Hardmeyer - City Magazine

SEPTEMBER 2009 BISMARCK • MANDAN
DICKINSON
Inside:
• Remembering Lakin
• The Thunderbird Experience
• Merit Pay
• One Simple Little Click
Eric
Hardmeyer
President and CEO, Bank of North Dakota

2 thecitymag.com

Publisher’s Note
Time Changes All...
Forty-four years ago, United Printing began by purchasing
Young’s Print Shop in Mandan and later Devlin’s Print Shop
in Bismarck. At that time, the offset printing process was just
beginning to replace the century-old letterpress printing process,
using lead to produce the printed product.
For many years, things changed bite size. Then as digital work
and offset printing replaced letterpress printing entirely, things
changed gulp size. Change is good, but it does not come without
financial stress. With the new technology came an elevated price
and a higher obsolescence. The training was also more intense and
changed often.
So here we are at United Printing 44 years later, presenting to
our community the best technology available in our industry. The
new Heidelberg Speedmaster 74, with online coating, can produce
in one hour what would have taken several days or was not even
possible in the past. This technology and our newly remodeled
facility are the next generation of printing.
As I plan my exit and Ken Bischof, CEO for the past six
years, continues the journey, we plan to produce good services
in our community for another generation. The opportunity for
the community to view this in action will take place on Friday,
September 11, and Saturday, September 12, 2009.
Our investment of more than $2 million shows our
commitment, and we will continue to invest as necessary to
maintain the level of technology that produces the product the
community wants at the price it wants.
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COVER STORY
Eric Hardmeyer
CM/KFYR SALUTES...
Kohl’s and St. Alexius
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO
Marv Kormann?
YP UPDATE
Building Businesses
YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY?
Remembering Lakin
MANDAN ON THE MOVE
Memorial Highway
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31
32
34
35
Joe Hauer
WINE NOTES
Start Swimming or You'll Sink
FEATURE
Presbyterians Reprise
HOME SWEET HOME
Broadway Floral of Hearts
COMMUNITY YOUTH
Lauren Weigel
HEALTH
Teen Tooth Trouble
PET PAGE
Microchip Your Pet
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www.thecitymag.com
PUBLISHER
Joe Hauer
GENERAL MANAGER
Kilee Dobogai
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Cathy A. Langemo
Mandy Thomas
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Debora Dragseth
Wes Engbrecht
Candace Brannan Gerhardt
Joel Gilbertson
Greg Haug
Renae Hoffmann Walker
Ellen Huber
Ed Klecker
Mike LaLonde
Marilyn Mitzel
Nicole Morrison-Mathern
Tom Regan
Katherine Satrom
Jan Schultz
Stan Stelter
Mandy Thomas
Mike Wetsch
Nicole Wright
PHOTOGRAPHY
John Kary
Ashley Lynn Harris
Mandy Thomas
LAYOUT & DESIGN
Billie Michele Stanton
DISTRIBUTION
Ron Lechner
John Metzger
The city Magazine does not necessarily
endorse or agree with the contents of articles or
advertising appearing in the magazine.
The city Magazine is published monthly
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CITY WORKS
Bismarck Air Service
WE DRIVE
The Thunderbird Experience
FEATURE
Merit Pay
TRAVEL
Scuba One - What's in a Name?!
WESTERN ND SECTION
Dickinson's Badlands Activity Center
YESS AWARD
C.C. Gunworks
FEATURE
SAFETY TIP
September Custer 2009 Park Turning 100
One Simple Little Click
3

| KILEE'S TAKE
Maiden Name
vs. Changing Name
When I was a little girl, I loved to play dress up. I
would walk down the aisle in my mother’s wedding
dress, say “I do” to Prince Charming and become
Mrs. Charming.
Fast forward to today. October 2, 2009, is the big day when
I make my real-life trip down the long aisle. After I say, “I do,”
I will no longer be Miss Dobogai.
As a little girl, it was always easy to take Prince Charming’s
last name. However, now that I am on the precipice of this
major decision, I started thinking about the debate of keeping
your maiden name vs. changing it. Has changing a maiden
name after marriage gotten more or less popular?
During my search for the answer, I found some interesting
information. I learned about Lucy Stone, who in the 1850s,
decided to keep her maiden name when she married. During
the women’s movement in 1921, the Lucy Stone League was
founded, and women who kept their maiden names were
known as “Lucy Stoners.” Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, more
women kept their name.
In the ‘90s, keeping the maiden name declined. According
to the Journal of Economic Perspectives, based on Mass. birth
records, 21 percent of college graduate women kept their
maiden name in 1990 versus 13 percent in 2000.
So what will I do? I’ve thought
long and hard and decided that,
no matter how independent I am
or how much of a superwoman I
want to be, I’m a traditionalist at
heart.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s sad
saying goodbye to the Dobogai
name. I’ve been a Dobogai for 25
years. Not to mention, it’s such a
cool name! But, in the end, my
future life is with a different name.
I’ll always be a Dobogai at
heart, but a Harmon in love and
in life. That is why it is called the
next chapter, right?
4 thecitymag.com

GOOD READS |
Wicked Prey: Lucas
Davenport is back in
best-selling author
John Sandford’s 21st Davenport
novel with Prey in the title.
“Wicked Prey” is what I would
characterize as a “candy bar”
book. Reading it is like taking a
bite of your favorite candy bar
and remembering the familiar
sweet taste of a Nut Goodie or
Butterfinger.
In short, you know what
By Ed Klecker
to expect, and the experience is pleasurable. As in all of Sandford’s
Prey novels, the setting is centered in and around Minneapolis
and St. Paul. Lucas Davenport is a tough cop assigned to the
state police to oversee law enforcement in dealing with the more
notorious criminal cases.
As such, he works closely with the governor’s office on matters
requiring some political sensitivity, sometimes a difficult task
inasmuch as Lucas is not without some personal flaws.
It’s 2008, and St. Paul is hosting the national Republican
nominating convention, a security nightmare and magnate for a
group of vicious criminals intent on preying on lobbyists and their
bags of PAC money. As the criminals begin beating and robbing
their victims, Davenport learns the identity of one of them and
sets a trap, losing one of his officers in a hotel shoot out.
The gang intends one last final job before fleeing the Twin
Cities, cleaning out the safety deposit boxes of the major hotel
hosting the convention. Compounding Davenport’s problems is a
report of a potential assassin on his way to the convention, armed
with a .50 caliber sniper rifle. Typical of most Prey novels is a
parallel story line which seems to be unrelated to the major plot
outline.
Lucas and his surgeon wife, Weather, are legal guardians to
Letty, a tough, but precocious 14-year-old girl we met as a victim
in an earlier novel. Lucas and Weather have filed papers to adopt
her.
Letty becomes aware she is being stalked by a creepy
paraplegic, psychotic pimp and the teenage prostitute he is
abusing. She discovers he had been arrested some years earlier by
Davenport and blames him for his paralysis.
She decides to take matters into her own hands, not wanting
to involve Lucas and jeopardize her adoption. As the tension
builds to the last night of the convention, a nexus develops with
the gang, the potential assassin and with the pimp. The slam-bang
conclusion will leave you waiting for the next Prey novel.
Good Reads is sponsored by:
WICKED PREY
by John Sandford
September 2009 5

| COVER STORY
Eric Hardmeyer
Fueling the Economy at BND
“For BND, as we look to the
future, our immediate challenges
will be to ensure our permanent
role in the student loan industry
and to deal with management
succession issues.”
– Eric Hardmeyer
By Tom Regan
The Bank of North
Dakota (BND) was
born of necessity and
innovation. In 1919,
North Dakota through a wide
range of services, including
agricultural, commercial,
residential and student loan
In the past 12 years, BND
contributed a total $340
million to the state’s general
fund and retained $120
the state legislature established programs.
million.
the bank, the only state-owned Despite shaky economic Behind BND’s remarkable
bank in the nation, in response times, BND, celebrating success is 50-year-old Eric
to the serious problems in the 90 years and a new home, Hardmeyer, a native of Mott,
agricultural industry.
remains strong. The bank’s where his father was an
Over the decades, BND earnings in 2008 were $57 implement dealer, the mayor
became the “development million, representing the sixth and a state legislator.
bank” for the state, fostering straight year of record profits. Hardmeyer began his 24
growth and diversification
Loan growth for 2008 was years of service to BND as a
across all sectors of the
$613 million, more than a loan officer. In 1995, he was
economy: agriculture,
30-percent increase. Over the named Senior Vice President
commerce and industry. last 10 years, the bank’s total of Lending; he ascended to the
The bank influences assets have mushroomed from presidency in 2001. –Staff
the economic well-being of $1.6 billion to $3.5 billion.
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Who’s had the
CM: most influence
on your life?
HARDMEYER: My dad.
He was an entrepreneur, an
implement dealer in Mott.
When I look back at him,
I look at the community
involvement—the things
you give back. He belonged
to everything: firemen’s
(auxiliary),
Lions Club,
Implement Dealers
Association and
was president of
the League of Cities
and a legislator.
How he fit all
that into his life,
owning a business
and having 12
children, I’ll never
know. He was such
a good and honest
man; ethically,
he was so strong.
It’s always made a
huge impression
on me—about
doing the right
thing. In fact, that’s
one of our “core
values” at the bank:
do the right thing.
I watched my dad
do that throughout
his whole working
career. I learned a lot from
him about treating people
with respect, giving back
to your community and
working hard. He was,
without question, my mentor.
You know the
CM: track record of
the president of BND: your
predecessor (John Hoeven)
went on to become governor.
HARDMEYER: I get asked
about that occasionally, and
my stock answer is that’s
probably going to start and
stop with John Hoeven. I
have no real interest in any
kind of statewide office. At
some point after my BND
career is over, I may be
interested in running for
the legislature. I get up there
(Capitol Hill) to interact
ERIC HARDMEYER
Title: President & CEO
DOB: July 11, 1959, Mott, ND
High School: Mott Lincoln High School,
Class of ‘77
College: Bachelor’s, UND; Master’s,
University of Mary
Family: Wife, Laura, married 26 years; son,
Tom, 25; daughter, Kylie, 22; daughter, Sara,
17; son, Teddy, 8
Hobbies: Mountain biking, golfing, boating,
reading
Most recently read book: A Pirate Looks At
Fifty by Jimmy Buffet
Quote to live by: “Far better it is to dare
mighty things, to win glorious triumphs,
even though checkered by failure, than to
take rank with those poor spirits who neither
enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in
the gray twilight that knows neither victory
nor defeat.” – Teddy Roosevelt
What people would be surprised to learn:
“I’m a twin—the 10th child out of 12th.”
and to work every legislative
session. I’m intrigued by
the process and how public
policy is shaped. So, some
day, I may give that some
consideration.
What’s BND’s
CM: current focus on
the economic development
side?
HARDMEYER: Throughout
the ‘90s and early part of this
century, it was all about job
creation. The concentration
was on providing low interest
rate loans to enhance the
primary sector.
Right now, the state is going
through a transformation—
we have more jobs than we
can fill. The current focus
is on employee
retention and filling
vacancies. You like
to believe that you
can change with the
times. You have to
always be looking
ahead, matching
your programs to
the needs.
In the last three to
five years, we’ve
concentrated
more on wealthgenerating
activities, such as
helping companies
become more
efficient. Through
the Flex Pace
program, we’re
also assisting
essential services
in small towns:
grocery stores, drug
stores, hardware
stores, hospitals,
cafes—services that help
communities attract
and retain families and
individuals.
I wonder how
CM: many people
realize that BND is the state’s
biggest player in the student
loans area.
September 2009 7

