Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application age 74 of Rochester and formerly of Blue Earth passed away Saturday October 5 2024 at the Edenbrook Care Center in Rochester A funeral service will be held 11AM Saturday October 12 at Patton Funeral Home with visitation an hour before the service Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery.  He always had love and pride for his hometown of Blue Earth where he was committed to being an active member of the community Outside of his family and running his Southern Minnesota Appraisal business his interests were wide; many will remember him as an enthusiastic outdoorsman Others will remember him as a loyal friend he was an avid MN Twins fan (the baseball team but also his daughters)  He’ll be dearly missed and remembered as being a supportive and devoted father  Michael graduated from Blue Earth High School in 1968 His athletic talents led him to achieve the most varsity letters at Blue Earth High School for participating in football He went on to attend college at Rochester Junior College and enjoyed the success and camaraderie of playing on the Yellow Jackets football team.   Michael married Elizabeth Enger (Boehlke) on August 7 sisters; Jean Wagner and Kac (Don) Turvold  Michael is preceded in death by his parents Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors How do people respond when the world around them falls apart I gained some insights during a brief trip up north last week The first came on a quiet evening in Petoskey where bestselling author Leif Enger gave a talk on his latest novel a day laborer who spends his days drifting across Lake Superior in a leaky old boat The novel includes scenes set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that the story is unfolding in a dystopian world Enger wrote the book during the COVID-19 lockdowns and the subsequent political turmoil “Democracy is no more in America,” said Enger Indentured servitude has made a magnificent comeback The most popular medicine available is a suicide pill and justice is dispensed not by impartial courts but by religious zealots.” Then came the most surprising reflection of the evening “I’ve been trying to understand,” Enger said has been the most hopeful writing experience that I’ve ever had.”  How does a story about loss and terror evoke hope I thought about that question while driving through Northern Michigan knocking out the power for hundreds of thousands of people disrupted cell phone service and closed schools and businesses The Department of Natural Resources said the storm damaged nearly 1 million acres of state forest local and federal agencies are responding with emergency declarations and financial assistance Trees are scattered along highways like toothpicks ranging from insurance companies to government agencies to individuals who own homes and businesses What struck me was the number of people who showed up to help Hotels are filled with utility crews and emergency workers instead of tourists Leif Enger recognized the enigma of finding hope in a grim world — which is how people actually respond to a real-life tragedy People don’t stand around and wait for the person in charge they grab a chainsaw and start clearing a path Sometimes, the most helpful thing government can do in an emergency is step aside. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer realized that state regulations on medical licensing and hospital capacity were impeding the medical response. Whitmer temporarily suspended those unhelpful regulations but state and local officials can plan ahead and communicate their plans they should make room for civil society to act even strangers passing out food — these are not secondary to a relief effort Reitz is executive vice president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy Solid starting pitching and the long ball is a proven formula for baseball success Batavia demonstrated that again Friday while downing Geneva 6-1 in DuKane Conference play at Batavia Justin Enger tossed a complete game 6-hitter while Luke Stevenson and Liam Darre went deep for the Bulldogs (7-14 allowing two baserunners in each of the first two innings but escaping unscathed the Vikings loaded the bases with no outs on a double by Nelson Wendell a bunt single by Miles Dibble and a walk to Noah Hallahan Nick Price’s sacrifice fly brought in a run but Enger got the final two outs with no further damage Vikings starter Mason Bruesch came out on fire retiring the first six hitters with 4 strikeouts Nolan Zimberoff beat out an infield hit to open the third but was erased when Bruesch fielded Stevenson’s soft liner and doubled off Zimberoff But the Bulldogs tied the game on 2 walks and Darre’s RBI single But Brennon Zeng was hit with a pitch and Zimberoff singled again Stevenson turned on an inside pitch and drove it inside the left-field foul pole permitting just 3 baserunners the rest of the way Bruesch’s day was finished after he walked Brandon Oke leading off the fifth Darre greeted the new pitcher with a blast over the “Battlin’ Bulldogs” sign in right field Enger said the long balls energized the whole team but for everybody to get hyped in the dugout.” Enger struck out only 3 but trusted his fielders to make the plays playing errorless ball for the first time this year Wendell and Dibble finished with 2 hits apiece for Geneva (17-6 The teams play again Saturday morning at 10 after he delivered two in one inning on Tuesday “I didn’t think any balls were going out today,” said Batavia coach Alex Beckmann got a couple of first-pitch outs,” said Beckmann “It was a good day for him to throw with a contact pitcher with the wind blowing in he kept them off-balance and did a great job.” Leif Enger worked for Minnesota Public Radio before writing his best selling debut novel which won the book sense Award for Fiction and was named one of the year's best books by Time Magazine and the Los Angeles Times for 2001 We are thrilled to welcome Leif Enger to The First Fifty Pages before we dive into talking about your latest book we have to take a brief moment to touch on your background in public radio and this podcast would not be possible without our collaborative and supportive partnership with Siouxland Public Media How do you think your experiences at Minnesota Public Radio helped shape you as a writer and it's so much fun to talk about because I was a public radio reporter and producer for 16 years It was my first experience working with really good editors I thought that anything I wrote was basically a sacred text and so it was startling for me to send my early stories which is a small town in northern Minnesota and I was the northern Minnesota correspondent And I would send my scripts down to St Paul You've got so many of them and it just isn't how you write a news story." And that was really startling for me because I had thought that I was just someone to be appreciated and not someone to be instructed who do these people think they are to tell me how to write a good sentence?" But of course I was just a I was so filled with with myself it took maybe a couple of months of hard experiences with editors before I had this stunning realization comes back to me better." And what I discovered was that writing is at its best when it is a cooperative endeavor And then the other thing that really was wonderful about that job was that they sent me all over the place to talk with people I never would have encountered otherwise And what I discovered was that people viewed the world in different ways than I did So it was a license to just learn about the world learning to work with an editor and learning to be intrigued by other people's worldviews We need to get that into the transcript that "loved" needs to be in all caps And we are really excited to talk with you more about this novel It's receiving high praise from readers and critics alike Could you share a little more about I Cheerfully Refuse for those listeners who haven't had a chance to read it I became familiar with the phrase "alternative fact," and that really troubled me It seemed like a frontal assault on the world in front of our eyes And so I began to think that a story might be able to tell us a little bit about where we are headed if go down the road of alternative facts if we decided that we could be told what to believe about things instead of looking for ourselves and seeing what the truth is So I began to write a story that turned very quickly into a dystopian tale I didn't actually get started on the book until March of 2020 While I was finishing up the previous book And the notes just accumulated and accumulated until 2020 "You'll never have a better excuse than this to actually jump in and start writing the book." because it was hopeful