The Good Life – November-December 2018
Featuring Sheriff Paul Laney. Local Hero - CHARISM, Having a Beer with Joel Heitkamp, Mr. Full-Time Dad and more in Fargo Moorhead's only men's magazine.
Featuring Sheriff Paul Laney. Local Hero - CHARISM, Having a Beer with Joel Heitkamp, Mr. Full-Time Dad and more in Fargo Moorhead's only men's magazine.
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NOVEMBER-DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong><br />
LOCAL HERO:<br />
CHARISM<br />
A COMMUNITY ANCHOR<br />
FOR KIDS & FAMILIES<br />
FATHERS<br />
THANKFUL FOR<br />
EVERY PHASE<br />
HAVING A BEER WITH<br />
JOEL HEITKAMP<br />
ASK 30 WOMEN<br />
WHAT IS THE MOST<br />
DISAPPOINTING GIFT<br />
YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?<br />
PAUL LANEY<br />
SERVICE BEFORE SELF<br />
SHERIFF LANEY PREPARES FOR LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT<br />
FREE TO A GOOD HOME
FATHERS | MR. FULL-TIME DAD<br />
WRITTEN BY: BEN HANSON<br />
N<br />
obody told me parenthood is a path toward<br />
enlightenment. <strong>The</strong>y told me it’s expensive,<br />
tiring and thankless. <strong>The</strong>re’s a bit of truth to<br />
both takes, but lately I’ve found myself inordinately<br />
delighted by the unpredictable antics of my three-yearold<br />
son, Macklin. Tomfoolery that would otherwise<br />
inspire madness has become the highlight of my days.<br />
I’m completely content with evenings spent lying<br />
facedown on a living room floor that hasn’t seen a<br />
vacuum in weeks, getting jumped on by a 40-pound<br />
toddler. It may not be your definition of enlightenment,<br />
but it’s as close as I’ve so far come to my own.<br />
As we approach the holiday season, starting with<br />
Thanksgiving, I can’t help but reflect on ‘<strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong><br />
<strong>Life</strong>’ I’m living. Each day of parenthood brings new<br />
revelations, but while playing the part of a doughy-soft<br />
crash pad for Macklin — future WWE star — a deep<br />
realization burst into my awareness. Or maybe it was a<br />
budding frontal lobe migraine caused by the repeated<br />
blows. Either way, the thought holds true: every phase<br />
of Mack’s young life somehow becomes my favorite.<br />
Again, it may just be a sign of cumulative brain damage<br />
and memory loss, but every shift in personality, every<br />
major or minor milestone achieved, every new<br />
word, step or stumble beguiles me. Is it possible<br />
to fall in love with potty training? To find beauty in<br />
bloodied knees? To embrace fits of tantramonious<br />
rage? Why yes, it is. It is the zen of parenting — loving<br />
your offspring so much, that (most) every moment<br />
blossoms into a cherished memory. A few examples...<br />
THE FIRST GIGGLE<br />
Looking down at a newborn in your arms is tough to<br />
beat. It’s a moment of purity, like looking out the front<br />
window to see winter’s first blanket of unblemished<br />
white snow greet the morning sun (unless you hate<br />
winter, of course). But that first giggle… ah, it’s life<br />
changing. A smile may be the first indication that your<br />
child recognizes you, but a giggle is the first time he<br />
really gets you. I’ve shared in thousands of giggles by<br />
this point, but each one is my favorite.<br />
CURIOUS ABOUT EVERYTHING<br />
Toddlers are as enlightened as any being out there.<br />
Why? Because they live completely in the moment.<br />
Everything is new and mysterious, and everything is<br />
capable of inspiring awe at a moment’s notice. If<br />
you go along for the<br />
journey with<br />
them, you get the chance to<br />
catch a whiff or two<br />
of second- h a n d<br />
awe. Every<br />
walk<br />
2 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
to the park is an adventure, an<br />
opportunity for him to discover<br />
something new… and, through his<br />
questioning everything around<br />
him, for me to rediscover that<br />
which once surely delighted<br />
me, too. Perhaps it’s an ego trip, but<br />
I love delivering answers to his many<br />
questions.<br />
EVEN POTTY TRAINING<br />
Yes, I even find ways to love this ongoing<br />
experience of potty training. It’s perhaps the<br />
longest phase yet, but oh so worthy of cherishing.<br />
Watching Macklin learn to take himself to the<br />
bathroom, even interrupting bathtime to do so,<br />
I’m witnessing him take a monumental step<br />
towards independence. Sure he misses a lot, but<br />
the pride on his face after a job sort of well done<br />
makes the lingering smell of stale urine almost<br />
bearable. Honestly, we’d all be a lot happier if we<br />
could manage to be as pleased with ourselves as<br />
Macklin is after pulling up a dry pair of undies.<br />
With each new phase, the challenges grow and<br />
intensify just as Mack does, but so do the rewards.<br />
As does my optimism. When Mack was an infant,<br />
I didn’t want anything to ever change. He was<br />
perfect. But then, he rolled over, looked up and<br />
smiled. Suddenly, I was in love with a whole new<br />
version of him and everything was newly perfect.<br />
It happens again and again and I’m thankful to be<br />
able to trust each new challenge will also present<br />
new gifts. It may not be true enlightenment, but<br />
I’m thankful for a son that makes me content in<br />
the moment, yet eager for the future. What a good<br />
life indeed. •<br />
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 3
CONTENTS VOLUME<br />
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong><br />
6 • ISSUE 3<br />
02 FATHERS / MR. FULL-TIME DAD<br />
THANKFUL FOR EVERY PHASE<br />
06 AWARD WINNING CUSTOM PAINTER<br />
MIKE WANNER<br />
12 HAVING A BEER WITH<br />
JOEL HEITKAMP<br />
16<br />
ASK 30 WOMEN<br />
WHAT IS THE MOST DISAPPOINTING<br />
GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?<br />
EIGHTEEN<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
PAUL LANEY<br />
SERVICE BEFORE SELF<br />
SHERIFF LANEY PREPARES<br />
FOR LIFE AFTER<br />
RETIREMENT<br />
27<br />
MANPOWER<br />
30<br />
LOCAL HERO<br />
CHARISM<br />
A COMMUNITY ANCHOR FOR<br />
KIDS AND FAMILIES<br />
4 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong> Men’s Magazine is distributed six times<br />
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urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 5
WRITTEN BY: KATIE JENISON • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />
Classic cars and hot rods<br />
aren’t new to the Fargo-<br />
Moorhead area thanks to<br />
clubs such as the Toppers<br />
Car Club, which established the first<br />
annual Toppers Car Show back in<br />
1953. <strong>The</strong> community has come<br />
a long way since then and custom<br />
cars, hot rods, and bikes are getting<br />
more love than ever before. Whether<br />
taking in the sights beautifully<br />
restored classic cars and hot rods<br />
line up from Sheyenne Street to<br />
Main Avenue or admiring them up<br />
6 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com<br />
close at Downtown Fargo’s Coffee<br />
& Cars, there’s no doubt classic car<br />
owners and motorcyclists are feeling<br />
the love.<br />
After putting all the work into<br />
restoring a car or bike, there’s only<br />
one thing left to do; breathe new life<br />
into it with an eye-catching custom<br />
paint job. Collectors and enthusiasts<br />
are sure to want the best of the best<br />
and that means finding someone<br />
that not only has the experience, but<br />
also the passion for creating one of<br />
a kind works of art. Mike Wanner<br />
of Fargo-Moorhead Custom and<br />
Collision fits that profile to a T and<br />
it's clear auto enthusiasts agree! In<br />
fact, there is a solid chance at least<br />
one of the classic cars, motorcycles,<br />
or hot rods you’ve admired was one<br />
of his custom creations.<br />
Wanner has been recognized for his<br />
talents across both North Dakota<br />
and Minnesota. His award-winning<br />
work has been featured in several<br />
well-known magazines including
American Iron Magazine. Taking<br />
center stage is the recognition for<br />
his work on motorcycles. He’s won<br />
awards for the best paint job at shows<br />
in Bismarck, Fargo, Jamestown, and<br />
Fergus Falls. His designs have even<br />
beat out hundreds of other entries at<br />
the biggest bike show in the Midwest,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Donnie Smith Bike & Car Show,<br />
held in Saint Paul every year. His<br />
paintwork has helped to edge out top<br />
competitors to win 6 first place best<br />
in class awards!<br />
Growing up, Wanner never dreamed<br />
his work would win awards, but<br />
his upbringing and love for what he<br />
does played a large part in where he<br />
is today. As the son of a hot rodder<br />
and an auto body expert, Wanner<br />
was destined to take a path involving<br />
cars and motorcycles. From the ripe<br />
age of 8 years old, Wanner could be<br />
found in the driver’s seat of old cars<br />
his dad was working on in the shop.<br />
He has fond memories of pretending<br />
