From the archives of the dodge county independent

Brittany (Wegwerth) Wilcox grew up in Byron with a brother and she played soccer when she attended Byron schools. She was very interested in art and she attended the University of Wisconsin at Stout for one semester.
Zach Wilcox lived in the Preston area, and attended Lanesboro Schools. He was an Air Force “brat” and was born in Alabama, but moved to many locations including California, Virginia, Germany, and Italy. Zach commented that he had attended seven different schools by the time he was in seventh grade!
After he graduated from high school in 2005, he enlisted in the Army. He signed up to be part of the airborne training at Fort Bragg, N.C., in the 82nd Airborne Division.
Brittany and Zach were married in 2005, and she joined him at Ft. Bragg when he was stationed there. Zach was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq for 15 months, and was a Cavalry Scout on regular patrols.
During the time he was overseas, Brittany attended Cosmetology School in North Carolina. When Zach was discharged from the service in 2008, they returned to Minnesota, and she completed the required hours and received her cosmetology license.
When they were looking for a place to live they found a house in Dodge Center that was being foreclosed so they purchased this. Zach enrolled at RCTC, but found it very difficult to continue as he suffers a disability with PTSD from his Army combat experience. Brittany worked for 10 years at hair shops in Kasson.
It was a difficult period for Zach, but then he started with the Dodge Center Fire Department for the next seven years, and was also a first responder. Even though Zach finds it hard at times dealing with interactions with people, he was able to handle difficult and very stressful situations that happen during fire calls and emergencies.
Brittany enrolled at RCTC in the Horticulture program as she was considering a career in landscaping. In 2019, the place behind Pinewood Apartments, a mile east of Dodge Center and along County Road 34, became available. They needed to do a lot of cleaning in the shed so it could be used for growing plants, and setting up their shop equipment.
Brittany scheduled her first class teaching in 2020 about plants and then COVID hit, and things came to a quick halt to do anything further. Their two children, Alex (now in 8th grade) and Emily (5th grade) are students at Triton so they did online learning at home during that time. Their children are involved with 4-H, and they exhibited at the Dodge County Fair and Emily is also a Girl Scout.
The Wilcox’s bought bees, and have had up to six hives but Varroa Mites are a serious pest that feed on bee populations so they have two hives at this time. They have had to order new bees each year, and Zach said they are working on treating the mites to keep the problem under control. They do teach a basic beekeeping class in person, and online for those that want to learn how they can help these pollinators that are so important in our food production.
They have goats, chickens, geese, and rabbits as part of their operation. Brittany has a class where students will make their own cold process goat milk soap using various scents they want to use.
Zach teaches a class on blacksmithing, and students will go over the basic concepts and equipment, and they will make their own bottle opener to take home.
Zach recently demonstrated the process of making square nails at the Wasioja Tractor and Quilt show. Square nails worked very well in wood boats, and they hold tight in the wood with their beveled edges as compared to the regular nails we use today.
Zach also works with a variety of woods, some of which are very hard to obtain, to make various custom projects for people’s requests. Brittany and Zach are all very creative, including their children, and they use YOUtube videos to learn new procedures, and then fit them in with their projects and classes. Zach works on restoration projects that people have brought to them to repair.
Some of the other classes that are available are crocheting, knitting, macrame knotting, glass work, pottery, painting, a Bob Ross painting, and succulents. They schedule various classes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 — 4 p.m. A list of their classes are on their website: the greenshack.net. Their phone number to call or text is 507-633-3100 and email address:bwilcox@the greenshack.net or thegreenshackmn@gmail.com
They leave Friday to Sunday open to be available for birthday and Holiday parties, and family and friends getting together to celebrate another year together. They can also host a petting zoo to be part of the party. A kitchenette, dining area, tables and chairs are included in the rental of the space. Each year they have held a Halloween party available with various games, and an Easter Egg Hunt with other games available at the event for families to attend.
This year they started a community garden with 40 plots, 10 ft. x 10 ft. each, and have 37 Hispanic families in the area taking advantage of this to raise their own vegetables. Even though they raise their own animals, they do not sell meat or other food products as they are not USDA approved. Their goal is to educate, create, and inspire people how to use resources that are available to them, and also to protect our environment.
When Brittany and Zach came back to this area, they wanted to live in a small town and be close to family, but not right next door. They feel they have found what they were looking for when they moved to their present location, and started their business.
