Chris Hahn

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, October 6, 2022.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy 

“Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time.” So, believe the members of Kiwanis International right here in Hometown Minnesota, Spring Valley, though they do have a village within a village.

“It takes a village to raise a child,’” quoted outgoing Spring Valley Kiwanis Club President Paula Ruesink, addressing the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club’s members gathered before her last Wednesday evening during the club’s annual meeting. Held at Some Like It Hot Cakes & Catering in downtown Spring Valley, the event is meant to honor members and recognize the club’s accomplishments of the past year and goals for the coming year.

Ruesink went on to cite that her father, the late Ray Beving, was a Kiwanian for as long as she could remember and that “my dad loved children,” as evidenced by his dedication to anything that had to do with Kiwanis’s mission to support children, be they in a village around the world or right here in Spring Valley and its surrounding area, and by his work to refurbish toys and collect new ones in the former Masonic Lodge building just off Highway 63. She pointed out that she waited for years to be able to become a Kiwanian and that when the opportunity presented itself, she took it proudly because she witnessed how Beving carried the responsibility and wore the Kiwanis pin to share about his membership with people he met along the way. “I’m wearing my Kiwanis pin tonight, but I’m also wearing my dad’s Kiwanis pins… we are Kiwanians…we should be proud of our community.”

As president, her year in that office was ending, and she therefore was to invite longtime Kiwanian David Phillips to be installed as the local club’s new president. Former Spring Valley Kiwanis Club member Jack Zierdt, who served as Spring Valley’s elementary principal and who is now a member of a Rochester Kiwanis club, represented the MN-DAK Kiwanis district as he stood to place a president’s pin on Phillips’s lapel.

Zierdt said, “Greetings from the district and the district education foundation. I bring an award for a Century Club membership for this past 2021-2022 year. I’m pleased to say how I’m starting 52 years of membership, and those were very good years in Kiwanis. Many of those were right here in this club. It’s always a pleasure to come back and introduce your new officers.”

New officers are Phillips, Denis Cornell as secretary, Tyler Himle as treasurer, and Ruesink as immediate past president. The new board of directors includes Jay Webster, Rita Bezdicek, Gene Halverson, Sharon Jahn, Mark Woodward and Pam Phillips. Outgoing board members are Rita Hartert and Kelly Nelson. The 2022-2023 Kingsland Key Club advisors are Kiwanians Mark Marburger and Pam Phillips, and Key Club student officers are President Josh Meskill, Vice President Jenna Stearns, Secretary Reilly Lawson, Treasurer Anika Reiland, and Lily Freet, editor and publicist. The Key Club’s faculty advisor is Aaron Thauwald. Also, members were recognized for their years of service during the evening’s proceedings, including Red Essig’s 39 years, Hartert’s 21 years, Jim Hindt’s 26 years, Bill Rowen and Penny Solberg for their respective two decades, Marburger for his quarter-century, Jahn for her 29 years, Bill Mettler for 28 years of membership, Phillips for his 34 years of membership, and Jeffrey Thauwald is rounding out an admirable 44 years as a Kiwanian

The Spring Valley Kiwanis Club “was chartered in 1939 and has a long history of service.” Its committees include administration and policy, budget and finance, community service, human and spiritual aims, membership growth and education, Young Children Priority One, and youth services and sponsored youth. Its service projects number high and include the high school Kiwanis Academic Students of the Month; college scholarships; sponsoring Key Club; participating in the annual Read Around the World classroom reading event; contributing to Food for Kidz, observing Faith Recognition Day and Farmer Recognition Day; offering the Handy Man Assistance program; honoring a local resident as the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club Citizen of the Year; hosting or assisting with the Spring Valley Ag Days celebration and community Halloween party; compiling gifts for Christmas in Fillmore County; ringing bells for the Salvation Army; lending a hand with Supper with Santa during Christmas on Historic Broadway, participating in the MN-DAK book project; honoring cancer patients and loved ones with the Love Lights a Tree Christmas luminarias; raising awareness and contributing food items to the Kingsland Backpack Food Program; holding a cancer telethon breakfast to benefit the Eagles’ Cancer Telethon each January, and joining in numerous community projects. The club raises funds through its annual rose sales to benefit college scholarships, its Ag Days breakfast served with the Spring Valley American Legion Auxiliary, and through its Four Daughters soup supper that garners monies for Food for Kidz.

