May 1st, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good rainy morning from Collegeville,
It would be nice if it would rain all day. We need the moisture. Years ago I got interested in gardening because of my brother-in-law, Jackie. Jackie grew up on a farm and gardening was not a hobby, it was a matter of survival. When they sold the farm in 1971 and moved to town, Jackie convinced the members of the church next door to let him till up a plot of ground west of the old parsonage so he and his parents could continue growing the fresh vegetable that they were used to enjoying.
Jackie had bad knees and so he bought a Yamaha three wheeler and he did his gardening from that. By June, his garden was overrun with weeds, but it still produced. As his arthritis got worse, I offered to do some tilling for him on a weekend. The next time I came by, he growled something about how many vegetable seedlings I had destroyed. My only defense was that the rows were not straight and as a “town kid”, I was not schooled in knowing which were weeds and which were plants. The next spring, I introduced the idea of stakes spaced three feet apart and string. Yesterday, I planted the first two rows of with Yukon Gold potatoes. Love those Yukon Golds, in rows exactly three feet apart.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from the Sauder Concert Hall in Goshen, Indiana. It is a singing show from a big town with a rich tradition of harmony and participation in song. The hometown Goshen College Chamber Choir will perform both sacred and secular pieces. Garrison is hoping to entice the audience to sing along. Indianapolis-born sister duo Lily and Madeleine will sing in breathtaking sibling harmony their songs of longing, heartache and paradise found. National Mandolin Champion Ethan Setiawan will perform along with the Royal Academy of Radio Actors and the regular cast of characters. Enjoy the show.
“You will never find a better sparring partner than adversity” Golda Meir
April 24th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
Once in a while Garrison’s News From Lake Wobegon will cause a flash back. Last Saturday he talked about going 80 miles per hour on a toboggan in the ditch behind a car. I suspect that he stretched the truth a little bit on the speed, but in Upsala we did the same thing with a hood from a 39 Chevy. Heavy snow would always bring out the daredevil in the town kids. It is a miracle that no one was killed. Somehow we did get our hands on a couple of real toboggans and we headed up to the Burtrum hills. One night there was a terrific crash and my sister and a classmate ended up in the hospital. Kathie had a cracked collar bone and my classmate broke an arm.
When you factor in the ice drag races on Cedar Lake, our winter sports were nothing if not unique. Today there are ice skating rinks and tubing on Eagle Mountain so the kids are a little safer.
The APHC show this week is another live broadcast from The Town Hall in the heart of Manhattan. Special guests include Brooklyn Rider, a string quartet hailed as “the future of chamber music”. The folk trio, The Wailin’ Jennys will bring in their effortless harmonies. Poet Sharon Olds, known for her intensely, and sometimes graphically personal and scorching commentary on everyday life, will join the gang to read a few poems. Richard Dworsky and The 7th Avenue Band will join up with the Royal Academy of Radio Actors.
Garrison will deliver the News From Lake Wobegon. Enjoy the show. If will be repeated on Sunday at 11 am.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Albert Schweitzer
April 17th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good beautiful morning from Collegeville,
They say that money can’t buy happiness, but it can make a down payment on wonderful memories. One of the disadvantages of being the oldest boy in a family raised by a single mom, is that no one was around to teach me how to fish. Besides, I was too busy with my life of crime. First the “gas cap gang”. We stole most of the gas caps in Upsala, just because. Of course we got caught and Justice Bernard Lunder sentenced us to 6 months of going to the church of our choice. Later I was the youngest member of the Black Knights Car Club. That did not end well either. Six months of probation.
But my son Erik was only one year old when we bought a lake place on Cedar Lake west of Upsala and Earl Benson at General Office Products gave me lessons on fishing for bass. Erik went to Canada on a fly-in with a neighbor when he was 15 and caught not one, but two 9 lb 15 oz walleye.
