It’s late July in the Driftless Region. The air feels thick, the sun feels hot. Temps are holding steady with no reprieve.
Just when you’re about to call it quits in favor of some air conditioning, in blows an island breeze. It feels tropical and refreshing. You’ve got a whole new perspective – but the weather hasn’t changed. What’s that you hear? It’s the Caribbean sounds of Coulee Region Steel Band turning the tides, uplifting you with their tropical vibes and 10-piece drum ensemble.
A band unlike any other in the area – in both size and sound – Coulee Region Steel Band (CRSB) plays a variety of songs, including selections by Jimmy Buffet, Carlos Santana, Harry Belafonte, Stevie Wonder, and others. “People enjoy CRSB’s upbeat attitude and music,” says percussionist and founding member, Jim Knutson. Along with familiar tunes, they enjoy playing what Jim calls “country” music, or rather “music that is from the countries of Brazil, Cuba, and the rest of the world.”
An instrument rich in history, steelpans are made from 55-gallon barrels. The vibration of the steel is what gives them their unique sound. Pans of varying sizes create different pitches, allowing bands like Jim’s to provide an electric, vibrant sound.
Members of the Coulee Region Steel Band performing / Photo courtesy Coulee Region Steel Band
Jim has been a proud pan owner since 2000, when he inherited his first set. At the time, he was the Onalaska High School band director in Onalaska, Wisconsin. Hooked on this new instrument, he started writing grants to obtain more, and began teaching others how to plan the pans, too. One class at Onalaska High School soon morphed into weeklong classes for Washburn Academy, a professional development program run by the education-based Wisconsin non-profit, Cooperative Educational Service Agency #4 (CESA 4). Jim found himself teaching pan drums to band teachers from across Wisconsin, including La Crosse, Milwaukee, Appleton, and Madison. “The La Crosse teachers wanted to form a community group, and there you have it, the Coulee Region Steel Band was born!” shares Jim. And it’s not just drums – the band also sings, and fans have been singing along since CRSB formed in 2005.
Now, almost 20 years later, CRSB is still made up of many music teachers, including Dan Lefebvre on Jimmy Buffet vocals and Andres Linero Quintero on congas. And although teaching is not the primary focus of the group, Jim says it’s easy for this band of educators to “add an education element to any performance,” if requested.
Jim and the gang enjoy sharing their love for music, and have gigs lined up all summer. They’re playing Great River Sound’s music series at Dash-Park in Onalaska, the Concerts in the Park series in Holmen, and sets at The Freighthouse in La Crosse and at Elmaro Vineyard in Trempealeau. They’re especially excited to be playing the Pulpit Rock Brewing Company anniversary party on August 19 in Decorah. “We hope everyone comes out and enjoys our Caribbean sampler and some fun in the sun!” says Jim.
Band members – there’s usually between 10 to 12 at each gig – sing and play three lead pans, three double seconds (two-barrel drums), two triple guitar/cello pans, bass, congas, and a drum set. “I own all our gear, so I guess that puts me in charge,” laughs Jim. “It’s a lot of instruments.”
Jim played lead pan for many years but is currently “in the driver’s seat” playing drum set. One instrument often used in bands like CRSB is the six bass – “six full-size 55 gallon barrels…for one player!” says Jim – but it’s a little too big for this crew.
The pans they play were made by Ellie Mannette, who is known as “The Father of the Modern Steel Drum.” This Trinidadian musician was said to have been the first person to use an oil barrel to build a steelpan. He shared his trade across the world, teaching others how to play, build, and tune steelpans until his death in 2018.
Not only does CRSB play Ellie’s drums, but it also shares the Caribbean style and sound that he helped develop in the 1930s and 40s. A sound that many have come to associate with sunshine, good times, and relaxation.
That’s exactly what Jim and CRSB hope to provide this summer as they play their drums and share their unique flavor. They’ll be bringing the island vibes to the Driftless Region all summer long.
Margaret Grund was interviewed by her granddaughter, Hannah, and daughter, Amy
Margaret Grund (Kopel) is a woman who has worn many hats throughout her life: mother, wife, daughter, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, nurse, teacher, entrepreneur, and friend. Her family and friends say she is a selfless, kind, and resourceful woman.
