Trailclearing volunteers
ENSURE WINTER IS FUN FOR ALL
Buena Vista Ski Area celebrates 75years
YOU
WITHOUT LIMITS
WEIGHTLOSSISONLYTHEBEGINNING
Weightlosscantransformaperson’shealthinavarietyofways,and formany,it’sonlythestartofajourneytoabetterqualityoflife.
DavidFaugno-Fusci,MD,andMichaelJoannides,MD,areboardcertifiedweightlosssurgeonsattheSanfordBemidjiMainClinic. Asspecialistsinbothsurgicalandnonsurgicalweightlossoptions, theyofferacomprehensiveapproachtoobesitytreatment.
“Ourgoalistohelpourpatientsleadalonger andhealthierlife,”saidDr.Faugno-Fusci.
“Ultimately,thisisn’tjustabouthavingalower numberonthescaleorlookingbetterinthe mirror.Thisisaboutdecreasingyourriskof obesity-relatedproblemslikesleepapnea, hypertensionanddiabetes.”
Findingtherightoptionforeachpatient
Dr.Faugno-FusciandDr.Joannidesarepassionateabouthelping patientsunderstandtheirtreatmentoptionsandproviding personalizedcare.
“Whatevertheirindividualgoalsare,we’reheretohelpthemreach thosegoals,”Dr.Faugno-Fuscisaid.
Treatmentoptionscanincludemedication,whichcanbeeffectivefor thosewhohaveabodymassindex(BMI)between30and35.
“Weightlossmedicationsworkforpeoplewithinthatrangewho havedoneatonofexerciseandhavetriedtheirbestandtheycan’t gettheirweightdownanyfurther,”Dr.Joannidesexplained.
WhenpatientshaveaBMIof35orhigher,optionscanalsoinclude weightlosssurgery.
Scantoexplore weightlossoptions
“Forthosewith ahighBMI, surgeryplays amuchbetter roleinthelong runforlosing weight,” Dr.Joannidessaid.
Whathelpsonepersonlose weightmaynotworkfor another,makingindividualized treatmentimportantthroughout everyweightlossjourney.
“Wearehappytoeducate patientsonalltheoptions thatareavailableandmake recommendationsonwhat wethinkcouldworkforeach person,”Dr.Faugno-Fuscisaid.
Noreferralneeded Withnoreferralneededto scheduleaconsultation, anyonewhoisstrugglingwith theirweightcanmeetwith theweightlossteamwithout needingtoseeaprimarycare providerfirst.
“We’reprovidingthisresource tothecommunityandwe’re heretohelpanyone,” Dr.Faugno-Fuscisaid.
Toscheduleanappointmentat theSanfordBemidjiMainClinic, call(218)333-5283.
BEMIDJI PIONEER PUBLICATION
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STAFF
Editor
Daltyn Lofstrom
Creative Director
Mollie Burlingame
Advertising Lindsay Nygren
Business Larisa Severson
ADMINISTRATION
Advertising Director Todd Keute
Editor
Annalise Braught
Controller Tammie Brooks
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James Hanson jhanson@bemidjipioneer.com
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Volume 12, Issue 1
Copyright © 2024 Bemidji Pioneer in Bemidji
All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained.
ON THE COVER
Volunteers Cory Berg, Mitch Blessing and Nate Dorr cut up a fallen tree while helping clear cross country ski trails. Photo contributed.
inBemidji’s mission is to be Bemidji’s and the surrounding area’s local lifestyle magazine. We strive to enhance the quality of life for the people of the Bemidji area by informing them about all of the amazing people who live in our community. Our concentration is on everything local: fashion, food, health, and most importantly, unique individuals and stories.
We strive to maintain a high level of integrity as an inspiring, local media presence for our readers and provide advertisers with a high-quality, effective marketing medium.
Read the award-winning inBemidji online! Visit bemidjipioneer.com , then click on inBemidji near the bottom of the page.
Buena Vista’s 75th Year
The family affair that runs Buena Vista Ski Area looks back at 75 years of business and recreation.
Members of the Bemidji Area Cross Country Ski Club, friends and strangers volunteer their time ahead of each winter.
Fiddlesticks Fiber Arts
The yarn shop recently opened its door to the community as it aims to bring together creative enthusiasts.
Bagley resident and wildland firefighter Terry Snetsinger details his story as part of inBemidji’s person-on-the-street interview series.
by Carley Swanson-Garro inBemidji staff
Yarn tassel garlandDIY:
Making your own tassels is surprisingly easy and once you learn how to do so, they can be used for a range of decorative purposes. Whether it’s for gift wrapping, door decorating or a festive tassel garland, this craft is perfect for early winter nights spent indoors with the finished garland adding holiday charm to your home. While this version features silver bells and beads, feel free to get creative and add dried fruit, popcorn or pom poms to your garland.
We all have history. Discover yours here.
