The Good Life – May-June 2021

FATHERS | DAD LIFE 

SCREEN TIME 

Harmless Distraction or Gateway to 

Technology Addiction 

WRITTEN BY: PAUL HANKEL 

A completely dad-based 

musing on my kid's obsession 

with electronics and online 

safety. 

Not going to lie to you, I was 

struggling to come up with this 

issue's topic. You would think being 

given free reign to write about 

whatever dad-related topic I want 

would be the ultimate blank canvas. 

And it is. However, sometimes 

there are too many or too few topics 

to choose from, depending upon 

where I'm at as a parent and how 

annoyed I am at my son for using 

slang terms like, "my guy," "yeet," 

and, "GG," in our everyday convos. 

It was when I was doing some 

spring cleaning and picked up 

my son's yogurt fingerprint and 

ketchup smear-covered laptop that 

this month's column topic hit me: 

screen time. 

Pre-tablet Times 

Since the dawn of time, we parents 

have been coming up with ways 

to pacify, entertain, and distract 

our crotch goblins. This is all 

2 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com 

done under the guise of needing, 

"me time," or, in the words of my 

farmer father, needing to, "get some 

goddamn work done." Sidenote: 

I do want to point out that, as a 

father of ten children, I feel that 

my dad was completely justified in 

his attempts to secure even a few 

moments to himself. 

Historically speaking, parents 

have been coming up with ways of 

entertaining their children since 

the dawn of time. Personally, 

my favorite tactic stems from 

the 1970s-1980s where 

children were kicked out of 

the house when their mom 

was sufficiently annoyed and 

told, quote, "don't come back 

until the street lights come 

on." They came home for 

dinner tired, grass-stained, 

sunburnt, ravenous for 

hamburger helper and a big 

glass of Tang. Good times. 

In reality, most times most parents 

just need a chance to poop in peace 

or to spend five minutes aimlessly 

scrolling various social media sites 

in order to receive their dopamine 

hit for the day. What Food Channel 

recipe am I going to stumble across 

on Pintstagrambook, save to my 

phone, and never attempt 

to make for my family? Don't 

laugh, you know it's true…

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: 

PAUL HANKEL 

salmon penne alfredo? Really, Bill? 

Carson has soccer practice tonight, 

there's no way you're pulling off a 

fresh seafood dinner on a Tuesday 

night. Chicken tenders in the deep 

fryer will do just fine. 

Sometimes It's Ok to Not Fight It 

Seriously, how did parents road trip, 

work from home, take an important 

phone call, or enjoy having company 

over the pre-tablet era? I can't even 

imagine. 

Let's be honest: there will be 

those days where tablet time 

and Fortnite sessions extend 

beyond the pediatricianrecommended, 

"no more 

than one to two hours per day 

limit." I have those days and 

know darn well that every 

single one of my perfect 

Instagram parent friends 

does too. It's inevitable. 

But, according to the abovementioned 

pediatrician, as long 

as those instances don't become 

routine or the norm, I'm assured 

that my son still has an ample shot 

at becoming a productive member of 

society. The advice I was given was 

simple: enjoy them (electronics) in 

moderation and monitor what your 

child is doing. See below. 

What to Watch For 

Admittedly, I do allow my son to 

watch some YouTube and play Xbox 

online. Also, he does have a nonactivated 

iPhone, which he can use 

to call me or his mom at any time. 

Most of the time he is using these 

various devices, myself or his 

mother are closely monitoring him. 

However, sometimes things slip 

through the cracks. Below are a 

few things to watch for, from 

my perspective as a dad and 

marketing/social media 

professional: 

Child predators and child sex 

trafficking are REAL. Even in our 

area. It's never been quicker or 

easier for pedophiles to contact and 

connect with your child. Thank you 

internet. A quick YouTube search 

of, "pedophile gets caught," will 

back me up on this. Be aware 

of this fact and the many 

ways your child could 

easily become the 

prey of a child 

predator. 

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 3

FATHERS | DAD LIFE 

You are the parent. 

You control what your child intakes, 

digitally or otherwise. 

Ensure your child is not becoming 

brainwashed or overly influenced by 

their online experiences. You are the 

parent. You control what your child 

intakes, digitally or otherwise. 

Age-inappropriate content. I 

couldn't believe this was true until I 

researched it: apparently, there was 

a rash of perverted YouTube creators 

that would post a video labeled as 

children content that would feature 

a minute or two of children's content 

( a clip of a popular kid's show, etc), 

and then would switch to 

clips of violent or 

graphic content. Sick, I know. 

Suggestions 

Constantly monitor your child's 

online activity. In the words of my late 

mother, "Until you're 18 years and 

1 day old, you're my responsibility." 

Truer words were never spoken. 

Set passwords on everything. For 

financial and security reasons! 

This should go without saying, but 

it's still an issue today. 

Don't be that parent 

whom's child is 

potentially 

exploited 

online or 

whom's 

child 

rings up several hundred dollars in 

in-game Fortnite purchases because 

you gave them access to a game, 

social media site, or website that 

isn't password protected or that has 

parental controls. 

Set a reasonable and obtainable 

limit on your child's screen time. 

There was a phase where I was 

trying to be that completely 

holistic parent, full of outdoor 

activity ideas and a full schedule 

of screen-avoidant activities. 

However, while this is a good 

practice, in today's world, I feel like 

a completely screen-free existence 

is unobtainable. Especially amid 

a year of online learning, due to 

COVID. Technology is here to stay 

and, in my non-medical opinion, it 

is best to embrace what technology 

has to offer while still adhering to 

my parenting principles. I had a 

shift in mindset when, during the 

lockdown, my son said, "Dad, I 

NEED to be online tonight. That's 

where my friends are." While it 

struck me as an exaggeration, I 

soon realized that holy cow, he's 

right: he hasn't seen his friends 

in months and an Xbox Fortnite 

session is his only connection 

to them right now. It was an eyeopener. 

