MILAN

Milan Village Arts �� ready for three days of spoons, carving and company

Shelby Lindrud — Wed, 31 May 2023 12:11:00 GMT

MILAN — The Milan Village Arts �� annual Spoon Gathering has definitely grown from its start nearly 20 years ago.

"When it started, it was just one day and it really was just people showing up and carving," said Ron Porep, Milan Village Arts �� executive director.

Now it is one of the premiere spoon carving and greenwood carving events in the nation, spread over three days and bringing artisans and craftspeople from all over. The 2023 Gathering, to be held June 1-3 at the arts school and Burns Park in Milan, will mark the 17th event. The three days will be full of workshops, presentations, demos and, of course, plenty of time for carving and chatting with fellow artists and carvers.

"It pulls a lot of things all into one place," Porep said.

People will get to learn all about different carving techniques and forms such as bowl carving, kuksa carving, kolrosing, chip carving and incising. There will also be information on tool care and knife sharpening, and guest artist Emilie Rigby will be giving a demonstration on safe and efficient carving techniques. There will be a designated area just for beginners to have a chance to learn from experienced carvers.

"This is folk art, so we don't really use anything mechanical or electrical," Porep said. "Everything is done by hand. That is the idea of it."

Those wanting to experience all the Spoon Gathering has to offer can attend one, two or all three days. There is free camping available in Burns Park or in the field behind the Milan Community Center.

To attend all three days, it is $30 per adult or $45 per family. For single-day admission, it is $20 to attend Friday or Saturday, or one can come both Friday and Saturday for the same cost. Those under 18 can attend for free. Registration can be completed by contacting the Milan Village Arts �� or registering online at www.milanvillageartsschool.org.

"We wanted to make all these art forms and the event accessible to everybody," Porep said, which is why the school tries so hard to keep the registration fees for attendees as low as possible. He also wants the event to be a fun, low-cost weekend for the entire family.

The general public is also more than welcome to come and walk around the grounds, to watch the craftspeople as they turn pieces of greenwood into beautiful art. On Saturday there will be a display of carved spoons and other pieces inside the school and a silent auction, to help raise funds for future gatherings. Some of the artisans might also have finished pieces for sale.

"Everyone has their take on it, how they do handles. It is fascinating to see that," Porep said.

Porep said he estimates around 125 people might take part in the gathering this year. By mid-May there were about 100 registrations and there are usually people who simply show up, wanting to take part. While that is still below the nearly 200 that attended prior to the pandemic, Porep said it is more important to put on a good event than worry about how many people are attending.

"We are trying to put on a really high-quality event," Porep said. "It is supposed to be a fun weekend."

It is also a great opportunity for greenwood and spoon carvers to get away from it all and just focus on their art while enjoying the company of fellow craftspeople.

"People are here to carve," Porep said.

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PHOTOS: Milan celebrates 17th annual 'A Taste of Syttende Mai'

Macy Moore — Sun, 21 May 2023 19:57:46 GMT

MILAN — Considering the small rural community of Milan was once referred to as Little Norway, it's no surprise the community of just over 400 residents keeps celebrating its heritage strong year after year.

Wednesday, May 17, served as Constitution Day in Norway this year, with Milan's celebration following up a few days later for the 16th annual "A Taste of Syttende Mai."

The day began with Kviteseid Lutheran Church hosting Kvitseid Smorgaas Tea. In downtown, the Minneapolis-based band, "The Swedish Trio," serenaded the crowd with tunes to waltz in the streets while vendors sold their wares to folks gathering during the early afternoon.

To wrap up the day, folks huddled the sidewalks of Main Street in the heart of Milan for the annual Uff-da parade. Dancers in polyester, members of the longstanding Milan Community Band and Vikings riding in ship-shaped floats kept the crowd amused and entertained into the early afternoon.

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West central Minnesota Syttende Mai celebrations fill a weekend with Norwegian culture

Shelby Lindrud — Sat, 13 May 2023 12:11:00 GMT

SUNBURG — Whether you have a drop of Norwegian blood or not, everyone can celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day, better known as Syttende Mai.