Wed.-Sat. 10 AM - 4 PM beltramihistory.org phone: 218-444-3376
130 Minnesota Ave. SW, downtown Bemidji museum - caboose - gift shop - research
Antique Mall
Bemidji, First City on the Mississippi
Revisit your childhood and discover the “Antiques Capital of The North”
Explore a vast array of treasures in our 7,000 sq. ft. store!
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:00 am - 5:00 pm • Sun. 10:00 am - 3:00 pm 120 Minnesota Ave NW, Bemidji, MN • (218) 444-2389
Supplies:
• Yarn
• Wood beads
• Craft bells
• Tape
• Scissors
• Twine
• Cardboard
• Crafting needle (optional)
Step One:
Tape the end of a ball of yarn to a 12-18 inch wide piece of cardboard. Begin looping the yarn around the cardboard, maintaining even tension. For thicker yarn, wrap 10-15 times and for thinner yarn wrap 20-30 times.
Step Two:
Slide the yarn off the cardboard, keeping the loop intact.
Step Three:
Using scissors, cut both ends of the looped yarn to create a pile of strings of the same length.
Step Four:
Using one of the strings, tie the bundle of yarn together in the center.
Step Five:
Holding onto the yarn tie, pick up the bundle so the rest of the yarn falls together into a tassel shape.
Step Six:
Using a small piece of yarn, tie the bundle together about 1.5 inches from the top.
Step Seven:
Trim the ends of the tassel to a uniform length and cut the ends off all the ties.
Step Eight:
Begin stringing the beads, bells and tassels onto the twine. To make this easier, you can thread the twine on a crafting needle and pull it through the center of the beads and tassels. Adults should help children with this step.
Step Nine:
Tie off the ends of the twine. To secure thinner twine, use a bell at the ends of the garland and loop the end of the twine back through the top of the bell to anchor it. Hang the garland on your Christmas tree, mantel or staircase railing!
BOOKMARKED
Four Pines Bookstore, located in downtown Bemidji, recommends these recent releases for the winter edition of Bookmarked. Consider these titles if you’re on the outlook for holiday gifts for the bookworm in your life!
The Serviceberry By Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Berry Pickers By Amanda Peters
Stitches of Tradition By Marcie Rendon
An Anishinaabe Christmas By Wab
Kinew
The Mighty Red By Louise
Erdrich
Happy reading!
75Celebrating Generations of Dickinsons
by Daltyn Lofstrom inBemidji editor
Thirteen miles north of Bemidji lies a hotspot for the coldest months.
Considered an epicenter for winter outdoor enthusiasts, Buena Vista Ski Area has long served the surrounding region –operating as a family affair for 75 years.
Remnants of Buena Vista’s diamond jubilee are on display in the chalet, boasting a rich heritage and history since it opened on Christmas Day in 1949.
aid in Buena Vista’s longevity
“There’s a lot of history,” longtime volunteer Wendell Knutson said. “I wish I knew it all.”
Knutson has an extensive history with the Dickinson family, the founders of Buena Vista. Before incorporating as a ski resort, Buena Vista resided on the Continental Divide as a
village founded in the late 1800s. Its earliest settler, John W. Speelman, built the Summit Hotel on the “Top of the World.”
He advertised that when it rained, the water—which fell onto the roof of his hotel—found its way either to the Hudson Bay or to the Gulf of Mexico, depending on whether it drained off to the north or the south.
Earle and Dick Dickinson at Buena Vista Ski Area.
(Photo courtesy of the Beltrami County Historical Society)
Thomas Leonard and Agnes Dickinson
“There’s a lot of history. I wish I knew it all.”
- Wendell Knutson
“A lot of people don’t know that Buena Vista Ski Hill is the highest natural point of land in Beltrami County,” Wendell added.
As the years went by, the village failed to prosper and people moved away. However, the Dickinson family would maintain their roots on the Continental Divide.
Skiing had been a main mode of transportation—along with walking and horse-drawn wagons—from the time the first settlers arrived.
So, it was only natural that in 1936, Leonard Dickinson—a successful businessman who ran the Dickinson Lumber Co. and would become a state representative and senator—cleared some trees off a hill on his property for friends and family to enjoy alpine skiing, a sport that had also gained attention after its debut in the Winter Olympics that same year.
But it was Earle Dickinson, along with his brother Dick, who developed the business and opened their slopes to the public for the 1949-1950 winter season. Ever since then, Buena Vista has operated and evolved with the times.
Mariann & Earle Dickinson
A storied past
The resort’s first tow rope was installed during the 1949-1950 season and was rigged to run off a tractor. The original chalet was made out of a grain bin.
For 20 years, the ski area relied on Mother Nature to provide the snow needed for operations, but in 1970, snow-making equipment was added. Chairlifts were also added in 1975, and between 1976 and 1978, the existing chalet was constructed.
This very chalet provides a retrospective view of the resort’s storied past.
“We like to display the different eras of skiing,” third-generation owner Suzanne Thomas said. “This is a museum.”
