Edina Magazine - January 2023

MINNESOTA ICE

Figure skating club offers path to success on and off the ice

It’s the sticks and stones of everyday life that bring you to TRIA. Like that snowball the size of a boulder that wrecked your shoulder. Whether you’re a professional athlete or king of the snow fort, you’ll receive the same expert orthopedic care and attention you need to get back in the game. It’s why you’re treated and how you’re treated by TRIA.

“Physically, it makes me feel better not to drink alcohol anymore. I have more energy, more productivity, freedom from the ritual of drinking and can drive anywhere, any time to any place.

… And I still have a lot of fun!” —Cate Faulkner, co-founder of Zero Proof Collective

Photo: Chris Emeott

DEPARTMENTS

14 — For the Love of the Game

Edina alumna Hayley Nilsen learned a new way to continue playing her favorite sport. 16 — Citizens of the World

The Edina Early Learning Center prepares toddlers for the future. 18 — Imagination at Play

Local brings imaginary worlds to life with his stories.

FEATURES

22 — Old-House Charm, Modern Functionality

Homeowners honored the history of their 1930s home during a full kitchen remodel.

28 — Healing Comes in Many Forms

Well Connected Twin Cities helps people find integrative wellness practitioners to meet their needs.

32 — Minnesota Ice Figure skating club offers path to success on and off the ice.

TASTEMAKERS

44 —

Dry January and Beyond

Co-founders of Zero Proof Collective are changing the Twin Cities nonalcoholic beverage scene.

FROM THE EDITOR

AMY OVERGAARD — AMY@LOCALMEDIA.CO

’m not big on New Year’s resolutions—mostly because I tend to go too big and within weeks I give up. So, I simply no longer want to set myself up for failure. But at the beginning of each year, some of my best friends and I get together to create “vision boards,” which are full of images and words that represent our goals and dreams for the year. It’s a softer approach to resolutions, with no guilt involved.

I apply my words and photos to the bulletin board that hangs above my desk—so, every day when I sit down to work, I’m able to reflect on what I want for my life. Some things on the board are career goals, but others rep resent personal and financial goals, photos of places I’d like to visit in the coming year and even a quote reminding me of the life-changing power of practicing gratitude. For me, these daily reminders motivate and inspire me more than one big resolution.

I would love to hear about your goals and dreams for 2023, if you feel so inclined to share. Shoot me a note at amy@localmedia.co. Or, if you’d rather just get inspired as you kick off the year, take some time to read through this issue, which is focused on Wellness and Education, but covers so much more.

We’re talking about Dry January and an Edina resident who’s helping expand the non-alcoholic beverage industry in the Twin Cities (page 44). You’ll meet an Edina High School alum who’s in her first season of Division I wheelchair basketball (page 14). And we’ve also uncovered some nontradi tional wellness offerings, in Edina and beyond, to help you have your health iest year yet (page 28). And that’s just the beginning. Here’s to a healthy, happy and inspiring 2023!

Photo: Chris Emeott

VOL. 19 NO. 5 edinamag.com

publisher Susan Isay editor

Amy Overgaard managing creative director

Renée Stewart-Hester managing editor Hailey Almsted digital editor Madeline Kopiecki copy editors

Kellie Doherty Sherri Hildebrandt staff writers Zoe Deal Emily Gedde Mollee Francisco

Susie Eaton Hopper Daniel Huss Hanna McDaniels

contributing writers

Laura Westlund Maureen Millea Smith Taylor Ellingson Tim Borowski Tina Bohrer editorial interns Nicole Berglund Megan Hegenbarth editorial advisory board

Jasmine Brett Stringer, Carpe Diem with Jasmine Dick Crockett, Edina Community Foundation Shelly Loberg, Edina Chamber of Commerce Erin Zosel, Sloane’s Beauty Bar and Zosel & Coleman Real Estate Group

senior managing art director Sarah Dovolos art director Allison Nolden junior designer Jamie Klang lead staff photographer Chris Emeott production director Brittni Dye production manager Lisa Stone production coordinator Mimi Coz senior account executives Brooke Beise Cynthia Hamre Sara Johnson Kathie Smith president

Pete Burgeson

Plan your financial legacy

Contact

Thomas Pink, CFP®, AAMS® Senior Vice President – Financial Advisor Senior Consulting Group thomas.pink@rbc.com www.pinkwmg.com

Investment and insurance products offered through RBC Wealth Management are not insured by the FDIC or any other federal government agency, are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank or any bank affiliate, and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. © 2022 RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, registered investment adviser and Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC. All rights reserved. 22-WQ-02555 (11/22)

Your life isn’t dull ... your banking shouldn’t be either.

At CorTrust, we believe in living life bold. We know life moves fast, that’s why we provide products and services catered to your unique goals and speed. Bold claim? Not when high expectations are on the line.

VOTE

WE HAVE AN IDEA …

… LET’S STEP INTO 2023 with a spirit of grati tude and support for our Edina community and its local businesses that have served us all so well over the past year.

What’s the best way to say, “Thank you,” to your favorite dining spots, service spaces, shopping venues and more? Vote for your favorite local businesses and community venues in our annual Readers’ Poll— this year’s Best of Edina 2023.

Our contest is live throughout January at edinamag.com, where you can vote for your “best of the best” in a growing number of categories.

While some of your favorite categories return for another year, our editorial team has included a few more sections that further embrace our retail and business communities. Curious? Go online to vote!

Here’s what you need to know: Voting is live with three simple rules*:

1. One entry is allowed per person; each ballot needs to include an email address.

2. Ballots must be completed by 5 p.m. on January 31, 2023.

3. Voters need to vote in at least five categories to ensure their ballot is counted.

Once voting is complete, the top three finalists in each category will be announced online on March 1, 2023. Then, watch for our much-anticipated Best of Edina results in the July issue, where the winners and run ners up will be revealed—along with Editor’s Picks and a host of other community highlights. *Any rule not adhered to may result in entire surveys being discarded, and all results are subject to editorial discretion.

The Theraputic Benefits of Art

Iridescent diamonds shimmer in shades of lavender, green and blue. Complex kalei doscopic patterns burst in bright colors. Thick black lines divide deep, rich hues like a stained glass window. All this and more was showcased during the Healing Circles Digital Arts Project on October 7, with digi tal displays of student artwork projected onto nearby buildings during an Edina football game.

Students in Edina elementary and sec ondary art classes started the 2022–2023 school year with a special project, Healing Circles, an initiative of Edina’s Art and Culture Commission with the City of Edina and the Edina School District.

Recognizing the mental health challenges

that students frequently experience, along with the therapeutic benefits of art, the community activity encouraged each stu dent to make an individual radial design as a personal and positive expression of good mental health.

Leanne French-Amara, an art teacher at Normandale Elementary School, has fea tured radial designs in her curriculum for more than 25 years. “The concept of circles is so easy,” she says, noting that she hopes students will learn that this creative activity is always available to them. When they are stressed or just need a break, they can make a circle design—on a scrap of paper, with pens, colored pencils, markers. It’s a simple way to relax when life feels overwhelming.

