October 4th, 2024 by Gary Osberg
Millard Fuller was born January 3,1935 in Lanett, Alabama. He became a self-made millionaire by age 29. In 1968 Millard and his wife Linda gave up their wealth to refocus their lives on Christian service. They moved with their children to an interracial farming community in southwest Georgia, Koinonia Farm. It had been founded by Clarence Jordan in 1942 and became Koinonia Partners. The small community undertook several new projects, the primary focus of which was to provide housing for the poor.
In 1976 Millard and Linda founded Habitat for Humanity. Today the international organization is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and it operates in 70 countries. Homes are built using volunteer labor and homeowners provide sweat equity. Many contractors donate their services also. My brother Bill is on the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity of Morrison County. They plan on building a house in my hometown of Upsala, Minnesota. Source: Wikipedia
Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity is having their annual “Breakfast for Humanity” this Wednesday, October 9th at 8am. An invitation is attached for your consideration. It is being held at The Regency in downtown St. Cloud and it is being catered by Jules Bistro. I hope that you can attend.
“If you don’t ask, the answer is always no”. Dan Stoltz
September 27th, 2024 by Gary Osberg
Quotations are a great way to get an idea across or to remind ourselves and others just what is important. Many years ago, a friend of mine published “A Collection of Inspiring Thoughts” subtitled “For Business & Professional People”. Every week I try to find a quotation to use at the end of this weekly musing. I use a copy of Norm’s booklet and record the date that I use one of my favorites. I invested a little bit of money in his company, and he gave me a box of those booklets. For many years I gave them out to clients and friends. I now have just a few copies left.
For 22 years I sold office furnishings beginning with General Office Products in 1972. One of our suppliers carried a calling card with a quote on the back of the card. Ron Andersen measured offices for carpet installation and his company was not the cheapest, but they did great work. The card read: “The bitterness of poor workmanship remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” Longfellow
A woman that I was dating at the time told me that it was not Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, but Benjamin Franklin who said, “The bitterness of poor workmanship remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten”. Thanks to the English major who corrected me. She also was the one that told me that when I stopped to use a restroom in a gas station, I had to at least purchase a bag of peanuts if I hadn’t purchased any gas.
An article in USA Today about the passing of Yogi Berra was full of his best sayings. “When you get to a fork in the road, take it” is one of my favorites.
“You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours.” Yogi Berra
September 20th, 2024 by Gary Osberg
On September 15th 51 years ago, Marcia and I attended an auction on the north side of Cedar Lake west of Upsala. Widow Agnes Olson was selling her small farm and was planning to move to Cambridge. Gust and Agnes had lived there for many years. They were both teachers in Cambridge and I don’t think they had any children. Things had just started to go well with my office furniture sales career and one of my clients who worked for Red Owl was very encouraging. He owned a cabin on a lake in northern Minnesota. My banker was also encouraging. He knew that my saving account was not very hefty, but he suggested that I attend the auction and see what happened.
When we got there, my wife Marcia took me into the barn and said, “I want this place Gary and here is how you win at an auction. When it is your turn to bid you do not hesitate. You react immediately. Understand?”
I didn’t have the $3,000 cashier’s check with me, so I had to speak to the local banker prior to the start of the auction to get his ok. I promised that if I was the high bidder, I would go to town and get a check from my mother-in-law, Irene Rudie. He thought about it hard, but he finally agreed. I am sure that the fact that my dad and he were great friends and had both worked for the Farmers State Bank in Upsala before the war had an impact. In fact, Roland (Bud) was the best man at my parent’s wedding. Thank you, Bud Viehauser.
The auctioneer milked $50,500 out of the only other contender, and when he turned his attention back to me, and asked “Fifty-one?” I did as I was instructed and simply nodded my head. The other bidder, Lee Bolstad, stormed away and was quoted as saying “Rats, that kid will never quit.” That day changed our lives. One never knows what a day will bring. When I came back with the check for $3,000, Mrs. Agnes Olson handed me the keys. No need to wait until the closing in those days.
“The years teach much which the days never know.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
September 13th, 2024 by Gary Osberg
It has been eleven years since Auntie passed. There are many stories to tell about Auntie, but my favorite comes from her son Kevin. They had been visiting Kevin’s uncle in Alexandria and Kevin told Auntie that he wanted to get back to her house in Upsala in time to watch the Preakness horse race on television.
The speed limit on County Road 17 is 55, so Kevin was doing 60. Auntie said, “You drive slow Kevin”. Kevin stepped it up a bit and a little while later, Auntie spoke up again. “We’ll never get there on time at this speed.”. Kevin responded: “Ma, I don’t want to get a ticket.” , but he dutifully stepped it up again.
There was silence for a while and then: “Kevin, why don’t you just pull over and let me drive”. Kevin was driving a four-wheel drive pickup. Auntie was 90 years young at the time. We miss you Auntie.
