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The Good Life – September-October 2018

Featuring Barber Wil Dort. Local Hero - Patriot Assistance Dogs, Having a Beer with the founders of Drekker Brewing Company, Mr. Full-Time Dad and more in Fargo Moorhead's only men's magazine.

Featuring Barber Wil Dort. Local Hero - Patriot Assistance Dogs, Having a Beer with the founders of Drekker Brewing Company, Mr. Full-Time Dad and more in Fargo Moorhead's only men's magazine.

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER <strong>2018</strong><br />

HAVING A BEER WITH<br />

THE FOUNDERS OF<br />

DREKKER BREWING<br />

THE UNTAMED<br />

HEART AND ART OF<br />

CHAINSAW DAVE<br />

FALL LAWN CARE<br />

PREPARE FOR WINTER<br />

WITH THESE 5 TIPS<br />

LOCAL HERO<br />

PATRIOT ASSISTANCE DOGS<br />

Wil Dort<br />

From Haiti to Haircuts<br />

FREE TO A GOOD HOME


FATHERS | MR. FULL-TIME DAD<br />

WRITTEN BY: BEN HANSON • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />

We just wrapped up a three-day party for Macklin’s third<br />

birthday. About 20 people invaded our home, ate our food<br />

and left all of their garbage behind. We had a bounce house<br />

in the backyard, beautiful weather throughout, all of Mack’s<br />

favorite people… even the Blue Angels came to town to<br />

celebrate. It was a wild success.<br />

As expected, Mack raked in a pile of awesome gifts sure<br />

to hold his attention until the end of this sentence — fresh<br />

cans of Play-Doh, new bubbles, his first pair of rollerblades,<br />

some water toys, the obligatory new outfit from Grandma<br />

and a pedal-powered go-kart complete with roll cage and<br />

emergency brake. As I watched him climb in and take off<br />

down the sidewalk, I couldn’t help but envy him.<br />

If it wasn’t Mack’s birthday weekend, I would struggle to<br />

answer the Monday morning question “What’d you do this<br />

weekend?” So, asking me what I was doing when I was 3<br />

years old would be like asking my current 3-year-old to fix<br />

my currently broken water softener. Try as we might, it just<br />

isn’t going to happen.<br />

What I can confidently say is I wasn’t driving around in my<br />

own go-kart at 3. I also don’t recall ever having my own<br />

private backyard carnival with the Blue Angels screaming<br />

overhead. No, I remember birthdays at McDonald’s (which<br />

was awesome… I still have my special birthday McDonald’s<br />

mug) and dreaming about go-karts.<br />

Pondering my son’s charmed life as I snuck an extra-large<br />

piece of cake while safely out of view, a thought bubbled<br />

up in my mind… 3 is the new 23. At 23, I was just about<br />

a year into my first full-time job after graduating from<br />

college, which meant I finally had the means to indulge my<br />

own childhood fantasies. I didn’t buy myself a go-kart, but I<br />

definitely walked out of Best Buy with a new 42-inch plasma<br />

screen and signed up for the HD package with DVR as soon<br />

as that first paycheck cleared.<br />

My son has never known life in standard def. He drives a gokart<br />

to the park. His favorite toy is also my favorite toy — an<br />

$800 iPad. You see, 3 is the new 23. After finishing my cake,<br />

I came up with a few more examples…<br />

Baby Foodie<br />

Had it not been for my cousin, who now takes me elk<br />

hunting against his better judgement, the only red meat I<br />

would have known growing up would’ve been beef. Macklin,<br />

2 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com<br />

on the other hand, has been developing a discerning palette<br />

since the day his first teeth started coming in. He already<br />

knows what venison tastes like, along with elk, shrimp,<br />

salmon, walleye, crab, scallops, antelope, pheasant, etc. I<br />

was in my mid-20s before I even knew what a scallop was,<br />

let alone how gross they are.<br />

Junior Outdoorsman<br />

Mack was barely two months old when he experienced<br />

his first legitimate road trip (and still hadn’t celebrated a<br />

birthday before he spent his first night sleeping in a tent).<br />

Now, by age 3, he’s an accomplished camper who loves to<br />

fish, hike, swim in the lake and touch everything he can<br />

reach without hint of fear. Come winter, it’ll be season two<br />

of riding his very own snowmobile across the frozen lake<br />

at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Before the end of this summer,<br />

we’re heading to the mountains of Colorado to not only see<br />

the Rockies, but also to bring Mack to his first live concert…<br />

yep, at Red Rocks. What a time to be a 3-year-old.<br />

Fitness Bro<br />

Mack’s latest favorite breakfast is a children’s protein<br />

shake. It’s true. <strong>The</strong> body shaming starts early nowadays.<br />

Reading the ingredients, his shake is not that different<br />

than the ones I occasionally mix up after the gym. He’s not<br />

working on bulking up or optimizing his metabolism. He<br />

just likes doing whatever I do... and I’m guessing he likes<br />

the chocolate flavor and the fact that he gets to drink a<br />

“shake” for breakfast. After a rousing hour of Jazzercise in<br />

the basement on Saturday mornings, my mom would mix<br />

up a shake of some sort, but I don’t remember ever getting<br />

a taste. Mack has his own Blender Bottle.<br />

Style<br />

If I were to die tomorrow, whoever gets stuck writing my<br />

eulogy won’t be reminiscing about my great wardrobe and<br />

natural style. Mack, on the other hand, rocks a hot pink<br />

speedo like some sort of tiny French fashionista confidently<br />

strutting down the Riviera. When he was 2, he had flowing<br />

curls long enough to put into a ponytail. He had a man<br />

bun before he was potty trained. Honestly, I think he<br />

currently owns more pairs of shoes than I do.<br />

Sure, Mack has things like global warming, that new<br />

tax form and the potential of living through WWIII to<br />

worry about, too, but it’s hard not to be envious of the<br />

opportunities provided to him... as well as his natural<br />

instincts that must come from his mother’s side. •


urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 3


Contents<br />

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER <strong>2018</strong><br />

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 2<br />

2<br />

FATHERS / MR. FULL-TIME DAD<br />

3 IS THE NEW 23<br />

6<br />

FARGO-MOORHEAD TRAILBUILDERS<br />

GETTING BACK INTO NATURE<br />

10<br />

HAVING A BEER WITH<br />

THE FOUNDERS OF DREKKER<br />

BREWING COMPANY<br />

14<br />

UNITING THE COMMUNITY<br />

VETERAN, MUSICIAN, ADVOCATE: TOM HILL<br />

18<br />

ON THE COVER: WIL DORT<br />

FROM HAITI TO HAIRCUTS<br />

EX-CON TURNS LIFE AROUND TO OPEN<br />

SKILL CUTZ BARBERSHOP<br />

24<br />

THE UNTAMED HEART AND ART OF<br />

CHAINSAW DAVE<br />

28<br />

FALL LAWN CARE<br />

PREPARE FOR WINTER WITH THESE<br />

5 FALL LAWN CARE TIPS<br />

30<br />

LOCAL HERO<br />

PATRIOT ASSISTANCE DOGS<br />

OFFERS HOPE AND HELP FOR DOGS<br />

AND VETS<br />

4 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


PUBLISHED BY<br />

Urban Toad Media LLP<br />

www.urbantoadmedia.com<br />

OWNER / PHOTOGRAPHER<br />

Darren Losee<br />

darren@urbantoadmedia.com<br />

OWNER / GRAPHIC DESIGNER<br />

Dawn Siewert<br />

dawn@urbantoadmedia.com<br />

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS<br />

Meghan Feir<br />

Alexandra Floersch<br />

Brittney <strong>Good</strong>man<br />

Ben Hanson<br />

Katie Jenison<br />

Krissy Ness<br />

Danielle Teigen<br />

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER<br />

MJoy Photography<br />

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES<br />

Beth Reich / beth@urbantoadmedia.com<br />

READ A PAST ISSUE<br />

issuu.com/thegoodlifemensmag<br />

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK<br />

facebook.com/urbantoadmedia<br />

FOLLOW US TWITTER<br />

@urbantoadmedia<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong> Men’s Magazine is distributed six times<br />

a year by Urban Toad Media LLP. Material may not be<br />

reproduced without permission. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong> Men’s<br />