“I liked it because it kind of calms you down,” a Normandale fourth grader says about making Healing Circles. And a kinder gartner at Creek Valley Elementary School characterized her very first school art proj ect with the enthusiastic exclamation, “It’s fun!”—an entirely appropriate description for an activity intended to enhance and promote good mental health.

While the digital display of students’ radial designs were available for one night, all the student designs are now available for viewing on artsonia.com.

Contributed by Laura Westlund, a tour guide at the Weisman Art Museum and an art hound for Minnesota Public Radio.

Edina Public Schools

Photos:

Left: Madeline, Concord Elementary; Top right: Ariana, Concord Elementary; Bottom right: Clark, Cornelia Elementary

HEAL BIOLOGY OF THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

The lymphatic system is an underappreciated body system that does a lot of important work. It intersects with all of the other major organ systems in the body—so, we can’t talk about overall health and wellness without noting that lymph is everywhere.

The lymphatic, or lymphoid, system is the primary home of the immune system. Like the circulatory system, it consists of large networks of vessels that carry a fluid called lymph. Lymph is the transpor tation highway for immune cells. It also acts as a waste management system that removes inflammatory pathogens and cellular debris.

Unlike the circulatory system, however, the lymphatic system does not have a pump to circulate its fluid. This creates an opportunity for a phenomenon called “lymphatic stagnation,” which can cause a wide range of health problems.

Why is the lymphatic system so important?

» It targets invading pathogens (bacteria, virus, etc.) and delivers the information to the immune system, so it can destroy the invaders.

» Lymph carries away toxins and poisons that interfere with healthy metabolism and bodily function.

» It reduces inflammation and aids the cleanup process by rebuilding cells at sites of damage, infection or injury.

Want to support lymphatic circulation on your journey to better health? Here are six simple ways:

» Physical movement

» Massage and bodywork

» Increase heart rate

» Deep breathing exercises

» Hot bath

» Sauna

Contributed by Timothy Borowski, M.S., a complemantary health care professional and the founder of Axon Movement, located at Statera Health in Edina. You can find him on Instagram @axon_movement.

Forward…because despite today’s headwinds and uncertainty that’s where the possibilities lie. So, it’s more important than ever to have a banking partner who can help you take advantage of every possibility the new year brings. That’s what going forward is all about. What can we make possible for your business?

CITIZEN OF EDINA Kelly Streit

For the 12 years Kelly Streit has lived in Edina, she has focused her volunteer and advocacy work on human rights. Starting as a board member for Edina’s A Better Chance (ABC), Streit is now the co-admin istrator of Edina’s Anti-Racism Collective (ARC), an organization founded shortly after the death of George Floyd in 2020.

As an ABC board member, Streit helped bring high-achieving students of color to Edina from communities in America lack ing adequate educational opportunities. From her 10 years with the program, Streit realized the disparity among U.S. school systems and their inequitable effect on Black communities. “I think that realiza tion dovetailed into my more anti-racismfocused work,” she says.

Alongside Terrie Rose, M.D., who facili tated neighborhood conversations on rac ism after Floyd’s death, Streit participated in the first “Learning to Lead” Zoom ses sions aimed at exploring the complexity of systematic racism. “We talked about things that, especially as white people, we don’t talk about,” Streit says.

In July, ARC led “Stand Against Hate,”

an event at 50th and Wooddale launched in response to racist incidents that had recently impacted the community. More than 100 people participated. “It was such good community support, not only from the people that showed up, but from the people that were driving by,” Streit says. “[It was] very positive—people hugging and waving—and it felt really good to have a cleansing moment.”

Through ARC, Streit has also established partnerships with faith communities to share knowledge and expand ARC’s impact, getting people from different faith com munities “to come together and affirm their commitment to anti-racism,” Streit says.

Summarizing her efforts, she says, “I don’t think I can ever not do this work any more because, unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going to be finished in my lifetime.”

The Anti-Racism Collective is a Community Impact Partner of the Edina Community Foundation.

Photo: Kelly Streit

Contributed by Carmela Cadja for the Edina Community Foundation.

Gothic Suspense

The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green is an extraordinary novel. His writing is gorgeous and his plotting will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The historical detail is heartbreakingly real.

It opens at Bo Peep’s bar, where an archeologist named Matilda “Stony” Stone and her homeless friend Luke have gone for a drink on a spring eve ning in Savannah. However, by the end of the night, Luke will be dead, and Stony will have disappeared.

It appears that Luke died in an abandoned building set afire by its owner, Archie Guzman. No one in Savannah likes Guzman, a wealthy landlord known for evicting tenants. Guzman hires Musgrove Investigations to find out who set the fire; he vehe mently claims he did not. Morgana Musgrove, the owner of the detec tive agency, takes on the case. The Musgrove Family is old Savannah, and the money Guzman offers is consider able and needed by Morgana, whose style is high and costly.

Morgana calls on her son, Ransom, to help in the investigation. Since leaving jail, Ransom has been living in Savannah’s homeless encamp ments. Eventually, all of Morgana’s adult children will get called into the investigation, whether they want to or not. They are a family rich in stories, personalities and complications. This is a wonderful read for the new year.

Contributed by Maureen Millea Smith, a retired librarian and a Minnesota Book Award–winning novelist. You can find her books at maureenmilleasmith.com.

For the Love of the Game

By Ava Diaz

THROUGHOUT HER HIGH SCHOOL

CAREER, Edina alumna Hayley Nilsen was a standout basketball player. But unlike many of her peers, she didn’t run onto the court each game—she rolled on.

Diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, a form of muscular dystrophy, at just 5 years old, Nilsen’s mobility declined over time. In eighth grade she made the life-changing decision to switch from able-bodied basketball to wheelchair basketball.

But this switch hasn’t slowed her down. In fact, she’s continuing her love for the game by playing Division I wheel chair basketball at the University of Arizona this season.

Basketball has always been Nilsen’s favorite sport—partially because of the athletic household in which she grew up. Both of her parents played basketball

at Concordia University in St. Paul. Her father, Matt Nilsen, was also an Edina Girls Basketball coach for over 20 years— 11 of those years as the head coach. And her older sister went on to play college ball at University of Wisconsin - River Falls, where she’s currently a senior.

For the Nilsens, basketball is a family affair. But making the switch from ablebodied basketball wasn’t easy. Nilsen is not day chair bound (she uses leg braces on a normal basis), so she had to learn the mechanics of maneuvering a wheel chair for the game. It’s a challenge she says was worth it.

“It was shocking at first, but motiva tion is not a problem for her,” Matt says. “She trains just as hard as anyone else. She just made a shift is all … She is as tough as they come.”

Joining the Minnesota Jr. Rolling

Timberwolves her freshman year of high school, Nilsen was able to be a part of a team that would launch a newfound confidence in her, as well as a world of opportunities. “I grew up around bas ketball, so I just wanted to keep doing it,” she says. “Before I heard of playing wheelchair basketball, I never saw that as a possibility.”

