Out in nature Prairie Wetlands Learning Center introduces new director
INSIDE Dalton Threshers still doing work Hidden gem: One Mile Prairie Lazy J Horse and Rescue provides last request
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AUGUST 2020 | MONTHLY NEWS AND EVENTS FROM THE OTTER TAIL AND GRANT COUNTY LAKES AREA | FREE
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ZACH STICH / LAKES JOURNAL.
Detroit Lakes, MN Permit No. 14
Kayakers paddle downstream on the Otter Tail River
PAGE 2 | LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020
Nothing better than being out on a lake
I
was born in the city of Fergus Falls. This isn’t a surprise to many that have read my columns throughout the years, but I think it needs to be stated. Being a city kid, I didn’t have the same opportunities that a few of my friends had. I didn’t own a lake cabin or hang out at a resort in the summer. I ZACH had limited opportunities STICH to go tubing behind a boat, Banter jet skiing or wasting the and Boxscores day away on a pontoon. I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to go fishing and when I did, I usually didn’t catch a fish (a snapping turtle, yes, but a fish, no). This has left me as something of an anomaly in lakes country. My skill set doesn’t fit that of a 30-something that grew up in Minnesota. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy time on the water.
A few weeks ago, my friend and his family invited me and mine to his father’s cabin up north (I don’t know how secretive they want to keep it, so I will just say up north). We were promised tubing, pontooning, outdoor activities and more. Boy, were we not disappointed. At first, my wife thought that we would be roughing it for a few days in the woods. She was all set to pack a tent, sleeping bags and bug spray. When she discovered that we were staying at a year round cabin, her nerves were relaxed. It was the first time we had done a family vacation that all of us, even my young, fickle daughter, looked forward to. We avoided a large storm that was blanketing northern Minnesota just in time. We arrived at the cabin five minutes before the downfall of huge droplets of rain hit the house. That night we could not see across the lake as the storm made the night sky even darker than it already was.
The next day, it was bright, sunny and warm as we decided to head out tubing. My son, my friend’s daughter and my friend were all set to go on the first round. I stood on shore with my daughter as the group enjoyed their ride. I was next up and we bumped along the waves that the boat generated. The only issue my son had was that he preferred to go with my friend as I “didn’t hold his legs down” to prevent him from bouncing too high. The trio went around one more time after that and I sat in the boat with my buddy’s dad, my wife and my daughter. I realized as a city slicker that there is no better way to spend the summer than hanging out on the lake. The cool mist-filled air and sunshine was just what everyone needed to feel refreshed during the pandemic. After tubing, we grabbed lunch and then went on the pontoon. The whole family swam and floated on the water.
My buddy’s dad, who drove the pontoon, seemed to be taking in the lake and enjoying the time out in nature. This is what I am talking about. As I floated in the water, I knew that this is where I was meant to be, out in nature enjoying what the creator has made. Too many times we get caught inside, unable to enjoy the natural excitement of the outdoors. It is like eating candy for its sweet taste when naturally you can get that from a variety of fruits. Sometimes we need to just open our eyes and enjoy. With the summer sun setting, don’t wait to get out on the water and enjoy what’s left of summertime 2020. While the coronavirus pandemic has left us in a lurch, it shouldn’t prevent us from having fun with both family and friends. Zach Stich is the managing editor of the Fergus Falls Daily Journal and Lakes Journal.
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PAGE 4 | LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020
STILL WORK TO BE DONE Dalton show is off but threshermen still have chores
The Lake Region Pioneer Threshermen’s Association in Dalton will not be presenting their annual September show this year after a special meeting by the board. According to past president, John Halvorson, the show has only been postponed a few times since it began in 1954 and those postponements
were caused by inclement weather. Many of the 66 shows presented have been put on rain or shine. The 67th show had been planned for Sept. 11-13 until the board’s special meeting on July 23. The board knew what they were up against - a pandemic that has gripped the planet since last winter and led to nearly 5 million cases of coronavirus in the United States alone. There is no vaccine to treat the virus which has
BRIAN HANSEL | DAILY JOURNAL
CANCELED: The 67th annual Lake Region Threshermen’s Show in Dalton has been canceled due to the threat COVID-19 poses and restrictions set by the state of Minnesota.
