A Glimpse of Dodge County

It is funny how sometimes stories just appear when you least expect them. I recently stopped over at Triton Middle School to talk to Principal Mark Raymond about the robotics program that he hopes to start at Triton.
When I went into his office, there was a woman sitting at the table signing a book. I said “hi” and soon discovered she was signing a copy of a book she had written and was giving to the school library. Turns out she was spending the day at Triton Middle School doing research for her next young adult novel.
Rebecca Petruck is a native of Dodge Center who now lives in North Carolina and was doing her research here because her novel “Will Nolan Eats Bugs” is set in a town very much like Dodge Center. Well, maybe it is set in Dodge Center without using the name.
I ended up getting an interesting story about an author with roots here in Dodge County. Her first novel, released in 2014, also is set in southern Minnesota and deals with 4-H’ers raising cattle to show at the state fair.
It should be noted, also, that Triton teacher John Schreiber has penned several novels that have a setting in communities very much like those in Dodge County.
Speaking of Schreiber, his Triton One-Act Play cast will be going to St. Paul next week to represent southeastern Minnesota in the Minnesota State High School League One-Act Play contest at the University of St. Catherine.
The production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)” was chosen the first place entry last Saturday at the Section 1A competition at St. Mary’s University in Winona. This marks the first time the local one-act play has competed in the state finals since 2004.
Good luck to them next Thursday afternoon, Feb. 12.