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Winter

- hiking trails - festivals & Fun

Year in Review - Top local albums - SoMinn arts recap

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SHELDON THEATRE

WARMWELCOME. GREATARTISTS. BREATHTAKING PLACE. MONICA BILL BARNES & COMPANY: HAPPY HOUR

LEO KOTTKE FEB. 1 at 7:30

FEB. 7 & 8 at 6:30 & 8:30

THE SECOND CITY: LAUGHING FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS FEB. 14 at 7:30

GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS FEB. 23 at 7:00

UNFORGETTABLE PERFORMANCES. 443 W 3rd St Red Wing, MN 651-388-8700 2

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CONTENT

Over 73 Years of Pappas Family Ownership!

JAN/FEB 2020 / VOLUME 8 / ISSUE 1

Features:

11 Wonderful Winter Hiking Trails in SoMinn

Don’t let a little cold weather keep you from getting out and enjoying some nature.

14 Winter Festivals & Fun

Check out these winter events.

17 The Top Local Albums of 2019

A sample of musical riches in our own backyard.

18 The Rochester Area A&E for 2019

The Reopening of Chateau Theatre tops the list.

6 Restaurant of the Year

19 Stunning Frozen Waterfalls

View some of these spectacular frozen waterfalls.

20 Southern Minnesota art ushers in Art certainly isn’t going anywhere in the next decade.

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THE

SoMinn’s most comprehensive calendar of things to be SCENE.

COLUMNS: 4 Mollywood BLVD

6 Through a SoMinn Lens

Reflections on 2019

21 Above the Plain / SoMinn

Fitness Solutions

Cultivating Space and Time for

Personal Growth

22 Photographing SoMInn

14

Falling Back: A Visual Retrospective

Thank You For Voting Us

Best Fine Dining!

The Hubbell House first opened as a stagecoach stop in 1854. Paul Pappas laid his eyes on the old limestone structure in 1946 and knew he had found the location of his dream restaurant.

Although times have changed, Early-American hospitality is still available in Mantorville.

24 SoMInn FOOD & DINING Review

502 North Main Street, Mantorville, MN | 507.635.2331

Blooming Grounds - Coffee House

25 Album Review

Tik Tok Through 2019

Superb Cuisine since 1854

new decade with a growth spurt

(25 Miles East on HWY 14, to Kasson Exit, then 2 miles North on HWY 57)

Reservations Recommended | www.hubbellhouserestaurant.com

Jason Aldean - 9

29 The Bookworm Sez:

• A Single Light

• Atlas Obscura: The Second Edition

• The Double Dangerous Book for Boys

• Ian McKellen: A Biography

• Marley: A Novel

• The Ultimate Guide to the 2020 Election

• Uninvited: Confessions of a Hollywood Party Crasher

• Where Do I Begin? Stories (I Sort of Remember) from a Life Lived Out Loud

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MARCH issue deadline is FEBruary 7

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Editor Philip Weyhe - 507-931-8579 editor@southernminnSCENE.com

HAVE A CALENDAR EVENT? editor@southernminnSCENE.com

WANT TO Advertise?

Mark Nelson - Call 507-333-3106 or email mnelson@faribault.com

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New Home CoNstruCtioN | remodeliNg roofiNg | fiNisH CarpeNtry

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Mollywood Blvd

MOLLY PENNY Molly Penny is a local radio personality and MSU Mankato alum. It was her love of pop culture that got her interested in doing a morning show gig for KOWZ 100.9. She is now Music and Promotions Director at KOWZ & KRUE Radio in Owatonna and can be heard on various airwaves in Southern Minnesota, including Hot 96.7 in Mankato. She resides in Mankato with her movie buff husband and YouTube obsessed children. Need to contact her?

Shoot her an e-mail mollyp@kowzonline.com or catch her on Twitter at @mollyhoodUSA.

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black hole is an object in space so dense with mass that its gravity pulls so strong even light cannot get out. The Event Horizon Telescope offered the world its first ever photo of a black hole on April 10th of 2019 and that sums up the year pretty well, actually. A big black hole. What an abysmal way to start a Year In Review piece, huh?

I am kidding! But it certainly was a heavy year with themes of division, polarization, corruption, monopolization and memes that we just couldn’t escape. The term “OK, Boomer” spread like wildfire and even resulted in the loss of jobs for a few, Gen-Z’ers were obsessed with the Tik Tok video app, the latest season of Stranger Things left us all wanting more, we lost Luke Perry and Doris Day, and I swear every time you opened your internet browser a photo of former President Jimmy Carter popped up and practically gave us a heart attack thinking he was next.

Politics ruled the roost. Not only was there a cultural litmus test on how woke we could be, President Trump went from Twitter wars with Kim Jung Un as we rounded out 2018 to trade wars with China in 2019. There was controversy over immigration policies including family separation at the border and ending protection for Dreamers.

The Mueller Investigation into President Trump and his ties to Russia didnt result to much, but Nancy Pelosi got her impeachment wish after a whistleblower ousted the President on a call with the President of the Ukraine where he allegedly engaged in a form of bribery or quid pro quo- withholding Foreign aid until the announcement of investigation of a political opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s business involvement in the Ukraine. The House moved to impeach late in the year and it has certainly added to the division the country is experiencing with some seeing Trump as a threat to Democracy and others viewing it as a witch hunt or a hoax.

Aside from the impeachment hearings, one of the most notable political themes of the year has

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been the crowded field of the Democratic Primary with over 25 candidates in the running at one point. It seemed like a new candidate announced every week.

The field has started to trim down, but we are certainly not getting a break from politics in 2020 as we enter a Presidential Election year. The field of Democrats was pretty diverse.

6 women put their name in the hat including our own Senator Amy Klobuchar. We also had Asian American entrepreneur Andrew Yang, Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Senator Kamala Harris who identifies as black and Indian, the passionate, f-bomb dropping Texan Congressman who nearly took Ted Cruz’s Senate seat in 2018, Beto O’Rourke, Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and the first openly gay candidate, a young mayor from Indiana, Pete Buttigieig. Oh, and of course good old Joe Biden who brought his infamous gaffes to the Primary stage for what, the 5th time, now? Division proved to be a theme not only between left and right ideologies this year but within the Democrat-

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ic Party as well as candidates sparred over healthcare and other issues. It seems the only thing Americans could agree about in 2019 is that Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself.

An unfortunate theme from my last two Year In Review articles carried into 2019 with innumerable mass shootings occurring in the United States.

From the Virginia Beach shooting on May 31st where a gunman killed 12 people and injured 4 others at a city public works building, to the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting on July 28th when sixteen people were shot, four fatally, including the gunman, we could see this unnerving trend rearing its ugly head. The most deadly shootings this year occurred just hours from one another. On August 3rd a mass shooter entered a Walmart in El Paso Texas leaving 22 dead and 24 others injured and just 13 hours later in Dayton Ohio 10 people including the perpetrator were killed and 27 others injured in a bar shooting. Later in August 8 were killed in Midland-Odessa, another school shooting occurred Nov. 14th at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita California where 5 classmates were

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shot, 2 fatally, and 2 more people were killed over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in New Orleans.

There were two more mass shootings at Naval Yards in December, Pearl Harbor and NAS Pensacloa. And then there was one in Jersey City Dec. 10, leaving 6 more dead.

This needs to stop.

It was another big year for Disney! Not only did Disney break more box office records this year than the studio ever has, they made the most money in just 7 months- a whopping $6.7 Billion in worldwide box office sales alone- and this was before Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that just dropped last month. It was not just the blockbusters that helped rake in that dough, but some of the other big films of the year included their live action Aladdin, Dumbo and Lion King as well as Avengers: Endgame, Toy Story 4 and my husband’s favorite, Frozen 2. Disney+ streaming also began late in the year and it seemed everyone in America was taking advantage of it, whether a free trial for Verizon customers or forking over the affordable $6.99 to stream it. And move over “Kermit sipping tea” meme, we began to see baby Yoda memes from The Mandalorian start to populate like crazy! Probably the most adorable thing to happen all year but there was another meme that we could not get away from in 2019…

Smudge the cat. The hybrid meme showing a screen cap of a woman from Real House Wives of Beverly Hills yelling at a white cat sitting behind a dinner plate hissing went crazy viral and adopted nearly every pop culture concept imaginable.

Smudge the cat has been around a while, but there was something about the marriage of these two images in a single meme that took it to the next level. Scratch my initial assessment that 2019 could be likened to a black hole. It was in all honesty perfectly encapsulated by this single meme. It basically personified the division and fighting that we have grown privy to the past year with the caption over one part of the image relaying one side of an argument and the cat snidely rebutting.

The levity of this meme allowed us to make light of it all and remember that at the end of the day, we can probably find some common ground on more than we think and maybe we should not take ourselves so seriously. Except our year end Spotify Wrapped analysis. That is to be taken quite seriously and by all means shared with friends.

Can’t wait to see what 2020 brings!

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WHAT SETS US APART...

ONE LOW PRICE... PLAIN AND SIMPLE...

Always!

OWATONNA MOTOR COMPANY PHILOSOPHY

Best price shouldn’t come from negotiation, but from integrity. Whether you’re shopping online or in the store, be confident knowing that we’ve already done research for you. It’s never made sense to us why someone who’s a worse negotiator should pay more. Most car salesman negotiate every day, so they’ve already got the advantage. We give you our best price upfront so you don’t have to work for it.

The Owatonna Motor Company Philosophy is based on five areas that we believe are critical to business success. Those areas are:

RELAXED SHOPPING EXPERIENCE & CONSULTATIVE SALES PROCESS

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4.

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Our sales team isn’t paid on how much we make, but rather on finding the right vehicle for you and your satisfaction. So it doesn’t matter what vehicle you choose or how much you spend.

What matters to us is that you have a relaxing experience, assured that you’re making the best and wisest decision for you.

Customer Enthusiasm Employee Satisfaction Financial Performance Market Effectiveness Ongoing Improvement

Our philosophy holds that all are of equal importance. However, in any planning or decision making process, CUSTOMER ENTHUSIASM will always carry the most weight.

REAL CASH VALUE FOR YOUR TRADE We believe the value of the car you trade in is based on the current market value, not the vehicle you want to buy. That’s why we have an interactive trade evaluation process designed to ensure you get every penny you deserve on a trade-in vehicle. No unfair negotiation, just truthful documentation. We sell a lot of used vehicles, and we’ll purchase yours even if you don’t purchase ours!

OUR VISION IS:

THE RIGHT VEHICLES AT THE RIGHT TIME Having limitless vehicle options is the standard we set to achieve. Various levels of reconditioning are performed on each vehicle according to its need, and that information is always accessible to you! So shop with ease, knowing our best marked price is fair and transparent.

“To be so effective that we are able to be helpful to others”

FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR TODAY & YOUR FUTURE

“To be the best liked car company in Southern Minnesota”

You don’t have to worry about your credit history changing the price of the vehicle, because our financial service process was designed to generate the highest value for the customer today and in the future.

YOU CAN’T BUY THE WRONG VEHICLE FROM US Circumstances change, and sometimes we don’t like things as much as we thought we would.

That’s why we have a 7-day money back guarantee on new and pre-owned as well as a 30-day exchange on most pre-owned vehicles. Which means that all you have to do is bring it back in the same condition it was in when purchased and get a full refund or money towards your exchange. We won’t ask any questions, or beg you to reconsider.

3 months, 3000 miles drive train warranty on most pre-owned vehicles.

DEPENDABLE SERVICE TO MEET YOUR SCHEDULE We know that efficiency and convenience are essential elements in providing great customer service. Our professional technicians are here to help you with full maintenance and repair services when you need them–that includes Saturday’s! We have extended service hours on nights and weekends. Get an oil change at our no-appointment-necessary Quick Lane, or experience top-notch repair at our Collision & Glass Center.

OUR GOAL IS: OUR MISSION: • Our goal is to be an industry leader to providing unmatched quality automotive products and services.

• We will constantly strive to meet the changing needs of our customers.

• Our aim is to provide an atmosphere that encourages employee teamwork, integrity and excellence.

• Together we will set and continually improve sales, service, and operational standards • It is our mission to exceed our customers’ and employees’ expectations and maintain their loyalty for a lifetime.

(507) 451-7860 • 1001 HOFFMAN DRIVE · OWATONNA, MN

OWATONNAMOTORCOMPANY.COM

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Through a SoMinn Lens:

Reflections on 2019 in images & words

March: Shumway Hall tower, Shattuck.

Photos and text by Audrey Kletscher Helbling www.mnprairieroots.com audrey@mnprairieroots.com

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ooking through my photo files for 2019, I reflect on a year of joy and challenges, community celebrations and family gatherings, and simply life in general here in southern Minnesota.

Early January brought a new grandson.

And winter continued. A too-early, too-long winter of too much snow and too much cold.

Endless. If ever Minnesotans were justified in complaining about weather, it was the winter of 2018-2019.

But then spring leafed green into the landscape and, between excess rainfall, we lived outdoors. We gathered in parks and downtowns, in backyards and at farmers’ markets, at concerts and car shows.

Spring slipped into summer. June, July, August—the primary growing season. Corn stretching. Flowers brightening gardens.

Afternoons at the park with little ones. Every

single long, sunny day a gift.

And then the season shifted. Pumpkins ripened and leaves fell and I found myself at an apple orchard savoring the sweetness of apple cinnamon doughnuts hot off the fryer.

We Minnesotans love our autumns and hold onto the hope that these glorious days will linger. Celebrations packed weekends with music and history and much more.

But then the first measurable snow came, too early in early November. At least for me. And another winter began two months before the new year and the first birthday of my first grandson. SMS As the new year launches, Faribault writer and photographer Audrey Kletscher Helbling is ready to document everyday life, community events, small towns and all that encompasses this place she calls home. This southern Minnesota. To view more of her work, visit her blog at https:// mnprairieroots.com.

January: Grandpa & newborn grandson.

February: Rural landscape I-35 near Faribault.

