He was surrounded by them, all dressed in their red and blue gang colors. Then one attacked, hitting him behind the knee and dropping him to the ground. They circled, ready to pounce.

That’s when he retaliated, doing one of those Three Stooges’ face-slaps to the entire gang surrounding him--full 360-degree slap-around that even Larry, Moe and Curly  would applaud.

Mistake. Don’t ever rile a tom turkey, never mind a gang of them.

Feathers flew, but John Anderson escaped. Just barely. It was the second time in his career that one of his tom turkeys took him down.

"They can get very aggressive and territorial," he said.

Just like those bloated agribusiness giants that are squeezing independent farmers like him between rocks and  hard places.

Anderson, a 1982 MSU management and economics graduate, is a Frazee, Minn., turkey breeder who’s at the top of the national pecking order among his peers. He’s on the board of the National Turkey Federation and is the past president of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association and the Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Counsel.

That’s impressive because this year Minnesota overtook North Carolina as the top turkey producing state in the nation (even before Hurricane Floyd hit the coast).

"Turkey farming wasn’t my first choice of careers, but it was a good life back when I was growing up and it provided for my family," he said. "I felt that it was something I could handle myself and would be a challenge after college."

Today, however, Anderson wouldn’t make the same choice. "You’re talking to the last generation of independent turkey growers," he said. "It’s too competitive and commercialized today, I can’t recommend it as a way of life for my children."

Says his wife LaRaye (nee Pilot),  a 1982 MSU community health graduate: "I’m not quitting my day job." (She’s a community health educator at the White Earth Indian Reservation.)

Outside of problems endemic to farming (disease, weather,  overproduction, etc.), agricultural corporations are handcuffing independent farmers by monopolizing every aspect of the business--from genetic research and fertilizers to production and processing.

"Farmers today are just pawns," Anderson said.

But if it only thunders when it’s raining, then Anderson’s going to make some noise to preserve what’s left of that good life he remembers. And that means aggressively breeding turkeys, selling turkeys and marketing turkeys.

"Marketing is the last thing most farmers think about," Anderson said. "Yet we’ve got to do more than just raise turkeys. We also have to get in the trenches and sell them ourselves."

True Native Americans
Fortunately, turkeys have culinary charisma.

In fact, they haven’t been this popular since Benjamin Franklin suggested that the turkey become the nation’s official symbol. Franklin wrote to his daughter, referring to the eagle's "bad moral character," saying, "I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country! The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America."

Wild turkeys, classified as an upland game bird, have been roaming North America for more than 10 million years. American Indians domesticated them as early as 1,000 A.D.  And the Spanish conquistadors introduced them to Europe in 1519.

This year, Anderson said,  American farmers will raise about 300 million turkeys. About 45 million of them will be  eaten at Thanksgiving.

Turkey farmers are thankful.

Actually, Thanksgiving celebrates the first successful harvest by the colonists
of New Plymouth in the fall of 1621. It followed a winter when 46 of the original 102 Pilgrims died.

But  the first national day of Thanksgiving was declared by President George  Washington in 1789, not in response to the bounties of the harvest, but in gratitude for the establishment of the Constitution of the United States. It never caught on.

 Abraham Lincoln came to the rescue when he proclaimed Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Thursday in November) a national holiday in 1863. Lincoln made the decision in  response to a campaign organized by magazine editor Sara Josepha Hale, who also happened to have written one of the most famous nursery rhymes in the English language: "Mary Had A Little Lamb."

Hale saw the spiritual potential of Thanksgiving as a way to stop the insanity of  The Civil War. "If every state would join in Union Thanksgiving on the 24th of this month," Hale wrote in a 1859 editorial, "would it not be a renewed pledge of love and loyalty to the Constitution of the United States?"

Turkeys Take Off
But turkey farmers don’t live on Thanksgiving alone. "Our goal now is to promote turkey as a food not just for the holidays," Anderson said.

It’s working. Turkey consumption in America doubled during the last quarter century, Anderson said,  going from 8.3 pounds per person in 1975 to nearly 19 pounds per person this year. (That compares to about 75 pounds of chicken and 70 pounds of beef .)

Why? "Turkey is low in fat, high in protein," Anderson said. "And its naturally mild taste makes it adaptable to a variety of processing techniques."

As proof, check your grocery meat department. You’ll find turkey ham, turkey franks, turkey pastrami, turkey baloney, turkey bacon, turkey jerky, turkey salami, turkey sausage, turkey cutlets, turkey tenderloins, ground turkey, even  deep fried and blackened turkey.

Where’s all that turkey coming from?

It starts with breeders like Anderson, one of 600 turkey farmers in Minnesota and  7,300 in the nation. He raises about 17,000 breeder hens annually, each laying  90 to 100 eggs in a 26-week breeding period.

That translates into 2 million eggs a year.

Sex With the Lights On
Anderson’s job is a mating game of sorts. He’s at the front end of the industry, supplying growers with eggs that hatch into baby turkeys (poults) that are then fed until they’re ready to process.

Success in breeding, of course, requires a good deal of mating savvy. So, Mr. Anderson, just how to do you "turn on" a turkey?

Simple, he said. Turn on the lights

"Turkeys respond sexually to photoperiodic stimulation," Anderson said. "If they’re  exposed to under eight hours of light a day, they’ll never lay eggs. Turn the lights on from 12 to 14 hours a day, and you’ll find the first egg in 15 days. Light stimulates their hormones to produce the eggs."

Tan with brown speckles, turkey eggs are twice as large as chicken eggs. They hatch in 28 days.

The action starts at 4 a.m. at the Anderson farm, when the  lights come on in most of his eight turkey barns. The 14,000 hens he now has in the laying stages are chased to one end of each barn, where they’re herded on to a conveyer belt. The turkeys ride the conveyer single file until they reach the inseminator,  who clamps each hen into what might be described as a chair and then injects  each with .05 ccs. of semen. "We can inseminate about 500 an hour," Anderson said.

Not romantic, but productive.  "Even though turkey hens have semen storage vessels that can keep sperm viable for 14 to 21 days, we inseminate the hens once a week to maintain peek productivity."

And because the useful life of turkey semen outside its body is only six to eight hours, and it can’t be preserved by freezing, that means the 600 tom turkeys Anderson maintains get quite a workout.

"We milk the toms twice a week," Anderson said. "One tom, for example, can breed 15 to 20 hens. The process is simple. The milker grabs the tom by the legs, turns it upside down and ruffles its tail feathers. It takes less than 10 seconds."

Typical guys.

The eggs are stored, then sent to a hatchery. The poults eventually go to growers, who feed them for 12-15 weeks before processing.

When the breeders are exhausted—both hens and toms—they’re sold for turkey bi-products ranging from soup to turkey ham. Then Anderson buys another batch from primary breeders who monitor genetics carefully. The new hens aren’t ready to breed until they’re 30 weeks old.

Science Diet
Today, Anderson said, turkeys are fed a diet of mainly corn and soybean meal mixed with vitamin and mineral supplements. They are hormone and steroid free.

"It used to take about 15 weeks to produce a 12-pound turkey," Anderson said.  "Due to genetic improvements, feed formulations and modern management practices, it now takes about 14 weeks to produce an average 15-pound hen."

While toms and hens taste the same, turkeys over 18 pounds are almost always toms.

And once, Anderson said, four pounds of feed were needed to produce one pound of turkey; now it takes 2.5 pounds of feed for the same results. (That compares to an 8-1 ratio for beef.)

That’s why from 1949 to 1993, the price of turkeys dropped about 4.5 per cent per year, more than twice the index for all livestock and commodities.

But there’s often a genetic trade off.

"Today’s turkeys are breed to yield as much breast meat as possible," Anderson said. "Sometimes that puts too much weight on their frame, which can create foot problems for the birds."

That large breast also is the reason the domesticated turkey can’t breed naturally. It gets in the way."

About 82 percent of a turkey’s live weight is processed into meat; the rest is recycled, including the estimated 3,500 feathers that cover a mature bird (they’re usually composted).

Conglomeration
"Ten years ago," Anderson said, "there were about seven different processors in our area. Now, basically, there’s just one—Jennie-O."

A subsidiary of Hormel Foods, Inc. of Austin, Minn., Jennie-O
operates seven Minnesota plants in Willmar, Pelican Rapids, Melrose,Montevideo and Marshall, which employ 3,500 people. The company now produces nearly a billion pounds of turkey a year  and is the largest turkey processor in the nation.

"Basically, turkey growers don’t have a choice about where to bring their product for processing," Anderson said. "That’s why I say we’re pawns. Farmers have lost control."

Anderson farms with his parents, Dennis and Rosemari. It’s been a family way of life for more than 60 years. Anderson’s grandfather, Jens Anderson, was a pioneer in the industry. Today, John Anderson is the only one of four siblings to remain on the farm.

"I’ve learned most of what I know from my grandfather and father," Anderson said. "My grandfather always said, if you’re going into the breeder business, you may not be the biggest breeder in the world, but try to be the best, And that’s kind of what we pride ourselves on—trying to be the best in the industry."

When Anderson came to MSU, he wasn’t quite sure what his future held. He studied business management and economics, which he says still helps him daily in trying to eke a profit out of the farm. As a student here, he’d spend all his weekends working on the farm.

But a college degree couldn’t help when his farm was hit with a sever case of fowl cholera in 1986. The disease killed more than 6,000 of his birds. Ten years later, a virulent strain of avian pneumonia hit him just as hard.

"It takes a lot of years to recover from something like that," he said. "The stress and headaches it caused us was unbelievable."

Fortunately, turkey meat  contains amino acid 1-tryptophone, a chemical that supposedly creates a natural calming effect.

Unfortunately, there’s not enough turkey in the world to relieve that  kind of pain.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere at the farm seems upbeat. He employs 16 full- and part-time workers. He’s in the middle of Frazee’s turkey country, where the town honors their favorite fowl with a huge statue in Lion’s Park. He’s optimistic about increasing exports to foreign countries.

"When the overall economy is good, it seems like farming always suffers," Anderson said. "But when the overall economy falters, farming seems to improve."

A modern irony
The pilgrims would turn over in their gravy if they could dine on recipes like  "Creole Turkey Pastrami" or "Turkey Frittata." Or  how about artichoke and turkey sausage with sun dried tomatoes.

But the ultimate irony imbedded  in the modern turkey industry is this: A bird that once vied for our national symbol has become a designer meat; while independent farmers, another American icon, are becoming obsolete.

Thank cod it’s Friday…
MSU ALUM’S BOOK IS AN ILLUSTRATED TOUR
OF WISCONSIN’S FRIDAY NIGHT FISH FRIES
More than 4,000 people attended the Good Friday fish fry at the Serb Memorial Hall in Milwaukee last year, an event covered by network television.

The tiny town of Cornucopia, Wis., quadruples in size for its Friday night  fry-fests, where a typical crowd will gobble down more than 1,000 pounds of locally caught white fish.

From border to border, Wisconsin smells fishy on Friday nights.

"Like rooting for the Packers, it’s a Cheesehead tradition with its own motto: ‘Thank cod it’s Friday,’" said Jeff Hagen, a Moorhead State University alumnus who jokingly refers to himself now as Wisconsin’s frequent fryer. "And if you travel those two-lane highways long enough, you’ll find some real culinary twists on the tradition, from deep fried blue corn chip trout and mango chutney catfish to potato crusted walleye and grilled commercially grown blue gills."

Hagen, 54, who’s been teaching in Madison, Wis., for 29 years, is also a writer and artist. Give him a few colored pencils, some pun potential and a reason to travel the dusty back roads of the Midwest, and there’s a good chance he’ll produce a book.

