Tim Engstrom

When people think of winter, they often think of holidays and of outdoor activities. Christmas and sleigh rides. New Year's and trips to the nearest ski area.
But we donÕt always think of the indoor activities we do more of during the winter season. The fact is, the nights are long, the days are short and it is a great time to attend indoor sporting events, such as hockey, wrestling and basketball, and to go see local actors perform in community theater.
We love the outdoors, that's no doubt. But the indoors are just as much a part of winter fun. We decided in this winter edition to make sure community theater was a central focus. Southern Minnesota has a strong tradition of community theater. Most cities have a group of local actors. Many programs are supported through tax dollars as well as ticket sales. And quite a few have their own places to perform - as opposed to being in a school or college facility.
If you like to go to plays on dates - or, if you are married like I am, you call them date nights - Southern Minnesota affords you plenty of choices. You probably could make some fun out of visiting different theaters for each date. One weekend in Mankato, another in Mantorville, and so forth.
Just make sure you check the weather forecast. Everyone in the Upper Midwest recalls driving home in blizzard conditions at speeds up to 2 miles per hour.
For the Road Trip, this time we made the trek from Austin to Decorah, Iowa. Decorah technically isn't in Southern Minnesota, but state lines have never stopped people in our region from making the trip to into neighboring states. Why should it stop us? Don't be surprised to see our magazine's coverage occasionally spill into Iowa, Wisconsin, the Dakotas or even Northern Minnesota and the Twin Cities. But trust me, it won't get out of hand. We only go to other places because we know you do too. Our magazine is about Southern Minnesota, its communities, its resources, and the people who make it special, like you.
With every edition of the magazine, it seems our content and design is getting better. You, the reader, and we are all behind this enterprise. I've heard nothing but compliments. "What a great idea! A magazine about our region."
What also improves each time is the distribution area. This magazine started small and keeps growing. If you haven't received this publication in your home before, welcome aboard. It is our sincerest hope this magazine someday will reach throughout Southern Minnesota.
So what is Southern Minnesota? To me, when I drive south on Interstate 35, once I leave the last Twin Cities suburb of Lakeville, I am in Southern Minnesota. That's the line. That means anything south of the metropolitan sprawl - where the suburbs no longer blend together, woods or corn fields begin to show, stars are visible at night, cities have downtowns Ñ is Southern Minnesota.
Elko, you're in. Shakopee, you're out. Hastings, you're in. Cottage Grove, you're out.
If you have a Southern Minnesota photo you wish to submit for publication in the Shutter Speed on Page 37, visit our Flickr.com site: www.flickr.com/southernminnesotamagazine. From there, you can upload the photo. We select the photos from the submitted ones, often taking into consideration the season of the publication.
If you have a story idea, feel free to call me at (507) 379-3433. One reader suggested we put a spotlight on motorsports at Deer Creek. Another said we should list wine events around the region. Another reader once said she would like more about handcrafted goods. All are great ideas. I live and work in Albert Lea, and you'll come to find I enjoy cycling and cooking quite a bit. I'm a fan of geography, too, so I enjoy traveling around the region. Keep the ideas coming.