• Celebrate International Women’s Month
• Heidi Pack shares her story about endometriosis
• UWS educator honored with elite award
• Entrepreneur returns to Grand Rapids roots
Co-owner of Baby Cakes Bakery & Savage Girls Salads
Delilah Savage
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walks together.
6 Megan Kellin
Entrepreneur returns to Grand Rapids roots
10 Salisa Hochstetler
UWS educator honored with 2021 Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award
14 Heidi Pack
Lead singer of Whiskey Trail details her struggle with endometriosis
18 Natalie Miller
Making history with National History Day
22 Turning a dream into reality: Natalie Harris opens Superior Waffles
26 The history of International Women’s Day
38 Baby Cakes Bakery & Savage Girls Salads
57 St. Urho's Day
ENTERTAINMENT/ARTS
30 Arts and Events Calendar
HEALTH/MEDICINE
34 Essentia
Rising from the fall
42 St. Luke’s Jumping in with both feet
FINANCIAL ADVICE
32 Time for a remodel? Consider a home equity line of credit
FASHION
36 Fashions by Sam
FOOD/NUTRITION
54 Cabbage Involtini and Corned Beef w/Stout Cream Sauce brought to you by Mount Royal Market
HOME TOUCHES
44 ‘My Happy Place’
DIY
52 Concrete Footprint Garden Stones
KIDS KORNER
58 Sloane's Suggestions
GROUP PUBLISHER
Neal Ronquist
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Rick Lubbers
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Megan Keller
ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Ali Carlson
ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Kim Quinones
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Renae Ronquist
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Julie Schulz
Abigail Blonigen
Andrea Busche
Bo Allen
Comstock Creative
Ivy Vainio
Kathy Dahlberg
Molly Milroy
I believe every woman has a fire inside of them — a strength without limits to what she can accomplish. This month we celebrate International Women’s Month — the month where women recognize their fierceness, their strong hearts and celebrate their achievements as women.
This may be the month designated to women, however, I feel that every day women are and should be celebrated. Here at The Woman Today, we are proud to produce eight issues a year where we get the opportunity to feature so many incredible women in the Northland. In this March issue, we have some amazing stories to share. These ladies have shown perseverance, bravery, strength and innovation.
We took another trip to Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where Megan Kellin, owner of Lake and Company, shared her journey from backpacking around the world to now being a successful entrepreneur. Kellin says, “There’s no place like home,” as she has returned to her hometown of Grand Rapids to settle her roots and live her dreams.
Molly Ovenden
Nancy Litman
Natalie Harris
Natalie Miller
Salisa Hochstetler
Samantha Roffers
Sue DeNiro
Aimee Jobe Photography
Finland MN St. Urho Committee
Janna Salmela Photography
Minnesota Digital Library
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The Woman Today is published by Duluth News Tribune. Mailed copies available for $32 per year (eight issues). Send check to The Woman Today®, 424 West First Street, Duluth, MN 55802
Taking our journey over to Superior, Wisconsin, we had the opportunity to meet one woman who has been a strong leader, mentor, and has recently been named the 2021 Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award winner. Last year marked the 26th anniversary of the award, in which more than 400 women of color have been recognized for their transformational work. From growing up in Phang-Na, Thailand, to now residing here in the Northland, Salisa Hochstetler is inspiring and leading our youth and college community.
March is also known for being Endometriosis Awareness Month. The Endometriosis Association began Endometriosis Awareness Month in 1993. It’s now observed worldwide through activities such as education, fundraising and marches. Heidi Pack, lead singer of the band Whiskey Trail, shares her strength to rise above the illness and educate others that they are not alone and there is support to help navigate this condition.
Do you have a sweet tooth? I do. We took a drive to the Fond du Lac Reservation in Cloquet where we had the pleasure of meeting Leah and Delilah Savage, owners of Baby Cakes Bakery & Savage Girls Salads. This mother-daughter duo embraces the importance of culture and tradition, fusing it into their business with a wonderful sweet twist. Traveling back to Superior, Natalie Harris, owner of Superior Waffles, gave us an amazing treat.
On the Cover: Delilah Savage is co-owner of Baby Cakes Bakery, along with her mother, Leah Savage. This image was used for one of AICHO's 2021 billboards, "Supporting Indigenous Food Sovereignty."
PHOTO COURTESY OF IVY VAINIO
© 2022 Forum Communications Company All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without
And that is just the tip of the iceberg on what we have in store for you in this issue. Thank you so much for supporting The Woman Today. As you move through the year, find what inspires you! There are some women in my life who are my rocks — my main ladies who I turn to for inspiration, strength and laughter. Be the woman that will whisper in her ear, “You’ve got this.” Here are some of their favorite motivational quotes they would like to share with you all. Happy International Women’s Month!
• Deb Keller: “Courage is being scared to death ... and saddling up anyway.”
• Rachel Downs: “Here’s to strong women: May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.”
• Kerry Ann Welch Larsen: “Dance like nobody’s watching.”
• Liz Schultz: “She overcame everything that was meant to destroy her!”
• Tiff Bartz: “Your life has purpose. Your story is important. Your dreams count. Your voice matters. You were born to make an impact.”
Megan Keller Advertising Director
"There’sno place like home,” says Grand Rapids, Minnesota native Judy Garland in the movie classic “The Wizard of Oz.” In the last few years, entrepreneur Megan Kellin has found that sentiment to be true.
Kellin, also from Grand Rapids, was raised by entrepreneurial parents who played a large role in the community. The oldest of three girls, Kellin began working at a young age in her parents’ restaurant, sometimes helping with their other ventures as well.
Kellin went on to study business at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. With a knack for foreign languages, Kellin took off to South America after college, backpacking around the world for a year with her now husband.
“Our main mission was to hike as many mountains as we could,” Kellin said. “We surfed when there was good surf and we learned how to scuba dive and fish, ski, hike, trek, whatever we could do.”
After returning to the United States, Kellin and her partner continued their travels on the West Coast, living out of their vehicle before finally landing in Colorado. In Colorado, Kellin launched be.Media House, now a global creative marketing company which has worked with clients from
Rocky Mountain Bride to GoPro and Toyota.
Kellin and her husband lived in Colorado for about 10 years before deciding to move back to Minnesota. Kellin’s husband is also from Grand Rapids (the two started dating in high school), and his mother had fallen ill. That, in addition to having their second child, inspired them to move closer to family and back to the timber town.
Their time away, travels and experience helped the Kellins see their hometown in a new light.
“All of a sudden, we started to realize that there’s so much opportunity in entrepreneurialism, in different businesses that didn’t exist but we had experienced in other places,” she said.
Kellin’s first venture was transforming a rundown hotel into what is now Hotel Rapids, a chic and refined boutique hotel complete with a bar and bistro. Tapping into her entrepreneurial family — her two sisters are also entrepreneurs — Kellin owns the 30-bedroom inn with her mother.
Hotel Rapids soon became the catalyst for several interconnected businesses.
“Very quickly, within working in the hotel space, I realized that there are a lot of stories that aren’t being told,” Kellin said.
The desire to share these “stories of people doing
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Megan Kellin started publishing Lake and Company magazine in 2015 as a means to share “stories of people doing exceptional things in the north." The magazine’s success helped Kellin see another opportunity: a retail space for the products featured in the publication. From local makers to trendy outdoor apparel, the retail space that opened in 2016 serves to tell the story of these products just as the magazine tells the stories of their creators and users.
exceptional things in the north” led to the development of Lake and Company magazine during fall 2015.
“I started listening to what people were doing and what drives them to live in northern Minnesota,” Kellin said. “I was very intrigued, and I started looking at these different lake communities and they all seemed to have their own very distinct personalities … and if I'm interested in that, other people must be interested in that, right?”
Kellin was right, and Lake and Company caught on like wildfire. The publication started off as a free magazine in a few locations up north and within a few months was on stands in seven states.
The magazine’s success helped Kellin see yet another opportunity: a retail space for the products featured in the publication. From local makers to trendy outdoor apparel, the retail space serves to tell the story of these products just as the magazine tells the stories of their creators and users.
The first Lake and Company store opened in Grand Rapids in 2016. They now have bricks and mortar in Grand Rapids, Stillwater, International Falls and Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
The Lake and Company magazine has also expanded with a national iteration of the publication in addition to the regional, Minnesota-based one. The national mag sits on stands in 48 states.
Kellin also used her publishing expertise to launch Lake Bride Magazine in 2016. It has a similar flare of adventure as Lake and Company through the lens of Minnesota weddings and elements.
Connecting to both her bridal and hospitality experience, Kellin, her sister and family run Little Lazy Lodge — a four-bedroom, four-bath resort on 180 acres in Boy River, Minnesota. A northern Minnesota getaway for weddings to family reunions, both Kellin and one of her sisters were married on the property.
Through the hustle and bustle of the multiple business owner lifestyle, family remains most important to Kellin, who has three children aged 9, 6 and 3. The family intentionally carves out time to travel, get outdoors and “live the brand” they promote. Juggling entrepreneurship with motherhood and womanhood has been no easy task. Kellin operated her businesses through all three of her pregnancies.
“It’s really, really hard to not only be a mother and operate a business, because the expectations don’t change as a business owner from the general public. You have to return emails, but you might have just had a baby a couple days before,” she said. “You have to get those systems in place.”
There were also times when people would ask to talk to “the boss” instead of Kellin, assuming she was not the person in charge. Some folks would even specifically ask to talk to a man.
“You have to work twice as hard to get your ideas heard, to really participate in that space,” Kellin said of being a businesswoman in northern Minnesota.
