Northfield NOW Spring 2019

Northfield

now

SPRING 2019 • ISSUE 2

New space, technology preps St. Olaf students for career in nursing Take note: Jessica Paxton enjoys influencing what you hear A change of seasons for Knechts as they prepare to pass the mantle

L I V E / W O R K / P L AY

Knights and Dukes put the competition in a Minnesota summer

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publisher: CHAD HJELLMING

advertising manager: JAY PETSCHE

Volume 2, Issue 2

Northfield NOW Published Spring 2019 by: Northfield News 115 W Fifth Street, Northfield, MN 55057 northfieldnews.com Š

managing editor: Suzanne Rook

media consultant: KARI CLARK

Events & MAGAZINE director: Ginny Bergerson

designer: Kate Townsend-Noet

Regional Director of Sales: mark nelson

Send story ideas to: Suzanne Rook at Northfield NOW

srook@faribault.com

All advertising contained herein is the responsibility of the advertisers. This publication is copyrighted by the Northfield News and no content can be reproduced without permission.

contents 6 Not one, but two ball teams

make Northfield/Dundas unique.

11 New Trébol Latino Club

fosters a cultural interchange through 4-H.

16 Long Division:

Northfield's

first champions: The boys of '68

20 Photo Gallery:

Saying farewell to winter

26 St. Olaf College program's

move adds space, opportunities.

31 Paxton puts her spin on

Northfield's music scene.

34 Knechts passing the watering

can after seeding, growing nursery business.

LEFT: A squirrel in the Carleton Arboretum appears to clench down hard on an acorn. But is he saving it for winter or ready to have himself a quick snack? (Photo courtesy of Chris LeppinkShands/@leppinkshands_ photography on Instagram)

on the cover:

Dundas second baseman and co-manager Mike Ludwig raises his glove after Northfield’s Aldon Severson slid into second base on a close play. The Dukes completed a renovation of Memorial Park in 2016.

(Nick Gerhardt/Northfield News)

This issue of Northfield NOW is delivered to all subscribers of Northfield News for the low cost of $1.00 per issue, deducted upon delivery from your account balance.

If you decide it’s not for you, you can opt out of future issues by contacting customer service at 507-645-5615 or kmorrison@northfieldnews.com. Nonsubscribers can purchase copies of Northfield News for $2.00 each.

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northfield now calendar

7-9:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6, Kracum Performance Hall, Carleton College

Minnesota Dance Theatre and Oratory Bach Ensemble join forces in a groundbreaking collaboration: J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion. Witness a monumental interpretation of a Bach masterpiece with MDT dancers & Oratory vocal soloists, professional chorus, and baroque orchestra. A pre-concert talk by Director Matthew J. Olson of Oratory Bach Ensemble starts at 6:30 p.m.

Book Sale April 23 to 27 Northfield Ice Arena, 1280 Bollenbacher Dr. The Northfield Hospital Auxiliary Book Sale is a tradition 58 years long that today fills the city Ice Arena with more than 65,000 books, DVDs, CDs and vinyl.

The Book Fair has raised over $1 million to support hospital projects and scholarships. Donations will be accepted in beginning April 9.

Find more at Northfield Hospital Auxiliary Book Fair on Facebook.

11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tuesdays and Fridays, and from 9 to 11 a.m.

Saturdays starting May 11 and running through the end of October in Riverside Lions Park, Northfield.

Features fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, flowers, plants, baked goods and crafts.

at 7 p.m. Friday, June 8 at the Northfield Armory.

The city’s two colleges also hold commencement exercises. St. Olaf College goes first at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 26 at the Campus Green or Skoglund Auditorium, weather depending. Carleton College’s is set for 9:30 a.m.

Sunday, June 15 on the lawn west of Hulings Hall.

Visit Northfield Farmers Market on Facebook.

(507) 645-8229

Riverwalk Market Fair

Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays beginning June 1, Bridge Square, downtown Northfield

June 21-23 and 27-29 Central Park, 421 Fourth St. E

Open-air market along the Cannon River. Locally grown produce, artisan foods and a selection of artwork. Each week a different mix of events, music and activities for all ages. Rain or shine.

Visit riverwalkmarketfair. org

Graduation Commencement: the end of the beginning for area seniors starts with Northfield High School’s class of 2019 at 2 p.m.

Sunday, June 2. Arcadia Charter School is up next

407 Division Street South Northfield, MN 55057

Fanny Price, an intelligent, sensitive and quiet young woman, is unceremoniously dumped by her unloving parents into the noisy household of her uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, where she’s buffeted from one crisis to the next. One thing remains certain in her mind, however… her love for charismatic Edmund Bertram. Fanny must battle family duty and everyone’s expectations of her in order to achieve happiness.

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Two town ball teams make Northfield/Dundas unique

N

By MICHAEL HUGHES mhughes@northfieldnews.com

ot that every kid doesn’t love mowing his lawn, but Ira Carlson’s ears always perked up whenever he was tackling the Sunday afternoon chore. Carlson, now 47, moved to Dundas when he was 7 and quickly learned to love his new digs.

That was because of his proximity to Memorial Park, home of the Dundas Dukes, one of two amateur baseball teams — along with the Northfield Knights — located in north-

eastern Rice County.

So, whenever Carlson was in the middle of mowing his lawn and he’d hear

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the crack of a bat or the public address system booming, he’d abandon the mower and hop on his bike to ride the four or five blocks over to the park to scrounge up as many stray foul balls and home runs he could carry back to the concessions stand.

“Back then, home runs were a quarter and foul balls were a dime,” Carlson said. “Part of it was just wanting lunch, so I needed a certain number of foul balls to get a hot dog and a soda to sit and enjoy the game.”

Those memories are so strong for Carlson that when he moved back to Dundas as an adult, he decided to get involved with the Dukes. This summer will be his 20th working as the team’s PA announcer.

“I do a lot of the stuff I do because as a kid that’s what I fell in love with, so I try and provide the same atmosphere,” Carlson said.

Dundas catcher Tyler Jones slides into third base as Northfield third baseman Luke Dahl tries to catch the throw in 2016. (News file photo)

The Dukes and the Knights are part of what makes this pocket of southern Minnesota unique. Most communities are fortunate if they can field one amateur baseball team, commonly referred to as “town ball,” while the Dukes and the Knights play their home games just a mile apart.

“It’s kind of an anomaly, especially at the level we play at, Class B level,” Mike Allen said.

A lot of great teams The reason there are two teams today is owed largely to Allen. A 1975 Northfield High School graduate, Allen joined the Navy after college. When he returned to Northfield in the summer of 1988, he returned to a town with-

out an outlet for amateur baseball after the Knights franchise had folded.

So, he played with the Faribault Lakers that summer. Many of his NHS classmates, who helped the Raiders qualify for the 1975 state tournament back in the single-class days, looked around and came to a realization: many talented baseball players, groomed in Northfield, were now playing town ball for Dundas, Faribault and Cannon Falls.

“We had all these people going to other communities and we started counting it up and realized we had enough ball players that were from Northfield,” Allen said. “We could bring everyone back and get our own team, plus there’d be a few more interested guys that wanted to play.”

Even after finding enough players, though, a new challenge was presented.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 NorthIeld

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LEFT: Northfield shortstop Jake Mathison prepares to make a tag on Dundas’ Tommy McDonald at Sechler Park in 2016.

McDonald was caught stealing on the play but the Dukes won 9-4. (News file photo) BELOW: Dundas center fielder Carson Jones slides into third base July 29, 2016 as Northfield third baseman Luke Dahl gets set to receive a throw. The Dukes outlasted the Knights in a 7-2 victory at Memorial Park in Dundas.