This revelation did not, however, 

mean that my son should be allowed 

to have unlimited screen time. I had 

to find a balance. I chose to go with 

a rewards-based approach, where

he gets screen time based on good behavior and 

chores. Sidenote: chores include putting away his 

laundry without complaining and unloading the 

dishwasher. I know...I'm such a task-master! 

Consider Child-centered Technology 

Such as Kid Messenger, Gismo watch, or 

Greenlight kid's debit card. The age threshold 

for kids to be active online has never been lower. 

Protect your child by allowing them to learn and 

embrace helpful forms of technology, while still 

being able to have oversight and control of their 

electronic interactions. 

In closing, I want to reiterate the fact that I'm not 

medically or scientifically qualified to provide 

any advice with the intent to sway your parenting 

efforts. I'm just a dad, with an almost ten-year-old 

whom I'm lucky enough to get to share my random 

parenting thoughts about. 

Beyond blessed. My only hope is that my fellow 

dads take the time to see the absolute humor in 

what modern-day parenting has become and that 

you take the time to embrace what I believe to be 

the best method for surviving raising a tiny version 

of you: laughing about it….daily. • 


Contents 

MAY-JUNE 2021 

VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 6 

TWO 

FATHERS - DAD LIFE 

SCREEN TIME - HARMLESS 

DISTRACTION OR GATEWAY TO 

TECHNOLOGY ADDICTION 

EIGHT 

CATFISHING 

GREAT FISHING CLOSE TO HOME 

TWELVE 

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF 

A CORPORATE PILOT 

Page 16 

SIXTEEN 

ON THE COVER 

MICHAEL BLOOM 

LOVING WITHOUT LABELS 

TWENTY-TWO 

HAVING A BEER WITH 

MORNING RADIO SHOW HOSTS 

JANAE AND PAUL 

TWENTY-SIX 

GLASS BLOWING 

MORE THAN PLAYING WITH FIRE 

THIRTY 

LOCAL HERO 

RICH SCHOCK 

SHEYENNE VALLEY RESCUE TEAM 

6 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

PUBLISHED BY 

Urban Toad Media LLP 

www.urbantoadmedia.com 

OWNER / GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

Dawn Siewert 

dawn@urbantoadmedia.com 

OWNER / PHOTOGRAPHER 

Darren Losee 

darren@urbantoadmedia.com 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Meghan Feir 

Paul Hankel 

Katie Jenison 

Jeffrey Miller 

Krissy Ness 

Alexis Swenson 

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darren@urbantoadmedia.com 

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The Good Life Men’s Magazine is distributed six times a year 

by Urban Toad Media LLP. Material may not be reproduced 

without permission. The Good Life Men’s Magazine accepts 

no liability for reader dissatisfaction arising from content in 

this publication. The opinions expressed, or advice given, 

are the views of individual writers or advertisers and do not 

necessarily represent the views or policies of The Good Life 

Men’s Magazine. 


Catfishing 

GREAT FISHING CLOSE TO HOME 

WRITTEN BY: JEFFREY MILLER 

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: JEFFREY MILLER 

This 

summer, 

grab your 

kids and 

some fishing 

gear and 

enjoy our 

rivers. 

When it comes to fishing, most anglers 

in this part of the world target walleye, 

northern pike, bass and panfish. While 

I enjoy fishing those as well, if forced to 

choose, I would spend my days fishing the 

bewhiskered river dweller, the channel 

catfish. 

North America's most numerous catfish 

species, the channel catfish is unique in 

that it has powerful senses of smell and 

taste. There are taste buds distributed 

over the fish's entire body, with the most 

concentrated in the barbels around the 

mouth. The barbels resemble whiskers 

and allow the fish to find food in silty 

and muddy water. Channel catfish 

are omnivores, eating a varied diet of 

everything from other fish to algae to 

amphibians and even seeds from trees 

and plants that fall into the river. 

An angler doesn't have to go far to find 

great fishing. The Red is a world-class 

fishery, and tributaries such as the 

Sheyenne, Buffalo and Maple offer catfish 

opportunities as well. 

Chasing catfish is a great way to introduce 

kids to fishing. A medium to a mediumheavy 

action rod can be had for less than 

forty dollars at local sporting goods stores 

and selecting a reel to pair is easy. While 

I prefer a round baitcasting reel, a sturdy 

spinning reel or spincast reel will work 

fine as well. Fluorescent monofilament 

line in the 15 to 20-pound class is easy to 

see in the murky river water and will hold 

up to even the biggest fish. 

Ask a catfish angler what bait they prefer, 

and you will get a litany of different 

answers. Options include cut pieces 

of goldeye or sucker, leopard frogs, 

nightcrawlers, commercial dip baits, and 

even oddities like chicken liver or hot 

dogs. My family does most of our fishing 

on the Sheyenne River near our home 

and finds that either dip baits or cut 

pieces of goldeye work the best. Dip bait 

is a concoction of aged cheese and blood 

that smells terrible. In order to fish it, a 

bait holder is needed. Dip worms, as they 

are called, are made of rubber or surgical 

tube and are "dipped" into the container 

of bait. The odoriferous bait is something 

the fish have a hard time resisting. 

Bringing a variety of baits to the river is a 


good practice, as the bait is cheap and catfish can be 

fickle, changing their preferences daily. 

Many pre-rigged dip baits come with small treble 

hooks. I prefer to snip them off and attach circle 

hooks. A circle hook is sharply curved back in a 

circular shape. While a treble hook or standard 

j-shaped hook can be easily swallowed by a catfish, 

the circle hook nearly always attaches to the corner 

of the fish's mouth. The angler must resist the urge 

to rear back and "set" the hook with a circle hook, 

however. When a fish takes the bait, the rod is simply 

raised, and the line reeled. The hook will pin in the 

corner of the mouth of the fish, allowing a healthy 

fish to be released if a meal of filets isn't desired. 