to drive old Mustangs and the elusive<br />
Plymouth Super Bird.<br />
Eventually, Wanner’s dad put him<br />
to work and it wasn’t long before he<br />
was taking on projects of his own.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first was prepping and painting a<br />
As the son of a hot rodder and<br />
an auto body expert,<br />
Wanner was destined to take a<br />
path involving cars and motorcycles.<br />
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 7
1976 H-D hardtail chopper at 16. His<br />
reward for his hard work was a solo<br />
ride on the very bike he painted. From<br />
that moment on, Wanner was hooked.<br />
Every project since the first has<br />
brought excitement, but no two client<br />
experiences are the same. Some clients<br />
get in touch and have a vague idea of<br />
what sort of paint job they want, while<br />
others know right down to the nittygritty<br />
detail. While he welcomes the<br />
challenge of both, there’s something<br />
special about the creative process<br />
and the freedom to create something<br />
totally new and just outside the lines of<br />
what’s become commonplace.<br />
One thing is certain, Wanner has a<br />
passion for getting it right the first<br />
time and it definitely shows. From the<br />
start of each project, clients can expect<br />
an open line of communication when<br />
it comes to timelines and budgets.<br />
Clients are encouraged to provide<br />
their feedback throughout the design<br />
process thanks to the pictures he<br />
sends to ensure everyone is on the<br />
same page.<br />
8 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
<strong>The</strong> encouragement he received from such a young age<br />
and the inspiration he draws from other talented painters<br />
have had a massive impact on Wanner and what he does<br />
today. While he can’t imagine doing anything else with his<br />
life at this point, there was a time when he considered<br />
a career path in coaching and teaching. <strong>The</strong> desire to<br />
connect with young people carries over even today with<br />
his advice to those looking to pursue their dreams; don’t be<br />
afraid to go for it. Whether it’s picking up a basic airbrush<br />
kit and following tutorials on YouTube or taking classes<br />
from experts, don’t let fear and uncertainty hold you back.<br />
It’s safe to say Wanner found his calling in life, from painting<br />
ghoulish flames on the gas tank of a motorcycle to adding<br />
a little glitz to a newly restored classic. No matter the job,<br />
every opportunity to learn something new and spend his<br />
time doing what he loves is met with enthusiasm. That’s<br />
the mark of the good life, after all. •<br />
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 9
10 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
Whiskey weather is here!<br />
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From North Dakota's first batch of Single Malt Whiskey distilled since Prohibition. Initially<br />
placed in a new American oak barrel, finished in a used bourbon barrel.<br />
Hints of malt, oak, and properly dry. Balanced, subtle sweet notes of caramel<br />
and vanilla. Finish is mild and softly fades.<br />
CROOKED FURROW . HARVEST BLEND<br />
Crooked Furrow Harvest Blend is aged 2 years in new American Oak Barrels and blended<br />
without chill filtering to produce an incredible character. Smooth, simple, light and easy.<br />
Enjoy it neat, on the rocks or perfect in your favorite whiskey cocktail.<br />
Our Crooked Cola is uniquely its own.<br />
CROOKED FURROW . BOURBON WHISKEY<br />
Crooked Furrow Bourbon Whiskey is the full-bodied older brother of our Harvest Blend.<br />
North Dakota’s first-ever Bourbon born and raised from ND Corn and Barley. Our One-<br />
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selected after three long years for final bottling around 95 proof. Resulting in bold and<br />
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PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.<br />
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR OTHER SPIRITS, PLEASE VISIT: PROOFDISTILLERS.COM<br />
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 11
HAVING A BEER WITH | JOEL HEITKAMP<br />
12 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
WRITTEN BY: MEGHAN FEIR • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />
Joel Heitkamp is no stranger to opposition and is not easily intimidated by harsh<br />
words and middle fingers. From his time working as a utilities manager to being<br />
a referee, a North Dakota senator to a radio talk show host, Heitkamp has had<br />
to grow a thick skin to ward off the slings of opposing viewpoints and the oft<br />
accompanied anger. For Heitkamp, it just seems to be water off a golden<br />
retriever’s back.<br />
In his current role as the operations manager for Midwest Communications,<br />
Heitkamp manages the on-air side of six radio stations, including KFGO,<br />
Y94 and 740 <strong>The</strong> Fan and has collectively been in the radio industry 14<br />
years.<br />
On a richly warm autumn day at Brewhalla (Drekker Brewing Company’s<br />
newest location), I had the opportunity to pose questions no other<br />
journalist or radio caller would bother asking the ex-senator and radio<br />
professional. <strong>The</strong> only question that stumped him was one pertaining<br />
to kombucha, leading to a discussion about headcheese.<br />
“Have you ever eaten<br />
cow tongue? You<br />
come out to my fish<br />
house and it’ll be an<br />
experience. You won’t<br />
stay long unless you<br />
wear a gas mask, but<br />
you can come on in.”<br />
<strong>–</strong> Joel Heitkamp<br />
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 13
HAVING A BEER WITH | JOEL HEITKAMP<br />
<strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong>: Who was your childhood<br />
celebrity crush?<br />
Joel Heitkamp: Celebrity crush…?<br />
You’re tough.<br />
GL: I know.<br />
JH: Well, it’s not going to shock you,<br />
but Marsha Brady. I was that age. It<br />
was Marsha, Marsha, Marsha.<br />
GL: If you had ties to any culture that<br />
you’re not a part of already, which<br />
would you choose?<br />
JH: Irish. My daughters are Irish, and<br />
you can see it in them. It seems to me<br />
that the Irish have the most fun. Of<br />
course, there’s a dark history there,<br />
and I get that. I just wish I was Irish<br />
every St. Paddy’s Day. We’re going to<br />
Ireland in March of next year on St.<br />
Paddy’s Day.<br />
GL: It’s not that big of a deal over<br />
there, right? Just to Americans?<br />
JH: It’s not. We’re going to try to<br />
change that.<br />
GL: Will you be voting for your sister<br />
in the upcoming election?<br />
JH: Still debating. She hasn’t earned<br />
my vote yet, but we’ll see. I’m<br />
undecided.<br />
14 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com<br />
GL: Are your wife and you extremely<br />
similar, more like opposites, or what?<br />
JH: You know, at the beginning I<br />
thought we were more opposites, but<br />
the longer we’re together, the more<br />
I think we’re similar. We both like<br />
sports and are very career-minded.<br />
We both get a chance to work with a<br />
lot of professionals. We both manage.<br />
We like to travel. I’d say we’re really<br />
similar, actually. And she’s a huge<br />
Vikings fan because that would be a<br />
deal breaker. She doesn’t like the fact<br />
that I’m a Yankee’s fan, but she had to<br />
get over that.<br />
GL: So she’s more of a Twins’ fan?<br />
JH: Oh, a huge Twins’ fan. But we<br />
share a passionate hatred for the<br />
Green Bay Packers. That’s a tie that<br />
binds us eternally.<br />
GL: What do you think about<br />
kombucha, and have you ever held a<br />
SCOBY in your hand?<br />
JH: Uh. No. Are you going to tell me<br />
what that is? A stogie? I’ve smoked<br />
many a cigar. Is that what we’re<br />
talking about?<br />
GL: SCOBY stands for symbiotic<br />
culture of bacteria and yeast. <strong>The</strong><br />
SCOBY looks like this gross, round<br />
piece of old deli ham, but you use it to<br />
make kombucha, which is essentially<br />
fermented tea.<br />
JH: Have you ever tried headcheese?<br />
GL: No, but I featured it in an article.<br />
JH: Have you ever tried blood<br />
sausage?<br />
GL: That was also featured in the<br />
same article, but I’ve never tried it.<br />
JH: I’ve eaten those. I eat liver<br />
sausage. Have you ever eaten cow<br />
tongue? You come out to my fish<br />
house and it’ll be an experience. You<br />
won’t stay long unless you wear a gas<br />
mask, but you can come on in.<br />
GL: When did your love of headcheese<br />
come about?<br />
JH: We didn’t have a lot of money<br />
growing up, so mom and dad<br />
didn’t throw away anything. We<br />
learned to eat liver. We learned to<br />
eat cow tongue. Dad wasn’t that<br />
big on headcheese. It’s just a joke I<br />
make on air, but there was always<br />
Braunschweiger in the fridge—what<br />
you would call liver pâté. I act like I<br />
eat it every day, but I haven’t eaten it<br />
in 15 years.
