Stillwater Living August 2013

AUGUST 2013

Summer’sLast Days

Mallards on St. Croix • Caminito Art Gallery FREE

WWW.STILLWATERLIVING.NET 1

Artsy hipster-chick

Foodie

Super fun mom with young kids

Artsy music aficionado

Consummate handy-man

Church lady

Wine lover / shopper

meet the columnistsStillwater Living is adding faces to our columnists!

Watch for new content from these folks in coming issues.

Help us put a face with the category.

C’mon, it’ll be fun!A B

F G H

C D E

I J KGo to www.stillwaterliving.net to connect these faces to their topics, do it!

Thanks to local artist Tim Nyberg for his caricatures!

Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter

since 1966

Music on the Meadow!

Mark your calendars forAnnual Labor Day Waldfest!September 2noon - 6 pmPolka in our pine forest to The Artie Schaefer Band 1:00-5:00pm Free admissionBrats and beer available in the forest.

On the lawn –free admission -bring your lawn chairs or blankets,all are welcome!

Sundays

in August

3-6 pm

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a vast array of fun art for home and office by stillwater artist tim nyberg

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moreinfo

online

open anytime by appointment 612.240.6679same day appointments are usually ne • special art events quarterly

“I'm loving your paintings more and moreeach day. Everyone who sees them has

a different favorite for a different reason. They’ve generated fun conversation

among my family and friends.”– Brigitt, repeat buyer / New York

See Tim’s entire painting inventory at his gallery or online at TimNyberg.com

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2 STILLWATER LIVING AUGUST 2013

August 2013

Departments

4 6 8

16

18

30

EDITOR’S NOTE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MAINSTREETNews and Views from the ValleyBY JESSIE WADE

ARMCHAIR READERHow to Give a Book to a BookwormBY CECILIA LOOME

STUDIO TIMENon Basta Una Vita!BY MELLISSA J DAHL

CORNER TABLEChanges on the CroixBY PETER MCNIFF

VICTIM CENTERED JUSTICERemodeling a Piece of Stillwater HistoryBY CURTIS DALE24

Features

COVER PHOTO BY CURTIS DALE

IN PERSONMallards on the St. CroixBY JESSIE WADE22

contentscontents


OK, I get the fact that Johnny Depp is not a great American actor/poet or anything – but he is right on the money with his above listed thought. We would all do well to heed his sage advice, and just enjoy the ride. It’s pretty rare to hear that someone on their death bed wished they had spent more time at work or keeping the house tidy. Most often we hear that they wish they had spent more time with loved ones, more time spent living in the moment and being present for their loved ones.

Arm Chair Reader helps us all make the right purchase for the well-read rewader in our lives. Ceclilia Loome guides us through the process of book shopping for the active reader. You won’t find her unique perspective in the chain stores located south of I-94.

This month’s Studio Time talks to Genie Taylor Ebertz, owner of the Caminito Art Gallery across the river in Hudson. Named after a street in the La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Ebertz’s childhood home, the gallery offers the same whimsical and colorful flair with some great art and classes to boot.

InPerson is back this month with a focus on Mallards on the St. Croix, the new restaurant that recently opened at Bayport Marina. Owned by David Suddath, a man with extensive experience in the restaurant industry, Mallards brings something back to the old Clyde’s restaurant space - great food. Well worth a visit.

Our feature story this month takes a look at the restorative justice action in process. A few community pioneers have established a victim-centered response to crime that engages those directly affected by the crime. Working together and quided by a set of principles, the victim and offender deal with the harm caused by the conduct. The “social return on investment” is staggering.

Our second InPerson this issue is focused on Spike Fleischhacker – the man behind Spike’s Cobblecraft Shoe Repair. It’s encouraging to learn about people who are doing what they feel they were meant to be doing.

Finally, in this month’s Corner Table, I had a friendly chat with Rick Chapman, the general manager of Sunnyside Marina. Sunnyside has recently been named as one of the first “clean marinas” in Minnesota, and work on the new river crossing has been, in some ways, a blessing in disguise. Whatever your ride is at the moment, enjoy it. I’d encourage you to get outside while the weather cooperates and enjoy what’s left of this awesome season. Don’t forget to bring us with – this is a portable magazine.

Real Good Then

Peter McNiffPublisher and Editor [email protected]

VOLUME 9, NUMBER 6 AUGUST 2013

MELLISSA J. DAHL

CURTIS DALE

CECILIA LOOME

KIRSTEN STILLMAN

ADAM SWENSON

JESSIE WADE

VERNA PITTSVerna Pitts Photography

JEFF BAGGOT

STEVE (SHOWCASE) SKALMAN

HAWK


editor’s note

AUGUST 2013

Summer’sLast Days

Mallards on St. Croix • Caminito Art Gallery FREE

Julie Bourman

Peter McNiff

Jessie Wade

Curtis Dale

Copyright 2013Watershed Publishing, Inc. all rights reserved.

Stillwater Living is published byWatershed Publishing, Inc.

P.O. Box 2302 Stillwater, MN 55082651-430-3143 [email protected]

“I think the thing to do is enjoy the ride while you’re on it.”