His latest, "Fry Me to the Moon: An Illustrated Journey to Wisconsin’s  Famous Friday Night Fish Fry-and Beyond," is a 97-page illustrated primer on one of the dairy state’s most tried and tasty traditions. It’s available at most nationally franchised book stores, including amazon.com.

"In one year I visited 66 of these fish fries and at the end I felt like a trained seal," said Hagen. "But I didn’t gain any weight."

The book, published by Prairie Oak Press, includes 35 colored pencil drawings of his favorite fish fry venues--from Sheboygan to the shores of Gitchee Gummee (Lake Superior)--along with some basic information and spicy quotes . He also offers a whimsical look at the history, culture, dress codes and his Ten Commandments for Wisconsin’s piscatorial Friday soirees.

This is Hagen’s  fourth book. His last, an illustrated children’s book titled "Hiawatha Passing," was ranked among the New York Times 10 Best Children’s Picture Books when it was published in 1995.

He also wrote and illustrated two books that focus on other rustic traditions, "Northern Retreats," about rural bed and breakfasts, and "Steeple Chase," about old country churches.

"I prefer themes close to the heartland, taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary," he said. "I’m always amazed at the unheralded treasurers we have in our backyards."

Fish fries, apparently, greased his imagination

"It’s phenomenal," he said. "Even the New York Times assigns a reporter to write about this tradition where Wisconsinites, like lemmings, descend on their favorite Friday night fish fry."

Hagen believes the tradition is rooted in Wisconsin’s German Catholic immigrants. "For years, meatless Fridays were the rule," Hagen said. "Many churches and nearby taverns held Friday night fish fries for people of the faith. Of course that changed with the emergence of Vatican Two."

Also influential, the proximity of the Great Lakes. "Up until the 1950s, both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan provided a cornucopia of fresh-water fish, especially perch. But when the lamprey eel arrived in the ballast tanks of Atlantic freighters, they devastated much of the Great Lakes fish population. So did pollution. Today, if you can find it, Great Lakes perch sell at market value, just like lobster."

Fortunately, the advent of the refrigerated truck after World War II allowed cod and haddock to be trucked to Wisconsin from the coast, preserving the tradition.

Hagen’s final theory explaining the popularity of Wisconsin fish fries is what he calls the Germanic Imbibement Factor.

"Back in the old country, the whole family, including children, went into taverns on Fridays. Dad cashed his pay check and everyone celebrated the weekend," Hagen said. "When Germans established a town, the first building to go up was the church. The second was usually a tavern. Unlike other Midwest states with blue laws that kept children out of liquor establishments, Wisconsin taverns were always family oriented."

The menu at a typical fish fry includes deep fried battered fish (cod, haddock, white fish, perch, cat fish, walleye, trout, commercially grown blue gills, whatever), cole slaw and, for adults, the state’s unofficial adult beverage of choice:  the Brandy Old Fashioned.

"Wisconsin leads the nation, by a long shot, in brandy consumption," Hagen said. "The average adult in the state consumes 46 gallons a year. Nevada is way behind in second place with an average of 20 gallons a year per adult."

A bartenders legend claims that Father Marquette popularized brandy when he used the liquor to trade with the Indians. But Wisconsin also leads the nation in per capita beer consumption and in chronic drinking.

Yet in an era when tradition is synonymous with today’s existential mantra, "whatever," Wisconsonites still consider their fish fries as a weekly ritual of the highest order.

Hagen’s favorite fish fry: Maricque’s in Green Bay, a working class bar that serves a fish sandwich on rye bread that’s out of this world.

Hagen, who intends to retire from teaching on New Year’s Eve, will continue roaming the Midwest’s blue highways. His next project is a sequel  to "Fry Me to the Moon," tentatively titled "Cod Father II."

A French,  Zen and  North Dakota Paradox…
From Dharma Bum To Opus One

"If we wanted to enter the high kingdom of high art, I knew we had to go beyond the pursuit of excellence and cultivate a passion for perfection." Robert Mondavi.
 

Once he followed the sound of one hand clapping.

Now he follows the reputation of Opus One maturing.

Roger Asleson (’77, English) is public relations director for the courtly California wine, Opus One, a joint international venture by two vintner giants—Napa Valley’s Robert Mondavi  (trivia: he was born to Italian immigrant parents in Virginia, Minn.) and Bordeaux’s Baron Philippe de Rothschild.
 

At  a princely sum of $125 a bottle, this tony Cabernet Sauvignon sells out its entire annual production of 30,000 cases (12 bottles a case) in two months.
 

So, who needs a public relations director? And why Asleson, a former Fargo North High jock who morphed into devout academic at MSU?

It wasn’t that long ago that Asleson was a Berkeley graduate student, studying modern poetry, practicing Zen Bhuddism religiously, meditating two hours a day and researching the work of the original Dharma bum,  Beat poet Gary Snyder.

How did he crash the rarefied world of ultra-premium fine wines, international commerce and aristocratic refinement?

Starting at the bottom, as a tour guide.

"I became disillusioned with the politics of academic life," said Asleson, who then was on a  Ph.D. track at Berkeley. "By then I’d spent 10 years in academia and I wanted a change."

Oddly enough, his old MSU English professor, Gary Litt, may be partly responsible for his career shift.

"Roger was absolutely the best student I’ve ever had in my 30 years of teaching here," said Litt. "He was so dedicated to his studies, and so wrapped up in the world of ideas, I seriously worried about him. He was an absolute perfectionist."

He  wasn’t always that way.

Asleson, whose father was a Fargo shoe store manager and mother a student of Jungian analysis, became a Fargo North High School jock (football, hockey and track.  An average high school academic, he came to MSU as a theatre major.

But  he was quickly seduced by the sirens of poetry and the assortment of characters who taught in the English department then, from the late Tom McGrath and Clarence "Soc" Glasrud to Rufus Bellamy, Forrest Ingram, John Sherman and Litt. "It was the faculty in the English department who gave me the inspiration to achieve,"  he said

Asleson graduated from MSU with a 3.95 grade point average. But it took him six years.

"I wasn’t in any hurry," he said. "My uncle owned a construction company out east, so jobs were easy to come by. Right out of high school, I worked on a dynamite crew in Kentucky. Then I spent a couple summers in Washington, D.C., working on the metro system. Those jobs allowed me to earn enough money to tour Europe extensively. One year I did 22 countries."

Litt and his wife Marilyn, both wine enthusiasts, eventually visited Asleson and his wife Carol (nee Swenson, a 1977 MSU social work graduate) while they were living and studying in  Berkeley.

 "He was the same old Roger, dedicating every minute to bookwork," Litt said. "So we dragged them out of the house, and drove up to Napa Valley. They’d never been there. Oddly enough, we toured the Robert Mondavi Winery. When I called him a year later, he told me he was a tour guide at the Mondavi estate. I couldn’t believe it."

Asleson was ripe for a rebirth, and when his wife took a job as a psychiatric social worker in Napa County, he followed. "There was nothing else to do but work at one of the wineries," he said.

Napa Valley, rimmed by two mountain ranges, is only 30 miles long and from one to six miles wide. It’s a bedroom community to San Francisco. Just 37 miles from the Pacific coast, the valley enjoys a "Mediterranean climate" --marked by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Only 1 percent of the Earth’s surface bathes in this microclimate, ideally suited for grapes. That, along with a diversity of soils, is why more than 35,000 of its 297,000 acres are covered with vineyards. And why it’s home to more than 240 wineries.

"I was a guide for about two years and then left for Europe , where I worked with my wife for a somewhat celebrated classified-growth Chateau near Bordeaux, called Chateau Cheval Blanc," he said. "We picked grapes and did other chores. By that time I had some fluency in French (he minored in French at MSU) and we were fortunate to know the son of the owner of the Chateau. I remember  getting in late at night, dead tired, and waking up amazed under a looming 16th-century armoire and stepping onto a stone floor. During the harvest, unlike the other workers, we stayed in the building itself and dined in the great room of the Chateau. It was my introduction to how seemingly small details in wine, food and life really did matter."

Back in California, he returned as a guide at Robert Mondavi Winery, then advanced to tour coordinator, then supervisor, then the manager of its public relations program.

Robert Mondavi, at the age of 52, established his own label in 1966 after a highly publicized family squabble that forced him to break ties with his father’s Charles Krug Winery. Today he is one of the best known vintners in the world and one of the most high profile global spokesmen for the wine industry. Last year Mondavi endowed the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa, which is scheduled to open in 2001. It’s a non-profit institution aimed at promoting public wine awareness and education.

"In 1985 I had spent some time translating for the Chef d’Equipe  (vineyard manager) of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, who was consulting with Robert Mondavi’s winemakers about vineyard management and who spoke no English whatsoever," he said. "A bit of a Francophile, I resolved to get more involved with this joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi, called Opus One. Eventually, in 1995, I was offered the job as Opus One’s director of public relations."

When Mondavi and Baron Philippe decided to produce a Napa Valley Cabernet, it  wasn’t just  a business proposition; it was a passion for perfection—a great international wine created with Napa Valley grapes. No expense was spared.

 After the venture was announced in 1980, John DeLuca, president of the Wine Institute, said: "If you look at the history of California wine…this is the single greatest event since Repeal [of Prohibition]."

In 1981, three years before the release of the first bottle of Opus One, a single 12-bottle case of the wine sold for $24,000 in the Napa Valley Vintners’ Association’s first benefit auction—the highest price ever paid for a California wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon (CA-burr-nay So-vin-yawn), one of the components of French Bordeaux, is the king of red grapes. Originating in the Medoc region of France, it was introduced in California before the 1880s and has since become the best known varietal (a wine that essentially uses just one grape variety as its base)  produced in the United Sates.

Red wines get their color from the skins and pulpof the grape, which also contain bitter-tasting tannins. An acidic preservative, important to the long term maturing of wine, tannin, in time,  precipitates out of the wine, becoming sediment in the bottle. The longer aging enhances  the complexity of the wine’s flavors. White wine, by contrast, doesn’t age as gracefully.

The Opus One facility employs just 27 people and produces just one wine. Across the street, Robert Mondavi’s other 1,500 acres of vineyards produce 75 different brands of wine and employs 850 people.

As public relations director,  Asleson manages the $26 million winery’s facility, which is a public relations colossus in itself.  The futuristic building, sitting in the middle of Opus One’s 134-acre Napa Valley estate, resembles either a space ship or an ancient Mayan temple. Take your choice. It was modeled after  18th Century French Romantic Classical architecture. Surrounded by a birm designed to rise out of the landscape,  it veils the estate in a shadow of privacy and mystique. Not unintentional for one of California’s most expensive red wines.

Attracting more than 25,000 visitors a year and perhaps as many walk-ins, the winery hosts occasional receptions for collectors, restaurateurs, VIPs and special groups. Asleson oversees retail sales at the winery along with the overall aesthetics, including curating fine art for the winery’s salon, which includes classic paintings ranging from Chagalls to Picassos . He’s also in charge of Opus One’s lot consignments for major auction houses, such as Christie’s and Sotheb’s.

This year he’s trying to balance the schedules of Baroness Philippine and the Robert Mondavi family to celebrate 20 years of partnership—1979 to 1999. The Baroness took over the family wine business after the death of Baron Philippe in 1988.

"We’re planning gala tastings and dinners for about 100 persons in Napa Valley, New York, Paris, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong," Asleson said.

The production side of the Opus One’s Winery is an odyssey  in pampering,  detail, perfection and the use of gravity. Harvesters pick the grapes by hand and deliver them to the winery in small boxes, which hold up to 35 pounds of fruit.  The entire system-from harvest to bottling--follows a gravity flow design. "The gentler you are with wine, the more supple and flowery it will be," Asleson said.