GL: If you were a dog, what breed<br />
would you be?<br />
JH: I’d be a golden retriever.<br />
GL: Same.<br />
JH: Yeah, you have to be a redhead.<br />
Gotta be a decent size where you<br />
can put up a fight. You don’t have<br />
to win it, but you’ve gotta be able to<br />
punch. Goldens are loyal. Goldens<br />
are fun to be around, and they like<br />
kids, plus they hunt the way I do.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y hunt hard until about noon,<br />
and then they look for a beer.<br />
GL: I just imagined a golden<br />
retriever extending its paw to open<br />
the fridge and pull out a Budweiser.<br />
GL: Which era in history would you<br />
choose to live during for an entire<br />
year?<br />
JH: World War II because it was<br />
truly the best generation. We make<br />
them out to be better than they<br />
were, don’t get me wrong. Those<br />
boys didn’t behave that much better<br />
than any of us, but their cause was<br />
so good. It collectively bound them<br />
together. My dad fought for WWII.<br />
When he came home, if you hadn’t<br />
been in the military you weren’t<br />
the norm. I was always jealous of<br />
that, that everybody served and<br />
everybody had that to hang their hat<br />
on. I would have loved to say I was<br />
a part of that.<br />
GL: What does living “the good life”<br />
mean to you?<br />
JH: Freedom. Everybody’s freedom<br />
is different. You do what you want<br />
to do when you want to do it. That’s<br />
the good life. It doesn’t mean having<br />
money. That’s not what it’s about at<br />
all. Tonight it might mean hopping<br />
on your bicycle, or, for me, hopping<br />
on my Harley and going for a ride.<br />
It’s about the freedom and the<br />
mindset to do whatever you want<br />
to do. If I want to hang around<br />
my grandkids and go to a Vikings<br />
game I can because I’m free. That’s<br />
freedom to me. •<br />
urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 15
MOST DISAPPOINTING GIFT<br />
WHAT IS THE MOST DISAPPOINTING GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?<br />
We’ve all seen it, the fake smile, the awkward grin of what appears to be enthusiasm, the unconvincing ‘Thank You’. You<br />
spent hours (or maybe minutes) looking for the perfect gift <strong>–</strong> only to find it hidden in the back of the closet. Don’t be that<br />
guy! Avoid buying the gift that calls the junk drawer home.<br />
<strong>The</strong> pressure is on! “What does she want? I wasn’t listening to her.<br />
Would she like this? Maybe just a gift card or jumper cables?”<br />
Relax gentlemen. We are here to help. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong> Men’s<br />
Magazine asked 30 random women, “What is the most<br />
disappointing gift you have received?”<br />
Save this valuable information and avoid these gifts. We<br />
did our part, now the rest is up to you. <strong>Good</strong> luck out there<br />