-Johnny Depp

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letters to the editor

I Had No Idea…

I was once again enlightened by your last issue of Stillwater Living magazine – which I now pick up at the River Market for free… thank you. The last section “Corner Table” offered a unique opportunity for an old person like me to talk with the leaders of tomorrow.

Both Olivia and Madison were positively inspiring. I would like to congratulate their parents on a job well done – so far. These fine young ladies are co-presidents of our local Youth United Way.

I am looking forward to their “empty bowls” event next spring, as I plan to contribute.

Real Good Then – as you say,

Cliff J.Stillwater

Peak Kid Season Indeed!

I have been a fan of Stillwater living’s “kid themed issue” for years. I can recall first seeing it in 2006 and I just love it, I absolutely love it.

I just want to thank you for including “Parents Corner” in this summer’s kid issue. I’m sure that I wasn’t the only “older” mom who enjoyed reading Sheri Lunn’s article about her son growing into a man. Kids grow up, and moms still love and worry about them.

Jane B.Marine

Q - How did you get involved with Youth United Way of

Washington County East?Olivia - I joined United Way three years ago after hearing

about it through my sister. She was a senior in high school

and getting ready to head of to college, as were many of

the other members that year. Since then, the group has

become much bigger, including kids from 8th-12th grade.

I have loved each year more and more as our group has

continued I grow.Madison - I actually got involved through my co-president

Olivia. She had joined the group and I joined shortly

after. We are very good friends so it was an opportunity

to volunteer and help our community, but also to spend

more time together. I wanted to participate in some type of

volunteer work and this group provided an easy and fun

way to do it!Q – How does your group work?

A - Our group typically consists of 10-15 junior and senior

high kids who meet every Monday after school. Everyone

loves to come to our meetings, and it is a great group of

kids who enjoy both work and play. At each meeting, we

will typically plan and discuss upcoming events, as well as

brainstorm events that we may be able to incorporate in

the future.Q – Sounds like a time well spent. Please tell us about an

upcoming event. A - Our main event is called Empty Bowls, and it requires

the majority of our time. Empty Bowls is a dinner that we

host to raise hunger awareness within our community. We

reach out to local restaurants to donate soup and bread,

as well as local potters to donate hand crafted bowls,

symbolizing the "empty bowls" within our community.

This dinner takes place around the month of March, and

we have continued to raise several thousand dollars for the

last few years. This money is placed into our yearly funds

that are to be allocated in early June.

Q – Empty Bowls is a great program, we’re fortunate to

have such a thing in our community. What are some of

your group’s other activities?A - Aside from Empty Bowls, we often volunteer at other

events around the community such as Breakfast with Santa,

Fare For All and bagging groceries at our local Cub and

28 STILLWATER LIVING JULY 2013

corner table


Q - Thanks for sitting down with us. What can you tell us

about yourselves?A - My name is Olivia Donovan and I am a co-president of

Youth United Way. I am a senior at Stillwater High School

and love to help out our community through groups such

as United Way. Being in high school, I am often very busy

with homework and studying, however, United Way is a

great way for me to spend time with my friends and help

the community at the same time.

A - My name is Madison Harvieux I have been involved

with United Way for two years now and this past year I was

a co-president with Olivia. I really enjoyed taking on a more

important role with the organization this year because I feel

like it allowed me to better connect with the community,

being that I was involved in more of the planning for our

events. I always look forward to the meetings each week

and we all have a great time working together!

A friendly conversation with Olivia and Madison,

leaders of Youth United Way Washington County East

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NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE VALLEY


By Jessie Wade

mainstreet

august 22Thursday, August 22nd; Monday, August 26th; and Tuesday, August 27th7:30 pm $25.00 (Students $10.00)stillwatermusicfestival.com

The 21st century string quartet Brooklyn Rider will be the main performer at the ever-exciting Stillwater Music Festival, to be held at the Washington County Historic Courthouse. They have an eclectic repertoire and intriguing performance style that draws fans from the classical music world to the rock world and everything in between. Playing in concert halls, clubs, and at festivals from New York City to San Francisco, Japan, Sweden, and Rome, Brooklyn Rider has established an ardent worldwide fan base.

If you would like to be blown away by the unique music stylings of Brooklyn Rider, make sure you head over to the venue to watch these unbelievable musicians live, just a few feet from you!

GLOBAL STRING QUARTETCOMES TO THE COURTHOUSE


CRIMES DURING COCKTAIL HOURseptember 4Wednesday, September 4th4:30 pm - 6:00 pm$10.00 (includes appetizers - reservations required)valleybookseller.com

If popular thriller novels and mystery writers are your fix, then the Totally Criminal Cocktail Hour sponsored by Valley Bookseller is right up your alley! Everyone loves to meet their favorite authors and have their books signed in person, so when Valley Bookseller started this event years ago, they thought it would be more exciting to hold it in a restaurant so drinks, appetizers, and lively discussions can be had by all. A twist on the usual in-store appearance, it has always been a hit.

William Kent Krueger, a well-known mystery author from St. Paul, will be introducing his 13th Cork O’Connor mystery novel, Tamarack County, at this month’s event. Normally the Totally Criminal Cocktail Hour meets on the first Wednesday of the month at the Dock Café, but due to the multitude of Kent’s fans who will be attending, the location has been moved to the Lowell Inn Banquet Center in downtown Stillwater.

