The Good Life – March-April 2019

MARCH-APRIL 2019 

FREE TO A GOOD HOME

FATHERS 

You Might Be A Parent... 

WRITTEN BY: BEN HANSON / MR. FULL-TIME DAD 

I’m as indifferent as it gets towards Jeff Foxworthy, except on one 

account: the guy has managed to turn a single joke into a multi-million 

dollar, decades-long career. I’m not here to disparage anyone who likes 

his particular brand of comedy, but I am here to shamelessly rip him off 

with my own take on his now classic routine. 

Over the past three-and-a-half years of parenthood, Macklin’s mama and 

I have been casually taking notes on the multitude of lifestyle changes 

taking place one might otherwise miss if one weren’t paying attention. 

It’s easy to mark the bigger impacts of parenthood like lack of sleep, the 

emergence of grey hairs in your beard or the total and absolute loss of 

privacy. But every parent is well acquainted with that list. 

Today I offer a more subtle roundup of the amusing tweaks to your life 

as a parent. Scanning our list prior to writing this column, I came to an 

embarrassing realization: we may, in fact, be rednecks ourselves, overly 

concerned with snack foods. You’ll see... 

You might be a parent when… you have to keep the subtitles on while 

watching TV because you need to keep the volume at near imperceptible 

levels in order not to wake the sleeping child in the adjacent room. But 

it’s not so much the child, it’s the fact that you’re eating all the chips and 

junk food you can now only break out after said child goes to sleep. 

You might be a parent when… your candy stash suddenly becomes the 

potty treat stash. As soon as your kid knows where you’ve been hiding 

the treats, it’s game over. Those treats are now their reward, and while 

they can’t remember what you were just talking about five seconds ago, 

their recall when it comes to how many M&Ms were in the jar is bafflingly 

Rainman-esque. 

You might be a parent when… you have enough random snacks on your 

person to feed an entire work meeting when the vending machine breaks. 

Snacks in your purse. Snacks in your car. Snacks in your backpack. Most 

any meltdown can be averted with the right snack at the right time. One 

stick of minty gum alone has been known to save an entire 

road trip. 

You might be a parent when… you’re no longer annoyed by 

your parents’ inability to work their original model DVD 

player. Instead, you’re legitimately concerned 

that they won’t remember how to operate 

their grandchild’s car seat and you’ll come 

home to your 3-year-old watching cartoons 

in the garage still strapped in. 

2 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com

You might be a 

parent when… 

things like “Peppa 

Pig Live” at the civic 

center seem like a 

great way to spend a 

Friday night. In reality, it’s a 

nightclub for toddlers complete with a hysterical 

crying girl in the bathroom cleaning vomit off her shirt, 

loud music blaring overhead and a $20 cover charge 

for a wrist band (or, in this case, a plastic light-up 

wand). 

You might be a parent when… you find yourself in a 

reverse hostage negotiation, trying to talk your way IN 

instead of out. “Think of how your friends are going to 

feel today if they have to go down the slides without 

you… you don’t want to let them down, do you? Come 

on, let’s at least go in and see what’s for breakfast.” 

You might be a parent when… poop becomes an 

acceptable talking point at the dinner table. And it 

doesn’t matter if you’ve got company, you cannot pass 

up the mind game opportunity to reinforce how fun it 

is to poop in the potty compared to your pants. 

You might be a parent when… “Costco” becomes 

date night. Next time you’re at the big box store, pay 

attention… that couple that’s got an empty cart slowly 

meandering through every single aisle as if the outside 

world has ceased to exist? They’re parents who’ve 

successfully lined up a trustworthy sitter. 

Sure, you give up the identity you’ve built up over 

the years, along with any credentials you 

may have earned, the moment you 

become a parent, but you’re 

now “Mom” or “Dad”... 

and no other title 

comes with so many 

rewards (or as many 

snacks). • 

urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 3

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 5 

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FATHERS / MR. FULL-TIME DAD 

YOU MIGHT BE A PARENT... 

THE MAN BEHIND THE BENCH 

A GLIMPSE INTO LIFE AS A 

DISTRICT COURT JUDGE 

HAVING A BEER WITH... 

TRAVIS HOPKINS 

DANGEROUS JOBS 

SCUBA RECOVERY 

ON THE COVER 

INSPIRING INDIVIDUAL 

JAKE HAILE HELPS PEOPLE 

ACCOMPLISH MORE THAN 

THEY THOUGHT POSSIBLE 

STOVEPIPES 

ROCK AND ROLL FOR THE SOUL 

ASK 30 WOMEN 

WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST ABOUT HIM? 

LOCAL HERO 

F-M AMBULANCE 

HELP IS ON THE WAY 


PUBLISHED BY 

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www.urbantoadmedia.com 

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Darren Losee 

darren@urbantoadmedia.com 

OWNER / GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

Dawn Siewert 

dawn@urbantoadmedia.com 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Meghan Feir 

Brittney Goodman 

Ben Hanson 

Krissy Ness 

Danielle Teigen 

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Darren Losee 

darren@urbantoadmedia.com 

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The Good Life Men’s Magazine is distributed six times 

a year by Urban Toad Media LLP. Material may not be 

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writers or advertisers and do not necessarily represent 

the views or policies of The Good Life Men’s Magazine. 