and happy shopping. •<br />
UHH...<br />
THANKS?<br />
16 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
1. My mom got a vacuum. I have<br />
that vacuum now.<br />
2. Thrift store socks and slippers.<br />
3. A box of cleaning supplies.<br />
4. Gift cards. No thought or<br />
emotion put into it.<br />
5. An exercise DVD and a digital<br />
scale that measures BMI.<br />
6. I got a Garmin GPS from a<br />
boyfriend. He told me it was so I<br />
didn’t yell at him when he got lost in<br />
traffic.<br />
7. Socks with Christmas trees - in<br />
kids size.<br />
8. A pair of welding gloves, so I<br />
wouldn’t burn my dainty, delicate<br />
hands loading wood in the fireplace.<br />
9. Candles. One is nice, but not five.<br />
10. My husband gave me a Hershey<br />
Kiss on a stick that resembled a<br />
rose.<br />
11. AN NFL BOBBLEHEAD.<br />
12. My ex boyfriend took me to the<br />
store, had me pick out a Christmas<br />
present and purchase it. He then<br />
went and purchased himself a<br />
“present” of equal value and called<br />
it even.<br />
13. A CHAINSAW.<br />
14. A donation to an art benefit on<br />
my behalf.<br />
15. 3 seasons of <strong>The</strong> Office on DVD.<br />
I could tell they were pre-owned,<br />
but I was still very happy with the<br />
gift. My happiness was short-lived<br />
when he told me that he borrowed<br />
them from a friend, and would<br />
appreciate my watching them as<br />
soon as possible so that they could<br />
be returned.<br />
16. A framed photo of the guy I was<br />
dating. To be clear <strong>–</strong> like a massive<br />
senior photo. Uhh…thanks.<br />
17. A re-gifted salad spinner. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
thought I would appreciate it<br />
because I was eating healthy.<br />
18. A pink camouflage jacket. If<br />
a woman wants to wear camo, it<br />
doesn’t have to be pink. And if a<br />
woman says she likes pink camo,<br />
she’s lying and doesn’t want to hurt<br />
your feelings.<br />
19. SMOKE DETECTORS.<br />
20. My mother-in-law bought me a<br />
bed in a bag at a Family Dollar and<br />
the dye in the sheets stained my<br />
mattress.<br />
21. <strong>The</strong> hubs once gifted me a<br />
black FUR dress. Yes, fur <strong>–</strong> like a<br />
Muppet. And it didn’t fit. Thank<br />
goodness. And the store from<br />
which he purchased it had a no<br />
return policy.<br />
22. An Olive Garden gift card from<br />
my husband. Does anybody like<br />
Olive Garden?<br />
23. I got a 20 lb. giant blue<br />
vase/bowl from my brother. My<br />
sisters and I have been regifting<br />
it for years.<br />
24. My ex-husband booked us<br />
a trip to Daytona Beach to see<br />
friends. Only they were his friends<br />
and it was at the Daytona 500 and<br />
I hate Nascar.<br />
25. A star map from our first date.<br />
26. My mother-in-law decided we<br />
are not giving each other presents<br />
this year. We are buying a fruit<br />
tree for poor people in some other<br />
country.<br />
27. NOT GETTING A GIFT.<br />
28. Socks. Not decorative ones.<br />
Just plain old white six-pack of<br />
socks.<br />
29. A LIFE JACKET.<br />
30. An adult size onesie.
ON THE COVER | SHERIFF PAUL LANEY<br />
SERVICE BEFORE SELF<br />
SHERIFF LANEY PREPARES FOR LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT<br />
WRITTEN BY: ALEXANDRA FLOERSCH • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />
You see it too often in the world<br />
of sports <strong>–</strong> star players waiting to<br />
throw in the towel until they’re past<br />
their prime. But Cass County Sheriff<br />
Paul Laney refuses to become the<br />
quarterback that plays a couple<br />
seasons too long at the expense of<br />
his team.<br />
When he announced he wouldn’t<br />
be running for a fourth term back<br />
in <strong>December</strong> 2017, the 52-year-old<br />
North Dakota native was inevitably<br />
bombarded with the same question<br />
again and again, “Why are you<br />
leaving now?”<br />
“As leaders <strong>–</strong> and especially as<br />
elected leaders <strong>–</strong> as important as it is<br />
to know when you're ready to do this<br />
(job), it's as important to know when<br />
it's time to go," he said. "I'll miss<br />
knowing that every single day I woke<br />
up and put on this uniform, I made a<br />
difference. But I feel I can leave with<br />
a sense of mission accomplished,<br />
and then my wife and I can go on to<br />
the next adventure.”<br />
Come January 1, 2019, the 1984<br />
West Fargo High School grad (and<br />
proud Packer) will hang up his gun<br />
belt and pursue his next adventure.<br />
BOOTS ON THE GROUND<br />
Enlisting in the Marine Corps in<br />
1984, Laney immediately served<br />
four years active duty with MSSG-<br />
13 of the 13th Marine Expeditionary<br />
Unit after high school.<br />
"That was probably the best four<br />
years of my life in the sense that I<br />
was a young man getting paid to see<br />
the world,” he said. “I was learning<br />
leadership at some of the highest<br />
levels from some of the most amazing<br />
leaders I could’ve ever asked to learn<br />
from. It laid a foundation for me<br />
second to none.”<br />
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“I'll miss knowing<br />
that every single day<br />
I woke up and<br />
put on this uniform,<br />
I made a difference.”<br />
<strong>–</strong> Paul Laney<br />
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ON THE COVER | SHERIFF PAUL LANEY<br />
"I love people<br />
and I thought,<br />
there's no<br />
better job for<br />
me than to<br />
work directly<br />
for the people.”<br />
<strong>–</strong> Paul Laney<br />
<strong>The</strong> “lead, follow, get-out-of-the-way”<br />
Marine philosophy was one he’d take with<br />
him.<br />
"My mom said, 'I sent away a boy and a<br />
young man came home.’ I felt that way,<br />
too,” he said. “I came home confident,<br />
believing I could attain whatever I<br />
wanted to if I worked hard enough.”<br />
Leaving the military wasn’t an easy<br />
choice to make. Laney thrived<br />
on the discipline, fitness and<br />
camaraderie that all came with<br />
being a Marine. In fact, he<br />
contemplated making a career<br />
of it, but in his heart, his other<br />
childhood dream was calling.<br />
"I tested with the (Los<br />
Angeles Police Department). I went<br />
through my interviews and was on<br />
their hiring list when I decided, ‘No,<br />
I want to do this same thing... but I<br />
want to do it for my community," he<br />
said.<br />
