NONPROFITS

Disaster Relief Grants available for local nonprofits

Pioneer Staff Report — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 20:00:31 GMT

BEMIDJI — The United Way of the Bemidji Area invites local nonprofits to apply for Disaster Relief Grants following the June 21 storm.

Nonprofits may apply for funding on behalf of their clients or their organizations, a release noted.

Individuals, for-profit businesses, and organizations that are not 501c3 charitable organizations are not eligible to apply.

Guidelines and the application materials are available online at unitedwaybemidji.org/grant-opportunities.

"The application and funding process are designed to have a quick turnaround time, so agencies can then respond to community and individual needs," the release said. "Grants will be awarded on an ongoing basis and agencies may apply more than once."

Questions can be directed to Gretchen Anderson at gretchen@unitedwaybemidji.org.

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Juneteenth event reflects partnership between Project for Change, Peacemaker Resources

Daltyn Lofstrom — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 16:18:22 GMT

BEMIDJI – A multi-year collaboration between local nonprofits Project for Change and Peacemaker Resources has resulted in the continued observation of the Juneteenth holiday, with this year’s event hosted on Thursday at Diamond Point Park.

Featuring games, information booths, food, face-painting, music and general goodwill, the event aimed to serve as a means of education as well as celebration.

“It’s a celebration of the freedom of the slaves as well as the community coming together and learning how to be one people,” Project for Change President Jacob Wiley said. “We’re big on education and the understanding of Juneteenth, but we’re also here to celebrate. We’re here to express our excitement, happiness and love as a community and togetherness as a people.”

Also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, Juneteenth commemorates the reading of President Abraham Lincoln's General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865, in Texas, which announced the freeing of enslaved people.

Though Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had outlawed slavery two and a half years earlier, there were few Union troops in Texas to enforce the order.

Due to its historical roots, Texas was the first state to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday in 1980. In June 2021, former U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris signed a bill into law to make June 19 a federal holiday commemorating the end of the legal enslavement of Black Americans.

In February 2023, Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill making Juneteenth an official state holiday for Minnesota, though the day has long been celebrated in Black communities.

As a means of continued celebration, Project for Change enlisted the help of Peacemaker Resources to provide financial backing for such an event.

“(Peacemaker Resources) does fiscal sponsorships for groups in the area that would like to either partner for a specific effort or partner so that they can start a nonprofit,” Peacemaker Resources Business Director Keila McCracken said. “About five years ago, Project for Change came to Peacemakers with their idea.”

Project for Change was formed in 2020 and operates under its mission of “building awareness, creating social opportunities and enriching the quality of life for historically marginalized, disadvantaged, oppressed and resilient Black and brown communities through policy, accountability and action.”

McCracken noted that Peacemaker Resources is very intentional when selecting organizations for partnership, seeking assurance that an organization will support the broader community.

“Project for Change was a pretty easy ‘Yes’ on our end to have that partnership with,” McCracken said. “That’s just grown throughout the years and throughout these kinds of events, and we’ve grown to partner more easily for things like this.”

“Peacemaker Resources has been a huge ally in terms of support,” Wiley added. “Both of our organizations have collaborated on many different events to help, to heal and to celebrate with this community.”

‘Spaces of belonging’

Each year’s planning process involves three to four months of biweekly meetings, which eventually culminate in the event itself. It took a community to plan the 2025 Juneteenth celebration and it took a community to ensure a good turnout on Thursday.

“We are really all about community building and creating spaces of belonging,” Peacemaker Resources’ Sarah Wilson said. “Our intention in coming to events like this and participating is often about building a space where people can feel safe, feel joy and feel belonging.”

McCracken expressed gratitude for the partnership with Project for Change and the role that each member plays once it's time to host.

“We’ve hosted a lot of different events and Project for Change will take over for cleaning up, doing this, doing that,” McCracken left off. “Everyone moves into this space and everyone has a role in hosting. Everyone supports each other.”

More information on Project for Change can be found at projectforchange.org or on the Project for Change Facebook page.

Peacemaker Resources hosts additional information at peacemakerresources.org or on the Peacemaker Resources Facebook page.

