by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
Many people who stopped to eat at Kay’s Kitchen last Thursday evening, March 3, were probably surprised to see Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton sitting in the front dining area.
Dayton and Erika Helgen, from the Collegeville Institute, were eating dinner before heading to the College of St. Benedict’s Gorecki Center for an “Ask the Governor” question-and-answer session.
“I love to eat at Kay’s,” Helgen said. “I eat here all the time. When Gov. Dayton asked me where the best place to eat in St. Joe was, I told him Kay’s Kitchen.”
The Gary and Kay Bechtold family sat next to Dayton and Helgen while they ate their traditional weekly meal at Kay’s. Dayton showed photos of his dogs to their children – Sylvie and triplets Lucy, Ellen and Leah.
“It was unexpected when we walked in that he was eating next to us,” Gary Bechtold said. “This is our regular table. We eat here every week.”
Dayton visited with and took photos with other restaurant patrons and visitors who stopped by his table to chat.
Kay’s Kitchen staff Jean Marthaler, Larry Peck and Mary Beth Munden were among those who visited with and had photos taken with the governor.
Marthaler said it doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat or Republican. He is the governor of Minnesota, and they said they were pleased to be able to serve him.
“He enjoyed his pie and was a very pleasant man,” Marthaler said.
Peck said it was exciting to have Dayton eating at Kay’s. He said he had previously waited on Dayton at the downtown St. Cloud Perkins Restaurant.
“I met some great people and enjoyed an excellent dinner and some fabulous pie,” Dayton said when asked about his visit to Kay’s Kitchen.
The “Ask the Governor” event was sponsored by the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement.
Director Matt Lindstrom said about 300 people attended the hour-long event.
Dayton discussed state and national topics such as the Northstar train and transportation, the cost of higher education, the achievement gap, paid parental leave, mining in northern Minnesota, gun control and more.
Lindstrom, who is also a professor of political science at CSB/SJU, discussed why they invited Dayton to the campus.
“We see it as an important opportunity for students and the greater central Minnesota community to engage the governor in dialogue regarding critical public-policy issues facing the state,” Lindstrom said.
The “Ask the Governor” event was rescheduled from November and was open to the public.
This is the second time Dayton, who is the state’s 40th governor, has visited the CSB campus. He also visited in 2013.
The event was moderated by St. John’s University alumni Gary Eichten, Minnesota Public Radio’s news editor-at-large and former radio host.
For more information visit the MPR website at mpr.org.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (left) shows photos of his dogs to the Gary and Kay Bechtold family, while eating at Kay’s Kitchen last Thursday, March 3.
Erika Helgen, from the Collegeville Institute (left) and Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton enjoy dinner at Kay’s Kitchen March 3. Dayton spoke at an “Ask the Governor” session at 7 p.m. at the College of St. Benedict’s Gorecki Center.
Kay’s Kitchen staff posed for a photo with Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton March 3. Pictured are (left to right) Larry Peck, Mary Beth Munden, Dayton and Jean Marthaler.
Gov. Mark Dayton (center) is pictured with (far left) Mary Dana Hinton, College of St. Benedict president; (right of Dayton) Matt Lindstrom, director of the McCarthy Center; and students from CSB and St. John’s University. Dayton spoke at an “Ask the Governor” session March 3 at the CSB Gorecki Center.