Fishing from a boat is a great way to access catfish 

habitat. Nearly any boat that works on local lakes 

will work fine on the river. As the Sheyenne doesn't 

have any public access points, our boat for that river 

is a flat-bottomed Jon boat christened "Whisker 

and Barbel", after the appendages that dangle from 

the catfish's face. Powered with an electric trolling 

motor, we can fish miles of the river comfortably and 

safely. 

Of course, a boat isn't required for good fishing. Fargo 

and Moorhead have a tremendous amount of publicly 

accessible river frontage along the Red River. The 


Chasing catfish is a great way to introduce kids to fishing. 

shore angler should seek out woody debris in the river, 

known as snags, where catfish congregate to feed and 

stay out of the swift current. Bends in the river create 

deep holes where fish rest and are good options too. 

My kids love spending the afternoon on the river. Each 

kid holds their own fishing pole, waiting to feel the taptap-tap 

of a hungry cat. With miles and miles of river, if 

a fish isn't caught within the first 10 minutes of fishing 

we simply move and try again. 

If the true behemoths of the river are desired, a serious 

angler owes it to themselves to book a day-long fishing 

trip with famed Red River guide Brad Durick. He 

knows the river like the back of his hand, spending 

nearly everyday fishing from May to September. While 

I love fishing with my family or on my own, a couple of 


friends and I book a trip each summer with Brad. With 

his guiding and expertise, I've boated 3 giants that 

stretched the scale over 20 pounds, with the biggest 

nearly 23 pounds. A fish that big has to be seen to be 

believed. 

Catfish are delicious and a welcomed addition to a 

fish fry. During the summer they can have a bit of a 

mushy texture, which some people find off-putting. 

This is easily rectified by soaking overnight in cold 

water with a splash of lemon juice. My family prefers 

catfish over any other freshwater fish. When keeping 

fish for the table, those weighing from 1 to 4 pounds 

are best. Catfish grow slow in our climate, and fish 

bigger are getting old and should go back into the 

water. The conservation of big fish is required to enjoy 

the resource for years to come.

This summer, grab your kids and some fishing gear and enjoy our rivers. The whiskered fish will provide hours of 

quality family time and good fishing! • 


WRITTEN BY: KATIE JENISON 

PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

Have you ever wondered 

what it takes to pilot a 

private plane? It’s an easy 

career to glamourize, but 

there’s so much more 

to it than jetting off to 

exotic locales. Every 

flight requires extensive 

planning, not to mention 

the effort it takes to 

become a pilot. 

Making a living as a pilot 

means investing a lot of 

time and money into the 

process. Those unfamiliar 

with the aviation industry 

typically categorize all 

pilots under one umbrella, 

but it’s not quite that 

simple. The Federal 

Aviation Administration 

(FAA) issues different 

types of pilot licenses, 

varying by classification 

and ratings. The type 

of license a pilot has 

determines what kind 

of aircraft they can fly 

and whether they can be 

compensated for their 

services. 

Becoming a professional 

pilot starts with getting 

a Private Pilot License 

(PPL), which provides 

the foundation for future 

aircraft pilot training. 

With a PPL, pilots can 

fly during good weather 

conditions and even 

carry passengers. They 

can then work toward 

an Instrument Rating 

(IR) that authorizes them 

to fly during inclement 

weather conditions. It isn’t 

until a pilot earns their 

Commercial Pilot License 

(CPL) that they are 

financially compensated 

for piloting an aircraft. 

Once they’ve clocked 

enough flight hours, 

commercial pilots generally 

go one of two routes: 

working for an airline or 

in a corporate aviation 

setting. Trent Dawson, a 

local commercial pilot, has 

done both throughout his 

career. 

Dawson fell in love with 

life in the air when his 

dad would take him flying 

as a kid. His passion for 

aviation stuck with him 

all through high school, 

and after graduation, he 

attended the University 

of North Dakota, where 

he earned most of his 

licenses and ratings. 

After college, Dawson 

moved to Florida and 

gained experience as 

a flight instructor. He 

eventually began flying 

for commercial airlines. 

After a decade-long run, 

he decided to switch it 

up and entered the world 

of corporate aviation. 

Dawson has been flying 

mid-size jets for private 

businessmen for nearly 15 

years now. 

So, how does corporate 

aviation compare to being 

a pilot at a big airline? One 

of the main differences is 


“ 

Corporate 

pilots aren’t 

just pilots; 

they’re also 

schedulers, 

maintenance 

trackers, and 

hotel-getters.” 

– Trent Dawson 

that corporate pilots aren’t 

just pilots. “We’re also 

schedulers, maintenance 

trackers, and hotelgetters,” 

Dawson says. 

Corporate aviation also 

requires pilots to be 

flexible to accommodate 

schedule changes and 

last-minute flights. Aside 

from coordinating things 

like hotel stays and rental 

cars, his primary focus is 

preparing for a safe flight. 

The preflight process 

usually starts the night 

before. Dawson and his 

co-pilot will check weather 

reports and NOTAMS, 

which offer vital 

information about airports 

and potential hazards 

along flight routes. From 

there, they’ll create a 

flight plan, determine how 

much fuel they’ll need, and 

coordinate with the airport 

when to pull the aircraft 

out of the hanger. 

On the day of the flight, 

an extensive preflight 

inspection of the aircraft 

is performed. “We always 

get to the airport about 

two hours early to preflight 

the airplane,” Dawson 

explains. “We check tire 

and oil pressure, all the 

circuit breakers, and make 

sure our charts are up to 

date. We’ll also check the 

weather to make sure it’s 

not changing on us and 

verify we have enough 

fuel.” 

Corporate pilots also help 

prepare the aircraft for 

their passengers’ arrival. 

