Kiger's Notebook

Of hot dogs and hotels

It weighs five tons, is 11 feet tall, is 27 feet long and has four wheels.

What is it? The most famous food-shaped vehicles in history, of course, the Wienermobile. The iconic vehicle that is as recognizable as the Batmobile, Bigfoot or the Mystery Machine is rolling along the Med City's streets yet again.

Very early this morning (the Daylight Savings switch had me out a lot later or earlier than usual. Heh.), I spotted massive fiberglass hot dog proudly parked across Second Street Southwest from Saint Marys Hospital.

Even more interesting than the brightly-colored vehicle was the hotel sign at 1211 Second St. S.W.

In a column last week, I teased that a Med City hotel was looking at making a change. That seems to have happened, since the sign over the Oscar Mayer car says Aspen Suites instead of Staybridge Suites.

The 83-suite hotel, along with the Fiksdal Hotel, is owned by Blue Stem Capital of Sioux Fall, S.D., and Glen Fiksdal of Rochester.

I guess I should stop hotdogging and give them a call to find out the details.

 

Skyway clinic opens its doors

Thanks to my esteemed colleague Jeff Hansel for the Raptor photo. Here's the caption he wrote to go with it:

"I can speak for myself and I can speak for other students. We are very excited to have you guys here," UMR bachelor of science in health sciences sophomore Joe Inhofer, standing next to school mascot The Raptor, tells Olmsted Medical Center Skyway Clinic nurse practitioner/physician assistant Barb Malat.

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Here the piece I scrambled together for today's dead tree edition on this:

Rochester's newest downtown clinic opened its doors for business Tuesday.

Olmsted Medical Center launched its new Skyway Clinic to serve University of Minnesota Rochester students as well as the general public.

Rochester business leaders, university officials and even UMR's Raptor mascot gathered for the symbolic ribbon cutting in the skyway level of the 318 Commons building on First Avenue.

For easy access, the walk-in clinic is located inside the building where the majority of the University of Minnesota Rochester students live and where many UMR staff offices are located. It is directly above above The Loop Bar + Restaurant.

"This is a great partnership between OMC and the University of Minnesota Rochester," said Jay Hesley, UMR's Assistant Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement.

This new convenience clinic evolved from what began in 2010 as two-days-a-week medical services for students at the downtown campus.

"I believe it will complement our other clinics," said Dr. Randy Hemann, who is a director of Olmsted Medical Center's two popular FastCare retail clinics based in Rochester's Shopko stores as well as the new skyway location.

The skyway clinic will offering a wide-range of non-emergency, non-urgent care — such as strep tests — to students, as well as the general public. A Skyway Clinic visit costs $49 and is billable to health insurance. Extra charges may apply for vaccinations and lab services.

Skyway clinic opens its doors

Thanks to my esteemed colleague Jeff Hansel for the Raptor photo. Here's the caption he wrote to go with it:

"I can speak for myself and I can speak for other students. We are very excited to have you guys here," UMR bachelor of science in health sciences sophomore Joe Inhofer, standing next to school mascot The Raptor, tells Olmsted Medical Center Skyway Clinic nurse practitioner/physician assistant Barb Malat.

---------

Here the piece I scrambled together for today's dead tree edition on this:

Rochester's newest downtown clinic opened its doors for business Tuesday.

Olmsted Medical Center launched its new Skyway Clinic to serve University of Minnesota Rochester students as well as the general public.

Rochester business leaders, university officials and even UMR's Raptor mascot gathered for the symbolic ribbon cutting in the skyway level of the 318 Commons building on First Avenue.

For easy access, the walk-in clinic is located inside the building where the majority of the University of Minnesota Rochester students live and where many UMR staff offices are located. It is directly above above The Loop Bar + Restaurant.

"This is a great partnership between OMC and the University of Minnesota Rochester," said Jay Hesley, UMR's Assistant Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement.

This new convenience clinic evolved from what began in 2010 as two-days-a-week medical services for students at the downtown campus.

"I believe it will complement our other clinics," said Dr. Randy Hemann, who is a director of Olmsted Medical Center's two popular FastCare retail clinics based in Rochester's Shopko stores as well as the new skyway location.

The skyway clinic will offering a wide-range of non-emergency, non-urgent care — such as strep tests — to students, as well as the general public. A Skyway Clinic visit costs $49 and is billable to health insurance. Extra charges may apply for vaccinations and lab services.

Ghoulish seasonal shops to scare up business

Now that fall is here, it's time for the seasonal costume shops to migrate into town with temporary stores packed with masks, make-up and all things macabre.

Look for Halloween Express, which has been a familiar visitor to Rochester for many Octobers, to open in the Apache Mall parking lot in a temporary tent-like structure this year.

Signs are also up for another retail transient — Spirit Halloween — in the storefront by Kohl's in south Rochester. That's spot that was left vacant when Old Navy pulled up anchor and sailed farther south to Shoppes on Maine in November.

It looks as if Spirit is cut from the same black cloth as Express. It's a national operation that has seasonal stores selling scary and fun costumes and decorations in every state.

Dance studio waltzing to a new home

It might take two to tango, but you also need plenty of room to dance.