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March: Mailboxes buried in snow, Dundas.

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February: Willow Street on Feb. 24 in Faribault.

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April: Cardinal at River Bend Nature Center.

May: Flea market vendors Dundas.

June: Peonies at Aspelund Peony Gardens.

May: Tree blossoms bike trail along Cannon Lake.

June: Grilling sign at meat market in Wanamingo.

July: Pedestrian bridge over Cannon River, Northfield.

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August: Singer Vintage Band Festival, Northfield.

FAR LEFT: September: Dancers at Hispanic Heritage Month event in Northfield.

August: Second Street pocket garden downtown Faribault.

October: Dunton Locks County Park, Detroit Lakes.

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September: Granddaughter running.

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October: Horseback riding in Maplewood State Park near Pelican Rapids.

FAR LEFT: November: Turkey billboard by Frazee November: Harvesting near Redwood Falls

December: Visiting with Santa.

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December: Mrs. Minnesota United States 2019 at Winterfest vintage snowmobile show, Faribault.

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Building or Remodeling101

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ou have been contemplating a remodel or building a new house for quite some time and you’ve decided the day has come to pull the trigger and start the process. However, as overwhelming as it may seem, there are some things that will help you along the way to make the process less stressful and more enjoyable, with the goal of keeping the project on time and on budget. With more than a decade of experience in this field, I have narrowed it down to six steps that I believe will help you and save you from losing your construction mind.

Step 1-Establish a Budget No matter how big or small you must determine what you are willing and capable of spending for this project. This is not only important for your budgetary planning, but for the professionals that are assisting you.

It’s not uncommon for the expectations to be larger than the cost… thank you, HGTV! An experienced contractor and designer will be able to “value engineer” your project—identifying your wants, determining your true needs and guiding you to make the best decisions possible, all the while aiming to keep you within your identified budget.

Step 2-Establish a Team of Professionals Hiring a contractor and designer with experience is key to a successful project. Whether it’s building your dream from the ground up or a much needed home makeover, a common misperception is that an investment in design time means sacrificing money that can be sunk directly into the project. This is a common mistake and while you may perceive that it will cost you more money to have assistance, it is often found to be exactly the opposite. Having professionals involved from beginning to end can help save you from making costly mistakes. The team will also help facilitate a fluid design/build process.

Heather Buisman Heather is an interior designer at The Design Element in the Mankato Design Center. She can assist with your design projects from planning to final product selections.

Step 3-Set Expectations Today is December 2nd and you have identified that you want the project completed by the end of the year. This is what we would call an unrealistic expectation. Rome wasn’t built in a day and you can’t expect that your dream project can get done overnight. You get one chance to do this right, so be willing to commit the time to making sure things are done correctly. Top quality professionals are in high demand, and if the people you have in mind are readily available, you may be considering the wrong team. Patience is a virtue, and as a homeowner, you will be rewarded for letting top-notch professionals engage the process on a schedule that’s manageable for both sides.

Step 4-Spend Time on Product Education & Research We all know there are literally thousands of product options available and more being introduced all the time. If you have chosen to hire a professional, it is part of their responsibility to discuss and educate you as much as possible so that you can feel comfortable with your decisions.

You can never have too much information and the end product should ultimately be a beautiful blend of personal preference and professional opinion.

Step 5-Be Prepared for Bumps in the Road Again, this is not HGTV. Not everything can happen on time, on budget, without flaw, or within the context of a perfectly scripted 60-minute episode. As hard as your team may try and control all the variables, realize there are hundreds to thousands of decisions and factors that go into your project. Be patient and flexible (there is a limit) and realize there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Step 6-Sit Back & Enjoy Sometimes it’s hard to see the rainbow when you are caught up within the eye of the storm. As noted throughout, this is not an easy process, and there are lots of stressors and difficult decisions along the way. That doesn’t mean, however, that the end result will not be worth all the work and sacrifice. Within all the projects I have been involved, I don’t recall a single person that has regretted the end result. After the dust has settled, the inconveniences subsided, and the frustrations ceased, there is the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. What can this tell you? It’s worth it! Enjoy your new space!

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WONDERFUL WINTER HIKING TRAILS IN SOMINN Story by PAT GARRY Contributing Writer

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on’t let a little cold weather keep you from staying happy and healthy. Plenty of state parks and local recreation areas plow or pack miles of trails for winter walkers! Winter hiking in Minnesota is beautiful, rewarding, and is a great family activity.

QUARRY HILL NATURE CENTER

Lori Forstie is Public Relations and Outreach Coordinator at Quarry Hill Nature Center. The Quarry Hill Nature Center was established in 1972, and offers environmental education in a 329-acre city park; and an admission-free nature center featuring 30-plus species of live animals. Quarry Hill is a hotspot for bird watching and offers a 3-acre pond. “We hold many events in the park, including our featured Halloween event, Creatures of the Night, Run Wild 5K and Wild Child Dash, Summer Nature Day Camp, and Earth Day Activities,” said Forstie. Winter Offerings: Candlelight Ski; January 31, 2020; celebrate Minnesota’s sparkling season and winter landscape. Enjoy an evening skiing by candlelight and the glow of the moon. Warm up in front of the Nature Center’s blazing fireplace while refueling with hot cocoa.

Equipment is available on a first-come-first-serve basis. All ages are welcome – equipment is available in youth and adult sizes. Event is dependent on snow and trail conditions—so call ahead. This event is not recommended for first-time skiers.

Bagels and Birds; February 2, 2020; experience the beauty of birds up close when you join the naturalist in trapping, banding, and releasing songbirds. Learn about the amazing adaptations these birds have to survive MN winter outside as you enjoy a bagel or muffin,

fruit, and a beverage inside.

Owl Moon; February 7, 2020; books, like a walk in the woods, can be an adventure and an escape. They open a new world to the reader – a world that can spark interest in the natural world and fuel imagination. Join a naturalist at the Prairie House site for a fireside reading of the children’s classic Owl Moon. “Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream. Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird. But there is no answer. Wordlessly the two companions walk along, for when you go owling you don’t need words. You don’t need anything but hope. Sometimes there isn’t an owl, but sometimes there is.” Book reading begins promptly at 6 p.m. or 7:30 p.m., followed by an owl encounter and a 30-minute hike.

It’s Snow Crazy; February 9, 2020; get ready to experience snow like you never have before! Bring your mittens for snow games including ice bowling, snow snakes, and snowball toss and bring your creativity for snow creating. Materials are provided and (hopefully) Mother Nature provides the snow! Then go on an ‘I Spy Spring’ Hike to the new Prairie House to warm up and satisfy your sweet tooth with Mother Nature’s snow candy and hot cocoa. It will be ‘Snow’ Fun! Valentine’s Candlelight Ski and Snowshoe; February 14, 2020; enjoy the sparkling winter landscape on a candlelit trail. Bring your sweetheart or come with friends for an enjoyable evening in nature. Then warm up by the crackling fire where champagne and sweets will be served. Equipment is provided by Quarry Hill. Alternate activities will be provided in the case of poor snow or trail conditions.

Must be 21 or older to register.

RED WING PARK NATURALIST PROGRAM

Fat Biking.

TOP PHOTO: Whitewater State Park was established in 2016. “We offer outdoor education and recreation programs to the public, and also are available for private events such as programs for scout troops, classrooms, youth groups, day cares, etc. We offer programs including guided hikes, fire building, birding, wetland ecology, animal adaptations, animal talks, and nature art,” explained Aadalen.

Probably the most popular trails exist at Memorial Park and the Mississippi National Golf Links; and both offer cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. These trails offer beautiful views of the bluff lands and the city of Red Wing. The Cannon Valley Trail also offers groomed cross-country ski trails, and it connects Red Wing, Welch,

Erin Aadalen is the Red Wing Park Naturalist, and her program

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CONTINUED page 12 | JAN/FEB 2020

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Here one can catch a great glimpse of the Cannon River; and it is also an awesome place to see winter wildlife. Finally, a Red Wing local favorite is He Mni Can-Barn Bluff, which overlooks the Mississippi River, in the heart of downtown Red Wing. These trails are great for snowshoeing or hiking with Yaktrax® cleats. Follow the South Trail to the west overlook, to see a stunning view of the Mississippi River. But please respect trail closures, as certain trails can be very icy and unstable (always be prepared with a first aid kit, water, and flashlight; and know your personal limits). Frontenac State Park is hosting a candlelight trails event on February 8. Come and ski, snowshoe, or hike by candlelight.

It’s a great way to see the park in a different light. The trails are great for bird watching during the spring migration.

During the winter, see various tracks in the snow left by wildlife.

“In Red Wing, our trails highlight our ability to experience nature right in the middle of our town. You never have to travel far to get to a trail or park to exercise and take in the sights of the outdoors,” Aadalen commented.

All of the city parks are free to use, and all of the park naturalist programs are no cost or low cost as well. Red Wing, in general, has many restaurants and coffee shops that are close to parks and trails, both in the downtown and West End corridor areas.

Red Wing Park Naturalist

THE DOUGLAS STATE TRAIL This is a paved 12.5-mile, multiple-use trail, developed on an abandoned railroad grade. It crosses outstanding rural scenery, traversing some of the richest agricultural land in Minnesota. The trail begins in northwestern Rochester, travels through the small town of Douglas (for which the trail is named) and terminates in Pine Island. It is generally level and wheelchair accessible.

You will pass through a scenic mix of forest, rolling fields and pastures. Partridge and pheasant live in the woods, and toward Rochester, geese become more abundant.

Little-used county roads offer an opportunity to plan a circular route. One treadway is paved for bicyclists, hikers, and in-line skaters. A second treadway has a natural surface for horseback riders and snowmobilers.

Great River Bluffs

CHIMNEY ROCK – WHITEWATER STATE PARK Another geologic wonder of Minnesota, found in the amazingly beautiful Whitewater State Park, is Chimney Rock. Whitewater sits in the absolute heart of bluff country, northeast of Rochester about 30 miles, and the hikes and scenic overlooks are amazing. One of the hikes takes you up to an overlook on the east side of the park. On the way up, you will pass Chimney Rock, a 40-foot tall limestone rock column that has been worn away so you can actually climb around in it. Coyote Point and Eagle Point are both pretty good hikes in this park too.

Elba is a tiny little town nestled deep in a

Quarry Hill

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valley in southeastern MN, just north of Whitewater State Park. The steep, picturesque bluffs and the quaint feel of the secluded little hidden gem of a town will make you feel a million miles away from everything, in a good way. Just outside of town is the Elba Fire Tower, which, if you can stomach the heights, provides breathtaking panoramic views of bluff country.

GREAT RIVER BLUFFS Great River Bluffs State Park is known for its spectacular views of the Mississippi River Valley and the area farmlands. This park, near Winona, officially opened in 1976 and is part of the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest, where ancient seas, wind and meltwater created this landscape.

The state park comprises 3,000 acres and is open year-round for those hardy enough to venture in.

Most of the hikes in the park are fairly easy, making them ideal places to start the kids on snowshoes. Choose short hikes or longer loops from the 6.3 miles of trails in

the park. From the north end of the parking area where you enter the park, access the King’s Bluff Trail and go north. You can take the 4.5-mile circuit of easy trails, allowing about two hours. Along the way you will travel along the majestic river bluffs and through hardwood forests. Don’t miss the out-and-back to King’s Bluff, just under one mile.

THE HARMONY – PRESTON VALLEY STATE TRAIL The Trail runs 18 miles on a northsouth line between the town of Harmony and the Root River State Trail, which it meets between Lanesboro and Fountain.

The paved trail is mostly level, although a section just north of Harmony is relatively steep. An old railroad right-of-way creates the foundation for the northern two-thirds of the Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail.

The northern portion of this section passes through lush woodlands and farmlands as it winds along and across Watson Creek, the South Branch of the Root River, and Camp Creek.

The southern portion begins in Harmony, noted for its rich Amish heritage and green business operations. The trail leaves the railroad grade and climbs up through some of its most challenging sections as it continues north out of the river bottom to the valley rim, offering broad vistas of the surrounding countryside. Just 0.5 mile from Harmony, an interpretive site highlights some of the glacial history of the area.

From Preston, continuing another 5.5 miles north and casually paralleling the South Branch of the Root River, the trail links up with the Root River State Trail just

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east of Isinours Junction (and a northern trailhead parking option), providing an additional 42 miles of trail network. The Harmony– Preston Valley State Trail is popular with cyclists, hikers, and in-line skaters; cross-country skiing and show-shoeing is popular during winter. Restrooms and parking are available at the trailheads in both Preston and Harmony.

additional adjacent trail with a natural surface for horseback riders and snowmobilers between the current southern trailhead at County Rd. 9 and the town of Elgin.

The trail traverses both flat and some hilly terrain through a largely open agriculture-dominated landscape. Wind and sun can be intense at times and few amenities are available along the trail, so it is important to bring plenty of water. In the northern section, the trail parallels MN 42 to Elgin, where it begins to head more westerly.

From Elgin, the trail passes largely through agricultural landscapes, where some shade is provided along a partially wooded corridor, especially along a section that parallels the North Fork of the Whitewater River as you approach Viola. Future development of the trail also includes extending it to Carley State Park, about 4 miles east of Elgin. Carley State Park serves as an overflow campground for Whitewater State Park, a few miles farther to the southeast.

FLANDRAU STATE PARK

THE GREAT RIVER RIDGE STATE TRAIL The Great River Ridge State Trail runs for 13 miles between County Road 9, just north of Eyota, and 3rd St. SW, just north of Wabasha Street in the town of Plainview, which serves as the agricultural hub of the area. The entire trail is paved, and there is an

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Quarry Hill

Flandrau State Park is a lesser-known state park in New Ulm, but it is very beautiful under a fresh blanket of snow. The River Trail is short, but you can easily expand it by taking a left fork along the Old Dam Trail, or a right to do the Old Island Loop.