Starting May 19, there will be three Syttende Mai celebrations taking place in the area. All will include food, entertainment and a love for Norwegian culture.

It starts at 6:30 p.m. May 19 at First Lutheran Church of Norway Lake, 9 miles east of New London on Kandiyohi County Road 40. The Norway Lake Lutheran Historical Association is holding its annual Syttende Mai celebration. The event includes a catered meatball supper that includes rommegrot, lefse, krumkakke, lemon bars and other tasty treats.

The entertainment for the evening will be Custom Made Band, featuring Kris Nelson-Jenson and Steve Mahlum.

Everyone is welcome and the association urges people to spread the word about the supper to their friends and neighbors. While not required, those planning to attend can RSVP on the event's Facebook page, to give planners a general count.

Next up on is A Taste of Syttende Mai on Saturday, May 20, in Milan. This year is the 17th annual celebration.

Highlights include the Kviteseid Smorgaas Tea at the Kviteseid Church from 10 a.m. to 1p.m., musicians playing in downtown Milan from noon to 2 p.m. and the Uff-da Parade starting at 2 p.m. Visitors will be able to enjoy traditional Norwegian arts, crafts and food throughout the day. There will also be vendors and children's activities.

The most Norwegian of weekends wraps up on May 21 with the 18th Sunburg Syttende Mai festival. The activities include a tractor pull, car show, baseball, a parade and a fiddling performance.

The fun begins with the pancake breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m. at Hope Lutheran Church followed by a 9:30 a.m. non-denominational service at the church. Those wanting to take part in the tractor pull can begin registering at 9 a.m. at Glacial Plains Co-op, with the event to begin at 10:45 a.m. Spectators should bring their own chairs.

A boutique will open up at 11 a.m. in the Sunburg Community Center with various vendors and the Sunburg Troll Car Club will open its display in downtown Sunburg at noon.

First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at Reigstad Park for the baseball game between the Norway Lake-Sunburg Lakers and the New London-Spicer Twins. After the final out, spectators can line up to watch the Grande Day Parade at 3 p.m.

Starting at 4 p.m. behind the community center there will be a fiddle program with the Sunburg Community Fiddlers. Joining the fiddlers will be special guests Dempsey Schroeder and Maggie Harp. Spectators should bring a chair to sit on.

Also starting at 4 p.m. is the firemen's supper at the fire hall. The kids pedal tractor pull will start at 4:30 p.m. behind the fire hall.

The celebration wraps up with the 5:30 p.m. Troll Car Club raffle drawing and the 6 p.m. quilt raffle drawing, both at the fire hall.

Syttende Mai, literally the "seventeenth of May," is Constitution Day, to celebrate the signing of the Constitution of Norway on May 17, 1814. It declared Norway an independent kingdom following the Napoleonic Wars, though there was an official union between Sweden and Norway until 1905. The day is celebrated across the nation and internationally where Norwegian migrants have settled.

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West-central Minnesota bridge project's complete

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 14:53:45 GMT

MILAN, Minn. — The $7.7 million project to replace the Minnesota Highway 40 Milan Bridge is officially complete, the Minnesota Department of Transportation reported Tuesday, Aug. 31.

Construction began in May 2019 and the new bridge opened to single-lane traffic in July 2020, and to two-way traffic in November 2020. High water conditions had delayed work by the contractor for the bridge replacement.

The bridge is located three miles west of Milan, and about 50 miles west of Willmar, was originally erected in 1939 as part of a Works Progress Administration project. The original, historic stonework laid by hand was removed and replaced to preserve the historic integrity of the site.

The new bridge is 34 feet wide and spans 160 feet from abutment to abutment — 40 feet longer than the original steel-truss bridge.

