Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Week Three in Austin, Minn.





Floral designer Jessica Lemickson creates an arrangement of tropical flowers in preparation for Valentine's Day at The Hardy Geranium in Austin.  "It used to be a dozen roses, but probably the last three or four years the tropicals have been really big because tropicals last a long time," said owner Vicki Trimble.

  

  
Everett Lee enjoys his new title as Valentine's Day King during festivities at Primrose Retirement Community in Austin.

  
Kory Klouse, white lab coat, shows off his science fair project at Banfield Elementary in Austin.  Klouse tested the effects of different types of rabbit feed on the three rabbits that he shows each year at the Mower County Fair.

  

  
Sam Hagen, 10, explains to a science fair judge how he grew different various types of plants using hydroponics at the Sumner Elementary in Austin.  A NASA experiment inspired him to grow plants using nutrient filled water instead of soil, the fifth-grader said.
  

 
Kenny Dudas ice fishes alone on Mill Pond in Austin.  "Don't have an auger so I bring my spear to open old holes," said Dudas.  The game fishing season ends Sunday, Feb. 29.



Mary Kolb, 63, shovels her sidewalk in spite of having a heart condition.  "I had a heart attack when I was 34.  So I shouldn't be doing this.  If I pace myself I'll be fine," said Kolb.  Her son, a marine officer, has seen three tours in Iraq and is currently stationed in South Korea.


  
Namo Afanou, 5, joins her classmates in the groundbreaking ceremony at Woodson Kindergarten Center.  The construction of an additional of six classrooms is set to be finished by next fall.



Jen Haugen demonstrates to children what kale feels like Wednesday during Eat Bright at Hyvee Foods in Austin.  Eat Bright is a program that teaches children to see fruit and vegetables in a new light.


Families and community members line dance together Thursday during the Early Childhood Family Education Sock Hop at the Community Learning Center.

Alice Osmonson, 3, hugs a fellow shoeless dancer.

Adi Cline spins on her fifth birthday.

Monday, February 13, 2012

02-09-12 Second day in Austin

Day one went well.  I guess my editor decided to test me on day two because she asked me to shoot five stories in a five-hour span starting at 5pm.  It's nice that the Austin Post-Bulletin is an afternoon newspaper because that means I have all night to edit my photos.  Got home at 230a.





Southgate Elementary Science Fair

I walked into the elementary school gymnasium with high hopes for a small town science fair.  I found a cafeteria style layout with each child standing next to his/her project.  I was surprised to see that virtually every project was cardboard folded twice with information glued on.  No fizzing volcanoes or smoking contraptions in sight.  I was drawn to the few projects with three dimensional parts but stopped to talk to anyone who nervously stared me down as I strolled through the gym.  When I asked the boy from the first project below where he got the lens testing apparatus he replied, "My dad picked it up in the cities."  "The Twin Cities?" I asked.  " I don't know, just the cities."
  
Third-graders Ainsley Zahn, left, and Elijah Hemann watch a metal ball crash into a polycarbonate lens Thursday at the at Southgate Elementary science fair in Austin.  Hemann's project, "How safe are your lenses?" compared the strength of different types of eyeglass lenses.
  

 
 Aaron Knoll, 10, worries about not placing first in the Southgate Elementary science fair in Austin.  Knoll's project, "Dissolving Teeth Part 2," is the same project he did last year (when he got 2nd place), but this time it was more elaborate.  "Since my mom is a teacher, one of her students donated teeth," Knoll said.
  

Jorge Manzano, 11, demonstrates that a piece of paper alone will hold water in an upside down glass since the atmospheric pressure around the glass is higher than that created by the water's weight. 



           "Ring Round the Moon" play rehearsal at Riverland Community College 




 


Austin varsity basketball vs. Mankato West, Austin High School













 Austin varsity wrestling vs. Owatonna, Austin High School.











Thursday, February 9, 2012

Matchbox Children's Theatre: First assignment in Austin, MN

This is the first assignment I shot as photojournalist for the Post-Bulletin Newspaper in Austin, Minn.  The Matchbox Children's Theatre was having a dress rehearsal of "The Magic Flounder."  The media release requesting a photographer said that I could shoot starting at 6:30p but this would have conflicted with my other assignment for the night, the Minnesota caucuses.  So I showed up early, half expecting to be yelled at by a controlling director or producer- something that has happened to me several times in similar situations in Minneapolis.  I asked the director if it was okay that I was early.  She looked very surprised, "Of COURSE! Thank you!!"  I could get used to this small-town thing.


                                Andrew Alberts, 8, warms up with fellow cast members of "The Magic Flounder" at Paramount Theater in downtown Austin.

 
            Second-grader Ellen Horvat receives wardrobe assistance from Lindsay Leif.



  Lia Culbert, left, and Derek McAlister

 
        Austin High School Sophomore Cole Peterson measures how high fellow cast members can jump.
               
 Peter Torkelson, 13, steps out onto the stage during a dress rehearsal of "The Magic Flounder" Tuesday at Paramount Theater in downtown Austin.

Jscorza@postbulletin.com

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