a hard frost and harvest when the bulbs are about 2 to 3 inches in diameter and the foliage is young and tender. Why it’s unique: Kohlrabi can come in colors such as purple or green.
SWISS CHARD Growing Times: In spring, sow directly in the garden two weeks before the last frost date, or start seeds indoors three to four weeks before the last frost date and set seedlings out just as the last frost passes. Growing Tips: Harvesting of the outer leaves can begin anytime they are large enough to eat; young, tender leaves are the most flavorful and make a colorful addition to salads. New leaves will grow up from the center of the plant. Why it’s unique: In areas that never experience a hard freeze, Swiss chard sometimes behaves like a perennial, living for several years. When it blooms, the bloom stalk can be cut off and it will produce more leaves.
EGGPLANT Growing Times: Start the seeds indoors about 10 weeks before the frost free date, then transplant into garden beds. Plant outside when it is warm out and there is no chance of frost. Growing Tips: Harvest when the plants are medium size and the skin is still shiny. The eggplant’s skin becomes dull, the seeds are beginning to mature and the potential for bitterness is increased. Water regularly to get started, and after that water deeply but infrequently because the roots don’t like to remain wet. Why it’s unique: Actually a fruit but many times classified as a vegetable, eggplants come in many colors, shapes and sizes, such as purple, green, white or striped and oval, oblong or round. They can grow to the size of a football. May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 25
OUT & ABOUT
26 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
w
rewing new HobbieS
Couple shares passion for wine, beer-making By Jason Schoonover • Photos
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ith various shades of a bronzed liquid sitting in three 5-gallon glass carboys, Jill and Kevin Jones’ kitchen looked a bit like it was home to a science experiment
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ruary, the couple decided it was time to share their newfound passion with Austin. The two opened Black Willow Brewing in the back section of Willow Cove, Jill’s home decor and gift shop located at 309 N. Main St. The store carries Brewer’s Best supplies and ingredients for home-brewing beer and hard cider, along with Vinter’s Best equipment kits, Wine Expert ingredient kits and more. “We thought it would be something good for Austin,” Kevin said.
Starting simple
Jill Jones is surrounding by beer and wine-making kits and equipment that is now being sold at Black Willow Brewing, inside Willow Cove.
in early March. The carboys contained three Brewer’s Best Cider House Select batches. The most recent was cloudy and tan; the second was a rich bronze; and the third was crisp and clear — meaning it’s ready to drink. Nearby, Kevin mixed a new ingredient pack, followed by a pitcher of steaming water into a 6.5-gallon plastic bucket. Kevin and his wife, Jill, only recently started brewing their own hard ciders and have been making wine for a little more than a year. In Feb-
Winemaking first caught Kevin’s ear while chatting with a coworker at Pearson Inc. in Owatonna. While he remembers hearing talk of messes from blown wine corks — which is caused by active yeast after bottling — he was still intrigued by the idea enough to try it himself. Jill and Kevin started to make wine the hard way. Rather than using kits, they started working from scratch using a juice press, equipment and ingredients they bought outside town, since no local business carried the products then. The two admit the prospects of starting to make wine or beer can seem a bit daunting. Jill listed off some of the ingredient names as proof: wine tannin, yeast energizer, glycerin, etc. Continues on page 28 May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 27
Kevin Jones mixes a match of hard cider in the kitchen of the Jones home.
Continued from page 27 “We had all these things, and we were like, ‘What are these things?’” Jill joked. “I don’t know what they are. What do they do? I don’t like this word. That word scares me. What is this?” But it really wasn’t all that difficult, and now Kevin and Jill eagerly talk of their adventures — and even a few misadventures. Kevin warned to be prepared for a mess at least once, as everyone he’s talked to has had a blown cork at least once, which is why most people store the aging wine in their basements or in a garage out of sunlight. Active yeast usually causes blown corks, and Kevin said putting the wine in the fridge should temporarily stop the yeast so the maker can get products to kill the yeast. Though the process may seem technical, Kevin called the wine-making process “pretty simple,” and Jill looked to her husband as proof the process isn’t too complex. “If it was really putzy and not fun, he wouldn’t do it,” Jill said of her husband. Going from scratch is a bit more complex and often requires much more time to allow the wine to ferment and the ingredients to work their magic before the drinks are ready to enjoy, and it’s a bit closer to how wineries and 28 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
“You make one of these kits, and you should have a good wine in a month.”
— Kevin Jones
companies make wine. But it requires more patience. When making wine this way, recipes often need to sit for months, if not years. For beginners, the kits offer an easy, foolproof beginning. People just need to follow the directions. “You make one of these kits, and you should have a good wine in a month,” Kevin said. Wine kits produce about 6 gallons and beer kits about 5 gallons — enough for 30 bottles of wine or 53 12-ounce glasses of beer. Brewing equipment kits for beer are available for $69.95 or $106.95, and a wine equipment kit sells for $84.99. The kits come with just about everything to get going, including starter ingredients. However, beer brewers will need a large stock pot for boiling water. Continues on page 30
Wine products
Starting out •Vinter’s Best Equipment kit, $89.95 •Vinter’s Best 6-gallon pails Types of wine Wine Expert kits ($63.95 to $112.95, depending on the type of wine) Flavors and series include: Island Mist series ($63.95) •Green apple riesling, Blueberry pinot noir, Blackberry cabernet, Pomegranate zinfadel World vineyard series ($73.95 to $79.95) •Moscato, Pinot grigio, Sangiovese Selection series ($108.95 to $112.95) •Cabernet sauvignon, White zinfadel Vinter’s Reserve series ($67.95 to 74.95) •Riesling, Merlot Skinny Mist ($63.95) •Slight white tropical riesling, Merlittle merlot – blackberry merlot Branching out from the ingredient kits •Vinter’s Harvest Fruit wine bases: Strawberry, rhubarb, blackberry, peach ($35.95 to $43.95) (can get more flavors)
Beer products
Starting out •Brewer’s Best equipment kits: regular, $69.95, deluxe $106.95 •Two types of Brewer’s Best 6-gallon ale pails, $11.95, bucket with spicket hole for $12.95, lids with 3.95 •Immersion wort chiller, $69.95 Brewer’s best beet ingredient kits •American Light, $29.95; American Cream Ale, $37.95; Continental Pilsner, $35.95; Weizenbier, $32.95; India Pale Ale, $44.95; English Pale Ale, $36.95; German Octoberfest, $40.95; Red Ale, $32.95; Imperial Nut Brown, $45.95 Brew in a bag ingredient kits •American Pale Ale, $32.95; German Wheat, $27.95; American IPA, $39.95 Brewers Best Cider ingredient kits •Apple, $37.95; mixed berry, $39.95; spiced apple, $37.95. Branching out •Traditional corn mill: $52.95; Briess Mall extract, $10.95 (3.3 pounds); 10-pound Malt bags, $12.95 to $13.95; 1-pound malt bags, $1.95 to $2.95; 1-ounce hops packets , $1.95 to $2.50 Prices are subject to change. More flavors are available for order by request. May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 29
Continued from page 28
you can actually intertwine them to make whatever you want,” Kevin said. “I think the kits are just the way to go for people to Making beer or wine from scratch is similar to making start out,” Jill said. “Because then you can just learn about it with the kits, only there’s not as much help and its more the ingredients, the different things you have to add.” technical. After mixing the ingredients, the wine needs to sit in a Branching brews Tthe Jones hope the kits are just the beginning for bud- carboy to allow the sediment and yeast to sink to the bottom. The clear liquid is then poured ding brewers and vintners. Jill into a new, clean carboy. This and Kevin hope people will process is repeated at least three venture into more complex times or until all the sediment recipes and experiments after is removed. The beer is suplearning with the kits. Jill and posed to sit about two weeks. Kevin have made grape, pear, Once the wine — or beer apple, and plum wines, along — is finished, it’s bottled into with a black currant, which either beer or wine bottles, they said was difficult but — which are also available at eventually — flavorful. Willow Cove. Black Willow Brewing However, Jill said it’s also carries Vinter’s Harvest important to track each step fruit wine bases and other in each batch, so you’ll be ingredients for crafting wine able to repeat it — and that from scratch. Though such batch’s flavor — later. recipes require longer aging “You have to document times, it offers the chance for Kevin Jones stirs a match of hard cider in the Jones’ kitchen. everything that you do, bemore experimentation. On cause if you really like your some batches, Jill and Kevin wine, you’re going to have to remember what you did — will pour several glasses of a wine to add various amounts every little change you made along the way,” Jill said. of ingredients to each to perfect the batch. Jill urged people to ensure all equipment is well “It’s a good way to judge it, to figure out what you cleaned and sanitized, and that people follow instructions. want,” Kevin said. For Jill and Kevin, the effort has been worth the final Like the wine, there are many options with the beer product, an experience they hope people will share. too, as the store carries several ingredient kits, along with “It’s fun too because you have this product you crevarious malts and hops. Kevin said people can blend differated,” Jill said. “And you drink it and you share it with ent ingredients and hops for their preferred taste. people and you get their opinion.” “All your different hops and all your different grains,
Jill Jones looks over one of the many beer-making kits on sale at Black Willow Brewing.
