Meeting my goals on the course

Posted: 24th May 2013 by Aaron Hagen in Uncategorized
0

The last blog I wrote was about golf.

And how I hoped I wouldn’t be horrible.

Well, Week 1, that’s exactly what happened. I was awful. I shot a 10. And a 9. I hit a house. Went in the water. Lost my ball. You name it, it happened.

Of course, the great thing about golf is all it takes is one shot or one hole to keep you coming back.

That round, it was my last hole. Granted, it was only a par. But that was good enough to keep me coming back.

With the wet and chilly days we’ve had, I didn’t get a chance to hit the course before my second league day of the season. I honestly expected the same result.

But I was pleasantly surprised. My goal for the first round was to keep it under 60. And I did that. My second-round goal was to keep it under 55. And I did that by a long ways.

I started off rough — with a double bogey — but that was the only one of the day. I had a nice string of bogeys — narrowly missing par a few times — until the last hole.

Once again, I ended my round with a par.

I guess that means I’ll come back next week.

Time for golf

Posted: 14th May 2013 by Aaron Hagen in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
0

I thought the day would never come. But Thursday, it will finally be time to tee it up for another season.

Thanks to Mother Nature, it took long enough.

But I hope it’s worth the wait.

Thursday will be the first official round of golf I have played this season. I’m sure it will be brutal. But that’s OK. At this point, it’s just about getting out and playing. I’ll worry about the scores later in the year. For now, however, I’m going to enjoy being outside and playing the game I love.

For the second year, I have joined the County Club here in town. And for the second time, I will be playing in a golf league.

A year ago, Justin Heckenlaible and I joined the 3:45 p.m. league. It was a slow start for us, but we had a strong finish.

In fact, we were the second-half champions.

So, naturally, we have to come back and defend our title.

I know it won’t be easy, but it will be fun trying.

A year ago, I had many, many rounds in by this time. However, the ice storm in April messed up that timeline. Not only was it cold and snowy, but the amount of damage done to the trees was devastating.

In fact, the trees were so damaged the full 18 holes aren’t open yet.

I know crews and volunteers have been working hard to get the course cleaned up, and their work is greatly appreciated.

Normally, I don’t like making my first round of the year the same day as the first day of league. Unfortunately, that will be the case Thursday.

The rest of the golfers be warned.

I have no idea how things will go. I could easily shoot a 60 — on 9 holes. I might be spraying my golf ball all over the course. And at the Country Club, that’s not a good thing. I have lost many a shots in the thick trees around the course.

But when I hit the first tee, I’ll try not to let it matter. I’ll try to enjoy being out on the course with Justin and our opponents.

Of course, that’s easier said than done, but it’s going to be the start to what I hope is a great year.

Quite the project

Posted: 2nd May 2013 by Aaron Hagen in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
0

I think it’s been about 13 months in the making.

I could be off by a couple weeks, but I do know it’s been quite a while.

Around a year ago, the Daily Globe was hired by the Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau to create a promotional video for the city of Worthington.

I remember when this first began. My thought was, “Where do I begin?”

I honestly had no idea. How could I make such a long video? I didn’t know what I would put in there. We started by looking at other videos from other cities around the county. Some were really, really bad. Others were pretty good.

But the committee that was formed on this wanted a four-to-five-minute video.

And that scared me.

Then we started talking. We started brainstorming. We talked about events and places that needed to be features.

Then the work started.

I went all over town shooting people, places and things. I was at festivals. I was at events. I was everywhere.

And by the end, my thought was “How do I condense this down?”

I had shot 579 video clips totaling 12 hours, 47 minutes and 1 second.

Trying to take the best of the best and putting it in a video was tough. As the videographer, I loved everything. With the help of the committee, we picked what we felt was the best representation of the city as a whole.

Along the way, we decided to get some aerial shots for the video. You can see a few of them sprinkled throughout the video.

Unfortunately, the only way to get aerial shots is to be in the air. A long way.

And I don’t like heights. I have written about how terrifying that was. But I survived.

Finally, a few weeks ago, we were down to the final tweaks.

Now that it’s complete, I have to say I’m pretty proud of the work we were able to do. It really was a team effort and I’m excited about the finished product. I’m hoping it stands the test of time and is something that’s very useful for quite some time.

