FATHERS // MR. FULL-TIME DAD
Milestones That Matter
The Real Game Changers Parents Secretly Celebrate
WRITTEN BY: BEN HANSON
• PHOTO BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
As I was gathering up Macklin’s shoes and jacket, waiting for that perfect moment to snatch him up from the rainbow carpet where he and his classmates were sitting entranced by storytime, his teacher came up with a rare smile on her face. “Mack put his nap stuff back in his bag all by himself today!” she nearly shouted. Stuffing haphazardly a blanket, tiny pillow and fitted crib sheet into a medium-sized duffel bag would in no other circumstance warrant such delight. But for a 2-year-old grinding it out in the three’s room, it’s a milestone worthy of celebration. In all honesty, it’s the only kind of milestone that matters… the kind that takes some of the heavy lifting off my plate (or, in this case, off his teacher’s plate). These non-traditional milestones, as my wife and I have come to call them, are the true game changers of child development when examined through the selfish lens of a parent who’s back always hurts. The “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” books are full of advice on things like when your baby should start sleeping through the night, sitting up, crawling and walking, but now that those milestones are well in the rear-view, I’ve come to appreciate the more subtle benchmarks of growing up. Sleeping through the night was, indeed, amazing, but nothing compared to what lay ahead. Bye-Bye Bottles No matter which brand or style of bottle or sippy cup you choose, ultimately it’s always at least one more part to wash. But first, disassemble. And maybe lose. Or break. Or drop down the garbage disposal, at which point you must decide how much you really trust your dishwasher to get clean something your child will literally suck on after it has visited the deepest depths of foul. Saying goodbye to bottles is like saying goodbye to your first car. Both are strictly utilitarian, nobody’s first choice and always missing a piece that may or may not affect performance. It also means welcoming back some precious square footage in your cupboard. I can’t tell you how big a sacrifice it was having to go downstairs to retrieve a proper scotch glass on steak night. 2 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
Their First Self-Delivered Bite The day your child learns to feed himself is the first major milestone on the road to true self sufficiency… the last stop being potty training. It’s also the first day you get to begin thinking about the day when you’ll once again be able to feed yourself an entire meal uninterrupted. I’m still waiting for that day — Mack knows how to get food into his mouth, but he’s not winning any gold medals for efficiency or cleanliness. Side note: toddlerhood should come with a free dog; real time cleanup is a wonderful thing. When Mack figured out how to shovel food into his own mouth, it immediately freed his mom and I up from having to sit by his side throughout meal time. We suddenly had time to finish preparing the rest of dinner, throw some dishes in the dishwasher or run a rag over the counter. You can get a lot accomplished in the 45 minutes it takes a toddler to consume six chicken nuggets and some corn. Independent Play Don’t get me wrong. Crawling around on the floor playing with toys, pushing Macklin on the swing at the park and carrying him around town on my shoulders are some of my favorite times. But when he slowly started figuring out how to play by himself, it was one of the more proud parenting moments of my life. I could see his creative genius taking root as the newly formed neural connections in his brain began firing in rapid succession trying desperately to keep up with the unfolding possibilities before him. He was a mad scientist clocking in for his first day of work inside his own private lab of destruction. And while he’s busy destroying, I get some work done in the next room door without worrying he’s going to accidentally roll down the stairs. The Car Seat Climb Parenthood brings with it a range of challenges and rewards, heartache and joy. All boiled down, though, parenting is basically the intersection of three things: boundless love, intense exhaustion and good ol’ fashioned lower back pain. With a ten pound baby who has steadily maintained his 99th percentile weight average since birth, imagine what a magnificent surprise it was for my wife to walk around her Subaru to find Macklin already sitting — and smiling — in his car seat. She didn’t even get the groceries all loaded up before she texted me with the good news. As I read the announcement, my back instantly relaxed, almost audibly so. Spontaneous Love You can rank these and other milestones however you’d like, but there will be no disagreement on what stands at the top of the list. When your child looks into your eyes and blurts out an “I love you, Daddy,” good luck, my friends. Gooooood luck. It’ll never get any better than that. •
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CELEBRATING 5 YEARS OF THE GOOD LIFE!
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MAY-JUNE 2018 / VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 6
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FATHERS / MR. FULL-TIME DAD MILESTONES THAT MATTER
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SPRING LAWN CARE TIPS GET YOUR LAWN READY FOR SUMMER WITH THESE FIVE STEPS
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DAVID ALLEN LOVERS ARE LIARS, GAMBLERS AND THIEVES
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ASK 30 WOMEN WHAT DOES HE WEAR THAT YOU HATE?