After sorting (12 people on a team ensuring each grape is pristine), de-stemming and crushing the grapes, gravity takes the juices into the stainless steel fermenting tanks. The wine then spends 18 months in new French oak barrels, which adds complexity to the flavor. The barrels cost $700 each and after one use are sold to other wineries. The wine then spends another 18 months aging in bottles before it’s released—some three years after harvest.

Here’s how Asleson describes the 1996 vintage of Opus One, ready for consumption this year: "Offering hints of violets and mint in the nose, the 1996 vintage shows intense flavors of blackberry, chocolate and roasted coffee; it’s cashmere-like texture and deep plush flavors are supported by a firm structure and elegant middle body, which means it has a real nice smoothness, silkiness to it; a remarkably balanced wine, the 1996 vintage imparts a persistently long finish that forecasts long-bottle aging."

Pretty good patter for a guy who once thought Lancer’s was a fine wine.

Opus One isn’t likely to expand, Asleson said. "It will remain a small operation dedicated to absolute perfection."

That’s good, Asleson said, because the wine business is booming, especially the fine wines. "The French Paradox has given us a good shot in the arm. Morley Safer from "60 Minutes" came out to the Robert Mondavi Winery when they did a show on it in 1991."

The next month, red wine sales jumped 44 percent.

Dr. Curtis Elison from Boston University’s School of Medicine and Dr. Serge Renaud , a cardiologist from France’s health research agency located at the University of Bordeaux, found that among more than 13,000 men and women aged 30 to 70 who were tracked from 1976 to 1988, wine consumers had half the risk of dying than those who never drank wine.

The study was dubbed the French Paradox because the two scientists found that despite similar fat intake, France’s heart attack rate was one-third that of the U.S. A key factor, they concluded, was the French custom of drinking wine with meals.

Then this year’s Copenhagen City Heart Study, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed that subjects who consumed wine daily were much less likely to die during the 12-year study period than consumers of other alcoholic beverages or non-drinkers. Among the 13,000 people tracked in the study, wine consumers had half the risk of dying as those who never drank wine.

Since 1991, more than 90 scientific reports have been published suggesting that moderate wine consumption can be part of a healthy lifestyle.

And get this: according to French cardiologist Jean Paul Broustet, cabernet sauvignon has higher amounts of an antioxidant called resveratrol that other grape varieties. Resveratrol is manufactured by the grape to fight off a fungus that grows in moist climates.

Okay, maybe $125 a bottle is a little steep for the average tippler. That’s why 50 percent of Opus One sales are to restaurants, who offer a taste of this fine wine for  about $10 a glass.

On the other hand, Opus One exports 20 percent of its wine, which is available in 65 countries.

Today, Aselson lives in Napa Valley with his wife Carol and daughter Grace. He’s left the Dharma bums behind, but he hasn’t abandoned Zen.

"I don’t practice it like I once did," he said. "But it’s still part of my heart and soul. Mainly it’s given me a sense of perspective, like everything is a smaller issue than I think it is, unless I die, and maybe that’s smaller than I think it is."

And his interest in Zen isn’t that far flung from his current career in the wine industry.

"There is an aesthetic, rigor and stylized approach to wine making that’s quite refined and reflected in Japanese tea ceremonies; it’s a way of doing things, a highly perfectionist and civilized way, that isn’t that much of a leap from Zen. In fact, if you visit Opus One, there’s a rock-garden quality to many of its rooms."

There you have it: a French Paradox coupled with a Zen Paradox.

If that’s too refined a concept, get this: Opus One is available at Happy Harry’s in Grand Forks. "Yup, I saw it for sale there," Asleson said.

Maybe that’s part of a North Dakota Paradox that took a Fargo kid from jock to Zen to Opus One.

Moorhead State University’s mass communications alumni dominate the staffs of local TV and radio stations: Darren Selvig, David Hovde, Kevin Wallevand, Dana Mocgk, Art Thompson. But the three lights that shine particularly bright are those of the three female anchors at the Fargo television stations, all mass communications graduates: Amy Hockert (’96) at KVLY; Kerstin Kealy (’97) at WDAY; and Michelle Turnberg (’96) at KXJB.

In an industry where anchoring the nightly news is like achieving the brass ring, these three young women knew from early on that television was their destiny. Even Turnberg, who graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, couldn’t deny the early calling of television.

"In one of my introductory communications courses, the professor said TV jobs are hard to find, you had to work holidays, the pay is lousy, yada, yada, yada. And I remember being very turned off by that," Turnberg said. So she majored in biology. For years later, with degree in hand and waiting for acceptance letters from graduate schools, she says "all I could think was that I just didn’t want to do this. So I talked to Maureen Zimmerman (‘77, and a communications director at Concordia), and she encouraged me to try a broadcast performance class. I loved it."

Back at MSU, Turnberg took a 17-credit course load, interned three days a week at KVLY and worked nearly full-time at Applebee’s Restaurant. Her first job out of college? Answering phones for $4.50 an hour at KVLY. "The key is to get your foot in the door," she says. "It was a crazy time, but it worked out."

After graduating, she became KXJB’s morning weather anchor and afternoon reporter, then weekend weather anchor, then evening news anchor.

"I made sure I took every opportunity to practice anchoring. I did as much as I could. I practiced between shows, made tapes and showed them to my news director. He must have heard something right. He took a big chance on me," Turnberg said.

Hockert, the news ‘veteran’ of the three, says "I knew in high school I wanted to do this. When all my friends were going out on Friday nights, I was staying home and watching 20/20. Investigative journalism held my interest like nothing else could."

She has weekend anchored at KVLY for two years, along with previous reporting experience at WDAY and with the NBC affiliate in Minot, N.D. Her television career started with MSU’s Campus News, which she worked at for three years. Her senior year she co-anchored the weekly news show with Kealy.

"Campus News keeps you focused on your goals. It’s great to be a part of a group that feels the same way you do about the work you want to do," Hockert said. "It made me work hard. I saw a lot of talented people and knew I had to be just as good in order to make it."

Hockert switched from weekend to weekday anchor Sept. 27, for a new, one-hour morning show. "It’s a lot of time for a news show," she says, "but across the country, morning is where stations are investing their money."

The switch from weekends to early mornings will challenge this night owl. But she’s excited about the change. "I’ve worked weekends for the last three years and have missed out on too many family events and friends’ get-togethers. I’ve neglected that part of my life for too long."

The newcomer to the WDAY anchor desk is Kealy, who worked four years with Campus News, three years as anchor. "Campus News was a great opportunity and learning experience," she said. "I did everything—from shooting and reporting to producing and anchoring. A lot of professionals in the community got their start in Campus News and they recognize the Campus News experience. MSU must be doing something right to have so many MSU alumni employed at broadcast stations, advertising agencies and public relations firms. So many have experienced Campus News and had Marv (Bossart) for a teacher. It speaks very highly of MSU and the mass communications program."

Kealy applied for a full-time reporting job at WDAY, but they gave her an internship instead. It was during the 1997 flood, and "they were up to their eyeballs in stories to cover." A few of her stories impressed news director Al Aamodt. "There wasn’t a story that wasn’t compelling during the flood," she says. She also credits Marv Bossart. "He believed in me from day one," she said. She was hired as a Wednesday-Sunday reporter and was weeknight producer for two years. Kealy was named interim anchor for the 6 & 10 newscasts in June.

Is the waiting game difficult? "I couldn’t have asked for a better experience, regardless of what happens," Kealy said. "But I am getting more comfortable in the anchor’s chair. I really enjoy it and would love the job permanently. I hope the longer I sit in the chair and the more experience I get, the harder it will be for them to replace me."

Each woman has a hand in producing her show, which is usually 10-15 minutes of news time. But for Hockert, investigative reporting is the most rewarding part of her job.

"When you’re in college, you get so wrapped up in becoming an anchor. I fell into that trap. But when I got out into the real world, I started to realize that anchoring wasn’t as fulfilling as reporting," Hockert said.

Hockert admits that daily reporting can be monotonous at times, but "special projects, where I get to concentrate on one thing, explore one issue and not deal with a five o’clock deadline, those are the best stories."

She says an investigative piece she did on panhandlers was "fun and exciting because it was so unpredictable. We’d just hop in the car and we didn’t know where they were leading us."

But it was Marion Blackmore who changed Hockert’s outlook on life. Hockert followed Blackmore for about three months during the last days of her battle with breast cancer. "I am so grateful to her family for allowing us to capture the last weeks of her life. I’ll ways be indebted to them for that.

"Doing that piece changed my life in ways I can’t tell you," a misty-eyed Hockert says. "Marion was so calm and happy and optimistic until her last day. How can you not help but admire and fall in love with that way of thinking? Marion taught me that when you’re dying, all you have is the people you love and your experiences. She was able to die with such dignity because she was content with the way she lived her life."

While limited staffing and resources present few opportunities for investigative reporting, she says "the news director and general manager have always been really supportive. I don’t think I’ve had a story turned down yet," Hockert said.

For Kealy and Turnberg, unpredictability of news is the highlight and lowlight of the day.

"It’s never the same thing twice. I love to learn new information and to turn around and share it with people," Kealy said. "What makes it more challenging is to wear two hats—to produce and to anchor. Some nights we’re typing stories at 9:50 p.m. But that’s why we do it. We love the pressure and the last minute deadlines. That’s what keeps it exciting and fresh."

"Sometimes it’s difficult to be under a microscope every night," Turnberg admits. "People are quick to criticize. And it’s easy to be critical of the media in general and to be critical of its delivery. It’s unbelievable all of the horrible things that go on that don’t even get reported. It can be a bit overwhelming at times to see how cruel people can be. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives."

Kealy agrees that "oftentimes we see the worse part of what’s going on in our community and the world. Sometimes it’s depressing. I pray that I never get hardened to that."

Turnberg enjoys the public speaking perks of her job—co-hosting the Jerry Lewis Telethon, helping charities raise money, talking to college students or reading to kids. "I get to meet so many interesting people. That’s been one of the highlights for me."

And what about the race for ratings?" A Connecticut company, Catamount Inc., recently purchased KXJB.

"KX is at a point where our look is moving in with the times. We’ve got a great anchor staff, we’ve made a lot of changes to improve our look and content. It’s the up and coming station," Turnberg says. "I really think we’re coming into our own."

The Florida-based Sunrise Television Corp., recently purchased KVLY. "They’ve tried to push us to the next level, encouraging much more live shots," Hockert said. "We also have a new look and are always working to be number one. Our goal is to set ourselves apart from the other stations, but we won’t lose sight of what we’re doing, which is informing the public. We have an excellent news philosophy and in this market, you can keep a hold on your content and your mission."

The News Leader, WDAY, has a policy of achieving excellence, Kealy says. "But we’re in the type of community where we’re not cutthroat. We’re friendly and we do our jobs well. The competition is good because it makes us produce a better product for our audience."

And where will these local celebrities be in 10 years?

"I’m a firm believer in having a strong background in reporting and producing. I want to be at that point where I’ve paid my dues and have the ability to consider taking the next step," Hockert said. "However, I’ve learned that sacrificing everything is not what I want to do. I’m very happy here right now."

Ditto. "I really like the way things are right now," Turnberg says. I’m in a city I love and I’m not far from my family. I’ll keep an open mind if an opportunity presents itself and it seems to fit where I want to be."

Ditto. "I really enjoy working with the people here," Kealy said. "There’s not a major in mass communications that I wouldn’t enjoy working in. But right now, I’d really like the permanent anchor spot!"