30 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
32 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
Austin in
bloom By Jason Schoonover • Photos
While the March sunshine melted snow and turned the gravel driveway leading to Hilltop Greenhouse into a slushy blend of of snow, mud and water, a sweatshirt-clad Gretchen Boldt opened a greenhouse door to reveal several rows of flower baskets with crisp-green buds growing in a comfortable 70 degrees. “This is where all the work begins,” Boldt said. Since 2011, Austin’s summers have taken root at Hilltop Greenhouse, where Boldt and her husband, Glenn, grow Austin’s downtown flower baskets at 83204 300th St. in rural Freeborn County, about 2.6 miles north of Hollandale. This year, the Boldts planted 240 baskets in late February, and the yellow petals of bidens — along with orange ostespermums; white and blue carpet petunias; white alyssums; blue, purple and pink wave petunias — were visible by March to offer a faint promise of the robust flower baskets that will be hung along downtown Austin by mid-May. “Everything we grow here we start
Gretchen Boldt, owner of Hilltop Greenhouse, is in charge of making the flower baskets that decorate downtown Austin.
by
Eric Johnson
ourselves and grow out,” Boldt said. “We don’t like to do huge volume. We like to do a quality product.” This is the 21st year of Austin’s downtown flower baskets program. Community groups raised more than $39,000 — $10,000 from Hormel Foods Corp., $10,0000 from the city, about $15,000 in community donations and about $4,180 in carryover — to fund the program that also puts potted flowers around Main Street, the Sterling Shopping Center and East Side Lake. Austin community members and groups partner to bring the baskets to Austin, and Holdt said the community support “is the reason why those baskets look so great.” Bonnie Rietz, a former Austin mayor who helps run the program, described the baskets as a great way to beautify the community and they’re a sign of warm weather. “The people who live here in Austin look forward to seeing those flower baskets downtown,” she said. Continues on page 34
Gretchen and Glenn Boldt’s love for flowers has grown into a wonderful Austin tradition May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 33
Hundreds of flower baskets hang in a greenhouse at Hilltop Greenhouse, waiting for the day they will be transported to Austin to be displayed downtown.
Gretchen Boldt explains how each Austin flower basket is started.
34 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
Continued from page 33
A strong base
The baskets hanging and growing at Hilltop look relatively simple, but they’re made to keep the plants from drying out or from losing water. The baskets feature three main components: Moss mats are inserted in a wire mold that connects and funnels into a saucer. Flowers are planted in the top of the mat and some are inserted into the sides of the matting to flower down. Back in the day, Boldt said the baskets probably utilized coco liners, which she argued allow too much airflow, and the baskets may dry out or heat too much. The moss liners, which can’t be seen once the flowers grow to a certain point, help hold water and give the plants something to root into. A spacer is inserted at the bottom of each saucer so there’s a water reservoir at the bottom. It’s important for the baskets to hang straight or else the water will spill out. “It’s just little things that make a big difference,” Boldt said. The wire and saucers are all reused each year. When planting, the Boldts utilize a factory system with everyone pitching in and each taking on a duty to make the baskets. They planted Austin’s baskets over about three long days. Gretchen and Glenn have help at Hilltop from their daughter, Julie Otto, and her husband, Steve Otto. The Boldts’ other children, grandchildren and a neighbor girl also help out from time to time. The work isn’t done after planting. Along with routine watering, the Boldts pinch the flowers to encourage the roots to spread and grow hardy. Boldt said she wants something that grows tight so it can withstand wind and rain without getting pulled apart in the summer. They also watch the fertilizer, not wanting to overdo it, to make sure the plants form a good root system. Boldt is proud of the product the family turns over to the city of Austin each May. But that’s still just the beginning. Once Austin Park and Recreation Director Kim Underwood
gives the green light, the Boldts load the baskets onto a truck and line them along downtown early one morning so park and rec workers will follow to hang them. Park and rec cares for and waters the baskets throughout the summer.
‘Part of the community’
Boldt is proud Hilltop is a vital part of the regional community. However, Hilltop didn’t enter into Austin’s downtown flower baskets until a tumultuous time. The Boldts opened Hilltop Greenhouse in 1989 and built 13 A-frame greenhouses. Yet they lost everything when a tornado destroyed the business and the family home on July 17, 2010. Just a few months later, Hilltop got the deal to grow Austin’s flower baskets. Though the family didn’t yet have a new space to grow them, the
contract gave them something to strive for as they rebuilt the business. “It was great because it gave us a goal and … some rainbow that maybe there wasn’t before,” Boldt said. Boldt was thankful for the community support after the tornado, and Hilltop has taken on a more community-based approach since. “It’s really nice to be a part of the community,” Boldt said. “[At] our business, we’ve always wanted that.” Since the tornado, the Boldts rebuilt their home on the property, along with 10 greenhouses, and a new retail store, but they discontinued wholesale services. The business now has more interactive programs, like planting parties and a veggie club. Planting parties are classes where people or groups come out to the store, plant their own baskets and let them grow at the greenhouses until May. For
the veggie club, Hilltop grows fresh produce on its 20-acre farm to give veggie club members a box of produce each week. They Boldts also sell plants, vegetables and more at the store. Hilltop provides flower baskets to several communities. Austin’s summer flower basket program is the biggest with 240 flower baskets. Hilltop also grows about 30 baskets for Albert Lea, along with some flowers for Blooming Prairie, Hollandale and New Richland. Albert Lea’s flower basket program had stopped, but it returned after Albert Lea’s streetscape renovations a few years ago. It will feature about 30 baskets this year. The family loves being part of the area towns, and Boldt loves being able to see the results of their hard work hanging downtown. “It’s terrific,” she said. “You’re really proud of what you do.”