Over the last few years, as she’s made a name for herself in the community, people have begun to take her more seriously. Her work has been noticed state and nationwide as Twin Cities
Business named her one of the top 100 people to know in 2022.
Like many small businesses, the pandemic required flexibility of Kellin and her various entities. Though aspects of her work had to temporarily downsize, she was able to take time to refocus and refine her work and rebuild her teams with experienced professionals from across the country as remote work becomes more common.
“Our mission at the Lake and Company is to inspire other people,” she said. “That’s what our company operates off: being in good company and surrounding yourself with people that inspire you.”
As for up-and-coming ventures, Kellin will be busy working with the Lake and Company national expansion in addition to opening a new coworking space in Grand Rapids in a restored old church. Called the CoHaus Collective, the initiative is set to open in early summer. D
Asa young girl growing up in Phang-Nga, Thailand, Salisa Hochstetler enjoyed all the delights that nature had to offer. There, she and her brother, Wongsakorn, and their parents, Nittara and Pon, lived near the beach. Her favorite childhood memories include visiting local waterfalls and having family cookouts.
Today, as a resident of Superior, Wisconsin, she lives half a world away from her home country. But she has embraced American life and is well-established here, with a husband, three children and a career.
As an immigrant, Hochstetler is a natural fit for her professional role as the University of Wisconsin-Superior’s interim director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. While the students she assists appreciate her, so do her colleagues.
Hochstetler was named the recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Women in Color in Education Award, an annual honor given to faculty, staff, students or community members to recognize their achievements in advancing equity and inclusion for people of color within the UW System, as well as communities across the state. For this honor, she was nominated by a colleague (and former recipient of the award), Kat Werchouski.
Hochstetler first came to America in 2005, when she was an exchange student in Luck, Wisconsin. After some friends
recommended UWS, she returned to the U.S. in 2008 to pursue a college degree.
“They told me UWS had a lower cost, a small campus, and was next to the lake,” she said.
Hochstetler graduated with a degree in political science (with a concentration in international peace studies) in 2011. After graduation, she immediately entered the job market. First as an overnight staff member at the former Woodland Hills, and then at an after-school program the organization
opened in Morgan Park. Later, she worked as an advocate for Mentor Duluth, and as a coordinator for Mentor Superior. She earned a master’s degree in school counseling from UWS in 2017.
Continued on page 12
services coordinator in 2018.
“This was my dream job because I was an international student myself,” she said. “I advised students on immigration regulations, U.S. customs, campus life and even things like opening a bank account and filing taxes. It was the perfect fit for me.”
In 2020, she was promoted to assistant director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and later named interim director in October 2021. In this role, Hochstetler oversees four different offices on the UWS campus: the Intercultural Student Success Office, Gender Equity Resource Center, Veteran and NonTraditional Student Center, and Indigenous Cultures Resource Center. She has four direct reports and sees an average of 10 students per week.
“We focus on the identity of our students who have unique challenges,” Hochstetler said. “We try to think creatively on how to support these students and focus on their retention. We want to help them realize that they belong here.”
In addition to her busy career, Hochstetler is a previous volunteer mentor with Mentor Duluth. She graduated from the Leadership Superior/Douglas County Program in 2016. She was recognized with the Duluth YWCA’s Woman of Distinction Emerging Leader Award in 2017, and received the
Spirit of Superior Award from UWS for 2019-2020. She also served on the board of directors for the Duluth YWCA in 2018.
Hochstetler and her husband, Joe, who works at Cirrus Aircraft, have three young children: Toby (6), Ella (4), and Marli (6 months). They also have two dogs and a cat. In her limited spare time, she enjoys Thai cooking, hiking, walking along Lake Superior and doing puzzles.
The Hochstetler family tries to visit Thailand as often as possible, but this has been difficult lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Joe and Salisa dream of someday being able to retire in Thailand, where Salisa’s parents own and operate a small resort.
Hochstetler acknowledged the challenges of juggling personal and professional responsibilities during the pandemic, and said, “This past year has really challenged me. I’m always asking myself, ‘Am I spending enough time with my students? My kids?’ I really just want to highlight working moms and acknowledge that people are doing the best they can.”
She also acknowledged the challenges experienced by her students.
“During the pandemic, our international students have had some very unique challenges, between experiencing negative stereotypes and not being able to travel home. We have worked hard to help make sure they’re OK.”
Hochstetler is grateful to be a recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award. Last year marked the 26th anniversary of the award, through which more than 400 women of color have been recognized for their transformational work.
In a press release issued by UWS on Nov. 8, 2021, Hochstetler said, “I feel very honored to receive this award. I am truly humbled to be able to live, work and serve people in this community.
“I want to recognize other local women of color who
continue to advocate for diversity and inclusion,” she added. “Many of them inspired me to do the work that I do, and I am thankful for their teachings. I hope that my small contribution will lead to a positive change in the lives of our students, staff and community members.”
Recipients were formally recognized Nov. 4, 2021 at an awards ceremony and reception in Madison, Wisconsin. The event was hosted by Warren R. Anderson, UW System Senior Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
“The UW System is proud to recognize the tremendous achievements of this year’s award recipients,” Anderson said. “They are enhancing opportunities for our students and benefiting our communities through their leadership, scholarship and outreach.” D
Heidi Pack, the frontwoman for the country band Whiskey Trail, has been at home on the stage since she was a toddler and loves to perform.
But her struggle with endometriosis has been difficult to navigate. For years, Pack has experienced ongoing pelvic pain, along with plenty of other unpleasant symptoms, which often land her in the hospital. She explained her pain as “100 times stronger than a menstrual cramp.” On numerous occasions, though, she has performed — with a smile, no less — through the pain.
Pack is open and honest about her battle, and wants to share her story to help other women. Endometriosis is a very common condition but often quite difficult to diagnose. Pack shared that endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women, usually takes 7-10 years to reach a diagnosis, and an astonishing 68% of sufferers are misdiagnosed. About 80% of those with the condition struggle to complete daily tasks. Infertility is another common symptom, affecting about 50% of sufferers.
“I hope that, with my honesty, I can be relatable to other women,” she said. “I want them to know there is someone else out there dealing with this condition.”
Pack was born and raised in West Duluth, the daughter of two pastors, Mike Pack and Becky Hedblom. She has two
younger siblings. From an early age, Pack showed an early inclination toward music.
“I have always loved to be on stage and sing,” she said. “My first performance was at church when I was 3 or 4. Afterwards, my mom said that that wasn’t a normal performance for a 3- or 4-year-old — I was very cool, calm and collected.”
While in middle school, Pack participated in the Junior American Idol singing competition held at the Mall of America. She continued progressing and ultimately won. Her prize included tickets to “American Idol Live,” and a suite at Radio Disney. While she was highly inspired by the TV show “American Idol,” she never tried out.
Pack auditioned and landed a spot with a local band when she was 21. She remained with them for two years.
Later, she became a founding member of a country band Whiskey Trail, which was formed in 2017. Pack is the lead vocalist and sometimes plays a little guitar. Being a band member is Pack’s full-time job.
Other band members include Jim Holbeck and Jason Soderlund on electric guitar, Joshua Maynard on bass, Ryan Holte on acoustic guitar, and Garrett Ness on drums. The band performs a combination of cover tunes along with their original pieces.
Whiskey Trail has performed on the local bar circuit, including Powerhouse Bar, Beacon Sports Bar & Grill and Grandma’s Saloon & Grill. But there also have been performances at Bayfront Country Jam; Amsoil Arena, where they opened for well-known country band Alabama; and the Chester Creek Concert Series.
Additionally, Whiskey Trail was a regional winner at the 2018 Taste of Country’s Hometown Riser Contest (also taking fourth place nationally), and was in the running for 2018’s Best New Artist in the Midwest through the Country Music Organization. Their first record,
Continued on page 16
Heidi Pack is the frontwoman for the country band Whiskey Trail, along with band members Jim Holbeck, Jason Soderlund, Joshua Maynard, Ryan Holte and Garrett Ness.
“Nashville,” was released in 2018, and another full record is in the works.
When she isn’t working on new music or performing, Pack enjoys cooking and spending time with friends and family — usually playing games or visiting local breweries.
She shares her life with her boyfriend, Cory Swanson, and their dog, Bubba, a black Lab. The couple live in south Superior on a 320-acre farm complete with cows and hay that is sold to local farmers.
In 2016, after experiencing stabbing pains in her pelvis and symptoms resembling a urinary tract infection, Pack was diagnosed with endometriosis. According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, endometriosis is an “often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus. Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining your pelvis. Rarely, endometrial-like tissue may be found beyond the area where pelvic organs are located.”
For Pack, a firm diagnosis only came about as the result of exploratory surgery. She later had a second surgery to “laser off parts of the endo,” but the surgeon couldn’t get it all. As a result, she continues to suffer with excruciating pain, headaches, vomiting and many sleepless nights. Sadly, Pack has also experienced a miscarriage, which she believes is related to her endometriosis.
There is no cure for endometriosis. Doctors often recommend birth control pills as treatment, but that didn’t work for Pack. Pregnancy can sometimes offer nine months of relief. Having a hysterectomy can help, but Pack may want to have children in the future.
Pack has learned a few tips along the way, however, that she’d
like to share with fellow sufferers.
“I discovered a Facebook page, Minnesota Endometriosis Nook, which has been helpful,” she said. “I also found a specialist in Minneapolis who is very understanding and supportive.
“I would also recommend starting a journal, and writing down your symptoms and their duration. Write down what you eat, too — there is an ‘endo diet’ to try. A dietician can help.