The Jr. Rolling Timberwolves consists of players from across the state, forming junior varsity and varsity teams. They compete against other teams across the nation in monthly tournaments— an opportunity that Nilsen deems as the most valuable experience of it all.

“There are a lot less teams between high school [and college], but honestly that is what I kind of loved about it because everybody kind of knows every body and you get to make friends from

Edina alumna Hayley Nilsen learned a new way to continue playing her favorite sport.

all over the country and see them at tournaments,” she says.

The consistent positivity in the envi ronment deeply impacted Nilsen. She shares how the transition from ablebodied to wheelchair basketball notice ably shifted her attitude toward herself, noting that wheelchair basketball “has made me value all of the relationships I have made and focus on all the stuff I am still able to do even though I cannot be in able-bodied basketball,” she says.

She will continue competing through out her four years at the University of Arizona, but Nilsen says this is not the last stop in her athletic career. With opportunities to play in U25 leagues and on USA teams, she hopes to eventually compete on the USA Paralympic team. “I am still trying to reach the next level in the best way that I can,” Nilsen says.

Photos: Arizona Athletics

CARL E. SCHNEIDER, DDS AND STEVEN J. VEKER, DDS

DESIGNED TO PREPARE

Citizens of the World

The Edina Early Learning Center prepares toddlers for the future.

By Hailey Almsted

YOUNG

CHILDREN FOR THE FUTURE , Edina’s Early Learning Center (ELC) is committed to developing emotion ally and socially competent toddlers, preschoolers and parents. The ELC is a part of the Edina Public School sys tem—though it offers open enrollment— and features Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) programming and preschool classes.

“ECFE is what makes us different,” ELC coordinator Leah Byrd says. “We are very clear that we’re not childcare with a curriculum; we are a school … [and] we have a full curriculum and standardized assessments. Our teachers attend the same developmental pro grams as normal teachers, and we oper ate on school calendars.”

ECFE is a curriculum-based pro gram and education model that actively includes parents in the education pro cess. At traditional preschool and daycare programs, parents simply drop off their children (which ELC also offers), but with ECFE programming, parents attend classes with their children.

Byrd says parents are an integral part of the classroom, since they are truly a child’s first teacher. “Families are the other teachers in all of our classrooms,” she says. “They are our partners, and so we are teaching both kids and their families.”

At the ELC, classrooms are separated into grade-like groups, including ECFE programs for ages 0–12 months, ages 1–3, ages 3–5 and more, plus traditional pre school programs for older toddlers. Byrd also notes that the ELC follows an inclu sive model, so classrooms include both general education students as well as stu dents in special education, including those receiving speech support or those with a complex individual education plan.

The ELC’s mission is to prepare students for challenges and opportuni ties that await them; they’re prepared through schools’ six “future-ready com petencies”—being a responsible, engaged citizen; an effective communicator and collaborator; a globally competent indi vidual; an innovative thinker and creator; a motivated lifelong learner; and a wellrounded person.

The school also operates under three rules that help develop social and emotional frameworks in children and parents: 1. Be kind; 2. Be safe; and 3. Solve problems.

“I often say to teachers that our job is to put out good citizens of the world,”

Photos: Edina Public Schools

Byrd says. “Our children will thrive in early childhood education.”

Edina resident Christina Hansen Cohen enrolled her son, Carl, in the ELC after it was recommended to her. “We decided it would be good for our son to participate in a community school in hopes for more diversity … It was amazing,” Hansen Cohen says. “Our son presented initially as timid and somewhat insecure in light of the pandemic and instantly found his groove. His confidence grew quickly and he quickly made friends.”

She says her son would often come home singing the songs he learned in class and would ask on Saturdays if it was a school day. “[He would] be disap pointed when it was not,” she says. “Our son loved ELC.”

Though Carl only attended ELC for a year before heading off to kindergarten, Hansen Cohen says, “I am so grateful for our brief time at ELC … it was an incred ible experience.”

Registration for the 2023–2024 school year opens on January 24, though regis tration for the current school year is ongo ing and open year-round. To learn more about the ELC’s programming and to reg ister, go to earlylearning.edinaschools.org.

Edina Early Learning Center, 5701 Normandale Road; 952.848.3908; earlylearning.edinaschools.org

Edina Community Education @edinacommunityed

@EdinaCommEd

PORTRAIT

Imagination at Play

Local brings imaginary worlds to life with his stories.

By Ava Diaz

AUTHOR, ILLUSTRATOR AND

EDINA RESIDENT Derek Anderson is a natural creator. Beginning his journey in first grade, he recalls the first time he set out to draw something and it turned out as planned—it was a picture of the Easter Bunny. Wanting to showcase his creation to the most important person he could think of, he gave it to his school principal—who laminated it and hung it up in his office. “It launched me in ways you couldn’t even describe. It changed the trajectory of my life,” Anderson says. From that moment on, he became the class artist.

Photos: Chris Emeott

Anderson took on his next project with gusto. Assigned to draw and write about a boat, Anderson opted for a drawing and story involving a pirate ship, to differen tiate himself from his classmates. “It was my first entry into making things up and creating my own world, and it just grew from there and I never stopped drawing or writing after that,” he says.

In college, Anderson created a comic strip for Iowa State’s student newspaper; since childhood, he had aspirations of being a cartoonist. But during college, his mom (a teacher) came home from a reading conference with stacks of picture

A SLICE OF HOME

Inspired by his own experiences, Anderson finds ways to incorporate the communities that kept him grounded in his stories.

Edina

Anderson is always on the search for unique names for his characters. One day, he found inspiration from a handful of Edina street names, which he used as character names in his book Benny McGeee and the Shark: We Are Famous! One of the char acters is named Dewey Hill (after Dewey Hill Road), and his classmate is Delany Gleason (after Delaney Boulevard and Gleason Road). “It’s a fun way to include pieces of where I live in my books and these imag ined worlds,” Anderson says.

Ames, Iowa

In each of his books, Anderson sub tly incorporates an illustration of the Iowa State University Campanile bell tower from his hometown and col lege alma mater in Ames.

books, which sparked Anderson’s inter est in being an author and illustrator. “There is a difference seeing the books as a grown up and creator versus being a part of that world as a [young] reader,” he says. “I love the absolute freedom that exists [in children’s books].”

However, his journey to literary success wasn’t an easy one. For nearly a decade, his creative pursuits were reserved for the nights and weekends, outside of his day job. And even when he began pursuing it more seriously, he received nothing but rejections— hundreds of them. “Becoming published is probably the hardest thing I have ever done,” he says. “It was impossible, but I just knew it was going to happen because I was not going to give up.”

All the hard work paid off. Anderson published his first book, Ready? Set. Raymond!, in 2002. Since then, he has illustrated over 30 children’s books and has authored 14 of those. “It is amazing to be able to create worlds. We [authors and illustrators] don’t have special effects budgets,” he says. “If I can draw it and paint it, I can make it real. I can make [stories] come to life for a reader, and I love that.”