right from the beginning even though it was set in a world that had gone the wrong direction a world in which 16 people basically own everything - which is not all that hard for me to imagine - a world in which justice is dispensed by religious zealots and a length of rope in which indentured servitude has made a huge comeback… but in order to get through this life And the best way for me to be hopeful has always been to write a story because I was going to be locked in a room with it for a couple of years but if I'm reading a first person narrative And I just found Rainey to be incredibly likable and easy to work with And every day I would come in here to my office And he was a hopeful person: a bass player and house painter even though things are pretty rough in that world But then the sort of inciting event in his life happens the story takes a a terrible twist and a violent twist and Rainy is thrown out onto Lake Superior and it becomes a kind of odyssey through a ruined world towards something he hopes is a better and brighter future if you don't want to read this book after hearing that you feel the attention and the infinite care that you spent in bringing them to life You even found the humanity of the antagonist in the story but I didn't think villain was the right word for Warrick because you help us to see the humanity in him But what always happens to me is that when I'm writing someone I'm trying to write someone who's really pretty terrible When I was kind of auditioning Warrick in my pages… I write morning pages like Julia Cameron writes about in The Artist's Way and one thing I do in the pages is I audition characters that I think might be useful in a story And that just means I kind of interview them as if I were still a journalist The longer I wrote about Warrick in the morning pages It's just like when you're interviewing someone and you think I'm not going to have anything in common with this dude Here's someone I probably am not going to be able to stand." And you ask him questions for five or six minutes "this person has something that I need more of in my own life," depending on who it is and what they're saying That happens for me whenever I'm writing a story and the necessity arises for an antagonist It's not that I have that particular thing going on But what happens is I come to understand them Mary Oliver wrote about the attention that becomes devotion That's kind of what happens with your characters You see what has made them the way they are.. it was a decision that he made 42 years earlier to sacrifice sleep for revenge I still don't know exactly what form that took but it would really be fun to write about it and find out I was captivated by the lyrical phrases you titled each chapter with and the brilliant way you just incorporated them into the text What motivated you to frame and write each chapter in this fashion Or had you already written the text and pulled out your favorite phrases for the naming process in some way I learned a trick a long time ago from Cormac McCarthy's book he does a really old fashioned thing: Instead of having one chapter title there's a bunch of little phrases separated by ellipses and it just gives you a hint of what's coming in this book It's something they used to do in the 19th century with novels They would just give you these little phrases A dark cave..." and so he gives you this hint of what's coming And so what I realized is that… I don't know if he did this for himself or not but what that did for me as a writer was it gave me a little clue as to how to rent my way forward in a story just so I knew where the chapter was going and the phrases all then would crop up as I was working and I would just take that and use it as the title and I've done it for my last several books I like to know that I've got four or five spins in the plot Instead of writing a 3-page outline for a 12-page chapter just write a dozen phrases at the top of a page and use that as a roadmap to get through the chapter and I think maybe it gives a sense of action and of unfolding narrative And that's a tool that helps me to not get stalled in the story You get to the end of a chapter and you read that line So in an interview you did with Next Avenue you mentioned that you're a reader first and tend to write the story you'd most want to settle in with for the evening What kind of story is your favorite story to write I like something with a good overarching plot I don't like plots that are overly complicated that can be boiled down into a sentence or two that's certainly the case with I Cheerfully Refuse But I think that has to be mixed with a character driven book as well If a book is just all plot and doesn't have someone that I can really read for and an antagonist that I also like reading about.. Part of what really drove me through that story was the character of The Judge and who is very mysterious and also absolutely gripping as a character In my memory - I haven't read that book in a couple of decades - but when I read it I remember that the first time I saw the judge and he's sitting cross legged on the desert floor and this naked figure who is just like waiting for them and I remember just being compelled by this character And so I really want there to be characters that are just on the edge of reality and sometimes are going in the opposite direction from reality and then contrast those with characters that we all know and it needs to be someplace I love so much I never want to leave We often hear from readers that aren't familiar with dystopian fiction that the hope and optimism found in the genre is often unexpected this is what draws readers back to these stories Do you have a favorite part in I Cheerfully Refuse and it was such a delight when it occurred because I didn't see it coming until it came out on the page illiterate girl who joins Rainy on his sailboat There's a time when he is trying to teach her to write her name She regards letters and words as a kind of wicked magic She says "It's not for me." He tries to teach her to write her name And then once they are on the ship and they're being held in different places there's a moment when Rainey receives a note in his cell And she sends a slip of paper with just her name written on it: Sol And that means everything to Rainy because it not only means that she's all right it means that something in her has decided it is worth embracing the letters It's worth embracing the idea that it might be all right to learn to read in a way it wasn't before." And it really propped me up It made me feel like Rainey was in my office Literature is not valued by this society any longer But I found that the characters that bring the most hope and humanity to this story There's a thread that connects these strangers through the story And through the story they find their shared humanity move toward it." It's a beautiful description about what it is like to fall in love with reading and stories I'd love to hear where the inspiration came for you the flame gets lit for all of us in different ways and at different times so I grew up in a house where I was always listening to stories I didn't understand and your mom is trying to read you stories that have to work for all of you because you're exposed to things that are maybe great for a 12-year-old and a 10-year-old and an 8-year-old there's a sense in which any story that you read or you hear is true to you I remember hearing and believing the creation story the six-day creation where God creates the heavens and the earth he looks at his work and he sees that it's good and I knew it because mom would read to us from Genesis or a little bit later and I remember some of the images from that drawn like a comic book but I also knew from a picture book I had that the world was was basically a lifeless planet a hole opened in in the lifeless rock and and turned into a cave and it stepped out of the hole and and walked across the world grasses began to grow up out of the ground and suddenly the grasses and the trees were full of birds turns around and returns to the cave that he first came out of and like the birds they're singing as they come out come into conflict at all with the six-day creation that I had heard about And I think that what got into me kind of early was this idea that stories tell you the truth in some way and beauty might be the universal human need It's what we have to have in order to live satisfactory lives deliver that to us in a way that almost nothing else can So a flame was lit before I can really remember and what was really kind of lovely about writing about Rainey was that here's a guy in whom that flame was not lit until he was in his late 20s and it wasn't lit from any kind of inner nobility It was lit because he had fallen