That includes making 

sure everything is clean 

and the plane is stocked 

with ice, refreshments, 

newspapers, and other 

requests. Once the 

passengers arrive, the 

flight can get underway. 

Preparing for the return 

trip is much of the same, 

but there are additional 

steps in postflight 

procedures. Before the 

plane is put in the hanger, 

it needs to be cleaned 

and inspected. The pilots 

also fill out the logbook 

and make a note of any 

maintenance issues that 

need attention. 

There are certainly perks 

to being a corporate pilot. 

Over the years, Dawson 

has flown to some cool 

places, including Turks 

and Caicos and Hawaii. 

That said, most of his 

corporate flights are 

domestic and often tend 

to take place over a day or 

two. 



“It’s not always as luxurious as it appears. There’s a 

lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t 

see,” Dawson notes. “There’s paperwork and long days. 

Sometimes we fly for a day, and I sit at the airport for a 

few hours while the clients have meetings, and then we 

fly back.” Corporate pilots also work a lot of odd hours 

as well as weekends and holidays. 

Flying an airplane also comes with risk. As one of the 

most dangerous jobs in the world, safety is paramount 

in aviation — and it’s something pilots take very 

seriously. In addition to staying up to date on the latest 

regulations, pilots undergo extensive training each 

year. 

“We have to go to Dallas every year for a week-long 

ground school where we do simulator training. We also 

train on emergencies like engine fires, engine failures, 

and smoke in the cockpit,” reveals Dawson. 

It was a long road to get to where he is today, but 

Dawson wouldn’t change a thing. “I love flying, and 

that’s a good life. I get to do what I love and still take 

care of my family. So, it’s a win-win.” • 

As one of the most dangerous jobs 

in the world, safety is paramount 

in aviation — and it’s something 

pilots take very seriously.” 

– Trent Dawson 


ON THE COVER | MICHAEL BLOOM 

Loving Without Labels 

WRITTEN BY: MEGHAN FEIR 

PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

As a kid growing up in Modesto, Calif., Michael Bloom 

grew up going to San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's 

baseball games with his dad. 

While bonding over baseball is a classic American 

pastime for a father and son, they also shared a special 

connection serving others. The two regularly helped the 

homeless by bringing them meals and visited inmates 

at prisons. They even walked up to gang members 

armed only with Gospel rap tapes. 

These bold experiences were a regular part of his 

formative years and went on to inspire and shape every 

facet of his life and calling, building comfort around a 

culture of brokenness. 

From Modesto to Moorhead 

As an 18-year-old, Bloom had spent his entire life in 

Modesto. Like most young adults, he started getting 

into the party scene and began to feel lost. But by the 

time he graduated from high school, he knew he was 

ready to take his life in a new direction. 

"I kind of had a transformation in my life. I was really 

just looking for the next thing, but I didn't know what 

that was," Bloom said. "I was thinking of the 

military, and college wasn't really an option, but 

then I had a personal moment with God. It was 

a faith thing. I was like, 'I want to get serious 

about my relationship with the Lord and serve 

and follow him, but what does that really look like?'" 

A lifelong church attendee, Bloom knew the basis 

and the basics of Christianity. But there was still 

something missing for him. He wanted to 

know what it meant to put faith into 

practice outside of church attendance 

on Sundays. 

His father was a great 

example of being "the 

hands and feet of 

Jesus" by regularly 

going out of his 

w a y 


to help those in need. And Bloom also admired the 

strong faith of his sister who lived in Moorhead, Minn., 

so much so that he took the leap and moved from 

Modesto to Moorhead to be closer and to discover his 

purpose. 

When he moved to Moorhead, he thought it would be 

a temporary pit stop, but he quickly grew to realize he 

didn't want to leave. 

"I really fell in love with the culture of the community," 

Bloom said. "I got to a really good church where I was 

learning a lot and also met people who had similar 

interests. I wanted to have that fresh start and get out 

of that going-out-on-Friday mentality to a let's-be-soberand-kick-it 

approach." 

Single, broke and trying to figure out what to do with 

his life, Bloom shingled houses during the day, attended 

classes for criminal justice and interned as a youth 

pastor by night. He was also drawn to the idea of jail 

ministry. 

After studying criminal justice and graduating from 

Rasmussen College, he entered the Police Academy in 

2011 through Lake Region State College before being 

hired by the Cass County Sheriff's Office as a deputy. 

"That was a fantastic experience," Bloom said. "I really 

fell in love working with people who are at risk, who are 

hurting, who have gone through trauma. At the same 

time, I wanted to be stretched a little more." 

When a grant position for a Community Trust Officer 

at the Fargo Police Department became available in 

2014, Bloom got the job and knew it was the perfect 

opportunity to build relationships with at-risk kids. The 

position focuses on taking officers off the street and 



having them focus on non-enforcement relationshipbuilding 

outreach in the community. 

"You're not getting sent there, you're going there to 

build relationships and rapport." 

Officer Matthew Niemeyer and Officer Bloom were 

the first officers in these positions. Every four to five 

years, new officers will be placed in these roles. This 

is Bloom's fifth and final year of being a CTO. 

"The last five years have been phenomenal because 

we've built so many relationships," Bloom said. 

"When it comes down to what we do, it's that we're 

good friends and mentors with kids. We can't fix all 

their problems, but our solution is the support we 

give them. It's visiting them in person when they're 

locked up or in juvie, or going to the treatment center, 

or calling them and taking them somewhere on their 

birthday. It's showing them that support." 

As much of a joy as it's been for Bloom, the position 

hasn't been all roses for the officers. 

"We've had hard times. We've had to arrest kids we 

love. When I say love, it's not meant to sound too bold, 

but they're often kids who didn't have father figures 

and we've become father figures to them," Bloom 

said. "It was an interesting position to be in. You're 

like a social worker, then you feel like a parent, then 

you feel like a cop, then a parent again. But it's super 

rewarding." 