HARDMEYER: Providing
student loan financing has
been one of our pillars. In
fact, we provide over 70
percent of all student loans
in N.D. BND made the first
federally-insured student loan
in the country 42 years ago.
Right now, we’re facing the
most significant change
in our history: we are at
odds with the Obama
administration, which has
taken the stance, through its
budget proposal, to eliminate
the federal program we have
administered. The Obama
administration has decided
that the government can
provide this directly, taking
BND out of the equation.
This has been an important
role for the bank. We think
we can deliver much better
customer service than
federal contractors hired to
deliver a government-run
loan program. By October,
Congress will decide the fate
of this program. In any case,
our congressional delegation,
along with key BND
employees, have been working
hard on an alternative
solution. Time will tell.
What do you say to
CM: people who think
BND is somehow competing
with commercial banks?
HARDMEYER: Something
that is not understood very
well by most North Dakotans is
that BND was created to partner
with the banking industry, not
compete with them.
BND acts as a “banker's
bank.” Banks have financial
needs just like any person
does. Banks sometimes have
needs for liquidity, needs to
share risk or a need to share
the loan because they’re up
against the legal lending limit.
BND has provided a
great service to banks by
participating in their loans.
The loan is originated by
a local bank, and we buy a
part of it. If we are trying to
“incent” a particular part of
the industry, like a beginning
farmer or the primary sector,
we loan money at a lower rate.
Don’t you also
CM: provide checkclearing
services for banks?
HARDMEYER: We’re the
clearinghouse for virtually all
of the community banks in
the state. We used to process
about 4.5 million paper
checks a month. Now, it’s all
done electronically.
After 9-11, Congress passed
“Check 21.” You might
remember that, after 9-11,
all planes stopped flying
for about a week, so all the
checks around the country
sat on airplanes, and money
didn’t move.
Check 21 enabled banks to
accept electronic images of
checks. Now, all banks have
electronic-imaging equipment.
Banks send check images to
us, and we clear them.
What’s been
CM: your biggest job
challenge?
HARDMEYER: I have been
fortunate. When I stepped
into the role of president in
2000, BND was under John
Hoeven’s leadership.
It was well positioned and
operating with a strong
sense of purpose. We had
a seasoned executive team
but, over the next period
of several years, it became
evident that we needed to
invest significant money into
technology. Converting to
new systems and, in some
cases, designing and creating
them, has probably been the
biggest challenge.
We are now into the second
year of this national financial
crisis, and N.D. and BND
are weathering this very well
so far. We’ve been fortunate
in this state; agriculture
and energy sectors have
been very strong and other
diversification efforts have
paid off.
Our banks across the state are
run conservatively, and that
has made a big difference.
For BND, as we look to
the future, our immediate
challenges will be to ensure
our permanent role in the
student loan industry and
to deal with management
succession issues. Planning
is the key—as I tell our
employees, if you don’t know
where you are going, all roads
lead there.
See Eric Hardmeyer's answers to the “City Mag 10” questionnaire by
signing up for City Magazine’s online magazine at www.thecitymag.com.
8 thecitymag.com

with Candace Brannan Gerhardt
Q: What is the best book you’ve read, and what makes it so good?
Eric Stroshane: It’s impossible to
give an overall book, but the best
one I’ve read lately is “The Book
of Disquiet” by Fernando Pessoa.
Pessoa writes about the mundane,
tedious, solitary life of a Portuguese office
worker in such a poetic, rich way that he makes
the tedious enviable.
Loretta Lord: “Gone with the
Wind”—I read it every now
and again, about every 10 years.
Scarlett O’Hara really had a lot of
spunk, didn’t she?
Betty Sorlie: “Black Elk Speaks”
by John G. Neihardt is an excellent
book because it gives such insight
into Native American culture.
Micaela Brannan Gerhardt:
“Walk Two Moons” by Sharon
Creech was so good it made me
want to write my own book.
BAGA City Magazine Ad
September & October 2009
Bismarck Art & Galleries Association
Autumn
Artistry
October 6-24, 2009
Fall Art Show
HOurs: Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 1-3 p.m. • Closed: Sunday & Monday
422 East Front Avenue • www.bismarck-art.org
Call BAGA for entry information (701) 223-5986.
Daniel McGurren: “The Sparrow”
by Mary Doria Russell and “Life of
Pi” by Yann Martell. “The Sparrow”
is a work of science fiction.
The Jesuit character is such an
outstanding character. It’s a story of redemption.
“Life of Pi” knocks you over—makes you wonder
which story is the real story. Both books cause
you to stop, and they stir things within you.
Erna Lahr: I like history and
mystery books by Mary Jane Clark.
One to read is “Grapes of Wrath”—
it gives a person an experience of
the Great Depression.
Take a step to become
Miss North Dakota
at the
Bismarck
Preliminary Pageant
an official
preliminary to
Miss North Dakota &
Katie Ralston
Miss North Dakota
2010
missnorthdakota.org
September 2009 9

| CITY MAGAZINE & KFYR
Salutes
Kohl’s and St. Alexius
As the Kohl’s corporate
website puts it,
“Through its Kohl's Cares for Kids®
programs, Kohl's strives to be an
active member of each community
where it does business,” and the
Bismarck-Mandan community is
no exception. Since the Kohl’s store
opened in Bismarck-Mandan in
October 2005, the community has
benefitted from Kohl’s’ corporate
citizenship in many ways.
The Kohl’s philanthropic
effort focuses on keeping children
healthy, with an emphasis
on injury prevention and
immunization programs. To date,
Kohl's Cares for Kids ®, which
began in 2000, has raised more
than $126 million to support
children's health and education
initiatives nationwide, according
to its corporate website.
When each new Kohl's store
opens, Kohl’s Corporation selects
an area hospital to receive the proceeds from the
sale of Kohl's Cares for Kids ® merchandise. The
merchandise includes children’s books and plush
toys, each selling for $5. The Kohl’s website reports
that, in 2008, Kohl’s donated nearly $15.1 million
to 151 children’s hospitals across the country and
that Kohl’s partners with 156 hospitals.
In Bismarck-Mandan, Kohl’s partners with St.
By Tom Regan
Kelli Rice, program manager for the North Dakota EMSC, educates
children about water safety at Summer Fun and Safety Day.
Alexius Medical Center. Jaclyn Bugbee, director of
St. Alexius Medical Center Foundation, says the
medical center has received over $63,000 so far
towards children’s projects.
Through the Kohl’s funding, St. Alexius
provides three annual health and safety events
for children in Bismarck-Mandan and the
surrounding region: Children's Fun and Health
Day (March); Summer Fun and Safety Day (May);
10 thecitymag.com

The Mandan Police Department
providing fingerprinting at the Back
to School Extravaganza.
and the St.
Alexius-
Kohl's Backto-School
Extravaganza
(August).
Bugbee says
over 3,500
children
participate in
the programs
each year.
“We partner
with the
schools and
invite other
organizations,
such as
police, fire and ambulance services, and groups
like Sertoma Club, Kiwanis, North Dakota EMSC
and the North Dakota Safety Council to help us
with these events,” Bugbee says.
“Kohl’s is a family-based organization, and
we are dedicated to supporting kids’ health and
education,” says Tammy Hoff, the Bismarck Kohl’s
manager. “We’re proud of our partnership with St.
Alexius Medical Center.”
Hand-in-hand with Kohl's Cares for Kids®, the
Kohl’s Corporation also encourages its employees
to get involved in their communities through
volunteering. Kohl’s Bismarck “A-Team” events
have benefitted high school sports teams and
booster clubs, the March of Dimes, the Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation and United Way.
A-Team participation is matched with a
corporate grant of $500. To qualify for the grants,
there must be five or more Kohl’s associates
who volunteer a minimum of three hours. The
Kohl’s website says that, last year, more than
64,000 Kohl’s associates volunteered more than
217,000 hours representing nearly $5.6 million in
corporate donations to support their efforts.
Area nonprofits that work with children are
encouraged to download an A-Team Request Form
at www.kohlscorporation.com and return it to
Tammy Hoff at the Bismarck store.
September 2009 11

| A TASTE OF NORTH DAKOTA
Ingredients
Canola oil spray
1 ½ cups parsnips, peeled and cut into bite-size
chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-
size chunks
2 firm Gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut
into bite-size chunks
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Honey-Roasted PaRsniPs
Recipes courtesy of Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH),
brought to you by Healthy North Dakota. Photos by Karen Ehrens.
september is
Fruits & Veggies –
More Matters ® Month!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F. Coat a casserole dish
with canola oil spray and set aside.
Place the parsnips, sweet potatoes, and apples
in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
In a microwave-proof bowl, mix together the
canola oil and honey. Warm in a microwave for
10 seconds.
Mix in balsamic vinegar into oil and honey
mixture. Pour onto vegetables and apples. Toss
to coat well. Transfer to casserole dish, cover and
bake until tender, about 1 hour.
Enjoy the delicious flavor of the fall vegetable
and fruit harvest with these seasonal recipes
from Healthy North Dakota.
For more great recipes visit the “Extra Content” section at
www.thecitymag.com
12 thecitymag.com

Roasted tomatoes
Ingredients
Fresh tomatoes from your garden, farmers market,
CSA or grocery store
Olive or canola oil
Your favorite seasonings, such as garlic, basil, thyme
or herb blend
Your favorite grated cheese, such as Parmesan
Instructions
A Taste of North Dakota
is sponsored by:
Start grill on medium high heat. Wash and dry tomatoes.
Slice in half. Rub or brush tomatoes lightly with oil. Place tomatoes,
cut side down, on grill. Grill for about 3-4 minutes, moving
tomatoes slightly from time to time to keep fruit from sticking.
Flip tomatoes over with tongs and/or spatula. Close grill lid and
let cook until of desired tenderness.
Remove from heat. With cut side up, sprinkle with garlic,
herbs and/or cheese.
Roasted tomatoes make a great side dish with grilled
steaks. They also can be used nearly anywhere canned or fresh
tomatoes would be used and you would like the great grilled
flavor: pasta sauce, scrambled eggs or omelets, on sandwiches,
in soups, or wherever your imagination takes you!
September 2009 13

