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Girlfriends

Re-Boot active with your 5 Staying family in the winter 14 Taking care of business

section inside

from the editor

forkner Moe Beth Forkner Moe is the editor of Southern Minn Girlfriends magazine.

Ahhhh, January…

the month when we finish one calendar and start another.

The month we decide we’re going to do everything differently, and perfectly… and we really mean it this year! The month where we take stock, take a deep breath and decide to take charge of our lives.

Often, we do. As often, we do not. And there’s nothing wrong with that, or with you. This issue is all about re-booting, re-freshing, re-charging. We’re excited to bring you information that may help you make some changes, or will at least help you figure out how to make the changes you desire.

Many people are tempted to make resolutions in the New Year. We bring you stories about how to make longer-term, perhaps more successful, resolutions. We also show you ways that resolutions don’t have to be boring; you know, “I resolve to lose weight, to get organized, to make (or save) more money.”

We have some ideas to widen your concept of resolutions.

Fitness and wellness are generally on the top of our resolution lists. This issue, we give you different ways to think about fitness – what are the trends? How can we involve our families? How can we be part of a community? How can we start to form new habits, without pushing ourselves unrealistically so we throw in the towel almost immediately?

This issue, we also share ideas about something that might seem very difficult to do (preparing an advance directive) but that will provide you with a huge sense of relief once it is done. It will provide your loved ones much-needed peace of mind in the event it is needed. It’s not hard, but it is emotionally challenging.

And we share ideas about new beginnings – weddings! We tell you about new trends in weddings, from the bachelorette party to the big day itself. We also share how to plan a wedding without losing your mind, as well as how to be a good host and guest at destination weddings, which continue to grow in popularity.

This was a fun issue to put together. At a new year, and before a new marriage, the slate is clean and ready for possibilities. What’s happened in the past is done; the future is clean and ready to be written.

Recently, two of my good friends decided to re-boot their lives. One long-time friend turned 70 last January, a birthday she was not excited about, but one she decided to embrace. She got a library card and started reading again (she has health issues that affect her eyes); she took up crafts, including adult coloring books and decorating Ukrainian Easter eggs; she took piano lessons for the first time and even had a recital; she joined an “outdoor women” program at Whitewater State Park, where she tapped maple trees, hunted morel mushrooms, went on an artifact dig, and went fishing; she volunteered at our local hospital, mostly working with people in the senior care facilities; she produced plays at church; and more. Wowza! Talk about a re-boot – I want to be like her when I grow up. Another friend decided to sell her bookstore business after 20 successful years; as she says, she can’t wait to see what her next chapter in life looks like (hey, if you’re interested in buying a used book store, let me know; I’ll put you in touch with her!).

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I reflect on what I want to do and who I want to be. As a writer, that tends to boil down to words and concepts. For the past couple years, my annual goal has been to “Seek New Adventures,” and that is what my husband and I have done. The adventures haven’t been grandiose or extravagant; instead, we’ve looked for little things and worked to make them memorable. Last year, for example, we went to the Vikings playoff game when it was -6 degrees at kickoff (I HATE winter, but loved the adventure), to a ski-jumping competition, to a “Chicago” and “Earth, Wind and Fire” concert. We took part in 5K walk/runs, went paddleboarding on our local lake, volunteered for new organizations and in new capacities, ate new types of meals, read books of new genres, etc. The point of our new adventures was to enjoy the experiences, while making fun memories.

I also pick a couple words for each year. “Grace” is always one of my words; it is how I hope to treat other people and to be treated. “Intentional” is a word for this year, reminding me to think about my actions and my work, doing things in a mindful and thoughtful manner. My final word is “courage,” so I can advocate for people and ideas even when it might be easier (and less scary) to not do so.

This is all exciting, and we know many of you are looking at doing/trying/experiencing/seeking new things. We encourage you to do so. And we’d like to hear about your ventures and adventures. Please feel free to share your successes and your challenges with us, either on our updated Facebook page or by e-mailing me at BFMoe@southernminn.com.

Happy New Year!

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JAN/FEB 2017

about us editor: Beth Forkner Moe

contributing writers: Kari Berit Lisa Cownie Rian Dick-Michel Jeffrey Forslund D.D.S. Trent Jonas Elizabeth D. Lippman Rachel Minske Autumn Van Ravenhorst Terri Schlichenmeyer Sara Schlueter Melissa Schmalenberger Grace Webb

multimedia consultants: Kristie Biehn Ginny Bergerson Nicole Brandon Kathleen Davies Missy Daschner Pam DeMorett Joan Koester Per Kvalsten Mark Nelson Lori Nickel Jay Petsche Kyle Shaw Gayle Stelten Autumn Van Ravenhorst

graphic designer: Kate Townsend-Noet

ad designers:

Mary Jo Blanchard Nicole Gilmore Jenine Kubista Kelly Kubista Kate McGillen Kayla McMullen Jennifer Schoenbauer

contents features

5 Staying active with your family

southernminngirlfriends.com Send releases and story ideas to:

Beth Forkner Moe at Girlfriends magazine, bfmoe@southernminn.com

4

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A look at the ever-changing workout world.

in the winter

34 Yog-olden Years

8 Making a New Year’s Resolution

36 Is it just snoring or something more?

Making the best of winter.

of Simplicity

New year, new beginnings.

10 Take charge of wellness, along with your community

To put it simply, losing weight isn’t easy.

12 Meet “Meetups”

An easy way to meet new people, learn new things, enjoy things you love.

14 Taking care of business

Regional women forging ahead into the business world.

17 Weddings Section

• Wedding bells are ringing. Pg 19 • Destination Wedding. Pg 24 • How to plan a wedding without losing your mind. Pg 26

Volume 9, Issue 1

Copyright © Girlfriends 2017 Published Jan/Feb 2017 by: Southern Minn Media 514 Central Avenue Faribault, MN 55021

30 Survival of the fitness

ON THE COVER: Kristen Bartsch of Kenyon.

Photo by Deborah Quam Photography www.deborahquamphotography.com

You’re only as old as you feel.

Snoring can be annoying but it also can be a symptom of something more serious.

40 Planning for the end

Making your wishes known is a gift to yourself as well as your family.

accessories

7 a man’s perspective

44 book review 3 from the editor 45 gf directory 42 unexpected caregiver

Staying active

with your

family in the winter

By Autumn Van Ravenhorst

I

t can be tough to appreciate the beauty of winter.

Your free time has been taken by the snow plows, muddy slush in the entry way that was predictably left for you to clean up and trying to properly dress children who have no sense of urgency whatsoever.

Often hidden by white-out conditions and bouts of the flu virus, winter does bring great tidings of joy like the resurrection of fleece leggings which are perfect for curling up on the couch with a warm beverage in hand. It is easy to sink deep into those cushions with no intention of ever leaving, but you know as well as I that you can’t do that forever.

Although it can be a trying task, staying active and healthy in the winter indeed has its benefits. It keeps your body on track for the rest of the year and can help beat the winter blues. When it comes to your

family, even the most active children hesitate to head out the door in less-than-desirable temperatures (because they are smart). But what happens when children experience a lack of exercise? They find other ways to release the unused energy that are not so pleasant.

Where do I start? How do I eat? How do I exercise? How do I include my family?

These are all questions Stephanie Mielke of Owatonna gets asked regularly.

Stephanie is a homeschooling mom of four daughters, wife and wellness advocate. She and her husband, Steve, helped launch a company called Pruvit. Pruvit is the company behind a product referred to as Keto OS, a ketone supplement aimed at improving various aspects of your health and wellbeing using the metabolic process of ketosis.

Stephanie can be found on Facebook under the alias “Keto Mom” with a following of more than 40,000 fans.

She regularly promotes their business, offers daily tips and inspiration and, of course, keeps up with their daughters. She is friendly, relatCONTINUES ON PAGE 6

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able and focuses on building a supportive community of people, many of them parents, looking to stay or become healthy. For a lot of us, that time is now with the start of a new year.

Stephanie’s idea of building a strong and healthy family simply is to do the best you can.

“Obviously everyone drifts,” she said. “My husband has always been into health and fitness, loves lifting weights and has generally been a healthy eater. I, on the other hand, was the one to order pizza at midnight, eat whatever I want, feed the kids chicken nuggets and corn dogs. But about two years ago we made the switch. I won’t say diet, because choosing better foods and a healthier way of life should be a long-term goal.”

Her trick to getting started? Take it slow.

“Choose one thing to work on, then another, and another,” she said.

“Take baby steps. If you don’t, you’ll just get frustrated. My goal right now is to wake up in the morning, workout and have some me time.

When I do that, I am a much better mom. I have been going six weeks strong and it feels great.”

When it comes to staying active with your family, keep it simple.

Many families today create schedules that do not promote family time but instead weaken it. The week is packed with extracurricular activities that disrupt dinner which leads to eating fast food and taking the sanity levels to an all-time low. Staying active during the grueling winter months means developing healthy habits. Make it fun and the kids will follow.

“I decided that by the end of this year, I want to be able to do 10 perfect push-ups. My kids found out, and now they practicing with me,” Stephanie said.

This is just one example.

In Minnesota, we should be pros at keeping boredom at bay in the winter. Choose activities that you and your family identify with the most. If you aren’t much for the outdoors, look for a nearby indoor ice rink or pool. Many hotels offer affordable admission to utilize their facilities.

Located right in the middle of southern Minnesota is a popular enclosed aquatic experience. The Great Serengeti Indoor Water Park at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites near Cabela’s in Owatonna brings Africa indoors with trees, a spraying elephant, life-size giraffe and a python body slide. Parents and kids can slide down a hippopotamus or fire through Kilimanjaro, float down the lazy river or shoot a game of water

basketball.

Entertainment centers offering arcades, bowling and laser tag are another great choice.

If you prefer to face the cold and embrace the snow, your options are endless: snowshoeing, skiing, hiking, fattire biking, sledding, snowball fights, winter sports and laughter. Encourage your kids to go outside, even if only for a little bit. Southern Minnesota is bursting with trails and picturesque landscapes!

Another great way to keep the kids moving is through good oldfashioned hard work. Give them a shovel. Not only will you keep those heart rates up, but you teach values and how to contribute to the family.

Ultimately, choose the path that is best for your family and don’t overcomplicate it.

No matter how simple or complex, staying active and promoting a healthy lifestyle during the winter months is a great way to build memories and bring the family closer together, physically and spiritually. If you haven’t established any quite yet, it is never too late to start.

Autumn Van Ravenhorst is a staff writer and columnist for SouthernMinn Girlfriends. Drop her a line at AVanRavenhorst@owatonna.com

get out and enjoy!

Brenda Christensen 6

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K-W Students Senior Kasey Sviggum Dummer and Riley Sviggum Dummer.

A man’s perspective

Dipping my toes (slowly) into 2017...

jonas Trent Jonas is a Twin Cities-based writer and divorced father of two. He is fascinated and frightened by women but is working through his issues.

If there’s ever been a year that needed to end, it was 2016. Even ignoring politics, there were enough tragedies and sufficient turmoil to make anyone ready for a re-boot.

The problem is that the mere flip of a calendar page doesn’t usually change much in the real world. In fact, I am perennially disappointed with the New Year holiday. The difference between 11:59 p.m. and 12:01 a.m., more often than not, is impossible to discern except for all the whooping, hollering and toasting. The next morning is typically worse than most mornings (if the New Year was celebrated the way many people think it should be).

Despite my hangover from 2016, I am approaching 2017 cautiously. I still haven’t decided if I am optimistic.

As I write this, two days before New Year’s Eve, the Wild are on a double-digit winning streak, but the Vikings and Gophers football programs have both imploded. The former due to injury and a little ineptitude; the latter due the apparent acceptability by some of rape culture on campus. I’m pretty disappointed in my alma mater at the moment.

There is also a lot of uncertainty and considerable unease in the world: The transition in the White House; what our relationship with Russia is; who the Vikings’ starting quarterback is; is it really okay to use either bathroom? Moreover, to increase my overall anxiety level, my son got his driver’s license in November.

So, as 2017 starts, I’m processing a lot of stuff. Fortunately, no global tequila shortage has been announced.

Plus, the days are getting longer, so there’s more vitamin D in my near future. My kids are 14 and 16, and they still don’t seem to mind hanging out with me. There’s still some high school basketball left to keep me entertained on dark afternoons; and my daughter does not yet seem to have a boyfriend [insert emoji of relief here].

There’s not much I can do about my own disappointments from 2016. But I can remember the considerable highlights in my own small corner of the world. I can also count all the blessings that I still have at the beginning of 2017 and hope each day is a good one going forward.

(And keep a bottle of Don Julio in close proximity!)

A happy and prosperous (or at least, uneventful and positive) New Year to you all!

Salud!

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Making a New Year’s Resolution of

Simplicity

By Melissa Schmalenberger (Originally printed in The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead 12/30/16)

W

hen the calendar changes to a new year, I am almost giddy. I love new beginnings. I feel like the previous year has been my training ground for the changes I started and will see to completion in the 8

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next year. It is a new start for the healthy habits that we all want to implement.

What if we simply focused more on being positive in the upcoming year?

Smile more Sometimes an unexpected smile can change a person’s day. When checking out at a store, make eye contact, look at the person’s nametag and call him or her by name when saying thank you.

