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www.driftlessjournal.com | news@driftlessjournal.com | 563-382-4221 | Tuesday, January 2, 2024 | Vol. 6 Issue 1
Sinkholes, caves and springs:
Karst envelopes the Driftless region By Zach Jensen
Sewn in love: Nordhuses reflect on 52 years in business, 65 years of marriage Dwaine and Lorraine Nordhus have owned Suhdron Fabrics in Monona for 52 years and have been married 65 years. (Driftless Multimedia photo by Zach Jensen) dreds of different prints, colors, weaves and textures of fabric of all kinds and from all over. Also included in the Nordhus collection are oil paintings, antiques, nick-knacks, seasonal and holiday items and much more, and Dwaine said quilters come from all over North America to comb through their inventory. How the business began was a natural fit for the couple. Lorraine said she liked the idea of owning a fabric store because she’d always enjoyed sewing. “When I was growing up, I was real tall, and I couldn’t buy clothes that fit me,” she said. “So, I had to start sewing. And, Dwaine knew I liked to sew, so
By Zach Jensen
N
ot often does a good marriage and good business go hand-inhand. But for Dwaine and Lorraine Nordhus, of Postville, it’s been a dream and a blessing. They have built and operated Suhdron Fabrics, located in Monona, for the past 52 years. And, for the communities they have lived and worked in, they have helped build so much more than that. Suhdron Fabrics, the two-story building at 120 West Center Street in Monona, boasts a basement, ground level and upper level containing hun-
he encouraged me to go into the business.” For their business, Lorraine does all the ordering and bookkeeping, and Dwaine said she’s also kept him out of jail all these years. “We love the business,” Lorraine said. “I love picking out fabrics to go together, to make a quilt, but mainly, it’s the customers that keep me excited about it.” Dwaine added that he intended to refinish the building’s second story into a “quilters getaway”, but he never got around to it. And, as he said, “They have getaways for quilters everywhere now. They need a space to get together and have
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Nordhuses
continued on page 6
Karst
continued on page 4
Annual Juried High School Art Show celebrates youth art
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fun — and to get away from their husbands probably.” “There’s a lot of work to be done up there yet — for someone younger than me,” Dwaine said. “Why I didn’t get that done up there is because she got me building houses. She loves to draw and design houses. She did all the architect work inside the house, as well as outside, and we built over 22 homes — every single one of them different.” Dwaine emphasized that neither he nor Lorraine were
Minnesota may be the land of 10,000 lakes, but a Harmony Township resident said Fillmore County, itself, is home to more than 10,000 sinkholes — all because of a geographic phenomenon called “karst”. Aaron Bishop, 33, has been studying karst topography practically his entire life, since his parents first took ownership of Niagara Cave, close to the Iowa/ Minnesota border, in 1995. “Having grown up with a cave as a basement has given me a particular perspective regarding the relationship between surface-use and the underworld,” said Bishop, a 2009 graduate of Fillmore Central High School. “We train guides to interpret karst features for guests who visit the cave. There are over 400 known caves in Fillmore County alone, but most are not accessible to the public. Mystery Cave (near Preston) and Niagara Cave are the only two caves open to the public in the state of Minnesota, so this is a rare opportunity for visitors of the region to be exposed to the underground.” Bishop, who earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, said the word “karst” is the German form for the word “kras”, which is Slavic in origin, mean-
ing “bleak waterless place”, and it’s difficult to define because it often looks very different from one location to the next. “I usually describe karst as a topography characterized by features such as joint systems, sinkholes, blind valleys, disappearing streams, caves and springs,” he explained. “Karst topography results from soluble rock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolostone, that is dissolved away from carbonic acid. Carbonic acid is the combination of carbon dioxide and water; CO2 + H2O = H2CO3. Just like how carbonic acid in soda, or pop, can dissolve away your calcium-based teeth, so too can it dissolve away the calcium-based limestone bedrock in our region, usually along natural vertical fractures (joints) and horizontal bedding planes. “If we look back in time to the Early Paleozoic Era (541 million years ago), this region was once in the southern hemisphere near the equator and occasionally covered by shallow inland seas,” Bishop continued. “The proximity to shore would determine which sediment would be deposited at any given time. Nearer to shore, the
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Lanesboro Arts in Laneswho have the unique opporboro, Minn., announced its tunity to see their creative annual Juried High School efforts presented in a public, Art Show from Saturday, professional gallery setting. Jan. 13 to Sunday, Jan. 28. Always free and open to the Featuring artwork from public, the Lanesboro Arts ninth through 12th grade stugallery is open Tuesdays dents at Chatfield, Fillmore through Saturdays, 10 a.m. Central, Lanesboro and to 5 p.m. Rushford-Peterson schools, The exhibit is made possithe Juried High School Art ble by the voters of Minnesoshow demonstrates the vita through a Minnesota State brancy of local student talent. Arts Board Operating SupThere will be photographs, port grant, thanks to a legpaintings, stained glass, digislative appropriation from ital art, mixed media works the arts and cultural heritage and more on display. fund. “Every year, the High Handicapped accessible School Art Show provides “Autumn” by Ella Dammen (submit- and free to the public, the space for young artists to ted photo) gallery is located at 103 grow in confidence and share Parkway Ave. N. in Lanesdent’s artistic achievements on their work with their communi- Saturday, Jan. 13, from 5 to 7 boro. The organization provides ty,” said Lanesboro Arts Exec- p.m., at the Lanesboro Arts Ex- year-round arts programming utive Director Kara Maloney. hibition Gallery. Visitors will and serves as a regional catalyst “We are so thrilled to see the enjoy music, refreshments and for artistic excellence and edusheer variety of mediums and the student artwork on display. cational development, by properspectives on display. This The Juried High School show viding diverse art experiences show is always a staff favorite.” has played an important role in for people of all ages. There will be an opening developing the confidence and For more information, visit reception to celebrate the stu- experience of young artists, www.lanesboroarts.org.
Holiday contest winners announced Holiday photo contest winners Driftless Multimedia is pleased to announce the randomly-drawn winners of the holiday photo contest. The first place prize of $100 dollars goes to Ethin, Nora and Noah Timp, children of Miranda Quandahl and Brenden Timp of Calmar. Second place and $50 goes
to Jack and Frances Pellett, children of Paul and Angie Pellet of Decorah. The Harman family was drawn third, for a prize of $25. They submitted a holiday photo of their children Max, Charlotte, Lucy and Roman. Prizes can be picked up at Driftless Multimedia, 110 Washington St., Suite 4 in Decorah.
Festive Foods recipe contest winner Lisa Friedrichsen of Waukon was the winner of the drawing for the GE Stand Mixer from Driftless Multimedia and Jim’s Appliance/ JW Kitchens of Decorah and Waukon. Thank you to everyone who submitted photos and recipes.