in love with the voice of a librarian that he couldn't even see at first And he wanted to be able to have something to say to her So he began to read everything that he overhears her talking about to other people And then the last thing he expects is what happens and he falls in love with reading itself at the age of 28 and he just begins to devour books as fast as he can go It was so enjoyable to write about a man for whom that's the experience That's how his flame gets lit and he moves toward it There is like a book within a book storyline at play in this novel with the coveted advanced reader copy Lark obtains of Molly Thorns I Cheerfully Refuse And that feels like that is part of her flame this is the author that just does something for her do you have an author that just does something for you The very first one was certainly Kenneth Graham I remember that book specifically because my third-grade teacher recommended it to me and you put a check mark by the ones that you wanted to buy I had the Scholastic paperback and I remember bringing it home from school and carrying it into my room and reading those opening pages in which there's a mole and he's just awakened from whatever hibernation and he feels the call of the outside world And the moment that his face breaks out into the sunlight he can hear the flowing of a river not far away he's up and he's running toward the river through the meadow it's the water rat and the rowboat and the picnic And I read that book time and time and time again I can't tell you how many times I read that story Other authors who do that same thing for me to this day.. who famously wrote the Lonesome Dove series But the ones that work even better for me are his Texas novels that take place in the '50s and '60s: All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers It's first person,and it really just feels like you're having a conversation with the most interesting person you've met in a long time And so there are times I just have to go back and read one of those books at least once a year in order to reconnect with that and get the flame lit again is one of the great novels in the English language Rainey complains to Lark about the last pages of Don Quixote "Sometimes no right ending can be found." Do you think that's true and do you struggle when writing to find the right endings for your works Oh, I always struggle with the ending. I do. Endings are hard. I think it's the novel Get Shorty, that Elmore Leonard novel, where the last line of the book is, "Endings. Man, they're harder than they look." But the endings are all important Sometimes they have to approach the edge of the cliff and then pull back with humility or with humor what I have to do is avoid melodrama if I can We focus a lot on the power of stories here at The First Fifty Pages and a conversation that Rainy and Sol have towards the end of I Cheerfully Refuse really captures that Words are one way we leave tracks in the world and people will read it like I've been reading to you and they will know that you were here and a little bit about what you were like years from now." What do you hope the tracks you've left in the world say about you and what you were like I hope that anybody who stumbles across one of my books in a garage sale in 40 years will read it and just get is to give someone a really pleasant experience because then we remember those pleasant experiences It has been a joy and a pleasure to talk with you about this book "What are you reading?" "What have you read?" "Anything good lately?" And I know this is on the top of our list to share with people now one of the really unexpected benefits of writing books is that you get to meet people who like to read and there's just nothing more fun than talking to fellow readers My favorite part of what happens outside of my little writing office here is getting to talk to people about books and about what gets them going So thank you for letting me come on your podcast As soon as you said that you get sucked into stopping every time you see a canoe a couple hours from Duluth in northern Wisconsin The It’s So Fun Tour kicked off on February 19 in San Francisco and was Enger’s first headlining tour since the start of her music career in October 2022 After attending two dates from this tour in New York City and Washington D.C. as well as seeing Enger open for Maisie Peters during The Good Witch Comes to North America Tour in August 2023 and Minch open for Chelsea Cutler & Jeremy Zucker for the Brent Forever Tour in November 2024 these two artists are underrated performers just beginning their musical rise and you should jump on board Grace Enger has opened for a multitude of artists including Laufey and Alexander 23 Her sound is reminiscent of fluttering butterflies relationships and even her bad habits like having impossibly high standards in a partner and letting go of a relationship too quickly Pulling inspiration from her favorite artists growing up such as Paramore she has created an electric and truly honest environment within her neighborhood of music https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86JXF2Q View this post on Instagram A post shared by Grace Enger (@graceenger) The Bowery Ballroom was Enger’s hometown show as she was born in Hoboken New Jersey and lived just a few blocks from the venue when she was in New York The sold out show in such a legendary venue was a fantastic accomplishment at just 22 years old and it even brought in her family to come and support her performance Enger stunned in her classy black tank and her signature polka dots on a white layered skirt Her style is very unique with mixing patterns she shines like the star she was always meant to be Everyone on the stage with her also radiates that energy: Andrew her guitarist who she has been performing with for years who sings their duet “Good Stuff” with Enger but most importantly was the amazing opener for the entire tour Jake Minch is a Connecticut native who has a small town feel in his music with heartbreaking lyrics His songs transport listeners to their childhood bedrooms covered in posters that are peeling off the walls with flickering string lights He currently has 11 songs released including collaborations with Grace Enger and Kevin Atwater and has gained a following with sharing his unreleased music through TikTok he’s performed a few of those songs such as “Fingers and Clothes” and “Changed Things” His music has the same melancholic regret as Phoebe Bridgers that breaks the heart and stitches it back together https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86JXuTV View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jake Minch (@jakeminch) The It’s So Fun tour was extremely successful with a few more singles and a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “River” Both haven’t released their debut albums so now is the time to become a fan to experience in real time their progression and attend their future concerts Close friends with such beautiful voices and lyrics it is so fun being a fan of Grace Enger and Jake Minch Keep up with Grace Enger: Instagram // TikTok // X Independent and fueled by love and dedication Donate to fuel us figuratively and literally Mention "☕️" or "coffee" and $5 of your donation will go to a random staff member to keep them energized Grab your clubs and get stocked up on balls and tees because Enger Park Golf Course is opening this weekend The driving range will be open for guests starting at 11:00am Friday Nine holes will open for golfers to enjoy at 11:00am Saturday Enger Park says the course will be open on a provisional basis meaning the driving range and course will close when daytime temperatures or the wind chill are below 40-degrees This rule also applies when there’s frost on the grounds The clubhouse is open Monday through Friday starting at 9:00am. Tee times can be booked online Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public file should contact Vicki Kaping at vkaping@wdio.com or (218) 727-6864 Community Safety Department Director To Resign Amid Tension With Cambridge Police Department From Lab to Startup: Harvard’s Office of Technology Development Paves the Way for Research Commercialization People’s Forum on Graduation Readiness Held After Vote to Eliminate MCAS 8 Takeaways From Harvard’s Task Force Reports singer-songwriter Grace Enger is confidently shaping her own path music is a powerful vehicle to explore and express her boundless ambitions and hopes “Songwriting is a form of an alchemy,” said Enger in an interview with The Crimson about her second EP “The Alchemist,” which was released in Dec represents a profound personal and emotional metamorphosis that defined the sonic and lyrical themes of the EP “The title ended up touching