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Antiques & Collecting: German town of Mettlach well known for pottery

Mettlach, Germany, is a town known for manufacturing beer steins at the Villeroy and Boch factories since about 1842. They made all types of pottery. It started in 1809 when Pierre-Joseph Boch established a company in the remains of a cathedral built in 786 A.D. To avoid destroying the trees used for the factory’s fuel, a coal-burning kiln was developed by 1816. Famous artists were hired to create the designs. There were eight V&B factories making ceramics. In 1836, Mettlach merged with Villeroy & Boch, forming a company run by Eugene, son of Pierre-Joseph. Modern improvements ...

Off the Shelf: Recent non-fiction reads

The library has added some thought-provoking new non-fiction titles at the New Ulm Public Library over the last year. Here are several I enjoyed over the last few weeks: An interesting collection of stories and descriptions about city infrastructure and how it grows can be found in Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt’s ‘The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design.” This book was inspired by the 99% Invisible podcast which I have not listened to before. Some of the stories include information about the Magic Roundabout (not Mankato’s!), the origin of ...

Park & Rec Report

New Ulm Rec Center is closed through the end of construction; expected to reopen late summer. • New Ulm Civic Center is open for fitness equipment and classes and walking. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to noon; Sunday, noon to 7 p.m. Masks must be worn at all times, including when working out, attending classes and sports. Everyone entering must do a self-screening at the door prior to entering. If you answer yes to any of the question, you may not enter. Check in at the Welcome desk and maintain 6-feet physical ...

Family Living Focus: Visiting with your Physician

To stay healthy, you need to feel comfortable talking with your physician and your nurses. Here are some tips to help you feel more comfortable. ASK Ask questions. If you don’t understand what your physicians or nurses say, ask them to explain. Always ask about any medicines or tests they say you need. If you don’t ask, they may think you have all the information you want. Let your physicians and nurses know if you need more time to ask questions about your health. If the physician doesn’t have time that day, you may be able to talk to another physician or nurse, schedule ...

Antiques & Collecting: Pitcher makers put mugs on their jugs

Silver-plated pitchers were made by Reed & Barton, a company founded in Taunton, Massachusetts, in 1822. The pitchers look like the double-faced stoneware pitchers made by the Martin Brothers in England between 1875 and 1915. Similar pitchers were also made by Royal Doulton. The silver examples are known as “Sunny Jim.” Many figural pitchers, steins and mugs had names that were used in advertising brochures. The silver pitchers were pictured in magazine ads in the 1920s and ‘30s. They were discontinued in the 1950s but may have been made until the 1980s. Three slightly ...

Off the Shelf: Recent reads

We’ve added some great new titles at New Ulm Public Library in the past few months. Here are a few I’ve enjoyed. Nora, Wes, and Iris are hostages in a bank robbery. The two robbers are searching for keys to the bank’s safe deposit boxes. The robbers are violent and unmasked, which worries Nora. But what the criminals don’t know is that “Nora” is a secret identity. Nora has been a lot of girls. A lot of girls who have seen much worse. A lot of girls who have had to build survival skills. And Nora isn’t going to give up until her friends are safe, no matter how bad things ...