And for me, it makes me feel good to be able to show off the town a little bit.

If you had a choice, which would you choose?

Posted: 30th April 2013 by Aaron Hagen in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

I have had a very deep philosophical argument in my head lately.

If I had a choice, which would I choose?

I live in a place that does not have air conditioning, central heat, dishwasher or laundry facilities.

If I had a chance to choose one of them to add, which would I?

I go back and forth on what I would pick, if I hypothetically had a choice.

Just to be clear, I don’t have a choice. As far as I know, there are no plans of improving my current living situation.

But it’s fun to dream.

Each has its pluses and minuses.

If I had laundry, I wouldn’t have to drive to the laundromat and put my clothes in a washer that’s used by who knows how many other people. I could do it when it was more convenient and not have to plan hours of my life. I wouldn’t be dependent on how busy the place is and I wouldn’t have to deal with people who leave their clothes in the machines, even when they are done.

If I had a dishwasher, I wouldn’t have dirty dishes stacked by my sink all the time. I could rise my dishes and put them in the dishwasher after every meal. When it was time, I could clean them with little effort.

If I had heat, my bedroom wouldn’t be 60 degrees in the winter. Currently, I have a gas furnace in the corner of my living room, which is quite a ways from my bedroom. Needless to say, when it’s a cold winter’s night, it’s not too pleasant to sleep.

If I had air conditioning, I wouldn’t try to sleep in a bedroom that eclipsed the 90-degree mark. There were times last summer when it was nearly impossible to sleep in my bed without sweating profusely. Even the past couple of days, it has been 80 degrees in my bedroom. And that was only when the high temperature hit the 70s.

So what would I choose?

That’s the age old question. Lately, it would depend on what I was doing. When I was at the laundromat, I wanted washing facilities. When I was washing dishes, I wanted a dishwasher.

But at the end of the day, the true answer is clear.

I want central air.

I can deal with washing dishes. And the laundromat. I have a heated blanket, so the cold isn’t quite so bad.

But there is nothing worse than trying to sleep in your own sweat.

I’m just hoping and praying this summer isn’t as hot as the last summer, or I may be finding friends to spend some of those hot summer nights with.

Maybe there is something to do after all

Posted: 21st April 2013 by Aaron Hagen in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , ,
3

There is one common complaint I hear about Worthington.

I hear it over and over again.

In fact, I heard it so much that I almost started to believe it myself.

What I keep hearing from the young professionals in this town is there is nothing to do.

“Sioux Falls has this, or the Cities have that,” I hear.

And yes, that’s true. A community of 12,000 can’t compete with the thriving metropolis that sits less than an hour to our west. And it surely can’t compete with the big-city life Minneapolis and St. Paul can offer.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do here.

Last weekend, Minnesota West Community and Technical College put on a production of “Damn Yankees.” By the time you read this, the showings will be over.

If you didn’t go see it, you missed out. It was extremely well done. I don’t know where director Eric Parrish found all his talent — including college guys who would sing — but it was fantastic.

To those who saw one of the three showings, you know what I’m talking about.

And for those who didn’t, it was an opportunity to have “something to do” in Worthington.

Perhaps the theater isn’t your cup of tea, so to speak.

And that’s OK. We all know it isn’t for everyone.

The Worthington Concert Association announced its 2013-14 lineup of concerts recently. Acts include Abrams Brothers, bluegrass, country and folk-rock band; Aureole Trio, flute viola and harp trio; Charlie Albright, pianist who is a Julliard School of Music graduate; and John Davidson, singer, entertainer, banjoist, host of “The New Hollywood Squares” and Broadway performer.

So, again, maybe you aren’t interested in any of those acts. And that’s perfectly fine.

On May 18, the Worthington Event Center is having a grand opening gala. It’s a semi-formal event with local bands and a great catered meal. Local acts Starfire, Tommy Gunn and Sideline will entertain the crowd, while BenLee’s will serve what should prove to be an excellent dinner. Hors d’oeuvres and wine tasting kick off what is sure to be a fun night.

