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The young couple passes through February with nary a second thought about Valentine's Day. Who's got time for monkey business like that in this workaday world? Why should Tuesday, February 14th, be any different than Monday the 13th or Wednesday the 15th? Cards and flowers and candlelight dinners? No way!
But Candy is okay on Valentine's Day and most every other day. So is her husband Tom Almquist. So are their children Sarah, 10, and Ben, 6.
The young couple moved to the new Kelzer Pond neighborhood of Victoria in 1995 and already by May of 2001, Candy opened her own clinic in Victoria to help children -- through speech and occupa-tional therapy -- develop the skills they need to function in everyday life.
When Candy talks about her work, a different kind of energy enters the room, an energy that propels a serious demeanor and uncommon vocabulary. It reveals obvious devotion and abiding love for her work and a sincere interest in over 100 kids who are seen at Kid Talk on a regular basis.
The demand and the growth of Kid Talk has been phenomenal. Last year Candy and Tom Almquist built a huge new building in downtown Victoria to accommodate the growth of Kid Talk as well as the growth of Victoria in general.
The attractive construction currently houses Kid Talk on the lower walkout level, with Dudak Production on the street level, and Broadband America and Green River Funding up on the third level.
Approximately 2,600 square feet of prime space is available for lease on the street level. Tom suggests that retail or office is the best use for this expanse with the beautiful views of Stieger Lake and Carver Park - not to mention Downtown Victoria.
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Candy was born in Japan, the daughter of a military father, and spent most of her growing-up years in Warroad, Minnesota, the hockey-minded town six miles south of the Canadian border. Her dad is an electrician; her mom, now deceased, was "at-home."
Candy is the youngest of four siblings. She graduated from Warroad High School in 1986.
Tom was born in Minneapolis and grew up in St. Louis Park, the middle of five siblings. His dad is a Certified Public Accountant and his mom is "at home."
Tom graduated from Benilde-St. Margaret High School in 1983 and attended the University of Illinois on a hockey scholarship. Before he obtained his accounting degree (in 1988), he visited a hockey friend up in Warroad, Minne-sota, and played hockey with other hockey-minded Warroadians.
And then one evening, in that cold northern country, "in a shack in the middle of a field," Candy and Tom met each other."
"I thought he was a very nice guy," said she.
"She was chasing hockey players," said he.
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They were married on June 29th, 1991, at Holy Family Catholic Church in St. Louis Park. After a honeymoon trip to Lake Tahoe, they lived in Minnetonka until 1995, when they moved to Victoria.
"We were looking to build a house," said Tom, who never thought he would live so far away from the Cities. He doesn't think along that line anymore, however, since urban sprawl reached this lovely little hamlet. Hundreds of people in Victoria travel dozens of miles to get places. This reality, in fact, helps keep Victoria a little more private with a little more hearth and home than smoke and mirrors.
Candy immediately liked the thought of building a new home in Victoria. "I liked that people waved," she said. "I didn't want to live in a big city. That's not where I came from. Victoria had the parks, the trails, the lakes."
In defense of his new hometown, Tom said, "I've always liked Victoria, from the very beginning. The drive isn't so bad."
"He just needs a little nudge once in a while," said his bride of almost 15 years.
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What is Tom's connection to Kid-talk? He's the Chief Financial Officer. "He's the one who told me I needed a business plan to see if it financially made sense," said Candy. Tom is a partner in Saliterman, Ries, and Almquist, Ltd, an accounting firm in St. Louis Park, as well as owner-accountant of Green River Funding in Victoria.
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