West Fargo Focus September 2022

Calendar of Events

MONTHLY

City Commission

5:30 p.m. First and third Monday of every month @ Commission Chambers, West Fargo City Hall

Planning and Zoning Commission

5:30 p.m. Second Tuesday of every month @ Commission Chambers, West Fargo City Hall

Library Board

5:30 p.m. Second Thursday of every month @ Commission Chambers, West Fargo City Hall

Park Board

5:30 p.m. Second Wednesday of every month @ Rustad Recreation Center

School Board

6 p.m. Second and Fourth Monday of each month @ Leidal Education Center

Monday Night Readers Book Club

6 p.m. Second Monday of every month @ West Fargo Public Library

Novel Afternoons Book Club

1 p.m. Third Wednesday of every month @ West Fargo Public Library

Third Thursday Book Club

6:30 p.m. Third Thursday of every month @ West Fargo Public Library

True Crime Book Club

6 p.m. First Tuesday of every month @ Thunder Coffee

Books & Brews Community Book Club

6 p.m. Fourth Thursday of every month @ Thunder Coffee

Ready to Read Storytime

(for kids 3 to 5 and their adults)

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Wednesdays @ West Fargo Public Library

Baby Boost Storytime

(for babies & their adults)

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Fridays @ West Fargo Public Library

English Conversation Circles

6:30-7:30 p.m. Second Tuesday of each month @ West Fargo Public Library

Job Service ND Walk-in Help

1-3 p.m. Second Wednesday of each month @ West Fargo Public Library

Technology Tutors Available

10 a.m. - noon Tuesdays

6 - 8 p.m. Thursdays

10 a.m. - noon Saturdays @ West Fargo Public Library

Family History Research Specialist Available

1-4 p.m. Second Saturday of each month @ West Fargo Public Library

SEPTEMBER

A Walk in the Park 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 1 @ Rustad Recreation Center

Senior Lifestyle Expo

10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 1 @ Rustad Recreation Center

Red River Range Gun Show

Friday, Sept. 9-Saturday, Sept. 10

@ Red River Regional Marksmanship Center

Free Movie: “Belfast” (PG-13)

1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12

@ West Fargo Public Library

West Fest

Community Events: Week of Sept. 12

2022 Big Iron Farm Show

Tuesday, Sept. 13-Thursday, Sept. 15

@ Red River Valley Fair Association

Cruise Night

4:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15

@ The Downtown Yards on Sheyenne

Fall Rummage Sale

7 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17

@ Veterans Memorial Arena

West Fargo Municipal Airport Fly-In

7:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17

@ West Fargo Municipal Airport

West Fest Grand Parade

12 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17

@ The Downtown Yards on Sheyenne

Meet the Dogs

1-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17

@ PetSmart

Honkin’ Haulin’ Hands On Trucks

1-3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18

@ Veterans Memorial Arena

Free Movie: “King Richard” (PG-13)

1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19

@ West Fargo Public Library

NASA’s Artemis Project Planetarium Event (all ages)

6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20

@ West Fargo Public Library

Coffee with a Cop

10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21

@ Sandy’s Donuts

Junk Market

9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23

@ Red River Valley Fair Association

RRRA Hamfest & ARRL Dakota Division Convention

8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24

@ Red River Valley Fair Association

Walk of Hope

9-11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 25

@ Rendezvous Park

Off-Site Learning Day

Monday, Sept. 26

@ West Fargo Public Schools

Free Movie: “Cyrano” (PG-13)

1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26

@ West Fargo Public Library

Middle and High School Conferences

September 26-October 7

@ West Fargo Public Schools

“Let’s Talk about Gardening” Meetup

6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27

@ West Fargo Public Library

Roughrider Ink & Iron Expo 2022 Sept. 30-Oct. 2

@ Veterans Memorial Arena

LABOR DAY SCHEDULE CHANGES:

Friday, Sept. 2 - No School Park Christian School, Capstone Classical Academy

Monday, Sept. 5 - No School

West Fargo Public Schools, JPII Schools, Oak Grove Lutheran School, Park Christian Schools, Capstone Classical Academy

West Fargo City Commission Meeting

5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 5 meeting moved to:

5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6

@ Commission Chambers, West Fargo City Hall

Garbage and Recycling Schedule

• No garbage and recycling collection

Monday, Sept. 5

• Monday and Tuesday garbage collected Tuesday, Sept. 6.