@derekandersonauthor

NOW MORE THAN EVER, LET’S CREATE, LAUGH, AND LEARN. Your child will grow and develop through a research-driven, relationship-oriented, play-based learning curriculum. Serving infants through Pre-K children. Two Edina locations. Family- and Locally-owned since 1976.

www.EspeciallyforChildren.com | 952.857.1100

Photos: Chris Emeott; Derek Anderson

derekanderson.net Derek Anderson

OLD-HOUSE CHARM, MODERN FUNCTIONALITY

When homeowners Nicole and John Righini purchased their 1938 Colonial-style home in the Arden Park neighborhood of Edina in 2015, they knew they’d eventually renovate the kitchen. But they lived with it as-is for six years before pulling the trigger.

The previous homeowners had renovated the kitchen in the ’90s, and while it was still in good condition, the layout wasn’t func tional for the Righinis. The kitchen, break fast nook and dining room were all separate spaces, closed off and only connected through a series of cased openings. “The disconnect in the kitchen was huge because we were all separated,” Righini says. “We would have two people in the dining room, a couple of people in the working kitchen [and] a couple people at the kitchen table [in the breakfast nook]. That disconnect was hard. If I was cooking dinner, I couldn’t help the kids with their homework easily or talk to them about their days.”

As a family of six, which includes four teenagers plus a labradoodle, Righini wanted a more open layout, making the space more livable for their large and active family.

With a new floorplan, one thing Righini wanted to add was a center island. “We wanted it large enough that we could do crafts and projects and holiday baking,” she says. She also wanted added storage space, a larger refrigerator to create more space for lunchboxes and entertaining, built-in organization solutions and something many modern families living in old homes desire: more outlets. “When the kids were doing online school [in 2020], there just [weren’t] enough outlets or space in the 1938 house for the technology … We were so desperate for outlets, it was crazy!” Righini says.

To help them accomplish all of this, Righini called on the design expertise of the Martha O’Hara Interiors team. “Seeing them in magazines, I just really, really liked the style, and knew that they were just a very high-end, world class-company to work with,” she says.

With designer Gabe Lindberg’s help, Righini’s kitchen dreams became a reality. The two collaborated to create a kitchen with all the modern conveniences Righini desired while still honoring the history of this nearly century-old home—and expand ing the footprint from 138 to 246 square feet by knocking down some of those roomdividing walls. “My goal through the whole [redesign and renovation] was to be true to the house,” Righini says. “I didn’t want to put anything in the house that didn’t look like it could have already been here originally.”

Lindberg says she loves working on old houses—finding a way to maintain that “old house charm” while updating it for modern

written by AMY OVERGAARD photos by SPACECRAFTING

Homeowners honored the history of their 1930s home during a full kitchen remodel.

THE NEW KITCHEN HIGHLIGHTS

Custom cabinets painted in the soothing shade of Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore and unlacquered brass hardware.

An 8x3-foot custom island in a walnut finish, topped with a Taj Mahal quartzite countertops, which boasts tons of additional storage— and a microwave drawer.

A coffee bar which offers plenty of space away from the main cooking area for the at-home barista.

Storage inserts in the drawers and cabinets for tons of built-in organization.

A charging shelf hidden in the pantry cabinet with enough outlets for all of the family’s devices.

An appliance garage so coun tertop appliances can hide behind a retractable door.

Openness and flow between the dining room and kitchen.

Builder: MDS Remodeling

Cabinet Maker: Engstrom Wood Products

Interior Design & Photo Styling: Martha O’Hara Interiors

functionality. She came up with creative ways to do this while also helping Righini discover her personal style preferences. The result is a kitchen that boasts a personalized take on updated traditional style.

For Lindberg, it was all about “honoring [the] heritage of the house and some of the design details that were originally in the house.” For example, the original breakfast nook had a built-in buffet, which unfortu nately had to be removed for the remodel. “But there were corbels that were a design detail on the upper hutch,” Lindberg says. “And we took that design and we imple mented it” in the new kitchen—both on the side of the island that holds up the overhang of the countertop and on the hood above the cooktop.

She also added feet to some of the lower cabinets, giving them a grounded, furniturelike sensibility. “That was a detail that … some older houses have and they definitely elevate the space in a subtle way,” Lindberg says. And for the cabinet fronts, she had the cabinet-makers recreate the style of the home’s original built-ins. “There’s a built-in on the second floor hallway, and it has that slight bead detail. So I wanted to repeat that in the kitchen just because that was the original cabinet design—again, paying hom age to the heritage of the house [and] just keeping that little detail.”

After about four months of renovations,

the family moved back into their main floor before Christmas of 2021, and Righini has only good things to say: “The kitchen has been such a joy to work in ... I cook almost everything from scratch almost every night for dinner, and my kids cook. And it has been such a joy to make dinner here, and it’s just easy and enjoyable.” For so long, she says she was just making do with the space until the timing was right to update it for their family’s needs. Now? “All of a sudden, you don’t have to make do, and everything is at your fingertips,” she says. “It just seems like a breath of fresh air.”

Beyond the joy of cooking in her new kitchen, Righini says, “My favorite thing is the overall functionality that we did not have before and that we have now … I think the functionality helps us operate better, and I think that it’s great that it can function so well and be so beautiful at the same time. That’s the biggest surprise in this process for me.”

Head to edinamag.com to see the other updates the Righinis made throughout the first floor of the house during their remodel.

Martha O’Hara Interiors, 9950 Wayzata Blvd., Mpls.; 952.908.3150; oharainteriors.com Martha O’Hara Interiors @ohara_interiors

written by amy overgaard — photos by chris emeott

Healing Comes in Many Forms

Well Connected Twin Cities helps people find integrative wellness practitioners to meet their needs.

Lilly Zaborowski of Minneapolis spent years trying to find a health practitioner who could get to the root cause of her son’s severe eczema and offer more than steroid cream as a treatment option. After finally finding answers from a local holistic health care practitioner, she was determined to create a better way to more easily discover local alternative health resources. So, she began building out a searchable online directory and resource bank.

At the same time, Burnsville resident Alex Stalberger had begun a second career as an integrative nutrition health coach. She started hosting gatherings with other healers, practitioners and coaches to share knowledge, business resources and experiences. “What

naturally ended up evolving out of that was this beautiful, natural, authentic referral network,” she says.

With a shared passion for the local wellness community, Stalberger and Zaborowski joined forces in June of 2019 to create Well Connected Twin Cities (WCTC). The goal was to help Twin Cities–area residents more easily find integrative wellness practitioners through their online directory and to share informational resources through their blog. They also created a plat form for practitioners in the WCTC network to connect with each other, share resources and make connections. Although Zaborowski moved on to other business endeavors in 2022, Stalberger remains at the helm as the CEO.

Stalberger says anyone can use their network—whether they want to exclu sively use holistic or alternative practi tioners to meet their health needs or if they want to find someone who will work with their regular doctor in an integra tive, complimentary way.

And what types of practitioners are part of the WCTC network?