Advocate News
(The following news items were culled from the pages of The Advocate, MSU’s student newspaper, during  fall semester. If you’re connected to the World Wide Web, read The Advocate at this address: http://www.moorhead.msus.edu/~advocate; or access it through MSU’s own home page on the Web: http://www.moorhead.msus.edu.)
* Due to a housing shortage, 44 male students are living in dorm lounges on campus. Last year 1,700 students lived on campus, but the now gone Neumaier Hall housed up to 403 of them. This year 1,604 people are registered to live on campus. To help solve housing shortages in the future, hired a company to study the university’s housing needs. The study should be done by November.
* Sodexho Marriott is the new food service on campus, replacing ARAMARK, which has served the campus for 30 years. Dave Souba, an MSU alum who’s been director of food services here for more than 20 years, is now the food services director at Bemidji State University.
* The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees approved a tuition increase this summer that averages. 3.8 percent. At MSU, the increase is only 3 percent, or about $74 a year. Cost per MSU credit this year is $85.28. That compares to $82.80 last year, $80.40 in 1997 and $77.30 in 1996, the first year MSU switched to semesters. So A Minnesota or North Dakota student taking a full 16-semeseter-credit load will pay $85.28 a credit (or $104.01 per credit including fees). Cost per semester: $1,590.56.
* Both the head and assistant cross-country and track coaches, Joe and Lindra Fisher, announced their retirements Aug. 13. "The timing wasn’t particularly good for our program, sports information director Larry Scott said. "Had the retirement been announced earlier, it would have given us time to search for a replacement. The fishers were at MSU for seven years.  MSU hired an interim coach for the fall—Colleen Olson—and has already begun a national search.
* A web site developed by two MSU students that broadcast the Neumaier Hall explosion throughout the world on the internet has had more than 13,000 hits since the big blast. Ben Holsen and Matt Bengston, both sales associates for the Computer Store in the MSU Bookstore, set up two digital video cameras facing Neumaier. One ran through a firewire connection, Apple’s new high speed datat port technology, the other through a standard S video connection. Those cameras each ran to its own Apple G3 computer. The footage was then compressed and run through a Mac OSX server. People could then view the implosion live from the website. Check it out at www.moorhead.msus.edu/implosion.
* The Dragons creamed the Cobbers 44-7 in the newly named Power Bowl (formerly the Crystal Bowl) in a game moved to the Fargodome following a 5-inch rainfall. "It was overall probably the best opening game I’ve seen in my time here," head coach Ralph Micheli said.
* Ouch. The very next week in the Fargodome, the Bison stomped the Dragons 71-20 in front of 13,000 fans. The Bison rolled up 569 yards on the offense in the first  gridiron meeting of the two schools in 35 years. But look on the bright side. MSU got $18,000 from NDSU for playing the game.
* An investigation continues after about $32,000 worth of cmputer equipment was stolen from the MSU Bookstore this summer. Articles stolen include six laptop computers and an on-screen projector. There was no evidence of a break-in, nor or any damage.
*After months of research, polls and evaluation, MSU Pres. Roland Barden announced his decision to recommend MSU change its name to Minnesota State University Moorhead. "The foremost reason for the change is that Minnesota has a tremendous reputation among the states, particularly in the area of education," Barden said. "I think it is very valuable for our students to be able to use the credential in the name of the University to present right away that they got their education in Minnesota." If approved by MnSCU Board of Trustees, the name change will become official July 1, 2000. Estimated cost of the switch is about $30,000, based on figures from Minnesota State University Mankato, which changed its name last year.
* "There is no strong majority in favor of changing MSU’s name," according to an Advocate editorial. "Furthermore, since enrollment at MSU is already on the rise and a strong name-recognition of this school already exists, Barden’s recommendation seems weak and unnecessary. Considering all of these factors, Barden’s argument for changing MSU’s name hlds little, if any, validity."
* A group of mass communications students with Prof. Martin Grindeland spent a day following Gov. Jesse Ventura and came away from the experience with a different view of the chief of state. "He was very polite, and he tried to answer every question as well as he could,"  junior Jennifer Chesak said. "He also took time to talk to us. This really impressed me, especially since we are just students." The trip was part of a broadcast documentary class. "I think a lot more of Jesse Ventura than I did when we first started, senior Wade Iverson said. "A lot of people don’t think he knows what he’s talking about. He’s not a politician, but I think that’s a positive thing."

Over the past couple of years, I’ve talked to a lot of people about our University.  I’ve listened, too.  All of the words and images and opinions amount to this: Moorhead State changed us in important ways.

We met strong personalities along the way who demonstrated critical thinking skills. We learned that answers require questions. That two sides of a story were just that, two sides, because opinion is as varied as any human trait.  We acquired expertise to make our way into the future.  We discovered self-discipline could be a good thing.  We grew up.

We left the campus with friends for a lifetime.  Stories that still make us belly laugh.  Places that stir vivid memories.  And pictures that remind us of great souls, gone but not forgotten.

Your Alumni Foundation exists to preserve these traditions—and to make them possible for future alumni.  Scholarships help students by validating the quality of their work and by easing the financial burden.  Consider these comments from students who were helped by scholarship donations…

"I came up with a project that combines painting, music, and lights in a new and exciting way.  I have been working on this idea morning to night ever since the semester ended… I don’t come from a wealthy family.  My dad worked as a teacher and a police officer in order to raise my four brothers and me.  Generous scholarships such as this one are a blessing that a mere ‘thank you’ cannot do justice."

From one of our older students:  "Two years ago, when I made the decision to return to school, I was terrified.  My husband of 21 years had left me with five children.  I had no idea how I was going to support us and also pay for tuition.  I also had not been in college for 20 years… This is my last semester and I will be graduating in December with a BSW.  I am no longer the same person I was two years ago… I could not have done it without the financial help, God’s grace, and the countless friends who surrounded me with their prayers and acts of love.  Thank you for your gift!  You have been a wonderful blessing to me!"

And this letter:  "I am 24 and I am in my third year of college.  I am a physics major… I absolutely love it!  I plan on furthering my education by going for my PhD in physics… I would like to work for NASA… I am from Jamestown, North Dakota, and the first in my family to attend college.  In 1994 I was in a car accident and paralyzed from the waist down.  I am getting better every day.  I hope to walk again someday.  Thank you for the scholarship."

There’s a slogan common to college alumni organizations "Students for a short time, alumni for a lifetime."   Your scholarship gifts help future alumni in a wonderful way.  That’s a tradition worth continuing.

Receiving Distinguished Alumni Awards for professional achievement: former MSU professor Dorothy Dodds and Greg Staszko, managing senior partner with the Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group in California.

Receiving Outstanding Alumni Awards for early professional achievement: Patrick Atkinson, founder and executive director of the God’s Child Project in Guatemala,  and Susan Everson, a research scientist at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health.

Receiving the Outstanding Recent Graduate Award: Daryn Lecy, a 1999 MSU graduate who now works for Norwest Financial Services.

Three people also received Distinguished Service Awards from MSU’s Alumni Foundation: former MSU president Roland Dille; MSU Alumni Foundation supporter Betty Feder; and the late William Jones, a former MSU academic vice president and Tri-College provost.

A closer look at the award winners:

Dorothy Dodds graduated from Moorhead High in 1941 and attended Moorhead State Teachers College during the historic years of World War II, graduating with an elementary education degree in 1945. She taught in the Campus School from 1949 until 1971, when it closed. She then moved to MSU’s education department, where she taught until her retirement in 1986. Dodds, who lives in Moorhead, was a strong voice in political circles, where she expressed her profession’s concern that children had a fundamental right to a safe, healthy and stimulating home and school environment.  She also argued that there be legal standards for caregivers, and licensing requirements for child-care facilities. She is a founding and current board member of the Moorhead Healthy Initiative and a board member of the Clay County Historical Society.
 

Greg Staszko, Fargo Shanley graduate,  was an award-winning athlete at MSU, participating for four years in football, track, and basketball.  He graduated with an accounting degree in 1972 and shortly after founded MSU’s Winged Foot Track Club. He began his career working for Unisys from 1972 through 1978, the year he was named the company’s Outstanding Sales Award recipient.  At age 33, he was named a partner at KPMG, where he remained until 1986 when he moved to California. He is now a managing senior partner with Deloitte & Touche  Consulting Group in Foster City, Calif., and is responsible for over $200 million in annual sales and 600 professional staff for this Big 5 Firm.

Patrick Atkinson, a 1981 MSU criminal justice and social work graduate, is executive director of The God’s Child Project, Central America’s largest private foster-care program, which he founded in 1991. So far, his efforts have saved more than 8,000 Guatemalan children from the debilitating effects of poverty and malnutrition. He is now caring for over 700 children and assists 3,000 of their relatives. More than  half the children in his program become honor students and 20 percent go on to college. This year the government of Guatemala opened a new school in the town of Chiquimulia for its poorest children, with a  focus on the educational needs of the sons and daughters of the prostitutes who work in that area’s sex trade industry.  By government accord, the Guatemalan Ministry of Education named the school the "Patrick Atkinson Benevolent School of Integrated Systems."

Dr. Susan A. Everson, a 1985 magna cum laude psychology graduate of MSU, she earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in biological psychology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. Since 1997 she has been employed as a research scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, Mich.  A recipient of several grants in a highly competitive field, she has already authored or co-authored over 25 professional publications, many in collaboration with some of the most prominent scientists in her field. She lives in Ann Arbor.

Daryn Lecy, originally from Staples, Minn., was a student senator, a student orientation counselor and a homecoming king at MSU and won a $1,000 L.B. Hartz Achievement Award for his academic achievement in a business related field. He also belonged to Alpha Lambda Delta, Delta Mu Delta, and Phi Kappa Phi while working on the MSU’s Events Committee, the Student Conduct Committee and the Orientation Steering Committee. Lecy graduated summa cum laude last spring with a degree in business administration. He now works for Norwest Financial Services in Fargo.

Dr. Roland Dille served as MSU’s president for 26 years, one of the longest periods served by any state university president in the United States.  Under his guidance MSU grew in both stature and size, a time when he created the New Center for Multidisciplinary Studies and played a leadership role in the growth of the Tri-College University and MSU’s Regional Science Center. He served on the Commission on Minnesota’s Future and the Minnesota Humanities Commission, and is a member of the executive board of the Minnesota Historical Society. He and his wife, Beth, continue to live in Moorhead, only blocks from campus.

Betty Feder, a graduate of Northwestern University, began her association with MSU as one of the "Founding Fifty" of the  Alumni Foundation in 1969. She and her late husband, Paul, were steadfast financial supporters of MSU, chairing the Parents Association, one of the Alumni Foundation’s earliest and most successful fund-raising efforts. She was named a director of the Foundation in 1983, served as its treasurer in 1984-85 and was elected President of the Foundation in 1987-88. That year she organized the "Great Gershwin Concert," which featured the talent of Mel Torme, Leslie Uggims and Peter Nero that was attended by over 4,000 people. She chaired the major gifts committee of the Dille Fund for Excellence, and was a member of the 1993 Presidential Search Committee, which resulted in Roland Barden’s selection as MSU’s ninth president. She recently retired from the MSU Alumni Foundation, but her son, Jerry, has agreed to succeed her.

William M Jones came to MSU in 1972 as the university’s first full-time dean of arts, humanities and social sciences.  He was named vice president for academic affairs in 1977.  In 1982-84, when Roland Dille left to be acting chancellor of the Minnesota State University System, Jones was appointed acting president of MSU. Upon Dr. Dille’s return, he resumed his duties as vice president and continued in that capacity until his retirement in 1985, after which time he moved to the University of Redlands where he served as vice president and acting president.  Jones also served as interim provost of the Tri-College University on two occasions ? in 1990 and again in 1994. He received the Fargo-Moorhead Mayor’s Award for the Arts in 1990 for his  contributions to the local arts community.  His wife, Audrey, and his children live in Lexington, Ky.

A closer look at the winners:
Bob Billberg ? A native of Champaign, Ill., he was a NCAA Division I runner-up heavyweight wrestler in 1964 and 1966.  He has the distinction of having stopped Syracuse legend Jim Nance’s unbeaten streak with an upset on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Twice a NAIA national champion, Billberg was a member of the Dragons’ 1964 NAIA National Championship Team. He is a member of the NAIA National Hall of Fame and is a career teacher and coach in Libertyville, Ill.