(News file photo)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

There wasn’t a regulation-size ball field in town, so for the first couple summers, the Knights bounced around to different fields, primarily utilizing space at St. Olaf College.

While that was happening, Allen was devising a long-term plan. Back then, Northfield’s Sechler Park, on the west side of the Cannon River behind the city’s ice arena, was merely an open space with one of two softball fields sprinkled around. Allen’s vision was to construct a baseball field right in the center of the park that could be used by the Knights.

It’s the same field the Knights still use, and its construction spawned a number of youth baseball fields that sprouted up around it. Now, on a summer night, you can watch your kid’s Northfield Youth Baseball Association game and then turn around to catch a few innings of town ball.

“It’s a very important part of the baseball in this area,” said Pete Maus, who played and coached for the Dukes and Knights. “It’s very unique and very special for our kids and we’re fortunate to have two really good programs here that kids can look up to and aspire to play for someday.”

In addition to his involvement in town ball, Maus coached the Northfield High School program for 30 years. From that post, he’s witnessed firsthand the influence amateur baseball players are capable of providing and the utility it serves the community.

“It provides a way that the kids stay together,” Maus said. A lot of them grew up together playing in high school and continued to play competitive baseball beyond high school. When I was coaching, it was a really big deal for the kids to play after high school.”

For the Knights, 20 players on the roster grew up in Northfield/Dundas community. For the Dukes, the number is eight, but increases to 16 once players that attended or currently attend either St. Olaf or Carleton College are added in.

“

“I think the fact that we’re basically homegrown, to me that’s what I’m most proud of now,” Allen said about the Knights. “Most of them played in town, so to have them be able to continue and stick around, I take a lot of pride in that.”

In Maus’ eyes, there’s something special about a kid being able to watch a group baseball players — playing at the level the Knights and Dukes do — that came from the same place and program as they did.

It’s rare, Allen said.

“I’ve been to the east coast with the Navy and been to the west coast and I’ve never really seen anything like it,” Allen said. “We have a lot of teams, a lot of great parks.”

Perhaps one of the best is in Dundas. That’s due in large part to the efforts of Bill Nelson, who first moved to Dundas and played for the Dukes in 1975 before adding managerial duties from 1988-99.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

It’s a very important part of the baseball in this area.

It’s very unique and very special for our kids and we’re fortunate to have two really good programs here that kids can look up to and aspire to play for someday. - Pete Maus NorthIeld

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“

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The Dundas Dukes congratulate each other on Memorial Day after a 2013 win over the Northfield Knights. (News file photo)

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2019 SCHEDULES Northfield Knights May 5 — vs. Minneapolis Cobras May 10 — vs. Baseball 365 May 12 — at Cannon Falls Bears May 17 — vs. Waterville Indians May 19 — vs. Randolph Railcats May 22 — vs. Champlin Park Gators May 24 — vs. Eagan Bandits May 26 — vs. Hastings Hawks May 27 — vs. Dundas Dukes May 31 — vs. Rochester Royals June 2 — at Shakopee Indians June 4 — at Chanhassen Red Birds June 5 — at Stockmen’s Irish June 9 — at Hampton Cardinals June 12 — vs. Blaine Fusion June 14 — vs. Lake City Serpents June 16 — vs. Miesville Mudhens June 19 — vs. Arlington A’s June 21-23 — at Hinckley Tournament June 26 — vs. Red Wing Aces June 28-30 — at Coors Light Classic July 4 — at Dundas Dukes July 10 — vs. Elko Express July 12 — vs. Cannon Falls Bears July 14 — at Miesville Mudhens July 19 — vs. Hampton Cardinals July 23 — at Chaska Cubs July 24 — at Rochester Royals July 26 — at Elko Express July 30 — at Dundas Dukes

Dundas Dukes May 12 — vs. St. Louis Park May 17 — vs. Minneapolis Angels May 19 — vs. Hastings Hawks May 22 — vs. Blaine Fusion May 24 — at Elko Express May 26 — vs. Randolph Railcats May 27 — at Northfield Knights May 31 — vs. Shakopee Indians June 5 — at Cannon Falls Bears June 7 — at Miesville Mudhens June 9 — at Rochester Royals June 14 — vs. Hampton Cardinals June 16 — vs. Highland Park June 19 — vs. Mariners Midwest Scout Team June 21 — vs. Red Wing Aces June 23 — vs. Eagan Bandits June 26 — vs. Faribault Lakers June 28 — vs. Tempe (Az.) Banditos June 30 — vs. Cannon Falls Bears July 4 — vs. Northfield Knights July 7 — vs. Rochester Royals July 10 — vs. New Market Muskies July 12 — vs. Lake City Serpents July 14 — at Hampton Cardinals July 17 — vs. Elko Express July 19 — vs. Minneapolis Cobras July 21 — vs. Miesville Mudhens July 24 — vs. Baseball 365 July 26 — vs. Lyon’s Pub Warriors July 28 — vs. Minnetonka Millers July 30 — vs. Northfield Knights Find more at northfieldknights.teams. mnbaseball.org and dundasdukes.com.

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Dundas’ Mike Ludwig feeds the ball to second to start a double play in a 2-0 defeat to Northfield in 2018 at Memorial Park in Dundas. (News file photo)

That’s continued into today, when the quality of the baseball has perhaps never been higher. Anyone in attendance for either of the regular-season games between the two teams, played at alternating sites on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, will watch a brand of baseball deserving of the state tournament.

For each of the last two years, both the Dukes and the Knights have been among the last four teams standing in the Class B state tournament.

“Having that good of quality baseball that close — even Dundas second baseman Josh Small attempts to turn a double play during in the Classic Cannon Valley 5-4 victory in 2018 against Northfield at Sechler Park in Northfield. (News League with Miesville and file photo) Red Wing — you have all these great teams you can go CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 visit,” Carlson said. “Even Faribault, the Lakers, are stepping up their game and going to the state tourna During that time, he oversaw a number of upgrades ment.” to Memorial Park that allowed the Dundas to host In the past two years, the Knights have advanced a the state tournament in 2003. After leading the state round further than the Dukes in the state tournament, a tournament committee, he returned as manager from fact which would have been surprising to many a few 2005-09, when he handed the reins to the current years ago. Historically, the Dukes contend for the state manager, Mike Ludwig. title each year while the Knights work to keep pace in Ludwig looked at all the work Nelson had put in, a competitive Class Cannon Valley League. and the esteemed history that includes five state titles Now, northeastern Rice Country has the benefit of and seven state runner-up finishes, and deemed Dunnot only a pair of town ball teams, but a pair that rank das the “Town of Baseball.” Shirts with the slogan are among the best in the state. available at Memorial Park.

“I always said when Northfield got better that it That designation checks out with Nelson, who would be better for Dundas, too,” Nelson said. “That briefly played for the Burnsville Bobcats in 1983 and game traditionally draws between 300 and 500 people 1984 when he moved to Minneapolis for a short stint. every time we play, and maybe more. It’s a fun atmo “We had a nice team and really good guys, but we sphere.” had no real following,” Nelson said of Burnsville. “In Dundas, we get people to come out and come to the Reach Sports Editor Michael Hughes at 645-1106. Follow games — and it’s such a nice place to come out and him on Twitter @NFNSports. have a beer and watch a baseball game.