Whatever happened to
Marv Kormann?
T
here are some people who come into your
life for a short period of time, but touch it
quite deeply. That can be said about Marv
Kormann.
A farmer at heart, Kormann was born and
raised in Westhope north of Minot, attended St.
Paul Seminary in Minn., and was ordained into
the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1967. He served
parishes in Grand Forks, Langdon, Westhope,
Antler and Maxbass before making the difficult
decision to leave the clergy, get married and return
to farming for the next 13 years.
During that time, Kormann preached in several
Protestant congregations and, in 1981, was accepted
into the clergy of the American Lutheran Church.
He served the Metigoshe congregation for five years
before leaving the farm for Bismarck in 1986.
Kormann says, “Living in Bismarck was an
enriching experience for my family, allowing our
children to complete their education in a great
school system. The congregation at Good Shepherd
was alive, exciting and enthusiastic, and serving
with Rev. Robert Lynne was a thrill. It was just a
great place to raise a family.”
As associate pastor, then senior pastor at Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church, one of Bismarck’s
largest congregations, Kormann did a lot of
counseling in the community. He says being a
Red Cross volunteer during that time was also
meaningful for him. He recalls time spent with his
wife Rose and three kids attending local sporting
events or sledding down Tom O’Leary hill.
By Renae Hoffmann Walker
In May 1995, Kormann accepted a call in
Sioux Falls for five years, then served at a Lutheran
church in a metropolitan area near Detroit. He
says, “Dearborn (population 97,000) has been
a growth-filled experience. About a third of
the people are of Middle Eastern descent. The
Arab population, and a large number of African
Americans and Hispanics, allowed us to see the
world as it really is—diverse in every way.”
Kormann retired this summer. He and Rose
bought a home in Dundas, Minn., close to their
adult children and six grandchildren.
He says, “I was anxious to get back to open
country. I miss the sunsets. People in N.D. don’t
realize how blessed they are to be at the heart of the
land, sky and plains.”
Kormann says he’ll continue to look for ways
to serve and stay active. The grandchildren should
help with that!
NEW NEIGHBOR WELCOME SERVICE
Welcomes you to Bismarck-Mandan
For Free Gifts Contact:
Verdeen at 391-0094 or Ileen at 400-2919
or email us at newneighbors@bis.midco.net
14 thecitymag.com

YP UPDATE
Young Professionals Building Businesses
in Bismarck-Mandan
By Nicole Wright, YP PR-Marketing Team
W
e asked two members of Bismarck-Mandan’s Young
Professionals Network (YPN) about starting their
own businesses. James and Janelle Devine, owners of
J2 Studio Architecture + Design, and Dr. Joel Roloff, owner of
Adjust Life Chiropractic, offered their thoughts.
Q. Why did you decide to start your own business?
A. J2 Studio Architecture + Design: [We] decided it was time to
take the experiences we had and cultivate them into a business
where we could instill our own values, be in control of the entire
process and the services provided.
A. Adjust Life: I had a specific goal in mind and education is at
the heart of it. I am always learning and enjoy teaching others
how to live better. I am able to reach and help more people
because I started my own practice.
Q. What do you know now that you didn’t then?
A. J2 Studio Architecture + Design: We didn’t realize how much
work is involved in maintaining a business. There are everyday
tasks that you don’t always think about when you work in a large
office, where staff members are assigned to take care of those
things.
A. Adjust Life: I can help people all day long but, if I don’t collect
to pay the bills, I won’t be able to help too many people for very
long. It all goes back to learning how to effectively run a business.
Q. What advice would you give to other young professionals
looking to start a business?
A. J2 Studio Architecture + Design: Assess your desire and
reasons for going out on your own. Determine the feasibility of
your business in the marketplace. Start by learning about your
competition and what you could do differently and, better yet, to
differentiate yourself from them.
A. Adjust Life: Have a specific goal in mind, and go for it. One
thing I have truly learned is that I am not just growing a practice,
I am growing a life.
The YPN is committed to helping these members grow
themselves as they grow their businesses in the community.
Visit J2 Studio Architecture + Design at www.j2studio.us and
Adjust Life Chiropractic www.adjustlife.com.
For more information, contact the YP Network at 701.223.5660 or
info@ypnetwork.org.
September 2009 15

| YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY!
Remembering Lakin
On September 10, 2008, the world stood still
for Dana Schweitzer and, every day since,
it hasn’t stopped spinning. This day marks
the day that Dana and her husband Steve lost their
11-month-old angel baby, Lakin Ann, and their
other daughter, Tehya, lost her sister and friend.
“It’s easy to feel alone. Like we are the only
people in the world this has ever happened to, but
we’re not the only ones. It happens everywhere,”
said Dana.
The Schweitzers searched the Internet for
answers and comfort until they were introduced
to the Angel Babies Support Group that meets
the second Thursday of each month at the Spirit
of Life Church in Mandan. The group serves as
a place for them to share stories of their babies,
laugh, cry and remember.
During her Internet research on infant loss,
Dana came across the website www.october15th.
com, the official site of Pregnancy and Infant Loss
Remembrance Day.
Photo: Dana Schweitzer remembers baby Lakin
at St. Mary's Cemetery, Bismarck.
Photo Credit: Mandy Thomas
By Nicole Morrison-Mathern
Works orks of art will be
recreated in three-dimensional
h d
beauty.
16 thecitymag.com

The founders of the site envisioned a day when all grieving
parents could come together and be surrounded by support
from friends and families, a day when communities could
better understand their pain.
This discovery launched Dana’s mission to go to the N.D.
legislators to get a bill passed proclaiming October 15th as
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in N.D. Her
mission was successful, and Senate Concurrent Resolution No.
4014 was passed. (Ironic side note: October 15th is also the day
Dana went into labor with Lakin.)
Then Memorial Day came, springing a much larger calling
for Dana. When Dana was passing the cemetery, she noticed
all of the American flags marking the veterans’ graves, and
thought, “Why can’t we do that for October 15th?”
Her vision from that moment was to get a white flower
circled with a pink and blue ribbon, a note of what it signifies
and a poem attached, and place them on all of the graves of
children ages two and younger in Bismarck-Mandan.
This idea seemed fairly easy and straight forward until
she found out there isn’t a map of where the babies are in the
cemeteries (with the exception of the N.D. Veteran’s Cemetery,
which is the home of six angel babies).
So, on July 6th, Dana started canvassing the cemeteries;
mapping the sites of each child under the age of two. So far,
they have found 102 at Sunset, 345 at Fairview, and 585 at
St. Mary’s, and are just starting at Mandan Union.
With this discovery, Dana’s vision of marking each grave
by October 15th seems overwhelming as time isn’t on her
side, and she is doing all of this without funding. She has been
reaching out to friends, family, businesses and the community
for help.
These minor details haven’t slowed Dana down and, as
September 10th nears, the one year anniversary of her
daughter's death, her mission strengthens.
Ways you can help:
1) Light a candle at 7:00 pm on October 15th in memory
and honor of infants who have lost their lives.
2) Donate white flowers, pink and blue ribbon, money
or time. If anyone would like to help with this
project, you can contact Dana at 701-220-9791 or
schweitzers@bis.midco.net.
Nicole Morrison-Mathern is assistant director of the Harold
Schafer Emerging Leaders Academy at the University of
Mary, as well as the co-owner of the 100% women-owned
businesses, Moxe In Action, LLC, Entertainment Resources,
and URL (U Rock Lately) Radio.
You've Come A Long Way Baby is sponsored by:
September 2009 17

| CROSSWORD
City Magazine 9/09 Crossword PuzzleJunction.com
Across
1 Regrettably
5 Garden resident
9 Wager
13 Water source
14 Lover
16 Edible fat
17 Printer’s direction
19 Mocked
20 Cowboy show
21 Stalk
23 Significant
24 Printer’s measures
26 God of the
underworld
28 Tempest
31 Paddle
33 Mark of Cain
34 Sealing waxes
35 Container
36 Gazes
39 Curve
40 Path
42 Crete mountain
43 Sensitive
45 Bonnet
46 Hang-up
47 Raven author
48 Gents
49 Tenet
50 Pool tent
52 Scorch
54 Write down
55 Small amounts
57 Comic ___
60 Eager
62 Preserved
65 Inert gas
66 Host
67 Bunsen burner
68 Sicilian resort
69 Augmenter
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16
17 18 19
20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31 32 33
34 35 36 37 38
39 40 41 42
43 44 45 46
47 48 49
50 51 52 53
54 55 56 57 58 59
60 61 62 63 64
65 66 67
68 69 70
70 Optimistic
Down
1 Scriber
2 Facial expression
3 Singing voice
4 Pitches that bend
5 Incendiarism
6 Morse code signal
7 Between amo and
amat
8 Trusted advisor
9 Before carte or
mode
10 Dining table hoop
Copyright ©2009 PuzzleJunction.com
11 Forest
12 Whirlpool
15 Lyric poems
18 Expression
22 Hazy
25 Dirt
27 River inlet
28 Spline
29 Root vegetable
30 Line of work
32 Leg joint
35 Fundy, for one
36 Doleful
37 Dutch cheese
38 Adventure story
40 Cereal grass
41 Succeeds
44 Seagull
46 More repentant
48 Dame
49 Information
50 Witch’s group
51 Appellation
53 Organic
compound
54 Novelist Austen
56 Ailing
58 Division word
59 Ballpoints
61 Genetic material
63 Born
64 Time period
For results of the crossword puzzle from the last issue of City Magazine, please see page 33.
The answers for the puzzle above will be printed in the next issue of City Magazine.
Solution on next page
18 thecitymag.com

