It’s good to be back home after some exciting site visits! Eric, Liz and Steve spent last week in the southwestern corner of Minnesota in Pipestone and Rock Counties. Leah joined them on Thursday to finish off the week in Nobles County.

Our site visits with the DHS Waiver Review Project are never dull, but we had some especially memorable moments last week. The first few days were full of delicious food from the Magnolia Steak House in Luverne, Minnesota. The restaurant will soon be celebrating its 70th birthday and we can certainly see why! We liked the food so much we dined there two nights in a row; a rare honor on the DHS waiver review. On Tuesday evening, Eric visited the nearby Blue Mounds State Park and saw bison firsthand.

On Wednesday night, we spent some quality bonding time in our hotel hallway after the severe weather sirens went off in Worthington, Minnesota. After the warnings had passed, we enjoyed a relaxing dinner in downtown Worthington. While our Worthington visit got off to a shaky start weather-wise, we certainly enjoyed ourselves for the rest of our time there. Thursday marked the start of the 2008 U.S. Windsurfing Nationals at the Worthington Windsurfing Regatta. Over lunch, we watched the windsurfers and enjoyed some lunch with the crowd of spectators. The weather was gorgeous and it was such a fun break to watch the windsurfers. We’ve included a picture of Eric, Liz and Steve enjoying the windsurfing festival.

Posted by Guest author at 02:19 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

During the month of February, I took some time off from the Improve Group to work at my parents’ restaurant, The Golden Inn, in Superior, WI. I’ve been working at the restaurant every weekend over the past year and a half. The opportunity to assist my parents in running a small business while also participating in the fascinating projects at The Improve Group has been a unique experience.

During the month of February, I was able to spend every day working on the day-to-day operations of running a restaurant. I assisted in the financial matters of the restaurant (especially payroll administration) and working as a delivery man when business demanded it. During my childhood, I learned many parts of the restaurant trade working for my father’s restaurant in Duluth, MN. My month work at The Golden Inn re-emphasized many of same challenges I learned to address during my childhood: the long hours, the stressful environment, the budgetary challenges, etc. The ability to address these challenges allows me to gain unique experiences that are beneficial in both my personal and professional life.

However, I also had the chance to meet and work with great individuals each day. Whether it is old friends that regularly patronize The Golden Inn or hearing stories from the staff, I enjoyed their friendship and learning about their lives. Additionally, these relationships allow me to learn about the difficulties that many of these blue-collar individuals are facing in their lives, providing me a perspective of possible areas of evaluation that The Improve Group may want to pursue in the future. For example, this experience will be helpful in creating survey instruments that relate more closely to the experiences of low-income single mothers and in turn with provide data that will directly address their challenges.

In short, I appreciate the Improve Group granting me the opportunity to spend a month working at The Golden Inn. The experience will truly be beneficial in my approach in my work with the Improve Group. Which brings up an interesting question, how have your experiences outside your professional work influenced your professional work?

Posted by Guest author at 11:34 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Recently I traveled to Denver to visit a friend and do some outdoor hiking. This was the first time I have traveled to Denver. As an evaluator, I wanted to learn what makes Denver so unique. As I familiarized myself with the city and its surrounding area, the whole experience left me quite impressed. A whole list of things I observed, including the State Capitol, the Federal Reserve, the local cultural institutions and the Rocky Mountains are things that a guy from Duluth is simply not used to.

The State Capitol is beautiful historic building where beautiful murals, chandeliers and a hall of Presidential portraits line the halls underneath this golden dome building. The local art galleries and history museums were also very interesting to explore because much of it celebrates life in the West.

What really impressed me about the city of Denver is the historic Lower Downtown, or “LoDo” area. The 16th street mall runs through blocks of restaurants, art galleries, restaurants, local shops and bookstores. I learned that the well-renowned Tattered Cover Bookstore is located at the end of the mall. I learned that the bookstore is locally-owned and famous for the extensive knowledge of its staff of books in pretty much every genre.

But the most memorable part of my trip was the hike to Lost Lake near Rocky Mountain National Park. I hiked up to an elevation of 10,000 feet to an abandoned mine. The view from that mine was breathtaking as you can see (post picture). What a memorable time.

The lesson I took away from this trip is that I should travel to new places more often. Additionally, it was interesting to me how thoughtful evaluation can enhance experiences and set future directions. I would welcome our blog reader’s suggestions for locations I should visit.

Posted by Guest author at 08:54 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Last week I traveled to Chicago to visit a friend and research possible graduate school opportunities. This was my first time in Chicago in five years. As an evaluator, I wanted to learn what makes Chicago so unique. As I “re-familiarized” with the city, the whole experience left me with a lasting impression. A whole list of things I observed, including The Loop, the major cultural institutions, the food, the traffic and the vast expanse of the city are things that a guy from Duluth is simply not used to.

What really impressed me is how the Chinatown area is quite well developed with restaurants, bakeries and shop all stuffed in the area between Cermak Road and Wentworth Street. I learned over 30,000 Asian residents live in that relatively small area. My parents frequently recruit in the area for cooks for their restaurant, The Golden Inn, in Superior, WI.

I was also impressed just traveling through downtown along the Magnificent Mile down to Navy Pier. The architecture of buildings, ranging from Gothic to modern, is quite amazing. On a nice summer day, a walk through Navy Pier is a memorable one.

From my trip, I learned that I should travel to new places more often. Additionally, it was interesting to me how useful evaluation can be in all types of situations. Have you also done similar evaluations traveling to new places?

Posted by Guest author at 09:14 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)