Unfollow toxic people on social media

When you remove that negative energy from your social media feed, it no longer touches you. I like to follow people who are funny and kind. Show me a fun cat video to make me laugh!

Get rid of the clutter What is holding you back in your physical space? Is it the piles on the counters? The closet door you can’t close?

The entry that nobody can enter?

Focus on your most troubled area and block off an hour of uninterrupted time.

Set the timer, focus and don’t leave the area until the timer rings.

Focus on better sleep Start going to bed earlier and waking up earlier. I am in bed by 9:30 most nights. When I get a good night of sleep, it is easier to wake up with gratitude on my mind and start my day off with a positive mindset.

Say yes to things that scare you Opportunities are missed because we say no as a reflex, rather than saying yes. I have done some scary things in my life, and I am proud to say I survived and thrived.

You have to make the decision to say yes. There is power in knowing that you were the one to choose. Don’t let life happen to you. Say yes!

Don’t worry about what other people think of you Too often we are concerned about what others think of us.

I am here to say, it doesn’t matter. I think the older I get, the more I realize this to be true. My life is so much easier now that I don’t worry about trying to please other people.

Be bold Don’t sit quietly back. Make the decision to tell your boss you earned a promotion. Decide to finish the degree. Leave the relationship even though your mom likes the person.

Sometimes we need to trust our gut and go with our intuition.

Speak up If you see someone saying or doing something you don’t agree with, speak up. Be gentle and kind and show love.

If we all started speaking up in a loving way, we could create a movement of kindness.

Be gentle with yourself Too often I am my harshest critic. I beat myself up because I missed going to the gym or had an extra sugar cookie.

Remember that life happens. Stop feeling guilty and angry at yourself.

If your best friend missed going to the gym or had an extra cookie, would you yell at them? Then why do we do it to ourselves?

I believe that if we focus on being more positive the rest of our goals and resolutions take care of themselves. When we exude positive energy, it comes back to us in ways that we never expect. Find some positivity and kindness and sprinkle that stuff everywhere!

Melissa Schmalenberger, aka MS. Simplicity, is an attorney turned productivity consultant based in Fargo, ND. She is a mom of three boys, raising them along with her husband of 25+ years. Her life is often the place where she seeks inspiration as she leads an imperfect life just trying to focus more time on the people she loves. You can learn more about her at www.mssimplicity.com.

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By Autumn VanRavenhorst

T

o put it simply, losing weight isn’t easy. And if shedding pounds isn’t your only goal, raising your energy levels, reducing stress and feeling better overall are really putting on the pressure.

Pressure leads to procrastination and the fear of failing. Let’s face it, staying on track is difficult even under the best of circumstances.

For this reason, people are in search of ideas to help them bridge the gap between where they are now and where they want to be. For those looking for camaraderie, accountability and a competitive but fun way to get going, consider joining a wellness challenge.

Some may have a reason for not even entertaining the thought, but what do you have to lose? We all face barriers to accomplishing our health goals, from a lack of community and demanding schedules to personal responsibilities and previous failed attempts. Wellness challenges inspire and motivate those involved in a number of ways and it isn’t hard to see why so many people join in.

Mankato has received recognition for its commu-

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nity-wide weight-loss challenge, known as the Mankato Meltdown, which had its first run in 2013.

Ginny Bergerson saw the need for such an event, something she had previous experience putting together, after assuming the role of advertising director for the Mankato Free Press.

“When I worked for the Waseca County News we did something similar, but not at that level,” Ginny said. “It was a Biggest Loser concept and began as a partnership between the newspaper and various sponsors, like Hy-Vee. The weigh-in was held during a blizzard in January, and more than 160 people came through the door in the little town of Waseca.”

When the idea was brought to Mankato, it received the support of various establishments in the wellness industry such as Mayo Clinic.

Soon, many health and fitness businesses in the area jumped on, including grocery stores, nutritionists, massage therapists, salons and more.

“This was put on by me and the sales team of The Free Press, along with our social media specialist and the help of the participating businesses,” she said. “For the first event, we expected about 400 people to come through at the weigh-in. Instead, 800 people came through.

The second year, more than 2,000 people came through. It was crazy.

We partnered with a local non-profit, so half of the money that was registered at the door was given to that organization.”

The Mankato Meltdown is put together with a great platform and eye-catching incentives. The idea is to put together a team and show up for the initial weigh-in event.

After the numbers are gathered, teams meet once a week to weigh-in for 12 consecutive weeks. Weekly prizes are given by

sponsors, in addition to the grand prizes given to the winning teams at the final weight-out. All the vendors are present as well as stage performances, exercises, Fitness for 10 machines, cheer teams, mascots and photographers. And to help people not fall off the wagon, there are professionals on-site to help provide ideas on how to stick to their programs for the remainder of the year.

“It is so motivational and amazing to see the friendships that are formed,” Ginny said. “Throughout the challenge, the teams communicate on the Mankato Meltdown Facebook page, posting inspirational photos, sharing their successes, how their clothes were fitting. Even the folks who knew they weren’t going to win came to the weigh-out to finish. More than 50% who were at the weigh-in showed up for the weigh-out. That is great retention. That shows how successful these events can be for people.”

Ginny reflected on a man she calls Mr. Meltdown, a person who lost more than 250 pounds over the course of two Meltdown years.

She says there are many of these stories and that there are challenges like these popping up all over the country.

On a smaller scale, The Northfield News and Faribault Daily News have also started a wellness challenge of their own, partnering with the YMCA. Prizes ranging from $200 to $750 are offered, and that doesn’t include the rewards you’ll receive along the way. Challenges like not consuming soda and the number of steps taken daily are presented and drawings to win SWAG gifts, certificates and more happen weekly.

Many of these programs begin at the start of January, so be sure to watch out next year when you are ready to take the leap in adopting healthier habits. You may even be able to find some happening

right now at your local fitness centers.

In the meantime, try making some mini-goals for yourself at home.

One idea would be to begin phasing out the foods you know are heavily processed and high in sugar. Other ideas include: • Find nutrition in real food and strive for a nutrient-dense diet.

• Get an adequate amount of uninterrupted sleep (unless, of course, your children haven’t quite figured out how good this is for them yet).

• Exercise according to your lifestyle—do what you enjoy.

• Adopt ways to reduce stress. Again, have it fit your interests.

Yoga, tea, painting, getting outside are all ways to stabilize your stress levels.

• Drink water. This is easier said than done, but search for tips that can help remind yourself to get more water in your system.

Get committed to a healthy lifestyle that is doable. Don’t wait until the first of next month or until you’ve rid your home of the Doritos and cereal. Many people put these goals off because they believe it to be all or nothing. Truthfully, that does not work most of the time.

Start taking realistic steps right now – today - to make it easier on you and give your family a chance to adapt. You will be glad you did.

Autumn Van Ravenhorst is a staff writer and columnist for SouthernMinn Girlfriends.

Drop her a line at AVanRavenhorst@owatonna. com

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– an easy way to meet new people, learn new things, enjoy things you love

W

By Lisa Cownie

hen Miki Orr moved back to Faribault after two decades away, she knew she needed a way to meet people who would accept her talents and embrace her interests. “I wanted to have a way to get like-minded individuals together, and Meetup was an easy way to get people with the same interest in one place,” she said.

Meetup (www.meetup.com) is an online social networking portal that facilitates offline, face-to-face group meetings and real-life gatherings where people with common interests are unified.

“My first experience in using Meetup was when I lived in Kansas and started the Kansas Zensational Lightworks in 2014,” Orr said.

“I started a new group in December after I moved to Minnesota and re-established my business and was ready to have my first Reiki class. I use Meetup to take care of finding people.”

This is how the Faribault Energy Lightworkers Group was born.

“I started this group because it is not always easy to find like-minded individuals who have been called to follow their spiritual path by using and growing their psychic abilities and healing capabilities,” she said.

Orr’s group is for anyone interested in psychic development, giving and receiving psychic messages, learning Reiki, Reiki shares, meditation, and working with affirmations and intentions. Just a few months old, the group already has 18 members. “(The Meetup site) helps a lot with reminders and managing my 12

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Meetups,” she said. “That is one of the most difficult things in getting a group together - getting the information out to those who need it and then giving reminders of the details of a Meetup. (The site) is the ‘Easy Button’ when you want to have a group get-together.”

The Faribault Energy Lightworkers is just one example of a Meetup group. At its core, a Meetup group is a local community of people organized around one simple idea: bringing people together to do, explore, teach and learn the things that make them, them.

Meetup uses the Internet to help people find and join groups unified by a common interest, such as politics, books, games, movies, health, pets, careers or hobbies. At Meetups, people welcome each other. They talk, help, mentor, and support each other – all in pursuit of moving their lives forward.

In an interview with Business Insider, Meetup cofounders Scott Hieferman and Matt Meeker said the idea for Meetup came in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The duo was inspired by the manner in which people in New York City came together in the aftermath of that traumatic event. Using the Internet to help connect people with strangers in their community, they view Meetup as a tool for people to find and form communities around the things that they love.

Another local Meetup group, the Southern Minnesota Wellness Group Meetup, is co-organized by licensed nutritionist Dr. Noel Aldrich and chiropractor Dr. Jeremy Ackerson. They started their Meetup to provide an outlet for health information in southern Minnesota.

With 94 members, and counting, the group is made up of men and women who are interested in the options available for a variety of health challenges that they, or their friends, are addressing.

Dr. Aldrich says the goal of this Meetup group is to provide quality

health information and provide an open forum where people can feel comfortable to ask questions.

“The Southern MN Wellness Group is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of people in the Northfield area and beyond,” he said. “We have assembled like-minded health professionals to keep people informed and empowered.

We have access to nutrition, chiropractic, midwifery, massage, accupuncture and allergy care. We have classes and events that strive to help people take charge of their health.”

Although the Meetup template makes it easy for the members to communicate no matter where they are located, geography can be a challenge as the group tries to get to the next step: getting together in person.

According to Dr. Aldrich, “The challenge to the group is the broad interest that extends from Woodbury to Rochester, while the majority of live gatherings happen around Northfield. We will see how live meetings may expand in the future. But the communication and word of mouth is beginning to

grow. Membership has grown well and regular meetings are beginning to get posted.”

The service is free, although some groups do charge fees. People become members, then have the ability to join different groups as defined by the rules of the individual groups themselves.

Through Meetup, organizers can schedule meetings and send automated notices to members, assign leadership responsibilities and access to the group data, accepts RSVPs for an event, monetize groups, accepts and tracks membership and/ or meeting payments, post photo libraries of event, manage communications among group members and post group polls.

Meetup is reported to have more than 210,000 groups with 22 million members in 180 countries.

For more information, go to www.meetup.com.

Lisa Cownie writes from North Mankato. Her work can be found at lisacownie.com.

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S

By Grace Webb

tarting your own business can be an intimidating venture—the long work days, the initial investment of capital and, most of all, the uncertain future.

For women, there can be extra challenges: the pressure of juggling the business with a robust family life, the subtle sexism, the lack of support networks.

Yet all over southern Minnesota, women are forging ahead into the business world—and they’re doing spectacularly. Read on to learn more about some of the region’s female business owners.

Brewing up success Jennifer Melby-Kelley never planned on owning her own business, but when her favorite coffee house was in danger of closing its doors, she knew she had to step in. Now, as the owner of Mankato’s Coffee Hag, she has breathed new life into one of the city’s favorite community spaces and was even named Minnesota’s Women-Owned Small Business of the Year by the Small Business Administration last year.

Melby-Kelley grew up in the Mankato area and worked as a barista at the Coffee Hag, which opened in 1992, before heading to the Twin Cities to pursue other jobs. She learned in 2007 that the owner of the Coffee Hag wanted to get out of the business, and that the shop was in danger of closing down.

Melby-Kelley Jennifer Melby-Kelley

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met with the owner to discuss the situation and ended up taking over.

“I came down on a Tuesday to talk with her, and by Saturday, I owned it,” she said.

This decision was a huge leap of faith, since she had no business background other than some managerial experience, and she had almost no capital. “The day I opened, I had $7 in my pocket,” she said.

“I used all my money to buy supplies, since we didn’t have anything. There were only two pounds of coffee when I got there. It was a coffee shop without coffee. I’d bought a business that was defunct.”

Melby-Kelley said the first months were rough, especially since she commuted from Minneapolis for almost a year before finding a place in Mankato. She often slept on friends’ couches or even in her office at the coffee shop. When she started, she had four part-time employees, but she still had to run almost everything herself, often working 70 hours a week. There were many days when she would open the shop at 6:30 a.m. and stay until 10 p.m., only to go back upstairs to her office and work on her accounts until 4 a.m., the start all over again two hours later.

“In the beginning, we’d have a lull in the afternoon, and I’d run upstairs and lay on the floor and cry, thinking, ‘What have I done?

I can’t do this,’” she recalled. “Then I’d hear the door open and wipe my tears off and go downstairs and get a customer their drink. It’s really hard to describe the emotional toll that starting a business has.

You’ll see small businesses that start and are gone after six months, and a lot of that has to do with the exhaustion factor.”

Melby-Kelley said one of the biggest challenges she faced, and that she believes many women face, was the thought that she had to do everything herself instead of reaching out for help.

