Great fall ‘get back together’
- Details
- Hits: 1633
GREEN ACRES - John and Mara Heinze, dressed as Oliver and Lisa Douglas from Green Acres, get into the spirit of the Great Fall Get Back Together at the Waseca Art Center Saturday evening.
Abby Walterer helps Holly Gundlach serve her "Minnesconsinite" style of catering.
Star Eagle photos by Melanie Piltingsrud
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Staff Writer
The Waseca Art Center was the place to be on Sat. evening, Oct. 30. Even Audrey Hepburn, Bob Ross, and the Norton Salt Girl turned up as the Center reinstated its biggest fundraiser of the year after Covid dashed all hope of a bash in 2020.
Due to the hiatus, the yearly Great Fall Get-Together was renamed the Great Fall Get Back Together. Waseca art council member Monica Priebe, who organized the event, utilized its proximity to Halloween to turn the fundraiser into a masked fete with a prize awarded in a costume drawing.
The event this year was held on the second story of the Waseca Art Center, an unusual location, since it is not handicap accessible. “We're trying to raise funds to put in an elevator,” said Priebe.
With no expenditures for staff last year, the Art Center tread water on government Covid relief aid. According to Priebe, the fundraiser usually brings in about $5,000 - $8,000.
The talented Ditch Creek Dixies provided entertainment from the stage, rocking their mix of covers and original songs to the delight of audience members, who were likewise vocal in their praise of the band. The duo, comprised of sisters Carmen and Clare Miller, grew up in the Waseca area with music in their veins. They admired their musical aunts, who dubbed themselves the Miller Sisters. In their search for the perfect band name, the younger duo needed look no farther than the family businesses, which bore the appellation Ditch Creek. The two have been performing live at various events since 2015. Although half the band in the person of Carmen has fulfilled a life-long dream of moving to Wyoming, she returns monthly to entertain with her sister.
‘It takes a village’ New Richland garden club celebrates 56 years
- Details
- Hits: 1570
BLOOMING - New Richland residents were able to enjoy a beautiful sight at the city garden all summer long, located alongside Highway 30 .
Star Eagle photo by Barb Finseth
By BARB FINSETH
Staff Writer
The Town & Country Garden Club had another bloomingly beautiful year for their City Garden on Hwy. 30 in New Richland, thanks to the dedicated volunteer work by their members.
It was a challenging year of heat and drought, and every gardener will have their own story of success and failure for this year's flowers and vegetables. It has been no different for the Garden Club.
They planted their annual plants of petunias, alyssum, salvia and others on May 26th. The next day it rained 1.5 inches, followed by several nights of a late season frost. Then there was no rain for weeks until June 20th with about three-quarters of an inch. During that month, the temperatures stayed in the 90's with high humidity, and the flowers demanded constant hose watering to help them get established. Fortunately, there were "just in time" rains, along with additional watering after that, with the result of another flourishing of flowers for this season.
The Garden Club has had flowers on this corner since 1966. In December of 1965, eleven rural and city women came together to form The Town & Country Garden Club. These founding members were: Cordelia Bethke, Clara Russell, Del Jensen, Emily Matz, Veronica Miller, Mary Sandvold, Margaret Barnett, Marian Wakefield, Mary Wenzel, Donna Williams, and Esther Boettcher. In the 56 years since then, the City Garden plot has undergone many changes and challenges.
‘One of the lucky ones’: Dayna Besser considers herself fortunate following her battle with breast cancer
- Details
- Hits: 1639
BOOK - Dayna Besser holding a book detailing a timeline of her battle with breast cancer between 2007 and 2008.
Star Eagle photos by Mikayla Besser
By MIKAYLA BESSER
Contributing writer
Editor’s note* A message from the author of this piece: “This article is in honor of my mother, Dayna Besser, but also in honor of my father, Chris Besser, who passed away in 2013 from lung cancer. I know he would be very proud of the women my sister and I have become.”