Tonight is the first annual gala for the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization. The gala is branded as “KALSONI”, a Samali term meaning “Trust and collective confidence”. I will be the emcee of the event which is being held at The Park Event Center in Waite Park. Tickets are still available at www.cairomn.org I hope to see you there.
“I was born to have fun”. Leone Larson Hagstrom 1922-2013
September 6th, 2024 by Gary Osberg
Culture shock occurs when folks from one religion and background encounter folks from another religion and background. I experienced “culture shock” when I moved to Upsala in 1956. I was pulled out of St. Louis Park Junior High School and my mother and six of us children moved into an apartment above a grocery store in Upsala Minnesota. Ramlo Grocery belonged to my mother’s mother Laura and her second husband Bert Ramlo. I was 13 years old and because I had not one, but two paper routes in St. Louis Park, I owned a brand-new Schwinn bicycle. It was bright red with white trim. It had streamers coming out of the handlebars, a tank with a horn, mud flaps and white sidewall tires. I rode it up to Upsala High and when I got out of school, someone had let the air out of the tires.
That evening, I stripped the bike and the next day there were no problems. Danny Lillestrand did beat me in a game of marbles and took my favorite aggie.
Here in central Minnesota, there has been another more serious culture shock. There have been many refugees from Somalia and other regions of Africa that have relocated to get away from terrorism and starvation. In the interest of building trust through collective impact , Abdikadir Bashir started the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees, branded as CAIRO Minnesota.
CAIRO is inviting everyone to their first inaugural annual fundraiser gala, “KALSONI”, a Somali term meaning “trust and collective confidence”. The event will be held at The Park Event Center in Waite Park next Friday the 13th from 5pm to 8pm. Tickets are available at www.cairomn.org. They have asked me to MC the event. I hope to see you there.
“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind.” Henry James
August 30th, 2024 by Gary Osberg
One hundred and three years ago today, a boy-child was born in Pretare, Italy. A village in the Apennine Mountains on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Anthony Caponi grew to be a giant in the art world. In his lifetime, Tony created hundreds, maybe thousands of sculptures, many of them from rocks. He also established the Caponi Art Park and Learning Center in Eagan, Minnesota. Google the park and you can enjoy videos of Tony and his favorite fans, the children. www.caponiartpark.org
Fifty-one years ago today, the “Granite Trio” was dedicated on the mall in downtown St. Cloud. The Granite Trio was commissioned by the St. Cloud Community Arts Council, which became Visual Arts Minnesota. The SCCAC was led by the late Arlene Helgeson. Arlene found out that the mall was going to be redesigned to become a two-way street once again, so the city was planning on moving the Granite Trio. Arlene told the city that she would chain herself to the rocks in protest. The rocks stayed where they were and now the street winds around them.
Eighty-one years ago today, another boy-child was born in Little Falls, Minnesota, 25 miles east of Upsala. In his lifetime he sold Herman Miller office furniture, Xerox copiers and 15 second branding messages to be heard on Minnesota Public Radio. For nearly twenty-five years now he has been helping folks to “get the word out” about their companies and special events in central and southwestern Minnesota, Sioux Falls and Sun Valley, Idaho. A picture of these two boys as they appeared in 2013, on the eve of a celebration of the “Granite Trio”, is attached.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your wild and precious life?” from Mary Oliver’s “The Summer Day” a poem beloved by Arlene Helgeson.
August 23rd, 2024 by Gary Osberg
In case you missed me, I was at “the cabin” last week. In 1981, my younger brother Brian and his wife Jean Marie purchased a lot on a lake up north. It was “Lot 1” of the development and the first lot that was sold. The lake is a small “natural environmental” lake with Rainbow Trout. They built a beautiful log cabin in 1989. I have been spending the third week of August there for many years. My old friend Bob from Des Moines would have celebrated his 80th birthday on the 17th. Many years Bob and his girlfriend or wife would join me, and we would always go to town for a Dairy Queen cake to celebrate his birthday. We lost Bob a couple of years ago.
In 2018, after breakfast at the Birch Café in town, I took a ride around the lake, and I spotted a “For Sale – Waterfront” sign on the south end. I called the real estate agent, and we met at the cabin. I signed a purchase agreement and after Ron left, I went back to walk the lot. It was 2 ½ acres of solid oak and maple. I had to climb over a lot of fallen logs to get down to the lake. “Lot 11” was the last lot that had been owned by the Healy family. Grandpa Healy once owned the entire lake. Doctor Josephine Ruiz-Healy, a pediatric surgeon who lives in San Antonio Texas flew up for the closing.
After obtaining a lot of permits and carving out a spot in the middle of the lot that met all the criteria for building on a “Natural Environmental Lake”, there soon will be a “Tiny Cabin” on Lot 11.