Magazine accepts no liability for reader dissatisfaction<br />

arising from content in this publication. <strong>The</strong> opinions<br />

expressed, or advice given, are the views of individual<br />

writers or advertisers and do not necessarily represent<br />

the views or policies of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong> Men’s Magazine.<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 5


6 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


When riding<br />

these paths you can<br />

see the enjoyment on<br />

people's faces,<br />

and it is definitely<br />

a workout.<br />

WRITTEN BY: KRISSY NESS<br />

PHOTOS BY: MJOY PHOTOGRAPHY<br />

Since late 2009 members of the Fargo-<br />

Moorhead Trailbuilders have been<br />

successfully creating and maintaining<br />

mountain bike trails in the FM area. It became<br />

a nonprofit in early 2014 and is made up of<br />

avid bikers who volunteer their time to ensure<br />

safe and accessible trails. “<strong>The</strong>re’s probably<br />

close to 10 people who are really active with the<br />

organization and at least another dozen to two<br />

dozen helping out and pitching in,” said Tom<br />

Heilman, Vice President of FM Trailbuilders.<br />

After graduating college at NDSU and moving<br />

to Denver for his first job, Heilman picked up<br />

mountain biking and fell in love with it. After<br />

some time he moved back to Fargo and quickly<br />

realized there wasn’t a lot of access to riding.<br />

“Through meeting some people in the community...<br />

we started coming up with some random ideas<br />

and one of the first spots was in North Moorhead,<br />

MB Johnson Park,” said Heilman. “It was a pretty<br />

rough trail and we went through and wacked some<br />

weeds and created a real hodgepodge trail, it was<br />

pretty self-serving and it just gave four or five of us<br />

access to go ride in a loop.”<br />

After they found some success with this trail, it was<br />

decided that they should clear it with the city to be<br />

on the up and up and also with the community. “It<br />

was a growing sport. It still is. It is something people<br />

want to have access to,” said Heilman. “So, we got<br />

a little more serious formed a little organization and<br />

came up with a name, Fargo-Moorhead Trailbuilders,<br />

and came up with a logo through a friend who did<br />

some of that stuff. <strong>The</strong>n met with the director of park<br />

and recreation of Moorhead at the time and they were<br />

right on board with us from the get-go. <strong>The</strong>y have been<br />

outstanding to work with.”<br />

Since building a trail in MB Johnson they have added<br />

trails in Gooseberry Park and Horn Park in Moorhead,<br />

and on the Fargo side, there are formal trails at Iwen<br />

Park, totaling over 11 miles.<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 7


It is just<br />

a great way to get out<br />

into nature and get<br />

some exercise at a<br />

faster pace than<br />

hiking or jogging.<br />

If you hop over to their website, www.<br />

fmtrailbuilders.org, you will be able to do a<br />

multitude of things, from checking the trail<br />

conditions to donating money or time to help<br />

maintain the trails. <strong>The</strong>y partner with Trailforks<br />

to give a detailed layout of every trail and the<br />

condition it is in on any given day. It also shows<br />

experience levels of each trail, which can be<br />

helpful, especially on days when the kids are with.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re is no age limit when it comes to riding these<br />

trails, but please remember to travel at your own<br />

speed and experience level. Also, making sure your<br />

bike is in working order and always wear a helmet.<br />

When biking on these trails pay attention to the<br />

markers so you are aware of what direction you<br />

should be traveling, most of these trails are designed<br />

to be ridden counter-clockwise.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se trails are also seasonal, as long as you have<br />

the proper tires <strong>–</strong> Fat Tires, which are four to fiveinch<br />

tires made especially for winter biking. Through<br />

generous donation and donated times there is also a<br />

groomer that goes out and packs the trails down in the<br />

winter so these trails can be used all year.<br />

Along with casual mountain biking, these trails also<br />

host events and races, though they are not directly<br />

connected to the FM Trailbuilders. This year 13 high<br />

school students have signed up to participate in a<br />

league, which is a great addition to activities that are<br />

being held in Fargo-Moorhead.<br />

“FM Trailbuilders isn’t about racing, it is about building<br />

and developing trails, the racing and events are just<br />

things to get people out to have fun and celebrate the<br />

fact that we have some trails,” said Heilman. “It’s grown<br />

tremendously, we’ve got the right people in place; the<br />

right volunteers. This last three years it has been really<br />

impressive to see the number of people who have reached<br />

8 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


out, not only to help, but the faces we are seeing out on the<br />

trails are almost always new.”<br />

When riding these paths you can see the enjoyment<br />

on people’s faces, and it is definitely a workout. I would<br />

recommend this to any and all of my friends who are active<br />

in the community, it is just a great way to get out into<br />

nature and get some exercise at a faster pace than hiking<br />

or jogging.<br />

“When this was all just beginning and it was a group of<br />

three or four guys and some sticks and a shovel, it was all<br />

people we knew, and now it is to the point where when I<br />

go out onto a trail it’s the other way around,” said Heilman.<br />

How exciting it is to see something start so small and<br />

develop into a sport that so many people in Fargo were<br />

clearly looking for.<br />

“<strong>The</strong> organization’s volunteers, board, and user base come<br />

from all types of backgrounds. Financial, legal, medical,<br />

engineering, construction, you name it. I think we have it<br />

represented, which is also a great indication that it’s not<br />

an exclusive activity. In fact, I think it’s probably the most<br />

open group of people in any sport I’ve ever been associated<br />

with,” said Heilman.<br />

Everyone involved with FM Trailbuilders is a volunteer;<br />

no one is being paid, which shows the dedication to this<br />

sport and organization. If you enjoy the trails or want to<br />

donate your time to help maintain the trails hop over to<br />

their Facebook page or website and get signed up, every<br />

little bit helps.<br />

“It is an activity people can do their whole life and it can<br />

be just for fun, it doesn’t have to be racing,” said Heilman. •<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 9


HAVING A BEER WITH | DREKKER BREWING<br />

WRITTEN BY: MEGHAN FEIR • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />

HAVING A BEER WITH THE FOUNDERS OF<br />

DREKKER<br />

BREWING COMPANY<br />

What goes into a bottle (or a can)<br />

of beer? For the founding fathers of<br />

Drekker Brewing Company, all the<br />

risks and hard work has been worth<br />

it when they see the community they<br />

love come together over a brew.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se lifelong friends — Mark<br />