October is breast cancer awareness month. One out of eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. In 2007 Dayna Besser (Stenzel) joined this group.
Dayna grew up with four siblings on a farm outside of Freeborn where her parents Maynard and Syvilla Stenzel made their home for more than forty years. Maynard was a farmer, and Syvilla worked at the New Richland Care Center. Dayna graduated in 1988 from Alden High School. After high school she traveled for a few years before attending Brown Institute in Minneapolis in 1991. After getting her degree in Graphic Art in 1993 she moved back to her hometown, where she met Chris Besser. The two married three years later and had two children, Mikayla and Morgan, who both graduated from NRHEG High School, Mikayla in 2016 and Morgan in 2021.
“My mom has been through a lot in her life,” Mikayla said. “I am honored to help share her battle with cancer.”
On July 16, 2007, at the age of 37-years old, Dayna was diagnosed with breast cancer. Dayna is an animal lover and in between horse shows, she discovered a lump. A family history of cancer led Dayna to get her first mammogram on July 11, two days prior to her birthday. A biopsy five days later confirmed her suspicions. The next week was a blur for Dayna as she saw multiple doctors in preparation for surgery.
Softball Panthers defeat St. Clair/Loyola, fall to LCWM, play Saturday
- Details
- Hits: 1274
Brenlee Knudson stands on second base during the Panthers loss to LCWM Thursday, May 26, 2022. Knudson recorded one of only two Panther hits.
Ava Kyllo collects herself after a minor collision with a LCWM runner.
By: Eli Lutgens
Publisher/Editor
It was all smiles after the opening round of the section 2AA playoffs for the NRHEG softball program after its 12-0 five inning win over St. Clair/Loyola Monday, May 23, 2022.
The Panthers scored early, and often with the first inning beginning and ending with senior Ava Kyllo batting, as the team batted around.
The first five hitters for the Panthers all singled, (Ava Kyllo, Sidney Schultz, Faith Nielsen, Sophie Stork) with RBIs going to Faith Nielsen, and Brenlee Knudson, and later in the first to Preslie Nielsen. Brenna Sommer also singled and scored in the inning which had the Panthers leading 6-0 going into the second.
Stork was solid again from the hill, striking out five, walking one, and only allowing two hits in the five inning shutout.
The Panthers put an exclamation point on this game after Stork hit the team’s second home run of the season, a 2-run shot over the left centerfield wall in the bottom of the second.
Fortunate to practice dentistry for so long: After 45 years, Lundstrom Dentistry, now Family Dental
- Details
- Hits: 2092
PART TIME - After 45 years in dentistry. Dr. George Lundstrom closes his private practice, long cherished by the community. Dr. Kurt Erickson and Dr. Seth Huiras recently purchased the practice, where Lundstrom now works in semi-retirement.
Star Eagle photo by Melanie Piltingsrud
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Staff Writer
After 45+ years of attending to the dental needs of Albert Lea residents and the surrounding communities, Dr. George Lundstrom has decided it's time to retire – at least part-time.
“You can't do it forever,” said Lundstrom, who graduated from dental school at the University of Minnesota in 1976. “You're either going to retire or die.” Lundstrom considers himself very fortunate to be able to continue practicing dentistry at the age of 76.
Lundstrom took a vocational interests test in 9th grade that suggested he would like dentistry, and the idea clicked. “I like working with my hands,” said Lundstrom.
Back when he graduated from dentistry, the thing to do, according to Lundstrom, was to work in private practice. His other options would have been to work for another dentist, or take over from someone who was retiring. In either case, Lundstrom calculated that those patients would have been used to someone else's methods. “I decided that I would start my own business and do my own thing,” said Lundstrom. “[If] they went to me, they would understand that things would be different.”
Integrity was a big factor in Lundstrom's decision to open his own practice. “If I worked for somebody else, I might work for somebody that wanted to cut corners,” said Lundstrom. “I didn't want to do that.” Lundstrom wanted to take the time to do a good job, and use quality materials, and that's what he did.