One of the flower baskets destined for downtown Austin.
Flower Maintenance Tips: • Be sure your container/pot has drainage holes. • Water only when the top of the soil is dry. • Soak until water drains from holes. • Don’t be afraid to prune your container plants. • Make sure your container plants get their vitamins. • Think about contrast: If mixing and matching is more your style, you can make a bold statement by planting containers brimming with contrasting colors. —Source: Gretchen Boldt, Hilltop Greenhouse
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 35
Jeff Baldus uses an elliptical at the YMCA as he gets in his work out.
36 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
Making time to stay in shape isn’t easy, but Jeff Baldus and Anita Deters have the motivation to squeeze workouts into their schedules By Rocky Hulne • Photos
by
Eric Johnson
It’s not hard to find an excuse not to work out. It can be a busy work schedule, a bad back or just a lack of desire in general. But many people who make time to work out around their work schedules, find it pays them back in many ways. Anita Deters of Austin may work nearly nine hours a day, but that doesn’t keep her from taking kickboxing classes on a regular basis in the evening, and she’s also tried boot camp and cross fit in the past. “After doing it for a while, it’s a need,” Deters said. “If I don’t exercise for a while, I get crabby and I don’t feel good.” Deters began her routine a few years ago by working out in her basement, and she’s added more and more in the last couple of years. She went from a woman who thought it would be better to get in shape to a woman on a mission to find high-impact workouts wherever she can. When she’s not busy with kickboxing and other intense exercises, Deters will even take an occasional run on her own ,and she’s felt a positive change in her life ever since she began working out regularly. “You feel better all the way through and you get to know people at the gym,” she said. Jeff Baldus, executive director of the Austin Area Foundation, began his workout schedule when he received a wake-up call in 2008. Baldus had a stint placed in his heart to deal with a medical condition, and he made it a priority to get himself in better shape. Continues on page 38 May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 37
Anita Deters looks up to instructor Jen Jenkins as she takes part in a kickboxing class at Total Fitness one evening.
Continued from page 37 “I decided I better get a little more serious, and I decided to try and get a little healthier,” Baldus said. “Some people don’t have too much trouble staying skinny, but I’ve got to work a little harder than anyone else.” When Baldus first began going into the YMCA, he ran three laps around the track and was completely worn out. He slowly worked his way up to five laps, seven laps, ten laps and now he’s up to 30 laps. You can find Baldus at the YMCA Monday through Saturday. During the week, he goes in from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. Baldus had been taking the boot camp class at the YMCA, but since he had knee surgery Oct. 1, he’s toned down his workouts a little bit. He takes a spin class on Tuesday and Thursday, and he’ll walk the track when he can. While it can be tough to wake up and get going for anything at 5 a.m., let alone a workout, Baldus finds his motivation from the idea of having to face the other people in his group that workout together. Baldus is the type of guy that would ask somebody where they were if they missed a workout, and he wants to make sure he is there as often as he can be. “If there’s a group, it’s a little more peer pressure and it’s motivating,” Baldus said. “People will ask me why I’m up so early and that’s the time that works best for me,” Baldus said. 38 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
“I decided I better get a little more serious, and I decided to try and get a little healthier.”
Jeff Baldus “The chances of me going in at 5 a.m. are much better than the chances of going in at 5 p.m. after work.” Baldus recalls having his tongue hanging out and being broken down after his first day of boot camp, but he began to enjoy that feeling of wearing himself out. “After you sit down and the heart rate goes down I just felt better and I would go back and get abused again,” Baldus said. “It’s a fun abuse.” Baldus played a little football growing up, but he wasn’t big into physical activity until the last few years. He’s found camaraderie with the other people he sees at early morning hours in the YMCA on a daily basis keep him going.
“There’s people there and you develop a workout friendship with them,” Baldus said. “Some mornings are hard. But you get in the habit. I like getting out of the way early in the morning.” So the next time you feel work has drained your energy and you don’t have what it takes to squeeze in a workout, think of Deters and Baldus, who have found time to get their exercise. It seems to have given them more energy in their lives. Starting the pattern may be the hardest part, but Baldus said it’s important not to go too hard in the beginning. “Start with what your comfortable with and build up. Push yourself just a little bit. It’s hard work, but it’s what you make of it,” Baldus said.
Anita Deters:
“You feel better all the way through and you get to know people at the gym.”
Jeff Baldus works his legs at the YMCA.
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 39
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 41
Take some advice from contractor Heath Trom before tackling a home remodel project By Jenae Hackensmith • Photos
42 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
by
Eric Johnson
hen Heath Trom and his fiancée, Shanna Davison, decided to move out to Davison’s parents’ farm just outside of Austin, Trom didn’t want two houses on one property. As the owner and founder of HGT Pride Construction, he set to work on an L-shape double-home for the two couples. “We lived in town and Shanna, my fiancé, is an only child, and we had every intention of moving out here to begin with at some point anyway,” Trom said. “So we just decided to add on to the house here, which worked out good for everybody. I didn’t see the point of having two separate houses on this property, it just didn’t make any sense to me.” Trom said the crew started the second house about two years ago, and the couple moved in last November. The crew also built a shop on the property. The second house has all the amenities a home needs, along with some perks like in-floor heating. But there was one thing Trom wanted to make sure got done right. “We resided the entire house and put in new windows and new roofing throughout so everything is aging the same,” he said. “It’s still a single structure.” “You’ve got to do all that at once otherwise it’s going to look
Heath Trom made broad use of space when he built the addition on his fiancée’s parents home for he and his fiancée. Taking on do-it-yourself projects allows the flexibility to do what you want.
like you just slapped one house onto another house,” he added. “And I want to give the impression that this is just one big house here.” The 5,000-square-foot house — covering both homes and the basement — sits in an L-shape on the property. A wall and a connecting door stand between the two homes — one built in the early 1970s and one built in 2014 — yet from the outside it’s impossible to tell where one home starts and the other ends. “I think they like it,” Trom said. “Shanna and her mom are best friends and they’re always together, her mother and her father.” Continues on page 44
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 43
Heath Trom sits just off the living room of the home he built for himself and fiancée, Shanna Davison, that is attached to her parents’ home. Taking on the job himself allowed he and Shanna’s vision to come alive in dwelling.
Continued from page 43 Trom was glad to add personal touches to his home, building a double-sink and a walk-in closet. But he was excited when his future fatherin-law asked him to look at pieces of wood from the original barn that used to stand on the property and was torn down in the ‘70s. “Jay had it stashed up in that corn crib all these years,” Trom laughed. “And when I was doing this he goes, ‘Hey, I’ve got this stuff up here, do you want to take a look at it, do you want to use that?’ And I’m like, ‘Hell yeah I want to use that.’” The wood — which was dried to kill any potential mildew — now stands as one of the walls in the home. Adding personal touches is one of many options people consider when they have work done to their home. Yet 44 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
A picture of the house under construction.