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HAVING A BEER WITH KYLE IVERSON
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ON THE COVER - DONALD CAREY THE BUG MAN
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UNITED WAY'S BOLD GOAL TO LIFT PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY MEANS REMOVING THE BARRIERS TO JOB TRAINING
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LOCAL HERO - JASON HICKS BLEEDING RED, WHITE AND BLUE
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CONTENTS
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CELEBRATING 5 YEARS OF THE GOOD LIFE!
PUBLISHED BY Urban Toad Media LLP www.urbantoadmedia.com
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spring Get Your Lawn Ready for Summer with These Five Steps
WRITTEN BY: KATIE JENISON
Winter has finally started to fade and warmer weather is just around the corner. Without the harsh chill of the winter wind it’s easy to get lost in the anticipation of summer. Lazy weekends at the lake, afternoons on the golf course, and of course backyard BBQ’s are on everyone’s minds. But how do you make sure your lawn is ready for those summer BBQ’s you’ve been daydreaming about? The key is to start early! Taking the proper steps in the spring is what is going to set the stage for your yard for the whole summer. With just a little work, these five basic steps are going to help your lawn thrive in the coming summer months.
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dethatch The first step to waking the lawn up from its long winter nap is to dethatch the grass. Clippings from the previous year can become matted near the base of the grass and with that tight, compacted layer at the base it makes it difficult for the grass to get the nutrients needed to grow. Using a power rake or even hand raking the lawn will help remove the thatch.
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aerate Once the old clippings have been removed, the next step is to aerate the lawn and reseed any sparse areas. Aerating allows oxygen, vital nutrients, and fresh seed to reach the soil and the root of the grass. With this crucial onetwo punch, the grass will have a much better chance of thickening and growing to its full potential.
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LAWN CARE TIPS
chemical treatments Now that the groundwork for a healthy lawn has been laid, it’s important to maintain it. Experts recommend three or four chemical treatments throughout the year, and spring is an excellent time to start. Since there is a lot of moisture in the soil and the temperature is still mild, the lawn can withstand a harsher chemical treatment designed to keep those pesky weeds at bay all summer long.
watering
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Watering the lawn is also one of the easiest ways to maintain it. It seems easy enough, but when it comes to watering the grass, less is more. Sounds counterproductive, right? Overwatering can lead to fungus growth and the grass is more likely to turn brown if it doesn’t get watered as frequently as it’s used to, which is the opposite of the idyllic green everyone hopes to achieve.
Watering the lawn less often and for longer amounts of time, encourages the grass to keep searching for a source of water. This is beneficial during the sweltering summer months when there is less moisture in the top layer of the soil because the roots of the grass will have reached further into the soil in search of water.
landscaping
Not everyone has the time or the know-how to care for their lawn. Hiring a professional landscaper can ease the burden of spring cleanup and is a terrific way to help your lawn thrive all year round. Either way, starting your lawn care in the spring is going to give you that thick, green grass you’ve been dreaming of. •
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DAVID ALLEN
LOVERS ARE LIARS, GAMBLERS, AND THIEVES
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WRITTEN BY: KRISSY NESS PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
Music has always had a way of helping you expressing yourself when you can’t find the right words. For David Allen this is key. If you’ve ever talked with Allen you know that he has a quiet demeanor, but once you bring up music his eyes light up and you feel like you’ve been life long friends. Soon realizing you’ve been talking for hours. “I’m not a stand up in front of people and talk kind of guy,” said David Allen. “Sometimes I’ll just sit down and start playing.” There is something so mysterious yet kind about David Allen that really speaks to his music. Being an altcountry musician some may think, “oh another country rock star.” In fact, it is quite the opposite. The combination
of brass, electric guitars, and David Allen’s uniquely rustic voice brings a style that anyone can get behind. David Allen finds inspiration from many different musicians. From the ghostly folk style that is Jason Isbell, to the outlaw country of Sturgill Simpson. You can absolutely hear their inspiration coming through in David Allen’s music.
I'm not a stand up in front of people and talk kind of guy.
Combining many styles of music is not easy but David Allen pulls it off effortlessly. His music has a sort of and sadness that isn’t always apparent unless you listen carefully. “Sometimes they pick it up, but I don’t push it,” said David Allen of his audiences. It is not uncommon for people to approach David Allen after a show and express to him what his music means to them. “People tell you very private stuff about themselves when you sing sad songs, I’ve found out,” said David Allen. “It makes it worth something because you don’t make a lot of money doing this.” His first full-length album, “Lovers urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 9
Are Liars, Gamblers, and Thieves” was released mid-March of this year. “I have been working on this album for a year and a half,” said David Allen. “I’m pretty proud of it.” And he should be. The haunting beauty of songs like, “Honey Stay Gone” makes you stop and think about past lives you have lived, and how they have led you to the life you have now. “I have a lot of talented friends who recorded on it,” said David Allen. “Ryan Young from ‘Trampled By Turtles’ - the fiddle player - I got him to record on this album.” Sometimes it takes putting yourself on the line to get what you really want, and that’s exactly what David Allen did for this album. “What’s the worst that is going to happen, they say no,” said David Allen. “Who cares?” 10 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
It is really exciting to see the passion that a finished project can bring to someone especially when they have put so much time into making it the best it can be.