on so many things that I learned over the past year,” Enger said Enger turns past pain into art and positive perspectives connecting with her fans worldwide through her highly relatable lyrics As she embarks on her first sold-out headline tour — the It’s So Fun Tour across North America — Enger spreads positivity through her emotional and cathartic performance supported by Jake Minch as her opening guest and a band of three “It is truly crazy just to see how many people my music is affecting,” Enger said you think that nobody is listening to music but showing up today and seeing that there’s a line down the block is really Enger first gained attention by singing intimate ballads on social media. She subsequently opened for Maisie Peters’ “The Good Witch” Tour in 2023 and Laufey’s “Bewitched”: The Goddess Tour in 2024 both times performing stripped-down acoustic sets by herself Enger took the spirit of transformation further onto her own tour amplifying her raw vocals with a full-band production Enger cited female singer-songwriters like Sara Bareilles “I think I leaned more into live instrumentation and that live band feel,” Enger said revealing the influence of rock on her recent music She is putting her own modern spin on a wide history of music adding an authentic and playful flair as exemplified through her powerful choruses she is by no means defining herself with a specific genre or style Drawing from her appreciation for Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin her song “A Year From Now” is reminiscent of the same bluesy mood accompanied with her evocative storytelling in the lyrics “I know who I am and what I want more out of my music and my visuals how I want the people who surround me to feel around me and the work environment that I am cultivating,” Enger said reflecting on her professional growth as an artist since opening for Peters and Laufey She commented on having them and other female artists as role models for crafting her own path “I think I have definitely grown more confident in my vision,” Enger said Enger’s performance radiated this sense of confidence Her live vocals possessed great emotional depth and expressive power well-complemented by the dynamic and percussive instrumentation When asked about her favorite memories of the tour so far Enger did not hesitate to talk about her show in New York City on Mar and it was also her biggest headline show to date “The whole night is going to be ingrained in my memory,” Enger said specifically recalling singing a cover of “Still Into You” by Paramore Enger made the New York City show an even more special stop by working with the non-profit organization I Support The Girls Enger hosted a physical donation drive for bras and feminine products at the show and is planning to repeat the drive at her Los Angeles performance on Mar she is also providing information about the organization and collecting monetary donations bras to a bunch of underserved communities and organizations,” Enger said emphasizing that the idea of “do what you can” has been central to her education growing up “If I can gather this many people for my music how much good can we do if we multiply that by 20 cities Enger further discussed her hope to use her music to inspire collective action as well as the sense of responsibility and wariness that could come with having a larger platform she was simply grateful for the community that valued her music and wanted to extend this safe and welcoming environment of music beyond the concert itself From experimenting with music and exploring different styles of instrumentation in her EP to finding her own vision and voice as a rising artist with a growing platform Enger stays true to the metamorphic journey she has embarked on since the release of “The Alchemist.” Through her music she continues to turn many things in life into fond memories and positive outcomes and collecting inspiration for the next project — although nothing has been recorded or set in stone yet Yet the ambition and determination sparkling in her eyes was evident and earnest I’m just making music that helps and impacts as many people as possible,” she said —Staff writer Xinran (Olivia) Ma can be reached at xinran.ma@thecrimson.com Want to keep up with breaking news? 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The Enosburg Opera House will host pianist Carolyn Enger May 3 ENOSBURG FALLS — The Enosburg Opera House is honored to welcome internationally-celebrated American pianist Carolyn Enger on Saturday “Resonating Earth" will be an immersive musical and visual journey that speaks to the heart of the global climate crisis Renowned for her exquisitely lyrical playing and deeply expressive interpretations Enger has performed at some of the world’s most esteemed venues including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall Her work has earned high praise from The New York Times is being hailed an “enthralling,” “beautiful,” and “intelligently curated.” "Resonating Earth" is a deeply moving response to the climate crisis blending classical and contemporary works from composers including Bach and Nico Muhly with breathtaking visuals of natural beauty and environmental destruction From the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to the majestic peaks of Alaska and coal plants in Germany’s Ruhr Valley this powerful experience combines music and cinematic imagery by artists such as Peabody Award-winning producer Elliott Forrest Enger’s intention with "Resonating Earth" is to create a space for stillness and reconnection—to remind us of the fragile beauty of our planet and inspire a sense of environmental stewardship through art “Her performance left audiences in complete awe of her passion A Steinway Artist and Manhattan School of Music graduate Enger has also been featured in Frederick Wiseman’s acclaimed PBS documentary Ex Libris and is committed to making music accessible in civic and educational spaces across the country Get a selection of the Messenger's best reporting direct to your inbox each and every morning St Albans Messenger is a weekly newspaper established in 1861 covering Franklin County Samessenger.com publishes new content daily Our beat reporters are on the ground covering local government Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: University of Notre Dame Notre Dame Magazine At some point or other most of our lives get knocked off-kilter by a global pandemic or politics or illness or grief our eponymous hero is suffering from a serious concussion “The previous tenant,” as Virgil refers to his pre-concussion self had hemmed himself in with the need to be nice — not to offend or ruffle any feathers Concussed Virgil no longer has the strength for all of that Not that he turns mean — far from it — but he becomes plainspoken warm handshakes and curious questions he gets upon his return from the hospital in Duluth He returns the compliment by shouldering the responsibility for the vulnerable among them He’s there for the scruffy 10-year-old who is hell-bent on avenging his father’s death on a giant sturgeon that lurks in the local waterways He finds a way to anchor the 17-year-old who likes to surf alone in Lake Superior in all weathers old Norwegian who appears in town with his own sad mission Virgil is as honorable a man as you can hope to meet with the unassuming sense of honor that puts the dignity of everyone else before what he himself might desperately want the concussion knocks some sense into him in that regard He also has a wry sense of humor that describes his best friend as a “high school athlete defeated by pastry” and makes him a wonderful narrator of his own tale I find this novel immensely comforting in my own off-kilter world Not because Enger has prettified a small-town community but because he has not There’s a malevolent character come to Greenstone and locals who are weak-willed enough to be easily manipulated by him It’s Virgil who recognizes the looming tragedy and stops it in time Virgil sets the whole community back upright His fundamental decency and kindness win through in the end Megan Koreman lives in Royal Oak, Michigan. She is a historian and author of The Expectation of Justice: France, 1944-1946 and The Escape Line: How the Ordinary Heroes of Dutch-Paris Resisted the Nazi Occupation of Western Europe. A young adult novel, Dark Clouds over Paris, is forthcoming. Read more at dutchparisblog.com The magazine welcomes comments, but we do ask that they be on topic and civil. Read our full comment policy Notre Dame Magazine © 2025 University of Notre Dame DULUTH — The fact that the city’s public golf operations are expected to end the year nearly $54,000 in the red may not sound exactly like good news But considering the fact that the city expected