West-central Minnesota bridge project's complete

The new Minnesota Highway 40 bridge near Milan features pedestrian improvements, and the steel railing preserves the historic attributes of the bridge. Contributed / Minnesota Department of Transportation

The original, historic riprap of the Milan Bridge was kept and put back in place by hand to preserve the historic attributes. Contributed / Minnesota Department of Transportation

The historic riprap first placed by hand at the Milan Bridge in 1939 as part of a Works Progress Administration Project has been preserved at the site. Contributed / Minnesota Department of Transportation

West-central Minnesota bridge project's complete

The original, historic riprap of the Milan Bridge was kept and put back in place by hand to preserve the historic attributes. Contributed / Minnesota Department of Transportation

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Cold winds, and a chainsaw artist, deliver Norse god of thunder to Milan

Tom Cherveny — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 19:26:24 GMT

MILAN, Minn. — Far be it from the intentions of the mayor of the tiny community of Milan in Chippewa County to get his town into any sort of rivalry with the far larger town of Alexandria in Douglas County when it comes to matters of Norse heritage and pride.

Milan Mayor Ron Anderson said nothing of the sort when asked why he persuaded his local Lions Club to bust its budget and help replace the town’s iconic Viking statue.

After something like 23 years in the elements, the big Viking statue carved of cottonwood had seen its days. It had to be removed from its perch overlooking Main Street last year, Anderson said.

The community has long celebrated its Norse heritage, and it didn’t seem right to be without its most visible symbol. This was the home of the Milan Vikings, he explained.

Besides, the old statue had always attracted visitors with cameras to the downtown, just like "Big Ole," the Viking standing outside the Runestone Museum in Alexandria.

Milan’s new Viking is sure to continue bringing visitors with cameras. “Thor” stands 11 feet high to the tip of his ax. He holds his ground just where the original Viking had stood. He guards the city library and downtown from a small park right across from the Arv Hus Museum. It's Milan’s own answer to the Runestone Museum in Alexandria.

The Norse god of thunder arrived as winter-like winds blew on April 14. He was delivered by his creator. Mark Kurtz is known as the “Chainsaw Man” and operates a gallery where he creates chainsaw art known throughout the state and beyond. His works grace the homes of celebrities including Vikings great Scott Studwell.

Milan’s original Viking was sculpted by the late Butch Olson, a Milan native who had lived in Bird Island and was well-known for his chainsaw works. The thought of replacing the original work by Olson with a fiberglass knockoff like that found in Alexandria never came up in conversation in Milan. Anderson said the goal was to replace the big Viking with a chainsaw work by an artist with abilities matching those of the late Olson.

It was last fall that the mayor, along with Billy Thompson, the founder of the Arv Hus Museum, and fellow Milanite Gary Kleven paid a visit to Kurtz’s gallery along Interstate 94 in Avon to see if he measured up to the task. In answer to that question, Kleven can point to the eagle chainsaw sculpture made by Kurtz that now complements his front yard.

Kurtz sculpted Thor from a single limb of a white oak tree he had harvested years ago at a location south of St. Cloud. The massive tree grew not far from the church where he had been married, he said. Lightning struck the church steeple the previous night, and he and the wedding party had to sidestep bricks strewn all about to enter the church.

“Don’t even say it,” Kurtz said he told his father-in-law of the seemingly ominous sign. The marriage lasted five years, he added.

Thor comes to Milan with promises for a much longer life span.

Other than being sidetracked for a while as a professional wrestler, Kurtz has been a wood carver and chainsaw artist for about 34 years now. He allows the wood to season for two to three years. The final works are coated in a sealant used on log homes.

“Professional” is how Mayor Anderson described the work.

The local Lions are continuing to raise funds for the statue. The mayor said the pandemic has made it more difficult.

He had hoped to see Thor’s arrival celebrated in the coming month when Milan would be hosting its annual Syttende Mai celebration. To the mayor’s disappointment, the celebration as well as the international gathering of spoon carvers hosted by the Milan Village Arts �� and a Milan all-class reunion have all been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

If Thor is to match the fame that Alexandria’s 28-foot tall Big Ole enjoys, it will have to start its rise to stardom without the first-stage rocket boost of these big community events.

The Douglas County community is also celebrated for the Kensington Runestone, a rock slab with runic inscriptions purportedly telling of Viking visitors in 1362. It was unearthed several miles away from Alexandria in 1898 and its story is told today in the Runestone Museum.

While the mayor did no bragging, Milan has very similar claims to fame.