“I wouldn’t go anywhere if I didn’t play music,” said David Allen.
Aside from being a talented musician David Allen is spends a lot of time outdoors where he keeps bees, gardens and cans produce at his home in Hatton, North Dakota.
You never know what kind of crowd you will have for each show but he always makes the best of it.
People tell you very private stuff about themselves when you sing sad songs.
It is because of his music he has been able to travel around the country.
“It’s hit or miss,” said David Allen. “I played a show…at this really great hotel…and no one showed up except the owner; so we went bar hopping with her instead.” Singer songwriters like David Allen have one of the hardest jobs in the world, in my opinion, because you are constantly putting your words and your music out there for everyone to judge. David Allen must be doing something
right thought because this album is beautifully written and executed. “I think the good life is being able to travel around the country and to be able to meet new people and connect with them through music,” said David Allen. It seems like he has already found the good life. If you are looking to purchase his new album you can find it at: www.davidallenmusic.com •
I think the good life is being able to travel around the country and to be able to meet new people and connect with them through music.
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Ask 30 WOMEN
WHAT DOES HE WEAR THAT YOU HATE? GUYS. Just because it is comfortable doesn't mean she will love it as much as you do. Burn those tightywhities and buy yourself some boxers. Nobody likes a droopy bottom. Read on to find out what other things you wear that she hates. 1. Crocs 2. Sweatpants that "look like jeans" but are not jeans. 3. Chewbacca suit. He has a unicorn suit too. 4. White tube socks with any shoes but tennis shoes. At the top of the list – sandals or crocs. Cute on kids but not on grown ups. 5. Holey boxers. 6. Sandals that velcro. Like the little boy ones you find at Walmart. 7. On our first “date” my husband wore a poets shirt with puffy sleeves and a tied closure up the neck. He accompanied this manly look with cream colored leather pants with dozens of well placed zippers. He looked like a pirate.
14. When we go for hockey tournaments, all the moms wear the same blue leggings. I bought two pairs. Now he decided he should join in and wear them too! 15. Baggy worn out underwear. 16. Socks and sandals. 17. He has these crazy boots he likes to wear to concerts. They are like 3” tall. He gets compliments so he keeps wearing them. 18. He used to own these sweat pants that would go tight at the bottom - like hipster 18 year olds might wear. They look like 8 year old kid PJ’s. 19. He has this coat I gave him just to wear around the yard in the fall. He wears it all the time. 20. Jorts aka jean shorts.
8. His flannel coat.
21. Bracelets and skinny jeans.
9. White diaper looking underwear.
22. Flat billed hats.
10. Holey t-shirts. He has a million decent t-shirts that he wears in public, but he has to wear the "yardwork shirts" until the collars are hanging by a thread and the holes in the armpits are bigger than the armholes.
23. Black athletic shoes as "dress shoes".
11. Vintage leather jacket with the lining ripped out. 12. Man buns. 13. l hate how he wears his T-shirts a size too small. Also when he tucks them into the front of his pants so tight that it stretches the neck opening into an oval down his chest!
24. Tank tops. Even with the most shapely biceps on earth, no one is impressed by visible armpit hair. 25. Tank tops. 26. Camouflage pants. 27. Belts with jeans. 28. Flip flops. 29. The shirts he has from 30 years ago. 30. White sunglasses, jeweled jeans and visors.
crocs • too small t-shirts • sweatpants • flannel coat • holey shirts • chewbacca suit
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HAVING A BEER WITH // KYLE IVERSON
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WRITTEN BY: MEGHAN FEIR
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PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
Kyle Iverson didn’t plan on being a radio producer. While growing up in Hallock, Minn., 20 miles south of the Canadian border, sports was his life. In college, his dream was to follow his passion for film and move to Los Angeles. Those dreams soon lost their luster after snagging a parttime job in AM talk radio. Thirteen years later, he still loves his work as a producer and board operator for WDAY 970. On a typical, blustery evening in March, Iverson and I met at Drekker Brewing Co. to discuss pressing topics affecting the world today, such as whether tacos are talked about too much, what he would name a puppy, and if he ever wears slippers at work (he doesn’t). Read on to learn more about the man behind the soundboard. Good Life: Do you think the current trend of everyone being obsessed and taco-ing (talking) about tacos and sharing memes about them is annoying and overdone? Kyle Iverson: I don’t mind people sharing things about them because it’s tacos. How can you not love tacos in every sense of the food? There are so many things you can do with a taco. GL: Have tacos overturned pizza’s popularity? KI: Pizza will always have its place. Tacos have stolen some of the spotlight from pizza, but pizza will always be there. GL: If you could become more like one person, whom would you want to resemble? KI: I would say my father-in-law. He’s a best friend of mine. He’s a radio guy, went to MSUM, worked at Q98, and he’s done radio in some shape or form his whole life. We can talk about the latest movie, the latest Jack White album and the news like best buddies. We do cool things, just the two of us, and we have a blast. If there’s any little thing I’m questioning, whether it’s relationships or finances or anything stressful in my life, I go to my wife and then to him.