For many hurting people, deep scars have been left 

from traumatic issues like abandonment. Bloom and 

the rest of the CTOs are trying to show that presence 

and support can transform lives. 

"You meet kids who are broken and need love from all 

these different circles and backgrounds, and I'm just 

drawn to them," Bloom said. "The majority of kids are 

receptive, if you're consistent on follow-through and 

showing up again and again and being someone they 

can trust. Just show up and be present, and do it with 

the right heart. 

Kids, no matter how much they hate a police officer 

or authority, want someone who's consistent. They 

want someone to go out of their way to think about 

them and show up unannounced, just to make them 

feel special. Once they start to trust you, it's a big deal 

for them." 


Louder than words 

People's choices are constantly driven by their motivations, but 

much of the time, they're not aware what those motivations are. 

Bloom knows the source of his motivation for helping, supporting 

and encouraging others. It's his faith in Jesus Christ—a name so 

often disrespected, abused and misunderstood. 

"We live in a culture where the name of Jesus has been painted 

in so many different colors. In my job and life, I just want to be 

a mirror of Jesus, the Good Samaritan who picked up the dude 

who got abused and beat down; the type of person who picks up 

a stranger, pays their hotel fee and bandages up their wounds. 

That's who I want to be," Bloom said. "Showing people honor, 

respect and grace is not always easy to do. You get tested a lot. 

It's easy to say you love everyone, but to show everyone you love 

them when you're ticked off is a lot harder. I think honoring 

others is louder than words." 

Along with his faith, Bloom was heavily influenced by his 

father's heart for hurting people and the audacious approach he 

practiced regularly. 

"My dad was a very independent, outreach person. He was this 

very bold Christian man. He didn't have a ministry or nonprofit. 



He just went around Modesta," Bloom said. "Growing 

up, feeding homeless people was totally normal. We'd 

drive in his old Chrysler and he'd say, 'Hey, there are 

three homeless guys. Let's go grab six burgers for 

them from McDonalds. You're going to come with me 

and we're going to tell them 'God bless you' and 'we 

love you.' And we did it. I remember going up to gang 

members in our community and he would just give out 

gospel rap tapes and tell people he loved them." 

It can sometimes be intimidating thinking of how 

to effectively connect with people from different 

backgrounds than your own, especially if they don't 

seem eager to get to know you too. Bloom offered 

some wisdom for that dilemma. 

"Sometimes the focus is just on the noticeably broken 

people, but 'broken' looks different in certain circles," 

Bloom said. "Build relationships and rapport with 


people who are in your life because 

a lot of people are broken. They 

can mask it well and might be very 

accepted and successful, but they 

still have a lot of pain, a lot of hurt, 

and they need a really good friend. 

Get uncomfortable in the circle 

you're currently in. That's how 

you're going to get comfortable 

around other people." 

While it can be hard to build 

friendships that hold a deeper level 

of trust and transparency, Bloom 

believes true friendship can help 

mend innumerable wounds. 

Living the good life 

It's common to think that living a 

good life involves satisfying every 

idealistic scenario and desire 

you've compiled in your mind; 

that completing your bucket list 

will make life complete; that being 

happy is attainable, if you could 

just make more money, have nicer 

things, go on more trips, or look, 

talk and act differently. 

When asked what "living the 

good life" means to him, Bloom's 

immediate answer had nothing to 

do with a bucket list. He simply 

wants to love others, live out his 

faith and be the same person 

around everyone, no matter who 

they are. 

None of those goals are simple or 

easy to do, but it's a challenge that's 

part of his calling. 

"I think 'living the good life' is living 

and loving people without a label. 

I'm going to be a Jesus follower and 

a real person. I'm not going to force 

faith on you. I'm going to show you 

faith and what it looks like, loving 

and respecting people regardless 

of whether they're straight, gay, 

trans, white, black, Native, Asian, 

Hispanic. I think I've really seen 

God just take care of the rest when 

I do that." • 


HAVING A BEER WITH | JANAE AND PAUL 

There’s a longstanding joke in the radio industry that 

once you’ve been on the air, you’ll always get reeled 

back in. 

For Janae White and Paul Bougie (often known as 

“Bouge”), that joke holds true. Although they both took 

a break from the industry for several years, they’ve 

returned to the mics with a new show called The Coffee 

Club Morning Show that airs weekdays from 8:30-11 

a.m. on WDAY 970 AM and 93.1 FM. 

As we sat in the hoppy atmosphere and enjoyed a few 

Drekker brews, I had the chance to chat with them 

about heartfelt and hilarious subjects—much like the 

conversations presented on their new show. 

Good Life: What’s your most despised phrase? Mine 

is when people say, “Livin’ the dream,” in response to 

“How are you?” 

Janae White: “Unprecedented times.” I’m so tired of 

hearing that. We’ve heard it 2 million times in the last 

year. 

Paul Bougie: “The new normal.” 

GL: Yessss. Thank you both. 

GL: What did you want to do before getting into radio? 

PB: Right after high school I went to NDSU with a 

grand plan that I was going to be Mr. Brady. 

GL: You wanted 3 sons and 3 adopted daughters? 

PB: I was going to be an architect. 

GL: Oh. 

PB: I went to the first couple of classes and basically 

asked the question, “When can we start building the 

cities of tomorrow?” They said that would be year two, 

and I basically got terribly disillusioned. All my friends 

said I needed to try out for the NDSU campus radio 

station. My first official shift was Christmas Eve 1980. 

GL: How did you know you needed to get back into 

radio? 

JW: I got a random text from Bouge asking me if I 

wanted to be in radio again. It had been 

15 years since I was 

last on the 

air. 

WRITTEN BY: MEGHAN FEIR 

22 PHOTOS / THE BY: GOOD URBAN LIFE TOAD / urbantoadmedia.com 

MEDIA

PB: After being at various stations for years, I was like, 

“I need to do something different,” so I did financing for 

a business in town. 