Milan’s local history includes the story of an 1875 discovery of an iron hatchet 7 miles northeast of town. Local lore claims it dates to a 13th century visit by Vikings.

As for matching up to the Runestone Museum, Milan can point proudly to the Arv House Museum. Billy Thompson has assembled a one-of-a-kind collection of photographs, videos of his own making and local artifacts telling the history of his family, Milan and the Lac qui Parle Lake area.

Cold winds, and a chainsaw artist, deliver Norse god of thunder to Milan

Cold winds blew April 14 as Mark Kurtz, at right, and helpers placed his chainsaw work "Thor" on its pedestal in downtown Milan. The Viking stands 11 feet from the tip of his ax. The god of thunder is made of white oak and replaces a Viking made of cottonwood that had succumbed to the elements. Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune

Mark Kurtz affixes Thor's ax in downtown Milan on April 14. Known as the "chainsaw man," Kurtz was selected to create the new work to replace a Viking originally sculptured for the community by the late Butch Olson of Bird Island, a Milan native. Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune

The late Butch Olson created the big Viking that had stood guard over Milan's downtown for 23 years or more, according to Milan Mayor Ron Anderson. Made of cottonwood, it fell victim to the elements. Submitted photo

Cold winds, and a chainsaw artist, deliver Norse god of thunder to Milan

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Former Minnesotan in Italy: ‘Just stay home’

Chelsey Perkins — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 14:30:00 GMT

MILAN, Italy — When Dana Kuefner returns home to her small Milan apartment from grocery shopping, she sprays down her shoes before sanitizing every box and bag of food she purchased.

Then, she immediately washes her reusable grocery bags along with the clothing she wore outside. These are just a few of the measures Kuefner, 39, takes to protect against the new coronavirus, which is devastating her adopted country of Italy. The grocery store is the only place the former Minnesotan has visited since a full lockdown went into effect more than two weeks ago, and Kuefner said she expects she’ll remain under these orders well past April 3, the date Italian officials originally set as the sunset for the lockdown. Her message for Minnesotans: Just stay home.

“We went through these phases of denial here, too,” Kuefner said during a Skype interview Friday, March 20. “...Then you go through the phase of, ‘OK, OK, we shouldn’t go out, but I can still see my friends if we’re at home, right?’ But no, because then your friend is going to see another friend who’s going to see another friend who’s going to see a grandma, and then that person is going to end up in the ICU.

“ … We’ve never in our lifetimes experienced something like this. So it’s hard to grasp. But it’s so, so contagious.”

After growing up in Waseca, Kuefner moved to Milan 16 years ago. She now works in research administration focused on grant funding at a hospital in the northern Italian city. Deemed nonessential, Kuefner began working from home while the hospital shifted to dedicating all of its resources to treating patients suffering from COVID-19, the respiratory disease rapidly spreading across the world through a novel strain of the coronavirus. The number of infections and reported deaths continues to rise sharply in the European nation. As of Monday evening, March 23, 63,927 confirmed cases and 6,077 deaths were reported in Italy, according to Johns Hopkins University. A total of 7,432 Italians have reportedly recovered from the virus.

Alone in her apartment with her cat, Kuefner said she finds comfort in her regular routine and staying connected socially, albeit remotely. Before beginning her workday, she teaches English to Chinese students online — feeling a sense of solidarity, given her own state of lockdown. She drinks coffee and dines with friends via Skype, and spent a part of her evening Friday taking part in a yoga session with five friends spread throughout Europe.

All the while, she’s watching from afar as her hospital coworkers and other friends in health care struggle to care for the burgeoning number of gravely ill. On Monday, the Italian doctors association FNOMCEO said 24 doctors had died, according to The Washington Post, and a total of 4,824 health operators have been infected, according to Italy’s Higher Health Institute.

“The protocol is that doctors and nurses work until they’re too sick to work,” she said. “ … If they started sending all of the positive health care workers, putting them in quarantine, we wouldn’t have anyone left. That’s how bad it is.”