Over the years, additional slopes were created, and as interest grew, snow-tubing was started in 2002.
Some of the resort’s current offerings even transcend the need for snow. Its
annual Fall Colors Festival has provided eager guests with wagon rides, live music, children’s activities and demonstrations for more than 30 years.
“We had over 600, 700 people attend the Fall Festival last year,” Suzanne noted, “and they all like to hear about the history. Everybody wants to know.”
Wendell has long given sleigh rides at Buena Vista and referred to the enjoyment many people derive from their rides.
“One of my fondest memories is giving people rides,” he said. “I always let the younger person and others drive my horses and they think it’s the best thing in their life. … There is so much entertainment here that it’s just unbelievable. You can go all over the world and never find the entertainment that is here, all in one village.”
Top: Muffy Dickinson (submitted). Middle: The old “Top of the World” sign at Buena Vista Ski Area. (Photo courtesy of the Beltrami County Historical Society). Bottom: Memorabilia from Buena Vista’s 75 years line the walls of the ski chalet for visitors to view.
Skiers are pulled up the hill via tow rope with the early Buena Vista chalet in the background. (Photo courtesy of the Beltrami County Historical Society)
“We
- Suzanne Thomas
Winter winds eat up cold cash
Before the mercury dips, follow these tips to minimize your heating costs:
•Seal air leaks around windows and doors.
Winter winds eat up cold cash
•Caulk or seal entry points where ductwork, wiring, and plumbing are installed.
Before the mercury dips, follow these tips to minimize your heating costs:
•Add insulation to the foundation and attic.
•Seal air leaks around windows and doors.
•Caulk or seal entry points where ductwork, wiring, and plumbing are installed.
•Add insulation to the foundation and attic.
For more energy-saving tips, visit otpco.com/SaveNow.
For more energy-saving tips, visit otpco.com/SaveNow.
Buena Vista Ski Area celebrates its 75th year since opening on Christmas Day in 1949. Some of its longtime workers include, from left: Bev Knutson, Wendell Knutson, Carol Perish, Joe Bradseth, Suzanne Thomas, Michelle Thomas Moravec and Sarah Thomas. Photo by Annalise Braught
Navigating challenges
Despite the positive developments, Buena Vista has experienced its fair share of challenges throughout the years. Shortly after celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic threw a snowball into its operations.
“We had all of these rules that we had to follow and one of them was that (patrons) couldn’t come into the chalet,” Suzanne’s daughter, Michelle, reminisced, “so that was kind of tricky.”
The chalet was open for restrooms, retail, ticketing, rental and take-out food service. Face coverings were also required for guests and employees—indoors and outside—and visitors were requested to prepare for their activities inside their vehicles.
Online reservations were required for skiing and snowboarding lessons, which had to be confirmed by a ski school director. Lessons were limited to a single instructor and a single household.
When riding the lifts, chairs were limited to members of the same household. Staff also conducted routine cleaning and disinfection of high-touch areas around the facility with sanitation stations made available to guests.
Considering the added protocols, Buena Vista still had a successful season that year.
“We were really busy that season and it was a really good snow year,” Michelle said. “People wanted to get out. They wanted to be out on the hills because that’s what they could do.”
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
Suzanne Thomas. Photo by Annalise Braught
Suzanne with daughter Michelle. contributed
Laurie & Lisa together on the tow contributedrope.
Echoing similar sentiments, Carol Perish started working for Suzanne’s grandfather in 1973 and continues her duties in the ticket booth and ski shop to this day.
“A lot of other activities had been canceled that year,” Carol said, “so a lot of people came out here because they can all be outside.”
Fast forward to the postpandemic years, Buena Vista hit a hurdle with a lack of snow during the 2023-2024 winter season. While typically open more than 60 days per season—which runs midNovember through March—last winter only saw 33 open days.
Through these challenges, staff persevered and hit its 75-year milestone.
“We’re going to party all winter long,” Outside Operations Manager Joe Bradseth said lightheartedly.
“And everybody’s invited to the party,” Suzanne added.
The next generation
those ages 6 through 12 and includes three complimentary group lessons.
Buena Vista also plans to host a Christmas Village event similar to the Bentleyville “Tour of Lights” in Duluth.
“Our main goal now is to keep the young ones coming up,” Suzanne mentioned, “because they’re our future.”
More information on Buena Vista Ski Area can be found at www.bvskiarea.com or on the Buena Vista Facebook page.
“We’ll have our own Bentleyville in our little village area,” Suzanne said. “That’s an extra special thing that we’ve been wanting to do.”
Alongside her sisters—Sarah, Lisa and Laurie—Michelle started garnering diverse experience at Buena Vista at a very young age.
“We would get put to work, doing different things, and it was kind of cool to see all the different areas and learn about each department,” she said. “A lot has to come together to make a season happen.”
Efforts to recruit additional employees will include outreach at local schools and universities. Bemidji State University offers a snowboarding class that provides a seamless segue to find potential recruits.