Bjornstad, Jesse Feigum, Mason<br />

Montplaisir and Darin Montplaisir —<br />

eventually shared the same affinity<br />

for beer making. After brewing out<br />

of Bjornstad’s garage for a few years,<br />

their hobby soon transformed into<br />

something greater. Friends of friends<br />

became fans of their craft, and their<br />

desire to start a business grew along<br />

with their following.<br />

Since <strong>October</strong> of 2014, Drekker has<br />

had a presence in downtown Fargo,<br />

but for our interview, we sat in the<br />

bones of their latest endeavor: a<br />

beautiful monstrosity of a building<br />

just off 1st Avenue in Fargo that<br />

hasn’t been occupied since the ‘60s.<br />

We talked about the friends’ history<br />

and even dug up some tidbits they<br />

didn’t know about each other, a feat<br />

none of them thought was possible.<br />

Read on to discover more about some<br />

of Fargo’s most beloved hometown<br />

brewers.<br />

DREKKER = a combination of Old Norse words:<br />

drekka - to drink / drykkr - a draft drink / drakkar - a Viking dragon ship<br />

10 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


MARK BJORNSTAD<br />

Hometown: Fargo<br />

Day job: Anesthetist at Sanford<br />

Position at Drekker: Captain of the Drekker Ship and Scientist<br />

Behind the Beer<br />

<strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong>: Why Drekker? Where does the name come from?<br />

Mark Bjornstad: We love this area, the Norse culture and<br />

Scandinavian heritage, so we wanted something that would echo<br />

that and tie into the fabric of this community, like the Hjemkomst<br />

ship. It’s a drakkar — a Viking dragon ship. It’s what they took<br />

into battle. A year after we opened we had a group come in from<br />

Iceland and they loved the brewery. <strong>The</strong>y kept saying how cool the<br />

name was, and we were like, “Yeah, it’s the Viking ship and means<br />

‘to drink.’” <strong>The</strong>y were like, “No, it’s the Icelandic slang term to go<br />

out and share a pint and go out with your friends.” That’s really<br />

kind of kismet because we say our mission is that beer is our<br />

craft, but Drekker is a lot more than the contents of the glass. It’s<br />

about those glasses getting raised together.<br />

GL: What is something even your Drekker family doesn’t know<br />

about you?<br />

MB: One summer, when I was a kid, I made bolo ties and sold<br />

them.<br />

GL: That was so much better of an answer than what I was<br />

expecting.<br />

MB: My grandpa bought one.<br />

GL: If you ever start that as a side business again, I will buy one<br />

for my boyfriend.<br />

JESSE FEIGUM<br />

Hometown: Barnesville<br />

Position at Drekker: Head of Nerdery (manages anything that<br />

beeps and boops), Logo Enlargement Specialist<br />

GL: How did you know you wanted to start Drekker and what was<br />

the process like?<br />

JF: We kind of all got into brewing and became obsessed with that<br />

around the same time. It just seemed like the natural progression<br />

of things. We felt like if we didn’t do this, we’d kick ourselves for<br />

the rest of our lives.<br />

GL: What is the secret to having a good beard?<br />

JF: Don’t shave, no matter what others tell you.<br />

GL: How about being a man?<br />

JF: It helps, but it’s not entirely necessary. Don’t shave. Use<br />

conditioner — lots of it.<br />

GL: Does the humidity affect it?<br />

JF: Probably. Having a wife that likes it helps a lot. If you spend<br />

too much time worrying about your beard you’re going to overdo<br />

it. And go to a barber and get it trimmed every once in awhile.<br />

GL: What is one thing your Drekker family doesn’t even know<br />

about you?<br />

JF: I did not make bolo ties. When I was in second grade I wanted<br />

to start a business making rubber band guns. I made like 50 of<br />

them. <strong>The</strong>y probably got thrown away. It was a short phase, but<br />

for about a week there, my plan to take over the world involved<br />

rubber band guns.<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 11


HAVING A BEER WITH | DREKKER BREWING<br />

DARIN MONTPLAISIR<br />

Hometown: Moorhead<br />

Position at Drekker: Head Brewer, Yeast Wrangler and Master of<br />

Janitorial Arts<br />

Cousin: Mason<br />

GL: What’s the best combination of food and beer?<br />

DM: A perfectly done steak with an IPA — but then again, the<br />

child in the back of my head is thinking of a chocolate ice cream<br />

paired with a stout at the end. That’s really all I’m looking for. Any<br />

of our chocolate-flavored beers paired with a dessert is the finale<br />

at the end and my favorite.<br />

GL: What is your favorite kind of beer, though.<br />

DM: Stop it.<br />

GL: Sorry.<br />

DM: I think the darker, wintrier beers. <strong>The</strong>y can go in so many<br />

directions. <strong>The</strong>y can be really thick, they can be big and chocolaty,<br />

and you can take the same beer and barrel age it and it turns into<br />

something completely different. I think I like those the best, the<br />

dessert-style beers.<br />

GL: Was it freaky to break away from your old job and start this<br />

new venture?<br />

DM: It still is. Every day is a wonderful combination of excitement<br />

and tons of fear. It’s this confused feeling. I walked away from<br />

something I was very confident in and good at into something<br />

I had to figure out on the fly. Every time we feel like we’re just<br />

getting comfortable, something else happens, like building this<br />

place. I have not felt comfortable for even a second, but I think<br />

that’s a good thing.<br />

MASON MONTPLAISIR<br />

Hometown: Moorhead<br />

Position at Drekker: Schmengineer, Chief of Hipster Relations<br />

Cousin: Darin<br />

GL: What’s a schmengineer?<br />

MM: I graduated with an engineering degree and I was an<br />

engineer before this. Now I’m just a schmengineer. Jesse kept<br />

making it as a password for me and I could never spell it.<br />

GL: Why do you like beer so much?<br />

MM: It’s so versatile. You can do so many different things and<br />

reach so many people with beer. You can find a beer for anybody.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re are thousands of recipes, and you can add anything you<br />

can think of to beer. <strong>The</strong>re will never be one beer that’s the same.<br />

12 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com<br />

GL: Do you have any unusual hobbies, like making beer-scented<br />

candles?<br />

MM: We don’t have time for hobbies. I used to juggle really well. I<br />

honestly like to dance.<br />

GL: What kind of dancing?<br />

MM: Swing dance. Schwing dance. Schmengineering schwing<br />

dance.<br />

GL: Other than schwing dancing, what other dances do you like?<br />

MM: Is the worm a dance because I like to do the worm.<br />

GL: It is. Any schalsa?<br />

MM: <strong>The</strong> schwaltz.