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HAVING A BEER WITH // KYLE IVERSON
“Family, friends, relationships, love, and enjoying all of that as much as you can — and tacos. That is the good life.” GL: Do you think Elon Musk is being ridiculous with his fears of what artificial intelligence may become and do, or is he wise to be leery of it? KI: I think you need to have a certain level of caution. We haven’t gotten to the point where there’s artificial intelligence taking over humanity. Right now we’re using it as a good tool to assist humanity. Who knows what will happen in 1,000 years. We might have robots with AI having the same rights as human beings. I’m a big “Blade Runner” fan, can you tell?
GL: If you bought a puppy today, what would you name it and why? KI: This might seem oddly specific because I know it right away. It would be a pug, it would have black fur, and its name would be Kingsley. It’s from “The Life Aquatic.” There’s a moment where Bill Murray and Owen Wilson think they’re father and son, and Bill Murray says, “You know, I would have named you Kingsley, if I had a say in it. Kingsley Zissou.” I thought that line was so funny, and I want to name a dog that someday.
GL: Do you have any hidden talents, or are they all obvious? KI: One talent I had growing up was sketching. I did lots of cartoons and a lot of realistic sketching. I loved printmaking in a college class, too.
GL: What traditions would you like to make up or pass on to future generations — or to Kingsley? KI: A tradition that I’d like to pass on is curling. I grew up in Hallock and there’s a curling club in the town. My
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mom and dad were both curlers. My mom got me into it at a young age. It’s a family sport. It gets passed down from generation to generation. If I have kids someday, I’d like to pass it down, too. My mom was actually a game away from representing the United States in Switzerland. She was pregnant with me at the time. GL: What was your favorite age as a child, and what happened to make it such a great year? KI: Right around the age of 11, there was one trip in particular that my dad and I took where we went up to Canada to go fishing. It just so happened there was a friend of my father’s who owned a gas station and café. We did a couple of things for him for a day or two, and he was like,
“All right, you’ve earned your trip.” We were like, “What do you mean?” He said, “I’m going to fly you out from a lake to a little remote island, and you and your dad can be there for a week. I’ll put you up in a cabin, you’ll have a guy who cleans your fish, and a camp cook.” My dad and I try to make a trip up to northern Ontario every year, and that was kind of the catalyst for it. Deer hunting with my dad is another one of those things that I treasure. GL: What’s the meaning of life? KI: Weren’t we talking about tacos earlier? GL: I just like throwing a curveball here and there. What does living the good life mean to you? KI: Family, friends, relationships, love, and enjoying all of that as much as you can — and tacos. That is the good life. •
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WRITTEN BY: MEGHAN FEIR
• PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
They use your food as a landing pad. They bathe in your beverages. They poop on your cars. They get in your face. They can be terrifying, but if you take the time to view them through a new lens, bugs can be fascinating and sometimes beautiful. For Donald Carey, “The Bug Man,” the world of insects is his livelihood. As an entomologist for nearly 50 years, Carey has worked for the federal government and a private agriculture company. His longest running position has been in his current role as a research specialist for the North Dakota State University Entomology Department where he works with livestock entomology, biocontrol, and production control to help various crops. For those who study bugs, their fascination with these organisms can become an obsession, a constant distraction available everywhere they turn. According to Carey, he’s never quite fit the stereotype of entomologists. “The typical entomologist is a guy wearing khaki, shorts, a pith helmet, thick glasses and carrying a
“The typical entomologist is a guy wearing khaki, shorts, a pith helmet, thick glasses and carrying a net. We have a guy in our department who fits the bill perfectly.” 18 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
Meet this beautiful girl ... George the 9th
net. We have a guy in our department who fits the bill perfectly. I never went that way,” Carey said. “I was always an ag boy. I was in production and control, but there was a faction of people in our department who lived and breathed collecting insects. If it’s not eating my food or biting me, I don’t care about it. I grew up on a farm, so if there was an insect, you stepped on it or swatted at it.” Initially a wildlife management major in college, Carey was soon persuaded by his friend to take a few entomology classes. “My next door neighbor in the dorms was crazy — nice, but crazy. He’s a good guy. He was even in my wedding. He was in entomology and convinced me to take a few classes. I took them and I liked them. So this is all my crazy next-door neighbor’s fault.”
it interesting. I ask them if they like honey. Well, you don’t have to call it honey. Think about it. When a bee has to move honey from one colony to the next, how do they transport it? They basically have a honey stomach, so they swallow it and then regurgitate it. You can call it honey, but I call it bee barf. It’s good for you, it’s nutritious, and it’s something an insect threw up.” Living Organisms
Years after he started at NDSU, Carey was invited to speak at a kindergarten classroom about insects. Since then, he’s been known as “The Bug Man.” He has given presentations that capture the attention of elementary students for 40 years. He’s even dressed as a cockroach.