SaturdaySeptember 14th 2013

4:00 -9:00 pm

Join Us!for an outdoor evening festival

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august 10Saturday, August 10th2:00 pm - 12:00 midnight (next morning for those camping) $20.00squarelakefestival.com

You don’t have to travel to the desert to attend an incredible film festival … this year marks the 11th anniversary of the infamous Square Lake Film and Music Festival just north of Stillwater, a smidgen away from Square Lake County Park. Dozens of locally produced animations and independent films will be screened at night, and the daylight hours will feature performances by local bands made good, including Dark Dark Dark, Body Omara, Crimes, Greg Grease, Food Pyramid, and many more.

Ice House from Minneapolis will be catering the festival, offering a delectable menu of hot dogs, giardiniera plates, veggie skewers, wings, assorted salads, and peach cobbler. Beer is not offered, but bringing Summit with you is encouraged as they are one of the sponsors of the event.

Guests are encouraged to bike or scooter to the event, bring their own food and beverages, reusable water bottles, camping gear, and blankets, and to leave your dogs and frowns at home! Free onsite camping is available on a first-come, first-served basis, but know that it is limited, so bring the family and get there early!

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GOOD OLD-FASHIONED GRAPE STOMPseptember 7Saturday September 7th and Sunday September 8th10:00 am - 6:00 pm FreeJoin in on the tradition of stomping grapes to make wine! Saint Croix Vineyards is holding their 14th annual Grape Stomp at the vineyard, and all ages are welcome to enjoy the festivities. Take turns stomping on those grapes the old-fashioned way, or let your kids have a try. Prizes will be awarded to those with the best stomping style. The competitions for both kids and adults will be held at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00 each day, as well as a drawing to determine who will compete in the competitions. (Don’t worry, you can always try a stomp at the grapes between the competitions for no charge.)

If vineyard/winery tours are more up your alley, feel free to jump in on one of the outings throughout the day. Classic rock, soul, and blues music will be playing, and wine sampling will of course be offered in the tasting room from 10:00 to 6:00.


august 15Thursday, August 15th5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Free

Help celebrate local clean water efforts this summer with a tour of the numerous rain gardens that residents living near Lily and McKusick Lakes have incorporated into their yards. Rain gardens are built to capture stormwater runoff from neighborhood streets, and are a beautiful way to keep pollution out of the lakes. The event is sponsored by the city of Stillwater, the Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization, and the Lily and McKusick Lake Associations.

Not only will you be able to see all of the local rain gardens, you will have the option of enjoying ice cream from Nelson’s before you start the tour. So swing by Washington Square Park for a scoop of ice cream and to pick up a map of the local residences to visit—all within walking distance of the park!

TOUR THE LOCAL RAIN GARDENS

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september 6Friday, September 6th and Saturday, September 7thAll dayFreelakeelmo.org/elmodays

Lake Elmo Days is upon us! Lake Elmo Days is the city’s annual celebration where neighbors join together for fun and companionship to celebrate this wonderful community. The event takes place the first weekend after Labor Day every year, and is a perfect way to say goodbye to summer and to kick off the fall festivities! This year’s Lake Elmo Days event will feature favorite activities from past years including the Saturday noon-time parade, silent auctions, a children’s pet show, pig roast, local business expo, live music by Ken Wanovich, Wheelhouse, and more!

New to this year’s event is a St. Croix Battle of the Bands competition on Friday night, and a community talent showcase on Saturday afternoon. Kick off the event by attending the Community Days celebration at Lake Elmo Bank on Friday before the Battle of the Bands!

CELEBRATE THE SMALL TOWN OF LAKE ELMO

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BLUEGRASSMUSIC IN THEPARKseptember 7Saturday, September 7th 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Free with a park pass$5 day pass/ $25 annual pass

The 12th annual Washington County Bluegrass Festival brings together the community, the great outdoors, and local musicians every September after Labor Day. The event’s founders see it as a way of celebrating a successful summer season and a way to thank everyone who supports Washington County Parks.

The venue is set on the 2,200-acre parkland at Lake Elmo Park Reserve, a peaceful place to camp, recreate, and enjoy the nature around you. The festivities will take place at the South Picnic Shelter and will include food trucks, face painting, and great entertainment for the entire family all day long. The Bluegrass Festival is free for annual park permit holders and available to all visitors for the price of a daily or annual permit.


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august 16Friday, August 16th 8:00 pm Stillwater Public Library Terrace Free (donations welcome)

Looking for a passionate evening with your special someone filled with nostalgic music from exceptional Twin Cities talent? Then the terrace at the Stillwater Public Library is your spot to be on this blissful Friday night! Performers from the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, Guthrie Theater, Cantus, and Chameleon Theatre will be sharing their music—from lovey-dovey songs to crooner tunes to early musical theater, there will be a little something for everyone!

Stillwater Library’s charming terrace offers a breathtaking rooftop view overlooking downtown and the St. Croix River. There are many restaurants and bars to grab some dinner before the show, as table seating and dessert will be provided for only a small number of ticketed guests. So bring your loved one and head downtown to enjoy the music and some outdoor dancing on the rooftop!