Fred Dahnke ? A Barnesville, Minn. native, he was a track and cross-country letterwinner at MSU. He went on to serve as head cross-country and assistant track coach at MSU and piloted his teams to nine NSIC cross-country championships in nine seasons, and also led the Dragons to eight NAIA District 13 titles. Dahnke was named NAIA Coach of the Year six times and NSIC Coach of the Year five times.  He coached three national champions, 25 All-Americans and 142 all-conference performers. He is a teacher and coach in West Fargo.

Wendy DeVorak Kohler ? Originally from Bertha, Minn., she was a three-year letterwinner in basketball at MSU. She played a prominent role on the Dragon’s Northern Sun Conference championship team in 1981-82. Since leaving MSU Kohler has charted a remarkable career as a coach in the Alexandria Public Schools System, capturing 10 Central Lakes Conference titles and the 1997 State Class AA Championship.

Ross Fortier ? A Bemidji, Minn., native and a four-sport letterwinner at North Dakota State University, Fortier had a distinguished record during his 23 seasons as MSU’s head football coach. He posted a 152-80-4 record, which included 16 consecutive non-losing seasons.  He led MSU to nine NSIC championships and seven trips to post-season play. He also  developed 52 All-Americans, six national statistical champions and 106 All-NSIC selections. Fortier served as men’s athletic director, NAIA District 13 chairman, and created both the NSIC Metrodome Classic and the Snow Bowl. He is a member of the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame and both the NAIA and NDSU Halls of Fame. He retired from MSU last year.

Lorny Johnson ? A Moorhead native, Johnson was a three-time all- conference football tackle at MSU. He also handled all the placekicking duties for the Dragons. In 1963 the Associated Press named him a "Little All-American." He served as football coach at Lakefield (Minn.) High School and is now retired.

Ray "Kirby" Kuklenski ? Originally from Ironwood, Mich., he competed in football, basketball and boxing at MSU in the late 1940s. He was named to the all-conference football team and enjoyed a colorful career as an amateur boxer. For 25 years, he was a legendary head football coach at Felton, Dilworth and then Whapeton High School where he took his team to the state championship title in 1972. He is the proprietor of Kirby’s in Moorhead, a well-established hangout for MSU undergraduates.

Mary Sampson Worke ? A Moorhead native, she was a four-year fixture in the Dragon volleyball lineup and was voted the Dragons’ MVP in 1989. Worke was a three-time All-Northern Sun Conference honor pick, a two-time winner of the Palmer Volleyball Award, a three-time All-NAIA District 13 choice, and an Honorable Mention NAIA All-American in 1989. She helped MSU advance to the NAIA National Championships as a senior and holds a number of MSU volleyball records including first in solo blocks and block assists, second in career hitting percentage, and third in lifetime kills. Worke is a teacher, counselor and volleyball coach in Blooming Prairie, Minn.

And going into the Hall of Fame with a Distinguished Service award, Orlow Nokken ? A graduate of the MSU Campus School and MSU, Nokken had a career in the university’s health and physical education department and also served as golf coach and director of intramural sports. He was the voice of the Dragons as the public address announcer for football and basketball, and he’s been a fixture as a volunteer at athletic fund-raisers and social events. Nokken, who retired from the classroom in 1992, has been an ardent supporter of MSU athletics for over 40 years.

"They are intriguing to watch," says Paseka, of the two robots that stack bricks on kilns 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. "Everybody who enters the plant is mesmerized by what they do. Just two arms that set bricks down precisely, repetitively and persistently. They never stop working."

For 90 years, this process had been done manually by generations of craftsmen at Hebron Brick Co. (HBC). Paseka’s leadership and vision have brought HBC into the 21st century.

"This is a serious thing for us to take upon our company," says Paseka of the new 68,000-square foot, automated, robot-controlled plant that opened in March. "It’s been a frightful change in some cases, especially considering the scope of this project in proportion to our size."

But Paseka has grown into the role of visionary.

"Actually, after graduation I tried to become an accountant. I found out I wasn’t," he said. "I spent four years in college working in sales, so I guess I’m a salesman by nature." He joined the sales force of the brick company Can-tex in 1972. "During that time I built a relationship with Hebron Brick Co, and came to work for them in 1978 as their sales manager."

In 1986, he became one of three owners. Today, he heads the marketing division while Clarence Elder oversees the manufacturing plant.

"Our growth is in our future," Paseka said. "At the time we bought the company, we were doing about $4 million in sales and have built that to $10 million. Our new plant and five-year growth plan should bring that to $20 million."

A humble history
Established in 1904, Hebron Brick competed with 18 brick businesses during its infancy. Today, HBC is the only brick manufacturer in the tri-state area and is one of the most successful, state-of-the-art companies in the United States.

"We determined five years ago that we had to make some decisions about where we were headed. We needed to take that technological leap," Paseka said. "Our old plant was very labor intensive. We visited about 25 plants in the country, and they were all about the same—dark and gloomy. Other plants seemed to be building old technology with new paint, and we wanted more than that."

Building on tradition
Brick making is an ancient craft whose origins date back 10,000 years. The first bricks were sun-dried mud artifacts formed by hand, followed by the first use of box molds dating to around 3000 B.C. During the Middle Ages, the craft spread rapidly throughout Europe. By the time America was discovered, brick making was a common industry throughout most of Europe. Settlers to the eastern United States brought with them the skills necessary for making brick. Abundant clay supplies in the southern tier of the United States has generated more brick manufacturers than the northern region.

Stepping into the future
Hebron’s new brick plant, built by the renowned French company, Ceric, Inc., is located next to the 39-year-old facility. During a May open house, more than 600 people toured the building. To get to the new plant, guests were channeled through the old plant by a connecting link.

"As you walk into the new plant, the openness is almost breathtaking," Paseka said. "Someone commented that, ‘Now we’re in the Land of Oz,’ so we hope it gives employees the same feeling."

Small by industry standards, HBC is an independent manufacturer that has created a niche for itself by making an ultra high quality product as opposed to large commodity products.

"There are some international companies that we compete with that have 12-15 plants that are all as large, or larger, than ours," Paseka said. "But their plants focus on volume, as opposed to precision that we demand from our product."

In total, HBC can manufacture 480 combinations of brick (4 textures, 11 sizes, and 26 colors). "We can make an 8-inch square brick, or one that’s 16 inches long and 8 inches high. Ninety percent of the plants in the country can’t do that," Paskea said. "Designers and architects like to choose more than one size of product from the same manufacturer, and we are one of the few plants capable of giving them that."  The company’s extraordinary color selection also allows them to compete nationally.

Robotics technology enables HBC to manufacture the larger brick sizes more easily and it’s reduced the plant’s gas usage by about 40 percent. They’ll invest another $6 million into the plant over the next five years, doubling their capacity to 60 million bricks a year.

HBC supplies brick across the country, to the tune of 30 million brick a year, ranging from 500 to 500,000 brick jobs. The architectural line is usually custom ordered (such as the new Great Plains Software building in Fargo that boasts three different colors), while the residential line is done on inventory. "Although we don’t have the luxury of having inventory," Paseka said.

The bottom line: clay
But what about running out of clay? HBC mines three unique clays among about 500 acres of rolling buttes it owns or leases on the North Dakota prairie.

"We only mine about five acres a year," Paseka said. "Since we’ve been doing this for almost 100 years, there’s lots of untapped resources—literally hundreds of years worth of clay."

Mining contractors may scrape off six inches of overburden (debris that isn’t clay) to reap 25 feet of clay, or it may remove as much as 15 feet of overburden to yield 25 feet of clay. While they’ve never been short on clay, they have come close.

"It’s not a good feeling," Paseka says. "It we don’t have mined clay, we can’t make brick."

Annually, HBC mines about 40,000 tons of clay. After processing the clay, the only other ingredients required for brick are water—just enough to give the mixture viscosity and viability—and heat. Temperature variations of up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit can make the same clay different colors, as can the addition of minerals, such as manganese.

Into the future
With the substantial investment into a new plant, will an international conglomerate find Hebron Brick to be a good buy? "Like a lot of industries, we see a great deal of consolidation and international ownership," Paseka said. "About 70 percent of our industry is owned by large multinational companies. So we face the task of competing in a market with competitors who have massive resources. Our advantage is that we can be more nimble about how we do business."

Besides, Paseka has no intention of selling out. "Right now we’re literally rebuilding the company from the ground up, with a five-year expansion plan that focuses on growth through distribution." Hebron Brick Supply has mason retail centers in Rapid City and Fargo. About half of their business comes from selling other companies’ materials—brick, fireplaces, concrete block, retaining wall systems, stone fabrication, glass block.

"This is fun now," Paseka said. "My goal is to grow this company. I don’t know why I’d want to give it up."

 As many of you are well aware, you make up a base of nearly 8,000 alumni.  My job is to plan events that will be specialized to your interests and professions.

In order to do this, I need some information from you.

For example, what do you like to do?  Would you be more interested in attending a professional development seminar or happy hour at a local bar?  This is the type of information I need from you.

 To accomplish this goal of information gathering, a simple survey has been produced.  The survey will take on three forms:  mail, phone and electronic.

You will all have at least one opportunity to participate. For example, both the mailed and phoned surveys will be conducted on a random basis.  The electronic survey is posted on our homepage, http://www.moorhead.msus.edu/alumni/, and is open to everyone.

Please keep in mind that there is a chance of duplication.  For example, you could complete the online survey and get a hard copy in the mail.  While this is a minute possibility, please take the time to fill out the mailed copy as well.

The survey itself is quick, painless and unobtrusive.  It has about a dozen questions and only takes a couple of minutes to complete.   I strongly encourage your participation.  Not only will it help our office add to our database, but it will also benefit you by allowing us to create specialized events that interest you.

If you have any questions or comments in the meantime, please feel free to contact me.  My office phone number is (651)643-3620 and my email address is mounts@mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu

 I am excited about what the future holds for the Twin Cities area alumni and look forward to hearing from all of you!

I want to thank everyone who is taking advantage of e-mail to stay in touch with our office.  Our address is alumni@mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu and
e-mailing is a simple and fast way to let us know what you’re doing; if it’s fit to print, we’ll include it in our next run of the "Alumnotes."  If you go to our web page at www.moorhead.msus.edu/alumni, click on "Keep in Touch" and you can either "update your address" (residence) or "add your address" (e-mail).

Also on our web page there is a short alumni survey developed by Lisa Mounts, our newest addition to the Alumni Foundation Office.  Please take the time to fill out the survey.  We’ll the results in our office almost instantly, and, of course, our hope is that we’ll be better able to address the needs of our alumni once we know what you’re thinking.  If your thinking runs to more abstract sort of musings than a survey can handle, e-mail me at the address above.

This will be the last Alumnews before the millenium, the year 2000, which most people ? except those who insist that the millenium starts in 2001 - will be celebrating, or fearing, depending on the spin you put on such a thing.  My own notion - this is not, however, the "official" opinion of the Alumni Foundation Office - is that planes won’t drop from the sky, the banking system will remain intact, a great many people will have the hangover of the century, and we’ll be Y2K compliant here at MSU.  So call, write, or e-mail ? we’ll do everything we can to handle all requests and questions.  Happy New Year!

Today, you’d hardly know there was a building at the site. What once was a 163-foot-tall building and a visual Moorhead landmark  is now a grassy knoll. Much of the 7,000 tons of debris—bricks, steel, copper, concrete—were recycled. The rest was hauled to a local landfill.

The university is conducting a study to determine campus housing needs.