• Recycling service is delayed by one day all week.

Municipal Buildings

All municipal buildings, including West Fargo City Hall, West Fargo Police Department, West Fargo Fire Department locations and the West Fargo Public Library, are closed to the public.

West Fargo’s new fire headquarters on track for spring completion

By Wendy Reuer | West Fargo Pioneer

WEST FARGO — A fairly dry summer has helped work on the new West Fargo Fire Department headquarters move along on schedule.

The new headquarters at 1201 10th Ave. E. is estimated to cost about $18.5 million, nearly double its original estimate of $10 million. It will be funded through capital improvement

sales tax, cash reserves and a $10 million bond.

The headquarters will house new, additional full-time crews to reduce response times and lower fire loss across West Fargo. Currently, all full-time crews are based out of the West Fargo Fire Department’s south station, with only part-time crews

servicing the rented north station.

“We’re on track,” Fire Chief Dan Fuller said earlier this year. “The construction crews are forming the basement walls this week, expect to see concrete trucks soon. Our precast panels and angle iron should be on the site Aug. 1, and a temporary parking lot will be built around the

same time to stage materials and allow for more workers to be on the site and not impact the traffic/parking situation as West Fargo High School ramps up for the fall.”

The West Fargo Fire Department has rented the north station, where the administrative offices are housed, from the West Fargo Rural Fire

Drone photos of construction, courtesy of the West Fargo Fire Department.

FIRE From Page 5

Department since 2017. The offices will be moved from the station at 106 1st St., and the rural department will retain the former station after the city’s move.

“This new headquarters will allow our department to reduce response times to better serve the residents of West Fargo,” Fuller said.

Crews broke ground on the project in May, and it is expected to be finished by spring.

CITY-WIDE PROJECTS

West Fargo is working on rehabilitating the city’s sanitary sewer collection system and a new multi-use bike path in the older part of town.

Severe deterioration of manholes within the north side of the sewer system caused the city to undertake the $4.6 million project.

Crews are working on roughly 40 manholes this summer. Twenty will be lined with an epoxy coating, while the other 20 are being reinforced with inserts.

The city emphasized the manhole work is being paid for by the city’s capital improvement sales tax and sewer utility rates rather than special assessments, which is part West Fargo’s effort to reduce the use of special assessments through strategic planning, financing and policy development.

Also on the agenda for the city this year is extending a northsouth bike and pedestrian pathway from Seventh Avenue East to Main Avenue near the

city’s post office.

Assistant City Engineer Jerrold Wallace said it’s one of the first such trails in the older part of town.

Last year, the first phase involved building the 10-foot pathway from 13th Avenue to Seventh Avenue partially through Service Club Park. The trail runs along the drainage ditch near Fourth Street East.

The pathway connects to others in the city and is being paid for thanks to a $290,000 grant from the North Dakota Department of Transportation, with the rest of the $632,000 project coming from the city’s capital improvement sales tax fund. There are no special assessments involved.

One more infrastructure project is slated for later this summer and involves citywide concrete patching of deteriorating panels, which extends the life of roadways.

The largest panel replacement will be on Ninth Street near West Fargo High School. It will take about eight weeks and will affect traffic.

Because of extreme weather, First Avenue East between Fifth Street East and Sixth Street East had to have concrete repairs performed due to road buckling.

Road buckling can occur when the air temperature shifts from moderate to extreme heat. The warmer the temperature, the more the pavement material expands, leading to buckles.