CLIMBING THE RANKS<br />
Returning to the Red River Valley<br />
in 1989, Laney was hired by the<br />
Fargo Police Department and<br />
quickly climbed the ranks from<br />
patrol officer to field training officer<br />
(FTO), gang/narcotics unit and<br />
tactical team member. Promoted<br />
to sergeant in 1997, he supervised<br />
the patrol shift, FTO program and<br />
eventually became a leader of the<br />
Red River Valley SWAT Team. In<br />
2002, he was named lieutenant and<br />
served as both district and SWAT<br />
commander.<br />
"I had reached a point in 2006<br />
where I had just finished my<br />
master’s degree (in management),”<br />
he recalled. “I was at the stage in<br />
my career where I loved where I<br />
was at and what I did but I wanted<br />
to spread my wings in my own<br />
agency.”<br />
When the Cass County sheriff<br />
position opened up, something<br />
clicked.<br />
"I love people and I thought, there's<br />
no better job for me than to work<br />
directly for the people," he said.<br />
"<strong>The</strong> fact that I had the ability to<br />
supervise, lead and command every<br />
aspect of law enforcement prepared<br />
me to take the helm of the largest<br />
sheriff's office in the state of North<br />
Dakota.”<br />
Elected to a four-year term, Laney<br />
was sworn in as Cass County sheriff<br />
on January 2, 2007, and easily won<br />
re-election for a second and third<br />
term in the years following.<br />
A LEGACY TO LIVE BY<br />
Looking back on 12 years as sheriff,<br />
a flood of memories rushed through<br />
Laney’s mind.<br />
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His first glimmer of the spotlight<br />
came in October 2007, surrounding<br />
the Ozzy Osbourne concert. Guests<br />
were formally invited to what they<br />
thought was a pre-concert party,<br />
only to find Laney and his team<br />
were behind a sting operation with a<br />
guest list containing only those with<br />
active warrants out for their arrest.<br />
Announcing 50 arrests at a press<br />
conference the next day, the sheriff’s<br />
office quickly caught flack from<br />
Osbourne and his publicist. Rolling<br />
Stone, MTV, <strong>The</strong> Telegraph UK<br />
and other media covered the story,<br />
encouraging both fan and hate mail<br />
for the creative stunt.<br />
"I think it was the first opportunity<br />
the public really got to see me as a<br />
leader and say, ‘This guy is different.<br />
He's going to think outside the box.<br />
That's who our sheriff is.’”<br />
But that was just the beginning.<br />
In 2008, Laney handled the first<br />
train derailment near Page, N.D.,<br />
and 2009 to 2011, Mother Nature<br />
struck with vengeance, flooding the<br />
Red River Valley.<br />
"That’s when I believe people really<br />
got to see my ability to command<br />
and how service to the community<br />
came before anything," he said.<br />
In 2011, Laney was named the<br />
E911 Institute’s “Government<br />
Leader of the Year.” Following that,<br />
awards continued to trickle in with<br />
the National Sheriff’s Association<br />
Ferris E. Lucas “National Sheriff<br />
of the Year” in 2012 and the Lone<br />
Eagle Award for “Outstanding and<br />
Dedicated Law Enforcement in the<br />
State of North Dakota” in 2015.<br />
Looking back, however, his grim<br />
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ON THE COVER | SHERIFF PAUL LANEY<br />
"It was spooky out there because<br />
every day we wondered, is this the<br />
day we're going to take a bullet?”<br />
<strong>–</strong> Paul Laney<br />
memories of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests in<br />
2016 and 2017 seemed to overshadow all of the accolades.<br />
Leading law enforcement efforts 15 hours a day, seven days<br />
a week, Laney and his team received death threats for their<br />
involvement.<br />
"That was a really scary time for our family. (Protesters) doxxed<br />
out a picture of my home address with a picture of a bullet. It<br />
went viral and on the dark web," he said. "It was spooky out<br />
there because every day we wondered, is this the day we're<br />
going to take a bullet?”<br />
But even death threats wouldn’t stop Laney from doing a job he<br />
was so passionate about.<br />
"In 30 years, I've seen the best of society and the worst of<br />
society. But I've always known that if I went about my duties<br />
with honor, integrity and pride, I could make a difference for<br />
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good and that's what I strive to do<br />
every day," he said.<br />
As a bit of poetic justice, the<br />
motivation behind Laney taking the<br />
job in the first place is the same one<br />
he’ll miss the most when he leaves:<br />
the people.<br />
"I'll miss the banter and camaraderie<br />
<strong>–</strong> that total fulfillment knowing these<br />
people have your back and they know<br />
you've got theirs,” he said. “I'm not<br />
leaving because I don't like it, and I'm<br />
not leaving because I'm burned out.<br />
I'm leaving because I feel it's time<br />
<strong>–</strong> that I've done what I promised I<br />
would do for a community I love.”<br />
As Laney prepares to hand off the<br />
reigns to the next Cass County sheriff,<br />
he says the key is trusting in the men<br />
and women of the organization and<br />
what they bring to the table. His<br />
motto will remain with him until<br />
his last day as sheriff: “service and<br />
sacrifice before self.”<br />
When elected, “you asked the public<br />
to give you this trust, and now you<br />
need to give them back everything<br />
you got, even at your own expense,”<br />
he said. “As law enforcement officers,<br />
we belong to the community. Some<br />
days we have to be their guardians.<br />
Some days we have to be their<br />
warriors. Prepare yourself to be all<br />
of the above.”<br />
PEACE AHEAD<br />
As his career in law enforcement<br />
comes to an end, Laney is adamant<br />
about giving his family the attention<br />
they deserve, including his daughters<br />
Danielle, 21, and Kaitlyn (Katie), 19.<br />
"<strong>The</strong>y're the ones that suffer through<br />
this career,” he said. “<strong>The</strong>y're the<br />
ones that had to watch me run<br />
out the door for the next critical<br />
incident. During the pipeline protest,<br />
I missed Katie's entire senior year of<br />
volleyball.”<br />
Though it was a lot to ask of his<br />
daughters, they never complained.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y knew the sacrifices that came<br />