“Lastly, be adamant with your doctor. If they aren’t proactive, look for a new one.”
Pack manages her pain with heating pads and hot showers, and plans to start physical therapy soon to help relieve the associated muscle tension. Doctors have been reluctant to prescribe pain medication for her, so she often has to visit the emergency room to find relief.
Despite her struggles, Pack pushes through and performs through the pain. She shared that, on numerous occasions, she’s had to use the band’s set breaks to escape to the bathroom to vomit. But she’s only had to back out of a gig once — while she was in the emergency room. The band continued on without her.
She shared a bit about what it’s like to suffer with an invisible illness.
“I just want to remind people that you never know what someone’s going through,” she said. “Just because they look good and healthy on the outside, doesn’t mean their body isn’t attacking them.”
Along with the pursuit of her musical career, Pack’s future goals include finding ways to help others.
“It’s sad that women’s health isn’t looked at in a more serious way,” she said. “I really want to be a voice for women, and I hope that someday I can be an even bigger resource.” D
Editor’s note: Heidi Pack is open to connecting with other women dealing with endometriosis. To contact her, please send her a message on the Whiskey Trail Facebook page.
Andrea Busche is a Duluth freelance writer.
What started as a middle school social studies requirement became a passionate pursuit for Duluth East senior Natalie Miller. Participation in the National History Day competition ignited her affinity for research and desire to gain historical context for current events.
While Miller admits to occasional procrastination, she hasn’t been lazy during high school. Participating in cross country, dance and badminton, she’s been a mentor and tutor, and held leadership roles through National Honor Society and Sources of Strength, promoting improvements in student mental health.
“She’s an amazing writer,” said Catherine Nachbar, Miller’s teacher.
Miller writes fanfiction online for The Greyhound school newspaper and competed on Duluth East’s speech team.
“If Natalie says she’s going to do it, she’ll do it,” said Sue DeNio, Miller’s National History Day adviser.
Over the course of the academic year, students choose a topic to research related to each year’s theme. They present their work individually, with a partner or small team.
There are five categories to choose from: Exhibit, Documentary, Performance, Website and Paper.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHY DAHLBERG ~ Natalie Miller ~ Natalie Miller displays her qualifier sign after placing second at Minnesota State History Day 2020, competing against about 60 other projects. She later won the National competition in 2020.After enjoyable research with a partner, Miller decided to try something new and compete individually.
“When I wrote my paper in 2020, that was the first year that I did a research paper,” Miller said.
It was Miller’s 2020 project, “Too Strong For a Woman: How Bernice Sandler Created Title IX to Break Barriers for Female Faculty in Higher Education,” which made history for her.
Students present projects at local and regional NHD contests that spring.
“I was so confused because I had never even qualified for nationals before and Minnesota is a notoriously hard state to win or get second place as I did when I won,” Miller said.
Nationals are held annually in Maryland in June, although they didn’t meet in-person for 2020.
Because of the pandemic, research improved when libraries and museums made their resources and databases available online. The idea came for “Too Strong for a Woman” while Miller perused the National Women’s History Museum online. Nachbar, point teacher for Duluth East’s NHD club, said Miller “is laser focused.”
Having family support to persevere is important for students to complete in NHD.
“Natalie's dad and I are so proud of her in regards to her accomplishment at National History Day,” said Natalie’s mom, Judy. “What has mattered most to us is that she gives each project her best effort, learns from her research, and has fun!”
“There are few people that love history more,” Miller said, than her adviser Sue DeNio.
“Teaching those (research) skills, and seeing students use them later in life makes it an inspiring experience for me,” DeNio said.
Miller has met and interviewed influential women who’ve fueled her research.
“If these women hadn’t been there fighting for themselves … I maybe wouldn't be able to go to college or I wouldn't be able to pursue law school,” Miller said.
While Miller has idolized inspirational women, she realized she doesn’t have to wait to make an impact on the world because they’re “regular people just like me,” she said. “They have personalities, they have senses of humor, they have families.”
History repeats itself. Studying it reveals context and precedent for current issues, offering a broader understanding for why events have unfolded.
When students lead the history research, adults learn, too. Part of the experience is the interview process which connects
Continued on page 20
those being interviewed with the student researcher.
“I love the intergenerational part of it,” Nachbar said.
By researching history, as Miller did with her awardwinning paper, “We can see the context and how maybe something little at the time, like Title IX, like this lawsuit,” DeNio said, has a further-reaching impact than anticipated.
Finishing her high school sophomore year with such success fueled her desire to pursue historical research for the next NHD competition. In 2021 Miller chose to study the origins of the 1970s women’s health book, "Our Bodies, Ourselves," for her junior-year research paper. This project provided another opportunity to grow as a researcher. At the state level contest, Miller received judges’ feedback to improve her research by including a wider array of viewpoints.
Responding positively to this constructive criticism, “between state and nationals I then added on like five sources to my project,” Miller said.
Revising research in response to judges’ feedback, Miller included more perspectives and presented a stronger, more balanced paper. Through NHD she’s learned to research across the spectrum of sources to understand the reason behind an issue or movement rather than to prove her opinion.
Miller is “inquisitive and looks for information to support ideas,” and “she’ll go down different research rabbit holes,” Nachbar said.
Over time, Miller’s research stirred up an interest in social justice and women’s rights issues, prompting her involvement
in local politics and volunteerism with the League of Women Voters. Even before she was old enough to vote, she urged others to exercise their rights to vote — giving presentations to high school seniors on how to register to vote whether they stay in Duluth, go away to college or into military service.
“We’ve been amazed at Natalie's growth through the History Day projects over the years. We've watched her choose challenging subjects and really dig in. She even called a British World War II source at her home for an interview!” Judy Miller said.
In December 2021, Miller was excited to be offered admission to Yale Class of 2026.
She’d like to major “in either history; global studies; or ethics, politics, and economics,” she said.
Yale’s financial aid and opportunities are appealing, but she wants to be certain before enrolling. Miller’s applying to other schools, including Columbia and Georgetown.
“My dad and I are going out East in February 2022 to tour before I accept,” Miller said. D
Feeling inspired to get involved?
• Read “Too Strong for a Woman,” the research paper which won first place in 2020’s NHD competition, at https:// www.nhd.org/sites/default/files/nataliemillernationals1. pdf.
• Contact your local middle or high school social studies department to see if they host an NHD club or to volunteer.
• Apply to become a NHD judge through Minnesota Historical Society at https://www.mnhs.org/historyday/ contests-and-judging/judges.
• Volunteer with a nonpartisan organization like League of Women Voters: www.lwvduluth.org.
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Turning a dream into a reality is what Natalie Harris, alongside her husband, Cal, accomplished last year by opening Superior Waffles, the first waffle bar in the Twin Ports. But it didn’t come easy. A lot of learning, planning and preparation went into starting the business.
“With all the challenges of opening a cafe, especially during COVID, she took a risk,” said Cal, an integrations specialist for ISD 709 who assists at the café when time allows.
That risk turned into a success. Superior Waffles officially opened in July 2021.
“Cal and I always had this little dream of opening a café and the timing was never right,” Harris said.
After being laid off from her marketing position at Essentia Health at the beginning of the pandemic, she knew the time was right.
“I just turned 40 and thought, hey, it’s a new decade, and we decided to do it.”
In July 2020, Natalie and Cal started brainstorming. A waffle bar seemed like an obvious choice as the two had spent years creating and experimenting with all kinds of unusual waffle recipes.
“We’ve always loved waffles. We’ve had a commercial waffle iron for eight years,” Harris said.
During those years they tried a variety of flavors, including cornbread batter and chili, hash browns and eggs, brownie batter, and cake batter.
Opening a new business was an undertaking, but the couple was up to the task.
“We were like, ‘What do we do, we don’t have a business degree,’” she said.
As fate would have it, they received a flyer from the University of Wisconsin Superior with information on continuing education classes through the Small Business
Development Center. After taking multiple classes in fall 2020, they were ready to make their dream come true.
“From there, we started looking for a place,” Harris said.
When they walked into the former Zona Rosa building, they knew it was the right fit, explaining that the layout and lighting were ideal.
“We started renovating, working on the menu and taste testing — and gaining a few pounds along the way,” she said with a laugh.
Harris offers advice to those who are considering any similar endeavor.
“Don’t look at the whole staircase, focus on the step you need to complete first,” she said. “Tap into networking and connections, whether it’s with friends, family or associates. If people offer to help with something, typically they are genuine and want to help. Let them!”
Located on Tower Avenue in Superior, this café shines with Harris’s creativity.
“Starting my own business gives me creative freedom … with marketing, design and recipes,” she said.
Using her graphic design degree and experience in marketing, she created a fun and welcoming atmosphere. The muted walls are decorated with local art, house plants and a large version of the business logo, which she also designed.
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There is a map hanging near the front counter where visitors have placed pins on the cities they are visiting from.
“There are people from all over the world who have been here,” she exclaimed. “That’s pretty cool!”
Waffle recipes come sweet and savory, giving customers a unique experience. Harris comes up with the creations, her artistic subconscious coming through at odd times.
“I’ve always loved to cook and bake,” she said. “Ideas come to me randomly. It’s a lot of playing and testing.”
The No. 1 seller, Strawberry Cheesecake, features a light and fluffy cheesecake spread, topped with strawberries, whipped cream, graham cracker crumble and powdered sugar. The Waffle Parfait, which includes yogurt, granola, fruit and honey,
is another fan favorite.
“We get the honey from a local beekeeper,” she said.
