Impact 2019

2019

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S

Ross Evavold, Editor

everal people I met upon moving to Douglas County wasted no time in lauding the area for what makes it special. It was abundantly clear that they loved where they live, and were quite happy with having chosen to make this their home.

Some even bolstered their case by putting Alexandria up against another city, which shall remain nameless for this purpose. The idea was that this area was growing – because it had so much going for it.

“Where would you rather live?” a few people asked.

It’s a point well taken. Douglas County has been growing faster on a per capita basis than most counties in Minnesota, and signs point to that continuing. That growth would not occur if the county didn’t have a lot going for it.

After meeting with our editorial board, we chose to dig into several aspects of this story for our fifth edition of IMPACT magazine. Just who are all these people who keep flocking to Douglas County, and how did they determine that this was the place they wanted to be?

That’s a tall order, but over the pages to follow we hope to provide some answers. What better way to explore these questions than by seeking out people and asking them to share their story?

You can hardly walk down Broadway without bumping into someone who fits into one of these categories: •Natives who grew up here, went away for school or a job and then opted to come back.

•Newcomers who moved here with little to no ties to the area.

•Seniors who considered this the ultimate place to retire and spend the rest of their lives.

•Young people who are critical to instilling fresh ideas and vitality into a community.

•Seasonal residents who also energize the area and boost our economy.

Everyone has their own unique story to tell, but we repeatedly heard that people put a premium on good educational systems, proximity to excellent health care including a hospital, and ample shopping, entertainment and recreation opportunities.

They all came here and put down roots, and we are the better for it.

We hope you enjoy their stories, because they are all our stories.

PAGE 4 | IMPACT 2019

IMPACT Welcome to

Contents

2019

Newcomers....................................................................................................................6 Returnees...................................................................................................................... 12 Retirees...........................................................................................................................18 Millennials....................................................................................................................26 Seasonal........................................................................................................................32 Workforce.....................................................................................................................40 Housing..........................................................................................................................44 Arts......................................................................................................................................51 Retail.................................................................................................................................58 Recreation....................................................................................................................64 A publication of Echo Press, November 2019 225 7th Ave. East, Alexandria, MN | www.echopress.com

PUBLISHER: Jody Hanson

PHOTOGRAPHER: Lowell Anderson

EDITOR: Ross Evavold

DESIGNER: Lori Mork

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NEWCOMERS

JUMPING THE GUN Rita and Craig Glieden planned to move to the Alexandria area after retirement, but a job opportunity brought them to Douglas County earlier than they had planned.

A

t meetings of the Alexandria Area Newcomers Club, new members stand up and tell their backstory, including what brought them to Douglas County. Rita Glieden has heard several.

“A common theme is their children are in the area, or they’re halfways in between where their children are,” she said. “Another is they came to stay in

the summertime in a resort and fell in love with the area.”

The latter story applies to Glieden, whose husband began making trips each June to a little cabin on Lake Darling with his family. Those trips have continued for four-plus decades. After popping the big question to Rita and they were married in June 1977, Craig popped another: “Where should we go on our honeymoon?”

You can see the answer coming, can’t you?

FORGING A NEW LIFE Sheldon Burslie’s life turned around following advice from his sister Ask Sheldon Burslie about leaving the Twin Cities metro area for Douglas County and he doesn’t mince words. He turned his whole life around here, and is forever grateful for it.

Growing up in Lakeville, he needed extra help in school, he says, and was surrounded by drugs, in a dead-end job and had fallen into debt. He will forever recall the words of his sister who had gone into the Air Force.

New life continued on Page 9 PAGE 6 | IMPACT 2019

“He always loved the area, and we ended up in Alex at the same resort, in a little white cabin. That introduced me to Alex,” Glieden said.

The introduction went so smoothly that they kept coming back to Douglas County, and it was the only place considered when they began thinking ahead about a retirement location.

Maybe 15 years ago the couple purchased land on Pocket Lake, by Lake Mary, and each year once winter broke they high-tailed it to their trailer on

Thursday nights for long weekends.

The idea was that someday they would pull off that trailer home and build.

That idea fell by the wayside when Rita went from part-time to full-time resident here. A former co-worker had confessed wishing she had become more integrated into the area they moved to. Being unaware of Newcomers at the time, Glieden began wondering how she could make inroads.

Glieden continued on Page 9

IT FEELS LIKE PEOPLE ARE A LOT MORE MINNESOTA FRIENDLY HERE. SHELDON BURSLIE Newcomer

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NEWCOMERS You and your husband just made the move to this area last fall. Do you still think of yourself as a newcomer?

I do think of myself as a newcomer yet, which I assume will continue for a couple years. I have much to learn about this area yet and look forward to doing that. I’m sure that’s different for everyone – some may never feel at home in a new environment, but I expect that I will.

here?

What were the circumstances that led you two

My husband and I had plans to retire here for many years. He is from Long Prairie and wanted to get back to this area. We did have a cabin in Alexandria for 15 years, so moving here was not as much of an “unknown” as it could have been.

As it turned out, we decided to not wait until we retired.

Joe is a nurse anesthetist and works as a locum in North Dakota, as well as in this area at times. I am a nurse practitioner, and had worked for the Mayo Clinic Health Systems for 23 years. Fortunately, I was able to find a job in the area, in which I have been working

for the last seven years, Sleep Medicine, and now work for CentraCare. I have developed a great passion for sleep and enjoy sharing that passion with patients, friends and family, although I think my family gets tired of me blathering on about it sometimes. I am also fortunate that I can work here in Alexandria at Alomere and Sauk Centre.

Having lived here for a year now, what have you discovered about the area that has surprised you?

I’ve been pleasantly surprised at generally how welcoming people have been.

I know that that has not been the same experience for all, but that has been mine. Given the size of this area, I am surprised at how many things there are to do in this area, from symphony concerts, live theater to artist and sporting events. Both my husband and I enjoy going to the Minnesota Orchestra and love musical theater. So we look forward to attending those events.

And of course, I love the lakes.

I was doing some reading the other day about the geological evolution of this area and

Klick continued on Page 10

Cathy Klick of Alexandria is an adult nurse practitioner for CentraCare. Her hobbies and interests include reading, golf, pickleball, cooking, travel, music and theater. She also helps with fundraising for her sisters’ Wisconsin horse ranch, Trinity Equestrian Center, where they do therapy for veterans with PTSD as well as mentoring for troubled teens and young adults.

PAGE 8 | IMPACT 2019

CATHY KLICK PRESIDENT, NEWCOMERS CLUB

LIVE WIDE OPEN

Showcasing the Alexandria area is Rick Schara’s goal

S

everal years ago, a team of regional workforce development volunteers from West Central Initiative learned that if everyone who was eligible to work was doing so, there wouldn’t be enough workers to fill all of the area jobs. At the same time, studies showed a growth in the 30-49 age group in rural Minnesota counties, remembers WCI marketing coordinator Rick Schara.

PEOPLE FEEL GOOD ABOUT LIVING HERE – WE TRY TO CAPTURE AND SHARE THAT FEELING. RICK SCHARA West Central Initiative marketing coordinator

The regional community foundation serving nine west-central Minnesota counties, including Douglas, recognized the need to encourage people to move or return to the region. It created a regional marketing campaign, Live Wide Open, to do just that.

“Live Wide Open was founded to take that statistical trend and build on it by sharing the stories of the people who love this area,” Schara said, adding that many communities and companies in the region are supporting that effort through partnerships. That’s because many employers continue to search for workers, knowing it is imperative to find ways to bring more people to Douglas County.

“It’s critical that this region continues to grow, but simple demographics are working against us,” Schara said. “So when someone is looking for a new place to live, it is our hope that by showcasing the many wonderful aspects of this

New life from Page 6 “She advised me to get away,” Burslie says. She told him that who you surround yourself with is who you are going to become.

He was looking for a place with high-paying jobs and a low cost of living, heard about a job opportunity at Alexandria Industries, and received a tour from Robbie Betterman. “He liked the person that I was, and thought I fit into our culture and values,” Burslie said. “But I had no experience in manufacturing. He took a chance on me.”

That chance has paid many dividends for the company. Burslie has steadily worked his way up in those eight years, and now serves his team as a lead in the fabrication department, where he helps to manage customers’ orders, manufacturing capacity and timelines, employee support and quality control.

He wiped out that debt and began earning enough to provide for his family of five, including three young boys, and buy a home in Evansville.

And he made the most of everything the company provided, from all kinds of in-house training programs to continuous improvement training and leadership training. “A couple people at the college definitely opened my eyes to seeing things a different way,” he said. He joined a public speaking group, Toastmasters, and it has boosted his self-confidence.

“They (his employer) test you in certain ways, your leadership style, and give you the opportunity where you can shine,” said Burslie, who has

even remodeled the break room at work. “I’m surrounding myself with successful people. Look at the values of the people here. It just feels like one big family between these walls.”

Each winter Alexandria Industries holds Fishing for a Cure, which raises considerable money for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Between 75-90 employees volunteer for the event, and Burslie loves being a part of all that goes into it, which starts months in advance and includes setting up very early on the morning of the event.

“It’s nighttime and freezing cold, tents are blowing all over the place, and it’s so worth it at the end of the day,” he said. “It’s heartwarming. I’m a feeling guy, so it’s good to know that the money we raise is going to a common goal. We’ve all had loved ones die of cancer. We’re making a difference every single day when we step foot in here.”

Burslie has also noticed a difference when he’s away from work, in the types of people who live in Douglas County.

“It feels like people are a lot more Minnesota friendly here. We all come together and try and help each other. That’s a good feeling to have.”

That’s among the many lessons he has learned since moving here, and they tie into those words of advice spoken by his sister many years ago.

“Success is what you make it,” Burslie said. “You have to surround yourself around people who want to make it and care about one another. Take that one step forward and make that change.”

region’s quality of life, people may consider the benefits of relocating here.”

He said it is working, citing a recent example. “I know a couple from Alaska who connected with us. We helped them connect with a job and they will be moving here this month,” Schara said in October.

One of Live Wide Open’s best marketing tools can be found on its website, livewideopen.com, which features dozens of testimonials from people who share their own stories of coming to this area.

“We share positive, real fun stories, videos and images from all corners of our region that put smiles on people’s faces,” Schara said. “People feel good about living here – we try to capture and share that feeling.”

Every week, he says, he visits with someone who relocated to this region. While their reasons are all over the board for doing so, he has noticed a commonality in those who become newcomers.

“One thing that really impresses me is their love and passion for their community, for where they now live. They gush about the great outdoors or wonderful schools or fun activities or friendly people, but whatever the reason, they appreciate all the amenities we have,” Schara said. “This area has a quality of life that is second to none, and for those of us who have been around here a while, we need to take the time to embrace where we live.”

Glieden from Page 6 So when an opportunity arose for the dental hygienist to work Fridays in Glenwood, she jumped at the chance.

Before long they had more work for her, and she quit her job in Hutchinson and moved up here, a tad ahead of schedule.

“My husband said, ‘You’re not going to live in a trailer home in the winter months,’” Glieden recalled, and they found a home on Little Latoka. “We kind of jumped the gun on retirement; my husband isn’t quite ready to retire yet, and we still have the home in Hutchinson. The irony of it is he was the one who first introduced me (to Alex).

Now I’m the one who’s living here pretty much full-time.”

It’s worked out quite well. They are both nature lovers and love the lakes, with Craig spending a lot of time fishing, and Rita kayaking and paddle boarding. Glieden found the atmosphere very welcoming, but admits the excitement of this being a weekend getaway for so long may have somewhat favorably stacked the deck.

“To have a group like the Newcomers group, it’s phenomenal,” she said of the club, which has a half-dozen interest groups, from a book club to a beer club. The couple have met so many people, especially ones who also appreciate the outdoors, that it seems they can’t go anywhere without recognizing people, and being recognized.

“It has a lot to offer. It’s a small town, but just a very friendly community. People are very kind, very generous,” Glieden said. “The sign that says it’s easy to get to, hard to leave? That is so true. That’s what happened for us. We both fell in love with it.”

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 9

Klick from Page 8

was stunned to read that there are about 350 lakes in this area. One of my acquaintances, upon hearing that, did question exactly how a lake is defined here, but nonetheless, there are a lot of lakes here.

Moving to a new place can be stressful. You left behind your friends and possibly family, and all of the places that were part of your everyday life. In essence you are starting your life anew. What was that like for you?

I was not looking forward to leaving friends and routines.

Those friends were and are my sanity. I dragged my feet before finally allowing us to set a date for the move. But friends such as them are friends for life.

We will and do continue to see each other and be connected. So I had to look at the move as an adventure.

My family does not live near here, although Joe does have family in this area. We have a son in Minneapolis, a daughter who is interviewing for jobs in a large city, and our youngest daughter lives in Philadelphia.

My husband joined the curling club last fall and loves playing with those people.

Though I grew up curling in central Wisconsin, I didn’t get up here myself soon enough to join a league – maybe this year.

Change is hard for many, especially as we get older. But it will be as hard as you want to make it or not make it.

Generally, I think the adjustment has been fairly smooth for us.

Having been through the move, what recommendations do you have for others?

I consider myself an introvert and over the years haven’t always been comfortable in unfamiliar situations. But life and work experiences have called upon me to learn to be more comfortable with strangers or those I don’t know well. Long ago I adopted the saying, “Feel the fear, and do it anyway!”

My recommendation for those making moves such as this is to open themselves up to new experiences and people, because it almost always leads to positive things. Chances are, whatever situation we find ourselves, there are other new people there too, so we are not alone. There are so many opportunities to try something different, so I think we need to “go for it.”

So you joined the Alexandria Area Newcomers Club. Why? What were you looking for from the club?

As I was meeting people here, I kept hearing, “You should join Newcomers,” so I decided to learn about it. They found themselves that it was a good way to meet people and make lasting friendships. Having left a group of great friends, I knew I would need to add to my band of buddies if I was going to feel at home here.

Though it was originally conceived as a woman’s club and the general meeting has continued that practice, fortunately we have special interest groups that include men, something I think we need to do more often. The club members create many, many types of short-term, one day or continuing experiences. Members can come to the meetings as often as they want, may meet a group of people they really like, and continue getting together for years. Or they may make a few friends and don’t feel the need to be in a larger group, which is of course fine.

The women’s-only club has been around since the early 1950s and now has more than 100 members. How does it meet the needs of its members?

The purpose of this group is to provide opportunity for people to meet, and to find fellowship and camaraderie – the members can take it from there.

I am always reading or doing health and medical learning. There’s a lot of research on loneliness and its effect on our health. One study showed that 1 in 5 people have no one to talk to. That’s incredibly sad. We all need that.

This group, whether it directly intends to or not, is countering that. There are many who have told me that they have indeed made life-long friendships and continue getting together with those friends.

It didn’t take you long to become president. You seem to have made a lot of friends rather quickly. Any tips for the rest of us?

I joined in January of this year and before I even got to know many people in the group, I found myself agreeing to take over the role of president. Joining and taking that role has been a good thing. Sometimes jumping in with both feet ends up well. I have met so many more people than I ever would have without being a member.

So I will make a shameless plug to any woman new to the area to consider joining. I am regularly running into those women I have met.