“Every year, it seems we have to reintroduce ourselves to the students,” Joe said. “With the snowboarding class, the word gets out that we’re here and for a seasonal business, we retain our employees quite well.”
Following its annual open house, Suzanne noted excitement for recent and upcoming developments including a new membership, the Little Paul Bunyan First-timer Pass. This is reserved for
As the resort moves into the next 75 years, Suzanne hopes that the younger generations will continue to offer their help so Buena Vista can provide recreational opportunities in perpetuity.
Overall, Buena Vista hopes to offer an at-home, friendly atmosphere not just for patrons but its employees.
“We love our employees,” Carol said. “They turn into family, too.” ■
Nate Haskell and Nate Dorr. Contributed photos.
CLEARING
the path
by Dennis Doeden inBemidji staff
Long before Mother Nature drops the first big snowfall of the year, an army of volunteers takes to the woods to clear 65 miles of cross country ski trails in the Bemidji area.
Those hearty souls—members of the Bemidji Area Cross Country Ski Club, their friends, and complete strangers—tromp through the woods with chainsaws, tree loppers, mowers and other assorted tools. They spend several days in September and October clearing, widening and mowing, trying to get done before deer hunting opener and before that first big snowfall.
It’s thankless work, but it’s also a big reason Bemidji is known for having one of the nation’s best cross country ski trail networks.
“It’s pretty amazing what a group of all volunteers can do to make sure our
trails are in such good condition,” said Nate Haskell, an avid skier, club member and regular on the trail clearing crew.
“The amount of people and the hours that are put in is really pretty special. Other communities have to have paid people to do that, so we’re really lucky here in Bemidji.”
The club takes care of seven ski areas: Movil Maze, Buena Vista, Fern Lake, Bemidji High School, Hobson Forest, Three Island Park and the lit Montebello trail in Bemidji City Park. That includes trail clearing in the fall and grooming once the snow flies.
Skiers also can enjoy trails at Lake Bemidji State Park, which handles its own maintenance and grooming.
Users of the trails are asked to purchase a Great Minnesota Ski Pass from the Department of Natural Resources. A
one-day pass costs $10; a season pass costs $25; and a three-year pass costs $70. Those dollars go into a dedicated state-held fund that is distributed to ski clubs like Bemidji’s through a grant-in-aid program.
“The club is based on and survives on volunteer hours, because the grant-in-aid is based on people purchasing the Great Minnesota Ski Pass,” said Mark Walters, the club’s trails administrator and Bemidji High School’s Nordic ski coach. “That supports us on a year-round basis. So a lot of people ask why they should buy a ski pass. We have the second largest grant in the state of Minnesota because we have a lot of kilometers (about 110).”
Mark records all of the volunteer hours, both for clearing and for grooming, and reports them to the state. About 40% of Bemidji’s grant comes from clearing hours.
“The Ski Club, for all they do, is really invisible. It is mostly skiers who help clear trails.”
Muriel Gilman >>> >>>
“I think we have more trails than most clubs,” said Muriel Gilman, a retired Bemidji State University physical education professor who coached the BSU Nordic ski teams in the 1980s and early 1990s. “It’s all pretty much maintained by volunteers. We have a really beautiful network of trails and a lot of choices for people.”
A volunteer effort
As an avid cross country skier herself, Muriel has been clearing trails for more than 40 years.
“I don’t think a lot of skiers know what it takes to get these trails ready,” she said. “Maybe they appreciate it, but in reality, particularly with the Movil Maze or Buena Vista or Hobson, they think that the county does it. The Ski Club, for all they do, is really invisible. It is mostly skiers who help clear trails.”
One of those volunteers is Mitch Blessing, who says he got into cross country skiing rather reluctantly.
“My parents used to take me skiing when I was little, and I hated it,” Mitch said, “because it was cold and it was flat. They used to pull me in a little poke behind them and I would get ice in my face. So I didn’t like cross country skiing until I was in college. Then I started doing it for myself.”
He sheepishly admits that he didn’t even buy a trail pass in those early years. He just enjoyed the sport, often accompanied by his friend, Nate Dorr. However, Mitch eventually started thinking about what it took to create his favorite trails. Somebody was doing the work, clearing and grooming.
Bob Montebello, Donna Palivec, Michael O’Grady, Lee Scotland, Mark Walters.
“So Nate and I, we’re the 50-somethings, and we noticed that the people in charge of taking care of the trails are the 70-somethings,” Mitch added. “It wasn’t about replacing them, but just wanting to let them know over the last few years that we will help.”
He remembers having an epiphany in the parking lot at Hobson Forest a couple of years ago.
“I came out of Hobson from skiing,” Mitch recalls, “and Bob Montebello and his good buddy Leon Nelson, in their Carhartt full coveralls, were unloading this trailer. It was freezing cold, and Bob’s over 90 years old. So I’m thinking to myself, ‘These guys must really be passionate about keeping this up. They don’t even ski. I think that encounter with them at the Hobson parking lot got me thinking that maybe it’s time to do a little more.”