No matter what, you’ll be struck with some of the most gorgeous views in New Ulm. Nestled in the valley of the Big Cottonwood River, this state park offers hikers and cross-country skiers a diversity of trails and landscapes; from wooded river bottoms to oxbow marshes - to scenic hill prairies. Explore eight miles of foot trails in the summer, which are converted to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails in the winter. There are many opportunities for wildlife observation, and there are also three campgrounds to serve the electric, non-electric and rustic campers. The park also contains historic WPA buildings and a group center. SMS

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Story by PAT GARRY Contributing Writer

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ironwoodsprings.com). Winter is a great time at Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch. Tubing down some very fast hills and being able to chain tubes together for even more fun, is exhilarating. Riding on a sleigh, through the woods, with snow falling, is breathtakingly beautiful. And of course, being able to hold and pet bunnies while on the sleigh ride, makes it even more special for the kids.

ar from heading inside when the weather is cold, Minnesotans love to celebrate winter with signature events during the snowy months.

Check out these events to find out why we love winter.

ROCHESTER WINTERFEST

IRONWOOD SPRINGS CHRISTIAN RANCH

Stewartville’s Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch, a going concern since 1976, is fun for folks of all ages and abilities (or disabilities). Tracy Bashore is Executive Director at Ironwood Springs. “We have programs for youth, people with physical or cognitive disabilities, families impacted by autism, and military families.”

Winter-time ushers in extra fun and excitement at Ironwood Springs; with snow tubing and horsedrawn sleigh rides. Ironwood Springs has regularlyscheduled snow tubing sessions every two hours, from Friday night through Sunday night, at $12 per person for a two-hour session. Folks can reserve as individuals or as large and small groups.

For groups of 60 or more, there are options to book the hill for a private session (and all tubes are provided). “We have a nice warming chalet to hang out in. We provide hot water and cups and you provide the cocoa mix. Horse-drawn sleigh rides are also available with an open sleigh ride to sign up for; or to book a private ride for groups up to 16. You can register for snow tubing or the open sleigh-ride sessions, online at ironwoodsprings. com,” Bashore explained. The Ranch provides a Family Fun Night Pancake Supper on Monday, Feb 17,

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TOP: Owatonna Bold and Cold ABOVE & RIGHT: Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch from 4:00 - 7:30 p.m. This is a fun night, and proceeds go to Ironwood’s youth camp scholarship fund. Snow tubing, horse-drawn sleigh rides (bunnies included on the ride) along with a pancake supper, are all provided for a price of $12 for adults and $8 for kids. Additionally, Ironwood Springs sponsors (two) weekend youth retreats, known as Winter Summit, on Feb. 7-9 and Feb. 21-23.

These are fun, faith-building weekends for youths, 6th - 12th grade (register online at

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Rochester Winterfest is a month-long celebration packed with different events that appeal to all ages. It offers a smorgasbord of things to do in January and February.

Don’t miss out on the throw-back days, with the presentation of Pioneer Life of Olmsted County, Saturday, February 1, 2020. The History Center is all about exploring pioneer life through hands-on activities. Visitors interact with kitchen and clothing items used during pioneer days. They get to try corn shelling, writing with ink quills, and making clove oranges.

Ages 5 and up are welcome to be part of the activities, for a nominal $5 fee (ages 0-4 are free). Apple cider and cookies are offered as a treat for all visitors to the History Center during this event. The $5 fee includes the cost of museum admission.

“Please join us for some enlightening and very informative fun!” Aaron Saterdalen explained (Aaron is Education & Programs A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

to taste. This includes anything from regular beef chili, chicken chili, vegetarian, venison, etc.

Attendees can taste each chili and then vote for their favorites.

At the end of the evening, the votes are tallied and prizes are awarded. There is a prize for everyone. Prizes are solicited from and donated by Rochester area businesses. Cost to taste: Adults $10/ Family $30. “This is a fundraiser for our ongoing mission trips. The current mission project is a trip to Russia in June 2021. Over the past six years, members from our congregation, as well as from Eyota and Winona, have traveled to Vyborg, Russia (near the Finland border) three times to conduct an English Language Camp for children ages 7-15. The next trip is planned for June 2021,” explained Barbara Pentico, Missions Committee Chair.

Rochester Polar Plunge started in 2002 and over the past 18 years has raised $2,700,000 for Special Olympics Minnesota and the local special Olympics athletes and team. The Plunge is held this year on February 8, and over the past few years, has raised about $230,000 - $240,000 per year. Plungers are asked to raise between $75 and $3,000 and are given incentive gifts based on the amount of money raised in their account for each Plunge. There are a lot of people that will do more than one Plunge each season. Plungers can jump as individuals, but most participate as teams from their jobs, neighborhoods, colleges, high schools or civic groups. The youngest ever to partake was four years old. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, and the oldest competitor on record was 64, a few years ago.

“We’ve had a couple knee scrapes on ice over the years but no serious injuries or medical issues. And that is not just our plunge but over all our now 23 plunges and 35 events, getting read this year from January to March,” explained event coordinator Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson.

Cool School Plunge is on Friday, February 7, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Schools let kids

The Super Plunge is a group of Plungers taking it to the next level and beyond. There is a dedicated group of Super Plungers who plunge 224 times in 24 hours. They must raise a minimum of $3,000 for the opportunity to be a Super Plunger. These enthusiasts start plunging Friday afternoon and plunge until about 11:00 p.m.; then re-start with multiple plunges in the morning, usually by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday; then they do their final plunges as the opening act, before the crowd gathered to see the main mass of Plungers that start plunging at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 8 this year. “Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) is the umbrella fundraising organization who organize the plunges across the state, in cooperation with Special Olympics Minnesota.

Over the past several years, Minnesota Torch Run has raised about $4,000,000 annually; mostly through our Plunges; the biggest one being in Minneapolis the first weekend of March,” informed Sheriff Torgerson.

CYCLIN-INN / SVEEN WAGON RIDES – WHALAN Tammy Hughes is owner of the Cyclin-Inns and Duane Sveen owns Sveen Wagon Rides. The Cyclin-Inns have been around since 2007, and Duane has conducted wagon rides for over 25 years. Whalan is a winter wonderland. “Here at the Cyclin-Inns you can enjoy hiking on the Root River State Trail. Cross-country skiing or snow shoeing are also popular outdoor activities,” said Hughes.

Folks can also enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride or, weather permitting, a spectacular sleigh ride through the woods overlooking Whalan.

On the first Saturday of February, there is a Candle-Lit Ski on the trail that passes through Whalan. There are giant bon fires at both ends.

Hughes and Sveen offer sandwiches and desserts, hot chocolate, coffee, and a great opportunity to socialize at the recently-renovated city hall.

Everyone is invited, and cross-country ski passes are required. “When you go on a memorable horse-drawn sleigh ride, you are brought through the trails overlooking Whalan, through the woods and to the cabin; for hot chocolate and a chance to warm up, while enjoying the panoramic Root River Valley below. Come and enjoy the sounds of the clippity-clop and the sleigh bells, for an afternoon you will not forget!” exclaimed Hughes.

ABOVE PHOTOS: Rochester Winterfest Coordinator at the History Center of Olmsted County).

The Ronald McDonald House of Rochester, MN provides a home-away-fromhome and caring support to families seeking medical care for their children. The 17th annual Hearts & Diamonds Spectacular is presented by Sterling State Bank, and it benefits the Ronald McDonald House of Rochester. Angela Christensen is the event spokesperson. The festivities feature an elegant evening of dinner, diamonds and dancing. The event begins with complimentary red-carpet champagne and cocktail reception, followed by a gourmet dinner, diamond prize raffle and table prizes; along with live music, dancing and a coffee bar. Presenting Sponsor: Sterling State Bank; Exclusive Diamond Sponsor: Hight & Randall Personal Jeweler; Event Sponsor: Somerby Golf Club; Major Sponsors: Knutson Construction, Rochester Motor Cars; Date of Event: February 1, 2020; 5:00 p.m.; Somerby Golf Club; Byron; Cost: $250; Event Contact Person; Angela Christensen, Ronald McDonald House; Event Contact Email achristensen@rmhmn.org; Event Contact Phone (507.252.2163).

Each year the (Friends of the Rochester Public Library) have a WinterFest Book Sale. The next one is slated for February 6-9 at the Rochester Public Library auditorium. Free and open to the public, the Friends sell used books (50 cents for young adult and kid books; $2 for hard-cover books; $1.50 for trade-sized paperbacks; and $1 for mass-market paperback books; there are

also DVDs and CDs for sale).

“We normally make about $6,000 at this event, for the Rochester Public Library,” said Pat Stephenson, Friends of RPL representative.

Parkside Gallery exhibit opening takes place on January 23, 2020, from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at Charter House. This is a free event and is open to the public. On hand to entertain live will be the Rochester Symphony and Orchestra quartet. Charter House’s Parkside Art Gallery features local artists with a new exhibit every quarter. The exhibit opening on 1/23/20 will feature Andrea Costopoulos, Pat Dunn-Walker, Monika Gloviczki, Romi Wilhelm, and Wendy Westlake. The January Cyclin-Inn 2020 exhibit opening marks the 5-year anniversary of the Gallery’s opening (to date, there have been 35 local artists featured). Aimalicia N. Staub is Director of Sales & Marketing at Charter House.

Chili Challenge (Grace Lutheran Church) This is the 6th annual chili challenge at Grace Lutheran Church (800 East Silver Lake Drive).

Convening on Sunday, February 9, the challenge runs from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Contestants, of any age, provide various kinds of chili for people

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out in order to go plunge, and usually groups like FFA or Student Council arrange that. They come to the beach, plunge and eat pizza. While they are there and are captive, local Special Olympics Management Team and some athletes talk to the kids about SO and the organizations; like groups where they live in the community (then they go back to school)!

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WASECA SLEIGH & CUTTER FESTIVAL The Waseca Sleigh and Cutter Festival is a fun escape from winter, after the holidays are

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CONTINUED from page 15 over. If you like horses, curling, ice sculptures, and parades, this event is for you. Events run from the end of January to the beginning of March.

There are activities for all ages. Just a few of the events include a Frosty the Snowman contest, medallion hunt, bridge, a dance, and a coloring contest.

Take a look at the full event Waseca Sleigh and Cutter calendar (from this link) sleighandcutterfestival.org; to find out about all the upcoming events. Ken Borgmann is CEO/ President of Waseca Sleigh & Cutter Festival Association; celebrating its 70th anniversary in February 2020.

Some of the fun things: cross-country skiing ; parade on February 8, at 12:00 noon; ice sculpting ; Sleigh & Cutter Pageant (the queen in 2018 was Miss Minnesota); several card & bean bag tournaments; dinner/dance on February 7; bands; ATV/snowmobile rides & races; ice curling on Clear Lake; Frosty & Medallion contests (each has a $1,750 payout). A special highlight this year is the EXPLORE MN TRAVELING MONUMENT - ON CLEAR LAKE WITH FIREWORKS ON FEBRUARY 15. Beer/wine tasting event on February 8, after the parade at Trio; Children’s Dream Catcher fundraiser.

BOLD & COLD – OWATONNA’S WINTER FESTIVAL Bold & Cold – Owatonna’s Winter Festival, is in its second year, and Jessica Abrahams, Administrative Technician, Owatonna Parks and Recreation Department, overlooks the event.

Here are some of the events: Owatonna Winter Weekend Out: January 24-26; there is a fun-filled, snow fun, weekend planned. Take a look at the weekend’s activities and like Bold & Cold page on Facebook to stay updated on the weekend’s activities.

Friday, January 24 activities include: Free

Admission to West Hills Fitness Center; Time: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.; gym, walking track, cardio room, and weight room is open for free

Owatonna Bold and Cold use. Family Open Swim; Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.; Fee: $2.00 per person; Family Open Swim at the Owatonna Middle School is a chance for families to come and enjoy swim time together. During this time there will be 2 lifeguards on duty and the diving boards will be open. All children must be accompanied by a parent. Children with lifejackets must be within arm’s reach of a parent at all times.

Saturday, January 25 activities include: Adult Snow Volleyball Tournament at Lava Burgers; Start Time: 11: 00 a.m.; trade-in your shorts and tanks for thermals and hats and play in the Adult Snow Volleyball Tournament. Teams of up to 6 players (minimum of 4), co-rec or women’s teams, $30 entry fee per team, prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd places. Fat Bike & Hok Ski Demos, provided by Straight River Sports at Kaplan’s Woods; Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.; come out to Kaplan’s Woods and try out a fat bike and/or hok skis. Straight River Sports will have all you need to try either one out. 2020 iGames; Time: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.; grab a friend or family member and come to West Hills Social Commons (formerly Senior Place) for an afternoon of games for all ages. There will be Wii bowling and tennis; bags and billiards set up. Free Tennis -- West Hills Tennis Center; Time: 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.; stop out for some casual play and to hit with the tennis Pro, Colan Surratt (space is limited). Rock on Ice at Morehouse; Time: 6:00 -8:00 p.m.; music, lights, fun...you’ll be Rockin on Ice! Bring the whole family down, warm up by the bonfire and enjoy a night skating to the music.

Sunday, January 26 activities include: Family Ice

Fishing at Lake Kohlmier; Time: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.; join everyone on Lake Kohlmier for an afternoon of ice fishing. Limited equipment and bait will be provided -- holes will be pre-drilled for fishing.

This is a free event for everyone to attend. Snow Sculpture Competition; Sculpting will take place January 22-27 at Central Park Downtown Owatonna. Sculpting is open to the public to watch teams carve their sculptures. Sculptures will be done by 12:00 p.m., January 26. Come and view the finished sculptures. Sculptures will be available for viewing until they melt. Prizes will be given away for 1st & 2nd places. People shouldn’t feel intimidated to sign up for the competition. The Family Ice Fishing is always a well-attended event. All of the holes are drilled, bait and equipment is available and lessons on-site are available. All you need to do is bundle up and head out to Lake Kohlmier. A new event is the Adult Snow Volleyball Tournament. Snow Volleyball has been gaining popularity and is in the works to becoming an Olympic sport. This tournament won’t require Olympic skills; the goal is to get adults outside and have some fun trying out a new take on a popular sport. Team registration for the Snow Volleyball Tournament can be found at www. boldcoldowatonna.com.