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Returnees

FROM DESPERATION TO JUBILATION Changing work environment brings Nichole and Richard Aber’s family back to Alexandria

N

ichole and Richard Aber were happy living and working in Alexandria.

Nichole was born and raised near Miltona, and she and her husband, who came to the area when he was around 10, both graduated from Jefferson High School and went to Alexandria Technical and Community College.

However, a job offer from a web development firm in Bloomington came with a substantial pay increase and a chance for Rich to grow his skills, and landed the couple in the Twin

Cities metro area, where they and their three kids lived for a half-dozen years.

Nichole said the time there was both good (“as with any larger city, there’s a lot of diversity and perspectives and foods and experiences”) and bad (“it was chaotic and loud, and there’s just a different vibe to it. It’s always churning”). And she doesn’t believe they ever would have been able to afford to buy a house in the cities.

Then within a matter of only a few weeks, a series of events threw it all up in the air.

A changing work environment had caused Nichole to finally step away from her marketing/graphic design job, and just weeks later, Richard was laid off.

“It was so stressful. Everything was collapsing,” she said.

Now what?

Spending the last two Memorial Day weekends back home with friends and family had stirred up so many memories, it got them thinking about moving back. Maybe this was their opportunity.

A big technology shift over the last several years has seen a bump in jobs that can be done from any location.

“Ultimately we needed Rich to find a job that would allow him to work remotely.”

That mission was accomplished within roughly a month, and shortly thereafter Nichole was offered a job at the college she had attended in Alexandria, as a promotion specialist.

FINDING YOUR PLACE GREATER THINGS ARE STILL TO COME AND GREATER THINGS ARE STILL TO BE DONE IN THIS CITY. ERIN BERNS Financial advisor with Northrock Partners, LLC

PAGE 12 | IMPACT 2019

Erin Berns returned to his roots in the hopes of giving back

Erin Berns moved to Alexandria from Rochester with his family in 1992, and has many fond memories of growing up here.

His parents, who still live here, wanted their kids to be well-rounded, so he played sports, participated in theater and choir, and volunteered at nursing homes. “The arts have a place near

and dear to my heart,” he said, crediting high school vocal music director Steve Dietz with playing an intricate role during his school years and beyond.

“I knew that I wanted to be in financial services,” Berns said, “but like every other kid I wanted to experience life outside Alexandria.”

He went off to Moorhead State University, got married and went to graduate school before returning nine years later in 2014. It didn’t take long to realize that many others he grew up with had

Berns continued on Page 15

Things could simply not have turned out better, even though she confesses, “We miss the food.”

They also missed their friends and family – and the area they knew so well.

“No matter where it is, unless you had a traumatic childhood, there’s always a special feeling about your hometown. My husband spent part of his in Georgia and he’s nostalgic for both (childhood homes),” Nichole said.

“For me, it’s familiarity and belonging, and I might not agree with everything that goes on here and the mindsets, but it’s a community, and I didn’t have that for a time. I was part of groups and

Aber continued on Page 15

RETURNEES When you started last summer as Brandon-Evansville’s high school principal and walked into the same building where you attended school, what were some of the memories that came flooding back?

Wow, where do I start?

Just to get acclimated with the building, that first week in the summer when I started I went around with my janitor and walked through every nook and cranny of the building. The memories were sure coming back to me.

Every classroom I stepped into I could remember my times in that room – fifth and sixth grade with Mrs. Zismer and Mrs. Illetschko, math class with Mrs. Peterka, desktop publishing with Mrs. Burgess, and science with Mr. Gus, to name a few.

The memories really came back when I went into our records room and saw all the annuals that are in chronological order.

I couldn’t help but look. Wow, things have changed.

Every now and then I’ll be doing something or be in a specific room and a school memory will come back to me. But now it’s new memories that are filling these rooms and halls as the principal and not a student.

NATE MEISSNER PRINCIPAL, BRANDON-EVANSVILLE SCHOOLS

Very few school administrators get the opportunity that you have had. What has it been like?

I have always stayed very connected with the area since high school. My parents still live in the same house as I grew up in, and along with officiating I have stayed close with a lot of people from the area.

When I got hired I was excited to be back home. I was a little nervous about the level of “awkwardness” there was going to be, but it wasn’t awkward at all.

Instead it was a sense of comfort knowing the people, area and buildings of our district. It really has been a great transition back into the area, reconnecting with people and meeting new people, and new families that have moved into the district have really helped with that transition.

There must be some real advantages to being principal at the school where you were a student, and I imagine some disadvantages?

What are the pros and cons?

Meissner continued on Page 14

Nate Meissner is the elementary and high school principal and athletic director for Brandon/Evansville.

He previously taught social studies in Browerville for eight years and was a principal in Ashby for two.

In his spare time, he can be found officiating high school and college basketball and football, along with taking part in the outdoors fishing and hunting. Nate and his wife, Alicia, have three children, Andrew, Kenley and Kendall.

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 13

ALL THE WAY FROM DOWN UNDER Ties to this community brought John Riek and his wife to Starbuck from Australia

J

ohn Riek came to the United States in 1972 with his parents from Australia, and still carries some of the accent to prove it.

So while he didn’t have ties to the area, his wife, Denise, did.

She is from Alexandria.

He went to school at the University of North Dakota and Iowa State University, met his wife and then they spent 25 years in Australia. But with Denise’s parents aging, they decided in 2013 the time was right to return to the U.S., and retired to Starbuck.

“We had a desire to get back to the cooler weather. We find Australia a

bit too hot,” said the former architect, who now works as a parts associate at Apol’s Harley Davidson. “When we decided we were going to come back here, we found what we had been dreaming of for a long time. It’s only 10 acres, but there’s lots of privacy and nature around us.”

While this was home to his wife, the area has also suited Riek, and he offered a few reasons for that.

“The fact that it’s kind of a small country town. People are friendly. They kind of look out for each other and will help you if you’re in need. Those are all very appealing qualities that you do not find in the cities.”

PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY. THEY KIND OF LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER AND WILL HELP YOU IF YOU’RE IN NEED. JOHN RIEK Parts associate at Apol’s Harley Davidson

Meissner from Page 13 There are pros and cons to being an administrator wherever you go. The advantages here far outweigh the disadvantages by a long ways.

There is a big learning curve starting a new job.

Where this is, where do you go to get this, who is that, etc, etc. Being familiar with the locations, school and people made that a much smoother transition. One of the challenges of an administrator is building connections with parents and community members. Knowing a lot of people and growing up with several has given me a leg up in that aspect.

One of the disadvantages to being from here – and I guess I wouldn’t really call it a disadvantage but rather a challenge for me personally – is at times I have to have difficult conversations with parents about their child’s behavior, and some of those conversations I have to have with people I grew up with or even were friends with. So that can be difficult. But as I said, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

You have probably heard more than a few high school graduates through the years say they can’t wait to leave their hometown and see what else is out there. Yet, Douglas County is filled with people who have left for post-secondary education or employment opportunities, or both, and returned home. Why is that?

I was able to go off to college and start my teaching career and administrative career in different locations and enjoyed each step of the way, but my wife and I have settled into the area and really like this area.

I think Douglas County is an attractive location and a great location to live and have a family. The central hub of Alexandria offers really all you need PAGE 14 | IMPACT 2019

for entertainment, shopping and activities. I love the outdoors, so the lakes and hunting areas that Douglas County offers are great, too. Really I don’t think you can find a better central location than Douglas County. We are right off the freeway and not too far from the metro, Fargo or St. Cloud. It offers everything that we want in an area to live.

What were the lures for you?

Jobs and family. My wife and I got married and she took a teaching job in the Alexandria district, and with me growing up in the area, we just really started to like the area and location and started seeing that this is where we want to start our own family.

You have spent your entire career in education. What is the biggest misconception about teaching?

That education is easy and we do it for the three months off in the summer. Yes, that is a nice perk, but teachers and educators are with children more than parents are, and I don’t know about the rest of you but parenting is a challenge and there are stressful times. Teachers are with these children eight hours a day and with 20 to 30 at a time. With the demands and pressures in education today, and managing each and every student, it is a very stressful job.

If it were up to you, what would you change, and what would you keep exactly the way it is now?

I don’t like to live thinking, “I should have done that” or “I wish I would have done this,” so with that I wouldn’t change much. I firmly believe that

your experiences and your life decisions make you who you are. I am very happy being in my home district, and I’m excited to continue to serve our students and communities of the Brandon/Evansville school district.

Were there any teachers that inspired you down this path, and how did they do it?

I had a great group of teachers in school that made my school experience a great one. I could go down the list of my high school teachers and share a moment in each one of their classes that was a memorable one. My teachers made learning fun, but still held us accountable. I’ve always liked education because of them.

I knew I wanted to be a teacher back when I was in seventh grade. What to teach I did not know. It wasn’t until I was in an American history class at Fergus Falls Community College, as it was called back then, and my instructor, Arlin Nikolas, really turned me on to history. His passion for the subject made me so interested in it, and ultimately led me to go into teaching social studies. I have never had a chance to tell him that, or thank him for that. Maybe this will get to him somehow.

When I was teaching in Browerville, I began to take on more leadership roles and in a conversation with my principal, Mr. Sutlief, it was recommended that I pursue administration. One thing led to another and here I am.

I really do want to thank all my teachers and professors. Each of them has influenced me in one way or another and made me the educator I am today.

Berns from Page 12 also come back home. Berns’ wife, Kimberly, was from southern Minnesota but also had a connection to the area, as her sister and brother-in-law lived in Miltona at the time. “We knew we wanted to move to Alexandria, and we knew this was a great place to raise kids,” he said.

But Berns knows this area’s calling card can’t just be that this is a great place to raise a family. “We need something that really sets us apart.

What was good for us 20 years ago isn’t necessarily going to be good for us today, or over the next 20-30 years,” he said.

Kimberly now works in Long Prairie for CentraCare. Berns works for North Rock Partners as an advisor, out of a building that also brings back memories. It used to be a Tom Thumb gas station where he would bike into town to get hard-scooped ice cream and slushies.

“My grandfather always said, ‘Keep your eye on your own bobber.’ Of course we were sitting in a boat when he was saying that, but I knew he wasn’t just talking about fishing,” Berns said. The message, he believes, was to focus on controlling the controllable. “It’s about how you can make an impact on your family,

your friends, the community and the world.”

The many experiences in his years away, including a mission trip to Africa, prepared Berns to do that.

“I had the opportunity to live in a variety of communities, and now I can bring some of those experiences to Alexandria,” he said. “I want to give back, financially when I can, but there are experiences and skills and knowledge that I want to pour into people and do my part here in Alexandria.”

He does that by serving on the board for the Business, Communication & Entrepreneurship academy at Alexandria Area High School, and for the Alexandria Technical and Community College Foundation. Countless others are finding their own ways, even if it is as simple as showing kindness.

“We need to do our part to collaborate and enhance the lives for everyone here. We are humans who crave relationships where we can feel appreciated, cared for and loved.

That’s something we can all get better at,” Berns said. “We’re a super generous community. Greater things are still to come and greater things are still to be done in this city.”

Aber from Page 12 we had neighbors we became close with, but ultimately it was hard to build meaningful relationships.”

She said their children were in very good schools, and they developed a baseline for accepting people from all walks of life. But she knows there are good schools in this area, too, and a comfort level that comes from living here. “In the long term it’s going to be

DOUGLAS COUNTY DOUGLAS COUNTY POPULATION

1990 28,674 2000 32,821 2010 36,009 2017 37,575 2019 37,964

a good thing for our family and our kids.”

Nichole paused and thought about all that had transpired in the previous month, and what went into returning them back to where they grew up.

“I think it is similar for quite a few people who have come back to the area,” she said. “I guess city life just wasn’t for us.”

FACTS

POPULATION AGE PROJECTIONS Year 0-19 20-44 45-64 65+ 2019 8,895 10,486 9,932 8,651 2020 8,244 10,655 9,418 9,568 2025 7,821 11,054 8,762 10,891 2030 7,480 11,240 8,516 11,704 2035 7,450 11,310 8,709 11,760 2040 7,645 11,152 9,105 11,482 2045 7,742 11,079 9,454 11,178 2050 7,698 10,850 9,859 11,121

Insuring the Past; Protecting the Future Abstracting Title Insurance Closings

Locally owned and operated providing quality services since 1987.

Back: Jody Schimek Center: Kate Aslagson and Layne Roeder Front: Lacey Fultz

320.763.6858

1804 Broadway, Suite 140 • Alexandria Mon.-Fri. 8am-4:30pm IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 15

Retirees

ODDS ARE most people know

someone who has retired to Douglas County It has a lot going for it, and in 2019 Alexandria topped a survey for the best place to retire in Minnesota.

The fifth annual study by SmartAsset, a financial technology company that provides online personal finance advice, had Alexandria ranked well ahead of runner-up Grand Rapids. Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls and Bemidji rounded out the top five.

Alexandria’s share of senior citizens was listed at 23.8%, the highest percentage among those cities in the top

ANN AND JERRY WESTPHAL The many lakes were just one of the reasons the Westphals selected the Alexandria area In mid-May, Ann Westphal worked the final day of 34 years at Milaca Elementary School, drove to Alexandria that evening, and hasn’t spent a night in Milaca since.

She and her husband, Jerry, have made their home in Alexandria, and they couldn’t be happier.

“We have no regrets,” she said. “We felt right at home. We’re always doing things, and there’s always something going on. We like that.”

Westphal continued on Page 23 PAGE 18 | IMPACT 2019

10. It also ranked first in the recreation and social category, with 2 rec centers and 1.2 retirement centers per 1,000 residents, and third in the medical category with 3.1 doctors’ offices per 1,000 people.

Many reasons go into choosing a place to retire. Following are the factors that went into decisions by two couples.

ALEXANDRIA IS TOPS Ranked the best place to retire to in Minnesota, Alexandria also ranks first in the recreation and social categories and third in the medical category.

Alexandria had the highest percentage of senior citizens in the top 10 with 23.8 percent.

I HAD TWO STIPULATIONS: I NEEDED A HOSPITAL, AND A TARGET. I’M JUST BEING HONEST. ANN WESTPHAL Retired teacher

PAGE 20 | IMPACT 2019

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 21

RETIREES Typically those who choose Douglas County as a place to retire have had some connection to the area.

Was that true in your case?

Louie: As we approached retirement, we wanted to find a lake lot if we were going to leave a community we had lived in for over 15 years and enjoyed. We looked at lots and lake homes from Willmar to Alexandria and in the Brainerd area, finally deciding on Alexandria. We did some comprehensive research, both on the internet and in person, talking to people and driving around checking out the various areas of the communities.

We found out that Alexandria had excellent medical facilities, was a county seat, had an abundance of beautiful lakes and recreational opportunities, was centrally located with easy access to the Twin Cities where our son and family live, and was also a growing community. Also, Barb’s sister, Donna Kopischke, lived in Alexandria and they had developed a special sister relationship. I felt if anything would happen to me that she would be well taken care of with Donna and her husband Kevin in the same community.

How long did it take before Alexandria felt like home?

Barb: Initially, I missed the two-and-one-halfacre bluff our home was located on, which had ample wildlife and the scenic Minnesota River in our backyard. I left behind a large garden with strawberry, raspberry and rhubarb plants, plus more than 100 perennial plants and flowers and a large-sized vegetable garden.