What we do to get rid of one pest can greatly and sometimes gravely impact humans, as well. Part of an entomologist’s job is to guide the actions of farmers and pesticide and insecticide companies from doing more harm than good for the sake of a good yield of crops.
“My presentations have to be entertaining. A lot of times my presentations are to 5th, 6th and 7th graders. At that age, science is starting to become boring. I try to keep
“The disadvantage of killing bugs is that when you kill a bug, you tend to kill other things,” Carey said. “In my outreach program where I talk to kids, I used
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ON THE COVER // DONALD CAREY
Indian walking sticks for a display. I fed them romaine lettuce. I’d take out the outer leaves, wash it and feed them. It would kill my walking sticks. It didn’t matter how well I washed the lettuce or what brand I bought. Once I chose organic, they were fine. That was over a six-month period, so it wasn’t an isolated incident. There’s something in that lettuce they didn’t like. I had to go organic.” When Carey compares how most Americans and his international friends purchase produce, there is a definite contrast in what they choose to take home. “I have friends from Europe, and they’ll pick up an apple out of the grocery store that’s blemished or has a hole or a worm in it. They cut the hole out and eat the apple. In the United States, we have zero tolerance for that,” Carey said. “I once worked in a private industry, and some of the chemicals used to control insects on apples are very nasty. It’s kind of scary. You’re killing a living organism. It’s much smaller, but I also am a living organism.” Hidden Protein
Scorpions, like spiders, are arachnids. Scorpions have two venom glands that produce venom used in hunting and self defense. Scorpions do not have bones instead they have an exoskeleton made of chitin, which is similar to the shell of a shrimp. 20 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
As flour replacements continue to become more unusual, insects like crickets are being touted as proteinpacked gifts of nature. However, there are plenty of other insects to choose from, too, such as cockroaches, and they’re undoubtedly in the type of flour you already buy. In fact, you get an extra bit of protein in your packaged foods every day. “We eat insects all the time,” Carey said. “If you take a pound of ground coffee, put it in a gallon of water and add a cup of sugar (sugar makes things float), shake it up and let it
The word millipede comes from the Latin language and means '1,000 feet,' but most millipedes don't have that many feet. Most have about 40 to 400 legs. When they walk, they look like they are walking in waves because all their legs move together in a smooth motion.
sit, insect parts will float to the top — mostly cockroaches. Do you like peanut butter? The USDA allows 50 insect parts per 100 grams. You can’t keep them out. That’s about a peanut butter sandwich, so the USDA allows you to have 50 insect parts in your peanut butter sandwich.”
The USDA allows you to have 50 insect parts in your peanut butter sandwich. If your favorite sandwich is no longer a PBJ&C (peanut butter, jelly and cockroach), take heart. You can minimize your bug intake in other ways. “Bugs in flour, corn meal — it’s not your fault. It showed up in a grocery store. If you throw out a totally contaminated bag of flour, some have probably already moved over to the spaghetti and the corn meal. If there’s not many in there, put it in a sealed container and freeze it.”
Bad Relatives Even as The Bug Man, it’s impossible not to choose favorites out of the insect kingdom and to empathize with others for their unfortunate stereotypes. Carey’s favorite specimen is the honeybee, an imported insect. Originally from Europe, they were once called the white man’s fly. “We didn’t have honeybees in the United States,” Carey said. “When they came in, there’s a possibility we lost 12 to 100 different species of other bees. We probably lost just as many plants because they don’t pollinate like the old bees did. Honeybees have been in Europe and the Middle East a long time. They’re even listed in the Bible.” The seasoned entomologist likes bees so much he’s even spoken with them on occasion — indirectly, of course.
Not everyone you meet has a jar of tarantula exoskeletons on their desk! Molting is a process tarantulas go through as they grow. They shed off their old skin much like snakes. urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 21
ON THE COVER // DONALD CAREY
Cockroaches have been around since the time of dinosaurs!
“I like bees. You can actually talk to them. A forager bee will go by the flowers, get nectar and bring it back to the hive. It’s a really good source of nectar, so it will go back and tell the other bees to get to it. It will actually do a bee dance on top of the hive. Depending on how far it is and the orientation of the sun, it will do a figure eight and tell the rest of them where to go,” Carey said. “You can cheat. If you pick up a dead bee and
Tarantulas are the biggest type of spider in the world. The largest species is the Goliath bird-eating tarantula. It can have a leg span up to 11 inches!