“Right now, a practitioner that would qualify for Well Connected is one [who] believes in integrative care—meaning that they see their services not as the end-all for a specific ailment but as an option or a tool that can complement with others,” Stalberger says. “They are focused on col laboration over competition, and they are open to collaborative health.”

Do you have a New Year’s resolution

to focus more on your health and well ness this year, but you’re not sure where to start? In the past few years, WCTC has expanded its offerings to include live events and virtual, on-demand classes and a weekly podcast—which Stalberger says is one of the easiest ways to dip your toe into the world of integrative medi cine. You can also set up an integrative care guidance call with Stalberger, who can help direct you to modalities and practitioners who might be a good fit for your health needs and goals.

While practitioners in the WCTC network are located all over the Metro, a few are located right here in Edina. We’ll introduce you to these local integrative wellness practices, which offer unique approaches to health and healing. Since

many integrative practitioners are lim ited in how they can accept insurance, we’re also including the cash-pay cost of each service.

Well Connected Twin Cities ; wellconnectedtwincities.com

was compelled by the idea of low-force, gentle-touch treatment available through DNFT. “I really love it because it’s very specific, it’s gentle and it gets results really quickly, which I like,” she says.

Brenna

Erickson, DC, Healthy Roots Chiropractic

When Brenna Erickson was in chiroprac tic school at Life Chiropractic College West in the San Francisco area, she was drawn to a specific chiropractic tech nique: Directional Non Force Technique® Chiropractic (DNFT).

While traditional chiropractic involves twisting, cracking, popping and apply ing sudden force to joints, Erickson

“I was trained more as a doctor of the nervous system and to look at how the brain and the body are connected and communicating to each other,” Erickson says. Her goal through DNFT is to ensure clear, efficient communication between the nervous system and body. She does this by breaking down a traditional chi ropractic adjustment into 18–20 micro adjustments or micro thrusts. “That’s just a couple ounces of pressure, about as much as is comfortable pushing on your own eyeball,” she says. “If you take a regular or more mainstream chiropractic

Alex Stalberger, co-founder of Well Connected Twin Cities.

adjustment, that’s like a hammer going into a nail, and one hit tries to get it as far into the wood as you can. Mine is like little taps.”

Erickson says she was drawn to this technique “because that’s what I prefer in my system, and I think it serves a broader range of clients.” Specifically, high blood pressure and osteoporosis patients are often advised to not receive chiropractic care.

She says she can also more effectively treat those with sensitive nervous sys tems. “A lot of them are chronic pain patients or have autoimmune conditions or just think of themselves as ‘highly sen sitive people,’” she says. By using gentle touches rather than forceful adjustments, the bodies of sensitive patients can better receive and respond to the treat ments. Erickson also uses DNFT to treat migraines, those with surgical spinal fusion and sciatica, and women during pregnancy and postpartum.

“I really love working with migraine and headache disorders because there’s not a lot of people doing it,” she says. “I help people find what their triggers are and help raise their threshold to toler ance, so that they can have [fewer] head aches or migraines and … decrease the severity of them.”

Healthy Roots Chiropractic , Located in the Bhakti Wellness Center, 7550 France Ave. S. Suite 220; 612.367.7216; healthyrootschiropractic.com Healthy Roots Chiropractic @migrainewhisperer Cost: Initial Visit: $300 Follow-Up Visits: $115

Jaron Faber, DC, MS, and Jordan Shilts, DC, Statera Health

While Jaron Faber and his business partner Jordan Shilts, are both chiroprac tors, their Edina-based practice, Statera Health, offers much more—including functional medicine programs, LED light therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Two hyperbaric oxygen chambers are the practice’s main referral mechanism. While hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used to treat a number of ailments, Faber says they’re currently treating a lot of patients with long-COVID-19 symptoms. “Some people [have] had symptoms for over the last year, and they’re struggling with either fatigue or brain fog or maybe still loss of taste and smell,” he says, noting they’ve had suc cess treating these symptoms.

Beyond COVID, Statera patients use the oxygen chambers to help treat chronic fatigue, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathy, Lyme disease, dia betes, inflammation, concussions and traumatic brain injuries. It’s also used to aid in surgical recovery, injury recovery and cognitive performance. “In the U.S., we only recognize 14 different conditions that are treatable [with hyperbaric oxy gen therapy] and reimbursable by insur ance. But internationally, there’s over 150 different conditions,” Faber says.

Sessions last 60–90 minutes, and dur ing that time, patients wear an oxygen mask in the chamber, so they’re breathing 100 percent oxygen. The chamber is also pressurized, which increases the pres sure of the oxygen gas. Faber says this “allows [oxygen] to get to other tissues in the body, which basically accelerates healing at a cellular level.”

Faber and Shilts got certified in hyperbaric oxygen therapy within a functional medicine setting in 2022, which allows them to offer treatments at higher pressures.

LED Light Therapy

In a different corner of Statera, you’ll find an LED light therapy bed, which looks like a high-tech tanning bed—but it serves an entirely different purpose. While it’s most commonly known as red light therapy, and the proper terminol ogy is “photobiomodulation,” the Statera team markets it as LED light therapy not only because it’s easier to pronounce, but because they incorporate more than just the red light spectrum. The light bed at Statera offers green light, red light and infrared light.

“This specific machine was designed by one of the professors at Harvard [University] who is a lead researcher in light therapy,” Faber says. “We’re one of four clinics in the world with this model … with this one you can start targeting dif ferent tissues [and] different symptoms.”

But it’s not a new technology, overall. “Light therapy has been well known for over 100 years. Back in 1908, a Nobel Prize was given out for light therapy and its effects on lupus,” Faber says, noting it’s also very well-researched, with hun dreds of peer-reviewed journal articles on LED light therapy documented on the research database PubMed.

Faber says most of their patients use light therapy to treat skin issues, but the uses for this treatment are much broader. “Green light is really good for a lot of different skin conditions, from acne to eczema, psoriasis or even wrinkles because of collagen production effects,” he says. “The red and infrared is what’s best

DISCOVER MORE

Head to edinamag.com to read about two other unique integrative wellness practitioners in the WCTC network. At Unlock Healing in Minneapolis, Mallery Hammers offers Quantum Neuro Reset Therapy, which uses muscle adjustments to help the body release trauma. And at Sacred Ibis Botanicals, Phyllis Jaworski sees patients at her Hudson, Wisconsin, office as well as virtually, specializing in mitigating and healing menstrual pain.

Top: Jaron Faber, DC, MS

Bottom: One of the hyperbaric oxygen chambers at Statera Health in Edina.

for pain and inflammation, increasing blood flow, dilating blood vessels, restor ing hormone balance, restoring circadian rhythms, the list goes on.” Sessions last anywhere from 10–20 minutes.

Light therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy can even be used together, with one treatment following the other. The complementary nature of these two ther apies is “something that sets [Statera] apart from the other hyperbaric clinics in the area,” Faber says. And the practice’s holistic approach to functional medicine and chiropractic care also complement these therapies.