If that still isn’t for you, two weeks later, the annual YMCA Cruise Dinner takes over the Event Center. The “R” Factor, a Twin Cities based band, featuring popular songs spanning several decades will headline. And, there is a chance to win a cruise.

So, with everything going on in our town, it’s still amazing how people can say there is nothing to do.

Sure there is, you just have to take advantage of those opportunities when they come.

Whenever someone says something along those lines to me, I usually tell them “Worthington is what you make of it.” Maybe the theater isn’t your thing. Or maybe you have no desire to watch a bluegrass band. But why not give it a shot?

Maybe, just maybe, you’ll end up finding there are lots of things to do.

‘Cash in the bank doesn’t grow your community’

Posted: 9th April 2013 by Aaron Hagen in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
2

During the Worthington City Council meeting Monday night, the members were presented with an opportunity.

That opportunity was to loan $600,000 to the Housing and Redevelopment Authority and Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership to help build a 36-unit apartment complex in Worthington.

And the council jumped at the chance to help.

Whether the council was right or not do to that is not for me to decide.

But here’s what I do know, housing is a HUGE need in Worthington.

They have done study upon study upon study. And they all say the same thing. And after every study, there is talk about building more multi-family buildings in town.

And each time, nothing happens.

Now, someone is stepping up and making things happen.

I applaud that effort.

The HRA and SWMHP are working with Highland Manufacturing to build six buildings of six units each. There will be a mix of two and three bedrooms. The rent will be a little expensive, but they can be affordable.

On Monday, the talk wasn’t whether or not to grant the loan, but how much the council could give.

Due to some regulations, the members couldn’t give as much as they wanted — proposed up to $1 million — but they were able to help. They approved a loan for $600,000 to $800,000 for the project. That money will help fill a gap in the financing of the project.

The one concern that was brought up was if this would hinder the ability to work on other projects. Since the money is coming from the hospital sale funds, that means the city will have that much less in the bank. While there is close to $10 million still remaining in those funds, the council will still have plenty of reserves.

The other concern was if having less cash on hand would hurt the city’s bond rating. Currently, Worthington has a pretty high bond rating.

As Mayor Alan Oberloh said, he felt the people who decided the rating would look favorably upon partnership in a project like that.

And then he said something that made the most sense.

“Cash in the bank doesn’t grow your community.”

And while having money in the bank can be a good thing, I know you can’t be scared to spend some as well.

In this case, something has to be done.

Worthington needs housing. It’s a desperate situation.

And if the city can support this project and earn a little interest money, then it would be hard to say this is a bad deal.

But as a young professional in Worthington, I am pleased the city sees the value in investing in housing.

It never tasted so good

Posted: 4th April 2013 by Aaron Hagen in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , ,
0

It was a long Lenten season.

The sweet sight of Mountain Dew

As many of you know, I gave up pop.

That sweet, caffeinated drink was no longer in my life.

And I made it.

But wow, was it tough.

The beginning was the worst. Constantly, I was craving that wonderful drink.

I was lucky. I had someone to help with go through it.

I don’t know if I could have done it without him. Whenever I was having a craving, I would call him and he would talk me off the ledge.

Eventually, it got to a point where I wasn’t craving it as much — at least during the week. I could keep myself occupied while at work so I wouldn’t think about it. And, I rarely drank one at night.

It was during the weekends where I really struggled. I would normally have one or two on Saturdays and one on Sundays.

But I don’t think that was even the worst of it. For me, the toughest part was when I wanted to enjoy an adult beverage.

Sure, I like beer as much as the next guy. But there is nothing like Captain Morgan and Coke.

So for 40-plus days and nights, there was no Captain. There was no Coke.

Once Easter Sunday rolled around, I was ready. I was champing at the bit to have a Mountain Dew.

It didn’t take long after I woke up to have one.

I was at my girlfriend’s family’s place in Iowa. Her cousin was going to make a run to the store, and brought back a 2-liter of Mountain Dew.

Between him and I, we almost polished that bottle.

And it never tasted so good.

This is the year

Posted: 26th March 2013 by Aaron Hagen in Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,
0

By the time most of you read this, it will be over.

It will have come and gone just that quickly.

And hopefully, I will be happy.

More than likely, I won’t be.

Of course, I’m talking about my fantasy baseball draft.