to lose $276,000 on golf this year that performance could be considered at least a small victory Duluth's public golf program lost about 80% less than what had been projected If not for devoting about $108,000 to capital improvements at Enger Park Golf Course the operation actually would have turned a small profit this year Those capital expenses for new equipment were mitigated The performance is all the more remarkable considering that Enger was able to operate at only two-thirds its capacity as its irrigation system received a total overhaul this year The long-term trend for golf is more disconcerting Despite a resurgence in the popularity of the sport during the pandemic local municipal golf activity has continued to trend downward in recent years with 2024’s level of play down more than 60% in the past decade Peterson said the 2024 season benefited from an early start due to an unusually mild winter and a strong October thanks to unseasonably warm weather Peterson said: “We’re optimistic we will see an upward trend in rounds at Enger next year." The city projects local golfers will increase their activity slightly to 34,000 rounds in 2025 Enger will start next year with just 18 holes in play but Peterson said the city hopes to open all 27 holes by Memorial Day The city is investing $7.46 million in a completely new irrigation system that includes a new pond and pumphouse the course’s irrigation ponds were connected to Buckingham Creek Peterson said the new pond will function as a stand-alone reservoir “The creek will be fully daylighted and no longer culverted nor passing through the ponds and our fish habitat will be greatly improved,” Peterson said Enger’s new irrigation system seems to have passed its early testing “We all cried a few tears of joy the first day we turned the new system on and saw it throwing water onto our golf course We had worked very hard to get to that day.” city officials project Enger Golf Course will post a net income of more than $205,000 But $178,500 will go to cover debt repayments associated with ongoing golf course improvements likely leaving the city with an anticipated modest profit just shy of $27,000 Presented in Partnership with McLean & Eakin Booksellers: An Evening with Author Leif Enger Bestselling Author & Master Storyteller of Peace Like a River and worked as a reporter for Minnesota Public Radio before writing his bestselling debut novel Peace Like a River which won the Booksense Award for Fiction and was named one of the Year's Best Books by Time Magazine and the Los Angeles Times and won the High Plains Book Award for Fiction His third novel Virgil Wander was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and was named a best book of the year by Amazon Bruce Experiences: Music at the Bruce with Carolyn Enger From the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to coal burning plants in the Ruhr Valley of Germany from the glorious heights of mountain ranges in Alaska to mountains of potassium waste in Eastern Germany Resonating Earth was created in response to the climate crisis A stylistically fluid creation with a wide range of ambient music Iman Habibi and Caroline Shaw; alongside stunning imagery of the environment by Peabody Award-winning producer Elliott Forrest(WQXR) and internationally-exhibited environmental activist and photographer J Henry Fair Resonating Earth creates a soundscape focusing on the beauty in our environment and inspires environmental activism in an artistic Resonating Earth seeks to transport listeners to a still allowing them to decompress from their daily lives and invites introspection about humanity’s place on the planet Bruce Experiences is generously sponsored by Bank of America Email:editor@greenwichsentinel.com The project turns some of her most introspective moments into pure gold Enger has made a name for herself as a music experimenter garage and rock to create a collage of sounds that feels inspired by numerous rising artists yet distinctly her own Having first gained attention for her stripped-down covers on social media she conveys her deepest emotions and desires with just her voice and a piano or guitar diving into relationships and mental health The EP opens with, fittingly, the title track, “The Alchemist,” which symbolizes turning pain into beauty showcasing her ability to create relatable raw music from her heartache — and not just romantic heartache A songwriter “first and foremost,” Enger discovered that writing songs is She explains that the title track serves as the thesis of the EP with the other songs acting as body paragraphs “Writing songs is a form of alchemy because you can take pain shame or these negative emotions — and at least for me personally I feel most compelled to write from that place — and turn them into something beautiful “It’s something you can share with people and use to connect ‘That’s really beautiful.'” working with producer Brian Names to elevate her sound One of the standout tracks, “It’s No Fun,” is a playful energetic song about a one-sided relationship where Enger tries to please someone who fails to reciprocate her emotional needs or efforts (“It’s no fun The song contrasts outward enjoyment with the hidden struggles people can face internally capturing the feeling of having fun on a surface level while still dealing with the pain of the relationship “I’m often the kind of person who wants everyone to be okay who wants to fix people who maybe don’t want to be fixed,” Enger said “Writing from that place of pain and moving through it is where I find my songs.” Regardless of personal turmoil, Enger reflects on where she sees herself “A Year From Now” with a hopeful yet grounded point of view Having evolved both as an artist and an individual she aims to explore the light and dark sides of life with a focus on being open and vulnerable in her storytelling which was born out of the uncertainty of a moment but held onto the belief that time would bring healing her mother reminded her: “This too shall pass.” The song is an upbeat track that plays on pop sounds The EP is deeply rooted in Enger’s experience of moving through personal pain and heartbreak but ultimately finding healing on the other side I’m on the other side of all of this pain and heartbreak and suffering.’ I moved through it and that’s why I chose Alchemy — both for what it represents to me personally and what it represented in the process of making these songs.” Transformation can seem like a long game when some things feel too difficult to bear or overcome. Enger finds that being in the present moment is most powerful, experiencing life in utter detail. On “3D,” she finds that the three-dimensional world is rich Turning life’s raw and sometimes heartbreaking experiences into something precious and meaningful is not easy — even for mythical alchemists or Enger herself Ensuring that her most raw and honest self is laid bare Enger is embarking on her very first headline tour, The It’s So Fun Tour Keep up with Grace Enger: Instagram // Spotify // X // TikTok The community got out to practice their swing and enjoy the beautiful weather for the Enger Park golf course 2025 season opening day on Friday April 11th The driving range opened up at 11 am on Friday and 9 holes will be opening up at 11am on Saturday for walking only Folks were excited to get out and enjoy the weather while getting in a few good swings “It’s awesome we’ve been waiting a long time to get out here and the weather is amazing and it feels great,” said Kevin Mcnab “I love the Enger facility the people are great and yeah it’s one of my favorite courses in the area.” The course will be open 11am to 5:30pm as weather permits. You can check out the schedule here. Indecent Proposal’s latest music video features one of Duluth’s iconic landmarks Lead vocalist and writer Josh Brown shared that it’s personal for him “It’s about maintaining hope through heartbreak,” he told us I hear about the powerful connection with somebody,” shared Band Manager Terry Beckman and I’m proud of what we put together for it.” Their lighting engineer suggested Enger Tower as the backdrop for a video They are also going to be working on their first album in 2025 To see the video for Glow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk95IM6dUY0 — A new pop-up shop has opened up at Enger Lofts Marketplace in Lincoln Park AuraEye opened up at the start of December as a pop-up store filled with vintage clothing said she got the idea in late October and everything happened quickly from there Many of the items in the store are from consignment shops and vendors with a focus on local and women owned businesses Mullen said the holidays were a busy time at the store so lots of holiday shoppers and then lots of people who love finding a unique find