Welcome to the Grovecast, a municipal podcast hosted by the city of Cottage Grove. We are here to demystify city government, make it more accessible to you, while also showcasing the real human beings who work every day providing services to residents. I'm your co-host, Phil Jentz, your communications uh manager. >> Hey, Phil. I feel like it's been a while. Emily Schmidtz, the city's community development director. >> It has been a minute. Last time we were recording at city hall with like construction in the background. Now we're in the brand new True Lens media studio. >> It's so fun. >> There's air conditioning in here. I think it's comfortable. It's cool. It's chill. >> They knew we were coming filming this. What? >> They knew >> they rolled out the red carpet dang near. >> So, we've joked before about being international an international podcast. Did you know that we have like I think it's like 12 or 16 listeners or downloads in Germany? Yes. >> Isn't that wild? >> Word spreads when there's something good, Phil. >> So, if you're in Germany, France, Cottage Grove, wherever. Thanks for listening. >> Spread the word. It's kind of fun to chat about what's going on in little old Cottage Grove, Minnesota. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> And Emily, I think last time we talked about like Cottage Grove memories. >> Oh, yeah. We did a little bit. >> First Cottage Grove memory. Do you have a Do you have a favorite Cottage Grove place? Did we talk about that? >> No. >> What's your favorite Cottage Grove place? >> Oh, no. Uh, which was my memory, Phil? Did I talk about the vehicle that I drove as a code enforcement officer? That is that sticks in my brain. But my favorite place, Jeepers. >> Uh, >> is it the old code enforcement? >> Come back to me with Jeepers. I, you know, good memories. I grew a lot. Phil taught taught me a lot. >> Where where you got your start? >> Turned out pretty good. Turned out pretty good. God, my favorite place. I don't know. There's so many. And Cottage Grove just has a vast variety of of good places. Stores, shops, restaurants, parks, doesn't matter. >> And speaking of parks, I think Hazen Pors is mine. It's It's I grew up in Cottage Grove and I had no idea that was actually down there. >> Really? >> That that little like kayak launch on the back waters and you go down there and it's massively beautiful. It's so cool. >> You can't beat it. You can't. >> Yeah, we're pretty lucky that we've got access down there, Phil. We are. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um I actually didn't intend to mention parks. Truly >> lies. >> I'm not kidding. But that's that's my segue because today we have a very great guest, very special guest. Uh with us today is uh the the recreation services manager, Molly Petruski. Molly, welcome. >> Hello. Welcome. >> How are you doing? >> I think I'm doing good. You see, >> my first podcast ever. >> I think I think I'm ready. >> Well, us too. I mean, it's our >> Really? You know, >> we wing it every time, Molly. So, it doesn't makes no difference. Yeah. We literally had to twist her arm for those who are listening to get Molly to come chat with us. Like, we were going to chat about something >> Yeah. >> scary. >> I was thinking when you said your first vehicle here, I had something I hadn't thought about forever. Um my >> was a um light blue Chevy S10. >> This was your first vehicle >> here in the city that I was given to drive. >> A little blue light blue Chevy S10. We called it Smurf. >> No air conditioning. No power anything. >> So it's going to tell you how long I've worked here. >> We were like really musling the windows down with the manual >> drinks. No air conditioning. Trying to get a breeze. But the key factor to Smurf was somebody spilled powder Kool-Aid in the front seat. It wasn't like two seats. It was just one bench seat. So in the summer when you were extra sweaty, you got out with like red >> on your >> on your shorts and your legs because like no matter how much you wash it, that Kool-Aid powder like >> you get a little hot and sweaty and you get out and be like red shorts Kool-Aid powder for years. >> I'm not even going to ask you what your favorite place is cuz I know that it's got to be that. >> Yeah, >> Chevy S10. Chevy S10. We called it Smurf. >> Smurf. Smurf the S10. >> Yep. Back in the day. I just such I can't open 1998 calling loud. >> Holy smokes. >> Do we know who spilled the Kool-Aid? Can we spill the beans on that in this episode or No, >> it probably I don't I don't know. I don't know. I just thought >> Was it you? >> No, it was a big jug of powder red Kool-Aid though and you could not vacuum it. Like it's you can't get rid of it. It's just there. >> It's