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Duluth nurses join statewide plea for safe staffing

Brielle Bredsten — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 21:59:11 GMT

DULUTH — Nurses and advanced practice providers in Duluth held an informational picket Wednesday at Essentia Health and Aspirus St. Luke’s, calling on administrators to address issues of understaffing, unsafe conditions and patient care over profits.

Contracts between the health care systems and the Minnesota Nurses Association are set to expire June 30.

Motorists honked their horns as community members and local politicians, including Mayor Roger Reinert and state Sen. Jen McEwen, DFL-Duluth, turned out to show support.

“It’s not just about the health care that these two systems provide, anchored in Duluth, yet covering a region that encompasses several states,” Reinert said. “But also about these high-quality, good-paying jobs that are in our community. Many of the members live in Duluth and in our neighboring communities.

A lot of nurses suffer from PTSD. When you believe so much in what you do and you can't properly do it, it takes its toll.

“A solid resolution of both of these agreements is good for the nurses,” Reinert said. “It’s good for the institutions and it’s good for our community.”

Crowd members carrying signs and circling the sidewalk outside Aspirus St. Luke’s shouted, “What do we want? Safe staffing! When do we want it? Now!”

Following the pandemic, many nurses left, creating shortages that impact patient wait times and low staff morale.

“A lot of nurses suffer from PTSD,” said Jennifer Armbrust, a registered nurse at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center. “When you believe so much in what you do and you can’t properly do it, it takes its toll. It burns you out, and it makes you want to quit. And so many nurses have quit the bedside because of it.”

For the first time, safe staffing ranked above pay in key negotiation topics for nurses across the state, according to an MNA media release.

Negotiations are now at a sticking point over the proposed staffing ratios and the absence of economic proposals from the union.

“Our hospitals are dangerously understaffed, and patients are suffering because executives are more concerned with profit margins than safety,” said Larissa Hubbartt, an RN in the intensive care unit at Aspirus St. Luke’s hospital and co-chair for MNA. “Discussions about wages aren’t enough; we need meaningful conversations about setting safer staffing ratios. The current ratios simply aren’t working.”

According to Hubbartt, these ratios often exceed the national standards of one nurse for four patients, at times reaching one nurse per 10 patients.

Megan Finegan is an oncology and hospice staff nurse at Aspirus St. Luke’s. Out of the 48 proposals brought forth by the union for negotiating, one is tentative, although unrelated to staffing, she said.

“Because the ratios have continued to go higher and higher, a lot of nurses are leaving the bedside to do other careers,” Finegan said. “I want to take care of my patients and hold their hands while they’re dying, while their families can’t get to their bedside.

“When I’m safely staffed,” she said, “I know I can do my patients’ hair and give them an actual bed bath and make sure they get to the bathroom in time before soiling themselves.”

The impact is moral injury, with many nurses crying in their cars before or after their shifts due to the inability to provide adequate care, Hubbartt noted.

“You go into nursing because you truly want to help people. When you can’t do that, it just drives a dagger into your heart,” she said. “We’re there for people when they’re at the absolute lowest times of their life and they need that support.”

Over the past decade of working as a nurse for Aspirus St. Luke’s, Andrea Rubesch said she’s noticed a significant deterioration in staffing conditions, which have led to increased patient loads and compromised care quality.

“When I started in 2015, I was taking care of three to four patients,” she said. "I had two nursing assistants, a HUC (health unit coordinator) and a charge nurse that didn’t have patients. So that’s 10 hands taking care of a patient on every single day.

“Ten years later, I don’t have any nursing assistants,” Rubesch said. “I don’t have a unit coordinator; I don’t have a charge nurse. It’s just me. It’s just my two hands, and I take care of six to eight patients at a time.”

In her experience, the limited time Rubesch can spend with patients means choosing between providing chemotherapy treatment safely and effectively to one patient, while not being able to care for the family of another patient who may have just died.

“It’s hard to live with the idea that you had to make those decisions day after day,” Rubesch said.

Cost-saving solutions that ensure quality care without compromising safety have been presented, according to the MNA release. Safer staffing ratios will reduce health care costs, save more patient lives, decrease workplace injuries and increase experienced nurse retention.

Hubbartt suggested Minnesota follow suit with states such as California that have worked staffing ratios into their legislation, as well as for contracts in Michigan and New York.