Margaret Grund in her Winona, MN, living room.
Margaret was born in 1939 to Joseph and Theodora. She and her 11 siblings grew up on the family farm in Olivia, Minnesota. Her mischievous spirit and spunky nature often got on her siblings’ nerves. Seeing this energy, her mother developed Margaret’s creativity toward sewing. It was a talent and skill she would use and enjoy for a lifetime. Living among a large family on a 1940s farm had its share of limited luxuries. Margaret recalls her mother using animal feed sacks as fabric for dresses.
After Margaret graduated from Danube High School, she attended practical nursing school in Minneapolis. In 1959 she married Roger Grund and together the couple raised four children, first in Olivia, Minnesota, briefly in Glencoe, and lastly in Winona in 1972.
Margaret has a servant heart. While getting settled in Winona, she worked tirelessly during the day at the family-owned laundry mat and as an overnight nurse caring for geriatric patients at St. Anne’s nursing home. She has touched many lives over many decades.
Along with sewing, knitting, and crocheting, Margaret found time to learn a new hobby to feed her creativity: basket weaving. After taking one class at a local school, she was hooked. She loves making different sizes and varieties for kitchen, bedroom, and bath, using fibers that she dyed, stained, painted, or left natural. She proudly adds her signature and date of completion to the bottom of each basket. Making a basket is a joy, but teaching others the skill gives Margaret even greater satisfaction. The basement of their home is stocked with many fibers and weaving products, with a workshop section of tables and chairs that was often set and ready for students eager to learn. Her grandkids recall many times visiting Margaret and Roger where the street was lined with strange cars and they were greeted to a full basement of adult students. In the early 1990s, Margaret worked to share her talents and build the weaving community on a much larger scale by hosting a multi-day weaving workshop retreat for students and teachers. The retreat attracted basket weavers from the Driftless Region and across the country. The retreat flourished under her leadership and continues today under the capable hands of a beloved student. Through these many hats, Margaret shares a common thread: her kindness, humility, and creativity. All these qualities are proof of the key to a life well lived.
What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
The best advice I have been given is to wake up with a smile and carry it through the day, with you to share with others.
What did you want to be when you grew up? When I was younger there were not many working opportunities for women. It was either teaching or nursing. I knew teaching was not for me, so nursing was the best fit.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
Handiwork, a good book, and ice cream
Try to describe yourself in one sentence. I am a woman who gets up in the morning with the goal to serve another person in some positive way, and at the end of a full day, to get a good night’s sleep.
Name one thing you could not live without. My family. I am fortunate to have a close-knit and connected family who care for each other. We are all willing to lend a hand and support each other. I feel genuine love in the room when I am with my family.
Tell us about…your favorite memory. My favorite memory was listening to my heart and moving our family to beautiful Winona. Neither Roger or I had ever visited southeastern Minnesota. We both grew up living amongst the flatter farm and cornfields of Renville County. I will forever remember walking around Lake Winona on a crisp autumn day and watching the colorful changing leaves in the bluffs. I’ve been blessed to see the bluffs from the kitchen window of our house for many decades.
Tell us how you’d like to be remembered. I would like to be remembered as someone who thought of others before herself. My mother told us on a nightly basis to use your life to make others’ lives better. I’d like people to also remember me as a happy person and someone who accepted people and things as they are without trying to change them.
Lesya with her handmade beaded pictures – available at “The Good Life Gallery and Frame Shop”/ Photo courtesy Lesya Ryzhenkova
A Taste of Ukraine in Northeast Iowa
Lesya Ryzhenkova is Ukrainian. But, that is not all she is. She is a daughter, a sister, a mother, a partner, a friend. A business owner, an artist, and, most recently, an official US citizen. Her home, Lansing, Iowa, is a small Mississippi River town where Lesya is an active community member, running two businesses: The Good Life Gallery and Frame Shop and the Ukrainian Village Pop-Up Restaurant.