“I think as women in general, we think we have to do it all,” she said. “I was trying to do all this stuff, and I didn’t understand accounting or sales tax or things like that, and someone said to me, ‘Why don’t you get some help? There are people out there to help.’ You have to understand that it’s okay to reach out.”

She said another challenge is the need to sometimes prove herself in a world still dominated by men—but she refuses to let that slow her down.

“Sometimes, as a woman business owner, you’re not listened to,” she said. “If I’m sitting in a room with a handful of men, their voices may be heard a little more than mine. The differences are very subtle and very loud at the same time. People will come in and want to talk to the owner and be surprised that I’m the owner. I’ve dealt with some pretty rude people who thought I didn’t know what I was doing, because I was a woman. I don’t go to a place of anger, though. I just want to run my business.”

Creative entrepreneurship Ruth Cyphers has come a long way since dropping out of college at the insistence of an ex-boyfriend.

The Fairmont native owns two businesses in her hometown, AdMfg., Inc and SewMfg, Inc., building on skills she learned in the manufacturing world while working at places such as Fairmont Foods and Avery Weigh-Tronix.

“That’s why my name is Ad Manufacturing—when I started the ad agency, I had more manufacturing experience than advertising,” she explained with a laugh.

When the business where she was working closed down, she decided to go back to school. She said she had enough money only for nine months of classes; she attended Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Jackson, studying to become a legal secretary. When the nine months were up, she took the job at Avery Weight-Tronix,

working in its engineering department for another eight years. But she said she never felt that was where she was meant to be.

“I had a creative eye but didn’t know what (to use it for),” she said.

She eventually found a new position at a marketing firm, which opened her eyes to all the possibilities available in the world of marketing.

From there, it was an easy transition into an advertising agency; in 2009, she started her own advertising business.

Cyphers works with three other women, two of whom worked with her at a previous job.

She said it’s Ruth Cyphers important for women to support each other, especially in the world of business.

“Women should empower women,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I was without someone empowering me.”

That can be especially important when women are so outnumbered as business owners.

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Lessons from the SBDC

When it comes to helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into reality, Mankato’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is one of the best places to go for support and resources.

This is especially true for female entrepreneurs and business owners, according to Julie Nelson, Associate Regional Director. “I think a lot more women are venturing into going into business, but certainly they have different and more challenges than men,” Nelson said.

Nelson said of the clients helped by the center within the last year, about 40 percent were women. Of the people who came looking to start businesses, 46 percent were women; of the people who already had businesses, 34 percent were women. Both numbers are pretty impressive when you consider how heavily outnumbered women are by men in the business world.

Nelson added that the women who came to her usually wanted to start “relationship-based” businesses, such as restaurants, child care centers, boutiques and health-care related ventures. This, coupled with the fact that women usually employ fewer people than men and so have smaller business models, could partly explain why businesses owned by men still outpace businesses owned by women as far as revenue growth goes.

While clients come to the SBDC for help, Nelson said some of the most popular requests have to do with start-up assistance such as finding financial resources and drawing up a business plan.

Kayla Rossiter, who works at the center as a consultant, helps clients with everything from figuring out their target clientele to learning how to use QuickBooks for accounting needs. Rossiter has her own business background, running an Anytime Fitness Center in Estherville for several years before she sold it a few years ago.

Rossiter said one of the biggest challenges she faced while running her business was finding networks of other professionals to plug into—especially since men would sometimes try to move the business relationship into something more.

“Sometimes, niceness is taken for flirting,” she said.

“I’ve gotten that before. That’s kind of a hindrance; in some relationships that might have been beneficial, you have to step away from because of that (perceived) conflict. It’s been hard trying to build that network.”

She added that people have to be realistic when they go into a business, including keeping track of cash flow and making sacrifices.

“My goal when I started was to pay off my loans in five years, so that meant a lot of sacrifice,” she said. “A business is your baby. You put all your money and time into it, you lose sleep, you worry about it. There’s no magic way to make the business work. There’s no getrich-quick scheme. There’s always so much work and planning behind anything that’s going to succeed.”

Despite the challenges women face, both Nelson and Rossiter say that women also have several strengths that they may not realize they can utilize when they look to start a new business.

“Women are better at building relationships,” Rossiter said. “That’s important for things like crowd funding, since women are so good at telling stories.

People buy things from people. Having the face of the business that’s warm and inviting and out there connected to that product and business is a real asset.”

“Women are so much better at multi-tasking, because we all have to be,” Nelson added. “We typically juggle a lot more things than men. Women also tend to encourage more discussion before making a decision, as opposed to men, who sometimes make a quick decision and don’t let their team talk things out.”

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Chelsie Salonek CONTINUES FROM PAGE 15

gathering of local businesses), and being the only woman there,” she said. “It was very intimidating. But I always felt that I had just as much right to be there as the next guy.”

To succeed, she said, you have to be tenacious and keep working despite the roadblocks—and you’ve got to develop a good business plan right from the start.

“Do your research,” she said. “When I started Soul Mfg. (my first business), I created a good business plan but it turned out to be totally wrong. But it helped set me on a direction. It puts something down on paper and makes you be accountable.”

No matter how far you end up straying from your plan, she added, you have to be willing to take risks.

“You just have to jump in and do the best you can,” she said. “I think everyone should own their own business (at least once). I have three more businesses I want to start today.”

A new generation Unlike many young people leaving high school and jumping into uncertain futures, Chelsie Salonek always knew what she wanted to do: own her own business. The New Ulm native even had a dream location picked out along Minnesota Avenue in St. Peter, which she often passed during shopping trips to the Twin Cities.

In 2015, that dream became a reality— even down to that same storefront.

“In February of 2015, my mom and I were on our way home from the Cities and there was a poster on the building saying it

was for lease,” Salonek recalled. “I gave it a shot and it was still available. I’ve always wanted it, so I put my mind to it, and I did it.”

She officially opened Generation Boutique in June of that year, selling clothes, shoes, purses and accessories. She buys most of her apparel through online vendors and apparel markets and runs the boutique with the help of a few part-time employees.

Salonek, who was 21 when she opened her business, said one of the challenges of running her own business at such a young age was the need to prove herself to bankers and customers.

“It’s hard to be taken seriously sometimes,” she said. “But the bankers and the city of St. Peter gave me a fair chance to prove myself.”

She said she hasn’t had much trouble with the subtle sexism many female business owners face, suggesting it’s because she runs a boutique aimed at female customers. Still, she occasionally gets people who want to speak to the owner and who are taken aback when they find out who she is—but she doesn’t let it bother her.

“There are always going to be people who belittle you,” she said.

She also admitted that running a business is even more work than she originally thought, but it’s worth it.

“There’s a lot more hard work and late nights and paperwork than people realize,” she said. “There are a lot of ups and downs.

You just have to have patience and keep going. The boutique keeps me busy, but I love it.”

Grace Webb is a wandering reporter whose home base is Mankato.

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Wedding Bells areRinging

E

By Sara Schlueter

veryone wants their wedding to be special and unique. Here are some ideas to put a fresh twist on your impending nuptials this year—from the bachelorette party all the way to the big day. Here’s to making your 2017 wedding the most memorable moment of the year!

Wedding trends are constantly changing, and this year is no exception. So many fresh new ideas, colors and concepts are emerging to take you from the bachelorette party to the reception in style. We’ve rounded up some of the best trends that you can easily incorporate into your celebration—and some with a Minnesota twist.

Girls’ Getaway Bond with your gal pals in a cabin for the weekend or on a wine tour rather than the typical trip to the bars. Doing something more “experiential” with your besties will evoke a much more meaningful experience for you and the bridal party before you head down the aisle.

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Bond over a glass of wine “We have been seeing a lot of our clients spending their bachelorette parties at local wineries,” Amber Jensen said. Jensen is owner, designer and coordinator at Meaningful Moments Event Planning and Coordination in North Mankato. “There are so many wineries throughout Minnesota, and they become a wonderful spot for our brides to catch up with their girlfriends and relax with a glass of vino!”

Give a winery girls’ trip your own touch by renting a limo for your party, or reserving dinner beforehand at one of your favorite places around town. Minnesota is abundant with local wineries that are perfect for special occasions.

Check out exploreminnesota.com for lists of wineries around the state. Be sure to check and see the group sizes each winery will accommodate, and restaurants in the area. Cheers!

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If relaxing and pampering is more your style, opt for a weekend getaway at one of the countless resorts up north—or even just a day trip to a lake in the area. “Lots of our bachelorettes are heading to the water,” Jensen said. “Okoboji and Lake Minnetonka have been popular, but a lot of times even just a weekend at a lake cabin is doing the trick.”

An option for a day on the lake could be anything from heading out on the speedboat with some drinks in had, to renting a pontoon boat or booking space on lake cruises. Al & Alma’s, for example, cruises Lake Minnetonka on a luxury yacht. Many options are offered such as a sunset cruise or brunch cruise. All you need to do is reserve in advance. Check it out at www.

al-almas.com.

If a full-on weekend getaway is what you are craving, search for some of the popular Minnesota resorts up north. Many of the bigger resorts such as Madden’s, Cragun’s and Grandview Lodge offer spa packages, tailoring to events such as bachelorette parties. Create a road trip out of it, and take in the beauty that is northern Minnesota!

Here Comes the Bride Metallic colors, blushes and soft flowers are making splashes this year for the big day. From blush-colored wedding gowns, to making paper flowers for the centerpieces, there are plenty of ways to easily infuse what’s hot right now into your ceremony.

Colors Natural palettes are in vogue this year, which correlates perfectly with the theme of Pantone’s “greenery” color of the year. “Colors are changing a bit, from the dusty blues that were popular in 2015 and 2016 to more teal-like hues of blue,” Jensen said. “Though blush is still popular, we are seeing mauve and soft shades of purple incorporated quite a bit lately.”

For a subtle touch, incorporate a mauve shade into the table settings by sprinkling rose petals. For a bolder statement, mauve is a beautiful choice for bridesmaid dresses. Thinking of adding a shimmery metallic touch such as champagne, rose gold or pewter shouldn’t be ignored either. Incorporate some sparkle in the table linens at the head table, where the attention will be all night long.

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Setting the Scene Décor is, of course, one of the key components of making a wedding ceremony truly magical. “We still are using a lot of whimsical and romantic details, with fresh florals taking center stage in a lot of our designs for 2017 along with lots of candlelight,” Jensen said.

Soft florals such as peonies or roses are popular this year, as they evoke feelings of sweetness and romance. If you want to go eco-friendly, creating paper bouquets is also in trend. One particular trend in incorporating flowers into your décor is creating garland for the table, sprinkling flower petals or creating floating candle centerpieces.

The Dress Every bride-to-be pictures what her dress will look like. This year it is all about the subtle details—and even adding some color to the gown. “What we are seeing is eyelash lace, delicate beading, patterns and bejeweled belts. The gowns that are going to be seen a lot in 2017 are all unique and stunning,” Jensen said. “One trend we are noticing is different hues rather than white or ivory. I’ve got brides in blush, and even

a subtle gray! It’s really becoming ‘anything goes’ which makes bridal fashion so fun right now.”

Ruffles, tiered skirts, plunging necklines and even feathers were seen on the bridal runways for those brides who want to try something very trendy.

No matter what kind of bachelorette party you throw, décor you create or dress you wear to walk down the aisle, the most important trend of all is that of being true to yourself. After all, this is the biggest day of your life and it should capture the essence and love of both you and your partner. Enjoy the big day!

Sara Schlueter is a magazine editor in the Twin Cities with degrees in journalism and apparel merchandising from Iowa State University. She is passionate about telling people’s stories and being involved in the community.

Helpful Resources

Here are a few bridal websites for more ideas on how to incorporate 2017 trends into your wedding day. And don’t forget to fill your Pinterest board with ideas that you can go back to as you are planning.

The Knot: theknot.com Brides: brides.com Bridal Guide: bridalguide.com

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Destination The how-to guide on good hosting and proper etiquette for guests

F

By Rachel Minske

or any number of reasons, many couples turn to a destination spot when tying the knot. Some may settle on a destination wedding due to far-flung families, because they’re in search of something different than the traditional reception hall weddings, or because they’ve always imagined their nuptials taking place at a tropical oasis.

Whatever the reason for packing the suitcases and hitting the road, destination weddings can add different and new elements compared to a “traditional” wedding back home, according to Kate Phillips, owner of KP Events in Mankato.

“They’ve picked the spot based on something in their relationship,” Phillips said of couples that plan weddings in faraway, and often beautiful, places.

Being a good host is an integral aspect for a destination wedding to run as smoothly as possible; tying the knot in a faraway place adds a whole new dimension to the special day, said Makayla Seeley Korbel, owner of Meadowlark Events, an event and wedding planning company that serves the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota.

“Being a good host is key - be sure to give your bridal party (and guests) enough notice to decide if they will be able to attend,” she said. “This way, they can gracefully decline if finances are tight.”

However, with that said, couples can’t be upset if many

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friends and family are unable to attend, said Seeley Korbel. While a destination wedding may be a fun getaway, it may not work with everyone’s budget and schedule, she said.

When planning a destination wedding, hosts should be sure to take care of the guests who are able to attend, she said.

