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City plans to purchase tax-forfeited Nehls farm

Home and Garden

The Fred Nehls farm which forfeited to the state for non-payment taxes will be bought by the city of New Ulm for public use. The three outlots involved include 12 acres and are located on the west side of Summit Avenue from about 11th to 13th S. Under state law the city has first choice to acquire the land, provided it is always used to serve as a public benefit. DENNIS WARTA, Brown County Commissioner in whose district the land is located, as part of his duties, notified city fathers of the chance to acquire the land. He said only cost to the city would be the loss of delinquent ...

You can’t keep a good man down

Lifestyle Feature

Daryl “Red” Kilmer and his siblings learned to sew from their mother Ada at a very young age. “My mother was quite a seamstress. She taught all five of us boys how to sew on on an old treadle (foot powered) sewing machine,” said Kilmer. Now days, he is most often mending torn flags ...

The evolution of the artificial Christmas tree

Lifestyle Columns

Artificial Christmas trees have been around since the 19th century, if not earlier. Trees made of dyed feathers originated in Germany and were introduced to the U.S. by the early 20th century. The mid- to late-20th century saw trees made from several new materials. There were some made of brush bristles. The famous aluminum Christmas trees, sparkling in silver before any lights or ornaments were added, were first made in the 1950s. New types of plastic that gained widespread use after World War II proved to be perfect for making durable, realistic-looking synthetic pine needles. But one ...

Exploring Europe

Lifestyle Feature

Since the first trip in 2007, New Ulm High School students have experienced many people’s dreams as they traveled to Europe, exploring historical sites, famous landmarks and new cultures firsthand. This past summer, a new group of students got the same opportunity to explore Europe. The ...

Off the Shelf

Lifestyle Columns

My family and I baked the annual Christmas lefse recently, so I was thinking about Scandinavian traditions and wondering if we have books at the library on that subject. Yes, we do have Scandinavian books! I’m starting with holiday books because, after all, it’s that time of year. Jul: Swedish American Holiday Traditions by Minnesotan Patrice M. Johnson (641.5686 Johnson) is a beautiful book highlighting Swedish traditions. Lutfisk anyone? The Swedish Meatballs are more to my liking. There are many traditional recipes for your julbord (Christmas table), but I especially enjoyed the ...

Menorahs can reflect contemporary artistic styles

Lifestyle Columns

Most families put their own unique spins on holiday traditions and see them evolve over time. Similarly, modern artists bring their own artistic styles and contemporary trends to traditional holiday decorations. Hanukkah menorahs are fantastic examples. Throughout the 20th century, many prominent sculptors and designers created menorahs that fit with popular art movements, such as brutalism or mid-century modern design, or that reflected their personal styles. This enormous wrought-iron menorah, which stands more than 42 inches tall, was designed by Judith Brown in 1979 and recently ...