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When I started working for MPR in October of 1999, one of the territories that I was asked to cover was the Brainerd area.  I remember working out of our space on the campus of Central Lakes College and meeting Leif Enger, a reporter for MPR at the time.  His father was the music teacher at Upsala High School in the sixties.  He once pulled me into the band room, sat me down in a chair and stuck a tuba in my lap.  He said, “Blow hard!”.   I was too involved in other things like partying to have any time for band.  Leif Enger left MPR and went on to author “Peace Like a River”. He dedicated the book to his father.

Shortly after I started my career, they asked me to cover the Sun Valley, Idaho classical music station KWRV 91.9.  The Brainerd territory was assigned to Barb Treat out of Bemidji. In April of this year, MPR sold KWRV to Boise State Public Radio and then Barb decided to retire as Senior Account Executive, so now I am back working Crow Wing County and Todd County.  

On Tuesday, I attended my first Business After Hours presented by the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce. It was held at The Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts at the Brained High School.  It is a stunning 1,200 seat auditorium, with concert and theater stage configurations and an orchestra pit. The host was the Lakes Area Music Festival, headed by the founder and Artistic Director, Scott Lykins.  He is a graduate of Brainerd High School.  

This amazing summer festival began last Saturday and ends on Sunday August 18^th.  Tickets to the concerts may be obtained at no charge. Donations are greatly appreciated. Tickets are available through the Minnesota Orchestra at www.minnesotaorchestra.org or by calling 612-371-5600.  The ticket office opens at 10am today.  You may also stream some of the concerts through a partnership with YourClassical MPR.  More information is available at www.lakesareamusic.org  

“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.”  Thomas a Kempis

Category : General

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Apollo 11 landed on the moon 55 years ago tomorrow.  “Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module, Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC. Neil Armstrong became the first person to step on the Moon’s surface six hours and 39 minutes later.”  Source: Wikipedia  

In 1963 I was a contract draftsman in Minneapolis.  Minnesota Engineering sent me to Honeywell on Stinson Boulevard to report to a drafting department.  I had just started on this career, and I was self-taught.  The truth was, I was not very good at the task.  It turned out that Honeywell was working on gyroscopes for the Apollo project.  After a couple of days, the department head confronted me and told me that I was the worst draftsman that he had ever met. 

He transferred me to the Polaris project in the next building.  I reported to Nevin Jahns, and he took me on as an engineer aid.  My job was to make changes to sepias of drawings.  The simplest of tasks.  I worked hard. I even managed to design a simple plastic part to eliminate the possibility of an electric short circuit. I managed to stay there until March of 1965 when I left to return to St. Cloud State College. 

At my going away party they gave me a Polaris Submarine tie clasp and a briefcase for my books plus a compass set that belonged to the young fellow that had my job, but never returned to work after a long weekend.  I never knew his name or what happened to him. He must have hated the job.   My good fortune. 

Nancy Atkinson lives near Upsala.  She has written a new book, “Eight Years to the Moon, the History of the Apollo Missions”.   She was in our studio five years ago, linked to a live broadcast on Maine Public Radio.  She has uncovered a lot of details. The book is a great read.

“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Neil Armstrong

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The 39th annual Hagstrom/Osberg Golf Open Tournament, “The H2O”, at the newly remodeled Little Falls Golf Course was a hit.

My mother’s sister, Leone, Auntie to me, married Duane Hagstrom, co-owner of Hagstrom Chevrolet in Upsala, Minnesota. Between the two families there were 10 cousins. Auntie’s youngest, Kevin, is a very good golfer and for many years he and I won this best ball event every year. For that reason, we named our team ‘Ming’. After all, we were a dynasty.

Because of my bad back, all I can do is putt.  When I was 12 years old, we lived at 1620 Colorado Avenue in St. Louis Park. There was a Putt-Putt close by and I spent a lot of time there every summer.

This year Ming consisted of Cousin Kevin, my brother Craig, and his wife Sara Lynn, plus their son Grayson. Craig and Sara Lynn’s daughter McKenzie drove the cart.  We finished 1 under.

My sister and her husband Duaine have lots of daughters who have lots of daughters, so the sons-in-laws plus grandson Adam were able to field Duaine Team 1.0 and Duaine Team 2.0.  Duaine Team 1.0 brought home the trophy.

After golf we gather at brother Bill’s house near the golf course for a picnic and the award ceremony. We are fortunate to have a number of traditions in our family.  I trust that your summer will be filled with many family events as well.