A Rochester dance studio is waltzing towards a new address with a special new dance floor.

Construction is underway at 4204 U.S. 52 North for a new home for the Dahl Dance Studio.

Owners April and Gary Dahl hope to move in October to the spot next to Harbor Freight Tools. Jaguar Communications last occupied the 2,800-square-foot space.

Darci Fenske, of Paramark Real Estate, brokered the deal for the space.

For the last seven years, the Dahl's have been teaching ballroom dancing and coaching a competitive team at 1619 N. Broadway in the Riverview Center.

So why pack up their dancing shoes to move to a new studio?

"We needed a larger dance floor. For competitive ballroom dancing, you need a 60- to 70-foot run of dance floor," says April Dahl.

In their current studio, the Dahls have two separate smaller dance areas.

"The new place won't have any walls or columns in the way," she says.

What it will have is a special new floor designed specifically for competitive ballroom dancing. The floor is being shipped in from the capital of fancy footwork, Las Vegas.

When it comes to competition, the Dahls have had students ranked among the top five dancers in the U.S. due to their performances in the Dancers Cup Circuit.

Gary Dahl has also been ranked among the top five dance instructors in the country.

Of course, the Dahl Dance Studio is about more than just competitive dance. They offer a wide variety of ballroom dancing courses — five to seven group classes a week — for children and adults.

"We're having a great time with it," says April Dahl of the couple's business.

Including the Dahls, the dance studio has five on staff.

Remembering Hanson - Chamber Golf

Today is the annual Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce golf bash at Willow Creek Golf Course.

It is quite a bash, if you haven't been before. And it is an event that I always associate with Denny Hanson, who we recently lost.

For many years, I worked with Denny as a source and as a friend. We had a friendly running competition over who had the freshest bit of business news.

I miss those exchanges. Beyond politics, which I truly have no opinion about, I know he was someone I always enjoyed interviewing.

Many years ago, I even tracked him around the golf course during the tournament for a quote on a business issue that was very sensitive at the time. Eventually, I got a very honest and blunt quote from him. He caught a lot of heat over that quote, but it never stopped him from talking openly to me.

Denny was always a super nova of energy right in the middle of the action at the golf tournament, laughing and joking with everyone orbiting around him. And yes, for those who remember last year's infamous costume, he sometimes crossed the line of good taste.

Like us all, he had lapses in judgement, but he was a very good man who cared deeply for his family and for community. Denny worked tirelessly doing what he thought was best for this community.

Hanson had a fierce appetite for life, which he embraced with a Captain and diet in hand and jolly laugh.

In memory of Denny and his love for the chamber golf tournament, here's a video of him butchering the song, "I Can See Clearly" back in 2009.

Thanks for the memories, Denny.

 

Comic convention coming to Rochester's ' Underground city'

Local comics and fantasy fans have long been envious of the attention that larger cities in warmer places get from pop culture conventions, like the recent San Diego Comic Con.

Now it looks like they will have their one piece of the action right here in the Med City.

Bill Willingham, the creator of the wildly popular comic Fables as well as being a southern Minnesota transplant, recently told the Comic Con crowd that this was his last appearance at the San Diego event.

Most importantly for local comic and fantasy fanatics like myself, Willingham announced that he is organizing his own three day convention to be called, "Fabletown and Beyond."

It will focus on "mythic fiction" like his dark retelling of fairy tales and Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series.

Here's the happy ending to this tale. This young Midwestern sibling of Comic Con will be held in downtown Rochester in March.

I got a kick out of how the comics site, bleedingcool.com, described the choice of Rochester as a venue.

"… The show will be held in Rochester, Minnesota. The facilities that have been chosen have been chosen specifically for the expansive indoor space, an underground city built for the wealthy visitors of the Mayo Clinic. This space will enable convention goers to remain indoors in the bitter Minnesota March."

Heh.

The Post-Bulletin will have more on this as it gets nearer. For more information, check out fablescon.com.

New consignment shop specializes in special

In the (hopefully) happy aftermath of formal events like a wedding or prom, all of the work of planning as well as the costs are forgotten.

However, all of those reception centerpieces and those fancy candles from the church are still around. And so are the dresses, veils and other accessories.

Just imagine all of the stuff sitting around Kim Kardashian's house.

"Those decorations kind of just sit there afterward. You don't want to throw them out, but no one knows what to do with them," said Diane Monaghan, of Kenyon. "It is kind of tough to have 16 hurricane lamps in your house."

In an attempt to help people with this dilemma, Monaghan is opening Special Day Consignment in Rochester at 608 Second St. S.W. That's where Kristen's Knits was located until it closed last summer.

While she is already accepting items for consignment in the store by appointment, it will open for business on Jan. 9.

It will be open Wednesday through Saturday or by appointment.

This is a sideline business for Monaghan, who has a day job with Blue Cross and Blue Shield. It is a family project and her son, Richard Monaghan, will help her run it.

Bunch of biz events to keep you busy

TONIGHT
• The Rochester Area Builders, Inc.'s annual meeting and member networking night is slated to run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the office of Schwickerts Co., 204 Schumann Drive N.W. in Stewartville.