CANDLELIGHT WALK – ALBERT LEA Experience a winter evening by candlelight.

Bring your snow boots, snowshoes and/or skis and

Albert Lea Candlelight Walk

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make your way through the woods on a candlelit path. Refreshments and warm, cozy fire provided.

Co-sponsored by Myre-Big Island State Park and Albert Lea Parks & Recreation. FEBRUARY 15 | 6-9 PM; MYRE-BIG ISLAND STATE PARK; EVENT PARKING AT PICNIC GROUNDS.

SNOWKATO DAYS – MANKATO SnowKato Days is a 10-day winter festival packed with festivities; featuring activities for all ages and interests. This new annual event is scheduled for January 17-26 and is a call to action for those who are up for bold, crazy winter fun in January. Current planned activities include a medallion hunt, promotional buttons, daily prizes, learn to curl, ski and ice skate, a snow sculpture contest, sled bowling, hockey and more.

Some events include: Mount Kato Learn to Ski: January 17-18; Snow Sculpting Contest: January 17-18; Learn to Curl: January 17-18; Medallion Hunt: January 17-18; Jack Frost Frolic: Saturday, January 18; Outdoor Adventures: Monday, January 20; Snowshoeing with Vine: Thursday, January 23; Snow Sculpting Contest Judging: Friday, January 24; Candlelight Snowshoe at Minneopa State Park: January 19-24; MSU-Mankato Hockey: Friday, January 24; Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Tourney: January 25-26; Sledding at Spring Lake Park: Sunday, January 26; MSU Mav Night: Saturday, January 25. SMS

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The Top Local Albums of 2019 Story by Sarah Osterbauer Contributing Writer

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n 2019 the question of whether or not the album format was dead permeated the landscape. In a world where streaming is king, where an album’s flip side no longer exists and where an algorithm may choose more music for you than you do, local artists showed up to prove the album is very much alive. Not only alive, but thriving, from a quality standpoint at least.

It’s been said before, but bears repeating, there is a wealth of talent that exists in our small frozen tundra. The following albums are but a sample of the musical riches that are at play in our backyard. If you like country, Americana, Punk, Soul, Funk, Folk, R&B… etc I guarantee you, a local artist is smashing it right now. As you begin the journey to discover them, or continue it, these folks are a great place to start.

Lydia Liza - Of Unsound Mind There are few voices in town, or out really, that can drop a pit in your stomach as fast and hard as Lydia’s can. For her first solo venture, this Twin Cities veteran holds nothing back. And we wouldn’t expect her to. She goes yard on tracks like “Crow on a Branch” where she’s joined by fellow Twin Citieszen, Justin Courtney Pierre (of Motion City Soundtrack). The two trade versus and we get to hear how they melt into each other’s signature singing style and on “I Demand It”, a slow burning stunner that admits one’s flaws but insists upon the subject’s attention.

Lydia shows off her range vocally, stylistically and materially here, opening up her wounds for all to see. Her songs bring her story into our headphones, creating a closeness between the listener and her, like two old friends reuniting, Must listen track: I Demand It.

Kara Laudon - Old Lives A relative newcomer, Kara has backed up the likes of John Mark Nelson and Dessa. Old Lives is her first solo album and what a way to make

an entrance. Kara quietly devastates asking big questions on the album’s title opener, “How come we push away the ones we love the most? And how come I don’t think I can be loved? If I am trying but still come up short, then maybe it’s a hole that I have dug.” She tackles heavy feelings, under the premise of outlining her past lives.

She sings primarily in a sweet high soprano and surprises in the cracks with a velvety alto. Old Lives is reminiscent of other great names in the indie folk/pop arena; namely Kathleen Edwards, Tori Amos and Sarah McLaughlin. Must listen track: This House.

Nur-D - Songs About Stuff At first glance it’s easy to write off Nur-D as a Chance copycat. The staccato delivery of his rhymes and sporadic whats and heys speak to an obvious influence from other big hip hop and R&B players, Migos, Khalid etc. But once you dive in a bit further, you notice this Picked to Click winner’s unique chops. Effortlessly weaving in and out of rapping and singing, Nur-D paints a self portrait for the listener against a musical landscape chock with bangers. Sonically pleasing melodies carry his words on a carpet ride we’re all too happy to climb onto. The song “Sincerely Yours” which details his complicated relationship with his parents, should come with a mascara warning.

Nur-D’s tunes are honest, bright and joyful. Like women who crave self love and body positivity have Lizzo, now men who dance on the fringes of masculinity, or exist in traditional geek culture, have Nur-D. Must listen track: Sincerely Yours

Dessa - Sound the Bells: Recorded Live at Orchestra Hall Dessa joining forces with the Minnesota Orchestra is certainly not the first time a hip hop artist employed the use of classical instruments and I assume it will not be the last. However, it may be one of the best. To hear her tunes acquire new life, sounding full and lush with layers of strings and horns is really something to be witness to. The classical arrangements give Dessa’s

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intellect and complex ideas on life and love a safe place to land. They also lend them extra drama and the epic endings they so richly deserve. Must listen track: Good Grief

Charlie Parr - Charlie Parr Confessionally Charlie’s album was added to this list before I even listened. It’s virtually impossible not to fall in love with everything Charlie does. His music has a way of forcing you to pause and really be mindful of what you’re hearing. Each pluck of his guitar, every scratch in his voice is something worth giving your full attention, this album is no exception. These songs are slower, more soulful, and sorrowful in a weary way with Charlie’s signature voice making even the most mundane observations become treasures. Must listen track: Love is an Unraveling Bird’s Nest

Savannah Smith - Leo It’s tough to pinpoint exactly what is happening on Leo and it seems that’s not by accident.

Savannah Smith’s brand of ethereal folk rock is misty fog covering a forgotten wetland. Her vocals have a folk sensibility but seem to float on air, her words coming up behind you, surrounding you at once somewhat unexpectedly. Certain words and phrases melt into the background and others smack you in the face. Her haunting melodies are transical beauties, lulling anyone nearby into submission. Must listen track: Atlas

Katy Vernon - Suit of Hearts Suit of Hearts is Katy’s third album and her best one yet. Full of catchy upbeat tunes that wrap up life’s toughest moments in brightly colored packaging. It’s an album that finds a silver lining in self acceptance and kindness. It forgives oneself and others of our shortcomings and celebrates the togetherness of it all. Rejecting the idea of genre pigeonholing, Katy’s pop music blends pop, country, Americana and even disco all while strumming a ukulele. Katy’s irresistible UK charm and MN nice make her a friend you’d want in your corner, and this album will make you feel like she is one. Must listen track: In Your Shoes (For Daisy)

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Static Panic - Glow Glow, though only an EP brings the gusto and the energy of a full length album. End to end bangers, these folx are vibing 24/7. Taking cues from classic Prince to Chromeo, Glow is the most fun you’ll have all day. Must listen track: Glow

Humbird - Pharmakon On Pharmakon, Siri Undlin’s melodies sound as though old weathered trees reached out to her to present their biography translated into song. The sound of sunlight peeking through branches, of water flowing through a stream, it’s all captured in the spirit of this album. Notes that bend, finding corners in minor keys, back Siri’s stunning vocals.

Her voice, clear, serene and confident, serenades the listener with gorgeous lullabies. Must listen track: Pharmakon

Sam Cassidy - Running Blind Sam’s music drives primarily in Tom Petty territory. It’s free easy rock, the kind that goes well with the wind blowing through your hair on the back of a motorcycle. He’d probably hate this comparison but Sam’s voice is eerily similar to that of Bradley Cooper’s character in A Star Is Born. It’s deep and soulful, a little rough on the edges, not quite a growl. It’s the type of voice that would sound great in a country band or a heavier rock outfit. Running is a theme that permeates throughout the album, whether, blind, away or into something good he covers all the bases.

Honorable Mentions Dan Israel - Social Media Anxiety Disorder Erik Koskinen - Burning the Deal Jillian Rae - I Can’t Be The One You Want Me to Be All of these albums can be found on the streaming service of choice or your local music brick and mortar store. SMS

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A “Latin Alternative” band called Ladama performed at the Rochester Civic Theatre in November as part of the World Music Series, presented by Riverside Concerts. Alash, a band of throat singers from the Republic of Tuva, is next up in the series with a performance in March. Photo courtesy of Ladama LEFT: The 92-year-old Chateau Theatre in Rochester is open under new management, four years after the city bought it for $6 million.

In May, the city chose St. Paul-based Exhibits Development Group to operate the landmark, and the first show opened in November, an exhibition of Beatles memorabilia and interactive displays to mark the band’s 50th anniversary. Photo by Jay Furst

Reopening of Chateau Theatre Tops the List for Rochester Area A&E 2019 Story by JAY FURST Contributing Writer

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inally, the lights are up at the Chateau.

The Chateau Theatre, a gloriously fanciful vaudeville house and movie palace in Rochester that was built in 1927 and later became a bookstore, went dark when Barnes & Noble moved out in 2014. The city bought it for $6 million in January 2016, with help from Mayo Clinic, and had been dithering about what to do with it since then.

Some renovation work has been done, and to be fair, the Chateau’s fate was tangled up in the nonstop planning for Destination Medical Center. But with retail vacancies on the Peace Plaza and the theater gathering dust, the public was getting restless, so the city put out a request for proposals last year from organizations with big ideas for returning it to its glory days.

The winner was Exhibits Development Group, which creates and markets museum exhibitions, and in late November, the doors opened on the first Chateau show, a Beatles retrospective called “Magical History Tour,” with Fab Four memorabilia and interactive displays.

St. Paul-basd EDG has a five-year lease and is planning concerts, lectures and event rentals as well as museumquality exhibitions. The Beatles exhibition runs through February, which buys EDG some time to put its programming in order.

“The Chateau is the community’s

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cultural center,” says Amy Noble Seitz, the company’s founder and CEO, and the plan is to present “exhibitions, music, media installations -- lots of different types of programming.” Seitz says other organizations that were interested in running the Chateau, including Minneapolis-based Entourage Events Group, have “come to us with their ideas on how to use it, and we’re trying to dovetail some of them. We’re encouraging the community to come to us with their ideas.”

When the city bought the theater, a lot of people were hoping against hope that it would become a cutting-edge venue, a la the Palace Theatre in St. Paul, that would draw people downtown and light up the night. That’s not likely for at least five years. But EDG’s plans are a start, and in the meantime the theater with the French chateaustyle facade and fairy-tale village interior is being used and cared for.

That puts it atop the list of major arts headlines in Rochester and Southeast Minnesota for 2019. Also on that list: The full-bore opening of the Castle Community, the totally original arts hangout that opened about a year ago in Rochester’s former National Guard Armory building. Like the Chateau, it’s one of the few landmarks to somehow dodge the wrecking ball in downtown Rochester. A nonprofit partnership bought it from the city and it’s a curious amalgam of art gallery, used bookstore, coffeehouse, concert hall and glasswalled artist studios.

After proving the concept for almost a year, it’s finding a place in the arts community. It also has Cameo, an ambitious new restaurant in a city that’s

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“Sleeping by the Mississippi,” an exhibition of photographs by Alec Soth, were featured at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona last summer. The 21 large-format photographs in the Winona show were part of a collection first shown in New York and published in 2004.

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Marine Art Museum booming but has only a few fine and fancy, locally owned dining rooms.

Other newsworthy A & E events in Southeast Minnesota last year, some awesome and some dismal: Treasure Island hits the jackpot with its amphitheater: The Twin Cities area still needs a true outdoor concert amphitheater that draws toptier artists, but in the meantime, the 9,400-seat amphitheater at Treasure Island Resort and Casino near Red Wing is mopping up, with Janet Jackson and Rod Stewart among the big tickets last summer. Treasure Island also has

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stepped up its indoor bookings as well.

Bret Michaels is at the event center on Feb. 14.

World music at Riverside Concerts: Rochester’s summertime Down by the Riverside concerts have become monster events, drawing thousands of people to the riverfront for free music by bands such as 10,000 Maniacs, Cloud Cult and the Revolution. Less noticed but just as appreciated is the World Music Series that Steve Schmidt and the city Music Department have put together, showcasing outstanding global musicians for two-day “mini-res-

idencies.” In November, it was Ladama, four women from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and the United States who play traditional and some very nontraditional instruments to produce a pulsing, totally original Latin Alternative music. To paraphrase a friend, more of this in Rochester, please.

Zumbrota Arts Center calls it quits: Marie Marvin’s Crossings at Carnegie has been a labor of love for nearly 20 years -- the kind of smart, imaginative art gallery and cultural center that most small towns can only dream of, housed in a stately Carnegie library building. After a few years of listing the building for sale, Marvin decided to call it quits last summer and close the gallery. Though she’ll keep some concerts and art classes going for now, it’s a big loss for the Zumbrota area. The things that make a town attractive and distinctive are often the result of hard work and imagination by just a few inspired people such as Marvin.

The Rochester Symphony hits a high note: When the Rochester Philharmonia was formed in 1919, Stravinsky and Sibelius were in their prime and Shostakovich was just a pup.

The orchestra, later renamed the Rochester Symphony and now celebrating its centennial, has had its forte years and pianissimo years, but under long-time music director Jere Lantz it’s been mostly upbeat. The October program showed the orchestra’s range and ambition, with music by Copland, Grieg, Richard Danielpour, Howard Hanson and Minnesota composer Stephen Paulus. An indication of how this isn’t your

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STUNNING FROZEN WATERFALLS Story by PAT GARRY Contributing Writer

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inter may have finally arrived in Minnesota, but that doesn’t mean you have to huddle inside for the next few months.

In fact, there are plenty of reasons to do just the opposite.