“Provide them with clear directions on how to get to your wedding from the airport, arrange group rates for hotels and flights, and be sure to invite everyone to the rehearsal dinner,” Seeley Korbel said.

“Since everyone will be coming from far away, it’s important that they are included in all aspects of the wedding and have as many details as possible.”

Those seemingly minor details can be important, especially for those guests who may have little experience traveling and navigating their way through airports and foreign countries, Phillips said.

Balancing organization with a go-with-the-flow attitude will make the wedding go smoothly, Phillips said.

“Don’t stress the little things; you’re marrying your best friend,” she said.

Etiquette 101 for destination wedding guests There’s a number of to-do’s guests should keep in mind when attending a destination wedding, said Seeley Korbel. Ensuring you can reasonably fit the trip into your budget is the first step toward being a good guest, she said. Sending in your RSVP (on time!) is the second, she said.

“If you have any questions or concerns regarding your travel or the wedding, don’t bother the bride and groom -- this will only add to their stress,” she said. “Instead, reach out to the wedding planner or the maid of honor.”

Phillips echoed that sentiment and said brides should not be bombarded with questions from their guests about what they should pack, what the weather will be like or what meals are planned. Many answers to questions like that can be found online, she said.

Of course, the No. 1 rule for destination wedding etiquette is to have fun, said Seeley Korbel. “An invite to a destination wedding offers you a quick getaway to celebrate the love two of your closest friends have for one another - enjoy it!”

Rachel Minske is a multimedia journalist. When not writing, she’s usually drinking coffee and asking questions.

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How to plan a wedding without losing your mind

F

By Rachel Minske

or many couples, the day they say “I do” is one of the most memorable events in their lives. But between booking venues, attending with guests’ needs and questions, fittings and all appointments in between, planning a wedding can be stress-inducing.

Two local wedding planners offered tips and tricks to ensuring brides and grooms enjoy their day and the planning process instead of drowning their sorrows in glasses of wine hoping it will soon be over: The best way to help alleviate some of that stress brought on by nuptials is to hire a wedding planner, said Makayla Seeley Korbel, owner of Meadowlark Events, an event and wedding planning company that serves the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota.

“A wedding planner becomes the point of contact for the vendors involved in your special day and will respond to the endless phone calls and emails,” she said. “We know all of the intricate details involved in your special day and know exactly how to get what you

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want. The best part is that we will be there on the day of your wedding to make sure everything goes smoothly and no one is bothering you with silly questions.”

As much as couples want their wedding day to run exactly as planned, sometimes mishaps happen, and that’s where wedding planners can really come in handy, Seeley Korbel said.

“As wedding planners, we are there to make sure the vendors arrive on time, the décor is exactly how you envisioned it and the groom has his shoes on,” she said. “On your wedding day, you should be focusing on being fully present in the moment; enjoy being pampered and surrounded by loved ones. We’ll take care of the rest.”

Kate Phillips, owner of KP Events in Mankato, said she prefers to sit down with her brides and construct a timeline for what needs to get done and by when. Phillips said couples approach her with a number of timelines – some are getting married in six months and some in three years. Phillips said while it’s possible to plan the perfect wedding in any timeframe, 18 months is a comfortable amount of time to plan a wedding from start to finish.

“What I like to do is make to-do lists so you can see what you’ve accomplished,” Phillips said. “It could just be one simple thing, just calling to confirm something.” But that one simple task can really put

a bride’s mind at ease, she said.

The Mankato-based event planner said she always aims to have all the planning completed a week before the nuptials.

“That way they have time to relax so they can be present at their event,” she said of couples.

To enhance the wedding so that it’s more celebratory, Phillips said couples should try and incorporate smaller, more meaningful details that give the day a personal touch and stray away from the “cookie cutter” feel. Placing pictures of the bride and groom on tables at the reception venue and personal speeches from the wedding party help guests “feel the love” at the event, she said.

Lists, lists and more lists For those couples going with the DIY approach for planning their special day, a detailed wedding checklist is also a good idea, Seeley Korbel said.

“Many checklists go from a year before the wedding, all the way until one hour prior,” she said. “That way, you won’t miss any big details.”

Couples can download a number of wedding checklists online, including from theknot.com.

For the DIY route, assigning someone to act as the day-of coordi-

nator, like a good friend with an eye for perfection, for example, is a good option, said Seeley Korbel.

Wedding planners’ No. 1 goal is to alleviate stress on the couple and that means ensuring that the couple ultimately makes every decision, Seeley Korbel said.

“As wedding planners, we are there to listen to the couple’s vision for their wedding and help them create the perfect day. We won’t listen to Aunt Beatrice who has been consistently offering her well-meaning advice,” she said. “We understand that many family members will be trying to tell the couple how their day ‘should be,’ and we are there to help settle arguments or act as a neutral party if needed.”

Having a professional wedding planner on hand can help lessen stress for some of the family members, too, she said. If the couple ever feels stuck in the planning process, wedding planners can offer a fresh perspective that perhaps was never previously considered.

“On the day of the wedding, we take care of everything so the couple can celebrate with their closest friends and family -- without having to worry about when the caterer is arriving, if the dessert table is set up correctly, or if the band has enough extension cords,” Seeley Korbel said.

Rachel Minske is a multimedia journalist. When not writing, she’s usually drinking coffee and asking questions.

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SURVIVAL

t

T

By Rian Dicke-Michels

ransitioning into the New Year, you might glance back at how far you’ve come.

Maybe you’ve met your weight goal and are looking to set new ones, Or maybe your #transformationtuesday wasn’t quite as “on point” as you were hoping. I took a look at the world of workout and, through some of the data I’ve compiled, hope to point you in the direction of self-fulfillment.

Fitness has always been a big deal, because it’s healthy, proven to help you live longer, and when practiced regularly will make you look good and feel better. Thankfully the days of vibrating, melt-the-fat-away, massage belts are over. Hindsight is 20/20, so we scrapped that idea and moved on. What up-and-coming fitness trends, this decade are formulated to give you the exercise you need and the workout you crave?

There are five components of physical activity that create a wellrounded routine: cardiovascular endurance (cardiopulmonary exercise), muscle strength, muscular endurance, flexibility/mobility, and body composition. When deciding what your workout should consist of, all five of these criteria should be considered. Repeating the same thing over and over again isn’t going to be as effective as using a variety of techniques to maintain balance in the body.

From P90X to CrossFit to YouTube Fitness Bloggers, you can craft a regime at home that you’re determined to stick to; however, nothing compares to working with a personal trainer or committing to taking classes in a studio or gym setting.

L fitness of the

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Katie Sullid, owner of Sullid Yoga in Owatonna.

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In the biggest trend-setting cities of L.A., New York, and Miami, the populations are combating stagnant lifestyles. Most of the name-brand studios are coming out with fancy names for hybrid classes that all contained some element of barre exercises, flow-style or power yoga, strength training, some form of dance fitness, or indoor cycling.

Every single popular class incorporates one or more of these styles. Most of the studios use heated classrooms, creating an environment that encourages sweating and increased muscle warmth. The main point seems to be an emphasis on toning circuits or cardio that fluctuates the heart rate.

In our area, you can find a variety of facilities that offer classes you might be interested in. I asked local studio owner Katie Sollid a few questions about her own physical activity and what she thinks the trends will be this year. She teaches five fitness-related classes a week at Sollid Yoga, participates in competitive volleyball two days a week, and takes a cycling class once a week at Owatonna Fit Lab, on top of her daily home yoga

practice.

“Barre is something people should try. Even with no dance experience, it’s a great way to tone, lengthen, and build strength,” Katie said. “The most important part of fitness to me is proper warm-up and stretching. It’s also important sure to get enough protein in your body to prepare and recover” In my own yoga practice and teaching, I have discovered benefits to different types: fast and slow, hot and cool. I have students that fight slowing down and others who dread speeding up.

My response is usually this: the pose you avoid is often the pose you need the most. By this, I mean that if you’re dodging detox yoga, you probably need it. Balance is the key. In one category, a job may consist of sitting all day with a racing mind, while in another, work is spent absent-mindedly and on foot.

Some jobs may even have a combination of the two. My professional suggestion is to choose a variety of exercises that also contrast your lifestyle. Add yin to your yang.

Trends come and go. Thanks to scientific data, it’s common knowledge

that a stagnant lifestyle leads to health problems or worse. It is your choice in the matter whether you live actively. Lucky for you, access to fitness knowledge is readily available at the touch of a finger.

Over the years, we’ve seen Jazzercise, aerobics with Jane Fonda, tae-bo, and Pilates all slide in and out of the spotlight. With the advancement of technology and medical science, fitness has really begun to hone in on the workouts that really do work. Be proactive and always keep in mind the five components of physical activity.

No matter the workout you choose, I’m sure we are all glad that the leotard and leggings look is over and done with.

Rian Dicke-Michels is a highly independent 24-year-old, an MSU Mankato graduate, a 200-hour certified yoga instructor, and the loving mother of a 4-year-old. Her goals in life are saturated with health, wellness, and loving oneself. “As a yogi,” she says, “I want to share this journey with you.”

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33

Yog-olden Years (AKA, Only As Old As You Feel)

T

By Rian Dicke-Michel

he world is obsessed with longevity. We develop creams, take pills and pay for Botox, among other expensive medical advancements to preserve our youth. However, each year that goes by is still another year under our belt.

My grandmother says that she always does her “daily exercises.” She’s not out running marathons, but a body needs to move - and move she does. All my life, my grandma has been a relatively active woman and I can’t say that I’m not impressed with her health. She likes to get out of the house to ride her bicycle, go for walks, and do her morning stretches to get the “old blood” flowing. Recently, I made a comment that we’re only as old as we feel, and her laughing response was that she must really be getting “old.”

Inside the anatomy of our DNA there is a part called the telomere:

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a compound structure at the end of each chromosome. At de Duve Institute of the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, researchers studied a part of the cell that tracks each time it divides; for each cell division that occurs, the telomeres become shorter. Cell division occurs over time to replace dead and dying cells due to infection, sickness, and other changes in the body. They found what they call a nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) which regulates the production of molecules protecting the telomeres, and each bout of exercise provides a refreshed coating of protection. Any physical activity will do, but many forms of fitness can stress cartilage or cause strain in the joints, and cannot be kept up forever.

In the past 10 years, the big boom in yoga has turned heads in the world of science. A Huffington Post article showed that people who practiced yoga and meditation had 87% fewer hospitalizations for heart disease, 55% fewer for benign and malignant tumors, 30% fewer for infectious disease, and 50% fewer out-patient and doctor visits.

Our bodies have a knack for storing toxins (mercury, dioxin, free

radicals, pesticides) in fatty tissues, blood and organs. Yoga gently detoxifies the body through various postures that massage the digestive tract, flush the brain with fresh oxygenated cells, and uses gravity to shake up lymphatic fluids that settle in soft tissues. Refreshing the body in this way provides energy and induces a healthier blood flow. Yoga also stimulates the endocrine system which regulates healing, aging, metabolism, and immunity. If we take the time to cultivate our strength and treat our bones and internal organs with care, old age becomes something we count simply in years rather than aches and pains.

Regular yoga practice exercises communication between the mind and body. It doesn’t require flexibility; it creates it. It doesn’t take great strength; it improves it. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons estimates that 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men will suffer a fracture due to falling.

Balance postures sync synopses between the left and right hemispheres in the brain. Pranayama (breath work) increases endurance in marathoners by twice the distance in one session. Yoga presents us with opportunities to maintain some of the abilities that come more naturally in younger years. Tao Porchon-Lynch is living proof.

Born in 1918, Tao Porchon-Lynch has set an awe-striking record for the oldest living yoga instructor on the planet. At age 98, despite

having broken a wrist and required three hip replacements, Tao is still teaching yoga, with plenty of wisdom to share. Throughout her life, she’s lived a variety of lifestyles as a model, an actress, a dancer, and now an avid yogini. She is evidence that when the body is cared for, it is certainly capable of keeping up. Pairing an able body with a healthy mentality towards life, Tao has us all filled with hope for happiness and longevity.

An enormous factor of yoga is accepting the body as it is in each moment. We can change our lifestyles, we can change how we eat, we can change so many things, but we cannot alter the minutes that go by. Whether it really starts to set in at 30 or 75, aging is inevitable. Yoga can be modified to suit each individual’s practice and is for the body you have today, not the body you had yesterday or 10 years ago. We cannot look to yoga as the fountain of youth, but when we honor the natural process of aging, we are honoring our true selves, ultimately cultivating the happiness we so crave.

“Do not procrastinate. One minute after midnight is already today.” –Tao Porchon-Lynch Rian Dicke-Michels is a highly independent 24-year-old, an MSU Mankato graduate, a 200-hour certified yoga instructor, and the loving mother of a 4-year-old. Her goals in life are saturated with health, wellness, and loving oneself. “As a yogi,” she says, “I want to share this journey with you.”

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35

r o g n i r o n Is it Just S

D

By Jeffrey S. Forslund, D.D.S. oes your spouse or partner snore? Do you hear them stop breathing during the night? Do you sleep in different bedrooms because of snoring? If you said yes to any of these questions, then you are not alone.

Snoring can be annoying but it also can be a symptom of something more serious.