Trom said not everything needs to be done by a contractor, it just depends on the person’s capability level. “Do some investigation and don’t just watch it on the DIY channel and think that you can automatically just be, ‘Hey I can do that,’ because then you might end up calling someone like me to tear it out
and redo it anyway,” Trom advised. “But more power to somebody who wants to try it out on their own. Just make sure, if you’ve got any questions, ask.” The easiest thing for people to do on their own is cosmetic work; things that don’t require any structures being taken out or moved.
Making your home more accessible Last summer, Jason and Shannon Ferch won a T 'N G-led bathroom makeover that turned into home overhaul project to make the home more accessible for Jason, who uses a wheelchair. Wagner Construction Co. completed much of the construction work on that project, and President Brendhan Wagner offered several remodeling tips for remodeling a home to make it more accessible for someone in a wheelchair. •Add an entrance ramp, with 12-inches of run for a 1-inch rise. An entrance ramp into a home is a must for wheelchair bound people, and it can take a bit of space since 12-inches of run are needed for an inch of rise, which is why several ramps zig-zag to a doorway. Estimated cost: $2,000 to $5,000 •Widen doorways by three inches to around 3 feet Most doorways are 32 inches wide, and extending them to 36 inches — or 3 feet — is a simple way to make a home more accessible. Estimated cost: $300 to $700 •Lower countertops and sinks in kitchen and bathrooms to 28-34 inches Lowered countertops would make kitchens and bathrooms more accessible, but are typically only possible through a near total bathroom remodel. Accessible bathroom sinks with no cabinets underwear are recommended. Estimated cost: $5,000 to $10,000 •Add scald-proof wrap on all water and waste lines under sinks Scald-proofing is important to prevent unintentional burns from piping under open sinks. Many homes have tempered water, which can cost $300 to $500, but simple pipe covering can be purchased at most hardware stores. •Lower upper kitchen cabinets Generally, there’s about 18 inches between an upper countertop and the bottom counter. If upper countertops are lowered to be about 15 inches above the cupboards, it gives more accessibility. Then, homeowners can insert accordion or telescope
“You can get yourself into a lot of trouble if you start taking out walls that are there for a reason, because I’ve seen that before,” Trom said. “And if you do have any concerns on that, you know, maybe you know a contractor or can call a contractor that would be willing to come over and for a small fee, come over and give you some
shelving for easy access. •Widen kitchen work spaces to 42 inches instead of 36-inch standard Wider workspaces are necessary for kitchen to be accessible to wheelchair bound individuals. This would typically need to be done in a full remodel. •Add hand held shower wands with tempered water source •Add a roll-in or walk-in shower stall with seat or a walk-in tub Unless a bathroom is already large enough, it'd typically take and entire bathroom remodel to to to add a walk-in or roll-in shower and tub. However, if a bathroom is big enough, these can be added for $2,000 to $5,000. “Your two most expensive rooms in a house are a bathroom and a kitchen,” Wagner said. •Grab bars for shower and toilets This is a fairly inexpensive way to make a bathroom more accessible to aging residents or those with specific health needs. Grab bars cost about $20 to $30 at a hardware store, and can be installed by a homeowner. It's important to make sure to fasten onto a secure wall or onto studs. This could cost more, $200 to $600, if finishing and tile work are also required. •Increase turning radius to 60 inches for a wheelchair in bathroom. •Elevated toilet seats (17 inches-19 inches above floor) Raised seats can be a good easy way to help aging residents, and they're relatively affordable — about $40. •Add a tilt down vanity mirror. Most people will be able to make minor changes to an existing mirror to add tilt or they can take other steps during a remodel. •Crank type casement windows vs. double hung windows Though not a necessity, this makes windows easier to open. Estimated cost: $200 to $1,000 per window, depending on size, type and preference •Lowering light switches to no more than 48 inches above floor; keeping electrical plug ins at least 15 inches above floor This could be done to all or some light fixtures. Wagner estimates spending 75 to 100 per outlet to raise and lower them.
pointers and let you know what you can and cannot do. It would be a lot better down the road than having your house fall in.” He pointed out other things to watch for, such as water damage in the bathroom, which shouldn’t be simply covered with paint because there could be mold issues. “So it’d be a finished product you’d have to tear apart in a year,” he said.
Trom also noted cheaper is not always better, as quality materials will last longer. “You don’t have to buy the top end stuff, but make sure you’re using good quality products and do a little research on the products you’re going to be using,” he said. “That’s always a good thing to do.” Continues on page 46 May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 45
One aspect of do-it-yourself jobs is being able to use what you want. Here Heath Trom used wood found behind a barn on his fiancée’s parents’ home as wall material for one side of their living room.
Continued from page 45 When it comes time to do a project that requires more in-depth work, Trom said to make sure the person who is hired for the job is reputable. “You want to make sure that you’re checking out your contractor, make sure that they are reputable,” he said. “If they have to use subcontractors and things like that, ask them who those people are.” “Just take your time and do it right the first time,” he added. Trom started HGT Pride Construction in 2008 after he decided he wanted to be his own boss. “I like to use my own creativity on projects and things like that,” he said. Depending on how busy the season is, his crew consists of about three to four people. “We’re not a huge company; I like to be hands on with all the projects we’re on,” Trom said. “I don’t just sell the job and walk away and subcontract everything out.” His company takes on about 20 to 25 jobs a year with a variety of project sizes, from additions to homes or buildings, remodeling rooms such as kitchens or bathrooms, storm recov46 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
ery work such as fixing the roofing or siding and more. He enjoys the challenges his job brings, but he mostly loves seeing the finished product and the smiles on people’s faces. “Every project creates new challenges which are fun to overcome, and just dealing with different people and their thoughts, and the design process I do kind of get into and like doing that part of it too,” Trom said. “So, it’s just cool to see and create something that you did and when you’re done with it
“Just take your time and do it right the first time” — Heath Trom people have a smile on their face and are happy with it, so it’s pretty satisfying.” Trom’s first goal is for people to be happy with the end results and know that a quality job was done. He wants them to feel comfortable calling him if anything goes wrong in the future. “To get a phone call from a reference from somebody that I did do work for, that tells you right there that, yeah, I must have done my job,” Trom said. “That’s pretty rewarding.”
The living room of Heath Trom and fiancée Shanna Davison’s home, which Trom and his company did themselves.
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 47
WHAT’S IN STORE
Creative camping By Jenae Hackensmith • Photos
by
Eric Johnson
Camping season is here and the great outdoors are waiting for tents to pop up and campers to park. Yet it’s hard to find everything you may need out in nature, so campers need to be prepared before venturing out into the wild. Everyday things taken for granted, such as chairs and lights, become important in the
woods and around the campfire. So make a list of these items from Runnings, check it twice and get ready to swim in the lake, eat food over a campfire, experience the peaceful quiet of nature, and sleep in a warm sleeping bag with nothing standing between you and nature except a thin, nylon wall.