Surrounded by custom artwork and a welcoming energy, Lesya pulls a tall stool up to the worktable at her Main Street Lansing shop, where she frames artwork for clients and creates her own handmade beaded pictures. A determined and hard-working woman, Lesya taught herself how to speak English by watching American TV and movies like Pretty Woman on repeat. She speaks about the life she left behind in Ukraine and the one she is building in the US.
Coming to America
Lesya is one of five kids. Her sister, Natasha Ewing, has lived in the US since 2000, and after a visit in July 2007, Lesya decided to join her, moving to America with her daughter, Dasha, 2010. In 2021, Lesya officially got her American Citizenship, and in September 2021, they headed to Ukraine for a family reunion.
Left: Lesya with sisters – Natasha Ewing, Tanya Rohanova, & Zina Maksymenko. Right: Lesya’s brother, Victor Kotina, who is serving in the Ukrainian Army. / Photos courtesy Lesya Ryzhenkova
On the return trip to the US, Lesya’s mom, Olga Kotina, came along for a planned nine-month-visit. But because the war had started, Olga could not go back. Luckily, Lesya and Natasha were able to sponsor and bring their two other sisters, Tanya Rohanova and Zina Maksymenko – along with a niece – to the US in August 2022 through United for Ukraine, an American government assistance program. Their brother, Victor Kotin, joined the army to fight the war in Ukraine.
Helping From Afar
“Last year, when the war started, my mom and I were here together in Iowa. We didn’t sleep for months. We were watching the news, wondering when this war would end – we cried and cried and cried,” Lesya reflects. “I said to my mom, ‘we have to do something, let’s raise money!’ Nobody in Ukraine was ready for war – no uniforms, no helmets, nothing!”
Lesya and her mother, Olga Kotina, in traditional Ukrainian clothing / Photo courtesy Lesya Ryzhenkova
Lesya and her mom went to work, planning a fundraiser in Lansing to support people in Ukraine who were living through these difficult times.
“We cooked a meal and lots of people came to donate to Ukraine,” she says. “We raised, in four hours, $10,000 and another $10,000 within the next few months. We raised $20,000 from this little town and the surrounding areas!”
Proceeds from the fundraiser went to Myronivka, Lesya’s Ukrainian hometown. A small town 60 miles south of Kyiv, it is similar in size to Lansing or Waukon. Her family knows everybody there and knew exactly how the funds were going to be used: first aid kits, medicine, night vision goggles, army uniforms, soldiers’ recovery, a drone, an army car, and more.
Ukrainian Village
This original fundraiser inspired the Ukrainian Village Pop-Up, a carry-out food service where residents and visitors of the Lansing area can order traditional Ukrainian food online weekly, then pick up their order on Sundays (see sidebar for ordering details). Their first pop-up was a soft opening to showcase the types of food they planned to offer, and featured lively cultural song and dance, along with moving speeches made by Lesya, her family, and other Ukrainian friends in the area. They did not ask for payment for any of the food and entertainment they provided on that day, but had a collection bowl where people could donate money to help those suffering in Ukraine.
“Any help is good,” Lesya continues. “Because, lots of people lost their jobs, lots of people cannot find jobs, lots of people just fled their homes. Lots of people need lots of things. Everyone needs help in any way people can give it.”
The first “Ukrainian Village” event / Photo courtesy Lesya Ryzhenkova
The truth is, as we are all aware, war is not an easy topic to talk or write about. We hear about tragedies and families torn apart, but we don’t always know how to help.
“It is so hard, watching so much suffering and sadness,” Lesya says. “It is even sadder knowing that you can just be at home, asleep or drinking coffee or watching TV, and they can just bomb you! Nobody knows when and where to expect attacks.”
While it is incredibly important to stay updated on what is happening in Ukraine and across the world, Lesya and her family decided their pop-up should not only focus on helping people affected by this war, but also celebrate their home, their history, their food, and their culture. The goal is to use this tragedy as a way to share more about Ukraine, not just about the war.