4-Her Adrienne works on a flag-themed activity at the March meeting of the Trébol Latino Club. (Anne Kopas/ Northfield Now)

(Head, Heart, Hands & Health) New Trébol Latino Club fosters a cultural interchange through 4-H

A

By ANNE KOPAS akopas@northfieldnews.com

A parent helps a child frost a cookie with the red, green and white icing to represent the Mexican flag. (Anne Kopas/Northfield Now)

t the start of each 4-H meeting, club members pledge their head, heart, hands and health to serving their community and the larger world. At the meeting of the Trébol Latino Club, members recite the pledge twice: once in English and once in Spanish.

The Trébol Latino Club (Latin Clover Club) is Northfield’s newest 4-H group. Since October, the group has met once a month at St. Dominic Church, with parents and youth sharing Mexican and American cultural traditions alongside universal CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 NorthIeld

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Adults share Mexican traditions with kids at meetings of the Trébol Latino Club. (Anne Kopas/ Northfield Now) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

kid-pleasers like crafts and dessert making. Both children and parents switch back and forth from Spanish to English throughout the meetings, with Mar Valdecantos of the community advocacy group, Neighbors United, serving as translator.

The idea for the new club was born when Tammy Lorch, University of Minnesota Extension educator in youth development, gave a brief intro to 4-H at a workshop with Latino families.

“Twenty-five minutes later, after all of their questions, they were very excited,” said Lorch. “It was so powerful.”

Since then, the group gathered 19 youth and

13 parents at its most well-attended meeting. And with more activities, a summer camp and Rice County Fair projects on the horizon, the club is set to keep growing as the word spreads.

Not just for farm kids While Northfield’s Trébol Latino Club may be new, 4-H groups have been around since 1902, when A.B. Graham started a youth program in Ohio originally called the “Tomato Club” and “Corn-growing Club.”

There are nine 4-H clubs in Rice County alone with about 300 enrolled members, which is pretty typical for a county this size, according to Program Director Kelly Chadwick. Most meet monthly

to go over club business, do activities, complete service projects, attend workshops, host guest speakers and work on individual or group projects.

Many might picture 4-H as a group of kids showing farm animals at a county fair, but modern 4-H groups are much more than that, said Chadwick.

“The stereotype that it’s just for farm kids is still there, but it needs to go away,” she said.

Some 4-H kids, which range from kindergartners to students one year out of high school, work with cows, goats, rabbits, dogs or other animals as part of the club. The organization will even work to provide members with animals, if needed.

But others engage in activities as diverse as kids’ interests: gardening, cooking, photography, arts and crafts, sciences, shop projects, environmental projects or a “self-determined” category that covers a little bit of everything.

“4-H has opportunities for all youth to learn about something they’re passionate about,” said Lorch.

No matter what activities 4-H members choose, the important aspect is that they’re gaining life skills and building relationships, both with their peers and with adults in the community.

“In general, it helps them grow and develop as a person, to figure out where their interests lie, what they’re good at, what they’re not-so-good at,” said Chadwick, who noted that she knows several former 4-Hers who found their career path through the club. “It just really helps them grow into the person that they can be.”

So far, the Trébol Latino Club is Rice County’s only Latino-oriented group, following in the path of a Dodge County group, which has been meeting for about four years. Statewide, it’s part of an effort to expand the reach of 4-H to different audiences, reminding families that the program is open to all.

“It’s developing that connection with the comAt the club’s March meeting, members learned about the symbolism of the colors on the Mexican flag. (Anne Kopas/Northfield Now)

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4-H PLEDGE/PROMESA

The 4-H pledge is central to the organization’s mission, and groups recite it at the start of each meeting: As a true 4-H member, I pledge…

My head to clearer thinking, My heart to greater loyalty, My hands to larger service, My health to better living for my club, my community, my country and my world.

Prometo usar mi mente para pensar con más claridad, mi corazón para ser más leal, mis manos para ser más servicial, mi salud para cuidarme más, por mi club, mi comunidad, mi país y mi mundo.

Club members recite the 4-H pledge in both Spanish and English. The pledge promises the four Hs (head, hands, heart, health) to community and worldwide service. (Anne Kopas/Northfield Now)

munity, and the bigger program,” said Lorch. “I love coming every month to see the enthusiasm.”

Cultural interchange At one Trébol Latino meeting, members learned about Las Posadas, a nine-day Latin American celebration of Mary, the mother of Jesus. At other meetings, they learned about Dia de los Reyes (a

version of the Christian Epiphany holiday), the Mexican Constitution and the symbolism in the red, green and white of the Mexican flag. Parents jump at the chance to share their heritage with their children.

“If you don’t intentionally teach your children, how do they know?” said Lorch.

And at other meetings, youth teach the adults about American traditions that they learn about in

school, like Thanksgiving.

For parents like Fermin Notario, whose children Enya and Eros are 4-H members, the group facilitates what he callas a “cultural interchange,” something that’s difficult to balance as a Latino parent. He was familiar with 4-H and knew he wanted his children involved in some way, and was enthusiastic about sharing his Mexican heritage in the process.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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Club members take a swing at a piñata at a recent club meeting. (Photo courtesy of Mar Valdecantos)

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Notario said both he and his children were learning new things at each meeting — while the kids learned the symbolism of the Mexican flag, he learned the meaning of the stars and stripes on the American flag. As this exchange happens between 4-H members and parents, it also has the potential to spread throughout the wider community, even among non-members.

“It’s teaching kids something cultural about where we’re from, as parents,” said Notario. “4-H is giving that opportunity to give them that knowledge.”

Notario noted that 4-H is opening him, and other parents, up to American traditions like summer camp. For parents like him, the idea of sending his children away for a few days is difficult, but he said maybe both he and his kids could learn independence through the experience.

“It’s always good to learn something good and positive,” he said.

Alongside the cultural exchange, Trébol Latino members learn the types of skills useful for anyone, such as public speaking. Through the simple act of asking a specific child to lead the Pledge of Allegiance, they become more comfortable and confident at addressing a group.

“They are more social in school; they like to learn new things. 4-H helps kids to not be afraid to say something,” said Notario.

The group, like all 4-H clubs, emphasizes building the relationship between parent and child.

At each meeting, said Lorch, all children have attended with at least one parent. And sometimes, parents attend even when their kids can’t, to ensure they don’t miss anything.

“The parents are very invested, and they have a heart to pass on family traditions,” said Lorch. “It’s an opportunity to reach all children, all families with the opportunity to develop leadership skills.”

Alongside these skills, club members also listed a variety of interests that they hope to pursue at future meetings: everything from soccer to cooking to Latino culture.

If nothing else, Notario’s kids are excited to go to 4-H meetings each month, and were disappointed when the February meeting was postponed due to weather.

Enya, 8, enjoyed learning about Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a traditional Mexican celebration. Her brother Eros, 8, listed a balloon game and snacks as his favorite things to do in 4-H. And though a children’s game might not seem like it would have, Eros and other members are learning how to lead, work in a group and build friendships, something best summed up in his own words: “It feels good because you get to make friends and meet other people,” he said, grinning with excitement.

Reach Reporter Anne Kopas at 507645-1117. Follow her on Twitter @ NFNanne.

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Long Division

(Images courtesy of Jeff Sauve)

When the boys of ‘68 challenged — and beat — a big city rival 16

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I

n early July 1868, a telegraph wired to Northfield’s original baseball club, the Minnehahas, left little doubt that their St. Paul North Star rivals relished a challenge. The reigning champions were arrogantly clear that if Northfield dared to play them, St. Paul “Will welcome you with bloody hands to hospitable graves.”

For the Minnehaha nine the bombastic words were more tahn they could bear with “any degree of Christian resignation,” and unanimously agreed as a team to go to St. Paul “at Jeff Sauve

“The screeching and yelling that immediately ensued was terrific; it seemed as though Bedlam was let loose; hats, caps, bonnets, parasols and every description of wearing apparel was in motion, and it was sometime before silence could be had to allow the umpire to announce the result of the game, which has placed the Silver Ball and the championship of the state in our hands.” - Noted the Northfield newspaper

whatever cost and clean them out.”