An architect’s rendering of the new West Fargo Fire headquarters to be built in 2022. Courtesy of the West Fargo Fire Department

Crews continue work on the new West Fargo Fire Headquarters at 1201 10th St. E., in West Fargo. Wendy Reuer / West Fargo Pioneer

“This new headquarters will allow our department to reduce response times to better serve the residents of West Fargo.”

Fire Chief Dan Fuller

City of West Fargo launches new electronic utility billing and payment portal

By City of West Fargo

The City of West Fargo will launch a new electronic utility billing and payment portal on Sept. 1, 2022. In addition to current features such as autopay and eStatements, the new portal will include access to billing history and user-friendly payment management.

Residents can create an account on the new portal beginning Sept. 1, by visiting westfargond.gov/utilities. Those who already have autopay or eStatements set up will also need to create a new account in this portal.

Residents may have received a call, voicemail or text message notification about this program late Tuesday, Aug. 5. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the timing of this notification.

Quick tips for keeping up with the City of West Fargo

By City of West Fargo

At westfargond.gov/alerts, web users can subscribe to receive email and text message updates from a variety of subscription lists. These lists provide special information from the City of West Fargo, West Fargo Fire Department, West Fargo Police Department and the West Fargo Public Library.

This spring, the City launched the West Fargo Gov app to help residents stay even more connected. The app includes news alerts, a calendar of events, links to the utility bill payment portal, garbage and recycling schedules, meeting agendas and job listings. It also quickly connects residents to the City’s new Water Meter Tracker site, which allows residents to view their water usage and receive notifications for excess water usage from leaks, drips or running water that could be costly. Residents will find access to the West Fargo Streets and Snow Plow Tracker on the app too. Search West Fargo Gov in the app store or Google Play to download.

The public can subscribe to email notifications for agendas and minutes at westfargond.gov/agendas. This site also allows visitors to review past agendas and supporting materials, recordings of meetings and minutes for the West Fargo City Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, Public Library Board and more.

Residents can keep track of news, events and day-to-day activities by following @CityofWestFargo, @WestFargoFire, @WestFargoPolice and @WestFargoLibrary on social media. These channels provide a great way to keep updated on the news happening in the City.

The City of West Fargo offers a variety of communication tools to keep up with the latest news, information and events.

West Fargo Police Department to partner with Essentia Health for enhanced cardiac screening program

By City of West Fargo

The West Fargo Police Department has partnered with Essentia Health to develop an enhanced cardiac screening program. This program is a part of the department’s officer wellness program designed to identify those most at risk of a cardiac event and prevent it from occurring in the future. The West Fargo Fire Department will also implement this program for all firefighters.

“Our department has experienced several tragic cardiac events with our own officers over the past few years,” said West Fargo Police Chief Denis Otterness. “This program is designed to help prevent these tragedies and ensure our officers’ overall wellness remains a top priority.”

According to the American Heart Association, the average age of a police officer who suffers a heart attack is 49 years old, compared to 67 for the public. Police officers are at a higher risk of sudden

cardiac death during stressful job duties, such as pursuits and physical altercations.

“Cardiac fatalities represent nearly 50% of on-duty deaths in firefighters,” said West Fargo Fire Chief Dan Fuller. “This screening will protect our firefighters as they continue to serve the residents of West Fargo in times of emergency.”

The enhanced cardiac screening with Essentia Health will include a sum-maximal fitness test, advanced lipid panel blood test, heart CT scan, calcium score and vascular ultrasound. The cardiac screening components will incorporate into officers’ and firefighters’ periodic physicals, when possible.

This screening is mandatory for all sworn police officers and firefighters. The West Fargo Police and Fire Departments are covering the cost of this screening.

The 105th graduating class of the Lake Region State College Peace Officer Academy. It was the first to be held in partnership with the West Fargo Police Department.