“Putting all that together, we can accelerate healing,” he says. “And putting the body in the right environment, you can accelerate it even further. So that’s the purpose of the light therapy [and] the oxygen therapy.”

Integrative Massage and Axon Movement (run by Edina Magazine col umnist Tim Borowski) also operate out of the Statera Health space.

Statera Health , 4820 W. 77th St.; 952.213.6386; officialstatera.com Statera Health

@staterahealth_edina

Cost:

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: $150 per hour

LED Light Therapy: $40 per session

Cost-saving packages are available

Written by Mollee Francisco Photos by Chris Emeott

FIGURE SKATING CLUB OFFERS PATH TO SUCCESS ON AND OFF THE ICE.

MINNESOTA ICE

Kathleen Gazich was just a preschooler when she started skating with the Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club in Edina. More than 50 years later, she’s still there, these days sharing head pro fessional duties with fellow coach Loni Keenan. Together, they have achieved great success for the club—especially in the last year.

In July, eight of their skaters qualified to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Excel National Festival in Boston. They proudly returned home with both gold and silver medals in tow. And in August, they took 17 skaters to the Minnesota State Championships and watched four of them stand on the podium after placing in the top four.

“It was a really huge accomplishment,” says Holly Dau, president of the Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club. Her daughter, Lucy, took second place in the Excel Nationals Intermediate Plus division. It was the result of years of hard work and perseverance, but the Edina resident still remembers how it all began. She first put Lucy in skates at age 3. Less than two years later, she enrolled her in figure skating lessons at Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club when they moved to Edina in 2014. “She loved it,” Dau says. “It was the first time I saw that sparkle.”

Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club has become a second home for Gazich, Dau and Lucy, as it has for so many throughout its lifetime. The Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club has been around in various forms since 1959. It began as the City of Lakes Figure Skating Club with home ice at the Minneapolis Ice Arena. When the Braemar Arena was constructed in Edina in 1966, a new club—the Braemar Figure Skating Club—was born. A year later, the Minneapolis Ice Arena was demolished and the two clubs merged to become the Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club.

The mission of the club is to promote the sport of figure skating by “developing each skater’s interest and potential within an environment of support.”

“The goal is to introduce everyone to figure skating and grow their confidence,” Dau says.

The nonprofit, volunteer-run club attracts skaters from across the Twin Cities Metro. It features five levels of memberships including Junior, Home Club, Associate, Sustaining and College, which offer a variety of skating benefits. The club has more than 130 mem bers this year—most of them ranging from ages 5–18. Nine of those skaters are graduating seniors.

Ashley Blanton is one of those graduating seniors. The 17-year-old Edina High School student has been

skating at Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club since she was 5. She says she fell in love with figure skating because it combined intense athleticism with the artistic aspects of dance. Simply put, skating made Blanton feel both strong and beautiful. “It’s a pretty unique sport,” Ashley says. “You don’t get the same feel ings doing anything else.”

Ashley can be found at the Braemar Arena most days of the week. In addition to training 1.5–2.5 hours a day, she also teaches young skaters. But with college on the horizon, Ashley knows that soon she won’t be a regular fixture at Braemar. It’s a bittersweet notion. She says that Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club has become like family over the years—with their bond growing espe cially strong as the pandemic began to wane. She says that the whole skating club community—both coaches and fellow skaters—are “super positive and friendly … I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

Ashley hopes to participate in inter-collegiate skating after high school. “I would like to stay on the ice,” she says. But until that time, she is spending her senior year skating for herself. “When I was younger, it was all about seeing that ‘Number One’ on the score sheet,” Ashley says. “Now that I’m older, it’s less about winning and more about beating the score I got in the last competition.”

Dau says that roughly half of their club skaters compete on some level and have access to top notch coaches. “We’re known for having such high-level coaches and accelerated options,” Dau says. “At any given time, we have one or two coaches that have been in the Olympics.”

Kathleen Gazich and Loni Keenan

LACE UP YOUR SKATES

January is National Learn to Skate month. The City of Edina offers Learn to Skate classes at Braemar Arena throughout the year. Open skate sessions are also held on a frequent basis. Visit edinamn.gov for dates and times.

Would you rather watch skating than participate? The Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club will host its 55th Annual Ice Show April 21–22, 2023. Dau says the heavily produced show is on-par with the excellence of professional shows like Stars on Ice, and “almost every one of our skaters participate in the show,” she says. The show is open to the public and is a “fun way for families to come see us.”

That has formerly included three-time French Olympian Surya Bonaly and currently includes 1988 Olympian Caryn Kadavy, who recently coached club member Delia Lawson to a juvenile gold medal at the Minnesota State Championships.

Ashley says all of the coaches at Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club are different. “They bring different personalities to the ice, which is really great.”

Keenan started coaching figure skating in 1982 and started coaching at Braemar in the early 2000s—but her history with the club goes back much further. “I spent my own personal years skating with the Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club,” she says. “It was my home throughout training.”

Keenan took a break from teaching at Braemar when her daughter started skating there, but she promptly returned in 2006 when her daughter left for college. (She continued coaching elsewhere but didn’t want to coach at the same club where her daughter trained.)

She and Gazich were named co-head professionals for the club in 2013. Together, they are determined to

help their skaters be the best they can be. “I hope to instill passion and the love of sport in my athletes,” Keenan says. “I love being part of the process of learn ing about hard work, discipline, goal-setting and accomplishments as lifelong learning skills.”

Gazich, whose professional skating career includes coaching, as well as stints with Stars on Ice and Disney on Ice, says that she strives to share her love of skating with her students and to help them realize their own skating goals, big or small. “No matter the goal, I want to coach skaters who are committed to working hard to realize their goals,” she says. “Coaching is about being able to communicate and motivate. It’s learning how to say the right thing that will inspire a skater to be better.”

Ashley has been trying out her own coaching skills since 2020, teaching Learn to Skate classes at Braemar Arena. The classes cover basic skating skills for kids between 3.5 and 5 years old. Ashley said the job is chal lenging, but all the hard work is worth it. “It’s really rewarding when they get it,” she says. That’s one of the big lessons Ashley has learned from her skating career

thus far. “Hard work does pay off,” she says. “It’s really cool to watch people reach their goals.”

Keenan says skating offers plenty of valuable les sons and skills applicable outside of the rink, too. “When we fall, we get up. This is a big life lesson, as we know that many times we need to re-group or try again at many different things in life,” she says. “Skating teaches that failure is not a problem, but it can lead to greater discoveries about goal setting and working through challenges.”

Ashley agrees. She says, “Skating has taught me not to give up on myself.”

BRAEMAR CITY OF LAKES FIGURE SKATING CLUB, 7501 IKOLA WAY; BRAEMARFSC.ORG

BRAEMAR CITY OF LAKES FIGURE SKATING CLUB @BRAEMARFIGURESKATING

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CHRISTINA B. JOHNSON Artist

Refresh your home with custom artwork. Christina B. Johnson has been sourcing clients with her colorful paintings since 2018. Shop her work at Edina-based Foxwell Shoppe and At Home & Co., or contact Christina for a consultation.