What does living<br />

the good life<br />

mean to you?<br />

• • •<br />

It’s going out and<br />

being able to share<br />

your crafts and being<br />

proud of what you do.<br />

<strong>The</strong> best part of this for<br />

me is sharing what I<br />

love to do with people.<br />

<strong>–</strong> Mason Montplaisir<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 13


UNITING THE COMMUNITY<br />

Veteran, Musician, Advocate: Tom Hill<br />

WRITTEN BY: BRITTNEY GOODMAN<br />

PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />

Tom Hill, Director of Community Impact for United Way<br />

of Cass-Clay (UWCC) is a military veteran and musician<br />

who is living his calling of helping others and improving<br />

our community.<br />

Hill grew up in Bismarck, where his parents still reside in<br />

his childhood home.<br />

After high school, in 2000, Hill joined the Army, with<br />

basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri: “I joined<br />

the Army because I wanted to be a part of something<br />

bigger than me. I wanted adventure, travel and to have<br />

experiences I would otherwise not be able to have. I also<br />

liked the idea of duty and service.”<br />

Hill served as a combat engineer and his first duty<br />

station was at Camp Howze, a couple of miles south<br />

of the demilitarized zone in South Korea.<br />

Hill joined the North Dakota National Guard<br />

in early 2003. As part of a humanitarian<br />

peacekeeping mission in Bosnia from July<br />

2003 <strong>–</strong> April 2004, he monitored the clearing<br />

of minefields to ensure the application of<br />

humanitarian standards so that the cleared<br />

areas would be safe for civilian use.<br />

“One of the coolest experiences in my life<br />

was with the Bosnian minefields. This<br />

minefield was as large as a football field,<br />

taped off into lanes. <strong>The</strong> people clearing<br />

it used a yardstick and went centimeter<br />

by centimeter to test for mines. We<br />

stood with them. After one minefield<br />

was cleared, I witnessed a farmer<br />

bringing his sheep onto the cleared,<br />

former minefield. Something that<br />

was created in hate and anger and<br />

now, a decade later, it is a farm. It<br />

was like the minefield was never<br />

there. <strong>The</strong> farmer had an occupation<br />

again.” He added, “Being able to see<br />

that and know I was a part of doing<br />

something good gave me a sense<br />

of pride.”<br />

14 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


"Volunteering,<br />

studying abroad and<br />

the military gave me<br />

an understanding<br />

of the differences in<br />

people, and what<br />

unites us. Being able to<br />

make a difference and<br />

form partnerships is<br />

important.”<br />

<strong>–</strong> Tom Hill<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 15


"Our community is not too<br />

big, not too small. It is the<br />

right size. It is becoming more<br />

and more of a progressive<br />

community. I like seeing that<br />

and being a part of that."<br />

<strong>–</strong> Tom Hill<br />

After the military, Hill attended<br />

Minnesota State University Moorhead<br />

(MSUM) on the GI Bill, earning his<br />

bachelor’s in Communication Studies<br />

and Spanish in 2008. While at MSUM,<br />

he studied abroad in Mexico: “I love<br />

Latin American history and Pre-<br />

Columbian civilization. Mayan and<br />

Aztec history and their astronomy,<br />

engineering, and architecture<br />

fascinates me.”<br />

Post-graduation, Hill volunteered for<br />

a study abroad 4-month experience to<br />

Peru. He taught English to children<br />

from 5 to 17 years of age. <strong>The</strong> poverty<br />

he witnessed touched and galvanized<br />

him to do more than teach English.<br />

<strong>The</strong> lesson plan “went out the<br />

window” and Hill focused on being<br />

a caring and positive influence. <strong>The</strong>y<br />

played soccer, went to the zoo and<br />

made and ate food together.<br />

After Peru, he knew he wanted to work<br />

to help people. His new position at<br />

United Way of Cass-Clay in 2008 was<br />

a perfect fit. Starting out managing<br />

the School Supply Drive and Day of<br />

16 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com<br />

Caring for senior citizens, Hill worked<br />

his way to the Director of Community<br />

Impact where he now manages<br />

external investment strategies: “the<br />

process of strategically investing<br />

the money we raise back in the<br />

community.”<br />

<strong>Life</strong> experience prepared him to be<br />

effective in his work: “Volunteering,<br />

studying abroad and the military<br />

gave me an understanding of the<br />

differences in people, and what unites<br />

us. Being able to make a difference<br />

and form partnerships is important.”<br />

At UWCC, Hill said, “we work to<br />

understand the greatest needs in our<br />

community. We examine local data<br />

and national trends in areas of need<br />

such as child care, homelessness,<br />

workforce development, mental<br />

health. etc. How do these trends apply<br />

here? <strong>The</strong>n we mobilize individuals <strong>–</strong><br />

we get the right people at the table <strong>–</strong><br />

to form a strategy to reach a solution<br />

to the problem. <strong>The</strong>n we measure to<br />

see if what we are doing is working,<br />

and invest resources to do more.”<br />

Improving early childhood education<br />

is one passion: “<strong>The</strong>re is a ton of<br />

research about the importance of<br />

early childhood education and quality<br />

child care. When someone thinks<br />

investing in children now won’t show<br />

an impact for twenty years, they are<br />

wrong. It makes a difference. Children<br />

from third grade on need to read<br />

in order to learn. What we invest in<br />

early childhood will make them better<br />

prepared socially, emotionally and<br />

academically. Studies show young<br />

children who receive quality education<br />

and child care are less involved with<br />

juvenile justice and incarcerations.<br />

Child care is a fundamental thing that<br />

we all should care about.”<br />

Hill used this metaphor for bettering<br />

young children: “When is the best time<br />

to plant a tree? 15 years ago. We need<br />

to plant the trees now.”<br />

Hill is devoted to his wife Linny; their<br />

four-month-old son, Shepherd; and<br />

their dog, cats, chickens and soon,<br />

ducks. He loves Fargo-Moorhead:<br />

“Our community is not too big, not too


small. It is the right size. It is becoming more and<br />

more of a progressive community. I like seeing that<br />

and being a part of that.”<br />

Hill also enjoys playing drums in the band, Go<br />

Murphy: “Some people play golf, I play in a band,”<br />

finding it “an honest way of conveying emotions.”<br />

“<strong>The</strong> good life” means this to Hill: “It is my wife, my<br />

son, my pets, my band and my work. I love what I do<br />

and where I am at. I sometimes think I don’t deserve<br />

what I have. It is staying grounded <strong>–</strong> realizing what<br />

I have, being humble and using my talents to help<br />

others. I’m a lucky person with a lot of great people<br />

in my life. I’ve had love and support and if I can give<br />

some of that back, great.” •<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 17


ON THE COVER | WIL DORT<br />

18 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


Wil Dort<br />

From Haiti to Haircuts<br />

WRITTEN BY: ALEXANDRA FLOERSCH<br />

PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />

It’s the story of a childhood right out of a TV commercial,<br />

pleading “Feed the children,” “Donate just 63 cents a day”<br />

or “You can shine bright in the toughest places to be a child.”<br />

No electricity. A hilly, exhausting walk to school. And each<br />

day came without a guarantee of his next meal.<br />

Wil Dort, 33, was born into this life in Haiti.<br />

Now the co-owner of Skill Cutz in Fargo, Dort recalls<br />

his early years without the amenities of modern,<br />

American living. He and his siblings grew up living<br />

with his grandma in the countryside, because his<br />

mother moved to the city to start a business in<br />

hopes of supporting the family.<br />

“My life, it was very different than what you see<br />

here,” Dort recalled.<br />

At just 4 or 5 years old, he would wake up at 6<br />

a.m. to check on and feed the chickens, cows and<br />

pigs and make himself a little breakfast <strong>–</strong> whatever<br />

he could find <strong>–</strong> all before going to school.<br />

“If you’re blessed enough where they serve lunch that<br />

day, you’ll get a lunch,” he explained. “(Lunch) wasn’t<br />

every day. It could be breakfast to dinner. You’d be blessed<br />

to get a snack in between.”<br />

Typically, the schools were funded through missionaries,<br />

but now and then the pantry would get robbed.<br />

“Times get hard and people look for a way out,” Dort said.<br />

“We got a small allowance <strong>–</strong> maybe 50 cents or $1 for the<br />

week at the most. I could never budget so I’d use that to eat<br />

Monday and Tuesday, then it was gone.”<br />

Living a 45-minute walk away from the closest river, just<br />

getting drinking water came with its challenges.<br />

“<strong>The</strong> same place the animals were drinking <strong>–</strong> that’s where<br />