By telegraph once again, both parties arranged a best-of-three series for the undisputed crown as state champs.

The first “match play” or game was scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, July 17, at the North Stars’ home field.

Newspapers quickly seized upon the developing storyline akin to a modern-day version of David versus Goliath: the “country club” of Northfield on the banks of the Cannon River (pop. 1,400) versus the metropolitan club of St. Paul, the largest city in the state located on the banks of the mighty Mississippi (pop. 18,000).

The Minnehaha Club (it’s unknown as to why this name was chosen), was established the year before, in 1867, and had proven themselves as contenders with only one loss ever. Of recent, the Northfielders had scored convincing victories against the Seabury Club of Faribault, the Vermillion Club of Hastings, and the Hudson City Club of Hudson, Wisconsin.

Like many town baseball teams, the Minnehahas consisted of an eclectic bunch of fellows. The roster included a couple of veterans from

the recently concluded Civil War; second baseman Stephen Van Gilder and right fielder Henry B. Childs.

Playing shortstop, E.L. Kendall, and at third base, John Kendall, were family on and off the field. The remaining team included A. Hollister, catcher; Charlie Fuller, left field; George Webster, first base; Willis Rawson, an agile center fielder; and the team’s pitcher, 18-year-old Johnny M. Archibald, of the Dundas mill family.

The nine were described as “thoroughly disciplined and play well. … nearly all the same size and present a strong athletic appearance that indicates thorough physical training and capacity for endurance.”

But a closer look revealed that some of the men suffered from catching barehanded (as leather gloves were not introduced at this point), incurring bruised limbs, dislocated fingers and black eyes. The ball itself, softer and heavier, was pitched underhand. Fielders could catch a ball on a single bound for an out.

The North Star Club, established in 1865, was deemed the “old veteran crack club of the state.” Perhaps

Scott Richardson, left, of the Northfield Silver Stars stands on base, talking with a member of the Rochester Roosters during a July 2015 vintage base ball game. (Photo courtesy of Greg Muth)

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An old-fashioned game of base ball (not baseball) is played behind Old Main on the St. Olaf Campus in July 2013. (News file photo) BELOW: (Image courtesy of Jeff Sauve)

a three-game series could wrest the trophy from the title holder. Game on!

The First Match Game, Friday, July 17, 1868

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

their team should have been called the “Wilson Warriors” as four Wilsons played on the team. A fifth Wilson served as their official scorer. The North Stars had not lost a single game since the Minnesota State Association of Baseball Players was organized in the late summer of 1867 with nearly a dozen clubs, including the North Stars and local teams like Faribault, Northfield and the Adriatic Club of Dundas.

In the North Stars’ possession was the Association’s trophy, known as the Silver Ball, made of solid silver, resting on a short base, and reputedly worth an astounding $100 ($1,768 in 2018). Engraved on one side of the trophy was Minnesota’s coat of arms, and on the other side were found the words, “Emblem of the Baseball Championship of Minnesota.”

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On a warm and humid morning, the Minnehahas and 35 of their fans boarded the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad train in Northfield bound for West St. Paul.

The players were in good spirits, in fact, one described them as “jubilant and determined.” After arriving, the team enjoyed a satisfying meal before making their way over to the playing field. Within minutes their disposition radically changed.

The North Stars had not prepared a scorer’s table, nor provided water. In fact, nothing else was ready for the game. Then the St. Paul players demanded to postpone the start from the agreed time 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. as the stifling mid-90 degree temperature and the downright sultry conditions were simply too much. The Minnehahas were stunned. “It was too hot for them …

They were afraid of wilting!” After delays and some heated exchanges, both sides consented to commence at 3 p.m.

With the lineups finalized, the home team North Stars stepped first to the plate and “tallied” eight runs in front of a 700 cheering hometown fans. Not to be outdone, the Minnehahas scored

12 runs in the bottom of the inning. In the second inning, the North Stars were “whitewashed” (zero runs) while Northfield added another 11 runs.

By the middle of the fifth inning when the rains came, the score was 31 to 29 for St. Paul.

At this point, the umpire stopped the game because of continuous rain, sometimes downpours.

His decision was unsatisfactory to the Northfield boys who did not desire to remain overnight and complete the game the following day. Besides they were down by two runs and had not had their fair chance of hitting in the bottom of the fifth inning. It was not lost on anyone attending the game that the weather was foul and getting worse.

According to the Pioneer Press, “The clouds became heavier and more threatening, rendering the whole field very dark.”

The Minnehahas strenuously pleaded with the North Stars to finish the game, all nine innings, regardless of what the heavens above had in store for them. Their answer shocked the Northfield nine: Play ball! As the next innings unfolded, the game soon turned into a legendary spectacle. One reporter said it all, “A similar game of ball was never played before, and we are quite sure will never be played again.”

As the game progressed, Northfield took a commanding lead, scoring 18 in the bottom of the fifth; 27 in the sixth, and four in the seventh.

St. Paul tallied a total of seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings. The score stood in heavy favor of Northfield 78 to 38. The Pioneer Press aptly described the unbelievable conditions that had developed: “The game was played most of the time in a

blinding rain, amid peals of thunder and flashes of lightning. It was almost impossible to stop and hold the ball while the rain continued to increase, and the clouds, which had banked up heavy and dark in the northwest, rendered the field dark and intensely disagreeable.

“The thunder rolled fearfully, while the cross, red lightning in the angry heavens shot forth their flashes, making everything unnaturally light for a few seconds, and then leaving everything in darkness.”

The sodden field proved too slippery for the players, each falling down more than A Northfield Silver Stars once, becoming daubed from head to foot player tosses a ball in a June with mud. The wooden bats slipped under 2015 vintage base ball game. their grips, and at times nearly assailed a The original Silver Stars, few spectators. A sprinkling of fans who resuccessors to the state champ Minnehahas, played from 1870mained were cold and shivering under their mid 1890s and won several drenched parasols. Team officials hid under state titles. (News file photo) available tables, avoiding the pounding rain.

Finally, the umpire stopped the game after seven full innings, “very much to the disgust of the North Stars, who desired to have it go on, ‘though the heavens should 17 to 12. fall.’”

“On the commencement of the fourth inning, however, the The final score remained 78 to 38. With the Minnehahas Minnehahas woke up a little,” noted the Northfield newspaawarded the win, a rematch was scheduled in Northfield for per. Adding, “Their reputation was at stake, and from this Saturday, Aug. 15. time, until the close of the game, a better game was never played in the state.”