After a windstorm blew down many trees in Movil Maze a few months ago, there was Mitch, using his dad’s log splitter, helping a sizable crew of volunteers on the trail. The firewood was then collected and stacked at the Movil Maze Lodge, where it’s available for anyone who wants to build a fire inside.
It’s work, but not all work for these volunteers, as Mitch can attest.
“We show up and do a few hours of work, and then maybe have a beer together out in the woods,” he said. “We
are primary users of those trails. In the winter we have a nighttime ski every week out at Movil. A half dozen of us are regulars, but you could have a couple dozen people out there skiing at night with headlamps. Nate Haskell lives nearby, so he’ll go there early and start a fire, and we’ll meet at 6 and ski for about an hour, then we’ll come back and have meat and cheese and a beer.”
Embracing winter
When Nate Haskell’s hockey-playing days were over, he turned to cross country skiing. “I needed something to do in the wintertime to keep myself in shape,” he said. “That’s what got me into it in the first place. And then, as I learned that it takes work to maintain the trails and get them ready, I noticed volunteer opportunities on a Facebook post. So I started showing up to some of the trail-clearing events.”
Stacking wood for heating Movil Lodge, from left, Dan Alquist, Michael Olson, Ed Patrias, Lee Scotland, Jon Shorter and Gerald Johnson.
Pat Donnay >>>
Nate and his wife, former Olympic curler Jamie (Johnson) Haskell, are two regulars on the trailclearing crew.
“I’m grateful for the trails that we have and I enjoy the work that goes into having them prepared,” Nate said. “You’re with a lot of friends or people who eventually become your friends. Not everybody has to run a chainsaw, and there’s a lot of just chucking branches into the woods and getting stuff out of the way.”
He has a sense of pride come winter when skiers are enjoying themselves on the trails, especially outof-towners or people who are new to Bemidji.
“I’ve heard people say the trails here are amazing,” Nate said. “They’re impressed by the number and variety of our trail system.”
Pat Donnay, president of the Bemidji Area Cross Country Ski Club, says the work that goes into preparing trails pays off once Mother Nature does her thing.
“We’re really, really fortunate to have so much quality skiing,” Pat said. “Typically we have long winters, and winters get really long unless you embrace them. I think cross country skiing is a great way to embrace our winters and an active lifestyle.”
Back row: Nate Haskell, Ed Patrias, Mitch Blessing, and Nate Matthews. Front: Jamie Haskell, Nate Dorr and Mur Gilman.
‘A passion for creativity’
Local duo opens Fiddlesticks Fiber Arts in downtown Bemidji
by Dennis Doeden inBemidji staff photos by Annalise Braught
The story of Fiddlesticks Fiber Arts is a bit of a fantasy. When Debbie Johnson and Mishel Carlson were tossing around ideas for a monthly women’s meeting at their church last year, they decided to teach the group how to knit and/or crochet. Johnson was an accomplished knitter; Carlson more so dabbled with yarn, or so she says.
“Debbie and I were planning a Women’s Overflow monthly meeting,” Mishel said. “We always try to have some kind of God story. What is God doing in your life right now? And at the same time have some good food, an opportunity for women to connect, and then some type of activity.”
So on a cold December afternoon, while they were finalizing plans for the upcoming meeting, Debbie floated an idea.
“Wouldn’t it just be great if we had our own shop and it’s filled with beautiful things and beautiful yarn and provides opportunities for women to connect?” she asked Mishel.
“Oh yeah, that would be fun,” was the reply.
“Then a minute or two later Debbie said, ‘Are you serious, because I’m serious,’” Mishel recalled. “We did that back and forth for a little bit. We even kind of hauled in our husbands two days later and said we were thinking about this. What do you guys think? They were both on board.”
Fast forward nine months and Fiddlesticks Fiber Arts opened its doors at 509 Beltrami Ave. NW.
Mishel Carlson, left, and Debbie Johnson recently opened Fiddlesticks Fiber Arts at 509 Beltrami Ave. NW in downtown Bemidji.
“Wouldn’t it just be great if we had our own shop and it’s filled with beautiful things and beautiful yarn and provides opportunities for women to connect?” - Debbie Johnson
Setting the stage
Early in 2024, the two women spent a couple of months traveling the region, visiting different yarn shops and talking to the owners.
“One of the most impactful experiences we had were the people we met at the yarn shops,” Mishel said. “That often dictated our feelings about that yarn shop. So if we went in and we were greeted … when you walked in that door you felt like you were family. We had that experience at a few places, and we didn’t at some places.
“We want our space to be that warm and welcoming. So when you walk in that door, we’ll leave you alone if you want, but if you want help finding something we can’t wait to help you. We’ll help you move forward in your creativity process whether that’s embroidery or knitting or whatever. That’s the biggest thing that struck us.”