The menu also offers real maple syrup, a wide variety of drinks, and side orders of bacon and sausage. Harris’s personal favorites are the Banana Bliss and Sconie, a waffle with ham, cheese and raspberry jam.
“And when I don’t feel like a waffle, I eat a chaffle” she said, explaining that a chaffle is eggs and cheese poured into the waffle iron, for a waffle-shaped omelet.
The journey has been very rewarding for Harris and has provided an opportunity for her to meet people.
“The community has been really supportive. We’ve had a lot of regulars come in and I’ve got to know them, their names and
their orders,” Harris said.
“It’s such a friendly environment,” said Duluth resident Shannon Guzzo, a regular at the café.
But making waffles, coming up with new recipes and interacting with customers is the front side of the business. Finding work-life balance has been a learning curve.
“In the beginning, it feels like it consumes you, but it does get better,” Harris said. “It takes time to find your flow and get used to the life as an entrepreneur.”
“Natalie multitasks well with all the business tasks, from running the café, accounting, marketing, payroll and everything else,” Cal said. “She’s crushing it!”
Harris’s entrepreneurial spirit is just beginning to flourish and the future of Superior Waffles is promising. Within two months of opening, she received requests for catering and
events.
Harris, a natural artist, took the steps to make her initial dream happen.
“I had one of those ‘really want to do this dreams,’ but I didn’t know how,” she said.
Looking back, she wouldn’t trade it for a corporate job.
“I love being a small-business owner,” Harris said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crabby person here.” D
Molly Milroy is a Duluth freelance writer.
International Women’s Day is celebrated across the world on March 8. But how did this day come to be? And why has it seen a recent resurgence in popularity?
According to the International Women’s Day website, the impetus for IWD was in 1908 when thousands of women took to the streets in New York City advocating for better working conditions and voting rights.
The next year, the Socialist Party of America declared the last Sunday in February as National Woman’s Day, and it was celebrated across the U.S. until roughly 1913.
Women were also uniting across the pond, and in 1910 German socialist Clara Zetkin proposed an annual global day of celebration and protest at the International Conference of Working Women. Over 100 women from 17 countries attending the event agreed to the holiday unanimously.
A staunch Marxist, Zetkin believed that ending the oppression of women and workers could only happen through a class revolution and the deconstruction of capitalism. According to the Encyclopedia of World Biography, much of her career was centered around working mothers and women’s suffrage.
On March 19, 1911, the first official International Women’s Day drew over a million people to events, celebrations and protests worldwide, particularly in Europe, according to HISTORY (better known as the History Channel).
That year also saw the beginning of the “bread and roses” campaign, popularized by Helen Todd, a factory inspector and
suffragette. She wrote in an essay “Getting Out the Vote: An Account Of a Week’s Automobile Campaign by Women Suffragists” in a 1911 publication of The American Magazine:
“Not at once; but woman is the mothering element in the world and her vote will go toward helping forward the time when life’s Bread, which is home, shelter and security, and the Roses of life, music, education, nature and books, shall be the heritage of every child that is born in the country, in the government of which she has a voice.”
The “bread and roses” slogan became popular in the Labor Movement, most famously the 1912 Lawrence textile strike. Following a Massachusetts law reducing the workweek for women and children from 56 to 54 hours, the Everett Textile Mill cut weekly pay, igniting strikes across the city and a ripple effect throughout the region, according to HISTORY.
The International Women’s Day movement was entwined with labor rights as much as it was entwined with the fight for peace.
In 1917, Russian women began a strike for “bread and peace,” according to the IWD website, calling for an end to World War I. The war had killed millions of Russian soldiers, caused substantial food shortages, and exacerbated issues faced by women and workers.
According to Suyin Haynes of TIME, these protests led Czar Nicholas to renounce his throne, and a few months later women were granted the right to vote in Russia. Britain followed suit a year later, and the United States in 1920.
This famous strike began on February 23 on the Julian calendar used in Russia at the time — March 8 on the more widely used Gregorian calendar, which solidified March 8 as International Women’s Day.
Because of IWD’s associations with socialism and countries the United States had tense relationships with, the
While she pre-dated International Women's Day, one of Duluth's most well known women's rights advocates from the 19th century was Sarah B. Stearns. Stearns was an advocate of women's suffrage and was the first woman to serve on the Duluth School Board.
Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
day was not largely celebrated in the U.S. as it was elsewhere. It wasn’t until 1975 that the day was officially observed by the United Nations.
The U.S. did, however, implement Women’s History Week on March 7, 1982, which blossomed into Women’s History Month by the end of the decade, per the Women’s History Month website.
International Women’s Day was celebrated in over 100 countries by 2014 and as a national holiday in over 25 of them, as stated by HISTORY.
The holiday is celebrated in a variety of different ways. In many countries, women are given flowers like la Festa della Donna in Italy in which women are presented with mimosa blossoms. In China, some women are given a halfday off of work, according to
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Women attend a canning demonstration in 1918 to learn how to preserve food. WWI dampened International Women's Day celebrations across the globe. Because of the holiday's ties with socialism, the day has not been as largely celebrated in the U.S. as elsewhere.
Women sew war posters for World War I in 1918. WWI dampened International Women's Day celebrations across the globe. Because of the holiday's ties with socialism, the day has not been as largely celebrated in the U.S. as elsewhere.
Two women from the Red Cross fundraise in 1918. WWI dampened International Women's Day celebrations across the globe. Because of the holiday's ties with socialism, the day has not been as largely celebrated in the U.S. as elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Labor World staff work in their office in Duluth's Manhattan Building around 1910. The Labor World weekly newspaper was founded by suffragette and labor rights advocate Sabrie Akin in 1896, highlighting the link between women's rights and labor rights at the time. Labor World is still around today and is published by Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body.
the BBC.
The International Women’s Day website and online platform was created in 2001 to bring more attention to the holiday, largely through social media campaigns. This year’s campaign theme is #BreakTheBias, to promote “a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination,” according to their site.
International Women’s Day has always stood as a time to celebrate women’s progress and draw attention to the gender inequities that still remain.
According to Tracy Bower of Forbes, women have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic due to a multitude of factors. Rates of domestic violence are increasing, more women are losing jobs than men, and child care has become more of a burden, particularly in the context of online schooling.
The notorious wage gap between men and women is still staggering, with women earning 84 cents for every dollar a man makes, according to the Center for American Progress. This gap widens for women of color, with Black women earning only 64 cents, Hispanic women 57 cents, and Native American women an estimated 60 cents to every white, nonHispanic white male dollar. Equal Pay Day also happens to be celebrated in the month of March.
Women’s rights have come a long way since International Women’s Day began. IWD offers time to rejoice, reflect and reimagine a future with true gender equality. D
Abigail Blonigen is a Minnesota freelance writer.
The West Theatre Events
Thursdays in March March 3An Evening With Jorma Kauknen; March 10 - The Mastersons with The Whitmore Sisters; March 17 - David Wilcox; March 24 - Chris Kroeze. Visit thewesttheatre/events.com.
Daddy Daughter Princess Ball
6 p.m. Saturday, March 5
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this information. However, you should always call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information.
Enjoy an evening with your daughter and Maleficent at Clyde Iron Works. Come dressed in your princess best and have a fun evening of music, entertainment, dinner and more. Visit facebook.com/events
Blippi The Musical
6 p.m. Tuesday, March 15
Blippi The Musical brings the energetic character off the screen and onto the stage at the DECC’s Symphony Hall. Visit ticketmaster. com.
Ragtime
March 18-April 3
7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday
2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
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Ragtime is a compelling, epic musical based on E.L. Doctrow’s awardwinning novel. Shows run March 18 to April 3 at the Norshore Theatre. Visit norshortheatre.com.
Northwood Night Out
6 p.m. Saturday, March 19
This fundraiser for Northwood Children’s Services, featuring social hour, dinner and a concert by Big Wave Dave and the Ripples, will be held at the Greysolon Ballroom. Visit northwoodchildren.org/event/northwoodnight-out.
DSSO: To Persevere
7 p.m. Saturday, March 19
The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra will perform Brahms and Beethoven at the DECC’s Symphony Hall. Visit dsso.com.
Harlem Globetrotters
7 p.m. Saturday, March 19
Harlem Globetrotters Spread Game Tour, at Amsoil Arena, is a basketball experience like no other. In addition to the game, premium experiences include the Magic Pass PreShow event, Celebrity Court Pass, and OneOn-One Meet & Greets. Visit decc.org/event/ harlem-globetrotters-2022.
Motorhead Madness
10 a.m. Saturday, March 19-20
The 2022 Veit Automotive Foundation Motorhead Madness features more than 100 one-of-a-kind customs, trucks, 4x4s, street rods, race cars, motorcycles, and antique autos, along with autorelated vendors at the DECC. Visit www. motorheadmadnessmn.com.
Charlie Berens: Midwest Survival Guide Tour
7 p.m. Thursday, March 24
8 p.m. Friday, March 25
Berens is an Emmy-winning journalist, comedian and creator of the Manitowoc Minute, a viral Midwest comedic news series, with over 550,000 Facebook followers. Show is at the DECC. Visit decc.org/event/ charlie-berens-midwest-survival-guide-tour.
What She Said: New Play Festival
7:30 p.m. March 24-26
This annual new play festival, at the Underground Theatre, celebrates femaleindentifying playwrights and directors. Visit duluthplayhouse.org/underground-theatre.