The Second Match Game, Both teams jockeyed for the lead through eight innings, which provided the estimated 2,000 fans a highly entertaining Saturday, Aug. 15, 1868 and competitive game that stood at 39 to 38 for the Minneha With the invincible North Stars’ first-ever loss on July 17, has. In the top of the ninth, Northfield scored one run, leaving the Minnesota baseball world took notice. Anticipation for St. Paul needing only three runs to win the game. Local fans the rematch game on Aug. 15 initially had bookies offerwere noticeably anxious as the visitors took their last stand at ing 5-to-1 odds on the Capital City boys who were overly bat. confident of securing a win and retaining the Silver Ball. The The first batter, Bell, struck out. The second batter, W. Minnehahas, who had not practiced nor played any club since Wilson, “sent a hard one over the head of the third baseman, their last encounter with the North Stars, were determined to which proved foul and was beautifully taken on the bound “Do or die!”

by Fuller, who ran a long distance to hold it — the best catch According “On the commencement of made during the game.” to a Northfield With two outs and no one on base, the third batter, Payne, the fourth inning, however, newspaper actook a base on called balls. The following batter, Olin, count, the North smacked one near first base, which was cleanly fielded by the Minnehahas woke up Stars and many Webster for the final out. Whitewashed! The four-hour plus, a little. Their reputation of their adoring heart-pounding, nail-biting game was over! 40 to 38. The arrived by fledgling community of Northfield, founded only a dozen was at stake, and from this fans the morning years earlier in 1856, rightfully claimed its first-ever crown train. The playtime, until the close of the as state champions. Huzzah! ers “presented Pandemonium erupted, according to the Northfield newsgame, a better game was themselves on paper: “The screeching and yelling that immediately ensued never played in the state.” the [baseball] was terrific; it seemed as though Bedlam was let loose; hats, grounds soon caps, bonnets, parasols and every description of wearing - Noted the Northfield newspaper after the time apparel was in motion, and it was sometime before silence appointed, with could be had to allow the umpire to announce the result of muscles fully the game, which has placed the Silver Ball and the championdeveloped, prepared to redeem their lost laurels.” ship of the state in our hands.”

The game was underway by 11:15 a.m. with Northfield The Minnehahas retained the title for a total of 70 days; stepping to the plate first and scoring a run. St. Paul counlosing it on Oct. 24 in the third and decisive game against tered with four runs in the bottom of the inning and looked the St. Croix Club, 17 to 13. By 1870 the once formidable the part as champions. For the next two innings, the home Northfield team disbanded for unknown reasons, fading away into the annals of Northfield’s storied history. team could not muster a lead, falling behind the North Stars

IN HER HONOR Longtime Northfielders may have name of our historical series, “Long Division,” and remembered it as the name of a longrunning column by former Northfield News Editor Maggie Lee. Lee, a true townie who worked for the News for 68 years, wasn’t just a Northfielder, she was a living, breathing advocate for all things Northfield.

Her column, Long Division, which ran for years, started with a trip through downtown and included tidbits she picked up along the way.

It was Lee, died in July 2013, who helped pushed for a historical society separate from the county, who urged Chip DeMann to make the James-Younger Gang more authentic and who, on a trip to San Antonio, decided that Northfield, too, should have a Riverwalk. A portion of the city’s Riverwalk is named in her honor.

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Saying farewell to

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ABOVE: Snowblowing sidewalks and driveways as the snow piles up can feel like a losing battle. (Photo courtesy of Bruce Maeda/brucemaedaphoto.smugmug. com) FAR LEFT: Snow piles up against a tree at Carleton College’s Cowling Arboretum.

(Jacob Swanson/Northfield Now) LEFT: Skinner Memorial Chapel was built in 1916, 50 years after Carleton College was founded. (Jacob Swanson/ Northfield Now)

TOP: A cardinal rests in a tree on St. Olaf’s campus during the first snow of the season in October. (Photo courtesy of Evan Pak/evanjpak.com) BOTTOM: Snow blows across Rice County Road 1 on a blustery winter day.

(Jacob Swanson/Northfield Now)

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TOP: Northfield senior Andrew Becker blazed to second in the 100-yard freestyle and fifth in the 50 freestyle during the state swimming preliminaries March 1 at the University of Minnesota. His time of 46.91 set a new school record, that he lowered a day later in the finals. (Michael Hughes/Northfield News)

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TOP RIGHT: Northfield junior Ethan Johnson, facing forwards, hugs junior David Tonjum after Tonjum’s pin clinched the Section 1AAA title Feb. 16 at the Rochester Mayo Civic Center. (Michael Hughes/Northfield News) BOTTOM RGHT: Northfield freshman Sidney Petersen sticks her landing on the uneven bars during the Class AA state finals Feb. 23 at the University of Minnesota. Petersen finished 20th in the all-around competition. (Michael Hughes/Northfield News) NorthIeld

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The lights of downtown Northfield shine through the fog on a warm February evening. (Photo courtesy of Evan Pak/evanjpak.com)

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ABOVE: A lone pedestrian makes their way north on a snow-covered Division Street. (Photo courtesy of Bruce Maeda/brucemaedaphoto.smugmug.com) TOP RIGHT: The Northfield Post Office is framed by an evergreen heavy with snow. (Photo courtesy of Bruce Maeda/brucemaedaphoto.smugmug.com) LOWER RIGHT: A student practices the organ in St. Olaf’s Boe Chapel.

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Nursing’s home St. Olaf College program’s move adds space, opportunities

I

By GRACE BRANDT editor@faribault.com

n a sterile hospital room, three nursing students cluster around a patient, discussing among themselves as they try to diagnose her condition. She’s in the late stages of pregnancy and was admitted because of pain around her abdomen.

As one student takes the patient’s blood pressure, their suspicions are confirmed: she’s suffering from gestational hypertension — high blood pressure. It looks like they’re going to have to induce labor.

Everything looks like standard hospital procedure, but there is something a bit different about this clinical scene.

ABOVE: Programmable mannequins help St. Olaf students learn to assess actual patients. Pictured are, from left, Jessie Moore, Grace Nelson and Amy Otteson. (Photo courtesy of St. Olaf College/Steve Garcia) LEFT: Ole nursing students Tina Abraham, Kyana Sandoval Vesel, Esther Song, Annika Johannsen and Paul Johnson confer at the nursing station in the college’s renovated lab space. (Photo courtesy of St. Olaf College/Steve Garcia) 26

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Simulation Coordinator Emily Carroll, left, oversees St. Olaf College nursing students, from left, Jessie Moore, Grace Nelson and Amy Otteson, in the department’s simulation lab. (Photo courtesy of St. Olaf College/Steve Garcia)

scene. Behind a two-way mirror along one of the walls, St. Olaf College associate professor Susan Huehn is watching and ensuring that her students perform every step correctly. She’s also controlling the patient — which happens to be an incredibly lifelike mannequin.

This is because the students aren’t in a hospital. Instead, they’re in the basement of St. Olaf’s Regents Hall of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. Thanks to a 5,500 square foot renovation, the Department of Nursing has found a new home in the space, with instruction in the facility beginning for the spring 2019 term.

“We feel very grateful to have the space that we do,” Huehn said. “It’s provided us with exponentially more learning opportunities for students.”

Moving parts The Department of Nursing’s move into Regent’s Hall follows another move — that of the college’s science library. When the science library was moved into Rolvaag Memorial Library, it opened up space in the basement of Regents Hall and gave the Department of Nursing a unique opportunity to update and expand what it could offer to students. A grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies helped the move along, paying for a $805,000 facility that features two simulation labs (compared to the one lab the department used to have), a simulation control room, a multi-bed skills lab, a demonstration classroom, debriefing and testing rooms, and faculty and staff offices.

Renovation began in June 2018 and finished in time for nursing students to begin using the new space for spring term in February.

According to the Department of Nursing, nearly half of St. Olaf’s prerequisite nursing courses were being taught in Regents Hall already. Huehn says the move will help build a sense of community with other STEM programs.