said I’m coming when it’s a slower time of year to take a look and find some really unique pieces Mullen and her longtime friend Emily share a passion for thrifting and want to bring their finds into the community really fabulous and we can’t take everything home with so So it’s nice to be able to find something and then say I know somebody is going to love this,” said Emily Hicks Nys AuraEye will be at the marketplace through February and is open Thursdays through Sundays DULUTH — As city officials strive to improve the financial performance of Enger Park Golf Course they’re prepared to cast disc golf to the wind Eighteen disc baskets will be removed from nine holes of the golf course formerly shared with conventional golfers Enger’s disc golf customers pay lower rates to use the course and tend to play through in about twice the time that traditional golfers do Peterson said this displaces tee times and costs the course money “The numbers just don’t work out for us to continue doing that,” she told the council Peterson announced plans to remove the metal pole-mounted baskets that serve as targets for disc golfers and place them in storage until the city can determine another suitable location to place them In combination with another nine baskets previously removed from a disc golf course at Lake Superior College this will leave the city with an inventory of 27 baskets A self-described “avid disc golf player,” 2nd District Councilor Mike Mayou asked where and when the baskets might be returned to use Peterson said the local disc golf community seems particularly eager to see a course established on the east side of town the easternmost disc golf destination is located on the University of Minnesota Duluth campus “We’re looking at alternate locations to install these where there could be more of a free-play opportunity,” she said Firm elevates several individuals to new roles igniting the next generation of innovation and growth CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP) announced several updates to its national and regional leadership teams The appointments and new roles underscore CLA’s commitment to innovation Among the developments are two additions to the firm’s executive leadership team CEO Jen Leary has appointed James Watson as Chief Solutions Officer and Paul Bailey as Chief Growth Officer CLA’s immediate past chair of the board of directors most recently served as Managing Principal of Solutions and prior to that as Regional Managing Principal (RMP) for the Northeast U.S most recently as regional managing principal for the Western U.S “James and Paul are visionary leaders who genuinely understand our stakeholders' needs and how CLA's unique vision supports our path to the future," Leary said with the goal of driving the firm’s Future Forward strategy: “These leaders are ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the future while staying deeply connected to our values and purpose,” said Cathy Clarke CLA is dedicated to stewardship and nurturing talent to seamlessly transition to the next generation,” Leary said CLA exists to create opportunities for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. 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If you have questions regarding individual license information, please contact Elizabeth Spencer an international organization of independent accounting and advisory firms Each CLA Global network firm is a member of CLA Global Limited CLA Global Limited does not practice accountancy or provide any services to clients CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP) is not an agent of any other member of CLA Global Limited and is liable only for its own acts or omissions and not those of any other member firm CLA Global Limited cannot act as an agent of any member firm and cannot obligate any member firm The names “CLA Global” and/or “CliftonLarsonAllen,” and the associated logo Transparency in coverage machine-readable files DULUTH — Monday’s modest snow gave local residents just a hint of what the winter ahead may hold But it also presented the city with an opportunity to put its first whimsically named snowplow to work and Enger Plower proved the runaway winner And third place went to Plowabunga with 232 votes followed closely by runner-up D’Lhut Drifter Lifter Plenty of folks participated in the contest and maybe it was something in the water or perhaps the cold has addled Duluthians' brains in a similar fashion a surprising number of people came up with the same ideas Case in point: 11 people proposed the winning name with Joseph Kueny earning top honors simply for being the first to suggest the witty riff on Duluth’s iconic Enger Tower The other 10 unsung heroes who offered up Enger Plower as a plow name but received no recognition until this article included Amy Jo Swing was the creation of but a single imagination belonging to 4-year-old Kalyx Kuehn was offered up by three residents: Robin Politowicz Kueny was rewarded with a ride in the newly named plow during Friday night’s Christmas City of the North Parade Kuehn didn’t get Snow Dozer painted on a plow but was invited to walk in the parade alongside Mayor Roger Reinert Reinert said the lighthearted contest was meant to serve “as a reminder of how grateful we are to all our plow drivers and other city workers who go into the snow and cold to perform our most basic city services Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker DULUTH — If you’re driving around Duluth Saturday or Sunday night it will be difficult to miss Enger Tower lit up in purple But the color choice isn’t meant to celebrate the Minnesota Vikings or honor the late This particular shade of purple is meant to raise awareness of epilepsy and encourage people to talk and learn more about it serves on the board of the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota “I’ve seen the tower lit up for other things in the past,” explained Conry who owns Kara Conry Dentistry on London Road “A lot of people don’t know what seizures look like or what to do in an emergency We need to do a better job raising awareness.” So after following the city of Duluth’s application process the first Saturday and Sunday nights this month and in future Novembers will see Enger Tower shrouded in purple to promote awareness of epilepsy during National Epilepsy Awareness Month Each lighting will begin 30 minutes before sunset and end 30 minutes after sunrise “I thought it would be good to have it lit up to spark a conversation,” said Conry who asks people to show empathy and patience for and to ask questions about epilepsy Daly noted that 55,000 Minnesotans have epilepsy and that 1 in 26 people will develop one of the 40 kinds of epilepsy in their lifetime “We are doing a lot in the state in the Minnesota in being leaders in the nation and educating people People don't know a lot about it and need to be seizure smart.” the city of Duluth uses colored lighting to illuminate both Enger Tower and the Aerial Lift Bridge to observe Minnesota’s 11 holidays the city won’t light up Enger Tower to celebrate a buddy’s birthday your wedding anniversary or junior’s graduation “Or aim to promote any religious or political issue In case you’ve somehow missed the barrage of fliers crammed into your mailbox the constant stream of TV ads and several annoying texts a lot of you have already voted early in person or via mail-in ballot.) Most Minnesotans don’t need election reminders because they rank first nationally in voter turnout — a distinction held by the Land of 10,000 Lakes since 2008 Weekly Wave hopes you had a fun Halloween and didn’t get too sick from eating candy or have any tricks played on you Before we turn our attention to the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year’s triumvirate DNT features reporter Teri Cadeau wrote an interesting Halloween story about a teenager who honored the memory of a friend who died earlier this year by setting up his friend’s haunted graveyard and maze for a final spooky display we talked about an auction from the estate of the late including the guitar Lightfoot reportedly used to write “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” News Tribune’s arts and entertainment reporter Jay Gabler has a sequel about Lightfoot’s famous song and the Duluth DJ who was the first in the city to play it on the radio … and the Gold record he has in his possession Here are a few more stories from the past week to check out: Stockton University 101 Vera King Farris Drive Galloway, NJ 08205-9441 (609) 652-1776 Maps, Directions & Parking Accessibility Statement Additional Locations Harvard students have to stop treating life like an optimization problem While wringing every drop of productivity out of our day is the Harvard norm From cramming