• Licensed & Experienced Teachers with low staff turnover
Licensed &Experienced Teacherswith lowstaffturnover
• Full-Day, Year-Round Program
Full-Day,Year-RoundProgram
• Large, bright classrooms
Large,brightclassrooms
Fullsizegymnasium &largeplayground/outdoorspace forgrossmotordevelopment
Covidsafe environmentwithsmallclasssizes &manyothersafety protocolsin place
• Full size gymnasium &large playground/outdoor space for gross motor development
Dailyoutdoortime
Highquality, faith-basedpreschool program
• Covid safe environment with small class sizes & many other safety protocols in place
AcceptsCCAP &Early LearningScholarships
• Daily outdoor time
• High quality, faith-based preschool program
16months-kindergarten
• Accepts CCAP & Early Learning Scholarships
• 16 months-kindergarten
Home prices have gone up dramatically in the last few years. If you’re in the market to upgrade, it’s been a challenge to find a house and negotiate for one. Hot housing markets make for competitive bidding and many houses are being sold before they hit the market for longer than a day or two.
If your current home isn’t exactly your dream home, but you have visions for it — it’s a good time to consider a renovation. Costs are going down, and contractors aren’t as in short supply like they’ve been. And, if you feel adventurous and decide a DIY route suits you best, there are loads of tutorials you can find online to help make the project become a reality.
How to pay for an update? If your cash is wrapped up in other things and you want to shy away from using credit cards, you may want to consider a home equity line of credit.
A home equity line of credit (or HELOC) is a loan that takes the value of your house and puts it to work for you. Let’s say your home’s value is $200,000 and your current mortgage balance is $125,000, you would have $75,000 in equity. Most lenders allow you to use between 80% and 100% of that equity
for whatever you wish. Many people use it to finance education and consolidate debt. By far and away, the most popular use of a HELOC is to finance home repairs and upgrades.
Like a traditional mortgage, the interest you pay on a HELOC may be tax deductible (speak to your tax professional). Drawing on the available line of credit works much like a credit card — you can advance an amount, pay it back, and have that amount available for you to draw on once again.
Most home equity lines of credit let you draw on the line for 5 to 10 years before you enter a repayment period. During the draw period, most lenders require you pay at least the interest; some break the payments down into a more traditional loan payment structure of principal and interest.
Rates on HELOCs are usually adjustable — meaning the rate can change. Most change annually and there is usually a limit as to the maximum it can change one year to the next.
As far as the application process, there will be more information needed versus a less complex loan, like an auto loan. You’ll need paystubs, income taxes, proof of homeowner’s insurance, and, in some cases, a real estate appraisal to determine the current value of your home. In some cases, a lender might rely on your tax statement for the home’s value or a home evaluation instead of a full real estate appraisal.
Using the equity in your home can be a savvy way to update your home and increase its value further. Shop around for the best rates, closing costs, and lender terms to get a home equity line which works best for you, your financial situation, and your projects!
Annie Lepper is vice president of operations/marketing for Minnesota Power Employees’ Credit Union (MPECU).
Mother Son Super Hero Ball
6 p.m. Saturday, March 26
The 7th Annual Mother Son Super Hero Ball will be held at Clyde Iron Works. Come dressed as your favorite super hero and have a fun evening with the Ghost Busters. Enjoy music, entertainment, dinner and more. Visit eventbrite.com.
Zach Williams
7 p.m. Saturday, March 26
Join Grammy award winner
Zach Williams and special guest Anne Wilson at the DECC’s Symphony Hall for a night of music and ministry. Visit decc.org/event/zach-williams.
Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30
Beatles tribute band Rain will celebrate the anniversary of Abbey Road and bring the greatest hits of this classic recording to life at the DECC. Visit decc.org/ event/rain-a-tribute-to-the-beatles-2022.
Arrowhead Home & Builders Show
March 30-April 3
5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday
10 a.m. Friday-Sunday
ONGOING:
Duluth Children’s Museum
115 S. 29th Ave. W., Duluth 218-733-7543
duluthchildrensmuseum.org
Duluth Depot
506 W. Michigan St., Duluth 218-727-8025
duluthdepot.org
Douglas County Historical Society 1101 John Ave., Superior 715-392-8449
douglashistory.org
Glensheen Historic Estate
3300 London Road, Duluth 218-726-8910
glensheen.org
Great Lakes Aquarium 353 Harbor Dr., Duluth
218-740-3474
glaquarium.org
Lake Superior Zoo 7210 Fremont St., Duluth 218-730-4500
lszooduluth.org
North Shore Scenic Railroad
506 W. Michigan St., Duluth 218-722-1273
duluthtrains.com
The Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad 6930 Fremont St., Duluth 218-624-7549
lsmrr.org
This 54th annual event at the DECC is a onestop shop for building, remodeling and home and garden products. See hundreds of exhibitors, and take part in seminars and entertainment. Visit arrowheadhomeshow. com.
Doctor-owned,locallyloved
We have threelocations in your area:
Julie Belden and her husband of 27 years, Jim, have spent much of their marriage building their own homes. In fact, they have built three of them. The duo has been working on their “forever home” in Mahtowa, Minnesota, for several years now.
“We’re just really looking forward to settling down in a place close to the things we like to do,” Belden said. “We are really outdoorsy people who enjoy camping, skiing, canoeing, hiking, anything outside, and this home is so close to all of that.”
In March 2020, then 57-year-old Belden was working in the loft area of their under-construction home, which at the time was only accessible by ladder. After wrapping up her project, she was descending the ladder when it tipped over, sending her crashing 10 feet to the ground.
“I knew right away that I had broken my hand and hurt my hip. I told my husband to call an ambulance right away to take me to Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center,” Belden said. Belden had broken both her hand and pelvis on the left side of her body.
“I had never been through a major injury like this before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve been a health care worker for 30 years, but it’s different being on the other side of things,” Belden said.
For three decades, Belden has worked at Essentia. Twentyfive of those years have been working in hand therapy. While she’s used to providing care to patients, now she was the one who needed care from the same people she works alongside.
“It helped me understand what patients are going through after suffering major trauma,” Belden said, “ — how it impacts their jobs, their home life, the people who are taking care of them, everything. And I think going through this has helped me become a better occupational therapist.”
Two days after the fall, Belden went into surgery to repair her broken bones. She spent a week in the hospital recovering before being discharged to rehab.
“I couldn’t have done any of this therapy on my own. My therapists were so helpful, so respectful of my privacy and my wishes. Even though many of them are my colleagues, they treated me like a patient,” Belden said. “While I’m used to seeing them provide that care, it was heartwarming to receive it and witness firsthand what they do every day to help the patient.”
In August 2020, not long after the fall, due to her injuries, Belden was diagnosed with a hip infection in the same spot she broke her pelvis. It prompted a hip replacement.
“I was shocked. I had never had a major medical procedure performed on me in my life, and now I had three within just a few months of each other,” Belden said.
Again, Belden said the care she received was top-notch. She had to work with surgeons, infectious disease specialists and many others after her injuries and recovery process.
“The doctors really work together to make sure everyone is on the same page and working as a team to provide a high level of care,” Belden said. “They read all my notes, knew exactly where I was at with surgeries, rehab and recovery.”
For people who need a similar level of care, Belden said not to be discouraged by the process and understand there are professionals who want to help you recover.
“It takes longer to do everything, all the daily tasks that are easy to take for granted,” she said. “Understanding patients’ stress and anxiety has allowed me to better realize what they are going through and allow me to provide more comprehensive care.”
Belden added that a strong support system at home goes a long way.
“My husband and son helped me get outside for short walks most days or just got me outside in a chair or took me for a car ride,” Belden said. ”We made goals that we posted on a wall and that helped keep me motivated and positive. It is amazing what a bit of sunshine can do for the spirit. Even in cold Duluth.”
Close to two years later, Belden is back to doing many of the things she loves, including continuing to work on that dream home, and spending as much time outside as possible.
“I feel like my care teams gave me my life back,” she said. “I knew these injuries would take a long time to recover from, but I can do so much now that I wasn’t able to do after my injury.” D
Samantha Roffers, a Moose Lake writer, believes it’s important to shop for things you love and feel comfortable in. Everyone’s style is unique and that’s what makes it so special.
By Samantha Roffers
Hello, dear readers! If this is your first time checking out the magazine or Fashions By Sam, a very warm welcome to you, and thank you for being here. I hope you all survived the January cold snaps without too much of a headache. Hopefully you were able to escape for a bit and find some white sand and turquoise waters … even if it was just your imagination.
Something about the post-holiday cold always has me longing for warm summer days. However, it is important that we take this time to rest and reflect, in my opinion. Cozy up with a good book or show, pick up a hobby, write a letter to a loved one or even complete that home improvement project you’ve been putting off. No matter what you do, do it with grace and love to yourself.
Now, let's talk about women. How amazing are women? One of the things I love about being a part of this magazine is that it celebrates women in every single issue. We are incredible. We lead companies, countries, homes and so much more. We create new lives within our own bodies and then we bring those new lives into this world. We protect life, save lives and care for those passing on from this life. We are strong, beautiful, soft and fierce.
I know so many incredible women who inspire me every day. I see the way women move through life as if they had eight arms and endless energy. I see the way women pour their hearts out so that it envelops those around them, those with
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by SamThis first look is my go to… I have naturally straight hair but I love it big and curly. I always use a heat protectant as well as volumizing powder at my roots to achieve voluminous and soft curls. I use a small comb to backcomb the hair around my crown. My big tip with curls is the longer you can let them cool down the better. I will typically spray my hair with a light-hold hairspray before curling and then I let it sit for at least 30 minutes before finger combing it. This helps the curls last all day long!