Aspirus St. Luke’s claimed it can’t support the MNA’s staffing ratio proposal because it doesn’t account for a nurse’s experience, patient needs, staffing levels or unexpected absences. The health system prefers a more flexible, holistic approach.

“Unfortunately, we’re still waiting on a key piece to move things forward,” said Aspirus St. Luke’s MN Region President Dr. Van Deelen. “Despite bargaining for six weeks, MNA leadership has yet to share their full economic proposal. Without it, we can’t move forward with negotiations and engage in the kind of meaningful, productive discussions we believe both sides want.”

Similarly, the union has yet to share its wage and benefit proposal or respond to Essentia’s full contract proposal, which was delivered during the first negotiating session April 11.

Of the potential 54 bargaining days offered by Essentia, the union declined 46 and agreed to eight.

“Among the days we initially proposed was today,” according to an email from Essentia. “The MNA said it wasn’t available. Yet, it found time to host informational pickets and news conferences around the state today.”

The final two sessions between Essentia and MNA are scheduled for June 12 and 25. In 2022, an agreement was secured after 26 sessions.

“Essentia reached out early and often to insist on dedicating time to developing local solutions that work for our patients and nurses,” Rhonda Kazik, chief nurse executive at Essentia, said in a media release.

Armbrust said she believes safe staffing ratios should be based on patient acuity rather than budget at Essentia.

“They keep pushing us to talk about the finances and make our financial proposal for increases and for benefits,” Armbrust said. “We don’t want to talk about money. It’s not about money for us. It’s about safe staffing.”

Essentia has reached tentative agreements on several issues that are part of the larger contract, but not on the union's safe staffing proposals.

According to Essentia, its staffing model is “effective and features the flexibility that sustainable, accessible health care delivery demands,” and should be determined by patient needs, not “rigid and arbitrary ratios.”

Additionally, Essentia filed a ULP with the National Labor Relations Board on Monday, and the union was served on Tuesday regarding "the union’s refusal to bargain in good faith."

The union then announced it would file an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Essentia for bad faith bargaining in regard to Essentia’s patient flow nurses joining an existing MNA contract.

Essentia denied the union's claim in its release that Essentia demanded the nurses be part of a different bargaining unit.

Essentia has not begun to negotiate with its East Market Advanced Practice Providers, who won union representation in July 2024 and were legally certified as members of the Minnesota Nurses Association by the Regional Labor Relations Board.

Essentia provided the following statement on the issue: “Because the NLRB is in the middle of reviewing the viability of this unit, we feel it’s premature to begin bargaining.”

This story was updated at 4:33 p.m. June 5 with a clarification on the union's economic proposal and with additional information about Essentia's filing with the NLRB against the MNA. Corrections were made to distinguish the regional labor relations board decision, as well as tentative agreements reached between the union and Essentia. The News Tribune regrets the errors.

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Bemidji Rotary Club celebrates 90th anniversary with service projects

Dennis Doeden — Tue, 13 May 2025 16:43:52 GMT

BEMIDJI — “Service above self” is the motto for Rotarians worldwide, and the Bemidji Rotary Club is living that phrase this month as it celebrates the 90th anniversary of its founding.

Club members spent part of their regular Monday meeting filling snack packs and hygiene kits for local nonprofits and writing messages of encouragement on Meals on Wheels delivery bags.

“We were trying to come up with a way that everyone could participate in a (90th anniversary) celebration,” said Club President Denae Alamano. “We talked about possibly doing a dinner or picnic. But in the end, we thought about our motto. It’s ‘service above self,’ so let’s serve.”

The club partnered with the United Way of Bemidji Area to identify about a dozen service projects to assist local nonprofits and shelters.

“We just had Rotarians help us with Stamp Out Hunger over the weekend and also with Backpack Buddies,” said Alamano, who is executive director of the local United Way. “We're going to be helping at Adult Day Services, interacting with the clients with crafts and board games. Village of Hope is creating a storeroom or care closet that they've asked for our help to organize. With Evergreen Youth and Family Services, there's some yard work. We're going to serve a meal one of the evenings in May for Community Table. Meals on Wheels is short on drivers, so we’re helping with that.”