Lesya Ryzhenkova with her boyfriend/partner, Michael Kolsrud, outside of their shared business “The Good Life Gallery and Frame Shop” / Photo courtesy Lesya Ryzhenkova
“A lot of people just stop here to talk about Ukraine. Because of the Ukrainian food pop-up events and the Ukrainian flag in my frame shop window, I have met so many people interested in helping, as well as fellow Ukrainians from La Crosse, Postville, Viroqua… all over!” Lesya says. “For the first year it was so hard, they started to talk and I would start to cry. It was just a shock to everybody. It’s just a shock.”
All of the proceeds from food purchased at the Ukrainian Village Pop-Up go to Ukraine. You can also send money directly – they have opened an account at Lansing’s Kerndt Brothers Bank called, “Ukrainian Relief Fund,” and you can send checks there or to P.O. Box 323 in Lansing, Iowa. You can also come into Lesya’s shop to meet and talk to her – she welcomes it! Lesya enjoys talking about the two cultures.
Building a New Life…and Restaurant
“This life in America versus life in Ukraine, especially for women, there could be a whole article just dedicated to the differences! I can do what I want, I can get a driver’s license, I can get an education, I can get a job, I can own my own business,” Lesya says. “It honestly felt like my life just started when I came here to the USA.”
If things continue to go well with the pop-up, Lesya and her family would love to start a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Lansing – the first Ukrainian restaurant within 100+ miles.
Dumplings are featured at the Ukrainian Village Pop-Up Restaurant / Photo courtesy Lesya Ryzhenkova
“Yes, being a restaurant owner means we will be busy all of the time,” Lesya continues. “But, we love to do this. I will not look back at this experience and regret not trying. We are the type of people that cannot be still, we always have to be doing something! That is how we live our life. We love to talk to people.”
Folks within the Lansing community have been nothing but supportive of this dream. In fact, one of the other local restaurant owners came to offer ideas, guidance, and help with anything they might need. Their friend, Maryann Baldwin, owner of Lansing Office Works and Lansing Kitchen Space, has allowed them to use the Kitchen Space to prepare their pop-up fare. Another friend, Andrew Boddicker, the new Executive Director of Main Street Lansing, helped get their order form created and posted online. The list of support is never-ending.
“I love this town. I love this community. I will never leave this place. I am so proud that we, as Ukrainians, can show you who we are, what we eat, how we celebrate, how we dance, how we sing… who WE are. I want to show more. Show the JOY!” Lesya exclaims. “When you come in to dine at our future restaurant, we hope people will walk in and be transported to Ukraine for an hour or two. Our music, our dances, our food… the whole experience!”
Lynsey D. Moritz
Lynsey is a Decorah, Iowa, native who now lives on an acreage overlooking the Mississippi River in Southwest Wisconsin with her husband and their dog. She enjoys exploring the Driftless area, learning new skills, traveling as much as possible, and eating all of the delicious food!
How to order from Ukrainian Village:
All proceeds from food purchased at the Ukrainian Village Pop-Up go to the Ukrainian Relief Fun. Ordering and enjoying the food from Ukrainian Village, is as easy as 1-2-3!
2. Choose a pick up time for Sunday (between 11am – 2pm)
3. Head to Lansing Kitchen Works, 274 Main Street, Lansing Iowa, to pick up your food at your chosen time on Sunday! And enjoy!
Notes: • Didn’t put in an order before Friday at Midnight? You could chance it – they always make a little extra food that people can pick up the day-of (but do try to order ahead). “We cannot make everything and do not want to make too much extra, because we do not want to be wasteful and throw any food away. Do you know how many people in Ukraine, and all over the world, are going hungry?!” • They are also open to select special orders + events. “We have had some special orders,” Lesya says. “One family wants us to come to their house to cook for them, or for big orders that people might like on other days [other than Sunday] we are open to coordinating that! Call me directly.” 563-794-0813
Looking to support the fundraising effort to help Ukraine, but can’t order food through the pop-up?
Any help is welcome – you can send checks written to: “Ukrainian Relief Fund” P.O. Box 323 Lansing, IA 52101
Or send it directly to Kerndt Brothers Bank, where the account is hosted: “Ukrainian Relief Fund” Kerndt Brothers Bank 370 Main St Lansing, IA 52151
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