“One of the things that we very much like about our new space is that we have so much space for people to be in community together,” she said. “We didn’t have that in either of our two spaces prior. Even students who aren’t nursing students can come and use the study rooms and hang out in the lounge. It allows everyone to be a community together and the nursing students get to know each CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Students Annika Johannsen and Paul Johnson assess their patient in the St. Olaf College simulation lab. Though the patients are mannequins, they can be programmed to exhibit certain symptoms, giving Ole nursing students a lifelike experience while never leaving campus. (Photo courtesy of St. Olaf College/ Steve Garcia) NorthIeld

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St. Olaf College Associate Professor of Practice in Nursing Susan Huehn, second from right, instructs students Chris Ma, Miyako White, Jessie Moore, Amy Otteson and Lydia Downs, while Simulation Coordinator Emily Carroll listens in. (Photo courtesy of St. Olaf College/ Steve Garcia)

BELOW: Simulation Coordinator Emily Carroll, left, and Associate Professor of Practice in Nursing Susan Huehn observe St. Olaf nursing students at work in the college’s simulation lab. (Photo courtesy of St. Olaf College/ Steve Garcia)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

other better.”

Huehn added that the newly renovated classrooms have also been used for other departments’ courses, such as a mathematics class. In addition, a psychology and exercise science lab are planned in the same space sometime in the future.

Real world learning One of the biggest benefits of the new space is students’ expanded access to experiential learning. While nurses have gained most of their necessary clinical experience working in hospitals and other clinical settings in the past, it has become more difficult to arrange these partnerships as the number of nursing students expand. To offset this, many colleges are increasing their use of simulation training as a supplement to off-site work. “[These rooms are] where students learn hands-on nursing skills,” Huehn said. “In nursing education, it’s so important that we simulate a real-life experience as much as possible because we want them to practice in a safe environment and give them feedback on their behavior. The new equipment and new beds in the larger space allows us to be more realistic.”

With the recent renovation, students have access to much more simulation experience than before. Besides doubling the number of simulation labs, the renovation added more beds and mannequin patients to a designated skills lab — something that students didn’t have before. Instead, previous students had

A UNIQUE PROGRAM According to Huehn, the Department of Nursing currently has 72 students, with 24 students in each class (sophomore, junior and senior). For the past two years, St. Olaf College’s program was one of two Minnesota baccalaureate programs to have 100 percent of the graduating class pass the NCLEX licensing examination. In addition, all graduates of the 2017 class gained employment as entry-level professional nurses within six months.

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to make due with makeshift labs that were set up in other rooms with a little free space.

“We had a lot of beds, but we were squished into other rooms,” said St. Olaf junior Lauren Rewers. “It wasn’t even half this size. So we’d kind of

“The unique combination of a St. Olaf liberal arts education and a nursing major prepares students to work in the field in a leadership capacity,” Huehn said. “The health care system is really broken, and it needs people who are in leadership capacity, who can think creatively and compassionately about the issues at hand. St. Olaf gives a great combination of pre-professional education that prepares students for jobs in the workforce as well as the ability to think broadly and deeply about issues and complexities that people bring to the table. It prepares our students to

be leaders in the field, and that’s something that we’re really proud of.”

Huehn added that there are always more students who apply to the program than can be accepted, and she said she would like to explore opportunities to accept more students in the future.

“We have everything we need in terms of space,” she said. “What I’d like to add is more students.”

shuffle around in there… I think the sophomores will really benefit from this very real space that’s very high tech and able to simulate a hospital space a little bit better than what we had last year.”

According to Huehn, the skills lab is where students learn basic skills such as taking a patient’s health history, the importance of sterile equipment and how to interact with a patient. Nursing students conduct pre-clinical work there during their sophomore year, before starting actual clinicals at partnering hospitals.

“We’re working with getting comfortable with communicating with each other, communicating with the mannequin,” Rewers explained. “It was really helpful for me to be in this environment, in a space that’s simulating a hospital, so that when we were starting clinicals, I’d had that foundation of being in here, learning with each other.”

Meanwhile, as students progress through the nursing program, they’re able to work on increasingly more complicated situations in the two simulation labs. There, they can work on a mannequin programmed to display symptoms of such conditions as respiratory arrest or drug overdose — conditions that students may not encounter during their time working in an actual hospital.

Huehn said the mannequins in these simulation rooms are able to be programmed through a professor’s tablet for different scenarios and will respond physiologically. Everything from a mannequin’s

Nursing student Lydia Downs, left, gets instruction from Associate Professor of Practice in Nursing Susan Huehn and Simulation Coordinator Emily Carroll in St. Olaf College Nursing Department’s simulation lab. (Photo courtesy of St. Olaf College/Steve Garcia)

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

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Besides working with mannequins, St. Olaf nursing students work with real people who come in to act out scenarios. These “fake” patients will come with a script of their ailments so students have a chance to interact with someone real as they try to figure out what’s wrong. (Huehn pointed out one very practical part of the renovation was adding a locker room and changing room for these patients who used to need to change in her office.)

Watching and learning

Associate Professor of Practice in Nursing Susan Huehn demonstrates how to take a patient’s blood pressure.

(Photo courtesy of St. Olaf College/Claire Nelson) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

blood pressure to sweat level reacts to how students administer medication. Other mimicked processes include respiration, blood flow, muscle activity, eye movement and skin response. The mannequins can even react verbally, speaking or becoming belligerent. Students can take a mannequin’s blood pressure or give it an IV. One mannequin can be set up to be pregnant, while there is also a baby-sized mannequin for post-delivery scenarios.

Huehn said the most important part of these simulations is how students learn to communicate.

“Teaching people to talk to each other, it’s not something we can teach in the classroom,” she said. “It’s something that we highly value at St. Olaf.”

Besides gaining more hands-on experience, Huehn said the new space also makes it easier for students to watch and learn during scenarios and in the classroom. There is now a “nurses’ station” outside the two simulation rooms where a team of students can gather together to discuss patients or where a team leader can observe how the team is doing.

There is also an observation room behind each simulation space, with one large enough to hold an entire class of 24 students. There, these students can watch their classmates work on a patient from behind two-way glass, and rotate in and out throughout an evolving case scenario.

“Before, the students would stand around [the patient] and watch, but it’s really hard to have your peers standing there and watching you so closely,” Huehn said. “It makes a very big difference to just be a step removed.”

There is also now space in one of the department’s classrooms to have a hospital bed set up in the middle with one of the mannequins. Huehn said this makes it easier for her to explain certain concepts to students, since she can use the mannequin right there to demonstrate.

“It makes learning so much more real,” she said. “It just makes so much more sense when you can actually hear it and see it and feel it, rather than just read about it in a book.”

She added that she and her fellow professors will be able to engage with students even more fully now that they’re able to easily access their expanded resources.

“It just gives us the opportunity to more spontaneously engage with people and engage in collaboration,” she said.

“I believe that learning occurs through spontaneity and spontaneous interactions, as well as planned interactions, and just because we’re in the space, it’ll give us a lot more opportunity for that. We can’t wipe the smiles off our faces.”

Working with the community The Department of Nursing also has collaborations with both the Northfield Retirement Community and the Northfield Hospital. At the Northfield Retirement Community, students take a nursing assistant class (required before they can start nursing classes at the college), while upperlevel students perform their clinical work at the hospital.

“That’s new for us,” Huehn said, explaining that the college just began collaborating with the hospital. “We really want to collaborate with the Northfield community, and we’ve have a really good experience with the Northfield Hospital. It’s been really welcoming and provided a great learning opportunity for our students.”

Huehn said when her students are there, they act as primary caregivers for patients, working alongside an instructor and one of the hospital’s nurses. Students are able to take vital signs, make assessments, check patients’ breathing and other standard tasks.

Grace Brandt is a freelance writer based in Mankato.

The Nursing Department’s simulation lab was expanded in the renovation of Regents Hall. (Photos courtesy of St. Olaf College/Claire Nelson)

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LISTEN IN Jessica Paxton hosts All-Wheel Drive on KYMN (95.1 FM) radio from 3-7 p.m. each weekday.

Find an archive of Paxton’s shows on the station’s website, kymnradio. net/local-programs/all-wheel-drivejessica-paxton.