This second look is so easy, and I regularly use it for interviews or important meetings. It keeps my hair out of my face but still allows me to wear it loose and free. All I do is grab a small section of hair near my forehead and twist it. Once I like how the twist looks I will secure it behind my head with a bobby pin. Another tip I have is to hair spray your bobby pins before putting them in your hair, this will give them a lot of extra hold.
My third look is one of my favorites — perfect for when you need to have your hair out of your face or for a polished and professional look. By putting my hair in a low bun and wrapping the excess pieces around my hair tie actually hides the hair tie, giving you a beautiful and polished look. When you start with hair that is curled and teased this look can be created in mere seconds. You can pull pieces out for a messier look or secure loose hairs with hairspray and pins for a cleaner look. I am always one who likes to have wild and messy hair so that's the look I went for.
Now this fourth look is not for everyone but it is one of my favorites. It’s a little bit more of a “trendy” hairstyle that won't be as classic or timeless as the others. I really love the way this look frames my face and I feel it is so fun and sassy! You can make the bun as big or as small as you want. Some people giggle at this style when I wear it but that’s okay — it's a style that makes me feel beautiful! For this look I will use a very small rubber hair tie and only put up the front of my hair.
Delilah Savage, a junior at Fond du Lac Ojibwe School in Cloquet, first earned the nickname “Baby Cakes” as a child, and it stuck. In addition to it being her moniker, it was coincidentally the perfect name for the business she opened, and co-owns, with her mother, Leah Savage: Baby Cakes Bakery.
This Indigenous mother-daughter duo, along with help from Leah’s 18-year-old niece, Alyza Savage, and 10-year-old nephew, Daicin Savage, operate both Baby Cakes Bakery — a year-round business — and Savage Girls Salads, which is open during the veggie-growing season.
Their mascot, Mullie the rat terrier mix, is never far behind.
“She’s our property manager wherever we go,” Delilah said with a laugh. “She loves the gardens.”
Baby Cakes Bakery focuses on baked goods such as cakes, cupcakes and frostings, which are made with milled wild rice flour and maple syrup. Occasionally, tacos and
Cousins Delilah Savage and Alyza Savage, co-owners of Baby Cakes Wild Rice Bakery/ Savage Sisters Salads, serve garden-picked salads with a pomegranate salad dressing that Delilah made for the American Indian Community Housing Organization’s “Blessing of the Gardens” event last June.
breakfast meals are available, too. And Savage Girls Salads are just that: fresh summer salads, homemade dressings, fresh chicken, boiled eggs and more. Everything is made from scratch, and most items are grown organically. No preservatives are used in their creations.
Leah and Delilah, who are both enrolled members of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, follow many of the traditional ways of growing and harvesting, in large part to honor their heritage.
“Maple syrup and wild rice have allowed our ancestors to survive for thousands of years,” Leah said. “We’re proud and humble to be able to grow and harvest these items, as well as to make offerings to our ancestors.”
Leah Savage works full time as a cultural resource assistant at the Fond du Lac reservation and possesses a master’s degree in tribal administration and governance. While Delilah is still in high school, she is also enrolled in the postsecondary enrollment program at Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College, pursuing an associate’s degree with an emphasis in business. She
also earned her certified nursing assistant credentials last year.
About five or six years ago, the women opened their businesses and began selling cupcakes and salads.
“Delilah started the business,” Leah said. “She was known as the ‘salad girl.’”
While today the women co-own the businesses, Delilah will assume leadership soon.
“When Delilah turns 18, she will take over and be the owner,” Leah said. “I’ll still be involved, but more with managing, taking orders and handling the finances.”
Eventually Delilah also has big dreams of possibly opening a bakery or operating a food truck.
Much of what the women know about growing and harvesting was learned from their elders, including Leah’s parents, Jeff and Sandra Savage.
“My dad has been a ‘ricer’ for 55 years,” Leah said. “And my mom has been producing food items for a long time, too. She’s also an avid bead artist. And, my uncle, Bruce Savage, owns Spirit Lake Native Products and taught us about growing and operating a business.”
When they aren’t busy with work or school, Delilah and Leah enjoy spending their free time together, often creating cultural art items. They both enjoy beading moccasins, making
and beading velvet bags, making ribbon skirts, and harvesting birch bark to be used in the creation of baskets and jewelry.
Leah and Delilah grow and harvest in a variety of locations on the Fond du Lac reservation.
“We have a few spots,” Leah said. “On my father’s property, we have our maple sugar bush, chickens (which are used for meat and eggs), and a nice, big greenhouse, with three additional garden plots. We also have a high tunnel — a big greenhouse with sides that roll up.
“Then, Fond du Lac started a food producer program about four years ago. We’ve been in that program since the beginning. There are about 1.5 acres of tribal land that our family can use.
“And then on my property, which is about 1/8th of an acre,” Leah added. “We grow herbs and smaller things like our Ojibwe medicine. This includes sweet grass, sage and tobacco.”
At the garden plots and in the greenhouses, the Savage family grows a wide variety of fruits and veggies, including tomatoes, peppers, corn, zucchini, lettuce, potatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, eggplant, beets, carrots, sweet peas, cucumbers, onions, garlic, artichokes, squash and pumpkins. They typically tap about 200 trees and produce 70-100 gallons of maple syrup annually.
Additionally, the women use four or five “rice lakes” on the reservation to grow and harvest wild rice, which ripens in August.
“Wild rice is probably the heart of our family,” Leah said. “Back in the day, our family would make their own birch bark canoes. But today we use store-bought canoes. It takes two people to harvest — one in the back of the canoe, knocking the
rice in, and one in the front, pulling the canoe around the lake. Wild rice — known in Ojibwe as ‘Manoomin’ — is part of our history. Our ancestors have been ricing for thousands of years.”
Between being sold raw and milled into flour for their baked goods, the family sells about 4,000-5,000 pounds of wild rice per year.
While the ingredients and products are grown and baked from their own homes and gardens, the Savages must sell their items elsewhere, due to a variety of laws and regulations. Their items are available for purchase at Fond du Lac Gas & Grocery, and found at events held through the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO). Additionally, online orders are accepted and local delivery is available.
To view their current offerings or place an order, visit the Baby Cakes Bakery Facebook page.
For these women, who share a close bond, there are many rewarding aspects to their businesses.
“I enjoy seeing my entire family together in the sugar bush, on the rice lakes or in the gardens,” Leah said. “Seeing the joy and fulfillment on my parents’ faces as we do these cultural activities — that they have taught us — is very rewarding.”
“I love being able to keep our ancestors’ traditions alive,” Delilah added. “And we do it with a smile, knowing we can help feed our family and our community. I enjoy seeing the memories we create through our traditions.” D
empathy who care so deeply about the feelings of others. I see the tough women who make everyone around them stand at attention as they stroll through the land of men, exuding confidence and strength as they move. No matter where they are, women are so powerful.
Now, beauty is as beauty does, and it is not the most important thing when it comes to being a woman; however, I love relishing in my femininity and playing with beauty. Whether it's hair or makeup, there are certain ways that I style myself that give me that insane confidence when I walk into a room. For this issue, I wanted to share with you some hairstyles that always make me feel like a sexy, powerful and fierce woman.
One of my biggest tips with hair care and styling is to use the products selected for you by a trusted stylist or play with products yourself. Using a volumizing mousse or volumizing powder for fine hair like mine makes a huge difference, as well as blow drying it with a round brush. I also encourage everyone to use a heat protectant and high-quality shampoos and conditioners, as that will make your hair easier to manipulate and healthier in the long run.
I wish I could have timestamped these photos as it only took me about 15 minutes to have every style done and photographed because my hair was properly prepped. When you start with a good base of workable hair that is ready for heat and styling, it makes it so much easier. D
Last but certainly not least, in honor of women empowerment, I had to recreate my own “Rosie The Riveter” look. I stayed true to the original picture with the blue denim shirt but rather than the traditional red polka dot, I incorporated a rainbow silk scarf that features a cause near and dear to my heart, autism awareness. I also adorned a smile as I couldn't stop cracking up trying to recreate the original stone cold look.
Thank you dear readers! I hope this inspires you to play with some of these styles, stay warm, stay healthy and stay happy and remember: “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” ~ Hal
BorlandAfter working as a prison guard for 27 years, Dana Nutt was excited to retire. Her husband and she had bought lake property, and they were looking forward to enjoying time together. But Dana’s arthritic pain had gotten so bad that she could barely walk.
She knew she needed a knee replacement, so she talked to her doctor to start the process.
“Once my knee was fixed and had healed a bit, I was so excited to finally go for a walk,” Dana said. “I put my shoes on and headed out the door. But I only made it to the neighbor’s house. The pain in my ankle was terrible.”
Determined to enjoy her retirement, Dana talked to her doctor again. This time, he referred her to foot and ankle specialist Dr. Xan Courville at St. Luke’s Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.
“When I see new patients, I always look at both feet for comparison,” Dr. Courville said. “It didn’t take long for me to see that Dana had two separate problems, one in each foot.”
On the right side, Dana was experiencing debilitating pain from end-stage ankle arthritis. On the left side, her arch was collapsing. If these issues were left untreated, they would start to affect her new knee and limit the walking she wanted to do.
In the past, Dana had tried cortisone injections, orthotics and ankle braces to address her ankle arthritis. However, none of these provided lasting relief. Dr. Courville suggested a total ankle replacement. Dana was immediately on board.
“With arthritis, I felt kind of hopeless. It just takes over your body,” Dana said. “But when I found out I could get a new ankle, I was really excited.”
Ankle replacement surgery typically takes one and a half to three hours. Afterwards, patients stay in the hospital up to two nights. The experience for Dana was much easier than she expected.