WRITTEN BY: BEN HANSON • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

THE MAN 

BEHIND THE BENCH 

A Glimpse Into Life as a District Court Judge 

While much of the greater Fargo- 

Moorhead area was shut down or 

closing early for the day, the Cass 

County Courthouse in Fargo was 

open for business as usual in spite 

of the record cold snap that had 

gripped the region that last week 

of January 2019. It was so cold, 

the city called off garbage pickup 

for the day. Even the post office 

pulled its drivers off the road. So 

much for their motto, unofficial as 

it may be. 

When it’s that cold — cold enough 

to keep the biggest, toughest trucks 

6 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com 

confined to their heated garages 

— you’d think a hot cup of coffee 

wouldn’t raise a bit of suspicion. 

You would think. 

“Can’t let that coffee cup inside,” 

said the unnamed guard just doing 

her job. “It’s metal. Can’t bring it 

in. But you can leave it here and 

grab it on your way out.” 

Sure, who needs warmth or 

comfort inside a courthouse 

when it’s minus thirty outside? 

Thankfully, up on the third floor 

inside District Court Judge Steven 

Marquart’s chambers, the mood 

was friendly and the good judge 

was a welcoming host eager to 

share some stories. 

Starting Out … On the Campaign 

Trail 

It makes perfect sense that a 

judge was at one time a trial 

attorney, standing before the 

bench representing his clients. It 

feels altogether counterintuitive, 

however, to learn that the same 

judge was also at one point a 

candidate who had to campaign

for the job. Something about the gravitas 

of the job and the deference paid to 

the position makes it seem above the 

comparatively petty popularity contest that 

is today’s politics. Or perhaps it’s simply 

the notion of “winning” a seat on the bench 

that feels… well, wrong. 

"People were, for the most part, shocked 

that a judicial candidate came and knocked 

on their door," Marquart said. "They were 

very surprised by it, and I had some 

remarkable experiences. Once, I knocked 

on a door, a kid answered and said ‘Oh, 

come in! I'm studying and I've got this 

business law question, can you help me?' 

So I'm helping with that, his parents finally 

come in and start showing me pictures 

from their family vacation. I learned going 

door-to-door you can multiply by a factor of 

ten the amount of people you reach." 

Watching Marquart tell that story with 

a smile on his face, reliving the whole 

experience from fifteen years ago — he 

was first elected to the court in 2004 — it 

was easy to see why he continues to be 

reelected. He’s a natural public servant 

with an instinct to help out and do right. 

On the Job: Then & Now 

Now well into his third six-year term as a 

District Court Judge, Marquart has seen 

the court change in ways both obvious and 

subtle. To the observing public, the most 

obvious change has been a steady rise in 

the number of cases being heard. 

“We’ve gotten busier and busier,” Marquart 

said matter of factly. “The last hearing 

week, I had 101 arraignments in one week. 

These are new cases… 101. That’s a lot of 

people to see in one week.” 

Asked why the uptick in cases in recent 

years, Marquart said it’s a combination 

of factors. He credits the professionalism 

of the police force in their efforts to take 

more criminals off the streets, but he also 

recognizes it’s the simple mathematics of a 

growing population. 

“Fargo is getting bigger; I get that,” 

Marquart said, taking a meaningful 

pause before continuing. “One thing I 

want to dispel, though… we’ve had a lot of 

immigrants come into this country, and I 

think a lot of people out there think that 


“Sure, some of the things in court aren’t so much fun. But some are. 

I love adoptions... everyone's happy in the courtroom with adoptions.” 

all these people commit crimes. I 

want to tell you it’s mostly white 

folks that we see in the courtroom.” 

The other, more subtle change 

that's taken place during 

Marquart's tenure has been 

the rapid increase in efficiency 

thanks to technology. It's been a 

much-needed innovation that has 

allowed the system to keep up with 

the burgeoning caseloads. 

“The electronic part has been a big 

change, and it all started with this 

software,” Marquart said, pointing 

to the flat screen monitor on the 

desk behind him. “I can type in 

a case number and see all of the 

documents relating to that case, 

which is a huge change from the 

old days when I’d send a law clerk 


down to the clerk’s office to bring a 

paper file up. 

“And when I’m on the bench, I 

used to have a stack of files this 

high,” he said, lifting his hand high 

above his head. “Now I can see any 

document connected to the case 

right on my computer screen on 

my desk at the bench. We also use 

a lot of ITV [interactive television] 

in this courthouse, where they’re 

in the jail and just appearing 

before me on the TV. That perhaps 

has been the biggest change… the 

advancement in technology. It’s 

very efficient.” 

The Good, the Bad... and the After 

Hours 

In a job with a fair amount of 

paperwork, it shouldn’t be a 

surprise to learn that Marquart’s 

favorite part of the gig is presiding 

over a courtroom. 

“I love being in court,” he said. 

“Sure, some of the things in court 

aren’t so much fun. But some are. I 

love adoptions... everyone's happy 

in the courtroom with adoptions. 

I also like my ordinary criminal 

appearance day and just knowing 

what’s going on in this community 

when you and I are sleeping. I 

often say this is the best job I’ve 

ever had.” 

The hard part comes when he sees 

the repeat offenders. Try as he 

might to see the hope in each case 

and give people their fair chance 

to improve their plight, Marquart

says a good nine out of ten 

people he sees before him — 

in criminal cases, at least — 

are what he calls professional 

troublemakers. 

“They have a history of 

getting in trouble and are just 

graduating from one level to 

another,” he explained. “I’m 

not there to fix these people’s 

problems. I apply the law.” 

But after the law has been 

applied… then what? How 

does a judge unwind after a 

day that may have found him 

handing down a life sentence 

— as Marquart did in the 

widely publicized 2011 case 

of Gene Kirkpatrick, who 

was convicted of plotting a 

murder-for-hire that killed 

Fargo dentist Philip Gattuso, 

his son-in-law? 