“It’s good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.”  Mark Twain    

Category : General

Comments Off on July 12, 2024

When my granddaughter Kaylin Marie was in the first grade she took her work very seriously.  One day she brought home a paper that had the mark “one wrong”.  The work sheet was a collection of scrambled words, which the students were to unscramble and write down the correct word.  One was “h t i s”.  The correct answer was to be “this”.

However, there is another word that fits.  It is a slang word, but it is included in the New College Edition of the American Heritage Dictionary.  The teacher, Mrs. Johnson, decided to mark the slang word “wrong”.

Kaylin’s mother was sharing this story with me at the dining room table and Kaylin was there too.  After I was done laughing, Kaylin said, “Yes Grandpa, I looked at that paper and I said to myself, ‘What was I thinking’?”

Tomorrow is the 39^th annual “Hagstrom Osberg Golf Tournament”.  I plan on bringing my trusty old putter and a good attitude. Let’s hope that the rains hold off. 

“I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone’s game.  It’s called an eraser.”  Arnold Palmer

Category : General

Comments Off on July 5, 2024

“Happiness is a warm puppy”. Charles Schulz.     “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is written into the Constitution of the United States of America.

In the February 27, 2006, issue of The New Yorker there was an article on pursuing happiness. It turns out that by nature we have been hardwired to emphasize the negative. Survival depended on being wary. The curious and unwary could be eaten by bears or tigers. “Call no man happy until he is dead” was a popular Greek saying. According to many psychologists, once we are out of poverty, the most important determinant of happiness is our “set point”, our natural level of happiness, which is largely a matter of genetics.

Of course, we have no control over our set point. Those of you who have more than one child know that children do seem to be wired differently. Same parents, same conditions and yet siblings can be so different.

However, we can control our attitude. “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen made quite the impact on me. We also can decide how much volunteer work we are willing to do.

Ready for the secret to happiness? Here it is: “Happiness is equal to your set point S, plus your life conditions C, plus a bit of volunteer work, V.  H = S + C + V”. If you want a copy of the article, let me know.

“Happiness is hard to put into words. It’s also harder to source, much more mysterious than anger or sorrow, which come to me promptly, whenever I summon them, and remain long after I’ve begged them to leave.” David Sedaris

Category : General

Comments Off on June 28, 2024

Johnny Appleseed was an American pioneer nurseryman who planted apple trees in large parts of the eastern United States and Ontario. He became an American legend while still alive, due to his kind, generous ways, his leadership in conservation, and the symbolic importance that he attributed to apples.  Source: Wikipedia

About 10 years ago Peter Gillitzer, along with his partners Aaron and Adam, launched Milk & Honey Ciders.  They planted heirloom and traditional cider apples on a plot of land located on County Road 51 southwest of St. Joseph.  They focus on interesting, dry, highly aromatic, and tannic ciders made in the rolling hills of Stearns County.

Next Thursday The Current is bringing Happy Hour to Milk & Honey Ciders.  They are bringing Americana artist Clare Doyle who was named First Avenue’s “Best New Band of 2023”. Music in Minnesota hailed her as “a fresh perspective in emotional storytelling”.  This free event starts at 4pm at goes until 7.  I hope to see you there.   www.milkandhoneyciders.com

“I wish to live because life has with it that which is good, that which is beautiful, and that which is love.” Lorraine Hansberry

Category : General

Comments Off on June 21, 2024

The annual Osberg Men’s Fishing Trip at Holly’s Resort on Otter Tail Lake was awesome.  I stayed in the cabin until Friday morning. Then, just like last year, our guide Randin Olson, my son Erik, my grandson Walleye Willie and I headed for the secret lake.  One of 1,048 lakes in Otter Tail County. I didn’t catch any trophy fish, but I did catch three Walleye, a Northern and a Bass.  Later that night, Erik and Willie went out again and Erik caught a 27 15/16-inch walleye, so the Trophy stays in my family.  On another note, brother Brian had a 29-point cribbage hand.  Next year, we may add a cribbage tournament to the mix.   (Note: The picture is from 2022.)

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Texas proclaiming that enslaved Black people were free.  More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was supposed to end slavery in the United States.  Now Juneteenth is a National Holiday. 

Later today, Higher Works Collaborative will celebrate the African American Male Forum 28th Annual Juneteenth Event at Lake George Municipal Park in downtown St. Cloud. The event is from 2 pm until 7pm.  More detailed information is available online at H W C M N dot org.  I hope to see you there.

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy to a friend.”   Martin Luther King Jr. 

Category : General

Comments Off on June 14, 2024

This weekend I plan on visiting “Hippe Landing” west of Upsala next to the American Legion Memorial Park on Cedar Lake.  The park has one of the best swimming beaches in central Minnesota.  There are camping spots also, but I understand there is a long waiting list. 