It probably took me three to five years before Alexandria felt like home. We became involved in our church, took fitness classes and joined card groups. This helped us forge friendships and meet new people. My gardening changed to a love of hostas and other perennial and annual flowers and plants and now we have over 100 hostas planted on our Lake Latoka three-quarter-acre lot.

Louie: Our daughter, Jenn Seesz, and her three children have since made Alexandria their home. Jenn was fortunate to be hired in Alexandria School District’s excellent and progressive special education transition program. So we can now watch and be involved in

Seesz continued on Page 24

LOUIE & BARB SEESZ RETIREES

PAGE 22 | IMPACT 2019

Barb and Louie Seesz have been married for 50 1/2 years and have two children and five grandchildren. Barb had a 30-year career with the State Farm claims office in Marshall. Louie was in the U.S. Navy and is a Vietnam veteran, and was a teacher and coach before starting a 25-year career in newspapers.

Westphal from Page 18 Despite their newfound full-time status, the couple are quite familiar with Douglas County, having purchased their retirement home a decade ago.

The day they decided on the location is one they will never forget.

It was a Memorial Day weekend, and they were in Glenwood for a funeral.

Afterward, they drove north and spent the next five hours tooling around one lake after another, taking a break for food at Bugaboo. It was a nice day, the sun was out, and so were the people on the lakes.

“We didn’t remember there was a chain of lakes, and when we figured out then that all these lakes were connected, oh my goodness,” Ann said.

“We decided that day this was going to be the place.”

Before that, they had been pointed toward Hayward, Wisconsin. A couple of times each summer they visited good friends who lived on a lake there.

“We left our boat up there,” Jerry said.

“We thought that was where we wanted to go.”

Three things stood in the way.

“We knew we wanted to retire on a lake. I had two stipulations: I needed a hospital, and a Target,” Ann said. “I’m just being honest.”

Hayward had neither. It also was a smaller town than Milaca and they wanted something bigger. Alex was at least five times larger, but yet both thought it had a small-town feel.

Also, the drive from Milaca to Hayward was a good half-hour longer than it was to Alex, and that made a difference to Jerry, who was the school’s athletic director and often couldn’t leave until after Friday night games.

“I’d get done with a basketball game and be up here by 11:30,” he said. Plus, both of their children live in the Twin Cities, and Alexandria had the edge there, too. That Memorial Day weekend settled it.

“We literally considered nowhere else,” she said.

As kids they had both come to this area. Ann came up to the Barn, when they used to have dances, and she used to fish on Lake Mary. Jerry’s family would use a cabin from his high school football coach on Lake Miltona. He also played in a fast-pitch softball tournament every year in Alexandria, and they even spent a Valentine’s Day at the Holiday Inn one year.

There weren’t many places for sale in 2008 – it was just before the recession hit – and they found a home on Lake Geneva. It was on the chain, which they love cruising around. At the closing, Jerry learned the seller had played football for him at St. Cloud State. It was the first of many connections they discovered upon moving here.

A high school friend of Ann’s owns a place on Darling. Her friend’s sister has bought a place on Le Homme Dieu. A handful of families they know have also moved to the area. The Westphals appear to be ambassadors, and willing ones at that.

“I love the downtown, it’s so historic.

There’s a lot to offer. I do miss Herberger’s. We find it a friendly place. It has everything you need basically,” Ann said.

“Also, everybody is so welcoming.

I walk quite a bit and people go by in cars and wave,” said Jerry, who has also met a lot of people through his parttime job at Atikwa Golf Course. The couple also has no trouble striking up a conversation when they go into a store or restaurant. “I like that interaction.”

The first couple years they entertained guests every weekend of the summer. They have dialed that back a bit, but still regularly take advantage of the lakes.

“Our favorite thing to do is sit out and look at the lake. I find it very calming,” Ann said. “It would be hard now to go back.”

EVERYBODY IS SO WELCOMING. I WALK QUITE A BIT AND PEOPLE GO BY IN CARS AND WAVE. I LIKE THAT INTERACTION. Jerry Westphal Retiree

Since 1880, the Alexandria School District has created and sustained a highly regarded school system within a thriving community.

Our students excel in academics and extracurricular activities, we have highly qualified teachers and staff who have a deep passion for what they do, and our community has a heart for our youth.

Our school district has something for everyone, and that’s the reason We are the A Team. The A-Team represents our exceptional school community that is focused on the following areas: · Excellence in Academics – an innovative, challenging curriculum, that can’t be matched. · Excellence in Activities – numerous opportunities to participate in arts, activities and athletics – we have something for everyone. · Excellence in Attention – a personalized, individual-focused experience. A place where every student is known. · Excellence in Access – exclusive opportunities to learn side-by-side with community business leaders and mentors who are dedicated to partnering with students and who bring realworld experiences into the classroom.

From our personalized learning initiative and award-winning fine arts and athletics programs to our focus on individualized pathways for college and career readiness, you will see why Alexandria Public Schools is truly a destination district.

Learn more about our schools by visiting www.alexschools.org or calling 320-762-2141.

Proudly serving the communities of Alexandria, Carlos, Forada, Garfield, Miltona, Nelson, and

surrounding area townships.

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 23

RETIREES

KEN AND MARY ELI

F

iguring out where you want to spend the rest of your life is a big decision.

Kenny and Mary Eli had spent much of theirs in Cooperstown, North Dakota, but upon retiring they had the freedom to live elsewhere.

They chose Alexandria.

“It works really well for us, Alexandria does,” Kenny said.

One reason is because their only daughter lives just 25 miles away in Glenwood. She came to the area to attend Alexandria Technical & Community College, and now is the auditor/treasurer in Pope County. One son resides in Iowa – they are now 200 miles closer to him – and the other son in Maryland.

Their daughter’s proximity to Alexandria, as well as the hospital and easy access to I-94, were reasons why the Elis retired here

AND THE PEOPLE ARE GOOD HERE. THEY’RE GOOD IN EVERY TOWN, BUT ONCE YOU GET TO KNOW THEM, THEY’RE GOOD PEOPLE. KEN ELI Retiree

“It’s on the main trail,” Kenny said, referring to the easy access to wherever they are going via Interstate 94. “That helps a lot. And the people are good here.

They’re good in every town, but once you get to know them, they’re good people.”

“He’s a talker, so everywhere we go he meets people,” Mary said.

Having a hospital in town was also high on their list. Living on the lake wasn’t a factor, but having a townhouse was, since they didn’t want to leave an isolated house sit unattended when they went south in the winter.

“I don’t like the cold anymore, but we still like the change in the seasons, so it’s nice to be here for that,” said Mary.

Before moving here, on a trip to Arizona they ran into someone from Cooperstown who had bought a house in San Tan Valley, a suburb of Phoenix. That

was in 2010 after the housing market had collapsed and every third house was for sale. They got a good deal, and have been enjoying spending their winters there.

“There are more people in our development that live in Alex, and we got to know a lot of people down there. We have a lot of Canadian friends,” Kenny said.

He said that they were the second from Griggs County to go to San Tan Valley, and now they estimate the number is closer to two dozen.

“We stay as active or more active down there as we do here,” said Kenny, who nonetheless looks forward each April to returning to Douglas County.

“We’re excited to get back here and see what’s going on here and see the kids,” Mary said.

“And get the garden in,” chimed in Kenny, who can frequently be found at his daughter’s place doing yardwork and working on his large garden.

available in Alexandria and our area.

hub for medical, industrial and educational businesses, and of course that is critical for our community and county to continue to grow, prosper and shine.

Seesz from Page 22 our grandchildren’s lives in this beautiful community – another unknown benefit to us when moving to Alexandria.

We sure consider Alexandria home, and as our favorite saying goes, happiness is retirement in Alexandria.

You have gotten to know the area in ways that only time allows. Which of your initial impressions has held up, and what has surprised you?

Louie: We were impressed with the Alexandria community from Day One. Our love of the lakes and the outdoors even surprised us as to how many lakes there were and the quality and care there seemed to be to protect them. We knew the community was growing, but were again surprised at the rapid population growth and industrial strength of both the city and the county.

Barb: With our decision to move to Alexandria, we wanted to create special family memories at the lake for our children, grandchildren and extended family.

We enjoy our summer July Christmas celebrations, holiday gatherings, campfires, fishing and boating activities, all which have left us with treasured and lasting memories – again proving the opportunities PAGE 24 | IMPACT 2019

What are a few things this area does really well, and what would you like to see offered here?

Louie: One of our disappointments has been in the decline of retail experiences in our community. We have lost some large and small retailers, making us a less important destination for shopping, and that is unfortunate. It seems like the age-old problem of keeping and encouraging people to shop at home falls on many deaf ears. Online shopping unfortunately has become popular, but it is difficult to watch as many consumers don’t truly understand that when they do this they are shortchanging and weakening their community.

We also see the real estate taxes increasing at an alarming rate, so it would be nice to see our city and county leaders work harder at controlling spending and being more fiscally responsible. It seems that Alexandria has some positive leadership that hopefully can help change these mindsets, in addition to working hard at marketing our community to other outside retail opportunities.

We are pleased that we continue to have a very strong

You aren’t the type to kick back and just sit around the house. In what ways have you gotten involved in the community, and was that on purpose?

Louie: Barb and I have always been involved in the communities we’ve lived. However, “retired involvement” is a bit different. You are not forced to co-mingle and mix, and you have to make a concentrated effort to interact with others.

Barb: After a few years of retirement I felt a need to be more active, so I decided to work part-time at an assisted living facility, which I did for 6 1/2 years. I thoroughly enjoyed caring for the residents and it is wonderful to see all the senior care facilities that Alexandria has to offer to those in need.

I am presently involved in our church, Word Alone Fellowship, church choir, cheer-committee coordinator, an active member of PEO-Chapter AO, belong to two card groups, and volunteer at the Douglas County Food Shelf. One of my most worthy hobbies is baking and sharing my goodies – my specialities

WE SURE CONSIDER ALEXANDRIA HOME, AND AS OUR FAVORITE SAYING GOES, HAPPINESS IS RETIREMENT IN ALEXANDRIA. LOUIE SEESZ Retiree

are banana bread, homemade soups and jams, just to name a few – from my kitchen with others. We are members of the Alex Sports Booster Club, and I am a proud cheering fan in the stands for our grandkids. I love the fall season in our community, when the leaves turn colors, but my favorite fall activity is shopping for pumpkins. It is also bittersweet to take our boat out on the lake for the last time, but it is always a special memory of another reason we chose to live in Alexandria.

Louie: For over 35 years I officiated basketball, baseball and softball, and when we moved here I continued to be involved with those activities, which helped me meet both adults and student athletes. I also

umpire amateur baseball but at the age of 72 have slowed down in that area.

Barb and I have made many special friends through our church. I am on the board and serve as a deacon and we also assist with greeting and ushering. We have a very special group that we fellowship with and it is encouraging to see all the religious opportunities that Alexandria has to offer for both adults and youth.

I am fortunate that the community had racquetball courts so that I could continue playing and being active. During the golf season I try my hand at the beautiful Geneva course, spend a few days a week at our wonderful community YMCA working out, plus I

pull the grandkids behind the boat, tubing and knee boarding most days in the summer, while my grandson, Beau, and I do some fishing on beautiful Lake Latoka. He normally catches more fish than I do. I also had the opportunity to co-coach my granddaughter, Morgan, and her 8th grade AYBA traveling girls’ basketball team this past year, and we were fortunate to win the state B championship. I think that I enjoyed that as much as the girls on the team did. I am a lifetime member of the VFW and at one time was also a member of the very active Golden Kiwanis (Golden K) organization. I also serve on the Echo Press Reader Advisory Board.

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 25

MILLENNIALS

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND CHURCHES important to Dannhoff

By Rachek Kubik

A welcoming feeling surrounds Lacey Dannhoff and her family as part of the Alexandria area community

WE LOVE IT HERE. WE FEEL LIKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS GOOD FOR OUR KIDS AND IT’S STILL A GROWING COMMUNITY. LACEY DANNHOFF Graphic designer, Henry’s Foods

PAGE 26 | IMPACT 2019

L

acey Dannhoff moved from Morton to Alexandria in 2005 to study communication art and design at ATCC. She has worked in the fields of photography, graphic design and screen printing. She’s currently working at Henry’s Foods as a graphic designer.

What mostly made her want to stay in Alexandria were the job opportunities for her and her husband. They also liked the many churches in the area and the sense of Christianity among the community.

“We love it here. We feel like the school system is good for our kids and it’s still a growing community. There’s constantly new things coming,” said Dannhoff, who is a mother of a 3-yearold and a 6-year-old.

The family feels welcomed wherever they go. “There’s always people that have information to help you,” Dannhoff said.

The only big challenge they have encountered while living here was selling their first home before purchasing their second. “(Alexandria) is a good starting place to start your career and get experience in,” Dannhoff said. “There’s a lot of professional people that can help make a name for yourself and get you where you want to be.”

MILLENNIALS We’re delving into how people find their way to Douglas County, so let’s start there. How does someone who is raised in Little Falls wind up forging a career and making a home here?

There were only two criteria I had for choosing the college I would attend and town I would call home after high school. It had a community college with a good reputation and job placement rate, and the town be far enough away from home where I could be independent, but also close enough where I could visit when I wanted.

These guidelines might seem broad, but they helped narrow my choices quite a bit and that’s how Alexandria was added into the mix. There were other options, but I had spent such little time in Alex and it felt new and exciting. I really wanted new and exciting!

Do you recall thinking at that time that you would like to stay here, or did that come later?

I was Alexandria’s biggest fan from the moment I moved. I don’t think I ever had to consciously think about whether I would stay or go, I

just always knew I would stay.

I felt like I had uncovered Minnesota’s best kept secret. Obviously, this isn’t true because it seems everyone knew but me – aka summer tourism.

I was hooked on Traveler’s Belgian waffles, antiquing downtown, and the kindness of the people I got to know at ATCC. The community was bigger than what I was used to but not too big to be overwhelming. There seemed to be a lot of opportunities to stay busy and to meet new people, but there was also a small-town charm and “everybody knows everybody” feel that I loved.

How valuable is the role ATCC plays in bringing young men and women to Alexandria, and what can be done to improve their desire to stay here?

ATCC’s role in bringing young people to Alexandria is extremely valuable. They serve approximately 3,900 students annually. That’s 3,900 individuals who would have chosen to find their education elsewhere if ATCC wasn’t available.

From my perspective, college graduates base their decision to live in a community on

Andersen

DANIELLE ANDERSEN SECRETARY, ALEXANDRIA AREA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

continued on Page 31

Danielle Andersen of Parkers Prairie is secretary on the Alexandria Area Young Professionals leadership team, and marketing manager for Knute Nelson in Alexandria.

She obtained her AAS degrees in marketing and sales management and business management from Alexandria Technical and Community College in 2014 and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Minnesota State University Moorhead. In Danielle’s free time, she enjoys exploring the Lakes Area and spending time with her husband, Dallas, and their golden retriever, Ty. She can be reached at danielle.andersen@knutenelson.org or by calling (320) 759-3495.

