PARK RAPIDS

Kietzman hopes to become Troop 4080’s second Eagle Scout

Robin Fish — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 14:18:00 GMT

Anika Kietzman hopes to become the second Eagle Scout from the all-girl Scouting America Troop 4080 of Bemidji.

Kietzman, who will be a senior at Park Rapids Area High �� this fall, was also one of the first three girls who started the troop. It currently has 11 members and has had 15 scouts in its history. “For a 6-year-old troop, that’s not bad,” she said.

Besides that, the troop already has one Eagle Scout – Cate Worner, another original member. “That’s really good figures for a troop that’s so small,” she said.

Prior to joining what used to be called Boy Scouts, Kietzman also participated in Girl Scouts from approximately kindergarten through ninth grade, earning the Silver Award.

“I started scouting the minute that girls were allowed to be in scouting,” she said – specifically, February 2019. “I have been a part of it since then, doing campouts, working at summer camp for two years, all that stuff.”

“I’ve always had a positive experience in scouting,” she said. “The troops in Bemidji include us in almost all of their activities, and the adult leaders are super kind to us” – apart from a rare, one-off experience where an adult leader says things like, “Girls shouldn’t be here, girls shouldn’t do that.”

“Scouting is super fun, and I would recommend it to anyone I could,” said Kietzman.

Soaring Eagle

For her Eagle project, Kietzman worked with Itascatur Outdoor Activity Club to rebuild a fire pit, post trail signs and blaze trails at Soaring Eagle Ski Trails, north of Park Rapids.

Blazing trails meant using blue spray paint to mark routes, she explained.

“Their fire pit was kind of a disaster,” she said. “It was overgrown and not safe. So, we moved it away from their building and created more of a landscaping project. Then, just general trail maintenance.”

She also added pollinator boxes along the trails, providing habitat for mason bees and leafcutting bees.

An Eagle project is a solitary job; it’s also a leadership experience with a community aspect. Kietzman acknowledged the help of Martin Schrage and his daughters, Jeff Brown, Deane Johnson with Itascatur, Pat Ahmann with Innovative Sign & Graffix LLC, Mike Lichter and Kyle Anderson with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Brad Campbell with Cumber Construction (who donated gravel for the fire pit), her parents and the girls from her troop, including Worner and her parents, Tami and Greg.

Scouting in the blood

“I grew up in a scouting family,” Kietzman said. “My dad’s an Eagle Scout. My uncle (Eric Sorenson) is an Eagle Scout. I’m pretty sure my grandfather on my dad’s side (Jim Kietzman) might be an Eagle Scout. Scouting has been a part of my life forever.”

In addition, she works as a nature aide at Camp Wilderness Scout Camp, teaching kids about mammals, mining and society.

Meanwhile her dad, Andy Kietzman, is the camp ranger. Her mom, Dannon Kietzman, is a member of her troop council, and previously worked as the camp’s aquatics director and currently serves as its business manager. Her older sister, Autumn, was the camp’s medic for three years, and now works there as an administrative assistant.

“It’s very important to me to be a part of scouting, and so I feel like that’s one of the reasons I wanted to complete my Eagle Scout. That’s why I pushed so hard to do it,” said Anika.

The result: an almost full merit badge sash and membership in the Order of the Arrow, scouting’s answer to the National Honor Society.

She hasn’t quite achieved her Eagle Scout Award, yet. She still has to finish some paperwork and complete the requirements for a couple merit badges.

She’ll also have to face a board of review about her Eagle Scout project.

Inspiration for the future

Asked which badges she’s most proud of achieving, Kietzman said they’re all difficult in their own way.

“Citizenship and society is a brand new one,” she said, recalling having difficult discussions about social issues with other scouts in the class.

Also, Kietzman enjoyed going for the sustainability badge. “It was a spur-of-the-moment merit badge for me,” she said, adding that it prompted plans to study global sustainability, environmental science and justice in college. “That merit badge showed me that that’s what I want to do.”

Growing up at Camp Wilderness, she said, she has always known that she would want to do something outdoors.

“Being able to participate in scouting, and working in our nature lodge, teaching younger scouts about the environmental effects, is super powerful for me,” she said. “Throughout my experience with scouting, I’ve had some sort of connection with our environment.”

A feeling of accomplishment

Kietzman said she thinks of her work at Soaring Eagle as a small project.

“I didn’t realize that it was such a big thing for the community,” she said, though she knows many people who use the trails. “I know that it was beneficial for the trails. But I was surprised and proud of what I was able to accomplish there.”