The MSU Alumni Foundation is selling Neumaier  memorabilia, with all profits going for scholarships. Inscribed bricks are selling for $20, T-shirts for $10, videos of the implosion for $20 and posters for $10. Call 218-236-3625 or toll free at 877-270-2586 to place your order.
Postage will be added to all orders not picked up at Owens Hall 202.

Inez Thompson ’32 (el ed) lives in Sun City, AZ and stays active in her home, church and community.  Inez, coming up on her 90th birthday, is an accomplished musician who plays the oboe in the Sun City Concert and Polka Pops Bands.

Margaret Bailer Sillers ‘35 (el ed) and her husband Douglas have lived on their farm near Moorhead since the end of WWII.  Although Margaret and Doug live on the farmstead they are retired from active farming, having turned over the daily operations to their son Hal.

Charles Cook ’38 (math/phys sci) retired in ’75 and reports that he is in good health.  Charles has many fine memories of MSU and hopes that today’s students are getting as good an education as he did.  He taught for four years and then worked for Phillips Electronics.

40s

Sylvia Ronnie Yarger ’41 (el ed)  ‘62 (BS el ed) is retired after 36 years of teaching and resides in Morris, MN.  Her two children, Kay and Dick, both graduated from MSU and are living in Boulder, CO.

Molly Preston Hood ’45 (el ed) has left Hawaii after 19 years to live with her son and his family in Charleston, SC.  Molly returns to Moorhead every spring and enjoys coming back on campus to experience all the wonderful memories she has of her days at MSU.

Beatrice Ellingson Balgaard ’46 (el ed) reports that she is trying to stay active and healthy.  She remains concerned about national and political issues and expresses the hope that we will choose morally strong citizens to lead our country.

Clara Miner Lesch ’46 (el ed) spent two months this past winter in sunny Santa Barbara, CA where she enjoyed playing golf and bridge.  While in Santa Barbara she took trips to Las Vegas, NV and San Francisco, CA.
 
 

50s

Ronald E. Holzer ’53 is a retired public schools administrator and he lives in Mira Loma, CA.  Richard reports that he enrolled at MSTC in 1938 but because of military duty and other obligations wasn’t able to reenroll until some years later.  He reports that it took 15 years, "but I got it."

Patricia Murphy Headley ’54 (bus ed) lives in Plymouth, MN with her husband, Calvin, after having retired from teaching in 1990.  Her last 29 years were spent at Orono High School.  Patricia and Calvin enjoy traveling and spend their winters in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Donald A. Miller ’56 (indus ed) retired in 1992 from teaching Architectural Drafting at Coon Rapids Senior High.  Donald and his wife, Eloise, make their home in Anoka, MN.

Janet Murray Hallett ’57 (el ed) ’60 (BS el ed) and her husband, Bob, both retired from education in 1998.  They are living in Eden Valley, MN.

John Thompson ’58 (phy ed) ’65 (MS phy ed) retired six years ago from teaching.  His wife, Peggy, is still employed as a social worker but is retiring this year.  They plan on enjoying their condo in Mexico from January through March.

Dorothy Eastlund Altmann ’59 (el ed) and her husband, Delbert, report that they have lived in Olivia, MN for the past 35 years and enjoy being close to their sons Steve and Dave.  Dorothy enjoys doing volunteer work for her church and the community, and she and Delbert say they "have a wonderful time with our granddaughters."  They spend their winters in Arizona.

Geno Goedel ’59 (math) ’64 (MS math) is retired from teaching at Two Harbors High.  Geno is a member of the Dragon Hall of Fame having earned letters in football, basketball and track.

Faye Colmark Paster ’59 (el ed) ’68 (BS el ed) retired this past June after having taught in Robbinsdale, MN since 1969.  When her husband, Jim, retires in two years they plan on moving to their lake home in Paynesville, MN.

60s

Toby Horn ’61 (math) taught math for 31 years and also spent 13 years as a wrestling coach.  He and his wife, Judy, are retired from teaching but enjoy living on a 160-acre farm raising beef cattle.  In their spare time they enjoy fishing, hunting, golf and traveling.

Oren B. Erickson ’62 (mus/art) retired after 25 years as a landscape architect for the U.S. Dept. of Ag. and Dept. of Int.  He earned his landscaping architecture degree form the Univ. of Oregon in ’72.  Oren reports that he "enjoys sailing, motorcycle touring, playing the string bass, restoring old fords and traveling." He plans to go abroad soon and visit all the places he read about in college.  Oren and his wife, Orlene (Sander) ’62 (mus) have been married for 37 years.  She taught elementary school for 22 years and for the last 5 years has taught transitional first grade.  They have one son, Stein, who lives in Portland.

Norm Opheim ’62 (indus ed) lives in Pine City, MN where he and his wife, Marlys, own an antique shop called "Memories."  They retired from teaching in ’92 and enjoy traveling and having old friends from MSU stop by to visit.

Robert Schmidt ’62 (soc st/math) lives in Mound, MN where he runs a business that provides a variety of professional services to school administrators.  Karen, his wife, has her own financial consulting business.

Dick Hagen ’63 (bus admn) retired from General Mills after nearly 30 years of service.  Most of his career was spent in Minneapolis with short periods in St. Louis and Atlanta.  Dick and his wife, Karen, are enjoying their grandson Brandon.

Gene Picket ’63 (bus admin/acctg) retired from the IRS in 1995.  Gene and his wife, Diane, have homes in Moorhead, Pelican Lake, MN and Havaso City, AZ.

Donald J. Anderson ’64 (bio) is a Senior Master Sergeant in the Air Force and just received the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal for Distinguished Service.  Donald and his wife, Evonne, have four adult children.

Sharon Renfrew Johnson ’65 (math) ’75 (couns) is teaching algebra, counseling, coaching golf and acting as the Knowledge Bowl coach in the public schools in Wheaton, MN.  In her spare time Sharon enjoys golf, piano, and attending concerts and other productions at Moorhead State.  Sharon has three children: Lori, Tara, and Elizabeth.

David A Quam ’64 (mus) is currently serving as pastor at the Red River Alliance Church in Fargo, ND and is also the pastor at the Audubon Chapel in Audubon, MN.  David taught school for five years and then went to UND where he obtained a master’s degree.  After teaching for one year at Crown College he entered the seminary and joined the ministry.  Davis also performs in operas as well as touring with the Quam Family Singers.  Dave and his wife, Carol, have four children and one grandchild.

Herbert J. Akins Jr. ’65 (el ed) is retired from teaching at Mesabi East School and is making his home with his wife, Dorothy, in Hoyt Lakes, MN.

Tom Matchie ’66 (MS Eng) is a professor at NDSU in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science where he has received awards for research and creativity.   In ’98 he received the Victor Emmet Award from Pittsburg State University for Best Essay in a Regional Journal.

Robert E. Horner ‘ 67 (hist) retired after teaching Social Studies for 30 years.  He enjoys hunting, fishing and traveling.  Robert and his wife, Etta, live in Detroit Lakes, MN

Dennis Bendickson ’68 (acctg/bus admin) lives in Thief River Falls, MN with his wife Sue.  Dennis has been employed at Northland since graduating from MSU, starting as the Admissions Director.  He became Dean of the College in the summer of ’97.

Mary Jane Rick Crafton ’68 (el ed) has been teaching in Redondo Beach, CA for the past 30 years.  She is the district math and technology mentor and was nominated for state Teacher of the Year.  In 1998 she won the prestigious Dominguez Brand Award.

Marvin E. Gunderson ’68 (hist) ’78 (MA couns) is an insurance agent based out of Elbow Lake, MN.  He earned his LVTCF designation this past January.  Marv is a general agent for Blue Cross-Blue Shield and a field representative for The Guardian.  Marv has won a number of professional honors for his representation of the BCBS product line.

Terry W. Soine ’68 (bio) has been a school administrator for 27 years in Thief River Falls, MN where he lives with his wife, Rita, and their three children.  A charter member of the Fargo chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, Terry went to China in ’92 as a Fulbright Scholar.

Anna Marie Brag Deskin ’69 (el ed) is a computer specialist and instructor in the Des Moines Public Schools in Des Moines, Iowa.  In ’97 she was selected as one of 20 teachers nation-wide to receive the Microsoft Teacher Training Award.  She is also Director of Music at Immanuel United Methodist Church.  She and her husband, Bill, have two daughters, Diana and Bethany.

Stanley Olson, ’69 (acctg/bus admin) has been farming for 22 years.  These are difficult times for farmers but Stanley likes his work and stays active with church and community activities
 

70s

Mark A. Brickson ’70 (Eng) and Kathy A. Brickson ’71 (sp/lng/hrg) make their home in East Grand Forks, MN.  Mark is director of career services at the UND School of Law and Kathy is a speech therapist in the East Grand Forks School District.  They have two children, Ben and Molly.

Jim Hurley ’70 (hlth phy ed) and Sharon Erickson Hurley ’69 (el ed) are living in Moorhead where both are employed by the Moorhead Public Schools.  Jim was honored recently for 25 years of coaching, and Sharon is a special education teacher.  They have two children, Melissa and Ryan.

Ronald A. Larson ’70 (bus admin) has over 25 years experience in the financial services industry, including consumer and commercial lending, corporate finance, and consumer and commercial leasing. Ron is president and CEO of Falcon Capitol LLC, and executive VP of Bankers Consulting Corp.  Both companies are located in Scottsdale, AZ.  Scott has two children, Andrew and Jenna.

Tom Westmoreland ’71 (soc wk) was recently honored by being presented the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. Auburn University gives this prestigious award to one non-student in "recognition of outstanding personal characteristics and a spirit of love and helpfulness to others."  For 25 years Tom has worked at Project Uplift, an organization that pairs at-risk youth with volunteers.

James L Bugge ’72 (el ed) has been an elementary principal for six years at the Cochrane-Fountain City School District. James and his wife, Susan, have two children, James and Jennifer, and live in Buffalo City, WI.

Ken Krajsa ’72 (finance) is a vice president at State Bank of Fargo.  Ken and his wife, Kay, have three children ? Krista, James, and Sam ? and make their home in Moorhead.

Mary Boyd Martz ’72 (mus) was recently named a lecturer in music at Carleton College.  After leaving MSU, Mary studied at Amherst College, the MacPhail School of Performing Arts, and the Minnesota Opera Studio.  She has performed with a variety of opera companies and orchestras, and has taught at the New York Summer School of Arts and the St. Olaf Summer Music Camp.

Vicki L. Schroeder Meridith ’72 (hlth phy ed) reports that "After 25 + of teaching, this year is one of change for me.  I moved to middle school physical education and took a break from all coaching duties.  As president of the Stewartville Area Historical Society, I’m proud to have opened the Richard W. Sears birthplace home to tours during this past summer."  Vicki invites alumni to stop by for a visit!  Vicki has one daughter, Alyssia.

Chris Rickenberger ’72 (indus ed) 81 (MS indus ed) is founder and president of Aallways Associates, Inc. a 15 year old business that is located in the historic Bandana Square in St. Paul.  Chris and his wife, Sue, have four children.

Barbara Schulstad ’72 (el ed) ’88 (MS reading) and her husband, Charles, 69 (MS ed admin) are both employed by the Fargo Public Schools. Barbara is an elementary teacher and Charles is an elementary school principal. They plan on working a while longer before retiring.  Charles says, "I found my receipts the other day for tuition, etc. In 1961, tuition was $42.50 per quarter, with a $10 activity fee.  Thanks for a good education!"

Brenda Carter Shaw ’72 (hlth phy ed) reports that she is divorced, retired from teaching and working as a legal secretary.  Brenda owns her own candy company, Foxy Woodland Candies.