Debbie added, “We wanted the place to feel classy, but also whimsical and playful. When we looked at all those different shops, we just kind of made note of what we liked and what we did not like. It was less about what the displays looked like and more about the feel of the place. We came away thinking we want it to be light and airy.”
Once that exploratory phase was complete, Mishel and Debbie got down to business. They started working with Colleen Falk, a consultant with the Small Business Development Center, and needed to find a location.
“When Debbie and I first started talking about this, we both wanted to be downtown,” Mishel said. “I love historic downtowns. It was super important for both of us. We have since developed a lovely business relationship with Heidi at Merry Piglets. She’s been both mentor and friend to us. When I go into one of these local shops, I like thinking ‘OK these people live right in my community. If I buy from them, then they can go home and feed their family.”
After an exhaustive search, Debbie and Mishel found a location in the space formerly occupied by Bemidji Driving School, and before that an Edward Jones financial planning office.
A passion for knitting
Debbie got serious about knitting when she was a young mom. While her husband Jerry was busy with night meetings as youth pastor at Evangelical Free Church, she would put the kids to bed and pick up her needles.
“I kind of picked it up online and started teaching myself,” she said. “There used to be a shop called Yarn Dance in Bemidji. I would go in there with this mess and they’d sit me down and teach me how to fix it. I started to grow in my skills and it just became a passion and a joy.”
Debbie grew up in Michigan and the family moved to Minnesota when she was in high school. She met Jerry when they were both students at the University of Northwestern in Roseville. After they married, they lived in a Minneapolis suburb where Jerry was a youth pastor.
“My husband had grown up in the wilds of northern Wisconsin,” Debbie said, “and his heart was always to get back to the country somewhere. Bemidji called, and we came up here and interviewed and fell in love with the area. We thought, ‘This is it.’”
The pair moved to Bemidji in 2000. After 16 years as a youth pastor, Jerry became lead pastor at Evangelical Free Church.
“I did the pastor’s wife thing, and I did the mom thing,” Debbie said. “I worked for a while at H&R Block as their office manager, but it was seasonal and I wanted something more. So I spent five years at the Bemidji Community Food Shelf as their volunteer coordinator. That was such a fun job. I loved my volunteers.”
Early inspiration
Mishel Carlson’s creative fire was lit during her childhood in St. Cloud. “I like to think I had the world’s greatest art teacher as an elementary kid,” Mishel said. “She exposed me
What is ReStore?
ReStore is a building supply thrift store that sells new and gently used home improvement materials and home furnishings to support Habitat’s construction and affordable mortgage program.
How does ReStore work?
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to absolutely everything. I learned how to embroider, how to use a sewing machine, how to do the punches. She just sparked a passion for creativity.”
That also inspired her to become a teacher herself as she teaches fourth grade at Bemidji’s Gene Dillon Elementary.
“When Debbie and I started talking about this, part of me was like, ‘I’d love to explore this but I don’t really want to leave teaching yet,’” she added. “So we managed to figure out how to do it where we can do tandem ownership.”
Mishel remembers learning to knit in fourth grade when her teacher started a lunchtime knitting club. Instead of heading outdoors for recess, Mishel joined the club.
“I made a really horrible scarf for my dad, which I think my mom had to fix up,” she recalled with a chuckle. “I would say Debbie is an amazing knitter, and I am a mediocre knitter, but I like to dabble in everything. So I have done a little embroidery, cross stitch and felting.”
Mishel first lived in Bemidji in 2001 and 2002 while her husband Mark was doing medical training at the hospital. He is currently a sports medicine doctor at Sanford Bemidji.
“We had such a great year here that when Mark finished all of his other medical training we said we’d like to come back to Bemidji,” she said. “So we moved back here in 2006.”
Donate surplus or gently used materials. Your donation will conserve waste in landfills, eliminate disposal fees and may earn you a tax deduction.
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When it’s time for your own home improvement project, check the ReStore first. It’s a gold mine for bargain hunters!
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Whether you have a few hours a week or just one day per year, ReStore needs you – we have a multitude of tasks to fit your schedule.
ReStore Proceeds go toward building Habitat for Humanity homes in Beltrami and Clearwater Counties. NO boxmattresses, rummage,clothing,springs,exercise equipment
Donate Tues 10-2; Wed-Fri 10-4:30; Sat 9-12:30
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Fiddlesticks Fiber Arts offers a variety of classes from tatting to crocheting and everything in between.
A place to connect
The owners hope Fiddlesticks Fiber Arts will become more than a retail shop. On top of offering a variety of classes, the location displays and sells some art pieces and greeting cards created by Mishel’s mother, Sandy Johnson, and sells bowls by local woodworker Gardell Emery along with coffee and tea from local roaster Butler Beans Coffee Company.
“Our heart is to have a place where people can connect and grow in their activity, but also connect in friendship and community,” Debbie said. “We want it to be a place of welcome and warmth.”