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So while there will not be a “show” and no tickets will be sold, there will be threshermen on the grounds doing what they must. “There will be some things going on down there that weekend,” Halvorson said. “If people want to stop in they can stop in, the gates will be open.” Halvorson expects most of the activity to take place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12-13. In addition to checking out the giant steam engines, sawmills and other equipment, Halvorson expects the “Milton Martinson” to run the rails. The popular little train which normally pulls passengers in two, named after the father of current association president Larry Martinson, has been brought out of its engine house to test the boiler according to Halvorson. “We’ll probably steam it up, drive it around and check it out,” Halvorson said. Since neither the Sawmill Café or the Our Saviors-Ten Mile Lake food booth will be serving, Halvorson believes that any concessionaires that might want to come in and set up could find customers among the workers and visitors on the grounds. Halvorson said the current president of the LRPTA is Larry Martinson. He estimated the current membership of the group, both active and inactive, to be somewhere between 400 and 500.
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gained momentum during the summer months. and led to nearly 5 million cases of coronavirus in the United States alone. There is no vaccine to treat the virus which has gained momentum during the summer months. “We’d been talking about it and we were probably going to wait until August to do it,” Halvorson said. “The show in Albany canceled out right before that and looking at the restrictions set by the state of Minnesota it was pretty hard to see any way that we could do much down there.” It is no secret that COVID-19 is the reason behind the precautions the state is taking. Social distancing is not something the annual event can offer. It not only attracts huge throngs of visitors with its parades and pioneer-themed displays and buildings, it has also demanded many willing hands to serve food, sell tickets, direct parking and handle many of the behind-the-scenes chores. While the show will not go on as usual, Halvorson pointed out the association still has responsibilities to meet. “We still have some stuff that we have to do every year,” Halvorson said. “We’ve got wheat we have to cut and harvest, we’ve got some logs down there that will have to be sawed up and some of the other machinery that should be checked out on an annual basis.”
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PAGE 6 | LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020
START THE ADVENTURE
New Prairie Wetlands Learning Center director has ‘adaptable’ qualities By Brian Hansel Lakes Journal
Joanne Ryan has found herself a new home in Minnesota as director of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center (PWLC). Ryan left her position at the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge in south-central Oklahoma recently to fill a three-year vacancy at the PWLC campus located on State Highway 210 East in Fergus Falls. Ryan has been with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for five years. Prior to joining there she spent 10 years in the National Park Service — a job which saw her serving at parks in several states. Ryan is no stranger to traveling. She was born in Santiago, Chile, when her father was stationed in South America as a soldier in the United States Marine Corps.
Ryan lived in more than a dozen states with her family while growing up and would often change schools twice a year. What kind of person does such an adventurous life produce? “A pretty adaptable one,” Ryan laughed. “It leaves you feeling fairly at home wherever you go.” Her college years were spent at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the University of Arizona in Tucson. Ryan was interested in woodworking, furniture design and ceramics during her college days in Philadelphia. “They don’t sound very related to working with land management but in fact I tap into that degree more than anything else,” Ryan said. Ryan has a great deal of experience in prairie restoration work. At Tishomingo
BRIAN HANSEL | DAILY JOURNAL
NEW DIRECTOR: Director Joanne Ryan examined the flowers of a Cup Plant Thursday afternoon at the Prairie Wetland Learning Center. Ryan has been with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for five years. she served as an education vironments has been a con- has found the residents to be things and then the restostant in Ryan’s adventurous “very friendly and welcom- ration work.” specialist. Ryan worked on the Lewis While adapting to new en- life she was pleased upon her ing.” arrival in west-central MinRyan has directives to and Clark National Historic nesota to find some plant follow and the pandemic Trail, which is halfway bespecies common to Oklaho- to wrestle with but she also tween Tishomingo and Ferwants to offer more outreach gus Falls. ma as well. “Those that I see here at to the community in the form Ryan has also taught at the Prairie Wetlands Learn- of adding new partnerships public schools in Montana ing Center are very similar to the ones that already exist. and Virginia. , 56586 30372 180th St. • Underwood, MN “My duties here are sup“Life’s an adventure,” Ryan to those we were restoring at Tishomingo,” Ryan said. porting this fabulous edu- said. “It is an adventure on Two of the features of the cation operation they have behalf of the environment Your Fully Equipped Tree Care Company Fergus Falls area that have going on, supporting the right now. It’s really importll ELICENSED i d&TINSURED C C struck Ryan are more water employees who are on the ant in this day and age in my and less heat. ground delivering services to mind to really work hard on OTHER AVAILABLE SERVICES Besides finding the coun- the schools, to the children the importance of preserving • Aerial Lift • Grapple & Dump Truck tryside and the community and the public, and there are our native species. This is a • Stump Grinding • Brush Mowing • Brush Chipper “stunningly beautiful” Ryan a lot of facilities management wonderful platform for that.”