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 27

MILLENNIALS

CULTURE SHOCK

for Minneapolis native Holly Sevald appreciates the relaxed environment of the Alexandria area

H

olly Sevald also works at Cullen’s Home Center in interior design and is a graduate of ATCC, having moved to Alexandria from Minneapolis in 2015.

“It was a big change for me to move here and not know anyone,” she said.

“But I just really loved the school in comparison to all the other ones that I toured and the program overview.”

She was used to going to the mall with her friends before coming to Alexandria. She said she doesn’t have as

many shopping opportunities in Alexandria; however, she ended up loving the college and the town despite the initial culture shock. After graduating, she moved back to the Twin Cities to be with family, but that lasted less than a year.

Sevald missed Alexandria too much.

The relaxed environment, size of the town and easier traffic made her come back.

She said it’s hard to find things to do and there’s not a lot of places when trying to find somewhere to go out. “You kind of have to be a little more creative.”

makes an IMPACT in the community

Tara Bitzan Execu�ve Director

Jess Ptacek Program & Events Coordinator

Lauren Johnson Marke�ng & Communica�ons Coordinator

However, she enjoys the summertime with its outdoor activities, such as going to the beach and hiking. She also enjoys making arts and crafts with her friends.

Sevald said millennials can bring a progression of new things to the community. Specifically, in her career as an interior designer, she wants to change a lot of outdated styles and keep things fresh.

– Rachel Kubik

I JUST REALLY LOVED THE SCHOOL (ATCC) IN COMPARISON WITH ALL THE OTHER ONES THAT I TOURED AND THE PROGRAM OVERVIEW. HOLLY SEVALD Interior designer at Cullen’s Home Center

Worship Times:

Saturday at 5:00 pm Sunday at 8:30 and 10:00 am Wednesday at 6:15 pm

Ka�e DeGier Visitor & Member Rela�ons Specialist

Promoting the Alexandria Lakes Area as the ultimate destination to “live, work, play and prosper.”

(320) 763-3161 | www.alexandriamn.org | info@alexandriamn.org 206 Broadway St., Alexandria, MN 56308

1655 18th Ave East Alexandria, MN 56308 320-762-2196 www.firstlutheranalexandria.com

PAGE 28 | IMPACT 2019

ATMOSPHERE

wins Anderson over Tight-knit community and welcoming people kept Kayla Anderson in Alexandria after graduation from ATCC

B

elonging to the AAYP has helped Kayla Anderson meet lots of people near her age.

Anderson grew up in Farmington and knew she wanted to go into interior design, only spending two years in higher education. She said ATCC had the best program for a great price, so she enrolled, starting classes in August 2015.

“I just kind of started to slowly fall in love with the town and the atmosphere,” Anderson said.

During her last semester of college, she got a job as an interior designer and sales associate at Cullen’s Home Center. She loved Alexandria so much that she didn’t want to leave after graduation.

The community, which she described as tight-knit, was what helped her to stay. The people she’s met have been

very welcoming and more laid back than they were in the Twin Cities, she said.

She also loves going to beaches on nearby lakes, being outside and exploring the shops downtown. Restaurants are another plus, because they’re smaller and down-to-earth, she said.

“Most of the time whenever you go out, you know somebody.”

The only big issues she’s come across as a young person were trying

to navigate the housing sector. She’s moved about 10 times since coming to Alexandria, living in a quadplex, houses, apartments and now in a friend’s basement. Mostly she moved for financial reasons, however she has moved for summer internships and location reasons as well.

“It seems like there’s a lot of housing in Alex, but it seems like it’s so hard to find. Maybe I’m just not looking in the right places.”

– Rachel Kubik

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Del Mari Runck Vic Dale COO/Market Manager/ Retail Manager Director

Jean Feigum Paul Martinek Mortgage Lender VP Business Banker

Jamie Randt Business Banker

The Bank That Feels Like Home

320.763.8366

803 N Nokomis NE | Alexandria | Member FDIC IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 29

MILLENNIALS

COMMITTED TO

Family & Community

FROM WHAT I’VE SEEN, IN OUR GENERATION, WE LOVE TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

FOR THE PAST 90 YEARS

JESS PTACEK Alexandria Chamber of Commerce liason for the AAYP

THE IMPORTANCE of giving back THANKS FOR VOTING US THE #1 FLOORING STORE IN THE LAKES AREA!

A M E R I C A’ S

F LO O R

S T O R E

Jess Ptacek values the challenges she faces in her role as a leader for millennials

B

efore Jess Ptacek worked at the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, she worked at McDonald’s as a manager. That was her first job after graduating high school in Parkers Prairie and moving to Alexandria for college in 2010.

She, like many others, moved to the town and stayed after graduating from Alexandria Technical and Community College.

Ptacek graduated from the fashion management and marketing and sales programs. Now, she is the visitor center and office coordinator for the Chamber and Chamber liaison for the Alexandria Area Young Professionals.

Ptacek said it’s fun being a leader for a group of millennials, but it’s also challenging. Transitioning to the Chamber was a different work experience that required skills she hadn’t developed yet.

“My entire wardrobe – it was polos, button-up shirts and black pants,” she said. “Having to do my shopping and get an actual professional wardrobe was another whole thing.”

She said everyone was very welcoming and helpful, but sometimes it can still be challenging. “If you want to be in this role and in this job at this age, you’ve got to prove yourself,” she said.

PAGE 30 | IMPACT 2019

She joined AAYP in 2016, became the Chamber liaison for AAYP in 2017 and said the interests of AAYP members and the leadership board have changed in a way that makes it difficult to know how to serve them. “Our generation is a little hard to read about what type of speakers to bring in and what type of activities they want to be doing,” she said.

However, they are easily pleased and will listen to whatever speaker is brought in. Popular topics have included leadership, drugs and mental health.

Most speakers end their presentations with ways people can get involved, or learn more on the subject to further spark conversations and change.

AAYP has nearly 100 members – the largest number in its history. May 2016 It was initially formed as a way to recognize young professionals in the community. Now, it’s not so much about the recognition. Its biggest benefit is the networking, Ptacek said.

“It’s so easy to communicate and to relate to one another when we’re in the same age demographic. It’s marriage, and it’s kids and it’s also wanting to be involved in the community and managing a full-time job.”

In addition to tackling all those, millennials can be a part of several service organizations and volunteer opportunities in the community. “From what I’ve seen, in our generation, we love to give back to our community,” she said.

– Rachel Kubik

Andersen from Page 27

whether there is a career opportunity for them in their field and if it’s a community they can envision planting roots in. We can all have an impact in swaying this decision one way or the other.

For business owners or managers, we can be willing to teach. Whether that’s through volunteering in the ATCC classrooms to educate students on opportunities in your field or company, offering internships and job shadowing opportunities to help students gain exposure in their field, or by being willing to hire graduates knowing that an education at ATCC is a fairly solid indicator that they will be an asset to your team. As a community member, we can be kind to one another. Be willing to build new friendships and relationships and contribute to making our community a place that people want to be.

Did you experiment with other fields before finding your niche, and what did you learn from the jobs you had before stepping into your current one?

I had two to three jobs at any given time in high school. I learned early that I loved being around people, but I also learned that I would have a tough time finding a career that would fill my cup. I craved something that would feel impactful, even if I had no clue what that meant at the time.

During my first year of college, I switched from working in retail to working as a care attendant at Nelson Gables by Knute Nelson, an assisted living community, and absolutely fell in love with it.

I found my passion working with the elderly and making their lives better in any way I could. Nursing didn’t feel like a good fit so I chose business management, hoping this path would allow me to continue working in the health care industry. It wasn’t long before my advisors at ATCC convinced me to partner this degree with a marketing and sales degree. I credit them and the team at Knute Nelson for helping guide me into my career path. I get the best of both worlds by working in an industry I love and doing a job I’m passionate about. It’s been a dream come true.

You’re a millennial, generally defined by being born between 1981-1996. What are some qualities that you believe are shared by others your age?

I’ve found that millennials value learning and place great value on finding their purpose.

These two things are directly correlated to one another. Many people in the millennial generation work a full-time job but also find time for furthering their education, whether that be through returning to college for a higher degree, reading development books or attending conferences. We are passionate and are driven by work that’s meaningful to us to always continue learning and being better.

We are also innovative and believe in working smarter, not harder. We grew up during a period of significant change in regard to societal norms and also technological advances. I believe these changes led our generation to be adaptable and comfortable with change. Technology can be scary but when embraced for the right reasons and in the right ways, can lead to increased operational efficiencies that allow us to better allocate our time and do a higher quality of work.

Millennials make up the largest segment in the U.S. workplace. Describe what they may be looking for in a job?

I’m not sure about other millennials, but all the things I need and love about my job come back to two big reasons: being valued as a person and understanding and being reminded of how my work contributes to the greater good of the organization.

Being valued to me is shown by how much leadership cares about my success, not only in my work, but as a human being. The flexibility they allow me to balance a happy work and home life, the support I receive to go back to school, the comfort I feel in taking time off when I need it – these are all benefits that contribute to my loyalty with the company and to my overall happiness. When employees are happy, you’ll see it in their productivity and quality of work.

People, including millennials, want to feel like what they’re doing means something and not just to the bottom line. This also comes back to recognition.

Handwritten cards, a pat on the back and a simple “thank you” go a long way. Appreciate your people and acknowledge their talents.

Those large groups of retiring baby boomers are creating opportunities for companies such as Knute Nelson that cater to that demographic, which is also living longer. In what ways will senior citizens’ lives change in the future?

You are spot on. By 2030, there will be more seniors in Minnesota than school-aged children.

This growth, combined with the workforce shortage, means that organizations like Knute Nelson must get innovative and think differently about what it means to care for older adults.

We have researched and worked hard to find technological solutions that can help us enhance our care and efficiencies, while also allowing us to keep individuals in their homes for as long as it’s safe to do so. One of our newest technology solutions allows a patient to have their vital signs monitored remotely, reminds them to take their medications, gives them the ability to video chat with their care providers from our team or even with their family, and so much more. This is an advantage to the patient, whose likelihood of being readmitted to the hospital lowers with this type of consistent monitoring, and it’s also a benefit to our team, who can check in on a patient more frequently without having to make the drive to their home.

You are on the leadership team of the Alexandria Area Young Professionals. Why did you join, and in what ways has it been rewarding?

I joined because I wanted to become more involved in the community. The group offers members a good combination of professional development, networking and community engagement opportunities.

Being a part of a member-based organization has been a lot of fun. It’s rewarding to hear from our members about what they’d like to see from our organization and to seek out solutions that fulfill those needs.

I’ve met a lot of people in AAYP and it’s been a joy to grow alongside one another in our lives and careers.

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 31

VISITORS IMPACT LOCAL ECONOMY SEASONAL

Businesses feel the difference that part-time residents make

F

or Ron Sletto, owner of Ron’s Warehouse in Alexandria, the differ-

ence that seasonal residents make on the area is obvious.

“It’s huge,” he said, adding that is not taking anything away from his year-round customers who keep him in business the rest of the year. “It’s kind of like a bonus. I don’t know if people realize how much of an impact it is to Alex. They spend a lot of money between gas and groceries and other things. We’re very fortunate.”

The impact may have been lessened somewhat over the years by Alexandria’s growing population of full-time residents. But the extra business that is done during the peak season is still quite noticeable. At Ron’s Warehouse, it increases by 50 percent or more, Sletto said.

“They disappear in October and November and start rolling back in March and April. It’s funny how many people actually do it,” he said. “You do see a lot of the same people (coming back) and end up with a lot of good relationships with people.”

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SEASONAL

A SECOND PLACE to call home

Nature and friendly neighbors keep Carrie Lamphere returning to the Alexandria area

C

arrie (Olson) Lamphere is one of those people who simply can’t wait to make her annual journey in May to her second home in Alexandria, and to see Gayle Haanen at the Interlachen Inn.

“It’s just part of me,” the Lincoln, Nebraska resident said of her seasonal cottage on Lake Le Homme Dieu. “I

can’t imagine not coming. I don’t want a second home anywhere but there.

I have wonderful fond memories, and it’s kind of a comfort zone. It’s beautiful.

I love the nature that’s there, and the people that are there. It’s just a great place to come.”

Those memories of the same cabin stretch across nearly eight decades.

Five generations of her family have now been staying there, and the same is true of others, including her nextdoor neighbor. “In fact, for the cabins

along that shoreline, the name may change on the mailbox, but so often it’s from the same family.”

At first Lamphere would come to stay with her grandparents for a couple weeks in the summer. Her grandfather immigrated from Sweden, owned a construction company in Lincoln, and started coming here to fish – as did other Nebraskans.

“A lot of Lincoln connections had cabins here. They would each have names. Several of them were connect-

ed to Miller’s Inn, which is now the theater (Theatre L’Homme Dieu). We used to go up there for brunch on Sundays,” Lamphere said. Lincoln’s presence here in the summer is so great that in talking to one of her neighbors in Nebraska, Lamphere discovered that they come to Lake Carlos each year.

“Every summer I can’t wait to see what the summer will bring. Every year it’s different, and every year we

Lamphere

continued on Page 35

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 33

SEASONAL

SUMMER FAMILY For Gayle and Greg Haanen, owners of Interlachen Inn, summer residents are more than visitors; they’re family

G

ayle Haanen, who with her husband, Greg, owns the Interlachen Inn, also embraces the numerous connections she has made with the area’s seasonal population.

“I think of them as my summer family. I have my family that is here year-

round, and then my summer family,” Haanen said. “It just warms your heart when they show up around the first of May, drop their bags and come in here and give us hugs as we welcome them back.”

Through the 15 summers they have owned the restaurant, she has become so well-acquainted with the seasonal residents that she knows them on a first-name basis – particularly the ones

that live nearby on lakes Le Homme Dieu or Carlos.

“They’ve been coming here forever,” Haanen said.

One drawback, though, is that there is a limited time frame each year associated with this group of customers.

“You see your whole summer family come in, and then you watch them go.”

For those few months, though, the restaurant known for its steaks and

walleye is often packed. It’s revenue she appreciates, but on a larger scale, it is what injects energy and drives the area’s economy.

“It brings revenue into the city. That’s what we survive on,” Haanen said, noting that the winters get long. “I think we should be proud of our area, and that they want to come here.”

PROUDLY SERVING THE LAKES AREA SINCE 1921.

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SALES PAGE 34 | IMPACT 2019

PARTS

SERVICE

BUSINESSES AND CHURCHES

see the difference “I would say in May, June, July and August, our attendance goes up about 25 to 30 percent,” said Todd Wentworth, an administrator at the Church of St. Mary in Alexandria. “It definitely has an impact.”

Bob Iacono, the store director at Cub Foods in Alexandria, confirmed what other business owners were saying.

“They make a huge difference in sales for us. We have a significant increase in the summer months,” he said, noting that window is crucial for many businesses that must make up for the slow winter months.

All of the extra people create another benefit, Iacono said. They bring an enthusiasm that is palpable.

“You can feel the vibe in the summer,” he said. “Our team loves it. They get the energy and excitement going.”

EXCITEMENT LEVEL

It’s not just businesses that benefit from the way the area grows each year when the ice goes off the lake and spring is sprung. The seasonal residents and tourists are what make Alexandria a special place in many people’s minds.