His son Willie, age six, has a membership to the Bass Fishing Society and this spring he has already caught some nice fish including the crappie in the attached jpg. His bucket list for the summer is ten different fish and it should be a real blast helping him to check them off one at a time.
The APHC show this week is another live performance from the historic Town Hall in New York City. Special guests include the women’s vocal ensemble “Anonymous 4” with multi-instrumentalist Bruce Molsky and Bensonhurst harmonizers The DiGiallonardo Sisters. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors will team up with musical director Richard Dworsky and the Last Street Band to entertain us with skits. Garrison will share the latest News from Lake Wobegon. Enjoy the show.
“Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within.” Helen Keller
April 10th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
Yesterday was a big day in history. It was 150 years ago, in 1865, that General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War. Union troops had driven Lee out of Richmond and blocked his route back to North Carolina. Lee’s Confederate troops had no more food or supplies, and Union forces hounded them wherever they went. Men were deserting in growing numbers, and those who stayed seemed certainly doomed. “It would be useless and therefore cruel, to provoke the further effusion of blood,” the Confederate general said, “and I have arranged to meet with General Grant with a view to surrender.” Source: Writers Almanac.
100 years ago yesterday, Bob Nicol was born in Waupaca, Wisconsin. Bob is a charter member of the St. Cloud Area Sertoma Club. He is still active in the club and ringing the bell with Bob for the Salvation Army in front of Coborn’s on Cooper has always been a highlight for me. Last year one of our newest members, Kelly McCall, age 25, beat me to it at sign-up time. The age of our club members spans 75 years.
Two years ago, Bob was featured in an article in the St. Cloud Times. He was pictured putting at the first hole during a round of golf at the St. Cloud Country Club. Bob graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1941 and joined the infantry in 1942. Bob took up golf while serving at Fort Benning in Georgia and he has been a member of the St. Cloud Country Club for 66 years. Bob, you are one of my heroes.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from The Town Hall on West 43rd Street in New York City. Special guests include soprano Renee Fleming, pianist Rob Fisher and vocalists Aoife O’Donovan and Heather Masse. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors will team up with music director Richard Dworsky to entertain us with skits. The News From Lake Wobegon will bring us up to date on the town and its residents. Enjoy the show.
If you enjoy Celtic music, come to Escher Auditorium at the College of St. Benedict tonight. I will be there working a table. If you like choral music, you can enjoy the Great River Chorale tonight or Sunday afternoon at the First United Methodist Church in Sartell. Greatriverchorale.org.
“The years teach much which the days never know.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
April 3rd, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good Friday morning from Collegeville,
No way that I will get the Yukon Gold potatoes in the ground today. It was only 22 degrees this morning. We did set an all-time high temperature record for the state on Wednesday, but that was Wednesday. In Minnesota, if you don’t like the weather, just wait a day. Nothing you can do about the weather, so why worry.
The kitchen remodeling project turned out great. Bob’s Cabinets, Woodshop of Avon, Ripplinger Plumbing, all involved, played it like a symphony. That is one of the benefits of a small town, easy folks to work with. Thanks to Jeremy for helping out.
There are two new program sponsors to thank, Husky Spring on Clearwater Road and Heritage Bank in Willmar. If you know these folks, be sure to thank them.
The APHC show this week is another re-broadcast of a show from April of 2013. It was originally performed at the City Bank Auditorium in Lubbock, Texas. The Flatlanders perform “Not That Much Changed” and Ashley Monroe sings “Morning After”. Garrison chats with Travis Holley and Peggy Sue Gerron about Lubbock’s own Buddy Holly. In Lake Wobegon, Donny Krebsbach ventures onto the lake in search of early spring ice fishing. Enjoy the show.
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” John Ruskin
March 26th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good cool morning from Collegeville,
We are redoing the kitchen at The Parsonage in Upsala and I will be supervising the installation of the new counter and sink tomorrow so this is going out early. The 50’s style tin sink was beyond repair. Thanks to my very creative old high school buddy Bob and his cabinet shop all will be new soon.