Camping Chair: Unless you enjoy sitting on logs around the campfire, don’t forget to bring a foldable camping chair. This Trophy Camp, Magnum three-leg hunting chair is all-season and can be brought along for the trip. It has 600 Denier fabric and comes with a carry bag. This chair is 32 inches tall and maximum weight is 250 pounds. $29.99
Cooler: Bringing cold food to the campsite can be a pain, but this three-day Xtreme Coleman cooler packed full of ice holds 28 quarts. For soda drinkers, the cooler can pack up to 36 cans and has cup holders on the lid. The portable cooler can be taken to any campsite or even on the lake, and can double as a chair. $39.99
Marshmallow Tree: This tree is the upgraded version of grabbing a stick from the woods and sharpening the end for marshmallows. The Rome’s Original Marshmallow Tree can cook enough for the whole family in one sitting. The 43-inch steel construction with a solid wood handle can make light marshmallows for mom, burnt ones for dad and golden brown for you, all at once. $9 48 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
Lantern: A lantern is the perfect tool for those late-night bathroom trips, navigating trees and tall grass to make it to either the campsite’s bathrooms or the designated bathroom area. This Rayovac Sportsman 4D floating lantern can be sat on the ground or hung on a hook and provides light on all sides to scare away the skunks and raccoons. $15.99
Teakettle: Camping doesn’t mean giving up the necessities. Boil water for coffee or tea with this blue GSI teakettle placed on the grate over the fire and watch the sunrise over a lake with a cup of morning coffee. $24.99 Sleeping Bag: This bright blue Exxel Outdoors 33-inch by 75inch sleeping bag has a polyester outside and a micro-peached poly liner on the inside. Campers will be most comfortable in 35 to 45 degree weather, and it only weighs four pounds, making it easy to carry during the long trek to the campsite. This Apache adult sleeping bag also comes in different colors and sizes. $24.99 Skillet: Don’t forget the cooking utensils! With this Lodge cast-iron, 12-inch skillet — which was made in the USA — the hotdogs and hamburgers will get cooked to the desired amount. Place the pan right in the fire or over the grate, with no worries about ruining mom’s best cooking pot. $27.99
Waffle Irons: Breakfast doesn’t have to be difficult while camping. Use the Rome’s Original six-and-three-fourths diameters solid cast-iron waffle makers to make waffles over the campfire. The solid wood handle on the Church Wagon Waffle Iron makes holding the waffles over the fire easy. $22.99
Gas Grill: For those who don’t like the rustic campfire taste or hope to cook something on a grill, a portable grill is the way to go. This portable Cooking Stone - Weber, Go-Anywhere gas grill can cook almost anything, from hot dogs and hamburgers to T-bones and potatoes. Grab a small tank of propane and you’re ready to go. $64.99
Small Light: This small GlowMax work light will help get around the tent when it’s bedtime and can be propped up or hung from the ceiling. The LED light is bright and easy to carry to search for the marshmallows when it’s dark. $5.99
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 49
TRAVEL
The Schwab famliy — Pat, Beth, Nate and Paiton — traveled to Guatamala as part of Project Spammy. It was also therapuetic for the family. Lauren Schwab passed away in 2013, shortly before the family traveled. 50 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
A healing trip Photos
By Trey Mewes submitted by P at
Sometimes, you have to help others to help yourself heal. When Lauren Schwab died of a blood clot in her lungs in April 2013, she left behind a loving family and a legacy of helping others. She was always the one to step up and organize a benefit, or give blood, or take on a big project. “She was always volunteering, always looking out for other people,” Beth Schwab, Lauren’s mother, said. Yet before she died, Lauren had asked her parents for a big gift:
Schwab
She wanted to go to Guatemala through Hormel Foods Corp.’s Project Spammy volunteer program that July. Beth, her husband, Pat, and her children, Nathan, 21, and Paiton, 15, weren’t sure at first whether to continue on the trip. “We met as a family, and we all decided we needed to do this for Lauren,” Pat said. That’s how the Schwabs found themselves on a plane bound for one of the most lush, naturally beautiful countries in the world. Continues on page 52
The Schwab family’s volunteer trip to Guatemala helped them get through a death in the family Above: A Guatemalan child enjoys Spammy on a tortilla. Below: The Schwabs are pictured here with students from San Jose School.
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 51
San Jose School students pose with a monument to Lauren Schwab.
Continued from page 51 Hormel has become well-known in recent years for their record profits, but the company is also garnering attention for its philanthropic efforts, which includes an anti-hunger initiative known as Project Spammy. Spammy is a fortified turkey spread used to feed malnourished children, which the company has produced since 2007. Hormel has worked with charities in Guatemala over the years to provide Spammy to children. That’s not the only thing Hormel has done for Guatemala, however. Several times a year, volunteers from the company fly to Guatemala for a week to do charitable projects, whether it’s cleaning buildings or helping to feed people. “It’s really a rewarding experience,” Joe Swedberg, Hormel’s vice president of legislative affairs, said. “We’ve got people on waiting lists now who want to fly down and help.” The Schwabs were on the list in 2013 when they flew down as part of a team of 25 volunteers to Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala. The first night there, everyone gathered to tell stories about why they decided to volunteer. Pat, Beth, Nathan and Paiton all shared their stories about Lauren. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the room,” Pat said. “We all ended up bonding over that, and the trip kind of became for Lauren.” 52 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
Yet the work was all for Guatemalans living in poverty. The group ended up cleaning several places, including a school in San Jose, Guatemala. The school took on a special significance for the volunteer team, however. While Pat and other people helped clean and organize, Beth found ways to keep some of the smaller children entertained, including a fun arts project with pipe cleaners. During their work, the volunteers learned the school needed funding to build and finish a second floor. After their trip, the group gathered their resources and started an online fund for the school, which many Hormel employees contributed to. “It was just a way to finish our job,” Beth said. Much to Pat and Beth’s surprise, school officials decided to dedicate the building to Lauren’s memory. They installed a plaque bearing Lauren’s name and now provide fresh flowers for her monument every day. “We were so touched,” Beth said. The Schwabs were on hand last December for the project’s dedication ceremony, where they each spoke on how much Lauren’s monument meant to them. Paiton even read several Psalms in Spanish during a church service at the school. “She had practiced those for quite a while,” Pat said. Through their volunteer experience, the Schwabs found themselves closer than ever as a family. “We really loved helping the families and children out,” Beth said.