As Kuefner spoke Friday night, the Italian government was placing even stricter measures on its locked-down citizens — parks were closed down and outdoor activities, including walking or jogging far from home, were banned. A day earlier, Sun Shuopeng, vice president of The Red Cross Society of China, chastised Italian officials for taking too lax of an approach.

“That really made me think, like, if we here in Milan … if we’re not doing enough, what does that mean for the rest of the world?” Kuefner said. “That’s the thing that scares me, that if we’re not doing enough here in Milan, where most of us aren’t leaving our houses, that’s like a huge message to me.”

Kuefner said she tries to share that message with friends and family in the U.S., and she’s concerned about how COVID-19 will impact her home country, particularly given the patchwork of containment measures. She is surprised to see people continuing to shop for things other than necessities, and said she’s perplexed by the continued availability of takeout food from restaurants while dining rooms are closed.

“To me, it’s just like, I mean, we’re scrubbing the packages of things we picked up at the supermarket. And people in the States are still eating takeout,” Kuefner said. “... I mean, I know it sounds paranoid. It sounds crazy right now. But it just spreads so easily — why take a risk? Why take any risks?”

On March 17, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported there was no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with the spread of COVID-19. The federal agency encourages workers in dining establishments to engage in frequent, effective hygiene practices along with social distancing.

“Workers in the food and agriculture sector fill critical and essential roles within communities,” the CDC states on its website. “Promoting the ability of our workers within the food and agriculture industry to continue to work during periods of community restrictions, social distances, and closure orders, among others, is crucial to community continuity and community resilience.”

Will even more extreme measures be necessary in the U.S.? It’s difficult for experts to predict whether the United States will experience the pandemic to the same degree as Italy. In Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz has not issued an order for residents to shelter in place, stating he will continue to evaluate data.

Kuefner noted that while Italy’s been hit hard, Germany has so far registered less than half of the number of infections and 123 deaths compared to Italy’s 6,077. Population density, average age and other factors — including cultural differences — may be playing roles.

“We’re a lot of people basically living right on top of each other (in Milan),” Kuefner said. “Everyone’s reliant on public transportation, you know, like, there’s just a lot of contact between people. So I think that that really fueled the spread. And there’s a lot of interaction. I mean, every Italian is at their grandma's house for Sunday lunch, you know, like a lot of interaction with all age groups in this culture.”

While Kuefner said she expects the impacts from this global pandemic to be felt for a long time, particularly the strain on the economy, she was able to list some potentially positive effects: Italians may be more open to work-from-home arrangements in the future, for instance. People may be more careful about going to work while ill, even after the new coronavirus is no longer a threat. And a palpable sense of unity among people may be a welcome and lasting impact.

“Somehow, even though … we can’t actually see each other or be in the same room, people are really a lot more united than they were before,” Kuefner said. “A lot of like, the things that were dividing people — immigration was a big issue … it’s just like on the back burner. Because everyone is united in one goal right now, and that is to get over this as soon as possible so that we can try to get back to work.”

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Celebrating the answer to life's troubles in song

Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 20:26:09 GMT

MILAN, Minn. — Fifty years ago, over a cup of coffee at Sherwood Dove’s house near Correll, Minn., a group of nine men figured out how to solve all of life’s troubles.

They formed the Chord-Ayres, an all-male chorus.

They get together on Tuesday evenings in Milan to rehearse, and it matters not what troubles they’ve faced all day or week. “Some nights the tractor and combine can both be stuck in the field, but you go to practice,” said Mike Crosby, one of the original nine who formed the chorus.

The camaraderie, the sense of purpose and the ability to put smiles on the faces of others when entertaining make all of the other troubles disappear, and their time together so special, according to Crosby and the two other surviving charter members, James Boraas of the Appleton, Minn., area, and Dove.

Now numbering over 30 members, the Chord-Ayres will be celebrating the group’s start with an anniversary celebration and performance in the Milan community center gym at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14. They call Milan home, thanks to the Milan American Legion, which has sponsored the group since the late 1970s.

Their program will feature the music they’re known for: a mix of religious, patriotic and folk melodies.