A SUMMER’S NIGHT ROMANCE ON THE TERRACE


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et's face it, picking out a book for someone can be hard, especially when it's someone who reads a lot.

What if he hates it, or what if you give him something he's already read?

armchair reader


BY CECILIA LOOME; PHOTO BY CURTIS DALE

LHow To Give A Book To A Bookworm

How To Give A Book To A Bookworm

AUGUST 2013 STILLWATER LIVING 17

Cecilia Loome is proprietor of Blackletter Books on Main Street, and helps guide our readers from time to time.

/aechurch • aechurch.org

4:00 - Festival opens with bagpipe parade

4:00 - 6:00 - Children’s craft & face art

4:30 - 5:30 - Music showcase

6:00 - Jugglers, musicians, mime

6:45 - Scottish dancers

7:45 - Raffle drawing

8:00 - Kilt contest

Come one, come all...

bagpipes & bonfires 2013

Performances by the

Saturday, September 14th

/aechurch • aechurch.orgAscension Church • 214 N. 3rd St. • Stillwater

ave you ever seen something remarkable and thought, “Why didn’t I know about this before?” That’s exactly what I thought when I discovered

Caminito Art Studio across the river in Hudson. It’s a working studio, gallery, and art class venue that opened in 2008. The bright colors inside the studio are tribute to a street in the La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires called Caminito. The name Caminito means “little walkway” and the small street bearing the name is famous for the variety of bright colors gracing the building facades. Genie Taylor Ebertz, an Argentinian native, thought it the perfect name for her art studio and was inspired to design the space to be reminiscent of her favorite vibrant street in Argentina … Caminito.

La BocaThe bright colors of the houses in La Boca developed in the late 1800s when poor wharf workers from Genoa, Italy settled in the area and built housing from various scrap materials they found in the shipyards. They transformed these drab makeshift buildings with leftover paint they brought home from work. The result was eclectic splashes of color, giving Caminito its one-of-a-kind personality. “My studio was painted with the same concept; we used leftover paint and used every drop of it. It was hard to plan since we didn’t know how much we would be able to cover on each wall. This gives our studio its own unique

studio timeBy Mellissa J. Dahl

Non Basta Una Vita!

H


Finding a little slice of Buenos Aires in Hudson

flavor…as if it were on Caminito in Buenos Aires. The studio is a colorful space that lifts my spirits and hopefully all who visit,” Genie says. Born and raised in Argentina, Genie grew up surrounded by art. “I always loved art. Since I was a little girl I dreamed of being an artist but never thought I would end up being one. When I was in high school, I wanted to study art, but my father would not allow it. ‘You won’t make any money!’ he said. So I dabbled in architecture for a couple of years, which led me to graphic design. I was fortunate that the school I chose also had a considerable amount of art instruction. I later took classes with artists in their studios, including painting for many years under the direction of Beatriz Finocchietti, a renowned artist in Argentina,” Genie explains.

Art in America While crossing the border from Chile to Argentina on a backpacking trip in the Andes, Genie met a guy named Joe from St. Paul, Minnesota. Long story short, that chance meeting brought marriage, a move to the land of 10,000 lakes, two daughters, landscape design courses, and a landscaping business for her and her husband.


www.bonsaimotors.com651-255-2500

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Wind and Wuthering from the Tree Series created with clay and wire on a stone base.


Fast forward, and eventually Genie returned to her love of art when she discovered clay and sculpting. “I fell in love with clay and one day I decided to form a human torso … that was the start of my figure sculptures. Growing up in Buenos Aires, nude art was commonplace, so I felt very comfortable sculpting figures: in fact that is my love. Yet other ideas come to me and other series evolve. For instance, my tree series was

inspired by adding wire to my figures—first starting with mixed media sculptures and then ‘branching

out’ into the tree series. I’ve just begun a wire horse series which transpired from my use of wire in the tree series. And recently I was commissioned to create a clay ballerina sculpture in which I also incorporated wire.

Genie’s love of the human form, and her creative take on it, is evident in many of the sculptures she has created. Her Broken III series is called “La Atamo Con Alambre,” meaning “We fix her with wire.” This series consists of various pieces of clay slabs woven or stitched together to create the torso. I personally find this series an inspiration to all of us who, at one point or another, have felt broken. “I had intended to create a more conventional torso

sculpture, but the first piece broke as I was working on it,” Genie said. “Not knowing which direction I was going anymore, I considered simply scrapping the piece and starting over, when suddenly it came to me … this is a life lesson. The older we get, the more brokenness we carry. My wired together torsos are a shell of my life—of your life. We live our lives picking up the pieces, putting them back together, and we make it work somehow. She may not be real pretty, but she’s together and strong. And, I think we can agree there’s a lot of beauty in that. Be assured, she won’t be falling apart anytime soon.” Visiting Genie’s studio you can see the evolution from one sculpture series to another along with the wide variety of shapes and concepts her sculptures take, yet they are all balanced by the unique and resourceful influence of Caminito.

“I am in constant change and I find I can’t create the same art form for too long,” Genie said. “This is because I have so many ideas in my head I want to move on to the next one. I feel I don’t have enough time to create them all in this lifetime. There is a quote by an American artist named John Tuska that I love: ‘Non basta una vita!’ which translates to ‘One life is not enough.’”