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 53
LOOKING BACK
Settling
Johnsburg All
By Jaimie Timm, Mower County Historical Society Mower County Historical Society
photos courtesy of the
How this small community started in the 19th century
A group of gentleman gathered on a bridge just northeast of Johnsburg. Joe Adams, Steve Kloeckner, unknown, Pete Adams and Aloyious Bissen. Date Unknown
Threshing at the Barney Brown Farm with W. Gerhart, J. Mullenbach, S. Klapperich, G. Gerhart, M. Mullenbach and N. Ulwelling. Ca. 1900
54 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
J
ohnsburg is a small, unincorporated community located in section 32 of Adams Township less than half a mile north of the Iowa border. The first settlers arrived in 1855 and many of them came from a German community also called Johnsburg in Illinois. Others soon followed from German settlements in Wisconsin and from Irish communities on the East Coast. Johnsburg grew up around St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Father George Keller, the first missionary priest to serve Catholics in the area, held the first services in 1853 but a building wasn’t built until 1859. The log cabin was situated on land owned by John and Gertrude Heimer and it was the first Catholic church built in Mower County! The original building was replaced in 1868. A few years later, the congregation added a school and an apartment for the priest. Finally, in 1891, the familiar brick building was built. On July 1, 1984, St. John’s celebrated its 125th anniversary to commemorate the first building with a festival that included a parade, a history book, contests, games and lunch. As the church and community grew, so did several small businesses in Johnsburg. The most well-known is Freund’s Store. Peter and Christina Freund moved to Johnsburg and built their first store in 1880. Fifteen years later, they built a larger building to accommodate their growing business and used the original 1880 building as a saloon. They ran a general mercantile-type store and worked hard to provide for their community. Peter passed away in 1904, and his sons took over the family store and bar. John ran the saloon, Fred managed the store, and Nick hauled the beer, groceries and supplies. Nick died in 1918, and John bought out Fred to become the sole owner of the family businesses. Prohibition caused the saloon to close
in the 1920s, but a bar was added to the back of the store in the early 1930s after Prohibition ended. John’s son, Isidore, took over the store in October 1934 after his father was robbed and murdered. Movies were shown on the south side of the store, and it was the main gathering place when the local baseball team, the “Johnnies,” played on Sundays until the business closed on Nov. 5, 1967, after almost 90 years. Willie Weber opened a blacksmith shop on the southern edge of Johnsburg for many years. He also owned a threshing machine and steam engines that traveled around the community to help area farmers. About twice a month, people visited the blacksmith shop to eat Willie’s famous oyster stew. Willie’s brother, Albert, ran a feed mill behind the blacksmith shop for several years until he moved the business to Staceyville, Iowa, in 1939. When Willie died in 1945, his property was sold and Norbie Mullenbach bought the land while on leave from the Army. The next year, he built a repair shop where he did some welding, repaired automobiles and provided general farm repair services. In 1977, his sons (Sam and Mathias) tore down the store and built a larger building. Today, small communities like Johnsburg are becoming a thing of the past as local businesses close and people move to larger cities. At the Mower County Historical Society, we’re working to preserve the memory of these towns and villages so that we will never forget this important part of Mower County history.
Peter and Christina Freund’s store and home, built in 1895. The large room over the store was used as a gathering space and hosted plays and theater groups from the Twin Cities as well as weddings, church dinners, school events and more. Ca. 1980
A parade float showing the three different church buildings of St. John the Baptist Church. The float was built by Nick, Adella, and Hedwig Ulwelling with Bernard Goergen. Ca. 1984
St. John the Baptist Church in Johnsburg, Minnesota. Date Unknown
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 55
INSIDE INSIDE AUSTIN AUSTIN LIVING LIVING
Behind the scenes We always find more information than we can publish whenever we work on an issue of Austin Living Magazine, but this issue seemed to hold plenty of surprises for Austin Living staff. We found a lot of interesting tidbits writing all sorts of home improvement and doit-yourself stories this time around, from the hard-earned secrets to making wine to the way a family can come together from a simple home project. Writer Jason Schoonover has a newfound appreciation for craft brewing after he met Kevin and Jill Jones. The owners of Willow Cove recently started to sell beer and winemaking kits through Black Willow Brewery, which has stirred up much interest in the community. Schoonover said he may try to brew his own wine or beer just to see what it feels like to drink something he made. Pictured here is Schoonover and photographer Eric Johnson learning about Black Willow Brewing’s selection of brewing materials. Jenae Hackensmith was excited to learn about do-it-yourself home improvement tips for this issue. She was quite taken with contractor Heath Trom’s home and especially liked how Trom used wood from an old barn as paneling for the inside of his home. Hackensmith said she was intrigued by Trom’s home and how gorgeous everything looked — especially the kitchen, which she fell in love with once she saw it. She enjoyed the interview and writing the subsequent story. 56 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
Writer Jason Schoonover and photographer Eric Johnson listen and photograph as Kevin Jones explains some of the beer and wine-making materials Black Willow Brewing now sells. Jeremy Olmsted/Austin Living
Writer Jenae Hackensmith interviews Heath Trom, owner of HGT Pride Construction about do-it-yourself tips as well as the work he did on his own home. Eric Johnson/Austin Living
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 57
AUTOMOTIVE
EDUCATION
HOLIDAY CARS OF AUSTIN: 2701 West Oakland Ave., Austin, MN www.holidaycarsaustin.net www.holidayford.net (888) 267-1356 Holiday Cars of Austin is proud to be one of the premier dealerships in the area. From the moment you walk into our showroom, you’ll know our commitment to Customer Service is second to none. We strive to make your experience with Holiday Cars a good one – for the life of your vehicle. Whether you need to purchase, finance, or service a new or preowned vehicle, you’ve come to the right place.
NIACC: 641-422-4245 1888-GO-NIACC www.niacc.net NIACC has a history of providing quality post-secondary opportunities. Ranked #14 in the nation for student success, NIACC offers a long list of opportunities: Adult/Developmental education, Career/Technical education, the first step to your bachelor’s degree, & Workforce development.
KUEHN MOTOR COMPANY: 1508 North Main St., Austin, MN (877) 672-0774 www.kuehnmotors.com Kuehn Motors is one of southern Minnesota’s largest dealers with three locations to serve you in Rochester, Austin and Spring Valley. Always a large selection of Used Cars, Trucks, Vans and Commercial Vehicles to choose from. We also have a great selection of new Featherlite trailers. We have a complete service department and full body shop to take care of all your vehicle needs. We also have a large rental department equiped to rent cars, vans, utility trailers, handicap vans, moving vans, and car haulers.
DENTAL DRS. ELROD, GREEN & HYLAND, DDS: 800 1st Ave. SW, Austin, MN (507) 437-8208 www.yoursmileperfected.com Drs. Elrod, Green & Hyland is a modern, state-of-the-art practice offering patients a fullrange of general and cosmetic dental services, from routine check-ups to complete smile makeovers. The doctors practice conservative, proactive dentistry utilizing the latest in dental technology. The first step towards a beautiful smile and a lifetime of good oral health is to schedule an appointment. Our office works with numerous Insurance Carriers. For your convenience, we offer a variety of payment options. Call today to schedule your appointment. We look forward to serving you for years to come! KING ORTHODONTICS: Orthodontics is an art and a science. Dr. Darrin L. King takes great pride in achieving excellence in both areas for his patients. King Orthodontics has over 15 years experience for the most efficient, comfortable and precise results. Find out more at www. kingbraces.com (507) 446-9000 125 28th St. NW, Suite #1, Owatonna, MN (507) 332-0002 1575 20th St. NW, Suite 202, Faribault, MN (507) 424-3632 3000 43rd St. NW, Rochester, MN
DINING TORGE’S LIVE: 1701 4th St. NW, Austin, MN (507) 433-1000 www.torgeslive.com Torge’s has the best regional entertainment and the coldest beer in Austin! Enjoy 22 flat screen HDTV’s, a large outdoor patio with fire pit, live music, and daily food and drink specials. Torge’s Live Sports Bar and Grill is Austin Minnesota’s best nightclub! 58 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
FLORAL THE HARDY GERANIUM: 100 1st St. SE, Austin, MN (507) 434-2409 Unique and creative floral gift shop specializing in contemporary floral arrangements for any occasion. Weddings, funerals, corporate events, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc. Stunning permanent botanicals. Boutique style gift shop with designer handbags, jewelry, home decor and greeting cards. Garden Center open May through September.
HEALTH THE HORMEL INSTITUTE: 801 16th Ave. NE, Austin, MN (507) 4338804 www.hi.umn.edu The Hormel Institute is a world-recognized leader in the scientific field showing that dietary factors prevent and control cancer development. We are accelerating cancer research discoveries to achieve our mission: Improve your health and well-being. Today’s Research, Tomorrow’s Cures.
