Chris Hahn

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, January 8, 2026.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By David Phillips 

Several years ago, when I was running in Rochester with a group of friends, the trail around Silver Lake was so icy we had to run in the street, which brought us closer to the homes lining the south side of Silver Lake. As we neared Broadway Avenue, we heard the sound of someone call out “help” from one of those homes.

When we got closer, we saw an older woman on her side on an icy driveway that sloped to the street. She had gone out to check her mail and fell on the ice, which coated just about everything that day. She didn’t appear to be severely injured, but the ice on the slope of the driveway made it impossible for her to get upright again.

We helped her back into her home and asked if we should call an ambulance or contact someone who could help her. Her son lived nearby and after he arrived, we felt she was in good hands without any apparent repercussions from the fall.

After admonishing his mother for going out in the treacherous conditions, he thanked us and then said, “And, what were you people doing out in weather like this?”

We laughed sheepishly, unable to come up with a good answer. We went on our way, still laughing among ourselves that, yes, it was crazy to be out there trying to run on the ice-coated pavement.

However, that diagnosis hasn’t stopped us from continuing to go out in all kinds of conditions, whether it’s ice, subzero temperatures, rain or fog, to get our miles in.

In a way, we have almost the same unofficial motto as postal carriers:” Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” That incident resurfaced in my mind around the time of Spring Valley’s Christmas on Historic Broadway. I organize a winter fun run called the Frozen Feet 4k for the celebration. This year, we had warm conditions that melted snow and even brought some slight rain before a cold snap prior to the Saturday of our celebration. The warmer conditions were zapped by a sudden cold front, leaving a coating of ice throughout the city, while the cold snap meant the temperature during the celebration hovered around zero, with the feel-like temperature dipping well below zero.

I shortened the course to just one mile due to the ice and extreme cold, but still wondered if anyone would show up. I shouldn’t have worried, as runners make up a pretty dedicated group of people. We ended up with 12 who braved the cold and ice.

I decided to contact them by email after the race to see why they came out in the poor conditions, which kept other people from even venturing outside the house for more low-key events that weekend.

Three runners from Spring Valley responded. They did a good job summing up the various reasons to get out in terrible conditions during the 11th edition of a local running event that supports the Kingsland Youth Football program.

“I have participated in every Frozen Feet run since it started,” said Pam Phillips. “The cold does not bother me, but the icy surface was an issue this year. It’s a nice addition to the Christmas on Broadway celebration, and all proceeds go to a local group.”

“I love attending small-town running events to support local organizations and fundraisers — it always feels like one big family gathering. I’m an avid runner and participate in multiple races each year, but running in smaller communities is my favorite,” said Angie Gensmer.

“I ran this race because I haven’t missed one since I started running, and because I truly believe you can run in any temperature with the right attire — especially for a shorter distance. I duct-tape the toes of my shoes to help keep the heat in and the water out, and I wear multiple layers so I can peel them off as I warm up along the way.

“This year’s run was definitely a challenge, but watching everyone who showed up at the starting line made my heart happy. Some were dressed in Christmas attire, others in full overalls — but everyone had BIG smiles, ready to take on the challenge together.”

“I would say, I need to keep running for my physical health and my sanity,” said Bill Mettler. “When the weather is really extreme, I like the challenge of it. I like doing things that most people won’t do.”

 

Bill also answered for his son, Paul, who ran through the ice and cold: “Paul would say, ‘Dad made me.’”

As a PS, Mettler joked, “Also, I’m trying to keep up with Dave Phillips.” I’ve probably provided enough evidence to prove that may not be a wise goal.

 

Cutline:

Frozen Feet race runners line up at the starting line Saturday, Dec. 13, in downtown Spring Valley. Runners quoted in this column are Paul Mettler, left, and the three runners on the right, Angie Gensmer in Santa suit, Bill Mettler and Pam Phillips.

 

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, December 11, 2025.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By David Phillips 

When the holidays come around, Joe Bezdicek is one of the most familiar faces to shoppers at Sunshine Foods in Spring Valley.

The Spring Valley resident isn’t an employee of the grocery store picking up extra hours for the holidays, although he does help out Sunshine employees after customers are done checking out. Instead, he mostly sits in a chair, ringing a bell to draw attention to the red kettle by his side for people to donate money toward Salvation Army activities in Fillmore County.

Bezdicek isn’t the only volunteer to man the kettle, but he is the most prolific, putting in seven hours per day at times and often showing up seven days a week. Last year, he put in nearly 100 hours during the season, roughly from the week of Thanksgiving through the end of the year.

Staffing the red kettle at Sunshine Foods is a project of the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club. Bezdicek isn’t part of Kiwanis, but his wife, Rita, is a conscientious member who has been quite active throughout the years. “Rita said they need somebody to ring the bell. And I said, ‘Well, I’ll go over there and ring the bell for a while.’ And nobody relieved me, so I just kept ringing it,” said Bezdicek.  That was three years ago, and he has been busy ringing ever since then. The personal interaction is what keeps him coming back.

“I see a lot of people,” he said. “I taught industrial arts here for 32 years, and so a lot of the people I see are students I had in school years ago, plus their parents. So I know quite a few of the people by name, and they know me, so it’s a pleasant situation.”

With all the hours he has spent at Sunshine Foods, he knows the employees and understands the flow of activity through the store. The store has provided a chair for him, which makes his time there more comfortable. In turn, he helps put carts away, even devising a system for keeping one row of carts without the small baskets in front to help out families that bring in their children in car seats so they can fit them in the large basket.

Kiwanis has a signup form on the Spring Valley EDA website (springvalleyeda.org), so anyone in the community can volunteer to ring the bell. However, Bezdicek just shows up each day, and if a volunteer comes in to help, “I tell them if they want to ring the bell, just come on over, and I’ll give them the bell and tell me how many hours they want to ring it. I’ll come back and relieve them when they are done.”

Bezdicek estimates that about 65 to 70 percent of the customers take out coins or bills to stuff in the red kettle before exiting the store.

“People are surprisingly very generous. I’ll see anywhere from a few coins up to a $20 bill going in there — and people that you thought probably couldn’t handle it, they’ll put a couple of dollars in there. It’s just encouraging to me for a community this size. But I know in a community like Spring Valley and Wykoff, when there’s a need, the people will come to help.”

The Spring Valley Kiwanis Club took in more than $10,000 last year, which was more than the total collected in all other Fillmore County communities combined. The local red kettle has collected more than $4,000 as of Saturday, Dec. 6, this year, by far the largest amount of any location in the county.

An annual summary by Salvation Army Secretary/Treasurer Geraldine Williams of Spring Valley shows that the Fillmore County chapter touched the lives of approximately 2,500 people in the county during the most recent fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. Funds went to items such as county care center projects, Shop with a Cop, Easter and Thanksgiving food baskets, hygiene supplies for seven elementary schools in the county, educator appreciation baskets, and emergency assistance.

 

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