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Enjoy USDA Certified Organic at your locally owned Clean Juice. We offer healthy, organic sandwiches, wraps, salads, smoothies, acai bowls, fresh juice and more! Eating healthy made easy! Dine-in, take out or delivery available.

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Upscale resale at its best! Our customers tell us we have the most amazing assortment of designer and contemporary clothing and accessories! Stop in often, new items arrive daily.

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Pinnacle Foot and Ankle Clinics is a podiatry business local to the Twin Cities that provides foot and ankle care to patients of all ages; creating personalized treatment plans for the best possible outcomes.

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APRÈS SKI

Embrace the winter season with Westin Edina Galleria’s Winter Village.

FEELING A BIT BUMMED NOW THAT THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVER? The Westin Edina Galleria is giving you a rea son to get out of the house and delight in the joys of winter.

It opened its Swiss Alps-inspired Winter Village on December 1—but this immersive experience runs through February 26. The hotel transformed its main floor into a cozy winter destination, and it’s inviting both hotel guests and Twin Cities residents to visit and dis cover the magic of the winter season.

In the lobby, you’ll find seating in the form of gondolas where you can enjoy seasonal food and drinks from Prelude, the hotel’s lobby bar and lounge. Walk down the hallway, and you’ll discover a collection of stylized mountain-town storefronts, designed by Studios Moss. This walkway transports you as you head to the courtyard, which is outfit ted with firepits and outdoor seating, as well as a fully enclosed, heated cabin. You can reserve a table at the Après Chalet Cabin or rent out the whole space to enjoy a Swiss Fondue Experience and seasonal cocktails.

Liz Watters, senior regional marketing manager for Wischermann Partners who manages The Westin Edina Galleria, says her team landed on the Après Ski theme as “a way to connect with a local Minnesota winter.” She says the idea is for it to be a destination in itself, even if you’re just traveling across town to visit.

To this point, throughout January and February, The Westin Edina Galleria will also offer weekly spirit and wine tastings, private dinners hosted by local guest chefs and a live DJ on the weekends. The Weekend Wonders program will also allow guests to partake in a series of off-property winter excursions. —Amy Overgaard

All ages. Free. Daily through February 26, 3–11 p.m. The Westin Edina Galleria, 3201 Galleria; 952.567.5000; wintervillageatthewestinedinagalleria.com

Photo: Lauren Engfer

Compiled by Nicole Berglund and Megan Hegenbarth

LOCAL EVENTS

Storytime

01/06–01/27

Every Friday in January, bring your kids to Barnes & Noble at the Galleria for storytime. All ages. Free. 10 a.m. Barnes & Noble, 3230 Galleria; 952.920.2124; barnesandnoble.com

LEGO Lab 01/08

Does your kid love building creations with LEGOs? Head to the library for LEGO Lab, where they can join a team or build independently. Materials are pro vided—just bring your imagination. All ages. Free. Noon–2 p.m. Southdale Library, 7001 York Ave. S.; 612.543.5900; hclib.org

Amazing Tots

01/09–02/13

Every Monday, bring the kids to Braemar Field for a discovery-based adventure. These activities are specially designed with toddlers in mind. Ages 18–30 months. $91 for residents, $96 for non-residents. 9–9:30 a.m. Braemar Field, 7509 Ikola Way; 952.927.8861; edinamn.gov

Frozen II Movie Night 01/13

Love movie nights with the family but need an excuse to get out of the house? Bring the family to Edinborough for a showing of Disney’s Frozen II All ages. Free with daily admission fee. 5:30–7 p.m. Edinborough Park Amphitheater, 7700 York Ave. S.; 952.927.8861; edinamn.gov

Edina Early Learning Center

The Lion King Jr.

01/18

Support Edina High School’s Theatre for All program with its performance of The Lion King Jr. This program pairs special needs students with peers, and they create and perform their roles together. All ages. Prices vary. 7 p.m. Edina Performing Arts Center, 6754 Valley View Road; 952.848.3800; ehsthespians.com

Hairspray

01/10–01/15

The iconic ’60s musical Hairspray comes to the Orpheum Theatre, presented by the Hennepin Theatre Trust. Ages 8 and up. Prices vary. Times vary. Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.; 612.339.7007; hennepintheatretrust.org

Sounds of Blackness

To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Sounds of Blackness performs Music for Martin concert. All ages. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Ordway Music Theater, 345 Washington St., St. Paul; 651.224.4222; ordway.org

Taylor Tomlinson

01/19–01/20

This stand-up comedian with two Netflix specials comes to the Orpheum for her tour. Ages 18 and up recom mended. Prices vary. 7 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.; 612.339.7007; hennepintheatretrust.org

Angel Gala

01/21

Attend the Angel Foundation’s 21st annual Angel Gala to raise funds for local adults with cancer and their families. There will be a cocktail recep tion, live and silent auctions, dinner and an after party with dancing and

music. All ages. Starting at $95. 6–11 p.m. Hilton Minneapolis, 1001 S. Marquette Ave., Mpls.; 612.627.9000; mnangel.org

St. Paul Winter Carnival 01/26–02/05

Join the community in scaven gers hunts, ice carving, parades and more. All ages. Free. Times vary. Rice Park, 109 W. Fourth St., St. Paul; 651.223.7400; wintercarnival.com

To have your event considered: email edinamag@localmedia.co by the 10th of the month three months prior to publication.

Due to the fluidity being experienced in the current environment, please note that some events/dates and even some business operations may have changed since these pages went to print. Please visit affiliated websites for updates.

Storytime at Barnes & Noble

Dry January and Beyond

Co-founders of Zero Proof Collective are changing the Twin Cities non-alcoholic beverage scene.

Written by Hanna McDaniels and Amy Overgaard Photos by Chris Emeott

EVERY YEAR, MILLIONS OF AMERICANS and others worldwide participate in Dry January, a month of intentionally abstain ing from alcohol after increased consumption around the holidays. It’s a movement that sprung up in the 2010s as the result of a public health initiative by British charity Alcohol Change UK. According to Richard Piper, the CEO of the char ity, Dry January is a way to show oneself that alco hol isn’t necessary to have fun, relax or socialize.

In the past two years, this movement has become more popular than ever, as alcohol consumption increased during COVID-19, with a survey conducted by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reporting that participants cited higher stress, more alcohol availability and boredom as driving factors.

But it’s not just due to COVID. Culturally, alcohol is everywhere. Social gatherings so often revolve around alcohol—whether it’s a work happy hour, backyard barbecue, holiday party, milestone celebration or even 5K runs where breweries will hand out free beer to participants. Even movie theaters now offer alcoholic bever ages rather than just pop.

So, where does that leave those participating in Dry January—or even those who don’t drink yearround? While more bars and restaurants are offer ing non-alcoholic (NA) beverages that aren’t just club soda with lime, there’s still a lack of elevated beverage options for those looking to celebrate or enjoy a night out, sans alcohol.