MANDAN ON THE Move |
Reconstruction of
Memorial Highway
Planning Stages
By Ellen Huber, business development director
The N.D. Department of Transportation expects to
reconstruct Memorial Highway in approximately 2016.
The two-mile highway is a commercial hub in Mandan for
agribusinesses, home improvement products and building
supplies, plus auto, ATV, motorcycle, snowmobile, boat and trailer
sales.
To gather input for the design and extent of the project, the
Metropolitan Planning Organization is conducting a corridor study
to determine what citizens, property owners and users need from
Memorial Highway. The study begins this fall and will be completed
in 2010.
Possible considerations include:
• Traffic signalization or controls at major intersections, such as
46th Avenue SE, 40th Avenue SE and Third Street SE.
• A median and more landscaping, similar to Century Avenue in
Bismarck, with restricted access points and possibly a frontage
road.
• Storm water management and the possibility of adding a storm
sewer, curb and gutter instead of the existing ditches.
• Burying overhead utility lines.
Recommendations for Memorial Highway were included in a
redevelopment study conducted for the City of Mandan in 2003.
Implementation of most recommendations has been pending
reconstruction of Memorial Highway, including necessary funding.
Improvements to Memorial Highway should make the area more
attractive to a broader range of retail businesses. Average daily traffic
counts on the highway currently range from about 17,000 vehicles on
the east end to 7,000 on the west end.
The project will qualify for 80 percent federal and 10 percent state
funding, with a likely requirement for 10 percent local funding. After
completion of the corridor study, the next step will be an engineering
concept report tentatively slated for 2011 to 2012. Dirt work is
expected to begin in 2016, and the project will likely last two years.
The last major reworking of Memorial Highway was in 1979
when it was expanded from a two-lane to a four-lane highway.
If you have questions about the reconstruction of Memorial
Highway, please contact the City of Mandan’s Engineering and
Planning Department at 701-667-3225.
September 2009 19

| FEATURE
Custer Park, City’s First Park,
Likely Turning 100
Annie Simonson, now 41
and living in Seattle, has
fond, childhood memories
of Custer Park, on the
western edge of downtown Bismarck.
At four acres, it is a small park,
but, “For me, it was huge,” says
Simonson, who was home visiting
at her parents’ park-side home this
summer. “We called it our own
backyard.”
She remembers hanging
out in the park back then with
neighborhood kids, some who
donned white helmets at night
because of buzzing beetles and divebombing
bats. And the north section
of the park turned into a fine baseball
diamond for small-sized ballplayers,
Simonson recalls.
This gem of inner-city greenery is
considered Bismarck’s first municipal
park, possibly turning a century old
this year.
Custer Park’s history stems from
an addition being platted back about
1909 or 1910. “The two blocks where
Custer park now stands were deemed
too low for residential purposes and
were sold to the Civic Club for $600 for
park purposes,” the Bismarck Tribune
reported in 1937. Most of the trees were planted
“without charge” by the Oscar H. Will Company
in 1912.
The Civic Club, representing several women’s
organizations, made improvements in the park
before it was donated to the city prior to the
creation of the Bismarck Park District.
At some point, it was named in honor of
Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, who led
By Stan Stelter
Custer Park's Soaring Eagle
his Seventh Cavalry from Fort Lincoln south
of Mandan to defeat at the Battle of the Little
Bighorn in Mont. in 1876. Custer’s reputation
as an “immortal Indian fighter,” as the Tribune
reported in 1937, has suffered in decades since
with more scrutiny of his actions as a military
leader.
Nevertheless, Custer Park officially became
part of the Bismarck Park District system when
the district was created in 1927.
20 thecitymag.com

Nestled on the northwest corner of Broadway
Avenue and Washington Street, Custer Park has few
of the amenities found at other parks, boasting only
of “bench and flower gardens” in the park district’s
listing of parks, playgrounds and other facilities.
But this tiny park has more than history going
for it, including a large wooden stage where “brown
bag” free concerts are held at noon on Wednesdays
in the summer.
And then there is the soaring eagle. In 1988,
a large eagle statue created by Washburn artist
Tom Neary was dedicated, commemorating the
bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. It carries the
inscription, “We, The People.”
Yet, some people thought this metal bird should
alight somewhere else, promoting other sites they
felt were more visible to the public. But many in the
neighborhood and others countered that the eagle
had landed . . . and was just fine.
For Waylon Ternes, another Custer Park
neighbor, the park simply represents a nice, quiet
area to live. “It’s peaceful, relaxing,” he says.
Stan Stelter, development director at the Abused
Adult Resource Center, is a native North Dakotan
and free-lance writer.
Photo Credit: Mandy Thomas
Are you prepared
for a disaster?
September 2009 21

| DINING GUIDE
Riverdale High Lodge – From School to Cool
Riverdale High Lodge's new exterior.
MR. DELICIOUS
CHEESECAKE CAFE
& BAKERY
307 N. 3rd St.
Bismarck, ND
701-258-2598
In the former Kathleen’s building, you will now find
Mr. Delicious Cheesecake with a twist! Now serving
lunch from 10am-4pm (Mon-Sat) followed by our
NEW dinner menu. Pair your meal with different
wines or beers, and top it all off with our 140+ delicious
cheesecake flavors! Enjoy your sweet experience
inside or on our great patio seating up to 50.
BRUNO'S PIZZA
910 E. Front Ave.
Bismarck, ND
701-751-3700
Bruno’s Pizza, Bismarck’s newest family-owned
and-operated pizza restaurant, is offering several
quick ideas for lunch. Whether you want to have
delivery, dine-in or carryout, Bruno’s pizza is the
quick choice for lunch. We have several great pasta’s
to choose from, or try our flavor of the day for
pizza by the slice. Call ahead for faster service at
751-3700.
In 1948, the era of v-necked sweater vests and
flared dresses, Riverdale High School was built
to give teenage locals the life skills needed to
succeed.
After more than 40 years of operation, the smalltown
school near Garrison Dam closed in the late '90s.
Although the facility said “goodbye” to history and
science lectures, it said “hello” to a new opportunity.
In 2008, Lee and Jane Bertsch, of Bertsch
Properties in Bismarck, purchased the former
Riverdale High School and, after much renovation,
turned it into a remarkable restaurant, bar, hotel and
fitness facility.
Riverdale High Lodge offers 17 unique rooms
constructed from former classrooms and contains
MYSTERIA
THEATER
210 West Main
Mandan, ND
701-663-2900
By Mandy Thomas
A Historic Mandan location is home to Mysteria
Theater: a wonderful eatery with great food and
entertainment for all! Come enjoy a deliciously
quick lunch or fantastic romantic dinner with
menus that offer casual or fine dining. Take in our
entertainment such as bands and stage shows. Then
on Sundays bring the family in for a filling brunch.
www.mysteriatheater.com
ROBY’S SUPPER CLUB
I-94 & Exit 147
Mandan, ND
701-663-2288
Mysteria
Mysteria
Theater Theater
Roby’s Supper Club is fine dining at its best. Roby’s
features nothing but the highest quality cuts of
Certified Angus Beef, the sweetest seafood and
their famous applewood-smoked, dry-rubbed loin
baby back ribs. Enjoy a delicious dinner, 5 miles
west of Mandan on I-94 exit 147. Open Tuesday
thru Saturday, serving 4:30pm-10pm with an
elegant lounge open until 1am.
22 thecitymag.com

the original hardwood floors. In
stylish fashion, each room offers
2 queen-sized beds, a 50-inch
plasma TV and a bedroom set for
a comfortable stay.
“The Riverdale High Lodge is
a top-notch hotel for a low price,”
said Cole Bertsch, bar manager.
Guests can make reservations
online at www.riverdalehighlodge.
com or by calling 701-654-9559.
Knights Bar and Grill, inside
Riverdale High Lodge, is a
family-oriented restaurant and
bar with small-town service.
Ranking high on the menu is
their Whiskey Sirloin Steak and
Shrimp, an 8-ounce whiskeymarinated
sirloin paired with 4
coconut-breaded shrimp, and
the Knights Burger, a 1/3-pound
hamburger with bacon, chipolte
cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato
PIROGUE GRILLE
121 N. 4 th St.
Bismarck, ND
701-223-3770
Pirogue Grille lets Mother Nature influence its
seasonal approach to cuisine with nightly specials.
Let the bounty of the Midwest tempt your culinary
cravings. Featured in "Gourmet" with its seasonal
menu and unparalleled emphasis on quality and
service, Pirogue Grille provides dining experiences
like no other. You need to experience it for yourself.
Tuesday-Saturday at 5:00 in downtown Bismarck.
www.piroguegrille.com
PEACOCK ALLEY
422 E. Main Ave.
Bismarck, ND
701-255-7917
Absorb historic elegance at Peacock Alley as you
enjoy fine cuisine. Much of the elegance and tradition
of the old Patterson Hotel has been preserved,
showcasing the Hotel's glory days. The majestic
lobby and palatial dining room were transformed
into the New Peacock Alley where you can savor
our wide variety of entrees individually prepared to
perfection. www.peacock-alley.com
and “medieval” mayo served on a
toasted bun.
For those who enjoy
something different, Knights
offers a variety of other tastes
from breaded and baked walleye
to Riverdale paninis and pastas.
“We named the Knights Bar
and Grill after the school mascot
and used the former colors, red,
white and black, throughout the
facility,” said Bertsch. “We also
used the original Riverdale High
class pictures in our main dining
room to preserve its history.”
The modern grill is also a
great place to kick back with
friends. Within the bar, there’s
plenty of entertainment with 3
60-inch plasma TVs, a 106-inch
projection screen, pool table,
blackjack table and extensive
drink menu.
EAST 40 CHOPHOUSE
& TAVERN
1401 Interchange Ave.
Bismarck, ND
701-258-7222
The Riverdale High Lodge
hosts various events ranging
from 9-hole golf tournaments
to community dinners and live
entertainment. It serves as a great
location for sports camps, hunting
parties, fishing trips, weddings,
reunions and more.
“Riverdale is one of N.D.’s
hidden gems,” said Bertsch.
“You have the Tail Race, Lake
Sakakawea, public land to hunt
on, great camping and excellent
places to relax and have fun. The
Riverdale High Lodge is a place
worth coming to and checking
out.”
Riverdale High Lodge is
located on 401 3rd Street in
Riverdale, N.D. Visit www.
riverdalehighlodge.com for more
information.
East 40 delivers big-city flavors with small-town attitude.
Premium Sterling Silver Steaks, Dakota buffalo
and succulent seafood straight from the coast
are served in the charming surroundings of our
turn-of-the-century dining rooms and Old World
tavern. Don't miss Sake, Sushi & Live Music Night
every Monday or Tavern Jam with live music on
Thursdays. www.east40chophouse.com
BISTRO “AN AMERICAN CAFé”
1103 E. Front Ave.
Bismarck, ND
701-224-8800
Want the finest North Dakota Beef: Dixon Waygu
Gourmet Beef? Then come to The Bistro where we
have exclusive restaurant rights to serve it to you.
Starting in June, listen to live music on the patio
every Friday night and don't forget about Thursday
night with Shawn Oban and Fresh Rolled Sushi.
Check our website for the upcoming music schedule.
www.bistro1100.com
September 2009 23

|
"Then you’d better start swimming or you’ll sink like
a stone, for the times, they are a changing.”
Yes, the times are changing in many
respects. Oh, honestly, this is not a big
one in the overall big picture. However,
to many wine lovers this evolving change is long
overdue.
There are style differences between American
and European wines; there are also other big
differences, one in particular. When looking at
a label, the American version will tell you what
grape the wine is made from and the French
version will tell you the region where the grapes
are grown. It is one of those “centuries-old
traditions” in wine that in the U.S. we luckily
headed off at the pass and said “no.”
After centuries of winemaking in France, they
have determined that certain kinds of grapes grow
best only in certain regions. Great.
Then they went a step further. The
government then basically made it illegal to grow
any grapes in that region other than the chosen
variety. (When I say “basically,” I mean that you
can grow those “other” grapes, but have to label
it as plonk. Oh, and “plonk” is not a good label to
have.)
In the U.S., when you pick up a “Chardonnay,”
you know that the wine is made with at least
75 percent of that grape. If you pick up a white
Bordeaux, what kind of grape makes the wine?
Well, you won’t get a Chardonnay from
Bordeaux because the only white grapes allowed
are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. If it is a white
Burgundy, it is a Chardonnay. No Sauvignon
Blanc allowed.
The same thing goes if it is a French Chablis.
(Different than a Burgundy, but the same grape.)
A few more examples: In Bordeaux, the red
grapes basically can only be Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.
You can’t tell that on the label.
In Burgundy, the red grape of choice is Pinot
Noir. The Rhone region features many, including
By Joel Gilbertson
- Bob Dylan
Grenache and Syrah on the red side and Viognier
and Rousanne on the white side.
After years of many people standing in wine
shops and scratching their heads while looking at
wine labels, things are finally changing a bit, and I
think “we” are winning.
Many of the Italian wines now show the grape
variety and, shucks, even the French are slowly
labeling some wines by the grapes that made
them, rather than just the region. Change is slow
but, in the wine business, as in many others, “The
times they are a changing.”
So, take a look at a French label, scratch your
head, contemplate–and taste away!
24 thecitymag.com