On October 2, 2004, I attended the APHC show at The Fitzgerald Theater and when I sat down to look at the program, I loudly proclaimed “They took out Upsala”! The front of the program was a map of central Minnesota and they had removed the dot and name “Upsala” from the map and positioned a dot and the name “Lake Wobegon” where South Elmdale used to be. Bob, the cabinet maker, and his wife Shirley live in “South Elmdale”. All that is left of South Elmdale today is a small church that is no longer used on a regular basis. The congregation moved to Holdingford a few years back. I have attached a copy of the program.
The APHC show this week is a rebroadcast of a show recorded at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Special guests include Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver who will play “Blue Train (Of the Heartbreak Line)”. The U.S. Fleet Forces Band performs “The Klaxon” and Robin and Linda Williams and Joe Newberry sing “Rocky Island”. In addition, Rob Fisher and The DiGiallonardo Sisters perform “Jeepers Creepers”. In Lake Wobegon, Sarah Peterson worries her parents by becoming successful. Enjoy the show.
Tonight Visual Arts Minnesota presents their “35th Annual High School Art Exhibition and Competition” reception and award ceremony at the Paramount Theatre Lobby and Studio C in downtown St. Cloud from 6 to 8. I have many fine pieces of artwork in my collection purchased from past shows. I hope to see you there.
“You are not merely here to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” Woodrow Wilson
March 20th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
Today is the first day of spring. Signs of spring are not very apparent. I have not seen a robin yet. The tulips are barely sticking out of the ground. The ice is still on the lakes around campus, but hope springs eternal. Rhubarb can’t be far behind.
There are plans in the works to bring back the Fisher’s Club in Avon. A couple of young men, Cory and Jacob Voss, grew up in the area and they are working hard to make it happen, soon. Fisher’s is famous for their walleye and Bee Bop A Ree Bop Rhubarb pie. Fisher’s was a bottle club, a place where you could bring your own bottle of booze and then purchase “set-ups” to mix your own. They did serve wine and beer. There are lockers on the walls with the names of the club members. For many years a club member could leave their bottle in the locker, thus not having to carry it with them. I hope that in the remodeling that they leave the lockers there. That practice was not approved the last time that Fisher’s was brought to life. This time they might go with a full bar.
There are plans to offer memberships in the “Fisher’s 2015 Founders Club” starting at the $500 level. If you are interested send an email to [email protected]
The APHC show this week is a rebroadcast of a show from The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington. Brandi Carlile sings “The Story” and the Wailin’ Jennys perform “Bird Song”. The usual cast of characters will perform a number of skits and Richard Dworsky will lead the band. In The News From Lake Wobegon, Lyle Janske runs the high school basketball concessions stand to take his mind off his son’s illness. Enjoy the show.
“Goals are means to achieving the sub-objectives whereby progress toward objectives can be measured. They should be reasonable, attainable, set in advance for a fixed period, and written. W.L. Howse
March 13th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good sunny morning from Collegeville,
What a beautiful week of weather in central Minnesota. The forecast is for 64 degrees on Sunday. Still no cardinals calling for some action, but that will happen soon.
Tomorrow night I will be working a table at The Paramount Theatre in downtown St. Cloud. The James Sewell Ballet Company is presenting “Guy Noir: The Ballet”. Rich Dworsky, the music director for APHC will be there along with The Guy’s All Star Shoe Band. Come on down and enter the contest for some door prizes. The show starts at 7:30.
Ring of Kerry is performing today at 1:30 and tonight at 7:30, also at The Paramount Theatre. You still have time to purchase a new seat for The Paramount. This is a great way to commemorate yourself, your loved ones, or someone else of your choosing with an engraved plaque on one or more seats in the Theatre. Simply go to paramountarts.org/seats to purchase seats or tickets online.