Kietzman acknowledged that only 4% of scouts become Eagle Scouts. “Being able to say that I’m one of the two girls in our area – in our district, I believe – who have reached Eagle, that’s very impressive. I’m super happy to say that I’m, potentially, an Eagle Scout.”

Noting that some of her classmates have never gone camping, built a fire or slept under the stars, Kietzman said, “I would suggest that anyone my age or younger, who can, should join Scouting. It’s an amazing program, and it has changed more than just my life over the years.”

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Eagle Scout’s flag retirement boxes are about honoring veterans

Robin Fish — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:32:00 GMT

A recent Park Rapids Area High �� graduate was the first member of an all-girl Scouting America troop to become an Eagle Scout.

Cate Worner received the Eagle Scout Award on Aug. 8, 2024. In addition, she was named the Scout of the Year at both Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1260 in Bemidji and District 9, and has been submitted as a candidate for the same award at the state level.

For her project, Worner built four wooden boxes and placed them around the Bemidji area to collect American flags that need to be retired. She then held flag retirement ceremonies last summer, collected the brass grommets from the ashes and handed them out to Armed Forces veterans in honor of their service.

Growing up around scouting

“I’ve been around Scouting my whole life,” said Worner. “My mom was Cubmaster for my brother, since he was young, and as my brother grew older, my mom was then scoutmaster.”

Those experiences surrounded Pack 174 and Troop 174 in Wayne, Nebraska.

In 2017, the family moved to Park Rapids, and in 2021, Cate took advantage of the opportunity to join Troop 4080 in Bemidji, and her mom, Tami Worner, became the scoutmaster there as well.

Scouting runs strong in Worner’s family. Her maternal grandfather, John Barton, worked for Scouting for 30 years and served as activities director at Camp Wilderness during the 1960s. Tami’s sisters lived in cabins at the camp as toddlers during that time.

Her other grandpa, Jim Worner, was a scout in Fergus Falls, and when he was 12 years old in 1953, he helped plant the Baker Grove of pine trees near the main buildings at Camp Wilderness. Later, Jim was the committee chair for Fergus Falls Troop 302 at the time Cat’s dad, Greg Worner, was a scout.

Eagle Scouts in her family include her uncle, Steve Worner; her cousins, Charlie Worner and Christian Worner; and her brother, John Worner.

“I pushed to get it because my mom grew up around scouting with her five sisters, and they never got the chance to be in scouting,” said Cate. “I wanted to reach Eagle so that they would feel like they also accomplished it, because they have helped me along my journey.”

Helping and being helped

Greg, a wood shop teacher, said the boxes were dadoed and glued together with no nails.

“I helped with running the power tools,” he said.

Other scouts pitched in with assembly and painting. Pat Ahmann with Innovative Sign & Graffix, another Eagle Scout, donated the graphics for the boxes. Sherwin Williams gave them a “really good deal on the paint,” Greg said.

Worner said her project has helped a lot of people.

“People around the community use it almost daily,” she said. “I receive calls from the stores that they’re placed in, saying that the boxes are full. It’s a good feeling to know that the people in the community want to honor the veterans and retire their flags properly.”

Worner monitored the number of flags the boxes collected during the first month after she placed them.

“In the first month, we collected 193 flags that were in desperate need of retirement,” said Greg. The Bemidji American Legion held a large-scale flag retirement ceremony last year on Flag Day, using flags collected in Cate’s boxes. Since then, the VFW has taken over collecting flags from the boxes.

“They have actually asked me to build them an additional four boxes,” said Greg. “I’m using Cate’s plans from the ones we did.”

Cate also led scouts in flag retirement ceremonies last summer at Camp Wilderness, she said.

All about those grommets

It all started when Cate gave a coworker a grommet from a flag retirement ceremony, knowing he had served in the military.

“Every time I see him, he talks about how he got the grommet and that he is so proud to have someone who appreciates him and recognizes the things he does,” she said.

Cate said her project grew out of the realization that many military veterans don’t get the recognition they deserve for their service to the country.

Every week last summer at camp, a veteran in the audience helped hold the large flag used to start the flag retirement ceremony, then led in a salute while the flag disappeared in flame.

Cate also edited the script for the ceremony to make it work well for the scouts, Greg said.

“I think it was good,” he said, “because just about every week, there were people who had military family members who were quietly crying."