That was amplified by a customer who visited shortly after the shop opened and said, “Even though I don’t knit, it’s just so comfortable and inviting. They even have a crystal chandelier in the bathroom. It’s way more than just yarn.”
But Mishel added with a smile, “At the same time we want them to buy supplies so we can keep the door open, keep yarn on the shelves.”
And what about the name of the shop?
“We were talking about the feeling of the place,” Mishel left off. “What are people going to want to come in and do? They’re trying stuff out. They’re kind of fiddling around. So we came up with Fiddlesticks.” ■
hot honey
As the temperatures drop, Larisa is heating things up in her kitchen with one of her favorite ingredients: hot honey. For this issue of inBemidji, she’s sharing a few of her favorite recipes featuring the sticky goodness. Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner, hot honey can be used in a variety of ways to take your favorite dish to the next level.
photos by Tasha Severson special to inBemidji
Ingredients:
• 2 pizza crusts
• 1 16-ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 6-ounce package pepperoni
• 1 14-ounce jar pizza sauce
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Sprinkle of garlic and onion powder
• 1 bottle of hot honey
Directions:
Top each pizza crust using half the jar of pizza sauce per crust. Sprinkle each pizza with garlic and onion powder and parmesan cheese using approximately ¼ cup per pizza. Top each pizza with pepperoni and the shredded mozzarella cheese using half the bag of cheese per pizza. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for about 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden. Drizzle with hot honey when the pizza comes out of the oven.
hot honeyBreakfast Sandwich
Ingredients:
• 1 6-count package English muffins
• 6 sausage patties
• 6 eggs
• 12 slices American cheese
• 1 bottle hot honey
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook sausage patties over medium heat to brown and crisp both sides. Toast the English muffins and place one piece of cheese on one side of the toasted muffin and top with one sausage patty with another slice of cheese. Cook the eggs to your liking and place one egg on top of the sausage patty. Drizzle with hot honey and top with the other half of the English muffin.
hot honeyCrispy Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients:
• 1 6-count package brioche hamburger buns
• 1 6-count package crispy chicken fillets (frozen)
• 1 jar dill pickle chips
• 6 slices American cheese (optional)
• 1 6.5-ounce tub garlic and herb butter spread
• 1 bottle of hot honey
Directions:
Cook chicken fillets according to package instructions. While chicken is cooking, butter the inside of the buns and place on a griddle or large skillet over medium/low heat to toast. Once toasted, place one slice of American cheese (optional) on the bottom of the bun, place cooked chicken on top of the cheese, top with pickles and drizzle with hot honey. Top with the other half of the bun.
Grilled Cheese with Bacon and hot honey
Ingredients:
• 1 loaf slices sourdough bread
• 1-pound thick-cut bacon
• 1 16-count package American cheese slices
• 2-4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 6.5-ounce garlic and herb butter spread
• 1 bottle of hot honey
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook bacon on medium/high heat. Remove from pan and chop into pieces. Butter one side of two pieces of bread and place in a large skillet or griddle over medium/low heat until toasted. Remove from heat and top one slice of bread with American cheese, bacon pieces and shredded mozzarella cheese.
Top with a second slice of bread toasted side to the cheese. Butter the other two sides with garlic butter and place back into the large skillet or griddle over medium/low heat until the bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Remove from heat and drizzle the entire sandwich with hot honey.
AT RANDOM WITH TERRY SNETSINGER
Occupation: Wildland firefighter
Where we found him: Grandma’s Attic in Bemidji
by Jennifer Koski special to inBemidji
+ Do you live right here in Bemidji? No, I do not. I grew up and was raised in Naytahwaush, on the White Earth Reservation. But I met my wife in Bemidji and I did live there for a while. She lived in Bemidji and I lived in Naytahwaush, and we had to find middle ground. That was Bagley, so that’s where we’re at.
+ How did you meet your wife? We worked for the same government agency, and I met her at CPR training.
+ Was it love at first sight? Yes. I walked into the training and there was an empty chair, a person I knew, another person I knew, an empty chair, and then Daisy, my wife. I saw a cute lady and decided to sit by her because I knew we’d have partners! And then, after that, we start chatting online.
+ Where was your first date? It’s kind of a funny story. We didn’t get to go on a first date for a while. I went on a fire detail for a month after we met and we were talking online, getting to know each other. On the last day of the fire detail in Washington, a few of us were playing hacky sack. Well, I had a collision with another guy and ended up with a black eye. As soon as I get back, it was my first date with my now wife. She must’ve thought I was a crazy person with a black eye, so she brings me to the Elks Lodge, which no one goes to on a first date.
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+ It seems to have worked out! We were inseparable from that moment. That was 2015, and we’ve been married since 2018.
+ Do you have kids? Yes — my wife has two daughters and I have a son.