In addition to snoring, your loved one may actually be struggling with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Half to two-thirds of adults snore, and it is estimated that 17-20% of adults in the U.S. have OSA, which is more than diabetes and asthma combined. OSA increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer, dementia and other health problems.

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It is also a major factor in increased risk for motor vehicle accidents due to feeling sleepy; research has shown that untreated OSA doubles your risk of car crashes.

A person who snores or has OSA also affects those around them.

About 23% of partners sleep in separate bedrooms. If disturbed by their partner’s sleep problem, the other partner loses an average of 49 minutes of sleep per night.

How does a person know if they have sleep apnea? Common symptoms include daytime sleepiness, snoring, waking up frequently, or being told they stop breathing at night. The three main risk factors for sleep apnea are being male, older age, and being overweight; however, this is not true of every patient.

There are several screening tools to assess a person’s likelihood of having Obstructive Sleep Apnea. A commonly used one is the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

Epworth Sleepiness Scale How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations, in contrast to feeling just tired?

This refers to your usual way of life in recent times.

Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation: 0 = would never doze 1 = slight chance of dozing 2 = moderate chance of dozing 3 = high chance of dozing

Watching TV ____

Sitting, inactive in a public place (e.g. a theatre or a meeting) ____

As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break ____

Lying down to rest in the afternoon ____

Sitting and talking to someone ____

Sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol ____

Chance of Dozing (0-3) while: In a car, while stopped for traffic ____

Sitting and reading ___

Total: ____

CONTINUES ON PAGE 38 u u u

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37

CONTINUES FROM PAGE 37

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), a score of more than 6 means you are “sleepy,” more than 10 you are “very sleepy,” and higher than 16 you are “dangerously sleepy”.

What should you do if you suspect that you or someone you know has OSA? The first step is to make an appointment with your regular physician or a sleep specialist. This first visit is to whether a sleep study is appropriate. Home sleep tests are available and can help make getting a diagnosis easier, but sometimes an overnight sleep study in a clinic is necessary. If OSA is the diagnosis, there are several ways to treat it. The most well-known treatment is a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machine. Another treatment is a mandibular advancement device (MAD). Surgical options are also available. The sleep physician will discuss the treatment options with the patient.

A MAD is a specialized, custom-made mouth guard that helps keep the airway open at night. AASM believes a MAD is appropriate for patients with all levels (mild, moderate, or severe) of OSA, or for patients that cannot tolerate or have the desire to try CPAP. MADs are also a great alternative for people travel a lot or go to areas where electricity is not available, such as when camping.

Here are a couple of stories from women whose spouses snored and got treatment with a MAD. Jenny: “My husband Jeff struggled with sleep apnea for years but never had a sleep study to diagnose it. He completed an at-home sleep study in May of 2016 and was diagnosed with OSA. He was very excited to get the CPAP and start using it. As it turns out, he just couldn’t adapt to it, plus it wasn’t convenient for him to take while traveling. An oral sleep appliance (a MAD) was recommended; he was custom-fitted for it, and he loves how easy and convenient it is to use and to travel with. His snoring has since stopped and he is feeling well-rested in the morning.”

Stephanie: “My husband has always snored and has a family history of sleep apnea. His loud snoring and heavy breathing at night affected the quality of sleep for both of us. Last summer, he did an at-home sleep study and was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. His

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doctor recommended that he get a MAD. Within a week of getting the appliance, his snoring had dramatically decreased and soon after was gone completely. He finds it comfortable to wear; we are very glad that we chose to get the appliance. It has changed our quality of sleep and life.”

This story is from a female patient who received a dental appliance for her apnea.

Amy: “I have never been a great sleeper. After I had children, my sleep patterns became horrible. I would wake up nearly every hour.

I would notice little noises in the house and every little movement my children made. One night, I noticed I had been up eight different times during the night. I finally spoke to my primary care doctor and she prescribed sleeping pills. I was tired all day long. I work full time, am a wife and a mom to three kids and pets, I did not have one minute in my day to be tired. We were on an outing with a friend of ours who is a doctor. My husband told him about my snoring and being up and down all night, and how neither of us could sleep. Our friend recommended that I have a sleep assessment (at a hospital in Minneapolis). (Sure enough, I had sleep apnea.) Options for treatment were either a CPAP or a MAD. “The MAD has changed my life. I wear it every night, clean it in the morning and start my day. I sleep so much better. I can physically feel the appliance moving my jaw forward and allowing me to breathe normally. I work out daily, have energy again and feel great.

I was able to stop high blood pressure medications and sleeping pills that had been prescribed due to the effects on my body from not sleeping. My body had revolted previously and I was finally getting it back. This appliance has saved my family from a crabby mom and wife!”

It is stories like these where people have such a significant improvement in health and quality of life for themselves and for those around them that makes treating patients with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea so rewarding.

Jeff Forslund graduated from the University of Minnesota Dental School in 1988. He is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and has lived in southern Minnesota for more than 25 years. He practices dental sleep medicine at Southern Heights Dental Group in Faribault and also at the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Dental Treatment Center in Edina. He can be reached at info@southernheightsdental.com and 507-334-6433 (Faribault) or info@snoringandsleepapne-

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After a Faribault City Council discussion on Tuesday night, city staff was directed to make changes to the city’s 2017 budget that will result in an ap-

‘With Thinking Fingers’

By PHILIP WEYHE proximately 2.25 percent tax levy next year.

pweyhe@northfi eldnews.com City Finance Director Karla McCall offered four

Minnesota farmers, dependent on exports, keep close watch on President-elect’s policy

By MARK STEIL

Minnesota Public Radio News

Brad Nelson, a farmer who lives near Albert Lea, voted for Donald Trump last month. The 58-yearold agreed with the president-elect on many issues, like cutting regulations on agriculture and reducing health care costs.

But Trump also threatened sharply higher tariffs on Chinese products, once saying that “China is ripping us off like nobody has ever seen.”

However, Minnesota farmers like Nelson count

on billions of dollars in exports to overseas markets — especially to China. “Our exports to China obviously have exploded the last 10 or 15 years,” said Nelson.

If Trump really goes after China, the likely retaliation could hurt U.S. farmers. Now, they’re waiting to see what the Trump administration actually does.

Rural Minnesota voted resoundingly for Trump, even though the candidate hammered trade deals as a centerpiece of his campaign.

Those deals can be crucial for farmers’ livelihoods.

“Without access to the export market, we’d be in some trouble,” said Joel Wiering, grain manager at the CHS terminal in the southwest Minnesota town of Ruthton.

About 60 percent of the soybeans moving through the Ruthton elevator this year — about $30 million worth — will wind up overseas. That’s just a drop in the bucket compared to the over $2 billion soybean exports bring to Minnesota’s agricultural economy each year.

Minnesota has been approved for a third federal See LEVY on 6A disaster assistance program after September’s flooding, officials announced Thursday.

The U.S. Small Business Administration will offer Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans in seven Minnesota counties, including Rice, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans in many others, according to a SBA press release. religious in terms of the message another weekday, teaching the The same SBA announcement comeswith after the Fedof Christ,” she said. “We are no music to both groups eral Emergency Agency declared the different than those incarcerated. the overallManagement goal of getting together region eligible for Public Assistance funds, which We all need saving.” for a concert in December. compensateThe damage public For Shelby and Faribault choirtohas seenproperty steadyand infrastructure, in early November. time, the regrowth since it beganAt sixthat years prison Chaplain David Swagger, quest for Individual to homes a unifying message is at the heart ago, and it setAssistance a new record this and businesses of why this event has continued in was yeardenied. with 41.

Gov. Mark Dayton’s appealed that “There is anadministration element of cuthis form for six years. denial on Nov. 16, citing more list riosity to it,” he asaid ofcomprehensive why he Shelby met Swagger when of damaged properties as well as the approaching he was invited to attend a bible believes so many people sign onset ofup. winter, with many furnaces damstudy at the prison. After becom“I usually findhomes’ that there agedif bycould the floods. ing acquainted, Swagger asked already be the thought Earlier this week, following thethat appeal, it was Shelby could fill in for him with planted in their minds homes and businesses would the prison choir during hisannounced va- theyMinnesota wanted to do something be eligible for Individual cation. at the prison orAssistance volunteerfunds. in Steele County Emergency Mike Johnson “He asked me if I would be some way, they justManager never did said thatanything decision triggered interested in directing the prison about it.”the SBA announcement.

“We hadFor to Anderson, get the Individual Assistance to get choir on Sundays,” said Shelby. a veteran of “I told him I was interested, but the choir, reaching out to prisI couldn’t do something likeVol.oners “hope and joy at WEATHER 103, No.with 239 ©2016 that because I was already busy Christmastime,” is paramount 32 • 23 on Sundays. We began thinking to her annually renewed comoutside of the box at that point.” mitment to the collaboration.

Together, the two men came She has also seen that more and up with the idea that Shelby more people find the experience would work with the prison choir rewarding.

INDEX on one weekday, and then work with his own congregation on See CHOIR on 6A

Faribault prison, Dundas church create unique choir collaboration

By GUNNAR OLSON

golson@faribault.com

A group of incarcerated individuals and a congregation from Dundas have discovered the parallels between their lives through singing.

Rejoice! Church, a congregation just off of Hwy. 3 in Dundas, has 41 participants in its Christmas Choir this holiday season.

The other 13 members of the choir are inmates at the Minnesota Department of CorrectionsFaribault.

For the last eight weeks, Pat Shelby, the worship director at Rejoice!, has spent his Tuesday nights working with part of his choir at Rejoice! On Wednesdays, he spends time working with the members who reside at the prison.

The culmination of these months of practice will be Dec. 9 at 7 p.m., where the choir will meet, altogether, and perform for a crowd of incarcerated individuals at the prison.

Vol. 140, No. 49 ©2016

Offenders who are in the Faribault prison’s choir sing along with the choir members from Rejoice! Church during their Christmas concert. The choir has seen steady growth since it began six years ago. (Daily News file photos)

According to Karen Anderson, everyone together in an upbeat, for all members of the choir, but the message is the unifya five-year member of Rejoice! contemporary style.

For Anderson, the tone of ing force.

Church’s Christmas and Joyful “The music is secular, but also Noise choirs, the music brings the music is fun and exciting

Researcher looks to St. Peter, southern Minn. for answers on osteopathic doctor

By NANCY MADSEN

nmadsen@stpeterherald.com

By NANCY MADSEN St. Peter Public Schools continues to see fewer school-age children attend parochial schools or Jane Stark visited St. Peter on a mishomeschools. sion.

From a peak of 177 district students opting She was looking for any information for private educational offerings throughout the on William Garner Sutherland, one of region during the 2011-12 year, just 116 have chothree “founding fathers” of osteopathic sen other options during 2016-17. medicine. Sutherland lived in St. Peter “It tends to speak well for the quality of profrom the 1930s to 1950 while married gramming that St. Peter Schools provides,” Superto his second wife, Adah, a native of intendent Paul Peterson said. “We don’t see ourSt. Peter. of its selves in competition with the parochial schools.”

With the announcement of its closure later this month, the Children’s exchange in downtown Faribault must now move the entirety Stark is working on a biography inventory by Dec. 31. (Gunnar Olson/Daily News) The board accepted the compulsory attendance of Sutherland, who spent most of his record for the year during its Nov. 21 meeting. life anchored in southern Minnesota.

If religious content is important to parents, He was born in 1873 and died in 1954, the public school district can’t offer that, he said. of what Stark believes to be complicaHe sees value in the choices parents are allowed tions from diabetes. At the time, the in St. Peter.

Sutherlands had retired to southern John Ireland, which offers classes through California. sixth grade, continues to have the most parochial Stark, an osteopathic doctor who students from the district, with 52. That is down treats patients in Milton, Ontario, befrom 94 students in 2012-13, but one more than came interested in Sutherland after last year. St. Peter Lutheran, which offers classes

By GUNNAR OLSON years old and to have her husband press the send off and said she may change those see them at twopublishing her three thesis on the founder through eighth grade, has 38, down from a high to see themAndrew grow Taylor Still. button after typing the announce- savings toward the middle of the years old … I get golson@faribault.com of osteopathy, of 49 in 2011-12 but up one from last year.

I’llere miss. ment. month because, as she said, “every- up and that is what“Th wereSeeing three main characters Twelve students in the district are hometheir happy faces day.” Still, Sutherland and “I’m sad that it’s going to go,” she thing must go.” he owner of The Children’s in every osteopathy, schooling this year, down from 14 last year.

The store will leave behind a Robinson said thatJohn’ her time runExchange, a downtown said. “I don’t want to, but I kind of ‘Little Martin, ” she said.

Other private schools in the region have much 34-year legacy that began with Sue ning the shop was,Still “a lot of fun, ” asphysical manipuFaribault store, will be closing its have to.” sought to use smaller numbers of St. Peter district students: Her reasoning for closing the Chavie in 1982. After Chavie retired she offered a shopping experience doors at year-end. lation as an alternative to medicines.