HOME IMPROVEMENT AREN’S HEATING: 101 3rd St. SE, Austin, MN (507) 433-5652 www.arensheatingandcooling.com Steve and Penny Arens working hard to make “Our Furnace Company Your Furnace Company” for 30 years since 1983. Selling “Top Rated” Bryant Equipment. We will service any make or model. 24 HR Emergency Service. Free Estimates. Call Today (507) 433-5652. BRICK FURNITURE: 504 North Main St., Austin, MN (507) 4338833 www.brickfurnitureaustin.com Locally owned. Specializing in great quality. Low sale prices every day. Top service after the sale. Name brands such as La-Z-Boy, Smith Brothers of Berne, Sealy, and Daniel’s Amish. Lots of wall decor. Many other varieties of decor to choose from! BUDGET BLINDS: 310 1st Ave. S., Albert Lea, MN (877) 373-8535 www.budgetblinds.com/AlbertLea We proudly serve the local community by offering high quality and stylish window coverings for any occasion. Our lavish selection of window treatments includes shutters, blinds, draperies, shades and even window film. Call us today to schedule your free in-home consultation. Looking forward to helping you beautify your home! FREEBORN LUMBER COMPANY & DESIGN CENTER: 971 Plaza Street West, Albert Lea, MN www.freebornlumber.com (507) 377-4284 A family owned business that began in 1946. Stop in and visit their new facility and design showroom. Freeborn Lumber features quality building materials, new home design, kitchen remodels, cabinet design, agricultural buildings and outdoor living spaces.
INSURANCE
SERVICES
LISA HINES AGENCY - AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE: 701 W Oakland Ave. Austin, MN 55912 (507)433-2160 As your American Family Insurance agent, I believe there’s more to insurance than the policy itself. It’s about providing dependable protection and service. That’s why earning your trust is my policy. Stop in for a free insurance quote.
NEW DIMENSION ELECTRONICS: (507) 433-2122 Having been in business for over 35 years, providing your home entertainments needs with Dish Network, Directv, Antenna Service, and Home Theater. Visit our website at www..Newdimensionelectronics.net or Come See our showroom located next to Jim’s Super Valu at 209 11th St NE, Austin Mn.
SERVICES
SHOPPING
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD: 310 2nd St. NE, Austin, MN (507) 433-8851 www.austindailyherald.com The Austin Daily Herald is an award-winning daily newspaper that prides itself on its accurate and timely hyper-local news coverage. Herald readers are the most informed members of the Austin and Mower County communities, and have access to the best deals, promotions and coupons for local businesses.
NORTHBRIDGE MALL: 2510 Bridge Ave., Albert Lea, MN (507) 377-3185 www.northbridgemall.com Conveniently located just off the intersection of I-35 and I-90, Northbridge Mall features an arcade, movie theatre, book store, toy stores, and many dining and shopping opportunities. Open Monday-Friday 10am-9pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm. Some business hours may vary.
SMYTH COMPANIES: 1201 27th Ave. NW, Austin, MN (507) 434-5918 Smyth offers full-service design and prepress services to our commercial clients. From simple two-color flyers to complex layouts for annual reports or product brochures, we can do it all. Eight station presses enable the application of a world of colors along with gloss or matte coatings. Digital printing is also available for short run and prototype work.
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May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 59
The snow is gone and the sun is out, there’s no excuse to stay indoors anymore. With so much going on around Austin, whether indoors, out at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, or at the Mower County Fairgrounds, the vitamin D will be sure to get soaked up under the warm sunlight. All dates, times, and locations subject to change.
April 23-May 3
May 7, May 12, May 19
When: 7:30-10 p.m., 2 p.m. May 3 Where: Frank W. Bridges Theatre, Riverland Community College Meet Elle Woods, who appears to have it all, until her boyfriend dumps her and leaves for Harvard Law School. Determined to win him back, Elle follows him to Harvard where she soon realizes her own potential and sets out to prove herself to the world. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the MGM motion picture, this Riverland Community College play is sure to stir the inner lawyer. The cost is $16; Riverland students are free.
When: 6:30 a.m. Where: Jay C. Hormel Nature Center parking lot Meet in the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center parking lot at 6:30 a.m. and join fellow birders for a hike on the Nature Center trails. Join for any part of an hour-and-ahalf. This is the prime migration period and an excellent time to see a variety of colorful birds. This program is free and open to anyone interested in birding by sight and sound. Binoculars will be provided upon request. The event is co-sponsored by Austin Audubon.
“Legally Blonde”
May 1
Third annual Power of the Palate
When: 5-8 p.m. Where: Austin Country Club, 1202 28th Street NE This annual fundraiser to benefit the children of Mower County is back, hosted by the Women’s Leadership Initiative. A casual evening for men and women to sample local area cuisine, a cash bar and a silent auction stocked with tons of items. Tickets are $30 and 100 percent of the ticket is tax deductible and goes directly to the Women’s Leadership Initiatives.
May 1-May 3
Minnesota Junior Spring Classic Beef Show When: All Day Where: Mower County Fairgrounds Join in or watch the beef show this year, featuring cows and beef from all over the area.
May 3, June 13
3D Archery Shoot
When: 12-4 p.m. Where: Cedar River Archery Club Come perfect the archery skills at this cool event. For more information, call 507-437-6733.
May 5, June 2
Cotillion Social Dance Club
When: 6-10:30 p.m. Where: Austin Country Club The Cotillion Social Dance Club provides a night of great company, food, live music and dancing. The club is fast approaching its 100th year and actively looking for new members. For more information, contact Rachel at 507-475-0641. 60 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
Spring Bird Watching
May 9
Northwestern Singers Present “Bach to Rock”
When: 7-9 p.m. Where: Historic Paramount Theatre Listen to the sounds of the Northwestern Singers as they perform “Bach to Rock.” Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, call 507434-0934.
May 11
Austin Artist Series presents The Step Crew
When: 7-9 p.m. Where: Knowlton Auditorium, Austin High School The Step Crew is a dance production featuring the world’s top talents in Irish Stepdancing, Ottawa Valley Stepdancing, and Modern Tap. These dynamic performers excel in their respective traditional forms of dance and create brand new, modern fusions of all three styles. Backed by a four-piece band including Celtic vocals and joined by the fiddle playing of three champion musicians. Season tickets are $45 and good for all five Austin concerts as well as four more concerts in Osage, Iowa. For more information, or to obtain tickets, call Nancy Dolphin at 507-433-9387.
May 14
June 18
When: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Where: Historic Paramount Theatre A miserable, overweight teenager secretly has a crush on the class beauty and ends up becoming the surprising participant to dance with her at a high school dance. This means he’s got to get his act together with the help of his best friend. Tickets are $5. For more information, call 507-434-0934.
When: 9:30-10:30 a.m. Where: Ruby Rupner Auditorium, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Terry Dorsey has been birding for 45 years in the Midwest, Costa Rica and Alaska. His vocalizations of birds of the eastern forest have been a passion of his ever since he learned to whistle. Along with photos, he will introduce the audience to fanciful facts, creative chirps, and easy-to-remember mnemonic devices to help one learn common feeder and forest birds. RSVP by June 17. For more information or to RSVP, call 507-437-7519 or email info@ hormelnaturecenter.org.