+ Best part of living in northern Minnesota? I’m going to go with the outdoors. I’m an avid fisherman and hunter, and I love cooking wild game. Me and my wife both love being out in the woods and just taking it all in. It’s so peaceful out there. I was raised that way. My whole family are avid outdoorsmen and women.
+ We found you at Grandma’s Attic. You have a booth there? I have two booths. One is for retro toys, action figures, videogames and consoles, retro T-shirts and VHS tapes. Anything from the ‘80s and ‘90s. And then the other is half music collectibles and half antiques, weird oddity-type things.
+ Do you have pieces you’ll never sell? Oh, for sure. The collection at Grandma’s is what I sell to afford the things for my other collection! I’m a collector first, for sure, not a seller.
+ What got you into it? I always really liked pro wrestling growing up, and I
always had pro wrestling toys when I was a kid. I started collecting them a little before COVID, but then my collecting ramped up during COVID because there was nothing to do! So I started buying all these figures I had when I was a kid. I just felt really nostalgic when I’d get a new one, and it would bring back memories of playing with it and being a kid.
+ Favorite toy in your collection? If there was a house fire and I had to pick just one, I’d have to grab the Ultimate Warrior Hasbro. It’s still in the package, pristine.
+ What’s the best thing in your booth right now? I’ve gotta think! I sell so much and there’s so much turnover. Right now, it wouldn’t even be a toy, it’d be a vintage T-shirt — a 1994 Pink Floyd T-shirt from a tour. It’s pretty rare to have T-shirts like that.
+ How do you find these things? I am absolutely obsessed with going to flea markets, thrift stores, and any kind of rummage, yard or estate sales. And people will call me over to their house to go through their stuff. I call them treasures — I’m rescuing relics that remind me of my childhood. My wife would probably call it a sickness.
+ How do these people find you? They find me through Grandma’s Attic or through my
Instagram (retro.finds42) and Facebook (retrofinds). I use those for my selling mostly.
+ Did your parents keep any of your toys from when you were growing up? Not at all! My mom threw it all away when I was a kid. I do have one Ninja Turtle that my dad found when mowing the lawn once. And I have a Ghostbuster toy from 1989 that he found when he was digging up something in the yard years later.
+ You’re a wildland firefighter. That sounds exciting. It was never something I really wanted to do, but I grew into loving it as a career. My entire family are firefighters on the structure side, like house and building fires, and the wildland side, which is forest fires. My dad was the fire chief for our local fire department for many years. My oldest brother is the chief now for that department. My mom worked in the fire department, my sister is in the department, my sister-in-law is in the department, another brother works with me on the wildland side. And it’s not even just my immediate family — my cousins are firefighters. It’s definitely in my blood.
+ I suspect you’ve had some scary moments. Not as many as you would think. I had a few situations where it was kind of hairy and we had to get out of the
“My dad always told me growing up, ‘Don’t be afraid to be different.’ That really stuck with me.”
- Terry Snetsinger
mountain, but nothing where I thought my life was in danger. The people that we work with are very professional when it comes to weather and fire behavior and making those timely decisions to pull people off the mountain. It’s just a great profession. I’ve traveled almost everywhere in the States that have fire activities. I’ve fought fire on both borders and both coasts.
+ That’s impressive. I don’t look at myself as a hero. Sure, I’ve put out fires that are coming toward people’s houses, but I’m not a hero. I look at military people as heroes.
+ Five things you love? I love my family, that’s No. 1 on my list above all things. I love my culture. I’m Native American, and I do attend powwows and go to ceremonies. I really enjoy live music. I go to a lot of shows when I can. And I’ve
always listened to tons of different live music — it’s the soundtrack of your life, basically. No. 4 for me would be the outdoors. And five would be finding treasures.
+ What do you love about your culture? I love how funny we are. I love that we’ve had so much happen to us in the past — that we still live with those tragedies, and tragedies still happen to us right now — but I love how resilient we are and that we can still make people laugh. I love everything about my culture, but that really sticks out to me. How resilient we are.
+ Last live music show you saw? The Melvins. They’re kind of like a punk/hard rock type of band. They actually influenced Nirvana back in the day. They’ve been touring for 30, 40 years, and that was a really good show.
+ Biggest adventure? This one’s tough because I’ve been on so many adventures in my life.
I’m going to go with a vacation me and my family took. Me and my wife went to Glacier and camped in tents and brought all our kids. We went fishing and hiking, and it’s beautiful. I actually proposed to my wife there.
+ How did you propose? I asked our oldest daughter if I could marry her mother, and I had her hold on to the ring for me. We went on a hike, all the family, us two and the three kids. There was a waterfall at the end, and I got down on one knee and had our daughter hand me the ring and proposed.
+ Advice you’ve been given? My dad always told me growing up, “Don’t be afraid to be different.” That really stuck with me. I’ve never been afraid to do something different from the norm, whether it be fighting fire or collecting toys or listening to different music than what’s popular. Just don’t be afraid to be different. ■
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• Empty Water, soda and juice bottles
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