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"I go home to a loving wife 

and forget what happened 

here, and for the most part I 

can do that," Marquart said 

with conviction. "Maybe it's a 

gift that I have but I don't think 

much about the decisions I 

make after I make them. It'd 

drive me crazy if I secondguessed 

everything." 

And what about fun? Are 

judges allowed to have fun? 

Marquart lets out a belly laugh 

when asked. 

“I just enjoy my time off,” he 

said. “I’m very happy to have 

grandkids moving back to 

town this spring… spending 

time with family is what I 

enjoy most.” 

Indeed, that’s the good life. 

Case closed. • 



WRITTEN BY: MEGHAN FEIR • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA

Travis Hopkins’ tale could aptly be called “There and Back Again: A Hopkins Tale,” but instead of 

quests in Middle Earth, the Jamestown native traveled back to Fargo after long and adventuresome 

stints in New York City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. 

He had it all: long, black hair, piercings, a leather jacket, a drum set and a successful band. 

He probably even wore tattered, tight jeans with drumsticks in his back pocket. 

While touring with his band, Hopkins realized he had an interest in the behindthe-scenes 

work of band promotion and coordination. It also paid better. 

Since moving back to Fargo, Hopkins has continued using his marketing 

skills for a homebuilding company and a health and fitness center. 

He is also the host of The Side Stage Show on 95.9 KRFF, which 

features entertainers of varying niches, from rock musicians to 

animal communicators. 

While we didn’t partake in the brews at Drekker, we 

enjoyed the views from the loft area as we delved into 

the story of Hopkins’ life — as told in less than 40 

minutes. 


“My fiancé and I had a discussion. 

She wanted a Chihuahua 

and I wanted a pit bull, so we 

compromised and got the 

Chihuahua.” 

Good Life: Are you more of a dog 

or hamster person? 

Travis Hopkins: I currently have 

my first dog ever. My fiancé and I had a 

discussion. She wanted a Chihuahua and I 

wanted a pit bull, so we compromised and got 

the Chihuahua. But I love that little thing. She’s 6 

pounds of pure entertainment. She puts up with my 

antics and understands I’m a goofball. If I want to take 

a selfie, she’ll do this cute little pose and stay still. She 

knows me so well already. 

GL: What’s your hidden talent? 

TH: Well, speaking of dogs, I think I’m really good at barking. 

GL: Can I hear it? 

TH: (Imagine him barking really well in the middle of Brewhalla) 

GL: That was really good. 

TH: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Is there a dog in here?” 

GL: What’s your non-hidden talent? 

TH: I would have to say drums. I grew up in a musical family. My grandpa played with 

Lawrence Welk. My dad was a radio DJ, played in powwow groups, and was a drummer in 

small bands around the Midwest. I grew up with a musical influence and pushed it as far as I 

could. I’ve been told I’m one of the best steering-wheel drummers you’ve ever heard. 

GL: How did you go from being a musician to a marketer? 

TH: We were on tour on the East Coast and opening for folks like C.C. DeVille of Poison, Cinderella— 

older school bands. In that time, you learn how to do marketing and that nobody’s going to come to your 

show unless you’re promoting and advertising yourself. It led me to be the live music coordinator for 

the Hard Rock Café when I lived in New York City. I still loved playing drums, performing, touring and 

recording, but at some point, I didn’t want to be a broke musician and realized I was less broke when I 

was the coordinator. 

GL: How did you get into acting and on an episode of “The Sopranos”? 

TH: When I worked at the Hard Rock Café, there were casting agents that were always coming in after work. 

One of them approached me and asked, “Hey, are you an actor?” I just smiled and said no. The bartender, 


who was an actress, said, 

“That’s an opportunity that 

just knocked that none of us 

ever get. You go back and tell him 

yes.” So I was like, “If he comes back, 

I’ll tell him yes.” A couple days later 

he came back and said, “Are you sure 

you’re not an actor? I’m pretty sure I’ve 

seen you in something.” I finally went, 

“I am, actually. I just thought you were 

being weird.” He then wanted me to 

read for him right away, and in less 

than a week I was doing commercials 

for Got Milk? and Heineken Beer, and 

I was eventually on an episode of “The 

Sopranos.” 

GL: With all of that going on, why did 

you come back to Fargo? 

TH: I came back for family. I was 

raised by my mother and grandmother, 

from little on up. I came back for them 

because their health was starting to 

affect their day-to-day life. The least 

I could do was come back and start 

helping, start being more supportive. 

I’m happy to do it. We’ve always been 

extremely close, and it’s really exciting 

for me to have my mom so close and in 

my everyday life. 

GL: What’s your heritage? 

TH: I’m half Dakota Sioux and half 

German, so it’s always funny when 

people want to cast me for things. 

They look at me for a Native role, 

but they’re like, “Ahhh, you’re not 

quite dark enough.” And then they 

see me for a role that might be more 

Caucasian-based, but then I’m a little 

too ethnic. 

GL: What are you most proud of right 

now? 

TH: Honestly, I would have to say 

my family. I’m really proud of what 

everybody’s done, the things they’ve 

overcome, and what they’re growing 

into. 

GL: What does living the good life 

mean to you? 

TH: Obviously, everybody wants 

financial security and fun, but at the 

end of the day, do you have a roof over 

your head, clothes on your back, food 

in your stomach, health, happiness, 

and your family and friends? For me, 

the basic things make life good. • 



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

Scuba diving isn't exactly a hobby you find a lot of in the Midwest. 

