Minnesota Valley Civil War Round Table March Meeting at New Ulm Public Library, 1863 Focus

Spring is just around the corner, which means we have two great symposiums coming up! We'll have paper registration copies at the meeting if you prefer to mail them, but I'll be providing the details in this email as well.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday, March 21 at 6:30 PM at the New Ulm Public Library. We'll be having a planning meeting, so bring the topics you are interested in learning more about or speakers you would like to see - kudos to those of you who already sent some suggestions my way!

Now the upcoming symposiums:

First is the The Friends of the Boy in Blue Civil War Memorial's Civil War Symposium. The symposium will be held on Saturday, March 25th from 9 am to 5 pm at the Morson-Ario-Strand VFW, 1900 No. Riverfront Dr. in Mankato.

The 10th annual symposium theme is: The Tide Turns – 1863, and features a full day of speakers, costumed interpreters, Civil War era music, exhibits, books and authors, panel discussions, and more. Special guest speakers are author Tamara Thayer will present The Mystery of Barbara Fritchie: A True Patriot and Col. Gary Carlberg will present The Controversial Major General George Meade.

Registration is $30/adults and $20/students or virtual. Friends of the Boy in Blue 2023 members receive a $5 discount on registra- the council was to approve Prafke’s and Mayor Shannon Nowell’s ability to enter into a grant administration contract with Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWMHP) for both grants.

The city rarely administers grants for these projects due to their complexity, Prafke told the council.

“It’s something we do very, very, very rarely,” he said. “This is something that, while we could do, is something that is just a little bit outside our strength.”

The contract will help the city more efficiently manage and navigate the requirements of compliance for the grants. Prafke explained the actual improvement phase is likely to take place in 2024. “I do want to mention that these are really important dollars,” Prafke said.

“And to meet the requirements of the federal objectives for this, which is really just driven by benefiting people with low to moderate incomes.”

Parkview Manor, as Prafke explained, is “geared toward seniors” and low income members of the community.

Councilmember Kari Johnson asked if the council would be involved in the bidding process like other city projects.

Prafke responded that it is not likely. Most of the authorization for this will likely be handled by the Housing Redevelopment Authority (HRA).The city council passed the resolution.

The city council discussed a resolution to authorize 2022 MnDOT delegated contract process agreement for the Commissioner of Transportation to act as agent for the City of Saint Peter in receipt of federal transportation funds. tion. Registration includes lunch and must be received before March 20, 2023. Download the registration form: https://www.boyinblue. org/news-events. Online payment option available. Admission at the door does NOT include lunch and only if space is available. For more detailed information and a full program listing, visit: www.boyinblue.org or email: contact@boyinblue.org

The council approved the resolution.

The city approved a resolution for refuse hauling contracts and providing host approval for bond issuance for Sunrise Meadows housing facility.

The resolution to approve a tobacco license for a business at 624 S. Minnesota Ave., known as Freedom gas station. A background check was completed and the city recommended approving the license. The business was recently sold to a new owner and Bradley DeVos wanted to make sure that it was clarified that the application is just for the new ownership, not a further expansion of products.

The council took a moment to pay respects to former City Councilmember Margee Nelson. City reports were read and the meeting adjourned.

Up next is the Minnesota Civil War Round Table Symposium. The symposium is set for April 1, 2023 and is titled Feeding War with Mule, Ship, and Locomotive, it will be a great program. You can register online at https://tccwrt. com/meetings/symposium/

Community Insurance Agency held their annual crop insurance update meeting on the evening of Tuesday, Feb 28 (Rescheduled from Feb 22 due to the snow storm) at the Lafayette Community Center. They would like to thank everybody for attending and wish all farmer’s a successful and safe 2023!

Mankato Symphony Orchestra Honors 2023 Young Artist Competition Winners at Gustavus in Saint Peter

Mankato, Minn. – The Mankato Symphony is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Young Artist Competitions, held on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. Nearly two dozen elite high school musicians from across the state competed in the event, which was made possible through a generous gift from the Mary Suedbeck Fund of the Mankato Area Foundation. Students competed in both solo and ensemble categories. A brass quartet from Waseca High School received first place in the ensemble category. The quartet, comprised of Ethan Stenzel, Mason Jes, Noah Dahle, and Elias Nevalainen, performed Londonderry Air, arr. Nigel Williams. Waseca High School music teacher Devon Lawrence served as the group’s chamber coach. Each member of the quartet won $500 and has an opportunity to perform side by side with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra this fall.

The top soloist prize went to pianist Jacob Taggart, of Blaine, Minn., for his performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, 3rd Movement. In addition to win- ning $1,500, Taggart has the opportunity to perform his solo with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra this fall. Cellist Sophia Alexander, of Minneapolis, Minn., won second place and a $750 prize with her performance of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. Judges also awarded honorable mentions to bassoonist Sam Geisler, of St. Paul, Minn., and two violinists, Charity Duran of Brooklyn Park, Minn., and Vladimir Tsiper, of Eagan, Minn.

“It was truly wonderful to hear so many talented high schoolers last Saturday. I could tell they had spent many hours preparing their pieces for competition,” said Executive Director Bethel Balge. “I am so pleased the MSO is able to offer such an incentivizing event. We are very thankful to the donor who made this all possible!"

The goal of the Young Artists Competition is to encourage high schoolers to achieve excellence in the arts and to foster musical collaboration between students.

“Music teaches so much, from the practical side of problem-solving and perseverance to the emotional side of forging life-long friendships and sharing an art form that can reach across borders and barriers,” said Competitions Chair Megan Wehrwein. “Nurturing these qualities is even more important than the accolades and prizes, but it’s also nice to be able to offer incentives and recognition for students who go above and beyond in their achievements.”

The Mary Suedbeck Fund, which provided the financial backing for the competition, was established in honor of the grandmother of the grantor. Suedbeck struggled to raise three children through the Great Depression with a husband who became completely disabled in his twenties. A Blue Earth County resident, Suedbeck ran a boarding house, took in laundry, and had little time for the more gracious aspects of life like art or music. She died at age 99. The fund was established in her memory so that others might pursue dreams that she and many of her generation were by circumstances denied.

For more information about next year’s competition, visit mankatosymphony.org/competitions or contact Competitions Chair Megan Wehrwein at competitions@ mankatosymphony.org