Next to the entrance to the park there is a Public Landing with a sign “Hippe Landing”. There used to be an old store, without any signage, located where the landing is now.  At one time it was called Cedar Lake Pavilion. The store was owned and run by Emie Hippe. Emie was a real character and for many years she served ice cream, candy and pop to kids from the park and 3.2 beer to the adults. The PayDay candy bar was a favorite of mine.

Strangely, you could not buy a Coke there and I always wondered why. One day my brother Craig and I went in to have a drink and I finally had the nerve to ask her, “Emie, why don’t you serve Coca Cola?” She slammed her hand on the bar and said “The dirty rascals.  My husband Ben used to travel all the way to Brainerd with the empty bottles and bring back the full ones. Then during the war, they asked us to simply hold on to the empties and they would pick them up later.” So, what happened Emie? “The dirty rascals changed their mind and would not pick them up.” “What did you do with them Emie, they would be worth a lot of money?” “You will never find them!” she proclaimed, “We buried them under two ton of rock!”

For over 60 years no Coca Cola products were sold from this store, all because someone broke a promise. I am sure that the Coca Cola route driver tried a few times when he would see the Pepsi truck out front, but she never let them put Coke back on the shelf.

“In the best institutions, promises are kept no matter what the cost in agony and overtime.”  David Ogilvy

Category : General

Comments Off on May 31, 2024

When I was a youngster in Upsala, we always had a Memorial Day service in the school gym, followed by a parade down Main Street. Sometime after I graduated Upsala High School in 1961, the practice died out. Then in the 80’s, Lorna Koehn, a member of the Upsala American Legion Auxiliary, brought back the Memorial Day Celebration in Upsala. I can still picture her marching in front of a group of children, each holding a bunch of lilac flowers.

This year the Memorial Day celebration in Upsala will start with a program at 10am in the school gym.  Following the indoor ceremony, the celebration will proceed to the Veterans Memorial Park directly across the street. The Upsala American Legion has constructed a monument to Veterans from the Upsala area.  Last year they built a building that serves as a museum displaying military artifacts. My dad’s WW2 Navy Uniform is on display. He served as a Radarman on the U.S.S. Vammen, a destroyer escort in the Pacific.   At the end of another short ceremony, the children will wait in anticipation for the chance to collect the spent brass shells after the 21-gun salute. They make good whistles.

After that, there will be a parade through Upsala, ending at the City Recreation Building where the `Upsala First Responders’ will serve a picnic lunch.  Hopefully, there will be some “Bee Bop A Ree Bop Rhubarb Pie”. Whenever you meet a veteran or a service member, simply say “Thank you for serving”. They all deserve our respect.

“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”  John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Category : General

Comments Off on May 24, 2024

Many times, we end up taking a path quite by accident.  My first career was drafting.  I faked my way into that field, but it ended well. In fact, in 1965 drafting jobs were so plentiful that Marcia and I were able to take a four-week honeymoon, knowing that when I got back to Minnesota, I just had to walk into Strom Engineering, and they would send me out to Control Data or Univac “on contract”.  In 1969 I became involved in the very first computerized drafting service bureau in the world.   

Norwood Engineering was founded by a salesman with Twin Cities Blue Printing, Dick Engebretson.  He hired my boss, Ron Crew, at Control Data, who in turn hired me.  Our plans included franchising service bureaus, so my title was Franchise Manager.  We hired General Office Products to design and furnish our offices in Roseville as well as the one and only franchise that we sold to Bob Johnson in Seattle, Washington. 

To make a long story short, the business failed, and I ended up as the last General Manager.  I had to write a letter to about 14 companies explaining that Norwood Engineering had filed for bankruptcy, and we could not pay their bill.  In case they wanted to talk it over, I did add my home phone number at that bottom of the letter.

Because of that letter, my third career was in the office furniture industry. Jim Helstrom, sales manager for General Office Products, received one of those letters and he called me.  Of course he wanted his furniture back.  I had to explain that the President of Norwood, Ron Crew, had taken a loan out at a bank and he pledged the furniture as collateral.  The bank took the furniture.  GOP did not “have a position” on the goods sold.  At the end of the conversation, Jim said, “Well if you ever need a job, let me know.”  

I spent 22 years in the office furniture industry, and I loved every minute of it.  Many years later I called Jim and thanked him for the awesome sales training that he had provided. After Jim passed, I spoke to his son, and he told me that his dad talked about that telephone conversation many times.  Maybe this week would be a good week for you to call an old friend or mentor. 

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”  Vince Lombardi

Category : General

Comments Off on May 17, 2024