• A Tweet Up, a gathering of Rochester area Twitter users, will start at 5:30 p.m. at Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill at 1705 S. Broadway.

THURSDAY
• The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce's annual member gathering will run from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Rochester International Event Center.

FRIDAY
 
• Fuel Rochester,  the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce's young professionals  group, is hosting its annual Poker Face casino-themed Halloween Bash from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Rochester Art Center at 40 Civic Center Dr. S.E. Cost is $5 for Fuel members and $10 for non-members. Light snacks will be served and a cash bar will be available. Prizes will be given for casino players and for best costumes.

MONDAY, NOV. 1
• The Diversity Leadership Summit: Perceptions of Inclusiveness in Rochester will start at 6 p.m. with networking beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the chapel at Bethel Lutheran Church, 810 Third Ave. S.E. in Rochester. The panel will be led by Dr. Sharonne Hayes, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Mayo Clinic. This event is sponsored by the Augsburg College MBA Program and Post-Bulletin. It is part of the "Connecting with the Community" learning series. This summit is free and open to the public.
• WorkLife Job Loss and Career Change Support Group, organized by career coach and facilitator Preston Hollister, will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Oasis Church, 1815 38th St. N.W. This week's featured speaker is David Chan, with 13 years experience in executive recruiting in Hong Kong for industries including technology, industrial/manufacturing/supply chain, financial services, and higher education. WorkLife is a free group designed to be "an encouraging place to network and learn."

TUESDAY, NOV. 2
• The Greater Rochester Express Network group will meet from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Clarion Inn, 1630 S. Broadway in Rochester. Topic for the meeting is
"Be the Gift - Volunteer Opportunities." This month's speaker is Lisa Lundquist, volunteer initiative specialist for the United Way of Olmsted County. Cost is $15. Guest are welcome.  To RSVP or for more information, contact Carmen Nomann  at 252.0786 or carmen_nomann@yahoo.com.

• Healthy Employees = Healthy Employers is the topic of the monthly meeting of the Rochester Area Quality Council, which will run from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in Room  206/208 in the Coffman Building in the Rochester Community and Technical College's University Center. Beth Warren, director of the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center (DAHLC), will make the presentation. The event is free for members, $15 partners/students and for $30 non-members. To register, contact jennifer.burmeister@councilforquality.org or or (507) 213-8132 before Friday.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3    
• A case study of the 318 Commons building is the focus of a breakfast meeting from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn at 225 S. Broadway. The Minnesota Commerical Association of Realtors - MNCAR - is the sponsoring the event. Cost is $20 for pre-registered members and $30  on the day of the event. Nonmembers will pay $25 ahead of time and $35 on the day of the event. For more information or to register,, call 952-908-1780 or go to www.mncar.org.

Zombies on parade

In case you missed it over the weekend, here's some from what I wrote up about Rochester's first zombie walk Saturday plus a pic by Scott Jacobson.

If you want to see some video Scott shot of the faux dead event, some is posted here.

It was the sunny afternoon of the … uh … dead today in Rochester.

A mob of almost 100 zombie fans covered in fake blood gathered in the downtown Peace Plaza for Rochester's first-ever Zombie Walk.

 "Awesome," is what young Sam Hanson declared the event as he followed the shuffling zombies down Broadway. While he didn't dress up for it, Hanson did enjoy watching the sort of undead parade.

Sam's parents, Cory and Kimberly, brought Sam and his sister out to see the spectacle, because "he is a huge monster movie fan."

Not every spectator was as excited about the theatrical group.

A couple eating dinner in front of Mac's Diner said they were "appalled" by the display and that the zombies "should get real and have more purpose to their lives."

However, by far, the majority of people on downtown's sidewalks and streets seemed entertained by the invasion of the legendary brain-eating monsters. Spectators took photos, honked horns, laughed and shouted their support.

Many people said it was refreshing to see Rochester embrace something different.

"I didn't get to run around town like a zombie," said 30-year-old Jane Remfert, who was visiting her parents, Elizabeth and Jeff Remfert. "I would have loved to have done that growing up here."

The Remferts sat on a bench watching the zombies gathering in the Peace Plaza. Looking for something to do to entertain their daughter, the Remferts decided zombie watching might be fun.

Another set of parents, Connor and Erin Letts, were also pleased that a zombie walk had made it to their hometown.

Two of their kids, 4-year-old Hank and 5 1/2-year-old Rosie, were very familiar with the zombie scene as they ran around in the green grass sporting makeup and fake blood.

Connor, whose band Zed on Arrival will perform later, said the kids had been to many zombie gatherings throughout the region with their parents.

"It is its own subculture," he said.

The Letts thought it was great that instead of driving to the Twin Cities or South Dakota, zombies had arrived in Rochester.

"I think it was overdue," said Connor.

While pretend undead started to limp toward the parking lot of Top Cat Tattoo on Broadway, another member of the Letts family — 10-day-old baby Nora — slept through her first zombie walk.

Connor said she'll get other chances to check out the zombie scene, hopefully in Rochester.

"She'll be going to a lot more of these," Nora's dad said with a bloody smile.