Norma Smith Thiel Nosek ’72 (el ed) is a public school administrator for the Wahpeton Public School System. Her most exciting achievement at work has been to plan and obtain funding to completely network five buildings and provide email and internet access to all staff and administrators.  Norma’s husband, Walter, is a retired supt. of schools.  She has two sons and six grandchildren.

Mark Liptrap, ‘73 (finance) is a pilot for Federal Express and lives in Spokane, WA. Mark is involved in various church and charity projects and enjoys working on his two fire trucks.  Mark will need to explain that in more detail in a future issue of the Alumnews.

Lee Wolter ‘73 (mktg) has been a marketing representative in the electronics industry for 25 years and has won numerous awards, including "Representative of the Year" for Telex Communications two years in a row.  Lee and his wife, Debra, and their daughter, Emily, live on a lake outside Detroit Lakes and take full advantage of all the activities available in such a great setting.

Becky Vikre Crary ’74 (el ed) has lived with her husband, Rob, in the Spokane, WA area for the past twenty years. Becky teaches kindergarten and Rob is an attorney.  They enjoyed being involved in their children’s activities, downhill and cross-country skiing, lake activities and travel.

Ann Clemmenson Hermes ’74 (mass comm/speech) is working in real estate sales, raising teenagers, and staying involved with theatre.  She recently played Guenevere in Camelot and Dolly Levi in Hello Dolly.  Ann makes her home in Alexandria, MN with her children Marne and Briana.

Roger Hunt ’74 (mass comm) is a rural mail carrier and ex-farmer.  He reports that his free time is divided between attending basketball games, either as a spectator or as a coach for the McClusky Jr. High boys and girls teams.  Roger says hello to all his friends from the Advocate.  Roger and his wife, Roberta, have two children, Jennifer and Kyle, and live in McClusky.

Jay Leitch, ’74 (pol sci) has been named dean of North Dakota State University’s College of Business Administration.  Jay earned his master’s degree from NDSU and his Ph.D from the University of Minnesota.  He is an internationally recognized authority on wetland economics and has been on the faculty of NDSU since 1981.

David D. Dobmeier ’75 (bio) served in the Army Dental Corps for 5 years, serving in Germany and Colorado.  For the past 14 years he has practiced dentistry in West Fargo.  David and his wife, Joyce, live in West Fargo with their children, Nicole and Aaron.

Janell Cole ’75 (mass comm) became the Fargo Forum’s Capitol Correspondent after nearly 15 years with the Bismarck Tribune.  Her offices remain in Bismarck, where she has made her home since ’84.

Lorelei Giddings ’75 (Eng) works as an applications support person for Fairview Hospital.  In her "spare" time, she plays oboe with two orchestras and two quintets, does free-lance performing and teaches oboe to some "great students."  She and her husband, Michael Kaye, live in Minneapolis.

Sharon K. Harrington ’75 (phy ed) works for LECO Corporation and says she spends her evenings with her "kids," 2 dogs and 7 cats.  She has been with LECO for 7 years and enjoys her colleagues very much.

Agnes Schares ’77 (MA, reading) completed 30 years as of teaching and now works at the Cheney family Place, a hospitality house for family members who have loved ones in the critical care unit at the local hospital.  She reports that they provide lodging and support "to all who enter our doors."  Agnes is also a hospice volunteer and provides peer counseling for senior members of the Jackson County Mental Health Agency.  Recently she became a certified foot reflexologist.  Agnes lives in Medford, OR.

Peter Johnson ’79 (mgmt/mktg) is a human resource director for a natural recycling firm.  He says, "I would love to hear from the 8th floor Neumaier guys."  Peter lives in Fort Mill, SC.

Barb Lamb Tumberg ’79 (el ed) has taught kindergarten in New York Mills, MN for the past twenty years.  She lives in nearby Wadena, MN where here husband, Terry, has a tax accounting business.  Their two sons attend school in Wadena so "They don’t have to call mom ‘Mrs. Turnberg’ in kindergarten!"
 

80s

Kathy Bursheim Kells ’80 (el ed) has taught first grade for the last 18 years for the Lac Qui Parle School District in Madison, MN.  She was named Teacher of the Year in 97-98, and is currently enrolled in a master’s program at SW State, in Marshall, MN.  Kathy lives with her two children, Iain and Corina.

Donald A. Wiebold ’80 (comp sci) works at Unisys, and this past year has been gaining experience with JAVA and web development.  His wife, Claudia Brainard Wiebold, ’81 (MA math) works as a senior system analyst for Minnesota Life. They enjoy living in Shorview, MN with their son and daughter.

Julie Seim Ladeen ’81 (soc wk) was recently promoted and named program planner for Anoka County’s Community Social Services Dept.  She will be working on children’s mental health concerns and implementation of a statewide tracking and database system for children’s services in Anoka County.  Julie and her husband, Mark, have two children, Ryan and John, and live in Coon Rapids, MN.

David Mentz ’81 (bus mgmt) and his wife, Pam Smith Mentz ’82 (bus admin) live in South Minneapolis.  Dave is employed by Medtronic, Inc as their human resources director and is completing his MBA at St. Thomas.  Pam is working at Anoka Ramsey Community College as director of student services.

Joyce Schmidtbauer ’81 (mass comm) recently produced a TV campaign for the Seattle Sonics that won 33 national and international advertising awards, including a Golden Lion at Cannes, Best of Show at the London International Advertising Awards, 5 Clios, 5 Andy awards (including the $50,000 Grandy Award) and many more.  Joyce splits her time between L.A. and Seattle.

Phillip J. Vanyo ’81 (indus tech) and wife, Susan, are enjoying East Grand Forks, ND after living in Brooklyn, NY for eight years.  They have a great time as a family and enjoying watching their "future Dragons" ? Jessica, Alexandria, and Matthew ? grow.  Alexandria and Jessica started school this fall.  Philip is a sales manager with NAPA.

Debbie Dahl Amundson ’81 (finance/bus admin) and Steve ’82 (phil) enjoy their life in Alaska with their three sons.  They are busy with hockey, raquetball and music and enjoy traveling back to MN in the summers.  Debbie is a bank manager with National Bank of Alaska.

Bob Gustafson ’82 (el ed) reports that he is "still in intensive therapy" trying to deal with the Vikings loss to Atlanta last year, but in spite of that is enjoying himself in CA with his wife, Colleen, and sons, Jack and Dan.  Bob is working as sales and marketing manager for Teichert Aggregate.

Greg Loeschke ’82 (mass comm) is working as a vice president for business development for Cenex Harvest States Food Group and living with his wife, Stephanie, in St. Louis Park, MN.  Greg completed his MBA at St. Thomas in 1998.

Michael L. Nylin ‘82 (el ed) retired from the Air Force in 1992 and is now enjoying his career as an elementary school teacher at Trinity Christian School.  He says that every day is exciting and challenging.  Michael and his wife, Joyce, make their home in Papillion, NE and have four children, all out of high school and two out of college.

David J. Peloquin ’82 (acct) and his wife, Mary Jean, make their home in Mounds View, MN with their four children: Isaac, Louie, Anne and Sarah.  David is a tax manager with Deluxe Corp.

Mary Miller Kramer ’83 (art) and her husband David ’83 (bio) make their home in Chaska, MN.  Mary is the creative director for Insty-Prints Inc., a national franchise system of quick-printers.  She says, "I’ve been having a blast doing graphic design and hope to continue for as long as I can click a mouse."

David H. Sederquist ’83 (math) and Jane Remark Sederquist ’84 (art) live with their three boys ? Tom, Dan and Ryan ? in Moorhead.  David is employed by NSP in Fargo as a regulatory/financial consultant.

Debbie Swenson Valle ’83 (med record) is working as the director of medical records at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, TX where she and her husband, Joe, make their home.  Debbie plans on applying to the University of Texas, Pan America, to enter their MBA program.

Charles E. Clark ’84 (soc) has been appointed special assistant to the chancellor and the provost at the University of Wisconsin ? Stevens Point.  Charles, who holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana, will work in the areas of communication, student and public issues and university projects.

Janessa Delvo ’84 (acctg) has been promoted by Eide Bailly, a regional public accounting firm, to the manager level.  She specializes in income tax planning and preparation and has been with the firm more than 14 years.  Janessa and her husband, Joe, have two children and live in Fargo.

Doug Evenson "84 (MS comp sci) has a Christian music ministry with his wife, Laura, and together they have produced two CDs in Nashville, TN. He also works as a computer consultant with Keane, Inc.  Doug and Laura have three children ? Cherise, Jennifer, and Nick ? and make their home in New Brighton, MN.

Jeff Hillius ’84 (bus admin) is the owner of Jayhill Software, Inc. in Fargo.  The company develops and sells insurance software to Fortune 500 companies throughout the US and Canada and currently has 30 programmers and analysts on the payroll.  Jeff and his wife, Lana, make their home in Fargo with their two sons, Parker and Brandon.

Janene Desotelle Paulson ’84 (art) ’88 (BFA art) is working as a salesperson and account manager for S&S Promotional Group.  She also does freelance graphic design work and teaches as an adjunct instructor in Moorhead State’s Art Dept.  Janene and her husband, Craig, live in Moorhead with their three children ? Katie, Maggie, and Tucker.

Judy Steinman Purcell ’84 (mgmt) spent her first fifteen years after MSU in the retail business, moving from Minneapolis to Colorado to Indiana to New Hampshire, where she met and married her husband, Virgil, and together they settled in Wisconsin.  In 1998 Judy made a career change and is presently working for Hospice, Inc. as a nursing assistant, which she describes as a "perfect fit."  She also helps Virgil in his Handy-Man business.

Darla Melo Scouten ’84 (soc) was recently named director of the A to Z Child-Care Center in Ramsey, MN.  Darla lives in Zimmerman, MN with her husband, Frank, and their three children ? Nicholas, Joseph, and Andrew.

Mark Lafer ’85 (hlth) ’87 (phy ed) has been working at Arizona State University, West Campus, for six years as their fitness coordinator.  He also teaches adult fitness classes.  Mark and his wife, Kelly, live in Tempe, AZ.

Theresa Fedor Resnick ’85 (math) has been with Allstate Life Ins. Co. for 11 years.  She is currently working in the Direct Response Market Center.  Theresa, her husband Mike, and their son, Peter, moved to Northbrook, IL last fall.

Thomas J Fuchs ’86 (indiv major) reports that "After 8 years of living Seattle, we begin to miss ?40o, blizzards, snirt, mosquitoes and the Red River Valley."  Let’s hope the Visitors and Convention Bureau folks don’t see this!  Thomas and Pam ended up in Crookston, MN where he is employed as a services coordinator at the Conflict Resolution Center.  He also works as an independent consultant to organizations that want assistance in team building, strategic planning and organizational development.  Thomas and his wife, Pam, live with their two girls, Gillian and Michaela, in Crookston.

Stephen Iverson ’86 (speech) assisted CNN, where he works in TV management, with their transition from videotape to non-linear digital editing and broadcasting.  He is also developing skills as a web designer for other companies. Steven and his wife, Constance, and their son, Christopher, live in Clarkston, GA.

Mike P. Kennedy ’86 (bus admin) and his wife, Rita, have been living in Idaho Falls ID for the past six years, and report that they love the area with its beautiful scenery and great hunting.  They have three children ? Christine, Allison and Stone.  Mike works for Busch Agricultural Services and referees high school wrestling matches. He wishes MSU well on its transition to NCAA Division II and says hello to everyone at MSU.

Kristi Foltz Matlon ’86 (acct) moved with her husband, Steve, and two children to Rancho Santa Margarita in Southern CA from Portland, OR in October, ’98.  She is an "unemployed accountant and full-time mom".  She would love to hear from classmates or Eurospring ’86 alumni at kmatlon@aol.com.