Photo courtesy of the City of West Fargo

NEWS AND FEATURES

West Fargo Police Department graduates first class of local Peace Officer Academy with Lake Region State College

By West Fargo Police Department

The West Fargo Police Department was proud to graduate 18 students in the first class of the local Peace Officer Academy. The graduation ceremony was held Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022, at West Fargo High School. The Peace Officer Academy was held in partnership with Lake Region State College.

The Peace Officer Training Program (POTP) allows an individual to become a licensed peace officer in the state of North Dakota. The program has nearly a 100% employment rate for graduates who pursue positions as

full-time police officers in North Dakota.

“We are excited to announce that 12 students have already been offered conditional jobs in law enforcement throughout the region,” said West Fargo Police Chief Denis Otterness. “The department looks forward to a continued partnership with Lake Region State College for future academies in West Fargo to support public safety throughout North Dakota.”

The Peace Officer Academy is a 14-week rigorous training program. Students complete

physical fitness training every morning and classroom hours from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Instructors cover a variety of topics ranging from crime scene processing to North Dakota criminal law.

Lake Region State College is the only college in the state authorized to deliver a North Dakota POST basic curriculum. Thank you to the officers from the West Fargo Police Department and Cass County Sheriff’s Office for assisting as instructors throughout the academy.

West Fest is back and Better Than Ever!

West Fargo’s annual community celebration is happening Sept. 12-17, 2022. Here are some highlights of the events happening throughout the week.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 15:

Cruise Night 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

The final Cruise Night of 2022 will be held on Sheyenne Street in The Downtown Yards district. During the event, classic cars and motorcycles will line Sheyenne Street and cruise one-way, southbound starting at Main Avenue W. Toppers Car Club will be set up in the POW/MIA Plaza along with a live broadcast of The Jay Thomas Show on WDAY Radio.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 17:

Airport Fly-In 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Held at the West Fargo Municipal Airport, this family event features a pancake breakfast, kids activities, tours of Sanford AirMed and free airplane rides for youth ages 8-17.

Craft & Vendor Show 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Shop from local artists, crafters and vendors during the West Fest activities on Sheyenne Street.

Grand Parade 12 p.m.

The West Fest Parade is one of the largest parades in the state of North Dakota and travels through downtown West Fargo. This year’s parade theme is Better Than Ever and entries will include businesses, organizations, and special guests from West Fargo and around the region.

Family Fun 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Enjoy a variety of fun activities for the kids after the parade on Sheyenne Street.

Street Dance with music by 32 Below 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Join the community for a fun, family friendly dance in the POW/MIA Plaza to end a day of celebration.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 18:

Honkin’ Haulin’ Hands on Trucks 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Hosted by West Fargo Park District at Veterans Memorial Arena, kids will get the opportunity to see what it’s like to be in the driver’s seat of large trucks, construction and farming equipment. All participants will receive a free t-shirt, hard hat, lanyard and driver’s license, while supplies last.

Visit westfargoevents.com for more information on these, and other West Fest Week events!

West Fargo Public Library offers memory care kits for area seniors

By City of West Fargo

The West Fargo Public Library now offers memory care kits for area senior living communities. The kits support those experiencing Alzheimer’s, dementia, memory loss or other cognitive decline. Each kit includes items that stimulate the user’s memory and facilitate conversation about their life experiences, such as: music CDs, essential oils and other scents, photos, other sensory tools, puzzles and games.

“Currently there is not a cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, but there are ways for folks to keep their minds sharp, address their symptoms and continue to live a full life,” Kirsten Henagin, West Fargo Public Library Adult Services Manager said. “Our memory care kits are intended to help residents of the senior living communities we work with do that.”

The library currently visits six area

senior living communities each month to deliver books and other materials. The library is rolling out the 10 memory care kits to those senior living communities this fall, but hopes to expand the program in the future.

This service is being provided thanks to funding from the Friends of the West Fargo Public Library non-profit group, which supports the library through fundraising and volunteerism.

“Currently there is not a cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, but there are ways for folks to keep their minds sharp, address their symptoms and continue to live a full life.”