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prevent spread to other lakes.” Whether or not a lake is listed as infested, Minnesota law requires boaters and anglers to: • Clean watercraft and trailers of aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species. • Drain all water by removing drain plugs and keeping them out during transport. • Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash. Some invasive species are small and difficult to see at the access. To remove or kill them, take one or more of the following precautions before moving to another waterbody: • Spray with high-pressure water. • Rinse with very hot water (120 degrees for at least two minutes or 140 degrees for at least 10 seconds). • Dry for at least five days. Zebra mussels can compete with native species for food and habitat, cut the feet of swimmers, reduce the performance of boat motors, and cause expensive damage to water intake pipes. People should contact a Minnesota DNR aquatic invasive species specialist if they think they have found zebra mussels or any other invasive species. More information is available at mndnr.gov/ais.
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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed reports of zebra mussels in Long Lake, near Park Rapids in Hubbard County, and Pickerel Lake, near Maine in Otter Tail County. A trained invasive species detector found a single zebra mussel on a plant rake when conducting routine sampling on Long Lake. A subsequent dive search revealed two adult zebra mussels near the south public access and fishing pier on Long Lake. A DNR invasive species specialist said the specimens were breeding adults that were likely in the lake prior to this year. The Pickerel Lake report was filed by an Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office deputy after a lake user sent him photos of a zebra mussel attached to a native clam in the lake. DNR invasive species specialists conducted two follow-up searches and found a single adult zebra mussel, one and one-quarter inch in length, about a half-mile from the location of the original report. “It’s helpful that lake users contact us when they find what might be a new invasive species to a lake,” DNR Invasive Species Unit supervisor Heidi Wolf said. “Early detection is important, because it can help
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PAGE 8 | LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020
Maybe doing ‘something’ is all we can do? T
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he state’s requirement that most of us must wear face masks to prevent the spread of C OV I D - 1 9 strikes me in two different ways. First, it’s a good idea BRIAN if you want to prove HANSEL Staff you are do- Reporter ing “something.” Second, it is not a magic bullet. There are some parallels to the pandemic to be found in the great outdoors. Take for instance the state’s battle with zebra mussels. Minnesota has been finding zebra mussels in its lakes and streams since the 1980s. They apparently arrived here on the hulls of ships that traveled into the Great Lakes from the Caspian Sea region. The state has been carrying on a campaign to limit the spread of the penny-sized invaders. They point with some pride to the fact that only a small percentage of Minnesota lakes are infected yet to slow their spread sportsmen are required to clean and drain their boats before they drop them into another lake. The Department of Natural Resources can usually be found at lakes with public accesses enforcing this decree. Yet when you start looking at the lakes in Otter Tail County that have zebra mussel infestations, the largest and most popular lakes of Otter Tail are nearly all there. Careless boaters and dock movers, about 20% of whom never learned to read, are considered to be prime cul-
prits but nature is aiding and abetting these rascals. The whole Otter Tail River chain, which runs from the Pine lakes near Perham to the Orwell Reservoir, has zebra mussels. They cannot move upstream but they can easily move downstream and the river has been their road. Most of us should know by now that zebra mussels remove many microscopic plants and animals from our lakes and rivers. In time they can starve a lake’s native fish and wildlife. A poison for killing the zebra mussels is available but totally impractical and cost prohibitive at this point. Poisoning the zebra mussels is carried out only at hydroelectric dams where they are very good at clogging water intake pipes. This type of solution must be what former DNR fisheries manager Don Reedstrom was referring to when he told me a few decades ago. He said he knew that research into developing selective poisons was underway. We can only hope they still are. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a problem for which there is no cure. DNR officials know it is a deadly threat to the state’s whitetailed deer and elk. In an attempt to deal with the spread of CWD this fall some hunters are being asked to voluntarily bring their deer in for CWD testing. Permit Area 273 and 213 are two of the local kill blocks which will have surveillance testing. Between them these two oernut areas cover a good share of west-central Minnesota — from Fergus Falls southeastward to Sauk Centre. One of the big problems
with CWD is that no one is 100% sure how it spreads. The source seems to be infected deer and elk so the state has been testing these animals. If you want to get into a quick argument just point the finger at owners of those farms. Some central Minnesota deer farm owners who I visited with at a sportsman’s show in Perham said their herd is regularly tested for CWD and given a clean bill of health. When I interviewed former Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr a few years back, he was frustrated beyond words by CWD and the carelessness shown by some game farm operations. What angered him at the time was a deer farm in southeastern Minnesota which allowed some of their animals to escape in an area where CWD was present. Landwehr was a man trying to row a boat full of holes into a heavy wind. The disease apparently migrated into southeastern Minnesota from Wisconsin and Iowa, although it is also found in about half of the United States and in countries around the globe. A couple years ago it was found in Crow Wing County, 100 miles east of Otter Tail. All the DNR can do is test and try to contain the spread. Sound familiar? Perhaps all sportsmen can do is grind their teeth and accept what cannot be changed? As the old saying goes, “What can’t be cured must be endured.” Brian Hansel is a reporter for the Fergus Falls Daily Journal.
LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020 | PAGE 9
One Mile Prairie: A newly-discovered gem
O
ne advantage of staying close to home during the COVID-19 pandemic is discovering outdoor treasures right here in Fergus Falls. I know about the riverwalk downtown and the Central Lakes Trail (CLT) heading south out of town and of course the various parks within the city limits, but the One Mile Prairie walk is a hidden emerald green gem that I didn’t discover until this year. I have lived in Fergus Falls for 18 years but I keep finding more surprises in this beautiful trail city. The North Country Trail (NCT) has a popular route starting near Red Sox Park. The iconic blue blazes mark the trail as it ascends to overlook the Otter Tail Hoot Lake Power Plant to the east and Fergus Falls to the west. Then it drops down to the river level and empties out at the Main Street bridge over the Otter Tail River. On a recent
clear summer day I decided to push on and follow the NCT blue blazes to the next section. The mowed path rose gently through waist-high grass. The hilltop vista over the One Mile Prairie was breathtaking. It transported me back to a time before white settlers homesteaded in Otter Tail County. The views from the trail of tall grassland and cattail-rimmed wetlands invited me to imagine the promise this land offered to early settlers. The fresh, clear river, open fields and plentiful game must have enchanted European immigrants as well as the first Native people that discovered this gently rolling landscape. Walking the 1.8-mile loop is an easy stroll but full of grand views. Matthew Davis the regional coordinator for the NCT describes the hike like this: “Enjoy this easy, fami-
ly-friendly loop within the 143-acre One Mile Prairie. One Mile Prairie is owned and managed by the Fergus Falls Fish & Game Club (visit fffgcmn.org/) and is located within Fergus Falls' city limits. The trail passes through a tallgrass prairie with some trees. Look for wildflowers in the late spring, summer and fall. Ducks, geese and other waterfowl can be found in great numbers — particularly in the spring and fall.” One Mile Prairie can be accessed from Main Street or just north of Highway 210 opposite the head of the CLT. Stay-at-home orders are easier to take when so many recreational trails beckon us to socially distance and discover the health and beauty of our outdoor gems. Kim Embretson is a member of the MN Waters and Prairie Chapter of the North Country Trail Association.
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PAGE 10 | LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020
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GRANTING A REQUEST: Curtis Haugan made friends with Raven of Lazy J Horse Rescue earlier this summer at his home in Otter Tail County. It was a final request of Haugan’s to pet a horse. Looking on was his daughter, Dawn.