Melinda McMurphy ’86 (mass comm) lived and worked in Detroit Lakes, MN for several years after graduation and then moved to St. Cloud, MN and was employed by Fingerhut Corp. for five years.  In ’94 she and her husband, Thomas, moved back to Melinda’s hometown of Sebeka, MN where they now live with their two children, Dylan and Miles.  Melinda works for Lamb/Weston/RDO of Park Rapids, MN.

Kathryn Carlson Noel ’86 (math) is teaching school in Harlem, MT and helping her husband, Tom, with his small engine repair business.  They have two children, Andy and Trent, and enjoy family activities, time permitting.

Nancy Turbes Patton ’86 (acct) has been with US Bank for the past five years and was recently promoted to group product manager for the US Bank and Rocky Mountain credit card products.  She lives in Plymouth, MN with her husband, Christopher, and their two children, Elizabeth and Michael.

Melissa Casey Johnson ’87 (el ed) has worked for Wells Fargo (formally Norwest) since ’88.  She married Bill Casey in ’94 and they have two children, Erin and Alison.  They have lived in River Falls, WI since ’94.

Kevin Johanson ’87 (finance) was recently named chief financial officer for Mortgage Plus Financial Corp.  He lives with his wife, Lisa, and their three children ? Liz, Mitch and Sam - in Fridley, MN.

Glenda Rogers Lindberg ’87 (el ed) and her husband, Doug, and their son, Brandon, are living in Victorville, CA where Glenda is a reading specialist in the public schools.  This past June she received a master’s degree from California State University, San Bernadino.

Rick Schumacher ’86 (Eng/mktg) was recently promoted to executive editor of "Dealer Magazine," the trade publication for The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association.  Rick makes his home in Richfield, MN.

Nicole Jacobson Star ’87 (Span/mass comm) reports that she is a legal secretary but is planning a career change and is contemplating going back to school after the first of the year.  Nicole and her husband, Rick, live in Coon Rapids, MN.

Mary Pitsenburger Zurn ’87 (German/inter bus) is living with her husband, Andrew, in Benson, MN.  They have three children ? Louis, Isaac, and Marla.

Deedra Harding Aasand ’88 (office admin) is living in Carrington, ND with her husband, Dean, and their two children, Kyle and Brittney.  Deedra works as an accountant assistant for Dakota Central Telecommunications Cooperative.

Janet E. Anderson ’88 (indiv major) received her Ph.D. last year in student personnel administration from the University of Northern Colorado.  She is working at the College of St. Benedict/St. Johns University as director of student activities and reports that she loves her job.  Janet bought a house in Waite Park, MN and moved in this past June.  She would love to get together with any MSU grads living near St. Cloud, MN.

Bob Hagert ’88 (soc stud) has been teaching and coaching in Idaho Falls, ID for the past ten years and would enjoy "hearing from any of those old desk workers and resident assistants from ’85 and ’86".  Bob can be contacted at hagertr@d93.k12.id.us.

John Tipping ’88 (mass comm) is in the third year of publishing and writing "Golf Washington," a publication John created along with his wife, Marilyn Esguerra.  John describes his magazine as a "niche" golf publication with 22,000 copies printed nine times a year.

Brad Dejong ’89 (acctg) has been promoted to the manager level with Eide Bailly, Fargo.  Brad, a CPA with the accounting firm, specialized in health care consulting and auditing.  He has been with the company for six years.  Brad and his wife, Jennifer, live in Fargo.

Michael Cole ’89 (pol sci) is working as a investment executive for Piper Jaffray in Sioux Falls, SD where he lives with his wife, Andrea.  Michael worked for US Senator Tom Daschle for some time prior to taking his present job, and Andrea is Senator Daschle’s office manager in Sioux Falls.

Kerby Engen ’89 (bus ed) has joined Eide Bailey, a regional consulting and certified public accounting firm, as its technology training coordinator/educator.  Kelly was previously employed by the Fargo Public Schools where he was awarded the "Outstanding Young Educator of the Year for 1998."

Sherry Held Heitkamp ’89 (secr sci) has been working for Border States Electric in Fargo since 1990.  She married Jason Heitkamp in April of ’94 and they bought their home in Prairie Rose, ND in April of ’97.  They have one child, Sierra, and by the time this makes it to our alumni they should have a second!  Sherry gave us a due date of 10/99.  Sherry writes, "I really appreciate the Alumnews and being able to keep up with everything."  Thank you, Sherry!

Peter Hjelmstad ’89 (mass comm) is a TV news anchor and producer for KIMT in Mason City, IA.  He works all three of their broadcasts, which air at 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00 p.m.

Catherine Finke Ikka (el ed) ’89 is a 6th grade teacher in New Prague Middle School in New Prague, MN where she lives with her husband, Gregory, and their three children.  This past year was Catherine’s 10th year of teaching and was also the year her third child, Alise, was born.  She says it has been a "very busy time."

Eric Olson ’89 (bus admin) and Patti Imholte Olson ’89 (bus admin) make their home in Denton, TX with their four children ? Nicole, Matthew, Alexandra, and Bethany.  Eric is a field services representative for Medtronic, Inc. and works with open-heart surgery equipment at various hospitals in TX and OK.  Patti is a stay-at-home mom but is finishing up a fifth year of accounting to prepare herself for the CPA exam in November.  Good luck, Patti!

Cindy Pavlish Solberg ’89 (indiv major) received her master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Dakota in May.  She is employed by Inteliant, a management and consulting firm.  Cindy and her husband, Tom, have two children, Sam and Melissa.

Scott Tomes ’89 (int’l bus/mktg) is director of sales for Quick-to-Fix-Foods, a national manufacturer of beef, pork, and poultry products.  We saw Scott and his wife, Laura, this summer when we had our Twin Cities riverboat cruise.  They make their home in Minnetrista, MN.
 

90s

Deb Lambert Amiot ’90 (el ed) writes, "After nine years of teaching I have decided not to continue.  I am looking forward to being at home with our twins, Kadie and Ryan, and helping my husband, Kevin, on the farm."  Deb and her family make their home in Red lake Falls, MN.

Lisa Stordahl Bachmeier ’90 (mass comm) has been working in the marketing communications field for the past 8 years but reports that she needs a change and new challenges.  Lisa’s husband, Greg, is a recent graduate of Hamline Law School, and Lisa is planning on attending Hamline beginning fall ’99.  Lisa and Greg are expecting their first child in November.

David Cameron ’90 (el ed) and Patricia ’91 (el ed) are back in Minnesota after having been in Yuma, AZ for the past seven years where David was teaching.  He is now a teacher at Saint Joseph’s School in Moorhead working with fifth graders.  David and Trish are well and stay busy with Sam, Elliot, Anne and Nicholas, their four children.

Susan Davidson ’90 (int’l bus/finance) is living in Circle Pines, MN and just bought her first home last year.  She is a trust account manager for US Bank where she has worked for eight years.  In her spare time, Susan enjoys gardening and quilting.

Mary Pearson Carlson ’90 (el ed) is a first grade teacher at Ledgewood Elementary School in Roscoe, IL.  She has been married twelve years to Calvin Carlson and they have two "beautiful daughters," Courtney and Hannah.  In ’99 Mary completed her master’s degree.

Mark T. Ettel ’90 (acct) reports that he and his family are finally getting settled down after a very hectic two years.  Mark and his wife, Michelle, had a baby, Zachary, in ’97, and then they moved back home to Melrose, MN after purchasing a trucking company in ’98.  Michelle also started a new job that year as a pharmacist in St.Cloud, MN.

Terry Garff ’90 (pol sci) is an attorney and lives with his wife, Linda, and four children ? Joshua, Christopher, Andrew, and Lindsey ? in Dilworth, MN.

Patrick J. Petermann ’90 (soc work) was recently named executive director of Home on the Range, a residential treatment center for troubled children.  He has been at the facility for eight years, first as an individual case manager and then as assistant director. He had been acting director since February.  "There are a lot of things to do here in the future," he says.  "I want to create an environment where children feel safe, where they can be successful."  Home on the Range is located in Sentinel Butt, ND.
 

Nicole Boughton Woodman ’90 (crim just) is a corrections agent with the Minnesota Department of Corrections and for the past year has been living in Fergus Falls with her husband, Dean, and children, Benjamin and Makenzie.  Dean is a teacher in Underwood, MN.  Nicole says she likes the area and is glad to be close to Moorhead again.

Suzanne Spilde Bowman ’91 (pol sci) is married and living with her husband, Shawn, and their new son in Devils Lake, ND.  Suzanne reports that leaving her professional life as executive director of the ND Christian Coalition for professional, full-time motherhood has been a great change.

Darren Hayden ’91 (mass comm/psych) has just accepted a job with American Media and Special Promotions, an event and sales promotion company that specializes in prize risk insurance for the media, sports and corporate world.  He says life is great in Atlanta, GA and invites old friends to drop him a line at dhayden@mindsping.com.

Mike Sandlie Pepin ’91 (bus admin) and Trina Sandlie Pepin ’92 (crim just) are living in Cottage Grove, MN and both work in law enforcement.  Mike is with the Woodbury Police Department, and Trina is with the Brooklyn Park Police Department where she is a field-training officer teaching searching techniques.

Janice Anderson Stordahl ’91 (nursing) reports that she is very happy about her degree as it opened many doors for her.  She is currently the transport services program director for the air ambulance service in Lincoln, NB where she enjoys good times with her children, Laura and Andrew. Janice says she likes the many challenges of her job, including building a quality program in the face of decreasing reimbursement.

Mary Churchill Walsh ’91 (soc work) is working as a school social worker in two elementary buildings for the Minnewaska Area Schools and is working on her master’s degree at Southwest State.  Mary says that she and her husband, Dan, enjoy their "active" daughter, Mackenzie.  They live in Glenwood, MN.

Geraldine (Gerry) Berg ’92 (mass comm) is the business and computer systems manager for the Grand Forks Family YMCA.  Gerry has three grown children and lives in Grand Forks.  She says that her days as a student worker in the Financial Aid Office at MSU were some of the happiest years of her life.

Mitchell Brunfelt ’92 (crim justice/pol sci) was recently reelected as mayor of Iron Mountain, MN where he lives with his wife, Amanda.  This past March he joined a law firm in Virginia, MN where he will practice in the areas of civil litigation, personal injury, and labor and employment law.

Michelle Christopherson ‘ 92 (mass comm) and her husband, Mike Christopherson ’92 (mass comm) are living in Crookston, MN with their son, Ethan, who was born in October of ’98.  Mike is the city editor and editorial page editor of the Crookston Daily Times, and Michelle is an ad executive with the Grand Forks Herald.

Mike S. Kluck ’92 (acct) married his wife, Jo Dee, in November of ’97.  He now has a stepdaughter, Kara, and there is a new addition to the family, daughter Kendra.  Mike is a business banker with Community First Bank in Whapeton and attended the Dakota School of Banking this past summer to sharpen his skills.  Mike and his family live in Whapeton, ND.

Timothy Newton ’92 (acct/econ) is chief financial officer for New Apple Lines, Inc. in Sioux Falls, SD.  He and his wife, Angela, live with their son, Rylee, in Sioux Falls.

Dave Pierce ’92 (graph comm) is a senior manager in sales for IHS Human Resource Products in Denver, CO.  Dave and his wife, Denise, also have a network distribution consulting company that promotes Internet distribution solutions.  They live in Littelton, CO with their children, Vince and Rachael.

Jennifer Antes ’93 (psych) reports that since graduating she has received a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology at Mankato State University.  She is working as a human resource consultant for Norwest in Minneapolis and is living with her two "babies," cats Salty and Skyler.

Kory Christianson ’93 (MBA) is the fundraising director for Saint Joseph’s School in Omaha, NE where he lives with his wife, Heather, a pediatrician, and daughter, Hanna.  Kory says, "We are big Neb