we had to drink, too,” Dort said. His trek to school looked<br />

similar <strong>–</strong> two hours each way.<br />

“It wasn’t flat. You have to cross like two rivers and climb<br />

a mountain. It was quite the journey,” he recalled, able to<br />

chuckle about it now. “We were considered better off and<br />

more fortunate than most. As a kid, you’d never experienced<br />

anything different. That was the norm.”<br />

A Step Below Heaven<br />

Early on, Dort recognized the common goal shared by all<br />

Haitians.<br />

“<strong>The</strong>re’s 10 million people over there and everyone’s hoping<br />

and dreaming to make it to America. Heaven is here,” he<br />

said, setting the bar with his hand. “And America is here <strong>–</strong><br />

right below heaven.”<br />

For Dort and his family, that dream would eventually<br />

become a reality.<br />

His father made the trek in 1994. He couldn’t read or write,<br />

but he learned how to sign his name on the way to America.<br />

Working for $5 to $6 an hour at Federal Beef in Fargo, little<br />

by little he’d send money home.<br />

“Unfortunately, he got us here on November 5, 1997 and<br />

then he passed away the fall of 2000,” Dort said. “That<br />

really took a toll on all of us. If he didn’t make the sacrifice,<br />

we would have never made it here.”<br />

Ex-Con Turns <strong>Life</strong> Around<br />

to Open Skill Cutz Barbershop<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 19


ON THE COVER | WIL DORT<br />

"<strong>The</strong> home i grew up in.<br />

Family of six - makes me<br />

realize how blessed i am<br />

today." - Wil Dort<br />

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: WIL DORT<br />

Finding His Wings<br />

After his father died, Dort began testing his boundaries. He<br />

attended Fargo North but flunked his senior year.<br />

“I was rebelling against my mom who was trying to raise<br />

me as a man,” he said. “<strong>The</strong> things she was saying <strong>–</strong> I know<br />

now were good for me <strong>–</strong> I didn’t follow.”<br />

At 18, he moved out and was introduced to temptations he<br />

couldn’t resist. What started with marijuana and alcohol<br />

eventually escalated.<br />

“It was a crazy, out-of-control spin in my life <strong>–</strong> just using,<br />

abusing and selling drugs,” he said. “It wasn’t long after that<br />

I found myself on the streets. I was evicted and didn’t have<br />

a place to sleep.”<br />

From 2004 to the winter of 2005, Dort lived on his buddy’s<br />

trailer floor until an informant eventually busted him for<br />

selling methamphetamine. In the middle of the chaos,<br />

something told him to go to New York where his stepbrother<br />

lived. He shoved his clothes into a black, plastic bag,<br />

left his apartment and car to a buddy and told his girlfriend<br />

he was moving.<br />

After successfully quitting drugs cold<br />

turkey in New York, Dort bounced<br />

back to his old ways when he<br />

returned to North Dakota in 2006.<br />

With the chill of winter came a<br />

shocking phone call from his<br />

brother, asking "What are you<br />

doing in Fargo's Most Wanted?”<br />

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: WIL DORT<br />

WIL AND HIS WIFE MBANG<br />

20 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


As it turns out, two years prior his roommate had<br />

taken his sister’s car, gotten drunk, crashed<br />

it and left the scene of the crime. Law<br />

enforcement traced it back to Dort’s<br />

mother’s house and caught his<br />

friend red-handed. Because of<br />

his previous record, the friend<br />

gave Dort’s name as his own.<br />

For whatever reason, Dort allowed it,<br />

paid the fees, performed community service and went to<br />

alcohol evaluation. Just when he thought he had paid his<br />

(friend’s) dues, he was pulled over on his 20th birthday and<br />

arrested on a warrant for a hit and run <strong>–</strong> dating back to the<br />

original incident.<br />

"I spent three to four days in jail,” Dort said. “Where was<br />

the friend who was supposed to bail me out? Nowhere to<br />

be found.”<br />

Thankfully, his girlfriend at the time, Mb (short for Mbang),<br />

came to the rescue. His future bride knew he was struggling<br />

and living on the street, but she never knew the full extent<br />

of his story.<br />

“I ended up telling her everything. I feel like God was<br />

preparing me by clearing the air of everything I did," he said.<br />

"I think it helped me keep her. Because she didn't know the<br />

person that was about to come out.”<br />

Pedaling Toward Success<br />

Even in Haiti, Dort started cutting hair at just 8 or 9 years<br />

old, so when he was looking for change, Mb helped him<br />

take the next step.<br />

"Man, she's an angel,” he said. “She got me into barber<br />

school.”<br />

Throughout school, he was still attending court for his<br />

charges. One day, he left school and didn’t return.<br />

Unbenounced to him, Dort’s lawyer showed up late to court<br />

to inform him of the plea deal he had accepted without<br />

Dort’s knowledge on his behalf. He was sentenced to nine<br />

months in jail and was booked that day.<br />

Worse yet? As a convicted felon, his financial aid would be<br />

cut off.<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 21


ON THE COVER | WIL DORT<br />

Thankfully, during his sentence, Dort was introduced to a program called the Jail<br />

Chaplains Association. In Haiti, his dad was a voodoo priest and Dort attended church<br />

stubbornly in Fargo as a kid, but never really found his faith.<br />

"I knew I wanted to change. I felt like (Mb) was an angel and I was a demon,” he said.<br />

"I believe God put us together. <strong>The</strong> things that I put her through <strong>–</strong> to stick with me <strong>–</strong> I<br />

believe only in Christ you find that kind of love.”<br />

By the grace of God, a man looking to open a barber shop asked Dort to work for him.<br />

However, without his license, Dort wouldn’t have been qualified… that is, until the man<br />

offered to pay for his education.<br />

"When you start doing the right things, the right things start to happen,” Dort<br />

said. “I had to put my faith into action and my life started changing.”<br />

Thankfully, he was granted school release and able to continue his<br />

studies. But with no other means of transportation, Dort was forced<br />

to ride his cellmate’s daughter’s purple bike from Cass County Jail to<br />

Moler Barber College in downtown Fargo. Sidewalks full of snow, it<br />

wasn’t an easy ride.<br />

"I kept telling myself, 'I'm riding toward success,’” Dort recalled.<br />

And little by little, his dreams grew larger. "I remember<br />

telling my cellies, ‘I'm going to open a barbershop.'<br />

22 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


One guy said, 'Yeah, everybody in here has a plan to do<br />

something with their life when they get out,'" he said.<br />

Released in July 2007, Dort graduated from barber school<br />

as the “First Black Barber in North Dakota.”<br />

Chasing One More Dream<br />

After a few years working for someone else, Dort and a<br />

friend decided to chase their dream and finally open a shop<br />

of their own. But with nothing in the bank, Dort didn’t know<br />

where to start. By another near miracle, his high school<br />

teacher offers to loan him the money to get started.<br />

Starting with just a $2,500 investment, Dort and his crew<br />

have since grown and expanded Skill Cutz, opening Skill<br />

Cutz Barber College in <strong>September</strong> 2017.<br />

Now, Dort and two other licensed instructors teach eight<br />

students from their mid-20s to mid-40s, having just<br />

celebrated the business’s 10th anniversary in August. Today,<br />

he and AJ co-own the barber shop and their older brother,<br />

Louima, has just enrolled in their barber college.<br />

"When you find your purpose in what you love to do, it makes<br />

(working) easier," he said. "Talking to and encouraging<br />

people, I find it fulfilling because you're changing a life <strong>–</strong><br />

you're saving a life."<br />

Rising Through the Smoke<br />

Looking back at his trials and tribulations, Dort is thankful<br />

for the struggles.<br />

"It's not impossible to get out,” he explained. “<strong>The</strong> room is<br />

like a smoke room. Where people are bouncing off the wall,<br />

there's a door. You gotta look for that door, and I believe my<br />

door is Christ. If you're looking for other things to get you<br />

out <strong>–</strong> drugs and all that stuff <strong>–</strong> it's only for a moment.”<br />