The Spring Valley Kiwanis Club meets on Wednesdays at noon at the Spring Valley Community Center in downtown Spring Valley. New members are always welcome to join.

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, September 29, 2022.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy 

Andrea, Karly and Jessica are all about the velvet tableau, then renting it out for the scene serenity.

“The reason why we started this business is that Karly got married in June, and we had to go all the way to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to return her rented furniture…Karly and Hunter were on their honeymoon, and Steve and I had to return everything that Monday morning, and we thought that it was crazy driving all that way,” recounted Andrea Atwood, pointing out the collection of brightly-hued and moody velvet couches that she, her daughter Karly Irish and daughter-in-law Jessica Atwood have rounded up to offer for rent through their company, Sweet Serenity Design & Decor, a family business that brings all the beauty to weddings and special occasions but leaves wedding and special occasion furniture and décor storage to the Atwood family, collectors of interesting household furnishings, artifacts, backdrops and props.

Avoiding the nearly-$1,000 extra charge on top of Irish’s wedding expenses was the catalyst that gave Atwood, Irish and Atwood reason to spend money as they determined they needed to provide a shop closer to home in which couples who are planning weddings could choose the furnishings they want to have at their celebration but don’t necessarily want to keep forever after the candles are extinguished and the guests have returned to their hotel rooms. The trio enlisted their husbands’ assistance – well-known carpenter Steve Atwood, groom Hunter Irish, and Nick Atwood to give the former Total Look salon in downtown Spring Valley a facelift to ready it for use as a showroom for their finds gathered at auctions, flea markets and gift markets and to serve as home of Karly’s salon, Serenity Salon by Karly. The building, currently owned by Kylie and Mitchell Tart, needed some paint and removal of three of its four hairdressing stations before it could be put to work hosting various tableaus to show potential renters that they could have that velvet couch and enjoy getting to return it closer to home, too – no road trips.

Andrea related, “Steve came in and started demolition in here, and we’ve been shopping at auctions, marketplaces, sale stuff, getting stuff by word of mouth. I think we have a pretty good se- lection – we’ve got church pews for outdoor weddings, we’ve got some old chairs…somebody wanted gallon jugs, so we ordered those and rented them out twice already. We have a lot of vintage and boho-style things, and we have things for all colors of weddings – we try to accommodate everybody’s colors. We’ve got things for rustic and vintage weddings, for boho-modern weddings. We’ve got signs, arches, couches, rugs, candles and goblets, cake stands, neon lights, vases, table runners, a buffet that we’ve rented out, old windows to write wording on, table linens, lights for tents, the bouquets from Karly’s wed- ding–we have ten bouquets. We have just about everything. We’ve driven to La Crosse to find things, and we like to go shopping. We do offer delivery for parties–we deliver décor so that there’s one less thing for people to worry about. Right now, we’re not setting things up, but maybe in the future, we’ll try that. But it’s still one less thing for people to worry about.”

Andrea went on to point out, “It’s not just wedding things; we have baby and bridal things. I have a vintage baby buggy that I’m excited to bring in.”

Jessica contributed that while the family goes on shopping excursions and has brought home a small mountain of furniture – a collection that Andrea explained is also housed in the Thrivent building across the street–they’re always shopping for more or taking donations if someone has something that they’re not quite ready to permanently dispose of but feel is quirky, attractive and portable enough to be part of a reception or party’s scenery.

Andrea commented, “We can always use more couches, chairs, more colors. We never have enough stuff. We’ve already outgrown the spot we’re renting in the Thrivent building where we keep the arches and windows. We try to keep the basic stuff here. We want to really expand so it is not just wedding – so that it’s baby and bridal. And we rent out our couches and settings to photographers if they want to rent them for photos.”

Jessica is also a photographer, so she understands that oftentimes, when someone wants to have their photos professionally taken, they want to bring the “fancy” to their family memories, but for photographers themselves, keeping all the furniture and props on hand isn’t always feasible. Therefore, the benefit of having an outlet from which to rent a couch, perhaps some gauzy arch, autumn pumpkin props and that “just right” goblet for pictures of a young Halloween knight in training lies in being able to put some money down, take it out for a ride to the right place and bring it back when done with it.

The challenges of incorporating a business have shown themselves in the process of renovation, shopping, preparing items and managing schedules. Andrea acknowledged, “Our free time…with us all having busy schedules….”

Jessica picked up where her mother-in-law left off. “We all have our own other jobs, kids…everybody has their own opinions, and we’re doing business with family.”