part of the vehicle. >> And heaven forbid, Phil, they invested in like a seat cover. >> No. Or detailing. >> Too busy working. Too busy working. Let's be real. I know. I guess besides Smurf the Truck. I mean, do you, Molly, have a a favorite place in Cottage Grove? >> I don't know that I have a favorite place. I've lived here my whole life. I've worked here only here my whole life. So, I don't have like a >> Wait, really? I don't know if I knew that. >> Yeah. >> Wow. >> I've only lived here and worked here. >> Wow. >> My whole life. >> Well, congratulations. >> Yeah. Lifer. >> Lifer. It's kind of my favorite. >> I think Molly coined that term. >> Yeah. I don't know that I have a favorite place. They're all great. Yeah. >> Which is interest because I think that's important for the folks to know because Molly, what does, you know, a recreation services manager do for the city? >> Sure. >> Where do you even start? >> Um, every day. >> Yeah. >> Start fresh every day. >> Um, so yeah, so I follow under Zach, who I know you guys have met with before. Zack Doctor, the recreation director. And then I am recreation services manager. So any kind of recreational service in the city. So anything from youth programming to outdoor warming houses in the winter to like Phil mentioned kayak rentals at Haz and Pe um park building rentals. Any kind of service that the city provides recreationally comes through our department. So a little bit of everything. >> Little bit of everything. You never know any day what you're going to You can always have a good plan, but it it changes. Never. >> So, you're you're someone out there living in Cottage Grove. Yep. >> You You've got a family. Maybe you don't have a family. >> Yep. Family. >> But like No, I just meant like the average like person. >> Oh, yeah. >> But like, yeah, I have a family. >> The amount of the amount of stuff that they do throughout the year that you and your team touch in some way is got to be massive. I mean between programming and just going to parks, just going to walk in a park, right? >> Yeah. It's every day. It's year round. You know, there used to be feel like there was downtime and the services the city has gained over the last 10 to 15 years. The parks, the places, the events, um the touch points that we provide in this city. It's every day. It's every day there's something you can get out and do to participate in a recreational event in Cottage Row. They're everywhere. >> That is pretty cool. >> And you're going no I was going to say and Molly, you're behind >> all of that, right? I mean, every uh program or whatever is out there, Molly's behind it behind the scenes coordinating and >> Yeah. >> making sure everything falls into place, every event. >> Yeah. And Zach Z, I think when we talked to Zach, he said that parks is responsible for bringing the fund. >> Yeah, he did. Can you Can you confirm or deny? >> We do. We bring the fund to just about anything, but we also bring a lot of um logistics, a lot of ease and comfort for parents, doing firsttime things with their kids, whether it be a drop off, whether it be bringing them to community events, whether it be, you know, creating those um annual memories like we just had our egg hunt. Well, people like those annual things because they build upon it. Remember, we did it last year. So, all of those little caveats come through our department to make sure we uphold what people expect they're going to get when they come when they show up, when they do stuff. >> And you mentioned logistics. So, their their fun, incredible memory. There's god knows how many hours of planning and logistics and moving pieces behind the scenes. >> Yeah. >> That you and your team are are working on >> every day. all day. >> Massive. >> Mhm. >> Cuz that stuff doesn't happen on accident. So, >> it doesn't. We kind of always say it's like Disney on ice. Like, >> yeah. >> Little Mermaid makes her way across the ice, but you don't know what happened behind the scenes. >> There's a whole production to make place. All the >> down dirty kind of quick fix things we do to make sure that it looks pretty and perfect. >> Yeah. Show up, right? And Molly, um, I mean, you kind of spilled the beans a little bit. You've been around a couple of years, plus or minus, so you've learned a lot. But how did you get your start in Cottage Grove? I mean, was it like you hung out for the summer and you're just like, I've got to work here. Or >> little bit of both. I was a park and wreck kid growing up at Side Park. >> My brother and I every day. Grew up on Hiron. >> Um bought my first house on Hon. So yeah, we went to Harside Park every day. Wow. Um, as a kid, rode our bikes to adventure camp at Woodridge every