WEDDING GUIDE |
September 2009 25

| FEATURE
Presbyterians Reprise
Art Festival for the 21st Century
After a 20-year hiatus, the event is
being reprised for the 21st century.
The Religious Arts Festival, as it was
formerly called, was first held in 1970
and enjoyed a 19-year run.
The three-day event will include a juried
show of a variety of arts and crafts. Special events
include a coffee house, with beverage and pastries
open during gallery hours, and a Saturday High
Tea offered at two different sessions. The Tea will
feature special culinary delights and a surprise for
all attendees. Musical entertainment will be offered
at both events.
This year’s festival will honor the memory
of Nellie Solberg, one of the show’s founders and
event director for many years. Solberg, who died
in 2000, will be remembered in a retrospective
exhibit coordinated by her daughter, Kay Solberg
Link, owner of Kay’s Bed and Breakfast in
Bismarck. Nellie Solberg was a long-time Bismarck
art teacher and artist.
Artists from Bismarck-Mandan and around
the state have been invited to exhibit their works
in any of the following media: sculpture, wheel
By Jan Schultz
pottery, textiles, photography, ink or pastel
drawing, acrylic or water color painting and crafts.
Awards to be made include Best of Show
in each category, People’s Choice from a ballot
of festival goers, Governor’s Choice and Nellie
Solberg Memorial Award. Individuals and local
businesses may also make purchase awards.
Festival goers will want to take advantage
of several demonstrations, including wood
carving by Frank Koch, Ukrainian eggs by
Betty Sprynczyntyk, quilting by Dot Glasser,
photography by David Nix, cuisine by Duane
Ehrens, pottery by Kim Eslinger, quick draw
by Rebecca Young Sletten, hardanger by Royal
Hopkins and jewelry by Barb Jirges.
On Sunday morning, Dr. Jake Kincaid will
officiate at a special service, “Art Feeds the Soul”.
Special musical numbers will be offered by the
Chancel Choir, the Handbell Choir and smaller
groups. During the three-day event music will
be performed by harpists Gayla Sherman, Debi
Rogers and The Missouri River Boys.
In true ecumenical spirit, this year’s festival
is proud to include many volunteers from other
churches and from the city of Bismarck at large.
26 thecitymag.com

FEATURE
Lance Potter and Mike Yantzer
SPACE ALIENS
GRILL & BAR
1304 E Century Ave.
Bismarck, ND 223.2412
Daily Happy Hour: Monday - Friday
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. – Close
Saturday 9:00 p.m. – Close Sunday All Day
Includes tall tap beer, house wine and well drinks.
Daily Drink Specials feature Lunar Island Teas,
Moon Me Margaritas, Bloody Martians and other
unique beverages.
Monday Night Football fun with SPECIAL drink
prices and FREE food Monday nights all season
long. Win a Minnesota Viking weekend!
THE WALRUS
1136 N 3rd St
Bismarck, ND
250.0020
BAR GUIDE |
CORRAL BAR
2111 East Main Avenue, Bismarck / 255.5045
Lance Potter and Mike Yantzer are Bismarck/
Mandan natives who have worked in the bar scene
for most of their adult lives. With their experiences,
and the drive to own their own business, they both
decided they wanted to work for themselves.
On April 1st of this year it was official. The two
friends bought Corral Bar. Even though their buds
thought it was an April Fools joke, it was a reality
with some upgrades and weekly specials added.
For fall, Mondays and Sundays are now known
as Football Days with NFL dominating their flat
screens. Karaoke is still a favorite every Wednesday
thru Saturday evenings. Breakfast is served on
Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to whenever
the food runs out (sausages, eggs, eggs benedict,
and more). Lastly, Wii Bowling and Beer Pong
tournaments will soon join the weekly schedule.
Come enjoy the LARGEST BEER SELECTION
in the region at The Walrus restaurant. Take the
Brew Tour by choosing from 64 bottled domestics,
imports and microbrews and 25 beers on tap for
a truly refreshing experience. For a good time,
visit The Walrus to enjoy daily drink specials like
Microbrew Monday, Tapper Tuesday, Winer
Wednesday, Heinie/Leinie Thursday, Canuck
Friday and Sammy Saturday. Good food. Good
drinks. Good times. thewalrusrestaurant.com.
So, a snake slithers into a bar
and the bartender says,
"I'm sorry but I can't serve you."
CAPTAIN FREDDY'S
2500 Pirate S Loop SE
Mandan, ND 751.3348
Mondays: $3 Morgan, 8-10pm.
Tuesday: $2 You-Call-It on wells/
domestics, 8-10pm. Jeremiah Weed Wednesdays: "Why not?" asks the snake.
Country Peach and Southern Style $3, 8-10pm.
Thursdays Ladies Night: $2 Tidal Waves, $1 off The bartender says,
wells/domestics for Chicks and $.50 off for Men.
Entertainment: Wednesdays with Tom O’Neil; "Because you can't
Thursdays with Ben Suchy. Split Lickity: Sept. hold your liquor."
5th. UFC: Sept. 16th & 19th. FREE Texas Hold’em
Tournament: Sept. 12th (WIN a trip to Vegas)!
September 2009 27

| HOME SWEET HOME
A Work of Heart
By Wes Engbrecht
your pleasure is, there
is your treasure; where your
“Where
treasure, there your heart; where
your heart, there your happiness.” St. Augustine
wrote this over 1,500 years ago, yet Leilani Schatz
of Broadway Floral of Hearts believes it to be just
as true today.
To call Leilani’s shop on Broadway in
Downtown Bismarck a floral shop would be to
understate its meaning to her. “It’s who I am,” she
explains, “and I am here because I need to be.”
Her passion is evident in the attention to
detail in the store, as everything seems to be in
its perfect place. Each corner contains the right
mix of floral and decor, creating an atmosphere of
simple elegance.
When you visit Broadway Floral of Hearts,
you can see that she has truly put her heart into
it. The heart theme is in her logo, prominently
displayed on the black marquee outside her front
door. It is pervasive throughout her store; on stunning
canvas paintings, in books, note cards and
in the hand-crafted metal hearts and decor that
you can buy. Each vase of flowers she sells is also
decorated with a metal heart.
28 thecitymag.com

“The heart has been a central focus of my life
for many years. It started when my oldest daughter,
Jessica, underwent heart surgery at age 14,”
Leilani elaborates.
Since that time, Leilani has adopted the
theme in her life, and it is portrayed in the way
she feels about each customer. She puts her whole
heart into each one of their events and derives her
happiness from their satisfaction.
Leilani isn’t new to the floral profession. In
fact, she owned and operated a floral shop in Glen
Ullin for several years and earned a designation as
master florist in Minneapolis.
She has a gift, and it’s a gift that she is more than
happy to share with customers who require something
uniquely special for their occasions.
So stop in for a cup of Broadway Blend coffee,
a brew specifically roasted for Broadway Floral of
Hearts, and say “hello” to Leilani. It’s a relaxing
visit, and you’re bound to find something that you
simply must have.
Your experience at Broadway Floral of Hearts
will touch your heart and soothe your soul. It goes
well beyond the flowers.
You can experience Broadway Floral of Hearts at
411 East Broadway or call Leilani at 258-3700 or
877-79HARTS.
September 2009 29

green tip
Most of the food you eat travels hundreds of miles to get to your kitchen table.
It uses gasoline for transport, releases carbon dioxide into the environment and
threatens the existence of local farms. By supporting local farmers, you can
ensure a continuous supply of locally grown foods each season.
Eat locally. Choose foods and ingredients that are brought to you by
nearby farms, rather than those that have been imported from far-off regions.
Shop at your local farmers’ market. Your neighborhood
farmers’ market is a great place to find a wide variety of local produce.
Sign up for Community-Supported Agriculture.
A weekly delivery from your favorite farm will bring a seasonal supply of fruits
and vegetables right to your doorstep or to your weekly farmers’ market.
www.greenlivingideas.com
30 thecitymag.com