When you pair that with a towing company and first responder 

training – you have Ryan Sherbrooke. 

Sherbrooke is the owner of Midwest Towing here in the Fargo- 

Moorhead area and has been a registered firefighter in Fargo 

for 3 years. "I love helping people," Said Sherbrooke. "I was 

an EMS full-time for thirteen years." 

Being the Lead Diver for his scuba recovery business he has 

seen his fair share of retrievals. They can be as small as 

rescuing a cellphone from the bottom of a lake to salvaging 

a pick-up truck from beneath icy waters. "If you break a 

water line in your house you know a plumber is coming," 

said Sherbrooke. "But, who do you call when you drop 

your car in 30 feet of water?" 

With many years of experience in a handful of 

occupations, Sherbrooke knows that you cannot do a 

job like this alone. "I gotta take my hat off to the North 

Dakota responders. They are so willing to jump in and 

help - they make our job so easy," said Sherbrooke. 

"The last thing we want is a diver in the water with 

no support." 

There are many benefits and risks when it comes 

to this job. Whether he is helping someone retrieve 

personal items lost when a vehicle went into 

the lake, or battling rapids in the icy Red River, 

Sherbrooke accepts the challenge because of his 

love for helping people. 

When people such as Sherbrooke use their 

talents and hobbies to help the good of 

the community and you see the local first 

responders back them up, it really makes you 

realize what a great community we are living 

in. 


If you are ever curious about what this 

operation looks like, they have uploaded videos 

and pictures of retrievals they have done over 

the years on their Facebook page. It is really 

quite an interesting thing to see. Not only are 

other vehicles involved but extractors and 

exothermic torches as well, and those can 

get as hot as 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Sherbrooke and his fellow divers have done 

other jobs besides vehicle retrieval and the 

like. They have also been hired for such 

jobs as commercial diving for the city of 

West Fargo where they inspected the 

floodgates to make sure there was no 

debris or water escaping. 

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: RYAN SHERBROOKE 

“ 

If you break a water 

line in your house 

you know a plumber 

is coming. But, who 

do you call when you 

drop your car in 30 

feet of water?" 

– Ryan Sherbrooke 

Sherbrooke seems to enjoy the 

variety of jobs he can get while 

utilizing his hobby of scuba diving, 

but it always seems to come back 

to wanting to help people. 

"When we can recover that vehicle 

and personal private belongings that 

were lost, we just gave them back 

what they thought they lost forever," 

said Sherbrooke. 

There have been a few times in my life 

where I have lost something special to 

me in the lake and I wish I knew there 

was someone I could call to help retrieve 

it. 

Each job is a case-by-case situation 

and if Sherbrooke is unable to or 

unwilling to help for any reason he 

will happily recommend another 

company in town or the region to 

help with any and all situations. 

Midwest Towing and Recovery takes 

part in events throughout the year, 

for example, every February they 

take part in a staged water rescue 

for various charities for Giving 

Hearts Day, this year they raised 

money for CCRI. 

With all this community support and 

the desire to help others I know if I 

ever run into trouble that requires 


a tow or a scuba recovery - I will definitely be calling 

Midwest Towing and Recovery. 

When asked what the good life means to Sherbrooke, of 

course, this is how he answered. “The good life means 

to me; giving back to those who provide every day to us 

all. Making a difference in one life, in my book, is living 

the good life,” said Sherbrooke. “You only leave behind 

your legacy in this life, if I've made a difference in 

someone else's life and given them hope and happiness, 

then I'd have to say that's the good life.” 

And what a good life he is providing for people in our 

community. • 

“ 

The good life means to me; giving back to 

those who provide every day to us all. Making 

a difference in one life, in my book, is living the 

good life.” – Ryan Sherbrooke 



JAKE HAILE HELPS PEOPLE ACCOMPLISH MORE 

THAN THEY THOUGHT POSSIBLE 

As a fitness coach, Jake Haile 

doesn’t care about what you can’t 

do. 

But he will do everything he can 

to inspire you to realize everything 

you can do. 

And inspire is exactly what he 

does. But so do all the incredible 

people Jake works with. 

Because Jake works with people 

who are often seen as the least 

likely folks to become serious 

athletes — they have physical 

or developmental disabilities, 

Parkinson’s disease or maybe Post 

Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

But athletes they are. 

“This is not about me,” he said. 

“It’s about inspiring themselves 

and making the community around 

them better.” 

That altruistic attitude is evident 

immediately when Jake talks about 

his job. As a fitness trainer at TNT 

Kid’s Fitness and Gymnastics and 

operator of the No Limits program, 

Jake works with children and 

adults with some type of physical 

or developmental disability in a 

dedicated space that keeps them 

safe and with a program adapted 

to their individual abilities. In 

addition, he operates the Rock 

Steady Boxing program, where he 

teaches people with Parkinson’s 

Disease to box. 

“They blow me away with their 

ability,” he said. The boxing 

program — which is a non-contact 

sport in this circumstance — gives 

individuals the skills necessary to 

box while actually fighting back 

against the disease. 

“The way I see it, these people 

have a boulder placed in front of 

their lives, and they could sit and 

stare at it, or they could choose to 

stand up and push the boulder out 

of the way,” Jake said. “I’m helping 

them be an active participant in 

the treatment of their Parkinson’s 

disease.” 

“THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME. 

IT’S ABOUT INSPIRING THEMSELVES 

AND MAKING THE COMMUNITY AROUND 

THEM BETTER.” 