The APHC show this week is a rebroadcast of a show from the San Diego Civic Theatre from February 2011. Special guests include Sara and Dean Watkins performing “I’m a Memory”. The United States Navy Band Southwest will play “The National Emblem March” and Jearlyn Steele sings “Tell Mama”. In the News From Lake Wobegon, Clint and Irene Bunsen celebrate their 38th wedding anniversary at the Moonlight Bay Supper Club. Enjoy the show.
“If you do not sow, you do not reap; no investment, no dividend. It’s as simple as that.” Alfred Armand Montapert.
March 6th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
The rumor is that winter is over this weekend. I will believe it when I see the robins pulling worms out of the ground. Good Friday is April 3rd and that is way too early to plant potatoes. I am looking forward to the gardening season. We may even have a garden plot in Millstream Village this year. There are two new homes being built next door right now. The guys were out early this morning working on the outer shell. I really enjoy the process of designing and building. Maybe in my next career I should be a home builder.
This weekend is the Central Minnesota Builders Association Home Show at the River’s Edge Convention Center in downtown St. Cloud. One of the best in the business is this year’s Home Show Committee Chair, Tom Albers with Borgert Products. “Stones With Style”. I know that you have lots of choices when it comes to a Friday Night Fish Fry, but why not go to the Home Show today from 4 to 8 pm for all you can eat cod. The price includes admission to the show. Go to cmbaonline.org for a coupon.
The APHC show this week is another live show from the State Theatre in Minneapolis. Special guests include bluegrass sensation Becky Schlegel, country singer Kim Parent and two young a cappella groups, girl’s quartet GQ and men’s septet, The Limestones. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will join The Dayton’s Parking Ramp Band directed by Richard Dworsky. The latest News From Lake Wobegon will bring us up to date on Pastor Liz and her love life.
“Dost thou love Life? Then do not squander Time; for that is the stuff Life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin
February 27th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good frosty morning from Collegeville,
I still have not heard the first cardinal call on campus. Most years the cardinals have arrived by this time.
A couple of years ago I attended a Waite Park Chamber event hosted by MinnWest Bank. The speaker was Jill with Express Employment Professionals. Her opening statement concluded that, on average, we will each have three careers and 27 jobs in our lifetime. At first, it sounded like a bit much, but then I started counting. My three careers were drafting, office furniture/equipment sales and now nearly 16 years selling sponsorships for Minnesota Public Radio. I did have more than 20 jobs.
My first job was working at Ramlo Grocery in Upsala, (my grandparents owned the store) for fifty cents an hour. The summer between my junior and senior year in high school I worked for my step-grandfather, Francis Johnson, as a house painter in Little Falls. As I mentioned last week, in 1962 I got into the drafting field thanks to my sisters friend, Barry Larson. I worked my way up from being a draftsman on the Polaris project at Honeywell to being a manager with the very first computerized drafting service bureau in the U.S., Norwood Engineering. We were way ahead of our time and after a rough first few months, I was laid off on the day of my daughters first birthday. The founders had been the sales force and they had been let go by the Board of Directors. Two guys that worked for me were the entire production crew. They went on strike until the new President, Ron Crew, agreed to hire me back as the sales rep. Every day we would go to the office and negotiate for my return and then buy a 12 pack and go to the lake for lunch. After a few weeks Ron agreed to take me back. One of the two guys who went on strike was Eckart “Butch” Herter, who took me aside to tell me that my hand shake sucked and that, if I was planning on being a salesman, I had better read “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. He was right on. He died way to young of cancer. The other guy runs a movie theater in Hutchinson with his wife. I owe them big time.
The APHC show this week is live from the State Theatre in Minneapolis. Special guests include folk-rock singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile and gospel grandmaster Jearlyn Steele. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will join music director and pianist Richard Dworsky. The latest name for the band is “The Steady Shovelers”. The latest News From Lake Wobegon will bring us up to date on the approach of spring.
“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.” G.K. Chesterson
Category :
General 
Comments Off on May 1, 2015 