with being a cop's kid. Laney’s wife,<br />
Patty, has also been extremely<br />
supportive of his every move.<br />
"She’s probably one of the biggest<br />
reasons I've had success in the<br />
sheriff's world,” he said. “She's been<br />
my rock, and I can't imagine having<br />
gone on this sheriff's adventure<br />
without her.”<br />
At the end of the year, Laney and his<br />
wife will head to northern Minnesota<br />
and their new home.<br />
“We knew years ago when we were<br />
done with the crazy, law enforcement<br />
life, we would settle down to a more<br />
peaceful life. A little less life and<br />
death and a lot more life," he said.<br />
“I found my peace. I'm a different<br />
person up there.”<br />
Offered a vice president role<br />
at TurnKey Corrections, a law<br />
enforcement technology company,<br />
Laney will start his new gig sometime<br />
in January. Laney’s familiarity with<br />
the language and network will come<br />
in handy, but this time, he’ll witness<br />
law enforcement from a different<br />
perspective.<br />
LANEY'S GOOD LIFE<br />
When time slows, Laney looks<br />
forward to fishing for walleye and<br />
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: PAUL LANEY<br />
trout, snowmobiling and hiking <strong>–</strong> his<br />
goal being to conquer the 310-mile<br />
Superior Hiking Trail from Canada to<br />
Duluth by the time he turns 55.<br />
“I just love to get out in the outdoors<br />
and take in God's beauty,” he said.<br />
“(Patty and I) enjoy spending a lot of<br />
time together, but when you carry two<br />
phones and you're basically in criticalincident<br />
ready mode at all times, you<br />
never really decompress.”<br />
In fact, one of his former captains,<br />
Judy Tollefson, used to refer to him as<br />
“hair on fire guy.”<br />
"She said, 'Everywhere you go, you<br />
never slow down. You're always<br />
engaged in something,'" Laney said.<br />
"Hopefully, I'll learn some ways to<br />
be a little less high speed, a little less<br />
'hair on fire guy,' and a little more<br />
calm, cool, dad dude.”<br />
When asked to define the good life,<br />
Laney didn’t hesitate.<br />
"<strong>The</strong> good life to me has been for 30<br />
years I've woken up to a family who<br />
loved me. I got to go to a place that<br />
wasn't a job, it was my passion. And<br />
every day I got to make a difference<br />
in the community I loved. That is the<br />
good life," he said. "As I move on to<br />
the next adventure, I hope I can find<br />
that same fulfillment." •<br />
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MANPOWER<br />
WRITTEN BY: JON HAUSER<br />
PHOTO BY: MELISSA DALE PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
I am an engineer; wired to observe the realities of this<br />
world. For 50 years I’ve witnessed this reality: men<br />
tend to trail behind women when it comes to spiritual<br />
intensity. I’ve seen many families where mom is active<br />
in her faith and local church but dad isn’t; very rare<br />
that dad is active and mom is not. Having worked with<br />
teenagers for years, it’s common for teens to step away<br />
from faith when dad isn’t actively engaged.<br />
As a pastor, I have a burning desire to help men grow<br />
spiritually. When a man grows spiritually there’s a<br />
significant positive ripple effect in the lives of his family,<br />
business, and neighborhood that lasts for generations.<br />
In the Bible, God is searching: I looked for someone<br />
among them who would build up the wall and stand<br />
before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would<br />
not have to destroy it, but I found no one (Ezekiel<br />
22:30).<br />
God was looking for someone who would stay true<br />
to Him amidst all the temptations this world offers;<br />
someone who would fight for their spouse, children,<br />
church, and pastor; someone quick to forgive, seek<br />
forgiveness, and focus on unity; someone who was all<br />
out devoted and all in surrendered to God. And God<br />
found? No one. My prayer is that when God searches<br />
the Red River Valley, He finds 1,000s of men who fit<br />
this description!<br />
In Judges Chapters 13-16, Samson was a powerful<br />
man continually plagued with a dangerously weak<br />
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LUST<br />
ENTITLEMENT<br />
PRIDE<br />
Just like Samson, you are wired for greatness<br />
but we must learn from his mistakes. As men,<br />
we sometimes make great commitments to<br />
inferior causes and it costs us dearly.<br />
will. Samson was a miracle baby; created to help the<br />
Israelites find freedom from the Philistines. Samson<br />
made three vows to demonstrate his commitment to<br />
God and God alone. He was to never drink alcohol,<br />
touch anything dead, or cut his hair.<br />
Just like Samson, you are wired for greatness but we<br />
must learn from his mistakes. As men, we sometimes<br />
make great commitments to inferior causes and it<br />
costs us dearly. We may spend more time researching<br />
what rifle or TV to buy than we spend reading the<br />
Bible, building spiritual strength. <strong>The</strong>re are men who<br />
are aggressive in their work or hobbies but passive in<br />
leading their family spiritually; men who are passionate<br />
about their favorite sports team but have no zest for<br />
God.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are three attitudes, displayed by Samson, that<br />
make strong men weak.<br />
Lust is when a man sees something he desires, his<br />
emotions kick in and he must have it. And when a<br />
man obsesses about his desire, he forgets all logic<br />
and his values. He may lust after a woman, a career<br />
advancement, a boat, or a challenge to conquer.<br />
Samson went into Philistine territory and saw a<br />
gorgeous woman ( Judges 14:1-3). He had to have her<br />
even though he was not to intermarry with someone<br />
who did not worship God. “I want it” makes strong men<br />
weak.<br />
Samson tears a young lion apart with his bare hands.<br />
Later he passes the dead carcass and it contains a<br />
swarm of bees and honey. He violates his vow by eating<br />
the honey ( Judges 14:5-9). Entitlement says “I deserve<br />
it.” I killed the lion, I haven’t had honey for months, it<br />
looks so good…I deserve some. I’ve been working hard,<br />
putting in long hours…I deserve to buy that boat. She<br />
has been moody and distant lately…I deserve to explore<br />
a romantic relationship outside of my marriage. “I<br />