“It starts about two weeks before the fishing opener, and the snowbirds start to leave here in the middle of September,” said Dale Weber of Ace Hardware on Broadway. He said those summer residents make a very big difference, and ventured to guess what Alexandria would be like without their presence.

“It would be like Fergus Falls,” he said, noting that Fergus is surprisingly larger than Alex. “It’s a hard fact, but that’s what we would be like.”

Lamphere from Page 33

go home and say that was the best summer.”

What makes those summers so enjoyable for Lamphere is the relationships she has forged with others in this area.

“I love my neighbors, and have a lot of friends right on the shore that I can’t wait to see,” she said. “It has always been an extremely friendly shoreline.

We still walk up and down the front of the cabins, and it’s not unusual to see people walking in front of your windows on the lake side. It used to be a road. It’s sort of like, ‘Oh, let’s see who’s here. Are the Rileys here? We always

end up chatting. It’s so much fun.”

She says this was a very social time for her parents’ generation, and not much has changed with Lamphere, who has childhood memories of wanting to drive down Alexandria’s main street just to see if anything had changed from the past year.

“It’s just a wonderful little community,” she said when asked what keeps her coming back year after year. “It’s really probably the people, and the beauty of the lake, and seeing my children and grandchildren have such a wonderful time.”

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IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 35

REAL ESTATE & BUILDING

Facts

Single-family home sales have risen 57 percent since 2013.

Douglas County’s vacancy rate in the rental market is currently 10 percent.

2018 properties sold Units sold Average sale price Average days on market Residential 639 $254,225 151 Farm with Building 0 0 0 Land 146 $111,515 546 Commercial 32 $318,000 491 Taxable Market Values Alexandria Township Brandon Township Carlos Township Hudson Township LaGrand Township Lake Mary Township City of Alexandria City of Garfield Douglas County

2018 $381,244,274 $177,290,861 $492,144,369 $204,788,298 $644,459,496 $213,595,660 $1,426,823,349 $19,338,379 $5,654,130,223

2019 $391,466,965 $176,792,286 $512,084,241 $198,641,927 $644,045,322 $220,455,131 $1,477,909,771 $21,450,243 $5,750,881,650

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Out

REAL ESTATE & BUILDING CITY TAX RATES

Facts

Alexandria Brandon Carlos Evansville Garfield Kensington Miltona Osakis County 46.52% 46.52% 46.52% 46.52% 46.52% 46.52% 46.52% 46.51% City

40.47%

68.79%

76.52%

117.39%

70.29%

47.11%

62.93% 72.69%

School 22.76%

7.57%

22.76%

7.57%

22.76%

5.46%

22.76%

27.20%

Special

1.70%

1.70%

1.70%

1.70%

1.70%

1.70%

1.70%

124.58% 147.50%

173.18%

141.27%

100.79%

133.91%

148.11%

Total

1.48% 111.23%

ALEXANDRIA HOUSEHOLDS 6,479 Permits 970 Commercial building permits 38

Assisted Living

Outpatient Therapy

DOUGLAS COUNTY HOUSEHOLDS 15,688 Permits 771 Commercial building permits 13

Home Care

Care Center

Memory Care Hospice

Wellness Pro gramming

Short-term Rehab ts Senior Apartmen

y

Smart-Home Technolog

SEASONAL The area swells from Memorial to Labor Day with activity as seasonal and part-time residents make the most of all that summer has to offer. Some people grumble about the influx, but where would our economy be without the spark they provide?

Alexandria has established itself as a tourist destination. We have an incredible abundance of beautiful lakes, awesome landscapes and area attractions that promote and welcome such an influx. Our local economy, our community, the people who have invested their time, energy and passion into building businesses, absolutely and thoroughly rely on this summer spark. The grumbling is anybody’s right, but Alexandria would not be on such a bright path were it not for these summer residents and visitors.

Your workplace is on the western shores of Lake Brophy, in such a beautiful setting that people drive from all over for the privilege of being there. You do realize that not everyone else is as fortunate, don’t you?

GREG BOWEN OWNER, BROPHY LAKE RESORT

PAGE 38 | IMPACT 2019

I do realize that my family lives in an incredibly beautiful setting. We cherish it, we work very, VERY hard to maintain it, and we thank God daily for providing such an opportunity. An unexpected benefit I have received, one I just didn’t see coming, is the undeniable satisfaction of providing and facilitating an environment that produces camaraderie and joy for those that choose to stay with us. I am beside myself when guests are gushing and happy … a pure and wholesome sense of accomplishment is the closest description I have. Fortunate, yes, but we do our absolute utmost to pass that along to our guests and to our community.

Resorts can be ideal settings, but owning one flips the picture a bit. They can also be a great deal of work.

When you and Angela took the plunge, did you realize all that was actually involved?

Angela and I were already business owners when we made the decision to buy Brophy Lake Resort.

Every business owner knows that success is only achieved through a great deal of work; that side of it did not concern or surprise us. The actual

Greg Bowen is the owner of Brophy Lake Resort (brophylakeresort.com) and Bowen Contracting.

He is currently president of the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, chairman of Lakes Area Marketing Inc, on the board of directors for Explore Alexandria Tourism, and on the Water Quality Legacy Fund Advisory Committee in Douglas County. Bowen is married to his wife of almost 23 years, Angela, and has four children. He can be reached at gfbowen67@gmail.com or at 320-304-1010.

“hospitality” angle was certainly more personally encompassing than we realized coming in. The naive thoughts we had of giving out keys to a cabin and then waving goodbye when they drove off the grounds quickly disappeared. Owning a resort requires an ability and willingness to connect with your guests, to understand and fulfill their particular requests and desires, to learn their children’s names and then engage them with laughter and challenges, to be willing to share a meal, or to simply sit by their fire, have a beer, and tell stories. For us, this level of personal commitment was a “plunge” we didn’t see coming, but is an integral part we believe is key to the success of having our resort guests return year after year.

ting?

What lessons have come from running a resort, and raising your family in that set-

Angie and I bought the resort in October of 2008, and at the time we had an 11-year-old daughter, a 9-year-old son, a 2-year-old daughter, and unbeknownst to us, another son coming our way in three years. Running a resort and raising a family at the same time, and in the same place, provided a platform to experience and help teach life lessons to my children. Some of the best lessons: developing a dependable work ethic; learning lifelong people skills; valuing cleanliness; accepting warranted criticism and then correcting it; respecting and protecting natural resources; watching out for the safety of others; simply being nice, ‘Minnesota Nice!’ My two oldest children have graduated from Alexandria Area High School and moved on to life’s next challenges. I absolutely believe the experiences and youthful development at Brophy Lake Resort will aid them extremely well in all their future endeavors.

Visitors may stay entirely on the resort grounds or venture into town or elsewhere in the county. What role do shopping, restaurants and recreational opportunities play in businesses that rely on tourism?

They play an incredibly vital role. Many of my resort guests stay for a week, and though we have an abundance of beauty, laugh-out-loud lake fun and ever-present fishing action, there is always a time when our guests enjoy a change – whether that is simply a trip to any one of our fine grocery stores or a night off from cooking so they can instead be served and enjoy a wonderful restaurant’s fare. How about a round of miniature

golf, a round of real golf, maybe a good movie or play, possibly an enjoying afternoon sampling wine or whiskey or a relaxing walk through apple orchards? Or an incredible afternoon strolling through a downtown with quaint and exciting shops and boutiques, with friendly people that understand the importance of these visitors, treat them as such and send them back to me gushing about the wonderful and incredible people in Alexandria? This is the role they provide for me, for all of us! It is the backbone that brings tourists to our area every year – tourists that make a choice to spend their hard-earned money in Alexandria.

tors?

What have you learned from your term as president of the chamber’s board of direc-

I have learned that our community is thriving because of the dynamic, caring people that invest their time, energy, passion and know-how into bettering Alexandria and the surrounding area. Business leaders care enough to serve on boards, to come together in service groups, to lend a hand when needed, and to listen to concerns and act upon them. I have learned that collaboration among our area’s entities and organizations results in successful achievement of common goals. I have learned that a successful chamber of commerce relies heavily on a dedicated, competent and passionate staff, that belonging to a community’s chamber of commerce provides crucial networking, that it plugs you in to the area’s business pulse, and that it is important to the overall health of our local economy. I have learned that I am proud to be part of such a community, that I love Alexandria and the people who live here.

The Pride of the Lakes campaign aims to raise awareness of the value of spending money locally and supporting area businesses. Do you see progress being made on that front?

The Pride of the Lakes campaign is taking hold and gaining traction. People are talking about it, businesses are beginning to embrace it and take real steps that will make a difference. It is a well thought out, community-driven concept that has the health of our local economy at its heart.

Progress has certainly been made. We all need to do our utmost to keep the momentum rolling, to think about what ‘Pride of the Lakes’ really means, to all do our part.

EDUCATION

Facts

HIGHER EDUCATION

Alexandria Technical & Community College Ranked fourth best Community College in the nation, and number one in all Minnesota State institutions for the best graduation rate. The job placement rate for ATCC students is 98 % 3,927 students annually Customized Training Center Automation & Manufacturing Business & Management Computer Technology Health Care Public & Workplace Safety Specialized Training Transportation

K-12 EDUCATION

Enrollment District 3,667 Alexandria 762 Osakis 406 Brandon-Evansville In Douglas County, 46.5% of the population has an Associate’s degree or higher. The high school graduation rate is 92%

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IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 39

WORKFORCE

EMPLOYERS

pull out all the stops in search for workers

M

any employers in Douglas County have been challenged in recent years in finding employees. That hardly makes them unique, as the same thing has been going on throughout many corners of Minnesota.

The state set a record for the most job openings during the second quarter of 2019, with Minnesota employers reporting 146,513 job vacancies. That represents a 3% increase from the previous year. What’s more, for every nine state residents who are unemployed, there are 10 open jobs.

“Most people who can work are working in the state,” said Angele Hartell, a workforce strategy consultant with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Just as worrisome is that hiring has slowed dramatically. In the past year, job growth is 1.5% nationally; in Minnesota it is only 0.2%. Just 4,989 jobs have been added in the state since September 2018.

That has employers scrambling to come up with innovative ways to not only attract workers, but to hold onto the ones they have.

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WORKFORCE

HEALTH CARE

N

early one out of every five openings in Minnesota – 19.2% – are classified as health care and social assistance jobs. It all amounts to a bit of a perfect storm for health care, as the biggest generation, the baby boomers, continue to join the senior citizen ranks.

“Our senior staff, as they retire, they’re leaving but they also are going to start increasing their utilization of health care,” said Edward Reif, Alomere Health’s director of community relations and development.

That’s creating a need for more workers to do more, and fill more shifts.

However, many members of the millennial generation have exhibited a desire to put more on their plate than simply more work.

“In this generation where workers are more focused on work/life bal-

ance, they have no interest in working 60 hours a week,” said Celeste Gardner, director of human resources at Alomere.

The hunt for prospective employees has ramped up, both within the fast-growing health care field and throughout many industries. Reif noted how quickly recruiting efforts have advanced in recent years.

“Before I started it was a pretty passive recruitment process, even for physicians,” he said. “Now it runs the gamut. We’re really coming at it from all different angles.”

That includes embracing a practice that manufacturers have been employing for some time, reaching out to high school and college students.

“There’s a lot to be said about catching kids upstream, before they get dialed in,” Reif said. They are using social media such as LinkedIn, asking current employees for leads, and urging those who grew up in the area to return.

SOME PEOPLE WANT ALL THE EMPLOYEES THEY CAN GET. WE JUST WANT THE RIGHT ONES. EDWARD REIF Director of community relations and development, Alomere Health

Gardner praised Reif and Dr. Deborah Dittberner for doing a phenomenal job in retaining connections with Alexandria students with a passion for the medical field.

“You have to actively be out getting them. It’s all about finding that passive looker now, those people who are not looking, who are in roles – that person who doesn’t even know they want a new job,” Gardner said, calling that the biggest recent difference she has seen.

The hospital has also adopted a “grow your own” strategy, retraining current employees for hard-to-fill positions.

Alomere, which employs over 900 people, experienced its biggest growth in a decade in 2018, making it a challenging year for staffing. Gardner emphasizes the importance of staying competitive or even ahead of the market on wages and benefits, and also stresses culture, making sure it is a great workplace. It is often the intangibles that tilt the scales.

“Much like everyone, what we’re selling here is the community, with every-

Health

continued on Page 43

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 41

WORKFORCE

MANUFACTURING

M

anufacturers have hired workers at a faster pace than other sectors in Douglas County since 2010, doing so by debunking the old ideas many had about the industry.

“There are still challenges of people understanding what manufacturing is all about,” said Lynette Kluver, director of organizational development at Alexandria Industries. They have a variety of jobs from sales and marketing, accounting, engineering, information technology and information systems.

“We’re so much more than people making parts.”

With a limited number of positions for unskilled workers, manufacturers collaborate with schools in creative ways to recruit qualified employees.

That includes partnerships featuring

tuition reimbursement for technical college students, sometimes a full ride for both years, as well as jobs while students are in school.

Another unique perk at Alexandria Industries is having its own clinic.

“That’s an attractive benefit that we offer our employees,” human resources manager Deb Moorman said. Any services the clinic provides, including lab tests, and prescriptions are all free for workers.

Employees are looking not just at compensation and benefits, Kluver said, but things such as a flexible work schedule, growth opportunities, education experience and community involvement. “You have to be pretty creative as an employer,” she said, also noting, “you have to be forward thinking.”

An example: The huge numbers of retiring boomers fueling the worker shortage. Why not combat the loss of workers by keeping those aging workers on, but in a reduced capacity?

FOR YOUNG FAMILIES, IT’S VERY EASY TO SELL. WE HAVE A WONDERFUL SCHOOL SYSTEM, ABUNDANT RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES. DEB MOORMAN Human resources manager, Alexandria Industries

“We have people ease into retirement,” Moorman said. “It’s kind of a win-win for both sides. They’re adjusting to less work and we’re retaining that great knowledge.”

As Kluver pointed out, most organizations now have four generations working for them. “You have to have that awareness of meeting all those needs,” she said.

Alex Industries employs nearly 450 people, and its reputation and culture

are big calling cards, Kluver said. “But there’s a lot of great organizations with great cultures. It is competitive. Most of us in manufacturing are looking for the same skill sets.”

Affordable housing and the child care shortage, and job challenges for a spouse can be hurdles to hiring. But the area has many selling points.

Workforce

continued on Page 43

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WORKFORCE

FOCUSING WITHIN

W

hile some manufacturers have used automation as a cushion against the worker shortage, no such option exists for places such as Knute Nelson. The nonprofit provides a wide range of services and housing options in west-central Minnesota, focused on helping seniors live and age well.

Knute’s director of human resources, Nicole Nyberg, said the market has really tightened up within the past five years. “It’s actually getting worse, and we anticipate it’s going to get worse over the next five years,” she said.

That challenge has sparked several efforts, including emphasizing $1,000 referral bonuses for employees, and opening a child care center two years ago run by the YMCA at the care center building.

This year instead of a traditional job fair, they tried what they called a hiring happy hour, with music, appetizers and even wine and beer. Human resources specialist Allie Janssen called the event a big success, yielding four new employees.