CoMMUnItY YoUth
SpotLIGht on:
Lauren Weigel
By Renae Hoffmann Walker
Lauren Weigel grew up in Bismarck, a
daughter of Ken and Darlene and the
middle child between Mac and Kendra.
Nothing too extraordinary; just an
ordinary kid.
Then when she was eight, Lauren woke
up not feeling well. She was nauseated and not
speaking right. Her mother, a lab tech at a local
clinic, called the family pediatrician.
A CAT scan was ordered. There was unusual
fluid build-up in one of the ventricles. Next
came the MRI. By 5:30 p.m., Lauren’s world was
forever changed when she was told she had a
brain tumor.
They traveled to Rochester, Minn., where
Dr. Raffle did a biopsy. It went fine, but there
wasn’t enough tissue so he had to go in again.
Lauren became totally paralyzed on her right
side after the second biopsy. It was determined
the tumor was inoperable.
Looking back, Lauren says, “I was kind of
oblivious. I was eight; I did whatever my mom
and dad said. I went in for surgery, not thinking
I’d be paralyzed.”
The tumor was in a difficult position to
remove so radiation was the choice of treatment.
Lauren spent time in rehab to help her right side
work again. It took a year or two, but she says, “I
was optimistic.”
Then a miracle happened. When Lauren was
12, Dr. Raffle decided to try to remove the tumor.
So far so good, Lauren is cancer-free and loving it.
She says, “Cancer has made me appreciate
every day and not afraid to try things. I was
involved in Central Dakota Children’s Choir, the St.
Mary’s jazz and concert choirs and several clubs.”
But her biggest accomplishment is starting
the Dakota Kids Cancer Ride in N.D., with the
help of her parents, the Gold Wings motorcycle
club chapter C and Open Road Honda.
COMMUNITY YOUTH |
This year’s bike ride was August 30 at Dakota
Speedway in Mandan. Proceeds went to pediatric
brain tumor research and medical costs of local
families. To learn more, call 701-663-4023 or
visit www.dakotakidscr.com.
Lauren went to Rome this summer for the
trip of a lifetime. She ate lots of pasta and knelt
on the stairs where Jesus walked to be crucified.
She’s just starting her first job at an assisted-living
home and will attend the University of Mary this
fall, where she will major in occupational therapy
so she can help others like herself.
September 2009 31

| HEALTH
Teen Tooth Trouble
By Health Specialist Marilyn Mitzel
It’s white hot!
The trend to have whiter, brighter teeth is
trickling down to teens and even younger,
according to a growing number of dentists,
including Dr. David Carroll.
Kids are under a lot of pressure, as adults are, to
look and feel good, to have white teeth and to feel
self-confident.
Seventeen-year-old Taryn Barg admits she's
addicted to bleaching.
“White teeth just pretty much make everyone
seem more attractive even if you have straight
teeth and they’re yellow, they’re still not that nice
so I figured that, with straight white teeth, I’d
look a lot better.”
Boys
and girls
alike, from
elementary to
high school,
are doing it.
Oftentimes,
their parents
don’t know it.
No problem
right? Wrong!
Here’s what’s happening. More kids are
developing tooth trouble.
“There could be extreme tooth sensitivity if it’s
used improperly, if it’s kept on the teeth for too
32 thecitymag.com

A L A S A D A M A N T E
W E L L R O M E O L A R D
L E T I T S T A N D A P E D
R O D E O S T E M K E Y
E R N S O S I R I S
S T O R M O A R S I N
L A C S B I N S T A R E S
A R C W A L K W A Y I D A
T O U C H Y L I D S N A G
P O E M E N D O G M A
C A B A N A S E A R
J O T T A D S S T R I P
A V I D M A I N T A I N E D
N E O N E M C E E E T N A
E N N A E K E R R O S Y
Answers for the August 2009 crossword puzzle.
long and if the
directions are
not followed
closely,” says
Carroll.
Dentists
warn us to not
be blinded
by the white.
Children’s teeth
aren't fully
developed,
and bleaching
can make
them overly
translucent or
trigger tooth
and gum
sensitivity.
BBBarg learned
that the hard
way. “Basically,
if I ate certain
foods, hot or
cold, my teeth
would tingle.
It didn’t feel
good, and my
gums hurt a
bit.”
UUsually the
pain goes away
when the bleaching stops but, to prevent trouble before it starts,
Carroll says see a dentist and get to the root of the problem.
Get a thorough examination and find out why you’re having
pain and what is causing discoloration of the teeth.
There’s nothing wrong with over-the-counter, bleaching
methods if they’re done under the direction of a dentist and with
adult supervision.
That said, some kids may sneak.
Carroll says to watch for these warning signs. “If the child all
of a sudden can’t drink cold water or can’t eat ice cream, that
might be an indication that they have started using some of these
products.”
When buying over-the-counter, teeth-bleaching products, look
for the American Dental Association’s seal of approval.
These items usually have been rigorously tested and are proven to
be safe and effective with minimal side effects.
Barg still bleaches, but is much more careful. She says, “You just
kind of glow when your teeth are white; everything about you
looks nicer.”
She’s got a bright future and lots to smile about.
For more information go to www.ada.org.
September 2009 33

| PET PAGE
Microchip Your Pet
Putting a microchip in your pet is one of the
smartest and safest things you can do for it.
Collars and tags can come off and get lost
and, in this case, your pet cannot be identified. A
microchip will always be with your pet.
The Bismarck-Mandan animal wardens
have access to a microchip scanner and scan
all animals when they come in to decipher
whether they have chips. If they do, they can
call the records department and get the owners’
identification, and your pet can be returned
quickly and safely. It is not foolproof however.
With all the new technology, some scanners
cannot read all the microchips sold. Before
purchasing one, check with your local animal
impound or veterinary clinic to make sure the
chip you are purchasing is readable in your area.
BISMARCK-MANDAN ANIMAL IMPOUND
701.223.1212 • bismarck.org
By CityMagazine Staff
CENTRAL DAKOTA HUMANE SOCIETY
701.667.2020 • cdhs.net
Some companies provide their scanners free
to shelters, and some don't. If you have moved
into the area and our local shelter cannot read
your microchip, you may be able to call the
company and see if they can donate a scanner to
your area. Usually they will do this free of charge.
Along with the chip, pets should also wear
identification tags at all times. Tags should
include the pet's name, your contact information
and a contact number for a friend or relative in
case you are on vacation.
Proper identification tags are your pet's first
ticket home when lost. Microchips provide an
extra level of protection.
Please keep your pet safe. For more
information visit www.hsus.org.
OREO’S ANIMAL RESCUE
701.483.0240 • lovingpetsinneed.com
34 thecitymag.com

one simple
Little Click
By Mike Wetsch
When the discussion of seat belt usage
arises, most of us have heard of
someone who knows someone who
was in a vehicle accident. The story sometimes
continues with this “someone” being told they
would have been severely injured or even killed
had they been wearing their seat belts.
The problem with the above comment is that
it is difficult to verify the “someone” involved
in the accident, and it is nearly impossible to
determine the credentials of the individual who
made the assessment that wearing a seat belt
would have caused greater damage. With nearly
40,000 accident fatalities each year, nearly half
of these deaths can be avoided by wearing a seat
belt.
In N.D., all occupants between the ages of 7 and
18 must wear, at a minimum, a seat belt no matter
where they are located in the vehicle. Children
under 7 must be in an appropriate car seat.
Even though failing to wear a seat belt is a
secondary offense in N. D., if an officer observes
an individual who appears to be under the age of
18, failing to wear a seat belt, the officer can stop
the vehicle when no other offense is observed.
The fine for failing to properly restrain a
juvenile is $25. In the event that a seat belt
violation is observed after a primary offense is
observed, the fine for a front-seat adult violator
is $20.
SAFETY TIP |
Seat belts provide impact protection, absorb
crash forces and keep occupants from being
thrown out of the vehicle. Vehicles are built with
"crumple zones," and seat belts are an integral
part of the system. Seat belts hold occupants
in place while the vehicle collapses around the
"safe" occupant zones.
A main purpose of the seat belt is to keep
occupants within the vehicle during a crash. You
are 25 times more likely to be killed during a
crash if ejected from the vehicle.
Many people believe that seat belts will cause
them to become stranded in the event of a
vehicle fire, however, today’s manufacturing
precautions make vehicle fires rare.
The facts are in, and the evidence is overwhelming
clear. There is no intelligent argument
that can be made against seat belt usage.
Mike Wetsch is a deputy with the Burleigh County
Sheriff’s Department and is assigned to the patrol
division.
Safety Tip is sponsored by:
September 2009 35

| CITY WORKS
Bismarck Air Service
More Destinations, More Connections, More Convenience
Bismarck-area travelers have experienced
many changes in air service over the years.
In the early 1990s, three legacy carriers
(Northwest, Continental and Delta)
provided main-line jet service to three different hubs,
and one might have thought that was the golden age
of air service for Bismarck area travelers.
However, if you look at Bismarck’s air service
picture today, you will be impressed. While not every
flight is a main-line jet, the current flight schedule
provides direct service to six airports, five which are
hubs. Bismarck-area travelers now have direct access
to more destinations than ever before.
Passenger numbers at the Bismarck Airport
reflect the recent air-service enhancements. They, too,
have been growing steadily. We have more airlines
providing more flight options so more people are
using our airport more often.
In 2004, the airport took an important step when
it initiated an incentive program to attract new air
service. Allegiant Air was the first to qualify for the
program by adding their non-stop service to Las Vegas.
This service, as well as Allegiant’s Phoenix/Mesa
service that started in October 2008, have been wildly
successful for both the airline and local travelers. The
Allegiant experience is completely different from the
traditional legacy carrier airline flights that have been
a mainstay at Bismarck for years. Allegiant has been
well received, and the list of destinations is growing.
The legacy carriers are also doing well in
Bismarck. After a successful reorganization,
By Greg Haug, Bismarck airport manager
Northwest Airlines recently merged with Delta,
creating the world’s largest airline. With the two
carriers becoming one, a new name and logo has been
hung on the wall behind the Northwest ticket counter,
and we’ve said goodbye to an old friend that served
this community for over 75 years.
Delta didn’t waste any time making adjustments
to their schedule with their announcement last fall of
Bismarck-to-Salt Lake City service beginning June 4,
2009. You will no longer have to fly to Minneapolis in
order to travel to Los Angeles or Seattle. This is good
for local travelers, and it is an efficient move by the
airline.
United Airlines has been providing reliable
regional jet service to Denver and beyond for years.
In March 2009, it announced new direct service to
Chicago O’Hare starting the same day as Delta’s Salt
Lake City service.
This direct connection to Chicago is great news
for Bismarck-area travelers. We have sought a nonstop
flight to O’Hare because Chicago is one of our
top markets for business travelers. It also provides
great connections to many domestic markets, as well
as international destinations.
As more travelers utilize the Bismarck Airport,
we are able to attract more competitive service to
more destinations. We are on a roll, and we need to
continue to build on this new level of service into
the future. Fly Bismarck–more destinations, more
connections, more convenience.
36 thecitymag.com