productivity into each moment to overanalyzing leisure Harvard students employ a mindset that fuels burnout and detachment true fulfillment isn’t something you can optimize I took Economics 10A: “Principles of Economics,” Harvard’s famed intro to microeconomics and the theoretical incubator of Harvard’s most successful graduates I still have no plans of concentrating in Economics but one of the key concepts introduced on the first day of class has stuck with me: optimization optimization describes the dominant ethos of campus culture But I would argue they are not only the product of Harvard’s workload The symptoms of the productivity epidemic are everywhere we’re in the midst of summer application season) chances are there’s at least one student mechanically lifting HUDS chicken into their mouth while staring at their screen The constant work culture goes beyond academics. Harvard students valorize work of all forms: p-setting and paper writing, but also going to the gym and minimizing time in lecture with Panopto’s 2x speed feature when deciding what book to read or movie or show to watch I catch myself asking what would be the best use of my time I used to think this particular form of optimization was a personal quirk but I’ve discovered many of my friends here think similarly Eating is unavoidable — socializing is optional Getting a thirty minute lunch with someone kills two birds with one stone I’ve found our campus is overrun by this toxic productivity — the pressure to be productive at all times But isn’t being more productive a good thing But I question if that satisfaction is genuine fulfillment or merely a socialized response in a school culture that values constant work Summarizing a reading with ChatGPT removes the struggle of comprehending it — a struggle crucial to learning Watching a lecture asynchronously rather than attending in-person drains meaningful connection out of a course Foregoing lunch with a friend for a takeout box leads All of this to say that we are too consumed by optimization We appear to have an unceasing desire to suck the marrow out of every second I don’t think I’ve felt fully relaxed since before college began Notice when you feel the urge to continuously “do,” and combat it there is an opportunity cost to optimization — enjoying your life is a Social Studies Concentrator in Eliot House She’s enrolled in Ec10b this semester (don’t ask) PlayListenTalking Volumes: Leif Enger on 'I Cheerfully Refuse'Go Deeper.CloseCreate an account or log in to save stories We have added it to a list of your favorite stories Dystopian novels aren’t known for being hopeful But that’s exactly what Leif Enger brings to the genre with his new book, “I Cheerfully Refuse.” The beloved Minnesota author joined MPR News host Kerri Miller at the Sheldon Theatre in Red Wing on June 4 for a special “on the road” version of Talking Volumes MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all Their conversation revolved around books: the unpredictable journey of writing them the sometimes haphazard way of finding them the way a good book leaves a mark that cannot be erased “I banged and barged through dozens and hundreds of books but when it thunders you know your chest is shaking.” “I Cheerfully Refuse” is set in the “near future” when climate change wealth concentration and religious zealots who are proudly illiterate flourish “refuse apocalypse in all its forms and work cheerfully against it.” When tragedy strikes and Rainy is forced to set out in a small sailboat on a near-sentient Lake Superior You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience After years of law school and gaining experience in family courts recently opened his own law firm in Albert Lea: Enger Law Enger attended University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities and graduated with a political science degree He then attended Mitchell Hamline School of Law Enger worked as a clerk for the judicial officer referee in Hutchinson While at this job he learned the process of working in the Hennepin County family court “Then I practiced at a few family law specific law firms to gain the experience I needed to open my own firm,” Enger said He always wanted to move back to Albert Lea and practice law in town “My whole family lives down here and it was always one of my goals to provide services in the community I grew up in,” Enger said “I wanted to bring my experience from working in Hennepin County down to Freeborn County.” He said his favorite part of his job is “seeing the positive changes in my client’s emotional health as they move into a new chapter of their life.” One challenge that comes with working in family law is “dealing with opposing counsels who don’t listen to what their clients’ goals are which leads to unnecessary litigation and higher costs,” Enger said Enger enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with his family The Minnesota Timberwolves (33-29) are home in Northwest Division play versus the Utah Jazz (15-45) on Sunday which includes the Tampa Bay Lightning versus the Florida Panthers Top 25 teams will take the court across two games on Monday’s college basketball schedule The college basketball schedule on Monday should provide some fireworks Our computer model has provided picks against the… Ranked teams are on Monday’s college basketball schedule for two games including the Kansas Jayhawks squaring off against… This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page I traveled to Virginia for a Laufey concert on the lawn of an art museum It was an intimate and low-key concert experience much of the audience was still finding their seats and talking amongst themselves — but not me She played her acoustic guitar and gave a performance that felt down-to-earth and authentic Enger (pronounced like anger) is an up-and-coming pop singer-songwriter that you should definitely be listening to Grace Enger is only 22 years old but she’s already released a plethora of music and toured with both Laufey and Maisie Peters and I think that she is genuinely so deserving Enger has a way of writing about love and heartbreak that makes her listeners feel the raw emotion behind her lyrics Enger’s most popular song is by far “The Neighborhood,” in which she sings about moving on from a breakup when her neighborhood reminds her too much of her ex. The song was originally released as a single in 2022 before being included as the second song on her debut EP, Well Here We Are in 2023 While the EP’s initial release includes seven songs the extended edition of Well Here We Are includes two more One of these songs is “Ruin,” which is about worrying about the end of a relationship before there have been any problems Enger expresses that she doesn’t want her favorite things to be ruined if things go wrong View this post on Instagram A post shared by Grace Enger (@graceenger) Aside from her amazing music, Enger also regularly connects with her fans through social media — primarily Instagram and TikTok. She also occasionally writes on her blog Her authenticity is a part of what endears her to her listeners She feels like someone you could easily be friends with Grace Enger is now in the midst of her first headlining tour whom she previously collaborated with for their song “Good Stuff.” Even though this is her first headlining tour New music releases are on the horizon for Grace Enger she’s been teasing sound bytes from her new songs on her TikTok account Enger announced on her Instagram that The Alchemist (Gold Edition) It’ll include two new songs; we can expect one of these songs to break our hearts and the other to put them back together I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to listen to The Alchemist (Gold Edition) this time love will find me 💗#manifestation #nyc #originalmusic I’m a fan of Grace Enger’s music because of the honesty in her lyrics and the catchy beats and melodies that she writes and I love the way that she expresses complex emotions through heartfelt lyrics Although she’s still relatively unknown So many people would love Grace Enger’s music 2024Vickie Lynn LawVickie Lynn (Enger) Law peacefully passed away Friday after a long and courageous battle with cancer to Karl and Wanda (Mullins) Enger in Mount Clemens The family later moved to Pierce and then to Orofino where Vickie graduated from high school in 1977 She then relocated to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley where she met and married Clark Law in 1996 Vickie worked various jobs until her hobby and passion for antiques and collectibles took over her life sold and constantly moved her treasures around right up to the end especially Christmas at her grandparent’s house in Deary (Charlie and Hazel Enger) with all her Enger aunts Vickie was looked up to as she