It was an innovative way to catch the attention of those who otherwise may not have applied. “How do we get in front of the passive job seeker?”

Nyberg asked. Or as Janssen put it, “How do we stand out from others in our industry?”

In a field that claims one of the highest turnover rates, Knute Nelson stands out by being significantly under the industry average, Janssen said. “I think it boils down to our culture 100 percent,” she said.

Nyberg said they deeply care about culture. Engagement committees and a reward and recognition program are part of it, as is putting an emphasis on giving back to the communities they serve through volunteer time off. Since its work requires staffing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the company has been focusing on creating more attractive work schedules.

“We are coming up with more and better ways so that our employees do have a voice, so their opinions matter and their voice is heard,” Nyberg said.

“How do we truly use their feedback to make it a better workplace?”

“I know it sounds a little cliche, but now more than ever, it’s that emphasis on workplace balance, and having their voices heard, knowing that their word matters,” Janssen said.

Current employees – Knute Nelson employs around 500 in Alexandria and 700 across the state – are among their best recruiters, and Nyberg believes if they’re having a well-rounded work experience, they will recommend jobs to others.

“Our people are our biggest asset,” Nyberg said. “The work that we do is literally life and death. I just feel if we aren’t focusing on our people and giving them strong care, it all falls apart.”

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thing it has to offer. You have everything you could possibly need here in Alex,” Reif said, ticking off the lakes, the outdoors, hunting, short commutes, easy access to the Twin Cities and Fargo, and the opportunities to become engaged in the community.

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Workforce from Page 42 LYNETTE KLUVER Director of organizational development, Alexandria Industries

“For young families, it’s very easy to sell. We have a wonderful school system, abundant recreation opportunities,” Moorman said. She has found that once area natives begin having families, they frequently want to relocate back here.

“There’s just a different sense of community here,” Kluver agreed. “People are drawn to that.”

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HOUSING

HOUSING

can be an obstacle A tight housing market creates problems for new residents looking for a place to live

D

ouglas County is a sought-after place to live, and while that benefits those who already own a home, it can have the opposite effect for those looking to move into the area.

Finding affordable homes in Alexandria is difficult, primarily because home prices are higher here than in other comparable communities. That

was one of several conclusions of the latest comprehensive housing study for the city.

Prices just outside of the city limits are even higher, the study found. Plus, the median list price for Alexandria is increasing by roughly 8% per year, according to Realtor.com.

Pushing those prices up is the high demand for owning a home. The study anticipates that over the next five years, between 155-170 households will be moving to the greater Alexandria area each year, which includes four surrounding townships.

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“If we were to add like 150 units a year, we’d just be keeping pace,” said Jeff Hess, executive director of the Alexandria Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

“The problem with this is we don’t have anybody in town who can build that (number),” said Brandon Johnson, a partner with Coldwell Banker Crown Realtors. “One of our biggest hurdles is we don’t have big-box builders in our market base.”

Other factors hampering the lack of houses for sale include the rising costs of materials and labor, he said, and

a tendency for people to stay in their homes longer as they age. “People are living longer, and are staying put.

They’re just not interested in selling the house where they raised their kids,” Johnson said.

He said that the absorption rate – how long it would take to sell all of the current housing inventory at the present sales rate – has barely been above five months in the past year, and recently was around 4.5. A balanced market is considered to have a sixmonth window.

Even so, it’s not as if realtors don’t have homes for sale.

“We can find them something that works,” said Johnson, conceding that some flexibility may be required. “If you want to own a house, we can do it.”

Samuel Herzog, president of Herzog Property Management, calls affordable single-family housing the area’s biggest need.

“I think we’re getting closer to meeting that need,” he said. “It’s so difficult with the building restrictions today and the infrastructure costs to get a home you can price at $199,000. But there’s such a demand.”

A lot of new development starts at $350,000 and goes up from there, he said, but he would love to see the addition of 20-30 homes in Alexandria in the $199,000-$250,000 range.

“There’s a huge market for that, and it would fill a big need and keep people here,” Herzog said.

RENTAL ISSUES

The same issues affecting home sales exist with rental property. Johnson said data shows it is currently 13% cheaper to buy than it is to rent. The housing study also found the median gross rent in the city to be noticeably higher than similar-sized cities.

“When I took this position in 2004, you heard very little talk of the need for

affordable housing in the community,” Hess said. In the 15 years since then, that has changed.

“Affordable housing is a term that gets thrown around a lot, but I can tell you it’s becoming a lot more difficult to find,” he said, describing affordability as not paying more than 30% of your income for housing.

All of this does not make Alexandria unique, since it is part of a statewide trend.

The study also pegged the estimated rental vacancy rate below 2%. Hess identified a healthy rate at between 5-10%, and has heard that some large employers have had trouble hiring due to housing challenges. “I know teachers who have turned down jobs because of housing,” he said.

The low vacancy rate is despite a recent building boom that has added 219 rental units in Alexandria since 2017, bringing the total to around 3,300.

Another 240 units are in the pipeline, and city planner Mike Weber says they are needed just to keep pace with demand. Since 2010, more than 70% of the housing options created in Alexandria have been for renters.

DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY

Two new apartment projects from Unique Opportunities opened this year and are housing more than 120 peo-

ple, with more to come. Herzog, the company’s vice president, recently provided insight into the demographics to those renting in the 94-unit Woodland Heights apartment complex and the Overlook Apartments that houses 47 units. Both properties are across McKay Avenue from Woodland Elementary School.

At Woodland Heights, half of which opened Oct. 1, nearly 10% of the renters are over the age of 65. But the key demo is people under 30, accounting for more than 70%, with one-third of all renters between the ages of 18-21 and another third between 22-25.

“They’re just coming out of college, they need a place to live before they put down roots in the community. They probably aren’t in a place to get a home loan right away,” surmised Herzog.

“When we sold this to the investors, what we communicated was that this was going to be a workforce housing building. You’re going to see a lot of people who will lease here before buying or building a home in the community, and these age responses tend to indicate that is what’s happening.”

One other distinction was that one quarter of renters moved from within a 25-mile radius, another quarter from farther away, and 51% came from Alexandria. Herzog said for the properties they have developed in other cities, between 75-80% of renters already lived in the city.

Market

continued on Page 47

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IT’S CHALLENGING RIGHT NOW. THE DATA IS TELLING ME WE HAVE A PROBLEM. BRANDON JOHNSON AL GLAESEMAN

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President, Herzog Property Managment

Partner, Coldwell Banker Crown Realtors

JEFF HESS Alexandria Executive Director, Housing and Redevelopment Authority

Partner, Coldwell Banker Crown Realtors

Market from Page 45 “When you’re in those numbers around 50%, that is really healthy for a community,” Herzog said of bringing half of the people from outside of the area. “That means there’s a lot of growth, and a lot of people coming into the community from a lot of places.”

The Overlook Apartments development is more upscale with underground parking and other amenities, and its 71 residents have a higher average annual income, with 40% earning more than $60,000.

“What’s interesting about this building is we have 70% women, 30% men,”

said Herzog. Also of note is the demographics are nearly identical to the other apartment building, with almost 70% age 25 or younger, and 8% over 65.

IN DEMAND

The Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Douglas County oversees a government-funded program that helps with rent for those who qualify. They have so many on a waiting list – the number recently reached 350 – that it was closed in October. Al Glaeseman, the organization’s assistant

director, said that isn’t unusual for a metropolitan area, but it is for a place such as this.

“People do want to live in our part of the world, which is a compliment to Douglas County,” he said.

It’s easy to understand why the county is so desirable, Johnson said. It has many things going for it, such as a diverse base of manufacturing, education, health care and tourism.

“That’s a pretty solid stool to sit on,” he said, noting that this area wasn’t as impacted by the recession as other regions. “Tourism took a hit for a time.

But you can still sit on a three-legged stool.”

Johnson, who was president of the Greater Alexandria Area Association of Realtors and has held several positions with the Minnesota Association of Realtors, is propelled by doing his part for the area he has lived in since fifth grade.

“It’s challenging right now. The data is telling me we have a problem,” he said. “This is a community I love and adore, and I look at it is part of my responsibility to fix this thing.

“I think there’s a change in the wind.”

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HOUSING You recently became president of Vikingland Builders Association. What does that mean to you?

The Vikingland Builders Association is a great organization that I have been involved in for many years.

The involvement allows me stay up to date with building regulations, and gives me the opportunity to represent our membership so I can better understand what the needs are for the building industry.

Why is it important to be a VBA member, and how does that strengthen your business and the area housing industry?

The Vikingland Builders Association plays an important role at a local, regional and national level. The VBA contributes a portion of its membership dollars towards the Builders Association of Minnesota and National Association of Home Builders to keep building affordable and to help maintain realistic building codes at the local, state and national level.

Membership in the VBA provides the opportunity to be directly involved in the legisla-

ERIC NYBERG

PRESIDENT, VIKINGLAND BUILDERS ASSOCIATION

PAGE 48 | IMPACT 2019

tion that affects our membership. This allows our members to be up to date with the building codes and legislation so they can not only provide quality work using the most up to date building codes, but it also protects the licensure for these builders by keeping them educated with the building codes.

The annual events the VBA puts on provides a great conduit for local networking.

The most well-known event that VBA has is the annual Home Tour that allows our membership to advertise their products and business, and allows our builder members to display their workmanship in actual homes across our area.

Advocacy is one of the association’s roles. What have been some key issues for its members, and what legislative or regulatory changes would the organization like to see?

In the last two or three years, multiple items have come up that have affected our membership at the local level. I believe that the VBA has represented itself very well in the past, and I am

Eric Nyberg is a registered land surveyor and co-owner of Nyberg Surveying. He is a member of the Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors, and First Lutheran Church. Nyberg enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, and his hobbies include coaching hockey, hunting, golfing and spending time on the lake.

proud to note that we have a respected presence with our local officials. We have been asked to meet with local officials and give our opinion on topics that best represent our membership to the greatest extent. Some of these items that have been brought to our attention are the moratorium of allowing credit on the use of impervious pavers, the attempt to repeal the 1306 fire code that was adopted in 2004 in the City of Alexandria, and most recently the changes made to the City of Alexandria Building Permit application.

You and your brother appear to have taken similar paths, earning degrees at St. Cloud State University and St. Cloud Technical College, before returning to work for your father’s business, Nyberg Surveying, Inc. Did you always know this was the way it would work out?

Well, I guess as I look back at it, I really didn’t remember foreseeing a long term plan as to how the business would work out. Brad and I have a very similar work ethic and complement each other very well, as we both have different roles in the company. I focus on the field work and

A L E X A N D R I A

project management and he spends more time lining up projects, client relations, and reviewing drawings and plans.

What is it like to work as part of a family business?

My dad started Nyberg Surveying 37 years ago in the basement of our home, so the company has been a part of our family ever since I was a child. He retired about eight years ago and I am very proud to have been given the opportunity to help carry on the operations of Nyberg Surveying along with my brother Brad.

Along with some obvious benefits, are there challenges? Do you avoid talking shop when you’re together for the holidays?

Working with family can be difficult at times, but for the most part we have learned to make things work very well. Brad and I spend a fair amount of time away from the office together and we both know we will be better off not to talk shop when we are away from work.

Along those lines, are there any regional or national trends impacting the area’s housing market?

Any reason why it shouldn’t continue to boom?

What advice would you offer others who are raised here, move away for school or other reasons and are considering returning home?

I am always interested in watching the housing trends evolve.

Recently, I noticed a home come up for sale that I remember being on the Home Tour 15 years ago. I specifically remember it being one of the nicest homes that I have ever been in back then. This is still a very nice home, but I couldn’t believe how different it is than what you see in today’s new construction. The color themes, wood selection, lighting, technology and décor have all changed so much.

I also remember walking through a home at the home tour about six to eight years ago and this home didn’t have phone lines put in. I couldn’t believe someone would have the confidence that they wouldn’t need a landline back then.

The advice that I would give is to enjoy living in a different place, with different people, as you may be surprised on what opportunities you may be approached with. If the opportunities and/or ambitions of moving back to this area arise, you will more than likely fall into place as if you never left. I met a lot of great people while I was living out of the area and will never regret any time spent away from this community.

The Alexandria area has grown considerably in the time I have lived here, but I still consider it to have a small-town feel. Even though this community continues to grow, it continues to provide opportunities and support to our local businesses. My family and I are very happy to be part of this community and are very proud to call it home.

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ARTS

THE ART OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST IN DOUGLAS COUNTY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF SEVERAL RESIDENTS.

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ARTS The Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra has carved out an irreplaceable spot on the area’s arts landscape. Yet the idea of an all-volunteer orchestra in Alexandria was no more than a dream, as you called it, a little more than a decade ago. What made you think this could be more than a dream?

This actually came about because of several people approaching me to create some sort of community ensemble. I was made aware that there was a civic orchestra that had been assembled sporadically in the ‘60s and ‘70s. I had told people that I needed to make sure that I was able to do my new job as the orchestra director at the high school first. After a couple of years of being asked to do this, elementary music teacher Joelle Burreson and I started asking around to see if we could scrounge up enough musicians to create a chamber ensemble. Joelle and I figured that if we could find at least 25 musicians we would have enough to start something. By the end of the summer, we had well over 50 musicians willing to do this. It was at this point that the “dream” came to fruition.

The orchestra has 60 members, giving all those musicians – some of whom travel quite a distance for weekly rehearsals and have so much talent they would be welcomed in any orchestra – a chance to do what they love and play before appreciative audiences. Does that alone make it all worth it?

When the orchestra was first born, this was enough to make it worth it. At this point, the thing that makes it “worth it” is so much more global than that. We’ve now creat-

Lambrecht continued on Page 56 Brad Lambrecht joined the music faculty at Alexandria School District in 2007, and currently serves as director of orchestras for Alexandria Area High School. He is also the founder and conductor of the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra.

Lambrecht is a 2005 Music Education graduate from Valley City State University, where he won the North Dakota Young Artists competition two years in a row. He is in his final year of a Master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

PAGE 52 | IMPACT 2019

BRAD LAMBRECHT DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAS, ALEXANDRIA AREA HIGH SCHOOL

ARTS

MUSIC IS THE LURE Greg Donahue’s love of music turned a temporary job into a permanent stay in Alexandria

G

reg Donahue’s family moved around a lot when he was growing up, and his parents knew how important music was to their son.

“It was always kind of a requirement when we moved somewhere that the school system had an orchestra,” he said.

A temporary job as law clerk for Judge Ann Carrott brought him to town in 2013. Instead of moving back where his wife had a steady job, they rolled the dice and opted to take their chanc-

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es in Alexandria. Music was a big reason for that, too.

“There was so much up here and it was so easy to break into. I just told someone that I played, and six people wanted to play with me,” he said.

As is the case with musicians, Donahue began playing any gigs he could land. He still does. At a Methodist

church concert that first summer, someone passed along a phone number for Brad Lambrecht, the director for the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra. Donahue had no idea how good the symphony was, or if he was good enough to be in it. He asked if he could audition, and made the cut.