WE Drive |
THE THUNDERBIRD
EXPERIENCE
By Mike LaLonde
Photo Credit: Mike LaLonde
With the advent of the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette,
sports-car culture was born in the U.S. Following
the successful launch of the Corvette, Ford Motor
company followed suit with its 1955 Ford Thunderbird
roadster.
From the get go, the two brands were alike in basic design:
long, low, sleek two seaters with powerful engines. But after three
years of production, the T-Bird became a sports luxury car, and
the Corvette continued in the traditional sports-car direction, as it
exists today.
With a different mission in mind for the Thunderbird, Ford
introduced the four-seat Thunderbird in 1958. Awash in space-age
styling, the four seater became an instant success, launching what
is now known as the era of the Personal Luxury Car. Competitors
followed, with perhaps one of the most beautiful GM designs, the
1963 Buick Riviera to name just one.
The Thunderbird went through several successful transformations
since 1955, but perhaps one of the most beautiful designs
since the original ‘55 to ‘57 models are the Retro-Birds, a gorgeous
two-seat car that Ford marketed from 2002 to 2005.
These special editions have the latest in safety, comfort and performance
features, and follow the original 1955 T-Bird look with
modern design cues harking back to the original.
Recently, while viewing old and new Thunderbirds at the annual
Buggies’n’Blues celebration in Mandan, City Magazine visited
with three T-Bird aficionados about their cars.
Don Roloff, current spokesperson for the Dakota Thunderbird
Chapter of the Pioneer Auto Club here in our area, says there are
September 2009 continued on page 41
37

| SPORTS WATCH
Sept. 1:
Boys High School Tennis – Century vs. Minot, Sertoma,
4:15 p.m.
Sept. 2:
Women’s College Volleyball – Dakota College-Bottineau at
BSC, 7 p.m.
Sept. 3:
Girls High School Golf – Dickinson Invite, Heart River,
11 a.m. (MT)
Boys High School Tennis – Jamestown vs. Mandan,
Mandan Middle School, 4:15 p.m.; Century vs. Dickinson,
DHS Courts, 4:30 p.m. (MT)
Boys High School Soccer – Jamestown vs. Mandan,
Dacotah Centennial, 6:30 p.m.; Century vs. BHS,
Community Bowl, 8 p.m.
Girls High School Volleyball – Century vs. Mandan,
Mandan Senior High, 7:30 p.m.
Girls High School Swim/Diving – Bismarck vs. Century,
YMCA, 5 p.m.
Sept. 4:
Women’s College Volleyball – Minot State at U-Mary, 7
p.m.
Boys & Girls High School Cross Country – Bismarck
Quarterback Invite, Tom O’Leary, 2 p.m.
Boys High School Tennis – West Fargo vs. Century,
Sertoma, 4:15 p.m.
Girls High School Volleyball – Jamestown at Dickinson,
6 p.m. (MT)
Sept. 5:
Women’s College Volleyball – Montana State-Northern at
U-Mary, 11 a.m.; Montana State-Billings at U-Mary, 5
p.m.
Men’s College Football – Wisconsin-Whitewater at
Dickinson State, 12 p.m. (MT); Upper Iowa University vs.
U-Mary, 2:30 p.m.
Boys High School Tennis – West Fargo vs. Mandan,
Mandan Middle School, 12 p.m.
Sept 7:
Men’s and Women’s College Golf – Dickinson State
Tournament, Heart River, 12 p.m./9 a.m. (MT)
Sept 8:
Boys High School Tennis – Mandan vs. Century, Sertoma,
4:15 p.m.; Bismarck at DHS Courts, 4:30 p.m. (MT)
Boys High School Soccer – BHS vs. Minot, Community
Bowl, 5:30 p.m.; Century vs. St. Mary’s, Community
Bowl, 7:30 p.m.
Girls High School Volleyball – Century vs. Bismarck,
Karlgaard, 7:30 p.m.; St. Mary’s vs. Mandan, Mandan
Senior High, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 9:
College Golf – Bismarck State College Open, Hawktree, 11 a.m.
Women’s College Volleyball – NDSCS-Wahpeton at BSC, 7 p.m.
Sept. 10:
Boys High School Tennis – Mandan vs. Minot Ryan,
Mandan Middle School, 4 p.m.
Boys High School Soccer – Mandan vs. Bismarck, Dacotah
Centennial, 6:30 p.m..
Girls High School Volleyball – Bismarck vs. Minot,
Karlgaard, 7:30 p.m.; Williston at Dickinson, 7 p.m. (MT)
WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S
HAPPENING IN THE ACTION-PACKED
WORLD OF SPORTS?
Sept. 11:
Boys High School Football – West Fargo vs. Dickinson,
Badlands Activity Center, 7 p.m. (MT); Shiloh vs. South
Border, Hughes, 7 p.m.
Sept. 12:
Women’s College Soccer – Minnesota State-Billings vs.
U-Mary, 11 a.m.
Men’s College Football – Minnesota State vs. U-Mary, 2:30 p.m.
Boys & Girls High School Cross Country – Mandan
Kiwanis, Municipal, 1 p.m.
Boys High School Football – Bottineau vs. St. Mary’s,
Community Bowl, 6:30 p.m. (Homecoming)
Sept. 13:
Women’s College Soccer – University of Great Falls vs.
U-Mary, 2 p.m.
Sept. 15:
Boys High School Tennis – Bismarck vs. Minot Ryan, Tom
O’Leary, 4:15 p.m.; Mandan at Dickinson, DHS Courts,
4:30 p.m. (MT)
Boys High School Soccer – Jamestown vs. Bismarck,
Community Bowl, 5:30 p.m.
38 thecitymag.com

Girls High School Volleyball – Minot at Mandan, Mandan
Senior High, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 16:
Men’s College Soccer – Rocky Mountain College vs.
U-Mary, 7 p.m.
Sept. 17:
Women’s College Volleyball – Jamestown JV at BSC, 7
p.m.
Boys High School Tennis – Bismarck vs. Century, Tom
O’Leary, 4:15 p.m.
Girls High School Volleyball – Bismarck vs. Mandan,
Mandan Senior High, 7:30 p.m.; Century vs. Dickinson,
Olson, 7:30 p.m. (MT)
Boys High School Soccer –Century vs. Minot, Community
Bowl, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18:
Girls High School Golf – Century Invite, Tom O’Leary, 1
p.m.
Boys High School Football – Fargo North vs. Mandan,
Faris Field, 6:30 p.m. (Homecoming); Century vs.
Jamestown, Community Bowl, 6:30 p.m.; Shiloh vs.
Ellendale, Hughes, 7 p.m.
Tune in to KFYR 550AM and
ESPN Radio 710AM for play-by-play
action and updates. Just remember....
don’t throw the radio!
Boys High School Tennis – Jamestown vs. Dickinson, DHS
Courts, 3:30 p.m. (MT)
Sept. 19:
Girls High School Swim/Diving – Williston/Dickinson
Invite, Dickinson Community Center, TBA
Girls High School Golf – Bismarck Invite, Riverwood, 8
a.m.
Girls High School Volleyball – Century vs. Williston,
Olson, 1 p.m.; Minot at Dickinson, 4 p.m. (MT)
Sept. 22:
Women’s College Volleyball – Minnesota-Duluth at
U-Mary, 7 p.m.
Boys High School Tennis – Century vs. Bismarck,
Sertoma, 4:15 p.m.
Girls High School Volleyball – Dickinson vs. Bismarck,
Karlgaard, 7:30 p.m.
Boys High School Soccer – Century vs. St. Mary’s,
Community Bowl, 7 p.m.
Sept. 23:
Men’s College Soccer – Concordia vs. U-Mary, 6 p.m.
Sept. 24:
Boys High School Tennis – West Region in Bismarck, TBA
Girls High School Golf – Mandan Invite, Prairie West,
10 a.m.
Girls High School Volleyball – Century vs. Jamestown,
Olson, 7:30 p.m.
Boys High School Soccer – Century vs. Bismarck,
Community Bowl, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 25:
College Cross Country – U-Mary at Dickinson State, TBA
(MT)
Girls High School Volleyball – Dickinson Invitational,
Dickinson, TBA (MT)
Boys High School Tennis – West Region in Bismarck, TBA
Girls High School Swim/Diving – Williston vs. Mandan,
Mandan Community Center, 5 p.m.
Sept. 26:
Women’s College Soccer – Wayne State vs. U-Mary, 11 a.m.
Men’s College Football – Minnesota-Duluth vs. U-Mary,
2 p.m. (Homecoming); Valley City at Dickinson State,
1:30 p.m. (MT)
Men’s College Soccer – Jamestown vs. U-Mary, 3 p.m.
Girls High School Volleyball – Dickinson Invitational,
Dickinson, TBA (MT)
Boys High School Tennis – West Region in Bismarck, TBA
Boys High School Football – Mandan at Dickinson,
Badlands Activity Center, 8 p.m. (MT)
Girls High School Swim/Diving – Mandan/Bismarck
Invite, Mandan Community Center, TBA
Sept. 27:
Women’s College Soccer – Augustana vs. U-Mary, 1 p.m.
Men’s College Soccer – St. John’s vs. U-Mary, 3 p.m.
Sept. 29:
Boys High School Soccer – Century vs. Mandan, Dacotah
Centennial, 6 p.m.; St. Mary’s vs. Bismarck, Community
Bowl, 7 p.m.
Girls High School Volleyball – St. Mary’s vs. Bismarck,
St. Mary’s, 7:30 p.m.; Standing Rock at Shiloh, 7 p.m.
Sept. 30:
Women’s College Soccer – Jamestown vs. BSC, 5 p.m.
Men’s College Soccer – Jamestown vs. BSC, 7 p.m.
September 2009 39

| FEATURE
Merit Pay for Teachers
Arrives on the National Scene
Merit pay for teachers – the debate
continues across the nation, but it
is almost non-existent locally and
statewide. The idea of merit pay has
arrived in some states, and teachers’ unions remain
one of the biggest stumbling blocks to merit pay.
At least one state has made some progress in that
area. In Minn., the teachers’ union is cooperating
with the Governor’s plan in which teachers in
some schools work with mentors to improve their
instruction and get bonuses for raising student
achievements.
Minn. $86 million teacher professionalization
and merit-pay initiative has spread to dozens of that
state’s school districts and was recently expanded to
Minneapolis. Governor Tim Pawlenty credits the
plan’s success to union leaders who helped develop
and sell it to teachers.
Many similar small teacher-pay experiments
are underway nationwide, with cooperation from
teachers’ unions. A consensus seems to be building
that rewarding teachers with bonuses or raises for
improving student achievement, working in lowerincome
schools or teaching subjects that are hard to
staff can energize veteran teachers and attract more
young people to the profession.
The National Governors’ Association has
appointed six states–La., Fla., Ind., Kan., R. I. and
Tenn.–to tackle the merit-pay issue. “The challenge
is to determine what is the merit in merit pay,” said
By Jan Schultz
a Teach for America executive who will be working
with the committee.
Some of the criteria for teacher merit pay include
improving student learning; working in high-poverty
schools; teaching math, science and other shortage
areas; and rewarding teachers with special skills.
In states with developing merit-pay programs,
many methods have been tried, and a variety of pay
amounts have been awarded from a mere $250 a year
to thousands of dollars in bonuses.
President Barack Obama announced March 10
that he favors merit pay for teachers. He said in part,
“Too many supporters of my party have resisted the
idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra
pay even though we know it can make a difference in
the classroom.”
He added that a far-reaching overhaul of the
nation’s education system is an economic imperative
that can’t wait. A relative decline in American
education, he said, is unacceptable in terms of
achieving the American Dream.
And the biggest challenges facing the U.S.
education system are:
• Low teacher pay
• Unqualified teachers
• Poor facilities and technology
• Parent-student apathy
In the coming months, City Magazine will explore
ideas from Bismarck teachers as they search for the
“Perfect Merit-pay Plan”.
40 thecitymag.com

