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Robran stays busy during ‘stay-at-home’ directive
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AT-HOME PROJECT — Marilyn Robran exhibits one of the hand-sewn quilts, for which she is well known. (Star Eagle photo by Melanie Piltingsrud)
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Staff Writer
Marilyn Robran of rural Hartland hasn't had any trouble keeping busy during Minnesota's 'stay-at-home' order. Robran is a well-known seamstress, whose talents already landed her picture in these pages a couple of years ago when she donated a quilt to a church bazaar in honor of her late son. So when the Alden Fire Dept. needed face masks for their crew during the COVID-19 pandemic, they knew just who to contact.
Using a pattern she found on Facebook, Robran uses cotton or cotton blend materials to cut out the masks, and then irons on interfacing to add a modest amount of stiffness. Then, she sells them for $3 each.
Sewing the masks is a breeze, but Robran had to think outside the box store to find material. She had cotton fabric already on hand, but Robran couldn't get to Jo-Ann's to look for extra thin interfacing, so she went to A-Best Sew & Vac in Albert Lea, which keeps interfacing in its inventory for projects like machine embroidery. “He got me a roll of the thinnest they had,” said Robran.
So far, Robran has sewn nearly 60 face masks, including:
• 12 for the Alden Fire Dept.
• 12 for the Manchester Fire Dept.
• 12 for her cousin in the Twin Cities
• 10 for her sister
• 5 for her husband's sister
• 1 for their local postal carrier
• 1 for the office postal worker in Hartland
Teachers deal with challenges
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HOME SCHOOLING — From left: Amy Shaw, Corbin Delacruz, Emily Delacruz and Tatianna Delacruz work on a school project from home.
By DEB BENTLY
Contributing Writer
As with any complex, large-scale endeavor, there are differences in perspective. But there seem to be two statements NRHEG teachers can agree with unconditionally:
“I miss seeing the kids,” and, “This is a lot of work.”
As they finish the second week of the Distance Learning plan required of all Minnesota schools, teachers have encountered circumstances which range from delightful surprise to heartrending disappointment—much like any other day at school. But the surprises and disappointments have changed.
Of the roughly 75 teachers employed by NRHEG, 50 responded to a survey asking for their impressions and experiences. When asked to rate the program overall, 40 indicated they felt things were going well, and another six provided a neutral rating. When asked to evaluate how much work the program requires, all but two rated distance learning as requiring more work, with 34 saying it calls for “quite a bit more” effort to operate online instruction.
“I thought my life revolved around school before,” commented one teacher. “But now I start my day between 6 and 7 a.m. making sure everything is online and ready to go, and I’m often still communicating with students up until 7 p.m.”
‘Food service’ takes on whole new meaning
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Workers coordinate efforts to prepare, deliver hundreds of meals
MEALS ON WHEELS — In Geneva, bus drivers Randy Schott (left) and Larry Crabtree (right) deliver meals.
Around the NRHEG communities, the words “food service” are taking on a whole new set of meanings.
“We started out with about 20 meals,” remembers Virginia Raimann, food service lead at the New Richland site. “And now we’re up to over 150.” In fact, one day this past week, the cooks from the two sites prepared and packaged nearly 500 meals for delivery to families in the four communities.
According to Governor Walz’s March 15 proclamation, schools in the state must continue three services: education must continue, childcare must be provided for the families of healthcare and emergency workers, and meals must be made available for students aged 18 and under. There is no cost for the food service, and it is not dependent on income or other social elements.
“It’s a matter of filling a need for families,” observes Elementary Principal Doug Anderson. “In some cases, parents are gone a big part of the day and don’t have much time to prepare meals. Unfortunately, some are experiencing financial hardship because of the ‘shelter in place’ order. The good news is, we don’t need any explanations. The governor’s orders are ‘feed them,’ and we’re doing just that.”
Making the most of it
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Students find ways to fill free time
STAYING BUSY — Dillon Kohnert, above, has used some his free time to put in extra hours at his job at Morgan's Meat Market. (Submitted photo)
Gavin Anderson admits the announcement took him completely by surprise. “We had classes on Friday, and on Monday we didn’t,” he says. “I had no idea it was going to happen.” One way Anderson has been using the sudden available time has been to put in a few extra hours at his long-standing part-time job as a stocking clerk at Lerberg’s Foods in Ellendale.
“The store has been a lot busier than usual,” he comments, noting that eggs, toilet paper, noodles, paper towels and facial tissues have been hard to keep on the shelves. “People are worried about what’s going to happen, and they want to be sure they’ll have what they need.” Despite the worries and tension, though, Anderson says he has seen some acts of kindness, including times when shoppers handed items from their carts to others.
He also observes that people are acknowledging how important grocery stores—and the people who work in them—can be. “It’s easy to overlook everything we do to keep people’s everyday lives running smoothly,” he says. “But now people are recognizing it, and they’re saying ‘Thank you’ for what we do.”
NRHEG Senior Dillon Kohnert has noticed some similar circumstances. There seem to be more customers than usual at Morgan’s Meat Market, and they seem grateful to be able to find quality products.
Still open
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Grocery stores, others remain busy as ever
AT THE READY — Mitch Heimer of Wagner Foods, above, says business has been brisk lately, as does Dean Morgan of Morgan’s Meat Market. (Star Eagle photo by Jim Lutgens)
By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher
Many businesses in Minnesota — and nationwide — have been forced to alter operations or close completely in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
For some, though, it’s gotten busier; much busier.
Mitch Heimer, owner of Wagner Foods in New Richland, said it would be a safe bet to say his store has set a weekly record for sales.
“It has been busy,” said Heimer. “That’s maybe putting it a little lightly.”
Ross Sletten, owner of Lerberg Foods in Ellendale, tried to talk on the telephone Saturday, but was too busy with customers.
Heimer, talking while he worked, said he’s especially grateful for his employees.
“We’re not requiring anyone to be here right now,” he said. “They’re here because they choose to be here. Everyone is working real hard to keep the shelves filled, keep everything clean, and get people in and out as quickly as possible.”