deserve it” makes strong men weak.<br />
Samson, despite his vow, throws a bachelor keg party<br />
( Judges 14:10). Pride says “I can handle it. Other men<br />
have struggled with this but not me.” This jacked guy,<br />
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uilt like a brick wall, says “I’m<br />
strong, I can handle it” and his party<br />
becomes a huge mistake!<br />
This is what happens to strong,<br />
well-intentioned men, over and<br />
over again. God gives us great gifts,<br />
amazing opportunities, unlimited<br />
potential and we think: “Just one<br />
drink, one smoke, one pill; I deserve<br />
it, I can handle it. I want it.” And<br />
before long that substance owns us.<br />
“I deserve that motorcycle. It won’t<br />
distract me.” And before long we are<br />
drowning in debt, absent from our<br />
family and that toy owns us. “I’m<br />
just going to flirt. I can handle it. It’s<br />
not a big deal if she stays overnight.<br />
I deserve some sexual pleasure.”<br />
At the end of Samson’s life, his<br />
eyes are gouged out, his hair cut,<br />
bound with chains on public display<br />
in front of 3,000 enemies. He is<br />
the entertainment as they laugh at<br />
him. Lust, entitlement, and pride<br />
can take you somewhere you don’t<br />
EVER want to go; far deeper into<br />
sin and destruction than you could<br />
imagine.<br />
WITH GOD’S POWER,<br />
NO MATTER WHERE<br />
YOU ARE, YOU CAN<br />
BE CHANGED.<br />
With God’s power, no matter where<br />
you are, YOU can be changed. A<br />
real man says “God, I want you.<br />
Thank you for offering me a new<br />
start. I don’t deserve anything. All I<br />
have is a gift from you. You died for<br />
my salvation. I’m weak. I need your<br />
strength and guidance.” What do<br />
you need to ask God for today? Our<br />
enemy, satan, loves to make strong<br />
men weak; satan sucks. God loves<br />
to make weak men strong; God<br />
rocks! •<br />
Jon Hauser<br />
Jon is the founding and senior<br />
pastor at www.prairieheights.com<br />
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LOCAL HERO | CHARISM<br />
LOCAL HERO: CHARISM<br />
A Community Anchor for Kids and Families<br />
WRITTEN BY: BRITTNEY GOODMAN<br />
PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />
CHARISM, pronounced “Care-ism,” is a nonprofit<br />
organization currently centered in the Jefferson<br />
Neighborhood of Fargo, grounded in a caring mission for<br />
at-risk children and their families. CHARISM’s acronym<br />
translates to “Community Homes and Resources in<br />
Service to Many,” and current Executive Director, John<br />
Fisher, described the idea behind the organization as<br />
coming from the definition of “CHARISM”: “gift of<br />
grace and strength.” To Fisher, serving with grace and<br />
strength is what drives CHARISM.<br />
CHARISM’s acronym translates to<br />
“Community Homes and Resources<br />
in Service to Many.”<br />
CHARISM is a neighborhood support center for<br />
underserved youth and their families, providing<br />
programs and services to improve their quality of life.<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir programs foster neighborhood connections<br />
as well as providing a safe and welcoming place for<br />
students.<br />
Fisher, serving in the executive director’s role for the<br />
past three years, described CHARISM’s mission as<br />
“empowering people:” “Some kids do not feel like they<br />
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are good enough. We want to show them the world <strong>–</strong><br />
that there are possibilities. We want them to know that<br />
their story is not written and to not live as if it is. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
have the opportunity and the drive. Go for it. <strong>The</strong>y can<br />
change the story.”<br />
CHARISM’s mission and programs provide “a<br />
safe anchor point for people,” explained Fisher. He<br />
continued: “And when you are connected to an anchor<br />
you do not stay in just that one spot. You move… you<br />
might drift one way or the other for good or bad. But<br />
you are always tethered to something you can go back<br />
to. We will always be there and accepting them with<br />
strength and grace.”<br />
Established in 1994 in Fargo by five local churches<br />
collaborating with Community Homes, CHARISM is<br />
not a religious organization. Fisher explained that the<br />
churches and Community Homes all saw the need to<br />
do more than provide housing. One of their first steps<br />
was establishing a director for leadership and Julie<br />
Gunkelman was the original director, serving for 21<br />
years until her retirement in 2015. Fisher applauded<br />
Gunkelman for serving “vigorously and with great skill”<br />
during her tenure at CHARISM.<br />
Three of CHARISM’s main programs are the Check<br />
and Connect Youth Program, STEAM programming,<br />
and GAP.<br />
Check and Connect is, according to Fisher, a “brainchild<br />
of University of Minnesota Extension” and CHARISM<br />
currently has it implemented in Ed Clapp, Jefferson,<br />
Fargo South, and Carl Ben schools. It has two parts:<br />
(1) check on the students <strong>–</strong> their attendance, grades<br />
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LOCAL HERO | CHARISM<br />
“Some kids do not feel like they are good<br />
enough. We want to show them the world <strong>–</strong> that<br />
there are possibilities. We want them to know<br />
that their story is not written and to not live as if<br />
it is. <strong>The</strong>y have the opportunity and the drive. Go<br />
for it. <strong>The</strong>y can change the story.” <strong>–</strong> John Fischer<br />
and behavior and (2) monitor the students. CHARISM adds students<br />
to their caseload with parents’ permission. CHARISM staff looks at<br />
removing barriers to the student’s success, asking questions such<br />
as “What is keeping the student from getting to school on time?”<br />
Fisher explained: “Many things can create a barrier and contribute<br />
to a student struggling.” James Nagbe, a Check and Connect Mentor<br />
and Development Director, according to Fisher, has been “pivotal”<br />
in getting Check and Connect off the ground and keeping it moving<br />
forward and has many students in his caseload. He involves the<br />
students, parents and teachers in the solution.<br />
CHARISM also administers an After School STEAM (Science<br />
Technology Engineering Arts and Math) Club serving Lewis and<br />