year. >> Oh, cool. >> And then, um, my sophomore year of college, I lived next to a former police officer, Greg Briskey, and he said, "Hey, parks and wreck is short staff. Do you need a summer job?" And I was like, "Yeah, I'm home from college my sophomore year." So, I came in and met with the recreation staff and I started like the next week. So, I worked seasonal for two years and then had every intention of going to grad school for school psychology. And then somebody introduced me to what's called a gap year. And I was like, >> I like that idea. >> And then recreation was like, well, we would hire you on for a year. And I was like, >> yeah, I could do that. So, we deferred grad school in 20ome plus >> plus or minus, doesn't matter. ever left. >> Yes. >> So, I have essentially worked here since my sophomore year of college. >> Yeah. And was the Chevy S10 a recruiting tool for parks and recreation or that came later? >> No, it was here, but it did not have the Kool-Aid spill when I started, but that was not a selling point. That and then we had a um a black Astro van with red interior. That was the other vehicle we had. >> This is kind of all I want to talk about now. Old school vehicles from back in the day. Astro van, black, red interior. >> That's wonderful. They didn't have a choice back then, Bill. Not even a little bit. It was here you go. >> No, the city vehicles did not coordinate and match like they do now. No, >> it was this is what we've got. >> Yeah. My third vehicle was a red pickup truck with a red matching um topper on the map. >> Okay. >> Yeah. You didn't >> classy. >> We didn't pick in colors. >> No, you got what you got. >> Yeah. You make it work. >> And it was like second or third hand when >> Oh, 100%. >> 100%. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Well, I mean, maybe we just answered this question, but is there anything about your role that people might not know about? And you did kind of touch on like the production behind the scenes, all the stuff that happens that goes into the fun memory that people are are having on like a weekend or in programming, but what about your job or your role that people just might not know about? >> Yeah, I think that kind of like it it sums it up like we'll do whatever we need to do to get it done. Um, if we need it, we want it, we can't afford it, we make it. >> Um, we make a lot of stuff. We, >> we've been seen at Menard's, I'm sure, a time or two, brainstorming some ideas cuz we need something. We want a spaceship >> for adventure camp and we have a gaga ball pit. So the next thing you know, we have PVC hanging out the back of the truck and we're zip tying a 30foot parachute to it to make a spaceship and >> we're running extension cords to have fog coming out. So we're pretty creative. >> Super cool. >> Um we'll do >> we will definitely go the extra mile to make memories and to make things like pretty cool. >> You mentioned you mentioned PVC pipe. I think Hometown Holiday the giant candy canes you did. Yeah, we sat, we taped, we spray painted, >> but that's what people remember, right? Like I mean, Molly, you went summer after summer. There was probably Maybe they weren't as creative back then. I won't give them that, right? But you brought >> We went Yeah, we went and it's a part of it. It's a part of the feel. It's a part of the magic. You never know what you're going to get. Yeah, we come up with stuff all the time and then you kind of >> just run with it. >> Just roll with it. Yeah. Like those candy canes are a great example of like they're wholly expensive. >> Yeah. Right. >> But I was kind of like, well, if we bought it, >> when Menard's has an 11% rebate, and then we use the rebate to buy the paint. >> You're scrappy. You're creative. >> We can do it. And then, oh, who's going to store these? And then it kind of just goes on from there. >> We'll figure it out. >> So, who else is on the team that's helping make that stuff happen? >> Yeah, we're pretty cool team right now. So, Brad has been with us um for about eight years. He is our recreation supervisor. And then I have Noah. He's been on the crew for about two years and he's our recreation specialist. Um the really awesome part about us is we share space at the Cottage Grove Ice Arena, right, >> with that crew. So Jordan >> is the facility services manager and I am the recreation services manager. So we partner. So something like ice skating lessons that is in Jordan's facility to host skate school, but I hire and do all the skate lessons. So we work together on a constant basis. Our offices are next to each other and then he has two staff and then we share a receptionist. Yeah. >> So in our quaint little space at the ice arena, there are five or