Play that tune Paxton puts her spin on Northfield’s music scene

T

By NICK GERHARDT editor@faribault.com

he question of Northfield being Music City, Minnesota, has been posed before and, if it is, there are certainly a few people to point to for that distinction.

Jessica Paxton has worked to make that moniker fit since arriving to town more than 15 years ago, and it’s easy to see the impact of her work.

Paxton readily admits that, selfishly, she wanted to bring some of the Twin Cities music scene down to Northfield so she didn’t have to drive to the cities to see the shows. But getting bands from the Twin Cities to come to Northfield took time. It also took a little help from her musical ear, a passion for local music and a free form radio show all her own.

Northfield’s long been known for its music through its colleges: St. Olaf

and Carleton, the latter where Paxton works in public relations. But the live music scene has been a different story. A few bars featured live music but nothing like it is now with The Contented Cow, The Tavern Lounge, Imminent Brewing, Froggy Bottoms, Tanzenwald Brewing Co., The Grand Event Center, Armory Square and eventually Reunion all offering live music throughout the year.

“For me, it was an opportunity to turn this place into Music City, Minnesota,” Paxton said. “Let’s make it happen. I felt like there was an opportunity for live music. There were certainly audiences here.”

Paxton started going to shows at The Contented Cow and The Tavern when she moved to town and it was there she started to build relationships with musicians, owners and KYMN’s Jeff Johnson. It wasn’t long before everything started to come together and Paxton became Northfield’s live music impresario.

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TOP: Louis Epstein, left, and Dan Groll, right, perform inside the 95.1 The One studio as part of Jessica Paxton’s “All-Wheel Drive” show.

Epstein and Groll perform as The Invisible Band and play children’s music. (Nick Gerhardt/Northfield News) MIDDLE: KYMN/95.1 The One dj Jessica Paxton speaks with Dan Groll, left, and Louis Epstein, right, in the station’s office. Groll and Epstein performed on Paxton’s “All-Wheel Drive” show. (Nick Gerhardt/Northfield News) BOTTOM: Jessica Paxton makes adjustments on the KYMN mixing board.

(Nick Gerhardt/Northfield News)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

When Johnson bought KYMN in 2008 he offered Paxton a chance to deejay during drive-time.

Paxton had no previous radio experience but had worked in media as a producer for TPT in St. Paul.

Johnson and Paxton connected through music and he trusted her ear to help build the station’s musical library.

“She’s got a good feel for the music,” Johnson said. “At that time there was a big learning curve for everyone. From a music standpoint, we were still trying to figure out what we wanted to do musically. Her knowledge and insight in music kind of cleared the path to the format today.”

KYMN existed solely on the AM dial when Johnson took over and he wanted something different on the airwaves than people got from FM radio.

Paxton’s deep musical knowledge and her familiarity with local musicians fit in perfectly to what Johnson pictured.

As she started to figure out her radio show, she started to become known for playing loads of Minnesota artists. And with the airplay came requests to play in Northfield.

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“I found out people in the Twin Cities were listening,” Paxton said. “I would get calls and emails, ‘I discovered this great radio station in southern Minnesota.’

A lot of those fans were music critics that I was a fan of so it was really exciting to know that they were paying attention to what I was doing. People would say, ‘I want to come to Northfield to play or I want my music to be spun on your radio station. How do we make that happen?’ It sort of became this organic relationship where because people were aware of my radio show and a lot of people were contacting the station to find out how to play at a venue in Northfield.”

Enter booking

field at The Grand Event Center in 2015, and Club Caravan in 2017. Both concerts featured Minnesota musicians.

“The mission of the MMC is something I’ve always appreciated, which is supporting musicians,” Paxton said. “It’s really important musicians get paid, that’s a fundamental value for me.”

Paxton has sought to make sure musicians get paid for their performances even as she hasn’t taken a fee as the booker.

Paxton’s booking venture came almost out of necessity more than anything else. Some venues didn’t have dedicated staff devoted to booking live music and with Paxton already fielding requests from artists wanting a Northfield gig, it became an easy marriage to have her book for venues.

She started booking at The Tavern and later The Grand because Chuck Pryor owned both spots.

He’s since sold The Tavern but he found Paxton as an ambitious person perfectly suited for the job.

“She’s really good at making connections and bringing talent down,” Pryor said. “She’s really pushed the music scene in Northfield and making it known. There are so many venues, it’s kind of a different vibe here.”

Not only has Paxton Jessic Paxton interviews guests Louis Epstein and Dan Groll on 95.1 The One brought bands during her show “All-Wheel Drive.” Paxton routinely features live in-studio into Northfield, performances. (Nick Gerhardt/Northfield News) she’s also helped build exposure for Northfield bands.

“I think people have been really drawn to that Her radio show has allowed her to bring in bands too because they know I’m coming at it from a and her connections in the Twin Cities have helped personal passion versus instead of trying to be a those Northfield bands get gigs and form collaboraplayer,” Paxton said. “I don’t do it for the money, I tions with other bands in the Cities. do it because I love it.”

In addition to booking locally, Paxton has That passion certainly came through when booked venues in Minneapolis like the Dakota Jazz Johnson first got to know her and it’s helped her Club, the Turf Club in St. Paul, the 7th St. Entry in establish connections in the music world.

Minneapolis, and now the Parkway Theater in Min “She does have a kind of charisma about her and neapolis. a certain focus about her,” Johnson said. “She’s Paxton’s brother, Ward Johnson, and his busimeticulous, she’s ordered, which lends in well to ness partner purchased the Parkway Theater a while booking and the creative aspect.” back and have started building it as a music venue “She had quite the notebook full of contacts,” in addition to a theater. He turned to his sister to Pryor added. “It’s her personality. She’s got a huge help book Minnesota musicians and it’s been a hit. passion for it.”

One of the first acts she booked, Jeremy Messer Music critic Jim Walsh posed the question: Is smith, sold out in short order.

Northfield becoming Music City, Minnesota, back in 2012. Since then three more venues for music Midwest Music Coalition have opened up and there’s a fourth on the way.

Paxton has often said she’d like Division Street to One of the vehicles Paxton has used to bring big look like Sixth Street, Austin, Texas’ well-known acts to Northfield has come through her involveentertainment district. ment with the Midwest Music Coalition. The Mid “Honestly, I would love to see Northfield as an west Music Coalition is a nonprofit dedicated to entertainment destination,” Paxton said. “Not only advocating for musicians. The MMC helps provide for townies but for people in southern Minnesota booking opportunities for artists along with giving and the Twin Cities.” them advice on topics like health insurance, legal If Paxton has anything to say about it, Northfield help and provides mentoring options. will soon be adding another “C” to its Cows, ColPaxton serves on its board and helped put leges and Contentment motto: Concerts. together the Caravan du Nord, which visited North-

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sprout to finish

Knechts passing the watering can after seeding, growing nursery business ABOVE: Leif and Debora Knecht pose at Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping, the Northfield business that Leif started in 1988 and that the couple has run together for over 20 years. (Photo courtesy of Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping) TOP RIGHT: Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping offers more than 1,100 tree, shrub and perennial varieties, plus full-scale landscaping services.

(Photo courtesy of Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping)

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By PHILIP WEYHE pweyhe@northfieldnews.com

t all starts with a seed.

Literal or metaphorical, it doesn’t really matter when it comes to Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping. The business, which offers more than 1,100 tree, shrub and perennial varieties, plus full-scale landscaping services, is preparing to enter a new era.