The club will also hold its annual blood screening event Wednesday through Friday. The event will take place over three days, starting on Wednesday, May 14, with hours running from 7 to 10 a.m. each morning. The cost is $35, and the screenings will take place at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center’s Education Center.

Bemidji Rotary is also honoring its past presidents during its weekly meetings this month, asking them to share memories and highlights of their year leading the club.

One of those past presidents is retired physician Ted Will, who has been a Rotarian for 48 years.

“I had been in town for a while, and (local banker) Ben Miller asked if I wanted to join Rotary,” said the 90-year-old Will. “I thought it was an opportunity to meet some other people (outside the hospital). It was an eye-opener for me. I’ve met a lot of great people. My conclusion is that there is so much support here in town. Bemidji has very good people, volunteers who help physically and are generous with their funds.”

Will has been a very active club member, working on local projects and making many trips to Honduras as part of a medical, dental and construction team. He’s also one of the club’s top sellers for the annual Rotary Rose Sale. He served as club president 30 years ago.

Alamano says longtime members like Ted Will serve as an inspiration to younger Rotarians.

“I think it's possibly one of the very few clubs that have such a great range of generations, from age 90 down to the early 20s,” she said. “It's an opportunity where we all get to come together for the same purposes.”

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Operation Round Up funds awarded to local community organizations

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 10 May 2025 16:25:00 GMT

A total of $40,190 and 21 grants were recently awarded to community organizations thanks to Beltrami Electric Cooperative members and the Operation Round Up program.

Operation Round Up is a charitable program unique to electric cooperatives, where members round up their monthly electric bills to the nearest dollar, a release said.

According to the release, 100% of member contributions to Operation Round Up go to local projects. Project categories for organizations applying for grants from Operation Round Up must fit into one or more of the following: community service, economic development, education and youth, and environment.

Since its inception, Beltrami Electric's Operation Round Up Program has awarded $771,442 to 614 local projects. A full list of grant recipients is available at beltramielectric.com.

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100+ Women Who Care event raises $17,000 for Bemidji Boys and Girls Club

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 15:44:10 GMT

BEMIDJI — The third 100+ Women Who Care Bemidji event set a new record not only for turnout, but also for raising the most funds to date.

With more than 100 women gathering at the 4th Street Lodge event space on Thursday, a total of $16,500 was raised for a local nonprofit by the end of the evening.

"After four nominated nonprofit agencies provided a brief description of the services they provide and how they would use the money, each woman in attendance went to the election booths to cast their vote," a release said. "The winner for the evening was the Boys and Girls Club of the Bemidji Area after a compelling pitch was made by Emily Fairchild."

Within the next few days, an additional $500 was added to the evening's funds, bringing the total to $17,000.

The Boys and Girls Club plans to use the funds to construct some much-needed bathrooms for the youth who attend the club. A shower area is planned as part of the project so that children who do not have adequate facilities in their homes may use it, the release said.

“There are so many people to thank,” Mary Israelson, a planning committee member, said in the release. “We had a great space at the 4th Street Lodge, wonderful beverage providers from Blue Oyster Restaurant, and some very decadent fudge provided by Darrell Bruns. We especially want to express thanks for the appetizers that were provided as a donation by the owners of Pho Bemidji, Kin Poke and KIN Asian Market. Owners Meow and Channy saw the posting on social media and wanted to help support the local nonprofits. Their generous contribution added such a nice touch to the evening.”

The first 100+ Women Who Care event was held in April 2024 at the Keg N' Cork and raised $11,700 for Evergreen Youth and Family Services. The second event was held in November at the 4th Street Lodge, raising $14,500 for Village of Hope.

“There is such joy in the air the entire evening," committee member Sally Corser added. "It is a strong statement that the women of Bemidji are not only generous, but they also love the opportunity to network with and meet others. We expect this event will just continue to grow.”

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People from around the world weigh in for NYM Great American Think-Off

Frank Lee — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 15:57:00 GMT

NEW YORK MILLS — It’s time to put your thinking caps on and face the truth … or truths?

Essay submissions for the 32nd annual Great American Think-Off question sponsored by the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center were due April Fools’ Day. According to organizers of the armchair philosophical debate, people responded from all over online and by mail and email.