If you’re a nature lover who wants to experience Minnesota’s beauty in a different way, you may want to go waterfalling! Check out some of the spectacular waterfalls while they’re frozen solid. These phenomenal frozen falls are sure to get you outside, exploring this winter.

Minneopa Falls are a favorite of many who live near Mankato. In fact, it’s considered by some to be the most scenic waterfall in southern Minnesota. That rings true even in the winter. The trickles of Minneopa Creek freeze solid on their 40-foot plunge into the pool below, making them quite a sight. Check it out for yourself at Minneopa State Park, Mankato, MN. There are some dodgy, ice and snow-covered stairs that lead hikers down into the river valley. Though signs alert the dangers of walking to the base of the falls, trekking down is not prohibited. Just be cautious and aware of the ever-changing conditions of the waterfall area. The trail to the base of the falls is a social trail that occasionally meanders onto the frozen creek. Again, use caution if you choose to venture that way.

Be aware of melting and thin ice. The base of the falls is amazing and so incredibly beautiful to behold. There are small caves carved out of the rock that capture the imagination much more than the falls themselves.

Minnemishinona Falls Overlook (40923 Judson Bottom Road, Mankato, MN) This little gem of southern Minnesota features a wonderful view of a narrow, 42-foot waterfall. A very

CONTINUED from page 18 grandpa’s symphony orchestra: There’s an IPA named for it at a local brewpub.

Thesis Brewing Project joins the bandwagon of breweries: Speaking of breweries, after a late start Rochester has become a thriving beer town, with Kinney Creek, Grand Rounds, Forager, Little Thistle, LTS and now Thesis Brewing Project, which opened on Second Street Southwest in August and has one of the tastiest IPAs in the area, the Cadillac Ranch. Also rolling out the barrel this year was Trout City Brewing, which Anita and Andy Bisek opened in August

nice pedestrian bridge exists over the gorge that was created by concrete blocks that make a small bridge over the river, up above the falls. There isn’t much to this short path, but it is fairly well the falls; and explore the other side of the falls. Summer isn’t the maintained and worth the stop. The path is paved and the iron, only time Hidden Falls is worth seeing. When it gets cold enough, trestle bridge is wood beams. The Prairie Creek real features of this area are the freezes. Visit views of Minnemishinona Falls and at the right the gorge that winds to the Mintime, and nesota River. The ice formations you’ll be created by the waterfall in winter treated to can often be pretty spectacular. the rare sight Minnemishinona Falls was acquired of a frozen in 2005, and was developed and waterfall. The opened to the public for the first snow and ice time in 2007. Prior to 2005, the seem to sifalls were privately owned. When lent the noise the land went up for sale, Nicollet of the woods, and the bare County stepped in to acquire the land and develop it for public use. trees add to In winter, the falls create interestthe peaceful, ing ice formations that are differcalming ent every year. Minnemishinona effect. If Falls is a scenic wayside just off of you have Judson Bottom Road. At 42 feet, a chance, it is one of southern Minnesota’s definitely visit tallest waterfalls. A red trestle this waterfall Hidden Falls in Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. bridge spans the gorge, offering a in winter.

TOP: Minneopa Falls in Minneopa State Park in Mankato. beautiful view of the falls and the There valley, however, the base of the are many falls cannot be accessed. waterfalls in the country with the Hidden Falls moniker, but the Hidden Falls in Hidden Falls is just south of Northfield in Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. A short ½-mile hike from the parking lot will Minnesota’s Nerstrand Big Woods State Park are very cool, espetake you to the falls. Be sure to bring some traction for your feet as cially when they’re frozen. Why? Because the falls are simply not the trail has a tendency to become pure ice! This park has a great as well-known as some on larger rivers; however, stretched solid system of trails that allows you to choose the length of your advenacross Prairie Creek, the frozen Hidden Falls makes for an impressive ture by adding on sections of trails. You can trek atop the frozen view. SMS

in Preston’s 130-year-old former bank building. Don’t miss the restroom in the old vault, or the Egomaniac Rye IPA paired with with a Swedish meatball sandwich.

Rochester gets a genuine steakhouse: Ever since Michaels restaurant closed on New Year’s Eve, 2014, Rochester diners have been licking their chops, awaiting a replacement.

Michaels’ owners talked bravely at the time about reopening somewhere else downtown, and other restaurants added steaks and chops, but Pittsburgh Blue opened in the new Hilton Hotel on South Broadway in April and there

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should be no more complaints. Yes, it’s a franchise but a Minnesota franchise, and a long overdue improvement in Rochester’s dining options.

Lake City’s loss is Winona’s gain: Speaking of restaurants, one of the best in the area, Nosh, which overlooked the marina in Lake City, closed last summer after 12 years and is moving downriver.

Chef-owner Greg Jaworksi hopes to reopen in downtown Winona in late winter, with half the seating but the same adventurous cuisine and top-quality service. “It’ll be interesting to see if a lot of my existing clientele will remain loyal -- I’m curious to find out whether it was

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the food or the view, or a combination of the two,” he says. For true Nosh fans, it was the food.

“Sleeping by the Mississippi” at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum: Winona is the envy of Southeast Minnesota when it comes to arts and culture -- the Minnesota Beethoven Festival and Great River Shakespeare Festival are two summertime manifestations of that. The Marine Art Museum is another, with its remarkable collection of art on watery themes by Monet and other great masters, as well as exhibitions by contemporary artists such as Alec Soth.

More than a dozen photographs from

Soth’s 2004 collection “Sleeping by the Mississippi” were featured last summer.

Soth, who lives in the Twin Cities area, is “one of the best-known fine art photographers working today, and the museum has been interested in exhibiting his work since we opened in 2006,” said curator Jon Swanson.

Thirteen years later, it happened.

Good things come to those who work and wait, and here’s to the good things coming in 2020. SMS Jay Furst lives in Rochester and has been a journalist and arts writer for more than 30 years. He writes about opera for Opera News magazine.

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Mankato Murals

2019 Year in review:

Southern Minnesota art ushers in the new decade with a growth spurt Story by Anne Kopas Contributing Writer

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ith all that’s happened in 2019, it’s easy to feel like the year has lasted, well, several years.

And with the end of 2019, also comes the end of the decade. In the past year alone, Southern Minnesota’s arts organizations have seen growth that they only expect to continue through 2020 and beyond — growth in sheer numbers, as well as in scope of programs and activities. Art certainly isn’t going anywhere in the next decade.

Coming out of the woodwork Throughout 2019, several of the region’s community theaters and arts nonprofits reported increases in both the numbers of people getting involved and in the ways people brought their creativity to the table.

At Mankato’s Twin Rivers Council for the Arts, Executive Director Noelle Lawton described a “snowball effect” of community members “coming out of the woodwork” and pooling resources to create new programs and works of art. For example, multiple organizations worked to commission international artist Guido Van Helten to paint a mural on the town’s 135-foot silos in early 2020, and others have created smaller murals throughout

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the old town district.

“People are willing to give of their time and share their resources, and it’s just awesome to see what the community has done together on a very small budget. People are inspired and want to see more happen,” said Lawton.

Farther north, the Lakeville Area Arts Center has seen its own expansion. The center’s annual arts festival broke its own attendance records this year, according to Manager Joe Masiarchin. In 2019, the center worked with ever-increasing numbers of community theater organizations and others in the arts and entertainment business. More than 100 events graced the stage this year—and some popular 2018 performances, like the “Mini-Nutcracker” ballet, sold out twice as many show dates in 2019.

Though Lakeville is a quickly growing city, Masiarchin noted that this artistic expansion isn’t an isolated trend.

“A lot of organizations are seeing similar patterns to what we are. There’s a general awareness of arts in the area that’s continuing to grow,” he said.

Accessible on all spectrums As attendance grows, arts organizers have paid extra attention throughout 2019 to ensuring that programs are open to all who are interested, regardless of ability or income. Katie Schaumann, community engagement coordinator for Faribault’s Paradise Center for the Arts, noted that the organization has recently made a few programming adjustments to make performances accessible to those with disabilities.

To accommodate the deaf and blind communities in Faribault, the Paradise has increased their

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Faribault’s Paradise Center for the Arts production of Newsies. offerings of ASL-interpreted performances over the past year, and is working to bring audio description to even more performances.

The theater has also recently begun hosting “sensory-friendly” performances, said Schaumann, for those on the autism spectrum. For these performances, the house lights will be up, performers will eliminate all loud bangs and noises, noisecancelling headphones will be provided, and audiences will have access to wiggle seats and other fidget-friendly devices. Audience members will also have the opportunity to step outside into a nearby quiet room without any shame or shushing. The idea, said Schaumann, is to encourage populations that may otherwise avoid plays or musicals due to challenges with bright lights, loud sounds or sitting still.

“We want to make sure that people can experience the arts on all levels of our community,” said Schaumann.

Another facet to the mission of inclusivity is ensuring accessibility for audiences of all economic demographics, even those who lack the disposable income of the traditional wealthy theater patron.

To meet this need, the Paradise has offered free or low-cost events like family film nights. Other organizations, like the Northfield Arts Guild, have offered pay-as-you-wish ticket pricing at certain events to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to attendance.

Some of these programs, said Schaumann, are helped along by grants from groups like the Minnesota State Arts Board.

“The arts can be rather expensive, so what can we do as an art community so it can be accessible on all spectrums?” said Schaumann. “The grants have been allowing us to really grow and stretch ourselves as a community, growing the friends and family we see coming into our doors.”

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Art as healing From a difficult winter to an increasingly divisive political landscape, it was difficult to escape the stress of 2019’s headlines. For many throughout southern Minnesota, theater, music and art were a means of escape and healing.

“The arts give voice and meaning to those experiences,” said Lawton. “When you don’t have the words, or you’re really confused or it’s overwhelming, the arts play a role in crafting words and meaning around those things, bringing a sense of peace and calm and unity.”

With projects like Mankato’s silo murals, the arts are a gateway to larger conversations about the changing identities of the town, or the region as a whole. The collaborative nature of a large-scale public art project can be a powerful tool for bringing people together, especially people that might not normally interact, establishing a sense of unity and connection.

And no matter what’s going on in the world, the arts provide a miniature getaway without needing to leave Minnesota.

“It’s an opportunity to enjoy something positive,” said Masiarchin. “We bring light and color and the fun aspects in a lot of these productions, especially when dealing with the youth productions.”

Though the new decade is just beginning, southern Minnesota’s arts organizations are already looking forward to a busy slate of events in 2020; in some cases, like in Lakeville, venues are looking forward to their busiest year yet. From art classes to community theater performances to gallery shows, there’s bound to be something to choose from every week of the new year. And if the packed 2020 schedules are anything to go by, we may be entering a new Roaring Twenties in southern Minnesota arts. SMS

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ABOVE THE PLAIN / SoMinn FITNESS Solutions

JAKE LAWRENCE Get fit. Be healthy. Stay confident.

Xclusive fitness and lifestyle coaching. Helping my clients discover their paths to movement, nutrition, longevity, and performance success. Purpose + Process = Outcome.

“Non-conformity is the highest evolutionary attainment of social animals... a hobby is perhaps creation’s first denial of the “peck-order” that burdens the gregarious universe, and of which the majority of mankind is still apart.”

– Aldo Leopold

The Hobby:

Cultivating Space and Time for Personal Growth

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ife is motion. Modern society involves both the chase and desire for leisure. To many, this state of leisure is a motionless absorption of the artificial. A recovery of sorts, but from what are we recovering? Are we experiencing “mental” exhaustion? If so, the prescription should involve nature and/or movement. With the combination being preferred. Creativity is a stimulus for growth. A stimulated mind is an antidote to mental fatigue and the stagnation of the office job (any work requiring a screen).

A hobby may be exactly what is needed. Yet, one cannot be assigned to you. You must manifest the desire from within.

Think analog. Visceral, real, maybe an archaic form of action.

Analog is physical: a letter vs. an email; a book vs. an e-book; a record vs. a digital file; a photograph vs. a pic; a trail vs. a treadmill, and so on. The path of less convenience constitutes the hobby. It will take time, though it is in the taking of time that emotion, love, and intention are expressed and communicated.

Your hobby will require a substantial amount of free space.

Requiring a new definition of priorities and a new outlook on the limited resource of time. Here you may discover how unconsciously it has passed. Work, family, and social commitments make it easy to give all of it away. Leaving you to chase other forms of digital or material stimulus.

The hobby becomes a tool. Its prioritization may make you better at your day job. Having an outlet for creativity allows self-expression that may not otherwise be a part of your days, which in turn makes your free-time more valuable.

That which requires productivity (work), and affords both the time and financial means to explore the depths of passion, is valued even more.

The ability to escape relieves the pressure to conform to society’s expectation of human behavior. You have the freedom to explore, but lacking an outlet, you may follow that which is advertised and sold to the masses as socially acceptable leisure and entertainment.

Yet, a hobby need not be a goal-less endeavor. Your chosen outlet may demand persistence. Obtainment of skill requires commitment and repetition. Life is movement. Nature affords all that modern life is missing: fresh air, sunlight, water, flora, fauna, animals, birds, insects, ... life. Your self-expression is

a manner of personal choice. Make a decision and chart a course. What you set out to create (or undertake) should be a solitary act, devoid of conflict and negotiation. From isolation follows creation. Endurance activities, where we are often alone with our thoughts, can be the place where we become artists. This giving in to movement and becoming an athlete is immensely satisfying.

Fitness, a broad term, often associated with an outcome, yet equally associated with the act, can be a defining element of a person’s lifestyle. Many take up and dive deep into the hobby of fitness because of its inseparability from beauty and image. Obtainment of competence and skill, through an extensive investment of time, displays itself in image, and ability.

How you choose to leisure is up to you. Time is an illusion.

A lifetime is not a continual fulfillment of commitments. It’s not a checklist. Your lifetime is a daily decision. Decide for yourself, from within. Listen to your heart. Honor the gift of life by living. Appreciating simplicity makes the slow, physical act of walking a possibility.

Remove the constraint of time, of a fixed ending, and you may find yourself walking all day, all weekend, all month, and all year.

