Experience Albert Lea by Al Arends

In 1967 our family moved to Albert Lea from Iowa. It was an exciting time for us and a new opportunity. We saw Albert Lea as a combination of circumstances that focused on job opportunities, an attractive and growing city with beautiful schools, churches and lakes and a great place to raise a family. Even though some situations changed, our overall view of Albert Lea didn’t. This community offers so much and our family has taken advantage of its many possibilities.

Do you believe that the people in Albert Lea are friendly, ambitious and caring? Are we willing to share with our neighbors? You know we are a mix of nationalities. There are nearly as many Norwegians as Germans, and yes, the Norwegians do get along with the Swedes and the Danes. There are more people called Johnson than any other surname. But on a more serious note, think of the many fundraisers that occur. Large and small businesses and individuals have opened their hearts and pocketbooks. Albert Lea is a giving and sharing place.

Do you believe our lakes as one of our most important natural resources? If so, we must work very hard to preserve and improve them. We must convince the state authorities to help us clean them up and be a partner in their improvement. We are The Land Between the Lakes and the gateway to the beautiful state of Minnesota.

Do you believe that we have successful retail and manufacturing in comparison to other cities of our size? According to sales tax receipts, Albert Lea collects $2.5 million more than some of our neighbors that have larger populations. That means that we must be a very good retail community. I hear from different sources that there are over 200 jobs waiting to be filled. Our manufacturing and industrial bases are strong, but we must find a way to fill these vacancies.

Do we have a vibrant cultural and dining environment? When we moved here 48 years ago, Dr. John Campbell had just started the community theater, performing at Southwest School. The two main dining establishments were the Stables and the Elks. Today we have the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center, the Civic Music Association and a very active art community. Our dining choices offer many venues and bring people here from a large surrounding area. We don’t have professional sports teams, but we are only 90 miles away from these events. And no, we don’t have traffic problems to fight in Albert Lea.

Do we have medical and recreational opportunities? It would be difficult to dispute the fact that we have an excellent hospital, rehabilitation facility and a clinic with many specialities. We are a designated Blue Zone city. We have many walking and bike paths, two golf courses, a fine YMCA, and yes, even a pickleball league.

These are just some of the assets that Albert Lea offers. To elaborate further, our educational facilities, churches, library and low crime rate make it a great place to live. As I said before, we are the gateway to the beautiful state of Minnesota, and we must take advantage of our location and work together to see our community prosper and grow.

 

Al Arends is co-chairman of the Experience Albert Lea committee, which hopes to market Albert Lea.