For those who find themselves drowning<br />

in similar situations, Dort offers this<br />

advice: "Don't make hard impossible…<br />

it's hard. That's the story that's painted<br />

on a lot of ghetto streets or even in tough<br />

Haitian neighborhoods,” he said. "<strong>The</strong> world<br />

might make you do five push-ups. <strong>The</strong> world<br />

might make me do 10. But if I continue to do<br />

my 10 while the other person does their five, I'll<br />

be stronger.”<br />

For Dort, the good life means “a Christcentered<br />

life with happiness and joy,"<br />

he said. "No matter what the world<br />

says about you, where you've been or<br />

how you start, it's all about where you go.<br />

It's about finding purpose and direction for<br />

your life." •<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 23


WRITTEN BY: BRITTNEY GOODMAN • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />

“I made my first wood<br />

sculpture when I was 15.<br />

I thought I could make a<br />

German Shepherd out of<br />

this log. I did it, although it<br />

probably looked more like<br />

a gargoyle, and I thought<br />

I had invented chainsaw<br />

sculpture!”<br />

24 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


<strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong> caught up with the lively, creative Dave Belling,<br />

“Chainsaw Dave,” to hear about his chainsaw wood and ice<br />

sculptures, his military service and philosophy of life.<br />

This Fargo and Erie, ND native, has created many ice and<br />

wood sculptures around the region. And, yes, he literally<br />

creates them using his chainsaw.<br />

A man with many stories, Belling’s trajectory moves from<br />

a North Dakota childhood to Marine Corps service in<br />

Afghanistan, to directing public works departments, and<br />

now, creating sculpture on his own terms.<br />

Belling said, “I made my first wood sculpture when I<br />

was 15. I thought I could make a German shepherd out<br />

of this log. I did it, although it probably looked more<br />

like a gargoyle, and I thought I had invented chainsaw<br />

sculpture!”<br />

Belling’s mother and father split when he was four<br />

years old: “I grew up between YMCA and <strong>The</strong> Ridge.”<br />

He dropped out of high school when he was 16 and<br />

worked for his family’s tree service business.<br />

Belling went into Marine Corps boot camp at San<br />

Diego, CA on August 27, 2007. Belling’s military<br />

service was in Afghanistan as a Corporal: “For the<br />

first six months, I was in a fire cell <strong>–</strong> fire support<br />

coordination center <strong>–</strong> where we would target<br />

individuals. <strong>The</strong> second six months we took the<br />

heartland from the Taliban.”<br />

He received a Navy/Marine Corps medal for building a<br />

compound by himself. He also appeared in the Marine<br />

Corps magazine.<br />

Belling then was a combat marksmanship<br />

coach at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot<br />

at Parris Island SC, teaching young recruits<br />

how to shoot effectively: “It was one of the<br />

best things that I have ever done. I guarantee<br />

that I decreased combat fatalities from<br />

training those kids. I would also tell them that<br />

with power comes great responsibility.”<br />

After returning from Afghanistan, he and his wife<br />

divorced: “I tore down my house and converted<br />

my garage into something like a camp.” Like many<br />

war veterans, he went into the woods for a “sense of<br />

security.” He continued, “I worked hard, and simply,<br />

then and sent all of my money to my ex-wife and<br />

daughter.” urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 25


Belling now wants to use his influence “in a more<br />

positive way.” Belling sees much potential in our<br />

children: “Our current system is alarmingly failing<br />

our children. As adults, it is each and every one of<br />

our obligation to make a positive impact on our youth.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y are our future. ”<br />

Belling wants to start a Chainsaw Dave’s Youth<br />

Camp to “put our energy into helping kids become<br />

good people: to let kids know they can be small<br />

business owners, they can be rock stars! Let me be<br />

your paradigm of hope. You do not have to follow<br />

the traditional path.” He envisions it as a 2-week<br />

boot camp and is looking for community partners or<br />

grants to help.<br />

Belling also worked in two different North Dakota<br />

towns in Public Works for three years. As head of<br />

the public works department in Stanley, Belling said<br />

he quit due to a “good old boys network.” But after<br />

leaving: “I knew it was time to pursue my art.”<br />

Before he left the position in Stanley, Belling had<br />

“promoted the eradication of Dutch Elm Disease<br />

by writing and receiving two $20,000 ‘America the<br />

Beautiful’ grants.” He described the second grant was<br />

“to replant flowering trees.” He added, “Sometime in<br />

the next ten years, I am going to go with daughter,<br />

Evelyn, on my chopper” and they will see the flowering<br />

trees that resulted from that planning.<br />

Of chainsaw art: “I had this undeniable magnetic pull<br />

to do it. But somehow, between my work, marriage<br />

and military, I always had to put it on the back burner.”<br />

He added, “Chainsaw art has been my vent to help me<br />

through PTSD and suicidal thoughts which a lot of<br />

veterans experience.”<br />

One of his favorite ice sculptures is one he created on the<br />

Veterans Memorial Bridge linking Fargo and Moorhead:<br />

“On one side there is a Marine struggling against a<br />

wall. And on the other side is a wife/mother and a child<br />

putting up a wall.” It reflected his personal experience.<br />

He added, “I want people to know that although I fought<br />

in the war, I am an ambassador for peace.”<br />

Another favorite was a guerrilla piece he did in front<br />

of Dempsey’s next to the painted bison. His friend,<br />

Brandon Yellowbird, modeled for an ice sculpture as a<br />

“proud Native American man two hundred years ago.”<br />

Belling froze an ice arrow to the bison.<br />

Belling is excited about his future. He and his partner<br />

are expecting twin boys this month <strong>–</strong> planning to name<br />

them Davidson Young Belling and Haakon Taylor<br />

Belling. <strong>The</strong>ir nickname is already “<strong>The</strong> Beastie Boys”:<br />