Motion. Your way of living can be much greater than your vocation. Your hobby, your fitness, can afford you endless experiences.

From years of reflection and journaling, I’ve come to define my parameters of living. To accept the message from the heart you/we/I must be willing to define success, then live it.

The story you tell around the next campfire will hopefully be born from your personal journey.

Onward and Upward. SMS

“To me, the true artist is one who lives completely, harmoniously, who does not divide his art from living, whose very life is that expression, whether it be a picture, music, or his behavior; who has not divorced his expression on a canvas or in music or in stone from his daily conduct, daily living. That demands the highest intelligence, highest harmony... the true artist is the man who has that harmony.”

– Krishnamurti A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

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Photographing SoMinn:

Falling Back:

A Visual Retrospective Photos and text by Elizabeth Nida Obert www.nidaphoto.com elizabeth@nidaphoto.com

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y the time you hold a copy of this magazine in your hand, it will be winter and a blanket of snow – devoid of color – will be the norm.

So I bring you a shot of color in the form of an autumn visual retrospective gathered last fall at a glorious Minnesota gem: the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska.

If you’ve never been, put it on your radar. It shines all seasons.

Enjoy.

For more information, go to www.arboretum.umn.edu SMS

Freelance writer and photographer Elizabeth Nida Obert, a former newspaper staff photographer for 18 years, has degrees in both and is passionate about telling stories in words and pictures. She thrives on travel and adventure and is always looking forward to where the next open road – or door – will lead.

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SoMinn Food & Dining

pat garry

Review

JOURNALIST – COPYWRITER – EDITOR – FEATURE WRITER My experience spans 19-years, and I will apply my skills to help beef-up any lifeless copy within your website, brochure, press release, catalog, etc. - patgarry@charter.net

Blooming Grounds Coffee House

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ince 2003, Amy Jo Marks has owned Blooming Grounds Coffee House, located at 50 East Third Street, in Winona.

A small-town coffee shop that serves sandwiches, homemade desserts, coffee, salads, soups, pizza; and offers live music, Marks prides herself on her venue’s cozy atmosphere in an historic downtown building.

“Our foods are clean foods, no nitrates in the meats, no preservatives or trans-fats in our breads, our eggs are organic, cage-free, and our chicken is free range. We try to use eco-conscious products and limit single-use plastics and paper by using real plates and cups whenever possible,” explained Marks. Amy Jo’s

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love of baking from scratch, inspired her to startup Blooming Grounds, and that deep passion has developed into a big bakery display case full of delectable treats. Many of Marks’ recipes come from old cookbooks that she accumulated through the years, from garages sales; as well as from churches and schools.

Blooming Grounds’ specialty items include the Big Breakfast Burrito, prepared from cage-free eggs. It is concocted with 2-3 eggs, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, green pepper, fresh mushrooms, cheddar cheese, and as an option, can include bacon, sausage and/or ham. Chicken Olive Artichoke Panini, made with free-range, all-natural chicken and Marks’ home-made green olive and artichoke spread, topped with creamy Havarti cheese, melted to perfection and presented on focaccia bread (served with

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kettle chips). Super Thin Crust Pizza, three-meat; bacon, big pepperoni, chunky Italian sausage, all topped with a five-cheese blend. Chicken Craisin Bleu Cheese Pecan Salad, served with poppyseed dressing; sweet, crunchy and salty. Some of the featured breakfast items include: Quiche; made from scratch three days a week, with a large variety of ingredients that are rotated constantly (crustless also available). Bagel; toasted to perfection and served with a side of cream cheese, creamy peanut butter or honey. Jumbo Muffins; made fresh daily with a rotation of flavors, and served warmed with butter, upon request.

Perfect Paninis: Turkey Cheddar; Ham & Swiss; Italian; Super Duper; Olive Artichoke; Veg Out; Grilled Cheese; Chicken Salad; Prime Rib; or Create Your Own. “We try to set ourselves apart through providing top-notch customer service, and offering an unprecedented ambiance. Our goal is to have people leave happier than when they came into the shop. We want our customers to feel like family, and we want them to walk in and see friendly faces behind the counter and also sitting around the café,” Marks said. Blooming Grounds is the perfect milieu for meeting friends. The homey environment invites one to relax, maybe read a book, or just kick back and escape the “craziness” of everyday life. Much more than just a business owner, Amy Jo immerses herself into helping the community; through donations, volunteering in downtown cleanups, and spreading the word and encouraging people to support all of the downtown businesses, even the other coffee shops. She tries to create an energy of positivity and vibrancy in the downtown area. “We have been through many ups and downs in our little downtown, including a

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fire in 2013 that put us out of business for nine months. But we have always stayed positive and looked toward the future and things we can do to grow and make our downtown better.

We are now experiencing a great upturn and are excited for the growth; and it feels good to have been a part of all of it for the last 16 years,” Marks commented.

The Blooming Grounds Coffee House offers live music on Wednesdays, 6 – 8 p.m. and Fridays, 7 – 9 p.m. (almost always local artists) Friday, Jan. 3, Stephen Fleet; singing and performing on acoustic guitar with plectrum and finger-picking, Stephen Plays a Rock-Folk-Blues hybrid. Wednesday, Jan. 8, Patti Darbo; Patti is a local high school teacher who moonlights as a singer and songwriter. She has a powerful voice with a great stage presence. Friday, Jan. 10, Wing Dam Jammers/Chris Kendall & Mark Gunderson; the old school all boys’ bluegrass band really knows how to pluck their strings and stomp their feet. They have a charm about their music one simply cannot deny. Chris and Mark bring a great balance of relaxing yet energizing music. Wednesday, Jan. 15, Jim Reineke; Jim has been playing music for years and has graced Blooming Grounds either in solo projects or with different group acts. Thursday, Jan. 16, Milana; local musician, thirteen-year-old Milana Shira has been playing music since she was nine, finding inspiration from the likes of John Denver and Brandi Carlile. Wednesday, Jan. 22, Tim Lovas; folk musician & story teller, uses both the guitar and ukulele. Friday, January 24, Wilki Music; Marshall Singer, who goes by the stage name “Wilki”, plays soulful, acoustic songs, most of which he wrote himself. SMS

A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

ALBUM REVIEW

By Daniel G. Moir editor@southernminnscene.com

M

ore a country influenced rock album, Jason Aldean’s latest release stamps another massproduced effort designed to appeal to the Friday Night congregation.

Album Grade: C

Jason Aldean - 9

In 1982 when I first moved from a city on the East Coast to the rural countryside of West Central Minnesota, I was stunned to discover a number of farmers that worked 1,000 acres of land. These were considered “big” farms and over the intervening years, the amount of tillable acres these operations maintained continued to grow in size as the surrounding smaller farms shut down. It is through this consolidation that a number of farms began to take on a factory-like resemblance than then their more organic, “earthier” predecessors.

Country Music followed a similar evolution. Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams led to the rockabilly sounds that influenced Johnny Cash, over to the Countrypolitian sounds of Glen Campbell and eventually the bro-country sounds of artist like Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean. Persistently, there are many things that have remained consistent about the genre. Country music is still about tough times, hard drinking, small towns, dogs, trucks, the women that don’t understand them, and more importantly, the girl at the Mini-Mart who does. Country music best succeeds when it revels in the honesty of the human condition, flaws and all, in overcoming or interpreting life’s situations.

Over the course of fourteen years and eight albums, Aldean has perfected a partying brand-name built on hard living, hard loving and hard drinking. For his ninth album release, 9, he varies little from his core base formula while delivering a highly tuneful, engag-

ing piece of work that flows seemingly from hit single to hit single.

9 opens with “Tattoos and Tequila” telling how the ink placed on the skin over his heart helps remember a lost relationship while the second item helps to forget it. Brawny guitars and drums accompany the singer through another alcohol fueled remorseful night. This is not an unfamiliar sentiment for most people. It is the honest set of conflicting emotions that make easily relatable. It also sets the stage for the remaining 15 songs to come in an often engaging album.

Songs flow easily among the collection, each connected seamlessly thanks to the efforts of long-time producer Michael Knox. In addition to discovering Aldean in 1998, Knox has consistently overseen all the Georgian singer’s recordings and deserves as much credit for Aldean’s career as the artist himself. Here, Knox’s vision for the album is constant and links everything together sound-wise.

The primary issue with 9 is the brevity of the material. This is especially notable on “Keeping It Small Town.” The song is wonderfully catchy, built on downhome lyrical sentiment and a delightfully hooky guitar part that holds it together. It is also, at 2 minutes, 42 seconds in length, frustratingly brief. There just isn’t enough musical meat to hang your 10-gallon hat on.

There are only two real musical parts, a verse and a chorus, nothing else. What is there is very appealing, but would benefit by the addition of a bridge or instrumental break to add variety and provide additional fuel. Aldean mellifluously incorporates a subtle hip-hop cadence in his vocal delivery that is unexpected and especially captivating. A catchy possible “hit” that leaves the listener wanting more, but feeling somewhat slighted.

This is an overarching issue throughout the album.

With a total of sixteen songs clocking in at 52 minutes,

each track is overwhelmingly brief. As good as this collection may be, it sounds more like a collection of quick singles than a fully formed “album.” The songs are pleasant, but with sixteen different groups of writers providing the compositions, it feels much more like a factory farm production designed to fill, but not entirely satisfy. A minimum of two writers are used on every song with no less than five contributing to “Blame It On You.” It becomes difficult to avoid the feeling that these songs are written by committee more than anything else.

This is, of course, nitpicking to the listener looking for an accompaniment to a hard-earned Friday night.

That is where 9 really succeeds. While the themes may be about small towns, the sound is closer to hard rock.

Electric guitar work by Adam Shoenfeld and Kurt Allison is sharp, solid and powerful. This is best noted on the metallic “We Back”, the album’s lead single. Played in E minor (a standard hard rock key), it is heavy in all the right ways. A muscular bruiser, “We Back” would sound equally at home sitting next to a Metallica track on a playlist as it would to Miranda Lambert.

Jason Aldean has built a solidly enjoyable, if somewhat forgettable, collection on this release. It is a serviceable album that swaggers in rambunctious brashness but without much depth. Sometimes, maybe that is what some Friday nights call for in the end. Fast food with a hazy hangover the next morning. “It ain’t quite Country, but I like it.”

Bottom Line: A factory-farmed version of rock infused Country Music designed to fill you up, but offers little that really fills.

Daniel G. Moir has forgotten more about music than all the rest of us know combined. Reach him at editor@southernminnscene.com

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THE Calendar Compiled

By Anne Kopas editor@southernminnscene.com more. Show off your skills in a snow-carving contest, or pick up some new ones and learn to curl, ski or skate. Get involved in the “Jack Frost Frolic” team challenge, tag along on a candlelight snowshoe walk at Minneopa State Park, or compete in a pond hockey tournament. Don’t miss this all-ages festival’s inaugural year! visitgreatermankato.com/snow-kato-days

Stand-up comedian Lewis Black is a Grammy Award-winning performer and author who has sold out shows at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and others nationwide, and has been had comedy specials on HBO and Comedy Central (audiences might also recognize him as the voice of Anger in Pixar’s “Inside Out”) Rather than succumbing to pessimism, Black manages to make the audience laugh while pointing out the absurdities of the modern world. His specialty is a segment at the end of each show called “The Rant is Due,” where he delivers audience-written rants by submitters at his show and around the world, allowing his fans to get things off their chests in the most hilarious way possible. mayociviccenter.com

Mankato Craft Beer Expo 3-6 p.m. January 11 Mankato Civic Center, Mankato Here’s your opportunity to devote an afternoon to beer! This expo showcases the best of local craft brewing, as well as offerings from around the country. While you’re sampling beers from more than 40 different producers, you’ll also have the chance to attend education seminars on topics like brewing history or food pairings, enjoy live music and wash down the beer samples with food from a variety of vendors. The brewers themselves will be on hand to answer questions, so you can learn a little about each beer as you taste it.

Discounted tickets are also available for designated drivers; this is a 21-plus event, so leave the kids at home. mankatocraftbeerexpo.com

SnowKato Days January 17-26, Mankato This new 10-day festival celebrates the best of a southern Minnesota winter. The activity roster includes a medallion hunt, daily prize giveaways by local businesses, ice skating, sled bowling, hockey and

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A Night at the Theatre: A Tribute to Queen

Waseca Sleigh and Cutter Festival

7:30 p.m. January 18 Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault

January 27-February 23, Waseca

Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy? Experience a live tribute to the one and only Queen, performed by Jonny James and the Hall of Fames, plus guest performers Ben Bakken and John Jamison (for a total of not one, but three Freddie Mercuries on stage). You’ll get the energy and extravagance of Queen hits like “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “We Will Rock You” and more. Spend a night at the opera, get lost in a blazing guitar solo, and enjoy this brand-new show from a band well-known for its tributes to other British greats.

Join the town of Waseca in celebrating its 70th annual Sleigh and Cutter Festival, a month-long winter festival with events each weekend. If you’re looking for a parade, you’ll want to visit on Feb. 8 for the annual Sleigh and Cutter Parade, a showcase of the area’s draft horses and vintage harness wagons. No matter which weekend you visit, though, you’ll find a range of activities for the whole family: curling, a medallion hunt, ice sculpting, live music and dancing, games, snowmobile rides, fireworks, “car on the ice contest” (place your bets on which day the car will fall through the ice into Clear Lake), a free family movie night and more.

paradisecenterforthearts.org/music

sleighandcutterfestival.org

Lewis Black: It Gets Better Every Day

Bridge Over Troubled Water: Simon & Garfunkel Tribute

8 p.m. January 24 Mayo Civic Center, Rochester

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7:30 p.m. January 31 Lakeville Area Arts Center, Lakeville A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

Minnesota band Collective Unconscious has become one of the state’s premiere groups since its formation in 2000, performing original music along with tribute shows ranging from The Beatles to Led Zeppelin. Now, the group is taking on Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 hit album “Bridge Over Troubled Water” in its entirety. Sing along to songs like “Cecilia,” “The Boxer” and the classic title track, accompanied by a full live orchestra. Fifty years later, it’s an album that still resonates with audiences both young and old.