Karly concurred that the management part of the endeavor proves itself to be the most notable challenge, but her mother stated that once the family has a moment together to round up tasks and tables and delegate who’s delivering the furniture and dishware to a wedding or other event, things work out.

Jessica observed that “it’s scary, exciting, nerve-wracking” to be venturing into commerce but that she’s optimistic, and Andrea said, “This is adventurous…an exciting journey. We want to offer southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa an easier option for special occasion rentals. It’s an honor if we can help someone with their special day.”

The hardest part of becoming merchants of Sweet Serenity for a wedding or other celebration is remaining serene themselves as they await the moment they step back and survey that what they’ve gathered and assembled is inextricably present in a couple’s or family’s forever memories, their photos. It’s just too much excitement to bear.

Jessica concluded, “We’re here, and I can’t wait to see the weddings, the events … I can’t wait to see the photographs.”

Sweet Serenity Design & Décor is located at 122 N. Broadway Ave., Spring Valley and is available by appointment unless otherwise noted. For more information, log onto Facebook at @sweet- serenitydesign, e-mail sweetserenity122@yahoo.com, or call Andrea Atwood at 507-517-0574.

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, September 22, 2022.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy 

The whisper of wings on a brick wall…speaking a million volumes.

“The angel wings spoke to me because of what they stood for. They were initially painted as a reminder to humanity that we are the angels of this earth. I fell in love with the idea that people travel all over the world to see the different murals, and I thought it was a great way to put Spring Valley on the map, as well as utilizing it as a tool to jump-start a stronger art connection in our town,” said Spring Valley Business Alliance (SVBA) member Jenn Slifka, remarking on the wide set of wings recently painted on the north side of Hop & Barrel in downtown Spring Valley by local mural artist Andrea Hindt, a span that will likely be posted to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as it captivates the attention of passersby who stop for a photograph of the moment in which they are living.

Slifka explained that the just feathered brick has an intended mission. “The angel wing mural is a project of the Spring Valley Business Alliance, known as the ‘SVBA Angel Wing Project.’ SVBA is a newly formed group of entrepreneurs that are working together to bring new projects, ideas and concepts to achieve growth in our community through additional tourism, as well as building a stronger town pride and ‘shop local’ feel amongst our local residents. Our mission is to bring business owners together to support a stronger business community and a stronger town. The SVBA Angel Wing Project is a fundraiser to kickstart our group, and people can purchase a feather on the mural which can be dedicated to a person, a business, a family name or anything that speaks ‘Spring Valley’ and our community. The vision was that from far away, you can see a gorgeous mural of angel wings, but once you get up close, you can see all of the names of families, businesses and organizations who have donated to be a part of our town’s story.”

She recounted that she’d suggested the project during a charter SVBA meeting because the membership was seeking direction and an effort on which to collaborate.

“I had initially seen pictures of the Global Angel Wing Project out in Los Angeles, and the artist, Collette Miller, has also painted them in different locations all over the world. There is a set in Nashville which has probably brought the most attention to the concept.”

Artist Hindt has already shown her talent throughout downtown Spring Valley, as she originally painted several murals on the west side of Slifka’s business buildings to uplift their aging presentations. Slifka pointed out, “I have been talking with Andrea for quite a few years about angel wings. We just needed a place where they were a perfect fit. We joke that Andrea is our in-house artist because every idea we come up with, she is on top of it instantly. She is very passionate about what she does, and it shows in her work. This is the ninth project she has done for us—if not more—and we will always find more ideas for her to bring to life.”

California transplant Slifka, who is a Kingsland High School alum and proprietor and co-proprietor of Spring Valley’s “mini-mall” of businesses, including Chateau de Chic Salon, the Chic by Chateau clothing store and Stellar 181 Taphouse, is proud to watch her longtime adopted hometown garner attention as the formerly empty storefronts fill up with revived commerce, and from that has arisen the SVBA and downtown events and improvements such as monthly Wednesdays on Broadway evenings of entertainment and shopping along the two blocks of Broadway just off Highways 16 and 63 and the installation of paintings and other works of art.

