The wonder of flight
By Jim Gehrz
At Brown's airport near Hancock, Minn., the log book takeoffs and landings might read something like this: One tail-dragger -- regular landings and takeoffs; two geese -- touch and goes; one Lincoln Town Car -- taxi only.
Brown's airport is a half-mile long grass airstrip on a farm owned by Marvin and Mary Jo Brown. The tail-dragger is a vintage aluminum 1947 Cessna 140, a two-seater. The two geese are Apollo and Kennedy. And the Lincoln Town Car -- well, that belongs to Marvin and Mary Jo and it is used as a prompt to encourage Apollo and Kennedy to come play "goose games."
View audio slide show | Share your thoughts
Jim Gehrz grew up in St. Paul where he dreamed of some day taking photographs for one of the hometown daily newspapers. In grade school Jim took pictures with a Kodak Instamatic camera and processed the film and made black and white prints in a basement darkroom built by his older brothers.
His career has span over 5 newspapers, and his accomplishments include: Photographer of the Year for 11 times in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In 2005 he was named National Press Photographer of the Year; he was named a Pulitzer finalist and he most recenlty won an Emmy Award for still photography.
The pursuit of happiness is one of the great human pursuits. This project is not an attempt to define what happiness means. It is an exploration of the unique path each individual takes in pursuit of his or her own happiness, and the many struggles and triumphs encountered along the way.
If you have ideas or suggestions for future profiles, send an e-mail to happiness@startribune.com.
Bear Walker
For the last four summers Sue Mansfield has been working with world-renowned bear researcher Lynn Rogers. In her pursuit of a masters on bear conservation she has grown especially close to June, a black bear with three cubs.
Audrey's gift
Audrey Estrada, 52, of Coon Rapids, has found joy in a place where people usually find despair. Her mother Ruth Jones, 85, is in the third stage of Alzheimer's. Estrada makes the three-block walk everyday to a care facility in her neighborhood. She feeds her mother snacks, brushes her teeth, and continuously engages her in conversation. Estrada says that it is a pleasure to care for her mother who had always been there for her. She believes the disease is a gift, an opportunity to further the close relationship the two already have and to truly know the meaning of unconditional love.
A song in her heart
In February 2007, seven-time Minnesota Music Award winner Patty Peterson felt her aorta burst. She survived emergency heart surgery and for five months was on a journey of recovery. On July 29 she celebrated that recovery with a comeback concert, "Heart of the Matter," at the Fitzgerald Theater. The proceeds went to the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.
When life is all about the music
For 13-year-old Hailey Jacobson, life is just brimming with excitement and challenge every time she pick up the guitar. Her music? It's all about rock 'n' roll. She grew up with it. But not until she enrolled in the School of Rock did she tap into the deep passion she now has for the music. As Hailey takes her first steps onto the stage she sees that "things are just beginning for me." From her perspective, "the whole music business, no matter what you do, you're always happy."
A life knit by change
After a fast life of high fashion, homes in three cities and eventually rehab for alcoholism, Steven Berg returned to his roots to find happiness in family and creativity while opening the Yarn Garage in Rosemount.
Blind boxer never lost sight of hope
Calvin Williams' life was plunged into darkness when glaucoma damaged his eyes so badly they had to be removed. The former boxer found a ray of hope at Uppercut Gym in northeast Minneapolis, where he continues to train fighters despite his blindness. The sport, and the friendship of novice boxers such as Mark and Annie Griffin, have helped Williams adjust to a sightless world and find there is still light within.