WRITTEN BY: DANIELLE TEIGEN • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 


Steve Holand is an athlete in the 

Rock Steady Boxing program, 

and he learned about the program 

about a year and a half ago from a 

family friend working in the health 

care field. Holand had been off his 

exercise routine for about 5 months, 

and he’d noticed his symptoms — 

most notably tremors and balance 

— were getting worse. Though he 

wanted to do something about it 

through exercise, Steve said he just 

couldn’t seem to get himself to the 

gym to work out. 

In November 2017, Steve joined 

the Rock Steady Boxing class 

and quickly realized how much 

he enjoyed the intense but fun 

workouts. “Jake has a natural upbeat 

coaching style, and it’s obvious that 

he is passionate about his work,” 

Steve said. “In class, he encourages 

us to push ourselves but respects 

each individual on how far they want 

to take it.” 

While Steve said getting to know the 

other athletes in the class has been 

an unexpected bonus of attending 

the class, the tangible benefits 


are much more powerful. Steve 

said his Parkinson’s symptoms 

are much less troublesome, he’s 

in great shape and he rarely gets 

sick. Plus, lingering shoulder pain 

has disappeared and his feelings of 

depression have dissipated. “I think 

that is remarkable payback for a few 

hours invested each week,” Steve 

said. 

That increase in self-esteem and 

an improved self-image is exactly 

why Jake enjoys his job. His first 

experience with helping someone 

realize how movement and fitness 

could improve self-esteem was 

more than 6 years ago when he 

was working for Community Living 

Services, an organization in Fargo 

that provides support services for

individuals with disabilities to live and work 

independently. Jake said he had a client who 

was about 12 or 13 years old and in need of 

motivation to get healthy. Jake said he just started 

playing basketball with the teenager, and the kid 

“woke up”. The more engaged the teen became 

in playing basketball, the less he experienced his 

violent behaviors. 

That’s when it clicked. Jake went to the director 

at CLS and asked if he could officially start a 

fitness program. He received the all clear and 

some funds to outfit a basic gym, and he started 

cycling people through the routine. “And people 

got happier,” he remembered. “It improved their 

quality of life and was making the community 

better.” 

After he started bringing CLS clients to TNT 

Kid’s Fitness and Gymnastics to use their 

facilities and equipment, Jake partnered with 

the coaches of CrossFit Icehouse as well as 

TNT Kid’s Fitness and Gymnastics to create 

Fargomania. TNT hosted the October 2017 

event, which featured individuals with special 

needs showcasing their athletic skills learned 

during an 8-week training cycle in four timed 

workouts at the event. Jake helped write the 

programming and watched the individuals 

achieve great things. “We were truly being in 

the moment with these people,” he said. 

Shortly after, TNT Kid’s Fitness and Gymnastics 

approached him about providing adapted 

fitness programs full time, and Jake jumped at 

the chance. After developing the program, Jake 

said TNT decided to seek a partner to make 

the program sustainable, and the Marv Bossart 

Foundation for Parkinson’s Support stepped 

in. “If you surround yourself with good people, 

then good things will find you,” Jake said. 

The partnership provided support and an outlet 

for participants for the Rock Steady Boxing 

program. “They are the most inspiring people,” 

Jake said. “When you are inspired, you become 

inspiring. I experience joy with them — how is 

that not the most intoxicating thing in life?” 

But Jake hasn’t always been this inspired, and 

he said it’s important for him to share that part 

of his story with people. He wants them to see 

that vulnerability is not weakness. Quite the 

opposite, actually. “To be vulnerable is to grow,” 

he said. 

And grow he has. As a young man growing up 

in Omaha, Nebraska, Jake said he was a “lost 

human being” who lacked self-esteem and was 

just trying to fit in all the time when his mother 

made him attend a conference where he met 


some men from Fargo. Jake said they convinced 

him to move to Fargo, so he did. 

With just his possessions and some furniture in 

the back of his yellow pickup — nicknamed “Big 

Bird” — Jake uprooted his life from Nebraska 

to North Dakota. He started working in a 

commercial painting job and once his daughter 

Jaiden was born when he was only 20, Jake said 

he started to see life differently. He eventually 

enrolled at a technical school in a criminal 

justice program before realizing he wanted to 

reach people before they entered the criminal 

justice system. He enrolled at Minnesota State 

University Moorhead with the psychology 

program and put his love of movement to work 

for the university’s club lacrosse team. He 

completed his degree — which has an emphasis 

on behavior modification and special education 

— and used his experience operating an afterschool 

program to secure the job at CLS. 

“That’s where I found my passion, my passion 

for human beings,” he said. Jake noted that an 

important part of his story is the struggles he 

has faced — he has dyslexia and understands 

acutely what labels associated with disorders 

like that can do to a person, how they can limit 

what a person is truly capable of. He isn’t afraid 

to admit that he has struggled with depression 

and anxiety, and he is an advocate for mental 

health awareness and treatment. 

“I have high expectations for people regardless 

of those labels,” he said. “I can appreciate 

labels, but so many people with those labels 

have been told it’s okay not to do something 

because they have Parkinson’s, or because they 

think, ‘I am Parkinson’s.’ ” 

Helping people see past those labels and those 

limitations is what fuels Jake and drives his 

purpose. “They fill my cup,” he said. 