Kirsten Henagin

NEWS AND FEATURES

West Fargo Public Schools bans cellphone use in classrooms

By Wendy Reuer | West Fargo Pioneer

WEST FARGO — West Fargo students will no longer be allowed to use their cellphones during class.

Like Fargo and Moorhead, rules for cellphones in the classroom varied in West Fargo schools, allowing teacher discretion to decide the extent that cellphones could be present. But last week, West Fargo

Public Schools sent a message to students and parents with an update to its universal student handbook.

The handbook now outlines a policy that says cellphones and other electronic devices must be out of sight and not in use during classes.

“Cell phones must be out-of-sight

and out-of-use from the first bell to the last bell of all classes, including during study halls and within flexed learning spaces that are an extension of a classroom,” the policy states. “Cell phones may be used appropriately and respectfully in common spaces during noninstructional times, including passing

time, the student lunch period, and before and after school.”

Assistant Superintendent Vincent Williams said the change in policy has been welcomed by teachers and administrators, and he did not hear any initial complaints from parents.

“Teachers are very happy,” West

Image via Pixabay.

CELLPHONE From Page 15

Fargo School Board Member Jim Jonas said Monday, Aug. 8.

District Spokeswoman Heather Leas said the district office had not heard from any parents that objected to the rule change.

In Fargo, Communications Director AnnMarie Campell said each high school has its own handbook outlining a policy for electronics in the classroom. Davies High School, North High School and South High School have nearly identical policies in their handbooks, which say the devices should not be used in classrooms but can be allowed for educational purposes as advised by teachers.

Fargo’s universal middle school student handbook explicitly defines the students’ responsibility to respectfully use devices and says they can be allowed in the classroom by teachers.

In Moorhead, the high school handbook states devices “may be used during passing time or in classrooms with teacher permission, or in the commons during study time. In accordance with FERPA, students are not allowed to video or capture images in a classroom without the knowledge and permission of the classroom teacher.”

West Fargo’s policy states that a cellphone or electronic device such as smartwatch, tablet or laptop can be confiscated from students if they violate the policy. Use of personal devices is still allowed between classes or in common areas.

“The first time a phone is delivered to the Main Office due to an infraction of this policy, it will be returned to the learner at the end of their instructional day. Further violations of this policy will result in additional consequences including, but not limited to, requiring phones to be turned into the Main Office for a predetermined number of days, requiring the family to pick up the cell phone, and family meetings,” the policy said.

Readers can reach West Fargo editor Wendy Reuer at wreuer@forumcomm.com or 701-241-5530. Follow her on Twitter @ ForumWendy.

NEWS AND FEATURES

Physical education in West Fargo Schools comes into focus

By Wendy Reuer | West Fargo Pioneer

WEST FARGO — While academics are a focus in West Fargo Public Schools, so is students’ physical wellbeing, and the West Fargo School District offers a wide range of classes to to help that along.

At the West Fargo School Board’s Monday, Aug. 8, meeting, Curriculum Coordinator Nicole Seyfried and teacher Leah Swedberg gave the board a rundown of course possibilities at all three of the district high schools.

The physical education and health courses follow state and national standards for courses, which are guidelines for all students kindergarten through 12th grade.

“So, our kindergartners have the same aspirations, benchmarks that our students in high school do,” Seyfriend said.

Seyfried said the curriculum is both skill and fitness based, and it aims to help students reach goals such as comprehending concepts, accessing resources, analyzing influences, decision-making, interpersonal communication, goal-setting and practicing health enhancing behaviors and advocacy.

All ninth graders are required to learn CPR, and the district recently got a grant that allows them to be certified by the American Red Cross for a $5 fee.

“It’s really cool that all of our high school students have those skills,” Seyfried said.

The district offers classes such as introduction to physical education, high school health, advanced health, advanced strength, general physical education, individual and dual sports, aerobic dance, team sports, wellness in motion, dance jam, unified sports and triathlon.