“I never share the exact number of essays … but I would say this is an average year … with some from Canada, India, Indonesia, Namibia, Nigeria, Vietnam,” said Betsy Roder, executive director of the nonprofit. “It's just really kind of all over the place. It's very interesting.”

The nationally renowned philosophy competition invited participants of all backgrounds on Jan. 15 to wrestle with life’s most profound questions, including this year’s question: “Is there only one truth, or are there many truths?”

Demographics

“We do ask for demographic information, even though that is not used in the judging of the essays,” Roder said of the essay contest rules. “We do just find it interesting to understand where these writers are coming from and a little bit more about them.”

This year’s question about truth promises to spark spirited debates and thought-provoking discussions, where the live debate among the chosen finalists will take place in New York Mills on the second Saturday of June.

“In terms of ages, the ages of the people submitting essays range from 14 to 94,” Roder said. “The highest percentage, 25% of the essays, came from teenagers this year, so that's 14 to 19. And then the next largest group was people in their 60s, and that was 18%.”

An earlier news release stated: “People devote significant time to searching for 'the truth,' whether in our churches, our schools or our laboratories. If we search hard enough, will we all come to the same truth? Or does it turn out there are many possible truths, all correct?”

Geography

“In terms of geography, this is always interesting,” Roder said of entrants. “This year, 38% of entries were from Minnesota. 48% were from other U.S. states and 14% were international, so we continue to see a pretty decent number of international essays.”

The Cultural Center has hosted a debate competition for armchair philosophers to engage in civil discourse about life’s biggest questions for more than three decades. This year’s provocative and timely question was selected by a 10-member committee.

“In terms of the position that they chose — the question is about one truth or many truths — 53% of people said one truth, and 47% said many truths,” Roder said of respondents to the question.

The earlier news release about the contest stated: “In this age of AI deepfakes, social media echo chambers and sophisticated propaganda machines, how do we even know what to believe? Is 'the truth' really out there?”

Truth vs. lies

“In talking to people … what I heard from folks, people really liked the question,” Roder said. “People were like, ‘Wow, that's a really hard one to answer, like, I'd have to really think about that.’”

The announcement of the Think-Off question came days before the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump and amidst a Minnesota legislative session that has gotten off to a divisive start. But the political landscape of the day was not the sole driver of this year's question, Roder said.

“We try to look every year just about what's kind of going on in the United States and in the world, and we have continued to see that there's just a lot of disagreement out there about what is truth, what are facts, is there really a single source of truth that we can all agree on,” she said.

The Think-Off is an annual event that encourages everyday people to delve into the complexities of philosophical inquiry. Writers, thinkers and debaters from across the United States were invited to submit essays presenting their arguments on this year’s question.

“You never know from year to year how it's going to resonate with folks. But we really wanted to try to get at that idea of, is there a way that we can all agree on one truth, or is it just that there are many, and we have to figure out how to get along,” Roder said.

Four finalists

Four finalists will be selected by May 1 to debate in front of a live audience on June 14. Participants must take a strong stand in their essays, drawing from personal experience and observations.

"One thing in recent years we've done is livestream the debate on our YouTube channel, so we will do that again this year,” Roder said. “And, really, we've just done that as a way to be more accessible to everybody.”

The Think-Off is known for its inclusive and engaging format. The contest offers a $500 cash prize to each of the four finalists, plus travel expenses and a weekend in New York Mills, along with the chance to win the title of “America's Greatest Thinker.” There was no fee to enter.

“A lot of people hear about it on social media, on different websites. It's really interesting to me how the word gets out, but we continue to have a really broad reach across the world,” Roder said.

Previous Think-Off questions have explored topics such as the nature of humankind, the dangers of science vs. religion and the role of technology in society. Each year, the event brings together a diverse audience to celebrate "the art of debate and the joy of intellectual curiosity."

“Now it's about taking all of those essays and divvying them out to our committees … so it's really a matter of both art and science for judging the essays … and then we make final decisions about who the top four will be,” Roder said.

For additional contest details, information on the past 31 years of civil debate and to purchase tickets to attend the debate, visit www.think-off.org or call the Cultural Center at 218-385-3339.