“We told the scouts about the tradition of giving the grommets from flags that had been retired with honor you our military veterans, and Cate said, ‘If you want grommets, come find me.’”

After the fire burned out, he said, they sifted the ashes for the grommets, and every scout knew someone who needed a grommet.

“We did about 225 flags,” he said, “so we’re talking about 450 grommets. We gave out a lot of grommets so the scouts could take them home and give them to family members or members of their community.

“Veterans appreciate being noticed, appreciate being appreciated and being acknowledged for what they did. And that, I think, is a huge part of this. We’re getting fewer and fewer veterans, and it’s important to remember their sacrifice.”

Leadership and perseverance

In addition to being an Eagle Scout, Worner is a Scouts-trained lifeguard who serves in that role at Camp Wilderness, and she volunteers at the Park Rapids Area Library.

Both father and daughter are thrilled about Cate’s Eagle award.

“I’m very proud that she got it done as quickly as she did,” Greg said. “She started late, because girls weren’t allowed to join what was then called Boy Scouts, which is now called Scouting America.”

Considering how important scouting was to both of her grandparents, Greg added, “I’m proud that she wanted to join scouting and be as successful as she has been. I’m very proud of the effort Cate put in.”

He added that Cate formed close relationships through scouting, and being an Eagle Scout opens doors – as his son, John, found out while applying for jobs after college.

“People know you are a leader, you can persevere and get everything done and accomplish something important,” he said.

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What small Minnesota town is candy-coated with sculptures, murals and movie magic?

Alex Haddon — Thu, 29 May 2025 10:01:00 GMT

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. — Park Rapids is the gateway to miles of lakes and pine forests, but travelers might want to take a long pit stop in the small town because its downtown has some unique charm, starting with its old-fashioned sparkle.

Park Theater

The most striking downtown feature is the bright red, retro sign of Park Theater. In the evenings, its flashing lights can be seen all the way across the river from Heartland Park.

Standing under its matinee by Cuzzin's Candy, it almost feels like you're inside an old-time movie with people taking in the latest releases while snacking on candy and popcorn.

The theater's co-owner, Tim Oberg, who bought the theater with his wife Rachel in 2022, said the nostalgic building was constructed in the late 1930s. The most popular "new release" back in those days? Gone With the Wind.

Middle of the road parking

Park Rapids' Main Avenue is wide enough to allow for four parking lanes and two driving lanes. It’s lined with historic buildings and fresh, hanging flowers in the summer. When visitors arrive downtown, they might be surprised to find two neat lines of cars parked down the center of Main Avenue.

It's a sight that often has newcomers doing a double take and wondering why in the world there would be cars parked right in the middle of the street.

According to Hubbard County Historical Society President Nancy Newman, the wide street originated when Doc Cutler, a man who owned half of the townsite, surveyed the street in the early 1880s.

“Cutler wanted a main street that was wide enough to turn a double team of horses and a bobsled around, so they would have a nice wide street,” Newman said.

At the time, horses were pulling huge stacks of logs down the street to a sawmill.

“Over the years, as the town developed, the businesses just kept building on the sides,” Newman said. “They didn't encroach into the middle at all.”

Newman isn’t sure when the tradition of parking in the middle of the street began, but guesses it may have started when cars became more popular in the 1920s and 30s.

An artistic destination

The sculpture trail meanders from Red Bridge Park to the downtown, adding a pop of creativity to the charming surroundings. This spring, it’s home to 12 brand-new works inspired by the Mississippi Headwaters, located north of Park Rapids in Itasca State Park.

“That’s focusing on the river’s origin and everything it represents, from the natural resources, landscape to the rich historical, cultural significance tied to this place,” said Laura Grisamore, chair of the Park Rapids Arts and Culture Advisory Commission.

One of the sculptures is a giant bow and arrow aimed at the Mississippi. Newcomer artist Jerry Mevissen, a Nimrod dairy farmer, created it from found objects. The arrow is made of a flagpole, the feathers are old saw blades and the tip made of the top of a security fence post.

All artworks are available for sale.

There’s even more art at the Nemeth Art Center, located in the Hubbard County Historical Museum, a stately brick building located on Court Avenue. The nonprofit exhibits contemporary artists in all stages of their careers, from local youths to established creators who have exhibited all over the world.

In May, the Nemeth had two exhibitions: one a collection of otherworldly wood and bone sculptures, the other a collection of energetic, colorful collages. The exhibition rooms have tall windows that illuminate the works with plenty of natural light.