 
50 years ago
August 29, 1973
Folmer Carlsen, Publisher
Bids On Four Lane To Be Let In ‘74
A major step leading to the reconstruction on U.S. Highway 14 between Byron and Kasson was announced by Highway Commissioner Ray Lappegaard with forwarding of the Final Environmental Statement for the proposed project to the Federal Highway Administration. Plans provide for relocation and upgrading of the seven mile section to a four-lane expressway, and a diamond interchange south of Kasson. Included would be an extension of TH 57 in Kasson to the new location of US 14. Positive effects of the new highway on the environment, explained in the report, will be improved safety, increased capacity, reduced travel time, and pollution and noise reduction in Kasson. The effect on rural life, land severance and displacement of private dwellings in Kasson “are the greatest negative environmental impacts of the project even though every effort has been made to minimize these effects,” the report says. In the process of review, the Final Environmental Statement is cleared by the FHWA Minnesota Division and sent on to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Copies of the document are available for public inspection at the following: Roads Plans Information Office, State Highway Building, St. Paul; Rochester-Olmsted Council of Government (ROCOG), 1421 Third Ave S.E., Rochester; District 6 State Highway Department Headquarters, TH 52 North, Rochester, and FHWA Division Office, Metro Square Building, Seventh and Robert, St. Paul. The US Highway 14 project is scheduled for a bid letting early in 1974 by the state highway department.
30 years ago
August 25, 1993
Randy Carlsen, Publisher
The City of Kasson was notified last Monday by the Department of Trade and Economic Development that all details for obtaining Star City status have been successfully completed. Kasson is the 133rd community to complete the program and is now among an elite group of cities which distinguish themselves by having a professional capacity to undertake an aggressive economic development program according to a letter sent by Jennifer L. Engh, Deputy Commissioner. A formal presentation of the Star City award will be made at a joint meeting of the city council, EDA and others assisting in obtaining and designation. It is also anticipated that Star City signs will be displayed on highway signs on the outskirts of town. The last phase in obtaining the status was completed last week when Judy Tschumper, Economic Development Coordinator of Burnsville, conducted the Market Exam. The exam included a city tour, city profile and services available for a new company to locate here. In a letter sent to the mayor, Ms. Tschumper stated: “I just wanted you to know that I enjoyed the opportunity to visit Kasson and participate in the Market Exam as part of the criteria for becoming Star City. “The tour was very interesting, they presentation throughout the afternoon was excellent, and the packet of information was very thorough. “I commend you and the entire team who worked so hard on this project. Congratulations to you all on a job well done.”
20 years ago
August 27, 2003
Randy Carlsen, Publisher
Dodge County Officers to Target Speed Violators
Motorists burning rubber on roads in Dodge County will be tagged by officers during an enhanced speeding enforcement and education campaign, August 27 to September 4. The Sage & Sober crackdown includes participation from more than 200 law enforcement agencies statewide, including local police departments, county sheriff’s offices and the Minnesota State Patrol. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) will coordinate the effort. “If you’re putting the pedal to the metal, officers will put the pen to the ticket,” says Sheriff Thompson. “It’s important to remember-the faster you drive, the harder you crash.” DPS reports that more than twice as many speed-related fatal crashes occur on rural roads than major urban roads. In Dodge County a first-time speeding offense can result in a fine between $105 and $215 and may also require a court appearance. The Safe & Sober education and enforcement campaign is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is designed to reduce the number of traffic crashes and injuries. For more information about the Safe & Sober program, contact the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office at 635-6200.
10 years ago
August 28, 2013
Randy Carlsen, Publisher
Be Ready! September is National Preparedness Month
This September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). Dodge County Public Health is encouraging households, businesses and communities to prepare and plan for emergencies. The event, now in its ninth year, is a nationwide, month-long effort hosted by FEMA’s Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps. NPM was founded after 9/11 to increase preparedness in the U.S. One of NPM’s key messages is: be prepared in the event an emergency causes you to be self- reliant for three days without utilities and electricity, water service, access to a supermarket or local services, or maybe even without response from police, fire or rescue. Preparing can start with four important steps: 1. Be informed about emergencies that could happen in your community, and identify sources of information in your community that will be helpful before, during and after an emergency 2. Make a plan for what to do in an emergency 3. Build an emergency supply kit 4. Get involved. Websites like http://do1thing.com/ give one step a month to get prepared. For instance, February’s step is to gather a 3-day supply of water and April’s step is to gather a 3-day supply of food. Food and water are recommended items in a basic emergency supply kit. “For September, people can try to be informed about what they need to gather for their kit, to meet their specific needs, and make a plan to start gathering it” said Ruth Greenslade, Public Health Emergency Preparedness coordinator at Dodge County Public Health.