“Wednesdays on Broadway is blanketed under the Spring Valley Business Alliance. Our group is new and growing, but we have so much passion in our group that you will be seeing a lot more of our ideas coming to life very soon. I think Wednesdays on Broadway has strongly shown how amazing of a community we really are.” She continued, “The mural is right at the top of our historic downtown, and it is a draw and a reason for people to stop, get out and check out our downtown area. I absolutely love coming downtown and seeing people posing in front of it, seeing people’s pictures on social media. People’s first response is ‘Where are you? Where is that?’ and the reply is ‘Spring Valley, Minnesota.’ Our hashtag for social media is #SVBAAngelWingProject. People can also tag Spring Valley, MN.”

The wispy white mural was produced through the generosity of private funding. “For people who are interested, it is a $50 donation to the business alliance, and we can dedicate a feather and have it painted with whatever you would like. The mural itself was commissioned and paid for privately, so 100% of the proceeds of the SVBA Angel Wing Project goes toward future projects of the SVBA. As I said before, it could be a person, a family name, a business name, organization, or even something of our town history that helps paint a picture of Spring Valley. Anyone interested can get in contact with me.”

She added, “I think it would be amazing to see a huge response in people who want to be a part of putting their names on the mural. I think that, in itself, will be proof of how strong our community is, to rally behind something that is timeless. And then they can be a part of the story that is told every time someone takes their picture in front of it. The angel wings are just the start of the full mural, so you will see a lot happening on that wall to build upon what Andrea has started. The wings were just the beginning.”

The SVBA Angel Wing Project is an alighting point for the organization’s fundraising and community endeavors. “We have lots of ideas we want to see come to life. We have a growing group of excited and creative entrepreneurs who have great ideas and visions for our town. For so long, the outlying small towns around Rochester have been labeled ‘bedroom communities,’ and we are more than that. We have a lot of great things here to be proud of. I think the more we do things like this, we are setting ourselves up to be a destination, not just a small town along the highway.”

Slifka feels that a strong breeze is coming with Spring Valley’s new wings and with its business alliance. “I have always said that business owners are movers and shakers, free-thinking and creative planners. I think we need to step up and bring our assets to the table—whatever they may be—and support the community that supports us. Spring Valley is an amazing little town full of amazing people, and we want to bring everyone together to show how great we really are.”

For more information on how to donate, contact Jenn Slifka at 507-272-3005

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, September 1, 2022.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy 

“I will be teaching fifth-grade in the elementary school,” said new Kingsland teacher Rollins, elaborating on the reason he chose to stand before an array of young people who have achieved status of being in grade five in the course of their public educations, and admitting that his job ahead will mean that he’s got plenty of too-honest stories from youngsters that will likely be worthy of standup comedy— but probably not repeatable if he hopes to spare some parents embarrassment—adding, “While student-teaching in fifth-grade at Byron, I had a great experience. I anticipate that I will feel the same here at Kingsland. Fifth grade is one of my favorite grades because fifth graders are hilarious!”

He’s a recent graduate of public education himself, having rounded out his post-secondary lessons this past spring. “I graduated from high school in 2018, from Triton High School, and I graduated from Winona State Rochester in May 2022. This is my first year teaching, and elementary is the only teaching that I have done. Before coming to Kingsland, I did my student teaching in Rochester and Byron. I have also done coaching in high school and middle school. I chose to become an elementary teacher because I like keeping the same students all day. Having the same students all day allows me to get to know the students a lot better.”

Rollins stated that he decided upon Kingsland “because it is a small district and close to home.” “I anticipate that I will have a blast working on the Kingsland staff because the staff have made me feel very welcomed, and so have the students.

I anticipate that my first year is going to be a challenge because I have a lot to learn.”

He’ll be taking lessons from his students and teaching them at the same time, as he believes that interaction with others is very important to students’ betterment. “I believe that one of the most important things for students to learn while in school is how to communicate and work with others well. I hope that I create an environment for students that feels safe and welcoming. I also hope that I can create a positive relationship with each student that will last for a very long time. I am excited to get back in the classroom with my own group of students for the first time – I am excited to go to Whitewater for the fifth-grade field trip, and I also plan on spending a lot of time outside with my students before and after the snow – and I believe that this will be a year that I will never forget.”

Rollins moved south from his hometown to shorten the commute to his fifth-grade court jesters. “I have recently moved to Rochester to be closer to Kingsland. My mom, dad and brother live in Claremont where I grew up. I also have a couple dogs, goats, and a cat. In my spare time, I like to hang out with friends, hunt, fish and go on trips to state parks with my girlfriend, Madi, and my German shorthair pointer, Mav.”

He rounded out his statement about becoming a Kingsland instructor by declaring, “Go Knights!”

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325