In addition to working at TNT Kid’s Fitness and 

Gymnastics, Jake is also a CrossFit coach — his 

nickname “Omaha” honors his hometown — where 

he can instill a love of movement and inspire 

exceptional physical accomplishment in even more 

people. He also teaches Rock Steady Boxing offsite 

at an assisted living facility in Fargo, and he 

started offering a program specifically created to 

give veterans and active service men and women the 

space and support to control their own journey. “They 

sacrifice themselves for our country, and I have more 

respect for the armed forces than anything else,” Jake 

said. 

Jake is grateful to partner with the Brady Oberg 

Legacy Foundation to offer the program to veterans, 

and Oberg’s sister, Tracy Dunham, couldn’t be happier 

about the partnership. The decision was easy, she 

said, after seeing Jake’s passion for the veterans and 

how hard he works to develop a program that works 

for each veteran. His involvement has made “a huge 

difference because of his willingness to listen and 

advocate” for the veterans, Tracy said. 

Jake is quick to point out how many positive 

partnerships have allowed his work to happen. “I’ve 

been blessed and privileged by these collaborations 

of human beings wanting to make the world a better 

place,” Jake said. The first person he ever saw 

demonstrate unconditional love toward all people 

was his dad, and he emulates that love through his 

own work. 

Not only is his dad a mentor, but so are the people 

he works with. “They trust me enough to want to 

be inspired by me, and I get inspiration from that,” 

he said. He also mentioned the coaches at CrossFit 

Icehouse and their approach to movement and 

individual ability. “We don’t live to do fitness, we do 

fitness to live,” he said. 

That’s what living a good life is to Jake — waking up 

every day and having the opportunity to be excited 

about the people he works with and the quality of time 

he spends with his family, which includes his wife, 

Allison, and his daughters, Jaiden, 11, and Cynthia, 2. 

It’s about consciously making the world a better place. 

“Money and things have never made me happy,” Jake 

said. “And it’s not about what I will achieve when I 

look back at 80 or 90 years old; it’s did I do something 

every day to make the world better? It’s about being 

present in the moment every day. Experiences are 

everything.” 

And the experience of being around Jake Haile is 

remarkable because he exudes authenticity and 

positivity. He wants to show you everything you are 

capable of doing and being. Because that’s what truly 

matters. • 


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

If you have been paying any attention to Fargo’s local music 

scene in the past 18 months you will already be familiar with 

Stovepipes. The potential this band has is unreal, from the 

cohesiveness of the instruments to the powerful vocals. This 

group really knows how to put on a show and hold the attention 

of their audience. They describe themselves as rock and roll 

with classic rock influences. 

Cody Kostka, Mckay Galbrecht, and Jake Nosal 

had been playing music together for quite a few 

years before Nosal introduced Alex Phelps to 

the group. 

“I met Jake playing hockey in college and 

one thing led to another,” said Alex Phelps. 

“He invited me to a jam with the guys and kind of went from 

there.” 

Inviting Phelps to sing for the band really allowed bassist Kostka 

and guitarist Galbrecht to focus on playing their instruments 

without having to take on lead vocals, and Phelps really matched 

the vibe they were shooting for as a band. There is this sort of 

Led Zeppelin meets Jack White feeling that you get from their 

music, but you can absolutely tell they have a style that is unique 

to them and you know it the minute they start playing. 

“Medicine Man” off their new EP, Sparkle & Shine, is the perfect 

example of how they incorporate their musical influences into 

something of their own and it absolutely kills – along with the 

rest of their EP. 

Last year they played anywhere from 35 to 40 shows in Grand 

Forks, Fargo, and Detroit Lakes area. A few of their most 

memorable ones were when they played their first Open Mic 

Night at Sidestreet Bar and Grille in Fargo, “After getting that 

first one out of the way we got, what I would say, a very good 

response,” said basest Cody Kostka. 


“It’s cool to have played so many 

mixed bills with a band we never 

thought we would play with, and 

everyone is psyched to be there.” 

– Cody Kostka


Playing at the Hotel Shoreham was a big deal for 

drummer, Jake Nosal, “I’m from Detroit Lakes and the 

anticipation of playing for the hometown crowd and 

going back to a place where I used to watch bands play 

from behind the fence, because I wasn’t old enough and I 

was just working there was exciting.” 

They also opened up for The 4onthefloor at Drekkerfest 

4 at their Brewhalla location. “I remember when we were 

setting up and it was really packing out and people were 

showing up and didn’t have tickets because it was a sold 

out event. Seeing people get turned away was like, this 

is something, I can't believe this was happening,” said 

Phelps. 

Playing in Fargo's diverse music scene brings the 

opportunity for bands to play together that maybe 

wouldn’t otherwise. 

“I can’t really give any credit to anyone other than the Fargo music scene, 

there are so many opportunities coming up it seems like. As long as you 

are just nice, it seems like, and genuine with people, and have a desire to be 

better at what you do, the community in this town is super welcoming.” 

– Alex Phelps 


“It’s cool to have played so many mixed bills with a band 

we never thought we would play with, and everyone 

is psyched to be there,” said Kostka. “As far as all the 

other local bands we’ve played with, not once have we 

had close to a negative experience with anyone.” 

Stovepipes have had success when it comes to their 

music, though other bands might give themselves all 

the credit for their hard work and determination, as 

they should, the members of Stovepipes credit their 

success to the Fargo music scene. 

“I can’t really give any credit to anyone other than the 

Fargo music scene, there are so many opportunities 

coming up it seems like. As long as you are just nice it 

seems like, and genuine with people, and have a desire 

to be better at what you do, the community in this town 

is super welcoming,” said Alex Phelps. 