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put it on a string with a stick, you can do the little dance on top of the hive and send them away.” While honeybees are beloved for good reason, there are other, more unlovable bugs that aren’t “as cute as a bug in a rug.” In fact, who really thinks bugs under rugs are cute? You’d probably have to be an entomologist, especially when you’re showing pity to cockroaches. There are various types of cockroaches, and
Carey used an entertaining analogy to get his point across. “In a family, you have lots of relatives. You have a cousin, George, who is a lush and has been married three times. Oh, and he can’t hold down a job. The rest of the family is fine. Cousin George is just bad. It’s the same way with cockroaches,” Carey said. “There are hundreds of kinds of cockroaches. There are just a couple that fit into the Cousin George
routine. The rest of them are very good. We have a couple kinds around here that are great; they break down the leaf litter. Just a couple of them give the rest a bad name.” Whether you’re being judged based on the Cousin George of your family or you are the Cousin George of your family, may your opinions of (most) smaller organisms be more of fascination than of fear. The Good Life Many people spend their lives hating their careers, dissatisfied in their life choices or situations, but for people like Carey, life is beautifully simple. In his opinion, living the good life is boring, in the best of ways. “The good life is boring. I like boring. I go to work and enjoy my job. It’s dynamic, I do something different every day, yet kind of expected,” Carey said. “The good life to me is just every day. Every day is the best day of my life, and I’m pretty sure tomorrow will be the best day of my life, too. I’m not going to set the world on fire. I’ll just warm it up occasionally. Just go out and smell the roses, which in North Dakota you can do about four days a year.” •
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Gin. Only Better. Minions Gin by Proof Artisan Distillers is not your grandfathers gin. We’ve heard countless times, ”I don’t like gin, but I love this.” Minions Gin is a light and clean spirit that begins with a base of our highly acclaimed 2Docks Vodka. We carefully combine over twenty hand selected ingredients that are vapor infused through our micro-batch distillation process. Layers of flavors and aromatic ingredients including citrus, berries and spices provide a distinctive background to a properly apportioned juniper forefront. Our exceptional New American Style Gin is not chill-filtered as that would diminish the subtle contribution of the essential oils from the citrus and botanicals. This is a distinguished characteristic of our true handcrafted, distilled spirit that enhances the taste, aroma and smooth mouth feel of its flavor profile.
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citrus • berries • spices • light juniper Try these refreshing cocktails at home or lakeside.
MINIONS CRANBERRY BUCK 1 ½ oz Minions Gin Splash of Lemon or Lime Juice 1 ½ oz Cranberry Juice 1 ½ oz Ginger Beer In an iced 10 oz glass, pour all ingredients into glass and stir briefly. Garnish with lemon or lime slice.
MINIONS RICKEY 1 ½ oz Minions Gin 1 ½ oz Lime Juice 1 ½ oz Simple Syrup (Equal parts water and sugar dissolved into a syrup.) 2 oz Club Soda In an iced 10 oz glass, pour all ingredients into glass and stir briefly. Garnish with lime slice.
BEES KNEES 2 ounces Minions Gin 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice 1/2 ounce honey syrup (Equal parts honey and hot water. Stir until dissolved.) Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, stir briefly to dissolve honey syrup, then fill with ice. Shake well for 10 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 25
WRITTEN BY: KRISTI HUBER
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PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: UNITED WAY
Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach him to fish, and he can feed himself for the rest of his life. Yes, this is an old cliché, but like most clichés, there is usually an element of truth. Today, this saying doesn’t go quite far enough. Yes, a skilled fisherman won’t go hungry, but is that our end goal? Surely our community wants a better future for people and their families. And, our need for a skilled workforce has challenged us to think differently. For this man and his family to stop the cycle of poverty, he will need a job with a reasonable wage at a successful
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fishing company. This is the only way his son might have the chance move up the ladder to become an engineer, CEO or scientist. When I visit with leaders across our community, the conversation often leads to their struggle with the workforce shortage and how it is impacting their business and bottom line. It is estimated that by the year 2020, there will be 30,000 open jobs in our local communities.* At the same time, one out of nine people in Cass and Clay
counties, or 26,000 people, are living in poverty, which is defined as a family of four living on less than $24,600 per year. There is a correlation in these numbers. What we know, is that the barriers for many of these families are two-fold: access to skills and basic needs unique to each person. A solution has been found in a first-ever collaborative Workforce Development Case Manager, Amy Feland. Amy’s innovative role is funded thanks to generous United Way donors and was created through strategic collaboration between United Way, Minnesota State Community and Technical College and Lakes and Prairies Community Action Partnership. ERIC’S STORY OF SUCCESS When Eric, a local man from Moorhead, came to Lakes and Prairies Community Action Partnership, he
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“When you can see an individual go from nearly being homeless to now working in a career and coming home to an apartment with his family, you can see the good that can come of the work that United Way does.” — Amy Feland
was seeking help to keep him from becoming homeless but instead noticed a poster for welding program. “When I first met Eric, he was working, but at risk of becoming homeless. He was sleeping on the floor in a small, nearly empty apartment. With a felony in his background, there was always a barrier between the jobs he wanted and the ability to even get an interview. He knew he had to get better skills,” said Amy.