“Surgery always makes me nervous,” Dana said. “But my ankle was absolutely the easiest surgery I've ever had.”
After getting a brand-new knee and ankle, nothing would stop her from taking the final step to fix her other foot. She waited a bit to heal, and then went right back in to see Dr. Courville.
“The flattening of an arch is a problem with the alignment of the joints beneath the ankle and, usually, from a tendon injury,” Dr. Courville explained.
To treat this, the joints below and in front of the ankle are fused, and the foot is realigned to recreate an arch. The heel bone is also realigned underneath the ankle and the knee.
While this process does require surgery, patients usually don’t even have to spend the night.
“I got to St. Luke’s at 11 a.m., and I was on my way home by about 3 p.m.,” Dana said. “It was a pretty painless experience.”
Recovery requires two months of not using the affected foot. After that, another month is typically needed to regain strength for activities of daily life.
Dana is still recovering, but she looks forward to everything that lies ahead of her.
“I am so happy with my ankle replacement, and I know my other foot is going to be great once it’s healed,” Dana said. “I
St. Luke’s orthopedic surgeon Dr. Xan Courville specializes in foot deformities and reconstructive surgery, ankle replacements, foot arthritis, foot and ankle sports injuries and orthopedic trauma.
just cannot wait to finally go for that walk!”
Most of all, she is thankful to Dr. Courville and the team that cared for her at St. Luke’s.
“Not only does Dr. Courville know a lot, she’s really kind, too. Everyone I’ve met at St. Luke’s has been,” Dana said. “I couldn’t be happier.”
Seeing patients like Dana get back on their feet is why Dr. Courville does what she does.
“I love getting people back to the activities they enjoy,” Dr. Courville said. “I chose to practice at St. Lukes because it allows me to do this in an intimate setting where the patients really do come first.”
To learn more about orthopedic care at St. Luke’s, visit slhduluth.com/ orthopedics. D
Kiger is a marketing specialist and writer for St. Luke’s.
Nancy Litman, director of Early Learning for Proctor Schools, lived on Island Lake for 15 years and said she always dreamed of owning a home on Lake Superior, “Preferably on Park Point, I wanted to walk out of my house and feel like I was on the beach.”
And so her journey began.
“This has been a great transition,” Nancy said, as her home on Island Lake was settled on 3 acres, very wooded and needed a lot of upkeep.
She said she felt very secluded there, making this next step to Lake Superior a fresh move.
“It’s a city, I am ready for that; it’s a great transition for me with neighbors I can count on,” she said.
The home she would soon call “her happy place” sat on the market for two years prior to her purchase. It wasn’t her dream home when she first toured it, though, as she said the needed repairs concerned her.
Nancy’s Realtor, Deanna
Bennett, with The Deanna Bennett Real Estate Team, knew she was looking for a home on Lake Superior and said, “Nancy, I really think you will like this, Sam can do the work.”
Sam Litman, president of Litman construction company and who also is Nancy’s son, went to view the property for himself. He stepped out of the car and said, “Mom, I feel really good about this place.”
He quickly made a list of things needed, “We will start with the garage, which has an apartment out there … make that livable while we finish the main home.”
Nancy moved into the property in January 2021 and her new journey of living in her dream home launched a 12-month construction process.
Continued on page 47
The rustic woodsy look of Nancy Litman’s home on Park Point has been transformed into a contemporary beach-style home, as seen in the kitchen that now features a very large island with more seating.
Nancy Litman loves to cook, so her new kitchen features the Beko line of appliances from Johnson Mertz, clean-line counters from Granite Works, and functional cabinets from Gemini Designs.
"Working with homeowners on a remodeling projact involves giving them options they may never have even thought of. You step into the space that they are very familiar with an it is your job to help them imagine the other possibilities."
To help conform the layout of this 1800’s home and its many renovations to modern-day needs, one of the collaborations between the homeowner and designer Heather Hiner was to move the dining table to the opposite side of the staircase, allowing more space in the living room.
New flooring that enhances the beachy vibe that’s so appropriate for a Lake Superior home was provided by E.A.S. Contract Interiors. The fireplace was created by Litman Construction, owned by the homeowner’s son, Sam Litman, who also incorporated a large piece of driftwood Nancy found along the beach.
With a grand view of Lake Superior, it was imperative for the Litman Construction crew to not only replace and upgrade the windows, but to structurally fix them, due to rot and missing headers above the windows and doors.
Though the ceiling application stayed, most everything else was changed in the upstairs den, a cozy place to unwind and relax under tons of natural light thanks to the larger windows.
“What surprise will we find next?” Sam asked of his experience remodeling his mother’s home. “One of the first things we started doing was fitting the openings for the windows and found no headers for the windows and doors. We then started opening up walls, we got to this wall (Referring to the main-floor window opening facing the lake) and it’s rotten from top to bottom.”
“The home was built in the late 1800s, you can see downstairs where the foundation was added onto,” Nancy added. “The home has had several renovations done to it since then. This room we are sitting in, at one point used to be a bedroom.”
During the renovation, it was important to Nancy to have the home opened up. She wanted to embrace the lake view, be able to see her fireplace from the kitchen, and create a living room with a relaxing, spacious feel.
That is where Heather Hiner, owner of Hiner Home Designs LLC, played an important role in the remodeling of this home.
“Originally the plan was to put an addition on the back half of the home. It was really odd the way the home was set up prior to remodeling — very claustrophobic feeling,” Nancy said. “Heather had originally suggested leaving the dining room, adding a laundry room, bathroom, closet within an addition. I thought to myself, ‘I am used to a large yard, now I will have this little postage stamp of a yard.’ I then woke up one
morning and had this idea to move the dining room table to the other side of the stairs. I have had a lot of these messages in the past and learned to heed them.”
“Working with Heather is great,” Nancy said. “She is very accomodating, very quick to get back to me when I asked
The master bath received a complete makeover, removing the golden oak cabinetry and trim, off-white tile and flooring, and dark green tile counter. The same clean white look of the home now flows into this spa-size bath, with a soaker tub, walk-in shower, large vanity and mirror, plenty of storage, and access to the closet.
The main bedroom upstairs now has floor-to-ceiling windows, and homeowner Nancy Litman said, “Waking up to this is my favorite thing every single day … I can have a chair by that window where I can take in all the beauty of Lake Superior. It's just a great way to wake up. It just makes you feel positive.”
questions, very open to my ideas and wanted to accommodate things that were important to me.”
Sam added, “As a contractor she is always very cognizant of talking to us as well on how feasible this is.”
Another interesting facet of this remodel was the fact that Nancy was moving from a very northwoods-style home to a more contemporary beach-style home.
“This is the opposite style she has ever had — she has always had a very woodsy style and for her that style didn’t fit the location,” Sam said.
Nancy said her inspiration is “all about that lake.” She also really likes to cook and wanted a kitchen that accommodated what she needed. She had seen appliances at a friend's home that she really liked — Beko, which comes from Europe. So she went to Johnson Mertz, “who had a special at that time,” Nancy said. “I bought that whole appliance set because of that refrigerator; I had to have that fridge.”
Countertops can be a challenging decision during a kitchen remodel, but
not for Nancy.
“I knew right away what I wanted,” she said. “I wanted it to be really clean looking, I didn’t want anything to have competition with the lake.”
Granite Works didn’t have exactly what she wanted, but worked to find something as close as they could to
This Park Point home sat unsold for two years, but thanks to Realtor Deanna Bennett and Litman Construction, the home became Nancy Litman’s and a year-long renovation began. With a large expanse of windows facing Lake Superior, it’s no wonder the home became Nancy’s “happy place.”
accommodate her design. Nancy worked with Patty and Nicole at Gemini Designs for the kitchen and bathroom.
“They were just great — they were really easy to work with,” Nancy said. “Having functional cabinets was very important to me, and they made sure I got what I wanted. It wasn’t important to have all the gadgets in my cabinets. However, they did surprise me with a pullout drawer for my utensils. Which, had they not shown me prior, I would have never wanted it. But now that I have it, it’s my favorite thing about my cabinets.”
As part of the decor, there are large pieces of driftwood laying casually in front of the fireplace that come with a story. One morning, Nancy took a walk along the beach and thought, “Today is the day I will find my fireplace mantle.”
Though the beautiful pieces were not meant to be a mantle, the Litman Construction crew gave her a fireplace that was suited to her vision. The driftwood rests along the flooring that was provided and installed by Kevin Anderson of E.A.S. Contract Interiors.
Wanting to keep some of the original features of the house, Nancy decided against removing the staircase, which leads upstairs to the den and the master suite.
“Waking up to this is my favorite thing every single day … I can have a chair by that window where I can take in all the beauty of Lake Superior,” Nancy said. “It's just a great way to wake up. It just makes you feel positive.”
The master bathroom connects through the master closet. Nancy had some items with the bathroom that were important to her, keeping that same clean, white theme as shown throughout the home. The large soaker tub sits on its own at the end of the bathroom.
''I just wanted the separation with the
In order to avoid a costly addition to the home and improve traffic flow, designer Heather Hiner configured an exterior entry deck and raised the front door so it was flush with the main level.
tub, my little spa area,” she said. “My favorite place to visit is Sedona, Arizona, and my tub is called Sedona, so I knew it had to be my tub!”
As mother and son, Nancy and Sam are just as close today as they were during the remodeling project. While working together was stressful at times, they said they can still laugh about things that happened during the process.