Loyola Catholic Schools in Mankato has six, Trinbothowned their own Osteopathic doctor William Garner Sutherland, left, and second wife, Adah, who was a St. Peter native, pose in Kimberley Robinson, the owner shop is a confluence of more local years ago, the store was purchased where kids andAtparents the time,can doctors ity Lutheran in Nicollet has four, Minnesota Valley of the store located at 114 Central competition and some personal by Kieran Nystrom, who sold it to enjoy themselves. pharmacies and would put harmful or this photo. (Courtesy of Nicollet County Historical Society archives) Lutheran near New Ulm and Immanuel Lutheran “The one thing I always did was Robinson just a year later.

Ave., announced the decision in a health problems. addictive elements into drugs to make in Mankato each have two.

“There is too much competition At the helm for the last two years, when the momspatients came in,return, they would Facebook post Wednesday evening.

Stark told a group at “Over the years, we have tried to listen really baby and goCounty shop,” Historical Soci- but his family lived in Mapleton most which means he was pretty athletic.” skull, trying to prove those bones did carefully to families,” Peterson said. “We know The store sells new and used ever since the Goodwill came in,” Robinson knows which part she will hand me their the Nicollet said Robinson.ety“I during would her sit visit. thereStill thought the of his life. Sutherland started working clothing for adults and children as she said. “It stopped the flow of cus- miss the most. people are looking for specific programming, She found more information not move. tomers.”

“I’m going to miss seeing the and spoil the baby well as toys, movies and books. bodyand hadplay. all it” needed to heal itself and in a career very different from medicine about his work at the Mapleton Enactivities and experiences.”

For now, Robinson has marked kids grow up,” she said. “I see baFor Robinson, the decision was manipulation could allow free flow of — as a pressman and later journalist terprise, where he evidently had a Only eight students are in parochial schools Sutherland in osteopathy See exChANGe oncould 3A occur. a tough one, admitting that she had everything in the store 30 percent bies when they come in and then to fluids so healing for papers, first in South Dakota, then position of authority, and about his He moved several times after his or homeschooled during the high school years, Sutherland developed the cranial in Minnesota, including the St. Paul siblings. graduation in 1900. But in 1905, he ninth through 12th grade. Another eight are in approach for treating patients, which Pioneer Press, Mapleton Enterprise and Sutherland heard about osteopathy had a practice in Mapleton and mar- seventh and eighth grade. involves manipulating the joints and Austin’s Daily Herald.

“It’s more a reflection of what our teachers do as a reporter and went to Still’s Ameri- ried Bertha Cavett. The couple had one bones in the skill. From his theory Stark’s said the gold mine of infor- can School of Osteopathy in Kirksville, daughter, Alice. Mother and daughter with kids,” he said. “It shows families know their developed craniosacral therapy, an al- mation on Sutherland was in Maple- Missouri, in 1898. The school is now left Sutherland in 1920. kids are treated well, the parents feel good and ternative therapy. These therapies and ton, where she found never-before known as A.T. Still University. While Sutherland brought his practice to there’s a quality education in our public system.” the underlying theory remain contro- published pictures of Sutherland, his at the college, he noticed the beveling Mankato in 1914 and worked on his In other action, the board approved a contract How to REgIStER FoR aSSIStaNCEversial, as studies supporting the move- parents’ gravesites and personal infor- of skull bones, which even among os- experiments. He would make contrap- for lifts in the new high school during its meeting ment of skull bones have been decried mation. teopathic practitioners were considered tions to squeeze his own head, “almost Nov. 21. Premier Lift Products, Owatonna, was Officials have announced the as lacking necessary rigor.

“I found he advertised selling a unmovable. He wrote they were “bev- to the point of losing consciousness,” the lowest bidder for two lifts. One will be in the registration process for Individual special education rooms for students and costs harness, which means he owned a eled, like the gills of a fish,” which sug- Stark said.

Assistance for homeowners affected bybackground Sutherland’s $25,860; the other will be in the orchestra pit and horse,” she said. “Once he was riding gested breathing movement. A decade the flooding that occurred Sutherland on Sept. 21 was born in Wisconsin, a bicycle from Mapleton to Waseca, later, he began experimenting with the See OSTEOPATH on 6A will cost $32,400. to 24, 2016.

Home owners can now register for disaster assistance two ways: 1. WEB: www.DisasterAssistance.gov 2. PHONE: 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY: 800-462-7585 (711/Video Relay By NANCY MADSEN Part of the reason is to expose because it opens up a potentially health class where this year’s Service) students to as many activities as lifelong activity and it starts most theme is water. The topics they’re Have this information nmadsen@stpeterherald.com ready when you possible. students on the same footing. covering include pollution, waterapply: Martha Wavrin is no ordinary “You just plant the seed and “They don’t have the precon- borne illnesses and water in the • Social Security number (one per PE teacher. see where it goes,” she said. ceived notions,” she said. environment. household) A retention wall built for this reason holds back water from a portion of the Faribault Cheese usesor physical education The other reason is to allow School Principal Colleen She ties the Walk-Jog-Run • Address of the damagedShe home Caves. (Gunnar Olson/Daily News) classes at John Ireland School to different children to excel.

Wenner is enthusiastic about Wavrin program and fundraiser tighter apartment introduce students from kinder“With basketball and foot- teaching a wide range of activities. together by having a gallon jug the SBA [funding],” he said. “Originally we were ers who were affected locally, though she said there • Description of the damage ball, a lot of kids have already “She’s always bringing in new of water for students to take turns garten to sixth grade to a wide denied, but once you get [Individual Assistance], could be more out there.

• Information about insurance had experience and kids know ideas and ways that kids can be fit carrying. range of activities. you become SBA eligible.”

SBA will offer loans of up to $2 million for busicoverage “As an adult, you have to or who’s good at them, ” Wavrin said. and have fun, ” Wenner said.

A gallon weighs almost eight Rice County was much more fortunate in terms of nesses and nonprofits and $200,000 for homeown• Telephone number happen to be a person who likes “Other activities give other kids Wenner praised Wavrin’s pounds and “The average wadamage when compared to Waseca County and the ers. Johnson said the SBA funds serve a comple• Mailing address to be active and move, ” Wavrin the chance to rise up. ” Walk-Jog-Run program, which is ter carrier carries five gallons,” city of Albert Lea, according to Rice County Emer- mentary function to FEMA’s Individual Assistance.

• Bank account and routing numbers said. “Or, you happen to enjoy the Skiing is one of the favorite a voluntary activity during recess. Wavrin said. gency Management Director Jennifer Hauer-Schmitz. for direct deposit of funds activity.” units. Someone donated 20 sets of Students each get a punch The fundraiser is administered She has only heard from a handful of homeownSee ASSiStANCe on 3A Wavrin has been at John Ireskis and boots. The youngest stu- card, which is punched once per through Fitness Finders, which dents start with one ski and they quarter-mile lap. land for four years. She and her matches what they collect. For CALL US E-MAIL US MOBILE family have been in Minnesota for learn “mostly through games.”

“I try to emphasize fitness as a each $25, Fitness Finders buys a Southern Minn Media Delivery 333-3111 circulation@faribault.com 20 years and she previously taught They play tag games and a game habit,” Wavrin said. “I encourage filter for use in Haiti.

Daily 3....................................8-5-5 Mobile App: iPhone and them to do one lap each time.” at St. Anne’s Catholic School, Le like ultimate frisbee on skis.

Missionaries to Haiti have Newsroom 333-3134 editor@faribault.com Northstar...................7-14-16-26-30 Android versions now Sueur. She grew up in New Jer“Without even thinking about At the end of the year, she visited the school to talk about Classifieds 333-3123 classified@southernminn.com available for download sey and also taught in Alaska Martha Wavrin, physical education teacher at John Ireland it first, they are learning balanc- gives awards for the student who life there, giving students a firstand Kansas as her family moved School, punches holes in cards to track the number of laps ing,” Wavrin said. is most consistent about exercis- hand account of why water filters around.

Each year she builds on the ing and does the most laps, and are needed. students have done in the Walk-Jog-Run program. (Nancy LOCAL 2A-3A // OPINION 4A // RECORDS 5A // COMMUNITY 6A // SCENE 7A // SPORTS 1B-3B, 8B // CLASSIFIEDS 5B-7B previous years’ skills. “In sixth the class that does the most laps.

She teaches units not just on Madsen/St. Peter Herald) The fundraising shows the This year, the program is also breadth and depth of Wavrin’s the old standards, but also on bike grade, we go to Gustavus and ski safety, lacrosse, badminton, gymat the arboretum,” she said. “They serving as a fundraiser for pro- perspective on her classes, nastics and cross-country skiing, play “Dance Dance Revolution.” look for effort. The children never could see how good they’ve be- viding water filters for schools Wenner said. to name a few. They use a slack and families in Haiti. For fourth “I try to take all the negatives pick teams. It’s not just about win- come.”

“Martha just brings more to line, square dance, roller skate and out of the classes,” Wavrin said. “I ning — I want them to have fun.”

Skiing is great for the students through sixth grade, she teaches physical education,” she said. nmadsen@stpeterherald.com

End of a journEy The Children’s Exchange, known for kids’ toys, clothes, announces its closure

T

Small Business Administration to offer disaster relief loans

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John Ireland teacher ‘brings more’ to physical education

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Blooming Prairie school district St. Peter Public Schools continue thrilled with decline in students results of mental learning elsewhere health program

LOTTERIES

TRUMP&TRADE Soybean dust billows as a CHS employee helps load a train in Ruthton, Minneosta, that’s headed for the West Coast export market. Exports are crucial for Minnesota farmers, who are watching to see how the Trump administration will handle trade deals. (Mark Steil | MPR News)

different tax levy options that revolved around the Thcouncil’s e Northfidecisions eld City Council withfrom its changregardingstuck savings preliminary the 2017 citywide ing theplan city’sforinsurance benefits tax andlevy, its decision consisting of a 2 percent increase from the whether 2016 to pay level. for a full-time gENERal FuND The increase means that, including levies police officer from theREvENuE Economic Development Authority hire. and Housing Redevelopment Authority, NorthSouRCES Her total field’s totalProperty levy will move from $8.10 million expected levy taxes do not in 2016 to $8.26 million for 2017. The majority amount was a account for the entirety of councillors felt the 2 percent increase was littlea over $8 of the city’s revenue. Its comfortable compromise. million. other sources are below.

The council started out its discussion on the McCall’s Property Taxat— 2017 citywide tax levy a 3 percent increase options to the $5,066,708 —work 35.5 from 2016 at an August council, none General Fund session. percent The figure,ofsuggested of which were Local by city staff , led Government

by Finance Aid chosen, in$5,409,262 — 37.9 Director—Melanie Lammers volved using percent and Administrator Ben half or all of Franchise Feesof— Martig, came as a result the insurance $745,000 — 5.2and percent increased infrastructure benefits to equipmentFees costs.for Services Lammers lower the levy $1,379,918 — 9.7 The 3— percent would have and options to reflectedpercent a change from the either hire the $8.10 million levy 2016 Other —for $1,662,256 officer or not. to a proposed million — 11.7$8.34 percent In the end, proposed levy 2017. — Totalforamount the council The $14,263,144 majority of the inagreed that creased levy dollars in the 3 hiring the offipercent have cerincrease is for thewould best, but, in order to save costs, councilgone ors toward the city general instructed staff to begin that position on July fund, 1, mostly and Martig$50,000 from the whichfor willstaffi savengapproximately services costs. Th e park funda full-year, full-time officer. $100,000 cost of hiring was also scheduled $30,000directed increase, and to put 50 In addition,for theacouncil McCall the city facilities fund a $20,000 increase.benefits savings percent of the $148,000 in insurance Thinto ere isthe alsoGeneral moneyFund beingto setlower aside the for alevy five-instead of year streets plan, which includes that maintenance the $32,000 of the $148,000 McCall originally and reconstruction recommended.in various city locations.

A second option, but officer not recThe choice to presented start the police after July 1 ommended was to set that the preis due, in in September, part, to the possibility the Faribault liminary levyDepartment at only a 1 percent increase.

Staff of ComPolice could earn an Office wouldmunity need to cut $161,000 the general Oriented Policingfrom Services grant, which was fund budget in thatduring case. the first round of applications not awarded Martig and Lammers laid out a few areas this year. that would need to be considered for cuts to make that option work: full-timeSee staff (to part- on 2A tAxeS time), overtime, street department service areas, and technology upgrades.

Instead, the City Council found a compromised preliminary position at a 2 percent increase. The number was higher than what councilors David DeLong and David Ludescher

By WILLIAM MORRIS wanted (1 percent), but lower than the citywmorris@owatonna.com staff-recommended 3 percent.

75 cents Newsstand

December 1, 2016 AGRICULTURE

$1.25 Newsstand

By GUNNAR OLSON

golson@faribault.com

THURSDAY

FRUITFUL FARMS

By RYAN ANDERSON

randerson@owatonna.com

BLOOMING PRAIRIE — Blooming Prairie is now in its second year of having a mental health professional inside its schools working with students daily.

And Barry Olson, the district’s superintendent, said he expects more schools to implement similar programs in the near future.

“Anytime there are mental health issues, it’s hard for students to learn, and the more we can work with that, the better we are,” Olson said. “Mental health is becoming a huge issue [not only in schools] but throughout our country, and we’re trying to head off some of those problems.”

Others in the district were equally supportive of the program.

“After evaluating the first year, we were very pleased with what we Arnold accomplished,” said John Worke, Blooming Prairie’s high school principal. “I can’t say enough about the program.”