An equestrian request Rescue horses carry some good instincts By Brian Hansel Lakes Journal
Curtis Haugan was dying back in June when one of his last requests reached the ears of Jeani Young of Lazy J Horse and Rescue. Haugan had grown up around horses and
before he died he wanted to pet a horse one last time. Since the veteran could not travel, Jeani and her husband, Jim, loaded up two of their rescue horses and brought them to Haugen’s residence. One of the horses was Raven, a big, black rescue horse the other was “Q-Tip,” a potty-trained pony the Youngs had brought along in case Haugan was not well enough to go outside. Seeing the horses gave Haugan a big lift. “He was feeling well enough that day to go
LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020 | PAGE 11
bring to their place are usually starved. “We’ve had a lot of abandoned horses lately,” Young said. “We have 2-3 of them up for adoption. The ones that need training we train and adopt them out. We have a lot of old ones out here who will just live their days out being spoiled by the grandkids.” The Youngs have found horses to be wonderful therapy animals. One of their goals is to make their horses available to veterans and children with autism for riding and just spending time. “That is kind of our goal for next year,” Young said. At this point, the Youngs are entertaining families with troubled teens that aren’t comfortable talking to other adults. “They take a horse, they
brush it out and they seem to be able to tell them secrets,” Jeani said. “The kids really seem to trust the horses. They are kids that have been thrown into the system, abused and neglected. They have a lot in common with these kids. You tell the kids about the horse’s story and you can see that they are like ‘Oh, then I am not alone.’ They are wonderful therapy animals.” Jeani recalls that during their visit to Haugan Raven walked right up to his wheelchair and bowed her head. “She knew that he didn’t have long left. She knew that he loved horses,” Jeani said. Horses also know when someone is upset or angry. They can also sense fear. “That is why when peo-
ple come out here to pick out a horse I don’t let the people pick the horse, I let the horse pick the person,” Jeani said. “We make sure when we adopt a horse out that it’s a wonderful match.” The therapy aspect is an avenue the owners of the nonprofit rescue operation and one of their volunteer hands, Bill Nyberg, are planning to pursue. They have recently come up with a mission statement for the equine therapy part of the rescue operation - “rescue horses, rescuing people.” “With the COVID, it’s been horrible because we can’t do fundraising unless we do it online,” Jeani said. “Normally we do parades, we do fairs, we do stands where we sell T-shirts and sweatshirts to make money.”
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out in a wheelchair,” Jeani said. “We spent the whole afternoon with him and his family and his grandkids. It was very rewarding.” A few days after the visit, Haugan passed away. The Youngs have 15 animals on their ranch 12 miles northeast of Alexandria in Douglas County. Most are rescue horses, some are ponies and some are donkeys. “We work hand in hand with Douglas County, Otter Tail County, the surrounding counties and their sheriff’s departments,” Jeani said. “When you see on TV or in the newspapers that horses are neglected we are usually the ones in the background that are doing a rescue.” Concerned citizens and Humane Societies also reach out to the Youngs. The horses the Youngs
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PAGE 12 | LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020
Speed up for more summer fish! S
pring is a time when shallow fish and cold water often mean methodical presentations designed to tempt fish that may be a bit lethargic into biting. During summer, however, faster presentations that trigger aggressive, reactionary strikes are often more effective. For example, walleye MIKE fishing in spring often in- FRISCH volves pitching or slowly Fishing trolling or drifting jig and with Frisch minnow combinations in the shallow to mid-depth water ranges. Some anglers also use slip-bobbers cast to likely walleye-holding spots and allowed to “soak” in place. In essence, jigs bait-
ed with tantalizing leeches or minnows are suspended below bobbers in the faces of finicky walleyes, tempting (hopefully) those fish to bite. These slow “in your face” jigging and bobbering techniques are great for spring and cool water. Summer’s warmer water and increased baitfish populations often mean that faster presentations are not only often more effective, but might just be required to put together a good walleye catch! On a recent guide trip, for example, we located a large number of walleyes roaming a soft-bottomed flat. Some anglers were trying to “sit” on those fish and tempt SUBMITTED them with traditional jigging presentations, while others were slowly trolling CAST AND RETRIEVE: Stephanie Lawson, Vice President of Women Anglers of Minnesota, with a summer “Lindy Rig” style slip-sinker rigs baited crappie that fell for a cast and retrieve approach!