continued from page 37
about 20 active T-bird owners in the club, with
perhaps more than 100 known owners of “Birds
“in the area.
Roloff and his spouse Diana have a special
edition 2002 Signature Edition Bird, along with a
1988 thunderbird Turbo coupe. When asked about
his interest in T-Birds, Don said all T-Birds are
unique in style, have all the luxury items and are
fun to drive!”
Jackie and Greg Dockter of Bismarck are
another Thunderbird couple. They’ve owned a
1966 Thunderbird convertible for the past 12 years
and have traveled to scores of Thunderbird events
nationally in the ‘66. Says Greg, “We’ve put nearly
100,000 miles in the ‘66 since we acquired her.”
As for Jackie, she is the proud owner of a Mint
Green 2004 T-Bird Signature Edition Bird. Greg
sums up their T-Bird experience this way, “The license
plate on the ‘66 says it all–66DREAM–it was
my dream car in high school and, although it took
32 years till I got the car, it was worth the wait!”
Mike LaLonde is a local writer and photographer
and is genuinely car (and bike) crazy!
September 2009 41

| TRAVEL
Scuba One –
What’s in a Name?!
When Randy Kraft named his
business Scuba One in the
1980s, websites were not in
existence. Now he finds that this
moniker was fortuitous, as his company comes
up competitively on Google and other search
engines.
Kraft had a license plate early on that said
“Scuba 1.” The name caught on so he made it a
registered trademark. Today, the name assists
him in expanding his customer base on
www.ScubaOne.com. He has a number of
clients from out of state.
Kraft began diving as a hobby in 1983 when
he was a student at Moorhead (Minn.) State. He
later worked for several years in Jamaica, where
he further developed his scuba interest and
knowledge of the Caribbean. Kraft ran water
sports for Eden II, now known as Sandal’s Dunn
River resort. During this period, he returned
home in the summers.
“I liked the adventure of scuba diving, and
I liked going to the Caribbean,” Randy says.
Gradually, his avocation became his vocation.
He decided to take a 10-week course in
California to become an instructor.
Now, he is a Master Instructor with
more than 25 years of experience. Besides
instructing, he is involved in rescues and,
occasionally, in some maintenance work
for the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of
Reclamation and utility companies.
“We have a lot of interest in diving in our
area,” Kraft says when asked about Bismarck-
Mandan’s land-locked status about as far from
an ocean as you can get in the U.S. He averages
about 100 new students annually.
Classes are held in a local pool and then
people “graduate” to Lake Sakakawea. In
order to become certified, students must make
four dives in open water, Kraft says. He takes
satisfaction in having introduced many people
to scuba diving for the first time.
By Katherine Satrom
“Kids must be at least 12 before they can be in
my classes,” he says. A portion of the classes can
be completed online.
Scuba One is the only diving company
in N.D. to be a PADI 5 Star Dive Center. This
designation allows his clients to obtain PADI’s
exclusive “Gold” certification card.
Randy shares information on resorts with
clients and helps them plan diving vacations. He
is gone a month a year himself, traveling to the
Caribbean for diving and occasionally escorting
groups personally. Among his favorite places to
dive are Curacao, Roatan and Cozumel.
Scuba One is located at 2010 46th Avenue SE,
Mandan, near Raging Rivers Water Park.
Now Playing at
Open Daily 10 am-7 pm
we ther a pe m r i t t i n g
Sertoma Park, Bismarck
701-223-7543
dakotazoo.org
42 thecitymag.com

State-of-the-art at itS fineSt:
Dickinson’s Badlands
activity Center
Once again, Dickinson’s entrepreneurial
spirit shined through the development
of the Badlands Activity Center (BAC).
The BAC is a $16 million, multi-purpose athletic
facility currently under construction on the
Dickinson State University campus.
BAC will be an athlete’s paradise. It will
include everything from artificial turf, a stateof-the-art,
Olympic-standard track, electronic
information and scoring, and on-site locker
rooms.
Pete Stanton, Dickinson State University’s
instructor and NAIA National Track and Field
coach reports, “We are very excited about the
BAC. It will be a tremendous facility for our
athletes to train at. It will give us more room and
By Debora Dragseth
provide us with additional locker rooms and
training equipment.”
continued on page 47
September 2009 43

Young Entrepreneur
Success Story
Award
Cameron Coates
C.C. Gunworks
101 Hwy. 12 West, Bowman
701-523-3006
By City Magazine Staff
““Gunning for Success””
Fascinated by guns from a young age,
Cameron Coates loved getting his hands
on guns that no one thought could be
fixed. Taking a broken gun and making it
functional became a career path for this
25-year-old entrepreneur.
A four-year stint in the Marine Corps taught
him to, in his words, “Never doubt yourself.
You can do it.” On December 3, 2008, with
the help of his father, Merv, the owner of
Bowman’s Hardluck Harry’s Trading Post,
Cameron returned to his hometown and
opened C.C. Gunworks.
Tell us what your company does.
I fix guns, of course, but mostly I build
guns. I also customize guns to the owners’
needs; I inform them about the different
options available to help them and their
guns shoot better.
Cameron Coates, owner of C.C. Gunworks (left),
and his father, Merv (right).
Young Entrepreneur Success Story
RECOGNIZING ENTREPRENEURS UNDER 30 WHO ARE CULTIVATING
THE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION IN N.D.
What kind of skills do you need to be a
gunsmith?
I graduated from the Colorado School of
Trades Gunsmithing School. A successful
gunsmith needs to understand machining,
lathwork and millwork. Attention to detail
and patience is also important.
Anyone thinking of being a gunsmith should
know that you need to continue learning
throughout your career. It’s just not, “I went
to school and now I know it all.” When
new guns come out, they are different than
20-year-old or 30-year-old guns.
How did you decide to be a gunsmith?
I’ve always enjoyed building and taking
things apart. After I got out of the Marine
Corps in 2006, I wanted to come home to
Bowman. My dad convinced me to start
my own business.
44 thecitymag.com

Gunsmiths have the opportunity to
hold history in their hands. What is the
oldest gun that you have worked on?
A Remington Rolling Block rifle, built in
1864.
What is it about your business that you
are most proud of?
I am proud of satisfied and happy
customers. For example, a customer will
bring in a bad looking, rusty gun. They will
get back a gun that has been through the
rebluing process, giving it a polished metal
finish instead of a rusty one. Seldom do
people expect their guns to look as good as
they do.
Did you have any early doubts that
might have stopped you?
I’d say yes but, thanks to the Marine Corps,
I have learned never to doubt myself, just to
do the job.
What is your favorite part of the day?
When new customers come in. I like to
learn from them, as well as teach them. We
always have the coffee pot on so people
can come in and hang out.
About the Y.E.S.S. Awards
City Magazine and Dickinson State University’s
Strom Center for Entrepreneurship and
Innovation’s Young Entrepreneur Success Story
(Y.E.S.S.) Award winner will be announced each
issue.
We will profile individuals who personify
the entrepreneurial spirit of our state and offer
advice to others facing similar challenges as
our featured entrepreneur. Experts tell us there
is a strong correlation between innovation,
entrepreneurial activity and a region’s economic
vitality.
Creative young adults are key to N.D.'s
economic future. If you know of an entrepreneur
under 30 who is making a difference, we invite
your nominations. E-mail us at City Magazine
(thecitymagazine@unitedprinting.com), or call us
at 701-223-0505.
Our Advice:
Ashley Alderson, executive director
of the Bowman County Development
Corporation, notes that a stop at
Hardluck Harry’s Trading Post (home of
C.C. Gunworks) wouldn’t be complete
without their signature pot of coffee. She
said, “The trading post, selling anything
from guns to donkeys, is a real boon to
our community.”
Alderson and her staff encourage young
entrepreneurs to return to or stay in their
hometowns to pursue their dreams. She
says, “Here in Bowman, we have lots
of young families moving in or returning
home. We are happy to note that, with
young families, there also come young
entrepreneurs.”
September 2009 45

Dickinson Calendar of Events
For more information visit www.visitdickinson.com
9/4/2009 Thru 9/5/2009
ND Roughrider Studebaker Orphan Car Show
Bar-B-Que from the Heart - ND State Championships
Southwest Speedway Stock Car Races
9/5/2009 Thru 9/6/2009
History Alive Performance with Vic Smith, Guide
NDRA Killdeer Mountain Memorial Rodeo
9/5/2009 Thru 9/7/2009
Annual Kevin Bergman Labor Day Golf Classic
9/6/2009
Medora Musical Official Last Night
9/11/2009 Thru 9/12/2009
Annual Badlands Appreciation
9/12/2009
West River Triathlon
9/16/2009 Thru 9/18/2009
Annual Make-A-Splash Water Festival
9/18/2009 Thru 9/19/2009
Annual Western Edge Dance Festival
9/19/2009 Thru 9/20/2009
Pride of Dakota Harvest Showcase
46 thecitymag.com

Field view of Dickinson's Badland Activity Center
continued from page 43
The BAC will also provide year-round usage opportunities
that will positively contribute to the image and quality of life
of southwestern North Dakota. Possible offerings include
exhibitions, car shows, banquets, concerts and many other
special events.
“The BAC is just another example of our community being
progressive and providing first-class facilities for our citizens
and visitors,” said James Kramer, director of Dickinson Parks
and Recreation. “This facility will help our community attract
more football and track and field events, as well as smaller
trade shows and conferences, which will generate more sales
tax revenue to fund future projects.”
So who made this fantasy a reality? The innovative
Dickinson community, including Dickinson State University,
Dickinson Catholic Schools, City of Dickinson, DSU Blue
Hawk Boosters, DSU Foundation, Dickinson Public Schools,
Dickinson Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Dickinson Parks
and Recreation, Stark County Commission and Dickinson
Chamber of Commerce.
As Kevin Thompson, executive director of the DSU
Alumni Association and Foundation, says, “The Badlands
Activity Center is becoming a reality because of the
cooperation by all entities in the Dickinson region.”
BAC is highly regarded by athletes and students alike.
“Students resoundingly support the BAC project. They
demonstrated their approval by voting to increase student
fees which will contribute approximately $1 million to the
project,” reports Hal Haynes, vice-president for DSU Student
Development.
There is no doubt that the BAC will be a destination place
for the entire region. The facility truly opens doors to a vast
array of events.
Fortunately, enthusiastic community members will not
have to endure the suspense much longer. The center is
scheduled to be football-ready by September and completely
functional by the spring of 2010.
September 2009 47

MAGAZINE
P.O. Box 936
Bismarck, ND 58502-0936
Change Service Requested
48 thecitymag.com