Mellissa J. Dahl is a frequent contributor to Stillwater Living magazine.

Queen from the "Broken Series" created with clay, wire and found objects.

Caminito Art Studio and art pieces from the Tree Series.


Commissioned ballerina titled Gabrielle created with clay and wire.

Arisco from the "Horse Series" created with wire.

Genie Taylor Ebertz lives near Hudson with her husband and two teenage daughters. In addition to sculpting, she also does sculpture and painting restoration and repair. Caminito Art Studio is located at 476 County Road A, just to the northeast of Hudson. To contact the artist, email [email protected] or call 651-248-5126. Recently watercolorist Lynne Baur moved her Dragonfly Spirit Studio to the Caminito location. Fall clay and watercolor classes will be posted on the studio websites: caminitoartstudio.com and dragonflyspiritstudio.com. Caminito Art Studio and Dragonfly Spirit Studio will be participating in Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival at Lakefront Park in Hudson the last weekend in September (hudsonwi.org). This event coincides with Take Me to the River 2013 art festival which begins September 21st. Over the course of nine days, a dozen river towns from St. Croix Falls as far south as Hastings will host over 50 events including art fairs, concerts, story slams, theater, poetry, and more. For more information, visit takemetotheriver.info. This festival is sponsored by ArtReach St. Croix (artreachstcroix.org) and made possible through the support of the Stillwater Rotary Club.

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Northwoods golf experience, 5 minutes from the lift bridge!

Pictured Left to Right:Amber Marko, Louisa Lienke, Lynn Schurrer, and Judge Gary Schurrer

Victim - Centered Justice

RAUGUST 2013 STILLWATER LIVING 25

ometimes good kids make poor choices, and when a youth violates community expectations, both the victims and the community are harmed. To restore the harmony of the community the offender needs to under-stand the harm created, and make amends to those who were injured. Through this growth experience, the youth becomes a stronger person and a more valuable member of the community.

If the consequences of a poor decision are minor and short-lived, the young person might get back on the right track by themselves or with the help of caring adults. However, kids sometimes make bigger mistakes and face the prospect of entering the juvenile court system. In some situations they may have the opportunity for support from an organization that will help them avoid court and help them, their victim, and the greater com-munity.

Kids in our area can turn to the Youth Service Bureau (YSB), headquartered in Stillwater's Historic Courthouse and led by Executive Director Paul Weiler. YSB has core beliefs about young offenders, their families and their victims. Their experiences tell them that victims benefit from structured conversation with offenders, opportu-nities to express their loss, help in finding answers, and being a part of formulating plans for restitution. They can also gain satisfaction from knowing that they've had a part in creating a safer community. YSB also believes that that young offenders and the community are best served when offenses are handled outside of court in a manner that holds the offenders responsible for their behavior, helps them learn how to make better decisions, gives op-portunities to make amends, and ultimately helps recon-nect them with the community. Another belief is that parents want their children to be successful, and usually welcome opportunities for support during challenging times and information that will help make their parenting efforts more successful.

Toward these ends YSB uses the "Restorative Justice" phi-losophy. "It is a principle," says Weiler, "not a program." Restorative justice is a victim-centered response to crime that engages those directly affected by a crime — the vic-

tim, the offender, and their families to be directly involved with each other in dealing with the harm caused by the conduct. Restorative interventions begin with making time to listen to the concerns of those affected and invit-ing them to participate in the justice process.

The modern framework for restorative justice comes out of experimentation with mediations in the 1970s. Advo-cates found that victim - offender mediation gave victims a way to seek material compensation and begin to repair the emotional damage associated with the offense. The victims were able to tell the offender how the crime af-fected their lives and get answers about why the offense occurred. The victims helped develop a mutually accept-able restitution plan that could include compensation, an apology, community service and/or other requirements.

Restorative justice works best when everyone is actively involved. YSB staff and volunteers facilitate structured conferences with the goals of providing support and as-sistance to victims, and of restoring material and emo-tional losses to the extent possible. They also help of-fenders understand their error by holding them directly accountable to the people and communities injured by their conduct, and direct them toward acquiring skills needed for reintegration into productive community life. Youthful offenders must be accompanied by at least one parent or guardian. This assures that the offender hears a perspective on their actions and the consequences that comes from within their own family. It also assures that the parent knows what happened and what was said, and gives them a say and stake in the restitution plans.

Restorative conferences are voluntary and non-adversarial, and offenders must admit guilt before participating. The facilitator helps create an emotionally safe environment and provides a controlled discussion in which all partici-pants can openly and honestly discuss the circumstances surrounding the incident and its impact. The offender helps to create the action plan and agrees to its condi-tions, thereby increasing the likelihood that it will be completed.

The process begins when a trained facilitator contacts

By Curtis Dale, Photos by Verna PittsS

a larger view of making amends

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offenders and offender's parent(s) to seek their participa-tion in a conference. If they agree, victims are contacted and invited to be a part of the process. If they accept the invitation there are separate pre-conferences, one for offenders and their parents, and another for victims. The facilitator uses the pre-meetings to prepare each party for the conversation with the other parties, and to ensure that all are willing to work toward a mutually acceptable plan for restitution. The facilitator also helps the parties develop worksheets to aid their preparations for meeting with each other.