A simple love for singing is what originally brought the charter members together around Dove’s table in 1969. The three charter members said they had been singing in church choirs and some with another men’s chorus that was disbanding. They just wanted to continue doing what they enjoyed.

The enjoyment of singing is still at the core of what keeps this group together, along with the camaraderie, according to Ted Albers, director of the Chord-Ayres. He started singing with the group in 1971. He figures he has been its director for probably 30 years or more.

Six of the original charter members have died, including founding director Paul Trelstad. The group has lost other members to death or when changes in careers led them to move away from the area. New members have come in to replace those who have been lost, but by and large, most of these singers have been together for much of the group’s history.

At age 76, Crosby is “the kid” among the charter members. Dove, 85, and Boraas, 83, have voices as strong as ever.

The members come from many walks of life, from law enforcement to farming to small business owners. Some make the weekly drive to Milan from locations as far-flung as Watertown, S.D., and Madison, Starbuck and Granite Falls in Minnesota.

They don their tuxedos and hit the road as a group nearly once each month to perform in area churches, Legion clubs, and for benefits. They love to perform in communities where they can be joined by young singers. “We enjoy singing with young people and show them that men can have fun singing good music,” said Crosby.

The Chord-Ayres keep a tradition of an occasional Sunday church run, performing at three to as many as nine churches in a row. “We tell them we’re not going to sit through a sermon and we don’t stay for the collection,’’ said Albers, laughing.

They are famously known for performing on Pearl Harbor day at the Fort Snelling Chapel. It’s a tradition they’ve kept since 1970, missing only two years. Those were the years they performed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

Singing on the Arizona at Pearl Harbor for the 50th anniversary of the attack remains one of the most rewarding — and emotional — of the memories Crosby, Boraas and Dove said they hold of their years with the group. Everyone who performed at the time still talks about the flowered lei they tossed on the harbor waters and how they watched it form a perfect heart.

There are other memories that will wet the eyes as well. The members have a tradition of singing at the funerals of former members, always performing the song “Friendship” at the procession.

But most of the memories these guys share are made of laughter and smiles. In 1976, they rented four motor homes for a run to Seattle for the National American Legion Chorus competition. “One of the RVs was called the card shack. Does that give you a clue?” said Crosby of the fun they had.

He remembers the singers stopping at a restaurant, where a young lady was in tears because her boyfriend had dumped her. “We sang ‘Baby Face.’ She wasn’t crying when we left,’’ he said.

When they’re not mending broken hearts, they’re keeping whole hearts intact. Albers said the members have always made it a point to keep their spouses and family members involved with as many activities as possible. When the members had growing children, they regularly camped together.

Their annual Memorial Day program in Milan led them all the way to Washington, D.C. Congressman Collin Peterson was the guest speaker for the program in Milan. After hearing the Chord-Ayres sing, he asked if they’d perform in the nation’s capital.

“What was the big hall we sang in?” asked Boraas. It was the Kennedy Center, said Crosby.

They’re proud too of being inducted in 2012 to the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.

But make no mistake. While they enjoy it all, what matters most of all is the camaraderie they enjoy, said Albers. “You care about everybody, always care about them, and they care about you,” he said.

Because of it, he’s confident their voices will remain joined for years to come. “I think we will just try to keep on going until we can’t do it anymore," he said.

Celebrating the answer to life's troubles in song

After receiving an invite from Congressman Collin Peterson to perform in Washington, D.C., the Chord-Ayres responded by saying "yes" if he found them a place to do so. They are shown performing at the Kennedy Center. Submitted photo

The Chord-Ayres will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the men's chorus with a performance at the Milan community center gym at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. Submitted photo

Members of the Chord-Ayres are preparing for their 50th anniversary program on Sept. 14. In front row are charter members Sherwood Dove, James Boraas and Mike Crosby. Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune

Ted Albers directs and Linda Anderson serves as accompanist on the piano as the men's chorus rehearses in Milan for their upcoming 50th anniversary performance. It will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, in the Milan gym. Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune

Ted Albers leads the chorus in a rehearsal in the Milan gym that is home for the Chord-Ayres. It will be the setting for their 50th anniversary performance and celebration on Sept. 14. Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune

Mike Crosby

James Boraas

Sherwood Dove

Ted Albers has been with the Chord Ayres since 1971. He's been serving as director for 30 or more of those years. Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune

Celebrating the answer to life's troubles in song

The Chord-Ayres will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the men's chorus with a performance at the Milan community center gym at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. Submitted photo

Mike Crosby

James Boraas

Sherwood Dove

Ted Albers has been with the Chord Ayres since 1971. He's been serving as director for 30 or more of those years. Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune

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An island people discover their roots on the prairie

Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 12:17:00 GMT

MILAN, Minn. — Chippewa County is home to two of the state’s oldest preserved dugout canoes, one of which is carbon dated to the days of Christopher Columbus.

Soon, the county will also be home to one of the newest.

It’s being carved right now in Milan. The community’s Micronesian residents are crafting an authentic dugout canoe. They intend to launch it this fall, complete with outriggers and sail. It is to be built exactly like the outriggers their ancestors used for centuries on the open seas.

“It’s something we’ve never done before,” said Gabriel Elias, who grew up in Micronesia but has made Milan his and his family’s home now for 17 years. “We’re very excited to learn from these guys,” he added, as workers carved away at the canoe last week.

The "guys" to which he refers are helpers from Micronesia, including Lauriano Dillipy and Mario Benito. Dillipy, a native of Micronesia, has made five dugout canoes and is an accomplished boat builder.

Benito, who makes his home on the Polowat Atoll on the outer edges of the Micronesian Islands, is officially recognized in the Federated States of Micronesia as an ordained “navigator.” As a navigator, he acquired the knowledge and skills of his forefathers to navigate on the open sea by the use of stars, fish, currents, the winds and other natural phenomena. He and companions once relied on those skills to sail an outrigger from the atoll to the island of Guam, a three-day adventure of more than 500 miles.

“It takes a lot of concentration,” Benito said.

Turning a large tree into a watercraft takes a lot of concentration as well, not to mention hard labor and, especially, skill. The workers are using only hand tools, including handcrafted axes and knives, to carve it. The wood of the finished craft will be no thicker than the width of two fingers, according to Benito.

Along with sharing canoe-building skills, he has taken time to explain the rituals and traditions associated with the endeavor in Micronesia. He said it begins with the harvesting of the tree, when thanks are given and a promise made to maintain harmony with nature, he explained.

Milan’s Micronesian residents are from an island in Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. The Micronesians comprise over half of the town’s population of 300-plus.

Most of the Micronesian adults are like Elias. They moved to the United States in their teenage or early adult years.

Elias, now 39, said he wants to learn more about his heritage and to be able to teach his own children, as well.

Giving the Micronesian residents of Milan an opportunity to learn about their heritage is just one of the goals of this project. It has its roots in a visit two years ago by Benito and professor Vincent Diaz, who brought an outrigger canoe to Milan. Diaz is exploring the canoe-building heritage of the indigenous peoples of the Americas as well as those of the Polynesian people.

Members of the area’s Dakota communities, both the Upper Sioux and Lower Sioux, are working with the Micronesian population in Milan to craft this canoe. Along with sharing the skills and knowledge that each community holds, this is an opportunity for the communities to work together and build relationships, Elias said.

Bob Ryan, of Bird Island, worked to bring Benito, Dillipy and Diaz to Milan. Ryan also located a logger able to provide the large ash tree being carved.

In Micronesia, breadfruit trees provide the raw wood for outrigger canoes. Benito and Elias noted that the use of a different wood adds to the challenge of this project.

They began work nearly two weeks ago and expect to work for another month or more before launching it. Elias noted that non-Micronesian residents of Milan have been dropping by to watch the progress. He’s hoping some will also lend a hand and get involved in its building.

Elias said he’s already learned just how resourceful and skillful the helpers from Micronesia are. “I really thought we were going to help these guys,’’ Elias said. Instead, he said he feels as if he is doing as much learning as helping at this stage.

He and the helpers are all looking forward to launching the craft when it is completed, most likely on nearby Lac qui Parle Lake.