That’s where Zero Proof Collective (ZPC) comes in. Edina resident Cate Faulkner con nected with Jen Gilhoi of Minneapolis last March over their shared sobriety. “A matter of complete coincidence, both Cate and I have sobriety dates within three days of each other, eight years ago,” Gilhoi says. They both decided to quit drinking in 2014 for the same reason: Alcohol was getting in the way of their lives.

Gilhoi knew Faulkner’s daughter, Callan, through a business networking group, and after hear ing about Gilhoi’s passion for the NA beverage industry, she said, “You have to meet my mom!”

You could say the rest is history for the two co-founders of ZPC, who started the company in the spring of 2022—but they’re really just getting started. Their goal? To help people connect over NA drinks through gatherings and events, and to lift up the NA beverage industry to help it grow— one menu at a time. Faulkner’s dream is that every bar, restaurant and event around the Twin Cities would have NA cocktails that are thought fully crafted and lower in sugar and calories.

Through ZPC, they’re working with restaurants and bars to educate on what thoughtfully crafted NA beverages look like on a menu, as well as changing the culture that surrounds NA bever ages and choosing not to drink.

The reason they are passionate about both

Raise a Glass

This past summer, Faulkner attended Sans Bar Academy, put on by Chris Marshall of Sans Bar in Austin, Texas, who opened the first NA bar in the U.S. in 2017. She received training on creating elevated zero-proof cocktails. This lead Faulkner to develop a collection of NA cocktail recipes— including two cocktails for CōV in Edina (featured on page 46/47) to help expand its NA drink menu.

Co-founders of Zero Proof Collective, Cate Faulkner and Jen Gilhoi, at Cōv in Edina.

menu options and community? They want people to feel included and welcomed in social spaces without feeling pressured to drink alco hol. “We continue to be asked ‘Why aren’t you drinking?’” Gilhoi says. “This has always felt judgmental and noninclusive. As our drinking culture evolves, we are encouraging everyone to practice acceptance of those choosing not to drink—on occasion or not at all.” She notes that a judgment-free acknowledgement that “it’s okay for anyone, anywhere, for whatever reason to not drink alcohol,” will help normalize not drinking or simply drinking less.

Through ZPC, Gilhoi and Faulkner are also educating sober and sober-curious individuals, as well as business leaders. “We are educating consumers, so they know what they’re looking at on the nonalcoholic menu and can specifi cally and intelligently ask for more elevated options when they are out in a social setting,” Gilhoi says. “Consumers are an important part of driving change. By making their voices heard,

restaurants will respond with better nonalco holic options and ... [a] culture that feels wel coming to nondrinkers.”

Faulkner agrees. “The most important thing people can do to support the NA movement is to ask for more NA options,” she says.

But part of social acceptance and industry changes requires social spaces to evolve to sup port consumers’ choice to not drink. This topic is the foundation of Gilhoi’s TEDx Talk, Sober Not Somber: An Enlightening Way to Evolve Drinking Culture, which she gave at the 2022 TEDxEdina.

Bars or restaurants may have a NA beverage menu, but Gilhoi says if servers don’t understand why a person would choose not to drink or don’t offer and serve them with the same enthusiasm as an alcoholic drink, people can feel marginalized or less than. “Educating servers about the growth of the NA beverage industry, why it is important to many of their guests [and] how it fits into the flow of service is essential in order to see revenue and

BRIGHT & WINDY

Makes one zeroproof cocktail

» 3/4 cup of ice (melts to 3 oz.)

» 2 oz. Ritual Gin Alternative

» 4 oz. ginger beer

» 2 tsp. fresh lime juice

» 2.5 oz. carbon ated water

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Pour into 12 oz. highball glass, and garnish with a lime wheel and three juniper berries.

BERRY, BERRY CōV

Makes one zeroproof cocktail

» 3/4 cup of ice (melts to 3 oz.)

» 2 oz. Abstinence Cape Citrus premium distilled nonalcoholic spirit

» 2 oz. pureed fresh strawberries, unsweetened

» 2 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice

» 2 tsp. fresh lime juice

» 1 tsp. pure maple syrup

» 2–3 drops of liquid monkfruit or other healthy sweetener

» 2 oz. carbonated water

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour into 12 oz. highball glass and garnish with a sprig of mint and a whole fresh strawberry.

tips from NA beverages,” Gilhoi says.

But Gilhoi and Faulkner don’t expect this change to happen organically. That’s why they’re working alongside bars and restaurants in the Twin Cities—like CōV Edina—to help develop elevated NA drink recipes.

While they are both sober, Gilhoi and Faulkner reiterate that they aren’t anti-alcohol by any means. “At Zero Proof Collective, we are not taking any one’s alcohol away!” Faulkner says. “We are coming from a place of abundance and simply asking for more thoughtfully crafted nonalcoholic choices at bars, restaurants, events and all social gatherings in the Twin Cities.” However, when it comes to NA drinks, she adds: “We want options!”

zeroproofcollective.com

Zero Proof Collective @zeroproofcollective

CōV Edina, 3155 Galleria; 952.999.4011; covedina.com CōV Edina @cov_restaurants

Get Involved

Want to dip your toe into the nonalcoholic community for Dry January and beyond?

Zero Proof Collective’s mission is to “promote and create spaces where nonalcoholic beverages are discussed, thoughtfully crafted, served and celebrated with acceptance as they bring community together, educate, evolve culture and increase revenue in the NA industry.” This comes to life in a couple of ways:

ZPC CONNECT is for business leaders and those interested in the

NA beverage industry to connect, collaborate and share resources with the intent to advance zeroproof options, experienc es and social spaces.

ZPC NA EVENTS includes “ZPC NA Happier Hours” and highlights other NA events around the Twin Cities to expand the com munity of those who have expressed their desire for more NA options.

ZPC EDUCATE is a work shop for restaurant and event staff illustrating the many aspects of non-alco holic beverages and how they can increase revenue.

RUNNER UP: PLACES IN EDINA

Reflections Under 50th Street

Hobby photographer reflects on the past as she captures the present.

ON A COLD DAY last January, hobbyist photographer Stephanie Thomas captured this image of Minnehaha Creek under 50th Street, near the former Edina Mill site.

Though she grew up in Edina during the 1960s and 1970s, Thomas didn’t know much about local history. Since moving back a few years ago, she has become fascinated with Edina history “not only because it helps me put things into context but also because I think Edina, with its challenges and development, is a microcosm of America,” she says.

On this day, Thomas and her husband went for a walk to explore Williams Park, determined to embrace the winter weather. “I was enjoying the interesting beauty of the frozen falls at the dam under the Browndale Bridge— and then I looked the other way,” Thomas says, noting the dangerous path to the incredible view on the other side. “I told my husband, ‘I’m probably going to have frostbite on my fingers,’ but the view was worth it.”

Photographer: Stephanie Thomas

Title: Reflections Under 50th Street

Equipment: iPhone 12

To view other Images of Edina photo contest winners, visit edinamag.com.

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