This is the first year the advanced health class will be taught, and it is the first dual-credit health course to be offered in North Dakota as it counts for credit in the high school curriculum as well as for students who are taking classes because of an interest in working in public health.

EDUCATION

From Page 16

The district also offers a course that pairs general education students with special education students to learn physical education. Teachers said they have seen the benefits to both groups of students in the class.

“So, it builds leadership skills with those students,” Seyfried said. “It’s an amazing thing if you get to watch these kids in person. It tugs at your heart to watch them work together.”

“The special ed students get so much from them too,” Swedberg said.

Some of the classes, such as the dance program, allow students to show off what they have learned. Swedberg said the class puts together a routine or several routines, and they perform onstage at the end of the course for

friends and family.

“A lot of times, the kids that are onstage are not typically kids that are onstage,” Swedberg said. “It’s a huge risk to them; they are terrified. It’s nauseating when you’re in it, but once you do it, you’re on cloud nine. It’s so rewarding.”

Another class offers stretching and flexibility, and students not only do the activities but create some of their own programs to teach other students.

Triathlon is offered in the spring at West Fargo High School. Students at Sheyenne, where the course is not held due to low numbers, are welcome to attend the class at West Fargo High School. The students swim, run and bike and finish with the reward of a medal and T-shirt.

“I would say we have critical thinking in all of our classes” Swedberg said. “But in unified P.E., they have to think on their toes and address things that come up.”

While the district is offering additional classes for health and physical education, there could still be more, the teachers said.

“I wish that West Fargo could have more intermurals, more low-stakes stuff,” Swedberg said. “Maybe we need to do a better job of saying the weight room is open to everybody, it’s not just athletes. Or, (that) the cardio room is open to everybody.”

Readers can reach West Fargo editor Wendy Reuer at wreuer@ forumcomm.com or 701-2415530. Follow her on Twitter @ ForumWendy.

“A lot of times, the kids that are onstage are not typically kids that are onstage. It’s a huge risk to them; they are terrified. It’s nauseating when you’re in it, but once you do it, you’re on cloud nine. It’s so rewarding.”

Leah Swedberg

2 West Fargo math teachers + 1 garbage can sanitation business = side hustle success

By Tammy Swift | West Fargo Pioneer

WEST FARGO — The big trailer was painted such a garish shade of yellow and black that one wondered if it could be seen from space.

“It looks like a giant bee,” cracked Keith Urlacher, who, along with his friend, Mark Adamson, and son, Mason Urlacher, had just leased the Landa Power Wash Trailer in their quest to launch a garbage bincleaning business.

But as two middle-school math teachers who were just looking for a summertime job, Urlacher and Adamson knew sinking tons of money into a side business didn’t add up. They decided not to paint it.

So, with that innocent remark, a business found its name — thanks to some quick thinking by Keith’s wife, Robyn.

Bee Fresh Bin Sanitation officially kicked off on May 31, the last day of school. Since then, the fluorescent yellow-and-black trailer can be spotted buzzing around the

metro area to rinse, power-wash, disinfect and deodorize garbage receptacles ever since.

It can be dirty work — cleaning a plastic receptacle that holds rotten food and other rancid items which have marinated in the pouring rain or baked in the summer sun.

Mason, along with his friends Blake Berg and Coby Angeles, winds up doing much of the manual cleaning of the bins. They have encountered everything from rotten meat and maggots to curdled baby formula and soiled diapers in his work.

“It’s kind of a good diet,” quips Mason, who admits he rarely feels like eating afterward.

But Keith, who teaches at Cheney Middle School, adds: “there’s no judgment. We’ve all been there. Who has a spotless garbage can?”

At the same time, there’s a real demand

for it. People regularly call local sanitation departments to ask them to clean out their garbage bins, Urlacher says. But when considering that West Fargo’s Sanitation Department alone picks up 12,000 individual garbage bins per week, it’s obvious that city workers don’t have time to individually detail thousands of grubby, grimy garbage cans.