Northern Minnesota artist Jesse Dermody created the sculptures in “The Deep Dreams of Roots” using driftwood, barn boards, stones and other objects he found while hiking. He said his art, like human beings, originates in wild nature.

“Wild nature is the greatest artist of all,” Dermody said. “The most inspiring one and the most enduring.”

Minneapolis and Mankato-based artist Daniel Kerkhoff is behind the collages in "The Least Among Us.” Kerkhoff has created his own artist residencies in Ghana, Ecuador and Vietnam. He creates his collages using old pieces that have been repurposed and a variety of other materials including glitter glue, tape, acrylic paint and soil.

If you want to see art on a massive scale and the weather is nice, there are three murals decorating downtown Park Rapids. A mural of the four seasons decorates the wall of Aunt Belle’s Confectionary at the corner of 1st Street West and Main Avenue South.

Twin Cities-based artist Lili Lennox designed it, and according to then-Aunt Belle’s owner Ray Carlson, it’s meant to convey the vitality of Park Rapids’ shops, restaurants and artistic community.

Lennox returned in July 2023 to add a new mural on the 60-by-20-foot wall on the side of the Whatnot building at 2nd Street West and Main Avenue South.

According to owner Eric Patenaude, the red, white and blue piece is inspired by Scandinavian decoration and the joy sparked by music.

The mural on the side of the Enjoy candy store facing into Pioneer Park was completed in June 2021. It contains images of natural beauty in the Heartland Lakes area, including sunsets, a bear climbing a tree, a leaping fish, a lady slipper in bloom and the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

“That park is a little oasis in the downtown area,” Preslicka said at the time.

Satisfy your sweet tooth

In addition to multiple restaurants, there are three candy stores in downtown Park Rapids: Aunt Belle’s Confectionary, Cuzzin’s Candy Store and Enjoy. Each store has its own unique flare and sweet specialty.

Aunt Belle’s and Cuzzin’s form a mini candy empire owned by local couple Bryan and Beth Hirt. They purchased Cuzzin’s in 2021. Gummies and taffy, for sale in rows of scoop-equipped jars, are a top seller at the colorful shop, which also features homemade “dirty sodas,” or creative combinations of soda, syrup and creamer.

Aunt Belle’s is known for its fudge, which passersby can see being stirred in a huge, copper pot at the front of the shop. When fresh caramel is being made, the sweet, rich smell wafts into the street.

There are a variety of handmade treats on display, including turtles and caramels. Customers can buy local, northern-themed gifts from a section in the back called Grandpa’s Cabin.

Enjoy, the store decorated with the park-facing mural, has a wide selection of candies, ice cream, fudge and roasted nuts. They sell custom hand-dipped and hand-drizzled ice cream bars called JOY bars.

Enjoy is also home to Specialty Bubble Waffle ice cream cones, lavish sundaes nestled in a waffle. Owner Stephanie Carlson said no one else in the area offers them.

Want to get a sneak peek before actually going there? The Park Rapids Downtown website features a livestream so people everywhere can take a look at what's going on anytime, day or night.

To check out more Lakes Country Treasures stories, click on the gems on the map below:

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Amy Thielen goes back to her roots for new radio show debuting May 23

Dennis Doeden — Tue, 20 May 2025 15:31:34 GMT

BEMIDJI — Amy Thielen has cooked in some of New York City’s top restaurants. She’s a two-time James Beard Award-winning cookbook author. She’s hosted a Food Network show and written for national magazines and newspapers.

And this week, she’s bringing all that experience to northern Minnesota airwaves, hosting the new “Ham Radio” show on KAXE and KBXE, an Independent public radio station with studios in Grand Rapids and Bemidji. It will be a mix of interviews, commentary, recipes and calls from listeners. The first six episodes will be broadcast at 6 p.m. on Fridays beginning May 23. They will also be available online at kaxe.org and on podcast platforms.

“I'm looking forward to hearing people’s stories,” said Thielen, a Park Rapids graduate still living in the area. “You just put a topic out into the universe, and I know that what's going to come back is going to be new to me and be exciting.”

The first hour-long show, titled “Risky Business,” will include an interview with Wally Everson of Hixton, Wisconsin, an octogenarian who has been making hundreds of pounds of lutefisk for his community for 30 years.

“The idea came out of a project that I did this winter,” Thielen said. “I made lutefisk from scratch. I'm not Scandinavian, but my in-laws are. I'm very accustomed to having lutefisk for Christmas. And for me, that's kind of boring. What would it be like to actually make it from scratch? Can you make artisanal lutefisk, like gourmet or something?”