Collectiveunconscious.net

Her Crooked Heart 7:30 p.m. February 15 Paramount Theatre, Austin Minneapolis-based all-women group Her Crooked Heart brings together acoustic and synthetic sounds, blending classical and electric guitar, piano and vintage synths, along with cello, woodwind and drum sounds that combine with four-part vocal harmonies that tell a story of transformation and the art of leaping into the unknown.

The group’s debut record, “To Love To Leave To Live,” dives into the love, loss and healing inspired by the divorce of writer and producer Rachel Ries, brought to life by fellow musicians Siri Undlin, Adelyn Strei and Hilary James.

Aaron Lewis: The State I’m In 8 p.m. February 7 Mankato Civic Center, Mankato

Frozen River Film Festival February 5-9, Winona The Frozen River Film Festival brings an array of filmmakers, speakers and educators to Winona for a celebration of documentary filmmaking. Each year’s film selections are chosen to provide a perspective on environmental issues, sustainable communities, adventure travel and diversity through the documentary lens, engaging viewers in discussion about how these topics influence communities on a local and global scale. Participants can simply enjoy the films, or attend filmmaking workshops and other educational events. Check the website for the full lineup of film showings and events, as well as ticketing information.

Aaron Lewis is all about returning to the gritter side of country music, ignoring the genre’s pop tendencies in favor of what he refers to as his “outlaw roots.” Lewis’ tour celebrates his third solo album, “State I’m In,” released in April 2019. The album is a follow-up to his 2016 release “Sinner,” which hit number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart — which is especially impressive for an artist who got his start in the alternative metal band Staind before embarking on a solo career in 2010. Lewis’ tour is an acoustic celebration of the stories and songs of country music as country music should be: as his website describes it, “like a shot of 100-proof whiskey.”

hercrookedheart.com/tour

aaronlewismusic.com/tour

frff.org

Lend Me a Tenor February 14-16, 21-23 Northfield Arts Guild, Northfield

The February Show SocialICE February 6-8, downtown Rochester Brave the cold for Rochester’s 10th annual SocialICE, three nights of themed ice bars throughout downtown. Grab a signature drink from one (or more) of the ice bars and wander the wonderland of ice sculptures illuminated with colorful lights. Stay warm by dancing to the live DJ entertainment each night. On Feb. 8, bundle up the kids for SocialICE Fam Jam, an all-ages afternoon of winter activities.

Check back closer to the event date for the full lineup of themed ice bars hosted by local businesses.

7:30 p.m. February 14 St. Mane Theatre, Lanesboro Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an evening of music, stories and laughter. Trio Steven Marking (baritone), JoAnn Funk (jazz piano/ vocals) and Jeff Brueske (bass/piano) join forces for a jazzy, unique variety show combining a wide range of talents. Marking’s resume includes more than 40 opera roles and a musical range that spans musicals to Schubert. Another Twin Cities favorite, Funk is known for her jazz piano performances at The Lobby Bar of the Saint Paul Hotel.

Rounding out the group is Brueske, a choir director and music educator whose swinging vocals and guitar expertise bring it all together.

Get ready to laugh along with the Northfield Arts Guild’s production of Ken Ludwig’s 1989 Broadway hit “Lend Me a Tenor,” a feel-good farcical musical comedy set in the 1930s. When an opera house is left without its principal tenor, chaos ensues as the managers scramble to save the house’s reputation and find a replacement — the show must go on, after all. The whole family can enjoy this energetic story of romance and mistaken identity, populated by a cast of over-the-top characters and songs that you’ll be humming long after you leave. northfieldartsguild.org

lanesboroarts.org

downtownrochestermn.com/events/socialice

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CONTINUED from page 27

opening its production of “The Odd Couple.” This classic comedy

by Neil Simon follows mismatched roommates, both separated from their wives — the uptight Felix Ungar and easygoing Oscar Madison — as they explore their newly single lives together. As the pair struggles to cohabitate, each eventually realizes that their differences lead to positive effects on both of their lives. Since its Broadway premiere in 1965, the story has appeared in film, television and various spin-off versions before making its way to the Owatonna stage as the theater’s first performance of 2020.

MUSIC

littletheatreofowatonna.org

Big Turn Music Fest February 21-22, downtown Red Wing Red Wing’s annual winter music festival, named after the bend in the Mississippi River near the city, packs its lineup with the full spectrum of Minnesota performers, from alternative to bluegrass to indie to rock, across a range of historic Red Wing buildings both large and small. You’ll be able to catch a few Minnesota favorites, as well as get the scoop on who is up-and-coming on the Minnesota music scene.

With more than 200 total bands playing at multiple venues across two days, it’ll probably be impossible to catch them all — but you could try.

Jerry Kosak

Pat Donohue

AUDITIONS EXHIBITION

bigturnmusicfest.com

Purple Door Youth Theater

The Odd Couple

Fasching Festival

February 14-16, 21-23 Little Theatre of Owatonna, Owatonna

February 22, Best Western Plus, New Ulm

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Little Theatre of Owatonna is

Sign up for a time online Robert Christy

AUDITIONS

Get into the Mardi Gras spirit — the German way. New Ulm’s annual Fasching Festival takes after a European carnival tradition where townspeople decorate downtown with strips of cloth and the colorful, masked “Narren” wander the streets and invite people in. Join the party to get your fill of German food, music and dancing (costumes, of course, are encouraged). Don’t miss the performance by the Concord Singers, an all-male chorus that’s been arou¬nd in New Ulm since 1931. As the festival hosts, the group honors the musical tradition of Germany and New Ulm, bringing the songs of their ancestors into the present day. business.newulm.com/events

THEATER

Golden Dragon Acrobats 7 p.m. February 23 Sheldon Theatre, Red Wing The world-renowned Golden Dragon Acrobats carry on a centuriesold tradition of Chinese circus and acrobatics, blending these ancient skills with modern production. Combining incredible feats of acrobatics and athleticism, classic Chinese dance, eye-catching costumes and music both ancient and contemporary, this is a show that’ll have you entranced from start to finish. Sit back and let the performers dazzle your senses for an evening that’s bound to feel just a little big magical.

Sheldontheatre.org

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THE BOOKWORM SEZ By Terri Schlichenmeyer

A Single Light

by Tosca Lee Just a little sniffle.

That’s how it all begins: a sniffle, a sore throat, achy body, cough, you know the list. Being sick stinks, and it’s a perfectly good time to take to the sofa with a blankie, a box of tissues, and the remote. Or, as in the new book “A Single Light”

by Tosca Lee, you could go underground for six months.

At first, it was tolerable.

Subterranean life in a refurbished nuclear silo in the middle of Nebraska was fine, if it kept everyone safe.

For the sixty-three people there, it was far better than taking chances, especially since a prescient survivalist they knew only as Noah had ensured that they had what they needed. He’d stocked food and water, books, movies, and medicines – enough for six months, sealed below-ground, awaiting an end of the world.

The residents of the silo trusted Noah to keep them safe, from the pompous know-it-all to the former Marine to Wynter Roth, who needed to be careful: she was a wanted fugitive and she had to assume the others would’ve heard of her crimes. She knew nobody’d believe her innocence, nor would they want to spend time underground with a murderer. Having brought a small handful of friends and family with her, Wynter was in the silo under an assumed name, and Noah had

Atlas Obscura: The Second Edition

by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras & Ella Morton It’s never a bad time to take a vacation.

You never want a bad destination, though: no places that are disagreeably seasonal.

No locales that are too people-y, too remote, too kiddish, or too 1950s. It’s never a bad time to take a vacation but there are better places to visit than the same-old, same-old, so grab “Atlas Obscura: The Second Edition” by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras & Ella Morton, and get packing.

In 2020, you’re gonna cross a few things off your

bucket list.

You’re going to travel, see the world, meet new people – or at least you’ll read about them, anyhow, which is where this book comes in. Starting with the British Isles and moving about, “Atlas Obscura” offers unique and hidden places to visit and things you won’t normally see. It’ll make your wanderlust, lust.

If you’re heading for London, for example, stop and see Jeremy Bentham’s headless body. Being mummified was what Bentham wanted when he died but alas, his noggin was stolen too many times by mischief-makers, and it’s under lock and key.

Collectors will understand the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, where more than 100,000 crucifix and cross statues stand. “Atlas Obscura” says that the Soviets

The Double Dangerous Book for Boys

by Conn, Arthur & Cameron Iggulden You’re stuck between seasons.

Football is over, baseball hasn’t started. Halloween’s done, it’s not yet Thanksgiving, and Christmas is a lifetime away.

Can this time of year possibly be any more boring? You need excitement. You need adventure!

You need “The Double Dangerous Book for Boys”

by Conn, Arthur & Cameron Iggulden.

So, what are you going to do this weekend once you’ve run out of fun? How about making more fun

with the things in this book? Learning to pick locks, for example, might be a good time and it may be useful someday. It’s one of the first few things you’ll find.

Or let’s say you have to stay indoors. With this book, you can help around the house by learning the Japanese art of Kintsugi, which involves fixing broken items to make them better than new. Or learn how to cast things in resin, which is a different way of saving them forever. Be a smartypants by knowing a few basics about laws and politics. Or earn some cash by being the best kidsitter around with recipes to try, games to invent, plus a paper box, a jumping paper frog, paper airplanes, and balloon swords to make.

If you can go outside, there’s plenty to do with this

Ian McKellen: A Biography

by Garry O’Connor Any old stick would do.

When you were a child, that’s what it took to become a wizard: a stick became a makeshift wand, an old towel turned into a cape, and you were ready for spell-making. It worked for imaginations everywhere although, as you’ll see in “Ian McKellen: A Biography” by Garry O’Connor, sometimes, reel magic helps, too.

On May 25, 1939, mere months before the beginning of World War II, Ian Murray McKellen made his debut into the world. The only son of parents who lived large,

passionate lives, young McKellen grew up securely happy despite the War. Alas, that ended when his beloved mother died of cancer when McKellen was just twelve years old. As years passed, he always regretted that she never knew about him what he knew about himself: he received his “first gay kiss” at age nine and understood even then that he preferred boys to girls.

Though his original plan was to graduate school and work as a journalist, McKellen was denied the chance and instead opted to attend Cambridge. There, others noticed that he had a great aptitude for Shakespearean acting; it was nurtured and a “most extraordinary explosion of talent happened.” His time at Cambridge helped him sharpen his craft; it was also there that McKellen lost his virginity to another man.

Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer based just across the river from SoMinn in LaCrosse, WI. She can be contacted at bookwormsez@gmail.com

approved.

He’d kept her secret, just as he kept the residents abreast of the situation above. The flu-like virus had caused nationwide chaos, but everyone figured that vaccines would be created by spring, at most. Until then, sixty-three people looked forward to nightly video updates from the barbed-wire-enclosed compound over their heads.

Until two weeks after the hatch sealed them inside and Noah disappeared.

With video capabilities lost, there was no way for anyone to know what was happening above them.

Supplies dwindled as the group inched closer each day to disaster, as well as to escape; maintaining civilized behavior below was difficult, and rumors and rivalries were rekindled.

Sixty-three became sixty, and everybody knew that people were surviving outside while those below, weren’t.

And then the hatch opened early…

Hoo, there’s one thing for sure: if you value your sleep, don’t read “A Single Light” before bedtime. Do, and you might as well put your pajamas back in the drawer.

Even just doing the old “one more chapter” bit is fraught with danger when you’ve got this book because one more leads to six leads to forcing yourself to stop.

Add an angry bit of love story, a few shivery-gruesome scenes, political intrigue, and cliffhangers that author Tosca Lee places just before nearly every break, and you’re not only left breathless from what’s just happened, but jittery for what’s to come in this zoompaced horror-story-thriller.

One thing: this book is a sequel to a previous novel but there’s enough hint and storyline that you’ll be fine reading “A Single Light” by itself. Grab it, and you’ll know that if you’re a fan of hair-raisers, it ain’t nothing to sneeze at.

tried to do away with this field of Christian symbols by bulldozing it thrice, but it was rebuilt each time.

Conversely, if you’re in La Paz, Bolivia, look for the Witches’ Market, or the Devil’s Swimming Pool in Zambia.

Visit a tannery in Morocco (but be prepared: urine and fecal matter are prime ingredients there). See a cave in Guam that was home to “holdouts” from World War II for nearly 30 years. Spend a night in a hanging sphere on Vancouver Island.

Or maybe you’d rather stick closer to home: Visit the Museum of Death in Hollywood. See the world’s largest organism in Utah; tour a paper house in New England.

Visit Spirit Houses in Alaska, hike inside a mountain in South Dakota to see a waterfall, and gaze upon the Loretto Chapel Stairs in New Mexico.

Are you packed yet?

For sure, a few dozen words don’t do “Atlas Obscura: The Second Edition” justice. Revised, updated, with new information and more destinations to see, this is

the kind of book you really need to put in your hands to fully appreciate.

In a way, it does double-service.

For anyone with means and a way, it’s like throwing a dart at a map to determine your next vacation site, only in book form. Authors Foer, Thuras, and Morton offer up the kind of locales that you’ve either never heard of, or just don’t think about – and they make these places easy to visit by including travel information as well as phone numbers, fax numbers, and other tips for a good visit.

For the reader who’s not going anywhere for now, well, you will – in your mind – with “Atlas Obscura: The Second Edition.” It’s browse-able fun. It’s useful and interesting, full-color, wide-scoped, and if you’re tossing things in a suitcase, leave room. Pack this.

book. Know the rules for Ultimate Frisbee, for one. If you live in an area with snow, make an igloo that you can actually sleep in tonight. Impress others with your knowledge of wild birds. Make rubber band guns, or head for the garage and make a tool storage unit.