six of us every day and >> it's a coordinated effort. makes the dream work for me. >> Bunch at my desk every day and go to the whiteboard and brainstorm and >> it's awesome. >> Look for ideas and next thing you know we're making it. >> Which means Molly, you have got to have a project over the last couple of years. I'm kidding. Couple of decades, right? But what's a project where you are so proud and and when you think about all of the work you've done in the 20 years or 20 plus years, right, that it really excites you or you're really proud of or you really just enjoyed? >> Good question. I mean, probably the big answer is the Woodidge Park inclusive playground. We worked on that for like four years to bring that to fruition here in Cottage Grove. Um, again, it's been a while. Already pieces of it due for replacement. I just cringe like I cannot be that old. It's already >> the garden already needs to be fixed. But >> yeah, >> a big thing for me that I'm starting to see is like >> people I've hired and worked with now their kids are not just in our program. like I'm hiring and working with their kids and >> like all the generations that kind of come through. Um that's probably a big one for me like to see people >> um every year at our events and they come back and they're excited and >> so cool. >> Like they grow up with us. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And is like a reflection of your own story, right? Like you used to you grew up here and you were a mix and rack kid and now this is your career, right? >> Oh yeah. I'm a lifer. I'm willing to after 20 years I gave up saying I was going to move on. >> Let's be real, Bill. It's like a Hallmark movie almost. Oh gosh, it is. Yeah. Her experience guided her and she just kept on going. >> Yeah. I mean, I actually genuinely very cool. >> Well, that's good. I've seen a lot of things come and go, right? You know, when I first started my off, we were in the old city hall on 80th. >> Yeah. you know, we all crammed in a back room there and now we're at the ice arena. >> Yeah. But it's all of that experience, Molly, we're so lucky to have over all of those years in Cottage Grove specifically. To your point, you've seen a lot come and go, but you've also seen a lot >> grow and what works and what doesn't and what our community generally needs. >> Yeah. >> Right. What they need, what they want, you know, and then every >> six, seven years things change. You know, CO was a big change in our department. the big expectations were higher, cleanliness was higher, the personal touch, you know, the safety, the security, all of that went higher >> during that time. >> And it never went away for us. Yeah. >> You know, the the the standards that maybe you saw at like department stores and schools, I feel like went down, but the standards that were set, I feel like duration during that time never went away. They became like a new expectation of the services you're going to get. So things we thought we were installing temporary have become like essential core pieces of now how we do business on a daily basis. >> Yeah. >> So you're constantly trying to >> keep up for lack of a better word from a from a wreck perspective, right? And and have those kids >> be doing what they want to be doing but also >> smarting. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So you do a lot. >> I do. >> What do you like to do? What what about your job you like the most? M >> or least. >> Sure. I probably already kind of touched on, but seasonal staff. >> Yeah. >> Um summer staff is a big one for me. >> Um summer staff are just as important to me as the 30 volunteers we hire. Just as important to me as the 250 kids that we service every day. And same with like the amount of like >> service and communication and love I give to their parents. Like our 30 staff in the summer are kind of my jam. >> Yeah. >> Like I love it. Like I'm very proud. We have a very high staff retention rate. I think we only hired three new staff out of 30 this year. >> Really? >> Like they come back for four or five years. >> So cool. I love it. That's my That's my That's my thing. You just love it. And they You're clearly creating an environment, Molly, right? where folks want to come back every year, whether they're in school and they're coming back in the summer months, right? I mean, >> there's something to be said for that. >> Yeah. You're running a really good program and you're leaving an impact clearly. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They now, you know, the trend right now it it'll change, but you know, grad school is a big thing. So, not only now are they sticking with us kind of those four years from now, they're kind of getting grad school. Yeah, I have one staff coming back for her sixth year and she's in the middle of getting like her PhD in some crazy chemistry biology, but she's like, I just love the break in the summer and I'm like, I'll take you. That's awesome. Come on back, doctor. >> Yeah, doctor, I'll call you whenever you want. But yeah, I love having staff back. >> Yeah, that's so awesome. >> Um, Molly, this is our very important question, Phil, before we wrap it up. Um, Phil and I often talk about our favorite foods or if we're having that day or uh, you know, whatever it is and we're like, "This is our go-to that just fills our cup, makes us feel better, >> we got to know what's yours." We've had a lot of We've had a r Well, kind of a range. >> No one has said anything about Kool-Aid powder on the floor Chevy S10, though. So, I'm assuming that's not your favorite. >> And maybe she drank herself out of Kool-Aid. I don't know. Does sound good on one, doesn't it? I know that she's Koolaid on a hot summer day. >> Right. Right. >> My favorite go-to food like for lunch while you're at work. >> Oh, sure. Or anytime. Right. Like mac and cheese is my go to fill French fries. >> Um we've had some other guests who we talked about the difference between >> warm and cold water >> lobsters. >> Um gosh. >> Ham sandwich. >> No. >> Oh, okay. >> No. No. No. No. No. >> So, definitely not that, >> aren't I? No, no, no. I'll probably say like a good like strawberry salad. Like I'm kind of like that kind of like, you know, like a big >> um I try to eat heart healthy. >> So, >> which is I would rather have French fries, but I try to eat heart healthy. Yeah. >> Well, now I feel guilty. So, >> yeah. A good strawberry like salad is probably like, you know, something that is always better if someone else makes it. >> Always. >> Yeah. No, for sure. >> You know, like a grilled cheese is kind of like, but if someone else makes it, like it's so good. Like a strawberry salad, like the they're cut up and like >> Yeah. >> Yep. It's the perfect >> Now you're doing like candied walnuts and vinegar and stuff. >> 100%. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Okay. Well, now now I want that. >> Now we'll have to figure out where to go. >> Someone made it for you. Then it's just like, oh, it's beautiful. >> Yeah. And it's so much better. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> This is wonderful news, but it's kind of high class. I can't make that, but I could find somebody. >> Oh, you can buy it. Yeah. Okay. >> Well, we all could make it. It just might not be very good. >> No, >> I'm pretty good. I love it. >> Well, Molly, thank you. Thank you so much for joining us. >> This is fun >> of all. >> I can't believe I just did a podcast. >> She was so nervous, Phil. Look at >> you. And it was great. It was great. >> I filmed videos. >> Yeah, that's what I figured. South Washington County Telecommunications Commission back in the day, >> now known as True Lens. >> True Lens, but just a tad easier to say SWCTC. kind of got to keep it real as a lifer once in a while. You can't let those things go back to the real. >> But yeah, videos are a whole different ball game. This is this is uh new. >> Yeah. >> This is what the people want. And again, it's staying with the trends. >> We're trying to keep up. >> That's all it is. >> We got to be trendy in Cottage Grove. >> Yeah. >> Just trying to make the stuff that you do and your story more accessible to the people so they know what Parks and Rex's all about. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. Well, thanks for joining us. Thanks for being here. You guys are so welcome. Thank you for making it effortless. >> Well, uh, thanks Molly again for joining us. Thanks to True Lens, uh, Community Media for producing the podcast. Thanks to you all for listening. Uh, I don't care if you're in Cottage Grove, you're in Germany, Poland. It's wild that there's some downloads internationally. Maybe they're bots. I don't know. But hopefully >> doesn't matter, Phil. If we're we're going to numbers are numbers. >> Thanks. Numbers are numbers. Molly gets it. >> I do. I do. You need what you some things you need what you you take what you can get. >> Molly fully gets it. >> Take what you can get. >> Well, thank you all for listening. This has been the Grovecast, a city of Cottage Grove municipal podcast. You can catch episodes monthly. And to listen or download, find us at cottaggrovemn.gov/thegrovecast or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks again as always to True Lens Community Media for producing the Grovecast and stay tuned for our next episodes where we'll move on to other departments, city services or other topics. Thanks for listening.