FRANK LEE is a community reporter for the Wadena Pioneer Journal. He may be reached at 218-631-6470 or at flee@wadenapj.com.

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100+ Women Who Care event to showcase the strength of collective giving

Kay Mack, Special to the Pioneer — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 18:47:06 GMT

On Thursday, April 10, people in the Bemidji area will have the opportunity to join more than 100 others in an evening that combines a great social event with a very effective fundraiser.

When 100 people come together to donate $100 each, we raise $10,000, profoundly impacting a nonprofit in our community. In the case of Bemidji, the events have generated more than the original $10,000 goal, a strong statement about the generosity of this community. Equally important is the joyful and festive mood that is felt all over the room during this evening.

This event will take place at the Fourth Street Lodge, 116 Fourth Street. Doors open at 5 p.m. for a social hour with a cash bar and light appetizers. The evening agenda starts promptly at 6.

This will be our second event at this recently renovated space and we are excited to help with introducing it to so many active community members. The facility is handicap accessible, with an elevator just inside the door.

The appetizers that will be provided during the social hour are being donated by the owners of Pho Bemidji and KIN Asian Market.

Owners Meow and Channy saw the posting on social media and wanted to help support the local nonprofits. Their generous contribution will add to the feeling of celebration that is in the air that evening.

We have found that the women in attendance appreciate the fact that there is no gathering of contact information or registration, no additional fundraising and no pledge is requested. There'' no need for additional volunteering or committing to a future need. This event simply provides a great way to give back right in our own community in a very meaningful way.

When guests arrive and provide their $100, they are given a paper to use as their voting ticket later in the evening to nominate a local nonprofit, giving that agency a chance to win the entire proceeds of the evening.

It is noteworthy that attendees are not required to make a nomination if they prefer. After the event starts, all the nominations are spread out face down and four people are invited forward to select one. A representative from each of the four agencies then has three minutes to talk about the work they do and the service they provide to the community.

When the presentations are done, all the attendees are invited to come forward and cast their ballot. The nonprofit receiving the most votes is declared the recipient of the entire evening’s proceeds.

Although it seems like there are several steps and logistics, the entire process is done within an hour. We end the evening with the announcement of the winning agency, the amount of funds raised, and an invitation to join us when we deliver the proceeds to that nonprofit on Monday or Tuesday after the event.

This 100+ Women Who Care evening is the third such event to be held in Bemidji. Our first was held in April 2024 at the Keg N' Cork. The collective giving for the evening amounted to $11,700, with the benefactor being Evergreen Youth and Family Services.

The second event was held in November at the Fourth Street Lodge, raising $14,500 that was contributed to Village of Hope. Both agencies have been so grateful for funds that allowed them great flexibility in how they used the money.

It is important to note that the committee has determined that no one agency may again receive the proceeds until four years have passed. This became an important rule considering we will hold these events only twice a year and we have so many nonprofits in the greater Bemidji area.

An additional rule is that if we are successful enough to have more than 200 contributions in one evening, the proceeds will be split between two agencies. We also want to emphasize that it is easy to contribute to the event, even for people not able to attend in person. People can send their donation with a friend or can connect with one of the organizers before the evening.

Any questions about how to donate can be directed by text or phone call to Kay at (218) 556-3031 or Mary at (218) 760-6277, or to any of the committee members they may know.

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Woman wins truck at Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza

Theresa Bourke — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 19:20:52 GMT

BRAINERD — A snowy, blustery day met anglers for the 35th annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Saturday, Feb. 1, but conditions didn’t stop a Carver woman from finding success and a brand new truck.

Siera Romine came from Carver for the 15th year and snagged a 5.85-pound walleye to take home the top prize — a brand new Ford or GMC truck from Mills Automotive Group.

“I feel wonderful — kind of partly in shock, honestly,” Romine said after her win.

She wasn’t sure yet which truck she’d choose, saying she likes both Fords and GMCs.

Romine caught her prize-winning walleye on a buck-shot rattle spoon in 15 feet of water. But the real secret to her success?

“Have a good husband that baits your hook and helps bring it out of the hole,” she said with a laugh. “... And make sure it’s the most miserable day, and you'll get it.”