This Sunday, the annual Millstream Arts Festival will come to downtown St. Joseph. The festival is a free event held from 11 am until 5 in the afternoon. The arts-and-crafts exhibition will include a staggering variety of work. Outdoor entertainment will be provided by Minneapolis jazz singer Leslie Vincent , AJ Spoff and Chico Chavez. I hope to see you there.
“The easy bus never comes around. Learn how to handle hard better.” Kara Lawson Basketball Coach Duke University.
August 9th, 2024 by Gary Osberg
It is a perfect 10 today. Sweater weather in August, thanks to the cool air from our neighbor to the north, Canada.
I am a recovering entrepreneur. I couldn’t work for the man, I had to be the man. Every one of my attempts failed. Early in my career, I read an article in an in-flight magazine. I learned that 25% of the population are “risk-takers”. All the entrepreneurs come out of this group as do all the criminals. I am not sure where I inherited the trait since neither of my parents were entrepreneurs, but my mother’s brother Eldon was. I was a juvenile delinquent.
My first attempt at my own business was Draftech, Inc. a contract drafting service run out of the basement of our home in Coon Rapids. It was not very long before I went to work selling office furniture for General Office Products. My second attempt was an energy management company “Office Environmental Systems”. My office was in the Allstate building behind the car wash on Division Street in St. Cloud. I was probably the only one in the State of Minnesota out there on straight commission trying to sell computerized energy management systems to owners of large office buildings. I sold three systems in three years and then I went back to selling office furniture in April of 1982.
I have a collection of business cards that fills a ring binder. There are 44 calling cards from 23 different companies. The last eight are all from Minnesota Public Radio. I started working from our studio on the third floor of Wimmer Hall in 1999. I just received delivery of another box of calling cards for Minnesota Public Radio. I go through a box of cards every couple of years. I hope to go through a few more before I call it quits.
Oh, I almost forgot, the Upsala Heritage Festival is tomorrow in Upsala, Minnesota of course. I am on the board of the Upsala Area Historical Society. I will be at the open house for the Borgstrom House from noon until 3pm. We will be selling brats, a bag of chips and a can of your favorite beverage for only $5. The “Best Central Minnesota Small Town Parade” starts at 4pm. I hope to see you there. And, the Lakes Area Musci Festival continues through August 18th. The schedule of performances is online at www.lakesareamusic.org
“We all find time to do what we really want to do.” William Feather
August 2nd, 2024 by Gary Osberg
In January of 1971, I attended a Coon Rapids City Council meeting to complain about the snowmobiles that were running up and down the streets in my neighborhood. I was not impressed with my representation at the meeting, so that fall I decided to run for the Third Ward Council seat. I had met a few folks at a caucus in 1970, so with their help, we managed to pull off an upset victory. The fellow that we beat was a lawyer and Vice President of a large insurance company. He was going for his third three-year term.
I think what cost him some votes was his decision to distribute a legal size document with all his qualifications on one side, filling up the whole sheet, and my qualifications on the other side, taking up not even half of the page. Mine included notes like: “Attended college”. After all, I was 27 years old when we started the campaign. It was kind of mean spirited of him. Not “Minnesota Nice”.
I remember that when Dave Larson and his wife came to our house to congratulate me on my victory, I stood at the front door with my wife Marcia and hid my bottle of beer behind my back. Not sure what that was all about. Maybe I thought that I should have been using a glass. We should have invited them in.
One of the guys that helped me get elected was Gene Merriam. We had spent a lot of hours together collecting rummage for a DFL garage sale fundraiser, so we got to know each other quite well. The next year Gene ran for Council at Large and he won that seat. Rick Reiter ran for the first ward seat, and he won. In late 1973, the council filled a vacancy in Ward 2 by appointing Dave Therkelsen. We four served together on the council in the year 1974.
In July of 2021, the four of us met at Kendale’s Tavern & Chophouse at the Bunker Hill Golf Course in Coon Rapids. Loren and Arnie were asked to join us. They had both worked very hard on our campaigns. Dave brought a copy of the Coon Rapids Herald dated March 22, 1974, with the headline “Ban the Can Ordinance Adopted”. Dave and the mayor Don Erlandson had voted no, but the rest of us voted for the ordinance. All five of the council were pictured above the headline. It looked like a Junior Achievement class photo. The citizens had to gather signatures for a petition to place a referendum on the ballot that fall to overturn the new law. The referendum passed. The young idealists were overturned. In the month of September of that year we had 20 public hearings. I did not even consider running for another three-year term. We try to get together more often now that most of us are in our eighties. Just think, that was a half-century ago.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your wild and precious life?” from Mary Oliver’s “The Summer Day”
July 26th, 2024 by Gary Osberg
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 18th. 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
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