During the conference the facilitator maintains the agreed upon ground-rules to help keep the conversations focused and assure fair treatment for all participants. The facilitator also brings an array of skills into play to help create and maintain a safe and supportive environment for honest and frank sharing of relevant thoughts and emotions.

Conferences do more than give participants a chance to be heard by the other parties. They are where restitu-tion plans are forged and accepted. Elements may include apologies, cash reimbursements, therapy, community service, essays, peer presentations, ongoing drug testing, or other strategies appropriate for the situation. After the conference the offender must complete the activities agreed upon in the plan.

Amber Marko, Community Justice Program Coordinator at the Stillwater Service Center, recalled working with a group of four young people who had targeted nine victims, committing burglaries and stealing autos from both individuals and businesses.

Her first steps were to contact each of the offenders and their parents, discuss the incidents and the restorative process, and obtain their agreement to participate. She then contacted the victims, four of whom responded to her invitation. She discussed the incidents, consequences, and process with each of them, ultimately two of the victims elected to participate.

On the day of the conference the victims arrived first for a pre-meeting with Mrs. Marko, and one of the decisions made was that they would hear the offenders before speaking themselves.

Next, she met with the youth and their parents to answer any additional questions and prepare them for meeting the victims. The offenders and parents were then ushered into the conference room, and after introductions all sat facing inwards in a circle.

The youth began, talking about what they had done and how their actions had affected them and others. Each parent spoke directly after their child, addressing the impact on them, and providing their perspective on the impact on the offender and other members of the family.

Then it was time for the victims to tell their stories of what had happened to them and the consequences experienced in their lives.

The conference was officially finished when all had been heard and had jointly agreed to a resolution process. One bit of evidence regarding the success of this meeting was that no one left right away. Instead, victims shook hands with offenders and parents, and all stayed around, chat-ting while munching on cookies. Most people like cook-ies, of course, but it seems that few would stay for them or spend time with those on the other side of the issue if their feelings weren't addressed effectively and the process of healing begun.

The victims reported that the conference helped put clo-sure on the incidents and helped them see the offenders in a new light. Amber passed this on to the offenders and their probation officers as another way to give the kids positive reinforcements for their conference behavior and to help anchor their desire to complete restitution.

Adults can make poor decisions too. Although the conse-quences can be very serious, criminal justice professionals have learned that restorative justice principles are effective in some adult situations as well. They recognize that a criminal offense is a violation of trust and relationship and that both the victim and the larger community are harmed. Victim-oriented methods help to heal the victim and the community while repairing relationships with the offender as well. The approach is conducted through Community Circles in our area.

Circles are modeled after the community decision making practices of Native Americans and members of First Na-tions in Canada. The practice of these groups is for mem-bers of the community to gather, sometimes encircling a campfire, and deal with community issues. Sometimes the topic has nothing to do with offenses, but the method is used for them as well. It is common for a "talking piece" to be passed from person to person. At a given time, only the person holding the piece may speak. The piece is passed to the next person only when the speaker himself determines that he is finished. Consequently, all speak, all are heard, and decisions are made jointly.

Washington County courts have a partnership with Washington County Community Circles, Inc., and District Court Judge Gary Schurrer and his wife, Lynn, participate. Lynn is a Circle keeper, meaning that she takes responsi-bility for arranging times and locations that work for the participants, facilitates circle conferences to assure that the values of circle are honored, and maintains contact with the courts, reporting decisions, actions, and the progress of healing.

Representatives of a circle, together with prosecutors, de-fense attorneys, and judges, identify situations that might be well served with a restorative approach. They then go

TAUGUST 2013 STILLWATER LIVING 27

to the offender and the victim individually, and if both agree, the case will be referred to Circle. Circles are not adversarial - they aren't even used unless the defendant admits guilt

Circles engender and require deep and honest commit-ment, and the volunteer members share key values that guide all actions. These are honesty, respect, humility, compassion, and spirituality. "Spirituality" doesn't mean "religion," but has to do with acknowledging that as hu-man beings we are all share a basic interconnectedness and the welfare of one is important to the welfare of all.

A talking piece is used here as well. It is a simple way to assure that all are heard and helps focus attention on the speaker. The Circles in Washington County use a carved wooden feather, a symbol of the eagle's feather used as a talking piece by Native Americans.

The sequence is similar to that used for more youthful offenders. The victim tells what happened and how it af-fected him. The offender acknowledges error and is helped to understand better approaches to living and given sup-port in acquiring skills that might be helpful. The victim, offender, and other participants agree on a sentence which is passed on to the court.

After sentencing, the Circle typically continues to meet with an offender for a period of 6 months to 2 years. During this time, the Circle assists the offender in complet-ing the sentence and moving his or her life in a positive direction.Restorative Conferencing works! Both YSB and Judge Schurrer view the story of restorative conferencing in our area as a success. Looking beyond our region, studies and experience with youth programs show that victim participants were significantly less fear-ful of being victimized again after meeting with the of-fender in a controlled setting. They were more also more likely to be satisfied with the justice system than those who used the normal court process. And, the vast ma-jority of the cases do result in a successfully negotiated restitution agreement.