GL: What? 

PB: I’m a mathematical idiot. I did that for two years and 

then worked in sales. Then I started my own marketing 

company. One of the last things Pete Miller, one of my 

best friends, said to me was, “I love what you’re doing 

with the marketing thing, and I can’t be prouder, but we 

both know you belong behind a mic.” We cried. We got 

the word later that he had passed. It was just awhile 

after that when Steve Hallstrom called and said, 

“I have an opportunity. Are you interested?” 

GL: If you guys started your own 

society what would the first 

rule be? 

JW: Just that everybody 

has to be nice to each 

other—like, no meanness. 

GL: What would the reprimand be for not being nice? 

JW: They’d get tossed to sea. You can’t keep letting them 

get away with being mean. They would get a fair trial, 

and if the jury finds them mean, out to sea they go in a 

giant slingshot. 

GL: And you just happen to accidentally spill some oil 

on them and ignite it in the catapult before they get 

launched? 

JW: Don’t you think that would be a fun ride as they’re 

going out to sea—like a roller coaster! 

GL: What would your rule be, Paul? 

PB: Don’t eat the mushrooms. Hey, you don’t know if 

they’re good or bad. 

GL: Could mean death or a trip. 

JW: Well, with my rule, at least you’re going to have to 

be nice about it. 

PB: I just told you not to eat the mushrooms! 

GL: Maybe that’s the punishment for somebody who’s 

not being nice; they have to be the guinea pig and try 


HAVING A BEER WITH | JANAE AND PAUL 

the mushrooms on the island. 

JW: Meghan, c’mon. Wouldn’t it be more fun to put 

them in the human slingshot out to sea? 

GL: Yeah, it would, but you might end up with a dang 

good mushroom Swiss burger if you knew you could 

eat the mushrooms. 

PB: Do we have cows on this island too?! 

GL: Which TV show do you wish never existed? 

JW: The reboots of “Saved by the Bell” and “90210.” 

They were disappointing. I graduated high school in 

1995, so I was all excited for the reboots. They were 

horrible. 

PB: I will have to say any shows that try to continue 

with alternate cast members. Like, we have the 

“Dukes of Hazard” where they were like, “And now 

we’re going to keep going with it, but we’re going to 

replace Bo and Luke with Chet and Steve.” Charlie’s 

Angels shouldn’t have continued with different angels. 

It’s like taking the ‘60s Batman and replacing Adam 

West. 

GL: If you guys were a pizza, what toppings would 

you be? 

JW: Pepperoni and cheese. That’s it. I’m simple. 

PB: All meat, extra cheese and onions. 

JW: And pineapple? 

PB: Oh, beep no. You savage. 


GL: What’s been one of the 

most difficult times of your life? 

JW: The hardest year of my life 

was when my daughter left for 

college. It was such a different 

chapter in our lives. My kids 

and I are super close. I didn’t 

get remarried until her senior 

year, so it had always just been 

the three of us. It killed me 

when she graduated. Everybody 

was happy and celebrating, but 

that week of graduation I just 

cried. I truly think there should 

be a support group for parents 

whose kids just graduated. 

GL: What do you bring most to 

your relationships? 

JW: I’m very loyal to my good 

friends, husband and family. I 

bring that. I don’t know if I’ll be 

loyal to Paul, but…. 

PB: She was my sixth choice 

for this. 

JW: I’m kidding. 

PB: Seventh. 

JW: I know that’s a lie. 

GL: How about for you, Paul? 

PB: I know every liquor and 

beer distributor in town. I don’t 

know. Why do you hang around 

me, Janae? 

JW: The tailgating spot. 

GL: Janae, what does living the 

good life mean to you? 

JW: This is it. I am living a 

good life. I have two beautiful, 

amazing children, I have a 

wonderful husband, I love my 

parents, brother and sister—I 

am living the good life. I don’t 

know what more I could do. 

I’m… “Livin’ the dream.” 

GL: Noooooooo. 

JW: No, but I do have a very 

good life and I’m very blessed. 

GL: Paul, how about you? 

PB: Living the good life means 

being able to be what you 

want to be, do what you want 

to do and enjoying yourself. 

If it’s sitting out back having 

whiskey and smoking a cigar 

with friends or hanging out 

with friends till all hours of the 

night, so be it. If you’re happy, 

that’s it. • 



WRITTEN BY: KRISSY NESS • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

Glassblowing goes a far back to the 1st century BC by the glassmakers of 

Syria. Since then, people have been using this medium for many different 

forms of art, such as vessels, decorative bowls, wall pieces, and more 

practical reasons like glassware, plates, and serving dishes. 

Here in Fargo, N.D., tucked away in a small studio south of town, you will 

find Jon Offutt perfecting his craft in blowing glass. His studio, House of 

Mulciber Glass Studio, looks like your typical shop with a garage door out 

front. Still, once you step inside, it is a whole other world. 

Almost immediately, I felt intense heat from the furnace, in which glass 

is heated and shaped. As my eyes bounced around the room I saw three 

large kilns. Behind them were dozens of pieces Offutt has created. To the 

left is his workstation, including a handmade workbench used for rolling 

and blowing up glass along with his collection of Jacks. This tool comes in 

various sizes and widths and resembles a cross between large tweezers and 

tongs. 

I was fortunate enough to come early enough to see Offutt and his assistant, 

Dave, adding a lip to a new vessel Offutt designed. "When Dave and I are 

rocking and a rolling, we can get a lot done," exclaimed Offutt. 

For 40 years, Offutt has been blowing glass. As a young man in high school, 

Offutt could be found in Clara Barton Elementary School's basement here 

in Fargo, N.D. 