Donahue continued on Page 57

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ARTS

Working to grow

VISUAL ARTS Local artists unite to create a destination for visitors by forming the Alexandria Art Guild

K

arla Mikkelson and Jon Thompson both make their livings as artists at JT Maui Designs, and in 2018 were among those involved in forming the Alexandria Art Guild. Around 30 people have chosen to become members. The group, which is not restricted to actual artists but also welcomes art supporters, holds monthly meetings, plans art events and publishes a directory of local artists.

“The more unity we can create, the more we can put Alexandria on the map,” Thompson said. “We can create a destination that people can come to from Fargo, Bemidji, Fergus Falls, Morris and the Twin Cities.”

Mikkelson believes the area’s visual arts scene is just beginning to grow. The area has had many painters and a few potters, she said, but lacked cohesiveness. The guild is looking to change that.

Over a weekend in June, it launched the Art DeTour to showcase the work of

25 artists. The driving tour of 13 art studios in and around Alexandria featured a wide array of media, from art glass, mixed media works, paintings, pottery and wood to photography, fiber art and drawings.

“There is so much artistic talent that is right here in Douglas County that unfortunately has been hidden for a while,” Mikkelson told the Echo Press prior to the tour. “It deserves to be featured.”

THEATER OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND

Photo courtesy Heather Scott Photography Thompson praised Battle Lake for how it has incorporated art into its downtown streets, with murals and mosaic benches along their main street, and even bike racks. Now that the Guild has achieved nonprofit status, enabling it to accept donations and apply for grants, Thompson hopes to bring art to public spaces in Alexandria. “That way it will welcome them as they enter town, or are walking Broadway. It enhances their perception of the town, and the arts community.”

The music scene here also does that for Mikkelson. “It’s definitely another thing we consider when we choose a place to live or not live,” she said, adding that families new to the area, no matter their age, are also looking for entertainment and things to do. Alexandria stacks up well in that regard, but there’s still room for improvement, she said.

“Where our music and theater have always been strong, the visual arts need to be strong. I do still think we have a ways to go.”

IT’S JUST WONDERFUL THAT THERE ARE SO MANY ACTIVE ARTS OF ALL KINDS HERE. SHARON THALMANN Active in community theater

Sharon Thalmann finds love of arts in Alexandria Sharon Thalmann of Alexandria, who directed “Hello Dolly,” at the Andria Theater in October, was raised in Parkers Prairie. When she enrolled at Concordia College in St. Paul, she got the acting bug hard.

“I spent most of my time in the theater there, and that’s where I really learned to love it,” she said.

Now she eagerly watches for the moment new actors get the bug. When she spots it, she knows they will be auditioning for more shows.

Thalmann continued on Page 57 PAGE 54 | IMPACT 2019

Photo courtesy Jeff Roste

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 55

ARTS

A LIFELONG LOVE OF THEATER

W

hile some come to appreciate the arts as an adult, others are introduced in their formative years.

Fred Bursch, whose father was one of the founders of Theatre L’Homme Dieu – where the theater building bears the family name – has been going there since he was a kid. He learned of the impact of theater then, and recalls a moment when he witnessed it again through the eyes of two young kids. By intermission, he said their jaws had dropped, they were so impressed at seeing their first live performance.

The theater’s executive director, Nicole Mulder, also developed her love for the theater right there, as a 15-year-old usher. She has never acted on stage, but found a way to make a living in a field that has meant so much to her.

“It has been a big part of my life, always,” Mulder said. “What I love is we see things in theater that you might not know you wanted to know, or see or hear.

Theater for me has always provided that jumping

I LOVE THIS THEATER (TLHD). IT’S A GATHERING PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE MOSTLY HERE FOR THE SUMMER. JIM PENCE Board member, TLHD and CLSO

off point for conversations that I’ve wanted. It has allowed me to see things that are different.”

Jim Pence, a self-described theater junkie, cherishes the ideas and the conversations that are sparked in a darkened theater.

“Theater is a place for interaction between the audience and the actors,” said Pence, who spoke passionately of several moments he shared with others at performances this year – the collective gasps during

Theater continued on Page 57

Lambrecht from Page 52 ed an ensemble that is not only adding to the culture of the region, it has become an artistic staple for the residents of central Minnesota. We’ve commissioned several works from composers to add to the continual growth of orchestral repertoire. We’ve also done everything in our power to keep the great musical masters alive in our region.

We’ve been able to bring outside groups to collaborate with us, such as the Twin Cities Ballet and the Minnesota Opera. It also allows for fellowship with the musicians and audience members alike before and after concerts.

Support for the orchestra doesn’t stop there. It has also carved out a broad base of financial sponsors, along with a loyal audience. What does that say to you about the people of this area?

You have been described as bringing equal doses of enthusiasm, inspiration and joy to the CLSO as its conductor and music director, and as orchestra teacher at the high school. What are the most important qualities for someone in these leadership positions to possess, and why?

When we first were looking for sponsors 11 years ago to help with the costs of the ensemble, people were rightfully apprehensive. Musical ensembles had been attempted before in the area without any success. Many people in the area wanted to see if this would actually come off the ground before financially supporting us. I believe that this proves that the community now truly has faith that we are here to stay, and that we are accomplishing the mission that we set forth to do.

This may seem like an intense question, but I think it comes with a rather simple answer that is challenging to execute. The answer is love.

You must love the music, love the musicians, love the community, and love the process. You must love all these things equally and passionately. You must believe in these things fully and with conviction. If this is accomplished, others (students and adults alike) will collaborate with you in creating something beautiful and lasting.

How much of a step up was it when the new high school opened and the concerts moved to its Performing Arts Center?

What motivates you? Of all the things that you do, what gives you the most satisfaction? What brings you joy?

In the beginning we would perform any place that would take us. We performed at Discovery Middle School, St. Mary’s Church, Calvary Church, United Methodist Church, Jefferson High School gymnasium and Carlos Creek Winery in those early days. When the new Performing Arts Center was constructed at the Alexandria Area High School, we finally had a facility we could proudly call “home.”

The building is a structural and acoustic masterpiece that is comfortable for our audience sit in. It allows the musicians to be able to hear one another so the quality of our performances was raised exponentially.

My motivation and joy comes from the people and the art that I work with. Much of my work is done sitting at home at the piano/organ with my scores. Study is a huge part of my job, but what drives me day by day, week by week, and year after year is what comes from that study and the people it affects. Rehearsals with the musicians drive the love of creating the perfect artistic moment. Performances drive the love of creating a great cultural environment and experience.

PAGE 56 | IMPACT 2019

You’ve seen it happen in other areas, when funding gets tight and the arts get viewed as expendable and targeted for budget cuts. Yet it is clear that many Douglas County residents greatly value the role the arts play in their lives. Would you mind sharing an example?

One of the greatest examples that comes to mind is when the new high school was constructed. We knew that the school district was building an auditorium to the best of their abilities, but there were many in the area that wanted this facility to be a center for the performing arts in Minnesota. Those individuals stepped up to donate large amounts of money to build this into a cultural mecca in the region. State-of-the-art acoustics were done, the world’s finest floors were put in, immaculate sound systems were created, and some of the finest instruments were purchased. In addition to this, we began an artistic ensemble (the CLSO), when the country was going through a recession. I believe the residents of Douglas County understood that in difficult times, this is when arts in the community are most important and most needed for its citizens.

Is there room for more? What else would you like to see on the arts horizon here?

There is always room for more! I’ve seen many of the visual artists in the area do amazing things in the recent past and that realm of the arts continues to grow. As far as the CLSO is concerned, we are constantly in a state of growth through our board of directors. There are many dreams I have for the future of the CLSO, and some of them are starting to come into fruition. I believe there is room for vocal and operatic music to find a permanent home in the region and that is currently being discussed by many.

Donahue from Page 53

Thalmann from Page 54

“The group itself is phenomenal. I’ve been impressed since the first note of the first rehearsal, and that’s generally not your best note,” he said. “I was very impressed from the get-go.”

That opened up another world for Donahue, with connections to people through the symphony.

He also wound up meeting several people with the law firm of Swenson Lervick Syverson Trosvig Jacobson Cass through a guitar player in his band.

Donahue now works there as an attorney. His wife, Lesley, joined him in Alexandria, found a job, and also earned a chair in the symphony as a violinist.

“One thing about Alexandria that always sticks in my head, when she would come up here and come into downtown, she would always say it just feels like you’re coming home. And it wasn’t home for her. I always thought it was cool that she felt that. It’s got that welcoming feel to it.”

Donahue, who is president of the CLSO board of directors, is not even a native Minnesotan. But he has put down roots, and has now lived here longer than anywhere.

“For the local economy, having all these musicians around is fantastic. Maybe I have a skewed view of it, but even those who don’t play I think look for that,” he said of a community that values the arts. “In general, I think you’re going to find it’s just a nicer place to live.

“And it’s not just music. The theater scene here is amazing, and even the sponsorship for the arts here is so off the charts.”

“It’s just wonderful that there are so many active arts of all kinds here, but especially active theaters,” Thalmann said. She has acted or directed at Prairie Winds Players Community Theatre in Barrett, and Fire Pit Productions and Lakes Area Radio Theatre in Alex.

The abundance of theaters for an area this size gives people an outlet that they would dearly miss otherwise.

“The amount of opportunities (in the area) is rare. It’s wonderful there’s so much talent,” Thalmann said. “We just do a top-notch job of presenting theater for our area.”

The benefit of a healthy arts scene is felt by far more than those who get directly involved, said Thalmann, who was director of the Henning Landmark Center when she lived there.

“A lot of folks who came to retire to our area because of the lakes and because it’s a wonderful place, were so pleased by the strong support of the arts and the opportunities to engage in the arts. They were concerned there would be a drought of all the things they had gotten used to in the big city, and people expressed that they were pleasantly surprised at all the things there are to see in the area – and I think that’s a big plus.”

Theater from Page 56 a dramatic moment in “Bright Star,” the rolling laughter during “Church Basement Ladies,” and the conjuring of universal youthful memories such as station wagons during Kevin Kling’s 1960s-themed show.

“Part of the socialization for me is being in the audience. People are connecting through the arts,” said Pence, who sits on both the TLHD and CLSO boards.

“I love this theatre. It’s a gathering place for the community, and people who are mostly here for the summer,” said Pence, a strong believer that arts enrich quality of life. “Theater feeds people’s souls, and that’s not a trivial matter.”

www.alexandria-chev.com IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 57

RETAIL

STATE AWARD

shows off area’s retail strength Niche stores continue to be vital to the success of the Alexandria community, bringing in consumers and other retailers

By Rachel Kubik

T

he strength of Alexandria’s retail community was borne out when it was named the state’s Retail Community of the Year in 2018.

Nicole Fernholz, director of the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission, said that several indicators show Alexandria has a strong retail economy with the numerous non-chain retail stores.

“Look around the Alexandria area and you can see that these niche stores continue to be a vital and active part of the community that bring consumers and other retailers to the area,” she said in an Echo Press op-ed.

Alexandria has a strong retail pull.

The pull factor was developed by an economist from Iowa State University Extension Service to measure sales activity in a locality. It is calculated by dividing the city’s or county’s per capita current dollar sales by the state’s per

capita sales. A pull factor index higher than 1.0 usually indicates that businesses are pulling customers from outside their community. In the study, Alexandria had the third-highest pull factor in Minnesota at 3.04.

Even with the large retail store closings of JCPenney and Herberger’s, this doesn’t reflect poorly on Alexandria or the area, Fernholz said. “Many of the stores that have closed were a result of the chains strategically closing many of their stores after waning

sales nationwide … It does represent a massive shift in the retail industry as we know it.”

CHANGING BEHAVIOR

Across the country, one of the biggest shifts in the industry has involved the rise of online shopping. In Douglas County, an effort was undertaken this year to do something about that. The Pride of the Lakes campaign aims to get residents to buy goods and services locally.

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WE’VE ALWAYS SAID THE DOWNTOWN IS KIND OF THE FACE OF THE COMMUNITY. PAM BOTKER President, Downtown Merchants Association and owner of Creative Touch Boutique

Alexandria Area High School high school seniors Graham Peterson, Abby Blank and Matthew Carlsen have jumped aboard the campaign by giving presentations to area groups, putting out newspaper and radio advertisements, posting on social media and showing videos during movie previews.

“This campaign has made a large impact on my spending behaviors. Before, I would always order the things I needed online because of the convenience, but now I try to see if our local businesses have what I need first,” Blank wrote in a recent op-ed in the Echo Press. “What I found out is that nine times out of 10, the things I need can be found right here.”

KEEPING DOWNTOWN STRONG Besides businesses all over town, there is a focus on the downtown area as well. Pam Botker, president of the Downtown Merchants Association and owner of Creative Touch Boutique, said the downtown brings the community together.

“We’ve always said the downtown is kind of the face of the community,” she said.

Botker’s mission with the association is to keep the downtown alive and keep people aware that Alexandria has a really good one, she said. The Downtown Merchants put on events such as the wine and art crawls and the recent event, champagne and chocolate, to get people to discover the downtown.

Most downtowns are dying, she said. Online shopping is killing many businesses.

What makes Alexandria’s downtown so special for Botker is that within a three-block radius, there is a theater, brewery, museums, clothing stores, antique stores, a pawn shop and hair salons.

Tourists come from all over to shop downtown.

“We have such a variety to offer people that they love to spend a day shopping,” Botker said.

“When you come downtown, you’re shopping local, you’re supporting local people, not big corporations, so the money is staying in the community.”

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 59

RETAIL You have been doing interior design work for over three decades, but it hasn’t always been done here.

What brought you to Douglas County?

I came to Alexandria to teach Interior Design at Alexandria Technical & Community College. I was working for one of the premier interior design firms downtown Minneapolis. I taught a few design classes part time and realized it was something I wanted to pursue full time. I had an opportunity to teach full time in Alexandria but I had full intentions of it being a 1-2 year stint.

That was 31 years ago.

When did you decide this was going to be the place you would continue to call home, and why?

It certainly wasn’t the first year or two. I was convinced I would return to the metro to teach and design.

Unfortunately, I was not aware of the newcomer’s organization and struggled to find my community on a social level.

What I did learn quickly was that ATCC was a progressive, supportive school. The school supported me in my professional growth. As an interior designer there are usually

paths one takes, like commercial design, kitchen and bath, or residential. I was able to build all those skills plus lighting, codes, and computer-aided design.

As I traveled and visited with other designers and instructors I realized what a gem I had found with ATCC. Because of the school I knew I had to make Alexandria work for me.

You were also involved in the arts in the Twin Cities. Did you expect to find a healthy arts scene existed in western Minnesota? How could it improve?

We are very, very fortunate to have volunteers and visionaries to keep the arts alive in rural Minnesota.

I love seeing the outpouring of support Alexandria gives to the Andria Theatre, Theatre L’Homme Dieu, Red Willow Arts Coalition, Central Lakes Symphony and the list goes on.

I very much enjoy the performing arts, however I love the visual arts and I’m sad there is not a vibrant gallery in the area. I started the first coffee house in Alexandria in the early ‘90s and part of the business was to be an artist gallery. The visual arts have

Betty Ravnik of Alexandria is the senior interior designer and owner of the home décor and gift store, Ravnik & Co., at 609 Broadway, downtown Alexandria. Ravnik has served on regional and national boards with the National Kitchen & Bath Association and the American Society of Interior Designers. She presently serves on the board of Theatre L’Homme Dieu and the Alexandria Downtown Merchants Association, is on the ADMA event committee and co-chairs the Wine, Ale and Art Crawl events. She can be reached at betty@ravnikandco.com or by calling 320-763-8300.