Susan Arnold, the district’s on-site mental health specialist, said she has roughly 20 students this year, a slight increase from last year. She works with students as young as pre-kindergarten and as old as seniors, not to mention some parents as well.

“With little kids, it’s a lot more play-therapy techniques, showing me what they are feeling,” she said.

“It’s more discussion with 18-year-olds.”

It’s been “easier to engage students in year two,” she said. At the beginning, “I got the feeling there was a lot of fear and apprehension with students not knowing what to expect, but word of mouth is always helpful.”

The more she interacted with fellow staff members and students, the more comfortable everyone became, she said.

“This therapy is a medical service,” she said. “It’s a medical necessity.”

Worke’s main concern before beginning the program was its long-term viability.

“The kids have a tendency to start relying on these services, and if we lose them, that can be more detrimental than if we never started,” Worke said.

“But I’m in constant contact with Susan, and she assures me this program will be around for a lengthy amount of time.”

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Farm fields lie tilled and fertilized in preparation for next year’s growing season. Scientists say the 2016 harvest was mostly a success despite near-record rainfall and heat in areas. (William Morris/People’s Press)

Final word on harvest: record rainfall but still successful season

By WILLIAM MORRIS

wmorris@owatonna.com

OWATONNA — As a very unusual agricultural season draws to a close, experts say Minnesota growers saw good years in spite of often chaotic weather.

The 2016 growing season was marked by a drier-than-average spring and early summer followed by several extremely wet months drying up again in the fall. According to National Weather Service data, Owatonna saw 46.76 inches of precipitation through the end of October this year, already well above the annual average of about 35.7 inches in southern Minnesota, with the lion’s share coming in the late summer and early fall.

“In the first six months of the year, we were a little below normal,” said Thomas Hoverstad, a scientist at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center. “It was really July, August

and September rain that was really above normal.”

Hoverstad announced Monday that the center’s collection site in Waseca had set an annual precipitation record for Minnesota at 53.78 inches and counting, topping a 25-year-old mark set in St. Francis. But despite all that rain and the considerable havoc it wrought with homes, roads and other infrastructure, Hoverstad said many farmers were able to plant and harvest their crops as usual.

“As far as getting a crop in, we had a good planting season. We did not have the flooding rains that can cover a crop while it’s still small,” he said. “Had we had all that rain in April, May, June, it would have been much worse for us, crop-wise.”

After September’s rains, though, several months of mostly warm, dry weather followed, drying the fields and allowing farmers to harvest most of their crops.

“They didn’t get off completely

free. There’s some areas they still never got back to harvesting, but we did do, by and large, pretty well,” Hoverstad said. “By the end of the fall, some of those areas, especially corn, they did get in there.”

The past week, though, has reversed that trend as cold and damp has settled over the region. In its final Minnesota Crop Progress and Condition report of 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that harvest has been completed in many areas, but snow and rain across the state left barely two days in the past week for growers hoping to wrap up harvesting, tillage and manure application before winter sets in.

As weather researchers evaluate this year’s rainfall, they’re also looking at monthly temperatures, which are on track to add up to one of the warmest years on record.

“I think it’s our second-warmest November on record: 11.5 degrees warmer than normal,” Hoverstad

said. “This was our 11th month of above-normal temperatures, but we don’t stand a chance of setting the warmest year ever. We’re going to fall short of that, but it’s going to be our second-warmest year on record.”

The average annual temperature in southern Minnesota is about 44.8 degrees, and Hoverstad estimated this year’s average will be in the region of 49. That’s pretty warm, but still well short of 1931’s 50.8 degrees.

Other warmer-than-average years have included 2009 and 2015.

Despite all the irregularities in this year’s weather, Hoverstad said the rain and heat came at the right time for most farmers to make it a successful year.

“It was the only way you could do it and still produce a crop,” he said.

William Morris is a reporter for the Owatonna People’s Press. He can be reached at 444-2372; follow him on Twitter @OPPWilliam

A life remembered: Faribault woman fulfilled dreams after nearly 40 years of wonder

By BRAD PHENOW

bphenow@faribault.com

After being abducted from a Colombian hospital as an infant, a Faribault woman had one dream: finding her birth family.

Earlier this month, Marisa Bocanegra, the mother of five, anxiously watched people enter a Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport terminal. In seconds, her dreams would come true, as her mother and brother would soon walk through the doors.

When they appeared, tears flowed, people cheered, and Bocanegra — whose original name is Ana Maria — walked toward her mother, who two years ago she knew nothing about.

“I’m so happy that this is finally coming true,” she told GoMN.com, which produced a four-part series on the story of Bocanegra, who was abducted from a Colombia hospital before being sold and adopted by a family in Minnesota.

Vol. 102, No. 238 ©2016

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she initially used to help with expenses to find her family before changing its focus to helping others who are on a similar journey. “Now that in possibly one more month I will be in my mama’s arms, I want to help other Colombian adoptees who were illegally taken by being their hope, their support …”

But her mission — and her life — were cut short.

Bocanegra was killed Tuesday in a car crash south of Wanamingo. The crash also seriously injured her daughter, 15-year-old Hallie White, who was driving the vehicle.

According to family, she suffered a broken neck and a broken pelvis, but is in stable condition. She is expected to undergo surgery Thursday, the family said.

Marisa Bocanegra, pictured, was recently reunited with her Colombian White and Bocanegra were westbound mother after hiring a private investigator she found online. Here she’s on County Road 11 in Goodhue County pictured with a “family” sign. Bocanegra was killed in a crash Tuesday, just when the vehicle stopped at the stop sign, south of Wanamingo. (GoMN photo, used with permission) according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

“I’m so very close to making the one family and meeting them all for the first The van then proceeded westbound on main dream I’ve had my whole life come time,” she wrote prior to meeting her CR-11, and was struck by a semitrailer true, finding my biological mother and mother on a gofundme.com page, which driving northbound on Hwy. 57.

WEATHER 36 • 27

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Her journey

The journey leading up to her mother and brother’s arrival on Nov. 10 was far from easy. It included setback after setback, hurdle after hurdle.

There was the Colombian government not closing her “missing person’s case,” as she noted in a post on her GoFundMe page, then her passport application was denied, followed by the government asking her to obtain the entire paper trail of her name changes that was a result of being adopted and getting married. That, too, was followed by a request to get her Certificate of Naturalization, as GoMN indicated in its story.

The 39-year-old Faribault resident, engaged to marry fiancé Brian Nisbit, eventually connected with her mother, Elsy Tueta, and brother, Juan Pablo, through a private investigator she found online two years ago.

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39

“All adults, no matter their age or health condition, can and should complete a health care directive.

It’s a gift to yourself and a gift to your family.”

-Susan Lohmann

for the end

By Elizabeth D. Lippman

W

hen a loved one is dying, whether unexpectedly or over the course of many months, end-of-life choices serve as essential translations of his or her most deeply held values into the evolving language of medical care. As director of social services for Northfield Hospital & Clinics, Susan Lohmann knows well how empowering such decisions can be for individuals and families experiencing even the most vulnerable of moments— and, sometimes, how distressing. And Lohmann, a certified advance care planning facilitator, argues that a bit of forethought can

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make all the difference.

“All adults, no matter their age or health condition, can and should complete a health care directive,” she says. “It’s a gift to yourself and a gift to your family.”

An advance care directive documents an individual’s priorities and wishes in case they become unable to speak for themselves and can cover issues such as breathing machines, kidney dialysis, organ donation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and more. Individuals can list comfort actions, such as music or religious rituals, they might want. And they can define what “quality of life” means to them.

They can also identify a health care agent, or someone they authorize to make healthcare decisions, if necessary, on their behalf.

Chris Ellison, program coordinator at Northfield Senior Center,

acknowledges that end-of-life issues can be extremely difficult to talk about. But he recommends that every young adult complete one and that it be updated at least every 10 years.

“As soon as a person starts to have strong feelings about how they want to be treated in case of a life-threatening illness or accident, they need to get their wishes in writing and, even more importantly, discuss their wishes with family,” he says.

“Dying is not a matter of if, but of when,” says Dawn Gronner, licensed social worker with Winona Health. But studies have shown, she points out, that only 10-20 percent of the population has completed an advance directive. “With an advance directive, you retain the right to facilitate and direct the health care you desire. This allows your preferences for medical care to be honored, preserving your autonomy and dignity.”

“A completed health care directive limits confusion and helps everyone prepare for the unexpected,” Lohmann adds.

She relates the story of a young husband who had advanced brain cancer and, as he received hospice care in the last stage of his life, became permanently unconscious. He had completed a health care directive and had long conversations with his wife about what he wanted and did not want.

“While it was a very difficult and sad situation, his wife did not struggle with what to do; rather, she was able to make decisions for his care with confidence and had the peace of mind that she was honoring the choices he had made and so clearly shared with her,” Lohmann says.

Another woman was called upon as the only living family mem-

ber to make decisions for her mother, who was unable to communicate. “She was struggling greatly with the weight of making choices without knowing for sure she was choosing what her mom would have wanted,” Lohmann says.

“At some point she came across an old health care directive in her mom’s house. The document was not legally valid, but reading her mom’s clearly documented wishes gave her peace of mind that she had made choices which reflected what her mom would have chosen for herself.”

Many area health facilities offer staff trained in helping patients navigate the questions and conversations involved in advance care planning. And local communities are catching on as well. According to Lohmann, programs are being developed in Northfield and places such as Fairbault and Owatonna, as well.

Advance care planning documents are available in hospitals, clinics, churches, senior centers, care facilities, and online. More information can also be found at www.honoringchoices.org.

“People genuinely want to do the most loving thing for a family member who is in a serious health crisis,” Lohmann says. “Unfortunately, the most loving thing can differ from person to person. A completed health care directive clarifies and honors what a person has chosen for him or herself and takes assumptions and guesswork out of the picture at a very emotionally challenging time for families.”

Elizabeth Lippman is a freelance writer and editor based in Winona, Minn. She holds a master’s degree in literary nonfiction. A mother of four, she loves the Appalachian Mountains, her garden and honeybees, and much good music.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT! NOW IT’S TIME TO THINK ABOUT XYZ …

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No products will be sold. Thrivent Financial representatives are licensed insurance agents/producers of Thrivent Financial, the marketing name for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, WI. They are also registered representatives of Thrivent Investment Management Inc., 625 Fourth Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55415. For additional important information, visit Thrivent.com/disclosures.

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41

Unexpected CaregiveR

Berit Kari Berit (KariBerit.net) is a national speaker and author of “The Unexpected Caregiver: How to Keep Mom & Dad Active, Safe and Independent and yourself S.A.N.E.” (New and updated version by Attainment Company, 2016)

Making time for your dreams and goals One of the roles of being a caregiver is management of your loved one’s affairs. Your job is to keep them on task and in order, but when do you make time to organize yourself? That time is now. January is the time of year that you get the opportunity to ask yourself what you want in life—separate from your caregiving duties. It may seem impossible to separate the two, but you must.

I recently wrote a blog about New Year’s resolutions and want to share it with you (You can follow my blogs by going here: http://kariberit.net/contact/subscribe/) My hope is that you make time for yourself in your busy role of giving care.

A friend of mine writes a letter to herself at the end of each year, sharing her hopes, dreams and fears. She seals it and reads it letter a year later. I may have to start writing my “letter” in November, however, because after the holiday hubbub, I’m feeling a bit melancholy. I also feel a bit vulnerable when writing down what it is I want to achieve or do or be “when I grow up.” So I listened to Brené Brown’s TED Talk The Power of Vulnerability. What struck me this time was when she said, “We can’t practice compassion with other people if we can’t treat ourselves kindly.” Bingo!

Now I can breathe, let go and figure out what I want for 2017. When I developed the SANE Method™ (Supported, Appreciated, Not Guilty and Energized) for caregivers, I knew it could also be used in many other life situations. Letting go of one year and looking forward to a new year is one such time the SANE Method™ can be used. Here’s how I recently used SANE™: Support. I needed comfort and encouragement,

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so I called on a friend who could listen (without judgment) to my fears and hopes for the new year.

Just the act of letting go of the negative allowed my dreams to spill out onto the page.

Appreciated. I am so thankful I asked for help.

Finding ways to be grateful towards others is good, but self-appreciation can be even more important.

It feels odd at first to purposefully appreciate your own actions, but just keep doing it. After a while, you will stop looking externally for gratitude and start looking within.

Not Guilty. I used to feel guilty about asking for help (I grew up in Minnesota where we tend to “pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.”) But no more! I’ve learned from wise friends and life experiences that feeling vulnerable is my wake up call to reach out. I don’t have to be in charge all the time. Vulnerability reminds me that I am one person in a much larger village and that looking to others for help is okay.

Energized. Because I’ve worked through the first three letters in the SANE Method™, I have energy to face future challenges. Now when I tweak my resolutions, I can look at them in a completely new light and really unleash my creativity. Doing this brings about more zest for life. And if I start going down the rabbit hole of feeling scared, I simply revisit Support.

You have not missed the deadline for writing your New Year’s resolutions. There is no deadline. And whether it’s writing your resolutions or noodling out how you will fit caregiving duties into your already busy schedule, try the SANE Method™. I know it will work for you, too.