Temperatures sat in the 20s for much of the tournament, with the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport measuring gusts of wind up to 39 miles per hour at times, making the air feel about 10 degrees. A light snow fell throughout the afternoon.

While Minnesotans might be used to and built for the harsh weather, the conditions didn’t stop Los Angeles friends Ghulam Ashiq and Tulio Alvarez from having a grand time that got even better when the results came out. Ashiq’s 0.26-pound perch came in 100th place, earning him an Ice Castle fish house.

“I didn’t expect it,” he said after the results came out, surrounded by friends from both California and Minnesota.

What does a Californian do with an ice house?

He leaves it in Nisswa, of course.

“Now I’ve got real estate in Minnesota,” Ashiq said, noting the Ice Castle will be parked at Alvarez’s lake house in Nisswa.

Alvarez himself placed No. 97, winning an apex ice suit from Striker. The two friends visit Nisswa regularly in the summer and now plan to keep coming back to the extravaganza, seeing as Ashiq made a name for himself in his second year in attendance.

“That’s a big thing for LA,” he said. “We needed a win.”

A Care Bear, a deer hat and a rose

A pink Care Bear with a rainbow on its belly signified the McKibbons’ hole, protecting Keith, sons Blair and Ryan and friend Ryan Ruckdashel from the bad weather and any other bad energy on the lake.

While the fish weren’t biting for the clan this year, Keith McKibbon, who came down from Esko for the tournament, recalled last year’s hybrid tournament, when he caught a couple walleyes on Round Lake and left with some stitches in his face from falling on the ice.

But it’s not the fish that’s kept them coming back for six years.

“It’s the love of ice fishing and the camaraderie and beauty of seeing all these beautiful people out here,” Keith McKibbon said.

A few holes over, Tucker Vetsch stood out from the crowd, sporting a hat made out of a deer mount. The Little Falls man explained that his dad shot the deer a few years back and made it into a hat as a joke. Vetsch decided to wear the hat to the ice fishing extravaganza once, and it’s become a tradition for more than five years now.

“Every year I like to tweak it up a little bit. This year, I put a bike helmet in there so I could actually have a chin strap so it doesn’t fall off my head,” he said. “But I always wear it, and I get a lot of attention.”

Vetsch said someone in his group has placed on the leaderboard just about every year they’ve come to the tournament. His dad was sitting in one of the top 150 spots Saturday, but Vetsch himself hadn’t caught anything yet.

“Nothing but a good time,” he clarified.

Not far from the access checkpoint stood the Brose family flag, with a picture of a rose placed after “Brr” and before “e,” playing on the name’s pronunciation of BRO-zee. Underneath that, the flag read “fish you were here.”

“Obviously you don’t catch a fish and get on the leaderboard every year,” Derek Brose said, noting he’s come to the tournament from Eden Prairie for 10 years in a row. “But it definitely feels like a Minnesota experience that you kind of have to have.”

The group has only caught two fish in 10 years, but one of those came with the catch of a walleye on Saturday.

Over in the weigh-in tent, 11-year-old Ace Pavel and dad Shane were weighing in the second walleye they caught of the day. Their catches weighed in at 0.07 pounds and 0.12 pounds, which just missed this year’s leaderboard.

They’ve been coming from Inver Grove Heights together for about six years, and Saturday’s fish were the first they’d ever caught.

“I started this as a little tradition here, so now we just keep doing it,” Shane Pavel said.

“It’s fun to do,” Ace chimed in. “It’s something to do with the family, and there’s lots of stuff to do here.”

Music blasted from the B93.3 tent, while food vendors sold hot snacks and beverages to keep anglers warm all afternoon. Contestants fished closer to shore on Gull Lake’s Hole-in-the-Day Bay this year because of a large ice heave, but everything else about the contest remained the same, with $150,000 worth of prizes won, from Romine’s truck and Ashiq’s ice house to augers, sport utility vehicles, resort stays and Fleet Farm gift cards.

The leaderboard and a full list of raffle winners is available at icefishing.org. Prizes must be claimed at Fleet Farm in Baxter by noon on Sunday, Feb. 2. Anything unclaimed will be donated to charity. Proceeds from the event support local charities, with the majority going to Confidence Learning Center.

Next year’s Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 31.