Chippewa County’s two dugout canoes are displayed at the Chippewa County Historical Society Museum in Montevideo. The one known as Ole’s Canoe dates to the days of Christopher Columbus, or the period 1436 to 1522, while the other was dated to the period 1626 to 1679. They are among the 10 dugout canoes known to be cared for by historical societies in the state.

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Island people discover their roots on the Minnesota prairie

Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 11:00:00 GMT

MILAN, Minn. — Chippewa County is home to two of the state’s oldest preserved dugout canoes, one of which is carbon dated to the days of Christopher Columbus.

Soon, the county in west-central Minnesota will also be home to one of the newest.

It’s being carved right now in Milan, . The community’s Micronesian residents are crafting an authentic dugout canoe. They intend to launch it this fall, complete with outriggers and sail. It is to be built exactly like the outriggers their ancestors used for centuries on the open seas.

Benito, who makes his home on the Polowat Atoll on the outer edges of the Micronesian Islands, is officially recognized in the Federated States of Micronesia as an ordained “navigator.” As a navigator, he has acquired the knowledge and skills of his forefathers to navigate on the open sea by the use of stars, fish, currents, the winds and other natural phenomena. He and companions once relied on those skills to sail an outrigger from the atoll to the island of Guam, a three-day adventure of more than 500 miles.

“It takes a lot of concentration,” said Benito of the navigation skills he has honed.

Milan’s Micronesian residents are from an island in Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. The Micronesians comprise over half of the town’s population of 300-plus.

Most of the Micronesian adults are like Elias. They moved to the United States in their teenage or early adult years.

Elias, now age 39, said he wants to learn more about his heritage, and wants to be able to teach his own children as well.

The canoe is being built under a canvas tent erected at Lions Park. Bob Ryan, of Bird Island, has worked to bring Benito, Dillipy, and Diaz to Milan. Ryan also located a logger able to provide the large ash tree being carved.

In Micronesia, breadfruit trees provide the raw wood for outrigger canoes. Benito and Elias noted that the use of a different wood adds to the challenge of this project.

They began work nearly two weeks ago, and expect to work for another month or more before launching it. Elias noted that non-Micronesian residents of Milan have been dropping by to watch the progress. He’s hoping some will also lend a hand and get involved in its building.

He and the helpers are all looking forward to launching the craft when it is completed, most likely on nearby Lac qui Parle Lake.

Island people discover their roots on the Minnesota prairie

Canoe builder Max Walter carves on a beam that will be an outrigger for the dugout canoe. Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service

Canoe builder Vincen Enias swings an ax to carve the dugout canoe he is helping build in Milan. Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service

Boat builder Lauriano Dillipy carves on an outrigger that will be attached to the dugout canoe. He is helping lead the construction of an outrigger canoe in Milan. Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service

Sisinio Dogoje carves the dugout canoe he is helping build in Milan. The canoe will be carved to the thickness of two fingers. Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service

Island people discover their roots on the Minnesota prairie

Canoe builder Max Walter carves on a beam that will be an outrigger for the dugout canoe. Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service

Canoe builder Vincen Enias swings an ax to carve the dugout canoe he is helping build in Milan. Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service

Boat builder Lauriano Dillipy carves on an outrigger that will be attached to the dugout canoe. He is helping lead the construction of an outrigger canoe in Milan. Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service

Sisinio Dogoje carves the dugout canoe he is helping build in Milan. The canoe will be carved to the thickness of two fingers. Tom Cherveny / Forum News Service

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Person killed in motorcycle-SUV crash near Milan, Minn.

Forum News Service — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 01:17:22 GMT

MILAN, Minn. – A person died as the result of an motorcycle and SUV accident on Minnesota Highway 40 about five miles east of Milan in west-central Minnesota at 6:42 a.m. Monday, the Minnesota State Patrol reported.

The Minnesota State Patrol and Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a collision involving a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer and a 2014 Harley-Davidson.

The name of the deceased was expected to be released late Monday, according to the Patrol.

KDMA Radio in Montevideo reports that a 58-year-old Paynesville man on the Harley-Davidson was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Chevy Trailblazer was wearing a seat belt and was not injured.

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