To figure that out, she contacted Olsen Fish Company in Minneapolis, the world’s largest producer of lutefisk.

“They told me I had to talk to Wally Everson,” Thielen recalled. “So I called Wally, because he’s the man, he’s the expert. He is a gem and a total resource, and now a friend in a way. Wally is a fascinating character.”

Her efforts to make lutefisk from scratch were quite successful.

“It was really about the lengths that we will go to make something really delicious,” Thielen said. “I think lutefisk definitely exemplifies that, because the homemade stuff is really good. It tastes exactly like cod. It doesn’t smell at all.”

Other episodes of “Ham Radio” will include topics like gardening and following recipes (or not). She will interview people from Minnesota and all over the country — food writers, growers, home cooks, cookbook authors and chefs. The show is produced by KAXE Director of Content Heidi Holtan.

“This whole radio show really kind of gets me back to the roots of my first book project (‘The New Midwestern Table’) when I was running around and collecting not just recipes but stories,” Thielen said. “I've been missing that. I really feel like this project came out of a need to do that again. It will be a wide-ranging mix of voices and people. I'm just really excited to be the one to bring all that together.”

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Zebra mussels found in Fish Hook Lake near Park Rapids

Staff reports — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:50:29 GMT

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels, an aquatic invasive species, in Fish Hook Lake north of Park Rapids.

In October, the DNR found zebra mussels in nearby Potato Lake, which is connected by a stream running south into Fish Hook Lake.

According to a representative from the Fish Hook Lake and River Association, DNR personnel checked the shoreline of Fish Hook Lake adjacent to this inlet from Potato Lake and photographed zebra mussels in both directions.

“While only single adult mussels were photographed (no clusters), we will need to check further around the lake for evidence of their spread,” the association’s representative wrote. “So please check your dock and lift before returning them to the lake and let us know where you are and photograph the mussel.”

Zebra mussels in Fish Hook Lake February 2025

Minnesota DNR personnel found single adult zebra mussels in several locations along the shore of Fish Hook Lake adjacent to the inlet from Potato Lake., including these small mussels clinging to pieces of docking equipment.

Minnesota DNR personnel found single adult zebra mussels in several locations along the shore of Fish Hook Lake adjacent to the inlet from Potato Lake, including these small mussels clinging to pieces of docking equipment.

Gina Kemper, an invasive species specialist with Minnesota DNR Ecological and Water Resources, said DNR staff found adult zebra mussels on three of four docks they inspected within a 1.25-mile stretch.

“Having adult zebra mussels can confirm that a breeding/reproducing population is occurring in Fish Hook and Potato Lake,” she said.

Kemper said zebra mussels will affect each water body differently.

“Zebra mussels filter tiny food particles out of the water, which can reduce available food for larval fish and other animals and can increase aquatic plant growth as a result of increased water clarity,” she said. “(They) encrust equipment, such as boat motors and hulls, which reduces performance and efficiency and is costly to clean and repair. Swimmers and pets can cut their feet on zebra mussels attached to rocks, docks, swim rafts and ladders. (They) attach to and kill native mussels.”

Unfortunately, Kemper said, there is no way to reverse zebra mussel infestation, and there are no effective control measures at this time.

“But, to prevent the spread of zebra mussels to other water bodies, lake users should ensure they are using the proper techniques of clean, drain, dry and dispose," she said.

For tips, see www.dnr.state.mn.us/destinations/index.html. For more information about zebra mussels and their impact, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticanimals/zebramussel/index.html.

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Teenager saved after falling through icy Fish Hook River in Park Rapids

Shannon Geisen — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 18:37:05 GMT

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. – A teenage boy was rescued Friday after falling through the ice on the Fish Hook River.

According to Assistant Fire Chief Ben Cumber, the Park Rapids Fire Department recovered the boy within minutes of receiving the emergency call.

Ayden Allent, 13, posted his gratitude on a Park Rapids Chit Chat Facebook page: “Thank you for saving me. I am home and safe. Thanks a lot.”

“Eyewitnesses said he crosses there every day,” Cumber said, noting many onlookers were recording the event on March 14.

Cumber praised a mail carrier who first noticed the boy in the water, adding multiple calls were made to 911.

Cumber said, when the fire department arrived, Allent was directly in the middle of the river, by the swimming beach at Heartland Park.

