The Good Life – July-August 2017
Featuring WDAY Reporter Kevin Wallevand - Fargo's most famous storyteller. Local Hero - Navy Veteran, Shane Tibiatowski. Having a Beer with Dilworth Mayor - Chad Olson and more in Fargo Moorhead's only men's magazine. Featuring WDAY Reporter Kevin Wallevand - Fargo's most famous storyteller. Local Hero - Navy Veteran, Shane Tibiatowski. Having a Beer with Dilworth Mayor - Chad Olson and more in Fargo Moorhead's only men's magazine.
to a refugee camp in Angola, Africa. "We were literally in the middle of a civil war in Angola,” he said. “We were in a refugee camp surrounded by land mines. There's no way WDAY would have sent us knowing that. But the story was incredible.” Most recently — in October 2016 — he won his second national Edward R. Murrow award for the “Trafficked” documentary he produced with photographer Cody Rogness. The documentary covered stories of sex trafficking survivors between Fargo and western North Dakota's oil patch. Reporting with Dignity Unfortunately, not all stories come with a happy ending. Wallevand said the most difficult part of the job is “talking with families that have lost someone — that phone call. Sometimes families are very open 22 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com and willing to talk about their loved ones. They find it cathartic. Others want nothing to do with it and I get it,” he said. Being a journalist requires a delicate balance that’s often hard to sense. It’s about remaining sensitive even when you’re trying to meet a deadline. "You have to find the right words without being phony,” he said. "You try to offer your sympathy but be totally respectful of what they're going through. Not everyone is there yet." But, like any situation, strength is built during those painful moments. “It's going to make you more empathetic, more understanding of situations of families with nothing — trying to survive on little or nothing and facing crisis,” he said. “All that listening and then writing about it, it'll change how you view things." Living the Good Life … Off the Record On his many work travels, Wallevand has left pieces of his heart oversees. "We did a documentary and went to Haiti and that was going to be it,” he said. “But I stayed connected with the people. We decided to go again — not for TV but through my church. Now it's just a yearly medical/surgical mission trip.” Having made 20 trips now, Wallevand looks forward to fundraising and helping organize some of the logistics of the yearly trip. "You get a better view of how most of the world lives — I mean that's what
I've really learned from traveling,” he said. "When you travel to Haiti or south Sudan and you see 2-yearold kids on the verge of starvation, it changes how you view that situation. When it comes right down to it, those parents are like you, they're like me — they want their kids to survive and do well. That's all they want. That's the one thing everyone has in common." In his spare time, Wallevand offers his knowledge through teaching TV documentary and reporting one night a week at MSUM. When he’s not chasing his latest story, traveling to foreign countries or embarking on a mission trip, you can find him relaxing with family at the lake. Someday — when he decides to retire — Wallevand doesn’t plan on slowing down. "I'd like to continue teaching, continue with the mission work and traveling," he said. Until then, he’s living the good life. "The good life means the Midwest, lakes, family, friends, hockey and faith," he said. It’s about taking advantage of the beautiful place he lives — fishing, skiing and spending time with loved ones in Otter Tail County where he grew up. Recently the “good life” has taken on a new definition: the opportunity to live another day. After prostate surgery, Wallevand waited 7 days for pathology results following surgery. Thankfully, the report came back with good news: the cancer was contained in the prostate and removed during surgery. Wallevand got lucky but urges other men to get PSA levels checked during yearly physicals; without his checkup, Wallevand’s story may have had a much different outcome. For everyone, the good life means something different. But sometimes, it’s as simple as the blessing of more years to live and the opportunity to keep sharing the stories you love. • urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 23
- Page 2 and 3: CELEBRATING FOUR YEARS OF THE GOOD
- Page 4 and 5: 06 NOT IN MY FAMILY - PART ONE OPIA
- Page 6 and 7: BY: BRITTNEY GOODMAN “Dead Overdo
- Page 8 and 9: 18 months they “have really seen
- Page 10 and 11: MR. FULL-TIME DAD The Toddler Diet
- Page 12 and 13: BY: MEGHAN FEIR • PHOTOS BY: URBA
- Page 14 and 15: are thriving. Thirty days later, th
- Page 16 and 17: 16 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia
- Page 18 and 19: BY: ALEXANDRA FLOERSCH • PHOTOS B
- Page 20 and 21: PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: KEVIN WALLEVAN
- Page 24 and 25: BY: MATT LACHOWITZER PURCHASING A U
- Page 26 and 27: 26 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia
- Page 28 and 29: CO: “Legally Blonde.” I don’t
- Page 30 and 31: BY: BRITTNEY GOODMAN Shane Tibiatow
- Page 32 and 33: were brought aboard our ship and sp
- Page 34 and 35: His Navy friendships are valued:
to a refugee camp in Angola, Africa.<br />
"We were literally in the middle of<br />
a civil war in Angola,” he said. “We<br />
were in a refugee camp surrounded<br />
by land mines. <strong>The</strong>re's no way WDAY<br />
would have sent us knowing that. But<br />
the story was incredible.”<br />
Most recently — in October 2016 —<br />
he won his second national Edward<br />
R. Murrow award for the “Trafficked”<br />
documentary he produced with<br />
photographer Cody Rogness. <strong>The</strong><br />
documentary covered stories of sex<br />
trafficking survivors between Fargo<br />
and western North Dakota's oil patch.<br />
Reporting with Dignity<br />
Unfortunately, not all stories come<br />
with a happy ending. Wallevand<br />
said the most difficult part of the job<br />
is “talking with families that have<br />
lost someone — that phone call.<br />
Sometimes families are very open<br />
22 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com<br />
and willing to talk about their loved<br />
ones. <strong>The</strong>y find it cathartic. Others<br />
want nothing to do with it and I get<br />
it,” he said.<br />
Being a journalist requires a delicate<br />
balance that’s often hard to sense. It’s<br />
about remaining sensitive even when<br />
you’re trying to meet a deadline.<br />
"You have to find the right words<br />
without being phony,” he said. "You<br />
try to offer your sympathy but be<br />
totally respectful of what they're<br />
going through. Not everyone is there<br />
yet."<br />
But, like any situation, strength is<br />
built during those painful moments.<br />
“It's going to make you more<br />
empathetic, more understanding of<br />
situations of families with nothing —<br />
trying to survive on little or nothing<br />
and facing crisis,” he said. “All that<br />
listening and then writing about it,<br />
it'll change how you view things."<br />
Living the <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong> … Off the<br />
Record<br />
On his many work travels, Wallevand<br />
has left pieces of his heart oversees.<br />
"We did a documentary and went to<br />
Haiti and that was going to be it,” he<br />
said. “But I stayed connected with the<br />
people. We decided to go again — not<br />
for TV but through my church. Now<br />
it's just a yearly medical/surgical<br />
mission trip.”<br />
Having made 20 trips now, Wallevand<br />
looks forward to fundraising and<br />
helping organize some of the logistics<br />
of the yearly trip.<br />
"You get a better view of how most of<br />
the world lives — I mean that's what
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