December brought the release of their new EP, Sparkle 

& Shine, which you can find on Spotify, iTunes music 

store, or other major streaming sites. You can also find 

their EP at Orange Records in Downtown Fargo and 

Mothers’ Music in Moorhead. 

After this March, Stovepipes won’t have a gig lined up 

until summer, they are already talking about working 

on new music. “It’s been nice because we have been 

working on sets and now we can work on new music 

or refine what we have,” said Nosal. 

If you haven’t heard Stovepipes play, do yourself a favor 

and check them out. They were easy to find on Spotify 

so there really is no excuse not to, and I promise you 

will not be disappointed. 

Hey, they may even bring a little groove to your step; it 

is hard not to move when you hear their music. • 


ASK 30 WOMEN 

WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST ABOUT HIM? 

Gentlemen, you are irritating. Yes, I know it’s hard to believe, certain things you do are rather annoying 

to some people. Rest assured it’s not too late and we are here to help you through the process. The 

Good Life asked 30 random ladies… “What annoys you most about him?” Names were withheld to 

protect the innocent. Stop doing these little bothersome things and make the world a better place! 

1. It drives me mad when he 

doesn't rinse his prickly little 

hairs out of sink and counter top 

after shaving. 

2. The way he chews his food. 

3. Checking his phone every 

other minute (turning it off and 

on making a clicking sound). 

4. Pretending he’s listening to 

me – when I know he’s not. 

5. Cheering on sports players on 

TV. They can’t hear you! 

6. Not flushing the toilet or 

forgetting to close the lid. 

7. Being late. 

8. When he’s done doing 

the dishes (bless his heart, 

he is great at that) and he 

leaves the food trap full 

of disgusting scraps... for 

hours. So, as I scrape the 

dried-up gunk off the 

strainer, my mantra is 

“the dishes are done... 

the dishes are done.” 

9. Lip smacking when 

he eats! Arrrggghhh! 

10. Being stubborn. 

11. Misplacing 

everything – 

then claiming 

someone 

must have 

stolen it. 

12. Breathing. 

13. When he leaves his stuff 

laying all over. 

14. Constantly talking and also 

pointing at things when he 

doesn’t need to. 

15. Doesn’t wipe the toothpaste 

glob out of the sink. 

16. Clearing his throat 

continuously. 

17. Asking me to put his things 

in my purse. 

18. Video games. 

19. Spreading his germs when 

he’s sick. I’m pretty sure he 

touches every handle, button 

and remote in our home. Then 

he feels hurt when I follow him 

around with a can of Lysol. 

20. Not going to the doctor 

until he’s dying. 

21. When he doesn’t use the 

bathroom spray. 

22. Making gulping noises when 

he’s drinking. 

23. Interrupts me when I’m 

speaking to others. 

24. Mouth breather. 

25. He doesn’t know where we 

keep anything. Tape, scissors, 

light bulbs, etc. 

26. Not making his side of the 

bed. 

27. Wearing clothes until 

they are falling apart. 

28. Burping loudly and 

then acting disgusted 

when I do it. 

29. His family. 

30. Turning the 

channel in the 

middle of a 

TV show I'm 

watching so 

he can watch 

sports. 



LOCAL HERO 

F-M AMBULANCE 

HELP IS ON THE WAY 

WRITTEN BY: BRITTNEY GOODMAN • PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA 

Not all heroes wear capes, they 

say. I say, after learning about 

the efforts of a dedicated group 

of people, some of them wear 

Emergency Medical Technician 

(EMT) uniforms and work for 

F-M Ambulance, an Emergency 

Medical Services (EMS) provider, 

headquartered in Fargo. You will 

be grateful for their skilled, caring 

service if you ever need them. 

F-M Ambulance will be 

celebrating its 60th year of 

providing service to our region. 

F-M Ambulance began in 1959 

by private owners. It started with 

a location in Moorhead. Its base 

stations then moved twice – first 

to 1101 1st Ave. S, Fargo and 

then its current location of 2215 

18th St. S., Fargo, which was 

built in preparations for Y2K and 

opened officially on New Year’s 

Eve, 1999, where it has remained. 

F-M Ambulance Service is a 

wholly owned subsidiary of 

Sanford Health Systems. 

Don Martin, the current 

Communications Manager 

and Public Information Officer 

for F-M Ambulance, holding 

that position since 2007, has 

been with the company since 

1994, starting as an (EMT) 

Intermediate. He described 

his duties as, “overseeing the 

dispatch center, ensuring all the 

equipment and staff is working at 

full potential and that ambulances 

and specialty transport vehicles 

are being dispatched and sent on 

calls accordingly.” 

Martin described their work as 

critical: “We provide a crucial 

and critical service – advanced 

life support to the community. 

We provide a level of excellence 

that has improved throughout the 

years. Technology has changed 

and driven so much and allows 

us to provide better care. We have 

better outcomes and survival 

rates because of technology and 


how we are continually improving 

our care.” 

F-M Ambulance has grown with 

the community to deal with its 

population growth. In 1994, they 

had 14,600 calls for service, which 

is 40 calls per day. In 2018, they 

had 31,443 calls for service, or 

86 calls per day. In 1994, they 

only had four ambulances on the 

streets and they currently have 

twelve ambulances to cover calls. 

One dispatcher was on duty at the 

beginning, only Monday-Friday. 

Now FM-Ambulance has three 

dispatchers who handle the call 

volume and perform “Emergency 

Medical Dispatch” – triaging calls 

and giving pre-arrival instructions 

to callers. They currently have 130 

employees at the Fargo-Moorhead 

location. Their parent company, 

Sanford Health, has multiple 

emergency medical service sites 

throughout the region. 