“I would have an idea and would bring it to her. It maybe wouldn’t totally resonate with her at the time. Days later I would get a phone call from Mom (who said), ‘Hey, what do you think of this?’” Sam said with a laugh. “Yes! Pretty sure we already talked about this, but, yes, we can do that! There were stressful times … but my mom and I have very similar tastes, so this was fun for me.”
Nancy keeps a lamp in her living room that is very important and special to her. Every time her grandkids come to visit, they take a walk on the beach and they each collect something and put it on the lamp.
The powder room and closet situated near the center of the main floor were limiting the kitchen options and blocking the stunning Lake Superior views. Removing these walls and relocating the powder room was all that was needed to open the kitchen up to the adjoining living room and lake views and create a fresh new layout. In addition to this, the existing basement stair was steep with a small interior landing at the front entry door. By adding an exterior entry deck, raising the front door flush with the main level, and infilling the interior entry landing, I was able to design a new code compliant stair to the basement. All of this was accomplished within the footprint of the existing home which avoided a costly addition.
“They love coming to visit, and love collecting things on the beach,” Nancy said. “This is something that is so precious to me. And whenever you are remodeling, my best advice is to have patience, because things are going to happen.”
This project took many months to complete, but Nancy said, “It's perfect for me, and worth it.” Nancy lives happily in her “happy place” out on Park Point with her two standard poodles — Bailey and Sedona — who are both 13 years old.
“Every day around 3 p.m. they are more than ready for their walk on the beach.” D
and right foot as they grow and “walk” through your garden.
You start out with a small bag of concrete mix, poured into a 5-gallon bucket. Add water in small amounts to the dry concrete mix and stir. You are looking for a thick mixture — don’t worry if you add too much water, just add more dry concrete mix to thicken it up.
Once it is your desired thickness, start scooping it into your mold. Use your margin trowel to flatten it out — you are looking to get rid of as many of the air bubbles as possible. You can also slide it around a bit to shake out the air bubbles. Try to get it as flat as you can.
Now comes the hard part — your concrete needs to cure long enough so it holds the foot print, but not long enough that it gets too hard. We waited about 45 minutes.
As you can imagine, getting a 1 1/2-year-old to cooperate is not the easiest task. We had multiple failed attempts. However, that is the great thing about concrete before it is cured — you can
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALI CARLSON
1 4
2 5
just use your margin trowel to flatten it out and start over. I think we had six restarts before we got it to where it resembled a foot.
You do have to apply some pressure to get the imprint in the concrete. We held our daughter’s foot in place for just a few seconds before letting go. Make sure to immediately wash off all concrete residue from the skin. We left the concrete mold
sit
Materials needed:
Mixing bucket
Margin trowel
Bag of concrete mix
with Stout Cream Sauce
Recipes provided and prepared by Chef Teal of the Mount Royal Market Deli
1 onion, diced
8 oz. bell pepper, sliced
1 oz. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsps. basil, chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 Tbsps. Kerrygold Irish butter
7 oz. Kerrygold Irish aged cheddar, shredded
1 lb. tri-color baby potatoes, quartered
2 cups ricotta
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 head cabbage, with 6 of the outer leaves removed
Note: Save leftovers from prepping (onion ends, thyme, rosemary, stems, bell pepper ends). These can be added to the cooking pot for the Corned Beef.
Carefully remove the outer 6 leaves from the head of cabbage and set aside. It’s okay if they tear, some cabbage heads are crisper than others. Dice up half of the remaining head of
cabbage and set aside to add in the saute step. Remaining cabbage can be saved for future use.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and place leaves in water for 1-2 minutes until tender. Remove and place in a bowl of cold water. In a pan with 1 tablespoon of butter, saute all ingredients except tomatoes, ricotta, cheddar cheese and cabbage leaves until tender. Potatoes will start to smash together when the product is finished cooking. Let cool and stir in ricotta and cheddar cheese. Take the finished product and place it into the center of a cabbage leaf, form a tight package and roll up. Be sure to tuck in the sides. Place in a baking dish with tomatoes on bottom and on top of the rolls. Bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees.
Set cabbage rolls aside on a new plate. Mix in 2 tablespoons of butter into the bottom of the baking dish with remaining tomatoes. Serve tomato sauce over cabbage rolls.
Continued on page 56
Corned Beef
1-2 pound package of corned beef
2 Tbsps. peppercorns
1 quart apple juice
1 quart water
*Note: All of the leftovers from prepping the Cabbage Rolls (onion ends, thyme, rosemary, stems, bell pepper ends) can be placed into the cooking pot.
Place all ingredients into a braising dish and wrap with foil. Bake for 4-6 hours at 300 degrees. If using the boil method, place all ingredients into a pot. This method may require more water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer with lid on for 3 hours. Let finished product rest on a cooling rack or cutting board for 20 minutes prior to slicing.
French Loaf or Baguette
1 French Loaf or Baguette - prefer Asiago Garlic or Rosemary loaf
Cut into ½ inch slices at an angle, butter both sides and grill or saute in a pan until golden brown. Serve on the plate alongside the entree.
Stout Cream Sauce
½ bottle high-end stout
1 onion, minced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
½ tsp. rosemary, minced
½ tsp. thyme, minced
1 Tbsp. butter
1 8-oz pkg. Oscar Wilde aged Irish cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed w/water to form a slurry
1 pint heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute onion, garlic and herbs in butter until caramelized. Add stout beer to deglaze the pan. Reduce by 3/4th. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Whisk in shredded cheese. Lower heat to simmer. If sauce needs to be thickened, add slurry as needed until desired thickness is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over sliced corned beef.
Urho’s Day is all about Finnish heritage and culture, and the make-believe Finnish Saint.
“In Finland, Minnesota we are proud of our FinnishAmerican heritage, and St. Urho’s Day is part of how we show that,” said Honor Schauland, event coordinator for the St. Urho’s Day celebrations. “Our celebration started in 1976 as our community’s unique way to celebrate the United States Bicentennial. We’re American, but Finnish too.”
The legend of St. Urho, which started in the 1950s, originated in northern Minnesota. It spread from there and is now celebrated across the United States and in many countries, including Finland. It is debated on who created the tale, but it began as a fable either told by Sulo Havumaki of Bemidji or by Richard Mattson of Virginia.
Typically celebrated on March 16, it is a similar tale to Saint Patrick who allegedly drove out snakes from Ireland and who is celebrated on March 17. The folklore tells of St. Urho chasing out grasshoppers to save the grape crop. St. Urho did this while uttering the phrase, “Heinäsirkka, heinäsirkka, mene täältä hiiteen," which roughly translates to “Grasshopper, grasshopper, go to Hell!" By chasing the grasshoppers out, St. Urho saved the crops and the jobs of the Finnish vineyard workers.
In Finland, Minnesota the 47th annual St. Urho’s Day celebration will be held March 11, 12, and 13.
“Every year we have a
parade in March, along with music and food and other festivities,” Schauland said. “People dress in purple and green and other creative costumes.”
Local businesses will have dinner specials including mojakka, a Finnish American stew.
The events draw the community outside and is a fun springtime celebration.
“It’s often a day when things warm up and the snow melts a little, and even though we know winter isn’t over yet, the coldest, hardest time is over,” Schauland said. “Up here, St Urho’s Day is the true beginning of spring.”
If you are not able to attend in person, but still want to partake in the festivities, the parade and other activities will be livestreamed on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sturho.
Other ways to celebrate the day include wearing green (for the grasshoppers) and purple (for the grapes).
“And practice your Finnish,” Schauland said.
Hyvää Pyhän Urhon päivää means Happy St. Urho’s Day.
Whether or not you have Finnish heritage, celebrating St. Urho’s Day is a fun northern Minnesota tradition. Head to Finland, Minnesota for the festivities or check your local city calendar to see if there is a celebration near you.
“My favorite part of St. Urho’s Day is the way each year everyone has been sort of hibernating and a little crabby all winter, but on this day we all come outside and smile at each other and have a good time,” Schauland said. D
Molly Milroy is a Duluth freelance writer.
Winters are long. There is no way around it when you live in the Twin Ports. My daughter, Sloane, has found some pretty fun activities for families and kids to take part in to get through the winter blues. We are very fortunate to have the Lake Superior Zoo right in our backyard. There are so many indoor exhibits that you wouldn't even need to go outside to visit the critters in these cold months! Not to mention, the Great Lakes Aquarium — it's all inside! Like a lot of kids, Sloane loves anything to do with water and splashing. It’s like the aquarium was made for her. Take a look at their websites to learn more about the camps offered this summer. They have them for all ages! Another gem in our community is the World of Wheels skating rink. They even offer free skating for kids. Visit their website and check out the details.
Sponsored by:
As a mom to a very active toddler, we are always looking for fun activities to participate in. We are very lucky to have so many wonderful options in our community. Please continue to support local so we can continue to visit them for years to come!
Bring the Kids roller skating! Open Skating, Birthday Parties, Super Glow Skate Friday Nights! Video Arcade with redemption counter, snacks & refreshments and more. Check it out, great fun for kids! Visit www. wowskatecenter.com or call 715-392-1031.
Celebrate spring at the Lake Superior Zoo! The Easter EggStravaganza will be held Saturday, April 16. Purchase tickets at LSZooDuluth.org.
In this preschool camp, discoveries await under every rock and around every corner! Campers will use a variety of tools for discovery to practice observation skills and develop a sense of wonder while we play inside and outside the Aquarium, meet animals and explore new things. Campers will need to provide their own healthy snacks. For 3- to 5-year-olds, sign up for either Aug. 22-26 or Aug. 20 to Sept. 2. Visit https://glaquarium.org/ education/for-families/camp/ for times, cost and other details.
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