"I did a lot of different kinds of art down there, but mostly I did clay," stated 

Offutt. "I started college for pottery, then I transferred to Minnesota State 

University Moorhead, and they had glass as an elective in the ceramics 

department." He came out of college with an undergraduate degree in 

Ceramics. From there Offutt went on to get a Masters of Fine Arts from 

Southern Illinois University of Carbondale. 

"Glass is a lot of what clay is. It's round, you shape the mass, and it is not 

additive or subtractive sculpture – it is what I like to call squishy," laughed 

Offutt. "But I got to play with fire every day." 

As the years went on, Offutt's work expanded. He is most known for his 

Prairie Landscape vessels. The inspiration came from Offutt taking many 

trips to Bismarck, N.D. over the years, "It was the exposure to the prairie," 

Offutt said fondly. "I would be driving back and forth and would be staring 

at that horizon for hours." 


Creating this design takes a lot of 

preplanning and work. "It is all 

glass, and I do all of the landscape 

work before I really start," 

explained Offutt. "I have to do all 

the colorwork and design inside 

of a sphere the size of an apple." 

Amazingly, something so small can 

turn into something so precise and 

beautiful. "No matter how big you 

blow it up, it is like printing on a 

balloon; it's not going to change, it's 

just going to expand," expressed 

Offutt. 

In addition to his Prairie Landscape 

vessels, Offutt creates beautifully 

textured pieces. As an undergrad, 

he put himself through college, 

working as a screen printer, mostly 

making bumper stickers. Using the 


sticker material, Offutt realized he 

could transfer the sticker lining 

onto his blown vessels in various 

patterns and then sandblast the 

piece. He makes vessels and plates 

in this manner, and either the dish 

itself or the striped pattern will be 

textured; both are amazing. 

Although he isn't against creating 

personal pieces, it can be 

challenging to meet the customer's 

requested design. "Part of what 

makes it special to me is that I get 

to create what I want to see and 

try to sell it to people, and they can 

buy it if they like what they see," 

exclaimed Offutt. 

Offutt sells most of his work at 

various shows around the country, 

such as Chicago or Denver, among 

many other places. "I usually stay 

one long drive's day away," laughed 

Offutt. Having been doing shows 

for over 20 years, he is used to the 

hustle, including setting up and 

tearing down his tent and pieces. 

In his line of work, he relies on a 

sturdy display to showcase all of 

his beautiful pieces. "My display 

has been through thunderstorms, 

and my vessels are heavy," laughed 

Offutt." I think I'm good for about 

35 mile per hour winds." 

With his experience attending 

shows and understanding that the 

real magic happens in the studio, 

Offutt had an idea. Put on by The 

Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists 

and directed by Offutt, the Studio

Crawl was born. "Each year, I get 

maybe three dozen artists who 

open up their studios, and then 

people tour around," said Offutt. 

"You get to go into an artist's 

studio rather than see their work 

at the museum; you get a better 

understanding of what it takes to 

make stuff." 

This year will be the 18th year of 

the Studio Crawl, stretching from 

Glyndon, M.N., through Fargo, 

N.D., and finishing in Hillsboro, 

N.D. All studio visits are free of 

charge to the public. 

I had a wonderful time watching 

Offutt work. I am excited to step 

inside another studio or 10 and 

watch artists create their work. • 


LOCAL HERO | SHEYENNE VALLEY TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAM 

Rich Schock 

Sheyenne Valley Technical Rescue Team 

WRITTEN BY: ALEXIS SWENSON • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

Rich Schock, Chief of the Kindred Fire Department and 

Captain of the Sheyenne Valley Technical Rescue Team, has 

always been a farm kid. Schock grew up on his family’s dairy 

farm in Forbes, ND. On March 31, 1982, his dad passed away 

at age thirty-one in a farming accident involving a Holstein 

bull. 

After about three more years on the farm, the Schock family 

moved to Ellendale, ND. Still, Schock couldn’t stay away from 

working on the farm. After high school graduation, Schock 

worked for farmers surrounding Ellendale, picking up any and 

every farm hand job he could. After some time in Jamestown, 

Schock met his wife, Dona, and moved to Fargo. 

“I tried doing the work in Fargo thing and just didn’t care for 

it. You feel like a number because a lot of Fargo businesses 

are so fast paced and trying to serve lots of people. I missed 

the farm. I got another job working for a farmer out in Kindred 

and we moved there in 1998,” said Schock. 

Kindred Fire Department 

Joining the local church in Kindred introduced Schock to 

Lynn Lee who served on the Kindred Fire Department, was 

a farmer, and quickly became a friend. Lee persuaded Schock 

into joining the all-volunteer Fire Department in 2004. 

All members of the fire department are on call 24/7, 365 days 

a year on top of their full-time jobs. Schock himself is the 

Public Works Supervisor for the City of Kindred responsible 

for snow removal, overseeing infrastructure improvements, 

and other day to day duties. 

“I’ve always been fascinated by fire trucks and whatnot since I 

was young. I thought, yeah, you know, I’ll give it a try and see 

what I think. It just built from there. We trained together and 

fought fires together; it just grows a family,” said Schock. 




In 2008, the department and 

community suffered a loss when Lee 

died in his grain bin. The department 

had received safety training on farm 

equipment, but nothing to prepare 

them for the magnitude of what they 

dealt with on the scene. 

“When I dug my friend out of the 

bin, I was in there. I was the first 

truck there and had to stay at the 

command post for a while. I still 

remember very vividly uncovering 

him. Talking about it is one way of 

coping. It’s hard for anyone to deal 

with it. The one thing you have to 

brace yourself for when you’re in a 

small community is that the chances 

of running across someone you 

know are pretty good,” said Schock. 

That unpreparedness was the 

catalyst for the creation of the 

Sheyenne Valley Technical Rescue 


Team, a team that specializes in 

grain bin rescue. Furthermore, 

the team has also placed great 

emphasis on their Critical Incident 

Debrief process where they review 

what happened, brainstorm 

improvements for next time, and 

provide volunteers space to reflect 

on their thoughts and feelings. 