“<strong>The</strong> future of the free world lies in Evelyn, Davidson<br />

and Haakon’s hands.”<br />

As a next step, Belling wants to do a podcast “Confessions<br />

of a Chainsaw Artist: Chainsaw Dave Worldwide.”<br />

26 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


Belling is open for commissions of ice and wood<br />

sculpture, including weddings and any other special<br />

occasions. He especially wants to tackle larger<br />

sculptures.<br />

What does “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong>” mean to Belling? He<br />

unabashedly answered, “I did my fair share of trying<br />

to conform in school, the military, and more… trying<br />

to do things the way I<br />

was told. While I am<br />

thankful for those<br />

experiences, I know<br />

now that you need<br />

to follow your heart.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re is a compass<br />

inside of you. I feel<br />

like a cowboy. When<br />

I travel, I camp in<br />

people’s backyards and<br />

create sculptures.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re is much<br />

beauty in this<br />

life. <strong>The</strong>n I get<br />

to come back<br />

home to my<br />

‘Beastie Boys’<br />

sons and my<br />

daughter. I now<br />

listen to my<br />

heart.” •<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 27


fall<br />

LAWN CARE TIPS<br />

Prepare for Winter<br />

with <strong>The</strong>se 5 Fall<br />

Lawn Care Tips<br />

WRITTEN BY: KATIE JENISON<br />

Summer is coming to a close and soon sunny days at the lake will be replaced with<br />

cozy nights by the fire. Fall jackets will be pulled from storage, leaves will shift<br />

from green to vibrant shades of red and orange, and pumpkin spice everything<br />

will take over. Before you know it, it will be time to dust off your trusty shovel<br />

in anticipation of the first snowfall. Until then, it’s time to take advantage of<br />

the cool weather and get a head start on ensuring your lawn is healthy for the<br />

coming spring.<br />

Taking care of your lawn doesn’t have to be a lengthy or stressful process. By<br />

implementing these five simple tips, your lawn will be in excellent condition<br />

when the weather turns warm again. •<br />

1<br />

keep mowing<br />

As the weather cools and the grass stops its rapid growth,<br />

it might be tempting to put away the lawn mower for good.<br />

It may be surprising, but experts suggest continuing to<br />

mow throughout the fall. As fall draws to a close, drop the<br />

mower blade to its lowest setting for the final two mows.<br />

This will allow more sunlight to penetrate the crown of<br />

the grass and reduce the amount of grass that turns<br />

brown.<br />

2<br />

weed control<br />

Fall is when plants go into energy absorption mode,<br />

which makes it the perfect time to take a whack at<br />

weed control. By using weed killer in the mid-tolate<br />

fall, you can prevent weeds from returning<br />

in the spring. Most weed killers suggest using<br />

them while the temperature is still above 60<br />

degrees Fahrenheit, so be sure to check the<br />

directions when selecting a weed killer.<br />

3<br />

reseed<br />

Fall is also a wonderful time to fill any<br />

bare spots that may have accumulated<br />

over the summer. Most home and<br />

garden stores sell premixed bags<br />

28 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com


of grass seed, fertilizer, and mulch which takes the<br />

guesswork out of the process. Simply loosen the soil<br />

in the bare patch and spread an even layer of the mix<br />

on top. Lightly compact the soil to keep it from blowing<br />

away and give it a healthy amount of water. Keep watering<br />

every other day for two weeks to allow the grass seed to<br />

lay down roots.<br />

fertilize<br />

4<br />

Fertilizing the lawn goes hand in hand with treating weeds in<br />

the fall. While the grass blades grow slower, the roots continue<br />

to grow rapidly, making the fall the optimal time to fertilize!<br />

Applying a dry fertilizer in the mid-to-late fall allows the nutrients<br />

to penetrate more deeply and will give your lawn a healthy head<br />

start come spring.<br />

rake the leaves<br />

5<br />

Raking leaves can seem like an endless task each fall but taking the time<br />

to clean them up is going to benefit your lawn in the long run. Leaving<br />

a blanket of leaves on the ground causes them to become heavy and wet<br />

due to rain and morning dew. Not only does this make it harder to clean<br />

them up later, it can also suffocate the grass and cause fungal diseases that<br />

are detrimental to your lawn. To make the task easier rake leaves as they fall<br />

rather than waiting for a large pile to accumulate. •<br />

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 29


LOCAL HERO | PATRIOT ASSISTANCE DOGS<br />

A LIFE OF SERVICE<br />

PATRIOT ASSISTANCE DOGS OFFERS HOPE AND HELP<br />

FOR DOGS AND VETS<br />

HHad it not been for<br />

her daughter’s idea for<br />

a 4H project, Linda<br />

Wiedewitsch may<br />

never have ended up<br />

in the profession of<br />

training dogs to serve others.<br />

Twenty years ago, her daughter Laura<br />

wanted to raise a puppy to become a<br />

service dog for the blind. Soon after,<br />

her other daughter Jess decided to<br />

raise a service dog as well, and just<br />

like that, Wiedewitsch was “hopelessly<br />

hooked”, and the seeds for Patriot<br />

Assistance Dogs were planted.<br />

But she didn’t start right away.<br />

Wiedewitsch, who’s originally from<br />

Detroit Lakes, spent 31 years in law<br />

enforcement in Minnesota. After<br />

retiring in 2006, she decided to turn<br />

a hobby into a retirement job and<br />

opened Lucky Dog Boarding and<br />

Training Center.<br />

><br />

“I just love dogs, and I enjoy helping<br />

people learn about their dogs and how<br />

to handle their dogs,” she said.<br />

After opening the kennel, she received<br />

a request to assist with training<br />

a seizure alert dog. <strong>The</strong>n another<br />

request. <strong>The</strong>n another. One request<br />

involved training a service dog to assist<br />

a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder<br />

(PTSD) patient. She’s also assisted in<br />

training dogs for hearing, for children<br />

on the autism spectrum, mobility.<br />

WRITTEN BY: DANIELLE TEIGEN • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />

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“This organization is about<br />

rescuing dogs, training<br />

dogs and letting the dogs<br />

>rescue the veterans.”<br />

<strong>The</strong>n, requests came in for dogs trained to<br />

assist veterans.<br />

And Wiedewitsch realized that despite all the<br />

great agencies she’d built relationships with<br />

over the years, she had no contacts for that<br />

purpose.<br />

“I knew of no one to refer them to, but<br />

veterans certainly deserve our help,” she said.<br />

“<strong>The</strong>y fought for us and helped guarantee<br />

our freedom.”<br />

After doing some research, Wiedewitsch<br />

realized she was perfectly suited for the role.<br />

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LOCAL HERO | PATRIOT ASSISTANCE DOGS<br />