Throwback Thursday: “Angus”
May 16
Bike Safety Bash
When: 1-2 p.m. Where: East Side Lake Park This annual event focuses on promoting bike safety. There will be educational activities, entertainment and lots of fun.
Terry Dorsey - Bird Sights and Songs
June 18
David Stokes
When: 1-2 p.m. Where: Ruby Rupner Auditorium, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center David Stokes, a Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education Teacher of the Year and and “Aldo Leopold” award winner, will sing and engage the audiences in nature study. Using live creatures and animal artifacts, songs and short stories, David gets down with his audiences and makes learning fun. RSVP by June 17. For more information or to RSVP, call 507-437-7519 or email info@ hormelnaturecenter.org.
June 25-27 May 28
Watercolor Journaling
When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Where: Austin ArtWorks Center Learn a new type of personal record-keeping using watercolors to give life to impressions of an object or event, then outline these colors with ink. No experience is necessary. The cost for AACA members is $25 plus $13 for supplies, and for non-members is $30 plus $13 for supplies. For more information, call 507-434-0934.
June 6-June 7
Jim Wand, hypnotist
When: 9-11 p.m. Where: Torge’s Live Sports Pub & Grill Come experience this hypnotist at Torge’s Live Sports Pub & Grill. For more information, call Nick at 507-433-8000.
June 11
Doug Elliott
When: 9:30-10:30 a.m., 1-2 p.m., 7-8 p.m. Where: Ruby Rupner Auditorium, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Join Doug Elliott — naturalist, herbalist, storyteller, back-country guide and harmonica wizard — for this free program. For more information, call 507-437-7519.
SPAMTown Challenge Baseball Tournament
When: All day Where: Marcusen Park Come watch some great amateur baseball at the SPAMTown Challenge Baseball Tournament.
June 25
Karla Bloem & Alice
When: 9:30-10:30 a.m., 1-2 p.m. Where: Ruby Rupner Auditorium, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Alice, a great horned owl, lives in a second-story bedroom of a rural home in the southeastern part of Minnesota, and she believes the woman who lives there — Karla — is her mate. Bring your family and friends to meet Alice and hear how she went from being an owlet with a broken wing to becoming the star of the Houston Nature Center and the new International Owl Center. The program is free and open to the public. RSVP by June 24. For more information or to RSVP, call 507-437-7519 or email info@hormelnaturecenter.org.
June 27
Shooting Star Bike ride
When: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Where: Along the Shooting Star Bike Trail Soak up the sun and get those biking skills back to tip-top shape with this bike ride on the Shooting Star Trail. For more information, call 507-433-4902. May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 61
BOOK REVIEW
As the Austin Page Turners committee plans for the 2016 Page Turners author, committee members are taking time to share some of their favorite Minnesota books with Austin Living. Terry BeckerErsland is a Page Turners committee member and is reviewing “Little Wolves,” by Thomas Maltman
MATERNAL INSTINCT Thomas Maltman has included several enticing ingredients in his murder mystery, “Little Wolves.” Set in Lone Mountain, Minnesta, the novel opens with a haunting tale of a she-wolf that saves an abandoned baby wrapped in a blanket from an approaching prairie grass fire. The wolf, whose pups have died, nourishes the baby. Though at first this tale seems incredulous, it symbolizes one of the themes of the novel, the human need for the nourishing love of a mother or a mother figure. In the next chapter, we meet the novel’s main character, Clare Warren. She is pregnant with her first child. Her husband, Logan, is not happy about the baby because he is struggling as a new pastor in Lone Mountain and Clare is supposed to be writing her doctoral thesis. As days pass, Clare is haunted by her need to know more about her own mother. All that her father has told her is that her mother abandoned her a day after her birth in a snowy field where she was rescued by a sheriff before she froze to death. Clare’s partially amputated fingers are a constant reminder of this abandonment. Clare’s revelry about her baby and mother is broken by a loud knock at her door. From her basement window, she sees the feet of her student, Seth Thomas Fallon, and stock of a shot gun he is Maltman carrying. A supernatural presence 62 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
tells her not to answer the door. Before the day is over, this small town is thrown into shock by the murder of the town’s sheriff, Will Gunderson, by Seth, a rebellious teen from a troubled family. Later the teen’s body is found in a corn field where the youth committed suicide. The town is satisfied to believe the murder was just a senseless act carried out by a deranged, motherless youth who was raised by a man who had killed his own father. The townspeople feel that Clare is lucky not to be another of Seth’s victims. However, Clare is not ready to believe this because she found Seth to be a caring, helpful student. She finds eerie clues in pictures and words Seth has left behind in her classroom. There is also a spirit that seems be haunt her home at night. As the novel continues, Clare learns that her birth story is entwined with the Fallon family history. Seth’s father, Grizz, also learns the shocking motive for his son’s actions. As a reader, I was satisfied with the novel’s ending, and I connected with the main character. Additionally for readers that enjoy Nordic mythology, the book has many allusions to “Beowulf.” Best of all the novel amplifies the destructive nature of abuse and our need for love and nurturing. The little wolves symbolize this life-sustaining love. Maltman has woven an intriguing mystery!
May – June 2015 | Austin Living | 63
WHY I LOVE AUSTIN
Anita, Peyton, Emma, Garrett and Craig Clark.
The small-town feel can’t be beat By Craig Clark, City Administrator
As a new family to town, we have a great vantage point to see Austin from a fresh perspective. There is plenty to love about Austin, especially for those who treasure family and living in a city that has a strong sense of community. I must admit, hailing from a small town I always prefer life in a rural community. I just think folks tend to be more grounded and focused on the most important things in life. While we are sometimes envious of the amenities in the “big city” and some of our youth gravitate to the allure of adventure outside Austin, there often is a time when family and the security of a small town exceed what often in practicality turns out to be more background noise than activities one actually takes in. Having lived in the Twins Cities and Washington, D.C., when you look at the whole picture, the glamour of the big city also has a daily negative grind that is not always so desirable. We do not have to worry about the 45-minute commute to work or increasing traffic congestion of a metropolitan area. Our cost of living is dramatically lower. Find any comparable home in an urban area and you’ll find a much better value right here in Austin. Our parks have expanded significantly in recent years and we continue to add recreational trail miles annually. Recreation is plentiful through with our Park and Recreation Department and local YMCA. We have everything from softball and pickleball to curling (shall we say ice 64 | Austin Living | May – June 2015
shuffleboard?) and everything in between. What more could you ask for? If culture and the arts are your fancy, well, we have a great venue with the Paramount and abundant activities at the Austin ArtWorks Center. The arts community is working hard to increase our appreciation of the finer things by expanding our experiences and enriching our lives. It’s great to live in a community with such a great “art vibe.” I cannot forget our quality schools as another reason to love Austin. A school system that attends to the needs of each child no matter their learning level is taking hold while at the same time enhanced by the cultural diversity of our community. Let’s be confident with our unique position knowing many Packer graduates will lead the way as our community leaders of tomorrow. All of these things happen in a community where we enjoy a relative ease of access to participate in various initiatives. If you have a passion to help improve our business community, join the Chamber and in no time you can take an active part. Want to form a mountain bike club and expand a trail for your and others’ enjoyment? Grab a shovel and we’ll get it done! Everyone has an opportunity to make our community better and not get lost in the crowd of a big city. Lend a hand and make Austin an even stronger community.