Building the Sheyenne Valley 

Technical Rescue Team 

Ben Willey, formerly the Kindred 

Fire Department Training Captain 

and currently with the Fargo Fire 

Department, first led the effort to 

establish the team and acted as a 

mentor to Schock. 

“He had a pretty good skill set and 

a great attitude. For lack of a better 

word, I just kind of wanted to be like 

him. We worked and worked, built 

and fundraised to get pieces of the 

equipment,” said Schock. 

As a volunteer run organization, 

generous donors were and continue 

to be a huge part of the development 

of the team. Technical rescue 

equipment is especially expensive 

as each piece must be life-safety 

rated. After Willey was promoted 

in the Fargo Fire Department,

Schock moved into the Captain role 

with Kindred, taking over the team’s 

evolution. 

“I started to really hone our skills and 

tried to work on the prevention side. 

We do tons of trips to pre-plan at 

different bin sites and co-ops. A grain 

bin and grain handling equipment is 

a monster in itself. There’s no book 

that can prepare you for what you’re 

going to see,” said Schock. 

The team runs “what-if” scenarios 

at various bin sites, building their 

equipment cache on these visits. 

These “what-if” scenarios are 

designed to prepare the team for 

a call, but are constantly being 

tweaked. 

“We’re trying to think outside the 

box and we’re always trying to 

better ourselves. We read a lot of 

the incidents in other places and 

try to do some legwork, asking 

‘What happened here and how did 

that happen?’ We look at what kind 

of resources we would need if it 

happened here,” said Schock. 

On the call 

Many grain bin incidents occur 

when farmers take the grain from 

the bin—whether they’re moving it 

around or taking it to market. A lot 

of the underlying issues lie in bin 

management, temperature changes, 

and the presence of foreign materials. 

“A lot of times these guys will go into 

the bin because the crust falls and 

there are big clumps. The clumps 

roll down the cone and can actually 

stop the bin from flowing. The guys 

get in the bin, take a shovel, stand 

down in the cone, and try to bust up 

the clumps as they’re going. By the 

time you get to your knees or more in 

grain, you can no longer self-rescue. 

There’s so much force people have 

hurt victims trying to pull them from 

the grain,” said Schock. 

Aluminum bin rescue tubes are 

used to build a cofferdam around 

the victim. Grain is removed from 

the inside of the tube as the tube is 

slowly pushed downward. The tube 

“The one thing you have to brace yourself 

for when you’re in a small community is that 

the chances of running across someone you 

know are pretty good.” - Rich Schock 



has a ladder manufactured on the 

inside to allow for the individual to 

climb out. If they’re unconscious, 

the diameter is widened for a rescue 

professional to help them out. 

There are several potential injuries 

when a person is rescued including 

crushing injuries and blood clots. 

Since the team’s inception, there 

have been five calls for grain bin 

rescue which is relatively low for the 

rural area. Schock also takes calls 

from different departments to walk 

them through active rescues. 

Good Neighbors 

Having good neighbors, positive 

attitudes, and a desire to never stop 

learning is crucial for the success 

of the Sheyenne Valley Technical 

Rescue Team. “I love what I do and 

I admire the guys that do it with me. 

We are blessed to have awesome 


neighboring departments and 

awesome firefighters. That’s what 

drives me—to work together for the 

common good,” said Schock. 

Nearby communities Horace, 

Leonard, and Davenport expressed 

interest in being involved with the 

rescue team. Kindred is centrally 

located in the response area and 

rescue equipment is strategically 

stored throughout the three 

communities. This helps to ensure 

contact is made with a patient before 

the primary truck arrives on scene. 

“The Golden Hour is what everyone 

runs by. From the time of the 

incident until the time the patient 

receives medical care depending 

upon the mechanism of injury, there 

is a window of time. The goal is 

always to get the individual to EMS 

before all of that. That way, we can 

at least try and guarantee we’re 

going to save a life. It doesn’t always 

happen, but that’s one of the things 

we look at,” said Schock. 

A lot plays into the Golden Hour 

including how much time passed 

before 911 was called and how 

much time passed before the team 

was dispatched to a call or arrived 

on scene. “Volunteers carry that... 

heavy. Each one that has to walk 

away from their job and respond 

to that incident knows in the back 

of their mind, ‘Oh, I hope we can 

save this person.’ You gotta try to 

distance yourself from the situation, 

but it’s hard when all you see a lot 

of the time is tragedy,” said Schock. 

As a result, there is a significant 

focus on education and prevention 

as the positive side of the team’s 

work. Prevention allows team

members to meet farmers on a happier note rather than 

a body recovery. 

Family Support 

Schock’s wife, Dona, and two daughters, Bailey and 

Brianna, are very supportive. Dona is a member of the 

Ladies Auxiliary which is a supporting role attending 

benefits and functions, coming alongside the department 

volunteers. 

“When my kids see a fire truck or things like that, they 

see my character. Serving is a big part of my life. Both 

of my kids are very supportive. It’s definitely humbling. 

They’ve grown to have patience. There’s a certain level 

of stress and worry that comes along with my serving,” 

said Schock. 

“We are blessed to have awesome 

neighboring departments and 

awesome firefighters. That’s what 

drives me – to work together for 

the common good.” – Rich Schock 

The Good Life 

For Schock, working in a team environment has been a 

positive challenge. “My teammates and fellow firefighters 

make the organization great. They make my job a lot 

easier because they’re so great. I wouldn’t be where I am 

today without them. They’re consistently pushing me and 

the department to improve. The good life is fulfillment 

and the feeling you’ve successfully accomplished things 

you’ve set out to do. We can never stop setting goals for 

ourselves,” said Schock. •

The Good Life – May-June 2021

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