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with leeches and nightcrawlers. Both of those presentations produced an occasional fish, but we found pulling leeches and nightcrawlers on “slow death” rigs behind bottom bouncers at 1.3 mph was more effective. Not only were we able to put our baits in front of more fish because of our increased fishing speed, but it appeared that the spinning action of the leech or ‘crawler pulled quickly by the fish was triggering them to react and bite before the bait “got away!” Speedy presentations like those bottom-bouncer rigs often shine for walleyes in summer, but quicker presentations work on summer panfish as well. Crappie anglers in the spring will often use similar bobbering tactics as their walleye fishing brethren. A small panfish jig fished alone or tipped with a crappie minnow or waxworm and fished below a bobber is a favored springtime presentation that tempts lots of crappies and bluegills into biting. In the summer, on the other hand, speeding up can again be key. Wally Marshall, aka Mr. Crappie, and I shared a boat earlier this summer chasing his namesake
species. Rather than fish “itty, bitty tubes” (as Marshall called them) below the boat, we cast and slowly retrieved small, plastic-action tail baits. While a slow retrieve was key, we were still covering water to maximize our chances for putting our baits in front of lots of fish. And, the swimming, squiggling action of the Mr. Crappie “ShadPole” and “Shadalicious” baits we were casting were much too tempting for a bunch of summer crappies to resist. If tempting a bunch of summer fish into biting is one of your goals yet this summer, consider speeding up your fishing approach using some of the techniques described. You’ll cover more water to find fish and probably trigger a bunch of them into biting as well! As always, good luck on the water and remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors adventure. Mike Frisch is a western Minnesota fishing guide and co-host of the popular “Fishing the Midwest TV” series. Visit www.fishingthemidwest.com or follow Fishing the Midwest on Facebook for more "fishy" stuff.
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LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020 | PAGE 13
PAGE 14 | LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020
LEADING IN THE AIR: Bonnie and Dave Jennen were awarded the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagle Leadership Award for their work with the Fergus Falls EAA chapter.
SUBMITTED
Jennens receive Young Eagles Leadership Award For Lakes Journal
Phillips 66 Aviation is honored to announce the 2020 Phillips 66 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Young Eagles Leadership Award to Dave and Bonnie Jennen of Erhard. The Jennens, members of EAA Chapter 1174 in Fergus Falls, regularly fly children from about eight schools in west Minnesota and the eastern Dakotas, totaling 500–600 Young Eagles flights per year. Dave is the volunteer pilot, while Bonnie helps coordinate the logistics. Despite being in a rural area, their chapter regularly conducts the most Young Eagles flights in the state of Minnesota, which is due to the cooperation of Chapter 1174 members and
the help they receive from surrounding EAA chapters. Dave has personally flown over 1,100 Young Eagles, since the early 2000s. “Through my work in the sheriff’s department, I met so many kids that didn’t have access to these kinds of experiences,” said Dave. “We saw an opportunity to work directly with area schools to coordinate Young Eagles flights for their students. For me, it’s about boosting the kids’ confidence, exciting them, and motivating them to stay engaged in school, even giving them something to study towards.” Not only do the Jennens run a successful Young Eagles program, but Dave goes the extra mile to mentor the students.
He visits each classroom prior to students taking their Young Eagles flight. He educates the students on aviation and the importance of choosing a positive attitude, setting their own path and conquering goals. He also serves as a mentor to young adults who express an interest in flight training. For more than 25 years, Phillips 66 Aviation has proudly sponsored The EAA Young Eagles, an organization whose sole mission is to introduce and inspire kids in the world of aviation by providing youths ages 8 – 17 their first free ride in an airplane. More than 2 million children have flown through the EAA Young Eagles program with the help of EAA’s network of vol-
unteer pilots and ground volunteers. The award, which is typically announced at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, recognizes outstanding Young Eagles volunteers that have supported the future of aviation by going above and beyond the basic Young Eagles flight. “Although we can’t celebrate in person this year, it’s a pleasure to present this award to Dave and Bonnie,” said Eric McMurphy, sales manager, general aviation, Phillips 66. “I’m proud to recognize them with the 2020 Young Eagles Leadership Award for their dedication to EAA and their commitment to mentoring young aviators. On behalf of everybody at Phillips 66 and the EAA, I thank them for serving the
aviation community and inspiring future pilots.” In addition to their Young Eagles activity, the Jennens are active members of the EAA and regularly volunteer. They travel to Oshkosh for several weeks each year to help with AirVenture, serving as co-chairs of the AirVenture admissions gate that is in the EAA Aviation Museum lobby. To learn more about the EAA Young Eagles program, visit eaa. org. To learn more about how Phillips 66 supports the Young Eagles program, visit phillips66aviation.com. To view the virtual honoring visit www.eaatogether.org/live/ hangarflying/6173676275001.
LAKES JOURNAL | AUGUST 2020 | PAGE 15
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