“She kept encouraging me and helped me problem-solve the issues in my life. I didn’t believe there were good people in the world. But I guess I was proved wrong,” said Eric, who is now proudly employed. In April, Eric met his 19-month-old daughter, Aria, for the first time and with Amy’s help found an apartment that would be a better environment for him and his fiancé, Leslie, to raise their little girl.
With Amy’s support, for six weeks, Eric would spend eight hours a day in a welding class provided by M State, work a part-time job at a local restaurant and do his homework, oftentimes until 3 a.m., before showing up the next day for class. The hard work paid off, but wouldn’t have been possible without support from Amy.
REMOVING BARRIERS FOR FAMILIES IN NEED Mental Health. Transportation Child care. Housing. While training programs do exist in our community, a person living in poverty may not be able to access them because of barriers that stand in the way for themselves and their family.
“For Eric and my clients, I just believe in them until they believe in themselves,” said Amy.
“United Way is working differently. The goal of this twogeneration model is to break the cycle of poverty by moving the family toward economic security and addressing the
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workforce shortage in our community,” said Thomas Hill, the United Way Community Impact Director. Today, thanks to United Way, the Workforce Development Case Manager will continue to provide support to clients in these M State training programs: • Welding • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) • Certified Production Technician (CPT) Amy has shared with us that graduation day is a transformative moment in participants’ lives – it makes the promise of economic mobility a reality. “When you can see an individual go from nearly being homeless to now working in a career and coming home every day to an apartment with his family under one roof, you can see the good that can come of the work that United Way does,” said Amy. READY FOR THE WORKPLACE Another positive outcome from this strategy is the social capital built among the people going through the training programs. “It is amazing to see the bonds that are formed – they encourage and root for each other, and we have seen that carry over into the workplace when they get a job,” said Amy. Not only are people getting jobs, they’re entering the workplace knowing the value of supporting their fellow employees. It’s not just about giving low-income people the chance for a career and helping employers fill openings. When one participant was asked about the opportunity to graduate from the CNA course, she said, “Thank you for this chance to make my dreams come true!”• *Regional Workforce Development Study commissioned by United Way, The Chamber, Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, FM Area Foundation, Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2015.
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LOCAL HERO // JASON HICKS
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BLEEDING Red, White and Blue
Selfless Service is the Motto for Clay County Detective
WRITTEN BY: ALEXANDRA FLOERSCH PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
Jason Hicks’ life motto is pretty simple: "If you take care of your people, they will take care of you.”
country would rub off on his three children in the years to come.
While his oldest brother is a prison guard, his sister runs a nursing program and his other brother is a fireman, the Clay County investigations and narcotics detective can’t pinpoint what drove him and his siblings into careers of service. After all, neither of their parents had.
His son, Hunter, 22, recently completed his Army contract while his 18-year-old daughter, Macie, just finished her advanced training for the Army National Guard combat medic school at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
But that’s not the case when it comes to military service, where there’s a very visible link. “Pretty much every male on my dad's side of the family – and my wife's side, for that matter – have all served. The only one who didn't was my brother, the fireman, because he had asthma," Hicks said. In fact, the Glyndon native himself joined the Army immediately after high school at just 19 years old. And, as life would have it, that undeniable pride for his
"My daughter Macaila (Macie’s twin) would have signed up in a heartbeat, but she has some health problems,” he explained. “It really hurt her but she can serve in other ways.” ARMY EXPERIENCE PAVED THE WAY In the Army, rules, structure and loyalty define your life. "The one thing the military really nails into people is selfless service, guaranteeing you're not always going to like what you're doing, but you're going to do it anyway because the mission comes before yourself,”
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LOCAL HERO // JASON HICKS
PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: JASON HICKS
explained Ray Pizarro, having known Hicks for 21 years and serving overseas together. “And the mission is righteous.” It was that mentality that Hicks led with as an infantryman and platoon sergeant during his deployments to Germany – where he was sent to the Persian Gulf War – and Bosnia for a peacekeeping mission in 2003. "Jason never cared about his career more than he cared about his men," Pizarro said. "He put us before himself, meaning if bad news came down the pipe and he had to pick a couple of volunteers to go do something rotten, instead of picking two, he'd pick one and do it with them.” It was that unique style of leadership that allowed Hicks to build both trust and rapport with his unit. "There wasn't a single task that was ever questioned,” Pizarro said. “People would line up, saying, 'What do you need me to do? I'll do it.' Because they knew he would suffer with them.” Getting his first taste of leadership while serving his country molded Hicks into the person he is today – one who bleeds red, white and blue. "I saw the best and worst of people. It's something that I learned from," he said. “Some people talk about how great other places are. But having seen first, second and third-world countries, there's no doubt that we're it. I will never apologize for being an American. And I never have." 32 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