Wearing specialized, cold-weather gear, Cumber said two firefighters walked out to the boy as far as they felt safe, then belly-crawled the remainder of the way. The firefighters were connected to shore with a huge rope, managed by two more firefighters. All told, there were 15 firefights on the scene, Cumber said, along with North Memorial Ambulance, the Park Rapids Police and Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office.

“God was looking out for him,” Cumber said, because firefighters had just returned to the Park Rapids Fire Hall from a car accident when this call came in. As a result, they were able to have “a crazy response” time, he said.

Cumber said Allent was up to his neck in the river. When Allent was brought to shore, “he was starting to get some color back.”

Cumber noted the fire department regularly trains for cold-water rescues. In the past, they have typically rescued pets, not humans, he said.

“I was impressed how fast they were ready,” Cumber said of the department. “We were very excited.”

“All the thanks in the world for the rescuers,” said Allent’s mom, Nicole. “Don’t know what I would’ve done without them. … So very happy and grateful it had a good outcome.”

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Northern Light Opera Company to hold auditions for 'Once Upon a Mattress'

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 19:00:00 GMT

PARK RAPIDS — The Northern Light Opera Company of Park Rapids is seeking singers and actors for its upcoming production of "Once Upon a Mattress."

The musical, based on the 1835 Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, "The Princess and the Pea," will provide an opportunity for community members of all ages to fill the many fun roles, a release said.

"Once Upon a Mattress" opened on Broadway with the debut of comedian Carol Burnett in the role of Princess Winnifred, the release noted.

Auditions will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 21, and at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 22, at the Armory Arts and Events Center, 203 Park Avenue in Park Rapids.

Call-back and dance auditions will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 22.

Performance dates are July 25 to Aug. 2 at the Park Rapids Arts and Events Center.

For more information, including character descriptions and synopsis, visit www.northernlightopera.org.

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Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning to feature bagpipe music

Staff reports — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 20:27:00 GMT

The Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning (HCLL) presents John Patrick Egelhof with an introduction to the great highland bagpipe (GHB) Tuesday, March 11 at the Event Room in Park Rapids.

The program from 1 to 2:30 p.m. is free of charge and handicap accessible.

According to an HCLL media release, the GHB is the most recognizable form of the bagpipe, an ancient instrument with origins in the Middle East. “The GHB itself is one of the most storied instruments in history, steeped in drama, rebellion and conflict and played the world over,” the release says.

Egelhof will explore the form and function of the bagpipe, its music and its place in history, demonstrate playing the GHB and discuss how one learns the bagpipe.

Egelhof began learning the GHB as a teenager growing up in New York City, the release states. He has played in several bagpipe bands in New York and New Hampshire. He has played at numerous engagements, taught classes and is currently teaching privately.

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Trolls are March 5 topic for Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning

Staff reports — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:13:00 GMT

The Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning (HCLL) presents “Detroit Lakes Trolls” from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 at the Event Room in Park Rapids.

Amy Stearns, executive director of Project 412, will share stories about the trolls in Detroit Lakes, an exhibition by recycle artist Thomas Dambo. According to an HCLL release, these giant trolls were built in spring 2024 and have brought thousands of visitors to the region.

According to Wikipedia, a troll “is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains or caves, live together in small family units and are rarely helpful to human beings.”

Stearns will delve into the folklore, the artistry and the tourist opportunities connected to the trolls.

The program is open to the public, free of charge and handicap accessible.

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Wedll presents ‘Treaties and Tribal Governments’ at Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning

Staff reports — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:10:00 GMT

The Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning opens its spring 2025 series with Don Wedll presenting “Treaties and Tribal Governments” on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

The program is open to the public and free of charge from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Event Room in Park Rapids. The venue has ample parking and is handicap accessible.

According to a news release, Wedll will provide an overview of how and why the U.S. has a treaty relationship with Tribal governments, including an outline of how the U.S. Indian Policy developed.

Wedll grew up on a farm and majored in mathematics at Moorhead State University. He then worked on Tribal issues in Minnesota and Alaska for 35 years. He has taught courses in Tribal history and Tribal government at Central Lakes Community College campuses in Minnesota, and taught mathematics for the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

His other positions have included director of education, principal of Nay ah Shing ��, commissioner of education, commissioner of natural resources, chief of police, economic developer, HIP director and long-range planner. He chaired the National Tribal Operations Committee for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), served on the EPA’s science and technology committee and senior environmental enforcement committee, the Minnesota Indian Scholarship Committee, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Voigt Task Force.

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