“I already knew the public access<br />

portion and the training,” she said. “It’s<br />

just a matter of teaching the dogs and<br />

giving them permission to respond to<br />

things they are already sensing.”<br />

In 2011, Patriot Assistance Dogs<br />

placed its first two dogs in December,<br />

with them earning their official service<br />

dog certification by the spring of 2012.<br />

PAD officially earned its 501(c)3 status<br />

in 2013. Since then, Patriot Assistance<br />

Dogs has trained 154 certified teams,<br />

which include the dog and its handler.<br />

A second chance<br />

Wiedewitsch explained that the PAD<br />

program offers dogs a second chance<br />

at a better life. Her kennel rents space<br />

to <strong>The</strong> Marshmallow Foundation<br />

which has pound contracts with several<br />

local cities. Cassi Ohman, the pound<br />

manager in Detroit Lakes, screens<br />

unclaimed animals to ascertain if<br />

they’d be a good fit for PAD. “She’s<br />

very good at scouting dogs for us,” she<br />

says.<br />

Another contact in Nebraska with<br />

Second Chance Pups keeps an eye<br />

out for ideal dogs for PAD. “We’ve<br />

had a dozen or more dogs from that<br />

(Nebraska) program,” she says.<br />

In addition, she works with the<br />

Marshmallow Foundation for the<br />

same reason - well behaved dogs that<br />

could live a better life.<br />

“That’s part of the magic of Patriot<br />

Assistance Dogs -- between 70 and 80<br />

percent of dogs we use as service dogs<br />

come from city pounds, reservation<br />

roundups, and surrenders.”<br />

Wiedewitsch says the remaining dogs<br />

come from reputable breeders.<br />

Training and temperament<br />

Wiedewitsch said the ideal dog for<br />

the program is about a year old <strong>–</strong><br />

puppies take too long to mature.<br />

Dogs older than four or five years<br />

can be set in some bad habits and<br />

won’t be able to serve quite as long.<br />

Once a dog is a program prospect, a<br />

complete medical workup evaluates<br />

the animal’s overall health. More<br />

important than its medical history is<br />

the dog’s temperament.<br />

“Many of the dogs that come through<br />

a rescue organization realize this is<br />

my chance at a better life; they don’t<br />

like scavenging or sleeping outside,”<br />

she explained. “We look for dogs that<br />

would rather be with people than<br />

><br />

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LINDA WIEDEWITSCH<br />

“I just love dogs, and I enjoy<br />

helping people learn about their<br />

dogs and how to handle their<br />

dogs.” <strong>–</strong> Linda Wiedewitsch,<br />

Patriot Assistance Dogs trainer<br />

>other dogs. When we look for those characteristics,<br />

things have turned out well.”<br />

In addition, the dog has to learn to be obedient in<br />

public and be tolerant of all the chaos associated with<br />

it. Wiedewitsch says part of the program involves<br />

training the dogs with firefighters, EMS personnel,<br />

ambulances, bus trips, and community events; it’s all<br />

part of understanding how the dog will behave when<br />

serving its human.<br />

Once the dog passes the medical and temperament<br />

test, the animal trains 6 to 9 months before meeting a<br />

veteran.<br />

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LOCAL HERO | PATRIOT ASSISTANCE DOGS<br />

A practical process<br />

For veterans seeking a service dog, the<br />

process starts with a basic application<br />

and an inquiry about the top three<br />

things a dog would need to do or help<br />

the person with. In order to comply<br />

with the American Disabilities Act,<br />

Wiedewitsch says the dog must be able<br />

to perform specific tasks to mitigate<br />

symptoms. For example, a dog can<br />

be trained to wake a veteran who<br />

experiences anxious dreams, she says.<br />

<strong>The</strong> dog is then trained to respond<br />

to its natural sensing of heart rate or<br />

respiration changes. Dogs can even<br />

sense adrenaline and blood pressure<br />

changes.<br />

“<strong>The</strong>y sense these changes before<br />

we as people are even aware they are<br />

happening,” Wiedewitsch says. <strong>The</strong>y<br />

can calm the veteran before a panic or<br />

anxiety attack actually occurs.<br />

Prior to acceptance, veterans have to<br />

provide information regarding their<br />

branch of service, dates of service<br />

and the terms of their separation from<br />

service, plus proof of treatment for<br />

mental health.<br />

“A dog is not the silver bullet,” she<br />

says. “A dog won’t cure everything.”<br />

That’s why the veteran has to supply<br />

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information about mental health<br />

treatment, and the provider needs to<br />

detail the diagnosis and how a service<br />

dog would be a good component of the<br />

treatment.<br />

Veterans also need to supply<br />

information about a veterinarian<br />

that would treat the dog. “We’re very<br />

particular about the care of dogs,”<br />

she says. “We require that the dog be<br />

maintained at a healthy weight, be<br />

checked regularly, vaccinated properly.<br />

This is the dog’s second shot at a good<br />

life for them, and it’s our responsibility<br />

to make sure the veteran will provide<br />

that.”<br />

Finally, the veteran provides a sponsor,<br />

a friend or relative who will check<br />

in regularly on the person and the<br />

animal. A sponsor agrees to keep PAD<br />

informed if unusual circumstances<br />

arise.<br />

Once in, a veteran undergoes a weeklong<br />

training class to determine which<br />

dog is the best fit. Trainers may think<br />

they know which dog is right for a<br />

veteran, but often the dog identifies its<br />

own veteran.<br />

“We as trainers have to sit back because<br />

the dogs don’t get it wrong,” she says.<br />

Down to business<br />

Training dogs to serve humans is a<br />

serious business, and every dog has<br />

to pass the Canine <strong>Good</strong> Citizen test,<br />

the final check in a 10-step program<br />

developed by the American Kennel<br />

Club.<br />

<strong>The</strong> dog also has to demonstrate its<br />

ability to perform the three tasks that<br />

will help mitigate the symptoms the<br />

veteran experience. Both evaluations<br />

are conducted by someone outside of<br />

PAD.<br />

Once the team has trained, the veteran<br />

and dog return home and spend a<br />

minimum of six weeks and a maximum<br />

of six months living together and<br />

acclimating to the new life.<br />

“Basically, we’re looking for whether<br />

the dog does at home what we have<br />

trained it to do,” she says.<br />

If the dog does, the team returns to<br />

perform a public access and skills test<br />

conducted by a master dog trainer<br />

PAD hires to certify the dog. After that,<br />

the team is on a two-year probation to<br />

make sure the dog remains healthy, a<br />

check possible due to the veterinarian<br />

submitting records of annual<br />

checkups. Only after those two years<br />

and no infractions does the veteran<br />

take full ownership of the dog.<br />

A life spent serving<br />

PAD wants to serve veterans, and<br />

the demand for trained service dogs<br />

is high. When the organization was<br />

first founded, it accepted veterans<br />

nationwide. Soon after, PAD shrunk<br />

its service footprint to make sure it<br />

could adequately serve the teams it<br />

was matching and training.<br />

Applications roll in consistently, and if<br />

the wait for an available class exceeds<br />

12 months, the organization will<br />

suspend processing applications to<br />

make sure veterans don’t have to wait<br />

too long to receive a service dog.<br />

PAD is a lean organization, with no<br />

full-time employees and only four part-


time employees who train, manage administrative tasks<br />

and track finances. <strong>The</strong> board of directors serves as a<br />

source of expertise and manpower, as the individuals<br />

often serve the organization during various training<br />

classes and events. Around 15 to 20 individuals regularly<br />

volunteer for PAD.<br />

When it comes to needs, like any nonprofit, PAD tries to<br />

maximize its budget as best as it can to continue serving<br />

veterans who need help from a trained animal. A qualified,<br />

experienced grant writer is needed, Wiedewitsch says, to<br />

seek other sources of funding for the organization.<br />

“This organization is about rescuing dogs, training dogs<br />

and letting the dogs rescue the veterans,” Wiedewitsch<br />

says. “It’s not about making money; it’s about rescuing<br />

dogs and rescuing veterans.”<br />

That’s what the good life is to Wiedewitsch - it’s giving<br />

a dog a new life, so it can, in return, give life back to a<br />

veteran.<br />

“We take these dogs who want to work and make sure<br />

they are medically sound and give them to veterans who<br />

came back to a society they protected and that they want<br />

to be a part of.”<br />

In addition to the daughters who initially inspired<br />

Wiedewitsch’s love of service dogs, she also cites her<br />

husband, Archie, as a major source of support and love.<br />

“I couldn’t do it without him,” she says. •<br />

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