In addition to ambulance services, 

F-M Ambulance also has disaster 

response vehicles including a 

Major Incident Transport Unit, 

Mobile Incident Command Post, 

and a Major Incident Response 

Unit with supplies to treat up to 

100 patients. 

The service has been accredited by 

the Commission on Accreditation 

IN 2018, 

F-M AMBULANCE 

RECEIVED 31,433 

CALLS FOR SERVICE 

OR 86 CALLS 

PER DAY 

of Ambulance Services (CAAS) 

since 2004 and is the only 

accredited service in the state of 

North Dakota. They have received 

the American Heart Association 

(AHA) Gold Plus award for the 

F-M AMBULANCE HAS A METRO-WIDE GOAL OF ARRIVING TO THE SCENE 

AFTER BEING DISPATCHED IN UNDER 8 MINUTES, 59 SECONDS 


LOCAL HERO 

We successfully get a patient who is having an active heart attack 

from their home to the cath lab in under 90 minutes. – Don Martin 

past four years. Martin explained 

what this award means: “We 

successfully get a patient who 

is having an active heart attack 

from their home to the cath lab 

in under 90 minutes.” When it 

comes to emergency care, time 

is critical. Martin explained, “FM- 

Ambulance has a metro-wide goal 

of arriving on the scene after being 

dispatched in under 8 minutes 59 

seconds. We average that at 97 

percent of the time.” 

Martin has dreamed of being 

an EMT since an early age. “No 

kidding,” he said, “Ask my family.” 

He continued, “When I was five 

I knew I wanted to be an EMT. I 

would collect Matchbox cars that 

were ambulances. Everything that 

had an ambulance I would collect. 

My aunt lived near Piggly Wiggly 

and we were so close to St. Luke’s 

Hospital, I would always run out 

to see the ambulances. I could tell 

by the sirens. My family would say 

this – I was always that way.” 

Born in Fargo and attending 

Fargo North High School, Martin 

divided his time between Fargo 

and the Turtle Mountain Band of 

Chippewa Reservation, of which 

he is a member: “I viewed Fargo 

as a boarding school.” 

“My Native American identity 

is important to me,” explained 

Martin. “Being in Native culture, 

family is very important to me. I 

spend my holidays and as much 

time as I can with my family. It 

is very important to know where 

you come from. You can’t move 

forward if you don’t know where 

you came from. You don’t know 

where you are going. There is a 

difference between who you are 

and what you are. It is an everyday 

part of my life.” 

Part of that life experience 

includes volunteerism and 

community activities. He is a 

member of the F-M Ambulance 

Ceremonial Unit, the only EMT 


You are a paramedic, 

but you also have to be 

a counselor and get them 

through that journey. 

The bedside manner is 

important to get them to 

the hospital, knowing they 

are not alone and you are 

going to be there with 

them. They are scared 

and anxious. It does not 

help the patient if you are 

also nervous. You can be 

sweating on the inside, but 

don’t let it show. 


LOCAL HERO 

ceremonial unit in North Dakota. 

This group is asked to perform 

funeral services for EMS workers 

all over the state and region: “North 

Dakota, Northwest Minnesota and 

Northeast South Dakota, we go all 

over,” added Martin. 

He is also active in participating in 

powwows and has been serving as 

the chair of the F-M St. Patrick’s 

Parade Committee. For twelve 

years, Martin was on Fargo’s 

Native American Commission with 

a mission to be a conduit between 

the Native American community 

and Fargo and a liaison with 

different programs promoting 

Native American culture.” 

During the summer, Martin enjoys 

his spot on Toad Lake: “I like being 

at the lake – the nature and the 

quiet.” Martin’s spends his spare 

time with his friends: “I am a 

social person – I like being out and 

experiencing life.” 

Martin explained how F-M 

Ambulance’s work impacts people: 

“When I think about what we do, 

there is a difference between 

seeing immediate change and 

seeing what happens afterward, 

down the road. You may not see it 

right away; it may take days, weeks 

or months. But it is rewarding 

when you see that whatever you 

did helped and made life better for 

that person.” For example, Martin 

has assisted with the delivery of 

eight babies during his time at F-M 

Ambulance: “But the mothers do 

all of the work,” he insisted. 

When asked about the favorite 

part of his job, Martin said, “I like 

working with the people, with my 

coworkers, seeing that every day 

what I do makes a difference.” 

Martin described his work as 

“challenging: You never knowing 

what you are going to see or find, 

whether good or bad, and you have 

to be able to cope with it.” 

“In my role, we see a lot of bad 

things that happen to people. 

People are calling us at the worst 

times of their lives. Sometimes 

when you see a patient, yours might 

be the last face they see and the 

"In my role, we see a lot of bad things that happen to people. People are calling us at the 

worst times of their lives. Sometimes when you see a patient, yours might be the last face 

they see and the last voice they hear." – Don Martin 


last voice they hear,” Martin explained. 

He continued, “You are a paramedic, 

but you also have to be a counselor 

and get them through that journey. 

The bedside manner is important to 

get them to the hospital, knowing they 

are not alone and you are going to be 

there with them. They are scared and 

anxious. It does not help the patient 

if you are also nervous. You can be 

sweating on the inside, but don’t let it 

show.” 

Finally, Martin explained what “The 

Good Life” means to him: “It is being 

able to experience the journey of life 

with loved ones – friends and family – 

and having the experience altogether. 

It is facing all that life may give whether 

it be good or bad.” •

The Good Life – March-April 2019

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