On Tuesday night, I will sit down and scour over rosters, scouting reports and all kind of statistics in hopes of finding that perfect roster.

I have been doing fantasy baseball in some form for quite some years. I’ve been at the top of my leagues, and I’ve been at the bottom.

Each year, I enjoy it more and more. It gives me a reason to pay attention to games well into the long, drawn-out season.

For the past few years, I have been in a league with some co-workers. And they have worked me over pretty good. There haven’t been too many W’s on my side in recent years.

I love the beginning of each season. It brings new promise and a new hope. A hope that this will be my year.

And this year is no different. I need it to be my season. I need a good showing. I desperately need wins.

See, the past couple of years have been the same story. I’ve had lots of optimism. I’ve had lots of promise. Only to be out of it by the All-Star break.

I’m like the Chicago Cubs. Each year, I believe it will be my year. And each year, it ends in disappointment.

In fact, the past couple of years, I have been borderline competitive, finishing close to the basement in each year.

But this year will be different.

I never used to have a draft strategy. I went in hoping I could find the perfect roster. I didn’t look for specific players, but just took the best available at times.

As I turn over a new leaf, I’m armed with a new strategy. For my competitors who will read this early, I won’t divulge what that is. But my level of confidence is pretty high. I have other strategies I plan on implementing as the season progresses, but we’ll leave those for another post.

So wish me luck.

With any luck, just like the Cubs, this will be my year.

It’s been too long

Posted: 25th March 2013 by Aaron Hagen in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , ,
0

It seems like it’s been forever since I last wrote a blog.

And so much has been going on.

Of course, there will be more time — and space — to talk about things in the future posts, so I’ll keep this one brief.

To catch up on things, the newsroom has been busy. We have been working hard to work on our “Annual Report” section. It was four sections of local stories. It featured “Hidden Gems” from our area (thank you Officer Baumgart for the suggestion).

It takes an incredible amount of work to put together those sections. It’s a lot of writing, photography and layout.

But I think I speak for everyone here when we say we are proud of the work we did.

I’m also pretty confident that my co-workers share the sentiment that we are happy it’s over — and we can move to the next one.

For me, that means back to my city reporting. I have a few stories in the works that I’m excited to investigate more now that I have some time.

I went head first (pun intended) into the new debate for the outdoor swimming pool, and will put that one aside until the city council addressed it again.

But there are some other issues on the horizon, including the opening of the new senior center, the future of bioscience in Worthington and the hiring of a new WREDC manager.

Another story coming soon, which won’t be that big of a deal, is the sale of 7.1 acres on Stower Drive. I have a hunch as to who will buy it and why, but I’ll wait until there is an official announcement for that one.

For now, I’ll leave it at that, bid you adieu.

Until next time.

The Wizard of Oz

Posted: 13th March 2013 by Aaron Hagen in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
0

When I was little, I wasn’t able to watch “The Wizard of Oz.”

My parents wouldn’t allow it.

Now, don’t think I was a sheltered child, because I wasn’t. Or at least I don’t think I was.

But I could never watch “Oz.” Whenever I asked, my mother told me it was one reason:

The flying monkeys.

The story goes, when she was younger, she watched the movie and had nightmares. She was hoping to keep me from those night terrors.

And she succeeded. I went through my entire childhood without seeing the movie.

A few months ago, I was talking with some friends and telling them I hadn’t seen the movie.

Luckily, Corey Steve had the movie and let me borrow it.

I watched it. And I have to admit it, I was still a little scared of the monkeys.

But no nightmares.

Now, a new “Oz” movie has been released.

So last weekend I ventured to the movie with my girlfriend.

And I tell you what, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I thought James Franco was the perfect Oz. He played the part to perfection. Franco’s character, Oz, made a transformation throughout the movie. He was believable as a slimy con man, as well as the hero everyone wanted him to be.

I do have to admit, these flying monkeys were even scarier than their earlier counterparts.

While watching the movie, I was trying to figure out how it was all going to come together.

Amazingly, it did. They had all the normal characters, and added a little flair to the story as well.

While it was a prequel to the original movie, I sense another installment coming sometime very soon.

I would recommend seeing the movie. It was well worth the time and money.

Older Entries