Founder Leif Knecht and his wife and co-owner, Deb Knecht, are edging toward retirement, ready to hand off the reins to longtime employee Jim Westlund. The Knechts and Westlund are entering the fifth year of a seven-

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year phased buyout, and while the Knechts won’t be in charge much longer, Leif, 67, and Deb, 60, will always be the ones who planted and nurtured the seed.

The secret to success is not so secret, according to Leif.

“Part of what our customers keep coming back for is this really broad selection of plant material that perhaps they don’t find in other places,” he said. “The other thing that keeps them coming back is the people we have here.”

According to those working at Knecht’s — the ones that have been there for years — Leif and Deb have done everything possible to ensure the business’s success.

“They have given their all. It’s to the point where it’s hard for them to let go,” said Retail Manager Bernie Emery.

Planting the seed Leif moved to Northfield with his parents, Loring and Suzanne Knecht, when he was just 2 months old. Both of his parents eventually taught as professors at St. Olaf College.

In the 1970s, he started his first business: Knecht Painting. He would go on to run that business successfully for a couple decades. But he started “getting tired of the paint fumes” and was ready for something different by the late 1980s.

In 1983, he went bow hunting for the first time and was instantly hooked. So one day he purchased 80 acres of land, hoping to practice his hobby at his own pleasure, but not knowing how he was actually going to pay for the land.

But he had an idea — one that turned out to be the seed for the nursery business.

“I went in on (the land) with a friend. And I said, ‘let’s plant some trees, raise them to a large size and sell them as large size trees,’ not knowing how much work it would be. He got tired of it, so I bought him out, and I just never stopped,” Leif said.

In 1988, he started growing the first field trees specifically for sale.

A couple years later, he took over 9 acres, just off Hwy. 19 on Northfield’s western edge. It remains the center of Knecht’s business, where customers shop for products and meet with staff.

“The first trees planted for the nursery were in the drought of 1988, which was kind of harrowing,” Leif said. “It was a battle all summer long to keep those trees alive. But we just never quit; just kept going; kept planting.”

At the onset of the 1990s, Leif was attempting to woo Deb, who he originally interacted with professionally, while she worked at Northfield Insurance Agency. They were both single and in their 30s, and Leif was working hard to win her over.

“I was looking for a wholesome activity to do, so I started square dancing,” he said. “And after a year of that, it was coming close to the next series of lessons and I asked her if she wanted to go and she turned me down. So I asked a couple weeks later and she turned me down. I asked her a third time, and she said ‘yes’ to get me off her back.”

The two went on to be square dancing fiends for a good decade. By 1992, just a year after their first date, they were married. Deb and her two children, Jared and Stephanie, moved in with Leif.

A few years after that, Deb became a co-owner at Knecht’s and started working their full-time. While Leif concentrated on customer relationships and the seasonal work, Deb handled the paperwork, the behind-the-scenes necessities.

“I claim that the business never could have done what it has without my wife being my full-time partner,” Leif said. “The most important change to the business was having her become my full-time partner. I was able to put my attention toward growing and taking care of customers. That’s what I really enjoy. And she is a wizard at paperwork.”

Through the seasons Leif’s goal, from the beginning, was to operate a nursery that keeps full inventory all season long — from April into November. Knecht’s Painting, which overlapped with the nursery business, helped with that goal, as he was able to filter money from the old business into the foundation of the new one.

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Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping founder Leif Knecht poses with current coowner Jim Westlund.

The latter, a 14-year employee, will be taking over the business when a phased buyout is finished in three years. (Philip Weyhe/ Northfield News)

(Photos courtesy of Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping) NorthIeld

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In addition to trees and shrubs, Knecht’s carries a wide assortment of flowers and plants, plus various materials for landscaping needs. (Photo courtesy of Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

The strategy, according to Knecht’s Landscape Designer and long-time employee Heidi Brosseau, has paid off. She noted that the breadth of selection and full-scale services Knecht’s offers is just not available in most towns the size of Northfield.

“To be able to come to a nursery in a small city like this with this kind of variety and selection and with this kind of staff, I think that’s quite a gift for this area,” she said.

Providing that kind of inventory and performing the work that comes with it requires a

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seasonal, thought-out annual plan.

By the start of December, Knecht’s leaders are “decompressing,” Leif said, but are also already preparing for next year.

Management is tying up the year-end paperwork and finishing details on a few landscape projects. Then in January, the team starts attending trade shows and seminars to prep for the year ahead.

“Educating ourselves, so we can do a better job, and making connections with others in the industry,” Leif said of their winter work.

By the onset of March, staff is hard at work filling greenhouses. And by the end of the month, it’s generally time to open to customers. April through May is hectic.

“In April and May, we’re very busy potting and planting, setting up the nursery and taking care of our highest customer traffic of the year,” Leif said. “We’re farmers, but we do our planting, our harvest, our setup and our customer service in the spring.”

The trees and plants grown one spring are generally for sale that summer or the following year. The process ensures that each year, Knecht’s can uncover thousands of products for sale right

from the start. And the amounts are so plentiful that come November, when traffic has slowed to a trickle, there are still thousands of options for customers to choose from.

By mid-November, staff are tipping, grouping and covering the products. And then the cycle begins all over again.

Growing into the future Business has been good at Knecht’s. In 31 years, it’s grown thirtyfold, according to Leif.

The nursery started with a focus on field-grown trees, but it was clear early on that there were greater benefits in selling more container trees.

Knecht’s has moved from producing about 200 container trees in a year to about 4,000 or 5,000 annually. While the business still operates tree fields, the field-grown inventory has dropped from a few thousand to a few hundred trees.

“Container trees are really convenient for our customers. They’re lightweight, easier to handle, easier to be successful with,” Leif said.

The landscaping side of the business, meanwhile, offers services from the beginning of a CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

(Photo courtesy of Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping)

TOP: Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping offers services that can take a customer from the beginning to the end of a landscaping job. (Photo courtesy of Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping) RIGHT: Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping utilizes air rootpruning containers, which allows for a higher percentage of fine roots. The healthy root system helps with transplantation. (Photo courtesy of Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping)

(Illustration courtesy of Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping)

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KNECHT’S NURSERIES AND LANDSCAPING ADDRESS: 1601 Hwy. 19 W, Northfield OPEN: April through November CONTACT: 507-645-5015 Visit www.knechts.net or Knecht’s Nurseries & Landscaping on Facebook.

(Photo courtesy of Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

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project to the end. That means Knecht’s has design staff, build staff and all the materials needed on site.

It might be hard for Leif and Deb to let the business go, but they’re confident in the hands they’re leaving it to. Westlund, 40, who started out as a laborer in 2005 and is now the general manager for Knecht’s, knows the business inside and out.

“When he first came here, it took Deb and I just a few minutes of talking to him. We looked at each other and we just knew ‘This guy is a keeper,’” Leif said of Westlund.

For his part, Westlund said he didn’t have any thoughts of one day taking over when he first took the job at Knecht’s. But the experience for him has always been positive and he’s excited to lead the business into a new era.

“I think it’s an incredible opportunity to be

part of a local business like this,” he said. “I go to work, but it’s actually not work. Some people dread their job every day, but coming here, 99 percent of the time, it’s a blast.”

He has ideas for the future, but for now, Westlund is happy to share the load with the Knechts themselves.

“I think they’ve worked awfully hard to get a solid business that is well established here,” he said. “They bent over backward to improve and grow it.”

Fellow Knecht’s long-timer Brosseau agrees.

Leif and Deb might leave, but the structure they built will last.

“They’ve done everything,” Brosseau said. “It was truly the planting of a seed.”

Reach Associate Editor Philip Weyhe at 507-645-1115 or follow him on Twitter @nfnphilweyhe.

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