PAGE 60 | IMPACT 2019

BETTY RAVNIK OWNER, RAVNIK & CO.

struggled in this community and I hope to see that change. I would love to see the visual arts grow and expand with the same support the community gives the performing arts.

You have owned a home decor store that offers design work for 13 years on Broadway in downtown Alexandria. How has the retail landscape changed? What are the keys to operating a successful business?

Definitely a retail store needs to evolve. That can be through technology, marketing and product mix.

Ravnik & Co rebranded several years ago. We started mostly as a fabric and furniture store, but now those items are part of a larger mix of products.

By introducing more gifts and home décor, it becomes a store that is for the homeowner as well as the tourist. We invested in a CAD program that allows our remodeling and new construction clients to visualize their interior with photo real perspectives.

Lastly, marketing is ever changing.

Retailers struggle to find platforms that reach their target market. Social media is important but not the only avenue. I think the key to staying in business is the willingness to listen to the marketplace and change as needed.

What does downtown get right, and what can it do better?

I think what it has done right is creating pride and community.

It is a family of various backgrounds with a unified purpose. The Alexandria Downtown Merchants Association’s main focus is to promote its members and bring attention to the services and products provided. This type of collaboration is important to a small business.

We can always be better at telling our story, and as we support our community we hope they value and support us.

Downtown is but one part of the retail draw that comes with being a tourist area and a regional shopping destination. Does having strong businesses throughout the area benefit downtown, and what can be done to create more local opportunities for consumers?

I feel Alexandria is one of the most successful rural towns in the Midwest because of the diversity in business from manufacturing, farming, medical and retail to tourism. A strong community helps create great schools and great schools attract new businesses and families. A strong retail base builds a stronger community. If outside businesses see success, they will take the opportunity to invest in our community.

I am very optimistic Alexandria will attract more entrepreneurs, which in turn will offer more options for consumers.

We all need each other and we need out-of-town people, so there is a need to continue to be welcoming, which I believe Alexandria does extremely well.

What has been the reaction to the Pride of the Lakes campaign, and what else can be done to raise awareness of the importance of buying local?

I love the direction and the commitment of the Pride of the Lakes.

I joined as a business, but just joining is not enough. Doing business local some of the time helps. It takes an effort to do business local. The internet makes everything easy.

Until people actually see and feel how it affects their lives, I don’t see it will change. Business owners know the importance, because keeping their doors open depends on it.

We’ll ask you to take out your crystal ball – providing a designer wouldn’t frown on having one in her home – and tell us what we can expect to see from a business standpoint in the near future.

That is very funny. I have a collection of paperweights and

one looks like a crystal ball. For years I talked about how my crystal ball has been broken, especially 30 years ago when I thought my time in Alexandria would be short lived.

Retailers – no matter if they are selling groceries, cars, furniture or clothes – have stiff competition with online options. Overhead is minimal for an online company, which is opposite for a brick and mortar store. Local businesses’ defense is to offer more in experience, service and marketing. Brick and mortar stores offer something online companies don’t offer and that is employment to people in our community.

But having said that, I think businesses need to work on an e-commerce option. Several of us have not figured out an economical way to do that, but when it happens I see even more growth in Alexandria.

here?

Any last bits of advice to people who are considering coming

I don’t see Alexandria slowing down – it is poised in every way to continue to grow and continue its diverse offerings. All of this business growth is surrounded by total beauty of landscape. People are drawn by hope of success and beauty. That is what Alexandria has to offer.

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 61

AREA BUSINESS

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WEEKLY WAGES BY INDUSTRY $1,368 Information $1,203 Manufacturing $1,122 Financial services $994 Public administration $922 Construction $880 Education & health services $784 Professional services $698 Transportation

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Natural resources Other Hospitality

HOUSEHOLD INCOME $58,667 Douglas County median $76,619 Douglas County average $46,009 City of Alexandria median

Average commute time for workers in Douglas County: 18 minutes Average commute time for workers in Minnesota: 24 minutes 18,320 from region work within Douglas County 67.8% of workforce are Douglas County residents 5,843 come from surrounding counties

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Impact Magazine – Half page horizontal (9.75”x5.5”)

RECREATION

BRAD BONK

SUPERINTENDENT, DOUGLAS COUNTY PARKS

PAGE 64 | IMPACT 2019

This job has to suit you perfectly, considering your love of the outdoors. How did you develop that passion?

ground up. What was it like trying to determine what to do with so much land basically from the ground up?

I don’t have a great moment of clarity or any epiphanies that led me to love the outdoors.

It was developed right out my parents’ back door at the farm I grew up on. We were outside working on the farm, gardening vegetables, playing sports, and my favorite was always time spent hunting and fishing. I could not tell you the first time I caught a fish, tagged along hunting, worked in the garden, or rode in a tractor. It was just always a part of what we did as a family, and I was very fortunate to have parents and grandparents who took the time to include me. With farming and the activities, we spent so much time observing how things react to changes in the environment around. Be it moisture, temperature, seasonal food sources or human activity, you just become aware of the cause and effect relationship of the outdoor world. That really fascinated me as a child and still does today.

First off, Al Leiffort, the longtime and now-retired Douglas County Park superintendent, needs to be acknowledged for seeing the potential of the property and pursuing the land purchases. We have worked with a number of people including members of the public, service groups, the bike club, and all the employees and commissioners at Douglas County that have worked on-site or on work related to the project.

Lake Brophy Park has consumed us as a park department for the last five years. We have felt the pressure of trying to create a recreational asset for the public. It really is a balancing act of trying to get recreational amenities in the park so a large group of the public can use it, while still preserving the natural beauty of the space. We have learned how stressful construction can be, and how good it feels to see a family out enjoying their new favorite spot.

You’re coming up on your fifth year as park superintendent, and a lot has happened since you came aboard. But I’m guessing nothing surpasses basically being in on the creation of Lake Brophy Park from the

Douglas County now has seven parks. What’s next?

Is there anything that would fill a void here?

We are always open to ideas on how to use what

Brad Bonk is a commissioner and membership chairman representing District 3 for the Greater Minnesota Parks and Trail Commission, a third-generation farmer, and a volunteer youth coach for whatever activities his kids are a part of.

we as a county currently have or new ideas in general to provide outdoor recreation for the public. With that being said, we will be starting a park master planning project for Chippewa County Park this winter and as always, we ask the public to come and share ideas and be a part of the process.

With that in place, we will be able to apply for grant dollars to help fund the projects that come out of the plan.

You were appointed by former Gov. Mark Dayton to serve on the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission, and represent 18 western counties. What does your role entail?

I serve as one of two commissioners in District 3, which geographically is from Becker County south to Yellow Medicine County, and from Kandiyohi County west to the border with the Dakotas. The short answer is we are giving a recommendation to the governor for projects to be funded in Greater Minnesota paid for by the Legacy Amendment. There are a lot of details and work that go into giving that recommendation. We spend a lot of time trying to create criteria to grade park projects against each other.

We read a lot of park master plans and applications to make sure that the money is being spent on a project the public is going to benefit from, and be maintained into the future.

Douglas County has had two parks projects, the new visitor center at Kensington Rune Stone Park and the development of Lake Brophy Park, partially paid for by the state’s Legacy fund. Without that grant money, how different would those two projects look?

Well, I can assure you that if the Legacy Amendment hadn’t been passed in the election of 2008, we would likely not have Lake Brophy County Park or any of the great amenities we have been able to create inside of it. Kensington Rune Stone Park probably would be smaller in acreage and not have the visitor center.

We are not unique here in Douglas County to having the Legacy Amendment affect us. This same story has happened in Rochester, Marshall, Crookston, Grand Marais and places in between. It has been a great benefit to a state that prides itself “on our love for the outdoors” to take an ⅛-cent tax on our spending and turn it into all these great places to recreate outdoors.

You grew up on a farm near Holloway in west-central Minnesota, and spent time here when you were young. What were the things that attracted you to this area, and what still makes you glad that you moved here?

First and foremost, this is a great area to raise a family. The community was very welcoming. This area has a very strong, very diverse economy, good health care and great schools. To top it all off, we have hundreds of lakes, public hunting land and numerous state, county and city parks.

My wife and young children also enjoy the outdoors and we continue to find new places to explore, even after living here for five years.

You’ve been to every corner of the county. Tell us about one of your favorite spots, maybe a hidden gem, that many people might not be aware of.

There are a lot of great spots in the county. I tend to find that whatever park I am working in is my favorite at that point. But since you are putting me on the spot, I will give up two of my favorite spots.

Central Lakes Bike Trail from Evansville to Melby is a great spot for a quiet bike ride on the trail. Lots of small undeveloped lakes and ponds, and it is away from the highway enough to not hear the noise of traffic. At Kensington Rune Stone Park, the overlook above Star Lake is awesome. It is about a half-mile walk behind the ballfield parking lot on the ski trail; we mow out a small side loop that takes you to the edge of the lookout. The lake is surrounded by the traditional maple/basswood forest and on a calm day the reflection off the lake is beautiful. In the late fall it is a great spot to observe the waterfowl migration.

One last one that isn’t a secret, but the overlook at Brophy Park is hard to beat any day of the year.

You’ve seen and heard the impact our system of parks and trails have on people’s lives. Can you share a story or two that illustrates that?

There have been a lot of positive comments and stories related to our high school mountain bike team, the Mountaineers. A family lived by the park and really enjoyed using the trails. They found out that you could be on a team to ride bikes and the kids promptly joined the team. Another family was playing at the playground, and the child saw the Mountaineers practicing and walked over to ask what was going on. That child joined the team midseason. These are kids that may not be in an activity or may be looking for a group to belong to. The mission of the Minnesota High School Cycling League, which is the league the Mountaineers compete in, is to get more kids on bikes. There are 43 riders on the Alexandria Area team this year and for 25% of the kids this is their only activity.

It is a great success story, and a fun group to get to work with.

Meet me at the Lake.

TM

GOLF CLUB

IMPACT 2019 | PAGE 65

RECREATION

LAKE BROPHY COUNTY PARK

an unexpected bonus

W

ill Mattessich was kayaking with his brother-in-law on Lake Brophy this summer when something caught their eye.

“We could see the park from there and were trying to figure out what it was,” said Mattessich, who came from New York for the week. They discerned the outlines of an inviting mountain biking park.

“We figured we had to give it a try,” he said.

They went to Jake’s Bikes and rented

a couple of mountain bikes and rode directly from there on the trail to the Lake Brophy County Park, the newest of Douglas County’s seven parks. It has a new swimming beach and fishing pier on the north shore of the lake, but the multi-use trails are what have many people raving.

That and the views, which from the highest hill tower over the lake by 140 feet.

“It was really fun. Of course, the views were awesome when you got to the top,” Mattessich said, adding that the mountain bike trails seemed like a very good use for the park. “We were

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IT WAS PERFECT BECAUSE WE DID THE MOUNTAIN BIKING. IT’S A NEW FUN DIMENSION. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO GO BACK. WILL MATTESSICH Visitor to Lake Brophy County Park

there for probably an hour and a half and didn’t even hit all of the runs.”

That included a couple of runs that were far too advanced for them.

“The beginning of (one) there must have been a 12-foot ramp you went off and went downhill. I thought, no, it’s not worth breaking a bone.”

Two things stood out from that day.

“I found the runs to be very accessible for someone like me, who hadn’t done it before,” said Mattessich, who bikes a lot, but does it on streets and trails. He had never been mountain biking before. Besides the run they passed on, there were others that weren’t too intimidating, and some where they

could still challenge themselves.

“The other thing is it feels like part of the landscape. It wasn’t just dropped there,” he said of the trails. “It’s a gorgeous park, with Minnesota prairie grass. It was nice to be able to enjoy that, too.”

It was the second time Mattessich had come to Brophy Lake Resort with his parents and sisters, nieces and nephews, and discovering the county park was the capper of the trip.

“It was perfect because we did the mountain biking. It’s a new fun dimension. We certainly want to go back,” Mattessich said. “It’s definitely something I would like to do again.”

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RECREATION

QUALITY OF LIFE

The Alexandria area is filled with recreational options for residents and vistors alike, including golf courses, trails, snowmobiling, skiing, fishing and swimming

I

n addition to the new trails at Lake Brophy County Park, there are nearly eight miles of multi-use trails that weave through woods, lakes and small prairie meadows at Kensington Rune Stone Park. That includes newly-developed dedicated mountain bike trails.

And that’s just the beginning. This area is home to skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing in the winter, and every day during the other seasons people seek a variety of recreational pursuits.

Lakes Area Recreation Director Fritz Bukowski and Jake Capistrant, owner of Jake’s Bikes, stress that the recreational opportunities available throughout the county are integral to many people’s lives.

“A lot of people see it as a quality of life they’re looking for. People look for certain things. If they have an interest in pickleball or swimming pools, they’re going to look for it. Golfing is huge, and the bike trail of course, and the outdoor stuff people do on their own,” Bukowski said.

Douglas County is home to two topshelf golf courses, the historical 18-hole layout at Alexandria Golf Club, and the

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27 holes at Geneva Golf Club, as well as several other courses.

“Those are quality of life issues that people expect today. They come many times from places that have it, or the place they came from didn’t have it and that’s why they’re here,” Bukowski said.

Capistrant has witnessed what he called a huge uptick over the past decade in people seeking out recreational opportunities.

A LOT OF PEOPLE SEE IT AS A QUALITY OF LIFE THEY’RE LOOKING FOR. FRITZ BUKOWSKI

Lakes Area Recreation Director

“I would say that it gives a purpose for people to come and see Alexandria,” he said, citing the trail systems, other athletic facilities and even the new high school as factors in the decisions people make. “Those are reasons people move here.”

Capistrant maintains that those are the types of people who are more likely to spend their money locally as well. That is something that the miles of trails at Lake Brophy County Park are already doing in their first year.

“I’ve seen five or six high-end mountain bikes on their vehicle – this summer they were all over the place,” he said. “You know what they say? Build it and they will come? It’s the truth. It’s getting more people to come and ride Alex. It’s creating more activities for people in our community, and to bring people here.”

There’s also volleyball and basketball adult recreation leagues through LAR in the fall and winter. And pickleball.

“Pickleball is pretty big right now for the senior population that want to retire here,” Bukowski said. Seniors who go to Florida and Texas expect to find pickleball courts. There aren’t dedicated outdoor courts in Alexandria, but LAR offers indoor courts that have drawn a loyal following.

Capistrant also credits the Central Lakes Trail, which when it was paved and extended to the Wobegon Trail became the longest paved bike trail in the country at that time.

“That really opened the door to get people to come to this area to spend vacations and become a community that‘s more fitness minded. It gave people a place to go that is safe,” he said, noting that the rise in texting while driving has cut down on the amount of road riding that many people do.

“The trail has been phenomenal, with cyclists and runners and rollerbladers,” Capistrant said. “There’s just so many people who use that trail.”

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY? BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME? IT’S THE TRUTH. JAKE CAPISTRANT Owner, Jake’s Bikes

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