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Irish eyes are smiling

For one day each year, the Irish among us get to take center stage. In this edition of Minnesota Moments, we feature one such person who turns one tiny village into a small city on St. Patrick’s Day. Last St. Paddy’s Day, between 4,000 and 5,000 folks flocked to Pearl Lake, a wide spot on a Stearns County road, to watch a parade and celebrate. The man behind this spectacle is Tom “Rudy” Ruether, a man whose Irish heritage and personality are contagious.

The feature story on Rudy isn’t the only piece in this edition that has a bit of an Irish twist. Audrey Kletscher Helbling features a couple of travel destinations in St. Paul, a city that is proud of its Irish heritage. One of these pieces, on the state Capitol, will jog many memories as touring the Capitol was part of many a spring field trip for Minnesota schoolchildren. I remember making the bus journey to St. Paul along with my grade school classmates. I remember peering out over the giant golden horses in awe. And to think that that was more than 40 years ago.

In this edition, we’re also pleased to introduce some new “neighbors” to you and add two new contributors to our stable of essayists. Michael Schultz and John Hanson have written riveting pieces that we hope you enjoy.

And, our “In the Kitchen” feature was written by a trio of St. Cloud State University students who are aspiring writers. They did a terrific job.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy.

— Mike Nistler