Serious bin sanitation can also yield results so dramatic that even the pickiest homeowners gush about it. “I asked one customer what he thought and he goes, ‘They haven’t been this clean since we moved in seven years ago,” Urlacher says. “He was very pleased with it.”

Most of the peskiest of odors can be eliminated, although it may take several cycles of washing, disinfecting and deodorizing to get there, they say.

Even neatniks who powerwash their cans typically don’t have the capability to do so with special equipment and simmering-hot

water.

“It’s typically about 180 to 200 degrees water is what it is,” Urlacher says of the Bee Fresh system. “So that comes in hot. It’ll burn you.”

IT STARTED WITH DR. SANI-CAN

The Bee Fresh crew believes they are the only business currently offering this specialized cleaning service in North Dakota. “A guy in Minot tried it but it just didn’t take off,” Urlach says. “It’s not a big enough area. Typically, populationwise, they say you probably need around 150,000 people in the area to kind of keep things going.”

But the local forefather of bin sanitation was probably Dr. Sani-Can, who familiarized locals with the concept of professional bin-maintenance. That business was owned by Brian Schielke of West Fargo, but he passed away in 2020.

GARBAGE:

Keith Urlacher (left) and Mark Adamson put the finishing touches on a recycling bin in West Fargo on Friday, July 22, 2022. David Samson / West Fargo Pioneer

Urlacher says he and Mason were out driving and trying to brainstorm a service or job both could do in the summertime. As they watched the countless black garbage bins and yellow-and-green recycling bins waiting out on the curb, they thought of Dr. Sani-Can.

The Urlachers also reached out to Keith’s friend, Adamson. “We called up Mark and said, ‘Mark, we have a harebrained — I mean, genius — idea,” Keith recalls, laughing.

“He came to me with everything after he kind of looked up and it wasn’t a matter of was I going to (be a partner) as much as how soon was I going to say yes?” recalls Adamson, who teaches at Liberty Middle School.

Their original thought was to purchase Dr. Sani-Can’s trailer, but then they learned someone outside of the area had already bought it.

They moved forward anyway, starting out in late May with just a pressure-washing trailer. “We tried to make that work and one of the first weeks, we ended up with 42 bins in one day and we went, ‘Hmm, this isn’t going to work,” Urlacher says.

A few days later, Urlacher was on a Facebook group trying to learn more about bincleaning when one of the other members mentioned that they thought Dr. Sani-Can’s trailer had been purchased by Dave Bender in Bismarck.

Urlacher contacted Bender, who also happened to be a teacher. Bender said he wasn’t using the trailer at that time, so offered to lease it to Bee Fresh.

“It was insanely nice of him,” Urlacher says.

So once again, Dr. Sani-Can’sturned-Bee-Fresh’s trailer made a beeline to West Fargo.

Until their new Bee Fresh signage arrived, they even operated for a few weeks with Dr. Sani-Can on the trailer.

FEATURES EXTRA TRASH-CAN TLC

As the partners learned all they could about “can-itation,” they also upgraded equipment to maximize efficiency. An especially important investment was a $1,000 four-headed, power-washing nozzle, which blasts banana peel barnacles and sticky cereal boxes off the inside of bins at 4,000 psi.

They also add some extra TLC to their bin-beautification.

First, they clean out any large pieces of garbage, like flattened boxes, which might be sticking to the bottom of the can. Then they rinse out the inside of the bins with handheld pressure hoses.

The bins are then positioned right behind the trailer, where robotic arms hoist up the cans to be cleaned with hot water shot through the four-way nozzle.

The waste water is dumped in a 150-gallon storage receptacle on the trailer and the bins are set back on the pavement.

Many other bin-cleaning businesses stop at this point, the partners say, but Bee Fresh features an extra step. The workers use a “secret sauce” of eco-friendly disinfectant/ deodorizer to wipe out the inside and outside of each can — just in case any stubborn gum or gunk has lodged itself into a crevice. The bin is then rolled back up the driveway, so the customer knows they’ve been serviced.