Kennedy Metcalf shows the fish she just caught on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay.

One person stands out in bright snow gear on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay.

Siera Romine from Carver wins first place with a 5.85-pound walleye on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay.

Los Angeles resident Ghulam Ashiq celebrates winning an ice house on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay.

An angler watches his hole on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay.

An ice heave on Gull Lake pushed the 2025 Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza closer to shore.

A group of anglers cheers ahead of the results coming out on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay.

The Brose gang poses for a picture on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay.

Anglers watch their holes on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay.

Ryan McKibbon (left), Blaire McKibbon, Ryan Ruckdashel and Keith McKibbon pose in front of their Care Bear on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay.

THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa.

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What’s true? New York Mills Cultural Center would like to know

Frank Lee — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 20:57:00 GMT

NEW YORK MILLS — It’s true — the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is wondering if reality is up for debate.

The nonprofit announced on Jan. 15 its 2025 Great American Think-Off question: “Is there only one truth, or are there many truths?” The 32nd annual nationally renowned philosophy competition invites participants of all backgrounds to wrestle with life’s most profound questions.

“We liked this idea of exploring truth, so that came out as one of our top themes pretty quickly,” said Betsy Roder, executive director of the Cultural Center.

This year’s question about truth promises to spark spirited debates and thought-provoking discussions where the live debate will take place in New York Mills on the second Saturday of June.

“People devote significant time to searching for 'the truth,' whether in our churches, our schools, or our laboratories. If we search hard enough, will we all come to the same truth? Or does it turn out there are many possible truths, all correct?” a news release about the essay contest stated.

Roder said, “We're trying to be true to those philosophical roots, and at the same time, we always try to be timely and relevant with our topics, so that people are enticed to write an essay and be part of the contest.”

The news release stated: “In this age of AI deepfakes, social media echo chambers and sophisticated propaganda machines, how do we even know what to believe? Is 'the truth' really out there?”

The current Think-Off question selection committee includes past and current Cultural Center board members and a previous Think-Off finalist, according to Roder.

“It's a group of people who aren't afraid to share their opinions, and that's why they're part of the group,” Roder said. “We really believe so strongly in this idea of civil discourse, and so we want to hear from each member of the group.”

The announcement of the Think-Off question came mere days before the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump and amidst a Minnesota legislative session that has gotten off to a divisive start. But the political landscape of the day is not the driver of this year's question, Roder said.

“I never want to focus completely on political things, or even, like, societal divides necessarily … but this idea of truth has really become relevant,” Roder said.

The Think-Off is an annual event that encourages everyday people to delve into the complexities of philosophical inquiry. Writers, thinkers and debaters from across the United States are invited to submit essays presenting their arguments on this year’s question.

“We're really more about connections and finding commonalities,” Roder said. “And so I think we're hoping this question does that. This can be a difficult topic with truth. People are pretty passionate about, ‘Well, that's my truth.’”

Submissions are due by April 1. Essays should be no longer than 750 words. Four finalists will be selected by May 1 to debate in front of a live audience on June 14. Participants must take a strong stand in their essays, drawing from personal experience and observations.

I never want to focus completely on political things, or even, like, societal divides necessarily … but this idea of truth has really become relevant.

“This year’s question challenges us to examine the foundations of truth in a world that often feels divided by differing perspectives,” Roder said.

Past Think-Off questions have explored topics such as the nature of humankind, the dangers of science vs. religion and the role of technology in society. Each year, the event brings together a diverse audience to celebrate "the art of debate and the joy of intellectual curiosity."

“The Great American Think-Off is a testament to the power of civil discourse and the enduring human quest for understanding and connection,” Roder said.

To enter the contest, submit an essay online at kulcher.org/think-off/submit-your-essay (preferred method), email info@kulcher.org or mail your essay to NYMRCC, P.O. Box 246, New York Mills, Minnesota 56567.

For additional contest details, information on the past 31 years of civil debate and to purchase tickets to attend the debate, visit www.think-off.org or call the Cultural Center at 218-385-3339.

FRANK LEE is a community reporter for the Wadena Pioneer Journal. He may be reached at 218-631-6470 or at flee@wadenapj.com.

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