Bid on all sorts of great merchandise and services from local SoMinn businesses!

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43

BOOK REVIEW

Cradles of Power Cradles of Power

By Harold I. Gullan c.2016, Skyhorse Publishing $27.99 / $42.99 Canada 379 pages

Y

Review by Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm our parents had such high hopes for you.

You were going to make it, and make something of yourself. You’d have a better life than they had: more wealth, stronger health, bigger home, more opportunities. You were going to be somebody even if, as told in the new book “Cradles of Power” by Harold I. Gullan, it took everything they had.

Walk through any bookstore or library and you’ll learn that over the last 240 years, a lot has been written about America’s presidents. We know what history says about those men, but what about the people who raised them?

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George Washington, for instance, loved his mother very much but, according to Gullan, she was a bit of a nag. She also embarrassed her son by complaining so much about a lack of money that the Virginia House of Delegates granted her a pension.

Thomas Jefferson also loved his mother but “he wrote next to nothing” about her. When her home burned to the ground in 1770, Jefferson’s main concern was not Mom, but the loss of his personal library.

When he was just a child, James Madison’s father lost his father.

Because there was a plantation to run and his mother couldn’t do it, the nine-year-old future father of our fourth president stepped up to the plate.

Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson had three sons.

The eldest was killed in battle; the younger two promptly joined the cavalry and were captured by the British. “Betty” rode horseback to the prisoner’s camp, bargained for the Author Harold I. Gullan release of Robert and Andrew, brought them home, and the following summer rode back to broker the release of her neighbors’ sons. The second trip resulted in “the fever,” and she died that fall.

Martin Van Buren’s father was a tavern-keeper. John Tyler’s father raised eight children and twenty-one wards. The only president not to marry grew up “at the center of a circle of adoring females.”

Chester Arthur’s parents had “Canadian connections” that caused a stir when he ran for office. And, perhaps significantly, a number of Presidents used their mothers’ maiden names as their own.

Sick of politics, you say? That’s fine; “Cradles of Power” is really more biographical in nature anyway.

From George W. to George W. and the guy after him, author Harold I. Gullan writes of the influences that shaped our presidents, for better or worse, going back sometimes for generations. Because the new nation (or the journey here) could be a hardship, we clearly see how outside forces shaped early leaders and how modern times led to different issues. Gullan does the occasional comparison between sets of parents, which is a viewpoint that becomes quite fascinating, and he doesn’t gloss over negative aspects of our Presidents’ childhoods. That offers a nice balance and a great peek through history.

Perfect for parents or grandparents, this book might also be enjoyed by teens who are just gaining an appreciation for the past and its players. And, of course, if that’s you, then “Cradles of Power” is a book to hope for.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 12,000 books. For more information, visit bookwormsez@gmail.com.

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Financial Advisor. A unique and disciplined approach. Today, it’s natural to have questions about your retirement, even if you’ve saved and planned for it. With our proprietary Confident Retirement® approach, we’ll find answers and take the first step toward creating a road map to the future you want. We’ll talk through the four basic principles of retirement: (1) covering essential expenses, (2) assuring your lifestyle, (3) preparing for the unexpected and (4) leaving a legacy. And I’ll help you make adjustments as needed so you can retire on your terms. Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., 1850 Austin Road, Suite 104, Owatonna, MN 55060, 507-455-4070 brad.l.running@ ampf.com, ameripriseadvisors@ampf.com/ brad.l.running.

Castle Rock Bank

The Castle Rock Bank has been serving the women in this community for 96 years. To answer the question, “What do women want in banking?” We believe the answer is, “To be heard, understood, respected and valued.” 27925 Danville Ave Castle Rock, 507-645-7751 www.castlerockbank.net.

Food & Entertainment Legacy Golf & The Grill at The Legacy

The Legacy is a championship 18-hole facility offering value-added golf and a warm friendly environment for golf outings & casual dining. It provides a unique setting for meetings, reunions, groom’s dinners, banquets and bridal showers. The indoor Grill can accommodate 30-50 people & the openair Pavilion can accommodate up to 170.

1515 Shumway Ave, Faribault, 507-3327177 www.legacygolf.net.

Health & Wellness Holland Family Dental

Holland Family Dental is located in the Professional Building on Hillcrest Ave. in Owatonna. We have been in Owatonna since 1996 and concentrate on dentistry for the entire family. We offer services in preventive, cosmetic and comprehensive care which includes implants and up-to-date dental technology. Please visit us at 605 Hillcrest Ave. Owatonna MN. 507-451-7250.

IN TOUCH PHYSICAL THERAPY

In Touch Physical Therapy is dedicated to providing hands on care to promote and maintain the healthy function of every client.

Our doctors of physical therapy specialize in injury rehab, chronic pain, work comp injuries, car accidents, dizziness, pain management, sports training, and women’s health. We have one hour appointments.

Check us out at www.intouchpt.com. We work with all insurance companies. Your pain stops here! 123 W. Broadway St. Owatonna, MN. 507-451-7888.

Millstream Commons Assisted Living

Millstream Commons Assisted Living is located in downtown Northfield. 44 Assisted Living apartments (studio, 1 and 2 BR) featuring three meals a day, supportive nursing care, respite care, & life enrichment activities. Pets allowed. Licensed Housing with Services provider. Part of the Three Links Community. Member of Aging Services of Minnesota. 210 8th St W, Northfield, 507650-9627, threelinks.org.

Northfield Urgent Care

Tired of waiting to see your doctor for simple problems like sore throats and earaches?

We provide walk-in medical care for all ages, from infants to adults. We are open 7 days per week and no appointment is needed!

Quick, easy and efficient! 2014 Jefferson Rd Suite C, Northfield, MN 55057, 507-664-9999, northfieldurgentcare.com.

The Northfield Area Family YMCA

The Northfield Area Family YMCA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for all individuals, families, and the community to achieve their fullest potential. From summer camps, to youth sports, to preschool activities and adult wellness, we have something for everyone.

Become a member of the YMCA! 1501 Honeylocust Drive, Northfield 507-6450088, www.northfieldymca.org. Scholarships are available to ensure everyone can participate.

Northfield Retirement Community

Situated on a 30-acre, beautifully landscaped campus, NRC was established in 1969 to provide housing and services specifically designed to meet the physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs of older adults. Housing options include apartments with a minimal level of services, as well as other home settings that make increasing levels of service readily available. Options include rental and owner-occupied living spaces. Units are available for both

income-sensitive and market-rate income levels. NRC also provides a fully-staffed care center for those who desire a more traditional nursing home setting. 900 Cannon Valley Drive, Northfield, 507-645-9511, northfieldretirement.org.

Home & Garden ENDRES WINDOW CLEANING

Here at Endres Window Cleaning, we pride ourselves in having the best value in the Midwest. An often dirty and time-consuming job, professional window cleaning will protect your windows, boost the curb appeal of your home and allow you more time to do the things you enjoy. Family owned and operated since 1988, we offer residential and commercial services with quality that is guaranteed to shine through. Call us at 507932-5326 for your free estimate today.

Judy’s Floral Design

Whether your wedding is black tie/ ballroom or barefoot on the beach or somewhere in between! Beautiful, quality flowers and great ideas start with Judy Smith. “Specializing in fresh creative and affordable blooms for all the flower moments of your life” 507645-0008, 300 Railway St. North, Dundas, judysfloraldesign.com.

Simon Bros Cement Co.

Simon Bros Cement Co. has been serving the Northfield area since 1969. We specialize in quality concrete and masonry including foundations, driveways, epoxy garage floors.

Call for a free estimate. We will look at your project and use 40+ years of experience to share ideas and advice. Call Ray 612-3284591.

Insurance American Family Insurance Bart Jackson Agency

American Family Insurance offers home, automobile, atv, motorcycle, boat, commercial business, farm and life insurance. We are available to meet with you personally to review your situation and provide recommendations as to the proper coverage’s for your needs. Bart Jackson Insurance Agency, 408 Central Ave N, Suite D, Faribault, MN 55021. 507-332-6812.

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DIRECTORY

Salons

Transportation

Travel

BLOWN AWAY SALON & SPA

Community Co-op

CEDAR TRAVEL

Blown Away Salon & Spa offers a variety of services that are perfect for any budget. The salon side offers hair cutting, styling, coloring, & perming. All of our staff is experienced and attends regular classes to keep our guests updated. On the spa side, we offer massage with therapists specializing in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Prenatal, & Reflexology. Our Esthetician does body waxing, makeup lessons/applications, lash extensions, facials, microderm, and chemical peels. Getting married? Check out our great bridal packages!

159 18th St. SW, Suite 4, Owatonna, MN 55060. www.blown-away-salon.com.

Shopping The Paper Petalum

The Paper Petalum in the historic Archer House at 212 Division St., Northfield. offers friendly customer service and unique gifts for all occasions. Locally owned and operated since 1987 we specialize in Scandinavian gifts, Minnesota products, decorative napkins, Polish Pottery, Rothschild foods, and much, much more. Stop in and visit us.

507-663-0565.

Southern Minn

The Community Co-op is located in beautiful and historic downtown Faribault, MN. We were organized in 1925 and have been a cornerstone of this community ever since.

We specialize in fuels, lubricants, tires, and vehicle service, all for an affordable price.

Women live busy lives, our staff understands how important service and convenience are.

That is why we are the Company where our customers send their friends. 9 Central Ave, Faribault 507-334-2056, www.coopoilfblt. com.

Northfield Lines, Inc.

We pride ourselves to be a full service travel agency serving the needs of our customers since 1989! We want to take time to know your needs and find the perfect fit for your memorable vacation, so stop in or call for a consultation! Whether it’s a honeymoon, romantic vacation, family reunion or a getaway with your girlfriends, our agents are live and here for you! Our staff is available MondayFriday 8:30AM-5PM and enjoy sharing stories of our favorite destinations! 111 Cedar Avenue, N. Owatonna, MN 55060, 507-455-1170, www.cedartravel.net.

Have your group arrive in style when you pull up in one of our luxurious motor or mini coaches. Single or multi-day sightseeing trips, shopping, girlfriend getaways, dining, concerts, weddings, receptions, casino visits – you name the event and we will get your group there safely and on time. 32611 Northfield Blvd, Northfield, 800-944-2190, www.northfieldlines.com.

MAR/APR 2017 WATCH FOR: • Style – home, garden, fashion: • New housing trends – tiny houses, multi-generational, co-ops, and more • Updating your house without breaking the bank • Confessions of a Pinterest addict • What to do before listing your house • Different types of gardens (bee-freiendly, salads, pizza, raised beds) • Local fashion trends Section – Careers:

Girlfriends Have an idea or suggestion?

Contact Beth Forkner Moe at bfmoe@southernminn.com

• Women of the Third Judicial District • WedMD’s dermatology expert is now in Faribault • Growing a salon business • Pathways to good careers • Using social media to further your career • Local female funeral directors

Find Southern Minn Girlfriends on Facebook

southernminngirlfriends.com 46

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southernminngirlfriends.com

Start the Startyear the new newwith year with

good good

c

health! health!

Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC) are available to children from birth Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC) are available to children from birth through coveredby byMinnesota Minnesota Health Care throughage age20 20who who are are covered Health Care programs suchas: as: programs such

Medical Medica Medical Assistance Assistance • •Medica South Alliance• Blue • Blue Plus SouthCounty County Health Health Alliance Plus

Call if you need help with transportation, interpreters or

Call if you need help with transportation, interpreters or making an appointment with a doctor or a dentist. making an appointment with a doctor or a dentist.

Childand andTeen Teen Checkups Checkups (C&TC) Child (C&TC)Program Program STEELE COUNTY RICE COUNTY STEELE RICE COUNTY PUBLICCOUNTY HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH

PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH 507-444-7650 507-332-6111 507-444-7650

507-332-6111

InIn the Neighborhood? the Neighborhood?

Let’s Get toto Know Let’s Get Know One Another One Another New to the area? Unfamiliar with the New the area? to-do Unfamiliar with the When it comes totoyour Edward Jones way of doing business?

Edward Jones way of doing business? an hour or to learn how we work list, put your Take future fiso rst.

Take an hour or so to learn how we work with millions of individual investors. with millions of individual investors.

Together, we canfi create and implement To find out how to get your nancial Together, we can create and implement an investment strategy designed to help an investment designed to help goals on track, contact your strategy Edward you achieve your long-term financial you achieve your long-term financial Jones financial advisor today. goals. We tailor our recommendations goals. We tailor our recommendations based on you: your current situation, based on you: your current situation, objectives and risk tolerance. objectives and risk tolerance.

www.edwardjones.com www.edwardjones.com

Call or visit today to schedule your Call or visit today to schedule your personal financial review. personal financial review.

Member SIPC Member SIPC

Make Your Financial Future a Priority Make Your Financial Future a Priority Call or visit today to schedule your personal financial review.

Call or visit today to schedule your personal financial review.

Cate Grinney, CFP® Cate Grinney, CFP® Financial Advisor Financial Advisor . .

404 Heritage Place 404 Heritage Place Faribault, MN 55021 Faribault, MN 55021 507-334-1666 507-334-1666

www.edwardjones.com www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC Member SIPC

MKD-8821-A-AD MKD-8821-A-AD

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