Urlacher and Adamson say they wouldn’t be able to sustain the business if not for

the nimble joints and strong stomachs of Mason and his school friends. “We’re trying to be thorough and the boys definitely set the standard on that,” Urlacher says. “They did an amazing job starting out and just saying, ‘Hey, you know what? I’m going to clean the insides and dry off the outside.”

The partners invested in a

their bins serviced. However, they do want the cans to be free of garbage, which means they have to keep close tabs on that narrow window between garbage or recycling pick-up and the next round of garbage.

They say the sanitation departments in Fargo and West Fargo seem to have appreciated the service. Now,

anymore.”

It’s also work that gets them out moving around, working in the sunshine and joking around with their college-aged coworkers, Adamson says.

“We both love our jobs, the kids and everything like that, but it’s something different. It’s a mental break,” Urlacher says.

logistics program to help them determine the most efficient route to take from customer to customer. Unfortunately, it turned out to be as complex as the Riemann Hypothesis. So Urlacher says he’s taken on the logistics role. Everyone also has become more adept at planning routes as they’ve visited neighborhoods which even these lifetime locals never knew existed.

At this point, Bee Fresh is serving West Fargo, Fargo, Moorhead, Horace, Dilworth and Harwood. However, they will consider driving to outlying areas if enough residents band together their bins, thus ensuring that the trip justifies the extra time and gas.

Even so, Urlacher says they have tried to keep their services affordable, even amid rising fuel costs. Prices range from $30 for one-time service of one bin and $50 for two bins to $120 for six total cleanings of one bin throughout the months of June, July and August.

A STRANGELY REWARDING SIDE HUSTLE

The partners say customers don’t need to be home to have

when residents call those entities asking to have their bins cleaned, they share Bee Fresh’s contact information.

Urlacher and Adamson stress that the homeowners don’t need to worry about any of the waste water being dumped into their local sewer system. Instead, Bee Fresh has checked all regulations and gained permission to dump their waste water — with all excess garbage filtered out — at a local RV park, Urlacher says.

They hope to continue beautifying bins through Sept. 15. Next year, Urlacher says they hope to start in early May, so parents can gussy up their garbage cans for graduation party season.

In the meantime, they’ve found the work of transforming trashed trash cans to be strangely satisfying.

The homeowners are so appreciative, they say. “It’s a service, so people want you to do it,” Adamsson says. “Some of the comments that you get back, like they haven’t been this clean since we got them new, the smell is gone or yeah, I’m not embarrassed about them

An unexpected benefit has been the time that Urlacher has been able to spend with Mason, now 20 and attending nursing school. Especially more recently, when he and Mason drove to Detroit together to buy their own trailer.

“One of my proudest things this summer is just my son and I going on road trips and actually having real conversations,” Urlacher says. “ So Mason and I were in the vehicle for 40-some hours together. And, yeah, you learn a lot about each other. You sure do.”

Adamson says the experience has given him a whole new appreciation for what sanitation workers deal with in a given week. He says he now thinks twice about tossing a Dairy Queen cup in the trash without making sure it is tied up in a garbage bag first.

“It makes a huge difference,” he says. “At the same time, we appreciate people not using plastic bags because it helps us stay busy.”

Learn more about Bee Fresh at https://beefreshbins.com/ services/

“We called up Mark and said, ‘Mark, we have a harebrained — I mean, genius — idea.”

Keith Urlacher

CITY OF WESTFARGO

SMARTWATERMETERTRACKER

DIGITALLY TRACKWATERUSAGE

SETUPALERTSTO AVOID EXCESSIVEWATERUSAGE

BENOTIFIEDOFIRREGULARITIESTHATCOULDBECOSTLYSUCHASLEAKS,DRIPS,ORWATERLEFT RUNNING