And because this is a book, there’s interesting reading inside “The Double Dangerous Book for Boys.” Read about American coins, Greek legends and mythology, and try a bit of poetry, just because. Learn about card games, and dangerous adventure stories that actually happened, and that boys like you will love.

Does this book look familiar to you?

It may; similar books by author Conn Iggulden were released thirteen years ago, and you might’ve enjoyed one yourself. But, Iggulden says “I thought… I’d covered everything in the first book, but there’s nothing like raising boys for surprising you.”

And thus, “The Double Dangerous Book for Boys” is all new and made mostly of the kind of material you

might’ve found in boys’ magazines fifty years ago: things to make and do, games to play, and reading that teaches critical thinking and respect for the past. So far, so good… until you reach the very last chapter, which may serve as caution but that contains information on what isn’t in this book. That includes things that, indeed, can be found online but that parents still might think are astoundingly inappropriate for 12-to-16-yearolds; and dumb ideas that are described enough that they may just as well’ve been added.

Truly, as much fun as this book is, parents will want to think hard before giving it to the wrong kid. Read the last chapter of “The Double Dangerous Book for Boys” first and avoid a season of disaster.

O’Connor says that McKellen is “a slow-progress stickler” and never minded using “modest roles” as stepping-stones; every role he played led to bigger parts on better-known stages in larger venues. In 1964, he landed a small part in a BBC-TV production as his first foray into television, and he continued to eye a career in film – a career that “still eluded [him] until the late 1990s.” At that time, he was able to transition from stage to screen, fast racking up a Tony, a Golden Globe, a SAG award, and an Oscar nomination.

And then a “quick perusal of the Marvel comics… caught his fancy.”

For readers who are wild about Shakespeare, “Ian McKellen: A Biography” will be a delight. Those who are not to be, however, may find this book quite tedious.

Author Garry O’Connor, who’s known McKellen for decades, explains in his first chapter how this book came about, in opening words that are carefully off-the-cuff. That chumminess feels as if you’re real-

time eavesdropping on a semi-scripted conversation between two friends.

Get past the account of McKellen’s early life, though, and much of the rest of this book is uber-deep into theater, with the occasional reminder of McKellen’s gayness in the narrative. Serious followers of British stage performances will find the former to be irresistible and the latter to make one feel like a close backstage insider. Those who prefer McKellen’s later work might find this all mildly interesting, but far too extra until toward the end.

And so there’s the break-down: Theater fan, yes.

You’ll love “Ian McKellen: A Biography.” If you’re a fan of McKellen’s later movie career only, this book is okay if you can stick with it.

A Single Light by Tosca Lee, c.2019, Howard Books, Atria, $27.00 / $36.00 in Canada, 369 pages.

Atlas Obscura: The Second Edition by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras & Ella Morton, c.2019, Workman, $37.50 / $55.00 in Canada, 472 pages.

The Double Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn, Arthur & Cameron Iggulden, c.2019, Wm. Morrow, $22.99 / $29.99 in Canada, 320 pages.

Ian McKellen: A Biography by Garry O’Connor, c.2019, St. Martin’s Press, $22.99 / $39.99 in Canada, 356 pages.

CONTINUED page 30 A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

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THE BOOKWORM SEZ By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer based just across the river from SoMinn in LaCrosse, WI. She can be contacted at bookwormsez@gmail.com

CONTINUED from page 30

Marley: A Novel

by Jon Clinch You’ve always looked forward to Christmas Future.

Getting the family together is the best. Seeing the decorations, hearing the carols, watching TV specials, it’s an annual treat that adds another layer of memories you’ll savor forever. But as in the new novel “Marley” by Jon Clinch, beware of the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Professor Drabb’s Academy for Boys lived up to its name very well. It was drab, more like a prison than a place for learning, but Ebeneezer Scrooge didn’t

complain. He didn’t say anything, really, because it was safer to stay inconspicuous, lest he be noticed by the cruel but usually-absent Professor himself.

Scrooge was, therefore, happy when fellow classmate Jacob Marley offered to keep him out of some sort of misunderstanding.

Naturally, that was a ruse meant to take advantage of Scrooge and in time to come, Marley would continue to take advantage, even after Scrooge became his business partner. Marley had always known that he, himself, had no head for numbers; Scrooge had no patience for deals. Theirs would be a mutually beneficial partnership, emphasis on Marley: he’d been shamelessly siphoning money from the business for years, through a series of false corporations with fake

The Ultimate Guide to the 2020 Election

by Ryan Clancy & Margaret White You’ve had your eye on the debates.

Really, though, you know how you’d vote if the election were tomorrow. You know who you want to see in office, although you wish things were a little different: like most of your fellow Americans, you wish everybody’d just work together for once.

But if you read “The Ultimate Guide to the 2020 Election”

by Ryan Clancy & Margaret White, you’ll see that there’s hope.

Left over here. Right over there. Ever since America became a country, it’s been that way but things

seem more polarized than ever lately. In the past, we somehow eventually ignored the politics, united, and got stuff done. Clancy and White, from the organization No Labels, say that kind of compromise is possible again.

So why don’t we automatically compromise to begin with?

According to Clancy & White, the political system today is such that candidates have little impetus to do what the majority of Americans want. They just need to appeal to their base, which consists of those who’ll reliably show up at elections. Putting offices in the hands of a small number of people pulls us further apart; the only thing to do, they say, is to push us back together.

The way to do it is through understanding and

Uninvited:

Confessions of a Hollywood Party Crasher

by Adrian Maher R.S.V.P., regrets only.

Oh, but you’ll be there.

This soiree, this little event, this unabashed blow-out is something you wouldn’t dream of missing. You won’t even be late because this has been on your calendar for weeks and weeks. As in “Uninvited” by Adrian Maher, wild elephants couldn’t keep you away.

Adrian Maher had ample reason for being depressed.

In a short time, he lost his father, mother, best college chum, his job, his girlfriend, and his home. He

hit bottom, sleeping most of the time – until one day, he remembered a man he’d met while working as a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, a man who made pocket-change selling information about Hollywood parties, exclusive charity events, and invitation-only grand openings. There was an entire sub-culture in southern California, one that crashed parties as a hobby, and to Maher, that sounded like fun.

Life as a “self inviter” is one that’s never the same on any two days. It means having a bag full of literal tricks in the trunk of your car: wigs, fakeable passes, changeable lanyards, wristbands of every possible color, and black aprons to use as disguise. It might mean dropping from a branch over a hedge one afternoon, and lying to a front-desk greeter later that evening. It

Where Do I Begin? Stories (I Sort of

Remember) from a Life Lived Out Loud

by Elvis Duran Would you turn that up, please?

You ask because that’s your favorite song, the one that makes you sing along as you seat-dance in the car. It’s the one that reminds you of the good times, of meeting your beloved, fun with friends, or One Special Night. Turn that up, please, it’s the perfect background music by which to read “Where Do I Begin?” by Elvis Duran.

Nearly every child of the last century who owned a tape recorder spent time pretending to be a radio DJ,

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but Elvis Duran took it to another level: eight-year-old Duran had not only turntables and records, he also had a kit-transmitter that let him broadcast to the widow next door in his McKinney, Texas, neighborhood.

As a teenager, Duran’s dream of being a radio DJ was finally fulfilled at a tiny McKinney radio station, which led to a gig at a larger station some distance away from the Dallas area, which led to another job and another, cross-state, cross-country, and back. He and his boyfriend – who’d patiently city-hopped with Duran – sometimes had no time to unpack before Duran was fired from one job and hired at another in a different city, something that was common in radio then. At one point, Duran lost not just a job, but he lost the boyfriend, too.

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names in empty offices in his cavernous house, and Scrooge was none the wiser.

But there was one little wrinkle.

The lovely Belle Fairchild had practically thrown herself at Scrooge until the dimwit finally noticed her presence. Scrooge wanted now to marry Belle, but her father forbade it as long as Scrooge & Marley were involved in the soon-to-be-illegal slave trade. For this reason, Scrooge wanted to divest the business of the whole endeavor.

Though Marley was courting Scrooge’s sister, Fan, he put her aside to concentrate on maintaining the lucrative but illicit slaving operation, in a way that Ebeneezer wouldn’t notice. He might lose Fan. He might lose his soul, but there was no way Jacob Marley was losing any money…

Reading “Marley” is like dancing with an octopus wearing stilettos: you’re going to get kicked by many somethings sharp, and it’s probably going to be the wit inside this book.

Author Jon Clinch’s Marley is one of the worst, most irredeemable, most deliciously despicable characters in literature, having a near-pathological quest for selfbenefit and an evil indifference to any suffering he may cause. Marley destroys with unapologetic impunity as Clinch narrates his actions with the keenest of sarcasm, in a way that lets readers know that feeling disgust toward Marley is perfectly fine. This – both story and tone – help to fill in the holes in the classic novel, and it may change your perceptions of any of its versions this year: you’ll know why Scrooge was wistful with the Ghost of Christmas Past, what the Ghost of Christmas Present knew, and the terror of the Ghost of Christmas Future.

This is a curl-up-by-the-fire kind of book but it’s not a happy Holiday one. Instead, it’s razor-like and scheming and wonderful. Start “Marley,” in fact, and you’ll have a Dickens of a time putting it down.

compromise.

Health care, climate change, immigration, and gun ownership are but a few of the toughest issues, and within each larger issue are smaller problems of concern. This book explains the basic stances of Left and Right, followed by solutions that each side can feel comfortable with. Health care, for example, needs to rein in costs, and there are ways to borrow ideas from both sides to do it. In the chapter on climate change, we see why it’s not easy to be green. The pages about immigration explain how the system works before laying out the fixes. Overall, the authors say, there is no “all-or-nothing” way to get things done in government anymore.

Thinking otherwise is how we got into this situation and it has to change.

Like many people, when you think “politics,” you brace yourself. Common sense isn’t always what you expect from the government but you’ll find it inside “The Ultimate Guide to the 2020 Election,” and that’s

rather soothing.

Indeed, there are many times when authors Ryan Clancy & Margaret White hit the nail square – especially in their short list of major issues. In narrative that’s neutral, plain, and simple, they offer explanations to make things clear, and then we get solutions that both political sides can live with. Furthermore, this book lists questions to ask the candidates if you find yourself in a situation to do so, and a place to take notes so you have all your info in one spot. It’s like having a debate that both sides win.

Whether you lean left or run right, “The Ultimate Guide to the 2020 Election” is for you but just don’t expect miracles. It’s totally helpful and completely commonsensical but as for changing minds, well, that’s debatable.

requires quick-thinking and, because it’s basically an issue of trespassing and maybe theft, it could require bail.

For Maher and a revolving cast of mayhem makers, that’s all in a days’ sneak. A free meal, an open bar, and a swag bag are often what he takes away physically.

Hobnobbing with the stars and peeking into lavish homes, sumptuous grounds, and exclusive compounds are the icing on the designer cake.

But it’s not all (free) beer and skittles. Eventually, the rich food starts to take its toll. The constant threat of getting caught feels like too much hassle. Yes, the rich live different lives than the rest of us, and it’s a lot of work to try to chase them.

Already, you’ve got plans for the rest of the year and maybe beyond: you’ll eat, drink, and be merry for the next six weeks. Read “Uninvited,” and you’ll laugh, too.

With a bit of Catch Me If You Can derring-do, author Adrian Maher spins tales of action and modern mischief

that would feel just right tucked in the middle of a supermarket tabloid. And yet, there’s nothing salacious inside this book, no star-scandal, no divorcey-drama, and no Hollywood brats; indeed, the stars behave in this book while the main subjects – Maher and his cohorts – are the ones who caper.

That leaves readers with a look at privilege and wealth, but from an angle that seems more uncommon. We’ll never steal into a star’s party or an exclusive enclave – Maher offers plenty of reasons why we shouldn’t – but we can surely be happy he did.

For Hollywood star-watchers, this book is gold. It’s great, if you want modern adventure, too, or if you want something totally different. Read “Uninvited.” You won’t regret it.

That was regretful, but he moved on quickly. There was always another radio station, just as there were other men. He also sampled different formats in various cities before landing at the Holy Grail for Radio DJs: New York City, at Z100, then the Big Apple’s Number One station. There, he learned and grew, and honed his craft.

But like everything that’s good, radio evolved and Duran became itchy to move – right down the road, to the competition. His program director, however, had other thoughts: Duran had a contract and though he begged for release, he was given the morning slot at Z100.

Little did he know then that it was a gig he’d have for more than two decades…

These days, it seems like there are a dozen ways to get your tunes but radio still rules. After all, as author Elvis Duran points out in “Where Do I Begin?,” with radio, you feel as though you’re spending time with a

friend.

That’s also the general feeling you’ll take away from this book, too. Over and over again, Duran stresses his goal of authenticity for his syndicated show and that’s what fans get here, with the same freneticism of a radio show, the same wackiness. That means you get the good, including behind-the-scenes peeks, both in-studio and onstage, and the kind of stories that can only come from behind a mic. It also means you’ll get the bad, including the ubiquitous name-dropping, tired tales of partying, and several urine bits.

And yet, if you grew up listening to a local DJ and imagining his (or her!) life, you shouldn’t even try to resist this book. Funny, fast-paced, and fun, “Where Do I Begin?” reads at high-volume.

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Marley: A Novel by Jon Clinch, c.2019, Atria, $27.00 / $36.00 in Canada, 288 pages.

The Ultimate Guide to the 2020 Election by Ryan Clancy & Margaret White, c.2019, Diversion Books, $18.99 / $24.99 in Canada, 255 pages.

Uninvited: Confessions of a Hollywood Party Crasher by Adrian Maher, c.2020, Chicago Review Press, $16.99 / $22.99 in Canada,304 pages.

Where Do I Begin? Stories (I Sort of Remember) from a Life Lived Out Loud by Elvis Duran, c.2019, Atria, $26.99 / $35.99 in Canada,288 pages.

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We are booking 2020 & 2021 wedding weekends, give us a call to schedule a tour!

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