was the oldest cousin and stood out among the “gangly white-haired fair-skinned kids with her dark hair and envious olive-colored skin.” Later when her mom’s family began relocating to Idaho from the mid-west she enjoyed the holidays with the Mullin family — more aunts Vickie is survived by her uncles Charles (Carol Jean) Enger numerous cousins on both sides and her lovable kitties Karl and Wanda Enger; grandparents Charlie and Hazel Enger; Mac and Reba Stokes; and William Mullins as well as several Mullin family aunts and uncles The family would like to thank all the people who have been there for Vickie whether it was to help move her treasures around assist with the recent estate sale or just to lend an ear who has been a godsend to Vickie and her family by providing not only hours of labor for the estate sale An interment will be held at the Park Cemetery near Helmer Memorial donations may be made to the Lewis Clark Animal Shelter/Humane Society FARGO — The potential for a boys hockey co-op between Fargo South and Fargo North will be examined in-depth Wednesday The South and Shanley co-op partnership spanned 15 years and included a state championship in 2023 Despite being the host of the co-op and using the Bruins logo and school colors South had just two players on the varsity roster this past season Shanley rostered 12 varsity players with five more from Oak Grove and two from Park Christian A new co-op with the three faith-based schools along with newcomer Capstone Classical Academy will compete under the Deacons’ banner next season With the South/Shanley dissolution now official next steps for any potential South/North partnership will be discussed at a public meeting at 5:30 p.m “Fargo South had to wait and see what would happen with (the dissolution) and for North everything was normal,” North activities director Dan Shultis told The Forum Tuesday “There was nothing for us to do or change at the time “Now that South has (officially) heard all of this is happening Fargo Public Schools are going to have to take a peek at what’s next for South.” Fargo Public Schools director of student activities Todd Olson will be on hand at Wednesday’s meeting to present data and answer any questions or concerns stakeholders within the South and North hockey programs may have “Todd Olson is going to present a little bit kind of letting people know where things are at,” Shultis said “The process in what took place and where we’re at today So that’s kind of what’s on tap for (the meeting).” South activities director Mike Beaton previously estimated that the Bruins would have 15 potential players for next season North has remained a self-sufficient program throughout its history you’ve got three teams here in Fargo,” Shultis said “(Fargo) Davies is sufficient with where they’re at right now you’ve got to look at what is best-suited for them moving forward and being able to help those kids out.” Shultis said the most important aspect from an administrator’s perspective is providing opportunities for their student-athletes “What we do and what we’re about is providing opportunities for kids,” Shultis said I’d say South’s kids are looking for a place to play hockey I think (Wednesday) is just to be able to shed some light on where things are at and what are some potential options moving forward.” Shultis said he hasn’t necessarily heard any negative reaction to a potential partnership between the Bruins and Spartans throughout informal stakeholder discussions but rather concerns of what a co-op between the longtime crosstown rivals may look like it’s that tradition … nobody wants to see that maybe broken or however you want to view that But I think that’s the piece that people are “There’s going to be that on both sides of it I think people having that thought … to me it’s a good thing because they take a lot of pride in their program I think what we need to do is just sift through those things and have an open session and talk through it and hopefully find some answers through that.” North and South have partnered as a girls co-op since 2014 winning three state titles in that stretch The South/Shanley boys finished 7-12-0 overall this past season Should a decision be made to form a co-op with North and South a co-op application would then need to be submitted to the North Dakota High School Activities Association and would require board approval ahead of the 2025-26 school year “We’re in support of what’s best for kids,” Shultis said “I think that’s the part that we need to work through and troubleshoot through it’s what’s best for those student-athletes and for getting them potentially a place to play hockey.” MISSOULA – The University of Montana Alumni Association has selected five recipients for this year’s Distinguished Alumni Awards.  Recipients of the award are individuals who have distinguished themselves in a particular field The recipients are respected in their careers and communities and selected by the UMAA Board of Directors is a prolific and honored academic and literary translator he attended UM to earn his bachelor’s degree Capener also has a passion for the sport of taekwondo earning a gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games He later earned two doctorates from two of Korea’s most prestigious universities in the fields of sports philosophy and modern literature He taught Korean English literary translation at the university level and his own translation work has received accolades from the Minister of Culture Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Korea Capener is a tenured professor at Seoul Women’s University publish essays on literature and translate He is also a two-time recipient of the Korea Times Literature Prize graduating in 1967 after playing football and earning a degree from the College of Business Enger entered active duty with the Army in 1968 and served for eight years He quickly became a leading figure in the financial services industry He worked as a consultant for many banks on business banking organizational strategies and financial education Enger later joined the faculty of the University of Washington teaching in their Pacific Coast Graduate School of Banking He is a member of eight corporate boards of directors He also serves the UM community on the National Advisory Board for Grizzly Athletics He has been instrumental in advancing Grizzly Athletics and is a key player in several projects including the construction of the Hall of Champions grew up in Hong Kong and was dedicated to his education from a young age he began to lose his hearing when he was 10 years old after which he worked as a tailor and a carpenter to support his family which is entirely devoted to educating deaf students starting a new chapter of his life in the U.S earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees before attending UM to earn his Ph.D eventually serving as chairman of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department from 2001 to 2007 before retiring in 2014 (posthumous) had a passion for inspiring others teaching in Poplar and then Great Falls helping to shape the futures of thousands of students in his classroom McKinnon also taught thousands of children to swim and coached them as they developed their swimming abilities He is remembered for his dedication to his community and his ability to bring out the best in others writing novels for children and young adults and helping rescue rehabilitated greyhounds who could no longer race with degrees in secondary education and counseling He began his career as a medical social worker at St he became the hospital’s assistant vice president of rural health clinics He became the chief executive officer of the Community Hospital of Anaconda in 2000 he also earned a Master of Business Administration from California Pacific University McNeece served as CEO of the Community Hospital until 2018 During that time he was responsible for all hospital operations including physician recruitment and retention The hospital was recognized with a Campbell Award for Outstanding leadership in local economic development and the Dr Frank Newman Rural Health Award from the Montana Office of Rural Health He has since started a healthcare consulting business called CAH Solutions Group with the mission of improving rural healthcare and instilling hope in smaller facilities UMAA and UM will welcome these outstanding alumni to campus during Homecoming week for an awards banquet. To learn more about the award or this year’s recipients, please visit UMAA’s website.  For questions or additional information, email alumni@umontana.edu, call Jodi Moreau at 406-243-6124 or email jodi.moreau@umontana.edu Contact: Jodi Moreau, associate director, UM Alumni Association, 406-243-6124, jodi.moreau@umontana.edu.