Young offenders were far more likely to complete their res-titution obligations after a restorative conference, and are also less likely to re-offend. For those who did re-offend, their subsequent misconduct tended to be less serious.Re-storative methods help the community as well, promoting collective responsibility and accountability and diverting offenders into more productive approaches to life and living. This diversion brings real benefits, both monetary and societal. St. Paul's Amherst H. Wilder Foundation supported a study of Minnesota-based youth interven-tion programs which concluded that effective programs can reduce truancy and improve school performance which can lead to increased graduation rates and higher lifetime earnings. They also saw reduced near-term court costs and reductions in the future costs of adult crimes that would like have occurred without intervention. So-cial service costs are lowered also because of a reduced need for social services including family counseling and long term public assistance, and there are improved health outcomes - reductions in teen pregnancy, reduced or de-layed use of tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs.

The authors devised a "Social Return on Investment" metric in an attempt to quantify the savings from these various directions, and applied it to two fictional but rep-resentative programs. One was a comprehensive pro-gram designed to redirect life paths and the other was a targeted program focused on a particular destructive behavior. They estimate that a comprehensive program returns $4.89 for every dollar of cost, and a targeted pro-gram produces $8.18 for each public dollar invested! Of course these are estimates, but their ranges are in line with those found in a study of actual adult cases in the city of St. Louis, MO. There, costs of probation for those assigned to the adult victim-offender mediation drug court were more than for those in conventional programs, but there was an overall net savings of $4.05 per dollar spent within the first 4 years. Other financial benefits to the community were also delineated but without an attempt to assign a dollar amount to their benefits.

So we see that restorative justice principles work, benefit-ing victims, offenders, and society. They avoid the trap of punishment as a goal, and focus on restoring victims and changing offender behavior. Professionals in criminal jus-tice know of numerous studies showing that positive re-inforcement changes behavior more effectively than pun-ishment, where, too often the behavior goes unchanged, and the offender just gets more proficient at avoiding ap-prehension. The restorative approach provides a plan and roadmap for restitution and rehabilitation that is accepted by all who are directly impacted. The body managing the process maintains personal contact with offenders and victims to assure that the plan is carried out, and to provide assistance along the way if it is needed. The bot-tom line is that victims are less apprehensive about their future, and offenders and the community avoid future problems and costs that would have been likely without a restorative intervention. Everyone has more than when the restorative process began.

ny visitor to Spike's Cobblecraft Shoe Repair will soon see that Spike Fleis-chhacker loves what he does. He is energetic and open and friendly, and one

suspects that he probably whistles while he works. He's a strong man - that's a requirement for working with shoes - and he has an engaging and soothing manner coupled with a gentle sense of humor. It just could be that this personable man is a genuine good example.

We've all heard of people who got an early start in their vocations and Spike is one of those. He started in the fifth grade, working with his father, who in turn had learned the trade by working with his older brother. Still a young man, Spike draws on more than six decades of family involvement with leather, and twenty-four years of being at the helm.

Spike came to the Valley Ridge Mall sixteen years ago, and for five years he contin-ued to operate his shop in White Bear Lake. Then he made accommodations for his growing family and pared down his work life to allow time for more involvement. He coached soccer, baseball, and hockey, and generally supported youth athletics over the years. These things take time and commitment, but are rich in rewards - friendships, challenges, lessons learned, satisfaction gained, and sense of fulfillment from helping guide young lives. Spike's demeanor suggests that all of these things came to him over the years. Now the kids are beyond the high school years, and Spike gets out on the golf course twice a week during the warm months, but there's a grandchild and with three children, it is likely that more will come.

Getting back to his business, Spike acknowledges what is somewhere in the back of everyone's mind, that were coming through a time with challenges for families and businesses of all sizes. Things are getting better, but we're all ready for "good" times again. Spike says that economic slowdowns mean fewer repairs for work-related items such as boots, but more for everyday personal items - shoes, gloves, purses. He does about the same amount of business, but it comes in smaller pieces.

Spike has seen changes in the business over the years. More shoes are designed to be discarded, and some rather quickly. But he says there are still a lot of people who will pay more to get a quality product, and they will maintain what they purchase. He says he loves to make old things look new, and a quick glance at the goods waiting for their owners bears that out. There are dress shoes, slippers, and boots of course, but also handbags, luggage, belts, wallets, gloves, and mittens, all looking like they've been cared for. Some of the shoes are dainty and delicate, and naturally, some of the boots have clearly been on a job site more than once. All ready to go on meeting their owner's needs as soon as they get back home.

When asked what makes a good day, Spike laughed heartily from the center of a warm smile. He quickly said "they're all good, some are even better than others." It’s a lesson in attitude we can all apply.

AUGUST 2013 STILLWATER LIVING 29

in personBY CURTIS DALE; PHOTO BY AIMEE CHRISTENSON

Spike the CobblerMore Than Just Shoes

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corner table

Stillwater Living — Thanks for taking time to visit with us. Please tell us about your role at Sunnyside.