GIVING BACK A story all too common among soldiers, Hicks admits to having had a difficult time adjusting when he first returned from overseas. "That's probably one of the biggest reasons I focus on the veterans groups... I can relate," he said. "There's always something bigger than yourself – so many things we can do to make this better for everybody.” Having been involved with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) since 1993, Hicks became one of the youngest commanders during his first term from 1998-2000, and later served a second term from 2010-2014. Currently, he’s most active with the color guard, marching in parades, conducting flag presentations and teaching flag etiquette to kids. If it isn’t obvious at first sight, Pizarro says Hicks’ dedication shines through when honoring Veterans Honor Flight of ND/MN – an organization that sends area veterans to their memorials in Washington D.C., free of charge. “He’ll say, 'It's going to be super hot. We're on the runway but you're going to be in uniform and represent the VFW because the VFW represents these guys. I don't want to hear any shake and bake about how awful it's going to be. We're going to do it for the honor of these people,'" Pizarro explained. “And we’ll do it with a gracious heart.” Respect is hard to come by but perhaps it’s the bond that only service members can attest to – the “brotherhood" as Hicks says – that makes it all worth it. "It wouldn't matter if you're a Korean War veteran or a war on terrorism vet, you all have that (bond),” Hicks said. “For example, there's a guy at the Fargo VFW and he was with the 7th infantry regiment of the 3rd infantry division... so was I. So we salute each other with our motto. He's a Korean War vet and I'm – what? – a third of his age? It's really cool." SERVING … WITH A BADGE Hicks retired from Army in 2007 but he has continued serving in other ways. After graduating from Minnesota State University
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LOCAL HERO // JASON HICKS
Moorhead (MSUM) with a degree in criminal justice, the veteran started his law enforcement career in Dilworth as a part-time patrolman. But it wasn’t long before he was hired at the West Fargo Police Department, where he scored a position as narcotics investigator after just a year in. "That's something I had always wanted to do and it was just wild. That was at the height of the big meth push – when they were making meth and had meth labs everywhere,” he said. “We could literally work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There was always stuff to do.” From small, marijuana paraphernalia arrests to a multi-pound methamphetamine busts, Hicks worked an endless amount of cases. "The thing with drug work – and I say this to everybody – if you're doing it right, within about three years, you're burnt out and you don't want to do it anymore," he said.
The good life is being an American.
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When that time came, he applied at the Clay County Sheriff’s office as a patrolman and soon worked his way into an investigative position once again – one he has held for the past 10 years. "I’ve worked cases from a simple burglary to homicide, sexual assault, home invasion – all this crazy stuff,” he said. "I've worked some really unusual cases.” As with any job, the role of an investigative detective has its ups, downs and undeniable stressors. “You get a little burnt out sometimes and you have to find other ways to focus," Hicks says. For him, that usually means not only taking warranted time off work but also exercising. "It helps clear your head,” he says. “Don't get me wrong, I'm not a marathon runner or anything. I like long walks and things like that – the same stuff I did in
the Army, except I'm not carrying a rucksack and a rifle.” At the end of the day, one recurring assumption still surprises Hicks. “After people sit down and talk to me, they never believe that I'm a cop. It just makes me laugh," he said. "I'm about as normal of a person as there is. I don't have magic powers.” RUNNING FOR SHERIFF As he aims to grow in his career, Hicks has joined the race for Clay County Sheriff – an election slated for November 2018. "The thing I want to bring most (to the position) is my life experience – both as a leader and as an investigator,” Hicks said. “I have a varied experience, having worked patrol, narcotics and investigations. I’ve worked with every federal and state agency in the area.” From the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Secret Service, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo Police Departments and more, you could say Hicks knows a few people. "We're two separate states, two jurisdictions,” Hicks said. “But we work seamlessly together. It's awesome. It doesn't happen in a lot of places in the country.” Living “out in the sticks” with his wife, Peggy, of 27 years, is where Hicks finds solace outside of work, enjoying the livestock, peace and quiet. Be it hunting, fishing for “anything that bites” or relishing in Minnesota’s snowy winters, Hicks cherishes the great outdoors. But what exactly defines “the good life”? "Being able to wake up in a country that's free," Hicks said. "Just the everyday freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. Not everyone has it. The good life is being an American." •
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