Clark, Ed Clapp, Jefferson Elementary Schools and Carl Ben Middle<br />
School.<br />
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CHARISM’s Grocery Assistance Program (GAP) provides<br />
food for up to 150 families a week. On Tuesday and Thursday<br />
afternoons and Friday mornings, CHARISM passes along<br />
food from the Great Plains Food Bank to “people who need<br />
it the most.” Fisher continued: “<strong>The</strong> food pantries can only<br />
give people food on a regimented basis. That leaves gaps. We<br />
want to fill that gap. We have some people that come to us<br />
where we are their main food source.”<br />
In addition to the three signature programs, CHARISM also<br />
hosts other outreach events and runs a community garden.<br />
CHARISM serves clients from many ethnicities including<br />
Indian, Bhutanese, Nepalese, Vietnamese, and many West<br />
African countries. Fisher posed, “If you want to see the<br />
world, come to our Food Pantry or to one of our programs.”<br />
Fisher has goals including “a pipe dream” that CHARISM<br />
would be “doing our programming in every community<br />
school in Cass and Clay Counties that need our help.” He<br />
wants to grow the Check and Connect program at every<br />
school: “We have this misconception that schools are going<br />
to take care of everything. And they can’t. And they need help.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y need the CHARISMs of the world to walk with them<br />
and help them.”<br />
Fisher wants CHARISM to be a household name in our<br />
community <strong>–</strong> a “known entity.”<br />
Fisher said, “CHARISM is a real team. <strong>The</strong> real heroes are<br />
on my team working with people every day. And our clientele<br />
is for the most part very appreciative and hard-working,<br />
looking out for their families.”<br />
“<strong>The</strong> real heroes are on my team<br />
working with people every day. ”<br />
<strong>–</strong> John Fischer<br />
Directing CHARISM is personal for Fisher, coming from a<br />
family who struggled financially: “I remembered when they<br />
came into our house and repossessed all of our furniture. I<br />
have been there and so many of us have, not knowing where<br />
the next meal is coming from. My mom could not afford<br />
childcare so I remember playing in the employee break room<br />
at the sewing shop where my mom was employed.” Fisher<br />
continued: “It is tremendously personal to me, this work we<br />
do.” Fisher remembers a turning point as a child when he<br />
was “kicked out” of his church’s youth group for heckling.<br />
<strong>The</strong> youth minister talked to him and said, “You are better<br />
than this.” Fisher described it as a “turning point” in his life.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> people we work with, many are trying to find a job and<br />
provide for their family. We help them with interview skills,<br />
applying for the jobs while keeping their children safe in<br />
a good environment,” Fisher asserted. CHARISM’s afterschool<br />
program provides quality care and a safe space from<br />
2 pm <strong>–</strong> 6 pm. <strong>The</strong>y even take some children home afterward<br />
to give the parents the extra amount of time to work or find<br />
work.<br />
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LOCAL HERO | CHARISM<br />
CHARISM’s Over the Edge<br />
Fundraiser<br />
Fisher explained, “We have people in our<br />
community who do not have an anchor <strong>–</strong> no<br />
family here. Most of the rest of us have extended<br />
family to go to in times of need. <strong>The</strong>y don’t have<br />
that. <strong>The</strong>y did nothing wrong; they are working<br />
their tails off and they need a little bit of help.”<br />
But help costs money. CHARISM has a<br />
sliding scale for payment for their after-school<br />
program: “It costs us $17 a day to do it and most<br />
participants pay from $1-2 a day.”<br />
Giving Hearts is also a big fundraiser for CHARISM. This<br />
year, they are also thankful that FM Raise Your Spirits<br />
selected CHARISM as its recipient for the proceeds from the<br />
FM Raise Your Spirits event.<br />
Fisher mentioned three specific organizations as “wonderful<br />
partners”: United Way of Cass and Clay County, Southeast<br />
That is where fundraising and donations come<br />
in. Because CHARISM’s fee for service is so low,<br />
CHARISM relies on private donations, grants<br />
and fundraising events.<br />
One recent event for CHARISM was the Over<br />
the Edge fundraiser, which they have facilitated<br />
in 2017 and <strong>2018</strong>. People raised funds by<br />
rappelling over the Black Building in downtown<br />
Fargo. Fisher said, “It is just a blast. Participants<br />
had a great time.”<br />
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Education Cooperative and the FM Area Foundation.<br />
Light the Way is another fundraiser <strong>–</strong> a gala-style<br />
event where they recognize community heroes,<br />
volunteers and the people they serve.<br />
Fisher described CHARISM’s Executive Board as<br />
“tremendously supportive,” including the officers<br />
<strong>–</strong> Board Chair, Terry Stroh; Kevin Zimmer; Eddie<br />
Scheely; and Dr. Forrest Sauer: “<strong>The</strong>y put in a ton<br />
of time for us and are great advocates.”<br />
CHARISM currently has seven full-time staff, two<br />
full-time volunteers, and 15-25 part-time people.<br />
Residing in Moorhead, Fisher has been married to<br />
and is “totally in love with” his wife Abby of twelve<br />
years. <strong>The</strong>y have “three great children,” Julia, Esther<br />
and John. Originally from Kentucky and Tennessee,<br />
Fisher is also a pastor and started the downtown<br />
Fargo church, Sojourn.<br />
When asked, “What does the good life mean<br />
to you?” Fisher responded: “<strong>The</strong> good life<br />
is my background, my faith and what I do<br />
with CHARISM. It is people that are either<br />
fulfilling or living the life that they feel<br />
best serves themselves and those around<br />
them, that they are intrinsically feeling<br />
value, success and love but they are also<br />
dispensing that love to others <strong>–</strong> showing<br />
others that they are valued and loved.” He<br />
continued: “I think about the most joy-filled<br />
people I know, and they do not have a lot of<br />
money, but they give a lot <strong>–</strong> they invest a lot<br />
in others.” •<br />
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