Rick Chapman – The Port of Sunnyside Club, Inc. is an association of slip owners. The corporation was established in 1972 by a group of slip renters who came up with an idea to purchase the marina from the owner at the time, Henry Foussard. The marina has 254 slips, and 211 of them are owned by individuals. The other 43 slips are collectively owned by the association and are used as rental slips. These rental slips are the biggest single driver of revenue for the marina. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of the marina—which include a ship’s store, fuel dock, and full service department—I also manage the association. I work at the pleasure of an elected board of directors, which creates policy and offers oversight for the operation.

In 2005, the Port of Sunnyside Club, Inc. hired a headhunter to search for a general manager from the hospitality industry. The idea was to find a person with the skill set needed to manage the association and the employees, someone who understood how to run a business and understood finance, human resources, and customer service.

When I heard about the position I knew immediately that I wanted to apply. After spending 25 years in the hotel industry, I was looking for a change. I convinced the

headhunter to present me and then I convinced the hiring committee to take a chance on me. I am now in my eighth season and love my job. This is the best position I have ever had. My goal is to manage the marina and association for 20 years. Coming to work every day and looking out on the St. Croix River is about as good as it gets.

SL — I understand that Sunnyside is a “clean marina.” What does that entail?

RC — The Minnesota Clean Marina Program finally certified its first five marinas in December of 2012. Sunnyside Marina is proud to have been one of those first five marinas. The Clean Marina Initiative Task Force was made up of 22 individuals from marina operations, the Minnesota DNR, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP). Formed in 2009, it was the longtime goal of Jerry Rockvam—owner of Rockvam Boatyards and the president of the program—and Larry Killien of the DNR. Clean marina programs have been established in many states throughout the country. Minnesota was the last great lake state to have a program.

The task force looked at 300 best management practices (BMPs) designed to help keep our waters as clean as possible. They determined which would be required for marinas applying to become clean marinas and which

Changes on the CroixA nice conversation with Rick Chapman, general manager of Sunnyside Marina.

would be considered optional. With the help of the DNR, MPCA, and MnTAP, all regulatory BMPs were fleshed out and, of course, deemed required. In addition to meeting all of the required BMPs, marinas must also meet 65 percent of those BMPs that are considered optional if they apply to their operation. Once a marina operator completes a self-evaluation, a certification team is dispatched to the marina to verify.

SL — How is the construction project of the new St Croix River crossing affecting your day-to-day life so far?

RC — The Port of Sunnyside has been affected in several ways. The most significant on a day-to-day basis was the creation of the “no-wake” safety zone for the construction workers. This no-wake zone is about a half mile long on each side of the workers and encompasses our entire marina.

This has been a wonderful thing for us because boaters are not always particularly courteous to us. Some boaters think that if they throw a large wake close to the Wisconsin side of the river it will never get to us. The reality is, the wake will always get here and it is often dangerous for our boaters. We would love to see this one-mile no wake zone become permanent after the bridge has been completed. For now, the no-wake zone will be in place through the 2016 season.

The day-to-day bridge construction process has had little effect on our boaters. In fact, many people tell me how

much they like watching the progress. Although there has been some noise associated with construction, it has not been significant.

In addition to this day-to-day construction, the State of Minnesota is purchasing a small piece of property from the Port of Sunnyside Club, Inc. as part of the highway construction related to the bridge. Finally, there is a proposed public launch ramp as part of the bridge construction that will be located directly to the north of the marina. We are concerned about how this will change our security since there is not much parking planned for the launch. We anticipate the installation of a security gate of some kind at the marina entrance to deter people from trying to use our parking lots for overflow parking for the launch ramp.

SL — Is there any truth to the notion that boaters from the south won’t come to Stillwater because of the new no-wake zone?

RC — The verdict is still out on this question. My personal opinion is that people from the marinas south of Sunnyside will simply avoid this part of the river. If this becomes reality, it will have a negative effect on our gas dock sales. This one-mile trip—which would normally take five to 10 minutes—is now taking people 30 to 40 minutes to get through.

SL —Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us.

RC — It was my pleasure.



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perspective

DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS LOCATION? Win a dinner for two! Email the correct location to [email protected] by the end of this month. A lucky winner will be drawn from a pool of correct answers. Each month we will run a new Perspective, so don’t get discouraged if this one stumped you. Congratulations to last month’s winner, Sam McPherson of Bayport. When your curiosity overwhelms you, visit curtisdale.com or facebook.com/CurtisDaleCreations each month to discover the location of this month’s picture.

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STILLWATER Music Festival

AUGUST22–27

2013

Tickets & Information: 651.587.3518www.stillwatermusicfestival.com

FREE Family Concert | Brooklyn Rider, Sandeep Das (tabla) and Wu Man (pipa), present an hour of globe-trotting music for kids of all ages.6:30 pm | The Stillwater Public Library, Stillwater

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Aug. 22 >

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Brooklyn Rider performs Mozart’s String Quartet in D Minor, selections from their recent recording, A Walking Fire, andnew works from the Brooklyn Rider Almanac.7:30 pm | The Washington County Historic Courthouse, Stillwater

Brooklyn Rider joins forces with Sandeep Das (tabla) and Wu Man (pipa), both from the Silk Road Ensemble, along with special guest composer/clarinetist Evan Ziporyn.7:30 pm | The Washington County Historic Courthouse, Stillwater

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Stillwater Living August 2013